“Wake up!” he heard, rousing from sleep as a pillow collided with his face. “Toshi, wake up!” His arms stretched, reaching out for the spot you should’ve been next to him, finding only a cold bed. His eyes peered open to see your silhouette, illuminated by the sun streaming in through the window and a smile broke out across his lips.
“Well good morning,” he spoke softly, voice deep and raspy with sleep.
You couldn’t stop the heat coursing through your body at the sound and mentally cursed yourself at the distraction. Turning around and continuing to frantically clean the room, you throw a response over your shoulder to the naked god of a man in your bed. “Good morning to you to Toshi.”
He chuckled as pillow after pillow that the two of you had thrown to the floor during certain escapades last night were unceremoniously pelted at him. As soon as you were within reach, his hand extended, fingers wrapping loosely around your arm but with enough force to carefully pull you back onto the bed where he quickly caged you in strong arms. His face inches from yours and softly grinning, he spoke once more. “Do I not get my good morning kiss?”
Your body was tense from stress but relaxed in his touch instantly. Tilting your head up, you angled your lips so they were pressed against his sweetly, unable to deny his request. Pulling back, smile spread across both of your mouths, he stroked a gentle finger down the side of your face. “And may I ask why the sudden urge to clean at 8:05 AM?”
Your face blanched as you realized you were running out of time.
“My parents are coming over in 10 minutes and we’re both still naked and I’m pretty sure your underwear is somewhere in the living room.”
Within seconds, both you and Ushijima were out of bed, frantically clothing yourselves and cleaning the messy apartment so that you could introduce your boyfriend of six months to your parents.
pairing: ushijima wakatoshi x f!reader (written as f!reader but can be read as gn!reader)
genre: fluff (mutual pining, getting together)
wc: ~3.6k
song recommendations: sunshine - keaton stromberg x | you - b o b b i e x
a/n: this is somewhat in a response to @megalodon-writes’ request about ushi falling in love with tendou’s sister and inspired by my florist!ushi hcs
summary:
- You would be lying if you said it was love at first sight
- Falling in love with ushijima was like picking up pretty stones at the beach
- You go along, finding one you like every few steps, putting it in your pocket for safekeeping
- But before you know it, you’ve walked a mile down the beach and your pockets are heavy and full, each stone a treasure
- Ushijima on the other hand, would be lying if he said that it wasn’t
- The silence of the shop is broken as a “Wakatoshi!” rings through the shop as its flame-haired assistant manager waltzes in from the back door, singing a catchy tune under his breath as he carries in a bag of soil, coming to a stop next to the commanding figure standing at the counter
- Ushijima sighs at the interruption of the peace and quiet of the morning as he sets down his shears, carefully placing the lavender roses that he was dethorning on the counter in front of him before removing his gardening gloves and tucking them into the large front pocket of his emerald green apron
- He takes a moment to wipe his hands using the black and white checkered cloth sticking out of the pocket before turning towards his assistant manager with his brow furrowed and his arms crossed
- “That isn’t the soil brand that we ordered,” he commented, in his signature low and stern voice, looking down at Tendou, his olive eyes further conveying the seriousness of his statement
- At this, Tendou raises his eyebrows and shrugs, setting the heavy bag down at edge of the counter before throwing his hands up in defense
- “Well, there’s nothing we can do now!,” Tendou remarks, throwing one hand onto the shoulder of the man in front of him
- Ushijima hums under his breath, shaking his head firmly, before shrugging Tendou’s hand off his shoulder
- “This type of soil is unacceptable for the plants that we have here. You need to go to the distributor and exchange these,” he says, bending down to easily pick up the bag of soil before placing it back in Tendou’s already outstretched arms, an exasperated but unsurprised look on his face
- “This afternoon,” he finishes, eyes stern, as his arms return to the cloth in his apron before turning back to the lavender roses on the tabletop in front of him, tugging on his gardening gloves and picking up his shears
- Tendou hefts the bag up into his arms, turning to head out the back door to the waiting bags of soil that need to be returned, before stopping and craning his neck to look back at Ushijima over his shoulder, throwing a, “Be nice to my sister when she gets here, OK?” through a devilish smile, as he continues out the door and into the sunlight outside
- Ushijima furrows his brow as he continues his methodical dethorning process, placing each rose to the side as he finishes, thinking as he goes about the new labels he’s going to make for the upcoming display
- As the sun begins to climb up in the sky, Ushijima takes a break from his dethorning process to tidy up the shop, sweeping any spilled dirt up, organizing the window display, and taking special care to water the hanging plants near the front of the store
