Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Red had woken up earlier than usual, it surprised the girl herself when she glanced over to her roommate to see her sound asleep. Even the sun hadn’t risen yet, it’s blinding light no where to be seen through her window’s curtains. A weird yet familiar feeling took over her stomach, she couldn’t put her finger onto what it was as it fluttered about.

Whatever, it was probably nothing.

Deciding to make the most of the time she rarely ever has, Red takes her time getting ready. She never does much to her face nowadays since she wasn’t on her homeschool schedule, but today she felt compelled to do more. 

The redhead was done with the look; a slightly bigger wing eyeliner with a bold darker eyeshadow for her eyes. She put on a cropped old band shirt a black ripped jeans that would pair great with her black and red camo jacket. She felt accomplished when the outfit was done. A wave of pride washed over her, and it made her wonder what her roommate would think of her like this after trying so hard for… 

Chloe’s alarm had went off and Red shook her head to clear her thoughts, she recovered and went on to complete the task at hand. She excitedly bounded into the room for the girl’s reaction. 

“Someone’s up early,” Chloe stated as she wiped the sleep from her eyes, stretching out her arms.

“Yeah, it surprised me too. But it gave me time to do this, what do you think?” Chloe flipped a light switch to illuminate the room still engrossed by the dark coverage of the early morning sky. Her eyes looked over the redhead and took in the entirety of the girl. 

“You look… wow.” Wow? What does that mean? Does she like it or not? Is it me? Does she not like me?

“Wow?” She replied, the crack in her voice hinting to floodgates ready to burst at the feeling. Red felt her heartbeat falter as the potential rejection hit her like a brick. Everything suddenly felt like it had collapsed in on her, like the world would end if she didn’t have Chloe’s approval.

“You look amazing, Red.” Oh. She likes it.

“You like it?” She couldn’t stop her tone from sliding into desperate territory. It was important that Chloe liked or at least had some positive emotion about Red like this when she had tried so hard. (Tried so hard for her.) She hadn’t a clue why out of all the days she hadn’t cared what the blue haired girl thought, now was the day she had cared so intensely.

“Yeah, you… yeah,” Chloe had stopped at that, obviously forcing her eyes up to gaze into Red’s own instead of letting them wander down her figure.

Red found it somewhat offensive.

“I’m gonna go get ready,” Chloe quickly gets up and grabs the clothes she had picked out the night before, practically slamming the bathroom door on her way in.

The Wonderland heir looks at the closed door and contemplates what she had done wrong. What had she done to drive the girl away?

Whatever it was, she was going to have to make up for it.

Red left out of the dorm room in search for the girl’s favorite breakfast, she knew the cafeteria had blueberry waffles somewhere. If not, she’s sure she could threaten some people.

Though that thought is quickly blocked off as she thinks of the disappointment that would cover Chloe’s face. She hated whenever the girl looked at her like that.

Choosing to go without violence she heads to the cafe, happy to be one of the first people there. On the counter she sees a steaming plate of waffles, she grabs 3 blueberry and 2 cinnamon ones for herself. She made sure to powder each waffle individually, adding extra sugar to the one on top. Once she was satisfied she grabbed some fruit from a different table and a coffee with cream and sugar. 

It surprised Red when she found out how much her princess loved sugar, maybe even more than herself. A Wonderlandian.

Her princess? That’s new.

Red couldn’t spend much time thinking on it, she needed to get Chloe her breakfast. She gathered everything in her hands and began the trek back to the dorm. She managed to make it just in time for Chloe to step out of the bathroom. Red felt the fluttery feeling deepen as the girl’s freshly styled curls bounced around her face, framing it perfectly.

Wordlessly, she presented the food in front of the princess. With a look of confusion painting her face Chloe grabbed the plates, letting Red sit her down at one the tables in the room. The redhead smiled proudly as she poured syrup across the top of the waffles.

Chloe stared at the food, then back at Red, then the food once again. She opened her mouth but was stopped by a fork being placed on her lips. “Eat princess.”

The blue haired girl stared for a minute before shaking her head in an attempt to clear it. She grabbed the fork and suspiciously cut into the waffles, taking a bite she couldn’t help the moan she let out in response. The sugar landing on her tongue was all she needed to get over her confusion. 

Red hummed in satisfaction as she watched Chloe enjoy her breakfast. It was only then that she started to eat hers. 

Chloe had finished 2 out her stack when she glanced over to Red, the puzzled look on her face coming back. “Why’d you do all this?”

Red looked over at her to respond but stuttered because… she had never noticed how angelic Chloe looks in the morning. The sunlight was fully beaming into the room now, getting caught on some of the blue ringlets in the girl’s hair. After a minute of staring Red caught herself and replied.

“I don’t know, I just felt like it.”

“Are you turning a new leaf Red?” The redhead rolled her eyes at that, the fluttering sensation in her stomach growing as she watched Chloe grin at her.

“Maybe being around my princess for so long has changed me.” The way Chloe pauses and starts to get a pink tinge to her cheeks tells Red she has done something right. She’s definitely made up for earlier.

As the young Charming begins to stutter trying to form a response Red giggles. She has never giggled in her life, yet today she feels so giddy. The feeling in her stomach seemingly spreading throughout her body.

The redhead picks up the now empty plate from under her. “The extra fruit is for the rest of the day until lunch, I know you get peckish during class.”

She starts to grab her bag and puts some of Chloe’s things in her own. She stands up to see the blue haired girl with her jaw slightly agape, a look of surprise on her face. The blush still prominent, it deepens when Red walks over to close her mouth. She hooks a finger under her chin, pushing her jaw up. “You’re gonna be late if we don’t get going bluey.”

Chloe looks up at her with this bewitching expression, like she was hanging off of Red’s every word. It’s hard for the redhead to not give in and never head to their classes. The only thing holding her back was her common sense.

She fights the urge as she knows how Chloe would react to being late and waits for Chloe’s absent minded nod. She hadn’t even asked her a question. Red places the girl’s bag in her lap and heads for the door, she hears shuffling and a slight huff from directly behind her before she opens it. 

She walks Chloe to her first class and gives her a small peck on the cheek before she can stop herself. The redhead turns on her heel, walking off to head to her own lessons.

The look of shock on her princess’s face isn’t missed by Red. She was so cute when she was flustered. She was cute in general. Everything about her was adorable, her eyes, her hair, the light dusting of freckles that splattered across her cheeks and nose. The way she rambled about random facts she had learned.

Red could recite every detail she loved about her best friend, but there wasn’t enough space on the page she was writing on. 

It was when her professor walked by that she remembered she needed to be jotting down notes. Her notebook sat below her almost entirely empty except for a small doodle of familiar curls. Clocks. She needed to focus.

But how could the redhead focus when there was a blue haired goddess to be worshipped?

Woah. What?

It takes a minute for Red to gather her thoughts- it was hard to separate the ones that weren’t entirely centered around the youngest Charming. But when she did she had put it together that something was off. If the flutter in her stomach was an indicator, she knows what’s going on. There was a creeping sensation that crawled up her spine as she snuck her phone out of her back pocket and checked the date. February 8th.

Shit.

Suddenly it all made sense. The effort this morning, the growing feeling in her core, the unintentional flirting, the obsession.

The Day of Hearts was nearing.

And it seemed Red finally had someone for it to center around. 

