𝒹𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂 𝒶 𝓌𝒾𝓈𝒽

Things had felt a bit out of control as of lately and Ella knew there was only so much she could do. All she could do, truly, was try her best to keep Flynn out of trouble and hope he came clean to Rapunzel. Not to even get started with Kit whom she had no idea what was going to happen and even haven grown quite frond of Atta herself. One thing fell together while the rest seemed to fall apart. That didn’t mean she wouldn’t continue on as she always did, this was Ella after all. Even when things might look grim in some aspects she was determined to assure the safety of her home and the family within it. Her search for a place of her own was put on hold as she wished to be there in case she was ever of need. At least until she was certain things were taken care of and they weren’t in the same danger. First of which regarded Flynn, specifically his feelings for Rapunzel and the fact he’d asked Ella to keep what had happened to herself. She hoped he did the right thing, knowing it had been quite the difficult decision for Rapunzel to make in deciphering her heart. As she sat waiting for her London Fog after work and her mind raced a name drew her attention: Jim. Suddenly her eyes ignited as she turned to the boy moving past her to the counter to pick up his beverage. “Jim Hawkins?” Ella repeated, immediately realizing how strange that must have sounded. “Oh, forgive me. My name is Ella, I’m a friend of Rapunzel’s.” 

Sara couldn’t help but feel a sense of worry when some of her regulars stopped coming by the bakery as often as usual, and the trouble with that was she didn’t know how to contact most of them. All she could do was hope that everything was okay and that she’d see them again soon. This had become the case with Ella, who she had been meaning to try and ask about getting a certain item from a certain Charming. When she saw the blonde come through the bakery door, Sara nearly dropped everything to go and greet her from in front of the counter, giving her a wide grin. “Look who it is! Long time, no see!” she exclaimed, pulling her in for a quick hug. “Cinnamon bread and gossip sounds incredible. Sadly, you’ll be doing most of the talking, since everything’s about the same over here.”

❧

She knew it had been far too long. Honestly, she should’ve been by sooner but life got in the way. Even though Sara would almost certainly understand Ella still missed her. Some might say it sounded strange but she kind of thought as Sara like a mother figure. Her current profession in baking probably came from hanging around here so often, always taking in as much as she would advise. Ella admired her greatly and this bakery making having one of her own even seem possible. “It won’t be that long again, I promise.” She meant it too. “I can’t think of a better way to spend my afternoon,” the blonde said a smile coming on her lips as they pulled from the hug. “I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing either though.” Not all of these things being ones of the entirely positive variety. 

The look on the blonde’s face could shatter Atta’s entire heart. She knew that it was shocking to see her on the side of Hopper, and she could only imagine what Ella must have thought of her to see her in the bar at this hour. “It’s … a long story,” she said quickly, taking her by the hand and pulling her toward the back of the bar and into the women’s restroom. It was the safest place they could be for now, only hoping that no cameras were watching them. Atta opened the door quickly but quietly, locking it behind her. “Yes, I know these people, you know the man who gave the order? He’s–well, he kind of took over my company. My family’s company, rather. I don’t … you need to know that this isn’t my choice, and whatever I can do to help your friend, I’ll do it.”

The mention of Kit brought Atta to a quick defense. She knew now that the blonde had been his maid, and it was obvious that she cared about him, but it seemed as though she questioned his safety a little too much for a former employee. “Kit’s fine, yes. He doesn’t, um, know about all of this, but he does know that Hopper’s a dangerous man, and that he needs to stay away from him. In fact, you need to stay away from him, too. The bartender is your friend?” Atta began to pace across the bathroom in thought. “How close of a friend is he?”

❧

Ella felt something good about Atta since the moment they met. She’d believed Kit was in good hands, someone that would perfectly fit into his life. It was clear that she was a woman able to take care of herself but still, she worried. Even though they were practically strangers, Ella cared, not wanting her to be caught up in whatever this was. She followed behind at her heels and only looked over her shoulder to make sure Flynn was nowhere to be found yet. Once inside the bathroom it felt like she was able to catch her breath again and answers to help smooth her concerns over. While the woman spoke she nodded her head to show that she was listening and understanding what Atta was telling her. It all seemed like quite the ordeal, her heart hurting by the unfortunate circumstances of it all. “Oh Atta, I’m so sorry,” she said with a small frown. “I know this can’t possibly be something you want to be dealing with but thank you, truly.” Ella looked at her with a softness and thankfulness in her eyes she hoped the other understood. At least Flynn had someone looking out for him. “My friend, Rapunzel... Her mother is looking for her, she needs to be kept safe. He can’t find out about her,” she said quickly with her eyes going back to concern for a moment. Flynn would want her safe too, she knew it. 

