—They look good together —said Mia, watching as Saval and Semiel walked away down the path, hand in hand.
—Yeah —David agreed, but his tone was less relaxed.
Mia turned to him with a raised eyebrow.
—What's wrong?
David crossed his arms, lowering his voice slightly.
—I don't know if it's just me, but… Xavier's been more restless than usual lately.
—More? —Mia joked, trying to lighten the mood.
—I'm not just talking about his usual cryptic comments. I've noticed him lurking in the halls more often. Sometimes he asks about them with this too calm smile. And you know how he is… he never smiles like that without a plan.
—You think he's about to make his move.
—I know —David said firmly—. And I don't like it.
Mia frowned, looking down the path where Saval and Semiel had already disappeared from view.
—We'll have to keep an eye out. I'm not letting anything happen to them now that they're finally doing well.
—Me neither. They've had enough chaos already —David sighed—. What worries me is that if Xavier decides to act, he'll do it with a smile on his face. And they don't always read between the lines.
Mia nodded, falling silent for a few seconds.
—You know what we could do? —she finally said, a spark in her eyes—. Get them a gift. Something to remind them they have people who support them.
—A gift?
—Yeah. To celebrate their relationship. Something symbolic, something that ties them together. Something sweet.
David narrowed his eyes.
—Something sweet like what? A heart-shaped plushie? Mugs that say Player 1 and Player 2?
—Don't be basic —Mia smirked—. I'm thinking something more special. Like… a key.
—A key?
—A key that splits in two —she explained, growing excited—. Two halves that can only open a chest when they're together.
David stared at her silently.
—That sounds like a romance metaphor from the last century.
—Exactly! But think about it. One keeps half, the other keeps the other half. And when they put them together… they open something that only works with both. It's cute. Meaningful. And super nerdy, so they'll love it.
David pretended to hesitate but ended up smiling.
—It's cheesy. Really cheesy. But fine. They'll like it.
—Come on —Mia said, tugging his arm—. I know a place that might have something like this.
They walked a few blocks until they reached a small artisan gift shop on a quieter street. The store had display cases with jewelry, keychains, small engraved wooden chests, and shelves full of handmade trinkets.
Mia went straight to the counter.
—Do you have keys split in two? The kind that open a single chest when joined? —she asked.
The shopkeeper, a gray-haired woman with round glasses, smiled.
—Of course. We just got some in this week. Come, I'll show you.
She led them to a side display. Inside were several small boxes. One of them held an antique-looking metal key, split into two halves, each with a different engraving—one with a sun symbol, the other with a moon.
—This key only works if both halves are together —the woman explained—. It's one of our most special designs.
—Perfect —Mia said without hesitation—. And the chest?
The woman pulled out a small dark wooden box with hand-carved reliefs.
—This one fits that key exactly.
David looked at her with a half-resigned smile.
—I swear, if this comes with a backstory, I'll believe it.
—It does —the woman replied, laughing.
—We'll take it all —Mia said, glancing at David—. You're paying.
—Obviously, why not.
As they waited for it to be wrapped, Mia kept staring at the chest.
—You know what I like about this? —she said quietly—. No matter if they argue someday or if they doubt. They'll always know that to open this, they need to be together. Like a reminder.
David's gaze softened slightly.
—And if one of them ever feels like everything's shaking, they can look at their half and remember the other has the missing piece.
They paid for the gift, and the woman wrapped it in gold paper with a red ribbon.
—Where do you think we should give it to them? —David asked as they left the shop.
—On one of our outings. Maybe this weekend. Or… we could leave it as a surprise in their bags.
—Mia.
—Yeah?
—Thanks for thinking of this.
She glanced at him and smiled.
—We're not letting anyone mess with them. Not while they're still together.
David nodded. The afternoon continued peacefully as they walked down the sidewalk, the gift in hand—ready to protect what their friends had just built.