⁺˚⋆ ｡ °✩ ︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶ ✩° ｡ ⋆˚⁺

A few hours later…

“Maddox Loon Hatter! You knew The Day of Hearts was next week and you didn’t tell me?” Red screamed into her phone, extremely grateful that Chloe had a Swords and Shields practice this afternoon. The girl wouldn’t be back until a little later so Red took the time to call Maddox and discuss what was going on.

The young man chuckles over the phone at her outburst. She grabs one of the pillows beside her and screams into it. “In my defense, I thought you were aware.”

“What? It was always overlooked when I was younger. No one ever told me how… extreme it was.” She thinks about how she had felt throughout the school day, especially in her shared classes with her roommate.

How a light touch would send her heart racing. How she craved to sink into Chloe’s warmth. She had gotten caught staring several times, the lighting in the cafeteria had caught the girl’s eyes in this way that made them glow, highlighting the gold in them. It took everything in her to look away.

“You’re not even listening right now are you?Damn Red, you are down bad .” She flips him off through the screen, annoyed at the way it just makes him laugh.

“I actually hate you. I hate this stupid holiday. I mean I don’t even have feelings for Chloe.” The way Maddox raises his eyebrow tells her she’s not being very convincing. If she was being honest, she wasn’t convinced either. This stupid holiday was messing up her perception of everything!

“Listen, I’m not sure how bad it is for royals, but it’s usually just best to go along with it,” Red scoffs and looks away but his tone turns serious as he grabs her attention again. “I’m serious Red. Let it happen, I’ve heard some crazy stories about people trying to resist the natural flow and feeling some serious after effects. Your heart could literally break Red.”

Red pauses at that. Suddenly feeling the sensation again, her stomach fluttered, this time it spread to her hands making them feel funny. “What if Chloe rejects me?”

“I doubt she will considering what I’ve heard from your constant chatter about her.” The princess rolls her eyes at his tone. “But on the low chance she does, nothing drastic will happen. You might feel sad for the next few weeks but other than that nothing deadly. Did you not listen when we talked about this last year?”

Red hears shuffling and the angelic voice of the girl centered around this problem from down the hall. The sensation becoming a light buzz all over. “Uh… I gotta go Mads, I’ll text you later.”

“Red!” Before Maddox can continue the redhead ends the call. Just in time for the door to open up and Chloe to waltz in.

Red has no time to recover from the conversation with the man as Chloe starts to up all of her gear. The muscle tee she’s wearing lets Red see the very toned arms of the young Charming. Watching as her muscles flex and stretch as she begins to relax from practice.

There’s still sweat on her brow from the extensive work outs they had done. The Wonderlandian’s eyes track the movement as Chloe takes a few sips of water, her neck slightly bobbing up and down as she swallows. The exposed skin inviting the redhead to kiss or suck or bite, just do something to-

“I’m gonna go shower real quick, do you wanna start on the alchemy project after?” Red suppresses the fluttery urge to kiss the blue haired girl senseless, she just nods, scared that her voice will betray her. Chloe tilts her head a bit, seemingly wanting to ask a question but deciding against it. With a final look the girl heads into the bathroom. When she closes the door Red falls back onto the bed below her.

She was so not surviving this week.

Chapter Text

Red opened her eyes to the dark ceiling, squinting as she sits up. There was a relentless pounding in her head, just behind her eyes. Reaching up a hand to quell the harsh pain, she looks to her right peering out the window. Daybreak settled over the horizon, the clock beside her reading 5:05 am.

With a small grunt of frustration after trying her hardest to slip back into unconsciousness, the redhead made her way into the bathroom. Mindlessly, she went through her routine, noting how much unintentional care she put into it. How her skin seemed to glow in the bathroom’s white light, and the feeling of perfection she felt from it. It seems the Day of Hearts still has the girl in its grasp.

Going through the motions of getting ready, memories of yesterday started flooding in and plaguing her mind. An intense feeling of dread washing over her as she remembers her current situation.

That afternoon had made Red question what she was going to do about this… situation.

✩ ✩ ✩

Red had spent the last 10 minutes of Chloe showering on fixing every minor detail she thought needed to be corrected. She messed with her hair several times, eventually just pulling it back into a ponytail. She made sure a few wavy strand were out and tried to leave it at that. But then she decided her clothes weren’t right and fussed over them for the remainder of the time. 

Chloe emerged from the bathroom in sweats, her hair damp as she ran a brush through the curls. The Wonderland heir couldn’t help as her eyes started to drift down watching the water drip down her hair and spill onto her neck. The exposed skin from the V-neck she was wearing was not helping Red keep her thoughts pure.

“Red?” The young Charming’s voice makes Red jump a little. She looked into the girl’s eyes and tried to feign any emotion that wasn’t full of gay panic.

“Yeah?” She plastered a tight smile on her face.

“Are you feeling alright? You’ve been acting strange all day,” she said while walking up to the redhead. Red backed away in response- mainly because she didn’t trust herself to be close Chloe without doing something stupid. She sees a flash of hurt behind her eyes, it pains her to lie, literally.

“I’m fine Chlo,” the girl looks at her, brow furrowed in confusion and Red fights the urge to kiss the wrinkle forming. It earns her a sharp throbbing in her chest. “I swear.”

Chloe still seemed cautious, confused really, but went along with it. Red was grateful for that.

The two spent the next hour working, if you could even call it that. Red had spent most of the time doing her best to fight whatever primal instinct inside her that made the Wonderlandian yearn to lean into Chloe’s space. 

But since the stars above decided to have her suffer today, an ache forms right above her heart. It’s strong enough to make Red stutter and grab the young Charming’s hand. It was pure impulse and she immediately regretted the action.

The redhead glances over to see if there’s a look of disdain or disgust on Chloe’s face, rejection burning into her skull, but all that’s there is a small smile. The girl turns and continues to jot down some notes on the bubbling cauldron in front of them.

She smiled. At her. That beat every other thought out of Red’s mind. The image ingrained forever.

Red attempts to help with their assignment, suddenly glad that she’s ambidextrous because there was no way she was letting go of the warm hand in her own.

She notes how the pain that had resided in her chest dissipated, replaced by that fluttery feeling. The girl can’t help but enjoy it. Red hadn’t expected the evening to go this well. It was better than what she had assumed. They had gotten through a lot of the work, never once letting go of each other. 

Until Chloe reached for a bottle set to the side and let go of Red’s hand to grab it. The Wonderland heir felt a whine slip through her lips that was loud enough to make the girl turn around and look at her. 

“What was that?”

“Nothing!” Red’s reply was too fast and too loud for it to convince the young Charming. The blood rushing to Red’s face painted it a color similar to her own name. It was a tell-tale sign of the distress she was in. 

Chloe looked over her in a concerned manner placing a warm hand on her shoulder. 
“Red, are you sure you’re ok?”

The redhead glances down to the warm hand resting on her, the feeling that sparked from the touch. Chloe noticed and took it away, another look of hurt contorted her face in a way Red despised. The redhead had to stop herself from protesting loudly in fear of looking ridiculous. 

“I’m fine. So fine. And you’re fine too! But not that fine! I mean you are fine- but not like that! You are but I’m not saying you are! I’m saying that I’m ok and you’re ok, so we’re both ok!” Red has never wanted to jump out of a window more.

After Red’s embarrassing performance at speaking, Chloe tilts her head in confusion. Red can see her trying to hold in her laughter and it makes her flush more than before. A seemingly impossible notion. “Is there something going on that I should know about?”

