unbreakable heaven • awsten knight

1.17 christmas lights glisten

houston tx
december 2008

Awsten and Ellie don't tell anyone that they ended up in the same room the night he stayed over, sharing a bed— let alone that they were cuddled up through the whole night.

They don't really talk about it either, because they don't feel like they need to. They're both comfortable with each other, and it feels natural for the two of them. If anything, it's only brought them closer, so there's no harm.

Today, though, it's Christmas Day.

Awsten's parents had offered to have Ellie and her father over for Christmas Eve, too, but Ellie had insisted that they should have that day for themselves— she'd feel far too guilty if they didn't get at least one day without her gatecrashing.

Ellie was admittedly nervous to meet Awsten's family.

Maybe it's her polite, English upbringing, but she couldn't help feeling like she's intruding— despite her very clear invitation.

Awsten was nervous, too, but mostly excited.

He wasn't nervous for the same reasons as Ellie— he never had the thought that she'd mess up or do anything wrong. He was mostly just worried about how much his family would embarrass him.

Everything goes smoothly, though.

Awsten's mother, Ginny, hugs Ellie tightly— in a way that tells her that she knows about everything that's been going on.

Oddly enough, Ellie doesn't feel embarrassed about her knowing, because the hug feels welcoming and comforting— which is a first.

His little sister, Gracie, enjoys having another girl around.

Before dinner, Gracie begs Ellie to paint her nails with the new nail polish set that she'd gotten as a gift. All while Ellie's dad spoke with Awsten's dad, Roscoe, in the kitchen, constantly offering to help Ginny with the cooking, but she dismissed him each time, insisting that he should relax, as their guest.

Ellie lets Gracie practice her nail-painting skills on her, and after a little persuasion, Awsten is on board, too.

"Dinner will be ready soon," Ginny tells them in passing, grabbing something she needs from the living room, before swiftly heading back into the kitchen.

"Awh, we're not gonna have time," Gracie pouts, screwing the cap back onto her nail polish.

"How about," Ellie begins, gently stopping her, "I'll paint one hand, and you do the other," she suggests. "Then, we'll be twice as fast."

Awsten finds himself smiling softly at the exchange.

He likes seeing Ellie slot so well into his family dynamic. He can't place how it makes him feel— it's something he can't quite articulate yet. But, it's something.

The feeling of Ellie gently taking his left hand snaps him back to reality. She holds it in place carefully, as she paints the sparkling purple gel onto his fingernails.

"Oh, no," Gracie groans, frustratedly. "Ellie, I messed up again," she sighs.

"That's okay, darling," Ellie assures, now picking up Awsten's right hand to amend Gracie's minor mistake. "There. Fixed it," she smiles, earning a grin in return, before going back to finishing Awsten's left hand.

By the time both of them are done, Awsten examines each of their work, seeming pleased, although his expression shifts after a moment.

"I can't move my hands now, can I?" He groans, frowning as he looks to Ellie.

"Nope," she shakes her head, emphasising the p with a pop. "Sorry, sweetheart," Ellie shrugs, and Awsten's eye almost widen at the nickname— but, he manages to withhold an external reaction. Internally, though, is a different story.

Mrs Knight begins calling everyone to the table, and Awsten hesitates, staring down at his hands.

"Can I move yet?" He asks Ellie, nudging her with his elbow, once she's stood up.

"I'll check," she sits down beside him agin, taking both of his hands in her own and gently pressing onto the nail polish to see if it's dry. "You're all good," Ellie decides, looking up to find that Awsten is already looking at her.

They hold one another's gaze for a moment, before they're called for dinner once again, which seems to pull them back to the present.

Mr Knight is seated at the head of the table, with his wife to his right, while Ellie's dad, James, is seated to his left.

Ellie is sat beside her dad, which she'd figured she would be, but that doesn't stop her from feeling slightly disappointed that she's not sat next to Awsten.

He is sat opposite her, though— beside his mother, with his sister sat next to both him and Ellie, at the other and of the table.

In an attempt to get comfortable, Awsten stretches his legs out underneath the table, accidentally knocking into someone else.

Both he and Ellie look up at the same time, and upon realising that it was only each other, they decide not to retreat.

Instead, Ellie finds herself absentmindedly hooking her foot around Awsten's ankle, causing him to attempt hiding a smile as he looks down at his plate of food.

"Thank you, again, for inviting us over, Mr and Mrs Knight," Ellie speaks up. "This is incredible," she adds, referring to the delicious spread that had been plated up for everyone.

"It's our pleasure, Ellie," Ginny replies, sweetly, before nudging Awsten gently, shooting him a smile, which causes his face to turn red.

"Thank y'all for coming," Roscoe says, looking between Ellie and her dad. "It's not usually just the four of us for Christmas anyway, so it's nice to have the extra company."

"Yeah! I like it when we go to Aunty Jane's farm!" Gracie chimes in, excitedly.

"My sister, Jane," Ginny begins to explain, as Ellie listens intently, "she owns a farm in Ohio. We sometimes go there for Christmas, and it's Gracie's favourite."

"What do y'all usually do for Christmas?" Awsten finds himself asking, but swiftly wonders if he should regret it, noticing Ellie's hesitance to answer.

Ellie looks to her dad, who shows no sign of answering, so she speaks up herself.

"It depends," she shrugs. "My grandparents— Dad's parents— used to alternate which grandkids they'd visit each year, but...they don't do that so much anymore," Ellie explains, her tone dropping briefly, before attempting to pick it back up. "But, uh, Mum's parents are usually around. I love spending time with my aunt and uncle, too. I just like being in good company at Christmas," she adds, with a smile, looking around the table, earning a soft expression from Mrs Knight at her kind words.

Mr Bennett remains fairly quiet, aside from speaking up every-so-often, to refrain from seeming rude. He offers to help with the dishes, once dinner is over, and pulls Ellie away from Awsten and Gracie momentarily to urge her to help, too.

Mrs Knight insists that Ellie goes back to Awsten and Gracie, though; clearly, she notices the way she seems more relaxed around them.

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