Work Text:
Lace sits at the desk in her and Hornet’s shared bellhome. She practices her sewing, a skill learned through observing Hornet time and time again and through vigorous practice, as she continues to work on her current project. As Lace hears the footsteps of Hornet approaching the bellhome, she quickly tucks her work away, not wanting to spoil the surprise. Lace hears as the key to their bellhome turns in the lock, and the door slowly opens.
Hornet is in shambles. Her cloak is in tatters, stained with her hemolymph and seemingly that of whatever poor bugs got in her path, along with the green ooze of Bilewater. She doesn’t carry her needle anymore, only ragged claws and a worn pin she seems to have taken from another bug. She holds her mouth as she opens the door, trying her best not to get sick all over the floor of their beautiful bellhome. Hornet struggles to keep herself up as Lace rushes to her side.
“Dear, what’s happened? You look as though you’ve been run absolutely ragged by Bilewater!”
Hornet tries to respond as Lace helps Hornet to the bed.
“Stilkin… wretched… overwhelmed. I won…”
“I’ve heard enough Hornet, please, don’t say more. I’ll be sure to pay those vile bugs a visit when I can. For now, you must stay here.”
“Lace… please… I’m fine…”
Hornet limply pushes away Lace’s hand running along Hornet’s cloak looking for all the places that might need work, as well as inspecting Hornet’s condition. The weakness that Lace feels in Hornet’s shove only convinces her further that she has to take care of her reluctant spider. Even worse, placing a hand on Hornet’s head, she finds heat radiating from her.
“Hornet, you’re burning up! I’m going to get Tipp to fetch Sherma. I can’t stand seeing you in such a state.”
Lace places a hand on the side of Hornet’s face, and Hornet leans fully into it. She seems like she wants to vocalize another toothless protest, but the comfort provided by Lace’s touch puts an end to the thought before it can turn into speech. Hornet even purrs; a purr more ragged and weak than the usual sound she produces, but even so it warms Lace to know her touch is appreciated so.
“I’ll be right back, my spider.”
Hornet shivers as Lace’s hand pulls away and she makes her way outside of the bellhome, rosaries for the courier service in hand.
”Tipp, I need Sherma, Hornet is unwell. I’ll pay you what you ask to put everything else to the side for her.”
“Miss hero in needy need? I will help! I’ll fetch the doctor, so our favorite courier can be healy-healed! On the houses!”
Lace exhales a sigh of relief.
“Thank you Tipp. I’ll be in our bellhome. Knock when you’ve arrived, I’ll open the door.”
”See you soonly soon!”
With the doctor on his way, Lace returns back up to the bellhome. Upon opening the door, she finds Hornet in tears, clutching at her tattered cloak. Lace rushes to the bed, climbing in to hold her beloved.
”Hornet, it hurts me so to see you in this state. What’s happened? Do you feel sicker? The doctor is on his way, please just hold on until her arrives.”
Seeing Lace’s distress, Hornet tries her best to explain.
”My needle. They took it… lost it in the ambush. I swam… I couldn’t find it. My skin still crawls with those maggots…”
”Hornet, your needle is replaceable, you are not. You came home safe, that’s what I care about.”
Hornet only cries harder as Lace holds her tightly.
“You don’t understand, Lace. A gift… from my mother, Vespa. All I have left of her. And I lost it. I failed her.”
Hornet clutches at her face to hide her tears and shame from Lace. Lace simply puts her hand underneath Hornet’s to wipe away her tears.
“I… I see. I promise, we will find it when you are healed. I assure you, it’s not lost yet.”
”Lace… You can’t swim in those waters. The maggots will feast… Do not risk yourself to compensate for my failure.”
”Hornet. Do you trust me?” Hornet weakly nods. “Then I will find your needle. Let me help you. We’re a team, remember? You promised me that months ago. Allow me to return the promise.”
As Hornet’s hands fall from her face, she finally matches Lace’s embrace. Crying into her shoulder, sniffling from a mix of the sickness flowing through her hemolymph and the sadness of having lost something so precious to her, Hornet seeks out Lace for comfort.
