Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Spring had arrived, as swiftly as autumn and winter came and went. The first snow was always exciting, but by the third month; Jonas was sick of it. Needless to say, he enjoyed watching the snow melt and sprouts of grass poke out of the white to kiss his feet. He felt his shoulders relax, no longer under the weight of multiple sweaters. Now he could look out the windows without frost covering his view. Not like it particularly thrilled him to look out to blankets of snow during the winter. What marked the beginning of spring for him was the fact he could comfortably read outside without worrying about his fingers freezing off.

Jonas would walk in the streets, and each time the clothes on his back got lighter and lighter. “Good morning,” he’d say gently to any villager that’d pass by. They’d smile back and wave, continuing life in their village. That was also a thing that he enjoyed. Spring was a break from the isolation of winter.

Of course, he wasn’t completely alone in his cottage during that time; Gabriel would occasionally visit for holidays, perhaps there was a celebration that required a feast, and if there was an emergency he’d always be called. But often in those months, it was just winds of white. “I’m gonna be fine, I swear!” He remembered Gabe calling out while lacing up his boots with bare hands. “I gotta be back soon anyway. I’m gonna be late.”

Jonas’s eyes darted from the borderline blizzard outside and back to Gabriel. He barely had any proper clothes on. Jonas already tried to convince Gabriel to stay another day, wary of him accidentally getting blown away or freezing. But he had forgotten that Gabe was stubborn. His green eyes went down to his bare hands. “Do you have gloves?”

“No… But I don’t have time for them.”

“You always have time for gloves,” Jonas rolled his eyes amused. He walked over to the table right by the front door, picking up his gloves. “Use mine.”

His face scrunched up, looking down at them. “They’re way too big for me…”

“But better than your fingers falling off.” Jonas’s face stretched into a pleasant smile as Gabriel’s hands slipped into his gloves. Gabe was right, they were ridiculously too big for his fingers.

“I look stupid.” Gabe’s eyes analysed his fingers, being able to wiggle his hands in the glove. He shook his wrist slightly, the glove already slipping to the middle of his palm. “They’re gonna fall off…”

“Well if you lose them then you owe me gloves.”

After a week, Gabriel had shown up at his front door with pursed lips and raised eyebrows. Jonas made Gabe something hot while he got an earful from him. One of the gloves had flown off his hands and Gabriel had spent a whole afternoon digging for it. “That’s so unfair! I spent so long saving up my allowance!”

Jonas chuckled, feeling a bit guilty for laughing at Gabe’s plight. He tried to tell him that Gabe didn’t have to, but he didn’t hear any of it. “I owe you, it’s only fair,” he said. A smile tugged at his lips, he was happy that he helped raise such an honest kid.

He felt the grain of pages under his fingers as he flipped through them. The spring air carried the smell of the book and helped it mingle with dew and fresh grass, Jonas missed the cool air. With his legs kicking against the stone wall he sat on, his eyes darted up from his book. “Good morning, Gabe,” he said suddenly. He heard the frustrated ‘aw’ come from behind him as Gabriel crouched next to him with furrowed brows.

“Morning… How’d you even notice me? I was so quiet.”

“I see everything, remember?” Jonas said with his gentle voice. That voice had pros and cons to Gabe; it was comforting growing up but horribly annoying in these situations.

“Yeah yeah, I remember… I was gonna spook you…”

“Well sorry for ruining your fun,” he said, going back to his book. “It’s been a while, did you have a nice rest?”

A sudden pride flushed his dark face. “Actually, I had a very productive rest!” Gabriel pulled out a pouch from his pocket. “For you! I am no longer in your debt,” Gabe said in a grandiose voice.

Jonas eyed the pouch, his light green eyes glancing back up to Gabe. “You didn’t really have to. I could’ve just gotten new gloves myself,” he said as he put down the book on his lap and reached for the pouch. Prying open with his fingers, he pulled up soft wool, surprised at how soft the fabric was.

“I got it in green! I know how much you like green.” Gabriel watched intently as Jonas analysed every thread of the new gloves. He silently held his breath, waiting for his words.

“Well,” Jonas started, “it is a lovely green.” Gabe started punching the air, whooping and squealing about how he knew it. As he started rambling about how ‘there were so many colours to pick from, so he spent so many minutes scanning through the multiple hues of green to find the perfect shade, Jonas fiddled with the glove. His eyes followed each thread, marveling at how intricate the weaving was. The chains of wool were made in a new way he hadn’t seen before. Jonas hummed in amazement. “These are well made, Seamstress must really work hard.”

Gabriel blinked, a ‘huh’ leaving him. “I didn’t get it from Seamstress…” Now it was Jonas’s turn to blink.

“Who did you get it from then?” Jonas asked with a raised eyebrow. There were little people in the village who created clothes, some specialising in summer dresses or shirts with wooden buttons and others who made cloaks and scarves. He lovingly became familiar with the work of the villagers and each of their quirks. Now looking at his gifted green gloves, they certainly seemed different from the others. Beautifully crafted, but unique.

Jonas turned to Gabe, waiting for a response. “Seer’s daughter! Ki…ra? I think.”

It suddenly clicked in Jonas’ head. “Kira, yes I know her…” He knew she was a weaver and a skilful one at that. He had often heard stories from Matty about her work, how she was talented at a young age and how she crafted her community’s robe. He had seen her work, hung up in Seer’s house. Although he knew her work, it was an overstatement to say he knew her as a person. Jonas occasionally saw her around the village or when talking to Seer, and their exchanges were polite and surface-level. The last time they had a proper conversation was under… less than cheery circumstances.

