The adventure of the gay florist.

Flowers. So silent and delicate, and yet say so much. 

As a florist I can tell you how to say, ' you’re an ass' in 9 different ways.

Pretty neat huh?

But handy when it comes to relationships. That’s partly why I winded up as a florist. I’m not saying that I like people that are angry, I just like people who burst into my shop with purpose, looking over at me breathless and with cheeks aflame.

Today, there had been two funeral arrangements to make up- a fairly boring task. So I snapped on my blue headphones and resumed with ‘stayin alive’ blasting in my ears. I hummed along, plucking one of the lilies out and tucking it to one side. Carefully, I repositioned the flora with one slim finger.

The bell jingled merrily.

I lifted my head automatically as a tall figure ducked his head under.

His grey overcoat hung off him, wiry limbs flopping about as he wandered in.

“Hello there, how can I help you?” I called, snatching my notebook and a stub of a pencil from the counter.

As he brushed through the narrow gap between pre-arranged bouquets, he peered apologetically at me.

“Sorry, I was told you help me out. He said to give you this..” the man said doubtfully.

In his hand was a little slip of paper, which he passed to me.

My eyes scanned the note, and snapped back up at him.

“Give me a sec”

I left the counter and flew past him lock the door. I bolted the windows too, and wound the blinds for extra measure. As I flew about the room, checking each exit, each vent, I could feel his eyes burning into the back of my skull.

Through out all this he’d been bewildered.

When I had finished I leaned against the counter, cupping my own face in my hands.

“So what can I do for you… Adam?”

Adam drew breath sharply.

“I need,” He whispered, drawing closer still,” A wondaFlower.”

My blood ran cold, and I reared back, wobbling.

“Surely you aren’t serious? Me? Go to the Amazon and retrieve a flower that men have died trying to find?”

Adam looked taken aback.

“But you’re a Witch aren’t you? Carlton said you could help”

I set my jaw.

“Damn straight I am.”

Then I paused.

“Well, I’m not straight but I am a witch. And Carlton? I didn’t think anybody thought he was trustworthy. HE looks like a mole with that moustache .For God’s sake"

“But can you help me?” he persisted, eyes wide and bloodshot.

He needed that flower, and badly.

“ I can. On one condition".

“What is it? Anything!”

I spoke slowly, savoring the words.

“You come with me, and go for a night on the town with me because holy shit you need a drink”

He laughed, curly brown hair shaking from side to side. 

“But seriously. I can’t come. I have to stay for Amy.”

He said, features flashing back to being weathered and torn.

“I can’t go on my own. Besides, I’m sure Amy will be fine. Hopefully we’ll be gone for under a month, that’s assuming the plane doesn’t crash and we all perish.”

Adam pulled a face.

“She has cancer. I can’t .”

“You can. I’ll get Tip to watch over her.”

“Tip?”

As if on cue( rather strangely), Tip slunk into the room, her little head peeping out at Adam from behind the counter.

“My familiar”

Tip rolled her eyes and nestled back on her haunches. She sprung up, and with great difficulty.

“ She’s a little..” Adam seemed to change his mind and resumed “ I mean are you sure she’ll help?”

My hand paused, buried in her sleek grey fur.

“ She’s not fat, she’s just fluffy”

“ Look, Charles-”

“Charlie”I interjected, scratching Tip’s head while she gazed imploringly at Adam.

“Charlie, You can’t possibly think that a cat can help her?”

I guffawed, and Tip’s head spun around to glare at me.

“Of course not. She’s a cat. But her presence will be enough to slow the cancer. Just enough to buy us a little more time.”

Adam sighed, running his hand through his soft hair, which flopped back into place.

“ Fine, we’ll do it. Just promise me that it’ll be okay?”

His eyes searched mine. I’d seen that expression before- a face that had been marred with desperation

I turned away” I don’t make promises I can’t keep. But I promise you that I will try.”

He nodded, and that was how it all began.

-----------

I swung my blade across the ferns to clear our path, dragging along with me the most insufferable git that I have ever met. My insufferable git.

“Can’t we just rest?” Adam moaned, dragging his feet when he could avoid the snares of plants.

“No”I snapped” do you want to save your sister or not? It’s been two weeks, and we still haven’t found it. “

“I do”, he muttered between breaths.”it’s just..”

The trees were becoming more dense, tangled together like spiderwebs, all interlinking and crossing one another to catch their prey.

“The heat, I anticipated. But the rain” He panted.

I drew breath to speak.

“I’m afraid so. They never do.”

I slipped my hands into my pockets and found my dowsing rods.

Adam sighed heavily when I produced them, shaking his head.

“Not those again. Last time you didn’t find any water to replenish our stocks and we ended up going severely off course. “

“And you have a better idea?”

He ignored me and kept trudging on.

“ Exactly. We can’t all find water accidentally you know.” I said, waving my rods at him.

I held them in each hand, pointing them forwards and taking great care to hold them steady.

At first they hung there. But as I kept walking, the rods began to move towards each other, until they crossed over.

“Adam look! I told you. Fresh water today.” I called, turning my head to beam at him.

But Adam merely shrugged, eyes cast to the ground, and so I made my merry way in a huff.

I followed the dowsing rods further and further into the thicket, glancing behind me ever so often to check that he was still there.Golden light flooded through the branches of the tree,s casting a pleasant glow onto my face. Somehow, this was a different neck of the woods.

We had left the spider’s web and now..

“Look”

Adam stared down at something that I couldn’t quite see, in the distance.

“What is it?” I asked eagerly.

