Work Text:
“When is your birthday, Master?”
The question catches Zayne off-guard. His hand pauses mid-stroke and ink drips off the end of his brush, splattering onto the parchment and bleeding into the neatly formed characters. His tongue clicks against his teeth in mild irritation before he sets the brush back into the ink pot. He carefully holds the end of his sleeve as he wipes off the excess ink with a cloth.
“Why do you ask meaningless questions, hm?” He sighs, peering over at her through his lashes.
Her enthusiastic grin is tinged with just the hint of embarrassment and for just a split second, something stirs in his chest. It’s an…unfamiliar feeling.
“Because,” she drawls. “I heard from the nearby villagers that birthdays are an important day for people. It’s a day to celebrate not only your birth, but being older and the experiences gained in the last year.” Her smile only grows with each word. “So, when is your birthday?”
Silence falls upon them, punctuated by the gentle sounds of brushstrokes and the soft breeze that rustles the tree they sit underneath. For a moment, Zayne wonders if she’s returned to her assigned task, but then he feels her warm presence beside him. She leans forward with her hands on her thighs as she peers intently at him.
“You have a task I assigned you,” Zayne says pointedly.
“I will return to it momentarily,” she says dismissively. “Do you have a birthday?”
Zayne sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. “Yes, I have a birthday. Now, return to your task or you will not finish before the sun sets and the cold returns.”
Begrudgingly and with a defeated huff, she returns to the other side of the table. Zayne returns to his writings and for a while, there’s a peaceful lull; a familiar silence that he’s grown accustomed to in the time since he met her that one fateful day.
“...I know! He was surely born at some point in his lifetime…figure out the day and…”
Hearing the quiet mumbling from across the table, Zayne raises his head and looks across to find her having abandoned her task yet again. A small bai ze sits on her lap, curled up and thoroughly enjoying the attention as she mutters to them intently. With the falling snow sparkling in the late-morning sun, she looks ethereal. Zayne can’t help but stare, eyes mesmerised by her and the picturesque scenery that serves as her background. After a while of quiet mumbling, she suddenly looks up and her startled gaze locks with Zayne’s curious stare.
“Shh. Do not tell him anything I have said to you in confidence,” she whispers loud enough for him to hear.
A quiet chuckle leaves Zayne’s lips before he even registers the sound. In the usual calm quiet of the forest during the morning, the sound is loud and punches through air the same way the sun breaks through the clouds. Her eyes light up at the unexpected noise and her mouth follows suit as her lips curl up into a wide grin. That same unfamiliar feeling spreads through Zayne’s body and he finds his cheeks warming at her look of…affection? Adoration? Amusement? He can’t quite read the exact expression on her face but it makes his stomach feel strange.
Zayne clears his throat. “Go back to your work,” he mumbles under his breath.
“Yes, Master.” She giggles as she ushers the bai ze away. “We’ll reconvene later to discuss more.”
Beautiful jade pendants and sparkling jewellery line the table, their colours shining brilliantly under the unusually bright sun. Slender gloved fingers gently brush over the fine crafts, sharp eyes poring over every intricate detail in search of something eye-catching. Zayne’s focus turns to the delicate white flower that is carved into the small jade pendant. When the sunlight catches the delicate petals, the details shine through down to the faint lines that cover each petal. His mind drifts immediately to her, lips curling up into a subtle smile when he pictures her wearing this necklace.
“You have someone in mind for this necklace, sir?”
The shopkeeper’s voice startles Zayne from his thoughts and he blushes profusely, retracting his hand from the necklace. He racks his brain for an excuse, anything, but all he can think of is how perfectly it would fit around her neck.
“...Yes.”
The shopkeeper smiles knowingly at Zayne and takes the necklace down from its display. She beckons for Zayne to move closer and grabs his wrist, turning his palm up.
“This flower is carved in the likeness of the most fragrant of all the flowers,” she explains, placing the pendant down. “It is gifted to express devotion to another, representing enduring love too.”
