Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)

First We Run, Then We Laugh 'Til We Cry

Day 14 – Getting Flowers for the Other

"Everything I'll ever do I'll do for you."

XxX

Zero folded her arms and tilted her head to the side, quirking an eyebrow. 'Is there a reason you're upside down?'

Vin cracked a grin as he hung from the tallest bar on the grounds, his hands behind his back. 'Cause I felt like it.'

She smirked slightly. 'That also happens to be my bar.'

'What are we, five?' His grin broadened, though his face was going a little red from all of the blood rushing to his head. 'Besides, it got your attention, didn't it?'

'I s'pose. But why do you need it?'

'Because.' He never actually followed it up with a plausible reason, instead choosing to swing back and forth slightly.

'Well?'

'Got'chu something.' He then took his hands out from behind his back with an extravagant flourish, revealing something delicate and white sitting in his palm.

Zero blinked, slightly befuddled. 'Is that . . . ?'

He had the grace to look slightly embarrassed. 'Don't say you're too cool for flowers because that's bullshit; everyone likes flowers, even if they pretend they don't.' He then held his hand out toward her, indicating the flower. 'Besides, this one's pretty. Even you can't deny that.'

Still rather unsure of what was actually going on, Zero hesitantly took the flower from him. It had large, white petals that curved inward, and the centre was slightly pink. It was rather pretty. She tilted her head, trying to keep the heat from going to her cheeks. 'I, um . . . really? Uh, thanks. What is it?'

'A magnolia,' he answered proudly, seeming rather relieved that she'd accepted it. Now with his hands free, he gripped the bar and swung down to stand before her on the ground. 'Erm, d'you like it?'

'Yeah,' she admitted, and oh god she was definitely blushing now. 'Yeah, I do. But . . . why flowers?'

He shrugged slightly, clearly still a bit embarrassed. 'I dunno, actually. I just saw it and thought . . .'

'Thanks,' she mumbled again. She really didn't know what to do, here. No one had ever given her something like this before, and it had completely thrown her off course. First of all, what was it supposed to mean?

Well, in all honesty it probably meant that Vin actually saw her as a girl, not just a friend that embraced tomboyish behaviour. That was nice, she supposed. While she wasn't a girly person, she wasn't entirely opposed to it, and even something as stupidly simple as a flower made her feel . . . well, happy. Was that weird?

No, she supposed. It really shouldn't be.

Cupping the flower in both of her hands, she watched it for a while, before looking up at Vin and grinning.

XxX

After that, it became kind of a thing. She realised, over time, that Vin just really liked bringing her flowers. He would find all sorts out in the forest, in the eco-dome, around the grounds, and he'd collect them to give to her. In all honesty he kind of reminded her of a bird, searching for pretty things. And the funny thing was, she actually really liked it. Because, while she had spent the first few years of her life in a semi-suitable environment, she was pretty unfamiliar with the concept of gifts. Her dad had never bothered, and her mom had taken off when she was still fairly young, so being given anything of sentimental value was rather odd for her. So these flowers . . . they actually meant rather a lot.

Not that she'd ever admit it to anyone other than Vin. She did have a reputation to uphold, after all.

XxX

Chapter Title: "You Get What You Give", New Radicals

Quote: "The Look", Roxette