#༺☆༻ Flower Shop | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

fox-buried-in-maple-leaves · 4 months

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The Chronicles of a Romantic Florist (3)

A loud crash sounded throughout the store, Mieran’s expression of surprise towards Lumio was only momentary before they both raced into the flower storage room behind the counter.

Alee knelt on the ground, clutching his hand to his chest as he glared at the shattered remains of a flower vase. The bouquet was strewn about the floor, his knees wet from the water in the vase now everywhere beneath him.

“Alee..” Mieran grabbed one of the folded cloths on a nearby table, he bent down and wrapped Alee’s bleeding hand. “What happened? Are you okay?” The artist questioned as Lumio helped Alee to his feet.

“I'm fine.. I think. I don't know what happened.” Alee shook his head, looking down at the shattered vase, he frowned. His flowers.. Mieran unfurled the cloth to look at the wound, grimacing quietly as he pressed the cloth back against the injury.

“It's really deep, he might need stitches.” He informed Lumio who nodded, bending down to pick up the shattered glass. “Come on, babe, let's go wash this, okay?” Mieran helped the florist out of the backroom while the mortician cleaned everything up.

Mieran ran Alee's hand under water so he could get a better look at the injury. He bit the inside of his cheek as blood continued to gush around his hand. “Okay we have to go to the hospital, this is bad.” Mieran grabbed another cloth, turning the tap off and once more wrapping Alee's hand.

“I can stitch it-”

“You're not stitching it yourself, Alee.”

Lumio dropped the glass and flowers in the trash can beside them. Alee huffed at them, but nodded, looking at the already blood soaked cloth. Mieran grabbed the florist's keys from under the counter with his free hand. But the keys were swiftly taken by Lumio.

“You drive too slow.”

“I drive the speed limit!”

“I feel woozy…”

Mieran quickly picked the man up, groom style, rounding the counter to get into the front of the shop. Lumio followed, locking the store door behind them. Mieran led the way to Alee's car in the nearby parking lot, letting Lumio open the back door so he could lay Alee down on the seats.

Lumio got into the driver's seat, starting the car as Mieran shut the back door and then slid into the passenger seat. Mieran buckled himself in as Lumio peeled out of the parking lot with a screech.

“Don't fuck my car, Death.”

“At least he still has a sense of humour.”

“I'm bleeding, not dead.”

Alee held his hand to his chest, his vision was blurry and he was tired. “Don't worry, we'll get you patched up. Then we'll go on that date.” Mieran turned in his seat, squeezing Alee's knee reassuringly. They looked pale too, the artist frowned at them.

Alee rested his free hand on Mieran's hand, giving him a small squeeze in return. “You're going fifteen over the speed limit!” Mieran pointed out after a minute. Alee laughed, leaning his head against the window. He liked listening to them talk, he liked just being around them.

“And we'll get there fifteen minutes faster.”

“That is not how time works, Lumio.”

“For the living maybe.”

Mieran made a face, turning his head to look at Alee again. “Hey, sleeping beauty.” They opened their eyes at his words, raising a dark brow. “Just testing.” Not like he’d die, he can’t. But still, Alee’s body didn’t need the shock to his system. Alee rubbed the artist’s hand, reassuring him as best as they could.

The hospital was some ways away near the highway out of town. The fact the small town even had a hospital was lucky, but from the downtown store, it wasn’t exactly a short drive. Lumio’s penchant for speed surely cut that time down, but he also risked cops. A risk the mortician was more than happy to take.

“Cops usually hide in the next bend, you should slow down before we hit that.” Alee warned, unfolding the cloth to look at the injury. It hadn’t stopped bleeding yet. He sighed and pressed the cloth back down on it. Lumio heeded his advice and slowed just before the bend, driving just under the speed limit. “He can drive the limit, good to know.”

Mieran snickered when they rolled their eyes at the two of them. “You feeling okay?” He inquired, leaning his chin on the headrest. Alee gave him a small shrug, a pout on his face. They were missing their scheduled date because he was too clumsy and dropped a vase.

“Fine, I guess.. I wonder if that hot new doctor is working tonight?”

