summer .✦ ݁˖

| summer | | she/her | | infp | | hufflepuff | | virgo |

things i love/about me .✦ ݁˖

- reading (especially romcom/lit fic/horror/mystery/classic books)

- listening to all types of music! i rlly enjoy kpop and stan multiple groups skz/txt/loona/red velvet will always have a special place in my heart

- all things disney i loveee disney/dcom movies and shows

- my comfort show is never have i ever idc if it’s cringe

- i love going to disneyland/downtown disney, the bookstore/library, the mall, parks, and coffee shops when i’m bored! i love trying fun new drinks especially iced coffees 🤤

- my fav youtubers r payton king, sinjin drowning, bunch of friends, courtreezy, vanilla mace, slushy noobz, etc

- MARVEL my fav marvel movie is spiderman homecoming but fav shows r wandavision/hawkeye

- my comfort/literally me characters r lara jean, peter parker, lady bird, mike wheeler, elsa, princess leia, mal, etc

- harry potter.

- boylife (ily rommulas pls marry me)

- cats>dogs but my fav animals r foxes/chipmunks

- stranger things

- STAR WARSSS

- i enjoy collecting things like photos/trinkets/funko pops/disney ears/plushies/movie tickets etc

- my fav season is fall and the best holiday is halloween duh

- doing my makeup

- shopping

- i hate sports and exercise with the exception of tennis and walking LOL

- anime! i haven’t watched much but i love nana and death note and collected lots of manga back then

- percy jackson (i think im cabin 7 or 10? i need to retake the quiz and update this lol)

- i love to make aesthetic mood boards on my tiktok and scrolling through pinterest is honestly just the best thing to do in my free time

- i love to write even though im not the best the more i do it i’ll improve so feel free to request any fic or oneshot u want and ill probably do it!

- i LOVE watching movies and logging them onto letterboxd

a/n: this has been so much fun to write i didn’t really have any good ideas on how to end this off but i hope you guys had fun reading tysm for the support i didn’t expect anyone to see this 😭 let me know if u have any more recs u wanna see from me! i was thinking about making some more stories about max hatter maybe some oneshots but i’m open to any requests ty again :)

red and chloe stand near the vault, their jaws practically on the floor. chloe's shock quickly turns into a royal outrage as her eyes drop from our swollen lips to the glowing pocket watch in my hands.

"alyssa!" chloe gasps, stepping forward with her hand on her sword. "what are you doing?! put the watch back right now—i told you it’s dangerous!"

chloe lunges to snatch the watch out of my hands, but before she can even touch me, max moves like lightning. he steps directly in front of me, using his entire body as a shield to block chloe and red from getting anywhere near me.

"back off, charming," max snarls, his eyes flashing with a dangerous, protective heat.

"step aside, max," red warns, her voice cold as she steps up beside chloe. "she's a sweet girl. you're manipulating her."

"she didn't do anything!" max lies smoothly, taking the absolute heat for me without a single second of hesitation. he throws his chin up, "this was all me. i lured her down here. i convinced her to open the vault for me so i could steal the watch. she had no idea what i was doing until you guys came."

"max, no!"

the words tore out of my throat before i could stop them. i couldn't just stand there and let him play the villain people think he is. i couldn't watch chloe and red look at him with that same familiar, disappointed disgust—treating him like a threat just because of a reputation people placed onto him.

i stepped out from behind max’s broad shoulders, placing myself directly between him and chloe’s drawn sword.

"alyssa, move!" chloe demanded, her voice tight with authority as red took a sharp step forward. "he's manipulating you—"

"he isn't manipulating anyone!" i yelled, my composure completely shattering into dust. "i brought us here! i looked for the vault, i tricked you into giving me the location, and i was the one who pulled the watch off the pedestal! max only came with me to keep me safe because he wanted to!"

chloe froze, her jaw still nearly on the floor. even red looked stunned, her eyebrows pulling together as she stared at me.

"alyssa... what are you talking about?" chloe stammered, shaking her head in complete shock. "you're a princess of wonderland. why would you—"

"because i was sick of all this!" i snapped, my voice echoing off the greenery around us. "i was sick of everyone telling me to sit up straight, stop daydreaming, and accept a life where max had to suffer on the isle while everyone else got a happy ending! you both played god with time, now it's my turn."

"alyssa, don't—" max began, his voice low and frantic as he reached out to pull me back.

but i didn't hesitate. before chloe or red could make a move to stop me, i grabbed max’s hand, lacing my fingers through his with an unyielding grip. with my free hand, i seized the intricate winding knob of the pocket watch and twisted it all the way to the absolute limit.

the vault instantly exploded into a blinding, violent flash of neon pink and electric blue light.

"alyssa, stop!" red screamed, her voice distorting as time began to warp around us.

the floor beneath our feet dissolved into nothingness. the air roared like a hurricane of ticking clocks, whirring copper gears, and shattered glass. chloe and red were swept backward out of the maze as the timeline violently unraveled, pulling max and me straight into a dazzling, roaring vortex of raw, untamed temporal magic.

we weren't just slipping back a few months or a couple of years. the watch was spinning backwards past the isle, past the villain kids, past the rise of the queen of hearts—spiraling all the way back to the very beginning.

i held onto max for dear life, burying my face into his shoulder as the fabric of reality tore open beneath us.

THUMP.

we slammed onto a bed of impossible, giant moss.

the sudden silence was deafening, broken only by the loud, rhythmic chirping of unusual insects and the distant sound of an absurdly fast tea party melody.

i gasped, sitting up quickly as a sudden wave of frantic panic hit me like a truck. my chest was heaving, the sudden realization of what we had just done crashed over me like a tidal wave.

"oh my god... max," i stammered, my voice cracking as i looked around at the towering, alive flowers. "we... we actually did it. we stole the watch. we wrecked the concept of time."

a terrifying thought hit me, making my throat tighten with tears. "what if... what if everyone forgets us? what if chloe, red, and all our friends at auradon don't even know we ever existed? what if we completely ruined everything?"

max quickly sat up in the moss, his dark eyes wide with concern as he saw me spiraling. without a second of hesitation, he grabbed both of my shaking hands, pulling me close until his chest was practically resting against mine.

"hey, hey... look at me, princess," max whispered softly, his smooth, grounding voice instantly cutting through my panic. he squeezed my hands tight, his dark eyes locked onto mine with an unyielding warmth. "breathe. just breathe."

he let out a low, gentle breath, giving me that crooked, comforting smirk that always made my heart skip a beat. "so what if they forget us? think about it, alyssa. this life? it's a million times better than anything waiting for us back there. no more schooling. no more boring classes or rules. no expectations, no parents telling us who we're supposed to be, and no people judging us."

he leaned in just a little closer, his thumb gently caressing the back of my hand. "we're in a world of our own now. completely free. and the best part? since we're here at the very beginning, we can literally change our parents' fates however we want as we grow up. we're in total control."

listening to his low, reassuring words, the frantic knot in my chest slowly began to untangle. he was right. we weren't trapped anymore. we really were free.

"you really aren't scared? or mad at me?" i whispered, searching his face.

max didn't answer right away. instead, he reached up, his gloved fingers gently brushing a loose strand of hair from my cheek. leaning down, he started a gentle kiss, pressing his soft lips against mine with a slow, tender warmth that completely melted the remaining tension right out of my shoulders. it wasn't frantic or rushed like in the vault; it was quiet, grounding, and full of an unspoken promise that he was never letting me go again.

when he pulled back just an inch, his dark eyes were shining with a soft, genuine warmth. "not as long as i'm with you," max whispered against my lips.

i took a deep breath, finally letting the panic melt away into the thick, sweet air of wonderland. from where my eyes can see, i see a patch of a giant blue caterpillar blowing smoke rings, a little seven-year-old girl with blonde hair and a blue pinafore dress was happily chasing a white rabbit with a pocket watch. and sitting at a long, absurdly messy tea table nearby was a man wearing a towering silk top hat, throwing teacups over his shoulder and laughing wildly with a march hare.

maddox hatter wasn't even born yet. this was the era of the original mad hatter—max's grandfather. and the little girl in the distance was my mother, alice, seven years old and just beginning her very first adventure.

"we went full on mad, haven’t we?" i whispered, a slow, radiant smile spreading across my face as i looked back at him.

max let out a soft, breathless laugh, his gaze dropping to my lips before locking back onto my eyes. "it's the best decision we've ever made."

"i don't regret a single second of it," i admitted, leaning into his space.

