The rain came softly at first.
A gentle patter against glass windows, just enough to make the world outside blur. It turned the streets silver, coated the city in that dreamy, half-asleep kind of quiet. Inside the flower shop, Aria hummed to herself while snipping stems and rearranging daisies, the radio playing a soft ballad in the background.
The bell above the door jingled — once, then again in a frantic clatter.
Aria looked up, scissors in hand. "Oh—"
Kaelira burst through the door, hoodie up, mask slightly crooked, completely soaked despite the umbrella she held like it was a sword that had already lost the battle.
"Don't say it," Kaelira huffed, closing the umbrella and shaking out her sleeves. "Not a word."
Aria pressed her lips together to hide her smile. "Wasn't gonna say anything."
Kaelira looked at her suspiciously, water dripping from the edge of her hood. "You're totally saying things with your eyes."
"You look like a soggy dumpling," Aria said, deadpan.
Kaelira made a face. "Wow. Romantic."
"Very. Let me get you a towel."
She padded off into the back room, returning with the same fluffy pink towel Kaelira had used weeks ago. Kaelira lit up the moment she saw it.
"You kept it?"
Aria shrugged, pretending it was no big deal. "It smelled like your shampoo. Thought that was kinda nice."
Kaelira blinked. Her ears turned red.
Aria tossed it to her and returned to her workbench, heart doing tiny acrobatics in her chest.
⤹ ❀
Fifteen Minutes Later
Kaelira had dried off, swapped her soaked hoodie for a backup sweater Aria kept in the back (a fluffy cream one with tiny embroidered tulips), and was now leaning over the counter with her chin in her hands.
"Okay," she said. "Teach me."
"Teach you what?"
Kaelira pointed at the half-finished bouquet in Aria's hands. "How to make one. A good one. Like your signature Aria-style. You know — soft and messy but somehow perfect."
Aria raised an eyebrow. "Soft and messy?"
"In a good way!" Kaelira insisted, straightening up. "Like… 'accidentally beautiful.'"
Aria laughed. "Okay. Come here."
She waved her over, pulling an extra stool to the other side of the workstation. Kaelira plopped down eagerly, eyes wide like a student on their first day of class.
Aria handed her a bunch of blooms: pink ranunculus, white lilacs, blush roses.
"These are your base flowers," she explained. "Start with one in the center. Then spiral the rest around it — like this."
Their hands brushed as she guided Karina's fingers. The contact lingered just a moment too long.
Kaelira didn't pull away.
Instead, she whispered, "I like this."
"Building bouquets?"
"No," Kaelira said, looking at her. "This. Being here. With you."
Aria's breath caught. The rain outside picked up, soft thunder rumbling in the distance.
She looked down, hiding a smile. "You're just saying that because it smells nice in here."
"And because you smell nice," Kaelira added casually.
Aria froze.
Kaelira seemed to realize what she'd said at the same time.
"I mean—not in a creepy way," she rushed, eyes going wide. "Just in a like—fresh flowers and maybe vanilla kind of way and—"
Aria laughed, cheeks warm. "Relax. I'll take it as a compliment."
Kaelira exhaled, dramatically clutching her chest. "You're dangerous, you know that?"
Aria blinked. "Me?!"
"You keep looking at me like that and saying soft things and laughing at my bad jokes. It's cruel."
Aria grinned, then looked at her bouquet-in-progress. "Your spiral is lopsided, by the way."
Kaelira gasped. "Betrayal."
⤹ ❀
One Hour Later
They had created two bouquets — one gorgeous and Aria-made, the other slightly chaotic and Kaelira-assembled (but full of charm).
They named them.
"Rainy Day Dream," Kaelira said, pointing to Aria's bouquet.
"Tulip Tragedy," Aria said, pointing to Kaelira's.
"Hey!"
They were sitting cross-legged on the floor now, in front of the shop's glass display window, sipping warm drinks from the little espresso machine Aria kept behind the counter. Outside, the rain kept falling.
Aria leaned her head back against the glass. "You know… I used to be afraid of days like this."
"Rainy ones?"
"Quiet ones. Where nothing happened. I used to feel like I had to do something. Be somewhere. Fill the time."
Kaelira glanced over. "And now?"
Aria smiled softly. "Now I like them. Especially when you show up dripping wet and ask to make tragic flower arrangements."
Kaelira set her cup down. "You make me feel like I can breathe."
The words were barely above a whisper.
Aria turned to her, heart thudding louder.
Kaelira's gaze didn't move.
There was a pause — thick and delicate and so very close.
And then Kaelira leaned in, just a little, just enough that Aria could see every line of her lashes, every shade of gold in her eyes.
It felt like the world stopped.
Like the flowers held their breath.
Like if either of them moved, everything would change.
Aria's voice came out soft. "Are you gonna kiss me?"
Kaelira smiled faintly. "I don't know. Should I?"
Aria opened her mouth to answer — when the front door slammed open.
They both jumped.
Yuki burst in, umbrella in hand, drenched and panting. "GUYS. I LOST MY WALLET. DID I—oh."
She froze. Blinked at them. Blinked again.
Aria and Kaelira were still nose-to-nose on the floor.
"Did I interrupt a romantic indie film moment?" Yuki asked casually.
Kaelira let out a loud groan and faceplanted into Winter's shoulder.
Aria, laughing, waved weakly. "Hi."
"I'll… just check the counter and pretend I didn't see anything," Yuki said, already backing out the door.
⤹ ❀
They didn't kiss.
Not yet.
But as Kaelira helped Aria close up the shop later that evening — as they walked home under one umbrella, shoulders brushing — there was something different in the air.
Something warm. Something inevitable.
Like a flower just about to bloom.