1. Chapter 1 (1/2)

a/n: a long tsusoka oneshot where tsuzuki is a florist and hisoka is a baker. based on a fanart i drew a while ago. this is pining so no kissing or anything between these two. i always have to add ruka in these aus. she's dead in this one.

i decided not to rewrite this as originally planned. i put too much into this to just give up on it lmao

*valerian is used as a medicinal herb throughout europe to treat insomnia, anxiety, etc.. i checked online to see if there was truth to it and i saw some sites list this herb.

-lucicelo

drumming his fingers on the counter, hisoka focused on the

ight yellow tulips on display in front of the florist shop. his gaze wandered toward the red roses, hopping onto pink carnations, then onto yellow sunflowers. studying the detail and beauty of the plants, his mind wandered, furthering away from the nightmares of the night. replaying his past on replay, stopping in somewhat forgiving intervals but, they returned in the most inconvenient moments.

eathing through his nose, he placed both hands on the counter.

the last few months in the kurosaki manor were hell. freedom at his fingertips, yet so far from his grasp. his age provided options for him to leave. when he turned nineteen, the family shackled him into another betrothal as his gift. the last girl pounced at the chance of carrying the title lady kurosaki, he found her less than appealing, she lasted weeks before running off due to rui's incessant criticisms. this new girl showed her displeasure through whispered quips and glares at her family.

in a way, hisoka found a kindred spirit in the girl. he heard about her ambitions in becoming a lawyer, a career her own family shot down. her mother mentioned it in jest, chuckling with rui, while the girl glared at them in distaste. she hid her true feelings in front of everyone very well. too well. a phenomenal actress.

the jolts of her pure aggression for her parents surged through him. he learned some meditation to temper his gift, but this girl tore down his barriers. she despised her parents with every fiber of her being. a similarity between them. anything said to her, elevated her irritation another notch. almost unable to

eathe, he excused him,

eaking the girl's train of thoughts. without another word, he left to collect himself.

nagare's piercing eyes followed him out the room. he heard some weak excuse on his behalf as he left for the back area. once he relaxed, taking in gulps of air, the oncoming dark force came upon him. he received a good shove to a nearby wall and a scathing scolding for showing off his unnaturalness. without their guests, he would have gotten a worse punishment.

for that reason alone, he thanked having a betrothal meeting on that day. their presence protected him. somewhat.

from the girl's thoughts throughout the meeting, he knew this engagement wouldn't last long. he prepared himself for the worst.

he saved every penny gifted to him from a young age. hiding it in a box, inside of a

oken part of his closet ceiling, he counted his nest of money whenever he felt threatened by his father. from the moment his differences became visible, he counted the days before nagare kicked him out. as he grew older, the possibility loomed over the horizon. nagare threatened to disinherit him often enough where it became a normal occurrence.

after his betrothed ran off from her family, his father blamed him, fulfilling his old threats.

the sting of nagare kurosaki's cruel words didn't stop hisoka from snapping back. "i came from your seed, you dare lay all the blame on me? my lack of attraction to the women you present to me is not my fault." his hand curled into a fist, trembling hard from his suppressed anger. "there's nothing wrong with me."

nagare backhanded him, almost splitting his lip in the process. still, he felt the jolting pain spreading across his face. gritting his teeth, he didn't give nagare the satisfaction of hearing him whimper. he touched his lip, looking at his fingertips, he saw no blood coating his skin. glaring back, he stood tall, the samurai pride of his clan coursed through his veins.

