just_1_word prompt twenty two [flowers]
[follows this and watchmakersboy used with permission & love]
”Sorry, I had to check and make sure you weren’t hurting her. Claire. This is Gabriel? The one you talk about on the phone when you think I’m not listening? Go on, take five minutes, I’ll finish these up, but no more, school’s almost out, and I want you in here when the rush comes.”
It was the first time in a long while when she had the sudden urge to just die. She wanted to turn around on her co-worker and kill him in that moment for even saying something like that. First, he was listening in on her phone calls? And two, he pretty much declared right then and there that she talked about Gabriel on the phone with a friend or two. She looked at Gabriel, waiting for some kind of reaction from him but there was nothing. Lucky for her, he was a bit oblivious and lucky for her co-worker, she had flowers in her hands.
When he walked away after hugging her, she opened her mouth to call after him but no words came out of her mouth as she stood there. Her entire front tingled from the feel of his body pressed against hers and her mouth was a little dry from the effects; probably a good reason as to why she wasn't able to call out to him as he walked away.
As she walked back into the store, her co-worker was right there waiting for her with a little smirk, "So, do you have a date with Gabriel?" He cooed the name and got a dirty look in response.
"No, he just came to bring me some flowers." She smiled softly at the flowers in her hands, bringing them to her nose once more as she gave them a little sniff, letting the floral scent surround and fill her senses. They were the prettiest flowers that she had gotten in a long time. Usually the ones that she got were smaller bouquets but still pretty and every once in awhile she got flowers that someone had probably stole from someone's garden.
"Figures." He snorted a bit as he smirked a little bit.
Claire gave him a quizzical look as she moved around behind the counter, looking for something to put her flowers in till her shift was done. "What do you mean?" She moved to grab an empty Big Gulp plastic cup.
"Guys like that; they will never make the first move." He chuckled. "If you want to go out with him like I think you do, you need to be the one who does the asking out."
Claire looked at him for a minute, contemplating it before giving a little scoffing noise, "I don't think he wants to date me."
"Trust me; I don't think he's opposed to the idea."
She didn't know what to say to that, she didn't dare think that he was actually right but she had to admit that the idea gave her a little flutter as she carried the cup and flowers into the back bathroom so that she could put some water in the cup. The idea of having to make the first move lingered on her mind all through work, causing her to be a little distracted even as she served the different people that came into the shop. There were plenty of times when she talked herself into asking Gabriel out and then a minute later she would talk herself out of it once more.
She was still doing it even as she stood outside his apartment the next day, nibbling on her bottom lip as she waited for sign of the tall, lanky man. She knew Molly would be in school still but she figured Gabriel would be home soon, probably to get supper started before he would go to pick up his daughter. Would it seem weird that she was waiting for him outside of his home? Before she really could answer the question, she caught sight of Gabriel as he approached the building, not seeing her yet as he seemed focused on watching the street. But when he did catch sight of her, she could actually see the one or two shades of red that crawled over his cheeks as he stopped for a minute before walking towards her once more.
"Hi." She murmured as he walked closer to her and she brushed her hair back from her face, tucking a curl behind the delicate shell of an ear.
"H-hi Claire." He stumbled over his words a bit as he stopped, scratching the back of his neck. "Is everything okay?"
"What? No, yes! I mean yes, it's fine. Everything is fine." She wanted to mentally facepalm herself as she didn't know what it was about him but he made her stumble over her words just as bad as he did. So she drew in a slow breath before letting it out, "I just wanted to come back and thank you for the flowers, they're gorgeous." She tugged open her side bag then, reaching in to pull out a plastic covered comic. "I brought you this."
Gabriel took the comic from her, blinking in surprise as he found himself looking at the new issue of Batman, the very comic that he had thought about buying when he had stopped in the day before. "I, how did you know I liked Batman?"
"I saw an issue or two around your place." Claire smiled a little bit before falling quiet, an awkward little silence filling the air between them.
