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This wasn't who she was. This wasn't who she was supposed to be.

She was Florina: meek, timid, shy, scared of men. She most certainly would not be standing her, mere feet away from the most disreputable man in their company. She most certainly should be running for her very life right now.

Yet, for some reason, she couldn't. She just stood quietly.

She couldn't help but look him over, all the while being careful to avoid his eyes. His hair was a sandy brown and framed his lazy grin perfectly. His posture suggested that he wasn't at all concerned with the battles that could break out at a moment's notice. Sain was standing there, much too close for Florina's comfort.

How had it come to this? Sain had never pursued her. At least, not in the manner that he normally did. After their initial encounter and reprimand, they had hardly ever spoken, except for quick pleasantries, greetings and the exchange of weapons. Somewhere down the line, those hurried words had turned into full sentences; then from sentences they had slowly become conversations; then from conversations to time spent together. They had never expected anything to blossom between them, and yet it had.

Now, Sain had invaded her thoughts, her very life. Florina had secretly been looking forward to the time that they would spend together. More than once she'd caught herself thinking about the green knight at the worst possible moments. Many times she had fallen asleep wondering what his response to some news or order would be. She seemed to be infected with him, and could scarcely concentrate on anything else.

And now, here she stood opposite Sain- on the brink of having to make the most difficult decision of her life. Sain had just asked for the privilege of courting her. Florina had never imagined herself being placed in such a position. Oh, she had secretly hoped and wished that someone would eventually notice her; but with her fears she'd scarcely dared believe that it was possible.

Yet here she was.

Was Sain serious? Was it possible that he was sincere in this? Sain had a reputation of a womanizer, someone who would hit upon any pretty girl. Yet this was a first, to Florina's limited knowledge. The sandy-haired knight had never abandoned his lush, romantic phrases and come straight out with such a request. He had asked if he could pursue her instead of just attempting it.

"Well, my dear Florina..." Sain spoke slowly. "... what do you say?"

That was another first. The normal pomp and bravado that normally filled the knight's voice was gone, leaving him sounding hesitant and vulnerable. It was as if he had opened a doorway, exposed some weak point, and allowed her the opportunity to destroy him if she desired.

The lavender-haired girl held no such desire to harm her companion- physically or emotionally. She, too, felt just as uncertain at this moment. This was a decision that could potentially change her entire life. She had to be sure. She had to know for certain that these sentiments were true.

"I- I don't... I can't..." A tremble worked its way up the Illian's arm, matching the hesitation in her voice, and baring her nervousness even moreso. "Sain... I... I need... to know the truth."

"The truth?" Sain repeated quietly. "The truth is that I care for you deeply, Florina. And given time, I'd like to know if it could turn into love."

That was another unusual turn of events, Florina realized. Never before had the green knight admitted that he didn't love a female- normally he was quick to claim the opposite. Could it really be that for the first time he earnestly meant what he said?

"Y-yes... I... feel the same." The lavender-haired girl admitted as her gaze remained firmly fixed upon her boots. "At least, I- I think I do... But, Sain, I... need to know... that you mean that. You flirt with every woman. How do I know that you aren't just... doing the same with me?"

"Florina!" Genuine horror inflicted Sain's voice while his expression contorted into one of emotional pain. "I- I had hoped that... you mean... after all this time you don't know me?"

"Sain, I need to know."

The green knight slowly calmed. His face relaxed and his words slowed, although his eyes retained some measure of hurt.

"I suppose that... is a fair question." The sandy-haired man admitted with a deep sigh. He remained quiet for several long moments, leaving the girl's request hanging in the air.

At length, Sain spoke again.

"Alright, I think that I can prove my honesty and sincerity, provided that you will allow me to."

A puzzled expression passed over Florina's face. What was he talking about? What was he planning on doing? Was it that... insidious that he had to cover his tracks beforehand?

Slowly, bewilderedly, the girl with lavender hair nodded. She would allow him one chance to prove his position to her. If things became too endangering, then she would walk away and leave him alone.

"Very well then." A hesitation manifested itself into Sain's voice, giving it a very uncharacteristic crack. "And I assure you that my following actions are all honorable and above board... please, don't assume otherwise."

Florina's eyes widened as she continued to stare at the ground.

"... I'm sorry."

That statement pierced the fog that had settled about the girl's mind. Something was very wrong; she could feel it in the air, in his manner. Whatever was going to happen, she knew that it couldn't end well.

