A/N:
Hello everyone, welcome to this alternate ending to Through the Looking Glass. This pairing shall be Black Knight shipping, the pairing of Darling and Blake. I was struggling to think of a way to get these two together, in the main story they're nothing more than friends. But they're mutual respect toward their knighthood is what I guess brought them together in this one. They take this stuff seriously, despite it being more of an honorary title, though both are willing to lay down their lives for Lizzie should it come to that. Thankfully, it hasn't come to that yet and I doubt it will.
So for this story, I decided to go a little bit light hearted, and focus more on building their feelings toward each other. Obviously Blake will give any girl a chance, he believes that everyone deserves a chance. Which is why he agreed to go on a date with Darling in this one. As this story progresses, you will get to see them falling deeper in love with each other, as well as the differences between them. He's a Prince and she's a Princess, but they're from different stories and technically different worlds. Blake is supposed to be the next Evil King while Darling is a Princess Knight, fighting for good. Of course both of them are Rebels, but being the daughter of King Charming will start becoming rather taxing on them. Of course, this chapter will be the more light hearted one, with chapter 3 most likely being the more serious one and heading toward the eventual end of the story, which of course ends with a Wedding and a couple of kids...and of course the much coveted lemon scene, that I know all of you are looking forward too. Heh, well wait no longer, I will be posting Briar's ending along with this one. So look forward to it.
I hope you like this pairing, let me know what you all think. Be sure to check out the other pairings, as well as the main story, which will reach it's 90th chapter tomorrow. I hope you all have a wonderful night!
Through the Looking-Glass
Alternate Universe 8
Darling x Blake
(Through the Looking Glass: Alternate Ending
Takes place after Way Too Wonderland, in a universe where Kitty and Blake never got together.)
The dull sound of metal striking wood filled the small room, being the only sound anyone could hear. The Grimmnasium was entirely empty, so the back room wasn't being used, save for the only person currently inside it. Pulling his sword from the wooden dummy, he took a few steps back, eyes narrowed slightly. He practiced his stances again, before springing into action, spinning around his heel, throwing a wide slash at the dummy. He jumped back, pulling his sword back, angling it slightly as he threw a jab. He grabbed it with both hands, spinning around as he swung it hard, slamming the edge of the blade into the place where the neck would be. He took a few gulps of air, pulling his sword free, returning to his beginning position.
Once he had cleared his mind again, he went forward again, throwing several wide arcs at the dummy. He ducked down, as if to avoid an invisible blade that had been swung at his head. He spun his body around, driving his leg into the dummy's side, barely pushing it back. He angled his sword as he let out a cry, swinging it with all of his force, unknowingly channeling some magic into it. The blade glowed bright purple as he sliced right through the wood, causing it to fall down to the ground with a loud bang. He cringed a bit, backing away from the destroyed training dummy. He glanced at the sword, seeing all of the nicks on the blade. He had been practicing rather hard since he had come back from Wonderland.
Blake had taken his knight position rather seriously. Lizzie had told him that being her retainer wasn't going to be anything like he thought. It was more of a title, she had two trained knights as friends, and if anyone every attempted to take her life, they would be there. But in Ever After High, she was safe. Still, he had made someone important a promise, that he would become a real knight and he wanted to take it seriously. He still felt like he wasn't deserving of Excalibur, and had even given it back to Jessica a few times. But since there was no King Arthur, and there wouldn't be for awhile, he was allowed to keep it. It was a beautiful blade with a lot of power and magic. He wanted to have more control over his darkness, so that he could use it fluidly with the light of Excalibur. It was one of the reasons he had been practicing in secret.
He put the sword down in one of the buckets, grabbing a hold of the broken dummy. It had been one of three that he had sliced in half, even though the iron swords didn't have a sharpened edge, with the aid of magic, it became just as deadly as a real sword. He placed the dummy aside, wiping some sweat from his brow, frowning a bit as he sat down on an empty chair, glancing at all of the stored pieces of armor around him. They were the same ones that they used for Sword Training class, along with Hero Class. He had learned the name of every part, how to assemble and disassemble the suit and which armor offered more protection depending on the battle. He was an agile fighter, so he used light armor in conjunction with magic to deliver his strikes. While strong, it also put him in danger from attack. If the enemy had an archer trained on him or a crossbow, he could easily be injured or worse. That's why he trained his magic as well, so he could always cast barrier spells in case he ever needed them.
He had gotten a lot better than in the beginning, he wasn't exactly on par with Daring. But he was getting there, and he at least knew a lot more than he did on Earth. Anime and real life were different, but that didn't stop him from imitating the stuff he saw on television. A part of him knew that it wasn't a good idea, and the other part of him told him to go for it any way. Anyone who found themselves in another world, who was also an otaku would definitely try to do the same stuff they had seen before. Anyone who denied it was lying to everyone and themselves. He liked to embrace that part of him, he had more knowledge on other types of swords, and while he didn't know how to use them extensively, he did know how to fight in six different styles. So it would aid in his sword fighting, at least he hoped it would. He pulled out his MirrorPhone to check out the time, not hearing the sound of the door opening.
