A/N: Here's the next one. I don't think this one is as dramatic as the rest. Hope you guys like this one! Only two more after this! :) Please R&R good or bad. lemme know what you think.
Disclaimer: I won nothing but the Villikosto team.
"I'm not going to marry her."
Victoria lifted her face from Enrique's chest and moved it to rest her cheek against it so she could look up at him.
"You don't have a choice..." She whispered hoarsely, her voice rough due to her previous emotional collapse.
Enrique wasn't looking at her, he was starring up at the ceiling as he layed on the brunette's bed, holding her close. He wasn't really speaking to her so much as simply speaking, or rather thinking, aloud. He was as torn up about his mothers brash decision as she was and he was hell-bent on finding a way out of it - somehow.
"There's no way out of it..." The brunette said softly, knowing exactly what he was thinking. "You heard her... She'll disinherit you... you'll be disowned..."
"I don't care." The blonde replied bluntly.
Victoria frowned and moved her head to it's previous position, away from him. Her arms hugged him tighter as another sickening wave of sorrow and dread washed over her. The blonde wasn't thinking straight and from his reactions compared to her own, she could tell that the situation was eating him alive, more so, she was saddened to admit, then it was her. Enrique was in complete denial and refused to admit the severity of the situation. As far as he was concerned, it was just another disagreement between his mother and him that would be cleared up after a few good, heated arguments. Nothing permanent, no big deal, just a disagreement.
"Oh Enrique..." Victoria thought sorrowfully, squeezing her eyes shut as the arms around the blonde's waist hugged him tightly. "You have no idea how serious this really is..."
The two stayed in each others arms for the rest of the night and eventually fell asleep together. It was early morning when a sunbeam in the eye awoke Victoria, and turning to see Enrique still asleep - though now looking a great deal more distressed and less peaceful then usual - she frowned before pressing a whisper of a kiss to his lips before pulling herself from his arms and getting out of bed.
After showering and changing, Victoria gave her still-sleeping boyfriend one last, sad look before leaving the room behind.
Even the smell of her favorite waffles, and the addictive taste of Oliver's special crepes couldn't lift the dark cloud as Victoria starred blankly into the contents of her mug.
"We've gone through everything..." Victoria whispered to her greenette friend. "Every possible scenario and solution we could think of."
Oliver hid his frown behind his own mug as he starred out over the garden from his spot on his balcony. After starring for a while and taking a few sips from his mug, he nibbled his cheek for a moment before speaking, not looking at his companion when he did.
"Why don't you try to impress her."
Victoria turned an expression on the greenette like he'd just confessed he was madly in love with Claire Giancarlo.
"Excuse me?" She stated wit a mix of indignance and disbelief. "Did I really just hear you right?"
Oliver turned to her with a serious expression.
"Oui, you heard correctly." He said bluntly. "Impress her. Show her you're every bit as good and worth Enrique's love and commitment as any other silly girl she could pair him with... Prove to her that you're more then worthy to be her daughter-in-law."
Victoria felt another mix of emotions at that; this time of disgust at the idea of being related to Claire in any way, shape or form, and also embarrassment at Oliver's concept of her marriage to Enrique. They hadn't even been together long enough to really get a feel of being a couple, let alone to actually discuss marriage. It was a huge concept and a huge consideration.
Clearing her throat to hide her embarrassment, Victoria lifted her mug to her lips and took a long sip of the contents until finally her flush had disappeared.
When the brunette placed her mug down again, she looked up and out over the garden.
"I guess that's the only way I'll win isn't it?" She said quietly. "It's no good to simply break up this arranged marriage if only for the possibility that we'd make a good couple... I've got to actually be sure that I wanna spend the rest of my life with him, that I'm the best choice for him... and that I really love him enough to be with him forever... right?"
It was a rhetorical question and Oliver remained silent as he let the girl ponder and think if over for herself. Eventually she closed her eyes and frowned slightly. When she opened her eyes again, her aquamarine orbs turned on the greenette with a determined expression.
