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It all starts some days after her victory against the mechanical god and the liberation of the Dendro Archon.
She is still in Gandharva Ville, her injuries are already long healed and she’s out of any danger, but the rest and solicitude that come with her current conditions are a respite that she finds herself allowing to indulge in. It is a welcomed calm after the last hectic months that she had spent planning, hiding and fighting alongside the others.
Right now it’s just her, the comfortable bed that she was provided with, the silence of the room, and of course, the dozens of letters and gifts that have been sent to her, now that the news and tales of the recent events have started to arrive and been retold at other nations all of her friends and companions are in desperate need for an answer and to hear from her own words that she’s okay.
She sits cross-legged over the bed, her back resting against the headboard, and in front of her piles of letters await for her to read them.
She’s finishing with one, and going to grab a new one, when there’s a knock at her door.
“Come in.”
She turns to the door and through it Collei and Tighnari enter, the first is quick to greet her with a smile on her face and an animated wave with one of her hands, while the latter simply nods to her.
“I see that you are feeling better.” He looks all over her, examining her current state and she just shakes her head as she lets out a sigh.
“I already told you I have been in good health for the past few days.” Weeks really, her otherworldly nature allowing her to leave her fight against the former Harbinger with little to no injuries that quickly healed in a matter of hours.
“I will be the judge of that.” And with that, she gives up in trying to convince him and just watches and he starts to take out some more medicine and teas and stars know what else he will make her take.
But well, she supposes she can’t really blame him, after the fight and her encounter with the Doctor she had arrived at Gandharva passed out and unresponsive, and while after she awoke she had been quick to recover she knows that a thing like that is not easy to get over.
“Those are a lot of letters,” Collei gets closer to her, eyeing the letters scattered all over the bed, “and gifts.” She adds as she turns to look at her nightstand full of decorated and wrapped boxes.
“They are.”
And because she knows that more will soon arrive and that she still had to write and sends her own letters she goes back to reading the next one.
Tighnari is still busy with who knows what, and Collei is simply happy with watching around.
“Oh!”
Of course, that is until she notices the big ceramic vase full of flowers, the thing is so big that even the biggest table inside the room had been too small for it, and with no other place left Lumine had to put it on the floor in one of the corners of the room.
The young girl gets closer to inspect it and Lumine has to hold a small laugh when she sees the face that Collei does when she gets a good look at it.
“It looks a little ugly doesn’t it?”
Collei’s face immediately goes red at the fact that she was able to read what she was thinking and she shakes her hands in and attempt at a negation.
But the fact is that she was thinking the truth,
The vase contains many flowers that are uncoordinated with each other, the colors of some clash with the others and there is no harmony in between their arrangement.
“Still, isn’t it rude to say something like that? Especially about a gift?” The red tint slowly leaves her face, but her eyes are still full of uncertainty.
“Maybe in other situations, but the purpose of that bouquet wasn’t to look pretty.”
Collei tilts her head in confusion.
“Tell me, have you heard about the language of flowers?”
She thinks for some seconds but just shakes her head, “I don’t think so. What’s that?”
“It’s a language solely spoken through flowers. You see, in this language, every flower has a certain something assigned to it, a sentiment, a feeling, a concept, things that alone already compel something but when combined with more are able to tell a message even longer.
For example, the purple flower the one in the center? It means a wish for good health.”
Collei´s confusion is quickly replaced with curiosity and then she points to a different flower, “and this one?”
“It means; good things to come. The yellow ones are a symbol of congratulations and are related to victories and achievements.”
Collei becomes fascinated and she asks after every flower, what is their meaning and to what are they related.
“So you see, once you combine it all, the sender is congratulating me over my victory, wishing me a good and easy recuperation so that I can be in good health, but also saying that he misses me and that he hopes we can see each other once again soon.”
“But, isn’t it all rather complicated? Isn’t it easier just sending a letter?”
She laughs, because it’s the truth, but there’s a rather simple explanation for it.
“Yes it is, but you see, the sender is aware that I am rather fond of flowers. But is a rare thing for me to receive them, so whenever he is able to he sends me some.”
“I see.”
Unaware of it, and thinking that he had been busy with other things, Lumine doesn’t even realize that Tighnari had only been paying attention to her for the last past minutes.
And as she just keeps on talking with the other woman an idea starts to form in his head.
***
The first time it happens is some days after Tighnari has deemed her in good health and she has been finally allowed to start with her adventuring once again.
Currently, she’s in Gandharva, there had been a lot of reports lately of big numbers of monsters setting camps all around the colliding forest.
She’s leaving the settlement behind when a call for her name has her stopping.
