Satinalia Gift - [for Neria]
Nathaniel checked the package in his pocket once again, swallowing down his nervousness now that he stood on the doorstep to Neria’s shop. He was not good at giving gifts, particularly gifts that had some level of emotional meaning behind them. He and Elissa had had some phenomenally bad Satinalia’s in their past for precisely that reason, and as he traced his thumb across the expertly wrapped box inside his suit pocket one last time he worried this would be just one more in a long line of his epic holiday failures.
Before he could knock, she had come to the door, the cut of her dress drawing his eyes to her figure where it was backlit by the light from inside her shop. “Are you going to stand out here all night?”
"You look…" His eyes ran over her again.
She glanced down, blushing lightly and slightly uncomfortable. “I know it’s probably not the type of ball gown you’re used to, but I hope that it’s passable. Its the nicest thing I own.”
"Neria, you.. we can stay here and eat take out in our underwear or I’ll cook you coastal scramble in a tutu if that’s what suits you. It’s your company I wanted this evening, nothing more." He paused, uncertain how sincere he should be. They’d been skirting the edge of possibility since they’d found one another again. But, with a deep breath, he cleared his throat and stepped across it. "Let’s go inside."
Her face fell. “Did you… is it so bad you’ve changed your mind?”
He sighed, head dropping with the realization that he was already screwing this up. “No, Neria. You look beautiful. You’d look beautiful covered in mud and wearing rent armor. I know. I’ve seen it. Just…” He threaded his fingers through his hair and yanked the box out of his pocket before he managed to make things any worse and he didn’t get to give it at all. “Here.”
She blinked at him, but reached out to accept it, stepping back to allow him to enter the shop. “What is this?”
"Open it." He rubbed at his jaw, silver eyes following her movements as he tried not to appear as anxious as he actually was.
The paper came off quickly, but she paused at the box, black velvet with a distinctive imprint from a Hightown jeweler so well-known no one could miss it. “Nathaniel…”
He shook his head, refusing to take no for an answer. This wasn’t about money, or even a tangible gift. This was about taking a chance and speaking from his heart, before it was too late… if it wasn’t already.
With a deep breath, she opened it, revealing a delicate titanium chain at the end of which a series of four ruby petals had been strung. “Oh, Nathaniel… this is beautiful.” She pressed a hand to her chest and looked up at him.
"It pales in comparison to you." He admitted, pulling the chain free in lightly shaking fingers and stepping behind her to drop it into place against her skin. "Happy Satinalia, Neria. I know this doesn’t make up for all the times I didn’t tell you how much you mattered to me, but I hope it’s a start."
