Work Text:
Bdubs hummed lowly as he spritzed a pot of white lillies, gently moving the delicate petals away to get better access to the stem.
Being a florist was practically Bdubs’ dream job. Getting to plant and care for flowers everyday, no customer rushes, ambient music filling his ears as he worked- it was easy and it was calming. It was actually a job he enjoyed clocking in for everyday.
Of course, working with Cleo, a long time friend of his, made it better too. She was fun to banter and goof off with, while also knowing when to get serious and finish the job.
Cleo tended to man the register while Bdubs was usually in the back room tending to the plants not on display in the main store, putting together bouquet orders, or cleaning up.
He was just finishing watering the last of the plants when there was a knock on the doorframe, alerting Bdubs to Cleo’s presence. He instantly perked up, setting the spray bottle to the side.
“Hey Cleo! What’s up?” He chirped. Cleo tilted her head to the side, her long curly orange hair falling with the motion.
“Did you finish that order for the pink and white carnations?” She asked.
Bdubs nodded. “Oh, yeah! Just did a little bit ago. It's being picked up today, right?” More people tended to place orders online than come in the shop to manually pick out all the flowers they wanted in a bouquet, which was more convenient for both Bdubs and the customer. Saved him a lot of ‘I’d maybe go for a different color palette’ conversations.
Cleo hummed, walking further into the room. Her eyes landed on an arrangement of daisies Bdubs had put together when he got bored. “Any minute now, actually. Other than that, shops been quiet. You care if I take my break?”
“Of course not! I was getting bored back here anyway.” Bdubs affirmed, adding a yawn for dramatics. Cleo laughed, ruffling Bdubs’ hair as she passed by him. Bdubs sputtered in indignation.
“Wha- Cleo! You messed up my hair!” He complained, trying to smooth it back down. Cleo snorted as the small curls kept popping back up.
“You’ll live. Now get to the register, we're losing business!” She joked. Bdubs stretched his arms high above his head as he walked out of the back room and into the main store front.
Just before closing the door, Bdubs looked back at Cleo and winked. “With me at the register, I bet business will be booming.”
Cleo rolled her eyes, although the smile on her face betrayed her fondness. “Whatever, lover boy. Get to work.”
Bdubs saluted, dutifully heading over to the work register.
The store was a cute, cozy thing. Flowers of all breeds and colors and sizes lined the walls and floor, labels nailed to the boxes so people could differentiate them. There were regular green plants for sale as well, stationed and on display towards the front of the store. The back wall had seeds and various gardening tools for people that wanted to try their own hand at gardening.
All in all, the shop- called Moss o Menos, lovingly- was something of a beauty. There was a constant ambient music playing and dim lighting that could- and had- easily put Bdubs to sleep.
Bdubs leaned against the counter, slipping his chin in his palm as he opened and closed his eyes in slow intervals. Bdubs was something of a social butterfly. He loved getting to talk and pick the brains of his customers. The only down side was he got bored, easily.
Cleo would kill him if he fell asleep, but he couldn't be punished for taking a few long blinks . Besides, there wasn’t anybody in the store, and really it was on Cleo for letting him work register unattended on a slow day..
The ringing of a bell had Bdubs immediately straightening up, silently mourning the loss of his nap.
Or, not-nap. He was just taking really long blinks, obviously.
Two figures walked through the small glass door at the entrance, one with the confidence of a bull and the other of what Bdubs could only compare to a pathetic cat.
The more confident one had brown hair with a shock of green in it, brown vest and white pants as his outfit. He was headed straight towards the counter, and Bdubs figured he’d either been here before or was just a bolder sort of person.
It was the shy one, though, that really caught Bdubs’ attention. His hands were shoved deep into the pockets of his fur-lined green coat, an interesting fashion choice for summertime. He had white hair that flopped into his face, mostly obscuring his left eye. Mostly, it was the mask covering the bottom half of the man’s face that Bdubs found interesting. Not bad-interesting, just not something he’d ever seen before.
Distantly, Bdubs thought he looked kind of pretty. Like he’d be a good kisser, maybe.
