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suffering-and-happy-about-it · 2 years

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An Unlicensed Therapist (A Steven Grant One-Shot)

Description: Your life was simply too good to be true - a bunch of the best friends on the planet, a job in one of the best attorney offices in Manhattan, and a nice guy you were seeing. But one day, your best friend Carly suddenly decides to get married to her boyfriend of five years... And that was when you felt like your life was crumbling apart.

Prompt: You are the maid of honor at your best friend's wedding, but you are single and sad about having to attend solo. Stressed and grumpy on the long flight there, you have a few too many drinks and pass out, drooling, on the shoulder of your seatmate. When you arrive at the destination, you are mortified to discover that your handsome seatmate is the best man.

A/N: Yes, I am mentioning the Jen Walters (She-Hulk (2022)) and it's because I really love her character (Tatiana is slaying!). Also, don't worry, Marc will be present. This is more of a bridge to get me back into writing because I feel like I've been slacking in this department in the last few months and I'm not really having fun with the series I'm writing for atm and I was relentlessly dragged into the MK fandom by my one and only, @missdictatorme. This is for you baby.

Pairing: None, really but Steven Grant x fem!reader, I suppose?

Word count: 5.1 K

Warnings: Well, the reader getting drunk and pouty, Marc coming off a bit of an angsty bitch at first, me hoping I didn't screw it up, break up and besties cheering each other up.

The plane around you was fucking crowded. More than that. According to the plan Carly had sent you via e-mail, your seat was located in the very front of the craft. As you walked through the small row between the seats, bumping into other passengers either with your bag or ass, you could feel the sadness and anxiety spiking in your chest. How did you even get into this mess of a situation? Well, to understand it, you had to travel back in time. Not for much, just two weeks' worth of it.

Two weeks ago:

To be honest, you were fucking tired. It was only Monday and were barely standing on your feet with how fucking tired you were. With big trouble, you barely slipped out of your high heels as you hung your keychain on the stand, balancing your cold coffee in your other palm. Taking a long breath, you finally stood in the small hall of your dark apartment, stretching your neck. It felt like you hadn't found a moment to simply catch a breath, sit down, and relax in the last few weeks, whether it was the weekend or labor day. Truth be told, the situation was pretty tense in the attorney's office you working at - you and all the other concipients were working harder than a pocket watch, trying to help all of your attorneys out. Even the lawyers themselves were pretty much clueless when it came to this particular case. Well, clueless wasn't the right word to use, but they were somewhat hesitant to propose any specific steps. This was something that rarely happened at Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Holliway, GLK/H, or GLK&H for short.

So yeah. Your work life was pretty stressful at that time. With a long breath, you decided to sit down at the dinner table while going through the post you were carrying from downstairs - without a second thought, you swung your feet onto the chair next to you, pouring yourself a big glass of wine while looking at all of the envelopes. There were a few interesting ones that caught your attention - one of which was your mother sending you a postcard from New Mexico (where she was vacating at the time), a few leaflets from your favorite boutiques across Manhattan (where you shopped when you wanted to look fancy for a work occasion or a formal one) and the last one was a small, pink envelope with a few hearts drawn all over it. Looking at the name of the sender, you realized it was your absolute best friend Carly who was sending you a letter. Not knowing why she did so (when she could literally pick up her phone and send you a text or call you), you picked a small knife and carefully opened it up... Realizing it was a wedding invitation.

For quite a bit, you stood still with the envelope in your palm and knife in the other, reading through it again and again, trying to understand if she was just fucking with you or was being serious. Your brain wasn't catching up, it seemed so. Sure, she and Kevin were an amazing couple (one of the sweetest you knew and one of which you introduced, in fact), but they never even spoke of proposing to one another - and suddenly, you were asked to be the maid of honor. Not too long after that, you were dancing your victory dance while dressed in your silky robe, a towel wrapped around your wet hair, a coal facial mask smudged all over your face, and Carly on the phone with you, explaining to you that this entire Hawaii wedding was a sudden, spontaneous idea.

Soon after, you got into all of the preparations, and let me emphasize that it wasn't exactly the most fun thing in the world - to make everything in your life work while simultaneously trying to create the perfect wedding. But honestly, you'd do anything for her. Now, on top of your very fucking stressful job, there was a whole wedding you helped to organize with the help of her mom and sister Aggie. At moments, you were thanking all the gods that you were specifically trained for chaos specifically (GLK&H was nothing more than chaos), otherwise, you wouldn't be able to compute the amount of information you needed to remember. While you were the one helping Carly with anything she asked you for, from making sure that everything will be prepared on time and according to her expectations, you were simultaneously helping her with picking the dress, the bouquet, the make-up, and... How did you manage not to get insane was beyond you.

At least you got some great help in the guest department and the bachelor and bachelorette parties - Kevin gave you his best man's number (to your surprise, the number was reserved for London) and let you two figure it out as a team. You never called each other, you never had a FaceTime or anything... You only sent each other texts and lengthy e-mails. The mysterious Steven, as the man introduced himself to you, was nice enough to check every e-mail you were about to send to the guests, the resort, or other agencies you were in contact with, and on top of that, he was making sure that there was everything in order. He honestly made everything so much easier for you. And voila, two weeks later, you had it all set in stone and sorted out - everything on your list was checked, and there was nothing left to do. Everything was to be absolutely perfect for the newlyweds... Shame the extended weekend wasn't about to be perfect for you.

