I... I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU GUYS. THIS IS JUST, I CAN'T EVEN...! S-Seriously, I really don't know what to say. I didn't expect something like... THAT on my account. I nearly killed him when I found out that he used it without my permission but he claimed relationship immunity and I couldn't do anything to hurt him. First I would to apologize for any trouble Rei might've caused you *glared darkly at said person*. Please forgive him because he's an idiot who doesn't know any better than to bother people.

... But I also felt... really flattered. THANK YOU. Thank you so much for all of the kind words you said. Really, it meant a lot to me to read all of that. I really couldn't be thankful for all of you girls who took the time and patience to read through my work, and my gratitude couldn't be expressed in words. And... I'm also... glad that you approve of him. I will admit that at first I felt so insecure and hesitant about our relationship. It was my first relationship with a guy, and it just felt so new and unfamiliar that I didn't know what to do and screwed up a lot. But Rei was just so... patient and understanding. He taught me to love and be loved in a way that's both different and similar at the same time. I don't know if that made sense, but that's how I felt.

And I realized that I've reached 50 stories. WOAH. I never expected that too. I know that thanking all of you again and again could be tiresome, but I really couldn't find anything to say but that. AS a token of my sincere and heartfelt gratitude, I offer TWO oneshots, once for those who have reviewed for my 50th story, Lightwaves, and another one to the girl who has taken the time to message Rei and I on his story, Together. The first two to message me will get the oneshot, and those who know my methods would know what to write about.

Back to this story, again, it's somewhat OOC and such. Warning and Disclaimers are the same as they'll ever be.

True to his word Sanada came back to the flower stall after a few days had passed. Finishing his work as quickly as possible he ran out of the pier as if the devil was on his ass, quickly blending with the crowd, briskly walking to the familiar intersection where he knew the pretty flower girl was working. Well, he might have been the only one thinking that, but Sanada refused to think pessimistically for the first time in his life, not when he finally had something to look forward to.

Niou wasn't there when he set off, something he was thankful about. As per the orders of Yagyuu he couldn't do anything to the platinum-blond once he caught him; he merely settled for dragging him off and pitching him bodily from the pier, but nothing could really keep his mouth shut, and Sanada wouldn't be surprised if every worker by the dock already knew his infatuation with Yukimura Seiichi. He also saw Yanagi on his way out, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding at the knowing smirk the lord gave him. The man was definitely on to him, and he would rather drink seawater by the gallon than tell him the small, intricate details. Yanagi was a good friend, one the Sanada trusted with everything he had, but he would rather not give the brunet ammunition for the relentless teasing he knew would come, thank you very much.

Besides, he had a nagging feeling that Yanagi already knew. Nothing escaped that bastard.

The intersection was already visible by the distance, and he slowed his walk, wanting to look like that he was just passing through instead of racing against time and the apocalypse itself. It wouldn't do to look too eager now. He mussed up his hair, smoothened down his shirt, somewhat feeling like a girl on a first date, but keeping his face calm and composed as he strutted through the avenue like he owned it.

He was at the intersection when the other male had finally spotted him. "Oh, you're back." Yukimura saw him and smiled, holding a pot of flowers, and Sanada was immediately taken in by the sight of his hair tied up and an apron around his waist. Suddenly Sanada had a vision of a simple, two-floor house, surrounded by a white picket fence. It would have a garden at the front, with lots of children playing in it, cute, pigtailed girls with blue hair and eyes, strapping young boys with black hair and brown eyes. They'd have a lot of kids, of course. And the front door would open and his beautiful flower girl would come out, wearing a pink, frilly apron, kissing and welcoming him home as Sanada came back from work.

Hmm. That looked good, Sanada agreed very much with his impromptu fantasy. Very good.

