A very cute Christmassey chapter for you. Enjoy the fluff (cause I'm about to do somethi awesome mwahahahahaha).
If you loved this and you love me, don't forget to review. You get candy if you do. Maybe not.
Eleanor's family was amazing, Castiel had to admit.
His family's reunions were full of boring people he was certain he had never seen, and all they talked about was business and the economy and how England was the worst country in the world to live in. All while Castiel thought "Yeah, mate, I'm sure there's a guy in an African village just weeping on the floor because 'you only have your wheelie bins collected once a fortnight'".
Her family was loud, or maybe just drunk. There was not a single sane person in that house, and he found that out the moment he stepped in and a small elder Asian woman said: "Are you Eleanor's girlfriend, dear? Great, we need some more fine men in this family, since my daughter married an idiot!" She screamed the last part to Eleanor's dad.
"I know you love me, Kwan!" The man screamed back.
"What's your name again, dear?" The woman asked, ignoring Eleanor's dad completely.
"Um… Castiel, I'm not Eleanor's boyf-"
"What a beautiful name! What is the meaning of it?"
"Shield of God, but I'm not-"
"Nan, please stop harassing my friend" Eleanor said as she ran towards them from the kitchen.
"I'm sorry child, I'm just happy you found someone better than Jefferson!"
"We can do this all day Kwan" Jefferson yelled at her.
"Eomma, please stop arguing with my husband" Ava pleaded.
"You should have married the rich boy from the Lowlands when you had the chance"
"I did! That was Jefferson!"
"I'm sorry about them" Eleanor apologized as her grandmother and her parents 'argued' "Nan gets like that when she drinks"
"It's okay. I like her better than my Nan already"
"Well, make yourself at home! I have to finish up some things for dinner but-"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, you're gonna leave me here alone? I don't know any of these people!"
"You know my brothers and my parents"
"I haven't seen your brothers and your parents are kinda busy. Also, I'm scared of your father"
"You look like you like old people"
"I don't"
"Great" The girl exclaimed pulling him towards an elder woman sitting in the couch by the gigantic Christmas tree. She looked like an older Eleanor "Hi Nan, this is my friend Castiel. Castiel, this is my grandmother, Kathleen. See you in a bit"
"Eleanor-"
"It'll be just a couple minutes, I swear" she ran back to the kitchen and Castiel sighed loudly, fighting the urge to punch her.
"Just like her father" Kathleen told him, her accent even stronger than her son's "Sit down, laddie. I don't bite"
Castiel carefully sat down next to her and looked at floor, making a mental note to kill Eleanor later.
"Eleanor was right" The woman continued "You do have thunderstorm eyes" Castiel looked at her confused "She talks a lot about you, you know. If we talked more, I can assure you I would know your entire life story. She really likes you"
"She… talks about me?"
"Oh, all the time. And I remember that way of talking from someone else"
"What do you mean?"
"14 years ago, my son came home talking about a girl he met, with whom he soon became friends, with an astounding admiration. He used to say 'I'll be her friend forever'. Eleanor told me the same thing about you"
"Is he? Still that girl's friend I mean"
"Oh, he is. I remember the first time I met her. That shy Asian girl. She hasn't changed much, has she? Our Ava"
Castiel looked over at Eleanor's parents. So they had been best friends. Jefferson looked at Ava like she was the most precious person he had ever set his eyes on. Eleanor didn't look at Castiel like that.
"I know what you're thinking. Eleanor likes you. I know that tone. And I know that look"
"I don't think she does, though"
"Trust me"
"Cassy! I'm all yours now" Eleanor said as she left the kitchen, walking towards them.
"Stop calling me Cassy"
"I don't think I will"
"Why do I still talk to you?"
"C'mon, my cousins want to meet you. Jane said you are very good looking"
"Oh, how old is Jane?"
"Six"
"Fuck you" He looked over at Kathleen quickly and the woman mouthed 'Trust me'. But he still didn't.
Xx
At midnight everyone started exchanging gifts. Eleanor didn't open any of them. She said she wanted to open Castiel's first.
"Alright" The boy said "It's nothing big, Rosa helped me pick it"
"Castiel let me teach you something. When you give someone a gift, you don't say it's crap, you let them figure it out for themselves"
"Just open it already, you're giving me anxiety"
Eleanor slowly tore apart the silver wrap, revealing a small red box "Are you proposing?" she asked jokingly. Inside the box was a necklace. A simple one, silver, with a bright red heart pendant.
"It's not much-" Castiel started
"I love it. I do, it's beautiful. Thank you"
"Y-You're welcome"
"Now I'll go up to my room, put these away and get your gift"
"Okay"
She came back a couple minutes later with a big rectangle box. It was wrapped in red with a black bow. Eleanor smiled wide and gave Castiel the box.
He almost fainted when he saw the guitar case inside. But then he opened it and he was 99% sure he was going to faint. Either that or kiss Eleanor. Or punch her. He did none of those things. He just stayed there looking at his brand new black left handed Gibson Les Paul.
"I really don't know anything about guitars. Had to ask Lys. But if you don't like it, I can get anoth-"
"Don't like it? I love it. I- I can't figure what to say. I think thank you is not enough. Eleanor this thing is like £10.000, why?!"
"Because you looked like you needed a good one. Lys said this one was 'the guitar of your dreams'"
"You are the best and I love you"
"Achievement! Castiel I-don't-know-your-middle-name Parker admitted his undying love for me!"
"Don't get so excited, I'm just happy about the guitar. Also, you do know my middle name"
"No I don't"
"You just don't know you do"
"What the fuck are you talking about?"
"My full name… Is James Castiel Parker"
"Wait what"
"But no one has ever called me James"
"I'll start calling you Jamie"
"I'll kill you if you do"
"That's the spirit. Merry Christmas, James Castiel Parker"
"Merry Christmas, Eleanor Amelia Burns"