#I think that Tulip is on pretty okay (if not good) terms with Peach since realistically she doesn't have any problems with the princess

[forthedancingandthethriving]

(Via ways I don't know how, because idk how to write them, it's the minister party time bitches!)

TW: Harassment

○●○

"Hey, Tulip?" Ash calls as he walks into the fashion room. He adjusts the suit he was wearing before glancing up. "Are you almost ready to go? We need to- uh.."

He was then witness to watching Tulip pacing back and forth, running her fingers through her hair as she muttered things frantically under her breath. He frowns.

It was no secret that Tulip was the most stressed about the upcoming party. The engineer had informed the group of the party invitation to the party held by the Prime Minister. She had been convinced to go, mainly because of the idea that the Meme Alliance Leaders proposed. They wanted to gauge and see the responses the Ministers, and Aite, would have to things like this.

It took a lot, a lot of work. Social engineering, Tulip herself having to pull some stunts, and some general meme fuckery, they had managed to get Princess Peach and Cynthia to have a presence and Renata, and Desmond with the princess and Ash with the champion. It took work, way too much work, but when those two got the invitations, along with the agreement to Plus Ones, it was a win for them all.

Still, it left Tulip stressed. And for understandable reasons.

"Hey, Tulip." Ash walks over and gently grabs her shoulder. She jolts in surprise and stops in her pace.

"Oh, sorry." She looks away, frowning. "I.. I was pacing and got too lost in thought."

"I don't blame you." He shook his head. "I mean, you're going back to somewhere you don't really like."

"Yeah." Tulip nods in agreement. She exhales. "But.. I have to." She smiles. "For everyone."

Ash pulls her into a hug. "And we'll be there to help." He then grins, adding on, "and maybe I can punch Archie again."

"Ash!"

○●○

That didn't take too long, Chester thinks to himself, sipping from a champagne glass. He stands underneath one of the windows, the setting sun's light pouring in through the window, gently bathing him in its warmth.

His azure eyes watch as Ash puts himself between Tulip and Archie, and some heated words are already being exchanged. Tulip looked like she was on the brink of a panic attack, with who he presumed was Cynthia attempting to calm her, the one who was probably Peach trying to de-escalate the situation, and the other male that was probably Desmond watching with a bit of a faraway look on his face.

"Shouldn't you be doing something about that?" A familiar voice cuts in through his hearing. Chester turns his head, raising an eyebrow.

He exhales softly, before turning his head to smile. Long golden hair in a low ponytail, dark green eyes, and a dark blue suit. Showing alignment with Travis Wrede, the Blue Minister.

"Why should I?" The aide to the Purple Minister hums. He raises the champagne glass to his lips. "I don't see any reason why I should be."

"That random boy looks like he's about to punch Archie in the face," Zeke Burkheart says like it's obvious.

Chester chuckles, sipping the liquid before he finally turns his head to look at Zeke fully. "Wouldn't you like that?" He challenges with a smile. "After all, you never did like Archie, did you?"

Zeke, knowing better than to challenge the second most powerful person in the country, instead aims his glare towards the group. "I don't understand why Tulip isn't over where with me."

Finally, seeing the situation getting to the point where Cynthia was now having to try and hold Ash back, Chester sets his glass aside. He looks back at Zeke with a hum. "Some people just tend to pull the blind backs and see the sun for the first time."

Leaving the heir to the Burkheart family confused with his words, Chester makes his way over to the escalating situation.

"— poor excuse of a brother!"

The aide chuckles at the aggressive words from Ash before he steps in between the group of five and the duo. "Now, now. I don't think there's any need to this fight."

Tulip, seemingly brought out of her panic by seeing Chester, quickly moves forward and pulls Ash back. She whispers to him, voice frantic, "that's Chester Damond! He's Aite's aide!"

"Mr. Chester!" Daisy puts on a familiar fake smile. "I didn't think you'd be showing up."

He returns the smile with one of his own, coated in honey and sugar. "Of course I would, Mrs. Orpheus. After all, I only leave once Ms. Tyron leaves."

He then turns his head to smile at Tulip, who nearly seems to collapse from her having his attention. He holds out a hand, and it takes a moment for her to register that he was asking for a handshake. She does just that, and Chester then claps his hands together. "Now, what in the world was this argument about? Surely it wouldn't warrant how loud you all were getting."

