#also some flower language- pink camellia = 'longing for you'

[randomthunk]

I love the fact that everything about Odo is his own construct, so his hair being out of place in "Crossfire" is another sign of him coming undone. That's the good stuff right there.

[pomefioredove]

a-yo there, Claudette! how ya' doin'? could I ask a request with the overblot gang like this: they are flirting with reader, in some case is more boldly, another is smoothly or a 'smart'/well thought out flirt, (because i'm SURE that leona and vil don't flirt the same, or blue and idia, for example). reader blushes a lot and looks away. after a second of silence, reader flirts back just as smoothly, slyly or boldly. how do the 7 primors react? 💗💗

thanks in advance! take care<3

oooh- yes, of course!! I had fun with this. it also occurs to me how bad most of them would be at flirting...

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ the boys do a flirt

type of post: headcanons characters: riddle, leona, azul, jamil, vil, idia, malleus additional info: romantic, reader is gender neutral, reader is yuu

anyone here familiar with Victorian courting rules?

well, Riddle is

he is alllll about etiquette

literally "no hand holding before marriage"

the boldest he gets is with... flowers

for what he can't say or do outright, he can convey in floriography

daisies for loyalty, pink camellia for longing...

if he's feeling bold, he may add a lavender sprig or two

now, imagine his surprise when you send him a red orchid...

his face blushes the same color as the flower and he gets all giggly

going around Heartslabyul, saying he's got to send you a red rose back

...as if anyone knows what that means

(everyone in his dorm thinks you're both crazy)

*ੈ✩‧₊˚

Leona is the god of avoidance

he would rather crawl on his hands and knees through sewage than be honest with himself about his feelings

so, what does he do when he knows he's falling for you?

bullies you

like, lovingly

it's just easy for him to banter and push you around

he will call you short no matter what your height is, let himself into your room to sleep on your bed and make direct eye contact with you while he knocks your things off your desk

like... petty cat behavior

he was not anticipating you to reciprocate

man, you have a mouth on you

the things you say... color him impressed

honestly, he likes you even more than before

...which now makes avoiding his feelings impossible... crap

*ੈ✩‧₊˚

unfortunately I think Azul's best attempt at flirting is staring at you across a crowded room

he's a flatterer by default, but, like, he actually likes you

he knows how to get someone into a contract, but not how to ask you out on a date

funny, right?

well, not for him

it takes all of his courage just to say you look nice

Sevens, what is wrong with him?

you make him feel like an utter fool... so, of course, he has to compensate

now, when he's around you, he becomes smarter, more interesting, and about three times as pretentious

to impress you. obviously

then you match his energy and he's right back to square one

who knew he could get so easily flustered?

*ੈ✩‧₊˚

Jamil doesn't "flirt"

...at least, that's what he tells himself

before you, he'd simply never had a reason to. now...

how hard can it be, right?

and, well, he's not half-bad at it

Jamil knows how to keep his cool, and flattery is his second language

and he gets a chance to show off a little...

perfect, right?

well...

he can never seem to surprise you

every hint he tries, every subtle compliment and little smirk, you have something equally as crafty

...not what he had in mind, but, hey

the psychological warfare makes flirting much more interesting

*ੈ✩‧₊˚

Vil is, perhaps, the only person here who actually knows what he's doing

not that he's used to flirting

he just... knows how to talk to people

he's always quite subtle about it

forward advances are tasteless, if you'd ask him

he tends to flirt in subtle, but meaningful ways

that is, he makes his intentions known through touch

nothing aggressive, of course

a gentle squeeze of your shoulder, a brush of his hand against yours, an arm around your waist...

just enough to fluster you (which he so enjoys doing)

imagine his surprise, then, when you start touching him back

wordlessly holding his hand, sitting close enough to him to feel your shoulder against his...

he'll admit, he admires your boldness

*ੈ✩‧₊˚

the only "you" that Idia is flirting with is a chat bot he programmed to talk like you

I mean WHAT who said that

he DEFINITELY does not have that. haha... that'd be like, super creepy...

on that note, he also definitely DOES NOT obsessively study your words and mannerisms to better understand you

...well...

listen, he just doesn't know how to approach you!

you're so... you! and he's so... him

so, he'd much rather watch your every move and fantasize about being able to actually... talk to you...

he is, understandably, terrified when you approach him

...even more so when you seem to know about him and all his interests...

???

...you know what? he's not even going to think about it

*ੈ✩‧₊˚

Malleus can be a little... old-fashioned

and by that I mean Briar Valley old-fashioned

he was taught how to court by Lilia, of all people, so you know whatever he's doing is...

...strange

and he's somewhat aware of it, too

he just thinks it'd be even stranger for him to flirt with you like...

well... you get it

everyone else

he is, however, pleasantly surprised when you seem to know what he's doing

you've been reading up on Briar Valley customs, and recognized his courting rituals pretty much right away

...not that you're going to tell him that

reciprocating his flirtations is more fun when he doesn't see it coming

he makes that one surprised face every time

like this -> o_o

[innerfare]

Flowers

Summary: what sort of flowers (or alternatives) they give you

Characters: Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Ace, Sabo, Law, Kid, Usopp, Robin, Nami

Genre: fluff

——— 

Luffy: Not one to buy you flowers. Instead, he picks them. Sometimes they’re weeds he thought looked pretty, other times, he presents you with a lush bundle of pink carnations you think he must have picked from a commercial flower field (this man has no concept of private property). He’s always very proud to present them because he worked hard to secure them; you'd better give him a kiss for his effort. Has, on occasion, accidentally brought you some that are poisonous. Also once brought you a bundle of radishes because he thought you would like the color. Receiving flowers from Luffy can be a bit like receiving a lizard from your pet cat.

Zoro: He won’t really think to buy you flowers until one day you mention that camellias are pretty. He takes that to mean you like camellias, specifically, and not that you’d like to receive flowers in general, so he always buys you camellias, and you think it’s so sweet that you never correct him. He’s not actually a proponent of apology flowers because he thinks a ‘bribe’ cheapens it, but he will bring you flowers when he knows you’re having a hard day. He might also buy you a small bamboo plant that you two end up treating a bit like a pet, giving it a name and everything. 

Sanji: Classic red roses, at least a dozen at a time. He’ll buy you roses in shades of white and pink, as well as the occasional yellow, but a dozen red roses is his go to. He also makes very good use of the petals. Doesn’t need a special occasion to present you with a bouquet. In fact, he always makes sure you have fresh flowers on your nightstand. Additionally, he’s learned to cook a few dishes with edible flowers in them for you, presenting you with all manner of chamomile, chive blossom, and pansy dishes. 

Usopp: Will buy you cheap supermarket flowers on his way to come visit you and will regale you with a long, fanciful tale of crossing oceans and deserts to secure them from the only spot in the world those particular flowers grow, a tale filled with sweet and funny anecdotes that makes you giggle as you trim the stems and place them in a vase of water. He’ll tell you that the flowers have special powers and properties, such as bringing you luck or living forever so long as you smile every day. 

Robin: Is an expert on hanakotoba, the language of flowers; she read a book on it once and thought it was so sweet and beautiful that she read it cover to cover several more times. She always buys you flowers with a specific meaning and then happily explains that meaning to you. Giving you flowers brightens her day as much as it brightens yours. White anemones (sincerity), daffodils (respect), and forget-me-nots (true love) are some of her favorites to give you. 

Nami: Not a traditional kind of girl. She won’t hesitate to buy you roses if you like them, but she gravitates more toward violets, daisies, and the like, smaller flowers that speak to both of you. She’s also a proponent of buying you a single flower that you can put in your hair, and she has bought you a selection of floral hair accessories so you always have flowers for your hair on hand; her favorite is the primrose crown she bought you. 

Ace: He’ll bring you bouquets with a lot of variety that the nice lady at the flower shop helped him put together. He usually builds these bouquets around sunflowers or orange lilies, and he gets very smug when his flowers brighten your day. He’ll also pick flowers for you, but he’s very conscious to only pick the ones that are not weeds. If he finds a field of sunflowers, you will be getting as many as he can carry. Never, ever visits you empty-handed, always brings at least a bouquet of flowers with him. Treats securing flowers for you like hunting for dinner and is always so proud of his bounty.

Law: Gravitates toward orchids, especially in darker shades of pink, purple, and blue; they feel a little moodier and less kitschy than the red roses Bepo tells him he’s supposed to buy to woo you (side note: imagine Law getting relationship advice from Bepo). One night folded an origami flower for you, and you liked it so much that he spent the rest of the night folding an entire bouquet, though he pretends it only took him five minutes. He doesn’t actually give the origami bouquet to you so much as he just sets it on your nightstand one day and mutters something about how the flowers won’t need water. He gets kind of annoyed if you make a big deal out of it. 

Sabo: He’s gone for very long periods of time, so when he returns, he’ll bring you a bundle of peonies or calla lilies, but he also bought you a cherry blossom bonsai tree so you can have flowers even when he’s away. The bonsai tree ends up becoming his baby, and when he is home, he spends quite a bit of time tending to it, to the point you get a little jealous. But it brings you lots of comfort when he’s away, a symbol of your love that’s firmly rooted and eternal. Side note, he will most definitely use flowers to seduce you. 

Kid: If it’s at the point where he’s buying flowers, this man is so far beyond pride he won’t flinch at purchasing a bundle of pink tulips, even if they clash with his outfit/aesthetic. He also presents you one night with a bouquet of metal flowers he made himself. He spent ages on it, but he really didn’t mean to. He intended to make one but got absorbed in his work and made an entire bundle of dainty little metal flowers. He’s oddly proud of himself for making something so delicate and would be crushed if you ever got rid of them. 

———

Hope you enjoyed it! If you want more, you can check out my masterlist here!

[bagerfluff]

Feelings and Flowers

Nico di Angelo x Son of Persephone Reader

Prompt - Flowers

AN: Pink Camellias mean longing for you while pink roses mean happiness

You sat in a clearing in the forest adjacent to camp.

It was pretty far from anything and it was quite a challenge to get there. But it was worth it. It was a small clearing but it was beautiful. The sun shone through the tall trees that were in a ring.

The trees stretched to the sky to get to the sun. The grass below was soft and fluffy from the lack of getting smushed. Birds chirped in the trees and the wind blew around.

Causing your hair to blow in the wind. Squirrels ran around with acorns in their mouths. They stopped to look at you every once and a while. Probably smelling the fruit you had in your pocket.

You never gave it to them, you just grew some plants next to them and they quickly left. Since you were a son of Persephone you could grow plants. Not a lot and you could only do it in small batches but you could still do it.

You could never grow or control plants like the Demeter kids. You were sitting in the middle of the clearing. You were sitting criss cross while playing with some blades of grass. One of the reasons you came here was to relax and have some time to yourself.

You have been stressed for the past five months, and it was all caused by a certain son of Hades. You met Nico after the battle of Manhattan. You were the same age as him, so you found him cool.

Unlike everyone else you stayed friends with Nico after the war. Nico was weirded out by you and first. You understood that, your Godly parents were married. But you wanted to be friends with him so you tried.

And it worked.

You called Nico your friend, and you were pretty sure Nico did the same. Nico always talked to you whenever he was at camp. You were one of the few people Nico talked to. But after a couple years you slowly started to gain a crush on Nico.

Maybe you’ve always liked him but that was when your crush showed itself. You never told anyone. You were pretty sure that Nico didn’t even like you.

Nico was very closed off.

Even after knowing him for years you still had a hard time figuring out what he was feeling. You got better at it over the years, so you could tell when he was happy, sad, angry, displeased. Simple emotions like that.

But you couldn’t go further.

So you had no idea if he liked you back. So you’ve been avoiding Nico. Not the best idea, and you knew that, but it was the only thing you could do. Every time you saw Nico you wanted to tell him you loved him.

But you couldn’t.

