#criae

Now this was something you didn’t expect. In his hands lay a small box, wrapped with clear care in a light pink paper and fastened with a bright red bow. Had he done this himself? You could only imagine him trying over and over, struggling to leave the paper neat and folded perfectly. But…

“What are you thanking me for?” You take the gift curiously. You couldn’t remember anything specific you could have done. True, you did frequently take him with you onto the battlefield and took care to see that he wouldn’t be hurt, but was it that different from what you did for anyone else? And you did like to spend your precious little free time with him, whether it be training or sharing meals, but again you couldn’t think of why he would go through all of this to thank you for it. Thankfully, he spoke, interrupting your thoughts.

“Listen, I don’t really know how to say this, but I feel like you’re the first person to really respect me for what I am. I don’t feel second best around you. A-and I thought it wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t do something to thank you. So. Thanks.” The tension hadn’t left his eyes, and his voice had a slight quiver to it, something you never thought you’d hear from him.

“You didn’t have to go through all of this just for-”

“No, no. It wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t.”

It still felt like you were missing something. He had just confessed all of this to you, and yet here he was, gaze turned firmly at the floor. Was he nervous? You paused.

“Well, are you sure?”

He looked back up at you, shoulders drooping.

“...No. There’s something else too.” He straightened back up. “I’m just going to say it. I think… I think I’m feeling something more than just respect. I keep wanting to spend more time with you, and talk to you, and I’ve just been too much of a coward to say it.” He took a breath. “I’m sorry.”

Silence hung in the air for a moment, before he quickly interjected. “You don’t have to accept my feelings. I just thought you should know.”

You looked at him, down at the gift, back up at him. “Why do you think I wouldn’t return your feelings?”

The tension was gone from his eyes, and replaced with shock. It was if he hadn’t even considered the thought of you accepting.

“...What?”

You couldn’t hold back a giggle. “Would I really keep wanting to see you every day if I didn’t like you?” His face reddened slightly. “You don’t have to worry. Of course I’m not mad. I’ve been wishing this day would happen for a while now.”

For a moment he was still frozen, trying to process what you just told him. “Wait, really? This isn’t- this isn’t a joke, right?” You nodded.

“You didn’t even have to make this- goodness, how long did it take you?” You inspect the box more carefully, noting every little detail. He had clearly put everything he had into this gift, wanting everything to be nothing short of perfect. “You didn’t do all this just for me, did you?”

He gave a relieved chuckle. “They’re sweets,” he responded, clearly dodging the issue of how much time he put in. “I thought you’d like them.”

You set the box down behind you, very careful not to disturb the wrapping. Then you threw your arms around the boy with a giggle, pulling him to you tightly. He froze at first, stiff as a board, before relaxing in your arms. After a moment, you pulled away.

“...Could you do that again?” His face was tinged with red. You couldn’t help the smile on your face as you pulled him right back to you, this time his arms circling you and holding you tight too. It felt as if you both had been waiting for this moment for a long time, and you were going to enjoy every second of it. He piped up as soon as you let go.

“So do you want to try the sweets?”

You nodded, picking up the sweets. As much as he didn’t want to tell you about how long he spent asking around camp what to do and trying time and time again to make them look presentable, you could see on his face that he must have been pretty proud of them.

“Of course - but only if I can share them with you.”