A/N. First of all, thanks everyone for such positive feedback! I didn't think so many Wattpadders would enjoy my one-shots. :) It's a Pucktastic feeling, haha.
As well, sorry for the major delays in updates. Sometimes it's because I have no inspiration, others I have too much school work. :/ I was only able to put this up this weekend because I only had two AP assignments to do.
(AGH, for some reason, Fanfiction will not let me upload the cover photo, so I will post a link on my profile to the drawing on deviantArt. :D)
Anyways, Enjoy! As well, HAPPY Pi DAY! (I tried to post this at 9:26 PM to go along with the digits of Pi (3.141592653...).
Rated: T
Disclaimer: I do not own the Sisters Grimm, nor the song by Gavin DeGraw that this story is based on.
Not Over You
Uncle Jake flicked over an envelope to him across the kitchen table.
"What's this?" Puck asked. The envelope had "Grimm" on the front in swirly, fancy lettering. That's weird. He was used to seeing chicken scratch when receiving letters from the Grimms (mainly Basil).
"Maybe if you open it, you'll find out."
"Geez, Jake. Don't need to be sassy about it." Puck flipped the tab over and pulled out the card. Huh. This is different. "A wedding invite?"
"Yes..."
Something clicked in Puck's head. "Wait, Daphne's getting married?"
"Er-"
"I thought she's only fresh out of college! She found 'the one' already? Granted, it seems she finds a lot of 'the ones', but it's surprising to see she's decided to settle down, even though she's only like twenty four; it doesn't even make sense because she basically has forever to decide. I think she's rushing it..."
"Puck-" Jake started. He was interrupted again, and Jake felt that his adopted nephew already knew what was up.
But this was Puck's way of denying it.
"I don't like this idea, Jake." Puck stood up and grabbed his phone. "I'm going to call Daphne about this-"
Uncle Jake grabbed his wrist. "Puck, stop."
"What?"
"It's not Daphne who's getting married."
Puck furrowed his brows. "Then who? Basil?"
"No..." he said slowly.
"Who else could it be?" Puck demanded. "If not Basil or Daphne, then who? The old lady, God bless her soul, isn't here anymore; Henry's already married Veronica; you're not getting married," Uncle Jake winced, "and Sabrina's sure as heck isn't-"
"It's Sabrina."
Puck looked at him. "What?"
"You heard me, Puck," he said softly.
Jake saw it slowly sink into Puck's mind. He looked confused, that Jake could tell.
And Puck also looked a little hurt.
"Sabrina's the one getting married." Uncle Jake opened the card and handed him the picture.
Puck's mouth formed a thin line. "Oh."
He stared at the photo for a long time. He didn't say anything.
Jake said quietly, "Puck?"
The man suddenly chuckled. "Who would've thought that Ugly would somehow be able to find someone who could actually stand to look at her?" Puck was smirking, shaking his head and laughing to himself.
Jake could tell his laugh was forced despite his expression.
Puck wiped a tear from his eye. "Phew. That was a good laugh." He slid the photo into his pocket and glanced at the clock. "Wow, it's late. We better get to sleep now. Need to be refreshed for some more magical hunting tomorrow, right?"
Puck stood up, glancing at Jake when he saw he wasn't moving. "Jake?"
"Yeah, I'll go to my room soon." He stared at his adopted nephew, almost in pity. "I just need to fix some things for tomorrow's trip."
"Cool." Puck nodded his head. "See ya, Jake."
He padded his feet on the wooden floor towards his room and put his hand on the door knob, twisting it.
"Wait, Puck," Uncle Jake said.
He turned around. "Yeah?"
"How do you feel about...Sabrina getting married?" Uncle Jake relented from beating around the bush. "You're okay with it, right? No hard feelings?" He looked at Puck's face.
Puck was good, for his expression was emotionless until he laughed. "How do I feel? I don't really have a say in it, do I?"
Jake remained quiet.
Puck then chuckled, a small grimace on his face. "What you're thinking about, of me and Grimm, is history, Jake. I'm over her, she's over me- that's usually how relationships end, right? Of course no hard feelings -I don't control what she does and she doesn't control what I do. She can go do whatever the heck she wants, and if that's to get married, then let her do it. And what reason do I have to stop her?" Puck paused. "We're as square as boxes, okay, Jake?"
He looked at him and quietly said, "Yeah. Okay, Puck, goodnight."
"Night," he half-grinned, then closed the door. He saw Uncle Jake's pitying expression as the door slid shut.
