Stupidity
By Nyarai
Rating K+
Summary: Kyuzo wonders if picking flowers is a good thing when he knows that his feelings will be unrequited.
DISCLAIMER: This story is a non-commercial work of fiction based on the anime/manga Samurai 7. Original copyright of Samurai 7 belongs to Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni, MICO, GDH, GONZO. Absolutely no monetary gain has been made with this work.
It was a stupid idea.
Kyuzo scowled at the bouquet in hand as he wondered for the umpteenth time what possessed him to go through with such a notion. Already enough it was unlike him to even look at a flower, let alone pick one, but to think about giving them to someone? If Ukyo found out, the fop would certainly have a field day.
The blond samurai plucked another pink flower from the ground and added it to the growing cluster in his hand. He noticed that he picked more white flowers than pink ones. Shrugging, he continued. Kyuzo supposed they would suit him better, anyway.
It was still a stupid idea.
Perhaps he could explain that one of the village girls--one of the girls from his "fan club"--was too shy to give him the bouquet so she asked him to deliver it instead. Kyuzo snorted. Even with as much naivety as he had, he wouldn't buy it. But still, a small part of him in an area right below his breastbone still hoped that beauty came before brains in this case.
He discarded one of the pink flowers in favor of another white one. They would match better with his pale skin and bright eyes, and would speak more about what Kyuzo thought of him, or rather what he wished to say, and simply couldn't. Kyuzo wasn't much for words to begin with, anyway. Around him, Kyuzo always found himself grasping for the right words to say, fearing what he would say that could be taken out of context, or deciding not to say anything at all. It was always easier to do the last one.
It still was a stupid idea.
The water witch had more luck than he did, Kyuzo bitterly mused. Already she had two advantages: one, she had his affection, and two, she was a woman. Kyuzo only had his admiration, which really didn't constitute for much of anything, if he thought about it. Anyone who had some sense of bravery and honor gained his respect, so Kyuzo really didn't feel "special" about having it at all. He didn't have something of his alone, not like Kirara. No, to him he was like the other samurai, especially Kanbei. Always someone to aspire to be, and never to be with. Sighing, Kyuzo thought about adding yellow hyacinths1 to the floral bunch, but unfortunately they didn't grow anywhere near Kanna village. Those would speak volumes of his feelings toward Kirara's relationship with him. He chastised himself for the thought. Better not to include them at all, even if they did grow here. It would be no help if he thought the blond samurai was petty.
Perhaps, Kyuzo thought, he should just wait until the flowers turn brown and curl up into brittle, lifeless things and then present them2. Certainly, that would explain his true feelings, and the more than likely outcome of this situation far better than a live bouquet. He thought it was a stupid idea to begin with, and his initial position towards it had not changed. His heart clung onto a fool's hope that only he would be the one to receive his smiles, he would be the one to receive his kisses, and he would be the one to return them. But Kyuzo refused to give into silly, childish, romantic notions. Only an idiot would believe that would happen. And yet that small part of him, right beneath his breastbone, wanted to be that idiot.
Kyuzo picked another white flower and added it to his bouquet.
It was still a stupid idea.
(1) Yellow hyacinths symbolize jealousy.
(2) According to "The Language of Flowers", a bouquet of dead or withered flowers symbolize rejected love.
Ack! My first fanfiction that I'm not afraid to post online... I hope it wasn't too confusing or anything (this is what happens when you're up at 3 in the morning "finishing" AP English Lit homework but decide to write fanfics instead). Despite it making no sense at all (and the fact that it is extremely cracked), this is my favorite pairing in Samurai 7.