A/N: OLAF! It's me, IFYOUCOULDFLY!...So...it's um...been a while...*hides behind desk*

Okay so I'm reeeaaaallllyyy sorry about my absence and everything, but life has been waaaaay busy ;-; Plus, on top of that, I've been having some errors with my account. As in, one of my stories won't let me make updates. I tried deleting the story and starting over, but that won't work either...sooo yeah that kinda sucks :(

But anyways, I'm here now, and I'm ready to start writing :D Go ahead, read on!

AS ALWAYS, SPOILERS FOR BOOKS 1 AND 2

-Make-up-

To say that I've changed a lot in the past few years would be the understatement of the century.

I've become the Sun Summoner, fallen in love with somebody who was actually trying to use me to take over the world, killed a group of partially innocent bystanders, run from the Grisha with my best friend, been captured and escaped, become friends with a prince, become the leader of the Grisha, battled the Darkling, and won.

I had changed a lot.

But one thing that remained a constant was my distaste for altering my physical appearance. That, of course, eliminated the possibility of makeup.

Until now.

I don't know why I did it, but when Genya wandered into the Grisha hall, frozen half to death and starving, I forgave her.

Now, nearly one month later, I was regretting my decision.

"Hold still." Genya giggled, back to her old self just like that.

I resisted the urge to scowl, knowing that would make her smudge whatever goop she was slopping on my face. It probably looked bad enough anyways.

"You know, I never agreed to this." I mumbled moodily, and Genya grinned, perfect ivory teeth flashing back at me.

"You're not exactly protesting, are you? Besides, you'll need to look good for this celebration. Everyone will be there. Townsfolk...soldiers...princes." Her perfect eyebrows shifted, mischief flashing in her golden eyes.

I could feel heat creeping up my neck as I glared at her. "Shut up, Genya." I muttered, clenching my jaw as she laughed. "I didn't say anything." She retorted in mock innocence, and I growled, causing her to laugh again.

"Oh, come on, Alina. You've got to admit, he definitely fancies you. And he's a prince. Think about it. Princess Alina. It has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

I knew I was all-out blushing my now, as confirmed by another burst of giggles from Genya.

"Ugh, just stop. Besides, Mal and I only...split...a couple weeks ago. Even if we did like each other, it's too soon for a relationship. People would think-"

"Alina, you're the SUN SUMMONER, savior of Ravka, and you're worried about what people may think about your relationships?!" Genya interrupted, jerking open a tube of lipstick with a sudden pop.

I gulped, letting a little grin play at the corners of my lips.

"Well, when you put it that way, it sounds pretty stupid."

Genya let out another laugh as she wiped the lipstick across my mouth.

About halway through the motion, she paused. "You know, Alina, I missed being your friend. I really did. And I'm sorry."

I paused for a moment, then smiled at her softly. "I missed being friends too, Genya. Now hurry up, all those uptight political snobs can't be kept waiting."

She giggled again, sincerity forgotten, and finished up on my makeup, saying, "Arguably, you're one of those 'uptight political snobs' now, too."

I rolled my eyes.

Finally, she stood back, smiling broadly as she admired her work.

"Oh, Alina," Genya breathed, "look at yourself!" She held up a mirror for me, and I felt my eyes widen.

My eyes, which had always seemed nothing more than a dull brown, seemed to glow like embers, framed by long black lashes. Framing my eye was a thin ring of smoky black eyeshadow, following my eyeliner out into a wing shape, and fading into a light bronze as it reaching the tips of the wing.

My cheeks were slightly pink, a gentle flush, giving me a slightly more youthful look. My lips were tinted a soft pink color, matching that of the blush.

The dress Genya had chosen for me was gorgeous. It was a vibrant blue, simple but elegant. Little jewels lined the neckline, a few trailing down the flowing skirt that fell to the floor in swirls. It was perfect.

It was a strange feeling. I had thought I would look in the mirror and see somebody totally different, and it would feel wrong. I may have been right about the different part, but it certainly didn't feel wrong. In fact, I kind of liked it.

After a moment or two, I turned to Genya. "Thank you," I said, pulling her into a quick hug.

Once we broke apart, she flashed a mischevious grin at me. "Ready to celebrate?"

I returned her grin this time. "Definitely."


The palace's ballroom was full of people, ranging from peasants to royalty, all dressed in their finest clothing.

I had appeared, given a brief speech, and then been tossed into the organized chaos of the banquet. I was currently using my favorite technique, hiding in the corner, which didn't seem to work very well when every two seconds half the ballroom would turn to stare at you.

I was just about ready to think of some lame excuse as to why I had to leave when I felt somebody tap my shoulder.

"Having a good time?"

I spun around to see, of couse, Nikolai.

He looked so casual, standing there in his formal suit, golden hair hanging in waves against his tanned skin. He wore a familiar smile, caught somewhere between a smirk and a grin, etched upon his face.

"Yes." I managed, and he scoffed. "Liar."

I laughed, and this seemed to please him. "Well, as long as we're telling the truth here, I myself am bored half to death. Want to dance?"

I glanced at him in surprise, my heart skipping a beat for a moment. After a moment, I nodded.

"Of course." I replied with a smile, placing my hand in his outstretched one and letting him lead me to the center of the room.

For a few minutes, we danced, swaying around the ballroom wordlessly. I felt like I needed to say something, but had no idea what. That night we had spent on the ship kept looping in my mind, our kiss, his rejection, my sorrow.

Finally, he broke the silence himself.

"You know that night on the ship, when I told you I didn't want to be with you if you were just using me to get over Mal?"

I nearly froze, my heart just about stopping, then beating a million miles per hour. "...yes?" I finally managed.

"Well, are you over Mal?" Nikolai, asked, deadly sincere. His normally joking demeanor was long gone.

"Um...I-I think I am." A short silence passed over us before I shook my head. "No. No, I'm over him. He made his decision to be with Zoya, and I'm fine with that. I think we were always better off as we always had been, as best friends. And I think that's all we ever will be."

A minute passed as we swung around the ballroom, Nikolai seemingly lost in thought. Suddenly, he broke the silence again.

"You know what I think?" He asked, staring off at something in the distance.

I glanced up at him. "What?"

He lowered his eyes so they were locked with mine, and my heartbeat went crazy again.

"I think you look beautiful tonight."

And suddenly, his lips were on mine.

I was aware that every eye in the room was on us, but that didn't matter to me. All I cared about at that moment was this kiss.

And at that moment, I decided maybe makeup wasn't such a bad thing after all.

A/N: Awww hehe fun. I thought I'd try to write a little Nikolina (or whatever they're called), and I have to say they're fun to write. The quality may be questionable, seeing as I'm writing this at 1:00 am because I can't sleep, but oh well :)

Anyways, thanks sooo much to everyone that reviewed and followed this story! It helps me a lot, and your reviews always make me smile :D So keep on reading/reviewing/being awesome!-FLY