A Gift

The storm passed by the village the night before. Although the villagers suffered some damages, it wasn't to an excessive degree that would pose a threat to the entire village.

Rain stepped outside their house and saw how the villages were busy first thing in the morning. They themselves suffered some damages from the storm which was only limited to the fence around the house that had stood for almost 2 years.

Since it's made of wood, it's only a matter of time until it needs to be replaced. And since the storm already did some work, Rain has to finish what was started.

Rain stretched his body, making sure not to hurt himself. "I gotta thank that storm, though. It made my work a lot easier." he said, turning to the door that's opening behind him. "I thought you'd still want to make love with the bed since it's still cold outside, but it looks like you're good to go."

Yv gave him a questionable look after hearing his strange remark first thing in the morning.

"I don't think that's possible, making out with the bed, I mean." Yv shot out a response immediately, "And it's a lovely day after the passing of a storm. It would be a total waste for me to spend my morning inside the house doing nothing." she added.

Rain agreed, forgetting what she initially said and offered her a chair. Yv was surprised by this gesture but still accepted his offer.

"How strange. You don't normally do this." Yv pointed out.

This time, Rain stared at her blankly for saying such a thing. "Even I can do this sometimes. That just shows how grateful I am for how you're acting these last few days."

"So you prefer me acting like this than my prideful attitude?"

"I definitely think that this is better, but I also like that prideful attitude of yours. I don't know how to put it…. Either way, whatever you chose to be is fine with me." Rain held up his thumb and index finger, giving her a little measurement. "Make sure to hold back a little with your prideful side."

This made the corners of Yv's lips curl up, albeit slightly and barely noticeable from the distance. Instead of saying anything back regarding their little subject, Yv forced and changed the subject.

"You're going to work on something, right? Why don't you focus on that while I whip something for our breakfast?"

Rain saw how she didn't want to pursue the subject and discarded it as well.

"I'll need to trade something for nails back in the village. Do you think you can handle yourself while I'm gone?"

Yv shot him a sharp look as if she's offended by his words. If anything, it's her who should be asking him that kind of thing. Being a completely average person puts him at great risk. But because he was asking in consideration for her safety, she decided to let him off.

"I'll manage somehow. Given how busy everyone will be, I doubt there would be anyone who'd try to pull something while I'm here."

Rain worriedly looked over to Yv. Every time something happens, there are people who would want to take advantage of the situation and rob other people's houses while they're busy. Although they hadn't experienced such a thing ever since living in the village, they can't rule out the possibility of not experiencing being targeted by such people.

Despite being a mage and an elementalist to boot, Rain knew Yv is still a woman in the end. Even if she overpowers them with her magic, no one knows what could happen if such a situation were to occur.

"Still, don't let your guard down just because you have an advantage." Rain finished stretching, "I'll make sure to return as early as I can." and he smiled.

Yv heeded his warning and so nodded her head, "I'll make sure to whip something just as fast so make sure to return early."

Rain also nodded his head, but then realized the nature of how they talked to each other. He turned away slightly flushed by his late realization.

".... W-What the hell was that? We sounded like a c-couple just now… did we?"

He was already making his way towards the village and couldn't help but turn around to look at Yv, who had immediately made preparations for their breakfast. She looked more like a wife preparing a meal for her husband even though she wasn't that attentive in the past.

Rain was slightly hopeful at the sight of Yv acting like a wife but the sudden thought came to an abrupt end when Rain realized how absurd it was to consider. Right after he got his head straight, Yv turned towards her direction. Hoping to catch a glimpse of him looking at her. But to her dismay, he disappeared into the village without meeting each other's gaze.

"... It would have been a lot easier if I were honest about my feelings, huh?" Yv sigh, "To think that my actions up until now would come and bite me back. What a fool must I have been,"

Thinking about how she had acted up until now. Yv realized her blunder. Because of her prideful attitude for almost 2 years, she wasn't able to properly convey what she really felt. She expected Rain to be the first one to confess, however, it never came. And to make things even worse, he was upfront with what's holding him back from making any progress in their relationship.

