My Morning Glory

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/49358635.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Category: M/M
Fandom: Blue Lock (Manga)
Relationship: Isagi Yoichi/Michael Kaiser, Chigiri Hyouma/Kunigami Rensuke, Itoshi
Sae/Shidou Ryuusei
Character: Isagi Yoichi, Michael Kaiser, Alexis Ness, Chigiri Hyouma, Kunigami
Rensuke, Itoshi Rin, Itoshi Sae, Shidou Ryuusei, Bachira Meguru, Hiori
You
Additional Tags: Kaisagi focus!!! YIPPIE, established kunigiri, future ryusei (side), Aged-
Up Character(s), Slow Burn, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop & Tattoo
Parlor, Fluff and Angst, Possessive Michael Kaiser, but like.. not in a
toxic way, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Stats: Published: 2023-08-14 Updated: 2023-08-24 Words: 30,984 Chapters:
6/12

My Morning Glory
by xiaoity

Summary

As it blooms in the morning and dies by the afternoon, the morning glory flower is
representative of life, death, and rebirth. Because of its short lifespan, the flower represents
how fleeting everything is, including love.

But remember, the Morning Glory is reborn every morning and in this way it shows how
nothing is truly gone forever, everything is renewable.

See, the Morning Glory flower blooms with the sun, it loves the sun. But when the sun sets,
the flower is left alone to die.

And the sun will always set. Ergo, it’s love for the sun is in vain because the sun will never
stick around forever.

or

The story of how Isagi Yoichi, a failure at love, finds his home in the heart of a man who
has left it all behind.

Notes

I am.. so excited for this I have the first 8 chapters already mapped out!!! This will probably
 be a 12-14 chapter long fic, so I hope you enjoy the ride!!

Everyone has been aged up to their mid twenties. For reference, Isagi is 24 :3

See the end of the work for more notes

 Blue Roses
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

A soft lofi mix played in the background as the flower shop owner made his way around the
displays. Holding his watering can, he tended to his plants with a smile on his face. The morning
sun illuminated the stained glass windows and the wind chimes that rested near them, enveloping
the shop is an arrangement of rainbows. It was the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen, and he gets
to see it every morning. For years, Isagi had dreamed about owning a store like this of his own.
Even now, as he unlocks the doors each day, he still finds it hard to believe that this life has
become his reality.

He has always loved nature, plants and flowers in particular. Whenever he was outside, he found
himself investigating any wild flowers or gardens. Each individual had their own style when it
came to floral arrangements, and he always enjoyed analyzing them.

Opening his shop allowed him to study this further. You can tell a lot about a person by their
favorite flower or color that they gravitate towards. Similarly, he has been able to tell the longevity
of relationships by the flowers picked by the partner for their significant other. Whenever Isagi
sees a man come in with his eyebrows furrowed and a bead of sweat dripping down his sideburns
asking for a dozen of his finest roses, he knows he won’t be seeing him again. These are not men
who cherish their spouses, but instead ones trying to save their skin with false pleasantries.

His regulars, however, are some of the most smitten people he has ever seen.

Hiori, a soft spoken young man with bright blue hair, always drops by on Tuesday afternoons. His
order always changes, but each time he checks out there’s an excited smile on his face. He always
asks for it to be wrapped in a light blue bow and leaves a generous tip.

Sasaki, an elderly man, steps into the shop every morning around 10am. In the middle of taking his
yellow labrador on a walk, he always picks up a singular flower. It changes every time, but the grin
he has as he speaks of his wife leaves Isagi’s stomach filled with butterflies.

Aoki, a middle aged woman, stops by every Saturday morning with her daughter. They wander the
store, pointing out their favorite flowers of the day. At the end of their visit, she allows her child to
pick a bouquet that they’ll give out to passerbys. She wants to raise her daughter to be someone
who always sees the good in others, and bring happiness into everyone’s lives
Hasano, a teenage girl who stops by every other week to purchase hydrangeas. She doesn’t speak
much, but she’s always blushing as she holds the flowers in her hands. Whoever the flowers are for
are clearly loved deeply.

It’s people like them that remind Isagi how beautiful the world can be, and he finds himself
longing to find someone to share that love with. Someone who was as interested in botany as him
would be great, but even someone who knew nothing would be fine too. Maybe the latter would
actually be best. Isagi would be able to create beautiful displays and explain the meanings behind
each petal. His partner would smile and nod along even though they didn’t understand anything,
but still appreciated the gesture.

He could shower someone in affection, provide the perfect bouquet for any occasion, and finally
have an outlet for all the love he had stored in his heart. When they get married, Isagi could create
a beautiful garden in their backyard. Every and any flower his spouse wanted could be found
healthy and cared for. Their house would be decorated and surrounded by the smell of petals and
nectar. He could leave petals from the doorway to the bedroom, where he would be waiting with
presents and all the love in his heart to give.

While it made him happy to daydream about, the smile on his face was bittersweet. He’s only ever
had one boyfriend, and that was years ago.

A highschool sweetheart who went to college across the country. He found a girl there he liked
more than Isagi, and that was the end of their story. There were some flings here and there, some
he hoped would turn into something more. Yet, each time, there was always someone else.

A best friend who was harboring feelings, an ex that never fully moved on, and the like. These
feelings always happened to be returned by the person Isagi was seeing, so their flings would end.
With it happening so often, Isagi had begun to prepare himself for the inevitable. When it occurred,
like it always did, he would just say he understood and wish them the best. He would hold back his
tears until he was alone, and then let the water flow.

It never got less heartbreaking, but he always understood. If given the chance, Isagi wouldn’t pick
himself either.

He was average, “Mr. Ordinary” as referred to by an ex fling’s best friend. He was well liked and
could easily make friends, but whenever it came to something more, he fell short. Isagi wasn’t even
sure why. What about him was never enough? Whenever he tried to figure it out, it just caused him
to sink into a depression, so he stopped.
Despite his past failures of love, he still hoped desperately to find someone he could share his
bouquets with.

The jingle of the entrance bell shakes him from his thoughts.

“Welcome! Oh, hey Chigiri!” His employee was standing in the entryway, surrounded by the rising
morning sun. His long red hair was pulled back in a high ponytail with the loose strands framing
his face. It was clear why the store made extra money whenever he was behind the counter,
“You’re a bit early for your shift today.”

Chigiri lifted his hand in greeting with a charming smile, “Yeah I know, but Renuske is my ride
and he had to help his crew move their equipment to the new space today.”

“Gotcha.” Isagi turned away from his friend and continued his rounds around the shop, “Do you
know where they’re moving too? He’s been with that shop a while right?”

The question was returned with a pointed hand to next door, “You know the empty spot next to us?
They’re moving there.”

Isagi raised his hand to his chin, losing himself in thought, “A tattoo parlor next to a flower shop…
I wonder if that’ll get us new clients.”

“Isagi, I don’t think tattoo artists are the type to buy flowers.”

“You never know, maybe one of them is a romantic.”

Laughing, Chigiri made his way to the break room, “I’ll be hanging back here until my shift starts.
Yell if you need anything.”

Isagi gave a nod of his head as a reply and continued his morning routine. The information that a
tattoo shop would be opening next door honestly got him pretty excited. The only tattoo artist that
he knew was Chigiri’s boyfriend, and he was super into art and was a respectful and great guy.
Surely, that would mean that his coworkers were similar, right?
Isagi let his thoughts wander again, this time about future profits, throughout the morning shift. It
was a slow day, so when a large van pulled up on the street and parked in front, Isagi watched with
interest. He went as far as to step outside to set up a new display in order to get a better view.

Kunigami was the first to emerge from the van. Noticing Isagi, he gave a brief wave before jogging
over. He seemed to have bulked up even more since the last time they saw each other, which Isagi
didn’t even think could be possible. The band-tee the ginger wore was tight over his chest and
upper arms, leaving very little to the imagination. Isagi should congratulate Chigiri later.

He reached out his hand to grip the much larger one in greeting, his classic smile on his face.

“Hey Kunigami! How’s the move going?”

“As expected, it’s fucking annoying but nothing horrible. Is Hyoma inside?”

“Yeah he should be behind the register. You can go see him if you want, we aren’t busy.”

Kunigami shook his head, but a soft smile pulled on his lips, “Nah, he’d kill me for dropping in on
him on his shift. He gets embarrassed.” Looking over his shoulder, the muscle head noticed all of
his coworker’s staring at him with a mixture of irritation and confusion. He sighed as he turned
back to Isagi, “ I should get back to helping before my boss starts getting more annoyed. I’ll
introduce you to the guys later if you want.”

“If they’re anything like you, I’d love to meet them.”

Kunigami gave a wary smile and averted his gaze, “Yeah they’re definitely…uh..well you’ll see.
Talk to you later, Isagi.”

Isagi gave a wave to the tattoo artist’s back as he went back to the van. There appeared to be four
other guys who the flower shop owner didn’t recognize. All of which were still staring at him.
Their gazes shifted back to Kunigami once he got close enough, and they appeared to ask questions
that Isagi couldn’t hear.

Seemingly satisfied with the answers, all of them turned back to the Van to keep unloading their
equipment.
Except one.

Even though Isagi had moved his attention back to his display, he still felt as though there were
eyes on him. Glancing back, he saw a man standing against the van staring right at him. He had
long blonde hair with the ends dyed blue. He wore a ripped tank top that hung low on his chest,
putting his large tattoo of a blue rose with vines on full display. Isagi wondered for a moment if
this man knew the meaning behind the blue rose, before dismissing it. He was a tattoo artist,
obviously he knew the meaning behind the artwork on his body. He didn’t need to interrogate and
potentially info dump on a guy he doesn’t even know.

He felt hot under the man’s eyes, a small bead of sweat forming on his neck. With no tattoos
covering his skin, Isagi felt naked despite being fully clothed. He did his best to keep focused on
the display, careful not to prick his fingers on the roses’ thorns. From the corner of his eye, he saw
a shorter man with magenta hair walk up to the admirer and smack him, causing him to jump.

Isagi hid a smile and laugh behind his hand at the interaction, but felt the eye’s fall away. Satisfied
with the display and surveillance of his new neighbors, he headed back inside the shop.

Chigiri was in the middle of a phone order, and Shidou, who had entered from the back a few
minutes ago, was staring out of one of the side windows. Isagi felt his left eye twitch. He let the
door slam behind him, causing the stalker to jump.

“You’re late.”

“Yeah yeah, sorry Yochan.” Shidou replied still looking out the window, eyes following one of the
workers.

A vein bulged on Isagi’s forehead, “Don’t call me that. I’m literally your boss.”

“You’re so cute though, I can’t help it.” Walking up to his employee, he smacked him hard on the
back of his head.

“Why haven’t I fired you yet?”

Rubbing the source of impact, Shidou looked back out the window with teary eyes. “Beats me, but
I’m not complaining. Especially now that we have some new eye candy next door.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The tattoo shop employees, duh. I call dibs on the short emo one with the long eyelashes.”

“You can’t call dibs on people, Shidou.”

“You absolutely can. I know you want that blondie.”

“Excuse me?”

“I saw him staring at you and you were blushing like a schoolgirl.”

Isagi rolled his eyes and began to pull his employee away, “You’re delusional. Just get away from
the window before they file a harassment claim with the landlord.”

Shidou pouted, but allowed himself to be tugged from his viewing point, “You’re no fun.”

Finished with the order, Chigiri hung up the phone and sat back on his stool. “From what I heard
from Renuske, you don’t want to get involved with any of them. Trust me.”

Isagi raised an eyebrow, “Why’s that?”

“Shit personalities.”

This response, however, just caused a wide grin to appear on Shidou’s face, “Princess, what are
you talking about? That just adds to the appeal! It’s no fun if there’s no challenge! I should go say
hi!”
“No the fuck you shouldn’t. You’re on the clock right now anyways. If you want to meet them so
badly we can stop by after we close.”

Stars appeared in Shidou’s eyes as he pulled Isagi into a tight hug and lifted him off the floor,
“YOCHAN! You are so nice to me!”

“Get off of me!” Twirling, Shidou placed Isagi back on his feet and ruffled his hair.

“Ah, today is such a good day!”

“Just get to work and stop pissing me off.”

“I’ll do my best!”

…..

Isagi had never felt bored at work before. No matter how slow the day may have been, he always
enjoyed the time spent in his shop. His employees were close friends, and he was surrounded by
plant life. The movement of the Sun caused the colorful glass to cast different intensities of
beautiful hues over the floral arrangements. It was gorgeous and he lost hours of the day by just
watching the light move.

But the hours leading up to the store closing on this day were a drag. Isagi wouldn’t admit it, but
he felt wrinkles adding to his forehead. He couldn’t tell if it was just a result of a slow day, or
because he also wanted to go introduce himself next door. These were new people who he would
most likely begin to see on a daily basis, of course he wants to meet them.

Definitely not because he was attracted to them. Absolutely not that.

So when Hiori finally made his way in around 6pm, Isagi mentally cheered. However, it was clear
that something was off with his regular. The young man looked irritated and was rubbing his
temple with his hand. He let out a cough into his elbow before waving.

Isagi quickly grabbed a cup of water from behind the counter and handed it over to his customer.
“Hey, Hiori. You alright?” Nodding his head in thanks, Hiori took the cup from the store owner.

“Yeah, I’m okay. A group of guys are just smoking outside and that stuff really messes with my
head. The smell and smoke make me nauseous.”

“Do you want me to ask them to move?”

Worry flashed over the man’s eyes as he shook his head, “Oh, you don’t have to! I don’t want to
cause an issue. They’re also scary looking..I don’t want you to get in a fight.”

“Wait..did they have tattoos?”

“Yeah, all of them. There’s like five guys in front of the empty shop next to yours.”

“They’re the workers for the tattoo parlor that’s opening there… I should definitely talk to them
about this. I don’t want it to become a regular occurrence that’s bothering my customers.”

Large hands landed on his shoulders, “Yochan I’ll go beat them up with you!”

Shaking off his grip, Isagi turned to face his most troublesome employee, “No one is getting beat
up! We are just asking them to smoke out back instead. I can do this alone. I’m not a kid.”

“Don’t care. This also makes my introduction more dramatic. I’ll leave a lasting impression on
emo eyelashes.”

Realizing this was a losing battle, Isagi sighed and looked over to Chigiri behind the counter.
“We’ll be right back, you mind getting the bundle together for Hiori?”

“Of course. Hiori, do you know what you want?”

Nodding, Hiori made his way over to the worker as Shidou and Isagi stepped outside. With it being
the start of an evening in September, the sun had already begun to dip behind the horizon. The sky
took on a beautiful orange glow that Isagi wished he could photograph. A chill wind was drifting
through the air, bringing the smell of nicotine right to his face.

Coughing, he waved the remaining smoke away. As claimed by the regular, all five of his new
neighbors were sitting in front of their shop with a cigarette in hand. A large flashing sign stating
“BASTARDS TATTOO” was now glowing in the window, leaving a colorful hue on the backs of
the group. With his cough and approaching footsteps, the five turned to face the flower shop
employees.

Kunigami’s eyes widened before he put out his cigarette in a nearby ashtray. Standing, he met Isagi
in the middle and shook his hand again.

“Hey, Isagi. Something up?”

The owner felt the eyes of everyone on him, but he did his best to ignore it. Flashing his classic
smile, he kept his gaze on the man before him.

“Yeah, I don’t mean to be that guy, but I had a regular come in and complain about the smoke.
Would you guys mind smoking out back instead of in front of the store?”

“Oh yeah, sure th-”

“Why should we listen to you?” The magenta haired man that Isagi had seen earlier began to stand
from his seat on the steps. “We haven’t even been here a day and you’re already trying to cause
shit?”

Taken back from the sudden aggression, Isagi wasn’t able to offer a quick reply. Shidou, however,
had no issue.

“Well, aren't you feisty? It almost breaks my heart that you aren’t my type.”

“Excuse me?”

Reeling in from the initial shock, Isagi stepped between the two fighters. He did his best to keep
his polite tone as he apologized for his employee, “I’m sorry about him, he’s just like this. I’m not
trying to tell you guys what to do, I’m just asking if you would mind smoking ou-”

“Yeah I heard you the first time you fucking clown. We aren’t moving.”

Isagi felt the same two hands from before grip his shoulders again, “Yochan I really want to kill
this guy. Can I hit him?”

“No, you can’t.”

“Yochan?”

“Not the time, Kunigami. I’d appreciate some help, you know.”

“Alright!” A loud clap could be heard, and the group turned to see the blonde who was the cause,
“I think that’s enough fun for now.” The man with the rose tattoo stood up, a calm smile on his
face.

“But Kais-”

“You’re being bad, Ness. We haven’t even introduced ourselves and you’re starting a fight? I
thought you were better than that.”

“He’s the on-”

“Ness.” Despite the smile on his face, the man’s voice had dropped significantly. The air seemed
to still as he glared at his coworker, “Sit down and shut up.” Following the instructions, the
instigator took his seat back on the steps, cheeks red with embarrassment. Isagi could have sworn
he heard him whimper like a disciplined dog, but he ignored it.

“I’m sorry about my employee here, I’m the owner Michael Kaiser. You’re the owner of the
flower shop next door right? Yoichi, was it? Kunigami mentioned you.”

His first name being used by someone he didn’t know irritated him, but he let it slide for the time
being. “Ah yes! I’m Yoichi Isagi. I’m sorry if my request came off as rude.” As he went to give a
slight bow to follow his apology, he felt a hand grip his chin. His head was raised back up as he
felt himself be pulled forward. Eyes wide, he found himself almost nose to nose with the man he
had just met.

Eyes the color of arctic ice were glaring into his own, causing a chill to run down his spin. He felt
vulnerable in a way he never had before, as if every insecurity and weak point was on full display
for the other to see. Every regret he ever had, every mistake ever made, was flowing from his mind
into the owner of the tattoo parlor. His stomach twisted and he felt sick.

“Oh, Yoichi, you don’t need to be so polite. We’re the ones who should be apologizing. Isn’t that
right, Ness?” His breath smelled like nicotine and smoke, causing Isagi’s eyes to water. He heard a
muttered ‘sorry’ from behind and felt the hand on his chin loosen. Once he regained his footing,
Isagi used the release of tension to remove the hand from his face. He looked down, taking a
moment to get his body temperature back to normal, before Kaiser called for his attention again.

“I may as well complete the introductions before you go. This one who is all bark and no bite is
Alexis Ness, the sulking one with green hair is Rin Itoshi, and the other sulking one with red hair is
Sae Itoshi. They’re brother’s, not twins, Sae is older, they don’t like being referred to as brothers,
it's complicated.”

At the introduction of their names, Rin scowled before taking a drag of his cigarette as Sae looked
at them uninterested.

“It’s nice to meet you all, I already said it before but I’m Yoichi Isagi and this is my employee-.”

“Ryuusei Shidou! Underlashes senior, I have your name in mine, that basically makes us meant to
be.”

His introduction was returned with a deadpan glare and Isagi began another apology.

“I’m sorry for him and for the disagreement earlier.”

