Author's note: Hello all! Firstly, I want to say a massive thank-you to everyone who took the time to read and review my previous one-shot – I was definitely not expecting that many people to review and favourite it. You guys are seriously amazing. This is probably the longest one-shot I've ever written and will ever write, but nevertheless I enjoyed writing it and I hope you guys find it even mildly enjoyable to read.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Winx Club.
You and Me
"Something this beautiful deserves to be seen on someone worthy of its beauty." – Gossip Girl
"What about this one?" Bloom asked, holding up a yellow sundress by its straps before a very exasperated looking blonde girl who lay sprawled across her bed.
The fairy shifted slightly, craning her head before she let out a frustrated groan. "It's downright tacky, Bloom," Stella grumbled as she closed her eyes and brought her hands up to rub against her temples to soothe her rapidly escalating headache. "Ugh. This is just hopeless. I'll never find the perfect dress on time."
Reluctantly, the fashionista huffed and hoisted herself up out of her queen-sized bed and made her way over to her wardrobe, proceeding to rummage through the clothing racks once again, which was probably the millionth time this day.
"I mean look at these," Stella ranted on, examining a green lace dress with a scowl on her face. She then threw the dress on the floor and began carelessly tossing fancy dresses one after another over her shoulder onto yet another growing pile of discarded clothing pieces. "This is too bright, this too formal, this is too long, this is too dull, this is too sparkly, this is too short, and this–" she enumerated in a high-pitched voice, holding up a pale pink tube dress, "–just screams ugly!" Her hands fisted around the article of clothing before it got hurled across the room, landing on the floor amidst the rest of scattered, abandoned clothes.
Bloom heaved a sigh from her position, flitting through the clothes racks in hope to find the perfect dress for Stella before she threw yet another full blown temper tantrum. Fortunately, after she had pushed a rather revealing corset across the pole, her hands stopped at a deep wine red dress and a hopeful smile dared to spread across the fairy's face.
"Hey, how about this one, Stell?" Bloom asked, plucking out the dress from the rack to show her best friend.
"That's the dress! That's the dress I've been looking for this whole time, Bloom!" Stella exclaimed gleefully, leaping across the pink fluffy rugs to grab the dress. "I can't believe you found it! I was sure I had lost it."
Bloom rolled her eyes. "Well, I wouldn't be surprised if you had. Don't you honestly sometimes think you've too many clothes?"
Stella clucked her tongue. "There's no such thing as too many clothes, hun," she countered breezily. Twirling her hand to let the magic swirl through her fingertips, she cast a spell to put on the dress. In a matter of seconds, the silky material of the dress clung to her frame like a glove, accentuating every curve and crevice of her slim figure as it dropped past her knees. "This is perfect. You're truly a lifesaver, B."
A smirk flitted across Bloom's lips. "I won't argue," she retorted, folding her hands across her chest. "But I have to admit you look beautiful in that dress."
"I know, right?" Stella grinned back broadly as she stared at herself in her full-length mirror, twisting her body at different angles to examine her appearance.
Bloom simply smiled and shook her head at the blonde's antics.
After slicking on some red lipstick and adding another coat of mascara, Stella grabbed her purse from her vanity table and began to make her way towards the door.
The gusty autumn wind nipped at her skin the second she stepped outside and Stella shivered, goosebumps rising all over her exposed arms in evidence. She should've brought a coat. Smoothing out the fabric down over her thighs, she tried to pull her dress down a little further in order to cover more of her skin to keep herself warm, but found that ultimately useless.
"Hey there, beautiful."
Stella's head whipped around at the familiar voice, her freshly curled ringlets tumbling over her shoulders, to witness none other than her boyfriend leaning against his leva bike. Her breathing hitched at the sight of him as she took in the way his light blue polo shirt clung to his sculpted chest, highlighting all the hard lines and defined planes, the top two buttons of the collar left undone just enough to leave something to the imagination. His brown hair was slightly dishevelled from the strong winds, but that only seemed to add to his charm and dashing looks, giving that boyish edge to his appearance that she had come to adore.
Her honey-gold eyes flickered to his face and she was instantly floored by the way the dim moonlight seemed to glow against his tanned skin and reflect off his warm chestnut brown eyes that stared right back at her with slight amusement.
