* * *

It’s been a slow morning. Monday mornings are usually slow. Everyone only seems to care about flowers they need to go on a date and no one (well no one sane at least) was going on a date on a Monday. However, today’s been an especially slow morning. Not a single customer since he opened the shop at 7am and it was nearing noon now.

Yoongi doesn’t mind though. He enjoys mornings like this. When he can just flit around the store and tend to the flowers with ease and tender care. Can give them some extra love. His aunt always said that flowers grow best when they’re loved and Yoongi’s seen the difference himself.

It’s when Yoongi’s started working on his fifth bouquet of roses for the bridal shower later this evening that he hears the bells twinkle from the front of the shop. He continues working on the bouquet and let’s whoever entered find their way to him.

People always tend to stop and stare in amazement when they first come in and honestly Yoongi can’t blame them. The way his aunt set up the shop was something magical all right. Straight out of a fairytale.

Flowers of all shapes and sizes and colors neatly placed among small fairy figurines. Yet, what was most unique of all, was the dozens of white bird cages of all shapes and sizes hanging from the ceiling. Intermingling and enhancing the beauty of the vines and flowers growing along the walls and ceiling.

The cages had confused Yoongi at first. “Why bird cages in a flower shop?” He’d questioned his aunt, one late summer evening, after finally gathering the courage (a good two months after he’d moved in).

“Because I always wanted to be free.” That’s all she had said to him with a small smile. It wasn’t much but Yoongi had understood her perfectly.

“You always will be.” He had clutched her hand to his chest as they sat out under the dark sky and had promised himself that he would never let this shop fail.

He would never let her fail.

Yoongi’s bought out of his reverie when he hears twinkling laughter come from behind the mountain of roses placed directly in the middle of the shop. The laughter sounds oddly familiar and he feels something strange settle in the pit of his stomach. (It kind of feels like fear.)

Just then two figures emerge from behind the roses and Yoongi pales. He contemplates ducking behind the counter and pretending that he’s not there. But he knows that’s cowardly (he still wants to do it though) and instead puts down the scissors in his hand and waits for the figures to notice him.

The taller of the two boys notices him first and Yoongi almost laughs at his outrageous facial expression, eyes going cross-eyed and mouth open wide.

“Yoongi hyung! What are you doing here?!” Taehyung just about screams and Yoongi involuntarily takes a step back. He’ll never get used to the loudness that is Kim Taehyung.

At the sound of Taehyung’s outburst, the other boy turns to look at Yoongi and this time Yoongi does laugh.

Jimin looks criminally adorable (everything Jimin does is adorable alright) with his hand on his mouth in shock and eyes open alarmingly big.

After a couple of minutes of awkward silence, Yoongi mumbles out, “Ah hello. Welcome to Serendipity Flowers.”

“You work here hyung??!” Taehyung rushes to the counter and Yoongi can’t help but take another step back.

“Uhh yeah.” Once he sees the overactive boy reach too close to the roses Yoongi quickly steps forward, ready to move them out of harm's way.

“Since when?” He leans even closer and Yoongi shuffles the flowers to the side.

“May.”

“That long and you didn’t tell us?!” Taehyung screeches out, pout on his lips as if Yoongi had committed some sort of horrible crime. (He’s pretty sure he didn’t but you never really know with Taehyung.)

“Uhhh…” Yoongi’s at a loss of what to say. He didn’t know he was supposed to tell them. It’s not like they’re friends. Right?

“I thought we were friends.” Well, that answers that.

“Wait. Where’s auntie?” Jimin suddenly steps forward, genuine worry in his eyes and Yoongi falls a little more in love.

“Uhh. She’s taking a while off.” He hates how vague his answer sounds but he’s not ready to tell them the truth. Yet.

“Is she okay though?” The pink haired boy’s biting on his lips and Yoongi knows that Jimin’s worried and he hates that he has to lie to him.

“She’s fine. Just needed a little break.” He tries to smile reassuringly but it feels fake even to himself.

Thankfully Jimin doesn’t push and nods in understanding.

“Wait. Are you related to auntie?” Suddenly Yoongi has a face full of Taehyung and he has to forcefully push the younger boy away before he slips across the counter and onto Yoongi.

“You’re right Tae. I think it’s the eyes.” Now Jimin moves closer, tongue sticking out in concentration as he stares at Yoongi.

The intense stare has Yoongi breaking out into a cold sweat, shivering slightly at the intensity of it. Once he realizes Jimin isn’t going to look away until he has an answer he clears his throat and looks away first.

“Uhh yeah. I’m her nephew. My mom’s sister.” Yoongi starts organizing the roses again just so he has something to do.

“That’s nice of you to help out hyung.” Jimin smiles at him and Yoongi ducks his head down, pretending to fix a rose just so the other won’t see the blush. His face feels like it's on fire.

“You know…” There’s something in Taehyung’s voice that has Yoongi looking up to stare at the boy warily.

“You know what?” Yoongi has an idea what Taehyung’s gonna say and he just wants this over with already.

“Just didn’t expect you to be florist hyung.” Taehyung’s got this annoying smirk on his face and Yoongi can’t help but sigh.

Yeah, Yoongi knows he doesn’t fit the “role” of a typical florist (what the hell does a typical florist even look like). Not with his piercings and tattoos and the leather jacket that