Isagi was touched again, this time it was a grip on his wrist. Glancing over, he saw fingers with
painted black nails decorated with countless rings wrapped around his joint. The feeling of being
trapped, hunted, cornered, was back again. He shook himself free. “Yoichi, you’re too nice. If
someone spoke to me the way Ness did, I’d have his teeth scattering the sidewalk. It would do you
some good to grow a backbone.”

His uncomfort began to twist into irritation in Isagi’s stomach, “What did you just say to me?”
Narrowing his eyes, a scowl entered his face as he attempted to close the distance with his
antagonizer. Annoyingly, Kunigami stepped between them.

“That’s a good face! I’d love to see it on you some more.”

Isagi’s scowl deepened, which only seemed to spark even more joy in Kaiser. Sighing, he stepped
back and looked up at Kunigami, “I see what you meant. Great crew you got here, man.”

“Sorry..”

With nothing else to say, Isagi turned and began to make his way back to his shop before realizing
Shidou wasn’t with him.

“You, pretty emo eyelashes. Can I have your number?”

“What?”

“I’d love to take you out, explore the area, explore you, you know the deal.”

“Kill yourself.”

“Wow! You’re even more fun than that puppy!”

Humiliated, Isagi walked back and gripped Shidou by the back of his apron and began to pull. He
gave an apologetic look towards the oldest Itoshi brother before slapping Shidou upside the head
once again. As he was pulled, he saw his employee make a call sign with his hand, resulting in a
laugh from Kaiser.

Of all ways for his first impression to go, this was definitely one of the worst results.
Chapter End Notes

FIRST CHAPTER DONE HEHE

Bachira wasn't on schedule today, but oh boy he is in for a DOOSEY next shift.

With my current schedule, I plan to try to update every other day! This is subject to
change, so if you want to be kept up to date you can check my twitter @onikabuito !!!

If you're familiar with my NGIS fic "High Score" and how I did the swapping POVS
each chapter, I'll be doing the same here! Odd chapter numbers will be Isagi and even
will be Kaiser.

Okay thats enough from me KJSHGFKDRL please let me know your thoughts!!! I
love hearing feedback :D
 The First Crack
Chapter Summary

retellling of the previous chapter but in Kaisers pov

Chapter Notes

haha so uhh.. i ended up speed writing this because i want to get to the next chapter so
im posting two days in a row um .. enjoy!!!!!!!!!!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Kaiser hated mornings.

The sun was always so bright and irritated his eyes. The sound of birds chirping felt like nails on a
chalkboard in his head and made him feel sick. He never understood why anyone would want to be
awake before one pm, much less get out of the house and be productive.

He thrived in the night. The street lights and neon signs of businesses were always so beautiful to
him. They casted the world in gorgeous hues that glowed on the skins of the night walkers. When
he was on these streets, he didn’t have to deal with the judging eyes of the average person who
looked at him like he was a freak.

Kaiser knew he stood out, he wasn’t an idiot. He put these images on his body and decorated
himself to the extreme to stand out. That didn’t mean he had to like the negative attention he
received as a result. The parents who turn their children’s eyes away in fear of what he may do… it
was revolting. They looked at him like he was sick, covered in a contagious disease that could
spread to their beloved sons and daughters.

It made him gag.

So, when he had to be up at 8 in the morning to start moving his business to the new location, he
felt like he was on the verge of death.

He threw on an oversized tank top and loose ripped jeans with a pair of boots, accompanied by
large sunglasses to hide the lack of sleep prevalent on his face. Shaking his hair, he flipped his
head a few times to style the cut before giving up and heading out the door. He could have sworn
he heard his skin sizzle under the morning light.

As expected, Ness was already sitting on his front steps with two coffees in hand. With his arrival,
the man quickly stood up and held out the drink which Kaiser took gladly without making eye
contact.

Taking a sip, the bitterness rested on his tongue. It was brewed just the way he liked it even though
he’s never told Ness his exact order. He didn’t question it. “You always have what I need, that’s
one of the things I like about you.”

The praise caused the errand boy to smile, a light blush ghosting his cheeks that Kaiser ignored.
“Thanks!”

Kaiser brushed by his friend as he made his way to his car. Opening the passenger side door, he
slid in and placed his cup in the holder and rested his head against the seat. The interior smelled of
nicotine and weed and it caused his head to buzz. After rolling down the window, he reached into
the glove box and pulled out a box of cigarettes and a lighter. He popped one out, lit it, and took a
drag before Ness had even started the engine.

The smoke entering his lungs calmed his morning irritation and made him want to kill himself a
little less. “How much more needs to get cleared out before we head over?”

“Not much, just some leftover furniture that was too heavy to move by myself. I stayed late last
night after everyone left to make it easier for us this morning.”

Kaiser tapped the ashes off the end of his cigarette before taking another drag, “This is why you’re
my favorite employee. I should give you a raise.” He could have sworn he saw flowers dance
around Ness’s head, but he blamed it on the sleep deprivation. “Is anyone at the shop yet?”

“The Itoshi’s just got there, and Kunigami is on his way. He just had to drop his boyfriend off at
work. We’ll probably get there at the same time.”

“Oh right, we’re moving next to his job right? The flower shop? Isn’t that just a fucking cliche.”
“The two of them are gross together, I hope I’m not stuck watching it every morning.”

“Can you blame him? If I was with someone as gorgeous as that princess of his I wouldn’t be able
to keep my hands off either.”

“I wouldn’t repeat that in front of Kunigami. He’d kill you. Like, I’m not even exaggerating. I’m
pretty sure he’d crack your skull.”

“That just makes it all the more fun, doesn’t it?”

“Your funeral, Michael.”

Chuckling, Kaiser tossed the remaining butt out the window before rolling it back up. He took a
sip of his coffee to wash down the smoke and the mixture in his mouth tasted like garbage. He
swallowed it down with a rising bile and returned the cup to its holder.

He let silence fill the space, still too tired to push for further conversation. It was just Ness he was
with anyways, there was no need for idle chatter. They could sit in each other’s company for hours,
unspeaking, and still know what the other wanted to say. It’s been like this for over ten years and
has become a comfort Kaiser hasn’t imagined a life without.

He knew Alexis had feelings for him, he had confessed at the end of their senior year. Kaiser never
returned it, but he didn’t want to lose the only friend he ever had. They made a deal not to bring it
up again and pretended that it never happened. It was clear that Ness did not take it well, but like
he always did, he put on a fake smile and continued their friendship as normal.

Kaiser never tried to comfort him.

It was nothing against his friend, he just wasn’t his type. Sure he was cute, but he liked Kaiser too
much. He never argued, never fought back, always just went along with what was said. He was
like a dog, and it was honestly a bit irritating at times. But they’ve been friends for a decade, and
Kaiser loves bossing people around.

The few times Kaiser had attempted relationships, all of them had fallen through dramatically. He
didn’t get his first boyfriend until college, and he was hooked from their first interaction. He was
three years older, experienced, and kissed him silly during a frat party in an empty bedroom. The
relationship progressed fast, almost giving Kaiser whiplash. Ness urged him to slow things down,
but it caused a fight due to thinking he was trying to break them up.

Broken by the accusation, Ness left him to deal with the eventual fall out alone. Kaiser had laughed
in his face, told him he knew nothing about the guy and that he’d prove him wrong.

But Ness was never wrong.

It only took another month before Kaiser entered his boyfriend’s dorm to find two other guys
sandwiched on either side of him. He chased him into the hallway naked, claiming it wasn’t what it
looked like. Tears melted the ice in his eyes as he stopped in his tracks. He turned, offering a
twisted smile, before knocking his teeth in.

He left the dormitory with a bloodied fist and a shattered heart.

Despite their last conversation, he found himself standing in front of Ness’s apartment. He
knocked, waited, and fell into his friend’s chest the second the door opened. He should have been
pushed off, kicked out the door, and screamed at. But he wasn’t.

Because this was Alexis Ness, his best friend, his only friend.

He gave up on trying for another relationship after that. He settled for one night stands and blocked
anyone who attempted to contact him after he left their home at daybreak. Never again would he
allow himself to be used and made a fool. He would not allow himself to be the joker of his own
life story.

The car coming to a stop took him out of his flashback.

Both men stepped out of the car and made their way to the entrance of the old shop. The two
brothers sat on opposite sides of the steps, each lost in their phones. Synchronized, they raised their
heads to glare at their boss. If looks could kill, Kaiser would have entered cardiac arrest.

“What happened to be here at 8 am sharp or you’re fired? It’s almost 8:30.” Rin spoke first, voice
irritated.
Kaiser shrugged as he pulled his keys out of his pocket, “You guys are always late, figured you’d
need some motivation.”

“I’ve literally never been late before. It’s just you.”

The boss waved his hand in dismissal, “Whatever, I’m here now so move out of the way. I want
this done as soon as possible.”

“It would have been done already if you actually followed your own schedule.” Sae had turned his
attention back to his phone, but mumbled out his disagreement. Rin nodded, but stood to move out
of the way.

“Aw, at least one of the Itoshi’s are obedient. Sae, you should be more like Rin.”

At this statement, Sae gagged but left the steps, “I’m not a fucking dog. You already have one as it
is. This isn’t a fucking kennel.” As he spoke, he moved his glare to Ness, earning a laugh from his
brother.

“Are you talking about me? I’m not a fuckin-”

“Ness.” Kaiser brought his free hand to his temple and began to massage the area, “Not now. It’s
too early for this shit.”

“Sorry, Kaiser.”

Immediately backing down, the man seriously did look like a disciplined puppy with his tail
between his legs. The brothers snickered, Sae leaning into Ness as he walked by, “Woof.”

Kaiser ignored the altercation and made his way inside his old shop. As his friend said, it was
mostly cleared out. The only things left were the couches and some tables. With the closing of a
car door, he turned to see Kunigami stepping out of his van. With the main muscle of the group
now present, the rest of the items quickly made their way into the moving truck.

Once the building was emptied, Kaiser did one final farewell bow before moving to the van.
Everyone besides Ness rolled their eyes, but followed behind and made their way to the new
venue.

Pulling up, Kaiser took his time getting out of the vehicle. He had no desire to do any heavy lifting,
and part of him hoped that if he waited long enough it would just get done on its own. Obviously,
he would not be so lucky.

Ness had so kindly reminded him that he was the only one with the key, so with an exaggerated
sigh he slipped out of the van.

Standing in front of his new shop, he noticed that the brawn of the team was nowhere to be found.
He turned to see the other three members all looking in the same direction. Following their gaze,
he found the source of their interest.

Kunigami was standing in front of the flower shop talking to a man with deep blue hair and a large
smile. He wore a green apron over a plain white t-shirt that had the sleeves cuffed up. Even from
this distance, Kaiser could see how bright his eyes were shining. He laughed as he spoke and
followed Kunigami’s gaze over his shoulder. For a moment, Kaiser could have sworn they locked
eyes, but it was quickly broken by Kunigami’s back.

As the conversation ended and his employee made his way back, he was the first in line to start the
inquiries.

“Who is that?”

“Oh, that's Yoichi Isagi. He owns the flower shop.”

“You’re friends with him?”

“Yeah you could say that, he’s closer to Hyoma though. I just kind of know him by acquaintance.
Nice guy.”

“Is he dating anyone?”

“What? Not that I know of, but don’t even fucking think about it Kaiser.”

“Protective of someone who isn’t your boyfriend? Oh my, maybe I should let the princess know.”

“Don’t even fucking look at him. Even if he knew, he’d be fine since I’m protecting Isagi from
you. Now help me move this shit.”

Rolling his eyes, Kaiser let Kunigami push by him and make his way to the van. The others
followed suit, but the owner stayed in his position. He watched as the flower shop owner delicately
handled the floral arrangement with his fingers. He held each stem as if they were made of glass,
treating each petal like it was the most precious thing in the world.

A soft smile was on his face the entire time, as if he was truly in love with what he was doing. It
was beautiful, and disgusting.

What would it take for someone like him to crack? For his smile to turn to a scowl and for his
pleasantries to turn into insults? Did he have a temper? Or was his bare skin thicker than a
crocodile’s hide? He was tempting, alluring, and Kaiser felt gravitated towards someone for the
first time in years.

He wanted to make Yoichi Isagi break.

His stare was obvious, and he made no attention to hide it as his prey looked back. He could see
the apprehension, how uncomfortable he was under his watchful eyes. His every movement was
being recorded and locked away in the back of Kaiser’s mind for later review. He debated moving
forward, closing the distance and seeing what would happen, but he was stopped.

A smack hit his arm, causing him to almost jump out of his skin.

“Michael, stop drooling and come help.”

Subconsciously, he wiped the side of his mouth before flicking Ness in the head, “I’m not fucking
drooling. Just observing.”
Rubbing his forehead, Ness glared at him, “The others are complaining and it’s pissing me off. Just
come help and you can fantasize about your next hook up once we’re done.”

Annoyed, Kaiser turned his back on Isagi and walked towards the store, anxious to finish the
move.

…..

It took a few hours, but by sunset the shop was basically set up. There was still some decoration
left to do, but that could wait for another day. Satisfied with their work, the crew sat out on the
steps of their new place. The building sat on the top of a hill, providing a new view of the area they
would be frequenting every day.

A lighter was passed around as each member took out their favored cigarettes. Smoke quickly filled
the air and Kaiser deeply breathed it in. He doesn’t remember when his hatred of the smell turned
into comfort. Something that was slowly killing him, that he should have no desire to consume,
had become a part of his daily life.

However stressed, upset, or angry he was, the moment the smoke entered his chest it all washed
away. Was he addicted? Most definitely, but that wouldn’t mean that he would stop. He could stop
whenever he wanted, but why would he? Why should he? Maybe he didn’t need a reason, and he
should just stop and pick up some patches and start taking care of his health.

But where’s the fun in that?

His smoke breaks let him step away from whatever he was doing. The conversations he’s had on
back balconies were some of the best in his life. Same with the people he had met there. Standing
in the dark under a fluorescent, flickering, outdoor light of a pub with an attractive person whose
name he didn’t even know was an experience he didn’t want to give up.

Leaning in close to light the flame, tasting the smoke in someone else’s mouth. These were things
Kaiser desired. Something he desperately needed a fix of regularly. So for now, as he leaned
against the brick of the building, he let the nicotine enter his body and make a home.

He barely listened to the conversations of his employees, too stuck in his own head and the fading
colors of the sky. At some point he noticed a cute young man walk past them. His hair was bright
blue and he kept his eyes stuck to the ground. A sweater was pulled over his hand that he used to
cover his face as he made his way by.

His interest stayed as the man entered the flower shop. Through the large windows, Kaiser
watched as Isagi ran over with a cup of water and comforted the stranger. Was that his boyfriend?
No..Kunigami said he wasn’t seeing anyone. Just overly friendly with a regular? Possibly, he
seems pathetic enough for that.

The two have never even had a conversation yet, but a flame of curiosity burned in his chest
stronger than the lighter in his hand.

His eyes widened as his man of interest stepped outside the shop. He was accompanied by
someone taller, tan, with the most gaudy makeup and hair style Kaiser had ever seen. A large smile
was stretched across his face as he basically bounced his way over to their group. He was far from
his type.

Noticing the two approach, Kaiser watched as Kunigami burned out his cigarette and went up to
greet the men. Between the two, Isagi looked so small in comparison that it caused Kaiser’s lips to
pull into a smirk. He was too focused on the way the light was framing Isagi’s face to pay attention
to the conversation.

The setting sun put a halo around his head, causing varying shades of blue to be highlighted in his
hair. The light illuminated his eyes and made Kaiser feel like he was staring into a body of water.
He was tempted to interrupt the conversation and make a move, but didn’t get the opportunity.

Or, actually, one opened itself up to him.

“Why should we listen to you?”Ness had risen from his seat on the steps and was spitting out his
words. “We haven’t even been here a day and you’re already trying to start shit?”

Isagi’s eyes widened, a look of shock taking over his face. A new emotion, a new visual, had
shown itself. Kaiser loved every second of it. He was annoyed that the freak with the antennas
spoke for him.

“Well, aren't you feisty? It almost breaks my heart that you aren’t my type.”

“Excuse me?”
Isagi pushed himself in front of his employee, a mixture of embarrassment and nerves now being
displayed.

More. I need to see more.

“I’m sorry about him, he’s just like this. I’m not trying to tell you guys what to do, I’m just asking
if you would mind smoking ou-”

“Yeah I heard you the first time you fucking clown. We aren’t moving.”

He knew he should step in, he should pull back his dog and allow the conversation to be civil.
However, this was a priceless opportunity before him. He could let Ness continue to push, to cause
issues and see how far Isagi can be tempted before he breaks.

But..that would mean that Ness is the one who breaks Isagi, and not him. Kaiser couldn’t allow
that.

“Alright!” He brought his hands together in a loud clap, putting out the cigarette on the step. “I
think that’s enough fun for right now.” As he stood on the steps, he looked down at the face of the
shop owner. Isagi was making no attempt to turn his gaze and the reaction was so innocent that it
almost made Kaiser puke.

“But Kais-”

“You’re being bad, Ness. We haven’t even introduced ourselves and you’re starting a fight? I
thought you were better than that.”

“He’s the on-”

“Ness.” Kaiser turned his head, eyes as cold as the ice they resembled as he glared at his friend,
“Sit down and shut up.” As usual, Ness gave nothing as a rebuttal. Embarrassed, he sat back down
on the steps and kept his eyes to the floor. Kaiser let a fake smile pull on his lips as he looked
back.
“I’m sorry about my employee here, I’m the owner Michael Kaiser. You’re the owner of the
flower shop next door right? Yoichi, was it? Kunigami mentioned you.”

He could have sworn he saw an eye twitch at the use of his name, but it was too minimal for him to
be sure. He made a mental note of it just in case, “Ah yes! I’m Yoichi Isagi. I’m sorry if my
request came off as rude.”

Bewildered, he watched as Isagi attempted to bow his head in apology. That wouldn’t do. If his
head is down, how would he be able to see his face? How would he be able to read his expressions
and see how each of the words that left his throat resonated with the other man?

So he reached out and took hold of the face he had become enamored with. Isagi’s chin slipped so
easily into his palm that his breath hitched in his throat. It was as if he was made perfectly to match
him. He pondered what other parts could lock together in the same way, but pushed the thought
back.

He pulled Isagi close, definitely much closer than was needed. Kaiser couldn’t help himself. There
was something about Isagi that he needed to see as much as possible. Their noses were a breath
apart and he could see every freckle that painted Isagi’s face. His eyes were blown wide, allowing
Kaiser to take in each varying hue in his irises. A mixture of surprise with a sprinkle of fear,
exactly what he loved to see.

Kaiser could see the gears turning in his head trying to make sense of the interaction. It was cute.
The smile on his face was no longer fake as he let his words ghost into the other’s mouth. “Oh,
Yoichi, you don’t need to be so polite. We’re the ones who should be apologizing. Isn’t that right,
Ness?”

