Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Driving up to the town that his siblings and basically brother had moved to while he was getting his degree, Jimmy was well nervous. He was only driving up because they told him there was an open place for a shop to be opened in between Lizzie and Joel's shop and a piercing-tattoo shop. That was kinda the worry, a flower shop next to a music shop yeah good, one next to a piercing-tattoo shop, well there's most likely not going to be a lot of essentially trickle-through traffic, but also there was popularity of flower tattoos, and Pearl who party owned a coffee shop across from it, as well as Lizzie who again owned a music shop next to it said that it had pretty good windows and sunlight. This is mostly why he was driving up to tour the building, and then see if he wanted to put a lease on the space.

He parked his hand-me-down Teal Chevy Spark, in front of the coffee shop, co-owned by Pearl and two of her teenage long distance friends that she made at a camp she went to once one year. Looking at the time on his phone it was still a little bit before he had to meet up with the realtor, so he headed into the coffee shop.

Opening the door to the shop Jimmy was greeted by a pleasant chime from a bell most likely on the door, the smell of coffee beans, the smell of steamed milk, chocolate, there was also the smell of pastries, it was comforting, there was also a man at the counter, a man a long messy wolf cut with cyan hair with grown out ginger roots, and long dyed rainbow curtain bangs, he had a lot of piercings on his ears, he also had a few piercings on his nose and some on his lips. From where Jimmy was standing he could see the man was dressed in a white-cream button up with pleats with a brown cable knit cardigan that seemed like it was coffee inspired, he also seemed to have a brown apron on.

The man clearly noticed him "Hello, welcome to The 3 G's Coffee Shop, what can I get for you."

"Oh do you mean me?" Jimmy asked pointing at himself.

"No I'm talking to the wall, or anyone else in this shop."

Jimmy looked around the coffee shop, seeing it be empty shockingly empty.

The man laughed a bit before going "Yes I'm talking to you."

"Oh sorry." Jimmy said walking towards the counter.

"It's fine, now what can I get for you?"

"Oh ummm a hot chocolate, and a warmed up cookie or whatever pastry you recommend."

"I can do that," the man hummed tapping the cash register "You owe 4.82 for the hot chocolate and 3.28 for the cookie, coming to 8 dollars and 10 cents."

"Oh right pay." Jimmy said before pulling out a ten from his wallet and handing it to the, who took it and said "Would you like change."

"Nah keep the change."

"Okay then, name for the order?"

"Ummm Jimmy, Jimmy Solidarity."

"Well I didn't need a last name, there Jimmy, but let me guess, Pearl's little brother "

"Yep, Grian and Lizzie's as well obviously."

"Obviously, what are you doing here?"

"Here to look at the property next to Lizzie's shop, want to open a flower shop."

"Oh a flower shop, we've been needing one in our town for a while."

"I've heard from Lizzie, I finished my masters in botany a few months ago, which I know you don't need to open a flower shop, technically you barely need a high school diploma or a GED but, well I felt the need, I've gotten a CFD, and worked at as an apprentice and assistant at a few different stores, and considering all my siblings live here, I might as well open a shop here, oh goodness, I've just rambled on about myself."

"Trust me, you aren't the first, and you definitely will not be the last."

"I don't even know your name."

"Scott, Scott Major, it's on my name plate." Scott said pointing at his name plate that very clearly read, Scott M. He/They.

"Oh sorry nice to meet you Scott."

"Nice to meet you too Jim, go head, take a seat, I'll get your hot chocolate and cookie soon." Scott said before walking to the case and grabbing a cookie to which was put to be warmed up. Jimmy headed to one of the chairs before checking his phone, a few messages from Grian, some from the family group chat, he opened up his texts with Pearl

Cursed: really love the vibe of the cafe
Cursed: it's very cozy
Cursed: and the barista didn't seem to mind how out of sorts I was

Nevermore: :0
Nevermore: :D
Nevermore: wait…Jimmy, no
Nevermore: Jimmy no

Cursed: why are we saying Jimmy no?

Nevermore: He has a boyfriend Jimmy

Cursed: that's not at all what I was saying in the slightest
Cursed: I meant I could see why you were friends with him

Nevermore: Oh thank-
Nevermore: keep talking about the cafe

Cursed: Pearl

Nevermore: >:3

Jimmy groaned why must his sister be like this.

"I've got a hot chocolate and a warmed up cookie for Jimmy."

"That's me." Jimmy said shooting up and heading towards the counter where Scott was holding out the take out cup and the bag with the cookie in it.

"Here you go sir, have a nice day."

"Thank you." Jimmy said looking at the clock on the wall, about time to meet the realtor. "If this tour goes well, might be here a lot more often."

"Let's hope it goes well then, this town needs more eye candy, and you seem to be a pretty boy."

All Jimmy could do is flush, give a hurried thanks for the complement, and rush out of the coffee shop, and run across the street, before nearly plowing into the realtor who was unlocking the door to the shop.

"You're Jimmy right."

"Yep that's me."

"Abolish Regret, which just about describes everything I do job wise, anyway, you're here to tour the building right."

"Correct."

"Okay give me a moment." Abolish said before fully unlocking the door, and opening it, before making a gesture for Jimmy to enter the building.

Abolish must have started making pitches on the building but all Jimmy could do was in vision what the building would look like, signs out front, a small cart outside as well, the greenhouses and rows of flowers, the stairs behind where the counter could go.

"Do the stairs go up to an apartment?"

"Yes actually, the stairs lead to an apartment that's about as big as the shop, now it doesn't open it directly into the apartment when you go up the stairs if that's a concern, there's walls and a door that dead bolts."

"Well that's one less thing to worry about I guess."

The rest of the tour beside the inputs that Abolish would give, all Jimmy could do was imagine what owning the shop would look like, right next to one of his sisters across the street from another, close enough to his brother, his basically brother working with Lizzie, the apartment above the shop.

"So feelings on the place?" Abolish asked after the tour.

"I like it, how much would I need to put down as an offer?"

"Well it's a shop and apartment hybrid, so it will end up being like between $1,000 and $2,500 a month."

That wasn't horrible, for the rent on both the shop and an apartment, especially with the amount of money he had saved up from his very generous boss at the flower shop he worked at as a student plus the fact that his grandparents had set up a trust to put their grand kids through collage. With opening the shop the expensive part would be the essential equipment, he could do it, but the first few months might be rough.

"How quickly could I sign the papers."

"I can get them to you by early tomorrow."

"Cool."

"Well then I'm going to lock this back up."

"Okay thank you."

"Don't thank me, this is just my job."

"Still thank you."

The real estate agent hummed before Jimmy exited the store, he walked over to Lizzie and Joel's shop Meri's Music. Walking into the store a bell chimed and Lizzie who was behind the counter locked her eyes onto Jimmy "You!"

"Me."

"Why didn't you tell me you were here."

"I did, I messaged all of you."

"Well sorry I've been at the counter most the day, that I haven't been able to check my phone."

"I sent it to the extended family one, did Joel or Martyn not say something."

"Apparently not, and I'm their boss, they should have said something."

"You should dock their pay."

"Can't legally do that."

"That sucks."

"Anyway I think I'm calling a family dinner."

"Cool can I crash on your couch tonight?"

"Why my couch?"

"I don't want to crash on Pearls, Grian's is a no, and I don't even know if Martyn has a couch."

"That's fair enough, but still, why are you crashing on my couch."

"Because I'm signing the rent papers to the building next-door, and that's early tomorrow."

"Wait, your opening next door?"

"Should be."

"We get to be neighbors!"

"We do!" Jimmy smiled before looking at the look on Lizzie's face "…Lizzie please don't drag me by my ear across the street."

"Hmmm."

"Lizzie please, please."

Lizzie pinched her fingers before jumping carefully over the counter and started chasing after Jimmy who took off running. During the chaos, Pearl as well as Grian walked into the shop, and just stared at the scene, laughing. Eventually Lizzie was able to grab Jimmy's ear, I mean it wasn't hard considering she was nearly 2 inches taller then the florist.

Lizzie holding Jimmy's ear pulled him down a bit and ruffled his hair, before letting go and turning to Pearl and Grian and asking "Family dinner?"

"Can I bring my partners?"

"It's family dinner, of course."

"Well then I'm up for family dinner." Grian said

"Pearl?"

"Sure."

"Well then our house."

Jimmy hummed before going "Should we tell Martyn?"

Lizzie seemed to pause before yelling further into the store "MARTYN, FAMILY DINNER TONIGHT, FEEL FREE TO BRING YOUR BOYTOY."

"IF I BRING HIM, HE BRINGS HIS BOYFRIEND."

"THEN BRING YOUR WIFE I DON'T CARE."

"What?"

"Don't ask, it's been a weird few years, Jim." Grian said

"Okay then."

The dinner did end up being fun, laughing with his sibling and their partners, playing games, watching Martyn trying to not flip the monopoly board as Scar and Grian teamed up against him and Ren, who he did bring along with Netty, and then Jimmy yelling when losing a Mario Kart. Eventually they ended up playing Clue and then Mafia, to which the mafia of Grian, Pearl, and Pearl's girlfriend won and then Martyn and a few others ended up playing Mao, which led to cards ending up all over Lizzie and Joel's game room.

