Chapter Text
Junseo loved his job. Sure, there were unpleasant customers, and his business wasn't immune to mishaps, but how could he not love being surrounded by something he deeply enjoyed?
Junseo loved flowers, their shapes, their colors, the smells. But what he loved most was the meanings behind them, how weaving together just the right flowers could speak volumes, whispered words that set the mood for whoever ordered them.
Today was no different. It was the fourth bouquet he had worked on that morning, carefully weaving in the baby's breath as a finishing touch. Yet another wedding piece - but that was to be expected. They were slowly coming off of their busy season. Weddings and proposals all needed to be dressed with flowers, and everyone seemed to want them from Junseo’s little shop.
“There we are,” Junseo made sure the ribbon was neatly tightened around the stems, before he carefully put it away with the rest of the order. “Seowon, do we have any left for the wedding batch?”
Seowon poked his head up from his station. “Nope!” He answered, grinning from ear to ear. “Luckily that was the last one, she should be here by three to pick them up.” He made sure to explain.
The latter nodded in return before he turned towards the clock. It had just hit noon, meaning they still had time to work before stopping to help load everything up. “That's fine then. What's the next order on the list?”
“That one on the cart. I already have everything set up if you want to take it!” Seowon hummed as he returned to his arrangement.
Junseo grabbed the cart and pulled it over to his station. Something small should be easy enough. And - oh? A delivery slip caught his eye. It was - for the store next door? Junseo nearly thought it was a delivery error, but no. The location was the same as theirs, only the building number was the one beside theirs. He couldn't remember interacting with them before, but at least it would be easier than getting in his car. What was the occasion, he wondered. But as he carefully pulled back the protective cloth on the flowers he realized. “Oh..” he said aloud.
Seowon looked over. His smile faltered. “Yeah…it's been a while since we've got one of those. But hey, at least people still trust us with them, right?” He chuckled sheepishly in an attempt to look on the bright side.
“Yeah,” Junseo shot a smile at the latter before turning his attention back to the flowers. He picked up the lilies, their white petals were definitely a stark contrast to the multitude of colors in the room. He dressed them with a bit of greenery to help the piece feel fuller, before he started to add in the white orchids. An honor of life, a promise to never forget the person they lost. The person next door was a stranger - but that didn't make Junseo feel any less bad. They worked side by side, and yet they were living entirely different lives. He was thriving, all while they were suffering with grief. Should he bring them something else to say ‘sorry for your loss’? No, certainty that would be unprofessional, but dropping off the flowers and running seemed heartless too.
Junseo had been so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't realize the bouquet was done until he found himself reaching for the protective film. He blinked once, twice - he really needed to stop working on autopilot before he messed something up. But regardless he wrapped the flowers and secured them with their signature bow. The piece was beautiful just like every other bouquet, but the weight it held kept Junseo from smiling. Sure, funeral pieces weren’t rare, but something about this one made Junseo feel bad.
“I'll drop this one off so we can mark it off the list.” Junseo spoke up, breaking the silence between the two. “Think you can hold down the fort for a few minutes?”
Seowon smiled again. He always managed to, even on his worst days, it honestly impressed Junseo. “I'm pretty sure the flowers aren't going anywhere, so you can take your time.” He answered sweetly before returning to his work.
That was all Junseo needed to hear. He made sure to wipe off any remaining flower-water on his apron before picking up the piece and heading towards the door. The sunlight was a little jarring since his prep station was towards the back, but luckily he was able to quickly dip into the store on his right so he wasn't blinded for long.
“Welcome in.” A disembodied voice spoke up when the bell on the door announced Junseo’s arrival. “If you need anything let me know, but the graphic novels are buy two get one free if you're looking for a new read.”
Junseo looked around the small space - but there was no one to be seen. It was just the shelves of products, a small display of figurines and blind boxes, and a desk towards the back. His brows furrowed the more he looked around. “Oh, uhm…I'm sorry I'm not a customer. I'm here to drop off a delivery?”