Bdubs instantly had to shake his head to get rid of the thoughts. It was absolutely unprofessional to think about how good of a kisser his customers were. That joke to Cleo wasn't serious.
He smiled brightly as the two made their way towards the register, giving a small wave.
“Hey there! How can I help you guys?” He asked, hiding his dirtied fingertips behind his back. Bdubs wanted to kick himself for forgetting to wash his hands.
The one with the green in his hair gave a polite wave back. “I had an order? For a bouquet. I, uh, placed it a few days ago.” He said, voice rough in tone but not unkind.
Bdubs couldn't help but let his eyes slide over to the white haired man behind, who was..
Who was just kind of staring at him deeply, something unreadable in his expression.
This close, though, Bdubs could see what he was pretty sure was a scar running down his left eye, the hair covering it askew enough to notice. The scar seemed to fit nicely against his face, rather than being something that massively stuck out.
It only accentuated what Bdubs had been thinking earlier though, that the man was pretty. Attractive, even. He was tall, definitely taller than Bdubs, but not freakishly so. He looked nice enough, too. He probably had a nice voice-
Bdubs instantly snapped his eyes back to the brown-haired male in front of him, and prayed to every god above that the light pink color now dusting his cheeks was hidden by the light. This was not professional. At all.
“Oh, uh, sure! What- what was the name on the order?” Bdubs winced internally at the stutter. It wasn’t like he was saying anything off-script- It was mostly just a formality to ask anyway, since Bdubs had only made up one bouquet order today. That guy had just.. surprised him with the blatant staring.
(He had also been guilty of, maybe just a little bit, being distracted by taking in every inch of the guy’s face. Maybe).
“Should be under Joel?”
Bdubs nodded once to himself. “Alright, sounds good. I’ll be right back out with that bouquet.”
The second turned around to grab the bouquet from the back room, Bdubs let out a breath. He felt like he could still feel the white-haired man’s eyes on his back.
As weird as it sounded, the staring didn’t seem malicious from what Bdubs could tell. Just.. considering, maybe. Something meaningful.
Honestly, Bdubs thought as he opened the fridge door and grabbed the pink and white bouquet out of it, if I wasn’t working I’d probably be staring right back.
He wasn’t lying, earlier, when he’d thought the man was attractive.
Cleo was going to make fun of him so much if she ever found out. Or kill him. That was equally possible.
When Bdubs arrived back at the register, ready to check the duo out and probably mourn the loss of the white-haired guy's number, he found that the first man was gone.
Instead, it was just the second man standing at the counter, eyes flickering around the store as he ran a fingerless-gloved hand through his hair.
Bdubs blinked a few times at the sight, before mentally kicking himself. Void, what was wrong with him today?
Clearing his throat to get the man’s attention, Bdubs gently set the bouquet down on the table. The man dropped his hand instantly, eyes stopping their venture around the room and meeting Bdubs’ own.
“Oh.. hi.” The man spoke for the first time, his voice hesitant. His voice was smooth, Bdubs thought. Nice to listen too, despite only being two words in.
“Hello. Sorry, but is your friend.. where'd he go?” Bdubs asked instead of giving into the urge to engage in some kind of small talk. He had to do his job first.
The man stared blankly for a moment, like he was processing the words. “Oh! Right. Joel got a, um, call. He’s outside. Should be back.. soon.”
“Oh. Okay.” Bdubs responded.
A silence fell between them. The air was awkward and tense, Bdubs biting his cheek as the man across from him rocked back and forth on his heels and stared intently at the floor. Clearly, he didn’t have any social skills.
Luckily for the both of them, Bdubs was social enough for four people and hated awkwardness.
“So!” He loudly started, startling the man into looking back at him. “I’m Bdubs. It’s nice to meet you.” He smiled, holding a hand out for the man to shake.
There was a very pregnant pause as the man just.. stood still, looking down at Bdubs’ hand. Then his eyes widened, and he was quick to lock his hand with Bdubs’.
