Ace almost flinched when his hands came towards her, because Merlin this was exactly what she had been worried about. The Longbottom wasn't particularly affectionate, at least not in any recognizable traditional way, and Christmas was always a difficult time for her, because her parents became incredibly affectionate during this time. And, worse than affectionate, they became sentimental. So. Stinking. Sentimental. That was it, the sentimentality - she just couldn't keep up with it, couldn't find a way to feel natural in it. And it went against her naturally pragmatic personality.
But her gift to Christian had been all sentiment. She had nearly groaned upon thinking of it, but she knew there was no going back. Once her mind had settled on the photographs, there was no pretending she hadn't thought up perhaps the most thoughtful gift she had ever given.
Any sentiment she got in return, she had earned. Ugh.
It was like the moment behind the tree, in that his arms somehow became force fields, blocking the world around them. Not that there was much to block out in the old guest room. But still, she had no choice but to look right at him, had nothing to break away from and pull on her usual defenses of flippancy and aggression. The world shrunk down to his words and his expressive countenance, urging her to believe him.
No one had ever been on her side before. Let alone admitting it. Let alone promising to stay that way.
And no one called her Alice.
She found she didn't mind.
His last statement gave her the out she needed, and she nodded. "Yeah, good luck outrunning me. What I lack in speed, I make up for in endurance."
Her tone was close to joking, but there was still enough of her usual deadpan tone to imply that she also wanted him to know she fully meant it.
She cleared her throat again, turning the pouch over in her hands. "Right. Well. That part of Christmas is over then. C'mon, Mum and Dad will want to watch more movies. You thought the Grinch was weird? Just wait for the stop motion Rudolph. It's the stuff of nightmares." She lept to her feet and tugged him up, turning on her heel and parading back downstairs, still clad in pajamas and her new cardigan, her favorite Christmas gift tucked neatly into the pocket of the cardigan, right in reach, where it would remain.
by 
