Outside Work We... •[TNN One-shots]•

Little Knight •|| MIA + AUTUMN ||•

Prompt: Mia uncovers an old gift she planned to give to Autumn but never got the chance to.

It was a quiet Tuesday morning when Mia dropped Charlotte off at the Knight Nursery. Usually, Mia would wave her off with a quick goodbye, but today was different. Her fingers brushed the small, carefully wrapped box in her coat pocket, and she felt a pang of nervousness that was wholly uncharacteristic of her.

She had found it by accident the night before while rummaging through an old storage box. The box was full of things she didn’t even remember keeping, but there, nestled among forgotten trinkets and outdated receipts, was the gift.

A simple silver bracelet with an engraved charm that read "Little Knight."

Mia had bought it years ago, back when Autumn was still a teenager, struggling under R*ger’s thumb. It had been meant as a gesture of encouragement, a way to remind Autumn that she was stronger than the world gave her credit for. But things had fallen apart before she could give it to her. R*ger's manipulations, her misguided attempts to find her father, had driven a wedge between her and the Knight siblings. By the time she realized the damage she’d caused, it felt too late to fix it.

Until now.

Taking a deep breath, Mia walked into the nursery. The familiar hum of children playing and staff chatting filled the air, but she made a beeline for the office. She knocked lightly, pushing the door open to find Autumn alone at her desk, her glasses perched on her nose as she sifted through paperwork.

“Autumn,” Mia said, her voice softer than usual.

Autumn glanced up, her expression wary. “Mia. What are you doing here?”

“Dropping Charlotte off,” Mia replied casually, stepping inside and closing the door behind her. She hesitated, then pulled the small box out of her pocket. “And… giving you this.”

Autumn’s eyebrows knit together in confusion as Mia placed the box on the desk in front of her. “What is this?”

“Just open it,” Mia said, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall.

Autumn eyed her suspiciously before unwrapping the box. When she lifted the lid, her breath hitched. She pulled out the bracelet, her fingers brushing over the engraved charm.

“Mia…” Her voice trailed off, a mix of surprise and emotion making it unsteady.

“I was going to give it to you a long time ago,” Mia said, her tone uncharacteristically earnest. “But, well… I screwed up. Big time. I thought maybe it wouldn’t mean anything after everything I did.”

Autumn stared at the bracelet for a moment longer before looking up at Mia. “Why now?”

Mia let out a small, self-deprecating laugh. “Because I’ve been an idiot for most of my life, and I’m trying to change. And because… no matter what, you’re still the closest thing I’ve ever had to a little sister. I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but—”

“You do,” Autumn interrupted, her voice firm.

Mia blinked in surprise.

“I mean, you’re right,” Autumn added, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. “You were an idiot. But… you were also young, and we were all dealing with R*ger in our own ways. If you’re trying to be better now, I can respect that. And this…” She held up the bracelet. “This means something, Mia. Thank you.”

Mia exhaled, the tension in her shoulders easing. “Well, don’t get too sentimental on me. I’ve got a reputation to uphold.”

Autumn chuckled, slipping the bracelet onto her wrist. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

They sat in a comfortable silence for a moment before Mia straightened up. “Alright, I’ve taken up enough of your time. You’ve got a nursery to run, Deputy Manager.”

Autumn gave her a mock glare. “You better not start calling me that every time we talk.”

“No promises,” Mia said with a grin, heading for the door. Before she left, she glanced back over her shoulder. “Thanks for letting me say what I needed to, Autumn. It means a lot.”

Autumn nodded, her expression soft. “It meant a lot to hear it.”

When the door closed behind Mia, Autumn looked down at the bracelet again, her thumb brushing over the charm. For the first time in a long while, she felt a sense of peace when she thought about Mia—a sense that maybe, just maybe, the past didn’t have to define them forever.