Category: Puppy Love, Childhood Love
Characters: Sabo, Koala
Additional Tags: Modern AU
Hello, hello! Here's my story for Day Two of Saboala Week, prompt "Disney"! This is different from things I normally write, but when I saw the prompt, this just came to me in a vision, fufufu… I hope you all find the new genre refreshing and cute!
Koala wrung her hands with knitted eyebrows as her round, dark eyes fixated on a pair of Cinderella Mickey ears hanging on the highest shelf of the booth at which her mother worked. Koala was still only six, much too young to stay at home by herself, and because Koala's father was not a part of the picture, there was much financial strain on the family. Koala's mother could not afford a babysitter, so it was very often that Koala found herself accompanying her mother to her full-time job as a souvenir vendor at the illustrious and whimsical Disney World. And, every single time, Koala found herself guiltily desiring of the pretty pastel blue and ruffled Mickey ears situated on that top shelf.
Of course Cinderella was Koala's favorite princess. A poor girl rising from the ashes to marry a handsome, rich prince? It was the ideal "dream come true" for someone in Koala's position. Her mother always said that she was in no position to meet the park's princess, as her mother could not spare the time to lounge in the long lines for the meet-and-greet, but Koala fantasized that if she donned the ears, the princess would see how much of a big fan she was and seek her out. Gulping, she tottered up on her tip-toes and reached up for the shelf, her fingers just barely brushing the end of one of the headbands. Her mother wouldn't notice…
"Koala!" The little girl jumped at the harsh, scolding voice of her mother; she was busted. Pouty, she fell back onto the flats of her feet and looked at her mom, who was leaning against the counter of the booth and frowning deeply. Timid, Koala put on her best show of puppy-dog eyes and clasped her hands behind her back, little waist slowly turning from side to side.
"I'm sorry… They're just so pretty…"
"I know, honey," the woman sighed as she rubbed the creases in her forehead. It was because she frowned so much. "I wish I could buy them for you, but they're simply so overpriced," she tutted. Koala's lips poked out further in a pout as she hung her head and squared her shoulders in a clear display of disappointment. "You'll grow bored of them after a while, anyway…" she added as a quiet afterthought, probably not even realizing she had spoken it aloud. No, I won't! Koala wanted to yell angrily, but she knew that wouldn't do. Her mother looked so sad refusing her, and Koala hated when her mother was sad. She trudged over to hug her mother's leg comfortingly.
"I'm sorry, Mama. Don't be sad." The woman sighed again before slipping her fingers into Koala's fluffy caramel hair to ruffle it appreciatingly.
"How can I not be sad when I have to say no to my little girl? Here, I have a few dollars to spare. Go get yourself an ice cream, at least," she said while pulling some crumpled bills from the pocket of her uniform and handing it to her. Koala gratefully accepted and skipped across the way to purchase the cheapest ice cream, one of the fruit bars, before scampering back to sit down on the concrete in the shade of the booth. She nibbled at it gratefully and pretended for her mother's sake that all was alleviated, but her eyes still snuck longingly back to the pretty ears high above her head, out of reach. Just like many other things in the world so many people seemed to have access to.
Trying to distract herself, Koala set to people-watching. It was a fun thing to do in a place like Disney World. People came from all over to the grand amusement park. Sometimes they spoke in different languages, and Koala always thought it was so amazing that there were so many different kinds of people in the world who communicated differently, but they loved Disney. Sometimes she saw families in matching outfits and would marvel at their creativity, especially if they were obviously made by hand. People were so talented! Of course, sometimes characters would come trouncing down the walkway, smiling and waving. Koala would always wave, hoping to be noticed, but usually the crowd blocked her out. She was tiny, and she had to stay by the booth so she didn't get lost or snatched, her mother said.
Koala snuck another glance at the blue ears. Cinderella came down the way most often, heading to her castle to meet her special guests. She always looked so beautiful, even though she was dressed in her simple clothes and wouldn't put on the ballgown until she got to her palace. Koala thought it was nice that she still dressed that way, like she hadn't forgotten her roots. Cinderella really was a nice princess. That's why her ears were most popular in this stretch of the park; mother had a terrible time of keeping them in stock and always had to radio for more. At this very moment, there was currently only one ear hanging on the shelf. It would be at least four hours until they got more, they said, because they had sold so many that week. It could be Koala's, if her mother had the money, but she didn't. So it was going to be somebody else's instead. Probably someone who loved Cinderella, sure, but not as much as Koala. They probably wouldn't treasure them as much as Koala. The ice cream melted across her hand as she stared pitifully up at them.
"These ones?" someone asked and plucked the ears off the shelf. It was an adult, who was now holding them out to their child- a little boy.
"Yep, yep!" he grinned widely, showing off a missing tooth. Koala stared dumbly at him. He was obviously from a more well-off family with the way he was dressed, in a pair of corduroy shorts and a vest over a short-sleeve white button up. His personality didn't seem to match, though; his blonde hair was wild and unkempt and he had bandages on his knees, elbows, and face to cover up scratches. There were a few patches of dirt here and there with some grass sprigs, too, like he had been rooting around in the plant assortments. He certainly didn't seem like a little boy who would be into princesses, but who was Koala to judge? Holding the ears, the little boy scampered over to the register holding a wad of cash, while Koala watched in jealous rapture. There went her ears.