Ella tried to get back on her feet once realizing what she’d said, her eyes looking down at the floor as if they would reveal too much. “Of course,” she said trying to regain her calmness. “I’d like to but,” I live with Flynn and Rapunzel, you don’t think he’d ever come to our home... Do you?” It was something she worried about most, wanting to protect the people she considered her family. 

-

Emily gave her a warm smile. She seemed like someone who had been through as much as she was, if not more. She didn’t want to overshare her life with a stranger, but maybe this stranger needed a little kindness and a little bit of time to talk with someone who understood. “Are you alright?” she asked first, looking at the girl with wide eyes. She didn’t want to think the worst was happening to her, but her heart beat as if nothing was wrong, so at least she knew the girl was human. That didn’t really help her ache in her jaw the moment she really focused in on it, but that was not important. Emily was not here to hurt another. She was trying to do better and never hurt another again. “I wouldn’t want to scare you off with my troubles,” she said simply. “If you need to talk, I’m okay with hearing too, just so you know. Sometimes troubled souls find each other for a reason, right?” She was trying to be less eccentric then she tended to be, she wasn’t sure if it was working. “Your heart is beating and yet it sounds almost painful. Are you dealing with a heartache? I know about heartache very well.”

❧

It was a kind question to ask, one that Ella hadn’t expected in all honesty. Not everyone was caring enough to see if a stranger was alright but it brought a small smile to her lips. “Yes, I’m alright just in my head I suppose,” she said with a nod to assure her it was nothing. Sometimes Ella got caught up in her thoughts and it wasn’t anything more, her father telling her to stop daydreaming when she was a child. She’d stare out the window and imagine riding the horses or thinking about her mother’s cherry pie. “Oh, certainly not. I don’t think that’s even possible for I’m quite a hard scare.” Ella gave her a small smile hoping that she knew her words were genuine. “If you ever do want to talk about it, that is.” Of course she wouldn’t push, wanting to respect the girl’s space and privacy. “I... In a way, I suppose. For it is a painful thing, to love.” She bit at her lip as she started to go into her thoughts again but pulled herself back to look at the dark haired girl. “I’m sorry you do, for it’s something I don’t wish upon anyone.” And she meant it, believing everyone deserved a good type of love. A happy love.

closed starter for @glasslippcr​

Atta had no idea what she and Hopper were doing at a small bar in Echo Creek, but she simply followed his orders nowadays. She’d learned quickly that she was becoming a figurehead for her family’s name, making deals to sign under the Dreyfus company whenever her boss needed it. With how big their shares were in the company (exactly half), she had to, or else Hopper would be out of business. Atta hated the thought of exploiting people for the good of her business partner (though it was clear they were not, in fact, partners, even with their shares) but it was the only way she could keep her own company alive, too. Every part of her wanted to drop out and call it quits, but they. had kept the Dreyfus name for so long that her family refused.

This was one of the worst encounters she’d seen, with a boy behind the bar almost getting his entire wrist chopped off because he’d attempted to fuck with the wrong man. Atta hadn’t even seen the other girl in the bar this late at night until her eyes had met the only other female’s, both bewildered. She recognized the blonde as the girl from the coffee shop, who Atta had attempted to give a job to. Ella had stepped up to defend her friend, but Hopper had pulled him aside shortly after, and Atta felt some level of responsibility to say something. “I’m so sorry, you didn’t get hurt, did you? He’s–I mean, I don’t … I hope you don’t think I condone what just happened. That’s not me, not at all, but business is strange, and I’m stuck, just like your friend. I don’t know what I can do for him, but Il’l try my best, I promise. I didn’t mean to drag you into this, too.”