"neither do i," max murmured. he cupped the back of my neck again, pulling me into one last deep, lingering kiss right there under the giant glowing mushrooms, surrounded by the beautiful, unscripted nonsense of a world that was finally ours.

we didn't care about going back. we didn't care about proper etiquette, royal duties, or keeping up appearances. we had chosen each other, chosen the chaos, and chosen the full-color world we were always meant to share.

the end.

the inside of the white rabbit’s cottage was a cluttered, cozy haven of ticking clocks, teacups, and mismatched cushions. as the rest of the crew collapsed onto the furniture, instantly tearing into the baskets of wonderland pastries left on the table, max disappeared towards the kitchen for a brief moment.

when he walked back over to where i was standing, he held a massive, vibrant pink citrus fruit. it was one of the infamous pink lemonades, freshly picked with a hollow, built-in straw curling naturally through the vine.

“here, princess,” max murmured, pressing the cool fruit into my hands. his dark eyes crinkled at the corners. “it’s sweet. just like you.”

my cheeks instantly heated up a tiny bit, i took a quick sip through the vine straw just to avoid his gaze, the tart, sugary liquid doing absolutely nothing to cool me down. max let out a low, satisfied chuckle, clearly enjoying the reaction, before he gave me some space to let everyone settle down.

later that evening, after everyone had eaten their fill and the cottage fell into a heavy, exhausted quiet, i slipped upstairs to the main bedroom. the weight of what i was about to do felt crushing. i sat right on the edge of an old frame bed, my back rigid, my hands clenched tightly in my lap.

a soft creak of the floorboards drew my attention. max stepped into the room, he looked even more tall in this miniature house, his eyes instantly taking in my stiff, nervous posture. he closed the small distance between us, sitting down on the mattress right next to me.

“you’re completely wound up,” he whispered, his tone dropping softly.

“i’m sneaking off tonight, max,” i whispered back, looking at him with absolute urgency. “everyone is going to sleep. this is my only chance to get to the vault. if i don’t do it now, i’ll never get the pocket watch.”

max didn’t hesitate. he nodded firmly, “then we go now. i told you, i’m not letting anything happen to you. if anyone catches us heading toward the door, we’ll just tell them we needed some air after the long day we had. they won’t question it.”

we slipped back downstairs, moving quietly toward the wooden exit. a few of the kids tracked our movement out of the corners of their eyes. pink raised an eyebrow, nudging chloe with a knowing smirk, while the smee twins exchanged a quiet chuckle. because we had been acting weird and unusually close all day, nobody thought twice about us sneaking out together—to the rest of the crew, it just looked like the princess and the vk were sneaking off for a secret date. i wish that was happening.

the moment the crisp night air hit our faces, i took the lead, heading straight toward the towering, shifting hedges of the green labyrinth that led to the heart of the kingdom.

as we walked the dark, winding path, the tough exterior max usually wore seemed to entirely melt away. the quiet stillness of the night made him appear more vulnerable, and he leaned in closer to me, his voice carrying a heavy, unexpected angst.

“i just... i really hope this crazy plan of yours works, alyssa,” max murmured, staring straight ahead as he fiddled with his hands. “it would be so nice to finally have only happy memories with my dad. to have actually stayed in wonderland...” he stopped for a split second, his jaw clenching before he turned his dark eyes completely onto me, full of a deep, painful longing. “especially being with you. i wish i never got separated from you, princess. i thought about it all the time.”

hearing the raw confession admit out loud broke something inside me. i stopped dead on the path. without a word, i felt the urge to throw my arms completely around his neck, pulling him into a desperate, tight embrace.

max froze for a split second before his arms wrapped securely around my waist, holding me so warmly and tightly it felt like he was trying to anchor his entire universe to mine. against my shoulder, his breathing turned shallow, and i felt a single, heavy tear dampen the fabric on my shoulder. he had finally broken.

“i’ll make it happen for you, max. no matter what,” i whispered, pulling back just enough to gently wipe the tears from his cheeks with my thumbs.

max’s eyes widened slightly, under the soft touch of my hands, his usual confident persona completely melted, leaving him looking submissive, as he let me care for him.

he cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure as he looked toward the dark horizon. “right. but... how are we even going to get inside the royal vault? didn’t chloe said it was under high security.”

i offered a small, confident smile. “because i’m a princess here. the sensors will notice i’m there, it’ll automatically open up pretty easily. and if the automatic sensor fails, i can just scan my hand.”

we entered the grand maze, and the difficulty immediately spiked. the heavy hedges were constantly shifting, the paths closing and opening at random, forcing us to keep running, turning, and backtracking. by the time we finally made it to the center, we were completely worn out, out of breath, and running on pure adrenaline.

but there it was.

in the dead center of the clearing stood the magnificent royal vault, completely surrounded by silence. no guards. no chloe. no red.

i stepped up to the stand-out, heart symbol made of grass. instantly, a soft light glowed over me, recognizing my royal lineage. the heavy mechanisms groaned, and the vault opened up slowly, revealing rows of shiny royal treasures, ancient crowns, and glittering artifacts. right in the center, resting on a velvet pedestal, was the pocket watch.

we were both so ecstatic that we instantly threw our arms around each other again. but this time, the embrace shifted. the initial relief completely vanished, replaced by an intense, dizzying wave of intimacy. wrapped in each other’s arms in the quiet vault, the space between us disappeared. i could feel the heavy rhythm of his chest, the warmth of his skin, and a deep, unspoken need radiating from him. for a breathless second, our lips were only inches apart.

pulled back by the gravity of the mission, we forced ourselves to ignore the sudden tension, letting go to grab the pocket watch from the pedestal.

i quickly double-checked over my shoulder to make sure the coast was entirely clear.

max gave me a firm nod—the signal to wind the clock.

he looked down, noticing my hands were shaking slightly against the coldness of the watch. i gripped the intricate knob and gave it a sharp, deliberate twist.

but instead of the world spinning backward, instead of the portal opening to the past, the pocket watch began to violently glitch. the glass face illuminated, throwing a projection into the air above us. it wasn’t a time-travel portal. it was a memory. his memory.

the projection showed the dark, gritty interior of a dungeon on the isle of the lost, probably dated only just a few months ago. max was sitting on a broken crate, stressed, and intensely focused as he sketched furiously inside a dark brown leather journal.

the projection zoomed in on the page. it was a drawing of me.

but i wasn’t wearing my proper, boring princess wardrobe. he had drawn me in these incredibly stylish, edgy, modern outfits—exactly the kind of clothes i secretly hoped to wear instead of the bland royal fashion required of me. he had drawn me so beautiful, so radiantly pretty, that tears pricked the edges of my eyes. even with no colors added to the sketch, the way he looked at me through his art made me look completely radiant.

the projected memory shifted as the past max turned the page. the title at the top read: the ballad of a princess and a hatter.

it was a song. the pages were covered in raw, aching lyrics written in his messy handwriting, all about how much he yearned for me, how much he missed his princess, and how bitterly he regretted taking our childhood time together for granted. in the projection, you could see a tear welling in his eyes as his pen traced the words i love you. but the second a loud voice yelled his name from the other room, the past max panicked. he quickly erased the confession, wiped his face, aggressively fixed his hair in a broken mirror, and slammed the journal shut, shoving it deep under a pile of clothes.

the projection snapped off, leaving the vault in sudden, agonizing silence.

max looked absolutely mortified. his secrets laid bare in front of me. he had turned his entire body completely away from me, his head hanging low, his arms crossed tightly over his chest as if trying to shrink away from me.

i stepped around him, my heart aching with an overwhelming wave of affection. “max... hey. why are you upset?” my voice was incredibly soft. “i love the way you drew me. and... you made a song? what’s it about?”

max swallowed hard, his jaw clenching as he slowly looked at me, his defense mechanisms completely failing. “it’s about... i-it’s about how my world was completely dark, alyssa. but every time i tried to write something, it just kept turning into you. i spent so many years terrified that you had forgotten me, and i just—“

he was rambling, his voice trembling with a sweet, frantic honesty. i couldn’t take the distance anymore.

stepping directly into his space, i cut him off completely by placing my hand on his chest and kissing him softly on the lips.

max let out a tiny, surprised whine against my mouth, his body freezing for a fraction of a second before he completely melted into the kiss. his arms instantly found my waist, pulling me flush against him as his hand slid up to catch the back of my hair, deepening the kiss with a desperate, heavy passion that had been building for all these years.

we finally broke the kiss, breathless and spinning, to see red and chloe standing right in the doorway of the vault, their jaws completely dropped in absolute shock.

next part ➡️ https://www.tumblr.com/roseyr09/822710668372410368/the-ballad-of-a-princess-and-a-hatter-pt-7

max and i slipped out into the empty hallway, the lingering scent of cleaning supplies fading as we hit the main corridor. up ahead, the faint, hurried sound of chloe’s frantic voice and the sharp thud of red’s combat boots gave away their direction.

“let’s try to not be too obvious,” max whispered, his jacket rustling slightly as we moved with urgent, quiet speed down the hall.

we tailed them all the way outside the entrance of the school, finally catching up just as they reached the nearby portal to wonderland.

