#do you guys wanna see the glittery ribbon roses i made

[kindaasrikal]

Blurry toxic jaya but the way I’m gonna kms over this line art after dying from the sketch too

[razorblade180]

Mother’s Day

[Twin Snowflakes]

It’s early in the morning. Weiss has just woken up to something a bit out of the ordinary. Someone had picked her outfit out already. It was an office dress; nothing too special. Except it was pure black with a glittery red belt and a slit in the dress on the left side. What made it strange though was Someone placed her black wig and red contacts next to it.

Needless to say, she was intrigued and was going to wear it. In a matter of minutes she was walking through her hallways in it.

Bleiss:Hello!? Yo, my little rugrats?.....Babe? I know one of you has to awa-

She turned the corner to see Jaune in a dashing white business suit and an over the top decorative bow on his head that was held in place by ribbon that went over his body; complete with a note.

Bleiss:Well hey there sexy. Looking a bit finer than usual.

Jaune:And you look every bit as gorgeous as the day I met you; better in fact.

Bleiss:*red* Are you going to read that note for me handsome?

Jaune:*clears throat* “Dear Mother Goose-

Bleiss:*snorts* (These kids...)

Jaune: “Happy Mother’s Day! We took deliberately or persuading dad to put on the suit you bought for him and waking up early enough to make breakfast downstairs. We’ll be out the house until dinner time. With love, you little rugrats.”

Bleiss:Should we be concerned our children basically know what we- what I like to do when we have alone time?

Jaune:You’re not exactly subtle when you’re like this.

Bleiss:I can’t help that you’re so irresistible. Though I don’t get what’s up with my suit.

Jaune:That wasn’t them. It was all me. I already said this but...

He saunters over to Bleiss who can’t help but smirk as his hand reaches for her waist and pulls her closer.

Jaune:You look really gorgeous today.

Bleiss:Isn’t breakfast waiting for us?

Jaune:That look in your eyes tell me you aren’t that hungry.

Bleiss:Not for food, no. So you gonna kiss me already or-mmph!?

Her words were cut off by a deep and loving kiss. What a good way to start the morning.

xxxx

Nora woke up and did her usual morning routine. Shower, stretching, and her workout clothes. Time to start the day. She walked over to her bed and kissed her sleeping husband on the cheek “Bye sweetie.” Nora said, before heading out of the room.

She almost made it out of her home when something caught her eye. A light from another room was coming from around the corner. The kitchen? Nora made her way towards the kitchen and hit with the glorious smell of pancakes. A hardy stack of them in heart shapes were on the counter while Valerie was washing the pan that they were made in. The girl grabbed two forks and an obscene amount of syrup.

Nora:Well whay do we have here!? Color me impressed.

Valerie:Happy Mother’s Day. How about we also make it a cheat day?

Nora:I say we are going to need a hundred more pancakes before it counts as a cheat day.

Ren:*walks in* Then I guess you need a master chef.

Nora:Oh you’re awake!

Ren:*kisses her cheek* Today is a special day.

Valerie:Let’s chow down!

Ren and Nora:Yeah!

xxxx

knock knock knock

Ruby:*opens door* Hello-

Summer:*holding a cookie jar* We know this might be a bit weird but....

Nick:*holding Roses* You’re basically like a mom to us too.

Summer and Nick:So Happy Mo-

Ruby pulls both of them into a giant hug and holds them close. The twins look a little stunned at first before hearing Ruby sniffle softly. They not wrap their arms around her in a loving embrace.

Ruby:Thank you....

xxxx

Veronica:Hey mom? Can you come here real quick and help me with some fabric?

Blake:I’m a little busy at the moment.

Veronica:*pouts* It would really be appreciated. If you could help. It would only take second.

Blake:*walking in* If it’s that easy than why- shut the fuck up!!!! Is this....!?

In that moment, Blake remembered what today was. She had been so busy with work that it crossed her mind. Even if she never forgotten, Blake would’ve been happy with a card. Instead she stood in front of an elegant kunoichi inspired outfit. The base was black win a purple haze design that went around it as if to give it a smokey look. Dark purple was also the color of the hems and sleeve cuffs with the black becoming accent on it. All topped off with a beautiful purple bow tied in the back. This alone was exceptional, but something made it better. It was....

Blake:Is this a replica of the main protagonist’s outfit from Ninjas of Love!?

Veronica:To. The. Last. Stitch.

Blake:*tearing up* Veronica this is outstanding! Wait, why are you reading-

Veronica:*red* I like the plot! Moving on... I hope you enjoy this and I don’t know if you’ll get the perfect opportunity to wear this but hey. I’m sure you’ll find an excuse.

Blake:You know I will. *hugs her* I love you.

Veronica:*purring* I know!

Yang:Hey have you seen- woah is that...?

Blake:Yeah it is!

Yang:Veronica knocked it out of the park this year.

Veronica:It’s you that’s the tricky one. *red* Your gift is a little more abstract. I know I’m usually busy and not the easiest person to deal with. I also know we don’t really spend time together that much anymore so-

Yang.*hugging her* Is someone trying to spend the entire day with me?

Veronica:If...that’s okay?

Yang:Silly kitty. It’s always going to be okay. I love you.

Veronica:I....I love you too.

xxxx

*door opens*

Nick:We’re back!

Summer:Please be decent!

Jaune:*making dinner* We’ve been decent for hours.

Summer:We never know with you two. (I’m surprised we don’t have another set of twins or something.)

Nick:Now then, did we come home to mother goose or mama duck? *smiling*

He got his answer answer in the form of long white hair coming from around the kitchen corner and rushing over to grab both him and his sister. All three falling over to the ground as they laughed and hugged each other.

Weiss:Hello my baby ducklings!

Summer and Nick:Happy Mother’s Day mom!

Weiss:It really is, isn’t it?

[Lasting Embers]

Raven:Hey, I’m going out Tai.

Tai:Before you go can you stop by Yang’s and drop off those sunflowers?

Raven:Her house is the complete opposite direction.

Tai:Just open a portal.

Raven:Fine. *opens portal* You know a present means more if-

Yang:SURPRISE!!!

Without warning, Yang comes jumping through from the other side. Tackling Raven right to the ground and hugging her. Raven’s face turns red as she notices balloons and a box with the Schnee logo; most likely some high quality dust blades.

Raven:Yang!? What are you-

Yang:Happy Mother’s Day you grouchy mama bird. *grinning*

Raven:....

Raven:*smiles* After all these years you’re as energetic as ever. Once a baby bird, always a baby bird. *hugs her*

Yang:!!?*red*

Raven:Tai where you in on this?

Tai:Duh. I’m also in on Yang’s gift.

Yang:My gift? I was just home and got a card.

Tai:*smiles* But now you’re here and not home. A lot can change in a matter of minutes.

That peeked Yang’s interest. Her and Raven stared at the portal that was still opened in curiosity before getting up and jumping through. Tai chuckled at their anticipation and went through as well.

He was rewarded with the sight of his daughter covering her mouth with amazement as she tried not to jump up and down like a kid. They were all outside, including Jaune who was smiling. As well as Yujin who was also covered in motor oiled while she posed arms crossed right next to motorcycle that looked liked Yang’s old one.

Yujin:Meet bumblebee 2.0! Built from the ground up by yours truly after months of hardwork. You have many people to think for this accomplishment since this was no blueprints for the original.

Yang:How the heck did you get so accurate! The leather even feels right!

Yujin:Someone remembers what it felt like when it ran full force into him.

Yang:No fricken way....

Yujin:Adam says you’ll personally have to fight him again if you launch this bike at anyone or off a cliff.

Yang:Damnit, no I have to thank him. That was probably his plan from the get go.

Jaune:Stop whinnying and take this thing for a spin. *tosses her a helmet*

Yang:Wanna come admire your handiwork with your dear old mom Yujin?

Yujin:Hell Yeah!

Yang:Let’s go visit Tenzen.

Yujin:*pulls out scroll* He’s a bit busy.

She flips the scroll around and plays a video from earlier today.

Tenzen:*grinning* Hey Yujin, I think my mom likes her present. What’s your opinion? *flips camera around*

Nora:*holding a sloth* This is the greatest moment that has ever happened in my entire life...! He’s so cute!!!

xxxx

(Night time)

Jacquelyn:*watering flowers*..... (Hmm, haven’t seen the kids all day. They must be planning something, or maybe they forgot. No...well, they have been busy lately.)

A frown crept up on her face. She was used to simple gifts since money was tight so that wasn’t a problem. She just wanted them to say. Jacquelyn continue to get wrapped up in her thoughts until something cool ran across the top of her forehead. She looked up to see an orbs of water in front of her. They were floating, all the water she was pouring upwards; her entire body was floating. “Huh?”

A shadow drifted over her during this clear moon lit night; shadows that had horns and cat ears. Jacquelyn looked up with big smile to see her daughters floating towards her with petals of numerous flowers following them. All of them a variety of colors that rivaled any sunset or rainbow. The two grabbed their mom and put her right in the center of it all as they held her close.

Sienna:Happy Mother’s Day to the women who brings color to our lives...

Jael:And sweeps us off our feet.

Jacquelyn:Awww you guys. This is gorgeous.

