title: supposed to be perfect
pairing: teddy/victoire
author: Roma (justalittle l o o n y)
for: Maddi (Allons-y Alonzo)

"Practically perfect people never permit sentiment to muddle their thinking. " -Mary Poppins

When she first appears on his doorstep, he has to check twice to make sure that she is indeed Victoire. Her blonde hair, normally in uniform ringlets, is stringy and unkempt from the rain. Her mascara is running in black trails down her cheeks. Her white dress has dirt on the hem and and is torn in the shoulder. In short, her aura of perfection is shattered- he falls back in love with her on the spot.

"Teddy," she murmurs, pressing herself to his chest. "Teddy, Teddy, Teddy, Teddy. J'ai besoin de toi, je te veux, j'ai besoin de toi..."

Using the small amount of French that Dominique has taught him, he translates that to "I want you," and he raises an eyebrow. It's only in states of pure desperation that her Veela side manifests as fluent French, and he wonders what on earth caused it. "Don't you have a girlfriend for that?" he asks dryly as he turns his back and heads into the kitchen, trying not to let the pain of being dumped for another girl show in his voice. When he gets no response, he turns around to see her on the couch. Naked.

"Well, not that this isn't a nice surprise," he says in a strangled tone, attempting to control himself. "But I really think you should return to your girlfriend."

She laughs humourlessly. "I don't have a girlfriend anymore, Teddy."

He walks over to her, trying to ignore the fact that this is the most he's ever seen from her (she always believed in sex after marriage). He opens his mouth to tell her that she really should be going, but suddenly there's something over and in his mouth, and there are hands in his hair, and he feels skin on his and-

he's doomed.

He apparates to Victoire's door, biting his lip in apprehension. Lily has suggested that they get married, claiming that it's "so romantic," but he's not really sure he's ready yet. Heck, he's not really sure that she's ready, because being married to him probably isn't going to be the easiest thing. He can't keep a job, and even when he does, they're normally wacky jobs that aren't stable enough to support a family. He loves her, and he's fairly certain that she loves him, but a circus clown (quite literally) is never going to be enough. If she's going to be an actress, like she's always dreamed, she needs someone with a steady income, not someone whose paycheck is just as sporadic as hers.

But they'll manage, he thinks, because neither of their families would let them starve, and love is that all-powerful substance, right? He fingers the box in his pocket and lifts his hand to knock on the door.

But before his knuckles can so much as tap the wood, he hears a strange voice coming from inside Victoire's flat. "Toire, you've got to choose. You can't just keep toeing the line." It's female, so he assumes that it's just another of her many agents, until he hears her next sentence. "I do love you, you know that, but I just can't keep being 'the other woman.' It was fun at first, sneaking around and hoping Teddy would catch us so we could sing some huge number, but now I just feel like some sort of harlot. You've got to pick one of us."

He can't believe what he's hearing, but he keeps listening anyway, hoping that his and her names being there are just a slip of the tongue and that they're running lines (but knowing that will never be the truth). But then Victoire's voice comes, and he knows he's doomed. "I.." he hears, and he's never heard that unsure, broken tone in her voice before so he knows he's lost her.

Resignedly, he knocks on her door, almost smiling bitterly as he hears scuffling about and a shout of "Go hide in the bedroom!" Finally, the door opens, revealing the only girl he's ever loved, looking picture perfect as always, and smelling of a perfume he didn't buy her. "Teddy!" she says, and he thinks that she must be a brilliant actress if her look of joyful surprise looks that real. "I didn't realize you were coming over today. What brought you over?"

Wordlessly, he holds out the little black box so she can see it. She looks at him expectantly, clearly thinking he'll go down on one knee. "I wanted to get married, Victoire, but it seems it wasn't mutual."

She gives him a perfectly feigned look of shock, and he shakes his head, finally allowing that bitter smile to come through. "You know, your doors are surprisingly thin, you should probably get them changed before someone hears something they shouldn't."

Something in her face crumbles and looks shameful, but then she selects her pitying mask. "Teddy, I'm so, so, so, sorry, I should have told you earlier, but I didn't want to hurt-"

"Cut the bullshit, Victoire," he interrupts, his voice getting harsh. "You didn't tell me because you thought we'd break up, and then you'd have to deal with your dad wondering why you can't keep a steady boyfriend, and then Molly would bring up her lesbian theory again, and this time he'd know it was true. It was never about us, Victoire, it always was about your irrational fear that no one would hire a lesbian Juliet- you don't have to worry about that now, because if you've led me on this long, I doubt you'll have a problem with a two hour show!" He shakes his head in disgust.

