Notes: A late birthday present for my Maria bby who ships this almost as much as I do 3

From Afar

He never understood how she found pleasure in magic. It was just a bunch of excruciatingly complicated formulas and other mumbo jumbo he didn't have the patience to comprehend. It's not like he ever had any interest in such subjects anyway - given the small amount of Magoi in his body, he couldn't recreate any of it so why bother? But still, he'd find himself lounging near by, watching the way her eyes lit up in wonder when ever she figured out another one of its complicated riddles.

From the moment Sinbad snatched her away from Magnostadt during the coup d'etat, he had found her a captivating. The way she bubbled with ecstasy whenever someone discovered a new textbook for her, the way she spent hours upon hours deciphering codes and texts, and the way she would always tuck that one strand of hair behind her ear, everything about her seemed to intrigue him. Her devotion to the subject was admirable, as it rivaled his own in swordplay, but her tongue was sharp and her temper short, and that irritated him more than anything.

They'd always been at odds, trying to prove to the other which was better, but he'd grown to love magic because of her - because of the joy it had brought her. But that thought would never be vocalised because she'd simply see it as a victory on her part.

"Ah! I got it!" She'd exclaim, a smile as radiant as the sun painting her face. Her eyes would shine like the ocean under the sun's rays, and for days afterwards she'd be caught up in her own celebration for her new found discovery.

He'd sit through her constant babbling, watching the way she moved, and the excitement radiation off her was almost tangible. Her words would go straight through one ear and out the other, but it was just the satisfaction of seeing her so bright, radiating like the sun his people loved so much, that had his heart skipping a beat.

As they grew older, he began to call her infatuation with the subject an 'obsession', a fact that she wasn't too pleased with, but he didn't care. He'd find himself wonder if she could ever give that much devotion to someone else, to...him, perhaps?

But that was such an absurd thought in itself. As far as he could tell, she held no feelings for him outside of a mutual, and sometimes seemingly reluctant, friendship, and sometimes he felt it was generous to even call it that.

There were times when he contemplated asking her, but needless to say, he was afraid of the answer. She'd managed to worm his way into his heart, a feat that only two other women had accomplished over the years, but the yearn for her was stronger, so much stronger than it had been for the others.

Stronger, but more painful.

No, he couldn't ask her. He'd have to continue to watch from afar, taking every little bickering moment they shared that had grown into their relationship over the years, and settle with that. Because he wasn't sure he could bare a no from her.

Even now, they were sitting in the same spot they had as kids, beneath a large magnolia tree in the center of the courtyard. Her books were spread about her, pen working furiously as she mumbled to herself, and he couldn't help but think that she was so close to him, and yet so far away, like a prize that was hanging just out of reach.

But that wasn't right, was it? She was Yamuraiha, the Genius Magician from Magnostadt, and one of Sinbad's most elite. She was more than just a prize to him.

A breeze blew past, rustling the tree and sending a bunch of leaves fluttering to the ground, like feathers in the wind. From the branches above, a fully bloomed magnolia tumbled down, landing in his lap. With tentative fingers, he seized the flower and twirled it, gazing at its milky white petals with a contemplating knit to his brows.

A sigh tore itself from his lips, and he turned his gaze on her once more. She reached up and tucked a strand of her aqua tresses behind her ear, only for it to fall back out as she shifted her position. If she had something to hold it in place...

A thought struck him at that moment.

He glanced down at the flower in his hands, a small smile turning his lips. He stood and stretched, feeling his muscles pop and unwind, before leisurely making his way towards her. She was completely oblivious to his presence as he crouched beside her.

Without giving her warning, he reached out and took her hair in his hands, marveling at how soft it was, and pulled it back behind her ear. She let out a startled squeak as he slipped the flower in place and stood.

"Sharrkan?!"

He flashed her a cocky smile, completed with the slightest traces of a wink before turning on his heels, raising his hand in a silent 'see ya later'.

He may be watching from afar now, but maybe he'd find some way into her heart as well.

Bonus:

She reached up and touched the flower, letting her fingers take in it's soft texture. A small smile turned her lips, as she toyed with the petals.

"Stupid swordsman..." and she never thought she'd utter those words in such a fond manner.