So, for your pleasure, I present a one-shot to appease my own guilt over being crappy at uploading anything at all.
Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, or Scotland.
- Opposites -
The house seemed divided in two. It was much like some kind of territorial war had been waged there. In a way, it had.
Some rooms remained clean, tidy and welcoming. They contained a certain air of warmth that welcomed guests into them. And then there were those rooms – such as the upstairs bathroom – that were just...unusable.
Evelyn and Allistor. Downstairs and upstairs. Utter opposites who claimed love for each other.
Or use to.
Evelyn remembered a time when he would spoil her rotten, find the corniest ways to declare his feelings, and actually acknowledge her. That was a time long past.
Even so, for the perfect five years she had stuck with Allistor, Evelyn remained that disastrous previous year.
She had no idea how it all went so wrong, but the fiery-haired man with the mischievous smile she had once known was gone. Every night he turned up at maybe 3 or 4 in the morning, drop-dead drunk. And tonight was no exception.
'Yeah, yeah...seeya lads!' slurred a loud Scottish man.
His sudden voice and loud entrance woke Evelyn from her sleep on the couch, where she had now taken up permanent residence.
'Oh, Evaaaa... you're ewake...good teh see ye.' He mumbled, leaving the door wide open and stumbling for the back of the other couch in the room.
His appearance matched the rooms he mainly inhabited. The dishevelled white shirt he wore was unbuttoned halfway, leather jacket hanging from one shoulder and a swelling, purple bruise adorned his neck. A hickey.
Evelyn snorted; how typical. She'd never really mattered.
'Whatever, just get up to bed. You have work tomorrow.' She ordered, wearily rising to fix whatever it was he broke on his way upstairs.
Allistor blinked, almost as if a moment of clarity returned, before his green eyes glazed over once more, succumbing to the alcohol throbbing through his body.
'Are ye comin' up?' he asked.
Evelyn's hand paused on the door, halfway between shutting it. A chill breeze bit her skin; no surprise, given she wore shorts and a singlet to bed no matter the season. Evelyn wasn't the type to be ruled by something as simple as the seasons.
'When do I ever?' she sighed. This sort of thing was almost routine.
'But I'm yer boyfriend, ye should spend some time weth me.'
Evelyn didn't reply, just continued staring out into the night. The floorboards creaked and a hard grip clamped down on her shoulder.
'Come on, lass.' He urged, tone anything but friendly. This was definitely new.
'Allistor.' She warned quietly, yet the threat still prevalent. 'You're asking me to sleep with you even though we haven't done that in months. Hell, we haven't even had a fucking conversation in almost a year!'
'So chenge it.' Allistor ordered, before roughly spinning the blonde around to face him.
He was met with a stony, ice-blue glare. When most women would've been intimidated, Evelyn just shoved harder. Her resistance probably wasn't a good thing in her current situation, however.
'You're asking me?!' Evelyn laughed, incredulous. 'You want me to change it? Because I'm the fucking problem?! I clearly underestimated your mental capacity. You know; how smart. You. Are.' She spelled this last part out slowly, as if Allistor was incapable of comprehending her words.
He glared, hands tightening about her wrists. Evelyn hated this fighting, and knew Allistor had a short temper, but couldn't help from testing him. Really, this was the only way she knew how to get a response from him. But, God, she hated the fighting.
She was just so...tired.
'Shut theh fuck up, Eva. Mind your place.' Allistor barked.
And that was probably his biggest mistake ever. Evelyn knew what he meant to imply – even if he was influenced by alcohol – and it was not something she had ever thought to hear from him. Not Allistor. Ever.
Because, God damn it, she still trusted him. Still loved him. Even if it was all too much.
'Say that again.' She challenged, pulling back against Allistor's bruising grip.
Their eyes met in a violent clash of emotions and soundless words. 'Mind. Your. Place.'