Eventually Jimmy was pulled aside by Grian and Joel, out to the hallway.

"So, you buying the shop next to Lizzie's?" Grian started

"Yeah planing on it."

"Mmmm good good."

"Good?"

"Look, I love the music store, and Grian loves the bar."

"Well I could live without having to watch people flirting with my boyfriend in front of me."

"Anyway, well the first few months and running it on your own may be a lot, so how'd you like it if we were to work with you."

"I feel like it's a bad idea."

"But." Joel said staring at Jimmy

"I will admit, I am going to probably need help, even if I think I can do it on my own."

"So…."

"You can work with me, however, if you mess up badly, I am sending you back to your other jobs, wait have you even told them that you're quitting?"

"Nope, but they understand why."

Lizzie ended up understanding why Joel was quitting and was wildly supportive of, Scar and Mumbo apparently ended up having to call the further up boss Cub, who eventually picked up, really they shouldn't have called him while he was still on shift by himself considering all his bartenders were at the dinner.

Crashing on Lizzie and Joel's couch was, well as pleasant as doing something like that it could be, Meri was at his feet, and he was lent slightly to short pjs. The wake up at essentially 7:30 to 9 to 5 blasting throughout the house, was something that Jimmy forgot about. Lizzie since the triplets were in high school, after many failed wake ups and having to drag them out of bed, because she was the one to drive them had got their parents to let her blast 9 to 5 in Jimmy and Grian's shared room and Pearls as well. It was still a way he knew how to wake up, he just forgot about that it was Lizzie's common method.

Even with 9 to 5 blasting throughout the house, Jimmy still tried to hide under the blanket that Lizzie had generously thrown at his head the night before. Well that was till, Lizzie pulled the blanket off of him.

"Get your ass up, you have papers to sign."

"Let me sleep."

"Get your ass up Jimmy, or I tell Joel he only has to make breakfast for two people."

"Lizzie."

"Jimmy."

"Fine…." Jimmy said before getting up from the couch and stretching, he paused for a moment before "Lizzie can I borrow a pair of overalls or something."

"…What am I going to do with you little brother."

The overalls that Jimmy ended up borrowing from Lizzie weren't horrible, they were a light blue wash with small cherry blossoms embroidered all over them, there were pumpkin vines on them, and daises as well as small patches with strawberries on them, the overalls were over his cream short sleeve button up from yesterday, and his platform docs.

Walking up to the door of the soon to be flower shop, he sat on the bench, waiting for Abolish to walk up. Eventually the bench creaked with the weight of someone sitting next to him. Looking over he saw a man? with wild messy maybe chin length curly hair dyed a yellow at the roots then orange then red which finally faded to a black, it reminded Jimmy of flames, they had on red circular sunglasses, black fishnet sleeves, a black cropped band shirt, a burgundy leather pleated skirt, black fishnet tights, he had a pair of red crew socks poking up over the top of the worn and scuffed platform boots they were wearing. The person had tattoos all over their arms some on their legs as well as piercings, and it looked like gauges one larger, the second smaller one over it. They were decently tan, seemed to have dimples, nails were painted black, slightly chipped, and had a lollipop? in their lips which were a burgundy tint.

"Are you just staring at me or trying to psychoanalyze me, because one of my best friends tried that the first time we met and I don't think it worked."

"Oh sorry, didn't mean to stare."

"It's okay, I know I don't look traditional."

"That doesn't mean I have a reason to stare."

"But what if I want people to stare."

"Then you are giving the right effect."

"Thank you." the man? said taking the lollipop out of his mouth, before smiling widely showing a tooth gap.

"I'm not lying."

"Well that would be rude."

"It would, I'm Jimmy he/him, can I bother you for your name?"

"I mean yeah Blondie, but you might not get it." They said putting the lollipop back in their mouth.

"Awww I can't have your name?"

"Well I don't know if your fae or not, don't know if your going to steal it or not, and I'm quite fond of my name."

"Please."

"Fine, Tango of the Tek variety at your service, I don't give a shit about pronouns, he, she, they, it, any neos go ahead, 'm just Tango."

"Well then nice to meet you just Tango."

"…it's Tango."

"I know you've said."

"Whatever, so what you sitting on this bench waiting for?"

"Abolish."

"Oh?"

"Yeah planing on opening a flower shop there." Jimmy said while pointing to the vacant building.

"Not going to get much flow through traffic from the parlor next door."

"Yeah knew that but, hopefully at least one of the artists would need flowers for references."

"Well then, if I need some I'll tell you."

"Okay?"

"One of the artist also a piercer, but the T in TIES, however the only three of us do tattoos, and well there's two other artists, B might need flowers for references, but well, the mans an artist so you never know."

"I know a B but I don't think were thinking of the same person so who do you mean."

"Oh I mean Bdubs, he works at the shop, if you are opening a flower shop you'll probably meet him eventually he's about yay tall." They said gesturing before continuing with "And like really into mosses, so is his boyfriend, but he's really into mosses."

There was a door that opened somewhere before Scott from the day before walked over to them, dressed in a teal and light blue butterfly crochet top, dark brown high waisted button up shorts, fun blue butterfly socks, light blue platform high-top butterfly converse, hair in space buns, all the exposed skin.

"Oh there you are, I was talking with Etho was wondering where you disappeared off you."

"When to see the person who was sitting on the bench outside."

"Ah." Scott said looking over "Oh hello Jimmy, nice to see you again."

"Hello Scott."

"Nice overalls."

"Thanks."

"Did you have to borrow them from Lizzie."

"That obvious?"

"Little bit."

"Well, I mean I only have so many options of whose couches I can crash on, and I can deal with 9 to 5 blaring the best."

"So you don't dress this soft normally?" Tango asked

"I mean kinda do, also dress kinda basically, done alt fashion before as a teen, not sure what real sub culture it was either pop-punk or well best way is to say greaser, but sometimes I will get the itch to dress like I did then."

"So good to know that even if you are basic, you at some point had some flavor."

"Tango stop bullying the poor man."

"I'm not bulling him." Tango said raising his arms to which Scott seemed to give him a pointed look "Okay sorry, didn't mean to be rude."

"It's okay mate, wasn't really that rude, my brothers have been meaner to me before, I am very basic."

"…how bulled were you as a child." Scott asked

"Well my older brothers would introduce me as Tim or Timmy, until I was 6, when I met Joel he and I am not joking, called me a toy, for like two years, granted he didn't know me in person but still, and you know my brothers still use Timmy for me, and Joel has also adopted ."

"Jesus."

"Yeah, love my family but they are the worst bullies I have."

"That's just siblings isn't it?" Tango questioned

"That is true."

"Solidarity, we going to do this."

"Ah yes sorry Abolish."

"It's okay, it's well at least you're here, there was one group who fully forgot that someone needed to sign the papers, for like a week." The sharply dressed man said his gaze grazing over Tango, who cleared his throat before saying "Good luck man, it be nice to have a neighbor for more then like 6 months."

"Thanks." Jimmy said before following Abolish, as he left he heard "Good luck Jimmy." from Scott which was nice.

⋆.ೃ࿔*:･❀˚.

It was about four months since Jimmy has started renting the shop location, and the renovations started quickly, the necessities at first, the green house for growing everything that wouldn't have to be sourced from Shelby and Katherine's nursery and any of his other contacts in the biz, but the green house had been placed to have the door align the bit behind the desk and then go back past where the rest of the building ended, the few commercial floral cooler had been installed, the shelf in he middle for the arranged displays and small plants were in.

The sets of tools needed, processing supplies like buckets, floral preservative, sanitizing products, design materials like floral foam, waterproof tape, floral wire, and adhesives to hold arrangements together along with the packaging & presentation items like, vases, containers, ribbon, tissue, paper and other items had all been bought. The outside signage, displays and cart had been made, as had the website and the phone number for the shop been set up.

Even the apartment upstairs had been rudimentary furnished for what Jimmy would need, in fact he had mostly moved out three months into the process and since the renovation closed been living there full time. At this point he was just waiting for the official opening of the shop that Saturday.

On Saturday the flower shop 'Pocket of Sunshine' would open between TIES Tattoo and Piercing Parlor, and Meri's Music Shop, and what a thought that was. His dream, what he had gone to Uni for was finally happening, and hopefully it would be successful, but that wouldn't be apparent at first.

Throughout the renovations Jimmy had ran into Scott and Tango quite a few times together as well as individually and he was not going to admit it, he wasn't but he liked them, he liked them a lot. On it's own this would be fine. However quickly he had learned they were together, which meant he would be stuck pinning over them until he got over himself. He wouldn't ruin any sense of friendship he had with them over this.

Jimmy sighed throwing off the covers before wandering into his kitchen, he put the kettle on before grabbing a bowl from the cabinets, the milk from the fridge and the box of Frosted Flakes, 1 am good enough time to eat cereal on the floor, not like he could sleep anyway.

God was he pathetic, alone, he should probably stop thinking about that right now. Really he should but well…it's not like he can control his thoughts.

Jimmy eventually fell asleep, on his couch, which meant that he did have a pretty bad nights sleep and he was woken up by Grian and Joel arriving early in the morning. At least Grian arrived with a cup of coffee for him.

