[fic] "Flowers" || Prince of Tennis || Sana/Yuki
This is a fic I wrote for Yukimura's birthday. Hints of Sanada/Yukimura if you squint.
“Yukimura-kun?”
Seiichi turns slightly to cast a glance at his manager, not pausing in his movements of tying up the bouquet of roses in his hands. “Yes?”
“You can take your lunch break now.”
Seiichi nods and finishes with the flowers before setting them aside. Half a dozen roses... somebody’s lucky. He takes off his apron and hangs it up, pulling his jacket on in place of it. The bell above the door chimes as he slips outside into the crisp spring air.
Seven years ago, he imagined that, at this point in his life, he'd be standing on a tennis court. People would be yelling his name. He'd be famous. He'd be an idol. People would look up to him. People would love him. But instead, he's working at a flower shop. He doesn't even play
tennis anymore, because it's too painful to remember what he could've been. What he's supposed to be. Things just didn't happen the way they were supposed to, and everything got twisted around.
Although, he thinks, working at the flower shop isn't too bad. The people are nice, the atmosphere is relaxing, and Seiichi's always liked gardening. Come to think of it, it's what he would've chosen as his back-up plan, anyway. So it isn't completely terrible.
He pauses and waits for the light to change before wrapping his jacket tighter around his slim body and walking across the street. Seiichi's lucky, he supposes, because his favorite cafe is only a block away from his work. It's only those kinds of little things that ever really make him smile anymore.. He slips into the cafe and approaches the counter. The cashier greets Seiichi with familiarity, warmth, and a soft smile before he starts in on his usual round of flirting.
He's cute, Seiichi thinks, like he does every time this happens. But the boy simply isn't his type. He flirts back anyway, though, because it's harmless, and sometimes, he'll get his lunch for free. And when he mentions that he's turning twenty-one today, he does get his lunch for free, and the cashier even gives him his number. Seiichi takes his meal and the number (although he's sure he'll forget about it by the time he gets back to work) and sits down.
He isn't lying when he says he's turning twenty-one. It's his birthday, March fifth. The years have flown by. It feels like just yesterday that he graduated -- just yesterday that he was eighteen; just yesterday that he last saw his friends. His tennis team. Niou, Yagyuu, Akaya, Jackal, Marui, Renji, Sanada....
He misses Sanada the most. His best friend. They lost touch after high school, because Sanada did go pro. He's been busy, Seiichi knows, and he hears more about him in magazines and the newspapers than he does from the man himself. In a way, he's envious. He’s envious that Sanada gets to live out his dream.
At the same time, though, he's proud of him. He’s proud of how much Sanada's evolved and of what he's become. He’s proud that he, himself, is part of the reason that Sanada is where he is today.
He sighs and stirs his drink, turning the number the cashier had given him around on the table. Sanada's probably too wrapped up in his career to think about him anyway. He glances at his watch and returns to eating his lunch. Ten minutes later, he's crossing the street again, and not three minutes after that, he's back inside the flower shop, exchanging his jacket for his apron.
He gets back to work on a new order. And as he fills it, picking out the right amounts of each flower, he doesn't even have to glance at the chart on the wall behind him to know what they each mean. A handful of hibiscus, which mean 'rare beauty.’ A bunch of bellflowers, which mean 'thinking of you,’ and several white clovers sprinkled throughout it, which mean 'I promise,’ along with pear blossoms around the edges, and those mean 'lasting friendship.’ He can't help but smile as he finishes it up, tying it at the end and wrapping it in plastic. Whoever's getting this is lucky. Somebody obviously cares for them.
"Sasabe-san?" Seiichi says softly, looking up at his boss. "Is this going to be picked up?"
Sasabe shakes his head. "Nope."
"So I need to go deliver it?" It's a pretty big bouquet, too. It'll be a lot of work to carry without it falling apart, Seiichi thinks, and he isn’t quite sure if he’ll be able to do it by himself.
Again, though, Sasabe shakes his head. "No."
Seiichi's confused, and his expression shows it. When Sasabe looks up and notices, he chuckles. "Did you not see who it's for, Yukimura-kun?"
Seiichi looks down at the already-made card in front of him. To....
He blinks and picks it up to look at it closer. The handwriting's familiar, and it reminds him of when he was younger. He presses his lips together, then breaks into a grin and shakes his head. He smells the flowers. They seem to smell even better knowing who they're from.
To: Yukimura Seiichi
Have an amazing twenty-first birthday, Seiichi.
From: Sanada Genichirou