“Etho. I’m- I’m Etho.”
Etho. It was a fitting name. Matched with the vibe he had going on.
“That’s a cool name! I think it suits you.” Bdubs complimented.
Etho’s eyes seemed to flash through a multitude of emotions. “Thank.. you?” He eventually said. Bdubs could see the top of his nose scrunch up, like he was unsure whether or not it was a good or bad thing.
Bdubs couldn't help but snort. “It was- it was a compliment. I promise.” He affirmed, which made Etho straighten up slightly.
“Oh. Then thank you.” He repeated, much more confidently this time. “Your name is.. also. Cool.”
Bdubs raised an eyebrow. “You’re not very good at talking to others, are you?” It wasn't quite an accusation, more of an observation.
Etho let out an exhale that Bdubs was pretty sure was a laugh, scratching at the back of his head. “Man, that obvious? Sorry, you’re right. I didn’t think Joel was going to leave me high and dry like that.”
It was the most Etho had spoken at once, and he seemed a lot less on edge than two minutes ago. Bdubs counted that as a massive win.
Bdubs waved him off. “Its all good. ‘Sides, I’m something of an extrovert. Cleo tells me I talk too much, sometimes.” He joked.
Etho’s eyes crinkled at the corners. A smile, Bdubs realized. A smile hidden by the mask.
Instinctively, Bdubs’ own smile got a little larger.
“That’s funny. I’m told I don’t talk enough, actually. I’m also told I need to go outside more. It’s, uh, kinda why Joel dragged me out on this errand.” Etho disclosed, and Bdubs laughed.
Bdubs braced his palms on the edge of the counter, leaning forward. “What’s the occasion, then? I’ll be honest, your friend doesn’t seem the type to go for pink and white flowers.” He asked.
And if Bdubs was just making meaningless conversation to try and find ways to keep Etho talking, then that was between him and his heart.
Etho chuckled. “Yeah, you’re right. They’re for his wife, Lizzie. It’s their anniversary tomorrow.”
“Aw!” Bdubs gushed. “That’s adorable. He made good choices, then. The meanings of those flowers are perfect for an anniversary.”
At that, Etho tilted his head to the side. “Flowers have meanings?” He wondered.
And oh, that was something Bdubs could talk about for ages. Flower language was one of Bdubs’ favorite things to study in his free time. Something about being able to build a bouquet not just with pretty colors, but also unsaid words and emotions was beautiful to Bdubs.
He’d found that it was often easier to have the flowers say the hard things for him.
“Yeah! So, for example-” Bdubs lifted Joel’s bouquet up, pointing at the white carnations. “These ones represent pure and sweet love. And the pink ones mean that you’ll never forget whoever you're giving them too. So, perfect for an anniversary!”
Etho hummed meaningfully, looking genuinely curious and interested about the explanation. “Do any mean bad things?” He asked.
Bdubs had to think about that, going through his knowledge of flower language to remember. “I think.. oh! Yellow carnations typically represent rejection and disappointment. Surprisingly, lavender also represents distrust, which has always been interesting to me because it’s such a pretty and well-known flower, you know?” Bdubs rambled. “There are some flowers that represent jealousy, deception, and the act of falling out of love- I can’t remember which ones, though. But I’d say most flowers have sweet meanings!” He finished.
Etho was staring at him again. Bdubs blushed in embarrassment, wringing his hands together with a sudden onset of nerves. He hadn’t even realized he’d been talking so much, so caught up in the excitement of explaining one of his hobbies.
“Um, that’s.. kind of a basic overview. To answer your question.” He wrapped up. Etho gave a small laugh. “Wow, you’re really knowledgeable about all that stuff.” He noted.
“Yeah, flower language is kind of a large hobby and interest of mine. I think it’s really nice to use flowers whenever words are hard, you know, let them and their meanings say the difficult things for you.”
Something seemingly lit up in Etho’s head at those words, like a new part of his brain was unlocked and awakened.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to get all annoying and drone on there.” He joked, hoping Etho wasn’t too off-put by his word vomit. Bdubs hadn’t even realized he was talking so much, not until it was much too late to take it back.
