This is written for Chopped: The 100 Fanfic Edition (final round)! This is a little late being posted (submissions closed on the 3rd), but I wanted to get it up anyways.
I had to use the following six tropes in this fic:
-Solve a mystery
-The main ship must share something
-Almost kiss/interrupted before kissing
-Gender swap
-Biased flashbacks
-Free space (I chose friends to lovers)
Note: This fic has some coarse language, which gives it a T rating!
You do not need to know Disney films to read this. There are some off-hand jokes and comments made that will make more sense if you've seen these films, but it is not imperative! If you want to see a full listing of characters, you can find it in the bottom notes.
Enjoy!
Not a Fairy Tale
"Someone here is going to die tonight."
A figure in black stood in front of them, a raven perched on their shoulder. She couldn't see their face under the hood. They moved stiffly, like they belonged to a museum, not outside in the cold.
The fog swirled around Clark's legs and a shiver went down his spine. The air was crisp and his breath ghosted in front of him. Goose bumps erupted across his arms. He really regretted agreeing to come tonight. All he wanted was to wrap himself up in dozens of blankets, make some hot chocolate, and call it a night.
He was surrounded by his friends, each looking as unsure as he was. If he could see them, he'd probably admire what they were wearing, but the darkness was thicker than the fog.
"Twelve of you have crossed the threshold over the grounds, only eleven will leave. One of you will die here, trapped from ever leaving, cursed to live the rest of eternity screaming within these halls."
Clark dug his hands into his pockets and sucked in a breath between his teeth. He glanced beside him, letting his eyes run over Bellamy's profile.
Damn. She looked good.
When the raven let out another caw, his eyes snapped forward again. It was a prompt reminder that this was most definitely not the time to be admiring her.
Her. His best friend.
Her. Maybe, possibly, his current crush.
When the hooded figure stepped forward, all thoughts of Bellamy vanished. "Your knowledge and your skills will be put to the test. You'll have to adapt to thrive. Nay. You'll have to adapt to survive."
Clark snorted and leaned over to Bellamy. "Darwin." She glanced at him, the corners of her lips turned upwards. A rush of butterflies filled his stomach from knowing he put that smile there.
"If you're going to-"
Jasper cleared his throat, a playful smile on his lips. "So, did you buy the raven, or is it a rental?"
Clark tried to hide his smile by biting on his bottom lip, but it was almost impossible with Bellamy snorting beside him.
"What?" The hooded man's voice faltered the slightest bit.
"I mean… It's just sitting on your shoulder. I'm impressed." Before the hooded figure could answer, he stepped forward and peered closely at the black feathers. "Wait. I know. This is Raven, isn't it?" He turned to the rest of the group. "Get it? Because it's a-"
"I may be dumb, but I get it," Murphy said, his tone sharp.
Jasper turned back to the hooded figure, who now stood with their shoulders slumped forward and his hand resting in his hands. "Is your wife a shape shifter? Is that why she isn't here-"
"Jasper, you asshole, you're supposed to stay in character." The hooded figure reached up and yanked the black material away from his eyes. Wells stood in front of them now, his eyes narrowed.
"Hey. I'm just curious. Curiosity is the drive to greatness, isn't it?"
Wells scowled at that, which seemed to please Jasper even more.
"Do you need a reminder of the rules?" A shit-eating grin crossed Jasper's features and Wells sighed heavily. "I thought I sent out the rules when I sent the invitations?"
"Did you really expect me to read them?" Jasper responded, slipping back into his spot. "Me?"
Wells' expression was blank. "True." As if the raven was expecting this, it jumped off his shoulder and soared into the sky. "Alright. Murder Mystery Party 101. Class is now in session."
"Ah, there's the boss we all love and know," Harper said from the crowd.
"You're all supposed to remain in character," Wells said, his eyes sweeping to Harper. "Right, Cinderella?"
Clark bit the inside of his cheek at her offended expression. If he had to guess, he would've thought Wells just threw sand at her, not pointed out she wasn't in character.
"It's hard," Murphy complained, his expression bitter.
Wells scoffed. "I thought you were all supposed to be actors?"
"We are. Kind of."
Wells glanced at Clark for help. He took a half-step forward and turned to their group of friends. "Cut the shit, guys. Wells was nice enough to offer to host. This is training, got it? Listen to his rules."
And, even though he thought Wells took training for their birthday party business a little too seriously, he wasn't planning on bringing it up.
Wells owned Wish Upon a Star, which was a rental business for children's birthday parties and other events. They were the number one provider of actors playing knock-off Disney characters in their city. Which wasn't saying a whole lot, but at least they were ahead of Make a Dream, which was a knock-off of their knock-off business.
"Thank you, Clark," Wells said, beaming at him. He nodded and stepped back beside Bellamy.
"I thought we were supposed to stay in character?" Murphy piped up, looking cocky.
Wells sighed. "I give up. You all are impossible." He pulled his hood back up sullenly and pointed towards his house. "Head in. Pick up your character cards for the evening. Don't break character from here on out."
"So, we're not in character right now?" Miller clarified. "Because, if not, can I just say-"
"Nope. You're in character." Miller fell silent and Monty grinned up at him. Clark watched as their knuckles brushed against each other's. He felt a twinge of want in his chest because, damn, he wanted a relationship like theirs.
Murphy was the first one to attempt to head inside, but before he could make it three steps, Wells lunged forward. The raven cawed from above. Murphy didn't flinch.
"And remember; when you play the game of thrones, you win or you die."
Clark leaned down, moving so close to Bellamy that his lips brushed against her ear. "He's taking this training to the extreme."
"No shit."
He glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. She played Belle from Beauty and the Beast for shows presented by their business. Her character was ironic, considering she hated when people called her Bell.
He attended more than a handful of her shows. She was good with the kids, which made him melt. She was stunning, in more ways than just beauty. She was gorgeous with her dark brown eyes, and her golden smile, but her soul was warm and sweet like honey. She'd never admit it, but she was the biggest fucking softie he'd ever met.
It was strange to think of where they came from and where they were now. He'd known Wells for as long as he could remember, so joining his team of not-very-good-actors was an easy decision.
He met Bellamy in high school, and all he knew her as was Octavia's older sister. She was cold and beautiful, and she was the definition of chaotic good. That was all he knew.
