Christmas (Courtney/Gev)
Courtney/Gev (SYTYCD4)
G for pure fluff.
Inspired by this picture:
and the keyword: 'Christmas'
This is so full of cheese and lame lines and sldkfjldkjf. Seasonal fic and I don't go well together? Ahah. Ha.
Gev stood in front of the display in shock, mouth slightly agape, the almost empty shopping cart forgotten beside him.
There were so many Transformers action figures.
His eyes roamed the shelves, and he turned his head to scan the shiny, colourful boxes that surrounded him, from Optimus Prime to Bumble to those evil Transformers that he couldn't remember the names of. The sheer multitude of boxes seemed to go on forever, the lacquered cardboard of each box gleaming under the fluorescent lighting, the small, stoic, plastic faces behind the windows like a miniature army made to do Mattel’s bidding.
… He really, really wanted one. So much.
A little boy bundled in a puffy coat ran by, hollering at the top of his lungs, shaking Gev out of his euphoric state.
Focus, Gev, he admonished himself, patting his coat pocket, where a piece of paper crinkled; you’re here for Courtney's gift. Grabbing his cart and wheeling it around, he turned away from the Transformers toys and made it to the end of the aisle before pausing.
Oh, what the heck.
He reached back, quickly grabbing an Optimus Prime off the shelf. Looking up, he caught the eye of an attractive female sales associate hovering by the Barbie aisle. He felt an embarrassed flush rise up his neck, and cleared his throat, saying, "So, uh... kids these days like these kind of toys, right?" He waved the box he was holding awkwardly. The girl just raised her eyebrows.
Coughing, he turned his cart around and sped down the main aisle, mind back on his mission. This was the first Christmas that Courtney was finally single, and he wasn't going to screw it up. First on his list: Courtney's gift.
***
Feeling slightly detached from chatter and laughter filling the rest of the room, Courtney peered outside, eyes scanning the rapidly darkening evening sky. It looked like it might snow; she hoped it would. It’d be nice to have a white Christmas this year, especially after her depressing break up with Brett only two weeks prior.
Sighing, she turned away from the window, letting the bright striped curtain fall back into place behind her. Almost immediately a small figure barreled into her legs, and she barely caught her balance, preventing herself from sprawling onto the floor along with the tiny eight year old girl who was grinning up at her, all gap-toothed and wide-eyed, her arms wrapped around Courtney’s legs. She couldn’t help but smile back.
“Hi, Evelynn! Are you enjoying the Christmas party?”
Evelynn continued to grin up at her, and Courtney bent down to lift her into her arms. Ever since she’d started volunteering at the battered women’s shelter two months ago, the girl with special needs had immediately taken to her, showing Courtney her scribbled drawings and letting her play with her sad, worn-looking one-eyed teddy bear.
...That is, unless Gev was there. He would sometimes come with her to the shelter during the weekends, and she suspected that Eve (and maybe even some of the women) had a little bit of a crush on him. Courtney would often find him deep in conversation with some of the women and children, Evelynn shadowing him, demanding piggyback rides and hugs. The fridge and the bulletin board in Gev’s apartment were covered in Eve’s scribbled drawings - often depictions of herself and Gev in front of boxy houses. Sometimes Courtney would make the occasional cameo.
Courtney had actually asked him to come to the Christmas party tonight, but he’d regretfully told her that he’d had other plans. Naturally, she’d been disappointed, as he seemed to understand how much it all meant to her. It would have been nice if he could have made it.
Before they’d broken up, Brett had told her that the women at the shelter didn’t need her help; he’d never liked her spending so much time in the area - it was, admittedly, a little shady - and had tried to stop her from taking the volunteer position that Alejandra, the woman who owned the house, had been offering, but she couldn’t keep away. She felt, for once in her life outside of dance, that she was finally doing something right. She’d drive down to the shelter in her free time (or whenever Brett wasn’t around) so that she could talk to the women there. Their stories touched her; their sheer love for life despite what had happened to them inspired her.
Evelynn was tugging at her hair. Courtney smiled down at her, smoothing back her wispy blonde curls. A cackle rang out from the corner by the dinner table, where a vivacious young woman was loudly telling a story, making sweeping gestures with her arms. Courtney made her way over with Evelynn, willing herself to stop thinking about Brett and to just enjoy the night with these women and children. She only hoped that she could give them just a little of what they deserved for Christmas.
***
Trying to glimpse his wristwatch - which read 9:34pm - he contemplated his options: The subway or a cab?
