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Chapter Text

It started, as these things tend to, with Chloe. Sweet, charming and a hopeless romantic, a textbook princess if there ever was one, and Red’s lovely yet entirely too energetic roommate. A roommate who clearly did not understand that normal and sane people do NOT wake up bright and peppy and early on a Saturday morning. At 6 am. 

Yet, here they were, at 6 am on a Saturday morning, with Chloe buzzing excitedly over Red’s bed. Red spared her a groan and turned to face the other, Chloe-less side, nestling deeper into her bed. Whatever Chloe wanted could wait. 

It could not wait, apparently. Chloe, with all the grace of a kicked puppy, flopped down on Red’s bed with an audible whine as she started prodding at the prone form. Each poke sent a small shiver down Red’s spine, wrenching her from the blissful grasp of her dreams. Huffing in displeasure, she pointedly ignored Chloe’s attempts, trying to fall back into the sweet embrace of sleep. 

Poke.

Clocks, her bed was so soft. So nice and comfy, she could almost feel the sleep overtaking her-

Poke.

Were the pokes getting faster? 

Poke.  

“Red,” Chloe whined. “Wake up.” The audible pout and adorable whine had their intended effect, as Red turned over to blearily stare up at Chloe, who was currently making the most pathetic puppy dog eyes at her. Unable to help herself, Red felt the corner of her lips quirk up in a semblance of a smirk as she took in the blue haired girl above her, bathed in the morning light, sulking and oh so endearing as she clung stubbornly to the book in her lap. Spades, she was beautiful. It was almost enough to forgive her for the 6 am wake up call. Almost. 

Eyebrow raised, Red turned to pointedly stare at the clock beside her.  

“Morning, princess.” Red drawled, sleep rendering her voice huskier and deeper than usual. A squeak sounded as Chloe appeared to shut down, a light haze of pink gracing her cheeks as she floundered for a response, clutching the book with a white knuckled grip. Odd. Red reached out to rescue the poor book from Chloe’s grasp, tender fingers stroking soothingly over tense knuckles. Red had seen odder, of course, hailing from Wonderland and all that, so she paid it no mind.

Apparently recovered, Chloe laced their fingers together with a honeyed smile. 

“I was reading about soulmates,” she explained, affection dripping from her tone. “There’s this spell, Red. We could-”

Nope. Red groaned again and turned her head away from Chloe’s bright eyes, flinging her free arm over her face in an effort to shield her from the literal sun above her. Despite this, her other hand remained laced with Chloe’s, drawing strength and comfort from the petite girl. Who, despite the calluses formed from hours and hours of handling swords, had really, really soft hands. 

Chloe squeezed her hand, seemingly unperturbed by the interruption as she brushed her lips over Red’s knuckles in an unprompted, yet sweet kiss. Red started. Despite their many hours spent together, Red was still sometimes taken aback by the casual affection Chloe would oftentimes grace her with. A touch here, a kiss there, and clocks, when she would crawl into bed with Red, requesting cuddles? It was overwhelming, for sure, but Red wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Chloe brought her free hand to rest on Red’s face, cradling her gently in an almost loving manner. Red sighed, melting into the touch. She allowed her face to be turned to face Chloe’s, peeking out from under her arm to make eye contact with the soft brown eyes above her. 

“Please?”

Red huffed, pouting petulantly yet unable to find it within herself to deny her princess. It would be like kicking a puppy, she decided. Not even she would do something quite so evil. She closed her eyes and nodded in resignation. 

Chloe cheered, flopping forward to tackle Red in a hug. Red was on board, which meant all that was left to do was casting the spell. 

Oh. 

They had to cast the spell. 

So maybe spellcasting and potions making were better off being explored by people much more adept than two bored princesses with an almost non-existent combined knowledge of magic. And cooking ability. Red perched on her bed as she eyed the bubbling liquid apprehensively, taking in the ooze and wobbles of the squishy grey potion. 

“And this does what, exactly?” she inquired, peering at an equally as unnerved Chloe. Chloe quickly schooled her features into that of excitement, beaming broadly at Red. Holy hearts, she needed sunglasses. She needed a whole lot of other things too, if the warm, squishy and gooey feelings that fizzled in her stomach were any indication. Like ice cream, maybe. Cherry ice cream sounded good. 

“It’ll help us find our soulmates, Red.” Chloe’s breathy tone broke Red out of her reverie, shocking her back to a harsh reality of barely palatable soulmate potions. A frown broke out across her features as she eyed the potion sceptically. Was this really necessary? What if Chloe’s soulmate was a no good, rotten and horrible person? What if he treated her terribly? And what if he was nice, good and kind? What if he replaced Red in Chloe’s life?

Red froze, unsure of where the thought had come from. Of course she would be happy for Chloe to find her soulmate, whoever he was. And of course Chloe wouldn’t abandon her. They were best friends, and no stupid boy could ever come between them. 

Chloe was hers. Her first friend, her first roommate, hers. Red would kill for Chloe. She would die for her. Spades, those were strong thoughts. Dangerous, too. 

The brush of Chloe’s knuckles against her own brought Red’s attention back to the present. Chloe smiled, a soft and delicate thing, contrasting the earlier beam of sunshine she adorned. Red smiled back, a gentle look in her eyes reserved only for the girl in front of her. 

There was a kaleidoscope of emotions in Chloe’s eyes as she handed half of the potion to Red. Fear, anticipation, excitement, hope, and a glimmer of something unidentifiable, yet equally as potent. Red hesitantly took the bottle. 

“Bottoms up, princess.”

Her world exploded in sparkles of blue and gold.

Chapter Text

Well, that could’ve gone better. 

Red eyed the room in distaste, scowling slightly at the explosion of glitter everywhere. Blue and gold took up residence on her bed, submerging the red covers under millions and millions of tiny sparkly speckles. 

Hearts, she was not looking forward to cleaning that up. 

“Achoo!”

With a start, Red turned to face Chloe, who had set off into a sneezing fit as bits of glitter continued swirling around her. Red eyed the glitter curiously. Black, and red. Red, and black. Red and black, and black and red. There was something significant about that, Red knew, but she couldn’t quite name it. 

As the glitter storm settled around Chloe, she looked up to face Red, taking in the blue and gold surrounding her. Red smiled wryly, uncertainty flickering across her face as they made eye contact. Her expression contorted into a grimace as more glitter blew in her face. 

“I think we messed something up, Blue,” Red offered with a slight shrug. “Somehow, I don’t think there was meant to be this much mess.”

No response. Chloe appeared to be frozen as she stared intensely at the mess on Red’s bed. Her eye twitched minutely, a motion so tiny that Red would’ve missed it if she hadn’t been paying such close attention. Aside from that, Chloe’s face remained impassive, unreadable. There was an underlying tension in her posture, but that was all Red could tell. 

It was strange. Red could hardly remember a time when she couldn’t read Chloe’s body like a book. Chloe was always warm and friendly and open, especially around her. Every smile they shared carried a hint of something so intrinsically them, every laugh and every hug so red, so blue. Chloe had never hidden like this before. 

What was she thinking about?

“Princess?” 

The worried tone appeared to snap Chloe out of whatever trance she had been trapped in, and a strained but genuine laugh escaped her lips. Red sighed, melting slightly into the musical lilt of Chloe’s giggles. The sound of her joy and happiness never failed to make Red happy, Chloe’s infectious laughter lighting a flame of something warm and loving within her. 

It reminded Red of that one moment in their dorms back at Merlin Academy, when she had pantomimed Uliana’s reaction to being stuck at home for Castlecoming. Chloe had exploded into giggles, sending shockwaves of something tingling down Red’s spine. She remembered feeling giddy and proud, giddy at the peal of Chloe’s laughter, and proud that she had caused that sound. 

It was a heady feeling, and from then on, Red had vowed to do her best to make sure that Chloe always laughed like that. She would protect that laugh, that giggle, with her life. 

Okay, so maybe that was too dramatic. Point is, Chloe was wonderful, too precious for the harsh world, and her laugh made her all the more lovely, all the more charming. Her laughter, her smiles and her cuddles never failed to brighten Red’s day. Truly, her best friend was too good for the world. 

Said best friend was still apparently tangled up in the embrace of her hysteria, giggling helplessly with a slight maniacal quality. Every so often, the laughter would stop before resuming again when Chloe made eye contact with the mess on Red’s bed. 

Red quirked her eyebrow as she felt a fond amusement ripple through her. With a sigh, she got up and made her way over to Chloe’s bed, watching the girl give in again to the endless giggles. Red smiled softly and plopped herself down into Chloe’s lap, laughing internally at the soft ‘oomph’ that escaped the blue haired girl. 

Red laced her fingers around Chloe’s neck, grinning when her princess immediately quietened, eyes wide. Her hands had come to rest on Red’s hips, supporting her perch in Chloe’s lap. Red couldn’t help but feel a smug thrill at how natural the movement was. She peered down at Chloe, grin settling into a lighter, almost shy smile. 