Stupid! Stupid and rude, didn’t even let Etho get a single word in..
Instead of being irritated like Bdubs was sure he would be, Etho actually looked.. kind of in awe?
“I don’t think you're annoying.” The man blurted out.
Bdubs stopped breathing. Etho sounded so genuine when he said that, like he actually cared about what Bdubs was rambling on about.
Not many people had gone out of their way to tell Bdubs he wasn’t annoying. Usually, they’d just laugh along with his joke. But Etho..
Etho actually might not have been breathing either, because the top half of his face was going red.
Bdubs snapped back into himself, sure he looked stupid the way his cheeks were pink and smile wide from the compliment. “That’s- thank you. That’s very kind.”
If Bdubs didn’t know any better, he’d say Etho himself was blushing from underneath the mask as he nodded and mumbled out an of course.
Suddenly, Etho sobered up, clenching and unclenching his fists as a nervous tick.
“Actually, do you think maybe I could get-”
The bell at the top of the door rung loudly, interrupting whatever Etho was about to say. Joel walked back in then, steps quick as he made his way to the counter.
“I am so sorry.” He apologized as he shouldered past Etho. “My work called me, and then they wouldn’t get off the phone. Bloody annoying, is what it was.” Joel ranted, irritation dripping from his words.
“Don’t worry about it!” Bdubs reassured. “Me and Etho were just chatting while we waited.” He nodded his head towards the Etho in question.
Joel’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline, a shocked look on his face. He turned his head towards Etho. “Etho talked? Well, that’s a downright miracle then.”
Etho kicked at the floor in embarrassment. “..I talk to people.” He weakly defended.
All Joel did was fix Etho with an incredulous look. Bdubs giggled.
“It took no less than twenty minutes to drag you out of your room for this ten minute trip. You aren’t fooling anyone.” Joel deadpanned. Etho groaned, bringing his hands up to cover his face.
“You’re the worst, Joel.”
“I know I am. Sorry, how much were the flowers?”
Bdubs almost jumped at being addressed, too distracted watching their exchange to remember that he had a job to do.
“Right, of course, thirteen dollars even.” Bdubs replied.
The transaction went smoothly, Joel paying without another word and looking at the bouquet for a moment.
“It’s beautiful. Lizzie will love this.” Joel concluded, carefully gripping the stems. “Thanks a lot!”
“Have a nice day!” Bdubs called out as Joel exited the buildings.
Unexpectedly, Etho hung back instead of following his friend out. He looked conflicted, like he was holding back from saying something.
“You- this is- hm.” Etho stopped mid sentence, squeezing his eyes closed for a second and taking a breath as he figured out how to say what he wanted. “This is a really nice shop.” He eventually settled on.
Bdubs, because praise always made him beam, smiled wildly. “Thank you! We’ve spent a long time building it up.”
A shout from outside that sounded kind of like an “Etho, get your ass out here!” had Etho sighing and Bdubs laughing.
“Guess I’d better go.” Etho said, sounding oddly disappointed. Bdubs didn’t think the shop was that good.
“Probably should. Hey-” Bdubs was saying before he fully realized the words were leaving his mouth, “-you should come back sometime soon!”
Etho blinked, then nodded. His eyes were crinkled in the corners again, and Bdubs was sure he was smiling.
“I.. think I will. Bye, Bdubs.” Etho waved goodbye, Bdubs reciprocating the gesture.
He couldn’t help but stare at Etho’s back as he left the way Etho was looking at him when he’d first arrived, not peeling his eyes away until the glass door was slamming closed.
Bdubs decided he liked these people. Joel, who was bold and quick to the punch, and Etho who was charming in his own way and pretty and had very nice eyes-
Oh. Bdubs might've developed a crush on some random customer in the ten minutes he’d been in the shop. Because of course he had.
Groaning, Bdubs rubbed his palms in his eyes. He really hoped the feeling would pass soon.
—*—*—*—
Two weeks since Etho had last visited, and Bdubs couldn’t stop thinking about him.
