Disclaimer: Yes, I realize this is a rather odd couple…Yes, I realize I'm insane… But HEY! I like marshmallows! That has to count for something! And no, I do not own what I do not own.
Lines—A Rekka No Ken Fanfiction
By Forever3330
They sat together beneath the old oak tree, the meadow grass beneath them warm with sunlight, cool with shade, and one spoke, constantly, of whatever her thoughts fell upon, leaning against the other girl's back, eyes flickering about. The air was heavy with the heat of the day, and the loud laughter that echoed in the otherwise silent place as she spoke of her antics.
The other girl, who was sitting quietly, hands clasped in her lap, leaned back-to-back with more caution, examining her hands critically as she listened, a small smile on her face. Serra always said things that made her smile, even if the cheery girl didn't know it.
As they sat their hair entwined, lavender and a soft rose that was the color of the sky at sunset. The talking girl trailed off slowly, into silence, settling into the quiet her companion seemed to favor.
Florina tilted her head to the side, slightly, listening. "…S-Serra?" She twined a lock of pale violet around one of her fingers, nervously. Though she was less so then normal with the outgoing girl, she was still nervous.
The cleric behind her looked back, or attempted to, and when she found this wasn't easy she settled for turning to lean against the oak tree so she could see her friend. "Yeah?"
The Pegasus knight shifted slightly, to face the more energetic girl. "…Why m-me?"
"Why you what?" Serra quirked an eyebrow, trying to figure out if this was a new game; no, Florina never played games. She really needed to work on that.
Looking down, "W-why…do…do you l-love…" A whisper, her voice getting continually softer, "M-me…?"
The rose-haired cleric pondered this. "Why shouldn't I?"
"Y…You're b-beautiful." Florina's voice came out in a near squeak.
"I know!" Serra smiled brightly, making her companion look at her in something like to shock, at which the cleric rolled her eyes. "'Rina, I'm only joking. Well, not really, because I am beautiful. Exquisite, don't you think? You're very lucky to have me. I know that's not the answer you expected."
"…N-not quite…"
Serra looked pensive for a moment, which was odd for her. She tended to blurt out whatever came to mind; thinking could be done afterwards. Florina supposed, if she had to put it to something, that she might have rubbed off slightly on the other girl. But she seriously doubted it.
"I love you because you're Florina." Serra said, smiling. "You're beautiful too, you know. You…care." The girl decided on the word, carefully. "About me. That was what…I noticed first. When you came to ask me to help you be more like me so you could talk to all the guys…you didn't care much then…but you admired me. And then, during my lessons, you cared more. You're not like me, though, so I'm glad you didn't learn very well. I don't know exactly, 'Rina. You're just you."
Florina inclined her head. "I…I t-thought…"
"What?" Serra smiled, managing to look as if she were frowning just a bit. "You're tidy, you know. I think that's one of the things I liked first. I mean, I do like untidy people…I graciously allowed Lord Hector to be a part of my family. And Matthew, but Matthew's tidy, so he's fine. But Oswin can't come, because he'll blather on about this or that."
The other girl almost outright laughed. That was…so off-topic. And so childlike, like the girl she'd somehow grown to admire, and then to like, and eventually, one day, to love.
"You know, I liked Erky at one point in time. Though Sain was probably right on calling it 'infatuation'. That doesn't mean I'll tell him who likes him, though…really, how dense can you be?"
"S-someone…likes S-sain?" Florina glanced up, surprised.
"Florinaaaaaaaaaa! Please don't tell me you haven't seen the looks! Elimine that man has no idea how to hide feelings. Too bad Sain's too bent on womanizing to notice anything. Hmph." Serra began to mutter, which Florina promptly recognized as a 'bad sign'.
"N-now Serra…" Florina took a deep breath. She did speak more in the other girl's company. Lyndis had said more then once that Serra was a 'good influence', and hit Hector for implying otherwise. "S-sain doesn't mean…he just…"
"It's not that. It's just that it'd be so romantic if Sain got his head out of the clouds and noticed!" Serra brightened, and Florina sighed. The other girl did seem somewhat intent on relationships; her own or otherwise.
"….." Florina looked at her hands for a while, then closed them. "…I wonder…"
Noticing her lover's concentration, and steady voice, Serra looked over, curious. "What…?"
"Do you…Do you think…any of us will ever…be the same? There's so much blood…Will we…die…?"
"No one stays the same." The cleric paused. "Did you know that hands tell stories?"
"T-they talk?"
"Not in that way, 'Rina." Serra giggled. "No, I mean the lines. All lines tell stories. The ones on your hands, on your face…we're made of lines. They tell what has been and will be."
"Do…they say…?"
"I can't read 'em. And it's good that way." Serra looked over at the other girl, smirking.
"But…b-but, how will we k-know? What…what i-if…" Florina bit her lip.
"That's the fun in life, 'Rina. We don't know. We get to find out." Serra looked proud of herself. "I mean, I never thought I'd fall in love with you, I got to find out!"
"S-serra…"
"Yeah?"
"I love you." And Florina's voice didn't tremble.
Serra smiled.