“Lumine!” Walking the same path as her Tighnari appears. He’s quick to reach her side and stops in front of her. “I have to thank you once again, for helping while I’m unable to and the rest of the rangers are busy with everything else.”
“There’s no need for that, I am glad to help.” And she would keep on doing so while the forest ranger still had to recuperate from the hit that he suffered, the scar left behind by the lightning bolt that reached him nay no longer ache that much, but the problem with elemental injuries was that traces of the elements were left behind for quite some time. Right now he was still in a rather fragile state in which the electro still on the injury could react with any other element and would only aggravate his injuries.
“I will still thank you regardless. And,” whatever he was to say seemed to escape his reach.
The past few weeks Lumine had taken notice that it was something that he would do a lot when it came to her. He would call for her but even though his mouth opened words would never leave it.
“I. I just- Here.” Taking something out of his spatial back he quickly handed her to her.
The thing she was handing her was a single flower.
“Please.”
She took it and a smile came to her face as she realized what it was and what it meant.
“Just.”
Protection, safety.
Please be safe, those were the words that he found himself unable to say, still, now she was able to understand him.
“Don’t worry. I will. And I will be back safe and sound as soon as I can.”
And then after a goodbye thanking him for the flower and the excuse that she had to hurry so as to not let the monsters wreak havoc, she quickly turned and ran with the hopes that he would be unable to see her flustered face.
All the while Paimon screamed at her wanting to know what it all of that had been about.
She didn’t answer her companion, too busy thinking about the gift that was now safely being held inside her spatial bag.
***
It keeps on happening, twice, thrice, then a fourth and a fifth time, every time he finds himself unable to say something to her, words will be replaced by a flower.
One wishing her once again protection during her travels, another wishing her luck, one for safety, another for fortune. Every time he hands her one a smile appears on her face and she will thank him for it.
She cherishes every single one of them and she will preserve every single one.
But as time passes and the flowers keep on being handed, slowly their message starts to change at the same time that their relationship does.
***
She has been staying in Sumeru city for some weeks attending to her duties as the Firsts Sage when not one flower, but instead, a whole bouquet is sent to her.
It’s the first gift from him that she doesn’t receive in person but she is still happy when she gets it.
But when she sees it and starts to decipher its meaning she can do nothing but blush in the privacy of her room all the while her heart beats faster and faster.
‘I miss you, when are you coming back? I want to see you.’
That’s what it means. That’s what he feels, what he wants but is unable to say to her, the combination of the current distance in between them, but also maybe nerves, fear and shame.
Still, in the end it doesn’t matter, because even though he’s unable to say it out loud he has found a way to let her know, his message has reached her.
The next day she leaves Sumeru city even before the sun rises, she has to be back by the end of the day and the sooner she leaves then the more time she will be able to spend at his side.
***
Ever since that day that she appeared in front of him after his confession of missing her occurred, a notable shift happened.
The messages in which all of this happened are still being sent.
Be safe, be okay, be protected, I wish you luck, good health, prosperity…
But now there are also some that are more personal, some that go beyond courteous wishes and well beings.
‘I wish for your happiness.’
‘I miss you.’
‘I’ll await for your return.’
‘I have been thinking about you.’
‘I want to see you.’
‘I have been thinking about our time together.’
‘Will our paths meet soon?’
‘I miss you.’
‘I will forever treasure the days I spent at your side.’
‘You are so important to me.’
‘I miss you.’
***
By now Gandharva Ville is one place that she has memorized to the last detail, the place is now a familiar and always a welcomed sight, the place is now almost a home for her.
Or well, one person in particular here is now home for her.
With steady and secure steps she makes her way towards the place where the person she now calls home awaits for her. To the eyes of others, she must look like someone determined and with nothing holding her back, but the truth is that right now it’s taking all of her willpower to keep on walking firm and from stopping her legs from trembling.
A big change is coming, she can feel it, there’s certain feeling of anticipation on the air.
She finally arrives, stops in front of the door, knocks on it, and takes a deep breath as he allows her entry, with shaky arms she opens the door and enters.
Once inside he greets her with a smile and she does the same, all while she hopes that none of her nerves show through it. But before she can worry more about it he opens his mouth as if to say something but in the same way as before words are unable to leave it.
It doesn’t matter. In a matter of seconds, a bouquet is already in her hands and as she deciphers it her heart beats faster and faster and even her breath stops for some seconds.
‘I adore you, please stay at my side. Walk alongside me, I love you. Please, please, please. I want you. I want you. I love you.’
In an instant she throws herself into his arms, his embrace is warm and safe and all she ever wanted.
“Of course, yes, yes, yes!”