Chapter Text
At the beeping of his phone's alarm, Ashe's eyes slowly opened. He sat on his dorm bed, yawning heartily and clumsily grabbing his simple, slightly outdated phone.
"My my, 6:45 already..." He yawned once more. God, just how much did the previous week's all nighters mess his biological clock up? He hadn't been this tired in a good while. "Gotta get up, gotta get up... Even though I really don't feel like it..."
Hopping off of bed with a small jump as customary, Ashe grabbed his yellow hair ribbon off the nightstand and ran off to his dorm's bathroom, feeling like he would just fall back into the bed had he stayed near it any longer. In his humble opinion, that kind of feeling was the worst: the one when your body fails to match the energetic spirit that lies inside. As someone who has dedication and initiative come as second nature, Ashe couldn't say he was fond of the manner his body screamed at him to go back to bed as he washed his face and brushed his teeth.
The man groaned as he looked up to the mirror, only to note that his eyes were lined with very dark rings around them. The situation was getting a little bit ridiculous, now. He blinked slowly, opening the white mirror cabinet in front of him and reaching for his hair brush.
The next few minutes were silent, with Ashe slowly and indolently brushing lock after lock of middle back-length turquoise hair, eyes closed as he swayed from one side to the other sleepily. God, what would he do to simply go back to bed... Unfortunately enough, however, skipping class that day in particular would not be possible: it was the day his assignment on the XV century Witch Hunts would be graded, and even possibly nominated for a presentation for the entire University, after all! He couldn't simply sleep by that, now could he?
With a loud buzz, Ashe's phone vibrated, sliding off the corner of the sink and crashing down to the floor with a sharp clack, causing its owner to jump and unwittingly drop the hairbrush in his hand. Ashe quickly moved his hand to his chest to calm his now racing heart, glancing over to the still buzzing phone on the floor.
Well, at least he couldn't say he was all that sleepy anymore.
He bent over and picked the phone and brush back up: more than slightly relieved to see no damage was done to it in the fall.
"Uh... H-hello?!" He shouted, attempting to force his usual energy into his own voice.
"Ow!" A female voice yelped from the other side of the call. "Inside voice, Ashe! Geez!"
"Oh! Miss Claire...!" He exclaimed, a little more toned back this time around. He felt a warm rush of blood ascend to his face. What a way to lose face in front of a lady...! "For what reason do you call me this early in the morning?"
"Well, I--ahh," Claire Elford pulled away from her phone for a second in order to yawn loudly: Ashe couldn't help but let out a small giggle at that, "I wasn't sure if I was gonna be able to meet you before your classes, so I woke up early to tell you Noel and I want to commemorate you finishing that monster of a monograph, so you should meet up with us this afternoon!"
Ashe paused for a second. Commemoration...? For him?
"...Are you sure, Miss Claire?" The tone of his voice sounded worried; he caught himself,however, and gave an awkward laugh before resuming. " Haha, I mean, you know I'm always in for a party, but this... It's just a monograph! It isn't even my thesis!"
As he had said, it wasn't exactly the "going to a party" part that created that sudden uneasiness in Ashe's mind; rather, the idea of him and his friends going out, spending time and money, simply to commemorate a finished assignment made him a little bit anxious. Was it that important...?
Pressing his phone against his ear with one shoulder so he could free both of his hands, he began braiding his hair, tightly coiling three large turquoise locks into each other in a flawlessly orderly fashion.
Claire huffed.
"I know, I know. There's still a long way till your thesis, right? Your post-grad's just begun!"Ashe could visualize the pout on her sleepy face as she spoke, and smiled. Adorable. "I'm not that stupid, okay?! Noel and I just wanted to do something nice for you and take the opportunity to let you breathe some fresh air, since you've been locked away in your dorm for almost three weeks now!"
"Ah, I see...!" Ashe gasped dramatically, earning a mocking sigh from the opposite end of the call. "So it is all a ruse to get me to leave the campus! How ingenious! ...All jokes aside, though, I'd be glad to join you if you insist so. I still can't see the reason to commemorate a monograph of all things, but I do admit I've been craving the outside world a little bit."
"Okay, then!" Claire replied happily, "Meet us after lunch, all right? We'll go out into the town and party away! I have to get you a little something I had made, too~!"
"Hmmmm?" Ashe piped up. If his interest wasn't piqued before, the prospect of a mystery present definitely did the trick. " 'Had made', you say...? Could I know what it is?"
"Not ahead of time, dummy! Beh!" Claire noisily stuck her tongue at the phone, and Ashe couldn't hold back the giggle fit that overcame him. "You're gonna have to wait until we go get it!"