You knew Nico would hate you for that. So you’ve been avoiding him. It was easy since Nico was only at Camp Half-Blood every few months. But every time he came he made a point to find you and hang out with you.

You knew that it was probably because you were his only friend. One of the few people that talk to him and don’t get weirded out by him. You loved that, don’t get that wrong.

You loved Nico’s company.

Nico had a weird sense of humor, he had amazing stories from his travels, he was cool to hang out with. But you started avoiding him. Whenever you saw him coming up to you, you made an excuse to leave or you just ran.

You knew that this wasn’t the best thing to do. It also made you look like an asshole. But it was the best thing you thought you could do. Nico was actually at camp right now. That’s why you left and found your little hiding place.

You were thinking of staying here till it was time for dinner, then you would run to your cabin. You looked down at the ground to see a bunch of pink camellias around you.

They made a small circle around you but most of them were in front of you. You sighed and picked one up, twirling it around in circles. A little trait of Persephone kids and Demeter kids was that they knew the meaning of flowers.

Flower Language.

That meant that when a Demeter kid or Persephone kid felt something that matched what a flower meant that flower would grow around them.

You knew what pink camellias meant, but you didn’t want to think about it. It felt like a punch to the gut. You started to make a flower crown to take your mind off everything.

You have to admit, though the flowers felt like a punch in the gut, they were beautiful. You spent a few minutes making the flower crown before you heard footsteps.

You knew who it was.

The air got colder around you and you could see the grass wilting by your sides. Suddenly Nico stood in front of you. He was wearing a black shirt with a skull on it, blank pants, sneakers, and his aviator jacket was hanging off his shoulders.

Nico’s hair was pulled back into a small low ponytail, he had grown his hair out since it was hard to keep it tamed when he travels so much.

That just made him look hotter.

You glanced up at Nico just to see him already looking at you. Neither of you two said anything. Nico looked around before finally speaking, “Nice place. No wonder it took me so long to find you”. Nico sat down in front of you.

Mirroring you.

Though he kept his hands off the flowers. The flowers looked normal. Every once and a while they would wilt a bit but they went back to normal. Like they were debating whether to listen to the son of Persephone or the son of Hades.

You wondered why Nico was looking for you? Maybe he missed you? You had the desire to run. Avoid Nico like you’ve been doing but you didn’t. You kept your gaze on the flowers and kept your thoughts on making the flower crown.

It was half done.

Neither of you two talked for a while. Nico just watched you make the flower crown. Till you asked, “why were you looking for me?” You asked, still looking and making the flower crown.

You heard Nico sigh and out of the top of your eye you saw Nico playing with the grass. “You’ve been avoiding me”, Nico said, avoiding the question.

“I should ask you why you’ve been doing that”, that was true. Nico had every right to ask you why you’ve been avoiding. The real question is whether you’ll lie or tell the truth. You wanted to tell the truth, it was right on the tip of your tongue.

That’s why you didn’t speak that much. You were scared that the truth would come out. Both of your questions went unanswered. Nico didn’t answer yours and you didn’t answer Nico’s. Eventually you finished the flower crown.

Once you were done you just stared at it.

You finally looked up and stared at Nico. He was looking at your flower crown. You could tell that Nico wanted to say something. He looked like he was thinking. He was also playing with his skull ring.

A trait you found cute.

The words were on the tip of your tongue. You wanted to say it, scream it. You wondered if this was the doing of Aphrodite. If it was you were going to grow poison ivy on the Aphrodite Cabin. You wondered if she was watching you and laughing at how much of a love sick mess you were.

Maybe you should just get this over with. To stop the pain you felt when you ignored Nico. Not like that pain would go away if Nico rejected you. You should get this over with.

So you could get on with getting over your crush on Nico. You were about to speak when Nico looked up at you and spoke. “I was looking for you because I missed you”, you blushed slightly.

Nico looked a little scared while saying this and he also had a slight blush on his face. Nico did miss you. Maybe that meant he liked you too or maybe he just missed his only friend.

You figured since Nico answered your question you should answer his. “I’ve been avoiding you because I have a crush on you”. There, you said it. Now time to see if you were going to run.

Nico’s eyes widened slightly and he blushed more. You waited to see what Nico was going to say but after a few minutes he said nothing. You knew it. You just lost one of your friends.

You felt like crying.

You looked down at your lap and at the flowers. Just the camellia’s no longer made sense or maybe they did. You sighed and moved to get up and leave when Nico grabbed your arm.

“Wait!” You looked back at Nico and gave him a confused look. “Another reason I was looking for you was because I also have a crush on you.

I was just scared to admit it”, Nico was really blushing by the end of his statement and you were a little shocked. You’d never imagined hearing something like that from Nico.

You sat back down and looked at Nico. Neither of you said anything till Nico spoke up, “does this mean we’re dating?” Nico asked and you laughed. It was a full on belly laugh.

You were happy.

So, so, so happy.

Nico looked a little confused but you could see that he was a little happy. You calmed down and placed your flower crown on Nico’s head. Nico blushed again. The pink camellias really stood out on Nico’s dark hair but it looked beautiful. The flowers on the ground changed.

They changed to pink roses.

[friedfriedchicken]

Can i politely request some flower language (European or Hanakotoba) for Dinobot? (Code of Hero, my beloved...)

OH BOY YOU HAVE ACTIVATED MY BRAIN AND I'M RUNNING ON LATE NIGHT ENERGY LET'S GO!!!

Camellia

In Victorian Flower language, white camellias represent admiration, respect, and perfection so they've had history with being used at weddings and funerals. Pink camellias symbolize longing for someone. It can be used both platonically and romantically and can be sent to someone to say "I miss you." Red and yellow camellias represent passion and uniqueness respectively.

In Hanakotoba red camellias represent love and "perishing with grace" due to the fact that camellias lose their entire head when they wilt instead of one petal at a time. There's a term for that called ochitsubaki, translated as "fallen camellia", as samurai would avoid planting these flowers because of their style of wilting looking similar to how samurai would behead people during executions. Bad luck vibes there. Also yellow camellias represent longing in Hanakotoba and white camellias mean waiting!

Lily

Victorian Flower Language assigns white lilies the concept of purity and is often associated with mothers. Orange lilies represent revenge and/or hatred while lilies of the valley represent sweetness and tiger lilies means wealth! Lilies also represents the soul of the dead returning to a peaceful place when present at a funeral. Pairing that up with Dinobot, especially considering how Code of Hero ends, feels super fitting to me. QwQ

Hanakotoba says that white lilies are a symbol of purity while red spider lilies symbolize final goodbyes (which is why you get a lot of them in anime and stuff lol). Other than that, lilies share most of their Hanakotoba meanings with its' Victorian meanings.

Zinnia

For Victorian Flower Language, yellow zinnias equate to honoring and remembering someone daily because of its similarity to the sun. Red zinnias represent the heart, bonds, and eternal love (romantically or platonically!). Pink zinnias represent lasting friendships and love as well as love for one's father. As the trend continues, white zinnias mean pureness.

For Hanakotoba, I don't have much resources on zinnias besides the fact that they are a symbol of loyalty and faithfulness but that fits Dinobot anyways, especially with his arc in Code of Hero.

WHEW ALL DONE

Scrambling around to gather up flower pictures felt like I was a busy little mouse in an old kid's story book hee hoo

ANYWAYS- thank you for the request and I hope you have fun with the flower info!

[whiskeysmulti]

((Some parts based off what we’ve discussed a while back. As for how much time has passed since they’ve known each other- undisclosed. Up for debate if you wanna consider it canon to their interactions. I believe this is the last one I owe for ya! Hope you liked them all! I had fun! Thanks for requesting!))

-

To say that she was nervous would be an understatement. She was going together to a festival with G. It wasn’t to say that she’s never gone on dates before, but any date she’s been on in the past was something that was arranged for her.

Either it was her brother meddling in her life, or it was one of her parents who were worrying about how she was getting older and soon coming upon the age that most would socially deem her ‘too old’ to be married.

It was probably why her mother had become stricter with her in the past couple of years, thinking that she’d somehow erred in the way she’d raised her daughter which resulted in any past attempt at a relationship to fail.

Don’t tell them that it was simply due to Fiore’s stubbornness that she would secretly sabotage her own dates. She didn’t like any of the men her family would try to pair her with and she wanted to be with someone that she truly enjoyed being around.

So, this was not her first date, but it was the first date with someone she genuinely liked. There was a different kind of anxiousness that she felt as her heartbeat in her chest.

If there was something she had to thank her lucky stars for, it was the fact that she didn’t have anyone who could possibly prevent her from going out today. Her mother was out of town, and her father and brother were probably doing something with the military.

In essence, she had all the freedom in the world today. From her garden, she noticed that the Camellia flowers were in bloom, just in time, too. She often enjoyed taking some of the flowers from her garden and pressing them to make decorations with later.

There were also times where she’d place them in her hair as a decorative element. The took some of the flowers and weaved them into her hair as she let her hair down in a braid. She picked the white Camellias and a single yellow one- the accent flower.

When the time to leave comes around, she grabs her clutch which had enclosed inside of it a letter.

G is already there waiting for her when she arrives at the agreed upon time. With a smile, she approaches him. “Good day, G. I hope you haven’t been waiting for long.” She hoped that it wasn’t too obvious how nervous she was, but from the way she felt her cheeks flushing, it was probably readily obvious.

It mattered not how calm and composed you tried to keep your countenance when you were flushed pink.

Reaching into her clutch, she pulls out a letter. It was sealed with colored wax. She’d used a red and pink wax from the looks of it and stamped with a floral seal. She didn’t know how well he knew his flowers, and flower language was still pretty new—so there was a chance the symbolism could slip past him.

The Peony flower had different meanings based off its color. Pink peonies could symbolize romance, luck, and prosperity. All things that she wanted for him. Red peonies could symbolize someone wanting to express a deep love. It could also represent respect, and honor.

Maybe he would pick up on it? If he knew anything about the trends behind colored wax seals that were becoming popular as of recent: red was customarily used by men whereas women usually used a rose wax color.

Pink was appropriate when sending congratulations to another person, but both of those didn’t quite fit for the occasion, did it? Maybe he’d make the connection that she’d chosen the colors to be associated with the peony flower engraved onto the wax seal.

Well, if he didn’t pick up on it, that was fine. There was still time.

“I have a letter here that I’ll give you later once we part,” after this date, she means. It would be embarrassing for her if he were to read the letter while in her presence.

…

Later when he does open the letter, it would read:

[Dear G,

I’m writing this letter to express my thoughts towards you. From the start, you’ve been patient and understanding as well as accommodating. I do feel regret that many of our meetings came about because I have gotten myself in some sort of trouble, but I’m grateful all the same that I came across someone reliable that I could trust.

In the time we’ve known each other, I’ve come to learn more about you. Though you come off as calm and patient, you have a discerning eye to know when to exert force. It’s respectable what you and the rest of the Vongola are doing, and I do see it as an honor that you allow me to take some of your time.

With an air of mystery about you, it makes for an enjoyable time to spend time with you and to learn about your different sides. Admittedly, I haven’t met someone aside from my family who is a great marksman, so that too caught my attention.

I hope you don’t mind my continued presence in your life. Do speak freely if I am being a bother.

With love,

Fiore Rossi]

Valentine's asks 2024- accepting!