“She’s super good too! Like the whole house was filled with her tapestries.” Jonas hummed as Gabe rambled. His eyes shifted to him.

“You went to her house?”

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

Gabriel knocked on the wooden door, taking the luxury of wiping off the snow on his boots onto the porch. The door gently creaked open, warm air rushing into Gabe’s face and nipping at his cold nose. A woman stood in the doorframe, black hair cascading down her shoulders, forking between the knitted chains of her cardigan. Her pale blue eyes looked at him, gentle yet confused. “Good afternoon, can I help you?”

“Are you the weaver?”

“Uh yes, but I haven’t been given a name yet, I’m just Kira.”

“I don’t care,” Gabe cheerfully shrugged, in only the way a carefree child like him could.

Kira’s eyes dart between the inside of her house and Gabriel, still confused yet trying and failing to mask it with a well-mannered smile. “Would you… like to come inside?” After agreeing idly, Kira stepped aside, moving her crutch away so Gabriel could enter. He looked around the house, making a ‘o’ shape with his mouth. “You can take off your shoes, I’ll take your coat,” she offered gently as she closed the door, enveloping them in warmth.

In the living room, he heard the soft sounds of strings being tuned. Peeking his head from behind the wall, he saw the Seer by the fire, busying himself with his instrument. The pale dog beside him lifted his head, sensing Gabe’s presence and watching him enter before going back to sleep. Gabe doesn’t mind dogs but he prefers the cats that roam the village, he even gave them names that were probably wrong. “Good afternoon, Gabriel,” the blind man suddenly said, looking up.

“Good afternoon, sir,” Gabriel responded with a slightly sour face. It never failed to creep him out when Seer called out to him even without looking at him, more off-putting than when Jonas did it but Jonas would scold Gabe if he was rude. Kira guided him to a seat at their round dining table, offering a cup of tea to which Gabriel swiftly refused, he didn’t like tea, it was just grass water to him. “Can you make me some gloves?” he asked, cutting to the point like usual. Kira blinked. “I have money!”

“I’m… sure you do but…” Kira started, voice thick with apprehension, “I don’t… really have experience making things for others…”

Gabe simply shrugged. “I don’t mind, besides! I heard from Matty that you make nice things and I can’t trust anyone else to not tell!” An amused scoff left Kira’s mouth, her face immediately lighting up as she muttered Matty’s name under her breath.

“Is this a gift for someone?”

“Yes, my brother,” it felt weird to refer to him like that, “Jonas.”

Kira hummed, rubbing the back of her neck. “Oh, the leader, yes?” Gabe nodded. He had forgotten that Jonas held such a high position, Gabe often just treated him the same (if not more rudely) as others. “Alright, do you have a reference--” Gabe dug through his pockets before throwing Jonas’ remaining glove on the table. “Okay…”

She guided him to a small shack in the backyard filled with drawers filled with dry flowers, herbs and dyed threads. In the middle, a big boiling pot helped warm the whole place. Gabriel walked up to it, unable to quell his curiosity until he smelt something foul. “Ew!! It smells like pee!” Kira sighed, her face wincing with empathy.

“What colour would you like?”

“Hmm… a dark green, kinda like trees.” Kira nodded, pulling out a ball of gem-like green yarn. Gabriel nodded in approval, following her back inside the house to watch her work. “How much do I need to pay you?” he asked as she set up her workspace.

Gently, she shook her head as she tied her hair to start weaving. “No need, I don’t take any commissions so I have no price point. Besides, I haven’t been able to tend to my garden so I have a lot of free time.”

Gabriel pouted. “That’s not right, I’ll give you some money for your work.” Kira chuckled softly, feeling as if there was no point arguing back. He watched her intently as she worked, entranced by how she worked so quickly and accurately. At the rate she was going, Gabe would’ve made fifty mistakes already. If he had the patience, he’d learn to weave since she made it seem so cool.

“Gabriel, right?” Gabe was caught off guard. How good must she be to work so quickly and make small talk?

“Yeah, but I just go by Gabe…”

“Alright, Gabe, would you like me to make you some gloves too? I noticed you didn’t have any when you walked in.”

“Nah, I have my own, I just don’t have time to put them on…” More like he didn’t want to bother putting them on. Kira hummed, smiling softly as she continued to work.

“You should make some time for them then, it’d be a shame you get frostbite on your fingers.” Gabe’s face scrunched, sighing softly. He wondered if Kira and Jonas had secretly teamed up to convince him to wear gloves. Either way, he preferred Kira’s warning, it was nicer. Maybe he would concede.

He stayed until the evening, sitting by Kira and idly chatting as she worked. Seer joined in too, serving dinner for all three of them. Gabe ate it, probably in a way that would get him scolded by his teachers and Jonas, but the food was better than anything he ever ate at school. A warm meaty stew that almost burnt his mouth because of how quickly he ate it, but cozy in the winter. The stew was surprisingly good for food made by a blind man. He sat across Gabe as Kira worked, Frolic curled up lazily by his feet as he soaked in the man’s body heat. “Everything is alright with Leader, Gabriel?” he asked with a soft voice. Kira’s eyes looked up at the question, shifting to Gabe curiously.

Gabe shrugged. “Yeah, he’s probably stuck at home reading. I don’t think he knows how to relax.” Jonas was always fussing about something; the fish inventory, the health of those expecting children, and when there was nothing in the village to fuss over he’d fuss over Gabe like he was still a baby. “I’ll surprise him with the gloves in spring, he’ll be impressed!” Kira hummed, a soft smile on her face as she continued.

