A/N: LOL so this is just some random fic I wrote on the spur of the moment. It totally sucks, and I only skimmed through it during proofing. Forgive me for any horrible OoC moments, bad grammar, spelling, HORRIBLE STUFF IN GENERAL D:

Note: I know that technically Ran Fan's name is "Lan Fan" but for some reason I like Ran Fan better. Shut up and don't make any comments about it Dx

Rating is K+ for a couple of cuss words.

"Ran Fan!"

She looked down from her perch in an ancient oak tree, her eyes searching through the mask for any signs of danger. She found none. "What is it, Young Master?"

"Come down here."

She bowed her head. "As you wish, Young Master." She bounded down the tree, landing in perfect form. Ran Fan stood, awaiting his orders. There was nothing, except–

"Take off your mask," he said. "For now, you're just Ran Fan. Screw the whole 'guard thing' for now."

She grudgingly took off the painted face, carefully knotting the strings before setting on the ground. She stood up, her now unmasked face glancing at his. "There, it is done. What is it that you would like me to do?"

"I just wanted to show you something. Come closer." A grin spread across his face, almost crooked. "Loosen up, Ran Fan. Stepping away from your guard duty for a few minutes won't kill you. Besides--"he pointed out. "I can fight, too. And I don't see anyone here. I'm not going to die within ten minutes."

Ran Fan shook her head before carefully took a measured amount of steps until she was about a meter away from him. Ling walked the rest of the distance between them until he was standing right next to her. He clapped a hand on her shoulder, ignoring the little flinch she gave from the casual contact. "Look, Ran Fan." He gestured with his chin in the general direction he wanted. "Take a glance at that."

She cast her eyes toward the place Ling wanted her to see. Nothing of interest caught her attention. "I don't see anything."

He laughed. "You're so naïve. Look closely. No, not there. Next to the bush that looks like a dead squirrel—yes, that one. Now do you see, Ran Fan?"

She was staring at a delicate cherry tree, with pale-colored blossoms blooming from every single square inch of its branches. It was so pretty, so girly…and something that Ran Fan would usually sweep by without any notice.

"You like it, don't you?" Ling picked up a stray blossom from the ground and twirled it between his fingers. "I know you normally wouldn't notice it, but I thought you deserved to look at something nice once in a while. Something non-explosive, non-gory, and non-violent."

"Y…yes," she admitted. "It's…nice." What else could she say?

"Actually, Ran Fan, there was another reason behind this." He gave her another lopsided smile. "I wanted to tell you something. Something important."

"What is it, Young Ma—um, Ling?"

He was quiet for a moment. He sighed. "Sorry, I don't really know how to word this…"

"Just say it bluntly," she insisted. "It'll be easiest that way." Ran Fan frowned a little bit. Had something happened?

Ling shook his head. "That's how you always say things, don't you? Well, don't kill me for this. Uh…let's see. Bluntly, right? Here goes nothing." He stopped twisting the blossom and instead proceeded to nestle it in her hair, much to her surprise. "I love you."

She didn't even stop to think. Within three seconds flat she was back up in the tree she had descended from, her slim fingers fumbling with the strings of her mask—dammit, why had she even bothered to knot it? Eventually she gave up and simply held the mask up to her face without tying it to hide her rapidly spreading blush.

"Y…you're joking," she finally said. "It's another one of your jokes, isn't it, Young Master?"

She had reverted back to calling Ling "Young Master" when he had specifically requested her not to. Ran Fan realized her mistake a little late, but at that time she didn't care. W, what did he just say…?!

Ling leaned against the tree in the same place where Ran Fan had once been. "I suppose you would think like that, Ran Fan. Ah, what a pity." He gazed out toward the cherry tree again in an almost dreamy way. "But I'm not joking."

Her cheeks flamed even hotter under the mask–if that was even possible. She was sure her face was already the color of a tomato. He continued on. "I'm not joking, seriously. You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, and the probably only one who can beat me in combat. And you're the one who stays calm during dangerous situations. You've defended my life. I've known you forever. How could I not love you?"

He walked a little distance away from Ran Fan's tree and instead settled down next to the cherry blossom tree. "I'll wait here for you."Forever. The word she could read on his lips.

Ran Fan made sure he had taken a good distance away from her before she lowered the mask. She held her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide. He…he…

He loves me.

She lowered her hands, and she shook her head. Get a grip, Ran Fan! You know you shouldn't, you absolutely cannot be like this. He's a prince, you're just a guard. You just can't…

A small, light object fell in her lap. She picked it up, and realized that it was the cherry blossom Ling had put into her hair. She stroked the light colored petals, and her mouth turned slightly upward. Maybe…

She thought of Ling, and her heart pounded. She remembered every time when someone had insulted him, or tried to hurt him…and her hand immediately slid down to touch her kunai. Damn.

What if she really did love him? She had always overreacted whenever someone had gotten too close to Ling—that Fullmetal brat had told her that once.

Ugh…why am I thinking like this? She gripped the flower so hard it broke, and her eyes widened at the almost sickening snap. The flower he gave me…broken…

At that point, she realized that to her, it wasn't just a stupid cherry blossom. It was a gift that he had given to her. And now it was broken.

And now she felt like her heart had snapped along with the bloom.

Because she loved him. And she hadn't realized it until then, until she had broken the blossom.

"Did you break it?" Ran Fan turned around, and nearly fell out of the tree, grabbing onto the scaly bark with her hand to steady her balance. When she was steady again, she found herself face-to-face with Ling. Automatically her cheeks turned red again, and she lowered her head.

"Yes. I'm sorry. I was careless. Forgive me."

"Nah, it's fine," he replied. She looked up, surprised. "But—"

"You're more important than the flower," he answered. "That's all that matters, okay?"

"But—" She looked up, and saw Ling's smiling face, before closing her eyes. "Thank you."

Oh geez that sucked, didn't it? I hope you made it out alive, because every time I read it I die inside.

-shot for abusing fics/self too much.-

Anyway, reviews would be nice. But they're not mandatory.