"Are you guys open for business?" Decha approached the front counter. It was still snowing outside, so he trekked in a lot of ice.
It was still quite early, around 9 in the morning. Although it was a Holiday, Decha started his day by waking up at 4 AM to search all over Astell for an open Jewelry shop.
There were none in Uptown or Midtown. He wasted several subway stops on shops that claimed to be open but weren't. Now he was at a small shop owned by a well-known Astellian jeweler downtown, and Decha was hoping to the heavens that they were open.
He was exhausted from traveling. It took him 2 hours to go west from the east of Midtown. He wanted nothing more than to go back to the Agency to start working. But as late as it was, he already considered skipping out on work today.
With the festival canceled, and many public areas closed for the day, he doubted that anyone would make an attack. The culprits of the case wanted victims. There wouldn't be many victims on a Holiday.
So Decha was very much considering taking the day off. But he didn't like the idea. Relaxing wasn't his style.
"I am." An older man with neatly styled white hair and round glasses nodded.
"Great," Decha responded softly and reached into his pocket. The man gestured at the display case.
"Do you see anything you like?"
"Actually, I was wondering if I could make a special request."
"On a Holiday? That's bold of you to ask so last minute. Did you forget to prepare for that special someone?"
"It took me a while to figure out what I wanted to give. It's last minute, but I'll pay whatever you ask."
The older man nodded and tapped on the glass case with his fingers. "Sounds reasonable. So tell me, boy, what would you like? Diamonds? Rubies? Emeralds? What kind of style does she prefer?"
"None,"
"So? Are you getting something less flashy? A golden ring? A silver bracelet? Pearls maybe?"
Decha pulled a glowing orb out of his pocket. The marble was small, but it was bright. The old man gasped softly when he saw it.
"Well, I'll be darned... I haven't seen one of those in years."
"I bought the Klovoc flower and extracted the orb." It was the same orb that came from the flower he talked about with Rory. But he wanted to give her more than the plant. She loved the lights, and in a way, this was the start of Astellian tech.
"Astell's greatest wonders... how long did it take you to find this klovoc orb?" The older man licked his lips. He knew very much about its power.
"Long enough. Could you turn this into a pair of studs? For the ears?"
"You don't want me to put the orb on a ring? Or on a bracelet?"
"No..."
"She must be special to you. Or not that special at all. Most men come to my shop asking for the biggest or rarest gems for the woman they love."
"I'm not most men," Decha shrugged. "And I'm getting this for a friend."
"A friend whom you love, perhaps?" The man chortled. "Why else would you come here on Bloom day and ask specifically for a specially made pair of jewelry?"
Decha didn't think about it like that. Why did he come on Bloom day? He could've given her this gift at any other time. Maybe the stress of figuring out what he wanted to give her motivated him. It didn't matter. Rory was the one who asked him to give her a gift.
He was only fulfilling his part of the deal. Nothing more. "I'm not sure. Can you get the job done, or not?"
"It'll take some time. It'll be ready by the early evening." The man took the orb and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "It's quite a beauty. If you weren't here for jewelry, I'd have bought it from you."
Decha shifted his gaze to the pictures on the wall. The shop felt homey. Every piece of furniture inside was made of dark oak wood, and it smelled like morning dew. In the back, he could see a small flame burning wood in a fireplace.
In the pictures was a darker-skinned woman next to a man who looked young. "This you?" Decha pointed at the frame out of boredom.
"Yeah, me and my wife." The man smiled.
"She's your wife?" Decha looked at the image again in surprise. The woman had a familiar black mark on her neck. "She's a Bracketer."
"She is." The man repeated proudly. "If you have a problem with it, you can take this orb with you and leave my shop."
"I'm just being observant. I have nothing against them." Decha raised his hand in defense.
"That's how it should be. The Bracketers are what keep Astell balanced. They're the ones keeping us on our toes. Without them, Astell would quickly spiral out of control."
Decha felt conflicted. That was the first time he heard an Astellian say something so controversial. "What makes you think that? Astell has advanced technology, reliable power, and an organized system. Our education is top tier."
"While those things are true, The Brackets have what Astell often lacks."
"Which is?"
"Empathy. It's rooted in their culture." The man grabbed the picture frame off the wall and gazed at it for a moment. "It's a weakness that Astellians hate talking about. But we as a people are very arrogant and entitled. So much so that we fail to see how we can help others."
"You're not wrong." Decha furrowed his brows.
"This is our wedding day." The man flipped the frame around. "During these times, it was hard for Astellian's and Bracketer's to marry. The laws prevented it. So we had to sneak around and do things. But you young people today have it so easy, and no one takes advantage of the opportunity."
"It's not always easy. A lot of paperwork is involved."
"I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about the way Astellians view Bracketers as nothing but trash. This image is my favorite because it reminds me of their empathy. Do you see me? What am I doing here?"
"You're posing for the camera," Decha stated sarcastically, humored by the obvious.
"But look at her, what do you see?"