By the time Yv started putting in more effort, it was already too late. Rain had already resolved himself to maintain their current relationship, making further progress difficult.

Rain spent more than 20 minutes before heading back after gathering everything he needed. He expected that it wouldn't take long but since they all suffered from the storm, he unexpectedly ran into trouble. With so many people wanting to acquire the same thing as he does, they ended up engaging in an unexpected battle.

"That was one hell of a battlefield." Rain wiped the sweat on his forehead. Looking back at the village behind him, he smiled. "Fortunately, I was able to get everything I needed to repair the fence and got something extra, too."

Rain took something out of his pocket and gazed at it heartily before putting it back in his side pocket.

"I wonder if she will like it. It's not fancy than what she owned in the past but I hope she'll cherish it as much,"

The house was visible even from far away and he could see Yv already waiting for him. By the way she behaved, it seemed like she had already finished preparing their breakfast. This made Rain look forward to eating breakfast for the very first time. Usually he would just drink something like tea or coffee. But since Yv has volunteered to make breakfast, Rain didn't want to pass up on the opportunity to eat another elven meal.

Yv stood from her seat the moment Rain drew near and greeted him, "Welcome back. How are the villagers?" she then turned her attention to what he brought with him. "Considering how strong the storm was last night. You must have encountered an unexpected problem."

Rain scratched his head. It was as if she was there and saw everything unfold with her very own eyes. Having seen through what transpired, Rain nodded.

"A lot of people were after the same things I wanted. So we ended up competing with each other. Luckily, I was able to snatch everything I needed before the others got ahead of me." Rain boasted of his little exploit.

"You're quite proud of that achievement, huh?"

"Well, it wasn't easy. It made me remember how it is back home when everyone is aiming for the same items. You can't afford to be slow and indecisive."

Yv smiled slightly as he showed how he enjoyed the little battle he had. It was then that she invited him inside the house where she had already prepared everything.

"I thought it might rain again, so I prepared everything inside. Come on, let's eat."

Rain thanked her and went inside. Right after he walked through the door, the enticing aroma tickled his nose. The hunger that his body forgot thanks to his exploit was immediately brought back and he seemed like a starved wild dog, drooling.

Yv saw his reaction and let out a chuckle. Normally Rain would have reprimanded her but he didn't. Instead, he turned to her like an excited young boy entering a candy shop for the very first time.

"That smells good! Can I really eat it?!"

".... Isn't food supposed to be eaten? We can't let it go to waste now, can we?"

Hearing her confirmation, Rain sinks his teeth on the meal Yv prepared. Although he thinks it's a waste to eat something that smells so wonderful, he figured that Yv would have hated that. She spent some time preparing it, after all. And for him to do that would be incredibly rude for her even if it isn't what he intended.

Rain enjoyed eating Yv's dish so much that he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings. He even failed to realize that Yv was staring at him the entire time and wasn't able to eat her own food. It's as if she was in a trance just by looking at him enjoying her cooking.

It didn't take long for Rain to finish his portion and realized that Yv's portion was left untouched. She wasn't even sitting beside him anymore and served him tea. That's how lost he was while he was eating Yv's elven dish.

"... T-Thanks. I didn't realize I burdened you for eating like that. It's just so delicious that I lost myself." said Rain.

"Not at all. Rather, I'm glad that you felt that way about my cooking. To be honest, I wasn't confident that it would turn out as good as you think." Yv gave Rain a reassuring smile.

After serving Rain a cup of tea, Yv went on to eat her breakfast as soon as Rain finished drinking. Since Rain will be spending most of the day fixing the fence, he made sure to buy some meat for their meal for the entire day. Yv saw this and immediately went on to prepare the dishes using the meat as base.

