lavender petals - part 1
MASTERLIST
Mirko x Reader
Angst, Slow-ish burn, fluff,
WC: 4.1K
MANGA SPOILERS IN LATER PARTS
A steady and constant roll of tapping continued outside
where the rain poured down in fleets of cold water. The little drops all
together sounded like thousands of typewriters; the tiny stamps pressing fresh
ink stains into parchment. The storm did not only darken the sky but slowly,
the concrete was dampened into a charcoal shade and the glass windows collected condensation. The scent of petrichor had not reached where I was, but the
second I stepped outside I could already feel it overtaking my senses. have caused me to be
upset, and make me curse the heavens, but today, the rain started just as the
the shop was about to close, only 30 minutes till I would lock the doors and turn
around the little double-sided sign; switching it to “welcome” to “come back
later. I could not anticipate any customers would actively rush to my store in
the terrible weather, so I accepted it as an easy break where I could stay inside
and relax with warm herbal tea.
My shoes squeaked beneath me when I turned back to the
service counter. Aromas and floral notes were everywhere I stepped. Even if you
stood still, they still changed. orchids, roses, daisies, and violets all
dancing together in harmony.
Once I reached behind the counter, I could see every
corner of the shop in its array of colors that seemed duller than usual from
the lack of sunlight. Nonetheless, they still stood out against the dull pots
and glass vases.
‘I should be done for the day’ I thought to
myself, already having swept the floor, put out the new flowers, and clipped
the old ones before the storm arrived. An overdramatized sigh passed my lips
when I went to sit at the stool next to the register.
Sitting behind the register was always slightly
inconvenient, because blocking my view of the entrance to the store was a
large, and I mean large, bouquet of fresh lavender sprigs. They were normally
used as filler plants but had just come in today and I still could not decide
what to do with them. Additionally, I lacked a new arrangement to add them too,
so they were left out to stand alone.
By far they were the most prominent in the store. Their
sized rivaled all the large wedding table pieces we had. And the smell, though
calming, gave me a headache after being with them all day.
It is not like anyone would buy them either. They were not
as easy on the eye as a rose, three times as expensive, and once again,
typically used as filler flowers.
I settled on scrolling on my phone to distract myself
from thinking about what to do with them. I did not want to wait too long to
sell them lest they wilt.
‘Oh look, my webtoons updated.’
Fifteen-minutes passed quickly and mindlessly. Only 15
minutes till I could lock up and go home. The storm still had not relented, and
now, the rain was accompanied by large clashes of thunder and lightning.
These days life was quite simple. It was not exceptional
nor terrible, but a mediocre and peaceful existence that brought me the chance
to do what I loved. I had friends I visited occasionally, a small business that
was doing well with the white day just around the corner (an eastern type of
valentine’s day). But no matter how many
flowers I had, it wouldn’t quell the little part of my heart longing for
something more.
“CLASH”
The lightning what getting closer outside. It got louder
and louder, making me jump in my seat a little.
“CLASH”
The rain slammed into the ground, but something else was
happening as well. Something in the background of sorts.
“CRASH”
A resonating bang that sounded nothing like lightning
erupted nearby. A car alarm blared as well.
‘Could it be a villain?’ I asked myself as I look
over the purple blossoms to see if I could see what was going on from outside
my window. Alas, it must have been a street down.
‘Why would they fight in this type of weather though?’
Villain activity has spiked rapidly in the last few weeks as the League of
Villains had risen to power than out of nowhere disappeared without a trace. Not
to mention the capture of stain had encouraged many of the morally grey
antagonists to step out of the shadows in pursuit of their own type of justice.
Everyone had their own definition.
I tried to stay up to date on villain activity but so
much was constantly happening. Three times a week we got a new story. In the
beginning, the attacks seemed petty and selfish. Things like; “3 criminals rob a
local bank” or “Enraged fire-type quirk user burns down workplace” but today,
they were more organized, harder to stop. All the villains were working towards
a greater goal that was easier to see.
