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“Dorothy? You’re staring again, you know that right?”
Oh god, she was doing it again, time to shake herself out of it. The strawberry-colored strands of hair might get in the way a bit, but luckily Elsa’s hair wasn’t too long, so it wasn’t that much of an issue. She knew that looking at Evie wrong was a quick ticket to getting on her bad side by now, and yet she kept doing it anyways, with the noble girl’s bullying being a regular part of her life by this point.
Well maybe I’d stop doing it if her attempts at bullying weren’t so adorable!!
Yvonne Smollett was, to put it bluntly, the worst attempt at a bully Elsa had ever met. She should know, given how many bullies Elsa used to have to put up with at the Hartwerner Academy before Evie had started their weird little dance. Elsa wasn’t sure what exactly she’d done to get them to back off, but things were definitely better nowadays. Exclusive bullying rights, Smollett only and no one else? She wasn’t an expert on bullying, just being bullied, so no idea on that one.
That being said, Elsa DID know that no other bully she’d ever had to deal with would deliberately pause and frown before any act of ‘bullying’, they didn’t act alone, and they DEFINITELY didn’t try and comfort her after the fact like she was sorry she had to do it. It was funny to watch her try, truth be told.
“You alright, Dorothy? Now you’re just gazing off into the distance.” Elsa startled, a faint blush on her cheeks as Yvonne waved a hand right in front of her face to get her attention. “Did you get enough sleep last night? I can carry you home if you need the help.”
As much as Elsa would have loved to take Evie up on the ride home, she couldn’t help but get a verbal jab in at her crush. “Hehehe, first you tell me I’m staring, and then you pout when I look away Evie! It’d be really nice if you could make up your mind soon.”
Oh yeah, most people probably didn’t fall in love with their bullies either. Important detail there.
“I-it’s not like that!” Elsa didn’t need to look at Yvonne to know the pouty expression that was crossing her face, but of course she looked anyway, it was too much fun! “It’d just be quicker to carry you Dorothy, especially if the alternative is waiting for you to nap outdoors before returning home.”
Ah yes, normal dialogue for a bully. Perhaps Yvonne would later try to make up for the kindness with that dumb rich lady laugh she’d tried to imitate like she’d done last week, which of course didn’t match her expression at all. “I don’t know, Evie, I wouldn’t mind a nap on your lap in the afternoon shade!” Elsa smiled at the idea, before forming a mock pout to try and match the one Yvonne had just given her. “And I know I told you to use my first name! It’s only fair, since I’ve been using a nickname of your first name and all.”
Of course, Yvonne could never look her in the eye after statements like these, electing instead to look almost to the side(but never where Elsa was out of her sight entirely), scratching her cheek in thought, just as Elsa predicted. No, Elsa didn’t have a notebook entirely dedicated to Yvonne’s habits and mannerisms, stop asking about things like that… it was three notebooks, ANYWAYS - “I know you said that, Dorothy, but you should be saving that sort of privilege for the prince you end up engaged to someday, not passing it out to people like me.”
Oh gods, only Yvonne could manage to combine a compliment Elsa didn’t deserve with an insult that Yvonne definitely did not deserve. Elsa had to resist the urge to roll her eyes, if only because that would be rather rude. “You say that like I’m destined to end up with royalty, you ARE aware I’m a peasant, right? One with really strong magic, granted, but it’s not like any princes would be interested in me for my personality. Who’s to say that you’re not the most compatible person for me, Evie? You’re here, you’re nice to me, and I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember. It feels pretty unlikely that some random rich guy’s gonna come in here and beat that.”
Yvonne’s face had gone beet-red, apparently not expecting a serious answer to her offhand statement. “I-I’m just saying you deserve the best, that’s all. You can do a lot better than a disgraced and discredited daughter of a former noble. At the very least, you should get with someone who can go a day without being a two-faced bitch like I’ve been to you…”
Ah, Evie’s expression had changed again, a soft but sad smile gracing her features with its presence, and yet again Elsa was wondering just how much of Yvonne’s behavior was under her own volition. She wasn’t an idiot, after all. At the lowest point of her life, Evie had saved her from perishing during a mare’s possession(whatever a ‘mare’ was), proving what a good person her attractive blonde crush was underneath the icy exterior she’d been putting on. The gods didn’t seem to agree however, as this had resulted in Yvonne collapsing to the ground clutching her head in what looked to be absolute agony. Not only that, but within the week, she’d been subsequently arrested, her family stripped of wealth, parents imprisoned, and exiled across the country!
