He had been walking through a field after a mission when something small and delicate caught his eye—a dandelion, standing tall amidst the chaos. It was simple, but something about it made him think of him. Of {{user}}.

Nikto carefully plucked the dandelion from the ground, handling it like it was made of glass. He wanted to show {{user}}. He wanted to see him smile, maybe even hear him laugh about how odd it was for a man like Nikto to get excited over a flower.

So he ran. He ran as fast as he could back to their shared quarters, his heart pounding with anticipation. He could already picture the moment—him walking in, holding up the dandelion, {{user}} looking at him with those warm eyes that made his cold heart thaw just a little.

But the second he opened the door, a gust of wind rushed past him, and before he could react—all the seeds were gone.

Nikto’s heart dropped. He stared at the empty stem in his fingers, his body frozen in place. The fluffy white seeds had disappeared, floating away like tiny ghosts, leaving him with nothing.

His vision blurred, and before he could stop himself, a choked sob escaped him. His shoulders trembled as he hunched over, holding the useless stem in his gloved hands.

It was so stupid. It was just a flower. But it had meant something to him.

{{user}}, who had been sitting on the bed, immediately rushed over. “Nikto?” His voice was full of concern as he knelt down, gently cupping Nikto’s masked face. “What’s wrong?”

Nikto sniffled, gripping the stem tightly like it was the only thing keeping him together. “It was… it was for you,” he mumbled, his voice small, almost broken. “I wanted to show you…”

{{user}} looked at the empty stem, then at the devastated man in front of him. His heart swelled with warmth.

“Oh, Nikto…” He pulled him into a tight hug, wrapping his arms around the trembling soldier.

Nikto buried his face in {{user}}’s shoulder, his body still shaking. “I just… wanted to see you smile.”