Two gift-wrapped boxes were wedged under his left armpit, and he was clutching four bags in his left hand. At least four more bags, packed with presents, were dangling precariously from the tips of his fingers on the right hand, and the giant stuffed bear that he couldn’t resist had been shoved under his right armpit by the helpful cashier. A few rolls of Christmas-themed wrapping paper were protruding from his armour of paper bags. Not for the first time Gev wished he were as tall as Matt - those long arms would have been useful in carrying all the shopping bags that were currently weighing down his body.
He winced, remembering the amount of time it took to get everything gift-wrapped, tagged, and onto his person at the department store, and shuddered to think of how he would fit onto the subway… or into a cab. Better to walk it in the cold than to risk getting anything stolen or lost or severely squashed (there was no hope for the apple pie he’d optimistically bought before reaching the department store; something sticky was dripping onto his thigh, and he had a sinking suspicion he knew what it was, judging by the distinct aroma of cinnamon).
Gev huffed in resignation as he began his trek, tightening his grip on his various bags and boxes, and nuzzled his nose deeper into the green woolen scarf his mother had knitted him for the holidays. He adjusted his stranglehold on the fuzzy brown bear. Never, ever again would he leave gift-shopping until the last minute.
***
It was nearing ten o’clock at night, and the first traces of sleepiness were beginning to creep into the eyes of some of the children who lived at the shelter. Having finished eating their dinner, everyone was sitting around and chatting, the atmosphere relaxed and quiet. All of a sudden, the comfortable atmosphere of the room was interrupted by a loud banging sound coming from the door - it sounded like someone was trying to force their way in.
Courtney glanced up from her tinkling on the piano with Evelynn’s brother, and motioned for Alejandra to sit down, getting up herself to walk over to the door and peer through the peephole. She blinked in confusion, looking through it again to see a dark, fuzzy expanse of… something.
She frowned, hoping that it wasn’t George. He was friendly enough - when he was sober - but more often than not he’d have a bottle (or several) clutched in his hand and could be found wandering the nearby streets, clanging them against various walls and fences and garbage cans, loudly singing off-key. It would be just like him to shove his head against the peephole, giggling. She smiled despite herself and unlocked the door, opening it wide.
Instead of George, however, she was greeted with the sight of a pile of shopping bags and boxes. The first snowflakes of the season were softly drifting onto a head of tousled dark curls in need of a haircut, under which a familiar face was grinning.
Her smile broke into a full-fledged, disbelieving grin as she exclaimed, “Gev? What’s with all the bags? And what are you doing here?”
His grin held firm as he replied, “Right now, I’m shivering from the cold.” He let his teeth chatter for extra effect - his chin wobbling a box under his chin - as he added idly, “Did you know that it’s going to snow tonight?”
Courtney quickly apologized and stepped aside, letting Gev (and his bags and boxes and… teddy bear?) enter the shelter. Closing and locking the door behind him, she heard him call out a greeting, which was reciprocated by everyone inside. She turned around to see him dump his various bags under the Christmas tree in the corner, before planting himself beside the pile and pulling out box after gift-wrapped box, all labeled with his distinct scribble. He started to sort through them, calling out, “C’mon everyone, Santa gave me gifts for all of you!”
As she watched the surprised and excited faces of those who lived at the shelter, realization of what he was doing for them - for her - made something inside of her melt. “Gev…”
He turned his head towards her, smiling, his brown eyes sparkling. The look made her feel warm. “Merry Christmas, Courtney.”
Gev began to turn back to the children and women who surrounded him, but started and reached into a bag by his side, pulling out a large, flat package and handing it to her, explaining, “Here, this is for you.” He turned to Evelynn, who was making moon-eyes at him, and placed in her arms a teddy bear that was almost as big as she was. She giggled in glee as he pulled on a Santa hat and made a face at her.
Clutching the gift, Courtney sat herself beside him and tore the paper off as he continued to hand out the remaining gifts to the others. She uncovered a simple black picture frame, face down in the paper.
That’s an odd gift, she puzzled, before she turned it around. A slow, fond smile made its way onto her face, and the warm feeling inside of her seemed to expand, filling her chest.