It wasn’t even that Etho did anything particularly interesting or noticeable or attractive. He just- he listened attently when Bdubs began to ramble, and asked all the right questions, and looked at Bdubs like he cared and..
And maybe Bdubs was reading into it, because Etho’s red and dark eye entranced him and his social awkwardness was a little endearing and Bdubs hadn’t had such a genuine conversation in a while.
But still..
“Bdubs!” Cleo barked. Bdubs jumped up with a scream, hitting his head on a shelf right above him.
“Wha- Cleo! What’s your problem?” He complained, rubbing the now throbbing spot on his head.
Cleo gave Bdubs a glare, raising her eyebrows and crossing her arms as she put down the spray bottle she was using to care for the flowers on display in the store. Bdubs himself was behind the counter.
“Right. Out with it.” She demanded, no room for argument in her tone.
Bdubs argued anyway, of course. He sputtered, hackles rising. “What are you- out with what?”
Cleo gave a heavy sigh, like she was dealing with an especially petulant child. “BdoubleO. You have been sulking at the register for the last half hour instead of counting the money like you're supposed to.”
There was, in fact, a pile of half-counted and sorted cash sitting on the counter. Bdubs’ cheeks heated up in embarrassment. He didn’t think he was being that obvious..
“Whoops! Ah ha, just spaced out. My bad, Cleo! I’ll finish this right away!” He babbled, injecting more pep into his words as he picked up a stack of the cash to organize.
If he was lucky, Cleo would let the problem slide and ignore it.
Unfortunately, Cleo had a penchant and insatiable urge for gossip, not that she’d ever tell anyone else that.
“Nope. You’ve got me hooked. What’s going on?” She pushed, abandoning her task entirely to lean conspiratorially against the counter.
Bdubs wished they’d open already. Then he wouldn’t have to deal with this.
“Cleo..” He pleaded, drawing out her name. “Nothing's going on! I’m just spacey today.”
Snorting, Cleo shook her head. “You’re spacey everyday. Try again.”
Bdubs groaned. It was impossible to get anything last Cleo, especially once she was invested enough to pursue the issue.
He ran a hand through his hair, sighing as he accepted his fate.
“There was just.. this customer, a little while ago.” He explained. Cleo snapped up with a gasp, her mouth forming an O shape as a lightbulb lit above her head.
“Bdubs! Were you flirting with a customer?”
For any other person, it might’ve been seen as a scold. Don’t flirt on company time. Bdubs saw the sentence for what it was, though- excitement.
He rubbed the back of his neck. “I mean- I wouldn’t say we flirted. We just talked a little bit. Um. He was.. pretty.”
“I cannot believe you kept this from me!” Cleo fumed, though there wasn’t any real anger in her voice. “My little Bdubs, all grown up and finding a boyfriend.” She pretended to wipe a tear from her eye.
Bdubs flicked her on the shoulder, rolling his eyes. “He is not my boyfriend. He wasn’t even in the shop for very long.”
“You didn’t ask for his number?” Cleo asked. Bdubs shrugged, picking at a loose thread on his sleeve.
“I didn’t have the time. I had to check out his friend, then they left.” Bdubs had spent a lot of time wishing he’d remembered to ask for Etho’s number. Actually, he had spent a lot of time just thinking about Etho. More time than was probably socially acceptable.
Cleo gave a hum in consideration. “He was pretty though?”
Despite himself, Bdubs perked up. “Oh, absolutely! He had this mysterious aura, right, but I think he’s kind of a fool underneath it all. He’s got this scar on his eye, although he kinda covers it up with his white hair. Oh, and he wears a mask and jacket, even though it’s summer! Kind of weird, but I didn’t mind that much. I- why are you looking at me like that?” Bdubs cut himself off when Cleo gave a knowing look, looking smug as hell.
“Nothing. You’ve just spent a lot of time looking at his face, huh BdoubleO?” Cleo’s teased.
Bdubs thought he couldn’t get redder, but apparently he was proved wrong. “Well- I don’t- he was- he was.. memorable.” He muttered, looking down at the floor.