“Oh yeah, didn't they move here a few months ago?”

Mieran nodded, if he recalled correctly it had been a whole thing. A fancy new doctor from Ireland moving to their small town. He hadn't had the chance to meet them yet, then from what he heard at the cafe, they pretty much kept to themself, so that wasn't particularly surprising.

Lumio pulled into the hospital drive, following the curved path towards the emergency room doors. “You get him checked in, I'll park then join you.” Mieran nodded at them and unbuckled himself, opening the passenger side door, and he got out. Alee used his free hand to open the door, Mieran bending down to help him stand up.

Once the door shut, Lumio drove away towards the parking lot. “My wallet has my health card, can you..” Alee flushed a little, his neck getting red. Mieran slid his hand into their back pocket, pulling their wallet out. He also gave their ass a little smack for good measure. “Perv!” As if they weren't into it.

Mieran led him inside, the sliding doors opening for him. Alee smiled sheepishly at the nurse tending the station as they approached her. “How can I help- oh my.” She stood to inspect his injury, a frown gracing her features as he unfolded the cloth to show her the gaping wound. “Can I see your health card?” He struggled with his wallet. Mieran gently took it, opening it and pulling the man's card out to hand to her. “Thank you, dear.”

She typed something onto her computer before handing the card back to Mieran who put it away. “Just have a seat, I'll page Doctor Wolnes right away.” She smiled at them and Mieran turned, leading Alee back to the chairs. Her voice rang out over the pa system just as they sat down, Alee's head falling against Mieran's shoulder. He still felt lightheaded and woozy, black dots spotted his vision.

“Mister Destan?”

“Doctor.”

Mieran corrected a nurse who'd approached them. “Apologies, come with me Doctor Destan. We'll take you to a back room to get that looked at.” He nodded at the nurse and stood up on shaky legs. Mieran was quick to stand to support him, the two following the nurse through a set of marked double doors. He'd text Lumio once he got Alee situated, go back out to meet them.

“Doctor Wolnes will be in shortly, alright?”

Alee nodded as he sat on the hospital bed, watching the nurse leave the room. “That's the new doctor.” Mieran noted as he pulled the sheet over Alee's trembling legs. He'd lost a lot of blood. “Okay.” He leaned forward and kissed the florist’s temple. “I'm going to go update Lumio, but I'll be back, okay?” Alee nodded, watching the artist also leave the room.

He waited for the doctor, opting to just stare at his bleeding hand with red hued eyes. The cloth had completely soaked through with blood. He barely felt the pain anymore, just felt cold. He could heal Mieran as much as he wanted, but he couldn't heal himself. No matter how much he tried, his energy could never transfer to his injuries. It was unfortunate, that way.

Alee sighed, leaning back against the pillows. Thankfully, he only had to wait a few minutes. The door opened, and in entered a tan skinned, amber eyed doctor in dark scrubs. “Good afternoon…” They looked at their clipboard. “Alee Destan. I'm Doctor Heath Wolnes.” They shut the door behind them, sitting on a stool and wheeling themself to his bedside. They placed the clipboard into the holder at the end of the bed.

Their hair was pulled back, a pen tucked behind their ear. They were really pretty, Cirino hadn't been kidding. They pulled gloves over their hands before gently holding their hand out to him. “May I?” Heath inquired and he nodded, placing his hand in theirs palm face up to show them the injury. They hummed quietly, turning his hand side to side. “There's still some glass…”

Heath set his hand on the bed beside him, wheeling over to the counter and cabinet in the room. The doctor stood up, grabbing some items before returning to Alee's side on the stool. “I'll have to suture it after getting the glass out.” Heath set the tray down on a rolling table. Alee nodded, once more holding his hand out to them. Heath picked up the tweezers, holding his hand in theirs, he carefully began to pick the small shards of glass from his hand.