"I'll need your help Oli." She said firmly. "I need you to teach me. To show me how to impress snotty rich people, learn how to get on her good side. I'll do anything, whatever it takes."
Oliver felt a mix of emotions at this. He felt pride that his friend had finally found someone who loved him so thoroughly and completely, and also that Oliver himself had seemed to make the right choice in 'handing her over', so to speak. But he also felt a sting somewhere deep down as well. If he hadn't backed off, if he had fought for her, would she have learned to feel as deeply and passionately for him?
Shaking away the useless thoughts, Oliver took a small sip from his mug before speaking.
"Well, the very first thing we need to do is get you into something impressive. Mademoiselle Giancarlo is a very fashion-wise individual. To make her notice you at all, you need to look like you're at her level."
The greenette gave a small smile at that.
"But with your vast wardrobe, that shouldn't be a problem."
Victoria starred blankly at her image for the second day in a row. Today she was wearing a green designer dress that came to just above her knees with a v-neck and t-shirt shoulders. On her feet were a pair of designer, strappy heeled pumps and on her wrist, neck and ears hung matching green jewelery. Leafy green nails and toenails completed the outfit, as well as just a touch of make-up. Needless to say, her outfit today wasn't quite as elaborate but as Oliver had said; there was beauty in simplicity.
Oliver smiled at her reflection as he looked over her shoulder.
"As always, you look stunning, Cherie."
Victoria gave his reflection a dull expression.
"I look like I'm going out to dinner with my life-time crush." She replied bluntly.
Oliver chuckled.
"I know. But believe it or not, this is causal wear to Claire Giancarlo."
Victoria wrinkled her nose at that but let Oliver turn her away and lead her to the door nonetheless.
"Now we must think of something to make her notice you. Something you're very good at."
"What about beyblade?" The brunette suggested immediately. "I'm very good at that."
Oliver shook his head.
"Bad idea. She hates beyblading."
Victoria frowned deeply and watched Oliver thinking as they continued down the hall.
"Hmm... can you sing?"
Victoria snorted humorlessly.
"Uh no." She said bluntly. "I haven't a musical bone in my body, trust me!"
Oliver placed a finger to his cheek.
"Hmmm... tricky, tricky... Ah, I have it! Piano."
Victoria sweatdropped.
"Uhm... Oli, didn't you hear what I just said? I suck at all things musical."
Oliver turned to her and smiled.
"We'll fix that!" He said enthusiastically. "Follow aprez moi!"
Victoria sighed when Oliver placed a hand against the small of her back but once again allowed herself to be lead away.
"Damn it!" Victoria cursed aloud, her fingers slamming down on the keys after hitting yet another sour note. "I can't do this Oliver!"
Oliver smiled at her, totally calm.
"Language, Cherie." He said simply. "A proper lady must not use foul language. And don't give up, you'll catch on. All you need is a little practice and patience. Think of it like learning a new technique in the dish."
Victoria closed her eyes and took a long, deep breath.
"Okay... like learning a new technique."
Opening her eyes again, Victoria looked at the musical notes on the page and concentrated hard on what Oliver had taught her, trying desperately to translate what they meant into a language her fingers could understand.
"One, two, three. One, two, two. One, two, three, One, one, two..."
Aquamarines narrowed in concentration as the brunette focused hard on the keys. Soon enough however, she'd gotten halfway through the page and felt herself relax considerably.
"I think I'm actually getting it." She thought with mild excitement. "I think I might actually-"
Teeth clenched as another sour note sounded throughout the room.
Slowly clenching her fingers into tight fists, Victoria took another long, deep breath to force her tongue from releasing more profanities.
"Oh, Kage!" She thought with a mix of anger and longing. "Why can't I be a quick learner like you..?"
The feel of Oliver's hand on her shoulder made the girl relax slightly, though she was still greatly annoyed and irritated.
"Don't give up." The greenette whispered in her ear, his hand on her shoulder as he stood behind her.
