I've Been Dreaming - Of You [Menel & Laven]

"Happy Solstice!"

Menel's joyful voice broke through the early-morning air, it wasn't as startling as it might have seemed. The happiness in his tone made the words sound as though they belonged in the air even if it was still so early in the morning that the sun had yet to rise. Which was entirely purposeful of course. Menel had known he'd have to get up extra early if he wanted to surprise Laven with breakfast in bed, particularly since he suspected that the elf had similar thoughts. In fact he'd almost considered laying awake all night, but in the end he'd been lulled to sleep by Laven's warmth and pleasant thoughts of what the next day would hold.

The swordsman held a tray of freshly cut fruit, some pastries which he'd been told were called danishes, and two cups of steaming hot chocolate. Menel had made absolutely none of it himself. No, he'd long since been utterly banished from the kitchen unless it involved cleaning something, and after ruining yet another of Laven's coffee pots... he couldn't argue about the decision. He'd ordered all of the food to be delivered last night - minus the fruit and coffee. The fruit of course he'd been more than able to cut up himself at least, and the hot chocolate was from a nice older woman who ran a cafe down the street.

He'd run over there and gotten a whole liter of it from her, the rest of which was still in the kitchen with the other pastries and cut fruit for when Revina wandered downstairs. And for Menel himself since he couldn't possibly fit enough food to feed himself on a single tray. He could carry enough for Laven though, and enough for them to share at least what would likely be for him the first course.

Menel sidled closer to the bed, his blue eyes positively glowing with goodwill. He was wearing the best clothes he owned. Which largely equated to the new pants that Laven had helped him find and the shirt that the elf had made for him. "I come bearing breakfast, and I promise I didn't burn anything." He grinned as he spoke, his tone a bit quieter and gentler, but still buzzing with a low level of excitement that he could feel singing through his blood.

He didn't know exactly what this day might hold, but there were a dozen butterflies doing battle in his stomach and he could hardly wait to give the gifts he'd gotten. The swordsman was filled to the brim with a bright white hope that he could fill this day with the sight of Laven's smile from beginning until end.

Menel was more than happy to join Laven in their bed, making himself comfortable and helping to settle the tray between them so that it wouldn't tip over or something else unfortunate. He couldn't make the smile on his face fade away, and he didn't try. Nor could he help the flush that rose to his cheeks at Laven's exclamation about the meal. Really it didn't seem like much to him. He knew that if Laven had made it that it would have been something more elaborate than this but... Well anything else he could have bought would not have tasted very good after waiting a day to be eaten.

"I wanted to." He grinned and picked up a piece of melon to offer to the elf. "Plus this way there are hardly any dishes to wash either." Actually he hadn't thought of that at all until now, but it wasn't a bad added benefit. He laid his other hand over the second cup of hot chocolate like Laven had to measure how hot it was.

He lifted that same hand a moment later and ran his finger over Laven's ear, capturing the hair that the elf had missed and pushing it over. "Really though, I just didn't want you to have to cook. Seems to me that you should get to relax on a holiday right?" It didn't seem fair if Laven had to cook. No, it was better to sit together in bed like this. Both of them relaxing, both of them enjoying a slow comfortable breakfast with one another.

Menel didn't hesitate to grin or simply bite the fruit directly from Laven's fingers gently. It was so nice and comfortable sitting with the elf like this. Honestly he'd never had anything like it before. Someone to share so many little moments with. He shared nearly everything with Laven. This place which had so quickly become his home, even the same bed. He wasn't the sort of man to question that though, but he was the sort to be appreciative of it.

"I don't know if I can promise that." He shifted a little so that they were close enough that the line of their hips met just a little. Not close enough to crowd Laven so that he couldn't move freely, but enough that he was touching the other man as much as possible outside doing that. "I liked surprising you with breakfast in bed... but I'm sure you'll catch me sleeping one of these times."

He picked up another piece of fruit and ate it with a nearly distinct air of satisfaction. He couldn't help it though. It was no small accomplishment to wake up before Laven, or to set up all of this breakfast without it being patently obvious what he was doing. It was worth the effort though. Everything from the hours of chopping wood for the woman he'd gotten the hot chocolate from, to hiding the danishes in a place he'd nearly been certain that Laven was sure to find them.

The swordsman flushed a bit Laven's gratitude and his words making his cheeks bloom with color. This was why he'd done it. Not really for the words, but because making Laven happy made him feel like nothing else in this world could. He started to say something, it was just breakfast after all but the moment his lips parted the words left him and he couldn't really say it. So his cheeks burned a little brighter and he tilted his head so that for a moment the side of his head lay against Laven's.

"You're the one that's wonderful, that's why I did it." He shifted away so that he could look at those crimson eyes that seemed so warm today. For a change the weight that he so often saw inside the elf seemed far away and that... that alone was worth any amount of effort. "I love you Lavender."

