Years upon years upon years gives one plenty of time to learn the important things, and an insane amount of time to create friendship bracelets, little ways to say I love you for a whole lifetime or longer, cherished memories and thoughtful gifts.
Zeno figures that even with only a little bit of time together, it's important to say these things or at least live them out. And yet, it's a small task, a time that lasts forever and not nearly long enough. Zeno's used to time being both too short and too long, and yet truly he wants the best for others, wants to bring a smile and some cheer and some laughter, wants to ease worry or make it go away.
And besides all of the fancy talk and all of that, he'd spotted a gem that shone in the sunlight, a clear little stone that if hold up sparkled or if carefully held before your eyes appeared see through like glass, and it's a little thing, a pretty oval shape, like a little egg but see through.
It reminds him of Shin-Ah, who wears a necklace crafted from stones, who likes pretty things and gems, likes things that sparkle and shine, that reflect the light. It's a little observation, but Zeno has time to learn new things, and besides that Shin-Ah's spent so long either being seen too much or barely seen at all, that he deserves a little reminder that he's worth remembering the little things.
Zeno's perched while most sleep right by the fire, and Yun's still up, because he's working on getting ready for tomorrow. Zeno doesn't mind, just gets to work weaving thread together, and positioning the stone carefully, it will make for a very different looking friendship bracelet but a very wonderful one regardless.
And so, Zeno weaves carefully, braiding thread over and over. He'd bought the dark blue thread he uses in one of the towns they'd been to recently with what little spending money Yun had lent him. He thought it was fitting, because the blue is so dark that it appears almost black sometimes, like the night sky overhead. It would match Shin-Ah's namesake almost perfectly, and besides that, it would match Shin-Ah's clothes.
"What are you doing?" Yun asks, eyeing Zeno and his little project.
"I'm making a gift for a friend." Zeno smiles and briefly raises a finger to his lips, a little sign to be quiet about it, because he really does want to surprise Shin-Ah, give him a wonderful surprise.
"'Sure whoever it is will like it." Yun affirms, turning his eyes back to what he's doing, and yet, Zeno can feel his curiosity. Who is it for exactly must be running through the Young Lad's head.
"I hope so!" Zeno chirps back and continues weaving the thread by hand, and soon, before he knows it, he has a bracelet, that should fit comfortably on Shin-Ah's wrist. Hopefully, the surprise will be well worth the work.
"Seiryuu?" Zeno calls, moving towards his younger friend. Shin-Ah looks up just as Zeno arrives before him, though he imagines he already knew he was coming.
"Yes?" He asks when it feels too quiet, and Zeno smiles, just to hear his friend's voice. It's a wonderful thing that Shin-Ah feels comfortable enough to speak around them and begin to speak more.
"I got something for you." And Zeno hands over the bracelet, and Shin-Ah looks down at it, with its gem already glimmering a little in the sunlight.
"What is it?" He asks, but slips it on his wrist, questioning whatever reason brought Zeno over with a gift of all things.
"It's a friendship bracelet." He explains, "You make one for your friends."
Shin-Ah spins the bracelet lightly across his wrist and peeks up at Zeno again, "How do you make one?"
Zeno stops in his tracks; the question had come as a complete surprise for him.
"I can show you?" He offers, and by the time they are at camp again, Zeno's sitting down cross legged on the ground, showing Shin-Ah just how to weave the thread, with the excess thread he has left over. And Shin-Ah's a quick learner, not that Zeno is surprised.
Shin-Ah's great at surviving, great at getting the basics of something down that could mean life or death or at least handles stuff like that with ease, whether it's creating a weapon by hand or whatever other task it is. So, doing this while not being a survival skill is still right within his skillset.
"Here." Shin-Ah hands the bracelet over, "For you."
And Zeno's chest feels warm; Shin-Ah wanted to honor Zeno as one of his friends by giving him a handmade gift, a little friendship bracelet. And even though the dark blue doesn't match anything Zeno's wearing and the bracelet is a little big, because Zeno didn't realize he was teaching Shin-Ah how to make Zeno a friendship bracelet, not one for someone else or even for Shin-Ah, Zeno wants to wear it always.