Sienna:It took us longer than we thought to find enough flowers. This is the desert after all.

Jael:Not to mention the annoying grimm, but we managed!

Jacquelyn:You could’ve just gotten me a card.

Sienna:We do that every year! This one had to be special!

Jael:Yeah, you’re the best! With your powers now your garden will be twice as big.

Jacquelyn:*tearing up* Thank you. (Heh, I almost forgot. With these two....)

Sienna and Jael:We love you!)

Jacquelyn:*crying* (I’ll never be forgotten)

The three remained floating up there enjoying the view. Not knowing a certain someone was watching from below.

Adam:*smiling*

[Premonition]

Blake:*writing*

Secretary:Uh, Mrs Belladonna? It’s time for lunch.

Blake:That’s fine, I’ll just work through it. I have to these documents done by tomorrow night.

Secretary: Ah yes, he thought you might say that. Or I guess he knew you would.

Blake:!? “Knew?”

The secretary walked in a placed a bento box on her desk before leaving. Blake put down her pen and opened it to find it filled with various sushi; cooked and uncooked. Along with heart shaped rice balls and a note. Blake smiles and read it immediately.

“Do your best to unite the world. Can’t do it on an empty stomach though. Happy Mother’s Day.”

Blake:.....

Lucas:*laying in a hammock* (I wonder...if she’ll like it? I followed dad’s instructions but that doesn’t mean she’ll like it.) Hmmm

Blake:Someone looks concerned.

Lucas:Mom!? *sits up* Shouldn’t you be working!?

Blake:It’s lunch break. I wanna spend it with my special little guy. You made way too much food for one person you know? *smiles* Almost like you wanted me to come home to share. Predict that too?

Lucas:*red* More like wishful thinking.

Blake smiled and sat next to him. She quickly learned in a kissed his cheek which made Lucas wanna curl up in embarrassment and Blake laugh.

Blake:Wish granted.

Lucas:Happy Mother’s Day mom.

Blake:Hehe, thank you.

[Rosebud]

Another day, another job well done. For the most part anyways. A couple of nevermore had taken the wind out of Ruby’s sails by launching a feather at her right ankle. Now she was walking home with a limp. Crescent rose on her back didn’t make it easier, or the fact she was going through sand. At least she had the brains to take off her heels before reaching she made it to the rough terrain. The sun was setting but no grimm scared her; at this point she did not care about making everyone of them stone. If she can get over the sand dune in front of her that is.

Ruby:(Stupid nevermore with their stupid sharp feathers. Since when do they curve through the air? That’s definitely new.) Ugh, I’m definitely taking the longest bath when I get home.

???:That sounds nice.

Ruby’s head perked up immediately. She was a bit more tired than she thought. On top of the dune was a person. Not just anybody though, herself? All she saw was a silhouette but she was definitely looking at her old clothes from Atlas. The figure stepped closer and out of the glaring sunbeam. It was Carmine, and she was looking a bit winded herself.

Ruby was thrown for a loop on why her daughter was wearing those old clothes or looked like she ran a marathon. She didn’t get a chance to ask before Carmine lifted her mother up and onto her back; carrying Ruby up the dune.

Ruby:Ummm thank you? What’s this all about.

Carmine:You’re hurt. Why wouldn’t I carry you?

Ruby:I was talking more about the outfit. You aren’t a fan of skirts or anything too fancy.

Carmine:*blushing* Yeah well, I know how much you think I look cute in them so I thought I’d pick the coolest looking one,

Ruby:Awww for me? How cute.

Carmine:This goes right back in the box after today!

Ruby:So is this my gift?

Carmine:You’re a third right. The other half you’ll see when we get to the top.

Ruby:Ooooo

A few minutes passed before Ruby got why her daughter was tired. As they reached the top Ruby saw nothing but what looked like an ocean of crimson that surrounded her house down in the distances. “Is that red sand?”

“Look closer..” Carmine said. Ruby squinted and on closer inspection Ruby realize that the red she was seeing was roses. Hundreds of roses that each shimmered faintly like raindrops being hit by sunlight. “Woah.....”

Carmine smiled confidently. “Now look at it as a whole.”

“A whole? What, is it a pic-my symbol!?” Ruby screamed in shock. The roses were postponed perfectly to recreate her symbol with the house right in the center of it all.

Ruby:How the- this is- Carmine this is amazing! I didn’t even think you could make this many roses!

Carmine:Not without dad’s help. He’s almost has burnt out as I am. I’m sure both of you though will find your second wind in time for bed though.

Ruby:*Blushing* Carmine!

Carmine:Don’t be mad because I’m right. I’ll be knocked out though so I doubt you’ll wake me or Garnet.

Ruby:What’s the third part of this present?

Carmine:He’s at home with dad making cookies.

Ruby:Fuck yeah! This day rules. Worth the injury. Thanks sweetheart. *holds on tighter* You’ve really grown up strong huh? I’m glad....

Carmine:Hehe, I... had good teachers. Happy Mother’s Day....

[thinkingaboutyoungroyals]

tyrus prompt??? all cyrus's friends get asked to homecoming,,, but no one asks cyrus and he tries to act happy for his friends, but really he's a sad boi. then tj realizes he might have a chance with cyrus and asks him to the dance, but cyrus thinks he's just doing it so he doesn't have to go alone??? but then they share their real feelings with each other and they're really cute???

So… my school never had Homecoming so I’m not sure how big of a deal it is but, since we all want romance and cuteness for Tyrus, I made it a HUGE deal lol Enjoy!

“Do you think I should go with this purple dress or the green?”

“Purple! I have the perfect headband to lend you for that!”

“Okay, I’ll let Marty know. He still has to get a tie.”

“And apparently, Jonah only has blue ties so I need to take him shopping so we’ll actually match.”

“You’re still going with the pink dress?”

“Of course! I worked so hard on it!”

Cyrus forced a smile as he listened to his friends chatter on about dresses and ties and now they’ve moved on to corsages. Around him, similar conversations were occurring. 

It was Homecoming Week and everyone was busy preparing for the big Dance on Friday… except for him.

To make it simple: he didn’t have a date. And he had no plans of asking anyone.

Being one of the few openly gay guys in his school sucked sometimes.

“What about you, Cy?”

Both girls turned to him, expectantly.

He busied himself with pretending to look for something in his locker. “Me? I’m not going.”

The girls gasped.

“Why not?” Buffy asked. “It’s our first Homecoming Dance as high school students! Everyone is going to be there!”

“If you need help with an outfit, we can help,” Andi added.

Cyrus really didn’t want to subject himself to being the fifth wheel in their little group.

“Nah, I’m good,” he replied, finally finding a random book and pulling it out. “Besides, I don’t have a date.”

“You can go stag!” said Buffy. “A lot of people go stag at Dances!”

“But you guys aren’t,” he ended up saying a bit too sadly. “You have dates. I’m gonna be left out either way.”

The two girls flashed each other looks, probably realizing that he had been feeling like the odd one out during all the hullabaloo.

“You know…” Andi placed a hand on his arm. “We don’t have to go with Marty and Jonah. We can go together! Just the three of us!”

“Yeah!” Buffy agreed, nodding so aggressively that her hair bounced. “The Good Hair Crew all together! Right? We don’t need dates!”

They were sweet but now Cyrus just felt bad. He closed his locker and gave them a forced smile.

“It’s okay, I’m just being whiny,” he said. “You guys have fun with your dates. I’ll be fine.”

Andi frowned. “But, Cy-.”

“Oh, I gotta get to class. See you guys later!”

Without giving them another chance to try and comfort him, Cyrus turned on his heels and quickly made his way down the hall to his next class. Unfortunately, even if he was far away from his best friends, he still couldn’t escape all the Homecoming talk. It would only proceed to get worse over the next few days, the closer they were to the date.

On his way to class, he spotted T.J. at his own locker. Perking up, he approached.

“Hey, Teej,” he greeted.

The jock turned his head and flashed him a smile, making Cyrus almost go weak in the knees. Almost.

“Hey there, Underdog. Walking to Bio?”

“Yep.”

The taller boy closed his locker. “Cool, I have History. Let’s walk together.”

They made their way down the hall, side-by-side. And if Cyrus brushed his hand against T.J.’s a little, the jock made no comment.

“So… are you excited for Homecoming?” T.J. asked.

Cyrus couldn’t help but groan. “Don’t remind me,” he mumbled. “It’s all anyone can talk about.” He took a peek at the taller boy. “Are you going?”

Instead of answering, T.J. asked, “Are you?”

Cyrus shrugged. “I don’t have a date.”

“Neither do I. Wanna go-.”

He was interrupted by a chorus of cheers and they slowed down to watch a guy holding a bouquet of flowers, a banner behind him being held by his friends with the words “Will you go to Homecoming with me, Riley?” emblazoned in giant glittery letters. The girl in question, Riley, appeared to be stunned at the display but eventually nodded and accepted the bouquet. Then, the two hugged to more cheers.

Cyrus chuckled. “That’s like the third one today. And it’s only 4th period.”

“Well, Homecoming is a big deal to high schoolers.”

Cyrus turned his head to look at him. “So, what were you saying before?”