It wasn't often that he said Laven's full name, he sometimes got the impression that the elf wasn't very fond of it so he didn't use it as much as he might have otherwise. But sometimes like now he said it softly, as if it was a treasured sound. Sometimes he said Laven like that too, because however he spoke the elf's name, it meant the same thing to him. "So..." He made a soft sound in his throat and covered the deep swell of emotion in his chest with a small sip of his hot chocolate. "What comes next?"

Laven chuckled ruefully at the use of his full name, stretching his leg out to that it could press against the entirety of Menel’s. He set his cup down to take up the sides of Menel’s face instead, pressing a kiss against his forehead. “I love you, Menel.” In all the little ways Menel kept showing him joy he had never thought would be in his reach, in the way he said his name like it was a prayer. He leaned into Menel’s warmth and closed his eyes, savoring the moment and keeping it close to his heart.

He let Menel drink his hot chocolate before answering, tearing off a small section of one of the danishes and nibbling on it. “Next? I suppose we’ll make our way downstairs at some point and Revvie will catch up with us. Then We can show you our surprise for you.”

---

It had come to him one night while Menel was out late. He’d been standing at the closed door to the dining room they never used and he wasn’t sure Menel had even seen in the six months they’d been together. Revina had found him staring at the hand carved wood, his hand resting on the handle but not using it.

”Eh, now that’s an idea.” She had startled Laven, her feet as silent as his when she chose to be. “Put the old place to good use, now that it’s not just you an’ the dog with me.” Her black eyes had looked over at him and she moved before he could respond to push the door open.

The room was as big as the last time he had been in it. An ornately carved wooden table covered in cloth, ringed with similarly covered chairs and a delicately designed chandelier hanging from the ceiling above it. Revina padded through the space, her bare feet kicking up little dust but by her grimace she felt it anyway.

“Whadda ya think? We clean this place up an’ give Snowflake a right lovely Solstice? S’what you’ve been talkin’ about aye?” Laven finally let out a breath and joined her, letting the door swing shut behind him. There was a fireplace, set up so that the people dining would be warmed before they had installed a furnace in his grandfather’s generation.

Laven nodded his head slowly. “It’s almost perfect. But I think… I have an idea to make it better.” He’d leaned into Revina’s solid side, pointing and drawing up his ideas for her with his hands as she nodded and laughed. Then they had set to work, spending any time Menel wasn’t in the house in this room.

---

Laven took another bite of the pastry, wiping away an errant crumb with his thumb and chickling at Menel’s expression. “I want it to be a surprise. Hopefully you like it.”

There are some everyday, simple things that some people could take for granted. Waking up beside the person that they loved. Seeing that person smile. Sharing breakfast with them every day - or very often at least. It was a thousand tiny little things that were so easily forgotten that Menel loved. It was how Laven smelled just faintly heavier of what he used to lather his face after he shaved. It was how he would feel someone watching him, a sensation that for so many years had meant danger and warning, but when he looked up it wasn't someone carrying a dagger meant for him. It was Laven watching him quietly. Sometimes... he would catch a lingering look of appreciation in those crimson eyes, and many times it was something softer. A look that said without words that he was loved.

Sometimes it was the way Laven's fingers lingered just for a few more seconds on his cheeks, and he would find his eyes half sliding close with a small heartfelt wish that this moment, this peace, could last forever.

His life wasn't that kind of life. He wasn't the sort of man who lived quietly, and he doubted Laven was either. Being an assassin made that a bit obvious.

Menel flushed a little, not really from embarrassment but more from excitement. In some small way it made him almost a little uncomfortable to think that Laven and apparently even Revina had gone through whatever effort they had for him, but at the same time he was excited for it. He could hardly wait to see what they'd done, or to share what small surprises he had with them. Underneath that was the lingering curiosity and concern that he had not done enough, or that he had chosen the wrong things. Even with the things he'd learned from asking Revina for help... hopefully his inexperience would give him some leeway.

He would do better next year.

"I can't wait to see it." He smiled back at Laven, eating a danish himself with a few quick bites. "I'm sure I'll love it."

Rosy color had settled on his cheeks. "Honestly I'm glad that we're doing all this. Even if I've never had to spend so long feeling nervous about if someone was going to like something I've gotten them." It was good though, all of the anticipation had been nearly enough to distract him from the anniversary of Aviline's death last week. Even if he'd spent most of that day in quite contemplation staring in the direction he knew her grave lay, and tending to the small forget-me-not plant that he couldn't plant there this year, he hadn't been able to spend any more time lingering on it than that. This year he was to busy with the business of the living.

He couldn't help wondering though, on that day not so far past, what Aviline would have thought of Laven, and what Laven might have thought of her. Aviline had been the sort of person who seemed to like everyone. Laven was so very different from her, but sometimes he could see similarities between them. They shared a small passion for making things. She in her embroidery and knitting, he in his tailoring. And they both looked at him in the same way. Quietly without a word watching him as if they could not take their eyes off of him. As if he was something magical just when he walked into a room.