“You can’t see? It’s a blue flower, and it’s-” He swallowed hard.

“what?” I demanded as he turned to me.

“Charlie. It’s glowing”

My eyes widened, a smile creeping up my face.

“ We did it.” 

The wondaFlower glowed from every angle, shining with sprays of gold and tinged red.It was a beam of hope. It was a lighthouse to a boat on a stormy sea.

I was about to step closer, when Adam stuck an arm out to stop me.

“Look”

Thorns writhed along the ground, curled and dripping. They spiked out , like traps set to destroy.

Sometimes, beneath the tangle of thorns, they’d be a glint of red, or peeking out, a bone, marred and decaying.

My heart sank. 

The boat was overturned.

Adam wore a face of stone, but his lip quivered and he struggled not to cry out..

I put a hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it away.

“I can find a way.” he said, doubtfully.

“maybe we can hack through it? “

“No” I replied, “They’re resistant.We need to go straight through”

I fiddled with the button of my cloak. And then, it hit me.

“Of course!” my head reeled with exitement.

“what is it?” Adam asked gloomily.

“MY cloak. It’s made of dragon hide.Very resistant. And very rare. Of course, it is second hand, but that works to our advantage. I just need to swaddle myself, and then grab the flower”

Adam stared at me.

“Dragon hide? “

I nodded.

“ Yeah, could you help wrap me up? I need to ensure it holds.”I ask briefly.

Adam cleared his throat and looked away.

“Sure but won’t your feet be affected?”

“Ordinarily, but I enchanted these boots when I was 16 because I wanted to climb Everest to meet the guardian there. It worked well.”

I let Adam wind my cloak tight around me.

His breath fanned my neck as he worked. When it was taut, I tried to move.

I found I could only shuffle, and so I shifted my body forward little by little, eyes fixed upon the flower. I was wading through rivers of poison and thorns like needles which poked at my cloak. Thank heavens I had my cloak.

“ Keep going Charlie! You’re nearly there” 

I couldn’t move to look at Adam, but I apreciated the encouragement.

His voice was laced with panic, but I couldn’t dwell upon that, for I had to keep going.

Closer. The flower was right there. Delicate buds open to the sun, sparkling, smiling up at me.

When I reached the centre, I struggled to free an arm from my bonds to grab the flower, wriggling it free.

Shaking, I reached out, and picked the flower.

It glowered still in my palm, and I slipped it carefully into my herb box, which was already in my upper pocket so it wouldn’t get crushed.

When I made my way back, Adam was waiting anxiously.

He sprung on me in an instant and unwound the cloak.

“Are you okay?“,he asked.

“I’ve got it” I said, producing the box from my pocket. I held it out for him.

His eyes went wide, but he persisted.

“Are you okay?”

“ Yes. I would say that I’ve been through worse but that really isn’t true” I said. I felt sweat standing out on my forehead, that my cheeks were flushed red.

“Thank you” He pulled me into his warm chest, leaning down to hug me tight. And for while, we stayed that way.

------------

I furiously crushed the flower with the stone mortar and pestle, shirt pushed up all the way up to my elbows. The shop hadn’t been opened since my return, and so when I’d arrived, the flowers were frozen brown and stiff. I’d chucked it all away, and hadnt the heart to order any more just yet.

I mixed the blue gloop with water, and emptied it into a vial.

God this had to work.

……….

When I had arrived at the hospital, It was already bustling. I patted my pocket to make sure the vial was still there, which it was. 

The receptionist gave me look of disbelief when I told her that I was visiting Amy Spleefer.

“Are you immediate family?”

“Yes” I answered quickly, casting my eyes to the floor.

“Sure”

“ Okay I’m not, but it is urgent that I see her.” I pleaded.

We had worked so hard to be stuck at this point.

“ He’s with me. I’m his boyfriend. Amy wants to see him too” said a familiar voice from behind me.

Boyfriend. My cheeks were on fire,

“Adam” I grinned, trying to pretend that I wasn't thrilled at his cover up.

Adam held a bouquet of flowers in one hand. Lillies.

Oh god no.

As we walked away, I leaned over to him.

“ Thanks for that. But you might want to lose the lillies” I muttered.

He appeared taken aback, but looked upon me to explain.

“We use them for funerals. I’d say that’s bad luck on Amy’s part.”

Amy’s hospital room was fairly pleasant. She had a little window with a view of the terrace, and some posters strewn over the walls. There was also a little open box of fudge on the table.

She sat up at first sign of her brother, who immediately swooped in to embrace her.

And to my surprise, when he released her, she opened her arms for me too. I gladly hugged her tight.

“Thank you” She whispered as I let go. A small mew sounded from under the sheets.

"Tip!"

I beamed as Tip poked her head out, and scooped her into my arms.

"She's been lovely. Of course, I have to hide her when the doctors and nurses come in, but I'll miss her"

"Ain't she just"

I took out the little vial, and handed it to her.

Adam held her hand as she tipped the contents into her mouth to drink, grimacing at the taste for a moment.

“I’m sorry. The taste can’t be helped.”I apologised rubbing my neck.

" It's alright. I can cope" Amy said, setting down the empty vial and nestling back into her pillows.

"Cool, well. I must go. Busy busy. Got to mind the shop, and feed the cat, and-"

Adam's lips brushed my cheek. Heat rose to my face.

"And I- and I- I'm free tonight if you'd like dinner?" I asked, swallowing. My heart danced inside my chest.It was alive, and pulsing. It craved confirmation.

Adam looked away for a second as if to consider it.

" I'd like that".