“alyssa?” chloe gasped, her posture turning instantly rigid. “what are you doing down here? class started ten minutes ago. and why are you with him again?”

my mind raced, searching for an excuse at the top of my head, but before a polite royal lie could slip past my lips, max stepped right in front of me.

“relax, charming,” max chuckled, his classic crooked smirk firmly back in place as he leaned against the portal, completely hiding the tension rolling off him. “you two are planning to ditch school and run headfirst into wonderland to face my dad. you honestly think you can just wing it? you need someone who knows how to beat my father at his own game, and i can help with that.”

red stepped forward, studying max’s face with a deep, calculating intensity. she knew exactly what it was like to deal with a chaotic parent. “he’s right. maddox’s logic doesn’t make sense to anyone but another hatter. he comes with us.”

“but red—!” chloe protested, though she stopped as soon as she saw the rest of the crew headed their way, pink was dramatically panicking, while luis was nervously adjusting the way he was carrying pink. hazel and the smee twins were talking , felix was tossing a coin, and robbie was cleaning some smudges off his bow.

“finally,” pink complained, standing up and brushing off her skirt. “if we stay out here any longer, the humidity is going to ruin my hair. let’s just go.”

“c’mon guys!” chloe commanded, trying to regain control as she marched toward the swirling, colorful vortex of the rabbit hole portal.

one by one, the main crew began to dive into the roaring lights. pink went first with a dramatic sigh, followed by the smee twins shoving each other through, while luis, felix, robbie, and hazel followed close behind red and chloe.

soon, the area was empty. it was just the two of us left at the edge of the swirling portal.

looking down into the chaotic, flashing bright depths of the rabbit hole, a sudden, violent wave of nervousness hit me. my chest tightened. this wasn’t just a rescue mission. i was about to commit grand larceny against the royal vault. i was going to steal the pocket watch, lie to my friends, and potentially break the entire timeline just to find the lost wonderland of my daydreams. the weight of my own deceitful plan suddenly felt entirely suffocating.

sensing my panic, max turned to face me. he grabbed both of my hands, his grip tight, solid, and incredibly grounding. the sound of their screams inside the portal seemed to fade into a dull hum as he stepped directly into my space.

“hey,” he said, his puppy eyes locking onto mine with an unyielding, intense gravity. the romantic tension between us snapped so tight it felt heavy. “look at me. breathe, alyssa. just breathe.”

his voice was a low, smooth anchor. he leaned in just a fraction closer, his thumbs gently brushing over the backs of my knuckles, sending a sharp, breathless shiver straight down my spine. “i’ve got you. whatever happens down there, whatever you’re going after... we do it together. alright?”

i swallowed hard, my heart beating fast for a completely different reason now. “alright,” i whispered.

max let out a soft breath, his familiar, protective smirk returning. without letting go, he laced his fingers firmly through mine. holding hands so tightly our knuckles turned white, we took a synchronized step off the ledge and plummeted down into the roaring, adventurous unknown.

the landing was a dizzying blur of neon foliage and oversized mushrooms, but max’s grip never wavered. once we hit the luscious, green grass, the main crew instantly surged forward, chloe following behind while red led the team.

max and i immediately fell back, intentionally walking a few paces behind the loud, chaotic group. we stayed near them, but we were completely a duo, wrapped in our own quiet world. we talked in low whispers, entirely tuned into each other while barely acknowledging anyone else.

as we walked past a massive hedge of wild, swirling bushes , max suddenly paused. he reached into the brush, his gloved fingers neatly snapping the stem of a small, uniquely beautiful speckled flower that glowed with a soft, pink hue.

“here,” max murmured, stepping into my path so I was forced to stop. before i could ask what he was doing, he reached up, his fingers gently brushing against my temple as he carefully tucked the stem behind my ear, nesting the petals into my hair. he leaned back slightly to admire it, his dark eyes softening. “pretty. just like you, princess.”

a fierce, hot blush instantly rushed to my cheeks. i looked down at my shoes, my exterior completely shattering under the sheer weight of his gaze.

max let out a low, delighted chuckle, completely loving the reaction. he stepped closer, his boots clicking against the gravel as he tilted his head to catch my eye, his voice dropping into a thoroughly teasing, flirty purr.

“hey. look at me, princess,” he whispered, his smirk widening as his eyes danced with absolute mischief. “no need to be shy. i like it.”

i instantly snapped my chin up, forcing my posture back into its rigid, usual alignment. my cheeks were still burning, but i glared at him with the most stubborn, unreadable princessy expression i could muster.

“i am not shy, max,” i lied, my voice clipped and perfectly precise. “it’s really hot out today… it’s still summertime after all.”

max let out a sharp, breathless laugh, his pretty eyes crinkling at the corners as he saw right through my pathetic attempt at a defense. he didn’t buy it for a single second. stepping just a fraction closer, he tilted his head, and his voice dropping into a very amused tone.

“right. the weather,” he taunted, his grin practically radiating smug satisfaction. “whatever helps you sleep at night, princess. but you can’t lie to me. your so flustered it’s cute.”

“shut up,” i mumbled, turning on my heel and walking quickly to catch up with the group, though my heart was doing dangerous acrobatics in my chest. max just chuckled low in his throat, his heavy boots crunching against the red gravel as he easily kept pace right beside me, entirely pleased with himself.

as we journeyed deeper into the heart of wonderland, we were completely forced to deal with his dad’s classic antics. between dodging a flock of his vicious clockwork spy birds screeching overhead and max having to take absolute control to save me in a lethal, confusing game of chess, the walk was entirely exhausting. max’s mind worked in a beautiful, chaotic overdrive to get us through the traps, but by the time we finally were free for a bit, the entire crew was exhausted, and running on pure survival instinct.

up ahead, nestled in a quiet, shadowy hollow beneath a canopy of weeping willow trees, stood a familiar, quirky structure.

the white rabbit’s home.

“in here, everyone,” red muttered, throwing the round wooden door open to a temporary safe space.

next part ➡️ https://www.tumblr.com/roseyr09/822682368851804160/the-ballad-of-a-princess-and-a-hatter-pt-6-max

when it was the end of the opening assembly, the energy between us snapped. the sudden snap back to reality felt almost invasive. max and i stood up at the same time, the brief, electric contact of our knees lingering like a phantom heat against my skin.

we moved with the crowd out into the grand hallway, the chaos of hundreds of students filtering toward their first periods providing the perfect shield. max fell into step beside me, his hands shoved deep into his pockets, though his eyes never really left my face.

“well,” he murmured, his classic crooked smirk slipping back into place, though his voice held a trace of the quiet gravity from earlier. “i guess this is where we part ways. try not to let your teachers drain you too much before lunch.”

“i’ll try my best, hatter,” i replied smoothly, keeping my voice light and even for the benefit of anyone watching. “don’t cause too much trouble on your first day.”

“me? never,” he gave a dramatic wink, backward-walking a few steps into the crowd before turning to disappear down the hall toward the vk wing.

as i walked to my first class, my feet moved on pure autopilot. my mind was entirely consumed by him. i couldn’t shake the look in his eyes when he told me i was his only piece of light on the isle. the thought looped in my head, a beautiful, torturous riddle: is he thinking about me right now, too? or is he like this with everyone else?

the first period turned out to be a shared history class with chloe. since it was the first day of the semester, the teacher gave us a syllabus and granted us a free period to socialize and get organized. chloe immediately pulled her desk flush against mine, her eyes bright with the thrill of a fresh start.

“i’m so glad we have this class together,” chloe whispered, leaning in. she glanced around before dropping her voice to an absolute murmur. “alyssa... you know how much i value our friendship. i haven’t told anyone else this, but you know how red and i have been acting a little strange and a lot closer recently? it’s because of what we did. we actually had to use the legendary pocket watch to fix some things.”

my heart did a violent flip inside my chest, but i kept my expression perfectly serene, tilting my head with gentle curiosity. “the pocket watch? i thought that was a myth?”

chloe nodded quickly, entirely trusting my innocent facade. “yes. it’s incredibly dangerous. right now, it’s being kept under the high-security royal vault back in the wonderland maze. nobody is supposed to touch it. it’s completely off-limits because of how easily it can rewrite history.”

i memorized the words like a lifeline, filing the location away in the back of my mind. but before i could press further about the watch, i forced my tone to sound entirely casual, shifting the subject to the boy who had been haunting my thoughts all morning.