The whole time you were pouring your heart into the preparations, you were sure that this guy you were seeing, Lucas, was about to be your date - sure, you weren't living with each other, but you were seeing one another on an almost daily basis and used to do all sorts of things together, sleepovers included. For the longest time, he presented himself as the prince charming you always hoped to meet one day. Lucas was very attentive and loved to spoil you; he stopped by the office on your lunch breaks just to bring you a coffee or lunch (and to tell you that he can't wait to hold you in his arms later that evening), he took you out and seemingly enjoyed doing even the most boring activities with you. Naturally, you assumed that prince charming was coming along. Who wouldn’t be up for a short vacay in Hawaii? It was a fucking dream coming true. Yet, just before you were about to drive off to the airport, he walked up to you, looked you in the eyes, and put his palm on your shoulder... And broke up with you. Imagine it. You were standing there with your mouth open, dressed in very tight cycling shorts and an oversized, ugly Hawaiian shirt (which you borrowed from Kevin) with an enormous straw hat on top of your head while this dreamy, almost too-good-to-be-true guy is holding your shoulder in his palm, telling you that it would never have worked anyway. That he was bored. That he had met someone else the other day. And that he fell for her, saying that he’s so sorry for not going with you to the wedding.

Well, you thought to yourself, fuck me, fuck him, and fuck this. You were in deep fucking trouble (not really, but you loved being dramatic). With your head held high, like the fighter you were, and your cheeks wet from tears, you drove yourself to the airport, telling yourself that you’ll make it the best wedding in the world nonetheless. Your ma didn't raise no quitter. You didn’t need a stupid man by your side to feel happy. You’ll just order enough margaritas to make yourself forget his face and if you’d be lucky enough and the known wedding superstition will come true, you’ll have the best man bending you over by this time tomorrow. In Hawaii.

Let’s say that this didn’t go as planned either; half an hour later, after going through the control of your luggage and ticket, you were sitting in the middle of the airport with an over-sized iced chocolate latté that had too much sugar in it with your headphones deep inside your ears, listening to Diana Ross and Jen’s voice on the phone. It was early Friday morning and you couldn’t call Carly to cry about what kind of son of a whore Lucas was (since it was literally her wedding weekend), Nikki wasn’t picking up and Jen was the only one who was most likely already up and getting ready for yet another day in the GLK&H. She was also one of the nicest and calmest people you’ve ever come across; you weren’t exactly besties, but you surely could call one another a friend.

Her phone was laying on her table as she put on her make-up, leaning into her mirror - so you could perfectly see each swoosh of her mascara and brush along with her forcing her double chin out just to make you giggle (since she quite literally didn’t have one). “Listen to me, Y/N.” - The woman said in a firm voice, putting her lipstick on while doing so. - “You are one of the most persistent, strongest, and stubborn people I’ve ever met. Like seriously, the office would fall apart in flames if there wasn’t for you and Nikki being our damn concipients. And I mean that. Like, without your constant hard work, information research, and cheering up, we’d be nothing - a hot pile of trash. You’re the driving force of GLK&H and don’t make some idiot make you feel otherwise, yeah?” - With that, she jolted, picked her phone up, and walked over to her closet.

“Yeah.” - You whined in a high-pitched voice, holding back the sob as you tried to dry the tears off your face. Your mascara was running all over your cheeks and the expression on your face was resembling a small child's who was throwing a tantrum, but Jen’s words made you genuinely feel better. So, you managed to crack a small, almost pathetic smile for her. “There is my tigress! Hello, I've missed you, sugar!” - She cheered, her voice filled with support. - “So, tell me now, will there be any handsome men that might take over Lucas’ spot, even for the weekend? You know how weddings go."

"Jen!" - You exclaimed with shock, laughing at what she had just said. This made her chuckle as well. - "I don't really know. It's gonna be a really small wedding, you know, just family and closest friends. And most of them seemed to be coupled anyway." "Then what about that Steven guy? He never mentioned he'd be having a date and from what you've told me, he made your life so much easier... And from the e-mails you've shown me that were sent by him, the guy really knows his grammar and is very polite. That's a promising start?" - Jen guessed, shrugging her shoulders as she pulled out a red turtleneck. She looked like a bombshell with that piece of clothing. - "You know what? Don't say anything, it'll be a surprise. What you gonna do on board the plane is that you'll order as much alcohol as you can. And trust me, girl, you'll have 10 hours to accomplish exactly that."

That happened two hours ago. Now, you were walking to your seat with your handbag, still dressed in that oversized monstrosity and very tight shorts while slowly moving forward, waiting for all the passengers in front of you to find their seats or to simply sit down. Most of the attendees were flying over by the next flight, but you needed to arrive sooner to make sure everything will be prepared for them, taking all of the weight off Carly's shoulders. After fifteen minutes of awkwardly standing around, you finally managed to walk to the front of the economy class, looking right at your seat - the problem was, there was a guy napping there already. Looking around nervously, you bit your bottom lip before bending over to him and shaking his shoulder nervously.

To be frank, the stranger was very handsome from what you could see. His black wavy hair was styled messily, there was a visible stubble on his cheeks contrasting the soft, rosy lips. The features of his face were giving you some kind of Spanish teacher on high school vibes - you liked the curve of his nose and his dark brown, sleepy eyes as he tried to wake up. "I'm really sorry but I'm dying to get on my seat, sit down and let my legs rest. I was waiting in that line for a long time." - You explained quickly, pointing to the seat next to the window. The man turned his head around with confusion, looking at the seat and you before picking himself up in hurry. - "Sorry, miss. I've been dying to catch a bit of sleep, I'm on the plane since yesterday evening."

If you'd be in a better mindset, you'd immediately notice the thick British accent that you had just let slip past your radars altogether. You couldn't be bothered, to be honest, trying not to cry all the fucking time. Plus, the man was nice enough to apologize to you so there wasn't anything strange about it. "Off to Hawaii too, hm? What for?" - You asked while letting him help you with your luggage, slipping past him to sit down in your corner.

