Story: Comforting Aroma (chapter 1)

Authors: Nomad Skye

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Chapter 1

[Author's notes: Takes place between episodes 17 and 18, season 1.]

Hearing Flora returning to their room, Bloom quickly pulled the covers over her head. No reason for anyone to know what a baby she was being. She was already beyond humiliated, at having mistaken her boyfriend's fiancée for one of the senior witches and gotten herself and her friends into trouble. Not to mention her boyfriend had never mentioned he had a fiancée, nor that he was the prince of a far away planet. The one thing in her life that she thought was working out was actually a lie. Bloom closed her eyes tighter, trying to be completely silent.

"Bloom, honey," Bloom heard Flora's gentle voice. "Are you still awake?"

Bloom remained completely still, silently crying beneath her covers, and didn't reply. Flora soon pulled her comforter down gently. "Oh, no, darling," she said softly. "You've been crying. Well, today must have been an awful shock to you. It was a surprise to everyone. I heard Stella arguing on the phone with Sky, um, Brandon, on the way back over here."

"I d-don't want to talk about it," Bloom said as she choked back her sobs.

"You don't need to say a thing to be if you don't want to," Flora said, taking Bloom in her arms and wiping her tears. "I just hate to see you so miserable. Cry out all your tears, I'm here for you."

Bloom's tears continued to fall, but not so much as they were before. Flora so close, she began to notice the sweet smells remaining from the other girl's trip to the greenhouse. That's one thing Bloom would miss about Alfea, Flora's bedroom garden, as well as her flowers outside. She remembered laughing and relaxing around them, whispering pleasant stories around Flora, a girl who never gossiped or lied. Studying was also always pleasant in their shared dorm, full of beautiful exotic plants. As Bloom smelled Flora's floral scents and remembered these times, she slowly stopped crying.

"There, there, Bloom. Are you feeling any better now? You know, I really hoped things would work out between you and Brandon, but I suppose it wasn't meant to be."

"It wasn't ever there at all," Bloom said, jumping into Flora's arms and hugging her before she cried again.

"Oh Bloom darling, don't think of it that way. It was wonderful while it lasted, wasn't it? Even if you can't be together now, try to hold on to that wonderful feeling you had with him. There are so many other people out there, you'll something like that again with someone else," Flora said, pulling Bloom close.

"Did anything like this ever happen to you?" Bloom asked.

"No. There wasn't nearly as much royalty in Gardenia," Flora said. Bloom sat up, then looked at Flora, and laughed. Flora smiled back at her. "It's so good to see your cheerful face again," she said. "You look so beautiful when you smile," Flora complimented, putting a finger under Bloom's chin.

Bloom blushed, looking away, and before she knew it, Flora had kissed her. She at first kissed Flora back, then pulled away, surprised by herself. Just as bad as Brandon, cheating on him... She thought.

"Oh, Bloom sweetie? I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me. I should have known you wouldn't like it."

But you're not cheating on him, he has a fiancée, so you're not even together. And Flora's a girl. Bloom realized both of these things at once. But her first thought had been that she was cheating on Brandon, well, Sky, not that Flora was a girl. Even though Flora was a girl, it just seemed so natural to her. But still... "No, Flora, I did like it. It's just so soon after Brandon. I love you so much Flora, you've been nice to me since the moment I arrived here," Bloom said, hugging Flora again.

"Oh, that's good to know, Bloom," Flora said, relieved.

"Yes. You're a wonderful person, Flora. Thanks so much for everything," Bloom said, still enjoying Flora's scents. She would continue this, but she had decided to leave the school entirely. Bloom still felt she didn't belong in Alfea, and couldn't stay any longer. Flora and everyone else would be better off without her trouble, she affirmed.

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