"I was just passing by." If there was a siren for calling out bullshit, it would've crowed loudly. Nevertheless, Yukimura looked happy to see him, and if those blue eyes running up and down his body were of any indication, he would think that his flower girl was checking him out. It was a good thing then that he wore one of his tighter shirts that day, even though it was a bitch to move around in. It highlighted his muscled, toned body, and he was aware that he wasn't hard on the eyes, far from it actually. So when it came to impressing someone he liked, Sanada definitely pulled out the big guns. He stopped and stared at the flowers with faux interest, despite knowing horseshit about them. There were a bunched up together, and there were lot of colors, though Sanada couldn't see neither head nor tail of them.

"So did your friend like the flowers?" Yukimura placed the pot near his stall and turned back to him, smiling kindly. "I picked the best ones since you mentioned that it was for his fiancée."

"Yeah. He liked them a lot. Thanks for that." Like he would know. Sanada had heard the perfunctory words of gratitude from Yanagi, but other than that he hadn't bothered to listen more. Suddenly he wished that he id Sadid, so there was something more he could tell the flower girl, now that they lapsed into a somewhat awkward silence.

"… So… Yukimura…" Fuck. He didn't know what to say. And god forbid, but Sanada was now kind of regretting that he didn't ask Yanagi or Niou for some pointers. God knew the both of them were too charming and manipulative for their own good. And instead of chasing after underage boys and seducing sheltered young lords, like some people he knew, it would be better if they put their excessive, panty dropping charm to good use.

Like helping him, for one.

"Hm? Oh, just Seiichi would be fine." The flower girl waved off the more formal name. "Can I call you Genichirou too?" He asked, lips tilting up, taking off the apron and bending down to look at his plants. "If you don't mind, that is."

Mind? Why on earth would Sanada mind? "No, that's fine with me." His name sounded nice on Seiichi's lips. It felt… right. But it would sound even better if it was breathless and a little bit husky, moaned out in pleasure as he thrust– no, Sanada quickly shook his head at his abruptly sewer-worthy mind, blushing a little. While it was a nice little thought he shouldn't be too ahead of himself. He didn't even know if the flower girl even swung that way, disregarding his initial conversation with Niou.

"I see a lot of people always walking around here enough to know their faces, but it's the first time I've seen you around." It was Seiichi who started conversation, arranging the flowers once more before turning back to him. "Where do you work, exactly?"

"Hmm. I work on the dock by the pier, usually loading and unloading cargo for the Yanagi's." Only the aristocratic and royal families had the money to buy and fund trade ships, and the Yanagis had it down to an art. It was their main source of wealth, the reason why Yanagi to the nth senior was knighted in the first place. And the dock had different ships and galleons coming and going every day, and while Sanada worked originally and primarily for the Yanagi's, he also dabbled with the other lords' cargo if they were short on hands.

"Oh, is that so?" The flower girl's tone was impressed, "It sounds like a very hard job. The Yanagi's?" He made a little thoughtful sound. "I know a few that also work there."

… They did? Then why in the seven hells did he not hear of the flower girl until now? Sanada grumbled at the thought. Well, it was likely that he was familiar with Niou since the other teen mentioned his name while he only discovered the flower girl only a few months ago, when he was sent on an errand and had to go into town for it. Sanada wasn't ashamed to admit that he had literally stopped and blatantly stared when he had gotten to the intersection, seeing Seiichi for the first time. He was handing over a small cluster of flowers into a little girl's hands, smiling and softly patting her head, talking to her with such gentleness. It was an image deeply burned into his brain with such startling clarity, and it was decided that Sanada would fall for him, right then and there.

He didn't offer a comment, afraid that if he rattled off names Seiichi would recognize a name and tell him that he was interested in that guy. He was not keen on sharing Seiichi with anyone. "Well, I've worked there since I was twelve, so I'm pretty much used to it. It's not that hard, really." Sanada concentrated instead on the praise given to him.

