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With a sigh, Chloe pushed the keys into her car and drove with the clock on her display reading 1:26 a.m.
A few minutes earlier, Red called her, her words slurred, and music blaring in the background. When asked what happened, Red hastily replied that she wanted to be brought home, then apologized about a thousand times for ruining Chloe’s sleep schedule. By the time their call had ended, she was already out the door.
Parking her car somewhere at a safe distance from the house Red was at, as she didn’t trust a bunch of teenagers around it, Chloe mentally prepared herself for the chaos she would walk upon.
And chaos there was.
Music so loud she couldn’t hear her thoughts, bright lights that made her eyes ache, people making out at any corner, and-
Red.
Her roommate was conversing with some people, a red cup balancing in her hand. She seemed all right, no indication of her wanted departure, until Chloe saw her bouncing leg and how she kept opening her phone to look at the time or any sign of Chloe.
Suddenly, her gaze swept over the room and landed on her.
Her breath caught as those captivating eyes filled with relief when they met hers.
Chloe was not prepared for the bone-crushing hug that Red wrapped her in. Her arms came around her mesh shirt, holding her tightly.
“Thank you for coming, Princess,” Red purred in her ear, hot breath teasing her ear and wandering hands shifting around her hoodie. With a low chuckle, she pressed a kiss to her neck in appreciation.
She just about shuddered, quickly pulling away with a racing heart. “It was no problem, Rebel. Let’s, uh, get out of here, yeah?”
In Chloe’s car, she lay against the warm seat, while some soft piano forte played from the speakers. Her head was tilted up, eyes only on her roommate. They passed streetlights that licked along her face as if she were in a movie. And between those lights and her longing glances, Red grabbed one of her hands that wasn’t on the steering wheel.
Chloe barely reacted, though her lips curled into a small smile. She let her hand be stolen, and Red relished the warmth it radiated. She toyed with the ring on her index finger, slipping it on her own finger after.
Her gaze drifted to Chloe again. There was a chain around her neck that reflected in the low lights. Red hadn’t seen it before. It was a faint gold, and the charm attached to it made her breath catch. A bold R dangled from it.
“Princess,” she started, her body upright as she looked closely at it. “What is this?” Asking teasingly, she gingerly took the charm in between her fingers and tugged.
Their faces were inches apart.
It was silent; the only sound was the wheels rumbling as they led the way home.
Chloe’s breath quickened, hands fumbling against the steering wheel as she seemed to be deciding between leaving them there and…
“You gave it to me, remember?” It was a whisper and a slight glance at the deserted road.
“Did I?” Red’s fingers migrated to her chin.
With a gulp, Chloe smiled crookedly. “Mhm, you have a silver one with ‘C’.”
“Huh.” Her tongue darted out to wet her dry lips, and she smirked when she saw her roommate follow the movement with her eyes.
Suddenly, a loud horn interrupted their moment.
From the shadows, two bright lights flashed as a vehicle charged toward them
Chloe yelped as she steered to the side, then stopped the car there.
They looked at each other, shocked. Then burst into giggles.
It was late, way later than any of them should have been caught outside their dorm.
It was a chilly Saturday night, and the leaves were rustling.
Lying on a blanket burrowed from their dorm, the two relaxed as they talked about everything and anything. When they first arrived, it was still sunset, now only the dark remnants of it.
“Hey,” Chloe called out to her, soft spoken to gently coax her from slumber. “Look up.”
Through bleary images, Red tossed and turned, moving closer to her. Their shoulders brushed as she tried to make out the sky above, a comforting contact.
“We don’t have those in Wonderland,” Red explained, eyes fixed on the beautiful array of sparkles and connections in the sky.
“I know,” Chloe replied, and Red tilted her head toward her to realize she was looking at her. “You told me.”
She blinked, surprised to find the same breathtaking stars in her roommate’s eyes. “I did?” She asked numbly, mouth left parted as she lost herself in the night of her friend’s gaze.
Chloe’s eyes were a deep brown, then dipped slightly into a lighter shade of the same color. They often swirled with happiness and determination but also shone with anger and tears. However, most of all, they were coated in a thick layer of adoration.
Like now, when Chloe looked at her, her composure slowly chipped away.
Feeling her cheeks heat up, Red quickly averted her gaze to the sky, trying her hardest to ignore her feelings and the way those eyes she loved so much saw right through her.