Octavia had been part of the cast from the beginning. When Raven didn't show up to play Belle for one show, Bellamy was called in as an emergency. Wells was desperate. Octavia found the whole situation hilarious. Clark didn't believe she would pull through.
And then she did.
And she was stunning.
It was supposed to be a one-time thing, but then Raven and Wells started dating, and she stopped acting. Bellamy became the new Belle.
Bellamy was great. She was hilarious when she wanted to be, which was most of the time they were alone. It didn't take long for Clark having a good sense of humor, and being the kindest person he knew, it was easy to fall in love with her.
Too bad Clark didn't want to mess up their friendship.
And, so, he kept quiet.
"I'm going to win," she said, bumping shoulders with Clark as they walked towards the house. She looked as cocky as ever and he loved it.
Clark lifted his eyebrow in a challenge. "Oh, really?"
"You fucking bet I will."
He snorted. "Once, you got lost inside the Toronto airport."
"Once," she echoed, her eyes narrowed. "Then again, once you forgot the lyrics to So This Is Love during a show, so I wouldn't go ahead and say you have a better memory than I do."
"It's a hard song."
"It has maybe a dozen different words in it – max."
"I don't sing," he countered.
She winked. "Right. Only in the shower."
He swallowed thickly and forced his eyes to remain forward. He ran his hands along the sides of his pants. It was pathetic. She would smile, and he was practically floating. Their banter made his mouth run dry, and the way she would laugh made him feel like his was melting.
As Bellamy walked ahead, talking to Harper, Jasper slipped up beside him.
"Hello, 911?" He held his hand up to his ear, his fingers resembling the shape of a phone. "I need the paramedics here stat. Why?" He glanced at Clark out of the corner of his eye, looking sly. "My friend is experiencing heart failure. He's totally in love with-"
"Screw off," he warned, bumping shoulders with him. Jasper let out a bark of laughter and threw his right arm around his shoulders.
"Don't worry; I spoke with the doctor after last time. They said the best course of action is stop flirting with the girl you love and just admit-"
"Jasper," Clark warned. "If you keep this up, there will be a real murder here tonight, got it?" He snickered.
Before he could say anything else, Bellamy turned around to face him. She looked smug. "Wells isn't going to be too happy when he finds out I was standing in mud for majority of his welcoming remarks."
She lifted the skirt of her yellow dress, showing off the mud stains across the hem.
"He's going to be needing the paramedics more than you," Jasper commented, slapping Clark across the back. He scowled.
"Then again, maybe he shouldn't have made us come in full-costume to his murder mystery party," she continued, clearly oblivious to Jasper's comments.
While he'd seen her in costume a thousand times before, she never failed to knock the breath out of his lungs. While her golden dress wasn't an exact replica from the Disney movie, she looked like a princess.
And, damn, he couldn't stop thinking about kissing her. He wondered how her hair would feel between his fingers. He couldn't stop imagining how good it would be to kiss her.
He could almost imagine his hands cupping her cheeks. He could imagine how firm and sure her lips would be, yet be filled so much tenderness that it would split his heart in two. He could imagine how dizzying it would be to kiss her, and to love her, and to-
He forced her thoughts away from there. No. He was here for Wells. He was here to practice staying in character while solving a fake murder.
Prince Charming would not be fantasizing about Belle. Belle had Adam. Prince Charming had Cinderella.
Right.
From here on out, he wouldn't look at Bellamy and think Bellamy. She was just a princess.
(Shit. Was that really any better?)
As he contemplated his thoughts, Bellamy had to twist her hoop skirt sideways to fit through the doorway, smacking Clark right in the nose.
She turned around the face him, her expression slightly horrified. Before she could say anything, he smirked. "Wow. Sabotage at its finest."
"Wells never said anything about keeping it clean," she pointed out.
"Oh. So, we're playing dirty now?" Clark's eyes glinted mischievously.
Raven greeted Bellamy, drawing her attention away. Jasper leaned closer to Bellamy. "Dirty? Showers? The sexual tension is strangling me."
"I will strangle you."
He poked him in the shoulder. "Look at you, all murder-y and stuff. I didn't think Prince Charming was so violent."
"I didn't know Flynn Rider was so annoying."
"I guess you didn't watch the same movie I did."
Raven handed Clark a sealed envelope next. "Wells wanted me to tell you to read these and not show anyone, but I know you are literally incapable of keeping secrets from Bellamy, so…" She winked. "I'll keep it a secret if you do."
"I'm playing to win," Bellamy said, answering for him. Clark let out a huff of laughter. "Besides, Belle doesn't hang around with Prince Charming. He's too prim and stuck up."
"You say prim, I hear formal. You say stuck up, I hear determined. Prince Charming is a nice guy, just so you know."
Raven lifted her eyebrows. "Didn't he impersonate someone so he could steal their girl, and his mother use love potions?"
Clark didn't look too impressed. "That's the plot to Shrek."
"Oh. That's right." She handed him his card. "Here, Prince Charming. Have fun. Try not to scare Cinderella off tonight. I hear her pumpkin is out of commission."
"You're not funny," he said dryly. Raven's smirk widened at that.
Bellamy was already moving towards the chairs, and Clark decided to give her some space. Being around her was intoxicating; it was amazing, and wonderful, and warm, but he also knew that he shouldn't feel this way.
They were friends.
That was it.
He flipped open the envelope and quickly scanned the story. The information was fairly basic, which he was thankful for.
You have been invited to a royal gala, along with royals from across the world. While celebrating, one of you gets MURDERED. You have the evening to figure out who the murderer is, or risk YOU getting MURDERED as well.
Clark snorted at that. Leave it to Wells to be extra as fuck.
Remember, stay in character while solving the murder! If you don't, you'll be the next victim and disqualified.
R.I.P. in advanced to Murphy, we all know you won't be able to do this. Please keep in mind, if you're dead, you can't win the cool prize I promised.
Clark's eyes flicked over to where Murphy was leaning against the wall, talking to Princess Aurora, clearly obvious to the shade from Wells. Their feud was hilarious, now Clark knew they weren't actually going to kill each other.
There are no scripts. One of you is the MURDERER, one of you will be the VICTIM.
The rest of the instructions were fairly boring. No actual MURDER, and all of those good rules.
He was pulled from his card of instructions when he heard Bellamy's voice in the distance.
"You're funny."
His eyes flicked over to where she was sitting. There was an empty seat beside her moments ago, but Atom now sat in it. Their hands were brushing against each other's, and there was a smile on Bellamy's face that made Clark's chest warm.