“That’s nice,” Seer commented, “and how’s school?” Gabe’s gaze glanced away, biting the inside of his mouth.

“Fine,” he lied.

Kira finished soon after, handing the gloves to Gabriel with a polite bow. “I hope Leader likes them.” Gabriel looked down at them, smiling when he felt the soft fabric against his skin. The green was brilliant, if he lost them in the snow, he’d probably mistake it for a patch of grass. They were perfect, Gabe decided.

“He’ll love them! Everyone will be so jealous,” he said as he grinned, holding them up like it was a trophy. Kira gave him a satisfied yet tired smile. Standing up from the table Gabriel started digging through his allowance. “This is what I’ll give you, take it! I won’t leave until you will!” She nodded, giving him a nervous ‘okay okay’ as she took it with her red fingers, once a tanned olive before starting her work. Gabriel hummed, crossing his arms like a disappointed mother. “You should rest too.”

“I will, don’t worry about me,” Kira reassured as she stood up, guiding him to the door. “Make it home safely.”

“Sure sure, bye Kira!” He waved at her as he walked away, seeing her silhouette in the doorway, her pale gaze not leaving him until he was far out of sight.

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

Jonas walked around the market, the spring air breathing new life once again into the streets. It felt nice that the village was finally at its normal, peaceful, routine. He warmly greeted people, catching up and making small talk.

“How was the winter for you?” “Congratulations on your birthday.” “I’m glad you're feeling better.”

Walking past Jean’s stall, where she usually sold her homemade bread, Jonas paused, suddenly catching a glimpse of black hair tied in a braid in the corner of his eye. His breath stopped, regaining his friendly smile as he walked up to the two. “Good morning, Jean… Good morning, Kira.”

They both froze as Jonas greeted them before politely returning the kind gesture. “Ah, good morning Leader,” Jean said, her voice bright and young. When Jean offered a loaf of bread Jonas nodded happily, letting her prepare the loaf in paper wrapping. His eyes shifted to Kira, watching her awkwardly look around. Jonas almost bit his bottom lip, trying to avoid embarrassment. He cleared his throat.

“I’ve been meaning to thank you for the gloves,” he suddenly said, looking at Kira with his friendly smile. Jonas wasn’t the most social person in the world, but he had to be since he was Leader. Sometimes, his cheeks would hurt from so much smiling and waving. “I hope it didn’t trouble you too much during your winter.”

Kira looked at him, an airy chuckle leaving her as she shyly looked away. “Not… at all. I had nothing else to tend to so it was a nice project.”

“You made Leader gloves, I didn’t know you took commissions! I’ll have to request something from you then, I’ve been looking to get a cardigan like yours, Kira,” Jean said, peeking her head up from under the table as she passed the bread to Jonas. Kira shook her head gently.

“I don’t really, it was a request from Gabriel and I didn’t see why not.”

“I hope he didn’t cause you trouble either,” Jonas said. If he caught word of Gabe being even slightly impolite, he wouldn’t let him hear the end of it.

Thankfully, Kira shook her head, black hair strands falling from her ears. “Not at all,” she softly laughed. “He’s a very friendly kid.”

He nodded, trying to stop the sigh of relief from coming out of him. “That’s good to hear…” He turns to Jean, gratefully saying goodbye and thanking her for the bread. “Would you like to walk with me, Kira?” he asked.

Kira turned to him, wide-eyed like a cat hearing a mysterious noise. “Um, sure, I’m heading home anyway…”

They walked side by side, Kira surprisingly quick on her crutch as they walked on the cobblestone. Occasionally, Jonas would comment on the weather and other mindless things. “The trees will blossom soon, the flowers are beautiful.”

“Yes, I heard from other villagers about them. I’m eager for my garden to bloom too…”

“Right! I’m sure spring is quite exciting for you and your work.”

“And summer,” Kira hummed, her pale blue eyes travelling to the sky, looking more vibrant from the reflection. “It’ll be summer soon…” Her voice grew quiet, Jonas too. A name permutating in the air between them that neither wanted to speak out loud, it could make it real again. Jonas didn’t talk about him, only bringing him up when the topic came up. He wouldn’t bring it up willingly though, especially not around Kira. She lived in his house, everything related to him even if he just glanced at or touched it once. The house was full of him. Jonas inhaled, feeling like he was breathing too loudly.

“It’ll bring warmer weather,” he quickly said, wanting to drown the silence. Kira blinked out of her trance. “And there’s many events and celebrations, you’ll enjoy it.”

“Of course, I’ve never met so many people like me…” Kira wasn’t particularly social before she came to the village, but she wanted to make an attempt. After all, she was no longer the ostracised young girl from her village anymore.

They reached Kira and Seer’s shared home, the flower bed in the front already sprouting flowers that would soon dye her threads in a multitude of colours. Kira turned to him, politely bowing. “Thank you for your company, Leader.”

Jonas’ face flushed with nervous pleasure. “Don’t mention it,” he waved her gratitude away. “And call me Jonas, I wouldn’t want us to be too formal. Thank you for the gloves again. They’re beautifully made and very soft, you should look into making a living off it… maybe this time next year you’ll become Weaver.”

“Ah, you’re very kind… Jonas,” his name on her tongue sounded unsure, but he liked how it sounded in her gentle voice. She waved from the porch, bidding him farewell as she entered her house.

