to @r3dblccd ... for nao
❛ the holidays aren’t so bad with you around. ❜
braxton knows there's not a lot of...... joy in nao's life right now. he has no idea if they celebrate any holidays, if this will make things any better, but...... he has to try, doesn't he? he's not just in this for concern or curiosity. even the smallest smile from them is a blessing.
it's not much, really—a warm, heavy duty coat that will hopefully withstand their thorns; a handmade necklace; some seasonal candy; a simple decorative garland. and yet it feels like too much, an unwelcome overstep. his heart is pounding faster than he'd care to admit as he hands over the bag.
but nao likes it. seems genuinely grateful even as they insist that braxton shouldn't have gotten them anything. they've lapsed into a comfortable silence, as they often do, when nao speaks again. and his heart soars. "i'm glad. you deserve nice things, y'know? you deserve a moment of peace." braxton tries, very hard, to not think too much about the that it's him and not his gifts that nao seems to appreciate most.