Paper Flowers
Notes: Well… there are a disturbing amount of Orphen/Cleao fics
popping up. And I figure, hey, I’ll write another Orphen/Majic
one-shot soon. But I can’t think of a plot for one. And while
listening to Evanescence, I instead get an idea for a Cleao/Licorice.
So here we have it, a rare shoujo ai/introspective fic in the fandom.
Criticism, reviews, praise, and flames are all welcome.
A loud crash of thunder seemed to shake the whole house. A muffled
scream was heard; a shivering body curled into a tighter ball beneath
the covers. It was her first time in such a large house, in such a
large room, and she was alone. It frightened her. There was a flash of
lightening that made her whimper; she hated thunder storms. She hated
being alone. She especially hated it when both were combined.
She couldn't place why she hated it so much, but she did know that
lightening and thunder represented more to her than just scary noises
or lights. There was something behind it, some hidden meaning or place
or event that held those elements. It gave her nightmares that made
her awake in a cold sweat almost every night. But, of course, she
never remembered those nightmares.
She wanted to escape, to run down the hallway until she found her safe
haven. She wanted to crawl into bed beside her savior and friend and
idol. She wanted to be held close and soothed and fall into a peaceful
slumber.
Licorice always felt safe at Cleao's side.
She twisted the covers in her small hands, cringing as another loud
boom of thunder made the mansion shake on its foundations. It was
close, so frighteningly close. The nearer each crash and flash grew,
the more she wanted to run screaming until someone, anyone, preferably
Cleao, saved her.
Licorice knew she'd never be able to sleep now. With the covers
clutched tightly to her chest, she blindly groped for the nightstand,
searching for her glasses. She hated the situation, but it was even
worse when she couldn't see properly.
With a sigh of relief, her fingers curled around thin wire and glass.
She placed the round frames on her face, and was relieved to finally
be able to see her surroundings. She was far-sighted; she could barely
make out her hand in front of her face, but she could see things that
were further off a bit better. It was irritating when her glasses fell
off -- and they often did -- and she couldn't see who she was talking
to. So many times she'd been suckered into something or another
because of this.
Licorice hated being taken advantage of.
Unfortunately, she knew, she was fairly blind without her glasses, a
klutz, naturally dumb, and easily fooled. She knew all of these
faults, but try as she might she couldn't make them any better. It
seemed that she only made things worse when she tried, and eventually
she learned to just stop trying.
She didn't dare leave the bed, but her brown eyes did fall to the
window. More lightening flashed, and rain pelted on her window. She
sighed heavily, pulling her knees to her chest. Not only did she hate
thunder storms, she hated rain. She preferred the aftermath with the
sweet-smelling flowers, the revived and lush green grass, the happy
birds chirping and fluttering about their business. But the rain
itself, though revitalizing, was depressing. It reminded her of tears,
like the tears she cried when she woke up from a nightmare she
couldn't understand.
God, she hated thunder storms. She desperately wished it would stop.
A loud creak outside her door made Licorice freeze up. Her mouth
suddenly went dry, and all she could utter was a barely audible
squeak. Even worse than the storm itself were the scary noises that
came along with it. She felt like crying.
The door slowly creaked open, and Licorice cowered against the
headboard. "Cleao...?" she called weakly, hoping against hope that the
girl would somehow hear her.
"Licorice!"
The bespectacled girl nearly collapsed in relief. It was Cleao! The
door opened quickly, and shut just as quickly. A dark, slender figure
dashed across the wide room and fairly leapt onto the bed. Up close,
Licorice could make out wide blue eyes, pretty blonde hair, and a
cheerful expression. Without a doubt, it was definitely Cleao.
"Sorry," the blonde apologized, pulling back the covers and settling
beside the other girl without invite. Licorice didn't mind; it was
just the way Cleao was. Not only had she gotten used to it, she had
grown to like and admire it. Cleao was very straightforward and rarely
showed fear. Licorice desperately wished she was more like her. "I
thought you'd be asleep," Cleao continued, smiling sheepishly. "Do you
mind if I sleep with you? I hate thunder storms..."
Licorice was surprised to hear this, but she nodded. "I was thinking
of going to your room, anyway," she admitted. "There's nothing scarier
than a thunder storm."
"Not true," Cleao objected, stretching her arms like a lazy cat.
"Orphen is."
Licorice smiled. It was truer that Orphen was intimidating rather than
scary, though he could be very frightening when he wanted to be. It
was just proof of the friendly rivalry between the two; Cleao and
Orphen acted much like Licorice expected an older brother and a
younger sister to act. The only thing was that they were in no way
related. The most obvious distinction was that Orphen was a sorcerer,
while Cleao held no magical powers whatsoever. Typically, it was
impossible for someone with Dragons blood -- which was what Orphen had
-- to not have at least latent powers.
Licorice herself had a bit of the Dragon's blood, but she couldn't
remember the last time she had ever used it. Perhaps it had just
turned out to be yet another thing she was too clumsy and stupid to
perform, so she'd given up. She couldn't remember.
