𝗦𝘂𝗽||𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘁𝘀

Genetics(Finral)

It was not a secret that Finral was a coward. It was a known fact. And he wouldn't deny it either.

So it was a shock he had managed to fend off his younger brother, Langris, when he was possessed by the elf, Latri, when two captains were pushed out of the fight. He had sustained some rather brutal injuries caused when his younger brother's spacial magic gouged flesh from the sides of his torso, but he managed to have enough adrenaline and basic Field First Aid to keep his condition stable until Owen reawakened from the reincarnation spell.

So here he was, two days later, lying in one of the makeshift infirmaries Owen had established in the Noble Realm. Most of the hospitals had been destroyed since the elves deliberately attacked these places to keep medics and other injured mages out of commission during the fight.

His bed was surrounded by opaque medical curtains, a small pile of 'get-well' cards and flowers on the small, wooden bedside table. His torso and head was wrapped in bandages, the bandages on his torso stained red from the remnants of blood seeping from the wounds when he shifted too much.

Finral grunted as he pushed himself up and picked up the first card on his bedside table. It was incredibly ornate and decorative, and the messy handwriting inside revealed it to be Asta's card he left hoping he wakes up soon. The next card was from Lady Finesse which was a simple blue card with purple flowers on it praying for a steady and strong recovery.

Finral's eyes softened as he picked up another card which was surprisingly from Klaus of the Golden Dawn. They had only really met just a few months ago when they were basically tasked as the babysitters of their squads respective rookies and bonded over being their unofficial chaperones trying to tame the chaotic messes they call juniors. It was a simple white card with a brief message to get well. Simple and to-the-point like the four-eyes himself.

He placed the cards back down on the table with a small smile before looking up at the flowers beside the cards. There was a small vase with peonies and chrysanthemums that seemed to be a few days old already if he could estimate based on how their petals were slightly wilting but not entirely withered.

His eyes drifted to the slightly obscured paper behind the vase and widened.

No way...

Beside the vase was a single piece of paper with a purple and white petaled flower pressed into the page to preserve its appearance. The paper was old and slightly weathered but appeared well cared for and maintained.

Those...those are only native in the Heart Kingdom...

Finral fumbled to reach over and pick up the paper,

And only the gardens back at the Vaude manor have these...

Finral gently cradled the paper of the pressed flower, the petals and stem flat against the page. This...this can't be the same flower...

Langris...

Finral felt his eyes water.

Years ago, even before he had defected from the Vaude estate and left the title of heir behind, he remembered a warm spring day, a cool breeze combing through his hair and clothes, and the smell of flowers...

It was nearly lunch time and Finral was out in the garden looking at the plants and flowers, fascinated at how they got their bright pigment in the first place.

Why is that one yellow and the other one white? Aren't they the same type of flower?

"Brother, why are you standing there like a weirdo?"

He startled slightly at the sound of Langris's voice before he hastily turned to meet his perplexed gaze from where his younger stood by a pillar in the shade.

"Ah- well-I was just wondering why these two are different colors when they're the same type of flower." Finral fumbled to explain.

Langris raised a brow. "Haven't you used a punnet square? Like the ones our tutor talked about? They obviously mutated or are just a different breed." He muttered.

"Uh, well, I get that, but why only these two specific colors in their genes? Why not pink or blue?" Finral shrugged.

Langris was silent for a moment. "Maybe that's just how they are." He shrugged. "They're the same but different. Same flower, different color and genes."

"Reminds me of us." Finral snickered.

Langris's face contorted into a grimace. "Ew. Don't compare me to you." He shuddered.

"You're so mean!" Finral feigned hurt but didn't mind when he saw his usually stoic and grumpy brother crack a small smile at their antics. He looked back at the flowers and something else caught his eyes.

"Hey, Langris! Look! This one's purple and white!" He pointed to a small flower sprouting in between the white and yellow flower.

Langris peered around Finral and tiled his head. "So it is."

"Don't be so blunt!" Finral said. "Don't you know what that means? It means that these flowers can change!"

"No, really?" Langris said bluntly.

"Sound more interested, Langris!" Finral pouted. "Come on, it's cool. Flowers aren't all just a simple category. There's different colors and species. They're all connected though. Isn't that cool if you think of it like that?"

Langris was silent. He had a feeling this was no longer just about flowers anymore.

"Like these two. They are two different colors but from the same family of flower species. They're different but from the same family and their roots and bond created something people wouldn't think of. A purple and white flower! They're connected!" Finral grinned.

Langris was stil quiet. "I guess it's kinda cool..." he mumbled.

"See?" Finral grinned up at him. From where he was crouched by the flower bed.

Langris jerked his head away. "It's not that cool. You're just a weird person who thinks something as simple as flowers is cool."

Finral snickered. "Whatever you say, Langris."

Finral let the memories of a warm spring day, a cool breeze combing through his hair and clothes, and the smell of flowers recede back into his mind as he held the small piece of paper like it was the most precious thing in the world.