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“There's a point, way out, past the present tense,
Where our weeks away make a lot less sense.
But for now, we work with our time apart,
With a tired mind, with a hungry heart,
For when your wheels roll home.
No more you roam.”
The small pebble clattered along the pathway following the kick, coming to a rest a few yards out. As she approached it again, she gave it another kick, sending it tumbling along - that time, however, it careened off to the side and was ensnared by the grasp of the grass fronting the walkway. Seiun Sky sighed.
“Stupid…” Muttering under her breath, she shoved her hands into the pockets of her gym uniform, having already rolled up the pant legs to keep cool after her training. Her mind had been wandering away the entire time, moreso than usual and in ways she didn’t appreciate. Sure, she would admit that she was aloof and a chronic slacker - but that was deliberate. She’d rather be out for a hike, gone fishing, catching a nap under a tree somewhere.
But she had been beset by something other than the urge to slack-off.
Grimacing as it surfaced in her mind again, Sei’s mint-green tail twitched in annoyance as she shuffled along, her posture worse than usual. It was all so stupid. She was so stupid for it. Really, Sei? Now you’ve gone and done it. Moron.
She was glad there wasn’t anyone around to bother her, Sei having taken a quieter path back to the dorms from Tracen’s practice track. Meandering around the outer edges of the Academy’s property, it gave her the space and privacy to have her little meltdown ahead of getting back to her dormroom, where she’d have to hide it all from her annoyingly perceptive roommate, Sakura Laurel.
Of course, of course it had happened to her, too. Arguably even worse. It was her comeuppance, she supposed, for all the teasing pokes she had given her friends over similar things.
First had been El Condor Pasa and King Halo. Once Sei had picked up on how El couldn’t keep her eyes off of that prissy girl, she had turned up the heat by getting in El’s ear about it, providing a mix of teasing and encouragement about the exchange student’s crush. Then, after El had finally surprised a mortified King Halo with an elaborate public confession, Sei had turned her teasing towards the now-taken “first rate” (yeah right) horsegirl. King hadn’t taken all too kindly to Sei’s probing questions and innuendo-laden jokes - which meant that Sei had been doing something right, even if it led to getting her forehead flicked regularly.
Then, of course, were Special Week and Silence Suzuka. While Sei had maintained a certain level of restraint as to not interfere with things, that didn't stop herself and Grass Wonder from sharing knowing looks and trading small inside jokes when they spotted the two roommates-turned-lovebirds together. Spe had a knack for accidentally showing her hand, despite the fact that herself and Suzuka were attempting to keep their relationship quiet, which had led to plenty of laughter-worthy moments in recent months.
Grass Wonder herself had even been the one to broach a similar subject with Sei, under the unsaid but thinly veiled threat of immense pain through tail-pulling should Sei get up to her usual antics with that knowledge. She wasn't the biggest fan of tea, but getting to munch on a few treats in Grass’ dormroom (El suspiciously absent, of course) while the exchange student shared her yearning for a certain blonde from Kentucky wasn’t too bad.
But her? Seiun Sky? Having a crush? It completely ruined the sort of energy she was trying to exude. Aloof, carefree, easygoing. Being a love-drunk idiot like El was the exact opposite of any of that. The last thing she wanted was to be like El - at least, off the track.
Another pebble appeared on the path, and she gave it a kick, sending it tumbling along.
It didn't help that it was such a distraction, either. Practices had grown tough with how her mind wandered away from herself, doubly so when the object of her affections was also at the practice track. Trying to get away for an afternoon to herself down by the river had led to more than one catching slipping away before she could reel it in, having been caught off guard while she was busy daydreaming about that pretty smile. El and King had been particularly annoying about it, trying to get Sei to spill the details, even with Grass trying to keep them at bay with their teasing. How embarrassing.
The worst part, however, was the fact that she didn't have a single clue as to what to do about it. Well, it was obvious what she should do. Tell her! Just up and tell her about what she was feeling and see where it goes. What are you doing??
But that wasn't Sei’s style. Pulling something as audacious as what El had done would not only make Sei want to curl up and die, she knew for a fact that it would scuttle any chance of success with her crush. Something big, overt, public? No way.
While the opposite - intimate, quiet, respectful - that could certainly work, but the last thing Seiun Sky wanted to do was be shy about it. No, she needed to make it meaningful, something to remember fondly, something that showed just how much she cared. Just how serious she was.
…
Seiun Sky let out a sigh. She didn't have a single god damned clue as to how to do that. For all the big game she talked, when it came down to it, she was just as clueless as the rest of them.