“Oh, right.” T.J. looked ahead, avoiding his gaze. “Since you don’t have a date, I was wondering…”

Cyrus held his breath in. Was T.J. going to… was he going to ask Cyrus to Homecoming?

His heart was on overdrive as he anticipated the jock’s next words.

“…maybe you’d like to go…”

Cyrus couldn’t breathe.

“… stag together.”

Oh.

Heart sinking, Cyrus tried not to show his disappointment. A part of him wanted to say “yes” in a loud and cheery voice, but another part wanted to say “no” and just stay home with a box of Oreos and Disney movies.

But, then, he looked at T.J.’s hopeful face and realized that maybe his friend just really wanted to go to the Dance but didn’t want to be alone. And if Cyrus could be alone with him, then neither of them would be as lonely, right?

So, he put on a smile and replied, “Sure.”

Instantly, T.J.’s face lit up. “Great! Uh, I’ll talk to you later about it? Thanks, Underdog!”

To Cyrus’ amusement, the athlete bounded off to his class, practically bouncing.

……………

At 6pm on the dot, the doorbell rang. Nervously, Cyrus fixed his royal blue bowtie and checked his hair in the hallway mirror before answering it.

T.J. stood on his doorstep, hair styled with minimal gel and dressed to the nines in a black suit and a royal blue tie. In his hands, still in its plastic box, was a white rose with a blue ribbon wrapped around it. He had a matching one pinned to the lapel of his suit.

Cyrus raised his brow at it. “You brought me a corsage?”

T.J. shrugged as he stepped into the house. “They come in pairs,” he answered, opening the box. He gestured to Cyrus’ suit jacket. “May I?”

The shorter boy could only nod and he allowed T.J. to pin the flower on him. He hoped T.J. couldn’t see how red his face was.

The athlete was acting like they were actually going as dates. He even insisted on picking Cyrus up because his mom had offered to drive them.

After allowing his parents (all four of them) to take photos of him and T.J., they got into Mrs. Kippen’s car and soon, they were on their way to their first Homecoming Dance.

Andi and Buffy couldn’t stop grinning at Cyrus when he arrived with his… stag partner. While T.J. chatted with Marty and Jonah, the girls pulled Cyrus aside.

“You have matching ties and corsages,” Andi whispered.

“And he picked you up,” Buffy added.

Cyrus blushed. “The ties are a mere coincidence, the corsages came in pairs, and his mom offered and I didn’t want to be rude!”

No matter what he said, the girls continued to tease and flash him knowing looks throughout the dance.

T.J. was a good stag partner. He brought Cyrus punch and food and stood with him in the corner to watch everyone else dance. A few girls came up to ask him to dance but, for some reason, he declined them all.

“Sorry, ladies, but I’m with Goodman tonight,” he would say. “We’re stag partners.”

The girls would then walk away, disappointed. Cyrus felt a little bad for them (just a little).

“You know, you can go dance with them, if you want,” he finally said after the fifth girl had approached them.

T.J. shrugged. “I’m good.” He smiled at Cyrus. “I’m here with you.”

“T.J., you don’t have to share in my loneliness, I’ll be fine.”

“And I’m fine sharing in your loneliness.” He nudged Cyrus’ shoulder with his. “Why? Am I boring?” He pouted.

It made Cyrus want to touch his face and smoosh his cheeks. Instead, he looked away to stare at everyone else on the dance floor.

“You know, I’m surprised that you didn’t ask anyone,” he said, casually. “I mean, you’re popular and really good looking. Anyone would say ‘yes’ if you asked.”

For a beat or two, T.J. was quiet. And, then, in a soft voice, he asked, “Really?”

Cyrus turned his head to smile at him. “Yeah.”

T.J. visibly swallowed before saying, “Then… is it too late to ask you to… be my date tonight?”

Caught off-guard by the question, the breath caught in Cyrus’ throat. He could only stare, wide-eyed, at his suddenly nervous friend in front of him.

T.J. wrung his hands in front of him. “I know you think that I have all this boundless confidence but when it comes to you… I kind of lose all that.” He swallowed again and looked down at his feet. “When you told me you didn’t have a date, I thought I could do it… but I chickened out. But, you agreed to go stag with me and I figured it was better than not going with you at all. And… um… sorry…”

Cyrus continued to stare at him as the words sunk in.

T.J. had wanted to go with him. T.J. had wanted to ask him. He did all those things – the matching ties, corsages, and picking him up – not because he was alone and couldn’t get a date.

He wanted Cyrus to be his date.

“Um… I should… uh…”

“Yes,” Cyrus blurted out.

It made T.J. pause. “Sorry?”

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Cyrus took a deep, calming breath. “Yes,” he said loudly and clearly and with as much confidence as he could muster. “I’d love to be your date, T.J.”

The jock’s eyes widened in shock. “Really?”

His voice was full of doubt.

Cyrus didn’t want T.J. to think that he only said “yes” because he felt bad for him. He had wanted to be T.J.’s date. He had been waiting to be asked. Well, like his step-father always said, better late than never.

Reaching for the taller boy’s hand, Cyrus linked their fingers together. “Dance with me?” he asked, shyly.

T.J. broke into a grin and nodded. He allowed Cyrus to pull him into the dance floor, just as the song changed from a fast-paced pop song to a slower ballad.

Cyrus placed one hand on T.J.’s shoulder and raised their already linked hands together. T.J. appeared to hesitate before settling his free hand on Cyrus’ waist. Then, they began to sway.

Gazing at each other, Cyrus felt light on his feet. He welcomed the fluttering in his stomach and the fast beating of his heart.

Even under the dimmed lights, he could clearly see how handsome T.J. looked.

Cyrus liked him so much.

“I like you, Cyrus,” T.J. suddenly said.

Feeling himself smile, Cyrus tilted his head to the side. “Yeah? Well, I like you, too. A lot.”

He stepped closer to T.J. and laid his head against his shoulder. T.J. pulled him closer.

They danced until the music ended and, even then, they didn’t let go.

[cherryyharryy]

Chapter 2: Manubruim  

 'Lover's Spit' left on repeat

Part One

“What did dad get you for Valentine’s Day? Your first Valentine’s Day together?”

Adeline’s mom looked up from her computer. Her eyes slowly rose as her face twisted in concentration, willing the memory to appear before her. “Um...oh that’s right! He got me a teddy bear!”

“Well what about him? What’d you get him?”

“Oh I didn’t get him anything, dear.” With a wave of her hand her focus was back on the screen.

“What? Why not?” Adeline slumped down in the armchair in the corner of her mom’s office. “That seems a little rude.”

“Well we’d had a fight. And I was still mad. There was no way I was going to buy him something after he’d pissed me off.”

Adeline chuckled through a breath. “Okay then. You’re no help.”

“Help?”

“Yeah, for Harry.”

Her mom hummed, drumming her nails along the edge of her desk. “Candy?”

“Candy? As a gift?”

“Well yeah, what’s wrong with that?”

Adeline rolled her eyes, slinging her legs over the arm of the chair and huffing out a response. “No candy.”

“Wait…” Her mom pushed back against her desk and wheeled her chair towards the bookcase behind her. She scanned over a shelf before sliding out a large decorative book.

Dust flew out in a small cloud when it was dropped on the desk. It was a mix of dark grays and browns, a metallic finish coating the intricate swirls. Adeline scrambled up from the chair with a grimace on her face, curling her lip at the old book.

“A gross book?”

“No, not exactly.” Her mom opened the cover and tipped the book over, a mess of random items spilling out leaving the hollowed-out center bare.

“What’s all this?”

“Things your dad gave me over the years. Some were for holidays and birthdays. Others were just little gifts for fun. And then I saved little things, like mementos I guess.”

Adeline sifted through what she could only call junk. Wine corks and a single playing card, a Panama City key chain and little elephant figurine. There was the typical, some pressed flowers and handwritten notes, an aged birthday card and a plethora of fortune cookie papers.

“What’s in that envelope?”

“Oh that’s the letter your father wrote me after our first fight.”

“The Valentine’s Day fight?”

“No, no, this was much later. A real fight.” Her mom slipped a folded paper from the envelope, a smile working its way onto her face as she read over it. “I was really scared. I knew I loved him, then we had this big blow up about college. I got a great scholarship but it was out of state. We’d never see each other if I went.”

“But you went to school here.” Adeline nodded to the diploma on the wall.

“Mhm I did. I regret it, but I did.”

“Wait, regret it? But you guys ended up together.”

Her mom shrugged her shoulders, folding the letter back up and tucking it back into the envelope. “It was still a great opportunity I gave up. For a boy.”

“But you loved him. Isn’t love like, the ultimate goal in life?”

“Happiness is, dear.”

“So, you’re not happy?”

“Oh no! I’m extremely happy. I’m in love with my life and my husband.” Her hand gently lifted her daughter’s chin up. “And my daughters.”

“Well then how can you have regrets?”

“Life’s complicated. You’ll understand more when your older.”

They continued picking through the pile of sentiments, Adeline asking for the stories behind a few.  

“A necklace, this is...hideous, mom.”

Her mother laughed and took the beaded necklace from Adeline’s hand. “We went to an arcade, and bless his heart did he try to win me something. He ran out of money, and spent his last quarter on one of those gumball machines that has little toys inside.”

