deck the halls {ELLE}

[Curran Aiden Pettelli]

Christmas at the Pettelli Household was not a small deal. For as long as Curran could remember, it never had been, and he doubted if it ever would be, but he didn’t care. He loved Christmas and he always had – His entire family was there, having all flown over from Rome to stay in the family ranch (yes, his father was a rancher now-a-days, having decided three years ago the world of fast paced business was no longer for him)and of course, it all started on Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve was the day his Mother spent in the kitchen, baking, and twirling around in her Christmas vest dancing to her favourite festive CD. If his sister were here, she would be in there helping – this year however she was still travelling. Or at least that was what his family believed – believed she was doing charity work abroad. His heart ached for her absence, but his father kept him busy, as if trying to keep the young man’s mind off the whole thing. That morning they had put up the last of the decorations both inside and outside of the house, and put the last of the presents underneath the tree.

Now the house was truly festive – outside the lights were already turned on, twinkling in the ever approaching darkness as his mothers crazy reindeer wires ornament things greeted everyone who came up the drive. Inside the air was saturated with music and smells – cookies, mince pies, cinnamon, eggnog – you name it, if it was relatively festive, or in some way associated with Christmas, his mother had made it. The monument of a gingerbread house on the kitchen side was nothing if not testament to that fact.

The family had two trees, one in the family room and one in the foyer – that one was the biggest, and was where all the rest of the family’s presents currently sat, but Currans favourite was the smaller one, next to the fireplace in the family room. It was where he would spend Christmas Eve with his parents, and Elle, drinking eggnog and eating Christmas themed sweets and biscuits until the rest of his family started to arrive later that night – he wasn’t sure why it was his favourite. It just was.

Now, now that all the decorations were done and the chores and the cleaning, Curran was showered and getting dressed, just waiting for Elle. At the moment it was just the three of them in the large house, as it always was Christmas Eve, as the rest of the Petelli’s would arrive later that night or early the next morning if they were delayed. But until about eleven it would be just them... and he didn’t want to expose Elle to all the Pettelli madness all at once, especially when she was so nervous about just meeting his parents. A large part of him was beginning to wonder how she was going to react when she found out that the room of her own he had promised her would be his, no less, and that he was camping out with some of his younger cousins in the room next door. He grinned at the mental image, of her blushes until he got that last part out. Still, at least she would have somewhere to withdraw too if the madness all got too much – Curran on the other hand was half expecting to wake Christmas morning with a different shade of hair, and possibly decorated like Rudolph.

As Curran pulled on his black jeans, his father opened the door, leaning against the dark wooden frame. Nakedness was not a large issue in the Petelli family... what with them all wearing fur during the full moon – though had it been his Mom he might have freaked a little. There came after a certain age where being naked in front of your mother and your mother’s friends, that wasn’t a moon night, was just awkward and embarrassing. On moon nights everyone was too affected by the moon to care.

”So what time is the mysterious Elle getting here?” his father asked, leaning against the doorframe with his hands shoved into his pockets, a trait shared by both father and son. They were dressed somewhat the same in jeans and shirt, though his father had the more sophisticated look about him with his short black hair – though the Christmas sweater (and Curran had one similar) did help to somewhat make his father look more casual. Curran glanced at the clock before answering, his voice muffled slightly as the young man ran into the bathroom for his deodorant. ”In about ten minutes, why?” he asked, leaving the bathroom after a moment with a shirt half way buttoned up his chest.

”Well, you never asked a girl over for Christmas before. Not even what’s her face... lyddie. Whoever you were dating last year.” He said casually, examining the boys spotless room. Well, he’d never bothered to clean it before when he’d had a girl over – though Pattrick Pettelli presumed those plans were somewhat spur of the moment rather than planned.

”Well, she hasn’t got any family, and I didn’t want her to spend Christmas on her own. It’s not fair.” The answer came from his bed this time, where Curran was pulling on his socks. He looked up, and grinned at his father – the same cheeky smile he had had since youth. ”Thought you’d be happy for me dad, finally bringing home a girl to meet the parents. Properly, and not just ‘cause you bumped into her on the landing.” Before his dad could reply though, the doorbell rang, and Curran practically jumped from the bed, slipping past his dad to run downstairs. From the doorframe, his father shook his head, following his son rather more slowly down the stairs and kissing his wife gently on the cheek as he passed her on his way to the living room. She apparently, had been on her way to answer the door when Curran had whizzed past her.

