I do not own Etrian Odyssey. 'Peonies' is simply a fanwork.
Please enjoy this oneshot!

"Peonies..."

The brunette who was refered to as 'Ronin' by her teammates raised her eyebrows. She then proceeded to look down upon the one known as 'Medic'. The younger girl then reached up to touch the flower in Ronin's hair, her eyes filled with curiousity.

An awkward silence was exchanged between the two. Ronin had expected nothing more than for her injuries to be healed when the guild's nurse had instructed for her to sit on a nearby stone. However, as everyone in the group had told her before, the wide-eyed healer was ever-curious and almost always starting a random coversation. However, she had not expected 'random' to be the same as 'pointless'.

'Why are you concerned about my fashion when we should be exploring?' Was what she wanted to say. However, "Are you just noticing them?" was what came out when she swipped her companion's hand away.

"Not exactly." Medic looked over her hand for a moment, before pushing herself up, letting out an awkwardly high-pitched groan in the process. She then observed the blossom in her patient's hair further, but this time refraining from touching it. "It's just that I'm curious. Why do you put them in your hair?"

This was not what was expected. Something like 'pink's not your color', or 'they're my favorites', or something like that was what Ronin was prepared to answer. However, the question she was presented with left her at a loss for words for a split moment- which felt like five hours to someone such as herself.

"Well, I suppose... They just look nice."

"Looks?"

Medic's eyes were still curious. But, if Ronin had not known better, she might be convinced that there was something more than curiousity in that gaze. Those olive eyes held a strange emotion. Something then came over Ronin. She had a strange desire... Part of her wanted that unidentifiable emotion to be admiration. Admiration toward her own beauty. But, was that possible? Obviously, Medic had her own cuteness... Wouldn't that keep her from admiring the other girls in the guild that one might consider 'beautiful'? That thought made her then blurt out something rather uncharacteristic.

"Well, we can't all be naturally cute like you."

'What! Did I just say that outloud? Shit.' Ronin thought as her face turned read. She replayed her statement in her head again- the statement that resulted in Medic tilting her head. 'What's coming over me...? Sure, she's cute, but...'

"Hey! Medic and Ronin!" A voice called from nearby. It was the golden-haired 'Gunner', waving at them with a map in her hand. "If you're done with those injuries, then we should continue. The Labyrinth won't map itself, you know.'

Medic gasped, then nodded at the third girl. "You're right." Then, facing Ronin with the look still in her eyes, she smiled. "You should be good for now. Let's go!"

And so, the adventure continued. Ronin was distracted, though. Even an hour after their break, she still caught Medic glancing at her occasionally, with that untold emotion in her eyes. Ronin was okay with it for awhile, but it eventually grew to irritate her. And she let her mouth go without her again.

"What is it?" She yelled, grabbing ahold of Medic's harm, twisting their bodies so that they faced each other.

"What are you talking about?" Medic gasped in shock.

"Why have you been looking at me like that ever since you mentioned my flowers?" Her hazel eyes met the younger girl's. 'If you have any desire, any admiration.... just tell me. Please, don't leave me in the dark like this...It's too hard to handle.'

The guild paused in order to figure out what the trouble between the two was. After an awkward silence, medic spoke. "Those peonies... I was thinking that maybe I could use them. I was a bit afraid to ask you, because you seem concerned about looks, but... They do have medicinal purposes, so... That's what I've been thinking.'

Well, that's it. Please review! Constructive critique is more than welcome. But, please, no flames. This is the first thing I've written in quite some time, and my first Etrian Odyssey fanfiction.