❧

These sorts of things didn’t typically happen but she’d heard her fair share of stories about Flynn getting into trouble. This wasn’t exactly what she had pictured and in fact this was much worse. Seeing him like that made her stomach churn, feeling helpless in the whole situation. Not to mention the fact that now she stood between two of her friends in a test of her loyalty. She wanted to tell Rapunzel everything that had occurred, now fearing for her safety but it felt out of place when there were deeper feelings involved. Her friend was already dealing with a choice that she couldn’t imagine was easy and this certainly could complicate it further. Whatever this was it couldn’t possibly be good. As she was looking back to where Flynn disappeared off to a voice drew her attention behind her back. The blonde turned around to face whomever it came from, a concerned look still written on her face. “No, no I’m quite alright. It’s my friend I’m worried about.” That’s when she realized it was Atta she was talking to and her involvement in this made her all the most confused. “Atta?” Ella said softly as she tried to process what was going on and what exactly she meant by it all. “You know these people? Are you in any danger?” She paused before it hit her. “What about Kit? Is Kit safe?” Her heart started to run at the thought of it possibly being him that could be in that position next. It never crossed her mind that she hadn’t ever formally introduced herself as the maid that once worked at the Charming residence. 

There was a hesitation to Ella’s answer that she couldn’t quite comprehend. If she truly did want happiness for her, then why was she questioning Rapunzel’s already made decision? “Yes, she was, and now she’s not any more. Something happened with Jim and her fiancé, I’m not entirely certain of the details. All I know is that I think she still has feelings for him.” What she said about Flynn was alarming: how could Ella have known that he hadn’t changed in the same way that Rapunzel was sure that he had? “What do you mean, you don’t think he’s changed? He’s–I mean, he’s staying out of trouble, working at the bar, I thought … I don’t know what you mean,” she replied, confused. What was there to fear for either of them if everything was just as Flynn said it had been? “Ella, I don’t know what you saw, or heard, but if there’s something you think is serious going on, that you’re afraid for both of us, I–I haven’t heard a single thing about it.”

❧

Even though she had never met Jim he had seemed kind, glad that Rapunzel had come to a conclusion to the questions in her head. There were so many things she wanted to explain but the words were stunted. Regardless of what she saw, this was in the dealings of the heart and Rapunzel deserved whatever made her the happiest. Ella only wanted that for her, not wanting to get in the way as she worried she once had when it came to Kit. This was somehow just as complicated but in an entirely new way. She wanted her friends safety first and foremost, though for now her loyalty to Flynn wouldn’t be broken. If they ever stood a chance, she believed it should be him that told Rapunzel, not Ella. “I... I do wish I could tell you, more than anything,” she went to take her hands with a gentleness behind her eyes as she looked to the blonde. “It should come from him, for I fear it isn’t my place to say. As much as I wish I could, it is his word to give you, not mine.”

Ella had been visiting a little less recently since leaving Kit’s, not having to buy the best friend quite as often. Something about it reminded her of him in a strange way she couldn’t explain. It had been better recently, then even more so since they’d been able to see each other again. She hadn’t even noticed how terribly she’d missed him, not entirely, until Ella saw him again. That was a similar feeling to the one that she had when she came through the bakery doors to see Sara in the front restocking a few items. A smile spread across her lips and she came to her, excited to tell her about all the new things that had happened, especially her job. She thought that Sara would be quite proud of her perhaps, this being her first step to owning a bakery of her own one day. “Good morning,” Ella said happily. “I’m sorry I haven’t been in lately, it’s been quite a strange few weeks but I have so much to tell you. And absolutely nothing sounds quite as good as your cinnamon bread for days.” 

“No, they don’t,” she agreed, thinking of her own time trying to decide what to do with Flynn and Jim. Since talking to Kit, the only person who had ever known her heart like that before, the answer seemed clear. Still, it didn’t make the thought of telling Jim that she had chosen someone else any better. In exchange for his advice, Rapunzel had given him a piece of information, too, but it was clear from how Ella was handling things that he hadn’t found her just yet. “I think I need to turn down Jim,” she blurted, not meaning to change the subject so drastically, but it was the only thing that had been on her mind since Ella’s last statement. “I can’t … I won’t get in the way of him and Anna, if that’s what they both want, and–you haven’t talked to Flynn recently, have you? It’s been unbearable, how he just leaves and isn’t back until too late. I think it’s because he’s avoiding me, but I need to tell him that … it’s him. It always has been, but I guess one little kiss made me open my eyes and see it.”