”I know that look”Dionne Pettelli grinned as her husband past, motioning to their son. ”It’s the same one you had” They grinned at each other, eyes flashing as the two parted, one to the living room and the other to remove a tray of cookies from the oven.

Curran however, slipped to the front door, skidding across the highly polished dark wooden floor and very nearly crashing into the door. At least, he thought as he checked that his parents weren’t lingering, they weren’t crowding round the door. But then his parents had always been quite laid back, and would be more than content with meeting Elle in an hour or two’s time if she felt more comfortable that way, rather than being bombared all at once by the family of half wolves. Opening the door wide and grinning, Curran ran a hand through his hair, eyes sparkling not unlike the way they had the night they had first gone out – the night he had attempted to take her to the carnival. ”Hi, Elle”

[/blockquote][/blockquote]

TAGGING Elle!
WORDS 1182. !
WEARING CURRAN !
MUMMEH !
DADDEH !
NOTES MERRY CHRISTMAS!
LYRICS DECK THE HALLS DUH !
CREDIT meee!![/COLOR][/FONT]

[Elle Nora Taylor]

★ ★ ★ ★

Ever since her non-date with Curran Pettelli, Elle had been unable to stop thinking about the quixotic man. The time between that night and now had passed like a gentle summer breeze; light, easy, and leaving tingles against the pale, but blushing skin of her cheeks. Her lips were permanently curved up just slightly at the corners with the murmur of a faraway smile; her glowing cerulean eyes twinkling almost constantly as if they hid some special illicit secret…which they did.
Work did nothing to dampen this blissful mood she kept; the waitress had served even the grumpiest of customers with a pat on the head and a twirl as she left them. Even her monster of a boss had been inspired by the effervescent disposition; and had only yelled at her on two occasions about being flighty and silly whereas it would have usually been hundreds of times.

She had even dreamed of him; innocent visions of his smile, and his laugh, and eating pie under trees with leaves falling like rain above them, though sometimes the reverie turned into a twisted fairytale where she was Little Red Riding Hood complete with a scarlet cape and a basket of goodies and he was…well…he was the Big Bad wolf, minus the Bad. That bump on her noggin must have left some kind of concussion, because the image of that massive silver canine that had placed itself in her mind’s eye would not shooed like a good dog. That was alright by the wispy waitress. She had grown fond of the enchanting fairytale creature in her dreams as much as she had the boy that had inspired it. There was something in its tawny gaze that was comforting and familiar, and she quite enjoyed the way it made her feel like a kind of character in a child’s storybook.

Finally, it was the night she would see him again. Christmas Eve. A wondrous evening in any case, this night was going to be brilliant just because she would be spending it with Curran, and the family whom she’d yet to meet.
Elle had been so excided about meeting them, and spending a night with a group of welcoming people instead of alone; so much so that she’d begun to feel dizzy, but as the slender blonde was packing and getting dressed, giddiness had given way to nervousness, and now she had gossamer winged dragonflies fluttering around in her stomach.

What if they didn’t like her? What if Curran had changed his mind? What if they asked about her family and being unable to deny the inquiry made a fool of herself by weeping like a lost and broken little girl?! It was after all, the first Christmas she’d be without her parents, and already the season had done numbers on her spirit.

Elle’s stomach was in knots when she slid the ruby colored satin dress over her head and then glanced in the mirror, tugging on a golden ringlet which sprang back up like a silky coil. She dabbed on a bit of peach lip gloss and reapplied sparkly silver makeup to her eyes again before gliding her little feet into the silver slippers and then pulling on her black wool coat.
With a breath and a final look at the dingy motel room she threw her overnight bag into her old Volkswagen beetle and followed the direction Curran had given her to his family home; gasping in surprise when she pulled up in front of the festively decorated ranch.

It was amazing, and nothing what the girl had expected. The warm and glowing home did nothing to ease her apprehension and so by the time she walked up to the large wooden door in front and knocked (kind of lightly so that perhaps at first they wouldn’t hear and she’d have a few more minutes to catch her breath) her hands were trembling.
That breath she’d been trying so hard to catch was stolen from her however, when the doorway opened a few moments later to reveal an ever charming Curran wearing a festive but causal outfit (she was feeling rather overdressed now, thank you) and the same enchanting grin that she’d left him with.