Clark bit the inside of his cheek and glanced back down at his card. He tried to ignore the bubble of jealousy rising in him, but it was hard. It felt like he ate too many Pop Rocks and his stomach was going to combust.
It was just Atom. He was the Adam to her Belle – literally. They were each other's love interests on stage. They kissed more than they spoke. He had to watch every other night as they fell in love.
Their characters, that is. He had to watch Belle and Adam fall in love, not Bellamy and Atom.
Still, it sent a chill down his spin and made him taste acid.
When Bellamy laughed at something Atom said, he could feel his blood freeze in his veins. Her hand was wrapped around his bicep now, and she was doubled over from the force of her laughter. Atom was grinning at her, a sparkle in his eye that made Clark's heart stop.
Don't be a dick. They were just friends; she could like whoever she wanted. Plus, wasn't it natural for them to fall in love? They played two people in love after all.
(At birthday parties, he told himself.)
Clark could only watch with a mix of horror and jealousy as Bellamy moved forward, pressing her lips to Atom's. His hands cupped her cheeks and Clark could see her smile against his lips.
His chest felt empty.
Shit.
Things clicked into place in that moment; all the shared moments, all the soft smiles, and the secret jokes – it all made sense.
They were in love.
Clark pounded back his fourth cup of water. Wells was taking this Disney theme thing to the next level; the cabinet for cups had a glass slipper, too.
The kitchen was empty, leaving him alone with his thoughts. Granted, that might not have been the best thing at the moment.
All he could think about was Bellamy. All he could think about was her pressing her lips to Atom's, her laughing at a stupid joke he made, her smiling at him like he was the sun.
He needed to get a grip.
It was ridiculous to be feeling jealous over Atom and Bellamy. It was ridiculous to keep sifting through his memories of them together, trying to figure out when they started dating, and when they fell in love with each other.
He could pick out things now that he knew what he was looking for. Last month, they both caught the same bug. When they went to the movies, they shared a drink. When Clark called Bellamy once, Atom answered her phone.
Fuck, he was stupid and oblivious.
They must've been dating for a while, and he just didn't see it. Maybe he didn't want to see it, and that was why he missed it.
He couldn't ignore how hollow his gut felt in that moment. It felt like he was punched in the stomach repeatedly.
Jealousy sucked.
No. He wasn't jealous. He was feeling this way because he was worried for her. Bellamy was just a friend. He was just worried about Atom, because that guy was a douche.
No. That was wrong. He knew Bellamy. She was more than capable of choosing a good boyfriend. And, really, it wasn't up to him to begin with. His opinion was completely invalid.
Was he jealous? No.
Yet, there he was, trying to drown his demons with glass after glass of water.
He chugged another cup of water.
Shit.
Maybe he was jealous.
All he kept thinking of was how Belle would lean over Adam's broken body, sobbing for him to stay with her, kissing him until he was human again. He kept replaying their dance, and their kisses, and their weddings.
He shook his head. Belle and Adam. Belle and Adam.
Not Bellamy and Atom. Right.
Fuck. He was impossible.
Still, he couldn't get their kiss out of his mind – not the on-stage ones, but the one he witnessed only minutes ago. How Atom's hands brushed against Bellamy's cheeks, just like Clark always envisioned doing with her. He could see Bellamy's smile after they pulled apart too, and he was jealous because damn, he wanted her to smile at him like that.
Jasper was right. He was in love with her. He loved her so much that it hurt.
He needed to get a grip. He needed to stop being in love with her. That would be easy, right? If he could fall in love with her easily, falling out of love should be able to be done just as quickly… Right?
Wrong.
Falling out of love with Bellamy was impossible.
"Hey."
Clark froze, his eyes locked on the empty cup of water on the counter. He didn't need to turn around to know Bellamy was standing at the doorway to the kitchen.
He tried to keep his voice even. "Hi." He glanced at her over his shoulder, taking in her yellow dress and white gloves. "Belle."
She made a face and moved further into the kitchen. "Gross." She hung back from him by a few feet, sensing something was wrong. "Let's drop the acts. Wells isn't here to disqualify us."
"The great Bellamy Blake breaking rules," Clark said, smiling slightly. "I always knew you were a rebel."
Bellamy didn't find it amusing. She ignored the teasing and jumped right over small talk. "Something's wrong."
"No." He turned fully to face her, forcing a smile onto his lips. He doubted he looked convincing. "What's up?"
"What's up?" she echoed. She didn't pretend to hide her sour expression. "I'm worried about you. You ditched right when the appetizers were being served."
"Not hungry."
She wasn't convinced. "Wells said that the murder is going to happen soon."
Clark's lips quirked up briefly. "Of course it is." His expression smoothed and he glanced at her again. "I'm fine though."
She gave him a hard look. "Listen, Clark, I know you and I know you're a terrible liar." She took a step closer to him, her expression shifting to one of concern. "I'm worried."
Shit, he didn't want that. He never wanted to make her worried, or to make her upset. If she wanted to date Atom, he should be supportive. He should be congratulating her, not running away.
He was being selfish, standing in the kitchen and wallowing. Bellamy was worried for him, and all he was doing was being jealous.
He tried to make his expression more genuine. "It's fine. Don't worry," he told her.
"Come off it," she said, closing the distance between them. She stood feet away from him now, her eyes locked on his. They were so warm that it felt like he could get lost in them. They were so intense it felt like she could see into his soul. "You can tell me. I wasn't the only one who noticed that you're… off. Atom noticed too."
Just hearing his name made cold hands wrap around his heart. Clark turned back to the sink, reaching for his cup.
"I didn't realize you two were that close," he said, his voice tight. He swore at himself for sounding so tense. Great. Now she definitely thinks something is wrong.
"Of course we're close," she responded, her voice hesitant. "We are Belle and Atom." He swallowed a sip of water thickly.
He needed to get it together. If Atom made her happy, then he was happy for her. That was the truth, too. He loved Bellamy so much, and all he wanted was to see her happy.
And that smile… The smile she had when her and Atom pulled away, that was the picture of happiness.
Atom made her happy.
"Right. Beauty and the beast," he quoted, turning back to face her. "I should have known."
The concern in her eyes knocked the breath out of his lungs. She took a step closer, wrapping her hand around his. Clark's throat tightened from this brief contact. He knew he needed to get it together.
