Full Bloom (Katakuri X OC)

Chapter 12. Cute

Flore was in the bathroom, having stripped and doing his best to figure out how to wear the male kimono. After several minutes of struggling he decided his appearance was as best as it would get, and knocked on the door to tbe outside to warn Katakuri of him ready to come out.

Flore walked out, dressed uncomfortably in a light red kimono with a darker red sash around his waist. He was tugging at each sleeve and around the fabric hanging loosely on his shoulders in annoyance.

"It feels itchy..." he grumbled, then looked over and up at Katakuri.

The man once adorned in leather clothing and spikes was now dressed in a kimono of a smiliar fashion, wearing a black fashioned robe.

"It looks good on you," Katakuri looked over back at Flore, who stared in shock at Katakuri's change of appearance.

"You look so different-" Flore said, obviously shocked at the immense change. "I wasn't expecting you to change into this style."

"Well you did say it would help to blend in better," Katakuri pointed out.

"Well more so for me-"

"Huh?"

"You're 16 feet tall-"

"And?"

"That's nearly 3 times the height as anyone else around us, even in the right clothes you'd still be pretty noticeable."

"I didn't consider that," the man hummed. "Though it's not like I planned on staying in the room the entire time we were here."

"Did you have plans?" Flore asked.

"To come along with you."

"Really?" Flore felt a bit flustered, looking down to fix his clothes and better hide his giddy face. "Alright. I was just gonna go walk around the city for now, if you're ok with that?"

"Sure."

"Great," the younger man then headed towards the door with Katakuri trailing after him, going out the hotel and into the Flower Capital.

~~

"Oh wow-" Flore looked out across the street before them, his head whipping around in every direction at how charming and lively everything was now that he had gotten the chance to focus on the scenery.

"Everything is so beautiful and cultured here," he smiled with a happy tone in his voice. "It's like a new world entirely!"

"It all looks strange to me," Katakuri added. "There's never been any other place similar to Wano that I've seen before. It does look nice, but weird at the same time."

The two began to walk around, with what Katakuri said sticking to Flore's mind.

"Have you traveled alot?" Flore asked up to him, standing near his side as they traversed the bustling city streets.

"I've never left the Grand Line, if that's what you're asking," the man responded. "I've been to a couple places, but usually stay back in Totto Land."

"You've never been outside the Grand Line before?" Flore asked in shock. Although in hindsight it did make sense, since Katakuri was the supposed heir to a yonko, and they were only ever concerned with ruling territory within the Grand Line it seemed.

"Have you?" Katakuri asked.

"What?"

"Traveled alot, I mean," the man looked down and over at Flore, who had been distracted by a food vendor yelling out to those on the street to try their Takoyaki.

"I have," Flore answered. "Throughout the North Blue when I was younger, but moved to the Grand Line ever since. I'm hoping to live on my own island from here on out once all of this is over... I feel like living in peace will still take a while though."

"Why is that?"

"Hm?" Flore hesitated. "Nothing really, just more things to do once leaving here I guess. Though it would be great if you would join-"

Flore went silent before he could say more, turning away from his associate who looked back at him confused as to what he had meant to say.

"To join you?" Katakiri finished his sentence.

"Hell... why did I say that?" Flore covered his face, feeling embarassed enough to fall over and die in the street. "That's not for anyone to know... or me to offer... he's just so...."

"Hey, look over there," Katakuri then pointed out across the street at a nearby restaurant. Flore instantly turned around, his face without any red flush, and looked in the man's direction.

"It's already about noon, shouldn't we eat?" Katakuri asked. "The place looks to have a botanical themed menu."

"Was that an assumption about me dealing with plants?" Flore asked.

"It seems like you would like it."

"Well you're right, I do."

~~

The two walked inside, instantly greeted by staff who led them to the more exclusive area of the restaurant. The entire place was filled with lush greenery, especially full-bloomed cherry blossom trees, and gave off a sweet smell in the air along with the beauty the place gave off.

"They seated us as special guests-?" Flore asked Katakuri once the two sat across from each other at a table, surrounded by a lively crowd of other patrons talking happily around them.

"Word must have gone around that we arrived," Katakuri answered his query. "Between this treatment and the nice hotel, we should come to expect being treated nicely here."

"Right..." Flore nodded, looking around at the others who had obviously noticed the out of town newcomers among them now. "It would be great without all of the attention though."

"Kaido has kept their borders closed for some time, the people here don't see strangers like us often."

"I guess we do stand out a bit," Flore's eyes went back to him and Katakuri. The man was already incredibly tall with piercing eyes, and half of his face being covered only made his gaze more noticeable and piercing.

But...speaking of that....

"You- aren't going to eat. Are you?" Flore revealed the man's true intentions.

"I don't plan on it. You can have whatever you like though," Katakuri confirmed.

Flore went to say more on the matter, before their waitress came to take their orders. By the time lunch was finished Flore hadn't gotten a chance to say more about what was on his mind, and only started feeling worse about Katakuri's situation.