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Blinking at the Civic Center, Celeste stared for a moment before turning to Sirius. He was smiling at her and that should have been all the answer she needed. “What did you do?” she still asked.
“It’s not a surprise if I tell you.”
He’d said that every time she’d asked since she had woken up this morning. He’d gone above and beyond to surprise her as many times as he could. “Sirius.”
He simply smiled at her.
This was becoming too much. This entire day was too much. He was too much.
“It’s your birthday, Cherry. Let me spoil you.”
Another common saying today. He seemed to take it as a personal challenge to outdo himself. It had started with the outfit she was wearing, something he’d picked out down to the stockings. Which still made her flush to think of him choosing every single stitch of clothing she had on. Then the little snowflake hair pins had come, him sliding them into her chignon after she’d shown him the outfit. There had been little gifts sprinkled through the day that he sprung on her when she was least expecting them.
Even breakfast with the rest of the army had been a treat, all her favourites piled high on the table. More presents had followed once her plate had been cleared. Individual ones from her friends and then something from the army as a whole. She was wearing the coat they’d given her, the beret and scarf to match helping her keep warm as they’d wandered through Cradle.
A gloved finger covered her mouth when she tried to protest. “I left you alone for your last one,” he said softly. “I’m trying to make up for it.”
Celeste melted a little. It had taken a lot of coaxing on his part to get her to admit when her birthday was and more had come out than she intended. The fear, the loneliness, the heartache. It hadn’t only been those months they’d been apart; everything had spilled from her. Her mother, her father or lack thereof, the years spent yearning for more. He hadn’t said anything as she talked, silently wiping her tears away and holding her when her voice had given out.
Once she’d grown quiet and her tears had run their course, he’d stroked her hair and promised she would never spend another one alone. She’d believed him, but she hadn’t expected this.
Looking back on it, she should have. He spoiled her on any given day; why wouldn’t he go all out on her birthday?
“Shall we go in?” she asked.
“We’ve still got time.”
She blinked as he caught her hand and pulled her back to him. “But I thought….”
“I’ve barely had any time with you today,” Sirius said, smiling at her.
“Whose fault is that?” she teased, leaning into him.
He chuckled. “Everyone wanted to see you,” he murmured. “It’s your first birthday in Cradle so I understood and agreed to share. This year.”
Her toes curled at the implications in those two words. It didn’t help she could see the possessive light in his eyes. She had a good idea of what to expect for her next birthday. “Do we have to go in?”
Stealing a kiss from her, he said, “Those brats will never let me hear the end of it if we don’t.”
She almost didn’t care. They’d spent the morning with the Black Army then had lunch with his family. That had run late and he’d taken her on a sleigh ride through the Spades Quarter. A short break and a quick walk through the forest had been enough time for Loki and Harr to wish her a happy birthday. And give her a surprise present, a small memory box that Harr had made himself according to Loki. After that, they’d finished their sleigh ride on the edge of Central. They’d shared tea and snacks while she’d admired her present.
“Did you tell him bluebells were my favourite?”
“Would I do that?”
The whole of the box had flowers carved into it, but the top only had bluebells and lily of the valley. It wasn’t only something for her; it was them both and she knew Sirius had talked to Harr about it. He had to because…. Her breath caught again as she thought about the single iris on the inside of the lid.
“Hey,” Sirius said softly, “are you alright?”
She took a deep breath, nodding. “It’s just a lot,” she admitted. “It’s always been a quiet day. Honestly most years it was just another day.”
He made a noise but nothing more.
How did she explain this? He already knew how she’d felt before he’d come into her life. “It was always just me,” Celeste said. “Mama was working so much and Mrs. L was the landlady. They did what they could, but I was usually alone. But this year? There’s you, the army, your family. Harr and Loki. You. Sirius, this was what I always wanted and never thought I’d get. It almost doesn’t feel real.”
He still didn’t say anything. Instead, he leaned down to kiss her. It was soft, sweet, and loving. She swayed toward him as his lips moved gently against hers and stared when he pulled away. “Did that feel real?”
“Yes,” she breathed, her hand pressing to his chest. He still had the other clasped in his and she could feel him thumbing at the dearest ring. “I know it’s real.”