❧

Ella had known her friend was dealing with her own trouble when it came to the heart. It was a difficult thing to understand, feelings were far more complex than many things. To make it all the more confusing she had come home that day with more knowledge than she knew what to do with. There had been an incident at the bar and she hadn’t the slightest idea where to begin. She didn’t want to betray Flynn’s trust but neither would she Rapunzel’s. Back when she had tried to keep the truth about her identity as the girl with the glove it felt like it was for the right reasons and it was wrong of her. All her friend had wanted was for her to tell her and that was a mistake she would not make twice. “I don’t know where your heart stands for only you know that. All I could ever want for you is happiness,” she said as she took her friends hands. “I understand not wanting to get in the way of things, believe me. Have you asked Jim? How he feels, about her? She was engaged, was she not?” Ella didn’t know how to say enough and not say too much. “I don’t think Flynn is all that different than who he used to be... I fear it for him but for you as well.” She bit the inside of her lip as to not let it all spill out. There was a fear building, not only for Flynn but for her friend and the very place she called home. “I-I... don’t know...” For once Ella didn’t know what to say, knowing none of it would be right unless it was the truth. 

//closed starter @glasslippcr​

Flynn had always hated his job, and for the longest time he had been wishing for a change. He knew he couldn’t go back to stealing and conning people anymore because he promised….he promised Rapunzel that he would change. While he was out doing some bartending, he saw a figure come into the bar. He could tell the man was quite a something, given that he had an air of authority around him and was followed by two men who simply stood beside him like some kind of guard. In an instant, Flynn observed what was happening. Ella, fortunately, was right in front of him on the bar as she made a small suggestion about their sink. Flynn tried to listen, but his eyes were more fixated on the person behind her.

A brilliant idea came to his mind. Perhaps he could steal the wallet that was lying on the table. Then maybe he’d know who the guy was without being intimidated by the guards around him. Rider went ahead to give their drinks, quickly picking up the wallet from the table. Soon enough, he rummaged through the contents from behind the bar, and that was when Ella found herself more alarmed. “I’ll bring it back, don’t worry.” He chuckled, not finding a single ID on it. Disappointed, Flynn simply decided to bring it back after their second round of drinks came in.

This is where he fucked up. As he was placing the wallet back on the table, Hopper finally noticed him, and one guy from the back held him by the neck and smacked his head on the table. Flynn couldn’t move. The men began talking about slicing his hand off, and he could see Ella shrieking on the corner until Hopper finally spoke to him. Long story short, Hopper knew what he did from the start, and he was quite impressed by the speed of his hands. Flynn returned to Ella with a wary look on his face. “He…. He offered me a job…” Flynn confessed. “Please don’t tell Punz, I beg you. I didn’t know what to do.” Quite frankly, maybe this is the change he needed. However, Flynn wasn’t really sure what he was getting into.

❧

There had been a lot of changes in the house as of late. Ella was working now which meant she wasn’t hanging around their home quite as much, Cass had been busy, and Rapunzel had been dealing with a decision that she knew must be difficult to make. That was in the back of her mind as she sat at the bar waiting for Flynn to get off so that they could walk back home together. She had been discussing her day at work and her new job which reminded her that they should really look at fixing the sink at the house. Flynn was typically the one to do those sorts of things but she was trying her best to learn whenever he was repairing something around the house. It was much like Ella to want to pick up any thing she could that would eventually be useful for when she possibly had a bakery of her own. She continued to speak, though she could tell his mind was somewhere else. That’s when her voice faded off but her eyes followed him to the table. “Flynn... What’re you doing?” Her voice was low while her gaze sprinted around the room. He said he was going to stop this. “That’s not the point, you shouldn’t be touching someone else’s things.” She felt like she was scolding a child and he was a grown man. As his friend she was worried but as Rapunzel’s she was concerned. 

