#!cliche storm

[missblanchette]

Birds of Paradise [5/5]

Series: Joker Game

Characters: Amari/Tazaki; Hatano is there to judge the happy couple

Rating: G

Summary: Tazaki never found a reason to talk to the shopkeeper with the chestnut brown hair and god-like jawline – that was, until his pigeons attacked the flower display. (AKA The Flower Shop AU no one asked for)

Words: 2105 + bonus

Notes: Modern AU/Flower Shop AU; *slam duNKS MY KEYBOARD* it’s finally done!! I’m so sorry for such a delay, school started plus my insecurities hit hard orz but I’m finally done with this ;w; Please check AO3 for more notes plus some other notes tangentially related to my writings lol

ko-fi // Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | You can read this on AO3! Thanks you guys so much for following this and reading, I hope you all enjoy~! ( ˊᵕˋ )♡.°⑅

Ch. 5: Truly Paradise

After so many failed and awkward attempts, Tazaki knew one thing and one thing only: this time around had to go perfectly.

Carrying the zinnias, primroses, cosmos and the mystery flowers as carefully as he could, Tazaki walked the path towards Persephone's once more with his darlings at his side. Giving a bouquet to a florist -- especially ones that weren't even fresh -- was a flimsy idea at most, but the best one he could come up with after much contemplation. All he had were some withering flowers and his beloved birds, but Tazaki was a handyman who knew how to use his resources. Perhaps it was cliché, perhaps it was dumb, but as Persephone's came into view, Tazaki decided that this was it.

That is, if his feet would let him walk through the door.

Just like so many times before, his breath hitched the moment he saw Amari through the window. Mundane as it was, seeing Amari tend to the flowers was a sight to behold. No one could deny that he was an attractive man, but there was so much more to him. It was the way that he put such care into his work, the way he acted so earnestly, and the way he treated everything with the utmost importance that Amari truly stood out. Tazaki couldn't thank his lucky stars enough that he'd gotten to know such a kind and gentle guy who was waving right at him -- hold up. Oh wait, oh no, oh God, he was waving at him.

Dammit. He really couldn't back out of this one.

"Okay, guys," Tazaki whispered, turning his back to the window. As discreetly as he could, he handed the bouquet of pressed flowers to his pigeons. "You know the plan, right?"

Like always, he'd practiced and practiced what he'd wanted to do but even now his doubts plagued him. Hearing the coos of his pigeons was all the answer he needed, though, reassuring and encouraging. Giving them a nod, he made an about face like a soldier heading off to battle and pushed open the door to Persephone's.

"Hey," Amari greeted him, his voice as sonorous as the bells that signaled his arrival. "You came."

"I'm a man of my word," Tazaki said, thankful Frate came bounding towards him to give him some time to get his life together.

"You're a bit earlier than I expected, though." Leaving his flowers at the counter, Amari walked towards him with his trademark smile on his face.

"Earlier is better than later in my opinion," Tazaki said, standing up once he finished petting Frate. "Besides, there's something... there's something I need to do first."

"Hm?" Amari cocked his head to the side.

Gulping for air, Tazaki reached for Amari's hands. He stopped short as his fingers hovered over his. His palms grew clammy as his nerves wracked through his body once more. Breathe in, breathe out, he told himself. Then, forcing himself to meet Amari's eyes, Tazaki took his hands in his. Here goes nothing --

"Would you go out with me?"

The second those words came out, Tazaki clamped his mouth shut. Oh goodness. Wait. Wait, wait, wait, that was supposed to go last. Behind him, he heard his birds fluttering and the bouquet rustling and he put a hand up to signal them to stand down. Before Amari could say anything, Tazaki quickly continued in an attempt to save himself.

"Uh, ever since I first saw you here, even before we actually met, I thought you were a really great guy," he said, steadily gaining confidence as he spoke. "This'll sound weird but I just had a gut feeling. And then... I actually got to know you. You're just... everything I expected and more." Here, he tightened his grip on Amari's hands but looked away. He could only imagine how red his face was with all the heat rushing up.

"You're so dedicated to everything you do, from taking care of the flowers, and the shop, and your daughter, and you're able to smile while doing all of it, and I really admire that about you and..." He paused. "I'm rambling now." He let out a nervous laugh, not once letting go of Amari. "But my point is... I like you. A lot. And... I was wondering if you'd go out with me?"

A pause. But there was something off and it wasn't Amari's lack of response.

"Hold on," Tazaki said, glancing behind him. He cleared his throat. "Ahem, I said: I was wondering if you'd go out with me."

Once again, his birds flapped their wings, popping up from behind him with the bouquet in their hold and flying towards Amari. The pounding of his heart drowned out the noise around him, the beating drumming in his ears. With much hesitation, Tazaki dared to look back up at Amari.

In spite of his expectations, a grin greeted him. Amari gazed at the bouquet the very same way he did his other flowers despite the fact that they were all pressed and dried, yellowed and old, the very same flora he'd given Tazaki not so long ago.

"You actually kept these?" Though Amari's voice was soft, it was enough to break through his internal screaming. Still holding onto Tazaki, Amari took the bouquet with his free hand and looked over it. As he turned the bouquet around back and forth, his grin only grew wider. "You took good care of them."

"Of course I did! You gave them to me, so they're special." While Tazaki spoke, Amari admired the flowers as if entranced by each petal, each stem, and each bud. "I always wanted to repay you so... I figured this was a way to start."

A bout of silence fell over them, but wonder and awe filled Amari's face much like Fukumoto at one of his idol concerts. Yet, Amari said nothing. He was probably wearing one of those polite smiles; he was a shopkeeper, he must be used to giving those. Welp, he said what he needed to say and Tazaki figured that was good enough. There were plenty of birds in the sky, after all --

"If that's the case,” Amari said, finally turning his chestnut brown eyes towards him. “How can I possibly say 'no' to you?"

Whoa.

That wasn't a rejection. Just to make sure he was hearing properly, Tazaki rubbed his ears.

"So... that's a 'yes'?"

"Today's a day for Emma, but --" Taking one of Tazaki's hands, Amari pressed a kiss against his knuckles. "-- I'd love for a day for just the two of us, yes."

There was that familiar wave of goosebumps with the feeling of Amari's lips on his skin. Tazaki's mind ceased to function, his heart ready to burst out of his chest. Before he could let everything sink in, the door bell chimed followed by the pitter-patter of small footsteps.

"Papa!" Jumping away from Amari, Tazaki turned to see Emma run in through the door, followed by a nonchalant Hatano who made a beeline to the break room. "Oh, and Mr. Tazaki, too! You're here!"

Snapping back into reality, Tazaki stumbled back as Emma rushed over and hugged him at his knees.

"A little birdie told me you'd be here today, so I thought I'd drop by," Tazaki said, patting her head.

"Yay! I learned a lotta cool things I can show you and I taught Frate how to do some tricks and oh, maybe we can go to the park later --"

"That sounds like fun, Emma," Tazaki said, trying to keep up with all she said. "But what does your Papa think about it?"

Emma clapped a hand against her cheeks, eyes widening as if she just remembered about him.

"Oh yeah!" Turning to Amari, she put on her puppy dog eyes. "Can we go out today, Papa? Please?"

Humming, Amari tapped the bouquet against his chin.

"Hm, I dunno..."

"Aw, please!"

"I suppose you've been a good girl lately, so... why not?" As Emma cheered, Amari ruffled her hair. "Just remember to treat Mr. Tazaki well, okay?"

"Yes, Papa~"

"Let me find a home for these flowers first, then we can head out, okay?" And with that, Amari winked, giving Tazaki a grin as he showed her the bouquet.

It was funny, Tazaki thought, that even though he was surrounded by flowers -- all bold and in full bloom, all standing tall and proud, all vibrant and striking -- none of them could possibly compare to Amari's smile.

"Don't you look happy."

Hatano's words cut Amari's whistling short as the two of them met at the entrance of the break room. Even when faced with Hatano's incredulous look and crossed arms, Amari's grin didn't falter.

"Yeah!" he said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I feel great, actually."