Victoria closed her eyes a took a third long, deep breath. Opening her eyes she straightened and looked down her nose at the keys. With a slight hesitance, as if the white strokes were the teeth of an animal waiting to bite her fingers off, she slowly reached for the piano again.
One finger, one note. That was all she had time to play before a haughty voice cut through the otherwise silence.
"Oh, my dear girl! Don't waste your time!"
Both teens before the piano turned towards the entrance of the room and starred at the tall, attractive blonde who'd just come through the doors.
Claire approached the two with long, confident strides until she was standing beside the teens. Without a word she reached out and snatched up Victoria's hand, examining it as if scrutinizing a piece of expensive jewelry.
"Just as I thought." She said haughtily. "These fingers are far to short and stubby to ever coax beautiful music from such a refined instrument."
The blonde dropped Victoria's hand as if she had discovered that the jewelery, as she'd suspected, was fake.
"It's useless." She said bluntly. "Just quit while you're behind."
Victoria wrinkled her nose in a deep scowl as she watched the blonde turn and simply float out of the room.
"That... that... witch!" The brunette seethed, her fists shaking at her side in anger and frustration.
Oliver's hand still on her shoulder gave it a gentle squeeze.
"It's alright, Cherie." He said softly. "Don't let her get to you. Remember the big picture..."
Victoria's blood was boiling but she pushed the woman from her thoughts and instead lifted her hands to examine them with a frown. Before she could say anything, however, Oliver took both her hands in his and gave them a gentle squeeze.
"Your hands are beautiful, Cherie." He said gently, lifting them to gently press his lips to the back of her fingers. "Right now she likes you about as much as you do her and she'll say anything to drive you away. Don't let her."
The brunette starred at the greenette for a long time until finally a look of determination crossed her face.
"OK, so the piano is out." She stated confidently. "What's next?"
Oliver gave her a smile and released one of her hands as he wrapped his own around the other.
"Follow me."
"OK, this I can do!"
Oliver laughed as he gestured to a maid off to the side of the room, who then turned turned on a slow waltzing type of song. He then took one of her hands and put it on his shoulder before holding her other high and placing his free hand on her waist.
"Don't be too overconfident." The greenette replied in amusement. "It's a little harder then it looks."
Victoria grinned confidently and moved forward when Oliver moved back. Again he moved, this time to the side, then backwards, then to the side again. Her grin quickly faded when she found her feet getting tangled up below her. A deep frown creased the brunette's face as she starred down at her feet and tried desperately to follow the greenette in something that looked so easy.
Oliver chuckled and stopped, reaching up then to lift her chin to look at him.
"Don't concentrate so hard." He said with a small laugh. "I know it's a heard concept for you to grasp, but just this once, submit yourself. Follow, and let me lead you."
Victoria blinked up at him for a few moments before eventually sighing and giving him a slightly irritated expression.
"Alright... whatever it takes..."
Oliver gave her another smile before trying again, slower this time. Victoria looked down one more time but the feel of Oliver squeezing the hand he was holding made her look up again.
"Keep your eyes on me. Remember, all you have to do is follow."
Victoria nodded and starred up at Oliver, simply following him in the dance like he'd instructed. After a while, the dance grew easier and she felt she was finally catching on. Smiling at last, the brunette felt herself relax and simply enjoy the music and time together with Oliver. If this was all it took, then things were going to be a lot easier then she expected.
"Well isn't this precious."
The two teens stopped dancing and turned once again to see Claire standing a short distance from them, eying them like a full-bellied tiger might eye a field mouse, knowing he won't eat it but starring just for the hell of scaring the life out of it.
"My, you do move on quickly don't you, girl?" She sneered. Victoria forced herself not to glare at the woman as she released Oliver and pulled away from him.
"Oliver was just teaching me how to dance." She replied in as even a tone as she could muster. The sound of Claire's shrill laughter almost made her cringe.
"Hardly a difficult concept." Claire replied mockingly. "And why explain to me? It makes no difference on my end either way. Perhaps you should take her away, Oliver, dear. I dear say your parents would simply love her to pieces. They're not exactly hard to impress are they?"