“You can drop the boxes by the front. I'll grab them in a bit.”
“A more…personal delivery?” Junseo corrected himself.
There was a long pause between the two, the only sound being the music faintly playing from the overhead speaker. Finally, finally, the man stepped out. He looked to be around Junseo’s age, same height, undeniably attractive, but what shocked Junseo the most was how tired he looked. Dark bags hung underneath his eyes, leaving them looking sunken in. He was also sickly pale, and his hair looked like it hadn't been brushed out in days. “Sorry.” He spoke up, putting on the fakest smile Junseo had ever seen. “I wasn't expecting you to come so early. I can take those.” He continued before holding his hands out for the bouquet.
For some reason, Junseo froze. He needed to hand the flowers over, but his arms wouldn't move. Instead, all he could do was stare at this stranger with saddened sympathy. “I'm sorry for your loss.” He spoke up, his voice cracking on the words.
The other man had a blank expression. No tears, no anger, nothing - just - emptiness. “It's alright.” He spoke up, his hands securing around the bouquet to pluck it from Junseo’s hold. “It's how the world works. People die to make way for the next one. I can't mope about it.” He took in a deep breath, one that made Junseo fear he was going to shout at him, but no - “did I need to sign anything?”
The latter suddenly looked a little flustered as he felt around in his apron pockets. “Uh - yes - sorry if you don't mind.” It took a second, but he eventually managed to pull out the paper along with a pen. “If you could just sign this and put the date, please.”
The man took them without question. He made his way over to the desk, and Junseo couldn't help but quietly follow. He set the bouquet aside to free his hands, and as he signed for the delivery Junseo couldn't hide his awed expression. The man's signature was beautiful - it was smooth and precise, unlike other clients who scribbled on the paper before throwing it back.
“Thank you.” The man spoke as he handed the slip and pen back. “I appreciate the quickness.”
Junseo wanted to reply, but he couldn't seem to form a sentence. All the words he wanted to say jumbled into one big ball of nonsense. So instead, he nodded. “Have a nice day.” He eventually managed and smiled in return before he made his way towards the door.
“Stay safe.” The latter replied as Junseo made his way out of the store. As soon as the door closed behind him, he felt like he could properly breathe for the first time since he stepped inside. Gone was the gloomy atmosphere, and instead Junseo was faced with the brightness of the world around him.
But still, he couldn't seem to get the comic book shop guy out of his mind. The interaction was so short, and yet it somehow left a lasting impression on Junseo. But he had a job to do, he couldn't let wandering thoughts take over. So he shook the exchange off and made his way back to the flower shop.
As soon as the door chimed he saw Seowon perk up. “Sooo, who’s the mysterious guy working the shop next door?” He asked in a playful tone.
“A corpse?” Junseo didn't mean for it to come out as a question, but when imagining the man next door all he could think about was how dead he looked.
“Are you saying you delivered flowers to the deceased?!” Seowon shouted, his eyes wide with fright.
Junseo looked startled. Maybe he should've used a better word than that. “No, no he was very much alive.” He chuckled sheepishly, watching as Seowon slowly settled back down in his chair. “He just seemed tired. And I can understand why, seeing as he just lost someone. He seems decent though, and before you ask -”
Seowon, who already had his lips parted to blurt the question, quickly closed his mouth and looked away out of embarrassment.
“Yes, he is handsome.” Junseo finished with a chuckle. “But I highly doubt he'd be interested in anything like that right now.” He shrugged before making his way over to the computer at the checkout desk. “You two probably wouldn't have anything to talk about anyway. I don't think I've heard you talk about a single comic since I met you.”
Seowon poked his bottom lip out when he turned to look at Junseo. “I know about comics!” He snapped back.
Junseo kept his focus on the order log as he responded. “Really? Name one super hero.”
“Easy!” Seowon crossed his arms over his chest with a smug look on his face. “Batman.”
“Uh huh…” Junseo finally glanced up at the latter. “So what's his real name?”