'Ha! And so the truth is revealed! Was this your life's plan all along, Allistor?! Find some rich bitch; lure her in so she falls in love with you? Then treat her like shit for the rest of your life?! Because if she wants to leave, she can't?! Because you'll make me stay here?! You can't tell me what the fuck I can and can't do – you have NO right! If you sleep with all those different women, why can't I play around too? I mean it's NOT LIKE YOU WOULD KNOW! YOU SURE AREN'T ALWAYS HERE! YOU WOULDN'T CARE IF YOU'RE GIRLFRIEND WHORED AROUND! HELL, YOU WOULDN'T EVEN FUCKING KNOW!-'
A slap echoed in Evelyn's ears. The ground rushed upwards to swallow her and a stinging pain shot through her left side.
And she could only think one thing; how fucking typical.
Not once, but now...she felt she should've seen it coming.
'Ye know what, meybe it's a good thing ye turned down that proposul. I'm sure there's some random guy in a car that'll suit ye just as well-'
There was a reason Evelyn had left the door open.
'-meybe he'll even let ye put ye clothe's on once in a while- Heh, we're ye goin'? You cennot just leave-'
The door slammed shut. She'd had a feeling she'd end up walking out.
...
Allistor Kirkland woke the next day on the couch, a massive hangover hammering away in his head. His first logical, coherent thought was why was he on the couch?
Usually Evelyn made him walk up the stairs. She'd help him undress, set up the pain-relief by his bedside table for the morning, and tuck him in. Allistor was even sure that she used to kiss him goodnight. Once upon a time.
Now she slept down here.
The red-haired Scottish man could recall the time, over a year ago, when he'd arrive home drunk at maybe 11 pm, not 3 am. Evelyn would be asleep on the couch, curled into a ball and wearing a peaceful expression he had not the heart to break. She, like the child she would sometimes be, stayed up late waiting for him to come home.
God, that woman was an amazing, beautiful, shit-stubborn angel from Heaven.
His eyes were heavy, tired and raw; as if he had been crying. Allistor knew he didn't cry.
The red-head sat up swiftly, becoming more and more aware of the pain his hangover brought. Allistor could remember looking at Evelyn in the morning, when she would still be asleep in his arms, content that no one would dare to wake her for fear for their souls. In those moments, he regretted his drinking, knowing that he was becoming more and more addicted and knowing that Evelyn hated it.
And to deal with that fact, he drunk more.
He glanced over at the clock on the wall, noting that the time was 12:46. And then realising something terrible.
Evelyn was gone.
She'd have made sure to get him up in time for work. So where was she?
Allistor fell prey to his instincts and reached for the phone, dialling Arthur's number before he really knew it. His younger brother always seemed to know what to do.
'Hello?'
'Where's Eva?'
'Allistor?'
The Scot growled. 'Yes. Where's Eva?'
'...Allistor, what happened?' Arthur sounded very hesitant to ask.
The urgency almost stifling, temper threatening to boil over, Allistor took a few deep breathes and counted to ten. He couldn't afford to lose it. 'I don't know. I can't remember anything from last night.'
'She's asleep. At Ludwig's place. I'm there now.' Arthur replied.
'I...why'd she...' and then ensued a long pause.
Allistor remembered.
He spotted a very nice vase, decorated in fine Chinese art, resting on a pedestal within his reach. It was but a moment before he roared animalisticly, feeling as if his entire being had been torn apart by guilt, sadness, regret, pain, loneliness and anger. It shattered against the far wall.
'Allistor, calm down. What happened? Even Ludwig doesn't know yet.' Arthur sounded strange over the phone. Distant.
'I think we...broke up? I mean...she left end I- Oh, fuck. I hit her. I hit her, Arthur. I hit her. I was fuckin' horrible teh her. She'll never forgive me. I sid such crap...fuck. I hit her, Arthur. I hit her. I hit her. I hit Evelyn. GOD DAMN IT!'
'Hey, Allistor, calm down. Just...sit tight. I'm coming right over. See you in ten.' The phone beeped once Arthur had hung up.
Allistor remained stiff. Twisted over his legs lay Evelyn's blanket. She used it because she insisted on wearing summer pyjamas in autumn. Not that he had ever complained.
