𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑳𝑴 𝑶𝑭 𝑺𝑯𝑨𝑫𝑶𝑾𝑺 ⇢ Gojo Satoru

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐗𝐗𝐈𝐈 - 𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐒 & 𝐖𝐄𝐃𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒

KINZOKU MIKAZUKI WANDERED THROUGH THE NARROW HALLS OF THE STORE, slowly making her way down the corridor while the smell of fresh flowers and petrichor inundated her senses. Shoko smiled, pausing in front of a large bouquet, a cascade of green leaves falling down the side as a big top of flowers stood atop it. The doctor inhaled deeply, a fond smile playing on her lips before turning towards her friend. The two sorceresses had taken the day to check out the local florist – Shoko's wedding was coming soon, and she still needed to find the right flowers to decorate the venue with.

"These ones smell so good" Shoko mumbled, taking Mikazuki's hand and pulling her towards the display "They're so pretty, can you imagine what it'll look like if I have them coming down from the ceiling? It's like a fairy tale"

The sorceress chuckled, leaning forward to smell the flowers, expression falling when she read the tag attached to the pot.

"Sure, if you want to accidentally invoke a Cursed Spirit" Mikazuki called, pulling the tag so Shoko could read "They're chrysanthemums, I don't think you want those for a wedding"

Shoko sighed, putting the bouquet back down and stepping away from the cart. The sorceress followed her friend, slowly making her way across the shop while longingly gazing at the arrangements. The doctor was worried – time was running out and she still had plenty of things to plan. Her future bride had most of her things done already, meaning Shoko was the only one left with items on her list. Ieiri frowned, taking a good look at the flowers that hung from the ceiling, the pretty coloured petals hiding the metal frame of the roof.

"I hate this" she complained loudly as she strolled through the flower shop, gazing at the different bouquets with wary eyes, as if she expected them to jump at her the moment she let down her guard.

They had already gone through the entire shop twice, yet it seemed all the flowers that she liked were either made for funerals or simply too expensive for her budged. Mikazuki didn't mind tagging along with her friend, but she had to admit she was getting tired of running around the flower shop like a bunch of headless chicken. Weddings were a complicated mess, and for once, the Kinzoku was grateful that she wouldn't have to plan hers – knowing the clan elders, they'd probably want to get every minute detail right, show the world just how powerful their bloodline truly was.

Mikazuki sighed, pausing in front of the display of hydrangeas. The flowers were in bloom, sharply coloured petals inundating the store like a sea of green and purple and pink. Both the sweet scent and the beautiful sight reminded her of Keisuke. The man had lived his life much like he did anything else; proudly and without regrets, like the elegant plant he'd chosen and that represented him so well.

"You're the one who wanted a big floral wedding" the sorceress mumbled, hand glazing over one of the giant leaves before turning to face her friend "Flowers are a bit overrated, don't you think?"

Shoko sighed, letting go of the hideous bouquet made of hellebores and poorly watered marigolds.

"I know, but Anna thought it would be a nice touch. Her mother is being very annoying about this"

Mikazuki nodded, pressing her lips into a tight line. She wanted to tell Shoko that if she didn't want a huge wedding, then she shouldn't have fallen in love with the handsome foreign sorceress from France, but the comment felt a bit too on the nose at the moment.

Besides, Ieiri had been gushing about this for a while now, probably before Mikazuki even made it back from her exile. The sorceress was simply happy that she had the privilege of attending her best friend's wedding. For a long time, she didn't think she'd get the chance.

"You're my bridesmaid, what should I choose?" Shoko mused out loud, dancing around the multiple displays of flowers and pre-arranged bouquets.

The flowers were fresh, and the shop smelled nice, but this was not Mikazuki's area of expertise. Aside from fantasizing about her future wedding, the sorceress didn't really know much about the whole thing. Sure, she enjoyed dress shopping and she found the general subject kind of cute, but that was it.