Hatano huffed, half hearted as it may be. One of them had to be the responsible one here and it sure as hell wasn't gonna be Amari.

"Cool," he said. "That's swell and all, but what are we gonna do about the costs?"

"What do you mean?"

"The zinnias, the primroses, the cosmos?" With each flora Hatano listed, he increasingly stepped into Amari's space, pointing at the very same ones Amari held in his arms. "Not to mention the freaking birds of paradise," he said, throwing his hands up. "Why'd you even get those!? Y'know how expensive they are."

When Amari didn't respond immediately, Hatano followed his eyes to see Tazaki playing with Emma and his birds. He'd always known Amari to be air-headed, but he gazed at the sight with such intent that even Hatano couldn't bring it in himself to chide him.

"Birds of paradise," Amari said, fondness in his voice. "Symbolizing faithfulness, love, and thoughtfulness; freedom and a clear perspective on life."

Rolling his eyes, Hatano clicked his tongue. Of course he had to pull the flower symbolism card. He shouldn't have expected anything else from a florist of all people. How disgustingly... cute.

"Ugh, well, your dumb ass didn't let bird brain pay for the expenses and now we're just... kinda, y'know..." Hatano trailed off, gesturing as if to find the right words before giving Amari his best death glare. "Broke."

Still, Amari continued smiling and Hatano would've socked him right then if not for the "No Violence Around Emma" Rule.

"It'll work out," Amari said, patting Hatano's shoulder. Hatano face palmed.

"Sorry if I'm interrupting --" And there was the very same bird brain he'd been talking about, with Emma in his arms and his pigeons flocking around her. "-- I couldn't help overhear you guys but I think I have a way to pay you guys back."

"You do?" Hatano asked, rather flatly.

"Oh, share it!” Just like that, Amari’s attention was all on Tazaki.

"My birds," Tazaki said proudly. Hatano raised an eyebrow but, in his peripheral, could see Amari getting way too excited already. "We can use them as an attraction, get lots of people to come over with a show. They're a huge hit with the kids, especially."

A beat.

"Are you kidding me --"

"I like it!" Emma bounced excitedly in Tazaki's hold, his pigeons fluttering about from her outburst.

"And I like it, too," Amari said, not-so-subtly nudging Hatano. "Love it, even!"

"Really?" Tazaki's eyes widened.

"Of course!" Amari said, leaving Hatano's side to join Tazaki. "And you know what else we can do? We can..."

It was right there and then that Hatano zoned out, wanting no part in the planning despite knowing that he'd get roped into whatever these two decided on. Even so, Hatano's lips quirked up as he watched Amari and Tazaki chatter on. Amari's smile had been so tired lately, as if he'd break once he let his act down.

Running a flower shop didn't rake in much profit admittedly, and Amari had to take care of Emma on top of that. But once Tazaki entered the picture, Amari started glowing again, just like the time he'd adopted Emma. There was a lilt to his whistles, a bounce in his step, and the flowers seemed to grow brighter. Not that he'd ever say it out loud, but Hatano was glad Amari found someone to make him happy. And if this bird brain was all it took to make that airhead happy, then Hatano would gladly deal with it --

Crash!

"Kazuaki!"

"I'll pay you back --"

"No, it's okay --"

Clenching his teeth, Hatano tightened the tie of his apron. Amari's happiness, Hatano reminded himself, Amari's happiness.

bonus

“Hey, by the way,” Tazaki said. “What are these?”

“What’re what?” Amari said, raising an eyebrow.

“These.” Tazaki pointed towards  the beak-like flowers. “They kinda look like birds of paradise,” he said, imitating the way birds of paradise hold themselves.

Amari laughed, getting more amusement out of this than he should be.

“Well, that’s what they are.”

“Birds?” Tazaki asked, head snapping towards them.

“Of paradise.”

“Like… the birds?”

Amari nodded.

“Like the birds.”

Tazaki blinked.

“Oh. ” That explained a lot. And why he kept getting the avians in his Google searches. “I’ve never seen them before, people don’t usually sell them.”

“They reminded me of a certain someone, so I ordered them,” Amari said rather casually, a contrast to the knowing smile on his face.

Opening his mouth, Tazaki was ready to ask about who it was until he’d realized who that certain someone was.

“I’m sure that certain someone loves them,” Tazaki said, his smile matching Amari’s. “But you know what that certain someone would really like?”

“What?”

“The actual birds.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Amari said, booping Tazaki’s nose. “Since according to another someone, we’re low on funds.”

“That’s fine.” Tazaki returned the favor then slipped his hand into Amari’s. “I suppose I already have them, anyways.”

“Yeah?”

“This shop is pretty much paradise, and my birds are here. So, birds of paradise.”

Amari gave him a long look before letting out a laugh.

“Right,” he said, squeezing Tazaki’s hand. “That’s exactly it.”

[missblanchette]

Birds of Paradise [4/5]

Series: Joker Game

Characters: Amari/Tazaki

Rating: G

Summary: Tazaki never found a reason to talk to the shopkeeper with the chestnut brown hair and god-like jawline – that was, until his pigeons attacked the flower display. (AKA The Flower Shop AU no one asked for)

Words: 2479

Notes: Modern AU/Flower Shop AU; “This will be updated weekly,” I say, as I proceed to hit a writer’s block and self-doubt l-lmao ;; Anyways, so sorry for the delay! Reworking this chapter was a lot more tougher than I expected, but hopefully it’s all right ^o^ 

ko-fi // Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | You can read this on AO3! Thanks so much for reading and I hope you guys enjoy~ ( ﾟ▽ﾟ)/

Ch. 4: Turnaround

Not to be over dramatic, but Tazaki would've rather had his head chopped off by a giant pigeon than see Amari again. Technically speaking, there wasn't a problem. It was just that the possibility of Amari having a family of his own was too much for him to deny and he couldn't act like nothing was wrong with that fun idea in the back of his mind.

Okay, maybe that did count as a problem.

But like any problem he faced, Tazaki did what he did best: avoiding it for as long as he possibly could. Which probably could've worked out better if not for all the bouquets in his apartment. Though they were beginning to wilt, he couldn't find it in himself to throw them out. Even with the color loss and curled up edges, the falling petals and the brown hues they took on, they were as beautiful as the day he received them. He'd have to preserve them somehow, press them or something like that. Perhaps he could ask Amari for... never mind.

As if the flowers weren't bad enough, little things kept reminding him of Amari. Tazaki was lucky he didn't get his email or any other contact, or else he'd be tempted to keep texting him about a dog he saw that looked as cute as Frate or how he passed by the aquarium and thought of Amari when he saw the dolphin poster. Christ, his friends were right. He really had it bad.

The real kicker came when Kaminaga oh so casually dropped an "Amari's been asking about you" during a conversation. When met with stupor, Kaminaga just shrugged.

"He said he hasn't seen you lately, but he hopes you're doing well."

With that, Tazaki remembered he did promise Amari he'd see him around. If the idea of hitting on a married guy made him feel bad, the idea of going back on his word made him feel like the worst person to ever exist. He owed Amari a lot, after all, considering how many bouquets his birds ruined. So mustering up all his courage (read: sucking it up), Tazaki gathered his pigeons and took the usual route he made on his morning walks -- the path to Persephone's. And just for good luck, he made sure Fukumoto's gift card was in his wallet.

Luck, though swell and all, probably wasn't enough; what he needed was divine intervention. The gods should just smite him now so he wouldn't have to deal with this anymore. But that would leave his pigeons all alone, and he couldn't do that to them. Well then, he should just move somewhere else, change his name, and start a new life. Yeah, he could picture it now: he'd be a wandering street magician named Seto Reiji, performing all kinds of tricks with his birds.

All the "what if"s and "if only"s flooded his head as his feet carried him on auto-pilot, his mind numb to the world around him. Not even the honking of a car was enough to break his thoughts; it took a slap in the face from one of his birds' wings to alert him of the car turning the corner, and even then he was a bit slow on the uptake.

