"May this simple gift be a source of warmth to you in the long journey ahead." [Fujimaru Ritsuka]
-☆-
The day was coming to an end.
Another Christmas for the year – a week of Christmas to celebrate the incoming new year they’ll be in for a few more days.
Ritsuka never expected to always get something from her friends and Servants, but it always makes her happy to receive whatever they’ll give to her.
Cursed talismans, plushies, chocolate, flowers, blankets, books and even weapons. She may not have the chance to use all of them, but she treasures each of them equally, all given to her by those who stood by her side.
Ritsuka yawns as she exits the bathroom, having finished drying her hair after a relaxing shower and change of clothes. It’s been a long day like usual, but she’s glad Nemo invited her and Mash to deliver the presents he wasn’t able to give to the rest of the Servants.
She’s curious about what happened but since he never elaborated, she shouldn’t pry on what happened.
Still, when Captain came back… there was an air around him that made her and Mash get frozen for a moment before answering his offers with glee. She may not know why… but that was the thing that made her curious.
It looked as if Captain Nemo met someone with gentle eyes, the fatigue from traveling around the world simply wiped away by an encounter he did earlier.
…It was familiar in a way she couldn’t describe.
“...”
She was silent as she stood in the middle of her room before shivering slightly.
...Hm, her room is kind of cold...
There was no time to be melancholy for a bit though! The shop was still open for a few more days and she had to get some materials to give to some of the newly summoned Servants so she should sleep now and make sure she was ready to go for missions anytime.
Ritsuka dims the lights before climbing into her bed, raising the blanket so she could lay underneath it, but just as her head approached the pillow–
–She saw a green colored gift box tucked beside it.
She blinked for a moment. It was a gift. Her smile turns soft as her hands reach for it, sitting up with her legs criss crossed.
Accompanied with that same present was a small golden note that read:
‘It’s a little late but this is the gift I promised. I’d like to apologize for the delay as Marine and Engineer argued a bit about the wrapping as they wanted it to be special for both you and Mash, but it’s all good now.
As Captain of the Storm Border, I thank you for all of your efforts as Master and friend to all.
As Santa, Merry Christmas, Ritsuka. This gift is simply something I found in our warehouse section of the Border, so don’t think too much about it.
Looking forward to another year with you.’
“...Signed, Nemo and the crew.” She sighed softly with her smile, closing the small enclosed letter and folding it for safekeeping. To be honest, she also forgot about what he said earlier about getting them something so it’s certainly a surprise to receive it right now.
But all worries and other thoughts pushed aside, Ritsuka gently unwrapped the white ribbon from the green box, and upon opening the lid—
...
......
She froze on the spot.
And time felt insignificant at this moment.
What was before her eyes was a miracle manifest.
All the air in her lungs vanished, all the strength in her body, every single weight that heavily piled upon her shoulders vanished upon the sight of something that was far beyond a simple gift.
—This was a treasure worth far more than a simple gift.
A polaris star born in this very moment, soothing the cold that she felt, a guide for her to come back home.
An unexpected gift.
A wonderful, unforeseen present that completely startled her.
And there was warmth.
Lovely searing warmth wrapped around her like a blanket. Like what that man used to do whenever she broke down from seeing her friends sacrifice themselves for her, losing their lives while she herself was saved.
Her body shook, her hands trembled terribly, and her eyes failed to see clearly as her vision turned more blurry every second.
And she wondered, through the tidal wave of emotions, if this was simply all a dream.
That touching something as precious and rare as this would make her wake up. Since, for the first time, she didn’t want to wake up in case this had been a dream.
Ritsuka takes a shaky breath as she blinks her tears away, wiping them with the back of her hand. She couldn’t hide her emotions anymore. She doesn’t care if someone barges into her room.
All she felt right now was the crushing feeling of missing the one person who she lost on this exact day.
(Rings. Sacrifices. Promises. Farewells. A smile. A hand on her cheek. A whisper of how proud he was of her—)
Her hands reached out to gently, tenderly hold his gloves near her face as her shallow breaths continued to stutter, and her tears stained the soft fabric brushing against her cheek.
And it felt as if the gloves themselves were wiping her tears away. It felt as if his hand cupped her face while the other rubbed small circles on her back.
Just like what he used to do…
“Thank… you…Thank you—” She whispered through gasps and harsh tears, cradling the pair like she had finally found a long lost loved one after searching for years.
Ritsuka doesn’t know how much time had passed but she kept holding onto the gloves like a lifeline, as if any moment, it could disappear from her grasp, out of reach, slipping away like sand on her hands.
She sniffled as she wiped away her tears again, her tears had never stopped flowing but she felt a little calmer now. Just a bit… just for a bit…
Ritsuka moves to wear the gloves on her hands. Shaky as she felt, there was no helping the warmth that covered her icy fingers. Gloves that were a little too big on her hands, an exact size that belonged only to the hands of that man himself.
Ritsuka closed her eyes and smiled, her gloved hands pressing against her chest. Her heart beating steadily, her shoulders the most relaxed in what felt like forever.
She looks at the pair of gloves again to make sure they were real. That this was unmistakably his gloves.
…The warehouse, huh? Their storage room did house a lot of unexpected things… Did Nemo spend the entire day trying to find something to give to her and Mash?
Her gut told her that this was a little more than a little ‘warehouse scavenging’ though, but she has to believe in what Santa said.
She smiled this time, the curves of her lips tender and happy as she lay back down onto her bed, feeling the gentle fabric lull her to sleep.
How odd must the warehouse be, to still be able to hold and retain Dr. Roman’s scent as if it hadn’t been a day since he wore them and gave it as a present.
She opens her eyes just a bit before squeezing the gloves just a little tighter.
...Miracles rarely come by, but when they do, they often shine like a star.
But right now, to her, they were in the form of a certain Captain bashfully asking a kind Doctor for two pairs of white gloves.
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