Still, Mikazuki reached out towards the hydrangeas, the blue ones that Keisuke liked so much. Shoko's smiles softened, picking up the flowers with a gentle touch.

"He'd love this, you know?" Ieiri muttered with a half-smile on her face "The flowers, the dress, the wedding" she paused, wiggling her eyebrows "the bride"

Mikazuki bumped her shoulder against Shoko's, but the doctor did not pull away, their sides plastered together like the sisters the sorceress guessed they could've been in a different life.

"Yeah. My brother was a bit of a slut, wasn't he?" Mikazuki laughed, the faint smell of flowers and honey invading her nostrils.

Shoko paused, her gaze falling on the Kinzoku sorceress,

"Look who's talking?"

Mikazuki shrugged, picking another bunch of stray flowers with nice smells. There were a couple of white roses, the stems dutifully trimmed, mixed with dahlias and lisianthus flowers. Maybe it was a bit too much white when paired with the dress, but Shoko didn't seem to mind.

"I've met someone, actually" she explained, attention focused on the flowers even when she could still feel Shoko's gaze against the back of her neck "He's very nice, always says the right thing. He knows how to make me smile, which is far more than I can say from my other boyfriends"

Boyfriend. Was Yashiro her boyfriend? The word felt a little too strong to describe their relationship, especially when she'd only met him a couple of times – both at the club and at the hotel. But he was perfect, in the way only mortal things could be. He lived in a world of class action lawsuits, inheritances and other boring legal things, but to Mikazuki it was a welcome change from the world of curses.

"Does this mean your days of whoring are officially over?" Shoko joked, feeling the judgemental gaze of a passing lady, but the doctor did not bother to defend herself, choosing to glare venomously instead.

"You wish"

Shoko paused, admiring the flowers her friend had chosen and matching them with a bunch of greenery in an attempt to make the bouquet look fuller and less monochrome.

"You have Gojo, too" the doctor let out before sauntering off to the back of the shop, like she hadn't just dropped a bomb and ran off while it went off on Mikazuki's face.

The sorceress followed quickly, her steps fast until she reached the register. Shoko pulled out her credit card, the sample blossoms and vines still in her free hand. She'd gone for the hydrangeas along with a set of pressed dahlias and white orchids.

"I do not have Gojo Satoru" Mikazuki explained, nose scrunching in disgust "He is not something that can be owned" she added as an afterthought.

And even if he was, I do not want him (anymore). She didn't say. Shoko sighed, turning around while the cashier prepared the bundle of flowers, pulling out a newspaper and folding it around the stems. The doctor levelled her friend with a look, the kind of look Mikazuki was very familiar with. She was being analysed, and not only that, but she was being judged, thoroughly.

"You may not have his heart yet, but I'm pretty sure you currently hold a dear place in his mind" the woman laughed "You know what they say; hate is naught but the first stage of love" she quotes, an amused smile playing on her lips as she gauged her friend's reaction "Also, I'm pretty sure his dick is also yours, it's like he can't keep his eyes off from you. Not that I can blame him, you got pretty hot"

Mikazuki's eyes widened as she whacked her friend with her purse, a dark blush covering her cheeks. Kinzoku Mikazuki did not blush, especially with a subject as frivolous as this. Sex was just sex, both the word and the activity didn't hold any power over her. But Gojo did, and apparently she too held some influence on him.

"Let's not talk about this here, please" she pleaded, the shopkeeper's gaze still focused on the pair,

Shoko grimaced but eventually agreed, picking up the bouquet and placing her card back in her purse. The two sorceresses left the store, walking down the street with quiet steps. It was already getting dark, the sun setting in the distance and most mortals were already heading to their homes, the quaint Italian town getting ready for sleep. Mikazuki had taken the liberty of teleporting them all the way to Venice. Flowers were cheaper there, they were also far more prettier than anything the pair could find in Japan.