The silence rang in his ears as he replayed the thought in his head. The heat of his room from the August humidity threatened to suffocate him if it weren't for the few occasional breezes from the now ajar window. Had he not been suffering the risk of his roommate returning any second, he would have solved this problem himself much earlier today. He was sprawled out on his bed now, uncomfortably warm, and uncomfortably craving something he knew he probably would never have.
She was never what he expected.
Not the first moment he met her when she plastered a sickeningly sweet grin on her face in hopes of catching the attention of dear, precious Ben. He almost scoffed on the spot, but held back as he was aware of his position in front of them among his fellow marching members. He hadn't felt very prepared for the solemn, vain personality she had exhibited as he toured them around the school, but he had convinced himself that her stature was only to be expected from an evil queen's daughter. That, and her feather light voice, flirtatious smirk, self-assured strut with those beautiful legs and-anyway, he was wandering off topic. It had only thrown him off guard more to see her at none other than his lab table, just his luck. It had been his expectation to see her completely absorbed in herself the entire class period, which he wasn't wrong about. What he didn't expect was the moments that her face seemed to reveal a piqued interest in the glances he'd manage to steal. He felt himself suck in a breath much quicker than intended when she had involuntarily allow her hand holding the small, delicate mirror she had been so keen on preening herself in to watch the lesson in front of her with a quizzical expression.
Of course he had thought her attractive when he first set eyes on her, he means, her mother was the fairest in the land at one point. At first glance she was a classic beauty, but watching her here, with such small space between them as she seems to have left her own little world of primping herself to focus on something and stare so intently he can practically feel her concentration radiate, she was beautiful.
And all at once, as quickly as he had noticed it, it was over. As if shaking herself from a trance, she withdrew from her focus and held her mirror between her and the original scene of her interest. She looked slightly embarrassed, her cheeks slightly pink and her brow drawn downward as though she had made a mistake she deeply wished no one had witnessed. Doug looked back down at his own notes, not wanting to reveal the small image he felt he had stolen. His young heart instantly raced to recall her expression, her eyes engrossed in understanding as she followed the lesson with such ease and intent. He knew he was screwed then, and every time he had spoken to her afterwards.
He wasn't very smart when it came to girls, but nothing ever confused him more than the decisions Evie made. He couldn't understand why he continuously caught her seemingly very interested in her classes while she'd look down on her cheat sheet hidden in her prized mirror for answers he knew she could solve. He didn't understand her habit of smiling disingenuously around people (particularly boys) he honestly had no idea why she'd ever want to affiliate herself with. Of these, of course included damned Chad Charming, he recalled the evening under the bleachers when he had watched in a jealous fit as she twirled her hair and feigned laughter as her pretty eyelashes batted in a complete package of allurement that he obviously had no interest in. He felt mostly confused by Chad at that point, how could he possibly resist a show such as that one? Of course Doug could feel the superficial layer of sugar in her attitude, it really wasn't something he would consider a deal breaker. Chad must be lot dumber than people gave him credit for, and for a moment Doug felt a bit offended that he didn't accept Evie's tantalizing advances.
He'd reached a peak in being confused by her after the afternoon he'd looked up to see her panicked expression at the loss of her mirror during their chapter test, frantically searching for her prized possession. There was a pang in his chest to watch her face fall in betrayal before shifting into slight anger after the teacher had assured her she wouldn't be using the small tool of magic for this test. He would have left the situation alone if it weren't for his heart skipping a beat as he recalled her face staring attentively at the teacher for a few minutes at a time in class, seemingly lost in the lecture. He knew she could handle this, even if she didn't know it herself. His voice rose ever so slightly to fake an excuse for her distress, silently pointing at her paper in front of her as to indicate that she should take the opportunity to finish her test. She caught on immediately and once again, he felt concentration radiating as she scratched down answers, gradually becoming surer of her answers. There was a rush of pride he could feel as she turned in her answers, but as he finished his own test, he could feel a pair of eyes watching him carefully.
Before he could swing his backpack over his shoulder to leave the classroom, he could feel her presence at his side almost immediately. She was absentmindedly twirling a strand of her beautiful shining hair when she cocked her head to the side almost in an inquiring manner. Doug could only stand frozen as his cheeks turned a slight shade of pink in the sudden embarrassing realization that she could probably hear his heart pounding in his chest to be this close to her. She stared at him quietly for a few seconds, seemingly content with the silence he found unbearably awkward. Her voice was light and elegant when she finally decided to speak, "Why'd you do that for me today?" she straightened her head as she paused, "I mean thank you, but why?"