He didn’t turn his head to get the response, how could he? That would mean he had to turn away
from Isagi and he would rather die than do that. Yet, as he expected, he heard a muttered ‘sorry’
from behind him. With the reply, his grip on the man’s face loosened for just a moment. This
moment, however, was enough to give Isagi the courage to pull away.

Kaiser cursed silently to himself at the slip up. He refused to let the effect be obvious on him.

“I may as well complete the introductions before you go.” He kept his smile as he pointed to his
employees, even though none of them returned it, “ This one who is all bark and no bite is Alexis
Ness, the sulking one with green hair is Rin Itoshi, and the other sulking one with red hair is Sae
Itoshi. They’re brother’s, not twins, Sae is older, they don’t like being referred to as brothers, it's
complicated.”

Isagi nodded along, analyzing all of the members. Kaiser wondered what he thought of them. Does
he find any attractive? Would he want to pursue anyone? What interests does he need to crush in
order for those blue eyes to be on him and only him?

“It’s nice to meet you all, I already said it before but I’m Yoichi Isagi and this is my employee-.”

“Ryuusei Shidou! Underlashes senior, I have your name in mine, that basically makes us meant to
be.”

Oh. Well that was unexpected. At least it took two people off of his watch list.

“I’m sorry for him and for the disagreement earlier.”

Another apology? That won’t do. Isagi has been disrespected since the start of this conversation
and he’s still being nice? He is still hoping for approval and acceptance? How naive. Kaiser’s hand
reached out again to grip his wrist. His fingers curled around, his middle finger grazing his thumb
once the lock was complete. Another perfect fit.

Unfortunately, he kept his grip light again which allowed Isagi to shake free.

A pity.

“Yoichi, you’re too nice. If someone spoke to me the way Ness did, I’d have his teeth scattering
the sidewalk. It would do you some good to grow a backbone.”

Narrowed eyes, a forming scowl.

“What did you just say to me?”

Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

Kaiser’s smile turned twisted as he watched Isagi’s hands turn to fists. He stepped towards him
with a deepening frown. Kaiser’s heart raced, he felt giddy. He had finally begun to dig into his
skin, and all it took was pointing out his personality. This would be much easier going forward.
Even as Kunigami stepped between them, he still stayed focused on that beautiful expression.

“That’s a good face! I would love to see it on you some more.”

It was impossible to hide his joy. The pure bliss that Kaiser was experiencing from just barely
cracking the character of Yoichi Isagi was the best high he has ever had in his life. As he watched
the scowl deepen, his heart only raced faster. He could become addicted to this sight.

With a parting jab at Kunigami that he didn’t pay attention to, Kaiser watched Isagi’s back become
smaller as he walked back towards the shop before stopping. Even though he was clearly done with
the conversation, his flamboyant employee didn’t get the hint.

He had stepped past Kunigami, leaning into the group.

“You, pretty emo eyelashes. Can I have your number?”

Kaiser had to stifle a laugh at the brazen attempt of a pick up.

“What?”

“I’d love to take you out, explore the area, explore you, you know the deal.”

“Kill yourself.”

“Wow! You’re even more fun than that puppy!”

The group turned to stare at Ness, whose eyebrow had raised in response. A questioning finger
pointed towards himself that everyone nodded at, causing him to pout. Isagi had returned, previous
annoyance turned to shame, as he attempted to pull back his employee. As he was pulled, the
 employee made a call sign and pointed to Sae.

The disgust on Sae’s face tore a laugh deep from Kaiser’s stomach. The sun had barely set on the
first day of their new place, and it was already more exciting than he could have imagined.

He needed to experience more.

Chapter End Notes

I'm sorry the first two chapters were pretty short at 4k words, but literally all the future
ones will be AT LEAST 5-6k so i hope you enjoy!!!

I'm always open to any comments and feedback so i would love to know your thoughts
on this chapter!

Have a lovely day and thank you for reading!

 Daisies
Chapter Summary

“Kaiser-kun, thank you! Are you a new employee? You seem rather knowledgeable.”

“Oh no, I’m just a passerby with a..growing interest in this shop and its commodities.”

As he spoke of the shop, Kaiser’s eyes drifted back to Isagi. The owner shifted on his
feet to shake off the stare to no avail.

Chapter Notes

This is my favorite chapter yet I’m very excited to share !! It’s more dialogue heavy
but I hope you guys enjoy!

Also I just used american money in this because I don’t know how yen works so
my bad

Also tw for some silly little violence :3

See the end of the chapter for more notes

For the first time since the opening of his business, Isagi was annoyed to go into work. The
humiliation of yesterday's interaction had affected his sleep, and he was unsure if he even rested
four hours.

Each time his eyes would close, he was looking into Kaiser’s. He was being watched, analyzed,
devoured, by an entity that wasn’t even in the same room as him. His heart raced in his chest as if
he was running for his life. He was exhausted but unable to drift off.

The feeling of those hands on his body still hadn’t left. The phantom touches were so intense that
Isagi found himself mirroring them just to get them to fade. Even when he finally managed to fall
asleep, he couldn’t escape the owner of the tattoo parlor.

As Isagi laid in a field of flowers, taking handfuls to weave into crowns and bouquets, he felt it.
The eyes had returned and were following his every move. He couldn’t find the source, no matter
how far he moved into the field or spun his head. The aroma of the fresh flowers was overpowered
by smoke and ash, followed by the ghost of a hand on his arm.
He awoke with a start, sweat coating his pillow and shirt. The stir from his nightmare spooked his
cat awake as well, who quickly moved over to curl into her owner. The purrs against his skin
allowed his breathing and heart rate to stabilize, but he didn’t attempt to sleep again after that.

So when Isagi’s alarm went off at 7:15, he finally felt a sense of relief before it was immediately
replaced with apprehension.

The morning was his favorite time of the day. The calm, cool air with the chirping of wakening
birds always started him off on a good note. Yet now, knowing that it meant that he might run into
Kaiser again, caused nerves to spin in his gut.

He did his best to ignore it, that anxious feeling for being hunted, as he readied himself for the day.
He refused to let someone who he had only interacted with for a few minutes completely dictate
his life. Throwing together his outfit for the day, he kissed his cat goodbye before stepping into the
autumn morning.

The shop was only a ten minute walk away, but he almost considered driving due to his lack of
sleep. Deciding against the waste of gas, he started his daily walk and let the morning sun clear his
mind.

As always, he found his attention drifting towards the gardens of his neighbors as he passed. None
were particularly extraordinary, but all were unique and deeply loved by their owners. His heart
swelled knowing there were people who loved their gardens as much as him.

Arriving at the shop's entrance, he was relieved to see the tattoo parlor was still empty. It was
barely even 8am, which made sense. Hopefully this meant he would be able to continue his
mornings as usual without interruption.

Stepping inside, Isagi stood still for a moment just to take in the lights from the stained glass. It
didn’t matter how many mornings passed by exactly the same, he would never grow tired of its
beauty. The breeze from outside entered along with him, causing a gorgeous melody to soar from
the windchimes. He loved his small flower shop and was grateful everyday that he gets to live a
life he dreamed for years about.

After turning on the lights, he flipped the sign on the door to ‘open’ and began setting up shop.

As usual, the first hour was the slowest part of the day. Honestly, he debated moving the hours to
opening at 9 instead, but he knew he would end up at the store by 8 anyway. Since it was a
Wednesday, no one was set to come in until the afternoon. Isagi let himself enjoy the calm silence
before it would be taken away.

He was sketching one of the arrangements in a notebook when the bells on the front door finally
chimed. Excited, he looked up to welcome his first customer of the day before his smile
immediately fell from his face.

Standing in the doorway was Kaiser, raising his sunglasses to the top of his head as he looked
around the shop. Like the previous day, he was wearing a muscle tank which put as much of his
skin on display as he could without being shirtless. His pants were tight around his legs, stretching
the distressed denim even further. Black and silver jewelry decorated his hands, neck, and ears.
There was even a chain dangling from his side that Isagi had a strong urge to pull off.

His tongue was pushing on his lip ring, causing it to rotate on his mouth. When Kaiser noticed the
staring, a smirk pulled on his lips.

“You could take a picture, you know.”

Isagi felt his eyes roll so hard he thought they would fall out of his head. “What are you doing
here?”

Kaiser fidgeted with the bracelets on his wrist as he stepped further into the store. His eyes no
longer strayed from the shop owner’s face. “Wow, is that how you greet all your customers? A
little hostile so early in the morning.”

Isagi held his gaze. He refused to allow himself to be intimidated like he was last night. “Not all,
just you.”

His attitude only caused the other’s teasing grin to increase, “Geez, I guess that makes me pretty
special then.”

“I’ll ask again, what do you want, Kaiser? I doubt you’re here just to look around.”

With a sigh of defeat, Kaiser stopped himself right before the counter and crossed his arms over his
chest, “Alright, since you’re so persistent… I have a client that wants a tattoo of an orchid, and I
figured since you’re right next door, I could search for a live reference. You do have some, don’t
you?”

Surprised at there actually being a reason, Isagi debated apologizing before immediately
dismissing the thought. Standing up from his stool, Isagi stepped away from the counter and
squeezed his way past Kaised. A vein popped in his forehead at the fact that the customer didn’t
attempt to move out of the way in the slightest.

As he walk towards the left corner of the store, Isagi realized he was alone. Looking back, he
noticed he was only being followed by eyes and not legs, so he gave a wave of his hand to usher
the tattoo artist closer.

He stopped before the section holding the pots of orchids. Like all other flowers in the shop, Isagi
has managed to have each color that could be bloomed. Even ones that were typically rare, he had
spent the time in his greenhouse breeding and growing the plants on his own in order to get the
result. These were his pride and joy, and he was glad to show them off whenever he was given the
opportunity.

The fact that the opportunity presented itself in the form of Michael Kaiser was less than ideal, but
it would still work.

He refused to comment on how close the other man was as he stopped behind him. The cold metal
of one of his necklaces rested on Isagi’s collar as he bent his head over for a better view. He had a
strong desire to step away and increase their distance, but he felt frozen in his spot. It was if the ice
had left Kaiser’s eyes stuck Isagi’s feet to the floor. A chill ran down his spine as the voice of the
blonde entered his ear.

“Do you know the different meanings that go with each color?”

Isagi scoffed, offended at the question, “Obviously, who do you think I am?”

“Hmmm..” Kaiser pressed his chest into the shorter man’s back, causing his breath to get caught in
his throat. Still, he felt frozen. Yet now, he was unsure whether it was a result of Kaiser’s
overwhelming presence, or just because he didn’t want to admit defeat. “Then I need the one that
represents admiration and respect. I think that’s purple, right?”

Isagi hummed in agreement as he reached out to grab the purple plant,“I’m surprised..you actually
are somewhat knowledgeable.” With the pot now in his hands, he broke his ankles free of the ice
and walked back to the counter. He ignored the way he felt those haunting eyes follow his every
step.

“Yoichi, do you have any idea how many flowers I tattoo on a weekly basis? It’s an insult to think
I wouldn’t know something as basic as that.”

Placing the pot on the counter, Isagi made his way back to his stool and began to input the required
information in the register. As he did so, Kaiser leaned against the dark wood. The ends of his hair
were long enough to brush against the surface, tempting Isagi to pull and see what would happen.

He looked away and focused on doing his job. Still, his curiosity got the better of him.

“Do you judge people based on the type of flower they want tattooed?”

Isagi wondered if, like himself, Kaiser viewed people in different ways depending on their floral
picks. Does he look down on some suggestions and praise others? Do different people gravitate
towards different styles? How much is he able to tell from just the request of a commission?

“Oh I judge people for much more than just that, but yes I take that into consideration.”

Isagi’s eyes rolled once again, “Your personality is shit, did you know that?”

A laugh left the tattooed man’s throat as he turned himself the rest of the way around. His eyes
taunting and daring for more provocation, “So you don’t judge people on the flowers they buy?”

“Never said that.”

“Yoichi, I think your personality might be just as bad as mine. You just like to fake being a saint,
don’t you?”

“Never claimed to be a saint, either. I just don’t like having issues with people.”
“So why are you arguing with me instead of being an obedient, apologetic, puppy like yesterday?”

“Because I don’t like you, and you seem to already have a pet dog as it is. I don’t feel like adding
to your shelter.”

“That’s a shame, I think your neck would suit a collar beautifully.”

“You’re disgusting. Your total is $50. Are you paying with cash or card?”

“$50? Isn’t that a bit overpriced?”

“I’ll add ten more each time you say something else that pisses me off.”

Raising his hands in defeat, Kaiser reached into his pocket and took out his wallet. Opening up the
pouch, he took out a hundred dollar bill and rested it on the counter. “No change necessary.
Consider it a tip for the five star service.”

Isagi raised an eyebrow, but not one to argue against free money, he took the bill and placed it into
the register. “Do you want me to bag it or are you just going to carry it over? If you drop it I’ll kill
you.”

“Is that a threat or a promise?”

“Dude.”

“I’ll take a bag.”

Reaching below the counter, Isagi grabbed one of the larger bags with a reinforced bottom and
carefully placed the plant inside. Despite only having to walk a short distance, he cushioned the
sides with tissue paper before handing it off.

As he raised the bag out, Kaiser’s hands quickly fell over his own. The warmth of his palms
contrasting with the cool of the metal from his rings sent goosebumps up Isagi’s arms. He
appeared to want to send out a final teasing remark, but the jangle of the bells interrupted him.

Sasaki, the elderly man who stops by during his morning walks with his dog, had arrived.

Making sure Kaiser had proper hold of the bag, Isagi pushed him aside to greet his regular. As
always, he made sure to bend down to pet his yellow lab Yuki as he flashed them both a
welcoming smile.

“Good morning Sasaki-san! How are the two of you doing today?”

“Isagi-kun I’ll never understand how you manage to be so chipper in the morning. Maybe it’s just
the age getting to me.”

Yuki gave a soft bark in agreement.

“When you wake up early every day, you just get used to it! Do you have a flower in mind already
for today?”

“Not really…I was hoping for something classic that could still show my fondness for her..”

“Have you considered a daisy?”

As the interjection, Isagi realized that Kaiser had never left after being handed his bag. He stayed,
watching the interaction with great interest. A beat of silence passed before he continued, “They
are representative for fondness, attachment, and a gentle, caring love. I may not know you nor your
wife, but from that look in your eye I think it may be a good choice.”

“A daisy.. yes I think that would be a good choice! Thank you for your suggestion..um..”

“Kaiser. Michael Kaiser.”

“Kaiser-kun, thank you! Are you a new employee? You seem rather knowledgeable.”
“Oh no, I’m just a passerby with a..growing interest in this shop and its commodities.”

As he spoke of the shop, Kaiser’s eyes drifted back to Isagi. The owner shifted on his feet to shake
off the stare to no avail.

“I-I see. Well! How much do I owe you for the flower?”

“I’ve already paid for it, no need to take out your wallet. The tip from before should cover his
amount, right?”

Isagi’s eyes narrowed, questions and insults trapped in his throat. Why was he being so…pleasant?
Is this how he manages to get customers? It’s unsettling. Keeping his composure, Isagi offered
another smile as he turned back to his regular.

“Yes, he’s right. It’s already been taken care of. I’ll wrap the flower for you and the two of you can
continue your walk.”

With a surprised look on his face, Sasaki thanked both of the men and waited by the door for his
flower. Once handed it, he gave a happy farewell and made his way down the street with his dog, a
calm smile on his face.

As soon as he was sure the man was out of ear shot, Isagi turned to face Kaiser. His hands were
crossed over his chest as he stared at the parlor owner. A disgusting smirk was greeting him in
return.

“What the fuck was that about?”

“What? Do you really think so little of me that you think I can’t be nice to strangers?”

“Yes.”

“Yoichi, you’re breaking my heart. But seriously, I’m not that horrible of a person.”
“I don’t buy that but…either way… thanks.” At the show of gratitude, Kaiser’s eyes widened
slightly as his smirk fell. “That man stops by every day and gets a singular flower for his wife. I
always thought it was romantic..but I found out recently that she had passed a few months ago. He
stops at her grave every morning during his walk and leaves the flowers on her tombstone. So..that
thing you just did probably made his day. So thanks, Kaiser.”

Isagi thought for a moment that he saw the tips of the man’s cheeks turn red, but the falling
sunglasses quickly covered any trace of it. “It’s not a problem, seriously.” Giving an awkward
cough, Kaiser made his way to the door and pushed it open with his hip. “The flowers are
beautiful, by the way.”

Without another word, the tattooed man left the shop. Stunned by the final remark, Isagi kept his
eyes on Kaiser through the window and only turned away once he vanished from sight. Now alone
in the shop, he was left to run through the past 20 minutes in his head.

The teasing remarks, the close contact, the pleasantries to strangers, the surprise looked for being
thanked for his actions. All of it left Isagi confused. He thought, even though they had only
interacted for a few minutes, that he had Kaiser figured out. Clearly, there was still much more that
was unknown.

For some reason, he found himself drawn to discovering the truth of his soul.

…..

Kaiser became a regular in the shop after that. Every day, sometimes numerous times a day, he
would stop in under the guise of getting a new flower for a reference. He always paid more than
what was required, and he stayed far longer than he needed to.

It was ... strange. How his presence went from something Isagi dreaded to something he was
looking forward to. Although he would never actually admit that.

Kaiser was still an asshole who purposely said things to get under his skin, but he was also gentle
and sweet talking to his regulars. For the first time in years Isagi found himself able to talk about
botany in a way that could be understood.

He still hated Kaiser. Definitely. He hated the way his eyes analyzed everything he did. He hated
how even if they weren’t next to each other, he still felt himself being watched. He hated how
Kaiser smirked whenever Isagi scowled, or laughed whenever he yelled.

He hated how he would purposely stand too close when it’s just the two of them in the store,
knowing it would make him flustered, but he was unable to increase the distance due to his pride.

He hated how the parlor owner always wore clothes that were too revealing, and how he would
position himself so that his skin would be on full display. He hated how he flirted with customers,
and constantly flicked his eyes to make sure Isagi was watching him.

Isagi hated how he always was.

It was early in the evening on another day where Kaiser had dropped by. He was sitting on the
checkout counter, simply claiming that it allowed him to see the whole store. Isagi was sitting
behind the register, sketching in a notebook. The two sat silently, but comfortably.

Unknown to Isagi, Kaiser had turned his head down to watch his pencil move across the
sketchbook. At first, he had hidden his hobby from the tattoo artist out of embarrassment.
Sketching was just a silly hobby that he had. He knew he wasn’t the best artist, but it was
something he enjoyed doing to pass the time.

How would a professional tattoo artist react to his sketches? Would he laugh and poke fun? Would
he criticize his lack of technique?

The answer to both questions was no. Actually, it was the exact opposite. When Kaiser discovered
his sketchbook, it was as if stars appeared in his eyes. He asked excitedly to look through the
pages, taking the shop owner by surprise.

He had never asked him for permission before doing something before.