Sirius smiled at her. “Good.”
“Thank you,” she said, squeezing his hand. “For everything.”
“The day isn’t over yet, Cherry.”
She laughed. “Sirius! How much do you have planned?”
“Only a few more things,” he admitted. “I wanted this to be a day you’d remember. I didn’t want it to be just another day. It’s your birthday and that’s special.”
How did he make her love him more than she already did? It didn’t make any sense to her. Closing her eyes, she leaned into him and let her head rest against his chest. His arm wound around her and she cuddled closer. “We could have done nothing,” she said, “and it still would have been special because it was with you.”
Sirius sighed deeply and kissed the top of her head. “Cherry.”
It was the truth. He made every day special for her in little ways that were so uniquely him she would never forget them. “I love you.”
His hand tightened on hers. “I love you, too.”
The words warmed her more than anything else ever could. Leaning back, she stood up on her toes to meet him as he moved to kiss her again. “If we’re going inside,” she breathed, “we should go now or I’m voting to ditch my own party.”
Sirius laughed, rubbing his nose against hers. “We need to at least make an appearance.”
“Mm, one appearance.”
He kept laughing and led her toward the stairs.
She enjoyed the sound, but a thread of unease wound through her. She’d gotten much better, but how many people were beyond those doors, waiting for them? Even if they were all there for her, she couldn’t stop the way her stomach sank a little.
He gave her a smile and squeezed her hand gently as they reached the doors. “Ready?” he asked gently.
She licked her lips and nodded. One appearance, that’s all she had to do. It was just a party. They’d gone to them before and-
“Happy birthday!”
Celeste froze at the cry that washed over her as Sirius opened the door. She’d expected it, knew that one of the reasons Sirius had kept them outside the Civic Center was to give her time to get ready for what was coming. But she was still caught off guard by how loud it was, how many voices had said it.
The room was full of people and she her nerves flared before she realised she recognized the faces. Black Army. Red Army. The friends she had made in Central. Sirius’ family. Everyone in this room was someone she knew. Someone she had spent time with.
“Still alright?” Sirius murmured from behind her.
She took a breath. He had planned this for her, all these people were here to celebrate with her. “Still alright,” she whispered, smiling as she felt his warm hand on her back.
Stepping further into the room, she heard him close the door but the sound was lost as a small group rushed forward. “Guys!” she laughed. “I saw you this morning!”
Fenrir gave her a grin. “That was this mornin’! The old man’s had you all day! It’s our turn to party with ya!”
“He’s been hogging you all day!” Seth agreed, helping her get out of her coat and tossing it toward Sirius. “When he knew we were all looking forward to spending time with you.”
She laughed, feeling more relaxed already. “He is my boyfriend,” she said mildly.
An odd look passed between them, but it faded before she could question it. “Yes, just your boyfriend. That doesn’t mean he gets to always have you, especially today! Look at how many people are here to celebrate and he was keeping you out in the cold!”
Celeste squeaked as her hands were grabbed and she was hauled into the crowd. She heard Sirius sigh from behind her before she was surrounded by more people.
Thankfully, Seth didn’t let go of her, staying with her as people came up to wish her a happy birthday. It immediately became a blur. She didn’t know when the glass of champagne got put into her hand or when she had time to drink it. Someone told her to try the cake and she suddenly had a plate of it. Then a plate of goodies when that was empty. An endless stream of hugs and kisses to her cheeks when her hands were free.
A brief pause in the steady line of people wanting to talk to her gave her a moment to breathe and her gaze immediately moved away from those around her. Where was he? He couldn’t be that far away. He wouldn’t be in the thick of things, but he wouldn’t be so far that he couldn’t rescue her if she needed it.
Spotting Sirius at the edge of the crowd with Lancelot, Celeste made up her mind. She appreciated everyone being here, but she wanted to be with him again. Getting to him was harder than she liked, every second person stopping her to chat about something; complimenting her dress, wishing her well, asking her questions. She felt exhausted when she finally got free of them and approached the pair.
Sirius laughed as she staggered into him, winding an arm around her waist. “Too much?” he murmured, kissing the top of her head.
