author's note: A very happy birthday to my best friend, RushingAutumnLeaves (formerly known as XxLynChanxX). As of yesterday, she is officially a dancing queen at seventeen. I'm obviously not tired of that joke yet, and probably won't be for a while, but oh well.

To all of you, enjoy reading about Daring and Lizzie being adorable dorks.

-xoxo-

I Don't Know If I Should Kill You or Kiss You

-xoxo-

It didn't take much to get Lizzie Hearts aggravated. It wasn't exactly destiny or her genes at work, it was just who she was. Her temper was like a fire in prairie land; once it was ignited, if anyone tried to put it out, they would have to work at it for quite some time. As for the person who had fueled her anger, they had to certainly beg and plead for forgiveness.

But this person - this idiotic, pretty boy Prince who flashed his stupid smile and batted his blue eyes one too many times...

...she highly doubted that she could give him a second chance.

Lizzie sat alone at a table outside the Wonderland Haberdashery & Tea Shoppe, twirling her spoon around in the cup of chamomile tea. She had been given a plate full of freshly made shortbread cookies, on the house, but she wasn't exactly in the mood for sweets. She grabbed one of the cookies, and broke it in half due to her frustration, letting the crumbs get all over her gloves. This wasn't fair. She didn't know who to blame right now. Her mind was at war, and the worst part of it all; who could she vent to?

Her friends wouldn't understand, and anyone else would expose the secret she had been trying to keep.

With a sigh of exasperation, she took a sip of the now cold beverage and idly tapped her fingers against the side of the rot-iron table.

She watched everyone walk through the Village of Bookend, without a care. All of them were so blissfully peaceful; either having fun with their friends or simply relaxing on their own. Lizzie, on the other hand, could do no such thing.

The only upside was that she saw no sign of him.

Today was a wonderful Spring day - the type that made staying inside seem like a crime. But right now, Lizzie actually did want to go back to her dorm, curl up in bed and sleep. She hadn't done anything, but she felt exhausted. Every vein in her soul was strangely tired, and that was what made her want to give up. Ever since yesterday, she had been a nervous wreck because now, the word around Ever After High was that she had been played for a fool.

She was used like a piece of merchandise on a betting table. A dare. That's all she was.

With that not-so-Charming Prince...

As Lizzie broke another cookie in anger, she decided that sitting here would do no good. She took one last sip of the tea, and got up from her seat. She fished a few gold coins out of her dress pocket and left them behind for payment.

She started walking down the cobblestone streets of the Village, but couldn't help but feel as if everyone's eyes were on her; even if they weren't.

Loneliness was what she figured that she needed. She snuck into a nearby alleyway that led straight to the Enchanted Forest, and found a sense of contentment wash over her.

The aura of the magical Forest gave anyone and everyone peacefulness. Lizzie released a deep breath that she didn't realize she was holding, letting the scents of pixie dust and pine trees go through her lungs. From the looks of it, the Forest was desolate. Today was nice, but it was also a Saturday. Everyone would be in town.

She was alone.

Lizzie decided to grasp this opportunity, and she slid off her heels, starting to run like a fool. Her tights would be a mess later from the grass and dirt, but she didn't care too much right now.

It was good to feel free. The wind was whipping through her curls, she felt stress wiping away with each stride she took and when she turned the corner, she found herself at the edge of a stream. She skidded to a stop, and looked at her reflection in the water. Carrying her shoes, dirt on her dress and her crown tilted, she didn't look exactly Royal. But contrary to that, she didn't feel Royal anyway. After what had happened with him, she was mad.

Not quite insane mad, or angry mad... both.

She sighed, and brushed the dirt and twigs off. She adjusted her tiara, and then crouched down, splashing water on her face. It was just what she needed; cool water, warm sun on her face, no one around. It was nice.

Lizzie stood back up, sliding her high heels back on.

Seconds ago, she felt the sense of the spirit of that little girl she had left back in Wonderland. Now, she wasn't that little girl anymore.

She was growing up, prepping for a destiny... and dealing with drama.

"Oh, I didn't expect to see you here," a voice spoke up.

Lizzie turned around quickly, and nearly tripped over her own two feet in the process, if not for the same person to grab her hand. A familiar touch - strong, firm, with an aura of security and kindness. She wanted to chop that hand off...

"The feeling is mutual, Daring," she mumbled as she stood herself up properly again.

A moment of silence passed, only before he cleared his throat, about to speak again, but Lizzie started walking off, leaving him surprised.

Daring started after her, calling her name. "Lizzie, I want to talk!" he yelled.

Lizzie growled slightly. "Then talk!" she called back.

She could hear his footsteps after her, and she felt her anger boil up. Just by seeing him, it killed her and drove her crazy.

"Can you slow down?" Daring hollered. His tone of voice was starting to sound more wistful; clear evidence that he had trouble keeping up with how fast she was walking.

"Why should I?!" Lizzie snapped.

She turned around to face him, and stepped forward just as he stopped. She got in his face, and her words were laced with rage.

"You toyed with my heart!" Lizzie shrieked. "So much for being a Charming. You should count your lucky stars and hope that I don't go and tell everyone in school what you've done, how you really, truly hurt me. They only know the rumors. Do you know what that would do to your reputation?"

Daring backed away slightly, and hesitated. "I - I," he stammered.

Lizzie balled her hands into fists. "Don't try to win me over again," she snapped. "I was a fool to give you a chance, but I've learned my lesson."

He noticed tears beginning to brim around her pretty emerald eyes, and his words caught in his throat.

"Elizabeth, I'm sorry," he muttered.

