#( so y'know :)))) the knives he gave her have those words on them and he doesn't even know it lmao )

[xmenageriie]

🎁 (-gently slams hands on table- THATCH PLS)

🔪— gift giving / @jijiivishaa

It had taken him far too long to think of a gift for her, and even after thinking of it he worried that it might seem like a cop-out. Thatch was a jovial and generous man, but he had never once had the chance to give someone like her a gift. Whatever the occasion, it needed to be special. Thoughtful. He wanted her to love it, and he wanted it to tell her just how much he cared her ( without actually saying it vocally because that would be embarrassing.  .  . )

The idea felt like a good one, but what if it looked lazy? What if the message didn’t go through the way he wanted it to, and he had to tell her anyway?

He fidgeted slightly as the thin box was unwrapped and opened, a full set of knives sitting at the bottom. They looked rather ordinary at first glance, but there was something special about them. Etched with thin lines along one side of the the blade was a detailed image of a moth, each knife sporting a different pattern on the wings. Not a single one was the same, but they were hard to notice unless you were looking closely.

But, purely out of nerves, he moved forward and tried to snatch her attention away from the gift.

“Wait, I know this looks lame! We’ve got plenty of knives, I know, but.  .  . I thought, maybe, it would be nice to give you your own set. You’ve come so far since we met, and I’m proud as heck of you. The kitchen used to feel like it was mine, you know? But now you’re here, and we’re sharing it, and it’s nice. I want us to keep sharing it.”

He took her hands into his and let the flat of his thumb caress at her knuckles. Silence fell around them for a moment, giving him the time he needed to think over what he wanted to say next. Because as nice as the knives may have been, there was something far more important he wanted to give her.

“Pomona, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything I’ve done to you, for every second that you were hurt because you thought I was gone. I’m sorry for being a pain in your ass. I know I can be, don’t tell me I’m not. And I’m so, so sorry for not coming back to you sooner. You have no idea how much it meant to me that you were still here when I did come back. I’m gonna be honest, I was terrified to come back because I thought you’d be gone.” 

He pulled her hands up higher and nuzzled against them, cheeks growing a soft shade of rose.

“I know the knives are lame, but will you take a promise instead? Because I promise I won’t let you down again. I promise I’ll get better, and I’ll get stronger. I’ll try to make you as proud as you’ve made me. And I promise I’ll be here for you no matter what.”