The Flower Shop

	The bell at the door rang cheerfully as Kris left the flower shop, leaving the proprietor alone. Asgore stood, waving at his child as they walked away and out of sight. He didn’t move for a minute, a smile wide on his face as the evening started to turn late, the light becoming just slightly more orange every minute. Shadows lengthened as those distance footsteps moved even further away, the old goat still smiling. He turned around, looking about his shop as it glowed fluorescent white, while gorgeous colors filled every corner. His face relaxed as he saw all of his flowers sitting happily together, their petals perfect in almost every way. Even the bouquets looked gleeful, despite being clipped a merely days ago and a spare few missing from the past days.

	Asgore stood among the natural yet bright colors, the magic of their artistry something the old gardener appreciated more than most else. He sighed, walking in the aisles and rows towards the stairs that led to the back of his shop, his smiled brightening a bit every time he walked past more and more of his countless many plants. Everything was pristine and organized, as well as perfectly taken care of, of course. Asgore knew his plants, doing everything in his power to make sure they were in tip top condition before they were given to their new owners. The goat admired his handiwork until finally he found himself at the foot of the steps. He sighed, looking back at his shop before he ascended. His smile hung on stalwartly as he reached the second floor.

	He looked cheerfully about to dark room, checking to see how his hanging plants were doing. Asgore grabbed his green plastic watering can, the water inside sloshing around as he made quickly to work. Carefully, he doled out as much water as was needed to each thirsty root, humming a small tune to himself until finally every plant got their fill. He set down the spout before seeing what he had to do next. The notes on his floor kept catching his eyes and lowering his smile, the message burned into his memory as he tried to simply ignore it. He shook his head, deciding to see what he had to eat. Walking over and grabbing the handle, he looked at the photo that graced the center of his fridge, his grin once again returning as he started to pull the door open.

	Ringing interrupted the quiet building as the front door opened again. Asgore rushed down the stairs, hollering, “O-oh! Howdy, I’ll be down in a minute!” As he got down to the bottom he saw that the would be window shopper turned out the be Kris, back at the store once again. “Oh hello, Kris!” He said cheerfully.

	The human looked at his father, before immediately moving around the shop as if he was double checking for something. He didn’t speak, though Asgore didn’t mind that, the goat simply happy that he got to see Kris for a second time today. He watched as the child milled about the store before heading upstairs without a second thought. Asgore of course followed, watching as his son raced up the steps, once again inspecting and interacting everything in the room, including the fridge, before running back downstairs.

	Asgore watched once again as Kris wordlessly left, once again left alone in the flower shop. The sky was getting darker, orange and purple just starting towards deeper and deeper blue. He flipped the sign on the door from a welcoming “Open!” to a more morose “Closed” before turning off the lights and making his way back upstairs. He opened the fridge, reaching for the singular pickle in a jar before he noticed not one, but two brand new eggs that now accompanied the lonely vegetable. Surprise filled him as the eggs simply stared back. A smile crossed his lips, Kris must’ve put those in there when he was in earlier that day. He had spent an insurmountable amount of time next to the fridge, opening and closing it several times. Asgore had thought nothing of it earlier, but it was heartwarming that Kris would do that for him.

	He grabbed the jar, fishing out the pickle with a claw and dividing it in two. He replaced one half back into the rine and took a bite out of the salty morsel before putting the jar back and closing the door. The picture sat merrily in plain sight once again as the gardener chewed on his small bite, not quite sure if he should smile or not. He turned his focus to the middle of the room, taking another small piece from the pickle and looking at the glass cases. The flowers were still holding strong, but their petals were wilted ever so slightly more than their siblings downstairs. They were preserved beautifully thanks to Asgore’s green thumb, though he had no idea how much longer they would stay pristine. He finished off the rest of his meal.

	Another sigh fell from his lips as he saw the rest of the natural light downstairs start to fade, night quickly coming into his makeshift home. He took a quick look back at the fridge before deciding to settle down in his bed. He barely came close to fitting, his shoulders hanging off the sides as the mattress sagged under him. Duct tape reflected as much light as was left as Asgore stared at the ceiling under his blanket. He still smiled, ecstatic that he was able to see Kris today.

	“Goodnight,” he said to no one in particular, and fell asleep.