"Why the sudden interest in Atom?" she questioned gently. Her fingers gripped his tighter for a brief moment.
"I just seen you two earlier. It surprised me."
"Seen us earlier?" she echoed, her brows pushing together. "I don't know what you're meaning."
Clark pulled his hand from her grip, a pained smile on his face. "I just didn't know you two were together, that's all."
"Together?"
"I seen you kissing," he said. The words felt odd in his mouth.
Realization dawned on her. Her jaw went slack and her eyes widened the slightest bit. "Oh."
"I just didn't know, and, uh, congratulations-"
"No, you have it wrong," she said, interrupting him. "We aren't together. Atom and I. No. Gross." She pulled a face. "He's a douche."
Clark lifted his eyebrow. "But the kiss?"
She looked amused. "We were in character."
Clark froze.
What?
"Wells said to act in character as soon as we entered the house," she explained, a smile growing on her face. "So, I was Belle. He was Adam. We kissed as characters."
"Oh." He downed the cup of water, desperate for something to do to fill the space between them.
"Why?" she asked, her voice teasing. A different glint filled her eye. "Were you jealous?"
With these words, Clark inhaled some of the water and began sputtering. Most of his mouthful ended up in the sink and down his shirt.
Fuck.
A fate worse than Bellamy dating Atom would be her finding out about his true feelings. He didn't want whatever was going on with him to impact their friendship, or to make things weird between them.
As he worked on regaining his breath, Clark glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. He watched as her expression changed from one of teasing to something different. Her mouth parted and her forehead creased with worry.
Shit. Shit, shit.
All lightness and teasing had disappeared between them now. Bellamy looked surprised as she reached forward. "Clark…" she said softly.
Just hearing her speak his name with shock made him want to fade away into the darkness.
And, as if on queue, the power went out.
Clark wanted to sigh in relief. This was the best thing to happen to him all day.
He couldn't see her face, even though he knew it was only inches away. He could feel her breath against his face, and he was sure she could hear how loud his heart was beating.
Still, the darkness didn't make him disappear like he hoped. Even without a sliver of light, Bellamy's hand still held his. Her fingers were warm against the back of his hand.
"Clark," she said again, her voice holding so much tenderness.
He didn't want to hear what she was going to say next. He didn't want to have to deal with the fallout between them; he doubted he ever would. He knew what she was going to say next.
We're just friends.
There's nothing between us.
I don't love you like that.
"We should get back," he said quickly, cutting Bellamy off. He was saving both of them for awkwardness.
At least, that's what he told himself. Deep down, he knew he was running.
Bellamy's fingers tightened around Clark's hand. It wasn't the first time he was glad the darkness hid his face. He didn't want her to see how impacted he was by her touches or their conversation. In the darkness, he could pretend that everything was normal.
"Right," she said, her voice sounding strained. Her words hit him in the gut.
Her hand disappeared from his, leaving him completely isolated in the dark room. She must've taken a few steps away because he couldn't feel her soft breaths on his cheek anymore, nor could he feel the warmth rolling off her.
He strained his ears to hear for her, but it was like she vanished. He hesitantly took a step forward, his hand outstretched to where she was standing only moments before. He grasped at the air.
Shit.
Moments later, when the lights came back on, he realized he was standing alone. He didn't know how she managed to do so in her heels, but she left him in the kitchen without a sound.
His heart fell. This night wasn't going how he expected it to.
When Clark returned to the dinning area, Harper was face-down in her salad. The white tablecloth in front of her was stained red with fake blood. As if it wasn't obvious enough, a white piece of paper was taped to her back.
DEAD
The rest of the table turned to him, each looking horrified.
"Oh, shit."
Wells' eyebrows lifted. Clark froze in his tracks, remembering that he was supposed to remain in character.
And, if Harper was face down, that meant his wife was face down.
Clark let out a gasp that he hoped was believable. "Cinderella!" he cried, throwing more emotion into his performance than he thought was necessary. "My wife! My queen! What happened to you!?"
"She was murdered, you idiot," Murphy dryly pointed out.
Damn. Who know Prince Phillip was such a hard-ass?
Somehow, Wells thought it was a great idea for everyone to finish their appetizers with a 'dead' body on the table. Clark never thought he'd be able to say he calmly ate his salad beside the bleeding corpse of his on-stage wife, but here he was.
Then again, it was hilarious to watch Harper sneak lettuce into her mouth every time Wells wasn't looking in her direction.
While they were setting up for the next course, he slipped away to the patio, desperate for some fresh air. More realistically, he was desperate to be away from Bellamy's gaze. He could feel her eyes analyzing him as they ate, and it was unnerving.
Clark leaned forward against the railing and tried to forget about Bellamy and his almost-confession earlier in the kitchen. It should have been easy, considering he had a fake-murder to solve, but it wasn't. All he could think about was how shocked she was when she realized he was jealous of her kissing Atom. All he could think of was how her breath was warm on his cheek, and how her fingers were delicate on his hand, and how much emotion her voice held.
No.
Murder.
He had to think about murder.
Cinderella was murdered. His wife was murdered! Shouldn't he be sobbing right now? It seemed like he should be sobbing.
He sighed in frustration and rested his head in his hands. Screw Wells for making them stay in character. He didn't really know how Prince Charming would react to his wife being murdered – its not like that was in the movie.
The sooner they could solve this mystery, the sooner he could drop this act. (And the sooner he could run away from his feelings towards Bellamy.)
Today was not his lucky day. As soon as he decided to stop thinking of Bellamy, he heard her voice.
"There you are."
His mouth went dry.
"Here I am," he said, turning his head in her direction. She stood in the doorway, carrying a single rose.
Before he could begin to wonder where the rose came from, she lifted it slightly. "It's from Atom. He stole it from the house and thought it would score us extra points from Wells."
Clark laughed. "Shit. There's a point system here?"
"Apparently." She stepped up beside him, leaning against the railing.
"Well, I think I'm last," he said. "My wife got murdered. Hard to score extra points when that happens."
Bellamy let out a burst of laughter. Hearing her laugh so freely sent butterflies flying in Clark's stomach. "You mean to tell me you have a glass slipper you were planning on giving to her in your back pocket?"
"Definitely," he said. An easiness settled over him. This simplicity between them was familiar. "I have a few white stallions, too."
"Oh, really?"