Then she felt a gentle pressure along the right side of her face. The sensation was provided by something warm and soft.

Florina blinked once, twice, and then realized what was happening: Sain was touching her cheek.

Sain was touching her.

An icicle of fear raced up her spine, freezing her in place. Florina's mind screamed at her to recoil, to shrink away, to turn tail and run as fast as she possibly could to escape this situation. But she found herself entirely unable to move, unable to turn away. Her arms began to tremble and shake with fear as she realized just how close she was to a male. Never before had she been placed in such a situation. She didn't know what to make of it.

Warmth began to build beneath the skin of Florina's cheek beneath the green knight's gentle touch. She willed herself to ignore the sensation, to ignore the caress, but her mind was too fixated on the sensation to heed her command. It was as if she were trapped, unable to break free of this strange embrace.

The pressure shifted and changed as Sain's touch drifted down the side of her face, trailed by a ribbon of heat. Only then did Florina realize that she was blushing.

The knight's touch flittered down to the Illian's throat, where it ceased to move. Slowly, Sain cupped his hand beneath Florina's chin and gently brought her head up so that he could meet her gaze. Their eyes locked, prompting Florina to, as cliché as it sounded, realize just how warm his eyes could be.

"Florina." Sain's voice came out as scant more than a whisper. "I've never before laid a hand upon a woman, for any reason. But tonight I have, and I simply did so to tell you this. I care for you.

"I'm not in love with your fair appearance, although think that you are the most beautiful girl I have ever met. I realize that I have a reputation for only thinking of beauty; but please be assured that, with you, beauty does not even enter into my reasoning. I am in love with the beauty extends below the skin, to the Florina beneath.

"Florina, I... I love you. I love your compassion, your strength, your grace. You are a marvelous person, and it is that which I love- not your fine locks, your radiant eyes, or gentle features. I love you for who you are, not who you appear to be."

Florina's eyes began to mist, an action that somehow freed her from her trance. The girl blinked hard to keep the tears at bay, and then finally managed to find her voice again.

"I... I-"

The touch of the green knight's finger to her lips silenced her words. Another patch of fire ignited beneath the Illian's skin. Under any other circumstance, she might have broken down into a sobbing wreck, but for some reason... his touch was the most wonderful thing she had ever experienced. She wanted it to last forever.

"Please, let me finish." Sain whispered. His eyes never strayed from Florina's, and he seemed to be lost within the depths of her very being.

"At first, it was your beauty that drew my eye- but it was you who drew my love. Florina, I- I want to be with you come what may. No matter where this wretched war takes us, I wish to be by your side. The care and compassion that you extend to others shames me and inspires me to do better. You have a quiet strength which serves to carry you onward in the face of the most difficult circumstance. You're one of the most observant people I have ever known, and you use that ability to aid others. I love it all, Florina. I love everything that makes you you.

"I don't have much to offer you in return. I'm believed to be a scoundrel, a monster. People speak my name as though it were synonymous with 'fool'. I am considered nothing more than a foolish, disrespectful man with no sense of responsibility. But I promise you this, Florina. If you will have me, I will do everything in my power to honor and care for you; I will do whatever it takes to provide for you and make you happy. I'll do whatever is possible to make that happen.

"I don't know what the future holds, but I do want to be by your side... if you will only allow me to be there."

The remained there for a long time, neither one of them willing to break the emotion of the moment.

Florina was dumbstruck. She had never believed Sain could have felt that way; that he would have been as genuine and selfless with his feelings as he had just been. She had also never believed that she could enjoy a man's touch as much as she was. The rough texture of Sain's fingers against her chin and the cool feeling of his skin against hers was amazingly wonderful. For that brief moment, she was certain that she had experienced a taste of pure joy.

"F-forgive me."

Sain slowly pulled away, stepping back to a respectful distance. Florina wanted to protest, to cry out, as the simple feeling of his touch vanished. She wanted it to last forever- at the very least she didn't want it to end so soon.

"I have been too froward." The green knight admitted.

"No, Sain... I-I think you were fine." Florina slowly, hesitantly, reached out and took the man's hand in her own. Again, she was struck by how wonderful his simple touch felt. "And I- I care for you too...

"I'd like to learn to love you as well."

End


A.N.: Another sense down, two more to go. This chapter was a strange beast. It originally started off as Sain/Fiora but quickly evolved into Sain/Florina, and underwent more than one revision since everyone seems to get really quirky thoughts when you say 'Sain' and 'touch' in the same sentence.