“Princess, tell me about those lines in the sky.” She changed the subject. ‘Very smooth, Red.’
Chloe laughed softly, hooking her chin over her shoulder and an arm coming to wrap around her torso, “Lines? Those are constellations, Rebel,” She reached a hand to boop her nose, and Red scrunched it in response.
“Well, they are a group of stars that make up a certain shape, mostly are-“ And, as Chloe rambled about constellations that they both knew she had talked about before, Red let her head rest on hers, wishing upon a falling star that her heart wasn’t the only one racing.
“Here,” The dull sound of something being placed on her desk got her attention. A mug with thick brown liquid stood among her textbooks.
She fiddled with the smooth handle, looking up at her roommate with surprise. “Coffee?”
“I know you’re pulling an all-nighter,” Red sighed, already used to her study habits, and had long since given up trying to make her sleep. “Might as well, have energy or whatever. I’m going to bed. Have fun with your textbooks and try not to miss me too much, yeah?” She muttered, patting her on the back.
“Hey,” Chloe started, but her breath caught. Swallowing, her eyes absentmindedly traced where the low light hit Red’s face. On the broad bridge of her nose, on the tip of her plump lips, and along her eye bags.
Red hummed with an eyebrow quirked up, patiently waiting. Her hand didn’t leave her shirt, now on her shoulder, and her fingers were darting across the fabric in a comforting manner.
“Thanks,” The knight breathed, and her heart swelled when Red smiled.
“Don’t get used to it, Boo,” And with that, the redhead retreated to her own bed. Chloe’s gaze watched her closely, before the smell of coffee reminded her why it was on her desk.
“You know, when I call you ‘Princess’, I don’t expect you to suck this much at cooking!” Red exclaimed, gesturing to the burnt toast that stood next to the sliced tomatoes and eggs that she had fried.
“Come on, I forgot to turn the toaster off!” Chloe pouted, but a smile tugged at her lips. “Now, eat before I throw the slice at you.” She threatened playfully.
Rolling her eyes, Red started to bite into the food. She preferred burnt toast anyway.
Winter was nearing, and Red was in denial of the cold that swept from underneath the windows. Wonderland was never this cold, only the occasional wind that made her shiver, but nothing compared to the clattering teeth she had in Auradon.
With her denial of the changing weather came the lack of warm clothes in her closet. There were so many layers she could style without looking ridiculous, and she was sick of burying herself in blankets.
Left with no other decision, she raided the bluest place on Earth.
Chloe Charming’s closet was filled with sweaters and hoodies, albeit all of them a shade of blue, but it was better than nothing.
She rubbed the fabric of a soft sweater in between her fingers and decided that it was the victim.
Pulling it over her head, she was enveloped in warmth and the vanilla scent that followed Chloe around.
As she was darting to bed, she caught sight of herself in a mirror. She abruptly stopped and just…stared.
Her scarlet waves contrasted weirdly nicely with the bright blue, wrapping the shade in a soft embrace.
Later, Red lay among the softness of her blanket, sketchbook in her lap as she drew absentmindedly. Shapes of charcoal and erasure marks covered her page.
The sound of the door opening went over her head as she continued to grace the paper. “Hey, Princess,” she greeted, focused on her action. “Off to practice?”
“Yeah, coach is going to bench a few players since a match is coming and-“
Red snorted, eyes straying to see Chloe pacing around the room, “If you think she’s gonna bench you, you’ve got nothing to worry about, Boo.” She smiled, confident in her friend’s abilities. She was the best swordsman she knew, after all.
When Chloe only stared at her, wide-eyed and mouth agape, she spoke, “What?”
“Red,” She started with a huff of laughter. “What are you wearing?”
“Oh, this?” Red briefly looked at the piece of clothing, realizing that she had forgotten to take it off. “It, uh, got cold so…”
“Keep it,” Chloe interrupted her, a sly grin on her lips. “It looks better on you.”
After her initial shock, she twirled a strand of her hair, “Careful, Princess,” She smirked, watching her friend rummage through her closet for sports attire, “I might think you like me wearing your clothes.”
Chloe only rolled her eyes in response, but Red caught the hint of scarlet on her cheeks.
They fought. From something so stupid it didn’t matter what it was, because it turned into a heated argument. Maybe Chloe demanded she didn’t leave her cans all around, or Red complained that they weren’t spending so much time together since Chloe started tutoring. It wasn’t important.