"Oh Blake, I wasn't expecting to see you here."
"Huh? Eh...hey Darling, I wasn't expecting to see you here either. Did you sneak out of class again?" he asked, putting his phone back in his pocket.
"Sort of, I told my Cooking teacher that I felt like throwing up, so she dismissed me for the class. I guess you can call it skipping." she replied, glancing around the room. She noticed the three broken dummies, an impressed look on her face.
"It takes a lot to slice through wood. Let me guess, channeling magic into the sword again?"
"Mhmm...once you get used to Excalibur, it sort of happens naturally. I've been chaining together some up close combat along with sword fighting. I figured if I could use both at the same time, I could stun or overpower a person. I mean, if you are a knight, are you expecting someone to drop kick you to the ground?" he asked.
"Not really...speaking from experience, I did have someone pull me off my horse once. It wasn't fun, especially in all of that armor, thankfully my helmet didn't fall off. That would have been mighty embarrassing." she replied, grabbing a hold of a sword, giving a few practice swings.
"So...how are you adapting to the whole retainer job?" he asked curiously, glancing away from the platinum blonde.
"It isn't that hard, it's a welcome change. But Lizzie is safe here, and she can fight too...so basically, it's just a title. My father doesn't know yet, and my brothers have been begging me to tell him. I'm just not ready yet...how about you?"
"Uh...I'm adjusting. I just want to practice a little more you know? Getting stabbed twice in one day made me realize that I have a lot to learn. I can't always rely on magic, and I can't always rely on my sword. It also taught me never to leave a bastard alive if he wants to kill you." he said, earning a giggle from the girl.
"That is true...it is a little hard to think though...as a knight the life of your charge is more important than the attackers. They say the first kill is always the hardest, but for me...if I truly have to do it. I will not hesitate, especially if it means saving the life of my friend. Even if it means giving my life in return."
"I suppose, but it wouldn't be a ideal you know...dying for someone. It would be a sweet sentiment, but it would hurt them a lot in the end. Because you are dead, they'll never see you again, and even though you succeeded in that front, saving their life. You still failed." he replied, earning a frown in return.
"You're right. I tend not to think of that, I'm a hero so I'm not gonna die. Anyway, since you are here, are you up for a training session?"
"Sure, but I have a question for you. How are your abilities, physically? Can you fight?" he asked, jumping up from his chair.
"Not really, I am physically fit. Whenever Rosabella is gone, I usually start a work out routine. I have it perfectly timed as well, her showers are usually ten minutes, so I can do several reps in that time."
"That's impressive. But now I have something to teach you, since you have been teaching me how to use a sword. I'll teach you how to fight without one, you're gonna need it one day. You might not be able to draw that sword fast enough."
"Okay, I'll take you up on that offer...what exactly do I have to do?" Darling asked, a curious look on her face. Blake snapped his fingers, conjuring up some boxing equipment, along with some mats which appeared on the floor.
"Well, I'm gonna teach you some kick boxing. First, take that armor your wearing off, it'll hinder your movement. You aren't really going to need it right now." he said. She nodded, reaching up for her shoulder guards, which she slowly started to unfasten from her chest plate.
"Are we gonna continue where we left off? Back at the dragon stables I mean?" she asked, setting the shoulder guards aside. She proceeded to start taking off her chest place, followed by her jacket, which she quickly folded up.
"Yeah, you've been practicing your jabs and hooks right?" he asked, trying not to look at the girl's chest. The armor and jacket did quite a lot to hide her shapely body. She was quite developed for a young woman, another one of her alluring traits not doubt.
"I have, I went to the weight room that same night and found an extra sand bag. I've been practicing jabs, hooks, haymakers and uppercuts."
"Oh ho ho, then let's see what you can do. Before we start, are you alright with full contact?"
"That's fine, just don't hit me too hard. I don't have any healing dust on me so I won't be able to hide the bruises very well." she replied, earning a nod from the boy.
"I won't hit you hard, don't worry." he said, giving her a wink.
They grabbed their mouth guards, tapping their gloves briefly before settling into a fighting stance. They circled each other for a few seconds, with Blake taking a few forward jabs, which she was able to avoid. He threw a left hook, striking her check, causing her to grunt in pain. She threw a haymaker to his chest, earning a cry from the boy. He gave her a knowing smirk, silently telling her to get ready. He threw two speedy jabs, which she blocked with her arms. He threw a right hook, which she ducked under, uppercutting his chest. She threw a forward jab, ending her attack with a punch right to his face. He slammed back against the shelving unit, knocking a few armor pieces to the floor.
"Ow...fuck." he muttered, having spat out his mouth guard.
"Are you okay?" Darling asked, looking concerned.
"Are you serious? I'm more than okay...you've grasped the concept quite well. Have you been watching videos or something?" he asked curiously. She shook her head, flushing slightly.
"Actually, I sometimes watch you when you are in the weight room. I wanted to learn more, so I mimicked your movements."