- Just as he’s finishing with the last hanging plant, he sees movement out of the corner of his eye, and turns to look through the large glass window in front of him to find the most beautiful person he has ever seen approaching the front of the shop
- You pause at the artfully arranged flower display in front of the shop, intrigued by the lavender roses that Ushijima had been dethorning earlier, leaning down to smell one of the flowers, a small smile gracing your lips, and eyes widening in surprise and delight as you take in the rich scent of the roses
- You lean back, smile still on your face, as you reach into your pocket to grab your phone, wanting to capture the way the light catches on the lavender petals, bringing out the slight pink undertones in the hue
- Ushijima gasps, a small breath escaping his lips as he watches you, feeling like all the breath has rushed out of his lungs and a weight is suddenly pushing down on his chest as he takes in your shining eyes and carefree smile, the sunlight caught in your hair and dancing off the reflection of the window
- The traces of a smile still on your lips, you turn to peer through the glass of the door in front of you, eyebrows furrowing and tongue sticking out slightly in concentration as you tilt your head back and forth to try and get a better view into the shop
- Ushijima finds the corners of his mouth lifting slightly in spite of himself as he takes in the scene in front of him, taking a deep breath to try and calm his racing heartbeat and somehow refill his depleted lungs
- Before he can move to open the door for you, you push it open with a swing, calling out a loud, “Hello?” to what appears to be an empty shop, before you’re shocked by the presence of a tall handsome man on a step stool right next to the door, large watering can in hand
- Ushijima chuckles lowly to himself as he steps down from the stool, setting the watering can on it as he steps toward you, seeming to grow taller and more imposing with every step
- By the time he closes the distance between you, you can make out the olive-green of his eyes, deep and intense, framed with dark eyebrows that lift slightly as he takes in your presence in front of him
- “Can I help you?,” he asks, voice low and rumbling, so deep you swear you can feel it in your chest, his stern mouth still set in a line
- Unsure of what to make of the man in front of you, you turn to take in the shop, the walls a light mint color, brought to life by the lush greenery around you, interspersed with bursts of color from the flowers displayed with small beautifully written calligraphy signs
- After taking in your surroundings you turn back to the searching olive green eyes before you, taking a deep breath and smiling warmly at him before responding, “I’m looking for my brother? Tendou? He said you needed help here in the afternoons”
- Ushijima hums in affirmation, moving towards the counter where an old register is perched, along with a large black notebook that he flips open, before taking a pen out and beginning to write
- You approach the counter, curious as to what the dark-haired man before you is doing, before he looks over at you, olive eyes searing into yours, and beckons you to come to the other side of the counter
- “This is the schedule that I need you to fill and these are the tasks and responsibilities that you will have in the afternoons. You will be assisting your brother with his management duties as well as managing customers,” he looks over at you to make sure that you are paying attention, to which you give a small nod, before he continues, “All of the flower preparation will be done by me in the mornings”
- He pushes the notebook in your direction, which you guide toward you with a steady hand
- As you go over the notes written on the page before you, hair falls over your shoulder from behind your ear as you peer down at the notes in front of you
- Ushijima feels his hand twitch, clenching his fist to control the urge to close the distance between you and tuck the stray lock behind your ear
- Instead he crosses his arms in front of his chest, trying to ignore the thumping of his heart as he watches your graceful finger glide along the page and your soft lips mouth the words as you read
- Your eyelashes cast long shadows down your cheeks as your face is lit by the warm light of the store above you, and you bite your lip in concentration as Ushijima struggles again to find the air that keep escaping from his lungs
- As you finish reading, you turn to the tall man to your side, only to find him looking down at you with an unreadable expression, before leaning forward with your chin in your hand
- “When can i start?” you say, a bright smile on your face
- You see the tall man in front of you release a breath you hadn’t realized he had been holding before his shoulders relax and he takes a step towards you
- He reaches his arm past you, enveloping you in the scent of sandalwood and earth, before he leans back again, the warmth of his presence lingering for a few moments before you glance back up at him
- Ushijima looks down at you, olive eyes piercing and intense, as he extends his hand out to you, holding a single lavender rose
- He startles you by clearing his throat, that deep grumble of a voice accompanying his hand as he says, “You can start right now. Congratulations,” before leaning forward to grab your smaller hand in his, placing the stem of the rose in the palm of your hand, before he pulls his own back, the tips of his fingers lingering for a moment on your palm, sending warm waves through your body
