Since some people are having trouble finding me, my username on Ao3 is SakuraDemonAlchemist. Or you could just look up Transcending Time and Space. You'll know you have the right one when you find a story that has a threesome between Bel, Fran and Luna Lovegood.

"How long has that Reed girl been with us?" asked Erik the lion tamer.

"Three months," said Pomona, the Ringmaster.

"...And Skull still hasn't figured it out?"

Pomona smirked.

"Give it time. Reed is only now starting to let her guard down around us enough to ask for help, and Skull seems to have figured out she hasn't had a nice home life before now. Once they get past that hurdle, we can all enjoy the antics of that goofball trying to woo our little healer," said Pomona.

It was clear to anyone with eyes that Skull had a thing for Reed. They never asked about her past or why she so easily left her home without even a single glance back. She wouldn't be the first runaway that found a home among the troupe, nor would she be the last.

Unlike other runaways, Reed had made herself almost indispensable among them. She was not only a hard worker, but the number of acts they had to put on hold due to injuries had dropped significantly. And if that wasn't enough, the girl had a way with animals...even the temperamental tiger that they sometimes had to nix from the act behaved around her.

In short the poor girl fit right in with the mismatched group.

But that wasn't the best part, in the opinion of the older troupe members.

Skull, a man who was very much a free spirit, had finally found a girl who not only put up with his wild antics and insane stunts, but could give as good as she got when it came to witty barbs and insane antics.

Skull nearly had a heart attack the first time he went to teach her how to ride the practice motorcycle. They had already set up both ramps nearby, and by an amazing show of luck when she accidentally hit the accelerator and didn't have a good grip on the brake, she managed to hit the ramp perfectly.

That wasn't what gave him a near heart attack though. Oh, no, that came from Reed's reaction to being in the air while on the bike...she did a perfect flip and just managed to land on the other ramp without crashing.

And instead of being freaked out she laughed.

"That was way too much fun!"

It seemed fate truly favored the man hated by Death, if it was willing to give him a potential wife that actually enjoyed stunts as much as he did, and didn't mind patching him up after a show.

It was absolutely adorable to watch Skull interact with Reed, especially when he planned out the occasional date. Seeing his harmless fumbles was great entertainment for all involved.

Like when Reed took one look at the cheesy bouquet of flowers Skull had gotten for her and was clearly trying very hard not to laugh, before calmly explaining what they meant in flower language. While she still kept them, the light teasing she gave the mortified stuntman over the mixed meaning of the flowers was amusing.

Reed was good for Skull. A lot of his wild antics toned down and they didn't have to worry about him getting hurt doing something stupid. And the way he blushed when she fussed over him!

Spotting the girl in question, Pomona grinned.

"Hey Reed! I've been meaning to ask, but when's your birthday?"

"July 31st," she replied without thinking.

Pomona and Erik both shared a look. That was barely two weeks away!

"And how many candles should we put on the cake?"

Seeing her startled wide eyed blink at the question, the two silently shared a look. It was clear to anyone who spent a lot of time around those with certain backgrounds that Reed had been abused for a long time.

"...Seventeen," she admitted, not willing to look them in the eye.

Pomona looked at Erik and asked in Russian "How old is Skull again?"

"Almost 22," he replied back stunned.

A five or six year age gap wasn't that bad, but they were definitely going to give Skull a warning about Reed's actual age before he tried to move to a more 'physical' relationship with her.

"Have you even finished high school?"

"I've been doing online courses. So long as I take the exams with a registered authority before I'm eighteen no one will say anything. I'm technically on leave from school anyway to study for the graduating exams," she replied.

From what Pomona could tell, she was being entirely truthful about that but she couldn't help but feel as though the girl was leaving out some major pieces.

Skull had such a hilariously shocked expression upon learning that his soon-to-be girlfriend was not only about to turn seventeen, but that her birthday was in less than two weeks.

He had absolutely no idea what to get Reed.

She knew more about flowers than he did, was an awesome cook that could outdo most restaurants he could afford, and she didn't really do clothes or jewelry.

