Leon & Aventurine enthusiastic

Summary: Silver Wolf decides to open a box of Blade's stuff

Warnings: 4.3 spoilers. Not much in terms of big plot points but this does take from a specific scene.

“Are you sure we should be going through this?” You ask nervously as Silver Wolf pulls out a box that resides next to the couch. “Blade could be back any second.”

“Elio sent him out on a mission. Now’s as good a time as any to see what he’s put in here,” Silver Wolf counters. The box has been lying around for a while. Kafka’s even been using it as a footrest, but no one knows where it came from. After you, Silver Wolf, Kafka, and Firefly all denied ownership, that only left one person.

“Guys?” You look to the remaining Stellaron Hunters for help. Kafka says nothing, clearly content to see what Silver Wolf will pull out of the box. Firefly looks slightly nervous like you, but her curiosity seems to have overcome her worry, and she also doesn’t protest.

“Three versus one it is!” Silver Wolf takes that as the go-ahead to lift the lid, and your heart goes frantic at the idea of Blade finding out, but even you can't help but lean forward to take a look at what he could possibly be keeping in a box that's been hidden in plain sight.

The items inside are random to say the least. The first thing that draws your eyes is a sword lying in its sheath. It's well-crafted—undoubtedly Blade’s work. It bears a similar resemblance to Kafka’s katana, a spider forged into the hilt.

Lying beside it is a game controller. The silver, blue, and purple hues reflected on its surface instantly make you think of Silver Wolf. Glancing at said girl, it’s obvious that she is thinking the same thing.

You see Firefly’s eyes dart towards a strange metal object. You’re not quite sure of its purpose, but it does looks like her SAM suit.

And lastly, you see a cat scratching post. That one almost gets a laugh out of you.

None of you say a word, staring at the objects. Blade’s always felt distant. He’s quiet, but he gets whatever his job is done quickly and efficiently. Sometimes, you can’t help but wonder if it’s all a means to an end. Is he simply looking towards the death he constantly seeks after years of immortality?

No. He’s been looking at Kafka. At Silver Wolf. At Firefly. At Elio.

He endures Kafka’s teasing and nicknames. He carries Silver Wolf’s bags when she goes shopping and makes sure she eats after hours of gaming. He chats with Firefly in the car.

He touches you almost too gently, like he’s afraid you’ll suffer the same fate that others have at his hands. He always looks out for you on missions, sword at the ready to protect you. He indulges your whims, letting you drag him along on whatever outing you wish to go on.

And you can't help but notice there isn't something for you.

“I think this one’s yours.” Silver Wolf breaks the silence, practically reading your mind and reaching in to pull out the smallest object in the box; one that was hiding in the shadows below the others. She holds out a small black velvet box that you receive with shaky hands.

Curiosity gets the better of you before you can stop yourself from opening it. Inside is a silver ring. It looks simple at first, but as you hold it closer, you can see the faint pattern of flowers and vines, like spring has bloomed across its surface. As you imagine how many hours Blade spent twisting the metal into the perfect shape, your heart twists inside your chest.

He's been looking at you too.

No one brings the box up again, not to each other or to Blade. The three of you pack it up just as it was, and it returns to its usual place beside the sofa. But ever since that day, you find your eyes drifting towards him, trying to catch a glimpse of the things he has hidden away so deep in his heart just like you did that day.

"Is something wrong?" Blade asks in his usual monotone when he sees you looking his way.

"Nothing at all." Your gaze leaves him abnormally fast at being caught.

You fear you're not as good at hiding what's hidden in your own heart.

Blade isn’t very verbally outward in his affection for you, but he more than makes up for it with his actions.

“Have you eaten?”

…even if you did eat something beforehand, Blade would shake his head stubbornly. “That’s not good enough,” he would say archly, and insist on making you something more fulfilling. Never mind that you tell him you’re already full — perhaps the food he cooks can be eaten later at least, but do let him make you something. It’s not a request.

“Are you taking care of yourself?”

If there are things you’re struggling with getting done, he’ll make sure he keeps you company to help you out. Be it upkeep in your hygiene, getting little chores done, or simply getting some fresh air together. He knows what it’s like to neglect himself, and now that he’s reached the end of his own tunnel, he’s more than determined to walk you out of it as well.

“Did you sleep well?”

You might tell him you were up late last night and couldn’t sleep all that well, to which Blade would fix you with a frown. “Why were you up so late?”

That won’t do. He has his ingenia to help you with that, providing you soothing music. But he won’t just stop there; he’ll ensure he gets you a warm cup of chamomile or turmeric milk for the next night.

a/n. first and foremost: love languages as a science is basically total bullshit, due to lack of evidence and – well – oversimplification of emotions and the people they are coming from. however, the concept itself is kinda fun, admittedly. i believe it does help to some extent, but people use this concept the wrong way. we all show affinity for all 5 love languages, just some more than others. also, we all express our love differently. it's really so much more complex than people want to admit.

so, TLDR: look at the way love truly is – multifaceted. it's so much more eye-opening to look at all the complexities and how they can be expressed. yeah, that's all i got.. anyway, i hope y'all can enjoy regardless of my tangent!

acts of service.

aventurine himself is often trying to service you in some way or another, but typically fails at it. he doesn't know how to cook, he takes his own clothes to dry cleaning, and – well... frankly, he has no idea what he's doing. he can clean and organize, at best. everything else is new grounds for him to explore. he's a little scared about messing up.

and, to boot, he almost doesn't let you return the favor other than remaining in his life and "tolerating him some more", as he'd put it. (you do so much more than just tolerate him, but if you were to speak directly about it, it would scare him away. for a little while, at least. he always finds himself back at your doorstep.)

thankfully, he's more than willing to learn. he wants to make you happy in any and every way possible. he even takes a couple cooking classes and practices when he has the time... he's doing his best.

Let’s not forget how blunt Blade can be most of the time, even when he’s making a joke.

Bladie loves to eat, just as much as he likes to cook. Give him second and third helpings of anything and there’s no way he’ll say no.

So, seized by a bout of playfulness, you ask him, “Bladie, if there were no food at home, and no ingredients to cook with either, what would you do?”

He doesn’t even hesitate with his deadpan. “I would eat you instead.”

You can’t help the warmth that seeps into your face. “M-me? No way. I’d taste like crap and you know it—”

“Quite the opposite, I would say.” Blade shakes his head, still as stone-faced as ever, though you can glean the faintest twinkle of cockiness in his eye. “With the correct amount of salt and seasonings, your tender flesh would be the perfect way to satiate my appetite. Not to mention the many times I have savoured you in other ways and enjoyed myself.”

You stare at him, jaw slack and at a loss for words, mouth opening and closing like a fish until you finally squeak out, “Well…that would never happen though, because you like me too much…right?”

He doesn’t even blink, as blunt as ever. “Dwindle our home’s food supply and you shall see.”

They are not perfect, I know, but I'm not a divider blog and just made them for myself so... I'll be adding on as I continue to make them for the characters I write, this post is mostly for my own organisational purposes. Anyone is free to use them but since I drew these myself I'd be grateful if you'd credit me..

Albedo

Alhaitham

Arataki Itto

Dottore

Varka