Oh spades, Chloe was a sight for sore eyes. Her pretty pink lips were parted slightly as she gazed up at Red, her curly blue hair falling around her in an artful disarray, framing her face just so. Her warm brown eyes drew Red in, mesmerising and pooling with pure affection. They were so deep and so loving and Red was so sure that she could drown in the depths of Chloe’s eyes forever. The openness of her gaze and the tenderness on her face kinda spooked Red, yet at the same time lit a magnetic flame within her. She could almost feel herself melting under Chloe’s gentle scrutiny. 

Red continued taking in her features, eyes intently tracking the soft manner with which Chloe bit her lip. The redhead slowly brought her hand up, dislodging Chloe’s bottom lip from the prison of her upper teeth, carefully soothing the battered skin with her thumb. She felt a shiver explode from the princess under her. 

Red couldn’t help herself and leaned down to gently kiss the tip of Chloe’s nose, hand still cupping the other girl’s face. A delighted giggle broke from Chloe’s lips, who had gone cross eyed as she tried to follow the path of Red’s lips. A delicate flush spread across her cheeks, dousing her in Red’s signature colour as she leaned closer into the palm on her cheek. Oh clocks, she was adorable. 

“Care to explain what’s so funny, boo?”

Chloe was silent again, eyes askance as her fingers danced a wild beat on Red’s hips. In turn, Red gently guided Chloe’s eyes back to her, soothingly stroking the girl’s cheek. She smiled as they made eye contact, encouraging Chloe with her eyes. 

“Oh, we definitely messed up somewhere,” Chloe spoke, her tone slightly hysterical. “There wasn’t meant to be this much glitter.”

Oh. She had forgotten about that. Red frowned, motioning for Chloe to continue. 

“I think I know who my soulmate is. And I don’t know what I’ll do if it isn’t who I think it is.”

A spark of displeasure erupted in Red. Right, Chloe had a soulmate. 

A soulmate who would learn the ins and outs of Chloe in the same way Red had painstakingly done over the past few months. A soulmate who would learn of the way Chloe would frown in concentration as she tackled her homework, the way her pretty eyebrows knitted together as she ran through chemistry equation after chemistry equation. A soulmate who would learn how Chloe would petulantly pout when denied her daily cuddles, how she would giggle whenever Red was the one to initiate affection, how she would lean in when Red would caress her face. A soulmate who would take her best friend on cute little dates, take her to museums and ice cream stores and learn her favourite ice cream flavour was surprisingly, mint choc chip and not something more obvious, like blueberry.

Spades, she could kill for some ice cream right now. Red velvet cheesecake flavoured, maybe. Or cherry? Cherry sounded good.  

Chloe nestled her cheek a little closer to Red’s palm, snapping her out of her thoughts.

“Well princess, at least you have an idea,” Red said, frowning slightly. “I have no clue who mine could be."

Chloe paused in her nuzzling, shooting a deadpan look at Red. Red shrugged, defensive. 

“Don’t know that many people, remember? Not exactly a social butterfly here.”

Chloe closed her eyes, exasperation pouring from her expression as she breathed in. Red began unthinkingly tracing shapes on Chloe’s cheek, cataloguing diamonds, clubs, hearts and spades. 

“You’re an idiot.” Chloe breathed out, eyes still closed. 

“Yeah, but your idiot.” Red said, smirking. Hearts, she was going soft. “Who’s your soulmate, then?”

“My idiot.” Chloe agreed. Her eyes snapped open, a determined and slightly mischievous look about them. “And I think I’ll let you try to figure that one out yourself, Red.”

An involuntary whine left Red's lips as she pouted down at Chloe. Why did she have to figure out the identity of her best friend’s soulmate? Why couldn't she just tell her? That was unfair. 

“Be patient, baby.”

Red felt herself short-circuit as a squeak, better described as a verbal equivalent of a keysmash, escaped her. Oh, clocks, Chloe never really used nicknames, always preferring to refer to her as Red. Oh clocks. Her eyes unfocused as she stopped breathing completely. Her face was starting to resemble her name, the blood rushing to her head and leaving her in an almost intoxicating daze. 

“Breathe, baby.” Oh hearts oh hearts oh hearts oh hearts- Red sucked in a shallow breath as the satisfied and amused tone reverberated around her head. Breathe, baby. 

With a smug hum, Chloe cupped Red’s cheek, forcing her to look down again. 

“You’re looking a little… red.” Chloe said, winking. Ugh. “Let’s go get us some ice cream, yeah? My treat.”

And wow, Red really couldn’t deny her. Free ice cream? She’d be crazy not to take the offer. 

With a grin, cheeks still dusted red, Red hopped off her princess and gallantly extended her hand. Chloe took it, lacing their fingers together like she normally would, and brushed the surrounding glitter off of her blue outfit. 

Spades, she was extremely blue. It was kind of growing on her. 

And sure, Red was the crown princess of Wonderland and practically synonymous with all things red, but she couldn’t help but think that maybe blue wasn’t too bad after all. 

Chapter Text

They did not get ice cream. 

The ice cream stands around Auradon Prep had closed by the time the duo made their way out of the dorms, sending Red into an uncharacteristically disgruntled sulk. Uncharacteristic, that is, to everyone except Chloe, who over the months had repeatedly borne witness to Red’s pouty side when she was denied her beloved ice cream. 

To put it simply, Red was well and truly an ice cream fiend, a trait that never failed to make Chloe laugh. She would often dissolve into a flurry of whines and pouts when she couldn’t get a hold of her bi-weekly dose of ice cream, rendering her a victim of Chloe’s frequent teasing. 

She couldn’t help it. Ice cream was just something that was incredibly delicious, so sweet and different from the food that Red had grown up with. It had literally been love at first taste when Chloe had introduced Red to the dessert. 

It had been a hot and sunny day, the air drenched in an uncomfortable humidity that left Red’s skin damp and sticky. As a native of Wonderland, where the seasons were kooky and inconsistent but bearable, the princess was out of her depth. Wonderland was a great deal cooler than Auradon in summers, rendering most of Red’s leather filled wardrobe unusable. 

The fact that Red had felt the need to pilfer a pair of cotton shorts from Chloe was telling. It wasn’t her fault that her usual leather shorts clung uncomfortably to her skin on hot days. The only viable solution was to borrow some of Chloe’s. Obviously. Chloe's shorts were soft, cool, and a welcome relief from the heat, even if they were a far cry from Red's usual style.

So there she was, lounging on her bed clad in Chloe’s baby blue shorts and her own red crop top, scrolling lethargically on her phone and looking for all the world like the Cheshire Cat. The air conditioner hummed softly, her bed was delightfully cool and comfy, and her homework was miraculously completed for once. Red was in bliss. 

She heard the gentle click of the door opening, signalling Chloe’s return from Swords and Shields practice. Raising her head to greet her princess, Red was treated to the sight of a frozen Charming, her eyes locked on the shorts she was wearing, jaw dropped in shock. 

“Princess?” Red’s voice lilted up slightly into a concerned question. Chloe snapped out of her daze, a magnificent blush spreading across her cheeks. In that moment, Red discovered that she was quite enamoured with the way Chloe’s face could turn such a deep shade of red. 

“Those are my shorts.” Chloe said, her voice breathy with confusion and a hint of another, unidentifiable emotion. Red smiled slightly, her eyes widening in a feigned bewilderment. She tilted her head ever so slightly as she watched Chloe’s reaction with amused curiosity. 

“They are?” she asked, tone dripping with innocence. “I didn’t realise.”

With a strangled groan, Chloe collapsed face first onto the couch in the corner of their room, burying her face deep into the blue and red cushions. She wasn’t slick though. Red could see the way Chloe continually glanced at her from the corner of her eye. 

Red felt a warm tingle travel up her spine, filling her with a sense of smug satisfaction. Cards, she had no idea why Chloe’s reaction made her so happy, but that didn’t stop her from preening slightly the next time she caught Chloe staring at her. 

“Auradon is too hot,” Red said, in lieu of an explanation. “Wonderland was never this humid.” Chloe let out a small hum of acknowledgment, shifting her body slightly to meet Red’s gaze. Her eyes narrowed in determination, setting off alarm bells in Red’s mind. 

Rising from the couch, Chloe strode over to Red’s bed, peering down at her relaxed form. 

“Let’s go out,” she said, offering her hand to Red. “I’d like to show you something.”

Red raised an unimpressed eyebrow, looking from Chloe’s hand to her face. A beat passed, and Chloe smiled awkwardly. 

“Didn’t you hear a word I just said?” Red finally responded, deadpanning. “It’s too hot, boo.”

Chloe chuckled softly, her hand still outstretched. 

“Come on, Red. Trust me on this.” She added a playful finger gun gesture, pointing at Red dramatically. Kachow. 

Red cringed but took Chloe’s proffered hand, intertwining their fingers and allowing herself to be pulled out of bed. 

“This better be worth it,” she said, shaking her head with a smile.

It had been worth it. 

