Shades of Petals

Just Wanted to Raise Your Spirits

"Well, go on and try it," Francis beamed at her. "Let me know if it's a good choice and should be what a futon should be!"

She was caught off guard but it wasn't unreasonable. She hadn't expected it, sure, but she didn't think it was strange to try it out —strange for him to ask her and want her opinion on it, but it was nice to know that he'd like her opinion.

Hesitantly toeing her shoes off, she walked over to it and lay on top, sinking onto the comfortable mattress with a blissful sigh. It was much, much better than the one she owned and it smelled nice and clean, that 'new' smell still clinging to it. She was almost tempted to close her eyes and relax, if it weren't for the fact it'd be rude to Francis when he was still there and this wasn't her home or anything.

But, to her surprise and nervousness, she felt the area to her side sink down and warmth reached her, and she quickly looked over to see that Francis had laid down too, looking relaxed himself.

She swallowed slowly, trying not to tense up even as her heart began its strange staccato beat again. She shot up, sitting up to give him another wide-eyed stare.

"W-What're you doing?" she asked, flustered.

He blinked up lazily at her. "Trying out my new futon and relaxing?"

"W-well then, why did you ask me to, when you were just going to try it out yourself?"

"I wanted your opinion too? You would know better how these things are supposed to be like anyway," he said nonchalantly, completely relaxed now and sounding it. He gave her a grin. "Now lay back and just relax! How am I supposed to know what you think, if you're not even properly using the futon?"

Still nervous and feeling those weird flutterings again, along with her abnormal heartbeat, Atsushi lay back down and tried to relax again. She thought it'd be hard with him so close and right next to her, but it actually felt nice. Too nice...

Atsushi's eyes started feeling heavy and she was enjoying the warmth of his body heat and the comfortableness of the situation.

"You feeling sleepy?" she heard him quietly ask, her eyes already closed as her breathing slowed down. His breath fluttered against her ear and she found his scent —sandalwood and lavender —flooding her senses. She could almost taste it...

"Mmm," she answered simply, feeling tired and too comfortable. "You smell really nice," she muttered, falling into sleep slowly.

Fingers brushed against her forehead lightly. "Sleep," he ordered quietly, breath still brushing against her.

It was hard not to follow his order.

༻❁༺

When she woke up, it was really dark and there was no lighting, except for the moonlight streaming into the office from out of the glass windows. Tiredly sitting up a bit, she blinked slowly as she adjusted to being aware and to the lighting, glad also that she now had control of her transformation that she wouldn't be changing into a tiger just because of the light of the moon.

Looking around, she found Francis standing off to the side, gazing at the moon with a melancholic expression that made her want to do something for him, anything —it had been this way since she'd learned about his loss and why he was so desperate for that stupid, stupid Book.

Sitting up onto her knees, she watched him silently for a moment.

There was that strange feeling in her chest again, not the fast beating of her heart that came with being around him and his infectious (sometimes arrogant) cheer, but the burrowing feeling of before —with her chest tightening and something twisting and turning inside of her, sharp and painful and breathtaking in a horrible way...

"We'll find The Book," she said, her voice loud in the silence of the office and drawing his attention. Francis looked surprised at her sudden declaration, but she'd promised that before, even if it had been to herself. "You'll be the first to it for what you want, I promise."

He gave her a small smile. "That's quite kind of you," he said with a voice that made her want to hug him tightly. "But by now, I've come to doubt it'll ever be found."

She looked down and bit down on her lip, not sure why tears were welling up. She heard his footsteps and even saw his shoes stop by her, but she didn't look up. But then she felt his hand heavily land on her head and rub it gently, and she couldn't help raise her head in surprise, his hand falling away then. He was looking down at her fondly.

"Maybe we'll find it one day and I'll be lucky," he offered. "It'll be a good moment."

"We'll find it," she reiterated stubbornly and he just chuckled.

She glared at him at that, but his more uplifted mood made her inwardly smile in relief and happy to see. He'd been too sad right then and she'd just wanted to try to make him happier somehow.

His brighter mood though, easily pulled a smile instead from her and she was grinning happily back at him.

The painful feeling in her chest was contracting, feeling worse one second before relieving itself for a moment, and then repeating. The same choking feeling from before overcame her again and she started coughing before hiccuping out petal after petal from out of her mouth, making her blush heavily in embarrassment as Francis watched in astonishment.

"Are those...flower petals?" he asked in shock.

"Y-yes!" she gave him an embarrassed glare. "I think I might have run across a rogue ability recently. It'll probably pass soon enough."

Francis laughed, picking up one of the petals from her and examining it curiously.

"Spitting out flower petals, huh? That's actually kind of a cute image," he teased her, chuckling at her expense.

She started to pout herself, throwing those stupid petals at him.