“Oh. Well I guess it’s sweet then. Not ugly.”

“No, not ugly,” her mom sighed, eyeing the cheap jewelry like it was made of gold and diamonds.

“Well I need some ideas.” Adeline curled back up into the cushioned chair, bringing her knees up to her chest and resting her head atop. “We’ve been together just a little over a month. And I know he’s getting me something because his friend Logan said he was.”

“You could make him something?”

“Like what?”

“Write him something!” her mother gushed. “You do so well for the school newspaper. And that poem you wrote for me last year was amazing, I’m sure he’d love something like that.”

Adeline scrunched her face up, rocking her head back and forth in thought. “I think I’ll hold off on that. I’ve never written for a boy before anyway.”

“Okay, well you can make him a sweater. I can show you how—”

“No.”

“Buy him a sweater?”

“No. He has a hundred sweaters. I don’t wanna get him clothes anyway.”

Her mom hummed as she filled the box back up and slipped it back onto the shelf. “What about...take him out to dinner?”

“Too formal.”

“Lunch?”

“We go out for lunch all the time.”

“You’re hard to please, sunshine.”

Adeline groaned and dragged herself up from the chair. “M’just gonna go ask dad.”

***

Flowers. Harry loved flowers. He’d spent plenty of time since they’ve met complaining about the weather, about how dead everything looked and how there was no color outside. He made promises of showing Adeline the beautiful garden his mom planted each year, full of daisies and tulips, and his favorite—sunflowers.

His head nearly popped off when he found the sundress tucked into her closet one day, a pastel blue with tiny sunflowers decorating the fabric.

And then there was their first kiss, where he’d tucked her hair behind her ear and after a while gained the courage to whisper sweet nothings in her ear, including the promise to take her to a field out in the country where he’d make her a crown of the bright yellow flower.

And so she really can’t show up to their date without flowers.

“Would you like to write a note? Or we can have it printed for you?”

“Yes that’d be great, my handwriting is atrocious.”

The man behind the counter finished wrapping up her bouquet, complete with a silky black ribbon to hold the stems together and glittery paper that looked like the night sky. “Okay, let me go get a pad an pen and we can work on your message.”

The bell of the door chimed a moment later, a young girl came bouncing in with her mother close behind. They went straight for the roses, the girl’s small hands yanking out the brightest reds and shoving them up towards her mother.

“Okay, miss—oh! Mrs. Porter! Nice to see you and Shelby again, always a pleasure!”

The little girl—Shelby—hopped up to the counter with a big smile on her face, front tooth missing as she squealed in excitement. “I’m getting flowers for daddy!”

“You are?” The florist exclaimed. “That’s very sweet of you!” He pulled a page over on his notepad and nodded to Adeline. “Let me get this young lady’s order taken care of and I’ll be right with you, Shelby.”

***

“I must say, wasn’t expecting this. You’re quite the romantic, Addy.”

She certainly didn’t feel like a romantic, and standing in the middle of a room with flashing lights and buzzing sounds, beeps and rings, and the occasional heavy roll of a skeeball followed by a procession of high-pitched nasally chimes didn’t exactly scream romance.

“We can leave,” she pleaded, swallowing down the lump in her throat, already tugging on his sweater to retreat back out the door. “I—I’m sorry. This was stupid, I’m not good at this—”

“Hey, who said anything about this being stupid? I love this, darling. Really, haven’t been to an arcade since I was a kid.”

She nodded, holding back the smile that was sparked at the pet name. He’d been using them more freely and each time her stomach flipped and her brain fogged over. “Okay.”

They tried their hand at every game in the arcade, both of them shaking off the nervous jitters and letting their shyness slip away. They’d managed to accumulate enough tickets for a small stuffed bear which was awarded to Adeline in a most Harry fashion—he made her damn near beg.

Their faces were stuffed with hotdogs and candy, and one too many smoothies plus the giant pretzel they had shared. And despite all the sugar and salt weighing them down, Harry’s dancing wasn’t affected; bopping along to every song that hung in the air above them.

“Damn.” Harry popped two more quarters into the machine and swiped his hair off his forehead.

“Try for that turtle.”

“I want the bear.”

“We already have a bear.” Adeline’s face was pressed against the glass, eyeing the metal claw as Harry maneuvered it over the pile of stuffed animals.

“Exactly. He needs a friend.”

“But look at the turtle’s head! You can get a good grip on that!”

“No! I can get the bear’s arm!”

“Harry!”

Both of them were jumping and Adeline was banging on the plexiglass as the claw descended into the mix of toys, shouting a bit too enthusiastically for two people in public.

“Come on you stupid bear!” Harry’s hands were tugging on either side of his head, eyes blown out with the worried look of a stressed out dad meeting Adeline’s through the glass.

“Nooo!” They groaned in unison, watching as the claw rose back to the top without a prize in its grasp.

Harry slapped the buttons and pulled his wallet out, grumbling about being taken advantage of.

“Oh no, you’ve spent eight dollars on this.” Adeline grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the game and towards the door.

“I wanted a bear,” he pouted.

She sighed, rolling her eyes at the man before her who’s bottom lip was jutted out and arms were lazily crossed over his chest, in a proper disgruntled pout over a stuffed animal.

“Come on, think I may have something that’ll smooth out these lines.” She reached up and ran her thumb between his brows. “Let’s get outta here.”

***

“Addy…” Harry looked up from the box in his lap, mouth wavering around silent words.

A soft snow was drifting outside her car. The heater was on high and the radio was softly playing as they sat facing each other in his driveway. Her hands trembled when she’d pulled the gift from the glove box, avoiding his eyes when he toyed with the gold ribbon.

“You planned this, didn’t you?” He spoke through a smile, holding up the black stuffed bear.

“Your mom said your dog destroyed the one from when you were a kid.”

“I love it, petal. S’a perfect Valentine’s Day.” He leaned over the console and pecked her nose, humming, and going back in for a full kiss on her mouth.

“Wait,” she spoke softly into his mouth, knocking their teeth together when they parted.

Adeline leaned towards the back seat and pulled the bouquet of bright flowers from the floor. Harry chucked, his face a bright red when she placed them in his arms.

“Addy it’s too much,” he giggled. “How’d you know these are m’favorite?”

“What d’you mean how’d I know? You only bring them up in every conversation!”

“Do not!” He grumbled.

“Whatever. Do you like them?”

“I love them.” He stuck his nose against one and sniffed dramatically, sighing with a dopey smile on his face. “Oh, and a little card.”

Adeline’s heart twisted and sunk to hide behind her stomach. Regret of the intimate words she’d bashfully relayed to the florist earlier that day mocked her frenzied mind.

Her hand anxiously ran over the back of her neck. “It’s just, I mean...just words, y’know?” She stumbled.

“I’ll say.”

The smirk carved onto his face and the gleam in his eye only sped up the nervous tyrant going on inside her.

“You tryin’ to tell me something, love? Not as innocent as I thought,”  he teased.

“What?”

He cleared his throat and brought the small card up to read. “For my favorite daddy, happy Valentine’s Day.”

“Oh my God! No! That’s not—”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa now, s’alright, sweetheart. We’ve all got our thing.” His smile was as wide as it could possibly be. “Just didn’t expect to be findin’ out so soon.”

“No! Harry!” She couldn’t get the words out quick enough, no longer able to sit still as her whole body fidgeted in her seat, her hands darting back and forth between the card and her own face. “That’s not mine! There must’ve been a mix up!”

“Now Addy, d’really think I’d judge you? No need to lie, darling.”

“No! I mean it! I—I had this sweet little message and then Shelby came in! And—and—well it’s the florist's fault! I’m complaining first thing tomorrow!”

Harry was beside himself, a laughing fit stifling the words he tried to get out.

“Addy, baby—no darling don’t cry,” he cooed, setting the flowers on the dash and inching closer to her, holding her face in his hands as his thumbs went to work swiping the tears off her cheeks. “I believe you.”

“That’s just—it’s not what I wrote.”

“I know, I know,” he chuckled. “Was just messin’ with yeh. Why don’t you tell me what you wrote?”

She sniffled, nodding in his grasp. She ran her tongue over her lips before flickering her gaze up to his.

“I don’t remember exactly, it was just something about how happy I am with you,” she whispered, voice barely louder than the song filtering through the car, “and how even though we haven’t been together for very long, everything just feels right with you. Like, better than anyone else I’ve been with.”

A new, softer smile tugged at his lips, her face soon mirroring his once he spilled kisses all over her face.

“Harry!” She giggled.

“I’m so happy with you too.”

The snow picked up as they continued to shower each other with soft caresses, gentle humming from both of them when they finally pulled apart.

“I’ve gotta go before my mom comes out here,” Harry sighed.

“Yeah, m’sure my parents are watching the clock right now.”

“I’ll see yeh tomorrow, yeah?”

She nodded, pecking his lips once more before he shuffled out of her car with his gifts in tow. Before he shut the door he leaned down to face her, releasing his lip from his teeth.

“I didn’t forget you, may have spoken to your mom too.”

With a wink from his gleaming eye he was shutting the door and shuffling through the few inches of snow towards his house.