Chloe had brought Red out of their dorms, guiding her down the winding paths past groups of students, all of whom reacted with varying degrees of shock at the sight of Red. She had paid them no mind, content to be led by Chloe, who swung their hands together as they walked. They had eventually reached the edge of the school grounds and ducked into a small corner store off to the side of the street. 

“Welcome, Red,” said Chloe dramatically, waving her free hand in the air with a flourish. “To my favourite ice cream parlour.”

Red smiled, feeling a mixture of confusion and endearment, as she appreciated the gentle breeze of the air conditioning. She took in the shop, where light and jaunty music danced in the air, twirling with the scent of vanilla and chocolate in a pleasant waltz that created a welcome contrast from the hot and humid conditions outside. In front of her stood two glass cabinets displaying rows of metal tins filled with multi-coloured substances. Red wasn’t too sure what they contained, but the small signs in front of each one indicated different flavours. 

“What’s ice cream?” Red asked, scanning the trays in front of her. Chloe gasped dramatically, hand rising to her chest in mock horror. 

“Only the best dessert known to humanity.” Chloe explained that each tray contained a different flavour of ice cream, emphasising that each one was worth trying at least once and assuring Red that she would absolutely love them all. 

Red smiled softly, content to listen to Chloe ramble about her varying opinions of each flavour. Chloe’s enthusiasm was infectious, and her smile truly was one of the redhead’s favourite things. 

Red continued scanning the flavours, conflicted about what to choose. Eventually, she settled on cherry, intrigued by the small segments of her favourite fruit mixed into the cream. She didn’t think she could ever go wrong with cherry. 

She watched in amusement as Chloe chose mint chocolate chip, paying for them both with a quick slam of her card, her eyes daring Red to even try paying. Red held her hands up in a mock surrender, snickering slightly when Chloe beamed sunnily at her. They slid into one of the booths inside the store, and Red returned her attention to the ice creams in front of them.

“Go on,” Chloe said, encouragingly. “Try it.”

Red took a tentative lick of the dessert, allowing the cool treat to melt on her tongue. Her eyes widened as her mouth was flooded with the sweet yet slightly tart taste of cherries dipped in creamy delight, a perfect treat to offset the sweltering temperatures outside. Hearts, this was good. Amazing, even. Quite possibly the best dessert known to humanity, just as Chloe had said. 

Red continued to devour her ice cream, her eyes intent and focused as she savoured each bite. Chloe chose to eat at a more sedate pace, neatly enjoying her dessert while her eyes tracked Red’s progress fondly. 

She giggled lightly, snapping Red out of her concentration. 

“You’ve got a, uh,” Chloe said, reaching over the table, “a little something.” She wiped the dollop of ice cream off Red’s nose with her thumb, then licked it clean. Red felt her face explode into flames at the action, her breath catching in her throat. Chloe returned to eating her ice cream like nothing had happened, but there was a pleased hint to her smile, with the same unidentifiable emotion as before. 

“I’m surprised you went with mint,” Red said eventually, face significantly cooler. “I would’ve expected something like blueberry.” 

Chloe launched into another rant, and Red was treated to the animated sight of the blue haired princess passionately defending mint over blueberry, before she transitioned into defending the flavour as a whole. 

“Mint chocolate chip does not taste like toothpaste, thank you very much,” Chloe insisted, while the green ice cream began to melt and trickle down her fingers. 

Red laughed freely, a warm contentment settling over her. She couldn’t remember the last time she had felt so at ease. Chloe paused mid-rant, staring at the redhead until she finally appeared to notice the mess her ice cream had made. Then, in a flurry of activity, she did her best to salvage the rest of the cone. 

Eventually, they finished their treats and headed back to their dorms, braving the heat once more. Students continued to stare at Red curiously, much like they had earlier. This time, she noticed that their eyes would stray to her legs. Clocks, that was strange. 

Chloe seemed to notice too, intertwining their fingers smugly as she continued her playful banter with Red. 

“That was fun,” Red said, holding open the door of their room. “We should do this again.” She was already thinking about the various other flavours to try. Maybe she could try strawberry? Or blueberry?

“Definitely.”

Their ice cream hangouts had become a bi-weekly tradition, and Red had discovered that while she loved cherry and red velvet cheesecake, she absolutely hated bubblegum. She also learnt that she despised being denied her dose of ice cream, a fact that Chloe very quickly came to understand. 

It was this knowledge that had Chloe laughing at the petulant Princess of Hearts when they realised that at such a late hour, none of the stands were open. 

“Princess,” Red whined, pouting dramatically. “What are we gonna do now?”

“We,” Chloe replied, tone mischievous, “are going to break into the kitchens.”

Well, spades, that was incredibly unexpected. Red wasn’t sure if it was the lingering shock from the earlier potions debacle or Chloe’s general inability to deny her anything, but either way, she wasn’t complaining. 

“Princess goody-goody is willingly breaking the rules?” Red cried out in mock horror. “I’m such a great influence.”

Chloe merely rolled her eyes, dragging Red in the direction of the kitchens. Red quickly caught up with her fast pace, their arms swinging together as they walked. 

Maybe they could try their hand at baking?

After all, Red had been taking baking lessons from her mother as a means of bonding. She was almost certain she could whip up a batch of flamingo feather cupcakes, or even peppermint cookies if Chloe asked nicely. 

“Think we could manage something as simple as cookies?” Red teased, an easy grin on her face. 

Chloe laughed, a mix of excitement and hesitation. 

“We can certainly try.”

So yeah, Red still had no idea what to make of the soulmate situation. But really, that was future Red’s problem. Right now? She had cookies to bake with her favourite princess.

Chapter Text

Bzzt.

Red felt her pocket vibrate. Fishing around the cluttered space, she felt her fingers grasping the sleek edges of her phone, only to scowl as it slipped through her fingers. 

Bzzt.

Hearts, who was this insistent? Red’s fingers tightened around her phone as she pulled it free and glanced at the lock screen. She was greeted by a laughing Chloe, doubled over and eyes squinting shut in pure joy, safely tucked away in the embrace of an equally amused Red. They were perched on the bleachers, clearly absorbed in something on Chloe’s phone. The picture had been taken a while back by a classmate, and Red had all but squirrelled it away onto her phone as soon as she saw it. 

Chloe’s reaction to seeing her lock screen for the first time was forever etched in Red’s memory. Red had been at her desk diligently working on her homework, her phone abandoned in the middle of her bed as she desperately wrestled against mathematical equation upon mathematical equation. She had been engrossed in her task, softly blasting music and heedless of the world around her. 

“Red,” she heard a gentle voice say above her, startling her out of her concentration. “How long have you been here?” Chloe’s strong arms came winding around her neck, drawing her into a sweet embrace. Red sighed, leaning gratefully back into the hug, offering Chloe a soft shrug. 

“Dunno, princess,” she replied, glancing at the clock. Cards, it had been almost 5 hours. With a tired groan, Red stretched, a small but satisfied smile gracing her lips when she felt her joints pop and crack. She sank back into Chloe’s embrace, like a moth drawn to a flame, shuddering softly when the bluenette buried her face into Red’s hair. 

“How was practice?”

Red felt the whisper of Chloe’s smile against her hair, leaving behind a ghostly trail of an almost kiss. Chloe started playing with Red’s hair, softly recounting the latest debacle of the Swords and Shields team while carefully and painstakingly undoing the heart-shaped buns. Red hummed in contentment, melting into Chloe’s hands as they played an intricate yet familiar sonata through her bright red strands. 

It was an intimate and well-rehearsed dance, one perfected through nights of practice. 

Bzzt.

Their peace was interrupted by the incessant buzzing of Red’s phone, nestled amongst her covers. Red groaned, leaning further into Chloe’s torso, unwilling to sacrifice the warmth and safety of her presence. Her princess giggled in response, her fingers absentmindedly tracing through red locks and down to a flushed cheek. 

Bzzt.

Spades. Red glared in the direction of her bed, eyes narrowed in a futile attempt to set fire to the offending object. Chloe's laughter chimed, full of light and affection. 

“Here, let me.”

Chloe gently untangled herself from Red, earning a displeased whine as she moved to retrieve the phone. The loss of warmth was immediate, and Red shivered as the cool air replaced the comfort of Chloe’s embrace. 

Bzzt.

Red watched as Chloe’s eyes darted down to the phone, taking in the way the princess abruptly froze. Cards, what now? With a resigned sigh, Red began the arduous trek—really just a few steps—to her bed. By the time she arrived, a brilliant smile had broken out across Chloe’s face, her eyes crinkling in that unique way that always made Red fold. It was, by far, Red’s favourite smile. 

“I’m your lock screen?”

And there went Red’s remaining ability to think. Because, clearly, she hadn’t thought this through when she set her lock screen earlier. What if Chloe thought it was silly? What if she was upset—or worse, disgusted? Red knew she had to play it cool. 

“Actually princess,” Red responded, shrugging nonchalantly, “we are my lock screen.” 

Chloe giggled again, bright and clear, filling their dimly lit room in a cascade of almost visible light. Gorgeous smile still in place, she opened Red’s phone camera and snapped a selfie, even blowing a playful kiss at the camera. Red felt a wave of relief wash over her—Chloe wasn’t mad.