Oliver's face was expressionless and he said not a word but his eyes gave him away. It was quite obvious that he did not like the woman one bit but most likely through lessons long learned, he held his tongue.
"Or perhaps that's what you're trying to do?" Claire thoughtfully began again. "Avert her thoughts to you instead of my son. Enrique moves on and fulfills his responsibilities, I get what I want and you get the girl. Clever boy."
This time Oliver's head lowered slightly as he starred up at Claire with a now intense expression and a hard gaze.
"You misunderstand, mademoiselle." He said politely, but there was a sharp edge to his voice. "Miss Victoria and I are friends and nothing more. It's your son who owns her heart and she his."
Claire's smugness disappeared now and she lifted her chin to look down her nose at the two, clutching her cell tighter in her hand while the huge black book she had tucked under her arm was drawn tighter to her body.
"For now." She replied coldly. She then turned and waved a manicured hand over her shoulder. "But things change and people eventually realize what's really important in life. Caio, children."
Victoria glared a hole through the woman until she was no longer visible. When she was gone, the teen closed her eyes and heaved a heavy sigh.
"This is getting really hard, Oli." She said with a deep frown. "One more encounter like that and I might just strangle her!"
Oliver gave a small, empty smile. But didn't comment.
"Come, Cherie." He said softly. "I have one more idea."
Victoria heaved a heavy breath before once again following after the greenette, this time not quite as enthusiastic as before.
A huge grin adorned a peaches and cream face as Aquamarine eyes fixed on the yellow blur dropping fast from the sky. Quick as a blink, a matching hand shot out, attached to a heavy object and made a forceful swipe through the air.
"Gotcha!" Victoria thought triumphantly.
The tennis ball went soaring over then net and the brunette grinned excitedly when Oliver was unable to reach it in time.
Smiling proudly, Oliver retrieved the tennis ball and took his place again.
"I knew we'd find something." He said with a smile as he served. Victoria grinned back as she returned it.
"This is awesome!" She said enthusiastically. "Even if this doesn't work, it's still fun!"
Oliver laughed again and once more returned the ball.
The two played the game for a long time and Victoria was ecstatic to realize that she was very good at the sport, also a little surprised as she had never really been much good at any besides beyblade before.
Before long, the sun was high in the sky and beating down on the two with all its brilliance. This combined with their physical exertion, was getting to be a little much to handle.
Victoria reached up to wipe the perspiration from her brow. She then lifted her hand to return the ball to Oliver and placed both hands on her hips when the greenette went after the ball after having missed it.
"Let's take a quick break, Oli." The brunette said, panting slightly.
Oliver nodded and approached her, lifting the net and ducking under it. She tossed him a water bottle and both drank greedily.
"Disgusting."
Both teens turned and both had to resist rolling their eyes.
"Look at you, girl! You're all sweaty and disgruntled!"
"Would you like to join us, Claire?" Victoria asked sweetly, but there was a slight mocking tone beneath it, one the blonde obviously missed.
"Certainly not!" She replied, wrinkling her nose at the girl. "What an utterly inappropriate sport for a young girl to play! And furthermore, it's miss to you."
Victoria gave her a dull expression and Oliver gave her a slightly confused look.
"I thought you liked tennis, Madame Claire?" He asked inquiringly. Claire snorted indignantly.
"To watch, yes. When handsome young men play. Not disheveled little teenage girls flaunting around the court! Don't you know, girl, that sports are for men and those... butchy types?"
Victoria narrowed her eyes slightly.
"My name is Victoria." She said firmly. "And you're so wro-"
The placing of Oliver's hand on her arm silenced her.
"You seem quite busy today, mademoiselle." The greenette said instead.
Claire raised her chin.
"Of course I am. I'm surveying the garden for the party next week. Everything must be perfect for a Giancarlo wedding."
Victoria felt a sickening twist clench her stomach at that and Oliver didn't miss the pain flicker across her face. Luckily, Claire did and she continued.
