Title: oversight
Rating: G
Fandom: Star Ocean, specifically Star Ocean 5
Relationship: Fiore Brunelli/Anne Petriceani
Wordcount: 1495
Short summary: Anne and Fiore go out on a shopping date. While on said date, they have some thoughts about each other.
“Where’d you like to go?”
The two of them have left Fiore’s research laboratory for a long overdue excursion. It’s one thing when even Doctor Krupp kicks Fiore out for some “fresh air”. Maybe because even if Anne comes to visit, Fiore still ends up working because she’ll start explaining what she’s been doing to Anne and then Anne will start asking some questions, leading to Fiore having some thoughts and… It’s too bad Anne likes her job too much, or otherwise…
“Fiore?”
Whoops, she got a little lost in her musings. In terms of places to go, well… Fiore shrugs. “Hmm, anywhere really. You know I barely leave my lab most days.” She laughs. “Although you don’t leave the Academy grounds much either, except to see me? They work you too hard.”
“I don’t mind.”
“Don’t mind what? The fact that your primary destination outside of your job is to visit me at my job?” Fiore teases. Anne blushes and Fiore can’t help the urge to poke Anne’s pink cheeks lightly.
“Anyway, that’s why we’re going shopping today!” She dances away a few steps before Anne can stop her. “I need to spend some money and you need to get something cute!”
“Fiore…” Anne’s lips press together as she mutters Fiore’s name quietly.
“Oh, don’t frown like that!” Fiore takes Anne’s hand with hers and squeezes it. “I love spoiling you, you know? Because I…”
She cuts herself off before finishing that sentence. She still has that bad habit of mentioning him by accident, which isn’t fair to Anne. But it’s not the fact that he is…that, but rather Fiore just loves Anne and doesn’t want to waste time holding back and having regrets. She hopes Anne understands that.
“Fine, alright then.” Anne sighs but it’s accompanied by a smile. With her free hand she pulls out her communicator and indicates a spot on the map. “Let’s go here.”
Fiore grins and pulls on Anne’s hand. She grins wider when Anne’s hand grips back, tighter.
*****
“This way?”
“Yeah.”
Anne has gotten used to the stares and the whispers even if she doesn’t like them. But what else would someone do when they see Fiore, gorgeous and open with her energy and happiness, flitting past? And holding the hand of someone much less bright, much less open? Even Anne would look at such a couple and wonder about them.
Although maybe she would think that the gorgeous mint-haired woman was the local resident and the darker-haired woman the alien, when in reality the reverse is true. How come Fiore looks more comfortable living here in the Federation, a world she was not born into and way more advanced than her home planet, than Anne, someone who’s been in the Federation her whole life?
Well, Anne could “blame” a little bit of it on her childhood in isolation. Apparently this would not be the way it would work on Faykreed IV, where both Fiore and Ceisus are geniuses who had free reign to interact with others. But that would make things too simple and easy to excuse. Anne would like to say her initial reaction to Faykreed IV’s inhabitants was neutral and cautious just like it should be meeting residents from a planet that has never known the technology that she is used to, but in truth she likely looked down on them, thinking they were less intelligent, less impressive. However, that quickly changed upon meeting the residents. They were definitely not underdeveloped in any sense. Fidel, with his sense of honor and his overwhelming ability to push through tough situations. Miki, a stalwart at his side. Victor, a rather stubborn man and a reliable companion. And Fiore…Anne’s biggest oversight.
Because Fiore is beautiful, talented, amazing…a rare combination even among the Federation elite. Emmerson and Fiore have said the same of Anne, but really there is no comparison in genius (Fiore always argues back against this, but Anne will not budge) or beauty. And to think behind that is someone caring and thoughtful as well, someone who gives Anne warm smiles, warm touches, massages after long shifts at work…
And that’s why, even if Anne is not much a fan of in-person shopping, she’ll go wherever Fiore wants to go. Fiore deserves this; she deserves the universe. And Anne will make sure she doesn’t overlook anything, not even the minor stuff, not anymore.