As Chloe effortlessly unlocked her phone, Red was struck by a wave of warmth and fondness, a reminder of the trust she had in Chloe to share her password. That warmth gave way to a mixture of embarrassment, joy, and affection when Chloe set the new selfie as Red’s home screen with a triumphant smirk, then turned to wink at Red in a way that was both practised and delightfully goofy.

“Much better!”

Not to be outdone, Red swiftly grabbed Chloe’s phone from her back pocket, her movements quick and determined. A playful glint sparkled in her eyes as she opened the camera, striking a sultry smirk that practically dared Chloe to top it. She snapped the selfie, feeling a surge of satisfaction as she effortlessly unlocked Chloe’s phone, setting the new picture as her home screen. Now, they were even.

Chloe’s flustered and shocked expression was well worth it, Red decided.

Bzzt.

Spades, alright! Red unlocked her phone, briefly smiling at her princess’ cute selfie, before opening her messages app. 

3 new messages from ‘Mama 🩷💖🌹’

Mama 🩷💖🌹(3:00 pm): Red 🩷

Mama 🩷💖🌹(3:00 pm): My rose, my dearest, most darling and sweet daughter!

Mama 🩷💖🌹(3:10 pm): Red, darling, I know that you’re chronically online, and that you have no classes today! 🩷

Oh, cards, her mother was persistent. Bridget, the Queen of Hearts, was so different from Her Royal Majesty, the Queen of Hearts, a fact that Red still had trouble reconciling with. The duality of her mother, both the fierce ruler and the softened figure she had become, left Red tangled in a web of conflicting emotions. Chloe had needed to intervene when they first returned to the present, reminding Red that she couldn’t always live in fear of her mother’s past self. She needed to get to know Bridget as she was now, not the cruel tyrant from before. 

And truly, Red couldn’t deny that she enjoyed this new version of Bridget. Though spending one-on-one time with her mother was still a challenge, each moment shared together slowly mended the wounds of Red’s inner child, revealing glimpses of what could have been, what should have been—what she had missed out on for 16 years.

Red ❤️(3:10 pm): ?

Mama 🩷💖🌹(3:10 pm): Red! How have you been, darling?

Mama 🩷💖🌹(3:10 pm): Actually, I’m going to call you. Texting is much too bothersome, and I haven’t seen my darling daughter’s face in far too long. I miss you, baby. 

Red stiffened slightly, still somewhat unused to the sheer love and affection her mother now showered upon her. Yet, despite her lingering discomfort, a wave of pleasure washed over her as she read the texts. With a deep breath, she thought back to Chloe’s reassuring words and accepted the incoming video call. 

“It’s been two days, Mama,” Red said dryly, greeting her mother with a small wave. The queen's face filled the screen, her smile wide and brimming with excitement at the sight of her daughter.

“My darling girl!” Bridget’s tone oozed pure warmth and motherly affection. Red couldn’t help the involuntary smile that graced the corner of her lips, relishing in the waves of love the queen seemed so eager to provide. 

“Two days is much too long without you.” 

Hearts, Red wasn’t sure if she would ever get used to how clingy her mother was now. But this was everything she had ever wanted, and more. She was willing to get to know this new version of Bridget, to finally experience the love she had always craved. 

With a soft smile, she began recounting the past two days to her mother, complaining about the stupid chemistry equations forced upon her unwilling brain, and the piles of mathematics worksheets cluttering her study desk. Finally, frustrations aside, she tackled the events of the day before. 

“And now she won’t tell me who her soulmate is!” Red concluded, whining dramatically as she flopped down onto her bed. “She said I have to guess myself!” Not to mention, she was promised ice cream, which she still hadn't received. 

She turned to her phone and was met with the familiar sight of Bridget’s unimpressed gaze. Red instinctively shrank into the oversized sweater she was wearing, a flicker of old fear running up her spine. Bridget didn’t seem to notice, too busy sighing in apparent exasperation. 

“Do you know who your soulmate is?”

That threw Red for a loop. She had been so preoccupied with trying to figure out Chloe’s soulmate that she had completely forgotten about her own. Offering her mother a slight shrug, she smiled sheepishly. Her mother’s gentle giggle reached her ears, laced with fond amusement and motherly patience. 

“Think about the colours, darling.”

Blue, and gold. Gold, and blue. Clocks, what was it that was so significant about those colours? Before she could ask, she was interrupted by Bridget’s next statement. 

“Darling,” Bridget began in that same soft tone, “I didn’t know that you had a blue sweater.” The deadpan delivery held a trace of amusement, leaving Red slightly mortified as she realised that she was, indeed, wearing Chloe’s sweater. Still, she frowned, puzzled. What did that have to do with anything?

“My rose,” Bridget finally said after a long pause, heaving a sigh. “Run me through your thoughts on Ella’s girl again?”

The mere mention of Chloe brought a pleased smile to Red’s lips. Oh, cards, Chloe’s lips—they were so pretty and pink and perfect. Red often found herself wondering if they were as soft as they looked. And clocks, that smile. It rivalled the sun, radiant enough to brighten even her darkest days. Red was almost certain that any illness she had could be cured simply by exposure to that smile.

And then there were Chloe’s eyes, the way they sparkled in any setting, the way they would turn luminescent and chocolate brown in the sunlight, the way they would crinkle when her joy got too intense, and hearts, Red was completely hooked. One look from Chloe, and she would melt. 

And that wasn’t even mentioning how affectionate Chloe could be. Her blue haired princess loved gracing her with those soft hand kisses, sometimes even on the cheek—so chivalrous, really. And then there were those nights when Chloe would crawl into Red’s bed, seeking cuddles like the clingiest, most adorable thing ever. And, spades, the way Chloe comforted her after nightmares—pulling her into that sweet, comforting embrace, holding her close no matter how early the hour—melted Red’s heart every time. 

Red was certain she could continue describing all of Chloe’s amazing qualities, but Bridget’s soft chuckle interrupted her rambling thoughts. 

“It sounds like you have your answer, darling. I must go now; brillig is nearing and I have a tea party to attend—it simply wouldn’t do to be late. I love you! Fairfarren.”

Red bid her mother goodbye, then collapsed backwards against her blankets, staring up blankly at the ceiling. What did Mama mean by that? What was the answer? All she had been talking about was… Chloe?

Chloe, who was the golden ray of sunshine in her life. 

Chloe, who was extraordinarily blue even in the best of circumstances. 

Chloe, who was now walking through the door, dressed head to toe in blue and gold. 

Oh. 

Oh.

Chapter Text

As far as all things go, Red was a remarkably sensible princess. Sure, she had her moments—like that time she had sentenced Chloe’s mother to death—but she had regretted it immediately and actually went back in time to save her. So really, did that even count? And sure, she did steal Mads’ pocket watch after he had explicitly told her not to, but really, he was just asking for it. Reverse psychology and all that. Besides, that little misadventure had landed Red stuck in the past with an annoyingly persistent blue haired princess, who would eventually go on to become her best friend. And, let’s not forget, it also gave her the chance to save her mother from her whole ‘Off with their heads!’ tyrannical phase. So really, stealing Mads’ time machine wasn’t a poor decision on her part. 

So yes, Red was a remarkably sensible princess. And it was this very sensibility that sent her barrelling out the room, hollering a half-strangled 'goodbye' to a startled Chloe as her only means of explanation. 

Red’s head felt empty as she sprinted down the halls, driven by pure instinct and sheer panic. Well, empty might not be the best descriptor—her mind was screaming pure nonsense that somehow amalgamated into absolutely nothing, so really, no thoughts at all. A truly Wonderlandian concept. 

She kept running, bursting out onto the main grounds in a frantic escape of the dorms. Cards, she needed to get higher, somewhere she could breathe. Heights had always been her thing, back when she would dart along the roofs of the royal plaza and scale the castle towers, a desperate bid to feel the rush of freedom that she had always been denied. Heights were her saviour, the stars her distant hope. She had always felt that if she climbed high enough, one day, she could reach the stars and finally be free.  

It was that desire that had sent Red clambering up the spire of a nearby tower at 4 pm on a Sunday afternoon. The sun was still busy kissing the earth’s ass and dousing it in a gentle, golden light that honestly looked amazing on Chloe’s skin and brought out the warmth of her deep brown eyes and- spades, this wasn’t the time. Point is, Red was now perched atop the roof of a school tower, perfectly visible to anyone who happened to just look up. Not that most of the Auradonian natives ever bothered to look up. Everything was fine. 

It was definitely against the Auradon Code of Conduct, but really, when had she ever cared about that?

Chloe would care.

The thought came unbidden to Red’s overactive mind, as it worked overtime to form its first coherent one since she’d fled the dorm. A frown flickered across her lips as she shoved it to the back of her mind. She had come here to decompress, to escape the whirlwind of thoughts swirling around her head, not to entertain them. She was here for the company of the sky and the clouds, nothing more, nothing less. So she wasn’t going to be thinking any thoughts, thank you very much. 