He stumbled backwards, losing balance with just a few steps before landing on his back. The driver didn't even do so much as apologize, merely speeding off with the tires screeching behind him. At the moment, Tazaki didn't really care; he had to make sure his darlings were all right. Ignoring the pain in his head and back, ignoring the stinging in his elbows, ignoring the stares of the passersby, Tazaki sat up and checked on his pigeons.

As he looked them over, they appeared to be fine except for all the feathers scattered along the sidewalk. He'd have to clean that up. Or the wind could just carry them away so he wouldn't have to. No matter, he had more important things to worry about. Performing a headcount, he counted one bird, two birds, three, four, five, and his heart dropped as he realized Kazuaki was missing. A weary coo came from the side, catching his attention before he could have a proper freak out. Still, he held his breath as he crawled over and scooped Kazuaki into his hands.

Kazuaki limped on, keeping weight off his right leg. Most likely broken, Tazaki deduced, if how bent it was anything to go by. Not good. Not good, at all. He needed to get him to the vet, but that was a train ride away and he didn't have his Suica card on him. At the very least, he needed to patch him up but home was about fifteen minutes away. How fast would an ambulance get here? Not fast enough, he thought as Kazuaki squirmed in his hold.

Forcing himself up, Tazaki nearly tipped over again when someone caught him. He jumped at the contact, goosebumps running down his body.

"Thank you," he said, turning to face who just helped him. His eyes bulged in recognition. "Amari!?"

"Are you all right, Tazaki?" Amari asked, eyes filled with concern. Tazaki couldn't help but look away, a little too overwhelmed with being under Amari's gaze and hold at the same time. "I heard some commotion outside and went to check. I didn't expect to see you, though."

Right, Persephone's was just up the block. The gods must've sent that car veering towards him but changed their minds last minute. They should've just gone full speed and ran him over.

"I'm fine," Tazaki said, reluctantly pulling himself from Amari to prove his point. Amari simply frowned, a hand lingering on the small of his back. "It's Kazuaki I'm worried about. He broke his leg."

"Oh no." Amari inched closer towards Kazuaki, his frown deepening. He hummed in thought, briefly glancing in the direction of Persephone's before looking back at him. "Why don't we take him back to the shop? I'm not sure how much help it would be, but it's better than staying out here."

"I... thanks, but I should take him to the vet."

"How long will that take?"

Tazaki's lips twitched. Leaving Kazuaki to suffer an extra thirty minutes minimum or awkwardly spending time with his crush? Damn, got him there.

"On second thought, lead the way."

Not wasting time, Amari took him by the arm and guided him back with the rest of his pigeons following in tow. As soon as they entered Persephone's, Amari made a beeline for the back.

"The first aid kit should be around here..."

"You don't have to worry so much," Tazaki said, placing Kazuaki onto the counter as gently as he could along with his other birds. "He's my responsibility, so I'll take care of him. You're already doing a lot for me."

Amari froze in his search, turning back to him slowly with furrowed eyebrows as if he'd said something ridiculous (which, he'll be real, was very often if Miyoshi's comments were anything to go by).

"But I want to," Amari said. "I care about you. And I care about your birds, too, so I wanna do anything I can do to help."

Try as he might, Tazaki couldn't come up with a proper response. Save for his friends, he'd never met anyone so willing to help him -- especially when they haven't known each other for that long. To think that Amari considered him a friend, someone to care about, and that he cared enough to consider the ones he loved, Tazaki could barely wrap his mind around the fact. He was blessed, truly; even if they couldn't pursue a romantic relationship, Tazaki thanked whatever gods may be that he met Amari.

"Thank you," was what Tazaki settled for. That was good enough for now. "In that case, do you have anything we can use for a splint?"

"Just a second," Amari said, locating the first aid kit and handing it to him. "Oh, by the way --" He opened it and took out what appeared to be Hello Kitty bandages. "-- here."

Tazaki tilted his head.

"Your elbows are kinda scraped up. Don't want them getting infected now, do we?" Amari said. "Sorry about the design though, they're Emma's."

"It's fine." Taking them from him, a small smile found its way onto Tazaki's lips. He'd wear these Hello Kitty bandages with pride. "I didn't even realize I got hurt. Thank you."

And with that, the two set to work. Or rather, Tazaki handled the actual fixing up while Amari acted as his assistant. With bird bones being as fragile as they were, this wasn't the first time Tazaki's been in this situation. Using a small piece of wood leftover from a display, Tazaki took some gauze and created a makeshift splint for Kazuaki. Despite his experience, it didn't make it easier when he heard Kazuaki's pained coos as he set the cast on. Thankfully, Amari kept either of them from freaking out too much by making small talk and the occasional comment here and there. Before they knew it, they were done.

"Someone's looking better already~" Amari said as Tazaki tightened the splint. If not for the awkward limp, it really did look like nothing happened to Kazuaki.

"He's a tough one. I'll still have to call the vet though, but I couldn't have done it without you."

"I didn't do much," Amari said, shaking his head. "I just found something to use, is all."

"It's still better than nothing. It would've taken more time to go to the vet, so really, thank you. I owe you."

"It's the least I could've done."

"I insist."

Amari was silent for a moment before chuckling.

"I feel like we've had this conversation before."

"Perhaps once or twice," Tazaki teased.

"Well, if that's the case..." Amari tapped his chin. "Can you come over some time during the weekday? In the afternoon?"

Tazaki's heart thumped.

"I think I can do that. Why?"

Smiling sheepishly, Amari rubbed the back of his neck.

"Emma's been asking about you. She's quite taken with you, it seems." He laughed, focusing on petting Kazuaki instead. "It's funny, I've never seen her get so attached to a stranger -- not even me."

Tazaki nodded, ready to offer some sympathy. Though children typically had no sense of danger, some of them could get wary of someone they've never met -- wait . Hold up.

"What," was the first thing out of Tazaki's mouth. Wow, that was smooth. All right, redo. "I mean... really ? She seems very attached to you."

Amari chuckled, though this one a bit more forced.

"It wasn't always like this. Remember when I said I went to Hawaii?"

"Yeah?"

"That's where I met Emma and her mom. Long story short, I had to take her in because her mother couldn't care for her anymore." Amari's eyes took on a faraway look, his face forlorn in reminisce as his petting slowed down. "It was around this time of year, actually, and she's usually so down because of it. That's why I'm asking you to come over, since you seem to make her happy."

As if snapping out of a trance, he turned back to Tazaki and brushed it off.

"Haha, geez, there I go rambling again."

"No, no, it's okay!" Tazaki said. He would listen to him ramble all day, if he could. To think that Amari trusted him enough with all this, Tazaki wouldn't dare let him down. "That's really admirable of you, honestly, taking on such a huge responsibility... by yourself."

"I try my best, is all," Amari said, waving it off. "As long as she's happy, then I'm happy."

"Then I'll play my part and keep the both of you happy."

It was Amari's turn to be speechless, staring at Tazaki with wide eyes. Then, he grinned.

"I'll hold it to you."

Before either of them could say anything else, a trill came in between them along with flapping wings.

"Oh, sorry," Tazaki said as he took Kazuaki back. "I guess he's getting a little antsy."

"It's fine. I suppose you should be getting him to the vet anyways."

"Ah, that's right," he said, giving Kazuaki a once over. He would be able to hang on until then, hopefully. "Thank you again. I really appreciate it."

"It was nothing," Amari said as he waved goodbye to his pigeons. "So... I'll see you later?"

Tazaki smiled.

"Of course."

Trusting the rest of his pigeons to behave, Tazaki dropped them home when he went back to get his Suica card before taking Kazuaki to the vet. Fortunately, nothing too exciting happened as he made his way to the train station, letting him rest easy after what just happened. Despite the soreness that ran throughout his body, Tazaki thought that today was a good day so far. He should be nearly hit by cars more often, he thought as his mind drifted to the Hello Kitty bandages on his elbows. Kazuaki wriggled in his hands, reminding him on the situation. All right, maybe there were other ways to spend time with Amari that didn't involve bodily injury to anyone.