A shy, but beaming smile crawled over her glossy pink lips and Elle put a hand to her chest as if to calm it (her heartbeat had suddenly quickened to the tempo of the dragonfly wings that were in her belly). “Hi, Curran.” Elle said breathlessly, clinging for dear life onto the handle of her bag in case her trembling hands decided to infect her body with the shakes.

Ah. Too late. She was quivering like a leaf. “Can I come in? Its cold out here…”


★ ★ ★ ★

Tag-- Curran and Family ♥
Words-- 791
--wearin'--
Lyrics-- Enchanted

[Curran Aiden Pettelli]

Curran was stood smiling like an idiot for perhaps a moment too long before he quickly moved out of the way and let her in, laughing a little embarrassed as he stared at the floor for a moment as she stepped past him, scratching the back of his neck. He shut the door quickly, cutting out the cold and chill that was creeping in with the night. The awkward moment passed however – Curran had never been one to get easily thrown by small mistakes, he was too easy going to let it happen. He simply rolled with the punches, went with the flow.

”You look beautiful,” he smiled easily, stepping away from the door and back in front of her, letting his eyes take her in. She truly did too – the red of her dress made her skin glow and her eyes stand out, made her hair look nothing short of spun gold. He didn’t think she looked over dressed what so ever, but rather quite perfect – but then if she had shown up in a bin bag he might have said the same. He couldn’t help but thing how pretty the gift he had got her would look at her throat – which lead to other thoughts about wanting to kiss it, though he quickly pushed them aside, for he knew they might start to show on his face. He wasn’t very good at hiding his emotions, and his features could often betray him.

”Come on, ”He said, holding out a hand for her bag, taking it easily from her grip and then letting his other hand linger there, in case she might like to take it. ”I’ll show you where you’re staying, and then you know where to run if all gets a little crazy for you” he grinned, and lead her towards the stairs, motioning as he went to the small corridor that lead to the living room and his father’s study, a downstairs toilet, and a small sunroom they used as a library. ”Dad’s in there, and mom’s through in the kitchen baking – that’s the smell” he smiled as they walked, ”I figured you might want to get settled and get warm before you meet them”

It took them only a minute to reach his room. He pushed the door open and let her go in before him – he knew the room after all, so it was not like he needed to see it. In one corner sat his bed, a simple double thing with a wooden headboard and a soft mattress. The rest of his room was decorated in much the same way – to one side was a large bay window and a desk – his laptop sat shut upon it, and then dotted around was a couch, a TV, and some other furniture, a wardrobe, a set of drawers, that kind of thing. He had lots of photo’s too, his sister had always loved photography, and many of her shots sat in frames on his drawers and desk, and a large one of two wolves hung above his desk – him no less, and his father but not that Elle would know that. To his right was another door, and after Curran deposited her bag on his bed he pushed it open, switching on the light to reveal the ensuite.

This done, the young man shoved his hands in his pockets and grinned. ”I hope it’s okay – I mean it’s my room, but it’s yours tonight and tomorrow, I’m next door with my cousins if you need me for anything – just bang on the wall or whatever.” He was still grinning, not unlike a moron, but he was happy she was here, happy she had agreed to come and spend Christmas with him. He really liked her, to the point where sometimes it had felt like he had been punched in the gut – in a good way – when they had spoke on the phone, or when he had nipped into the diner for some more of her pie, just like he had said he would.

[/blockquote][/blockquote]

TAGGING Elle!
WORDS 678. !
WEARING CURRAN !
MUMMEH !
DADDEH !
NOTES MERRY CHRISTMAS!
LYRICS DECK THE HALLS DUH !
CREDIT meee!![/COLOR]
NOTES Hope it’s okay... i kinda just swept her on up here XD! [/FONT]

[Elle Nora Taylor]

★ ★ ★ ★

It was quite cold out for a Texas in December. The wind spoke softly through leafless trees and the ground was covered in a light carpet of white. Little flakes were falling like whispers in the air; catching on Elle’s long lashes like glittering kisses.
The blonde should have been freezing in the wintery weather, but caught in Curran’s balmy sapphire gaze, she felt as if wrapped in a blanket of something soft and comforting.
He seemed to stare just a moment too long, and the girl let her snow sprinkled lashes drop and shifted back on her heels sheepishly, demurely clearing her throat as if to rouse him from whatever thought he might be having.