“Nope, promise.” The fingers crossed behind her back start to cramp and she knows it’s the magic of Wonderland fucking with her.

She can tell Chloe isn’t believing a thing she says, she wouldn’t either. But the young Charming just sighs a little with one last glance and moves on to the next part of the project.

✩ ✩ ✩

They had managed to get through the rest of their project, Red had to thank the stars for that.

But she hadn’t spoken to Chloe since then. Brushing off her looks of concern throughout the night, rejecting the invitation to eat with her at dinner.

There was a small voice in her mind that wouldn’t shut up. It wasn't new, she just never thought she’d have to hear it again.

It had stopped when she met Chloe. Once the girl showed her that she was worthy of love, that she was good, the girl convinced her of it. But now that she has these… feelings for her, the doubt started creeping back in. It kept telling her that she would never be loved. She didn’t deserve love.

And she believed it.

Because Chloe Charming of all people would be the last person on Earth to choose Red, yet for some reason Red’s heart has chosen her.

With a sigh Red looks in the mirror at her reflection, trying to think of a plan for the next few days. Maybe if she avoided Chloe at all times then the feeling would go away, if she found a way to forcefully separate them then she couldn’t do anything that would ruin the best thing that happened to her.

Another wave of white hot pain spreads through her skull settling right behind her eyes. Just the thought of leaving Chloe had hurt her, clocks, everything seemed to hurt her right now. Everything but the effervescent Chloe Charming. 

A muffled alarm goes off in the bedroom, it makes Red realize just how long she had been in the bathroom. She walks out and goes to put on her combat boots, fully trying to minimize any interaction with the blue haired girl that plagued her dreams.

The redhead can feel Chloe’s stare burning into the side of her face, but still attempts to block it out. The ache in her head becoming a throbbing pain.

”You’re up early again,” Chloe tries to spark up a conversation, but the Wonderland heir doesn’t verbally reply. She only nods, tugging her laces tighter. 

The youngest Charming attempts to talk again but Red doesn’t let her. She’s out the door before the girl can even get a word out.

Red keeps walking until she’s out of the dorm building completely, the cool morning breeze blowing past her face manages to wake her up a bit. Red steps over to a bench and lets her head fall into her hands. 

That was a dumb move. The ache worsening in her head tells her that much. She pulls at her hair a bit as her fingers tangle into it. Maybe that would help her think of something to make this better. 

She couldn’t avoid Chloe, that much was a give in. Just thinking about her caused that fluttery feeling to come back, the ache in her head turned dull as Chloe’s smile made its way into Red’s mind. The warmth that she seemed to emit whenever she was near. 

For rabbits sake, she needs to go back. Red needs her touch. Red needs her to smile at her for even just a moment. Red needs Chloe, needs her like the oxygen she breathes.

How could she ever dream of doing something that would take that away?

Her body seemed to be on autopilot as she stood up. Without another thought Red walked—more of a sprint really—to the cafeteria. The ache in her head seemed to block any rational thought as she started grabbing one of the breakfast sandwiches and a plethora of fruits. 

Red wasn’t entirely in control as she gathered up some of Chloe’s favorite snacks, she didn’t try fighting with the seemingly harmless actions, but it wasn’t fun feeling like one her mother’s card knights. She couldn’t protest as she continued down the hall headed to her dorm. 

The girl entered to see Chloe sitting on her bed, phone in her hand seemingly calling someone. At the sound of the door opening she whispers a short goodbye and looks up at Red curiously. Something tells the redhead that she was hurting, that she had hurt her.

Might’ve been the wary look Chloe had given her when she first entered, or the way she was currently holding herself. It was unsure instead of the usual confidence she radiated.

Red felt so guilty.

“Here,” she said, handing over the plate of food.

Chloe gets up and takes the plate, that look of confusion appearing again. Red feels a hand brush against her own and the fluttery feeling seems to erupt. She breathes in deeply as the ache in her head dissolves into that fuzzy sensation.

The girl walks back to her bed and Red follows all too eagerly. She restrains herself, the ache coming back as her hand moves to reach for Chloe’s. The broken sigh she lets out at the pain is enough for the blue haired girl to watch her.

Red’s focus is on keeping herself a respectable distance away from the girl because she can’t just invade her personal space. She needs to be close to Chloe, undeniably so, but she can’t.

Chloe is still looking at her, she hasn’t taken her eyes off the redhead. There’s this calculating look on her face, one Red knows very well. Her eyes are locked on the redhead and her bottom lip is caught between her teeth. The Wonderland heir has to close her eyes so she doesn’t stare at it, doesn’t react to it. Because, stars, how she wishes to catch it between her own.

Chloe keeps eating, an awkward silence falling between them as the young Charming continues to study Red. She tries to keep the pain she’s feeling hidden, the ache continuing to grow the more she resists. Her hand begins to twitch, muscles spasming painfully between the two, and Chloe’s gaze flickers to it. 

The girl grabs the hand and Red almost lets out a sigh of relief. The strain put on her body to keep it from falling victim to Chloe’s warmth sort of collapses. 

Again, the girl studies her. Red knows she isn’t being very secretive, no matter how hard she’s trying. She has always been good at masking pain, from her mother, from Maddox. She will always see it as a sign of weakness, no matter how much she’s told it isn’t.

Right now though, she can’t hide the way she relaxes into Chloe just a bit, just enough for her to notice. She didn’t hide the way she craved the girl near her. Something about the Day of Hearts makes her feel vulnerable, it makes her want to expose herself in the most intense manner, tell Chloe every little thing about her, all of her secrets. The endless amount of love she feels for her.

She wants to give the girl her heart. Would serve it on a silver platter if she asked.

She’s not sure how long she can fight before she gives in entirely, and that’s what scares her the most.

⁺˚⋆ ｡ °✩ ︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶ ✩° ｡ ⋆˚⁺

It had been forever. That’s a lie. It had been 3 hours since she last saw Chloe. They had been separated by their opposing schedules. Red despised how Chloe strived to be in honors classes, it made their time together limited.

But the clock on the wall is slowly ticking down, its hands winding its way to signal noon. Red watches, forgoing her teachers endless lecture, waiting for the bell to finally ring. Her eyes linger as the familiar ticks fill her ears, she’s zoned out completely, her only thoughts are focused on beautiful blue curls and how she’ll get to see them soon.

Finally, the harsh ring of the bell signaled lunch time. Red practically jumped out of her seat, ignoring the weird looks she got from her classmates. She managed to make it to Chloe’s literature class before the girl had packed up. She stood by the doorframe watching as people exited, the young Charming being one of the last. Red did her best to seem casual, not like she had barreled down the hall to pick Chloe up from her class.

“Red! What’re you doing here?” Her tone wasn’t accusatory or harsh, like she didn’t want Red there. She seemed kind of excited to see the redhead.

That fuzzy feeling was back, this time feeling like a million rocking horse flies messing around her stomach. “I thought maybe we could walk to lunch together. If that’s ok?”

“Of course! C’mon, it’s pizza day.” Chloe grabs her hand, much to Reds delight, and they walk together to the cafe.

The walk is relatively silent, Chloe occasionally greeting someone she recognized was the only thing that filled the quiet hung over the two. Red knows this morning must have been confusing for the girl, she was confused herself. But she knows the mixed signals she was sending wouldn’t help this situation at all.