"Speaking of which, you children are obscuring my view. Vacate the premises immediately, I have work to do."
That said, the woman turned and walked off, her usual air of confidence still present.
"I swear, one of these days..."
The brunette stopped and sighed heavily before reaching for a towel and holding it to the back of her neck.
"Obviously, another plan down the drain."
Oliver sighed too.
"We'll think of something..." He said quietly. Victoria took a deep breath.
"Yea well, she was right about one thing; I am kinda sweaty." The brunette said bluntly. "And it kinda is disgusting. I was having fun before, but now I'm not, so I think I'm gonna go get a shower. We can continue our scheming later."
"A shower is a very good idea. We'll meet up later and put our heads together for something else."
Victoria nodded and leaned in to give the greenette a light kiss on the cheek.
"Thanks so much for everything so far, Oli." She said gratefully. Oliver nodded and gave her a reassuring smile.
"You're welcome. And as I said; we'll come up with something. It's not over yet."
Victoria returned the smile though it was only half-hearted, before turning and finally making her way back into to the manor.
After a shower and having gotten freshened up, Victoria got herself dressed up a second time, this time not quite as elaborately as before and no name brands.
"She didn't even notice my outfit last time." The brunette thought ruefully. "Why should I waste my time this time?"
Still, even having thought this, the brunette did put a little more effort into what she was wearing then she normally would have.
Once ready for a second time that day, Victoria left her room in direction of Oliver's. For a moment she considered looking for Enrique but almost immediately disregarded the idea. She knew it would be too hard to look at and spend time with him now. So with a small sigh, she continued on her way to find Oliver.
Turning a corner, the brunette stopped abruptly as she suddenly met up, once again, with Enrique's mother.
"You again." The blonde said bluntly. "Are you stalking me?"
'As if.' The brunette wanted to say. But she said something different instead.
"No. I suppose we're just on the same wave link today."
Claire snorted indignantly and lifted her chin to look down her nose at the brunette.
"I doubt it." She spoke bluntly again.
Victoria pushed back her annoyance and forced her boiling blood to simmer. Instead of retorting, she waited for the blonde to continue, knowing somehow that she would. Eventually, as the teen expected, the woman did speak again.
"You know, you really do have an impeccable wardrobe, I have to admit..."
The brunette raised an eyebrow at this.
"Um... thank you."
Claire waved her off.
"It was a stated fact, not a compliment." She said, her voice still blunt. Victoria gave the woman a dull stare but she ignored it and continued. "Hmmm... perhaps you're not the vile little cockroach I'd originally thought you were after all. Someone with that good a fashion sense can't be all bad..."
Victoria forced her offense to the insult aside and allowed her heart to do a single hopeful back flip.
"Hmmm..." Claire hummed thoughtfully again, one perfectly manicured finger to her cheek. "Yes. Yes I think so. You might just be perfect for my son after all."
The brunette thought she would die from anxiety and joy. She was just deciding whether to drop to her knees and kiss the woman's feet or jump forward and hug her when the woman spoke again.
"Yes, perfect. I'll mark you down as his personal attendant at the wedding next week. It'll be comforting to know my staff will be well-dressed."
The brunette's eyes widened as the blonde pulled the book she'd been carrying around with her all day away from her chest and scribbled something down on one of the pages.
"Perfect. That takes care of that." Claire gave Victoria a charming smile, like a queen humoring her subjects and lifted her free hand for a delicate wave. "Enough chit-chat, I'm a very busy woman. Caio, darling!"
Victoria was frozen rim-rod stiff as the blonde strode confidently past her. The quick click of her heels died away but the brunette still stood there, frozen. It was a very long time before she was able to move and when she could, an assault of emotions hit her all at once - fury at the lead.
"Damn you, you witch!" The teen cursed in her head, her tight fists trembling at her sides.
Screw Oliver's 'impression' idea! They'd just have to find something else because she was through with trying to kiss the woman's - behind.
