Newsies One Shots and Short Stories

Javey- Flower Talk

David's thoughts are italics. Jack's are bold italics.

Sorry for the wait. I think I found this prompt on Pinterest but I'm not sure. 

Here we go. 

Hope you like it!

David Jacobs met the love of his life in an... interesting way.

*-=-=-* 

"How do I passive aggressively say 'fuck you' in a flower?!" 

David looked up in shock, meeting the eyes of the - rather attractive - man who'd just entered his shop. 

"Uh..." He squeaked eloquently. 

The unknown man shook his head. "Sorry, sorry. That was... definitely the wrong thing to do. I'm just gonna... start over." He drew up a smile and held out his hand. "Hi, I'm Jack." 

"David." The other replied, taking the offered hand and shaking it. "And you want to... send a message through flowers?"

"Yup." Jack replied simply. 

David cleared his throat semi-awkwardly. "If you don't mind my asking, who's it for?" 

"My brother, Tony." He grumbled. "And his new husband."

He swallowed the lump in his throat. 'Of course he's homophobic, of course.' 

"And that's why you're..." He gestured at the flowers, hoping Jack got the point. 

"Yeah! The little fuckers eloped!" He exclaimed, affronted. "Didn't tell anyone! No wedding! No family! Nothin'!" 

David could've laughed in relief. 

'No! Don't get attached! 

"O-okay then." He stuttered. 

Jack seemed to calm down, taking off his hat and running a hand through his hair. "We're throwin' 'em a housewarmin' party. So I wanted ta bring flowers. Because I'm happy for 'em. But also pissed." 

David's mouth quirked upwards into a smile and Jack looked up at him. Really looked at him. 

'Shiiiiiiit... He's amazing...'

"Er- Mr... uhm- uh, Ja-Jack?" David fumbled, trying to grab the staring man's attention.  "Are you okay? Do... do I have something on my face?"

'Just beauty...'

"What?" Asked a confused David. 

'Shit, I said that out loud?!' 

"Yes, you did." Answered a still very confused David. 

Jack's ears and neck were completely red. "I-I'm sorry, I just-... never mind. Uhh... flowers?" 

 "O-okay." David agreed. "So, we have orange lilies representing hatred, and some geraniums for stupidity, yellow carnations meaning 'you have disappointed me', foxglove for insincerity, and meadowsweet for uselessness." He indicated each flower as the two passed it. 

Jack clapped his hands together. "Sounds good!" 

While David put the bouquet together, Jack took a look around at the flowers and their tags. One read: Heliotrope- eternal love, devotion. Another was: red Salvia- forever mine. 

As he glanced around at a few more, an idea loosely formed itself in his mind. He took out a piece of paper and scribbled down a few flower names, along with their colors and meanings. 

"Jack?" David called. "Your flowers are ready." 

Jack grinned at him and paid for the bouquet, carefully taking the flowers from David. "Thanks Davey!" 

*-=-=-* 

The next day, after the rush hour (it's surprising how busy a flower shop can get) he was closing up the shop when he found a small package on the counter with his name on it. 

He opened it carefully and gasped at the contents. 

It was a beautiful canvas painting of a sunset over water. It was only when he looked closer that he realized every color was a tiny picture of a flower. White camellias at the center of the sun, fading into yellow tulips, to orange roses, to pink camellias, to red chrysanthemums, to lavender roses, all above an ocean made of blue salvia and delphinium. 

The meanings of each flower popped into his head and he couldn't help but smile. 

White Camellia- you're adorable 

Yellow Tulip- sunshine in your smile

Orange Rose- desire, enthusiasm

Pink Camellia- longing for you

Red Chrysanthemum- I love you

Lavender Rose- love at first sight

Blue Salvia- I think of you

Delphinium- seizing new opportunities 

He flipped the canvas over, carefully checking for a signature. Instead, he found a short message on the top corner. 

David, 

Thanks again for everything, I hope I get to see you again. 

-Jack

David almost squealed, but managed to keep it in. He checked the package once more and found a little scrap of paper with a phone number written on it. 

He couldn't help but smile. 

*-=-=-* 

Three years later, after many twists and turns, the two men were married in a little field just out of the city. 

It was a sweet ceremony, and there wasn't a dry eye in the whole place (despite what Jack's brother-in-law Sean will tell you). David's twin sister Sarah walked him down the aisle, and Jack's disabled brother Charlie was the happiest possible best man as he limped down the aisle with the rings. 

But see, instead of just the boring old exchanging of the rings, the two also exchanged flowers. 

Jack pinned a small bushel of red salvia - forever mine - on David's lapel, who in turn pinned a little bunch of yarrow - everlasting love - on Jack's. 

It was a good day all around. 

A few other confessions were made. Jack's one-eyed older brother announced he was dating his best friend, David's little brother Les announced that he and his fiancée were expecting, David's best man - who he'd never known by anything but Finch - blushingly invited his longtime crush - a redhead with a loud laugh, another one of Jack's brothers, - to dance, and Jack's troublesome brother Antonio, or Tony, got so drunk he stumbled into a pond and had to be rescued by his husband. 

Yes, it was a very good day.