Then it all started to crumble before her very eyes. Whoever’s wallet it was had seen him and reacted swiftly. Ella’s expression going wide, a small gasp escaping her lips. She got to her feet but the other man had men that kept her from doing anything. “Stop it, leave him alone. He didn’t take anything from it, I promise,” she tried to yell through the bodies holding her back from the situation at the table. All she could think was what she was going to do if it got farther, having never needed to fight off a man before but she started to look for anything to grab if need be. When she was released she pushed through to get back to him, taking his head to check him over with a concerned expression. “This is why we don’t take people’s things, Flynn,” she said sharply as she looked to him with fear still in her eyes. “Thank goodness you’re alright.” Then he asked her for her silence and her jaw tightened. Ella felt her worry turning as she stepped back from him. “You took it? You accepted a job from a man that just had someone assault you?” The girl took another step, shaking her head. “What are you thinking? You don’t want to tell her? No, I won’t lie to her. I can’t, I won’t keep anything from her like that again.” Her heart quickened as she felt an anger coming over her that he even had the gaul to ask such a thing. Asking her to be dishonest with her best friend who had the decision in front of her to make between two men where her heart was torn. To be sitting at the dinner table that night and looking at him knowing the secret she had to keep. Not again, she wouldn’t do that to her. 

“What do you mean? I’m here, I’ve always been here.” He chuckled slightly, tear-stained eyes as he cupped her face. Kit couldn’t believe his eyes. Ella was there in front of him, flesh and blood, looking as beautiful as when they last met. He felt like life had welcomed him back from a long slumber—from the dark days of her absence, he had finally reached his destination. “Have come where? Ella, you puzzle me. Where have you been?” Kit had so many questions boggling his mind. She had left him without a trace, and yet there she was again, back in his arms. His own delight overshadowed the mystery of her disappearance. Kit’s hands traversed from her supple cheeks to the softness of her own hands. His eyes wandered, searching for a difference, for any sign of affliction that she may have faced without him. And yet, Ella stood with celestial beauty, as he had always remembered her to be.

Kit took her fragile frame in his arms, repressing his eyes from staining more water on his cheeks. He felt like he could finally breathe, but at the same time, his hands clung to her for dear life. It will different this time, he thought. He’ll do everything in his power to never let her go. “Ella, I’m yours. You are the companion my soul seeks. I wake up longing to see you, to hear you, to be with you again. I do not wish to be parted from you any longer.” He looked back at her, meeting her angelic gaze. Kit held her hand close to his chest. “Everything can be settled. I am Kit Charming, for goodness sake. I am done being my father’s son. I am a man who yearns for you. This is the only life I will ever get, and I wish to spend it all with you. It is agony living my earthly days without you. Ella, come back to me. I had promised you, I would work this out for us. Allow me to fulfill it. Please, put your faith in me." 

❧

She blinked at him at first while her mind tried to understand what happened, where it went wrong. Something had gone awry if they both stood here devoted but hands that had been reaching for grains of sand that slipped through their fingers. “The note, I left it for you. I waited.” Her eyes searched his for answers to what had happened between them. “As the days passed I thought you’d needed to go a different way,” she said, her cheek leaning into his touch. How she had missed his softness and the gentle nature that he always had with her. From the moment they met that night at his party she’d felt it, that fullness he brought into her life. She never expected to need this piece and yet living without it made her realize quite the opposite. Ella Tremaine, a scullery maid, had fallen hopelessly in love with the golden boy Kit Charming. “I went to Rapunzel’s, she’s let me stay at their home while I looked for work and a place of my own. I-I wrote it all in there... Did you never receive it?” She was puzzled, wondering what ever happened to the letter she’d poured her heart into with the belief that they’d be running before they knew it. If she’d learned anything it was that she had quite the knack for that. Instead on her time alone she realized how tired she was of running away and now wanted to run right to it, with him if he’d let her. 

