Chapter Text
Chloe removed her glasses, which she typically only wore within the comfort of her room. She let out a sigh as she sat down at her vanity mirror. Her fingers deftly braided her thick curly blue hair into two pigtails.
Chloe glanced affectionately at her orange and brown cat, Pumpkin, who was curled up on her bed. A warm smile graced her lips as she witnessed the feline's peaceful slumber.
Her smile faded as events of day she’d had crossed her mind.
Looking into the emerald eyes of a man she didn’t love the way she was brung up to believe she should.
Her hollow and practiced smile she had to flash anytime he was near.
A dear friend he was, but a future husband? She didn’t want to entertain the reality of it all but it was her ‘destiny’ to put it plainly.
Trying to snap out of her thoughts
She finished up her hair
turning off the lights and slipping beneath the cozy covers of her bed wearing her silky sapphire nightgown.
The moonlight of the night peered into the bedroom as she rested her head onto her satin pillow, attempting to sleep.
Images of a certain redheaded girl ran through her mind again and again like a song she couldn’t help but to play on repeat.
That redheaded girl she had grown so fond of despite their rocky meet-cute.
The way Her mischievous yet pearly smile
Flashed before she’d say a snarky remark.
The hazel eyes that had a fire in them anytime she challenged Chloe in ways no one else dared.
Despite the joy she felt when being with her girlfriend, Chloe couldn’t shake off the guilt that loomed. It was as if the very thought of her love was met with an unconscious internal controversy.
Every sweet thought she had of her girlfriend was tinged with a reminder of her own future as the queen, a future that seemed to follow her wherever she went—even in the midst of their most intimate moments.
It was an odd feeling, to be simultaneously so happy and so conflicted. Every kiss, every hug, every encounter they shared filled her with both joy and a sense of sadness.
Chloe couldn’t help but feel she was betraying her duty and her family with her love that she had kept secret.
But she knew she’d be betraying herself by not pursuing the girl she loved.
Ironically enough as secret as her love life was, her girlfriend herself was a mystery to Chloe. She often contemplated whether it was a good idea to even get with someone she lacked background knowledge about.
She knew she loved that girl even if they’d never said ‘I love you’ to one another yet
But could she truly ever love someone she didn’t know?
It’s not like red was a stranger to her.
She knew her personality through and through. her likes and dislikes, her wildest dreams and her heartaches- you name it.
But when it came to where she even lived, what her family name was and who her family even was other than bits and pieces of what red would reveal…Chloe was clueless.
It was funny to see how red challenged her beliefs in ways that weren’t even intentional, Chloe had been raised to believe titles were one of the most important things and the love of her life’s title was completely unknown to her.
The thoughts that pressed her mind every night carried her off to sleep with the help of the exhausting day she’d had.
Tap
it must just be pumpkin.
she mentally dismissed the sound as she drifted further into sleep.
Tap
Tap
Chloe opened her eyes for a brief moment, looking over at her cat still curled up next to her. closing her eyes again with a sigh she dismissed it as nothing.
Until again.
Tap
seriously? she thought as she turned on her side, facing away from the balcony.
wait- the balcony
Did a noise came from the balcony?
Nah. Couldn’t be. And it couldn’t of been Red, she never visited two nights in a row and she was just there the night before.
Tap
Tap
Tap
something was definitely hitting the glass on the balcony door.
TAP
The noise was even louder this time.
Alright thats it.
her head pulsed in annoyance at the interruption of her rest. She huffed as she sat up, scooting to the edge of the bed. her head snapping over at the door so quick that it made her light headed.
with a hand on her forehead Chloe approached the door with a sway as she struggled to keep her blurry eyes open.
tap
TAP
Chloe groaned groggily as she opened the door to the balcony and was met with
the cold night air and a small pebble hitting her forehead. Her eyes shot open when she saw the hooded figure standing in the Royal gardens outside of her room.
They said something but she couldn’t hear as she went into her room without a moment of hesitation. She retrieved her rapier sword off the wall to go confront the intruder. But, when she turned around the hooded figure was already coming into her room with their back turned as she took pricked their back lightly with her sword.
”if you’re gonna try something I will warn you now, I am highly trained and not afraid to fight back.”
She kept a safe distance speaking fiercely despite the tiredness that still lingered in her body.
“i didn’t come to fight, i just came to see my girlfriend. Unless…that’s what you’re into now-a-days?”
The tension in the room eased as the hooded figure spoke with a playful charm, their voice betraying a hint of nervousness. Chloe recognized the familiar voice and scent of her girlfriend, and her suspicions were confirmed when Pumpkin rubbed against the intruder's leg, purring contentedly.