"I regret giving you two keys to my apartment." Jimmy said returning back into the main room dressed in a white t shirt, with a lavender over-shirt and a pair of light wash blue jeans with daises on them.

"If you didn't we wouldn't have a break room or bath room." Grian said sitting on the counter.

"Get off my counter Grian."

"No."

"Get off my counter."

"No."

"Grian, get off his bumming counter."

"But fun."

"Grian get off Jimmy's counter, he is your boss, he can fire both of us."

"He'd need us in like an hour."

"I haven't trained either of you yet, so."

"You wouldn't dare, I quit the bar, and adjusted my sleep schedule for this job, you wouldn't dare."

"Get off my counter, so I can make food Grian."

"Fine…" Grian said hopping down off the counter.

After Jimmy had started to make breakfast for himself he asked to where Joel and Grian were sitting "So have both of you eaten already today or no?"

"I made breakfast for Lizzie and myself before picking up Grian, so the question is, has Grian yet today."

"Grian?"

"So if I say no what happens."

"I question why, say its like 8, and then most likely end up feeding you, so Grian have you eaten yet today."

"Ummm…no."

"What are we going to do with you mate."

"Well Jim's probably going to feed me."

"That I am, I really don't know why, however." Jimmy said before laughing a little bit.

They opened up not long after 10:15, maybe 10:30, after Jimmy gave Joel and Grian a quick run down on everything they needed to know.

One of the first people to stop in was Lizzie, who looked around a bit before making her way to the counter where she greeted Jim

"Hello Jimothy."

"Hey Liz whats up?"

"Well I might as well support this new local business."

"Oh, so what are you looking for Liz."

"Hmmm I don't know why don't you put together a small bouquet, that I can put at the counter."

"Okay give me a moment, I can send down your husband if you want to well."

Oh please do, that would be great." Lizzie smiled.

Jimmy yelled for Joel to man the counter, which he was seemingly about to complain about before he saw it was Lizzie.

Heading to one of the stations, Jimmy picked out one of the vases, a mason jar style one with a pink tint, he then cut two pink rose, a pink lily, a few lavender gerbera daisies, some mini sunflowers, violets, and lavender, as well as some colored baby's breath for padding, he tied a light green ribbon around the jar before returning to the counter.

"So what do you think about this Liz?"

"Ooooo, Jimmy that's beautiful."

"Thank you."

"How much do I owe you?"

"On the house Liz, as long as you just advertise."

"So you don't want payment, you want me to mention if asked about it."

"Your the first customer why would I make you pay Liz, if you come back yeah, but currently your this first customer it's on me."

"Jim." Lizzie said staring directly at Jimmy before dropping a 20 and a 5 into the tip jar "Thank you for the flowers, will definitely brighten up the front desk."

Lizzie stayed to chat for a little bit before leaving, but not before Jimmy had made a a flower crown for her. It was a little slow for a while after, and by slow Jimmy meant Martyn popping in to mess with him before buying flowers for his wife as well as his boyfriend. A seemingly distressed teen who was buying over stressing about buying flowers for their girlfriend. He did help that kid, hopefully their girlfriend would enjoy the flowers.

A little after the kid left, around maybe noon, Scott and a fiery haired woman that wasn't Gem walked in.

"Hello what can I do for y'all."

"Oh Jimmy wonderful."Scott said making his way up to the counter, his friend behind him sighed muttering something under their breath that sounded like "God Scott do you have a fucking type."

"So what can I do for you Scott, and."

"Oh I'm Cleo guess I haven't met you."

"Jimmy but well the name tag does say that, anyway again what can I do for you ."

"We've got some flowers in vases on the tables in the shops, they're fake, thought we'd replace them with real ones, now that there's a flower shop close enough to do so."

"Oh lovely, lovely, got any ideas of what well types you'd like, snapdragons? dahlias? spray roses? maybe peonies, I just ask because if I cut them today, depending on the type they may only last 5-6 days so to Thursday or Friday, but some flowers hardier ones could last a few weeks, so any thoughts or would you like any recommendations." Jimmy said smiling, it wasn't a service smile, just one that showed his passion about the topic.

"That is really not a me question, Scott's the one with the artistic vision here." Cleo said crossing their arms, which is when Jimmy noticed that she had vitiligo, their tan skin had pale-white non-colored patches of their skin, as well as a seemingly either stitching scars from something around their neck, it was either a scar or a tattoo they had gotten, either way he wasn't going to ask.

Either way, Jimmy turned his head to Scott before going "Scott?"

"Oh ummm right. I think some wild flowers, might look good, as would maybe some just classic flowers, and some colored babies breath if you have that."

"We do have some colors babies breath, so how many were you thinking in each vase?"

"At least a wild flower, maybe a classic, and a babies breath."

"Gotcha, gotcha, now how many vases do you have, just so I know how many bouquets to make."

"That's not my wheel house, Cleo?" Scott said turning to them.

"We have like 18 tables inside, and maybe 10? outside but that's not counting the side tables, the fact we put two vases on four person tables, and there's one on the counter."

"….is Pearl still manning the fort?"

"I mean she should be." Scott said looking back at the cafe.

"Should someone text her and ask her to count?"

"I'll do it give me a moment." Cleo said pulling out their phone and wandering off leaving Scott and Jimmy at the counter.

"So do you want a flower crown?"

"What?"

"I've been up at the counter most the day, at the shop I worked at on campus, we weren't allowed to have out phones at the counter, while that's not part of my rules, it's habit because I learned to make them while I was at the counter, so would you like a flower crown."

Scott seemed to laugh a bit before he went "You know what sure, why not."

"Got a flower or color you'd like?"

"Got any poppies."

"I can do you one better forget-me-nots and poppy flower crown if you'd like."

"Ooooo."

"Here you go good sir." Jimmy said before dropping a flower crown on his head.

"Thank you, I do request if Tango comes in at any point, could you try to get him to wear one."

"I can try, any ideas of what type?"

"Daisies or marigolds."

"Do my best."

It was as that moment that Cleo came back in view before they said "Scott why the fuck do we have 45 vases in the cafe"

"Why are you assuming this is my fault." Scott said raising his hands up

"Because you the one who said two vases at the four-tops, and we have 10 four tops."

"Because it works."'

"So I got to make 45 or well 3 big ones that can be broken up into vases."

"If you wouldn't mind."

"I'm on it, will call when I'm done, unless one of you wouldn't mind waiting here."

"I don't mind waiting." Scott said.

"Okay well then text me when your done here." Cleo said before walking out of the shop

"So pretty boy, do you come here often."

"…I work here, it's my shop."

"You're boring to flirt with."

"Sorry?"

"It's just I like when my men fluster if I flirt with them, you're giving me nothing, absolutely nothing right now ."

"I'm on the clock, maybe try when I'm not on the clock, and doing something for you."

"…fine."

"Thank you." Jimmy said before picking up the small stem shears, and heading into the green house, this was going to be honestly a lot of rubber bands.

It took longer then Jimmy thought it would have and that was with Joel and Grian helping, each person making one of the three big bouquets, so that the people at the cafe could make the ones for the vases. It ended up taking an hour in total, despite Jimmy himself only taking about 30 minutes for his. But Scott stayed all the way through the process, which of course led to Jimmy being introduced to a seemingly petty rivalry, between Scott and Joel. The two antagonizing each other from across the room, on and off for the entire extent of time.

When the crew was done with the bouquets Scott walked back up to the counter, and Joel and Grian once again disappeared to who knows where, probably the break room, also known as Jimmy's living room, as they disappeared up the stairs.

"Well that was diligent work from you, can't say the same about your colleagues."

"They've never worked in a flower shop before, anyway good sir I think this might cost you around 125, because some wildflowers conditions are harder to simulate."

"You know what I was expecting a lot worse, that feels reasonable."

"I try to be." Jimmy said turning the card reader around to Scott.

Scott swiped a card, probably one for the cafe, before smiling "Do you have your phone on you?"

"Not currently."

"Got a pad of sticky notes?"

"Yeah."

"Can I have one."

"I mean yeah I guess." Jimmy said before grabbing one of the flower sticky notes that Lizzie had bought for him and sticking it to Scott's forehead.

The man looked at him cross-eyed like he was trying to glare at the florist before he said "Now why would you do that."

"I dunno, you asked for a sticky note."

"You know what I live with enough of a dork, I should have expected that."

"Do you have a pen?"

"I'm behind the counter, why would I not have a pen." Jimmy said before handing the flower pen to Scott who pealed the sticky note off his forehead, and scribed something down on it the note.

"Thank you." Scott said grabbing the flowers before turning to leave.

"OH!" Jimmy exclaimed suddenly.

"Yes?" Scott said turning around.

"Do you think your colleagues would like flower crowns?"

"I mean probably, your sister at least would like one."

"That's what I thought." Jimmy said pulling a violets and marigolds flower crown out of one of the floral coolers as well of one made of black dahlias to hand to Scott who took them carefully.

"I will I guess find a way to bring those back."

"I wish you luck on your venture across the street."

"Thank you."

Not long after Scott left Jimmy found out that there were some times of the day that were just dead zone times, which meant he left Grian to watch the counter as he took a break for lunch.

