A/N: I have no explanation for this, other than that Palladium is my favorite character. This is not a Palladium/Bloom, just fyi. Winx Forever! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I wish this was mine... but it's not. Oh well.
Bloom walked, rather than flew, to the gates of Alfea School for Fairies. Had she had her wings out, they'd have drooped. She'd just come from Eraklyon, where she thought she was surprising her boyfriend, Prince Sky, but instead he'd surprised, and shocked her.
She'd barely gone three steps into the Eraklyon royal palace when she'd seen him. Kissing her. Princess Diaspro. Her name was like venom on Bloom's tongue and the redhead scowled slightly as she passed through the magical barrier and into her school. Bloom had seen Sky with Diaspro before, but this time, it wasn't because he was under some spell. This was real. Sky had tried to follow her, begging her to talk to him so he could make her understand but Bloom had ignored him. She'd acknowledged him long enough to say it was over before taking to the sky in her Enchantix form.
Bloom blinked tears out of her blue eyes and took a deep breath, biting her lip to keep it from wobbling. Her feet walked the familiar route to the dormitory she shared with her fellow Winx, who were no longer students at the school, but teachers. Bloom stopped walking and leaned against the wall nearest her, imagining her friends' reactions. Stell would scoff and brush it off as magical interference and then after Bloom explained it wasn't, she'd begin planning some horrid (as in not going to work) plan to either get him back or get revenge. Flora would pity her, Musa would tell her Sky'd been a waste of time anyway, Tecna would tell her that the probability of their staying together was low, and Aisha would try and comfort her.
Bloom pushed off the wall and walked in the opposite direction, not keen on her friends sympathy and pity -or in some of their cases, indifference- right now. That was the last thing she needed. She pushed open the nearest door and entered, sitting at a desk in the empty classroom. She set her head on her folded arms and slid forward until her face was buried in her arms. Her pocket vibrated and she sighed, sitting up and digging in her pocket for her cellphone. Without checking who it was she answered, "Hello?"
"Bloom! Don't hang up. Listen I know what you saw today was-"
Bloom refrained from chucking the phone across the room, "Listen Sky, I get it. You've moved on. I thought that Diaspro wasn't- I mean I thought we were- I thought wrong. But I understand and I don't want you to give an excuse. Please Sky I just- goodbye."
Sky tried to say something else but he only managed "No Bloom-" before she'd ended the call and tossed her phone onto the floor, burying her face in her arms and letting the tears come. She really thought she and Sky had something. After everything they'd been through! She sniffed but didn't pick her head up, registering the sound of a door opening and her own name. "Bloom?"
One of the perks to being a teacher was having the school to yourself when students were gone on break or holiday. Especially if you yourself didn't go home, because maybe your family was completely unsupportive of what you did and thought you were wasting your potential. These were the thoughts going through Professor Palladium's head as he walked down the empty halls of Alfea, arms laden with books and a glass jar where a little green vine with a single pink flower continually poked the top, trying to get it open. Palladium turned another corner but had to press against the wall as Stella shot passed him with a "Hi Professor! Seen Bloom? No? Okay! Bye Professor!" Before she rounded the other corner and was gone. He watched her go with a shake of his head before slapping a hand on top of the jar lid, the little vine dropping back down with an almost pout. Palladium quickly caught the books before they toppled from his grasp and smiled at the little pink flowered vine. He continued down the hall and adjusted his load once more, stopping outside a closed door. A sound came from within and he frowned, pushing it open with his shoulder and peering inside. A redhead sat at one of the desks, face hidden in her arms. "Bloom?"
Bloom looked up to see Professor Palladium standing in the doorway, books and a glass jar piled in his arms. She sniffed and sat up straight, willing the tears away as she put on a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Hey Professor! I must have fallen asleep." Palladium frowned, "Bloom are you alright?" Her fake-smile grew, "Never better! Just tired." She faked a yawn, "Well I'm gonna head up to my room, maybe take a proper nap. See you later!" Even as she spoke, she didn't move. As though she expected him to leave her there, no questions asked, and she could stay where she was and continue to cry. For Palladium knew she had been, if her red eyes and wet cheeks were anything to go by. "Bloom."
Bloom bowed her head and frowned slightly, hands clasped, "Um I- um. I have no excuse." Palladium set the books down on the teacher's desk and folded his arms, "Do you want to talk about it?" Bloom grit her teeth, "I don't want to tell the others, why would I tell you?" As soon as the words left her mouth she felt bad and looked up, "I'm sorry Professor." Palladium gave her a quick smile, "I understand. And you can call me Palladium. I'm not your professor anymore." Bloom put a strand of hair behind her ear, "Force of habit." Palladium took on an out-of-character serious face, "Bloom." She sighed, "Have you ever really liked someone? A lot?" Palladium raised an eyebrow, thinking it an odd question to ask of a teacher but he had just said he wasn't her professor anymore. "I suppose, yes. It, didn't work out. She found, someone else."
It felt odd to talk about it, after so many years. But he supposed that there was a time for everything. What Palladium had to wonder was why Bloom would ask. As far as he knew, she was perfectly happy with her long-time boyfriend, Sky. He gained a sinking feeling. "Bloom why do you ask?" She sniffed again, "Well I went to Eraklyon to visit Sky, and he was with D-Diaspro!" Palladium took on a thoughtful look, "I thought that was Baltor's doing, and he recovered?" Bloom felt tears well in her eyes, "This time, it was of his own free will. He chose her." And then the tears fell, fast and thick. And then Bloom was sobbing uncontrollably into her arms.
Palladium carefully sat in the desk next to her, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. Bloom continued to cry, looking up with tear-filled eyes briefly before collapsing against him. He froze temporarily but then rubbed her back soothingly as she cried into his shoulder. He faintly heard her mutter, probably more to herself than him, "Why does this hurt so much?" He found himself pulling her closer. Bloom eventually pulled away and wiped her eyes, "I'm sorry. I just kind of cried all over you." Palladium smiled, "That's alright. Do you feel better?" Bloom nodded and then jumped up quickly, "Something touched my leg!" The little green vine looked up at her with it's pink flower cocked to the side as though curious. Palladium carefully picked it up and it wrapped around his arm but it stretched towards Bloom. She smiled, "What's it doing?" Palladium reached for the jar, "It's a me et amicum, 'a friend in me.' It can sense when someone needs a friend." Bloom gently pet the vine with her finger when her phone, still on the floor, rang, startling them both.
She dove for it, answering once again without checking who it was, "Hello?" Palladium watched Bloom's face darken, "I said I didn't want to hear your excuses Sky!" Bloom began pacing and Palladium stood, returning the vine to the jar, debating whether or not to leave. Bloom was listening to Sky, apparently, and she must not have liked or believed it because her face grew angrier and angrier. "Her fault? You LET IT HAPPEN!" She rolled her eyes at whatever Sky said next but then froze, "She what? My parents never said that! I never said that! Diaspro's more witch than fairy. She did this on purpose." Sky said something and Bloom beamed, "Yes. Okay. See you then."
Bloom hung up, still beaming. Palladium picked up the books and jar, "Everything worked out?" Bloom nodded, "Diaspro lied about my parents saying they didn't approve of Sky. He wants to take me to dinner to explain. Thank you Profe- Palladium!" She threw her arms around him, almost knocking the books out of his hands and then practically skipped out of the room.