Kaiser had always just done what he pleased, uncaring of Isagi’s or anyone else's opinions. So to
ask to be allowed to look at the drawings he had kept secret was something unexpected. A part of
Isagi wanted to immediately say no, just to be able to have the satisfaction of denying Kaiser’s
request.

The rest of him, however, was saying yes before he could stop himself.
He watched with bated breath as the artist flipped through the pages. His eyes were as focused as
always, taking in every cross hatch and stipple.

“ You only draw flowers?”

“I can’t do anything else.”

“Why don’t you draw me? I know it's impossible to recreate my beauty, but I think it’ll be worth
the challenge.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Well..if you ever want an anatomy lesson, I’d be glad to be your teacher.”

“Kill yourself.”

“I didn’t mean it like that, but I’m flattered you imagined me in that way.”

Despite the embarrassing remark, Kaiser didn’t push the conversation any further. He handed the
sketchbook back over and they went about the rest of his visit like normal. The only difference
after the fact was that Isagi no longer drew in secret.

“Roses today?”

Isagi didn’t raise his head as he replied, “Yeah, I haven’t drawn them in a bit.”

“Do you like roses, Yoichi?”

“Not particularly, I think they’re corny.”

A soft laugh left Kaiser’s throat,“Corny?”

“Mhm.”

“Why is that?”

“Well..” Isagi finally raised his head to make eye contact. He twirled his pencil in his hand as he
gave his reasoning, “they’re the classic symbol of love, right? But, no one who has ever come in to
buy them from me actually felt love for their partner.”

“That’s a bold accusation. You’re able to tell?”

“Yeah. Their energy is always super anxious, like they’re scared of a reaction, or like they’re trying
to save their ass.”

“Hmm..so what do you think of people whose favorite flower is a rose?”

“I think they’re lying, or they’re a pretentious asshole.”

“Does that make me a pretentious asshole?”

“Are you really asking me that?”

“Rude.”

Isagi finally let himself ask the question he had been dying to know the answer to since their first
meeting, “Is that why you have it tattooed on you?”

“Partially, but also I was drawn to the meaning behind the blue rose after a rough break up.”

“Is the blue meant to show that you’ve given up on love? They’re symbolic of something
unattainable or impossible to achieve, so is that meant to represent your love life?”

“You could say that.”

Isagi sat back in his stool and stared at the ceiling, “Maybe I should get a blue rose tattoo, too.”

“You have a bad history with love? I find that hard to believe.”

“Mines worse than yours, I can guarantee.”

“Another bold statement, Yoichi. Do you want to bet on it?”

“What are we betting?”

“Hmm..if your love life is in fact worse, I’ll take you out to dinner at a fancy restaurant. I’ll pay
and I won’t even expect you to sleep with me after.”

“Is that your way of asking me out on a date? I thought you had given up on love.”

“Would you say yes if I asked in a different way?”

Yes. I would.

“No.”

A smile broke out on Kaiser’s face, “Then it’s a good bet!”

Isagi mirrored it, leaning forward in his seat, “You’re so annoying.”

Kaiser also leaned forward, putting extra weight on his hands as his voice lowered in volume,
“Then why haven’t you kicked me out? You could ban me from the store.”

“The regulars like you too much, I’d lose business.”

The tattooed hand reached out and pushed Isagi’s bangs to the side. His fingers ghosted his face,
but he kept the same distance, “Are you sure it’s just the regulars?”

“Last time I checked, yes.”

“You’re so mean to me.”

Their definitely not flirting was cut off by the front door being slammed open. In the entryway
stood a middle aged man who Isagi had helped earlier in the day. In his hand he held a destroyed
bouquet of roses, petals missing and ribbon broken.

His face was bright red and wet, a mixture of tears and sweat coating his skin. His breathing was
exaggerated, as if he had just ran 10 miles before getting to the shop. HIs eyes burned as he
stomped his way up to the counter.

“Sir, is there a-”

“You asshole!” Isagi was cut off by the roses being thrown at his face. Petals and thorns brushing
his cheek, “You said these flowers would help me apologize to my girlfriend! She broke up with
me! I should ring your fucking neck!”

“Sir, flowers can only do so much. I’m sorry she didn’t like them, I can give you a refund if-”

“Fuck your refund! Are you able to get me back my girlfriend? Huh?!”

A tattooed hand wrapped itself around the man's neck before his insults could continue. In a
motion Isagi could barely make out, the screaming customer was now face first into the wooden
counter. Blood dripped from his nose as the man forced his head to the side. Isagi watched on with
a racing heart, unable to break apart the two men.
“If your girlfriend left you over a fucking bouquet of flowers, I think the issue runs deeper than the
roses.”

Kaiser spat out his words like venom, burning the skin on the man.

“Get off me! This is how you treat your customers?!”

“I don’t fucking work here, but even if I did, I would gladly lose my job to smash your nose into
the floor. Why don’t you share with us why she was so mad in the first place, hm?”

“Thats-”

“Let me guess, were you unable to keep your dick in your pants and she found out? How is that the
flower boy's fault? You should do yourself a favor and walk yourself out of here before I drag you
out by your fucking throat.”

Kaiser finally released his grip after pulling the man up. As he stood, his nose continued to drip
blood onto the floor as he furiously tried to wipe it away. Realizing he would be unable to act how
he pleased, he turned away from the two men. As he left, he screamed out obscenities as he pushed
over plants that lined the aisle.

With each shatter of a pot, Isagi felt a part of his heart break along with it. In a moment he was out
the door, slamming it behind him, shaking the fallen leaves and petals. Isagi sighed, placing the
destroyed roses on the counter before standing.

Kaiser was watching him, eyes still burning from the rage, but his face was soft.

“Are you alright?”

“I could have handled that, you know.”

“Well, now you don’t have to. You’re welcome.”

“Do you want me to thank you? Tons of stock is destroyed and I have no idea how to get blood out
of wood.”

“No..he was just pissing me off. I just felt like knocking his teeth in. I’ll pay for the damages, so
don’t get your panties in a twist.”

“Why are you even here, anyways? You didn’t even buy anything today, you’ve just been sitting
on the counter bothering me.”

“You should be grateful that I let you see my beautiful face so often.”

“Kill yourself.”

“Is that a new way of saying ‘I love you’? Aw Yoichi you’ll make me blush.”

Isagi rolled his eyes and made his way around the counter. He surveyed the damages in front of
him before looking over to Kaiser and holding out his hand. The gesture was returned with a
confused glare and a raised eyebrow.

“Your hand.”

“What about it?’

“It's bleeding. Let me see it.”

Kaiser glanced down and noticed, in fact, that the tips of his fingers were bleeding. It wasn’t
horrible, but they were definitely scrapped from the wood.

“This is nothing, I’m fine.”

“Don’t care. Show me.”

“Yoichi-”

“Kaiser. Hand. Now.”

Reluctantly, the tattooed hand was raised and Isagi let it fall into his palm. Bringing it to his face,
he moved his fingers over the decorated one’s, taking in the injuries. It was nothing serious, just a
broken nail and a scrape, but it still caused his heart to skip in his chest.

Kaiser said it was just because the guy pissed him off, but he still got hurt because of Isagi.
Because Isagi was weak, had no backbone, and hated causing issues. If he had stood his ground,
would this have happened? Would he have been the one hurt by the man instead?

A soft flick to this forehead brought him out of his trance, “Can you get out of your head? It’s
stressing me out.”

“Huh?” How did he always know what he was thinking? How could he read Isagi so easily? It was
as frustrating as it was admirable.

“It’s not your fault. I’m fine. If you’re going to apologize then just promise me something.”

“I wasn’t.. fine. What is it?”

“Don’t let anyone else piss you off besides me.”

“What?’

In a parallel to the night they met, Kaiser raised his free hand grip Isagi’s chin and tilted his head
up. Their eyes locked, but the feeling of being hunted was no longer prevalent. These eyes that
looked into him now had a new emotion that Isagi hadn’t seen in a long time.

A deep longing could be felt between them, causing Isagi’s stomach to turn. To be looked at so
delicately, as if he was deeply cared for by this guy he’s known for barely a week, was unsettling.
Yet, despite this, he couldn’t bring himself to pull away. He held his gaze, his ground, and waited
for Kaiser to continue his demand.

“That angry, irritated face you had during this.” A thumb brushed across his cheek, the cool metal
of a ring sending goosebumps down his neck, “I want to be the only one who sees it. Don’t let
anyone else get under your skin except me.”

This, like everything about Michael Kaiser, was confusing and unexpected. He was charming in a
way that he made Isagi feel like they were the leading stars of a romantic film, but irritating in a
way that caused blood vessels to pop in his forehead. He wanted them to spend countless hours
together talking about flowers and their lives, but he also never wanted to see him again.

It didn’t make sense. Michael Kaiser didn’t make sense. The odd relationship that had begun to
form between the two men made no sense.

Yet maybe, there was no need for it to. Maybe nothing needed to make sense. Maybe they could
just be in each other’s lives, angry at the other’s existence, while also striving for the need of a
deeper bond.

It would be fine for everything to stay exactly like this, right?

Isagi was leaning into the hand on his face subconsciously, “You’re so fucking strange.”

“Yet you’re still holding my hand.”

Annoyed, Isagi let it fall from his grasp, but he let the other stay on his cheek. “If I get you a band-
aid will you help me clean this up?”

“Only if you place it on me. I am gravely injured, you know?”

“Don’t push it.”

 Reluctantly, Kaiser’s hand fell away from Isagi’s face. The phantom touch still lingered, but the
heat that spread from the point of impact wasn’t from the result of anger or fear. But a separate
third thing, that Isagi hadn't exactly figured out yet.

And he was in no rush to.

Chapter End Notes

How do you guys feel about the current progression? I ended up getting a bit impatient
but if it feels rushed, please let me know! I’m open to any and all feedback!

Thank you for reading <3

Also i lowkey don’t know where on earth this universe is because everyone is
japanese except kaiser and ness but no one questions that they’re foreign and they use
american money so. don’t question it , just enjoy . :D
 Storms
Chapter Summary

Retelling of the previous chapter in Kaiser's pov with some additional scenes

Chapter Notes

I uh.. got a bit carried away with this one. Not even sure how it happened but I wrote
8.4k words. Hope you enjoy!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Kaiser doesn’t remember the last time he slept as well as he did last night.

The moment his head hit the pillow once laying down, he was sent into one of the most beautiful
dreams he had ever had. He stood in a gorgeous field of wildflowers. Every direction he turned
was filled with an assortment of colors and various species of plant life. The sun was falling behind
the horizon, taking the chirping of birds and bugs with it.

He walked through the overgrown field, his hand caressing the petals as he passed. The air was
cool as the time passed into night, with the only sounds being the soft coo of owls besides his own
breathing.

It was peaceful, disgustingly peaceful.

Aimlessly walking through the sea of wildflowers, he was unsure how much time had passed
before he encountered someone else. They appeared lost, but in no rush to find an exit from the
garden maze. They were a man around the same age as himself, with dark blue hair that appeared
to glow under the moonlight.

The man spun flower stems in his hands, weaving them into beautiful patterns and crowns that he
left scattered along the grass. Feeling the gaze on his back, the man turned and locked eyes with
his admirer.

Despite it being just the two of them in this forgotten field of flowers, he showed no fear or
apprehension. Instead, the man stepped closer to the owner of the dream and held out the most
recent crown that had been woven.

Kaiser was taken aback by the gesture, staring at the man before him with suspicion. Sensing the
hesitation, the man placed the offered crown on his own head before removing another from his
arm. He slowly began to close the distance before stopping just short of Kaiser.

Their eyes stayed locked under the light of the moon. Neither attempted to speak, in fear of
destroying the space around them. Finally, Kaiser let a smile enter his face and closed his eyes as
he slightly bowed his head. He felt the crown fall onto his hair as the giving hands stayed longer
than needed.

He opened his eyes when he felt the hands rest on the sides of his face. The man was much closer
now, his bangs brushing against Kaiser’s. The tattoo artist could have taken this opportunity to seal
their lips and allow them to get buried in the wildflowers, but he didn’t.

Instead, he reveled in the way these large eyes that resembled the sea appeared to take in all of his
features. There was no fear, hostility, or nerves to be found in the waves. Just pure, innocent,
curiosity and longing.

When was the last time he was looked at like this? Seen as just another human, one capable of love
with the desire to be held and treasured? To be seen as more than just his appearance, without any
aspect being ruined by his personality? Should he even allow others to gaze at him in this way?
Allow them, a stranger, to see his vulnerability? To see his desperate need to be loved and let them
make their way into his heart, his soul?

The stranger rested their forehead against his own, letting their eyes shut as they did. They were
giving him his privacy, his space with his thoughts, while still showing they are available for
comfort.

Kaiser’s eyes stung and bile rose in his throat.

Revolting.

A beeping of his alarm pulled him away from the hands of the stranger in the field, who he swore
he didn’t recognize. He woke up cold, his blanket tossed during his sleep and forgotten on the
floor.
He had slept completely through the night, something that should have been impossible. He still
felt the warm, callused hands of the flower boy on his face and reached his own up to cover the
empty space.

The corner of his eyes felt wet, but he blamed it on the sleep leaving his body. Rolling over, he
shut off his alarm and let himself lay motionless for a few moments after.

What was that dream? When was the last time he even had a dream? It must have just been the
relief of the move being complete, but there was something gnawing at his heart.

He ignored the brewing questions that threatened to affect his day and removed his phone from the
charger. It was 8:15 am, too fucking early for his eyes to be open, but he had a consult scheduled
for 10. With how much he dragged himself around and took his time, he would need these two
hours to get presentable for the client.

Checking the messages they had sent him with their shitty pinterest references, he remembered that
they were looking for an orchid to go along with the name of their mother on their ribs. All the
photos they had sent him were pixelated, stolen art of some other poor artist’s work. None were
actually usable.

Groaning, he began to think about how much of an issue it would be to try to find an orchid in
bloom for a proper reference. He could pose it as he wished and take as many needed photos for
after it wilted. He still wasn’t as familiar with the area, and he had no idea where he could find one
on such short notice.

Until he remembered the new location of the tattoo parlor, and the flower shop that just so
happened to be next door.

From just what he saw through the windows yesterday, there appeared to be quite a large selection
in the store. He could call and see if there was any in stock, but the idea of dropping in
unexpectedly, and surprising the cute owner who didn’t appear to like him very much, seemed like
a much better idea.

Filled with a newfound energy, Kaiser pulled himself out of bed and forced himself to get ready.
He rushed his morning routine without realizing, finding himself heading to his car less than 30
minutes after.
What was Isagi like so early in the morning? Would he talk to him the same way as he did last
night? Would he pretend to enjoy Kaiser’s presence if there are other customers in the store? Or
will he be denied entry the moment he approaches?

The answer to all of these questions were answered the moment he stepped into the shop.

It truly was beautiful, a harsh contrast to his neighboring tattoo parlor. The cool green of the plants
contrasted with the warm light that shines through the stained glass in a way that made Kaiser want
to take a photo. The autumn wind entering with him sent charming melodies through the wind
chimes, announcing his arrival along with the entry bells on the door.

Walking into this store made him feel like an emperor greeting his citizens, boosting his ego
significantly. He pushed his sunglasses to the top of his head to allow himself to have a better view.
His confidence only rose when he turned to face Isagi who was glaring at him from behind the
counter.

Like the previous day, he was wearing a simple plain tshirt with a green apron over top. However,
while he was greeted with a smile yesterday, there was no sign of that pleasantry. His eyebrows
were furrowed, deep blue eyes narrowed, clearly irritated at Kaiser’s grand entrance.

A lovely sight to see so early in the morning, and he only wanted it to continue.

“You could take a picture, you know?”

He watched Isagi’s eyes roll, only making his smirk on face grow larger, “What are you doing
here?”

Walking further into the store, he fidgeted with his jewelry as he kept his eyes locked on Isagi’s.
The fear that he saw them soaked in yesterday was no longer prevalent. Instead, all he could see
was pure annoyance. Beautiful, “Wow, is that how you greet all your customers? A little hostile so
early in the morning.”

“Not all, just you.”

What an amazing way to start off the morning, “Geez, I guess that makes me pretty special then.”

“I’ll ask again, what do you want, Kaiser? I doubt you’re here just to look around.”

With a sigh of defeat, Kaiser stopped himself right before the counter and crossed his arms over his
chest, “Alright, since you’re so persistent… I have a client that wants a tattoo of an orchid, and I
figured since you’re right next door, I could search for a live reference. You do have some, don’t
you?”

He was surprised to see Isagi’s face soften for a moment, almost as if he felt bad for being annoyed
by his presence. It didn’t last long, though, before the shop owner pushed himself off of his stool
and was walking towards a corner of the store.

Due to where Kaiser stopped himself, he was forced to squeeze past him. He could have stepped
back or to the side and made more space. He could have made the journey easier and less
embarrassing for both of them, but why would he?

Staying where he was, he was able to feel Isagi’s chest press against his shoulder as he made his
way past him. It took everything in him to not reach his hand to grab the green apron and pull them
together. To see that look of shock, fluster, and anger…Kaiser felt high just imagining it.

But he was here on actual business, he couldn’t risk getting kicked out of the store. At least not yet.
So he just let his eyes follow Isagi as he went by, hoping his gaze would make him feel as if the
action actually occurred.

It took a few moments for Kaiser to realize he was being summoned over, head still swimming
with thoughts of Isagi’s body stuck close to his. It was too tempting for him to not at least attempt
to act on. He would deal with the consequences after.

Would Isagi push him away? Would he freeze? Would he try to close the distance even more? So
many possibilities stood before him, and Kaiser wanted to experience all of them.

He stopped himself just short of connecting his chest with Isagi’s back. He leaned his neck
forward, allowing his necklaces to dangle onto the other’s collar. He had to stop the smirk from
forming as he watched Isagi jolt from the connection of cool metal against his skin.
Reluctantly, Kaiser turned his eyes from Isagi to the arrangement of orchids before him. There
were numerous amounts of each color available, all of them exceptionally beautiful. They stood tall
and full of life, clearly having been dutifully cared for.

Thinking back to the request of his client, he remembered how the flower was meant to honor their
mother. While they were clueless as to the symbolism of colors, he himself knew which would be
best. If Isagi was even a half decent flower shop owner, he should know as well.

Kaiser considered it his right to test the man and see if he was truly worthy of running a flower
shop next to his parlor.

“Do you know the different meanings that go with each color?”

His question was immediately returned with a scoff of irritation, “Obviously, who do you think I
am?”

“Hmm..”

At this distance, he could almost taste the annoyance from Isagi’s voice. Although impressed by
the confidence, the fact that the shop owner seemed relatively unaffected by Kaiser’s closeness was
upsetting him. Wanting to see how far he could push his limits, he completely shut the small
remaining distance between them.

The hitch in Isagi’s breath filled Kaiser’s heart with unrivaled joy. He had the impulse to wrap his
arms around the man before him and pull him in even tighter, but he stopped himself. In order to
prevent his body from acting on its own, he held his wrist behind his back.

