Anonymous requested: Poison Apple is fine, Poison Apple is gooooood. The word: ring
Raven inhaled the sweet, summer air that began lazily rolling across campus. She leaned out her dorm's stone window, which was now fully decorated in the season's vines and flowers, as she was trying to get some air to calm her nerves. She clenched the small, black box in her palm.
Classes at Ever After High were coming to an end and students were going home for the summer. This was Raven's last chance to tell Apple before next school-year. Who knew how different things would be in a few months' time? It had to be now or never, Raven decided.
As if destiny was personally encouraging Raven, Apple returned to the dorm not a moment later. Numerous gift bags lined her arms, all stuffed to the brim with shoes and ribbons and jewelry. Apple set the bags down on her bed with a dainty huff and stood back to admire them all. "It's always so sad to say goodbye to all my friends at the end of the year, but they always know how to make it a spellebration rather than true goodbyes. I've never received so many gifts before, Raven! Everyone has been simply— Oh, what's that?"
Raven looked down at the box in her hands. She stood in the center of the room, awkwardly holding the box between her thumb and index fingers, too anxious to really know what to do with herself.
"Is that a gift for me? Raven, you shouldn't have!" Apple squealed, her jubilance radiating from head to toe. She bounced over to Raven's side to inspect the tiny object laced in purple ribbon.
"Y-Yeah." Raven gently cleared her throat. "I got you something. It's very special to me, Apple. Could we sit?"
"Oh." Sensing Raven's seriousness, Apple straightened herself and searched her roommate's eyes curiously. "Of course."
Raven directed Apple to her bed, where they sat beside one another. Raven fingered the box nervously.
"Raven, what is it?" she asked, her smile soft but her tone concerned.
Raven coyly handed the box over to Apple with only a gentle prompting, telling her that she could open it. Curious, Apple pulled the silky ribbon, which came undone with ease. She lifted the box's lid in anticipation and…
"I don't understand. A ring?" Apple lifted the plain, silver band from the fluffy padding and examined it closely. She found a tiny raven's feather engraved into its inside.
"Look, I have one too, except mine has an engraved apple." Raven held out her hand, revealing the second, equally plain piece of jewelry to match. "It's a promise ring because…" Raven took in a quiet, shaky breath. "Well, I wish I could say that I do, but I don't know what our futures will hold. All I know is that we're destined to always be a part of each other's lives. And before anything changes, I want to promise you that I will always be with you, Apple, no matter how things turn out." Raven lightly took the ring from Apple's hand and slid it onto her finger. She heaved a sigh of relief. "Perfect fit," she said, meeting Apple's eyes.
"Oh, Raven!" Apple uttered, tears welling up in her eyes. She threw herself into Raven's arms and squeezed tightly, catching the girl off guard.
After a moment in Apple's unapologetically warm embrace, Raven smiled to herself and returned the hug wholeheartedly. "I'm glad you like it."