Lace provides her that comfort, as she pets the back of Hornet’s head with one hand and holds her tightly to her with the other. In times like these, her soft constitution, designed by her mother to keep her frail, ends up becoming the greatest gift she can give to her love. Hornet kneads Lace’s back for comfort, and Lace revels in the attention and softness that Hornet exercises.
Buried under covers and in each other’s arms, Lace can almost forget that her dearest Hornet is sick. All that comes to an end as she hears a soft, rhythmic tapping on the door. Sherma. As much as she hates to pull away, she has to to let the doctor in to do his work. Lace makes sure to plant a quick, soft kiss on Hornet before she gets out of bed to open the door.
Before Lace even has the opportunity to explain, Sherma makes himself welcome, bag of medical supplies in hand.
”White maiden! Thank you for requesting my aid, it’s critical that Hornet gets help as soon as possible!”
Hornet does her best to reassure Sherma.
”Please, it’s a minor illness… I’m sure such efforts will be unnecessary. Do not worry about me so.”
”Hornet, please, let the doctor do his work. If not for yourself, for me.”
Hornet’s eyes shift around the room, as she acquiesces, with Lace beside her.
“You said maggots, Hornet? Did you spend too long in those… lively waters?”
Hornet smiles as she admires Sherma’s ability to see the positive side of a place even as foul as Bilewater.
“I did. I…” Hornet retches as she recalls the details. Lace gently rubs Hornet’s back, helping Hornet through her disgust. Hornet takes a deep breath to settle her queasy stomach, and continues.
“I believe I swallowed some.”
“Oh!”
Hornet groans as Sherman's voice cracks in shock. The doctor coughs to regain his composure and positivity
“I still have no doubt that you'll survive, though! Good rest and a careful application of medicine should have you back to your regular self in a week!"
"A week?! What about the - cough - deliveries? The peace deal? The -" Hornet is forced to put an end to her worrying as her body fails her, causing her to cough violently into her pillow. Lace comforts Hornet with gentle rubbing along the length of her back.
"Dear, please. You heard Sherma. Pharloom can wait one measly week for you to recover. It waited for untold generations under the rule of my mother."
Feeling another coughing fit coming on, Hornet can only retaliate by lazily trying to shoo Lace away.
"Gasp! Am I truly so vile that you can't bear the thought of a week alone with me? Must you truly scorn me like some vile beast? Fine, Hornet!"
Lace dramatically jumps out of bed, being careful to not actually disturb Hornet too much on her way out.
"I suppose if this is what you desire, I'll bid my farewell. My company simply isn't needed if you are to return to Pharloom so soon…"
Lace sniffles dramatically enough that all of Bellhart should be able to hear it. Sherma tries to stifle a laugh, as Hornet fails to do the same. Although her laugh is raggedy and cough ridden, Lace cherishes and welcomes it all the same.
"Alright, Lace. I see your intentions here. But please, spare - cough - the good doctor the theatrics. I'll stay. Just… find someone to help."
Before Lace can respond, Sherma interjects.
"I'll take care of all the planning, please! White maiden, Hornet will need you here while she recovers. You need to provide her the strength she needs right now! And…"
Sherma shuffles through his bag for a bit, looking for the right ingredients. He finds them and works on grinding them into a fine powder as he explains.
"You'll need this! She may not be fond of the… unique taste, but I promise it's the only way she'll get better! You must make sure she drinks all of it by the seventh day!"
Sherma finishes up grinding the materials together, eventually pouring the mixture into a bottle full of water. A little simple syrup to make the flavor tolerable, and the medicine is complete. Sherma hands it off to Lace, who holds it carefully. Her beloved's health lies in fluid form within this bottle, and she will not allow a drop of it to go to waste.
"Thank you, Sherma. I promise I won't let you down. We promise."
Lace looks at Hornet expectantly, as Hornet lazily nods in response.
"Excellent! Please keep her safe, we all want to see Hornet back to her best self soon!"
"I will, doctor. I promise."
Sherma packs up his things and hurries out of the bellhome, presumably on the way to take care of his promise to keep Pharloom running smoothly in Hornet's absence.
Now that Hornet and Lace remain alone in the bellhome, Lace takes a closer look at the bottle she was handed by Sherma.