His eyes narrow at the reactions. Ash seemed genuinely remorseful, while Archie no doubt was just embarrassed he got caught by the Prime Minister's aide.

"He got up in Tulip's face and started demanding to know why she was here," Ash spoke before Archie or Daisy could, "and it sort of.. escalated. I'm sorry."

Chester watches as Tulip places a hand on Ash's shoulder and whispers something to him, probably something meant to be reassuring. He smiles at that display before he turns his head to the mother and son. "Well, Mrs. Orpheus? Do you have anything to add?"

He can't help but be a bit amused by the scowl that crosses Daisy's face. "I just couldn't help but wonder what my dear daughter is doing here." She masks the scowl quite nicely with a smile, one that could be mistaken for concern.

But Chester knew, and Tulip most certainly knew as well.

"I just can't help but wonder what Tulip has achieved for her to be able to be invited," Daisy muses, tilting her head.

Tulip tenses at that, Ash looks ready to defend her once more as well, but Chester speaks up.

"Ms. Tyron personally invited them."

That draws the attention of everyone around. People who had been pretending to listen were now looking at them with wide eyes. Tulip felt like melting into a puddle then and there.

"Well, if that's all, then I'll be going." Chester smiles at the group before turning on his heel and walking off. However, he just couldn't help but wonder - why in the world would Aite make him reveal that, should a fight break out?

○●○

Tulip's heart was pounding, and she was very, very sure she was on the verge of a panic attack. And yet there was no one around to comfort her. To pull her aside, tell her breath, and that she'd be okay.

Following Chester bringing up how Aite had personally invited them to the party, it was nothing but conversation after conversation with people Tulip had hoped she would never see again. She'd gotten so swept up into it, so busy falling back into the old habits of greeting and making small talk that she didn't even notice her support had gotten swept away.

Though, it made sense. Maybe the social engineering worked too well.

"Tulip!" called a girl from a family Tulip couldn't care to remember. She put on a fake smile.

"Oh, hi," she greets them with a wave. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, I was just wondering.." The girl's voice grew quieter, almost embarrassed as she spoke. "The boy you were with.. is he single?"

Tulip blanks for a moment. She was pretty sure romance wasn't really a thing on Ash's mind all that much, so the girl had to be talking about Desmond. She giggles nervously and rubs the back of her neck, "ah, well, it's not really my place to say. Why.. do you ask?"

"Because he's so handsome!" The girl squeals. "Nearly all the other girls are swooning over him. He's so aloof, it's so dreamy."

Tulip holds back a wince. Uh, no, he's probably trying to stay awake right now. She pauses then in her thinking. Or disassociating. I know I'm gonna start soon..

"Well now, who's this?" A familiar voice makes Tulip shake and grip the glass she was holding. The girl who was talking to seems to recognize the voice as well, she quickly rushes off.

"To think I'd see you at one of these again," the voice of Zeke makes Tulip's heart start to race from panic.

Not him. Anyone but him.

But the familiar blonde hair enters her vision first, followed by the face she had detested every time she had to come here, or those stupid family dinners, or anything else.

Zeke Burkheart looks down at her with a bit of a smirk, and Tulip is thankful that she doesn't just collapse then and there. She can feel bile creeping its way up her throat, and it was taking everything in her to not vomit.

"It's been far too long since I last saw you, little petal." Zeke hums as he plucks Tulip's glass from her hand. She's frozen in place, and she can hear her heart pounding in her ears. Little petal.. God, she hated that nickname too much.

"I-It has been a while," she stutters, unable to meet his eyes. Memories she didn't want to remember were coming back. Hugs and the sort. Ones that made her oh-so uncomfortable, ones that she was sure Zeke knew made her uncomfortable but still went with it because he wanted to be with her solely to get a stake in the family company and-

Zeke places a hand on her forehead, and it snaps Tulip out of her spiraling thoughts. Her eyes finally snap up to meet his, and he hums. There's a small frown on his face. "You're getting quite red, little petal. Maybe I should help you cool off somewhere."

"Th-That's really not needed!" Tulip manages to say, her voice shaking just a bit. This was a mistake, her mind screams at her, panic clawing its way past the logical barriers of her mind. You shouldn't have come here. You need to run. Get out. Leave. Another day, another time, just LEAVE!