"My best mate's wedding. He finally decided to hit it off with a girl he's been seeing for the longest time, good for him." - The gentleman answered immediately, offering you his right palm to shake hands. He was holding your bag in the compartment with his left hand still. This piece of information would tell even the biggest idiot that the man standing right in front of you, the handsome gentleman, was the mysterious Steven you've been exchanging e-mails with for the past couple of weeks. But, apparently, your brain decided to take a vacay as well, leaving you and your stupid ass on your own. - "Name's Steven, in case I could be of any help. Could be useful since we'll be sitting next to each for the next ten hours." "Totes." - You agreeded, shaking his palm. - "Name's Y/N. In case I could be of any help."

As soon as you both sat back down, Steven dozed off right after he fastened himself, knowing well he won't be up to even listen to the instructions. As he told you, he took off early Thursday morning just to get to the USA and to Hawaii from there - plus Marc was being a pain in the ass for the past few days, borrowing the body during the night again. So, because you were listening for both of you and your sleeping companion, you were paying extra attention, practicing all the moves the crazy nice flying attendant was showing to you - while knowing that in the next three hours, you'll be either dead asleep or drunk beyond socially acceptable. As soon as she reached the two of you, asking what you'll be drinking, you told her that you'll have a double margarita. "And what can I get for the gentleman?" - She asked you, assuming that you two are most likely traveling together. Not that you'd be complaining though. "Oh, he'll have a double shot of vodka. You know, poor guy, flying gets him all railed up. Just look at him." - And to make the situation even more comical, Steven snored loudly and flapped his mouth. The woman gave you a funny look but didn't ask further questions since alcohol was all-inclusive in economy class. As soon she put the glasses in front of you, you took a deep breath and looked at them.

"What is that awful smell?" - Steven mumbled sleepily, opening his eyes just to see you clinking the margarita glass and shot. - "Dear Lord, lady. You'll feel sick, you know that right?" "I know, yea." - You answered with a resolute nod, kicking the entire shot inside your mouth while trying not to puke. Fuck, that was some good vodka right there, burning your throat as you gulped it. Giggling, you covered your mouth and let out a long breath, shaking the feeling off. What you didn't notice was that the man was watching you intently, furrowing upon seeing your eyes getting starry.

"You're not feeling alright, are you, mate?" - He whispered quietly as the first sob left your body, making your shrug your shoulders as you tried to keep it in. Then, with tears running down your cheeks, you turned your face to him and shook your head. This time, the man carefully put his palm on your shoulders, all the empathy showing on his face. - "Wanna talk about it, love?" While being the typical gentleman Steve usually was, he brought all hell broke loose upon him, which was a fact he realized much, much later. At first, your rambling was coherent enough for him to understand that a guy broke up with you just before you took off to Hawaii (which also explained the empty seat between the two of you), which Steve deemed an absolute dick move. Sometime between your third and fourth shot of vodka, you started to cry about your job (he only understood that you were working as a concipient) and at the seventh one, you were barely making any sense. Steve was humming, patting your shoulder, answering "Of course, yeah" or "Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that, love" whenever he seemed fit.

Four hours into the flight, he really couldn't understand a single fucking word from your heartbroken, drunken, and crying speech. So he continued on with patting your shoulder, looking aside with boredom on his face. You were going on and on and on. 'I don't wanna interrupt your train of thoughts, pal, since even you thinking about spinach is more interesting than whatever she is going off about...' Marc's voice popped inside Steven's head suddenly while the other man was staring at Steven through the spoon laying on the small table, making Steven jump on the seat a bit as he suddenly woke up from a slight trance, looking around with confusion. It could be heard that Marc thinks you're simply yet another crazy airplane lady he had heard so much about and wasn't taking you too seriously. Your eyes were piercing through the profile of his face, clearly trying to figure out which of the four Stevens is the real one, waiting for something. 'But I think that Little Miss Sunshine over here just asked you something.' "Could come again, love? I got lost in my thoughts." - Steven asked nonchalantly, giving you a small, warm smile. "I asked you if you think I'm pretty?" - You repeated the best you could, leaning your elbows into the armrests between you. The man rose his eyebrows in surprise, clearly being caught off guard by that question. At first, the answer seemed to be a very long 'Ermmmm...' as Steven thought about what could be the answer for a drunk lady.

The man looked in your face with literal puppy eyes, nervously fidgeting his fingers around, holding onto his trousers. Pretty? If you were pretty? You were gorgeous, to be frank. Even in his dizzy, sleepy state, back when Steven introduced himself to you, he was able to catch your pretty smile as you shook his palm. Back then, your hair was tidily framing your face as you tried to hold yourself high, trying to make up for all the pain and sadness inside. And now that you were drunk, you were not only gorgeous but adorable as well - he liked your face all warmed up from the alcohol and your eyes shining as you stared at him as if he was the most handsome man you've ever seen... Which sort of hurt because he realized that you were just drunk out of your mind. Trust me, Steven very much realized you're an absolute angel and if he had the balls to go for it, he'd tell you that you caught his eye immediately... The problem was that Steven was being a Steven and a red alarm was going off inside his head.

'What should I do? What should I do? What on Earth should I say, Marc?' - Steven yelled on the inside while looking into your face with his eyes popped a bit and his mouth open. 'First things first, you need to calm down, pal. Drunk women are one of the most dangerous beings on this planet because one wrong word can make them burst into tears. And this girl has clearly been through enough already.' - Marc assumed based on the raccoon eyes you were rocking, trying to keep Steven cool as he was about to guide him through this minefield. - 'What happened to her, by the way? I was taking a nap and woke up when we had a drunk girl sitting next to us.' 'Her bloke broke up with her just before she got on the flight.' 'Oh, wow. I take everything back. That's a dick move. It makes a lot of sense now.' - Marc mumbled apologetically even though you couldn't hear him. He felt like a dick himself, calling you crazy and all that. With that, he looked an intent look on you. - 'What do you think?' 'That she's gorgeous and before you manage to oppose, mate, it's not because she's paying me attention, thank you very much. I wish you would see before she got bladdered, her smile was so... Adorable.' - Steven answered, finally closing his mouth as he gave you a warm smile. Damn, he knew you won't remember any of this by the time you'd be getting off the flight, but he was keen on giving you the answer you deserved - especially after what happened to you.