It has an unsettling green color, not unlike the polluted waters of Bilewater itself. Only because of Sherma's established expertise and Hornet's trust of the doctor does Lace decide it's safe. Popping the cork and inspecting the smell, it's similarly horrid. The strong herbs are so pungent, that even diluted in water and syrup like this, they seem to stick to Lace's very threads. Lace makes a face of abject disgust before she remembers Hornet is still watching, and tries to undo her grimace to reassure her.
"Dear, I think you need to have some of this. I promise, I'll be with you through it all."
Hornet groans, knowing what's coming. At the same time, she doesn't bother to argue with Lace, knowing Lace will never compromise on her health. Lace gently brings the lip of the bottle to Hornet's lips, securing the back of the bottle with her other free hand. She tips it up to allow just a bit of the medicine to fall into Hornet's mouth, as she watches her struggle to choke it down, drop after drop.
After what feels long for Lace and eternal to Hornet, and satisfied with the amount left in the bottle for the next six days, Lace puts the cork back on, sets the bottle to the side, and reassures Hornet once again.
"You did great, my spider. Only six more days of this left and you'll be back to new."
"The taste is worse than the maggots. Please, water, I beg."
Lace rushes over to the sink in the bellhome and grabs Hornet a full glass of water. She brings it back to Hornet, and as with the medicine, she gently tips the liquid into Hornet's mouth, so as to not overwhelm her. Hornet drinks it all up like it's the first time she's ever drank water, and she even attempts to move her arms up to speed Lace up. Lace, noticing how desperately Hornet wants to get the taste out of her mouth, increases the pace just a bit.
Lace feeds Hornet another two glasses of water like this to wash out the taste, every time watching as Hornet seems to become more and more comfortable on the bed and in Lace's care. It warms her silken heart to know that this incredible warrior is so comforted in her care like this, even if the circumstances are so awful.
"You know, spider, perhaps this isn't all bad. You've been awfully busy as of late, and I wanted to spend some quality time with you!"
"Is this burden truly quality time? Does it match up with our strolls along the lush fields or our spars in the light of the Deep Docks? I can not fathom how this would serve you in the same way as those dates."
Lace crawls into bed with Hornet once more before responding. She pulls herself close to Hornet from behind, making sure to not be too vigorous with the currently weakened Hornet. She uses a spare hand to groom Hornet's setae tufts, while petting her horns with the other.
"No time spent with my beloved is a burden, I assure you. Does it burden you to have me repay you for what you've done for this land, and for myself?"
Lace hears her favorite noise in the world as Hornet purrs, giving herself to Lace's soft and gentle touch. Lace doesn't relent in her onslaught of affection, as she places a gentle kiss to the back of Lace's head. Hornet tilts her head back gently to meet Lace's lips, confirming that this truly is no burden at all.
"That's what I thought, spider!"
With the day to themselves, and Hornet still fully weakened, the two of them don't have much to do but to enjoy each other's company. But as Lace runs her hands along Hornet's cloak, finding all the tears and holes in its construction, she gets an idea for how to make all this right for Hornet.
They wake up in each other's arms, with Hornet buried in the crook of Lace's neck. Despite many mornings spent in a similar position over the last several months, Lace hasn't found herself any less enamored with the feeling. However, unlike usual, Hornet still seems fast asleep. With her recovery still well in progress, Lace almost certainly has some time to herself this morning. She decides to take advantage of that by working on her gift for Hornet.
She pulls out the cloak she's been working on and a small set of supplies, and sets them all on the table. Taking her needle in hand, she continues to work at the fabric; working on filling out all the designs to be sewn into the dense base. Roses, pins, honeycomb, and webs unite the beloved objects of each of them into a tapestry of love, to be worn upon Hornet's body. It's an elaborate piece, so unlike Hornet's usual utilitarian modesty, but Lace has seen how Hornet is willing to indulge in a little luxury from time to time.
Coincidentally, with its white and gold construction, it looks much like the wedding dresses of bugs indulging in luxury for a special day. All the while, still carrying the kind of mobility and strength that Hornet needs for the activities that she gets up to in the day to day. Even just the thought of Hornet wearing such a cloak on their wedding day makes Lace blush, as she files the thought away for further use.
