(shut up ik the title is ass couldnt think of anything else)

onlyoneof kyubin (kb) x taeyeob (yoojung)

confession bouquet

taeyeob had the idea to gift a bouquet to his crush, and kyubin is more than happy to help his friend

⭒☆━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━☆⭒

   The sunlight cast a golden veil over the vibrant colors of the shop, enhancing the violets and fuchsias and giving the greens and pale blues a sparkle to them. The flowers that were high up swayed from the air conditioning and the flowers near the ground caressed customers' legs as they ambled by, eliciting soft smiles and lingering gazes from the passersby. A woman gently lifted up a white gardenia and smiled at her husband as the man peered at the price chalked on the bucket. He nodded and took her hand, walking over to the counter.

   "How many colors do those gardenias come in, sir?" Kyubin turned and raised his eyebrows. The rose in his hand teetered against the knife pressed on it as he was caught off guard. 'I thought only Taeyeob was left in here.'

   "Um, I'm not quite sure. Let me see what I have in the back, but we can order any color you'd like, it'd take some time though."

   "In that case, I'll leave you my number." The man pulled out a card from his pocket and slid it across the counter. "Give me a call when you have all the colors. No need to rush either." Kyubin nodded and swiped it up, watching as the couple exited the shop, the little bells jingling as the door closed.

   Kyubin sighed and flung both the rose and the card onto the countertop, untying his apron and throwing to the ground theatrically. He hooked his hands around his neck and let his arms dangle on his chest, closing his eyes as a way to acquire peace amongst his job. Being a florist was one of the easier jobs out there, but there were always those times when a herd of new customers would flood the shop, making things hectic and stressful the following weeks. It just so happened that today was one of the busiest days Kyubin's had all spring, and what made the day even more overwhelming was that almost every customer was looking for wedding bouquets or centerpieces for their receptions.

   A boy coasted around a shelf set in the middle of the store, stool wiggling under him as he collided with the counter. He let out a 'oof', which caused Kyubin to snap his eyes open, and spread his arms across the marble-top.

   "You should really stop doing that," The older of the two remarked, picking up the boy's arm and inspecting it. "Are you hurt at all?"

   "I'm fine Mom," The younger teased, ripping his arm away and scooting towards the entrance. "I've gotten resilient from all the falls here." He reached up and flipped a metal sign over, announcing to the world that the shop was closed.

   "That isn't a good thing, Taeyeob. Also, why are you still here?" The boy spun around and looked at Kyubin with innocent eyes.

   "Can I not spend time with you? We both enjoy it, so why cut it off so quickly?" Taeyeob smiled, a warm smile that caused Kyubin's heart to leap within his chest. The younger looked away and began fiddling with the foliage bordering the door while the latter shook his head fondly and bent down, snatching a rag and spray bottle.

   Kyubin and Taeyeob's friendship wasn't never meant to be; their personalities clashed, - Taeyeob was more of a free-spirited, boisterous toddler while Kyubin was more reserved and liked his quiet - they got into countless arguments over the slightest and most useless things, and they never seemed to have time to hang out outside of Kyubin's job. But somehow, on a day that was pouring rain, Taeyeob stumbled into Kyubin's shop soaking wet - and since the older was so charmingly selfless, he offered his jacket to the younger. Taeyeob insisted he was fine, but the jacket was slung over him before he could protest much further.

   The next morning, Kyubin wasn't expecting to see Taeyeob waiting for him by the shop's door, a small pink box cupped in his hands.

   "Are those for me? A little thank you gift?" Kyubin asked, unlocking the door and swinging it open.

   Taeyeob nodded, pink coloring cheeks out of embarrassment.

   Kyubin chuckled and pulled the younger into the shop, the latter stomping in and staring wide-eyed at the older.

   "What?" The door closed. "I'm not going to let you get rained on again. Besides, those sweets you're holding smell good, and I doubt you've had breakfast either."

   Taeyeob was stunned into silence while watching Kyubin set his things on the countertop, slipped his apron over his caramel-colored hair, and began sorting through the buckets of flowers nestled behind the register.

   "C'mon, I won't bite." He flicked his head up and beckoned Taeyeob over. "We'll have them together." Kyubin smiled, and the younger swore he felt his ears burn.