It’s not like it was intentional, Red had no idea how to ask Chloe for what she needed. The blue haired girl wouldn’t say no, Red knew that. But that was a part of the problem, she doesn’t want this to be a one sided… thing for a whole week. The redhead needed to know that Chloe wanted it too, that she wanted it as badly as Red does. Because, holy clocks, she wants it. The Day of Hearts was always in full swing by the second day and it was showing.

Red’s eyes kept glancing down at their joined hands, the contact was because of Chloe. Chloe decided to grab Red’s hand and keep it in her own. Something about that made Red feel so much lighter, knowing that somewhere in the young Charming she wanted that connection too. Even if it wasn’t as much as the redhead did, she still wanted to.

Maybe that could be enough for Red.

Chapter Text

It hurt, everything hurt. Her head ached, her hands twitched. Her entire body felt like it was going to explode. She couldn’t feel anything but pain, like a million grains of sand were under her sheets. Thumbtacks poking into every slip of exposed skin.

Her mind wouldn’t stop going on and on, thinking, chanting, repeating the same thing over and over. Chloe.

She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t fight it any longer, the urge was too strong for her half awake brain to even try to disobey.

The redhead slowly rises from her bed and makes her way over to her roommate’s. She sits there for a moment, hovering over Chloe like a psychopath. She wants to get in the bed, to snuggle under the covers and be rid of the needles poking and prodding her all over. But this is weird. It’s so weird for her to just get into her friend’s bed like it’s natural.

An argument goes on in her head for what seems like hours. Fighting with herself on what to do. She could get in the bed, the pain would subside and the growing cold around her would lessen from Chloe’s heat. She’d be comforted by the girl’s presence. But what happens when Chloe wakes up?

Every scenario played out in her mind, each one more disastrous than the last. What if Chloe recoiled in disgust? What if this act of vulnerability turned into a breach of trust? The fear of Chloe’s possible rejection clawed at her resolve, making her feel like she was suffocating in her own self-doubt.

Her heart pounded in her chest like a trapped bird. Every movement felt like it was against a stormy tide. Her mind, overwhelmed with chaotic thoughts and fears, seemed to scream at her to stay away, yet her body ached for comfort she could no longer deny.

She doesn’t give in. She decides suffering in her own bed was better.

As the redhead turns towards her own crimson sheets a strong force pulls her down. Chloe’s tight grip on her arm brings her to lay down on the bed next to the girl. “I could hear you shuffling for the past 30 minutes. Was it another nightmare?”

Red’s face flushes, at both being caught and the proximity between them. They were so close. So close it made Red malfunction. She could feel Chloe’s light breaths ghosting over her face with every exhale. “I- no.”

Chloe’s eyes are still closed, if it weren’t for her facial expressions changing Red would’ve guessed the girl was asleep. “Ok, so you just want to lay in my bed for the night?”

Her tone is full of disbelief. Everyone knows how fiercely Red guards her personal space, with only Chloe—and sometimes her mother—being the rare exceptions. But lately, Red had started reaching out on her own, though only ever with Chloe. The significance of this change wasn’t lost on the young Charming. If only she could understand why Red was doing it more and more, and why it seemed to hurt so much whenever Chloe distanced herself.

“Kind of?” The redhead let out. Even though she still felt immense anxiety over Chloe’s reaction to her place in the girl’s bed, she couldn’t help but enjoy the tingling sensation that fluttered through her skin. It felt good. Red hated to admit but she could get used to sleeping like this every night.

“Ok.” Chloe’s reply catches her a bit off guard as she was focused on her thoughts, but as Red scans her face for any sign of rejection she’s pulled in by a strong arm around her torso. “You can’t be mad if I end up on top of you or something, I move in my sleep.”

Red smiles, lightly laughing at the blue haired girl. “Trust me I know.”

Once a few months back Chloe had convinced the redhead to cuddle with her. Red was hesitant, still fairly wary of touch in general, but once she had found a comfortable position she found herself enjoying it. Chloe was resting on her chest, just enough for Red to place her head on the blue haired girl’s fluffy curls. After a while the young Charming had fallen fast asleep and Red had no intent on waking her. Not with how the setting sun captured her so perfectly.

Looking back on it, maybe Red did have feelings for Chloe. Maybe the simple thoughts she had passed off as friendly weren’t as platonic as she had once imagined.

Clocks, the Day of Hearts really enlightens a girl.

Chloe had fallen asleep. The way her chest softly rose up and down told Red that much. The Wonderland heir felt her eyes get heavy the longer she sat in Chloe’s warmth. She let herself move closer to the girl, eventually hugging her tightly.

The redhead didn’t have it in her to try and fight anything. All she wanted to do was fall into Chloe’s warmth.

⁺˚⋆ ｡ °✩ ︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶ ✩° ｡ ⋆˚⁺

The early morning sun was bright against the open blinds. Red could feel it burning through her eyelids. The cold air blowing encapsulating the building felt like it had targeted the redhead personally, the way the harsh biting air hit her. She curled into the warmth under her, trying to use that to make the cold dissipate.

A moment passed and the redhead found herself drifting back into unconsciousness, slowly sinking into the heat residing under her. Until it tries to move away. She tightens her hold, the lean arms strengthening their grip and keeping her warmth in place. “No,” she mumbled out as it attempted to inch away again.

Red heard soft giggles from somewhere above her. Slowly lifting her head, she opened her eyes to find the source. Her eyes widened as she came nose to nose with an amused Chloe Charming.

Flushing bright red, Red flung herself backward, nearly tumbling off the bed. She missed the brief flicker of hurt in Chloe’s eyes. “I-I…”

Before she could say more, Chloe placed a gentle finger on her lips, silencing her. “Ah, you’re about to apologize, and I don’t want to hear it. If I wanted you off, I would’ve said so.”

Somehow, she could feel her face becoming redder. Though her chest fluttered because Chloe hadn’t rejected her, in fact she welcomed the touch. The reassurance did something the redhead couldn’t put into words. All she could think of is how warm it made her.

A moment passed as the two girls sat in the quiet of the dorm, the sun now barely peaking above the horizon. They’d probably have to get ready soon, but there was a thought nagging at Red, a question on the tip of her tongue.

The small reassurance is enough to give the redhead a bit of confidence. Enough to ask for something she never usually would. She looked down and picked at the chipping black nail polish on her fingers. “Can I lay back down?” Red asked with a bit of a tremble.

Chloe smiles so brightly Red thinks she could simply die on the spot, just from her princess’s grin. The girl opens her arms wide and lets out a light, “C’mere.”

The two got back into their previous position, Red holding onto the young Charming. She almost flinched when she felt a hand carding through her hair, not at the touch, but at the sensation it caused. She couldn’t help but let out a small sigh as the familiar feeling came back even stronger.

She relaxed further into the feeling and let herself be comforted by Chloe’s warm embrace. Red spends the silence of the moment contemplating. Why hadn’t she let herself experience this sense of peace and closeness sooner? The warmth of Chloe’s embrace felt like a balm to her constantly troubled heart, and Red found herself wondering if there was a way to make this feeling last forever.

As she nestled deeper into Chloe’s arms, she could feel the steady rhythm of Chloe’s heartbeat—a comforting and reassuring pulse that seemed to echo the beat of her own longing heart. Red’s thoughts drifted to the many nights she had spent alone, chasing fleeting dreams and denying herself the comfort she craved.