Had G had much of a relationship with his family anymore he hoped they'd have accepted Fiore. But nonetheless having anyone's blessing or not, he was happy with her and that was all that mattered to him. She had come into his life in a time when he didn't even realize he needed someone and now he couldn't imagine his life without her. Many women in the past hadn't worked out and at a moment when he thought he was meant to be alone, he met her. Fiore had come alone and changed his life and now he had to face the facts that he'd fallen in love and would never let her go. He took in her image. All those flowers accented her outfit perfectly. It suited her, he thought to himself. He linked his arm with hers, escorting her to a small outdoor cafe for dinner together, his treat. He'd promised her family she'd be home before dark and not wanting any trouble with her brother or father, G made good on his word and dropped her off as he was told to, giving her a kiss goodnight before he left. Turning the corner, he stopped behind a hedge to read the letter. He smiled, Fiore had nothing to be ashamed of, he'd be there to protect her until his final days. Maybe he could teach her to improve her aim one day, possibly a future date. He wouldn't tell her just yet, but he enjoyed her presence in his life as well and maybe later when he got home he'd write her a return letter explaining that to her. But for now she was home safely and that was all that mattered to him.

[jmagnabo92]

WSB CH 11 - Spoiling Sirius

With the help of therapy, James and Sirius continue their lovely courtship, which includes lots of spoiling of Sirius.

***

December 3rd, 1983

Sirius had been so good to James over the last few weeks as he continues to go to therapy to deal with his issues that James wanted to do something nice for him.  Something that would showcase his love for him, even if he’s not quite ready to say goodbye to Lily fully, yet.  

Thus, planning something quite special for his love.  

His plan started much earlier that week.  

He’d woken up on Sunday and given Sirius a chocolate rose and a homemade booklet of things that he could ask James to do – some things were non-sexual things like house chores, while others were kisses or massages or other sex-related things that they hadn’t done, yet.  As there was no expiration date, they could be used whenever Sirius was in the mood for them.  In addition to the rose and booklet, James had shown off in one of the sexy underwear he bought but had plainly stated that it was just because he wanted to feel sexy and wanted, not because he’s trying to get laid.

Sirius had responded by picking out James’ underwear the next day (and all week) because … “If you want to feel sexy and wanted, then you probably want to wear the ones that catch my eye the most, love.”

James couldn’t even explain how hot that had been.  

Even though it also embarrassed James to think about how turned on he is that Sirius had begun picking out his underwear, it’s something that he’s begun to adore.  Especially because Sirius gives him extra attention, teasing him daily about knowing that he’s typically wearing what Sirius picks out for him, and that Sirius is the only one to see him in lingerie since James has never tried lingerie for men before.  James loves it and deciding to continue letting Sirius pick out his underwear had made this week even more fun.  

He hopes it never stops.

Especially considering that Sirius always found excuses all day to wrap his arms around his waist and whisper, “How do they feel, Love?  Hot and sexy?”

It made James blush and ache for more attention, but at least it did feel good. Just seeing that look in his eyes made James feel all warm and fluttery.

Then, on Monday, he gave him a glass dandelion that would start as a seed and bloom throughout the week, culminating on Saturday before starting over.  

Sirius had loved the gift, especially after asking, “Why a dandelion?”

“Dandelions symbolizes hope to me.  You gave me hope and happiness and I love it.”

Sirius had been touched and kept the flower with him all day, although it was only just starting to grow and didn’t quite look like a dandelion just yet.

On Tuesday, James had snuck out of bed to make him breakfast in bed with a new book of crosswords, some chocolate dog bones, and a bouquet of flowers, including an arborvitae, a pink camellia, a coriander, a daisy, a hydrangea, and a tarragon which sends the message that they have an unchanging friendship, that James longs for him, that he (Sirius) is worth it, that their love is innocent and loyal (particularly that they share a loyalty to each other), that he’s grateful that Sirius understands him and continues to be understanding about James’ difficulties, and that this is a lasting interest in Sirius.

He wasn’t sure that Sirius would remember the flower language that they learned in school, but the smile and kiss certainly implied that he did.  As did Sirius putting the flowers in a vase in the sitting room where they spend most of their time.

On Wednesday, James gifted him with something he had been working on for the better part of the month - a scarf and jumper combo in the same red color of Gryffindor since it’s Sirius favorite color.  On the front of the jumper is Prongs and Padfoot with their baby fawn playing on a forest floor beneath them.  It symbolizes their little family, and he could tell that it meant a lot to Sirius.  Especially as he traced the words ‘The Potters’ that were embossed underneath the three of them.  

“Oh, Jay,” Sirius had said, clearly touched.

“You’re a Potter, last name or no.  I just wanted to – er – remind you.”

Sirius had given him a fierce hug and deep kiss before putting it on and showing it off all day.  

On Thursday, James had given him a build it yourself model motorbike kit, which he spent all day working on with Harry sometimes ‘helping’ him.  James had spent the day watching him, seeing him happy and enthusiastic about his gifts (he had washed and worn the jumper again, the flowers sitting in front of them, and the chocolate being snacked on as he worked on the model motorbike).  It was a delightfully great day for the three of them.

Then, last night, he’d given him the next in his series of books that he was reading, thrilling him to no end, and … an offered a lap dance once Harry was asleep.  Nothing but him in the lingerie that Sirius had picked out for his viewing pleasure dancing for him much like he’d done nearly two months ago when his first attempt at seduction had worked so well.

This time, although Sirius had clearly enjoyed his efforts, he hadn’t strayed into anything more than snogging and looking.  James had been a bit disappointed since it’s been a month since their fun on Sirius’ birthday, he’d been hoping something would happen soon.

Thus, tonight, James smiles as he steps out of the shower to get ready for another date with Sirius, his present for today was already wrapped (a photo album of the two of them and Harry over the past two years, and some dog toys as a joke) and he couldn’t wait to take Sirius to the dinner dance.  It’s for charity and James knows that he likes to dress up and be all fancy every once in a while even if that’s not really James’ scene.

Completely toweled off, he enters their bedroom with the towel around his waist to find lacy pink bikini underwear that hugged his cock and balls, had a little exposed flap and a bow sitting on the bed.  They look like a new pair that was close to the kind he’d worn the night before, but he knows that he’s not worn them before.  He doesn’t think that he’s ever seen them before.  Next to them lies a black suit with a light pink shirt and pink tie.  

It’s a suit that he’d never seen before but it looks of a high quality and clearly meant for him.  

“Do you like it?”

He jumps and drops his towel, which gives a gleefully smiling Sirius a good view of him.  He’s tempted to quickly grab the towel and cover up, but he’s never exactly been shy, so he clears his throat and looks back at the suit, “It looks …  nice, fancy.”

“It’s meant to be.  It’s a gift for you, for tonight.  Why don’t you try it on,” Sirius suggest as he makes his way into the room and tosses himself on the bed to apparently watch him get dressed.  

For some reason, it gives him butterflies to be watched like this, but he likes the feeling.  He slips on the panties left for him and moves to the mirror to make sure that they looked alright.  

They don’t just look alright, they look fantastic, which surprises him because he’s sure that he didn’t buy these, which means that Sirius did, and boy is that hot.  The idea that Sirius didn’t just pick out these from James’ selection, but actually bought them for him was undeniably hot.  

In fact, he has the time to wank right now, and he could get off just knowing these are a gift from Sirius.  He begins to slide his hand into them when Sirius says, “Ah, ah, ah, no wanking without permission.”

James is startled having forgotten that Sirius was even in the room, and is suddenly behind him, giving him that eerily familiar look from the last time Sirius had caught James looking at himself in the mirror in just a pair of panties that were meant to tease and taunt Sirius. 

As his arms wrap around his waist, James breathes, “I don’t recall that being a rule… else I’d be in lots of trouble over the last few months.”

“Hmmm,” Sirius hums.  “How about we make it a rule now?  Would you like that?”

James swallows.  It would be incredibly hot to have to ask for permission.  “Would this apply always?  Like if I want to wank in the shower… would I have to ask before?  If I woke up with morning wood, would I have to ask before I took care of it?”

Sirius is quiet for a second, licking and sucking at his neck.  “Would you be game for that?”

“That depends, how often will you say no?” James questions, a bit worried about Sirius torturing hm a little because he finds it fun.  

“Only when I have wicked plans for you,” Sirius grins.  Then he lowers his voice, “Like tonight, but if you really can’t wait, you can always wank to my command like you’ve done before.”

James groans at the thought.  

Sirius leans back slightly to look him in the eyes through the mirror.  “You don’t have to say yes if you aren’t comfortable with it, but if you are comfortable with it, it would make things much more interesting.  I mean, I love the idea that you like me having that control, but it’s not any sort of dealbreaker.  I want you to be comfortable about whatever we do… I want you to have some say in our lives – I know that I’ve sort of led the way since – since everything happened and you and Harry started staying with me, but it’s okay if you want to – for you to voice your actual opinions, too.”

James turns around in his arms, wrapping his arms around Sirius’ neck (feeling Sirius’ hands resting on arse), and resting his forehead against Sirius’, “I know that I’ve let you take the lead because you were taking good care of me and our son when I – I wasn’t even capable of taking care of myself, let alone our kid, but I – I like that you take charge.”  He gives him a kiss.  “I like that you have a way of knowing what I really want and like.”  Another kiss.  “And I like that you also want to control things, like my underwear,” a kiss, “my orgasm,” a kiss, “And now, even wanking?  It’s just undeniably hot.”

Sirius grins, giving him a hot and passionate kiss.  “So, that’s a yes?”

“It’s a yes.  I – I am okay with it,” James smiles.  “Although I’d be a bit happier about that if we could go further than we have, but I – I get that we have to build up to it after everything – and I know that I need to work through some of my issues before we do.”

Sirius gives him a kiss.  “We can still have a lot of fun sometimes.”

“Before the date?” James questions with a smile.  

“Yes.”

***

Hours later, James smiles as he enters the sitting room.  Sirius had been busy with putting Harry to bed but had given James the command to undress to his panties and wait until Sirius had moved back to the sitting room to enter just like he’d been doing all week.  

Rather than feigning interest in the Telly or his crossword like he usually does, Sirius looks up as he enters the room.  

“Gorgeous,” Sirius breathes.  He pulls James into his lap and although he’s still fully clothed, James can tell he’s turned on.  “I’ve been imagining this all day since you admitted that you love dancing for me.”

James lights up, it’d been something he admitted the night before, and Sirius had been happy to encourage James’ dancing for him every night if he likes.  “Does that mean I’ll do more than dance for you tonight?”

Sirius shakes his head, “Not yet.  We both know you’re not ready.”

He nods, “It’s just I always get so hot and bothered doing this.”

“You don’t have to,” Sirius offers.  “Just like we talked about earlier.”

“No!” He says, loudly, causing Sirius to give him a look.  He blushes.  “I like the way you look at me when we do this.  It just feels good – I know you want me so giving you a lap dance every night is certainly good for me.  I just want more.  Don’t want to have to ask to wank later.”

“Hmm-mm,” Sirius hums.  “I still think we should take this slow, but I suppose there’s a few things we could do with our pants on.  Get up.”

Surprised, James stands and watches as Sirius undresses to his pants.  Although the sees it every night, he can’t help wanting to reach out and touch.  Before he can reach Sirius’ chest, Sirius takes his hand and lowers it to Sirius’ cock peeking through his pants.  He strokes the tip for a few seconds before he’s distracted by Sirius’ hands on his cock.  

James is wearing less material, so it barely feels like being stroked through pants and more like he’s being stroked without restriction.  It’s hot.  He moves closer as they’re both standing and is surprised when Sirius pulls him down so he’s back in Sirius’ lap.

Sirius begins kissing him on the lips and completely ignoring Sirius’ cock, James throws his arms around Sirius’ neck pulling him closer.  It feels so good.

Just when he feels like he might burst, Sirius stops and leans back, panting heavily.  “Feel good, Jay?”

Panting, Jay says, “Until you stopped.”

Sirius grins, “Just thought we’d be more comfortable in bed?”

James nods, eagerly.  “Yes.”

“Good.”

***

Cuddling in bed after teasing and wanking each other off had been the best way to end their date.  Sirius is feeling much better about James and the situation, given that he seems like he’s doing much better with therapy, but there’s still one thing that he’s been wondering all week…

“So, there is something I’ve been wanting to ask you,” Sirius says, causing James to look up from where his head at been resting on Sirius’ chest. 

