Late to Class

by writerintheday

In which Cupid makes Poppy late to class every morning, and Poppy doesn't mind much.

Poppy O'Hair has never met someone as beautiful and as gracious as C.A. Cupid.

She thinks the world of her. Ever After's very own Cupid, helping people find love and giving them advice on their relationships. Only now, she thinks that Cupid could find love herself. With Poppy, maybe.

Only one problem, though. Poppy has never actually spoken to Cupid.

Before getting into all of this relationship stuff, before even talking to the girl, Poppy has to know that Cupid is gay, or at least likes girls. And she's not going to ask, because she doesn't think she can handle the embarrassment if Cupid doesn't.

She looks for all the signs, of course. Not that it means much- anyone can be gay. It doesn't matter how long their nails are or what they wear. But just in case, Poppy thinks it's safe to keep a lookout for these things.

She doesn't think it's possible, really. For Cupid to like girls, and have a thing for girls with short hair and a love of sewing, and talk to her and actually like her, and to want to date her. It's a lot of what ifs and the possibility of everything there happening is low, so Poppy doesn't talk to her.

And anyways, she doesn't want Cupid to be her girlfriend THAT bad. Does she?

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Holly O'Hair is tired of hearing her twin sister whine about how C. A. Cupid will never like her. She's tired of telling Poppy that she will, that Poppy is amazing and if Cupid doesn't like her, she's not worth it anyways. She's tired of contemplating every day whether or not Cupid is gay.

In Geografairy class, Holly glimpses a rainbow patch in the shape of a flag on Cupid's messenger bag. So she points it out to Poppy, and almost slaps her when she says with doubt in her voice, "Are you sure? She might just be an ally, you know, because she loves all love. Or maybe she just really likes rainbows."

So Holly walks down an aisle or two and slides into the seat next to Cupid, ignoring Poppy's frantic whispers of "What are you doing? Stop, Holly! Come back here!"

Cupid smiles warmly at the long haired girl. "Hey, Holly."

Holly smiles back. "Hi, Cupid. Hey, so by any chance do you like girls? I'm asking for a friend."

Cupid's eyes shift up to where Poppy is, who is waving her arms to signify 'abort mission' and looking at Holly pleadingly.

The pink haired girl grins. "Actually, I do. Tell your friend that she's very cute."

Holly hurries back to next to Poppy and relays this information to her.

Poppy doesn't think she breathes until she's safely in her room where she can shriek and jump around all she wants.

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Nothing is stopping Poppy from talking to C. A. Cupid anymore. So why won't she?

All she can bring herself to do is smile at the girl in the hallways occasionally. After Cupid smiles back, Poppy's smile stays there for the rest of the day and it seems that she cannot stop, but actually carrying out a conversation scares everything out of her.

The fear dissipates slightly at Holly's first threat that she will converse with Cupid in her place. The last thing Poppy wants is a repeat of the day when Cupid recognized her as the 'friend' who was asking. Although she was happy, happy, happy that day, it was still embarrassing for her.

So Poppy waits at the other girl's locker at the end of her next class. She doesn't show up, and Poppy ends up being five minutes late to her own class and getting extra thronework for her tardiness. But it's all worth it when, at the next passing period, Cupid spots her and smiles a smile that sends chills through Poppy's body. Warm, nice chills, ones that she wouldn't mind feeling a few dozen more times.

"Poppy! Hey!" Cupid exclaims in her sugar-sweet voice. "What's up?"

"Um. Not much. The clouds? Or the ceiling in this case." Poppy cannot believe what is coming out of her mouth. Why is she so awkward? She backtracks, nodding to the single earbud in Cupid's ear. "What're you listening to?"

"This really cool band! They're called Fairy Rebels."

"That's an- um- awesome name." Poppy crosses her feet, not sure where to go from here. Luckily, she's saved by the bell, which rings at the perfect time for her to exclaim "Okay, bye!" and start walking off.