'Steven, that would be a low fucking blow - telling you that you like a girl just because she's paying you attention. Geez, you really think of me that low, huh? We both know that you're a handsome man, come on now. Alright, alright, listen up - here's the game plan.' - Marc opposed heatedly and Steven could literally feel him rolling his eyes. He'd definitely tell that to Steven if Grant wouldn't call him out first. "Y/N, love." - The man answered after a long with, catching your palm in his to make sure he has your full attention. - "Let me start by saying that your beauty doesn't depend on one twat's opinion and you shouldn't let the break-up mess with your mind, alright? But if you'd like a more sincere answer, I think you're an absolute killer and in my opinion, you're stunning. So, what you're gonna do for me, love, is that you'll pick your pretty chin up and make sure you'd make the guy jealous if he was here with you, alright? Could you do that for me?"

At first, the muscles in your face contracted a bit before a huge smile broke out on your face... And it was so contagious that it made Steven smile back at you. - 'Good job. See? Wasn't that hard, was it? Now ask her if you can take a nap because I can feel how drowsy and tired you feel, Steven. We don't want you fainting, do we?' "I'm going to nap for a bit and I'll listen to some music. Would you want to share the headphones?" - Steven asked quietly, holding back a long yawn. Bloody hell, he was really sleepy. And so, with a grateful smile, you let Steven slip into the empty seat next to you, took one of the headphones, and closed your eyes as well, falling asleep while listening to some calm indie and pop music.

Well, let's just say that wasn't the story a few hours later - six to be exact, as a big thud made you wake up. As expected, you didn't remember the better portion of the night. Holy fucking mother of God, you thought to yourself, moaning as you caught your temple. You needed a Coke, a glass of water, and some painkiller asap. For some random reason, you had a headphone in your left ear, listening to Cavetown. You were only able to identify the band because you, Carly, Nikki, and Jen sometimes put them on during your road trips. As you clicked your tongue, you realized that the spot under your lips if drenched - realizing it was your own saliva. Oh, God. Oh no. What if Steven was already up and saw what happened? Oh shit, that would be embarrassing. You might've planned on asking him for dinner if he'd have the time after his wedding plans. And shit only got worse as you opened your eyes, realizing you're laying on someone's shoulder. Your heart was racing so fast that you started to sweat as if you smelling like an opened bottle of vodka wasn't fucking enough. Horrifiedly, you looked above just to see Steven's sharp jaw and black locks. He himself was, thankfully, still asleep - his temple was leaned into the seat's headrest, his lips opened wide. Holy fucking mother of God, you repeated while ripping the headphone out and standing up, sneaking around the sleeping man to disappear as quickly as you could.

As you walked down the stairs, you put chewing gum into your mouth and covered your eyes with sunglasses, putting the enormous straw hat back onto your head. Good, you thought to yourself as you let a deep breath out, good. You got dumped yesterday and you beslobbered all over that really handsome and very nice guy who was listening to your fucking bullshit. Great. At least it was a stranger who we won't ever see again. Thank fucking God, I wouldn't be able to look into his damn eyes again. Walking down the stair and into the hall, you could almost immediately see Carly and Kevin standing in the welcoming crowd, holding two huge handmade signs - one has your name all over it, beautified with hearts, clouds, and stars (which was clearly done by Carly herself) and the second one spelled 'Steven Grant' - the mysterious Steven, you thought. The greeting was amazing - all three of you laughed happily, Carly showing you her engagement ring as you two happily jumped around, performing the victory dance you were known for around the office. Sure, Kevin pointed out that you smelled like a fucking pub, but as soon as you told them what happened (since Carly naturally asked about Lucas), they both nodded and promised you that this will be the best weekend to get over him. They even mouthed that Steven would totally be all over you as soon as he'll meet you - He is a total innocent sweetheart on the outside, Carly whispered, but you know what they say - it's always the quiet ones. Try spending time with him, I think you two will click.

Turning your head around, you saw Steven the Gentleman, as you decided to dub him, walking in your general direction - your face got sweaty as you turned away from him, trying to disappear into the crowd, praying that this guy had never even seen Kevin. But he was coming closer and closer. And when he stopped right in front of Kevin to shake his mate's hand and hug him with laughter (kissing Carly's cheeks right after, congratulating both of them), you knew you were fucked. And not just fucked. You were about to die from embarrassment - you wanted to dig your own grave and let Carly bury you six feet under; you knew well that she shares the sense for drama, so she'd be on board for sure. At least he took the shirt off, not making you feel even worse. If Kevin would ask why is he wet for... Oooof, you'd faint. You'd start crying and run off, proclaiming that your social life is absolutely non-existent. But as soon as Kevin brought Steven's attention to you, you managed to draw out a very awkward smile while offering him your palm, pretending you've never met this dude ever in your life.

"I'm Y/N, you know, that girl you were correcting the e-mail after. If that would be of any help." - You said quietly, your face heating up once more as you tried to stay calm. The man could feel your palm shaking and sweating, but he didn't note it as the gentleman he was. When he woke up with your saliva all over his shoulder and you nowhere to be seen, he wasn't upset or anything like that. If anything, this thing you deemed embarrassing proved to him that the entire flight was totally real - that it wasn't just his dream. You were real. "Oh, totes." - Steven smiled, rephrasing what you said before getting hammered - this caught your attention and made you smile a bit more genuine. - "Name's Steven, in case I could be of any help."