"Did I mention the pumpkin?"
Bellamy tapped his arm with the petals of her rose. "Atom needs to step up his game. Every girl dreams of a pumpkin as a gift."
"You can have it, if you want," he continued, a silly smile plastered on his face. "My wife is dead, after all. She won't be using it."
She let out another laugh. "Your wife died less than an hour ago and you're already giving her stuff away to other women?"
"I'm ruthless, what can I say? It's a side to Prince Charming that we don't usually get to see, but under the circumstances…"
Bellamy shook her head fondly and bumped his shoulder with hers. "You're funny," she said affectionately. "I'm worried about you though. You were… off earlier."
This time, Clark was the one to reach for Bellamy's hand. She smiled softly once their palms touched, which sent his heart racing.
"I'm fine," he promised her, his voice more genuine than it was in the kitchen. She looked taken back by how sincere he sounded. "I promise, Bellamy."
She took a step closer to him, her thumb brushing over the back of his hand. Clark had to force his mind away from thinking about how nice this was, and how natural it felt.
"You're sure?" she pressed, glancing up at him.
Her eyes stole the breath from his lungs. She was so close to him now that he could see all the various shades of brown within them; the honey, the rust, the chocolate. It was like looking in a kaleidoscope.
"I'm sure."
"You'd tell me if there was something wrong, right?" she asked, her voice sounding a little more desperate. Clark's heart panged with pain; he didn't want to hurt Bellamy – not ever. She clearly knew him well enough to know something was wrong with him, and that alone was hurting her.
"Of course," he said. She just didn't need to know about this – about how he was totally and completely in love with her.
Her chin titled upwards and determination flashed across her eyes. "I care about you," she said. The corners of her lips twitched upwards into a smirk. "A lot, Clark."
He must've been imagining things, since he could've sworn her gaze flicked down to his lips, just for a brief moment. His breath got trapped in his throat and his mouth ran dry.
She was facing him completely now and their bodies only inches apart. Once again, he could feel each one of her breaths ghost along his face.
His eyes drooped to her lips. The smirk had disappeared completely. Her lips were parted slightly. The small scar on her upper lip was more prominent under the moonlight.
He swallowed thickly. "I care about you, too," he said, his voice raspy.
Her free hand cupped his cheek gently. Her fingers brushed some of his stray hair away from his face, while her thumb swooped along his jaw.
She was closer than before now. Somehow, without him realizing it, their bodies pressed against each other. Their hands were still collapsed, and he was thankful for the contact to ground himself.
Without another moment of hesitation, they were both moving towards each other. All he could think about was her in that moment. All he could feel was her body melted against his, and the light touches of her hand, and the steadiness of her breath, and the care in her eyes.
He felt like he was moving entirely too slow, and she seemed to feel the same way. She rocked forward, moving towards him, closing the distance between their lips.
His eyes fluttered closed. His heart was racing in his chest. He could practically taste her on his lips.
So close. She was so close.
"Belle?"
The third voice broke the tranquility they'd fallen into. Bellamy sucked in a quick breath and jumped away from him, breaking her hold on his hand. Clark's eyes flew open and he stumbled a few steps backwards too, like he was knocked off his balance.
"Atom!" Bellamy gasped, her hands running down the front of her dress to smooth it out. "Hi. Hey." Clark couldn't take his eyes off of her; his mind was turning slowly, trying to figure out what the hell just happened. Bellamy's face twisted as soon as she turned to face the doorway. "Hello, Adam."
Clark could hear a change in tone, and it made him freeze.
What?
He turned towards the doorway, where Atom and Wells were standing together. Wells' expression was shocked.
"Belle, darling, hello! Wells and I have been looking for you and our good friend Prince Charming." His choice of words must have been on purpose. Friend. Clark shifted uneasily.
He stepped onto the patio, moving towards Bellamy's side.
"Right, yes." She straightened up, lifting her chin high. Maybe he was imagining things, but Bellamy swore he seen a faint blush across her cheeks.
They almost kissed.
Holt shit.
Every thought disappeared from his mind with this realization. He almost kissed her. Or… she almost kissed him?
Hell, did it really matter?
They almost kissed. If Atom didn't speak when he did, they would have kissed.
Fuck.
As Clark continued to process, Wells turned to him, his gaze suspicious. "You two didn't break character, did you?"
He couldn't form words. His mouth was dry, his mind was foggy, and his lips refused to move.
He almost kissed Bellamy.
"I- Uh…"
"No, silly," Bellamy said, stepped forward. Even the way she held herself as Belle was different than how she held herself as Bellamy. She moved with the grace of a princess, the confidence of a queen, and strength of a warrior. "Charming was out here all alone, clearly distraught over Cinderella. Isn't that right, Charming?"
Cinderella. Right. His murdered wife.
He almost forgot about her.
"Right," he managed to say.
Bellamy pouted slightly and leaned into Atom's side. "Even now, he's devastated over the murder of his beloved. It didn't feel right leaving him out here all alone."
Damn. She was good.
"My sweet Belle," Atom said, a wide smile on his face. Wells didn't look too convinced.
"You walked in on me comforting him, isn't that right, Charming?" He managed a nod. "It was simply a hug."
"Between friends," Atom said, his voice suspicious.
Belle's smile was forced. "Absolutely." Her eyes left Atom's, and locked on Clark's for a brief moment. They were intense – a stark contrast to her light-as-air attitude in that moment.
He got the picture. He remembered hearing somewhere, the first rule of improv acting was-
"Yes, and," he said, turning to look at Wells, "I'm thankful for her words of comfort. She told me about the time she thought her love of her life died." He left out the part where Adam did definitely not die during Beauty and the Beast, yet Cinderella was most definitely dead. Minor details. "Very comforting."
Why were they going through all this trouble again? Would it really be the end of the world to break character and get disqualified?
Clark reminded himself that Wells promised the winner a totally awesome prize. Considering his dad was rich, he didn't doubt how great this prize was.
Stay in character.
"Okay," Wells said after a moment. "We're going to be eating dinner, and then moving on to interrogations. Don't forget – you need to figure out who murdered her and why."
Right. Because that sounded normal.
The interrogations were not going well.
Not only was Bellamy completely avoiding Clark's eyes, but Clark was confused. He must've missed a few important clues while he was sulking in the kitchen, or while he was hiding on the patio.