Seowon lost all confidence just as soon as he gained it. “Batman has a real name…?” He muttered, both in shock and defeat.
“And my point has been proven!” Junseo happily announced as he made his way to the printer to collect the new order slips. “Nice try though.”
“Jerk.” Seowon grumbled, slouching down in his chair as he grabbed his cup of tea to sip and sulk.
Junseo simply laughed as he returned to his work station. This was what he needed. Getting lost in his craft, blending together an array of flowers to capture a silent story. There was no feeling of guilt, there was no comic book store guy, there was nothing besides Junseo and what he loved most.
It's what got him through his shift, and the one after that, and the one after that. By the time a few days had passed the interaction had quickly moved into the back of his mind. Junseo quickly went back to focusing on his own life, his own responsibilities, his own emotions. Besides, why would one simple bouquet shake him up that bad to begin with?
His usual morning walk to the shop was quiet like usual. It was to be expected, this part of town didn't get busy until the afternoon anyway. But Junseo always liked showing up early and knocking out as many orders as he could.
Everything was the same. The birds were singing their usual songs, the dog from the nearby apartments was barking at him like clockwork, and the air had a slight bitterness as they drew further and further into autumn.
As Junseo approached the shop he fished his keys out of his pocket, but to his surprise he didn't need them. When he neared the front door he saw that it was slightly ajar - did Seowon forget to close it last night? That had to be the case, right? Why would anyone want to rob a flower shop?
Still, Junseo opened the door with caution. If someone did break in he didn't want to risk a fight if they were still there. As he made his way through the front he noticed a few things out of place - the fake flowers he had neatly arranged in a display were scattered, and a vase from one of the higher shelves was shattered on the ground by the back room.
The further Junseo went, the quicker his heart began to beat.
“Seowon??” He called out, sliding one of the vases over so that he'd have at least something to fight back with. Seowon didn't answer. Not a word was said in return, but Junseo did hear rustling from the back room. Despite his fears rising, he couldn't let anything bad happen to his shop. It was all he had. So, after taking a few deep breaths, he pushed open the swinging door and charged inside.
The vase was held high, but he never laid the blow. In fact, there was nobody there in the first place. There was nowhere for them to hide, and Junseo would've heard the alarm if they had pushed open the emergency door. So what was the sound? The window wasn't open, so the wind couldn't have caused any noise. Nothing was out of place at first glance either. What was going on??
Junseo got his answer pretty fast. He heard the slide of metal, and he whipped around just in time to watch the pen holder drop from the desk and clatter on the floor. It was startling at first, but at least he caught the culprit red handed.
Well, red pawed.
‘mrrow’
The cat stared up at Junseo with its big round eyes, its fluffy white tail swatting the delivery papers all across the desktop. But Junseo didn't care, all he could feel was relief as he sighed and set the vase down. “Hello little one.” He cooed as he approached the feline. He heard a soft ‘meow’ of acknowledgment as the creature padded forward to accept the outstretched hand to rub against. Junseo couldn't help but smile as he petted the cat. Sure, this little creature caused a bit of damage to the shop, but he couldn't blame them. They probably got stuck and didn't know how to get out, being trapped would send anybody into a panic.
Junseo scratched lower and lower until he was able to grab ahold of the tag. “Tiramisu, huh?” He chuckled as he read off the name on the collar. “You definitely look like one, sweet and fluffy.” He proceeded to hum as he flipped the tag over to read the information on the back. “Jo Gyehyeon, Jo’s comics and collectibles -”
He paused. The name clicked into place fast. How could it not? He passed the signage for it almost every day.
“You're comic book guy’s??” Junseo asked as if the cat could answer.
‘mrrrow’
Junseo found himself staring at Tiramisu in awe. “So he's a cat guy…noted.” He thought aloud, before he gently scooped the cat up. Luckily they went without a fight. In fact, they even purred and leaned their nose up to sniff the man’s cheek. “Let's get you back home before your owner starts to worry, alright?”