"Steven, when did you start saying totes, dude? Never heard you say that." "Oh, I met this really sweet lady yesterday. She was very nice." - Steven answered with the sweetest smile, making you smile as well. But, in any case, you were determined not to hang out around Steven too much so he wouldn't think you're even more coo-coo than he already must've been thinking.

Well, let's say... That didn't go according to the plan either, did it?

#steven grant x fem!reader #marc spector x fem!reader #the moon knight baby #i did it #mom are you proud #and honestly it was so much fun #i hope the MK community won't strangle me to death because I hope i got the characters at least somewhat right #steven comes across as an innoncent 24/7 confused poor soul to me #and marc can come across a bit strong to me at first #until he gets to know someone better #ALSO JEN WALTERS CAMEO BE LIKE HELLO #I LOVE HER #mcu imagine #mcu fanfic #based on the portrayal of moon knight (2022) as seen in the series #oof i'm nervous #moon knight x fem!reader

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starryserenade · 1 year

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Myth and Magic: Prologue

Description: When Tir na NÓg--the fabled land of the fae--falls to a dark power, the destinies of two young mice are set in motion. As each struggle to make their way in an ever-darkening world, they must learn to trust one another, or risk forever losing that which they hold most dear.

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/44709304/chapters/112488658

Next Chapter: Coming Soon

Ribbons of twilight stretched along the sky, streaming through the clouds to make way for the first layer of stars to breach the horizon. The pink hue settled on the ground below in glowing pools mixed alongside seas of grass. Sailing over them were two horses and their riders, cutting through the breeze with ripples of fabric trailing behind them. Though the expanse that surrounded them was clear and green, it was towards a darker place they rode—a forest that seemed to divide the world in two, with trees whose branches grasped at the light outside its borders.

As the riders neared this stark divide, the horses whinnied and reared up, flaring their nostrils in defiance and nearly throwing their masters from their backs. Skillfully, the two maneuvered the reins and managed to calm their steers, coming to a halt at the foot of the forest.

One of the two-a mouse dressed in a soft, green dress-slid off first. She was tiny, not even three feet tall, and so had a ways to travel when she leapt to the ground. This, however, did nothing to deter her grace. Her slippers landed on the grass with barely a sound as the streams of fabric round her dress fluttered about her ankles. Her friend was a bit less subtle, and looking to see there were no others about, undid the outer layer of dress so as to move about more freely, then jumped to the earth with a thud. As she brushed her skirt and corset off, the mouse cast her a glare and placed her hands on her hips.

“Really, Daisy?”

“What?” The duck glared back. “This is your party, not mine. I’m just here because you so desperately wanted me to meet your mysterious suitor. Besides, if there are any other handsome fairy bachelors, who am I to deny them a good view?” She scoffed sarcastically, landing the point with a decided shake of her tail feathers.

At this, the mouse’s frustrated look shifted into one of disappointment. “You still don’t believe me, do you?” She muttered.

Daisy, who had not meant any real harm, realized how her words had struck, “Well, I…” she sighed, then continued. “Listen, Minnie, it’s just…they’re fairies. Heavens forbid I don’t believe they exist–’course they do–but you’ve heard the stories. They’re tricky. They can make you think and feel all manner of things that aren’t-”

“True?” Minnie interrupted, lifting an eyebrow. “I’m not blinked if that’s what you’re trying to say.” She fiddled with the fabric of her dress and looked into the shadows of the forest, letting out a soft puff of air. “I know what it must look like, but…I’ve never felt this way before. Not about anyone. My whole life I’ve done nothing but what’s been asked of me, but right now I have the chance to make a choice of my own. If I go back to the castle tonight…if I go through with what they want me to do…I’ll lose that chance forever.”

They were both quiet for a moment, then Daisy chuckled and threw up her hands in surrender. “Okay, I admit it, you’ve got me there. Even if we do get trapped forever in the dark and unforgiving depths of the fae realm, it’s better than spending the rest of your life with Mortimer.”

“Oh, I knew you’d understand!” Minnie laughed, a wide smile gracing her face as she flung herself into a hug.

Daisy just grinned and playfully rolled her eyes, then the two turned to face the forest together. By now, the sky was a darkening shade of velvet blue and moonlight had begun to peak out from behind the clouds. “Sooo…” Daisy started, clicking her beak. “How are we supposed to find this fairy land of yours?”

From somewhere within the forest, an owl screeched, and Minnie turned to answer her friend with a wink. “Just follow me, got it?” Ignoring Daisy’s incredulous look, she pulled something from her pocket-an emerald figure of intertwining knots–and held it to her lips. She let out a soft, indiscernible whisper as she breathed against the crystal then lifted it to the sky. A beam of moonlight landed on its surface and sparkled in the center, and for a moment, it was as if all sound and motion had escaped from the earth. Then the light within the figure ran along each branch of shimmering crystalline and released a burst of light that stirred up the wind into an uproar. The leaves from the trees before them were caught up in its wake, and surrounded each of the two girls in a spiral of green. Daisy opened her beak to let out a cry of surprise, but the rushing wind carried it far from Minnie’s ears. She simply closed her eyes, smiled softly, and held her hand to her chest as the sudden storm overtook them.

When the wind had calmed a few moments later, Minnie opened her eyes and let out a gasp of joy at the sight that met them. “Daisy!” she hissed, nudging her friend who was cowering with her hands clasped over her head.

“Is it over?” the duck squawked loudly, and Minnie laughed.

“Just look!”

Daisy carefully opened one eye then, face struck with wonder, stood straight and took in the view. “Janey Mac…” she whispered.