"Will they die as the price of your love or will you be the killer you're afraid you might be?"

No.

Laven was not a lamb. He was fierce and beautiful, as good with a blade as Menel was and sometimes better. He had a mind made of lightning and a willingness to use all of those powerful weapons at a moments notice. He was a survivor. Menel's eyes fell for a moment to the barest edge of a scar that trailed almost lovingly over Laven's lower lip. His love was a survivor. A man with more scars and years put behind him than Menel could match. Menel couldn't believe in a thing as fickle as fate.

He wasn't strong enough to give up on love now that he'd found it again.

He cleared his throat, feeling his ears burn with the realization that he'd been staring just a little, drinking a little hot chocolate as a poor way of hiding his embarrassment and flashing Laven a roguish grin. "Well, you'd better hurry up and finish breakfast, because otherwise I'm going to start in on your portion so I don't get tempted to just end my anticipation now and give you what I got you early."

Menel would never have eaten Laven's portion without permission, but given it the swordsman set to what was left behind with his usual gusto. He worried a little that Laven didn't eat enough sometimes, but his appetite was not one to measure anyone else's by, and there was more than enough food in the house so he didn't have to worry that they'd run out. Even if he ate all day long there would be food left over for tomorrow. He'd made certain of that.

"Enjoy your shower!" He was glad that Laven was turned away when the idle thought of joining Laven in the fall of hot water so that the elf didn't see the crimson rushing to his cheeks. He'd already had a shower though, and he had some food to eat while the elf bathed.

The swordsman finished the food long before Laven finished his shower, so Menel bused the dishes downstairs and washed them. There was no sign that Revina had gotten into any of the food or hot chocolate here, so Menel poured both himself and Laven another glass of the hot sweet liquid and wandered back upstairs. Thankfully he didn't have to wait long, Laven was only a few steps behind him heading toward the wardrobe to get dressed for the day.

"It looks like the food and hot chocolate hasn't lured her downstairs yet so we should definitely check on her." He didn't want to get started without the woman. She tried to put on a tough face all the time, but he could tell that under the outside layer of prickliness she had a heart a lot like the one that beat in Laven's chest.

Menel waited for Laven to finish getting dressed to offer him the cup of hot chocolate and a bright smile. "Maybe if we bring her something to drink she'll be a little less grumpy?"

Wrapped up in his hand-crafted armour of clothing Laven smiled warmly at Menel and accepted the mug, sipping at it appreciatively. “I think that’s a perfect idea. Come on then, let’s go bother her.” It took only a moment to tug the bedclothes back into place and then they made their way downstairs.

The stairs were slightly more tricky to navigate with hands full of drink but the two men were graceful and they didn’t lose a drop of the hot chocolate as they made their way to Revina’s section of the house. The bedroom door was shut, so Laven passed his cup to Menel and nodded back towards the kitchen. “Go ahead and get her a drink, I’ll poke the bear.” He chuckled and turned the knob, knocking softly and poking his head in as he swung it open.

“Revvie, it’s time to wake up.” His voice was soft and had a sing-song quality to it as he peered through the dark towards her bed. It was smaller than his, enough room for her and the fairy hound who was her almost constant companion. Mac lifted his white head and looked at Laven before dropping his head on a raised section of blanket that he assumed was Revina.

The lump shifted and grumbled, and Laven took that as a sign she was aware enough that she wouldn’t attempt to take his head off. Slipping into the room he made his way past the piles of clothing and machine clutter, singing her name loudly before stopping at the food of her bed. “Reviiiiina, wake uuuup.” He grinned at Mac, who was sitting up and wagging his tail so that the feathery appendage struck against the lump of Revina with a feathery whack.

“Noooo, bugger off.” Her scratchy voice was even rougher with sleep, and the bundle of blankets shifted as she tried to wrap them further around herself. “Go ‘way.”

Laven laughed and tugged at the edge of her blankets, pulling enough of it free that he could see a foot and grabbing that instead. “Up up up! It’s Solstice and Menel and I want to go sit down but we can’t without you, you great lump of a woman. Get up!” He pulled at the ankle and with a grouchy roar Revina turned and sat upright, Mac immediately bouncing onto her and licking her face and hands. She was wearing absolutely nothing, the blanket covering her waist and Laven shaking his head at her even though he had been just as nude in his sleep.

“Eugh! Fine! I’m up you right arse!”

Revina looked over at Menel and his slowly reddening face, her mouth suddenly full of teeth as she grinned. “Oh Snowflake, ya brought me a little drinky?” There was something vaguely evil about the way she was smiling and Laven flashed her a look of warning but too late. Flipping off the thick blanket Revina stood and launched herself at Menel, revealing that she was clad in nothing more than a pair of what could only be grudgingly called underwear. She grasped the mug in a single hand and patted his cheek with the other, the most physically affectionate she’d been with him since Menel had found himself living with the two elves.