Decha looked at the picture again and hummed softly. The woman was holding the man by his arms and gazing up at him. She wasn't focused on the camera. She was focused on the man she was in love with.
The image reminded him of Rory's smile. In all honesty, when she smiled at him as if she were welcoming him, his mind went blank. "She's smiling at you."
"Without a care in the world." The man finished before placing the frame back on the wall carefully. "It's a feeling like no other, to see her smiling like that."
"I believe it," Decha related. "Where is your wife?"
The man grimaced and picked up the orb and began measuring it. "It doesn't matter how good Astell's technology is. It doesn't save the sick from their cruel fate." He sighed. "Her disease took her too early."
"I'm sorry—"
"That's not something I want to hear." The man spat. "No amount of condolences will bring her back."
"You're right." Decha swallowed the lump in his throat.
"Death teaches you to cherish all the moments you have with a person before they leave. One day the smile is there, the next, it could be gone forever." The man grumbled. "You, remember that."
Decha nodded without hesitation. He already made an oath that he'd do anything to keep Rory out of harm. What kind of General would he be if he couldn't protect her?
Sometimes it felt like the Universe was giving him a second chance. If Rory was the chance, he wouldn't take it for granted. "I will."
"You still haven't told me much about your friend."
"I'm not a man of many words."
"A little bit of detail won't hurt." The man teased. "Is it a guy friend or?"
"A woman." Decha answered. Did this man think he had a thing for men too?
"Does that girl not have a thing for regular gems?"
"She's not that kind of person."
"What is she like?"
"She's nice. Too nice." Decha answered. "A pain in my arse, stubborn at times, but she's determined and hard-working."
"She seems interesting."
"Sometimes, she is." Decha smirked. "She rambles a lot. Often about nonsense."
"She must not have many friends if she does that kind of thing. Sounds like she's lucky to have you."
"Not really." Decha shrugged. "I'm not that great of a person either. Half the time, I can't understand her. She does illogical things that annoy me. And it makes me think I'm not patient enough with her. But I'm not generally a patient person."
"That's the great thing about having friends who truly love you. They look over your faults."
Decha nodded at the statement. Despite his rudeness and blunt behavior, Rory still viewed him in a good light.
After about 8 hours, with most of the day gone, Decha was given the studs made of the orb he extracted. He paid the old jeweler extra and rushed back home. Because of the traffic, it took about 3 hours for him to get back to Uptown and his house.
His parents were still away. They were still out with Avon. But he didn't see Rory. She wasn't in her room, and that made him frantic. It wasn't until he spotted Rory on the living room couch sleeping peacefully that eased his nerves.
"Rory," He nudged her. The first time he called, she didn't budge. He grabbed onto her arm and she shot up and wide awake.
"Huh?" She blinked at him with a confused stare.
"Did you eat?" He asked, wanting to make sure Jessica fed her before they left.
"You woke me up just to ask me that?" Rory groaned and rubbed her eyes angrily. "Yes, I ate."
"Good. Follow me outside."
"But... I wanna sleep." Rory whined. She was in the middle of having a good dream. And she was too tired to get dressed and ready to face the snow.
Decha grabbed a coat from the rack at the front of the door and tossed it at her, not accepting no for an answer. He stepped out onto the front patio. Thankfully, the snow wasn't as heavy as it was before. It was much softer.
"I swear, Decha, it better be a good reason for you to tell me to come out here. If you're going to yell at me, can't you do it inside where it's warm?" Rory whined while stepping outside. Her shoe went inches deep into the snow, and she groaned.
Then she pulled her shoe out and shook it off, more infuriated than before. She stomped over to Decha and grumbled. "It's so dark out here! I can't see a thing!"
"You complain too much." Decha sighed.
"I'm tired," Rory argued. "What do you want?"
"About our deal," Decha began with a sigh.
"Okay, seriously? I already told you I'm not backing out. What are you doing!?" Rory shrieked when Decha leaned dangerously close to her face. Not only that, he grabbed the sides of her face to get a closer look at her ears. "Let me go!"
Decha reached in his pockets. "I've been trying to figure out what to give you as a gift. I'm not sure what you'll think of it. If you don't want it, I don't care, but this is the last gift you'll be getting from me." He pulled out the pair of studs, shaped like diamonds that immediately began to glow as the darkness hit it.
"What is that?" Rory took his hand in hers to get a better glance.
"Remember when we talked about the seeds that produced plants that provided Astell with energy? It's called a Klovoc flower. I found one and had these made."
"Are these the ones you said had glowing seeds?" Rory gasped and Decha nodded. "Wow," She took the studs and held them in the air. "They really do glow! They're bright. It's cool! If we had these things in the Brackets, we wouldn't have so many electrical issues."
"You wanna try them on?" Decha offered to put them on her ears.
"... Um. S-sure." Rory accepted with hesitation. "Just don't pull my ears too hard."
Decha grabbed one of the studs and closed the distance between them. Rory's eyes were wide, and she was trying her best to calm her heart. She was so close that she could smell him. He smelled a bit like firewood.
