• Love Song •

[Aimee Elizabeth March]

Aimee couldn't believe this was actually happening right now. Guys almost never came back to her apartment, especially not ones she'd only met that very afternoon. Ryder, though... here they were, standing outside the front door to one of the little studios her mother owned, a.k.a the building she lived above. This hardly ever happened. Well, it had never really happened, actually. Aimee didn't have boyfriends who she got this "serious" with. Were they even serious this early on? She'd met his family, an adventure all in itself. She'd been to his apartment, and now he was coming to hers. And... they'd done some pretty heated things back at his place until his sister had come strolling into the room. How could this be moving so fast and still feel so perfectly right? Had she done something good in the past that was finally being rewarded in the form of a Prince Charming?

She hugged her coat closer to herself, digging the keys out of her pockey quickly. They'd walked back from his place after the dinner, something Aimee was very glad she'd made it through. His parents and sister were amazing, as was his grandmother, but... she cringed just thinking about his grandfather. To say the least, she felt like a little kid getting scolded and, in this case, she couldn't talk back like normal. The last thing she wanted was for Ryder to think she was rude, so she kept her mouth closed tight while the fire flashed in her eyes every time the old man commented on her. She was very glad to be home.

Aimee unlocked her door, giving Ryder a smile before pulling him inside and up the staircase that was especially hers. "Welcome home," she grinned, stepping up the stairs quickly and pushing through the french doors that led into her cozy abode. It was spotless, as it'd been one of her cleaning days where a maid came in, and she couldn't help smiling at that fact. The place seemed to look even better and fancier then than it did when she'd had her merry way with the place pre-clean.

Two sets of paws came scampering across the kitchen floor, jumping up at Aimee's ankles and yipping the whole while. She smiled brightly, scooping the little bundles of fur up and hugging them close to her chest. "These are my babies," she laughed as the puppies squirmed in her arms. "Bambi and Thumper," she added, setting them down again. But, they only continued to yap at them, circling their feet as Aimee led Ryder farther into her apartment.

• • •

WORDS: 577!
TAG: Her Future Prince Charming <3
LOCATION: Her Place!
MUSIC: Love Song by Sara Bareilles
OUTFIT: ZAP!
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Ryder Xavier Wilcox]

He felt terrible. The time up until they walked through the door of his parents place was wonderful; aside from the interruption from Nik. And then his grandfather tore into her like she was some cheap piece of trash. He hated that, but of course, you couldn’t say anything to the old man. Hell, even when you did, he didn’t exactly hear you. It was like talking to a damn wall with him. So most of them had given up and chosen to ignore him. Honestly, Ryder couldn’t believe his grandfather would go all bat shit crazy on a first meeting. How dare he basically verbally attack her like that, and with all the family present? Of course, he acted as though they deserved it because they were speaking Italian and he never bothered to learn the language while he’d been stationed in the damn country!

He almost wished Aimee knew him better than she did now. At least then he could have lashed into the older man without fear of her disliking him. At least the parts where his dear old granddad wasn’t involved were good. And although he did catch the remark his sister made to their mother about Aimee and catching them in the compromising position they were, there wasn’t much said. The next time he spoke to that man- if it was in this lifetime- he was going rip into him so bad; that was all there was too it. It was amusing, once he got his temper under control. Ryder wasn’t a violent guy in any way. He was a lover, not a fighter.

And yet, when it came to Aimee, he was ready and willing to throw the first punch. He wanted to apologize for his behavior but he just didn’t know what to say that would make it all better. So, he’d kept quiet most of the trip back from suburbia as the twins referred to it, to the city and the walk. Oh, sure he’d kept up a steady stream of simple conversation, but he didn’t want to say anything in front of his parents or Nik; it wasn’t their problem and although he knew well that both of his parents would cut off all communications with the old bastard for him and for Aimee, he just couldn’t let that happen. It would hurt his grandmother too much.

With any luck it would all pass and be forgotten. One could hope, right? He shook his head as they stopped outside Aimee’s apartment. He should have said something before this, but he’d been thinking about what to say, how to say it. And then he was pulled into the building and up stairs in a bit of a blur. Mentally, he shook himself; he’d apologize after, when he could figure out what, exactly, to say. When he managed to stop for a second and take in what he saw, he thought it was perfectly her; which should have been odd since he didn’t know her as well as he wanted to. He took a step closer as Aimee bent to pick up the furry little creatures at her feet. He scratched the top of ones head, but he wasn’t sure who it was since he didn’t catch their names, if she’d said them yet.