The pebble finally veered off the path after another kick, and Sei rounded past a large bend in the walkway, curving to bring her back towards the dorms. It was probably close to dinner time she surmised, by the way the sun had given the sky a slightly softer glow and with how the shadows of the trees lining the path grew longer. Hopefully they were serving up some fish in the caf…
The corner of her vision caught something off the path, through the trees and into a small patch of gardens. A lone figure was crouched in the dirt, reaching into a small bush and feeling around. Sei’s ears picked up the sound of a tool snipping and cutting away, the mint-haired horsegirl slowing to a crawl as she watched.
A thought flashed in her mind, sourced from a memory of the moment that had set it all off.
“E-Excuse me?”
“I'm awake! I'm up! I wasn’t sleeping”
Seiun Sky sat bolt upright, flailing slightly as she tried to play off getting caught napping in the grass. The bright sun overhead blinded her, and she covered her eyes as she took a moment to adjust to the noontime light. “I was just, uhh… Resting. Yeah, resting after a run.”
A cute giggle sounded out, causing Sei’s ears to twitch in response. “Well, I apologize for interrupting~” Seiun Sky's eyes finally began to adjust, and she caught sight of who it was that stumbled upon her impromptu lunch-time nap. A diminutive girl stood overtop of her a short distance away, a metal watering can having been set down in the grass beside her. Her dark brown hair done up in a cute bob with a cute pink ribbon, hairband, and ear covers to accessorize it, the girl also sported soft amethyst eyes.
Along with the most adorable smile Seiun Sky had ever seen.
“Oh, yeah uh, it's fine!” She stumbled over herself, hurrying to stand up and recover from her embarrassment. She averted her eyes so as to stop staring, as difficult as it was. “Sorry for getting in your way.”
The shorter girl giggled as Sei rubbed the back of her own head, tail swishing anxiously behind her. “Seiun Sky, correct?” The girl asked, still sporting that beaming smile.
“Yeah, that’s me. You’re Nishino Flower, yeah? King talks about you a lot.”
“King Halo!? She talks about me?” The girl’s eyes somehow lit up even more at that, her equine tail swishing less like a horsegirl and wagging more like a dog. “Oh gosh…”
Sensing as if the diminutive girl was about to pass out, Sei stepped forward and steadied her with an arm on the shoulder. “Woah, easy does it.”
Nishino giggled. “S-Sorry! It’s just that… I look up to her a lot! The way she’s so confident, no matter what she’s running… She’s so elegant, too!”
Sensing a chance to lay the praise on the cute girl a little bit more, Sei grinned. “Whenever King’s getting prepped to run a sprint, it’s you and Bakushin that she’s always worrying about, y’know.”
Sei found herself giggling as well as Nishino hid her face in her hands, letting out an adorable “Oh gosh!” once again, clearly over the moon about her idol being aware of her.
As Nishino struggled to collect herself, Seiun Sky bent over to pick up the watering can for her, holding it out for the shorter girl. “Here, sorry again for getting in your way.”
“Oh, it’s okay Seiun!” Nishino took the water can from Sei, seemingly unphased by how heavy the object was despite her tiny appearance. “It’s not like I was going to water you~” Another cute giggle, each occurrence making a funny feeling bubble up in Sei’s heart.
“Heh, yeah I guess.” She watched as Nishino carefully stepped into the flowerbed, gently tilting the watering can to get started with taking care of the flowers. Even though she had no good reason to linger, she found herself unable to step away, watching as the girl diligently, delicately began to tend to the plants. Struggling to find an excuse to stick around, she brought up the first thing that came to mind. “...Don’t we have, like, groundskeepers for this sorta thing?”
“We do!” Nishino replied, her voice chipper and bright. “They do a lot of the heavy lifting, but myself and the rest of the Horticultural Club each have our own flowerbeds we take care of.” She stepped over to the next target to water, a cluster of tall white flowers with yellow centers waiting for their turn. “And this one’s mine…”
For as bubbly and cheery as Nishino had been up to that point, Sei’s brow raised as the girl suddenly grew shy. “Well I think it’s pretty great, honestly. There’s a reason why I was napping beside it.”
Nishino’s eyes met Sei’s, the girl sporting a confused expression, with a hint of teasing to her voice. “I thought you said you weren’t sleeping…?”
Sei’s ears flattened against her head, knowing that she was caught. “Uh…”
Since then, Sei had made it a habit to spend most of her lunches over the past month down by that specific flowerbed - partially because it was out of the way enough for her to steal a nap without being interrupted, and partially because the only person who would interrupt her was Nishino Flower as she tended to her plants. The feelings within her had quickly come to occupy her mind day in and day out, which now left her confused as to how to approach things with the other girl. She knew what she felt, she just didn’t know how to correctly act on it, or who to ask about it.