"I'm giving these to you now because you need to understand how serious this is. This surgery is what's going to help you get past your condition." It was also another way for him to protect her.
Although giving a gift on Bloom day meant dedication to someone for a different reason, these studs were to symbolize his promise to keep her safe.
Decha went onto the other ear and placed the studs in. It was still glowing because of the time of day.
Decha went onto the other ear and placed the studs in. It was still glowing because of the time of day.
Rory reached for her ears. Her stomach was still full of butterflies. She felt like fainting. "How does it look?"
Decha brushed by her with a faint smirk on his face. "Like the snow."
"The snow?" Rory frowned. The snow that surrounded the home was quite much. As a Bracketer, she didn't enjoy it much. It was too cold and she felt weird that she could see her breath in the air.
Decha brushed off the bench on the patio and took a seat. Rory was in his vision, but to her, it seemed as if he were looking into the sky. "Beautiful." He replied softly, but it was enough for Rory to hear it.
She smiled and looked at her feet. Rory was too flustered to respond to his compliment. But it was the truth. The studs suited her well. Decha wasn't ashamed to admit it.
"You'll get cold if you just stand there." Decha motioned for her to come over.
"Are you going to stay out here and watch the snowfall?" Rory wanted to know if he was going to go inside anytime soon. She didn't want to separate from him so soon. The gift he gave her warmed her heart.
She wasn't even sure if she should've accepted it.
"It's quiet and peaceful during this time of the year. But on the Outside, it's usually so noisy. I don't get to enjoy it much."
Rory walked over and sat next to him on the bench. "I'm so surprised at how much snow you get in Astell. It's amazing. But also annoying since I'm not used to it. But it's very peaceful."
After a moment of sitting and watching, Rory was starting to shiver. Decha noticed and wrapped an arm over her shoulder and pulled her close. At that point, Rory was too tired to refuse.
She fell asleep on him eventually. It was because Decha was so much warmer compared to her. Her ears were pressed against his chest, so his steady heartbeat also put her to sleep.
Decha knew that they had to go back inside soon, but he didn't want to disturb her. She looked exhausted, and he wasn't sure if that was because of her disease.
"Rory," An hour went by and Decha decided to finally go back inside. "Rory, wake up." He tapped on her shoulder.
The jerking around made Rory open her eyes, but her mind was elsewhere. She looked up at him and thought she was still dreaming. At that moment, she thought of him to be very handsome. She snuggled closer to him with a soft smile.
"Rory?" Decha narrowed his eyes at her.
"Don't look at me like that," Rory mumbled sleepily. "With...Those... eyes..." She slid her cold hand across his cheek.
"How am I looking at you?" Decha laughed.
"Don't smile at me." Rory pouted. Her vision was still unclear. But she could make out bits of his face. Her lazy eyes remained on his lips.
"You're gonna catch a cold." Decha fixed her coat collar, which required him to lean closer. But Rory was distracted by her crazy thoughts. Without a second thought, Rory wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him.
His lips felt real to her, even though in her mind it was all a dream. Decha remained frozen in the kiss, wondering what the heck was going on in Rory's mind. But he didn't push her away.
He was flooded with memories of Chai. The exact moment when she disappeared. The pain he felt after losing her made his heart ache.
But suddenly, all thoughts of Chai completely disappeared. They were replaced with moments he had with Rory, and a drilling want to shield her fueled his veins.
He kissed her back.
Rory huffed. Just as she moved away, Decha pulled her close again. She was still stuck in a daze, not wanting the dream to end. It was her first kiss, but she knew it wouldn't count once she woke up.
Her body was exhausted. She tried her best to keep up with Decha, which surprised her. In her dreams, he seemed experienced. But she needed a moment to rest and breathe.
"Decha..." Rory mumbled in the kiss. But he didn't hear her. Rory felt her body become heavy. Her vision was starting to fade. Her thoughts became blurry. Sleep was taking its toll on her while Decha kept his lips locked with hers.
He didn't hear her, but he noticed that she was slowing down. He bit her lip to keep going but felt her dead weight against him. "Rory?" He pulled away and called her, but she was already asleep again. He cursed under his breath.
She fell asleep during a crucial moment. He wasn't sure whether to be angry or shocked. He groaned and decided to carry her back inside. When he brought her to his room, he glanced at her one last time before wondering why she kissed him.
Heck, he wondered why he kissed her. What exactly happened? What was their relationship? Did Rory have feelings for him?
If she did, how was he going to react to it? He shook his head in frustration. If she liked him, she wouldn't have fallen asleep during the kiss. What kind of woman did that? Only a Bracket woman like her would.
He needed to test it. She was the one that kissed him first.
Decha brushed his hair back with a grunt. He hovered above Rory's sleeping frame and pressed his lips against hers again. His heart felt warm, so surely, something was there.
But was he going to do anything about it? He wasn't the type to. So not really. He pulled away and sighed. Things were about to get more complicated.