Allistor's hand fisted around the purple material and he tugged it closer. He had ten minutes before Arthur came. He buried his head in the blanket.
Ten minutes to cry.
The kitchen of Ludwig's large house – or mansion – had been filled with the delicious scent of baked delights. It was the kind of mouth-watering smell once found at a high-class bakery.
Stacking high on the spotless, white benches of Ludwig's vast kitchen were towers of plastic containers of all shapes and sizes. Some were filled with cookies, others muffins and there were more than seven cakes among the lot. The island bench in the middle of the kitchen was covered in flour and assorted, still packed, cooking ingredients.
'Ludwig! What's that smell? It's li-'
Arthur stopped open seeing the kitchen. His fear of the towers causing an avalanche was not unjustified. It was a nightmare. It was almost as bad as seeing the state Allistor was in, only six hundred and thirteen times more terrifying.
It was worse – from some else's point of view – than even his own cooking.
Evelyn glared into the mixing bowl with a look that could scare off Death. Her arms blurred in circles as she furiously "mixed" the batter. It looked more like she was trying to murder someone.
'I'll do it. I'll do it. I'll do it. I'll make the perfect batch. They'll be so perfect people will shit rainbows after eating one. I can do it. I have to do it...' she mumbled manically.
'It seems you're not handling this break up well.' Arthur attempted a joke.
'Shut UP!'
Arthur froze, wary for a moment, before stepping inside the kitchen.
Allistor had, for the past week and a half, just sat on the couch, pizza boxes scattered amongst the shattered ruins of what had once been a living room. He didn't really say anything. Allistor had quit his job almost an hour after Arthur's first visit. And then he quit showering. Arthur was pretty sure he'd quit eating soon, and cleaning had never even been an option he could quit. What was most surprising were the can's rolling around in the debris of the house.
They were all lemonade cans.
And then there was Evelyn. She was handling this in a far different way; she was doing something. Even if that something was baking like a madwoman. Arthur wondered if this baking obsession had started right away or not.
But it was slightly irrelevant. He knew that the both of them were meant for each other. Allistor and Evelyn...fit.
'You need to see him, love.'
Evelyn froze at those words, and glanced up. While her hands shook, her eyes never wavered from Arthur's determined stare.
'Do you know what happened?' she mumbled in reply.
Arthur considered saying yes, but then thought otherwise. 'Not really.' Now he could hear her side.
'It was silly, really. Shouldn't have happened. But I was stupid. Stupid and as drunk as Allistor gets now-'
'Are we talking about a week ago?' Arthur cut in.
Evelyn glared, eliciting a shiver. 'No, don't interrupt, this was a year ago. Al was drunk as well, and there was this girl flirting with him...I was jealous. So I...sort of...slepwihthbatnder.'
'What?'
Evelyn took a deep breathing, focusing her mind. She knew how to keep calm. Sort of.
'I slept with the bar tender.'
Arthur just...stared. 'Shit, love.' He breathed.
Evelyn managed a weak smile. 'I know. And I felt – feel – terrible; couldn't even remember any of it in the morning. And then a week later, Allistor proposed.'
'And you said no.'
'That's when the drinking started. The heavy drinking. At first, I thought it would pass. It didn't. Then Al took up smoking again, and he stopped taking me places. He turned down a university scholarship. It just...it was the same. It was almost the same as when I had to live with that foster family for a time. A few nights ago, Allistor came home, and we started fighting. It wasn't the first time, but he at least payed attention to me then. And then he hit me. I decided to give up. Obviously, there was no way I could fix him. He needs someone else; not me. I'm not the one who can make him a better man, and he's certainly not right for me.'
Arthur stood in silence, processing Evelyn's words. He started to life again when the tears began to fall from her pale-blue eyes. A moment later, she fell backwards and slid down against the bench cupboards.
'I think it hurt me more that he ignored me, not that he hit me.' She mumbled.
Arthur rounded the middle bench and approached cautiously. No telling what a heartbroken Evelyn might do.
'Ah, the foster home?' he inquired.