For lunch, Yv cooked a rather heavy meal that would supply Rain all the energy he needed to continue working. She even served him tea whenever he went to take a break. In spite of the strenuous nature of fixing the fence around the house, Rain didn't complain. He saw how hard Yv was working despite not being used to working until now. He realized how hard it must have been for her, so he wants to be a good example.

It was almost 4 PM in the afternoon when Rain finished all the repairs and even added a few fences to completely close off the entire house. By the time he finished, Yv had also finished preparing their dinner.

"I'm spent…." Rain fell on his back, exhausted. "I wonder how long this will last."

"Which one?" Yv suddenly stuck her head in Rain's field of view, surprising him.

"Everything… Ha! Ha! Ha! Everything's been smooth lately. And based on my experience, whenever something good keeps happening for a while, something opposite will happen eventually." Rain replied immediately, "F-Forget it…. This is just me talking to myself. Ha! Ha! Ha!"

Rain tried to laugh it off. It was something that he didn't say on a whim. In fact, it's been on his mind for a while now but didn't want to share it to Yv, until now. He saw Yv's expressionless face and thought nothing of it until she asked him a question himself.

"You're quite right about that. Fleeting happiness is only momentarily, after all." Yv agreed, "But if that were to happen, I mean, in case that happens, what would you feel?"

Rain looked at her, trying to make out what she asked as it is different compared to the expression she was showing him. She was asking a question that would have at least required a little bit of expression, yet she doesn't show anything, confusing Rain as to what she really feels.

Rain smiled bitterly and looked at her, filled with too much affection that could easily be misunderstood, "To be honest, I'd feel sad." he then placed his arm over his head, covering his eyes, "But that's just asking too much, after all, you're someone important. Nothing binds you in this place, and you're bound to leave one day, I know."

The two of them fell silent as if they weren't planning to say anything irresponsible that would only burden one another. It was a fact that both of them knew would happen in the future.

"Instead of talking about depressing things, why don't we eat dinner? The soup might go cold." said Yv, urging him to eat dinner. She then offered her hand, in which he accepted.

"You're right. Might as well enjoy this while it lasts, right?" Rain flashed a smile, and led the way inside the house.

Yv followed right behind him, visibly shaken by what he just said, she clenched her fists and bit her lips in agony.

Right after entering the house, Yv wiped the expression on her face and calmed herself down. They both ate dinner as if they didn't have a depressing conversation right before eating. Rain kept the atmosphere lively, showering praises to Yv for her excellent cooking. He then volunteered to wash the dishes as thanks for making dinner.

"Let me do the dishes. You must be tired after working on the fence the entire day." Yv moved towards the sink.

Rain instantly shook his head and pointed at the chair beside the table, "Not at all. I've got plenty of rest while eating. And besides, you must be tired of cooking the entire day. So why don't you sit this one out and leave this to me?"

Seeing as he wouldn't back down, Yv sat down and realized something.

"You haven't taken a bath yet, right?"

"Yeah, we went straight to eating dinner right after I finished working on the fence. There's still a fire so I'm boiling some water."

It wasn't dark yet and since they're close to the river, Rain could still take a bath right before going to bed. And since he's washing the dishes, Yv made sure to prepare his change of clothes without his knowledge. By the time he finished washing all the dishes, his clothes were already on the table.

"Since you're washing the dishes, I thought I'd prepare your change of clothes." said Yv, slightly flushed.

Although they've been living together for a while now, she's still embarrassed to touch Rain's underwear. Rain could up on what made her flustered and started getting embarrassed himself.

"Y-You didn't have to do that. I can do it myself,"

"I-It's fine. You're washing the dishes, after all,"

The atmosphere between the two immediately became awkward and Rain found it unbearable to remain inside the house. So he immediately grabbed his clothes and stormed out of the house, snatching the kettle on his way to the river.

"What the hell…" Rain muttered to himself as he fetched a bucket full of water and stood on the side of the river. He then poured the boiling water in and made sure to mix it well, "why did I get embarrassed?" he asked himself.