“chloe... what do you actually know about max hatter? the one you saw me talk to earlier.”

chloe sighed, shaking her head with a look of textbook royal pity that made my stomach turn. “oh, max. honestly, before everything happened with the timeline shift, he was just this polite, nerdy kid who spent all his time playing in the workshop with his dad. he was harmless. but since the big change... things got messed up. red’s mom ordered maddox to the isle, and max had to live this incredibly unfortunate, harsh life over there. it completely changed him. it’s honestly so sad, but that’s why he is the way he is now.”

a cold, violent rage flared to life inside my chest. a nerdy kid who played with his dad. that sounds like the max i remembered. that was the reality he was supposed to have. instead, chloe and red had played god with time, and max had been the collateral damage—ripped away to a magicless slum just so they could fix their own lives. i had to clench my fists under the desk to keep my hands from shaking. they had stolen his life, and they talked about it like it was just a sad footnote from our history textbook.

by the time lunch rolled around, i knew what i had to do. i bypassed the crowded royal tables in the dining hall and slipped out toward the quiet courtyard where i had found max this morning. sure enough, he was sitting in the exact same secluded corner, tossing a small copper coin in the air and catching it.

the second he saw my face, his teasing smirk faded. he must have recognized the tight, intense look in my eyes. without a word, i grabbed his sleeve and pulled him down the nearest hallway, ducking into an old, dimly lit janitor’s closet and shutting the heavy door behind us.

“whoa, princess,” max whispered, his back hitting the shelving unit as his crooked grin returned, though his eyes were dark and heavy-lidded. “i knew you missed me, but dragging me into a janitor’s closet this soon? people are going to talk, sweetheart.”

“max, not now,” i whispered urgently, stepping directly into his space. the proximity was dizzying in the cramped room, our chests almost touching, but the gravity of the situation completely took over. “i need you to listen to me. chloe just told me everything. she told me about the pocket watch, and what she and red did recently.”

discreetly, my voice trembling with a mix of fury and sorrow, i laid out the entire truth. i told him about the alternate reality, the timeline manipulation, and how he was never really supposed to be sent to the isle of the lost.

max stared at me, his body going entirely rigid. at first, a faint, disbelieving laugh left his lips. “alyssa... come on. you’re going a bit crazy. time travel? a different life? you sound like my dad.”

but as the words settled between us in the quiet dark, his expression completely fractured. the teasing hatter mask shattered into absolute dust. his chest heaved, his dark eyes wide with a sudden, haunting realization. “wait...” he murmured, his hand flying to his temple, “that’s... is that why, my head has felt like absolute chaos. some of my memories feel completely fuzzy. it’s like... like i’ve lived two entirely different lives at the exact same time. i can remember the dark alleys of the isle, but i can also remember... the cottage we played in. my dad smiling... and us having fun.”

his voice broke, a raw wave of vulnerability and confusion washing over him. the sheer angst of his existence was laid bare between us, and the tension in the tiny closet was suffocating.

before i could say anything to comfort him, the sharp click of boots echoed in the hallway outside, stopping right in front of the closet door.

max and i instantly froze, holding our breath.

“we have to ditch the rest of the school day. my mother has been captured back in wonderland, and the guards say it was maddox hatter who did it. we have to go back through the portal and save her before things get worse.” red announced to who i’m assuming is chloe.

“are you sure the others are ready?” chloe’s voice filtered clearly through the thin wooden slats of the door.

“they’re ready,” red’s sharp, defiant voice replied.

inside the closet, max’s head snapped toward the door, his jaw dropping in pure shock. his father.

the sound of chloe and red’s footsteps quickly hurried down the hall, their voices fading as they ran toward the exit.

once the coast was entirely clear, max exhaled a shaky breath, his eyes locking back onto mine in the darkness. the confusion in his gaze had hardened into a fierce, dangerous determination.

“we’re tagging along,” i whispered, my voice steady. “we’re going to follow them to wonderland.”

max looked at me, his quiet actions cementing his absolute loyalty as he took my hand, his grip tight and grounding. “if my dad is involved, i’m in. we change our fate.”

“and mine,” i added, my chest tightening with a thrill of deceitful rebellion.

max thought we were just going to fix his timeline, but i had a secret agenda of my own. under the guise of helping red and chloe save the queen, i was going to use their distraction to sneak off to the royal vault and steal the pocket watch. i had been robbed of the magical, chaotic wonderland my mother fell in love with, and i was going to get it back. i wanted to travel back to the original, untampered timeline just to experience the true, wild wonderland for myself—to see if the beautiful nonsense was ever actually real.

max looked down at our joined hands, a faint, fiercely protective smirk returning to his face. “then let’s go, after you princess.”

next part ➡️ https://www.tumblr.com/roseyr09/822644391978106880/the-ballad-of-a-princess-and-a-hatter-pt-5-mad

after ten years of absolute nothing, max hatter was walking right beside me, his heavy dark colored boots creating a sharp, rhythmic counter-melody to the soft click of my shoes. we didn’t talk at first as we entered the main hall, but the silence between us wasn’t empty; it was thick, heavy, and electric with an unspoken tension that felt almost physical. every time his shoulder brushed against mine, a quiet jolt ran straight down my spine.

the school was a sea of colorful blazers and perfect, polished smiles, and the two of us walking side by side looked like a glitch in the system.

“so,” max murmured, keeping his voice low so it wouldn’t carry over the chatter of the passing students. his hands were shoved deep into his pockets, but his eyes were scanning my profile. “so, uh… like you said... it’s exhausting. what exactly did i miss while i was locked away?”

i swallowed past the sudden lump in my throat, my eyes staring straight ahead at the polished floors. “it wasn’t anything special, max. it was just... quiet. after you left, they moved my family inside the white queen’s palace. they told me the stories my mom told me were just daydreams. nonsense. they gave me posture lessons, royal etiquette booklets, and a strict daily routine for me to follow to keep my mind from wandering.” i paused, my voice dropping to a whisper. “it feels as if every time i try to bring a little excitement into my life, someone was there to pull me back to grey.”

max stopped walking for a split second, a heavy, quiet sadness flickering across his features before he forced himself to keep pace with me. “grey,” he repeated, the word tasting bitter on his tongue. “yeah. i know a lot about grey. the isle didn’t have much color either.”

he looked at me, and for a moment, the relentless mask i was so used to completely vanished, leaving only a boy who had spent a decade longing for the only bright memory he had left. “there were nights over there where everything felt so dark i couldn’t remember what wonderland looked like. but then i’d remember the way you’d laugh when my dad’s mechanical dodo birds crashed into the tea set. you were the only light i got to remember, alyssa. and to find out they tried to scrub it out of you here...” his jaw clenched, his eyes burning with a sudden, and clearly annoyed protectiveness. “it makes me feel… angry.”

“they didn’t scrub it out,” i whispered, stepping a little closer to him as we dodged a group of older students. “it’s still there. i just have to hide it now.”

i heard a fellow student whisper nearby, nudging her friend as we walked past. “isn’t that alice’s daughter? why is she walking with him?”

i kept my chin up, keeping my signature sweet, unreadable princess expression firmly in place. but out of the corner of my eye, i noticed the little quirks max was doing—the tiny things that a decade on the isle hadn’t managed to change. when he got nervous or overwhelmed by the heavy weight of the whispering crowd, he would fidget with his fingers, they moved as if he were adjusting the invisible gears of a pocket watch inside his pocket. and every time a group of kids stared too long, he would tilt his head at that exact same angle he used to do when we were little, giving them a sharp, challenging grin that hid his discomfort perfectly.

i knew him all too well, he could hide from them… but not from me.

up ahead near the auditorium doors, chloe and red were standing with a few other students. the moment we approached, chloe’s eyes went wide, her posture turning instantly rigid. she looked back and forth between me and max as if she was trying to solve a math problem that didn’t add up. red’s eyes narrowed with intense curiosity as she tracked the sudden, lingering space between us.

“alyssa,” red said, her voice tight with textbook royal concern as she stepped forward, pointedly ignoring max. “there you are. the opening assembly is starting, i saved you a seat in the front row with the wonderland delegation.”

“thank you, red,” i said smoothly, my voice dripping with perfect, polite composure. i turned my head slightly, giving max a subtle, knowing glance. “max was just helping me find my way back. i’ll see you inside, max… find me inside okay?”