When he got back to the desk afterwards the man had a grin on his face that only spelled mischief.

"What happened."

"Oh nothing, just thought you ought to know that there's a number on the sticky note there."

"What did you do." Jimmy said staring down his brother

"I've done nothing Tim, just man-ed the counter I promise, just you should know."

"What have you done?"

"Quite literality nothing, I saw the post-it and then told you about it."Jimmy just glared at Grian for a moment longer before the man cracked "Okay fine, I took a photo and sent it to Pearl, to which she sent me an audio message of her sighing, but I didn't touch it."

"Go back to goofing off, wherever."

"Okay will do." Grian said before giving a mock salute.

Jimmy sighed stepping behind the counter to sit at the chair that had been put behind it, he grabbed the post-it note reading over it 'Hey pretty boy, make sure to make yourself a crown, also if you do end up getting Tango to wear a flower crown, send me the photo, here I'll even give you my number -Scott <3' that was the message with the number scrawled neatly under it. He wasn't sure why Scott had put his name on the sticky-note because he had given the man the sticky-note. He shook his head sighing before pulling out his phone, clear phone case with stickers underneath it, screen protector shattered to hell and opened his contacts, before imputing Scott's number labeling the contact with the heart and all.

He grabbed some poppies and daisies from his supply, and started weaving them into a flower crown, he might as well make a crown for himself. When he was done he put it on his head and took a selfie with it on.

Unknown: Might not be Tango but this make you happy?
Unknown: <Selfie of Jimmy wearing his flower crown>

Scott <3: Yesssss
Scott <3 hearted an image
Scott <3: If you do end up getting him in a flower crown please do send it to me
Scott <3: <Selfie of Scott and Pearl with their flower crowns on, Scott smiling eyes crinkling, Pearl mostly nonchalant giving a peace sign>
Scott <3: She does enjoy the flower crown, just not showing that 

Sunshine boy: Yeah she does that, think her emo phase effected how she feels emotions

Scott <3: pfffttt

Sunshine boy: Look I really don't think she's been the same since then, it changed her

Scott <3: Oh she hasn't
Scott <3: We're about to hit the midday rush, ttyl <333

Jimmy hearted the message before he sighed and clicked his phone off, don't let himself get distracted, not right now, there's only a few hours left in the day it being around 3:30. He wasn't really expecting any other customers, as while it might be a the busiest time for a cafe it wasn't the busiest time to get flowers, there were only a few customers after this well till around closing maybe 4:30 when three people walked into the store ringing the bell on the door.

One of the men Jimmy had met during the renovations and his moving, he'd never seen the man with sleeves on Skizz, one of the other was Tango who looked mostly like he wanted to be anywhere else because it looked like he'd been dragged along, the third person was maybe the shortest person that Jimmy has seen with similar patches on his skin that he had seen on Cleo earlier, dark brown hair, and he seemed to be very excited to be there.

"JIGGLES!" Skizz exclaimed excitedly before making his way up to the counter, his friends being left at the door, the other seemingly disappearing somewhere in the shop.

"Hey Skizz."

"Jiggles? I think that's your worst one yet buddy." Tango said punching Skizz in the arm.

"Stop being a jerk."

"To you Skizz no, you make it too fun to not be a jerk."

"Do you hear this guy, Jiggles."

"I do, and well you've willingly been friends with him for how long."

"Oh is there finally someone on my side."

"What about your imaginary friend?"

"Torchie, she is not imaginary, she's a snake and she wouldn't leave my hood this morning." Tango said reaching back to grab the snake before setting her around their neck.

"Jimmy meet Torchie, she's a sunspot corn snake."

Jimmy didn't really like snakes, but the way Tango had the snake around her neck made him willing to reach out and touch the snake with two fingers carefully.

"Don't worry she's a sweetie, both of my snakes are sweeties, Scott would kill me if I got a venomous snake, so Cheddar he's also a sweet snake, Torchie's just my clingy girl, and really likes this hoodie."

That led Jimmy to look at the hoodie Tango had on, a red cropped muscle tank hoodie with fire hazard either embroidered on it or as a graphic, this was over a black long sleeve fishnet top, if Jimmy had to make a guess he was probably also wearing a pair of many pocketed cargo pants, had a pair of doc-martens or platforms on, and at least a studded belt or belt chain.

….He probably knew Tango's basic outfit formula to well, best not thing about that.

"Anyway, is there something I can do for you gentlemen, conversation, plants, actual plants, or are you just coming in to lose your friend to the plants?"

"Don't worry about Dubs, he should be harmless."

"Wait, is he moss friend?" Jimmy said remembering what Tango had said in one of their first conversations.

"Yep, that would be moss friend, don't worry, he is mostly harmless just intense."

"Okay, anyway, what are you here for."

"Flowers." Skizz said.

"Well then I guess your in luck, this is a flower shop, so what are you getting, any ideas, like bouquets, or are you just looking for like individual flowers?"

"Ummm, I mean I'm just getting flowers for, wait it's not a big day right."

"Skizz why are you asking me if it's a big day for your relationships, I don't know most the big days for my own relationship."

"You can remember a day from like elementary, or where you put a button is."

"Yeah well that's adhd for you, look even if you don't know, I think they'll enjoy flowers you get for them."

"But I get bouquets for big days, and flowers just whenever."

"If you don't know, get bouquets, I don't know what the important days are."

"So I'm going to assume bouquets then." Jimmy joked.

"That may be the best."

"Now while I can assemble ones, it is close to well closing, so if you have any set ideas, I can and will make ones, but I do recommend you look in the flower coolers, I have some pretty nice pre-assembled, ones in there if I do say so myself."

"Wonderful, wonderful thank you, Jiggles."

"No problem Skizz."

Skizz walked off to look at the coolers leaving Tango at the counter with Jimmy.

"So were you dragged here?"

"Is it that clear?"

"Ah, well only a little tiny bit, don't worry I won't tell." Jimmy said raising a finger to his lips.

That made Tango laugh, a small raspy one, which in term made Jimmy also laugh a little bit.

"Oh I had something for you."

"Did you?"

"Yes actually, your boyfriend was in here earlier, and he requested that I attempt to give you a flower crown if I could."

"…I'm not leaving here without am I." Tango said leaning up to flick the one on Jimmy's head.

"I mean not if I can't help it."

"Give me the flower crown."

"So you're taking it."

"I don't have a choice, Scott has asked you."

Jimmy pulled out the marigold and daisy flower crown he had made, before handing it to Tango to put on. It ended up slightly lopsided on his head, but it was cute

"You know I can just take a photo of you wearing it."

"No I'm wearing it now, it's mine."

"Apparently, okay then….." Jimmy said before trailing off "No matter the time it is still the same responce….hmm." What was that line of thought he was having.

"What was that?"

"Honestly I don't know…."

"Okay then so hows it been."

"It's okay."

Suddenly a short man walked up to the counter with a bouquet of Casablanca-Lilies as well as a one of the small moss terrariums that Shelby had sent him.

"Hello?"

"Do you have ferns."

"Yes?"

"Could you add ferns."

"To what?"

"The bouquet."

"I can yes, need to repackage them however."

"Okay." the man said setting them on the table.

"Dubs be nice, also didn't you have a proposition for the good flower man."

"Oh yes I did, so us tattoo artists do a lot of flower tattoos, it's just a popular theme, so I was thinking, well I for flowers like to work with actual flowers as reference, so maybe a deal about that."

"Hmmm I mean how welcoming is your parlor because I think if we were to make a deal about flowers on the check-in desk I would be willing to give you flowers at a cheep price to use as reference."

"We have been wanting to replace the fake ones at the desk, think we'll or well I'll take the deal."

"Pleasure doing business with you now if you give me a moment I can add the ferns to the bouquet." Jimmy said before uniting the paper and undoing the rubber band.

He finished adding the ferns to the the bouquet before he wrapped it again.

"So this and the moss then?"

"Yep."

"Okay, let me ring you up then, and whenever all of you are all done here, I'll most likely walk back to the shop with you, mostly to see if I can put together something for the front desk."

"This is going to cost you about 65 for the bouquet and maybe 35 for the moss terrarium."

"Lot for plants."

"Sorry?"

"Nah it's okay, it's either this or the grocery stores, which clearly don't take as much care as you, and it's always good to support a small business rather then a large chain one, so willing to pay, just 100 already without tax."

"Sorry?"

"Don't apologize, you're running a business." Bdubs said before tapping his card on the payment terminal.

Skizz walked up to the counter with two bouquets one of yellow dahlias and daffodils with small sprigs of cornflowers and pink carnations the other one of pink ranunculus and snapdragons with buttercups and cornflowers.

"Good choices."

"Thank you."

"That will cost you about 95 mostly because I've already assembled them." Jimmy said as he rang up the bouquets.

"Cool, cool." Skizz said before paying.

That led Jimmy to turn to Tango "Tek, you getting something?"

"I mean I wasn't playing on it considering-"

"-Tango your station is so boring." Skizz cut Tango off with turning on her.

"Excuse me?"

"It's boring Top."

"I have my shelf."

"Yeah but other then that it's boring."

"My shelf has so many lava lamps, I've got my pin board."

"It's still boring, Bdouble-down, back me up."