"Wait!" Cupid touches the girl's shoulder, stopping her in her tracks. "Do you wanna sit together tomorrow for breakfast? Or lunch, if you want. I can show you some of their music."

Poppy's mind is buzzing from the touch. She doesn't comprehend what Cupid has asked yet, so she mumbles, 'okay', and walks slowly to her next class.

She's late again, but doesn't care. She doesn't mind the amount of extra work tonight- she's going to have breakfast with Cupid!

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Poppy has to fight the urge to listen to the band Cupid has mentioned, to find out more about Cupid's tastes and what she listens to when she's walking the halls with a charming smile on her face. The only thing that keeps her from it is the thought that in less than twenty four hours, she will have listened to the band with Cupid herself.

She does the thronework in a dreamy state of mind, all hopeful and anxious at the same time. It's kind of excruciating- every second until the morning is. Poppy sets her alarm early so that she can focus on looking her best and goes to sleep with thoughts of Cupid in her head.

In the morning, an hour before breakfast even starts, Poppy gets up and splashes water on her face and quickly showers to ensure she's up. She walks around for a while so that she looks awake, and does stretches for no reason whatsoever. Then she spends half an hour rummaging through her entire wardrobe to find everything too similar to each other and not good enough to wear to see Cupid.

She knows it isn't a date, but it is her first time hanging out with the girl. She wants to make a good first impression- speaking of, Poppy remembers that she's probably going to have to talk to Cupid. Her eyes get wide and she flops onto the floor, closing her eyes and accepting that she won't move the rest of the day and pretend sick.

That goes on for a good five minutes until her twin sister barges into the room and tosses a dress on Poppy without warning. "Get up! What are you doing? Cupid's probably gonna be at the Cafetorium in ten minutes!"

"Hollyyyyy." Poppy groans, slumping over to the side with the mystery dress still covering her. "I can't do this. I can't talk to girls. I especially can't talk to Cupid, of all girls. Leave me here, I can't go on."

Holly sighs at this girl's antics- she's been dealing with them from the first time her mother put Poppy in olive green colored clothing. Poppy had locked herself up in her room, declared a hunger strike even though she was just six years old, and took scissors to the clothes. She had grown up a drama queen and would always remain one. Holly just hoped that Cupid could deal with her if they did end up together.

Holly takes Poppy's arms and pull her up, frowning as Poppy makes her body go limp so it is nearly impossible to lift her. So she fills a glass with cold water, gently removes the dress and puts it on her bed, and turns the glass upside down on Poppy's closed eyes.

Then comes a shriek that Holly has sure has almost waken the entire castle- she's surprised that Baba Yaga doesn't float in and yell at the girls. Poppy jumps up and runs to the bathroom, grabbing a towel and yelling with her words muffled underneath the towel.

After she's made sure that her face is completely dry, she narrows her eyes at her sister. "You're so lucky I don't have any makeup on and that I'm in my robe. I'd really never talk to you again if I was."

Holly shrugs and mumbles something about 'thanking her later', and then holds up the dress that she bought Poppy. It's mostly black, with purple and pink incorporated in wild jagged strips. It's unique and perhaps a bit unusual, but exactly Poppy's style.

Poppy squeaks and grabs the dress, running to the bathroom and yelling 'All is not forgiven!" on the way.

Holly sits on her sister's bed and waits for her to finish up with changing and doing her makeup. She braids her hair out of boredom, and then leaps up hurriedly when Poppy finally comes out. "Great! Let's go!"

"Wait!" Poppy exclaims. Holly sighs and then turns around to see what is keeping Poppy. "What do I say to her?"

"Poppy. Talk normally. Really, I think Cupid will carry out most of the conversation, all you have to do is answer her like you normally do. Maybe share your music tastes with her, too. I don't know, Poppy, just talk. She's gonna like you."