“Then I need the one that represents admiration and respect. I think that’s purple, right?”

Instead of further irritation, his question was returned with a satisfied hum. He watched with
interest as Isagi’s hands reached out and grabbed the closet pot of purple orchids. His hold was so
gentle, so caring, that it was almost as if he was holding a newborn child.

With how deeply Isagi cared for his shop, it may as well have been.
“I’m surprised..you actually are somewhat knowledgeable.” As Isagi stepped away Kaiser
immediately missed the warmth of his body. It wasn’t cold in the store by any means, and they had
barely touched for even a minute, but the disappearance left him shivering.

“Yoichi, do you have any idea how many flowers I tattoo on a weekly basis? It’s an insult to think
I wouldn’t know something as basic as that.”

Getting to the counter, he let himself rest against the wood. He could feel the ends of his hair ghost
over his elbows and debated pulling it up. Would it be seen as rude to just let his hair fall over the
counter? Possibly.

But since when has he ever cared about appearing rude?

So, he let his hair fall and kept his back turned to the cashier. Satisfied with the reaction he had
pulled earlier, he was content with allowing some silence to pass between them. Part of him wanted
to turn around and watch Isagi’s hands move across the register.

He hasn’t gotten the chance to look at his hands closely yet. Were his nails painted? Did he wear
rings? Did he keep his nails long or did they stop at the tip of his fingers? Were they callused from
gardening? How would they feel interlocked with his own?

Kaiser kept these inquiries to himself, only looking over when he was finally spoken to.

“Do you judge people based on the flower they want tattooed?”

Interesting.

He wasn’t sure what he expected Isagi to say to break the silence, but it certainly wasn’t that. Was
he stupid? Asking Kaiser of all people if he judges someone for their choices? Shouldn’t he already
know the answer to that?

Nevertheless, that artist’s curiosity peaked.

“Oh I judge people for much more than just that, but yes I take that into consideration.”
“Your personality is shit, did you know that?”

Beautiful.

A laugh left the tattooed man’s throat as he turned himself the rest of the way around. His eyes
taunting and daring for more provocation, “So you don’t judge people on the flowers they buy?”

Isagi kept his eyes focused on the register, his fingers no longer moving. “Never said that.”

So his sweet Yoichi judges people? Well isn’t that a surprise.

“Yoichi, I think your personality might be just as bad as mine. You just like to fake being a saint,
don’t you?”

Isagi’s face finally turned to look at him, annoyance evident. That emotion always looked so
beautiful on the shop owner. His eyes darkened, stormy seas causing the boats to rock aggressively
in his irises. Kaiser could have sworn he saw a few bursts of lightning as his eyebrows furrowed.

If he set sail in those oceans, his ship would undoubtedly sink. Yet, if it was Isagi, Kaiser wouldn’t
mind going down with his ship.

“Never claimed to be a saint, either. I just don’t like having issues with people.”

Kaiser couldn’t stop himself from getting pulled into the tides, “So why are you arguing with me
instead of being an obedient, apologetic, puppy like yesterday?”

“Because I don’t like you, and you seem to already have a pet dog as it is. I don’t feel like adding
to your shelter.”

Again with the dog thing? Does everyone really see Alexis as my dog?
“That’s a shame, I think your neck would suit a collar beautifully.”

“You’re disgusting. Your total is $50. Are you paying with cash or card?”

“$50? Isn’t that a bit overpriced?”

“I’ll add ten more each time you say something else that pisses me off.”

Raising his hands in defeat, Kaiser reached into his pocket and took out his wallet. Opening up the
pouch, he took out a hundred dollar bill and rested it on the counter. “No change necessary.
Consider it a tip for the five star service.”

Kaiser’s smirk didn’t waver as Isagi’s eyebrow raised in suspicion before taking the bill, “Do you
want me to bag it or are you just going to carry it over? If you drop it I’ll kill you.”

From the threat, the urge to immediately knock the plant onto the floor entered his body. Looking
at the clock situated on the wall behind the register, however, quickly soothed it. It was almost 10,
his client would be at the parlor any minute. He cursed himself silently for letting himself get so
carried away.

If his client gave an issue, he would simply show the flower and sweet talk his way out of it. It’s
worked before, and it will surely work now as well.

“Is that a threat or a promise?”

“Dude.”

“I’ll take a bag.”

As Isagi bent down to grab the bag, Kaiser couldn’t stop himself from leaning over and watching.
Whenever it had something to do with plants, Isagi handled everything so gently, as if it was glass
that could shatter at any moment.
He was so caring, obscenely so. It was clear he didn’t care how long it took for him to set up
displays or package orders. There was so much love put into every motion that it caused Kaiser’s
stomach to swirl with sickness.

How could he be so gentle, so soft and nurturing to things without a conscience? From the
interaction they had the night before, it was clear Isagi was a people pleaser by nature, and
originally Kaiser believed it to just be an act.

A convincing performance put on by a one man troupe that easily turned his audience into fools.
But these actions off stage, bent behind a curtain with no one to see except for a man he hated,
were too pure to be faked.

There were no adoring fans, or directors to impress. It was just a lone flower shop owner and his
props. So why was this display sweet enough to pull bile up Kaiser’s throat?

He swallowed down the burn and plastered on a fake smile as he took the bag from Isagi.

He could have just taken the handles and left the store. He was running low on time and Isagi had
clearly burnt out his patience. Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to leave without a final dig. Just one
last thing for him to do and try to get his business neighbor to break.

So he let his decorated hands fall over Isagi’s smaller ones. The fakeness of his smile gave way to
true enjoyment as he watched disgust pull his lips into a sneer.

Another emotion, a new facial expression, added to the growing catalog in Kaiser’s mind. He
wanted to comment on it, to force it to become more exaggerated, but the jingle of the store’s
entrance bells wouldn’t allow him.

He ignored the sadness that entered his chest when he was easily pushed aside by Isagi.
Immediately forgotten and discarded as he began the next act. The attending audience was an
elderly man and an equally elderly dog. Both looked at Isagi as if he was God’s gift to the Earth.

With the smile the shop owner was sending back to them, Kaiser almost believed that he was.

He only caught the end of the conversation, too busy focusing on the ways Isagi’s eyes crinkled as
he smiled. However, he heard enough to be able to create another opportunity to show himself off.
“Have you considered a daisy?”

All three heads turned to look at him. The shock on the old man’s face was one he had become all
too familiar with, but he appeared smart enough not to comment on it. From the look on Isagi’s
face, it was clear he assumed the tattoo artist had left the store.

Did he really have so little value in Kaiser that he didn’t even notice his presence? Ignoring his
irritation, he expanded on his suggestion when he was met with silence, “They are representative
for fondness, attachment, and a gentle, caring love. I may not know you nor your wife, but from
that look in your eye I think it may be a good choice.”

Thinking over the offer, the elderly man’s suspicion was replaced with a soft smile and gentle eyes.
It made Kaiser’s skin crawl.

“A daisy.. yes I think that would be a good choice! Thank you for your suggestion..um..”

“Kaiser. Michael Kaiser.”

“Kaiser-kun, thank you! Are you a new employee? You seem rather knowledgeable.”

“Oh no, I’m just a passerby with a…” He let his eyes move to Isagi’s face. In the presence of a
regular, he was making sure none of his previous disdain towards the artist was being shown. He
truly was an actor befitting a grand stage, "growing interest in this shop and its commodities.”

“I-I see. Well! How much do I owe you for the flower?”

“I’ve already paid for it, no need to take out your wallet. The tip from before should cover his
amount, right?”

Isagi no longer attempted to hide the suspicion on his face. It was clear he didn’t trust Kaiser’s
intentions and was anxious to see the fall out. He truly thought so little of him, but this only caused
Kaiser’s interest to grow.
Is it possible to get Isagi to view him in a different light? Would he always hate him, find him
irritating and disrespectful, and give him the cold shoulder?

If he truly hated him, why would he accept his patronage and allow their bodies to be so close?
Isagi was seemingly becoming more complex the longer they interacted, and Kaiser felt himself
longing for more.

“Yes, he’s right. It’s already been taken care of. I’ll wrap the flower for you and the two of you can
continue your walk.”

The elderly man smiled gratefully and waited in silence by the entrance for his purchase. As soon
as he stepped out of the shop, Kaiser’s attention had fully turned back to Isagi. He gripped his own
purchase in his hand and smirked proudly at the shop owner once their eyes met.

Isagi’s arms crossed in front of his chest, and his previous glare had returned. While the storm
wasn’t nearly as raging, the waves still rocked dangerously in his eyes.

“What the fuck was that about?”

“What? Do you really think so little of me that you think I can’t be nice to strangers?”

“Yes.”

“Yoichi, you’re breaking my heart. But seriously, I’m not that horrible of a person.”

“I don’t buy that but…either way… thanks.” At the show of gratitude, Kaiser’s eyes widened
slightly as his smirk fell.

He’s thanking me? For what?

“That man stops by every day and gets a singular flower for his wife. I always thought it was
romantic..but I found out recently that she had passed a few months ago. He stops at her grave
every morning during his walk and leaves the flowers on her tombstone. So..that thing you just did
probably made his day. So thanks, Kaiser.”
This was just meant to be another jab to get under Isagi’s skin. He just wanted to act out of
character, woo a stranger, and make the picture of him in Isagi’s mind blur. It wasn’t meant to be a
big deal, or backfire this badly.

But now Kaiser was being thanked, formally, for an action that was not done with pure intentions.
He let his sunglasses fall back over his eyes as he coughed awkwardly into his arm, attempting to
rid himself of embarrassment, “It’s not a problem, seriously.” He hurried himself the rest of the
way out of the shop before stopping himself, “The flowers are beautiful, by the way.”

He didn’t wait for a response before letting the door clang behind him.

What the fuck was that?

…..

Around 5pm on the same day, Kaiser found himself walking back into the flower shop. He had no
more appointments left for the day, but for some reason he didn’t want to go back to his house.

His home was cold, empty, and hollow. He lived alone, with no roommates or pets to occupy the
space while he was gone. Whenever he returned, an iced chill spawned from the vacancy would
caress his face in greeting.

He didn’t own much furniture, let alone decorations outside of his bedroom. At least when he was
in the parlor, he was surrounded by warm lighting and conversation. Even if it wasn’t directed at
him, there was the energy of other people radiating in the air.

If he had something to care for, someone to care for, would he want to go home?

He wasn’t an idiot. He knew he wouldn’t be able to care for a pet of any kind. He barely
remembered to provide himself with any substance besides nicotine and caffeine on a daily basis,
there was no way he could do it for another living creature.

Yet, as he sat in his studio today with the orchid next to him, he experienced a new emotion.
There was something about the plant that brought him peace. Maybe it was the color, or the extra
oxygen it provided to the room. But either way, it made him believe this was a key aspect that was
missing in his life.

It was alive, but not really. It filled the space with beauty and a sweet aroma, but made no noise or
required attention. Was this what he had been missing? Could these plants allow his house to
become a home?

He wasn’t sure, but if it gave him an opportunity to see Isagi’s annoyed face, he would take it.

Pushing the door open, he prepared himself to be yelled at once again. Unfortunately, the man he
desired was not the one behind the counter.

In his place sat the gaudy freak from the night before playing a game on his phone. Behind him
stood another worker he didn’t recognize. He had a strange bobbed cut that was dyed bright yellow
underneath. He was arranging flowers into Shidou’s hair as he looked up to greet his next
customer.

“Welcome! Do you need help finding anything today?”

At the greeting, Shidou raised his eyes from his phone and didn’t even attempt to hide his surprise.

“No fucking way.” He sat up quickly, causing the separated flowers to fall from his hair, causing
the one resembling a bumblebee to pout, “Bachira, that's the guy I was telling you about.”

The pout turned into deep thought as he seemed to recall a past conversation, “The one into Isagi?”

Shidou snapped his fingers and gave finger guns along with his reply, “Yes!”

“Hmm…” The other worker who Kaiser assumed was named Bachira narrowed his eyes. He made
no effort to hide the way he looked him up and down, analyzing his appearance, “Would Isagi
even be into someone like him?”
It was the usual reaction. The hesitancy because of his appearance, the immediate disapproval. He
was used to it, yes, but to have Isagi’s coworkers say it directly to his face was pissing him off.

He wasn’t trying to date Isagi or make him fall in love. He’s known him for barely 24 hours and
just figured his break would be beautiful.

So why was he so offended at the idea of Isagi not being into him? He didn’t need him to be
attracted to him (even if it would help). He just needed to be pissed off and show his increasing
anger to Kaiser.

“Dude, you weren’t there. I thought they were gonna start making out in front of us.”

“No way.”

Kaiser plastered a fake smile on his face as he walked into the middle of the store, “Well I seem to
have already made a name for myself in this business, huh?”

The bee immediately turned his attention back to Shidou and attempted to put more flowers in his
hair, “You were right about the personality, too.”

Kaiser felt his eye twitch, “While I do love being gossiped about, I don’t appreciate being ignored.
Is Yoichi here?”

At the mention of his boss, Shidou leaned forward in his stool, “Yochan is gone for the day, sorry
Romeo.”

To say he was disappointed would be a failure of a description for the emotion that filled his chest.

Well, this was a waste of time .

With a sigh and a fake smile, Kaiser moved to leave the shop with a wave of his hand.

“Wait a sec Mister rose, I have some questions.”

Mr. Rose?

“Make it quick.”

“Is that Sae guy single?”

Oh right. He failed to hit on him yesterday.

“He is, but I say this was a heavy heart that you should give up before you get attached. While I
would love for someone to piss him off even more than me, you should stop before you get ahead
of yourself.”

“Where’s the fun in that? If he doesn’t like me, that just makes him all the more alluring.”

On second thought..

“I actually think we might be pretty similar, Mr. Antennas.” Kaiser walked up to the counter and
hopped on, ignoring the disapproving noises from the other employee, “Tell you what, I’ll give
you advice on how to get with Sae if you help me with Yoichi.”

A large grin overtook Shidou’s face,“Oh, absolutely.”

The two spent the remaining hours until closing gossiping about possible lines of action, with the
occasional perk in from Bachira.

From their back and forth, Kaiser discovered even more things about Isagi that he didn’t expect.
Every new bit of information added another piece to the puzzle that was Yoichi Isagi. It was
nowhere near complete, with countless pieces missing, but the border pieces have begun to
interlock.

Kaiser found out that Isagi had a pet cat named Miko. When he was gardening one day, he heard
soft meows coming from beneath a shed and found her there all alone, abandoned by her mother.
Despite being feral, she clung to Isagi immediately and has continued to follow him wherever he
goes.

The artist had never had a pet before, but he found himself wondering how the cat would react to
him. Would it hiss and scratch him away? Or would it headbutt into his shin and allow his stained
hands to pet its fur?

Isagi also draws as a hobby, even though he won’t share his drawings with anyone. Bachira said he
got a glimpse a few times, but Isagi had slammed the sketchbook shut before he got a proper look.
He was embarrassed of his drawings and refused to share them with anyone.

Would Isagi share them with him? It was unlikely, but he began imagining what might have been
born between the pages.

It was strange, being able to talk to someone so casual and with interest without being pissed off at
every other sentence. Shidou was a lot like himself - arrogant, flamboyant, and just an overall
menace to be around.

Despite this, he appeared to have a group of friends, or at least friendly co-workers, that talked to
him regularly and didn’t hate the time spent with him. Kaiser felt a burn of something in his
stomach.

He didn’t want to believe it was jealousy, because what is there to be jealous of? He was the owner
of a successful tattoo parlor, he didn’t need his employees to like him. He needed them to do their
job, improve their reputation, and bring him more business. Whether they liked him or not was
irrelevant.

But during this conversation with the two employees of the neighboring flower shop, he realized
how completely out of touch he had become.

…..

He was told by Shidou that Isagi would be working the closing shift the next day. Taking a look at
his schedule, he was pleased to see that he would be free after 2pm.

Kaiser barely focused on the tattoo he was working on as the hours passed. It was the orchid as
discussed the day before, and looking at the flower just caused his mind to be filled with the
neighboring shop owner.

He was lucky enough that the client managed to sit through without much movement, and she
quickly learned to keep her mouth shut after Kaiser denied her advances.

It wasn’t a new occurrence - being reached out and commissioned based on his looks instead of his
work. He didn’t mind it, honestly. As long as he was able to make work he was proud of, it didn’t
matter how his clients came to find him.

As his hands rested on the side of his client, she attempted to make small talk and flirt as the
needles pierced her skin. It was irritating how hard she was trying to seem appealing.

Raising her shirt higher than needed, increasing the pitch of her voice, filling the air with
compliments - it was disgusting and exhausting.

She finally stopped after Kaiser told her to shut up and stay still unless she wanted her orchid to
look like a vagina on her ribs. When silence took over the studio, he let his mind wander to Isagi.

Would he be annoyed to see him again? Most definitely, which only made Kaiser smile to himself.

Finishing the tattoo, he took a photo to show Isagi and sent the client on her way. Cleaning up his
studio, he gathered his belongings before he left the parlor. He ignored the suspicious gaze of Ness
that followed him out the door.

Stepping inside the flower shop, he was once again provided with the beautiful imagery of a scowl
on Isagi’s face.

“Am I really going to be forced to entertain you every day?”

“While I would love that, I’m actually here to show you the results of my purchase yesterday.
Would you like to see?”

“You finished the tattoo?”

“Mhm.”

Isagi let a few beats of silence pass before he motioned for Kaiser to walk deeper into the store. As
he did the night before, he leapt onto the counter top and let his legs dangle above the floor.

“Are you serious?”

“Yoichi, no one else is even here. I won’t be getting in the way of any transactions.”

“Whatever, just show me so you can leave.”

“Harsh.” Despite the jab. Kaiser’s smile never faded. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his
phone. In a few seconds he had the photo of the tattoo pulled up and was sliding his phone across
the counter to the shop owner. The eyes resembling the sea grew wide as he inspected the artwork.

“You really do some beautiful work.”

“Why thank you.”

As he reached forward for his phone, his eyes landed on a sketchbook that was resting next to the
register. Kaiser recalled that Shidou mentioned that Isagi enjoyed drawing as a side hobby, but
refused to let anyone see. Another beautiful opportunity had presented itself to him.

“You draw?”

At the knowing question, Isagi’s gaze followed Kaiser’s and landed on his discarded sketchbook.
His face reddened as he grabbed it and hid it under the counter. He refused to let even his close
friends take a look inside the pages, so the artist knew he would be pushing his luck. Yet, he
couldn’t stop himself from pursuing it.

What filled the insides of this not so secret sketchbook? Was it portrait sketches of his customers?
Studies of his cat? Or was it just pages upon pages of floral arrangements? With how deeply he
cared for his craft, Kaiser leaned towards the later as the most obvious answer.

Did he only use a graphite pencil? Or did he do lineart and coloring as well? Did he have a
collection of filled sketchbooks collecting dust in his home, or was this a new hobby? So many
questions Kaiser longed for the answer to.

“Not really, just some sketches. They aren’t good.”

