A/N: This was…incredibly difficult for me to write. My emotional mindset was very off, and for the longest time, I didn't want to sit down and write anything. But, life must go on, so I present the next chapter.

Title: Fragrance of Kindness

Pairing: Agatha and Albafica

The first time she encountered him, she thought he was rude. It boggled her mind that someone so callous and antisocial could really be a Saint of Athena, let alone one of her chosen twelve. That the man could tell her so gruffly to stay away from him, as though she were no better than the ground they walked upon, bothered her like nothing else ever had.

Confused, she had rushed home to talk to her father about what had happened.

"So. You met the Pisces Saint, I take it?" he asked after she had finished pouring her story to him.

She bit her lip.

"Papa, why does he have to be so mean? What could I have possibly done to make Sir Albafica so angry with me?"

She could feel her green eyes filling with hot tears, but she was determined not to let them fall.

Her father smiled sadly.

"Agatha, don't be so harsh on Sir Albafica. I am sure he didn't mean to offend you. He is physically unable to be around other people. He was trying to protect you."

Agatha frowned.

"Protect me? What do you mean, Papa?"

"Sir Albafica has a toxic running through his veins. His very blood is so poisonous that he can not be around other people. He may have seemed harsh to you, honey, but he was just trying to make sure you didn't get too close to him."

Agatha's eyes filled with tears again, and this time, she allowed them to fall.

"That's horrible, Papa! He must be so lonely!"

"That is the path he chose for himself. No one is forced into Sainthood. Sir Albafica is called to a higher duty and does what he must."

Agatha stared at her hands, overcome by pity for the man. He hadn't been intentionally rude. He had been trying to protect her.

Albafica…

As luck would have it the next day the Cancer saint, Manigoldo, came strutting up to the shop. Though he wore an arrogant grin on his face, she felt no fear around him, sensing he was basically a kind man. He told her, rather quickly, as if embarrassed, that the Pope's birthday was that day, and though it was last minute, he wanted a large bouquet of flowers to be delivered to him at the Sanctuary.

Under normal circumstances, a last minute order would have been rejected, as she and her father were quite busy. However, these were not normal circumstances, and Agatha certainly wasn't about to turn a Gold saint away. The rather large sum of money Manigoldo offered her for her assistance didn't hurt anything, either.

When asked if there was anything in particular he wanted in the order, Manigoldo shrugged his broad shoulders and admitted he knew nothing of flowers. He told her to make it look the best she could and left the shop. Agatha watched him go for a moment, stunned. Was it written somewhere that to be a Gold saint, one had to be an exceptionally good-looking young man? Once she'd recovered from her girlish lapse in sense, she set aside her other orders and set to work on the one for the Pope.

It took over an hour to get the order to look the way Manigoldo had requested it. By the time she had finished, it looked like a terrible storm was brewing. She sighed, knowing she would have to walk out in the rain to deliver the flowers. Maybe if she walked quickly, she could get the order to the Sanctuary without damaging it. Once the flowers were out of her hands, she could run back.

She let her father know she was off to deliver the flowers to the Pope and set out. She inhaled deeply, enjoying the sweet fragrance of the storm mixing with the flowers she held in her hands. The scent was intoxicating, far more exotic than any perfume.

Then the sky opened up and pelted her with a heavy torrent of water. She drew her slender shoulders together, instinctively pulling the flowers closer to her tiny frame. The cool wind toyed with the skirts on her long dress, nearly causing her to trip, as the water penetrated her skin, freezing her to the bone.

She grit her teeth and pushed forward, seeing the stairs leading to the Sanctuary. Soon.

As abruptly as the rain had started, it stopped. She blinked, and then realized someone was holding a cloth over her. She gazed up and gasped.

Long, silken straight strands of sky blue hair framed a strikingly handsome face. Blue eyes, a shade darker than the man's hair, gazed at her, their expression unreadable. The man, moving as though he were afraid of getting too close to her, gently covered her shaking frame with the cloth and took the flowers into his pale, toned arms.

She pulled the heavy white fabric around her, grateful for the warmth it provided.

"You are the girl from yesterday. I am sorry if I upset you."

Agatha felt herself blush all the way down to the roots of her hair. How wrong she had been!

"I wasn't upset. Honest" she lied quickly.

Albafica smiled slightly, as though he knew the truth, and nodded towards the flowers he held in his arms.

"I will finish the delivery for you. Thank you for coming this far."

He turned and walked away, the wind whipping his long blue hair all over the place. She cringed as she imagined how much it was going to hurt him when he had to brush all the knots from his hair.

Agatha watched him until she couldn't see him any longer. As she left to head back to the shop, she wondered if she would see him again. She jogged all the way back to the shop. She felt as though she were floating on air from her brief encounter with the Pisces saint.

Back at the shop, she pulled the cloth off her body. It had done a wonderful job of keeping her warm. Her eyes widened as she realized what it was-he had wrapped her up in his cape.

She folded the cape under her arm, smiling as she caught a faint whiff of roses, similar to the scent she had noticed coming from his hair.

From now on, she would associate the scent of the flowers with his act of kindness. If only she could thank him somehow. Her eyes fell on a luscious yellow rose. Yes. That would work beautifully. She would present him with it the next time she saw him.

It would have to be soon.

Albafica would be needing his cape back after all.