Author's Notes: I don't believe this pairing as been done before? Regardless, I could see the possibility of them together while playing Save The Homeland, even though they barely having any interactions. Hey, a girl can dream right? Also, I referenced to both Magical Melody and Save The Homeland because both games uses primarily the same characters. However, MM's botanist and plant hunter's name happens to be Basil while STH's is Parsley, although they are basically the same person with the same job, identity, and appearance.
Also, I suggest you listen to Mayday Parade's song Miserable At Best, sets the mood better I suppose. Nearly sobbed myself out of my seat when I first heard it... seeing as it definitely provoked the emotions I felt when I lost someone, err, close to me. Not to death, but...
Warnings: This story does contain a normal dosage of angst because I simply adored the scene between 'the farmer' and Lyla when Parsley fails to return her feelings during The Azure Swallowtail ending. It showed that Lyla has more depth to her character than what the game initially portrays her as. So, yes, this story is based on Parsley's departure.
Disclaimer: Not under any circumstances do I claim any characters as my own. Nor do I claim the story's title, belonging to Mayday Parade (as I stated earlier).

"Perhaps we all give the best of our hearts uncritically – to those who hardly think about us in return."
-The Once and Future King, T.H White

It appeared to be close to raining. Which wasn't particularly surprising, seeing as it was the rainy season, or at least, nearing it. Joe could already tell when he was awoken early in the morning by Woody to begin his work that it would either rain within a few hours or later that evening. He clicked his tongue in distaste, not overly fond of the incoming weather. Rain gave him nothing to do and the fish appeared to hate his fishing pole even more than usual when it rained. Nothing good ever came out of the dreary weather. The morning itself was cool; an almost tangible heavy feeling weighing at the clouded sky above them, rendering the air close to suffocating. When he felt his brother step aside of him and glance upward to peer at the same sky, the fisherman decided to state the obvious.

"It's going to rain soon."

Kurt nodded slightly, not entirely impressed by his brother's predication. However, it wasn't raining yet, and the dreary sky staring down upon them did not falter his morning work so, without hesitation, he began with Woody's assignment. Joe quickly followed after him, less enthused to begin the day filled with energy-draining labor. Eventually their work had abruptly come to an end when the same droplets of precipitation quickly molded into a heavy rainfall.

"Might as well call it a day guys," Gwen called from the workshop's door, her voice distorted and lost to the violent downfall.

Kurt immediately headed into Woody's workshop, escaping the rain with Gwen while assuming Joe would find his way to the warmth corners of the town's bar. After setting his and Kurt's tools aside and safe from the current harboring storm, he proceeded to where he had always gone to when the weather failed to provide him with decent days to work: The bar. He had to admit, it wasn't a particularly exciting place to go. But he was legal enough to drink and he promised to visit Katie as often as he could. And those reasons were enough for him to go, and besides, he wasn't about to sit around and mope all day alongside of Kurt anyways. Lost in his thoughts, he continued down the path to the bar; finding it slightly perplexing how the townsfolk had the astoundingly swift ability to escape the rain within minutes, the roads completely deserted now. Turning his head to the left, he attempted to shield his face from the howling wind with his hands only to lose his bandanna to the sky.

"Shit," he breathed, his eyes watching the thin piece of fabric be mercilessly whipped about in the air. Without a second thought, he followed it through the trees in attempt to hopefully catch it before the sky had permanently claimed the item. What he had found instead he wasn't entirely sure was more rewarding than his bandanna. Sitting beneath a tree, which had shielded most of the harder droplets of rain, was what appeared to be a mourning woman. A woman he had seen occasionally, stared at too often, and wondered about frequently. A woman whom had hated the rain for as long as he could remember.

"Lyla?" he blinked, peering cautiously at the seated pink-haired woman.

She didn't bother to glance upward, continuing to stare blankly at the surrounding ground being plummeted with rain. Joe frowned rather worriedly at her lack of response and inched toward her, examining with her calculating eyes while hers remained fixated on the earth beneath her soaked dress. When he drew himself closer he grew even more concerned when her stare hadn't faltered and she barely acknowledged his incoming presence. What was even more alarming was the state she was in. Spring and Summer were Lyla's favorite seasons, especially Summer which bore more Pink Cat flowers - her choice of flower. Normally, she was upbeat and pleasantly calm and sweet. Now she wore a weighing expression of dread and the depths of hurt that no heart ever wished to drown in.

That's when it hit the fisherman. Parsley was leaving soon, very soon in fact. And only now had it occurred to Joe that Lyla was absolutely in love with the charming botanist.

"Lyla?" he tried again, close enough to sink to his knees and delicately touch her shoulder. Only then did she react, blinking suddenly before peering at him through the corner of her eyes.

"Oh Joe," she sighed sweetly, allowing a crooked smile to grace her lips, "it's only you. Sorry, were you calling for me earlier?"

"I wanted to know if you were okay," answered Joe, straining his ears to hear her while the rain continued to pound on his back. "It's not like you to go out on rainy days, let alone sit under trees when it's practically pouring."