"Carrying heavy things every day? I don't think I could handle it." Seiichi gave a small smile back, the admiration clear in his blue eyes, and it made his heart lurch sideways in his chest. Fuck, the flower girl was beautiful, and what the hell was he doing here, trying to make conversation? Sanada thought with a sudden shot of anxiety. "And you started so young too."

Sanada cleared his throat to dispel some of the tension he was feeling. He had to play cool, since he was not almost certain that he had the flower girl's interest, if that look in his eyes was anything to go by. His cheeks were starting to feel warm, and it was only through sheer will that he managed not to blush. "I had to. You don't really get a lot of choices when you run away from home."

"You ran away?" Seiichi paused in his work to look at him, now visibly concerned. "What happened?"

Sanada shrugged. It was an old story, one that he didn't mind telling to people who wanted to listen. Especially if it's a pretty, blue-haired, flower seller who was asking. "I'm the younger child in the family. And they didn't have any use for me since my older brother had everything. So I ran away." Well, that was the short version of it. Sanada wondered what Seiichi would say if he knew about the constant beatings, the mental abuse, the slaughtering of his self-esteem. The one chance he had to turn back from that kind of life, he took it and never looked back. And damn well didn't regret doing it. "I could tell you the whole story, but it would take a while."

Seiichi studied him, absentmindedly stroking the petals of the flower he was holding. "I see…" He said in a tone that told Sanada that he wanted to know more, but wouldn't pry. "So then," his lips tilted up again, considerably lightening up the mood. "Tell me something about your work. It must be interesting to see what kind of things the ships bring back here."

"I never had the chance to know, since they were all stored in boxes." But he could guess what could possibly be inside it, and mostly his guesses turned out to be correct. Yanagi made it sort of a game whenever he got the chance to go down to the pier during the night, making someone take a long shot if they guessed wrong. Which reminded Sanada that he should take Yukimura to one of their after work get-togethers after they've known each other for a while. "But it's pretty much usual stuff: food and necessities and stuff. But sometimes they have some valuable things shipped in, like gold and silver." It was one of the more delicate cargos, and only a select few were allowed to unload it, himself always included. It had something to do with the fact that he was actually trustworthy and was known by everyone. It was a bitch to unload though, being heavier than most things being brought in.

"Hmm, I wish I could've seen it. I've never been to the pier before." The flower girl's tone had a wistful edge in it, making Sanada jerk his head up and look at him. Was this it? The chance he was waiting for?

"You haven't? Why not? The pier's just a five minute walk from here." But he still couldn't suppress the surprise in his voice. Being a seaside town there was little one could do to avoid the ocean, and this was the first time Sanada had heard of someone who hadn't seen the dock before.

"I couldn't afford to lose a day of work." Seiichi shook his head, now sounding a bit melancholic. "I'm the only one who works in our family. My father is dead, and my mother is sick and needs to take care of my younger sister." He laughed a little, looking pensive, the thoughtful look making Sanada keep his gaze at him, unable to look away. "It's a little embarrassing to admit, but I've never seen the sea before." He blushed lightly, and Sanada was slightly dazed at the sight. "We live inland, and I haven't gotten the chance to explore the whole town yet." He nodded to the opposite road, where Sanada knew led further into the town capital and into the other places in the country. Truth be told, he too hadn't been able to look at the town completely ever since he had started to work as a cargo boy, too engrossed with working to keep himself alive.

"Then let me help you."

The words were out of his mouth before he could process it. Sanada hadn't realized that his mouth was now completely dry, his heart threatening to jump to his throat as the idea continued to spin wildly in his mind. It couldn't hurt, right? And apparently Seiichi hadn't expecting it either, because now the flower girl was looking at him with those large, blue headlights, so stunned that he wasn't able to move. Sanada would've appreciated it more if he wasn't so concentrated on what he was saying.

"I'll come by and help you sell flowers." What the hell was he thinking? He didn't know jack about selling anything but the words just keep rushing out. Sanada knew that was running his mouth off, and found that since he had gotten this deep, he figured that he should just go on with it. "We'll make twice the amount you make in a day, so you could have some time to enjoy the town afterwards." He probably sounded like an idiot right now.