A little bit ago, one of the most popular quirks inclusive
department’s CEO joined the LOV after an all-out fight. Many were injured. It
was practically a bloodbath. Citizens remember seeing ice and blue fire merge
in giant tornados in the sky. The entire building disintegrated without a
trace. A witness with still in shock commented that she saw a UA student emerging
from the rubble, but that claim was shut down instantly by that student’s very
own teacher.
Unease was everywhere. People even began to stop trusting
figures of authority out of fear they might not be who they said. I was not a
target to any kind of villain myself, but who knows if I could become just
another statistic on the news.
Police sirens came into earshot.
I guess it was a criminal after all. Soon enough I would
be able to find a nice little article online detailing everything that happened
with a cover image of an unscathed hero smiling at the camera as if all were
well. How they tried to convince us that all was wel-
The chime of bells interrupted my thoughts when someone
came through the store door, very close to closing time.
When I looked up at them, I completely froze, unknowing
of what to do say, even think.
Before me stood… Mirko? Mirko. Mirko the Rabbit Hero. The
number #4 hero. The best female hero. And she was- Injured?
She stood with her shoulders rolled back but she was
panting heavily. Her platinum hair dripped water onto the pristine checkerboard
floors I just mopped. Across her, the skin on one of her shoulders was a crimson
slash. The blood that came from it dripped partially into her hair, staining it
slightly; and partially mixed with the water she was absolutely drenched in. She
looked cold in the light hero gear.
In her weak state, she still held an air of strength. When
I looked up in obvious shock at her condition, I was met with piercing red eyes
and a smile I would describe as manic on anyone else.
“C-can I help you—are you okay?” I stumble out when I
started to panic, realizing that she just fought the cause of all the racket
down the street.
My response only looked to entertain her, and she smiled
wider chuckled then pulled her hair over one shoulder: twisting it to ring out
the excess water (and blood).
“Yea, you do sell flowers, right?” She said. We were
obviously on different pages. She seemed completely relaxed as she was still
bleeding a watered-down red puddle onto the floor. Meanwhile, I was seriously
concerned about her health. Online, I simply assumed that every pro-hero held a
façade. That they were not as cocky, brave, or positive as they seemed once the
cameras were cut. This though was a spitting image of every picture of her I
had seen. Despite that, nothing could have prepared me for this in person-encounter.
“Y-yes I sell flowers”
I frantically scanned across the store for something for
my eyes to latch onto. My fingertips pressed hard against the side of the
resister to the point where my fingertips were turning white and my knuckles
began to cramp.
Mirko walked forward. Despite her injuries, she did not
have any limp and strolled casually over to some of the display stands
near the front window. I fidgeted with my finger while I stumbled over to where
she was. Her gaze we currently focused on some white lilies, though she soon
switched to some yellow roses.
“What is the, um, the occasion- For the flowers?” The
words tumbled out of my mouth. They felt out of order and out of place. Seeing a
hero in public is a strange thing. As amazing as they are, you always suspect
that there is an underlying threat of danger. You are both drawn to them yet
repelled by the hint. It's always ‘Why would a hero be here.” That wasn’t
the occasion now though. She was just- here for flowers? She was definitely just
off from work and needed a few band-aids; at most, stitches. My mind still had a
rough time thinking over why she so casual. I hoped this doesn’t happen often
for her.
Mirko’s fingers paused when she traced the outline of an
imported lily.
“A friend of mine got his ass beat up by a walking flamethrower”
The way she said that, so lightheartedly, with a slight smirk on her face, but
sadness in her eyes confused me.
“Is he a hero too?” I inquired; taken aback by the lack
of filter. It had nothing to do with the
flowers, but my curiosity got the best of me.
“Hawks.” She shortly stated before turning back towards
me.
A look of recognition must have crossed my face as she did
not explain any further and just continued.