"Oh...well even when I wasn't training you, I was training you. That's ironic, but I suppose it's a good way to learn. After all, most of the shit I know is stuff I mimic from anime and movies. But I guess we can move on to something harder. Have you tried kicking?" he asked curiously.
"Not really...I've just been focusing on upper body stuff." she said. He nodded, walking over to one of the softer tatami dummies, placing it in front of them. He placed a heavy barrel on the stand, so it wouldn't fall back.
"Alright then, I'm gonna teach you a basic side kick. It's one of the first ones that I learned. Remember, this isn't a straight up nut shot, this is something to take your opponent by surprise. They'll be expecting a punch, not a kick to the chest." he said. She gave him a nod, standing by while she watched him.
He stood straight, facing the dummy. He let out a cry, turning his body slightly, aiming his leg right at the dummy's center. Darling's eyes widened slightly, barely registering any movement from the boy. He lowered his leg, shaking his leg slightly, shifting his weight from leg to leg before coming to a rest.
"Wow...that was pretty good."
"Thanks, but it took a while to practice. It works better with a flat shoe, but it's more effective with heels. Go for it, I'll give you a step by step if you need it." he said, switching spots with her. Darling stood facing the dummy, just like Blake had beforehand.
"What do I do? Do I just kick?" she asked. He shook his head, placing his hands at her hips.
"Alright, so what you wanna do, is move your hips slightly when you are about to kick. It's almost like a twisting motion, as if you are about to turn on your heel. But you'll instead be using that momentum and channeling it forward into your foot." he said. She flushed a bit giving him a nod. He backed away, watching intently. She took a deep breath, following his instructions, a cry leaving her lips. She didn't exactly hit the dummy in the center of the chest, much to her disappointment.
"I missed."
"No you didn't...the abdomen is still a good place to aim for. Even better, you're wearing a skirt, so you can raise your leg higher than I can. Obviously, garment shouldn't matter but you can use that to your advantage." he replied.
"You're right...hey, did you see anything?" she cried, turning to face the boy.
"See what?" he asked, blinking in confusion. She was about to say something, but quickly zipped her lip. Her focus back on the dummy.
"Never mind, I'm gonna keep practicing. Any more tips you can give me?" she asked.
"Sure." he said, going to the dummy. He grabbed a pen from his bag and drew an X right on the center of the chest.
"Aim for this spot, I find it's much easier, if you put your leg up here and hold it up for a few seconds at a time. You want to get faster and faster until you memorize the movement. Then you'll be able to kick with force." he said, earning a nod from the princess.
"Okay, I guess I'll just keep practicing. Hey, what time is it?" she asked. He reached into his phone, eyes widening a bit.
"Ah...crap, it's almost two, thanks for reminding me. My free period is almost over, I was almost late to Riddlish." he said, grabbing a hold of his bag. He still had enough time for a quick shower, which he was thankful for. The last thing he wanted was to smell like sweat when he went to class.
"Sure, I got the last period off so I can keep practicing here. I'm glad that Grimmnastics is outside again, it makes this easier on me." she said, smiling a bit.
"True, wouldn't wanna get caught. I'll see you later Darling, once you get that kick down, I'll teach you some Aikido, that way you can mix it together with Boxing and create your own style." he said, about to leave the room.
"Wait Blake...are you free tonight? I was wondering...maybe you'd wanna...see a movie together?"
"A movie? Sure, what's on?" he asked curiously.
"I'm not sure, I'll text you the list and you decide?"
"Sure thing, see ya later Darling, have fun beating the fuck out of that dummy. But remember, he has feelings too." he said, causing her to laugh.
"I'll go easy on him, don't worry." she replied, giving him a wave as he left the room. Once she was sure he was gone, she let out a sigh, a dainty giggle erupting from her throat.
"I can't believe I asked him on a date and he said yes...what should I wear? What movie will he pick? Knowing him he'll probably pick something action packed...oh, I'm gonna have to talk with Apple. She might have some advice for me." she said, her focus drifting back to the dummy. She continued following what Blake had told her, her excitement driving her forward.
xxx
Blake had taken a quick shower, deciding to head to his locker for his text books. He shoved all of the ones he didn't need back in his locker, pausing to grab some unfinished homework to do in Riddlish. He glanced at his reflection in the mirror, sweeping his bangs back a bit. He narrowed his eyes a bit, grabbing one of the strands of blue that had been slowly changing back to black. The only color left was his natural streak of violet.
"I need to speak with Poppy, I gotta get that red and blue dye back." he muttered.
"Hey Blake, staring at your reflection again?" Dexter asked, popping up behind the boy, who quickly closed his locker door.
"Sort off, I was just thinking of heading to the Tower Hair Salon after school. Gotta get my bangs dyed, cause I'm a G."
"Sure you are, hey I was wondering...the guys wanted to gather up and play Cards Against Humanity tonight, since you got the only deck. You wanna call a guys night in your dorm tonight?"
"Ah...man, I'm doing something tonight. I would if I wasn't busy, maybe tomorrow?" he asked, glancing at his pocket watch.