When the contemplation had passed and he let her into the home, Elle was immediately welcomed by the aroma of the holidays.
“This is what a home should smell like.” She thought suddenly and inhaled deep of the mouth-watering foods baking, the earthiness of the Christmas trees, and even the perfume of the family that occupied the space. Elle imagined she could smell Curran in that fragrance; earthy and something like a rainstorm fresh on the pavement, but she considered this was probably just a reverie of their non-date when they were arm and arm with each other; the moment she had noticed it for the first time.

She shrugged out of her black jacket and hung it quickly on a coat rack by the door, sneaking a fleeting glance at the man before he could see. His comment on her appearance caught the waitress off guard, and she paused for a moment to chew on her lower lip while trying to come up with an acceptable response. Thank you just didn’t seem the right one, because Elle wasn’t blind and didn’t think she was anything near beautiful. Mediocre, maybe; but not beautiful.
She waved a dismissive hand at him and shook her curly head, averting her eyes so they didn’t give away her embarrassment. “This place is beautiful.” Elle replied, kind of spinning a little to take it all in. The eccentric blonde hoped Curran didn’t catch on to her change of subject, because she already felt the dragonflies in her stomach turning to sparrows and the attention and the way his gaze swept slowly over her wasn’t helping with that anyway.

Handing her overnight back to Curran and then slipping her palm into the extended one, Elle couldn’t help but giggle as he tugged her through the house and upstairs to a safe haven; thankful she had a moment to get situated before meeting his mother and father.
When they arrived at the space where she would be sleeping, the blonde couldn’t help but flush a little finding out it was -his- room, so she focused on the feel of her hand inside his warm palm, and imagined that warmth spread through her arm all the way to her middle. It worked for the moment, and when he released her to put down her bag and flip on a light, Elle drifted slowly through the area, her fingers lightly gliding over the nice wooden furniture and then rising to touch a photograph of two wolves which hung above the desk. A soft smile appeared on her lips as the delicate finger pads ran over the cold glass encasing as if she could actually feel the thick silver pelt.

Turning back to the grinning Curran with an impish one of her own, Elle moved closer to him; attracted like a magnet as it were, and forced her self to perch on the edge of the bed instead of flinging her arms around him.

“I might just bang on the wall anyway…for fun.” She told him roguishly, and then colored, for she was suddenly stuck by the thought of him staying in here with her until the sun came up…talking or….

Clearing her throat, Elle pulled her hair over her shoulder and begun twisting it (one of her many nervous habits) as she let her eyes wander over things in the room that made it his.
It was both weird and wonderful how fond of the young man Elle had grown already. How she wanted to know everything about him…his favorite song, the things he dreamed about, the way he looked when he slept; even though in her heart she knew that eventually she’d pack up and leave this town like she did all the others. The willowy blonde pushed that thought from her mind for now, offering him an honest smile with her eyes and her lips. “Thank you for having me, Curran. I couldn’t stand the thought of spending the holiday alone in that awful hotel. I could have shared Christmas meal with the bugs, but I don’t enjoy their company as much as yours.”



★ ★ ★ ★

Tag-- Curran and Family
Words-- 803
Note: Its fine <3 You have permission to move her when ever you need to.
--wearin'--
Lyrics-- Enchanted

[Curran Aiden Pettelli]

Now, his mother would like to hear that. Dionne Pettelli was house proud to the point of obsession, and it had taken Curran the best part of ten years to deem his room as a no go zone, and even then he was pretty sure she still dusted when he was out, and made it try to look like she hadn’t. Still, his mother’s habits had rubbed off somewhat on her son, and his room was never dirty. The messiest it got was a few clothes on the floor – it was easier to keep track of his arrows when they were all in one place and packed away, a lesson he had learned quite painfully the morning after a drunken night.

Curran leaned back against his desk of Drawers, partially concealing, but who no means intention to do so, the photos that sat there. It was just simply where he found himself resting, his palms on the wood and his fingers curling over, making his arms stick out somewhat akimbo to his side. He smiled the corners of his mouth twitching upwards – a smile you could see all over the house in various photos. It was almost like the young man’s signature, but it pretty much encased everything he was – or rather everything he wished others to see.