"Thank you very much," her mother said as she returned his change. She glanced out of the corners of her eyes in Koala's direction, she noticed. Koala quickly steeled her expression and went back to ravenously eating her half-melted juice bar, trying not to seem disappointed. She looked up when a shadow fell over her, just in time for the little boy to push the Cinderella ears down onto her head.
"There ya go!" he grinned brightly. Koala's cheeks flushed as she felt the thick band pushing against her scalp. Was she dreaming? "You've been lookin' at those ears for a while now, so I thought you might want 'em," he explained with a proud snicker, rubbing the end of his nose haughtily. Tears prickling at the corners of her eyes, Koala used her non-fruit-juice-covered hand to reach up and squeeze one of the plush ears. It felt real. She fingered the lacy part styled in the rendition of her poofy dress. She could faintly hear her mother crying and thanking the little boy's mother profusely. They're really… Mine… "Is Cinderella your favorite princess?"
"Mhmm," she whimpered as she began to cry.
"Eh? What's the matter? Are they too tight?" he asked and began to flutter around her nervously.
"No… I just… I'm happy…" she sniffed, dropping the remnants of her juice bar to begin rubbing at her face. She blinked at the strange sticky sensation that appeared on her cheeks as she smeared the juice across it. "Oops…"
"Hehe. You're a cute girl! I like you!" the boy declared and produced a handkerchief to begin wiping at her face. "My name's Sabo. What's yours?"
"Koala."
"Wanna be friends, Koala?"
"Mhmm."
"Great!" He said, grabbing her hand to begin wiping the juice from it, too. "Mother, can we take Koala around the park with us?"
"Honey, we can't just take other people's children-"
"Pleaaaaase?" Koala and Sabo both screeched in unison, clasping their hands together and double-KOing the two mothers with the most impressive set of puppy-dog eyes ever conceived. There was no resisting them. Koala's mother was of course a bit nervous leaving her daughter in the hands of a woman she had just met, but agreed to let her go for a few hours. She provided the woman with the number to her pre-paid cell phone just in case they needed to get in contact and of they went, Sabo dragging Koala excitedly by the hand.
Needless to say, it was the best day of Koala's life.
She had always been relegated to that little corner of the park, so Koala never had any idea how simply splendorous it was- and it was only one park of many! Sabo's family had a ton of VIP access and Fast Passes, so they were the first into any show or ride. Koala was in a perpetual state of wonder and rapture as she was carted around the place by the little boy and his mother. She cried, several times, and Sabo was always quick to tell her it was okay to cry when she was happy and that made her feel a lot better about it. For the first time in her life, she was able to eat something other than a juice bar, and the ice cream was so rich and creamy that she felt like she had died and gone to heaven. It took Sabo shaking her shoulder vigorously to get her soul to return to her body. She got a little scared on the first roller coaster they tried, but Sabo coaxed her on by letting her hold his hand; when it shot off, she squeezed it a little too tight and her him yelp in pain, but he smiled through it and soon enough they were laughing with their linked hands waving in the air as the carts shot over the metal tracks. They got to see the Beauty and the Beast show, and she was elated that Sabo knew every word to the songs like she did, and they were still singing them as they skipped out of the arena.
Then, Koala got to meet Cinderella.
She started bawling out of pure joy when Sabo escorted her to the great big castle and told her they had an appointment, but when she got inside, she was suddenly very nervous. All the other little girls were dressed up like her, but Koala only had her ears. She wasn't worthy of meeting such a pretty princess. Sniffling, she grabbed onto the hem of Sabo's vest with shaking hands.
"Sabo… I don't want to anymore…"
"Why not? I thought she was your favorite."
"She is, but… All the other little girls look so pretty and princess-y in their dresses…" she meekly answered. Koala was dressed in a pair of overalls they got from the bargain bin that was covered in patches to seal the holes and a plain baby-blue tee-shirt underneath that was stained with the juice bar she had let drip all over herself that morning. She looked like an urchin compared the them. Sabo blinked at her, then gave her that broad, toothy smile.
"I think you're plenty beautiful, Koala! Girls don't need make-up and dresses to be pretty," he hummed simply. She reeled in the comment, allowing him to tote her along thanks to her rigid grip on his clothes. Koala had never been called beautiful by anyone but her family. Boys called girls "beautiful" when they were in love with them, right? Did that make Sabo her boyfriend? What would her mother say? Well, she supposed she could have a worse boyfriend. Sabo was really nice to her. She liked Sabo. She loved Sabo.
"Oh? Who do we have here?"
Koala jumped and latched onto Sabo at the sing-song beautiful voice that greeted her. She peered over his shoulder to see the princess sitting elegantly at a tea table, smiling radiantly at her. Koala immediately began to cry again. Cinderella looked so regal and beautiful in her ballgown. Once again, she was gripped with the overwhelming urge to flee, but Sabo urged her forward with a grin and a thumbs-up. Timidly, she stepped out from behind him and nervously fisted her overalls.
