The last week had been a whirlwind. Between dealing with patients, getting ready for the Coven party, and thinking about Carlisle, her time had been well spent. Yet, she found she was never happier than she had been right then. Things were going great in all aspects of her life. It could only get better from here. Though, it would naturally get better if Carlisle asked her to be his, officially.
Soon the night of the party arrived and Willow found herself at home, fixing her makeup in the vanity mirror. She wanted to look exceptionally perfect tonight, even going so far as to buy a rather scandalous looking dress. If she was going to date the head of this whole Coven thing, she had to look the part, right?
Standing, she started to pace the room and looked at her clock. Clara would be here any minute to finish getting ready together. She hadn’t seen the young woman since she got into town and it was about time they had some bonding time. If Willow could just get past her damned nerves, the party was going to be amazing and she wanted to share a big part of it with her best friend.
Already changed into her long yellow dress Clara appeared in front of Willow’s house. Well, that was her intention. Instead she appeared a couple of streets away and hitched up her dress and jogged the rest of the way, her black bag of makeup supplies banging against her waist. Teleportation was a good substitute for a car when not thinking about the logistical nightmare of one’s chances of missing their destination.
Eventually she met her friend’s door, giggling to herself. She was glad she had worn boots. It had been a couple of weeks since she’d seen her friend, both being wrapped up with their personal lives but she was excited to see how her past weeks had gone. She banged on the door before calling out ”Willow? Hellooooooo,”
Hearing the front door and then Clara’s voice, she beamed and hurried to her front door. Willow opened the door and her eyes widened a bit at the dress. ”Oh, that is gorgeous, Clar!” She threw her arms around the girl in a hug before backing up quickly. ”Come in, come in! I was about to get into my dress too.” Turning, she led the girl down to her room and let out a breath. ”Oh, I have so much to tell you!”
”Oh thank you!” Clara replies to Willow’s compliment on her dress before swishing the skirt. How Clara loved the swishing feel of a long dress. She reciprocates her friend’s hug before being led down to Willow’s room. ”Ooooooo, what kind of news?” she asks, excitedly bounding over to the woman’s bed and bouncing in her seated position
Sitting once more at her vanity mirror, she looked at Clara’s reflection and beamed. She couldn’t believe she had waited so long to tell the woman, knowing she always told Clara everything. Willow bounced a bit in her seat before bringing an eyeliner to the corner of her eyes, creating a dramatic look. ”So, remember how I’ve always had this thing for Carlisle? Well…” She squealed a bit before continuing. ”He kissed me last week. And we went on a date. It was amazing!”
As Willow tells her news Clara’s bouncing seemed to slow. It didn’t stop but it definitely slowed as she furrowed her brow. ”Doesn’t he like Lilith?” she asked. This was all confusing, people had been talking about Carlisle’s crush on Lilith for a long time now and suddenly Carlisle’s kissing someone else. Is that how dating works? she couldn’t help but think to herself.
Her smile faltered a bit before she let out a breath, shaking her head. She cleared her throat as she resumed her eye makeup, trying to keep her hand steady. Willow knew Lilith would always be a thing of discussion when it came to Carlisle. Yet, she was expecting her friend to be happy for her. Was there something Willow didn’t know? Was she being blinded by her feelings for the man? ”That’s all over. It wasn’t reciprocated. He’s moved on.”
Clara blinked once, then twice. ”That was fast,” she replies simply, falling back into her own thoughts. While she did want to feel happy for Willow, Clara did have some concerns and didn’t really know how to sort through them except just blurting them out. ”Does that mean if you break up he’ll kiss someone else next week? Is that how this works?” she asks somewhat earnestly, rubbing Willow’s bedsheets between her fingers.
”I-” She paused and let out a breath. How could she prove to her friend that this wasn’t going to end in disaster, when she wasn’t so sure of it herself? Willow cleared her throat once more and stared at her own reflection in the mirror. ”No, that isn’t how this works. He never broke up with her, Clar. They were never a thing, he told me. He said he finally realized how I felt for him, and he kissed me. And it was a great kiss.”
”People say he was obsessed with her. Is being obsessed a different kind of love to the kissing love?”
Biting the inside of her cheek, she dropped the hand that was at her eye as she looked at Clara’s reflection. She knew the woman only said these things out of love and concern for Willow, but damnit if she didn’t feel these same hesitations with Carlisle. Letting out a breath, she shook her head at her friend. ”Yes. No. I don’t know.” She groaned and hung her head, her palm coming up to cup her forehead. ”Look, all I know is that he told me things were just one sided and he was moving on. I helped him to realize that, I think. We went on a date at Huskers and saw Lilith there, and he really only had eyes for me that night. So.”
Giving a small shrug of her shoulders, she dropped her hand and raised another to finish her eye makeup. ”I believe him when he says he’s over her. Or, he’s at least on his way to being over her.” She groaned and scrunched her nose in the mirror. ”I’m a rebound, aren’t I?”
