As William stepped outside, the cold wind greeted him instantly. He fumbled the heavy blue leather-bound book in his hands, being careful not to damage it. Eileen had given it to him to study- not that he really needed a copy of The language of flowers; he knew most of them by heart- but he supposed it couldn't hurt to catch up. He'd had a copy of it once upon a time; back at Button house, but he'd smuggled it home on one of his leaves to show his nephew, and never returned it.
He shot a glance at his destroyed bike- sighing in defeat as he realised he wasn't going anywhere on it. He hesitated for a moment, considering going back and asking to use Eileen's telephone to call Alison, but he realised he had no idea what her number was. As he was contemplating his options, he heard a voice from behind him.
"Already done then?" Dave's voice rang out. William looked up in the direction of the sound, and found Dave hanging out of his window, looking down on him. He must have looked quite silly, staring at his broken bike like he was.
"Yes, we had a lovely talk. It would seem I will be around more starting Monday." Havers replied, a grin spreading across his face at the thought of finally being productive. Dave smiled back, giving him a happy thumbs up.
"That's great! We'll be colleagues then! I run the shop for my nan Mondays through Thursdays. I didn't even need to put in a good word for you, respect mate." He said.
William's mouth fell open. "Eileen's your nan?" He asked. He hadn't seen that coming at all- a fact that in hindsight, had been glaringly obvious.
"Sure is! I get my dashing looks from her, hadn't you noticed?" Dave replied, shooting him a little wink. William gave a little laugh as he felt the back of his neck heat up. He was lucky it was cold out and his cheeks were already red.
Dave was silent for a moment, taking a long look at the bike, and then at William.
"I suppose you need a ride home then?" He asked. William grimaced and followed Dave's gaze to the bike.
"Yes it would rather seem so. I don't think that's going anywhere soon." He replied. Dave gave a short laugh as he sat up.
"Give me a second then, I'll get my keys." Before William could say anything else, he had slammed the window shut and disappeared inside. A few seconds later a side door in the building opened and Dave popped out with a sly smile, jingling his keys happily.
"Let's get going then."
---
The ride home was nice. They'd talked the entire ride there about everything and nothing all at once. He found Dave to be an incredibly interesting person. A person whom- despite the early stages of their acquaintance, he found it easy to share his stories with. Dave just had this calm and relaxed air to him, like he didn't have a care in the world. Havers envied him, it was a way of life he'd often wished for himself- but despite the various relaxing activities he'd tried over the years, he never seemed to be able to shake the tension on his mind. Living in the middle of a war will do that for you. He'd snapped back to reality when Dave spoke up.
"Geez I forgot how beautiful it is over here. I don't usually come over to this side of the country." He said, looking around as the sun set over the seemingly endless fields, painting the skies with a mix of blue, orange and pink hues, add to that the puffy clouds, and the entire thing looked like a delicate oil painting. It was breath-taking.
"You know, there's quite a few beautiful paths through the fields around here, maybe we can take a walk down them sometime." William, suggested. He waited with baited breath for the other man's reply. He didn't want to scare the guy off from a potential friendship by coming off too strong. He really liked Dave, and having a friend outside of Button house might do him some good. But his worries were unnecessary, because Dave smiled brightly and nodded a second later.
"Sure! I need to get out more anyway, it's a crime to live so close to these amazing sights and take them for granted." He laughed, turning off the paved road onto the gravel road that led to Button house.
---
"Attention, all! This mission is of vital importance." The Captain said, straightening his back authoritatively. With the help of Pat, Kitty and Mary, he'd managed to get all the ghosts at the same place and time, and now had their full attention- for a while at least. Thomas was already staring out the window absentmindedly.
"Now. I propose we divide and conquer. Pat, I'm putting you in charge of the left wing, you can take Kitty, Robin and Julian. I shall check the right wing with Fanny and Thomas." He said, pointing at the various ghosts as he called them out. At the questioning look Mary was giving him, he sighed. He admired her a lot, but without the ability to properly read, he was afraid her talents were of better use somewhere else. "Erhm, and of course- Mary. You can be... the lookout." He continued, not wanting to make her feel left out. At the command, a smile appeared on her face, and she clapped her hands together softly in delight.