Holly turns around to get going again, and is stopped by another 'wait!' She sighs and asks her sister what, lowkey annoyed. Poppy spins, showing off her dress. "Aren't you gonna compliment me?"

Holly knows that her sister will not let this go until she does, so Holly gives compliment after compliment for a minute while her sister beams.

Sometimes she can be annoying, but still Holly loves her sister.

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It went pretty well, Poppy thinks. She had sat with Cupid up until the very last minute, after even the first bell had rang, up until they were shooed out by the janitor. They had listened to the band- without talking, which Poppy appreciated. It had taken that time for her to calm down and get used to the idea that she was listening to music with C. A. Cupid herself. They had shared earbuds- which Poppy had found something beautiful and intimate in. It had also forced them to sit directly next to each other, which had Poppy screaming inside at the beginning, but now she buzzes from how amazing it was to sit with the girl of her dreams. After that, Poppy had showed some the girl some of her favorite music and before long, the two were discussing how absolutely horrible they found country music and playfully arguing over the merits of classical music. The conversation had shifted from music to books and then to movies, and before long the scrambled eggs on their plates and orange juice in front of them were gone.

When Poppy turned to leave, Cupid had stopped her with a gentle touch to her shoulder. "Hey... You wanna do this again sometime? Tomorrow morning, maybe?"

Poppy smiled, a warm shiver going down her body. "Uh, yeah, sure. Definitely. Tomorrow. See you then. Tomorrow morning."

Cupid had shot a wide smile at her and turned the other way. "Great! It's a date, then!"

Poppy managed to walk until just outside the Cafetorium until she stopped in her tracks.

A date?!

Poppy didn't make it to class for fifteen minutes, but she didn't hear the White Queen's yelling at her. She was too busy thinking about what may or may not have been a date, and if a date was to come.

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Holly is only on her second morning of Poppy and Cupid's breakfasts together, but she thinks she could get tired of it already.

This morning, Poppy is a lump on the floor with the covers over her. Holly doesn't understand why Poppy didn't just stay on the bed, but she supposes this is much more dramatic. She wonders what would happen if she didn't show up- would Poppy stay there all day? Or would she eventually get up and drag herself to the breakfast date?

Nevertheless, she is here- and it's a good thing, because she has to make sure that Poppy is picture perfect and doesn't go on what appears to be a date in her pajamas. She thinks it would be good for her sister to start dating- maybe Cupid can start to tone down the drama and share the relentless talking. Once Poppy is comfortable around someone she starts talking more and more, and Holly hates being the only person that she does this too. Someone else should have to share in her boredom as well.

Holly manages to get her sister up and ready, ignoring her moans of 'I can't go on a date' and 'What if she means romantic wise?' and "C. A. FLIPPIN CUPID ASKED ME OUT.' She pushes her sister into the shower and refuses to let her out of the bathroom until she hears the water running. She sets out one of Poppy's new dresses that she bought after school the other day- having a slight feeling that she might be needing new clothes soon. Holly brushes Poppy's hair and does her makeup in record time, practically shoving her out the door.

Then the long haired girl sits on the floor, realizing that now she needs to get ready.

God, the things she does for Poppy.

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Halfway through breakfast, Poppy blurts out, "Is this a date?"

Cupid, midway into the speech that she is giving about how comics are better than cartoons, raises her eyebrows. "Do you want it to be?"

The girl starts stuttering, at a loss of words. Cupid smiles as she watches Poppy try to form full words. A minute into watching this, she puts the purple haired girl out of her misery and says, leaning forward, "Because I do."

"You do?" Poppy asks, surprised. "Wha- Why?"

"You fishing for praise, O'Hair?" Cupid asks in that sweet, high voice that Poppy has come to love more than anything. Poppy once again tries to speak, but can't. Cupid laughs once again- and Poppy loves her for it. She is glad that Cupid is laughing and happy around her, even if she is the amusement.

