章 349: Learning Gratitude

"Here, I got you something nice."

After all this time spent together, especially after everything she's done for me, I can't believe it took spoiled, seriously entitled I this long to reciprocate it all back. 

Inside this pristine white paper bag I still held tight was a symbol of my thanks, and Ash timidly, curiously, veered her eyes towards it pretty much seeing it as such - and her reaction was also pretty much as I had expected.

The ever so slight shake of the head, and her narrowing lips speaking quiet, exactly as I surmised. "This, this is for… me, you say?" 

I nodded. "Call it a gift." 

"A gift," That got her even more staring apprehensively. "You… Master, you really didn't have to." 

"Yeah, I know," I said, pulling out a little white box from the bag and plopping it on the couch between us both. "But I wanted to anyway," and that was enough to silence any more of her qualms.