Puck bristled. Honestly, what was up with that guy? Jake thought that just because his old best friend slash old girlfriend was getting married that he'd be angry about it?
Well, he wasn't angry. Like he said, Sabrina could do whatever she wanted; he didn't care.
He didn't care.
Right?
Puck sighed through his nose, clenching and unclenching his fists, taking out the now wrinkled photo.
Why should he care? He hadn't had contact with any other Grimm besides Daphne and Basil and Jake for years. They certainly did not care for him anymore. Not when he left them to go traveling the world with Jake.
He was done with them; the Grimm's were done with him.
At least, that's what he kept telling himself.
Puck leaned against the door, one hand in his pocket, the other holding up the picture.
Gosh, she was more gorgeous than when he had seen her last. That had been five or six years ago. Her features had been defined, and she looked almost exactly like her mother: strong, independent, beautiful.
Puck was definitely not angry.
He was upset.
Upset mostly at himself. After five years, he really thought it would all go away.
And yet, it was still there. His feelings, that is.
And man did he feel like a lovesick fool. Men didn't spend so much time thinking about their past relationships, and Puck probably wouldn't have spent so much time, if only he had had past relationships. Moth certainly didn't count as a past relationship, and he had never really dated anyone while traveling.
He had only dated Sabrina. And he was still hung up on her.
But apparently, she had been able to move on.
Puck had always thought it'd be the other way around, as egoistical as that sounds. He would grow up into a charming man and Grimm would fall over her feet for him. He'd sweep her up into his arms and they'd get a happily ever after, as cheesy as it sounded.
But of course, being an Everafter, he knew there were no fairy-tale endings in reality. And with the events that had happened in his life, from his banishment to his father's death, he was an expert at unhappy endings.
He pushed himself up and slunk towards his hotel bed next to Jake's. Puck turned on the radio leaving it on a song that fit his mood. Taking off his button-up shirt, he debated on whether he should wear a white beater or his usual onesie pajamas.
He was feeling a bit warm and decided to wear the tank top. Sliding into bed, he grasped Kraven the Deceiver in his hands tightly.
"At least you haven't changed," Puck said, smiling. "A little worn, but still as protective as ever." He didn't even seem embarrassed as he stroked and cooed at his plush toy.
He looked over at his desk, sliding his eyes over the slightly crumpled invitation. His eyes closed, Sabrina's face being the last thing he saw that night.
I hope it gets better, he thought.
The pain, that is.
Dreams / that's where I have to go / To see your beautiful / Face anymore / I stare at a picture of you / And listen to the radio
"Hey, Puck, how are you holding up?"
"Just fine," Puck said through clenched teeth as he swiped at a robber with his sword. "Thieves are a piece of cake. How did these idiots think that Catherine's pears were leaves, her vinegar dew, and the door the devil? I mean, how stupider can a person get? It's not like she really tricked them."
"I think that's what Fredrick must've thought of every time he sent her out to get food," Jake chuckled. "But that wasn't what I was referring to when I asked how you were holding up."
Puck kicked one of the thieves in the groin. "This again, Jake?"
"Puck-"
"I'm fine! Seriously Jake! You don't need to keep asking me the same question." He threw a hard punch at someone's face. "Just leave me alone, all right? Enjoy the wedding, eat some reception cake, mingle with the single!"
"Puck-"
"I'll help Catherine and Frederick, it's no problem at all, all right? All right. Thanks, Jake."
Puck heard Jake sigh. "Okay, fine, but one thing. I don't recall Catherine ever asking us to-"
"See ya, Jake." He pressed the END button on his phone and sighed.
He flew upwards, then darted towards another thug, the one with a heavy Brooklyn accent, and knocked him out. Landing on the ground, he looked at the unconscious thugs around him with a bored expression and backed out of the alleyway to give the girl her purse. He was pretty sure she didn't see anything, and if she did, he could just play it off as hallucinations in her traumatized state. Hopefully the people in New York had gotten stupider since his last visit.
Okay, so maybe Puck shouldn't have lied to Jake about where he was, and he knew no one was as stupid as himself. It wasn't a scandal that he happened to be in New York; what may have been a scandal was that he was debating whether or not to attend Sabrina's wedding. His options were: to not attend out of respect for not communicating with his family for five years, or to attend and see Sabrina again and face the wrath of the Grimms. The former seemed like a better option, but Puck couldn't help but want to see her...ugh. Jake would probably say to him 'I told you so', and that was exactly what Puck did not want to hear... Now, what was he doing again? Oh yeah.