- You bring the rose up to your face, closing your eyes and inhaling the sweet and rich smell, before looking back up at Ushijima, who quickly looks away as he feels your eyes on him
- “Thank you, Wakatoshi,” you say softly, watching as the tall man in front of you shifts slightly in surprise at the gentle sound of your voice
- He turns toward you, eyes softer this time, lingering on yours before nodding at you as he pushes off the counter, and heads to the back room
- “I’m going to head out for the day now,” he says after he’s re-emerged, apron shed and bag in hand
- “I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon,” is the last thing you hear before the back door closes softly and you’re left with a single lavender rose in your hand and a strange fluttering feeling in your chest
- The next day, you arrive with your brother to the shop, once again stopping at the front to admire the display, but surprised to see that it’s no longer the lavender roses you enjoyed so much yesterday
- In it’s place is a display of large white flowers, with a beautifully written sign that reads: Gardenias
- You lean down to look more closely at the flowers, fingering the soft petals between your fingers, and taking a moment to enjoy their gentle beauty before turning to your brother next to you, about to ask why the display had changed, only to find a similar look of confusion on his face
- You shrug your shoulders before reaching into your pocket to once again capture the simple elegant beauty of the arrangement in front of you before following your brother through the door of the shop, shouting a greeting as you enter
- Ushijima looks up as the two of you approach the counter, the makings of a large bouquet in front of him, full of Lady’s Mantle, purple lilacs, and those same white gardenias from the front display, small purple flowers littering the counter around him and gently floating to the ground as he stands to greet you
- “Good afternoon,” he says, looking at you with the same intense but unreadable look as the afternoon before, olive eyes piercing into yours,
- You give him a small smile, always unsure of how to react to his intensity, before walking over to the counter to get ready for the afternoon rush
- Ushijima steps back as you pass in front of him to get to the stool situated behind the counter, and as you pass you can feel the heat radiating from his body behind yours
- As you settle onto the stool, you hear the scrape of glass on the counter, and look over to see Ushijima pushing the now-finished bouquet in your direction
- “For you,” he says, before retreating to the back room to take off his apron and leave for the day
- Your eyes follow him until he’s out of sight before returning to the beautiful bouquet in front of you, taking in the lush green of the Lady’s Mantle, the soft purple of the lilacs, and the creamy white of the gardenias
- You smile softly at yourself thinking of the brusque and harsh man carefully and artfully organizing the blooms in front of you, before taking your phone out to snap a photo
- It goes into a folder along with the photos of the lavender roses from the day before
- The days pass like this, with a different arrangement of flowers greeting you each afternoon when you come into work, pushed in your direction by Ushijima, sometimes accompanied with a grunt or a “for you,” but always partnered with a quick turn of his shoulder as he walks into the back room to gather his belongings before you can comment on the beauty of the arrangements
- Today, however, is a little different. Instead of the usual flower arrangement, Ushijima pushes a potted Amaryllis towards you, its vibrant red petals illuminated by the afternoon sun
- You are about to ask Ushijima about this change, when your thoughts are interrupted by the sound of a deep cough, as you see Ushijima holding out a small worn book to you, an emerald green ribbon tied into a bow decorating the top
- “For you,” he says, as he reaches down again to grab your hand, the heat of his hand on yours reminding you of the afternoon you met, and the way his fingertips on your palm ignited heat throughout your entire body
- As he places the book in your hand, you look up into his olive green eyes, finding them searching yours, almost imploringly, the most emotional you’ve ever seen them
- Apparently not finding what he’s looking for, he sighs before beginning to remove his hand from yours
- As he goes to retreat, you grip onto his hand, pulling his attention back to you, words on the tip of your tongue but failing to finish their journey, so instead you say, “Thank you, Wakatoshi,” before releasing his hand and turning back to the large red flower on the counter in front of you, heat moving from your neck to your cheeks as you feel Ushijima’s lingering gaze on you before you hear him turn and walk away, the soft click of the door signaling his departure
- You release a breath you hadn’t realized you were holding, before looking down at the book in your hand
- Carefully untying the ribbon and putting it around the pot of your new plant, you see the title of the book: “The Language of Flowers”
- Intrigued, you flip to the front page and see a short inscription written in the corner: “To Wakatoshi, For you to use when words aren’t enough.”