Important was how Red’s eyes were filled with unshed tears and how her hands were shaking.
“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Chloe quickly approached her, ready to comfort her, but Red stepped back.
She looked at her almost emotionless, blinking a beat quicker, “I think…I think I’m going to bed,” Mumbling, Red retreated to her side of the room, leaving Chloe to watch her.
In the middle of the night, sleep hadn’t come to her. And it seemed it hadn’t to Red either by the shuffling sheets from the other side.
She wanted to reach out, to say something, to resolve it. She couldn’t, as it wasn’t her place to. She had already tried, she could only wait until-
“Chloe,” broke the silence, soft and a bit unsure. She opened her eyes to see that the girl still had her back to her. “Come stay with me?” A beat passed before she spoke again, “Please?”
The knight quickly ripped the sheets off her, in a second, next to her bed, and waited for the blanket to part.
Slipping beside her, Chloe felt her turn around. Vulnerable eyes watched her, illuminated by the night light they had in their room.
“Come here, baby.” She opened her arms, and Red wasted no more time wallowing in doubt.
“I missed you,” Red whispered against her neck, and a kiss was placed on her hair, “I don’t want to lose you,” Another kiss, this one to her temple.
Red pulled away and faced her, eyes tracing her every feature. Chloe couldn’t help the increasing heat in her cheeks.
“You’re my best friend, Chlo,” Red muttered, and Chloe heard how her breath hitched on the word best friend, how her eyes darted to her lips all through her sentence. It wasn’t hard to notice these things about Red, to memorize everything about her, and even to have a perfect image of her face in her dreams. Her feelings for her were much more than friendship, something deeper that was both extraordinary and dangerous.
Her first instinct was to agree with Red, to tell her that she was her best friend, too. However, she couldn’t contain her feelings any longer. She wanted to shout from the rooftops, to declare her love in front of her parents and anyone. She wanted Red, ached for her so bad it made her sick thinking she couldn’t act on the instinct to kiss her.
Chloe cupped her cheeks, a surge of boldness going through her, “How about we become more than that?”
Impulsive like she never was, she joined their lips together in a warm contact. Red hummed, hands clinging to her shirt, and Chloe was obsessed with how she seemed to want to get as close as possible.
At first, it was all teeth clashing, greedy lips that couldn’t get enough of each other, and wandering hands that drew intoxicating sounds.
It gradually cooled down to soft kisses, then became only fluttering touches from how sleep-deprived both were.
They pulled away slowly, as if to preserve the newfound connection.
“I’ve wanted to do that for a while,” Red breathed, a chuckle leaving her.
Chloe hummed, a little lost in thought as she rubbed circles on the redhead’s cheek. “…since when?” She asked, eyes raising to see Red moving her closed lips in a motion that suggested she didn’t want to answer.
“Red…”
“…when we were fighting at Merlin Academy”
“I put a sword against your throat!”
“Come on, they’re Cinderella and Prince Charming, they can’t hate you”
Was what Red kept telling herself as she prepared herself mentally for meeting the Charmings. Well, not meeting them literally, but just meeting them with her newest status as Chloe’s girlfriend.
It surely didn’t help that this meeting of theirs would be at Chloe’s 18th birthday party, which was disguised as a ball.
She was currently in Chloe’s childhood bedroom, dressed in a simple backless crimson dress. It reached her knees, leaving room for her combat boots to shine. On her shoulders was a black leather jacket that would fall as soon as she arrived in the ballroom, but for now it stood as a protective shield.
Her eyes fell around the room after finishing her makeup. Besides being the second bluest place on Earth, it was filled with pictures and trophies of all sorts. Fencing awards on every shelf, next to them a photo with Chloe among her teammates or with her friends.
From the tall walls and shelves, her gaze moved to the furniture around. A desk rested next to the bed, stacks upon stacks of notebooks on it, and-
Red stepped closer to it, eyeing the biggest frame she had seen yet. It was about the size of her hand, and inside there was a Polaroid. It was her, only her. She remembered that night in fragments, recalling that they could’ve come from a date if the multiple kiss marks on her face were an indication. Her smile was wide, wider than she thought it could be, and she found herself marveling at how happy she seemed-
She jumped out of her skin as a sharp knock sounded through the room.
“Reddieeee,” A voice she couldn’t help but roll her eyes at called out.