"I'm sorry..." she whispers, but everything else that has sounded that real has been fake, so he just slams the door in her face and storms away.

He wakes up.

Normally on a morning after a dream like that, he'd get up, make himself a cup of coffee, and somehow snap out of it. But combined with the events of last night, he's not sure it will work. Still, he can't lay in bed all day, he's got his job at the Muggle amusement park to go to. So he rolls out of bed and pulls on a pair of pants.

Drowsily, he walks into the kitchen, only to find Victoire already there, drinking her own cup and pointing to one for him. "Just black, right?" For a minute, it's just like old times, so he nods and sits down.

After a long moment filled only by sips of bitter coffee, he decides to start a conversation. "So, do you have any plans for us today, or is this going to be just a typical one night stand?" She blushes, and it occurs to him that maybe his bitterness ratio is a little disproportionate.

"Teddy..." she starts, taking a another sip of coffee. "It's not like that and you know it."

"Not like what? This wasn't a one night stand, or you're not a total bitch?" The words come out a lot harsher than he intends, and she winces. "Oh, I'm sorry, that was uncalled for." It wasn't, but considering that it's the first time they've talked in six months, he decides to be nice.

"No, it wasn't," she says, and he can see her slipping back into theatre mood already. "I was wrong to come here, and I shouldn't have slept with you. It's leading you on, and that's not right." Her words are practically robotic in feel, and though he knows that they're what she's supposed to say, her perfectly crafted lines aren't going to make him feel better.

"Vic, that's what you're supposed to say," he says gently. She doesn't respond, so he continues. "I want to hear what you actually think, not what you're reading from a cue card."

There's a long pause, and for a few seconds he wonders if he pushed too hard. Maybe she just isn't capable of doing the unexpected. "I don't regret it," she finally says, and he lets out a breath of relief. Admittance. That's the first step.

"You know," he says, standing up and pulling on a shirt that's draped on an extra chair. "All this philosophical, serious stuff is great and all, but I think you need to have some fun."

"Fun?" she repeats, wrinkling her nose slightly as though she doesn't know the proper response to his change of mood.

"That," he says, pulling her away from her half-full cup of coffee and shoving one of his old jackets into her arms, "proves my point. Let's go."

"What, right now?" she asks, watching him in bewilderment. "Where are we going?"

He grins and motions for her to put his old jacket on. She complies reluctantly and he cheerfully tugs a gigantic russian-style hat over his head, even though it's summer and possibly 18 degrees outside. "My work!" he answers, when she has put on appropriate attire.

"Your work?" she repeats, scandalized and looking at herself critically. "Teddy, you're joking, I couldn't go out in public looking like this- where do you work now?"

Heading towards his door, he calls over his shoulder, "A Muggle amusement park!"

"Teddy, stop," she says, grabbing his arm and looking at him with a pleading expression. "There'll be loads of people there, I can't go out wearing a nightgown and your old jacket, especially when my makeup is awful and my hair is a mess, Merlin, what'll your friends think?"

He shrugs. "One of them came in his pyjamas one day, I doubt they'll care."

She bites her lip. "But about the rest of the people there? What will they-"

"They're strangers, Vic- they might think you're weird, but they'll never see you again. And besides, you look beautiful anyway."

She blushes and walks towards him, apparently unable to think of any other way to react. But when they step outside, she turns to him with a confused look on her face. "Teddy, why are you being so nice and cheerful? Shouldn't you be mad at me?"

He shrugs and looks out at the sun shining in the sky, the cheerful smile remaining on his face. "I probably should be, but I'm not. Does that answer your question?"

She shakes her head, laughing a bit, and in the moment before they apparate, he wonders if there was some deep message in what he said.

Probably not.

They arrive in a field behind the amusement park with a slight pop! sound. He offers her his arm, and after a bemused look, she links hers with his. He begins skipping happily, giving her a slight wink, and she rolls her eyes and begins to skip along too. Giving her a sidelong glance, he begins to sing, knowing that she won't be able to resist. "Ain't it a glorious day? Right as a morning in May? I feel like I could fly!" He leaps dramatically in the air, and she laughs a little.

"Teddy, you know I love that musical, but really, you can't sing-"

He cuts her off by clamping his hand over her mouth and singing even louder. "Have you ever seen the grass so green? Or a bluer sky?" At this point, he can't stop grinning, because the look on her face is like she wants to laugh, but can't, and merlin, he just wants her to lose control for once.

"Teddy!" she bursts out, rolling her eyes obviously.