Stella felt her cheeks colour and she didn't think it had anything to do with the chilly weather.
"Hi," she said breathily, her tone floaty while she watched him approach her.
"Hey." Brandon grinned widely, snaking his arms around her waist. Warmth rushed through her body immediately, her skin tingling pleasantly beneath his through the material of her dress. His thumb came up to trace the edge of her bottom lip, his mesmerizing brown eyes following the route before they darted right back to her eyes, dark and captivating. Stella felt her heart skip a beat. "You look stunning, Princess."
She blushed. "You don't look too bad yourself."
Brandon glanced at her for a moment before one corner of his mouth lifted in a sly smirk. "Yeah, I know. I noticed you drooling over me."
Heat washed over her face, burning and mortifying. Stella opened her mouth to voice a rebuttal, but before she even had a chance to utter a word, she felt a finger land over her red lips. "It's okay. I know I look good," Brandon offered, his eyes glimmering with a wicked glint, his smirk still intact on his stupidly handsome face. Deliberately, his hands slid down to her sides, and she felt a shiver creep down her back as his mouth hovered near her ear. "But you, my princess, look damn adorable when you blush. The colour is very appealing on you."
Her breath stuttered ever so slightly, but she willed herself to gather her wits, half-forcing herself to roll her eyes. "You're such a dork."
"Like you'd have me any other way," Brandon quipped back smoothly, his eyes glinting playfully as his face broke into a grin. That cocky, egoistical grin he probably thought made him look extremely attractive and hot – which it did, mind you – there was something about that kind of confidence that made her heart race, but there was no way she was going to give him the satisfaction of knowing that. "Besides, you know you like it. Don't even pretend to think otherwise."
Biting down on her bottom lip, she fought a smile, but her lips still twitched.
"Sure, whatever," she finally relented, feigning an air of indifference. Scooting closer, she placed her hands to his chest and allowed herself a moment to soak in his presence and the lingering smell of his intoxicating cologne, mixed in with his own unique scent that she had grown accustomed to breathe and love. His arms tightened instinctively around her waist and she couldn't think of any place in the world she'd rather be. "So, what's the plan for tonight?" she queried, looking up at him expectantly.
"That's something you'll have to wait to find out," he answered, bringing up a spare helmet from behind him and handing it to her. "Here, put this on."
Stella took the helmet and regarded the bulky object with a slight scowl on her face, voicing out the first thought that came to her mind. "It doesn't really go well with my outfit."
Brandon shook his head and chuckled, clearly finding humor in her petty disappointment. "Yeah, it probably doesn't, but I can't risk you getting injured, now can I? Besides, it's not like you have to wear it for the whole day," Brandon reasoned, putting on his own helmet and moving his fingers to adjust it correctly before he seated himself on his bike. Flashing an easy-going grin over his shoulder, he patted the seat behind him. "Aw, come on. Stop pouting at me, Princess. It's going to be fine, just hop on."
Stella arched her perfectly shaped eyebrow, but decided not to protest any further – it was hard to deny him anything when he smiled at her like that with his dimples showing and all – and obliged by putting on the helmet. Gingerly, she moved to sit on the passenger seat, her arms wrapping around his waist as her cool cheek pressed onto his warm back.
"Ready?"
Stella could practically hear the grin in his voice and it was all to make her skin prickle with newfound excitement and giddiness as she responded by clinging onto Brandon's waist tighter with a content smile plastered on her face.
"You bet."
"I had a really nice time tonight, Bran," Stella gushed, linking her arm through his.
"Me too. But wait till you see where I'm taking you next." Brandon grinned down at her, unable to keep the note of pride out of his voice after the couple exited her favourite restaurant on Magix. Now, Stella peered at him curiously, her honey-gold eyes shining with unspoken questions. "But I'm not giving away anything. It's a surprise, so you'll have to try and be patient."
Her lips jutted out in an adorable pout. "That's not fair. You know patience isn't my strongest suit," Stella whined.
"Trust me," Brandon promised, interlocking his fingers with hers and giving her hand a reassuring tug as he led her through the deserted streets of Magix. Stella only humphed in return, and Brandon stifled a laugh at her attempts to feign annoyance. As much as she was acting like she was miffed, Brandon knew she was secretly spilling with excitement and wanted to savour that anticipation for as long as he could. "I promise it'll be worth it. In fact, I know you will love it."
