AB ficlette -- Wild Flowers

[mhalachai]

I know I said nothing until Sunday, but today was a real bummer so I wrote some Anita/Nathaniel fluff to cheer myself up. Also, I bought season one of Stargate Atlantis yesterday. Phear.

Wild Flowers
An Anita Blake fanfiction story by mhalachaiswords

Disclaimer: The Anita Blake universe belongs to Laurell K. Hamilton. I'm only borrowing and will return them at the end of the fic.
Summary: Nathaniel can't quite figure what he was thinking when he picked that bouquet of wild flowers for Anita...
Rating: PG for language
Word count: 471
Fandom: Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter (master list here)
fanfic100 Prompt: 62 --Spring



The wild bunch of purple and yellow and red and green and blue flowers stared out at Nathaniel from the water-filled drinking glass on the table.

Nathaniel rotated the glass, to see if he could get a better angle, but it was useless. Fucking useless, Nathaniel thought angrily, looking up from his wild flowers to the recently arrived glass vase from Jean-Claude, which held a dozen white roses and three red ones. The flowers were elegant, sophisticated, adult... everything that Nathaniel's bouquet of the first wild flowers of spring out in the backyard was not.

Nathaniel wished with all his heart that he could believe that Anita would like his flowers, but it was hopeless. She liked the sophisticated things Jean-Claude got her, jewelry and furniture and those nice clothes.... well, some of the clothes. Richard got her that nice necklace for Christmas, the one that looked like tiny diamond snowflakes, and Micah had bought her a really beautiful painting for the living room. She loved those nice, pretty, adult gifts.

Nathaniel let out a sigh. He wasn't ever going to get it right, to get her things he knew she'd like. He grabbed the cup holding the wild flowers and walked them over to the sink, planning to dump them in the garbage. He wondered who he could ask about Anita, and what kind of nice things she'd like. Maybe Micah. At least he wouldn't mock--

"Where did you get those?" Anita asked.

Nathaniel jumped like a scalded cat, causing Anita to take a step back.

"What's wrong?" she demanded, putting out her hands to steady him. "Are you okay?"

Heart pounding, Nathaniel nodded. "I didn't hear you come in," he said. "Sorry."

She raised her eyebrows, her mouth turning up into an amused grin. "I don't think I've ever seen you that startled."

Nathaniel wasn't laughing. "I didn't hear you, that's all," he said abruptly, turning away.

He wasn't expecting Anita to reach around him, or to pluck the glass with the wild flowers out of his hand. "Did you pick these?" she asked, bringing the brilliantly colored flowers up to her face. She breathed in deeply. "They smell like spring."

"I picked them for you," Nathaniel blurted out, because he was so confused. "But--"

Anita interrupted Nathaniel with a big kiss on the mouth. "Thanks, I love them," she said when she pulled back, smiling so happily. She took Nathaniel's hand, her small fingers wrapping tight around his palm. "Come on, let's go put these in the living room so everyone can see them when they come over tonight." She didn't even look at the roses.

As Nathaniel let Anita pull him out of the kitchen, he spared one last glance at Jean-Claude's flowers, sitting all alone on the table.

He was never going to understand Anita.

the end

Comments

[plsteward.livejournal.com]

He was never going to understand Anita.

Me neither.

Actually, I get why she likes the wild flowers best.

Not that I understand her the rest of the time. In fact, most of the time in the books I want to slap her for being stupid or something. There are times when she is given such an anceint girlly personality, but then she makes with the multi-personality bit, and starts acting like she has a brain.

Ah, enough of me bitching. I liked the fic (as usual. I don't think I've ever not liked your fics.)

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Anita is like sand falling in the hourglass. You know it's going to hit bottom, but are never sure which direction it'll go.

And such are the days of our lives

Glad you like it :)

[uforeah.livejournal.com]

Awww she sounds like me

I would rather a single rose picked on the way to see me then a dozen long stem delivered with a phone call. I love the idea of impromtu. That you see something pretty and think of me. That is what it is all about.

So I can totally see where she is coming from.

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

'Xactly. And with Nathaniel, it's a gift for her, and it sounds like he hasn't really gotten her much. So it's doubly precious. I think Anita would like the natural flowers. She's the outdoorsy type :)

[cissasghost.livejournal.com]

Awww, wildflowers . .

(random snarky thought re: JC's flowers: doesn't Anita sorta merit an entirely red bouquet by now?)

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Well, JC started adding red roses after Anita started knocking boots with him; at the rate she's going, those roses should all be red soon.

Ahem.

Actually, not sure what book it was in, but since Anita and Richard and JC started being a happy threesome, JC added another red rose for Richard and one for Asher... I think. None for the other men.