He watched her twist her hair, eyes taking in the curve of her neck and the trace of her collarbone, and his thoughts drifted somewhere else for a moment as he thought of some witty retort to her words. Unfortunately, for a moment the words failed him, and by the time he had them clasped firmly within his grip she had moved on and changed the subject. Still, he might hold her to that, and see if she did knock n the walls tonight – though she might inadvertently start up a banging match if she woke his cousins up. Speaking of whom, he would have to pull away for a moment tonight before they got too settled, and explain about the whole no Fur rule that was in place for as long as Elle was here. After what had happened last time, and the way she had feinted – well it had been pure luck that she had believed it a dream and not reality, and he did not wish to tempt fate again.

Though, he realised as he stood and watched her fingers move, her eyes dart around his room, he had already decided that if things went well, if she got on with his family and didn’t feel the need to escape their small town any time soon... if she might stay a while because they grew to like each other, if the fast beat of his heart and the way his thoughts strayed where anything of an indicator of what might come – he would tell her. He would show her... and see.

”It’s my pleasure” he smiled in response to her thanks – once he had gotten home that night after inviting her and told his mother, she had practically insisted on her attendance and staying over anyway. Dionne was a kind soul who cared for many and all people who needed it, and was one of the main reasons, if you were to ask Patrick, that he had proposed to and married her. ”Really... just pretend we’re you’re family this Christmas. Don’t worry about best behaviour or anything, because believe me, when the crazies how up, they won’t care. Oh, and My uncle Robert is a bit of a player, don’t let him near you” The turn of his grin and the twinkle in his blue eyes made it impossible to tell if he was telling the truth – but it was true that the house would become mad once everyone else began to arrive and take over. Still, Curran loved it, every aspect of it... and he loved to share it with Elle. ”And once i mentioned to my mum you were coming, she would have sent me to get you kicking and screaming if I had too”

He stepped forward, offering her his hand once more. ”Talking of whom... she was just getting the last lot of cookies out of the oven when i whisked you away up here,” he grinned, ”So, if you feel like you might want to get one of them out of the way, icing them is always fun.”

[/blockquote][/blockquote]

TAGGING Elle!
WORDS 734. !
WEARING CURRAN !
MUMMEH !
DADDEH !
NOTES MERRY CHRISTMAS!
LYRICS DECK THE HALLS DUH !
CREDIT meee!![/COLOR][/FONT]

[Elle Nora Taylor]

★ ★ ★ ★

Curran’s response to her gratitude and the smile that played on his lips turned her insides into a puddle of goo, and Elle let her gaze flutter sheepishly to her silver slippered feet so she could gain some serenity before meeting those quixotic cobalt eyes again. Her heart was dancing in her chest to a song that she didn’t recognize, but it didn’t matter, for it was exhilarating enough to make feel more alive than she had in ages. She felt like a princess in a fairytale; something that she’d never thought possible before tonight.
His remark about treating them like family warmed her spirit as if she was standing before a glowing pyre, for the willowy blonde hadn’t felt close enough to anyone since loosing her own mother and father to let even a whisper of that thought cross her mind.

Family. The mere word brought a glow to her cheeks and a tender smile to cross her face. It was comforting to pretend for just a little while that they were her own. A family that wouldn’t judge her, or hurt her, or raise their voice…even though looking at Curran now did anything but make her think of a brother.
“Uncle Robert, huh?” Elle teased him with an impish grin, crossing one leg over the other and then folding her hands all lady like in her lap. “Maybe I have a thing for players. How old is he and just how close can I let him get to me before it makes you jealous?”
The wispy waitress arched a thin blonde brow mischievously, hoping to whoever was up in heaven that such a thing would make him jealous. If it didn’t, well, she was really digging herself into a hole now, wasn’t she?

The warm and fuzzies in her belly magnified when the good-looking boy suggested that his mother was actually looking forward to her visit, and when he extended his hand all gentlemanly like, Elle beamed brightly, laying her hand in the outstretched palm and even giving it a bit of a squeeze once his was wrapped tightly around it.

As before, Curran swept her off her feet… literally, tugging her swiftly through the house so that the girl imagined at some point during the brief jaunt her slippers actually left the ground. A quiet little chuckle escaped her when the image of an Elle rag doll being tugged around by a young Curran drifted into her head, and she pressed her pale fingers to her peach lips to keep the hushed laughter from becoming a loud snort.

