adora wasn’t used to being patient. everything she could ever possibly desire had been handed to her on a golden platter, as soon as the thought materialized in her pretty little head. however, from the moment she’d met ansem as a mere baby, to the day she’d realized almost two decades later that she possessed feelings that were akin to something more than friendship for the wizard, she had to practice the art. one that was most unfamiliar to her.
from early june, realizing that it’d be inappropriate to allow him to kiss her without her parents approval; to early july, getting permission for him to court her; in early august, when they’d both returned from their separate globetrotting adventures. he, for work, and she, for pleasure. them going on their first proper date and attempting to assimilate the wizard, and witch, they knew before, and who they were to be to each other now…
well, adora could wait. she could be patient.
the bluenette could practice this art in september, along with her magical theatrical studies, when ansem failed to not only let her know he was alive after the attacks, but to also make her feel alive. with a kiss, just like in the fairytales she so loved to read. in october, she found herself thinking about kisses even more. at the wizarding academy of dramatic arts, for public production preparation 101, she had to go after the most prized roles. a lot of them involved immersing herself in roles involving romance. she dodged practicing certain scenes with a grace only adora de la fuente could possess. it felt wrong to kiss someone else before she’d kissed the person she really wanted to, even if it was just make believe.
of course, this wasn’t the only thing on her mind. adora dulce estela hasna yesenia de la fuente de garcia, spending all of her time, thinking about one topic? por favor! she was annoyed to have been switched from living in her town home in golden pine, enchanted to be much larger inside, to one of the many estates the de la fuentes owned. it was a safety precaution with the masked miscreants running amok, robbing the rich and poor. she understood, but still! annoying. in any case, her new temporary home was in the english countryside, and was named easton manor.
easton, in old english, meant “island of stones,“ which was exactly what would rain down on anyone who would try to enter the grounds uninvited. don’t believe it? well, it’s your death. the roof was all pale blue, with gold details. autumn had taken hostage of the gardens and the trees; red, orange, yellow. the colors were fruits for the eyes to feast on.
a member of the de garcia family, fiorella, was staying with her for the time being. it’d been her mother’s idea to soothe her husband’s worries, and thus, one of her many cousins from grand papi de garcia’s side had promptly been chosen to watch her. the white hispanic witch stuck to adora like glue when she wasn’t in class, and it wasn’t because fernando demanded she watch out for her virtue. she was a social climber. plain. and. simple. who had the wanderlust bug much like most of her family. this was a free vacation.
that didn’t mean she didn’t take her role seriously.
“ay, adora.” fifi tutted from where she was sprawled out on adora’s enchanted hovering chaise lounge. she asked her if she was going out without her in french. she switched between spanish and french often, having attended beauxbatons. “no,” adora said, pinching her cheeks as she looked in the mirror. she caught a whiff of vanilla suddenly. ansem was near.
“ayy!” she told her fifi to make herself scarce, rolling her eyes once she was out of the room. oh, how she wished catalina was on good terms with her family. it’d be her here instead. she’d understand.
adora flipped a strand out of her doe eyes as she descended the stairs, anxious to take ansem in fully. “oh, cállate,” she teased him.
she pressed her cheek to his left. she pulled back a couple inches, her long lashes fluttering as she got drowned in a sea of blue. adora had almost forgotten how startlingly vibrant his eyes could be, though it’s not like she ever stood this close to admire them. she almost forgot to press her cheek to the other side of his face in greeting. typical customs. typical adora. yet, somehow it felt new. everything did, kisses or not.
she giggled suddenly, tearing her eyes away, which had turned ochre from a ray of sunlight peaking in from a close by window. “let us… walk?” she asked, inclining her head towards the gardens. her question was spoken in a voice soft like cashmere, at a volume that made you want to lean in to hear more, but that could’ve had more to do with the swan like beauty who’d voiced the words to begin with. adora didn’t wait for an answer. she didn’t want to give fifi a chance to shake off her laziness and traipse behind them. her cloak glittered as she swept it out with her arm, it then dragging across the floor behind her.
“i want to hear all about what i’ve missed.”
" is it too corny to say you ? “ he practically winced at the words, though knew that the sentiment was true. ansem wasn’t known for being the most eloquent with his words; it was frequently that he stumbled over them, in a hurry to get them all out lest he lose his nerve or forget what he was trying to say to begin with. in all of his travels, while he’d missed the comforts of his home, or unbridled access to chips from the wix who sold them frequently at a local wizarding farmers market nearby his flat, it was adora he’d missed most. while he’d owl’d her as frequently as he could, it was a poor replacement for the real thing. he’d missed seeing the sparkle in her eyes, the lilt to her laughter, and the way his heart always seemed to forget how to function whenever she was in his proximity. “ i stand by my statement even if it is. “
as they retired outside, ansem’s hand instinctively gravitated towards hers. sometimes it was a foreign concept that he could do that -- he could take her hand, thread their fingers together, press a kiss against the back of her hand. he could do all of those things. he’d spent so long wondering if the day would ever come and now that it was here, he was constantly left in disbelief. even now, months later, the warm and fuzzy feeling flooded his synapses whenever he took her hand. he talked about some of the highlights of his trips, leaving out the details he’d already mentioned in his owls. he also omitted some of the more dangerous bits and times when he’d nearly gotten himself into trouble ( dragon hide gloves didn’t protect you from EVERY magical substance, it would seem !! ) to neatly sum up the time they’d spent away from each other.
around them, the gardens had blossomed into a truly breathtaking area. as they walked along the path, his gaze infrequently soaked in the elaborate grounds that surrounding adora’s new home. ansem had never had much of a green thumb himself, having been attacked by spiky bushes at warbeck manor when he got too close, but he always appreciated the painstaking efforts that wix put into their property. “ i noticed you have company. “ he commented when they approached a bench, motioning for her to sit down before he joined her. “ one of your cousins, right ? i don’t remember her name. “ the de la fuente family was large -- on both sides of her family, maternal and paternal. it was a far cry from the warbeck family whose lineage could be mapped out easily on two hands. there were two factions, each that didn’t speak to the others. it made holidays easy, at least. “ i need the updates ! i feel like i’ve missed so much. “
「 ✨ ansem has mentioned a canon object x8. 」