For now, all that's important to Lace is getting this gift done, and healing Hornet. With her confidence in Hornet unshaken, all that truly remains to be resolved is sewing together all the fine details of the cloak and making sure it's immaculate for Hornet.
Although, as she gives it a look over, thinking about the state she saw Hornet's old cloak in the day prior, she starts to get second doubts.
Is this right for Hornet?
Will she resent having a replacement that can't match up to the original?
Is it too ornate for her more subtle tastes?
As Lace's mind swarms with doubt, she looks at the cloak and back at her spider. She imagines how Hornet might wear the cloak in duel, in date, in day to day, and her doubts are eased. This cloak will be perfect for her. And if it is not, it will be made perfect through work and iteration. She's certain of it.
As Lace hears Hornet shuffling around in bed, beginning to wake up, she stuffs all her things away to avoid spoiling the surprise. Acting as if nothing were happening, she turns to face Hornet and greet her for the morning.
"Good morning, spider dearest. How did you rest?"
"Surprisingly, well. For as wretched as that medicine tastes, I must admit, it is effective."
Hornet tries to push herself out of bed, but her arms still simply lack the strength. Seeing Hornet struggling, Lace comes to her side to reassure her.
"Not a chance you're getting out of this bed today, Hornet. Like it or not, you're all mine for now."
Lace gives Hornet a cheeky grin; one that betrays no malice but all the mischief that Lace intends.
"I'll be lucky to survive then."
Hornet grins back at Lace, as Lace gently shoves her in retaliation. The two giggle as Lace crawls back into be to hold her favorite bug. After a moment spend embraced, Lace starts to consider what Hornet might need.
"You're looking a little flushed, Hornet. I'll bring you some water, alright?"
Hornet nods, as Lace crawls out of bed to return with the necessary water for Hornet. Just as the day before, Lace guides the water gently up to Hornet's lips, although this time, Hornet meets Lace's hands. Still plenty weak, and Lace can feel it, but it warms her heart to know that Hornet is slowly recuperating her strength. The duels they may have when this is all over fill her with hope for Hornet's recovery.
With her hydration taken care of, there's not much to do but talk. And as much as Lace would like to keep things blissfully peaceful, she knows there's a cloud looming over any discussion they could have together.
"Hornet, do you know where you lost your needle?"
"Around the place I slain their blasted leader. By now they've probably scavenged it, swimming in those filthy waters." Hornet shudders as she gets a reminder of how disgusting Bilewater truly is. She continues, as Lace remains listening.
"I should have expected they wouldn't respond well to my offers of peace. Clearly, they still hold a grudge against pale beings of all sorts."
"And you still think peace is possible?"
"I do. I intend to go back when this illness leaves my shell."
Lace steps back, aghast at Hornet's perceived naivete.
"Hornet! They ambushed you the last time you arrived! Do you truly believe that they would be more merciful if you showed up again? If it were up to me, I'd slaughter them for what they've done to you. Wretched beasts."
Hornet beckons Lace over and holds her hand as she gets close.
"I love that you care for me so. But we can not sacrifice the lives of all the decent bugs in Bilewater for what these fools have done. The fact remains that the Stilkin represent the only hope of uniting those murky waters under one banner. One we could potentially hope to integrate into a new Pharloom. To make enemies of them now would be a worthless sacrifice."
Lace huffs, before turning her frustration into an accepting smile.
"Always the merciful diplomat, my spider. Showing mercy to those who raise their pin against her."
The two smile at each other, recalling the nature of their relationship before Hornet pulled them both from those abyssal depths below.
"Make no mistake Lace, my mercy is not infinite. Every time I run a claw along my tattered cloak or remember my needle, I wish to skewer the bugs responsible. But unfortunately, for all I learned of my mothers in matters of war, I learned of my father in matters of diplomacy. We must be reasonable. For Pharloom."
"And what of you? You simply take what they've given you?"
Hornet looks around pensively before locking eyes with Lace.
"In my dream last night, I realized you were right. We are a team. We will find my needle. We will do something, anything, with my cloak. When this is all done, we will right these wrongs with our love, not with our weapons."