The smell of cookies baking grew more distinct as they arrived at the bottom of the stairs, and here was where Elle’s anxiousness returned; now more like large black crows in her stomach instead of dainty dragonflies or even delicate sparrows.
Using the hand still enveloping hers, the blonde pulled Curran to a stop and stepped close enough so that she could whisper breathlessly in his ear. “I’m worried, Curran.” She told him and pressed their clasped hands to her chest so he could feel her heart pounding with the rhythm of wild horses. “What if she doesn’t approve? What if they don’t like me?”


★ ★ ★ ★

Tag-- Curran and Family ♥
Words-- 536
--wearin'--
Lyrics-- Enchanted

[Curran Aiden Pettelli]

Curran pulled a face at her words, even if she was only teasing; it was all too easy for the young man to picture it. He could have a somewhat twisted imagination at times, and unfortunately his uncle looked like a young George Clooney, and had stolen his girlfriend once before. It was easy for the pang of jealously to swell. ”He’s seventy eight, looks like peter Pettigrew and drools when he talks. Id avoid him like the plague, if I was you” Curran lied, an easy smile alighting on his features. Well, the lie made him feel better for now; she’d see the truth when his uncle showed up anyway.

Soon enough of course, the two of them had made their way down to the kitchen and into the heavenly smells of his mothers cooking. Elle was an amazing chef he had to admit, but, like all men, he truly thought his mother was possibly the best – but Elle came very close, and her key lime pie certainly beat his mothers, and now that was saying something. Before he pushed the door open though, he stopped and pulled Elle round so that they were facing each other. ” Don’t worry Elle” He smiled, and brushed a lock of hair behind her ear ” Just be yourself, and my mother will love you” Curran Assured her, and then, just before he pushed open the door, he kissed her cheek, cheekily. ”for luck!” He grinned, and pulled them both into the kitchen.

His mother was just finishing dumping some cookies onto a cooling rack, her gloved hand in one mitten and an icing bag in other. The tops of the counters were littered with flour and various decorating tools, and there was a smudge of icing on her cheek. Dionne Petelli had never been accused of being an organised or clean cook, but no one argues with her baked treats once they were out of the oven. ”Right you two,” She grinned, waving them over with her mitted hand. ”These lot need icing while these others cool – curran is useless but he tells me you’re quite the cook Elle” She smiled warmly at her, radiating warmth the way every mother should. She stopped for a moment, whilst Curran wove her way round her, stealing a cookie on the way past, and stood in front of Elle, her soft brown eyes taking her in. After a moment she smiled. ”Well, aren’t you as pretty as the ocean” She smiled, and pulled her into a hug, and quite possibly managing to get flour all over her dress. ”What the hell are you doing with my son, as pretty as you are? ” She grinned, a tease in her eyes. ”But, more talking later, for now, these cookies aren’t going to ice themselves!”

[/blockquote][/blockquote]

TAGGING Elle!
WORDS 469. !
WEARING CURRAN !
MUMMEH !
DADDEH !
NOTES MERRY CHRISTMAS!
LYRICS DECK THE HALLS DUH !
CREDIT meee!![/COLOR][/FONT]

[Elle Nora Taylor]

★ ★ ★ ★

Elle chewed on her bottom lip endearingly, her wide cerulean eyes caught in Curran’s, nodding because for a moment she believed every word he was saying.
Her gaze trailed his fingers when they moved an unruly curl behind her ear, and she caught herself leaning in just a little, the wish to throw her arms around him even harder to ignore.
And then he went and pressed a chaste kiss to her cheek, and Elle let out a little gasp, her free hand lifting to capture the warmth of the permanent blush that had stolen up her face.

It did nothing to calm the wild horses that had been running untamed in her chest, but now they practically thundered, and she could hear the echo in her ears. If she could have twirled, she would have, but before she had a chance Curran was tugging her into the kitchen.

Her heart fairly stopped when her broad blue gaze met the affectionate eyes of Curran’s mother, Dionne. Her smile was sweeter than the cookies and cakes that littered the countertops, and it was infectious, for Elle began to breathe again without even a moment of hyperventilation.
She nodded her curly blonde hair vehemently, eyes darting momentarily to the son’s face as if for courage; he had let go over her hand, and it was gently shaking now.

