An Awkward Confession

The first time that he had appeared, he’d scared her. He’d told her that sometimes, jumping between realms via “the Reflection” didn’t quite go smoothly, especially if he didn’t know exactly where he was going…and that first time, he hadn’t had a clue. In spite of that initial fear, Anemone was glad Florian had accidentally crash-landed in her studio. Sure, he had thrown her shelves into complete disarray, dumped parts on the floor, scattered her assembly plans and schematics around the room in such a manner that they looked like freshly fallen snow, and nearly given her a heart attack, but…

There had been something in those carnelian-colored eyes that made her heart flutter rather than pound. Something about the way he stumbled over his words, deliberately trying not to swear in front of her that made her laugh at the absurdity of the situation rather than scream in terror. There had been a gentleness in his eyes and voice as he explained that he was a traveler from another realm, then allowed her to feel his ears to make certain they were real. By the time she watched him spin with just the tiniest bit of both whimsy and grace, ponytail lagging behind him, to show her that his tail had most definitely not been cut short by the Stydians, he had captured her attention enough to ask him if he intended to come back to visit in the future. Those carnelian-colored eyes of his had flickered over her face curiously, and even Florian seemed surprised when he responded to her question with a yes–so long, he qualified, as she was there.

Their subsequent friendship hadn't been easy to maintain, exactly. Living in Crystopia had it's downsides, and being unable to take Florian out to show him her world without worry that someone might notice him, or that something might happen was chief among them. Anemone had spent more than one sleepless night planning for Florian’s next (unannounced) visit, trying to find ways to share as much with him as she could, and these had actually been somewhat successful. She'd been able to stockpile many of her favorite drinks and snacks, she grabbed tourism pamphlets at every opportunity, and began taking day trips in order to take pictures just to show him. Her favorite pastries and dishes from nearby restaurants needed to be obtained after Florian popped in, but thankfully he never seemed to mind waiting in her studio for these.

More than once, Anemone had thought about moving. Someplace more remote, where she could take Florian out on walks with far less worry about running into others. She had a former apprentice living in Redwood, and she’d penned several letters to Renai, asking about how difficult it might be to move there and restart her business, only to throw them away once she had finished. After all, it wasn't as though Florian had expressed a desire to stay with her on a more long term basis, and he seemed content to explore her realm from the safety of her studio, even as his visits to her increased in frequency. Maybe Meadowing, she’d caught herself wondering from time to time–the Lopilu there were rumored to be more friendly, and Florian seemed to have a fondness for flowers. But then, it was  inappropriate to assume that he might want more than that…even if Anemone had realized that maybe she did.

Well, at least, until now.

Now, she could only stare at the Lovabun in shocked silence, wondering if she'd heard him correctly. After several moments more of silence, Florian's gentle smile began to slip towards a frown. “Nem? Anemone? Is–are you okay?”

It felt as though her heart were going to beat out of her chest. “Could…could you…say it again? I think I might have misheard,” she finally responded, her voice coming out in a shaking whisper. Immediately, Florian ducked his head.

“I'm sorry, I shouldn't have assumed– I must have misread– You know what, I’ll just go now.” As he turned, however, Anemone nearly tripped over her own feet as she lunged forward to grab his arm.

“No, wait!” she shouted, and then blushed at the sudden volume of her voice. On the upside, it had the intended effect on him. Florian stopped moving. “I’m not upset. I just…thought I heard you say that you…had feelings for me. Romantic ones. Which would, well, it would be a dream come true. Because I didn't think you felt like that about me. And I…definitely feel that way about you.”

The only indication that Florian heard her was the slight widening of his eyes, and Anemone was surprised when he stayed frozen. “You…do?”

“Y-yeah! I’ve, ah, I’ve felt that way about you for a while now.” It was then that Florian startled her by laughing, his difficult to read expression melting into one of amusement and relief. He continued to laugh, even as tears began to stream from the corners of his eyes, which started to worry her. As she finally stepped closer, and opened her mouth to ask if something was wrong, his laughter eased off, and finally, he smiled at her.

“Sorry, I'm fine, I just…I was so worried, and to find out it was really that easy…” He chuckled again, and this time, she gave an awkward little giggle as well.

“Apparently it was,” she agreed. “I'm still kind of in disbelief, but I’m glad you said something. Really glad.” Slowly, Anemone loosened her grip on his arm, and let her hand slip down to take a hold of Florian’s. “But…what do we do now?”

Her heart fluttered as Florian’s fingers intertwined with her own, and squeezed. “Not sure, but we’ll figure it out. Together.”