"M-my name's Koala."
"What a lovely name. Oh, what beautiful ears those are! Come, come, let me see!" the princess gestured for her to approach. Koala stiffly did so, shoulders hunched up to her ears from anxiety.
"They're you… You're my favoritest princess ever…"
"Really? That makes me so happy. Guess what, though? I have a secret. Come here and let me tell you," Cinderella winked and leaned down. Koala shuffled over so the princess could whisper in her ear, "You're my favoritest princess ever." Koala flushed the color of a tomato from head-to-toe, then immediately began bawling from sheer elation. The princess laughed and patted her head reassuringly, while Sabo hurried over to pull Koala into a hug.
"She cries a lot. It's cute, don'tcha think?"
"Very cute. She's lucky to have a friend like you."
"He's my boyfriend!" Koala corrected with puffed-out cheeks. Sabo blushed slightly and looked down at her in shock. "You don't wanna be my boyfriend?" she asked balefully at his shocked reaction. She thought they were on the same page.
"No! I wanna be your boyfriend!" he nodded emphatically. All the adults in the room were hiding giggles behind their hands at the two adorable children. Koala stood on her tip-toes to kiss Sabo on the cheek, because that was what girlfriends did, right. The little boy flushed darker and rubbed at the back of his neck, shuffling his feet with a nervous chuckle. Koala held his hand as she continued to smile radiantly. She sure felt like a princess- like Cinderella, in fact. A prince had appeared out of nowhere and now she was a princess! It was just like the story, except with a juice bar instead of glass slippers. Or something like that. She would have to work out all the comparisons later.
Her mother looked very happy and relieved to see her skipping back down the cobblestoned lane with Sabo's hand still in hers.
"Did you have a good time?"
"Yep! I'm a princess, and Sabo is my prince!" she declared with a proud puff of her chest. Sabo nodded in agreement and puffed his out, too. The two older woman laughed and began conversing again, while she and Sabo went to go sit down in the shade. "Hey, will you come back and see me tomorrow?"
"Uh-huh. And the next day, and the next, and every day for forever!" he affirmed. Koala knitted her eyebrows together. She wasn't sure that was right. After all, most people didn't stay in Disney World forever. "We've got lifetime passes. I can come here anytime I want!" he said when he noticed the unsure look on her face. Koala's body sagged in relief. Sabo really was a prince, if he had enough money to get lifetime passes! "Hey, Koala?"
"Hmm?"
"When we get bigger, let's get married!"
"Yeah, in Cinderella's castle! Promise?"
"Promise!"
The two were so absorbed in their pure child fantasies that they didn't notice their mothers looking on fondly.
~Fifteen Years Later~
"One of these, please." Koala smiled bashfully as Sabo purchased the Cinderella ears and turned around to push them down onto her head. Out of old habit, she reached up to squeeze one of the plush ears with one hand, because the other was holding a fruit bar.
"You remembered…"
"Of course I did. You don't think I would forget anything about the best day of my life, do you?" he smiled. That big, toothy grin of his hadn't changed at all, not in all those years. Koala giggled girlishly as she blushed and squirmed. He had always been honest like that, too, and it never failed to make her all gushy and warm. He didn't even have to really try to flirt to make her all flustered. He really was devious behind that pretty face! As she reeled in his romance-movie-worthy line, she didn't notice him slip a hand into his coat pocket. "Koala?"
"Hmm?"
"I made you a promise that day, too." Koala's lips poked out slightly as she searched her memory. When she finally found it, she was flushing bright pink just as Sabo produced a ring box from his pocket and fell down on one knee. The juice bar fell out of her hand as both hands flew to her heart and she began to cry. "Still such a crybaby," he teased as he cocked his head to the side and laughed. "It's still cute, though."
"Stop teasing me!" she wailed through heavy tears. "Ask the stupid question, will you?" A crowd had gathered around them, whispering excitedly. Everybody loved proposals.
"Do you still wanna get married in Cinderella's castle?" he asked with a warm smile, flipping the box open to reveal a glittering diamond ring. Koala's affirmation was a garbled wail, but he got the picture with the way she threw herself at him to embrace him tightly. Sabo laughed, holding up the box so it didn't get flung away, as she bowled him over onto the concrete. After she had managed to collect her emotions just enough to contain them into repeated sniffles, she sat up and held out her left hand so Sabo could push the ring onto her ring finger. She realized that the diamond was surrounded by gorgeous baby-blue gemstones. "For my Cinderella," he smiled gently when he noticed the way her tearful eyes were fixated on them. "For my princess."
"Ungh… Ah… I love you so much," she began to sob again. He laughed again and leaned forward to press a kiss to her forehead, then began wiping at her tear-smeared face with his handkerchief.
This really is the place where dreams come true, she thought as she continued to admire the engagement ring while Sabo continued to dote on her, like the prince he was. Shining through the rubble like Cinderella, Koala had felt like a princess with him, every single day- and she knew she would for the rest of her life, too.