"I guess," she agreed, more at ease now that Cleao was with her.
Thunder crashed again, and she winced.
Cleao tilted her head. "Are you scared?"
"A little," she mumbled, embarrassed. "Childish, huh?"
"Nah, not really." Cleao grinned. "Mariabelle _still_ hates thunder
storms; she's scared to death of them."
"Oh?" Licorice inquired, interested. Mariabelle was Cleao's sister,
though if you tried to judge by mannerisms it would be hard to tell;
Mariabelle was refined; calm; a real young woman. Cleao tended to be
loud, brash, and act like an irresponsible child. Licorice had only
known Mariabelle for less than a day, but she already knew she liked
her-- and that she and Cleao cared deeply for each other and got along
better than most sisters.
Cleao nodded, not saying anything more about it. Licorice didn't mind;
just being near her was a comfort.
For another few minutes both girls listened to the thunder and watched
the brief flashes of lightening. Licorice mentally calculated how
close both were, and dreaded finding out that, at most, they were only
a three miles away. Had she counted wrong?
"I've got an idea," Cleao said suddenly, startling the younger girl.
"Eh?" Licorice stammered, blinking owlishly.
The blonde grinned and slid out from beneath the covers. She tapped
the mousy, brown-haired girl on the nose. "Wait here," she instructed,
and then was darting away before Licorice could protest. She
whimpered.
Thankfully, her friend was back in only a matter of minutes. She had
paper in her hands, and dumped a good amount of it on the bed.
Licorice waited until she had lit two lanterns. Light blossomed,
warming the room with orange and yellows.
"What are we going to do?" asked Licorice.
"We'll make origami," said Cleao happily, climbing back onto the bed.
She crossed her legs, tugging the skirt of her nightdress to cover her
knees. A light blush warmed Licorice's face. "D'you know what that
is?"
"Sure," Licorice agreed, pulling the covers back and folding her legs
beneath her in a more feminine manner. "But I'm not very good at it."
"Have you ever tried?" Cleao persisted, grabbing a sheet and beginning
to make light creases in it.
Licorice nodded. "Yes, but... I'm no good at it. I'm too stupid."
Cleao looked up sharply. Her expression and tone frightened Licorice.
"Don't ever say that again. I don't ever want to hear you put yourself
down again."
The brunette blinked, nervously catching brown hair between her
fingers. "O-okay," she agreed, quailing beneath the older girl's
surprisingly stern look.
Cleao looked at her with a scrutinizing expression for another minute
before a smile replaced her frown. "All righty then. Here, take a
piece of paper... okay, good. Now just do what I do. Fold the paper
like this so it forms a triangle. No, no, don't make a hard crease
yet; you might mess up. Okay, good. Now take this corner and fold it
toward the center..."
She went on, going through her instructions quickly but efficiently.
In the end both girls had a paper flower. Licorice's looked crude and
childish in comparison to Cleao's, who obviously had practiced a lot
though Licorice had never seen her do it. Still, Cleao looked pleased.
"Okay, very good," she praised.
Licorice frowned. "But--"
Cleao put a finger on her lips, shaking her head. "If I say it's
pretty, then it's pretty. You did a good job, Licorice."
Warmth blazed like a gentle fire in Licorice's middle. She smiled
shyly, finally accepting the praise. Cleao looked equally happy once
she saw the smile.
"Okay. Let's make more, then," she said.
"Why?" asked Licorice.
"Well... it'll keep us distracted from the storm," explained Cleao.
"And besides, would it be fun to sleep in a bed of paper flowers? Just
like a dream! And these won't wilt in the morning, either."
It was a nice thought. Licorice hated to see things die, especially
flowers. She nodded eagerly. "Okay!"
Cleao grinned and handed her another piece of paper. "This time we'll
do a slightly more complicated pattern. But it should work."
Licorice hesitated. She hated sounding hopeless, but... "Could you go
more slowly this time?" she asked tentatively.
"Of course," agreed Cleao without hesitation. Licorice smiled, and
they went to work on the next flower.
Licorice wasn't sure how long they spent time folding paper and making
flowers; hours, she supposed. At least two hours. Cleao was right; she
barely heard the thunder storm after a while, and eventually grew to
subconsciously acknowledge it as background noise.
She hadn't known Cleao for long, only a few months, but the two had
grown to be inseparable after only weeks. The friendship had started
rocky; Cleao had distrusted the smaller girl at first, believing that
she was after Orphen's life. Their travels had been dangerous, so it
was only natural she had been worried. However, Orphen and his young
apprentice, Majic, had always scoffed at Cleao's beliefs. In the end,
when she had been proven wrong, Cleao grew to grudgingly accept
Licorice.
But it had taken a very frightening experience to pull them together
completely. While chasing a small group of thieves that had picked up
the girls' bags by mistake, Cleao and Licorice had been faced in a
situation that surely would have meant their death. Licorice had
panicked, and finally blurted out a secret desire: she wanted to be as
brave as Cleao.