"Amari's a good guy, isn't he?" Tazaki said. The lady sitting next to him gave him a strange look, as if unsure of how to answer. "Oh, sorry," he said. "Not you --" He pointed at Kazuaki. "-- him."

Kazuaki chirped in response, pulling his attention back towards him.

"Really?" Tazaki squinted his eyes. By all means, that was a positive answer, but there was something off about it. "Why didn't you say that before?"

A trill accompanied by the fluttering of wings. Tazaki's mouth dropped.

"You're a bird."

He clicked his beak.

"You can't have him. "

Teetering, Kazuaki chittered.

"D-Defensive!? I'm just stating the facts."

Kazuaki bit his hand, which only stung a bit. Just a bit. Fine, maybe he was being a little defensive but how else was he supposed to react? Before he could speak again, Kazuaki let out a low coo. He flipped his tail as best he could, tilting his head as he looked up at him.

"...You think so?"

Stepping closer towards him, Kazuaki whistled.

"But --"

He trilled, spreading his wings out in that way that said he wasn't having any of it.

“Er, thank you for your blessing. I think."

Satisfied with that, Kazuaki retracted his wings and bobbed his head back and forth. Smiling, Tazaki held him closer and petted him.

Having the approval of all his darlings was reassuring to say the least. On top of that, his previous worries were no longer a problem. Letting out a sigh of relief, Tazaki rested his head against the wall and took comfort in the rhythmic rumblings of the train.

No more backing out, Tazaki decided. He'd ask Amari out next time for sure.

[missblanchette]

Birds of Paradise [3/5]

Series: Joker Game

Characters: Amari/Tazaki; Kaminaga and Fukumoto as Tazaki’s #squad 

Rating: G

Summary: Tazaki never found a reason to talk to the shopkeeper with the chestnut brown hair and god-like jawline – that was, until his pigeons attacked the flower display. (AKA The Flower Shop AU no one asked for)

Words: 2628

Notes: Modern AU/Flower Shop AU; Sorry this is a bit late ;; I had a lot of trouble reworking this and started falling into the Cycle of Doubt™ on top of that lmao but here’s chapter three~

Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | You can read this on AO3! Thank you guys for reading and I hope you enjoy~!  (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧

Ch 3: Surprises Come in All Shapes and Sizes

Unfortunately, or fortunately, Tazaki had little to no chance to pass by Persephone's in the days after his failed attempt. Part of him was thankful, because only the gods knew he was still recovering from last time. On the other hand, he missed seeing Amari work so diligently, even if he only caught it through the window; the bouquets that decorated his small apartment could only fill the void so much. Still, with Miyoshi's words urging him on, Tazaki tried to hype himself up so that he could finally ask Amari out.

Key phrase: "tried to."

This entailed a very long talk with his pigeons. Multiple very long talks. For the most part, his darlings seemed open to the idea of letting someone new into their lives. But then there was Kazuaki. It wasn't that he wasn't opposed to, but he didn't seem for it either. Then again, Tazaki couldn't really tell because the minute he mentioned Amari, Kazuaki went nuts. Well, at least he had approval from the majority.

On top of that, he rehearsed what he wanted to say in front of the mirror and even asked Kaminaga for some tips (most of which Tazaki swore never to do). Fukumoto also tried helping, but his advice was simply to take him on a date to his cafe and Tazaki knew he just wanted more business. The support was appreciated, however.

Regardless of whether or not he was ready, another opportunity to see Amari again arrived. So of course the night before, he stayed up late shaken by his nerves and ended up oversleeping.

Berating himself for not sticking to plan, Tazaki rushed out with his pigeons following in a tizzy. It wasn't too late, just about early afternoon, so Amari should still be there. Although as much as he tried to calm himself down, perhaps the adrenaline from power walking didn't help. The only thing keeping him grounded now was the weight of his darlings on his arms.

Despite the calm mask he put on, his legs quivered and his heart hammered against his chest. It really shouldn't be a big deal, he told himself. All he had to do was go in, ask, and get a date. Or get rejected. One or the other. But he couldn't start thinking like that or else he'd really chicken out. As Persephone's came into view, he looked over to his darlings for one last bout of reassurance. Right shoulder, check; left shoulder, good but... where was Kazuaki?

Tazaki paused.

What was that rustling noise?

Looking to the side, he saw Kazuaki had found entertainment in the bouquet of cosmos, the petals fluttering to the ground. Tazaki pursed his lips.

"Really?"

Kazuaki merely chirped in response.

Sighing, Tazaki went over to retrieve him.

"I thought I told you especially to be on your best behavior," he said, pointing a finger at him.

Before Kazuaki could reply, the shop's bell rang. Tazaki looked up to see Amari standing at the door.

"You're a bit later than usual," Amari said, a teasing lilt in his voice.

Oh sweet Jesus. Okay, just like he practiced -- he got this.

"Sorry I'm late, I got lost in your flowers." Not bad, he mused.

Chuckling, Amari stepped forward.

"You're not the only one lost, it seems." As Amari neared the display, Kazuaki slowed to a stop. In turn, Amari petted him with a finger. "Would you look at that? Only one bouquet ruined this time."

"They're learning." He narrowed his eyes towards at Kazuaki. "Most of them, at least."

"Can't learn something overnight," Amari said, Kazuaki climbing onto his arm.

"Kazuaki's always been a procrastinator."

"It’s fine to take things at your own pace~"

"Even at the expense of your flowers?"

"Some sacrifices have to be made." Amari shrugged, passing Kazuaki over to him. "Though I have to admit seeing you -- your birds slam into the displays makes my shift a lot more interesting."

"And my bank account a lot more emptier," Tazaki mumbled.

Amari laughed.

"Let me guess, you want to take responsibility for this, too?"

"I-It's only fair," Tazaki said, grateful he was busy helping Kazuaki back onto his shoulder. Although, it was a good opening for him. "Speaking of which... I was thinking about other forms of payments."

"Oh?" Amari tilted his head.

As Amari looked at him with those chestnut brown eyes of his, the words died on Tazaki’s tongue. Practicing a conversation with one’s self in front of the mirror was nothing compared to the real deal. Amari was a nice guy, so rejection wouldn't hurt that badly, would it? Just when he considered backing out, Kazuaki's talons dug into his skin like a painful reminder.

Right. It was now or never.

"Yeah, how about a --"

"Papa!"

Hands shooting out, Amari clutched Tazaki's shoulders as he fell forward. Thankfully, his pigeons didn't do anything more than flap their wings about and trill in surprise, but Tazaki figured it would've been easier to deal with their frenzy than Amari's proximity. Amari's eyes, he thought, were just as pretty as his flowers, and he had to remind himself it wasn't socially acceptable to gawk.

"E-Emma!" Before turning around, Amari mouthed him an apology. Tazaki simply shook his head, having lost his voice. "You should be more careful."

"Sorry~"

To Amari's side, Tazaki saw a young girl with her arms wrapped around Amari's knees. She grinned as Amari patted her head and Tazaki couldn't help but grow weak at how adorable the sight was. Behind them, another man made his way for the flower shop.

"Thanks for picking her up, Hatano," Amari said. "What do we say to Uncle Hatano?"

"Thank you, Uncle Hatano!"

Hatano merely grunted in response.

"Yeah, yeah," he said, leaning against the door. "Just let me know when you're done, I'll be getting ready for my shift."

"Why don't you go wait inside with Uncle Hatano, Emma?" Amari asked as Hatano disappeared into the store.

"Not yet, not yet! I have something really cool to show you, Papa."

And as Amari knelt down to be eye level with her, two realizations hit Tazaki: Amari was a father. And if he was a father, then surely he must be married.

Dear Lord. He'd been hitting on a married man.

Mentally, he chided himself for thinking that being a father made Amari more attractive. Now was not the time be thinking that. But he couldn't deny it. Not when he listened to his daughter so attentively and treated her so gently; it reminded Tazaki of how he treated his birds the other day, and only served to make him fall harder. Moral crisis aside, he briefly debated on whether or not it was viable to have his pigeons fly him out.