“So…” She crossed her hands over her chest and looked up
towards me (we using Mirko’s canon height today cause she short short lol).
“What flowers would be best for ‘get better idiot’” Her
hair was still disheveled and soaking wet but the ethereal glow the rain seemed
to give her face made me want anything but eye contact. I shouldn’t really get
flustered so easily, but when a celebrity built like a Greek goddess steps into
your shop looking like she’s straight out of war…
“Well, I wouldn’t be able to make any custom arrangements
today because I’m closing-“I looked down at my watch for the time. “5 minutes
ago, but we have many premade sets and custom vases if you’re interested?”
I tried to seem chipper and avert my gaze from her hair,
bleeding shoulder, and foot that was insistently tapping on the wet floor, but
in between each word I stole a glace that did not go unnoticed.
“That’s okay, I’m fine with a pre-made bouquet.” I
fiddled with my thumbs once more. She was really giving me nothing to work
with.
“Any flowers in specific you like?” I asked, grasping for
straws. Mirko’s expression was perfectly neutral and ambiguous. Even if she
gave me a color, I could work off that, but all I had was a name and extra
mopping to do.
‘I wonder if blood will stain my tile’
What she said next seemed to fit with the personality I
was slowly assembling her.
“You guess.” And with that, she turned to look at more
bouquets and potted plants that lined the shelves.
The lavender! I thought, finally thinking I had found a
way to get rid of them but realized that may not be well suited as a get well
soon gift.
Hawks. Hawks. Hawks. The bird hero. The bird men. Red
feathers, right?
Because of the hero’s color pallet, per
se, I was drawn to red roses and yellow daisies, maybe some red and white
lilies. I found an arrangement I thought fit on one of the shelves next to a
window, where it was still raining outside. I carefully picked the flowers up;
their silky petals caressed my hand. Two petals floated down onto the floor as
I relocated them back to the assembly station.
“Would you like a vase with this?” I questioned. Her ears
perked towards me, shocking me in the slightest. Of course, it was not unusual,
but with how she seemed to hear me from across the room without turning her
head made me fear that she would hear my heartbeat racing in my chest. This was
a hero. A real-life hero. God, I hope I do not mess this up.
“Mmmhnn,” She said, inflecting that meant yes. I walked
near a shelf where we stored them and looked at the variety of glass, plastic,
and even porcelain vases reserved for special occasions. My eye was stuck on a
red one that caught the soft lighting of the store beautifully. I reached up to
grab it and held the cool glass in my hand. With the sleeve of my jacket, I
began to brush off some of the dust, ignoring the mark it left.
“Ooh, I like that one” I heard from behind me. Quite
startled I jumped, and the vase left my hand, seconds from crashing into the
floor. Before I could blink, Mirko had caught it agilely.
“The color is nice,” She said as she turned it over in her
hands, clearly pleased with having shaken me.
Honestly, the banter was a nice break from today. I guess
it would not hurt to lighten up a little.
“Yea,” I said with a gentle smile.
I had almost finished totaling her order and was putting
the flowers in the box to protect from the rain when I looked over at Mirko and
saw her quite intrigued by the lavender practically overtaking my desk.
“We just got that lavender in! It's fresh and quite relaxing.”
I hummed to myself, pleased with the wrapping I did on Hawk’s bouquet.
“How much for them?” She asked turning to me inquisitively.
“Well lavender isn’t normally sold alone but that’s about
10 arrangements worth” I said pointing to the sheer number of flowers. Upon
the counter, they were more than two feet tall.
“So?” She said, resting her elbows upon the table and leaning
in to smell the lavender even more. The ivory ears atop her head sloped
downwards a little more reminding me of a little puppy when they got pet. An
obvious show of their aromatic effects.