Junseo made his way out of the shop, ignoring the broken glass and scattered fake flowers as he went. They still had some time before they opened, he'd make sure things got cleaned up in time.
He tried his best to shield Tiramisu from the cold as he stepped over to the neighboring store. As expected, the door was locked, but Junseo saw the faint glow of a light in the back room. He knocked once, but nobody came. Twice, but he was still met with silence. But when he reached his hand up to try for the third time he noticed the sticker plastered by the door.
It was standard business information, when they opened - when they closed - but what caught Junseo's attention was the store number listed near the bottom. He was careful not to jostle the poor cat too much as he took out his phone, and after a bit of tapping he placed his device up to his ear as he listened for the call to pick up.
‘Jo’s comics and collectibles, this is Gyehyeon speaking.’
“Uhm, hi. This is Junseo." Junseo nearly stumbled over his words. Honestly, he didn't think what to say. 'Hey, your cat broke into my store, do you want her back?’. “I have a…delivery?”
There was a sigh on the other end of the line. 'Packages can be left at the front, I left that in the drop off instructions.'
“Well you see…” Junseo looked down at Tiramisu. “It's more of a…personal delivery??”
‘meowww’ the feline spoke as they pawed at the phone to get Junseo to pet them again.
There was a gasp on the other end, before the call suddenly went dead. Junseo pulled the phone away out of confusion, but before he could question it he saw the man rushing to the front to unlock the door.
“Misu.” The man, Gyehyeon, sighed in relief as he scooped the cat up from Junseo’s hold. The kitty let out a small noise in return, before lovingly nudging their head against his cheek. “I thought you decided to leave too…”
Junseo smiled softly at the sight. He certainly looked a lot more lively than the last time they met, and seeing him treat the feline so gently had a fluttering feeling stirring in Junseo’s gut. “My work partner forgot to lock the door, apparently, so when I came in this morning to get ready for opening I found her running about.”
Gyehyeon’s look of relief suddenly fell. “She…she was in the flower shop?? Did she -”
“Oh, no no!” Junseo was quick to interject. “All of our displays are fake, that way guests have an idea of what we offer without having to constantly switch them out. All of the real flowers are kept in contained areas to preserve their freshness, so the only damage this cutie dealt was knocking a few things over.” He assured.
The worry seemed to fade and Gyehyeon nodded. “That's a relief then…she didn't cause any damage, did she? I can pay for the cost if needed.”
Junseo thought back to the interior of the shop. The broken glass and displays that had been used as a scratch toy. It wouldn't cost a lot to replace, so he smiled and shook his head at the question. “Just bumped a few things as she was adventuring, no harm was done. I couldn't stay mad at a curious kitty.” He chuckled.
At first Gyehyeon didn't look so sure, but after a short pause he nodded. “Thank you. I had been looking for her all morning. In fact you caught me in the middle of trying to make posters…” he managed a smile, but it seemed pained. “How can I repay you for this?”
“Oh, no payment is needed.” Junseo replied. “I'm just happy she ended up in my shop so that I could get her back home. She's too cute to be out on the streets.” He cooed as he reached his hand over to pet the cat. But as he did, Tiramisu suddenly wasn't so friendly anymore. She swung her paw up to scratch him, a silent hiss following suit as soon as Junseo yanked his hand back. “Ah -!”
Gyehyeon’s eyes widened in shock. “Misu!!” He was quick to step back to keep her a distance from Junseo. “I'm so sorry - she’s usually friendly, I don't know -”
Junseo covered up the cut on his hand with his other palm. “It's alright, really! I was a little quick with my movement, I probably just startled her, that's all. My apologies.” He replied with an awkward smile.
“You don't need to apologize.” Gyehyeon assured. “I'll go grab the first aid, hold on.”
“You don't -” was all Junseo got out before Gyehyeon rushed back inside. He was talking to the cat and waving his finger at her accusatorily, but after a few short seconds he kissed her on the top of her head and put her down on the ground. Junseo watched. He could've went back to his own store and cleaned it up, but instead he stood there until Gyehyeon flicked on the main lights and carried a small container over to the door.