Now, wrapped in Chloe’s gentle hold, Red felt as though she had finally found a sanctuary from her turbulent emotions. The scent of Chloe’s hair and the soft, rhythmic caress of her fingers through Red’s hair lulled her into a state of contentment she hadn’t known she needed so desperately. Each breath they shared seemed to intertwine their hearts a little more.

The soft, rhythmic sound of Chloe’s breathing became a soothing lullaby, and Red closed her eyes, letting herself be enveloped by the tranquility of the moment. She realized that this wasn’t just about physical warmth—it was about the emotional solace that Chloe provided, a sense of belonging that Red had yearned for without fully understanding why.

As the clocks ticked further to when the two would inevitably separate, a knock rang through the dorm’s walls. Red tensed, the sound pulling her from the comfort of Chloe’s embrace. Chloe stirred under her, squinting her eyes as if wishing the sound would just leave. The knocking persisted, growing louder, and Chloe eventually mumbled, “Just a minute,” before slipping out of bed.

Red’s heart raced as she reluctantly detached herself from the warmth she had grown so fond of. She wrapped herself in the blanket, hugging it around her shoulders for comfort. She could hear Chloe’s footsteps approaching the door, followed by a muffled conversation outside.

The door creaked open, and Red’s anxiety spiked as she caught a glimpse of a familiar stern-looking woman entering the room, her teal braids flowing down her shoulders. Chloe’s voice was soft and respectful as she spoke to the visitor. “Headmaster Uma, is there something I can help you with?”

The woman’s gaze swept over the room before settling on Red. “I just wanted to check in on Red. Wanted to know about… a few things.”

Red felt a shiver of apprehension. She tried to make herself as small as possible under the blanket, but the headmaster’s gaze was steady and compassionate.

“Right, ok. I’ll just go, get some breakfast. Waffles ok?” When the redhead nodded, Chloe returned it and stepped back, giving Red one final sympathetic glance before heading out of the room.

The headmaster approached Red with a measured yet warm demeanor. “I hope I’m not intruding. I just wanted to make sure you’re settling in alright.”

Red’s voice was barely a whisper. “I’m fine. Just… tired.”

The headmaster nodded, taking a seat at the edge of the bed. “I understand. It’s been quite an adjustment for you, I’m sure. I heard about the Day of Hearts and how it can be for people from Wonderland. Is there anything you want to talk about?”

Red shook her head, her fingers nervously picking at the blanket. “Not really. I’m fine right now.”

The lie slips out easily. This whole situation was embarrassing enough, and now her principal knows about the deafening crush she has in her best friend? Rabbits, this was mortifying.

The headmaster’s expression softened. “The Day of Hearts is a significant time for you, I know that. There isn’t a lot of information on Wonderland customs in Auradon. From what I’ve read it causes strong feelings to arise and stirs up intense emotions. Do you think it’s influenced your behavior any?”

“Maybe? I mean it is really overwhelming, it’s like I can’t function unless I… I’m around someone.”

“Is that why I’ve been hearing about you sticking to Chloe’s side throughout the school day?”

Red practically freezes, the blanket around her shoulders that’s covered in Chloe’s scent is the only thing grounding her. Honestly, it’s the only thing keeping her from sprinting out the door.

It takes her a moment to stutter out a response. “I- uh, I guess.”

A small ‘hm’ is all she hears. A moment passes and the two are sitting in silence. The only sound is the constant ticking coming from a clock on Red’s side of the room. It would usually calm her but right now it’s making her feel mad.

“Look, I don’t know how you’re feeling, if you don’t want to tell me that’s fine, but I want to help. So, for the next- week is it? If you need absolutely anything you come to me. I’m going to talk to all of your teachers and tell them you can be excused for the next few days. And uh, I suggest telling Ms. Charming about this whole ordeal considering she is the center of your attention, yes?”

Red flushes at that. The headmaster pauses, it’s then the redhead realizes she wants a response. Though the smirk playing on her lips is evidence she already knows the answer. “Yeah,” she muttered softly.

The woman nods and lets the grin show, though a facade of seriousness soon overtakes her features as a stern voice comes out. “I won’t have to place y’all in separate dorms for the next week, will I?”

Red can feel the blush on her face deepen at the implication, she can only imagine how it looks. “No ma’am!”

Uma laughs, full on laughs beside her. Red sends her a glare and huffs into the blankets adorning her shoulders. “I’m sorry kid, couldn’t help myself.”

“Whatever,” the redhead mumbled.

“But, I won’t keep you from your girl any longer. One more thing before you get ready for your classes and what not,” Red looks up to meet her gaze, urging the woman to go on. “I called your mother before coming here, she said she’d be coming on the weekend to-”

Red’s anxiety spiked again at the mention of her mother. “My mother?”

“Yes,” the headmaster confirmed gently. “I think it’s best to have her here to help you right now.”

Red hesitated, her mind racing with conflicting thoughts. She was anxious about her mother’s arrival but she felt relieved too, at the prospect of having someone who reallyunderstood this whole situation. “Alright. If you think it’ll help.”

The headmaster offered a reassuring smile. “Good, I’m sure she’ll be speaking with you before she gets here. In the meantime, if you need anything or want to talk more about anything, just let me know.”

As Uma got up and opened the door, Chloe practically tumbled through, the plates in the girl’s hand almost toppled over by the sudden pull of gravity. Red couldn’t help the chuckle she let out at the sight of the girl. “Sorry! I wasn’t eavesdropping I swear, I just-”

“Save it Charming, we were just wrapping up anyways.” The woman swung the door open further. A final glance over her shoulder at the redhead, who was staring intently at the fumbling girl in the doorway, told her all she needed to know. She silently shook her head with a smile and walked out.

Chloe let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding as Uma left. When she was Red staring at her, a sort of unreadable expression on her face, her heart ached. She placed a comforting hand on Red’s shoulder as they moved to the table to eat, trying to convey her support through her presence alone.

“So, what did y’all talk about?”

“You didn’t hear from the door?” Red lightly teased, she put up a front and hid the dangerous thought of Chloe finding out exactly the topic of their conversation.

“I wasn’t eavesdropping!” The blue haired girl exclaimed.

“Ok Chlo, whatever you say.” The girl groans in response, but she doesn’t continue to question the Wonderland heir. Red took that as a win.

As the warmth of the breakfast and Chloe’s comforting presence settled over her, Red felt the tight knot in her chest slowly loosen. The anxiety that had plagued her since the Day of Hearts’ presence seemed to dissipate, replaced by a soothing calm. For the first time in days, the burning pressure of her emotions felt manageable, even comforting.

Despite the uncertainty of her mother’s impending visit, Red allowed herself to relish the peaceful moment. Chloe’s easy banter and the simple act of sharing breakfast felt like a balm to her frayed nerves. No burning, itching, or anything of the sort. She smiled softly, feeling a flicker of hope that things might just start to feel a little bit better.

⁺˚⋆ ｡ °✩ ︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶ ✩° ｡ ⋆˚⁺

The teacher’s voice droned on, but Red heard none of it. Her pen tapped against her notebook in a rhythmic beat, though she hadn’t written a single word since class started. Every time she tried to focus, her thoughts circled back to Chloe—her smile, her scent, her laugh. It was maddening, like an itch she couldn’t scratch. Red’s eyes darted to the clock on the wall, watching the minutes crawl by. She needed to see her. Now .