Adeline’s heart was back to top speed as she drove back home, his words bouncing around her mind as her heart filled up with a childlike giddiness. She sung along with the radio, a smile on her face once she pulled into her neighborhood.

“All these people drinking lover's spit They sit around and clean their face with it.”

Her coat was shrugged off as soon as she stepped through her front door. All the lights were off, and her parents were surprisingly in bed already. She flew up the stairs to her room, debating on waking her mom up to find out what Harry’s promise had meant, but once she flicked her bedroom light on the questions fizzled from her mind.

Sat on her bed was a bright pink teddy bear, it’s paws holding a little red heart. She picked it up, and with no shame, cuddled the soft animal against her chest. When her eyes opened they landed on the folded paper that was hidden under the bear.

Adeline,

I’m so grateful to have you in my life. Just thinking about you brings a smile to my face and I couldn’t be more thrilled to call you my girlfriend. You’re just the sweetest, cutest thing, and I want you to know how much I care for you. Happy Valentine’s Day, my love.

XOXO Harry

[jiminnamoro]

growing dandelions wonho/minhyuk, pg, fluff, angst

minhyuk doesn’t know what looks weirder- that single dandelion rising from a bunch of primroses or the fact that he’s literally stuffing his pockets with little flowers in the middle of the day.

A/N: dudes i gotta beta this but. i’ll come back and fix it later i just really wanna post this