But, maybe…
Before she could talk herself out of it, Seiun Sky broke from the path and made her way into the grass, heading towards the flowerbed that the other horsegirl was hard at work in. Clearing her throat, she watched as Air Groove’s head turned towards her, the Vice President momentarily pausing her work. “Yes, Seiun Sky?”
She really hadn’t thought this through. “Uh, whatcha up to?”
Groove’s eyes narrowed, clearly somewhat confused by Sei’s interruption. “Well, I’m pruning the dead branches on this shrub, in order to ensure that the live ones stay healthy.”
Sei awkwardly scratched the back of her head. “You’re the head of the Horticulture Club, right? I think Nishino mentioned that once. Makes me wonder how you find the time for it all.”
“That is correct.” The Vice President responded, continuing to snip away at the shrub. “My Student Council duties keep me busy, yes, but the club itself is fairly low-maintenance. Besides, gardening is quite… Soothing.”
“Huh, that makes sense.” Sei caught a hint of a smile on Groove’s lips at that, the Vice President glancing at her out of the corner of her eye.
“I trust that your attendance has been up to par as of late, correct?”
Seiun Sky suppressed a shudder at the mention of classes, and she thought back to the string of meetings she had with the Vice President earlier that year about her… free-spiritedness. Yes, her free-spiritedness. That’s what it was.
She shot Air Groove a thumbs-up and her best confident grin. “I’ve had perfect attendance so far this month!”
Groove held her gaze, not budging. “...It is the third of May.”
“Mhm!”
“...And it’s a Monday.”
“Exactly!”
Even Air Groove was forced to let out a small chuckle at Sei’s brazenness, ruefully shaking her head as she stood, brushing her dirty hands off on her jean overalls. “Well, as long as the trend continues… Now, can I help you with something, Seiun?”
Sei found herself floundering, still not quite understanding why she was approaching Groove about such a thing. “I need help.” She sighed, still struggling to figure out what to say without embarrassing herself. “Help with… Flowers.”
Air Groove’s ears twitched a few times, the older horsegirl beginning to pick up on what was going on. “For what occasion?”
“For a… Er…” Seiun Sky sighed, resigning herself to her fate. At the very least, it was less embarrassing than asking her friends to help. She’d never live that one down if she did. “A confession.” She cringed as Air Groove broke out in a smile.
“I won’t pry-” She started, beginning to make her way out of the flowerbed, carefully stepping past the various plants to draw closer to Sei. “But I think it may be an easy answer. What is their favourite flower?”
Sei paled at the question, sputtering. “I, uh, uhm… It’s uh…”
“You don’t know, do you?”
“It’s not that, it’s…” Massaging the bridge of her nose with her fingers, the mint-haired horsegirl shook her head ruefully. “She likes all flowers. Every flower. I’ve asked her before, but then she listed out like, a dozen types I’ve never even heard of.”
“Ah, I see.”
“Which is why, I dunno, I figured you might be a good person to ask.” Seiun Sky tried to find her footing with a small joke. “I doubt she’d appreciate a fish as a gift.”
It worked, causing Groove to smile. “If it is who I think it is, yes, I doubt she would… Would you care to walk with me?”
Groove motioned for Sei to follow alongside her, the Vice President already beginning to walk beside the flowerbed, Sei hurrying to catch up. “Again, I won’t pry, as it is none of my business - and quite honestly, I am more used to handling matters of administration of the juniors, rather than this-”
“Sorry.”
“It’s alright.” Placating Sei with a wave of the hand, Air Groove gestured towards the garden beside her. To Seiun Sky, all of it looked more or less the same. Sure, the flowers differed in colours and some had different petals or were different heights, but all in all, she hadn’t the first clue as to where to begin with figuring out what Nishino Flower would like best.
“As I said, the obvious answer is her favourite type of flower, but if what you say is true, then I may have a few suggestions.” Groove began, clearly relishing the chance to flex her knowledge. “Roses are of course the standard-”
Sei shook her head. “No way, they’re too unlike her.”
“Oh?”
She blushed, glancing away to save face. “Roses are like, prickly and sharp, right? She isn’t, she’s… Cute. Bright. U-Uh…”
“No no, I think I understand, hmm…” Groove’s eyes thankfully stayed focused on the large flowerbed, scanning the different arrangements to give herself some inspiration. “Well, tulips are a good choice, though we don’t grow any here, so I’m afraid I can’t provide any examples. Chrysanthemums and peonies are both good picks, with how colorful they are. Ah, but there’s also daisies…”
“Do you see my issue now?” Seiun Sky joked.
