Work Text:
Flowers, Jun mused, were an easy way for him to express himself, for both the mundane and the deep. While definitely not being a stranger to poetic prose, sometimes it did help to have that extra little oomph to underline his thoughts and emotions, instead of rambling on for an eternity. Roses and tulips, mixed in with whispered words of affection for Tatsuya, periwinkles for Maya anytime she came by for a visit… Just little things like that.
Everything had its meaning, after all.
Which is why it warmed his heart that Tatsuya had started to pick up on Jun’s little habit. Not that he ever needed to, Jun knew Tatsuya’s mannerisms like they were his own; he could easily interpret the deepest of meaning in the smallest of gestures without even speaking a single syllable - Tatsuya was never a man of many words. Despite his stoic demeanor, he simply had trouble expressing his true emotions. He had so many of them, hidden just beneath the surface, ready to burst at any given time. Some… More easier than others. Jun always prided himself in how fast he's been able to make Tatsuya blush, making him lose his composure.
He could vaguely remember the time, right after they started to properly date; Jun has sent his now official boyfriend a…. somewhat risque (but still tasteful!) message, fully aware of the implications and everything. However, all he got in return was first a couple of scrambled letters. A couple minutes later, Jun received a thumbs-up emote, saying something about how it’s “Neato!”
Tatsuya apparently had trouble finding the right words.
… Maybe flowers would help him get his real meaning across.
All of this was even more reason why it felt so much more special to come home to a vase full of flowers, with a red-faced Tatsuya right beside them to explain his thoughts to him as he fiddled with his silver lighter.
It first started out on a single whim, Tatsuya had seen some flowers on sale while shopping and simply thought it would be nice to bring them home (after calling Maya beforehand and asking her about the meanings, of course). But the smile it brought to his boyfriend’s face for the rest of the day anytime he looked at the vase on the table?
So Tatsuya, ever the kind hearted, decided to do it more often, just to see his eyes light up as he saw each individual flower, recognized the meaning behind each one, his heart swelling with affection.
From then on, it became a habit for Tatsuya. On holidays, relationship milestones, or just on days when he sensed that Jun needed a little pick-me-up anytime he got too stressed out with his studies or simply had a bad day. Even when it wasn’t too obvious, Tatsuya could tell, he always did. He even borrowed a couple of the small books Jun had on the topic, keeping them on his nightstand for quick access.
And despite his own inner self-deprecation, Jun has even started to look forward to those days.
Today shouldn’t have been an exception, too. After all, it was February 14, Valentines Day.
And his birthday, too, he supposed.
Deep in his heart, Jun knew he shouldn’t be this selfish, that he shouldn’t put so much pressure on Tatsuya, that he just wasn’t worth it , especially not now. Tatsuya was deep into his exam seasons and busy with his part-time job, coming home late more often than not.
And as the cruel Mistress that is Fate would have it, Jun’s body also decided to get sick right the day before, forcing him to be stuck in day for the rest of the week. Or maybe it was divine punishment, who knew at this point.
Still, he wasn’t expecting much from this day, even as his boyfriend told him in the morning he’ll be doing what he could to try and ask his boss to let him go home sooner so they could spend as much of Jun’s special day together as possible - and another promise of a future date to make up the lost time they should’ve had together today.
Through his sneezes, Jun didn’t even get to say that he never really celebrated his birthday, anyway. But he didn’t want Tatsuya to be worried, either, he’s seen how stressed out he’s been lately… And now he couldn’t even celebrate the man he loved on the day of the Lovers, either…
And so, Jun has been laying in bed nursing his tea, trying to motivate himself to at least read through his study notes, as his phone chimed, signaling an incoming message.
| From: Tacchi ❤︎ [12:23 pm]
Won’t make it today before late evening, boss says no :((
| From: Tacchi ❤︎ [12:23 pm]
ordered some food for you tho, groceries should be delivered soon
dont worry about unpacking, ill take care of it once im done
Another few minutes have passed before the screen lit up again with a new notification.
| From: Tacchi ❤︎ [12:27 pm]
except one bag, that one will be fully for you, i made sure of it <3
Admittedly, this has made Jun feel a little excited.
It was hard to fully focus on anything else after that, so Jun settled on watching the window like a giddy child waiting for christmas. Studies and work completely forgotten at this point.
And finally, the liberating sound of the doorbell ringing. Quickly detangling himself from the Covers, Jun leaped out of bed.
Opening the door, Jun found a young man standing, phone in hand as he apparently double-checked the address again, before extending a couple of paper bags towards Jun.
“Delivery for a… Jun Kurosu?”, the man sounded unsure. What, he’s never seen a sick person answering the door? “Kurosu, just like the Junko-”
Ah.
