My second entry for #ChoicesCreates round 21: “What if...”
(see my first entry here)
Pairing: Jake x MC
Word Count: 745
Rating: T for language
MC was just waiting for Diego to come for their weekly best friend date. She wasn’t expecting for a surprise visitor to show up with an even more surprising offer.
@hollyashton @catsrtheboss
She padded over to the door of her one bedroom apartment, thinking Diego must have come early for their weekly movie-and-ice-cream-best-friend-date-night. She already had a pint of Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey in one hand.
She froze as she opened the door and saw who stood on the other side, a sheepish grin on his face.
"Hi there Princess."
She blinked at him. Words couldn't form. There, standing in the flesh, was the man she thought she would never see again after dropping him off in Costa Rica.
Wordlessly, she stepped back, an invitation for him to enter. She closed the door behind him.
"Got your address from Pop Culture Petey," he said quickly, "ran into him on campus and he told me where you live. Said he could give up a date night for this."
She put her ice cream back in the freezer and came back to the living room. She said nothing, and her usually expressive face was blank. Jake’s smile faltered.
“Look, Princess —“
Before he could finish whatever he was going to say, she had rushed to him in a passionate kiss. All the nerves that had built up in Jake momentarily disappeared as his hands found their familiar places, one in her hair and one on the small of her back, pulling her closer to him. When they pulled away, there were tears on both their faces.
“What the hell are you doing here, Jake McKenzie?” she demanded, though there was a small smile on her face.
“Damn Princess, hold on, let me catch my breath before you interrogate me.”
She crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently, smirking.
“Thought it was pretty obvious why I’m here,” he said. “I’m here for you.”
“Me?” she raised an inquisitive brow.
“Yes, you Princess, don’t act dumb,” Jake rolled his eyes. “You know damn well, that I’m here because of you.”
“I know, but it’s still nice to hear coming out of your mouth, Hot Stuff.”
“You’re killing me, Princess.”
“But what are you doing here, Jake? Aren’t you wanted? Is it even safe to be here?”
“Yes,” he said. “And probably not. But I just…”
He ran his hand through his hair.
“Look, I know all this shit that’s happened between us has been so fast but when you left me in Costa Rica, I thought I could move on. Cause you deserve better than me, and don’t you try and argue, we both know that’s damn true. But all the beaches, and all the whiskey, and all the flight time in the world… couldn’t let me forget you.”
“Jake…”
“Wait, let me finish. I just gotta… I gotta explain. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you, Princess. You changed my goddamn life, and there wasn’t a thing I could do about it. So I guess I did something stupid, and risked everything to come back here, to find you, because…” He paused and looked her straight in the eye. “I am so in love with you, Princess.”
“I’m in love with you too, Hot Stuff,” she smiled.
“And I came here because I want us to be together,” he continued, a stupid grin on his face. “So I wanna propose something to you. Don’t worry, I don’t have a ring in my pocket or anything. But I’ve been thinking, pretty much ever since you dropped me off in Costa Rica… what if… what if we ran away together?”
“What?” she asked incredulously.
“Run away with me, Princess,” he repeated. “We can pack up and go wherever you want. Just you, and me, and the whole wide world ahead of us.”
“I’m not trying to tie you down, or anything, but if we were to stay together, Princess, I promise you the world. We can see everything, or settle down with a house on the bay if that’s what you want,” he kept going, noting her hesitancy. “All I know is that you and me together… we could have a great life together. I just… I can’t stay here. I wish I could, I wish I could give you a normal life, but I can’t, and it kills me.”
She looked at him with tearful eyes as the thought settled in with her. Run away with Jake?
“So what do you say, Princess?” he asked hopefully. “I’ve got a charter plane at an airstrip, ready to take off when you are. Will you run away with me?”
“We can meet in the middle,
Bodies and souls collide,
Dance in the moment,
When all the stars align
For you and I
For you and I”
- You and I by PVRIS (the music video has some flashing images/lights in it like most of their other videos so be careful)
Book: The Royal Romance (Book One)
Pairing: Maxwell x MC
Word Count: 2,091 words!!!!
Summary: The stars align for MC and Maxwell on the night of the Coronation Ball
Warnings: Some swearing so M for mature! also it might make you sad, sorry!