   That day sparked a new bond between them, elevating their status from 'acquaintances' to 'close friends that act like brothers'. Taeyeob regularly came to visit Kyubin's shop after that, frequently bringing pastries or candy along with him for the both to snack on. Taeyeob worked at the sweet shop about a block away from the flower shop, and since his hours fluctuate day to day, Taeyeob could arrive with a sing-song shout at 10 a.m., or with a warm box of donuts at 7 p.m.. It made Kyubin smile regardless of how stressed or how rudely a customer treated him that day, for the older couldn't get enough of the younger. He was like sour candy: lip-pursing and biting at first, but with each chew or lick, he became increasingly sweet and addicting.

   Taeyeob made Kyubin's day brighter and his heart thud faster, and Kyubin made Taeyeob feel loved and cared for, while also making his cheeks turn the colors of roses. They stayed like this for three years, the constant Taeyeob barging into the shop at random hours of the day and Kyubin throwing a smile amidst his work.

   The following day, however, Taeyeob came in with his fingers knotted together, head low to the ground and lip being picked at by his teeth; it was an odd sight for Kyubin, as the younger was hardly ever in a mood that wasn't bubbly happiness.

   "You're early." He remarked, turning around from atop a rickety ladder. "No sweets today?"

   "No." Taeyeob murmured softly. "I haven't clocked in yet."

   Kyubin fixed the last of the paper roses along the garland draped over a shelf before hopping down with a huff. "Come to tell me something important then, because you never show up this early unless it's urgent." He reached for the ladder but paused. He threw a miserable look at his friend. "Please don't tell me that your cousin is getting married. I've got enough weddings to deal with."

   Taeyeob looked at the older and shook his head vigorously, spilling out a bunch of 'no's and chuckles. "I'm actually here to buy something."

   Kyubin, who had taken the ladder and shoved it into the back room, slammed the door considerably loud. Taeyeob flinched slightly prior to the man whipping his head up. "For who? You've expressed your disinterest in flowers several times."

   Taeyeob ran his tongue over his lip and snaked his hand up to rub his neck. Kyubin watched with curious eyes as the other's cheeks flushed. "Well...it's for someone...someone I've had my eye on for a while." He couldn't look the older in the eyes, for if he did, his ears would have surely turned bright red.

   Kyubin's hand slid off the door handle and clapped itself around Taeyeob's shoulder, the latter nearly jumping through the ceiling out of surprise. "Look at my boy, getting crushes and finally confessing." Taeyeob, whose eyes were still downcast towards the floor, weakly grinned and nodded.

   "You're acting like my mom, Kyu." The boy across from Taeyeob smiled with adoration, for he loves when the younger uses his made-up nicknames.

   He shook the latter. "C'mon...Tell me who!"

   Taeyeob finally looked at Kyubin and, through a sputtering and red-faced fit, scurried away from the older and waved his hands sporadically. "I-I can't! It's a secret."

   Kyubin arched his brow incredulously. The younger played with his hands some more before groaning like a child. "Fine, I'll tell you a little bit. He works on this street and I've known him for quite a while. He loves flowers so I thought gifting him a bouquet would be nice."

   "So, it's a he?" Kyubin teased.

   "Yes!" Taeyeob said, now crossing his arms. "He gets off work at 8 so I'll meet him as he closes up shop and hand him the flowers." Kyubin stared at him expectantly, and the boy sighed. "And I was planning on confessing."

   He clapped his hands and cheered. "You, my friend, have come to the right place." He stood before Taeyeob with a determined look and cheery smile plastered on. "So, to start off, what are his favorite flowers and colors? Those go long ways."

   Taeyeob, whose blush has spread to color his neck, took his lip between his teeth. "Um...Well his favorite colors are purple and black."

   "A man of taste, I see," Kyubin started gliding around the store, plucking any flower or leaf that was the slightest shade of purple. "But black flowers are hard to come by, and the only ones I can afford are roses."

   "That's good because he really likes roses." Unbeknownst to Kyubin, who was busily nodding absentmindedly and flipping through a catalog, Taeyeob glanced around the shop, stopping to stare at the pink rose garland that lined the ceiling of the shop. The younger couldn't help but smile.

   "When do you need this bouquet again Tae?" When Kyubin didn't get an answer after a few more page flicks, he looked over his shoulder and found the other fiddling with his fingers. He sighed. "I won't get mad."

   "...Friday."

   "Taeyeob, that's two days away, couldn't you have given me a few days' heads notice?!" Kyubin fired back.

   "I'm sorry, I just thought of the idea." Taeyeob said. His wide doe eyes reflected the morning sun while other slivers of sunlight poured over his face like honey, and it made Kyubin's heart leap, for he couldn't stay mad at an angel.