Clink!

"Ah." Emma looked down towards the ground, a pout on her face. On the ground laid a coin. "It was supposed to come out of your ear."

Not missing a beat, Tazaki maneuvered his hands to slip a coin into his own palm and bent down.

"You mean like this?" he said, reaching behind Emma's ear and sliding the coin up, as if pulling it right out of her ear. Smiling, he presented it to her. "Ta-dah!"

"Yeah, like that!" She hopped up and down, pointing excitedly at his hand. Then she took a clear look at him and clammed up, taking a step behind Amari. Nevertheless, Tazaki just kept on smiling and handed her the coin.

"Here, this is for you."

Shyly, Emma looked at Amari as if asking him for permission to which he nodded.

"Oh, that's right! Emma, this is my friend, Mr. Tazaki." Friends. He could die happy right there. "Now what do you say to Mr. Tazaki?"

"Thank you, Mr. Tazaki," Emma said, her previous smile returning as she took the coin from him.

"You're very welcome, Emma."

With coin in hand, Emma shifted her attention back to Amari.

"Ah... Papa, I'll be inside."

With Amari's nod of approval, Emma ran off into the store.

"Your daughter's very cute," Tazaki said, as the shop's door bell chimed.

"Thank you, she means the world to me," Amari said, voice growing softer; his smile widened and there was a proud gleam in his eyes. "Ah, anyways, you were saying something about payment earlier?"

"Yeah, uh..." Just like that, what little confidence Tazaki had built up earlier dissipated, which was made worse with Amari looking at him expectantly. Amari seemed happy, and happy enough without him. He had his own family and he'd probably just be intruding if he tried anything. "...Do you take check?"

Amari blinked.

"Just, y'know, in case there's no other forms of payment."

"...Gotcha." Amari nodded slowly. "We do, actually. Did you plan on paying by check today?"

"Oh no, um, I was just wondering." Tazaki patted his pockets in search for his wallet. "I mean, it's just one bouquet anyways. I should have enough cash on me..."

"Money isn't necessary."

"Hm?"

Instead of answering, Amari picked up the bouquet Kazuaki had ruined and inspected it. The white cosmos seemed to be in decent enough condition despite the ruckus, as well as the bird beak-like flowers that sat in the center of them. Removing a few loose petals here and there, Amari adjusted the cellophane wrapper so that the torn parts weren't visible and re-tied the lavender bow that kept it together.

"You made Emma smile," Amari said, handing it to him. "That's payment enough."

"Are you sure? I really don't mind paying."

"I insist." Amari smiled. "We gotta do something with this bouquet anyways, no?"

"That's... fair enough." After a moment's hesitation, Tazaki took the bouquet from him, sending those goosebumps throughout his body again as their fingers brushed together. "Thank you."

"I'll see you around?"

"For sure," Tazaki said, cradling the bouquet in his arms. Because even if he couldn't be with Amari, he could still admire him.

Staring at the flowers in front of him, Tazaki had no doubt in his mind that they'd look good alongside the other bouquets he'd received from Amari. Despite it not receiving the same treatment the first two got, it looked as if nothing happened to the bouquet in the first place. The cosmos retained their color and stood tall and proud, the beak-like flowers he'd still yet to identify adding to their liveliness. Amari truly had skill when it came to flowers; whoever his spouse was must be very lucky.

"Dude," Kaminaga said, interrupting his pity party. "You look pretty down."

His voice brought Tazaki back to his senses, the sounds of the cafe rushing into his ears. He’d almost forgotten he was hanging out with Kaminaga. Tearing his gaze off the bouquet, Tazaki turned to him.

"You never told me he had a kid."

"What?"

"Amari. He has a kid."

"I didn't think it was relevant." Kaminaga furrowed his brows, resting his chin in his palm. "You love kids!"

"If he has a kid, then he has to be married."

"He's never mentioned it before. He doesn't have a ring, either."

"Oh my God," Tazaki said, hands flying to his cheeks with an audible smack. "Maybe his spouse is dead."

Kaminaga squinted at him.

"Then what's the problem?"

"He's in mourning!"

Snorting, Kaminaga took a sip of his drink.

"He looks pretty damn happy for someone who's mourning."

"Some people are really good at hiding their pain," Tazaki said, jabbing a finger in Kaminaga's direction. "Plus he has Emma to help him through the process..."

"Y'know, Emma looks nothing like Amari," Kaminaga said, leaning back in his chair. "Red hair, blue eyes, pale skin. Even her name isn’t Japanese."

As much as he wanted to deny it, Kaminaga had a point. But still, Amari treated her as if she were his own, and Tazaki didn't want to rule out any possible scenario.

"Okay, but --"

The scent of peppermint wafted through the air, a coffee cup placed in front of him. Though the drink was out of season, he knew one guy who'd make it for him.

"Tazaki." He looked up to see Fukumoto pulling up a chair next to them, his voice like an anchor. "Breathe."

"Oh, Fukumoto," Kaminaga said. "On break already?"

"I pulled some strings."

Both Tazaki and Kaminaga had learned not to question Fukumoto ever and so let it be, ignoring the yelling up at the cash register.

"So what's going on with Tazaki's guy problems?" Fukumoto said.

"There's no problem," Tazaki said, holding the cup in his hands. The scent of peppermint soothed him, the warmth comforting. In fact, it almost reminded him of… actually, never mind. "I'm already over it."

Kaminaga scoffed.

"More like you're trying to run away from it." Kaminaga folded his arms. "So what if you hit on a married guy? We all make that mistake --"

"Not really," interjected Fukumoto.

"-- At best, you'll get rejected; at worst, he'll never wanna see you again. No big deal."

Tazaki suddenly found his peppermint mocha unappealing.

"Kaminaga," said Fukumoto.

"Yeah?"

"Shush."

Kaminaga pouted, but stayed silent nonetheless.

"I just don't want to impose on anything, all right?" Tazaki said. "He seems perfectly happy without me."

“If you keep making excuses for yourself,” Fukumoto said. “You’ll never be truly happy.”

In the silence that fell, Tazaki tapped his finger against the cup. Fukumoto wasn't wrong; indeed, Fukumoto was rarely wrong. If he didn't do anything about it, surely he'd end up regretting it sooner or later. But he'd get over it, wouldn't he? He'd been fine without Amari up until now, so he could get by. He had his birds, after all.

Okay, even he had to admit that sounded a bit pathetic.

"I know it's difficult," Fukumoto said. "But if you really want something, then you should go after it."

Taking a shaky breath, Tazaki nodded.

"I know," he said. "It's just that... every time I try, I get scared."

"I understand," Fukumoto said, his eyes taking on a faraway look. He was quick to snap back, though. "But it'll be worth it if it works out, don't you think?"

Allowing himself a moment, Tazaki imagined what it would be like to be with Amari. There would be no need to admire him through Persephone's windows, since he'd be able to spend time with him without question. The thought of being able to see Amari's warm smile and feel his gentle touch sent his heart racing, though he had no complaints about that. He wanted to get to know Amari better, to be by his side and help him through his day, that he had no doubts about.

At the same time, he didn't want to rush into anything. Not when there was too many uncertainties. Perhaps he really was being a coward, but he'd rather be a coward than overstep any boundaries.

"You're right, but..." Tazaki finally said. "I need some time to think about it."

Fukumoto set a hand on Kaminaga's shoulder, stopping him from any outbursts. Though Kaminaga complied, he still gave Tazaki a concerned look. Meanwhile, Fukumoto opened his mouth as if to say something but decided against it. He dug into his apron's pocket and pulled something out.

"It's your decision and we'll support you no matter what," Fukumoto said, handing it to him. "But if you go through with it, take this for good luck."

Hesitantly, Tazaki took it.

"What is it?"

"A gift card. For when you take him here on your date."

"...I see," Tazaki said, pocketing it. "Thank you."

Another failed attempt today, but hey, he got a discount from Fukumoto. You win some, you lose some, he supposed. Eyes drifting back to the bouquet, Tazaki sighed. Perhaps more losses than wins.

