"I cannot accept this, Matthew." Delilah finally looked up at Matthew who watched her reaction with a certain fondness.
"You can and you will," said Matthew. "I know I would look fabulous in the dress but alas, it won't fit me unfortunately."
"Matthew, why?" Delilah said.
"Well you bought me that waistcoat a few months ago, so this is me repaying you for that gift." 
"It was a gift! I don't expect you to buy me anything in return, I told you that yesterday," Delilah scolded.
Matthew shrugged. "Oh well, now accept this gift because I unfortunately cannot return it."
Carefully, Matthew put the sheet back over the dress, protecting it from any paint that might drop on it and ruin it. Delilah gently placed her hand on Matthew's shoulder to steady herself before she leaned up and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Thank you, Matthew." she whispered. 
Matthew tilted his head down and looked at her. "You're welcome, Lila."
Lila. The nickname that Matthew always endearingly called her. When the nickname first slipped past his lips two years ago when they were fifteen, Delilah hated it. For her whole life she had only liked to be called by her full name. She loved her name. No matter how many times Delilah corrected Matthew, he had been persistent, stating that her name was simply too long to say. Once Delilah accepted the nickname she began to like it–she liked the way he said it.
Pulling away, Delilah stepped back around her canvas, "I must get back to this god awful painting. Though you are welcome to stay if you wish, Matthew."
Matthew waved his hand. "I think I'll make my leave. I hope you see the beauty in your painting, Lila."
Before Matthew left, he pressed a quick kiss to Delila's forehead and he slipped out of the room without another word. Delila smiled as her eyes jumped from the dress draped over the chair and her canvas, a new sense of inspiration hitting her like a brick.
***
Before she left the house, casually telling her parents that she was going to Matthew's to help Christopher out with some experiments, Delilah made sure that her runes were covered. She raised her hood over her head before she began to walk to the location. When Delilah left her house, she didn't necessarily lie to her parents as she was making a quick stop at the Fairchild residence to pass along a message to her brother, though it wasn't her final destination of the night.
Once Delilah had taken the back entrance into the lab, she found Christopher hunched over a table, many different chemicals laid out in front of him that Delilah didn't even want to know what they were for.
"Hello, Delilah." Christopher greeted without turning around. Despite Christopher being distant and inside of his own mind most of the time, he always recognised his sister's footsteps.
"If mum and dad ask, I was here with you all night." said Delilah, picking up a large sketchpad and a pencil roll.
Christopher hummed in response. Delilah pressed a quick kiss to her brother's cheek. "You're the best. I will see you tomorrow."
"Stay safe." Her brother called out to her just as she opened the door.
"I always am."
As soon as Delilah exited the house, she closed the door softly behind her, gripping her supplies a little tighter. Her next location wasn't too far away. The walk was short, the Fairchild estate only being a ten minute walk from the large house which was Delilah's destination.