He saw the chocolate haired girl with her back to him, talking amiably with someone on the phone. "Here you go, ma'am. It might have some blood from when I knocked one of the guys' teeth out, though. Sorry."
"That's not a problem at all!" She turned around after shutting her phone, and she winked at him. "Thanks, sir."
It was like a bomb had dropped. Puck made a strangled noise at the back of his throat. "Marshmallow?"
"Fancy seeing you here," she commented, grinning like a madwoman. "I thought Uncle Jake said you were in Nigeria looking for a magical drum item?"
"You mean me trying to negotiate with a group of people who speak in 'clicks'?" Uh, no. The only click noise I know how to make is the one that annoys everyone." Puck frowned. "Were you just talking to Jake?"
Daphne brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Um, no, Pinocchio -but anyways, what are you doing in New York, beating up thugs for no good reason?"
"I'm not beating them up for no good reason! They stole your purse!"
"And you didn't even know it was me. That must mean you were doing this out of the goodness of your heart! Aw Puck! I knew you'd become a hero." She said cheekily.
"Aw, shut it, Marshmallow."
"And look at you! The ladies must be digging the Trickster King now! Wow, Puck, if I didn't know you, and if I didn't have this brother-sister connection with you, and if you were about four years younger, I'd totally consider dating you. Metaphorically."
"Thank you, in a metaphorical way."
"No problemo!"
"So, what's in there?" Puck asked, eying her "Ava's Flowers" bags.
"Duh, flowers! For Sabrina's wedding -hey! You never answered my earlier question!"
"Hm, I don't remember. What was it?"
"It was...um, darn it, I forgot. But I know it had to do with Sabrina's wedding! Or something."
"Uh-huh, sure. Actually, why aren't you there now? Shouldn't you have been there like, a really long time ago?"
Daphne laughed sheepishly. "Woke up late. Car broke down. Had to run to flower shop. Tried to use a cab. Major major traffic jam. Then I ran and the thugs took my purse. I would've used my warrior face on them if you hadn't shown up and de-stressed on them."
"Sounds like an eventful morning, huh, marshmallow?"
"Just a regular day. Except for the wedding part." She giggled. "So how've you been doing?"
Puck's eye twitched. He knew he didn't have the right to get mad at Daphne, but holy guack he was starting to hate this question.
"I'm fine! Seriously, what is with people asking me this!" Puck suddenly shouted, making Daphne jump.
"Whoa, calm down, dude. It's just a question."
"Well, I'm tired of being asked this question! Especially by Jake. I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be fine?"
Daphne tilted her head. "Uncle Jake keeps asking you? Why is that?...wait, would this have anything to do with Sabrina's-" Puck had an expression of irritation on his face.
"No. Yes. Maybe. I don't know. I don't even care that she's getting married. That's why I'm so sick of Jake asking me this. It's like he thinks I'll regret not going to the wedding. Well I don't want to go. Weddings are long, boring, and unnecessary. If I was going to get married, it would be this short thing, with a small group of people, in a very secluded place, where we would say, 'I love you.' to each other and exchange those promise rings. Short and simple, right? And then I'd lean down and kiss Sabrina and we'd-"
Puck made another strangled noise while Daphne looked at him, gaping.
"Shoot, I did not just say that."
"Uh, yes you did. Holy crackerjacks."
"No, I didn't! This conversation is over! We're done here!" he suddenly shouted, pushing past Daphne.
"Puck!" she said, going after him. "It's okay-"
"No it's not okay!" He turned back to her, his face red. "Don't tell me this is okay!"
"But you love her!" Daphne's eyes gleamed.
"She doesn't love me."
"You don't know that!" She said exasperated.
"If she did, she would be marrying me, wouldn't she?"
Daphne countered, "You didn't give her more time to fall in love with you! You left her Puck, just when she wanted you the most!"
"It's a good thing I did," he muttered, glaring down at the floor. Daphne gaped.
"How is that good at all? You took away her happiness!" Daphne glared at him.
"Her happiness is not with me!" He shouted.
"Then who is it with?!"
"An ordinary person!"
Daphne jumped. Puck's voice never raised like that. "W-what do you mean?"
He saw the look on her face. "Sorry." He released the tension in his shoulders, clenching and unclenching his fists. "I didn't meant to scare you but... it's true. She deserves someone normal, like that Bradley guy. He's plain, ordinary, nothing too special."