Air Groove sighed. “I suppose I do, but…” She suddenly stopped in place, crossing her arms as she wore a confident smile, clearly having arrived at some sort of conclusion that continued to elude Sei. “That makes the solution quite easy.”
Seiun Sky stood, throwing her hands up slightly to express her exasperation. “I haven’t got a single clue, Prez.”
“Don’t get Nishino simply one type of flower. Get her an assorted bouquet.”
A lightbulb went off in Seiun Sky’s head. Of course. Nishino loves all sorts of flowers, it’s why she’s part of the Club and it’s why she never stops talking about them whenever she asks her questions. Sei brought a hand up to her forehead, giving herself a small smack. “Dammit, now I feel dumb… Wait, how did you-”
“I simply put two and two together.” Air Groove said, clearly proud of herself. “Plus, she does talk about you quite often during our club meetings.”
Sei’s eyes went wide. “What.”
“Best of luck, Seiun.”
Air Groove turned on her heel and began to walk away, back towards the shrubs she had been working on, leaving Seiun Sky to bury her blushing face in her hands as her tail swished about behind her.
Her schoolbag felt heavier than ever before as she strode across the grass, heading towards a specific flowerbed that overlooked the west side of the practice track. The bag wasn’t full of anything all too heavy - one textbook and a few notebooks, miscellaneous school supplies and the like - but a single extra addition to her bag made Seiun Sky feel as if she was trudging through a muddy riverbank, the bouquet carefully tucked away.
A figure stood alone amongst the flowers, Nishino Flower setting down her watering can as she spotted Sei approach. Shielding her eyes from the sun with a hand, she used the other hand to wave towards the mint-haired horsegirl, her tail picking up as she greeted her. “Hi!” The cheery girl said as Seiun Sky approached.
“Hey, got a minute?” Her nerves were frayed, far more than ever before. Even the anxiety she felt before a big race couldn’t compare - on the track, she was in her element, she knew what to do. But here?
“Mhm! What did you need?” Nishino’s smile was as sweet as ever, and it forced Sei to glance away bashfully as she felt her chest tighten.
“Well, I don’t really need anything…” Letting her backpack slip from her shoulder, Sei knelt down to unzip it. “It’s more that I have something for you.”
“Oh!”
Seiun Sky rose back to standing and held the assorted bouquet of flowers out to the girl standing amongst the wildflowers before her. “Th-These are for you.”
Nishino Flower gasped, her face somehow lighting up even brighter than before. She reached out to grab them, beginning to sort through the different types of flowers. “A poinsettia, chrysanthemums, lilies…”
“There’s some daisies in there, too.”
Sei felt her cheeks flush as Nishino glanced at her. “I hope you didn’t take these from our gardens…” She teased.
“Oh, I’d never… There’s a florist just down the street.”
“The one with the nice old lady at the counter?”
“Yeah, that’s the one.” Sei smiled, unsurprised that Nishino would frequent there.
“Thank you, Seiun.” Nishino said, beaming up at the taller horsegirl - but as she did, her ears flicked a few times, betraying her uncertainty. “But, um… What’s the occasion?”
A wave of panic washed over Sei at Nishino’s question, her eyes going wide. It was clear that the innocent horsegirl hadn’t quite picked up on what she was getting at. “W-Well! It’s, well, they’re… For you?”
Nishino giggled. “I know that.”
Scratching the back of her head, Sei was forced to shrug as things went awry. “They’re for you because… I want you to have them. Since I… Like you.”
It was then that Nishino Flower realized what was going on, the girl letting out a barely audible gasp, tail stiffening. “I…” She glanced down at the flowers, then peeked up at Sei as she partially hid her face behind the gift, her cheeks growing red. “...I like you, too.”
Sei’s head shot up to look at Nishino, their expressions both slowly shifting from surprised, to bashful and happy. “Geez… Well, if you want, we could, I dunno-”
“Get to know each other more?” Nishino offered up, her tail having resumed swishing about behind her.
“Yeah. Spend more time together or something.”
Nishino Flower nodded, glancing back over her shoulder. “Well, I need to finish up watering, but…”
“I can hang out. Maybe you can teach me a thing or two or twelve.” The sound of Nishino giggling made Sei’s smile grow even larger.
“O-Okay! Well…”
Still holding her newfound bouquet, Nishino Flower reached down to pick up her watering can. “I can teach you how to properly water flowers without damaging them! A lot of people don’t know that you can’t just douse them with water…”
Her nerves having settled, Seiun Sky felt the tight sensation in her chest be replaced with one of contentment, of happiness, as she listened to the girl she liked gush about her favourite hobby - something Sei was all too happy to learn more about, especially if it meant making Nishino happy.