It was as if time had rewound, for the sky before them was lit with twilight once again. The line of trees had grown tenfold and seemed otherworldly, with veins of gold and silver running through their trunks and into branches that swayed with leaves of every kind of precious stone. Rivers of moonlight wove through grassy hills of auburn grass, bridges of skillfully etched opal lining a way overtop them and into paths that stretched between an endless expanse of enormous fauna–mushrooms, ferns, and lily-of-the-valleys that fluttered gently in the breeze.

Daisy took a step backwards and Minnie caught her wrist, prompting the duck to glance behind her. If the divide between the hillside and forest had been stark before, it was cavernous now. The blanket of night still covered the world from which they’d come, and there was not a hint of magic even just steps behind where they stood.

“We’re on The Brink,” Minnie explained, and nodded towards the world ahead. “Once we enter the forest, we’ll cross over into Tir na nÓg.”

At first lost for words, the duck cast a nervous look behind her, then shrugged and let out an exasperated sigh. “Can’t well turn back now, can we?”

The mouse smiled and nodded then, each taking a deep breath, they stepped forward into the fairy plane. The world shuddered, and the place behind them was transformed, the fairy world now overtaking their entire view.

“You know…maybe getting trapped in the fairy realm wouldn’t be so bad, after all,” Daisy murmured, eyeing a rose blossom that was so bright it seemed to be made of rubies. At this, Minnie wrinkled her nose and nudged her pointedly with her elbow.

“Daisy! We can take the tour later,” the mouse scolded, then looked about her. A hint of uneasiness fell over her face as she did. “It’s strange…” she whispered.

Daisy narrowed her eyes. “What is?”

“He usually meets me here…” Her voice trailed off with a quiver of nerves. “Something’s not right.”

“Maybe he’s just running late?” Daisy prompted distractedly.

“No. No, he wouldn’t be. Not today. This was…well…” She wrung her hands then flicked her tail, flashing a smile. “Nevermind. I’m sure you’re right.

But Daisy’s curiosity had been piqued, and was not easily quelled. “No, wait. What were you going to say?”

“It doesn’t matter.” The mouse waved off the question. “Let’s get on, the palace isn’t far. If he’s not here, that’s where he’ll be.” She ushered the reluctant duck away from a glittering patch of diamond-crested bluebells. The path they took led them through thicker foliage, and all manner of mystic creatures began to appear from within the shadows, eyes glittering as they watched the two mortal visitors. Minnie walked ahead, the glass amulet clutched in her hands, unphased by their watchers. Daisy, on the other hand, moved with ruffled feathers, nervously glancing at everything that moved.

“So…” she spoke eventually, breaking the deafening silence and jogging to catch up with Minnie, who had been uncharacteristically quiet. “All the time I’ve known you, and you’ve never once mentioned this prince of yours.”

Minnie cast her an empty glance, as if she’d just been shaken from deep within her thoughts, then, realizing what had been asked, giggled lightly and slid the amulet back into a pocket of her dress. “You may be my best friend, but you’re horrible at keeping secrets. The whole clan would’ve known by morning.”

Daisy gasped in mock offense, and opened her mouth to argue then closed it just as quick and shrugged. “Right, fair. But…” She bounded in front of Minnie and batted her eyelashes. “I know now, so you might as well tell me everything. Like…where and how did you meet?”

A light breeze fluttered through the ferns and the canopy above their heads, sending a whirlwind of jasper leaves down on them. Minnie looked up through the vortex, the dappled light dancing upon her muzzle. “When I was younger,” she breathed, just loud enough to be heard above the river they were following. “Father used to take me into the forest and tell me stories about the fae who lived there. About how they cared for all the lost and broken things of this world, and could turn sorrow into sadness. He said they would protect me too, so long as I believed. But when he fell ill…” The mouse’s tail had fallen into a sorrowful lull, and she walked several steps in silence before taking another breath. “Mortimer blamed the fairies. You remember, don’t you? He had snares placed all around the forest.”

“We thought him mad,” snorted Daisy. “And he never caught a thing.”

“Not mad, just wicked,” Minnie snarled, then lowered her voice. “But he did. Once.”

Daisy stopped in her tracks, mouth gaping open. “No!” she gasped, dumbfounded. “You ’don’t mean-”

Minnie nodded. “The night father died–the same night I learned of my fate to be married to that slimy gaimbín –I went back to the forest, to the place father had first taken me when I was young. That’s where I found…him. His wing had been twisted in one of Mortimer’s iron nets. And the cruel thing…it was killing him. So of course I cut him loose, and-” She paused and bit her lip, trying to form words for something she wasn’t quite sure how to describe. “Oh, Daisy,” she murmured, face flushing a deep red. “I’d not met him once in my life but the moment I saw those eyes, I was certain I knew him. It was like all of father’s stories had come to life right in front of me.”

Her tail ribboned behind her in pure bliss, until she caught sight of Daisy staring at her with a dumbstruck look in her eyes. “Er…sorry,” she mumbled, tucking a tuft of fur behind her ear. “I suppose I got a bit carried away there.”

But Daisy simply burst into a fit of laughter, swiping an amused stream of tears from her cheek with one hand and leaning up against a table-sized mushroom with the other.

“Well, you don’t have to be rude about it!’ Minnie snapped, firmly planting her hands on her hips.

“No, no, no,” the duck wheezed, struggling to catch her breath. “It’s just…all those days I caught you acting pure ossified without a sniff of juice about you…it all makes sense now! You were in love!”

At this, Minnie blushed an even darker shade of crimson.. “Wha-?! Was I that obvious?”

“You’re lucky everyone thinks you’re so sweet, else it would have been clear as crystal you were up to something…either that, or you’d been blinked. You had me fooled for a bit!”