Bdubs seemingly had no hesitation before he said "I mean, yeah Tango, you might have the lava lamps, or the corkboard, well you don't have much besides that, we all have our shelves with items, and our cork-boards, but you don't have much beside that…so yeah, it's kinda boring."

Tango sighed before they deadpan went "Well then, apparently according to my colleagues, my station is 'boring' and needs 'more' most likely because of their and Gem's on-going quest for whimsy, got any ideas."

Jimmy thought for a moment before he went "I mean I'd say that string of pearl's plants, as well as corkscrew albuca, polka-dot plant, burro's tail are pretty whimsical, but those are more plants, if you want flowers, platycodon grandiflorus or balloon flower, as are foxgloves, but this does mostly depends on if you want whimsical plant-plants or flowers."

"Plant-plant if you can."

"Well then of what of the plants-plants I mentioned are you drawn to, the string of pearls, corkscrew albuca, polka-dot plant or the burro's tail."

"Ummmm?"

"Do you like the sound of any of them?"

"I don't know what any of them look like."

"Oh stupid, idiot, Jim, sorry, well if I can guide you this way." Jimmy said getting out from behind the counter. "This way to the 'whimsical' plant section'." Jimmy said before laughing a bit "I do only have a few of the plants I mentioned, the string of pearls plants, corkscrew albuca, and at Grian's instance burro's tail."

They did make it to the shelf where Jimmy started to point at the plants, "Do you see the one with the thin, thread-like stems with the pea-shaped leaves."

"Yeah."

"That's a string of pearls plants, and the one with narrow, dark green, linear leaves that curl tightly into corkscrew spirals is the well corkscrew albuca, and finally the one that has a long, pendulous stems that is densely packed with overlapping, jelly-bean-shaped leaves, is a burro's tail, now, do you have an idea which one you'd like."

"Ummm not really no, but well I mean, the string of pearls plants seems pretty fun."

"Oh wonderful, I'll ring you up, and I've got a rose for your boyfriend meant to give it to him when he came in."

"You know if I didn't know better, I'd think you're trying to steal my man."

"Would you like a rose as well, because I can give you a rose as well."

"Hmmm I don't know, do I want a rose from the man who seems to attempting to steal my boyfriend."

"I'm trying to steal your boyfriend."

"Well that's good but still, do I really want that."

"Well I'm going to ring you up, and then cut two roses."

"Two?"

"Yeah, two roses, two pretty men adjacent, who deserve flowers, at least that's what I think, you disagree on that Tango?"

"…I'm not going to win this am I."

"No, no you aren't, sorry sweetheart."

"Sweetheart?"

"Sorry, yeah I know."

"Now it feels like your trying to steal me from Scott."

"Not trying to do that either actually." Jimmy smirked a small smile.

"You're a weirdo."

"I'm a florist, just a whimsical presence."

"Ha-ha."

"What you don't think I'm whimsical."

"I mean you are wearing a lavender over shirt over a white t-shirt, and light wash jeans with daisy embroidered on them."

"And?"

"Nothing."

"I feel like you were going to say something."

"Nothing, you don't want to know."

Jimmy returned to behind the counter quickly ringing Tango up before cutting a rainbow rose, and an orange to red one.

"For you and and your boyfriend."

"Hmmm, that's feels like making a move."

"Not doing that."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"Tango stop flirting with the florist." Bdubs yelled startling both the members.

Tango recovered quick before turning to her friend "He started it."

"I very much did not." Jimmy hummed.

"You so did."

Jimmy didn't respond more then sticking out his tongue at Tango who responded in the same immature way showing off his tongue piercing.

"You were going to check out the parlor after ringing them up weren't you." Skizz asked

"I was yes."

"Well then come on, lets go." Skizz said looking like he was going to jump over the counter.

"…Give me a moment, also please don't jump my counter."

"I- huh?"

"You give counter jumper vibes, please do not jump my counter."

The three people in front of the counter paused for a moment before Bdubs seemingly had to brace himself on the counter before he before bursting out in loud laughter, Tango on the other hand just yelled out laughter streaming through every syllable "COUNTER JUMPER VIBES, OH GODS THAT'S GREAT."

After calming down for a moment Tango wiped small tears from his eyes "Oh gods that fucking phenomenal good sir, he does have counter jumper vibes, thank you for that."

"You're welcome?"

"Give me a moment to well clock out then we can go."

Jimmy quickly clocked out taking of his apron before stepping out from behind the counter stretching his arms up over his head popping his back a little bit. Walking next door, Jimmy opened the door to TIES Tattoos and Piercings and was greeted by the blaring opening of Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana to which Tango groaned.

"Have a problem with the song?"

"Nope."

"Have a problem with the band?"

"Nope."

"Then why the groan?"

"I have a problem with whose playlist is very much on right now, because this is going to be whiplash."

"Whose playlist?"

"Most likely Pulse's, anyway feel free to look around the studio, you are putting together a bouquet for the front desk."

Looking around the parlor he saw the six main stations as well as what seemed like rooms behind that, there was a case with quite a lot of most likely piercing jewelry. The walls were brick painted black, there was industrial hanging bulb lighting, some with shades most just having small cages around them as they hung from the ceiling, it was warm toned lighting. Jimmy got the impression that if anyone would have suggested cool toned lighting, they would not be working there.

One of the first stations that Jimmy walked up to on the left side of the room close-ish to the door, had a shelf that had a few bonsai's, a few frog figures, and a few frog plushies, there was a few small plastic ducks, a small frog face candle, there was as well what looked to be an anime figure that Jimmy wasn't even going to try to identify.

Below the shelf there was a pin board, quite a lot of enamel frog pins in silly situations, as well as a few polaroids with what seemed to be many different people, as well as a photo booth strip of who Jimmy could now identify as Bdubs and a man with very pale man with very white hair wearing a black mask, looking back at the photos that man was the seemingly common link.

Turning around he saw the man in the photos mask on, dressed in a sleeveless black turtleneck with a moss green crochet mesh sweater over it, a dark blue calf hight a-line skirt, he had a pair of black converse on with a pair of frog socks on. He was taller then Jimmy was, something both impressive sometimes and that tracked at others, Jimmy could only assume that he had long hair considering the fact it was up in a frog claw clip.

"Can I help you or are you just staring."

"Oh sorry so so sorry, didn't mean to stare, just looking around, Jimmy, I own the flower shop next door, ummm was asked to make a bouquet for the front desk."

"Etho, Etho Lab."

"James or Jimmy Solidarity."

"Nice to meet you then."

The white haired man hummed.

"Can I ask you pronouns, you have an ambiguous gender and I'd like to make sure I know."

"Mostly he/him, but if I feel like it I'll use it/its but like 95% of the time he/him ….you'd hate Z if your stance is you'd just like to make sure."

"Why would that be."

"Because I like to make it a game of who can guess my gender each day by how I dress when I come in, I mean why not it's fun." A person dressed in a what looked like a pink and yellow high neck halter top with a mostly unbuttoned white over shirt with colorful shimmery embroidery over it, the person had on light blue wide leg pants also with colorful shimmery embroidery, and they seemed to be wearing roller skate shoes.

"Can I ask you pronouns or who you are?"

"Well my name is Zedaph go by Zed, but well I think I'd like to see if you can guess what you think they are right now."

"Are you really making the man putting together a bouquet play your game right now." Tango said sitting at the desk at the station in the middle on the right side of the room.

"Why of course I am, I mean there is one person who can get what it is, and he on a first glance can give straight vibes, he gives straight vibes on a first glance, I want to see if this is true for all straight looking queer people."

"How did you?"

"It's really better to not question Zed, honestly." A man with brown hair short on the sides longer down the center in a faux-hawk, it was wildly curry and wavy, the long wasn't really that long just under his ears essentially, but it was dyed a warm yellow. He was in a gray tank top, yellow cargo pants, and work boots, and Jimmy could tell the man had at least snake bites, an eye brown piercing as well as cyberpunk style line looking tattoos.

"Sorry you are?"

"Well, I go by Impulse, you can call me that."

"Oh god, not her." Etho said turning towards the door where the bell went off signaling someone entering.

From the door stepped in a tan freckled fiery haired, green eyed woman, dressed in a cropped dark blue tank top with white text that read '-... --- --- -... ...' high rise blue jeans tucked into a pair of dark work boots, the fiery hair was held half up with a dark blue bandana, the woman was strong and muscular and had a rose tattoo crawling down one of her arms and had open scissor earring. It took a moment but Jimmy quickly recognized her as Pearl's girlfriend Gem.

"Well that's rude Effo, you should really know that I'm a delight, don't worry I'm not going to be here for long just came here to bother something off of Impy."

The newly named Impulse sighed for a moment before walking over to the excited woman. "What do you want Gem."

"Well you don't have to be so displeased to see me, I just came here to say I made the shelves you wanted, you can pick them up when ever you want."

"Oh thank you."

Etho sighed for a minute before he said "Oh my god woman, call yourself a carpenter."

"Heheh, nope."

"I mean she doesn't have to call herself a carpenter, she is just making things, that doesn't have to be carpentry."

"She's building shelves, and counters, and other stuff, that's carpenter stuff Dubs."

"It doesn't have to be."