"Come on, don't be a stranger." He chuckles, taking his hand into her's and intertwining their fingers. She feels rooted to that spot, like a deer in headlights. "We were engaged to each other once upon a time, weren't we? Why don't we—"

"I think that's enough," Peach's voice, of all people, broke through Tulip's hearing. Gloved hands gently grab her shoulders and pulls her away from Zeke. Not even aware that her vision was blurring, Tulip blinks several times to realize that Peach has grabbed her by the shoulders, and Desmond has stepped in front of her, putting space between her and Zeke.

"Who are-"

"Her chaperone," Peach cuts him off, voice stern. "And might I ask where your's is?"

Tulip holds back a small snort at how flabbergasted Zeke seems. "Well- Thats-"

"I think it would be a good idea to get back to them," Peach says as she lets go of Tulip's shoulders. She points a finger to Zeke. "Goodness knows they're probably wondering where their responsibility went off to."

Zeke stares at Peach before letting out a soft scoff, turning on his heel, and walking off back to the crowds of people.

"Thanks, Peach," Tulips exhales, placing a hand to her chest. Then, she raises an eyebrow. "How.. did you know that we had chaperones?"

"These are.. a lot like the gatherings I used to have in the Mushroom Kingdom." The princess answers, her voice no longer stern or tight. "Younger kids having a chaperone there wasn't abnormal, and I saw a lot of it here." She then looks at Tulip with a frown. "But.. are you okay? Desmond spotted that boy getting close to you, and he managed to flag me down."

Tulip shoots a small smile to Desmond, who returns it despite the sleepiness still clear in his expression. "Yeah, I'm okay. That was my.. ex-fiancé."

She can't help but laugh softly at the way their expressions quickly change from worry to confusion. "Yeah, that stuff happens here."

The Avatar couldn't help but feel a bit better as she discusses those things with them, making their way back to Cynthia and Ash. From there, it was smooth sailing. Until..

"Thank you, everyone, for showing up once again to a gathering like this." Aite's voice breaks through the chatter of people. It all dies down and attention turns to her, where she stands on the 'second floor' in front of the railing. Chester stood on at her side.

Tulip exhales softly as she prepares herself to listen. Out of the corner of her eye, she spots Ash glancing between her and Aite, almost.. confused.

"The shining stars of this country, you all, are of coursed gathered her once more to make connections and to strengthen your companies," Aite speaks, and she.. begins walking over to one of the staircases, Chester close behind. Tulip straightens up at that.

"Is that not normal?" Ash whispers softly, seeing her do that.

"No," Tulip whispers back. "She never came down when talking! She's never even mingled in the parties!" And it never happened when she ran away either, because it would make headlines just mere minutes afterwards, considering there were some reporters here.

The rest of the people gathered seemed to have the same sentiment, with how they were quietly whispering.

"Many of you here are the backbones of our industries. Technology, fashion, machinery, everything. You hold power to do good, and of course, you do." Aite slowly drags her hand down the banister as she walks down the stairs. In her other hand she holds her folding fan.

"Which brings me to why I am diverging so much from my usual speech," Aite continues as she gets to the final step. She opens the folding fan and rests it over her mask, where her mouth would be.

"As of tonight, I am beginning my search for my successor."

The reaction was immediate, gasps and chatter became loud, and Tulip was sure she heard Travis (the Green Minister) shriek somewhere.

"Is that a good thing?" Cynthia asks, not needing to whisper since there was so much noise.

"No," Tulip manages to say, voice tight. "No, it means we are fucked." But she still couldn't understand. Why had Aite gone off script from her usual speech?

○●○

As Aite weaves and makes her way through the people, she merely hums and nods at those trying to get her attention.

"Ms. Tyron, I mean this respectfully," Chester whispers softly, "but what the actual hell are you planning?!"

She hums at him. The mic was now deactivated and handed to her aide, so she didn't need to worry about people hearing her. "Bait. After hearing that, Tulip is no doubt going to try and avoid me."

"Isn't that bad?!" Chester just looks more confused. "Didn't you want her to come and meet us?"

"Yes, but then it won't have the affect I want." With that, the Purple Prime Minister finally spots the group she's looking for. She smiles beneath her mask, and her heels clacking gently, she makes her way over.

"Tulip!" Aite calls cheerfully, just as the teen was attempting to hid behind Cynthia. Now having been pointed out, Tulip smiles nervously as she waves.

"M-Ms. Tyron! It's a pleasure to-!"

"Oh please, none of those formalities," Aite reassures her with a soft sigh, closing her folding fan. "I invited you here, Tulip, there's no need to be using my last name."

