Chapter Text
Roses are red
Violets are blue
I really like you
I hope you like me too
"Hey, Kanaya could you in here for a second," Porrim called from the front of the shop. Kanaya closed the fashion magazine she had been looking through as she went to answer her sister.
"Yes," Kanaya said as she walked in to the front of the parlor. The small, dimly lit room, also know as "Porrim's Palace", was her sister's tattoo shop. Kanaya had laughed at the name at first, thinking she was kidding, but she was, in fact, not kidding. She did, however, stop laughing when her sister offer her the duty of working the front desk to help pay off her college.
Porrim looked up at her now , an irritated look on her face, the piercings on her face glistening in in the faint lighting. She was standing before the wall the held all the available stencils of her work. "Look at this," she said pointing at one section of the wall, "Can you believe this," It took Kanaya a second to realize what part of the wall she was referring to until she counted one, two, three, of course.
"We only offer three different kinds of roses. This is absolutely preposterous," She continued, shaking her head. She looked over at Kanaya smiling, "Well, I was wondering if you would be so kind as to go over to the new flower shop next door and pick me up some inspiration."
True, a flower shop had opened next to the parlor just a week ago. Kanaya had yet to met the owner, and had only seen a cat roaming around the store at times.
"Why can't you go yourself. I don't know what your looking for," Kanaya said just wanting to go back to her magazine.
"Exactly! Surprise me! Besides, you have a better eye about those things. I'm sure the ones you pick will be just right," Porrim walked over to the desk, taking thirty dollars from her bag. "That should cover it. Go meet the owner for us too. I've been meaning too.
Kanaya rolled her eyes at her sister. Porrim had always been better at the whole people than her, so she tried to give her small opportunities to get more comfortable with others. "Fine," She mumbled, grabbed the money from her and walking out the shop.
"Play nice!" She heard Porrim calling as the door closed behind her. Kanaya laughed softly at her sister being her motherly self.
The warmth of the sun felt welcoming and refreshing compared to the weak lighting of the parlor. Kanaya took a breath, filling her lungs with the clear air with the faint aroma of fresh cut flowers. She glanced over at the neighboring building, so much different to the one she had just walked out of. The light and dark contrast was very intriguing to look at. The brightness of the sun reflecting off the white walls of the flower shop next to the dark colors of the parlor. Kanaya had always been fascinated by small, beautiful details. She had to shake her head a rid herself of all the the thoughts color and get back to the task at hand.
The flower shop was small yet amicable, unlike the aura Porrim's Palace gave off. A vast variety of flowers were displayed in bunches along the walls and on stands. Kanaya stood shocked, in awe of the diversity of colors, such delightful colors. She gazed at the rows of flowers until her eyes found the most beautiful of all.
A girl about Kanaya's age sat behind the counter, leisurely reading a book. To most she would no doubt looked like nothing special, but to Kanaya, she was the most lovely human on the planet. Her blonde, short hair curled around her face held back by a headband. Her small frame made her seem fragile, but Kanaya doubt this girl was delicate at all. The girl slowly looked up from her book staring at Kanaya.
"Can I help you," she asked, her dark blue eyes, almost purple, striking Kanaya with an intensity unlike any other. She felt blood rush to her cheeks and cursed herself for being unable to do anything.
Her mind finally cleared and she quickly said," I would like to purchase some roses." Purchase? Who says purchase? Dear God, get it together Kanaya Maryam.
The girl looked up and put her book down. Kanaya glanced quickly at the title, "Complacency of the Learned". She had never heard of the novel and wondered what it was about. "Right this way, "the girl stood and lead her to the left side of the shop where roses ranging from red to white were carefully arranged in bouquets.
There was one bunch the stood out from the rest. It's flowers vibrantly red, every single one precisely cut. She bent to take the flowers and examined them closer. They were perfect, but not as perfect as the girl standing next to her.
"I'm Kanaya by the way. My sister runs the tattoo shop next door. She's Porrim," Kanaya remembered she had also been asked to introduce herself.
The girl laughed. "Thus the name, I'm guessing. I'm Rose. I own this place as a sort of part time job cause, you know, a girl's gotta pay for college."
Kanaya suddenly very awkward. Holding the roses in front of the girl, Rose, who she would have loved to have given them to. She laughed light-heartedly, "Well, isn't that ironic." She said looking down at the roses in her hands, then back at the girl by her side.Rose smiled and the room definitely increased several degrees.
"Not to intrude, but might I ask whom they're for," Rose inquired. Kanaya watched as she took her place back at the counter. The slight sway of her hips as she walked, the way she tucked a flyaway piece of hair behind her ear. All her small movements made Kanaya's heart flutter.
Caught up in her actions, she only just heard Rose's question and sputtered rapidly, "They're for my sister. She wanted another rose stencil and she needed some inspiration."
"I totally understand that. I want to be a writer and there are just days when my brain is empty, but then I see a wind chime and I write a whole chapter." Rose explained. Kanaya grinned making Rose shrug and try to hide her smile.
Kanaya handed the bouquet to Rose to pay. Rose sighed and smiled at the flowers. "These are beautiful, aren't they" she said. Kanaya longed to say ,"But not as beautiful as you," Kanaya cursed herself for thinking something like that when she barely knew this girl. But it was true.
The transaction was a simple, "That will be $25.50," and the giving and receiving of said amount. When Rose handed the flowers back to Kanaya, their hands brushed. Only for a second, but long enough to feel the chill of the other girl's hand.
"It was lovely meeting you Kanaya. Please feel welcome to stop by anytime," Rose said. "Hey, by the way, what college do you go to. I go to LOLAR," she added.
"Really? Me too!" Kanaya said with slightly to much excitement. "I mean," she coughed,"Maybe would you want to get coffee after class sometime."
"Yeah, that'd be cool. You seem nice. I'd love to get to know you better," Rose said. Kanaya felt as if she were floating. The really pretty, funny, and smart girl (she'd have to be to get in to LOLAR) wanted to get to know her. She probably just wanted to be friends though, which was fine with Kanaya. There was still a lingering hope though...
"Anyway, I guess I'll see you tomorrow. Is 6 at Sburb good?" Rose asked.
"Of course. We can talk more then," Kanaya said wondering what this mysterious girl was all about.
"Great! See you then," Rose smiled that dazzling smile as Kanaya walked out, roses in hand.
"Bye!" Kanaya replied, trying not to grin like an idiot. She finally let her feelings take over as she walked back in to the parlor where Porrim was readying her art supplies.
"What are you smiling about," she said as she saw Kanaya.
"Oh, you know, just the really cute girl the works next door and happens to go to my college!" she said, giggling as if she were five experiencing her first crush.
When she handed Porrim the roses, she said, "And guess what, her name is Rose."
Porrim smiled,"Oh my God Kanaya, that is too cute." Kanaya continue to tell her about Rose and about their "date" the next day and about how this just too great.
"Thanks for getting the flowers, Sis. Guess I don't really need to thank you. You should be thanking me." Kanaya rolled her eyes again handing Porrim the roses and headed up to her room.
All over were countless sketches of dresses and designs. Kanaya sat down at her desk and decided she would try to draw something new. She picked up her pencil and began to draw as she envisioned those those dazzling purple eyes.