Jonas stuck around for a second longer, feeling his smile grow warmer. When he finally walked away, he felt that his steps were… lighter.

Chapter Text

The day they buried Matty, Jonas was silent. A wailing song was heard throughout the streets, so many voices joining in the cacophony, so many people who loved him. Jonas felt as if he grieved the walk back, he grieved enough. His eyes shifted up to the two in front of him, Seer and Kira. The man held her in his arms, head on her shoulder, like he had suddenly become a kid again. He’d never seen him like this. Kira stood tall in her black clothes, as silent as Jonas. Her dark hair was in the neatest knot, and yellow flowers tangled within it. He remembered those flowers. When Matty, still a child, first arrived at the village, he asked for them. Woad, was it? He shoved a handful in his pockets. “It a giftie for my friend,” he said. Jonas recalled him looking at him, his dirty face scrunching up as he glared directly into Jonas’ eyes. “Your eyes be a very flashie green. My friend has blue ones,” and then he scampered off to uproot the next flower, leaving Jonas confused and feeling as if he should be insecure. Now that he’d seen Kira, he found that Matty was right; she had brilliant blue eyes.

When the ceremony ended, Jonas paid his respects to Seer and started to leave. Before he left, he caught a glimpse of Kira kneeling by his grave. The blind man gently asked her something Jonas couldn’t make out, only hearing Kira say, “I’ll stay.”

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

Kira prepared dinner in the evening, humming as steam billowed into her face from the pot. Frolic sat by her feet, waiting for her to give him food or scraps to accidentally fall. She simmered vegetables with meat in a pot, and the smell wafted around the house. It was a recipe her mother half-taught her; she didn’t have enough time to teach Kira all her dishes that brought her comfort. Her father sat at the table, seemingly content to do nothing but hear and smell the food being cooked. “It smells just like Katrina’s cooking,” he commented idly. Kira breathed out a laugh.

“It’s not as good as her’s,” she responded.

“But it’s as close as I can get, I’ve been missing its taste.”

“She made it for me when he had chicken to spare.”

Her father leaned back in his seat, trying to picture it. There were many stories Kira told him about growing up and her mother, and she wondered how he pictured them. How did he picture her?

Kira continued cooking, adding spices and vegetables to her pot. “I heard Leader’s voice earlier, did he walk you home?” her father suddenly said, catching Kira off guard. She looked up from her dish, suddenly feeling herself shrink slightly. She completely forgot about the blind man’s ability to hear noises from long distances. He probably heard their whole conversation walking back.

“Yes,” Kira simply said, trying to finish cooking as if nothing had happened.

“Well, what a shame he didn’t stay over, we could’ve served him dinner.” Kira definitely wouldn’t be confident enough to invite Jonas for dinner, she’d suddenly lose all cooking skills if he were sitting at the table. “Did he enjoy the gloves?”

“He did, he specifically came up to me to thank me.” Her cheeks started feeling fuzzy, remembering the encounter. How strange that a single compliment could make her feel so light-headed. Perhaps because she spent the entire winter worrying about it.

The night Gabriel left with the gloves, Kira sank into her bed, realising she just made something for someone… and not just someone, the leader. She replayed the creation of the gloves over and over in her head. Maybe she worked too fast and accidentally messed up a stitch-- which she knew was impossible because she’d never make a mistake like that. What if he didn’t like how soft the thread was? The glove Gabriel gave her was more structured. She sat by the window, tapping her fingers on the sill as her father played her a song, only thinking of those gloves. When Kira was knee-deep in chores, the only thing she thought of was those damn green gloves. Maybe he wouldn’t even come up to her about the gloves; he was friendly, but he wouldn’t take time out of his busy schedule to thank her for something so small. But if he didn’t approach her, would that mean he didn’t like them? He was far too polite to say he didn’t like a gift, so what if he did hate them? Would she have to wait for next winter to find out if he was wearing them? Wouldn’t that mean she would be stalking him? Oh dear, is she stalking him? Even if he did come up to her, what would she even say? ‘I’m so glad you like them!’ No, that was too desperate… ‘It’s no biggie!’ No! That sounded like she was bragging!! Why was it so hard for Kira to take a compliment?!

The rest of the winter, she was an anxious mess.

Kira sat at the table, sighing and rubbing her feet after standing for so long. She was used to long periods on her feet, and it seemed to be easier each time. After years with a cane and more with a twisted leg, she would hope she’d become adept with her cane.

Frolic waited patiently by her side, looking up starry-eyed like she was an angel. He was getting a bit fat, and Kira was mostly to blame. She lovingly snuck chicken down to him. “I can hear you feeding him, he’s getting heavier…” Christopher said suddenly, idly stirring his soup. Kira’s head snapped up to him, her eyes darting down to the chunk of chicken Frolic was happily gobbling down. “His footsteps on the floorboards sound different,” he explained.

“Well, he gets good exercise,” Kira cooed, scratching the back of his ear like he was the most cherished thing in the world. She heard her father chuckle. Frolic was the laziest dog to live.

They sat in comfortable silence, the subtle noises of eating, drinking and blowing filled the air. Kira tried to listen to the quietest of sounds when she started living with her father. She wanted to understand how it was to live like him, fourteen years of being apart, and she wanted to feel like she was with him during the years he was getting accustomed to being blind. He struggled, but he lived. In that way, Kira and her father were similar; pain made them stronger.

