Karai pulled away a little as he awoke (she felt slightly guilty - she hadn't meant to disturb him yet), for a moment blinking down at his (from her perspective) upside-down face, before she moved to let him sit up, scooting over to occupy the cushion where his head had rested. She gave him a weak smile as he brushed at her face, where a tear was making a slow escape; her smile intensified, when she saw that he was blushing vividly. She curled her hand around his as it lingered on her cheek, squeezing it gratefully. "I am not crying," she half-heartedly asserted, denying the obvious merely on principle.
She slumped a little as he rightly accused her of mussing his hair. "I was, and I am not sorry," she frowned sternly at him, but could only keep up the facade for a moment, before her features softened again, green eyes hinting at subtle humor.
She laced her fingers with his and curled up at his side, content to simply lean against him for the time being, not at all inclined to move - until the doorbell rang again. After a few moments, she let go of his hand reluctantly, and started to pull herself to her feet. "Shall we get that, before they leave us without dinner?"
As she wandered over towards the table, Karai watched his exchange with the delivery man with rueful fondness - he tried too hard, sometimes, to be sociable, usually only succeeding in being awkward. It certainly was a factor in her own disdain of him, when they met, and only when she'd nearly gotten herself killed by a tengu, had the other facets of his personality become apparent to her. As terrible as that ordeal had been, it had led to their relationship. For that, she was thankful.
She watched his retreating back with mixed feelings, as he announced that he had a gift for her. Well... that answered her question about the validity of his earlier mumbling. She watched silently as he returned, looking down as he (now consciously) explained what the box was for, and put it in her hands.
She took it from him carefully, but didn't immediately open it. Instead, she came forward to drape her arms around his shoulders, leaning her forehead against his with a benign sigh. It was a long moment before she spoke.
"I have never resented how much time you put into your work. You are the most thorough head scientist the Foot could ever ask for. I only worry that you will make yourself ill by neglecting your meals and your sleep."
"I do not feel ignored. At least, not any more than the rest of the universe, when you have an idea in your head." Her smile was wry, but sincere. "There is no need to apologize to me, with words or with gifts."
Despite how unnecessary she felt it was, she didn't wish him to think she was ungrateful; far from it. "Still... I am so touched that you remembered it, and that you took the time to find it again. You know that I will cherish it." She turned slightly to lean against him, kissing his cheek briefly, before looking down at the box and opening it. There it lay: a ruby heart, set in silver, along with a fine silver chain, in a little nest of purple velvet. It was a stunning piece of jewelry, but its greatest significance, to her, is that it was he who had given it to her.