Her mind was racing back to the other day, a similar situation, but now she had an excuse. A way to actually get what she needed. Maybe she should use it. “Ma’am?”

“Yes?”

The rooms attention turns to her and she regrets drawing attention to herself. But Uma gave her this pass for a reason, it’d be stupid not to use it. Especially now. “Can I go?”

She eyes the woman for a minute, a look of understanding between the two of them, when she gets a slight nod in response her face breaks out into a grin.

Without another thought, Red gathered her things and stood up, ignoring the confused looks from her classmates. Her feet moved on their own accord as she slipped out of the room, the urgency in her chest almost too much to bear.

Her footfalls echoed through the long corridors, classes passed her by as she made her way to Chloe’s chemistry class. She knew they weren’t doing much today, from listening to Chloe’s rants it seemed her teacher wasn’t very attentive unless he wanted to be. He never really wanted to be.

Red stood in front of the classroom door, her hand hovering over the handle. Her heart pounded in her chest, each beat a reminder of how irrational this was. But logic was drowned out by her need to see Chloe, to be near her, even if just for a moment.

She swallowed hard, her mind scrambling for an excuse. What could she possibly say? She couldn’t exactly admit she had left class just to see her.

Maybe… she forgot something? No, that wouldn’t make sense—she didn’t even have this chemistry class.

Taking a deep breath, Red opened the door just a crack, peeking in. Her eyes immediately found Chloe, seated near the back, her head propped on her hand as she lazily watched the teacher scribble something on the board.

Red’s breath hitched. There she was.

Her hesitation melted away. Red stepped into the room, eyes flickering nervously between the teacher and Chloe. The teacher barely glanced at her, his attention more focused on the formula he was explaining. Good. Just blend in.

She took a few steps forward, her heart pounding. Chloe’s eyes were still fixed on the front of the room, oblivious to her presence. Red’s mind raced—what now?

Red stood frozen for a second, her eyes tracing the outline of Chloe’s face. She knew she was being reckless, but something about seeing Chloe this close, her hair glowing in the classroom light, made everything else seem worth it.

She finally forced herself to move, weaving through the desks until she was standing just a few feet away. Her mouth went dry, and her heartbeat thundered in her ears. What was she even doing here? She hadn’t thought this far ahead.

Before she could decide on her next move, Chloe turned her head slightly, her eyes catching Red’s. Confusion flashed across her face, quickly replaced by mild surprise.

“Red? What are you doing here?” Chloe whispered, her brow furrowing. “You don’t- wait… are you skipping?”

Red blinked, her mind scrambling for an answer. “I… uh… I was just passing by and thought I’d check in on you?” She immediately cringed at how lame that sounded, mentally kicking herself. Check on her? Really?

Chloe’s face twisted into something between confusion and mild panic, her voice lowering as she leaned toward Red. “Wait, seriously? You’re skipping class to come here? Red, you can’t just do that!” She shot a nervous glance toward the teacher, who still hadn’t noticed anything. “What if you get caught?”

Red could feel her face heat up as guilt churned in her stomach. Chloe looked genuinely worried, her brow furrowed, biting her lip. “I’m not skipping,” Red muttered, suddenly feeling like a kid caught doing something wrong. “I had a pass… from Uma. It’s fine.”

Chloe blinked, still not entirely convinced, but some of the panic faded from her eyes. “Oh… okay, but still. You could get in trouble. I don’t want that to happen to you.” Her tone softened, but her worry was still evident. She shifted in her seat, her fingers fidgeting with the binding of her notebook. “I’m fine, Red. You didn’t have to come all the way here.”

Red’s heart flipped at Chloe’s concern, but the nagging pull in her chest hadn’t gone away. She had to see her. She had to be here. “I know, I just…”

Red paused, feeling her face heat up and shifting her weight from one foot to the other. “I just thought-” She cut herself off, feeling ridiculous. She had no real reason to be here, and Chloe was right; it was reckless. “I’ll go. Sorry-”

Chloe caught her arm gently, her touch warm and fleeting. “No, wait,” she whispered, her voice still hushed. “It’s okay. I just… don’t want you to get in trouble.”

Red blinked, momentarily stunned by the contact. She hadn’t realized how much she wanted Chloe to reach out, to care, even if it was just about her getting caught. “I’ll be fine,” she said, her voice quieter, more certain this time. “I… I wanted to see you.”

Chloe’s breath caught for a second, her fingers tightening on the edge of her notebook. She didn’t respond for a moment, but Red could see the way her eyes flickered with something uncertain, but not entirely unwelcome. “You wanted to see me?”

The words hung between them, and Red could see Chloe trying to make sense of it. She knew she should say something else—maybe make a joke of it, maybe leave—but instead, she just stood there, staring like a deer caught in headlights. Chloe opened her mouth to say something, but the bell rang, jolting them both out of the moment.

“Well, guess I should… get going,” Chloe said, gathering her things. Her movements seemed much more uncoordinated than her usual neat routine. Maybe the young Charming was just as shaken as Red was about this, though that could just be wishful thinking.

Red swallowed, not wanting the moment to end just yet. “I’ll walk with you,” she blurted out before she could stop herself.

Chloe glanced at her, clearly confused. “Don’t you have class?”

Red hesitated, then gave her best kicked-puppy look. “I can skip it?”

Chloe rolled her eyes but couldn’t help the small smile that crept onto her face. “Fine. But just this once.”

They walked side by side through the halls, the bustling noise of students and teachers fading into the background as Red’s focus narrowed in on Chloe. Every small, unintentional brush of their arms or shoulders sent a spark through Red, and she held onto those fleeting touches like they were her lifeline. Chloe’s voice filled the air, talking animatedly about her upcoming swords and shields tryouts, though to Red, it didn’t matter. In her eyes, Chloe was already a champion.

“Don’t you have to make the team since you’re the captain?” Red asked, eyes darting briefly to Chloe’s hands as they gestured during her explanation.

Chloe shrugged. “It’s still a requirement to try out, and I’m not even officially captain this year.”

Red scoffed softly, her lips curling into a smile. “They’d be stupid not to choose you. I’m pretty sure you could floor everyone in this school without even trying.”

A slight pink hue bloomed on Chloe’s cheeks at the compliment, the sight sending a rush of pride and warmth coursing through Red’s chest. She couldn’t help but smile wider, pleased to have drawn out that reaction.

“You think so?” Chloe asked, her voice quieter now, as if Red’s words had touched something deeper within her.

“No need for thinking when I know,” Red replied, her tone firm and sincere. She watched as Chloe’s lips quirked into a small, bashful smile, her gaze dropping to the floor in a way that made Red’s heart flutter uncontrollably.

That smile…

Once they reached Chloe’s calculus class, the two sat near the back, avoiding the curious stares of a few students passing by. Red slouched slightly, trying to make herself as unnoticeable as possible. Chloe continued scribbling down notes on some complex formulas, her brow furrowed in concentration.

But Red wasn’t paying attention to the equations or the classroom. Her world had narrowed to the warmth of Chloe beside her, the way her hand moved smoothly across the paper, and the soft, rhythmic sound of her breathing.

As if on autopilot, Red inched closer, her heart fluttering with every centimeter. When she finally rested her head on Chloe’s shoulder, her nerves buzzed with anticipation. She half-expected Chloe to push her away, tell her to go back to her own class.

But Chloe didn’t. She didn’t say anything, didn’t even flinch.

