before evening arrives, he's managed to find time to return to his hotel for a quick shower and a change of clothes. he's sure some people might find his uniform attractive, but he has a feeling she wouldn't care for it. so, dressed appropriately, he heads out, traversing along the quiet streets of fallarbor before arriving at the best flower shop in town.

atkins' arrangements.

pushing through the door, he casts a quick glance around the space, taking it in before heading over to the counter.

"excuse me, i'm here to pick up an order of cobblers."

willow atkins

☉

it's a little chilly. the greenhouse is usually cranked with heat, but its priority tends to leave the flower shop a bit on the cold side, especially since people come and go all day long. so she's glad she pulled on one of her nicer sweaters (one she hasn't worn in well over a year, in favor of all her comfy long-sleeves and flannels).

she helps elisabet rearrange some of the flowers, filling their buckets with water where they'll sit overnight. there's only an hour left in her business hours and she worries, briefly, that he may have changed his mind. 

but no sooner does that thought enter her mind that the door opens and he's there. she grins and gestures to the empty cake stands, where only crumbs remain. 

"i'm sorry, sir, but i'm afraid they're all gone. i do have some kept warm in the oven, but i've already promised those to someone else. a handsome man who helped me pick the blackberries himself."

she thinks, i haven't done this in so long and my god, what am i saying?

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

"oh?" briefly, he looks around, but his gaze doesn't stray for too long. "well, i don't see him here, so..."

his hand raises, palm facing up to gesture to the space between them, as though asking for the warm cobbler that sounds far too delicious. but it's then that he dismisses his act with a chuckle, breaking into a smile that's genuine and perhaps as warm as the cobbler in the oven.

"it's good to see you again, willow. you look great."

he leans forward just a little.

"and it smells amazing in here."

willow atkins

☉

he continues the charade and she feels a little less silly for it. he leans in a little bit closer and she stops breathing, for a moment, but then she raises a hand to the goldenrod tucked behind her ear, keeping her long bangs from her face. she rights in, speaks to him in a language he doesn't understand, but one that grounds her. 

"thank you."

she lifts the counter, the space between them, and nods to elisabet. the leavanny will watch over the storefront while she's away; it's certainly not the first time. 

the door behind the counter is unlocked and she gestures for him to follow. and upstairs they go to her cozy abode. the smell of the pie only gets stronger as they tromp up the steps. the house is quiet with roman and her mother gone, and adelaide too, but it's nice. 

she puts on oven mitts and draws out the pieces she'd saved for them. 

"i hope you didn't have any trouble finding the place."

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

it's a nice house — comfortable, cozy, and ambrosial in the way that it smells like the promised pie. he follows her into the kitchen, hanging back while she reaches for the pieces she'd saved for them.

"no trouble at all. i really did just ask for the best flower shop in town."

and they led him here, so surely there's some truth in that statement.

"i know nothing about baking..." he admits, "how long did it take you to make this?"

willow atkins

☉

flowering plants and succulents frame the kitchen window. her father was big into stained glass and so little trinkets hang from spots all about the kitchen. the fridge displays a calendar, of little reminders for herself and roman, for adelaide. it's a simple look into herself. 

with her back still turned, she checks the temperature of the pies, pulling off the foil to make sure the tops hadn't browned. "oh, i made quite a few so it took some time. normally i have my son help me, but he'd rather wreak havoc on my garden lately."

she turns. one generous piece sits on one plate, a smaller one on the other. she hands the bigger one to him with a fork and chuckles a bit nervously. 

"just going to put this out there. i, ah, haven't done this in a while." she gestures between the two of them. "seen someone, i mean. so just, i don't know - there's no pressure. i think you're nice and handsome and oh, i'm going to stop talking now."

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

rebellious phase, then? or maybe just rebellious in general? he doesn't think to ask, however, perhaps a little worried of crossing boundaries.

"thank you."

he peers down at the plate, smiling as he picks up the fork. it's with ease that it finds itself lodged in the pie, soon scooping up a mouthful only to still at her words.

"what, bake?"

a joke to help the tension, perhaps. he chuckles, shaking his head.

"no, no, please keep talking. i like listening to you."

he smiles, genuine with what he says.

"i think you're nice and beautiful and kind and..."

the scoop of pie finds his mouth, and after a moment, he chuckles.