"Right. Now that we all have our commands, I shall explain our target. It is a book. Appearance unknown, but the title is 'The language of the flowers.'. It is imperative I come to be in possession of it. Any questions?"
Kitty raised her hand.
"That means important, Kitty." The Captain said shortly. Kitty smiled, looking around at the others as she shrugged nonchalantly and lowered her hand.
"Right. Operation Dahlia is a go. Good luck everyone. We meet back here at 1900 hours for a debrief."
Everyone dispersed; Julian, Kitty and Robin following Pat towards the left wing, and Fanny and Thomas following the Captain towards the right- leaving Mary standing alone in the middle of the sitting room, looking around in confusion. She lifted a finger upwards shyly.
"Right, I's will look out then!"
---
"There is no bally way you are reading them that fast, Thomas. Get it together and search please." The Captain called out from behind a bookcase in the crowded room. They had been searching for a few hours now; without any luck. They'd made their way from the dining room to the sitting room, both rooms that hadn't held a lot of books; but currently found themselves in the study. The study, together with the library, held the most books in the house. And that meant a deep dive into the many, many shelves. Thomas was honestly growing a bit bored of it. He sighed deeply.
"I'll have you know I have much better things to do, you know." He said, reluctantly starting over. Fanny laughed at that from where she was inspecting another bookcase. "You mean like annoying Alison?"
"What is annoyance, but proof of the persistence of my love?" He said, raising his arm towards the ceiling dramatically.
"Good lord."
Fanny sighed at the poet's dramatics and went back to her shelf. The Captain rolled his eyes and continued scanning his own shelves- that is, until a scream startled him out of his trance. "Someone's coming!" Kitty was yelling, running by and pulling everyone from their concentration. Thomas left almost immediately, following Kitty down the hall to the big windows that oversaw the front yard. Fanny tried not to show interest, but after a few seconds she cracked.
"I'd better go and see if our visitors are behaving themselves." She said, trying to play it off. She hurried off quickly, joining the quickly growing crowd in front of the windows, excitedly chattering about the car.
---
Dave had stopped the car in front of the door, pausing for a moment to glance at William as he struggled with his seatbelt. He was an odd man, but meeting him even for the first time it was clear the man had not a single bad bone in his body. Dave found him incredibly charming, and there was this... quality about him that made him believe they would get on splendidly. But today was not the time to get into it, for now he was just glad to have made a new friend. Lord knows it was hard enough in a small town like this. Once William had freed himself from the clutches of the car, he copied him in getting out- to help William get his bike out of the trunk. As the other man put the bike against the wall next to the door, Dave gave him a short wink and a pat on the shoulder.
"So, I'll see you on Monday then?" He said, grabbing the book from the front seat where they'd left it and handing it to William. William took it and gave him a short 'thanks'. But before Dave could make a move to turn around and get back in the car, William held up his hand.
"David! How... would you feel about that walk this weekend?" He asked, a little hesitantly.
"Sure, I'm free this weekend! I'll give you a call then?" He said, pulling out his phone to exchange numbers.
"Oh..." William said, looking at the device with a sheepish smile. "I don't have a phone..."
Dave's eyebrows raised in surprise. William supposed it was rare to find someone who didn't own a phone these days.
"Wow! A traditionalist! I respect it man. I guess we'll have to do this the old fashioned way then. Should I pick you up at 10? Saturday?"
William agreed happily, and Dave gave him a friendly slap on the shoulder before getting back into his car and driving off.
William, shifting the heavy book from one hand to another so he could reach the door, gently pushed open the creaky door to an audience of seven curious ghosts staring at him.
---
"It's Mister Havers!" Kitty said, spotting the man inside the small black car that had been parked in the driveway. "Who's the other one?" Thomas asked instead, noticing he wasn't alone in the car.
"Oh! He's made a friend! Maybe he'll come inside!" Kitty said, not being able to hide her excitement at the possibility of a new person coming round to Button house.