Red felt like she could stay like this forever, her heart betraying the cool front she tried to maintain. Every moment was a reminder of how much she wanted this—how much she wanted her.

She closed her eyes briefly, a soft sigh escaping her lips.

She could get used to this.

Chapter Text

There was a certain contentment that settled in Red as she rested against a familiar bundle of blue curls. For days now, she’d been slipping out of her classes early, just to find Chloe. With Uma’s permission, she could see Chloe whenever she wanted, and she took full advantage of it.

But Chloe was growing more restless with each of Red’s unannounced arrivals. The confusion gnawed at her, and each time she questioned Red, the redhead would simply wave it off with a dismissive, “Don’t worry about it, princess.”

It was driving her mad.

So, when the final bell rang that day, Chloe had enough. Without a word, she grabbed Red’s wrist and practically dragged her back to their dorm, her grip tight, her steps hurried. When the door slammed behind them, harder than intended, Red flinched, her brow furrowing in confusion. “What’s going on, Bluey?”

“Don’t ‘Bluey’ me, Red,” Chloe snapped, crossing her arms as she leaned back against the door, blocking any escape. “I need answers.”

Red’s posture stiffened. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Her eyes shifted away, the telltale signs of a lie betraying her—flushed cheeks, fingers nervously fidgeting with the hem of her shirt.

Chloe sighed, the exhaustion in her voice revealing just how much this had been weighing on her. “Red, you’ve been acting weird for days.”

The silence between them grew heavy, and Chloe’s heart pounded in her chest. She hadn’t realized how consuming this had become, how much she’d been questioning her feelings, her identity, and now, Red. It had taken her so long to come to terms with herself. Then Red came crashing into her life, turning everything upside down.

And now, this girl—this frustrating, stubborn, cherry-red girl—was all she could think about. Life wasn’t just black and white anymore. It was messy, unpredictable, and, if she was being honest, her favorite color was red.

“Weird how?” Red muttered, turning her back to Chloe as she shrugged off her jacket, trying to avoid the conversation altogether.

Chloe’s frustration grew, her words tumbling out before she could stop them. “Weird like showing up at all of my classes when I know you’re supposed to be in yours. Weird like bringing me random things every day like you’ve been reading my mind.”

Red’s hand stilled on the jacket.

“Yesterday, it was blueberries. The day before, you were giving me gifts and random things you found, saying that they reminded you of me. You’re everywhere, Red. And I don’t understand why.” Chloe’s pacing quickened, the room suddenly feeling too small for all the thoughts racing through her mind. “It’s like you can’t stay away, and I just—I don’t get it.”

Red didn’t respond. Her silence only fanned the flames of Chloe’s frustration. She stopped pacing and took a step closer, her voice soft but firm. “I need to know, Red. Why are you doing this?”

Red bit her lip, her fingers tightening around the fabric of her shirt. “I’m just… I’m looking out for you.”

“Looking out for me?” Chloe let out a bitter laugh. Why couldn't she just tell her the truth? “It feels more like you’re watching me. All the time. It’s suffocating.”

Red’s eyes flickered with something—guilt, maybe. She still wouldn’t meet Chloe’s gaze. “That’s not what I’m trying to do.”

“Then what are you trying to do?” Chloe’s voice cracked, the vulnerability slipping through. “Because right now, it feels like I’m losing my mind. You’re always here, giving me things, calling me ‘princess’ like it’s normal. But none of this is normal, Red.”

The room fell into an uneasy silence as Chloe stepped even closer, her frustration giving way to something deeper—fear, maybe, or hope. She wasn’t sure anymore. But she couldn’t let this go. Not now.

“You can’t keep avoiding this,” Chloe whispered, her voice trembling. “I just… I need to know. Do you- do you even like me?”

For a moment, Red seemed to freeze, her mouth opening as if she was about to speak, but no words came. Her face flushed, emotions flickering across her features—fear, hesitation, longing.

But before she could say anything, the door behind Chloe creaked open, and the blue-haired girl turned, startled, to see a tall figure stepping into the room.

“Mom?” Red’s voice was small, almost a squeak.

“Hello, my little rose,” Bridget’s sweet smile gleamed, her presence cutting through the heavy air in the room. The tension seemed to freeze the moment she entered, though the queen was far from oblivious. “Am I interrupting something?”

Chloe was amazed the woman hadn’t heard their raised voices from down the hall. She opened her mouth, ready to spill the truth, but Red quickly interrupted. “Nope! We were just talking.”

The young Charming shot her a sharp glare, but Red ignored it, moving toward her mother as if nothing was wrong. “Well, that’s a relief. I wanted to talk to you girls before anything disastrous could happen.”

Bridget laughed lightly, completely unaware of—or perhaps willfully ignoring—the tension still thick in the air. She settled on Red’s bed, looking at them expectantly, waiting for one of them to speak up. When nothing but an uncomfortable silence filled the room, she tilted her head and said, “Mi petardo, come with me for a moment?”

Without waiting for Red’s response, she stood and headed for the door. Red cast an uneasy glance toward Chloe, who remained frozen by the door, before quickly following. As the door shut behind them, Chloe found herself alone.

Chloe collapsed into a chair, her heart still racing. Each thud echoed the confusion and frustration swirling inside her. She pressed her palms against her temples, massaging her forehead in an attempt to stave off the headache forming. What just happened? It felt like the emotional rollercoaster she’d been on had no brakes—spiraling faster and faster out of control.

Did I really accuse her of being obsessed? The word haunted her thoughts, sharp and cutting. She hadn’t meant it like that. She just wanted answers. But instead of clarity, she felt like she had shoved Red even further away.

Why was this so hard? Chloe had worked so long to come to terms with her feelings for Red—learning to embrace the vibrant colors the redhead had brought into her once orderly life. And now, just when they seemed to be on the verge of something real, she had ruined it with her outburst. What if I’ve pushed her away for good?

And yet, a tiny voice in her head nagged at her, whispering the question she was too scared to ask: What if Red doesn’t actually like me?

The thought wrapped around her heart, cold and heavy. Chloe had wanted so badly to believe that Red’s constant presence meant something more—that the butterflies in her stomach weren’t one-sided. But now, doubt was seeping in. What if I’ve been misreading everything?

She glanced over at the door, willing herself to calm down. No, I need to figure this out. I need to know what’s really going on.

The ticking of Red’s clock filled the silence as Chloe sat there, leg bouncing anxiously, waiting for what felt like hours. She kept glancing at the door, nerves gnawing at her. She had tried to avoid Red at lunch earlier, wanting to give herself some space, but now the uncertainty was unbearable.

Finally, the door creaked open. Chloe shot up, too quickly. Her vision blurred, black spots dancing in her sight from the sudden movement. She blinked them away, trying to focus, and found herself staring at a pale-looking Red. The redhead clutched a bag in her hands—three red velvet cookies, sparkling slightly as if dusted with glitter.

Before Chloe could react, Bridget swept into the room, muttering something under her breath. “Alright, one down, one to go.”

Red seemed frozen, staring at her mother with wide eyes, clearly still reeling from whatever had just transpired between them. Bridget gave her a little nudge, pushing her forward as if trying to snap her out of it.

With a sigh, Red slowly moved toward her bed, her shoulders slumping. The silent plea in her eyes didn’t go unnoticed, but Bridget only raised an eyebrow and waved her hand dismissively, signaling for her daughter to sit. Red obeyed, sinking onto the bed, looking smaller than ever.