Wheeling around, the brunette took a detour and headed instead for her boyfriend's room. She'd changed her mind; she had to see Enrique... and if she was lucky, Claire might just walk in on them.
The heavy wooden door made quite a larger bang then the brunette had intended but she ignored it as she looked around Enrique's room enthusiastically. Noting that the blonde was nowhere to be found she stalked over to the bed, plopped down on her back, grabbed a pillow and screamed into it at the top of her lungs.
That felt better.
Sighing heavily, the brunette removed the pillow with closed eyes and a deep frown. After thinking for a while, she finally pushed her thoughts out of her head and opened her eyes to stare at the ceiling.
"Damn you..." She whispered angrily.
It was then that the teen felt someone watching her and removed her gaze from the ceiling to lock eyes with a particular blonde standing at the foot of the bed.
"Bad day?" Enrique teased, though his expression was one of slight bewilderment.
Victoria blinked at the blonde's upside down figure for a few moments before frowning.
"You could say that." She said moodily. "FYI, Enri; I hate your mother... with a firey, burning passion."
Enrique gave her a sad smile.
"I probably would too if she wasn't my mother..." He replied softly.
Victoria sighed again and ran her hands over her face.
"I'm sorry..." She whispered softly. "I shouldn't have said that..."
Enrique shrugged and smiled again.
"It's alright. She's not exactly the most lovable person... and to be honest, I don't really think she cares."
"I should hope not." The brunette replied sarcastically.
Enrique smiled again, this time in amusement and approached the bed to sit beside her. When he did, Victoria sat up and closed her eyes in content when the blonde wrapped her in a hug.
"It'll work out." He said softly, gently stroking her hair.
Victoria sighed softly and wrapped her arms around Enrique, resting her head against his chest.
"Hope so..." She mumbled in response.
Enrique pulled back slightly to look down at her and reached up to place a hand on her face.
"It will." He replied softly. "You'll see. Good guys have it rough at first, but they always get their happy endings eventually."
Victoria frowned again.
"Not always." She thought sadly. But she wisely kept this to herself.
Enrique leaned forward and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead. The gesture made the brunette relax and she finally allowed all her negative thoughts and emotions to temporarily flow out of her. Even if things did work out, she knew that what layed ahead was going to be tough and she fully intended to enjoy every last moment with the blonde as she possibly could.
With this thought in mind, Victoria opened the eyes she'd closed and looked the blonde over. It was only then that she noted the state he was in and lifted an eyebrow as her eyes rolled over his body appreciatively.
"You know, in my previously negative state, I didn't really take notice of the fine privileged I'd been given."
The brunette reached out and trailed her fingers down Enrique's bare chest, stopping at the low waistline of his dark denims before dragging them back up again and slipping them into his damp locks. He must have just gotten out of the shower before she'd come.
"This is a really good look for you." She purred with a coy grin. "You should wear it more often."
Enrique grinned.
"Think so? I thought I might have been over-doing it a bit with the wet bum look."
The corners of Victoria's lips curled up ever so slightly and she and pulled away from him, moving back then to the head of the bed and eyeing him indifferently.
"Yea, you might have overdone it a little." She relied casually, resisting a grin. "Don't try so hard next time."
Enrique smirked sexily before getting up and crawling slowly across the bed.
"I see." He purred seductively as he slowly made his way up to the girl. "So if you're not impressed... then I guess my advances won't have any effect on you."
Victoria watched him like a hungry cat, her eyes not blinking as he crawled towards her, his shoulders rippling slightly in a way that reminded her of a tiger stalking it's prey. The thought made a pressure deep inside build forcefully.
"None at all." She muttered. But her eyes still didn't leave him.
Enrique's smirk widened slightly and when he finally reached her he continued advancing, forcing the brunette to unconsciously lie back on the bed as he crawled on top of her.
"Guess I'm just wasting my time then." The blonde whispered huskily.
"Guess so..." The brunette replied, her own voice slightly breathless.
