Chapter Text
Attending to the flowers in the garden wasn't a daunting task, but it was certainly a draining one. The sun beat down relentlessly, causing sweat to bead on your forehead as you knelt among the rows of delicate petals. Despite the exhaustion, it made it all worthwhile when you got to see the soft smile grace Donna's features. She always appreciated the hard work you did, whether that be tending to her garden and her beautiful bloomage or just making her a simple meal as a thank you.
Her gratitude was always shown when she offered to give you a glass of lemonade or cold water. And it was especially shown when she offered to give you assistance. The time you spent together was already special, but when she was working, you saw her in a new light. Her brows knit in concentration, her hands work diligently, and her tongue would peak out of her mouth when a particularly hard task came forward. It made you chuckle at the thought. Yet it was broken at the high pitched screech by her doll, Angie.
"Hey! You! Come here! Donna needs you!" She called out towards you, the sound of tiny wooden heels clicking against the wood of the stairs until she came barreling onto you. She pulled on your sleeves with urgency, urging you to your feet while still ushering you to Donna. You couldn't hear anything she was saying due to how fast her words wove together. The only pieces your ear could hear was Donna, hair, and problem.
Wondering why this would be such an issue in the first place, you followed the doll as you quickly made it to your feet. Angie led you down the hallways of the manor towards an all too familiar elevator, wasting no time; she dragged you inside and shrieks for you to hit the button over and over again till you do. Though you had been in the estate for a while, the tone of Angie's voice will always bother your ears. How Donna learned to stand it, you didn't know and didn't bother to ask either.
As it dinged and opened into the basement foyer, wood began clacking again as she ran towards the kitchen, then to Donna's room. You followed after, slightly worried about the dirt on the carpet you'd have to clean later. Once inside Donna's room, Angie pointed to her sitting near her vanity. Her veil was off, and she was pulling on strands of her hair with worry, her hair not in her usual bun. It fell onto her shoulders and draped her face beautifully, the sight making your heart skip a beat.
"Donna?" You ask as you walk closer to her.
"Oh! Tesoruccia, I didn't expect for you to be here." Her words came out full of embarrassment, turning her gaze towards Angie, who looked to the ceiling.
"Do you need any help?" Asking again, taking off your gardening gloves and putting them in your pocket. Your hands came to rest on her shoulders, which tensed from the sudden touch but softened as she fell into your touch. Her hands moved strands of her hair out of her face. She looked at herself through the mirror, a range of emotion in her eyes. Whatever it was, she couldn't find the right words to say, instead still twirling her hair between her fingers.
"I can't do anything if you don't tell me." You playfully tease, taking strands of her hair in your hands.
She huffed, looking at you, mumbling something in Italian before starting to speak, "I want to try something new." The tremble in her voice gave her uncertainty away. You could see the nervousness in her eyes as she waited for your response, unsure of how you would react to her request. The seconds ticked in her head; her hands overlapped each other, falling into her lap. She began picking at the skin on her thumb in worry as she began growing anxious.
You smile, taking her hair in your hands and reassuring her, "I'm always willing to try new things with you." Your soft tone made her untense her jaw and unclasp her hands. She let out a sigh of relief, feeling grateful for your understanding and support. The tension in the air dissipated as she felt a wave of gratitude wash over her. With a newfound sense of slight confidence, she looked up at you with a smile and whispered, "Thank you." Your reassuring smile mirrors hers.
"Ugh! You two are so gross." You both are reminded that you weren't the only ones in the room and shifting the attention to Angie, who's taken to sitting on the ledge of the bed facing the two of you, looking annoyed. Well, as annoyed as a porcelain doll can look. You both chuckle at Angie's comment, grateful for the moment of levity she brings. She may be just a porcelain doll, but her presence always seems to lighten or terroirize the mood, whatever she felt like doing that day. "What'd you wanna try anyway, Donnie?" Angie questions with childlike wonder.
She jumps from the bed and lands into Donna's lap, who is understandably taken aback but fixes Angies position, so she rests perfectly there. The doll began messing with items laid upon the vanity, finding and placing haircare products to the front. Donna watches in amusement at Angies readiness to help as well, though she didn't know what the end goal even was.
"We could give you a whole makeover!" The doll squeals, squirming around in Donna's lap in excitement. The dollmaker wasn't too keen on the idea, however, placing all the makeup back in their respective spots.
"I was just hoping for a new hairstyle. That's all."
"Sometimes you're no fun, Donnie. Not unless that one," Angie says in regards to you, "tries to—" Her mouth promptly snaps shut, with her beginning to struggle on the dollmaker's lap. Donna gives Angie a stern look, warning her not to finish her sentence. "Let's stick to the hair for now," Donna says firmly, trying to diffuse the tension in the room. You always did love when Donna acted in such a way. "Okay," you say, clapping your hands together. "What were you thinking to try?"
She began pulling out a picture out of one of the vanity drawers, handing it to you in quick succession. The picture is of a beautiful, intricate hairstyle that you had seen in a frame of hers once before. You study it closely, admiring the detail and precision of the braids and curls. "I think you could definitely pull this off," you say with excitement, feeling a surge of creativity and inspiration. Angie watches you closely, a glimmer of curiosity in her eyes as she waits to see how this hairstyle will turn out. Donna softly smiles, patiently waiting to see the results.
You began taking her hair and weaving them into braids. The soft touch of her black locks and the way they flowed through your fingers made this hairstyling session feel like a work of art in progress. As you continued, the scent of cedar and patchouli filled your nose. It was intoxicating and added to the relaxing ambiance of the room. Angie's uncharacteristically quiet behavior also helped this moment become all the more special. You made two twin braids and wove them together, adding a piece of loose ribbon on the vanity into the display.
Donna loved the touch of your hands, even if they were slightly calloused due to the work you do around the estate. Though who knows how many years her hands have suffered the same fate, maybe even worse. Forgetting the thought, she looked up, seeing the finished work after you had called her name.
She couldn't believe the work you had done.
"Dolcezza.. I.. It's so… It's.."
"You look so pretty, Donnie!"
Angie had found the words for her, or voice her thoughts, so to say, you still had to get used to the fact the two are connected that way. "You really outdid yourself this time," Donna continued, her eyes filled with admiration. She reached out to touch the intricate design you had created, her fingers tracing the delicate curves and patterns. "I can't thank you enough," she whispered, her voice filled with emotion. You smiled, feeling a sense of pride at the gratitude in her eyes. It was moments like these that made all the hard work worth it.
"You're stunning, even moreso." You told her, giving her a peck on her temple.
To this she scoffed, "You don't always have to flatter me." She told you with slight pain in her voice. One thing about it was that she could never truly see the beauty she held, especially to you. You wrapped your arms around her, pulling her close. "I only speak the truth," you replied softly.
You began playing with the loose strands of her bangs; you took in more of her scent and the feel of her hair. It flowed so nicely and framed her face perfectly. It was so silky and soft, you wondered what kind of shampoo and conditioner she'd buy from the Duke or if she made the products herself. It didn't seem entirely farfetched.
"Jeez, you two just won't stop today! I'm leaving." With an exapherted sigh, Angie floated out of the room, not before hitting you with the hem of her dress. Sometimes you swear, if it wasn't for Donna, you'd put the doll in a chipper. Taking the place on Donna's side, you laid your head on her shoulder. "So, who's gonna see the style first?" You ask, wondering how the other lords or even Mother Miranda would react to Donna's choice of style. It wasn't anything drastic, but new wasn't really something Donna was known for.
"I was hoping it could be just us for now."
To this you smile; it wasn't much of a change, but it was a good enough one for the time being.
"That's fine by me."