---
The air in Hana Yoshida's greenhouse was always thick with the scent of earth and magic, but today, it was different. A new, cloyingly sweet fragrance had joined the mix, emanating from a plant that had, just that morning, unfurled a single, perfect blossom the color of a bruised sunset.
"Whoa, check this out!" Yuki Tanaka chirped, her nose practically pressed against the glass of the rare plant's enclosure. She was supposed to be helping Hana re-pot some spirit-ferns, but the new bloom had completely captured her attention. "It's like it's singing. A really, really flirty song."
Alex, who was hauling a bag of special enriched soil for Sage, paused. "A flirty song?" He knew better than to dismiss Yuki's spiritual impressions, but the description was… unique.
"Yeah! It's all… 'notice me, love me, adore me!'" Yuki said, wiggling her eyebrows at Alex. "My kind of vibe."
From across the greenhouse, where she was reinforcing the structural integrity of the stone planters with a focused touch, Sage Blackwood let out a soft snort. "Focus, Yuki. We're here to work." Her tone was its usual mix of protective and mildly exasperated, but her eyes flicked toward Alex to make sure he wasn't overexerting himself with the heavy bag.
It was a perfectly normal moment for their new "Watch" duties. Then, Hana Yoshida entered, her sharp eyes zeroing in on the bloom. A faint frown creased her brow.
"Ah. The Empathy Blossom. It only flowers once a decade," she murmured, more to herself than to them. "Its pollen is… potent. It resonates with the heart. Best not to disturb it." She gave the young people a long, unreadable look before turning to leave for an errand in the main shop. "I will be back shortly. Do not touch the blossom."
The moment Hana was gone, Yuki's rebellious streak ignited. "Potent pollen? Resonates with the heart? Okay, now I have to know what that means." Before anyone could stop her, she unlatched the small glass door of the enclosure and leaned in, taking a deep, dramatic sniff right over the vibrant petals.
For a second, nothing happened. Yuki straightened up, a look of disappointment on her face. "Huh. I don't feel anyth—whoa."
Her sentence cut off as her eyes went wide. A dreamy, utterly blissful smile spread across her face. She turned, her gaze locking onto Alex with an intensity that was several notches above her usual playful admiration.
"Alex…" she breathed, her voice a silken purr. She floated towards him, ignoring the bag of soil at his feet. "Your aura… it's so bright today. It's like a warm, cozy blanket, and I just want to wrap myself in it forever."
She didn't just stop near him. She pressed herself against his side, wrapping her arms around his bicep and resting her cheek on his shoulder with a contented sigh. "Mmm, much better."
Alex froze, the bag of soil forgotten. "Yuki? You okay?"
"I'm perfect," she hummed, nuzzling his arm. "Now that I'm with you."
Sage, who had been watching with growing alarm, strode over. "Yuki, what's gotten into you? Let him go." She reached out to pry Yuki off, her movement firm and practical.
As she did, her hand brushed against the open enclosure, rustling the Empathy Blossom's leaves. A tiny, invisible cloud of golden pollen puffed into the air, right into Sage's face.
Sage recoiled, coughing slightly. She shook her head, as if to clear it. When she looked back at Alex and the currently koala-clinging Yuki, her dark eyes narrowed. But the concern in them had been replaced by something else. Something primal.
Her protective instinct, always a core part of her, didn't just intensify—it mutated. It sharpened into a fierce, undeniable possessiveness.
"Get. Off. Him," Sage growled, her voice low and dangerous. She didn't just pull Yuki away; she physically inserted herself between Yuki and Alex, placing a firm, claiming hand flat on Alex's chest, pushing him back a step as if to shield him with her own body. Her tall frame was rigid, her gaze locked on Yuki like a wolf guarding its kill.
"Hey!" Yuki protested, trying to duck under Sage's arm. "I was here first! He's my cozy blanket!"
"He is not a blanket," Sage shot back, not taking her eyes off Yuki. "He needs to be protected. From distractions."
Alex stood trapped between the two of them, Sage's hand still pressed against his chest, Yuki trying to cling to his arm from behind Sage's back. The simple task of moving soil had just become a whole lot more complicated.
The standoff in the greenhouse was broken by the crisp sound of the side door sliding open. Lexi Vance stepped inside, her tablet in hand, her focus already on the botanical anomaly.
"The Empathy Blossom, Floris Anima," she stated without looking up, her voice cutting through the tense atmosphere. "Hana's notes indicate its pollen acts as a powerful emotional amplifier, temporarily lowering inhibitions related to affection and..." She finally glanced up and froze, her analytical monologue dying in her throat.
Her gaze swept over the scene: Yuki, pouting and trying to peer around Sage's formidable frame. Sage, standing like a gladiator in front of a wide-eyed Alex, one hand still planted possessively on his chest. The bag of soil lay forgotten on the floor.
Lexi's brow furrowed. "What is the nature of this... configuration?"
"It's the flower!" Yuki whined, pointing a dramatic finger at the bloom. "It made me see how cuddly Alex is! And then it made Sage all... growly!"
Sage's jaw tightened. "I am not growly. I am ensuring operational security. His focus cannot be compromised." Her hand didn't move from Alex's chest. If anything, her stance became more defensive.
Lexi's eyes, sharp and calculating, darted from Sage's protective grip to Yuki's clingy desperation. The scientist in her was fascinated. The part of her that had spent months cataloging the precise ways Alex's aura reacted to her touch was... intrigued.
"The effects are clearly potent," Lexi murmured, stepping closer. She completely ignored the interpersonal drama, her focus solely on the blossom. "The methodological approach would be to analyze the pollen's effect firsthand to develop a proper counter-agent."