[missblanchette]

Birds of Paradise [1/5]

Series: Joker Game

Characters: Amari/Tazaki; Kaminaga as Tazaki’s wingman (lol get it)

Rating: G

Summary: Tazaki never found a reason to talk to the shopkeeper with the chestnut hair and god-like jawline -- that was, until his pigeons attacked the flower display. (AKA The Flower Shop AU no one asked for)

Words: 1770

Notes: Modern AU/Flower Shop AU; Good lord this has been sitting in my computer since January, having gone through a couple of rewrites and lots of editing, but ah I decided to finally post this since I have some friends who like AmaTaza and I’ve always wanted to write something focusing on them so yeah hehe ^o^;; Technically this is complete, but I decided to release it chapter by chapter so I could edit and rework the parts that I’m still unhappy with while the fic itself is technically up lol, so hopefully this will be updated weekly >u<

You can read this on AO3! Thank you guys for reading and I hope you enjoy~! (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡

Ch 1: First Encounters

Tazaki's pigeons were usually better than this, having had trained them over the years to listen to his beck and call; it was one of his few talents, really, earning him the title "Pigeon Whisperer" back in high school, though that wasn't important at the moment. Rather the issue was that for some reason, nothing he said or did could stop his darlings from jumping out at the display of flowers in front of Persephone's.

It must've been quite the scene, what with his pigeons looking like fallen angels descending upon the innocent flowers and the plethora of petals flying onto the sidewalk like confetti that was just popped. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Tazaki thought it'd make a great candid shot, but that was the least of his concerns. He could practically feel the crowd forming behind him and right now, he had to tame his dear birds before the shopkeeper came out.

"Excuse me, sir. Is everything all right?"

Welp. Seemed like he was too late for that.

Trying to keep himself cool and collected, Tazaki turned to see that familiar head of chestnut hair and god-like jawline he always saw through the flower shop's window whenever he went on his morning walks.

"Of course," Tazaki said, putting on a smile as petals smacked him in the face. "I've got them under control."

Quirking an eyebrow, the shopkeeper looked between him and the flowers.

"Let me help you."

"It's all right, I can handle them --"

But the shopkeeper had already stepped forward, reaching out to Tazaki's pigeons. Their hands brushed against each other for a moment, sending goosebumps down Tazaki's body that made him freeze. It must've been how warm the shopkeeper's hands were, Tazaki thought, in comparison to his own. Nonetheless, by the time he recovered, his birds had stopped their assault on the flower display.

"I believe these are yours?" the shopkeeper teased.

Blinking, Tazaki took in the sight of his pigeons lounging about on the shopkeeper's arms as if they hadn't just gone on a frenzy. Part of it hurt his pride, since it'd taken a while for his birds to grow used to him, yet they'd already taken a liking to this man. At the same time, however, there was something about it that made his stomach flip. Perhaps it was the smile the shopkeeper adorned despite the wings flapping about and the weight of the birds clinging onto him. Whatever it was, Tazaki pushed back those thoughts and relieved the man of his darlings.

"And I believe you'd be right." As his pigeons climbed back onto his own arms, Tazaki shot them a disappointed look. At least they had the decency to look ashamed. "I'm really sorry about this."

"No worries, these things happen," the shopkeeper said, waving him off and chuckling. "Although this is the first time I've had a pigeon attack but it's fine. I can just fix up the display."

With the sidewalk decorated in an array of colorful petals, Tazaki wondered just how much fixing up he'd need to do.

"I've caused you a lot of trouble, so I'll pay." Before the shopkeeper could say anything, Tazaki took out his wallet. "I insist."

The shopkeeper hummed as if considering his offer, then nodded.

"All right then," he said rather cheerfully. Tapping his chin, he inspected the remains of the flowers. The shopkeeper seemed to be in a good mood despite the mess, though Tazaki wasn't sure if it was politeness or genuine. "That'll be 60,000 yen."

Even if the tone of his voice was light and sweet, Tazaki couldn't help but wince. His wallet was in pain.

"Er, do you take credit card?"

"We do, indeed." The shopkeeper gave him a reassuring smile. "Just go ahead into the store, I'll follow you."

Doing as he was told, Tazaki walked in and was greeted by the sounds of barking. Immediately, a Scottish terrier ran up to him and he tried to calm his pigeons before they did even more damage. After making sure they wouldn't do anything, Tazaki bent down and petted the dog.

"I see you've met Frate." The shopkeeper's voice came from behind him, and he turned to see him with a bouquet in his arms.

"Frate, huh? Cute dog."

"The cutest dog there is~" the shopkeeper said, setting the bouquet on the counter. Even though most of the petals had fallen off and the cellophane wrap was torn, he looked at it very intently. "But we like to think of him as fierce -- our very own Cerberus."

"Cerberus? Like the guard dog of Hades?" Tazaki stood up and Frate ran off into the depths of the store, his black fur whipping behind him. Then Tazaki grinned, remembering the name of the flower shop. "Or in this case, the guard dog of Persephone's garden."

The shopkeeper smiled as he replaced the torn wrapper with a new one.

"Exactly! Not too many people get the reference."

"I'm a cultured man," Tazaki said, walking up the the cash register.

"A cultured man with varied interests, I'm sure," the shopkeeper said, glancing over to the pigeons resting on his arms. Finished with wrapping the flowers, he tied them together with a blue ribbon.

"Certainly." Tazaki would've rubbed the back of his neck had his arms not been occupied, though he did feel his cheeks grow a bit warm. "A-Anyways, I have my card ready."

"Right, right," the shopkeeper said, patting his hands clean on his apron.

Their fingers touched in the brief moment Tazaki handed him his credit card, sending that same wave of goosebumps throughout his body. Distracting himself from the feeling, Tazaki occupied himself with making sure his pigeons were behaving.

"Sorry again, about the display," Tazaki said as the transaction was completed. Putting his card back, he already missed the warmth of the shopkeeper's touch.

"Like I said, no worries. Oh! Before you go --" The shopkeeper took the bouquet lying on the counter and handed it to him. "-- Here. These are for you."

Tazaki found himself at a loss for words, his mouth hanging agape. Slowly, he pointed towards himself.

"...For me?" He cleared his throat. "Why?"

"I don't want you going home empty-handed after you just shelled out all that money."

"I can't possibly --"

"If you're worried about paying, don't. This is just one of the bouquets that survived the attack," he said, adding a wink at the end. For a moment, Tazaki forgot how to breathe.

"Right." He nodded, taking the bouquet from him. "Thank you..." He trailed off, unable to find a name tag on the shopkeeper's person.

"Amari."

"Amari," he repeated, the name coming easily to him. "Thank you, Amari."

"It's not a problem...?"

"Tazaki."

"Tazaki," Amari said with a smile, and Tazaki decided he could listen to Amari say his name all day.

"So who's the lucky girl, eh?" was the first thing Kaminaga asked him when they met up later. Unfortunately for Tazaki, he had no time in between the flower shop and meeting Kaminaga at the cafe by the park to drop the bouquet at home, so he was stuck with dealing with the annoyance that was Kaminaga.  

"Hm?" Cradling the bouquet in one arm, Tazaki spread bird feed on the ground with his free hand.

"Guy then?"

"W-What do you mean?"

"The flowers, man." Kaminaga clapped his shoulder. It was a good thing his birds were already feeding or else that would've been the second frenzy that day. "You don't just carry flowers around."

"Ah, this?" Tazaki said, the bouquet rustling in his hold. "It's... not a big deal. My pigeons ruined a flower shop's display and I paid for it. The shopkeeper gave me this in return."

Saying that out loud sounded a bit ridiculous in retrospect, but Kaminaga took it all in stride, simply nodding as he took a sip of his coffee.

"So," Kaminaga said, setting his drink down. "It's the shopkeeper."

"No, it's -- there's no one, okay?"

"It's not 'no one' if you're getting all flustered like that."

"I barely even know him, all right? Today was the first time I even talked to him!"

"Oho~ Sounds like you've been admiring him from afar." Kaminaga leaned in closer with that damned smirk of his.