"Ha! I should hope not. Look at him, he's wearing sweat pants" Fanny said, scrunching her nose. Robin perked up at this, confusion on his face.
"Sweaty pants?" He repeated, but it fell on deaf ears, because both men had gotten out of the car and were currently struggling to pull a very much destroyed bicycle out of the trunk of the car.
"Ah! His bike is broken, this young man probably gave him a lift. How nice of him." Pat pointed out.
"Yeah, or he's trying to get in his pants." Julian huffed, looking around at the group, who in turn gave him annoyed looks. The Captain in particular seemed annoyed. "What? It's a classic. You know, I once had a little Flip and Dip with this lass that I picked up on-"
"He's coming in!" Kitty yelled, interrupting him and rushing from the window to the front door. Robin, Pat and Thomas followed suit, with Julian behind them- sulking about the fact that he didn't get the chance to finish his story. Fanny and the Captain were last, stepping into the foyer as William closed the door and looked at them all in surprise.
"Well, this is a warm welcome." He said, giving them all a polite smile.
"Who is the man? In the black carriage?" Kitty asked immediately, having tried to contain her curiosity but having miserably failed. William stepped inside further, putting his stuff on a table next to the stairs and hanging his coat on the coat rack that stood next to the door. The Captain noticed it was as destroyed as the bike.
"Oh, Dave? He's a friend I made today. I had a bit of an accident with the bicycle. Riding down a hill without brakes was not one of my brightest ideas it seems." He said with a chuckle, leading the ghosts into the sitting room.
Mary, who had still been wandering around the house- looking out, took that moment to walk through the wall of the foyer. She still wasn't sure what she was supposed to be looking out for, but the Captain had seemed really serious, and she'd heard the others look for some sort of book, so she'd wandered around, looking out. She stood there alone for a moment, looking around- but there wasn't anybody near. There was, however, a thick blue leather book laying on a small table near the stairs. She walked over, trying to make out what it said. She'd been practising with Alison, who had told her to read as much as she could, any words she could find.
"F...l...o...w....e....r....s, followers?" She read out, frowning. But then it clicked.
"Oh! Flowers!" She said proudly, looking around to see if anybody had seen, of course nobody had, but she smiled anyway.
"I do like flowers." She sang, bouncing on her heels softly and wandering off again, she still had more looking out to do.
---
"So, why did you get on the bike?" Pat asked, curious.
"I was going into the village, the Captain encouraged me to get a job at the local flower shop." William replied, giving the Captain a thankful smile. A smile that the other man returned.
"Yes, William. How did it fare? I should hope the mission was successful." He asked. He was pretty sure it had ended well, William had always been terrible at hiding his disappointment, but he seemed properly chipper, so he hoped for the best. This was only confirmed when a huge smile spread across the man's face.
"Well, you're looking at an employed man, Captain." He replied, holding out his hands as if to show himself off. The Captain gave a little laugh, pointing at him with his swagger stick with pride- like he used to do before.
"Jolly good! I knew you could do it. Can't think of anyone more qualified." He said, failing to stop his voice from wavering with nerves at the compliment.
"Thank you, Captain." William replied, his making eye-contact for a second that seemed to
"So, how it go?" Robin asked.
"Well, I went into the shop and the lady- Eileen, was bally nice. We talked for a good while about black tulips. They're in season now, you know." William answered, preparing to tell them all about his very eventful day.
The weather was indeed amazing that Saturday at 10 am, the sun was shining down on the British countryside happily, reflecting William's mood. He'd not gone for a proper walk since he went into town to explore two weeks ago. Dave had sighed as well, lamenting that he'd never made enough time for walks- but that he totally should. The man was now excitedly talking away, about nothing in particular. William couldn't believe they were going to be colleagues. It was funny how life would turn out sometimes, what are the chances he would run into his future colleague before even getting the job?
They'd stopped next to a group of snowdrop flowers, Dave bending down to admire them from up close, and William following him. He turned his attention back to the other man, who was talking about how he'd always been interested in flowers, and about how he always used to help Eileen when he was little. He'd very quickly discovered Dave was a very open person, who had no problem sharing everything about himself with practical strangers. But Havers found he didn't mind. He could use some more friends who weren't... dead.