His eyebrows both raised in surprise, his heart pounding in his ear as he tried to absorb the moment. He stopped himself from speaking too soon and cracking his voice, but instead spoke with a breathy laugh, "You know a lot more than you think you do, ya know…." He reached an arm back to scratch the back of his head anxiously, "You're very smart, I knew you could finish that test on your own…" Her expression seemed to transform into something much more questioning, as if she didn't quite comprehend what exactly he had said to her, or was possibly in disbelief. She looked down in thought for a few seconds and Doug wondered if he had ruined all chances of remaining her friend right then and there by offending her. She pursed her lips for a moment in anticipation for a few seconds and he swore he could feel the heat rising in his cheeks. In wait could have easily been mistaken for a full minute of silence, he was just about to spout a quick apology to excuse himself when something that he could only explain as magic must have happened.
He stood stiffly for the first few seconds as her arms wrapped around his shoulders and squeezed tightly in a warm embrace as her face fell in his shoulder. His expression remained in complete shock as his hands gradually pulled around her waist in what was probably a few seconds late. She hugged him comfortably, which could have been completely unexpected for anyone else to see from someone raised by a stone cold queen of vanity. Yet here she was, inhaling a deep breath as she tightened her grip around him for a few seconds before pulling back. He immediately missed the warmth, but was satisfied by the moment they had just shared as he slowly found himself grinning. She offered him a small, knowing smirk as her hands held his arms, not yet breaking the contact between the two. She stood there for a moment, watching his eyes before turning around with a small wave and leaving the classroom. He spent a few starstruck seconds in amazement before he came to his senses and grinned wildly at himself in part-shock and part-satisfaction.
She was never what he expected.
Their friendship had of course bloomed into something that was always on his mind as days flew by, and he'd found himself spending an excellent amount of time together when they'd be studying. He found out a surprising number of things about her, such as her bewildered reaction to small delicacies he'd taken for granted such as berries or her personal favorite, dark chocolate. He'd come to discover her interest in fashion was far beyond her taste and critique, but one of a formula that involved many components to create a medley so harmonious and coordinated it could really only be described as her. He was becoming more aware of her genuine expressions that he had formerly rarely seen when she'd interacted with others, and was gifted with the presence of her real smile from time to time. It was something he could only describe as heavenly, when her naturally sophisticated features lit up with joy and shifted into a grin he would dream about so often it was embarrassing.
He never expected her to look at him this way. Not after he'd seen her with Chad. No, not attempting to woo him yet again much to Doug's dismay, but staring at him with such distrust it made him wary to approach the situation. He'd already fallen to the ground when she'd pulled Mal away from the group, in obvious distress that Doug could feel like a punch in the gut. He'd never thought she would look at him this way, as he tried to rekindle the trust between them the next day. Of course Chad had found this to be the time to call him back to him, pulling him away from what he deemed "a dangerous villain". But the expression he turned back to see on her face was only what he could describe as heartbreaking. It wasn't the furious expression of intensity he had seen just the day before, but one of crestfallen betrayal. In her eyes, she looked abandoned, and his stomach fell so quickly he nearly winced. She trusted him, and which side was he taking? The 'friends' he agreed with, right? He couldn't find it in himself to answer her grief in anything other than what she probably wanted, so he left.
He'd felt misery before, it wasn't much of a new feeling for someone as easy a target of aggression as he was in high school, but nothing could really compare having to watch Evie stand with her head held high in cold indifference to those around her. He'd remembered the small secret she'd shared with him so naturally when they'd been spending time together after what seemed to be so long ago. "As much as I love her," her voice was a bit unsure for a moment, as though she wasn't sure if she should share her entire thought, "I kind of hope I don't become as cold as…y'know…my mom…"
Yet there she was, so high above the others with a gaze that could be deadly if locked on someone in particular. He felt like a traitor, she deserved someone she could rely on. Was he really so afraid of her giving a jerk like Chad what he deserved that he would look past all the memories he'd held to dear to him of her beautiful laughter and silent pensive expression when she'd found something interesting enough to pay attention to? His eyes remained on her rigid stature most of the coronation; though she was mimicking her mother's posture incredibly well, he felt the evident trouble in her eyes as she watched in silence.
He would never have expected her to look at him again after that.
Especially when so many people had surrounded her and her ecstatic friend after the celebration, finally seeming to appreciate the incredible people they had always been. He wouldn't have been surprised if he was the furthest things from her thoughts when she smiled that beautiful, genuine grin of relief when Mal had announced to everyone that being her own person was worth betraying her horrifying dragon mom. He felt his heart skip a beat to see her like this, somehow moments away from crying tears of joy yet too preoccupied with the commotion around her to care that she was seething with real emotion. She was beautiful. Just as she always had been, authentic and thoughtful. She deserved all the happiness she felt and more, her beautiful heart deserved to feel the way it felt right now for the rest of her life. Doug was taken aback by how content he could be in knowing that since she was ok, he was too. If he didn't matter to her any longer, he wouldn't be selfish because he knew that right now, she deserved to be happy.