“Oh?  Is it about why I like you telling me what to do when I was such a rebel at Hogwarts? Because I honestly don’t know.”

“No, actually,” Sirius laughs.  “Those things don’t always have a reason.  No, I was wonder if there was some reason that you spent all week spoiling me?”

James grins.  “I just realized in therapy that I love to spoil my partner – not just because I am trying to get your sexual interests, which is probably what it seemed like, because I love seeing that look on your face and love just making you happy and –”

Sirius smiles and kisses him, deeply.  “Yeah?  So, you just decided to utterly spoil me all week because you love my reaction?”

“Yes, exactly,” James says.  “And I fully intend to keep spoiling you every day for the rest of my life – if you’re okay with that?”

Sirius grins, loving the sound of the rest of his life.  “I’m more than okay with it, you can spoil me all you like.”

“Good.”

[lured-into-wonderland]

Mannequin Manny gives her a pink camellia flower

A pink camellia. She had not seen such a beautiful flower for some time. The more precious it is that it was given to her by Manny. Was he familiar with the language of flowers? Did he know what message the flower convey? No matter. She knew these feelings were between them and she would miss him enormously if he suddenly disappeared. Manny was a friend; Manny was a gift to lighten her mundane life. Nunnally hoped she was also bringing some positivity, some joy, into Manny’s life. She was often wondering if this was just a dream, an alternative universe she was creating for herself, a lie or an escape, and she was always, somewhat, surprised that Manny was real.

“Thank you, Manny” – she said taking a flower and hiding her face in it. It had a sweet scent that will now always remind her of Manny. The petals were fresh and soft; it was not long ago when Manny must have picked up the flower. For a few moments, Nunnally considered what to do with a flower, but after taking her time to enjoy its scent and its beauty, she decided to tuck it in her hair, just behind her ear.

“How do I look?” – she asked with a bright smile; she knew she did look nice but seeing Manny’s smile would be even better. She giggled – “You spoil me Manny. You always do.” - he shouldn't, but she was too weak to say that.

[deputyash]

(I genuinely can’t remember if I already sent you any for this one so if I did, you can ignore this lol). 1,2,3,4 and 9 for the thematic asks for Dove?

Thanks for sending some! :3

1. What is the main color associated with them? What connections with that color do they share?

I have three main colors that I associate with Dove: Warm Yellow, Steel Blue, and Rose Gold/Blush/Dusty Rose (idk how to describe it exactly haha). 

The yellow because it's warm, vibrant, and cheerful like Dove. The Steel Blue because she looks good in the color and it could also have undertone meanings of longing/sorrow/her connection to John, and also strength (mostly cause of the steel/metal aspect). Lastly, the Dusty Rose color because it's soft and elegant like Dove, and also it's reminiscent of sand so it calls in some of her Texas origins in a way.

Also, here's the color palette I made for her on a website :D

2. Drawing from the language of flowers, what flower would symbolize them?

Guess who couldn’t choose just one flower? That’s right, me lol. Have a list of flowers that I feel represent Dove as a whole instead. :)

abatina - fickleness (Top, Middle-Right; yellow)

amaryllis - timidity; pride  (Right, Lower-Middle; red-orange)

calycanthus - compassion; benevolence (Top Right; dark red)

crocus - cheerfulness (Bottom, Middle-Right; blue-purple)

love-lies-bleeding - hopeless, not heartless (Top Left; red)

magnolia - love of nature (Bottom, Middle-Left; white-pink)

persimmon - bury me amid nature's beauties (Top, Middle-Left; orange)

pink camellia - longing for you (Middle; pink)

ragged robin - wit (Right, Upper-Middle; bright pink)

thrift - sympathy (Bottom Right; hot pink)

white zinnia - goodness (Left, Lower-Middle; white)

wild plum tree - independence (Left, Upper-Middle; purple-green)

variegated tulip - beautiful eyes (Bottom Left; orange-yellow-red)

3. What real life animal would they be represented by?

I went pretty obvious with my animal symbolism haha. I associate Dove with doves, specifically Mourning Doves. They’re pretty and soft, but also have an edge of sorrow and longing to them, which is perfect for Dovie haha

4. What mythical creature would they be represented by?

Angels because of their duality. They can be sweet, kind guardians or they could be bringers of destruction depending on the context. This is how I try to portray Dove as well, a mixture of gentleness but also willing to get her hands dirty if needed. 

9. Which of the seven deadly sins are they associated with? Is it a negative trait of theirs or something they actively struggle with?

I always struggle with this one for some reason. I’m always stuck between three different ones (Envy, Sloth, Pride), not because they all fit perfectly, but because they all only partially fit haha. But for the sake of this ask I’m going to say Sloth is Dove’s sin, otherwise this is gonna be a huge answer lol.

I say this because in her main storyline (and some of her AUs as well) she doesn’t really feel that strongly about things. She feels like she’s just wandering through life and isn’t really living how she wants. She doesn’t really care about her jobs since they don’t interest her at all. (I should say that she does still do them, in fact, she probably overworks herself because of her need to impress/live up to her parents’ expectations. She just secretly hates it and isn’t actually engaged in her work despite doing it well.) She’s also prone to burnout because of this. If she feels overwhelmed, she starts to disengage and wants to go be alone again. (This is why I say it only partially fits btw. She doesn’t have her heart in it, but she still does it.)

On a lighter note hah, she is also easily convinced to sleep in late and just lazing around in bed/at home with her significant other. Also I love the irony of John supposedly being Sloth, but is actually Wrath while Dove is supposedly Wrath, but is actually Sloth. :P

[uchihashisuii]

the trouble with flowers. - Sai/Ino

Summary: Words can be fallible and imperfect, but the language of flowers can speak volumes.

or: in which Sai confesses in an unorthodox manner.

Pairing: Sai/Yamanaka Ino

Rating: Gen

Word Count: 2865

Author’s Note: for my beloved @yamanaka-shin​ who I was lucky enough to write for in a discord server exchange. on all levels except physical i am wrapping you around my neck like a scarf. there's a small mention of my oc who took Sai under her wing. and also I forgot that they started dating like right after the Land of Silence shh

Ao3

-----

"A flower cannot blossom without sunshine, and a man cannot live without love." -Max Müller

Ino keeps finding flowers around her apartment.

Not - unusual, given her predisposition towards all things blooming, with her family's florist shop and a few of her own ninjutsu utilizing poison plants and the like. Someone who doesn't know her might assume her comfortable little home would be filled to the brim with all assortments of flowers, in every conceivable shape and colour; she'd like to, maybe one day. But truth be told it isn't practical, when she's called off at all hours for missions or anything the Intelligence Division might need of her. Green thumb she might be, but even her flowers will wilt and die if they haven't been watered, if there's no one around for long enough to pull open the curtains and let sunlight in.

Unless she had the mokuton. Perhaps it could be used for regrowth, once flowers are withered and roots are broken. The Shodai was possessed of incredible instinctive regenerative healing, maybe there's a connection there; she should ask Sakura about it, she knows Tsunade better than almost anyone -

Ino shakes her head to dispel her wandering thoughts. So, she only has a few; too busy being pulled in a dozen different directions to focus on a small hobby. Some cheerful camellias growing in a little pot in the corner of her small balcony. A cactus from Suna that Temari had given her when they'd become closer friends. And - she flushes pink from her ears to her chest, reaching out to run the edge of her thumb over the impossibly soft petal of the snowstorms growing in the windowsill of her bedroom. The clustered blooms hate too much sun, content to sit in the shade and grow only the smallest bit at a time. But once they bloom, they're as lovely as the brightest rose. Snow-white petals dusted with black. Unusual, for customarily colourful things like flowers. But they remind her of Sai, and so she keeps them close.

A keen eye for detail is something that had been learned from a young age, necessary as a Yamanaka who has to pick apart the endless threads of memory to find any discrepancies or deception, a quick and clever mind the least someone needs for that particular line of work. It even helps with the shop, remembering dates and numbers and the sheer amount of different care that goes into each species of flower. Soil pH levels and moving pots around to chase sunlight, orders and organization and -

Still. It doesn't take an expert to notice that flowers keep ending up in her apartment. Elegantly drawn kinmokusei on an otherwise blank and unsigned page, slipped under her door. Some origami lotuses left on her balcony, the brightly coloured paper so impossibly thin and delicate that she'd been terrified they'd fall apart in her hands. And, most recently, a bouquet of blue hydrangeas and morning glory, tied with a ribbon and sitting beside her forgotten cup of coffee from the night before on the coffee table.

A bit weird. Slightly terrifying, even. But she knows they're from Sai, knows that he's a bit different. Doesn't understand boundaries, not quiet yet; or maybe he does, and thinks it better to leave her small tokens without saying a word in order to keep her comfortable. Regardless he's ... uniquely him. And she loves it, loves all of it; thinks it sweet, endearing, almost admirable. He doesn't lie, heart an open book; wants to learn all he can about everything around him, after so long kept locked in the dark. Not many would make that choice.

Although breaking into her apartment to leave her floral tokens might not be the best way of going about trying to talk to her.

Anyone could take one look at Ino's life and know she loves flowers. Takes pride in her family's bush clover symbol -a symbol of love, most commonly unrequited; she wonders if her father's last words of comparing her to the delicate purple blooms might be a bit more on the nose than even he realized- and finds respite in running Yamanaka Flowers. Ino may be working to rise through the ranks of the Intelligence Division, with the rest of her time outside her squad and friends spent in the little flower shop. She finds a certain level of comfort and familiarity, breathes deep in the greenhouse at the rear of the building and hears her father's laughter. She's been surrounded on all sides, all her life, but nature and growth and beauty. It's a Yamanaka staple, as much as their cold and calculating eyes and the ghost stories of broken minds.

Flowers are everywhere. And yet nobody had gotten her any before.

Ino guesses that they all assume she'd hate it, find them boring, seeing as she's surrounded by them all the time. But flowers have an intrinsic beauty and deeper meaning, and knowing the language of them -hidden and yet obvious in different colours, in each bulb and leaf- is something she's proud of. Flowers have long been used to express emotions that words cant always convey, and a blushing and girlish part of her thinks it's all rather perfect, wrapped up in a neat little package. Sai's trying to tell her something, the best way he knows how when it comes to her. The flower girl and the boy unknowing. Sakura would laugh herself blue.

Ino knows the flowers aren't from her shop. Her mother is many things, but coy doesn't happen to be one of them. She cant keep a secret to save her life -another irony, considering which clan she married into- and loves nothing more than to butt into her daughter's love life. If Sai had come to the shop, she would know; she'd made the mistake of telling her mom about her budding crush before the war, and then brought him up again when the dust had settled and they'd forged ... something, after she'd helped save him in the Land of Silence. So no, if he'd come around the florist, Ino would never hear the end of it.

They haven't even sold any morning glories in the past week, either; and still the rounded blue flowers are spruced throughout the tightly clustered hydrangeas. She knows it's Sai, being endearingly and mystifyingly silent for once, instead of the blunt presence he usually is. She also knows there isn't any other florist worth a grain of salt, and can hedge a guess that he wouldn't pick another even if there wasn't. He undoubtedly would have asked Sakura for advice, as she's Ino's friend and knows at least the basic language of flowers from their time in the academy. Blue hydrangeas for gratitude at being understood, morning glory for affection. Her blush returns; maybe it's a coincidence, and he'd picked the flowers because the pale blues and dusky purples are reminiscent of her -

She's thinking in circles again. Ino picks up the bouquet and deposits them into a pretty glass vase with fresh water and a pinch of sugar to keep them bright. She's the town gossip, and a Yamanaka to boot. She knows everything about everyone, before anyone else. So where the hell is he getting the flowers?