“anything for you princess,” max murmured.

this side of the courtyard was massive as well, filled with rows of velvet seats. chloe led me to the section designated for the royal courts, but to her quiet surprise, the seats filled up so quickly that the only remaining spot for max was directly next to me at the end of the row. chloe shot me a look that practically screamed fear, but i just offered a serene smile and took my seat.

because the auditorium chairs were pretty narrow, max and i were forced into a dangerously close proximity. the contrast between us was comical—my clean plain skirt pressed right against the green, rigid fabric of his pants that seemed so full of character, unlike me.

as the fairy godmother took the stage and the lights dimmed, max shifted in his seat. his knee accidentally brushed against mine through the fabric of my skirt.

the contact was electric. a sharp, breathless wave of tension snapped between us in the darkness. i froze, my breath hitching in my throat as the heat of the touch flared through the thin material. out of the corner of my eye, i saw max stiffen, too. he didn’t pull away immediately, his posture entirely frozen as if he were just as affected by the sudden closeness as i was.

it’s so silly to be this affected over just a simple brush of the knee, but it’s been way too long since i’ve last saw him—or had any physical touch at all for that matter. after a long, agonizing heartbeat, he quietly shifted his leg back, clearing his throat low in his throat. he turned his face toward the stage, his jaw clenched tight, but i could see the faint, dark flush creeping up his ears. i forced my eyes forward, smoothing down my skirt again with a slight tremble in my bones, my heart hammering so loudly that i was terrified everyone could hear it over the fairy godmother’s speech.

we were supposed to be paying attention to the expectations and standards of what it means to attend auradon prep, but as i sat there, the only thing i could focus on was the vk boy sitting close enough to burn.

next part ➡️ https://www.tumblr.com/roseyr09/822631565262716928/the-ballad-of-a-princess-and-a-hatter-pt-4-max

[alyssa’s pov from now on]

the minute max’s eyes locked onto mine in the crowded hallway, the rest of the world completely dissolved into white noise. chloe was still talking about class schedules, and red was still lost in her own thoughts against the lockers, but all i could see was him. the boy from the hatter’s cottage, grown up and carrying the rough, heavy weight of the isle on his shoulders, but still looking at me with the exact same awe he had a decade ago.

i gave him that tiny, secret smirk—before forcing myself to look away. a princess had to be careful. if faculty or other students saw me acknowledging a “dangerous vk outsider” on day one, the questions would never stop.

“alyssa? hello… you still with us?” chloe’s voice snapped me back to reality.

“of course,” i offered a sweet, perfectly practiced smile, “actually, i think i left one of my notebooks in my locker near the library. i’m going to run back and grab it before the opening assembly. i’ll meet you guys there?”

red waved a hand dismissively. “go ahead. we’ll probably still be here.”

the second i turned the corner out of their sight, my polite posture slipped. i wasn’t walking like a princess anymore; i was moving with an urgent, quiet speed, dodging groups of kids and slipping through the heavy wooden doors that led to a practically ancient library. it was a place nobody really came to, completely neglected in favor of the other plenty of new and trendy activities for teens to do.

i stepped out into the sunlight, my heart hammering against my ribs. did he understand the look? did he know to follow me?

“you know, for someone who looks like royalty, you’re pretty good at ditching your quote unquote friends, princess.”

i stopped, a breath catching in my throat. max was leaning against a stone archway, his arms crossed over a chaotic patchwork jacket that completely mocked the school’s reputation. he had that lazy, crooked grin plastered across his face, his dark eyes sparkling with a familiar energy.

i didn’t say a word. the sarcastic remark i had prepared completely vanished the second i looked at him up close. ten years. ten years of wondering if he was okay, if the isle had broken his spirit, or if he even remembered the girl who used to help his dad build machinery.

max took a step forward, his smirk softening just a fraction into something tentative, almost vulnerable. “what, no royal greeting for a lowly—“

i didn’t let him finish the sentence. crossing the stone pavement in three quick strides, i threw my arms around his neck.

max stiffened for a fraction of a second, completely caught off guard, before his arms wrapped securely around my waist. he pulled me in tight, lifting me slightly off my feet as if to anchor himself. burying my face into the shoulder of his jacket, i breathed in the faint, nostalgic scent of copper, tea leaves, and old paper that still clung to him despite all his years on the isle.

it was a warm, heavy, desperate sort of hug—the kind that carried the weight of a decade’s worth of unspoken words, unfair goodbyes, and immense longing. in his arms, the rigid, suffocating pressure of being the “perfect princess” completely evaporated. i wasn’t a set example for hero kids here. i was just myself… alyssa.

when he finally set me down, he didn’t let go of my arms right away. his eyes scanned my face, full of that quiet, intense admiration that made my chest ache.

“wow,” he murmured, his voice dropping into a softer register before he quickly pulled his sarcastic mask back up, a familiar glint returning to his eyes. “i mean, i knew i was missed, but i didn’t think the princess would risk wrinkling her perfectly planned outfit just to touch a vk.”

i stepped back, letting out a soft laugh as i rolled my eyes, though the warmth in my chest wouldn’t fade. “don’t flatter yourself, hatter. i was just making sure you weren’t a hallucination. the rumors say you’re completely mad.”

“oh, i am mad,” max shot back effortlessly, tapping the brim of an imaginary top hat with a dramatic wink. his hands sliding casually into his jacket pockets as he looked around the quiet, dusty library. “honestly, princess... i half-expected you to have completely forgotten about me by now. you look so... proper. auradon fits you.”

“it really doesn’t,” i said, the words slipping out with a quiet honesty that surprised even me. i looked up at him, taking in the sharp lines of his jaw and the way he still couldn’t seem to stand entirely still, always humming with energy. “they spend every day trying to make me normal, max. they want me to stop daydreaming and start acting like a prissy little clone. it’s exhausting.”

max’s playful smirk faded for a second, replaced by a look of genuine understanding. “well, they’re going to have a hell of a time trying to change you now that i’m back to help with that,” he said softly, a familiar, protective spark lighting up his eyes. he gave me a gentle nudge with his shoulder, breaking the heavy mood before it could get too serious. “come on. you’d better get back to your fellow princesses before they think i kidnapped you. but you’re telling me everything about what i missed on the walk to the assembly.”

next part ➡️ https://www.tumblr.com/roseyr09/822603626803527680/the-ballad-of-a-princess-and-a-hatter-pt-3-mad

a/n: hiii! this is a max hatter x fem oc fic using she/her pronouns to describe alyssa. if u haven't noticed, instead of y/n, your name is going to be alyssa kingsleigh... your the daughter of the one and only alice! feel free to imagine any type of alice/white queen inspired outfit you want for yourself! i tried searching pinterest for some cute ideas but i didn't find any that matched my vision lol. anyone can read this because there won't be any specific details describing your hair/skin/eye color etc it's going to stay pretty neutral. i'm attempting to make it a slow burn/childhood friends to lovers/hk x vk/sarcastic and flirty banter type of fic so i hope you enjoy! tysm for reading! i hope you'll stick around... enjoy! :)

the halls of auradon prep were supposed to be the start of a perfect new era, but to alyssa kingsleigh, they just felt like a very boring, very suffocating cage. everywhere she looked, blue and gold banners fluttered in the breeze, and groups of flawless HK's were laughing, completely blending into the bland structure of the school. as the white princess—a title her family held ever since the white queen officially welcomed her mother, alice, into the royal court—alyssa was expected to be the example. she was supposed to stand up straight, smile politely at the cameras, and keep her thoughts anchored to reality.

but alyssa's mind didn't do anchors. it drifted. it wandered down paths of curiosities, chasing daydreams that the other royals constantly dismissed as "childish" or "crazy."

"do we have any classes together, alyssa?" chloe charming was asking, adjusting the pristine blue details on her own uniform. next to her, red was leaning against a pole in the courtyard, her arms crossed, not paying attention to what they're discussing and feeling utter confusion by the unfamiliar auradon-style welcoming committee.

alyssa offered a soft, practiced nod, as she pulled out her printed out class schedule and showed chloe. she had gotten really close with red and chloe lately, using her natural kindness and curiosity to learn her way around their world. she liked them, truly, but even standing with what felt like the main characters, alyssa felt like a ghost walking through someone else's story. she was wearing the perfect whites and soft accents expected of the white queen's court, but inside, she was suffocating. she felt entirely robbed of the wild, chaotic wonderland her mother used to whisper about at bedtime—the wonderland of riddles, un-birthdays, and beautiful nonsense. this version of the kingdom felt entirely too safe, and a bit dystopian in a way.

she smoothed down the fabric of her skirt, her mind already wandering, until degrading laughs from down the corridor snapped her right out of her thoughts.

"look at this guy. did he have to get dressed in the dark on the isle, or does he always look that ridiculous?"

alyssa's head tilted, her natural curiosity piqued as she looked past chloe's shoulder. a few feet down, a group of arrogant kids had gathered in a semi-circle, snickering and pointing at a lone boy who was shuffling through a deck of cards.

the boy stood out like a splash of dark paint on a blank canvas. he had this completely unique, eccentric style that screamed wonderland, but with a dark, steampunk-like edge that could only come from years of surviving the isle of the lost. his clothes were a beautiful mess of patterns and textures. he had a quiet, ambiguous vibe about him—completely ignoring the bullies as if they were nothing more than buzzing flies.

alyssa took a step closer, her eyes widening as she scanned his posture, the tilt of his head, the way his hands moved with an innate, chaotic rhythm.

