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softquietsteadylove · 5 months ago

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More from the lawyer au please? Maybe Thenas sister sending him a thank you card? Something sweet? :)

"What are you doing friday?"

Gil nearly choked on his gulp of soda. That would be a sad way to die--aspirating a fastfood straw. He blinked. "Sorry?"

"Friday," Thena repeated, tilting her head a little to convey that she was baffled as to why it would bear repeating. "Do you have plans?"

He still felt ready to choke on his bite of sandwich. But he dusted off his hands and pushed away from his desk. "Uh, n-no--no, I'm free. What's up?"

"Would you be able to come over on friday night?"

Now, he blushed. He knew this wasn't the case, but he really did feel a little like this was sounding like a date. Maybe it was just how she was asking it. It wasn't beyond Thena to say something plainly and not really know how someone else might take it.

Thena's eyes darted downward, looking at the case files she was carrying (despite it being their small and precious lunch hour). Which, in anyone else, he would take for a sign of nerves. But there was no telling when it came to Thena. "I know it's rather sudden."

He didn't know what to think. They were colleagues, and he would even dare to say they were work friends. Maybe more than work friends, possibly, since he'd made a home cooked meal with her for her sisters. But not only did the firm have issues with colleagues dating, for obvious reasons, but he wasn't sure what brought this on.

He didn't really take Thena to be interested in dating. For all he could see, her only concern was taking care of her sisters. Which would make sense, of course. And he didn't want to be responsible for making her uncomfortable at work or anything.

"Gil?"

He blinked again, realising he had zoned right out and missed what she had asked. "S-Sorry, I, uh-"

"Sprite's birthday is on friday," she sighed, no longer beating around the bush. "She asked me if I would invite you."

"She asked," he paused, craning his neck faintly, "if I could come?"

Thena smiled, though. "Sprite has become quite fond of you, as has Sersi."

"Well, I gotta admit I'm flattered," he smiled as well, swayed by the warmth that took over Thena whenever she talked about her sisters. "I get the feeling that they don't take to people easily...at least not Sprite."

"You're right about that," she conceded. Her posture loosened and she leaned against his desk a little. "Sprite has never been the most social. Unfortunately, she is quite like me, and our father, in that way. Sersi got our mother's warmth and inviting presence."

He raised his brows at her, "you can be warm."

"Gilgamesh," she rebutted with a look he recognised from when she was in court.

"Hey, it's true," he chuckled, pushing aside his lunch and leaning comfortably in his chair. "You just need to defrost a little, but once you're there, you're there."

"Funny," she murmured, although it sounded less cutting and maybe even a little humoured.

"So, Sprite doesn't want a thing with her friends?" he asked more quietly--more gently. He watched as Thena cast a cursory glance to the rest of the office floor before moving around his desk. She pulled up a chair for herself, folding herself into it stiffly.

"Sprite, unfortunately," Thena grimaced (it really was bad), "fell out of touch with some of her friends after our parents' passing."

He frowned. He would have thought she had found herself making stronger bonds, not losing them. "I-I'm sorry. Is she okay?"

Thena's deeply concerned expression didn't lighten. "They were nice, but I believe Sprite has held onto a lot of anger regarding things. And her friends...they were kind, but I don't think their bond was strong enough to endure the true weight of Sprite has been through."

So, they were friends but they weren't any true friends of the kid's. Gil nodded with his own sense of regret to it. "Shit--did this happen right around that time, too?--if it's okay for me to ask that."

Thena managed a faint pull of her lips at his consideration. She stared down at her files again, running her finger along the edge to occupy her mind. "I suspect that Sprite was largely responsible for their growing apart. They attempted to reach out but she wasn't in a frame of mind to accept their efforts. And so the bridge wasn't so much burned as it simply crumbled away from disrepair."

That was a good way to put it, all things considered. But that was tough for a kid to go through what she had at such a young age, and not have friends to support her through it.

"I asked Sersi what I should do," Thena confessed to him. She said it easily, but it didn't escape him that it was a pretty big confession to make for her. There was a time when he was too scared to ask her what she'd had for lunch that day. Now they were talking about her sisters' grieving processes. "She said that Sprite doesn't want anyone she barely knows, which accounts for many of her school acquaintances. So, she wants only people she knows. I'll order whatever she likes, Sersi will be there of course, our cousin Kingo whom she has always adored. And she asked if I would invite you."

It was enough to warm a heart, certainly. And he was already a sensitive enough guy, so he didn't need much to be moved to tears. "Really? I mean I'm honored, really, but is she sure that she knows me well enough to invite me to something like this?"

Thena laughed at his reluctance though. "You underestimate her fondness for you."

"Maybe I misunderstand it," he excused for himself with a sheepish wince. He drew in his shoulders, although he kept rumpling his suits that way. He tugged at his jacket, remembering how Thena had done so for him at the courthouse not long ago.

