"Stop moving" Astrid chastised

"I wouldn't move so much if you weren't pulling my hair," George told her, pulling a face as his head flinched again.

"It's just a bobble George," she all but rolled her eyes when she was done, not all his hair was long enough to fit the makeshift headband but it'd have to do.

The boy in question was no more impressed, he definitely hadn't planned to be all but pinned down to the couch whilst the girl spread a freezing cold face mask over his delicate skin, but to be fair he never planned much when around Astrid.

She'd gotten up at one point during the second Harry Pottery movie, their marathon only just beginning, to go to the toilet. Only to run back into the front room - scaring George half to death - brandishing the face masks with a mischievous smile.

"No"

"What, why?" The shorter girl whined, walking closer to thrust them further into his views, "they're 'great for a good relaxing session'" she pointed to the large writing on the packet that she had parroted.

She could see the cogs working in George's brain as he looked between the two packets and the green puppy-dog eyes Astrid was sending his way.

"Why buy them if you're not gonna use them?" She tried to reason.

"My sister bought them," he reasoned, but she wasn't budging.

"So your sister got all the brains?"

He let out a sarcastic laugh, staring into her eyes for a few extra moments before letting out a loud, albeit over-exaggerated, sigh. A squeal sounded from the girl as she swiftly sat in his lap, pulling the bobble from her wrist to pull his hair up.

"Now what?

"Now you pick which you want" she held up both options, one labelled 'blueberry peel off face mask' and the other 'pineapple passion clay mask'.

His answer was obvious to her, already guessing he'd go with the blue one, it was very on-brand for him.

Unfortunately for George, he had no idea what the difference between a 'peel-off face mask' and a 'clay mask' was, but Astrid definitely wasn't going to tell him.

"Do you have anything to put it on with?" The blank look on his face told her the answer, "not a brush or anything" there were no thoughts behind those deep brown eyes.

Nodding, she did the next best thing, pulling it open and squeezing it onto her fingers, using them to rub the goopy mixture around his skin in a thin even layer.

They didn't speak during it, the soft British voices of pre-teen actors lulling them into the comfortable silence.

She was hypersensitive to his hands on her hips, rubbing soft circles but not dipping any further down, respectful as always. His fingers were all she could concentrate on, hardly noticing the way his face closed in on hers, eyes on her lips, until he was so close her fingers touched her own face.

"Stop" she pulled back, a slight smile on her face as he did it again, "stop, George" no real malice in her voice.

He laughed, sitting back on the couch, fingers digging in for only a few seconds before going back to the careful rubbing, soothing the grasp he had only moments before.

But it didn't take long for him to start up again, clearly satisfied with how flustered the girl was getting under his gaze.

Soon she was done, all but leaping from his lap as he swooped in again, chastising him about his now wet face before using a mirror and her fingers to put on her own mask.

The next ten minutes were calm, quietly watching the movie with only brief conversations to poke fun at his favourite movies, and then it all went downhill.

George continuously complained about how he could hardly move his face, how the stretch on his skin hurt, how it was frustrating and he just wanted it off.

Finally, Astrid gave in, swiftly going to the bathroom to wash off her own mask with water before going back to the couch, sending George a confused look as he started to stand up, before pushing him back down, settling into his lap again, now he was the confused one.

"Shouldn't I go wash it off?"

"No, yours is different" that was the only warning he got before she started picking at the side of his face, pulling it gently before letting go in fright as the boy shouted.

"Ow! It hurts" he seemed almost surprised as his hand smoothed his cheek.

"No it doesn't, come on"

"Oh sorry, I didn't know you were the one having your face pulled off" the look in his eyes was so deadly serious that she almost laughed.

"Okay, okay" she held her hands up, "I'll go slow, I promise" her pinky held up in front of him, which he cautiously took.

Her fingers went up once again, pulling softer this time, he still winced away, his hands on her waist gripping tighter and tighter as she pulled.

Her lips pursed, telling herself repeatedly to stay focused as his grip got just that bit tighter, choosing to send a charismatic face as the mask pulled from his chin, fearing he could cry at any moment from the sheer pain of it.

When it was finally over she tried to get up once again this time to put the rubbish in the bin, only to be pulled back down to George, his head over her shoulder. His arms wrapped around her waist, clearly just wanting a minute to breathe.

"Your face is so soft," he tell her in a whisper as he kissed her briefly, resting his forehead against hers.

"Well yeah, that's the whole point"

——————

Written: 21st July 2022

Published: 21st July 2022

Fluff : )