He was blushing a bit as he looked at her, seeming torn about something as he held the comic to his chest a little. "I...thank you." He took a half step closer and then stopped himself, clearing his throat as his cheeks colored more. "I should go, I need to get supper started."
Claire found herself blinking after him as he suddenly hurried into the building, using his long legs as he hurried to the stairs. "Gabriel." She called after him but instead of stopping, he seemed to go quicker. So she sighed, rushing after him then, clutching her bag to her side as she hurried up the stairs after him. "Gabriel, I need to talk to you."
She caught him outside his apartment door as he pulled out his keys, fumbling a little as he tried to find the right one but just as he did, he suddenly dropped them to the floor in a loud jangle. Claire moved forward then, stopping in front of him as he bent down to pick his keys up. She didn't know what it was but there was something about him that was entirely adorable. His cheeks were bright red, he was mumbling something about needing to cook and he just looked so sheepish about doing something dorky like dropping his keys.
He didn't even get the chance to fully straighten before he froze, his eyes wide as her mouth pressed to his. She didn't know what possessed her to kiss him but there she was, her mouth pressing to his as she forgot to breathe for a minute or two. Another soft press of her lips, a light teasing brush that allowed her a small taste, before she pulled back a little, meeting his shocked gaze as she looked a tiny bit embarrassed. "I...okay, bye." She nodded, turning then as her fingers slid away from his face, leaving her entire hand and arm tingling as she hurried away.
Then she remembered the reason that she had for stopping by in the first place, so she stopped on the top of the stairs and whirled to look at him. "Do you want to go out with me? Like, as in a date?" She blurted it out before she could talk herself out of asking him.
He just looked so stunned as he stood there, still stooped just a little bit and his cheeks on fire but there was a tiny smile on his lips. A tiny, goofy little smile as he nodded very slowly, "Sure."
"Good." Claire beamed at him then before she turned, dashing down the stairs and disappearing out of view.
To Gabriel's right, a door opened fully as an older man stepped out with an amused smirk on his weathered face, "You know, back in my day, when we agreed to a date we usually made plans."
Claire was about two blocks away when she remembered the same thing.
”Sorry, I had to check and make sure you weren’t hurting her. Claire. This is Gabriel? The one you talk about on the phone when you think I’m not listening? Go on, take five minutes, I’ll finish these up, but no more, school’s almost out, and I want you in here when the rush comes.”
It was the first time in a long while when she had the sudden urge to just die. She wanted to turn around on her co-worker and kill him in that moment for even saying something like that. First, he was listening in on her phone calls? And two, he pretty much declared right then and there that she talked about Gabriel on the phone with a friend or two. She looked at Gabriel, waiting for some kind of reaction from him but there was nothing. Lucky for her, he was a bit oblivious and lucky for her co-worker, she had flowers in her hands.
When he walked away after hugging her, she opened her mouth to call after him but no words came out of her mouth as she stood there. Her entire front tingled from the feel of his body pressed against hers and her mouth was a little dry from the effects; probably a good reason as to why she wasn't able to call out to him as he walked away.
As she walked back into the store, her co-worker was right there waiting for her with a little smirk, "So, do you have a date with Gabriel?" He cooed the name and got a dirty look in response.
"No, he just came to bring me some flowers." She smiled softly at the flowers in her hands, bringing them to her nose once more as she gave them a little sniff, letting the floral scent surround and fill her senses. They were the prettiest flowers that she had gotten in a long time. Usually the ones that she got were smaller bouquets but still pretty and every once in awhile she got flowers that someone had probably stole from someone's garden.
"Figures." He snorted a bit as he smirked a little bit.
Claire gave him a quizzical look as she moved around behind the counter, looking for something to put her flowers in till her shift was done. "What do you mean?" She moved to grab an empty Big Gulp plastic cup.
"Guys like that; they will never make the first move." He chuckled. "If you want to go out with him like I think you do, you need to be the one who does the asking out."
Claire looked at him for a minute, contemplating it before giving a little scoffing noise, "I don't think he wants to date me."
"Trust me; I don't think he's opposed to the idea."
