#serraerk

"Oh... um..." The mage general flusters, staring blankly at the chocolates that Serra holds out to him. He wasn't really sure what he was supposed to do on a day like this. For someone so afraid of love he felt for others, to the point where it paralyzed him at times, a day celebrating it wasn't exactly the most compatible thing with him.

She leans in, pressing a chaste kiss to his cheek. When she pulls away, her entire face has gone red with embarrassment. “I’ll... miss you...” she says, finally, softly, because she will, really, and maybe, just maybe, if she tells him she’ll miss him, he’ll say the same to her, and she can carry that in her heart while she’s gone.

It feels wrong to let Serra leave without him, but perhaps that's just his old instincts as her former bodyguard speaking. Or perhaps he just doesn't want her to leave because what if something horrible happens to her... something that he could have protected her from. Years ago he would have loathed to say that he didn't want anything to happen to her, and some part of him still finds it hard to spit out the words, but if anything did happen to her, he would never forgive himself for being unable to be there for her.

He takes the handkerchief gently from his lover, rubbing the soft fabric between his fingers as Serra presses her lips to his cheek. Desperately, before she goes away from so long, he grabs her in his arms one last time and clings to her for a moment.

So, you know, you can't blame her for being a little shaky as she makes her way to give Erk his gifts. Luckily, she's always been good at hiding her real self well. When she spots him, she shifts -- beaming, excitable energy, bounding over to him and throwing her arms around him. "Erk!! Today's the day!! Hehe... happy birthday!!"

He has three packages to unwrap. Two slightly medium sized ones, and one smaller one. She's too excited to let him even breathe. "Open them, open them! The bigger ones first!"

What's in the bigger ones is something wooden. One side flat, the other side carved with an intricate, beautiful design, interweaving something as malleable as the movement of magic and as natural as the bloom of flowers. It's beautiful woodwork, really. "They're bookends!" she says, quickly, because she didn't know what they were before the merchant told her. (Erk, however, probably does.) He'll find one for the mirroring side in the other same sized package. "I went to that town that cropped up near Garreg Mach... that underground town? They make all sorts of things out of wood! Lots of cool stuff! I don't know if you'll believe it, but I actually met Ninian there!"

Now there's only the smallest thing left. Huh... seems she's strangely quiet about encouraging him to open this one, now...

If he does open it, he'll find... a necklace. Fire opal. Sapphire. Heliodor. Arranged in a triangle. The shape and colors of--.... the anima symbol. Serra's smiling very smally, and only stealing small glances at his face.

"It's... it's the anima symbol." Yeah, duh. "I got this, um... a while ago, actually. Back in Elibe. For-- for you." Does that timeline not add up? Well...

"Anyway! Happy birthday, Erk! It's your day! What do you want to do today?"

Erk didn't... hate his birthday, persay. Nor did he particularly find enjoyment in it. He was, overall, fairly ambivalent towards the idea of it. Though he didn't see much point in someone like being celebrated for simply being born. It was unearned, he felt. What did he work so hard for if he only earned a celebration every year like clockwork?

Pointless, absolutely pointless.

Still, he can't deny that he is at least a little happy to have Serra think about him on this totally normal day that wasn't an occasion at all. He once would have been terribly annoyed that she would even think of bothering him for no reason at all, but... things changed. Things always changed it seemed.

"Bookends," He says dryly, staring at them with a quiet wonder. Well, he can't say they wouldn't be helpful. He had far too many tomes now, many brought with him for study, and those that he had borrowed from a certain monk for further research. It would certainly be... less of a disaster if he had a way to cleanly line them up besides just haphazardly throwing them around the floor with no clear organization, "They're... certainly crafted nicely. By someone who clearly loves what they do. It's a pragmatic gift, thank you Serra."

Of course, there is more; because what else did he expect from Serra of all people? Never to be outdone by anyone but herself.

Oh. Oh. That was... back in Elibe...? She'd brought this all the way from back in Elibe and held onto it for... who knew how long...? Erk can't stop the way he feels his cheeks begin to flame, words escaping him for a moment as he clears his throat.

"Yes, I know what it is Serra," It wasn't like she had to explain to him. Anima magic was his specialty after all, "How... how long have you had this...?"

He doubts she'll answer, so he simply shakes his head with a sigh, "Nevermind that. I have work I must do, but if you can... be quiet... you may keep me company until I'm done. And then... maybe we can get dinner... or something..."