Happy Birthday, Berwald!

[talks_to_nisse]

WHO: Berwald + Open to any and all close friends and adopted family
WHERE: Sindre's apartment
WHEN: Monday, 6 June, around dinnertime
WHAT: Time to celebrate someone who deserves to be reminded of how special his is to others. [To be run similarly to the wedding thread]

Comments

[Everyone else please feel free to still post; I'm just impatient XD]

[talks_to_nisse]

After the guests returned to their homes and the mess was cleared, Sindre found himself sitting on the couch with Berwald. Twisting slightly, he propped himself against Berwald's side so as to avoid resting his back against the couch.

"I hope you had a good birthday," he said quietly, fiddling with the wrapped gift in his hands. "And I hope you don't mind how I waited until after to give you your gifts."

: 3

[oxenstierna_b]

"'t was nice." Berwald replied, hoping the warmth in his tone would convey his thankfullness. He hadn't asked for it, and if anyone had asked him beforehand he would have tried to dissuade them from going to such trouble... but had actually felt good, having everyone he considered family in one place at once. And he might have worried about being the center of attention somehow, but it hadn't been like that at all either. Just a group of people who got along, eating and talking.

Berwald tilted his head.

"'f course not...?" he replied, wondering what it could be.

^^;

[talks_to_nisse]

Wordlessly, Sindre held the gift out to Berwald. "The other one's back in my room," he explained. "And this has a bit of an explanation that I didn't want to share in front of everyone."

Sindre waited a bit anxiously, hoping Berwald would like the gift. The tooling on the leather didn't look professionally done, but he hoped it didn't look too bad, either. And it hid the runes without obscuring them, enfolding them into the landscape of the design so hopefully they would go unnoticed. So it at least served it's purpose.

When Berwald made no move to open it, however, Sindre nodded to it. "Go ahead."

[oxenstierna_b]

Berwald blinked at Sindre, his face gaining a particular serious, earnest little frown look he often had when something completely mystified him, though not, in this case, in a bad way

[talks_to_nisse]

Sindre had to look away, a bit embarrassed. "Yes," he replied shortly, one finger tracing over the design. "'s supposed to help guard from and help heal from wounds to the body, heart, and mind," he told him. "Strong as I could make it."

His expression turned a bit sheepish. "It took more out of me than I expected. 's why I almost passed out in the bathroom the other day."

[oxenstierna_b]

Berwald's brows scrunched up briefly at the memory of that moment, how afraid he'd been, even when Sindre assured him he'd simply overexerted himself. He considered telling Sindre he shouldn't have, but... it really was a very thoughtfull gift, and valuable to him even just because Sindre had made, especially for Berwald wear. Something he could carry with him everywhere.

He wondered at the warm feeling suffusing him as he wrapped the leather around his wrist. It was soft, and he could have sworn, skin warm already, though Berwald couldn't have said it was the magic or his own feelings.

"Thank you, I... like it," he said quietly.

[talks_to_nisse]

A grin broke across Sindre's face at his words. "Good," he said simply. "I know you don't typically wear this sort of thing, so I'm glad you like it." Reaching out, he helped Berwald finish tying the band around his wrist.

He stayed like that, curled toward Berwald, finger tracing the designs on the leather, for a good long moment. "We can sit out here and finish up the day," he offered eventually. "Or, if you're ready to go to bed, we can go to the bedroom for your other present.

[oxenstierna_b]

Berwald took a deep breath, like an inversed sigh, and then held it in. He could feel words bubbling up in his throat, their shape yet unclear, but he knew he couldn't let them out

Curse you for guessing! <3

[talks_to_nisse]

Nodding, Sindre gathered up the discarded paper before standing. Quickly depositing it in the trash, he joined Berwald at the door to his room. Placing a hand on the doorknob, he hesitated a moment. In the moment of giving, it seemed like a rather odd gift.

Shaking that thought off, Sindre opened the door and stepped aside. Sitting in place of his old bed was a trundle bed, lower bed pulled out slightly to prove its existence.

"I suppose technically your present is a good night's sleep," Sindre told him. "Seeing as the bed will stay here. But you deserve to sleep on something better than just the mattress."

x3 sorry.

[oxenstierna_b]

Berwald tilted his head, considering the arrangement. Even if it was still a bit much... well, he had to admit logistically it was a good solution, since the bed wouldn't take any more space when closed up.

"Ah... thanks. 's a good arrangement. Wouldn't have thought 'f it," he said, scratching at his cheek and one corner of his mouth turning up just for a moment into a crooked little smile, almosr hidden by his hand.

/sobs in corner

[talks_to_nisse]

Sindre shrugged a bit. "I'm just sorry I didn't think of it sooner," he admitted. "You've been so helpful; you deserved more than just a mattress on the floor."

He smiled a bit to himself. "The hard part was getting it in here without you noticing."

Awww

[oxenstierna_b]

Berwald gave him a bemused look.

"Yeah... how did ya manage that 'nyway?" he had to ask. Even he might have had difficulties with such a sturdy bed and all those stairs... unless it went to pieces and could be taken on the elevator?

/tear

[talks_to_nisse]

Sindre tapped the side of his nose, grinning secretively. "We all have our tricks," he responded simply. In truth, he hadn't done much work at all. The nisse seemed to like having Berwald over much more than they had Søren, and they had almost been insistent that they get the bed up for him.

Glancing about the room, a thought occurred to him. "Is there anything else that might make your sleep easier?" he asked. "I know the mattress wasn't so great, but has anything else been bothering you?"

Re: /tear

[oxenstierna_b]

Berwald looked at him helplessly. If he said no, he'd be lying, but... The things that were bothering were all ones Sindre aleady knew about and had no power over in any case, so bringing them up again would be useless, or things Berwald didn't even know how to talk about.

"Naaw, I'm ok," he said in the end, with a little shrug and an attempt at a small smile. He was, after all, as ok as could be expected with things as they were. He'd felt worse in the past and it had gone past then so why not now?

[talks_to_nisse]

"Are you sure?" Sindre pressed. "Is it actually helping, having another person in the room?" He gave Berwald a rueful grin.

"Don't hesitate to say if there's something else I can do. You're a guest, and one who's been rather amazingly helpful. Making sure you're sleeping well is the least I can do."

[oxenstierna_b]

"Ah... 'es," Berwald answered, slightly flustered. He'd been trying not to think of that as the reason for it, rather than it being so he could make sure Sindre was ok. Although that might not have been strictly necessary, certainly not anymore.

"You don't... mind, d' ya?" he asked guiltily.