But Chloe, the persistent part of her brain murmured, in a tone oddly reminiscent of the blue haired princess herself. 

Shut the fuck up, she responded, remarkably at ease with the idea of conversing with herself. Hearts, she really would go gallymoggers at this rate. Imagine that—the crown princess of Wonderland, driven mad by a potion incident. How incredibly ironic. 

Chloe.

Red groaned internally. She was going to stab the poor fool who said that good things come in threes, because this was the third time her incredibly stubborn brain had mentioned the very person she was desperately trying not to think about. 

Okay, so maybe she was avoiding her princess. And that was perfectly fine! A perfectly valid and reasonable way of coping, in Red’s esteemed and extremely unbiased opinion. Because, cards, what the fuck.   

Chloe was her soulmate. Chloe, her best friend, her princess, her knight in baby blue armour and shining shoes, was her soulmate. Chloe, the blue to her red, the gold to her black, was her soulmate.  

Hearts. 

What did that even mean? To be soulmates? She had always thought that it was something romantic, the other half of your soul, your one true love. But, Chloe? Just the thought of the bluenette sent Red’s mind into overdrive, neurons firing faster than light as an overwhelming rush of affection surged through her. Chloe was gentle curls and tinkling laughter, warm hugs and the scent of daffodils. Chloe was... perfect. 

Then, reality came crashing down like a chilling wave, leaving the pit in Red’s stomach hollow and aching. Chloe was perfect, sure, but as her soulmate? Chloe was her best friend, her incredibly platonic best friend. And, worse yet—Chloe was a girl.

Not that there was anything wrong with that, of course. 

The problem was that this was Auradon and not Wonderland. Auradon, with the prissy princesses and proper princes, its rules and laws, and that damn Code of Conduct. Auradon, where animals didn’t talk, flowers didn’t sing, and teacups certainly didn’t dance. And of all things, Auradon had remarkably consistent gravity. Cards, did they even have any gay people?

Wonderland, the home of the wondrous and the bane of logic, defied all natural order. And with it, came queerness. Wonderland was queer—loud and proud, happy and gay. You name it, they were it. Everyone there was a little bit queer in some way, shape or form. That’s just the way it was, back home. 

Things were different in Auradon, a fact that Red had come to know all too well. Once, she had tried to talk to the roses in the garden, ice cream in one hand, gesturing with her spoon in the other—only to be met with Chloe’s bewildered reaction. That had probably been the single most embarrassing moment of her life. Chloe had stared at Red in startled concern, asking if she was alright. Red had been utterly mortified. 

So no, Red really wasn’t certain that queer people existed outside of Wonderland. 

And sure, Chloe kissed her a lot, but that was just how she was. Chloe was touchy, affectionate and it was all probably platonic. It didn’t matter that every glance left Red a flustered mess, that every touch sent shivers down her spine. It didn’t matter that the sight of Chloe’s lovely blue hair splayed against Red’s red pillowcase in the mornings stirred a powerful surge of fondness, of longing, making her wish she could wake up to that sight every day. It didn’t matter that Chloe was the only person Red allowed to freely touch her, the only one she let her guard down around. 

Spades, that sounded like awfully romantic reactions for a platonic friendship. 

Red paused. 

That sounded awfully romantic. 

Oh cards.  

That was awfully romantic. Because, hearts-

She was in love with Chloe Charming, princess of Cinderellasburg. 

Chloe probably-straight Charming, the blue haired, brown eyed wonder of Cinderellasburg. 

Fuck.

So apparently typing ‘Does Auradon have gay people?’ on the internet doesn’t provide many useful answers, unless you count the typical ‘Am I Gay?’ quizzes that cluttered the search results. Who would’ve thought?

Red put her phone down, her eyes unfocused as she stared off into the distance. She distantly noted that the sun was still dancing high in the sky, bright and unyielding—a stark contrast to Wonderland, where the oddities seemed to terrify the sun into fleeing by brillig, leaving the world to drown in shadows. Only at 5 pm would the moon slowly wander onto the horizon, which meant that Wonderland was left in a strange limbo for a solid hour in between. However, the monarchs had long since devised a way to combat this, simultaneously enforcing their power as the ruler of Wonderland. During that hour, Wonderland would be bathed in the glow of artificial lights summoned by the reigning monarch. Each ruler had their own signature colour, but Red’s mother was different. Bridget would paint the skies with a blend of reds and pinks, a tribute to her younger self, a vibrant legacy forever etched into her reign.

The sky in Auradon was still bright and blue, the shade so similar to that of Chloe’s hair. Hearts, everything reminded Red of her princess. Every sight, every scent, every sound was yet another stark reminder of Chloe’s undeniable claim over her heart. And really, the irony was not lost on her. The Princess of Hearts, her own heart completely at the mercy of someone else. What a twisted fate. 

With a sigh, Red absentmindedly checked the time and- perfect. It was 5 pm on the dot. Her mother’s tea parties only ever lasted an hour—after all, she was quite particular about punctuality. Pulling up her mother’s contact, she hit call. 

“The internet sucks and doesn’t have any answers,” Red blurted as soon as Bridget picked up, the call connecting after the first ring.

“Hello to you too!” Bridget responded brightly, tone chipper. “Yes, my tea party went well, thank you for asking.” 

“Mama, I’m serious!” Red was whining now, her impatience bubbling at the surface. 

“I’m serious too-”

“Does Auradon have gay people?”

Red watched as Bridget paused, a flabbergasted expression taking over her face. It was replaced by a myriad of emotions—exasperation, relief—before finally settling on amusement. Red, however, was decidedly unamused as she heard the peals of laughter taunting her from the other side of the screen. 

Red continued to stare deadpan at her mother, her eyes expectant, a slight frown tugging at her lips. Bridget’s laughter only grew louder, occasionally pausing to catch her breath and glance at Red’s rapidly flushing face, before crumbling into giggles once more. 

“Red, darling,” Bridget finally said, wiping a tear from her eye, “being queer isn’t just a Wonderlandian thing. It exists outside of Wonderland too. I can’t believe you tried to search that up on the internet, my rose.”

Red cringed, her shoulders slumping as mortification prickled down her spine. She offered her mother a lacklustre shrug, wincing as it set off yet another laughing fit. 

“But Mama, what if she’s straight?”

Her mother levelled her with another unimpressed look—something that was becoming increasingly common in this timeline. This time, though, Red was able to hold back the instinctual flinch. 

“Rose, she looks at you like you personally hung the stars and moon. She’s always holding you, always kissing you. She’s your soulmate, darling. Do the maths yourself.”

With that parting note, Bridget blew Red a kiss and ended the call, leaving the redhead staring down at her phone, seething. Fuck, how incredibly helpful.

Red sighed, pocketing her phone as she stared off into the clouds again. She stayed there, content and at peace on the roof, determinedly avoiding any thoughts about the revelations she had been enduring the whole day. 

Eventually, the skies began to darken, signalling that she was overstaying her welcome atop the spire. Begrudgingly, Red began her descent, taking her sweet time to delay the inevitable. But her efforts were in vain. As she reached the base of the tower, she found herself face to face with Chloe, who was casually leaning against the tower, scrolling through her phone. 

Fuck.

Chloe looked up and smiled at Red. 

“We need to talk.”

Chapter Text

So maybe blurting that out the moment Red saw Chloe wasn’t her brightest idea, if the bluenette’s startled flinch was anything to go by. Especially not with that blunt, and quite frankly harsh, tone. 

Red’s heart pounded ferociously in her chest, the rhythm wild and erratic as the weight of her words crashed over her, like a jarring dissonance in a symphony—abrupt, discordant, and utterly wrong. It reminded her of Chloe, cold and harsh and sword happy in her disappointment. Why the fuck had she said that? What made her think that it’d be a good idea? It sounded so ominous, so serious, so unlike the teasing rapport they had formed throughout the year. It sounded like something you would say before breaking up with someone. 

But what was worse was the look on Chloe’s pretty, pretty face—the fear, surprise, uncertainty—all twisted in an expression that made Red’s gut wrench with regret. A face as lovely as that should never have to look so afraid. A person as wonderful and charming as Chloe should never have to feel such negative emotions. And those lips, turned down in a budding frown—such gorgeous, delicate and soft looking lips should never have to, were not meant to, express such sadness. 

Chloe blinked up at Red, the usual sparkle in her warm brown eyes dimming slightly, leaving them muted and dull. 

“Red?” Her voice was soft and laced with uncertainty—teary almost. Cards, were those tears gathering in her eyes? Fuck, this was not supposed to happen; this was the opposite of what was supposed to happen. A surge of panic crashed over Red like a tsunami, propelling her forward in a frantic scramble to gather Chloe in her arms, pulling her princess close against her chest. She carefully guided them both down to the ground, settling Chloe in her lap.

The pounding in Red’s heart magnified tenfold as she felt the girl in her arms begin to tremble. With shaking hands, Red threaded her fingers through Chloe’s baby blue strands, twirling them in a hesitant but intrinsically familiar dance. Her nails soothing scratched against Chloe’s scalp, a trick that always seemed to calm her when the blue haired princess was overwhelmed by anxiety. Red was vividly aware of each unevenly shuddered breath and catalogued them carefully in her mind—each deep breath meant that Chloe hadn’t succumbed to the panic. Yet.  