"...and a hell of a baker."

willow atkins

☉

she exhales a tension she hasn't felt in years. the last few times she'd tried to re-enter the dating pool were rather sorry attempts. mentioning roman, or kids in general, typically made the conversation tense, withdrawn. but maybe she's finally just getting older and i don't even know if that's worse.

regardless, she's smiling as she bites into her own piece, and beaming by the end of it. her cheeks hurt. "well, i guess we have those things in common. except the baking, i see."

she reaches for the fridge handle and grabs it, tugging it open. she pours a couple of glasses of milk and actually stops dilly-dallying. she takes a seat at her dining room table - another handmade antique of her grandfather's. 

"i like ciders. and fresh honey. flowers mean a whole lot to me. and i've been thinking about that spot outside lilycove ever since you mentioned it." she takes another bite. "your turn. tell me things about yourself. please."

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

"i can bake. just not very well."

no, he can't, but maybe they'll get to find out someday.

following her into the dining room, he slides into the seat next to hers, appreciating the handmade antique for a brief moment before turning his attention back to her.

"the spot's still as nice as ever. i'll take you soon."

they can have a picnic and everything by the small pond. the thought sounds nice.

when the topic shifts to him, he chuckles, buying time by sipping at his glass of milk.

"i'm a ranger captain stationed in lilycove. i like dark beers, the petrichor after it rains, and as gruesome as it can be at times, battling."

he pauses, thinking of anything else to add.

"i moved here last year. i lived in sinnoh before that."

willow atkins

☉

i'll take you soon. and just like that, a plan for a second date. she thinks that this must be going really well, despite the bit of awkwardness that lingers about the corners. but that's normal, especially for a first date. it means they're not moving too fast. 

she nibbles quietly while he eats. the pie really is delicious. probably some of the best she's made. it always helps that grace's berries provide so much flavor, so really she should attribute her success to that.

"oh, i can certainly get behind the petrichor. it's wonderful here after it rains." it doesn't surprise her that he enjoys battling. she's never much been one for the sport. sometimes she'll take her pokemon out to stretch their legs, but most of the time she leaves them to their own devices on the property, warding off critters that would nibble on the garden.

"oh? what brought you to hoenn?"

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

"duty."

it's a half-truth, told only to spare himself the pain from breathing memories back to life. some other time, perhaps, but for now, he wants to enjoy the moment, to not think of the ghosts that haunt him.

"the rangers needed help here so i volunteered to move over."

another bite later, and he smiles.

"i'm glad i did."

willow atkins

☉

oh. she poked at things she shouldn't have. this reply is short, is blunt, and it hits her that most of hoenn's rangers and officers have seen some shit, just by proxy of being in hoenn. she's probably one of the only people to not have been directly affected by the war around her. 

(if anything, the growth in her clientele can thank the ravages on hoenn's society.)

a sour thought, that one, but she shakes it off. "sorry. i - well, i live kind of like a hermit up here and sometimes i forget about...yeah." she frowns, reaches out to tentatively put a hand over his. 

she tries to match his smile. "i'm glad you did too."

it gets quiet. her mind races as the silence lapses. she realizes her hand is still on his. she also remembers something just as she realizes that. so she jumps up, accidentally bumps the table with her hip and grunts, cheeks going red as she saunters around him. 

"i, uh, got you something. after you said you hate being stuck in an office. i thought it might spruce it up a bit, bring a little bit of the outside in." 

she reaches up on top of the fridge (where Roman Maher can't reach) and grabs the pot of morning glory she'd covered with a cloth napkin. with most of her blush gone, she turns and goes back to the table, holding out to him like it's the most important thing in the world. 

because it is, really, but he doesn't know that.

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

if only he could live like a hermit. things would be much easier then, as well as much less painful. he envies those who could, but he knows some that would condemn them for doing so.

appreciating the warmth and comfort that comes from such a small gesture, he nods, shaking the thought off as well before she turns away.

"oh! you didn't have to."

but he's definitely not going to deny it, especially when he sees it's a cute morning glory flower. he beams at the sight, chuckling as he reaches out for it.

"...i love it."

unsurprisingly, the ranger knows the meaning behind the flower, though he chooses not to comment on it.

"thank you, willow. really."

the flower lowers as he takes a step closer to her, and slowly, he leans in to plant a kiss on her cheek.

willow atkins

☉