Daphne inwardly scolded herself for saying this about her almost brother-in-law, "If he is what you say he is, then why don't you go to her? You're fun, good-looking, and you have special powers for Pete's sake! You're so much better than him!"
"That's exactly why."
"What?"
"Marshmallow, exactly what has Grimm been complaining of all her life?"
"Um...you?"
"Besides the obvious."
"Oh, um, wanting normality?"
"Yes, now you know exactly what that means, right?" He didn't let her speak. "Living in a house, raising kids, buying groceries, aging peacefully and probably in a nursing home? Well, what would happen if people started to notice I wasn't aging? What if someone suspects me of being a secret government experiment when they see my wings? And we still have some enemies out there; what if an Everafter tried to take revenge on the Grimms by hurting Sabrina? If Grimm and I were to get married and live together, we would be running our whole lives."
Puck's eyes cast down to the floor.
"At least if she had plain Bradley or anyone else, the Everafter wouldn't dare try to touch her in fear of exposing themselves."
"Uh..." Daphne hadn't thought about that. Puck kept going.
"You know what me and Grimm did one day in my magic forest room after it was rebuilt? We sat in that treehouse, talking about random stuff. She jokingly said that if we were to get married, she would want us to live far, far away from Ferryport, in a small nice house, with no magic, no Everafters, nada. Even though she pretended, I knew it was what she really wanted. A long, happy life with the one she loves, the days flying by in contentment. She can never have a normal life with me, though. How can I give that to her if I don't age? How can she live peacefully if she has to think about all the dangers and secrets we're hiding from the world? I just can't burden her like that, after what you two have been through. Running for two years...imagine running forever?"
Daphne looked at him mutely, an expression Puck recognized on Jake's face.
"So there it is. That's why I can't be with her. She was confused when I made us go separate ways, yes, but all I was doing was nudging her in the right direction -one that ensures her happiness. And I came to New York because I wanted to see that happen. To see the smile on her face and not feel hurt over it. To see her one more time and finally relax. I want closure, Daphne. I want to get over her. Can you give me that?"
"Puck..." The amount of pity -maybe pity wasn't the right word- she held for him was unimaginable. She just wanted to wrap him up in a blanket burrito style, stuff him into a Chinese takeout box, take him home and never let him go. If Daphne wasn't totally distressed about this situation, she would be cooing at his cuteness.
Daphne tilted her head to the side, examining his face. "Hmm." What could she do for him?
Puck raised an eyebrow at her. "You're not going to tell Grimm about this right? Promise me. She doesn't need to know I'm here for me to have some closure. I'd actually prefer that."
She snapped her fingers as a 'Eureka!' expression washed over her face. "Green tea."
He blinked. "What?"
"Here," she handed him forty dollars. "There's a bakery slash coffee shop about two streets away in that direction that serves the best pink donuts I've ever had. Kind of like the ones we had as kids."
He gave her a confused look. "Why?"
"Green tea is a great drink for thinking hard about stuff."
"What? I don't understand."
"Trust me. You need this."
If you ask me / how I'm doing / I would say I'm doing just fine / I would lie and say that you're not on my mind
Puck honestly did not know what she was thinking. She wanted him to eat food and ponder about his problems? Eating made him forget his problems. Food was like forgetful dust; he would clear him mind of anything else and focus on the donuts or coffee or other sweets.
He ordered his donuts and green tea, and he was surprised to find an old pocket watch folded in between the bills. Puck decided to just leave it in his pocket and return it to Daphne later.
He sat down and stared at the Hudson River to his left. Huh. If you moved northward, you would be in Manhattan. Traveling even farther, you would be at Poughkeepsie. Then taking the train, you would be in Ferryport...
Taking a sip of his green tea, Puck recoiled. What?
He stared at the green liquid again.
He took a tentative sip again with his eyes widening in confusion. Could it be...?
Yup, it was. "Ugh!" Puck wiped his tongue with a napkin and shoved a donut into his mouth. "This tastes awful! What kind of human created this disgusting liquid?"
For the first time, Puck tasted something he didn't like. Which meant that he couldn't solely focus on eating when he wanted to rid the taste out of his mouth. Which meant that he could think.
"Oh that clever, clever Marshmallow," Puck muttered, drinking from the cup again, and wincing. "Ugh- she knows me too well- ugh," he shuddered.