"I? Uh? Okay?" Tulip manages to squeak out, looking completely and utterly confused. The boy next to her (Ash, Aite believes) was looking between her and Tulip, a look of growing confusion on his face too.

"You must be Cynthia." Aite points her folding fan to the champion, and then to the princess. "And you must be Peach. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Ms. Tyron," Cynthia returns the greeting, nodding respectfully.

"You're friends of Tulip. You all can just call me Aite as well." Aite was smiling sincerely beneath her mask. She couldn't help but admit that the bewildered looks from all around her.

After making some small talk, the Prime Minister decides enough is enough.

"That reminds me, Tulip." She taps her closed folding fan to her mask. "Didn't you say that you had something to ask of me in your response to my letter?"

Tulips blinks, as if surprised that she remembered. "You.. remembered that?"

"Of course!" Aite tilts her head. "Why wouldn't I?"

The teen looks even more surprised, and Aite hums. "Why don't we head somewhere private?" She gestures to the group. "And your friends came come with, of course."

That now led to them walking down the halls to the meeting room Aite had set up some time ago. Chester was keeping up with the Prime Minister's pace, not paying too much attention to the quiet conversation happening behind them.

"What are you planning here?" Chester asks his boss, voice soft. "I am having.. so much trouble trying to figure out what you are doing."

Aite chuckles softly. "It's called matching their energy."

The aide was still, very, very confused, even once they got to the meeting room. As the group walks in, Aite gestures to the couches. "Have a seat. I'm sure it couldn't have been fun, standing around for so long."

She walks over to the drawer in front of the large window overlooking the capital of Renata. She shrugs off her fur coat before, finally, Tulip asks; "are you really looking for a successor?"

"By god, no!" Aite laughs softly, surprising everyone. "Absolutely no one there was qualified. The country would turn into a dump if I appointed any of them."

"Then why'd you say that?" Ash speaks up, confusion evident in his tone.

"Because I knew Tulip would be the only one to recognize what I was doing," the Prime Minister points out.

The aforementioned girl points to herself in confusion, and Aite continues. "You no doubt realized I was going off script from my usual speeches, coming down to mingle.. everything." She turns around and hums. "Which is why I'm telling you now; whatever you have to say to me, there is a very high chance that I will be willing to listen."

Everyone looked shocked, even Chester seemed surprised.

Tulip hesitates, glancing at the two women, and then the two teens. After getting nods, she exhales and stands up. "Okay, I.. I know this is going to sound crazy but.. if what you're saying is true, please hear me out."

Aite smiles. "I'm all ears."

Tulip looks back at Ash, a bit hesitant. He seems to know what she's saying, as he nods reassuringly.

"Well, you see.." Tulip begins to mess with her hands, a nervous habit. "I guess it's easier to explain that.. I'm sort of the reason Renata is the way it is right now. I'm.. the Avatar of the world."

Aite was quiet before she spoke, voice considerably more soft. "I've known."

"..What?"

"Tulip, with all due respect, I would definitely notice if my country's national IQ dropped a bit." Aite laughs gently. "And I've known it was you at the center of this all. Do you think I wouldn't try and figure that out?"

Tulip raises a finger, then lowers it with a contemplative look. Finally, she relents. "Okay, fair point." She then exhales softly. "Well, uhm.. you see there.." She takes some deep breaths, and Aite waits patiently. "There are.. other universes. My.. my friends here are from those other universes, and many of them have been forming an alliance.. called the Meme Alliance."

Aite lets out an interested hum, seemingly not turned off by the name alone. Tulip swallows thickly, and can't help but look back towards Peach and Cynthia for just a bit of help.

Cynthia takes the lead. "The Meme Alliance is essentially a way for all of us to stay safe, to rely on each other in case we need it."

Aite leans against the drawer as she considers. She then tilts her head. "Why exactly did you propose this to me? Surely there are others that can offer more."

Tulip hesitates, then she speaks, voice soft. "You.. seemed like the best option. Like you would actually.. listen."

The Prime Minister is quiet for some moments more. Her eyes glance over at the group. Then she hums.

"Well I don't see why I shouldn't agree."

That takes Tulip by surprise, especially as Aite turns her head to look out the window. "Wait, really?"

"If what you're saying is true — and I'm inclined to believe that it is true — then Renata would benefit from this." Aite smiles beneath her mask. "So, when would I be able to meet the rest?"

