Droplets On Heliotropes [Wanderer x Reader]

XI

In the beginning the stares had been of happy nature, people giggling behind their hands and guessing who the lucky lady was. But that was no longer the case. By now, most people Wanderer encounter on the familiar way, coming from the florist, knew that those flowers were not meant for a date, but rather the opposite.

The sun was shining brightly - a fact that annoyed Wanderer more than it pleased him, since sunshine didn't fit his mood. Still, the heliotropes he was carrying gleamed all the brighter in their purple and pink colours. He didn't even know if you'd liked them. Or their colour. He had never asked you about your favorite colour.

There were so many things he had never asked you and now regretted not knowing.

He chose heliotropes because they were flowers that were said to always turn to the sun. Somehow, he found that fitting for you.

Because you had definitely been his sun.

On his way to you, he ran into a familiar person, one he hadn't seen in some time. He tried evading her, but it was impossible - once she had seen him, she immediately went for him.

"Safiyya," he greeted her once she stood in front of him.

"Wanderer," she nodded at him, but then immediately focused on the flowers. "Are they for...?"

"Obviously."

"I'm sure she will like them. They're beautiful." Safiyya smiled at him kindly, but she wasn't able to hide the subtle sadness behind her expression.

"Hm." Not wanting to spend too much time talking to her, he tried to continue on his way.

"Wanderer..." she said once more, stopping him from leaving by stepping in front of him yet again. "Farid says he needs you for the next mission."

For the first time this encounter, Wanderer looked into the girl's eyes while he was talking to her, to get her to understand his point. "Farid is not my boss."

She didn't hesitate to return his cold stare. "He is now."

"He can fuck off!" The sudden aggression that always gripped him whenever he was at a loss for what to say or do exploded on Safiyya, but she didn't even flinch. Having dealt with him a lot already, she knew what to expect of him.

"It's the same for all of us, you know? We know how you feel," she confronted him with equally harsh words, but then her voice suddenly turned quiet. "I know how you feel."

"You know nothing!" How dare she compare what they both had lost? Their relationships with you had been completely different!

"I do," she stated quietly but firmly. "But it's been months. It's time for you to come back to the team. I think it would be good for your mental state."

She was obviously trying to look out for him, he told himself to force down his anger. There was no point in letting it out on her. Safiyya had done nothing wrong. Wanderer swallowed his words and took a deep breath before he continued talking to her more calmly, yet still cold. "How come my mental state bothers you?"

"Because we're friends," she said, gently touching his arm to emphasize her words. "Please, Wanderer. We know you're not doing well. You've been shutting yourself in all this time."

He shook her off. "That's not even true!"

"It is, except for those few weeks where you went to search for her mother, but other than that-"

This time he wasn't even angry, he just wanted her to stop talking, to let him go, let him be. "Shut up, Safiyya!"

Safiyya did not stand in his way again, she let him go, but not without one last try to persuade him. "... That's not what she would want, and you know it."