Red knew she had to act fast. Each second was crucial in bringing her princess back to her, away from the horrors unfolding inside her mind. 

“Breathe with me, boo.”

Red began taking deep, methodical breaths, beginning with shorter ones before gradually allowing them to elongate. Chloe followed suit, her ear pressed up against Red’s chest, seeking the reassurance of her heartbeat. They stayed like that for a while, Red cradling Chloe in her lap, holding her close but with arms loose enough to let her escape if she needed to. 

When Red finally felt Chloe's breathing start to even out, she allowed herself to press a gentle kiss to the bluenette's forehead. Her hand remained entangled in the soft blue locks, each stroke slow and deliberate, as if any sudden movement might shatter Chloe completely. But that gentle kiss seemed to break something inside Chloe; she let out a soft, desperate sob and buried her face fully into Red's chest, her breath hitching as she tried to stifle the sound. With a soft sigh, the redhead began to whisper sweet nothings into her princess' ear, her words tender but tinged with the guilt gnawing at her insides. Her free hand ran up and down Chloe’s back in a soothing gesture, trying to ease the tremors wracking her body. Red could feel the front of her shirt growing damp from the tears, but couldn't find it in herself to care. Not when her boo was so obviously in pain—a pain that she had caused. She would give anything to soothe that pain. She'd even sacrifice her precious ice cream forever, if it meant that her princess never felt this pain again.

Chloe’s body shook with the force of her sobs, her breath once more coming out in uneven, shuddering gasps. Red could feel the way that Chloe’s hands fisted at her shirt, gripping the fabric tightly, as though the mere act of letting go would mean losing the Wonderlandian princess entirely. Each strangled cry tore at Red's heart, leaving her feeling helpless, useless—because how could she ever make up for causing this kind of hurt? All she wanted was to take Chloe's pain away, but all she could do was hold her, whispering words that felt increasingly hollow as Chloe's sobs echoed in her ears.

Gradually, the intensity of Chloe’s sobs began to fade, the harsh gasps giving way to softer, less ragged breaths. Red felt a surge of relief as Chloe began to calm down—well, calm was an overstatement, but at least the tears had stopped. What once were sobs were now replaced by adorable little hiccups—and Red knows that she shouldn't be finding anything cute about this situation. But hearts, she couldn't help herself; Chloe was always so cute. 

“I'm sorry, princess,” Red said with a sigh, pressing another kiss into Chloe's hair. “I didn't mean for it to come out like that.” Red really should have known better. She knew, by now, that Chloe's anxiety was an ever looming demon, and she had promised herself ages ago never to trigger it. Now look where she was. 

“It's not your fault, Red,” Chloe argued softly, hiccuping all the while. “You didn't know it would set me off.”

Still, Red felt terrible. Spades, this was her fucking soulmate. She shouldn't be making her cry, regardless of intention. With another sigh, Red gently lifted Chloe's face, cradling her cheek softly in the palm of her hand. She watched fondly as Chloe instinctually nuzzled closer, but frowned at the obvious destruction left behind by her tears. With the pad of her thumb, Red carefully wiped away the residual droplets. And if she gently kissed the spots her thumb caressed—well, nobody needed to know.

Red gazed down at the girl in her lap, and felt her heart skip a beat at the sight before her. Though tear stained and still hiccupping, Chloe was quite possibly the most beautiful girl that Red had ever had the pleasure of laying her eyes upon. Her eyes, now an entirely different shade of brown, were bright in their clarity, drawing Red in and making her drown in their depths. Her cheeks, flushed and tear streaked, were so perfect, so pinchable, so Chloe. And, spades, the way she continued nuzzling into Red's palm—soft and gentle and trusting—made Red feel as though she could just melt. 

This was the girl her soul yearned for. 

This was her soulmate.

It had been rough going, but Chloe had finally collected herself enough to become conscious of the fact that she was nestled deep in Red's lap. At least, Red thought that was what Chloe had just realised, given the way her gaze slowly trailed up and down the wall Red was leaning against before settling on her own lap. Hearts, this girl was so adorable. She was gonna be the death of Red one day. 

Red couldn’t help but smirk when Chloe allowed herself to flop back against her chest, burying her face into the crook of Red’s neck. Sure, she couldn’t feel her legs anymore, but having such an immensely pretty girl in her lap made it worth it. A victory, really. The pretty girl in question had snaked her arms around Red’s back, her fingers now trailing up and down Red’s spine in a way that felt far too good.

Red suppressed a shudder, determined to keep her outward composure intact despite the pure calamity brewing inside her. She had already run out on Chloe—she wasn't about to add another embarrassing thing to today’s list.

“Red?” Chloe’s voice was hesitant, a soft murmur that made Red feel another pang of regret. This was her fault. She had inadvertently caused her bright and fiery princess to sound so frail.

“What's up, boo?” Red pressed another kiss into Chloe's hair, her smile widening when she felt Chloe’s lips curve into a smile against her collarbone. She gave Chloe another kiss for good measure. 

“Why did you run?” And well, fuck, wasn't that just the question of the hour? Red truthfully had no idea how to answer—because she was scared? Because she was a coward? Because she hadn’t realised she was in love with Chloe? Because she couldn’t face the possibility that Chloe might be her soulmate, yet not love her back?

She settled on the truth. 

“I was scared.” Red let that statement hang in the air for a while, processing what she had just admitted. Chloe, scarily, remained silent. Red pressed another kiss into her hair before continuing. 

“Mama helped me realise a few things—about my soulmate, about myself, about you.” Red felt Chloe stiffen slightly, and ran a soothing hand down her back. “I ran because I couldn't handle it.”

“Because you couldn't handle your soulmate?” There was something broken in Chloe's tone that made Red’s chest ache. 

“No, boo. I couldn’t handle the hope that came with my soulmate.” She let out a weak chuckle. “I happen to think my soulmate is amazing and quite possibly the best thing to ever happen to me.”

Red felt the imprint of Chloe’s smile as soft lips pressed a kiss to her collarbone, and, hearts, she wanted her princess to do that again. 

“Then what, if not that?” Chloe's tone was more confident now, which made Red smile triumphantly. 

“Love has never come easy to me.” Red confessed quietly, her voice muffled in Chloe's hair. Sure, Mama loved her now and never failed to show it, but she had grown up surviving on scraps of attention from her mother. It's why Red had initially sentenced Ella to death after all—a desperate attempt to finally make her mother proud, to finally gain the affection and love she had prayed for all her life. Also because her pride had been wounded, but that’s neither here nor there. 

Chloe pulled back slightly, a frown tugging at her lips as she made intense eye contact with Red. Her eyes were wide and unhappy at the reminder of Red's life prior to their time travel debacle. Red offered a self deprecating shrug, and quickly changed the topic before Chloe could open her mouth. 

“What did you mean when you said that you didn't know what you'd do if your soulmate wasn't who you thought it was?” Red felt like she was speaking in riddles again—a Wonderlandian special. Spades, could Chloe even understand her question? 

Once again, Chloe stiffened in Red's arms, something that was becoming a trend. Red understood, though—it was a difficult topic. And cards, the duo still hadn't spoken about the elephant in the room. 

Soulmates.

“I think I'm in love with my soulmate,” Chloe admitted quietly, her voice barely louder than a mumble. Hearts, did Chloe just say what Red thought she said? She barely heard it, but didn’t want to know either way, because fuck, she might just combust if it were true. Yet, her useless body betrayed her, and a questioning sound slipped out of her mouth. 

“I think I'm in love with my soulmate.” Chloe's voice was louder this time, more determined.

Red felt her whole body come alive as the electrifying feeling of the weight of that knowledge rushed through her. Love. Chloe said love. Chloe, her knight, her princess, her bluey, said love. Red brought her hand up to cradle Chloe's cheek again, her fingers tracing the familiar contours of her face as she locked onto those brown, brown eyes. She watched the way Chloe's gaze flickered away, her cheek warming under Red’s palm. Gently, Red pulled the bluenette forward and nuzzled their noses together in a tender eskimo kiss, completely enamoured with the way Chloe's nose scrunched in return. 

Love.

Hearts, she loved this girl. She loved Chloe's quick wit, her endless fascination with history, her fierce determination to succeed. She loved Chloe's presence—her inspiring leadership in the Swords and Shields team, her charm and candour that lit up Auradon Prep, her soothing and clingy nature in the quiet of their dorm. She loved Chloe's features, her expressive brown eyes, her pink pouty lips, her pretty, perfect nose. 

She loved Chloe. 

“I think I'm in love with my soulmate too.”

Chapter Text

So, love. That was a thing now, apparently. 

Red’s hand trembled slightly against Chloe's warm cheek, her body grounded by the contact even as her heart and conscience threatened to soar through the clouds in sheer ecstasy. Hearts. Love.