“Revvie, don’t give him a heart attack. Put on clothing.” Laven laughed and crinkled the corners of his eyes as he watched Menel grow redder and redder. He had sat down on the mattress with Mac, idly petting the hound as he watched the two interact. He knew Revina hadn’t quite warmed up to him fully, sometimes seeing his sister in everything but birth watching the younger man when he wasn’t aware of it. But he had begun to catch her smiling at him more, and meaning it. Slowly her prickly wall was coming down. It warmed Laven’s heart to see.

With a rude noise Revina took a deep swallow of her hot chocolate before winking at Menel. “Can’t have ya passin’ out before you get your gifties, eh? Alright alright.” She made her way to a pile of clothing that appeared to be ‘clean’ and squatted down to rifle through it as Laven sighed and shook his head. He gave Mac one last scratch behind his ears and stood, gathering Menel and leading him back out the door.

“Whenever you’re ready, my beloved queen of hearts. We’ll be in the kitchen.” He would at least spare Menel the sight of Revina stripping off the last of her clothing. The poor lad might actually faint from all the blood rushing to his face otherwise.

Not for the first, and likely not for the last time by any means, Menel was very glad that he had spent so many years of his life training and fighting. So many years learning to read a person's body and intentions from the smallest of indications. It was an interesting challenge in a way to try and tell what Revina was going to do without looking any further south than the bottom of her chin, and Menel was wholly aware that no matter how hard he tried he simply wasn't blind enough to not... notice.

He wished she was wearing clothes.

Menel barely had the presence of mind to ensure that she got the right mug when she took one from his hands. There was one small benefit to his uncomfortable awareness of her at least. When her hand lifted to touch him gently on the cheek the motion was so telegraphed that it didn't startle him. "There's breakfast downstairs too." His words were cheerful if slightly faint, and he was unduly grateful for Laven's intervention.

“Can’t have ya passin’ out before you get your gifties, eh? Alright alright.” Menel made a small sound of protest. He wasn't going to pass out. He watched Revina nimbly make her way to a pile of clothing that made the swordsman distantly wonder if she'd use him for target practice if he cleaned her room, his blue eyes quickly returning to Laven as the elf drew closer and offered him an excellent reason to leave. Even if it was just to go with Laven.

Menel followed the other man, offering Laven his cup of hot chocolate back. "Are we exchanging gifts right away? Should I grab what I got for you and Rev?" A trickle of excited nervousness had his stomach shifting with butterflies.

He kept half-forgetting that Laven had gotten something for him too. Had Rev? The thought made him feel like he was spoiled. That feeling was only emphasized by Laven's gratitude and affection. He was glad that the other man appreciated his effort - it hadn't been easy after all - but in some way he almost felt guilty. He didn't feel like he deserved all of this.

Just for a moment longer Menel let his fingers linger around Laven's waist, his lips still tingling from where they'd kissed. "I love you." He gave the man a grin. "And I'll be right back."

Menel could feel himself flushing, more from the kiss than from what he'd said. He knew from experience that if Rev caught them kissing that she'd make all sorts of embarrassing noises and comments on it. She liked making him flush as much as Laven did.

Quick steps carried him back upstairs. It had actually taken some doing to find a spot that he could hide the presents that he was fairly certain that Laven wouldn't look. Actually... he'd sort of made it by finding a loose board and carefully placing everything beneath it. Now he gathered the presents back up and put the board where it was, resolving mentally to make sure and nail it down properly later so that it would not be so loose in the future.

While he was upstairs he prepared one more final surprise for Laven which took him slightly longer than he had hoped, but he smiled at the result thinking about what Laven might think of it.

He came down the stairs with one very nicely wrapped box and three which were... somewhat less so. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't seem to get the crisp edges of the wrapping of Laven's first present. He'd tried to compensate with more tape but... the result had been a rather messy wrapping job.

Two of the packages were of an equal size with the third being notably larger than them all, and he arrived downstairs with a broad smile, already looking for where he knew Laven would be standing.

Laven let Menel leave with the soft tingle of their kiss still on his lips. He couldn’t help the smile and the shake of his head at the way the other man warmed his heart and made him feel so loved and comfortable. He found himself finishing the cocoa and making a pot of coffee as he waited, mixing the two right as Revina emerged in something that could almost be called presentable. The thick sweater looked warm at least. Or at least the parts that weren’t full of strategically placed holes did.

She crossed the kitchen with Mac trailing at her side, depositing her cup and swapping it for the mug Laven held in his hands. “You’re welcome, that was exactly the reason why I poured myself a cup of coffee. For you to steal.” Laven’s cheeky words earned him a grin and a wink from Revina before she stole one of the pastries that Menel had left in the open.

“Fair game, yeah? Where’s Snowflake?” After wiping the crumbs off of her fingers she took the new cup of coffee that Laven offered her, hopping up onto the kitchen countertops and swinging her legs so that her bare feet gently smacked into Laven’s side.