And the snake. Skull was still leery of that thing being in the same vicinity as him and that was just driving. Never mind the fact that it had taken to acting as a sort of weird necklace around Reed's neck.

How she could be so comfortable around the thing and act like she knew what it was thinking was something that still threw him.

Skull thought long and hard about what he wanted to do for her birthday. He knew the others, who had quickly become charmed by her sensible manner and willingness to work regardless of how gross or demeaning the task might be, were planning a small party which would also double as a proper "welcome to the troupe" celebration. By this point Reed was an equal member, despite having joined only three months ago.

Then it hit him. So what if there was a bit of an age gap between them? Five or six years was pretty minor, and in another decade no one would really bat an eye about it.

Besides...the idea of allowing someone to take Reed from him made his heart fill with possessive intent, and if he had been looking at a mirror he would have seen his eyes glow an ominous purple color not too dissimilar to violet.

She was the closest thing he had to a home in a long time, and he wasn't going to let some other jerk waltz in and try to take her from him. There were far too many creeps out there that would take advantage of her nature and history and use it to cage her.

Mind made up, Skull eagerly waited for Reed's birthday.

Seeing her still up at midnight, he quietly knocked on the door and waited for her to let him in. He was polite like that.

"You need something?"

"I was thinking about what we could do for your birthday, but to be honest my big plans always blew up even in my head," he admitted. "And Pomona would kick my ass if I ruined the troupe's plan for later."

Reed looked at him with a very confused expression on her face. It just solidified Skull's plans for coming to visit her.

"Which is why I decided to do this," he said, before he kissed her on the lips without any warning at all.

Reed froze in shock.

"Will you be my girlfriend?" he asked sheepishly.

"Why?" she asked baffled. "I mean why me? I know you have all sorts of fans happy to be with you. So why pick me?"

Skull would have happily strangled whoever destroyed her confidence in others so badly that the idea someone would want her as a girlfriend threw her off this badly.

"Because while those girls might be enamored with the idea of dating someone semi-famous, they're not you," said Skull honestly. "You get why I enjoy doing crazy stunts and you patch me up with mild exasperation. The last time I tried to date a fan, it ended badly. She left me for some loser without a second thought or even any warning. You actually care about me and see past the mask I put on for show...even if your taste in pets and neck wear is still weird."

Sycamore hissed at him for that comment from her neck.

"And I can tell you would be worth the wait. You're funny, kind, loyal and a great person... and the thought of someone taking you from me kinda pisses me off something fierce," admitted Skull, trying not to mess this up.

Reed still looked confused, but something passed through her eyes hearing that. She was still stunned he chose her, but she wasn't going to question a bit of good fortune for once.

Skull would admit open relief when she kissed him back.

"I have no idea how to be a girlfriend," she admitted. "No one has ever even looked at me as a proper girl before."

Skull's smile warmed up considerably as a strange warmth blossomed in his chest.

"So is that a yes?"

"Of course it's a yes, you goof," she said smiling.

He hugged her, making very sure she saw what he was planning. It was what she liked about Skull...he knew she wasn't used to being touched without warning. Most of the troupe picked up on that quickly enough, which made being here that much more relaxing because they were slowly acclimating her to surprise hugs.

The troupe's reaction to the news and the fact Skull and Reed were holding hands the next morning?

"It's about freaking time!" said Erik. "We thought you'd never get the balls to ask her out!"

"Oi! What does that mean?" said Skull mock offended.

"Let's face it, she has bigger balls than you do," said Erik without hesitation.

Before Skull could make a retort, Reed coughed suspiciously and averted her eyes from his.

"Et tu?" he said in dismay.

"You're still freaked out by Sycamore and need I remind you of the time you woke everyone up because I accidentally dropped a perfectly harmless frog on you?"

Skull pouted, as everyone else laughed their ass off.

"Frogs are just gross! They're so slimy and disgusting. What were you doing carrying that thing anyway?"