"you're no longer my son. you're a nameless face to this family, no one will help you. leave and never come back." nagare declared, dismissing him in coldness for the last time. "don't expect your inheritance, you shall not receive it."

rui stood at nagare's side, she said nothing, giving hisoka her own disapproving glare. hisoka expected nothing less from the woman. she contained no maternal bone in her body. he stopped expecting any sort of affection from an early age. his feelings for either parent became shrouded in complete disregard long ago.

standing up, hisoka rubbed his cheek with the back of his hand. giving them no last words, he strolled out of the room, almost bumping into one of the staff. muttering an apology, he ran toward his room. elation and relief overwhelmed him. he almost started crying in happiness.

he was free.

a sweet and serene voice snapped him from the memory. "kurosaki-kun?

hisoka covered his flinch, turning to his boss. she smiled light at him, clear understanding in her eyes. checking around the area, he saw no influx of clients catching his blunder. releasing the

eath he didn't know he contained, he turned back toward wakaba. she didn't badger him to explain himself over his lapse in control. on the interview, he explained in subtle detail about his—less than picture perfect childhood. she simply nodded and planned out his

eaks for the day alongside his training.

learning the basics of baking turned into an exciting way to pass his shifts. wakaba's gentle approach and assuring boosting words prompted him to seek her approval. it was a nice change from the uptight tutors who expected nothing short of perfection. thinking of nagare's former punishments stroke the fury in his soul. the man did nothing more than crush any defiance out of him which stopped working as he grew older. provocative thoughts he learned along the way—shattered the old thought process he developed.

inging heated arguments between them both.

as a first time employee, he didn't want to give her any reason to fire him. having spent a week working alongside her, he found that he loved working in a bakery. he watched customers beam at the sight of wakaba, everyone loved her and her somewhat affordable treats. in association, people began including him in conversations and greeted him with kind smiles.

wakaba made traditional and modern sweets. how she managed to hold the store front on her own was amazing. she lasted months with part timers who left weeks later. inconsistent employment, but she managed herself fine. her store wasn't huge to begin with.

he second glanced at the sweets that he enjoyed back in the manor.

despite his gifts, he managed himself alright throughout the day. his constant

eaks and wakaba's constant tea

ewing helped tide over the day. the sweet smells, wakaba's cheerful laugh, kind customers; he found his place in that small town.

the pale pink apron

ought a grimace out of him. something which wakaba often teased him about whenever given the chance. she found the color charming on him. his pale skin complimented the color well, she often commented to him. he disagreed.

deflating, hisoka responded, weariness in his tone. "wakaba-san, my apologies, i spaced out for a bit."

wakaba shook her head, loose curls from her bun bounced a bit, she set a piping mug of darjeeling tea in front of him. "go take your

eak, there are no customers to serve. at this time of day, no one comes around here. now, i finished a batch of matcha roll cakes in the back, you may have one if you want."

hisoka gulped, "thank you." he picked up the cup and went toward the backroom.

during the middle of the week, an older man came in and placed a large bag of rice onto the counter. a cloud of dust floated in hisoka's face

inging out an undignified sneeze. flustered, hisoka took out a handkerchief from his apron pocket and covered his nose before he sneezed again. staring through squinted eyes, the man cringed, apologizing quick.

the man in front of him patted his hands on the apron around his waist. not at all helping the grime sticking to his hands. "sorry about that. i keep forgetting that these things tend to hold a lot of dust."

"no problem." hisoka pocketed his handkerchief with a sniff.

"kannuki has needed a new hand around here. the poor thing has manned this place on her own for months. her last employee quit before she got married." the older man commented. "where are my manners? i'm konoe. i'm the principal at the nearby high school. you'll often see me walking around town hauling these around for deliveries. my wife's family owns a rice business."

hisoka nodded his head before bowing in respect. "pleasure to meet you, i'm hisoka kurosaki. wakaba-san is an excellent employer. i'm satisfied working under her management."

konoe blinked before chuckling. "such a polite young man you are. here's hoping the kids around here pick up some extra manners!" he pointed out a small strawberry cake from the display case. "i'll get that one. thanks, kurosaki."

"sure." hisoka opened the display case, checking on the price, he

ought out the cake into one of the take out boxes.

konoe said. "it's good to see a new face around here. most of the time, the young ones leave town for university and never come back. although, i've seen a rise of families renting out properties for the relaxing and calm atmosphere. not that i mind, the attendance at my school rose higher in the last year alone."

once hisoka finished packaging the cake, he placed it onto the counter and began typing in the price.