He chuckled softly when she did tell him their names, realizing she hadn’t said them yet. “They’re adorable. I was a big fan of Thumper when I was a kid,” he said, meaning that. He didn’t like the movie, for whatever reason. He didn’t know, he just did not like the movie, but he loved Thumper. He would have crouched down to play with the happy animals some more but Aimee was leading him further into her apartment, a place that was far cleaner than the one he shared with his twin.

_{•Tag • His Cinderella <3
•Words• 643
•Location• Her Apartment
•Clothes• What a mess…
•Notes• <3 <3 <3}

[Aimee Elizabeth March]

Aimee was expecting the "whore" comments. She was expecting them, but not really prepared for them. Coming from anybody else, she would've had remarks sharper than swords on the tip of her tongue. But, from someone related to Ryder? She couldn't talk back. She couldn't defend herself, say that maybe her family would think the same about their beloved son or grandson if she brought him home to dinner. All she could do was sit there and pretend that the stares and conversations spoken in a language she didn't understand meant nothing to her. All she could do was put on an act, a habit that had been broken when she ran into Ryder. The moment she became a verbal punching bag, however, that wall went right back up and hid her once again. She was hoping it'd be different with him. And, it had been! It had been until that dinner! But, now, now it was leaning towards what she did with every other guy she met. There wasn't the same, strong, undisturbed connection between them anymore; it was marred with the judgements she couldn't believe she'd been subjected to.

She turned her attention back to know, pushing away the hurt that was flaring inside her chest. That could be dealt with later. Or, well, kind of later. "I always loved the movie when I was kid," she answered, smiling softly and scratching Thumper's head quickly. There were still signs of the childhood love in her old bedroom back home, mainly in the form of stuffed animals and snowglobes or other trinkets from trips to Disneyworld as a kid. Somedays, she was very tempted to bring them to the new apartment, especially on nights where she felt like the world was ending. Aimee had a feeling tonight might be one of those nights once Ryder was gone.

The puppies scampered across the floor as Aimee moved into the kitchen, heading straight for the corner dedicated to the dogs. There was a rack with food and treats on it, their bowls quite close by. Leashes dangled from the edge and a few toys were scattered around it as well. What could she say? The darlings really ruled her life. Aimee slid out of her shoes, kicking them under the counter as she kneeled down to fill the stainless-steel dishes with food. Bambi and Thumper attacked the bowls as soon as she stood back up, turning to Ryder once more. "They're vicisous when they don't get their food on time," she explained, moving around the kitchen with easy as she went to grab a glass and fill it with water from the sink.

Aimee leaned back against the counter, staring at Ryder now for one moment before looking around the apartment. "Not what you expected for a whore's house, huh?" she commented, sipping her water and flickering her eyes back to him. This needed to be taken care of once and for all. She was no whore, despite what his family or he may think, and it was important to her that he understood that. If not, well, the door was right behind him, even if he'd be dragging her heart right down the stairs with him.

• • •

WORDS: 565!
TAG: Her Future Prince Charming <3
LOCATION: Her Place!
MUSIC: Love Song by Sara Bareilles
OUTFIT: ZAP! BAMBI & THUMPER!
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Ryder Xavier Wilcox]

He smiled as Aimee, but it was more like a ghost of the smile he’d had before that dinner. His grandfather had said some pretty awful things. Unfortunately, Ryder himself had only caught snatches of the older man’s conversations in between times in the kitchen. The Bastard never said anything outright evil while he was in the room. He knew better; Ryder wouldn’t hesitate to protect what he considered his; and that, officially, included Aimee. Usually it was just Nik, or his mom, but now? His Tesoro beat all; or rather, tied with them. He wasn’t about to let anything hurt her, and he would be saying something to that old bastard as soon as they were alone.

