[The gift is out of left field, and Eddie holds his breath while Cisco undoes the bow and unwraps the gift underneath, looks at the wooden case with obvious confusion and curiosity, then pulls the cover off quickly, eagerly. For a moment, Eddie is cripplingly convinced that he's going to hate it, that he's going to be completely confused about why Eddie thought that an off-hand comment was worth wasting his six-month-anniversary gift on when Eddie could've gotten him something better. More suitable. That his gut instinct that Cisco probably gets too many pop culture t-shirts and dvds and games and gadgets as presents and that going that route would be a low-effort cheat, because they're so obvious. They're the kind of thing Eddie brings home for Cisco all the time.
So he keeps holding his breath as Cisco looks over the sewing machine (what had made him think that an antique, inefficient machine would be a good gift for an engineer?) and tries to read the expression on Cisco's face. He looks startled, almost a little shocked, and Eddie's heart is beating too hard, his throat feels tight and he licks his lips nervously, fidgets a little with his hands as he waits. Cisco says he'd always wanted one, and that he remembered, but the expression on his face is so hard to read that Eddie can't help but feel like he screwed it up, like maybe Cisco had wanted it, but only a little in a casual way and he should have gone for something more meaningful, more traditional...
But then Cisco says it's perfect, with that small, delicate smile on his face, the one Eddie knows means that somehow, impossibly, he did the right thing. Eddie exhales a long breath that he's been holding for long enough to start feeling a little dizzy, and he steps toward Cisco, reaches out and rests his hand on Cisco's arm.]
I know it's a little...unconventional, and old, but...you did say you'd wanted one and when I saw it, I just...I thought you might like it. Maybe design something that isn't a super suit, you know? You're so good at it, and I know you love sci-fi and movies and candy and pop culture, but I wanted to get you something...different. You know? I...
[He takes a breath and holds it, to stop himself from babbling, then speaks softly and clearly and genuinely, his smile warm while he watches the way Cisco reaches out to touch the machine. He runs his fingers over the metal, traces the slightly raised painted patterns on the side, follows the impractical but beautiful curves of the machine, the smooth metal of the wheel. And it feels more real that he likes it, looking at him treating it that way.]
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So he keeps holding his breath as Cisco looks over the sewing machine (what had made him think that an antique, inefficient machine would be a good gift for an engineer?) and tries to read the expression on Cisco's face. He looks startled, almost a little shocked, and Eddie's heart is beating too hard, his throat feels tight and he licks his lips nervously, fidgets a little with his hands as he waits. Cisco says he'd always wanted one, and that he remembered, but the expression on his face is so hard to read that Eddie can't help but feel like he screwed it up, like maybe Cisco had wanted it, but only a little in a casual way and he should have gone for something more meaningful, more traditional...
But then Cisco says it's perfect, with that small, delicate smile on his face, the one Eddie knows means that somehow, impossibly, he did the right thing. Eddie exhales a long breath that he's been holding for long enough to start feeling a little dizzy, and he steps toward Cisco, reaches out and rests his hand on Cisco's arm.]
I know it's a little...unconventional, and old, but...you did say you'd wanted one and when I saw it, I just...I thought you might like it. Maybe design something that isn't a super suit, you know? You're so good at it, and I know you love sci-fi and movies and candy and pop culture, but I wanted to get you something...different. You know? I...
[He takes a breath and holds it, to stop himself from babbling, then speaks softly and clearly and genuinely, his smile warm while he watches the way Cisco reaches out to touch the machine. He runs his fingers over the metal, traces the slightly raised painted patterns on the side, follows the impractical but beautiful curves of the machine, the smooth metal of the wheel. And it feels more real that he likes it, looking at him treating it that way.]
I'm so glad you like it.