Now, what to think about? He stared at the river, thinking of the time they had crashed into the barrier as little kids. That had not been fun, to lose consciousness for a few minutes. He could still remember her shaking him, telling 'stupid' to wake up. He called to mind her attempt to do CPR on him. Puck could feel the odd, tangy taste of the water on his lips when she "kissed" him. He had recoiled in disgust, angrily lashing at her, trying to hide his frantically pounding chest. Puck remembered being so confused that day, and his pranks increased tenfold.
His cheeks burned as he recollected how he had fallen for her so quickly, when it had been obvious back then that she didn't like him. And then, somehow, they became best friends. Laughing. Pushing each other. Treating other equally. Sharing things with each other that other people didn't know about. Puck understood that that was how Sabrina and Daphne interacted and why they wanted so dearly to stay together while they were on the run. He liked to be by Sabrina's side: Fighting each other, fighting together against something else, laughing at each other, laughing with each other, crying together, being angry together, being sad together. Along the way, 'together' became normal, and it even got to the point when Sabrina would go to Puck for her troubles, not Daphne.
When that happened, they ended up dating. He honestly didn't know how to transitioned from platonic hugs to tender hugs and kisses. But what he did know, was that making her smile and laugh and being able to kiss her was a gajillion times better than pranking her. Being a boyfriend was, actually, nice.
And honestly, if he was human, he would've stayed by her side longer than he did. Probably forever. It's cheesy, Puck thinks, but he can't help it. He really does love her, and he isn't over her.
He just isn't sure whether to step over the boundary and back into her life, or to run away and try to forget.
The green tea is disgusting. The donuts remind him of home. He sees the empty seat in front of him. Puck's sitting at a table with two chairs, and one is vacant.
Puck pushes his chair back, leaves a tip, and runs for the nearest alley.
But I go out / and I sit down / at a table set for two / And finally I'm forced to face the truth
"It is also customary to ask those gathered if anyone can give cause of reason that this union should not take place. If anyone objects, speak now or forever hold your peace."
Sabrina cringed and looked out to the crowd once more. But no one rose. No one spoke. No one threw an egg. He was not there. He was not going to ruin her wedding. So why was she...disappointed?
"Very well," the minister said. "I believe the bride and groom have written some vows that they would like to share with one-"
Whoops, Puck thought, as he knocked over a vase. He had messed up his entrance. He had planned to silently step into the room and sit in the back, but he was so nervous that his wings had sprung up just has he had opened the door and a gust of wind had flown in. He just swooped in, really. So much for being discrete. Now Jake would know he was here...he knew he was coming from the start. The Grimms weren't detectives for nothing.
Keep cool, keep cool. Act natural. That's funny. What was natural about him? Honestly, if he was to act natural, he would have been laughing at the humans on the left hand side of the church. Their faces were priceless. If he was to act natural, he would be pummeling Bradley's face in, just because he was mad that he wasn't human. If he was to act natural, he would be screaming to the world, "I'm finally home!"
But no, his 'natural' act, the one that he let everyone see, was to be smirky and haughty and say, "Hello, stinky." He could've sworn she smiled, but her expression was of annoyance and anger.
"What are you doing here?"
"Just wanted to wish the happy couple peace and love for the rest of your lives."
"Um, you couldn't have done that in a card? Or in an email? Or over the phone? You know, pal, you have a lot of nerve coming in here and stealing the spotlight on my wedding day."
"Sorry, it's all part of the job," he chucked as his eyes slid over to the brown haired man. "Oh hey, you must be the groom, Bradley; nice to meet you."
The blue eyed man looked uncomfortable, but not shocked. "Hi, you must be Puck. Sabrina's said a lot about you."
"Really? That nice. Speaking of that, let's have a discussion, shall we?" Puck said directly to Sabrina.
She glared at him. "Actually, I think this conversation has been delayed for far too long. The window of opportunity to speak has closed. Leave, Puck."
"Actually, you don't control me, Grimm." He gave a wry grin, grabbing her arm. "By the way, I hope you got over your sickness with magic." Before anyone could say another word, Puck pressed the small button on the pocket watch Daphne gave him and the world slowed. The minister looked star struck. Bradley's expression was one of concern. The human guests were in hysterics. Puck couldn't bear to look to his right. He didn't want to see the angry and disappointed faces from the Everafters, from the Grimms, from his family.
Sabrina was on alert. She moved away from Puck, trying to figure how what was happening. "Did you...freeze time?"