"What did you call me?" she hissed as her expression fell. "You don't have the privilege to use my full name. Understand?" She swallowed hard, and blinked away most of her tears. "Friends and family call me that. You are neither. And after that little stunt you pulled, going out with me only because it was an idiotic dare, you-" Lizzie poked him on the chest, and looked up into his ocean colored eyes. "-are a coward."

"Sorry," Daring repeated.

Lizzie scoffed. "Words mean nothing unless you act upon them," she mumbled. "I've gotten to know you fairly well, and I realize you won't do that."

Daring began to stutter out some words, but she brushed right past him and started walking back to the Town Square. He looked back over his shoulder, watching her leave-

-and his body moved before his brain registered the very idea of doing such a thing.

He ran after her, and blocked her way. He noticed the fury ablaze in her expression, but he brushed away his fear, and went for the plunge.

Lizzie let out a surprised squeak and her eyes went wide as she suddenly felt a pair of lips on her own. Soft, easy, sweet; she was about to melt into it and swoon over the sensation, but the pieces of the puzzle all fell into place. She shoved Daring away, and smacked him across the face with the back of her hand.

"What the bloody hell was that for?!" Lizzie screeched.

"I take it you didn't enjoy it?" Daring muttered, as he rubbed his face. "I think you broke my jaw..."

"Forget about your face, pretty boy," she said. "What in the name of the land is wrong with you? Playing me for a fool, chasing after me, randomly kissing me-" Her hand flew to her mouth, and she softly gasped. The same boy, the same idiot who was dared to take her out on a date - her first date - he had just stolen her first kiss.

Daring exercised his jaw to relax it, only for his face to get slapped again. "What did I do this time?!" he argued.

Lizzie released an frustrated groan. "You're driving me mad, Charming! Not in a particularly good way either!" she exclaimed.

Daring huffed. "Well, leave my face out of it," he mumbled. "It's all I have left."

Lizzie rolled her eyes. "What did I ever see in you?" she said, with a soft sigh. "I got lost by your pretty face a-and... that was it. I thought I could fix your egotistical ways and narcissism, but apparently not. The only person you love yourself, isn't that right?"

"Well," Daring frowned, and hesitated.

He stared at Lizzie, watching the conflicting emotions of frustration and desperation dance in her expression. Her tears were gone, he was glad for that, but she was still clearly upset. Daring felt like kissing her again, to assure her that he did care. He didn't know why, he just did. She seemed like someone caring about. So sweet, innocent, kind; the opposite of the cruel-hearted villain she was destined to be.

Just as he stepped forward, she tensed up, about to throw another slap...

...but all he did was take her hand, and hold it.

"You're something different, Lizzie," Daring murmured. "I like that about you. I'm sorry if I'm not what you want, I just-" He sighed. "I suppose I'm not exactly Charming today, am I?"

"You most certainly are not," she declared.

He stifled a laugh at her bluntness, and cleared his throat when she glared at him. "I... I did take you out on that date as a dare, but after you wanted to go out more, even risk our destinies to maybe be something, I wanted to give it a chance as well," he explained. "I wanted to give you a chance."

Lizzie felt herself melting under the gaze of his grey blue eyes again, and she heaved out an uneasy breath.

"Daring, I can't-" she stammered. "Not after you-" She looked down to the ground. "Why couldn't you be honest with me in the first place?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Daring admitted. "I was so caught up in what the future would be for us, and the idea of knowing you better." He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. "You probably think that's terribly cliche, isn't it?"

"Yes, yes, it is," Lizzie replied.

She hesitated, and stood up on the tips of her toes to place a soft, brief kiss on his lips.

"But I like that about you," she said, with the faintest smile. "You're so Charming when you want to be, but around me, you're an idiot, you know that?"

"I suppose so," Daring smirked.

Lizzie gave an uneasy breath, and took his other hand, holding them both tightly. She fluttered her eyes close, and thought for a moment. There was so much she wanted to say to Daring, both rage-filled and delighted, but all she could do was pull him forward and kiss him again. It was different than before; she was more forceful than before and this kiss was a sense of passion to it. She reached up, and twirled his golden locks around her fingers. A soft laugh slipped past her lips as she noticed Daring's sudden surprise, but was glad that he kissed back.

He held her close, wrapping his strong arms around the frame of her shorter, lithe body. Lizzie felt a bit overwhelmed and dizzy for a moment, but she melted into it for a moment.

Finally, once they broke apart, she was genuinely smiling and chuckling to herself.

"Consider yourself lucky, Charming," she murmured. "I might be innocent, but I'm not easy."

"I'm a Prince, Elizabeth. I love a good challenge," Daring teased.

She shook her head. "You're going to call me that all of the time now, aren't you?" she sighed.

He shrugged. "Do you mind?"

Lizzie kissed his cheek. "I don't think you would care if I did," she joked. "But for your information... you've got one month to impress me before you can use my full name."

Daring intertwined their fingers. "Then we can ride off in the sunset?" he asked.

"One step at a time," she said.

For one day, Lizzie felt that she wasn't just the Princess of Hearts in a card deck. Right now, her soul and feelings were mixing and soaring. Maybe, just maybe, she could try something once more. After all, with nothing written in stone for her True Love, she had nothing to lose. Daring was willing to risk his own destiny for her-

-and this time, she would think twice. She really would.

~ la fin ~

author's note: Fun fact, the title of this story is a quote from one of my favorite movies. I think it sums up the Dizzie relationship well. Anyone who figures out who said it gets an Internet cookie! If you liked this story, please let me know what you thought in a review! :)