Lace, starting to feel some tears welling in her eyes, pulls herself to Hornet to embrace her in a passionate kiss. The two can practically feel each other smiling as they collide lips and tongues and chelicerae together in a messy dance.
Reminding herself that Hornet does have to breathe, Lace is eventually the one that pulls away.
"You've convinced me with your diplomacy." The two chuckle. "But promise if you need to let out your rage, you'll indulge me in a duel. It's only been a few days, and I already miss the taste of your hemolymph on the brass of my pin!"
"As I miss the taste of your silk upon my needle."
Hornet's smile wipes away as she remembers that her needle is still lost. Lace gives her no time to wallow though, as she retorts sharply, as she always does.
"Your needle, we will recover. My silk will still yet have to be earned."
With Lace's teasing, the both of them know all is well today. Their duel will have to be postponed, but their love remains to fill in the gap.
Apart from Lace having to feed Hornet her medicine, to which the both of them have to power through it, the rest of the day goes as expected, with Lace keeping a close eye on Hornet to make sure we remains well and in bed. And in the back of her mind, Lace considers how to make her gift all the better for Hornet.
Another day comes, and Lace is once again able to wake up early. She inspects the cloak she's been working on and finds it's coming ever closer to its final iteration. It's already mostly functional, but it needs the last decorative gold silk elements to truly transcend it above any common clothes in Pharloom. Something befitting a bug as lovely as Hornet.
But Hornet demands strength, too. Her days as a warrior still are nowhere behind her, and this beautiful work may end up in the line of fire. Lace ponders at her table, looking for a solution, when she inspects the walls looking for inspiration. She catches it, looking at a spare ring of Shakra's design. As though Hornet knows what Lace is up to, she begins to stir awake to interrupt Lace's secret scheming.
"Come back to bed dear - cough - I'm afraid I'm falling more ill, and you're my only cure."
For once, Hornet is the one with the unnecessary theatrics. As much as Lace would like to indulge in Hornet's rare display of such behavior, she has a mission to complete this morning. She grabs her box of materials, contents conveniently obscured from Hornet's view, and prepares to set off after landing a kiss on Hornet's forehead.
"I'll be right back dear. I need to get us something from town, but I assure you I'll be back soon."
Hornet nods Lace farewell, as she walks out the door of their shared bellhome, and to her destination. Specifically, to Shakra.
Lace makes her way down to the main plaza, calling down Shakra from below her perch. The gilded warrior jumps down to meet Lace with her usual warrior's greeting and a smile.
"Poshanka, Lace Wielding Pin! Is Hornet alright? I've heard rumors of her illness, but none will give me specifics. I have stayed away from your door to avoid potential contamination, but the wait has gotten me close to the point of risking it."
"She was hurt, badly, but she's recovering. We both know he's too strong to fall seriously ill."
"Hah! That she is. Tell me then, why do you seek me out? Is there some way I can provide my assistance to you two?"
"You can, although it may be not quite what you're expecting. It's those brass plates of yours. I've been making something, a cloak for Hornet, and I think it needs that armor of yours. Something like it, at least."
"I'm afraid I can be of no help, then. This armor is special; a gift from my tribe given to me upon leaving for these lands. The smiths that make such plates remain in my homeland, unable to assist you. Forgive me for my inability to aid you here."
Lace sighs in disappointment, but she understands. This was always a long shot. Still, her quest to make the cloak all it can be will not be deterred.
"Thank you Shakra. I still want to take you up on that offer for a duel, when Hornet is healed enough to join us."
"Duel, we shall! I look forwards to meeting you and your mate on the battlefield and testing my rings against your weapons. Poshanka!"
With her farewell, Lace returns to the bellhome, no closer to making the cloak what she wishes it to be. She opens the door with nothing new in hand, before Hornet reminds her of her error.
"What did you bring, Lace?" Hornet says earnestly.
"Oh! I… forgot."
Hornet squints her eyes in confusion while Lace bats her eyelashes to try to distract Hornet.
"You… forgot? What did you do out there?"
"I just got some… fresh air?"
