BLOOM. ej

ii. WHEN I FIRST SAW YOU

RANUNCULUS / BUTTERCUPS.
— originates from the latin language, which means little frog. they're often associated with humility, neatness, and childishness.

                                                                                             
                                                                                             
     for the next two weeks, you've been seeing more of the brown-haired man. unlike last time, he started wearing long coats and jackets the whole time he visits your shop.

     you never thought that you'd see him again during your first meeting, and yet you're now expecting him to come at least thrice a week with his usual order of a bouquet of calla lilies.

     the two of you rarely talked despite his regular visits, often it was just about the flowers he wanted and that was it.

     that man was mysterious as ever, with bright yet solemn green eyes holding many untold stories that you wanted to read. you shouldn't be sticking your nose in a stranger's business, but you've always wondered why he seemed so... cold and that the only flower he'd buy was a calla lily.

     you've recommended other flowers to make it colorful, but he didn't seem to accept them, often frowning if you did so to the point that you forced yourself to shut up in order not to upset him.

     maybe the person he's giving it to just likes those flowers? you'll never know, and it seemed like you never will.

     it was another rainy day, the sunshine hiding shyly behind the thick dark curtains of clouds. you stayed seated behind the counter with lips pursed, wallowing in boredom and somewhat sadness as you write away in your notebook.

     the words scribed on the paper weren't of any importance, just your running thoughts that plagued your mind. it was mostly tasks and reminders that you needed to remember, and some drawings of flowers and people you've encountered throughout your week.

     one of them including the green-eyed man.

     tapping your pen against the marble white counter, you hummed a random song that has been stuck in your mind. you were about to get your phone when the glass door opened, the familiar chimes of the bell hanging by the entrance ringing and reverberating throughout the silent flower shop.

     looking up, you caught sight of the same aventurine eyes you familiarized yourself with. his usual brown locks tied to a bun was now out of its confinements, wet and dripping from the rain outside. even then, his long hair draping over his shoulder gave his eyes the usual pop of color.

     he was more attractive with his hair down.

     shaking your head, you stood up and left the counter. "good afternoon, same flowers again?" you asked with a smile, despite knowing the answer already.

     with a nod, you began to work as you grab the calla lilies from the crate. wrapping them in the same brown twine and a clear green bouquet wrap, you glanced at the man standing a few inches beside you with his head down.

     "whoever you must be giving this to likes calla lilies so much, huh?" you asked softly, keeping your head down while arranging them with delicate movements of your hands.

     you heard him inhale shakily, "yeah... she does."

     "is it for a lover of yours? a family?" you continued carefully, hoping that you weren't too intrusive with your questions.

     however when he didn't answer, you decided to keep your lips sealed and not bother him about it. maybe it was a sensitive topic that he didn't want to talk about or something he wasn't willing to share to a stranger.

     the two of you stood in silence, the soft symphony of the rushing rain outside filling the flower shop as you work. before you could fully finish his simple order, he cleared his throat.

     "can you... can you add the buttercups?" he asked, voice soft as ever. you turned and saw his eyes trained on the said colorful flowers across the room, his green irises shining in an emotion you couldn't pinpoint. he quickly looked away as soon as you caught his gaze, making you arch an eyebrow.

     smiling and waving it off, you nodded, "of course. calla lilies with buttercups make each color pop out. is there a particular color that you like?"

     "uhm, is every color okay?"

     giving him a smile, you grabbed a few flowers of each color and began arranging them. the white, the yellow, the pink, the red... every color gave the bouquet a splash of emotions and meaning, something you often enjoy whenever making bouquets like this.

     each flower was doing their part, lifting each other up in their own special way.

     at least, that's what you see.

     after arranging it once again, you handed the bouquet to the brown-haired man with a bright smile. "here you go sir, i hope you enjoy it. a little splash of color is great once in a while!" you exclaimed happily, seeing him nod as he grabbed his wallet from his pocket.

     "yeah... you're right."

     as he paid the right amount for the bouquet, you caught sight of his eyes yet again.

     red veins were stitched on the whites of his eyes, throbbing and squinting as if he just... cried? the light in the flower shop gave his cheeks a glow, showing the dried tear stains that were tattooed in his skin.

     you frowned, eyebrows scrunched together in concern. was he crying? or was it the rain? what could've possibly made him cry and cloud his beautiful eyes with sadness?

     "uhm?"

     snapping out of your thoughts, you looked down and saw your hands still gripping the bouquet. he was already holding it, just waiting for you to let go.

     embarrassed, you quickly let go and scratched the back of your neck. "ah, sorry! please enjoy the flowers and come back again."

     just like the first time you saw him, he left the shop without any more words said. the heavy downpour had changed to a slight drizzle, but the sunshine earlier was still hidden by the thick clouds of the rain.

     sighing, you turn back to what you were doing, trying to forget about his eyes that finally showed one of the emotions you could finally name.

     pain.