"Second Thoughts"
Rated K+
Pairing: Apple White X Daring Charming
Summary: Apple White is very unsure about the gift she has brought for Daring on this special True Hearts Day. As if she hasn't got him the gift he wanted. But what will he think when he gets it himself?
Disclaimer: I do not own anything associated with Ever After High or its characters. Ever After High and its characters are owned by Mattel and the respective co-authors of the EAH books, Shannon Hale and Suzanne Selfors. Anyway, since this is probably gonna be late as it is, here's a (late) Valentine's Day gift to you all, mostly a (late) Valentine's Day gift to my good friend Sirensong1029. So for you, a sweet Dapple one-shot fit for this (late) holiday! Enjoy!
Apple White was caught in an uncomfortable bind.
It was True Hearts Day, the most romantic day in the land of Ever After in which loved ones spend time together doing such various ways every couple should be doing: Having a romantic dinner, watching a very romantic movie in which the characters either kiss and get together or a sad movie in which one of the main secondary characters dies from some unknown disease, spending the time dancing in candlelight, having long walks on the beach, or perhaps spending their sweet time gazing at the stars and whatnot.
For Apple White, well... that was a different story.
A different story knowing the gift that she had gotten for her date True Hearts Day, Daring Charming, was not the gift that she had thought of getting him in the first place. The gift that Apple originally thought of giving to Daring was a stylish white jacket with stylish golden lines around the corners of the sleeves. The gold around the sleeves looked so extravagant and regal just like his soft, alluring locks of hair. A gift like that would definitely make Daring very delighted. Except there was one problem:
It only cost $200.
And so far, Apple had only $75, which unfortunately was not enough for her to buy the jacket for Daring. Apple turned very stressful, trying to figure out what to get Daring with the only money that she had over in her own wallet. With her cash in hand, she immediately had to grab something nearby, get it gift-wrapped, and head out of the mall just in time for Apple to make it over to Ever After High where as of now, stood outside Daring and Hopper's entire dorm room. She was either nervous or trying to get rid of the goosebumps that had been forming around her skin out of fear.
Forming a huge gulp in her throat, Apple thought to herself, "Okay Apple, you can do this. So what if it's not the gift that Daring wanted? At least you gave it a good thought that counts. All you gotta do is smile, just give him the gift, wish him a Happy True Hearts Day and leave without him knowing. Okay, that works. All right, here we go."
With her thoughts clear, Apple White attempted to knock on the door...
...
...
...
...only to squeal out.
"Okay, I can't do this." Apple thought out of total panic, "I just know it's gonna be a mistake if I give this to him. I mean, what if he hates it? Maybe it'd be better if I exchange it right away and try to save up my money in order to get the jacket."
But then, realization kinda forced Apple to consider at the last second. Maybe Daring might be used to the present should Apple give it to him. But then again, maybe he's gotten the same True Hearts Day presents like this before sent to him by other girls. Apple kinda feared that she would be those girls that always gave him the same plain, generic gifts that Daring would be used to. She was quite a regal princess who would have a little spice when it comes to gift-giving. But since she couldn't even afford that warm cozy white golden-patterned jacket that Daring feel like he would've wanted, what other choice did she have?
"Oh, what's the use? I guess I might as well give it to him and hopefully, he can handle it." Apple sighed to herself as she went back to the doorway.
After taking in the biggest deep breath she could ever take, Apple immediately knocked on the door and waited patiently for a good minute before that door twisted sideways and opened right away.
From there, Apple smiled nervously as the ever dashing Daring Charming now stood in front of her with a smile on his face.
"What's up, my fair Apple?" He said to her nicely.
Trying to get through the nerves that have been bothering her from the inside, Apple said with a disheartened smile, "Not much, Daring. I just wanna wish you Happy Birth- uh, I mean, Happy True Hearts Day!" She exclaimed with a close shave.
"Same thing to you too, my lovely." Daring winked before looking down at the gift, "So, is that my True Hearts Day present?"
"Yes, yes it is." Apple said with weak nervous knees before saying, "Here you go."
Daring immediately obliged as he took the present off of Apple's hands and started to immediately wrap the gift one by one. Apple on the other hand, couldn't even bear to watch as she started closing her blue eyes tightly as she ever could.
"Oh, I know he's gonna hate it! I just know from my shaking knees he's gonna hate it!" She thought to herself out of fear.
The fear was already getting to Apple like the boogeyman leaping from the under the bed and scaring the hex out of a frightened little child. Even her knees was so shaky, Apple wished she ended up in the winter wonderland where Crystal Winter had resided without no winter wear at all. Apple didn't want to imagine the reaction Daring had in his face once that final paper was wrapped from the gift.
She continued to close her eyes until...
"Apple?"
"Ok, I admit it, it was a horrible gift!" Apple incoherently shouted, "I tried so hard to give you the gift you wanted, but it just cost way too much for me to buy! So I just had to give you something that I know you'd like other than the jacket in order to make it up to you for not getting what you wanted. Please don't hate me, okay? I did my best for you! That's all that matters, okay?!"
As scared as Apple was all around, the only thing that she heard next was a little chuckle coming from Daring.
"You can open your eyes, Apple. I'm not gonna hurt you." He reassured her.
"You're not gonna hate me?" Apple gulped while opening her eyes slowly.
"Apple, why would I hate you for giving me such a gift like this?" Daring smirked right before pulling out the gift for him to see with a smile, "How did you know I wanted a new golden hand mirror?"
"I didn't know that," Apple smiled at herself, trying to hide her blush from the handsome prince.
After the blush was gone away completely, Apple then continued with, "I really thought you'd be used with that princess white-gold jacket by now."
"Look, I can always get myself that jacket any other day." Daring shrugged, "Besides, I sure could use a new mirror after Sparrow Hood accidentally sat on mine and broke it. I couldn't even look at my own reflection for the rest of the night."
"Well, it's a good thing I came at the right time, didn't I?" Apple replied.
"You definitely are a life-saver." Daring nodded back while looking at himself with that new mirror of his.
"I'm gonna leave you alone now, knowing you have other plans with the rest of your girls sooooo... I'll see ya around." Apple said as she left the doorway.
She walked a good mile away from his dorm room until Daring spoke out to her again.
"Hey, Apple?"
"Yes, Daring?" She said, turning to her head to him.
"Look, I don't have any plans for tonight." He added before smiling, "If you want, do you wanna come inside and watch some NetPix with me?"
With a comforting worry-free smile, Apple said with relaxed feeling, "Sure, I'd love that."
It didn't take long for Apple to enter inside her date's own dorm room, therefore leaving Daring to hang up a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door before closing it altogether. For all the stress Apple had been though, it seemed like a golden magic mirror was the perfect gift for Daring in her opinion. And to think having second thoughts about the gift worried her to dust. Once Apple saw the smile attached to Daring's face, she knew that he was fine with whatever he gave her. In her mind, this True Hearts Day turned out to be perfect for her.
I admit, this might not have been the best Dapple one-shot I have ever thought of doing. But hey, it's the (late) Valentine's season, so I gotta do something romantic for once. In my opinion, I think I did pretty much okay. But what do the rest of you all think?
Anyway, read, review, leave a feedback if you want to. Hope this fits your (late) Valentine's standards, Sirensong1029!