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The sign hanging above the door to the shop beckons Jun closer, guiding his feet almost subconsciously to cross the street. As if in a trance, he finds himself suddenly standing in front of the large windows at the front of the shop displaying plants of all different kinds and one, very large, cat tree. The window is so full it’s nearly impossible to see into the rest of the shop save for some soft light. Intrigued by what he’s come across, Jun takes a glance up at the sign again before heading inside.
Basil’s Emporium.
Inside, the shop is almost overflowing with nature. Had there not been lights on and a few other people inside, it would have been easy to assume that the shop had been abandoned for centuries and nature was taking back what she lost. Ivy hung from the ceiling supported by a few wooden beams, and various floral arrangements and bunches in vases sat on tables set around the space. It looked like a pretty big shop from the outside, but somehow the owner had managed to make it feel cozy.
Jun stops in his tracks the minute his eyes catch on the man standing behind the counter. He was talking to another customer, his melodic voice floating over and settling around Jun like fog. He watched as the man carefully set a potted fern into a paper bag, folding it over with skilled fingers and… were those tattoos on his arms? The man reaching behind him to grab some twine reveals that yes, black ink swirled around his forearms as ivy similar to that in the shop. Despite being so bold against his skin, the tattoos were delicate, and Jun swears he sees a few of them shift and wave to him.
He’s still staring when the customer leaves, and he finds himself looking directly into the man’s eyes. Even though he caught someone, a stranger, staring at him, the man still gives him a gentle smile, his dark eyes twinkling as he leans forward on the counter.
“Hi, can I help you?”
Jun’s tongue feels cemented to the roof of his mouth as he tries to answer, words tumbling over each other as he tries to take in everything, “Um, I- uh, just browsing.”
The man’s face lights up, “Is this your first time in? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.” He waits for Jun to nod before standing up straight, “Welcome to Basil’s Emporium then. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”
Jun’s about to correct him, saying that he wasn’t actually looking for anything, but something stops him. He looks down to see a large grey and white cat rubbing against his leg. The cat looks up at him and meows as it circles back to standing in front of him, wrapping its tail around his calf.
“Wow,” the man says, coming around the counter, “He likes you, I’ve never seen Basil interact with the customers first.” The cat meows again at the attention, butting his head against Jun’s leg.
“Basil? So then you’re…?”
“Joshua. I run the shop but Basil here owns it,” he chuckles, bending down and extending his hand out toward the cat. Basil trots over to him, rubbing his chin against Joshua’s fingers before turning and going over to the cat tree in the window, settling down on the highest platform. “Since he’s decided to watch over the shop, I can show you around, if you want.”
Jun finds himself following Joshua around the store, listening to him talk about all of the plants like he knew them personally. It was enchanting, watching Joshua’s eyes light up every time they came up to a new display and hearing the stories he told about each plant: where he got it from, what its light and soil preferences were, how it didn’t get along with another plant, etc. He talked about his entire inventory as if he knew them personally, and something about his dedication was so endearing to Jun, it started to make something stir in his chest.
He’s not entirely sure what happens. One minute he was listening to Joshua describe his love of lilies, and the next he’s holding Joshua’s face in his hands, their lips pressed together and leaning back against a plant stand for support. When he comes back to his senses, Jun jumps back quickly, his hands flying up to his lips.
“Oh my god, I am so sorry, I don’t know what came over me, I didn’t mean to suddenly just-”
To his surprise, Joshua laughs, his cheeks tinted pink and his lips a deep red, “It’s alright, the shop has that effect on people sometimes.” He goes to push his sleeves up and Jun takes notice of the vines again, and this time he knows they move, One wraps itself around Joshua’s wrist, the leaf coming to rest just under his thumb.
“We keep the… special plants in the back if you want to see them.” Joshua’s closed the distance between them again, his hand reaching out to brush against Jun’s, their fingertips barely touching, enough to make a shiver run down his spine.