"I'd just like for her to call herself a carpenter, for once."

"If you want me to do it, I'm never going to do so." Gem singsong-ed before jumping onto one of the benches.

"Oh my god, just call yourself a carpenter woman."

"Nope."

Jimmy was going to say something before he got pulled over to Tangos station by Tango. "If your going to stare at peoples things, I don't mind you looking at mine."

"Okay I wasn't intending to stare at your colleagues stuff, I just have an observation and analysis problem."

"Okay then, what can you tell from observing my personal items." Tango said turning Jimmy's focus to his stuff.

Looking at the shelf and pin board in front of him, Jimmy's eyes were drawn to the shelf full of lava lamps of different styles with different color waxes and liquids. Drawling his eyes down to the pin board, he saw many different pins a lot of dice one, some lava lamps, some snakes, few gear or steampunky ones, as well as few cutesy ones. There were a few polaroids as well as photo strips with some of the members of the shop as well as Scott in them, there was one of Tango, Pearl, and Etho that stood out to Jimmy. Hanging from the shelf there was a string of fairy lights with dice on them. Shifting his gaze again Jimmy noticed there was a few sketchbooks most likely for tattoo ideas and designs, the string of pearl plant had made it onto the desk, and most impressively there was a doll on the desk that looked quite a lot like Tango. It was a weird assortment of things in the section, but it worked together in a way. Under the desk there seemed to be a stand that was empty, but the stand seemed like something for a helmet.

"Lets see, well the lava lamps, collector, feels like your at least also got a shelf at home, the pins most seem like ones you've collected, but some seem like ones from your boyfriend, the photos, either you love your friends, or have been victim to Lizzie or someone else taking photos all the time, based on the string lights I'm sorry to say this but you're a nerd, clearly have at least a few ideas for tattoos considering the sketch books, the stand under your desk, helmet, motorcycle, but there's not one there, so either you've left the helmet with the bike or didn't ride that in today. Then there's the doll looks custom, but doesn't seem like something you'd make for yourself which leaves me with the final question of who customized the doll to look like you?"

"That is a good question isn't it."

"It is yes."

"Well the way you've said that makes me think you have a theory."

"And if I do."

"…"

"Scott, gift of sort."

"Yep, and he curses out the fact that when he made it, it had at the time accurate piercings and tattoos because now he has to deal with that fact every time I get another tattoo or piercings, which is why I don't get too many new ones anymore."

"How many do you have?"

"I think somewhere between maybe 15-20 but a lot of them are bigger pieces."

"And piercings?"

"Well I've got my two sets of gauges, wait do you want to count by pair or not, you know what, counting by the pair does nothing, okay so two sets of gauges means four, I have my two industrials which is four more because industrial piercing generally counts as two separate piercings, then I have my bridge and septum so two more, my eyebrow is another one, then my vertical labret another one, and I have my tongue piercing so 13."

"God."

"I think at this point Scott has more which is a thing to consider, however I think I have to question, do you have any good sir, I mean I can not see any piercing but maybe you could surprise me."

"Ah no not anymore."

"Anymore, that feels like there's a story there."

"Shitty pact ear piercing with a barely sanitized safety pin that I still don't know how didn't get infected."

"Why would you do that?"

"Was an honestly really, really stupid teen, and who my friends were didn't help…they still don't"

"Somehow was the only one of us three who didn't get an ear infection from that."

"So why don't you wear the piercing then?"

"Did it over the summer, went to a private uniform school that we afforded because dad taught at it, and Mum was a doctor, so it never healed closing up."

"Ah private school, something that I never had to deal with, sounds like it sucked ass."

"It educated me enough to live in the real world."

"I bet but no ear piercings for you, you know what-" Tango said before rolling over to their desk grabbing a sticky note and scrawling something down on it before rolling back over and sticking the sticky note to Jimmy's pocket.

"What is this?"

"Coupon for a free first proper ear piercing, or well re-piercing if you want it, might as well have someone with proper training do it, well as long as you want it, if not feel free to throw it out."

"I- thank you Tango."

"Mmmm, don't mention it don't you have a job to do."

"Yes I do, but still thank you Tango."

"Again don't mention it, just well call it a favor for a favor in a way at least, it's a small town, might as well be friendly with your fellow business owners."

"Fair enough."

⋆.ೃ࿔*:･❀˚.

The bouquet that Jimmy ended up putting together for the tattoo parlor was one of red zinnias, yellow craspedias, blue delphiniums, pink begonias, green helleborus and white alyssums. Which as it turns out was a good fit for the front desk. Bdubs was really excited about it, meaning that it was an almost weekly purchase from the shop. Another almost weekly purchase was a the flowers for the cafe.

Seemingly every time the flowers for the cafe or the bouquet for the parlor needed to be bought or picked up Scott or Tango were there, and well it wasn't like Jimmy was going to complain it was always nice to talk to them, but it was always those two, never his sister or Cleo for the coffee shop, any of the other 5 members of the tattoo parlor, always them.

Thankfully he had yet to be doomed to them at the same time, but it was going to happen at some point he just knew it but it hadn't yet.

Working with Joel and Grian, despite how much help they promised to be, was going exactly how Jimmy thought it was going to, the two of them not existing for most of the day, but appearing out of nowhere when he actually needed help with something, or probably at a moment where he needed teasing. Grian particularly liked to appear right after one of them had left.

This however has played to a benefit once when there was a woman who had came in a week after she purchased and just wouldn't listen as Jimmy tried to explain that buying flowers from the shop, meant they were going to die because they where real flowers and that they didn't sell fake flowers. Joel had come down to play scary guard dog while Grian had jumped out one of the windows to run to the tattoo parlor to see if he could get someone to call Pause. Who Jimmy later found out if you knew Etho or were a small business near the tattoo parlor, he'd be willing to drag out the Karens and other people harassing employees out of the shop.

Running the shop for the past two months had been both eventful and routine Tuesday to Saturday shop open, with Sunday and Monday seeing it closed to give himself a weekend.

Jimmy had found the regulars were always one of the nice parts, while he had Scott and Tango in ways as regulars, one of the most constant regulars was a woman named Dawn, she had short blonde hair, bright green eyes and it seemed she came in every other day usually to buy something small but sometimes it was full bouquets. Every so often she'd come in with a woman with long hair that was bleached or dyed an almost pure white with an eye-patch over one eye and a black lacey parasol or a woman with mousey brown hair and glasses, but normally she'd come in with a well trained australian shepherd named Milo.

She'd talk with Jimmy when she came in which was quite a lot, she was a pretty good conversation, seemingly endless amounts of fascinating contradictory stories, that were best not to question too hard. She was however one of Lizzie's friends at the dog park which meant sometimes if Lizzie saw her in the store, she'd also pop in, it was nice.

Then there was the other thing, as it turns out well, that coupon, was actually something that Tango did make good on as the proper flat back lobe piercing earrings in each of his ears showed. He ended up cashing that coupon in a month after he had gotten it, he might have well done it, and if he hated it he could take it out once again.

He didn't hate it. Lizzie had already said when he could take it out, she'd be willing to share or get him a pair of earrings, and while he had thought she was joking at first turns out she was serious about it. Then there was the other factor.

Jimmy theoretically knew the experience was going to be different, Tango was a professional with training, doing piercings and tattoos were his job. Joel and Grian, especially as teens were well teenage degenerates, trouble makers, miscreants. He theoretically should have know it was going to be different, but well he still wasn't prepared for Tango carefully drawling on the spacing dots, before asking if they looked like they were spaced right, redrawing the one that looked off, before carefully walking Jimmy through what he was going to do.

"The first thing I'm going to do now that I've got the spacing dots is I'm going to sterilized your ear again, then I'm going to clamp your ear, then I'll pass the piercing needle thought the spacing dot, I'm going to ask you to take a deep breath when I do that but after, I'm then going to very carefully and quickly insert the chosen jewelry, before taking off the clamp sterilizing before I repeating the process on your other ear, okay?"

And Tango did just that, done in under 15 minutes even with Jimmy asking about the piercing care instructions.

It didn't help the next day Scott had complemented him on the choice of base earrings, small blue flower ones.

Since he had gotten his first one again he had wanted another one. What a gay mess he was…maybe when the first ones healed.

⋆.ೃ࿔*:･❀˚.

"Grian no your not doing this in my kitchen, no, your not doing this."

"It's not that bad."

"You are not doing this in my kitchen, no."

"This is not my worse food crime."

"I don't care, you're not doing this in my kitchen."

"This is not my worse food crime."

"Grian, no your not doing this in my kitchen."

"It's not the worse one I've done."

"I am aware of this, however not in my kitchen."

"We need a third opinion."

"JOEL!!!"

"Whatever it is, Grian your not allowed to do it in Jimmy's kitchen." Joel called from where he was sitting in the living room playing video games.

"Thank you Joel."

"Screw you Joel."

"Oh Jim while your at it, no floor cereal for lunch."

"Okay now why are you two in my house, it's Monday, we aren't working today."

"I think the question is more, mate what appointment do you have at 4 today?"

"So you know about that."

"Yep." Grian said smiling his gremlin smile.

"So what you go though my reminders."

"Didn't have to was in last week to get, well it covered up, Zed mentioned you had an appointment, so whats it for, whats it for, whats it for?"