Zayne’s blush deepens and suddenly the pendant seems to weigh a lot more in his palm. The sun hits the deep green jade, illuminating all the intricate patterns that fill the precious stone. Each swirl and mark beneath the delicately carved flower seem to fit perfectly, as though designed specifically for this carving. It’s beautiful in every sense of the word. Against the stark white of his gloves, the jade shines even more brilliantly.
“I will—”
“Zayne!”
A familiar voice shouts across the markets, interrupting Zayne’s train of thought. He watches as she jumps up and down, eagerly waving her arms at him through the busy crowd of people. He hurriedly pays the shopkeeper and pockets the necklace just moments before she sidles up to him.
“You finally arrived,” he points out. “I was afraid you would miss the entire day.”
There’s something about the warmth to her cheeks and the dishevelled nature of her hair that has Zayne’s suspicions raised but he ignores it. He reaches up and gently brushes the stray strands of hair out of her face.
“I was…doing something,” she explains with a shrug. “I made it though, did I not?”
Zayne chuckles and pats the top of her head. “Indeed. What was so important that you elected to miss out on the markets?”
Her grin seems to widen at his question. “You’ll see later. It will be a secret for now, however.”
His eyebrow raises at her response but the bright eyes and even wider smile tell Zayne that he won’t be getting an answer anytime soon.
“Should I be concerned?”
Her eyes crinkle with her widened smile and she shakes her head. Her hands are warm even through her gloves as they grab onto the crook of his elbow. “Nothing to concern yourself with. Shall we explore the markets then?”
Dusk bathes them in its pink and orange hues by the time the pair finish their trek back up the mountain. Cloudy puffs appear with each exhale as the cold mountain air begins to set in. Despite that, there’s a warmth that surrounds them as they meander through the snow and well-worn pathways back to their abode. It isn’t until they reach the main archway that Zayne finally notices something. Swaying lanterns lit up with flickering candles catch his eyes. He stops in his tracks and it’s only then that he realises the archway of trees and twisting vines are decorated in colourful ribbons and fortune slips. Up ahead of him, Zayne notices his travel companion standing before him with a bashful grin on her expression.
“I thought you would never notice,” she teases playfully. “Follow me.”
Zayne follows in her footsteps, still awestruck by the warmth of the well placed decorations; the mountains had never looked so beautiful.
They continue forward until they reach the clearing beneath the tree. Usually a place of work and chores, the table now hosts an array of colourful sweets and pastries and is decorated with an assortment of folded paper umbrellas and charming floral arrangements. Laying in the centre of the table is a steaming pile of white, peach-shaped buns artfully decorated with a dusting of soft pink colouring.
“You…”
“I found out about your birthday.”
Zayne’s first thought is to deny it but with the fond twinkle in her eyes and the warmth that spreads out from his chest to the tips of his fingers and toes, he finds it hard to suppress his own smile.
He watches as she takes the plate of buns and shyly walks it over to him. The flickering candle poking out from the centre of the top most bun causes soft orange to wash over her expression. Her eyes catch the candlelight and make them sparkle; her expression somewhat unreadable but happy nonetheless.
“Hua and Bai helped me. Eventually, I clued the pieces together. It cannot be a coincidence that you only descend the mountains once a year at the same time every year. So…”
She moves one step closer and Zayne finds his cheeks warming from the candlelight and something spreading inside his body.
“Happy birthday, Master. Make a wish.”
A soft chuckle falls from his lips and he indulges, gently blowing out the candle. The wisp of smoke dissipates into the cool night air and even without the warmth of the candle, his cheeks still feel hot.
“Thank you. I have never cared for my birthday before. However with you…” Zayne pauses for a moment as he loses himself in the affection of her gaze. “…with you, I hope I will begin to care for it.”
Her face beams with pride. She leans in and Zayne feels the softness of her lips against his cheek for a moment that goes by too quickly.
“I hope your wish comes true, Zayne.”
He didn’t need to hope; his wish had already come true the day he found her in the forest.