It feels like time slows down after Jun nods, allowing Joshua to take his hand and lead them through the maze of dark green to a door near the back. It looks plain from the outside but Jun can feel a powerful force permeating from just beyond, and electricity runs through him again when Joshua opens the door. Where there was soft yellow light in the shop and sunlight coming through the windows, the back room is lit mostly by candles and a single vintage lamp. Ivy hangs from the ceiling here too, but unlike the shop, the vines have scaled the wall. They’re also not the emerald green color, but something darker, almost black like the ink along Joshua’s arms. Jun takes a deep breath, a little overwhelmed by the ambiance of the room until Joshua pulls him further in, over to a chaise he hadn’t noticed when they came in.
“Wow,” is all he whispers, taking a seat and looking around. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Joshua take a seat next to him, their hands still intertwined. It’s a welcome comfort in the midst of everything else.
“I haven’t brought anyone else back here before,” Joshua says in a low voice. They’re quiet for a few moments before he speaks up again, “This is awkward, but I never got your name.”
For the first time since coming in, Jun feels a little clarity shine through the fog in his mind. He giggles, hiding his mouth behind his hand in a nervous habit. “It’s Jun.”
“Well, Jun, what really brought you into the shop today?”
He takes a moment to think, but there’s nothing in particular that comes to mind. So, he tells the truth, “I was just sort of… drawn to it, I guess. I walk by here all the time and I never noticed the shop before. Something about today was just… different.”
Joshua hums, nodding slightly before looking down at his hands. Jun is about to try to continue the conversation when suddenly Joshua is hovering above him, straddling his hips and gripping onto his shoulders. It’s an unexpected change, but not unwelcome, especially when his own hands seem to fit perfectly around Joshua’s waist.
“Is this ok?” The man whispers, so close to Jun’s ear that he can feel Joshua’s lips brush over the sensitive skin there. He shivers, causing Joshua to grin, pleased with himself, “I’ll need an actual answer.”
Jun swallows, nodding his head before croaking out a quiet, “Yes.” He watches Joshua shift a little, adjusting to rest comfortably on Jun’s lap so that their hips are pressed against each other. Jun hadn’t noticed how he was starting to harden in his jeans until he can feel Joshua against him, equally as affected. The man leans forward to press their lips together again, melting into Jun’s lap with every passing second. It’s only subconsciously that Jun feels his hands being pulled away from Joshua’s waist, thinking nothing of it until the pressure around his wrists tightens and he opens his eyes.
“Josh, too tight.” He hears a little gasp and watches Joshua lean back, his eyes flicking down to Jun’s wrist with worry glazing over his eyes. Jun turns his head to look too and what he finds are vines, the same draped around the whole room, wrapped around his wrists, pinning them back against the couch. With a roll of Joshua’s wrist, they loosen, creeping back but not retreating completely.
“I’m sorry,” Joshua mumbles, his eyes shifting to the floor, “They uh… have a mind of their own sometimes.”
He’s about to ask the other man for clarification, not really understanding anything when Jun sees a small piece of the vine in Joshua’s tattoo curl around his forearm. One of the vines on the couch follows suit, approaching Jun again and wrapping around his wrist, much lighter than before. He slowly lifts his arm, trying not to disturb the plant too much, taking in the smooth feeling against his skin. Joshua is watching him with caution in his gaze, looking like he’s ready to get up and bolt at any moment. As the vine tightens its grip around him, Jun feels his dick twitch with interest, and judging by the sudden change in Joshua’s expression, he feels it too.
“It’s ok…” Jun finally settles on, tearing his eyes away from the vine to look up at Joshua, pulling him closer by the chin with the hand not being restrained, “Just be gentle.”
Joshua nods quickly, grinding his hips down again in an effort not to waste another second. Jun’s head falls back on its own, finding himself overwhelmed by finally being touched by the gorgeous boy. There’s another light pressure on his opposite wrist and he lets himself be positioned with ease, another vine pinning his hands back. Like this, he feels fully exposed, at Joshua’s mercy for whatever he wants to do.