Thena looked pensive, selecting her words carefully. She pursed her lips faintly; he had seen her do that in court too. "Sprite has very good intuition. She decides very quickly if someone is trustworthy or not, let alone if she likes them. And immediately after you helped us with the lasagne, she has asked me nearly daily when you are coming over next. She said you seem fun, and nice, and-"

He was startled by the way she paused in the middle of things. But to his delight, she made a somewhat annoyed expression he definitely recognised from when Sprite had whined about having a diet coke.

"I don't make friends much either, so as much as she was surprised, if I am fond of you, then you must be someone good to know. That is how she phrased it to me," Thena sighed, equal parts exasperated and fond. She raised her plucked, sandy coloured brows at him. "So trust me when I tell you that you have my entire family's approval."

Except for this cousin that was coming, but still, it was nice to hear. Gil grinned, "well, then, I'll be more than happy to come. What can I bring?"

"Just yourself," Thena assured more like her usual cool and strict self. "I will take care of any and all gifts. Consider your company a gift in itself."

"If you say so," he conceded, although he was already thinking about what he might be able to 'just happen to pick up' at the mall or something.

"I'll tell Sprite and Sersi the good news, then," she concluded, standing from her chair and smoothing down her skirt. "I can text you more specific details tomorrow, but for now, expect to come over friday after work and enjoy dinner and perhaps some movies."

"Sounds fun," he promised happily, although he could still feel the lingering foolishness for thinking she was asking him out.

"Also," she opened up the folder on top of her stack and retrieved a small envelope. "This is from Sprite. I was asked to give it to you, but only if you accepted her invitation."

"Ah," he blinked, accepting it delicately. It was a plain white envelope with GIL written on it in pretty cursive. "Well, thank you."

"I don't know what it is, so you can't ask me," she disavowed with another laugh. "Nor are you allowed to show me afterward, either. It is just from Sprite to you."

He smiled; well, now he really had to pick out something for the kid. "Thank her for me."

"I will."

He smiled at her as she left his desk to go back to her own again. She was indeed working through her lunch hour, but he would have to hope she had a power bar or a protein smoothie somewhere. He looked down at the envelope again, excited in a way he hadn't been in a long, long time.

"Hey Gil, what did Ice Queen want?"

"I don't know if I've ever seen her smile."

He ignored his colleagues and their suggestive tones, opening the envelope carefully.

"Did she sign it with a kiss? Those lips-"

"Piss off," he barked at them, easily sending away the absolute pricks who both liked to disparage that Thena wasn't a 'team player' but also loved to insinuate that they had a shot with her.

Dear Gil, it's me, ya boi

I guess Thena asked you, and that you said yes. I hope she didn't pressure you or whatever. It's just gonna be a chill time. Kingo is nice, you'll like him. And Thena likes you, even if she's never said it. She doesn't like anyone, so it's really something.

Thanks for always being nice to my sister,

Sprite

It was a funny contrast--the elegance of the calligraphy and the overall tone of the note. But he blinked, feeling that feeling in his eyes. It was just so sweet, no matter how funny and sarcastic she tried to make it.

The comment about being nice to her sister spoke volumes. It was no surprise to him that the sisters were worried for their guardian, even - and maybe especially - the youngest one. Perhaps Sprite had anxieties about her sister being in a hostile work environment. Maybe she had heard that many of their coworkers were sexist asshats. And maybe Sprite just wanted to look out for her sister in whatever way she could.

Gil slipped the card away, happy to take it home so he could put it in a safe place of honour in his apartment. It was a sweet gesture, and he was determined to do right by it. He would find a card that suited Sprite's humour, he would find a thoughtful but casual gift to bring, and maybe he would even bring cupcakes or something, if Thena wanted it. And he would take it seriously as a guest to a very exclusive party.

This was far more pressure than a date.

#Thenamesh Family Law AU #okayyyyyyy let's go #thank you so much for this ask!!!!#I really do like this au #Thena is home with the girls #she asks Sprite very carefully about her birthday #Sprite immediately says she doesn't want anyone from school #maybe something cool and chill with her most trusted #her nearest and dearest #Thena is like oh uh...okay #they already know to call Kingo #who will drop anything and come over for his fav cousins #Sprite: and Gil #Thena *practically spits out her drink*: what???#Sprite: Gil you should invite Gil he's cool and nice and you like him right?#Thena feels a little sheepish about it #she doesn't entirely know why #she's inviting her coworker to her sister's birthday #and Sprite immediately makes this card #because she's good at calligraphy and art and stuff #and she says here it's for Gil #DON'T LOOK AT IT #Thena's like geez I won't go to bed you maniac #Gil thinks it's so sweet #he keeps it safe at home #he goes all over the place looking for something perfect for her

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