“I’ll wash the dishes,” Christopher offered, standing up as he grabbed his plate. Kira nodded, pushing the bowl toward him to make a loud noise for him to find it. She rubbed circles on Frolic’s head as the faucet went off. Her eyes wandered around the house, at the many wall hangings she made, the various blankets on the chairs, and the other projects placed in the oddest of places. If she made more things, she might run out of places to put them. It was probably because of the winter, the snow and her garden in stasis, often compelling her to create. Maybe she should try and give things away.

She never thought people would want the things she made. In her old community, she only picked up the scraps left by the weaving women, using them to make her creations. And, of course, she worked on the ceremonial robe. But no one ever wanted her personal projects. Maybe Matty was only fiddling with the small things she made before tossing them aside out of boredom. But perhaps now would be different.

Her mind travelled to Gabriel, who trudged through the snow just to ask her to make gloves. Then her mind wandered to Jean and her off-handed remark; “I’ll have to request something from you then, I’ve been looking to get a cardigan like yours, Kira.” And finally, her mind went to Jonas. She pursed her lip, shifting in her chair like a sudden fire was under her. She turned to her father, still busy with the dishes, a tentative breath leaving her. She pursed her lips, intertwining her fingers and staring at her father. Kira wasn’t a particularly straightforward or assertive person, and she definitely was less so when she was younger; she often stared at her mother helplessly until she could read her mind and say out loud what Kira wanted to say. Now, it seemed like she had reverted to a child.

He seemed to notice as his head peeked up slightly. His whitewashed eyes shifted toward her, uncertain and expectant. She wondered if this was how it would’ve felt if her father had been with her during her childhood. “Is there a bug on the table? You stopped breathing.”

Kira let out a breathy laugh. Now that he mentioned it, her lungs were suddenly filled with air again. “No, No, there’s no bug…” She shifted in her seat again, nervously resting her head on her hand before adjusting again to play with her hair. He still looked toward her, an unreadable expression on his face. Maybe her staring wasn’t obvious enough, her face scrunching in frustration, and she sighed. She supposed she should just give a small clue. “I was just thinking… about the market.”

“The market?” he echoed, still not getting it. “Well, it’s been running more smoothly this year, thankfully. I heard Jean is thinking of expanding into more baked goods.”

Kira scrunched her nose, scratching the back of her head. “Well, that’s good… I’m sure it’s great timing for new people wanting to sell things.”

“New people? Well, there’s hardly any change to the sellers. I’d like to buy from someone new.” She wanted to throw her head on the table. Maybe he knew, his unreadable expression seemed more like he knew and just wanted to hear it from her mouth.

Her fingers started petting Frolic, trying to find words that didn’t sound too blunt. “I think I want to start selling my things.” She failed. Christopher looked at her, delighted surprise in his grey eyes as his smile widened. Kira returned her hand from Frolic’s head, placing it delicately on her lap. “I mean, I only thought about it briefly, and I’m sure it’ll be a lot of work to set up. I probably won’t even go through with it since I have enough work setting up the garden and other housework.”

“I think it’s a good idea, Kira,” he said, his voice as comforting as ever. He sat across from her, his head turned down to the floor, when he heard Frolic scamper over to him for attention. Christopher’s long fingers brush against his body as he curls near his feet. “If you’re nervous about all the work, I can always take the load off.” Kira pursed her lips, and he sighed, feeling her apprehension in the air still as thick as it was before. “I once lived alone and blind, I haven’t forgotten how to take care of a home just because you and Matty spoiled me.”

A small sigh left her mouth, but her fears weren’t fully quenched. “What if people don’t like it?”

“I think people will,” her father said, sounding so sure like he was stating the sky was blue. “Before, people didn’t see your talent because all they could think about was how you fell short. But now, talent is all people think when they see you.” Kira felt her body relax as a warm smile took its place on her lips. Christopher smiled, clearly pleased. “Now all that’s left is to talk to Leader.”

“Jonas…?”

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

He would like to think he’s very organised when it comes to all the things in the village. Gabe called it micro-managing, but Jonas simply thought it was just the duty of being a leader. The late morning sun flowed through the windows, illuminating his desk in bright white light. He scribbled quick letters and numbers on his notebook, hearing it echo across the silent room. Four new lambs, five chicks, and only two calves were born within the second week of spring… Jonas tucked back his hair as he reached for the next statistics that he needed to note down meticulously. ‘Nitpicker,’ Gabriel’s words echoed. Jonas huffed as he thought about it. Oh well, that’s just his opinion

Jonas continued scribbling, his mind idly wandering to other topics; it was only natural from many years of writing down charts and numbers. He should meet up with Gabe soon to check up on him… make sure his schoolwork is all in order… Perhaps he should also see Seer. He hadn’t seen him since autumn, and he wanted to tell him about an interesting book he had found about music.

Kira would be there too. He wondered how she was holding up, even though he saw her yesterday… He wished for more chances to see her and catch up. It seemed improper not to check on her frequently after the funeral. Perhaps he should walk by her house and ask about her garden. Other than that, they could simply meet at the market or pass each other while walking. It would feel so natural. He imagined her walking down the streets. He imagined her at his door… She was at his door. Kira was at his door. He snapped out of his trance, head snapping to look out the window. Sure enough, she was standing outside his door, hands fiddling with her blue cardigan as she waited. He rushed down to meet her, almost running out of breath.

He opened the door, too fast, apparently as surprise flashed across her face. He tried to hide his heavy breathing. “Kira!” She can tell!-- “Sorry, I… I didn’t hear you knock.” A polite smile grew on his lips as he quickly snapped into a more proper posture. She quickly nodded her head as heat flushed to her cheeks.