"But…" Seiichi hesitated, after the initial shock had run off. "Your work…"

"They'll live without me for a day." Or two. Maybe even three. He hadn't taken a day off ever since he started five years ago, and he figured that asking for a short vacation wouldn't be too much. Hell, he deserved a half a year off for all the work he'd done, and he was only going to ask for a few days. Yanagi wouldn't be that much of a bastard to not allow him. "Don't worry, I'll arrange it with my boss."

"Genichirou…" Now Seiichi was staring at him as if he was a new species of sea life, mouth hanging open and his flowers all but remembered as he gaped openly, still in suspended disbelief. Seeing the expression, Sanada wondered if he had been too pushy about the matter.

But as he thought about it more, the more Sanada realized that he wanted to do this. It might be outside his comfort zone, but he couldn't just let his flower girl's simple wish pass by if he could do something about it. He wanted to see Seiichi smile and be happy, to give to him things and experiences that he had probably never had before. Seiichi deserved everything the world had to offer, and Sanada wanted to be the man who could show him that and more.

He had deserved it the moment Sanada saw him smile.

In a sudden rush of adrenaline Sanada moved and reached for the other teen's hand, holding it lightly in the chance that Seiichi didn't want the contact. But, thankfully, the flower girl didn't move away, continuing to stare openly. "Please." His voice was quiet now, trying to convince Seiichi that he was very serious. "I really want to do this." Calm, determined topaz bore into wide, doe-eyed sapphire, completely unmindful of where they were, gazing at each other as if they were the only people in the world.

His words seemed to startle Seiichi back to reality, as he blinked and looked up at him with a mixture of awe and wonder, as if he was looking out into the world for the first time. Suddenly his skin flushed, cheeks stained with bright pink, Sanada found that he rather liked that look on his flower girl. He kept silent, waiting for the other teen to make his decision.

"… Yes." Seiichi finally answered in a rush of breath, still looking somewhat out of it as he squeezed Sanada's hand lightly. "I'd like that."

Sanada nodded, exhaling a breath he didn't know he was holding, though inside he was smirking and jumping around in victory. He was the man. "I'll get to it as soon as I could."

"I…" Seiichi was still speechless. "I don't know what–" He settled on saying, cerulean eyes a still a little incredulous, making no effort to remove his hand. "I… really don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything." Sanada shook his head, feeling crazy and gleeful and on a high all at the same time, though it didn't show on his face. "I'm happy to do this for you." He said with sincere honesty, and in one endorphin filled moment, closed the distance between them and pressed his lips to a reddened cheek, at the same time nicking one of the stems in the bins and slipping in a single white flower into Seiichi's hair.

"That was payback for last time." He whispered as he drew away, too emboldened to feel anything but complete giddiness. The contact only lasted for a few second but it felt like an eternity, and Sanada could now relish the way the smooth skin felt under his capped lips, the way it became warmer under his touch.

His decision was damn well worth it.

Sanada pulled away and gave a small, crooked smile, resisting the urge to run around in circles and yelling at the top of his lungs when he saw that Seiichi was immobile, only touching his cheek with his fingers. He looked adorably flustered, his face now the shade of red his flowers were. Now he was sure that the flower girl was interested in him.

"I'll see you tomorrow." He gave a small nod and wandered away, well aware that he had left his flower girl completely flushed and staring after him. He walked, back straighter, more confident now, with a slight bounce in his step as he allowed a smirk to finally appear on his face.

He had a date to look forward to.

Fuck yeah.

... Our monthsary has just passed and maybe I'll tell you all about it once I've got the time to write about it. But there's one thing I could tell you.

Rei came to our house on the day wearing a black cap and telling me that I'm tarundoru because I haven't dressed up yet for our outing together.

I really couldn't find the words to say anything after that.

Mitsukai20