Work Text:
Edwin sat behind his desk, yarn before him as he knitted his way through a new scarf for Charles. While ghosts couldn’t get cold, Charles had a habit of wrapping scarves around his neck when the weather started to get cold. He was alone in the office, a luxury he rarely got. Not that he minded the noise and the company, especially when it was his boyfriend. He hummed softly to himself, an old tune that was lost to time at this point.
“Edwin?”
Edwin jumped at the voice. No matter how familiar it sounded, he was supposed to be alone. Looking around the office, his eyes landed on Niko. Their friend had recently returned almost a year after her death, by circumstances none of them understood.
“Oh, Niko,” He placed a hand over his heart, “you gave me a fright.”
“I’m sorry.” Niko sat on the couch, pulling her knees to her chest. “I didn’t know where else to go. Jenny is at work, Crystal and Charles went shopping, and I didn’t want to be alone.”
Edwin placed his scarf and knitting needles on the desk as he stood. It only took a few strides to get from behind his desk to the couch, but he could see tears welling up in Niko’s eyes. He carefully rested a hand on her knee, offering as much comfort as possible. He wasn’t surprised that Niko was crying, it was a struggle to come back to life. He couldn’t even imagine having to rebuild a life after dying.
“You are always welcome here, Niko,” He reassured her. “I do not mind the company. I was just beginning to think it is too quiet.”
“What are you doing?” Niko whispered, wiping tears from her cheeks.
“Knitting.”
“You can knit?”
“Indeed. My nanny taught me how at a young age, so I could fix my socks and things without being a bother. I am making Charles a scarf for Christmas.”
Niko got a thoughtful look on her face, playing with Crystal’s necklace that hung around her neck. It was a nervous habit she had picked up after they started dating, a sign that she was real and alive.
“Do you think you could teach me?” She whispered, looking at her knees. “I don’t know what to do with myself anymore and want to keep busy.”
“Of course.” Edwin smiled brightly. “Let me gather some supplies and my scarf so we can begin.”
Niko wanted to cry again. She didn’t know what she would have done without her friends, especially after returning from the astral plane she had been on. Listening to Edwin dig around in the closet for things to teach her how to knit, knowing she would go home to her girlfriend, and getting to hug Charles; they were all reminders that she was still here and had a place in the world.
When Edwin returned with an armful of items, Niko offered him a bright smile. He settled on the couch beside her, putting his scarf in his lap.
“We are going to begin with the basics,” Edwin explained, pulling two sets of needles out of a ball of yarn. “I have some needles that aren’t as sharp, just in case. I would hate for you to hurt yourself while learning.”
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It took Niko a week to learn the basics. She learned to cast on stitches and was puzzling through knit stitches. Edwin was patient with her, showing her how to fix her stitches and readjusting her hands when needed. She watched as he zoomed through rows of stitches, his scarf growing longer by the day.
“I am never going to finish something by Christmas,” She sighed, pulling stitches out to fix a dropped stitch. “Why is this so hard?”
“You are learning, Niko,” Edwin soothed, finishing his row before putting his work down. “To be perfectly honest, you are doing much better than I did the first time I made something. I dropped a fair few stitches and had giant holes in the first scarf I ever made.”
Niko sighed. They were settled on opposite ends of the couch, alone once again. Crystal had convinced Charles to accompany her to her parents' house, for moral support, and hadn’t wanted to stress Niko out with her family drama.
“I just…” Niko wanted to cry. “I want it to be perfect.”
“Crystal will not care if it is perfect.” Edwin patted her leg. “She will love it because you gave it to her. She will love it more because you made it.”
“How do you know?” Niko whispered, tears blurring her eyes.
“Charles.” Niko looked at him surprised. “I did not tell him you were making something for Crystal; it would give away my present. However, I gave him many scarves during our friendship, and he treasured each one as though it were made of gold. He and Crystal are similar, so I imagine she will treasure anything you make.”
Niko sniffled, nodding. Edwin reached over and patted her hand before picking up his needles again. Niko took a deep breath and turned her attention back to her work.
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Charles laughed joyfully as he opened the box Edwin handed him. Niko and Crystal smiled at the boy’s excitement, watching him pull out a beautiful red scarf. Edwin smiled, gasping as Charles jumped on him and knocked him to the floor. They could hear the thanks falling from Charles’ mouth as he hugged Edwin tight, the other boy begging playfully for freedom as he hugged his boyfriend just as tight. As Niko watched, she grew more confident in her gift for her girlfriend.
“I have another present for you, anata,” She whispered, reaching under the couch for the box she had hidden there the night before.
“Oh, Niko,” Crystal said, smiling brightly as she turned to her girlfriend. “You already gave me so much.”
“This is different,” Niko insisted. “Please, open it.”
She handed the box to Crystal. Crystal looked at the box for a moment before pulling off the bow. Niko fiddled with her necklace, biting her lip and waiting for Crystal’s reaction.
“Oh, baby,” Crystal whispered, pulling the soft purple scarf out of the box. “It’s beautiful. Where did you find this?”
“I made it,” Niko told her, fiddling with her necklace more. “Edwin has been teaching me to knit. I thought I would make you a present, I’m sorry if it’s not…”
Crystal reached over and gently cupped her face, bringing Niko’s attention to her face. Niko got lost in the shining brown eyes, so full of love and happiness. She wanted to cry as Crystal peeked her lips.
“It’s perfect, baby,” Crystal whispered. “Thank you so much. It will keep me warm during this dreary Christmas.”
Niko smiled, resting her forehead against Crystal’s. If she had looked away, she would have seen the pleased smile on Edwin’s face. The boy turned his attention back to Charles, wrapping the scarf around his boyfriend’s neck. Charles smiled, kissing Edwin’s cheek before resting his head on his shoulder.