Rose Gold Lipstick // George x Eliza (CRAIG OF THE CREEK)
Pimples laugh at Eliza with every look in the mirror.
All Eliza wants to be is pretty.
But what she doesn't know is that she has already achieved her goal.
And George helps her see it.
A George x Eliza oneshot made by me <3
I don't own COTC blah blah-
Eliza and George are 14 in this. I missed these two. Back in 2022 I felt pressured to hide the fact I still liked Tiarabow but then I gained confidence to start making content for the ship again, and maybe I can give other Tiarabow shippers the confidence to make some content for them, or people who ship George with someone who isn't Secret Keeper. Reminder that George has no confirmed sexuality, so don't say that he is gay or sm. That's your headcanon you made to ban other ships. Deal with it.
Now, onto the story!
Eliza stared down at the tea cup wrapped in her fingers, she steadied it with the palm of her other hand and the thumb of the hand she used to hold the cup. George sat in front of her, legs crossed and sipping the same tea Eliza was. “What tea is this?” Eliza finally spoke, she gave the cup a small swirl. “Didn’t know you were still a picky eater” George lowered the tea cup to his chin to get the sentence out with a small chuckle. Eliza rolled her eyes, “I'm not that much of a picky eater…”.
“Unless it's tea”
“Hey!”
“Well, to better answer your question. I actually don't know myself, my family bought it from their trip back to Birmingham. Oh wait, that reminds me…”
George then reached into his pocket and presented Eliza with a small box. Eliza took the box and examined it, “It was for sale, I saw it and figured you would like it".
Eliza then opened the box, the satin box held a necklace lining itself with shiny white pearls. But on the inside of the lid also held a rose gold lipstick, she slipped the lipstick from its belt that was containing it. The absence of the lipstick made Eliza realize the belt wasn't just for holding the lipstick but she was also meant to pull on it. She pulled the looped fabric to reveal a mirror for applying the lipstick.
George took another sip of the mystery tea, while Eliza admired the gift. “I thought you'd like it, just like how I thought you'd enjoy the tea you've yet to drink”.
Eliza put the lipstick back in the belt that was keeping it in place and closed the box. She got hold of her forgotten tea and took a sip before it turned cold. “Hm, not bad”.
Eliza then took a second yet longer sip and turned her attention back to the gift, “Well, it's like you know me better than I know myself…”.
“Give some credit to Jane too, she's the one who helped me pick it. She said, you would like the lipstick”.
Eliza gave a small smile and felt her cheeks go rosy, her cheeks matched her dyed hair and she began playing with the wavy strands.
But, the sweet moment was ruined by Eliza’s cell phone ringing. Eliza took hold of it and stared in shock at who it was.
“Who's calling?”
“It's my mother…”
Eliza accepted the call and moved her hair from her ear to place the phone up to there. “H-Hello?”.
Eliza was convinced this was something bad, her mother hardly called her ever since she divorced her father last year. Even before that, she hardly even paid attention to Eliza. She didn't even try to fight for custody of her and had no issue with Eliza being with her father. Yet on the rare days where Eliza would see her mother, minimal effort was put into having as much as a conversation. And today was one of those rare days where Eliza was at her mother's house, sneaking her boyfriend, George into the house to sip tea.
George watches Eliza listen to her mother over the phone, she watched Eliza’s expression change from neutral to pure panic. “T-That was today…?”. George heard her mutter.
Eliza listened further, throwing in nods as replacement for talking as if her mother was right in front of her. Ms.Pendragon’s voice was dull when speaking to her daughter, once she hung up the phone Eliza was standing back up.
“What was that all about?” George questioned then finished his tea, “My mother…She's going to pick me up to meet with her friends from work and my makeup isn't fixed…” Panic laced Eliza's voice as she paced towards her purse.
You would think she was an addict who misplaced her vape based on how she was searching her purse, she flipped the purse upside down twice and didn't even go to pick up anything that had fallen out. Her mind flashed back to the reflection of herself that she saw in the mirror of the satin box, her makeup barely covering up the dark spots on her cheeks, the pimples waiting to be popped laughed at her in the reflection, and a new one on her forehead was waving at her mockingly.
