Chapter Text
“I get that you want me to make the vases, but why exactly do I have to come to the florist with you?”
Shorter was currently in the process of renovating the Chang Dai, Nadia finally deciding it was time to update from their parent’s 70s diner and instead making the place at least look a little more upmarket. They were currently closed for business while builders came in and updated the kitchen and painted the restaurant, brightening the place up and giving it a touch of class. Nadia had suggested they try adding some more romantic elements to their décor, and Shorter had suggested white tablecloths and flower vases for every table.
Just so happened his best friend was a potter by trade.
Ash had taken up the hobby initially as a way to combat stress and PTSD from an abusive childhood, needing an outlet for his pent-up emotions and as a way to switch his mind off for a while. His councellor and therapist, Blanca, suggested he try a creative hobby. Pot throwing proved to be the perfect mix of almost violent manipulation and dexterous intricacy, and as it turned out he was a bit of a natural at it. Besides, any failures that collapsed or broke in the kiln during firing, he’d gather up and take to the nearest shooting range or junk yard with his pistol, line them up a short distance away, and take out his frustrations that way. It really was a win-win hobby when it came to stress relief.
After he discovered he was making more money from the pieces he sold than he was from any of his part-time jobs taken on to keep the wolf from the door, and was far happier living a hermit life in his workshop as his own boss, he had switched career paths and was now a professional artist full time. He’d agreed to make vases for Shorter’s restaurant tables partly because he was his best mate, but also because it would help advertise his wares. He hadn’t charged him any money; all he asked was that he could eat at the Chang Dai for cheap forevermore, and Shorter had gladly agreed.
“Well, I thought to myself that if I was going to make a vase, at least knowing what type of flower was going in it might help with the design process,” Shorter said, strolling along ahead of him as he led the way.
“That sounds like an excuse if ever I heard one,” Ash responded. “You told me already what you were after – something small, enough for a couple of large flowers or maybe half-a-dozen smaller ones, with blue and gold glaze. I already know roughly what I’m going to make. There’s this Japanese vase style called a ‘sorori’, which has a bulb-shaped base and a long thin neck. It’s designed for a single flower, but I can modify it so you could put more than one in.”
“Funny you should mention Japanese,” Shorter said, a sly little smile on his face. They came to a shop that Ash was unfamiliar with; it had only recently opened, or at least recent by Ash's approximation, because he hadn’t even realised that the old traditional toy store which had gone out of business last year was now a florist. Then again, it wasn't like he paid much attention to the shops around here - the only places he went were takeaways and bodegas for sustenance, as well as a select few craft shops for materials, which he was very picky about. On a rare occasion, he'd step into bookstores, although mostly he frequented the library as it was cheaper to borrow than to buy, especially with the speed in which he went through reading material.
The window of the shop was drenched in a fine layer of condensation, but just beyond the foggy glaze was a beautiful window display of oriental lilies and chrysanthemum bursting out of a faux-Ming vase, several healthy-looking potted houseplants arranged on shelves either side of it. The exterior of the shop was painted a lush shade of green, and a calligraphy sign above the window read ‘Ikebana’ in swooping, elegant script, with the matching kanji painted beside it.
“Japanese flowers for a Chinese restaurant, huh?” Ash commented blithely, as Shorter pushed open the door and entered the shop, a little tinkling bell quaintly announcing their arrival.
“Might as well stay in Asia,” Shorter smirked, holding the door for him.