"wait a moment. don't you know about the trading system? i'm sure kannuki explained it to you." konoe motioned to the rice bag on the counter. "businesses trade goods in order to get something in return."

hisoka shook his head. no use lying to the man.

"teach, is that you?" wakaba almost floated back into the front. moving around the counter, she em

aced him. "i haven't seen you in months. how was your trip to okinawa?"

konoe held her back and ruffled her hair, making her huff in playful annoyance. "without overseeing a bunch of

ats i had the best

eak in years. i was just telling this young man about the trading system we have here."

wakaba hitched her

eath. she turned to hisoka and clasped her hands together with an apologetic bow. "oh, i knew i forgot to tell you something kurosaki-kun. i'm so sorry."

hisoka tipped his head down. "it's alright. i understand the system to an extent." wakaba might point out the employees to him before he handed out pastries to random people.

konoe piped in. "warn him about tsuzuki, the sweet demon will be coming in next week. tatsumi warned me that he's running out of cupcakes to eat."

wakaba bit her bottom lip to contain her laughter. "teach, he's not so bad. he eats from other food groups.."

"don't defend the sugar demon. i remember the senior class party. he ate most of the sweets before the party even started. it's a good thing we had backup cake as a forewarning to his antics." konoe tutted, smiling with fondness, he picked up his cake. "be warned kurosaki. see you two later."

"bye, teach!" wakaba waved, she addressed hisoka. "don't take teach too seriously. he tends to tease tsuzuki the most out of all his old students." hisoka helped her haul the bag of rice over the counter. "they have a close bond despite teach's complaints about him. there are still people who remember teach chasing tsuzuki around to get back into class."

unimpressed, hisoka deadpanned. "he's a slacker."

"in a way, tsuzuki never had an interest in school. teach had to badger him relentlessly for him to graduate on time." wakaba tucked a curl behind her ear. "before you ask, tsuzuki works in the flower shop across the street."

hisoka peered back at the flower bundles through their window, seeing no view of anyone coming outside. "when are we expecting him exactly?"

"i'm not sure." wakaba told him. "he tends to come early in the morning. that's around the time i finish making the cinnamon rolls. you can't miss him. his purple eyes are striking." her smile

ought out the dimples in her cheeks. "it's almost time for you to learn how to make some of the pastries. are you excited?"

hisoka's lips quirked up in a semblance of a smile. "i always wondered how manju and yokan were made."

the bell to the door dinged loud and clear. looking up, hisoka saw a tall man carrying a bouquet of gardenias in one hand. when he turned toward him, hisoka saw the striking purple eyes wakaba described. tsuzuki. sugar demon. the nickname seemed an exaggeration in his opinion. although, from the way tsuzuki glanced at the display case, it might hold some validity. the man almost drooled at the sight of them.

one glance at his direction and tsuzuki bee-lined toward the register. the bouquet's wrapping crinkled with each step he took. tsuzuki's expressive eyes widened at the sight of him. curiosity peeked through those purple eyes and flared up his gift. tsuzuki expected to ring the bell on the counter for wakaba, not this new face in front of him.

from tsuzuki's mental babbling, hisoka's eye twitched. he never met someone whose mind remained constant with thoughts. rapid speed and commenting about him. sure, there were people who had cluttered minds, others showed fleeting sentences, but this guy's constant mental dialogue kept on going.

tsuzuki put out his hand with a ear splitting grin, he loved meeting new people. "i'm asato tsuzuki, pleased to meet you."

hisoka stared at his hand, hesitant in even shaking it. "hisoka kurosaki, a pleasure as well."

tsuzuki pocketed his hand, chuckling, he tried dissipating the awkwardness. "when did you move into town?"

hisoka answered, curt and to the point. "about a month ago."

"really?! which street did you move into? i know there's two apartments buildings that are renting right now. maybe you live near me? i live near the general market and laundromat." tsuzuki set the gardenias on the counter, taking careful steps not to knock down any of the displays.

hisoka kept his mouth shut.