"I'd get bullied for it at school sometimes, they said only girls liked flowers, but I never paid them any mind. I always had great friends that supported me. I guess that's why I felt so comfortable coming out at a young age." He paused for a second there, taking a quick glance at William- who was frowning in confusion.
"Coming out? Out of where?" He asked hesitantly. Dave laughed, as if it was silly he didn't know. It must be a modern thing he had no idea about. He suddenly felt uncomfortable, but Dave managed to laugh the awkward silence away- a fact William was very glad for.
"Out of the closet Bill. I'm gay." He said, shooting him another wink. William opened his mouth slightly, letting out a small "Ah, I see." before Dave continued.
"Well anyway, I'd always loved flowers- so my nan asked me to move out here with her when I was 17. She lives just round the corner, so the apartment above the shop is completely mine."
William was listening as Dave rambled on, but his mind had stayed on the fact that Dave talked so openly about his preference in his men. It was exhilarating. It also gave him an opportunity, one that he had been longing for for a long time- to ask questions. He waited until Dave was done talking before tentatively breaking the silence.
"Wasn't it hard?" He asked. Dave looked at him, not immediately grasping the meaning of the question. "Coming out? I mean." William elaborated. He watched as Dave's gaze fell and he absentmindedly plucked a leaf from a nearby bush to keep his hands busy.
"Yeah... in the beginning it was. But like I said, I had very supportive friends. The hardest part was my family. My dad... He'd made jokes or stupid comments in the past, so I was hesitant to tell him- but was fine with it, hasn't made any jokes since. My nan was actually the first person I ever told, that's why we're so close." He let out a short laugh at the memory. "She said she'd had her suspicions for a few years too, apparently it was quite obvious." He said.
William smiled, Eileen was indeed a sweetheart. Of all the people, he supposed she would be the easiest to share such a secret with.
"I told my mum next, and then my friends. They make jokes too, sometimes, but it's never in bad faith. They're great. Once you're over that initial threshold it gets easier, really. "
William was silent for a moment, contemplating. They continued on in silence for a few more minutes, following the dirt path that ran along the grassy fields.
"You know... I'm-..." William began. He wanted to say it. He needed to say it. This was his chance, it was just the two of them, when was he ever going to have a more perfect moment than this? To admit it to a friend, to himself? Just say it- say it, say it!
"I'm not really interested in women myself." He said finally, holding his breath. His heart was hammering so badly he was worried he was going to have a heart attack. But Dave gave him a small smile, nodding.
"Am I the first person you told?" Was the only thing he asked, shooting him a teasing smile. William let out a laugh, mostly to let out his nerves. It seemed to help a bit as the awkward atmosphere he'd created around himself cleared.
"Yes- I, I'm afraid I haven't had the same supportive group of people as you had... Where I come from- It's not really accepted." He replied thoughtfully, pausing to think of the least conspicuous way to talk about his past without giving away the bit about literal magical time-travel. Dave's expression was one of sympathy.
"I'm sorry Will. That must've been hard. I'm glad you told me though, we can support each other now." He gave him another charming smile, kicking at a small pebble down by his feet.
"Yes, it's silly, we've only just met but here I am sharing my deepest secrets with you." William said, giving a small laugh to make the statement look like it held less weight. Dave went along with it.
"No, I agree. Sometimes it's easier to share difficult things with strangers instead of people you're close to. I totally understand mate." He replied. Dave was silent for a few seconds as he continued to abuse the pebble, but then turned to look William right in the eye. And despite them being in the middle of the open fields, with nothing of mass even remotely close by, the world suddenly seemed to get smaller.
"So... If you've never really come out, do you have any.... like, experience?" Dave asked, tentatively. His tone had a hint of tease to it, but it made William's heart skip a beat at the thought anyway.
"No- No, not really" He managed to sputter as he kept eye-contact with the man. There was a slight hesitation, where Dave seemed to pause- as if asking for permission as he leaned forward slightly. William knew what was happening, but he didn't have it in him to stop the other man- he wanted this. Before he knew it, Dave was on him, pressing his lips softly to his own.