-----

The answer, it turns out, was right under her nose. Maybe Ino does need to listen to her mother and keep the hair out of her eyes, she might just start seeing the things laid plain right in front of her.

The pieces drop together when she spots a book on flower language tucked beneath a haphazard pile of medical texts on Sakura's table. Her best friend laughs it off, pushes it further under the loose papers and thick books; it makes Ino narrow her eyes, but she lets it go. Tucks the information away for later.

She runs into Akari just outside the Hokage Tower, exchanging smiles and hellos before going about their business. Only, the former ROOT nin stops and asks her if she'd had time to speak to her adopted son about his troubles with flowers.

Sai, she says, had been asking her for advice on how to keep a small garden alive. She and Obito had been tending one together for some months now, apparently; nowhere near the expert, Akari smiles at Ino and vaguely nudges her in Sai's direction, citing that she could give him far better advice than Akari could.

Ino smiles and laughs, mentions that she'll find him when she can, and wanders into the Tower as though the integrity of her knees hadn't just fallen apart. It all comes together: the mysterious source of the flowers dropped by her home had come from Sai in every definition; and he'd gone a step further to find out what they mean. All the information coming together in her mind in a rush of rampant affection, as Ino touches the tips of her fingers to her mouth and grins unashamedly.

"Oh," she murmurs to herself, a breathless sort of laugh leaving her in a gust.

-----

Ino goes to his apartment, after she'd spent time meticulously planning (snooping) to ensure they'd both be in the village at the same time. Had cornered Sakura and convinced (threatened) her to spill the details on Sai's newfound appreciation for all things floral, and had discovered through her clever means (buying all the drinks and snacks for girls night) that Sakura had indeed been digging through her old academy books on Sai's request for anything to do with the language of flowers. He doesn't do anything by halves, and research is a trusted friend of his. Small and silly as it all sounds to say aloud, Ino finds herself even more besotted with him when she stands at his front door, spotting the telltale bits of soil scattered over the mat.

She carefully shifts her bouquet from one hand to the other, smoothing out her hair before reaching out to rap on the door with her knuckles. The leaves on the gardenias tickle her collarbone -the flowers are red, for secret love- when she cradles them to her chest, the camellias filling her nose with their sweet scent. Pink, this time. For longing.

She'd always been the one to wear her heart on her sleeve, telling anyone who would listen just how she felt. She thinks back on her crush on Sasuke and how she'd let it dictate her whole life for too many years, and thinks, not for the first time, that maybe she should really think things through this time.

And she has, she has. She'd seen his mind, his heart. Glimpsed what he craved -stability, acceptance, peace- and knew without a shadow of a doubt she could provide. And Sai, in kind, would cradle her heart in scarred and blood-soaked hands that could never, would never, hurt her as others had.

The door opens, and all her planning and consideration ceases in a breath. Sai stands there with dark brows raised, and all at once she feels a fresh wave of anxiety grip her heart.

"These are for you," Ino blurts out before he can say anything, all but shoving the bouquet at his chest. "From me. To you." Let him understand, she silently begs any who will listen.

Sai blinks once, head tilting to the side as he looks from the flowers to her face and back again. There's a light dusting of pink across his face which really shouldn't be as sweet as it is, but even still Ino feels her heart thunder beneath her ribs. She doesn't - know how to come out and say it, not something like this. Even after everything, she's still almost afraid; an alien sensation, but this, Sai, is more important than anything that has come before.

"Pink camellia," Sai murmurs as he carefully plucks the bound stems from her hand. He studies them for a moment, holding them delicately. "And red gardenia. Interesting."

...

That's all he has to say? After she'd spent hours pouring over notes and books and rushing back and forth between her place and Sakura's, after nearly talking herself out of this? After her mind rushing in circles, thinking his gifts had been coincidence and not a declaration for how he felt, after days spent worrying over what to say and how to act, before finally deciding to let the flowers speak for her as he had done, after -

"Thank you," Sai says to her, in a tone far more gentle than she has ever heard from him. It's enough to have her blinking up at him, blowing a lock of hair from her face as her cheeks go as red as sunset. "I wasn't certain how to go about telling you, but it's a relief you understood. Sakura called me an idiot an uncharitable amount of times."

"You are an idiot," Ino responds breathlessly without a second thought, words tumbling out before she can think them through, though the corner of her mouth quirks up. "You should have told me."

"I did," he says with a quirk to his brow, before stepping back from the door and gesturing behind him into the sunlit hall. "I just wanted to get things right, first."

Ino glances past him, taking a step closer to get a better look. And stares.

His walls are filled with art, classical and elegant and bright and bold, each of them a piece of his heart and feelings. But what takes her breath away, is the sight of numerous pots and vases and the odd hanging planter. His home is filled to the brim with greenery at various states of growth, from fresh buds to full and healthy leaves. A few of them are dead or dying, but it's - it's beautiful. Ino steps past Sai to enter, hit full force with the scent of flowers and damp soil, as familiar and comforting to her as the florist. She reaches a hand towards him without even glancing his way as something warm and bright and bursting fills her veins, fingers tangling in the loose sleeve of his shirt.

"You've been growing all of these," she whispers needlessly as all at once the realization hits her harder than a chakra-packed punch, fingertips pressed to her mouth. He's long been making an effort to understand people better, and now he's gone the extra mile to understand Ino, specifically, better. How to speak to her through the flowers she grows, how to make them bloom.

Her hand drops back to her side, the burn of unshed tears at the back of her throat making her breath catch. She's touched, honored, humbled. She's loved.

"You wanted to learn about what I loved, so you could love it too." She thinks of the messy canvases and chipped paint bottles she has stuffed into her closet, of the hours spent sitting on her living floor with her tongue peeking between her teeth as she aggressively attacked blank pages with grays and yellows and purples. Trying to see and feel what he does. Finding peace and delight and a dozen other emotions, and thinking to herself that she understood why he preferred tangible things to words, sometimes.

The bouquet gets crushed between them as Ino throws her arms over his shoulders, burying her face in his neck. Sai makes a panicked noise, low in his throat, in concern for the flowers; she smiles at that, laughter puffing over his skin when she only squeezes him tighter.

"Thank you," she whispers, unable to form the proper words but knowing he'll understand regardless.

Sai doesn't hesitate, this time, when he carefully wraps an arm around her middle, hand splayed over the small of her back. Presses his nose to her hair, and inhales the smell of flowers. "You're welcome."

-----

The trouble with flowers doesn't always lay in helping them grow. Helping hands coming together to nurture and to heal, to find commonality and bonds even with things left unsaid. But - they aren't unsaid, not really. Just because no words are used doesn't mean that there is the lack of transparency or honesty. The trouble with flowers, it turns out, seems to be when two people bond together over a mutual love and appreciation for one another as well as their passions. Ino realizes this one day when she notices Sai's apartment positively overflowing with bush clovers and hydrangeas and roses, the both of their efforts combined making something utterly beautiful and so very them. She decides, then and there, that she wants her home filled with tangible affection; to be his home, too.

(If she asks him to move in with her by way of moving all his flowers to a bigger house located just down the road from the florist, well. She left him a sprig of marigolds sticking out of his shoe. He'll figure it out.)

The trouble with flowers isn't helping them grow. The growing is the easy part. The trouble lays, instead, in helping them thrive. They have grown, they have blossomed. In their own private garden of warmth and hope and peace, together they will flourish.

[make-me-imagine]

Violets: Loyalty and Devotion

Valentines Special: Day Six

Day One: Morning Glories Day Two: Blue Salvias Day Three: Sunflowers Day Four: Pink Camellias Day Five: Yellow Tulips - Day Seven: Lisianthus

Plot: The reader keeps receiving flowers and sweet messages every day from an anonymous source leading up to Valentines Day. But who is sending them?

Choose your own character ending (coming on Valentines Day).

Gender!Neutral Reader x ???

Triggers: None        Words: 1,535

Marvel Taglist: @aquariuslavenderhoney, @thebookbakery,  @groovyfluxie  Requested Taglist: @spuffyfan394, @gaitwae, @fablesrose, @kitkatd7, @thefallenbibliophilequote, @beksib, @destynelseclipsa, @criminaly-supernatural, @tammythompson-singslikea-muppet, @belloangelus, @snarky--starky, @saintbootlegloras​, @wecallhimbrowneyess​, @empath-bunny​, @okkulta​, @katinthemoon, @wecallhimbrowneyess​, @ravennight41​, @youcancallme-rae , @radhumandragonclam, @unfortunateidiotinadilemma, @past3l-w1ngs​ , @okkulta​ , @anonymous-pls-dont-click​ (just daily), @username23345​, @hulkswitch​, @theofficialzivadavid​, @lainphotography​, @fred-deeks-ben​, 

February 11th

It was early-morning as you were lying in your bed, still comfortable under the covers. You had stayed up till late at night with the others as you discussed Tony’s Valentines party. Tony was hiring some party planners and caterers today to set everything up. 

You were also bombarded with questions about your secret admirer. And everyone was questioning whether it was one of them, but of course no one spoke up or admitted it. If it was one of them, they played it off very well. 

As you were lying there, you were flicking through the notes you had received over the last five days. You had read over them countless times now, the words embedded in your mind.

You tried to match the language of the words with the people you knew. The most obvious would be Loki and Vision. They both had a way with their words that came off as poetic. But then again, maybe the way the notes were written were purposefully written in such a way as to throw you off. 

Reading over the note that had been attached to the Sunflowers, your eyes read over one part again and again “I adore your grace, and elegance, your compassion, kindness and bravery. There is no way I could not absolutely adore every fiber of your being.”

This part made your heart swell. ‘every fiber of your being’, the good and the bad. You smiled at the words as you continued to flick through them. You felt like a bashful teenager reading through texts from their crush. 

You began thinking about Tony’s party. You wondered if Valentines Day was what all of these notes and flowers were leading up to. It seemed to be that way, and you hoped it was. Though, you were very nervous about it. What if everyone except you secretly knew who it was? God you hoped it wasn’t going to be a public admission. You cringed at the thought. 

After glancing at the clock you figured you had been lying in bed for long enough. Getting up, you took a quick shower and got changed before leaving your room. You weren’t headed anywhere in particular, you had no work you had to do today, so you were free to relax, but you got bored sitting in your room all day. Maybe you’d go for a walk? 

Rounding a corner, you see Bucky, Steve and Sam coming from another hall. Upon seeing you they all smiled and greeted you. 

“Hey” you replied as you approached them “What are you guys up too?” 

“We’re about to go train a bit, wanna join?” Steve suggested. 

“I would but I have been demanded that I not do anything strenuous today because of what happened yesterday.”

“Sounds like a good idea, just in case.” Bucky commented, while smiling fondly at you. “How are you feeling anyway?”

“I feel fine. I’m think I’m gonna go for a walk.”

“A short one” Sam said, as he pointed at you.

You nodded and laughed “Yes, just a short, non-strenuous walk. See you guys later” you said as you parted ways. 

As you began walking towards the exit of the building, you were stopped when a man at the front desk called out to you “Agent L/N!”

“Hey Gene” you greeted as you walked over to him. 

“This letter was left here for you” he said handing you a small pale blue envelope, a sticker with your name printed on the front. 

“Oh, thank you. Uh, who was it left by?” 

“I’m sorry I didn’t see, I was talking to someone else and when I turned back around, there is was.”

“Oh, hmm, thanks Gene” you said as you walked away from the desk and opened the letter. You immediately recognized the font of the letter and your heart began to beat rapidly. 

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ Y/n,

I was so glad to see that you were alright after what happened yesterday. I was so afraid that you were more badly injured. Especially as I sat next to you in your hospital bed, and you seemed so faded. I hope you liked the flowers I left for you again. 