He sighed in astonishment at the whirlwind of events tangling in his mind. It was nearly impossible to straighten all these thoughts out after everything that had happened today. He replayed the memory of her heart clenching smile in his mind on repeat before finally opening his eyes again. Sprawled on his bed with his tie loosened around his neck from the heat, he sighed again to himself. As much as he replayed the coronation in his mind and reminded himself that everything would be fine now, there was still an empty space in his chest that ached to be filled. He didn't expect her to look back at him, or maybe he did. Maybe that was why it hadn't happened, because he wanted it to so badly. His hand raised to his forehead to hold his temples, disgruntled by his own selfishness. She had everything she deserved now! People finally saw her for the beautiful person he knew she was! What was wrong with him? He sat up on the edge of the bed and attempted to inhale a deep breath in the warm room as he rubbed at his eyelids. While it was also filling him with an unbearable ache in his chest to imagine the girl of his dreams continuously, he had to admit there was also a different form of warmth budding in his hormonal body. He cursed himself just in time to hear a short knock on his dorm door.
It was most probably his roommate, he thought to himself, but found it odd that he would knock before coming in. He hadn't any time to consider any other options of who it might be when he'd opened the door to an awaiting Evie who seemed quite pleased to see his face. He thought he could feel himself choke on whatever words had jumbled in his throat, so he quickly swallowed. His knuckles turned white as his grip on the doorknob tightened in surprise, he was at loss for expression. She seemed to understand his shock as he tried to remember how exactly he should breathe, so she waited a few seconds before raising her eyebrows and offering a small smile. "Can I…come in?" she asked almost rhetorically.
He took another few seconds to process what she had said as he stared, instinctively licking his lips and smiling sheepishly. "Yes. Yes, sure…sure!" he turned to gesture to the room, unblocking her path so her now hiked up dress could trail behind her into the small dorm. She moved slowly, stepping carefully and watching her surroundings with an air of assurance that he couldn't help but admire. He'd slowly closed the door behind her as she turned to look back at him, he felt her pensive eyes waiting for him to make the next move. He was still in shock however, so a few seconds of silence followed suit before his breath hitched in time for him to speak very softly. "I'm sorry about before, Evie." He looked down again, feeling a wave of regret wash over him to finally say this front of her, "you really do mean a lot to me and I never should have lost your trust. I was…just scared…"
"Doug," she interrupted his ramblings as he trailed off, a small smile rising on her lips, "I forgive you, it's ok."
His eyebrow furrowed, he seemed much more calm than he'd expected, "Well, if you don't want to see me anymore I…I understand…" he tugged at his collar, the heat of the room now actually suffocating him, "you deserve someone you can count on more…I'm just…I'm…" he glanced up at her again, her seemed surprised almost. Her lips slightly parted as her eyes widened as he spoke, he felt the words choke up in his throat to see her like this in front of him and he felt himself nearly sigh the rest of his sentence, "I'm glad you're happy."
She was nothing he'd ever expected, but he loved it so much it made him ache. She was always a source of surprise for him, the type that made his heart race as he felt his cheeks turn pink because he was the luckiest person alive to have her next to him. He was so satisfied to see her finally rewarded for being such a wonderful person, and even though he felt selfish enough to miss her, he wouldn't change what they'd done together for the world. She was nothing he expected, and he certainly didn't expect her to step forward and pull him into a kiss as suddenly as she did. He knew fairy tales; it was kind of something his whole life revolved around, but the all the magic in the world could never compare to what it felt like to kiss Evie. He didn't expect any of it, not the way she knotted her hands in his hair to the way she pressed her entire body to his as if her life depended on it. He almost immediately leaned into her as she greedily pulled his arms around his waist and he thanked the fairies she wasn't wearing heels so he could see her beautiful eyes in between each desperate kiss they leaned into.
If he didn't expect her to kiss him, he definitely didn't expect her to push him ever so slightly against the door behind him and hum in satisfaction into his mouth. When he'd taken a moment to catch his breath, she'd immediately taken to opportunity to push his glasses up onto his head, no longer preventing her from being as close as possible to who had to be the happiest person in the world. He can feel the heat of the room bringing them to an intimate high as they hazily press passionate kisses along each other. Not only sensing the thin layer of sweat that had developed when he'd been wondering to himself, the warm he'd felt in his body slowly began to spread as her chest pressed to his. She pulled back for a moment and smile in excitement before pushing into a lingering kiss as her hands slowing slid around his wrists, pinning them against the wall beside him. That, he thinks to himself, is unexpected.