Closed; Holidays + George

[ccecilia]

The day she and George decided to have their own Christmas had happened upon her more quickly than she originally anticipated, Cecilia suddenly frantic as she tried to get her flat in order. Although the two of them had taken to tangling themselves in her sheets quite regularly, she was still eager to have the place finished with Christmas

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[george_goesboom]

George had done enough stressing out about their early-Christmas date and Cecilia's present over the course of the past week, he was convinced that he had at this point spent the entirely of his anxiety reserve (which was, admittedly, not all that extensive to begin with). By the time the night in question actually arrived, he managed to simply get dressed, gather up the small box in which he had wrapped up the keys and necklace symbolic of Cecilia's actual gift, and Apparate just outside the now-familiar flat, all without spending any unnecessary extra time fussing with his hair or pacing the living room or rethinking the entire thing in a fit of paranoia

[ccecilia]

Cecilia had only been partially right about the tension leaving her as George walked through the door. The way he wrapped his arm around her waist, pressing his lips to her cheek, it soothed her- made her feel safe. She'd been feeling very much the opposite of that all day, the encounter with her mother throwing her completely for a loop

[george_goesboom]

George's lips quirked up in a smile to match hers. The hint of concern still lingered at the back of his mind (no one who was ever really, actually, completely fine ever added '-really' to that reply), but he didn't push the issue, simply drew her a little bit closer.

"You look ridiculously flawless, as always," he let his eyes trail down the length of her dress (at least as much as their proximity would allow).

[ccecilia]

It wasn't hard for Cecilia to ease herself in his presence, just the way his eyes traveled down her dress, the smile on his lips. She couldn't help but laugh softly, her hands reaching out to smooth his jacket. "As do you," she told him, wrinkling her nose affectionately up at him.

She grabbed his hand, leading him farther into the flat where a fire was crackling. Strands of garland were strung across the mantel and the tree was sparkling with quite a few strands of lights. It had taken her the better part of her morning but it had been rather therapeutic.

"I, erm- might have gotten a little carried away in the Christmas decorations department," she told him sheepishly.

[george_goesboom]

George's eyes widened as she dragged him into the living room, the impressive change in decor rendering the place almost unrecognizable. Despite the fact that he'd been surrounded by ribbon and rolls of wrapping papers for weeks, constantly being pelted with Hopping Bows and Flying Garlands (note to self for next year: put those things on a leash) and dealing with the increasingly cheery (or frazzled, depending on their planning skills) demeanors of customers, the lack of decorations at his own place had kept the idea of it really being Christmas sort of tempered - right until now. Now, it most definitely was Christmas.

"Cecilia, the place looks incredible. You managed to stop just this side of over-the-top," he teased, smiling bright as he took a closer look at the tree. With Molly as a mother, he knew all about over-the-top decor. This was just right.

[ccecilia]

She didn't think that she decorated the flat purely for George's benefit but the look on his face certainly made her feel prouder for her efforts. She chewed down on her bottom lip, preventing herself from smiling as widely as she wanted to as she took a good look around the flat.

It surprised her, sometimes, to know that this was something she had earned entirely on her own. Every single thing inside these walls. No matter what her parents thought, she knew she could get by without them.

"Well, I had half a mind to get some turtle doves but then, you know, live animals are always tricky," she teased, her eyes gleaming. "Can I get you a drink?"

[george_goesboom]

Just when George had thought she couldn't get more impressive, there he was having to add interior-fucking-decorating to the list of skills and talents she seemingly possessed. Not for the first time he found himself wondering just how he had ended up here, what kind of serendipity had allowed this, her, to happen to him.

He was fully aware that he'd definitely been staring (most likely with some kind of goopy, dreamy smile on his face, Merlin help him) by the time her question registered. He still couldn't be bothered to look away.

"Sure, of course, please-"

[ccecilia]

She held his gaze, that increasingly adorable face of his making her tingle right down to her toes. She nearly beamed as she moved away from him, treading her way into the kitchen where a brand new bottle of Ogden's sat on the counter. She grabbed two tumblers from the cabinet and poured them both a neat glass.

She couldn't help but look over at George, taking in the fact that he was probably one of the best things to happen to her in a long time. Christmas did funny things to her- made her excited and eager. It made her realize who the really important people in her life were.

"So, I know this is bonkers because you only just got here-" she said, wading her way back toward him, handing him the glass. "But I absolutely cannot wait another minute to give you your gift-"

[george_goesboom]

George laughed, gladly taking the offered glass, stepping a bit closer to her than was likely necessary to do so.

"By all means, don't feel the need to wait," he teased, "I would've already started begging for it if I'd been listening to my five-year-old self."