i. When life gives you lemons, bake lemon madeleines. Minhyuk realizes it’s not winter anymore when his eyes land on a bunch of pale yellow primroses rising from a cracked sidewalk, right next to the bus stop. He can’t see much from the windowsill where he put a chocolate pie to cool off but they look pretty indeed, and for a second he’s tempted to go out and grab a few- they would suit those ginger cupcakes he made yesterday, or the cranberry tart Kihyun baked this morning. Spring always tastes like flowers, so colourful and so sweet, and Minhyuk believes that anything he bakes tastes a little better too, but maybe it’s just a silly thought of his. Recipes don’t change like seasons do, two cups of sugar remain two cups of sugar and honey is just honey, but Minhyuk doesn’t want to change his mind. Kihyun doesn’t care much about it- if a small bouquet of daisies and the warm air of April help them sell more and faster, why would he complain about it? More money equals buying the best ingredients on the market, repairing the same old oven they have been using since Middle Age and paying that annoying rent that gives him nightmares every first day of the month. Minhyuk doesn’t think he’s a great baker, not like Kihyun at least. He doesn’t own hundreds of books about French Patisserie or has ever attended a cooking class in his entire life, but he guesses he’s good enough. He surely enjoys his job, and it doesn’t matter if his cookies always come out burnt or ugly- every child is the most beautiful one to their mother, in the end. His fingers are skilled when it comes to kneading doughs and bread, maybe because they’re long and thin, or perhaps because that evil machine is broken 24/7 so he doesn’t have a choice but to use his hands. That’s a detail, anyway. Kihyun let him decorate a wedding cake once, a few years ago. Minhyuk remembers it clearly- it was round and heavy, lots of layers and lots of buttercream, a few roses made of purple fondant here and there and a glittery ribbon tied at the base. It was nothing exciting but it was pretty, and most importantly it was Minhyuk’s first wedding cake, so it wasn’t really his fault if a couple of happy teardrops stained his flour-stained cheeks once the soon-to-be groom dropped by to pick it up. Spring, anyway, doesn’t just taste like flowers- sometimes it tastes like dark chocolate and peppermint, some other times it tastes like orange zests and vanilla, in the morning it tastes like peanut butter and bananas, in the evening it tastes like cinnamon and anise, while on weekends it tastes like sour cherries and almonds. Minhyuk listens as his hand breaks egg after egg- one, three, seven, ten. He can clearly hear that weird familiar noise that Jooheon’s van makes, and Minhyuk doesn’t even have to imagine what’s inside. He knows he brought lemons, probably tons of them, and apples, those green apples that no one apparently likes apart from Kihyun, those green apples that taste like nothing and yet they end up in every sweet on the counter, those green apples that seem to multiply themselves day by day just to annoy the hell out of Minhyuk. He most likely brought sunflower seeds as well, since his father owns a few fields near their village. “Can you guys believe it’s spring already? Christmas was literally yesterday!” Jooheon exclaims while walking in the kitchen, a box three sizes bigger than himself held safe and sound in his arms and a snapback with a sunflower drawn on it hanging from his belt. Kihyun makes the ugliest noise in the world, head and torso lost in the oven because his arms are too short and damn it he can never reach for anything. Minhyuk lightly pats Jooheon’s trembling shoulder and reassures him that no, their oven doesn’t talk. “Don’t mention Christmas around Kihyun, he gets war flashbacks” Minhyuk eventually explains, hands digging in the box to see what they could make with the fruit Jooheon brought. There are lemons, green apples, fresh basil, mint, cherries, mangoes and obviously sunflower seeds- he places everything back in the box and grabs his wallet, handing Jooheon a few dollars. “So what happened on Christmas?” Jooheon whispers dangerously, tucking his bright red wallet into his back pocket. Kihyun groans twice as loud as before- Minhyuk doesn’t want to say he fears for Jooheon’s safety but he kinda does, so he grabs Jooheon’s forearm and drags him outside the bakery. He doesn’t want to deal with flying baking trays again, because it happened, and it wasn’t cute. “We baked seventy-two chocolate cakes,” Minhyuk sighs as he rests his back against the brick wall, “we didn’t sleep, or eat, or anything, there was so much cocoa powder everywhere” he says, lightly shaking his head. Jooheon listens as Minhyuk talks about how much time they wasted cleaning the kitchen, about how Kihyun almost chopped his hand off, about how many tears they shed as soon as the winter holidays finally ended. They also talk about how pretty the fairy lights looked on New Year’s Eve, and how colorful the fireworks were- Jooheon stops Minhyuk as soon as he takes a glance at his wrist watch. He says he gotta go, he’s late for delivery and if he doesn’t literally fly at home his dad is gonna sell him instead of sunflower seeds. Minhyuk is definitely confused but he waves anyway, eyes following Jooheon’s white van until it disappears in the traffic. He’s not really surprised- Jooheon has always been like this, always in a hurry, always running around, always leaving a few sunflower seeds behind him. Minhyuk sees them too, right where he used to stand right next to him. He wonders if he keeps some in his pocket and if that pocket has holes in it, which would be adorable- more or less like the same primroses he saw earlier, the ones silently bathing in sunlight next to the bus stop. Now that Minhyuk can see them closer and better, he’s pretty sure they would look stunning among the glazed donuts they usually bake on Saturday. He picks a few at first, the most colourful and beautiful ones, but eventually he ends up collecting hundreds as his feet take him right on the other side of the road, where a dandelion greets him with its pale white petals and its emerald stem. Minhyuk doesn’t know what looks weirder- that single dandelion rising from a bunch of primroses or the fact that he’s literally stuffing his pockets with little flowers in the middle of the day. He’s about to cross the road once more, cheeks flaming red and that dandelion still in his hands, when he sees him- a lovely mess of lilac hair strands falling on his eyes and a bouquet made of roses and azaleas resting in his arms. Minhyuk doesn’t have to look at the green sign spelling ‘shin’s flower shop’ right above his head to guess that he must be a florist. The fact that he’s wearing a very ugly green apron tied around his waist and that there’s probably more dirt on his cheeks than in a vase says a lot, but Minhyuk stares and he stares back, and it’s a miracle if Minhyuk doesn’t get hit by a car in the meantime. Minhyuk bets he looks hideous right now, jam stains on his pants and at least a meter of black hair hair roots greeting the world, so he unconsciously tries to straigthen the fabric of his clothes with clumsy fingers as an amused smile starts to appear on the florist’s cherry lips. Nothing else happens, apart from him almost dying of a heart attack because of a car honking- he can still hear the florist’s light laugh echoing in his ears as he pushes the bakery door, breath stuck in his throat and knees made of jelly. Kihyun is still inside the oven when Minhyuk comes back, cleaning and brushing and cleaning and brushing, so the latter silently gets back to work. It’s not really his fault if his eyes shyly wander towards the flower shop, and it’s also not his fault if he stares at the florist some more while he’s kneading a massive piece of dough. The rest of the day feels like a blur, mostly because they spend an eternity cleaning the kitchen and the counter and the floor and the sidewalk and the walls and the windows and basically any flat surface Kihyun can spray detergent on. It’s slow and boring but it has to be done, so sometimes one of them puts on some music, a mix of 90’s songs and anime openings, and Kihyun never fails to mention that he totally was a singer in his past life or will be in his next (and Minhyuk finds himself agreeing every single time, mostly because he doesn’t want to get hit by whatever is in his boss’ hands). The bakery closes earlier than usual on Saturday, which is fantastic because this past week has been so busy that Minhyuk thinks his back is slowly turning into wood. He folds his apron with care, stuffing it deep down his bag along with his jacket and trousers. Kihyun does the same right after him, short fingers running through his pinkish hair in a poor attempt to style it and his car keys already resting on the counter. “Do you need a ride?” Kihyun asks after tossing his bag on the back seat. Minhyuk really likes Kihyun’s car- maybe because it’s black and expensive, or maybe because it’s cleaner than a hospital room, or perhaps because it always smells like candy and something else he can quite recall, but he ends up refusing anyway. They part ways when the sun is slowly starting to set, showering their skin with beautiful shades of orange and violet. Minhyuk shoves his hands in the pockets of his washed out jeans and starts walking towards the subway, soft shivers running down his spine as the chilly wind dances through his hair. He doesn’t want to think about what happened early- about how ridiculous he looked with primroses all over himself, about how he literally sprinted away without even saying hi, about how he almost dropped the dough on the floor when he was too busy staring at the flower shop through the window. He doesn’t even want to think about how ugly the tiramisù he made turned out, or even how silly he’s being by choosing another path just to avoid seeing the florist again, which turns out to be useless because life just doesn’t like Minhyuk and now he’s right in front of him- with the same lilac hair falling on his eyes and his ugly green apron, carrying a few vases back inside the shop. Minhyuk mentally slaps himself for not looking at the right street and basically ending up choosing the same old way he always chooses, but it’s probably too late to run to the other side of the road (again) so he just swallows a gallon of saliva and keeps on walking like he’s totally knowing what he’s doing. Except maybe he’s not. “Ah, wait a second!” Because obviously, obviously, the pretty florist has to come out just in time to see Minhyuk almost hurrying his way to the corner of the street- but again, life just doesn’t like him. Minhyuk seriously wonders if running away might be too impolite, but by the time he makes up his mind, the florist is already standing by his side- soft smile on his pink lips, round glasses resting on top of his head and a golden name tag shining under the remaining sun rays. “I have something for you, follow me.” So Minhyuk does. He doesn’t know why, but he does. He’d like to ask if that’s how he tricks his customers into buying flowers they probably don’t need, but as soon as he steps inside the shop, a beautiful mess of colors and scents makes him feel dizzy for a second. He kinda understands why customers might take so long to choose- Minhyuk himself can’t stop looking around, can’t stop brushing his fingertips over petals of all shapes and colors, can’t stop wondering how much time it takes to take care of every single plant. Minhyuk is still admiring a flower crown when the florist calls him over the counter, glasses now on the bridge of his nose and fingers busy folding thin pieces of paper. “I saw you were picking primroses this morning, so I thought you’d like these as well” he says while gathering a bunch of tiny pansies and daisies, wrapping them in red paper and sealing everything with a brown stapler. Minhyuk later walks out of the flower shop with the little bouquet in his right hand, cheeks burning bright and eyes too embarrassed to look at nothing else than the dirty sidewalk. He thanks Hoseok with a deep bow and he bows back, wishing him a great evening. Minhyuk totally doesn’t stop right behind the corner to smell those colourful gems, and he totally doesn’t get a little jealous over the fact that Hoseok owns a name as pretty as he looks. Later that night, when the stars gather themselves around the moon and the bouquet stares at him from his desk, Minhyuk falls asleep and dreams of tall dandelions and soft, lilac hair. ii. When life gives you strawberries, make strawberry millefeuille. Spring is a wonderful season until it’s Monday morning and it seems like it’s November all over again, with heavy raindrops hitting the street and thick grey clouds dancing in the sky. Minhyuk enters the coffee shop when it’s barely six am and his hair is already dripping wet, creating ugly stains on his light blue sweater- his favorite light blue sweater, too. He orders a cappuccino with extra sugar and extra milk and extra foam, not really caring if that’s gonna give him cavities because cavities are surely better than falling asleep on a custard pie and then shielding himself from Kihyun’s wrath with a lid. He plops down at the same table he chooses every morning, with the same menu resting on top and the same pieces of gum stuck underneath it. The shop itself isn’t pretty or fancy but it’s cozy and it feels like home, so Minhyuk doesn’t really mind if his cappuccino looks a little ugly- he knows it tastes good, and also looks aren’t everything in life, which is funny because his fingers fly to his hair to comb it as soon as he sees Hoseok’s little purple head at the counter. Hoseok sees him too and grins, latte held between his fingers and white hoodie completely dry. He hands a few coins to the barista and a second later he’s sitting right in front of Minhyuk, who’s still casually trying to hide himself behind the menu. “Good morning” Hoseok says with his stupid voice and his stupid face, fingers gently pulling the menu down. Minhyuk greets him with a small nod, the smallest nod in the world, because up close Hoseok looks like one of those paintings that are just too beautiful to be real so you just kinda stare- and Minhyuk would love to stare but staring would be impolite, so he tries to focus on his cappuccino instead. Hoseok doesn’t talk much but he’s friendly, if that makes sense. He rambles about the weather, about the flower shop, about the spring festival that everyone is so hyped about. The village is tiny and old, everyone knows everyone, so festivals are always a big deal- and a lot of work, since decorations don’t make themselves and food just doesn’t appear like magic, but spending time together is always heartwarming after all. Minhyuk realizes he has been doing nothing but looking at Hoseok for the whole time and now his cappuccino is frozen, which might be okay in summer but not today, so he just sets it aside and mentally bids goodbye to his only breakfast. “You don’t have an umbrella, do you?” Hoseok asks out of the blue, eyes looking at the small lake that Minhyuk’s wet hair slowly created on the table. “When I went out it wasn’t raining yet” Minhyuk explains shyly, trying to dry the wooden surface with a few disposable tissues. Hoseok simply nods quietly, standing up to throw his empty cup away. They both stand on the doorstep when the first thunder echoes in the sky, making Minhyuk flinch for a second- but then Hoseok opens his umbrella and holds it above them, not really caring about personal space. “Let’s go?” And that’s how Minhyuk ends up in front of the bakery with his hair a little bit drier and his heart a little warmer, his cheeks a bit redder and his soul a little bit happier. “So who’s that?” Kihyun inquires after they both wave at each other and Hoseok is about to disappear inside the flower shop. Minhyuk replies that he’s a friend- he doesn’t tell Kihyun that he literally met Hoseok the day before, that he felt something in his stomach when their fingers accidentally brushed against each other, that if he tries hard enough he can still smell his cologne, that the hamsters in his head slip into a coma everytime he sees him. Because that would be silly, Hoseok is just a friend- hell, he’s just an acquaintance. That evening, when