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“And are you sure about the sunflower?”
“Definitely.”
Nat looks at him, an eyebrow raised. “It doesn’t quite go with the arrangement.”
“Trust me.” Felix grins at the flowers, the sunflower the brightest among the colourful bouquet, “it’s perfect.”
He waves Nat off as she continues to protest and makes his way to Ren’s apartment, feet and nerves carrying him quickly across town. The familiar sights and smells of Wayhaven are a comfort now, it’s almost a home here.
He smiles at the thought of that: home, where Ren is.
It’s been a few months now of this growing between them. Romantic overtures may not be his thing - no, he would happily leave those to Nat - but he knows this feeling, relishes in the thrill of it. Maybe one day Ren will be ready to hear it.
He looks down at the flowers again, familiar butterflies taking residence in his stomach as he ponders the sunflower. It was the first he’d thought of when he'd overheard Ren telling Nat about their fondness for flowers when the blossoms first started to bloom. He couldn’t say why. There was just something about them.
He’s at their door, ringing the bell, and waiting before he knows it. When they open the door it’s with a confused look that they look at him until their gaze fall on the bouquet. The look softens and their eyes flick back between the flowers and Felix. “Hi?”
“I brought you flowers.”
“I can see that.” Felix thinks he sees the twitch of a smile on their face and deep brown eyes softening as they take in the bouquet still clenched in his hands.
There’s a silence between them, the kind that he would usually shatter without hesitation. The urge is still there, words sit heavy on his tongue, ready to interrupt any awkwardness, to burst the nerves bubbling up within him. But he holds back.
He knows that sometimes with Ren the best moments happen in silence; knows that it brings them comfort; brings them peace. He’s not sure what he brings them. He hopes it’s something good.
“Thank you.” Their eyes are flickering between his and he smiles at their flushed cheeks. “Please, come in.”
Felix hands them the flowers and follows them into the kitchen. He sits on the counter, swinging his legs as he watches them get a vase. His eyes follow them for a while as they unwrap the flowers before he stares down at his lap where his hands are knotted together.
“Are you okay, Felix?” He looks up, surprised to see a small furrow of worry between Ren’s eyebrows. “You’re quiet tonight.”
“I -” he bites his lip, unsure how to proceed. “I thought it might help. I know you like the quiet.” The words are tumbling out of him before he can stop, hardly more than a whisper but he’s sure they heard. He pulls his hat off his head and focuses on wringing it between his hands instead. “I don’t want to be too much.”
“I do.” He braves a look at them, confused. Their eyes are cast down and a deeper furrow has made its way onto their forehead. “I like the quiet. It’s comfortable, known.”
“But you…” They look up and their deep brown eyes are wide. Though not nervous this time, earnest. He could get lost in that look. “You could never be too much, Felix.” They stare at each other for a moment before they carry on, “and I like it when you talk.”
He doesn’t say anything, doesn’t have the chance to before Ren is clearing their throat and looking away. They rummage in the drawer for a pair of scissors and address him again.
“Tell me something? One of your missions with Unit Bravo.”
“Missions? I think you mean adventures!” He grins when Ren lets out a soft chuckle. The sound alights something. He feels lighter as he starts talking, telling stories and watching as they trim the stems of the flowers.
They lay the sunflower to one side and he falters in the middle of his sentence.
“Is the sunflower not good enough for the vase?” He’s not sure he pulls off the attempt at joking lands, his throat feels oddly dry.
Their eyes flicker towards him and one side of their mouth quirks up in a smile. He feels himself relax at the sight of it.
“On the contrary,” they turn away; focus back on arranging the flowers. There’s a blush emerging on their cheeks and Felix’s smile grows, “the sunflower deserves to be front and centre.” They finish placing the flowers, saving the sunflower for last. Finally, they slot the sunflower in at the very front. “They’re my favourite, you know.”
They’re looking at the flowers and he’s looking at them and his whole body feels like it could set alight. They’re unguarded here, with him , the armour they wear replaced with soft smiles and warm eyes. He wants to reach out to them, to bask in their glow and —
“Do you want to stay?” He can hear their heartbeat pick up pace, watches the flush crawl over their skin, and a thousand teasing retorts work their way through his mind alongside the growing smirk on his lips. But he’s rendered speechless by the look they’re giving him. “I was going to watch a movie. You’re welcome to join me.”
Felix has always known them to be beautiful. How could he not? But this, brown eyes wide, teeth digging into their bottom lip, the wash of nerves rolling off them, the vulnerability and - he hardly dares wish it - hope on their face is new. His own heart flutters.
“You want me to stay?”
“I do.”
His eyes search their face for a moment. No hesitation. No looking away, no holding back.
“Then I’m all yours.” He slides off the counter and dares a step closer, grinning now. For as long as you’ll have me.