Doug sighed as he plopped into the nearest chair. After rescuing Auradon and another song and dance number, he was exhausted. And he had never been so happy to be close friends with the King and have access to some of the most comfy chairs in all of Auradon. "Well, that was certainly an adventure," he sighed.
Evie smiled as she sat on his lap. "Yeah, we really need to stop having those."
"It would be great," he said with a small laugh and held her close.
There was a not-so-comfortable silence before he spoke again. "So…"
Evie closed her eyes. She knew this was coming. He was going to want to talk about that kiss.
"So?" she asked as innocently as she could.
"Are we going to talk about that kiss?"
"What is there to talk about? I saved you from a forever slumber… you're welcome."
Doug chuckled. He knew she was going to try to avoid this. "Well, yes, thank you for that. It is nice to be awake again. But you do realize what the kiss meant, don't you?"
She stood up quickly that it startled him. She wouldn't face him. "Of course I realize it! That's the classic spell breaker! It's from the story that both of our parents are from! But you have to understand why I questioned it all."
Doug stood as well and put his hands on her shoulders from behind her. "Then make me understand, Evie. I would think of all people, we might have a bit of an advantage on grasping the story."
Evie spun around. "We shouldn't be a true love couple! My mother tried to kill your father! And your uncles! And your kinda aunt!"
"Did you?" he asked.
The question threw her off guard.
"What?"
He grabbed her shoulders again. "Did you try to kill my father? Or my extended family? Or anyone for that matter?"
"Of course not! What are you—"
He put a finger to her lips. "Then we're good. Evie, I love you. I don't care about your mother, or your past, or anything else from that story. I. Love. You."
"But you're so good and pure and I'm a Villain Kid."
She dropped her head and he used the same finger from her lips to lift her chin. "Do you think Mal and Ben can't be together? What about Carlos and Jane?"
Evie froze. He had her there.
And he knew it. "See? So if those VKs can love those AKs and it's ok, what's so wrong with us?" He panicked for a second. "Is it me?"
"God, no, Doug! It's just that my mother told me I would never get a prince if I didn't do everything exactly as she said. I'd probably never be pretty enough or attractive enough. Never have full enough lips or pink enough cheeks. My eyebrows were a disaster area and my eyeliner game was a joke. So the fact that someone as amazing as you actually loves me, well, it's a little hard for me to believe."
It took everything Doug had to not rush across the bridge to the Isle and give the Evil Queen a huge piece of his mind.
"Evie, you are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen, but I love you for so much more than that. You're smart and funny. You're kind and so talented. The fact that you're gorgeous is just icing on the cake for me. I can't believe you actually love me! Don't let anything your mother said ruin this. I love you and I think that kiss is pretty much proof."
Evie wanted to say, "Aw, you mean it?" but she held her tongue. Of course he meant it. They were true love. Her kiss broke the spell and that was the only explanation.
Instead, she said, "I know. True love's kiss is as good as it gets."
"I mean, it snapped Ben out of his spell and it woke me up. And let's face it, I'm a pretty heavy sleeper anyway."
She laughed and it sounded like bells to Doug.
"So, are you ok?" he asked.
Evie nodded enthusiastically. "I am. I have the love of my life and there's nothing I need more."
He hugged her and she happily rested her cheek on his chest. How could she have doubted him? Why did she make them wait so long to admit their love? They were always happy, but they could have been so much happier if she would have just trusted her feelings and not the nagging words of her mother in her head.
"I'm just glad we can finally say it!" he said as he pulled back and kissed her forehead. "It was killing me that we were avoiding it."
"I'm so sorry, Doug. It's all my fault. I should have explained my feelings to you sooner and ignored my mother. But then, I guess Mal and Uma wouldn't have gotten to be my backup singers for my confused feelings song."
"I missed a musical number? About your feelings?"
"Heh. Yeah. It was a good one too. I might have danced with your sleepy self a little."
"Wait… That wasn't a dream?"
"You knew about it?"
"Well, kinda. Like I said, I thought I was having some weird dream about dancing with you. It was really strange. Come to think of it, maybe Mal and Uma were singing too."
"Maybe we're even more true love than I thought. Did my presence actually start to wake you up?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. But it doesn't matter now. When are you going to get on the Devie train? This is true love. You think this happens every day?"
Evie rolled her eyes. "Are you really quoting 'The Princess Bride' to me?"
"Yup. Had to be done. Evie, I love you with everything I have. Nothing about our relationship surprises me anymore because we are awesome."
"So, you really think we're endgame?"
"Of course I do. And that's why…" he suddenly got down on one knee in front of her and took her hand. "Evie, my love, will you make me the happiest man in Auradon and marry me?"
Evie's other hand flew to her mouth. "Doug?"
"I know I don't have a ring yet. And it probably wouldn't be proper for us to show off an engagement ring so close to when the king proposed anyway, but I would still love to be your fiancé. What do you say?"
"What do I say? Yes! A thousand times yes!"
Doug leaped to his feet, grabbed her by the waist and spun her around. "Yes!"
He put her back down and kissed her soundly. "I'm so sorry I don't have a ring yet. I've been waiting for us to finally say those words and honestly, I was going to go to Dizzy soon and have her design something, but I didn't want to steal Mal and Ben's thunder, and then we had the whole Audrey drama, so I didn't have time to go to my Dad and get a gem, and—"
"Doug!" she interrupted. "I don't need a ring right now. Though, I am SO excited to see what Dizzy will make! For now, I think it's perfect that it's just between the two of us. I love you so much."
"And I love you, too."
"And now I have two wedding dresses to design!"
"I will get you any fabric or accessory you need."
"Aww! Maybe you really do love me," she giggled.
Doug tapped her nose. "Don't be Dopey."