Her hands went to his cheeks to wipe the wetness with her thumbs. “Don’t cry for me, my love. We’re together now,” she said rested her forehead against his. This had felt much like a fantasy, as did much of their time together. Ella kept her hands tightly intertwined in his against his chest, fearing if she let go she might never get them back as she once did. It was all so much but she knew she had to stay reasonable. Her heart couldn’t get ahead of her head, that would only cause more trouble for them than they already had coming. “Oh Kit, how I wish it was so simple as to follow our hearts wherever they may lead us but it is not.” She took a deep breath before looking at him with a small smile, the kind that she only had for him. “But I will do it by your side if that’s what you truly want. For I wish to be with no one else, you have me entirely. From the top of my head to the soles of my feet I wish to be only yours. You are my match in every way. My only request is we do it right, no running, we face this together. It would all catch up to us eventually. That is all I ask and I truly beg it of you.” 

//closed starter @glasslippcr​​

“Alright, here are the ingredients.” Blaise had laid down all that was necessary for baking in front of her. He was giddy for a new addition, and Ella was just so…..ethereal, and majestic to be around that he was hoping she’d be able to make the cut. Of course, Lumiere wasn’t supposed to have some bias, but after being around Phil and Cubby for a while, a pleasant girl was a nice change. “Let’s try the basics first, then I’ll serve it up for Claude and Adam to taste. How’s that?” As for Blaise, he would have to pretend that he knew what it tasted like. “Look, I’m really glad you’re here with your little silly flowers. Just move it away from Phil, because he might eat that out of boredom sometimes.” Blaise could only wish he was joking, but the boys and their pranks were always something to be expected. One could assume that Lumiere would be quite the worst, but with two other sous chefs around, he was far more tame than he expected. “Oh, and we do have to time this one. Unfortunately, the kitchen often gets busy, and we’re not given the luxury of time…. especially Claude.” He chuckled at his inside joke, knowing that she wouldn’t get it either way. “Well, I’m off your neck. I’ll just be standing here if you need me.”

❧

The fact that she’d been able to find a job that was not only well-paid but exactly what she wanted to be doing. When it came to baking it was one of the only things she really thought she was good at or could be if she worked hard enough. Maybe it was too soon but this felt like the right step towards one day having a little bakery of her own. The executive chef was talkative, reminding her some of the other kitchen staff at the Charming residence. He buzzed around and she simply followed. Everything he said she was quick to pick up on, this having the same fast pace that she remembered from the extravagant nights in the Charming kitchen as well. When appropriate she nodded along, not wanting to interrupt as he continued to spout off tips of the kitchen. She’d already been thinking about what she’d make first, knowing pastries are a delicate process but nothing she hadn’t dealt with before. “Not a problem, I understand things need to move,” she said softly. When she looked down her hands started to work without much thought. It was second nature at this point to make a pastry dough. As her hands worked she scanned over the rest of the counter before the raspberry preserves caught her eye. “I hope I’m not overstepping but could make homemade jam for these instead of using pre-jarred preserves.” 

Though Atta figured she and Kit could use someone to help around the house, that seemed like too much of an ask from a stranger at a coffee shop. She knew that the Charmings didn’t have any sort of maid, though, after their own had quit, and Atta couldn’t help but wonder why. “That’s okay, you can always learn! Besides, if you think you’d be good around the house, then that means you’d be good at organization, I think. We could always uses some people to help with organizing shipments. I mean, I don’t mean to pry, but you seem like a really nice girl, and I couldn’t let you just leave here with just a coffee and the hope that you could apply somewhere else.” She saw potential in the blonde, in a way that she couldn’t quite explain. “I’ve never tried cream, but I’m going to have to now, I guess! I was always more of a sugar kind of girl.”

❧

Ella could feel her stomach beginning to sink down into the pit of her, as if someone had snatched the air from within her lungs and she fought to bring it back. The last thing she wanted to do was appear as though she was the very girl that caused such a problem in the first place. She kept her poise, a smile holding back more than the other blonde could even know. “Oh my, that is so kind of you. Not every day does one meet a stranger who has a heart as big to help a girl they don’t even know.” Ella was happy to know at least Kit was in good hands, this being a woman who seemed quite capable as well as kind. There was still an ache she couldn’t deny by just looking at her. “I couldn’t... Though that is such a generous offer,” she said with a small smile. As much as she wished she could explain she knew it wasn’t possible. “A London Fog is my personal favorite if you ever want to try it.” 

