Sylvette is one of my favorite characters Xwx It shows, I think...

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"gift wrap"

The sun was beginning to set and Gauche was still searching for a gift. The shops were starting to close up, merchants pulling the shutters to the windows down and wiping down displays. Sighing as the last shop closed up, the man hung his head.

Lag's birthday was in a day. He'd been invited to the party, with an invitation that seemed to plead that he come.

Anxiety flooded his chest. It wasn't that Gauche didn't want to go, really...it was just that...

Inappropriate feelings arose around the boy. The urge to grab him up and hug him tight, to kiss him, more... they terrified Gauche. And not much actually scared the world weary man. He'd faced bandits in the Blue Pumpkin Mountains, been near the brink of starvation with no gas reserves, even been bitten by poisonous insects in the White Desert.

And yet, falling in love was by far the most terrifying thing he'd ever encountered.

Was it love...?

Not that Gauche was any expert or anything, but loving someone so young seemed...well, out of the ordinary. Maybe Aria or Thunderland Jr might now...but asking something so conspicuous was...

Shaking his head, the man frowned. He was ruining a friendship with a broken child over his insecurities and unhealthy affections. This was wrong. He absolutely could not do this to Lag. Lag needed him to be his friend, who kept his well being in mind and took care of him. He absolutely did not need a creep stepping to him.

000

Sylvette glanced up at her brother as he entered the house, frowning. He'd returned a bit late, not unusual for him, but concerning as of late. Gauche hadn't been himself these last months. Sylvette wasn't a genius, but she had noticed that it coincided with the last time he'd seen Lag.

"Welcome home brother!" she called, putting aside her worries.

Gauche glanced up from undoing his uniform, smiling warmly. "Sorry I'm late..."

Shaking her head, Sylvette rolled her chair to him, smiling. "Its fine. I have dinner warming in the oven, are you hungry?"

She could see the exhaustion shed from her brother's frame at the mention of food. "I'd like that."

000

The fire crackled softly in the hearth. Sylvette hummed to herself quietly as she did the finishing touches on the set of dolls she was making. Gauche had long since gone to bed, exhaustion from the day winning the battle. Still, she had things to do before the party tomorrow.

She hadn't seen Lag or their friends since that summer and she wanted to spend as much time with her friends as possible tomorrow. She'd told her brother that they'd share their gift, since he had let her use his photo of the group as a reference.

It sat neatly in her lap, a glossy photo of the last time they'd met. Sylvette and Lag in the forefront, Gauche behind with the two holding his hands. On either side of them stood Zazie and Connor, Niche clinging to Lag's arm possessively. Bright toothy smiles sat on the children's faces, a warm memory even now.

Sylvette hadn't seen her brother smile quite that way in a long time. It was no secret that something had blossomed between her brother and Lag, she thought. It seemed the only people unaware were the two themselves.

It was almost comical, the girl thought, watching them fumble around each other these days. But whatever had happened, it hadn't ended for the better. And Sylvette missed her friends and the way her brother always seemed so happy.

She was just relieved that, for better or worse, Lag had tried to remedy the distance.

Laying the finished dolls in a box, the girl smiled to herself. At least now, things might go back to normal. Tying a thick ribbon around the box, she hummed to herself. Things could only go up from here, right?

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