Coming back to the Fairy Hills dorms after a mission with her siblings, Lisanna was somewhat surprised to find Erza loitering in the entrance. Usually that only happened when someone had messed up and trying to sneak contraband or a boyfriend in. Unlike those occasions, however, Erza’s hands were curiously devoid of the baseball bat that she used to handle such incidents. Instead, she held a...
It was a tiny round one in a nondescript brown pot with a bright red flower sprouting from its top.
“That is super cute, Erza!” Lisanna complimented her. “Did you buy that?”
Erza looked down at the cactus with a perplexed expression. “No, I did not,” she stated, her voice slow and neutral. “It arrived in the mail this afternoon. I’m not sure who it’s for, so I’m asking everyone who comes in.”
“Hmm.” Lisanna peered at the tiny plant. “There should at least be an address on... oh, there it is. No wonder you didn’t see it - it’s tiny!” Black inked letters were painstakingly hand painted near the bottom of the pot, incredibly small and precise. “Let’s see... ‘Deliver to... Lisanna Strauss?’”
“Oh?” inquired Erza, interest shining on her face. “That’s fortuitous. Who’s it from?”
Lisanna looked up, red staining her cheeks. “It says it’s from a... a secret admirer.”
“A... a... a s-secret admi-admirerer?!” Erza stuttered out, the potted cactus shaking mightily in her trembling hands. “T-then t-t-take it!” she said, shoving it at Lisanna. “A-any...” Erza paused and cleared her throat. “Any idea who might have sent it?”
The white-haired woman shook her head. “No clue. I haven’t noticed anyone taking an interest lately.” At least, no more than she usually garnered by dint of being Mirajane’s younger sister. She supposed it could be from one of those people, but... somehow it didn’t feel like it. “Are you sure there wasn’t a card or something that came with it?”
Erza considered it. “I’m not sure. Check your mailbox?”
“Good idea.” Lisanna handed the cactus back to Erza to hole while she did so, sorting through the usual junk, her new copy of Sorcerer Weekly, and a couple bills. Nestled near the bottom was a white envelope, addressed in black ink. Although printed much larger than on the cactus’s pot, it was unmistakably the same handwriting. “Found something.”
“Open it!” Erza urged, peering over Lisanna’s shoulder eagerly.
Shoving the rest of her mail under her armpit, Lisanna carefully opened the envelope, revealing a plain card with her name written on the front. When she lifted the card’s flap, she read aloud, “‘Dear Ms. Strauss...’”
“That’s more polite than I was expecting,” commented Erza, drawing a small smile out of Lisanna.
“‘I am not normally one to write something sappy like a love letter. But I must confess that ever since I first saw you on the battlefield, I have been entranced by your beauty, and strength, and kindness. The cactus is from my hometown, and my favorite flower. Please accept it as a small token of my affection - the first of more to come if it does not trouble you. Sincerely... Your Secret Admirer.’”
Lisanna blinked rapidly. “Wow,” she said aloud, feeling a warmth spread throughout her chest. “That was... rather sweet.” The words scrawled on the card took stark on the white stock, several of which had been crossed out, or smeared slightly from a nervous hand. Somehow, it made it more charming rather than ruining it.
“So what are you going to do...?” Erza asked, handing her the cactus back.
“...I’ll keep the cactus,” Lisanna decided. “And the card. They’re both... lovely.”
It was a small thing, and a small gift... but it had made her day. And she had to admit... she was intrigued. The battlefield was an odd choice when it came to falling in love with someone at first sight. Lisanna could expect that happening to someone like Erza, but to someone like her? She had never even considered it a possibility.
She wondered who her secret admirer could be, and what they might send next.