“I dabble in the kitchen.” Elle replied, smiling blithely, and using the trembling fingers to tuck away that wild lock of gold again. “I can country-fry just about anything, including Twinkies which are heavenly fried if you’ve never had it. I mostly like to bake, though. Pies are my passion. I would call myself a pie artist as a matter-of-fact. I get inspired to make all different kinds just because of different things that may happen or different people I meet.” Her cobalt orbs moved to Curran nibbling on a cookie, and her peach colored lips curved up at the corners in a smile. “I made him a chocolate and cherry pie with whipped cream, but the boss caught me sneaking it out of the diner and made me leave it for the customers…”

And then Elle gasped a little, lifting her alabaster fingertips to her mouth. She was prattling on, wasn’t she? Oh! Good lord. Now she was really blushing.

It was a good thing Dionne didn’t seem to mind the chatter, and when she moved towards Elle with a compliment dripping from her smile it was all the lithe blonde could do not to burst out in tears. This was what it felt like to have a mother. She remembered the comfort and warmth of those arms…

Elle clung for a moment when Mrs. Pettelli pulled away, and the girl swept a hand across her cheek to verify she -hadn’t- started balling (thank goodness, she hadn’t) smirking a little when Dionne teased her so easily about dating her son.
“Oh, he isn’t so bad…” the willowy girl said with a wink at the boy that was watching them and a mischievous thought unexpectedly crossed her mind. Perhaps she could get those charming cheeks to flush with awkwardness; like he did so easily to hers.

He seemed utterly unflappable, always smiling, as if he had a self-confidence made of steel.

“Actually, Mrs. Pettelli…” Elle began, and turned her impish smirk away from the grinning boy in order to pull a plate of cookies and a bowl toward her. “Your son is quite amazing. Did you know, the first night we ever met, he rescued a damsel in distress from an awful villain?”
She nodded dramatically and batted her eyelashes, using a spatula to slather some colored icing. “He sure did. He was a hero. It’s just too bad I fainted and didn’t see the whole thing play out, because I would have loved to see the look on that mugger’s face when Curran scared him away. He musta’ been wearin’ some really mean face that I haven’t been able to coax from him yet.” Elle was chattering on again, but she meant every word of it.

Elle’s smile was radiant when she turned back to Curran, and she was mighty pleased with herself for bringing it up just in case he hadn’t told his mother how wonderful he’d been that night.



★ ★ ★ ★

Tag-- Curran and Family ♥
Words-- 718
--wearin'--
Lyrics-- Enchanted

[Curran Aiden Pettelli]

Curran leant on the somewhat floury counter and nibbled his biscuit, smiling to himself as he watched Elle interact with his mom. He felt a knot loosen in his stomach at how easily they chatted –he knew they would- and for a moment turned his full attention to his biscuit, and the bag of icing that lay on the side. Curran had never been any good at the baking part, or the icing bit if he was being particularly honest, but that didn’t stop him enjoying himself whilst he was doing. When they where little, his sisters had been the ones left for Santa, and his had been the ones eaten in front of the fire – he wasn’t bothered, he got to eat them, why would you want to waste them on a jolly red fat man? Let his sister crack on... and he’d add a little more of the blue....

His attention was swiftly dragged from the subject of icing and melt in your mouth cookie goodness however when Elle brought up the story of his little heroics. He saw his mother raise an eyebrow and swallowed, grinning slyly as the tips of his ears turned pink beneath his mothers gaze; no, he hadn’t told his parents about that yet, and now he just knew he was going to get grilled as soon as she had him alone for a moment. He silently prayed that Elle didn’t need to disappear anytime soon – he mother could be a scary woman when she wanted.

Still, he smiled back at Elle when she turned around – her enthusiasm was catching and her smile was radiant.... it was like trying to frown at the sun after a month of darkness.

”No! He never told us that....” Dionne glanced at her son, giving him the look that said it all, and asked the question that worried her most about Elles words. Has she seen him – however Currans quick shake of his head let her heart calm down. It was not that she didn’t like Elle, or distrust her, but she had only met the girl once, and she had spent her entire life drilling into her children’s heads the importance of being hidden. Still, if Curran decided to tell her.... well. She guessed she wouldn’t have much say. ”Currans mean face is a like a mad teddy bear. He’s useless.” She etased her son as they started decorating the cookies – Dionne wielded a piping bag like a pro, whilst Curran got smear happy opposite her, turning a Christmas tree into the blob.