Any reply she might have made to that comment was cut off by the sound of cameras clicking and blinding lights that slashed harshly through the dimly lit streets.
"Oh my God! It's the Princess of Solaria!" a loud, booming voice called out near them and the crowd around it immediately erupted into a round of shouts and whistles, yelling their names over the growing roar of what seemed to be fans and paparazzi.
"Princess Stella of Solaria! Over here!"
"Is it true you two got engaged?"
"Look over here!"
Brandon shielded his eyes from the bright flashes that rained upon them relentlessly and groaned inwardly. This was definitely not what he had planned. How the hell paps had even known they were to be here today, he didn't know. Between them and his leva bike stood a good handful of people screaming and shouting, altering the atmosphere that had once been serene and romantic into something tense and restless. His grip tightening on her hand, Brandon's instinct to protect her shot through him immediately and he gently tugged at her hand. "Come on. Let's go somewhere else."
She followed him willingly as he began to drag her away from the paps that kept aggressively shouting their names behind them. Taking a turn at the corner of the street, he pulled her further down the dark alley and felt her almost collide into his back when he stopped abruptly. Brandon looked around to see if anyone had spotted them before he grabbed the door handle that was attached to one of the brick walls and twisted it open with a low creak, revealing a staircase to a rooftop and hurried her through it. A strong breeze of wind passed them as soon as they made their way all the way to the top and he could vaguely make out the sounds of paps running below the building, shouting strings of curses when they realized they had lost them.
Letting out a breath he didn't even know he was holding, Brandon turned his focus back to Stella and placed his hands on her shoulders, concern glowing in his cinnamon orbs while his eyes drilled into hers. "Are you alright?"
Stella nodded. "How do you know this place?" she mused, gazing around.
"I used to come here with the guys. We'd skip class and come up here to chill," he explained, raking a hand through his deep brown locks. Taking in the thin layer of dust on the walls, the aged peeling paint, the grey cracked walls and the broken, overturned plant pots, he winced at the sight and let out a frustrated sigh. "Not exactly a place I had planned to take you to."
"It's not too bad," she commented to his surprise, moving over to the edge. "I kind of like it here."
"You do?" he asked genuinely bemused, freezing in mid-ruffle.
"You sound surprised," she rebutted, sparing a quick glance at his direction.
"Honestly, I am. I mean, look at this place. It's old and dusty. How could you possibly like to be here?"
She rolled her eyes and sighed. "It's not exactly the place that's giving me the warm fuzzies," she clarified, walking over to him. Reaching down to link her hand through his, she led him to the spot she had been standing earlier and used their intertwined fingers to point up into the sky. Millions of twinkling dots and constellation shone down upon them, illuminating the picturesque night sky.
Stella leaned her head on his chest, her hand still tightly clasped in his. "When I was little, my mum used to take me to stargazing every day. We would look out for stars and constellations and my mum would tell stories about them." A soft sigh escaped her lips as her eyes clouded with nostalgia. "Those were some of my best childhood memories and seeing this made me realize just how much I've missed those days. I didn't even know Magix had a place like this to stargaze; it's amazing, really. I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like this, not even in Solaria."
Brandon's features softened in understanding as he lapped up every bit of information she told him, but there was a dimly lit grin on his face when he watched the fascination swim in her gorgeous honey-gold eyes. "So, you approve?" he asked, circling his arms around her waist from behind and glancing at her sideways.
She nodded, tearing her eyes away from the sky to look at him with a smile.
"You know, if I knew you'd like this place so much, I'd have taken you here more often. Think of all the money and effort I would've saved," he mused out loud, winking.
She jabbed an elbow to his ribs playfully. "Don't get me wrong, I still think this place is hideous. I mean, look at that wall: it looks like it could crumble at any second and that other one beside it looks like it has never seen colour before," she ranted, scrunching her nose in distaste. Shifting a little in his arms, she rotated her body around to face him and locked her eyes with his, her eyes turning soft and wistful. "But this place is also kind of private and secluded, which I like," she murmured softly and paused, her voice growing quieter. "But mostly I like how it's just the two of us now here. Just you and me."
