you belong among the wildflowers

[toliveagain]

It's been a little over a week since the grand opening of Thistle Do Nicely, and Riley has been pleasantly surprised by how well the reception to the shop has been. They'd found a prime location, halfway between the boardwalk and a bakery and bookshop, so while they've already gotten customers ordering future arrangements for things like anniversaries and birthdays, they also get people in to pick up the occasional stray flower here and there, just to give to someone special. He's already thinking he and Ryan should eventually consider setting up a small flower kiosk out on the boardwalk itself, though it's still a little too hot for that. Maybe more into autumn, when people are looking for bursts of color to brighten the darker days.

As for today, it's slower than it's been since they opened and while in some ways that's a little disappointing, it also comes as a little bit of a relief because it means he can concentrate on other things. Ordering more inventory, for one, which may or may not include a Keurig machine because having to walk to Quill every time he needs another caffeine fix (which is considerably often) is already starting to get old.

Glancing over his shoulder to see Ryan attending to a customer who seems much more interested in learning about his likes and dislikes than the different kinds of carnations they offer, Riley smirks to himself before turning his attention to his phone. Shooting off a text to the contacts he's made in town so far, he tucks his phone back in his pocket and wanders outside with a watering can to take care of the flowers they've set up for display outside. It's a beautiful day out, Riley observes, and he can only hope that someone else will come along soon to make it even better.



[Feel free to use this post to meet Riley AND Ryan! If you don't specify in your tag or in the subject line, we'll just assume we have permission to tag your character separately :) Everyone come say hi to the qt flower shop boyzzzz~~~!]

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[toliveagain]

Riley had known people like that and of course, the one of them he knows who'd died seeking out a thrill had been driving a car when it'd happened. Street racing through a New York neighborhood has always sounded to him like one of the dumbest things a person could do and yet, Jordan had refused to let up. He'd paid for it with his life and four years later, Riley had gotten a taste of the fear his friend must have felt before he'd taken his last breath.

For a moment, he's shaken, busying himself with rearranging flowers that don't need rearranging, and he doesn't want to say anything that will offend Adam or make him uncomfortable.

When he glances back at him, Riley just offers a tight smile. "I don't drive at all anymore," he admits. "I mean, I couldn't anyway, considering I could black out behind the wheel. Your brother probably wouldn't have given me the time of day."

[silent_key]

"No," Adam says simply. "I don't either."

He'd never done much driving at all before the accident, having been working since he was sixteen. He'd been driven almost everywhere, he'd had drivers sent by the companies he worked for, by his agency, by everyone in between, and he'd never particularly enjoyed it. Now, though, the thought of getting into a car sends him into a panic he doesn't even like to think about.

"My brother wasn't very smart," he continues and he tries to make his voice sound a little less angry than he's feeling. "But he's not around here to judge either of us boring anymore, so fuck it. Boring might not be such a bad thing." Neither of them are boring and he's sure they both know it, but if Keller had wanted to label them as such, Adam thinks he could have gotten quite comfortable with it.

[toliveagain]

As true as that may be, Riley finds himself staring down at his shoes with a tight smile. There's a part of him that's glad he's found someone who's been through something like what he had but at the same time, Adam's experience had been so much worse in so many ways. Riley can't imagine how he'd feel if Ryan had been in the car with him that night; all he really knows is that he'd blame himself if anything were ever to happen to his best friend, and he wonders whether Adam feels that way about his brother in spite of what he's said.

Clearing his throat, he reaches for a handful of lilacs then holds them out to Adam, his smile softening. "Here, take these. Lilacs. They're supposed to represent a fresh start and seeing as we've both just moved here, it seems appropriate enough."