"Eh...alright that's fine, we can reschedule for tomorrow, it's Saturday anyway. What are you doing tonight? Working on music or something?" Dexter asked curiously. He shook his head, double checking the things in his bag before he started off for Riddlish.
"No, I'm gonna see a movie with Darling. She wanted to hang out, so I agreed to meet up with her."
"Whoa what...my sister asked you on a date?" he asked, eyes wide in surprise. Blake arched his brow, blinking a few times in confusion.
"A date? No...she just asked me to hang out with her. It isn't really a date."
"Dude, when a girl asks you out, it's totally a date. Especially one who happens to be a princess, not just that. She's also my little sister."
"I'm pretty sure it isn't a date bro...I wouldn't just date my bro's sister like that. But if she considers it a date, then you owe me." Blake said, smirking slightly.
"I owe you? Come on man, it's weird seeing my best friend hooking up with my sister...if it was another girl, that's fine." Dexter said, earning a laugh from the boy.
"Yet you forget, Dexter Charming is currently in a committed relationship with one Raven Queen. The Raven Queen that happens to be my older twin sister. So let's work out a deal, I gave you my blessing to date my sister during the Queen of Hearts's birthday. All you have to do is give me your blessing, even though I know for a fact it isn't a date." he said. Dexter sighed, taking off his glasses, wiping them off with his shirt.
"Fine, I guess I do owe you that right. But if you do get serious with my sister, I expect you to treat her with respect. She's my best friend, my only sister, and I would hate for you to break her heart or worse. Have we got a deal?" he asked, holding his hand out. Blake shook it firmly, giving him a nod.
"You have my word, I'll treat Darling with kindness, and respect. I expect you to treat Raven the same way. Though I have spotted you on dates in town, and she's totally in love with you. She's had it rough, so treat her nicely."
"I will...it's odd though, seeing my little sister dating my best friend."
"Now you know how I feel." Blake replied, giving the prince a grin.
"So, what movie are you taking her too? I heard there's a new scary movie out, I know what you did last Winter. I'm taking Raven to that one, she's been begging me to go for like a week."
"Hmm...how about we double date then? It would be ideal, we'll just sit separately in the theater." he said, earning a shrug from the brown haired prince.
"Eh...yeah sure, I got no issue with that. How about we take them to dinner first and then the movie?"
"Yeah, that works. Oh, but what if the movie is gory? I mean I got no issue with gore, I watch zombie movies when I'm bored. But I dunno if Darling is squeamish to that sort of crap." Blake asked.
"That's true, Raven totally loves that shit. We were borrowing Saw from you the other night and she literally sat inches apart from the screen. God, the fucking beginning to the Third movie. When the guy breaks his leg with the toilet lid?"
"Fuck, I remember that...the syringe pit from Saw II always gets me. Then there's the Deribbing machine from Saw III, the pen in the neck from Saw V. Jesus, that's a messed up series." Blake said, shuddering a bit.
"Yeah, but Raven likes it, so I have to stomach it. It's a bit challenging to date a goth girl. It makes it hard to find activities we both like, aside from gory movies, we share music as an interest, and books. But that's about it."
"Yeah, it is hard. But at least you have those things in common, and you'll find a lot more. I guess me and Darling have several things in common. We both like books, are interested in learning everything we can about other worlds. We're both knights, we like swords, and we're both Rebels. Now that I think about it, we have a lot more in common than I thought we did, I didn't notice it until now." he admitted, stopping next to the Riddlish room, which had a class currently in session.
"I know this is only one date and it might not mean anything but...if it does end up differently. Do you actually think you can have something with Darling? I mean, what do you think of her, personally...I'm asking as a friend, not as her brother." he said, sounding a bit stern. Blake leaned back against the wall, shoving his hands in his pockets.
"Hmm...well, Darling is beautiful but you already know that. All of you Charmings are pretty in some way shape or form. She's got an amazing personality, a good sense of justice. She wants to be more than just a princess, to break away from the notions that women have been forced into. She isn't a damsel, by far she can defend herself more than people give her credit for. She's a close friend, and I think I would be sad if I lost that friendship."
"Okay...that's a nice solid answer. I've talked to a few others who have been interested in the past. All of them just mention how pretty she is, what a nice body she has, how gorgeous she looks when she flips her hair. You are one of the only guys that said anything about her personality, and you even mentioned her dream of being a hero."
"Does that mean I'm the ideal man for your sister?" Blake asked, a curious look on his face.
"I'll let her decide. Seriously, as long as you treat her like a woman, like she deserves to be treated, I don't mind you dating her. I know you're a good person, and you deserve someone like her by your side...especially after all the shit you've been through."
"Thanks man, I've had a shitty time on that front here. I don't plan on it going anywhere, but if she decides that then I guess I'll let it happen. Anyway, we should both get to class, the bell already rung and I don't really feel like getting detention." he said, grabbing the door to the Riddlish room.
"Right, see you later then. I'll go ask Raven if she wants to go to the movies, we can plan everything later."