They flushed the injury, taking care of the wound quietly. He barely made a sound, didn't even hiss as they dug the tweezers into his skin. “I noticed your eyes.” They spoke after a few minutes. Alee hesitated, he'd gotten so lightheaded he forgot to keep up the smallest detail of his disguise. Heath looked up at him, a small smile on their face. Their once amber eyes were now a bright shade of orange that faded to amber, glitter scattered throughout. Oh. He grinned back at them, vulpine canines on display. Their eyes were enchanting..

“Nice to meet another sorcerer.”

“Yeah it is.. This town has a few, seems to attract us.” He joked as Heath began to suture the wound. They nodded, focusing on their work stitching him closed. Watching them work and listening to them talk, he could feel his neck getting warm. They really were pretty. But as far as he was aware, Cirino had already successfully wooed them. If his flower orders were anything to go off of at least.

“Maybe I should get your number.”

Heath blinked, looking up at him momentarily before back down at his hand. “That's very bold, Doctor Destan.” They pulled the needle through his pale skin, watching as the injury was pulled closed by their stitching. Alee exhaled a small laugh, tilting his head back, he looked up at the white ceiling of the examination room.

“I'm just being friendly, I'm on good terms with Cirino Agosti.”

His explanation was satisfactory, Heath decided as they finished the sutures. They tied it off, putting their tools away on the tray. And took a moment to inspect his face while he looked at his phone. Cirino hadn't lied, he was pretty. They were still holding his hand, cold in theirs. But from what they understood, the florist was hard to crack, and had already given away his heart... Not to mention, they'd given away theirs too, to a certain Italian they adored.

His beauty was purely aesthetically pleasing to them. Nothing comparable to their feelings for Cirino. Still, they could use the friendship. They were still new in town, with very little friends to speak of. Most stayed away from the newcomer, something they had expected from a small town but one that still didn't feel great.

“Very well.”

Their voice caught his attention, surprised to see their bright eyes on him. He tilted his head to the side, a soft smile on his face. The doctor rattled off their number in a quiet voice, heavy accent only somewhat masked. He nodded and entered the number into his phone, the smile never leaving his face. After a moment or two, they felt their phone vibrate in their pocket. They were still holding his hand. They let him go.

“Thank you doctor.”

Ale slid off of the exam bed, cradling his still injured hand to his chest. “Any time, I recommend using ibuprofen for the pain.” He nodded at them. “Oh.. One more thing, may I ask what you're a doctor of?” Heath tilted their head at him, watching as he rounded the bed towards the door. Alee seemed to hesitate for a moment, averting his gaze.

“Biochemistry. My thesis was on heredity in living organisms. However, I preferred plants to people. And now I work with plants.” He smiled at them, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. Heath seemed momentarily surprised, but their neutral expression quickly returned to their face.

“Interesting. Well, you're clear to go. Have a good afternoon.”

“You too, Doctor Wolnes.”

Alee pushed himself up, running a hand through his long messy hair. He grabbed his phone off the bedside table, blanket falling around his bare waist. He squinted against the light of his phone, mouthing the time. It was late. Three am. Mieran would be asleep and Lumio was usually embalming at this hour. He sighed quietly, rolling onto his back.

Espresso whined in his sleep, small legs kicking as he dreamed. Alee brought his free arm around the puppy, holding him as he scrolled through his phone. Heath was on night rotation which meant they were probably awake. He could text them? He chewed the inside of his cheek as he thought about his options.

A.D.: hey

Alee waited, scrolling through his various social media accounts to pass the time. Until his vision blurred and he was forced to grab his glasses, putting them on his face. He blinked a few times as the dark room came into focus, no longer blurred. Espresso whined again and he looked down at the overexcited puppy. The florist smiled gently, petting his ears.

H.W.: Good evening. You're up late.

A.D.: couldn't sleep. thought i'd see what my favourite doctor is up to.

H.W.: I'm the only doctor you talk to.

H.W.: I'm eating dinner.

A.D.: your life sounds fun

H.W.: Yes if you call listening to six different people explain common cold symptoms they could treat at home.

A.D.: ahh so i was your most interesting patient this month?

H.W.: You and the man who got a tree branch in his leg, somehow.

Alee giggled, freezing when Espresso moved in his sleep, stirred by the man's quiet laughter. He pet him back to sleep, waiting until he was soundly chasing squirrels in his doggy dreams before Alee snuck a peek at his phone again.