Cleao had snapped at her, telling her there would be more time for
that sort of thing later. With her guidance and sheer, animal
determination, they had pulled through the situation alive.
Needless to say, the experience had brought them closer together.
Licorice believed that it was mostly the near-death fright, but her
admittance of a secret want had also helped. Cleao had realized how
much she was looked up to, and seemed to enjoy it. For once, she was
the role model, and Licorice was the follower. And at the same time,
the roles were switched easily. Cleao was irresponsible and Licorice
was responsible and honest to a fault. Licorice was weak and unable to
fight, and Cleao was always there to protect and encourage her. They
made a perfect team.
So perfect, in fact, that Licorice had slowly begun to realize it.
Then she began to wonder what it would be like to be more than just
friends with Cleao.
Of course, it was a passing fancy, but she did occasionally think
about it. She'd never felt so much at ease with anyone, had never
gotten along with someone so well despite the contrasting
differences... and she certainly couldn't remember the last time
someone had been there for her like Cleao had been.
But she was also content like this. She liked just traveling with
Cleao and Orphen and Majic. Though their journey was currently taking
a brief rest in Cleao and Majic's hometown, she was still happy to be
with them, wherever they were. Especially with Cleao, this was why she
had been only too happy to take her friend up on her offer when she
asked if Licorice would like to stay at her house while they were in
Totokanta.
"Aaah," Cleao groaned, stretching backwards. "I'm so tired."
Licorice glanced up, nearly finished with her origami. "You can sleep
if you want, Cleao."
"Nah, I'll wait for you."
Licorice smiled and looked back down to what she was making. It was
one of the simpler flower designs Cleao had taught her, and already
the brunette felt familiar with its patterns. It still didn't look as
nice as any of Cleao's flowers, but it was better than her first and
wasn't nearly as crooked or out of place.
Then she realized Cleao was staring at her. Licorice looked up, and
after a moment Cleao met her gaze. "That's very pretty, Licorice," she
said seriously.
The brunette blushed lightly, hoping the dim lighting would hide it.
"Thank you."
"Hm." Cleao appeared to be thinking, and after a moment she got to her
feet and wandered to the other side of the room. She fished through a
drawer and finally came back with a blue marker. She took one of the
flowers she had made earlier and began to scribble something on the
petals. Licorice watched curiously.
After a few moments Cleao smiled and capped the marker, giving the
flower to Licorice. The brunette took it and brought it closer to her
face so she could see what was drawn. Then she blinked in surprise,
because across the four petals Cleao had inscribed Licorice's name in
katakana.
"Um..."
"It's for you," Cleao assured her.
Licorice smiled hesitantly. "Thank you, Cleao..." Her voice trailed
off, and she felt her face warming again. "May I...?"
Cleao handed her the marker, and Licorice hastily wrote Cleao's name
over the petals of her own paper flower. Then she gave it to her,
meeting her blue eyes. "Promise you'll never forget me," she
whispered.
Cleao smiled brightly. "Of course not! Never," she swore.
Licorice sighed, feeling a sort of weight being lifted from her chest.
She was suddenly tired and realized that drowsiness had finally taken
over. Cleao seemed to notice, for she said, "Let's go to bed now."
"Okay," Licorice agreed, pulling back to climb back beneath the
covers.
Cleao grabbed her hand suddenly, causing the smaller girl to look up
in question. Maybe it was a trick of light, but Cleao seemed to be
wrestling with indecision. But the familiar spark of determination was
back, and a moment later she pressed a soft kiss to the other girl's
lips. Licorice's breath hitched, and for a moment a wild flurry of
impossibilities ran through her head, but then she managed to grab
enough instinct to respond before the short kiss was broken.
Licorice's heart was thumping painfully within her chest. She was
positive her face was completely red, without any way to hide it.
Cleao smiled softly, resting her forehead against the younger girl's.
"Good night," Cleao whispered into the air. The thunder was forgotten
completely; Licorice was enveloped in impossible warmth and happiness,
though she was half afraid this was a dream that would end as soon as
she fell asleep.
"Good night, Cleao," she responded shyly. The blonde grinned and
kissed her once more. This time they reveled in the feel, getting used
to the sensation. It was slow, sweet, and gentle. Licorice had never
kissed anyone, and she didn't want to ruin anything by asking Cleao if
she had. So she just accepted it.
The covers rustled the paper flowers as they climbed into bed.
Licorice tentatively took Cleao's hand, and the other girl wrapped her
fingers around hers comfortingly. Licorice sighed and her eyes slowly
shut. She was happy and anxious all at once, and hoped it would never
end. She hoped it was one dream she'd never wake up from, because she
felt so safe and secure and loved.
She was afraid of losing it as quickly as she'd gained it. Licorice
felt that she had been completely alone before she met Cleao, and she
never wanted to feel it again. Her fingers tightened in the other
girl's grip, and she eventually fell asleep.
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