Dedicated to the incredibly talented Nobyas. Thank you for always making my days so much better. Happy Valentine's day, you silly girl.

The Desert Flower

The Great Weiss Shark

Part One

"You what?!" Yang shrieked as she reeled back in shock, her hand pressed dramatically above her heart.

"Tomorrow is nothing more than a frivolous event for people who do not appreciate their significant other," I had stated without pause. "Also, before you utter a some sort of ridiculous retort, I have this to say: 'I am not one of them.'"

"Well there's that, but there's one other thing."

"What, praytell, may that be?"

"It's a little something called 'Singles' Awareness day.' Ever heard of it, princess?"

"No, I can't say that I have..."

"Well you're going to be real familiar with it if you don't think of anything soon," she said, sounding uncharacteristically sagelike, "and you better do it fast or else."

I quirked my eyebrow at her, frowning all the while, and asked, "Why?"

"Because my little sister, your girlfriend, has been hyped about this day ever since you two got together."

Yang left shortly after saying that, and when I confronted her about it later that evening she denied everything. I knew she was playing the fool; Ruby had begged her not to meddle with our affairs, and Blake made sure to enforce our leader's will. I did, however, need to commend her on her impeccable acting. If I hadn't been there personally, I would have bought the story she spun.

The brute's words had left an impression on me that persisted all through the night. Dawn had broken hours ago and I still haven't been able to sleep a wink. Ruby was resting in my arms peacefully, her head tucked comfortably in the crook of my neck, oblivious to the turmoil plaguing my every thought. The warm light filtering through our curtains had given her lithe frame an ethereal glow. I had woken up to this peaceful sight so many times now, but I still find myself feeling breathless and in awe.

I love her.

I love her with every fiber of my being; without her I would never be the same. And like the final pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, she fills in the blank spaces riddling my fractured heart and completes me. This mysterious bond I have with her has gotten to the point where I don't know where I end and she begins. Our countless experiences together have melted away all the walls keeping us apart, and now it feels like we share a single mind, body, and soul.

I love her with every ounce of my being.

My musings were interrupted by Ruby's incoherent mumbling. She had whispered something resembling my name, and nuzzled her adorable little nose against my neck affectionately. I smiled to myself, the warmth in my heart growing exponentially, and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

The sweet, fragrant smell of Ruby's strawberry shampoo filled my keen senses, bringing me back to the wonderful summer I spent on Patch Island with Ruby's family. We weren't a couple yet at the time, but the tension was definitely there. And if I were to pinpoint the exact moment where I fell in love with her, it would most definitely be the first day of our trip. It was several months ago, but I can remember it as if it were only yesterday.

A heavy summer rain poured over the colourful islet and Ruby wanted to play. I was reluctant to do so since my experience with rain often accompanied below freezing temperature, but she ignored my protests, took me by the hand, and recklessly dragged me outside. The rain, to my surprise, was absolutely refreshing. It flushed away the uncomfortable humidity that plagued us when we landed, and brought about the most wonderful of smells.

I remember instinctively closing my eyes shut when my foot went over the threshold of her front door. The first few steps out into the porch sent shivers down my spine, and when Ruby let go of my hand I felt a constricting fear coil around me. Slowly, I willed my eyes to open. I was ready to berate her for touching me—not that I really minded—without permission, but just like that my voice faded on my lips.

There she was, my incredulously spirited leader, spinning on the tips her the toes of her like a gleeful child, laughing and smiling. She looked beautiful with her messy hair matted to her face, framing it perfectly; her black sun dress clinging to her shapely figure like a second skin. My mouth went dry as my heart thundered almost painfully against my chest; the rapid beating drowned out the chime-like sound of Ruby's giggles.

I remember inching towards her in a trance like state. Snaking my arms around her waist when she had her back towards me. And I remember gently tilting her face towards mine and kissing her on the lips. There was no gasp of surprise, or even the slightest of struggles. She simply reciprocated and held nothing bad.

I remember our first kiss, the smell of petrichor fading to the back of my mind as the scent of strawberries took its place.

When we broke apart for air, there was no confusion: this was it.

The memory faded and I was back where I rightfully belong, beside Ruby, in our bed, wrapped comfortably in eachothers arms. My drooling dolt's comforting scent had calmed me down. Every breath I took thereafter made my eyelids grow heavier and heavier, and before I knew it I had drifted off to sleep, reliving the day I danced with her in the rain wearing my best dress.