H.W.: What do you do when you can't sleep?

A.D.: i look at my plants, or play video games, i don't know i don't do much.

H.W.: I've heard you keep an impressive greenhouse. I'll have to come see it sometime.

A.D.: when are you off?

H.W.: Tomorrow then I work the weekend shift.

A.D.: well you know my address ^^

H.W.: That I do.

H.W.: Break is over. Sleep well when you do.

Alee looked forward to seeing the kind doctor, setting his phone and glasses back on the bedside table. He'd have to try and get some sleep for work the next say. The florist sighed, pulling the blanket over his shoulder as he laid on his side. He'd do his best to sleep. At the very least, rest, should the insomnia strike him again.

And they had stopped by, his usual order for iced coffee sweetened in their hand. Though they were there far earlier than he usually opened. He rubbed his eyes, groggy as he took the coffee from their hand and let them into his shop so he could show them the greenhouse he kept in the store. Flowers, vegetables, herbs. Anything he wanted, he learned how to grow.

And this was something that became a regular routine between the two. Coffee and plants. Alee's idea of a perfect morning. Though, despite his insistence on it only ever being friendship. Mieran and Lumio had their fun teasing him about the pretty doctor. Always asking when he'd snag them for the two of them the same way he'd caught Lumio.

“You two are insatiable! Threes a crowd as is.” Alee huffed, running his fingers through Lumio's hair as the mortician laid on his chest, face buried in his chest. “Oh, unless of course we're thinking about jumping on Mieran's hot barista friend~ You know Vesper has the hots for you, Mier.” Alee winked at his boyfriend, smirk on his lips as Lumio chuckled at his accusation.

“Xe does not! I think xe likes you actually.” Mieran rolled his eyes, tugging on the toy Espresso was currently trying to wrestle out of his hand. Alee made a face, he didn't think the barista liked him, he figured he would have noticed that. The way he'd noticed xem. Lumio lifted their head slightly, looking up at Alee with their blue diamond eyes. They heard his heart race. But to his joy, they didn't mention it, laying their head back against his chest.

“Still! You should ask them out to lunch. Cook for them!”

“And compete against well known mafia chef Cirino Agosti? No thanks! That's a death and lack of skill wish.”

Alee sighed, leaning his head back against the couch, fingers absently carding through Lumio’s soft hair. “Mm.. You could always send them a bouquet.” They suggested, growing tired from the comfortable hair petting.

“Too forward..”

“Huh? That's what you did for me.”

“We were already close.. I don't know, maybe I'll invite them to the cinema. That way neither of us have to talk and we can eat bad fast food instead.”

“Cute! Bring them to a horror, maybe they'll cling to you.”

Alee made another face.

He was honestly surprised when they had agreed to hang out with him at the cinema. Alee had expected them to decline, they didn't go out much, why would it change for him?

But still they sat beside him in the dark theatre, absently talking about the horror movie they were going to watch before the previews even started. He tossed a piece of popcorn up into the air, tilting his head back to catch it.

Heath reached out, catching the popcorn piece before he did. “Hey!” The doctor laughed at Alee's bewildered expression, tossing the piece of popcorn into their mouth instead. Alee rolled his eyes, doing the same action again, but this time he caught it in his mouth.

They sat at the back corner, allowing them to whisper to one another about the plot of the movie. “I think Alice is behind it.” Heath whispered in Alee's ear, breath warm against his cold skin. The florist hummed, acknowledging the doctor's statement. He agreed.

The rest of the movie went relatively quietly, Heath had been right. A shared look between the two at the reveal. It was entertaining, Heath's mind worked similarly to his own. An enjoyable dissection of the facts.

Heath even offered to drop him off at home, though he definitely could have walked. He still appreciated their offer, accepting it. Alee wished the movie had lasted longer, or that their evening could have continued. But he didn't want to overstep too much.

The doctor pulled their car up to the sidewalk, putting the vehicle in park. They unbuckled themself, stepped out of the car, and rounded it to open the door for the florist. “Thank you..” Alee took their hand, letting them help him out of the car. They closed the door behind him, releasing his hand.

