Clover | ✔

Chapter 11: Purple Heart's Ease

"Evan!" Sascha said, smacking the man's arm after realizing he was joking.

"Sorry, I couldn't help it," the man laughed, and Sascha huffed in indignation.

"I'm serious! I didn't do anything bad did I?" the florist asked again, looking a bit desperate. For a brief moment, Evan recalled the previous night and all of the kisses and caresses that Sascha had given him, his skin tingling at the memory. But Evan shook it all off, because Sascha was looking at him with worried green eyes, and those soft lips were pressed into a thin line, tense with nerves.

"No, you just didn't really want to leave the restaurant, but I managed to get you into the car and then you fell asleep on the way," he said, sticking as close to the truth as possible. Apparently, even that much was embarrassing enough that Sascha groaned and hid his face in his hands.

"I'm so sorry," he muttered, voice muffled. "This is so embarrassing, I can't believe I ruined the night like that," he said, making Evan chuckle. He leaned over the counter and pulled the florist's hands away from his face.

"It's fine, Sascha, it wasn't that bad," he reassured. "And you didn't ruin anything, I had fun," Sascha didn't look very convinced, but at least he was no longer trying to hide from Evan.

"Still, please promise you'll never let me touch an alcoholic beverage," Sascha said, letting his head fall onto the counter.

"Are you kidding, you're not allowed to even mention alcohol anymore," Evan said, only half joking, because the effects had been just as bad for him as they had been for Sascha. "I'm actually surprised you opened the shop today," he commented.

"It's only a few hours," the florist muttered, head still resting on the counter.

"A few hours of work with a hangover can seem like an eternity," Evan pointed out, knowing full well what he was talking about.

"Are you speaking from experience?" he heard Sascha say.

"Pretty much, but I don't get hangovers anymore. You, on the other hand, are a serious lightweight and should be home sleeping for the rest of the day. In fact, I insist you close the shop and let me take you home," he proposed, expecting a fight from the florist.

"After Jay gets back," Sascha spoke after a moment, surprising Evan.

Thankfully, Jason didn't take too long to return, and looked pretty happy to be able to leave early. He did, however, show some concern over Sascha, but the florist assured him that he would be fine by Monday and sent him on his way home.

"He's a very good boy," Sascha told Evan, as the man got into the car and buckled his seatbelt.

"When he wants to be," Evan responded with a wry grin. "Though you shouldn't let him make fun of your name," he said, recalling what Sacha had told him the previous night.

"Oh, did I tell you about that?" Sascha asked, getting a nod from Evan.

"Yeah, you said you wanted to try using your middle name instead. I still think Sascha suits you more," Evan said, grinning slyly, but Sascha only laughed away the compliment. He was -- to his chagrin -- getting used to Evan's constant flirting.

It wasn't long before they had arrived at Sascha's home, and Evan wished he could talk for a bit longer with the florist.

"Thanks for the ride," Sascha said. "And again, sorry about last night, I probably gave you a lot of trouble," he said, averting his gaze.

"Well, I can't complain, I did get to carry you home and tuck you in," Evan said with a wink and then laughed when Sascha blushed brightly right up to his ears. He wondered what the florist would do if he ever found out what had really happened.