Brandon watched as the small wisps of her long, lustrous golden hair caught in the light breeze and found himself momentarily getting lost in the sight. Her amber-gold eyes captivated him and he felt like he could drown in their depths. They reminded him of a prism, an endless spectrum of colours ranging from honey-gold to brown and right now they held that glowing glint in her hazel irises that made his knees go weak. Hell, just the mere look at her made his heart racing and his body aching for her touch.
God, he adored this girl.
"Me too," he finally concurred in a low voice, his hand reaching out to tuck a lock of blonde hair behind her ear before he dipped his head down.
Bridging the gap between them, he brushed his lips with hers chastely – once, twice, thrice – until he pressed them firmly against hers. Stella's hands slipped around his neck and Brandon felt her body melt against his, warm and solid. His arms tightened around her waist, his fingertips grazing past the soft curves and alluring lines of her body before they settled into the crevice above her hips – a perfect fit. One of her hands came up to tangle in his brown locks, shooting glorious tingles down his spine, while the other clutched at the front of his shirt, drawing him closer to her. A low groan escaped his lips as soon as he felt Stella open her mouth and slide her tongue inside his mouth to intertwine with his and his fingers drifted to cradle the side of her face, tilting her head for better access as he further deepened the kiss.
Stella's fisted hand latched even tighter around the material of his shirt while her other hand caressed the nape of his neck, twisting into the soft hair. The heat of her touch sent his mind reeling into a state of ecstasy. Everything about her – her taste, her scent, her touch – was slowly driving him crazy as the rest of the world began to fade away into oblivion and turn into sweet, sweet heaven.
The need of oxygen, however, made itself present and burned in his lungs, reluctantly forcing him to break away from the short-lived heaven. Their breaths came in shallow puffs, mingling in the misty air as Brandon rested his forehead against hers. Panting, he opened his eyes to see she was just as breathless, her eyes glittering merrily in the moonlight and her cheeks painted a rosy pink, and he didn't think he had ever seen anything more maddeningly beautiful. "You have no idea how happy you make me," Brandon confessed whole-heartedly, his voice rough and scratchy with emotion.
Stella beamed at him, snuggling her face into the crook of his neck. "If it's anywhere near how happy you make me, then I beg to differ."
Brandon gave a small chuckle and held her closer to him. Although he was tempted to disagree and tell her there was no way she fully understood how much she still stunned him and made him feel things he didn't even know it was possible for him to feel, he decided to keep his mouth shut and simply enjoy the moment and relish in their closeness. Besides, he was way too overjoyed by her response to let anything dampen his mood. He truly felt lucky to have her.
After a few moments of comfortable silence, he remembered something he had been wanting to give her all night and ran his hand gently up her side. "Don't fall asleep on me yet, Princess," he jested lightly, pressing a kiss to her hair. As he reached down to pull out a small box from his back pocket, her head tilted up and she pulled away, blinking at him cutely. "I've got you something."
Curiously, she accepted the gift and peeled off the bow carefully. Once the lid was lifted, her eyes widened at the beautiful diamond necklace that lay on the box. "My God, Brandon. It's gorgeous!" she squealed out loud, her eyes twinkling brighter than the stars above them.
Wordlessly, he turned her around and brushed some of her lovely blonde hair aside, his fingertips skimming over the bare skin of her neck, delighting in the feel of her silky smooth skin. He took out the necklace and placed it carefully around her neck, fastening the clasp as he leaned in closer to her ear. "Something this beautiful deserves to be seen on someone worthy of its beauty," Brandon said in a low whisper, his breath hot against the shell of her ear. Shudders raced down her spine when she felt the warmth of his breath, and he grinned. "Happy anniversary, Princess."
"You always know what to say, don't you?" Stella queried wistfully with an amused lilt to her voice as she shifted around to face him.
He shrugged, flashing his trademark, crooked grin. "I try."
Stella grinned back and stood on her tip-toes to press a chaste kiss on his cheek. "I love you." She gave him one of those fond, dazzling smiles that Brandon knew she only reserved for him, looking at him with such tenderness that it made his heart stutter in his chest.