Lace walks towards Hornet, trying to distract her with her presence. It's especially futile as she has to non-discretely slide the box under the desk. If Hornet cares to figure out her secret, she will. The surprise might be spoiled.
Lace takes a seat on the edge of the bed to try to explain herself without ruining things.
"I have a surprise for you Hornet. I just can't have you seeing it yet. It's not ready."
Hornet looks surprised, but not disappointed. Her expression is welcome after so many years prior lacking the kind of trust Hornet confides in her.
"I'm not sure what this surprise of yours is, but I'm certain it will be splendid. I could certainly use it, to compensate for what I've lost recently."
To emphasize her point, Hornet pokes a finger through a hole in her cloak. Lace grabs the probing hand to reassure Hornet.
"When this illness is over, could we not repair your cloak?"
"I suppose we could, although I have no expectations that it will be the same. That fine red silk, the feathers of the Fayforn, the lining of the Seamstress, I don't know if I can find it all again."
"And if you can't, spider? So be it! It may not share every thread with how it used to be, but it will still be your cloak. And if you can't repair it, I'm sure we'll figure something else out. Together."
Hornet uses her slightly improved strength to gently pull Lace in for a kiss. Hornet's arms still aren't enough to really drag Lace in, but she helps Hornet by leaning in herself. The two share a soft and tender kiss, the kind which the both of them are sure they will never tire of.
The two spend the rest of the day as expected, with Lace feeding Hornet the medicine that destroys her taste buds and saves her stomach. The two of them go to sleep together, curled up in each other's arms.
Hornet is the first one to wake up this morning, with Lace too cozy wrapped up in her spider's arms to bother waking up on time. With her own strength somewhat replenished, she considers hopping out of bed, but she's so certain Lace will scold her for not taking care of herself, that she goes back on her plan. Regardless, it's far more comfortable here, covered in soft sheets and resting on a plush pillow, held against her beloved who contains both those qualities in spades.
Hornet does think about what Lace's surprise might be. It's not common of her to present gifts and it gets Hornet's mind racing with the possibilities. A new weapon? Some sort of memento? A new tool for her to tinker with? the possibilities are many, and Hornet even considers the possibility that it's a proposal.
Where would they hold the wedding?
Who would go?
What would they wear?
Who will be among Hornet's bridesmaids?
Can Holly and Ghost arrive in time?
Somehow, the only question she doesn't ask herself is how she would answer to a proposal. The answer is already evident, even in just the months they've spent together as partners.
Feeling the onset of tears, Hornet holds Lace tighter, wanting to share one mind and body with her in this bed. Lace wakes up not much longer, and seeing the emotion on Hornet's face, consoles her with a kiss to her forehead.
"Hornet, are you well? Did you have a nightmare?"
"Quite the opposite, Lace. I assure you, it was a wonderful dream."
The fourth day passes without issue, with Lace observing as Hornet begins to truly recuperate her strength. She now has the ability to sit up in the bed, for the first time since she fell ill. She can begin to hold the water without Lace's help, although Lace still cherishes the opportunity to help Hornet through this by being alongside her as she does it, keeping her stable if her grip slips or her strength wanes. The day when Hornet is finally better comes ever closer. And Lace still isn't sure if she can deliver on her gift.
The fifth and sixth days come and go, with Hornet rapidly approaching her usual health and strength. As much as it pleases Lace to see her partner in good spirits once more, it worries her to know this is the final day of medicine, and her cloak still isn't complete. Hornet will want to go out soon, and it won't do to wear the cloak without all the gold accents or armor she wants to still implement. Even worse, Hornet seems awfully antsy to leave the home after a week cooped up.
Lace is out of time. Hornet, after downing the last drop of the medicine, gets straight to work on her own cloak. She takes off her cloak and sets it against the workbench ready to begin sewing.
"Lace, would you care to help me here?"
Lace looks around the room, unsure how to handle the situation. It's not ready. Will it ever be ready? Is it good enough? Can she compromise on something for Hornet? It all wrestles in her mind as she fails to answer Hornet.
"Lace, is all alright? You seem lost in thought. Normally you don't hesitate to join me as I sew."
