–was that a laugh?

"I've never used that one."

.....?

"People ask you why you're covering up so much a lot?" There's no judgement in his tone. 

"They used to."

He nods. 

"...glad you don't have to make excuses anymore." 

Asking what worked won't produce anything Sasha can use. 

"Only to tabloids, on bad days."

He has no answer for that that wouldn't make things more awkward instead of less. 

"I have the sketches if you want to see them, you'd know better than I would how well it — fits." 

"–yes, please."

"Ignore the genderbent Elsa from Frozen page, I was trying something and it didn't work — here." 

A sketch of the rough shape of the design on Gabriel in backstage mode; another with Gabriel in performance mode. A sketch of the detailing, with notes on which parts are embroidery and which parts are beaded. Another sketch of the detail work, on a different piece of the costume. One of the Odette reference pictures is taped to the opposite page from the first two sketches. 

He looks at it for a long time.

"...this is beautiful."

"Thank you.

And thank you for letting me watch you practice, I — would never have thought of it otherwise." 

"...I'm glad I did."

They're not just talking about the costume anymore. 

"It's beautiful. Watching it come together, I mean, I'd only really seen you move when —" when you have your stage face on sounds like he means that the way Gabriel gets when he's performing isn't real, and that's definitely not something he wants to take a stance on — "when you're in performance mode, it's — you hold yourself completely differently and I'm not sure how I was expecting that to translate into how you practice but it was beautiful." 

For a second, he looks startled, even confused, like he's expecting Sasha to be talking to someone else in the empty room.

"It's–just the unfinished product, I should spend more time on practicing like I mean to perform–"

Look at that smile.

It's a gorgeous smile. 

"I watch a lot of speedpaints too, the process is just as — interesting to watch, beautiful, they're both true — as the product." 

"It is, isn't it."

"...you don't need to make an appointment, next time. If you think it would help in the future."

He's glowing — he knows Gabriel well enough by now to know how much that means. 

"Thank you" isn't anywhere near enough, but the text-to-subtext balance is delicate as it is.

A bright synthesizer tone from his pocket. He picks up his phone and checks.

"...ugh. Hopefully the next time I see you I won't have a benefit appearance crashing down around my ears."

"Hopefully. I'd say good luck but you won't need it." 

"...no. I make my own."

He's still smiling when he leaves.

He's smiling for the rest of the day. 

He finishes the sewing on the red costume and starts on the Odette costume; the work gets done over the course of the week. His hands and eyes ache by the end of the detailing; it's unquestionably worth it to have seen the look on Gabriel's face. 

He meets Gabriel to show him the finished piece on Thursday. 

When he walks into the dressing room — apparently the first pass won’t be on set, this time — Gabriel is leaned in close to a mirror, scrutinizing something about his own features, hair brushed back from his face.

When he hears the door open he spins in his chair. For once he’s looking up at Sasha.

“—is this it? Is it done?”

There’s a little edge of urgency in his voice, not even just eagerness.

"It's done." He holds out the clothes, folded carefully.