Notes: This is for this week’s choices creates, which has the prompt of movement of the stars. And as a big space nerd, this is my kinda prompt :D The song I used for the title makes me think of a couple who have been trying to be together for so long but the universe is always against them, and then one night, the stars align, and they can finally be together, even if it’s just for that one night. And idk about you guys, but to me, that just pERFECTLY describes Maxwell x MC, so here we are! also pvris are so good check them out, and they have a new album which just came out on Friday!!! (and i need to listen to it)
Also, shoutout to @gayforgayle, who requested a fic where Maxwell and MC dance to So Close from Enchanted together, and I had to oblige, so look forward to reading that in this fic!
@hollyashton & @alwaysanotheroc
“Uh, Maxwell?” I ask as he leads me through the palace gardens. It was late in the evening, and a few stars were appearing in the night sky. Normally the gardens were quiet, but as it was the night of the Coronation Ball, they were full of nobles and press trying to gain an exclusive story about who the Prince would choose before anyone else did. “Where are you taking me?” As I was one of Prince Liam’s suitors (even though I was no where near as excited about it as everyone else, as I didn’t even love Liam), I had spent most of the night talking to nobles, and trying not to die of boredom. That was where Maxwell came in.
He had approached me at the ball, and offered to take me out of the ballroom to hang out, explaining that I looked a little tired, and that I could use a break. Of course, I graciously accepted. And so, here I was. Being lead through the palace gardens by Maxwell, with no idea where we were going, and hoping that wherever we went, I got there in one piece. Knowing Maxwell for as long as I had, that was a legitimate worry. I loved him, but he was clumsy and impulsive.
“Don’t worry. We’re almost there.” He replies, peering around the palace wall.
“Yes, but-” I begin, but he cuts me off, turning back to face me.
“Don’t worry. I promise I’ll have you back before midnight, princess.” He smiles at me. My cheeks flush. Maxwell reaches over and holds out his hand. “We have to run now to avoid the press. Do you trust me?” Without a doubt. I nod, placing my hand in his. “Okay...three...two...one!” And then, the two of us set off, running through the gardens together. As we run, I feel my hastily constructed up do falling out, and I almost step on the hem of my dress a few times, but I don’t care. If I was back in the palace, I would care, because everybody would be looking at me, and I’d feel so self conscious and embarrassed. But with Maxwell, it was different. I could be myself, the totally unladylike commoner that I was, around him, and he gave me a sense of freedom that nobody, not even Drake, could provide. It was part of the reason why I loved him so much.
Maxwell and I run hand in hand for a while, laughing, until we reach a maze. Without even stopping, Maxwell walks through the entrance, pulling me along with him.
“Maxwell? Are you sure you know where we’re going?” I ask as we walk through the maze, and he seemingly picks the way to go without a second thought. Maxwell stops.
“Do you not trust me anymore? I’m hurt!” He places his free hand over his heart. “I told you little blossom, don’t worry.” I start smiling. He gave me that nickname weeks ago, when we were at the Apple Blossom Festival. He probably meant it as a one off nickname, but I loved it so much that it stuck. “I used to come here all the time when I was at the palace.” He squeezes my hand. “Don’t worry. You’re safe with me little blossom." He smiles down at me, before we set off again. Sure enough, we reach the centre of the maze without any problems. “See! And you didn’t even trust me!” He feigns being hurt.
“Fine. I’m sorry Maxwell.” I giggle, knowing he was just teasing. He shakes his head.
“Nuh-uh. You’re laughing! Apology not accepted!” He lets go of my hand and crosses his arms. “You have to do better.” Rolling my eyes, I stand on my tiptoes and press my lips to his cheek. Maxwell’s mouth drops open, and his eyes widen.
“I’m sorry Lord Beaumont.” I tell him. “Is that better?”
“Oh..uh..y-yeah, apology accepted.” He stammers, making me giggle. "So, how about we grab a seat over here, next to the fountain?” He asks. I nod, and the two of us sit down. Suddenly, the importance of the night weighs down on me again. Tonight, I might be chosen to be Prince Liam’s bride. I’d be the Queen of Cordonia...me! Just a waitress from New York, in charge of a country...with all these new responsibilities. Of course, if I was picked, I’d have Liam beside me, but I- “You okay?” Maxwell asks, cutting off my thoughts. He looks over at me, his blue eyes filled with concern. But I didn’t want to be picked. I wanted someone else.
