Hey everybody, hope you're having a good day. If not, I hope this cheers you up a bit. Have fun reading, nerds.

Prompt: Civil War Era (U.S.).

Note: Evie and Doug live in the North.

She was up in her room, when it all started, she just didn't know that it did. Evelyn was working on her makeup, trying to make it perfect for her mother's standards. She was doing the finishing touches when her mother had called her name. Evelyn made one last look, satisfied and went down.

Evelyn marveled at the house as she was walking down the steps. Her father had passed away when she was a child, leaving her and her mother a large amount of money and a beautiful mansion. Despite the large amount of money, her mother had bred her into the perfect housewife, wanting her to marry someone rich. She came down to the last step, her mother waiting, "There you are Evelyn! It's almost time for tea with the Charmings. How is anyone going to want to marry you if you're always late." She folded her hands in front of her, "I'm sorry mother, I was fixing my face."

Her mother looked at her, "You're my daughter, you should look pretty at any time. Now hurry, Douglas is outside, the carriage is ready." She scrunched her eyebrows, "Douglas? What happened to Henry?" She sighed, "Something with his family, now stop the silly questions, it's time to go." Her mother left her promptly, not needing to deal with her daughter anymore.

The blue haired girl sighed and made her way out, a brunette boy with glasses outside waiting for her. He was dressed in simple clothing, tan trousers and a white shirt tucked in, he seemed quite plain. Douglas opened the door for her, "Miss Evelyn."

She stepped in, and he shut the door gently, sitting at the very front, holding the ropes for the horses. He gave a click and they started moving. Evelyn watched him through the open window in the carriage's wall, she usually closed the window, but the new stable boy had her curious.

He hadn't said a word to her at all, the only noise he made was directed at the horses. The ride was smooth, unlike Henry who had somehow hit all the bumps in the road, his rides had made her quite queasy. Although this new stable boy was quiet, he did his job well, and she sat back comfortably.

Evelyn then found herself distracted with the leaves dancing in the air, her attention ripped away by a voice, "Miss Evelyn? We've arrived at the Charming household." She looked forward, realizing time passed faster than usual. Douglas brought the carriage to the front of the house, and got down to help her out.

Douglas opened the door, a hand outstretched to help her out. She accepted the hand and almost jumped at the tingling sensation it had given her, they made eye contact and she realized how green his eyes were up close.

A servant approached her, "The Charmings are ready for you Miss." Evelyn nodded, taking one last look at Douglas before going inside.

Tea with the Charmings had been the usual, Chad and his father talking about the War and how the South was ludicrous for separating from the country. Evelyn and Chad's mother had delightful conversation about the latest gossip and cross stitching.

She was on her way back home, looking out the windows, thinking out loud to herself, "Why do the leaves fall down?" A voice startled her, "The trees get rid of the leaves to preserve energy through the winter. That way they can survive." Evelyn was shocked, she wasn't expecting an answer, especially from a poor stable boy.

Evelyn questioned, "How did you know that?" His head turned a bit, only enough to get a look at her, "I went to school before I had to work on the farm, I like to read when I can." She tilted her head, "What else do you know?" He shrugged, "What else do you want to know?"

That was how their relationship started.

Ever since that discussion about the leaves falling, their relationship had grown quite a lot. Evelyn found herself interested into the boy, he was quite smart and liked to answer her questions as much as he could. He would make sure she was comfortable, got her anything she needed, and even asked a few questions himself.

They were on their way to another tea session with the Charmings, Evelyn sitting closer to the window to talk to Douglas better, "Have you always lived on a farm Douglas?" He nodded, "My father doesn't talk much, so it makes it a bit hard to find any other job, but he likes it. It's not so bad."

She tilted her head, "Are you going to be a farmer?" He sighed, his eyes flickering down, "It's a good job, stable with income. I can stay with with my family and I already know how to manage everything." She scrunched her eybrows, "But do you want to be a farmer?

Douglas pondered the question, finally shaking his head, "No, not really, but I don't know what I want to be, so farmer it is." She huffed, "But you could be so much more than that." He gave her a small smile, "Don't worry about me, Miss Evelyn. I'm sure if my destiny wants it, then it will happen."