[sabriel-0405.livejournal.com]

We found this out in Micah. There are 3 red roses now.

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

thanks, I changed that above... I was fogetting about putting Asher's rose in there. I wonder how Richard would feel about those flowers now.

[ansku]

Awww :)

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Yeah, they're all schmoopy :)

[silver-venus42.livejournal.com]

I love Nathaniel. Him picking her flowers is so cute. And comparing himself to all the other men in her life. I mean, you know he probably has to do that because the other guys are always around. And they're all alpha's in something or other.

Anita = Complicated
Us understanding Anita = Probably Never

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Nathaniel is just a kid, really, who's never had a chance for a real life and relationship. He's also 90 years old and world weary. Poor guy. He's the only one in Anita's life who won't presume to take charge (which is probably what she needs, imo). I'm an Anita/Nathaniel shipper at heart.

Anita = Complicated
Us understanding Anita = Probably Never

Oh, and how.

[gwionfawyr.livejournal.com]

You're turning me into a girly-girl Mhal. I actually felt one of my ovaries squeeze out an egg at the Nathaniel!sweetness. So not on. *wibbles at adorable Nat.*

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Hey, it's okay to be a girly girl sometimes :) Nathaniel's just the sweetest thing ever

[sabriel-0405.livejournal.com]

I love when Anita up-ends Nathaniel's insecurities. She loves him for who and what he is. It was a long time coming, but once she did it, it was with her whole heart.

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Yes, once she finally got past her own issues and insecurities and assumptions about Nathaniel, she realized that he loves her, and she loves him in return. Finally.

[spoonfuloftears.livejournal.com]

This was lovely :) I think I would also go for the wild flowers

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

I think most of us might :)

[jaydeyn-sitari.livejournal.com]

That was gorgeous. :) I've only just read Micah and I kinda got the impression that while it's really very nice to get roses every week, she'd probably not give them that much conscious thought any more. The idea of Nathaniel spontaneously thinking of her and expressing it with something sensual but not necessarily sexual is just lovely.

And I have a really big grin on my face at the thought of SG:A featuring prominently on your fic list for a while. I loves me some Rodney. ... *innocent grin* with the snarking... and the hurt/comfort. Mmmmmm. ;)

:)
Jaydeyn

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

she'd probably not give them that much conscious thought any more

Exactly. I'm sure that if the roses stopped, Anita might question it, but it's expected now. A bunch of wild flowers just because would be an excellent gift for her.

As for SGA, I've only had time to watch 5 episodes so far. I love Rodney, he's such a loveable doofus. I hope to have a chance to watch episode 6 tonight.

[dhark-charlotte.livejournal.com]

*Sigh* So sweet. Wild flowers handpicked are my favorite too...

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

They're just so chaotic, sort of like life. Plus, they go with everything.

[firefox1490.livejournal.com]

He was never going to understand Anita.

Dont bother trying its just going to give you a headache.

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Heck, it gives me a headache, and I'm just writing it :)

[firefox1490.livejournal.com]

LOL

[houses7177.livejournal.com]

*wibble* This makes total sense for Anita. That is exactly the way she would react to wildflowers. Lest we forget the earlier books, this is the girl who spent time spelunking with Richard as a date.

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Lest we forget the earlier books, this is the girl who spent time spelunking with Richard as a date.

Oh yeah. Of course, Nathaniel met Anita after she'd broken up with Richard, and she's spent most of her time since then *not* in the woods.

[houses7177.livejournal.com]

True. And any time Anita appears in the books not in the City, she's usually being chased or attacked. Poor Anita, she loves the woods, but the woods don't love her.

[page-r.livejournal.com]

I can't help imagining that this is a great example of how Anita is starting to accept the love of the people around her. A year, or even a few months previously, she probably would have stopped, examined how happy the flowers made her, worried about what that meant in terms of emotional commitment, then brushed off the gift. Only to sneak in late at night or when no one was around to sniff and admire the flowers.

Instead she let herself enjoy the moment right from the start. Yay for love!

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Anita is starting to accept the love of the people around her.

Yup, she's more in tune with herself, accepting of the love others offer to her. She's gotten past the point where all emotional connection must be picked apart. She still wonders if they're going to leave her... but at least with Nathaniel, she is starting to believe that she's worthy of love.

[lunalovegoddess.livejournal.com]

Very sweet... I love Nathaniel so much. He's nummy! LOL And he needs so much reassurance of her love in little things like this.

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Nathaniel is so sweet. And Anita is always so hesitant to share her emotions, he has to wonder what she really thinks (how much of her caring for him is her obligation, and how much is her love.)