With a chuckle Laven grabbed the foot that hit him next before trying for the other. “Getting his gifts for us. I hope you gave him something nice? Not evil?” There was pleading in his eyes as he looked at his cousin. She only smiled and bit into another danish.

“You’ll see. I’m gonna go start the fire. You two catch up after snogging your faces off.” With a wrinkled nose she pulled on her foot until Laven freed it and jumped back down. One slightly sticky kiss on the cheek later and she was gone. Mac remained, quietly begging for some of the bread for himself. Laven could only laugh and twist off a small portion for him as he waited for his lover.

When Menel reappeared with his packages Laven couldn’t help the way his eyebrows rose though he smiled at the effort he could see Menel put into his wrapping. “Here, let me take the food, you keep a hold on those.” With a chuckle Laven swept the large tray of food and the carafes of chocolate and coffee into his hands, pushing the door that lead through the small dining area open with his hip before leading Menel through a part of the house the swordsman hadn’t really seen.

When Laven’s ancestor had come across the sea and built an empire of secrets and blood she had commissioned this massive house to be build so that her kin would always have somewhere to come home to when they were in need. Which meant at some point the large dining hall had been used every night with the elven family all sitting around the table as servants deposited dishes of rich and overpriced food onto their plates.

In the time that Laven and Revina had grown up here the clan had all but vanished so the pair had closed it up after their grandfather had died. With the onset of Winter Solstice and Menel’s interest Laven and Revina had transformed the space. The massive carved wooden table had been pushed to one wall and loaded with preserved foods and candies as well as decorated with magic candles that could be left burning for hours on end without causing wax to drip and ruin the delicately woven cloth that covered the wood surface. Revina had set the massive fireplace to go, a smallish fire beginning to chase the chill out of the high ceilinged room. They had found the time to haul a large couch in front of the warm flames, as well as two overstuffed chairs and a mattress on the floor clearly meant for a dog of Mac’s size.

The hound bounded past Laven as he opened the door and smiled shyly at Menel. “We wanted to do this somewhere… cozy but a little more fancy.” He glances at the crystal chandelier that hung from the center of the ceiling, casting glittering rainbows from the light of the fire and candles combined. Revina lounged on one of the chairs, winking at Menel and raising her cup.

“Happy Solstice, Menel. C’mon, sit.” There was no tree in the room as some people had to celebrate the season. Instead there was room in front of the fireplace where Laven and Revina’s presents rested. Neat boxes wrapped in beautiful paper.

Menel half-heard Rev's comment as he entered into the kitchen, but the swordsman was almost certain he'd heard her wrong, and if he had heard her right... he wasn't sure he knew what she meant by it. Laven's smile met his own and his broadened into a grin when Laven offered to bring the bulk of breakfast with him. Really Menel wasn't sure what he'd expected. Likely for them to get together in the little living room or even just sit around in the kitchen, but he was a little surprised when the elf led him to a door he'd never been through before.

He was far more surprised by what lay on the other side.

Above him like a gleaming star was a chandelier, flickering with warm reflected from the fireplace which was crackling merrily in spite of the fact that they'd all been asleep not long ago. There was a massive table off to the side with all sorts of food which Laven only added to with what he'd put together for breakfast. The room was huge and open and warm. Not simply in the sense of physical warmth but it had an indescribably homey feel to it that he could not have put into words if he tried.

It was easy to forget how long it had been since Menel had lived in a real house. These comfortable walls were something that he was still adjusting to. There were times that he felt as though this place was not his. It was too old, had too much history; was too lived in. Thankfully it was not a feeling which overcame him often, but it tickled along the edges of his shoulders and made him long to place his hands on the wood until the echo of himself was left like an imprint in the wood. So that this place would be his too, so that it would remember him like all the whispers of those who had called it home before them.

Certainly the only other place he'd called home was not like this. That small far-away cabin could not have held this kind of awe-inspiring beauty. Nor could any of the many residences he'd walked through in his years as a bodyguard - however beautiful they might have been - hold this sense of welcome.

For just a moment he was awed by it. By the work it had surely taken to clean it up and set everything just so. By how lovely it was.

Laven's words finally broke through his thoughts and made him flush a little because he knew he'd been caught staring at the space like some kind of barbarian let into a castle for the first time. It faded quickly though as he grinned unabashedly. "You really managed it. It looks amazing. I didn't know you guys had a real chandelier." He grinned at Rev as well, needing no further welcome than her words added to Laven's to coax him to the couch.

The swordsman had no more sat down however than he popped right back up, laughing at himself and offering two of the presents he'd wrapped himself to her. One of them looked nearly identical to the one he'd kept, and the other was larger and firmer. Rectangular and solid where the first was only generally rectangular and gave a little here and there. "Here, these are for you Rev. Merry Solstice."