So yeah, if that’s what happened when Evie was too nice ONE time, Elsa totally understood the ‘bullying’. She’d probably do the same, honestly, if not worse, even if it was nothing more than mental trauma from association, rather than anything concrete. “You say that noble stuff like any of it was your fault and not things your older family members did, and that’s assuming it wasn’t just for a political power grab or something. Sure, some of those jerks at school might cause trouble for you over it, but I know that’s just because they can’t say anything bad about you as a person!” Elsa started getting closer and closer as she talked, until she ended up almost right in Yvonne’s face.
“H-hey, you’re a bit close here…” Yvonne had snapped out of her thoughts, backing up bit by bit just to keep them from touching, hands up in a placating gesture.
Elsa wasn’t buying it, firmly gripping Yvonne’s shoulders with each arm. “We literally sleep in the same bedroom, don’t give me the personal space excuse now Evie! As for your personality ‘problem’,” Elsa almost spat out the cursed word, showing exactly what she thought of it, “I’m not buying it for a moment that you’re doing this out of ANY form of malice. You clearly don’t enjoy any of it, and your smile vanishes almost every time before you do anything like that to me. You’re a great person, but you’re not a good actor Evie, so don’t expect me to buy that ‘always a bitch’ line, got it?”
Were those… tears forming in Yvonne’s eyes? Oh fuck, maybe she’d come on a bit strong there. “E-E-Elsa…” Evie stuttered out, before almost collapsing in her arms.
Oh.
While Elsa had been pestering Yvonne to use her first name for months by this point, Yvonne had never actually
done
it before, but now Elsa had a sobbing mess of a crush in her arms for the first time ever(cockroaches notwithstanding). God, this must have been tearing Evie up inside for a while for her to be feeling this self-conscious about it. Elsa tried to think of what to say next while she squeezed Yvonne in reassurance, rubbing circles into the taller girl’s back in a rhythm. “There, there? I think that’s how this works, at least. I’ll always have your back, okay? Even if you never return my feelings, as long as you’re happy, I’ll be there cheering you on!”
Yvonne sniffled a bit, head lying on her shoulders, before Elsa overheard her quietly mumbling. “I-I guess I could enjoy it while it lasts…”
Another cryptic statement to add to her latest Evie Notebook in the cupboards, but Elsa would let Yvonne decide if she wanted Elsa to be aware of that. “What did you say just now, Evie? Your voice was a bit muffled there.”
“O-oh! I was just saying you’re being too nice to me…” Alright, Elsa wouldn’t bring it up then.
Rebutting the jab at Evie’s self-worth was another matter, of course. “Hey, knock it off with the insulting yourself!” Elsa insisted, squeezing a bit tighter, before mumbling the next line. “You’re only allowed to insult people when it’s time to bully me, ok?”
A faint sniffle could be heard from her side. “Gee, leave it to you to make light of a situation like this. I-is there anything I can do to pay you back for helping me out today?”
Yvonne was usually a bit too guarded to ask open questions like this, but obviously this was different, and Elsa would be heartless if she took advantage of it for another verbal jab like she’d usually use the opportunity for. “Well, I actually got a couple of tickets for the play you were wanting to see. This weekend, if you’d go with me?”
Yvonne’s eyes were visible again, widening in surprise as she pulled away slowly. “The one based on the book?” She asked, getting a nod in return from Elsa. “Oh, I’d love to Elsa! You’re too kind!”
And the hug was back in full force, stronger than before actually. Elsa’s lungs struggled to catch up with their assigned air intake, as one thought crossed her mind:
Gee, today’s bullying is weirder than usual, isn’t it?
Elsa watched as her crush’s white plaid top began to color orange in the light of the sunset, content with holding hands at the end of a satisfying day, which had gone better than she could have imagined. Sure, there were a few moments that were strange even by Yvonne’s standards, such as when she insisted they switch seats before the play started, but that was just part of the fun!