Whilst they decorated, Curran got icing everywhere, including his hair, quite happy to let the two girls talk, occasionally letting his arm ‘accidentally’ brush Elles, or bumping her with his hip, just to let her know he was there, if she wanted to escape.

[/blockquote][/blockquote]

TAGGING Elle!
WORDS 1471. !
WEARING CURRAN !
MUMMEH !
DADDEH !
NOTES MERRY CHRISTMAS!
LYRICS DECK THE HALLS DUH !
CREDIT meee!![/COLOR][/FONT]

[Elle Nora Taylor]

★ ★ ★ ★

Even after her confession of his heroics, Curran remained as always; ever cool as a cucumber. It would have irritated the curly-headed waitress just a little had it not been for that charismatic grin, and the slightly rebellious upturn of his dark eyebrows; obviously meant to tell her she should try a little harder next time.
Elle would have liked to have heard some slightly mortified stuttering on his part, or at least the boy arguing about his gallantry. Something…anything that would signify that she had gotten him good, or at least just a teeny-tiny bit. Oh, how perfect would it have been if Mama Pettelli had gushed over her son, maybe even pinched his cheeks some. That would have -really- gotten him! Perhaps later Dionne would get out the old photo albums and show off a bare-booty little baby Curran. That would just make the blonde’s whole evening.

Elle did, however, notice a faint reddish tint at the tips of the young man’s ears, and she couldn’t help but smirk a little to herself as his mother went on about his teddy-bear like mean face and how useless he was. The blonde wasn’t about to argue with the woman, but at this point she gazed at the dark haired boy furtively from underneath her long lashes and thought to herself that certainly couldn’t be true. She hadn’t known him every long, but she did know he was wonderful at a lot of things…

Making her laugh, turning her belly into a virtual dance club for butterflies and dragonflies, melting the pounding organ within her chest when ever she saw that dazzling smile…

Yes, there were so many things he was actually quite good at that naming them all would take ages and besides, merely thinking of them now had stolen the breath from the girl.
Elle cleared her throat to regain her composure and prayed that the pair didn’t notice her fleeting breathlessness. She picked back up her easy conversation with Dionne, gushing over how lovely the house was and how she was so honored to have been invited as a guest for the holidays.
Curran’s mom was truly remarkable; making Elle feel at home more than she had in ages; since loosing her mom she had never really felt much like she belonged anywhere.

Curran didn’t talk much as the women chatted, obviously hoping to let the pair get to know one another, but every once in a while he would graze her arm with his own or brush his hip against hers (which every time drew giddy goose bumps across her pale skin.)
Finally when it seemed all the cookies had been iced and the cakes decorated and the other goodies thoroughly sampled, Elle decided she would very much like to have a little more quiet time with her new companion. The blonde was absolutely panicky about giving him his gift from her (she didn’t have much money and it wasn’t nothing special really, though it had meant a lot to her) and she had been desperately holding back the urge to lift her fingers up to his dark hair in order to remove the icing there-- at least in front of Dionne because it was those little actions that really got her heart hammering and she didn’t want to share -that- with the woman just yet.

Thanking Dionne once again for everything Elle offered Curran a sly smile and told him to stay put for the moment; hurrying upstairs to get the wrapped box before rushing back down and catching his hand in hers.
The lithe blonde held his hand for dear life and tugged him out the back door, into the chilly night air (so maybe her blushing cheeks could be assumed as simply cold ones.)
The box was held behind her back for a moment so that she could now do what she’d been so anxious to do before.

“Look at you Curran, you're a mess.” She teased and lifted delicate fingertips to a strand of chocolate that was falling in his eyes, pulling away the pink icing that had already begun to dry. “At least you taste good.” Elle added with a teasing radiance in her gaze when she put the finger between her lips to try it.

Sweet. Just like him.

“So…I’ve got something for you.” The blonde said quietly, bringing the blue and silver wrapped box from behind her back and hesitated a moment before she offered it to him.
“I hope you’ll like it. It’s kind of silly, but when I saw it…I don’t know. It reminded me of the night I met you…”




★ ★ ★ ★

Tag-- Curran and Family ♥
Words-- 772
--wearin'--
Lyrics-- Enchanted
Notes-- The 'gift' is a snow globe with a wolf inside of it. I sorry I couldn't find a pic of one for you. None I found were quite good enough