"It's nothing like that." Tazaki gave him a pointed look. "I just recognize him since I pass by the store all the time."

Kaminaga hummed, fingers drumming against the table.

"This store wouldn't happen to be Persephone's, would it?"

Tazaki blinked.

"It is..."

"The shopkeeper, tall or short?"

"Uh, tall...?"

"Aha, so it's Amari!"

Holding the bouquet a little tighter, Tazaki flinched at the outburst.

"H-How'd you know?"

"My amazing intuition." Kaminaga puffed his chest out proudly to which Tazaki simply stared. "Also, I get my flowers for Miyoshi there, yeah?" he said, deflating by the end of the sentence. "I passed by this morning and saw Amari fixing up the display."

Tazaki slumped at the thought of Amari working on that all by himself. He should've offered to help him clean up at least, now that he thought about it. What a bad first impression he must've made.

"Y'know, I'm kinda friends with him," Kaminaga said. "I can put in a good word for you."

"It's okay, you don't have to." Tazaki sighed. "He probably doesn't like me anyways."

Kaminaga snorted.

"You completely ruin the man's display and he gives you flowers." Kaminaga paused, most likely for dramatic effect. "He can't not like you."

"But --"

"Trust me on this. I'm a love expert."

Tazaki didn't mention how the self-proclaimed love expert spent a week sleeping on the couch after a failed attempt at "spicing up" his and Miyoshi's love life because he was a good friend, but even he had to admit Kaminaga's offer was tempting. He couldn't count the number of times he stole a glance at Amari as he passed by the flower shop, even slowing his pace down so the moment could last longer. He never found a reason to enter the shop, and so never found an excuse to strike up a conversation with Amari -- until now. At least with Kaminaga, there'd be some kind of common denominator there.

"All right." Tazaki took a breath, not believing what he was about to say. "I'll trust you."

Kaminaga grinned and threw an arm around Tazaki's shoulders.

"Don't you worry about a thing! Next time you see him, you'll get that date. Hell, I can see your wedding already --"

"Stop."

"-- You guys'll be saving a lot since you've already got the flowers and birds covered --"

"Please."

[missblanchette]

Birds of Paradise [2/5]

Series: Joker Game

Characters: Amari/Tazaki; Miyoshi is there for (tough) moral support

Rating: G

Summary: Tazaki never found a reason to talk to the shopkeeper with the chestnut brown hair and god-like jawline – that was, until his pigeons attacked the flower display. (AKA The Flower Shop AU no one asked for)

Words: 2514

Notes: Modern AU/Flower Shop AU; I’m so tired of looking at this LOLOL but here’s chapter two~ More cliches and cheesiness coming ya way *finger guns*

Ch.1 | You can read this on AO3! Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy~!╰(*´︶`*)╯

Ch 2: Handyman

Tazaki had always been hyper aware of Persephone's ever since he first saw Amari and right now was no exception. Today, however, he considered actually entering the shop. It'd been a week since the incident, giving Kaminaga enough time to keep his end of the deal (he did get a text from containing only a winking smiley, though that could've been about anything). Then again, there was also the possibility that Kaminaga didn't and Amari would just remember him as the Flower Murderer (even if it technically was his pigeons, he owned them, so by extension he was one).

Whatever the case was, he needed to make his choice quickly --

Coo!

Or maybe not. It seemed that his pigeons made the decision for him, if the flapping wings and scattered petals meant anything. Tazaki heaved a sigh as the remains of the flowers swirled around him. Very aesthetic, he thought, but he had other matters to prioritize.

"You guys..." Thankfully, the damage wasn't as big as last time's, but he still rushed to rein in his darlings before Amari came out.

"Back again?"

Dammit.

"I'm really sorry." Tazaki gave him a sheepish smile. "I don't know why they do this."

"Like I said, no worries," Amari reassured him as he stepped forward to help. "I'll take it as a compliment. There must be something they love about my flowers if they're this wild over them.”

"That's one way to look at it," Tazaki said, heart skipping as Amari neared him. Slowly, his pigeons climbed onto his arms though a few loitered around, having taken interest in Amari. Kazuaki, in particular, seemed to be quite taken with him if his tail flaring out was anything to go by. Knowing how Kazuaki got when excited, Tazaki hurried to get him back. "I-I'll pay again, for everything."

"You really don't have to."

"I want to."

After some coaxing, Kazuaki finally hopped onto his arms and with him, that was the last of his pigeons. Meanwhile, Amari tapped his chin as if debating his offer.

"I'd feel bad that if you keep spending so much on the flowers," Amari said. "But I have another way that you could pay me back."

Tazaki perked up, his pigeons following suit with their wings fluttering.

"What is it?"

"Sorry if this comes off as kinda weird, but you're friends with Kaminaga right?"

Tazaki nodded his head.

"Well, our faucet broke the other day and I haven't had the chance to call a repairman yet. Kaminaga said you were good with your hands --" Tazaki pursed his lips. He didn't want to know what else Kaminaga said about him. "-- so I was thinking that maybe you could fix it?"

"Uh, sure!" Tazaki said, a little more enthusiastically than he should have. "Ahem, I mean. Yeah. That's fine."

"Great." Amari grinned. "Just follow me."

Upon entering Persephone's, Tazaki was once again greeted with the sight of flowers upon flowers and the sounds of Frate's barking. After giving Frate a nice pat on the head, Tazaki placed his own darlings on the counter.

"Don't do anything bad, okay?" he said, pointing at each one of them. They chirped their agreement.

Shooting his pigeons one last warning, Tazaki caught up with Amari. He opened his mouth to ask what exactly was the problem, but then caught sight of the sink and grimaced.

"What happened here?"

Both of the handles had been torn off and tossed to the side and the leakage dripped into the sink. The faucet itself was in no better condition, dented and bruised beyond recognition. At least the sink wasn't clogged, so he didn't have to deal with that mess.

"Our other employee got a bit... heated," Amari said, rubbing the back of his neck. He chuckled nervously as he brought over the toolbox and replacement parts. "He's a lot stronger than he looks."

"I... see..." Tazaki didn't know who this other employee was, but he didn't plan on messing with him anytime soon.

"Anyways." Amari handed him a wrench and clapped his shoulder. "Have at it."

Dumbstruck, Tazaki took the wrench from him and stared at the sink. If it was just the leak, that'd be fine, but those handles looked pretty beat up and he wasn't sure if he could fit them back in. The faucet needed replacing, too, by the looks of it. As daunting as it seemed, Tazaki refused to do no less than perfect in front of Amari. In the background, his pigeons trilled and Amari moved about, and so he figured it was time to get to work.

"Not to get too personal," Amari said. The snipping of scissors filled the pause. "But why all the birds?"

Over the years, Tazaki had prepared a speech for whenever he got asked that question; "just because" never satisfied people, but they typically got off his case when given a long-winded answer. Even then, they usually talked about him behind his back, but he'd learned to accept it. Amari’s question, however, sounded genuinely curious. Tazaki couldn't tell what he was thinking, whether he was putting on an act or not, but his gut told him he could be trusted.

"No special reason," Tazaki said as turned off the water supply. "I like them. They're easy to be around."

Amari let out a hum, light and playful as if his answer answered everything.

"That's fair," he said with a cheery tone. "They're cute, too."

Hearing wings flapping, Tazaki allowed himself to glance back. He nearly dropped the wrench at the sight of Amari playing with his pigeons with such gentleness. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to continue working.

"T-They sure are," he said, inspecting the faucet's seats and springs. "And you? Why all the flowers?"

Amari chuckled, the rustling of cellophane wrapper accompanying his laughter.

"I suppose it's the same as you. I just like them. And It's nice to cheer people up with flowers."

"That's very noble of you."

"I try my best," he said, and Tazaki could practically hear the smile in his voice.

They continued like that, talking about everything and anything as they worked. Little by little, he was let in on Amari's life. He learned that Amari was five years older than him; he preferred bitter foods but had taken a liking to sweet things; he'd even taken a trip to Hawaii two years back, something he said was a memorable experience. Talking to Amari was so easy, he found, that he regretted not doing anything about it sooner. Though, he supposed, better late than never. Despite not knowing each other too long, there was a sense of comfort and bliss being with Amari.