"Cool, see ya." Blake said, sharing a fist bump with his friends, parting ways for the time being.
xxx
It was early in the afternoon, and Blake had already prepared himself for his date with Darling. He wasn't sure if it truly was a date or not, but Dexter did have a point. Girls didn't ask guys to the movies unless it was with romantic intent. He did find her cute and a very interesting woman so he would at least give her a chance. He had decided to dress a little more casual, since it was late spring, it was starting to get rather warm outside. Despite that, he still liked wearing long jeans, it was part of his style after all.
He was wearing a light blue shirt, with a giant gloved hand in the middle of it, that had its middle finger raised. It had been a gift from Jessica and he had promised her he would wear it at least once. The catch phrase on the shirt was a word bubble that said, Get Bent on it. He briefly wondered where she even got that kind of shirt. He was wearing a pair of black fitted jeans, along with his belt. He had his pocket watch attached to his belt loop, and placed inside his pocket, as he wasn't wearing his usual leather vest. Instead of his boots, he had decided to wear some light blue Converse sneakers, which he was surprised existed in Ever After. As soon as he had seen them, he had bought them, though he only wore them a few times. Over the outfit, he had a light jacket, black in color, with a wide hood. He had gotten used to wearing his red cloak all the time that now all of his jackets had to be hooded.
Once he had made sure he had everything, from his wallet down to his phone, he grabbed his keys and left. The next showing of I know what you did last Winter was at seven. It was currently five thirty, so that gave him an hour and a half to kill. He would take Darling out to eat, on his double date with Dexter and Raven, then they would all head to the movies. He was just hoping she didn't reject the idea, after all it would be a little awkward to be out on a date while your brother was there. Of course Blake was in the same position since Raven would be there as well. He would get his answer soon, as he had already arrived at her dorm. He gave a few knocks on the door, standing back slightly.
"They should really put door bells on these damn doors. That's one thing that made Danganronpa feel real. Of course if we make Ever After High more like Hope's Peak Academy, then that wouldn't bode well for anyone." he thought to himself. The door opened a second later, only for Darling Charming to step out of the room.
"Um...hi Blake." she said shyly, lowering her gaze a bit.
"Hey Darling, you look nice." he said, taking notice of her attire.
It was an overly simple outfit. She wore a ruffled blue camisole with white daisies sown on the left side. She was wearing a matching white pleated skirt, along with some white stockings and her silver heels. Her hair had been pulled up into a high ponytail, with a single strand left to frame her face, dyed a light blue. She wore little make up, deciding to go a bit natural for the night, though she didn't go without her eye shadow and pink lipstick. She looked very beautiful, and quite charming if he said so himself. She flushed a bit, fumbling around with her purse, reaching for her phone.
"Uh, it's really early...what do you have planned out? I was thinking we'd stop by a restaurant or something."
"Same here, I hope you don't mind but we're actually going on a double date. I mean, if you are okay with that...if not then we don't have too." he said, causing her to shake her head.
"No no...it's alright. It would be interesting to go on a double date I guess...who's the couple? Ash and Hunter?"
"No...not at all. They're waiting in the foyer, so let's mosey on down there and meet up. Wouldn't want to keep them waiting right?"
She gave him a small nod, following his lead as she placed her purse around her shoulder. She hated to admit it, but this was her first date with someone she actually liked. She had been on dates before, arranged ones that her father put her through. She always got annoyed whenever her father made her do that, but now that she was in high school, he was a lot more lenient with who she dated. It had been awhile since she had actually been looking forward to a date, especially with someone as nice as Blake was. She was a fierce battler, and good with an iron sword, but when it came to girly things and dates, it was a different story for her. She tugged on his sleeve, not meeting his gaze directly.
"Um...do you mind if I hold your hand?" she asked softly. Instead of a reply, he just took her hand into his own, giving her a smile.
"You don't have to ask. Let me guess, first real date that isn't arranged?"
"Y-yeah...sorry if I seem a little nervous. If it doesn't involve a sword, or something interesting, I totally suck at it. I'm worse than Dexter is when it comes to talk to boys." she admitted, her cheeks flushing slightly.
"It's fine...I was a little nervous too. Honestly, I thought you had just asked to hang out, but dense ass brain can be a retard at times. It was actually Dex who told me that if a girl asked you out, it wasn't to just hang out." he replied, earning a giggle from the platinum blonde princess.
"I should have been more specific, though...I was just a little shy. You know...after everything you've been through. I would have thought you didn't want to go out with anyone for awhile."
"Yeah, that's true. But I went out with Holly a few times, she was really fun. But I caught feels and she didn't feel that way...we're still best friends, but it's a little awkward. Maybe this is what I need to move on from her." he admitted, rubbing his neck in embarrassment.
Reaching the foyer, Blake looked around, spotting Dexter and Raven near the lockers. The two of them were lost in conversation, about one thing or another. Blake noticed his sister was wearing the same outfit she did on her first date with Dexter. She had told him that it was her lucky outfit, and if she could she would wear it for all of her dates with him. It apparently helped boost her confidence, something she didn't really need. She was a lot like Dexter in many ways, both of them being too nervous to make a move, even though they were boyfriend and girlfriend now. It was rather cute in his opinion.