Ashe's long fingers trembled in his hair as he kept giggling at Claire's childish movement. Desperately holding his phone with his shoulder as it shook with laughter, he gasped for air once the fit had passed over. He felt fully awake now, and in no small part due to blue-haired girl's endless, utterly contagious positive energy.
Ashe felt himself wishing to, one day, be able to retribute all of it. Repay her for all of the joy she provides him.
"All right then! I shall await my gift with bated breath!" He exclaimed, holding his finished braid with one hand while expertly tying his ribbon around it with the other. Stopping to admire his handiwork in the mirror for a second, he finally took his phone back from his already aching shoulder. "Now, go back to sleep, you! It's Wednesday, you don't have classes until 10, correct? I don't want to interfere with your sleep!"
"Yeah, yeah I should..." Claire yawned again, having been reminded of the time. "Good luck with the grading, Ashe! See you after lunch!"
"See you, miss Claire! Have a good morning's rest!"
With this, Ashe turned off the call before Claire could come up with something else to talk about. Girl was terrible in ending conversations, even worse than Ashe "Motormouth Supreme" Bradley himself. The young man grinned to himself, still tired yet somewhat revitalized, and reentered his bedroom. Setting his phone on the nightstand once more, he searched the drawers for something presentable to wear, and decided on a dark green turtleneck and beige jeans for the day. While the day wasn't cold enough to warrant such warm clothing, it wasn't exactly hot, either; and Ashe has always preferred clothing with enough volume to make up for his tall yet slim build.
Picking up his beige messenger bag from a chair and sliding his phone into his jeans' back pocket, Ashe's bright yellow eyes slowly set on a framed picture, nestled on his work desk. His bright smile faltered, and he sighed, turning his body towards the door.
"Mom," He whispered, "Dad, Lilia... I'll stay outside a bit late tonight, but I promise I'll come back soon, okay...?"
Falling silent, Ashe Bradley left his dorm.
--
"Ehh?! A revision?!" Claire exclaimed, indignantly, "You've worked so hard on that, and they're asking you to rewrite part of it?!"
"It happens, Claire..." Noel sighed, shaking his head. "...Especially if they're considering publishing it, like in this case. At any rate, I'm very sorry, Ashe..."
As planned, Ashe ran over to Claire's dorm building after lunchtime, only to find both Claire and Noel already waiting for him, chatting happily about constellations or something. After talking it over a little bit, all three decided to go downtown for some cake and to window shop; something they did quite often but, due to Ashe's assignment, hadn't had the chance to do for weeks.
"No no no!" Ashe piped up, beaming. Both Claire and Noel had to pick up their pace in order to keep up with the quick pitterpatter of Ashe's long, hyperactive legs. "I am absolutely okay with this turn of events! No need to worry for me at all!"
"But, but Ashe...!" Claire whined, pouting at him. "We just got to hang out with you again and you'll have to go right back to writing stuff?! That's not fair!"
"It's for a good cause, though! My monograph's going to be published in a World History magazine, you know!" The turquoise-haired young man skipped a step, turning back at Claire to grin at her. "It will tire me out, most definitely, but I'm ecstatic about the opportunity my teachers gave me!"
"Just... Don't work yourself sick, all right...?" Noel said warily, smiling politely.
"Will do, Mister Levine!"
Ashe turned forward again, and started sprinting towards the confectionery the three friends often had their desserts in. Noel and Claire turned at each other, staring for a moment, before breaking down into loud, joyous laughter: and running down the town's streets after their dear friend.
"Good afternoon, miss! Long time no see, huh?!" As they arrived at the confectionery, Noel and Claire witnessed Ashe, already leaning against the shop's counter and talking to the (slightly bemused) baker. "Do you, by any chance, have any boysenberry cheesecake ready? If so, I'd love to have myself a piece!"
"Hey, Ashe, wait up!" Claire rushed to Ashe's side, tapping her fingers on the counter excitedly. "Don't go on ordering all by yourself! Hey hey, I want that mini-shortcake you guys make!"
The taciturn baker nodded wordlessly, before beginning to walk away. Her eyes locked onto Noel, who had just arrived at a leisurely pace, and turned back, sighing.
"I am so very sorry about these two, as always..." Noel muttered shyly, sighing and pointing at his friends, "They're simply a bit excited, since something good just happened. Oh, and as for me, a lemon roll cake piece is more than enough."
The baker looked at Noel, then at Claire, and finally at Ashe. Her pursed lips slowly broke out into a weak smile, and she hurried away to manage their orders.