Her heart warms at Tulip's bright smile.

○●○

It was sometime after now. Figuring things out, Peach and Cynthia filling Aite in more about the Meme Alliance, and Tulip was very happy to know that, at the very least, she didn't have to worry about the Prime Minister being a dick.

Even as she was happily immersed in conversation with Peach, Ash couldn't help but ponder.

"Hey, Cynthia?" He turns to the champion.

"Hm?" She turns her head.

"Do you think.. Aite and Tulip are related?"

Cynthia pulls a face at that. "I.. I don't so, no." She looks at him, confused. "Why do you think that?"

"Their auras." He shrugs. "Aite's was really, really similar to Tulip's. Like, I could tell them apart, but when they were standing close together, it was really hard."

Cynthia frowns at that. "Hm.. How odd." She thinks about it before shaking her head. "Well, it's not like we can go back and ask her about it now. But maybe keep that in the back of your mind."

Ash nods and goes to respond, before a loud THUMP as Tulip fell face first to the ground.

"Tulip?!"

The only response was the girl letting out a slow, squeaky, and muffled shriek into the ground.

○●○

"You didn't tell them?" Chester asks, voice soft. The meeting room was empty now, the group probably having left the room entirely. He helps the Prime Minister unclip her mask, and he gently smooths out her hair.

"And make Tulip spiral?" Aite hums with a gentle giggle. She feels Chester gently brush his fingers over the purple scar on her cheek.

"Good point," her aide concedes. "I assume you'll still hide it even now that we're going to be a part of this alliance."

She nods, feeling him run his fingers through her hair. "Of course. I can't trust those Ministers with a matter like this. And telling a group of strangers my secret.." She shakes her head.

After some moments, Aite sighs softly. "Plus, I have to make an annoucment that no one met my standards for a successor."

That makes Chester laugh, and Aite smiles. She pauses to think about something. Then, she giggles softly.

How odd, she was smiling a lot more lately. And Aite didn't mind.

[enbypoloka]

(I stuck to the anime adaption bc I love Shorter’s hair (the flower meanings i got from here (also yes it’s the other way around but I made nadia get it)))

I use the term  おやすみ、私の花。and it means “goodnight my flower(s)” if you guys wanted to know, i talked to inanimate objects or plants like they can hear me, so i did it so every night Eiji says good night to his plants :0

Eiji was in the backroom of his small shop when the bell in the top corner of his door rung, signaling there was a customer. Putting down the unfinished bouquet he was working on, Eiji walked dusted off his hands and walked out to the storefront. As he passed the backroom's door frame, he saw there were two people in his shop. One of them was a long-time customer, and the other was a purple-mohawked boy. Eiji smiled at the other two as they noticed him, giving a short courteous wave.

"Hello, Nadia," Eiji greeted, coming to the front counter. He cocked his head to the side gently, nodding to Shorter. "Hello, and you are?"

"He's my younger brother, Shorter." Nadia stated softly, "I dragged him along with me today since the tattoo shop is being renovated and it was a slow day in the restaurant."

"Hello Shorter, my name is Eiji," Eiji greeted again, holding out his hand. Shorter grabbed and only shook twice before retracting completely. The latter flushed slightly, only muttering a 'sup' in response. "Are you here for a bouquet?" Eiji turned to Nadia, resting on his elbows as he leaned on the counter.

"Uhm, yeah." Nadia stated lamely, giving a sheepish chuckle. "It's for my date tonight."

"Same guy?" Eiji's lip curled into a small smirk as he waggled his eyebrows at her.

"Yes, the same guy. Why do you keep asking me the same question? I come here every other week."

Nadia and Eiji talked for another half hour, bantering about her date, and various other topics, including her brother. Eiji waved the two off as they the left, turning around to go into the backroom. The diverse flowers and vibrant colors invited him back, the sweet nectar filling the air but not suffocating him. He walked to the back of the room, reaching a peach colored screen door. The door led him outside to his relatively small green house. He walked the length of the fifteen foot greenhouse to grab a handful of aster and red carnations. Eiji turned to left to grab some of the plenty gardenias he owns too. Grabbing a handful of other flowers, Eiji turned on his heel and proceeded to leave the greenhouse. As he closed the door, Eiji looked above the door frame at the clock hanging on the wall.