"Whoa wait, we're going on a double date with our siblings?" Darling asked, earning a nod from Blake.
"Yeah, it was my idea if you are looking for someone to blame. Don't worry, we'll be getting different seats when we get to the movies. It'll be fun!"
"But...Dexter is gonna be overbearing during all of this. It's gonna be so embarrassing!"
"Come on sweetheart, Raven is gonna be there too. So I'm gonna be in the same spot as you." he admitted, pulling her along. She gave a bit of resistance, only to give in a second later. Blake put a smile on as he approached the two.
"Hey guys, you both ready?" Blake asked, grabbing their attention.
"Blake? We were waiting for you? And Darling too?" Raven asked, clearly surprised to see her brother and his date.
"Yup, you were waiting for good old Blakey, try to sound more excited sis, you're gonna offend me. Dexter, did you decide on the restaurant?"
"I did, there's a food stand in town that has chili dogs. I happen to know Darling likes those, so I figured she'd like some comfort food." he said, earning a flush from the girl.
"Jeez, don't try to embarrass me Dexter."
"Don't worry Darling, I happen to know Raven likes that stuff too. She acts all prim and proper when we're in the castleteria. But when we're hanging out in our room, she's messier than Maddie. There was this one night, we were eating ribs and she..."
"Blake if you wanna make it through this date alive, you'll keep your damn mouth shut!" his sister snapped, her eyes glowing slightly. He laughed, rolling his eyes as he started heading toward the doors.
They left Ever After High shortly after. Blake was taking it in stride, keeping his hold on Darling slightly lose, in case she felt nervous. Raven of course felt too embarrassed to actually hold Dexter's hand, so she just walked beside him, a little closer than she wanted. Blake of course was more lost in conversation about some movie with Dexter, leaving the two girls completely out of the conversation. Darling was far too nervous to say anything, and Raven looked like she wasn't interested.
"So, this your first real date Darling?"
"Huh? Oh...yes it is. One that isn't arranged of course." she said, letting go of Blake's hand. He gave her a look, but she just smiled at him, gesturing for him to continue speaking with Dexter.
"It must feel liberating. Though choosing Blake, that is rather bold, seeing as a few girls in our class like him. Why did you ask him on a date anyway?" Raven asked curiously. Darling glanced at the scar across her hand, tracing it with her finger.
"Well...we sort of made a promise...that both of us would become knights together. But now that we are, we want to take it a little more seriously. So we've been training together whenever we had the chance. He was teaching me how to kick today, and when he put his hands on my hips...I dunno, I felt weird."
"You felt weird, how exactly?"
"I dunno...it felt right. Trust me, searching for a boyfriend in this school is hard. There isn't one man who isn't interested in me for anything other than my looks. The few that are interested in me for my personality, only do so to get closer to me. That way I'll be more willing to screw them, as if I was an easy target." she said, feeling rather annoyed.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know you had it that hard. Being a princess, and a Charming must be hard on you. Whenever someone isn't looking for you because of your looks, or your name, it's something disgusting like sex. Honestly, all men think with their dicks and not their heads."
"Not all men, I don't think with my dick sis. I feel sort of insulted." Blake said, giving her a smug look. She hissed at him, a pout on her lips.
"My mistake...I'm surprised you've been able to keep it in your pants this long. Then again, I heard from a reliable source that you and Duchess were messing around a few months back." she said, giving him a knowing look.
"Whoa what? Seriously?" Dexter asked, a stunned look on his face.
"I swear to god, I'm gonna find Kitty and I'm gonna shave her damn head. For your information, that is in fact true. But it wasn't me who lead that shit, kinda hard to tell a girl no when she's already on top of you."
"I...well, that's a surprise. Was she good?" Darling asked, earning surprised looks from Raven and Dexter. Blake smirked, giving her a wink.
"Extremely, and very flexible. I'll let you use your imagination."
"Okay, enough of that. We're here, might as well stock up for the movies too, they don't check your pockets or anything. But don't bother shoving shit in your purses, because they'll take them from you." Dexter said, earning nods from the three.
"So, what will you be having?" Blake asked, glancing at the menu. Darling scanned the options available, spotting the Chili cheese dog, which was topped with red pepper flakes and came with a side of fries. She stared at the picture hungrily, biting her lower lip.
"Well, judging by that look, I already know what you want." he replied with a chuckle, stepping up to the vendor after Dexter and Raven had ordered.
"Hey kiddo, haven't seen you around in awhile. How's your gal doing?"
"Eh...you mean Holly? Oh we're not dating, we went out as friends only. She wasn't really interested, I'm actually on a date with Darling here. Think you can make us some of your best Chili cheese dogs?" Blake asked, earning a chuckle from the vendor.
"Damn straight, and because it's you, I'll give them to you half off. I can tell that gal by your side is starving. Just by looking at her face, you know, it's hard finding a girl who enjoys messy food like this. She's definitely a keeper." the man said, earning a grin from the boy.
"Yeah, you are right. Hopefully my date ends well, I'll let you know when I come by next." he said, paying up the price of their food. Darling just glanced at him, a frown on her face.
