Prompt: Jealous Robin! Because Alice spent most of her life on her own she doesn't really know when someone is flirting or just being nice. So, when someone is flirting with her she accidentally flirts back right in front of Robin. Based inenchanted forest. Full of angst please and thank you
Alice and I have been openly dating for a whole two weeks now and today just so happens to be the exact day we'd decided to stop denying what we both felt for one another and to start doing something about it.
Yet holding her hand now and being able to be the cause of one of those wide beaming smiles as we wound our way lazily between the marketplace was the closest thing to having true love that a former villainess and reformed outlaw's daughter like me could ever hope for. Thanks to Alice I'm the happiest woman in the whole of the ENF (New Enchanted Forest)
"Now how in all the NEF has a beautiful woman like you been able to avoid me all this time?"
I had to bite the inside of my cheek to muffle an annoyed groan part of me wishing I hadn't let Alice talk me into leaving my bow at the cottage even when I had talked her into letting me keep my hunting knife handy should anyone think of attacking us on the road.
The woman behind the flirtatious comment all but melts out of the shadows beside the latest stall Alice had stopped us by that shy but still flirtatious smile in place making my hand tighten around Alice's to the point it had to be painful for her, but it was either hold onto her tighter or risk punching the woman in her face when I picked up on the possible double meaning behind the greeting.
Part of me feels like I should know who this woman was but for the moment I can't seem to think past the fast-moving feelings of jealousy I have toward her when she moves into my girlfriend's personal space with her hand outstretched.
"I'm Alexandra Brand. But you can call me Alex. I run the 'Fiery Outfits' stall just down the row here and if you'll let me I think I may have just the perfect outfit for a pretty woman like you should be looking for." I had to clamp my jaw closed at the flirtatious wink Brand sent Alice warning a giggled blush in return before hurrying on with the rest of her sales pitch. "And not only will you look great but the look I have in mind for you will have all the men clamoring to talk to you next time you're in town." Alice's new acquaintance vows her tone hopeful.
Alice laughs at that seeming not to hear my defensive "She's already perfect" comment as she holds up our joined hands with a pleased "I don't need men to come talk with me I have exactly who I want to talk to right here. But I would like to see this outfit you think I'd look nice in."
The sight of Alice and I holding hands only seems to strengthen Alex's determination "Well then now I insist on helping you find the perfect outfit for this evening."
Alice didn't notice the glare Alex was sending my way, but I did. It was a look that I returned full force and even flashed a cheekily smug smile for good measure letting Alice lean against my side with my arms wound around her waist as my girl was momentarily and quiet adorably distracted by the glare of the sunlight catching on a set of wind chimes behind Alex's head.
It's not like I was actually checking her out or anything, but I had to admit that dark blue color of her bar maiden style blouse did seem to bring out even more of her natural Latina beauty and now that the evidence of who she was literally right in front of me when my eyes had naturally followed the sight line of the silver of the chin she was wearing down the curve of her throat to the blackened end of the magickly preserved charm around her neck.
Now I remember who she is. Christina Alexandra Brand or as those of us that have more or less grown up in the NEF like yours truly know her:
The Little Match Girl.
But unfortunately for me, she was no longer as little as her story leads you to believe as was now a rather beautiful young woman around mine and Alice's own age.
The earthy brown colored skirt Alex was sporting showing more than a few patches and stitches up rips when she walked that I only notice because I'm now staring angrily at the ground having been outvoted in the decision to let Alice's new friend pick out a new outfit for her.
"Whatever makes you happy babe." I hear myself saying when Alice asked me again if it was alright with me. The resulting grin and leaned in whisper of "best girlfriend ever Nobin." Against my ear momentarily brightening my mood considerably as I let Alice's hand in my own guide me along with her while Alice and Alex chatted in pleasant conversation as we follow Alex to the little shopping booth at the back of the market.
Ten minutes. Ten whole minutes of making to stand there like a dork listening to my girlfriend trade flirty banter with someone who wasn't me. But I knew deep down that my Alice wasn't really flirting with the other woman she was just being polite to her. Then again that little voice in the back of my mind had to remind me that my Alice wasn't as used to flirtatious banter like I was growing up first in that isolated tower then spending her teenage years running from realm to realm having grand adventuress. Alice may be a force to reckoned with in a fight but when it comes to the romance side of life she was still a little too innocent for her own good.
However, looking at that gorgeous playfully sly smirk she's giving Alex now I have to admit to thinking that maybe I was right and there really was the start of something in all those little glances and lingering touches when Alex would shake her head and pass Alice the next color?
"Robin? Hey Nobin? What do you think love?" Alice was asking me with another hard tug on my shirt sleeve pulling me from my tangled thoughts.
Alex was still standing closer than needed to honestly be helping Alice hold up the blouse the pair seemed to have finally agreed on.
"Cute." I say automatically only sparing the quickest lingering of glances at the forest green colored cloth Alice was modeling because honestly anything Alice wears looks amazing on her without her having to try but my words come out with more annoyance than intended my answer to be.