Also, I am sorry for what curiosity and confusion all of this might be causing you. But I must admit, I also hope that you are getting some form of enjoyment or excitement from it as well. I’m sure you must be wondering, when will I finally show myself? And maybe you have already guessed that it will be on Valentines Day. I think it quite suiting, and hopefully romantic. 

So, please wait patiently for only a few more days, and then all will be revealed.

But until then, you still have 3 days before then, including today. I’m not sure when you will receive this letter, but you should have another present waiting for you at your door, perhaps you already received it. I hope you like it. 

Until the party.  ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

You smiled at the letter as you finished reading it. Looking around the lobby, you tried to see if anyone seemed to be watching you. But seeing no one paying attention to you at all, and knowing you had yet to receive your next gift, you decided to go on your walk.

On your walk, you could not get the thought of what the flowers you will receive will be. The ones you’ve gotten so far have been so beautiful. You should press them, save them somewhere. Maybe a flower from each. 

Unable to stop thinking about it, you turned back mid way through your walk to head back. You wonder when they always know when to deliver the flowers...

Making your way back into the tower and up to your room, you held an energy of nervous excitement. As the elevator door opened at your floor, you partially expected to catch them there, at your door. But, you were not really surprised when the door slid open and all you saw was a small plant at the base of your door.

It was small, and as you approached it, you could recognize what it was. A small potted violet plant, with blooming flowers sprouting from the top. You smiled as you picked it up, admiring it. 

“Cute” you muttered with a smile as you unlocked and entered your apartment as you plucked out the note from the pot. 

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ Violets.

Violets hold the meaning of Loyalty and Devotion. Both are traits you have and both are traits I admire about you. But besides this, these are both promises. Promises of how I feel towards you. And they are exactly what you deserve. You are loyal to a fault, and you deserve someone to be loyal to you for as long as you live. You are devoted, to saving people, to helping people, to making people happy. And you deserve someone to be just as devoted to you. 

I hope that I can give these to you. I have been loyal to you since before I remember having feelings for you. Because you are the type of person people trust wholeheartedly, as I do. And I promise, no matter what, to be devoted to your happiness.  ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

You sat on the edge of your bed as you read the powerful words. “Do I deserve this person?” you wondered out loud. They seem so....well, devoted. You often caught yourself wondering what exactly you deserved out of love, and you have only been hopeful that you would find someone who could make you feel so important and loved. This could be that person.

Sure, you still had your hopes of who this person could be. One person in particular. But, you seemed to find yourself falling for this anonymous person anyway, even not knowing who they are. And to a part of you, it did not matter. 

Was that crazy? Falling for someone when you don’t know who they are? I mean, apparently you did know them, so it wasn’t as crazy as falling for a complete stranger. 

Falling back onto your bed, you stared up at the ceiling. “Only a few more days” you said out loud. Would they show themselves before Tony’s party, during? After? How would you react? 

You only found yourself asking more and more questions throughout the day. Debating whether or not you wanted to talk to someone about it, you decided against it though. What if you ended up telling everything you felt and feared to them on accident. At this point, it could be any of them.

So, you kept it all to yourself. Any time you saw one of the others, they would ask you whether of not you had received another gift, or a note. You would tell them yes, but not go into detail. The notes were too personal, you couldn’t just share them with anyone. They were meant for you. And you would keep them stored away for yourself. Hoping that some day soon you could really talk about them with the one who wrote them for you.

xx xx xx xx xx

I hope you are enjoying these so far. 

I know they aren’t great, since there is no real Character x Reader stuff in it, but I hope you are enjoying the build up and are excited for the endings. 

[breadoffoxy]

Ambrosia

Summary: Every day at work you’ve been receiving flowers by a secret admirer with the purpose of cheering you up. You just want to let them know how thankful you are. Little did the two of you know that both your feelings are reciprocated. 

Written for the BTS Ghosite Marathon. Prompt: Themes: Language of Flowers

Drabble: 28/30

Pairing: n. Reader x Jungkook

Genre: fluff, angst

Warnings: depression, coworkers to friends to lovers, hand holding, shy!Jungkook

Word Count: 1,212

A/N: Another big thank you for @yoongsgguktae​ for helping me with this idea as well. I appreciate you so much for letting me pick your brain, thanks friend! Also for the title, ambrosia = mutual love.

Your day yesterday was a mess, making you not look forward to work today. You huff into the office with your shoulders slouched while looking down at the floor wanting to be invisible. Maybe if no one notices you, you could get by slacking off a little.

Jungkook though had other plans.

“Hey!” He rolls his chair excitedly in front of your desk as you approach your work area. He bumps into the table, making a loud clang when the wheels hit the metal legs. He winces as people glare at the two of you in their pre-coffee state.

Clearing his throat, Jungkook nods to your desk. “Looks like someone has a secret admirer.”

“Psh, please, as if.”

“Then what are those flowers doing on your desk?” He grins as you perk up with curiosity.

“What flowers?”

Rolling his chair aside, Jugnkook lets you into your shared cubby space. Just like he said, there’s a small bundle of pink and white flowers on your desk sitting in a small glass jar filled with water.

Your eyebrows furrow in confusion as your heart beats wildly at the inclination behind the gift. “What are- who put those there?”

Jungkook shrugs, “They were here when I got here. I looked them up though for you, I was curious.”

Part of you is disappointed that they aren’t from Jungkook. You’ve been harboring a not so small crush on your co-worker turned friend ever since you became desk partners. “Then what are they, Mr. Flower Expert?”

“Azaleas. They mean ‘take care of yourself for me.’ Looks like someone wants you to feel better.” Jungkook watches as you sit in your chair and sniff at the flowers. “And are you?”

“Huh?” You straighten up, your mind still trying to process everything. A gentle smile graces your lips as your brain catches up. “Yeah, this helps. I never got flowers before like this.”

“Really?” Jungkook looks shocked. He shakes his head, about to say something else when he can see your boss walking in for the morning. “I’m glad they are helping.” He rolls back to his desk and that is that on the flowers.

Until tomorrow that is.

“Oh, the secret admirer strikes again!” Jungkook grins at you as you near your work space.

Your steps quicken excitedly to see a bundle of yellow tulips and daffodils mixed together. It was almost a shocking amount of yellow on your desk.

“Looks like your admirer thinks of you as sunshine.”

“As if I’m sunshine.” Yet your smile is beaming as you gently trace the fragile petals.

“I know things are hard, but there’s sunshine in your smile.” At your wide-eyed look and lips parted in surprise, Jungkook quickly adds, “that must be what your mystery flower gifter thinks.”

“I just wished they left a note or something. You didn’t see anyone this morning?”

“Nope, but I’ll keep a look out.”

For the rest of the week, more and more flowers keep arriving at your desk. It’s attracted attention around the office even. Apparently, no one knows who is leaving these flowers for you, and there’s wild speculation going around on who it could be.

When you get in one day, there’s hushed whispers and stolen glances as you walk past the many aisles of desks and computers. You stop in your tracks at the sight of the beautiful bouquet of gardenias at your desk.

“They mean secret love.”

You jump as Jungkook voice comes from behind you. He holds his hand out, offering you a cup of coffee from the break room as he sips his own tiredly.

“Thanks.” Taking a long sip of coffee with a satisfied sigh, you stare back at the flowers. “I wish it wasn’t secret though.”

“Maybe the person’s just shy?” Jungkook rubs the back of his neck, carefully gauging your reaction.

“I just don’t understand how no one knows who leaves these here. Someone has to see someone walking in with this.” You wave at the large bouquet, feeling an odd sense of frustration and happiness coming from you. All the flowers were so romantic, these especially, but it’s gone on long enough. It makes you upset you can’t thank whoever is gifting you these in person and your apartment is becoming quite full of flowers that it is getting ridiculous.

“They must come at the crack of dawn.” Jungkook guesses.

Then so will you.

It’s something awful though hiding under your desk at the crack of dawn. You should of brough a pillow or something, but at least you thought ahead and bought you a nice, large cup of coffee on the way. That, and a single pink rose that now lays on top of your desk.

After work the previous evening, you searched fervently through the internet, looking up flowers and their meanings. With just enough time to make it to the florist before closing, you decided on the pink rose. It means perfect happiness. You wanted the person to know how genuinely happy their generosity made you, that it made getting out of bed and coming to work a possible task that you looked forward to now instead of dread.

Your head nods forward and you almost fall asleep but jerk yourself awake. Shaking your coffee cup, you feel it is nearly empty. Well, that didn’t last long. Where are they?

As if summoned by your thoughts, you hear the sound of footsteps softly padding across the carpet accompanied by a beautiful tune being hummed. As soon as the feet stop in front of your desk though, the humming stops. Curiosity is burning away at you, but you wait, suddenly scared of revealing yourself.

“I’m glad your happy.” A familiar voice rings out.

You gasp, brining a hand up to your mouth in surprise and to muffle your sound, as you recognize Jungkook’s voice.

“I bought the flowers to make you happy and to express my feelings. I’m so sorry I’m so shy, and that I couldn’t tell you my feelings in person. I was shellfish and-“

“That’s enough.” Hearing enough, you cut him off, and scramble out from under the desk. “Don’t be sorry, please.”

Jungkook looks at you with an embarrassed smile as you straighten out your clothing. Seeing your attention on the pink flower in his hand, he offers it to you and explains, “Pink camellia’s mean longing.”

Taking the flower from him, you stare at its beauty before shyly looking back at him. “We still have time before work starts, and I could use another cup of coffee.”

Jungkook eyes go wide as your words sink in. “Yeah, um I could use one too. Emptied this one on the drive.” He puts the full coffee cup on his desk in a rush, spilling some of it in the process. Swearing, Jungkook wipes at the coffee with his hand, and then turns to look at you. He pouts at your amused expression that looks ready to burst out in laughter.

Feeling bad for the man when you know he is trying so hard, you hand him his rose and ask, “Shall we go?”

Taking it from you quickly, Jungkook nods.

No one is surprised when the two of you walk back into the office hand in hand.

[lovelytarou]

the language of flowers — oikawa tooru

pairing: oikawa tooru x gn! reader

genre: fluff, flowershop!au

tags: flowerboy!oikawa, slowburn, strangers to lovers

word count: 4.06k

a/n: i finally finished this after 2536484 years of procrastination! but thanks to my moots shae and julie for showing support and giving their opinions about this concept hehe. this is the longest fic i've written wow 😳

⤷ summary: the flowershop on the street you frequently walk on going home is a wonder you didn't notice until recently when the smell of flowers caught your attention. deciding to enter it one day out of pure curiosity, you met the owner of the shop and with it, the start of a blooming romance.

life was filled with repeating patterns, certain routines and habits that everybody has gotten used to doing. like the way you always took the same path when going home, passing by the familiar faces you encounter all the time, seeing the similar architecture and landscape that brings some sort of familiarity to you whenever you see it. 

your feet stopped in their own accord when a sweet smell invaded your nose. you inhaled deeply, the aroma pleasant and fresh. going a few steps back, you finally saw where it was coming from. the flower shop stood out like a sore thumb in the street with its vibrant flowers that you can see through the clear glass. the sunlight was shining down upon the beautiful flowers and they looked charming even from afar. 

you thought for a moment and decided that you'd stop by in the flower shop for a little while. besides, if the smell alone has caught your attention, who knows what else can? 

the soft tinkle of the bell on the door signalled your presence. you were simply in awe at the sight of the decorations inside the shop. it was breathtaking. numerous flowers, bouquets, wreaths, and some that you don't know the name about were placed neatly and elegantly inside the shop to let the customers feast their eyes (and noses) upon. 

giggles and loud laughter snatched you away from your thoughts, a huddled group of women and men alike are circling over something - or someone? - and they seemed to be too entertained about it than the flowers themselves. chuckling quietly, you shook your head and decided to look around the place more for yourself. 

there were buckets and baskets of anemones in pinks, reds, and purple. there were also daffodils, camellias, and tulips of many colors that you can't help but get sucked in by them. you can't think which one to go to first, there are so many! the hanging plants are wonderful as well, they can make for great decoration. the succulents look cute and adorable, it can also be manageable if you find yourself too busy to take care of a plant. 

you were too deep in your thoughts, caressing a blue tulip to even notice the sudden silence in the shop and the ringing of the bell at the door that tells you the previous patrons have exited the flower shop and you're now alone. or so you thought.

