He missed Gabrian.

He missed the others too, for that matter, but it was Gabrian that Ren found himself thinking about on a rainy afternoon one day after classes. Both of them had been spending a lot of time with their significant others since returning from the island, leaving little to no time for Ren to just relax with Gabrian.

It was difficult to explain just how Ren felt about the nix. On the one hand, he had never expected, nor wanted, a relationship as deep and impenetrable as the one he had formed with the demon. Having grown up in a stifled, suppressed home with no real attachments between him and the people he knew only as his parents, Ren had never expected any relationship to be any different. People left people; it was how things worked, how they had always worked. And he had always intended to act the exact same way: keep his head level, his heart unwilling to accept the emotions of others, and his mind clear.

Except once he came to Amityville and found a redheaded wolf ghoul sitting in his lap the very first free weekend, nearly all of his previous beliefs had cracked. LW had been the first to break that shell, and break it good, but it had been Gabrian - the demon - who had successfully removed all of the shattered pieces. Alessa had come after, carefully and sweetly mending what needed to be mended.

What was it about these three, anyway? What made them so special? Sitting on his bed in his room, Ren reclined back against the large, fluffy pillows, absently picking at the cloth bandage wrapped around his right hand, threading up to his wrist. It still throbbed every once in a while, and though he could use it properly, for the most part, writing correctly had become an issue. His fingers could no longer hold the pen well enough, and most of his writing was coming out half scribbles, or he would stop halfway through because it hurt too much. So instead Ren had turned to using his left hand for things.

It felt awkward. Like spending time with your sister's friend while your sister was in a different room. Ren let out a sigh, rubbing his fingers against his temple. Why was it so easy to form attachments, anyway? He had tried so desperately to leave his heart disconnected, to turn off the unwanted and unneeded emotions that stemmed from close contract with another person, but for all of his strengths, mentally blocking himself away had not worked well. Somehow, in some way or another, Gabrian, LW, and Alessa had managed to worm their way into his life.

And now they were all too comfortable there. Ren had tried a few times in the beginning to deny everything, to hold himself at a distance, but unfortunately, his already weak resolve had completely dissipated once he had started dating Alessa. After that, his relationships with Gabrian and LW had taken off like a witch in flight, and he could do nothing to stop it.

Not that he particularly minded. It was just...strange, being so dependent on another. Strange, but not unpleasant. Not to mention he was always being taken care of by the other three. It was a tad...well, awkward. When had he done anything for the others..?

...hadn't someone said something about Gabrian's birthday coming up? Ren could not for the life of him remember. He knew Alessa's had already passed, and that LW's was not for another few months, but when was Gabrian's? Wasn't it relatively soon? Why could he not remember this?

Ren tapped a finger against his cheek thoughtfully, his lips tugged downwards in a faint frown. What did one get their best friends for their birthday, anyway? He wasn't used to this; for Alessa he'd gotten her a stuffed plush rabbit, as well as a flower grown from his garden and a cookbook about desserts. But as for what to get Gabrian - even tough he had no idea when the nix's birthday actually was - nothing came to mind.

In his lap Phantomhive made a small mewling noise, the Scareon's wings fluttering slightly, glowing blue eyes blinking up at his owner with a mildly curious expression. Ren scratched behind his ears, still lost in thought. What in Jack's name do I get someone for their birthday..? More specifically...Gabrian. My best friend.

Why was this so difficult? Ren exhaled slowly, closing his eyes briefly. Think...think...think...

And then, quite suddenly, he knew what to get him. It wasn't anything big; in fact, thinking about it more, it really was quite cheesy and a little bit lame. But it was better than nothing. Sliding his legs from the bed, carefully carting Phantomhive in his good arm, Ren headed for the desk, slipped into his seat, and began working.