Groaning, Minnie buried her face in her hands and took up a brisk pace, pushing a tall clump of crimson ferns out of their way. “Ugh, let’s just keep walking,”

“Hey, wait! One more thing!” panted Daisy as she pulled herself together just enough to keep up. “Why now? What’s so special about this visit that you wanted to take me with you?”

“Well…” the girl fiddled with the fabric of her skirt before looking over her shoulder with a nervous grin and a hesitant reply. “You’ll see.”

She did not give Daisy a chance to respond, and instead darted ahead, weaving through a luminescent clump of mushrooms and moss. “We’re nearly there!” She called. “Keep up!” Minnie’s countenance had shifted quite suddenly, and her nervousness from before seemed to have melted into a joyful excitement the further they pushed through the forest. Fairy creatures were not the only ones watching now, for the fae are drawn to pleasure and happiness, and so the fairies themselves had begun to emerge from their hiding places. Tiny pixies with light of all colors crept out from behind the flora to join in a glittering dance. Several druids, their bodies made entirely from wood–aspen, cedar, and pine–shook their heads in awakening and scattered leaves from their crowns. And elven-looking folk with wide, feathered wings and twisted horns peered at the girls from the tops of the trees.

Following the river, Minnie bounded over stones with a carefree essence that had been reserved for far too long, only glancing behind her every now and then to be sure Daisy was still following. She was, though not without a few unfortunate splashes in the shallow waves. As they progressed, the river narrowed until it was little more than a small stream. And at the end of its reach, its waters branched out into a lake filled with glittering stars. Daisy gasped and Minnie smiled as it came into view, for at its center lay a palace unlike any on the mortal plane. It was not a castle made of brick and stone, but an enormous oak tree with branches that reached far past the clouds and a trunk whose size surpassed even some mortal cities. Magic swirled up and down its bark, and thousands of tiny lights twinkled within its leafy canopy.

As they approached, two fairies, each about the same size as the girls, came swooping down to meet them, scattering an array of feathers across the shoreline. “His Majesty awaits you,” they spoke in unison, then parted and gestured towards the lake. The waters split immediately, creating a clear path towards the tree.

“There’s no need for formalities!” Minnie laughed, waving at the guards as though they were old friends. But they did not say a word, and simply side-eyed each other when she spoke. Awkwardly, Minnie rubbed her arm and moved along towards the new pathway, gesturing for Daisy to follow. “Right then…” she mumbled. “That was strange.”

“Did you know them?” Asked Daisy, flashing a wink back at one of the guards who, though visibly confused, proceeded to blush profusely.

“Yes, quite well,” she replied breathlessly, a flash of worry striking her eyes as they passed through the waters and disappeared from view. “They didn’t seem to recognize me though, did they?”

“Not a bit.”

They walked in silence for a moment, but when the base of the tree came into view, Minnie paused and pursed her lips. Looking left and right, she pulled the amulet from her dress and held it out to her friend. “I want you to keep this for me,” she whispered. “I trust the prince with my life, but something doesn’t seem right. If anything happens, you must keep this safe.”

“If something happens?” Daisy stared at the amulet then at her friend. “What do you mean, ‘if something ha-”

But before she could finish, the sound of a creaking doorway was heard, and the massive wooden gate cracked open. Minnie shoved the amulet in Daisy’s palm, and whipped forward to face the doorway head on. “Hide it!” she hissed under her breath, prompting Daisy to shove the emerald figure in her corset. “And if anyone offers you something to eat, do not take it.”

Minnie stepped forward and bowed lightly to each guard as she stepped into the castle. Daisy clumsily followed suit, happening to look up at one of the guards as she did. They were far different than those from across the lake, their faces concealed behind dark masks that made them seem more like shadows than fae. Daisy shuddered, flirtatious countenance instantly dissolved, and followed Minnie inside as quickly as she could.

The moment they crossed the threshold, the door behind them vanished, and they found themselves seated in a brightly lit banquet hall. The room was made of twisted pillars of wood, each flecked with diamonds that caused the light to bounce off them in a dreamlike gleam. Fairies of all kinds laughed and danced around the table at which they were sat, its surface littered with all manner of tantalizing dishes. And at the back of the hall, up a flight of stairs, an empty throne sat overlooking the revelry. Minnie was too busy staring at this throne to notice when Daisy reached for a crimson glass of wine, and by the time she had turned around, her friend was holding an empty glass.

“Daisy!” she cried out. “What did I tell you?”

“What?” The duck rolled her eyes, then flashed a curious wink, and Minnie couldn’t help but notice that her own glass was suddenly twice as full as the others. “You said not to eat anything.”

Before Minnie could argue, a fairy in an elegant hooded robe had approached them from behind and held out another glass filled to the brim, which Daisy quickly snatched. At first glance, Minnie’s heart leaped, for dressed in royal robes she had only ever seen one fairy wear, she was certain this fae was the one for which she had waited. But then she caught a glimpse at the wings to his back and in that moment, her breath might as well have left her. Before he had even removed his hood, she had stood, slamming her palms down on the table so that it shook the glassware and nearly toppled her own cup. “Who are you?” she hissed, face as red as the wine on the table.

The ballroom silenced. For just as much as the fae adore revelry, they despise anger and sadness. But the mysterious fairy looked at her, calm and collected, without a hint of surprise on his face. “Princess,” he chuckled. “You came all the way to Tir na nÓg, and don’t even know when the king himself is serving you?”

At this, she drew back, then leaned in with a scowl on her face. “The fairy realm has no king,” she spat. “Not yet. That was going to change today.” She held his stare as she spoke, eyeing his every feature with distrust. He was short, even smaller than she was, save for the rabbitlike ears atop his head which added at least a foot to his height. Despite this, there was a bitter pridefulness about him, and he did nothing but laugh despite his accusation.