"It's not slime, it's mucus," she replied. "And they're not so bad."

She wondered how he would react if she let a few chocolate frogs loose around him, if the real ones creeped him out. Or how he would react to trying a cockroach cluster.

Reed's smile was wide and almost carefree. She was clearly enjoying herself, and her hand rarely left Skull's for too long.

Though the highlight of the party was when Reed subtly slipped Skull a cockroach cluster to see how he would react. Seeing the stuntman sputter the second he registered what he was eating was hilarious.

"Why do you even have that?"

"For stupid idiots with too much money to test their daring. You are now a proud member of the 'I ate a bug' club," she said with a straight face.

Skull made a face. But he still grinned anyway. It was nice seeing Reed open up.

"There's a brown frog in my bed!" shouted Skull.

"It's made of chocolate," Reed told him.

Skull's panic attack stopped short hearing that. He looked at the odd amphibian that looked way too realistic.

"I totally call bullshit."

Reed smirked at him as she scooped up the odd brown frog on his bed and calmly ripped off a leg. Skull grimaced, fully expecting blood...only to stare in disbelief at the fact it was clearly hollow like some sort of demented chocolate bunny you'd find at Easter in the States.

"That is so weird," he said, before slowly breaking off the other back leg. After a moment, his expression shifted to a grin. "But the chocolate is excellent. How did you make these anyway?"

"I didn't. I bought them at a specialty store I know of...they're fairly popular in Europe and you just have to know where to look."

All she did was wait for the animation charm to wear off and remove the card, before leaving it on Skull's bed. She had absolutely no idea how to make a proper chocolate frog.

Splitting the chocolate between them, Reed carefully setting into the second-hand couch she had bought for the RV and the moderately sized TV on the opposite wall.

She had been very discreet when it came to the expansion charms. No one would suspect the RV had a literal house inside it...mostly in the closet where she kept her supplies to make her 'herbal remedies'. If one turned the lock correctly, it would lead to her house and potions lab, rather than the closet. Any other way and it simply lead to a mundane closet.

Skull sat next to her, and let Reed lean into him as he put in the movie. After about ten minutes she relaxed completely into his side and let her defenses drop.

While very inexperienced with the idea of dating someone, Reed was a quick learner. Skull knew better than to rush things, so they were currently taking it slow. A few extra hugs or the occasional kiss during show times here and there was about as physical as they got.

Or there were times like this, when they simply relaxed together in Reed's private RV and watched random movies...Skull was a major fan of the old Godzilla films. And despite how cheesy and poorly made they were, Reed found them amusing.

Mostly because she was all too aware that it was entirely possible the creature in question could exist, with how magic worked. If a dragon could exist, why not a prehistoric lizard with atomic breath with a penchant for destroying Tokyo?

Reed happily snuggled into Skull's side, and didn't flinch when he slowly wrapped his arm around her. It was nice and warm, and she felt oddly safe like this in a way that she couldn't really describe.

So it was with great reluctance that she brought up a subject she wished would stay buried.

"I have to leave for a week to take some exams. It shouldn't take too long, but it's unavoidable."

Skull looked unhappy.

"You'll come back, right?"

"You couldn't keep me away. This is my home and there's no way I'd leave you without a fight," she said honestly. She didn't see it in the light, but her eyes glinted with an amber light in the darkness.

"After this you'll be done with school, right?"

"They're the last exams needed to be declared an official adult," she confirmed.

She had already graduated high school. The exams were surprisingly easy, since she spent so much time reading and catching up. And without the stress of her yearly adventures, the insane study guides from hell, or that fool's insistence on distracting her all the damn time, she found studying much easier than she remembered.

So much so it only took her a few months to catch up to her mundane education and pass the exams online. Once she finished her N.E.W.T.'s she'd proudly display her shiny new degree on the wall. She had graduated with honors, despite her handicap.

"Then I'll grin and bear it, even if I don't like it," said Skull pouting. She kissed him shyly on the cheek, which brightened his mood, just a little.