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Stephen could almost go back to the moment where he had originally met her, with his skeptic nature and resentfulness. Yet, there hadn’t been a time where he had wished ill upon her, with their conversations over tea always sparking a warm ooze in his heart. She had taught him how to control the mystic arts, watching over him like an overprotective mother. Her teachings were always remembered in Stephen’s mind, a border of respect that he usually never had for anyone formed around her.
There could have been so much more, more conversations and teachings; more tea and passionate debates; more friendship. The time ticked by, questions that he had first formed fading away in the swarm of memories. How foolish he had been to not learn about her more, for he did not even know what she had thought of him. At least he had learned of her favorite flower.
A sunflower.
The sunflower was marvelous in her eyes, it’s florescent petals and long stem giving it a respectful place in her heart. He did not know why she loved the flower so much, Stephen not one to enjoy nature from his stand-point, yet he guessed that it held sentimental value. The doctor had once brought flowers to his teacher, for some sort of gratitude for letting him in after those five hours outside her door. She took them with a smile he had never seen her with, making him proud in a way.
From that day on he had managed to bring her those flowers at least once a month, and if he didn’t have the time due to studies or plain forgetfulness, he would scrape out time to just to have tea with her. It was peaceful, and he considered her a friend after that.
But, he was always so skeptical. Always asking questions he shouldn’t have asked.
Even through everything, he had not trusted her, and near the end of her demise blaming her for taking the power of immortality from The Dark Dimension. He had never seen her so hurt; so betrayed. Stephen didn’t understand how she could have forgiven him, her tone gentle and calm as when they had first met.
He never ended up asking how, now standing in the balcony to watch the snow fall,
Alone.