'Huh, it's already three o'clock? I need to hurry up so Nadia can get her flowers before she meets Jenkins.' Eiji thought to himself, humming quietly as he went across to desk he was working on beforehand. The bouquet from earlier sat there unfinished as Eiji scooted it gently to the corner of the desk and placed the new flowers on it. As if the world disappeared around him, Eiji focused on the meaning of what Nadia wanted convey to her love. A single red rose in the middle, because all bouquets of love needed a rose of some sort. Eiji chuckled at himself, thinking back at to how love-stricken Nadia was over Jenkins. Shaking his head, Eiji then refocused to the task at hand, and wrapped the rose with the red carnations and asters, alternating each one. Looking around, the short man reached over to grab a couple of small clear rubber bands to tie around the stems as he gathered the gardenias. Eiji then surrounded the red blooms with a small circle of white, contrasting lovely. As a final touch, the Japanese man put pink tulips on the outside, in between each gardenia, giving the bouquet the air of wholesome and unrelenting love. Eiji looked to the right of his desk, to a small TV table stood, with a small analog clock that read four-thirty. With a small yelp, rushed to the other side of the back room to grab tissue paper to wrap the flowers in.

'Oh my god, when was the date again? Five? Six?' Eiji scrambled to grab the correct shade of orange. Finally finding a pale, barely noticeable orange that tapered off to a pink piece, Eiji grabbed a roll of lilac colored see-through ribbon and went back to the desk.

"Oh thank," the boy murmured aloud, relieved that he luckily used the clear rubber bands so no flower was notably out of place. Unfolding the tissue paper, Eiji heard the shop door open again. The friendly chime made him look at the clock again, for it only been five minutes since he last checked it. He looked over his shoulder to fix the front door with a glare. "Nadia?"

"Uh, no it's Shorter." A pregnant silence followed. There was no other noise indicating that there was anyone else but Shorter. "I'm here to pick up the bouquet for my sister."

"Oh," Eiji replied lamely. "I'm almost done, I'm just wrapping the flowers then I'll be right out, okay?"

"Yeah, of course man take your time."

Eiji turned back to the flowers before him, reaching across the desk to grab a pair of scissors. The boy then folded, without creasing the tissue paper, and cut a diamond shape out of the ombre paper. He then wrapped it around the bouquet, folding the points evenly across the middle of the stems. Grabbing the lilac colored ribbon, Eiji wrapped the flowers twice over, then pulled the roll for him to cut. Eiji then tied a small but secure bow, folding down the paper to show the flowers more in the back still not creasing the paper.

"I'm done," called Eiji, grabbing the flowers and rolling all the rubber bands off as he walked to the store front. As he reached the front counter, he looked up and the purple haired boy straightened his body from leaning against the counter. He appeared to be trying to look at Eiji in the back from the front counter.

"Oh cool," Shorter mumbled, reaching for the bouquet as Eiji handed it to him. The purple haired man gave a low whistle as he slid down his glasses to inspect the flowers more closely. "Holy shit, this is really pretty?" It came out more as a question rather than an actual statement.

"Really?" Eiji inquired, beaming at Shorter. "You think she'll love it?"

"Dude, I know Nadia will love it. How much?"

"Oh!" Eiji looked down at himself for a moment, thinking. "About? Forty-five?" Eiji smiled sheepishly.

"Only forty-five?" Shorter questioned, pulling out his wallet. "I'm surprised that it doesn't cost more. This is gorgeous."

"Only forty-five." Eiji replied, shrugging off the compliment as he was handed the money. He put the money in the cash register that was at the end of the counter.

"Thanks man. See you later," Shorter turned and walked to the front door, pausing in the doorway to give a half wave before completely exiting.

Hours passed as Eiji worked on various assortments, including one wedding bouquet. The Japanese boy sighed loudly, standing up from the chair he pulled up a couple of hours ago. He felt like every bone in his body decided to scream in unison, making him wince as his joints howled in protest. Eiji looked at the clock on the TV table, it read eight-fifteen at night. The boy grunted as he twisted his torso to crack his back. Turning, Eiji noticed that it was dark outside and nobody came into the shop for the past three hours or so. Deciding that the rest of the projects can wait until the next day, the boy cut off all the lights as he walked to the store front. Just glancing over to see if there is anything out of place or any stray lights on, Eiji turned back to the front door and flipped his 'open' sign to 'closed'. Eiji grabbed the apron he dawned at the beginning of the work shift off of his neck, and hung it on a coat rack he had next to said door. Eiji patted his pants' pockets and found his keys, opening the door to lock it.