- You start to scroll through the photos on your phone, looking back at all of the arrangements that Ushijima has created over the weeks that you’ve been working
- Heart pounding in your ears and phone trembling slightly, your hands shaking, as you find the first arrangement from the day that you started working: lavender roses
- You find the roses section of the book, and find lavender roses, which mean enchantment, love at first sight
- You feel your jaw drop and your heart begin to race in your chest, lungs feeling completely devoid of oxygen as you scroll to the next photo: the bouquet of gardenias, lilacs, and lady’s mantle
- You gasp as you turn to their respective pages, phrases like “secret love, beginning of love, first love, comforting love” jumping out at you from the pages
- You quickly scroll to the next photo: a bouquet of white and pink daisies, their vase decorated with an artfully scripted sign reading: “Only You”
- Turning to the page for daisies you read, “I just have eyes for you,” and your heart starts to beat even faster as you scroll to the next photo
- Following the white and pink daisies were camellias, white and pink, the vase adorned with a light pink ribbon tied in a bow
- Finding the page on camellias, you see “adoration” and “longing”
- Your fingers shaking, you scroll to the next photo, taking in the photo of carnations, two tones of red vibrant against the green of the leaves and the white of the counter
- Turning to the page for carnations, you feel yourself holding a breath, and hear your heartbeat ringing in your ears, as you read, “admiration, deep love and affection”
- You throw the book back across the counter, your movement jolting you off the stool, only catching your balance by falling back into the wall behind you, your chest heaving and eyes wide as you consider what you’ve just read
- Your eyes fall onto the large red flower on the counter, its presence taunting you, as you close your eyes tightly, trying to process all the new information you’ve just read
- Maybe it’s all just a joke, you think to yourself, slowly approaching the counter again, and fingering the large red petals as you glance warily down at the book
- What about all those cold shoulders he gave me? Leaving without a glance whenever I came in? you wonder, trying to ignore the way your hand is inching towards the book even as you try to hold it back
- You take a deep breath, trying to calm the pounding of your heart, as you reach for the book and grip it to your chest, before releasing it
- Okay, if this flower means something romantic then this isn’t all some crazy coincidence. If it doesn’t…. Your thoughts drift off, not wanting to finish that thought, and desperately hoping against hope that this flower means what you think it does
- Placing the book on the counter in front of you, you turn to the page with Amaryllis, closing your eyes one more time before cracking them open, eyes rushing to read what’s on the page
- “Give this flower to someone you find incredibly beautiful who you also value beyond their beauty”
- Your hand releases the book in front of you, the cover returning to its natural state as you take a step back, leaning against the wall as your mind and your heart race
- All of those days, all of those times that he pushed these flowers at me…” You glance back up at the glowing red flower on the counter, remembering the searching gaze he gave you before he left this afternoon, “He’s been trying to confess to me this entire time”
- You push off from your position on the wall, brushing your hands off on your pants as you set your jaw and grab the book off the counter
- You know exactly what you need to do to get ready for tomorrow
- You walk up to the shop the next day, take a deep breath, gripping a bouquet of flowers in one hand and the book in the other before pushing through the front door, a chime signaling your presence
- As expected, Ushijima is seated at the counter, emerald green apron and gardening gloves on as he arranges some white clover and sweet alyssum, his usually strict and poised posture sagging slightly as he works, his brow furrowed and mouth set in a thin line
- At the chime of the bell, he looks up at you approaching him, warm smile tugging at the corners of your soft lips and eyes shining like the first time he saw you, before his eyes settle on the flowers in your hand
- You finally get to the counter as he stands to greet you, mouth falling open slightly as you set the book down between you and reach for his hand before placing the pink and red dahlias in his palm, your fingers lingering against his, eyes looking up into his, only to find them gazing back at you intensely, full of emotion
- He grips your hand tighter in his before pulling you into his chest, his other hand going to the small of your back, uncaring about the crushed flowers between you, only knowing that he wants to be as close to you as possible, as he brings his lips to yours, his passion and intensity pouring into the kiss, which you return with a passion you’re just now realizing has been burning its way into your chest since the day you met him
- He pulls away, eyes findings yours as he tucks a stray lock of hair behind your ears, trailing the backs of his fingers down your cheek, small smile on his face, as he says, “you finally got my love letter”
=====
dahlias: demonstrates the lasting bond and commitment between two people, eternal love
++
sweet alyssum: for those who are a little down in the dumps and require an instant pick-me-up
white clover: given to those who need a little good luck