He’s insecure? That’s a surprise .

“Could I take a look?”

He knew it was a shot in the dark. Kaiser was a pain in his side, an annoyance he could do without.
Isagi would not even show his drawings to his coworkers, there was no way he would offer the
pages to a professional artist. Yet, his reply took both of the men by surprise.

“..Sure.”

It was clear that neither expected the answer that was spoken, yet Isagi had no intention of
retracting his statement. So, Kaiser waited patiently as the sketchbook was removed from under the
counter and slid over to him.

As if the sketchbook was made of the flowers Isagi held so dear, Kaiser delicately picked it up. It
was a cheap one from a knock off brand. Thin paper, slightly bent cover, something he probably
picked up at a corner store on a whim.

Opening the cover, he was shown an extremely smudged graphite drawing of a peony. It was clear
this was one of his first attempts, with shaking lines and no understanding of shadows or shading
techniques.

With each turn of a page, his skill appeared to be improving at a rapid rate. The lines had stabilized
and he was using cross hatching instead of simple smudges. The sketches were slowly being
cleaned up and organized, becoming more beautiful with each addition.

As Kaiser had expected, the only items drawn were different types of flowers and plant life. All of
which would most likely be found inside the store. He voiced his inquiry as he continued to thumb
through the pages.

“You only draw flowers?”

“I can’t do anything else.”

“Why don’t you draw me? I know it's impossible to recreate my beauty, but I think it’ll be worth
the challenge.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Well..if you ever want an anatomy lesson, I’d be glad to be your teacher.”

“Kill yourself.”

“I didn’t mean it like that, but I’m flattered you imagined me in that way.”

With his patience growing thin, Kaiser closed the sketchbook and placed it between them.

“Yoichi, I think you have a talent for art, and I don’t say that lightly.”

Isagi rolled his eyes as he hid the sketchbook once again.

“You don’t need to lie to make me feel better, I know they’re bad.”

“No, they aren’t.” The sternness in his voice surprised even the tattoo artist himself, “They’re
beginner drawings for sure, but it’s clear you’re improving. So, seriously, if you ever want any tips
or advice, I will gladly provide them for you.”

“You..you’re so strange.”
“Pardon?”

“I can never tell what your personality is actually like, it's creepy.”

A soft smile pulled on Kaiser’s lips as he stretched his hand out and ruffled Isagi’s hair. His hand
was immediately swatted away, but the softness on his skin remained.

“Spend more time with me and you’ll figure it out at some point.”

His flirt was returned with an eye roll and a middle finger, but he could have sworn he saw the
edges of Isagi’s mouth curl upwards.

…..

Despite the attitude that was given, Isagi stopped protesting Kaiser’s dramatic entrances after that.
Did he still show annoyance? Absolutely. But the shop owner no longer asked why he was
visiting.

Both of them knew the reasoning, but it was never spoken on.

Isagi was just meant to be someone Kaiser tried to break. Someone he could annoy in his free time
to keep himself entertained, and maybe lead to a one night stand. Yet, the idea of sleeping with
Isagi and never interacting again made him nauseous.

It didn’t make sense. Kaiser doesn’t care about other people. He doesn’t feel drawn to other’s
presence or care about other people’s feelings or thoughts. If he thought someone was attractive
enough and he had enough drinks, he didn’t mind entering their bed and leaving with the rising
sun.

But, whenever he placed Isagi into that slot, he didn’t picture himself leaving. Instead, he was
rolling over under the covers and wrapping his arms around Isagi’s sleeping torso. His face pressed
into his neck and the warmth of their bodies provided a comfort he never experienced before.
When they would finally make it out of the bed, Kaiser sat at the kitchen table and watched the
muscles of Isagi’s back move as he made them breakfast. Even though it wasn’t mentioned, Isagi
would somehow know exactly how Kaiser liked his eggs and would place a kiss on his forehead as
he gave him his plate.

They would talk about everything and nothing, smiles and laughter filling the morning air. They
would shower together, washing the other’s hair and stealing kisses under the cascading water.
They would walk hand in hand to their jobs, giving a final parting kiss before Kaiser had a free
moment to head back over.

It was extremely domestic, and it made Kaiser want to puke.

Yet here he was again, sitting on the wooden counter. The setting sun casted a beautiful orange
light through the stained glass and filled the shop with warmth. He was leaning back on his arms,
watching Isagi sketch in a new sketchbook he bought him.

It was higher quality, so Isagi no longer had to worry about ripping the pages with his eraser or
having colors bleed through. He tried to deny the present, but was immediately ignored. Kaiser’s
heart burned when he was thanked and given a smile.

“Roses today?”

Isagi didn’t raise his head as he replied, “Yeah, I haven’t drawn them in a bit.”

“Do you like roses, Yoichi?”

“Not particularly, I think they’re corny.”

A soft laugh left Kaiser’s throat,“Corny?”

“Mhm.”

“Why is that?”
“Well..” Isagi finally raised his head to make eye contact. He twirled his pencil in his hand as he
gave his reasoning. Kaiser focused on the way his now painted fingers caressed the wood and he
wanted to replace it with his own hand, “they’re the classic symbol of love, right? But, no one who
has ever come in to buy them from me actually felt love for their partner.”

“That’s a bold accusation. You’re able to tell?”

“Yeah. Their energy is always super anxious, like they’re scared of a reaction, or like they’re trying
to save their ass.”

“Hmm..so what do you think of people whose favorite flower is a rose?”

“I think they’re lying, or they’re a pretentious asshole.”

“Does that make me a pretentious asshole?”

“Are you really asking me that?”

“Rude.”

Isagi placed the pencil down, allowing Kaiser to finally put his attention back on his face, “Is that
why you have it tattooed on you?”

“Partially, but also I was drawn to the meaning behind the blue rose after a rough break up.”

“Is the blue meant to show that you’ve given up on love? They’re symbolic of something
unattainable or impossible to achieve, so is that meant to represent your love life?”

Love…huh. That’s something he hadn’t thought of in a long time. To love and be loved in return,
was he even worthy of that? With everything he’s done, with even how he acts to this day, is he
even capable of experiencing that? Would it be a sin for him to allow someone else into his heart
despite everything?
“You could say that.”

Isagi sat back in his stool and stared at the ceiling, “Maybe I should get a blue rose tattoo, too.”

“You have a bad history with love? I find that hard to believe.”

“Mines worse than yours, I can guarantee.”

“Another bold statement, Yoichi. Do you want to bet on it?”

“What are we betting?”

“Hmm..if your love life is in fact worse, I’ll take you out to dinner at a fancy restaurant. I’ll pay
and I won’t even expect you to sleep with me after.”

“Is that your way of asking me out on a date? I thought you had given up on love.”

A date..yeah. That would be considered a date, wouldn’t it? Do I even know how to entertain a
date after all these years? If it’s Yoichi..then sure.

“Would you say yes if I asked in a different way?”

“No.”

A smile broke out on Kaiser’s face, “Then it’s a good bet!”

Isagi mirrored it, leaning forward in his seat, “You’re so annoying.”

Kaiser also leaned forward, putting extra weight on his hands as his voice lowered in volume,
“Then why haven’t you kicked me out? You could ban me from the store.”

“The regulars like you too much, I’d lose business.”

Kaiser couldn’t stop himself from reaching forward, his hand softly pushing the bangs from Isagi’s
eyes. His hand wasn’t knocked away like before, nor were irritating eyes glaring into his own.
Instead, his action was returned with a glow on the ocean waves as Isagi leaned into his touch,
“Are you sure it’s just the regulars?”

“Last time I checked, yes.”

“You’re so mean to me.”

He could close the distance, let his hand move to Isagi’s neck and pull him the rest of the way
forward. He could let their lips finally slot and feel the softness against his own. He could, he
would, but the opportunity was taken away from him.

A slamming door, an angry man, a flurry of insults, screaming, and throwing flowers. His moment,
their moment, was ripped away from him. Spit hit his cheek from the yells of someone
unimportant. An extra who should have stayed silent in the background had taken center stage,
stealing the spotlight from the leading role.

That wouldn’t do.

So Kaiser was off the counter and pressing the extra’s face into the wood, ignoring the crunching
sound of breaking cartilage. He pressed his body heavily onto the stranger’s back, pushing him
further into the surface. His grip only tightened with each strangled breath and attempt to flee.

“If your girlfriend left you over a fucking bouquet of flowers, I think the issue runs deeper than the
roses.”

He spat the words out of his mouth, urging them to burn the skin of the man beneath.

“Get off me! This is how you treat your customers?!”

“I don’t fucking work here, but even if I did, I would gladly lose my job to smash your nose into
the floor. Why don’t you share with us why she was so mad in the first place, hm?”

“Thats-”

“Let me guess, were you unable to keep your dick in your pants and she found out? How is that the
flower boy's fault? You should do yourself a favor and walk yourself out of here before I drag you
out by your fucking throat.”

He yanked the man up by his collar, almost throwing him onto the ground. Blood poured from his
broken nose, splattering around the room as the extra failed to control the bleeding. He was furious,
and terrified, and raced out as quickly as he had entered. With his exit, he pushed over stock and
filled the store with the shattering of pottery.

With the slamming of the front door, Kaiser turned his attention back to the sulking business
owner. “Are you alright?”

“I could have handled that, you know.”

“Well, now you don’t have to. You’re welcome.”

“Do you want me to thank you? Tons of stock is destroyed and I have no idea how to get blood out
of wood.”

“No..he was just pissing me off. I just felt like knocking his teeth in. I’ll pay for the damages, so
don’t get your panties in a twist.”

“Why are you even here, anyways? You didn’t even buy anything today, you’ve just been sitting
on the counter bothering me.”

“You should be grateful that I let you see my beautiful face so often.”
“Kill yourself.”

“Is that a new way of saying ‘I love you’? Aw Yoichi you’ll make me blush.”

Isagi rolled his eyes and made his way around the counter. He surveyed the damages in front of
him before looking over to Kaiser and holding out his hand. The gesture was returned with a
confused glare and a raised eyebrow.

“Your hand.”

“What about it?’

“It's bleeding. Let me see it.”

Kaiser glanced down and noticed, in fact, that the tips of his fingers were bleeding. It wasn’t
horrible, but they were definitely scrapped from the wood.

“This is nothing, I’m fine.”

“Don’t care. Show me.”

“Yoichi-”

“Kaiser. Hand. Now.”

Reluctantly, he offered his injured hand to Isagi. Never had he been held with so much care in his
life. Kaiser was being treated as if he was one of the flowers in the shop. Delicate, callused fingers
ghosted over his wounds and made his heart sink to his stomach.

Was he allowed to be treated with such kindness?

The storming seas had returned to Isagi’s eyes, but the clouds were filled with sorrow, not anger.
Did he think this was his fault? Kaiser used his free hand to give a soft flick to the other’s
forehead.

“Can you get out of your head? It’s stressing me out.”

“Huh?”

“It’s not your fault. I’m fine. If you’re going to apologize then just promise me something.”

“I wasn’t.. fine. What is it?”

“Don’t let anyone else piss you off besides me.”

“What.”

“That angry, irritated face you had during this.” Kaiser moved his free hand to cup his face,
dragging his thumb across his cheek. He smiled at the shiver he saw get sent down Isagi’s spine, “I
want to be the only one who sees it. Don’t let anyone else get under your skin except me.”

The storm had settled, but there was still a gloom over the waves that Kaiser couldn’t touch
on,“You’re so fucking strange.”

“Yet you’re still holding my hand.”

Annoyed, Isagi let it fall from his grasp, but he let the other stay on his cheek. “If I get you a band-
aid will you help me clean this up?”

“Only if you place it on me. I am gravely injured, you know?”

“Don’t push it.”

 The feelings he felt towards the flower shop owner still left him confused. To act out in such a
violent way was unbecoming of him, but he did it without a second thought of the consequences.
His business, his reputation, none of it mattered at this moment.

Isagi made him act without thinking and experience emotions that should be impossible for
someone like him.

But he could no longer find the desire to care.

Chapter End Notes

I wanted to expand more on the events of last chapter, and i may have gone a little bit
overboard um. Let me know if you guys like the longer chapters!

As always you can find me on my twitter @onikabuito <3

 Yellow Hyacinths
Chapter Summary

A night of drinking introduces a ghost from Isagi’s past

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Walking into the bar, the group was greeted with the clinking of glasses, loud conversation, and
shitty pop music. The old lights of the building casted the room in an orange glow, making the bar
appear as fiery as the alcohol it served. Being a Thursday night, there were less patrons than usual,
leaving their usual booth open.

Like always, it was Shidou’s idea to go out for drinks. He always gave some type of reasoning to
encourage the outing, which would then immediately be encouraged by Bachira. Today’s was that
‘Yochan doesn’t seem to be as depressed lately, so we should get drunk to celebrate!’ Although
Isagi protested, stating he was never depressed to begin with, he was quickly talked over by his
employees.

Apparently, he did seem to be happier than usual, and his staff would be using this as a reason to
drink. Isagi apparently had the self awareness of the flowers he cared for considering he had no
idea what his friends were talking about.

According to his employees he had been smiling to himself constantly and humming songs
whenever he thought no one was around. There was a constant spring in his step, and he seemed to
skip around the store instead of walk. He had begun to draw more, now allowing himself to sketch
in the open and was no longer hiding the pages. He was still shy and wouldn’t readily show off his
illustrations, but he stopped treating his hobby like a humiliating secret.

Isagi had stopped complaining about the impromptu visits from the tattoo artist next door, and
from how he looked at the owner, it was clear as to why. Not only had he stopped complaining, but
he had begun asking his coworkers if he had missed the daily visit. His crush had become clear to
everyone except himself.

In typical Isagi fashion, he denied his feelings for Kaiser. Him? Fall for Kaiser of all people?
Absolutely not. He had just begun to tolerate his presence more each day. His nightmares involving
him definitely hadn’t turned into pleasant dreams that woke him up to butterflies in his chest. He
certainly didn’t find himself watching Kaiser’s lips as he talked, or how his muscles moved under
his shown skin.
And he absolutely didn’t look forward to his daily visits to the store. He would sit on the counter,
flirt with his customers, and try to put his claim on the shop. He was irritating, arrogant, rude, but
above all beautiful.

Isagi refused to acknowledge the last part.

Sitting in their booth, the group ordered their first round of drinks and began their mindless chatter.
What customers pissed them off that day, the anime Bachira started watching, Shidou’s continued
failed attempts at hooking up with Sae, etc.

The latter took up the most time to discuss. Apparently, Kaiser wasn’t the only one making daily
visits to the neighboring shop. Shidou had started being early to his shifts for the first time since he
had been hired. Unfortunately, the reasoning wasn’t for something as pure as wanting to be a good
employee.

He had spent the time before his shift hanging out in the tattoo parlor under the guise of getting a
consultation for a sleeve. However, what he wanted seemed to change each day. Sae’s patience had
begun wearing thin after the first meeting, but Shidou promised to pay him five grand upfront once
he settled on a design.

So he let a few more “consults” go by before giving him an ultimatum. Figure out what he wants
by next week or he’ll be banned from the shop. Clearly, his brilliant plan was reaching its breaking
point.

“Do you even have an idea of what you want?” Chigiri was twirling a strand of hair around his
finger as he looked at Shidou with an amused smirk.

Shidou waved a hand in front of his face, dismissing the question, “Oh no, no idea.”

Bachira, who had his face basically buried in his frozen pineapple margarita, finally began to
contribute to the conversation, “He’s going to kill you.”

“If my life were to end by Sae Itoshi’s hands, it would be a life well lived.”
Isagi laughed as he sat back in the booth, twirling his coke with a straw, “You’re a demon.”

“I think he’s just horny.”

“Can’t he be both?”

After a few more minutes of targeting Shidou, Chigiri’s phone began to vibrate against the table.
Looking at the screen with a smile, he answered it and turned in his seat to look at the entrance of
the bar. His smile only grew as the door opened and Kunigami walked in, giving a wave to their
booth. Despite being happy to see his boyfriend, he mouthed a silent ‘sorry’ as he nodded his head
to the door behind him.

Stepping in behind him was the rest of the crew from the tattoo parlor. All of which, besides
Kaiser, seemed to dread the fact that they were here. Rin had large headphones covering his ears
which he appeared to increase the volume of once stepping inside. Sae had seemingly noticed
Shidou and made a look of disgust before turning to leave. His exit was stopped by Ness who
tugged harsh on his shirt. His hand was quickly batted away, but Sae didn’t make another attempt.

Kaiser was glancing around the room before his eyes finally found Isagi’s. He sent a flying kiss in
his direction with a wink, which resulted in a groan and glare from his staff. Isagi returned the
action with a swipe of his hand to knock away the kiss and exaggerated a gag. Still, it was hard to
hide the smile that took over his face.

He felt a jab in his side from Bachira who was looking back and forth between the two with a
growing smirk. “So you’re still gonna say you don’t have a crush on him?”

Isagi felt his face grow warm at the claim, but he blamed it on the alcohol that he wasn’t drinking,
“Bachira I’m 24, I don’t get crushes on people.”

His friend rolled his eyes and took a large sip of his margarita, “Yeah and Chigiri tops. Look, I can
say false things too!”

Chigiri had turned back and sat properly in his seat, glaring at his coworker, “Kill yourself.”
His threat was only returned with a teasing smile and another large sip of his drink. This would
definitely be the last one for Bachira tonight.

The tattoo artists, minus Kunigami, took a seat at a booth a few sections down. The smitten
boyfriend walked over to Chigiri and basically threw Shidou out of his seat next to him.

“Alright Hero, no need to get so feisty. I would have moved if you asked!”

Kunigami rolled his eyes and placed a kiss on Chigiri’s laughing cheeks. All three of the other men
feigned being sick at the public display of affection.

Suddenly, Shidou stood still and let his eyes widen, “Wait since you’re here.. then..” he glanced
over his shoulder at the vacant spot next to Sae. A wicked smile took over his face as he moved to
the other booth before anyone could attempt to talk him out of it. The group ignored the yell of
disapproval and turned their attention back to themselves.

Isagi took a look at his empty glass and decided to finally get something in his system. It was
definitely because he hadn’t drank in a while, and not because he needed to settle his nerves from
seeing Kaiser outside of the shop. “I’m gonna go grab something from the bar. Do you guys want
me to get you anything?”

“Nope! I still have my margarita!”

I was cutting you off anyway.

Kunigami looked at Bachira with a mixture of awe and disgust as he poured himself a glass of coke
from the jug on the table, “I don’t get how you drink something that sweet.”

“Better than the garbage water you throw down your throat.”

Isagi stood up from the booth and made his way to the counter, smiling to himself from the back
and forth argument of his friends. As he walked, he could feel the eyes he had become so familiar
with on his back, but he ignored them. If Isagi was to meet them, he would find himself being
pulled towards the booth, which would only result in him being embarrassed for Kaiser’s
amusement.
So, he kept his head forward and reached the bar in a few more strides. Getting to the counter, he
gave the bartender his order and sat at a vacant stool. Isagi pulled at his fingers as he waited, the
paint already chipping off of his nails.

