Work Text:
It's been months and you still haven't taken off the protection necklace Captiano gifted you. The carved blue and white stone strung together to form an eye with red stone beads in the form of roses at it's sides is ever present against your chest as you go about your life with the Fatui.
You find yourself fidgeting with it in his absence whether he's just a room away or off in another nation for a time. Your thumb caresses the relatively smooth surface of the eye and your index joins it to fiddle with the roses.
Sometimes you're unaware you do it startled when Columbina or another less tactful Harbringer like Sandrone points it out. In those moments you find your face grow hot caught in your habits and instantly stilling your hands. Yet as soon as they are gone your fingers find themselves drawn back and the cycle repeats.
The times you're aware of your actions are when you're alone in your room or in the library and the necklace's charms catch your eye. Whether it's the way the light bounces off them or the shadows of the carved petals you can't help but admire it. You know you're not admiring the craftsmanship, not any more but something else.
When was the last time someone gifted you something without unspoken expectation?
You don't remember and maybe that should concern you. Your heart does race but at least not in a bad way.
You want to give him something, it's in your nature to give back what you've been given but this is a want, not a need. So you make a request of your servants and while they are shocked(you never ask them for anything) they oblige with a smile retrieving what you need.
The materials, instruction booklets, and various tools stare you right in the face mockingly and you feel like you've made a mistake. How long had it been since you've made something for someone? Far too long.
The pages of the books are creased as you follow the instructions carefully. Your fingers tremble as you twist wire and carefully bead it groaning when you knock over a tray of loose beads onto your rug. A hiss leaves you when you nick yourself with a needle but press on after wrapping up your thumb to try again. It takes days waiting for your custom order to be finished but in that time you shiver as you air out your room for the third time to rid it of the strong scent of flowers.
It's exhausting to keep going with your frustration and in keeping your little craft project hidden. Your duties do not suffer but you do finish them on time before rushing back to your room. Behind the walls of your room you hear your maids gossip and your face burns but you continue even if you want to curl into a ball under your sheets and hide. It's a fortune that the Captain is on a mission to question your actions while you work.
The gift is barely finished when there is a knock at your door but you're too busy admiring your handy work to hear it. From a single golden heavy duty ring hangs four gold chains at different descending lengths each with an ornament designed by your hands and mind.
It sort of reminds you a bit of the chatelins? Chatelaines? You don't remember the word anymore and barely about their purpose in your world. And you don't get a chance to when the presence in your room makes itself known.
"You should be resting." You startle whipping your head around to look at Capitano who kneels by the fireplace. He adds a few more pieces of wood into the old thing despite the elemental room heater beside it. You had mentioned offhandedly that you found the sound of the fireplace soothing and ever since then it hasn't been removed or plugged up.
"If the protection charm is lacking I can-" He stands to his full height(you realize he must have just come back with the little flecks of snow on his cloak) before turning around to face you and pauses taking in your attire. "You haven't even prepared for bed?"
"I um well...For-forgot?" You stutter and he just stares. "You... forgot?"
"Yeeees?" Even without seeing his face you can tell he's unimpressed.
"It's nearly one in the morning." You glance at the clock at your work table where it's hour hand is indeed almost touching the one.
"Oh."
Capitano sighs. Whether it is relief that you did not have another nightmare or because he's a bit disappointed in you for staying up so late you don't know. Your hand squeezes the gift in your hands the clinking of the metal grabbing his attention. You suck in a breath. It was now or never.
"I...made this." You get up from your seat and head towards him. Your legs feel like jelly and you're chest hurts but you stand before him. It's a bit hard to see and your throat feels tight but you offer up your creation to him.
Capitano takes the charm from your trembling fingers carefully using both of his hands to admire it. At the end of each golden chain is a different ornament:
On the shortest chain is a beaded wire snowflake the crystals strung along it twinkle in the warm light.
The next chain hangs a tiny black leather book with a pink four pointed star with a blue ombre. He gently thumbs the pages apart and inside there is text in the script he knows originated from your world written with familiar faintly glowing ink.
At the end of the third chain in a small bottle of oil are lumidouce petals and winter icelea. The fragrance emitting from it is light and fresh and unwavering in the scent of your room despite the minuscule amount trapped inside.
Capitano admires each with consideration before moving onto the last and longest of the chains where inside of a golden sphere bead cage rests a flower with cup like petals carved out of rainbowdrop crystal.
"You...made this for me?" You look up at him feeling brave for once and nod. It's silent as he draws the charm to his chest and speaks quietly as if the moment would break if he spoke louder.
"Thank you."