"who is that?" alyssa whispered, her voice low and tentative. she tried to keep her tone completely casual, hiding the sudden, violent racing of her heart.

red replied, "oh, that's max hatter. maddox's kid. my mom banished maddox and him to the isle years ago, and now that the barriers are down, he's back. a total vk outsider. he gets picked on constantly."

the words faded into white noise.

max.

alyssa's breath hitched in her throat. her mind violently flashed back a decade ago, to a time before the banishment, before the heavy royal lessons and the castle gates locked her in. she remembered a little boy with puppy eyes and glasses sat on the bridge of his nose, sitting on the floor of the hatter's cottage, showing her half-finished inventions and clockworks that didn't quite work right. they had been inseparable. they were each other's first and only real friends in a world that already didn't understand them. and then, the red queen's orders had ripped him away to a magicless slum across the sea, leaving alyssa alone in a pristine castle.

they hadn't seen each other in almost ten years. they had both grown up, changed their looks, and buried their memories. but looking at him now, the recognition hit her like a physical wave. it was him.

as if he could feel the intense weight of her gaze, max stopped what he was doing. he turned his head, his eyes scanning the crowded hallway until they locked directly onto hers.

instead of shrinking away from the royal crowd or looking down at his boots, max completely froze. his eyes went wide, softening with a look of pure, unadulterated admiration. he didn't see the white princess, and he didn't see the perfect hero kid crown—he saw her. he saw the girl who used to run away from royal etiquette to get her hands dirty in his dad's cottage. he stared in complete admiration at her pure whimsical essence, her effortless beauty, and the sheer kindness radiating from her eyes as if she were the only thing he had seen since leaving the isle.

he didn't even notice the group of kids laughing at him anymore. the whole hallway seemed to quiet down.

alyssa held his gaze, her physical appearance remaining cool and hard to read, just the way a princess was trained to be. but beneath the surface, inside felt like bread-and-butterflies. she didn't turn away. instead, she let a tiny, knowing smile tug at the corner of her lips—a secret code meant just for him. i remember you. and just then, he returned the same knowing smirk.

next part ➡️ https://www.tumblr.com/roseyr09/822595591372783616/the-ballad-of-a-princess-and-a-hatter-pt-2-max

summary: while mason hits up halloween horror nights with miguel, he locks eyes with a gorgeous stranger in the crowd.

a/n: just a quick heads up that this fic (and my other fics) will be using she/her pronouns for y/n! also, a quick clarification for the keys: in this story, y/f/n stands for your friend's name, not your first name! sorry for any confusion lol. side note—i might be making a finney blake one once i'm completely done with this fic, so let me know if that's something you guys would be interested in seeing! thank you so much for reading! :)

honestly, i didn’t expect anything crazy that night. miguel and i just showed up to halloween horror nights to mess around, maybe get a few jump scares, and laugh at each other freaking out. it was loud, fog was everywhere, and people were running from scare actors.

but then i saw her.

she was with her friend, i think. we locked eyes for like half a second in the middle of the chaos, and i swear it felt like everything slowed down. i don’t know what it was, but something about her pulled me in instantly. miguel said something to me, probably joking around, but i didn’t even hear it. all i knew was i had to say hi.

i nudged miguel, pointing subtly in her direction. “dude… that girl,” i whispered, not taking my eyes off her.

she was laughing at something, and her face was lit up like fireworks. damn, it hit me right in the chest.

miguel followed my gaze and smirked, shrugging his shoulders with a teasing tone. “ohhh yeah. she’s cute.”

without overthinking it (because if i did, i’d probably chicken out), i started walking toward them through the crowd. my heart was pounding like crazy—not from any scare actor this time, but from pure nerves mixed with excitement.

what do you say to someone when you’ve never interacted with them before? we were complete strangers.

i walked up, hands crammed in my hoodie pockets, trying to look cool but totally failing. the music was loud and people were still screaming around us from random jump scares.

“hey,” i said with a small smile as i stopped in front of her and her friend. simple. direct.

her eyes flicked to mine, curious and pretty—like gemstones under golden light—and she blinked. miguel hovered right behind me like a hype man ready for disaster or romance… whichever came first.

“oh my gosh, you're mason thames, right?”

my face instantly warmed. oh no, she knows who i am. for a second, i braced myself. fans usually freak out, scream, or immediately pull out their phones… but she just said it casually and smiled.

i chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of my neck. “yeah,” i admitted with a shy shrug. “that’s me.”

her friend’s eyes widened, definitely recognizing me too, and she started whispering something to her.

miguel nudged my shoulder from behind. “smooth,” he mouthed sarcastically before stepping slightly aside to give us space. i ignored him and kept looking at her.

“oh my gosh, and you're miguel?” her friend chimed in, subtly fangirling. “we love the black phone!”

miguel’s face lit up. she knew his name too? and the movie?! he straightened up instantly, suddenly looking ten times more confident.

“yeah! that’s me,” miguel said with a big grin, shaking her friend’s hand like they were long-lost best friends. “and yes, that’s us.”

i watched them bond over the excitement, which was cute, but i couldn’t stop staring at her. she hadn’t stopped smiling since i walked up.

her friend was now gushing, “oh my gosh, you guys are so talented! especially mason as finney. i literally cried during most of your scenes.”

miguel shot me a proud look. “she's got taste.”

“so… why’d you approach me?” my dream girl questioned.

i froze.

the question hit me like a bucket of ice water. why did i approach you?

for a second, my brain completely short-circuited. the truth was, i didn’t have some smooth pick-up line or a grand plan. i just had to talk to her.

i glanced at miguel—who had suddenly become very interested in his phone—and then back at her, looking into those sweet, curious eyes waiting for an answer.

“because,” i started, my voice lower than usual to carry over the music, “the second i saw you… i just knew i had to say something.”

it sounded cheesy as hell. probably too dramatic… but it was 100% true. behind me, i heard miguel’s jaw drop slightly.

“really? me?” she looked genuinely surprised, as if she couldn’t believe someone like her would be the reason i stopped everything i was doing, completely ignoring the huge crowd and the scare actors.

“yeah,” i said softly, taking half a step closer. “you.”

the park lights flickered around us from the halloween decor—orange and purple neon flashes lighting up her face—and for a second, it felt like we were in our own little world.

her friend and miguel exchanged glances. her friend was smiling like she’d just witnessed something magical, and miguel gave me an encouraging nod: keep going.

i didn’t care about anything else—the chaos of hhn, the crowd rushing past us… none of it mattered right now.

“thanks. it means a lot,” she admitted. her smile softened, and something in my chest tightened. she wasn’t acting all flirty or hyper; she just looked genuinely touched.

“you're welcome,” i said, because what else was i supposed to say? i liked your face and now i’m emotionally invested? yeah, right.

miguel cleared his throat dramatically behind us, causing her friend to elbow him playfully while whispering, “stop being weird.”

the two of them started chatting quietly about the haunted house lineup to give us some space, which was nice. the pressure to perform for them was finally gone.

“what’s your name?” i blurted out, suddenly realizing i’d been rambling this whole time without even knowing the most basic bit of information.

“y/n.”

“y/n,” i repeated, testing the name on my tongue. it fit her perfectly. it felt bright and carefree, just as fitting as her beauty itself.

she nodded, and i take a moment to just look at her, taking in all the details. her eyes, her smile, the way her hair framed her face. god, she really is beautiful.

“and that is my friend, y/f/n. i dragged her here to celebrate my birthday... well, a late birthday type of thing,” she grinned while speaking.

i cleared my throat, realizing i’d been staring a bit too long. taking another breath, i mustered up my courage. “do you maybe wanna hang out with us? even if it’s just for a little bit.”

her eyes lit up instantly. “yeah, for sure! anything but the terrifier house, though. i heard that one is like… pretty extreme.”

a mischievous grin spread across my face. oh, this was absolutely perfect.

“terrifier?” i echoed with fake shock, raising an eyebrow at her. “you’re scared of that one?”

i nudged miguel subtly. he caught on instantly, smarking back like we were sharing a secret crime plan.

“y/n,” i said slowly, leaning in just slightly. “you know what? if you go through terrifier… with me… right now…” i paused for a second as distant screams and noise from around us echoed through the park. “you get my number.”

she blushed a bit, pretending to think it over. “okay… deal. but you have to be okay with me literally clinging onto you the whole time.”

“deal,” i said without a single shred of hesitation, holding out my hand to seal the contract.

she took it with a small giggle. the exact second our hands touched, it feels as if something electric zapped right through me.

y/f/n excitedly nudged her shoulder then followed behind us with miguel.

we started walking toward terrifier—the most intense house in hhn, famous for its extreme g0re effects and disgustingly accurate scents. people were walking out screaming, crying, and even getting sick.

summary: the finale. y/n and peter head back to his place for a star wars marathon, navigating a lot of blushing, some mutual pining, and an accidental text reveal.

oh… oh?

but you could’ve asked for some of my food at least? i text back, my thumb hovering over the screen.

peter: no it’s your food that you brought for you i should’ve just grabbed something real quick before school

me: i would’ve came with you to the cafeteria to grab food if you had asked yk that right

peter: yeah ik but it was just so peaceful and we were sharing earbuds and sitting and

i see the little gray dots bouncing again. he’s typing something else—it’s been a while now—and then suddenly the dots disappear. he deleted it. great, now i’ll never know what he was gonna say. maybe i’ll ask him later, but not right now.

right now, the final bell of the day has officially rung, and i have to head back to the bleachers to meet him. i honestly can’t believe i made a friend this fast on my first day, and he’s literally inviting me to go to his house which is so insane. my luck today has been crazy. like, what if i never asked ned for directions? would me and peter have ended up connecting so quickly the way we did?

as i round the corner of the building, i spot him. he’s standing by the bleachers, shifting his weight from foot to foot and adjusting the straps of his backpack. when he catches sight of me, his whole face lights up, his lips pressing together into that familiar, cute lopsided smile.