“Chloe, dearest,” Bridget’s voice softened as she turned her gaze on the blue-haired girl, “do you mind coming with me for a little while?”

Chloe froze, her mind racing. She looked from Bridget to Red, her stomach twisting in knots. She didn’t want to leave Red like this—not after everything that had just happened. But something in Bridget’s tone left no room for argument. Chloe could feel the walls closing in around her.

After a long, shaky breath, Chloe nodded, her throat tightening. She turned one last time to Red, their eyes meeting for a brief second. Her heart ached at the sight of Red’s downcast face, filled with unspoken apologies and pain.

With a final glance, she followed Bridget out the door.

Chloe walked alongside the queen, her footsteps heavy with the weight of the silence. It wasn’t just the lack of conversation; it was the looming sense that she was about to uncover something important, something she wasn’t sure she was ready to face. She glanced sideways at Bridget, wondering what was going through the woman’s mind.

“Um, Ms. Hearts-”

When the queen finally broke her silence, it was with a chuckle, light and easy as if they weren’t walking through an invisible minefield. “Darling, there’s no need to be so formal. I used to change your diapers, remember?”

Chloe forced a smile. “Right, sorry. I just… I don’t really understand why you needed me.”

Bridget’s smile, sweet as honey, only made Chloe more uneasy. Something about the way the woman looked at her, with an almost knowing glint in her eye, made her stomach twist. “Well, dearest, Red has been… different lately, hasn’t she?”

Chloe nodded slowly, her mind replaying the moments she had shared with Red. The lingering stares, the way Red seemed to always be nearby, and how Chloe’s heart had raced when their eyes met. “Yeah, she’s been acting strange… but I don’t want to assume it’s just me. It could be someone else.”

Even as she said it, Chloe’s mind whispered that it wasn’t true. She had wanted it to be true, that Red’s attention was only on her, but now that the words were out in the open, they felt selfish. Maybe Red had been treating others the same way, and Chloe had just been too wrapped up in her own hopes to see it.

Bridget stopped walking, turning to face her with a curious expression. “It is just you,” she said softly. “I assure you.”

Chloe’s heart skipped a beat. Just me. The words echoed in her mind, bringing with them a mix of excitement and disbelief. She looked away, biting her lip to hide the grin threatening to break free. Red’s attention is all for me. The idea felt surreal, too good to be true.

Bridget’s voice snapped her back to reality. “Does that make you feel a certain way?”

Heat flushed Chloe’s cheeks. “I… maybe?” Her voice wavered, betraying her. Of course it made her feel something—everything, actually. But admitting that felt like exposing too much, too soon. She didn’t even know what Red wanted from her, and yet her heart was already racing with the possibility that all of this had meant something more.

“Hm,” Bridget hummed knowingly.

Chloe’s mind spiraled. She wanted to ask more, but at the same time, she feared what the answers might be. What if this is all just in her head? The thrill of the queen’s words was tempered by her usual doubts. She had been so sure before, but now she didn’t know what to think. Was Red’s attention real, or was it just some Wonderland tradition that had nothing to do with Chloe’s own feelings?

When they reached the secluded bench under the flowering tree, Bridget gestured for her to sit. Chloe hesitated, the weight of the conversation pressing down on her as she sat down. The wind rustled the branches, creating a serene contrast to the storm of emotions inside her.

“Alright, you're wondering what’s been going on with my daughter, right?” Bridget’s voice was softer now, her words slicing through Chloe’s thoughts.

Chloe bit her lip again, nodding. “It’s just… Red’s been acting really strange. I mean, she’s always been a bit odd, but this is different.”

Bridget chuckled. “Ah, that’s because she’s experiencing the Day of Hearts, a Wonderland holiday.”

Chloe blinked, trying to grasp what the queen was saying. “The Day of Hearts? Like… Valentine’s Day?”

“In a way,” Bridget explained. “But much more intense. Wonderlandians don’t just feel affection during this time. We become fixated, obsessed, even. Red’s thoughts have likely been consumed by you, her heart set in ways she doesn’t fully understand.”

The words hit Chloe like a wave. Obsessed? With me? Her heart pounded in her chest. She had thought something was going on, but this… this was bigger than anything she had imagined. Had Red been thinking about her this entire time? Chloe’s hands trembled slightly as the realization took hold.

“So… Red’s been obsessed with me?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Bridget smiled, eyes twinkling with amusement. “Yes, darling. It’s nothing to be afraid of. She’s going through what we all experience at some point—intense love, fixation. It’s how we Wonderlandians express ourselves when we’ve found someone who means everything to us.”

Chloe’s breath hitched. Red wasn’t just being friendly. She wasn’t bored or lonely or hovering for no reason. She liked Chloe, maybe even more than she liked her. Red’s heart is mine. The thought made her dizzy with both joy and fear. This wasn’t some small crush. It was something bigger—something that could change everything.

Chloe’s voice came out shaky. “But does Red even understand what’s happening to her?”

Bridget’s gaze softened. “She’s scared. You’ve seen it, haven’t you? How shy she gets around you. She doesn’t want to overwhelm you, and she’s not sure how to navigate her own feelings yet. But one thing is certain—Red’s heart belongs to you. She might not fully know it yet, but her actions show it.”

Chloe’s heart pounded in her chest. Red’s heart is mine. She repeated the thought, trying to wrap her mind around it. All this time, she had been second-guessing, doubting, thinking she had misread things. But now, she knew. Red wanted her too.

She shot to her feet, the urgency to see Red overwhelming her. “I have to go!”

Bridget smiled warmly. “By all means, sweetheart, go get your girl.”

Without another word, Chloe sprinted down the hall, her heart racing, mind spinning. Red loved her. Red wanted her. And Chloe wasn’t going to waste another second waiting to find out what came next.

“I’ll just be here…” Bridget called out to her retreating figure. Once she was out of sight, the queen grabbed her phone and dialed the first contact. “Ella, darling, code purple! I can already hear the wedding bells. What do you mean I’m rushing things? We’ve dreamed of being in-laws for years! You're half the reason I decided to come down here!

“Lets be honest, our daughters are brilliant but goodness are they oblivious. Of course I blame their fathers. Ugh, you’re no fun anymore.”

⁺˚⋆ ｡ °✩ ︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶ ✩° ｡ ⋆˚⁺

Chloe had yelled about five apologies, all aimed at different students as she collided with them in her frantic dash. But she couldn’t bring herself to care. Her heart thrummed in her ears, drowning out everything except the thought of cinnamon and that stunning crimson hair.

Red’s heart… mine.

When she finally reached the dorm, breathless, she didn’t even pause. The door swung open, her eyes scanning the room desperately. “Red?”

The word left her lips in a soft whisper, but it was swallowed by the thick silence that pressed down on the room. The last rays of sunlight filtered through the fogged windows, casting long, lonely shadows. Her pulse, which had been racing, seemed to stutter, a cold dread creeping up her spine.

“Red?” she called again, louder this time, her voice cracking with urgency. But nothing.

Her heart sank into a sickening void as she stepped further inside. Each footstep echoed in the stillness, her mind racing. Where is she? She wouldn’t just leave… right? Not after all this…

But the room gave nothing back. No scent of cinnamon, no sound of soft breathing. Just the hollow hum of the evening, mocking her with its emptiness.