“beautiful,” a sing-songy, lilting voice spoke from behind you, causing you to jolt from where you're admiring the flower and turned towards the owner of the voice. 

if the flowers took your breath away, well he made you get your breath stuck in your throat. he looks like he's not from around him, and simply breathing in his space is something short of disgraceful. you took in his wavy side-swept dark brown hair, and his welcoming eyes of the same color that shone with mischief. his lips are stretched into a smile. 

wow, he is really tall. you're surprised he hadn't reached the ceiling of the shop. he seemed pretty intimidating with his height alone, but there's an air around him that screams playfulness.

“ah, i meant the tulips.” he apologized as a blush coated his beautiful clear cheeks, a hand touching his nape.

“oh!” you cleared your throat, immediately bringing the tulip back where it respectfully resides, “yes, they're very wonderful to look at. you have a lovely shop, uh…” 

he seemed to perk up at the inquisition of his name, he chuckled to himself before offering his hand.

“oikawa tooru, nice to meet you! and thanks, i do try hard to keep this flower shop presentable for customers like you who have taste.” he winked, walking past you and you followed suit – eyes practically glued to his form as he moved swiftly around his small shop.

“must be difficult to run a business like this all by yourself,” you wondered, fingers brushing against petals that your hand can reach. 

it's odd, but staying in there for just a few minutes has brought you a sense of relaxation. as if the flowers all around you and talking to oikawa is such a breath of fresh air. 

“well, you get used to it after a while. besides, i have my friends, uh...help me sometimes.” he nervously chuckled, he certainly knew that 'help' means that force his friends to carry things around while blackmailing them and bribing them for lunch, then sure, he had them help him. 

you only hummed in response. 

he turned around after a while, a pink lily in his hand.

“i think this suits our gorgeous customer, don't you think?” he smirked, handing the flower with a flourish which you took gently – causing your hands to touch and making you feel that slight tingle people talk about in movies and books. 

you felt silly about the way your face heats up at the small gesture, your gaze not straying away from the flowers in fear of letting oikawa see his effect on you. 

but you can try with all your might, nothing can stop him from already seeing your flushed face. he always does these things to entertain the customers but he found his chest feeling warm staring at you like that.

going back to his place in the cashier, he started to tidy up a bit for the next customers that will visit the shop. his brown eyes kept staring at you from time to time as you walked around, trying to see if there's anything else you could buy along with the lily – but we all know it's just to keep your attention away from him and the fact that he can make your heart race with mere flirting.

“i never really noticed your shop before, and i have walked this street for how many times now.” you droned on, playing with the cute pots on the shelf – some of them were heads of the cliché green alien and other space themed stuff which you find adorable, bringing a fond smile to your face.

“oikawa's flower shop is like a secret garden, my dear customer.” he boasted, spraying freesias on the cashier desk with a smile on his face.

“it truly looks like one,” you agreed, with one final look in the flower shop, you walked closer to the cashier and got out your wallet. 

“no, no. it's on the house, lovely.” he beamed, stopping the hand in your bag.

“really? thank you.” your face flushed at the feeling of his hands – the very same one who took care of these beautiful flowers – touching yours. 

he recoiled, as if burned. his face painted a deep red like the roses by the windows. both of you looked away, like two magnets of the same sign – coming in contact with each other only to repel.

“well, um, i'll see you around then.” you muttered, breaking the silence. 

“yeah, see you.” oikawa smiled warmly. hopefully much sooner, he hoped.

with one last look at each other, you turned around and exited the secret garden. you walked home that day all smiles and giddy, still feeling the lingering touch he has left on your skin, how warm and calloused they felt. maybe from how hard he was working. 

you wondered if you'll ever see him again soon. 

the second time you visited the flower shop was when you saw oikawa in one of the coffee shops you frequented. it turned out that he usually stops by for coffee and his milk bread when the shop's particularly slow. he asked to walk you home and since you're both taking the same path, you agreed. 

he turned out to be a very chatty person – not the kind that will annoy you because they only talk about themselves, but the amusing kind because he has a lot of stories stored inside his big brain full of tales about him and his friends, and occasionally asking about your life as well.

you two had fallen into a comfortable pace as you walked together, sipping both your beverages. 

“hey, let's play truth or dare!” he blurted, eyes sparkling in excitement and thinly veiled mischief, a bright smile on his lips.

“really? here? now?” you asked, incredulous. isn't this something people do in parties around a lot of people? 

“yeah! it'll be fun,” he shrugged. 

“well, okay then.” you sighed, before sipping your drink, “you go first.” 

“okay…” he pretended to think hard, eyes darting everywhere as he hummed, “truth or dare?”

“you don't really need to think so hard about that,” you chuckled.

“just pick!” 

“alright, alright. truth!” you beamed at him, trying to understand what his brain will cook up to ask you.

“ah, that's easy. what's your name?” oh, that's right. you forgot to tell him back then the first time you went in his flower shop. and so, you told him.

“y/n. what a beautiful name. okay, my turn! my turn!” he excitedly chanted, eyes never losing their sparkle. 

you ignored the butterflies that erupted in your stomach the moment he said your name, as if he's taking his time and tasting it around his tongue like a foreign delicacy he hasn't tasted before. 

you cleared your throat, averting his gaze as they zeroed in on you, “truth or dare, mr. milk bread?” 

“hey, they taste really good, i'll have you know.” he scoffed, before his face morphed back into excitement again, “dare!”

you thought for a moment, there isn't really anything too interesting to do while walking. and then you smirked.

“i dare you to greet the person who will walk this corner as if you knew each other for a very long time,” you grinned devilishly. he gaped at that, before darting his gaze towards the street corner you were talking about. 

“y/n-chan, i didn't know you would be the type,” he teased, you were about to retort when a huge, buff man walked around the corner. he looked intimidating, even for you and you wondered what oikawa might be feeling right now. 

but you didn't need to wonder about it any longer as he was already walking up to the man, confident and grinning. he raised his hand in the air before slapping the guy on the shoulder. 

“hey, long time no see, man! say hello to the wife and kids for me, will ya?” the man gave him a weird look before shaking his head, walking past and minding his own business muttering about 'kids these days'.

once the guy was out of earshot, you and oikawa bursted out in laughter, looking at each other with relief and surprise.

“i thought he was going to pulverize you!” you wheezed in between chortles.

“i know! me too! i thought he'll get mad at me or something,” he threw his head back as he laughed. you stopped your own giggles to stare back at him. he looked radiant as he let himself go, you thought he looked attractive with the way he candidly showed his happiness.

“something wrong, y/n-chan?” you hadn't realized he stopped laughing and was left staring at him. his head was tilted in curiosity as he peered at you in concern.

“not at all!,” you catch yourself, suddenly feeling hot and embarrassed, hoping he didn't notice you ogling him, “where were we?”

“it's your turn now, truth or dare?” feeling bold, you chose dare next. 

oikawa gave you a broad smile, his hand extending towards you as if encouraging you to take it, “i dare you to stay a little longer with me in my shop,”

to be honest? you expected him to get back at you and maybe make you do an equally embarrassing (if not more) dare, but you did not expect this. 

what you also didn't expect is the fact that you had stopped in front of oikawa's flower shop with your back turned to it. how did you reach there so fast? it seemed like talking and walking with him made time stop. a part of you would like to keep it that way, if only it was possible.

“i would love to,” was your answer. oikawa opened the door to his shop, letting you in first. he then led you near the back of the shop, opening into a wide backyard that resembled a small, gorgeous garden with different kinds of flowers. some even you haven't seen him display in the shop inside. 

the two of you sat on the two seated table. you were simply at awe with how ethereal this all looked. your eyes couldn't get enough of all the wonderful colors that it landed on.

“wow,” was all you managed to say, taking in your surroundings and appreciating every nook and cranny presented to you.

“i spent most of my breaks here,” oikawa came back with two glasses of water and placed them on the glass table. 

“usually talking to myself and talking to the flowers. i heard it helps them grow faster and makes them more beautiful.” he, too, looked around his small garden with unconcealed pride and fondness. if you looked closer, you could also see the hint of sadness hidden in there. 

“you talk to your flowers? that's so cute!” you gushed, hiding your smile behind the glass of water as you sipped it.

“if anything, you're the one who's cute.” he complimented as if it was nothing, eyes boring into yours as his smile widened.

you choked on your water, coughing it up out of surprise and it was the opposite of cute. but his opinions didn't change.

oikawa barked a laugh, reaching over to pat your back soothingly. once you calmed down, you avoided his gaze once again and decided to stare at the sunflowers nearby. 

“we should just continue the game,” you decided to divert the topic. 

“truth or dare, cutie?” oikawa bit back the grin from emerging on his face. hiding it with a palm propped up on the table.

“d-dare,” you answered without thinking. and oikawa being the little shit he is, took this as an opportunity.

“i dare you to go on a date with me this saturday,” he sincerely declared, eyes not leaving you once. your head whipped back to him so fast, you swear you got whiplash. 

you're not one of these flowers and yet you felt the butterflies going wild inside of you.

your heart beat rapidly inside of your chest, pounding hard and ringing in your ears. 

“you don't need a dare to get me to say yes,” you reasoned with a wide smile.

oikawa tooru, like his flowers, is a lively, blooming person. you get to know that the moment you agreed to go on a date with him. it followed a few hangouts, and frequent bumping into each other considering this was a small town, afterall. how you haven't noticed such a vibrant person in your life was beyond you.

you see him everywhere, every day in your life right now. in the small bushes that your neighbor has in their garden, the alien and sci-fi movies in the store which were his favorite every time he invited you to watch a movie, the milk bread you saw in the coffee shop you both love to go, and even the characters in the books you love to read. oikawa tooru practically invaded your life the moment you invited yourself in his flowershop and you loved every second of it.

every time you two hang out together, he never misses to bring you any flower. you'd always keep them with you until you come home, placing them in a vase and watering them constantly, taking care of them like how much oikawa takes care of the flowers. you paid no mind to it, only thinking that it was a sweet gesture from him until your friend decided to comment on the fresh flowers on top of your coffee table.

the both of you had known each other for a very long time now and that she's going to get married, she wanted you to be a part of it too. setting down the tea in front of her on the table, you sat down beside her, engulfing her in a hug. 

“oh, y/n! i missed you so much! it's been busy with all the planning for the wedding and the people to invite, i still haven't tried on my dress and tasted the cake, it's kind of stressing me out!” she immediately let her sorrows and agony free the moment you let go of the hug.

“speaking of stress, is there anything i could do to help?” you reached for her hand, rubbing it soothingly in circles. 

she hummed thoughtfully, sipping her tea to calm her nerves, “now that i thought about it, we still don't know anyone good enough for the flower decorations in the venue,” she pouted, sighing sadly. 

a lightbulb lit itself on top of your head, making you perk up, “i know someone who does!” 

“really? are they good?” oh more than good, you wanted to butt in but shake your head free of those thoughts. 

“of course! he's actually the one who gave me these, he takes real good care of them.” you gestured towards the tulips in your vase. it seems like her eyes lit up and she immediately fell in love with the flowers. 

“tulips?! oh, y/n, my dear, he's in love with you!” she squealed in glee, bouncing in her seat like a little kid.

“how did you know that by simply looking at my tulips?” 

“giving tulips to someone means a declaration of love, sweetie.” she sighed dreamily, “you might as well plan for your wedding too!” 