She blushed prettily, glancing downward. "Oh, yes, you're right. It isn't like me to do this. I suppose I was just too caught up in my own thoughts to think about the weather condition." She paused momentarily, fighting back the thoughts harboring in her mind. "The sound of rain makes me think too much."

He grinned. "You're starting to sound like Katie. Come on, I'll walk you home."

Lyla nodded blankly, allowing the fisherman to lift her to her feet. Once she regained most of her composure they embarked on the path that had paved itself to her house. They passed the workshop still inhabiting Kurt and Gwen and a seemingly new visitor. The farmer that had moved in a season ago apparently had made his way, despite the weather, into the store and engaged a rather nice, idle conversation with the blonde girl.

"Do you think he likes her?" Lyla asked, following Joe's gaze through the shop's window.

"I'm not sure," answered the brunet. "Maybe. He seems to be coming around a lot lately."

"Oh," she said softly, directing her gaze elsewhere before she questioned next, "which reminds me, how are you and Katie?"

Joe ripped his eyes away from the window to glance at her, titling his head slightly. In return, she refused to meet his stare and continued walking at a steady pace aside of her escort. "Okay, I guess," he shrugged finally, "Katie still resembles an adolescent girl occasionally, with her temper and everything. She's recently been trying to pressure me to eat more sweets, which has been an absolute failure on her part."

"I almost forgot how much you hate sweets," she mused.

"Hate with a capital H," he insisted. "They're just not my thing. Fish isn't hers either, but you don't see me trying to get her to eat them."

"She's just trying to broaden your horizons or, I suppose, in this case, your taste buds; it's actually quite sweet." smiled his counterpart. "Sometimes its nice having nothing in common with someone. You learn something new everyday."

"Or you learn the same thing everyday," Joe mumbled, grimacing when she had cast him a worried glance. He titled his head upward, realizing they had reached her house. "Well, we're here."

"Thank you," she spoke quietly, her voice drowning in the rain.

"Yeah, no problem," he said, dismissing her grateful words with his careless ones. "Let's just hope I don't find you out in the rain alone again, okay?"

"Oh, of course," Lyla smiled, nodding her head feverishly to enforce her promise. Their walk alongside of their idle conversation had seemed to come to an end, and just as Joe had reeled himself around, Lyla allowed the haunting thought that had plagued her mind on the walk home to escape her previous stitched lips. "Have you ever been in love?" She froze when she realized the fisherman had caught her words she assumed would be distorted and drained in the rainfall. However, she wasn't as lucky as she initially hoped and she found herself coming face to face with Joe again.

"I'm not really sure," he answered carefully. "Actually, probably not. Have you?"

Lyla had felt her body grow even tenser at the prodding question. She allowed her gaze to fall to the small gap between her feet and his, exhaling sharply when she decided that, perhaps, she should answer. After all, there was really nothing to lose and there certainly wasn't anything to gain. "Once," she responded meekly.

"Oh?" he raised an eyebrow in return. He found it truthfully peculiar Lyla had decided to confine her feelings with him, especially when her girl friends were much better candidates than himself to exchange her secrets with. Then again, girls were rather impulsive and irrational at times. Hell, Katie was a walking, hormonal time bomb on her off days. Even Dia could occasionally be unpredictable, especially when she decided to pay Kurt a visit from time to time.

"Don't fall in love, Joe," Lyla concluded quietly, however, passionate enough for Joe to hear. "It'll end up destroying you in the end."

"Destroying me?" repeated the brunet, frowning when she swallowed down a painful collection of hard air. "Why would love destroy anything? It's what most people look for in life, right? Even if it does have the ability to hurt them, I mean, it's better they felt something rather than nothing, right?"

"No one wants to bear pain, Joe," she mumbled in return. "Not even the strongest of us." A soft sigh escaped her lips and she then allowed her rigid shoulders to slump forward while holding a small, composed smile. "I'm glad it's raining."

Joe blinked, overall perplexed by her statement until realization had quickly dawned upon him. The rain had been masking her tears, erasing away the visible pain that had painted itself down her face. Without hesitation he gathered Lyla in his arms, embracing her tightly and she quickly collapsed into a mess of pain contorted into uncontrollable sobs. Her knees quickly gave out to her cries and she clung onto the young fisherman for support, even though he couldn't entirely give her it.

He wondered if anyone had, by chance, caught glimpse of them and what their initial reaction was. Lyla was a strong, beautiful woman whom barely acknowledged Joe, who incidentally was so inflated with Katie to even care. He figured Jack -hell, even the clumsy Louis- should have been here, comforting her; aiding her obliterated pride and heart instead of himself. But, then again, maybe she did need him. After all, they both hated the rain.

"I love him, I love him, I'm in love with him, Joe," she sobbed. "And I can't stop it."

"I know, I know, I know," he mumbled into her hair, easing himself to the ground to better support Lyla's collapsed form. "...and I wish you didn't."