[ccecilia]

Cecilia brushed past him slowly, her hand lingering on her arm as she said, "By all means, beg all you want-"

But she moved past him, her bare feet hitting the hardwood floor as she went to the Christmas tree. Presents were piled up, mostly toys and dresses for Madeline but a few things for Holden, Edin and Daphne. She didn't really have anyone else she went shopping for. But there, right front and center was a box wrapped in shiny red paper and topped with a gold bow.

She picked it up, her eyes catching George's as she motioned him to come by her and sit by the fire.

[george_goesboom]

George could barely contain his childlike excitement as he trailed after her - there was something about a wrapped box, all shiny paper and ribbons and bows, that brought him right back to Christmas mornings at the Burrow. Growing up had done nothing to tame how he still went about making a beeline for whatever package had his name on it and completely destroying packagings in the unwrapping process.

This time, however, most of the excitement stemmed from simply watching her as she picked up the shiny parcel and waved him over. He did as much, taking a cross-legged seat across from her, bouncing up and down slightly with joking impatience (though there was nothing joking about the impatience he felt with regards to offering her her own gift-).

"Oh boy, oh boy," he cheered with cheeky enthusiasm.

[ccecilia]

She laughed, her excitement apparently a bit more subdued than his but no less there. She'd worked really hard on it- the idea coming to her randomly one night when she was at her office, their first meeting together still lingering on her mind. She didn't think she'd ever forget it, to be honest. It had somehow managed to land her this unbelievably charming and handsome individual sitting across from her, doubly more adorable as he bounced in his seat.

She tucked her legs under her form, propping herself up on one hand as she nudged the box closer toward him, not being able to help the apprehension flickering across her face.

"I um- well, it's a bit silly-" she said, already nervous about his reaction. "But I sort of came up with it and I thought... well--"

She paused, shaking her head.

"Just open it-" she laughed.

Inside was a pair of work goggles, little wipers attached to the lenses. They came with a variety of little features- night vision, water resistance, they even offered an extra pair of hands if necessary.

[george_goesboom]

George bit his lip as he watched her fumble with an attempt at an introduction to the present at hand, the obvious nervous excitement playing across her features and tinting her voice rendering her even more endearingly gorgeous than she had already been.

Still, he wasted no time following instructions, clawing and ripping at the perfectly folded wrappings (as always, he couldn't help the urge to make a completely wreck of something that neat and proper) to unveil the contraption inside.

His entire face seemed to light up as he pulled the intricately designed goggles from the box, holding them up to take in the details and attachments.

"Merlin-" he said, wide-eyed gaze flicking between Cecilia and the fantastic accessory. "-did you make these?" He didn't wait for an answer before anxiously trying them on, again just an excited child impatient to get to playing with a new toy.

[ccecilia]

She couldn't help but fixate on his movements, her eyes watching him as he unwrapped the gift, the paper falling to the floor as he worked at the box. She was nearly chewing on a perfectly manicured finger, her face tense as she watched him lift out the goggles.

But the look on his face relieved her, her features relaxing as his eyes seemed to light up as he looked over her little creation.

"Sort of?" she answered, sheepishly. "I bought the goggles at some muggle supply store and then- well, I suppose I went a bit nuts-"

She grinned, watching as he put them on, not being able to help the laughter catching in her throat. He looked absolutely adorable in them.

"Do you like them?" she asked meekly.

[george_goesboom]

"Are you kidding me?" he asked with incredulous excitement, glancing back at her from behind the tiny swishing wiper blades. "They're bloody brilliant!" One of the initially invisible hands folded itself out of the side of the lens, extending itself out ahead of him and jabbing an enthusiastic thumbs-up in Cecilia's direction as George let out a burst of amazed laughter.

"Seriously, these are amazing," he laughed still, hitching the goggles up to perch on top of his head. He reached a hand out to her, resting it against the top of her thigh as he uncrossed his legs and crept up to press a lingering kiss to her cheek at first, then trailing one down to the corner of her mouth, then finally meeting her lips fully.

"Thank you. Really," he grinned widely, forcing himself to sit back for now - he still had his own present to give her, after all. It wouldn't do to get too distracted before that could happen-

[ccecilia]

She was beside herself with his reaction, practically beaming as she watched the hand crawl out from the side of the lens, working just as Cecilia envisioned it would. That had been the trickiest part of all, getting those little arms to follow after the wearer's reactions and not just make odd little obscene gestures. Though, she had half a mind that George wouldn't have minded that at all.

She was grinning against his kisses, her hand cupped around the back of his neck as he trailed his lips across her face.

This was the reaction she had been looking for.

"Oh- well, you know-" she said, with a slight wave of her hand. "It was fun- actually, to make them, so-"