“hey,” he says, his voice a little breathless. “you ready?”

“ready,” i smile, falling into step beside him. “lead the way.”

peter chuckles, a faint blush already creeping up his neck as we walk out of the school gates and onto the busy queens streets. it doesn’t take long before we reach delmar’s deli. the bell above the door chimes loudly as we step into the air-conditioned shop, buried in the smell of toasted bread and cold cuts.

“hey! peter!” a loud voice booms from behind the counter. mr. delmar looks up from wrapping a sandwich, his eyes immediately darting from peter straight to me. a massive, knowing grin spreads across his face. “finally brought a girl around? she’s way too pretty to be hanging out with you, kid. what happened, did she get lost?”

peter practically completely tomato-red instantly. he aggressively waves his hands around in the air, stumbling over his words so fast they practically trip over each other. “no—mr. delmar, no, it’s not—she’s new! we’re just—she likes star wars, we’re just studying! i mean, not studying, hanging out! please just give me a number five, with extra pickles, and smush it down real flat.”

mr. delmar chuckles, shaking his head as he slides peter’s wrapped sandwich across the counter. “good luck to you, miss. he talks a lot.”

the second we step back out onto the sidewalk, peter starts apologizing continuously. “i am so, so sorry about him, i swear he has absolutely no filter, i didn't mean to make it weird or uncomfortable for you, he just thinks he's funny but he's really not—”

“peter,” i giggle, gently bumping my shoulder against his arm which cut him off. “it’s totally fine. it was funny.”

this comment somehow makes him even more flustered, his hand flying to the back of his neck as he lets out a nervous, high-pitched laugh. “yeah. yeah, okay cool.”

by the time we walk up the stairs of his apartment building and he unlocks the door, my heart is doing little backflips. we step inside, and the apartment feels incredibly cozy, filled with the faint smell of something slightly burnt coming from the kitchen.

“peter? is that you?” a voice calls out, and a woman with glasses steps into the hallway. her eyes widen slightly when she spots me, and she immediately drops a tease. “oh! peter, you didn't tell me you were bringing home a girl. did you at least clean your room for once?”

peter literally groans out loud, burying his face directly into his hands. “may, please, oh my god, stop, we just got here.”

i decide to play along, grinning at may. “honestly, he’s been bragging about a lego death star all day, i had to come over and check if it was actually real.”

“hey! i wasn’t bragging, i was just stating facts!” peter whines, his voice cracking slightly in pure embarrassment as he drags his feet down the hallway, leading me toward his bedroom. may just laughs behind us, calling out that she’ll leave us to our movie.

his room is small, packed with science books, old tech pieces, and right there on a desk is the massive lego death star. it’s incredible. after i properly admire it, peter pops the movie into his tv and we look at the bed. because his room is so tiny, it’s the only place to sit.

at first, we sit on completely opposite sides of the mattress, a comfortable but slightly tense distance between us. we subtly drift closer and closer until our shoulders are touching. eventually, a wave of exhaustion hits me from such a long first day of school. i let out a tiny yawn and, without really thinking, let my head drop right onto his shoulder.

peter freezes completely. i can feel his whole body stiffen up like a board, his breathing hitching. but after a few seconds, he slowly relaxes, melting into the touch. he shifts his weight, carefully wrapping his arm around my shoulder and pulling me down so i’m resting comfortably against his chest. the rhythmic beating of his heart is so soothing, and he smells so incredibly good—like clean laundry and wood—that within minutes, i completely drift off to sleep.

[peter’s pov]

i stare up at the ceiling, barely breathing because i’m absolutely terrified of waking her up. y/n was completely asleep on my chest, her soft breaths warm against my t-shirt.

my heart is hammering so loudly i’m genuinely worried she might hear it. i look down at her face, completely mesmerized by the way the hues from the tv screen reflected in her hair. it was crazy. it was literally day one. i had known this girl for less than eight hours, but as i feel the weight of her resting against me, a sudden, terrifying realization washed over me.

i’m in love. completely, utterly a goner. it had happened awfully fast, faster than anything ever should, but i knew for it myself—and i know there was no going back from this.

very carefully, trying not to move a single muscle, i slide my phone out of my jean pocket. i open my texts and furiously type to ned.

dude.

dude help me.

ned wake up i know you're sick but this is an emergency.

y/n is literally asleep on my chest right now. i am going to die. i am actually going to pass out. she is so perfect and i can't breathe.

[back to y/n’s pov]

the subtle vibration of peter’s phone against his chest woke me up. i didn’t move, keeping my eyes heavy, but as i barely squinted them open, my eyes landed directly on his phone screen. because we were sitting so close, i could see every single word he had just texted ned.

...she is so perfect and i can't breathe.

a massive wave of happiness rushed through my chest. he felt the same.

i let out a fake, sleepy sigh, pretending to stretch as i slowly looked up at him. in a quiet, groggy voice, i murmured, “you know i can see your screen, right?”

peter almost dropped his phone directly onto his own face. his eyes went wide as saucers and he fumbled with the device, frantically locking it. “i—uh—oh my god, y/n, i’m so sorry, i didn’t mean—i was just—it’s not what it looks like—”

he was panicking so hard it was adorable. instead of letting him suffer, i pushed myself up slightly, leaned forward, and planted a soft, lingering kiss right on his burning cheek.

peter silenced instantly, his jaw practically dropping as a violent blush took over his entire face. he looked so adorably clueless… i wanted to kiss him again.

but right in that exact second, my phone loudly buzzed on the nightstand. the beautiful romantic bubble instantly burst. i reached over and grabbed it, my heart dropping when i read the text from my mom: where are you? school ended over an hour ago. did something happen to you?

“oh no,” i muttered, a wave of anxiety hitting me. “oh, i gotta go. my mom is gonna kill me.”

“oh—okay! yeah, let me help you,” peter said, quickly jumping off the bed to help me gather my things. i grabbed my backpack, stuffing my notebook inside, and hurried toward the bedroom door.

peter was right behind me, reaching past me to hold the doorknob. but as i swung my backpack onto my shoulder, the strap caught on the handle of his closet door, pulling it wide open.

i turned around to unhook my bag, but my eyes immediately locked onto the inside of his closet.

there were no flannels or hoodies hanging on the center rack. instead, hanging casually on a hanger right in plain sight, was a skin-tight, bright red and blue spandex suit with a giant, dark black spider stamped right on the chest.

all the air i had basically left my lungs. i froze completely, my eyes going wide. i looked at the suit. i looked at peter, who had turned entirely pale, his mouth slightly open in sheer horror. i looked back at the suit.

“what the fuc—”

the end

summary: with ned home sick, y/n faces a one-on-one lunch with peter at the bleachers.

i’ve been nervously bouncing my foot up and down for what feels like the past hour in my ap calc class. i’ve also been waiting for a text from peter, which isn’t helping my anxiousness whatsoever. i can’t even reach out first because, being the idiot i am, i only put my info in his contacts but he didn’t give me his. like, how could i forget something that simple?

but anyways, it’s getting close to the end of the period. i would know that because i've been staring at the clock on the wall the whole time like a brain-dead zombie, waiting for any notification from peter. as i zone out some more about a whole bunch of things, i see my phone light up—not ding, because i'm in class and my phone needs to be on silent.

oh my god, it's from peter. okay, be calm, y/n. he’s just telling you where to meet up for lunch.

i read the message and it says: hey y/n :) ned left home early because he wasn’t feeling too well, looks like it’ll just be us at lunch if you're still down?!

woah, woah, woah, wait. i actually feel more nervous now. with ned, i felt calm and collected because he was genuinely easy to talk to, but peter is just as awkward as me, if not worse—and he’s cute, so my nerves are gonna be through the roof. but it’s okay, i'll suck it up and follow through anyway because i definitely don’t wanna be alone at lunch. plus, it’ll be nice being with peter one-on-one if the convo flows the way it’s supposed to.

i reply with: oh no :( i hope ned feels better soon and yes ofc i'll sit with you… where are we meeting?

he reads it instantly and types back, but the dots in the text bubble dance around the screen, then stop, and then return as he finally sends something the same time the dismissal bell rings loudly.

bleachers??

i reply with: okk i'm omw

as i finally make it to the bleachers after a pretty long walk, i see peter with his hands in his front jean pockets, smiling with his lips together. god, he’s so cute.

