Is it bad that I totally ship this? I mean, Gabe is nice and all, but these two really have chemistry.
The sun was beating down on the kingdom of Avalor. Elena's abuela swore the fish were jumping out of the fish mongrel's baskets and back into the ocean to escape the heat. After discovering the flowers that she'd planted the previous evening nearly burned to a crisp, Elena was forced to agree.
It did not get any cooler as the day went on. Fishermen returned early from their excursions, dripping with sweat and positively exhausted. The jaquins could not be persuaded to move from the shade, much less fly anywhere. The weekly council meeting ran nearly twenty minutes short, and even then its members had to peel themselves out of their chairs. The day dragged on, as sluggish as the overheated citizens of Avalor.
"Ay caramba! I'm melting in this heat, Elena" Isabel moaned, fanning herself with her hand in a feeble attempt to cool off. The two royal sisters were trying to relax in Elena's room, but even with shuttered doors and windows, even the princess' quarters weren't safe from the sun's wrath. Even the marble floors of the palace seemed warm to the touch.
"Don't you have a special cooling invention?" Elena teased halfheartedly. Isabel groaned and slid off of her chair and onto the floor for extra dramatic effect. Elena rolled her eyes.
"No. And it's to hot the think of one. My brain doesn't work in this heat" said Isabel. Her older sister raised and eyebrow, and the younger sighed. "Just go ask Mateo for an ice spell or something, I don't know. I'm a scientist, not a wizard"
Elena perked up at this suggestion. "Mateo?" she asked, feeling her heart skip a little beat.
"You know... your wizard friend?" Isabel repeated, speaking slowly as if she were coaxing a small child.
"I know who you meant!" Elena huffed. "That's not bad idea. See, your brain's still spinning" she added, pulling herself out of her chair and hurrying out of the room, suddenly filled with new energy at the thought of the young wizard-to-be.
Isabel yawned, lazily waving a hand in farewell. "You're welcome" she said, although Elena was now far out of earshot.
Ignoring the sweltering heat as best she could, Elena hiked up her skirts and made her way through the mostly empty streets to Mateo's study. The paved streets burned her toes, even through her shoes, and her dark hair started to stick to her neck, but she hardly noticed. She couldn't quite explain why she was so eager to see her magical friend, why the thought of his smile sent her heart skipping, but being Elena, she never dwelt on it. Her clever mind was always abuzz wityh new plans and ideas, and she could never stay worried about one thing for too long.
Mateo's nose was buried in a dusty, moth-eaten book when he was interrupted by a loud banging on his study door. He shut his book with a small sigh, coughing as a cloud of dust puffed up from the pages. He waved it away hastily.
"Coming!" he called, setting the heavy leather tome on his desk before getting up and unlatching the door. He jumped back and nearly fell down the stairs as Elena flew past him, drawn to the sudden burst of cool air like a moth to a flame. She shook out her rumpled clothes and stretched, allowing the cool of the study to envelope her.
"Whew, it's much cooler down here. You've got it made, Mateo" she teased. Mateo, who had been watching with amusement, shrugged and gave a little half smile.
"Being a wizard has its perks" he admitted, pulling out a chair for Elena. When the princess had taken her seat, he took his own opposite her. "Now, what can I do for you?"
"Let me stay here for the rest of the day?" Elena giggled, only partially joking. Mateo raised an eyebrow in his best attempt to look severe, his true feelings betrayed by the smile tugging the corners of his lips.
"No can do, Elena. I'm a busy man" he replied in mock sternness. Elena let out an equally dramatic sigh, slouching in her chair and pressing the back of her hand to her head as if she'd fallen ill.
"Oh, however will I survive?" she moaned, struggling to keep a straight face. Unable to contain themselves anymore, both teens bursts into laughter.
"Can you at least give me a cooling spell?" pleaded Elena.
Mateo pursed his lips in thought for a moment before turning to another one of the spellbooks that were piled on his desk. "Let's see" he said, opening the book and beginning to thumb through the worn pages. He studied the neatly printed runes on each page carefully, chewing his lower lip as he did so. Elena watched in fascination, resisting the urge to tuck his loose curls back behind his ear. A few more moments passed before Mateo shook his head.
"Temperature change is pretty complex magic. I don't think I'm up for it yet" he admitted, feeling his face burn from causes unrelated to the heat. Elena leaned over his shoulder and tilted her head, reading the spell. Her hair brushed his back. the wizard caught his breath, gripping the edges of the book a little tighter.
"Aw, it doesn't look that bad" she insisted, sounding uncertain.
"Can you even read runes?" Mateo deadpanned.
"Well, no, but that's not the point!"
"You sure about that?"
"Please, Mateo?" the princess begged, staring at her friend with pleading eyes. He bit his lip again and sighed.
"I'd rather not freeze the whole kingdom, to be honest" he admitted weakly.
"I don't think they'd mind" Elena assured him. The wizard was hard pressed to argue that point.
"If I do this for you, do I get something in return?" Mateo teased, flashing a crooked smirk that sent Elena's heart pounding. He fully intended to try, regardless of Elena's response. To his surprise and delight, she laughed. He'd never really realized how much he adored Elena's laugh, or the way her eyes creased when she smiled.
Inside, Elena knew her little trick was insane. But the heat and the closeness of her person to Mateo's was getting to her, sending her mind reeling and her chest tightening in a strangely pleasant way. She pushed past her nerves, determined to follow through. Clenching her fists tightly, she grinned.
"Sure! How's this?" she asked, leaning forward and kissing Mateo very suddenly. His reaction was instantaneous, and it was not to pull away or panic. One hand slid into Elena's dark hair, deliciously cool against her hot skin as his fingers wove into her locks. The other fell at her waist, pulling her the tiniest bit closer.
Elena buried her own hand into Mateo's hair as she had wanted to do since she'd met him, her heart pounding and her face flushing as their lips moved together. She decided she would have been fine to be trapped in this moment forever.
With a small gasp, they suddenly broke away, almost falling back into their chairs. Elena was unable to stop smiling, her heart pounding against her ribs like a drum. Mateo could feel his cheeks and the tips of his ears burning, and his chest heaved as he recovered lost air. There was a moment of tense silence, the air thick with hormones.
Elena suddenly reached over and shut the spellbook.
"I don't think I need that spell anymore..."
Elena returned to the castle very late that evening, assuring her grandparents that she had simply been out attending to her duties, remaining as calm as possible under their concerned gazes. Thankfully, only Naomi noticed the marks on her neck and collar, and was gracious enough to stay silent.
When this ship sinks, I'll probably look back on this and cry. Oh well. What'd you all think? this fandom could use some more Elenateo, I think. Anyway, please comment what you think! I must know where my Elenateo peeps are!