“Oh, um...yeah, I’m fine.” I lie. Maxwell raises an eyebrow.
“Don’t lie to me little blossom. You’re an awful liar. I know something is wrong.” He reaches over and squeezes my hand. “Tell me. It’s okay.” I sigh.
“Maxwell...I’m scared. Scared of all these responsibilities and burdens that I might have to face and I-”
“Oh that’s understandable!” He butts in, talking over me. “But don’t worry because I know you-”
“Don’t want to be Queen.”
“Will be a great Queen.” Maxwell and I finish our sentences at the same time. He’s silent for a minute, taking in what I said. “You...what?” He asks.
“I’m sorry Maxwell.” I shake my head. “I just can’t. I can’t be the Queen of a Country when I don’t even want to be one, and I know it’s awful because I need to be Queen, and I need to win to help you and Bertrand survive but I just can’t!” I stand up from the bench and walk towards the corner of the maze. Tears spill from my cheeks. “And I can’t say yes to Liam, when I’m in love with someone else.”
“You’re what?” He asks from behind me, making me jump and spin around.
“I’m in love with someone else Maxwell.” I admit. “I truly am.” I had brought it up a few weeks ago, but Maxwell brushed it off to me being confused due to the social season, and he told me that I couldn’t trust how I felt. But I knew it was true. Even more so now.
“Who?” He demands. “Who is it? Hana?” I shake my head. “Drake?” I shake it again. “Oh god.” He suddenly groans and I think he knows who I mean, until he exclaims: “Oh god, please tell me you’re not in love with my brother.” I frown, and he flashes red. “I-It’s not Bertrand is it?”
“No...it’s you Maxwell.” I admit. Maxwell stands there, staring at me. “I want you to know that I don’t expect you to love me back, and that I don’t think you do...But I just had to tell you.” Maxwell still doesn’t say anything. “Say something...please.” I chuckle nervously. Maxwell just stands there in silence, until:
“I-I can’t...” He begins. That’s enough for me.
“Look Maxwell, it’s obvious you don’t feel the same, so I’ll just go back to New York and we can-” I’m cut off by Maxwell pulling me closer.
“I was going to say, I can’t believe how long I’ve waited to hear you say that.” He tells me. And then, he bends his head down....and kisses me. Shocked, it takes me a moment to react. Holy shit, Maxwell is kissing me. Maxwell Beaumont is kissing me. I then decide to shut up and kiss back.
“Wait..what about the coronation? They’ll be wondering where we went.” I ask, breaking apart.
“Oh, fuck the coronation.” Maxwell responds. “Liam’s a nice guy, but fuck, I’m fed up of hearing about it.”
“Me too.” I agree. And then, our lips are back on each other’s.
~~~~
“Maxwell?” I ask. The two of us had abandoned the coronation a long time ago, and were sitting on the bench again. My head was on Maxwell’s shoulder and his arm was around my waist.
“Hm?”
“What’s going to happen to us? I mean, you’re going to be bankrupt because of me abandoning the competition, and Bertrand isn’t going to be happy about us being together either. Maybe it’d be better if I just left and went back home to New York, like this never even happened. It’s like the universe is against us.”
“Don’t say that!” Maxwell protests. “I mean, sure, Bertrand might take a little...convincing, and we’d need to be a bit more frugal for another few years. But the way I see it isn’t so bad. Because right now I’m under the stars with a beautiful girl, who just told me she loves me as much as I love her. And I feel like the stars have aligned just for us right now, because oh man she’s a special one. And I never, ever thought I’d be sitting here with her right now.” I smile. “She’s smart, she’s kind, she’s funny, she’s just...perfect. And even though she doesn’t want to be a Queen, she’s one to me. And maybe we’re going to run into trouble before our happily ever after, but if it means I’m going to be with her for the rest of my life...I’ll take those odds.”
“Oh Maxwell...” I sniffle. Nobody had ever said things like that about me before. He unwraps his arm from my waist and stands up, holding out his hand to me.
