serendipity + viktuuri drabbles

camomile

the flower shop & tattoo parlor au that nobody asked for.

+

it doesn't take long for viktor to notice that something is different.

his coffee warms his cold hands as he walks to work, his boots colliding with the concrete with a soft clomp.

seemingly, there is nothing different, until viktor reaches his storefront.

instinctively he casts a glance to the empty store beside his, looking for the ever present "for sale" sign that was beginning to grow weeds all around it, but he doesn't see it.

he throws open the door to the tattoo parlor, a jingle ringing throughout the store as the door opens and a familiar face whips around.

"hey viktor," chris mumbles, obviously deep in concentration, engrossed in something in his computer.

"hey," he replies absentmindedly, setting his things down and turning to chris. "have you noticed that the sale sign is gone from the lot next door?"

chris nods enthusiastically. "yeah, have you met the owner?"

viktor shakes his head, prompting his coworker to continue. "no."

chris then spins around in his chair, fully facing a surprised viktor. "you should go see him then, he's there now, his store is open."

viktor nods. "i think i will."

+

the door is white, the once bright paint chipping and the knob a little less shiny than it probably once was, but viktor turns it anyways and walks into a forest.

plants reside everywhere. some are large with leaves sprouting everywhere and some are smaller, keeping themselves in their pots.

a man stands behind the counter, head ducked into a magazine and an off white apron loosely tied around him. he wears a pale blue sweater and blue glasses.

viktor clears his throat and the man's head jerks upward, his cheeks immediately flushing in red.

"welcome! ah, how can i help you, sir?" he says, his voice only wavering slightly.

viktor chuckles, striding forward to the man behind the counter. upon further observation, he notes that the apron has small embroidered flowers all over it.

"i'm your neighbor, actually," viktor says with a soft smile. "i run the tattoo parlor next door."

the man's mouth falls open and he hurriedly steps around from behind the counter, cautiously wiping his hands on his apron before extending it out to viktor.

"katsuki yuuri, but please just call me yuuri!" yuuri says, his voice cracking and raising in volume.

viktor shakes the slightly trembling and slightly sweaty hand before him. "viktor nikiforov. i understand you met my coworker?"

yuuri nods. "chris? he seems nice, it's great to have lovely neighbors."

this is when the butterflies begin to stir in viktor's stomach.