"おやすみ、私の花。" Eiji murmured quietly, giving his plants a small smile and closing the door behind him. - It was about noon the next day, and Eiji was in the back room again, working on other orders when he heard the front door open. He put down the bundle of white orchids he was working on with a deep exhale. Dusting off any stray petals, Eiji stood from his foldable chair he left the night before.

"I'm in the back, I'll be right out!"

"There's no rush," A familiar voice called back, startling Eiji.

"Shorter?" Eiji hesitantly inquired, walking to the back room's door frame and peered at the customer.

"Yeah, it's Shorter. Uh, Nadia told me to come keep you company because I'm 'breathing down her neck' when I'm in the restaurant." Shorter stated, shrugging sheepishly. "I mean only if you're okay with me chilling here, I can hang out with my friend at the tattoo shop."

Eiji blinked, giving a soft chuckle and a nod, "of course you can stay here, I don't mind. Come in the back with me, I could use some help with these orders."

Shorter made his way to the back, walking around the counter and through the diverse mixture of plants varying in color, shape, and size. As he reached the back room, he was taken aback at the gorgeous room. The walls hung various pressed plants that varied in flowers to what seemed like leaves. In picture frames that are scattered precariously from different small tables to hanging on the wall contained family photos, art pieces, collages, and more. The desk that Eiji sat in front of was attached to a bookshelf, that had different plant life that included but not limited to succulents, cacti, fruits, vegetables, trees, et cetera. Spread wildly on the floor were diverse books, varying in shape, size, colors, and subjects. In the far side of the room there was a peach screen door, and near it there was a couple of buckets. In the far corner had a large sketchpad that had what looked like bouquet designs drawn in it.

"I'm sorry for the mess, if I knew you were coming, I would've cleaned up a bit." A voice spoke, sounding sheepish.

Shorter snapped his eyes to Eiji, flushing slightly at the small apologetic smile the boy gave him. "No no, you're good. I just-" he cuts himself off, turning to look at the store front then back at Eiji and the rather large pile of orchids on the desk next to him. "Was shocked that you have so many different plants in here but out there it's only flowers," Shorter stammered, hurriedly as he shook his head to clear any thoughts.

"Yeah, back at my place has so many plants, and I keep buying more despite running out of room to put them. So I put them here, and take them out to green house," Eiji referenced to the screen door at the back of the room. "To get sunlight and such, and bring them back inside before I go home." Eiji huffed a small giggle, fixing Shorter with a little smile.

Shorter stared at the other boy for a moment, blinking at how fast his heart was going. "That's cool, I could never keep plants because I always forget to water them and put them into the sun," he blurted out, as he shrugged his shoulders. The other boy gave a chuckle, which caused him to glance at Eiji's direction to see an ear-to-ear grin.

"That was me when I was a kid," Eiji stated, getting up to go the other side of the room to grab a foldable chair. "Here, come sit, I have to make ten bouquets with these orchids, and the bride specifically stated that they had to make a perfect circle." The Japanese boy jutted his chin in the direction of the flooded desk.

"A perfect circle?" Shorter asked in astonishment staring at the pile of the suddenly daunting orchids. He looked back up at Eiji as he opened the chair.

"Yes, I'll show you how to cut the blossoms without making too much of a mess, if you want to," Eiji offered the Chinese boy, holding out his hand to the chair to indicate for the other boy to sit. The pair began sorting the orchids into smaller stacks so it was easier to see which ones will be better.

Hours fly past. The pair finished the wedding flowers and went to get coffee in a local café for a break. They went back to work on the other orders, and managed to finish the rest of the assortments that Eiji needed to finish. It was around seven at night when they finished the last bouquet, both boys' hands red with handling and cutting the stems.

"Thank you for your help," Eiji sighed, giving Shorter a tired smile. "I'll set some money to the side for you when they come pick it up, okay?"

"Dude, you don't have to do that, I helped you from the good of my heart, Eiji. I'd do it again because I want to. Not because you're paying me to do so. I have a job, y'know."

"Well, you helped me finish all of my projects, so you deserve some of the profits." Eiji stated bluntly, fixing Shorter with a 'do not argue with me' look, quirking his eyebrow.