the sky is clear and water puddles decorate sidewalks like polka dots, Minhyuk musters up the crumbles of courage he has left and steps inside the flower shop. Hoseok is standing next to an old lady, chatting about carnations and orchids, pointing at flower wreaths. She buys one of those, the biggest one, made of white roses and golden ribbons. She says she’ll surely come back, maybe with his daughter this time, and Hoseok spots Minhyuk right after she leaves. They don’t talk at first, and it’s weird how silence between them never seems to be embarrassing. Hoseok’s hands look rough, but they are gentle as they cut and trim and fold; Minhyuk wonders if he’s running too fast- he wonders if this is love at first sight, because maybe he’s in love for real, and everything suddenly feels silly and wrong for all the right reasons. He wonders if perhaps he’s getting sick, or maybe he should blame those flowers, even though he’s smart enough to understand that he should only blame himself. “Thanks for this morning” Minhyuk mumbles at some point, thoughts loud in his head and gaze dancing among a colourful bunch of tulips. Hoseok simply shrugs as his hand picks a sunflower from a vase near the geraniums, cutting its stem with a pair of scissors and then wrapping it in soft golden paper. Later, when Minhyuk stares at the sunflower on his kitchen table, he decides that Mondays aren’t so bad, even if they consist of storms and tasteless, frozen coffee. iii. When life gives you apricots, bake apricot croissants. Time sure runs fast when you develop feelings for someone who literally only knows your name and a few other details, like how much sugar you put in your cappuccino or your favorite milkshake flavour. It’s weird how their friendship started, but now Hoseok waits for him every single morning, right next to the old bus stop where they first met; they have breakfast together if they have enough time to actually sit down and chat for a few minutes, which happens rarely but still happens, and Minhyuk swears he’s the luckiest person in the world when Hoseok greets him at six am with his sleepy eyes and his sleepy voice. Minhyuk learns quickly that Hoseok likes his coffee sweet and borderline nauseating like a cake with too much whipped cream on top, which is just a detail on the list of reasons that makes him fall for him a little more everyday. On good days Minhyuk brings pieces of treats they didn’t sell the day before, mostly slices of apple pie and crunchy raisin cookies, and they eat them while sitting on the doorstep of the flower shop- icing sugar all around their lips and crumbles gathering in their laps. But it feels nice, and Hoseok always steals bits of Minhyuk’s treats in the end (because they taste like heaven, he says). They sometimes go to the local market on Sundays as well, if Minhyuk isn’t rotting in bed after a week spent baking and cleaning and baking and cleaning. Hoseok has a soft spot for fabrics and shiny pieces of paper and decorations and glitter and basically anything that he could use to make pretty bouquets and flower crowns- Minhyuk admires how his hands can give birth to such little masterpieces, and Hoseok always replies that his dad taught him all the secrets and tricks, and he does that with a smile so tender that makes Minhyuk want to melt on the spot. Minhyuk often buys spices and special kinds of flour, the ones Kihyun asks him to get, and Hoseok fills the silence with so many questions about cakes and baking in general that Minhyuk wonders if his throat will hurt by the time they part ways (but he ends up explaining everything he knows, which isn’t much but it’s enough, and it’s funny how his eyes keep trying to avoid Hoseok’s soft gaze- because it’s embarrassing, and those butterflies in his stomach make him want to throw up). A month isn’t much, but at some point it feels like they have known each other in their past lives too, and Minhyuk finds himself staring at the piece of fondant he’s moulding with scared, unfocused eyes. He asks himself if his feelings are valid- if he’s allowed to like Hoseok, if he’s not a weirdo, if this whole mess will tear their friendship apart. He asks himself if he’s being obvious or if he’s being dense, he asks himself if maybe he should start taking a few steps back, and his thoughts are so loud in his head that he wastes the entire night just staring at the ceiling. It’s the beginning of June when they accidentally meet at the laundromat next to the coffee shop. Minhyuk wishes he had chosen a better outfit instead of his pajama pants and a silly Iron Man sweatshirt, but his whole wardrobe is inside his bag and those were the last clean things his hand could grab, which feels pretty pathetic but that’s also a part of being an adult. Hoseok’s smile is as big as the moon and as bright as the sun, and Minhyuk starts to suspect his meals must consist of stars and stardust, but his eyes land on his bare arms and he can literally feel the first butterfly flying its way to his throat. Hoseok says he has to wash his green aprons and a few pair of jeans because dirt is worse than dust- it gets everywhere, and Minhyuk agrees, since he knows a thing or two about stained clothes. “It’s weird,” Hoseok mumbles while looking inside his paper bag, “I ordered a vanilla milkshake but they gave me two.” Minhyuk is folding his third t-shirt with so much anxiety that his fingers are about to turn it into confetti. “You don’t happen to like vanilla milkshake, do you?” There’s something in Hoseok’s voice that doesn’t feel quite sincere- but Minhyuk would kill for a vanilla milkshake, so he tries not to sound like a maniac when he replies that he absolutely adores it with every little cell of his body (even the dead ones). “You’re kidding?! What a crazy, random happenstance!” Hoseok exclaims while handing it to him, the tip of his ears slightly red and a proud smirk painted on his oh so pretty lips. That’s how they spend their Saturday night- sipping vanilla milkshakes at a laundromat, nostrils filled with a warm scent of fabric softener and a familiar noise echoing in the room. It’s not fancy or romantic but it’s not a date either, so it’s okay if they just end up talking about work and that spring festival and how ugly the posters on the wall look and about how fun could it would be if an ufo suddenly crashed on Earth. Minhyuk doesn’t want to get his hopes up but that’s hard, especially when Hoseok accompanies him home and it inevitably feels like a real date, with them sitting on a bench nearby because neither of them wants the night to end just yet. It’s two am when Minhyuk throws his house keys on the kitchen table and lets himself fall on the sofa, cheeks burning red and hair defying gravity. He runs his fingertips on the soft white narcissus Hoseok stole for him from someone’s private garden and sighs- that night he falls asleep like that, still dressed up and still holding his flower, and he dreams of bright pink peonies and warm, brown eyes. iv. When life gives you cherries, bake cherry tarts. June doesn’t start well. It starts with Kihyun aggressively spraying detergent on the marble table, lips pressed into a thin line and dark circles blacker than charcoal. It starts with hot, pouring rain, that kind of rain that makes your hair frizzy and your clothes humid. It starts with a sparkly beige envelope resting on the counter, a thick elegant card that Minhyuk reads it over and over and over until Kihyun gets so frustrated that sprays detergent on it as well. “I cannot believe my sister is getting marred” Kihyun’s lisp sounds angry and loud as he presses his beloved detergent to his chest. Minhyuk watches as his boss storms into the kitchen for the third time in a minute and follows him, eyes staring at hundreds of cake magazines scattered all over the floor. There are handwritten notes, drawings, diagrams- everything looks like a mess and Kihyun looks like one as well, with his mismatched uniform and a faint shadow of moustache decorating his face. He most likely didn’t get any sleep, drank coffee like water and skipped meals just to plan the whole cake- but he’s trying to stay positive, he loves his sister to death and he wants only the nicest things in the world for her, even if he hasn’t seen her in months (and the fact that she decided to get married in a tiny old village no one gives a fuck about is quite weird, but Minhyuk doesn’t ask and Kihyun is silently thankful for that). June doesn’t start well. Even though Hoseok often drops by to say hi at the end of the day, Minhyuk feels bad for not seeing him as often as he normally does- they don’t get breakfast anymore in the morning, since Minhyuk starts working earlier than usual; they don’t go on random little dates, the ones in which Hoseok’s fingers always find their way to touch Minhyuk ones, because Minhyuk is busy trying not to have a mental breakdown as customers’ orders multiply themselves day by day; they don’t go to the local market or waste their nights waking around empty hallways, but Hoseok says it’s okay, they will have plenty of time to catch up once the wedding is over. He brings flowers every single day, the ones he says remind him of Minhyuk the most, and it’s heartwarming how they look so soft and gracious. He brings white lilacs at first- their scent is so strong that it fills up the whole bakery. He brings moonflowers and gardenias, daisies and carnations, roses and plumerias, and then leaves with whatever sweet treat Minhyuk offers him. Sometimes it’s a slice of melon cheesecake, sometimes it’s a bunch of cookies covered in white chocolate and mint, and some other times it’s a muffin filled with maple syrup and pecans. When Kihyun finally notices how the bakery is slowly transforming itself into a garden and asks for some kind of explanations, Minhyuk just brushes it off by saying that Hoseok is just a very affectionate friend who has lots of love to give, and Kihyun’s eyes roll back so hard they almost get stuck. How could someone like him even feel the same way Minhyuk feels? He deserve so much more- not just a clumsy baker with questionable fashion choices and a few coins in his pockets. “Minhyuk, are you being serious? Do you give flowers to all your friends?” Kihyun’s words sound gentle and stern at the same time, but Minhyuk’s reply never comes. He keeps filling little tarts with a bunch of custard he just made, lower lip squeezed between his teeth and that funny feeling in his stomach slowly torturing him. He can’t remember the last time someone accepted his feelings because that never happened, not even in high school, and somehow it sounds too good to be true. Hoseok liking him, thinking about him everyday, comparing him to such pretty flowers- it’s just unrealistic. They drop that topic when the clock hits nine thirty and the bakery is finally ready to close. The sky is beautifully painted by dark shades of blue and violet, that kind of violet that reminds Minhyuk of those pansies Hoseok gave him when they first met. That evening Hoseok isn’t waiting for him- it’s way too late, but he leaves a bouquet of white tulips on the bakery’s doormat and Minhyuk feels his heart melt a little more as he picks it up. He goes home with his head heavy and his heart heavier, and he dreams of pale pink hibiscus and puffy, warm lips. v. When life gives you persimmons, make persimmon cheesecake. The evening before the big day, when Kihyun is busy angrily ironing his suit at home and the first stars start decorating the velvet sky, Minhyuk finds himself still face to face with the wedding cake, pieces of dusty pink fondant in his hands and a cup of hot coffee nearby. He thinks about Hoseok- like he has been doing for days, weeks, months, and carefully dips his paintbrush in a droplet of water to attach the flower to the base of the cake. His hair is still a mess, half black and half dyed, and his cheeks are stained with food colouring, but it’s late and the bakery is closed to the public, so why should he care? He’s cleaning his fingers with the hem of his apron when he gets a text from Hoseok, which is just an invite for a walk outside. He replies that it’s okay, he’s done anyway, but he doesn’t write that he would have accepted no matter what, even if the cake was half baked. Hoseok has a pale gardenia in his hands when they meet twenty minutes later. There’s a playground near that neighbourhood, and even though the air feels humid and smells like rain, they both decide to walk towards it. Minhyuk sighs, limbs heavy as the iron chains of the swing he’s sitting on keep screeching. Hoseok is sitting right next to him, lilac hair covered by a black snapback and a soft yet understanding smile painted on his face. He listens as Minhyuk talks about how he ruined two whole litres of cream because he whipped it for too long and it became butter, about how angry Kihyun got when he accidentally forgot a bunch of cookies in the oven, about how stressed he is because of his poorly styled hair. “If you want, I can dye it for you” Hoseok casually proposes as he wraps a blade of grass around his index finger. Minhyuk has tried to imagine how it would feel, to have Hoseok’s fingers buried deep through his hair- but now that he’s sitting cross legged on his bathroom floor, eyes not daring looking up from those shiny baby blue tiles and heart beating furiously in his chest, he wonders if maybe he should have declined his offer. When the clock hits midnight and he comes back home, Minhyuk lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He places the gardenia on his desk, right next to a bunch of other flowers, and tucks a strand of jet black hair behind his ear. That night, when Minhyuk’s nostrils are still filled with the smell of dye and Hoseok’s sweet cologne, he falls asleep and dreams of a warm breath hitting the back of his neck and kind, gentle fingers dancing in his hair. vi. When life gives you peaches, bake peach crostata. The next time Minhyuk finds himself in Hoseok’s small but comfortable flat, he’s sprawled on the bed- hair sticking to his forehead and thumb scrolling down his Facebook profile, sunlight creeping through thin orange curtains and the smell of coffee lingering in the air. Hoseok is right next to him, busy reading some kind of magazine with a bunch of plants on its cover, glasses on the tip of his nose and fingertips covered by tiny little bandaids. Hoseok laughs when Minhyuk complains about it being a long week, even though it’s a sunny Tuesday evening and they both have a hard weekend waiting for them. Eventually Hoseok starts chatting about this new amazing and wonderful magazine that he bought yesterday morning before opening the shop, which is just a guide to growing exotic flowers with some free seeds in it, and then Minhyuk talks about how much he wants to visit the seaside in August because he really needs a vacation, and they keep chatting and chatting and chatting until the coffee gets cold. “So did you meet anyone interesting at the wedding?” Hoseok casually asks, taking a sip from his Captain America mug. Minhyuk stares at his own relationship status on his profile before shaking his head negatively, expecting Hoseok to burst out laughing at any moment. He did meet some nice guys, one of them being Jooheon’s best friend, Hyunwoo- his shoulders were broad and his skin was gently kissed by the sun, his eyes were warmer than a bonfire and his voice was tender, but he wasn’t Hoseok- no one could be Hoseok. They spend the rest of the evening sharing a cup of ramen, one of the many cheap cups of ramen that live inside one of Hoseok’s cabinets, and when Minhyuk gathers his stuff to go home, Hoseok says goodbye with a baby blue iris. That night, after Minhyuk places his flower on the bedside table, he sends Hoseok a text- and then another one, and another one, and four more. [10:23] to: hoseok :^) i rlly like the flower. have a wonderful night and sweet dreams xx [10:25] to: hoseok :^) lets grab breakfast tmrw morning. my treat [10:25] to: hoseok :^) also. im kinda glad i didn’t find any1 interesting @ the wedding [10:28] to: hoseok :^) no 1 could b 2 anyway lol ur my #1 haha pls ignore that lol goodnight ily [10:29] to: hoseok :^) omfg forget that too [10:29] to: hoseok :^) wait no. i really lov you like [10:32] to: hoseok :^) anyway. GOODNIGHT 4 REAL this time [11:34] to: hoseok :^) i love you