Cleo laughed in that loud, boisterous way she always did when Bdubs was making a fool of himself.
Suddenly, the bell rung, announcing a visitor. Bdubs silently thanked whatever deity saved him from any more of Cleo’s prodding and smug looks.
Cleo spun around, putting her customer service face on as she went to greet the customer. Bdubs couldn't see who had walked in, blocked by Cleo’s body.
“Welcome to Moss o Menos! How can I- oh.” Cleo cut herself off.
Bdubs furrowed his brows. “Cleo, what-”
Before Bdubs could say anything, Cleo was sliding out of Bdubs’ view, giving him a full view of the customer who had just walked in.
Bdubs’ breath hitched and his heart skipped about ten beats as he saw who walked in.
Etho.
He was alone this time, looking a little uncertain as he stood awkwardly in the middle of the shop.
Bdubs blinked. Etho blinked. Cleo was desperately trying to hold in a laugh. If the appearance of the guy wasn't enough to tip her off, then Bdubs’ pink cheeks certainly was.
Surprisingly, it was Etho who spoke first. He gave a small cough, hands absentmindedly fiddling with the zipper on his jacket.
“Sorry, I wasn’t sure if you guys were.. open. The uh. The door wasn’t locked, so I. Walked in.” Etho explained stiltedly. Cleo gave a cough into her elbow that sounded suspiciously like a snort.
“Actually, we don’t open for another ten minutes.” Cleo said, amusement dripping from her tone as she side eyed Bdubs for speechlessness.
Etho instantly froze up, eyes going wide as he stuttered out an apology. He turned to leave, and that spurred Bdubs into action.
“Etho, wait!” He called out, body lurching forward instinctively. “Cleo’s just joking. It’s only ten minutes, you’re fine.”
Hesitantly turning around, Etho shot Bdubs a nervous glance. “You’re sure? I wouldn’t want to disrupt you guys in your work..” He checked. Bdubs huffed out a laugh, subtly waving Cleo off from underneath. She rolled her eyes, but took the cue for what it was and left the room.
Not before giving Bdubs a withering look that said we will be speaking about this later, though.
“Trust me, we weren’t working anyway. What’s up?”
“I was wanting to build a bouquet, if that’s fine?” Etho asked.
Despite himself, something ugly and bitter bloomed in Bdubs’ chest. Etho was here to buy a bouquet. That in of itself wasn't a problem, more so the implications of it.
If Etho was buying a bouquet, it likely meant he was buying it for someone else. Bdubs hadn’t even considered the fact that Etho might have already had a partner, too caught up in his fantasies and delusions to think of that.
Realistically, Bdubs knew it wasn’t fair to Etho, but that didn’t stop the hurt from overtaking his body. He had just been so down bad.
So convinced that maybe, just maybe, Etho had felt the same spark Bdubs had two weeks ago.
“Yeah, of course. Do you already have flower breeds in mind, or did you want help picking some out?” Bdubs inquired, hoping the disappointment wasn’t too evident in either his tone or face.
“Don’t worry, I already know what I need.” Etho assured.
That’s how Bdubs found himself putting together a bouquet as Etho told him exactly which types of flowers he wanted in it, like he had practiced in a mirror before coming. Well, Knowing Etho, he probably had.
Etho’s flower picks were odd, to say the least. Chrysanthemum, carnations, a few cara lillies. The spread didn’t look bad at all, just interesting.
Most likely, whoever Etho was getting the bouquet for had a preference for those types of flowers. Bdubs tried to push down the sick feeling forming in his gut at the thought.
“Okay, that’s fourteen eighty-three.” Bdubs announced when they got back to the counter, voice a little more dead than it should’ve been.
“Right, here.” Etho handed him cash, and Bdubs put it in the register.
Surprisingly, instead of exiting the store like Bdubs thought he was going too and leaving Bdubs to mourn the loss of the first crush he’d developed in ages, stupid emotions and stupid pretty customers, Etho brought his free hand up to his face-
And pulled his mask down.
