Author Note -
This is my first (possibly only) attempt at SWAC fanfiction. It has been a little over 2 months since I've written any fanfiction so it may come across as a little rusty or unintentionally out of character. That said, all of the oneshots included in this story will probably seem out of character given they are based on alternate pairings besides just the beloved Sonny and Chad relationship. Thus, I ask that you approach this with an open mind if you read it and don't please don't bash just because you don't like the pairing.
Spoiler Alert!!!! This contains possible spoilers based on a future episode. If you have not already seen the episode, Promises, Prom-Misses (which airs May 3rd), then I suggest you not read this yet. All oneshots take place following the end of the episode.
Disclaimer: You probably already know this, but I don't own Sonny With A Chance. If I did, Zora would get a major overhaul, but I must admit her character is improving.
Promise Me It's You [Tawni H./Nico H.]
"So much for being prom queen," Tawni said with a sigh as she stood on the top level of the dark prop room. She was leaning over the railing in a depressed fashion, still in her extravagant, blue dress. However, her crown was no longer on her head. "I didn't even get to dance with a prom king. Nobody even noticed how beautiful I looked. So much for my Cinderella night."
"Tawni, you know Cinderella was a peasant turned princess, right? You were a self-proclaimed princess turned queen."
"I know, but..." Tawni started to respond, but then stopped when she realized that it meant she wasn't alone. "Who's there?"
"The would have been prom king."
"Nico?" Tawni's eyes scanned the prop room until they landed on a silhouette near the door.
Suddenly, the lights came on, and after her eyes adjusted, Tawni saw Nico, also still in his prom attire. "So you admit I should have and would have won prom king?" Nico asked in a slightly cheeky tone as he came closer so that she wouldn't have to crane her neck to see him.
Tawni's eyes widened at the accusation. "Of course that's not what I meant. I, uh, I obviously know your voice when I hear it, Nico," she scoffed and laughed at the same time.
"Right..." Nico nodded a little. "So, Cinderella, what's this about nobody noticing how beautiful you looked?" Nico looked up at her in bewilderment. This kind of talk wasn't usually heard from the ever-confident Tawni Hart. Then again, he suspected she wouldn't have said any of it at all if she'd known anyone would hear.
Tawni didn't answer. Instead she turned her head away from Nico, ashamed that he had heard her private ramblings. She knew she should have just blogged her feelings away instead. At least then only her sympathetic fans would have known and not someone she worked with. Tawni bit her lip and looked back at Nico. He looked sympathetic, but this only caused Tawni to raise her guard even more. She rolled her eyes and snapped, "As if you don't know what I'm talking about. Sonny could have worn her food covered dress and still been oohed and ahhed over before me. I mean, please, I saw how you were checking her out when she came in here earlier. Tawni Hart doesn't miss a thing," she turned her head away with an angry jerk this time.
Nico looked down at the floor, shaking his head a little as he did. Suddenly, something caught his eyes. There on the floor was Tawni's tiara. It lay where she had chucked it angrily from her head prior to ascending to the prop room's upper deck. He looked up and noticed she had turned her back on him completely now. He took this as an opportunity to grab the tiara without her seeing. He polished it a little before looking at it and then turning his gaze back upward. He tried to hold in a sigh as he realized there was only one thing he could do.
Hearing an odd noise, Tawni turned back around to see Nico skillfully climbing up the slide. She worked hard to keep her mouth from hanging open. "You could have used the ladder," she said after he'd made it to the landing.
"And have you see me and take off down the slide, no way," Nico responded. "Besides, I figured I'd look more heroic that way," he smirked almost as smugly as Chad Dylan Cooper would have done.
"What are you doing up here anyways?" Tawni tried not to give in to Nico's charm. "In case you haven't figured it out by now, I'd really like to be alone."
"I just figured Cinderella would feel happier if she were wearing her crown," Nico closed the space between them and placed the tiara on her head before she had a chance to react. "A perfect fit," he smiled, but then backed away, losing boldness as he realized how close they were. After a few seconds of awkward silence, Nico spoke again, "I guess I'll let you get back to being alone. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about Tawni Hart's scandalous insecurity breakdown," he smiled again before turning to leave.
