Wilona's P.O.V
"So this one, I crafted the handle with a G10 scale, molding the glass fibers to perfectly fit my fingers, so I'm the only person who can use it, otherwise the balance is off," Damon explains hurriedly as he stumbles over his words. "The core of the blade is made of D2 steel but I married it with a titanium alloy frame to give it the black color."
I watch his with bewilderment as he hands me the knife before moving onto the next one, my mouth opening and closing as I try to keep up while trying to decipher if I heard him right. Had Damon truly made this himself?
"This one, this one I think you would like." Damon chuckles as he pulls out one of the dagger-looking ones which had a red handle. "It's pointy at the end because I gave it a double-ended spear point which was a fucking bitch and a half to get right, almost lost my finger trying to get it right. I'm not sure why I chose a red handle but now I wish I coated the handle in red as well."
Damon glares at the knife as if it was it's fault for his decisions of the past before he places in my hands next to the black one and moves on. I sit and watch with amazement as Damon goes through his entire bag of knives, getting so lost in the tools that he didn't realize I didn't understand half of what he was saying. By the time the bag was empty, all the knives were resting in my lap and hands as he dug inside for the last one, pulling out the one from the night we met.
"This one I didn't make." He says after a moment, voice soft as he turned it carefully. "It was a gift, I got it when I was twelve, it's the first one I ever got," Damon reveals with a weak smile as he relives some forgotten memory. "My sister got it for me, she's the one who carved the wolf designs. Felicia's really good at art, she's really talented but she doesn't show it much, she carved the wolves on the knife herself."
I watch quietly as Damon stares at the knife as if it were his own, bleeding heart. I wanted to reach for him, touch him and see what he looked like at this moment, see if he looked just as vulnerable as he sounded. But I was buried in knives which seemed to have no value to him when going against this one, the one that clearly meant the world to him.
Glancing up at me, the moment crashes down as he realizes what a whirlwind he'd fallen into for the last half hour. One that I may have called boring if it wasn't for the way Damon sunk into a version of himself I could tell he kept well hidden, one I don't think he meant to show me.
"I'm sorry," Damon says suddenly as he places the knife inside, taking the knives from me and packing them back into their dark home, burying them the way he clearly buried this passion of his. "I shouldn't have made you sit through all of that. Goddess, I'm sorry Will, I shouldn't have brought them out."
When I'm free of all knives and Damon's hands are free as well, I reach over and take his frantic hands in mine. Revealing wet eyes with tears he was barely managing to keep back, it made my heart ache for him as he stared back at me. Waiting and frightened, expecting condemnation that I would never deliver to him. I pull one hand away to move the bag to the floor, allowing me to move closer to him where I wiped a thumb across his cheek where the tears refused to wet.
"Stop apologising for something you clearly love," I whisper gently making him shut his eyes tightly, a method I knew all too well to stop the pain from escaping its place inside. "I am happy you showed me this passion of your's Damon, it's nothing to be ashamed of. Don't be ashamed, not with me and not with anyone else." Damon's chest heaves with the weight of my words as he raises his hand to grip mine, keeping my hold on his face steady.
"Everyone else doesn't like it." He reveals with his eyes still closed, thumb rubbing my skin to bring himself comfort. "It makes them uncomfortable."
"So you hide them?" I ask and he shakes his head. "You hide how much they mean to you?" He nods.
I sigh, pulling him into me so that his head was tucked beneath mine as his arms snaked around my waist. Holding me tight enough to make breathing challenging, but I bared the pain, knowing he needed something to anchor him within this moment. I rub his back soothingly with one hand, gentle slow strokes to calm him while my fingers caressed the silken locks that curled on his head.
"I can't believe you made so many yourself." I start after a few minutes of silence, hands still moving with careful touches. "They look like they're professionally done, like someone amazing did them and I guess that's true, you did them." Damon doesn't reply, just hugs me tighter. "I think talent and art come in many different forms, we've just chosen which ones we deem to be higher than others. I didn't think knives were one at first, didn't think they feel under the category of hobbies either, but I was wrong and I'm sorry for that."
Damon raises his head just enough to bring his eyes in line with mine, his pointed gaze searching mine searching for a hint of a lie that wasn't there. I continue stroking his back, smiling subtly as I continue.
"I think you're very talented Damon. To have made such a large variety on your own, working steel without help, that's truly amazing." I compliment and catch the way his eyes fill again. "I hope you see how special you are Damon. It may not be in the most conventional way but it is definitely the best way. You have a gorgeous soul and the purest heart I've ever seen, don't hide that away, use it to make you strong."
The tears topple over then, running down his face in a continuous stream as he stared at me, not crying but releasing. Releasing some of the ideals he'd forced himself to live by, ones which didn't approve of the things he adored. I don't wipe the tears away, wanting him to feel them and he doesn't pull away.
Just stares until he leans forward to press his lips to mine, kissing me to tell me all the words he couldn't say right now. I kiss him back to tell him I understand, kiss him with care to show him I adored him and accepted him.
He was sweet and good, so damn good it should hurt to be around him. He carried this sort of innocence with him that seemed misplaced but somehow fit with him so well. It worried me and intrigued me, tempted me and scared me.
When Damon pulled away, I let him sink back into my arms as I sunk into the furniture. Taking care of him the way I knew he needed to be cared for, determined to be the one to do so, even if I couldn't do it for myself.
I'd protect Damon.
--------------------------------
Damon's P.O.V
"I'll see you tomorrow Blue." Will calls to her boss as she and Sassy come out of the store.
Will doesn't hesitate for a single moment and comes rushing straight to me. She jumps into my open arms to give me a kiss, wrapping her arms around my neck as I hold her close.
I smile against her lips as she caresses my face with her hands, her fingers as always prompting waves of euphoria to come tumbling through me as I lean into her.
Will holds my face close as she breaks our kiss, her eyes dart between my own and her, pecking my lips with a grin that made cemented, unexplored emotions shift from deep within me as Theo cheered happily.
I set Will down, only releasing her when her feet were safely planted to the floor. I take her bag from her shoulders despite her useless protests, swinging it over my shoulder before slipping my fingers between her.
"How was your day?" I ask looking down to look at her beaming face as we begin walking.
My chest flutters at her unbidden showcase of joy, her eyes light up bright enough to compliment her gorgeous smile.
She seemed truly happy, lately, she's been so happy.
"It was really good until these fucking assholes came in and knocked down some shelves fooling around," Will explains while rolling her eyes. "It's not the first time either, but this time Sassy was there and she blocked the front door and went all... well Sassy on them. It was amazing because she wouldn't let them leave until they fixed it."