Title: Happily Ever After

Prompt by: Leverageland Charming Bingo - grim

Rating: PG

Setting: 'Consequences' (a multi-chapter fic I wrote in 2011/2012)

Word Count: 467

"I like fairytales," declared Parker from her place on the couch, watching TV.

"No, you like Disney movies," Eliot called back to her from the kitchen. "That's not the same thing," he insisted, as he stirred the soup on the hob, tasted it, and threw in a few more herbs.

"What's the difference?" asked his pregnant girlfriend, as he knew she would somehow.

Normally, he would complain about her yelling from one room to the next without getting off her butt, but in her current condition of over six months gone and huge, he gave her a pass. He did kind of wish she wouldn't ask him questions like that when he was busy though.

"Well, fairytales weren't like that," he said, appearing in the doorway and gesturing towards the TV with a dishtowel before flipping said towel over his shoulder. "The original stories, they had a lot of bad stuff in 'em. We're talking violence, rape, murder, not good for little kids at bedtime," he confirmed. "At least, not until the Grimm fairytales."

He disappeared back into the kitchen, feeling his work here was done, and certain he wasn't going to let the soup get ruined. However, Parker was not satisfied, she was just more confused.

"Why would anyone want to hear fairytales that are grim?" she asked in earnest, her words giving way to a yawn before her question was barely asked.

"Not grim like that," Eliot rolled his eyes. "G. R. I. double M. They were brothers, and they put together a collection of fairytales, cleaning them up and making them more friendly and cuddly for folks to share with their kids and all," he continued. "It was a long while after that Walt Disney gotta hold of the stories," he went on as he served up a dish of his good home-made soup, and placed it on the tray with the fresh bread rolls and a little vase with a flower in it. "When he made the cartoons, well, then the fairytales got even cuter and prettier. Little girls wanted to be princesses and boys the princes, so..." he stopped short as he walked back into the living room.

He found Parker all but asleep on the couch, whilst the TV showed Sleeping Beauty and her Prince dancing off into the pink clouds and their perfect destiny. Eliot sighed as he put the tray down on the table, flipped off the TV, and came to kneel at the couch by his woman.

"So they could all live happily ever after," he whispered, planting a soft kiss on her lips, as he lifted her up easily into his arms and carried her away to their room.

"Just like a fairytale," Parker sighed sleepily against his shoulder.

Eliot didn't care to argue with her anymore.