Disclaimer: Nothing's mine but the plot!

Title: Unbeautiful

Author: xXLiStLesSXx

Summary: "It's not me that they see, Fee. It's not me."
Pairing: Pippicity

Beautiful

She's eight years old when the first one comes, and he's so sweet to her that she thinks perhaps this man has come to replace her father.

And then he leans down and she feels his hot breath on her ear and his bearded chin against her smooth cheek and she begins to wonder whether she likes this or not. But then he disappears onto the balcony with Mother, and she promptly forgets about that.

When he goes to leave, he bends down again and suddenly he's kissing her hand and now she's positive she doesn't like the feel of his beard against her skin. "I've never met a more beautiful girl," he says, and then with all his audacity leans in to kiss her cheek and Pippa doesn't feel beautiful at all.

PGBR

She's just turned ten and Mother has a splendid birthday present for her but it's a surprise, so she smiles and waits.

And then the door opens to reveal a stout man in a rather tight suit and Mother's beaming down at her and she has the sense to look excited and maybe she is, just a little bit. She still trusts Mother- she's almost forgotten that minor event two years ago.

So when the man comes closer, Pippa smiles tentatively because surely this man must have her present. But then he takes a seat across from herself and Mother in the parlor, and he's talking to Mother but his eyes never leave her and she's beginning to wonder whether this man has her surprise, after all.

When he leaves, he takes his hat and then turns back to her and smiles in what's meant to be a fatherly way but really he's leering when he places a rough kiss on Pippa's pearly lips. "You have a beautiful daughter, ma'am," and Mother beams.

Later on that night, she lies in her bed, tears staining her cheeks and she's really not beautiful at all and she wonders why they think she is.

PGBR

Now she's thirteen, and she's beginning to look like the woman she'll become and Mother's long since given up her attempts to trick her daughter into believing that the men were actually here because they cared for her.

"Smile, and for God's sake, straighten your back!"

"Women are to be seen and not heard."

"You've been graced with beauty, otherwise you'd be no use at all."

And when another nameless suitor offers her another rose, Pippa wonders why they keep coming for her, because she's not smart and she's not charming and she's not graceful.

And she's not beautiful.

She's not beautiful at all.

PGBR

Now she's seventeen and laying in a lush jade field, her dark obsidian ringlets dancing around her pale face and those silver eyes are gazing into her violet orbs and she thinks that maybe she's forgotten how to breathe. "It's not me that they see, Fee. It's not me."

Felicity looks at her with the strangest expression and she's furrowing her eyebrows like she does when she's really thinking about something.

And then Felicity's impossibly closer, tilting her chin up with her ring finger, effortlessly pulling her to her chest and then she's kissing her and it's like nothing she's ever felt before. There's no stubble, no roughness in Fee's hands as she cups her face and her tongue begs entrance against Pippa's lips. Now Fee's got her arms tightly, protectively around her waist and she just melts into the embrace because no one's ever held her like this and she feels as though Fee will never let anyone else hold her like this.

And when they break apart Pippa doesn't remove her arms from Fee's neck and Fee doesn't loosen her grip on Pippa's waist and she touches her nose with her own. And Fee's got this crazy, crooked smile on her face and she kisses her cheek and whispers, "Pity, they must be blind."

The words are warm and silky against her neck, and Pippa giggles, but she can't stop the tear. Her small hands clench Fee's shoulders tightly, and she buries her head in the blonde hair, allowing Fee to support her completely as they lie in the middle of the field.

And then Fee's loosening her grip, and Pippa begins to complain but she's back already and she's putting a daisy in Pippa's dark hair. Then, satisfied, she pulls back and rests her forehead against Pippa's, and she presses a sweet, gentle kiss to her lips. "You're beautiful," she murmurs.

And she thinks that maybe she is, after all.