Lace decides to take a risk. Hornet deserves what she can do for her. Perfect is the enemy of the good.
"Hornet? I have something to show you."
Lace walks over to Hornet and pulls out the box that contains the incomplete cloak. She takes a deep breath and opens it, slowly revealing the contents inside.
The cloak is brilliant, catching the light of the room perfectly, having an iridescent quality to it.As Hornet wordlessly asks for permission to take it in her hands, she inspects the hemming, and finds it to be just as robust as the rest of the qualities of the piece. Inspecting the finer details, Hornet can see how the work is smattered with the patterns woven in. Patterns that represent Hornet and Lace both. The material is soft and strong and strangely familiar. It's Hornet's silk.
"Lace, did you do this?"
"I… Yes, I did. I know it's incomplete, but I ran out of time. It's not easy hiding a secret from you while we share the home. And had to show you, to make all this right. I know your cloak meant a lot to you and I just wanted to do something special, and show you how much I've learned from you lessons, and I hope it's enough."
"Lace…"
Hornet starts to cry as she holds the fabric. She runs it along her face, feeling its softness. Still keeping it held tightly, she brings in Lace for a hug, as she cries into her shoulder. Lace holds her gently, rubbing her back to soothe her.
"I still need to make enhancements; it needs armor, it needs some improvement to the hemming at the sleeves, it needs some gold in a few places -"
Hornet snorts, hearing Lace talk about all that needs to be done.
"My dear, you've learned more than just sewing from me. You sound like I do when I'm perfecting a new tool!"
The two giggle as they each wipe away each other's tears of joy.
"How could I not! I have to hear how you treat those precious cogflies of yours all day, you think I wouldn't learn a thing from that?"
Hornets giggle turns into a full laugh, as she recalls all the times she must have seemed utterly obsessive, pouring over her workbench. And she feels a tremendous pride at the thought that Lace would do the same, for her.
"Lace, I love this. I knew you had a surprise, but I hadn't anticipated this. Had you even just shown me a prototype, I would have been honored that you took my sewing lessons to heart. This is far beyond my expectations. When did you begin working on this?"
"The day after our first lesson. I couldn't wait to try for myself. And I knew I wanted to make something beautiful for you. I love how red looks on you, dear, but I supposed it wouldn't hurt to match from time to time!"
"Oh, Lace! Please, let me try it on and see how it fits!"
Hornet gives Lace a quick but loving kiss and pulls back from their hug to bring herself some space to put on the new cloak.
It's immaculately soft, like being swaddled in the very fibers of Lace herself. In a way, that's exactly what it is. In retrospect, it almost seems foolish to not truly consider the idea before. It's beautiful on her too, if the doting expression on Lace's face is any indication.
"Is it too much? It's beautiful on you, Hornet, but I know how you value your practicality…"
"Don't even consider the thought, Lace, it's magnificent. Your work is stunning. If you truly mean to make adjustments, would you care to include me in your sessions when doing so? I would so love to see how you work."
"Of course, little spider. Look at you! Learning to sew from me."
"I always look forwards to learning more from you, Lace. These last several months have been as instructive as they have been joyous."
The pair come together again, for a generous kiss. Pulling away and staring at each other, Hornet begins to blush. Lace giggles, looking at Hornet's blue-tinted mask.
"Lace! Forgive me, I just had a thought, looking at this white, beautiful garb upon my shell."
"And what might that be, my spider?"
Looking into Lace's loving eyes, Hornet wants to sing all her hopes for the future. Tell her of how she wishes to marry her one day, to become two bugs as one whole. How this cloak brings them both closer to that inevitable future.
But that will come another day, all in its due time. For now, Hornet can enjoy the cloth upon her, and the bug in front of her.
"I love you. And I can not wait to continue forging a future with you. Thank you, Lace."
"I'm so happy that it's our future. I would not wish it any other way. I love you too, Hornet."
The pair kiss once more, holding each other tenderly and sharing their love for one another. Hornet's needle remains lost, her original cloak remains torn, and her body still hasn't returned to its maximum strength, but that's all pointless for now. Any challenge, Lace will face with Hornet, and Hornet will face with Lace. Bound together in soft silk.