“May I have this dance, my lady?” I take his hand and stand up. He begins to play some music on his phone, before he pulls me close. His free hand goes around my waist. My free hand goes on his shoulder.
click here.
You're in my arms, and all the world is calm.
The music playing on for only two.
So close, together.
And when I'm with you
So close, to feeling alive.
A life goes by,
Romantic dreams must die.
So I bid my goodbye
And never knew.
So close, was waiting,
Waiting here with you.
And now, forever, I know
All that I wanted
to hold you so close.
Maxwell and I begin to waltz to the music. As we dance, I remember being back in Olivia’s estate, when we danced together for the first time. I think that was the first time I realised that I have feelings for Maxwell. But of course, he was my sponsor, and I was in the runnings to win the heart of a Prince. It wasn’t like I could just drop everything and be with him. So instead, I kept pining for him.
So close to reaching
That famous happy end.
Almost believing
This one's not pretend.
And now you're beside me,
And look how far we've come.
So far we are. So close...
Whenever I spent time with Liam, waltzing, playing croquet or even just having a fancy dinner, I wished I was with Maxwell. And I daydreamed about what would happen if things were different, if Liam was more likely to choose Olivia or Madeline than me, would Maxwell and I be together? Would Bertrand be more accepting? Or would we run back to New York and elope? But now I didn’t have to daydream anymore. Because here I was...dancing with Maxwell, after we confessed our love for each other.
“What are you thinking about?” Maxwell asks, twirling me under his arm.
“About when we danced together in Olivia’s estate. That was the first time I realised I had feelings for you.”
“For me it was much sooner than that. Probably a week or so after I met you for the first time. I would’ve said something, but I was too scared that you didn’t like me. I mean, there was Liam! A prince! Whilst I was just a bankrupt Lord.” He explains. I lean over and gently kiss his lips.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” I smile. Maxwell smiles back.
“And look at us now.”
Oh how could I face the faceless days
If I should lose you now?
We're so close to reaching
that famous happy end,
And almost believing,
this one's not pretend.
“But we still have a long way to go.” I remind him, sighing. “There’s Liam, Bertrand, the press and-”
“Hey, hey.” Maxwell stops you, pulling me even closer. He kisses my forehead. “Let’s not worry about that just now. Right now, I just want to dance with you.”
“I can do that.” I nod. Maxwell wraps his arms around me, and the two of us sway til the song ends. And in that moment, I believed that maybe, just maybe, we would turn out alright.
Let's go on dreaming
for we know we are...
so close, so close
and still so far...
I know the last round of drama was brutal. I remember as it started I was noticing that holly-park (hollyashton) was involved yet again, and I was curious as to what the outcome would be. I certainly wasn’t expecting her to leave, but I suppose when you have people going for you left right and centre it’s a logical move. I’m going to miss her in a way, not just because she provided a lot of content and inspired helpful debate about how we should write/draw/treat minorities, but also because she wanted peace in the fandom. Even though some may say it wasn’t the best way of going about it, she did give many people the motivation to speak up about how they felt about things, whether it be the cost of diamond choices, the Kaitlyn discourse, or the accurate representation of characters such as Zig and Sean.
And it’ll be interesting having discourse from this point on. I’m not sure whether this will make people back off or keep on calling out things, and I know there probably won’t be such big platforms for discourse. The good news is that the other big blogs in the fandom (such as @justapapercut, and @queenvalgreaves) will probably be working on uniting people in the fandom or making sure a situation like this won’t happen again, where a Big Name Figure (bnf) keeps sparking controversy without rectifying the problems from previous controversy.
I hope Holly does okay in the future, and that the fandom in general can walk away from this experience with knowledge for if there is a next time.
Pairing: Jake X Female!MC (Myra)
Rating: PG-13 (Just to be safe)
Words: 1,011
Tagging: @hollyashton and @alwaysanotheroc
Summary: Myra feels heavy with the burden of witnessing her friends’ futures. But Jake has a solution for her.
A/N: Written for #ChoicesCreates24 Prompt: Movement of the Stars. This is my first ever work in the Choices fandom, and I am nervous. I hope it’s alright. Also, I am assuming, just for this one-shot, that the stars in the La Huerta skies move, just as the normal stars in our normal world do. Can’t be seen by the naked eye that much, but they are constantly moving. I think? Ugh. I am terrible at this. Please keep reading.