In the kitchen of Aimee’s perfectly spotless apartment, Ryder watched with a small smile on his face as the beautiful woman before him slipped out of those stilts and fed her animals. She was a sight to see, alright. Petite, beautiful, dangerous; she held the cards. “That sounds like Baxter and Ruby, too. Maybe it’s all dogs,” he suggested, trying to make small talk, and avoiding at all costs what he knew was going to happen sooner or later. She would want to know what went on back at his parent’s house. As much as they spoke English for her, they spoke Italian out of habit. The majority of what they’d said had been translated for Aimee’s benefit, but there were some things that Ryder didn’t want Aimee to know just yet; like how much she really meant to him in such a short amount of time. So, he’d acted as though he’d missed those parts and didn’t translate, or his family, knowing him, either didn’t translate, or mistranslated for their son or brother.

Ryder’s jaw slackened and came perilously close to actually dropping at Aimee’s comment. He couldn’t believe that; those words coming from her. He shook his head, his heart breaking. He took a step closer, lifting his arm, thinking he could just take her into his arms, but that probably wouldn’t be a wise decision. So, he dropped his hand back to his side, and brought as much of the pain he was feeling and anger on her behalf into his eyes to show her just how much he cared, and how much he really disliked the man he- unfortunately- shared DNA with. “No, Aimee, no, you’re not a whore,” he said, completely shocked that his grandfather would actually spout the word. Ryder should have known, really; the man was a bastard.

“Aimee, if anyone that mattered in my familia didn’t like you after they met you, they wouldn’t have hesitated to say something. They’re all very vocal about their feelings,” he said, not really sure where he was trying to go with all of this, but knowing he had to make her believe that his family adored her as much as he did. She made him happy, and his mother absolutely adored her shoes; a weakness for both Italian Wilcox girl’s. Now, Ryder really did close the distance between them and pulled her against his chest in a hug. If he could block out the entire world, he would have in an instant. “If there was any way I thought my family wouldn’t adore you as much as I do, I wouldn’t have introduced you the way that I had. I wouldn’t have invited you,” he said bluntly, because he knew how he’d introduced her, using that name again, would make his family realize that his feelings were deeper than he let on with the girl herself.

And, okay, Nik caught them in a bit of a compromising situation, but he’d caught her in… situations like that before and hadn’t said a damn word. If anything, she’d found it amusing that the tables had been turned and had to joke about it for a bit with his mother; the two women held nothing back. There were no secrets in the Wilcox’s household; unfortunately. Ryder turned his head so he could press his lips into her hair and brought his hand up to the back of her head, holding her closely. He had her in his arms, in his life and he wasn’t willing to let her go. She was so much smaller in his arms without the help of those skyscrapers and it made him feel like he was holding something delicate, something that needed him to protect it; someone, Aimee. His Tesoro; his treasure.

_{•Tag • His Cinderella <3
•Words• 747
•Location• Her Apartment
•Clothes• What a mess…
•Notes• <3 <3 <3}

[Aimee Elizabeth March]

Aimee could detect the half-hearted smile from a mile away. She knew he was worried about something, and was attempting to hide it from her; she recognized the look on her own face more often than not. It didn't really matter what was troubling him, she only knew that she desperately wanted to make him feel better. But, no, she was upset with him. Er, was supposed to be. She shouldn't want to make him feel better, not after he'd dragged her to that pit of insults on purpose. She should be focusing on ways to make him regret what he'd done. Well, the morbid, evil rich-bitch side of her was pushing her in that direction. That was what Aimee did to people who hurt her, that was what she was supposed to do and had always done. She was supposed to make them pay for hurting her and feel the wrath of her revenge. But she couldn't hurt Ryder; not in a million years.

Her eyebrows rose in mock shock at his words. At least he didn't think she was a whore... right? No, that didn't make it any better. Aimee leveled her eyes at him, a small challenge clear in them. "Really? From what I'd heard the last couple hours, you'd think I was," she answered, taking another small sip of her water and continuing to keep her gaze on his. There was anger flashing in his handsome eyes, of that she was sure. But, her question was if it was aimed at her or not. Aimee knew she had the power to piss people off; she'd gotten that from her mother. But, she didn't want to make Ryder mad at her. In fact, that was the farthest thing from her mind right now. She just wanted him to know that she was no play thing to be bought or used. She was a person who'd been sliced at tonight, unprepared, with words she'd only ever heard from her mother's drunken tongue.