"I'm not going to tell you if you beg like that."

"Well why not, what you doing, what you doing, what you doing?" Joel joined in.

Jimmy sighed and took a moment before going "….fine, it's just, just an appointment for the other piercing I need for doubles, just that pain and simple."

"Oh Tim."

"What?"

"Oh Timmy, do we need to call Lizzie, to call you on the absolute gayness of this action?"

"No, no, no, we don't need to do that."

"Are you absolutely sure that we don't need to call her in."

"Very, very positive."

"Okay…"

"So what did you get as a coverup for it?"

"Oh!" Grian said rolling up the sleeve of his sweater to show off a line of snails, one with a red shell, another with a yellow, one with a light green, and a fourth with a dark green shell.

"That looks great."

"Doesn't it, Zed did a good job, but I mean not that surprised considering the eyes on his flash."

"Very true, now even if we are bringing this up I'm still not letting you do that."

"Don't pout at me, bringing up the fact you were accidentally involved with a cult, is not going to make me any more likely to let you boil water in my kettle that you can then pour into a bowl with a seasoning packet and noodles to let it cook in the bowl."

"You suck."

"I give you a job, so sorry if you think that."

"I'm going to throttle you."

"No, no your not."

"Yeah lets not do that, Jim make your lunch, also maybe consider making something for your brother so he doesn't do well that."

"You're calling Lizzie if I don't aren't you."

"No, not at all, why would you think that, I'm just giving a mild suggestion."

Jimmy groaned for a minute before he said "Right sure, well then what would you two like for lunch."

⋆.ೃ࿔*:･❀˚.

 "Good morning Scott, I assume you're here for the flowers for the vases in the cafe?"

"That I am." Scott said yawning.

"You good."

"Didn't sleep well, and have yet to have the copious amount caffeine I need to function."

"Oh I'm sorry to hear that, is there a reason why?"

"Okay so you know how Tango has all those lava lamps at his station."

"I know of them yes."

"He has a shelf with more of them in the study, project room at home and while I love Tango he leaves them running so I am usually the one to turn them off, and I woke up at around 3 convinced that they hadn't been turned off before we'd went to bed, they had been thankfully, were nearly cold at that point but I couldn't get back to sleep after that, gave up around 4:45 have resigned myself to just being awake since then, was able to do a little animation for my side project, but this is not the first time this has happened and honestly I'm getting a little tired of it."

"Mmmm I bet, shared a room with Grian who had a phase where he'd thrift and collect them, I do not miss it will say that, will say you can just get the like, the power strips with the timers on them, those usually worked with Grian's collection, like set the timers to 6-8 hours when something on the strip is turned on, and then when one of the lava lamps gets turned on runs for that long and only that long."

Scott seemed to have a moment of processing before blinking "Oh my god, how have I never thought of those."

Jimmy couldn't help laugh for a moment before he said "Don't worry I didn't think of them till after the second time Grian nearly started an electrical fire from leaving the lava lamps on to long. So as long as it's not nearly two electrical fires your partner has caused from leaving the lava lamps on, I think you're good."

"I've been living with this for years how have I not thought of it."

"Hey, it's okay, isn't Tango like a genius or something."

"I think last time we did the test he had like a 144 IQ, but that was a few years ago…"

"Okay, well were you the one who started to turn them off mostly."

"Yeah, I was."

"Then there part of the answer, Tango is the one who likes tech, and you've been the one to have to think about turning them off and then turn them off, so he probably either didn't feel he needed to make a suggestion because you were doing the job."

"Yeah, but like."

"Just take that as the reason right now, you could ask more at a later point."

"That's okay yeah."

"While I put the finishing touches on your purchase, I did want to ask you something?"

"Oh?"

"Yeah what's the piercing that looks like it's coming out of your ear?"

"Your going to be more specific?"

"The one right above like your ear  canal, with the jewelry that are like star hoops."

"Oh those would be my daith piercings, theoretically getting one might help if you suffer from chronic migraines or headaches, but I can't say much on it, didn't get it for that reason, why?"

"Was just wondering, some of your piercings seem less traditional."

"Most are, you've got any others your wondering about, I don't mind."

"The ones on the like skin covering the ear canal?"

"That be the tragus piercing, any other burning on your curiosity."

"The one that looks like a stud on one ear, and a large hoop on the other, but look to be in the same place."

"Conch piercing, now I got a question for you?"

"Yeah?"

"You planing to get any more Jim?"

"I don't know yet I mean I've got doubles right now, and well I don't know."

"I think you'd look good with more piercings."

"You can't flirt your way into convincing me to bet more holes in my body."

"Awww I can't, not at all." Scott said batting his lashes.

"Not easily, I don't think."

"Fine I guess I'll work for it then."

"Sure do that then." Jimmy said chuckling quietly.

"I will convince you."

"I'm sure you will or get Tango to help you convince me, then it will be both of you trying."

"Yep." Scott said flipping their shaggy wolf cut of hair, showing off his very decorated ears including-"Are the earrings in your main lobe piercing currently rainbow worms on strings?"

"Yes!"

"Why?"

"I mean why not is really the question here Jim, why are your main lob piercing earrings not worms on strings?"

"Because I think my hoop and poppy combo looks good."

"It does but it has no fun."

"Rude."

Scott just stuck his tongue out at Jimmy.

"Real mature."

"Oh yes I am so mature."

"The most."

"Absolutely so mature with my lucky charm cereal kandi's and fruit loops choker."

"Mature, like a slightly aged fruity wine."

"Exactly, see you get it."

⋆.ೃ࿔*:･❀˚.

 Not long after Jimmy did end up getting conch piercings, a woman dressed in a orange check plaid pants, a brown sweater vest over a cream dress shirt, as well as orange high-top converse, and a curly short brown bob ended up walking into the shop, looking around at mostly the plants.

"Can I help you miss?"

"Drift and no, I really don't need more plants, my roommate would kill me, we have enough plants because of my girlfriends."

"Girlfriends?"

"Oh yes, Shelby lived here before moving to where Katherine lived so they could open a plant nursery, I still live here because I'm currently working on getting what I need to transferrer to the police department there, I'm a detective here, and would like to be in the other town."

"Oh you're that Drift, I know about you, wait why are you here if you aren't in need of plants."

"Just felt the need to look." The detective seemed to pause for a moment before she asked "Do you know about the Summer Flower Festival in a few weeks?"

"Ummm no."

"That's honestly surprising."

"Well I did just move here, so please tell me."

"The Summer Flower Festival is exactly what it sounds like, but there's live music, games, some food trucks and carts, usually Shelby and Katherine will make the drive up for it, but it's a two day event and always so fun, good place for a date, if you've got your eye on anybody."

Jimmy had a thought for a moment before shaking it away, his face was still warm as he said his excuse of "I don't have anyone."

"I don't think your trying to lie to a detective, so sure you don't."

"I don't."

"Uh huh sure…will say even if you don't have someone, it is fun, but is traditionally a relationship thing."

"Well that's good to know thank you."

⋆.ೃ࿔*:･❀˚.

The morning of the flower festival Jimmy got dressed in a gift outfit from Lizzie. A cream button up shirt with pink detailing of lines on the sleeve as well as small flower dealing, the cuffs were pink with white flower buttons, the collar of the shirt was shaped like a cherry blossom, he had a brown tie tied around his neck which wasn't at all a struggle that involved calling his dad, but over the shirt and tie he had a pink sweater vest with darker colored cable patterns. His belt was pink with a cherry blossom flower buckle, his pants were brown matching the color of the tie with cherry blossom embroidery, like the cuffs of his sleeves the cuffs of his pants were pink with white flower buttons. Finally his shoes were a light pink pair of high tops converse, a gag gift from Joel a while ago, but a very expensive one that he was going to make full use of.

Arriving at the park he saw many people sitting on picnic blankets with picnic baskets mostly couples as Drift had mentioned was a good spot for a date. As he was walking he felt someone walking behind him before. Eventually Jimmy got tapped on the shoulder causing Jimmy to whip his head around

"Excuse me what do you think you doing." Jimmy trailed off recognizing the person who had tapped Jimmy on the shoulder "Scott!"

"Hiya Jim." Scott said sliding his hand into Jimmy's

"Hi Scott, so whats up."

"Come on, you should sit with Tango and I, we have extra food and you can meet Elle."

"Elle?"

"My cat, don't worry I'll explain why she's here, just come on." Scott said dragging Jimmy off with him.

"Do I get a choice in this."

"Do you have anyone to sit with, at all."

"Nope."

"Well then there's your answer come on."

"Scott."

"Jimmy."

"…fine."

"Yay!"

The walk over to Scott and Tango picnic blanket was a little slow considering how packed the park was but eventually they arrived at the picnic blanket, a mint green and light pink gingham, to which Tango was sitting at headphones on with a sketch and colored pencils. There was an open picnic basket, as well as what looked like bracelet making supply laid out, also on the blanket was a small distinguished tuxedo cat with bright green eyes in a pink harness with a pink leash attached to the harness, must be the aforementioned Elle.

Scott sat down at the bracelet making stuff leading Jimmy to sit mostly in the middle of Tango who was sketching, and Scott who was now seemingly making bracelets. Jimmy couldn't help himself from taking in the outfits that they were wearing.