Noel sighed; both Claire and Ashe giggled, albeit quieter than before due to Noel's stern glare. That particular chain of events was very frequent between them, and all three were relieved to be able to experience it once more before Ashe was pulled back into his assignments. Even though it had been only four months since Claire and Noel had enrolled into the University and met each other and Ashe, a post-graduation student, these small, pointless, and yet fun outings had become part of their routines: a tinge of sweetness to balance out the sourness of a stressful college life. While Noel and Claire understood Ashe's situation, they couldn't help but miss these hangout sessions in his absence.
They'd better savor the sweetness of that day.
--
The sun had already started to set when Ashe left the confectionery, along with Noel and Claire. They ended up chatting about their lives before entering college, and endlessly complaining about their assignments and classes. Claire had even apologized for "wasting their day like that", but Ashe did not mind it in the slightest. As much as he loved talking, he also enjoyed hearing other people's experiences as well, and trying to learn something from said experiences. For him, this day could not have been better. He wouldn't admit it anytime soon: but he had dearly missed having time with Claire and Noel as well.
"So, so!" He beamed, mockingly marching through the darkening streets behind Claire. "Is it time for the elusive mystery present of yours yet, Miss Claire?"
"Almost there, almost there!" Claire cheered in a singsong voice. "Don't rush it, I bet you'll love it when you get it!"
"You know that does nothing for my excitement, do you not?!" The young man exclaimed, in a jokingly insulted tone.
"Ahh, you two..." Noel sighed, then turned his head to the side and quietly snorted a half-laugh. "Come on now, we're almost at the place. Look!"
Noel raised his arm, and pointed at something in the distance. Ashe's golden eyes looked forward, then upwards: a small, poorly lit sign stood over a dark alley.
Adler Floriculture.
Ashe tilted his head as he walked towards the place Noel indicated, braid slowly slipping off from his shoulder. It looked like a poor, shady place at best; a complete wreck of a back alley at worst. Was that even a suitable place to cultivate flowers in...?
"Is... Is this really the place, Miss Claire?" Ashe asked cautiously, not wanting to disappoint her with his words. "A floriculture in a back alley like this... I can't say I've ever seen something like this."
Claire turned back at Ashe, stuck out her tongue and gave him a thumbs up.
For the first time, this did not reassure Ashe about anything.
"Don't worry, Ashe." Noel smiled, gently putting a hand on Ashe's shoulder. "I've been in there with her. Apparently, this is a place that's been gaining a lot of popularity since it opened a year ago, so Claire insisted for us to come visit it three weeks ago. While I can't say I like the owner, I can at least say he is very skilled."
Ashe stood in front of the alley's entrance, where a single oaken door could be seen. Sighing deeply, he took a step forward.
"...All right, then, I'm trusting you two! I hope this famed 'mystery present' is worth this adventure!" He proclaimed, stepping towards the door and opening it, triggering a jingling sound.
Taking a look around as he entered the floriculture, Ashe could already safely assume he was wrong about the state of the building. It was most definitely small, but nowhere as dirty and fragile-looking as it appeared from the outside; the walls a pure white, and turquoise ornate tiles lining the floor. Various assortments of flowers, both by species and in premade arrangements, covered shelf after wooden shelf, fitting perfectly around each other like a natural puzzle. The small counter at the front of the shop was currently unmanned, and a small bell sat atop it, along a business card holder and a small shelf containing various bags of seeds that, judging by the species names handwritten in blue marker, were manually harvested.
"My oh my..." Ashe slowly covered his mouth with one hand as he left the door open for Noel and Claire to enter. "What a well-kept place...! I would never have assumed that from the outside...! Impressive!"
"Didn't I tell you?!" Claire beamed proudly. "Wil's shop is amazing! He's super talented, just you watch! I can't wait for you to meet him!"
Ashe tilted his head a bit, frowning a little as Claire ran to the counter and mashed the bell's button. "Wil"...? Not even first name basis, but a nickname...? Such intimate terms, even for Claire. How much had he missed in three weeks...?
Maybe, just maybe, as a hypothesis, a theoretical hypothesis, Claire had... Found herself a...
Thankfully, before Ashe could finish his train of thought, a gruff voice responded from behind the door, quite obviously dismayed by the disastrous bell noises Claire was producing.
"You're gonna break the damn bell." "Wil"'s tone was harsh and conclusive, almost sounding like an order. Ashe's frown deepened: not only was he not in love with this guy's tone, he could swear this voice was not unfamiliar to him. "We've been through this already, Claire."
"Yeah, I know, but I'm here to grab the arrangement I asked you for three days ago," Claire shouted, practically bouncing from excitement, "And I've got a friend I want you to meet tonight!"
"...Eh?" The confusion in the man's voice was almost palpable. "Why the hell would you want to bring a friend here? It's cramped enough as is. Send'em away and let me finish pollinating already."
