Disclaimer: No own, no own. But I'll take Tamani any day.

Note: Set right after Wing's. Oh, and blame Baby-Lily for making me write this. Oh and this is a bit OOC. Maybe more then a bit. I dunno. Review and tell me. This is a one-shot.

Read and Review!Bloom

Perched high in one of his favourite trees, Tamani looked down at the old cabin. Laurel's cabin. His stomach did a flip. She'd be coming back today. He looked longingly down the gravel driveway.

It was autumn once again. Which meant Laurel would be blooming again. He couldn't help but smile at the thought. Last fall her flower had been beautiful. It had smelt better then any other he had ever smelt before. But that was to be expected – such a beautiful thing could only suite Laurel.

That, of course, was the reason she was coming here. She was spending a week and a half, roughly, here, so she could bloom without having to tie her flower down and suffocate it again. He beamed. A week and a half with Laurel. He could show her some of the special hidden places in the forest. They could do anything they wanted.

A car tuned onto the long driveway, making the gravel crunch. Tamani looked up hopefully, only to see it was a lost car using the driveway to do a U-turn. He looked down again, frowning in disappointment.

The other faerie sentries didn't want Laurel to see them like Tamani did. He knew that they'd stay in the undergrowth, hidden like always, watching and guarding the gateway. Tamani had asked if he could have this little time to be with Laurel. It had taken a while, but they had finally agreed.

The gravel crunched again and he looked towards the sound once again. It was her car. He felt excitement race through him. He climbed swiftly down his tree, dropping the last few feet gracefully. He straightened straight away and melted into the undergrowth as silently as any of the other sentries, apart from the rapid beating of his heart. He wondered if they could hear it.

The car door slammed. He watched, invisible in the forest, as Laurel climbed out of the backseat and looked around. Her gaze landed on him in the undergrowth and he was sure that she could somehow see him. But then she glanced to the side, continuing her scanning. He chuckled silently.

"Have you got everything?" her father asked her, lifting her bags. Tamani was relieved to see he looked fully recovered. He knew how much he meant to Laurel, and it would've hurt her if something had happened to him.

"Yeah. I don't need much, anyway," Laurel said. Tamani smiled at hearing her voice after months of being without it. All his life he'd heard it, and only when she'd moved did he fully realise how much it had meant to him, how much he'd missed it.

"Let me take that," her Mum said, taking the bags from her Dad. "You go get the bed." He nodded and buried his head in the car boot again. He re-emerged with a blow up mattress and a pump.

Tamani watched as Laurel scanned the surrounding trees again, her gaze not even pausing this time on the spot he was hidden in. He smiled warmly at the thought that she was probably looking for him.

"Sweetie, we can take your stuff in," her Mum offered when she noticed her daughters searching. Tamani silently thanked the woman.

Laurel started walking towards the path immediately. "Okay. Thanks," she called back over her shoulder. Tamani felt tingles go through him as he remembered the last time they had been standing together on that path – when she had kissed him.

She didn't call his name as soon as she was well into the forest like she usually did. He followed silently, waiting and watching, no matter how much he just wanted to come out of the cover of the trees and face her. She just kept walking gracefully down the path, never pausing.

Just as he was beginning to wonder what she was doing, she stopped. She turned in a slow circle, finally resting on where he was invisible among the trees.

"Hey, there," she said softly. He nearly jumped in surprise. How on earth could she see him?

"Hello Laurel," he said as he stepped out from the cover of the trees, hiding his surprise. She beamed at him. His insides did a back flip. He felt himself smiling in response. He took four strides towards her, stopping half a metre from her. He smiled wider and took her hands in his. "You really came."

She looked away from his eyes. "Uh . . . yeah. I said I would." She pulled her hands free, blushing. He made sure his smile didn't falter, no matter how much his empty hands stung.

"I'm glad all the same."

She looked back at him, a small smile on her mouth. He couldn't look away from her mouth. He remembered what it felt like to have her lips moving against his . . . He mentally shook himself. He was confused about that, although he made sure he wasn't going to show it. She'd picked the human –David– but she'd kissed him – before leaving him. Did that mean she had feelings for him? Or was it just a spilt of the moment thing? A mistake? He felt a pang. He hoped against hope that she had meant it.