“Two-hundred, though I could definitely get you a smaller
amount if you would like, they’re sold twenty per bundle just because of how
hard they are to transport and a how delicate they te-“
“I’ll take them all,” She said with an aggressive smile
and firm shake of her head. There was a switch in her tone like she suddenly
decided she revealed too much of herself to the general public. I did not like
thinking that though. That she saw me as the public. Everyone wants to be
special sometimes.
“How was errr- work today?” I asked, clearly insinuating
my concern for her condition.
A small shadow passed over her face. Her eyes got a
little darker and the corners of her mouth turned down before her typical passionately
a confident smile came back.
“Nothing I can’t handle” Those smug words were
accompanied by a flourished wink that was embellished her white eyelashes.
“I heard a crash nearby. Was there a villain?” This time
she did not hesitate to answer.
She finished paying and gave me an address to deliver
them to tomorrow. One to a hospital, and one to a home address. I expected a
PO box and assumed her address was not something she just gave away, but that was
not the only thing I was warmly excited about. Instead of signing “Mirko” her
formal hero title on the receipt, She signed her real name, Rumi Usagiyama.
---
The weather was much more considerate this morning. When I
awoke, golden rays filtered light through my lashes into my eyes. The faint
sound of birds chirping and bustling people in the city below faintly reached my
ears.
I lived right above my flower shop, making my commute to work
conveniently. I chose to dress a little bit nicer today, opting for a cream-colored
turtleneck and dark washed jeans instead of my normal gardening attire. Spring
was right around the corner in Musutafu Japan. Winter was leaving and the city
was in the awkward middle state where it's too cold to wear spring clothes but
too sunny to stay in jackets.
Since yesterday was Saturday, I had today off, kinda. I
just had a few flower deliveries to complete before I could go back home and lay
on the couch eating watermelon sour patch kids (ichor itself) and reading
terribly done 9k fanfics online. (Wow! Our reader!! Is super!!! Self!!!!
Aware!!!!!)
My brain had completely blocked out everything that
happened last night, so when I checked my order list and saw Rumi
written in neat handwriting, my confusion was immense.
‘So, It wasn’t a dream then…’’ huh.”
I walked downstairs into my store. I saw a few
schoolchildren peeking in the dark windows since there were no lights on to look
at the flowers. I waved to them and then chuckled to myself when they left tiny
little handprints on the glass. Tall buildings could be seen across. A café, a
tattoo shop, a little library, and many small businesses that were nestled right
in the center of town where they got lots of attention. Around the back exist to
the stores were where most of the employees parked. My friend and co-worker had
called in sick this weekend, so it meant I had to do all the deliveries myself.
I went over to the storage room. A wave of cold rushed
over me and sent tingles down my entire body. This was always kept cold to keep
the flowers alive longer, but always hated retrieving boxes from there.
I steadily grabbed the lavender-filled box and stacked
Hawk’s arrangement box on top of it. The white cardboard stood so tall in front
of me when I held them I could barely see when I walked out the back door and
over to my car where I nearly dropped them loading them into my car’s trunk.
I clumsily got into the driver’s seat and started the
engine to head to the first address. Hawk’s hospital. Right in the center of
town, it was only 10 minutes when you accounted for traffic.
The hospital was the nicest in Mafatsu, with white pillars
and balconies on some patient's rooms. Only the best for heroes. When I got out
of my car and drew near, the building felt like it was swallowing me whole in
its large size.
My soft footsteps appeared insignificant with prestigious
doctors and nurses bustling around in choreographed chaos. When I got to the reception
area, a pink-haired nurse with a kind smile greeted me cheerfully.
“Hello! How can I help you today?” She began typing before
I even said anything. Maybe a prediction quirk.
“Hey, I’m here to drop off flowers from Mirko for Hawks?”
She nodded in understanding and scanned her eyes over my
body, then the box I was holding, all while typing fluidly into a computer. Finally,
her gaze broke and she looked down at a small printer that made a small sticker
with the words visitor pass in bolded font.
