Chrysanthemums For You [A Twisted Wonderland Fanfic]

Chapter 6

Flower stared out the window at the deep ocean surrounding her. She gently trailed her hand across the glass, the frigid ocean temperatures snaking through the glass and flooding her nerves. She smiled at the sensation and pressed the pad of her finger against the glass, watching as the area around her finger fogged. She pulled her finger away and rubbed it against her thumb, wiping away the condensation. 

Idia watched Flower from the other side of his room as he sat on his bed, glancing up from his controller every few moments. He wasn't entirely sure what had prompted him to bring Flower to his room, but he had wanted to give her another sight to see other than the garden. Not that he was convinced that she could ever tire of admiring the blossoms as they bloomed, and picking fresh fruit from the orchard at the back. And the garden seemed to love her just as much.

"Idia?"

Idia jumped when he heard his name being called, and he looked up to see Flower approaching him, a sway in her step and a smile on her lips. He set his game aside as she took a seat beside him on the bed, her hand coming to rest on his knee and her thumb running along the seam in his trousers. 

This was another thing he found interesting. It seemed that wherever Flower came from, things were different enough that Flower's clothing was not made with seams. According to what she had said, her family had clothes that had seams, but hers had been formed without a seam as flowers had woven the threads together with their petals. The dress had grown with her since her birth and would continue to do so until she melted into the ground with her flowers, where a blossom would take her consciousness and stand guardian of the flowers. Idia found this all fascinating.

"Idia?"

Idia hadn't realised that he had been lost in thought. He shook his head and looked up at the girl. "S-sorry. What were you saying?"

"Have you ever danced before?"

Idia flushed and shook his head. "N-no. I-I don't dance."

Flower's smile fell and she pushed herself off the bed, but before she could take a step, Idia's hand shot out and caught her wrist. 

"Wait. C-could you teach me to dance?"

Flower turned back and smiled, nodding eagerly. As Idia released her wrist, she took both of his hands in hers and pulled him from his bed. They stood in the centre of his, grand, room, Flower's bare feet brushing against the fibres of the carpet. 

"What do I do now," Idia asked. 

Flower smiled and placed one of his hands on her waist and took the other in her hand. She set her other hand on his shoulder and started swaying back and forth, waiting patiently for Idia to join her. Once Idia had started swaying, Flower started to lead him in a circle, keeping her eyes on him the entire time.

As they passed Idia's phone, lying on his desk, he quickly picked it up and turned on some music. It felt rather odd to be dancing without any sort of music to dance to. And as the pianos and violins echoed around the room, Idia and Flower continued to dance, growing more sure of their steps as they twirled and spun, relaxing in each other's presence. 

"Thank you," Idia whispered as Flower spun away from him, only to be pulled back into his arms. "Thank you for teaching me how to dance."

Flower simply smiled and continued to dance.

Soon the song came to an end and as the music faded, Idia lowered his hand so both were resting on Flower's waist. Flower gazed at him with an unreadable expression, and he was acutely aware of her hands that were wrapped around his neck ever so gently. She smiled at him and gently touched his cheek with one of her hands, running the backs along his skin. He shivered beneath her touch and his eyes fluttered shut as he focused on the feeling of her skin on his. It was simultaneously electrifying and soothing. It made him feel as though he was about to explode but made him feel as though he was about to melt into the floor below. 

"Idia," Flower asked after a moment. "Do..."

Idia opened his eyes, waiting for Flower's question. In the gentle stillness of his room, the two gazed at each other, their attention locked solely on the other. And as Idia felt the warmth of Flower's hands creeping into his skin, he felt himself being drawn towards her. Three weeks had passed since Idia had found her beneath that rock, waterlogged and frightened. And now, here she stood, wrapped in his arms, their lips mere inches apart. 

Flower felt it too. The pulse of her heart thundering in her ears, and the almost feverish warmth of Idia's fire-lit skin. It was addicting. She lifted a hand and gently curled a strand of his hair around her finger. It was strange to feel that it didn't burn her. Instead, it felt like a thousand electrifying kisses all over her skin and she giggled at the sensation. Idia smiled at her, and she knew she was lost. 

"Flower..."

The two pulled each other closer. Flower wrapped her hand back around Idia's neck, pulling him down to her height, and Idia wrapped his arms entirely around her waist, pulling her up to meet him. Flower could feel Idia's breath on her lips, and for a moment, she was scared. She had never kissed anyone before. She had seen her mother and father do it many times in their little house at the base of the mountain. Moon had told her that it was normal for some people, but Flower had never done it before.

"Idia..." she said gently as their lips were about to touch. "I'm scared."

"You don't have to be... I'm right here."

She could feel his lips brushing her own.

And suddenly it felt as though she was being choked. She stumbled away from Idia, clutching her throat, and she fell to the ground, coughing for breath. She scratched at her chest as the feeling subsided and she let out a breath. 

"Flower!" Idia was by her side in a second, one arm wrapped around her back, the other holding her hand. "Are you okay?"

The feeling subsided almost instantly and Flower coughed once more. She knew what it was, and she looked up at the window that looked out to the ocean. Nisi had found her. She knew that Nisi disapproved of anyone not born on her shores. Nisi did not approve of Idia Shroud or his family. Nisi had been brought by another. 

"Sea," Flower whispered when she saw the face in the glass. She scrambled to her feet and pressed her hand against the glass, smiling when she saw the man on the other side. Sea had brought Nisi searching for her.

"Who is that," Idia asked, coming up behind Flower and resting a hand on her back. 

"Sea," Flower answered, her mood falling. "Nisi has come for me."

Idia's eyes widened and he looked down at the girl. "What?"

"Nisi wishes for me to return to her shores," Flower whispered, her hands falling into her lap as Sea swam towards the surface. He would meet her there. 

"But who was he?"

"He is Sea, the protector of Nisi's ocean. As I care for Nisi's spring, he cares for her waters." Flower got to her feet and sighed. "I must go now, Idia. Nisi will not wait for me."