Since it was only George, she didn't mind too much. It wasn't like anything he hadn't seen before, yet now that she actually thought of it, she hadn't felt more ugly. Wait, what was she saying? George probably already found her ugly, he probably got used to the makeup hiding her facial flaws. The whiteheads scattered around her cheeks and jawline must have disgusted him. Yeah…Maybe he was considering dumping her for a girl who was god's favorite and never had to go through what made looking in the mirror so hard for her.
Eliza came closer to giving up to start looking in her room. Noticing the concern, George got up from his seat with Eliza's forgotten tea cup in hand. “Miss.Eliza, your makeup is fine, what's the-”
“IF IT DOESN'T HIDE MY ACNE THEN IT'S NOT FINE, GEORGE!”
George jumped back a little from the sudden outburst, thankfully he wasn't too startled. He was used to Eliza screaming, whether it was orders for Jane or him from when they were kids, angry words spewing whenever someone pushed her buttons or a quick shout whenever the day gave her the short end of the stick.
Eliza saw the way George jumped and bit her lip, red lipstick marking her front tooth as she looked down. “I-I'm sorry, I-”. “No no, there's no need to be sorry, I understand. Miss.Eliza, but I was being honest when I said your makeup looked fine…Is there something bothering you?” George used one hand to hold the tea and the other to motion for Eliza to sit down, thankfully that worked and Eliza's tea cup was transferred to Eliza's hand and she slowly sat down with George's newly free hand rubbing circles in her back.
In all honesty, Eliza was surprised with how suddenly she screamed. As a child she remembered being easy to set off, but that improved since then. “Now, will you tell me why your makeup is such a worry for you?”.
Eliza bit her lip as she finished her tea. She couldn't find the words to even speak, she hadn't spoken about her acne with anyone who wasn't her parents or dermatologist. But once George moved a pink strand of hair from her temples, she finally felt safe again. “I-It's my acne…I can't face my mother without it on, I can't face anyone…”.
“But why? Who wouldn't want to see your beautiful face?”
“You mean who would want to look at this?” Eliza looked away with a harsh huff while looking away, her gloved hand pointing at her face.
George was taken aback, but let Eliza finish. “I know you and Jane aren’t used to seeing…This. But I’m starting to think my mother is sick of it…George, do you remember when I first started wearing makeup that wasn’t lipstick or eyeliner?”.
George gave a nod.
“My mom saw I was breaking out and brought me a bunch of makeup to hide it. I thought she was caring about my well being for once, but then she started making it mandatory that I put it on whenever she takes me out to fancy places with family or friends. She didn't even hide the fact she thought I was too ugly to have in public bare faced with my acne…After that guess it became a habit and without it I started believing I was ugly so I just put it on to convince myself I was pretty…”.
“But Miss.Eliza, you're already pretty…”
Eliza turned her head towards George in shock, when she felt tears threatening to pour she blinked. She was too deep in shock to look away, not like she wanted too, and George didn't either. “What…?”.
“You're already pretty. How can your mother cover you up?” George then leaned in to kiss Eliza's cheek, then her forehead then her other cheek. With every kiss the dam she built against her eyes to block the tears threatening to spill was breaking, until it finally shattered and let the tears fall. Each tear washing away the contour she used to cover the red acne she hated so much.
“Oh George, how can you do that without thinking I look disgusting?”
“Because you're not, you never were”.
“But George, you don't understand…You and Jane are the lucky ones, you two are so pretty…You two don't need to hide away because you feel gross, you don't cry before picture day and once your pictures come in you want to throw them in the trash…Why does every other girl at school have to be pretty? With their clear skin and everything…They don't even need to try, they're just born to be pretty I guess…”
“If we're the lucky ones, it's for having you in our lives”
This time Eliza didn't answer as she leaned into George while holding onto his back for support. “I remember back when we were kids, me and Jane thought you the prettiest to walk the creek…And now, we think you're the prettiest to walk the world”.
Eliza let out a sigh, “Well those days are over…”.
“Who said they were? If you asked me and Jane, those days are still going strong” George finished his sentence with another kiss on Eliza's cheek.
“Probably everyone…”
“How would you know?”
“They probably all think it…I used to be so pretty back then, my skin was so clear…What happened?”