Evelyn's grip tightened on the bowl of batter she cradled. 'Mhm. After my parents died, I was put in the system. My first foster family mostly ignored me, but Mr. Shit-face would hit me or his wife when he was angry – coincidently, also when he was drunk.'
Arthur crouched down beside Evelyn and placed a kiss upon her blonde waves. 'What do you think might happen if you told him the truth?'
'He'd never talk to me again.' Answered the woman matter-of-factly.
'Right, and that's different to know because...?'
Evelyn shrugged, uncaring about the tears that fell into her cookie batter.
Arthur sighed, settling down beside his friend. 'You wouldn't feel so guilty.'
'Bullshit.'
Arthur managed to sling a single arm around her slender, shaking shoulders. For all the strength Evelyn possessed, she was always so gentle at heart. Kind of like Allistor.
She dipped a finger into the caramel batter in her arms, held as if it were her own child. She tasted the glob on her finger.
A moment later, she wailed, 'IT TASTES LIKE FAILUREEEEE!'
He tried a different approach. 'Eva, you haven't seen him. He hasn't gone near any whiskey since you left. I've never seen him so torn up about something. He's practically catatonic. He loves you. He loves you so much, and you return those feelings. I've never met more people to perfect for each other. You have to see him. And fix things. Don't tell me that it wont work, because it will. I can't even describe to you what he was like before you came, love. You changed him. You can do it again, because he'll always listen to you.'
Eva turned and buried her face in Arthur's shoulder, heaving sobs and looking so pitiful it tore Arthur's heart in two. She offered no response.
Time for the third option.
'Look, Evelyn, you have to go back at some point. To get your things. I don't know how you'll find them though, it's a pigsty in there-'
'He's wasting my money? And trashing my part of the house?' Evelyn's head immediately shot up, tears still glistening, but eyebrows drawn in concentration.
Arthur nodded, greatly relieved it was working. It was terrifying to see his older brother and best friend become like this.
'I'd take Ludwig. And a hell of a lot of cleaning supplies.'
When Evelyn and Ludwig, who looked so similar they could've been related but weren't, stepped through the threshold of her door and stopped short. Pigsty had been accurate, if maybe a little under-exaggerated.
'Oh mein Gott.'
'Seconded.' Evelyn added icily.
Her eyes swept the hall, almost blanched at the glimpse of the kitchen she caught, avoided looking up the stairs, and focused on the lounge room. Allistor was on the couch, occupying her past bed. She spotted the remains of the Chinese vase Yao had given her.
'...fuck.'
'Vhatever you do, don't get me involved in your lover's spat.' Ludwig warned, before shutting the door behind them.
Evelyn approached her ex-boyfriend slowly, letting the tension and anger within her grow. But with it came a strange sort of fondness.
She definitely still loved the idiot.
'Allistorrr!' she called, voice sickly sweet.
The red-haired man managed to crack open his emerald eyes, which widened upon seeing Evelyn.
'Wha- Eva?' he strangled out.
But it was all for naught, as the passionate, sometimes horrifying, woman grabbed a pillow and began whacking Allistor Kirkland with all her might. Ludwig, in the background, winced each time a loud slap echoed throughout the house.
'Get...off...your...arse...Allistor...fucking...Kirkland...and...go...sit in the...CORNER!' snarled the enraged Evelyn between hits.
'Ow- yes, okay!' cried Allistor, rolling out from underneath Evelyn's violent waking-call, 'I'm going!'
He used his arms to pathetically crawl his way into the corner, curling up into the fetal position and staring at Evelyn with a whimper. For the brief moment he glanced at Ludwig, the blonde German smiled as if to say well, you're the one that chose her.
Although it would sound more like Vell, you're zha one zhat chose her, given his thick accent.
A moment later, he snuck back outside to bring in the rest of the cleaning supplies.
Evelyn snapped the Scot from his trance when she threw the cushion at the wall. Another crash followed as the photo frame portraying the two of them fell to the ground with a crash.
'Fuck.' She growled, before growing thoughtful. 'I have a swearing problem, don't I?'