Not only was he confused about the whole murder situation, but he was also confused about what the hell was happening with him and Bellamy?
All he could think about was her soft touches, and her warm laugh, and her caring heart. She held so much warmth and kindness that it made him ache.
And, holy shit, they almost kissed.
He told himself that he wasn't going to let his feelings surface, but here he was. Somehow, they almost kissed. He let his feelings overtake his logic – he let his heart overpower his head.
Now, it felt like he was suffocating. He didn't know what the hell happened. He didn't know where they stood. Bellamy wasn't looking at him.
And it felt absolutely terrible.
"I accuse Snow White!" Jasper said, standing from his chair dramatically.
He managed to find a frying pan around Wells' house, which he now waved wildly in Octavia's direction. Even though Rapunzel was usually the one to use the pan as a weapon, Jasper didn't seem to care.
"She has motive; Snow White used to be Disney's pride and joy! She was their first princess! But, do you see her castle at Disney World? What about Disneyland?" He didn't wait for any answers. "No! Disneyland has Sleeping Beauty – looking great, by the way, Aurora." Emori, who was wearing a pink dress gave him a thumbs up. "What about Disney World – arguably, the most famous Disney parks? That's right, ladies and gentlemen. Cinderella. I rest my case."
"I'm confused," Monty spoke up. "Do these characters even know about Disney parks? Are we breaking the fourth wall?"
"Good question," Roan agreed. He flicked his eye patch up and set his hook down on the table. "Does Captain Hook know there are movies about him? Or-"
"No!" Wells interrupted. "You are all living off in some distant land. You only have the knowledge those characters would."
"So this isn't a Once Upon a Time situation," Roan clarified.
Wells rubbed his eyes. "No. Jasper, your guess doesn't hold up because your character doesn't know about the Disney parks. Next, please."
Roan stood up. "I accuse Belle."
Clark's eyes flicked to Bellamy's. Her chin was lifted in defiance as she stared down Roan. She was the epitome of strength and confidence.
"As we walked in, Cinderella was talking to Adam!"
"So?" Bellamy asked, her eyebrow lifting.
"You must've seen this, and murdered Cinderella."
She didn't look impressed. "For talking to my husband?"
"Yeah."
"No other reason?"
"…No."
Bellamy scoffed. "Ridiculous. Adam can talk to whoever he wants. I wouldn't bat an eye – never mind commit murder over that."
Murphy was next. His smile was too sinister for Flynn Rider. He spun around to face Clark. "You. You're the murderer."
He choked on the air he was breathing. "What!?"
"You're the husband of the victim! Most murders are done by the spouse, right? I mean… That's what I heard on CSI."
"Flynn Rider doesn't know what CSI is," Wells reminded tiredly from the end of the table.
"Right. Then, that's what I heard at The Snuggly Duckling," he corrected. "Maybe it was for money, or maybe it was to keep something quiet, or maybe it was for something else. You must have some motive."
Before he could continue, Atom spoke up. "An affair."
The table fell silent.
Clark racked his brain, trying to figure out who Prince Charming would be having an affair with. The only other person he could come up with was Snow White, only because her partner was also named Prince Charming.
"You killed Cinderella because you're having an affair," Atom said again.
"With who?" Wells prompted.
Atom slowly turned to Bellamy. "My wife!"
Octavia let out am overly dramatic gasp at this accusation, clearly trying to tease her sister. Clark's heart fell to her stomach.
As if things couldn't get more uncomfortable between him and Bellamy.
"I was cheating on Cinderella with Belle?" Clark clarified. "No. Absolutely not."
"Darling, I don't know what you're talking about," Bellamy said. Her hand reached out for Atom's, but he dramatically ripped it away from her.
"No! Do not 'darling' me!" he cried. His acting was spotty, but Clark was too shocked to pay too much attention. All he was thinking of was how in the hell was Prince Charming and Belle in a secret relationship? "I know what I witnessed!"
"You didn't witness anything," Bellamy said, her face slowly becoming less amused.
"What did you witness?" Wells pressed.
"They were kissing."
Clark froze. Oh, shit.
"On the patio," he continued talking.
No. No, this wasn't happening.
Please don't be happening. Please don't be bringing up the almost kiss between him and Bellamy.
"I interrupted them. They tried to play it off as them comforting each other as friends."
"We are just friends," Bellamy pointed out quickly.
Atom was clearly oblivious to the fact they were Bellamy and Clark out on the patio – not Belle and Prince Charming. He thought what he witnessed was all part of the game.
Clark wished the power would go out again. This couldn't be happening.
"You don't understand," Bellamy hissed, her face stony. Clark knew her well enough to know that this was Bellamy, without a question – not Belle.
How did they end up in this mess?
"You two were definitely kissing," Atom pointed out.
"No, we definitely weren't," Bellamy said heatedly.
"Don't try to hide your affair, Belle. I know the truth."
"Atom," she warned. "We're just friends!"
"I call a bluff," Jasper said. "You are definitely not just friends."
Shit. If possible, the situation got worse. Jasper knew how Clark fell about Bellamy. Did he think Atom was talking about them, not Prince Charming and Belle?
If looks could kill, Flynn Rider would've been joining Cinderella.
"Screw off," Clark warned, finally mustering the strength to speak.
"I'm just saying, Clark has been-"
"Prince Charming," he corrected stiffly. "We are in character, dipshit."
That was enough to catch Jasper up on what was happening. His eyes bugged out slightly. "Oh. Oh. Damn. My bad." He sat back down. "Carry on."
Bellamy turned to Atom again. "You're confused. We weren't in-"
"We weren't having an affair," he said, cutting her off. He knew what she was going to say. We weren't in character. If she admitted that, they'd both be thrown out of the game.
Maybe his priorities were a little off. Or, maybe he just didn't want to admit that that was them out there, not their characters. If he fessed up to wanting to kiss Bellamy, things would spiral out of control. His true feelings would be revealed. He'd lose her and their friendship.
This was the safer option. What was the worst that would come out of being accused for fake-murder?
"From where I'm standing, you two have been having an affair for months! You've been cheating on Cinderella and I!"
"We never kissed!"
"You two do flirt," Raven pointed out.
"No," Murphy denied. "Bellamy flirts with everyone. It's her thing. Hell, she flirted with me once."
"Belle," Wells reminded weakly from the end of the table. "Not Bellamy."
She didn't pay attention to Wells. "I never flirted with you." Murphy shrugged.