"Kidding, I know you aren't." Cupid takes a bite of her waffle before she continues. "I want this to be a date because I like you, Poppy, it's that simple. You're pretty and funny and we share a lot of the same interests and I'd like to get to know you. And also- you're really cute."

Poppy blushes pink and slightly ducks her head. "Uh... I want it to be a date, too." Then, slightly overwhelmed, she changes the subject, talking about the benefits of television shows in comparison to movies.

Her blush remains, though, all throughout breakfast and then even after when she is late to her first class and her teacher asks her to please explain why she is missing the beginning of class so often.

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Holly watches the relationship closely, partly because Poppy is her sister and she'd kill Cupid if she hurt her, but mostly because she is a sucker for a good love story.

And a good love story it is, because Cupid is always going out of her way to serenade the girl in her own way and Poppy remains oblivious to it. Cupid will doodle hearts on Poppy's notebooks, and the purple haired girl will assume that Cupid has run out of room on her own notebooks and offer one of her own empty's one to give to her. Cupid will send out her own message on her show, telling 'a certain girl that she is pretty!' and Poppy will cry to Holly that Cupid is dating someone else, before the twin sighs and explains that she is the certain girl. Poppy is a mess, but Cupid looks after the mess and cares for her.

The two are always meeting up in between classes, but most of the classes are on separate floors- which ends up in one or both of them being late. They get loads of extra throne work, but Cupid comes over one night and they do it together and don't mind as much. That Friday night, they watch a movie together in the dorm room- with Holly making up an excuse about hanging out with Briar and quietly slipping out- and fall asleep right there. Holly comes back to find them in a tangle of blankets, sleeping next to each other with hands merely centimeters away and spilled popcorn around them.

Holly watches as Cupid starts to come over more and more often, every evening ending with the two doing thronework together and watching television or a movie and Cupid 'accidentally' falling asleep there. Holly does not even have to make an excuse anymore, she simply slips out. She thinks that Headmaster Grimm should have stricter rules about this but heteronormativity has prevented the couple from being called out about spending every night together. Granted, they have not even kissed yet and are doing nothing but sleeping next to each other, but the rules should still be stricter.

This first kiss happens later on in the week, after five nights of almost holding hands while they sleep. It's right after breakfast together, when Cupid offers to walk Poppy to her class, and Poppy agrees, still blushing a bit even after the week that they have spent together.

They are walking next to each other, arms centimeters apart, until they are halfway to the class and Poppy impulsively grabs Cupid's hand. Cupid gasps slightly, and then pushes Poppy against the lockers near them and kisses her until they are once again late.

Poppy thinks she has never felt this wonderfully high and wants to live in it forever.

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Holly congratulates herself on a job well done- she makes a good matchmaker, if she does say so herself.

A month after the girls' first kiss, they have become Ever After High's cutest couple. Poppy appears on Cupid's show often, and Blondie Lockes has named them 'Cupy'. People 'aw' whenever Cupid tucks a flower into Poppy's locker and when they hold hands. The two spend every breakfast together and go on cute dates a few times a week, exploring every place Ever After has to offer.

Holly absolutely loves it.

Cupid has certainly managed to tone down Poppy's drama queen, and they spend all their time together being disgustingly adorable. Cuddling while watching movies, doing homework together while giving each other small smiles occasionally, holding hands under a table- Holly has seen it all.

She's never seen her sister this happy, and thinks that this could be a beautiful love story.

The two never end up being on time for first period class, after all. And after a while, it just becomes a tradition and the teacher stops minding.

The two make up something beautiful together.

Hey, it's been a while since I last wrote. But here I am again, with a fic that has come out of nowhere. I hope you enjoyed reading it, and leave a review- it really motivates me to write more.

If you have a request for a story or have an idea for a story that you don't want to write yourself, leave it in the reviews or pm me!

Thank you for reading! I hope you all had good days and this maybe made it a bit better.