He gives her an oblivious look and begins skipping again. "Oh, it's a jolly holiday with you, Vic! Vic, you make my heart so light! When the day is gray and ordinary, Vic, you make the sun shine bright!"

"Oh, honestly, you haven't changed a bit, have you?" she says peevishly, crossing her arms and looking at him as though he's grown another head.

"You even sound like her," he coaxes. "Come on, Vic, you don't need vocal warmups, just sing and have fun!"

"No," she says, but her smile is beginning to waver, so he thinks he might have her. Finally.

"Oh, happiness is blooming all around her," he belts again, throwing his hat in the air and doing a flamboyant spin. "The daffodils are smiling at the doves! When Vicky holds my hand, I feel so grand, my heart starts beating like a big brass band!" He pretends to have a heart attack, and finally, she laughs.

"Oh, Teddy, you're so silly sometimes."

He grins. "Vic, the line is 'Oh, Bert, you are lightheaded.' Get it right, Merlin."

She rolls her eyes, and finally getting into the mood of it, runs down the hill to join him as he runs through the gates of the Jolly Holiday Amusement Park. "Oh, it's a jolly holiday with you, Vic! No wonder that it's Vicky that we love!" He sings this part rather loudly, and gets a few strange looks from passerby. She looks worried, but he just salutes them.

"Teddy, you're so embarrassing sometimes!" she shouts over the sound of the various muggle children screaming and squealing and the rides running.

He grins devilishly. "I haven't even gotten to the worst part yet," he says, and gives a conspiratorial wink to the guy working the cotton candy booth. When he's caught his eye, he scratches his nose rather obviously, and the man sits up.

"OI, FELLAS!" he shouts, his booming voice carrying easily over the crowd. "TEDDY SCRATCHED HIS NOSE! YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS!"

Among the cries of "Scratched his nose?" and "Scratched his nose he did, get ready boys!" Victoire whispers, "What does that mean?"

He shrugs innocently, just as one of the clowns does a flip and lands right in front of her to present a rose. "For you," he says, and then he too begins to sing loudly. "Oh, it's a jolly holiday with Vicky!"

Another large man begins singing too, and before long, every worker in the park is singing along to the song that Teddy knows is Victoire's favorite on the Mary Poppins soundtrack. Jokingly, he conducts them, and a few even bow. He looks over to look at Victoire, and is surprised and proud when he sees her doubled over laughing. She's finally letting go of her perfect image, and not caring about what the patrons of the park think of her, and Merlin, it feels glorious.

"Teddy, you didn't tell them that I hate being called Vicky, did you?" she asks, but it's only the side of her that has to give constructive criticism, and he knows Victoire couldn't go a day without critiquing an opening number, so he lets it slide.

"Oops?" he says sheepishly.

"It's alright," she says softly, and pulls him in for a kiss. At first he lets himself believe in it, because this is the realest moment they've ever had, but then he can't take not knowing anymore. "Vic, stop-" he says, pulling away.

"Why?" she asks calmly, and there's no sparkle of look-at-me-i'm-in-the-spotlight, so he continues.

"Because- I… Vic, you had a girlfriend. I can't do this-" he gestures to the two of them, "-when there's a chance you'll just dump me again."

"Well, you did organize 'this,'" she reminds him. "But Teddy, you're right." He sighs slightly, knowing it what's coming, but not liking it at all. "It's not fair to you to go into a relationship with someone for the second time, not knowing if the same thing that ended it the first time is going to happen again."

He begins to walk away, because those are classic rejection lines, and he's not sure if he can take being told no twice. "And I'm supposed to say no to you right now," she calls, and he walks even faster. "And people are probably thinking that I'm some sort of harlot for dating you, dumping you for a girl, and dating you again!" she says even louder, and he hears footsteps chase after him. "And I was supposed to love Genevieve, because I'm supposed to like girls, and I'm supposed to have to limit myself to falling in love with one gender." He feels a hand on his shoulder and shakes it off, because doesn't she realize that she's just making it worse? "And if I continue on with this fake, plastic, perfect life, I marry the woman that I've caused everyone to expect me to marry."

He turns to her, ready to tell her to shut up. But there she is, her hair messed up again (purposefully) and her makeup in streaks (purposefully) and her white dress is torn (purposefully), and he can't be in love with her imperfections, because he's supposed to love someone for being good to him and never hurting him.

"But frankly, I'm tired of this 'supposed to' thing," they both whisper, and this time when she kisses him, he doesn't pull away.

It feels real, anyway.

a/n: please don't favorite/alert without reviewing, thanks.