"You two are in love. You'd have to be living under a rock not to see it," Miller decided. "The question is; is Bellamy and Clark in love, or Belle and Prince Charming?"
"Oh, definitely Bellamy and Clark," Octavia said, settling back into her chair, a smirk on her face.
"O-"
"I'm just saying." She held her hands up in defence. "Remember on New Year's? And how you both kept looking at each other?" She wiggled her eyebrows.
"We were looking at each other. Looking as in literally just staring," Clark hissed.
"You guys are wrong!" Jasper said, his tone obviously forced. "It's Belle and Prince Charming in love! Bellamy and Clark? Impossible. There's absolutely no sexual tension there. There has been none between them – never, not once."
As if his answer wasn't obvious enough, he winked at Clark.
"For fuck sakes."
"They were probably just talking," Emori suggested.
"You guys," Roan said, leaning forward. The table fell silent from how serious his tone was. Once again, his eye patch was flipped to above his eyebrow. "They both weren't here when Cinderella was murdered."
Clark felt several pairs of eyes settle on him. His skin crawled.
Shit.
And that was how he became suspect number one for the fake-murder of his on-stage wife.
It wasn't too long after Clark was accused when Wells announced the rest of the mystery would be solved by looking for clues around the house. He was glad to escape from the table because it meant escaping from the tension.
The tension was so thick that it was impossible to look at Bellamy. Either he was thinking of their almost kiss, or thinking about how mortified she looked when their friends were discussing their relationship. Either way, it wasn't good.
Clark stuffed his hands in his pockets and continued to climb the stairs to the second floor. He wasn't too sure what he was looking for exactly, but he was willing to do anything to keep his mind off of Bellamy.
And her golden laugh.
And her pure heart.
And her warm touches.
And her impossibly kissable lips.
Shit.
He wanted to kiss her, and he was almost convinced she wanted to kiss him, too. She leaned towards him, just like he leaned towards her.
He was confused. What if he was reading the signs wrong? That was possible, right? It seemed more likely than Bellamy actually wanting to kiss him, so he was going with that.
Clark scanned the floor for something out of place, trying to get his mind off of her. The faster he figured this out, the faster they could all go home.
He'd seen Scooby Doo before, so he was practically an expert. All he had to look for was a piece of floor out of place, or a book on the shelf with less dust, or a portrait with the eyes cut out.
Easy.
Across the hall was a table with a vase full of roses. Clark's heart lurched at that. Even something as simple as roses reminded him of Bellamy. She'd been carrying one earlier that evening.
He pulled out a flower on impulse. He twirled it in his fingers, and, as he did, something flew off the stem.
A piece of paper.
Who the hell would put a piece of paper in-
A clue. It took Clark a moment to realize that this must be one of the clues planted around the house.
He lunged for the paper, pulling open the folds quickly. The writing was smudged, but he could read it for the most part.
Cinderella,
My princess, with hair as golden as your heart. You are a breath of fresh air. My life was given to me, with every detail planned; who to marry, who to be.
You weren't part of my plan, and I am thankful for that. Your kindness shines brighter than dragon fire. Your grace is one of a queen. Your optimism is stronger than a curse. You, Cinderella, are a gem in my life, brighter than any sapphire on Earth.
I only wish we could spend more time together. Things got complicated too quickly. I hope you understand.
May we meet again,
Prince
Clark squinted at the signature at the bottom of the note. It was from a prince, but the name was too smudged to read.
He pulled the note away from his face, a feeling of shock settling over him.
"My wife cheated on me!"
Meanwhile, Bellamy was sifting through 'Cinderella's bedroom,' as Wells affectionately called it. It was the room she was supposedly staying in, thus it was one of the last places she went alive.
Nothing was out of place in the closet, nor was there anything suspicious in the drawers of her nightstand.
She tried to think of what they would do on Bones, but she was struggling. It wasn't like she could examine Cinderella's remains for clues. Cinderella was still walking around the house and munching on some dinner rolls, the DEAD sign taped to her back.
She flopped backwards onto the bed, her eyes locking on the ceiling. She wished a clue could drop out of thin air. All she wanted to do was get out of this dumb dress and talk to Clark.
Clark.
She grabbed a pillow, pressed it to her face, and let out a groan.
When did she fall so in love with her best friend? That wasn't allowed, was it? It didn't seem like it should be allowed. It was complicated, and messy, and beautiful, and perfect.
She tossed the pillow to the floor. As she did, a feather came loose from the back of the pillow and floated down towards the bed.
She sat up, suddenly on high-alert. The feather was pale red and looked oddly familiar. Bellamy picked up the feather and turned it over in her hands a few times. She froze when she realized what was stained on one side of it.
A lipstick print.
She pulled the feather away from her face, a feeling of shock settling over her.
"Clark's wife cheated on him!"
Clark raced back down the hallway. He didn't know where he was going, exactly, but he needed to start somewhere. Cinderella's room seemed like a good place to go.
Just as he rounded the corner to enter her room, Bellamy exited. The two of them collided roughly and Bellamy let out a small yelp. His hand shot out to grasp her elbow, just as her hand wrapped around his bicep, steadied both of them.
"Shit," he swore. She glanced up at him, her smiling warming his chest. "Sorry."
For a brief moment, they were both silent. Clark's heart was pounding and his mouth completely dry.
The tension dissipated as soon as Bellamy started laughing. She rocked forward, resting her forehead against Clark's shoulder, her whole body shaking with the force of the laughter. It was easy for Clark to join her.
"I think I'm too invested," Bellamy admitted between laughs. "I thought you were the murderer coming to clean up the mess they left behind."
Clark snorted at this. "Or for round two?" They both pulled away from each other, still smiling. "I'm surprised we've lasted this long, to be honest."
"Wells really should've disqualified and murdered us already," she agreed.
Clark took a step backwards and shook his head slightly. "Wait. Clean up the mess?"
Bellamy was still grinning as she lifted her hand up. "I found a clue." She pointed behind her with her thumb. "In the bedroom."
"Care to share?"
She smirked and took a teasing step backwards. "Wells said we aren't allowed to share clues. And you know me – I never break the rules."
"That's bullshit and you know it," he said. She grinned wider at this. "Are you going to make me beg for more information?" he asked, his eyebrow lifting. She smirked. "'Cause I'd totally do it. On my hands and knees, too."
