Cassandra Elise Renoire (![]() ![]() @ 2012-03-28 15:05:00 |
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Entry tags: | cassie-renoire, rené-broussard |
Who: René and Cassie
What: Cassie visits René while in Paris and is surprised with a birthday gift
When: BACKDATED to last week during holidays (yeah we're late)
Where: Wandering around Paris
Rating: PG-13
Status: Complete
The exams last week had taken their toll on René. He had a hard time focusing for a long period of time on things like classwork and studying, even though he was very bright. So having to concentrate on studying all last week had resulted in him sleeping most of the way back from France from Hogwarts and he hadn’t really had time to speak with Cassie since last Wednesday when they’d taken their fateful nap together.
He was glad that she’d agreed to see him while she was in town this week - hopefully she wasn’t too angry at him for leaving things hanging between them. He had already warned his sister, Mercedes, that she was going to be on her own in the book shop that afternoon - not that it mattered much, they really hadn’t been all that busy. She had teased him when René told her why, after all didn’t he get to see enough of Cassie at school? When his face flushed at the question, Mercedes dissolved into giggles and went off to help the lone customer in a different part of the store.
René sat on one of the ladders propped up against the tall shelves that lined the walls of the shop and waited for Cassie to get there, occasionally glancing down at the nicely wrapped box that sat on the floor to the right of him as he worried about whether or not she would like his birthday gift to her.
As planned, Cassie and her father arrived in Paris early that morning to make a delivery to his wine cellar. After a bit of breakfast and a quick visit to the shop to see her aunt and uncle, Cassie had bid her father goodbye and had set off into the city. She had owled René before they had left her house to give him a general idea of when she’d be coming through and was happy to note that she was just on time, which was rare.
She pushed back her wild curls, which she had tamed into pigtails earlier but somehow they had blown loose. As usual, her camera bag was swung over her shoulder. She figured if she and Ren went for a walk, she could get some shots for her book at home.
It wasn't until she reached the bookstore that the nervousness hit her. She paused outside the door and swallowed hard, fighting back the fluttery feeling she got. This was Ren. Sure, they had kissed the other day but they had also grown up together and she had visited the shop many times over the summer to see him. So this shouldn't be any different, right? She quickly composed herself and pushed the door open, smiling when she spotted him.
René hopped off from his perch on the ladder when he heard the bell ring on the front door - this was about the time Cassie was supposed to arrive, so hopefully it was her or he’d just appear highly eager to help the customer that had walked in and quite possibly run them off before they ever started to browse. He snatched up her present and wound his way through the shelves, smiling back at Cassie as they both spotted each other.
“Hey!” He greeted her with a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek, before he held her birthday present out to her. “Happy late Birthday, Cassie! I’m sorry I didn’t have this for you on Saturday.” The box contained a vintage camera and film from Mercedes that René had managed to find for it, should she wish to use it - or she could just keep it as a collectible.
Cassie hurried towards him, returning the hug and kissing his cheek in return. "Hey yourself." she replied before looking down at the box he handed her, admiring the wrapping before looking up at him. "You really didn't have to get me a gift!"
She set down her bag and slowly opened up the box, her eyes widening at the camera when she pulled it out. "Merlin, Ren! It's perfect! Thank you!" She carefully laid the camera back down before throwing her arms around his neck again in an exuberant hug, touched at his thoughtfulness.
He grinned at her reaction - he knew he didn’t have to get her a gift for her birthday, but she was his best friend and it made him happy to put a smile on her face. Cassie’s hug caught him slightly off his guard and she managed to knock the wind out of him a little, but he wrapped his arms tightly around her and spun around with her, laughing once he’d recovered. “You are most welcome, Cassie - I saw it in a store downtown yesterday and decided it was perfect for you.”
René set her back down on her feet, but didn’t let go of her and stole a quick kiss. “I’m glad you’re here. And I’m sorry, again, about the end of the exam week. I was exhausted, I wasn’t trying to ignore you.”
Cassie let out a soft squeal as he swung her around, her grip on him tightening even though she knew he wouldn't drop her. And when he stole the kiss, a light blush appeared on her face, her smile turning shy.
"You are the sweetest, really." she murmured softly, gazing up at him. "And I have some good news - my papa has given me permission to stay in Paris until Friday as he will be bringing another delivery into the city. So I have the flat to myself. You can come keep me company to make up for last week?" she teased softly before tickling him lightly. "Don't worry about it - we were all exhausted. No apologies necessary."
He picked up the gift wrappings to take to the trash behind the counter, continuing their conversation as they walked to the back of the store. “Are you sure you won’t get sick of seeing my face? Mercedes seems to think that you should, at any rate,” he said loudly, so his sister would hear him wherever she was in the store. Her laughter off in one of the corners of the store made him smile.
“I would love to spend some time with you this week,” he finally answered as he put the wrapping paper in the trash. He was a little nervous about being alone with her in such a capacity, but this was Cassie, right? They’d done this sort of thing before. No big deal. Right?
He grabbed his jacket from under the counter and was about ready to leave before he remembered his parents’ birthday present to Cassie. “Oh, my mother and father told me to wish you a ‘Happy Birthday’ as well and said that you are welcoming to pick out a few books as your birthday present from them.”
Cassie wrinkled her nose at him. "Why on earth would I get tired of your face?" she asked, cocking her head to the side before shaking it. "I swear, Ren...we've been friends forever. I do believe if I were going to get tired of your face, I would have a few years back. Especially considering I've seen it when you first wake up."
Her smile brightened when he agreed to keeping her company. "I, of course, wouldn't expect you to babysit me all day long as I know you have to help out here but I would like to spend some of your free time with you." The bloody nervousness was back as she thought about being alone with him. She swallowed hard and managed to keep a straight face.
Only to get a look of momentary shock before it dissolved into delight. "Your parents are too sweet to me." she replied softly.
“Pssh, my face is perfect when I’ve just woken up, I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said, looking at her through narrowed eyes before poking his tongue out at her. Despite the fact that he’d been teasing, his stomach did a little flip when she said she wouldn’t get tired of seeing his face.
However, that little stomach flip was nothing in comparison to the huge flop it did when he thought more about spending time alone with her in that flat. “If it keeps being as slow as it is right now, I highly doubt my parents are going to force me to spend my entire break moping around the shop because there’s nothing to do.” He probably shouldn’t have admitted that, regardless of the fact that he was hoping that he could get out of working that week.
“If you want to look now you can or just stop by again before you have to go back home - either way,” he offered.
“Remind me to take a picture of you first thing in the morning.” she teased, flashing a mischievous smile at him before poking her tongue back out at him. “Then hide my camera so you can’t retaliate as this hair should not be seen before I beat it into submission.”
As tempted as she was to go book searching, she knew she had to be sensible about it. “I’ll look when we come back so I won’t chance laying it down somewhere and losing it, since I have a habit of doing that” Cassie replied with a smile. She slipped the vintage camera and film into her bag then reached down and took his hand without really thinking much about it, the movement natural. “Come on, let’s go wander the city and see what trouble we can get into.” she offered, tugging him towards the door.