"No, actually; this pocket watch can't do that. Time is just moving very slowly. Microseconds are acting as regular seconds, so everyone is moving, but at a much slower pace. And since it's so fast in real time, no one can hear us."
"All right, fine. Let's talk." She sat on the steps of the altar.
"What's with the complacency? You'd be fighting me five years ago." He sat step below her. Puck could feel her glare drilling into his head.
"That's just it- it was five years ago. And I really don't know how to counteract the pocket watch's magic. I figured if I had this conversation with you without struggling, you would turn time back to normal, sooner."
"Good reasoning. Should I talk first?"
"No, I'll start. Why?"
"Why what?"
She looked angrily at him. "Why now?! Five years, Puck; I haven't seen you in five years."
Puck's lips moved into a thin line. "I bet Marshmallow's told you already, hasn't she?"
"No; she got here late so I didn't have time to talk with her. Now tell me what you told her."
Puck mumbled the explanation he had given Daphne when they met on the streets. He had messed up his earlier plan of coming in silently and leaving without making a fuss, so what could he do, but tell her? "...I made it easier for you to live a normal life by leaving. I just...wanted you to be happy." His eyes fingered the pocket watch in his hands.
During his spiel, Sabrina's expression had remained stoic. Her eyes looked stormy when he finally locked eyes with her. She didn't say anything.
"Go ahead and scream at me. I don't even care if you hit me or kick me into the next world. I've always been the kid who makes you rip your hair out and want to gouge your eyes and I deserve every beating for leaving and betraying you, and all of the Grimms, without an explanation. It was a jerk move and I'm sorry. I just... I-"
"It was thoughtful."
"What?"
She looked at him. "I said your decision to leave was thoughtful." Her eyes had softened. "I had thought you left because you found something you hated about me. I thought it was because I did something that made you especially upset. I thought there was something wrong with me. I hated myself for a year. I cried a lot. I didn't want to talk to anyone else. The only person I wanted to have a conversation with was you. I missed having someone to spill my frustrations to and someone I could run to when I couldn't deal with my family. It was awful, Puck, and... your explanation isn't going to cut it."
Puck's insides tingled with guilt.
"I'm glad you told me, really! I still think what you did was a really sweet and sympathetic thing to do for me, but don't you think you should've talked to me first? If something is for my benefit, shouldn't we talk about it before you decide for me?" She smiled sadly at him. "You should've known by then that I'm a Grimm who can decide for herself. I'm not twelve anymore and I'm not alone either. I had so many people that I could count on by the time we began dating; I didn't have to unreasonably depend on myself when I had so many others I could rely on. ...I just wish you could have relied on me when you needed it."
Puck's cheeks burned with embarrassment. "Sabrina, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to insult your independence. I know you're not the same hardheaded girl that I meet, but I was-"
"-just looking out for me?" She finished. Sabrina took his hands and patted them. "You always do, Puck. And thank you. Thank you for finally telling me and making me feel better." She grinned at him. "Stinkpot."
"Stupid." He tried grinning back as a few tears ran down his face. "Ugh, I hate crying in front of other people."
Sabrina laughed, giving him a hug. "I know." They both flashbacked to Puck's father's funeral. "Funny how I'm always the one who sees you cry."
Puck had to laugh at that. "Thanks, I guess, Dogface."
They hugged again, and Sabrina felt her body warm. She missed him. So much. When she saw him fly into the church, she wanted to hurt him, hit him for leaving her and not coming back. For leaving her and breaking her heart. But underneath all the anger and sadness, she was so happy to see him again. Her best friend was here, and they were on good terms again. She squeezed him tighter. Suddenly, her chest pounded and her face flushed. His embrace was slightly intimate and...nostalgic. "But, um..."
"If you think I'm trying to sweep you away, I'm not." Puck said, pulling away to see her startled face. "You've gotten prettier, Grimm, but not that pretty."
The intimacy dissipated. After the initial surprise, she smirked back at him. "And I was even going to say you've gotten less ugly since I last saw you."
"So you admit that I've become better looking, then?"
"Not really, I said you were 'less ugly'; there's a big difference."
"No, not really. Admit that I'm hot, Grimm and that you're not," he taunted.
"No way! And you totally said I am; you admitted that I've gotten prettier."
"But not by much."
"You're horrible."
"You know it's a losing battle when your opponent has lame comebacks."
"Shut up."
"Lame."
Sabrina scoffed at him. "How rude- I take my statement back; you've become even uglier."