“That would be me”, Jun quickly interrupted, preferring not to let the comment finish. With a trained smile, he signed the delivery sheet, bid his goodbye to the delivery driver and closed the door. Now all he had to do was to bring the bags to the kitchen.
As Tatsuya already predicted, one of the bags clearly contained groceries intended for a meal of some kind. Jun couldn’t exactly tell, but he trusted Tatsuya to have some kind of plan for this. Curious as he was, he did notice him talking to Maya in hushed tones, with her even bringing up Katsuya and recipes - much to the younger brother’s disdain. Something about cooking skills, and a warning of making sure it was 'actually done'. Well, whatever it was, Jun trusted that it would be good. And if not... Well, he has his friends' number on speed dial.
He left the grocery bags on the table, leaving them for Tatsuya to deal with later. What fully had his attention now, though, was the contents of the other mystery bag that Tatsuya had advertised so much. This one felt lighter than the others, and Jun swore he heard some crinkling when carrying it earlier. An excited smile tugged on his face as he reached out for the bag.
Peeking inside, Jun was met with a pleasant smell of a bouquet, carefully arranged and tied together with a ribbon. A card was attached to the ribbon, simply saying “Happy Birthday!” in a handwriting Jun didn’t recognize. This must’ve been assembled by a worker in the shop, then. Careful not to hurt any of the flowers inside, Jun grabbed the sides of the bouquet to take it out of the bag and examine the contents.
It was at this point that Jun’s smile had turned into a more confused expression, brows furrowed as he traced the small petals with his fingers. Some of the flowers were glaringly obvious to him: Orange lilies, yellow carnations, and what looked like… Geraniums and foxgloves?
And as if on cue, his phone chimed.
| From: Tacchi ❤︎ [2:51 pm]
just got the delivery notif, let me know what you think
“Ah. Hm.”, Jun seemed unsure, very glad at this moment that there was noone around to see his reaction. Leaving the bouquet on the kitchen table he disappeared into the bedroom. A short while later he returned, holding a couple of books on flower language in his hands.
While Jun wouldn’t fully consider himself an expert on this topic since his self-deprecation wouldn’t allow him to do so anyway , he knew for a fact that at the very least, he’s knowledgeable about it. Still, it didn’t hurt to double-check, right?
With a small thump the books were placed on the table as Jun took a seat, brushing his bangs away with a small huff as he prepared himself for his research.
“There it is…” Jun mumbled to himself, stopping on one of the pages. “Lilies, orange… Depending on the meaning… Hatred— Oh .”
In general, lilies seemed to be pretty positive, as Jun already suspected. Orange lilies, however, were very much negative in meaning. This could just be a mistake, however! Tatsuya probably picked his flower on a whim, Jun knew how much he liked warm colours– And, giving him the benefit of the doubt, some of the meanings were positive!
Keeping this in mind and pointedly ignoring the negative connotations, Jun continued his search through his book, every discovery only proving what he’s already known.
Hatred, Stupidity, Insincerity, Disappointment.. Wow, this could’ve come straight out of his own head.
“I hate you? Fuck you?” Jun tilted his head, staring at the offending bouquet, still laying innocently on the kitchen table. Well, wasn’t this a happy birthday arrangement. He was sure Tatsuya hadn’t meant it this way, especially with how proud he seemed in the initial message.
At the very least, the purple-orange flowers were pretty to look at.
“Oh, Tacchi…”
But a gift was a gift, and Jun was definitely not a person to be disrespectful towards gifts, no matter how offensive in meaning they might’ve been. Standing back up, Jun looked around the kitchen to find a vase to put the flowers in. Negative meaning or not, he didn’t want them to just shrivel up and die. Even though a very petty part of Jun really wanted them to.
And as he was about to discard the paper bag the flowers were originally placed in, something else tumbled out of the bag onto the table. Jun could only stare at it.
On any normal day, Jun would have assumed it was simply a misplacement, that it should’ve been in the other bag, with the rest of the groceries. But here he was, staring at a singular head of lettuce, together with the flower arrangement. Funny as it was, it did have a meaning, after all. ‘Do you still love me?’
Is this a birthday present or a break up prank?
Not that he ever suspected Tatsuya to break up with him like that, especially not today. He trusted Tatsuya too much for him to do it. Still, the whole situation made his head spin, just a little bit. This wasn't a prank, he knew too well where Tatsuya's heart was, so this wasn't a prank - just a silly little mistake. Maybe he was overthinking it?
Jun didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the ridiculousness of this situation. Luckily, he didn’t have to choose, as his body decided on a secret, third option: To cough violently, reminding Jun that he was indeed still sick.
It wasn’t until late in the evening, after the sun had already gone down, that the front door finally opened, with a tired-looking Tatsuya walking in.
“Jun? You awake?” His voice rang out through the otherwise quiet apartment, despite his efforts to be quiet.