He sat down again, relaxing on the comfortable couch and waiting with a sort of vibrating energy for Laven to sit down so that he could press Laven's presents on him as well. It was quite clear that the swordsman was excited. Menel had never had to wait so long to give a gift to someone he intended to give a present to, and he'd found the effort nearly unbearable. The anticipation made him practically thrum and he knew he wouldn't be able to relax until they at least got started on unwrapping them.

In fact, he was so excited that though he'd noticed the food, and really only eaten very little as far as he was concerned; he completely forgot that he was hungry and that there was a veritable buffet waiting for him not so far away.

It was easy to smile at Menel’s expression when he took in the room. Laven felt a rush of pride that all the work he and Revina had put into the usually uncomfortable room had paid off. He flushed and shooed Menel forwards to the couch so that he could set everything down onto the table that was serving as their buffet for now.

As Laven settled things Revina took the wrapped gifts from Menel and grinned up at him. “Oh Snowflake, thank you.” She flushed a little at the two gifts in her arms, a rare show of embarrassment at Menel’s kindness. “One of your gifts couldn’t be wrapped but here.” She set the packages down gently at the foot of her seat, hip checking Mac as he went over to investigate them. She knelt and pulled out a fairly flat and squarish box wrapped in dark paper with bright silver designs along the surface from the small pile in front of the fire..

Only after depositing it into Menel’s hands did she curl back up in her chair, grinning at Laven as he came over to kiss the top of her head before fishing his own presents to Menel and Revina out of the pile. Revina’s was small and rattled as he lobbed it to her, chuckling as she cursed him and caught it one handed. He curled up against Menel and offered him his gift, smiling and wrapping an arm around Menel’s shoulder so that he could lean against him and watch Menel’s face easily as he examined the box. “Here, Revvie why don’t you open yours first.”

Rolling her eyes she did just that, tearing the paper without ceremony and cooing over the set of dark metal ear cuffs Laven had found for her. They had extra links to run from her lobes all the way to the tips of her ears and tiny bird skull designs with crystal beaks dangling to catch the light with ease. She grinned and blew Laven a kiss. He smiled warmly and leaned closer to Menel, resting his cheek on the firm muscle of his shoulder. “Go ahead, we’ll do one each.”

Menel accepted Rev's gift with a bright smile and a light flush that he could not chase from his cheeks. "Thank you." Revina's gift was quickly followed by one from Laven which he could not help but look at with a great deal of curiosity. He shifted the presents a bit so that when Laven sat down he could lean over himself and give the elf a small kiss on the cheek and proffer his own gifts - however poorly wrapped one of them might have been. "Thank you."

Nervousness and a tight excitement warred in his stomach, but he didn't mind them at all. He watched eagerly as Rev opened the present that Laven had given her and nodded to himself a little. The earrings suited her. Menel didn't know much about fashion but he knew enough about Revina to know that she had a penchant for wearing things that were sharp, intimidating, or black. Preferably all three.

“Go ahead, we’ll do one each.”

Menel had just a moment of hesitation before he looked down at the two gifts he'd been given. He decided to open Rev's first, mostly because she'd given it to him first. He picked up the flat square box she'd given him and hesitated again before following her example and finding a seam from which to tear the package open. In retrospect he suspected that the amount of tape on the presents he'd wrapped himself might make that more difficult for Laven and Rev.

It didn't take him very long to get it open, but the present inside stalled the swordsman for a third time. Menel knew quality workmanship when he saw it, and this was definitely that. She'd gotten him a sheath-belt. He could tell it apart from a normal one by the thickness of it and how it was arranged so that he could easily slide or buckle his sheathes onto it. It was made of a darker leather, worked with a subtle design. He pulled ran his fingers over the new leather with a touch sensitive to craftsmanship. Just the scent of it made him think of the draw of his swords. Gently he drew it up and noticed the buckle that clasped the belt was - like the belt itself - both lovely and practical.

Blue eyes lifted, looking at Revina. The gratitude and happiness was written so plainly across his face that it could have been seen from miles away. "This is... This is beautiful Rev." He had the grace to look a little embarrassed and cleared his throat. "Thank you." He glanced toward Laven.

Both elves seemed very pleased at Menel’s reaction. Revina flashing him a wolfish grin and Laven a much softer one as he sat up to examine the package Menel had offered him.

It was practically encased in tape, and Laven raised his eyebrows and laughed at Menel after a moment of trying to find a seam to open it from. “Menel, are you sure you actually wanted us to open these?” He softened his words with a kiss on the swordsman’s shoulder before finally giving in and ripping the paper with his nail and freeing his present that way.

It was a simple but well made leather sheath, the material supple enough to be rolled or lain flat. Nestled perfectly inside were a set of knives that looked like they had been made for Laven. “Oh Menel.” Laven smiled and drew one of them, shaking his head and smiling at the balance and weight that seemed to fit his hand like they belonged there. He smiled warmly at Menel, returning the knife to it’s holder so that he could cup the side of Menel’s face and kiss him gently. “Thank you. These are absolutely beautifully made. Where did you find them?” His fingers brushed over Menel’s cheek.