When Kit saw the torn-out page from her journal, his visits became more frequent. At times, the boy will sleep on the branch, waiting for a sign — for a sliver of hope that she will come back and see him. Not single day passed that Ella left his mind. The boy was madly into her, far deeper than he had been with anyone else. Kit felt lost without her presence, like a man walking with an open wound on his chest, hidden by his pretty smile and polite gestures. He knew what he had to do—wait for her on the sacred ground they once shared. Once his affairs back at the mansion were done, Kit immediately ran back to the place. Every inch of his body was drawn to it, his feet itching to make their way back to the traces of where she once stood. As he was walking through the forest, breathless and in a hurry, he looked up to see a shadow standing beside the fallen tree. Kit ran and paused when he saw her drop the familiar glove. He didn’t know what it meant until she met him in the eye.

Kit could feel his heart pound against his chest, the swelling of so much longing for the woman in front of him. He walked towards her, placing both his hands on her cheeks. The blues of her eyes welcomed him like before, and he knew — he was home. “Ella, I love you. I have loved you since the day I laid eyes on you. I don’t know why you left, and quite frankly, I don’t seem to care anymore. What matters is that I have you in my arms now, and only till they remove all the blood in me will I ever let you go.” Kit kissed her, embracing her in his arms. He began to understand that heaven was not a place, but a person who truly knew him. He wasn’t letting her go anymore; he wasn’t going to allow anything else to tear his love apart, even if it cost him everything. “Not a single day has passed that I wasn’t thinking about you. Ella. I have all the things a man can possess, but it is only your heart that satisfies me. Please, stay. Stay with me.”

❧

When she’d come there that evening the last thing she’d expected was to find him with all the warmth she remembered. From the moment she saw him it felt like the rest happened in slow motion but her lips stunted from speaking. Instead she listened and tried to process what all was being confessed before her. As much as she wanted to understand what had happened between them, where it had gone wrong. why he had never come; she didn’t yet. Her eyes searched his for answers and tried to not get lost along the way. They were maps to the heart of Animania’s crowned prince, she falling victim to losing sense of direction in them herself. All of it was sealed with a kiss and Ella knew she was losing her own battle. She melted back into his touch with the familiarity as if she’d known him her entire life. 

“It’s really you...” It was quiet as she observed his face, a smile coming her to lips as his image set in. She could feel him in front of her and it seemed simple. That didn’t mean she forgot what all happened, the nights she waited with a bag by the door until she slowly started to unpack and stop checking. “Why did you not come? I thought you’d chosen a different path and who was I to stand in the way of where your heart lied.” Or so she believed though now it seemed to not be the truth. “Of course I love you, Kit. I have only ever loved you. I told you my heart would stay right where we parted and its come back to me,” she said placing a hand softly to his chest, trying to let it all sink back in. This was what she thought would be their final goodbye but everything had shifted. “What about Atta? You are to be married, Kit. I didn’t come here to make a bad name for you more than I already have.” She looked back to his eyes, feeling more complete when she did. “But I also do not wish to live another day without you.”

There had been many days she came here to find a silence in her own head. She felt like there was so much noise now a days. No matter how hard she tried to stop thinking then something would find its way in. Ella knew Rapunzel was right though and she would need to stop coming here if she wished to sever that part of her life. With every passing day it began to sink in that he was truly never coming for her. She didn’t sit near the window anymore or run when someone knocked at the door. This was the start of a new portion of her life where she was learning to stand again, some things feeling like she was experiencing them for the first time. There were options for the first time in her life. That’s why she had come to their spot for one more goodbye, the one she never got to give him properly. 

Ella sat on the fallen branch of the old oak, her eyes closed as the breeze blew through her hair. For a moment things didn’t feel so hard but she knew once she opened them again she’d need to face the world. Though her love had died, the world did not stop to mourn. There was a sense of acceptance as she finally opened them again and knew it was time to go. Perhaps another young couple could find a happiness here the way she once did. Ella set the second glove down beside her, the one that had gotten her into this in the first place. It should get to stay where they were happy. The girl looked down at it once more before picking up herself and leaving her sorrows behind. That’s when she saw him, looking the same as when he haunted her in her dreams. “Kit...” She breathed, uncertain if it was even real or a mind’s wicked game.