Under the glass were several pictures and photos. The central picture was a crude depiction of her, Gev and Evelynn standing beside a scribbled house, their (misspelled) names carefully added underneath in Eve’s handwriting. Surrounding Eve’s picture were smaller, cut-out photos of the rest of the women and children living at the shelter, as well as Alejandra and the two other teenaged volunteers. She felt her eyes prickling with tears as she traced the familiar faces under the glass. Feeling Gev's eyes on her, she looked up, and she shook her head wordlessly as he shifted towards her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her towards him and cradling her head against his shoulder. She didn’t have to say anything for him to know what she was thinking - her silence meant you shouldn’t have and how do you know everything that makes me tick? and thank you, a thousand times thank you.
Courtney tried to compose herself, trying to ignore the altogether too familiar shiver that ran down her spine when Gev pressed his lips against her hair. Clearing her throat, she pulled away, reaching out to pick up the last box beside her. She glanced down at it, noticing that it was an unwrapped Transformers action figure, with no gift tag attached. She looked around, but everyone seemed to be occupied with their gifts already. Jabbing Gev with it, she asked lightly, “Who’s this for? It doesn’t have a tag.”
He glanced over at the box she was holding and did a double take, before colouring and taking it from her. “Uh. No one, actually. It must have fallen into my shopping cart.” He quickly tucked it away behind him.
She recognized his shifty-eyed look and grinned widely, incredulously. “Did you buy this… for yourself? Gev, I’m ashamed of you!” She shoved him gently, and he shoved her back, sporting his own guilty grin. She retaliated by pulling at the fluffy ball at the end of his Santa hat and he grabbed her wrist, batting her other hand away and defending himself with a ‘Hey!’
His hand was startlingly warm against her skin, and she stopped fighting back. He slid his hand down her wrist, squeezing her hand gently. Her skin tingled. His smiling face was close to hers, and she felt her breath catch in her throat. He smelled like apples and cinnamon.
“You smell like cinnamon,” she whispered unnecessarily. The bustle around them seemed to slow down, seemed to quiet, and she could see every fleck of lighter brown in his dark eyes. He gave a soft chuff of nervous laughter.
“I hope you’ll still like the apple pie even when it’s been squashed.” His voice sounded strange.
He leaned forward, an almost imperceptible tilt of his chin towards her, as his fingertips barely grazed her cheek. She could barely formulate her reply. “I always have.”
She closed her eyes.
It was Christmas Eve, and outside it was snowing. The streets were dusted in a fine, powdery layer of the soft, fat flakes that swirled down from the dark night sky, bringing with them the promise of a brand new year.
G for pure fluff.
Inspired by this picture:
and the keyword: 'Christmas'
This is so full of cheese and lame lines and sldkfjldkjf. Seasonal fic and I don't go well together? Ahah. Ha.
Gev stood in front of the display in shock, mouth slightly agape, the almost empty shopping cart forgotten beside him.
There were so many Transformers action figures.
His eyes roamed the shelves, and he turned his head to scan the shiny, colourful boxes that surrounded him, from Optimus Prime to Bumble to those evil Transformers that he couldn't remember the names of. The sheer multitude of boxes seemed to go on forever, the lacquered cardboard of each box gleaming under the fluorescent lighting, the small, stoic, plastic faces behind the windows like a miniature army made to do Mattel’s bidding.
… He really, really wanted one. So much.
A little boy bundled in a puffy coat ran by, hollering at the top of his lungs, shaking Gev out of his euphoric state.
Focus, Gev, he admonished himself, patting his coat pocket, where a piece of paper crinkled; you’re here for Courtney's gift. Grabbing his cart and wheeling it around, he turned away from the Transformers toys and made it to the end of the aisle before pausing.
Oh, what the heck.
He reached back, quickly grabbing an Optimus Prime off the shelf. Looking up, he caught the eye of an attractive female sales associate hovering by the Barbie aisle. He felt an embarrassed flush rise up his neck, and cleared his throat, saying, "So, uh... kids these days like these kind of toys, right?" He waved the box he was holding awkwardly. The girl just raised her eyebrows.
Coughing, he turned his cart around and sped down the main aisle, mind back on his mission. This was the first Christmas that Courtney was finally single, and he wasn't going to screw it up. First on his list: Courtney's gift.
***
Feeling slightly detached from chatter and laughter filling the rest of the room, Courtney peered outside, eyes scanning the rapidly darkening evening sky. It looked like it might snow; she hoped it would. It’d be nice to have a white Christmas this year, especially after her depressing break up with Brett only two weeks prior.
Sighing, she turned away from the window, letting the bright striped curtain fall back into place behind her. Almost immediately a small figure barreled into her legs, and she barely caught her balance, preventing herself from sprawling onto the floor along with the tiny eight year old girl who was grinning up at her, all gap-toothed and wide-eyed, her arms wrapped around Courtney’s legs. She couldn’t help but smile back.