He inhaled deeply. He could just faintly smell her floral scent, even though she wouldn't bloom for another day. "You smell wonderful, even though you haven't bloomed yet." He watched as she shifted awkwardly under the compliment.

"Yeah . . . well, thanks." She turned her light green eyes back to his own darker ones. "I should probably go help Mum and Dad."

"You probably should," he agreed. But I don't want you to leave me for however long, ever again. I want you to stay here with me, he added to himself with a sigh.

They turned and started walking through the forest again, side by side. Tamani couldn't help but think it was right to be with Laurel, just walking, no words needed. Glancing over at her, he found her smiling.

"It's nice to be home," she said, looking lovingly at the forest. He wondered if it was because she could feel Avalon calling.

"Home is always nice," he agreed. He sighed. "I wish I could show you Avalon. Then you would know what home really means." He gazed off into the distance, remembering the faerie homeland. "It's so beautiful, Laurel. You've been there, of course, but you don't remember." A thought struck him. "Maybe if you go back, you'll remember. It might trigger your memories." He looked at her hopefully.

She was frowning. "I don't know. Seems like it was one hell of a memory elixir they gave me." He felt his face fall and quickly glanced away. How could she not even try? Didn't she want to remember him? "But I guess there's always a chance," she added, as if it was an afterthought. He seized the hope that statement help for him.

"Does that mean you'd go there then? And try to remember?" he asked, looking at her intently. They had reached the end of the path but both hovered a few metres from the open space of the yard, unseen.

She was thoughtful for a moment. "Tamani," she said. "You know I can't leave. I – for my whole life, or what I can remember of it," she amended, "I've been human. And I have to protect my family. I don't know if I could leave them behind."

He nodded. "But Laurel, you can just visit Avalon. We could –" he broke off. He didn't know if he could keep his voice steady. "I guess I have to understand," he said quietly.

She was silent for a long time. When he finally couldn't stand it any longer and looked up, she was staring at him. Her eyes were shiny, glistening wetly with the sunlight that made it through the canopy above them.

"Laurel? What's wrong?" How had he made her cry?

"It's nothing. It's . . . it's just that David said that, right before I left," she said, glancing towards the opening at the end of the path. She set off down the path again, but he leapt forward and caught her wrist.

"What? Are you okay?" he asked. Did they fight or something? And what would David have to understand?

"Just forget I said anything. Mum and Dad are waiting," she said and yanked her arm free. She ran the last few metres quickly, slowing to a walk just before she left the cover of the trees. He watched her disappear around the bend in confusion.

~*~

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" her Mum asked, hesitating at the car door. Tamani understood what it felt like to prolong your precious moments with Laurel.

"Yeah. I'll be fine," Laurel reassured them. Tamani thought her voice sounded strained.

Apparently, so did her Dad. "Are you sure? You don't sound okay, sweetie." He, too, was hovering beside the car.

She shook her head. "I'm all right." Her voice was a lot steadier. Tamani frowned, wondering why it had been uneven in the first place. Maybe she was just sad at saying goodbye to her parents. Or, maybe it had something to do with what had happened before.

Soon Laurel's parents were driving down the driveway, her Mum waving until the car disappeared from sight. In the quiet that followed her parent's departure, Tamani heard Laurel sigh. She glanced at the path and took a step towards it – towards him – then changed her mind, and walked into the old cabin instead. Tamani couldn't help but feel disappointed.

He considered walking across the lawn and going and knocking on the door of the cabin – something he never would have done before she'd moved and found out the truth about what she was. But he didn't. If she wanted to see him, Laurel would come into the forest where they were both comfortable. And she probably wanted to be alone, considering how she'd acted in the forest and the edge to her voice before.

He sighed sadly and melted into the trees. He'd give her some privacy – even if it was only from him. He knew the other sentries would be watching, more out of habit then need anymore. Tamani walked through the familiar forest until he reached the creek. He squatted beside it and scooped some moss of the rocks to eat. Then he nearly burst out laughing, remembering how he'd told Laurel how he'd made his hair and eyes so green by eating it. He shook his head. It was normal for a faerie.