Scott in a rainbow crochet star halter top and high waist decently short cool blue jean shorts, with light blue platform high top converse with butterfly's on them with white ribbed crew socks, his hair was in space buns, his bangs half pinned back with star barrettes. Tango on the other hand was dressed in a red cropped red tank top, black knee length jean shorts, and classic red converse, and he seemed to have a leather jacket close but he wasn't wearing it.

Tango eventually looked up and nearly recoiled seeing Jimmy "Hello?"

"Hi Tango."

"What are you doing here?"

"I don't know, Scott dragged me to join you guys."

"Tango he was wandering around like a lost puppy, I had to have him sit with us."

"Ah ha, okay, well good to see you Jimmy."

"You as well."

"…Can I ask why there's a cat, I'm assuming Elle, with a leash at the picnic blanket."

"Oh that's a really good story." Scott said clapping their hands together.

"Oh please don't." Tango groaned.

"Never, so that's Tango's fault, yeah this is my cat Elle, when she was a very young kitten, maybe 6 months they started making comments about walking the cat, to have her let out energy, and well I fully seriously bought a harness and leash, dropped the items in front of xem and told her to walk the cat then if xyr was going to joke about it."

"Sounds a lot like why Norman is leashed trained."

"Norman?"

"My baby boy, he still lives at my parents house, I got him as a teen, wasn't able to bring him with me to collage, and he loves my mum quite a lot so, haven't felt the need to move him with me here, even if he's mine, but at some point I might, but he's leash trained because dad made a joke to me."

"Ah yes the best solution for people making constant jokes about the same topic take them seriously." Tango said signing

"Exactly, see you get it." Scott said drawing out his words he seemed to go back to his bracelet making before he looked over at Jimmy and noticed the lack of accessories he had on "Jim, would you like me to make you a bracelet?"

"I mean if you're willing to make it?"

"Yeah! I mean I did make this ummm rainbow daisy kandi I made earlier if you'd like it, but I can make a custom one for you if you'd like?"

"If you are willing to."

"Jimmy I'm offering to make it, will probably do a wavy bracelet, which means well the way I usually do those got to ask what flavor of queer are you or if you aren't which honestly doubt is the case, but if your not just favorite color."

Jimmy paused for a minute before he said "Trans masc and Pan, also poly, but that's hard to do, but I do also like the color cerulean blue, if you got the seed beads for that."

"You know, sorry to say ummm didn't expect that, queer yeah, some how did not get a form of not cis from you."

"I might have gotten lucky enough, that I've ended up looking like a cishet white man."

"You live in this town, like no one who lives in this town is straight."

"Isn't ummm."

"You're not going to find anyone who is straight, most of the people who would be straight are bi just in those facing relationships, like Oli he's just in ones with El and Bek, which is a poly, could be counted as not straight by default but if you spend long enough with him, you will just know."

"…fair enough point."

"I think I'm going to make you two bracelets, one with your name and the other with maybe a nickname."

"Are you going to put maybe 'flower boy' on one."

"Mayhap." Scott said smirking at Jimmy, quite like the :3 they'd send when he was being mischievous over text.

"You are so chaotic sometimes, no matter how much you say that you aren't…"

"I'm not chaotic, I'm just mischievous."

"Growing up in the house I have says that those are basically the same thing."

Scott pouted at Jimmy before turning and facing his partner to go "Tangoooo, do you think the ice cream cart or truck is here?"

"I don't know, I mean if you really want your cotton candy or strawberry ice cream I can see if it is."

Scott seemingly made his eyes bigger before he said "Please my spark, I'd really like some ice cream…"

"…okay I'll get you some ice cream."

"Yay!" Scott said before taping his chin "…you know, I think you should take Jimmy with you."

"Why am I being voluntold for this…"

"I don't think Tango doesn't know what type of ice cream you'd like and would definitely just get you like a vanilla ice cream."

"You joke but I do really actually like vanilla bean ice cream."

"God are you so boring…." Tango groaned

"I'm sorry?"

"No, no it's fine, it's just besides a few things you are almost, cookie cutter white boy."

"Yeah I know, believe me, I'm aware, Grian makes me very aware of that."

"Boys, boys, having this conversation isn't going to make anything on the ice cream front faster ."

"He is right on that…"

"Yeah, he normally is honestly annoyingly right most the time."

"Hey that's rude Tango."

"See but I'm not wrong, you have before said that most the time you are always annoyingly right Scott."

Scott turned to Jimmy before he went "Jimmyyy, I think my boyfriend hates me, save me."

"You can't go flinging yourself at Jimmy if you think I'm being mean, Star."

"Watch me Spark, watch me." Scott said before leaning into Jimmy's personal space onto him like a damsel in distress in movies, his hand pressed to his forehead with the needed dramatics Scott continued with "Please, please sir that man over there is being so mean to me."

Tango responded with a dramatic "No I'm sorry my love, I didn't realize how easily replaceable I was, I won't be mean to you again."

"You're too late, I think he's thrown himself at me."

"Yeah, just take him."

Everyone on the blanket laughed at that, and for that moment, it felt like he was there, he was a part of this, part of their….no that's not the case, not the case. He was jus an accidental addition because he was wandering around like a lost puppy. That's all he was, a lost puppy who was intruding on their date. He wasn't wanted there, they were just tolerating him because, he was maybe their friend, just that their friend and right now he was their third wheel. That was what he was doing third wheeling them.

Thinking about it like that, left him with the thought of should he leave, at this point most likely, at this point he was in too deep, and he really really didn't want to leave them…besides who else would he sit with.

"Hey Jim, Jimmy, Flower Boy." Scott said waving a hand in front of Jimmy's face.

"Oh sorry, thoughts trailed off."

"All good man, just was going to ask if you were coming with me, on the quest to see if we can find ice cream, or something cold and sweet."

"Sure why not, not like I've got much to do, I mean we've closed today, I get a three day weekend." Jimmy said getting up from the blanket and stretching popping his back in the process of stretching.

"I always forget you do that, make your weekend, Sunday and Monday that is."

"I do it because theoretically Saturdays are going to be pretty busy foot traffic wise, because of the good amount of dates, but I mean didn't do that opening week, because for some reason I chose to open on Saturday."

"Tango is not at all judging you for that, we've both got our weird schedules, I work on a shift schedule, Tango works like most days besides the weekend and Wednesday."

"Look I just don't work Wednesdays."

"But you still go in."

"I work with my friends."

"So do I, that doesn't mean I go in on my days off."

"You've done so before."

"And Cleo yelled at me to go home."

"Are we getting ice cream still?" Jimmy asked

"Oh yeah, I wanted ice cream…be off boys get me ice cream, oh and good luck Jim, Tango wanders off in crowds unless you hold their hand, and even then they still try just tug you along with."

Jimmy's first thought at that was 'Gods Scott's got to be joking, really' the second was 'Wait why is Tango putting their hand in mine'

"Look if you're not going to do it, I will, your going to need it, Scott is not joking, Impulse has threatened an backpack leash, I was 17."

"And he still threatens it by the way flower boy, just so you know, but if you think you can handle it go ahead."

"…You know what I think I'm good with this, then."

"Good choice."

"Very good choice now come on." Tango said before nearly taking off in a direction, dragging Jimmy with her.

After a point Tango's hand slipped out of Jimmy's and he saw why Scott had said what they did, Tango was quick and so easy to lose in the crowds, he lost Tango in the crowd about three times before actually holding onto Tango's hand tightly as to make sure he didn't get lost.

They did end up finding the ice scream stand, Jimmy getting the vanilla bean ice cream that got him called boring by Tango, who ordered a stack cone of strawberry and cotton candy ice cream with rainbow sprinkles on it for Scott, and a waffle bowl with rocky road ice cream in it topped with peanut butter cup bits.

The walk back was quicker, Tango not getting lost this time, because he stayed stuck to Jimmy's side teasing him about the double scoop of vanilla bean ice cream with just chocolate sprinkles on it.

They got back to the picnic blanket, ice cream only slightly dripping onto Tango's hand from the cone for Scott.

Who greated them happily pressing a kiss to Tango's forehead and then getting up on tiptoe to press one to Jimmy's cheek. "Thank you lovelies." Scott sing songed smiling widely.

"Your welcome, I live to serve and run your errands."

"No you don't you just choice to, a lot."

"Yeah pretty much."

"Oh, Jimmy I did finish the bracelets for you."

"Oh?"

"Yeah come sit, I'll give you them after ice cream.

The trio finished their ice cream and then Scott gave Jimmy the bracelets, and he quickly put them on.

By the end of the Flower Festival, Jimmy had spent most of the day with the two of them exchanging stories, some how at some point Jimmy got an invitation to one of the Sunday barbecues, because Scott said he needed someone to hang out with while Tango was chained to the gill as grill master. By the end of the Flower Festival Jimmy knew he was screwed, screwed for both of them, even more then he was before, this was going to make everything a lot harder.

But Scott's bright sunny smiles and Tango's laughs at Jimmy's honestly bad jokes…those where going to be things that played over and over in this thoughts for a while.

⋆.ೃ࿔*:･❀˚.