Everyone gathered around the fire the Vaanti have built, Taari dancing around it with the other Vaanti kids, Seraxa being forced to dance with them, and her friends briefly forgetting the dire situation they’re all in and having the time of their lives – all of this should make her happy. It should make her want to join in, sing (with terribly pitch) and playfully irritate Michelle. At the very least, it should make her feel safe, just for the time being.
But Myra was feeling far from that. The idols she had collected, the pasts, and the futures of her friends she had witness was rather…off-putting. As her eyes fell on each of the face that has now become so familiar it hurt, she only remembered what they had been through, and what they are possibly going to go through. It has already happened with Quinn. How long more till the next one went down? What was she going to do then to save them? Will she even be able to save them on time?
Suddenly, she was struggling to breath. With a meek excuse, Myra got to her feet and scurried away before anyone noticed her. She found a small clearing, thankfully void of any Vaanti, human, or ice fox, and she took a seat in the wet grass patch. With a sigh, she lay back, staring up at the sky. She lay there for quite some time, hoping if she stared at the stars and the constellations long enough, the uncomfortable heaviness on her heart, and mind, would at least decrease, if not cease to exist.
Tough luck.
Myra took a deep breath, and was just about to get up and return to her friends before they got worried, when she heard him.
“Got tired of us already, Princess?”
With a chuckle, she looked to her right to see Jake already lying down next to her, so that he was soon face to face with her.
“With the way you were singing, I was surprised I lasted that long before I had to get away,” she quipped back, and Jake snorted.
“Alright, alright. I should’ve warned you about my raucous vocal chords beforehand, but it’s too late now, Princess. You are stuck with me,” he pointed out. With that, he slipped an arm under her back and pulled her to him, so that her head was resting on his chest.
Smiling, Myra snuggled in a little more, and stared up at the sky, her head now rising and falling with every breath Jake took.
“Everythin’ alright, Myra?” Jake asked after a few long moments of silence, and Myra felt herself blink in surprise.
“I…yeah. As alright as it can be given the circumstances,” she tried to joke, but it didn’t seem like Jake was buying her lie.
“I am not going to force you to tell me anything you don’t want to say…but I am here. If there is anything you want to share, at any point, I am here,” he whispered, and the resolution in his voice almost made her break down then and there. If only he had seen what she had seen. If only he had seen the graves…
Not trusting herself to speak, Myra only nodded her head.
They stayed that where for a long time, before Jake spoke again.
“You know, back when I was younger, I used to do this thing every time I was upset: I’d look up at the stars, think really hard about my problems for a minute or two, and then close my eyes. When I open my eyes again, I felt better,” he shared.
“Why do you do that?” Myra asked him, genuinely curious. And pleasantly surprised at how adorable that memory was.
“The stars, they always move, right? Constantly. So, when you focus all of your problems on one star, eventually, it takes your problems far, far away from you. Out into the space. Your problem is gone. Poof,” he simply said, shrugging.
“…Jake, that’s not the way to deal with your problems.”
“Yeah, yeah…I know. Stand up, be a man, face your problems, blah blah blah…”
Myra buried her face in his chest and laughed silently, failing to notice the smile on Jake’s face.
“I mean, as a kid, it worked well. And I sorta followed through with it over the years,” Jake went on to explain. “Every time I was nervous about exams, or relationships, or flying for the first time…I literally wished my problems away, along with the stars. And, well, as far as I’m concerned…they take ‘em away. It was just a coping mechanism, y’know. When I was young.”
Myra shifted, resting her chin on his chest to look at him. He was looking into the night sky, focusing hard on just one particular spot.
“Are you doing that now?” Myra whispered.
“…No.”
She burst out laughing again, and leaned in to press her lips against his softly.
“Let’s do that together, then. Let’s dump our problems on one star, and let it take it away,” Myra offered, sitting up and forcing him to do so as well. Her eyes flitted across the night sky before settling on one bright star, one that looked big enough to withstand all of her troubles.
And with her hand in his, she focused on the star, pouring all of her doubts and fears of their future, her friends, their lives, into that one, bright star. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and when she opened her eyes again, she was looking into Jake’s bright, blue ones.