After seeing Kaiser’s hands, Isagi felt like his were naked by comparison. So, a few days ago he
attempted to paint his nails with a polish he found at the corner store. It was a deep blue, similar to
his eyes, and cheap. It took a few coats to become opaque and began to fall off after he washed his
hands.

He knew Kaiser noticed it the next day, but he surprisingly kept it to himself. Once it chips off
enough, maybe he would ask him for a brand recommendation.

“Isagi?”

His thoughts came to a stop when he heard a voice he was hoping to never hear again. Keeping his
composure as best he could, Isagi turned on his stool and was greeted with a ghost of his past.

Eight months of his life that he’ll never get back. Eight months of refusing to commit. Eight
months of an open fling that he wanted closed. Eight months of something he foolishly believed to
be love. Eight months that he thought would last for the rest of his life. Eight months that went up
in smoke by the words “I’m in love with you” spoken to his not technically ex by someone that
wasn’t himself.

“Nagi, hey! How have you been?”

He looked just the same as he did 5 months ago. Same fluffy white hair, tired gray eyes, and
physique hidden under a baggy hoodie. He offered a small smile at the recognition and pointed to
the neighboring stool.

“Care if I sit?”

Yes. Get away from me.

Isagi smiled, throat burning, “Go ahead.”

Leave me alone.

Nagi pulled the stool out and sat down, obnoxiously stretching his arms to get comfortable. He still
had zero regard for personal space. Once settled, the bartender who was waiting off to the side
placed Isagi’s drink in front of him.

“I’ve been alright, what about you? Still working at the flower store?”

Isagi felt a vein pulse in his neck, “Considering I own it, yeah I’m still there.” He gave a fake, dry
laugh that didn’t register with his ex. He knew he shouldn’t ask, but he couldn’t stop himself, “You
and Reo still going strong?”

At the mention of his boyfriend’s name, a smile and light blush appeared on Nagi’s face. Isagi felt
his stomach lurch. Never, during their eight month fling, did Nagi ever look at him like that. To be
loved, to be cherished, was never something he was meant to experience from the man in front of
him.

He was a body, a passing of time, not a human. He was not a grown man with emotions, wants, or
desires. It was his own fault for allowing himself to forget his role in the performance.

“Yeah. He’s my fiancee now, actually. Proposed last month.”

Fiancee. They only dated for four months and yet..

Isagi had to struggle to keep the bile from leaving his mouth. “Wow! Time really flies, huh? Is he
here with you?”

“He just ran to the bathroom while I got us drinks. We’re sitting at that table, do you want to join
us?”

Are you fucking serious?

Join them? He is seriously asking Isagi to join the two people who ripped his life apart for a
friendly drink? Were they just supposed to ignore everything that had happened? Just completely
gloss over how Isagi was used and tossed once Reo got jealous enough?

Isagi’s chipped nails dug into his palms, the sting being the only thing to ground him.

“I-”

Two arms fell over his shoulders as he felt a chin rest on top of his head. Decorated hands landed
themselves on his side as the smell of smoke entered his nose, “Yoichi, who’s this?”

“Ah Kaiser! This is Nagi, he's a uh..old friend.”

“Is that so? Well..I hate to break up this touching reunion but..” Kaiser lowered his mouth to rest
next to Isagi’s ear, his breath sending chills down his spine, “ I need to talk to you.”

Isagi offered a fake smile to Nagi as he rose from his seat, grabbing his forgotten drink, “It was
good seeing you. Hope the wedding goes well.”

“Ah..thanks. See you, Isagi.”

The hands from his side moved to the sleeve of his side free of his drink. Isagi was pulled through
the length of the bar, only being let go once the two stepped onto the back patio. Being the middle
of September, the autumn air was sending cool breezes through the wind. Isagi combated the chill
with the burn of the alcohol in his glass. The sun had long since set, the two only being illuminated
by the flickering of small lights that were purely meant for decoration.

Since they had finally stopped moving, Kaiser turned to face him. An expression Isagi hadn’t seen
since the night Kaiser broke that man’s nose was prevalent on his face. His eyebrows furrowed,
irises burning, mouth tilted in a snarl.

He was pissed.

“Who was that?” His voice was harsh, stinging Isagi’s skin.
“Just some guy I used to know.”

“He definitely wasn’t just some guy, Yoichi.”

“What?”

“No matter how good you think you are at hiding your emotions, anyone could tell that you
wanted to snap his neck.”

“Was it seriously that obvious?”

“Yes. The entire bar seemed to realize except for that fucking sloth you were talking to.”

At the use of the insult Isagi had only ever heard one person use before, he gave a soft laugh and
leaned against the chilled brick. “Shidou told you?”

“Just the concept. Didn’t get to tell me anything else before I was moving over to you.” Reaching
into his pocket, Kaiser pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, “You mind?” Isagi returned the
question with a head shake and closed his eyes.

“Kaiser, do you hate anyone?”

“Oh yeah, a lot of people.”

“No, like, really hate someone. Like, you wish them the worst in life. Hope they hit every red light,
always just miss the bus, that their coffee is always made wrong, etc.”

When Isagi opened his eyes, Kaiser was looking at him with a dumbfounded expression. His
cigarette held loosely between his lips. Bringing his hand up, he removed the cigarette and
knocked off the ash against the nearby railing.
“Yoichi, I have people I wish were dead, so yeah. I get it.”

Isagi laughed at the statement, despite nothing being funny about it.

“...I hate him. I don’t hate anyone, but I hate Nagi and his stupid fucking boyfriend Reo.” At the
mention of his name, Isagi rolled his eyes and held up hands in exclamation, “Oh, my bad, fiancee ,
Reo. Give me a fucking break.”

Kaiser kept his eyes focused on him, only adding to the chill on his body, “Wanna tell me what
happened? We do have that bet we never got to act on, you know.”

Right, the bet. If Isagi’s love life was worse than Kaiser’s then he would get treated to a meal at a
fancy restaurant. He would get taken on a date by the arrogant, irritating, beautiful tattoo parlor
owner.

He always was the competitive type.

Growing tired from standing, Isagi made his way over and sat at a nearby table. Like the interior,
the seats and table were made from old wood. Stains from unknown drinks and food were soaked
into the oak, making him wonder when the last time these were cleaned was.

Nevertheless, he sat back in his chair and rocked on the legs. They creaked under the stress, but it
let him ground his mind as he recalled his past that he has tried so desperately to forget.

The space around him changed from a poorly lit back porch to flashing neon lights that left him
seeing spots. He was 23, accompanying Bachira to an event he couldn’t remember the name of.
Isagi wasn’t a fan of crowded spaces, but he didn’t want to disappoint his friend, so he went.

“We met at an arcade.” His voice came out quiet, almost getting lost in the breeze, but he didn’t
notice. Isagi wasn’t currently on the back porch, but instead in a place lost to time, “It was some
type of promotion event with an anime that Bachira liked, so he convinced me to go with him.”

Children ran past him, bumping into his side and causing him to trip. He was caught by a stranger,
a man his age who appeared angelic under the glow of the fluorescent lights. He asked if he was
alright and they parted. Isagi didn’t expect to see him again.
Him and Bachira spent the next few hours jumping from machine to machine, doing their best to
rack up enough tickets to claim the promotional rewards. The one with the largest payout ended up
being a multiplayer shooter. The stranger from before was standing by it, a man with purple hair
was next to him. They locked eyes again and Isagi walked up to them, Bachira bouncing behind.

“There was a four player game, two teams of two, and we matched up with Nagi and Reo.” Isagi’s
competitive streak came out during the game, allowing them to win by a decent margin. The
stranger was staring at him, eyes widened. Isagi thought he was beautiful.

“We won, and Nagi asked for my number for a rematch. We started hooking up after that.”

It was a few days later when Nagi messaged him, asking if he wanted to come by to play games
together. Isagi replied yes immediately, and he was at his house within the hour. While they did
play some game he has long forgotten the name of for a little bit, they both had a different idea for
how the evening would end.

They fell together clumsily, a mixture of smashing teeth, spit, and bite marks. It was rough, but
addicting in a way Isagi had never experienced before. He wanted more, constantly, and began to
seek Nagi out to fill the void.

He wasn’t sure when the lust turned to love, but he realized it when he was staring at Nagi’s
sleeping face when they laid in bed. His soft features, the way his nose scrunched as he dreamed,
the quiet mumbles he made to himself as he slept, all of it was incredibly beautiful. Isagi began to
long to look at this sight every morning for the rest of his life.

“I fell hard for him, like, embarrassingly down bad. I would have done anything for him, but he
refused to commit.”

It was a month into their situationship when Isagi asked what they were. He was only given a
confused glare in return. What they were? It should have been obvious. They were two guys who
hooked up whenever they were bored. That was it.

They never went on any dates, and only knew the interiors of each other’s rooms. Nagi said actual
relationships were a pain, and he didn’t want to deal with something serious. He figured that was
what Isagi wanted as well, so he never asked.
Isagi’s heart shattered against his ribs, but he kept a fake smile on his lips.

“He always said he just wanted things to be casual, that it should stay open, all that bullshit. I
should have listened to Shidou when he told me to drop him, but I couldn’t.”

The following day at work, his depression was obvious. So much to the point that Shidou felt bad
for trying to joke with him. He ended up relaying what he was told by Nagi, resulting in an anger in
his employee’s eyes that he had never seen before.

As Isagi was lost in the hallucination of his past, Kaiser had stayed quiet. His cigarette had been
forgotten, burned to the butt in his hand. He tossed it over the edge of the railing and moved to sit
across from Isagi. Their knees bumped under the small table, “How long?”

Isagi smiled weakly, unable to meet his gaze out of shame, “Over eight months.”

“Jesus.”

“Yeah, and you wanna know how it ended? It’s the best part.”

“Spill.”

It was the middle of the night. Isagi had woken up from the sound of arguing that was failing to be
whispered. The spot next to him in bed was empty, and his curiosity got the better of him. The
bedroom door was cracked open, so he poked his head through.

Reo had come over and was yelling at Nagi in the living room. What exactly he was saying was
lost to the abyss of Isagi’s brain, but one phrase stuck out.

“I walked in on Reo saying he was in love with him, to Nagi’s face, as I was meant to be sleeping
in the next room.”

With the statement filling the air, Isagi let the door push the rest of the way open. Both heads
flicked in his direction, horror on both of their faces. Isagi only smiled, like he always did. Reo
began to cry as Nagi attempted to explain, but it was silenced with a lift of Isagi’s hand.
He understood. This time was no different than the past ones. It was meant to be casual, and he was
stupid enough to let himself get attached. He apologized for getting in their way, gathered his
things, and left. No one followed him out, and he ignored the onslaught of messages sent by both of
them. He waited until he was back home, with his cat in his lap, to finally let the weight of
everything sink in.

The next day, Isagi didn’t go to work for the first time since he opened the shop.

Kaiser reached his hand across the table and gently placed it over Isagi’s. His thumb tracing circles
over his knuckles, “Yoichi..”

Isagi moved his hand to take hold on the decorated one. He interlocked their fingers and tightened
his grip. “Do you know how much it sucks to be told that the person you love just wants things to
be casual, only to immediately get serious with his best friend the second you end things? He
proposed after four months. Four, Kaiser.”

“Tell me you at least cursed him out.”

“You’re funny.”

Kaiser began to rise from his seat, eyes focused on the door to the patio. He was stopped by Isagi
taking hold of his other hand, “I should go break his nose too, bet that’ll look great in the wedding
photos.”

Isagi laughed, his first genuine laugh of the night, and finally looked up at Kaiser’s face, “While I
would love to see that, I don’t need you getting arrested.”

A smirk took over Kaiser’s scowl as he sat back down, “Why? Would you miss me?”

“Maybe.”

A few beats of silence passed between them. They continued to stare into each other’s eyes,
conveying countless things they were unable to say out loud. Kaiser was the one to break their
tranquility.
He leaned forward in his seat, stopping about halfway across the table. He lifted their intertwined
hands up and placed a soft kiss on the back of Isagi’s left hand, “You deserve better than that.
Truly.”

Isagi no longer felt the chill of the autumn breeze. His body was burning, the flame strongest on
his hand. When did the eyes that held glaciers begin to warm his body instead of freeze?

“What made you grab me? Were you jealous?”

The artist laughed, but he didn’t pull away, “You wish.”

Yeah, I do.

“Then why?”

“I..I’m not sure, honestly.” Kaiser finally lowered their hands, his eyes now casted to the side, “ I
just hated how close he was to you, despite you obviously being pissed off. I only got angrier when
Shidou gave me the vague idea of what happened. I was moving before I realized it. My stomach
felt like it was burning.”

Isagi couldn’t stop the snicker that left his throat. Kaiser’s head immediately snapped back up as he
glared, “What?”

“So you were jealous.”

“That’s not jealousy, Yoichi.”

“It absolutely is.”

“Why would I be jealous over a guy who definitely uses five in one body wash and doesn’t wipe
his ass?”
 The description dragged a deep laugh out of Isagi’s chest, leaving tears in the corners of his eyes.
As he did his best to catch his breath, he noticed that Kaiser’s eyes had never left his face. Isagi
wanted to be embarrassed and turn away, for a moment he worried he reacted too loud and would
cause Kaiser to cringe. But instead the eyes stayed, and a soft smile appeared on his face.

It was…strange…to see something so delicate appear on the face of Michael Kaiser. It was as if
whatever he was looking at was the most beautiful and precious thing in the world. Isagi almost
looked behind him to see if there was something else that could be grabbing his attention.

As his laughter finally died, he accepted that it was just him.

“Thank you, though. For grabbing me.”

In the poor lighting, Isagi thought he saw a faint redness coat the top of Kaiser’s cheeks, “It’s
nothing.”

“But also..” Isagi mirrored the other man and leaned forward in his seat. Their hands were still
intertwined, and Kaiser made no attempt to pull away. From this lack of distance, he realized that
the redness was in fact there and was not at all faint. He heard Kaiser’s breath catch in his throat as
he placed a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth. To even call it a kiss would be an exaggeration, as
it was more of just a ghost of his lips.

Isagi moved his mouth to the ear decorated with piercings and spoke quietly, “I wouldn’t mind if
you actually were jealous.”

As the tattoo artist processed his action, Isagi released his grip on his hands and stood up from his
seat. “Come on, we don’t want them to think we ditched them.”

Kaiser could only stare at him, his eyes larger than Isagi had ever seen. They were showing an
emotion he was unsure of, but he blamed the sight on the alcohol that had settled in his system,
“Yoichi..you really do have a twisted personality.”

To this, Isagi could only shrug as a reply before stepping back into the bar. He didn’t turn to see if
he was being followed.

Chapter End Notes

Hope you all enjoyed!!! I really loved writing this chapter :D as always i would love to
hear your guys’ thoughts! comments make my day HEHE

Also, after this fic is done, I may do a oneshot of Shidou getting his sleeve done by sae
:3 we will see
 The Warmth Of The Sun
Chapter Summary

Retelling of the previous chapter in Kaiser’s POV

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

It was already half past seven when Kaiser’s last appointment for the day left the parlor. Since
arriving at nine, he has had back to back consults and a few small tattoos. He barely had a break to
take lunch or use the restroom, let alone go next door to see Isagi.

At some point, going next door under the guise of bothering Isagi had changed. Now, he just found
himself going over just to see his face, even if it was just for a few minutes. The scowls that Isagi
wore so beautifully at his arrival had slowly changed into smiles. He did his best to hide them and
feign his happiness, but it was clear to Kaiser that his visits were no longer hated.

Despite keeping face for his clients, whenever he was alone he couldn’t stop the pout from
forming on his lips. He dragged himself throughout the shop, giving deep sighs of loneliness. It
was infuriating to all of his employees. Even now, despite finally being free for the day, he knew
Isagi had already closed shop. So, he let out one large final sigh as he spun in his chair.

“If you sigh one more time I’m going to break your neck.”

“Rin, is that any way to speak to your boss? I’m suffering from an indescribable loneliness, you
know. At least offer a bit of sympathy.”

Rin’s glare was deadly, the stylus in his hand preparing to snap in two, “You don’t see your
boyfriend for 12 hours and suddenly you become even more insufferable than usual.” He placed
the pen down on his ipad and laid back in his seat, rubbing his hands over his face, “ I didn’t even
know that was possible.”

Kaiser raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest, “Yoichi isn’t my boyfriend.”

Unfortunately.
The younger Itoshi continued his death glare, “Does he know that?”

“Obviously. We’ve never even been on a date. I just bother him when I’m bored.”

Sae dropped his sketchbook on the table in front of him out of utter annoyance, “Are you seriously
that delusional?”

“What?”

“I didn’t expect you to have less brain cells than that fucking demon that keeps bothering me. The
tension between the two of you is so disgusting it makes me want to vomit.”

Rin nodded and leaned forward in his chair, “ I thought I would just have to worry about Kunigami
and princess, but you two are far more revolting.”

Kunigami, who had been standing by the exit getting his coat, finally joined the conversation,
“Should I take that as a compliment?”

All four other members turned their heads in unison, “No.”

Kunigami rolled his eyes, but finished putting on his coat, “Speaking of Hyoma, I’m heading out to
meet him and his crew for drinks. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

Kaiser’s eyes lit up as he practically shot up in his seat, “Crew? Is Yoichi going?”

“Probably, but you aren’t coming with me. You get on my nerves enough during the day as is, I
don’t need you following me to Ego’s.”

“So you’re going to Ego’s?”

“Fuck.”
Kaiser jumped the rest of the way out of his chair and clapped his hands, “Alight boys! We’re all
going out for drinks at Ego’s!” His declaration was returned with further glares and annoyance.

“What?”

“I’m not fucking going.”

“I have an 8am, no thanks.”

Kaiser waved his hands, dismissing all of the disagreements as he grabbed his jacket, “Don’t care!
Moral support! A business outing! Whatever you want to call it! If you don’t come, you're fired!”

“You literally can’t do that.”

“Pull the stick out of your ass and just come have fun. You don’t have to stay the entire time.”

“But-”

“I won’t enter your studios for a week.”

The Itoshi’s snapped their heads to look at one another, before giving a defeated nod.

“We’ll go.”

…..

It only took around 10 minutes to walk to the bar. The sun had almost completely set, leaving a
vague cast of orange across the sky. None of the men attempted to talk as they walked, except for
Ness. He was desperately trying to fill the space with conversation, however dry, in order to lessen
the awkwardness.
It wasn’t working.

By the time they had arrived at the bar, Rin had placed his headphones on to completely block out
Ness’ voice. Sae had only replied in short, crude remarks, if at all, leaving his ego wounded.
Kunigami may as well have walked the entire distance by himself, taking such long strides that he
was halfway into the establishment by the time Kaiser stepped in.

The bar was loud, bright, and irritatingly warm compared to the evening breeze. It wasn’t overly
crowded, which left the larger booths available. None of that mattered though. Kaiser only came to
the bar for one reason, and he was already looking at him.