Enrique lowered his head, his eyelids closing slightly as he starred at the girl through half-mast lids. His lips were a hairs distance from hers, so close she could feel his hot breath brush her cheeks. She could feel her heart thundering in anticipation against her rib cage and her own eyes lidded slightly as she starred up at the blonde.
Both Enrique's hands were resting either side Victoria's head on the bed and the brunette felt a hot wave wash over her when she reached up and placed her hands around his biceps. The blonde was by no means bulky or overly-muscled, but she could still feel his taut muscles as he held himself up.
The brunette bit her lip.
The blonde smirked again.
"You like?" He whispered seductively.
"Not a bit." The brunette replied. But the feel of her caressing and gently squeezing his biceps told the blonde a different story.
Smiling slightly this time, Enrique lowered himself until his body pressed tantalizingly against the girl below him. She bit her lip harder and a bright flush spread across her cheeks as her lids drooped lower. Without a word the blonde's face moved away from hers and leaned down to press tender, lingering kisses to her neck.
"How about this?"
Victoria's body flared up hotly as she resisted a heavy moan.
"Not a bit." She replied, though it was slightly more breathless then she'd anticipated.
Enrique's lips smiled against the sensitive flesh as he pressed his body closer to his partner's.
"Then I hope you don't mind me... experimenting." He said whispered huskily against her skin. "I happen to like it."
The sensual nibble the blonde gave the brunette was the exclamation point at the end of his sentence, and he felt a pressure push at him from deep down when the brunette released a heavy, deep-belied moan.
Hot lips left the sensitive flesh they were teasing and leaned up to capture the ones above them once again. Victoria's legs wrapped around the blonde's waist and her hips gyrated slightly against his, causing a skin tingling friction between them. Enrique's heart skipped several beats at this and when the girl below him reached up to entangle her fingers into his still damp locks, her tongue retracting back into her mouth to sensually suck and nibble his, Enrique knew he'd lost control.
"God help me..." The blonde thought blissfully as his hands slipped under Victoria's back, pressing their bodies together in ways he'd only ever dreamed about. "Help me keep sane, because control is too much to ask for..."
Amethyst eyes starred out over the garden as Oliver took in the evening scene. The sun was beginning to sink low in the sky and the greenette had long ago stopped waiting for Victoria. He'd tried both hers and Enrique's cells and seeing that neither of them had answered, the teen gave up with a smile and simply sat back to enjoy the view. He knew it was important for the two to enjoy their current time together. Who knew how much more they might get - if one looked at all the possibilities.
"Oliver, dear! There you are."
Oliver looked up as Claire sat down on the other side of the table. He watched her for a moment before turning forward again and starring out at the garden. Suddenly the scenery didn't look quite as beautiful anymore.
"Evening, Madame Claire."
"It's a beautiful evening." Claire said conversationally. "And this is one of the most beautiful gardens on the estate. Sadly, I can't have the wedding all over the place so I stuck to the front."
"A wise choice." Oliver replied politely. He had more of a selfish reason for agreeing; he didn't want his special place on the Giancarlo estate to be tainted by bad memories.
Oliver also knew what Claire was doing with her small talk. She had sought him out because she had something to say, something she wanted to know, wanted to weasel out of him.
Resisting a knowing and yet weary smile, Oliver remained silent as he waited for the blonde to speak again.
"So. This Finnish girl, what do you know about her Oliver dear?"
The smile finally appeared and Oliver took his lemonade from the table, taking the time to take a few sips before replying.
"I know a great deal." He said firmly. "I know she's intelligent, sometimes quick tempered, very talented, and an excellent friend. I know she's determined, defiant, stubborn, hard working and will do anything for those she cares about."
The greenette turned to look at the blonde woman again and fixed her with a deadpan stare.
"But most importantly; I know she loves Enrique with all her heart... and he loves her as well. Not just a silly crush, fling or lust, like the other girls. He really loves her, Claire."
Claire starred at Oliver, searching his face, and the greenette confidently starred back.
"I see." She eventually said after a while. "You know this for sure, do you?"
Oliver nodded.
"It's a fact." He stated.