She made a noise, taking comfort in his presence. She knew that everyone was here to celebrate her birthday, but there were still so many of them. It was almost more than she could handle.
“You shouldn’t have invited so many people if it was going to upset her.”
“She’s not upset. She’s tired. And who was I supposed to leave out? First on that list would have been the Red Army.”
Lancelot made a quiet noise, like he was laughing under his breath. “Then we would have had to hold our own party for her and if you were lucky, we’d let you come.”
Two parties? She could barely handle one!
A warm hand rubbed over her back. “How about we take a break?” Sirius offered.
Celeste gave him a relieved smile. She would love a breath of fresh air right now. “Oh, but,” she said, looking at Lancelot.
“Go,” he said, gesturing toward the back of the hall. “You might not get another chance like this.”
She gave him a puzzled frown. What did that even mean? She didn’t think he was talking to her but Sirius hadn’t responded to him.
Before she could ask, Sirius took her hand and gently pulled her away from the hall. They quietly walked up the stairs to the Garden, leaving the sounds of the party behind them. Before she even had time to shiver, Sirius was shrugging out of his coat and wrapping it around her as they stepped into the Garden. “Thank you,” she murmured.
He smiled and led her further from the door. The plants were all sleeping under the layer of snow that had fallen overnight, their footprints the only ones marring the white. They walked past the covered meeting table, deeper still.
“Really?” she asked as he finally stopped. The spot where the path to the Land of Reason was only a few feet away, closed since the full moon wasn’t for another week, but still so close.
“Really,” Sirius said quietly, pulling her into his arms.
Leaning her cheek against his chest, she closed her eyes to listen to his heartbeat. The steady pace always soothed her. A small frown marred her face as she realised it was much faster than normal. Was it because of where they were? If it was going to make him nervous or upset, why were they here? “Why?”
“This is where I first saw you,” he said softly. “Right after you fell into Cradle.”
She remembered. She had been so confused and scared, she’d barely registered the conversation she’d had with him and Ray before she’d chased after Blanc. “It was so long ago,” she mused.
“Not that long. Sometimes it does feel like you’ve always been a part of my life, but it really wasn’t that long ago.”
Celeste leaned back to look at him. There was something odd in his voice. “Sirius, what’s going on?” she sighed.
He rubbed her back before letting her go to take her hands in his. He stared down at them, absently running his thumbs over her palms. When he spun her ring and stayed quiet, she decided to push.
“You’ve been playing with it all day,” she said, shifting to catch his gaze. “Every time you’ve held my hand, you touch it, spin it, play with it. Do you want me to take it off?”
“No,” he said immediately. “No, it’s not that. I’ve just been thinking about it.”
She frowned. Thinking about it how? She’d been the one nervous to put it on all those months ago and he’d insisted, sliding it onto her finger himself. It had rarely come off since that moment. But before she could say anything, he took a deep breath.
“That’s a lie,” Sirius said, his gaze holding hers. “I do want you to take it off, but only so you can put this one on instead.”
“I don’t-” Her voice died in her throat when he sank down on one knee in front of her. “Sirius?” she squeaked.
He gave her a half-smile and she could see the faint blush colouring his cheeks now as he let go of one hand to reach into his pocket. “I promised you wouldn’t be alone on this day, Celeste,” he said, “and I meant it. Not on this day or any other. I won’t let you be alone again…if you’ll let me. I want to spend every day with you. I want us to live our lives together for every single day we have.”
She bit her lower lip, tears filling her eyes to the point she could barely see him or the box he was holding out to her. Was this really happening? She knew he’d told her he would propose to her properly one day but she hadn’t expected it so soon!
“I want you to wear this one,” he breathed, flipping open the box. “I want you to wear this for the rest of your life, to wear my name. I want…Celeste Morreaux, I want you to be my wife. Will you marry me?”
She could barely breathe and he wanted her to say something? Rubbing at her eyes, even more tears filled them as she got a better look at his face. His love for her was written plainly in his expression, his gaze full of it as he patiently waited for her answer. Sniffling, she squeezed his hand and nodded when her voice wouldn’t work.
“Cherry,” he murmured, “say the word.”