In the back corner of the bar sat Isagi, his eyes locked on Kaiser’s face since the moment he
entered. His smile was wide, laughing with his friends at the table. Knowing his attention was
captured, Kaiser blew a kiss and sent an accompanying wink in his direction.

Isagi reacted how he expected, with a feigned look of disgust and sickness. But Isagi could never
suppress his contagious smile, and it was back on his face the moment his performance was over.
Kaiser found himself mirroring it without realizing, his public display of affection resulting in
groans from his employees.

Unfortunately, the few booths surrounding the one containing the flower shop staff were taken, so
they had to move a few sections down. Kunigami had made his way over to his boyfriend, tearing
Shidou out of his seat. The group wasn’t even able to pick up the menu before he was sitting
himself down next to Sae.

A large grin was plastered on his face as he swung his arm around Sae’s shoulders. Sae gagged at
the action and punched him hard in the side to get him to drop it. He held his side wincing, but still
kept his smile.

“Well hello underlashes senior, junior, dog, and my best friend. How are you all today?”

Rin increased the volume of his headphones, ignoring him. Sae pushed his brother farther into the
booth so he could increase his distance from Shidou, “A lot worse now.”

Ness had his arms crossed over his chest, eyes narrowed in his direction, “Can you stop calling me
a dog?”
Kaiser was the only one who returned his pleasantries, “I, for one, am doing pretty well.”

“As long as one of you dosen’t look suicidal, I guess thats a win!”

Shidou was still in the middle of his greeting when Kaiser noticed Isagi begin to walk by. He didn’t
turn his head to meet his gaze, but it was clear by his body language that he felt it. Soft blush on
his cheeks, a fidgeting of his sleeve in his hand, a quickened step. Kaiser couldn’t get enough of it
and just wished he would let him look into those beautiful eyes of his.

A smack on his shoulder tore his eyes away. Ness, along with the rest of the table, was glaring at
him. Well, everyone except Shidou, who still had a massive smirk on his face, “So, Romeo, did
you ask him out yet?”

“No, well, not exactly. I’m working on it.”

Ness rolled his eyes, “Can you just sleep with him already so we don’t have to deal with this any
more? Your foreplay has gone on long enough.”

His statement caused Shidou’s smirk to drop. The playful aura he was emitting before had
vanished, now engulfing the booth in an unnerving, hostile tension. “Kaiser, are you seriously
leading Isagi one like this just to fuck him?”

“Obviously he i-”

“No. I’m not.”

Ness turned to stare at him, eyes wide, “What?”

“I genuinely like him, a lot, actually. If I only wanted to sleep with him I would have done that the
first day we met. Despite how shit you think my personality is, I would never intentionally lead
someone on. Especially not someone like Yoichi.”
Shidou’s eyes narrowed, but the tension in the air began to give way, “I’ll trust you, for now. But if
you are seriously planning to just fuck him and toss him I’ll castrate you right here at this table.
I’m not letting that happen to him again.”

“Again?”

“You don’t know?”

“I mean, he told me he had a shit love life, but I don’t know anything else.”

Shidou sighed deeply and sat back in the booth, crossing his arms over his chest, “It’s not my place
to tell you everything but, Yochan has a habit of getting involved with guys who just want casual
shit despite him wanting an actual relationship. Never ends well.”

As he listened, Kaiser’s eyes flicked up to the bar counter where Isagi had stopped. He was no
longer alone, instead forcing a fake smile to a man in a dirty, oversized hoodie. His muscles were
tense in his neck, his fists clenched to his side. His legs were bouncing on the stool supports, and
he looked like he was about to snap at any second. Kaiser nodded his head in his direction to
motion to Shidou.

“By any chance, is that one of them?”

Shidou turned in his booth, the rage from earlier returning as he dug his nails into the table, “Why
the fuck is that sloth talking to him? That prick.”

“Is that a yes?”

“Yes it’s a fucking yes. That was the most recent guy who fucked Yochan over. Led him on for
months, refused to commit, just to immediately start dating his fucking best friend when he
confessed. Destroyed him for months. He’s a fucking asshole and I told Yochan I’d send him to the
hospital if I ever saw him.”

Shidou began to rise from his seat before his arm was, surprisingly, gripped by Sae, “Settle down,
Demon. You’ll get thrown out or arrested.”
“It’d be worth it as long as he loses a few teeth.”

“Stay. I’ll go.”

“Michael don’t get involved-”

“Alexis.” Kaiser spit out his name in disgust, not attempting to hide his anger, “Don’t piss me off
more than you already have tonight. You seriously need to learn when to keep your mouth shut.”

Without waiting for a rebuttal, Kaiser stood from his seat and was on top of Isagi in an instant. He
threw his arms over his shoulders and let his hands rest on his waist. He placed his chin on top of
his head, taking in the smell of the coconut shampoo Isagi must have used this morning. He felt
him jolt under his touch, but he settled once he realized who he was.

“Yoichi, who’s this?”

His eyes landed on the stranger in front of him. This guy’s eyes were bland, colorless, and
resembled a dead fish more than a human being. He had a scruffed, barely filled beard, and dark
eye bags. He looked like he only consumed soda and grease and hadn’t showered in days. Kaiser
almost gagged.

This is who broke Isagi’s heart? He couldn’t figure out his physique due to the hoodie, so he may
be in decent shape. He had to have something that was enough to take hold of Isagi. Anything that
could somewhat validate why Isagi had let himself be trapped for months, but Kaiser saw nothing.

He could have been the most attractive man in the world, but that still wouldn’t have been enough
of a reason to treat Isagi like garbage. How, just how does someone hold Isagi in their hands, and
let him slip away? Feel his warmth under their fingers, his heart beat against this chest, have his
laughter enter their ears, and not propose as soon as they could?

“Ah Kaiser! This is Nagi, he's a uh..old friend.”

Old friend? So he’s still trying to keep up pleasantries despite everything?

“Is that so? Well..I hate to break up this touching reunion but..” Kaiser lowered his mouth to rest
next to Isagi’s ear, keeping eye contact with the stranger as he did, “I need to talk to you.”

As Isagi rose from his seat, Kaiser barely made out the parting phrase that he offered to Nagi. The
second he was on his feet, Kaiser was dragging him by his sleeve out of the bar. He needed to get
out of that building. Away from the pointless conversations, prying eyes, and irritating lights.

The artist more or less threw open the back door to the patio, not caring if the glass door shattered
against the brick. The chill of the evening breeze did little to cool the anger that was burning in his
chest. When he finally turned around, Isagi was already staring at him. The waves in his eyes
rocking harshly against the cliffs, a storm brewing in the distance.

“Who was that?” His voice came out hot, burning his throat on the way out. Isagi turned his head
to avoid the flames.

“Just some guy I used to know.”

“He definitely wasn’t just some guy, Yoichi.”

“What?”

“No matter how good you think you are at hiding your emotions, anyone could tell that you
wanted to snap his neck.”

“Was it seriously that obvious?”

“Yes. The entire bar seemed to realize except for that fucking sloth you were talking to.”

Isagi let out a soft laugh at the insult, obvious tension falling off his shoulders, “Shidou told you?”

“Just the concept. Didn’t get to tell me anything else before I was moving over to you.” Reaching
into his pocket, Kaiser pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, “You mind?” Isagi returned the
question with a head shake and closed his eyes.
With the nicotine entering his lungs, he finally felt his irritation begin to subside. He leaned back
against the railing and let silence fill the space between them as he waited for Isagi to break it. This
was his story, his tale to tell, and Kaiser was no longer in any rush to drag it out of him.

“Kaiser, do you hate anyone?”

“Oh yeah, a lot of people.”

“No, like, really hate someone. Like, you wish them the worst in life. Hope they hit every red light,
always just miss the bus, that their coffee is always made wrong, etc.”

Kaiser had to stop himself from laughing at the purity of Isagi’s hatred, his cigarette almost falling
out of his mouth. Removing it before it could, he tapped off the ash and took another drag before
replying, “Yoichi, I have people I wish were dead, so yeah. I get it.”

For some reason, that caused Isagi to laugh. But this laugh wasn’t like his usual one. It wasn’t one
filled with the warmth of the sun that glowed against Kaiser’s skin. This laugh was cold, desolate,
abandoned. It should never have been able to be made by Isagi, the embodiment of nurture and
love. Kaiser felt his stomach twist.

“...I hate him. I don’t hate anyone, but I hate Nagi and his stupid fucking boyfriend Reo.” At the
mention of the latter name, Isagi rolled his eyes and held up hands in exclamation, “Oh, my bad,
fiancee , Reo. Give me a fucking break.”

His voice cracked throughout his sentence, his anger taking bites out of his words. Kaiser didn’t
comment on it, instead, he kept his eyes locked on the new expression on Isagi’s face. It wasn’t
exciting to see and sparked no joy in Kaiser’s chest.

Isagi was currently suffering the aftereffects of a break, but Kaiser had no desire to see it. This look
of anguish, despair, rage…it didn’t belong on a face like his. It was out of place, as if someone was
trying to force the wrong puzzle piece to interlock with the others around it.

This pain that was warping the face of the man he had become infatuated with was one he never
wanted to see again. For him to be the cause of it as well? Completely out of the question. Isagi
wasn’t created to experience sorrow, and anyone who forced it upon him was worse than the devil
himself.
“Wanna tell me what happened? We do have that bet we never got to act on, you know.”

The bet that he no longer cared for. Whether Isagi’s love life was truly worse no longer mattered,
Kaiser will be letting him win. He’ll be using this as his opportunity to finally close the gap
between them. He won’t allow someone else to take Isagi’s heart and trample it for fun. To be
used, tossed, forgotten…these are things Isagi will never have to experience again as long as
Kaiser is alive.

He would make sure of it.

Kaiser watched as Isagi moved from the side of the building to a nearby table set. It was old, shitty
wood that had obvious splinters sticking out in places. It was unfitting to hold the embodiment of
the brightest star, but it supported his weight nonetheless. He leaned back in the chair, rocking on
the legs, uncaring if they would break.

A gust of wind enveloped them, making Kaiser pull his coat in closer to his body. The breeze
almost took Isagi’s words away with it, but they were just loud enough for Kaiser to hear.

“We met at an arcade.” He was looking at the sky, the abundance of stars reflecting in the sea that
Kaiser couldn’t admire from this distance, “It was some type of promotion event with an anime
that Bachira liked, so he convinced me to go with him.”

Even though Isagi was just a few feet away from him, it was clear he wasn’t actually here. His
mind wasn’t, at least. It had drifted somewhere far away with the wind, settled somewhere deep in
his past that was haunting his current thoughts. He spoke into the air, uncaring of where his words
landed.

“There was a four player game, two teams of two, and we matched up with Nagi and Reo. We
won, and Nagi asked for my number for a rematch. We started hooking up after that.”

Isagi smiled bitterly, as if disgusted by the memory. Kaiser understood the feeling of regretting the
hands that fell on his body. The words he let be spoken in his ears, the time that was stripped away
from him that he could never get back.

“I fell hard for him, like, embarrassingly down bad. I would have done anything for him, but he
refused to commit.“
Again Kaiser was tormented with the how. How did someone feel the star that radiated deep in
Isagi’s soul and dull it? How do you feel that warmth, that comfort, that safety and love, and push
it away? The only reasoning had to be that Nagi was not just an asshole, but also an idiot.

“He always said he just wanted things to be casual, that it should stay open, all that bullshit. I
should have listened to Shidou when he told me to drop him, but I couldn’t.”

With each word that left his mouth, the warmth inside Isagi was escaping. His heart was freezing
over and Kaiser couldn’t keep the distance any longer. He tossed his burnt out cigarette over the
railing of the patio and sat across from Isagi at the small table. Their knees bumped awkwardly
together, but neither complained or attempted to move.

“How long?”

A false smile pulled on Isagi’s lips, causing Kaiser’s throat to run dry. It didn’t fit into the puzzle
that was Yoichi Isagi.

“Eight months.”

Kaiser didn’t think it could have gotten even more unbelievable, but it did. How, during all of that
time, was this guy unable to realize the gift that had been given to him by the universe? He could
only lean back in his chair in disbelief.

“Jesus.”

“Yeah, and you wanna know how it ended? It’s the best part.”

“Spill.”

“I walked in on Reo saying he was in love with him, to Nagi’s face, as I was meant to be sleeping
in the next room.”
Kaiser already knew how it ended, having heard it from Shidou only 15 minutes earlier. But
hearing it fall from Isagi’s lips, coated in sorrow and regret, enraged him much more. He wanted to
burst back into the bar, take Nagi by his stupid hoodie, and drag him across the counter. He wanted
to see fear and pain show up in his dead eyes and have him regret every past action he’s ever done.

But he didn’t. Instead, Kaiser reached a hand forward and took hold of Isagi’s. He didn’t realize he
was able to hold something so delicately until that moment. He ran his thumb over Isagi’s
knuckles, burning the feeling of his skin into his memory. He ignored the beat of his heart in his
ears as the man before him interlocked their fingers.

His hands were the same as the stranger who held his face in that dream the other night. Soft, but
callused skin. Smaller than his own, but connected to arms strong from gardening. The only
difference being that these hands no longer belonged to a stranger, but to Yoichi Isagi. The face
from that dream came back into Kaiser’s mind, and all the missing lines of text in his story began
to write themselves out.

Had he truly been this smitten, immediately overtaken, from the moment they locked eyes on that
first day? Was he destined to end up here, on this back patio, holding the warmth from these
hands? Destiny wasn’t real, he knew that deep in his soul, but how else could he explain these past
series of events?

“Do you know how much it sucks to be told that the person you love just wants things to be casual,
only to immediately get serious with his best friend the second you end things? He proposed after
four months. Four, Kaiser.”

“Tell me you at least cursed him out.”

“You’re funny.”

Kaiser was unsure why this was the final straw that pulled him from his seat. Maybe it was
because despite what was done, Nagi experienced no consequences for his actions. The pain he
caused, the hurt he dealt, none of it had affected him. Kaiser was willing to become that
consequence. But his other hand was grabbed and held tenderly, and he felt his resolve slip.

“I should go break his nose too, bet that’ll look great in the wedding photos.”

Finally, for the first time that night, Isagi’s usual laugh of warmth and love came out, “While I
would love to see that, I don’t need you getting arrested.”

No matter how emotional he may feel at the moment, he allowed himself to be pulled back into his
seat. He smirked at Isagi’s statement and was able to finally look into the calming seas, “Why?
Would you miss me?”

It was Isagi’s turn to run his fingers over Kaiser’s hands. They traced the veins that stood out,
followed the lines of ink, and played with his rings. Heat flooded into his body from the touch, but
Kaiser refused to let it reach his face.

“Maybe.”

A comfortable silence fell over them again, their eyes telling more than their mouths ever could.
Now that Isagi was smiling, Kaiser never wanted it to leave his face again. He leaned forward in
the chair to lessen their distance. He kept eye contact as he brought up Isagi’s left hand and placed
a kiss on the back, “You deserve better than that. Truly.”

As usual with his antics, Kaiser enjoyed the beautiful red that dusted Isagi’s cheeks. For the first
time, Isagi didn’t attempt to hide it, “What made you grab me? Were you jealous?”

Jealousy? Was that what this emotion was? Why would I be jealous of that fucking sloth?

The artist laughed, but he didn’t pull away, “You wish.”

“Then why?”

“I..I’m not sure, honestly.” Kaiser finally lowered their hands, his eyes now casted to the side, “ I
just hated how close he was to you, despite you obviously being pissed off. I only got angrier when
Shidou gave me the vague idea of what happened. I was moving before I realized it. My stomach
felt like it was burning.”

His reasoning was returned with a snicker, making his head snap up as he glared, “What?”

“So you were jealous.”

“That’s not jealousy, Yoichi.”

“It absolutely is.”

“Why would I be jealous over a guy who definitely uses five in one body wash and doesn’t wipe
his ass?”

His argument caused a deep laugh to leave Isagi’s chest. His eyes closed, tears coating the corners
and lashes from joy instead of sorrow. The only reason why they should ever be wet. His smile
showed all of his teeth, and his cheeks had only deepened in color. Since both hands were being
held, he was unable to cover any part of his expression.

This is how it should always be, how Isagi should always look and feel. His happiness was unable
to be compared to anything else in the world. His aura glowed around him, creating a new light on
the dark patio. If any remaining part of Kaiser’s body felt chill from the air, it was no longer there.
He wanted to take a photo, or get his laughter on a recording.

But nothing would ever be able to properly capture this moment. This was an extra chapter in their
story that would only be available for the two of them.

When Isagi’s laughter finally settled, Kaiser realized he had been staring at him the entire time. He
felt his cheeks finally warm at the embarrassment.

“Thank you, though, for grabbing me.”

“It’s nothing.”

He had expected gratitude, since he was speaking with Isagi. He did not, however, expect Isagi to
mirror his motion and lean forward in his chair. His lips ghosted the corner of his mouth, barely
even connecting. Despite that, it was as if electricity had shot through his body from the area of
impact.

It wasn’t a true kiss, it could barely even qualify as a peck, but it was enough to cause Kaiser to
choke on his breath. He felt the lips on his mouth pull in a smirk against his skin before they
 moved to his ear. Isagi’s breath colliding with the wind was enough to send the artist into a panic,
but he managed not to fall apart at the seams, “I wouldn’t mind if you actually were jealous.”

As quick as they had appeared, the lips vanished. The hands intertwined followed suit, and before
Kaiser realized it Isagi had left the table. “Come on, we don’t want them to think we ditched
them.”

Awe.

Admiration.

Desire.

Longing.

A slew of emotions were making rounds in Kaiser’s head, trying to tell him how to feel. Him? At a
loss for words? Him? Taken by surprise and put on the defensive? Him? Of all people? It was
absurd and should have been impossible.

But Isagi has managed to completely rewrite the character of Michael Kaiser in his own story.

“Yoichi..you really do have a twisted personality.”

It seemed like Isagi was already well aware of this, offering only a shrug in reply instead of a
disagreement. He turned the rest of the way and headed inside, leaving Kaiser in the cold.

Chapter End Notes

In case you didn’t notice, the ending chapter of this story has been decided!
Everything has been mapped out, and I’m extremely excited to write it and share it
with those still following the story!

I’m sorry these past two chapters were relatively short and lackluster, but it’ll only get
more intense from here. Hope you enjoy it!

As always, I appreciate any comments or feedback!

End Notes
 FIRST CHAPTER DONE HEHE

Bachira wasn't on schedule today, but oh boy he is in for a DOOSEY next shift.

With my current schedule, I plan to try to update every other day! This is subject to change,
so if you want to be kept up to date you can check my twitter @onikabuito !!!

If you're familiar with my NGIS fic "High Score" and how I did the swapping POVS each
chapter, I'll be doing the same here! Odd chapter numbers will be Isagi and even will be
Kaiser.

Okay thats enough from me KJSHGFKDRL please let me know your thoughts!!! I love
hearing feedback :D

Please drop by the archive and comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!