Claire starred at him for another few moments before finally turning away and getting to her feet again.
"Thank you, Oliver dear." She said airily. "You've told me all I need to know."
Oliver simply nodded and watched as Claire left his presence and walked away. Turning his eyes towards the darkening sky, amethyst eyes caught sight of a shooting star and a small smile spread across Oliver's lips as he starred at the spot it had disappeared.
"I care about her... deeply... but I know I don't share the sort of love for her that they do for each other. They were made for each other."
Closing his eyes with a smile, the greenette thought of the brilliant star and sent a wish up to the heavens.
"Beautiful silent star; I wish, I wish with my heart and soul. Please give them the happy ending they deserve. A happy ending... that's all I wish for.."
Two sets of eyes starred upward as a certain pair laid in bed, sharing each others company as they held each other close.
"What are we gonna do, Enri?" The brunette finally whispered.
The blonde beside her remained silent for a few moments as he gently stroked her hair from her spot on his chest. Like his companion, he was starring at the ceiling. But unlike her, he wasn't thinking about their current situation. He refused to.
"The wedding is in a few days..."
"There won't be a wedding."
The answer was too quick. It was like he'd already made up his mind, knew exactly how everything was going to pan out, knew exactly what he was talking about.
But he was very wrong.
Victoria frowned. Instead of getting angry like she normally might have done, instead of sitting up and slapping the blonde silly until she knocked some sense into him like she normally might have wanted to do, she remained quiet for a time. Eventually she looked down from the ceiling and starred at Enrique's chest, reaching up to absently swirl tiny patterns there as she spoke.
"You'll be disinherited, disowned of you don't marry her..."
"I don't care."
Another far-too-quick answer.
Aquamarine orbs slid shut as an assault of tears finally flooded them. The blonde was still in denial, which meant she would be receiving no help from him. And Oliver and her had both run out of ideas. What were they to do if the main subject of the whole problem wouldn't even admit that there was one?
Silence was bad, Enrique had learned that a long time ago. Her anger and spite, the blonde had gotten used to and knew how to handle, but silence always brought emotions he wasn't prepared for, didn't like.
Moving a hand down to lift his girlfriends chin, the blonde's heart sank sadly to find that he was right, that the glossy orbs starring up at him weren't the characteristic, bright and enthusiastic ones he has fallen for.
"Don't cry anymore..." He whispered softly. "My world stops when you cry..."
Victoria frowned, she was too worn out to both gush or roll her eyes over the words. This time she just starred.
"She's prettier then me..." The brunette whispered, recalling the 'greetings' video Claire had made them both watch from his fiancee. "And her voice sounds like it's straight from an angel's lips..."
"No one is more beautiful then you."
Finally the familiar spark returned and Victoria sat up with an angry expression.
"Don't give me that!" She snapped angrily. "I'm not stupid! The girl is beyond gorgeous, shes absolutely stunning! You can't honestly tell me that you can look at her, then me and say I'm better looking, no matter how you feel about me!"
A whisper of a smile graced Enrique's lips, a warm, tender smile that seemed to set his entire face aglow, a look that actually took the brunette's breath away. Enrique continued to look at her thus way, but he made no move to touch her.
"Don't they always say that when you love someone, all the beauty of the rest of the world pales compared to them? Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Your true love is always the most beautiful and precious thing to you, despite what them or the rest of the world might think. Haven't you ever heard any of those things, Tori?"
The blonde was far more intelligent then she ever gave him credit for, and the brunette was quickly discovering this day by day. He didn't need to touch her, he knew exactly what effect his words would have on her. But she also knew that he'd meant them.
Swallowing hard, Victoria leaned down and wrapped her arms tightly back around the blonde again, this time burying her face into the crook of his neck and nuzzling the sensitive flesh affectionately.
"I love you so much..." She mumbled against him.
Enrique's eyes slid shut as an utterly content expression took hold of his face. He placed a hand to the back of her head and nuzzled the top of her head before pressing a tender kiss there.
"Ti amo, bella..."