My Dear Botanist [ Ser Aymeric x Reader ] (FFXIV)

XXI. A Cold Wind

What have you done to deserve this man? How did it wonderfully come to this? What future awaited you today — with him? 

As he looked to you, and you to him, you both seemed to open your mouth in unison to speak further, however your voice rang out first, "Is there anything  in particular you want to do—"

Without notice, you were cut off from a rising shiver picking at your skin, originating from an odd sensation touching your leg. Your eyes immediately darted to your feet, witnessing the strangest sight to this date in this manor.

"There's—" Your voice was filled with daze as you listened to the grumbling purr. "—a cat."

You never tore your eyes from the fluffy animal as you heard Aymeric make a slight groan. "Ah.. Quite strange of him to linger here. Perhaps because of the renovations."

You glanced back up at the Elezen giving you an apologetic look. Your brows rose, "What.. What do you mean him?"

His brows rose in a similar reply to your shock, "Hmm? My cat."

"You've had a cat this whole time!? I've never seen him.. until now," You stared back down to the pair of cat eyes staring back up at you. The cat had such a fluffy mane and face. It took all your strength not to reach down and rough him up in pets.

"Truly?" He huffed a laugh. "In all honestly, that does not strike me as odd. He rather enjoys the solitude of my quarters and rarely meanders around the manor. With my room repairs, the noise and activity might have scared him off to other confines. Moreover, Mirallaux and I try not to let him roam around outside too often."

I knew there was a creature around here somewhere. I could smell him! Ork Kha even took it upon herself to gaze in awe to the fluffball.

Your willpower failed as you reached down to pat the cat's head until you were met with a great hiss and an angry back arch.

Ork Kha retaliated for you with a dragon-like hiss of her own at the furball.

He scampered away into Aymeric's lap a bit frightened. You stared at somewhat of a smug look the cat gave you as he peered over the edge across from you. Sitting proudly in a how dare you stance on his apparent master.

Nice to meet you too.. You sighed.

"Forgive him. He has never been kind with.. anyone. A grumpy old man, really," Aymeric ruffled the cats ears tenderly earning a purr. "Only ever merciful to some of the servants and I. Not even plants or furniture are safe. Replacing either of them have come to be quite laborious, whether scratches on arm chairs, indoor plants, and trees, or teeth marks on various produce in the gardens. Hence why tis' preferable for him to stay in the safety of my quarters."

Tree. Almost as if a ding in your head was triggered to the word, you stared to the cat then to Aymeric. "Trees."

Aymeric blinked and assumed you were referring to the cat. "Hmm? He tends to chew on any at all leaves he can get these malicious paws on." Assumedly, he pointed at the cat's toe beans under the table.

"Ah.. no. No. My tree! Shit!" You stood up abruptly, rattling the table by accident. "I've forgotten about my tree that I planted before my coma. "The panic of your sudden realization about the tree dying preoccupied your mind from seeming rude. You took one glance at the curious man before bowing to him deeply and hurrying to exit. "I'm so sorry. I-I'll be right back! I promise!"

—

The breeze was bone-chilling, but it didn't stop you. Out by the back end of the courtyard, you found the small sapling of a tree still alive and well. The Birch seedling you cared for since your first duty at work here was tending to be difficult to look after, especially if you kept neglecting it, but it proved to be doing just fine. Perhaps the snow watered it when you failed to do so.