“hi, peter.”

“hi, y/n…” he clears his throat nervously, shoving his hands deeper into his pockets. “do you, uh, usually pack food? or are we hitting the cafeteria?”

“yeah, i actually pack my lunch,” i say, gesturing to my bag. “but if you need to grab some food, we can go to the cafeteria.”

“oh, no, no, no worries.” peter quickly shakes his head. “i just ate in my last period, so don’t worry.”

“oh, okay,” i reply, turning to head up to the very highest spot on the bleachers.

as i pull out my lunch that’s inside one of those cute tiny boxes with the separation dividers, i ask him, “so, what period did you have before this?”

he responds with, “english.”

“you take basic english?”

he nods back. “yeah, why?”

“i don’t know, you just seem kind of too smart to be taking just basic english… i'm taking ap lang, but then again, humanities are more of my strong suit rather than stem.”

“so why are you going to a stem school?” he laughs a bit while asking. i jab back, “hey! you can’t be talking since you're taking basic english, it should be the easiest subject for everyone.”

“it is not! i’m pretty good at science, but most people don’t like me because of it. i'm sort of a teacher's pet, or i just raise my hand and actually participate probably more than one should.”

i laugh at that, thinking to myself that i could so see him doing that.

while i'm taking a bite of my food, i hold out my hand to offer him one of my crunchy, delicious green grapes, but he politely shakes his head no, so i continue to pop it into my mouth.

he blurts out, “do you listen to music? well, obviously you listen to music, probably, because everyone does…”

i grin a bit. he chose a good topic to talk about because i could go on and on forever about music. “yep, i do. anything but country, honestly… i'm really into r&b and indie and pop… i'm really open-minded when it comes to music.”

“why not country?” he questions in a bit of a teasing voice.

i shrug and simply say, “it’s just not for me. it all sounds similar and i don’t want any part of it.”

he nods slowly in understanding. “fair enough.”

i smile back, and i'm feeling way more comfortable now than i did moments ago, so i ever-so-subtly scoot a little closer to him. our knees brush against each other. i'm most likely blushing right now, but i'm choosing not to care, because being with him right now is more important than anything else going on.

he starts digging his hand down inside his jacket pocket as he pulls out wired apple headphones. without speaking, he hands me one end of the headphones and raises a brow, asking me without words if i want to listen to whatever music he’s about to play. i nod and place it into my ear, which causes us to sit closer than ever before. we are practically hip-to-hip now, and i can feel the heat radiating off of him.

he also smells really, really good—like a boy, but not in a gross body odor way, but in a fresh, soapy, woody way. of course he would smell better than other boys. this guy has no flaws yet at all, and it’s scaring me into thinking i’m unfortunately getting my hopes up. what if he has a girlfriend? she’s probably super cool and goes to another school, like something artsy and hot, or maybe she’s absent today. who knows, but i’m going to lower my expectations.

the song that he’s been playing, i’ve never heard it before, but it's something i'd definitely hear somewhere in my indie sleaze playlist. once the song ends, i smile and nod approvingly. “i liked that son—”

“—would you wanna come to my house after school? me and ned were supposed to have a star wars movie marathon, but i don’t wanna get sick from him and i also don’t wanna rewatch it all alone. it’s only if you like star wars and would want to, of course—”

“—peter, i'd love to.”

we both exchange beaming smiles, and he says, “really? i was just being hopeful, really, because i know we only just met earlier today, but you mentioned not knowing anyone else here, so…” he shrugs, then continues, “if you don’t have any other plans, i think it could be… fun.”

“yeah, for sure. i mean, come on, who could pass up star wars?”

“right?! me and ned just finished up building the lego death star the other day. it was insane, it took us like seven hours but it totally paid off. i’ll need to show you, it’s in my room… me and ned kept arguing whether he should have it or me, because even though he bought it, i did like most of the work, really, an—” he trails off, looking sadder and more aware than seconds ago when he saw me listening. “sorry, i ramble a lot. it’s stupid.”

i look distraught and reassure him, “no, no, no, not at all, don’t worry! i was listening… i can’t wait to see it. i also really like building legos, too.”

he genuinely smiles and appears a bit flustered. “well then… i can’t wait to show you.”

as he plays more songs, we just sit there in peaceful silence, enjoying his perfectly curated playlist. but when he lifts his phone to check the time, he notices it’s a few minutes before lunch ends.

“we should, uh, start heading to our next classes. the bleachers here are pretty far from the rest of the school,” he continues. “but i’ll walk you to class? i-if you want.”

“yeah, that’d be great… thanks.”

as we walk around the outside of the school and back into the halls, i notice a few people give us looks. i couldn’t tell whether they were judgmental, or confused, or surprised, or whatever, but it was interesting being seen for once. especially when you're sharing headphones with a cute boy named peter who apparently gets made fun of a lot. maybe that’s the reason why people are staring, or it’s the fact that i'm brand new and they are trying to figure me out and why i'm walking with him, or how we got so close so fast.

anyways, he walks me back to my next class just in time. i really wish this wouldn’t end, but i'm gonna see him after school anyways, so i won't get too mopey about it. we exchange our goodbyes, and once i get settled in my seat in this class, i get a text from peter saying: meet me by the bleachers again when school ends, we can walk together to my place from there :)

p.s. i might make a pit stop at delmar’s deli but dw i'll be fast he knows my usual lol

huh… didn’t peter eat? that’s what he told me earlier at least.

i thought you ate in second period, you said?

the dots have been prancing for a while. hurry up, peter.

i didn’t… the cafeteria gets real crowded and i just wanted to sit there and be with you.

summary: y/n and peter bond over being charmingly awkward, leading to peter inviting her to hang out with him and ned at lunch.

“o-oh, that’s great! i wasn’t too sure if you were the same peter he mentioned when i talked to him earlier,” i continue to explain. “i asked him to help me find this classroom.”

peter appears visibly less tense as he adds on, “that’s cool… i’m glad he got you here.” his face contorts into a clear, self-deprecating expression as he mouths a confused “what?” to himself.

this kid is actually so awkward, but it’s honestly making me feel way better about myself.

“haha, thanks…” it’s a bit silent now, but only between us, because the rest of the class is interacting with each other. i decide to probably do more damage than i already have and keep talking to peter. “so, how long have you and ned been friends?”

he replies back instantly, “not too long, actually. i think it’s only been about two years, perhaps?” peter continues, “it feels like i’ve known him forever, basically, because it feels like we are never apart.” he chuckles a bit at his own comment.

i grin at that, understanding what that must feel like. “that’s good you’ve got a solid friendship, though… any advice on making friends here that you could give me?”

“you could always just… hang with us? o-only if you want to, of course.”

my eyes widen and i can feel my cheeks warm a bit. why do i have to be so awkward when it comes to social interaction! it also doesn’t help my case because peter is so perfectly adorable—and so my type. the more details i notice about peter, the better he gets. he seems a little too good to be true… especially since he’s offering to be friends when we have barely talked about anything.

“um… are you sure? that ned would be like, fine with that? i don’t wanna be like a third wheel or butt into the friendship or anythin—”

“—he won’t mind at all. we definitely need more friends; people call us losers to our face because we don’t talk to anyone else, sooo…”

i laugh a bit at that and he does too. “then yeah, i’d love to hang with you guys. do you meet up at a certain place at lunch, or what?”

“yeah! you’ll probably spot us pretty easily, but if you wanna meet up somewhere specific, we can.”

“meeting up is probably best for me since i’m totally lost on where everything is… do you have a phone, or—can i have your phone number?”

peter’s eyes widen and shift around once he hears my suggestion. “y-yeah! of course, let me just—” he opens his backpack that was on the chair beside him pretty aggressively. i’m assuming he’s looking for his phone.

he finally finds it and gives me a lopsided grin as he hands me his phone with the contacts app already open. i enter my phone number and type in my first name as well. i also tap on the profile icon and take a selfie of me doing kissy lips and a peace sign, so he has a contact picture of me. why did i even do that?

i hand him back his phone, and the corners of his mouth turn up seeing my contact information. “thank you… y/n. i’ll for sure text you before lunch. i can also make a group chat with ned in it if you wanna be in that…”

“yeah, sounds great!”

suddenly, mr. cobbwell cuts me off by announcing we can all pack our things up now because class will be dismissed soon.

“i’ll see you attt… 12:35? that’s when lunch is, right?”

peter chuckles a bit at my lack of knowledge of this school while he starts to stuff his supplies into his bag. “yes.”

then the bell rings loudly. as i get up to leave, i give a brief, polite wave before parting ways, and he returns one as well.