Please, with a Cherry on top? | 18+

25 | Cerise

Cerise used the tip of her mechanical pencil to create another part in Elliot's hair.

His client was a no-show, thus he had been running around bothering everyone as they worked on their clients. Cerise had to tell him to sit his ass down like a child.

And now to keep him occupied, he was sat on a pillow between her feet as she practiced different braids in his long hair. She tucked the pencil behind his ear before gripping the strands of his hair and beginning the next row of Dutch braids.

"Ow," Elliot complained.

"I'm not even braiding that tight," she sighed, then muttered under her breath, "Tender-headed ass."

"I heard that."

"You were supposed to," she giggled before humming quietly to the low music playing.

The more she braided, the more Cerise grew lost in thought. Braiding was always a bit of a dissociating task for her when it wasn't her head she was playing in.

Time did move fast. And though she refused to accept that fact when she was young, it was only becoming increasingly noticeable now that she was older.

It's already been close to a week since the start of the new year, and her birthday was in four days.

January 10th.

Cerise didn't make any plans. Truth be told, celebrating her birthday had become less exciting. She hasn't had fun since she was a child.

Back then, her parents weren't as strict with school and would let her skip so they could treat her to a fun day with family. That turned into her spending the first half of her day in class and enjoying a dinner with a free dessert afterward.

Last year for her 21st birthday, she bought an alcoholic drink at a restaurant with Q and Bells and ended up passing it off to Bells when she was unimpressed with the taste.

This year, though the Spring semester was already in session she luckily didn't have classes that Wednesday. But unluckily, Cerise still had exactly zero plans.

"You're awfully quiet up there," El said, tilting his head back as she finished the braid she was working on and reached for the pencil again.

"Sorry, just thinking," she explained, straightening his head back up as she carefully began another part.

"Mhm..." Elliot hummed, "Thinking about your hubby."

"No, shut up," Cerise laughed slightly as she moved the last section of his hair to the side so it wouldn't be in her way.

Out of everyone in the parlor, aside from Saint, she was closest with Elliot.

She was sure everyone else felt the same as well.

Elliot was easy to love. He had that troublesome sibling energy, but when it came down to it he switched into big brother mode in an instant.

Cerise smiled to herself as she recalled how El reacted when she ran into the shop on a mission after discovering that he was the one who saved Saint.

***

Cerise was already halfway into the parlor by the time the bell above the door stopped ringing.

She could have left tread marks from how suddenly she stopped upon finding Elliot in Saint's office. Saint was nowhere to be found, but she was too focused on El to question why he was snooping around the desk in his office.

"Elly!" she yelled, sprinting to the man who shot up in surprise.

His head knocked on the corner of the sturdy desk and he winced while clutching the back of his head.