Clara thought for a moment. ”I don’t know, I just know mum makes comments at the TV on shows when someone kisses someone right after breaking up,” she replies to her friend.Clara looked over her friend, studying her movements and taking a moment to register the way she looked to be feeling. That was definitely a sad figure before her. ”Did I make you sad? I’m sorry,” she says, awkwardly staying in place on Willow’s bed.
She quickly shook her head at her friend and gave her a small grin. ”No, no you didn’t make me sad. From a clinical view I can see how this looks. I can see how I look like I’m a rebound.” Willow let out a breath. ”But from a personal view?” She shrugged her shoulders. ”I’ve had feelings for Carlisle since high school. And now I finally have my chance to be with him. So I want to forget Lilith even exists to him, even though I know that’s ridiculous.”
When I was little I always wanted to try cheerwine but they didn’t have it. I wanted it so so bad I cried. You told me ‘Clar, you don’t like cherry things, why would you like this?’ but I still wanted it. Eventually I got some and it tasted super yucky, I think I was sick. How do you know Carlisle’s not your cheerwine?’ She asks, pulling her bag closer to her to retrieve her make up soon.
Willow blinked in the mirror as she tried to think about what Clara just asked her. She understood the comment and she let out a slow breath. ”Car isn’t my cheerwine ‘cause we’ve kissed multiple times and it just keeps getting better. I just…I feel right when I’m with him. I’ve wanted this for so long and it just feels like it’s going to work out. But, I’ll keep an objective foot out the door. Just in case.”
Clara shrugged. ”Ok,” she replies simply and gently with a shrug. Toying with the zipper on her makeup bag. ”Oh, this may help you feel better!” she pulls out a small plastic bottle and holds it up for her friend to see. ”I brought face glitter!”
She couldn’t help but to smile and laugh at the sudden change, knowing her friend had finally dropped the subject. Willow finished with the makeup around her eyes and set it with her spray before standing. [color=lightblue]”Let me just get my dress. Grabbing the garment bag from her closet, she stepped into the bathroom and quickly slid into the white dress. She came back out a few moments later and spun for Clara. ”What do you think?”
Clara had stolen her friend’s place at the vanity and started on her own makeup. Unlike her friend she stuck to a light palette. And glitter. Lots of glitter. The best part about the glitter is it clung to her for days. That wasn’t her mum’s favorite part. Halfway into her eyeshadow she saw her friend’s visage in the mirror and swung around to look at her properly. ”Wow, Lo, you look good!” Clara says brightly before lowering her voice ”You’re not gonna get cold though are you?”
”Oh, I’m going to be absolutely freezing, but it’ll be completely worth the look on Carlisle’s face.” She smoothed out the dress before sitting on the edge of her bed. Willow looked under her bed and grabbed a pair of white heels before sliding them onto her feet. Leaning back, she smoothed her hair back and shrugged. ”I’ll wear my white trench coat there and take it off when we get inside. It’ll be fine.”xd
”Okay,” Clara replies with a nod, ”Just be careful, I don’t want you getting sick!” She turns back to the mirror to finish off her makeup. Pulling out her glitter once more she dabs it under her eyes and on her cheeks before holding out the bottle to her friend. ”Boys like shiny things,”
Grinning at her, she took the bottle and stood next to the girl at the mirror. She dabbed a bit of the glitter around her eyes and the tops of her cheekbones. Willow approved her reflection and gave the bottle back to Clara. ”I say we’re ready for this party, don’t you?” She returned to her walk in closet and grabbed a white trench coat out, sliding her arms into the article of clothing.
”Mm-hm,” Clara agrees enthusiastically, jumping out of her chair. ”Carlisle’s not gonna get mad at me again, is he?” she asks innocently, wringing her hands.
Willow shook her head and put her hands on the girl’s shoulders, bending down to look into her face with a grin. ”He absolutely will not, I promise. He’ll be too busy with Coven things to worry about anything else. Okay? So, we are going to take my car. I know your way is quicker, but. This way is safer.”
Clara’s face fell slightly at Willow’s instruction. ”But… mine is cooler. It’s a poof and tada, driving takes forever,” she complains with a sigh. ”Fine, but I get shotgun!”
”I know, I know. It’s very cool. But I paid more than my rent on this dress and I’d like to keep it in one piece.” Willow grabbed a clutch and her keys before grabbing Clara’s hand and practically dragging the woman to her car. She slid into the driver’s seat and started the drive to the Coven. ”I can’t wait to see everyone. I think this is the fanciest thing we’ve all been together, besides prom.”
”Prom had less old people so I think this is fancier,” Clara responds, buckling herself into the car and smoothing out her dress. She looks out the window and Willow drives out her driveway and down the street, watching the sunset through the trees. Clara always loved sunsets, Clara just loved pretty things.
”Oh, that’s true. There’s going to be a lot of older people there.” Her face paled as she thought about all the attendees. ”Carlisle’s mom is going to be there. What if she finds out we’re dating? I’ve heard she’s super intimidating.”
