Adventuretimefantic's drafts and oneshots

Big man, small flowers (Halsin x reader)

Fandom: Baldurs Gate 3
Ship: Halsin X reader
General synopsis: modern AU where Druids run animal sanctuaries and garden centres.

At long last, you had a house. After saving for years and working shitty jobs, you finally had a place to call home. It wasn't very big, but it had a back and front yard, which was exactly what you wanted. You wanted room for plants and pets, a giant kitchen or bathroom didn't matter to you as long as your yard was a decent size. After weeks of moving furniture and necessities in, it was finally time to start working on the outside of the house. First you struggled to build a pot plant display shelf from a crappy instruction booklet to put all the potted plants you already had on, then you fixed up the garden beds the house came with, marked off an area for a pond that would be a project for later. Eventually the back yard was in condition to start planting things, so when you heard there was going to be a big plant and yard market nearby, you knew where you'd be spending your weekend. There were a few things you definitely wanted to keep an eye out for, nice pots, fruit trees, some herbs and flowers that would bloom year round. But anything else that was a decent price and caught your eye, you were open to as well.

Thankfully, the two dollar entry fee included a cart to carry around any pots and bigger plants in so you arrived at opening time and set out with your trolley going through all the stalls and taking a look at their wares. Some were specifically gardening tools, some handmade pots and hangers, some sold specifically fruits, specifically variants of the same species, specifically tree saplings. You had quite the haul at the one dollar each seed packet table, got a funny looking watering can shaped like a dinosaur, found some fruits you were hoping to get. Stopped at a food truck for a smoothie before continuing on. Unsurprisingly the place was crawling with Druids, wood elves and nymphs, all the nature beings out to grow their collection of plants. And as expected, the local Druid grove had several tables set up with varying plants and tools to buy, as well as information on their grove for visitors and aspiring Druids.

It was at that stall you spotted a small but promising potted bush of hibiscus, bright orange-yellow with a pink-red centre. They were gorgeous, they'd be so pretty next to where the pond you were planning would go. Seeing them suddenly filled your mind with ideas for that area. Hibiscus, frangipani and orchids surrounding the pond full of fish with a little fountain. It was perfect, you had to have it. Slight issue though, this pot was... quite heavy. It WAS a small bush after all, it had a lot of dirt and roots in that pot.

"Need some help?"

Looking up from your struggle with the pot, you had to just stare in awe for a moment. That was the BIGGEST man you'd ever seen. But GODS was he hot. Definitely older than you, maybe middle aged? Towering height, buff arms and long hair pulled out of his face, tattooed, wearing the groves crest on his apron, so obviously one of the Druids. Despite the towering frame and arms that could crush you, he had such a gentle smile and kind voice.

"U-uh- yes! Yes, thank you" you stammered, snapping yourself out of your daze.

Like it was nothing, he lifted the pot with zero effort, placing it into your cart with everything else you'd gotten so far.

"Quite the nursery you have going on in here" he said.

"I just moved into a new place, finally get to have my own garden so I'm going a bit nuts" you explained.

"Ah, I did much of the same when I had my first property. I was more concerned with the garden than the inside of the house for a while"

"Oh I was rushing to get the essentials done so I could start the garden"

You couldn't stop looking at him, there was something so... sweet about him. Despite being the walking image of a masculine body builder, he wasn't threatening at all, dominating but in a gentle almost guiding way. Your eyes eventually landed on the name tags next to the groves logo. Oh shit- he was the ARCHDRUID. Halsin Silverborough... yeah that sounded like a Druid name.

"What are your plans for the garden, if I may ask? Perhaps we have some plants you're looking for" he said.

"Well the hibiscus is going next to a pond with a little fountain, hoping to have frangipani over it for the shade, some orchids would be good... and once the pond is in I'll be looking for water plants to give the fish somewhere to hide" you explained.

"Ah, a tropical look. Good choice of colour for the hibiscus then, they'll fit right in. We do have pink and yellow orchids as well. And I do know a nursery that stocks all colours of frangipani tree starters"

"You're just a walking plant dispenser huh?"

"That's being archdruid for you" he chuckled.

You weren't sure how long you ended up going through plants and discussing the best ways to place, care for and build up that garden plan of yours, but it felt like hours. Hours you didn't want to end, because there was just something so comforting about this man. And he had good answers for every question, good advice for every issue. And when you eventually had to head home for the day, he offered his strength again to help load up the heavier pots into the back of your car. You almost didn't want to leave, but you had to get these plants home. With many thanks and a friendly goodbye, you parted ways and headed home. One by one you hauled the plants into the back yard, deciding you'd start the actual planting process tomorrow, you needed to sit down after all day on your feet. When you sat down inside and finally decided to look at the receipts to see what the damage to your wallet was in total, there was something else written in pen at the bottom of the Emerald Grove's receipt underneath the phone number and email address.

I do happen to know a thing or two about setting up ponds, so if you want some help, feel free to call. I'd love to see your garden when it's done. No doubt it will be as beautiful as you.
-Halsin.

So you just weren't being a massive simp for the massive man and his army of flowers, he was returning your slight flirtatious remarks? You decided then and there, you'd definitely need some help with that pond.