When I awoke, Ruby and the rest of our team were gone. I didn't have any classes scheduled today, so that explained why Ruby had let me sleep in; she didn't want to wake me on my day off. My hand brushed against something strange on her side of the bed as I sat up. I looked down to find a plate covered in tin foil. I unwrapped it and found a still-warm omelette with "I LOVE U" spelled out in ketchup.

I smiled. The girl treated me like a princess when I didn't necessarily always deserve to be. I resolved to get her a suitable Valentine's day gift to properly reward her care for me.

The conversation I had had with Yang yesterday afternoon gave me some much needed insight. When she had pulled me aside during lunch hour and asked me what my plans for Valentine's day were. I did not mince my words or stutter, I know for a matter of fact that I spoke quite clearly, but she had still somehow managed to draw confusion from my statement.

Yang Xiao-Long, you are a crafty little devil. And I swear, on all that is holy, that I will repay you for this act of kindness. I will be the greatest valentine Ruby Rose will ever have, but how exactly do I achieve that?

So here I am now, lost amidst an overpriced botanical jungle. To the left of me were flowers, to the right were even more flowers, and somewhere in the middle of it all was a malnourished ficus. I circled around it curiously, wondering why such a thing was even here. This was a flower shop specializing in exotic flora, but this was a shrub. A common, everyday shrub—and it was dying to top it all off.

"I see you've noticed our Freddy!" chirped an overly eager sales associate.

I spun on my heel to face her, slipping comfortably back into my mask of cool indifference. "Freddy?" I asked her, voice full of skepticism. "You named this ficus 'Freddy'?"

"Yes," she beamed. "Freddy Ficus, the friendliest—"

"Stop right there; I don't care."

She paused for a second. "Then why are you staring at it?"

"Because it's obviously in poor condition!" I shouted, throwing my hand back to point out its debilitated state.

"Freddy is perfectly healthy, he's just an ugly tree. A really, really ugly tree."

"This is a shrub—an ugly shrub. And quite positively the ugliest shrub I have ever had the misfortune of laying my eyes upon."

"It is a tree, miss," the shop employee hissed with a forced smile.

"A 'tree' would be taller than this."

"My, my, aren't we a prickly little princess. I believe we have exactly what you're looking for," she said motioning to the walkway leading to the Mistraltan greenhouse. "A cactus seems perfect for you."

And then it clicked.

Everything fell into place and I owed it all to this sassy, underpaid associate. I reached out and eagerly shook her hand, thanking her profusely for solving my problems. I left her behind, not caring if she had anything in particular to add. I was now a woman on a mission and nothing was going to get in my way.

One hour, I had been perusing this greenhouse for one whole hour; it was unbearably hot in here. I understood perfectly why it had to be so, but that won't be able to stop me from complaining or whining or cursing this stupid hell hole for the life of me.

I had seen everything this arid enclosure had to offer, yet nothing—not even their most expensive wares—caught my eye. I was beginning to think that I had been wasting my time, and judging by the digital clock on my scroll, I was. Groaning to myself in a dainty-like fashion, I reluctantly made my way to the exit. I mulled over my options, but just like this sandy oven, I had nothing. Ruby deserved something special and money was not the answer for once. I was honestly stumped. Who knew it would be this hard to give your significant other a meaningful present.

Curse you Yang Xiao-Long, this is all your fault. If you hadn't brought this ridiculous holiday to my attention, I could be curled up in bed sleeping or reading a good book. But no, you had to tell me Ruby liked this event and now I'm here in a poorly managed establishment with pitiful selections.

"If I you were here, right now, I would strangle you," I hissed, glaring menacingly at the flora in my path.

In my unrelenting frustration, I absent-mindedly kicked a small pot. It had been lying there on its side, bottom facing towards me, with a small trail of soil leading away from it. I hadn't kicked it too far or all that hard, but it still made curse under my breath. If there were any damages to it, I would have to pay for it and I really didn't want to give this shop my patronage. However, when I neared it for inspection, I realized something: this was it.

Gingerly, I picked it up and brushed off the excess soil and broken clay, mindful of the hairline fracture running down the side. The tiny pot housed a small round cactus with inch long needles. It was pale green with a few flecks of brown dotting its surface, the needles themselves were an off-yellow; several of which were bent and hanging by a thread, or lost on the floor somewhere. However, what drew me to this plant was the cactus' lackluster colour, or even its diminutive size, it was the vibrant red flower clinging desperately to it.

I made my purchase and called my girlfriend. Her classes should be over by now and I know she would never turn down a spontaneous lunch date. When she answered, I told her where to meet me as I hailed a cab.

I wonder, between her speed and this taxi, who will get there first?