“Oh well, I didn’t knock…” If Jonas could throw himself into the river, he would. “But, it’s alright… I just got here.” He could sense the white lie off her.

“Ah… I shouldn’t keep you waiting any longer then, come in!”

He made way for Kira, who stepped up with her cane. His eyes fixed on her as she looked around his house, at the bookshelves and small items scattered about. Jonas felt his cheeks flushing. He should've cleaned up. "Have a seat," he gestured to a chair, which she carefully sat in. "Um, would you like anything? Tea, or...”

“No, I’m alright…” She shook her head softly.

Jonas sat in the chair in front of her, expectant. Kira straightened her posture as she adjusted her cane, which leaned against her chair. He leaned back a little more, thinking he appeared overly firm, making her nervous. He would never want to make anyone nervous, especially her. Clumsily, he cleared his throat. "So… what can I do for you, Kira?"

“I was thinking about what you said yesterday. About the gloves.” His mind started running through everything he said. Did he say something he shouldn’t have? He didn’t even know if she meant that in a good way or a bad way, but he had to be prepared. “About how I should look into making a living out of it.” He could’ve fallen to his knees out of gratitude.

“Yes, I remember.”

“Well, I was thinking of going through with it… I seem to have filled my house with my things, and selling them would be nice. So…” Kira’s face lightened up with a sheepish chuckle, causing her shoulders to lift just slightly.

“Ah,” Jonas simply vocalised. But he liked the idea of it. Kira was incredibly talented, and although the village heard rumours and talk of it, they didn’t know the extent of it.

There was a pause for a second too long, causing Kira’s smile to waver slightly. Jonas quickly shook his head as a genuinely encouraging smile stretched across his face, causing Kira to let out a relieved sigh. “I think it’s a great idea, I’ll give you a table and write you down for next week’s set of vendors!”

“Thank you, Jonas.” Her hands pawed against her skirt in an attempt to quell excitement. “Although… I’m not quite sure how to… start all of it,” she said, her voice trailing off.

However, it didn’t deter Jonas’s smile. “I’ve never sold anything in the market, but I have a bunch of figures of what sells and what doesn’t. Would you like to see it?” Kira nodded, her blue eyes squinting as a grateful smile took hold of her lips.

Kira waited at the bottom of the staircase as Jonas looked through his files. The circular staircase would be too difficult to traverse with her cane. He pulled out a specific notebook, filled with numbers and sales from multiple weeks of seasons of years of the market. All those hours of painstakingly writing numbers into charts are finally paying off! Jonas was practically zooming across the room. Swiftly, he went downstairs, meeting Kira at the first step as he opened the notebook and explained everything. Everything was organised by week, sales, and the type of goods sold. Knit goods usually sell best in early spring or late autumn; mostly clothes, though tapestries and small trinkets would be novel to the village, they’d be trendy. Kira focused on each word, nodding and humming as he explained. “Wow, everything is so organised…” she murmured. A self-satisfied sigh left Jonas. Well, he did try… He was glad some people could appreciate his efforts, unlike some green-eyed boy.

At the end of their small meeting, Jonas helped her to the entrance. “If you need anything else, please feel free to ask,” he said.

“Thanks, you’ve already helped me so much.” Kira stepped down the steps, turning back to look at Jonas in the afternoon light. He knew her eyes were a brilliant shade of blue, but the light just seemed to make them glow.

“Well then, I’m excited to see you next week. I’ll be the first to buy from you.”

A bashful laugh left her. “Thank you,” she repeated for what felt like the millionth time. “I’ll have to give you a discount, Jonas, for all you’ve done.”

“Ah, well,” it was his turn to be flustered now, “you make it seem like I did all of it.”

“But you do help organise all of this, not just for me… and not just for the market as well. You really do so much for the village. So… the least you deserve is one discount.” They both looked at each other for a moment, pale eyes looking into pale eyes as well. But it didn’t feel awkward. It felt like understanding… like he was seen. The last time he felt like that was with the Giver. 

After a couple of seconds, reality seemed to seep back, causing Kira to clear her throat and her face to flush. “I… I should get going then… I shouldn’t keep you distracted from your work.”

“O-oh yeah! You’ll have a busy evening too I imagine.”

“Goodbye, Jonas,” Kira waved, starting to walk away. Jonas waved back, keeping his eyes on her until the faint sound of her cane against the path disappeared. He closed the door, silence filling the room. Wasn’t it strange? That same feather-like lightness was coming back to him…

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

The week before the market was a blur for Kira. Her steps often faltered as if she were dizzy, and her stomach was weak with anxiety. She had practically turned the house upside down looking for things to sell. It wasn’t like she was at a loss for choice; it was quite the opposite. She wondered if it was even nice enough to give to people. Kira ran up to Christopher, calmly playing his instrument as she shoved something into his hands. “It’s wonderful as always, Kira…”

“Y-yes, but… is it sellable?”

He hummed, squishing the small hedgehog she had woven months ago before deciding, “I don’t see why not.” Asking her father turned out not to be the best idea, as he loved everything she made. But who else would she ask? Jean? No, she’d also say the same thing. Jonas?? He’d also say the same thing .

She managed to shorten it down, barely, but she did. At least the house looked less cluttered, though her father had to get accustomed to the different scenery.