"I could have payed for myself you know."
"It's alright, don't even worry about it. You're my date for the evening, so I'll handle the food. Though looking at Dexter and Raven, I doubt they'll even need their food." he said, jabbing his thumb toward their siblings, who were currently kissing each other, leaning up against a nearby table.
"That's so embarrassing." Darling muttered, glancing at the floor. Blake chuckled, grabbing his phone, snapping a few pictures of the two teenagers.
"Mom's gonna love this one. She'd probably like seeing her little girl sucking face with her boyfriend." he said, rather loudly. Raven didn't even look bothered, rather she flipped him off, continuing her make out session with Dexter.
"Hehe, I think it's sweet that your trying to get along with your mom. Despite her being the Evil Queen...I'm just glad all of that Neverland stuff is over and Felipe is dead. Everything will be fine now, I think." the daughter of King Charming said.
"Mhmm...I'm glad too. Anyway, Dexter and I picked our movie for the evening. It's a horror flick, I know what you did last winter." he said.
"Oh, sounds interesting. I love horror flicks...when we were growing up, I forced Daring to watch Nightmare on Palm Street, and he couldn't sleep for weeks. He kept thinking Fredward Cougar was gonna slash him open while he was asleep."
"Nightmare on Palm Street? Sheesh, what a blatant rip off...I didn't things in Ever After were so similar yet so far off from stuff on Earth." he said.
"Hey you two, quit eating each other and eat your food, fore it gets cold." the vendor called out, causing Raven and Dexter to jump back from each other. Both took their Chili dogs and drinks, walking toward a nearby empty table, faces flushed red.
"So, what kind of horror flicks are you into? It seems we've got that in common at least." Darling asked, taking their food from the Vendor, giving him a bright smile and thanks in return.
"Uh...well it depends on the mood really." Blake said, taking a seat at a nearby table, a few spaces away from Raven and Dexter, who were early eating their food and chatting about one thing or another.
"I guess that's true...but what about the genre?"
"Murder mystery of course. I mean, it isn't exactly horror...but those are always fun to watch. I guess the typical, murderer is on the loose and is killing high school students genre is cool. Those are classics, we got Friday the 13th as an example. Halloween is pretty good too, though the remakes just made me dislike the series after awhile. Uh...do zombies count as horror?" he asked curiously.
"Yeah, technically they do. I noticed you have quite a lot of zombie movies in your dorm, in fact you have an entire shelf dedicated to that stuff." she said, taking a small bite from her chili dog. Blake could tell she was being polite because they were in public. Had they been alone, she would have likely torn that apart already. He shook those thoughts from his mind, glancing at the dark sky.
"Yeah, zombies are classic. My favorite film has to be Night of the Living Dead, the 1990 remake, not the original. It was black and white and we couldn't actually see much. The original Dawn of the Dead was cool, when they were in the mall with the motorcycle gang. Then there was Return of the Living Dead, which lets face it, that movie was crap. I didn't like it, but it's still a cult classic." he said, scooping some of the chili into his mouth, cringing a bit from the spiciness.
"I haven't seen any of those, maybe we can watch those on our second date?" she asked, a hopeful look on her face.
"Hehe, sure. I don't mind, I think I would like to spend time with you, uh...depending on what we are after this date."
"Well, regardless...I sort of asked you on this date because I like you. I thought you were gonna say no, but I was surprised when you agreed." she said, flushing slightly.
"I thought you wanted to hang out first. It was Dexter who told me it was a date, after all if a guy asks a girl out, it's to hang out. When a girl asks a guy out, it's definitely a date." he said, giving her a wink.
"That is true...thank you for saying yes. It means a lot to me, you're the first boy that I've actually started to like. Not one of my dad's sons from some company who just wants to screw me once and toss me aside." she said. He coughed slightly, grabbing a hold of his drink.
"It's a little hot, isn't it?" he asked, gulping his drink.
"Not really, this is pretty tame. I'm totally in love with it though, Dexter made the right choice. But what was that before? You know the vendor?"
"Mhmm...his name is Nathan, me and Holly came here a lot. It was always as friends though, sometimes I wonder what it would have been like to be in a relationship with her." he said, frowning slightly.
"Well, it's her loss and my gain I think. Let's finish up here, I really wanna see that movie." she said, smearing a bit of sauce on her cheek. Blake chuckled, wiping her face with one of his napkins.
"We don't want to cover that gorgeous face with chili sauce do we?" he asked, giving her a wink. She flushed, her blue eyes looking into his own green ones.
"Look at those two." Raven whispered, bringing Dexter's attention. He moved his head slightly, a small smile on his face.
"They seem to be having a good time."
"Aren't you a bit weirded out? I mean, he's one of your best friends, and he's on a date with your little sister."
"Not really, he's a good guy. Plus, I'm in a relationship with his older sister, so it's a give and take. He knows I love you, so it wouldn't be right for me to deny him that with Darling. Besides, she's old enough to make her own choices." Dexter replied, grabbing one of Raven's fries, only for her to snap her hand on top of his.