"Alright, fine fine. I'll accept some of the profit." The purple hair boy looked at the clock that was on the TV table that was next to the desk. "Oh shit, I have to go back home, Nadia is probably worried where I am. Night, Eiji. Thanks for having me." Shorter stood, nodding his thanks at Eiji before leaving the backroom and then the shop. - The week passes, everyday Shorter shows up at noon to help Eiji with his projects. If there are no projects, they clean the shop by sweeping the floor from petals that have fallen and watering the greenhouse plants. They also made sample bouquets to fill the shop to make inventory. The pair clean up the backroom, and read books about plant care, and new flowers possibly discovered.

"You know, you don't have keep saying Nadia sends you to keep me company," Eiji murmurs when the two of them finished watering the plants, during one afternoon. "You can come here if you want to, you don't need a reason to come. My shop is always open."

A pregnant pause, both of them stare at each other. Eiji looking at Shorter with hope and patience, his lips quirking slightly.

"I-" Shorter pauses, looking at the ground to give him words to say. "The tattoo shop is completely renovated, so I can't come over here during the day anymore."

"Oh." Eiji also looks at the ground, his legs pressing together as his hands twist in his lap. "I'm happy for you."

"I was wondering," The purple haired boy started, leaning forward a bit to try and catch the other boy's eye. "If you'd like to catch a movie with me tonight? To hang out before I go back to piercing people." Shorter give a wide side grin, staring at the dark haired boy.

"Oh! Uh, yeah, if you'd have me." Eiji giggled, beaming at Shorter.

"Of course." - The pair watched an action comedy, laughing until their stomachs hurt and were awed by the explosions. Midway through the movie, they finished their popcorn but the rest of the evening was uninterrupted. Both boys decided to go eat dinner, and drink some coffee before going back to the flower shop. On the way back, both boys walked past the tattoo shop, to which Shorter showed Eiji the new interior. He introduced Eiji to Ash, and they stayed for an additional hour as Shorter gave two clients piercings as Ash gave them tattoos. The three talked about their respective careers, and cracked jokes as well as share a couple of alcoholic drinks. By the time Shorter and Eiji reached the flower shop, it was around midnight.

"Sorry it took so long to come back to your shop," Shorter apologized as he turned to look at the Japanese boy, lips curling to a small smirk than a smile.

"Don't be sorry," Eiji stated, pulling the shop keys out of his pants' pocket. "Will you come inside with me? Only for a moment?"

"I mean, it's already late. I don't see the harm in it."

The two walked into the shop, Eiji clicking on the store front lights as he walked in. "Wait here, I'll be right back."

Eiji then walked into the back room, throwing a courteous smile over his shoulder. He walked all the way to the greenhouse, not cutting on any of the lights because he did not want Shorter to know where he was going. He pulled out his phone and flicked on his flashlight, walking into the greenhouse on a mission. He walked through the color sorted blooms, going to the section he needed to. As he scrolled through the correct section, he very quickly found the correct flower. Pulling out the small pocket knife he keeps in his pocket specifically for cutting his flowers. Eiji hurriedly pockets his knife and briskly walks to the greenhouse door. As soon as he walked past the door frame, Eiji flicked his flashlight off and shoves his phone into his pocket. Quickly he exits the back room and meets up with Shorter at the store front.

"Here, I wanted to give this to you," Eiji held out the white sweet pea bloom to Shorter.

"Oh? Does it mean something?" Shorter inquires, inspecting the flower with his sunglasses off.

"Uhm, I-it means-" Eiji stammered, flushing scarlet. "I means that I had a good time, and since you're departing, it's the appropriate to give it to you."

"Oh!" Shorter exclaimed, grinning ear-to-ear. "Dude same. I had am awesome time hanging with you."

The two look at each other, unsure what to do next. "D-Do you?" Eiji started, eyebrows furrowing as he tried to finish his question.

"Want to do this again sometime?" Shorter finished, still grinning. "Sure. Name the time and place and we'll go." - "Hey," Shorter bumped his hip to Eiji's as he was spraying the left side of the greenhouse and Eiji was spraying the right. "Remember how long it took me to ask you out on a date?"

Eiji chuckled, "Right after the week of having to 'keep me company because your sister said to'?" he air quoted, rolling his eyes.

"How many months was that?" Shorter shouldered the other boy.

"Four? Five? I have no idea." Eiji shrugged, jutting his chin out thoughtfully. "I'm glad I said yes though."

"Me too, me too." Shorter then proceed to spray Eiji with his hose, and start an hour long water fight.