Red’s gaze lingered on the sharp contour of Chloe's cheeks, the aristocratic features highlighting those wide, brown doe eyes—soft and sweet and ever so enchanting, ever so captivating. She traced the smooth slope of the bluenette's perfect, pretty nose, allowing her gaze to drift further down to Chloe's lips. The redhead couldn’t help it, those lips—pink, pouty and forever caught between perfectly pearly white teeth—were one of the most enticing and irresistible things about her princess. 

Red’s thoughts ran wild. She wanted to know what it felt like to kiss those lips, to see if they were as soft as they looked, if they tasted as sweet as she imagined. She longed to pull Chloe closer, to feel the warmth of her bluey pressed up against her chest, pretty fingers laced around her neck as they finally connected in a fiery coalescence of love and trust. She needed to know the way Chloe would react, the sounds she would make—would she yield to the redhead’s touch, soft and pliant and content to follow her lead, or would she take the lead, assuming control and commanding their rhythm as the conductor in the symphony of their love?

Love. 

Fuck, Red was so in love with this girl. 

The crown princess watched, enraptured, as Chloe, as if on cue, bit her lip in a futile attempt to suppress the wide smile threatening to overtake her whole face. Red's gaze lingered far beyond anything platonic, and her hand physically twitched as she fought against the instinct to free those lips from the offending teeth, to soothe them, to kiss Chloe senseless. She wanted to claim that smile, to consume it, to make it wholly and utterly hers. Red needed Chloe, like the plants needed the sun, like the tides needed the moon. 

To Red, Chloe was the stars—her freedom, her liberation.

Her gaze drifted lazily back up to her princess's eyes, content to drown in their warm depths forever. And drown she did, charmed by the blend of love and delight that pulled her into a joyous dance of happiness and strength. She couldn't swim, so she had no way of escaping—not that she would—but she could dance. So she danced with her girl, drawn to the glimmer of an unidentifiable emotion swirling in those pools of chocolate brown. Clocks, Red wasn't the biggest chocolate person, but for Chloe? She absolutely would be. 

"And just who is this soulmate of yours, Miss Red?" Chloe asked, her playful tone a far cry from the panic she’d shown earlier. There was still a hint of vulnerability lingering, a slight tension to her frame, but the joy radiating from her person was unmistakable. 

"Who is the person who has caused the Princess Red I of Hearts, crown princess of Wonderland, to fall so in love?"

And fuck, Red was helpless against the surge of warmth that overtook her, painting her ears and cheeks her signature colour—a physical display of her love, her enchantment, and her embarrassment. Hearts, couldn't Chloe have phrased that any other way?

"You're a princess too, boo," Red grumbled, her lips jutting out in what could technically be considered a pout. Not that Red would pout—she was far too dignified for that. Oh, who was she kidding? She was always pouting around Chloe. 

"And you're dodging the question," Chloe replied, her voice sing-song and smug. 

Red stared blankly, stubbornly refusing to respond. She was not falling for Chloe's charms again. 

"Who, Princess Red, do you love?" And fuck, Chloe had brought out the big guns—her voice sultry and deep, dripping with the hint of a promise, warm brown eyes half lidded and several shades darker—oh spades, the way she was looking up at Red through her eyelashes. And hearts, the way she nuzzled deeper into Red's trembling palm. 

It was over for Red. Stubbornness? Out the window. Gone, defenestrated. She was undone, and all that was left was a warm, gooey mess, utterly addicted to the very essence of Chloe Grace Charming, the pretty blue princess of Cinderellasburg. Melted, like her beloved ice cream on a hot summer’s day. 

“Tell me, baby."

And there it was—the final strike against any and all defences Red had ever built. She was certain steam was escaping from her ears, face burning, akin to a kettle fresh off the boil. Fuck, that wasn't fair. Chloe knew she was weak against that nickname. That wasn't fair. 

Still though, she had a reputation to maintain. 

“My soulmate," Red managed to utter through a strained voice, a cheeky undertone breaking through despite her obvious fluster. Chloe rolled her eyes and quirked a perfect eyebrow, silently daring Red to try again. All the redhead could do was flash a mischievous smile—though she was certain the impact was diminished purely because of how fucking red she was. Still, it must have been a little charming, if her princess's responding shy smile was anything to go by.

It didn't last though. 

“Red." Chloe's voice was deadpan, though Red could hear the amusement beneath it. Red sighed in defeat, because hearts, let’s be real—she was never going to win that fight.

“My princess," she began, her voice trembling slightly as the weight of what she was about to say hit her. “I love my princess."

Chloe merely stared in response, eyes wide and unwavering—no thoughts, head empty. She blinked. Red blinked. They both blinked in unison. 

“Princess?" Red asked softly, confusion lacing her tone. Chloe blinked again, still staring. Red was, truthfully, confused as fuck, and she felt it reflected in the slight twitch of her eye. 

Finally, Chloe snapped out of whatever daze she had been caught in, a radiant joy finding itself trapped in a rapidly growing but still shy smile. 

“Say that again?" 

And hearts, who was Red to deny such a soft, breathy and genuine request? Who was she to deny her boo, her bluey, her wonderful princess of anything, let alone something as simple as that?

“I love the princess of Cinderellasburg," Red stated, emphatic and sure in her wording. “I love my princess. My bluey." She paused, making sure to meet Chloe's eyes for the final part. 

“I love you, Chloe Grace Charming."

Red really should have been prepared for the screech that erupted from Chloe's throat—she’d been around the blue haired princess long enough to know the girl was loud. But hearts, she had not been prepared for the sheer, visceral nature of it. That scream was pure excitement, delight seeping out of every discordant note. Because wow, that girl had a huge set of lungs on her. 

Red winced, ears ringing as she took in a vibrating Chloe in front of her. Her hand had fallen in the shock of the outburst, hanging limply by her side, fingers still tingling from the phantom warmth of Chloe's skin. Also because Chloe had all but launched herself out of Red’s lap, but that was neither here nor there. She totally didn’t get scared by the bluenette. At all. 

The girl in question was squealing, jumping up and down, a wide grin etched almost permanently into her face. Her eyes were practically glowing in their joy, and Red longed to capture this moment in her sketchbook—her princess, beautiful and happy, unapologetically herself. Sure, the high pitched frequency of her screams was a little jarring, but spades, if this wasn't the most perfect human the redhead had ever seen. 

That's what she was trying to tell her ears, anyway. 

But fuck, was she ever so cute. Really, what else could Red do but forgive her princess for absolutely rupturing her eardrums? One flash of those adorable eyes, so pure and earnest, was enough to send her crumbling. One look at that charming face, sweet and loving and ever so pretty, was enough to send her folding. Spades, she could never stay annoyed—let alone mad—at Chloe. It wasn’t even an option, she simply couldn't. It was encoded in her very molecular structure. 

It was a bit of a problem, but rabbits, she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Still. 

“Chloe?" Red prodded the bouncing girl with a trembling hand as she slowly stood up, shaking feeling back into her legs. An adorable squeak escaped from the bluenette, sending an electrifying spark down Red's spine. She poked the girl again. 

“Iloveyoutoo!" came the garbled jumble from Chloe's mouth. Her princess was breathing heavily, eyes widened, with a crazed grin—like the Cheshire Cat, Red distantly noted—overtaking her slim face. A beat passed as Red attempted to decipher what she’d just heard, watching keenly as a steady flush began to spread across pale brown skin. 

Red blinked. Blinked again. She raised an eyebrow as Chloe flailed awkwardly, a choked sound escaping her lips. It sounded like a cross between the whistle of a Wonderlandian tea kettle, and an incredibly strangled screech, a strange but wonderful combination that threatened to send Red into hysterics—if she wasn't so damn confused, that is. The problem was that she was indeed confused, and thus there lay her problem.

“Bluey," Red laughed awkwardly, a mix of confusion and amusement threading through her tone. “I don't speak keyboard smash."

Chloe let out another squeak, and Red wondered how they had even gotten here. Wasn't it just moments ago when she was the one too flustered to speak, sounding as strained as a yowling cat? How had the tables turned so quickly? Red was certain these metaphorical tables were nothing like the ones back in Wonderland—magical and whimsical, with minds and personalities of their own. They certainly wouldn’t turn by themselves. But, she digressed. 

She watched as Chloe took a deep breath, desperately attempting to calm herself down. It didn't work, but Red was much too amused to point it out. Clocks, those flushed cheeks would be the end of her one day, with how pure and charming they made Chloe look. And hearts, the way she fanned herself with those long, lithe fingers—Chloe had really elegant hands, and Red couldn't help but be drawn to them sometimes. In a purely aesthetic sense, of course. 

“I," Chloe began, her voice a great deal steadier than before, “love you too. Princess Red I of Hearts of Wonderland, I am so completely and irrevocably in love with you."

Red short circuited. Any and all thoughts flew out the window to make an empty stage in her mind for Chloe's words to bounce around. The confession echoed in her head, words reverberating through the acoustic hollows of her mind as she replayed the musical lilt of the bluenette’s voice, rising and falling in a gentle and melodic cadence.