She didn't know what to say to that, she didn't dare think that he was actually right but she had to admit that the idea gave her a little flutter as she carried the cup and flowers into the back bathroom so that she could put some water in the cup. The idea of having to make the first move lingered on her mind all through work, causing her to be a little distracted even as she served the different people that came into the shop. There were plenty of times when she talked herself into asking Gabriel out and then a minute later she would talk herself out of it once more.
She was still doing it even as she stood outside his apartment the next day, nibbling on her bottom lip as she waited for sign of the tall, lanky man. She knew Molly would be in school still but she figured Gabriel would be home soon, probably to get supper started before he would go to pick up his daughter. Would it seem weird that she was waiting for him outside of his home? Before she really could answer the question, she caught sight of Gabriel as he approached the building, not seeing her yet as he seemed focused on watching the street. But when he did catch sight of her, she could actually see the one or two shades of red that crawled over his cheeks as he stopped for a minute before walking towards her once more.
"Hi." She murmured as he walked closer to her and she brushed her hair back from her face, tucking a curl behind the delicate shell of an ear.
"H-hi Claire." He stumbled over his words a bit as he stopped, scratching the back of his neck. "Is everything okay?"
"What? No, yes! I mean yes, it's fine. Everything is fine." She wanted to mentally facepalm herself as she didn't know what it was about him but he made her stumble over her words just as bad as he did. So she drew in a slow breath before letting it out, "I just wanted to come back and thank you for the flowers, they're gorgeous." She tugged open her side bag then, reaching in to pull out a plastic covered comic. "I brought you this."
Gabriel took the comic from her, blinking in surprise as he found himself looking at the new issue of Batman, the very comic that he had thought about buying when he had stopped in the day before. "I, how did you know I liked Batman?"
"I saw an issue or two around your place." Claire smiled a little bit before falling quiet, an awkward little silence filling the air between them.
He was blushing a bit as he looked at her, seeming torn about something as he held the comic to his chest a little. "I...thank you." He took a half step closer and then stopped himself, clearing his throat as his cheeks colored more. "I should go, I need to get supper started."
Claire found herself blinking after him as he suddenly hurried into the building, using his long legs as he hurried to the stairs. "Gabriel." She called after him but instead of stopping, he seemed to go quicker. So she sighed, rushing after him then, clutching her bag to her side as she hurried up the stairs after him. "Gabriel, I need to talk to you."
She caught him outside his apartment door as he pulled out his keys, fumbling a little as he tried to find the right one but just as he did, he suddenly dropped them to the floor in a loud jangle. Claire moved forward then, stopping in front of him as he bent down to pick his keys up. She didn't know what it was but there was something about him that was entirely adorable. His cheeks were bright red, he was mumbling something about needing to cook and he just looked so sheepish about doing something dorky like dropping his keys.
He didn't even get the chance to fully straighten before he froze, his eyes wide as her mouth pressed to his. She didn't know what possessed her to kiss him but there she was, her mouth pressing to his as she forgot to breathe for a minute or two. Another soft press of her lips, a light teasing brush that allowed her a small taste, before she pulled back a little, meeting his shocked gaze as she looked a tiny bit embarrassed. "I...okay, bye." She nodded, turning then as her fingers slid away from his face, leaving her entire hand and arm tingling as she hurried away.
Then she remembered the reason that she had for stopping by in the first place, so she stopped on the top of the stairs and whirled to look at him. "Do you want to go out with me? Like, as in a date?" She blurted it out before she could talk herself out of asking him.
He just looked so stunned as he stood there, still stooped just a little bit and his cheeks on fire but there was a tiny smile on his lips. A tiny, goofy little smile as he nodded very slowly, "Sure."
"Good." Claire beamed at him then before she turned, dashing down the stairs and disappearing out of view.
To Gabriel's right, a door opened fully as an older man stepped out with an amused smirk on his weathered face, "You know, back in my day, when we agreed to a date we usually made plans."
Claire was about two blocks away when she remembered the same thing.