Beautiful: Part One

“Thanks and have a good night!” Ken said as he waved and smiled at the last customer as she walked out the door. He took a deep breath and sighed as he turned to Omi. “I guess we can close now.” He gestured to the clock on the wall. It had been a long day and he was anxious to get out of there.

“Sure.” Omi nodded and picked up the broom to start sweeping up the floor. After a few minutes, he paused and turned towards the soccer player again. “What are your plans tonight Ken-kun?”

Ken stopped what he was doing and looked down at the floor before answering. He shifted uncomfortably on his feet. He could feel a soft blush staining his cheeks as he searched for the right words. “I… ummm… I…”

Omi turned to his friend and smiled. There was a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Ken-kun! Do you have a date?” Omi walked over to the counter and leaned closer to his friend. It was so much fun to tease him sometimes and it was obvious that this was one of those subjects that could make Ken squirm.

“Well, ummm… yeah, I guess so… sort of…” Ken stammered as he tried to return his focus to the accounting books in from of him. He glanced at the clock warily and hoped that Omi wouldn’t pursue this much further.

“That’s great!” Omi answered sincerely and went back to the task of cleaning up.

“What are you doing tonight, Omi?” Ken asked nonchalantly trying to keep the conversation going. He hoped that he could change the subject and move it back to his younger teammate.

“Oh, homework as usual.” Omi frowned and let out an exasperated breath, which blew his bangs briefly away from his forehead.

Ken filled in the last amount in the ledger and walked over to Omi. He patted him on the back and grinned. “Good luck.”

Omi looked up at him and smirked. “You too.”

Ken bit his lip and blushed again. He ruffled Omi’s hair playfully with his hand and took off his apron to hang it up in the back.

Omi paused as he looked over at the remaining bouquets on display. He stared at a gorgeous arrangement of deep purple orchids and sunny yellow carnations surrounded by just the right amount of baby’s breath. His eyes widened as he remembered what Ken had said. “Hey, Ken-kun. Why don’t you give these to your girlfriend tonight?”

Ken walked over to where Omi was standing and examined the arrangement. “Nah, Omi. I can’t just take the flowers.”

Omi shook his head. “Yes you can. We don’t need these anymore and if you don’t take them they are just going to go to waste. They were a special arrangement for one of our best customers, but she called at the last minute to say that she didn’t need them anymore.”

“I don’t know, Omi.”

“Come on, Ken-ken! Every girl loves flowers!” Omi insisted. His voice took on that high-pitched pleading tone that even Ken couldn’t resist.

Ken shrugged and gave in. “I guess you’re right. Okay, I’ll take them.”

-------------------------------------------------------

Later that evening, Ken stood outside of Yohji’s apartment. He held the bouquet carefully as he reached out to knock on the door. He took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair in a nervous gesture.

“Come in!” Yohji yelled from inside.

Ken pushed open the door hesitantly and walked inside. He shut the door behind him and stood near the entryway. The flowers shook slightly in his hands as he shifted the vase from one hand to the other. “Hey Yohji, it’s me.”

Yohji walked out of his bedroom and turned the corner to see Ken standing near the door. He was dressed in a handsome blue shirt that almost matched the color of his eyes. He also wore black jeans that were just a little too tight. Yohji smiled at the vision before him. “KenKen…” he said softly as he walked over to his friend. He stared at the bouquet with curiosity. “You brought me flowers?” he asked hesitantly. His heart beat faster in his chest. Somehow the gesture seemed very meaningful to him and it pleased him to know that Ken would do something so sweet for him.

Ken looked down at the floor again and held the flowers out to Yohji. His eyes glimmered and he took in a shaky breath. “Yeah. I know it’s kind of stupid. I mean we work in a flower shop,” Ken was talking too quickly and he knew it, but he felt a need to explain this somehow. Yohji meant so much to him and he just wanted him to understand. “And I know it’s not much, but Omi said I should give them to my girlfriend and-”

Ken stopped abruptly as Yohji placed his hand under Ken’s chin. Delicate fingers brushed against his jaw line and lifted his chin slightly as Yohji took the flowers and set them on the table nearby. He leaned closer to Ken and kissed him gently. The dark-haired man seemed to relax at this gesture and brought his arms up to circle around Yohji’s waist. Yohji closed his eyes and savored the feel of Ken’s soft lips against his own. He ran a hand through Ken’s silky hair and pulled away reluctantly to stare into deep blue eyes. “Thank you, Ken. They’re beautiful.”

Ken nodded and stared after Yohji as he grabbed his keys and gestured towards the door. “Well, shall we go now?” Yohji turned to Ken as he opened the door.

Ken smiled, clasped his hands together in front of him and stepped outside. He couldn’t find the words to describe how happy he was. He glanced warily from side to side down the hallway before he took Yohji’s hand in his and they headed out for the evening.

[Part Two]

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