“Oh, this does look like a good place to check out! Come on, Anne!”
Anne goes from lost in thought about her lover to being totally lost in her lover’s thoughts. And are those…cat bags? The search function did a good job here. Now her only worry is whether she’ll be able to fit all the new purchases in her room…
*****
“Are you sure about this?”
“Of course! Try it for me, please?”
Fiore can’t help but smile when Anne gives in to her pleas to put on the cat onesie. It’s just… Fiore never thought she would find another person to love, let alone that person be from another planet and a woman who still blushes every time Fiore teases her.
Really the only traits shared between her first love and her current love are their intelligence and their sincerity.
When Fiore first met Anne, obviously there were many things to suspect and not much to trust. But it wasn’t just not trusting Anne because she was a newcomer to their planet who knew too much about this strange technology and the other side with strange powers. Even as she got to know Anne better there was a…reluctance that Fiore couldn’t shake for the longest time. Fiore already knew she had power over Anne with the way Anne blushed at the things she said. It was later, moving to the research facility here later, that Fiore realized she didn’t want to trust for a selfish reason.
She didn’t want to trust Anne with her heart, because she wanted to keep him in her heart. She didn’t want to move on, even if deep inside she knew it was unlikely he would ever come back for her. Because she loved loving him. She loved being in love, the warm feelings that bubbled up from just imagining his expressions, his voice. It was his gift to her, since he didn’t leave anything else…
But it wasn’t fair. When Anne kept visiting her, when she kept accidentally flirting with Anne… It wasn’t fair to lead Anne on, so she decided to talk to Miki. And did Miki have words for her.
It was a good wake-up call and the next day Fiore confessed everything to Anne. It’s funny looking back at that moment, remembering Anne’s cute, confused expression. But then Anne hugged Fiore and everything felt right. Like the beginning of something very, very good.
Fiore learned later that day that Anne was rather new to these…personal relationships…and that she genuinely didn’t know the struggles Fiore had been going through in her mind. But she had read some things, and she was willing to try…
And that’s why they are here, right now, trying on cat-themed clothing and accessories and hmm, maybe Fiore would buy herself a cat charm to decorate her hat with? Maybe she should ask…
“Oh you look so cute!” she squeals seeing Anne finally out of the changing room. “How does it feel? Is it comfortable? If it is we must definitely buy—”
“Fiore!” Anne exclaims, cutting Fiore off. She’s blushing. “It looks okay?”
Fiore nods. “Of course it does! I just want to snuggle with you!”
“Snuggle?” Anne is blushing even harder. “Uh, I don’t know how comfortable that would be… I’m kind of bony…”
Bony? Anne has a slim figure the envy of women all across the universe! Well, Fiore supposes it does mean Anne has less fat, well at least compared to…her. Fiore laughs. “Then I should get that outfit, and since I’m soft, I can snuggle up against you.”
“Soft?” Anne eyes Fiore in confusion until her gaze lands on Fiore’s bosom. “Y-yes…”
Fiore smirks. “Yes indeed. Let me get these cat onesies. Oh, and a cat charm for my hat, and cat hairband for you, and a cat-shaped wallet…”
“Fiore…” Anne is shaking her head but she seems more amused than resigned.
“I told you I wanted to spoil you, right?” Fiore puts her hands on Anne’s shoulder and leans in to whisper into Anne’s ear. “You can spoil me later when we get home.”
“Fiore!”
Fiore winks as she dances away. Oh, teasing Anne is so much fun. To think she’d commit the oversight of not making this part of her life… Well, that’s nothing to worry about anymore at least…
*****
(Later Anne finds out just how “soft” Fiore can be, especially wearing a cat onesie. And maybe she felt the urge to spoil said “cat”.
She was too cute after all… And Anne is definitely a lover of cute things.)