September, 2013. Afternoon. Living room, current base.

"Oh, yeah. And those knives you got me, remember?" Tina converses with Billy in the living room of their new base. This was two days later, after another op.

"Uh, yeah," Billy humors, getting that pang of guilt for making her believe they were actually from him. Butcher wasn't one to indulge in guilt so easily, but when it came to people close to him – and mind you, every team member was pretty close to him – he couldn't help it.

"Dealt some serious damage with em tonight. Swift and straight, never missed their targets-"

"Christina," Billy cut off. Tina faced him curiously. Using her full name meant he was serious now, which Butcher often wasn't. He chuckled, breaking the ice he just froze up, before deciding that he would indeed just tell her, uncertain himself why he couldn't just shut up about it – not like he doesn't regularly lie. "It was Frenchie," he says. Tina's brows furrow. "Frenchie got you the knives, and that stupid Hello Kitty mug ya sip from every bloody day."

Tina's eyes widen at this.

XXX

Later that day, Frenchie was blabbering on about something in the kitchen with her while he prepared dinner, when Christina cut him off. "How did you…" He shuts up, pauses chopping up tomatoes, and faces her curiously. She resumes after having his attention: "Convince Butcher to play along, during my birthday?" she cocked a brow. Frenchie's radar cranks up.

"Oh, uh. I can't remember. Why?"

On the one hand, Christina was slightly disappointed Butcher hadn't gotten her anything. But that shouldn't surprise her. Butcher was the closed, not-so-friendly-or-open kind of guy. Plus, they've only known each other a few months (granted, they've been in each other's company 24/7). On the other hand, she felt heart-warmed that Frenchie had put in such an effort, not caring whether or not she knew it was his doing.

She couldn't remember a time when someone had done something so sweet for her. Not to mention, every gift was well-thought of. She would make sure that if she was to ever introduce Frenchie to someone, it would be as her best friend.

Currently, she was enjoying luring the truth out of him.

"You can't remember at what point Butcher said he'd buy me a present?" she asks, eyeing him smugly. She knew that such a thing Butcher would never say. She could easily catch the lie if Frenchie went along with her question.

"He didn't say anything," Tina cocked a brow. He was smarter than that, she should've known. She couldn't help smirking at him. "He just went off and – alright, why are you looking at me like that?" he smirks as well.

"He told me, Frenchie," she states straightforward.

"Told you what?" Frenchie stayed his denial. Tina grinned cheekily. Didn't seem like he was planning on giving up.

"That you bought them. The gifts." At that, Frenchie looks away. '(Damn),' his mind utters. There was no point keeping it up if Butcher had straight out told her.

"Ahah…That English bastard has the tongue of a snake, but with you, is as honest as a saint." Tina's heart flutters at that. Was Butcher really always honest with her? She knew he had a different, more tamed attitude towards her. In that moment, it really got to her, in a good way.

Refocusing on the current topic, Tina looks to Frenchie, calling his name. He turned to her once more from what he was doing.

She smiles.

It was different, an unfamiliar, more deep-set smile, one filled with meaning.

Frenchie's heart jumps in awe.

"It was nice. It was sweet," she approaches him to a foot. "Thank you," she placed a hand on his shoulder, tiptoed, and put a light kiss to his cheek. Frenchie momentarily froze, heart sooner racing in his chest.

She pulled back and smiled at him in a more familiar, friendly manner. Frenchie plastered on a smile of his own, then she walked back to her spot near the counter.

Frenchie forced himself to resume his previous topic, mainly to distract himself from whatever he'd felt.

Such feelings he'd had before, numerous times, but he always reminded himself of how she wanted things between them, for reasons he did not entirely appreciate.

XXXXX