Allistor didn't dare answer.
When Ludwig entered, he shot the Scottish man curled up into the corner another rare smirk. Moments later, the two blondes had set to work giving the house a thorough clean. Ludwig took the top floor whilst Evelyn remained on the bottom one. Not that she acknowledged him.
For the first half hour, she walked around, filling up a black bin-bag with an assortment of rubbish; cans, pizza boxes, shattered plates...a torn up teddy bear. When Ludwig emerged with two full bags over his shoulders from above, he grabbed the single bag Evelyn had filled and the two exchanged a few hushed words.
In the brief moment of aloneness, Evelyn said one thing. 'You know, I'm actually impressed I only found soda cans.'
But then Ludwig entered their house again, and the cleaning continued.
Perhaps what Allistor found hurt the most was how unaffected Evelyn seemed. He'd nearly always been able to guess her mood, but not this time. She was a woman made of stone and ice.
No wonder he'd fallen in love with her.
Windows were wiped, dishes washed and shelved dusted. While Ludwig worked on that, rubber cloves snapped on, Evelyn vacuumed from the floor to the ceiling. She soon moved upstairs.
And Allistor missed all the furtive glances she threw his way.
'Does she really not care?' he mumbled to Ludwig.
The man chuckled softly. 'Nein. You should see my kitchen; she baked like a madvowam und kept muttering about "getting it right" und not failing.'
But there came a time in every man's life where he must confront the truth and face the consequences. And sadly, three hours after Ludwig and Evelyn had invaded and embarked on their cleaning spree, that time came.
'Go ahead without me.' Evelyn sighed, dismissing Ludwig.
He offered her another small smile, the third of that day, and gave her a quick peck on the forehead. 'Call me if you vant a ride.' Ludwig concluded, before marching out the door with his usual stoic expression.
Allistor quelled his jealousy at their closeness and instead kept his eyes fixed on Evelyn, unsure if he should speak first or not. And if so, what to say?
The silence grew, and at last Evelyn moved. Green eyes clashed with blue. She held up a single piece of china, two circling blue birds painted onto it.
She began with, 'If you break this vase again, I'll break your face.'
Allistor didn't bother pointing out that he couldn't break an already broken vase. He would've loved to see her stutter, grow nervous and shy. He used to do it so he could kiss her, and in her vulnerability, she'd so easily return the kiss-
Oh, fuck. I'm never gonna forget 'er. Or get 'er outta my head.
And with that, Allistor moved. Faster than Evelyn thought he would. Seconds later, his arms trapped the woman against him, holding her tight as he buried his head into her neck.
'Don't leave me. Please don't leave me. I haven't got anethin' else except ye. Please don't leave. Don't leave me. Don't leave me, don't leave me...'
Slowly, hesitantly and with much uncertainty, Evelyn moved her stiff arms and managed to return his embrace. She could almost feel herself burning up from the inside, shattering, at the absolute desperateness and urgency in his tone. He was sincere.
So very, very sincere. Why did that hurt so much?
'Don't leave me. God, Eva, I didna mean teh!' Allistor exclaimed wildly, unaware of the effect his lips moving against her skin had.
He pulled away, yet held her softly; gently. With infinite care, the red-head leaned in and claimed Evelyn's lips in a chaste kiss.
Her cheeks burned, stomach fluttered, while her heart swelled with hope. But she still had to tell him the truth.
The moment she opened her mouth, her courage left her. 'You need to have a shower.'
Allistor gave her a somewhat sceptical glare, filled with sorrow as she ignored his kiss and his pleas.
'Eva, please! I need ye!' he added, attempting to sate his longing through gentle caresses along her cheeks and jaw.
She bit her lip, but glared typically. 'Shower first. Shower and brush your teeth; we can talk inbetween.' She ordered, pulling away but with a grip on his hand.
Allistor, unable to force her to focus on the present issue, and unable to let go of her hand, allowed himself to be led upstairs and into the en-suite. Ludwig truly was a miracle worker, to have made the bathroom as white as it was.