She reached for the enclosure, intending to carefully collect a sample with a specialized swab from her kit. But as she leaned in, her sleeve brushed against the stem. Another, larger cloud of shimmering golden pollen erupted directly into her face.
Lexi stumbled back, coughing delicately into her elbow. She blinked several times, her usual crisp composure seeming to short-circuit. When her eyes refocused, they landed on Alex, and her entire demeanor shifted.
The clinical curiosity in her gaze melted away, replaced by a burning, intense fixation. Her "research" persona didn't vanish; it twisted into a new, terrifyingly intimate directive.
"Alex," she said, her voice losing its flat tone and gaining a layer of husky urgency. "This is a unprecedented opportunity. The data we could collect... it's vital."
She strode forward, ignoring both Sage and Yuki completely. She grabbed Alex's wrist, her grip surprisingly strong. "My initial hypothesis was that your aura's resonance would be unaffected, but I must test the interaction directly. I require a baseline reading of your dermal response, your heart rate, your pupillary dilation... all while under the pollen's influence."
"Sage, don't let her!" Yuki cried, trying to use the distraction to duck under Sage's arm again.
Sage, however, was now facing a new threat. She shifted her position, now standing partially in front of Alex to block Lexi's advance. "Unhand him, Lexi. Your 'research' can wait. He is in a vulnerable state."
"Nonsense," Lexi retorted, her eyes gleaming with a feverish light. She tried to maneuver around Sage, pulling a biometric sensor from her pocket with her free hand. "This is for the preservation of the Watch. Understanding this phenomenon is critical to our long-term efficiency. Now, hold still, Alex. This will only be mildly invasive."
Alex, who had been a silent, confused statue until now, finally found his voice. "Uh, guys? Maybe we should all just... take a step back?"
But it was too late. He was now the epicenter of a perfect storm. Yuki was attached to his back, trying to hug him from behind. Sage was planted in front of him, one hand still on his chest, using her body as a barricade. And Lexi had a firm grip on his wrist, attempting to attach a sensor to his finger while staring at him with the intensity of a hawk sighting its prey.
The Empathy Blossom sat innocently in its case, its job done. The greenhouse was no longer a place of work. It had become a cage match of affection, and Alex was the grand prize.
Alex stood perfectly still, a human island in a sea of wildly conflicting affections. The air was thick with the cloying sweetness of the blossom and the electric tension of three amplified obsessions focused solely on him.
"Alex, your pulse is already elevated," Lexi announced, finally managing to clip the sensor to his finger. Her face was far too close to his, her analytical gaze sweeping over his features. "Fascinating. Now, I need a saliva sample for cortisol levels." She produced a swab with terrifying efficiency.
"Absolutely not!" Sage barked, swatting the swab away with her free hand. The other remained firmly planted on Alex's chest, a grounding weight that was starting to feel more like an anchor. "You are causing him distress. My primary function is to mitigate threats to his well-being." She leaned closer to Alex, her voice dropping to a low, possessive rumble meant only for him. "Don't worry. I won't let them overwhelm you."
From behind him, Yuki decided this was the perfect moment to escalate. "He doesn't look distressed! He looks like he needs a proper hug!" She abandoned her attempt to peer around Sage and instead wrapped her arms fully around Alex's waist, resting her chin on his shoulder. "See? Cozy. This is a spiritually supportive posture. It's, like, a fact."
"It is not a fact!" Sage and Lexi said in near-unison, both turning their glares on Yuki.
Alex felt like his personal space had been completely and permanently deleted. He had a medium clinging to his back like a barnacle, a guardian using him as a human shield, and a scientist trying to conduct a full medical workup on him in the middle of a greenhouse.
"Okay, that's it," Alex said, his voice strained but firm. He couldn't move his arms, but he could still talk. "Everyone. Let go. Now."
The three girls froze, startled by the direct command. For a single, blessed second, the pressure lessened.
It was all the opening he needed. With a surge of effort, he shrugged his shoulders, gently dislodging Yuki's grip. He then carefully but firmly pried Lexi's hand from his wrist and took a single, decisive step forward, forcing Sage's protective hand to fall from his chest.
He took three large steps back, putting a precious few feet of breathing room between himself and the affectionately aggressive trio.
"All of you, stay right there," he ordered, pointing a finger at the ground in front of them.
The three tomboys stared at him, their amplified emotions now mixed with confusion. Yuki pouted. Sage looked almost hurt. Lexi just looked frustrated that her data stream had been interrupted.
"The pollen is affecting you," Alex stated, keeping his voice calm and level, the way you'd talk to startled animals. "You're not acting like yourselves. Yuki, you're usually playful, not... glue. Sage, you protect me, you don't smother me. And Lexi, you research with consent, not with swabs."
He looked at the beautiful, dangerous blossom in its case. "Hana said not to touch it for a reason. Now, we need to find the antidote she mentioned in her notes before one of you tries to actually lick me for a 'dermal conductivity test' or something."
The word "antidote" seemed to cut through the hormonal haze slightly. Lexi's eyes, still overly bright, flickered with a spark of her true self. "Antidote... yes. Hana's journal. The entry on Floris Anima mentioned a neutralizing agent." She turned, her movements still a bit too eager, and hurried towards the stack of Hana's old journals on a nearby workbench.
Sage crossed her arms, a low growl still in her throat, but she remained in place, her body tense as she watched Lexi. Yuki shuffled her feet, looking dejected.
Alex let out a slow breath. He had contained the situation. For now. But with three super-powered tomboys hopped up on magical love pollen and a cure still pages away in a book, he knew this peaceful stalemate was terrifyingly fragile.
---
To Be Continue...