The added stimulation from the vines adds another element to the cloud of need swirling around Jun’s head. Joshua has barely begun to undo his jeans when Jun lets his head fall back against the chaise with a sigh, feeling yet another vine begin to snake its way around his waist, prodding at the end of his shirt. When his pants are slid down to his ankles, both Joshua and the vine have access to the skin beneath- hands beginning to explore the curve of Jun’s hipbones while the plant climbs higher, trailing up his chest until they curl into his collarbones. A small, delicate leaf brushes against his nipple and Jun keens, pushing up into Joshua’s touch.
“P-please,” he stutters, squeezing his eyes shut, “Need… more, please Joshua.”
“Easy, petal,” Joshua runs one hand down his chest, brushing over the same nipple as the vine. His other hand dips below Jun’s boxers, watching his face for any discomfort. When he pushes into Joshua’s touch in return, Jun finally gets the pressure he’s been craving as Joshua wraps a hand around his length and gives a slow, steady pull. He nearly melts then and there.
Too busy focusing on the way Joshua has picked up a slow but steady pace with his hand, Jun is hit suddenly by the feeling of another vine creeping up his chest and settling against the other nipple. As if belonging to another set of hands, the vines work together to flick against him at the same time, moving to the same rhythm as how Joshua is stroking him. And just as he wishes for something in his mouth, another vine is there, prodding at his lips to get him to open up. While he would have preferred Joshua’s fingers, Jun obeys anyway, allowing the plant in. As he begins to suck on the vine, Jun notices a sweet, sticky substance washing over his tongue. He’s not quite sure what it is, it’s much sweeter than the drinks his friends buy for him at bars or how he takes his coffee, but he can’t get enough. The more he pulls into his mouth, the lighter he feels, and the warmth in his stomach grows. He barely notices Joshua’s hand is softer against him now, slick with the vine’s sap.
Jun doesn’t even notice how close he is until he’s teetering right on the edge, the sensation crashing over him like a tidal wave. He arches up with a loud moan, feeling the vines around his wrist tighten to keep him pinned to the chair. Joshua is murmuring soft encouragement and praise into his ear, pressing light kisses to his neck and nipping every so often. He’s been grinning at Jun’s whines this entire time, and yet he’s so careful with the boy underneath him, leading him through passion blind until he reaches the end. Tilting his head back with a cry, Jun feels every sensation at once: Joshua’s hand, the vines wrapped around his nipples, the pressure against his tongue, before he cums, spilling into Joshua’s hand and onto his own stomach.
Joshua is there immediately to comfort and to praise him, as expected. Once the aftershocks of Jun’s orgasm have simmered to a pleasant buzz, he lets go of Jun’s cock, sucking the cum off of his fingers before leaning forward to rest against him. He’s quick to brush the hair out of Jun’s face, kiss his nose, his cheeks, his lips, whispering sweet nothings against his skin. The vines have retreated back to their place on the wall as if they weren’t just pinning Jun down. He knows they did, though, from the little red marks around his wrist.
“Wow,” Jun finally says, sighing with a little laugh, “that was… unexpected.”
Joshua swallows, burying his face in Jun’s neck, “Bad unexpected?”
“No, actually, that was amazing.” When Joshua pulls back, Jun is quick to hold his face in his hands, bumping their noses together before giving him a proper kiss, “Unbelievable, really.”
Suddenly, Joshua seems shy, a shadow of the confident vine-bender he was mere moments ago. This time it’s his turn to whine, trying to turn out of Jun’s hold to hide his face again. Jun doesn’t let him, though, quickly changing his grip to be on Joshua’s waist, guiding him down to brush his own hard length against Jun’s thigh.
“Have you ever used them on yourself?” The look on Joshua’s face gives him the answer, no words needed. “Well, maybe they can help me take care of you, then.”