Chloe raised an eyebrow, a mix of amusement and curiosity in her eyes.
“Wait- red…?”
Chloe lowered her sword and red turned around lowering her own hands and taking down her hood from her leather jacket.
“I’m SO sorry!- I thought you were- I didn’t mean to-“
Chloe pulled red into a hug, startling the orange cat from the sudden movement, causing him to run under the bed.
“It’s alright princess, I’m totally not offended that you didn’t recognize me at all and tried to cut me in half.” Red cut off Chloe with a sarcastic but lighthearted comment as she hugged her back.
“To be fair it’s the middle of the night and I don’t have my glasses or contacts on.
what are you doing here anyways?
You usually give me some kind of notice before coming over.”
chloe ended the hug and held reds hand, guiding her to the navy and gold detailed couch in her room, patting the spot next to her to welcome red to have a seat.
”my mom was being a bitch again and You always know how to cheer me up I guess…is it a bad time?” red said as she laid across the couch and rested her head on Chloe’s lap, knowing she wouldn’t say no to her but still asking anyways.
”language, Love. I’m sorry about your mom, would you like to talk about what happened?”
chloe spoke gently as she ran her hand through Reds hair, looking down at her with affectionate but tired eyes.
“Nah. I just wanna spend time with you.”
Red said hoping to change the subject from anything but her mother and home life.
“Red…I want to spend time with you too. but how long are you gonna go without actually telling me where you’re from or more than just small details about your life…?”
Chloe asked with a frown, looking down at red as she untangled her hands from her wavy hair.
“It’s better if I don’t, trust me.”
Red glanced up at Chloe as if to gesture it wasn’t the time to discuss it.
“I just want you to be open with me.”
Chloe said already picking up on what red was insinuating.
Red sighed, feeling cornered by Chloe's insistence. She didn't want to lie to her girlfriend, but the truth was too complex and dangerous.
"I know," Red said, her voice tinged with a hint of desperation. "But it's not that simple. There are things about my life that I can't share, even with you. It's not that I don't trust you. I do. It's just...complicated."
Red sat up next to Chloe, her expression growing serious. Chloe's silence spoke volumes, and Red could see the troubled look in her eyes.
"I'm sure you have your secrets too, princess," Red said, her tone taking a more serious turn. "Not accusing you but you have to admit I'm not wrong."
Chloe remained silent, unable to deny Red's words. She knew she had secrets, but she couldn't reveal them to Red, not now.
"There's nothing I wouldn't keep from you that isn't for your own good," Chloe finally responded.
“You don’t get to decide what’s good for me.” Red retorted, biting her cheek.
“Neither do you.” Chloe huffed
“Then tell me, little goody two shoes. What do you think we should do?” Red couldn’t help but chuckle despite the seriousness of the conversation she couldn’t help but tease her girlfriend.
“You know I hate that nickname-“
Chloes nose scrunched as if her very senses were offended by the nickname
“I hate this conversation.” Red said a bit playfully wanting to move on from the topic of discussion
“Well we’re having it.” Chloe crossed her arms, looking red down with determination.
“Or…” red smirked leaning close to Chloe
“Or what…?” Chloe asked skeptically, uncrossing her arms as red got closer To her.
Red glanced from Chloe’s eyes down to her lips.
Chloe watched as reds gaze shifted and shook her head
“I know what you’re doing.” Her brows furrowed as she held eye contact with red.
“What am I doing, princess?.” Red smirked slyly before placing a kiss on Chloe’s lips.
“Trying to distract me.”
Chloe kissed back, grasping reds forearm as the other sat on her knees over her, one leg between Chloe’s thighs and the other stabbing into the couch.
“Is it working?” Red smirked against Chloe’s lips as she kissed her again and her knee went up higher between Chloe’s thighs, the texture of reds leather pants brushing past the silk of Chloe’s night gown as it lifted.
“Sadly, yes.” Chloe whispered against reds lips before kissing back softly, their breaths intermingling with one another as the kiss grew more passionate.
"Is it really that sad if you're enjoying it?" Red murmured, moving her lips from Chloe's mouth to her jawline, pressing her body into hers.
"Our discussion...isn’t over." Chloe spoke breathily, her words tinged with both stubbornness and desire.
Red lifted Chloe with ease, effortlessly carrying her across the room and gently placing her on the bed. The cool sheets met Chloe's skin in soft caresses.
"It already is." Red whispered against Chloe's sensitive neck, her lips journeying lower. The taller girl positioned herself between Chloe’s thighs her breath ghosted over her core. The bluenette’s hand tugged reds hair as their intimate noises filled the room, the echoes bouncing off the walls as they lost themselves in each other.
☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
The room was bathed in warm sunlight seeping through the windows, and Red woke up first from pumpkin purring in her ear as he slept on the pillow behind her head. Red head was resting on Chloe's shoulder and her arm draped across her. Careful not to disturb her, Red tried to quietly extricate herself from Chloe's grasp, but her attempt at stealth failed when she painfully stubbed her toe on the couch.
“SHIT-!” Red yelped holding her foot before her attention snapped over to Chloe who sat up, rubbing her eyes of sleep.
“What happened…?” Chloe squinted. looking over at red from across the room who was a blurry figure to her much to her own confusion until she remembered-
Right my glasses-
she mentally reminded herself
(as a glasses wearer this is a sadly common occurrence)
Chloe reached over to her dresser and got her glasses out of her drawer, putting them on and blinking a few times to get adjusted to the prescription.
"Your couch attacked me," Red scrunched her nose, glaring at the couch as if it had personally aggrieved her. Back home, it wouldn't be an entirely outlandish notion, given the peculiarities of her world.
Chloe, still adjusting to the bright light and her newly donned glasses, chuckled softly at Red's melodramatic accusation.
"Right. The couch attacked you."
Taking advantage of the moment Chloe’s head tilted with curiosity, a mix of amusement and determination.
"And in what world is that possible?"
Red hesitated, the name of her own chaotic world, "wonderland," threatening to escape her lips. She caught herself just in time, changing her tone she feigned nonchalance.
"You think you're clever, huh?" Red retorted, realizing Chloe's curiosity was thinly veiled.
“Well we got off track last night.”
Chloe acknowledged the intimate night they had.
“It’s almost like that was my plan. Good thing I’m a total angel who wouldn’t come up with such a ploy just to avoid discussing my past.”
Red smirked as she finished buttoning up her pants, her eyes glinting mischievously.
“…You’re unreal.” Chloe said slipping her nightgown back on from the night before for the sake of appearing decent.
"I prefer the term ethereal," she said with a sly grin, clearly enjoying herself.
Chloe rolled her eyes, feigning annoyance but unable to hide a hint of playfulness in her expression.
"Look who's being clever now," she retorted, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth until she glanced over at the digital clock on her nightstand.
“I’ve always been clever.” Red shot back in a playful manner. Not expecting the upcoming tone switch from chloe.
"Are you gonna be okay?" Chloe asked with concern, aware that Red had been gone the entire night.
Red chuckled softly, her voice tinged with a touch of amusement. "Considering I'm still in one piece right now, I guess it's safe to assume she hasn't noticed yet. But you're right, I'll have to go soon..."
Red drew closer to Chloe, gently pulling her into a tender embrace. Their lips met in a soft kiss, filled with a mixture of bittersweet desire.
The kiss deepened, and both Chloe and Red were too engrossed in each other to notice the knocks at the door. But the moment was abruptly interrupted by the door bursting open, and Chloe's overdramatic brother, Chad, barged in, his hands covering his eyes.
"MY EYES! MY BEAUTIFUL EYES! WHAT THE HELL CHLOE!" Chad exclaimed, with a dramatic shock.
Chloe quickly disentangled herself from her girlfriend, concerned about protecting her secret. She shot a cautionary glance at her brother, knowing Chad had a tendency to let things slip.
"Chad, please...you need to keep this to yourself, alright?" Chloe requested, her voice firm but tinged with urgency.
Chad feigned a look of hurt as he uncovered his eyes he placed a melodramatic hand over his heart. "You don't trust me, your own brother? I'm hurt, truly."
“I’m being serious Chad. You can’t tell mom, dad, not even Audrey.” Chloe kept her tone serious so that Chad got the memo that this wasn’t the time for his tomfoolery.
Red just watched the interaction between the siblings with an amused expression despite the slight annoyance at the interruption and someone other than Chloe having seen her.
“Well atleast tell me what’s going on, I mean what happened to your fianc-“
Chloe looked at Chad like she could whip out her sword on him at any moment but she restrained herself as he stepped backwards out of the room with a cautious tone.
“sayyyy The curls are poppin! Did you try a new leave-in-conditioner?” Chads failed attempt to cover up his dead give away about Chloe’s fiancé not lost to red.
She shot a look at Chloe and Chloe looked back at her apologetically before closing the door on Chad who was standing in the hallway muttering frantic apologies to her, apologies she didn’t want to hear.
Her back was against the door as she met reds gaze, that was currently scarily calm.
Her expression was blank but her eyes and entire aura held something fiery in all the worst ways.
i screwed up…bad.