“Thank you for tonight.” Alee started as they walked to the door leading to his apartment. He pulled his keyring out of his pocket, holding it in one hand as he turned to face them. Heath offered a smile at him, their eyes captivating him as per usual. He couldn't help but get lost in them. They were beautiful. Their jaw, their lips, their eyes, their skin.

“I had a lovely evening. We should do this again some-”

Heath was cut off by Alee's lips against theirs. The kiss was gentle, his lips cold but soft, he tasted faintly of cherry cola. They stared at him, eyes wide, arms limp at their side. Alee pulled away quickly upon realising they didn't respond to his affection. The florist took a half step back, quickly averting his eyes from their shocked expression.

“I'm sorry-”

“No I'm.. I apologise, Alee, I didn't mean to lead you on in that matter.”

Alee cleared his throat and nodded, his hands shook. “I thought.. I'm sorry for misunderstanding.” He turned, quickly unlocking the door despite the way his shaky hands made it difficult. “Have a good night, Doctor Wolnes.” He pushed open the door, quickly entering and shutting it behind him. He felt embarrassed. He locked the door.

Heath stared at the door, watching the man run up the steps before disappearing somewhere upstairs. They took a step away from his door, hand running through their silver hair. He kissed well, he tasted good, his lips felt nice against theirs. They knew Cirino wouldn't care, or rather, would be supportive. But they hadn't exactly expected that, especially not from Alee. They weren't sure how they felt about him.

They touched their lips, they could feel the faint trace of his lipgloss. Their phone vibrated in their pocket and they used their free hand to pull it out. Heath squinted at the message, another apology from the florist in question. The doctor swallowed thickly, pocketing their phone and turning back to their car.

Heath would have to think about it, think about him. They felt a wave of nausea wash over them, an anxiety rising in their stomach. It wasn't often they felt like this, so uneasy. But he had a way of getting under their skin, not necessarily in a bad way, but in a way they couldn't deny. Heath slid into the driver's seat, pulling the car door shut.

They almost wanted him to dare try again. It was cute, in a way. Cirino was always forward and flirty, they liked that, part of why they liked him. But Alee played it differently, in another way they liked. Still forward, but with a level of determination that sparked something in their heart. Maybe they'd have to talk to Cirino about it. Maybe he would know what to do, because they certainly weren't sure.

But until they got the chance to.. Their cheeks darkened as they thought about how nice it would be to kiss Alee again. To pull him closer, he wasn't much shorter than them, but enough they could tilt his head up to them. A soft sigh escaped the doctor, now wasn't the time for fantasies about a man they hadn't even thought about in this way until that kiss.

Could they really so easily fall due to a kiss? Heath wanted to laugh. What was he? A siren? How ridiculous it was to be thinking like this. And yet. They could almost still feel his lips. He even kissed differently than Cirino. Cirino was sure, confident, he knew what he wanted with every kiss he gave and took. Alee was more shy, hesitant and soft. It was sweet, almost sickeningly so. They kept one hand on the wheel, touching their fingers to their lips again with their free hand.

Heath sighed, lowering their other hand back to the steering wheel. Overthinking their feelings would drive them crazy. Cirino already had the success of doing that once, driving them crazy with need for him. Heath wasn't even sure about Alee's own relationships. They had never really asked for more detail about them. They wondered what sort of situation it was. Wondered if they even got to make a move if it was something allowed or open or..

Too much thinking for one evening.

#☾*✲⋆. fates' will #⋆｡°✩ alee #original work #oc #☾*✲⋆. creatio ex chao #༺☆༻ Flower Shop #⋆｡°✩ Bleeding Ink #𓆩✧𓆪 Mieran #Ad Vitam Per Morte #𓆩✧𓆪 Lumio #⋆｡°✩ Dead Orbit #⋆｡°✩ Railbird #⋆｡°✩ Blackthorn #<mentioned #𓆩✧𓆪 Heath #4k words and for what??? something that was supposed to be a TINY AU.

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