   He sighed and waved his hand dismissively, stalking around a shelf and seizing a bundle of baby's breath and integrating it with the other flowers in his hand. Kyubin held it up to the light and twirled the clump of fake black roses, lavender larkspur, baby's breath and gold-dipped leaves. He eyed it, made a face that elicited a snort from the younger, and tossed the prototype into a plastic vase.

   "It needs something else." The older commented, flicking his sights to the clock hung on the adjacent wall. "It's almost 9, Tae. You better get going. Don't want that manager of your's -"

   "Stop talking." Taeyeob fired, to which Kyubin cackled and slapped his hand on his thigh. "Well, see you whenever I'm off." He waved goodbye and exited the shop.

   "Bye Taeyeob."

   The work day went by as per usual: Kyubin zipping around his little shop fulfilling the orders of previous clients and even having enough room to squeeze in some walk-ins. When he refilled the last of the vases with water, he glanced at the clock and his eyes widened. It's almost closing time, Taeyeob hasn't swung by to visit yet, and he still has not found that one flower that'll make the bouquet perfect. Kyubin shook it off and swiped up the broom, beginning to sweep the floors.

   As the last of the wilted flower petals were dumped into a trash bin, Kyubin heard the familiar ringing of the shop's bell and quickly discarded the broom, nearly hopping over the counter to see Taeyeob standing at the entrance with a bright smile plastered on, the setting sun behind him making his glow more. Kyubin swore his cheeks were pink.

   "I brought some cookies." He said, holding a pink box up. Kyubin made an excited noise before snatching the box, flipping open the top and inhaling its sweet aroma. Taeyeob giggled and snuck his hand into the box, pulling out a peanut butter cookie as Kyubin snagged a simple chocolate chip cookie. He bit into the sweet and leant against a shelf, savoring the flavor until Taeyeob spoke.

   "Ave u fnd wat you missng?"

   Kyubin snorted. "What?"

   Taeyeob gulped and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "I said 'Have you found what you're missing?' Like, if it needs another flower or something."

   "Nope." The older sighed and crossed his arms, scanning the vases of flowers for anything that caught his eye.

   "Well...To me, he looks really good in the sun."

   Kyubin arched a brow and looked at Taeyeob, who was holding another half-eaten cookie in his hand. "Elaborate."

   "Um...Whenever we do go out, which is rare, he always looks really pretty under the sun. It brings out his eyes, makes them shine. It also makes his skin glow." Taeyeob's ears were starting to turn red.

   "Hey, don't be embarrassed, it's cute that you notice something like that." Then it hit him. "Daylilies!"

   Taeyeob was confused when Kyubin rushed past him and dove his hand into a vase, retracting a handful of golden orange flowers. The older sped back to where he left his sample bouquet and seized it, holding it in a tight grip as he shifted and threw out flowers, shimmed others into densely packed patches, and ruffled the finished product until he was satisfied with the outcome.

   He held it up into the sunlight and grinned. "How could I've been so stupid? Those lilies were right there."

   "Could we also add some blue. I really like when he wears blue."

   Kyubin looked down. He was wearing blue, but it was too big of a coincidence. Thousands of people wear blue all the time, so why is it now that he thinks Tae is going to give the bouquet to him. "I don't know if blue would look good with everything else."

   "But I want to add a lot of things that remind me of him." Taeyeob gave the older his signature doe eyes, wide and round and sparkling like diamonds. Kyubin couldn't say no to them.

   "I'll see what I can do." He dropped the bouquet into its vase and brushed by the younger, ruffling his hair along the way. "You should get going. I don't want to deal with grouchy Tae tomorrow."

   The boy laughed. "Stop that. You know how much I hate people messing with my hair."

   "What are you going to do about it?"

   Taeyeob was silent, and it sent Kyubin into a cackling fit; with pink cheeks and burning ears, Taeyeob huffed and closed the box of cookies, setting them down on a stool, and stalked out of his shop. The older heard the bell ring, and he rolled his eyes, turning back to gaze at the front door before finding that he left the cookies. That made Kyubin smile more.

   Thursday came and went within the blink of an eye; Taeyeob stopped by to quickly drop off their newest spring inspired macarons, leaving hardly any time for the older to say hello as he dropped the plastic container on the counter, rushed out other colors he would like to have added to his confession bouquet - Kyubin's own nickname -, and sped out the door. The older was left stunned, but mostly perplexed as to why the younger wanted the entire rainbow of colors displayed in his bouquet. He refused to question it anymore, partly because there were pending customers and partly because what Taeyeob wanted, Kyubin was surely going to provide.