He heard light footsteps coming up behind him. He stood and turned, holding a handful of moss in his hand, expecting it to be one of his fellow faerie sentries. Instead of seeing Shar or one of the others, he turned to be face to face with Laurel. He searched her face, seeking any signs of her earlier sad emotions. There were none.

"You walk like a faerie," he commented. He picked a piece of moss out of the pile resting on his palm and put it in his mouth, wanting to see Laurel's reaction. "Very quietly. Graceful," he added once he'd swallowed it.

She made a face. "That's so gross, you know."

He smiled at her. "You only think so because you've been raised as a human." He held out his hand, smiling wider. "Try some." He wasn't sure if she would or not. He hoped she would. She'd like it so much more then human food.

She wrinkled her perfect nose. "No, thankyou." She glanced at the green fury heap in his palm and made another face.

He laughed out loud. God, he loved her. "C'mon, just try it," he said, still chuckling. He picked another bit up and popped it in his mouth. He didn't have to act to show how good it tasted. When she didn't say anything, he swallowed his moss and said, "Please, Laurel? For me? Trust me, it tastes good."

Looking revolted, she reached out and took a tiny bit off the green heap in his hand. His skin tingled where her soft pale hand brushed his. He smiled at her reassuringly. "I can't believe I'm doing this," she muttered.

"You'll love it," he reassured her. She had loved it before she'd had her memory stolen, anyway. He wondered if her food preferences had changed when she no longer remembered them.

"Doubt it," she said, eyeing the green stuff she held in between two fingers doubtfully. "Here goes nothing." She quickly popped the moss into her mouth, squeezing her eyes closed as she did so. She chewed a couple of times before swallowing. She unclenched her eyelids and her bright light green eyes met his own.

"Well?" he asked eagerly when she didn't say anything.

She snatched the moss from his hand. "It's not too bad," she admitted before shovelling some more into her mouth. He chuckled quietly.

"I knew you'd love it," he told her as he watched her eating his moss. "It's nice to know some things stayed the same."

"Oh yeah?" she paused in eating the moss to stare at him, her attention caught.

"Yeah. Back when we knew each other –" he tried not to show how painful it was for him to say that "– you loved moss. I still remember you with green hair." He smiled, deep in his treasured memories. "Of course, you're hair was only green when it wasn't purple."

"I had purple hair?" she asked doubtfully. He wondered how these simple things must seem so strange to her. He smiled. One day, when she became more of a faerie, she might think these things simple, too. She might even live in this forest with him, or in Avalon . . .

"And purple eyes," he verified, pulling himself from his train of thought.

"You're joking, right?" Plain disbelief was written all over her face.

"No." He shook his head. "Laurel, it isn't that uncommon. Actually –" he looked her up and down "– faeries like you are very uncommon. You're so human looking. Pale skin, pale blonde hair, green eyes. Nearly all faeries are colourful."

"I'm fine being uncolourful then, thankyou very much," she snapped and ate another bit of moss. He wondered if he had offended her. She looked amazing, but she wasn't like any of the other faeries.

"If you eat to much of that –" he nodded at the shrinking moss pile in her hand "– you'll soon look like me. Green hair and dark green eyes." He grinned.

"You have it then," she said, lifting the pile towards his face. He thought about quickly eating the remainder from her hand but quickly dismissed the idea. Instead, he reached out and took the leftovers. "Thanks," he said before eating it all in one mouthful.

She started walking along the creek, her back to him. He could see the bud of her unopened flower. He followed her. She kept glancing at him and when he caught her eye, she looked like she wanted to say something. She quickly glanced away. "Hey, about before," she said. "Sorry. I kinda lost it."

"It's okay," he said. He wanted to ask what she had been talking about, but didn't. If she wanted to tell him, she'd tell him. He didn't want to force her to tell him.

Still hesitating, she stopped and turned to him. She was so close to him he could count each of her long eyelashes. He didn't feel awkward, and seeming how she made no move to step back, he guess she didn't, either. His heart gave an unsteady squeeze.