Rain dipped his hands in the lukewarm water to calm himself down and it worked like wonder. He immediately forgot what happened and took a bath.

When he returned, Yv was already laying on the bed trying to make herself comfortable. She wasn't looking embarrassed as she was before he left. It was a good sign that she also forgot what happened. That would help prevent the atmosphere from becoming awkward.

Rain was drying his hair with his towel when Yv suddenly got up and crawled over to the edge of the bed, "Do you want me to dry your hair for you?"

"H-Huh?"

"I'm an elementalist, remember? I can use wind magic and fire magic to produce a continuous warm gust of wind. That's how I've been drying my hair up until now."

Rain realized the convenience of Yv's magic and accepted her offer. Yv immediately used her magic to dry Rain's hair. Compared to her, Rain's hair is relatively shorter than her so it didn't take long to dry. He thanked her for drying his hair, and as thanks, he asked her to turn around.

"Don't turn this way until I tell you so, okay?"

"What is it?"

Rain hurriedly rummaged through his pocket and took something out, "You can look now."

Yv did as she was told. And just as she did so, she's greeted by a bracelet with a flower charm beautifully and intricately carved out of jade. It was all so sudden that she couldn't help but stare at the bracelet resting on Rain's hand.

"Can you hold out your hand for a bit?"

Just like before, Yv did as she was told and Rain put it on her left hand. It was over in a few seconds but for Yv, it felt like an eternity as she continued to stare at the bracelet.

"Yv, is there something wrong?" asked Rain, worried that it was something she didn't want to have since it might not fit her taste.

"D-Did you buy it for me?"

It took Yv a few moments before she could finally utter a word. Rain nodded in response and since he didn't want to burden him, he refrained from saying anything about her reaction.

"....Y-Yeah, although it might not fit your taste since you're an elf and all that. I thought this might look good on you so I saved some money to buy it. But if you don't like it, you can just give it back-"

"I like it." Yv said with a smile.

Right after saying that, she even pulled her hand close to her chest. Rain was caught off guard with her sudden adorable expression. It ended up painting a smile on his face, knowing that she was at least happy to receive something from him.

"I thought you wouldn't like that kind of gift since you must have seen something better before. I'm glad you like it." Rain smiled back.

With his hair now dry, Yv crawled back to her side of the bed. She then patted the bed, inviting Rain over. He didn't hesitate and joined her after getting invited.

"As thanks for your gift, I'll offer you a service." Yv pulled Rain closer and deliberately buried his face on her chest.

"..."

Usually Rain would have resisted, saying that it would be inappropriate. But this time, he didn't say anything nor reprimanded her. He didn't have any energy left to resist. Working almost the entire day on the fence made him lose a huge amount of energy, thus resisting was impossible. For the very first time, Rain embraced Yv which greatly surprised her.

Although she was bold enough to do something to him, she wasn't ready for what he did and wanted to push him away. As she starts to push him away, she realizes that he already fell asleep in her arms.

"You claim to have rested while eating yet you fall asleep right after I took you in my arms." said Yv, running her fingers through Rain's hair. "Why do you always have to put on a front every time? Why?" tears suddenly run down her cheeks as she embraces Rain tightly like she didn't want to let go.

Yv cried quietly the entire night as she didn't want to wake Rain up.

The very next day, Rain woke up alone in bed. As usual, he stretched himself before going out of the house and called out to Yv.

"You woke up quite early today-"

Rain stopped speaking the moment he saw there was no one outside. His eyes immediately wandered around to look for Yv, however, she was nowhere to be found. Rain then proceeded to look for her around the house, but turned up nothing.

Finally coming to a realization that Yv was gone, Rain sat on the bench outside the house, defeated.

"So you've finally left, huh?" Rain bit his lips and forced a smile, "I expected this but why does it still hurt?" asked Rain as he held his chest.

Just then, he felt something inside his clothes. He immediately stretched the neck of his shirt and saw something familiar. After instantly recognizing what it was, Rain cried.