The night before, she sat at the dining table, labelling each creation with prices she derived from Jonas's meticulous notes. Christopher joined her, mainly to keep her company as she worked. “How are you feeling?”

“Nervous… I know I won’t get a second of sleep tonight,” she replied, putting away a small tapestry on a pile of other tapestries that were already labelled. “I mean, how do I know if people are even going to buy any of it?”

He shrugged. “You won’t… but I’m sure they will.”

“Yeah, at least Leader will buy something.” Kira felt her shoulders relax as she reached across the table for another tab of paper.

“I’ll buy something too.”

“I don’t think that really counts, it’d just come back to me…” she chuckled, “but thank you, the thought matters.”

Now, Kira sat at the newly set-up table. The early morning made everything a pale gold. She couldn’t sit still, every so often suddenly standing to adjust a random item on her table. Kira got there at the crack of dawn, still early enough that most of the vendors hadn’t set up their tables yet. She stood up again, slightly moved a scarf for what felt like the hundredth time, sat down again and sighed. For someone who fell asleep late and woke up before the sun came out, she would’ve imagined she wouldn’t be this restless. In the distance, Kira spotted Jean arriving at her stall, somehow managing to carry multiple boxes and bags. She set them down with a hum before she spotted Kira from the corner of her eye. Her face immediately brightened with surprise as she ran over. “Kira, you’re selling?!”

She hummed awkwardly, her hands rubbing against each other on her lap. “Yeah. Well, I have too many things and… everyone’s always told me I should start.”

Jean’s eyes skimmed through her table, hand up to her lips as she gawked at all of her products. “Oh! Save this one for me!” she pointed to a shawl. “I can’t buy anything now, but by the end of the day, I will definitely be back.” With that, she quickly rushed over to her stand to finish setting up. Kira did what she asked and folded it to set aside. 

As the sun rose slowly, more people streamed through the streets. Kira pursed her lips, her blue eyes watching the passing people intently. The key was to be patient; Kira knew that. When she wandered the market for the first time, she was guided by whatever interested her. So it was as simple as waiting. Kira sighed, slumping in her chair, looking at the ground through a curtain of black hair that slipped out of place.

“Are you the weaver?”

“Huh?” She looked up, blue eyes wide as a cat’s. An older woman stood before her, quietly analysing Kira’s slouched frame. She adjusted herself, shaking her head softly. “Oh, I haven’t been given a name yet, I’m just Kira.”

“Yes, Seer’s daughter. He’s told us that you were the weaver in your past community.” Kira hummed. Well, at least that took care of advertising. She watched as the woman took a look at what she had to offer, her expression unreadable as Kira sat there politely, unsure if she should talk about her things. “You’re very talented,” the woman simply said.

“Oh, thank you.”

“I see now why you were the weaver of your last community, I’m sure you’ll be given a name soon.” Her right hand picked up a scarf from the middle of the table, rubbing it between her fingers as she looked down, delighted. Soon it was put into her basket, and Kira was fumbling with the money handed to her, recounting it twice… thrice. “My grandchild is set to be born soon, so I’m sure my daughter will enjoy this as a gift for her kid.”

Her face stretched into a warm smile, and she felt her chest grow fuzzy. “I’m sure she’ll love it. It’s still cold, and it’ll be perfect for next winter,” Kira said softly. The woman returned the smile before walking away, but her gaze followed her until she disappeared into the crowd. Kira felt lightheaded and fuzzy… That was nice.

More people came over, asking her the same thing, looking over her products, buying, and walking away. Kira fell into a rhythm, this selling thing was easier than expected. By noon, most of the stock was gone. She kept her eyes peeled for Jonas in every person that passed by. He did say he was gonna pass by. Well, he is probably busy, after all, he has much more important things to do than come to the market. Still, considering everything was selling so fast, it would be a shame if he did end up coming to an empty table. In a gap between customers, Kira carefully picked up something she thought Jonas would enjoy. She folded it neatly and set it aside with Jean’s shawl.

By the afternoon, Kira leaned back into her chair, feeling as if a big, ugly grey cloud had disappeared from the sky. Of course, it all turned out well—it was almost like everyone told Kira it would. She couldn’t help but chuckle to herself. The familiar sound of Jean’s shoes on the pavement woke Kira from her daydreaming. “Woah, you basically cleared everything out. I have stiff competition.” Jean shuffled through her pockets, pulling out enough money.

“Right the shawl.” Kira bent down, handing it to Jean perfectly folded. “Thank you so much.” Her gentle voice was met with Jean brushing her hand in the air.

“I should be the one thanking you, I have a new staple for my closet.”

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

“Good afternoon!” Jonas said hurriedly to any passer-by he came across as he practically sprinted towards the market. A puzzled ‘good afternoon?’ came from the group of teenagers he sprinted by, wondering if they should run too if the Leader is running. Surely this was an emergency?

Of course it was an emergency! Stupid! Stupid! He hadn’t expected to be caught up by so many different people, things, and new numbers to jot down. Every second, he pried his eyes away from whoever he was talking to and anxiously looked at the time. For someone who had everything organised by the decimal, he really dropped the ball on this.

His breath rattled in his head as he took striding steps on the stone. The market came into view as he rounded the corner, his pale eyes scanning the area to find Kira among the dwindling crowd. At the end of the street, underneath a tree with leaves just starting to bloom, Jonas spotted a familiar head of black hair. Two familiar heads of black hair… Is that Gabriel???