“Come in. You'll catch a cold if you stand out there any longer.”
And that was how Junseo found himself sitting at the desk in the front of the store. Gyehyeon was holding onto his wrist to steady his hand, the skin covered by his jacket to avoid direct contact. “Luckily it isn't deep.” He assured as he dabbed away the droplets of blood with a cotton swab.
“It's really alright, I've had rose cuts worse than this.” Junseo joked, but he couldn't mention the soft after-sting that made him want to scratch the wound. That was something no flower he handled could recreate.
“I keep her as clean as possible, but there's no telling how long she had been out there before I realized she slipped out.” Gyehyeon continued as he took out an alcohol pad and ripped the packaging with his teeth. “I would feel horrible if I found out you got cat scratch fever because Misu was feeling - sassy.” He turned his head to glare at the cat who was cleaning herself without a care in the world.
Junseo laughed, but it quickly turned into a hiss when the burn of the alcohol got into the wound. “I - I think that's a bit extreme. Surely one little cut won't do all that. As long as I keep it bandaged up it'll heal in no time. And hey, if it scars at least it'll blend in with the thorn scars.” He shrugged.
Gyehyeon looked at him like he had sprouted two more heads. “Do you usually treat your health with this much - ‘casualness’?” He asked, finally taking out the bandage wrap to secure it around his hand. Junseo wanted to say that was extreme too - but the scratch was in an awkward place, any normal bandage would limit his movement when it came to work, so this option was definitely for the better.
“Not usually. If you ask Seowon I'm a bit of a health freak at times…I feel bad is all.” Junseo explained.
“Feel bad?” Gyehyeon repeated. “Why?”
Junseo had to look away when the latter met his gaze. Something about the angle they were in - he couldn't keep eye contact without the tips of his ears burning in embarrassment. “You're wasting emergency supplies on me. I could've patched myself up at my store so you wouldn’t have to worry about it.”
Gyehyeon rolled his eyes, but Junseo didn't see it. He ripped the cloth bandage short and made sure it was secure before placing the supplies back in the kit. “You managed to find my runaway cat. You had to bring her over to me. And she scratched you after your efforts. Bandaging you up is the least I could do. In fact, I feel like you deserve some type of compensation for all this hassle.”
“I told you it's fine.” Junseo sighed. “I didn't bring her back for a reward. I was simply making sure she made it home safe.”
“Coffee.”
Junseo blinked away the surprise on his face. “Coffee?” He repeated, looking confused.
Gyehyeon tensed. The latter even noticed a tint of red to his face as he took the time to clear his throat. “Coffee. Since you won't let me repay you for your efforts, then at least let me buy you a drink. It's cheap, and we’d be even in my eyes.”
There was a silence between the two. It wasn't heavy, surprisingly, but rather it left room for Junseo to think it over without any stress. “I'm afraid I don't have the time to grab one now. Seowon should arrive any minute now, and I still have to clean up the mess.”
Gyehyeon raised a brow at that. “I thought you said she didn't cause any issues?” He reminded.
Junseo’s eyes widened. “Well - yes! You see, I uhm…” before he could think of an excuse, he saw a familiar sight walking by the shop. Junseo could spot that fiery red hair anywhere. Seowon had arrived, as did Junseo’s out. “If you really want to, I'm more of a green tea person. Feel free to drop by! The door is always open!
“Wait -” Gyehyeon spoke up, but Junseo was already rushing towards the door. There was so much he had left unsaid, but he couldn't stop the latter from rushing out and grabbing the red haired stranger by the back of his jacket. Gyehyeon watched in silence as the two conversed, smiles on their faces that he couldn't tell if they were friendly or - something more.
‘mmrow’
Tiramisu hopped up on the desk, accepting the pats of affection she received from her owner. “Always getting yourself into trouble, aren’t you?” Gyehyeon sighed as he scratched underneath her chin. “But this time…you might've done something right.”