"Well, I think it looks more than cute on you….Miss…" Alex stepped in turning Alice away from me and back toward a full body mirror set up against one side of the stall support posts.
"Jones. Alice Jones." My adorable blonde answered turning in the tight circle of Alexandra's arms to shake her hand in proper greeting, and I could tell by her tone that my less than cheerful answer had hurt her feelings even without her obvious avoidance of my gaze over Alex's shoulder seeing as I'm standing not seven steps behind the embracing/ handshaking pair.
"Alice Jones…Alice Jones." Alex repeats as if testing how well she likes the sound of my girlfriend's name on her tongue. Really, I'm surprised I'm not punching her already instead of looking broadly at the few knickknacks she is supposed to be selling instead of flirting with other women's girls.
"Hang on not thee Alice Jones the one that's rumored to be Dark One's personal assistant on top of being a realm jumping adventuress extraordinaire?" Alex questions putting on a painfully exaggerated impressed tone of voice that has Alice blushing pink and dropping her eyes with a shy smile.
"That's me." My blonde-haired girl answers with a shy smile "But I'm hardly extraordinary." She hastily adds smoothing out the fabric of the shirt with a self-conscious smile on her lips earning a fast "You are too." From me that both other women seem to ignore as Alice now seems to be leaning back rather contently into the circle of Alexandra's arms like she so often does in my own. "But he's not as bad as people say he is once you get to know him." Alice defends leaning away quickly as if she just realized I'm still standing close by yet just acting like she wasn't enjoying the closeness but covering it with anxiety about knowing how skittish some folks still are when talking about 'The Dark One'.
"Of course." Alex nods but I can tell that she's not paying that much attention to what was just said if her lingering eyes on Alice's skirt is any proof. "Now how about we find you something else to make this look complete?" the saleswoman questioned not letting me have even a moment to really take in how lovely Alice was in her new top before she was stepping into Alice's personal space again with a sly smile and a downright sinful spark in her eyes as she looked over my girlfriend.
"Absolutely." Alice gleamed not noticing the signs I was as she clapped her hands excitedly at the thought of more new things to try on.
The next five minutes are a mix of amusement when Alice grimaces at a color or style of a skirt I could have known blindfolded she wouldn't like and annoyance when she'd unknowingly send back even more flirtatious banter with Alex as the hunt wore on.
"What about that one babe?" I offered when they'd searched all the options Alex had on hand pointing to one at a stall across the way. One I'd seen Alice looking at with curious interest just before Alex crashed out date to begin with. It was a deep cobalt similar to the red one Alice had been wearing when she and I met for the first time but hey my girl likes what she likes.
"That's perfect." Alice exclaimed throwing herself at me in a tight hug while Alex slink over to have words with the other vender and based on the look she was giving me over Alice's shoulder she was feeling maybe half as much jealousy as I have this entire time when Alice pulled back only to lean in again and press a kiss against my cheek.
Now she was looking at me again Alice's smile comes back full force as if she wasn't still annoyed with me for upsetting her earlier when her hand found mine pulling me closer, so I was spooned against her back as she held up what looked to me like a pair of silvery chopsticks made to look like arrows with a questioning glance over her shoulder at me.
"What do you think Nobin?"
I let the smallest of laughs slip at my nickname leaning in to rest my chin against Alice's shoulder before I answer. "I think that the silver seems to bring out the blue in your eyes." I praise honestly "Nope that's just cause you look so cute when your jealous nothing to do with the silver." Alice counters snuggling back against my chest.
"I'm not jealous." I defend at once "Okay maybe I was concerned at times but come on even you have to admit Alex is a little good looking." I backtrack dropping my voice to a near whisper when Alice only gives my refection self a raised eyebrow look in quiet disbelief.
"She's okay looking." My realm jumper agrees after what seems like an eternity long pause. "But she's not you my love." Alice tells me pressing her lips against my hair, so her voice was muffled.
"Your skirt my lady Jones." Alex says with a small bow as she comes back over to us. "Want me to wrap it up with the rest?" she wondered aloud already doing just that while she was asking us.
Alice only nodded her eyes closed and her head rested back against my shoulder as she swayed us back and forth to some music only she could hear.
"This is all on the house. Just take it as my gift." Alexandra smiled waving away the money when Alice tried to pay as the other woman handed over the package with Alice's new blouse and her new skirt with the hair accessories already tucked into her wild curls.
Of course, Alice tried to argue back but Alex would hear a word of it only say she will accept a hug in payment if it meant that much to my stubborn blonde. I had to turn away at that letting my finger play with the string on the package under my arm and only turned back when I heard a whispered "and take this as well." only to find Alex quickly closing Alice's fingers around whatever it was, so I couldn't see before sending us on our way.
It wasn't until we were halfway back to the cottage that I caught sight of the last thing we'd picked up at the market was.
Alex had gotten the size a bit wrong so Alice had to wear it on her thumb but even that couldn't stop the grin from spreading across my lips at the little bow now wrapped around my love's finger.