"Uh-uh...you ate yours already, these are mine."
"Aw...can't I have one?" he asked. She sighed, pouting slightly.
"Fine...but just one." she said. He gave her a peck on the lips, snagging the fry from her plate. She smiled a bit, feeling a little giddy, though she didn't outwardly show it.
xxx
Having arrived at the Multi-Hex Theater, Blake and Darling along with Dexter and Raven went toward the ticket counter. The poster for I Know What You Did Last Winter was in one of the showcases. The four were eagerly waiting in line for their chance at the tickets, having heard some of the others praising the movie. However, as soon as they arrived, they saw that the move had been sold out. So now they were waiting to see what else they could find that sounded good, but it was clear that Raven and Darling were both disappointed.
"So, what do we do man? Do we wait for the nine o'clock showing?" Dexter asked.
"Ugh...damn, that's such a long wait though. We just sit around doing nothing for two hours? Maybe we can watch something else until that movie. I got enough money for tickets." he said, glancing at the other showings.
"Well...there's this one, it's called Until Dawn, it's apparently a horror movie too. It came out last week and it was really well rated, but now the hype died down for it, so there's a lot of tickets left." Dexter said, pointing to the poster, which showed a snowy mountain top, with a picture of a Wendigo beneath it, along with a blue and black swallowtail butterfly.
"Until Dawn...that looks familiar, it reminds me of a game by that name. Maybe this is the movie version...yeah, why not? It ends at nine so we have enough time for the next showing of I Know What You Did Last Winter...lets buy the tickets now, just in case." he said. Dexter nodded, both teens heading toward the ticket booth.
With their tickets in hand, the two boys headed over to where their dates were waiting. Both of them had been disappointed that they had to wait for the next showing of their movie. The two stood before them, passing out their tickets for both movies.
"Until Dawn? I heard this one was really good." Raven said, glancing at the name on the ticket.
"Same here, it was the only thing that wasn't a kids movie. I doubt you wanted to see The Three Little Bears take Gingerbread Land. It didn't sound like a good movie especially with the long ass title."
"According to the time stamp, it starts in three minutes. Let's hurry before all the good seats are taken." Darling cried, grabbing a hold of Blake's hand, pulling him along.
He laughed quietly, matching her pace as they handed their tickets over to the man by the theaters. They searched around for the next theater that would be playing their movie, pulling the doors open. It was only half full, as everyone was most likely watching the other movie. Darling and Blake found some seats in the middle rows, which were completely. Raven and Dexter chose some seats near the front, not wanting to disturb the two during their date.
"This movie better be worth it, I'm not sitting here for two goddamn hours watching crap."
"Jeez honey, we haven't even gotten past the trailers." Blake said softly, handing her some candy he had snuck into the theater. He popped a few mints in his mouth, allowing them to slowly dissolve in his mouth.
"I know...I'm just excited I guess. I really like horror films." she said, giving him a smile.
He gave her a smile in return, leaning slightly forward. Her eyes widened a bit, realizing what he was about to do. She leaned forward as well, slowly closing her eyes as they pressed their lips together. It was a very soft and tentative kiss, almost shy in nature. Blake was sure that it was her first, so he decided to take the lead, placing a hand behind her head, pressing himself a little firmly against her. She moaned into his mouth, parting her lips slightly. The cool refreshing taste of the mints along with the subtle flavor of her lip gloss made him crave more. They pulled apart for air, panting slightly only for Darling to kiss him again.
This time she took the initiative, exploring his mouth slightly with her tongue. The boy inwardly smirked, deciding to deepen the kiss a bit, swirling his tongue around hers, biting her lower lip slightly. The sound of the opening credits startled them a bit, causing them to pull away from each other, both flushing a bright red, though the darkened room barely made them visible.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to kiss you for so long." Darling said, looking embarrassed.
"I kissed you, so it should be me apologizing. Was it...erm, was it your first?" he asked.
"Y-yeah...how did I do? Did I bite you? Was my breath okay?" she asked nervously, earning a smile from the boy.
"You did great, it was...intoxicating."
"Intoxicating? A kiss? Really?" she asked, a little surprised.
"What can I say? You can express so much love with a single kiss, and in that one kiss, I knew how you felt. Do you wanna be my girlfriend? See where this goes?" he asked curiously. She gave him a shy nod, taking a hold of his hand.
"I'd love to...I've liked you for awhile..I wasn't expecting this tonight though. Would you mind...if I kissed you again?"
"What about the movie?"
"Fuck the movie." she said, giving him a wink. He shrugged, leaning forward again, capturing her lips in another kiss. The two were thankful that entire section of seats was completely empty. From the lower row, Raven and Dexter were looking at them, smirks on their faces.
"We aren't letting them live that down right?" Dexter asked.
"Absolutely not." Raven said, holding her phone up slightly, recording the two in their current make out session.
"Mom is definitely gonna like this, her little boy is growing into a man."
"But he screwed Duchess, doesn't that make him a man already?" Dexter asked, earning a sigh from his girlfriend.
"Shut up Dexter."