Unfortunately, their time together had to end -- though hopefully it wouldn't be the last. Tazaki wished he could stay there and get to know Amari better, but he'd just about finished fixing the sink and for some reason, he'd agreed to be Miyoshi's model for the afternoon.

"Oh, done already?" Amari asked.

"Yep," Tazaki said, checking over the faucet once more. Setting the wrench down, he turned the handles and watched as water flowed out seamlessly with no leaks. "All done."

Whistling, Amari came over to his side.

"Quick and efficient. Maybe I should just call you over whenever we need repairs."

Tazaki nearly choked on his own saliva.

"I-I wouldn't mind at all. And free of charge, just for you."

"Well, don't I feel special~"

If his face wasn't red before, it sure was now. God, he must've looked weird. Trying to play it off, he glanced down at his watch and figured now was better than ever to pop the question. All right, he thought, go time.

But when he opened his mouth, he found that his tongue had gone dry and his words were stuck in his throat. Thankfully, Amari didn't notice, or if he didn't, he didn't comment. Nonetheless, Tazaki closed his eyes and licked his lips. Okay, now was go time.

"Just, uh, just one more thing." Tazaki spoke quickly, as if racing against his nerves. "I was wondering if --"

Before he could finish that thought, a coo interrupted him, followed by the flapping of wings. Kazuaki had flown over, though he bypassed Tazaki and went straight for Amari.

"Hey, little guy~" Amari said as Kazuaki landed on his shoulder.

"Ah, Kazuaki!" Tazaki reached for him, though Kazuaki seemed to be enjoying Amari's shoulder a lot more. "I'm really sorry."

"It's fine!" Amari waved him off. Coaxing Kazuaki off, he handed him back to Tazaki. "At least these guys weigh less than Frate; that dog'll tackle you down."

"At least there's only one of Frate." After some resistance, Kazuaki eventually climbed onto his shoulder though he seemed ready to fly off at any moment. Odd, considering Kazuaki was one of his more well-tempered birds. "These guys are practically a murder."

At that, Amari laughed and Tazaki would've joined in had he not been distracted by how wonderful it sounded.

"Anyways," Amari said. "You were saying?"

"Oh, right." Tazaki coughed. "I was wondering if --"

Kazuaki clicked his beak, hopping over to his other shoulder. That was the second interruption, and Tazaki couldn't help but wonder if something was up. Kazuaki never got this antsy for no reason. Even so, with dread creeping up in his stomach, Tazaki tried once more.

"Uh, if --"

Suddenly, Kazuaki spread his wings and good Lord, where did he think he was going? Before he could jump off his shoulder, Tazaki held him back, petting him in an attempt to calm him down. Amari stepped forward, as if to help him, but Tazaki just continued speaking.

"-- if you, uh, had those same flowers you gave me week," Tazaki said, mind scrambling to find something else to say. Perhaps, with Kazuaki acting up like this, he should just ask some other time. The mood wasn't right. At least, that was what he told himself. "My birds really liked them."

"Oh," Amari said, nodding slowly. "...Is that so? 'Liked them' is a bit of an understatement, don't you think?" he said, a teasing lilt in his tone. "But actually, now that you mention it..."

He turned around and grabbed a bouquet from the counter.

"These are for you, as a thanks for helping me," he said, handing the bouquet to Tazaki. "They're not the same flowers as last week, but your birds seem pretty crazy about them too."

Tazaki's mouth dropped, finding himself unable to speak. Though the bouquet was a bit bare due to some petals and leaves missing, the presentation made up for it. The bouquet consisted of white primroses and the gaps were filled with baby's breath. In the center were flowers he didn't recognize, though the petals peaked up like a bird's beak and were bright oranges and blues. Wrapped in clear baby blue cellophane, they were tied together with a pearl white ribbon.

"I just fixed these up from the display, if you were worried about anything."

When his senses finally came together, Tazaki took the bouquet from Amari's hand, sending those familiar waves of goosebumps throughout his body as their fingers brushed against each other. On his shoulder, Kazuaki leaned forward as if to get a glimpse of the flowers.

"Right," he said, catching his breath. "Thank you. They're very lovely."

"Glad to know I'm doing my job well."

And as Amari smiled at him, Tazaki wondered just how many bouquets he could fit in his tiny apartment.

Chin resting in his palm, Tazaki stared at the bouquet of primroses that sat in front of him. They were a contrast to the magenta zinnias he received last week, the unidentified flowers in the center the one thing the bouquets had in common (and even after some googling, he couldn't figure out what they were), but he didn't doubt that they would look good placed together. He had to admire Amari's handiwork, honestly, to be able to arrange such beautiful displays and fix up bouquets so quickly. Not to mention, the flowers he used were ones he didn't typically see at other flower shops. Speaking of which, he'd never seen these flowers on display before recently --

"Kaminaga was right." Miyoshi's voice broke his thoughts. "You're really head over heels over this guy."

"I'm sorry." Tazaki's head snapped towards Miyoshi. "But did you just say Kaminaga was right?"

"Don't move," Miyoshi said, eyes narrowing, and Tazaki did just so as he mumbled an apology. "I stand by statement though, but we're keeping that between you and me."

"How do you even know? I didn't tell you."

"Kaminaga came home one day with this idiotic grin on his face, saying something about how you were going to get lucky." Tazaki fought the urge to slam his face onto the table. "Besides, you've been staring at those flowers with this dumbstruck look."

"I-I have?"

Miyoshi turned the canvas towards him, but it might as well have been a mirror. As expected, Miyoshi captured his likeness perfectly, and that meant glassy eyes and furrowed eyebrows as he gazed at the flowers. His lips were slightly agape, too, as if sighing in reminiscence. Damn. What the hell.

"It wasn't exactly the image I had in mind, but it works." As he turned the easel back, he said, "Maybe I should add more red to your cheeks to match your blush."

Tazaki hands flew to his face, earning him a "tsk" from Miyoshi.

"Don't move."

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"Anyways, how did it go?"

"What do you mean?" Tazaki said, returning to his original position. In the very depths of his soul, he knew what Miyoshi was talking about, but he wasn't sure if he was ready for this conversation.

"You asked that Amari out, didn't you?"

"Er, no..."

Just as his paintbrush pressed against the canvas, Miyoshi paused.

"No?" He quirked an eyebrow. "Why not?"

"Because..." I got too nervous, It was too overwhelming, and Amari is literal perfection and I'm not worthy were all applicable answers, but Tazaki went with "Kazuaki interrupted me." In his defense, it wasn't false.

There it was -- Miyoshi’s face of neutral displeasure. It was amusing when Kaminaga was on the receiving end, not so much when it was him.

"That's why you didn't ask him out? Because of your pigeon?"

"My pigeons are important to me! I can't make decisions that might upset them."

"Who's in charge of your life: you or the birds?"  

Silence.

"Tazaki. "

"M-Me."

"And now that we've established that, you need to do what makes you happy -- regardless of what your birds think."

"But --"

"No but's," Miyoshi said, the tone in his voice leaving no room for arguments. "It doesn't hurt to try, doesn't it?"  

It certainly didn't hurt to try, but the worst possible outcomes would always pop up every time Tazaki thought about it. Strange, considering he wasn’t this much of a wreck when asking others out. Maybe he'd fallen harder for Amari than he thought, the sight of him tending to his flowers from behind Persephone's windows coming to mind. Rejection would sting for sure, and there was nothing wrong with being friends, but the idea of not seeing Amari's smile everyday hurt harder than he'd like to admit.

"Anyhow, if you're really that worried about what your birds think, I'm sure they'll warm up to him sooner or later."

"...Maybe you're right."

"Maybe?"

"Ah, my bad." He cleared his throat. "You're right."

"That's what I thought."

Next meeting, Tazaki decided he'd try asking Amari out again. That was, after he had a long talk with his pigeons.