KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
"Magica! Let me in!" Gladstone banged on the hotel bathroom door once more.
"No!" She yelled. He put his ear to the door.
Crap. She's crying.
He sighed and sat on the floor, his back against the door. "Can you at least talk to me?"
"No…I don't want to."
"Well you can't stay here all day. We have a potion to slip."
"I'm not getting anywhere near them!" She screamed.
"Why? Because they have the same spell book?"
The door opened from behind him. He fell back, hitting his head on the marble flooring of the bathroom.
"Ow-"
"Exactly because of that!" Magica looked down at him. "My own grandmother would resort to using magic to make me marry Rosolio. Do you know how disgusted and hurt I feel right now?"
"I mean, you used magic on me when you were Matilda, right?" He sat up and rubbed the back of his head.
"That's different, I didn't make you fall for me, you did that yourself." Magica scoffed.
"I didn't-"
You can't say shit now, huh, Gander?
"Wait, you didn't use magic on me?" He asked.
"I took away your luck. I didn't use a love spell on you." She said, crossing her arms. "I'm a terrible person, but I'm not that bad."
She got me there.
Gladstone got up and dusted himself off. "You gonna be okay?"
"I just…" Magica sighed and grabbed Gladstone by the wrist, pulling his arm around her. She put her arms around his waist and held him tight.
Please don't try to kiss me again!
"…I need a hug." Her cheeks blushed. "Is that okay?"
"I mean, uh…it's fine, I guess?" He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her head. His chest pounded.
It's just a hug…nothing special. She's not gonna kiss you again. She just needs to be comforted…calm down…
Magica nuzzled her face into his chest. "Thank you."
He looked down at her from the corner of his eye. Her hair covered all of her face except a small sliver that exposed her eye and cheek. He took his hand and pushed the hair out of her face and held her beak in his hand.
"Wha-what are you doing?" Magica stammered.
"You wanna get something to eat?" He asked.
Magica and Gladstone sat in the middle of the town square on the edge of the fountain, gelato in hand.
"When you said 'something to eat,' I was expecting literal food, not sweets." Magica spooned a bit of the pistachio gelato and put it in her mouth.
"Sweets help when you're sad or upset." Gladstone said. He took a large spoonful of lavender gelato and put it in his mouth. "Oh- ah! Coh- too- coh-ld!"
Shit! Cold!
She giggled and watched as he suffered through melting the gelato in his mouth.
"Thanks for being so supportive." He said, making sure to take a small scoop into his mouth.
Magica sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. "Thank you."
"For what? I just copped and attitude with you."
"I mean thank you for coming here with me…helping me…letting me stay at your place for so long."
Gladstone rested his head on top of hers. "I mean it was no problem. And coming to Italy…"
He looked up at the clear blue sky above the old buildings. A black bird flew across the sky in the distance.
"It's kinda nice actually visiting someplace with someone. My trips are usually by myself…"
Magica looked up at him and smiled. He turned to her. "So I technically should be thanking you for keeping me company."
They looked in each other's eyes.
I really shouldn't.
He looked at her beak and up to her eyes. She smiled and did the same.
I shouldn't…
She leaned in closer, hesitating with each breath.
Don't do it…
He leaned in closer.
Ah, fuck it.
Their eyes began to close as they leaned into each other...
CAW! CAW!
"Get away from my mistress! Go! Shoo!" Ratface flew into Gladstone's face and pulled his hair with his talons, pushing him back into the fountain.
"Ratface!" Magica's cheeks went red. "What are you doing here-"
"Rosolio! Granny! Headed here!" The bird squawked.
Gladstone breached out of the water and leaned on the edge of the fountain. "Run, Magica! Run!"
Magica ran down the street and into a crowd of tourists. Gladstone hopped over the rim of the fountain and rung his shirt out. Ratface landed on his shoulder.
"My mistress! Stay away! Out of your league!"
"Oh shut up you over-glorified pet!" He brushed the bird away and looked to where he saw Magica disappear. From the corner of his eye he saw Rosolio and Granny De Spell enter the square. Angelo came up behind them and pointed at Gladstone.
Damn. They're after me!
A/N: AND THEY ALMOST KISSED AGAIN! God this is torture.
Welp, here's to hoping they get away!
Love you guys!
~Alex
p.s. 5 chapters til heartbreak