Dexter Charming and Cupid. Cupid and Dexter Charming. Mr. and Mrs. Dexter and Cupid Charming. In her daydream of heterosexual bliss and a happily ever after, Cupid hadn't realized her doodling was not on a spare piece of lined paper still stashed in her bookbag, as she discovered upon looking down. Swirling pink lettering and intricate intertwining hearts covered her magicology worksheet instead, to her dismay.
"Way to go, genius," Cupid muttered.
Was that drool on there, too? Disgusting. She might have blamed Dexter for ruining her homework but she knew the only person who could rightfully shoulder the guilt was Duchess Swan.
Duchess and her gracefully long, powerful dancer legs decided the desk closest to the only non-stained-glass window in the library was the desk she was going to use to study for her upcoming general villainy exam, which meant that the beautiful Dexter Charming and his pal Humphrey lost the desk that had been their study spot three years standing. Which meant that Dexter and his gorgeous eyes had to find a new study spot in the crowded school library. Which meant Dexter and Humphrey's new study spot was two tables across from Cupid, who had specifically chosen this table as there was no direct line of sight to Dexter's original study spot so she could study without being distracted by his stupid, pretty face. She knew she ought to find a new table, but 'routine' was a great excuse to indulge in bad habits like staring at and daydreaming of cute boys.
Dexter was cute in any situation, but when he was with his close friends, the social tension melted out of his face, and it was magically delicious. He would smile that heart-meltingly soft smile more often. Brush his hair out of his eyes more often. Look over at Cupid more often.
Cupid quickly looked back down at her ruined homework, raised her hand to her forehead to shield her flushed face from Dexter, and did her best to concentrate on disappearing from the planet. Maybe she would have been able to actually disappear if she'd been able to do her magicology homework for the past week. Maybe the proper technique needed could be found in her ruined worksheet. It looked like maybe problem number twenty-two related to teleportation, but she couldn't make out half of it thanks to a series of hearts arranged in the shape of a larger heart, framing a simplistic drawing of her and Dexter kissing. If only Dexter would look away, she might be able to calm down.
"Hey, Dex, did you catch which chapters Mama Bear wants us to read by Tuesday? Apple kept talking during class and I couldn't hear Mama Bear over her."
Saved by the bell. Or rather, saved by the cool, smooth, low-speaking voice of the prettiest girl in school. Sensing that Dexter's gaze had shifted, Cupid decided it was safe to resume ogling. The momentary sense of relief was quickly replaced by an uncomfortable churning in her stomach and a stinging tightness in her chest.
Cupid was well aware of Dexter's crush on Raven. As a budding goddess of love, it was her job to know these things, though anybody who witnessed Dexter's behavior around Raven would come to the same conclusion. When Dexter talked to Raven, his eyes sparkled brighter than usual, his smile was bigger and goofier, he couldn't form basic sentences, and his whole face and neck flushed an adorable shade of bright red. If only Cupid had the same effect on Dexter.
Raven said something else to Dexter, but Cupid didn't catch just what. She was distracted. Long, silky, jet-black hair is distracting. Plush, plum-colored lips are distracting. Long eyelashes that flutter slowly, and dark eyes that casually glance toward you are distracting, and you can't blame a girl for staring.
"What the fuck?" Cupid silently mouthed at her ruined homework, her hand once again blocking her face from Dexter and Raven. "Pull yourself together, girl," she muttered under her breath, "it's just Raven. You see Raven all the time, it's no big deal."
Cupid braved a quick glance at the trio across the library. Humphrey looked mildly uncomfortable, while Dexter was still suffering from a severe blushing episode. Raven flipped her hair out of her face and sat down at Dexter's table, and Cupid whimpered.
It was in this moment that Cupid gave up studying magicology, packed away her binders and papers, and pulled out a new notebook. Rummaging through the bottom of her bookbag, she found a purple glitter gel pen and got to work doodling hearts.