"I have something for you too actually," she said suddenly, snapping him out his daze as she let her eyes travel from his face to her handbag. Her hands shuffled around her purse for something before she fished it out and brought it up to his sight. A gift box. Meekly, she extended her hands to thrust the box in his with a soft smile playing on her lips. "Happy anniversary, Brandon."
His eyes held hers, intent and mildly curious. "You got me a present?"
"Yes. You can open it, too, you know. It's not going to bite you," she joked semi-sarcastically, looking expectantly at him. "Go ahead, open the lid."
With a lifted eye brow, Brandon did as he was told and tugged at one of the strings of the bow and opened the top. The paper fell away, revealing a small square-shaped golden object with a chain attached to it – a locket.
"Open it," Stella prompted, eagerness present in her tone.
Allowing the clasp to pop open, the locket revealed two slots on either side. One of them was filled with a photo of them together in which Stella was sitting on his lap, smiling at the camera while Brandon had his arms caged around her middle, kissing her on the cheek with his eyes closed and a hint of a smile on his face. He recalled one of their friends taking the picture on their graduation day and the memory instantly triggered a surge of affection in him. His gaze then drifted to the other slot, noticing that instead of a picture it held a script of writing.
My hero carries a broadsword. I call him Daddy.
Brandon felt his heart falter in his chest. A myriad of emotions grappled for his attention: shock, disbelief, joy, confusion, excitement, thrill and shock again. It consumed him all at once in a massive tidal wave, rendering him almost speechless as his heartbeat thumped loudly in his ears.
"Stella," he breathed out her name, frail and delicate, his throat tight. It was like her name was wrapped up in a silent question – almost a plea – brimming with burning hope. It ignited in his chest and spread all throughout his body like a wildfire, diminishing everything else he was feeling into cinders and ashes as the desperate need of confirmation threatened to choke him. "Are you serious? You're pregnant?"
She nodded, cautiously studying his face. "Yes. We are having a baby, Brandon."
Like the flicking of a light switch, Brandon felt his chest swell with joy when the concept of what she had just said hit its mark. This was real. This was happening. He was going to be a father. For a moment he just stood there, searching for the words – thinking of the ways to articulate his thoughts, his feelings, his emotions – but nothing would came out. So, he let his actions speak for themselves and hauled her up in his arms, eliciting a surprised, yet thrilled yelp out of her in the process.
"God, I love you," he announced, his voice thick with emotion and mixed in with laughs as he spun her around, drawing peals of giggles from the blonde girl. He was grinning so hard he could literally feel his cheeks ache and thought his face might split in two if he didn't stop smiling, but he couldn't bring himself to care in the slightest. "I love you so much."
When he set her on her feet again, he pulled back just enough to gaze up at her face as he pushed some of her blonde hair behind her ear. Her smile grew bigger, a hue of pink dusting the apples of her cheeks. He ran his fingertips along the curve of her cheek bone, down to the corner of her lips and finally to her jawline before cupping the side of her face, his thumb stroking circles on her cheek. Letting her golden head rest on the palm of his hand, Stella's eyes fluttered close at the feeling, and Brandon found himself once more in awe of her beauty. But more than that, he was overwhelmed by the pure, unconditional love he felt for the girl before him.
"I can't believe we're going to have a baby. This is amazing," he murmured hoarsely, emotions welling up in his chest once again at the thought of becoming a father. It still felt surreal.
"I know," Stella replied quietly. Her eyes then slowly opened, golden eyes peering at him underneath her long lashes with an unknown emotion he struggled to decipher. "Brandon?"
"Tell me?"
"Do you think we can handle this?"
Eyes trained on hers, Brandon suddenly completely understood the meaning behind her emotions and took her hand in his, intertwining their fingers together one more time before he pressed a kiss on top of her knuckles – a promise to be there for one another; a promise of forever. "For sure. As long as we are together, we've got this. You and me, remember?"
Her face lit up with a gorgeous smile, the tips of her red lips curving upward. "You and me," she reinstated softly, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I like the sound of that."
Author's note: What did you guys think about the way Stella revealed her pregnancy to Brandon? Wold love to know. Any feedback, good or bad, is much appreciated; I honestly love reading each and every one of your comments.
xoxo,
- Eve