“Hi, Evelynn! Are you enjoying the Christmas party?”
Evelynn continued to grin up at her, and Courtney bent down to lift her into her arms. Ever since she’d started volunteering at the battered women’s shelter two months ago, the girl with special needs had immediately taken to her, showing Courtney her scribbled drawings and letting her play with her sad, worn-looking one-eyed teddy bear.
...That is, unless Gev was there. He would sometimes come with her to the shelter during the weekends, and she suspected that Eve (and maybe even some of the women) had a little bit of a crush on him. Courtney would often find him deep in conversation with some of the women and children, Evelynn shadowing him, demanding piggyback rides and hugs. The fridge and the bulletin board in Gev’s apartment were covered in Eve’s scribbled drawings - often depictions of herself and Gev in front of boxy houses. Sometimes Courtney would make the occasional cameo.
Courtney had actually asked him to come to the Christmas party tonight, but he’d regretfully told her that he’d had other plans. Naturally, she’d been disappointed, as he seemed to understand how much it all meant to her. It would have been nice if he could have made it.
Before they’d broken up, Brett had told her that the women at the shelter didn’t need her help; he’d never liked her spending so much time in the area - it was, admittedly, a little shady - and had tried to stop her from taking the volunteer position that Alejandra, the woman who owned the house, had been offering, but she couldn’t keep away. She felt, for once in her life outside of dance, that she was finally doing something right. She’d drive down to the shelter in her free time (or whenever Brett wasn’t around) so that she could talk to the women there. Their stories touched her; their sheer love for life despite what had happened to them inspired her.
Evelynn was tugging at her hair. Courtney smiled down at her, smoothing back her wispy blonde curls. A cackle rang out from the corner by the dinner table, where a vivacious young woman was loudly telling a story, making sweeping gestures with her arms. Courtney made her way over with Evelynn, willing herself to stop thinking about Brett and to just enjoy the night with these women and children. She only hoped that she could give them just a little of what they deserved for Christmas.
***
Trying to glimpse his wristwatch - which read 9:34pm - he contemplated his options: The subway or a cab?
Two gift-wrapped boxes were wedged under his left armpit, and he was clutching four bags in his left hand. At least four more bags, packed with presents, were dangling precariously from the tips of his fingers on the right hand, and the giant stuffed bear that he couldn’t resist had been shoved under his right armpit by the helpful cashier. A few rolls of Christmas-themed wrapping paper were protruding from his armour of paper bags. Not for the first time Gev wished he were as tall as Matt - those long arms would have been useful in carrying all the shopping bags that were currently weighing down his body.
He winced, remembering the amount of time it took to get everything gift-wrapped, tagged, and onto his person at the department store, and shuddered to think of how he would fit onto the subway… or into a cab. Better to walk it in the cold than to risk getting anything stolen or lost or severely squashed (there was no hope for the apple pie he’d optimistically bought before reaching the department store; something sticky was dripping onto his thigh, and he had a sinking suspicion he knew what it was, judging by the distinct aroma of cinnamon).
Gev huffed in resignation as he began his trek, tightening his grip on his various bags and boxes, and nuzzled his nose deeper into the green woolen scarf his mother had knitted him for the holidays. He adjusted his stranglehold on the fuzzy brown bear. Never, ever again would he leave gift-shopping until the last minute.
***
It was nearing ten o’clock at night, and the first traces of sleepiness were beginning to creep into the eyes of some of the children who lived at the shelter. Having finished eating their dinner, everyone was sitting around and chatting, the atmosphere relaxed and quiet. All of a sudden, the comfortable atmosphere of the room was interrupted by a loud banging sound coming from the door - it sounded like someone was trying to force their way in.
Courtney glanced up from her tinkling on the piano with Evelynn’s brother, and motioned for Alejandra to sit down, getting up herself to walk over to the door and peer through the peephole. She blinked in confusion, looking through it again to see a dark, fuzzy expanse of… something.
She frowned, hoping that it wasn’t George. He was friendly enough - when he was sober - but more often than not he’d have a bottle (or several) clutched in his hand and could be found wandering the nearby streets, clanging them against various walls and fences and garbage cans, loudly singing off-key. It would be just like him to shove his head against the peephole, giggling. She smiled despite herself and unlocked the door, opening it wide.