Opening the door, she found Chad on the other side. He was dressed simply, in suit pants and a coat of the same pale blue that stood over his white button-down. He sported a goofy grin and bright brown eyes that rivaled his sister’s.
“Ready to meet the fam?” He asked, offering his elbow as support. She hesitantly took it with a heavy sigh, “Come on, it’s not like anything changed.” Chad started to laugh before it died in his throat at the glare he received, “Or uh, their view on you hasn’t changed, you know.”
“Right,” She said, nerves building the closer they got to the ballroom, her grip on his coat tightening. “How is Chloe?”
Chad hummed high-pitched, causing Red to raise an eyebrow.
Then, an insanely frustrated shout echoed through the halls.
Red instantly recognized that voice, “Is that…?” She pointed in the direction it came from, concerned.
“Yup,” He replied with a shaky grin.
Just as they were about to enter the ballroom, they were greeted by Ella’s face. Red tried to run, but Chad held her tight and forced them both to approach the queen.
“Dearests! I was waiting for you, well, one of you specifically, but I am glad to see you two nonetheless!” She exclaimed, pulling her son into a hug.
Red stood at a safe distance, an awkward smile on her face that surely reflected how she felt. Before she could even think of stepping away, Ella quickly drew her in an embrace as well.
“Welcome to the family, Red,” She whispered, warm and comforting hands coming to wrap around her. If a gasp left her and tears gathered in her eyes, that was her business. “I’m sure Chloé is in good hands with you, sweetheart.”
Suddenly, the music started to play louder and almost ceremoniously.
“Speaking of Chloé,” Chad commented, walking further into the room, the two following behind him.
“Presenting, Her Highness,” A man dressed in a pink and purple suit spoke, gesturing toward the long staircase that stretched almost intimidatingly, “Chloé Alexandra Grace of the Charming House!”
And Red felt her breath catch as the goddess she was proud to call her girlfriend descended on the stairs.
Sea of blue curls pulled into a half-up and half-down style, swinging in the air with every step like the picture of grace. On her shoulders lay a baby blue hussar jacket, much like her father’s, silver epaulettes broadening her stature and making her look even more like a protector.
Her gaze was downcast, careful with her steps, and besides being utterly enchanted by her, Red felt a tinge of concern.
A man and a woman stood with their arms stretched to guide Chloe down the stairs, but recoiled when the princess walked right past them with a dismissive hand. Gasps sounded through the room, as it was protocol to have an escort onto the dance floor and owing them the first dance. It was more about the trust a royal had in their staff than romantic interest, so then why was she-
“Oh,” muttered Red as she saw Chloe’s eyes fixate right on her, no hint of sadness in them, only determination. A first dance was meant to ease up the tension in the crowd, to invite others to dance, in some cases even announcing who the person the ball was dedicated to wanted by their side in the future- “Oh,”
Suddenly, Chloe was in front of her, nervous and a touch afraid. She gingerly took her hand in hers and leaned down.
“May I have this dance?” And she had no time to answer before Chloe kissed her hand in front of millions of people while looking at her like that.
Not trusting her voice, she nodded and let Chloe take the lead.
For about a minute, only the two of them were waltzing, slow and lost in each other, the crowd a continuous blur.
After the others joined them, Chloe finally let herself grin warmly. “Hey, how are you?” She asked, holding her closer.
The redhead sighed with a roll of her eyes, “You were the one yelling bloody murder earlier, and you’re asking me how I am?” She laughed at the embarrassed expression on her beloved’s face, “May I turn the question around, m’lady?”
Dipping her, Chloe tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, “You may not,” She giggled, then pulled her up. Red raised an eyebrow, causing the princess to groan quietly, and instead of answering, she kissed her. Sweet and slow.
Feeling a million eyes on her, Red pulled away, “They’re watching us,” She bit her lip. It wasn’t necessarily that they were watching, but that they were judging.
“They’re all looking at you,” Chloe pointed out, lips tracing a blazing line from her temple to her jaw, kissing tenderly. “You’re gorgeous, too bad I don’t have you all to myself,” She joked, though Red couldn’t quite tell if she was.
“Princess…” She warned, feeling Chloe’s breath on the nape of her neck.
“Hm?” The girl hummed without any thought behind it, still focused on nibbling her skin. As she was forming a hickey, Red tugged on her curls and pulled her back.