“You’re mistaken, though you shouldn’t be blamed. The fae realm can do all sorts of things to a mortals’ mind.”

At this, Minnie scoffed and whirled around to face the rest of the fairies in the hall. “You all know me!” She cried. “And I know that this-’ she gestured to the fairy “king”. “-is not the prince you all care for! Don’t you remember?”

The fairies all glanced at one another but showed no signs of recognition, and looked at Minnie with empty eyes. Seeing them, Minnie took a step back against the table, her shoulders slumping. “What’s wrong with them?”

The king’s sneer melted into a snarl, and he stepped closer to the mouse, the broken horn atop his head gleaming like a shattered dagger. “Your prince does not exist here, and he never has. My advice to you? Follow your friend’s lead,” He gestured to Daisy, who seemed to have downed another glass of wine. “Eat, drink, be merry! Then wake in the morning and let this place become nothing more than a distant dream.”

Minnie glanced at Daisy, then back at the king.

This time, a dark shadow fell across his eyes, and he lowered his voice so that no others could hear. “I know why you came here,” he growled. “The lovestruck princess so desperate to escape her fate that she would abandon friends and kingdom alike just for a chance at freedom..”

“That’s not-” she gasped, taken aback by his claims.

“Oh, please,” he countered sharply. “You know it is. And you know what?” he leaned in, speaking even more hushed than before. “If your prince ever did exist, I’d say he made the same mistake.”

Minnie’s eyes widened, pools of fear and heartache as she realized what his words implied. “What have you done to him?” she choked, her breaths quickening.

“Oh, it’s all right, though,” the rabbit continued. “I wouldn’t dream of leaving you with such painful memories. Fairies have their own, special way of dealing with unpleasant emotions.” He stared at her dead on,, and past all the anger and cruelty, she could have sworn she saw pain in those eyes. “They forget.”

Minnie pushed back her chair and tried to run, but two of the shadowy fae–red eyes glittering beneath their masks–grabbed her by the wrists and kept her from moving an inch, no matter how she writhed.

Seeing this, Daisy rose from her seat, reaching for a dagger that strapped to her hip. “Princess!” she called out, sounding surprisingly attentive for the number of drinks she had consumed.

“Daisy!” Minnie screeched as loud as she could. “Daisy, run!”

“But-”

But no sooner had Daisy begun to protest than the king himself waved his hand. Her friend vanished, and the glass she had been holding crashed to the ground in a crimson pool. A look of horror flashed across her face, but the king scoffed. “She’ll be fine. Your friend will wake in her bed with a headache and no memory of where she got it–a quite common occurrence for her, I’d imagine.”

But now, even the room itself had begun to shift. Ornate walls and bright lights vanished, until they had turned to shattered stone and creeping moss.. When she blinked again, the fairy world had gone entirely, and surrounding them was nothing more than a mortal ruin–a stone castle with crumbling walls sitting atop a fog-ridden island. Minnie swallowed, looking down at the lake’s waves that lapped far below the turret on which they stood.

“Mortals have no place alongside fairies,” said the king, lifting the jewel before her eyes. “So you will forget you ever came to our realm. You will forget Tir na nÓg, and you will forget your prince.”

Taking a deep breath, he muttered some words in the fairy tongue, and a snaking thread of shadow appeared from the jewel. It rose like a plume of smoke at first, weaving aimlessly in the air. But then, slowly, it crept towards Minnie, hovering like a serpent about to strike.. “No…” she whimpered, eyes locked on the thread of magic as she tried desperately to escape the grip of her captors.

But the curse slithered forward, deaf to her pleas. And with a flick of the king’s wrist, it leapt forward and pierced her mind. She gasped, all the air driven from her body as she fell to her knees, opening her mouth to scream for a name she could no longer remember. Through the haze, she saw the king turn his head. And in that moment, she drew every ounce of her strength to pull free from the cold hands that bound her. She stumbled backwards as the fae lost their grip, but her mind was still a fog. By the time she had noticed the stone crumbling beneath her feet, it was too late. There was a rush of wind and mist, and then the icy waters of the lake surrounded her.

The world slowed as a deep chill took hold. Minnie, too cold and too overcome by grief to fight it, let it take her. She blinked, watching as the light filtered through the top of the waves and grew ever-distant. A peace rested in the darkness, and she longed to give into it. But a greater pain lay in her heart that would not let her rest, a loneliness that called to a soul she didn’t know, but could feel. Though she fought to cling to that feeling, the waters were winning the battle. Shadow flitted at the corners of her vision, growing darker all the time.

Then a voice like a deep whisper shuddered through the waters.

Are you the one?

Minnie was silent, certain she had merely imagined the sound. But then the fog in her brain dispersed every so slightly, and the voice continued.

I see your heart. You have lost something great.

Minnie hesitated, unsure of how, or if, she should respond.

Y-yes…but I can’t remember what. She thought at last, squinting through the water to try and catch a glimpse of the source of the noise, but it seemed to come only from her thoughts.. Can you tell me?

I cannot. The curse that binds you is great.

Then what can you do?

I can give you a second chance. There is another who seeks you, though he does not know it.

Is he the one I’m looking for?

…You must find that out for yourself.

Bubbles had begun to rise up from the bottom of the lake, and Minnie glanced nervously beneath her. The burning in her lungs had become nearly unbearable.

What do I have to do?

Wait. Guard these waters, and wait for his return. Do you accept my offer?

The mouse flicked her tail, desperate for air but even more desperate for answers.

Wait? For how long? What do you mean by bound?

Do you accept? The voice repeated.

Minnie’s vision had begun to fade once again, numbness spreading along her body as the clutches of death crept close.

Do you accept? The voice emphasized one, final time. And Minnie, with her last bit of strength, pulled a hand to her aching heart and muttered a single word in answer.

“Yes.”

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