"No, it isn't," she said softly. "It wasn't your fault. It's just that. Well. We – David and I." She stopped talking and took a deep breath, closing her eyes. When she opened them again, he couldn't understand what he saw in them. "I, well, David and I – we're just friends now."

Hope shot through him. Then he frowned. "I thought you loved him."

She shook her head. "I think I could've loved him, but," she hesitated. "I don't even know how things went wrong. One day it was fine, the next it was just . . . wrong."

"Why?" Tamani whispered.

She looked at him sadly. "Don't get me wrong, David's great and he did nothing wrong. I just – I don't know. Whenever I was with David, I thought of you, Tamani. I told you I'd think of you. I'm not sure you knew how much I would." She sighed. "I'm not sure I knew how much, either."

Tamani couldn't think. That little bit of hope he'd been hanging onto had just grown to consume all of him. He held his breath, waiting for her to continue, seeming how he couldn't speak.

"But, Tamani, that doesn't change anything," she whispered. "I have a job. A duty. I have to stay and protect Mum and Dad. And own the land. What if some troll came and tried to hurt them again? Last time Dad nearly died." Her eyes filled with tears.

"I know," he answered softly. The hope was still there, bigger then before, but it had just gotten smaller. A lot smaller. He knew and understood what she was saying and why she was committed to it, but that didn't stop him from hoping that she could've been with him now. That, he could never stop hoping for.

"But –" her voice caught in her throat. Tamani shuffled forward a step, closing the distance between them, and hugged her. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her against him. He did it without thinking, and only realised what he'd done when she'd tensed in his embrace. But then she relaxed, and her arms wrapped around him, returning the gesture. Tamani had never felt more complete in his life.

"Shh," he said when he felt the wetness of her tears on his shirt. "It'll be okay. You'll see." He gently rocked them backwards and forwards.

"You can't know that," she mumbled into his shirt.

"Remember how I told you you'd love the moss?" he felt her nod rather then saw it. "This is like that. I know it'll be okay."

She laughed shakily and pulled away. Tamani couldn't help but feel a little sad when she did. She wiped her eyes. "I hate crying," she mumbled. Then she added, "You know, I'm surprised faeries can cry."

"Why would that surprise you?" he asked.

"Well, when we bleed, its sap. So, I kinda thought we might cry sap, too," she said, looking embarrassed.

He smiled and wiped one of her stray tears away. She shifted uncomfortably under his touch and he frowned in confusion. A moment ago, she'd been hugging him. And now she was uncomfortable? "We have water in us, too, Laurel," he said. "But I guess it's a reasonable assumption."

She nodded before sinking to the ground, her back resting on a tree trunk. He sat down beside her as she rested her head on the trunk behind them.

After a couple of minute's silence, Tamani had come to a decision. He couldn't just not ask. He couldn't not ever know, when the chance had been right here. And besides, she had said she'd thought about him more then he knew, hadn't she? That ought to count for something. He took a deep breath, mustering his courage. She'd either reject him – and he'd accept that – or, she'd . . . he didn't know what the other alternative was. She'd accept him.

"Laurel?" he asked softly.

"Yeah?" she answered just as softly. She rolled her head towards him.

"We . . . we could be together," he said softly, watching her intently. He resisted the urge to hold his breath. "I know you and David just broke up, and I shouldn't really be asking because of that, but . . . You could visit. I could visit you if I had to." He tried his best not to let pleading enter his voice. "And it wouldn't get in the way of you protecting your parents." He realised he was rambling and broke off, still looking at her, trying to judge her reaction. He thought he saw something flicker in those light green eyes, but he wasn't sure.

"Tamani," she breathed. "I – I don't know."

How could she not know? "I understand if you don't want to," he added quickly. "You shouldn't feel forced into deciding. You can take as long as you need." He forced a smile, for her benefit, even though he felt like he was breaking inside. "I'll still be here – as your friend."

"I guess –" she hesitated. He couldn't resist holding his breath this time. "It doesn't . . . interfere with anything, and –"

"Do you want to, Laurel?" Tamani asked seriously, cutting her off. He had to know.

She exhaled in a rush. "Of course I want to be with you. It's just that – I –" Feelings he didn't know rushed through him when she said it. He felt like . . . he felt like her was glowing from the inside out.