Clara shrugged. ”Maybe you should just hide from her. I have some excellent hiding spots in the house,” Clara had some favourite spots to stash herself away in when everyone in the coven was getting too much. All of which she found playing hide and seek in the house growing up. Luckily she was still small enough to fit into those hiding spaces.
Willow let out a slow breath as she continued to drive. She couldn’t just hide from people, she was an adult. She had to face them. Even though the thought made her palms all sweaty. Letting out a breath, she shook her head. ”No, I can’t hide. I’ll have to face her. Just remember me fondly, okay? Make sure my funeral is a nice one.”
Clara furrowed her brow at her friend’s words, trying to comprehend them. ”She’s not going to kill you… is she?” she asks her friend, watching her face carefully. For someone thinking they may die she seemed rather non chalant
With a small breathy laugh, she shook her head at her friend. ”I’m just kidding, Clar.” Mostly. She cleared her throat and looked up at the Coven house as they approached. There were several cars already there and she let out a shaky breath. She could do this. She couldn’t wait until Carlisle saw her. Parking in an empty spot just out front, she turned off the car and glanced at her best friend. ”Alright. You ready?”
”Mm-hm,” Clara responded, collecting the skirt of her dress in her hands. As much as she loved them they were awfully impractical. She awaited her friend to start opening her door before she did the same. As she stood she let her skirt fall back into place, giving it a quick swish with a couple of turns of her hips and giggling to herself. She then looks back up at her friend. ”Are you gonna go kiss Carlisle?” she asks.
Willow had gotten out of the car with her and grinned at the joy in her friend’s face. She smoothed out her dress and pushed her hair off her shoulders before grabbing her invite from the inside of the car. She beamed and bounced a bit on her heels at the girl’s question. ”Oh, most definitely. If he isn’t busy. I don’t want to mess him up tonight.” Looking back towards the house, she let out a breath. ”Alright, let’s go make our entrance.”
Clara gave a nod, bouncing to her friend. She hooks her elbow around hers and walks alongside her. As they got closer to the house it was becoming apparent the sheer amount of people at the event. She froze in her place briefly, swallowing the lump in her throat. She flashes Willow a smile then continues to follow her into the household.
Giving her friend an encouraging smile back, she led her up to the main house where their coats were taken. Willow looked around and soon spotted Carlisle. A beam stretched across her face at the sight of him in a tux. He looked incredibly put together and so handsome. She let out a breath and handed over her invitation. ”Hey, Car. You look great.”
Carlisle had been briefly distracted, and Willow was able to come fairly close to him before he realises. He jumped and turned back to face her. His mind melted. For a moment he didn’t say anything, his eyes instead focused and locked on the dress she was wearing and how it hugged her body. Swallowing hard, he smiled and leaned forward, kissing Willow on the lips. ”Welcome! You look even more amazing.. I mean… stunningly amazing”
A blush crept up her face at the kiss, then deepened to her cheeks at the compliment. The dress had done what she wanted it to do. Shifting on her feet, she let out a breath and grinned. Her cheeks hurt from smiling so much, and she absolutely loved that he kissed her despite being around everyone. Maybe now everyone would see that they were on their way to being a couple, even though Carlisle had never outright asked her. ”Thank you.” She tugged at Clara’s arm and gave her a small wink before looking back at Carlisle. ”Everything here looks perfect. You outdid yourself.”
"I tried my best. It's not done too badly" Carlisle smiled and took a step closer to Willow running his hand along her cheek as he leant in a little to whisper, so only she could here""So, after this we need to work on getting you out of that dress"
Her breath immediately caught in her throat as it went dry. She bit her bottom lip and couldn’t help a slight smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. Bringing a hand up, she ran the back of her knuckles along his jaw before she kissed his chin. Willow whispered back to him and winked. ”Only if you play your cards right, handsome. Gonna have to work for that reward.”
Carlisle felt his own throat go dry at the final statement. He could feel the heat rising, but at the same time people were queuing up. Regaining his composure he stood back up straight "Ahem.. I will be fighting hard for that then. Do enjoy yourself though" He said with a smile.
Willow’s smirk widened when she noticed her statement had hit its mark. She leaned forward and quickly kissed his cheek before dragging Clara past him and over to the main area of the room. Letting out a breath, she bounced on her heels and tried to hold back a squeal of excitement as she looked at the girl. ”I was so right about the dress. Told you, he’s over her.”
The past interaction was almost an awkward endeavour for the petite woman. Carlisle hadn't even spared her a glance, too enthralled by his new lover. Although Clara didn't mind being overlooked he had quite obviously missed the sour glares she was shooting him. Soon Willow was dragging her away, still glaring at the man until he was no longer in view.
At Willow's words she gave a half shrug, still not fully convinced at that claim. She then asks "What is he fighting for?"
Her cheeks immediately reddened as she tucked some hair behind an ear with her free hand. There was no way in hell she was going to repeat what just happened between her and Carlisle. Willow shifted her feet as she shrugged her shoulders. ”A, um. More time with me, of course. Come on, let’s go mingle.”