Allistor felt as if he had entered a different world. A better one, he hoped.
The two of them stood, awkwardly, while Evelyn fidgeted under the Scot's intense gaze. 'Get in the shower, assbutt, or I'll push you in.' She ordered.
The blonde sat on the closed toilet, from which rose a lavender scent.
'Eva...'
'In!' she barked, pointing at the shower.
The flaming-haired Allistor shrugged at last, before proceeding to strip. Evelyn backed up, hugging her legs to her chest while she sat on top of the toilet, and looked away. Despite her efforts, Allistor knew she was hiding a silly, incorrigible blush once more.
He stripped to his boxers, and then first turned on the shower to let the temperature adjust. Evelyn, who had closed her eyes and begun to frown as she attempted to puzzle through her feelings and thoughts, almost fell of the closed toilet when a familiar, dexterous hand brushed her blonde waves over her shoulder.
'I love ye.'
Evelyn almost choked. It had been so long – too long – since she had those words.
Allistor had already stepped into the shower when Evelyn answered in a voice much too quiet for him to here. 'I love you too.'
Silence filled by the fall of water ensued, as so many silences had. This one was far more peaceful, and Evelyn at last sat up properly, studying the thin shadow through the translucent glass around the shower cubicle. Her mind began to wander, falling back into those precious memories where Allistor's body had pressed up against hers. She began to reconsider forcing the man to have a shower.
But then again, he had smelled disgusting.
'Cen ye pass meh my toothbrush?' Allistor piqued.
Evelyn nodded, forgetting he couldn't see, and easily found the red toothbrush Allistor used, as well as the toothpaste on the newly cleaned and rearranged sink.
'Multitasking?' Evelyn questioned, eyebrow raised and attempting normalcy.
Allistor chuckled softly. Evelyn realised how much she had missed that sound – a Hell of a lot.
The shower door opened, Allistor accepting the toothbrush while Evelyn tried not to drop it at their skin contact. Minutes later, Evelyn was still standing by the sink, looking down as the water gathered on the tap before dripping into the drain.
'I'm gettin' out now.' Announced the Scottish man, already turning the water off.
Evelyn let her eyes drift shut, annoyed and guilt-riddled as her mind suggested looking. The shower door shut, towels rustled as he wrapped one around his waist, and a warm hand – the same that had slapped her almost two weeks ago – gently brushed her exposed arm.
It was all he could do to say, 'Eva.'
'I love you,' those words escaped before she could stop them, 'and if you never know another thing, I hope that helps.'
The blazing light of hope flickered in Allistor's emerald gaze.
'But...'
Both of them hated "buts".
'Sit down with me.' Allistor suggested, slumping against the wooden cabinet in the bathroom.
Evelyn let out the breath she had not known she was holding, and sat beside him in the same huddled position as before. She was so close to him, yet so far away. In the silence that followed, Allistor unconsciously clasped her right hand, offering her his strength despite their precarious position.
'Do you want to know why I said no?' Evelyn broke the gentle silence.
Allistor frowned at her, while she kept her blue gaze on the adjacent wall. 'Ye sid it was because ye weren't ready.'
'And you should have really listening to my actions, not my words. A week before I did something horrible to you, I'm so, so sorry about it.' Allistor squeezed her hand tighter, and Evelyn noticed this. It was the guilt more than anything that finally gave her the courage to say, 'I slept with someone else.'
The blonde could only wonder why Allistor didn't let go of her hand.
'Why?'
'Because I was jealous? Because I was drunk? God, I can't even remember most of it. Just leaving the bar and then finally getting home. But it doesn't matter why. It still happened.'
Then Allistor said the one thing that would've caught Evelyn off guard. 'It's fair, after all those women in the bar...'
'But you never actually did anything like that, right?'
'...How can you-...even after everything I did to you, you still trusted me...?' Allistor wondered out loud, the amazement clear in his eyes.
Evelyn's silence was enough of an answer.
'No, I didn't do anythin'..like thet. And yer're fuckin' amazing. I'm never gonna stop lovin' ye. Even if ye don't love me back.'
