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“Monarchs are beautiful, but poisonous.”
Peri told him this while they were sitting in a field, with the breeze blowing through their hair. Talking about their favorite animals, amid casual conversation.
Laslow had titled his head at Peri’s statement. “Is that why you love them, then?” he asked.
Peri smirked, and looked at him with a mischievous grin. “Yeah! Super pretty, but the second a bird gets a bite out of it, it’ll have some serious regrets!”
Peri ran her finger along the grass. “Maybe a little like me, y’know, minus the beautiful part.”
Laslow had shook his head, catching her attention. “I disagree. Especially the beautiful part.”
And Peri had giggled.
It was her cute girly giggle, the one that she only had when she was genuinely happy, maybe a little embarrassed, but enjoying herself nonetheless. And this was profound, because Peri only gave it to him once, on that spring day where she had told him about hair dyes, and frilly pillows, and poisonous monarchs.
It was the giggle that she now had often, as Xander whispered to her underneath the stars, when he surprised her with presents, and when he was a tad too overprotective. When he tried his best to do her hair, and when he told her how much he loved her.
And she loved him.
Yet here Laslow was, holding that butterfly barrette in his hand. The one he bought to propose to her. It was by no means a typical proposal item, though he knew she would have loved it the same. She would have, if Laslow hadn’t silently resigned after Xander told him that he too was planning to confess.
Laslow would ask himself a million what if’s, but he would never regret his decision. Regret implies that one would do things differently, if they had the chance. But Laslow knows, even now, that he will be smiling as hard as he can at their wedding, and he will congratulate them a million times over, and he will bury his feelings as far down as he can. Because most importantly, Peri was his friend, and he would always value her happiness above his.
But he’d be lying if he said it still didn’t hurt.
“Laslow!”
Peri runs on over to him, smiling widely. Laslow smiles back. “Peri. Good to see you.”
And of course, she looks beautiful, because she always does. Even while she kills him because she’s wearing that ring, and the dress Xander picked out for her. She still looks stunning, because she’s Peri, and she always will be.
And in this moment he feels especially like Laslow. The Laslow who can’t seem to move on, the Laslow who can’t seem to accept that for the rest of his life, Peri will never view him as anything more than a friend.
Peri rocks on her heels. “So, what’s up?” she asks.
Laslow places a box in her hands. “Delivery,” he says.
She squints at it, trying to place if she bought this. “It’s a gift,” he elaborates.
“Oh!”
Peri opens it, and gasps. She takes the barrette out and admires it. It sparkles in the sun, and reflects onto her face. “It’s beautiful!” She immediately clips it into her hair, and giddily looks back at Laslow. “Who’s it from?”
He opens his mouth, and closes it. He looks down at her feet. “It’s from someone who loves you very much.”
Upon hearing this, Peri gives him a knowing look. “Hmm, I guess I’ll just have to thank this ‘someone’, won’t I?”
Peri looks back towards the castle, and giggles. It’s funny how even though it’s because of him, it’s not for him.
Laslow knows that if she thought hard enough, she would realize that she had never told Xander that she liked butterflies before, or that Xander wasn’t one to give gifts anonymously. And Laslow finally realizes; she’s not looking for him in it. She’s looking for Xander, and she finds him, because she wants to. She chooses to.
And Laslow, finally, accepts this fact. He’s not okay with it, but he accepts that this is how it is, and how it always will be.
“Well, bye, Laslow!”
Peri waves, the empty box in the other hand. Laslow waves back, and watches her skip away, across the cobblestone path back where she came.
She wasn’t coming back. She never would.
Laslow watches as she disappears from sight.
“Goodbye, Peri.”