Instead of George, however, she was greeted with the sight of a pile of shopping bags and boxes. The first snowflakes of the season were softly drifting onto a head of tousled dark curls in need of a haircut, under which a familiar face was grinning.
Her smile broke into a full-fledged, disbelieving grin as she exclaimed, “Gev? What’s with all the bags? And what are you doing here?”
His grin held firm as he replied, “Right now, I’m shivering from the cold.” He let his teeth chatter for extra effect - his chin wobbling a box under his chin - as he added idly, “Did you know that it’s going to snow tonight?”
Courtney quickly apologized and stepped aside, letting Gev (and his bags and boxes and… teddy bear?) enter the shelter. Closing and locking the door behind him, she heard him call out a greeting, which was reciprocated by everyone inside. She turned around to see him dump his various bags under the Christmas tree in the corner, before planting himself beside the pile and pulling out box after gift-wrapped box, all labeled with his distinct scribble. He started to sort through them, calling out, “C’mon everyone, Santa gave me gifts for all of you!”
As she watched the surprised and excited faces of those who lived at the shelter, realization of what he was doing for them - for her - made something inside of her melt. “Gev…”
He turned his head towards her, smiling, his brown eyes sparkling. The look made her feel warm. “Merry Christmas, Courtney.”
Gev began to turn back to the children and women who surrounded him, but started and reached into a bag by his side, pulling out a large, flat package and handing it to her, explaining, “Here, this is for you.” He turned to Evelynn, who was making moon-eyes at him, and placed in her arms a teddy bear that was almost as big as she was. She giggled in glee as he pulled on a Santa hat and made a face at her.
Clutching the gift, Courtney sat herself beside him and tore the paper off as he continued to hand out the remaining gifts to the others. She uncovered a simple black picture frame, face down in the paper.
That’s an odd gift, she puzzled, before she turned it around. A slow, fond smile made its way onto her face, and the warm feeling inside of her seemed to expand, filling her chest.
Under the glass were several pictures and photos. The central picture was a crude depiction of her, Gev and Evelynn standing beside a scribbled house, their (misspelled) names carefully added underneath in Eve’s handwriting. Surrounding Eve’s picture were smaller, cut-out photos of the rest of the women and children living at the shelter, as well as Alejandra and the two other teenaged volunteers. She felt her eyes prickling with tears as she traced the familiar faces under the glass. Feeling Gev's eyes on her, she looked up, and she shook her head wordlessly as he shifted towards her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her towards him and cradling her head against his shoulder. She didn’t have to say anything for him to know what she was thinking - her silence meant you shouldn’t have and how do you know everything that makes me tick? and thank you, a thousand times thank you.
Courtney tried to compose herself, trying to ignore the altogether too familiar shiver that ran down her spine when Gev pressed his lips against her hair. Clearing her throat, she pulled away, reaching out to pick up the last box beside her. She glanced down at it, noticing that it was an unwrapped Transformers action figure, with no gift tag attached. She looked around, but everyone seemed to be occupied with their gifts already. Jabbing Gev with it, she asked lightly, “Who’s this for? It doesn’t have a tag.”
He glanced over at the box she was holding and did a double take, before colouring and taking it from her. “Uh. No one, actually. It must have fallen into my shopping cart.” He quickly tucked it away behind him.
She recognized his shifty-eyed look and grinned widely, incredulously. “Did you buy this… for yourself? Gev, I’m ashamed of you!” She shoved him gently, and he shoved her back, sporting his own guilty grin. She retaliated by pulling at the fluffy ball at the end of his Santa hat and he grabbed her wrist, batting her other hand away and defending himself with a ‘Hey!’
His hand was startlingly warm against her skin, and she stopped fighting back. He slid his hand down her wrist, squeezing her hand gently. Her skin tingled. His smiling face was close to hers, and she felt her breath catch in her throat. He smelled like apples and cinnamon.
“You smell like cinnamon,” she whispered unnecessarily. The bustle around them seemed to slow down, seemed to quiet, and she could see every fleck of lighter brown in his dark eyes. He gave a soft chuff of nervous laughter.
“I hope you’ll still like the apple pie even when it’s been squashed.” His voice sounded strange.
He leaned forward, an almost imperceptible tilt of his chin towards her, as his fingertips barely grazed her cheek. She could barely formulate her reply. “I always have.”
She closed her eyes.
It was Christmas Eve, and outside it was snowing. The streets were dusted in a fine, powdery layer of the soft, fat flakes that swirled down from the dark night sky, bringing with them the promise of a brand new year.