Once William was over the initial shock at the fact that he was actually-finally kissing a man... He was finally freely expressing himself. Guilt settled in his stomach. He knew deep down his heart wasn't- and would never be in it, at least not with Dave. Not like this. But- he decided, it didn't matter who it was at this moment. He'd spent so long repressing his feelings, and now all at once it seemed to spill out- and it felt amazing. William deepened the kiss after a moment, putting his hands on the back of Dave's neck. The kiss went on for only a few seconds, but to Havers they felt like hours. He could only breathe softly as Dave pulled away, once again a charming smile on his face.
"Well then... now you have." He said simply. William couldn't even find the right words to reply, his mouth was still parted slightly in a small smile and his eyes were wide. Dave stood deadly still for a moment, taking his eyes off of William and focussing on his feet instead for a moment with a small laugh, before looking up again and resuming his slow pace. William followed silently.
Finally, Havers spoke up. "Thank you, David. That was- I mean it was... I-" He didn't actually know how to finish the sentence, and so he trailed off awkwardly. But Dave chuckled. seemingly knowing exactly what William was trying to say.
"If you're not looking for anything serious that's fine, Bill." He said earnestly, there wasn't a single hint of malice in his voice, and Havers couldn't be more thankful.
"Ah, I see. Thank you, Dave. I mean- it's just that my life right now... it's kind of complicated. And my feelings even more so."
Dave's eyebrows shot up in surprise, and a knowing smile appeared on his face.
"There is someone, isn't there?" He said, bumping his elbow into William's side teasingly. William only nodded, his mind wandering off towards the Captain. No matter how hard he tried to forget the man, every other person he had ever tried to show interest in would always subconsciously be compared to him. And nobody ever came close.
"I've known him for what feels like decades. He's my best friend." He paused for a second, trying to think of the best way to put it so that he wouldn't have to get into the whole time-travel thing, Dave would probably think he was crazy.
"But... I've been stuck dancing around him for years, never actually getting confirmation of his feelings, may they be positive or negative. And for years I've been wondering if I am simply misunderstanding him, or if he wants this just as badly as I do. And then I wonder why he feels like he can't share his secrets with me. I would never judge him, and it pains me to know that he can't see it." He admitted. Dave bit his lip and grimaced at that.
"That's quite the situation, yeah. I'm sorry Bill." They crossed a small bridge in between meadows, and crossed into a section where that was full of livestock. Cows curiously followed them as they made their way across the sandy path.
"Have you ever considered he isn't sure of your feelings?" Dave said suddenly.
"I've thought about it yes, but despite my dropping continuous hints over time- he does not seem to pick up on any of them. It's hard trying to figure out if it's because he hasn't picked up on them or if he just isn't interested." It was the first time he'd ever spoken about this to anyone, and William felt a huge weight being lifted off his chest as he shared his troubles. Dave really seemed to understand, and even if he didn't, he at least was an amazing listener.
"But then again, he was raised in the same place as I was. It wasn't accepted, so I get why he would feel hesitant." William added on. Dave nodded with understanding, and pondered the situation for a moment before he responded.
"Well, I don't think there's anything I can say that's going to really help you except that you've just got to find out. Situations like these are always sensitive, but you miss 100% of the shots you don't take." He said, thinking back on his own experiences with dating. It hadn't always been easy, especially when he hadn't been sure of someone's sexuality, but the only way he'd ever found out is by asking.
"And I know that's incredibly corny..." He said with a laugh. "But it's true, Will. You'll never know if you don't take the chance. Believe me, you'll end up wasting your chance."
William nodded in agreement, kicking at a pebble of his own.
"You're right. But I can't just say it... I'll have to wait for the perfect moment-"
"That's a fad, mate. No such thing as the perfect moment. There will never be a moment perfect enough. So promise me, next time you're ready- just ask." Dave said, dead serious. William pursed his lips, hesitating. But Dave's gaze was steady, piercing into his own eyes with a determination he couldn't say no to.
"I promise." He replied. And it was a promise he fully intended to keep.