"What do you mean 'anyone that mattered'?" she questioned, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. Aimee had assumed they were all close, or, at least, that was the vibe she got when she'd spent a bit of time in the kitchen with Ryder and his mother. She'd been under the impression that they all, even the old man who'd ripped her to shreds, mattered to Ryder. Aimee buried her face in his chest as he stepped closer to her, not hesitating in welcoming the embrace. This felt right to her, even if she was still upset about being accused of sluttiness tonight. A small smile tugged on her lips. Maybe he didn't think her trash; maybe he was still as sweet as he'd appeared in the park. "You still haven't translated what you keep calling me," she teased gently, tilting her head to look up at him.

She cuddled closer to his chest as his lips pressed against her hair, her smile relaxing a bit as she did. This could still go well; the dinner didn't have to ruin everything between them before it'd really started. Besides, she was used to things like that. She'd been called much worse by more powerful people. She'd get over it eventually. Losing Ryder over a couple insults would most definitely become one of the biggest regrets of her life. "So are you staying for awhile?" she asked softly after a long moment of quiet silence. Aimee rested her hands on his chest, gazing up at him with her light eyes once again.

• • •

WORDS: 637!
TAG: Her Future Prince Charming <3
LOCATION: Her Place!
MUSIC: Love Song by Sara Bareilles
OUTFIT: ZAP! BAMBI & THUMPER!
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Ryder Xavier Wilcox]

Would it be too harsh to kill his grandfather? Maybe but he didn’t care. What he’d said was completely uncalled for and Ryder was beating himself up over the fact that he should have waited for this evening; for like a month. But Ryder felt like Aimee was going to be in his life for a long time and he just couldn’t wait for her to meet the other important people in his life- and, unfortunately, the only one that didn’t. He and his grandfather had never really gotten along. The man didn’t get along with many but usually showed some sort of self control and kept his damn mouth shut. One would think he’d learn his lesson after treating his mother that way. He didn’t care how much his family told him to, there was no way Ryder was keeping that man in his life.

Ryder shook his head, trying to form the words to explain how much of a dick the old man was while still being polite. “No. Absolutely not,” he said, wishing he knew exactly what that old bastard had said. Everyone else had adored her! Why couldn’t that damn man just keep his mouth shut? Of course, the two were always butting heads, so it made sense in a sick and twisted way that dear old granddad wouldn’t like anyone or anything Ryder brought around. The old man hated it so much when the rest of the family spoke Italian when he was around, and Ryder was vindictive enough to only speak Italian in front of him.

Wait, hadn’t he mentioned any of that before? His own brows mimicked hers for a second, drawing together in confusion as he replayed as much of that day as he could in fast forward. He could have sworn he’d said something, but knowing him, he’d thought it but never actually formed the words. “Yeah, my parents, my sister and my grandmother are the only ones that matter. That old man has hated everything my sister or I’ve done since we were old enough to walk and talk! Did anyone else say anything? Besides the jibes from Nik, because she didn’t mean it. She said she liked you,” he was seriously confused. His parents said such nice things about her, and his grandmother said Aimee was a sweet girl. The only one who’d even remotely ventured towards dislike as that man.

Ryder chuckled, shaking his head. “I don’t think you’re ready for that just yet. But I can promise you, it’s nothing bad,” he said, rubbing his hand in circles on her shoulder. “Tell you what, if you can figure it out, I’ll tell you if you’ve got it right or not,” Ryder offered. He really hoped that this wouldn’t end because of a stupid mistake he’d made. In retrospect it was so obvious that he shouldn’t have taken her to this specific dinner; the next one maybe, but not this one with Negative Ned there being all pessimistic and depressing. The family put up with him because he was Jackson Wilcox’s father and that was it. Ryder brought his hands up to cup her face. “If you still want me here, I will,” he said, thinking he’d already pushed too many boundaries with the trip to the parent’s house.