Minhyuk spends the rest of the night staring at his ceiling, eyelids sticky with sleep and fingers playing with the hem of his bedsheets. He listens as his heart beats furiously in his chest, fast and loud like a rocket, until the sun slowly starts painting his room with its tender shades of orange and the phone screen lights up after hours of being still- and that’s when Minhyuk can finally fall asleep, cheeks warm and heart at peace. [05:45] from: hoseok :^) breakfast sounds amazing im starving alrEADY orz lets go to the golden fields this sunday [05:46] from: hoseok :^) also. im glad u didnt find any1 interesting @ the wedding. id be jealous [05:46] from: hoseok :^) ps. i love you too vii. When life gives you bananas, bake banana bread. The bakery is always quiet on Mondays. Summer sometimes seems to last forever, with its suffocating warmth and its bright colors, with its short nights and its never ending days. Minhyuk’s hair is getting long, black shiny bangs falling on his eyes, and he sighs as he wipes his sweaty forehead with the sleeve of his double-breasted jacket. The thought of getting a haircut always stays in the back of his head, but every month is just never the right month, and then there are priorities, and he’s always busy with work- and suddenly it’s winter and it’s freezing all over again. Kihyun is filling éclairs next to him, his trusty pastry bag squeezed in his right hand and a freshly ironed apron tied tightly around his waist. He asks about Hoseok- about their relationship, about why the hell they aren’t together yet, about the absurd quantity of roses that now decorate the counter. Minhyuk keeps kneading the dough he has been kneading since 2007, fingers stuck in a sticky mess of flour and eggs and mind busy not thinking about the butterflies in his tummy- he promises he’s gonna confess, not now but soon, and Kihyun walks away while shaking his head. Minhyuk is really planning his confession, though. Maybe he does stand a chance, he thinks as he walks towards the flower shop on a hot Saturday evening, a bag filled with little treats and his new shoes shining under the sunlight (they weren’t on sale so he was reluctant at first, but he was sure that Hoseok would have liked them, so Kihyun bought them for him since he kinda felt bad). “Wanna go somewhere?” Hoseok suggests after tucking the shop keys inside the pocket of his washed out jeans. Minhyuk just nods, trying to ignore the fact that Hoseok sounds anxious- sad, too. He doesn’t like this feeling, he doesn’t like it at all, and he likes it even less when Hoseok says he has news to tell. Hoseok talks slowly but his words are messy, unsure, trembling. They are sitting near the river when Minhyuk hears his heart slowly breaking, piece after piece, watching it drown into the river’s clear water. Hoseok’s hand gently cups Minhyuk’s cheek when he says he has to leave for a while. Minhyuk stops listening almost right away, already feeling the first butterfly in his stomach slowly dying. He assures him that it’s okay though, friendships don’t just end because of distance, and they could call or send texts and maybe video chat too, if they miss each other. “I had something to tell you, too” Minhyuk manages to mutter, not really sure if his confession was even worth it at this point. “I know.” Minhyuk realizes he’s crying only when Hoseok’s thumb gently wipes a teardrop away from his cheek, and he bets he probably looks silly with his red face and runny nose and trembling lips, but the next thing he knows is that Hoseok is holding him tight against his chest and suddenly everything hits him like a truck. Minhyuk cries, obviously. He cries until his throat is sore and his vision gets blurry. He feels safe in Hoseok’s arms- and the fact that he probably won’t feel like that for a long time makes him want to throw up. Hoseok kisses him for the first time when it’s dark and the river is quiet. Minhyuk’s fingers gently tangles themselves in his lilac hair, pulling and pulling and pulling like they are not close enough- and then it’s time to go, it’s midnight, and Minhyuk holds Hoseok’s hand until they are in front of his house. They have a few more days before Hoseok’s departure, and it’s alright if they just spend them doing nothing, simply enjoying each other’s company. Hoseok talks about his mother, his family, the reason he has to leave, and Minhyuk understands, he would have done the same for his parents. There’s a grateful smile on Hoseok’s lips, and Minhyuk feels a little less sad. On their last night together, Hoseok says goodbye with a single dandelion he picked near the sidewalk. It’s nothing special, but he promises he will be back soon, and Minhyuk begs him to kiss him again- so Hoseok does, and Minhyuk sheds bitter tears when he watches Hoseok’s back getting smaller and smaller. viii. When life gives you pineapples, bake pineapple bars. It’s hard at first, to live without someone’s presence. The clouds look a little greyer, the stars don’t shine much, nights feel restless, breakfast becomes tasteless- but then it becomes a routine, and things feel normal again. Both Minhyuk and Hoseok are busy with work, but they always find some time to call each other. Hoseok talks about his hometown, he says a lot of things changed since his parents got divorced, streets are wider and trees greener, and Minhyuk still complains about Kihyun being a clean freak. Their relationship might be young but it’s still beautiful, and every single time Hoseok says i love you, Minhyuk feels those damn butterflies just spinning in his stomach. Time flies when a relationship gets steady- calls get shorter, texts get fewer. On Christmas, two years after Hoseok’s departure, Hoseok sounds weird again- he says things are getting really well, work is wonderful, he missed home so much, and maybe, just maybe, he might decide to stay. Minhyuk sounds cheerful on the other line, he’s happy for his boyfriend, he only wants the best for him, but when the call ends Minhyuk feels his vision getting blurry again and he understands that he’s losing Hoseok. “He’ll come back” Kihyun assures Minhyuk after patting his shoulder, stains of cocoa powder all over his cheeks and apron. But Hoseok calls in February and he says he really wants to stay, even though he’s still not completely sure about it- and Minhyuk finds himself agreeing, as long as he’s happy. ix. When life gives you oranges, make orange parfait. Minhyuk finds himself staring at Hoseok’s old flower shop on his way to work. It’s been years and yet it still looks so damn pretty, with its white door and its soft beige doormat. He remembers Hoseok’s ugly green apron, and smiles to himself- it seemed a little too beautiful to be real. But he still leaves a little piece of cheesecake on the doormat, because maybe that will bring Hoseok back. x. When life gives you lemons, bake lemon madeleines. Minhyuk realizes it’s not winter anymore when his eyes land on a bunch of pale yellow primroses rising from a cracked sidewalk, right next to the bus stop. He can’t see much from the windowsill where he put a bunch of vanilla cookies to cool off but they look pretty indeed, and for a second he’s tempted to go out and grab a few- and he does, when Kihyun is too busy talking with Jooheon about those apples that he loves so much. March is a wonderful month for flowers, he finds himself thinking as he fills his pockets with tiny pretty flowers. There’s a weird dandelion growing among them, and Minhyuk picks that as well, because the more the better, right? “Ah, wait a second!” Minhyuk turns his head towards that voice, dandelion still held between his fingers. His eyes meet a beautiful mess of soft lilac hair, the same lilac hair he fell in love with two years ago- and that same old green apron, glasses on the tip of his nose and a bunch of red roses in his arms. He suddenly feels something weird in his stomach, and when Hoseok’s pink pouty lips turn into a smile, MInhyuk feels the first butterfly flying his way to his throat. “I have something for you, follow me.” And for the second time, Minhyuk does.