ive said it before i'll say it again I AM SO HURT THAT THE FLOWERS GAO CAME IN WITH WERE NOT, I REPEAT, WERE NOT FOR TASUKU RYUENJI!

"Help you with what?" Gao says. He can hear the surprise in his voice crystal clear.

Tenbu merely grins cheekily, the countless bouquets of flowers almost toppling out of his arms. "Oh, it won't take long. There's not many of them to give!"

Drum sweatdrops. "Somehow I hardly believe that." One of the bouquets fall off the top and right into his tiny arms. He stares at it like its a rotten apple.

Gao scratches the back of his head, not entirely sure what to make of the entire situation. He is dealing with Grandpa Tenbu after all, and everyone knows how the dragon is like when it comes to the ladies. He supposes it won't hurt to go around helping the dragon…

"Alright," he gives in. "So who's first?"

Tenbu beams, his chatter becoming excited as he begins on a list of names. He drops the mountain of bouquets into Gao's hands, who misses some by an inch or two. Drum dives to catch them all, shouting at Tenbu as he does so.

Gao's starting to get dizzy from hearing all of the names that he knows and don't know, that he almost misses the call of his own name coming from a familiar voice down the lobby of the Buddy Police HQ.

"Gao?"

The boy turns his head around slowly, careful not to let any more flowers fall as Drum argues with Tenbu, and his golden eyes catch the red ones belonging to Tasuku Ryuenji.

Gao grins.

"Hey, Tasuku! You're still here!"

Tasuku smiles sheepishly back, Jack standing by his feet in his mini-form. "I was summoned by the commander. I think it's about my sudden leave for Dragon World." His eyes seem nervous for a second but it vanishes as he regards the flowers with amusement. "Why are you carrying that many bouquets?"

Gao sighs. "Grandpa Tenbu wants to give one to every girl he's met before."

Tasuku chuckles at that, raising a hand to hide the smile on his face. "He's quite a handful, isn't he?"

"Tell me about it…" Gao says, sounding even more resigned and Tasuku laughs a little bit harder. His heart does a little start and starts running around in his chest. Drum is still yelling at Tenbu for something, he doesn't really know, doesn't really care, he wasn't paying attention to them.

The commander had called to meet Tasuku… and Tasuku might deny it, but Gao knows he has to be at least a little nervous. So with careful calculation and calibration, he manoeuvres his left hand to cautiously pick out a red tulip from one of the arrangements and he graciously presents it to Tasuku, who widens his eyes in response. Gao's grin grows as Tasuku slowly accepts it.

"Cheer up, man. Everything will turn out fine." Gao says.

He doesn't get to say anything more, unfortunately, and neither does Tasuku, because Tenbu and Drum come charging towards him and quickly usher him through the main doors of the lobby, not even once taking note of Tasuku's or Jack's presence.

It also means that Gao didn't see it when Tasuku's cheeks burn bright pink as he brings the tulip closer to his lips, his red eyes that match the flower gleaming in the sun.