“Nothing happened, whether or not you think it, you're still Eliza. You always have been”.
Eliza stayed silent for a few seconds, until she finally spoke after some long thinking.
“I…I know, it's just…I got so used to having the makeup on, without it I feel like an ugly beast. Not after my mom got me to start this habit…”
George turned his head towards Eliza's purse, the fallen items scattered around the floor. He spotted Eliza's pink bottle of makeup remover and the packet of facial pads. George ended the hug between him and Eliza and picked up both. “Well, now is your chance to break it”.
Eliza stared downwards at the makeup remover, when she was younger, she remembered hearing older boys say, ‘One wipe and it's over’. At first she didn't understand what that meant, but now she did and she hated it. But it also planted a fear in her, George was giving her the opportunity to free herself at the palm of his hands. But the chance scared her, what if George was gone after one wipe?
But Eliza took a deep breath, took the makeup remover and stopped thinking. “I'll do it…”
George opened the satin box and presented Eliza with the mirror. Though small, it helped just the same as a regular sized mirror, and with that Eliza slowly wiped the makeup from her face. The cold liquid continued spreading as George sat there and held the mirror for her.
After a few more wipes, Eliza's face was bare. She was staring at the redness and pimples scattered around her pale face. Just when she was going to consider putting it back on, George put the mirror down and wrapped her up in a hug followed by some kisses.
“I missed looking at your beautiful face”
“You really don't feel grossed out by me?”
“Why would I be disgusted by the most beautiful woman in my life?”
Eliza returned the hug with a sniff as if she was about to cry, and she did, out of happiness.
After a few minutes Ms.Pendragon texted Eliza to remind her she had to take a taxi and that she left money on the counter. Thankfully, Eliza was allowed to bring a friend, that ‘friend’ being George.
George helped Eliza get ready, this time, Eliza was finished getting ready a lot sooner since there was no makeup that needed to cover the face George found so beautiful.
“I promise Miss.Eliza, it'll get better. One day you won't even remember when you had acne"George spoke as he brushed Eliza's wavy pink hair, Eliza did the job of applying the rose gold lipstick George brought her. If you asked her, that was the only makeup she liked to apply besides eyeliner. “Oh I know George, now that I think about it I guess the new cream my dermatologist prescribed is working a little…” Eliza slightly turned her head to better notice the small improvements Eliza's insecure minds concealed for her. “Well, you can't rush progress, '' George reminded as he began styling her hair into a half ponytail.
And at the last possible second before they had to go and catch a taxi, George slipped the pearl necklace from the satin box Eliza held to look at her reflection. George placed the finishing touches on Eliza's outfit by wrapping the pearl necklace around her collar bone.
After that, they caught the taxi to where Eliza's mother said to meet. George saw how Eliza was riddled with anxiety for the whole drive, but once he placed a reassuring hand on her dorsal and smiled down at her while looking into her crimson eyes, he watched the worry melt and drip onto the seat of the taxi.
Ms.Pendragon was waiting for the taxi at the main entrance with her friends from work, she had an impatient look that she hid from the other women who were talking amongst themselves. Once the taxi dropped them both off, all eyes were on them as George got Eliza out of the taxi.
Though Ms.Pendragon’s friends were rather happy to see Eliza, she couldn't take her eyes off the bare face of her daughter. Thankfully she controlled herself from ripping Eliza from the hug she was sharing with some of her coworkers and stood there at the side.
But once Eliza was done hugging the women and answering the women's questions and George was done shaking hands with them, Ms.Pendragon's companions made their way towards the building leaving Ms.Pendragon with Eliza and George. “Eliza Darcy Pendragon, why aren't you wearing the makeup I got you?! Your acne, it’s out of control-" Ms.Pendragon gave an expected reaction, Eliza had little reaction though George wanted to take Eliza by the hand, call the taxi back and drive them somewhere else.
However, Eliza took her turn of holding onto George's hand to calm him. “Nah, just lipstick is fine” Eliza's words were so simple, yet they shooed Ms.Pendragon greatly as Eliza and George walked into the building where the other women awaited her.
With every kiss on Eliza's bare face, for the first time in a while, she felt pretty.