Huffing, she rubbed at her eyes again. It wasn’t that easy! She wanted to say it! Of course she did. He was smiling at her now and had to know how much she was struggling to say it. “Yes,” she pushed out, her voice trembling. “Sirius, yes!” It was easier to say the second time.
His smile eased into a grin and he slid the dearest ring off her finger. “Say it again,” he breathed.
She was shaking as he slipped the new ring into its place, the band cold against her skin and she barely spared it a glance. She didn’t want to look away from him. “Yes!” she said happily.
He rose to his feet, wrapping his arms around her as he did and lifting her off hers. “I love you,” he murmured.
Helpless laughter bubbled out of her at the simple words and she kissed him. “I love you, too,” she laughed, kissing him again and again.
Sirius hummed and kissed her fully. He was insistent and needy, demanding everything she had to give him. And she gladly gave it and more. Her fingers sank into his hair, clinging to him as the tears started falling again. “I made you cry the last time we came here,” he whispered.
“Sirius,” she said, shaking her head. “Please. We both know why you did it.”
He sighed, leaning his forehead against hers. “I know. Which is why I wanted to give you a better memory here.”
She already had one; their first kiss. But if he wanted something beyond the time he’d sent her back to London, when he’d brought her home was better. This, however? This was perfect.
“I love you, Cherry,” he said again, his voice low. “I’ll spend the rest of my life loving you.”
She knew that. “And I’ll do the same,” she promised. “I’ll never leave you alone, Sirius.”
His grip on her tightened before he gently set her down on her feet. Lifting her hand, he didn’t look away from her as he kissed the finger her new ring was sitting on. “You are my happiness, Celeste.”
“You’re going to make me cry again!”
Sirius wiped her tears away, smiling at her. “Cry all you want. I’ll be right here to wipe all your tears away.”
He was too much. “Have you been waiting all day to do this?”
He shrugged. “It was the plan.”
To make her a blubbering mess when they had to go back down to the party? Her eyes widened and she almost jerked back from him. “Oh! I-”
“You look fine,” he interrupted.
Celeste gave him a look and lightly smacked his chest. “You always say that.”
“Because it’s always true.”
Damn him. She took a deep breath to attempt to find some calm. But her breath caught as she finally took a good look at her ring. “Oh, Sirius.”
“Do you like it?”
“It’s just like we talked about,” she whispered, remembering the sleepy conversation they’d had after that whole fiasco with the book. She should have known what he was doing when he’d asked her what kind of ring she would like. She’d just thought it was in response to the spell. When was she going to learn it was never that simple with him?
“And?”
“I love it.” What had she said? Something clean and simple, something she wouldn’t have to take off if she was working around headquarters. A single, clear diamond glittered in a gold band on her finger and it was utterly perfect. “But I want the other one back.”
Sirius laughed. “You can’t wear both of them, Cherry.”
“It’s mine.”
“I know,” he murmured, “and I’ll give it back soon.”
He had better. That ring had more meaning than just being a promise between them. It was a family heirloom and she refused to give it up.
“Look at you,” he laughed. “You’re ready to fight me over a ring.”
Celeste huffed softly. “It’s important,” she insisted. “It made me feel like part of your family when your grandmother gave it to me.”
“You were family before that, Cherry.”
He said that, but that had been the moment that she had truly felt it. His family had been nothing but accepting and she knew that they had probably thought it long before her, but….
“We can get it resized,” he said softly. “Then you can wear it on another finger.”
“Good.”
“Good,” he agreed. He lightly tapped her chin and leaned down to steal another kiss. “Do you want to go back downstairs?”
Honestly? She wanted to leave the party and be alone with him. The sudden smile that curled his mouth told her she hadn’t managed to keep that thought off her face. “Yes.”
Sirius caught her before she could walk past him, tugging her toward him. “I’ll tell you what your last present is,” he murmured, brushing his fingers over her cheek.
“No more surprises?”
“I want you to have something to look forward to.”
She tensed a little as he leaned down, kissing just below her ear. “Sirius?”
“We have a room at an inn nearby,” he murmured, his low voice rippling over her and making her heart pound. “Stay at the party for a little longer and I’ll take you there.”