Budding Romance

Budding Romace

{This story was based off a true story (not the romance bit though) that happened to my grandmother so I thank her for it}

-Flower arranger!Eren x Levi-

Levi hadn't intended to notice that boy. He had just been admiring the gorgeous red roses in his new neighbors garden. He had moved into the house a week ago and there were still countless boxes to be organized, but he just couldn't find the time. Gazing at his neighbors flowers took up more time than it should have but Levi couldn't help himself, they were too beautiful. He expected their owner to be a nice old lady, the kind who calls you over to help figure out her new T.V or gives you fresh slice and cake on Christmas. But no, the owner of those lovely roses just had to be a ridiculously cute boy. A single one at that.

.~*~.

Valentines day was coming up, and Eren dreaded it. Not because he only ever got flowers and chocolates off his adoptive sister, Mikasa, because she felt bad for him. Eren was a flower arranger and worked from home, people placed orders on his website for arrangements for weddings, anniversaries, funerals and, the day that caused him the most stress; Valentines Day.

Not because he had orders piling up since mid January and not because he had to work from 6am till 11pm to fit in every last order. But because he grew most of his flowers himself that normally wasn't his biggest problem, but about a week before Valentines day his roses would start to disappear. It was hard enough to grow flowers in January, the dry and intense heat was enough to kill most of them off, but Erens roses faced a different threat; lovers.

Erens roses were the best on the block and everyone knew it. Sure, they could just go down to the local florist. But around Valentines day was when bouquets were the most expensive, the simplest one costing $45, so many people tended to just rip them right out of Erens garden! This left Eren with bare bushes and many apologies to write. Would it kill people to ask first?

.~*~.

He was going to make a move. He had to, and Valentines was the perfect opportunity to ask him out, Levi figured. But he didn't have any money. Rose bouquets were expensive and, without a job, he couldn't afford a nice one. There were some wild flowers growing in the bushy area behind his house, tiny white ones that grew in bunches and small red lilies would suffice, but he needed a statement rose. Levi knew that his neighbors roses were of great importance (he had googled cheap florists and happened upon Erens website a while back) and he would need as many as he could get his hands on, so asking him was out of the question.

Valentines day was tomorrow and Levi still didn't have a rose. He was contemplating buying one from the overpriced florist at the mall, right after taking out the trash. Levi hadn't taken two steps out the front door when he spotted several teenagers ripping beautiful roses out of his neighbors garden!

"Oi, brats!", they stopped what they were doing and looked at him, "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

"Stealing roses for our partners? It's almost valentines day, idiot! We need something!"

"That doesn't mean you can steal them! The owner of these roses is a florist who probably works day and night to full orders so you can fuck off his roses!"

By now Levis commotion had caught Erens attention, he barged out his front door and saw Levi ranting at a couple of teens about his roses. He walked down the lawn and took the white and light pink Perception out of the teens hand.

"Did you pick this?" He had been saving that one for Mikasa! Those were her favourite roses!

"Uh, yeah. It's for my boyfriend" the rather horsefaced boy answered.

"That rose was for my sister, you useless bludger! Just buy a fucking bouquet instead of ripping them out of my fuckin' garden!" Eren was downright raging. The other delinquents had run off, dropping their flowers in the gutter.

Once Eren calmed down he gazed over at Levi, who was picking up the flowers that had been dropped in the gutter. He had seen Levi a few times but had never really looked at his face before. He looked around 25 and had rather pale, smooth looking skin and piercing gun-metal grey eyes that looked intimidating. His jet black hair was neatly cut into an undercut and he looked fairly toned. Eren found him quite attractive.

"You really don't have to do that" Eren tapped Levi on the shoulder and he spun around, a pink tinge dusting his cheeks.

"I do, they just clog up the gutter" he looked at the crumpled Red Cedar rose in his hand, "it's a shame, though. All this beauty gone to waste."

Eren smiled and took the rose from Levis hand, "My names Eren, by the way, Eren Jaeger"

"Levi, Levi Ackerman"

His name suited him perfectly, Eren thought. Levi had just helped him protect his roses. There had to be some way to pay him back. Maybe the man wanted money? Or perhaps a bouquet for his partner? Oh God, was Levi in a relationship? Was he straight? Eren was bisexual and had never been in a proper relationship. He always saw cute couples doing cute couple things and he wanted that. He wanted someone to do cute couple things with. He wanted to do cute couple things with Levi.

" I need to repay you in some way. Do you want money? I make a bouquet for your partner, on the house!" Eren grinned and handed Levi his Business card.

Levi shoved it in his pocket, "No money is necessary and I don't have a boyfriend to give flowers to...." God, Levi sucked it dropping hints, "But I would like a rose, if you can spare one"

"Sure," Eren said with a bit too much enthusiasm, "which one would you like?"

"Which ever one's your favourite"

Erens cheeks darkened, he looked around until his spotted a large ruby red Crimson Glory. He took a pair of rusty scissors out of his pocket and snipped the rose off its bush, leaving about 10cm of stalk attached. After cutting the sharp tips off the thorns he handed the rose to Levi and smiled, "Here, whoever you're giving this to is one lucky guy"

Once Levi got back inside his own house he practically sprinted out to his back yard. He got his gardening scissors and snipped off some of the tiny white wild flowers, small red lillies and a few green ferns. It took Levi a while to arrange the flowers the way he wanted, Eren could probably do so much better, but it looked ok. The green ferns were placed around the bottom of the arrangement, framing it, the white flowers took up most of the arrangement with red lillies peppered throughout. In the center, in front of a fan of ferns, sat the Crimson Glory. It was beautiful.

.~*~.

The next day Eren was up early. He only had time to eat half a banana before his first client knocked on his door. A teen with a shaved head had arrived to pick up an arrangement for his girlfriend. Eren handed him the flowers with a little card attached to the cellophane, ' Dear Sasha, Happy Valentines Day to the best girlfriend I could ask for! Love Connie' young love was so sweet. He accepted Connies $25 and waved the boy off. Sasha would be one very happy girl!

A few hours later, Eren had handed out his last arrangement. He flopped back on his couch and sighed, this was the biggest haul he had ever done. His back ached from hours of sitting and he had already developed juvenile arthritis. He was only 23 and shouldn't have been having these problems. A knock at the door stopped his train of thought. He never got Valentines day gifts!

Eren opened his front door and smiled at what he found. A beautiful flower arrangement, featuring a gorgeous Crimson Glory. He bent down to pick it up and noticed the small red card on the box. The words on that card made Eren squeal like a school girl, it read 'Dear Eren Jeager, Thanks for giving me the rose. And you're right, the guy I'm giving this to is incredibly special. But I think he'll like it even more when I ask him out for dinner next Saterday. What do you say? Call me XXXXXXXXXX, Levi'.

Eren had a very important phone call to make that day.

{What do you think? This was going to be a oneshot but if you want me to continue it please comment! I love your feedback}