Honestly, the biggest flaws of the day had come from her own overplanning, which had left her scrambling a bit when things went off-course early in the day. Luckily, Yvonne always knew how to get her back on track, and the rest of the day had gone amazingly! Handholding, a couple of hugs, and just a general sense of intimacy that Elsa had been wanting since she’d acknowledged she had a crush in the first place.
“Lost in thought again, Elsa?” Yvonne interrupted her thoughts once again. “Or are you just focusing on the view for a bit? Either is fine, of course.”
Elsa took a moment to fight down her blush, while being internally glad that Yvonne was getting more used to their change to a first-name basis. “A little bit of both if we’re being honest, hehe! You’ve given me a lot of good memories to think about today, Evie.”
Evie’s blush was brief but not missed by Elsa, much to her joy. “You say that like you’re not the one who planned all of our fun for today. You should give yourself more credit, Elsa.”
Elsa was sure she was pouting, but right now she really didn’t care what expression was on her face. “Listen, I’ll start giving myself credit when I stop having to correct you lying about how much you mean to me, got it?” She asserted, wiggling a finger up in Yvonne’s face.
Yvonne stammered for a moment, cheeks reddening with more force than before(either that or she was too surprised to try and calm down). Her eyes darted to her sides, trying to avoid looking directly at Elsa. “I-I’m just trying to avoid taking all the praise,” Yvonne got out, before scratching her cheek in thought. “Nobles tend to be much more reserved with such things, so I’m not quite used to it.”
“Oh? Well how do nobles show their appreciation then?” Elsa inquired, only partially out of curiosity, hiding her smile.
“W-well usually nobles will owe favors to other nobles for niceties, to be cashed in later, although sometimes the lower nobles will give thanks when helped by those with higher standing in the kingdom.” Yvonne started to ramble, only to be cut off by Elsa’s next question.
“So if you keep thanking me for what I’ve done for you, how many favors do you owe me by this point?” She continued, finger to her lips, her voice a slightly higher pitch now, with a teasing lilt to it.
Unfortunately, Yvonne seemed to have missed the nuance to her voice, and took it completely seriously. “O-oh geez, I don’t even know, I’d have to take the time to count them all out. Gods, I must owe you a dozen favors for today alone, not even including all the other-”
“Shush,” Elsa insisted, finger moving from her lips to Yvonne’s, gently tracing their outline, plush and ripe, with a light-pink color tainted by the dimming natural light by the sea. Elsa moved closer and closer, her other arm grabbing Yvonne, who was about to fall over from backing up in a misguided attempt to keep an appropriate distance. With Yvonne leaning back so much, they were almost the same height for just this one moment. “I was teasing you, okay? You’re so adorable when you’re flustered, I just can’t help myself.”
Unfortunately Yvonne was in full on panic mode, eyes blown wide, teeth almost chattering as she began to stammer denials that were barely intelligible to herself, let alone Elsa’s ears. A bold idea came to mind, and she could only hope Evie would forgive her for asking for forgiveness rather than permission. Elsa’s arms stopped supporting Yvonne’s lower body as she lunged them around her shoulders instead, gently lowering the two of them onto the sand, Yvonne’s head resting on Elsa’s lap.
She didn’t stop there, she couldn’t stop, she’d never forgive herself for wasting this moment. Elsa’s head darted down as she stole Yvonne’s lips, the heat of her passion only matched by the warmth in her chest and the sting of the still-cooling sand on her exposed legs. Elsa felt a moment of resistance, matched by a startled sound struggling to escape Yvonne’s throat, before she felt the blonde melt into her arms even further than before. She was tempted to go further in the moment, to insert her tongue and dominate the taller girl that had come to dominate her own life, but Elsa satisfied herself for the moment with the moan that she could feel through Yvonne’s own lips, slowly pulling away to watch Yvonne’s reaction. Would it be that of confusion? Acceptance? Disgust? She had absolutely no idea for once, and that thought was almost as thrilling as the moment itself, in a strange sort of way.
Yvonne touched a hand to her own lips, as if remembering the feeling, her face having turned red enough to match Elsa’s hair, which brought more joy to Elsa than it probably should have. “O-oh. W-was that your first… kiss?”
A simple nod. “Yeah Evie, it was.”
Evie looked deep in thought as she took that information into account. “...it was also my first.” She looked up at Elsa’s face, hand still covering her mouth, not in fear of another kiss, but likely to hide whatever expression she was making. “Why me?”
