blackgardensandgravesâ:
Theios maintained eye-contact with Alyssa as she took the presents. He rather thought that she looked as surprised as he had. Granted, his present was a lot less thoughtful than hers- he actually hadnât intended to get her one and maybe he was wrong about all of this- but it was what he had.
He watched her look them over and smiled a little because at least she didnât look angry or hurt. He turned his attention to the present she gave him and carefully opened it. He blinked at the dark cloth and pulled it out, admiring the texture. He didnât have many nice pieces of clothing, and the scarf was soft. At least, he thought it was a scarf. He stroked it a couple of times and startled as it went from absorbing light to shimmering. Fascinated, he repeated the gesture, watching it flick back and forth.
He was drawn from his reverie by her voice and he looked up. Guilt flicked through his eyes for a moment and he folded the scarf. âAlyssa⌠Iâm sorry.â He remained where he was on the ground, but he kept looking at her eyes. âI⌠Iâve been an ass, and you donât deserve that. Iâm sorry.â
The last thing that she was expecting to hear from Theios was an apology, and when she heard it, her smile faded into a more serious expression. Ever since their last encounter, she had been feeling rather guilty about how she had acted towards him then. Thinking about it made her feel guilty again, and Alyssa decided that Theios was not the only one who had to say sorry. She had been wrong to feel bitter towards him when he likely had his own personal reasons for acting in that way.
âIâm sorry too,â she replied, stooping down to level her eyes with his while holding the papers carefully to prevent the paper from creasing. Her voice was soft. âI couldâve acted better to you, but I didnât, so Iâm sorry about not having chosen to do so.â Pausing, she briefly glanced at the ground before meeting his gaze again.
This time, there was a small smile on her face, and she held out her hand for a handshake. âTo a better year?âÂ