“don't be ridiculous!” you exclaimed, trying your best not to smile too wide. 

you weren't too against on the idea, but you just met afterall. it would be too early for another wedding. even though he never failed to show his affection every time you are together, there's still a lingering doubt whether he did like you in that way.

as promised, you asked oikawa about it the next day, stopping by his flower shop with coffee and his beloved milk bread since it's his break. 

“y/n-chan! it's always a pleasure to be visited by you again,” he greeted you, he was attending to a few customers in the store and excused himself before talking to you. your heart swelled with the action, not being able to hide your smile this time.

“tooru, i was just stopping by to ask you a favor. my friend's wedding is getting near and she still doesn't have any flower decorations for the venue. i mentioned you and i was wondering if you're the one who could do it instead?” you bit your lip nervously, fumbling with the paperbag containing the bread as you looked up at him hopefully. 

seriously, how can he resist you looking at him that way? your eyelashes fluttering, mouth formed into a pout, eyes shining brightly. you're just asking him to devour you whole. before he knew it, he had leaned in to peck the corner of your mouth. 

it completely shocked you to your core. he hasn't done that kind of thing before, always being respectful and never doing anything you didn't want to. but strangely, you weren't mad at him for it. to tell the truth, you kinda wished he kissed you more. 

“i'd love to, y/n-chan.” he uttered, pinching your cheek before turning to hide his own reddened face. 

that was basically the last time you saw each other since you recommended him to your friend. and since then, he has been busy and you tried to help with the wedding as well. you figured oikawa has his hands full with taking care of the decorations for the wedding, but even then, he would still message you or even facetime you after – asking about how yiur day went and craving to see your face without him being able to for how long.

the day of the wedding came and it was magical. your heart melted the moment your friends said their “i do's” as everybody clapped and rejoiced with them. the moment you stepped into the venue, everyone was amazed, speechless at the decorations being the first thing their eyes could feast upon. pink and white roses was all you could see – ranging from vine-like ones hanging from the ceiling, to arches in the doorway, and some are even placed neatly on the tables. 

to sum it all, it was breathtaking.

“your boyfriend did amazing,” your friend teased, bumping her hip to yours as she walked away with her husband to greet some guests.

you were left standing there, mouth agape as you took everything in. you couldn't wrap your head around the idea of oikawa managing to do all this by himself, but then again, he has surprised you by doing a lot of things you didn't know he could do. 

“you know, if you stayed here longer there won't be enough food left for you.” the familiaf voice you grew to love and got used to spoke from behind you. something tugged in your chest, the events seeming like déjà vu all over again. 

“i'm just admiring your work, tooru.” you smiled, turning around to face the man behind the beautiful decorations. 

he's changed his clothes into a more formal attire than his usual getup with the aprons and white button up shirt for a maroon suit and tie. he even styled his hair back, if you didn't know him long enough you might have mistaken him for someone else. 

“you look...good,” you managed to breathe out, it seems like the decorations aren't the only ones that are breathtaking. your eyes drank him in, how the clothes hug his frame perfectly, the color complimenting his skin tone, and the fact that his fluffy hair is swept away really makes you want to jump his bones right here, right now.

“and you look gorgeous. i must say, i don't mind you looking like this all the time, y/n-chan.” he chuckled, a shit-eating grin blooming on his face as he eyed you up and down slowly. your face grew hot against his stare and you felt naked, as if his eyes can see through you. 

“th-thanks, tooru.” you mumbled, playing with the hem of your clothes. before any of you could speak, however, the emcee spoke on stage calling out the bride and groom to give a speech. 

you all gathered around the small stage as they thanked everyone for coming to the wedding, inclduing the guests, their helpers, the staff. after all the mushy speech, she declared it was time for the dance, turned around and threw the bouquet (that's also from oikawa) to the audience. 

you saw the thing flying to you and out of pure instinct, you threw your hand in front of you and ended up catching the bouquet. everyone around you clapped including oikawa himself as you stared at it wide eyed. your gazed met oikawa's and as if your face couldn't get any hotter, you also felt the fast beating of your heart when you stared at each other. 

everybody howled and chanted teasing remarks at the two of you. instead of paying attention to the newly weds they picked the two of you as the center of their amusement. 

your friend's voice overpowered them all as she also chanted, “kiss! kiss! kiss! kiss!” 

oikawa looked at you with a raised brow and you can only smile bashfully in return before you felt the world turn upside down, oikawa dipping you as he kissed you passionately and deeply. time seemed to stop once again as everything blurred and all you can feel is him, and all he can feel is you. he hoped it would be enough to pour all the emotions and words he wanted you to know. 

it felt like the kiss lasted forever before he pulled away, the two of you out of breath as you giddily smiled at each other, both sharing a lovestruck look.

“is it too early to ask you to marry me?” 

general taglist: @chibishae34 @behan @bukojuiice (tagging you here bcs you're excited for this)

[faerieluvss]

Emil to Iris: Tulip Red, Primrose, Iris Yellow, Sunflower

Flynn to Kasumi: Carmelia Pink, Carnation red and Red Rose.

oo,nice flower choices :)

Emil and Iris:Tulip Red(Declaration of Love),Primrose(I can’t live without you),Iris Yellow(Passion),and Sunflower(Pure thoughts,Adoration,Warmth)

Iris ,knowledgeable on flower language was quite surprised when she found out the flowers addressed to her were from Emil,she didn’t think he thought of her in that way,and according to the choice of flowers,the intensity of those feelings towards her.Sure,she had been hiding a teeny little crush on Emil for quite some time,but she thought it was all one sided! Well,since he also knows the language of the flowers,perhaps she should send him a bouquet as well to tell him her feelings!

Flynn and Kasumi: Camellia Pink ( Longing for You ), Carnation Red(My heart aches for You ),And Rose Red ( Love,Respect)

Kasumi was confused at the arrangement of flowers that Flynn had sent to her,They were all very pretty,and the colors complimented each other,but why did he send those specifically?So,she went to Sophie for answers.

“Ah,i see,you wish for me to identify these flowers?”

“Yes,Flynn sent these to me,a-and they’re very pretty,but i have this feeling that they have another meaning to them..”

And so,Sophie easily named the flowers in the bouquet.

“The Pink colored flowers are Pink Camellias,which usually symbolize a longing for someone,the multilayered red ones are Red Carnations,which usually send a message of ”My heart aches for you.”,and there are the obvious Red Roses,which symbolize love in general,but can also mean respect. Do you have any more questions about the flowers,Miss Yokobori?”

But by them,Kasumi was already red,panicking over the meaning of these flowers.

“N-No! i’m fine..”

“I shall send a bouquet in response to Mr.Derandelle according to your feelings towards him,then.”

[derekgoffard]

👻, 💐,🕷 for Colin!!! ;w;

AAA!!! THANK YOU SM FOR THIS ASK!!!! Gaha I had alot of fun thinking about these!!! (人 •͈ᴗ•͈)

This does get kinda long so I'll put this under the cut!! [ Tws for death, rotting corpse mention ]

👻 GHOST - do they believe in ghosts? what are their "ghostly experiences", if any?

Colin definitely believes in ghosts!! He's probably had one or two instances of what he perceived to be 'ghostly experiences' ( aka his he left his window open and the door was closed by the wind LOL ). He believes in ghosts mainly because he REALLY REALLY WANTS ghost to be real rather than him atcually having experienced anything supernatural gugugh.

💐 BOUQUET - create a bouqet for them! what do those flowers mean? are any of the flowers their particular favourite?

OGHHH OMG haha okay so. I know SQUAT about flowers or flower languages! LMAO so if any of the meanings of these are incorrect I'm very sorry EEKKKHABA

(I decided to go with a bouquet that focuses on flower language rather than apperance!)

• Snapdragon: Deception and graciousness

• White Camellia: Adoration

• Pink Camellia: Longing

• Red Carnation: "my heart aches for you"

• Marigold: Grief, jealously

• Aloe ( I know it's probably not meant to be in a bouquet BUT THE MEANING FITS COLIN REALLY WELL 😭): Affection, but also grief

🕷️ SPIDER - what is their biggest fear? do they have any irrational / mundane fears?

Colin has alot of big fears lol!! one of his biggest fears is probably him dying alone in his apartment @_@ since he doesn't really have any friends or anyone that would even check on him he's scared of his body just. rotting there for months or even years. The thought of his corpse just, like, rotting away by itself really makes him particularly uncomfortable, especially if he was wearing some real cutesy outfit when he died guguhhfj. (he's definitely drawn some fucked up vent art of his rotting body in a cute pink dress or smth GUUUGH 💀).

I think his BIGGEST fear and also probably his most irrational(?) fear is that there's nothing more to reality than what he's living, he's very scared that all there is to life is just waking up early and going to work and going home and sleeping, just repeatedly doing the same boring things every day. He's in a constant depression about not being able to live in a fun fantasy world where he has lots of friends and can go on adventures and he's just really scared that there will never be anything he can experience in real life that will excite him (・–・;)ゞ.

He has other big fears too! but they're kinda self explanatory ( never finding love, never making friends, ect ) man's got alot fears what can I say LOL 😭.

[ganyuslily]

“ a song for you ” a 1k milestone event !

A NOTE FROM THE OWNER

hello hello! this is a little fic event i decided to host in celebration of me hitting 1k! a lot of people, if you ask me. i’ll just say that first of all, music has been a great source of comfort for me as long as i remember, and second of all, i probably should stop looping mitski’s discography so i’m hoping that by hosting this event i’ll get some songs recommendations too. shh, don’t tell that to anyone though.

MUSIC SHOP RULES

i accept one character per song unless you want that to be a poly relationship! i mean that i won’t write two separate fics for the same song.

songs can be in any language.

i will ignore any songs that are nsfw. suggestive is as far as i’ll go.

i write for any adult character except baizhu and dottore. i don’t write for teens.

the default for the reader will be gender neutral and the relationship romantic.

i will be accepting around 15 requests.

my regular requesting rules still apply.

please check below cut for the possible options and if someone already requested what you wanted. i won’t do the same idea twice.

EXTRA NOTES

that is just an extra note, but because i love flowers you may also add a flower to your request! for example, a pearl by mitski + childe + spider lily. i love flowers, but i’m not expecting a lot of people to know their meanings so i decided not to do a whole event centered around them in the end:D but, if you enjoy them like i do, feel free to add one to your request (and it will also make me extra happy sjhdjsks).

the ones that have “♡” are my favorites!!

all the works will be tagged with # — a song for you

songs that have already been bought!

[slots taken: 15/15]

[finished: 15/15]

[extra aka not sure if ill ever do them: 0/2]

i. “ a soulmate who wasn’t meant to be ” by jess benko + diluc + purple hyacinth -> read here!

ii. “ 春はゆく” by aimer + xiao + acanthus -> read here!

iii. “ waterloo ” by abba + gorou + carnation -> read here! [♡]

iv. “ unlasting ” by lisa + kazuha + wisteria -> read here!

v. “ kaishin no ichigeki ” by amatsuki + albedo -> read here!

vi. “ flowers ” by marina + kaeya -> read here!

vii. “ di ka sayang ” by ben&ben + xiao + primorose -> read here!

viii. “ electric love ” by børns + kaeya -> read here!

ix. “ washing machine heart ” by mitski + zhongli -> read here!

x. “ morena ” by mariana nalasco + kaeya + white calla lily

xi. “ bossa no sé ” by cuco + childe + california poppy -> read here!

xii. “ die for you ” by the weeknd + childe + red camellia -> read here!

xiii. “ demons ” by alec benjamin + xiao -> read here!

xiv. “ sunflower ” by post malone + diluc -> read here!

xv. “ crash my car ” by coin + albedo + pink camellia -> read here!

[extra!] xvi. “ the only ” by sasha sloan + scaramouche + roses

[extra!] xvii. “ sofia ” by clario + kazuha + camellia

NAVIGATION