“Because I love you more than I could ever love another, Evie.” Elsa replied. No hesitation behind it, because she’d known this for a long time. This was just putting it out in the open. “And I know you doubt yourself more than most people should, even though you’re the kindest person I’ve ever met, so I knew that you wouldn’t believe my confession any other way. I’d apologize for not asking beforehand, but I don’t regret kissing you, and I never will regret that moment. The only worry I have right now is when I’ll get to kiss you again.
Evie’s hands went to hide her entire face instead of just her mouth, head sinking into Elsa’s lap. “How can you say things like that and not get embarrassed?! I feel l-like I’m going to combust just hearing these words!”
“It’s because I mean every word I say,” Elsa answered truthfully. “You ask me why I’d never given consideration to marrying a prince, and I’m finally giving you the answer. Evie, I love you, and I’ve loved you for a long time. It’s the entire reason I moved to this town, and the reason I could never imagine being with someone else. I love your kind words and gentle embraces, and I love the way your words come out, slow but sweet, laced with honey the same color as your beautiful hair that I want to care for, brushing and washing it every day for the rest of my life.”
With Evie’s head down in her lap, Elsa could feel the pounding of the taller girl’s heartbeat against her thighs, going past the intensity of a steady beat into something that could almost be called a drumroll. Finally, a small, almost timid voice came out from below her. “A-are you sure you’re talking about m-me? The same girl who was deemed unworthy to be a noble? The same girl who can’t handle a single bug alone?” Evie slowly removed her hands from their guarding positions, revealing tear-stained eyes and the most vulnerable expression Elsa had ever seen. “…the same girl who hurt you every day for years?”
Elsa sighed, before slowly shaking her head. “Don’t feel like you have to accept, Evie, but you’ve never hurt me, okay? The only way you could ever hurt me is by turning down my confession, and even then I would understand, so don’t accept it out of guilt or similar emotions that might weigh you down.” She lifted Evie up, slowly but surely, pushing off the sand until they both were standing again, the occasional grains of sand still littering their skin.
Evie’s eyes were sad, but her lips were smiling, opening briefly-
-only to stop as the life drained from her eyes, and her face went pale. She walked past Elsa, kneeling to pick up a box that had fallen into the sand as they’d gotten up a moment earlier. She opened it to find Elsa’s gift to her for the day. An antique knife that Elsa had seen her eyes lingering just a bit too long on at the shop in the early afternoon. She looked back at Elsa, confused. “Um, I meant to give that to you later, it’s a gift. It’s yours Evie.” Elsa wasn’t quite sure what Evie was doing now. She was expecting a rejection, but this was just strange. Evie’s eyes seemed even darker now, even if she’d thought it impossible before. A low, almost growl was barely heard coming from Yvonne.
“-take your gift-”
“E-Evie? Are you ok?” Elsa tentatively reached a hand out, a warning jolting through her brain, only for Evie to jerk back, now terrified, although whether she was scared of herself or Elsa was unclear.
“-and rid yourself of the person you hate most.”
Evie’s arm thrust the knife outward, pointing forward like the tip of a fencer’s sword, tip gleaming from the last gasp of light before the moon claimed the sky, before she brought it down in one clean motion. Elsa gasped in horror-
-as the knife plunged into Yvonne’s stomach.
Words did not come. The hilt was almost buried inside of her center, as the white plaid top was no longer tinged orange with the sun, but instead began to darken to a sinister red(how had that color looked so good on her face just moments earlier?!) that spread outward from the point of origin. Elsa quickly pulled the shirt tight to prevent any skin from being exposed, trying to cover the exposed part of the wound that had formed from the slashing motion before the cursed gift had stopped in its tracks. Yvonne’s eyes were no longer open, and her breathing was ragged, clinging to the last hopes of remaining conscious.
Elsa didn’t stop to think if she was strong enough to carry Yvonne into town. There was no room for doubt right now. She NEEDED to get help now, and if she dropped Yvonne tonight she’d never forgive herself. Heavy breathing somehow synced with Yvonne’s in the most dire circumstances, footsteps quick but heavy with the added weight of another life in her hands, only one more thought would cross Elsa’s mind for the rest of the night.
Yvonne’s bullying was no longer adorable.