Revina made a not at all subtle gagging noise and grinned when Laven threw his crumpled paper at her. “C’mon, you two can make out when I’m not around!” With a grimace at the image she must have conjured into her head Revina picked up her own small package from Menel. She opened it with more energy than Laven had, Mac shaking his head at her feet when some of the wrapping paper landed on his muzzle.

When it was clear that Menel had given her a set of knives as well she crowed, inspecting each blade with care and grinning the entire time. “Snowflake, you did good.” With a laugh she tossed one of the blades in her hand, spinning it in the air and smiling as it was caught easily. “Thanks.” There was enough pleasure in her voice that her curt words were clearly heartfelt. Laven beamed and wrapped his arm over Menel’s shoulder once again, squeezing it.

Laven's commentary on his attempt at wrapping drew a low laugh out of Menel, an embarrassed and slightly self-deprecating grin spreading over his face. "I haven't had much practice wrapping things up. I thought it'd be like making a bed or something but it was definitely not the same." He couldn't even remember how much paper he'd ruined trying to get it down before he'd finally admitted a certain level of defeat and left it with what he'd been able to accomplish. The result that Laven was looking at did at least look a lot better than his first three attempts.

It was worth every effort, and the hours he'd spent in the forge as well when he saw how pleased Laven was with the knives. They were fitted to the elf's hands, a measurement that Menel knew more by how their hands fit together than by any actual measurement. Revina's had been made in much the same way. It pleased him to know that his estimates had been accurate and that the weapons could be handled so easily by their respective owners.

"I made them actually." He smiled and rolled a shoulder. "You didn't want me to spend to much money so..."

His eyes flickered to the row of silver weapons he'd spent the better part of the week either pumping bellows for or pounding out of raw metal he'd earned. They were simple weapons, but then they were meant to be thrown and any amount of fine workmanship on them could have easily thrown off their balance. "I found a blacksmith who could use an extra pair of hands and worked for some steel to make them."

The swordsman watched Rev toss one into the air with a spin. His smile spread out into a little grin and he looked at the second package in his hands, glancing one last time at Laven to make sure that it was okay to open it before he set to it as well. He was pleased to find clothes inside, and surprised when he picked up the edge of cloth to find that it was not one, not two, but three pairs of pants. The first was perhaps the nicest pair of pants he'd ever owned. He could tell in his way that Laven had made them himself, the elf had a beautiful way with tailoring and it never ceased to amaze him. The second was incredibly soft, he wouldn't have risked wearing them out on a job but here at home they would be almost to comfortable to wear. He flushed a little at a sudden small thought, turning red to the tips of his ears.

Quickly he picked up the last pair which were made of a firmer material that cooled his ears a bit. These he had little doubt would be much better for work. Something that would handle a few combats or six without showing much wear or tear. It was so much... He was astonished by how much work this must have taken. How much skill. He'd always admired those who had the ability to create things, and Laven was in his opinion, gifted at it.

He smiled at Laven with a little touch of awe. "Laven..." His tone said that it was to much, that he didn't know how to express how much Laven's time and effort meant to him. Thank you just didn't seem to cut it. Impulsively he leaned forward and kissed the other man, ignoring Rev and running his fingers over Laven's face touching him like the precious thing that he was; thumb rolling along the elf's long ear. In the breath after he looked into Laven's crimson orbs so close to his. It was almost more intimate than kissing, as if he could see some small part of Laven's soul. "I love you so much... I can't believe you did all of this for me."

He meant everything. Not just the clothes but the room and the food and the whole holiday. He felt spoiled and warm. Happier than he could ever remember being.

Laven could only shake his head in marvel over Menel’s effort to make them gifts that suited both Revina and himself so well. Shake his head and smile softly into those beautiful blue eyes that he could feel the devotion in. Revina was uncharacteristically silent as Laven touched Menel’s cheek once again and came closer to rest their foreheads together. “I’m glad you like it, love. All of it.” He pressed a little harder against Menel’s forehead before pulling back and returning to a lounging position at his side.

“Well if you two squishy lovebirds are done? I wanna see what else Snowflake got me.” Revina grinned and pointed at a colorful bag filled with white paper. “That’s for you two.” She looked down at the animal at her side and chuckled at his pitiful expression before hauling the box into her lap and turning it over in her hands before unwrapping it.

While she fiddled Laven shifted and grasped the bag by it’s handles, his eyebrows shooting up at the weight of it once it was settled on both his lap and Menel’s. “Revvie if you open it you’ll find out what he gave you faster.” His laughter was bright as Revina rolled her eyes and begin strip the paper away from her gift.

