Teddy is at Shell Cottage, waiting to meet Victoire for their date. He is no stranger to their little home, so he sits at the kitchen, growing more impatient by the second at Victoire's absence.
"How long will she take?" he grumbles, leaning back in his chair. He knows girls fuss over their appearance, and that Victoire is not one to leave the house without at least some make-up on, but, Merlin, this is pushing it a little.
"Still waiting, I see."
Teddy looks up to see Dominique, his girlfriend's little sister. Said sister slides into the chair next to him and scoots over.
After some mindless small talk, she pops an unexpected question. "Teddy, what do you see in her?"
"What?" Teddy splutters. "See in who?"
Dominique rolls her eyes. "Victoire. Who else?"
"What do you mean?"
"Why do you like her? She's bossy, and loud, and rude, and mean." Dominique begins a long list of derogatory adjectives that she thinks describe her older sister and Teddy can't help but laugh.
"You only think that because she's your older sister," he replies. "I think she's pretty, sweet, endearing, and brave."
Dominique huffs. "You must have it bad for her if you can't see all those flaws."
Teddy chuckles, putting a hand on Dominique's head and ruffling her hair playfully. "Here's a secret, Dom. When you fall in love with someone, they become perfect to you."
She looks up at him, and he almost shivers because her eyes are filled with this expression of wonder and amazement and he can almost fall into them-
"Teddy!" Victoire comes bounding down the hallway and the two quickly bounce apart.
"Did I miss something?" she asks, shooting a look at her younger sister, who sticks her tongue out.
"Nothing," Teddy tells her, slipping an arm through hers. She giggles as he leads her outside.
(He doesn't notice Dominique staring longingly at their retreating backs.)
Teddy is back, waiting for Victoire again so they can go on their date, when Dominique shows up again.
"Still in love?" she asks playfully, nudging him. Teddy swats her away.
"Very much," he retorts, adding a swoon for an effect. She rolls her eyes, grinning.
"I just wish she wouldn't take so long to get ready," he adds.
"She really likes you though," Dominique tells him seriously.
"I know." He sighs, turning towards her-
And suddenly it hits him, how strikingly familiar Dominique is to Victoire. Her white-blonde hair that swishes around in little waves, her blueblue eyes that shine with this world-hungry gleam, her hands, with their delicate little fingers and perfectly manicured nails-
"Teddy!" Victoire finally comes out of her room, and Teddy tears his eyes away from her to look at his girlfriend.
"I'll talk to you later," he tells Dominique, leading Victoire out and wondering what the hell just happened.
Teddy is invited to have dinner with Victoire's family one night; he shows up and sits between Victoire and Dominique.
The close proximity between him and the two girls must be doing funny things to his head. Now he's noticing all the wrong things.
Dominique just used to be a miniature Victoire; but now she's something else altogether.
He looks at Victoire's hair, all wrapped up in a fancy bun, but then he decides he likes Dominique's hair, let lose to fall in their natural waves, much better.
Victoire's eyes are blue, but Dominique's are azure.
Victoire's giggle sounds like a bell but Dominique's laugh sounds like music.
Victoire's smile is full, but Dominique's smile goes from ear to ear and lights up her entire face.
Victoire is pretty, but Dominique is beautiful.
His eyes widen, quickly glancing back-and-forth at the two sisters. What's happening to him? He's in love with Victoire, he can't be thinking about Dominique in any way except as his girlfriend's younger sister-
"Teddy?" Dominique is looking at him, her eyes full of concern, and before he can stop himself, he thinks of how Victoire has never looked at him like that, never had her voice sound like she cared that much.
"I'm fine," he forces out, but he's not, because his mind and heart are not agreeing and he doesn't know what to believe anymore.
Dominique is all he can think about now. He just can't get her out of his head, however much he tries, because for some reason, Victoire just isn't good enough anymore and all he can do is compare her to her younger sister.
It's not fair and it doesn't make sense and Teddy is about to rip his hair out.
"I've got to stop this," he tells himself. Victoire is his girlfriend, and it's not fair to her if he doesn't think she's perfect, because wasn't that what he told Dominique? That when you love someone, they become perfect in your eyes-
No, wrong thought, Teddy.
(Since when did loving Victoire become such an obligation?)
Long after his date with Victoire ended, Teddy sits out on the pier, his feet dangling in the water, thinking of how everything had changed.
He supposes he can't deny it forever. If he has to always compare Victoire to Dominique, that must mean he thinks Dominique is perfect, which must mean he loves Dom and not Vic.
(Love is confusing, he decides. Why can't his heart tell him who it wants, so he doesn't have to go through all this trouble?)
"Teddy?" He looks over his shoulder to find the one person who's always on his mind.
"Why are you out here all alone?" She sits next to him, hugging her knees to her chest and staring out into the ocean. The starlight hits her at a perfect angle, so her face is softly illuminated and her eyes are reflecting the dark water.
His ears are roaring; his lips are dry; his heart is running away from him right when he needs it most and he's just stopped thinking.
"What are you thinking about?" she asks, absentmindedly leaning down to brush her hand against the water's surface, creating ripples that bounce along under the stars. "You can tell me anything, you know."
He longs to tell her how beautiful she is. She's just so obliviously perfect, a little girl who sees everyone for exactly what they are.
He loves how he can just love her, without having to dress it up like he does for Victoire. She doesn't have to do anything at all and she's still perfect.
"I'm-" he begins, but his throat is dry and he swallows before continuing. "I'm thinking about how I don't get the same sparks from Victoire anymore."
She glances up at him, confused. "You don't love her anymore?" She sounds...hopeful? Or maybe that's just Teddy's wishful thinking.
"Maybe I never did," he replies, gazing out at the water.
"Remember what I told you a long time ago? That when you love someone, they're perfect to you?" There. He's said it. There's no going back now.
Dominique smiles up at him, her eyes shining with something he's never seen in Victoire and wants to have, all to himself. "Of course I do. I think it's the truest thing I've ever heard."
"I think I've found her," he continues. "And, it's not Victoire."
"That's okay," she tells him. "You can't stop loving someone once you've already fallen."
He stares at her, and sees his own face in her crystal clear eyes, and finds everything he's been looking for right in front of him.
"What if..." He leans forward, until he's so close to her face that he can count the light freckles on her cheeks. "What if that perfect girl is you?"
She's quick to smile; almost as if she had been waiting for this. "Shut up and kiss me."
And that's exactly what he does.
A/N: Ah, this was fun to write.
Done for:
House Cup Competition - Round 2 (Teddy/Dominique; a character must deny something; "Shut up and kiss me."; delicate.)
Pairing Diversity Boot Camp - Prompt #29: Denial.