A few moments after Tatsuya got his answer in the form of a groggy “Mhmm…”
Making his way over to the bedroom, Jun was already sitting up, sneezing into a tissue. Despite this sight, Tatsuya sat down on the edge of the bed next to his boyfriend. In his eyes, he was already looking healthier than he did this morning.
“Hey, Jun...” Tatsuya pressed a little kiss to Jun’s forehead as he extended a small package to him - the actual gift he intended to give him today. “Sorry I missed out on your day. Happy birthday again…”
“It’s okay.” Jun replied. “It wasn’t your fault..”
Tatsuya sighed in response. While Jun was right, it didn’t mean that he liked it. His gaze went towards the kitchen. When walking in, he did spot some flowers on the table in the dark room - but Jun hadn’t said anything about it. And usually, this was one of the first things he’d mention anytime he received one…. Tatsuya furrowed his brow.
“Jun?”
“Hm?”
“Did you like the flowers I gave you?”
At this, Jun stopped fumbling with the wrapping paper of his gift, freezing in his action. His dark bangs were covering his face, as his head was turned down towards the package, expression unreadable. Still, Tatsuya could tell that something seemed off. Instinctively, his hand wandered towards his pocket, already seeking out the cool metal of his lighter.
“Tatsuya….”, Jun sighed, finally lifting his head, looking up to his boyfriend. “What did you try to tell with the flowers?”
Tatsuya seemed surprised at this. “Huh?”, he asked. “Thought it was obvious…” The lighter clicked softly, Tatsuya clearly getting nervous at this point. “It was supposed to be a birthday gift.”
Jun immediately perked up on this, not wanting to make Tatsuya any more upset, despite his mixed feelings on this matter. “Don’t worry, Tacchi! I’m not mad or anything, it’s just…” Jun continued to stare at Tatsuya, his fingers gently tracing the patterns on the wrapping paper.
“Your flowers basically told me to go fuck myself. And that you don’t love me.”
Tatsuya only blinked in response.
Moments passed, as Tatsuya tried to process his words.
“What??”
Despite the tense feeling of this situation, Jun couldn’t help but snicker at the utter confusion that was so clearly written on Tatsuya’s face. He knew, of course, that the bouquet had to be a mistake, no matter what his traitor of a brain had to say on this matter.
And so, Jun briefly explained the meaning of each flower, watching as Tatsuya’s face dropped in disbelief with each word spoken.
“And then there was lettuce, too. I assume you meant to put it in the other bag, but that one has a meaning as well, so…”
Again, Tatsuya could only blink helplessly in response.
“I didn’t order any of this…” He frowned, before rummaging through his pants pocket, before pulling out his phone and a handwritten note. “I even specifically asked Maya, too…”
The note had been clearly written by Tatsuya himself, featuring some flower names and their meaning. Calla lilies, red roses, orchids… very different flowers than what he’s received. Seems like some of the flowers were picked because they sounded or looked similar. At least, that's what Jun wanted to tell himself.
“I ordered them on the computer when I was still at work,” he started to explain. “I did get a call shortly after saying that they didn’t have everything in stock, and if they could replace some....” The more Tatsuya spoke, the more the lighter clicked. “I didn’t know they’d send that. I would never tell them to-”
And every tension in the air has disappeared, as slowly, Jun couldn’t hold back anymore, his smile turning into a full blown laugh - before that one turned into a cough again. Tatsuya hesitated for a second, before running his hand down his back as if to soothe him. Of course he couldn't ever hold a grudge or anything against him - though he will mention it at parties with good friends. It made for a good story.
“You’re not mad?”
Between coughs and laughter, Jun managed to shake his head. Of course he couldn't ever hold a grudge or anything against him - though he will mention it at parties with good friends. It made for a good story. Plus, he was never angry with the man to begin with. Poor, innocent Tatsuya simply wanted his boyfriend to feel good.
“I could never be mad at you, Tatsuya.”, he quickly reassured him, as soon as he was able to breathe again. “Especially not when there’s clearly a worker with a grudge against couples on Valentine's Day.”
And, to underline his words, he leaned over, planting a kiss on his cheek.
Immediately, Tatsuya’s face warmed up, as he wrapped his arms around Jun in response, both of them snickering.
“I’m going to buy you some better flowers myself next time, I promise.” he mumbled. “And I’ll just give this bouquet to Katsuya.”
“Tacchi, no–”
The next day, Tatsuya was off work. Jun was still sick and slept in, his body getting the rest he clearly needed to recover. He only woke up when he heard his name being called again, Tatsuya standing in the doorway with a big smile. In his arms he was holding a bouquet of red roses.
“Instead of lettuce, I brought some pineapple, too.”, he said, not being able to contain his laughter. “Maya said that it means that you’re perfect. I looked it up, it's true."
Yeah, this sure was his soulmate.