   So when Friday afternoon came about, and just as the clock struck 3 p.m., an obviously flustered and nervous Taeyeob burst into the shop. Kyubin, who was making the final touches on the present, turned to greet the younger, but was quickly surprised. Taeyeob, with a rose colored face, slapped a wad of twenties onto the other's chest, lunged for and swiped the bouquet from its vase, and practically sprinted out the door. Kyubin, in a dazed manner, scooped up the money - which was more than he was going to initially charge - and stared at the shop's front door swinging back and forth, the bell dinging and dinging as it swished by.

   Why is Tae acting so weird?, was the one question that kept repeating itself in his mind. It should have been obvious to the older: he was going to confess, and as Kyubin learned that the younger was incredibly shy, it should have been easy to understand why he was so fidgety and anxious. But it still puzzled him as to why he couldn't stay for at least a two minute pep-talk. A small chat and giggle of encouragement would have surely made Taeyeob calm down right?

   It didn't matter anymore, for Kyubin was closing up shop and could only mentally cheer on his best friend for the upcoming confession. He hooked his arm under the handles of his tote bag and popped the last of the macarons into his mouth - for he saved half the box from yesterday -, tossing the plastic into the trash and pushing the shop's door open with his back. As he crunched on the sweet, he locked up his flower shop, turned off the overhanging light, and spun to walk home. What he didn't expect to find was Taeyeob waiting for him.

   "Oh hey Tae! Why are you......here?"

   How could he have been so stupid? How didn't he realize from the very start that Taeyeob's blushes and subtle biting of his lips weren't directed at someone else, rather himself. Taeyeob wasn't embarrassed, no, he was nervous, anxious, apprehensive to the idea that telling his crush his entire plan would backfire and Kyubin would connect the dots.

   And there Taeyeob was: head hung between his outstretched arms, red beyond belief, and hands so tightly clamping the bouquet he worked so hard on to make perfect. It was all for him, he thought, all of the things Taeyeob said about the colors and their meanings, it was all towards him. Taeyeob liked when Kyubin wore blue, his favorite colors were purple and black, and to the younger, Kyubin looked breathtaking under the sun.

   "I know this out of the blue, but I really wanted to tell you. It's been such a long three years, and those three years were some of the best in my life. You made them bright and happy, and didn't know why until we started hanging out more." He lifted his head and peeked over the flowers. "That one time you went to that wedding with Jisung and I was grouchy the day after was because I wanted to be Jisung. That time when we had a movie night and I insisted I stay the night wasn't because I was scared, it was because I didn't want to leave you."

   He gulped and lowered the bouquet.

"This is so all over the place, but what I am trying to say is that I want to be with you all the time. I want to be the person you take out to nice restaurants and to the movies with. I want to be the person you snuggle up to when you're tired, or the person that can make you laugh uncontrollably. Kyubin, I want -"

   But Taeyeob never got to finish that sentence, as it was lost between Kyubin's lips. It caught the younger off guard, resulting in him almost dropping the bouquet, but as fast as the kiss came, it left just as quick. It was soft, delicate, warm, almost like when Taeyeob would glide his fingers over the rose petals that littered the shop floor. It made him tense up and he felt a buzzing in his chest, and when Kyubin pulled back and smiled at his flustered state, Taeyeob swore his knees shook.

   "You really feel that way?" Kyubin asked.

   Taeyeob nodded bashfully.

   He chuckled and brought the bouquet into view, his hand circling around the younger's wrist. "As much as this bouquet is the sweetest thing someone has ever done for me, I'd really appreciate it if it had some sense of style rather than looking like a children's coloring book."

   Taeyeob scoffed. "But, I think it looks fine."

   "You, my dear, have a very odd taste." Kyubin paused and watched as the other's cheeks bloomed a bright fuchsia. "Do you have any more of those macaroons back at the store?"

   Again, Taeyeob nodded.

   "C'mon then. Wouldn't want those to go to waste." 

⭒☆━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━☆⭒

when i tell you this shit took an entire week to write 😭😭

also didnt plan on them kissing 😳 so youre welcome

also, i hope jisung is doing okay as well as the boys. the news really came outta nowhere and all i hope is for jisung to be happy and healthy and for success to find him in his other career. lets remember jisung/love as the leader of onlyoneof, the amazing singer and immensely talented producer, and just the loving and caring person he was rather than the member that left the group. jisung, lyons love you unconditionally <333

till next time <3