In a rush, he was already at the table. “Good morning! Afternoon! Sorry!” he panted out. Kira’s blue eyes widened, half shocked, half pleased. Gabriel raised an eyebrow. “Please forgive me for getting here so late, I wasn’t expecting to get caught up in other duties…” Jonas said, looking down at the mostly empty table.

Kira shook her head with a pursed smile, waving a hand around. “Don’t worry about it! Please, I’m glad you’re here.”

“I personally wouldn’t forgive him but whatever,” Gabriel said idly, leaning into her table and looking at the assortment of woven trinkets. Jonas hit Gabe softly with his wrist, but he didn’t seem half bothered, picking up a little frog.

“Did I miss anything important?” Well of course you did! You missed the whole thing. Jonas hummed a bit, pursing his lips. “I mean… nothing caused you trouble?”

“Oh, none at all, everything was perfect! Thank you so much for all your advice the other day, that data was quite useful.” Jonas felt a smile grow, grow so big his cheeks warmed up. All that meticulous note-taking finally paid off, helping her, and the excitement swelled in his heart. He played it off with a soft laugh. “Before I forget, I didn’t want you to come empty-handed,” she suddenly perked up, bending down softly to reach for something under the table. Both Gabe and Jonas looked over with curiosity. Her hands carefully laid out a blanket, pretty beige threads woven with accents of blue and green, just like the sprouts at the beginning of spring. “I saved this one for you. Also, don’t think I forgot! You get a special discount for all your help.”

Gabriel’s mouth dropped slightly when he heard the last part, a quick gasp left his mouth. He immediately turned wide, pitiful eyes, perfectly practiced, to face Jonas. “Can you pay for my things?”

“Sure,” Jonas said idly, his attention on the blanket now resting on his hands. Small threads were braided at each side, creating incredibly soft tassels. “It’s beautiful, thank you so much.” He noticed how Kira’s tanned cheeks puffed up slightly as she smiled, and her dark hair fell from her ears as she did. Her blue eyes were slightly closed like a shy sunrise. Maybe there was a dash of red on her cheeks…

“I’m very glad,” she simply said.

The blanket and Gabe’s small frog were put in front of her as Jonas counted out the money. Gabe had a smug smile on his face as he watched. “Thank you,” he said with a sing-songy voice as he bumped into Jonas’s shoulder softly.

“I can give you some sort of discount, too, Gabe,” she said as she took the money from Jonas, “for the association with Jonas.”

“Don’t do that, he’s spoiled enough,” Jonas said.

“I’m not!” He complained, turning from Jonas to Kira with a huff. “Thank you, Kira , at least someone’s nice to me.”

Jonas chuckled softly, passing Gabe’s small frog to him and putting the blanket under his arm. “Since the market is over now, why don’t we help you pack up? Gabe and I would be happy to do it.” Gabriel snapped his head to Jonas like he had killed someone.

“If it isn’t much trouble, thank you,” Kira’s voice was gentle. Jonas had already started helping before she finished. They carefully put the last remaining things in their place. Kira was folding the tablecloth into a neat square before tossing it into a stray box.

Gabriel had two boxes in his arms that Jonas passed to him. “I’m not doing this because he told me to, I’m only doing this ‘cause I like you Kira,” he whined as they started walking on the path to her home. The sun was still high in the sky, painting every leaf bright green and yellow. Jonas thought that maybe in a couple more weeks the trees would blossom into rich pinks.

Kira’s braid swayed softly as she walked beside them, her cane clicking against the bricks. “I’m sure you two are gonna be busy throughout the day. Don’t you have school work, Gabe?”

He blew a soft raspberry, “It’s only like one… two… five? Bits of work, I can finish that fast!” Gabriel adjusted the boxes in his arms, kicking them up slightly.

“Gabriel, please try to be more organised, I’m free this afternoon if you need me to tutor you again,” Jonas said with an edge of cheerfulness.

“Uh uh…” Gabriel vocalised, shrugging away from him. “Kira, he tortures me! He forces me to do reading comprehension over and over again!” She giggled softly. Jonas, feeling his cheeks heat up, kicked Gabe softly outside of her vision.

They soon reached the steps of Kira and Seer’s home, placing the collection of boxes on the porch. “I can handle it from here,” she insisted, and Jonas had no choice but to concede. Gabriel dusted his hands against each other, looking at the bed of flowers next to the steps. “Well then, I shouldn’t keep you any longer,” she began, her voice trailing softly. After a second of silence, she cleared her throat awkwardly. “Actually, would you like… to come over for dinner some time? Maybe this weekend?”

“Dinner?” Both Gabe and Jonas echoed. “Yeah, of course we’d want dinner!” Gabe responded before Jonas, who was left frozen. “Are you gonna cook that stew I had last time?”

“If you really want it,” Kira shrugged with a smirk.

“Awesome! Jonas, we should go!”

“Yeah… yeah,” Jonas blinked from his trance. “Right, yes, we should definitely have dinner. It’s been a while since I’ve talked to your father.” His hand scratched at his arm, timidly nodding.

Kira’s smile got bigger, her lips pursing so slightly that anyone wouldn’t even notice. But Jonas notices. She nodded. “Then I’ll expect both of you for dinner!”

Gabriel was dragging Jonas away from her house, yapping happily about something like the stew he had and how it would be the best stew Jonas would have. He was half listening, looking over his shoulder every so often. Kira was still at the door, waving, and her eyes never left the two. There was a moment where their pale eyes met each other, and that same familiar feeling shot through him like lightning.

His smile felt so giddy. Oh, it was like he’s gonna puke out his heart.