“One second, please!” A heavily accented voice shouted from the back of the store. Looking around, Ash saw explosions of colour, the air delicately perfumed as flowers of all shapes and sizes were crammed into buckets of water on rustic wooden shelves. Ready-made bunches of colour-matched flora were wrapped in cellophane and displayed in a wire frame in the middle of the shop floor, prices marked ready for sale according to size and bloom type. There was an entire stand just of roses in varying shades, and a corner of the shop dedicated to funerals. A pre-made flower arrangement sat amongst a sea of white posies, consisting of daisies stabbed into oasis foam that spelt out the word ‘MOM’ as an example of what displays were available. There was an extensive price range on the wall for wedding bouquets and buttonholes, as well as a dozen photos of past arrangements held by satisfied customers, smiling gleefully in white dresses and black or grey suits. On the top of the glass counter next to the till was a sizeable bonsai tree, and on the back wall was a shelf with a collection of vases and pots of different sizes on it. Ash felt most of these were plain and boring, cheap mass-produced rubbish with no soul.
A short Asian boy wearing a mint green apron smeared with dirt came scurrying out from the back room with an apologetic look on his face.
“Sorry! We got delivery!” he said by way of explanation for the shop floor being unmanned.
He was, quite possibly, the cutest person Ash had seen in a long while.
He was slim, but some definition to his body suggested an athletic type with a hidden strength. His skin was pale with a soft olive undertone that gave it warmth. He looked incredibly young, but was clearly old enough to run a shop by himself, dressed in a salmon pink shirt and jeans under the apron, the sleeves and hems rolled up to keep them off his hands and from dragging on the floor. A name badge pinned to his apron read ‘Eiji’, and he’d got a holographic smiley face sticker stuck on it, just adding to his quirky adorableness. He wasn’t what you would call classically attractive, his face holding more a cherubic charm than anything most people would count as ‘hot’, but there was something about him that felt gentle and soft, kindness practically rolling off him in waves, and it made his insides twist pleasantly.
If Ash didn’t know any better, he could have sworn he just felt Cupid’s arrow hit its target, stabbing right through his heart mercilessly, but he wasn’t that sentimental. Love at first sight didn’t exist. He was just cute, that was all.
“How may I help?”
“My sister called earlier about a potential business deal,” Shorter told him. “I’m Shorter, from the Chang Dai.”
“Oh! The Chinese restaurant, yes?”
“That’s us!”
“You wanted my recommendation on flower for table. I think you be best with seasonal bloom. They easier and cheaper to buy in bulk through year, plus, I think, be very pleasing to eye. Good for… it is Feng Shui? Be in balance with season.” Eiji spoke with enthusiasm, but while his English was good it was slightly broken and obviously his second or maybe even third language. His speech was very endearing to Ash, the way he pronounced his words, struggling a little with certain consonants and elongating others with a vowel at the end. His Japanese accent was soft and somewhat soothing to the ear, raising pleasant goosebumps along the back of Ash’s neck.
“Cheap is always good,” Shorter said, grinning.
“Also, consider what vase you using,” Eiji continued. “Some flower look better in some vase, others do not. Eto… If vase has long neck, for example, then flower with longer stem good. And you do not want colour clash, so you need flower that compliments.”
“See? This is why I brought you,” Shorter said, turning to Ash.
“It isn’t quite what you said…” Ash mumbled.
“Technicalities!” He responded waving a hand dismissively. “Even so, you’re the one making the vases, dude! You’re the only one currently who knows what they’re going to look like.”
“You make vase?” Eiji’s attention switched from Shorter to Ash, and he couldn’t help but notice how large and doe-like his gentle, dark brown eyes were. They had long eyelashes for an Asian monolid as well, jet black like his fluffy hair. You could imagine entire galaxies hiding in eyes like that, all the secrets of the universe encapsulated in a curious gaze. He could probably stare into eyes like that for hours and never get bored, but he couldn’t because doing so would likely freak anyone out, not just because it was creepy, but because his own jade-green eyes had a tendency to glare intimidatingly. Most people didn’t maintain eye contact with him for long.
“Err, yeah,” he told him sheepishly. “I’m a potter by trade. I make all sorts of things…”
Why was he telling him that? They’d just met! He didn’t care what he did for a living! A simple yes would have sufficed!
“Oh, that very interesting,” Eiji said, smiling sweetly. A ripple of humour ran through his voice as he added, “I never been much good at practical craft. I only good with flowers and photography from time to time!”