"I'd like to see that." Clark's heart was lodged in his throat. "Time is of the essence though. Your wife is murdered and we want the prize."
"We," he echoed. "I sense a team-up here?"
"I'm being generous. It's my clue," she reminded him.
"Ah, but you never asked me if I found a clue." He held up the folded note. "We're working together?"
"Damn right." Bellamy opened her hand, revealing the pink feather. The lipstick print was facing upwards. "Sorry to break it to you, but your wife was cheating on you."
Clark opened the letter and passed it to her. "My heart is broken," he said dryly. Bellamy snorted. "I found out moments ago. Based on the letter, it was a relationship gone wrong."
"So, the unnamed prince murdered Cinderella?" Bellamy concluded. "And the murderer is one of us. How many princes are there here?"
"Me, Atom, Lincoln, Miller, Murphy, and Jasper. Not Roan though, because I don't think Captain Hook is considered a prince – anywhere, ever. And obviously it isn't me, since my wife wouldn't be having an affair with someone she's married to."
"Right. That leaves the other five."
Clark glanced into the bedroom. "You searched in here?"
"Yeah – that's the only clue. We need to search somewhere else."
Clark closed his eyes and tried to think of somewhere a clue could be hidden.
"These clues won't be obvious – I found mine under a pillow," she said.
"And I found this in a vase."
After a beat of silence, his eyes flew open.
He knew where the next clue was.
A few minutes later, they found themselves back in the kitchen. He remembered seeing something out of place earlier, but thought nothing of it at the time. If Wells was hiding clues around his house in inconspicuous spots, this made sense.
Clark strode across the kitchen, Bellamy trailing after him. He led them to the cabinet filled with cups and threw it open.
Just like he remembered from hours earlier, a single glass slipper was sitting behind a few cups. Unlike before, it was now covered in a red handprint.
"Shit!" he exclaimed.
Bellamy nudged his side excitedly. "Grab it!"
He gingerly pulled it from behind the first row of cups, his fingers avoiding the fake bloody handprint. Bellamy slid up beside him, eagerly peering at the clue.
He never expected to get so caught up with a Disney themed murder mystery party, but his heart was pounding and his body was buzzing with adrenaline. (Or, maybe it was because Bellamy was pressed snuggly into his side.)
"A handprint," she said. "A bloody handprint. This must be the murder weapon."
"Ruthless," he mumbled. "She was murdered with her own accessories."
Bellamy took the slipper from Clark and held it closer to her face. He watched with rapt attention as she examined it. After a few seconds of complete silence, her eyes flicked up to meet his.
"This is the print of a left-hand," she determined. "Whoever is the murderer is also a leftie."
"You're a genius," he praised. "Who's a leftie?"
"Well, Atom isn't a leftie," Bellamy said. "Neither is Lincoln."
Clark remembered how Jasper slapped him on the back with his right hand earlier that evening. "Neither is Jasper."
"This leaves Miller and Murphy," she continued. Her eyes were sparkling and her bottom lip was between her teeth. "Both are left handed."
"The other clues must mean something," he said. "A feather and a love letter."
"A red feather." Bellamy blinked a few times, a stunned look on her face. "Oh, hell, I don't know why I didn't think of this before. You know who has a feather as a part of their costume?"
"No. Who?"
"Prince Phillip," she said. She let out a breathless chuckle and locked eyes with him. "Murphy's a leftie, and his costume includes a hat with a light red feather."
They were silent as they processed their discovery. Clark could barely speak, he was so surprised. His heart was racing. His hands were shaking.
"Murphy's the murderer?"
"Well, Prince Phillip is, but yes."
He grinned. "We figured it out?"
When Bellamy let out a blissful laugh, he felt like he was flying. "We figured it out!"
Clark let out a loud whoop of joy. His arms wrapped around her middle, lifting her in the air and twirling her around. The bottom of her dress fanned out around them, and she echoed out another joyful yell.
When she met his eyes, a softness filled her features. Without another moment of hesitation, she was moving forward, closing the distance between them. Their lips connected and everything else seemed to fade away.
Clark's arms tightened around Bellamy's waist, pulling her tightly to him. Her one hand threaded through his hair, while her other hand cupped the side of his face. Kissing her felt beautiful.
It was over too quickly, but it left Clark dizzy and breathless.
When they pulled away from each other, they both had smiles on their faces. Bellamy brushed a few strands of Clark's hair away from his face with so much tenderness that it made his heart ache.
"You have no idea how long I've been waiting to do that," she admitted with a lopsided smile.
He let out a breathless laugh and moved to rest his forehead against hers. "I wish I knew. I've been dreaming of the same thing."
With a laugh, she moved forward and captured his lips again.
Their moment of bliss was broken by an overly dramatic gasp from the kitchen doorway. Unlike last time they were interrupted, neither of them jumped apart.
"My wife!" Atom gasped dramatically.
"Fucking finally," Jasper cheered.
"Could've called that one," Murphy said.
Wells was the last to speak. He was clearly amused despite his words. "Sorry to break it to you, but you're disqualified. You broke character."
Clark turned back to Bellamy, his smile never fading. He'd happily be disqualified a million times over if it meant being in this moment.
Bellamy let out another laugh and moved forward to kiss him.
Screw Beauty and the Beast. Bellamy and Clark had a better ring to it.
CHARACTER LIST:
Not all of these characters were mentioned often in this fic, but I gave everyone at least one mention!
Harper = Cinderella (Cinderella)
Clark = Prince Charming (Cinderella)
Bellamy = Belle (Beauty and the Beast)
Atom = Adam (Beauty and the Beast)
Octavia = Snow White (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)
Lincoln = Prince Charming (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)
Monty = Ariel (The Little Mermaid)
Miller = Prince Eric (The Little Mermaid)
Emori = Aurora (Sleeping Beauty)
Murphy = Prince Philip (Sleeping Beauty)
Jasper = Flynn Rider (Tangled)
Roan = Captain Hook (Peter Pan)
Prince Phillip (Murphy's character) was the murderer, as solved by Clark and Bellamy. His motive is that he was having an affair with Cinderella and he was scared she would reveal this. Also, I imagine Monty and Miller winning the party in the end, and the prize was actually something super lame (like a coupon or something, idk).
This was all written without having ever done a murder mystery party, so I highly doubt this is how the game works. Take it all with a grain of salt.
Thanks for reading!
Paw