“My arm is falling asleep.”
“Mmm…”
“El.”
“Shush, I’m sleeping…”
“El, I cannot feel my arm.”
El Condor Pasa’s eyes fluttered open, and King Halo found herself momentarily lost in the deep blue of her girlfriend’s irises. King’s hesitation led to El breaking out in a grin as she reluctantly sat up on the bench, no longer using her girlfriend’s shoulder as a pillow. “Shame on you for breaking my siesta~” She teased, squeezing King’s hand as the first-rate horsegirl rolled her eyes in playful exasperation.
“Someone has to keep you accountable.” She shot back, her tone as playful as El’s. The two girls smiled at each other, El leaning in to steal a quick peck on the lips before coming to rest her head on King’s shoulder once more. “Classes will be resuming shortly, anyways.”
The exchange student drew in a deep breath before sighing, tail bristling at the mention of more school that afternoon. The pair had snuck away from their usual friend group for the lunch hour, instead choosing to share a quiet meal together on a bench outside to enjoy the mid-May sunshine - and now classes had returned all too quickly.
“We could skip-”
“We are not skipping class.”
“Why not, mi amor?” El rebuffed. “I know a spot where we could… Wait.”
King Halo’s gaze had been glancing towards the right, back towards the main school building. “Hmm?” Turning her head, she spotted how El’s eyes had fixed on something in the distance on the path leading towards the dorms, King taking a few moments to focus on what El had spotted.
“Is that…”
“Dios mío…”
Walking hand-in-hand were two familiar figures, one sporting mint-coloured hair and the other carrying a bouquet of flowers.
El sat up, leaning forward as her mouth opened to call out to them - only to be silenced by King Halo placing a hand over El’s mouth. The couple watched as Seiun Sky and Nishino Flower paused and, having not noticed their onlookers, shared a few words before Nishino hurried off towards the school building, still clutching the bouquet as her tail rapidly swished back and forth in excitement. She glanced over her shoulder once, waving with a hand. "Bye, Sky!"
As Sei looked longingly after the other girl, King Halo chose to speak up, still gagging El with her hand, not trusting her to be polite. “Good afterno-”
“Shit!”
Seiun Sky jumped in fright as she was roused out of her thoughts, her head whipping around to catch sight of her two friends. A hand came up to her forehead as she shuffled over. “Oh no…”
El and King giggled, the former having finally been freed to speak. “What were you and Nishino talking about, hm?”
“J-Just school stuff.”
“Right...”
“And the flowers?” King butted in, keeping the pressure up on the girl who had been all too happy to tease the two of them at the start of their relationship.
“Sh-She uh, she was just doing some gardening…”
El Condor Pasa went in for the kill. “And what about the handholding?”
Sei lowered her head, finding no words to rebuke her two friends. El and King broke out into giggles, with El launching herself up to take a few steps towards Sei to grasp her shoulders and give her a small shake. “Well? Are you two-”
“Sorta, it’s-”
“But did you-”
“No-”
“El.”
“Did she-”
“El!”
Much to Sei’s relief, King managed to pry the excited El off of her, restraining her girlfriend once more. Seiun Sky sported a deep blush as she gave herself a bit more space by taking a step back before speaking. “We’re just… Talking things out. I think it’s mutual, just going slow, y’know?”
“Did you give her the flowers?” El asked, not caring for her girlfriend’s attempts at keeping her in line.
Sei nodded, shrugging abashedly. “Flower said that she loved them, so I think it’s a good sign.”
“We’re very happy for you, Sei.” King Halo said, taking note of how Sei used Nishino’s given name, while also offering up a warm smile even as she kept a strong grasp on the back of El’s neck. “You’ll have to invite her to share lunch with us soon.”
“Heh, as long as El behaves.”
“Hey! What does that mean?”
“I’ll keep her in line.”
“Dios mío…”
The three friends shared a small laugh at it all, Seiun Sky shaking her head. She glanced over her shoulder, sad to see that Nishino had already disappeared inside. She’d need to catch up with her again after classes.
A light punch to the shoulder roused her out of her thoughts. “Let’s get to class!” El said, throwing an arm around Sei to lead her off. She leaned in to whisper to Sei. “So, how did you do it, hm~? I want all the details…”
“Oh, so now you’re eager to get to class?” King chided her girlfriend as El playfully pushed Seiun Sky along, the aloof horsegirl the shiest that either King or El had ever seen.