'Al-'
'I hit ye. And I started ignorin' ye, and yellin'. I did...sid all those things. I didna mean them. I swear. I just got frustrated and...fuck-' Allistor found himself battling with tears, remembering what Evelyn had said about the foster home she was once in. Wasn't what he did so much worse?
'Al,' He looked towards Evelyn, seeing a small smile gracing her lips, 'are you crying?'
'No!' he denied, both vehement and childish.
When Evelyn wrapped her arms, willingly, around him and pulled him into a soothing embrace, Allistor the realised he was crying. But he didn't care, not when Evelyn held him so close.
'Allistor, that's all my fault. Everything that happened is my fault, and there is nothing left for me to forgive you for, so you need to stop apologising. And I love you.' Evelyn admitted, running a hand through his wild, red hair calmingly.
'Eva.' Allistor warned quietly, guiltily wondering if she was lying.
A moment later convinced him otherwise. Her lips were an insistent pressure against his, at last returning the kiss from downstairs. It was Evelyn's arms that wound around his neck, her body against his, her heart in his possession. Allistor managed to pull Evelyn onto his lap, securing his arms around her waist, as he pulled her closer.
'None of it was yer fault. None of it. Ye should hate me for what I did.' Allistor murmured.
Evelyn looked down at her knees and shook her head. 'You don't deserve me. You need someone so much better than me.'
Using his hand, Allistor tilted her chin, glaring at her. 'There is no one in the world better than you. I...just...forgot it. I was angry with ye, and I forgot it. If ye stay, I won't ever forget it again.' He vowed, determination lacing his words.
'Al...'
'Marry me.'
'Oh, and that will obviously magically solve all our problems-'
'Marry me.'
'I can't-'
'Just 'cuz I haven't been sayin' it much doesn't mean it's not true. I love ye, so marry me?'
And that was all she needed to hear. 'Yes.'
Allistor grinned roguishly, emerald eyes twinkling, and that sudden happiness was strong enough to wipe away all the past darkness. It was for these moments that Evelyn lived, and that she stayed. The good Allistor brought her far outweighed the bad.
The Scottish man brushed his fingers over her soft smile. 'Yer're an angel, ye are.' His wonder then changed to swift panic. 'Shit! A ring!'
Allistor stood, carrying Evelyn bridle-style against his chest, and used his foot to open the bathroom door wide enough for him to rush out.
'I don't need one.' Evelyn pointed out apathetically.
'Yes, ye do. So that everyone knows yer're not leavin' me, and that I'm never leavin' ye again as well.' He argued. 'I kept theh old one.'
Incredulity widened Evelyn's eyes. 'You did?'
'I hope Ludwig left it in the same place.'
Allistor let the blonde woman fall onto the bed – which had been cleaned and the sheets changed – before proceeding to yank open various drawers around the room. Evelyn sat up, content to watch him run around like a startled rabbit. He swore each time he closed the drawer, and Evelyn sighed as she took note of what she'd need to fix.
'Damnit! Sorry, Eva.' Allistor sighed, throwing himself back onto the bed.
Evelyn shook her head, blonde locks tangling themselves, and placed her hand in his. She may not have Allistor all to herself, not yet, and if some of there discussions from years ago still meant something, there would come a day when they would also have love their kids. And maybe Allistor was flawed, but so was Evelyn.
And maybe, just maybe, that was why they fit.
'Oh, Eva, I think I just solved our little problem.' Allistor said.
'Eh?'
'Close your eyes and hold out your hand.'
Thoroughly confused, Evelyn held out her hand, eyes shut tight in anticipation. A moment later, something small and metal fell into her hand.
'Open your eyes.' Allistor ordered, obviously grinning at his own genius.
Evelyn opened her eyes. And almost slapped herself in the head.
'Your earring?'
Allistor, now sitting, shrugged. 'It's a ring, right?'
'You are the most unconventional, lazy, drunk, ridiculous...'
Allistor and Evelyn, or Evelyn and Allistor.
Both worked.