“Not here,” Before Chloe could pout and whine, she whispered in her ear, “Later. You do need a birthday present, don’t you?”
When later came, they stumbled into Chloe’s bedroom, giggling and utterly exhausted from the ball.
Finding herself against the door, Red covered the other’s mouth, “Nuh, uh. First, you get your actual present, boo.”
Chloe groaned, loud and exasperated, but followed when the redhead made a gesture with her index finger. She liked it when she was the one ordering Chloe around, and she was sure she would do anything if it meant a kiss as a reward.
After a couple of shuffles with her cards, a small black box appeared in her hand, small crimson sparkles surrounding it. She offered it to her girlfriend, who took it with careful hands.
Chloe gasped as she picked up what was inside, “A brooch?”
And that’s what it was, a brooch in the shape of a heart with a sword going through its middle. It was crafted from rare wonderlandian glass, forged by the best glassblower in all of Wonderland. Its body was a deep scarlet, the sword intentionally a lighter blue, almost transparent.
Red reached and unclipped it, gently pinning it to Chloe’s coat, “It’s infused with my magic, serving as a protective shield in a way,” She explained, tilting her head as she saw a touch of her color among all the soft blues, “Huh.”
Chloe cautiously touched it, fingers darting across it. “I feel it,” She said with sparkling eyes, “It’s…unsettling, but warm. Really warm.” She giggled, and Red smiled softly in response.
They were bare and most vulnerable, lying tangled in bed. Red’s eyes were closed, and Chloe was lazily tracing patterns on her skin. They uttered words to each other from time to time, but it was mostly quiet. The good kind of quiet, the one that existed to bask in.
Chloe’s hand glided to a specific part of Red’s hip that made her jump. With a slight chuckle, she asked, “You good? You aren’t…ticklish, are you?”
“No…” Red muttered unconvincingly, eyes darting between her hand and her gaze.
“Right,” Chloe smiled, eyes narrowing. Then, she attacked.
The redhead laughed, trying her hardest to push her away. “Chloe!” Her shout was swallowed by giggles and breathless gasps.
The only way out was to distract her lover, so Red did exactly that.
She mustered up the strength to lean up and kissed her. Chloe’s arms went limp as she melted completely, then wrapped softly around her.
“You’re so easy,” Drawling, she flicked the knight’s upper lip with her finger.
Surprised and utterly in denial, Chloe sputtered, “What? I’m not-“ she didn’t get to finish as she felt lips on hers again. She hummed in delight, proving Red’s point.
Somewhere in between the stress of exams and the expectations of senior year, Red had been woken up from harsh shivering beside her. Through sleepiness and exhaustion, she turned her head and observed that her girlfriend was shaking abnormally.
“Come here, Princess,” Red quickly took the girl into her arms, whispering sweet nothings in her ear. “Want to talk about it?” she asked quietly, kissing her hairline.
“…in the morning, please,” Chloe panted, arms snug around the redhead.
“As you wish, boo.” Pulling her closer, she rubbed her back comfortingly, “Now go to sleep so you have energy tomorrow, yeah? I’ll keep on the lookout for any monsters.”
The knight giggled, tears subsiding, “Monsters?” She giggled again, “And you? Won’t you sleep?”
“Don’t worry about me. I skipped two classes to nap today.” Red recalled, expecting a full-on lecture from her. “What, has princess goody-two-shoes gone off her status- Ah,“ She chuckled, but it died when she saw how Chloe seemed to have fallen asleep, “Of course.”
Silence settled in their room, and that was the last Red thought she’d hear from her beloved.
Until she felt a small kiss right where her heart was beating steadily, “I love you” Was muttered in the night, an ordinary confession that Red heard a million times yet never failed to warm her soul.
“I love you,” She whispered back, holding her tighter.
Red brushed a curtain of curls behind her ear, sighing softly. Chloe looked ethereal in the moonlight that spilled lazily through their window. It softened her and made her vulnerable. Her face was devoid of any crease, and her eye bags weren’t so prominent under the pale light.
She pressed tender kisses all over her face, careful not to wake her up. And with Chloe in her arms at the crack of midnight, she finally understood why people lost their minds over love and fought battles to be with their other half. She would go to war for this girl, and without a doubt, she’d do the same for her. But, just for this night, Red wanted to be the protector who chased away all the bad dreams from her girl’s mind.