Caleb's hand was icy cold in hers, and Claire squeezed gently. She knew that it was a physical reaction to the emotions racing through him at that moment, and she leaned in a little closer, reassuring Caleb that everything was okay.
While she wasn't accustomed to seeing Caleb get angry, she understood, at that moment, why he had. She wasn't far behind him in terms of anger, but had long since learned to rein it in where Tama was concerned. In fact, it was touching that he had wanted to step in and defend her like that. Being so angry didn't seem to sit well with him, though, and Claire could only hope that he didn't let himself get that angry too often.
Claire smiled softly as Caleb sighed into the kiss, and she rested her forehead against his for a moment, just enjoying being with him, no matter the circumstances. Each second they were together was precious, and Claire treasured them all. She returned Caleb's tender kiss, letting her lips linger on his for a few moments. She could feel the anger, the tension, melting away from both of them, and she marvelled at how they could ground one another at times like this. She had never had that with anyone before, and it utterly amazed her.
"And you didn't lose yourself to anger this time," she murmured, only loud enough for Caleb to hear. "You didn't shout, you didn't get violent, you just stood your ground. Thank you for standing up for me, you have no idea how much that means." Claire's voice was warm and sincere, a small smile dancing on her lips as she locked eyes with Caleb's. "It's okay to be angry sometimes, it's just a case of how you handle it, and what you do afterwards."
She smiled as Caleb took the small gift, shaking her head as Caleb told her that she didn't have to get him anything. "I know, but I
wanted to get you something," replied Claire, watching Caleb's face as he opened the paper.
"It's a
pikorua," she said, watching the light dance on the smooth surface of the pounamu jade. "An eternity twist, which symbolises unending love and the union between two or more people. And the little spiral down there, the
koru, symbolises new beginnings. I... I wanted to get you something because I don't have tags I can give to you. But this..." Claire's voice was a little choked now, and her eyes shone with emotion.
"This is something from my heritage, something that means a lot to me. I though... it was just about perfect for you, and I'd be honoured if you accepted it." She knew that he likely wouldn't be able to wear it, but considering that there had been no actual wedding, and there would be no wedding rings, this was the next best thing.