“Poof,” he whispered, his lips curving into an uncharacteristic, yet warm and gentle smile.
“Poof,” Myra repeated, truly feeling much, much lighter than she has in the past few days.
As both of them leaned in for a kiss again, at the back of her mind, Myra was still very aware of the looming dangers that awaited each and every one of her friends and herself. But perhaps, just for tonight, she’d let the stars carry her troubles away.
#Choicescreates22 prompt: Animals (I couldn't think of anything with ACTUAL animals so I just went with the word!)
James x MC in the Sophomore
“You guys are a bunch of animals!” Becca yells from the kitchen as you and the other roommate clean up after last nights big party. You were on living room duty and were just finishing up when James came in through the front door. "Hey Babe!" his face lights up as he sees you. He gives you a small kiss on the cheek.
"Hey. What's going on?"
"Oh, nothing. I just came by to see if you were going to have that article done today."
"I will try my best Mr. Ashton. I've been a little busy cleaning up after a bunch of crazy college students." you answer somewhat facetiously, leaving it unclear if you were joking or not.
"Ok. Do you need some help?.. with the cleaning or with the article?"
"No. I've just finished my part of the cleaning and I was planning on finishing up the article right now."
"Ok... are you ok? You seem a little..." he tiptoes to avoid angering you.
"I'm fine. I'm sorry. I guess I'm just a little hungover." you move forward to kiss him. He smiles and replies, "well if you don't mind, I brought my laptop, I thought we could do some work here. I can help with the article or just work on my own stuff, if you want. I just wanted to hang out with you."
"I don't mind." He pulls his laptop out of his bag with some file folders and gets comfortable on the sofa. You go clean up in the bathroom, grab your laptop and sit down next to him.
After several minutes of writing, deleting, writing, heavy sighing, deleting and more writing and sighing, you toss your head back onto the couch cushion and James looks up from his own work. "What's going on baby? Writers block?"
"Hmm? Oh yeah. I guess. I'm just not in a writing mood. But I need to get this done for the paper. I’ll figure it out. Don't worry."
He grabs your hand and turns towards you, "Is something else going on?"
You look into his eyes and think about being honest with him but then decide that now is not the time. Not yet. Not until you find out the truth about what's going on. You smile faintly, "No. I'm fine. Just hungover and tired probably. I'll be fine."
"Ok. Well let me know if you need a distraction." He winks and then heads back into his work.
You make sure James can’t see your screen and you switch tabs to re-read an email you received early this morning.
MC- I hope this finds you well and I’m sure you were not expecting to hear from me however, I have some concerns I would like to share with you. I would appreciate it if you would keep this from James as he has a tendency to blows such things out of proportion. I don’t know if James has shared this with you or not, but he was given a lucrative job opportunity here in Manhattan. His father and I have been trying to convince him that it is in his best interest to accept this offer but he refuses to do so. His reason for this is… you. As you are probably aware, his father and I were not.. happy with his decision to be a writer, but we have come to accept it and still want what is best for our son. This offer would be the best for all of us. One of his plays was picked up here in New York and he was even asked to help direct the play! However, because of your relationship, and I guess about something that happened when he went to California, he is stalling and evidently won’t even bring it up to you. I’ve been speaking with Reyna about this. You know Reyna, right? She has given me some insight into what James could possibly be thinking however, it just seems unnecessary to avoid this offer. She's a bright young woman with a lot of potential. I think she came into James' life exactly when he needed her the most. I don’t know what your plans are after leaving school but I hope that you don’t unwittingly stand in the way of James pursuing his future.. his dreams, just so you can ‘hang out’ until you are done with school. James has a bright future ahead of him. I am asking you to let him go. It is the only way I can foresee him coming to New York. He won’t do it as long as you are in his life. If you truly care for him, I hope that you see that there is so much more out here for him than what you are able to offer. I'm not saying this to be mean spirited. I know that you care for my son, but I'm also looking out for his best interest. Please think about what I have shared with you and make the right decision. Best Regards - Olivia Ashton
I just wanted to say hi, and that this Tumblr is a place for me to put Zig based fan fiction (I may have other characters depending on #ChoiceCreates prompts) and for Choices: Stories You Play themed comedic writing! Hope you all enjoy! :)
