Author's Note: Hi there! I'm Marune but you can call me Maru. :] I've been an FF lurker for a very long time and this is just the first time I've ever submitted anything before. So please be nice? :]
Reviews and constructive criticisms are highly appreciated! :D Enjoy~
Disclaimer: Natalia and Ivan belong to Hidekaz Himaruya
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She hadn't really given much thought about this. In one of her morning strolls in the new village her and her brother and sister were to live in, Natalia had found a beautiful meadow that stretched as wide as the ocean and as far as the sea. All around it grew different kinds of flowers; daisies, clovers, mallows, dandelions and a lot more she couldn't quite figure out. She had explored it all morning, collecting some of the flowers that she thought would make their home look a little bit brighter from the inside.
As she moved deeper into the sea of green, she discovered the most stunning bright yellow sunflowers that she had ever seen in all her life. Natalia had known her older brother Ivan was a huge fan of these and so what once was a ridiculous thought had become a silly little plan. She decided she would cut a few of these sunflowers and give them to her beloved brother, in hopes of seeing one of his bright smiles that he rarely gave her or anyone else except for their older sister, Katyusha.
Walking along the sidewalk with her scarf wrapped tightly around her neck, Natalia noticed the azure color of the sky fading, slowly being replaced by the orange and yellow hues of the sky. It was almost sunset and she knew she should hurry to the meadow before sundown if she still wants to see where she'd be cutting. She gladly welcomed the sudden fresh breeze that blew against her, whipping the blonde strands of her hair around, tangling them into each other. The air carried the faint smell of flowers; she knew she was close.
Coming close to a jog, a strong gush of wind swept past her this time and she felt the white ribbon she wore on her head loosen up and fly away. She made a grab for it but it was deemed impossible as the wind carried it farther up and farther away. Sighing, she decided to leave it be; the sunflowers and her brother being much more important to her than a piece of white cloth.
Natalia finally arrived at her intended destination and pushed past against the tall grass, panting slightly from the small jog. When she had reached the sunflowers, the breath-taking view overtook her mind. It was simply gorgeous the way the sunflowers glowed under the peaking lights of the sunset. The golden sky matched the color of the sunflowers' petals perfectly, giving warmth to eyes whose sight lay upon it. The sunflowers stood tall and proud in all its glory and the urge to cut them up was completely vanished from Natalia's mind. She breathed in the smell of dry grass and the different colorful flowers, and she knew she couldn't destroy something as beautiful as this. She sighed, letting go of the plan she had for her brother.
"Natalia?"
The said girl turned around, only to see her older brother staring up at the dazzling view of the sunflowers. On his hand was her white ribbon that flew away a few moments ago. Dropping the knife she carried with her earlier, she looked down and softly said, "Brother, I-I wanted to cut these up for you, knowing they would make you happy… but… I can't."
Ivan looked at the downcast figure of his younger sister and gently smiled. He walked up to her, holding the edges of the white ribbon then tying it around Natalia's head, the way she always did it. Natalia slowly glanced up at her brother and her eyes widened. On Ivan's face was a big sincere and warm smile, one that no one had seen before, even Katyusha.
"Brother…"
Without thinking, Natalia latched herself onto her brother, giving him a big hug. Ivan only laughed and hugged back. Once they let go, Ivan put a hand on his sister's shoulder. "Some things are better off where they're supposed to be… like your brother's scarf."
Ivan chuckled as Natalia blushed and smiled sheepishly before she started unraveling the scarf on her neck. She was stopped by a cold hand that gripped her own. "No, it's alright. You can have it on until we reach the house. Now," without letting go of Natalia's hand, he turned to the path leading to the sidewalk and looked over to his shoulder with a small smile, "let's go home." Again, Natalia blushed and followed her brother, gripping back the hand that held on to hers.
There were no sunflowers and no knives but a smile on Ivan's face that Natalia would remember all her life.