Red melted into the hand that had come to rest on her cheek, nuzzling deeper into the warmth pouring from the human heater in front of her. She sighed as a gentle thumb began to softly stroke her skin, anchoring her to reality and pulling her away from the la la land she had been slowly drifting toward. 

“My love for you is enduring," Chloe continued, her voice crescendoing as passion and love seeped into every word. “It’s as steadfast as the North Star, as unyielding as the pull of a neutron star, as true as the very stars in the night sky. It’s as sharp as the tip of my blade, as soft as the hair tumbling down your back, as warm as those peppermint cookies we made in the dead of night.

My love for you, Red of Hearts, is everlasting, encompassing and whole."

And hearts, Red drowned in the symphony of Chloe's confession. And a symphony it was indeed—the words her melody, the gestures her harmony. The pools of her eyes were as enticing as ever, and they threatened to overwhelm the Wonderlandian with the depth of emotion swimming in them. What could she do but fall into those eyes? Unwavering, unfaltering, Red let herself be swept away by the wave of emotions—love, affection, trust, hope, pride—a coalescing quintet that made her feel reborn. Renewed. Back from the brink of destruction, the edge her past self had once so precariously balanced on.  

That's all Red could do, really—marinate in the very crevices of Chloe's confession. She was incapable of responding, of stringing together anything that could match the beauty of Chloe’s words. All she could do was drown in the moment, staring into the eyes of her future, ready to take it by the reins and accept everything that came with it. 

She loved Chloe Grace Charming. Irrevocably and undyingly. Unflinchingly and uncompromisingly. She'd never be as articulate or eloquent as her overachieving roommate with a knack for one-upping her, but that was okay. Still though, Red wasn’t about to let Chloe get the last word in. She may have won in terms of poetic declarations and confessions, but Red would be the one to close this conversation, thank you very much. 

“I love you too, my soulmate. For better or worse, through thick and thin, from the heavens to the earth—anything and everything. I love you."

Gods, Red had never seen Chloe's eyes darken so quickly. It was electrifying—the way her lids became hooded, her mouth falling ever so slightly ajar. Intoxicating. 

Red’s gaze fixated on Chloe's lips, watching as they closed just before her princess bit down on them, marking those soft, plump lips with such perfect imperfection. The redhead yearned to free them from their pearly white captor, to replace them with her own two lips, to feel and savour their warmth. She tracked the heavy swallow that followed, her eyes trailing the enticing movement down the length of Chloe’s smooth neck. Fuck, she wanted—no, needed—to know if that neck tasted as wonderful as it looked. And by the gods, Red was desperate to find out what Chloe tasted like—would she be minty, like the ice cream she so adored? Or would she taste sweet, like the cherries and strawberries she had recently taken a liking to? Red didn't know, but fuck, she was dying to find out. 

Her eyes slowly travelled back up to Chloe's half lidded ones, skimming over those adorably flushed cheeks and that gorgeous, aristocratic nose. Red offered a cheeky smile when she realised that her boo had been watching her the entire time. Maintaining eye contact, she slowly reached out and freed Chloe's bottom lip from its jail, gently running her thumb over the indents left behind. She smirked lightly when the bluenette gulped again, a delicious shiver wracking through her. Hearts, that was a heady feeling. Red’s forefinger slid beneath Chloe's chin, tilting her head up to meet her gaze more effectively. 

Distantly, Red wondered what other sounds she could draw from the pretty princess, what other reactions she could elicit with just a touch. 

Clocks, she needed to know if those lips would feel that soft against her own. 

Her eyes fell back to Chloe's lips, blatantly staring—gawking, really. Slowly, she swiped her tongue across her own bottom lip, moistening it as she continued her brazen observation. And spades, she would have cringed at her own boldness any other time, but Chloe's responding whimper? That made it all worthwhile—because fuck, what a pretty little sound. 

Red’s gaze locked onto Chloe’s, her intense stare searching for meaning in the unidentifiable emotion flickering in those deep blue eyes. Hearts, what was that? Whatever it was, it was threatening to drown her, but she wasn’t sure if she even cared to know. Anything Chloe felt—anything Chloe—was automatically lovable in Red’s mind. And gods, did she want to kiss her.

So she did. 

Surging forward, the redhead finally claimed her prize—the lips of the pretty girl before her. Fucking hell, they really were every bit as soft as she had imagined. Soft and sweet, with just a faint hint of strawberry chapstick. Chloe’s lips were pliant beneath hers, but not for long. The moment Chloe melted into the kiss with a fervour Red had only ever seen during their Swords and Shields matches, Red felt the heat rushing to her head, the sound of her pounding heart echoing in her ears, drowning out everything else. She let her eyes flutter shut, focusing all her energy on kissing the absolute hell out of her lovely princess.

Chloe's hands slid up Red’s head, agile fingers began threading through her hair, sending a delicious thrill down her spine. This was nothing new—Red absolutely adored having her hair played with—but in this situation? With Chloe pressed flush against her, kissing her so ardently? Red was a goner, a lost cause. She was done for. 

Her free hand trailed down to Chloe's hip, fingers gripping the fabric there with a kind of almost possessiveness she didn’t even realise she had. Without thinking, Red nipped lightly at the bluenette's bottom lip, her teeth grazing over the already slightly swollen skin from Chloe’s earlier unintended abuse. The little yip that escaped the girl’s lips in response was like music to Red’s ears, delighting her to no end. Spades, she was determined to reduce her princess into just as much of a mess as she was.

Red was hungry, and Chloe? Chloe was a whole fucking feast laid out in front of her.

But all too soon, reality crept back in as their lungs screamed for air, forcing them to pull apart. Red gasped for breath, a sharp reminder that they were both, unfortunately, mortal. Clocks, breathing was so overrated.

Resting her forehead against Chloe's, Red exhaled heavily, savouring the sound of the bluenette's enchanting giggles, which caressed her ears like the sweetest song. Unable to help herself, she began peppering kisses all over Chloe’s face—each peck soft but full of affection, from the tip of her nose to her cheeks and her forehead. Chloe's breathy giggles spilled out mouth, light and joyful, practically dancing in the air around them. Hearts, this girl was adorable. 

When Red finally drew back, she couldn’t help but admire the absolute mess she had left behind. Red lipstick smeared across Chloe’s face, her lips swollen from the kiss, and that pretty flush glowing across her starstruck expression. Hearts, this was all her doing. Her kisses had reduced Chloe into this mess, had left her looking like this. This beautiful and gorgeous wreck, bathed in the golden haze of the setting sun—an absolute vision.

Red fucking loved it. 

Chloe’s giggles eventually died down, leaving them in the soft silence of the moment. The tension that had once simmered between them had evaporated, leaving behind only adoration. They simply stared at each other, eyes full of love and warmth. Finally, Chloe broke the silence.

“I have always loved you, you know?" There was a soft glint in her eyes as they stared slightly beyond Red's eyes, glazed in their reminiscence. Her voice was mellow, almost wistful. Red swallowed heavily, her heart tugging helplessly at the sincerity behind Chloe’s words. 

“Really?"

“Yes, really." Chloe chuckled lightly, her eyes finally returning to meet Red's gaze. She reached out, grasping Red's hands between her own, her fingers warm and steady. 

“I've loved you since before we even took that soulmate potion—I've loved you from the first time I saw you." Chloe paused for a moment, and Red smiled, encouraging her to continue. There was no need for hesitation here, not between them. “Coincidentally, that was the day you threatened me with a Jabberwocky."

Red full body blanched at the memory, her face scrunching up in a pout. Okay, so maybe sometimes there was a need for hesitation. She crossed her arms, turning away with a sulk as she leaned back against the tower wall.

“I said I was sorry!" she grumbled, staring off at the horizon. The sunset cast a golden glow around them, and Red couldn’t help but think how fitting—and admittedly cheesy—it was for their first kiss to happen at sunset.

The sound of a muffled snicker drew Red's attention back to Chloe, eyebrow raising as she watched her princess shake with laughter, clearly amused by her flustered reaction. When Chloe noticed she had Red's full attention, her laughter faded as her face shifted into a comically exaggerated pout. Her eyes widened and shone in mock sadness, though Red could still see the lingering mirth in them. 

She wasn't going to fall for Chloe's tricks, thank you very much. Not this time. 

Chloe's eyes widened impossibly further, glistening with exaggerated emotion. 

Gods fucking damnit. 

“...I love you too." Red finally responded, letting out a small sigh as her resolve crumbled. Chloe’s face lit up in triumph and she cheered, throwing her arms around Red and smothering her cheeks with a flurry of kisses before grabbing her hand and pulling her away from the tower wall. 

Red complied easily, fond affection flooding her as Chloe began dragging them back toward their dorms. Spades, what a day. Emotionally gut wrenching, filled with both its ups and its downs. But now, now that she had finally kissed Chloe, held her in her arms and savoured her warmth so closely? 

Red wouldn't trade it for the world. 

Speeding up, Red fell into stride next to the beautiful princess at her side. Her princess. 

Home time.