Ashe slowly walked towards the counter himself, making sure to glance up at Noel as he did so. Noel's dark blue eyes were narrowed, and, while his expression was as gentle as always, Ashe could clearly feel disdain in the blonde's stance and behavior. Truly enough, Noel did not seem to enjoy this person's presence even half as much as Claire did, and that was enough to put Ashe on edge as well.
"Come on, Wil!" Claire whined, ringing the bell a few more times and making both Noel and Ashe wince at the noise. "Stop being so grumpy and come out with my bouquet already!"
After a second of tense silence, the door behind the counter flew open, and Ashe's eyes widened with realization.
A man emerged into the room, cradling an admittedly beauitful large arrangement of white and yellow flowers. Short stature, slightly slouched shoulders, short, dark blue hair with a ginger streak in the middle, half bound by a brass clasp with a strange design. Dark. sunken silver eyes and thick, perpetually frowning eyebrows...
Ashe definitely knew who this man was: he just had never bothered to learn his name.
"Fine, then. Here I am." The owner of Adler Floriculture sighed, rolling his eyes at Claire. "Now where's your goddamn friend, so I can send them-- oh."
The man stopped on his tracks, eyes widening in surprise, not unlike Ashe's, before cocking an eyebrow at the turquoise-haired man.
"...Aren't you from post-grad?" He asked, looking at Ashe as if he had grown an extra head. "History, I think...? I see you run around campus almost every day. Huh, never thought you'd be into flowers."
Ashe laughed weakly, not really knowing how to respond. He has seen this man so many times in the post-grad building: usually quietly smoking in a corner, cutting class. He has also seen him drinking canned beers he had most likely smuggled into campus inside the pockets of his tattered hoodie. Ashe had never learned the man's name, never really finding an insterest in it; all he had ever thought was that he was probably a hooligan that took nothing seriously, and that it was a wonder he had even gotten a first graduation to begin with.
To meet him in such a peaceful and beautiful place - no, to find out that Claire had been endearing herself to a man this strange... Everything was suddenly a little bit too surreal for Ashe to process.
"I... could say the same to you, ahaha..." Ashe stuttered, his voice hesitant. "N-never thought you'd work in this sort of area."
"Yeah, well, shit happens." The man stared at Ashe with narrowed eyes before shrugging; the flowers in his arms bouncing lightly. "So, this for you? Come grab it, then."
"Oh...!" Ashe stepped forward, arms reaching out to receive the bouquet. "Thank you...!"
To his surprise, however, the man turned the flowers away from him in a sudden movement.
"Nope," He said sharply. "Not like that. You'll kill at least half of the flowers. One arm up, one down."
Ashe's nervous smile widened, and he felt his eye twitch a little. Was this guy for real...? Was CLAIRE for real, thinking they would get along?
"Here," Ashe muttered shakily, repositioning his arms. "Good enough?"
"Whatever," The man replied flatly, handing Ashe the flower arrangement with an awkward amount of care. "Here you go."
Ashe took the opportunity of having the lower half of his face covered by the large bouquet to grit his teeth in anger. He had thought that, since Claire seemed to like this man, maybe he was wrong about his character. Especially with such a delicate and beautiful craft such as floriculture. But as it turns out, he thought, I was right. This guy's a complete douchebag!
"So, Wil!" Claire exclaimed, making both men turn to her, "This is Ashe Bradley! You said you know him from campus, right? Did you know his name?"
"Nah, never stopped to talk to him." "Wil" shrugged, and turned back to Ashe, brown eyes narrowing. "Wilardo Adler, by the way. Post-grad in Botany. Don't call me 'Wil', like Claire does. She only does that because she apparently doesn't give half a shit about what I tell her not to do."
Claire laughed despite the harshness of her friend's words, beaming happily, and the man named Wilardo looked back at her once more with a light sigh, both his eyes and stance softening at the sight of her. Ashe's jaw clenched even harder, to the point of hurting: his blood boiled with anger.
Was Claire seriously interested in this man, of all people? Apparently, he was a popular florist these days, but him getting this close to Claire was absolutely unacceptable. What did he plan with her? What was he going to do to her once she got close enough...?
He could completely understand Noel's attitude towards this man now.
"Careful with the bouquet there." Wilardo called out, as flatly as physically possible. "If you keep shaking like that, you'll crush it all the same."
At that moment, Ashe's golden eyes met Wilardo's silver ones, and what Ashe saw in them was... A hint of malice.
His rage had been noticed.
He was being mocked.
Motherfucker.
"If that's all, then see ya." Ashe could swear he saw a smirk in Wilardo's lips before the other turned away and reentered the stock room. "'Please come again', Claire, Noel. Ashe."
Somehow, Ashe felt that day maybe hadn't been as great as he had first thought.