Bdubs almost gasped in surprise. Since he’d first seen Etho, he had assumed that the mask had something to do with insecurity, probably due to the light pink scar across his eye. But now Etho’s mask was pulled away, down at his chin, and Bdubs was finding it very hard not to open-mouthed stare.
Etho picked his lips in preparation to say something, and Bdubs was drawn to the motion. His lips looked very kissable.
“I um- these are.. for you.” Etho murmured, his eyes pointedly downcast. He thrust the bouquet towards Bdubs’ chest, Bdubs hands instinctively catching it.
“For.. me?” Bdubs breathed. He was in a state of disbelief. Etho had spent time picking flowers, not for someone else, but for.. for Bdubs.
Without the mask to hide his expressions, Bdubs could see Etho’s very very pink cheeks clearly. He was nervous.
“Yeah. I um.. I kind of- I think that your..” Etho was clearly struggling with his words, trying and failing to find the right phrase to put whatever feelings he was having into words.
It was endearing. It was adorable. Bdubs had an idea of what Etho was trying to say, and it was making his heart soar to the sky.
“The calla lilies represent beauty.” Etho blurted out. Bdubs raised his eyes from the bouquet to Etho, who was still staring at the floor. “And the.. the carnation means, um, fascination.”
Bdubs eyes widened as he realized what Etho was doing. He was using the flowers to express things that were hard and difficult to say himself- a strategy Bdubs himself had told him.
I think you're pretty, Etho was saying with the flowers, I am fascinated by you.
“There’s also pink carnations, because I.. couldn't stop thinking about you. And the red chrysanthemums mean-”
“You love me.” Bdubs finished. If Etho looked up, he’d see only awe and admiration and something undeniably fond reflecting in Bdubs’ eyes.
Etho bit his cheek, nodding slowly. Bdubs sucked in a breath. He delicately placed the bouquet down on the counter and began to move to one of the flower boxes, an idea wiggling at the back of his mind.
That, finally, caused Etho to look up, alarm in his eyes as Bdubs moved away.
Bdubs beelined for the rose section, looking for a particular kind. Etho, meanwhile, trailed behind, stammering out apologies.
“Oh man, I’m so sorry. I didn’t- I shouldn’t have- I didn’t want to make it weird, I’m sorry-” Bdubs ignored it all.
Finally, he found what he was looking for. He turned back towards Etho, hands behind his back as he hit a flower from Etho’s view.
“Etho. Chill. You’re fine.” He softly demanded. Etho obediently closed his mouth, staring at Bdubs like a lost puppy. It was adorable.
“What you did was really sweet. I didn’t.. nobody's ever done that for me before.” Bdubs explained. “And for the record, I thought those exact same things about you.”
Etho’s eyes got impossibly wider, mouth falling open in suprise. Bdubs beamed, reaching his hand out and offering the flower to Etho.
“Here. For you.”
Like he was holding an ancient artifact, Etho plucked the rose from Bdubs’ hands, eyes drifting from it to Bdubs and back again.
Etho looked lost, knowing Bdubs was trying to communicate something but unsure what.
“I’m sorry, I don’t..”
Bdubs smiled. “It’s a red rose, Etho. Means I love you too.”
Etho sucked in a breath. He stared, really stared, into Bdubs’ eyes like he was searching for something, a lie or joke or distrust.
Evidently, he didn’t find any of that, because on an impulse Etho leaned forward and captured Bdubs’ lips in his own.
And oh, it was everything Bdubs had imagined it’d be. Etho was a good kisser, Bdubs melting easily as their mouths molded together. He tasted minty, Bdubs noted.
They pulled apart much too soon for Bdubs’ liking, their eyes locking as they breathed in each others space.
“You’re beautiful, Bdubs.” Etho whispered.
Bdubs kissed him again, longer this time.
“If you don’t go out with me-” Bdubs spoke after they split for more air again, “I might go crazy.”
Etho smiled, unrestrained and bright and bubbling with excitement.
“I would love nothing more.”