Tawni remained where she was, almost in a daze, as she watched Nico stop in front of the slide, but then continue walking towards the ladder. Her heart sank as he started to descend without even so much as another glance, nod goodbye or anything else. She started to turn back to the rail to watch him leave, but decided that chickening out was not the Tawni Hart way. Instead, she hurried down the slide just in time to be on the ground floor as Nico reached it.
"Tawni?" Nico was taken back by the sight of the blonde, who was practically swimming in blue, as she struggled to get upright amidst the dress and her heels. He held out his hand to help her up, but also found himself catching her as her heel caught on the bottom of her dress and sent her forward. "I don't understand..." he said as they stood for a moment in the same position.
Tawni finally stood upright again, straightening her tiara and smoothing her dress as she did. "Look, Nico..." she didn't make eye contact at first. "I don't want to be Cinderella."
"What?" Nico couldn't hide his confusion. "I thought every girl wanted to be Cinderella or something like that." Nico's eyes widened as a single tear broke free from behind Tawni's strong facade. "But I guess you've never been..."
"Please don't say it," Tawni finally made eye contact, much to Nico's chagrin as he was met by icy blue orbs. She never liked being compared to other girls. "I don't want to be Cinderella. I don't want to dance with Prince Charming. I don't even want to be prom queen," she removed her tiara and went to throw it again, but her arm was caught by Nico before she could. Their eyes met again and to Nico's surprise, the ice in Tawni's eyes seemed to melt.
Nico grabbed the tiara with his free hand before letting go of her arm. "Then don't," he said barely above a whisper. He set the tiara down on the table behind the couch and then proceeded to leave the room once again..
"Or maybe..." the voice behind him was shaky, but it made Nico stop in his tracks. "Maybe I don't want to be Cinderella because there is no Prince Charming." She paused, debating if she should continue. "Maybe I don't want to be prom queen because," she faced the couch as Nico turned back around, "there is no prom king." Tawni carefully took the tiara in her hands and then turned to face Nico, not quite sure herself what she was implying by her words.
"You said Tawni Hart doesn't miss a thing, but you're wrong." Nico said as he left the place he'd been standing and began rummaging for something in the area hidden behind the slide. Tawni remained where she was, curious what he was doing, but even more curious about what he meant. "You said nobody thought you looked beautiful tonight," he spoke a little louder so she could hear him."But I promise you, they noticed. Maybe they figured they didn't need to tell you because you obviously already knew and didn't care to hear it from them."
"That's no excuse," Tawni responded, injured pride evident in her voice.
"I guess you're right there. I should have told you how beautiful I thought you looked even after you cut me and Grady off. Or even after Sonny came into the room. The truth is, I was checking out two very pretty ladies when you caught me," Nico's explanation brought a small blush to Tawni's face as she toyed with the bottom part of her dress. It had been a long time since she'd gotten such a sincere compliment, even if it was a shared compliment with Sonny.
"So...you really thought I looked beautiful tonight?"
There was no answer from Nico or any more sound of rummaging to be heard. Tawni was trying to peek around the photobooth without his seeing her, but was instead caught off guard by Nico's voice from behind her. "You always look beautiful." Tawni's heart skipped a beat as she turned around to see Nico standing there with a prop crown, fit for a king, atop his head. "And while we're on the subject, you were wrong about not having a prom king too."
"Nico, you don't have to..."
Nico cut her off by using one hand to pull her closer and then using his other hand to take the tiara she still held and place it on her head for the second time that night. "I know I'm not Prince Charming or anything, but would Cinderella still have this dance with me?"
Tawni gave a weak nod as Nico clapped his hands. The lights in the room dimmed and a disco ball came out, accompanied by music, the same way it did in the dressing rooms. The two danced, getting lost in the music, moving as one, as Tawni proved she was a good match for Nico's incredible dancing skills. She twirled, he dipped and they spun around the room, similar to how any Cinderella should dance.
"I guess we were both wrong tonight," Tawni said as they stood toe to toe at the end of the first song, both a little breathless from their ballroom style dancing. Nico questioned her with one raised eyebrow and she smiled. "Right now, you are my Prince Charming."
The End