Evelyn let the matter drop, sensing his discomfort, quickly moving onto another subject, "Why do you call me Miss Evelyn?" He looked at her questioningly, "What else would I call you?" She hummed at the question, not knowing how to answer it.

She thought about it for a few minutes, Douglas leaving her to think. The idea then came to her head, "Evie! How about Evie? It's simple, not as pretentious as Evelyn." He tested it out, "Evie." Evelyn had no idea why, but the word made her heart flutter.

Douglas smiled, "Evie, I like it. Well then, if you're Evie, then you can just call me Doug." She repeated the name, making his smile grow. They spent the rest of the day saying each other's new name as much as possible.

She had no idea how, but she started falling in love with him. Doug treated her with respect, believing she was just as intelligent as he was. She didn't know exactly when she fell in love, but all she knew was that he had smiled at her one day and her heart was racing. After letting the feeling sit in her chest for awhile, Evie decided now was the time to tell him.

They were walking in the gardens together, Doug was talking about something his younger brother did, making her laugh. Their laughter subsided, soon enough staring into each other's eyes. "I love you." He smiled, Evie took it as a good sign, forming one of her own. He looked at her, "At least I got to hear it once."

Evie's smile disappeared, "What?" He sighed, "Your mother is marrying you off, to Chad." Her thoughts were running through her head, "Chad? But I thought-" Doug wiped a tear away, chuckling bitterly, "It was nice while it lasted. Thank you for letting me fall in love with you."

She held onto his arms, "Doug! I don't love him! I love you." He shook his head, "I know you Evie, you don't want to disappoint your mother. Even if your mother wasn't a problem, I'm just a farmer. I can't give you everything you deserve. You don't deserve a life like that. You need a person who can support you."

Tears were coming to her eyes, "I don't care. I don't care that you're a farmer. I don't care if I don't have pretty dresses or a fancy mansion. I don't care, I just want you to be by my side and to-"

He hugged her, tears going down both of their faces, "But I care. I want you to have everything you want, everything you deserve. That's how much I love you, I have to let you go." He separated them, looking into her eyes, "So, you will go and marry Chad, while I go off and fight."

Evie's eyes filled with fear, her voice quiet, "You're going to fight the Rebellion?" He nodded, "I am, I don't know when I'm returning, or if I'll return, but it'll be better than staying here. I'm trying to do this for the both of us."

Doug let go of her, her body missing his warmth already. She didn't know what to say, or what to do. He gave her a sad smile, "Goodbye, Evie." She wanted to reach out to him, to grab his shirt and beg him to stay, but she was paralyzed. She could only watch him leave.

It was months later, and her life had returned to the way it was before Doug came. Unfortunately, Chad had caught the flu, passing of pneumonia before they could even get engaged. It was a sad burial, but a part of her believed it was fate. Her mother was disappointed, she believed that Evie should've married him sooner, so she could have inherited his money.

Although her mother was disappointed, she soon left Evie too, her old age catching up to her, faster than expected. Evie was alone, her heart filled with sadness. She was left in a large house, the only company was a few servants. To fill time, she started reading, her mind distracted with the words on the page rather than her distressed thoughts.

She also went out into town, wanting to experience more than the house her mother entrapped her in. Evie made several friends, especially with a purple haired artist who made her laugh and listened to her woes.

Evie was on her way back to her home, it was a pretty day, the leaves falling from their branches. She smiled at the different colors, reminded of a more simpler time. She stopped in front of her house, not believing the sight in front of her.

He seemed taller than she remembered, he was dressed in a blue uniform, he looked good in it. Doug looked up, her brown eyes meeting his green ones. No words were spoken before she hugged him tight, not wanting to let go ever again.

Two things to add to my usual note.

1) The Care Home AU will not be posted, but if you would like to read it, message me and I will send it to you.

2) Someone asked for my tumblr, it's imasmartie. I don't post very much, but I can answer questions and will be making a posting schedule every now and then. The first schedule is already up.

Well, that's all folks. SEND ME PROMPTS, I might write them. Leave a comment, if you want, I love feedback. Till' next time, friends.