Affetuoso
Ed loved to lounge on the loveseat in Camus's greenhouse, lulled to a near comatose state by the
wafting scent of warm acacia and lilac, and listen distantly to Orpherus as the blonde chatted
amiably about some matter of little importance or another. He never felt as relaxed and at peace as he did in those moments, if only because it allowed him to pretend that Orphe's words of foreign affairs and political negotiations had a deeper, more sensual meaning.
"He in the only one for whom you would do something so reckless alone." Ed wondered if Professor Gerald had had any idea of how resonant those words really were. If he had held this kind of love for any man other than Orphe, he would have washed his hands of it in the inculpable manner possible, and set himself about finding a proper woman to engage himself in.
However, as always when in regard to Eduard, Orpherus was a different matter entirely.
Orphe was Ed's first true friend...no, he was far more than that. It was Orphe that readily accepted Ed knowing where his parentage truly lay, Orphe who brought Ed into his home and gave him a warm, loving haven from his stepmother's ire; Orphe, who time and time again had come to Ed's aid and defense whenever he was needed, and was always ready with words of encouragement and empathy when Ed's spirits were low. Orphe wasn't just a friend, he was Ed's precious person, his deliverer and one true love. No single person could ever fill the gaping hole in his heart that would remain when Orphe was finally snatched away from him.
No, Eduard was no fool. He knew all too well how important Orphe's family, and more immediately, the people of Kuchen where to Orpherus. It was entirely possible that, once a member of Strahl, Orphe would be pressured into a political marriage, and Ed had already resigned himself to step back and offer his blessings along with everyone else. And if Orphe should happen to ask Ed to be his best man, which Ed was almost entirely positive he would, then Ed would stand beside him at the alter, and perform all ceremonies required from the bottom of his heart.
Later that night, he would retreat to the sanctuary of his own quarters, bury his head in his soft, relenting down pillow and sob out the shattered remains of his heart.
But for now, Ed was all too content to lie here amongst the amaranth and geranium, and weave sweet dreams where Orphe's murmured rambling were of a more intimate, personal nature.
SnM: Trust me when I say this ficlet comes as much of a surprise to you all as it does to me. I've been so wrapped up in school work lately, with my muse kicking in my skull to finish my latest Naruto fic, and here I turn out a Meine Liebe story in the hour of free time I managed to create for myself. Ed-centric, because Ed plays the piano and thus impresses deeply upon the music major deep within myself. If you will note, the title, Affetuoso, is a term used in music that means 'with tender emotion'.
Anyway, the flowers named throughout the story are very important to the overall theme, so here is the symbolism for each:
Acacia: Secret love
Lilac: Youthful innocense
Amaranth: Unfading love
Geranium: Melancholy
Well, that's all for now, dear readers. Please r&r