“He will be on the top floor, level 60 in room 219. If he
isn’t in his room, just call a nurse with the pager in there, he’s been getting
out a lot recently.” She rolled her eyes in annoyance.
“He really just wants to get back to work but whenever he
flies he leaves a trail of blood and feather in his path”
Her hair swished when she leaned over to give
me the papery sticker. Her fingertips brushed against my palm for a second
longer than platonic before she went back and waved goodbye to me. Her cheeks were tinted slightly pink.
The encounter made my heart rush but that might just because
it’s the first romantic-ish thing that has happened to me in a while. I mean
she was pretty- but we scarcely talked. My palm still tingled where our hands
touched though. I was so distracted I did not notice when I found myself in Hawk’s
room.
I had never delivered anything to a hero before. Should I
just drop them in and leave? My hand rested atop the doorknob questioning how
to do this. The fluorescent hospital lights desaturated everything including my
ability to make cohesive thoughts.
Just as I opened the door, I heard a shattering sound,
something collapsing, and then
“Wait no shit-“Another thing fell to the ground. “-fuck” I
carefully opened the door. To see Hawk’s the pro hero, clutching his side with
one hand, and holding a sideways IV drip in one hand, but the fluid bag itself
was on the floor, along with some kind of glass and a medical device I couldn’t
identify from the various dents and scratches on it. It did not look like he
noticed me yet, he was much too preoccupied.
“Hey should-“
“AH!” He yelled turning towards me. I couldn’t flinch
fast enough before three-foot-long red feathers with murderous intent came
spearing towards my head. Within that instant in closed my eyes prepared to be
dead but when I opened them up, the feathers were hovering just centimeters
away from my skull.
I shocked me that I was still holding the flower box when
I checked. My eyes were wide as I stood still, jaw open, not a single breath
leaving my mouth.
“Are you a new nurse or something?” The feathers remained
there. I gulped before answering, my body felt light, flight, or fight already taking
place.
“I’m a- a florist.” I gestured down at the box with my
logo on it, and he seemed to relax a little bit.
“Oh.” He replied and the feathers returned to beside him.
He tried to make the IV drip stand back up again, but in a futile attempt he
gave up, just letting it fall to the group beside the other tools. He turned away
from me.
‘He is obviously in pain right now’ He faced away just
to hide the scowl and how much he was now clutching his side.
He looked over his shoulder “Who sent you?”
“Mirko” I responded relieve that he was no longer about
to kill me.
“Where should I leave the flowers?”
“The table next to my bed” I stepped over there. An
assortment of papers where there is messy handwriting that I had no place in
reading. Nonetheless, I caught the words “Touya.” Too bad I didn’t know any Touyas.
I sat the box down and opened it up.
Luckily with everything that went on, I didn’t destroy any
of the blooms.
“Did Mirko say anything about me?” He questioned quickly.
As much as he tried to seem tough, he valued her opinion very much.
“Get well soon and all of that, nothing much, she was too
busy teasing me, you know?”
“Mirko was? Teasing you?” His eyebrows furrowed in confusion
before settling into a knowing look.
“Ohhhh” He winked.
“No no, it's nothing like this I promise I just met her.”
“Mmmn k” He didn’t believe me in the slightest.
“Just watch out she packs a punch”
Hawks walked over to where the flowers were and observed
the arrangement. He had a particular fondness for the red lilies, the same ones
that Mirko liked. He talks about her punch though reminded me of the crashes
and villain attack last night.
“I hope she’s okay, she seemed pretty beat up last night
after the battle.”
“Eh, she recovers inhumanly quick. Something to do with the
rabbit in her.”
He looks over to me and paused.
“What’s your name?”
“(Y/N)”
“(Y/N Hmmm) He mumbled to himself like he was getting
used to the way it sounded.
“I can’t imagine this will be our last encounter (Y/N),
It was nice to meet you.”
I smiled graciously and sighed.
“Nice to meet you too.”