"anyway, i'm trading these gardenias in for a small batch of cinnamon rolls. the warmer the better! if there is glaze, pile it all over them!" tsuzuki leaned over the counter, his smile beaming at the image of delicious rolls.

"y—yeah." hisoka stepped back, this exuberant personality exhausted him a bit. "excuse me." he walked through the door which lead cool into the back, a steaming warm pan of cinnamon rolls sat on the counter.

wakaba appeared from inside the pantry, wiping the flour onto her apron. "tsuzuki came around today?"

"yes." hisoka went toward one of the to go boxes and propped it onto the nearby counter. "he left a bouquet on the counter next to the register."

wakaba clasped her hands together in delight. "i'll keep him company while you pack that order up." she pondered before she indicated. "give him twenty."

hisoka paused, wrinkling his nose at the absurd amount. "there's no way anyone can eat so much sugar. i thought konoe-san exaggerated a bit when he warned me about him."

on the way to the door, wakaba held back a snort. "oh kurosaki-kun, he finishes those in a few days. this is nothing compared to the orders he gives in advance."

shell shocked, hisoka packaged the order, wondering where the guy stored all that sugar.

wakaba inhaled the smell of the gardenias before placing them inside of a bigger vase. "what did you think?"

hisoka stopped sweeping, he glanced back, noticed the array of flowers on the counter. "they're nice." in fact, he enjoyed smelling the light fragrance which came from them. "are those your favorites?"

wakaba tied a ribbon to the vase while responding. "i tend to like these flowers better than roses. in a way, roses seem too common. everyone thinks of them first when preparing a bouquet. the other flowers are left for the mixed bundles and don't have a chance to shine on their own. do you have a favorite?"

hisoka answered. "sunflowers."

surprised at hisoka's quick answer, wakaba pet the flower petals one last time. "why is that? i thought you'd choose cherry blossoms." hisoka arched a

ow. "aesthetically, i mean. you seem to suit them real well from as aesthetic standpoint."

"cherry blossoms are common." hisoka removed his apron and set it on the hook. "they are used as flavorings for anything the food industry can come up with or at least used in decorations on packaging. i have seen more than enough of them to last a lifetime."

"hmm..you have a point there. they are such a tourist attraction in the spring. the tourists seem to find something appealing about them. i'm too used to seeing them i guess." wakaba went toward the front end and switched placed a sign which specified their lunch

eak. "i hope you're hungry, i made a little too much dinner last night and i packed a leftover lunch."

wiping his forehead, hisoka stood proud at the batch of strawberry daifuku he finished making for the afternoon. wakaba showed him different examples, giving him a chance to do one on his own. when it came out decent, she gave him an opportunity to make a tray of them for sale. he focused on this task while wakaba handled a handful of customers in the front of the store.

he recognized a set of familiar waves coming through the walls. heart pumping fast, he stood still, waiting for tsuzuki to come through the doors. having grown used to tsuzuki's presence, he found it odd whenever the guy didn't stop in. half the time, tsuzuki distracted the young girls who developed crushes on him. tsuzuki's interventions helped give him space to

eathe after taking in the numerous emotions coming from these people.

readying himself for wakaba greeting tsuzuki with an enthusiastic yell, hisoka twiddled with his fingers. he grew impatient at tsuzuki lingering outside of the door.

the bell on top of the door didn't ring.

tsuzuki went across the street toward the flower shop.

hisoka ignored the pang of disappointment through moving the daifuku onto a clean tray.

the door to the back opened in a bang. jumping on his spot, wakaba came through with empty trays in her arms. leaving his task behind, he helped her carry half of the load before she bumped into something. she thanked him with a smile as they placed them near the large industrial sink. he showed her his finished pastries and she jumped at the chance to taste them.

wakaba went toward the counter, enthusiasm rolled off of her in waves. standing to the side, hisoka watched her take in the sight of his batch. without saying anything, she picked one up and bit into it.