"Too late; it's already been said," Puck teased, puffing out his chest. "I know, I know, it's hard not to fall in love with the Trickster King."
"It is hard."
His brain stopped. Puck stared at her. His face flushed. "What?"
She laughed at him. "Do I have to spell it out? I still don't know why, but I do love you, Puck. Even though you left and suddenly appeared five years later, it was because you thought you knew what was best for me, and I really appreciate that. You were there for me through thick and thin as a friend and as a boyfriend. It's going to be even harder to stop loving you this way."
Puck struggled for words. "A-Um...dang it, Grimm, how am I supposed to respond to that?"
"You don't have to. We can just leave it at that, can't we?" She played with her fingers. "We finally resolved that problem, but...I still am marrying Bradley. I love him. And I love you too, Puck, but I want it to be in a friendly way. So...will you still support me?" Sabrina was unsure of what he would say. They still had slight feelings for each other, but she wanted to establish that she wouldn't be leaving Bradley and jumping ship. She wasn't that impulsive and irrational; and no way would she fall in love with someone only to leave them once another person suddenly appeared. Sabrina hoped Puck would understand. He would understand, right? "Ow! What was that for?"
Puck had flicked her forehead. "Of course, dummy. When I came into this church, I wasn't planning to grab you and go like a Dunkin' Donut. I just wanted to see you get married and -if possible- talk to you, which I did. In all honestly, I just want to see you happy, after that jerk move by me, which I hope you'll come to forgive me for. Anyways, if Bradley makes you happy...then I'm here to support you."
She grinned at him. "Promise, Stinkpot?"
"Promise, Dogface. Now, should I start time up again? I saw Henry's arm move an inch since we started talking and I have a feeling he has a knife with my name on it."
"Haha, I think we should; that'll be a sight to see. -Oh! Before you do that, I just wanted to tell you one thing you forgot about, Puck." Sabrina said. "That is, in your reason for leaving me."
He looked at her, curiously.
"It's not a big deal, but you said you want me to grow old with the one I love, but... I'm an Everafter, aren't I?"
Puck looked like someone had told him he was actually a girl. "Huh."
She laughed at his expression. "Oh my god, your face! Your face! You totally forgot!" Her pure laugh was infectious. Puck joined in later, glad to see her smiling.
Honestly, he could care less if Sabrina married Bradley. He could care less if Henry came for his head (because he knew Sabrina's dad wasn't heartless...at least he hoped he had gotten nicer in the five years he was gone). He didn't even care that his heart was slightly protesting the arrangement; that his heart wanted Sabrina all to his own. Puck made Sabrina smile and laugh just by spending time with her. They didn't have to be together to be happy.
And fifty years, a hundred years, or a thousand years into the future, they would still be friends, because they had forever.
His heart would have forever to wait.
No matter what I say I'm / not over you
A/N. There's that. Again, I'm so sorry for the wait; I'm a busy student and I take school pretty seriously...but it's Lent and I've given up anime, social media (ok I've broken this one due to the NEED for Fairy Tail in some way), and snack eating which gives me somewhat more time to write, haha. Still, not enough b/c I still haven't finished reading a certain book that came out in October...I won't say, because I'm afraid someone will spoil it for me. There are evil people like that in this world, trust me. ;) Edit to that last sentence: Finished Blood of Olympus today and I can't handle the feels.
Anyways, thank you for reading and waiting; I hope you enjoyed the longer one-shot. This took a lot of revising and I just wanted to make it good. I've had this idea since I saw a bunch of FFs where Sabrina suddenly left Bradley for Puck; it's not realistic and something that she would do unless she was forcefully marrying Bradley, but MB didn't really hint that, sooo...here's a more realistic ending!
Fun Facts:
1) The ending was going to be way more sad where Sabrina and Puck separated eternally. Not really a 'Fun' fact haha!
2) Also Catherine and Fredrick is a short fairy tale if you want to look it up.
3) Every time I write 'fairytale', I always accidentally type 'fairy tail' because of that anime. It is so good...agh, I need to stay away. NO MANGA SPOILERS PLEASE I KNOW SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS AND I'M LIKE 100 CHAPTERS BEHIND. (Sorry this was a randomly fact...) Edit to this Fact: I am completely caught up and AGH IT IS SO GOOD.