“Photography?”
“I take photo in spare time, and arrange flower for living,” he explained. “Used to do track and field competitively too, back in Japan, but got injured and had to quit. See? I am klutz!”
“I bet you’re better than you think,” Ash told him. “Flower arranging is practical, and you’re pretty good at that!”
“Thank you, but you just being kind,” he said, embarrassed. A slight rose blush coloured his cheeks from his words. “The flower are beautiful without me even trying. They do their own thing. I only harmonise them, help bring out their best self, match them with complimenting blooms.”
“That’s more than I can do,” Ash said. “I barely know a rose from a rhododendron!” Eiji laughed at that, and Shorter side-eyed him knowingly, a tiny smirk on his lips.
“What type of vase you making for Chang Dai?” Eiji asked him.
“Well, Shorter wanted a blue glaze, but I thought adding some gold to it would be nice…”
“Ah – like kintsugi?”
“A little, but hopefully without breaking the things first. I was thinking of using gold leaf.”
“Wide-neck or narrow?”
“Narrow, quite long, with a bulb-shaped bottom.”
“A sorori.”
“Yes! Exactly! God, it’s nice to speak to someone who understands what I’m talking about!”
“Sorori great for holding single long-stem flower with large head, like tulip or rose, but can also be used for small bunch of flower that grow in cluster, like forget-me-not or verbena. Practical design – good choice!”
“Ahaha, I just thought it would look good,” he laughed nervously. Eiji smiled happily before turning back to Shorter.
“I have some idea of what might work for first order,” Eiji told him. “How about I go get sample of things in different price ranges, and you can decide what you want and how much you want to spend?”
“Sure thing, Eiji,” Shorter said. With a slight bow, little more than a polite nod of the head really, Eiji vanished out the back of the store again. “Ash…” Shorter’s voice carried a teasing tone to it. “The fuck was that, man?”
“What?”
“You! Flirting much?”
“No, I wasn’t!”
“Oh yeah? Complimenting his skill? Giggling? Since when do you giggle? Don’t think I didn’t see that blush, young man!”
“So, I’m not allowed to be friendly now?” Ash narrowed his eyes, glaring. Shorter shrugged his shoulders just slightly and gave a quiet hum of disbelieving acknowledgement, as Eiji returned with a dozen different blooms for Shorter to choose from.
The two Asians talked back and forth for maybe ten minutes, discussing price ranges and availability, Eiji stating that he would be happy to pick out suitable seasonal flowers for him to use every week and giving Shorter a quote. He added, however, that knowing what Ash’s vases finally looked like would help immensely, and Shorter agreed that once one was finished, Ash would bring one in for him to look at.
“You don’t mind coming back and showing this fine young gentleman your work, do you?” Shorter had told him slyly.
“Wait, what?” Ash had spluttered.
“It’s a deal, Eiji,” Shorter said, ignoring him and shaking Eiji’s hand. “Pleasure starting business with you!”
“I see you again soon for first order,” Eiji told him pleasantly. “And I look forward to seeing vase when finished.”
“Yeah, well… it might be another couple of weeks…” Ash muttered.
“Talented art take time,” Eiji nodded. “Sometimes you need wait several years for plant to flower, but always worth it.”
“Something like that…” Ash blushed. “Anyway… see ya.”
“Wait! I not get your name!” Eiji reached over the counter and pinched hold of the sleeve of his jacket as he turned to leave. Realising what he’d done, he let go immediately, an embarrassed flush on his face. “Oh! Sorry…”
“It’s Ash,” he said quietly. “Ash Callenreese.”
“Ash?” Eiji repeated, his accent softening his name further, making it sound more like ‘Ashu’. “That is nice name! I see you again sometime then, Ash.”
“Yeah…”
They left the store, the door barely closed behind them before Shorter proceeded to mercilessly tease him all the way back to the Chang Dai.