13. Wind Flower

Pairing: Baekseul [Seulgi and Baekhyun]

Concept: Florist!Au

Inspiration: Wind Flower | Mamamoo

[Completed]

It was maybe too early, he hadn't thought this through. Baekhyun wasn't this impulsive usually, there was just something about her that made him feel different.

He wouldn't usually walk past the park to reach his home because it was a long detour and he hated to walk in the cold. But he did it for her.

He never liked to waste time looking at things he knew he wouldn't buy. And yet he did it for her.

He was never interested in flowers until he met her.

Truthfully, he still doesn't but the way her face lits up every time he asks her how she makes her bouquets is worth every flower in the world and he would give them to her one day, eventually.

Was it nervousness that prevented him from going inside the shop although he had been standing outside for over 15 minutes or maybe he had just realized what he was about to do? She had seen him standing there a few times, she even smiled when their eyes met, giggling when he would return her a clumsy smile. She wasn't wondering why he wasn't coming inside, she was just calmly waiting until he would because it was always like that.

Baekhyun would make at least 100 steps in front of the vitrine, faking to look at the flowers, hesitating between going inside or not when he knew he would anyway while she busied herself with her tasks until she heard the soft ring of the door opening.

There, finally.

She broke into a warm smile and welcomed the young man who seemed as delighted as usual to enter this casual flower shop. It wasn't big, there was barely enough space to walk between all the colorful flower pots and the mixed smell of the flowers could make him dizzy but he forgot it as soon he saw that endearing eye smile.

"What brings you here this time Mr. Byun?" Seulgi smiled before pouring him a cup of tea. She asked him if it was cold outside— "Oh no, it's just that my cheeks get red easily. Do not worry." Seulgi grinned. "I know, I can come inside to see the flowers, it's really not that cold you don't have to worry."

She didn't have to add anything else, he knew what she would say as they always had this same conversation that never lead them to more.

"For what occasion is it this time?" she asked him as she continued to draw a large bouquet of yellow tulips in her sketchbook.

Baekhyun pursed his lips. What kind of lie would he make up this time? He had the whole scenario planned in his head before entering the shop but seeing her so close always made him lose his composure. He ended up giving all the previous bouquets to his mother and she was ecstatic the first time but by the fifth bouquet she figured there was something strange going on and pressured him to do something about whatever was bothering him before she decided to make a garden out of all these flowers. That's why he was there today.

"I want to surprise someone important," Baekhyun coyly said.

"For a congratulation?"

"Not exactly," he shook his head.

"May I ask what for?" she turned to ask him with a curious smile.

"It's… hm it's a bit personal."

Seulgi blushed a bit before putting away her pencils and momentarily avoiding Baekhyun's eyes. She was clearly a bit taken aback but tried to brush it off by smiling.

"Then i-is it for a woman or a man? If it is still too much I can make it neutral," she quickly added.

"It's for a woman," Baekhyun answered as he watched her fidget with the end of her sketchbook.

Seulgi bit her lower lip as she usually did when she was thinking hard and scanned the small shop.

"Does she have a favorite color or does she know a bit about the meaning behind flowers?"

"I think she knows quite a bit about flowers," Baekhyun took a moment to answer. "She even makes bouquets in her free time."

"Does she like strong perfumes or barely noticeable scents?" Seulgi asked as she got up from her seat behind the counter. She walked to a pot of fresh violets and then turned to smell some daisies on her right.

"I don't really know…" Baekhyun shrugged as he watched her with a fond smile. "I don't think she minds any of that, she just really likes flowers."

"Any kind of flowers? Really?"

Baekhyun shyly nodded.

"That's interesting!" Seulgi exclaimed from the back of the shop. "I was just thinking of adding dahlias, they don't smell a lot and depending on the color, we can make it very meaningful… I know it's fall and it might be hard to find at this time but it might work. What is that person like, Mr. Byun?"

"She is… she is very nice," Baekhyun pondered. He blushed when Seulgi turned to look at him with a pout. That was not very precise. "She is also delicate, no that's not what I meant," he corrected himself when Seulgi looked at him in confusion. "She puts a lot of care in everything she does, she is genuine and warm, she makes others smile with her own smile."

"You seem to have a lot to say about this person Mr. Byun," Seulgi distractedly said as she scanned a rose. She frowned and gave up the idea, it would be too easy.

"The truth is that I don't even know that person very well," Baekhyun admitted as he walked closer to her. Seulgi handed him some lilies for him to smell. "I am afraid that my gift might scare her or worse, become a burden."

"It cannot," Seulgi reassured him. "It's the gesture that matters and you are a very good person, I am sure she will understand your feelings."

"My feelings you say," Baekhyun repeated dejectedly.

"Even if she were to be burdened by your gift, I am sure she will be thankful that you thought of her," Seulgi tried to cheer him up. "Flowers are such delicate things, it takes a lot of willpower and patience to watch them grow beautifully, I believe they are one of the most sincere gifts you can give to anyone."

"You think that way because it's your job," Baekhyun chuckled. "You have to sell me the idea."

"It's the other way around, it's my job because I think that way, Mr. Byun," she corrected him with a playful frown. "And with how often you come by, I don't think I need to persuade you to buy my flowers anymore," she added.

"At least you noticed that," he sighed to himself.

He watched her go around every potential flower for the bouquet with this cheeky smile that made his stomach tur