4) *Important-ish: You probably know this but this one-shot was inspired by Gavin DeGraw's Not Over You (which I could not post the official video for bc of Vevo and its copyright stuff, apparently), which is the title! Yay! And the video works out bc the Max Schneider actually seems around Puck's age which is rad, and his voice would fit Puck better than Gavin's, I think. :)
5) After a lot of internal fighting with myself, I changed the name to Not Over You from No Matter What We Say because it is kind of long, sounds too much like "No Matter What" by Ayns and Sky (they were great SG FF authors in 2010ish and I miss them haha), and it just sounded awkward. :) like me, haha.
Thank you very much again, and have a great day!
-Lara
PS. This is just one of the ways I wanted to write the Daphne and Puck scene where Daphne wants Puckabrina back together. I didn't like it as much as the final, but I thought it'd be fun if you guys saw it:
Daphne inwardly scolded herself for saying this about her almost brother-in-law, "If he is what you say he is, then why don't you go to her? You're fun, good-looking, and you have special powers for Pete's sake! You're so much better than him!"
"NO! No! This is exactly why I didn't want to come to New York!" Puck pulled at his hair in frustration. "I knew someone would find me eventually, and sooner or later, everybody will interfere with my life. And I can't-" Puck let out a groan. "Marshmallow, you know why I can't see anyone again. You know why I had to leave. I couldn't do it to her-"
"Do what, Puck?!" Daphne was mad now. He was being so confusing and scaring her, and she did not know how to deal with a Puck like this.
"To keep her from having a normal life!" He shouted.
Daphne fell quiet. She then noticed how much sadness was in his eyes. "Puck..."
"She deserves a normal after all the suffering that's happened to her-"
"But her suffering is not your fault-" Daphne tried to explain with wide eyes.
"I am a huge part of her suffering!" Puck lowered his eyes to the ground. "I tortured her with my pranks, I hurt her feelings with my words." His voice was barely a whisper. "I even almost killed her during the war."
"Puck..." His voice stopped her from continuing.
"You have no idea what it was like, Daphne. Back then, I thought everything was funny. Anything I did was harmless and annoying and it was how it should be. And if it did harm someone, it wasn't permanent or painful." Puck's eyes shut tightly, his clenched fists shaking. "But when I saw her falling off the water tower, knowing that it was me who almost killed her, something permanent happened to me. It was so painful to understand that I had almost killed someone I loved because of who I am -spirited, mischievous, selfish. And I am going to live the rest of my life with this guilt."
He suddenly snapped his eyes towards her, his expression as blank as possible. "So, Marshmallow. That's why I didn't want to come. I knew if I came, all this guilt would come back. People would question me and come to see me and I just want to forget it all. But I knew I had to come, just to see her one more time, because it's stupid, but I still love her. No one would even have to know I came. I would just watch from afar, and then be able to leave, and I could forget all about it."
Daphne stared at him as he finished speaking. His eyes were downcast and he waited for her response.
"You know, sir," she finally said. The use of formality surprised him and he looked up.
- (I have no idea what was supposed to go here, but basically Daphne tries to treat him as a stranger to cut ties with him, sadly.)-
"And you seem a little befuddled, so, why don't you head on over and relax for a while?"
Puck was unsure of what she was doing, but he nodded. "All right. Are you going to accompany me, Marshmallow?"
"Oh, excuse me," she said politely. "Call me Ms. Grimm. And sorry, sir, but I have to run to my sister's wedding -I'm already late as it is. Thank you for retrieving my purse, though. As a reward, take this pocket watch. It's a little worn, but in good condition. Have a good day...?"
He caught on, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "Mr. Goodfellow."
She smiled at him. "Thank you, Mr. Goodfellow. Have a nice journey." She stuck her hand out.
He slowly put his hand up and they shook hands. Daphne suddenly wrapped him in a surprise hug and he wanted to dislodge the lump in his throat.
She whispered. "I'll forgive and forget if you can."
Daphne pulled back and ran towards the next street before the light turned red. After reaching the other side, she was suddenly pushed forward by a forceful gust of wind and blocked her face with her arms. When she could see again, she faced the direction she had come from. No one was on that side to see her wipe a tear from her cheek.
Puck tucked his wings back and emerged from another alley, blinking back the moistness in his eyes. He entered the coffee shop and went in line, asking for a box of donuts.
Excerpt A/N. Seemed a little too...DaphnexPuck, so I cut it out. :D
If you ask me / how I'm doing / I would say I'm doing just fine / I would lie and say that you're not on my mind -
But I go out / and I sit down / at a table set for two / And finally I'm forced to face the truth, -
No matter what I say I'm / not over you -
