A/N: Written for a friend's birthday
Something Wrapped.
The robotics laboratory was occupied by one small child in that autumn afternoon. She had been there all morning and still stayed once her mother left with the Aura. It was quiet without the machinery working behind her nor did the conversations between the older women, ignoring her, buzzed overhead. Athena had come to mind little when she was alone in the vast room because if her mother spent so much time in the lab then it must have been a truly wonderful place. Even if her drawings and blunt pencils mixed with the faulty bolts around her.
With a focus on her next masterpiece she did not notice the opening of the door. A man of monochrome physically jumped at the sight of the girl. He shouted her name with surprise. The young girl jumped too upon the call of "Athena!" Recognising the man caused an automatic smile to grow on her face. If she were closer then she would have seen the unusual shade of soft pink pushing onto his pasty face.
The young lawyer cooled himself before crouching to her level. Admiring the drawings of robotic creatures was not a fake reaction to dealing with children, for he liked to see the happiness forming on the page.
"Ha, I like the different faces on the robots," Simon smiled softly. Athena smiled back hunching her shoulders to the side of her cheek as if it would hide her modesty. Her head felt a bit lonely as usually Simon would pet her when he was proud of something she did. She rubbed the headphones sucking her ears, she thought she could hear the sincere joy Simon's voice and heart but maybe she was wrong. If only those hands would move from behind his back…
Maybe he had only come to see her mother, she thought. The desk behind her was clearly empty so maybe the older boy was humouring her by lingering around. Athena sighed and apologised to him. "Um, miss Aura and my–"
"Oh, it doesn't matter if your mother isn't here," Simon shook his head.
"Really?" Athena frowned. He wasn't lying to her but then again she could not fully trust the headphones.
"Yeah, it just means one less step in giving you this." Simon pulled his hands from behind his back to reveal a neatly wrapped package. Athena's eyes grew wide with awe, her heart overwhelmed by the gesture.
"What is it?" She asked, giving the package a shake though she was soon stopped by bigger hands.
"Open it," Simon nodded to the wrapped gift in her hands. Athena did so fumbling at the cello tape with blunt fingernails. Amused by the young girl's struggles, Simon simply sat on his knees waiting and watched the furrowing of her eyebrows.
Finally after one little tear, a destructive rip came to the sides and soon the wrapping was off revealing the plastic that encompassed a variety of colours. Athena's face lit up at the bright colours of wood. The pencils were decorated with cute faces pulling different expressions; it was very funny.
"Thank you, Simon!" Athena jumped at him with confidence that she'd be able to show how truly happy she was. Despite her small stature, Simon still rocked back and was encompassed in the hug around his neck.
"Don't worry about it, little Athena." Simon patted her head. "Your mother did help though."
"Athena you really like using those pencils," Athena nodded in reply to her mother. She showed the packet with the variety of colours: the tools for her afternoon activities. "I only ask, though, why the black is nearly used up. It's a rather melancholy colour to use compared to the others…"
Athena blushed, embarrassed that she would have to show her drawings. Ones that her mother had never looked at long enough. "I was drawing my friends."