_{•Tag • His Cinderella <3
•Words• 551
•Location• Her Apartment
•Clothes• What a mess…
•Lyrics• Night Like This//Shawn Desman
•Notes• <3 <3 <3}

[Aimee Elizabeth March]

Aimee didn't know why this was bothering her so much. She'd been called a whore before, been called a bitch multiply times, and had been insulted on much deeper levels than this and in much harsher ways. Yet, it still irritated her that someone didn't like her. Hell, she didn't even know this man! And, still, all he'd done was interrogate her or make her feel like she was tripping over her own tongue, then proceed to hint at the whore-ness that was surely behind her dress and heels. Aimee hated it. She wanted Ryder's family to like her so that maybe she'd be able to get to him better. Her own family didn't matter, especially not with this, but she could already tell his did. And if he wanted her to get along with his family, she'd do it in a heartbeat. But, when one of said family members doesn't get along with her? What is she supposed to do then?

"Him hating you translates into me being a whore?" she asked, slightly shocked. Kind of jumping to conclusions, if you asked her. But, given the story, there was plenty of reason for it tonight. Actually, she was surprised there hadn't been more, especially from Ryder's sister. Being caught making out with a guy on a cough isn't exactly the best first impression. But, as far as she knew, Nikki hadn't told anyone other than Ryder's parents... but, she could very well be wrong. Most of the evening had been spent in her asking for translations, some of which she knew he'd fudged. It was probably for her own well being, but it didn't suit Aimee. She had to know what was really going on and being said. Especially if it could possibly be about her.

Aimee looked up at Ryder, the fire in her eyes slowly dying as he chuckled. She loved the sound of it and it temporarily erased the anger she knew she was supposed to be feeling. But, being with him made her so happy. How could she be mad? "Tell me how to spell it and I'll go Google it," she teased, giggling gently. Her shoulders relaxed under his warm hands, enjoying the contact. Even though there was fabric between their skin, she could perfectly well feel the sparks and tingles racing through her nerves. He was just that intoxicating. Turning her head slowly, Aimee pressed her soft, smiling lips to his wrist. "Of course I want you here," she whispered. Carefully, she pulled her face from his hands, reaching up to press her lips to his. Finally, they got to be alone.

• • •

WORDS: 473!
TAG: Her Future Prince Charming <3
LOCATION: Her Place!
MUSIC: Love Song by Sara Bareilles
OUTFIT: ZAP! BAMBI & THUMPER!
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Ryder Xavier Wilcox]

Ryder couldn’t put into words how annoyed and frustrated he was at that old man. He always had to put his two cents in and it wasn’t ever anything nice or good; especially when it came to the twins, and even more so Ryder. And all because he didn’t want to support his country by enlisting! He wasn’t-technically- American! He was Italian! Born and raised for six years! He may have lived in the “Land of the Free” now but his heart was all for Italia; and he was starting to realize, Aimee. Nothing else mattered to him really. Awkward now, Ryder ran his fingers through his hair and actually blushed; something that was rare for the young man. “Uh, yeah, basically,” he said, uncomfortably.

“Everything Nik and I do is put under a microscope with him. It doesn’t matter who we’re with, what we’re doing, it’s never enough for him. It’s never good enough because neither of us are what he thinks we should be. I never enlisted and Nik is a far cry from submissive and house-wifely,” he said, explaining further. He wasn’t trying to get Aimee to his grandfather in a new light, he was a bastard and there was no sugar coated way of putting that. What he was trying to do was show Aimee that his words meant nothing to anyone in the family besides his own wife.

Ryder chuckled again, shaking his head. “I don’t think so. Nice try, though,” he said smiling down at her. How was it that she’d only fallen into his life a handful of hours before and already he couldn’t think of her out of it? She was his treasure and he planned on keeping her in his life for as long as he possibly could; end of story for him. “At least try and figure it out, Angel,” he said, switching up the endearment to keep her guessing; not that she’d be able to figure it out without sounding out the word and running it through a translator. His next words died on his lips as he was going to say them when she kissed him. He pulled away for a second; just long enough to say “I hoped you’d say that,” with a smirk before pressing his lips back to hers and pulling her closer to his body, wrapping his arms around her as tightly as he could. He didn’t want to let her go now that she was in his arms.

•Tag• His Cinderella <3
•Words• 415
•Location• Her Apartment
•Clothes• What a mess…
•Lyrics• Night Like This//Shawn Desman
•Notes• <3 <3 <3