It was a wooden box, simple and elegant in the way it had been put together. Something about it seemed to strike Revina as important as she smoothed her callused fingers over the design burned into the lid and looked up at Menel with surprise. “You sure? This must have been too much for you to be spending, Snowflake.” She was flushing darkly, the color making her look angry at her own embarrassment. When Laven turned towards her in curiosity she shook her head, frowning and looking down at her hands. “Eh… Thank you. Menel. Thank you.”

With a soft sound Laven glanced from his cousin to his lover, lifting his shoulder in a shrug that mirrored the one Menel often gave. He turned to the gift between them, giving the other elf a moment to compose herself. “Well, lets see what our beautiful queen of love and steel gave us.” He lifted some of the paper, catching sight of a bottle of something, full of a clear and thick liquid. It was only after seeing the box and toy sitting with it that he flushed and started laughing again, turning his head into Menel’s shoulder and tipping the bag so that Menel could see clearly what Revina had decided they both needed.

While Laven picked up the bag that Rev had indicated Menel was to interested in whether or not she would like her second gift that he ignored it for the moment in favor of watching her moving it around as though she might try to guess at what it was before opening it. He knew the moment that the paper cleared the box and she laid her hands on it that he hadn't needed to worry. She touched it in much the same way that he had the belt that he'd been given. He grinned at her surprise. "I'm sure. It was worth it." He said the words with absolute certainty. It'd been worth getting for her even before he'd seen how appreciative she was of it.

The fact that she knew exactly what it was without opening the box itself, that she handled it in the way she did only emphasized what he already knew. Laven on the other hand did not seem to recognize the box for what it was. "I'm glad I was able to find a full togi kit." He said the slightly foreign word with its proper inflection. "They seem to be harder and harder to find each year."  

A sad truth he knew from trying to find replacements for the parts of his that needed occasional replacing. Laven shifted some paper with purpose, and though Menel felt a flash of curiosity he let Laven look inside first. What he didn't expect was for Laven to flush and laugh before tilting the bag in his direction. His curiosity brimmed and he tilted the bag slightly further as he leaned over to look inside.

Dumbly he blinked at the items inside, trying to understand what... One hand pulled a bit of the paper out and Menel flushed red to his ear-tips. Menel might have been a little dense about certain things, but there were some things that even he had enough imagination to understand. The swordsman thought of their bedroom upstairs and felt just slightly light-headed. A little odd noise left him and he looked up at Laven only to feel his cheeks burning all the brighter. "What..." His mind tried to fit the things that he didn't recognize with the things that he did or which he understood well enough to at least insinuate the purpose of and couldn't for the life of him figure out. Menel shoved the paper back into the bag a bit hastily and swallowed his question. "That... I mean... thankyouRev." The last part spilled out of his mouth in a rush.

He shifted a little in his spot and let Laven handle the bag least he dump the thing over onto the floor spilling its contents everywhere. The swordsman couldn't help thinking that...

Menel's blush wasn't fading and he shifted again, making the gifts he'd been given comfortable in his lap and looking at Laven and trying not to think. "Laven... Would you like to open my other present?" His voice might have been just a little off of its usual tone, the words just a little faster than they usually were. What was he supposed to say about a present like that?

Just watching Laven handle the little box filled Menel with a small amount of tension. He hoped that Laven liked the gift, and for some reason he could not explain that hope had become pure nervousness. Menel heard Laven's breath catch at the sight of what was in the box, the swordsman watched Laven's expression like a hawk but much as he knew Laven and as attentive as he was he could not have said exactly what it was that the elf was thinking in that moment. A dozen different thoughts seemed to cross his face in a matter of moments. Things too intertwined with one another for Menel to decipher.

When Laven looked up, his crimson eyes blinking rapidly Menel couldn't help but think that it looked like happiness, like pleasure and some old pain that made the elf's beautiful eyes dark and light all at the same time. For the first time Menel wondered if there was a reason beyond not having earrings that Laven didn't wear them. For the first time he considered the fact that if Laven's ears were pierced... why didn't he have some of his own already?

Laven's fingers touched his face, those crimson eyes looking into his own as if Laven was looking for something beyond what was on the surface. Something beyond Menel's hope and the first stirrings of concern that slipped around the edges of his blue eyes. This though, wasn't the time for his concern. Instinct told him to let this go for now, and desire for Laven's joy made it easy for him to push it aside. Whatever had darkened Laven's eyes could wait until the elf wanted to explain it. If he ever did.

Menel's own hand lifted, tracing his thumb over Laven's cheek and backwards until it chased the elf's hair back behind one of his pointed ears. "They aren't half as beautiful as your eyes, but they made me think of you." His voice was just the barest hint deeper than it normally was, his tone fond and loving, and he chuckled gently. "I had almost given up on finding something that wouldn't be trouble if you had to fight in a pinch, or give you away in the dark but..."

He rolled one shoulder. "All that matters is if you like them, and even if you don't want to wear them, you can keep them and know I was thinking of you. That's what I want you to know Laven, that you're always on my mind, even when I'm shopping for socks." He grinned a little with light flashing in his blue eyes.