"Then why not?" he asked rashly. "You know I love you – even if you can't know how much. And you want to be with me, so why not?" He didn't blink, fearing he might miss something – anything – in her expression.

She leant towards him. He couldn't look away from her eyes. She hesitated a few inches from his mouth. He leant forwards and closed the distance between them. They broke apart nearly as soon as they're lips touched. Laurel shifted close to him and kissed him again, slower and deeper then the last time. He snaked his arms around her waist, pulling her against him. Her hands played in his hair. When they broke apart, both of their breathing was haggard.

It was better then anything Tamani had ever imagined. He opened his eyes to find Laurel looking at him. He beamed at her. "You know I love you, right?"

She smiled and kissed him again, longer this time. Tamani felt warm like he never had before. "And you know I think I might, maybe, love you?" she whispered against his lips.

He smiled. "No, I didn't know." Then he added, once they'd come up for air again after their next kiss, "You don't know how happy it makes me to hear that. For as long as I can remember I've wanted to hear you say that."

"Maybe if you're lucky I'll say it again," she said, then tormented him by only giving him small, quick kisses before he caught the back of her head in his hand and pressed their mouths together. When he finally removed his hand, she didn't move away.

He sighed. "It's getting dark," he said sadly. She'd have to go to her cabin soon.

"I don't want to leave, not yet," she said. He kissed her quickly in response before standing up, pulling her light form up with him. "I don't want you to leave, but we have to start heading back."

"Worried you're going to get lost?" she asked as they started walking back down the creek, the way they'd came. She wound her fingers through his.

He snorted. "I'm a faerie sentry. I don't get lost in the forest." The idea made him laugh.

"So how long will I be here?" she asked.

"Roughly around a week and a half." He gave her hand a squeeze. A week and a half to be together with Laurel.

She smiled. "I'm glad."

"But," he warned her, "When you bloom, I have to be careful."

"Why?" she asked, frowning. He rubbed circles on the soft skin of her hand.

"So I don't pollinate you," he told her seriously.

"Oh. Right. Well, in that case, be careful," she told him. "I don't want to end up having a . . . flower baby."

He smiled. Maybe one day she'd have a flower baby. He smiled wider. "I will be."

"Does that mean that we can't . . ." she hesitated, before finally settling on the word, "Touch?"

He thought about it seriously for a moment. "As long as I don't touch you blossom, sure." He smiled and stopped walking. She did, too. "For instance, we'll still be able to do this." He brushed his lips against hers. "And this," he mumbled. He kissed her deeper.

"Good," she breathed when they broke apart. He smiled.

"C'mon, you gotta get back to you house," he said.

"Where do faeries sleep?" she asked.

He chuckled. "Trees," he answered simply.

"Isn't that a bit uncomfortable?"

"Not at all," he reassured her.

Tamani could feel the eyes of the other sentries on them as they walked, hand in hand, through the forest. He knew that they knew he loved Laurel. He smiled. And now they'd know she loved him back, too.

They both paused at the end of the trail. "Goodnight," Laurel said.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he reassured her. And tomorrow won't come fast enough, he added to himself. He leant forward and kissed her softly. Then again, and again, each time getting longer and deeper and more intense.

She pulled away from him, breathing hard. "Night. Don't let the . . . tree bugs bite," she whispered against his cheek.

He laughed quietly. "See you tomorrow," he promised, before breaking their embrace by pulling his arms back from around her waist. "Yeah," she agreed before quickly brushing her lips against his and turning and disappearing inside the old wooden house.

He stood surrounded by the forests familiar sounds as he tried to get a grip of his glowing emotions. Finally he just shook his head at himself and set back down the trail, headed to where he knew the other sentries would be waiting for him.

He couldn't help thinking this day had become the best day of his life. But then again, he thought, tomorrow with Laurel might turn out even better. He couldn't help but beam at the thought.

Now you've read it, you gotta review it!

I'm only 14 – and haven't been in love, so I'm pretty sure I can't talk about mushy stuff like this. Tell me what you think, please!

Oh and this will probably stay a one-shot. Yeah. It will. Maybe.

Over and Out,
Dozey212