• Will You Believe •

[Aimee Elizabeth March]

WHENEVER YOU'RE LOST, YOU'LL FIND ME
• 'cause everyone needs somebody •

Aimee hated going to see her mother more than words could explain. She had to get dressed up in some fancy, insanely expensive outfit, spend three hours doing her hair, and fall back into using the perfect grammar and excellent vocabulary that had been drilled into her head from a young age. She had to be converted back into the angelic little girl her mother had raised, and it felt like hell every time she slipped back into the eight inch heels and clipped on the shoulder length earrings. She fucking hated it. It's not polite to swear, Miss March, she irritably reminded herself in a mocking voice that sounded extremely like her mother's. Strutting angrily up to the posh cafe her mother had told her to meet her at, Aimee took one, single deep breath. In an hour, she'd be allowed to escape and go put a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. The countdown couldn't begin soon enough.

She went into the cafe, smiling hello to the owner who instantly recognized her. He quickly came up, running a hand through his hair and repeating the words he'd obviously taken pains to memorize. "I'm sorry, Miss Aimee, but yer Mama said she had a meetin' and couldn't make lunch today," he rambled quickly, and Aimee had to clutch her purse tightly to keep from screaming. It was just like her mom. Set up some plan with her only daughter, then entirely blow her off because work got in the way. Silently, Aimee nodded at the owner, making a promise to never turn out like her mother. Hell, she didn't even want to be involved in fashion.

Saying goodbye, and that she'd be back soon, Aimee turned back around and headed out of the cafe. If she didn't have to, she wouldn't stay. She'd run home and change back into the comfortable pajamas she'd had on before and finish up the mound of homework she had lying on her desk. It was wrong to put it off, and she knew that, but she'd barely had the time to start on it as of late. Between helping out at the fashion show her mother was running and trying to design something pretty for a dinner party she had been told she'd be going to next week after the show, Aimee had her hands full. Homework was the least of her worries, especially when faced with the wrath of her mother. The woman may have given birth to her, but Aimee still couldn't believe it. She didn't even look anything like her! Well, Bailey had had countless nose jobs, some wrinkle treatments, and a whole ass-load of plastic surgery. So, yeah, that made sense. But, even Aimee's hair wasn't the same color, and neither were her eyes. So why did everyone keep saying she was going to be the next Bailey March? She sure as hell didn't want to be, that was for sure. But, making her own named was only possible if she ran away. Not that she wasn't starting to like the sound of that idea.

Aimee shook her head as she pushed her way through the New York crowds, instinctively going towards Central Park. A walk would relax her somewhat, and cool her off before she returned to tackle that mound of awaiting work. She sighed, slipping out of the heels that were practically the unanimated villains of her spoiled life. Her bare feet felt nice against the stone of the park's walkways and, she had to admit, it was wonderful to be free of judging eyes and more lectures from her mother of her mother's friends.

As her own thoughts started to engulf her, Aimee found herself exploring deeper and deeper into the lovely gardens of the park. The beautiful sound of a guitar began to meet her ears as she came around a corner and Aimee blinked quickly back to reality as she tripped right over the person playing. And practically landed on top of him. Graceul much, you idiot?!

"I-I'm so sorry! I-" Aimee stuttered lamely as she tried to grab her shoes, stand up, and not blush in complete embarrassment all at the same time. She looked up as she tried to find her other shoe, eyes catching almost instantly on the beautifully handsome pair before her. Well, damn.

IF EVER YOUR HEART IS BLINDED
• whatever you've lost, you'll find it •

WORDS: 761!
TAG: Her Future Prince Charming <3
LOCATION: Central Park!
MUSIC: Dreamer by My Favorite Highway
OUTFIT: ZAP!
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Ryder Xavier Wilcox]

+ I'll be right beside you, Nobody will break you +

Ryder sat at the kitchen island enjoying his first cup of espresso, sans Nikki. His twin had slept in and was now rushing around like a mad woman trying to get ready for the weekly dinner they had with their parents. She still had hours to prepare, after all they wouldn't need to arrive until at least three, and then dinner wouldn't be served until five or six, depending on if his mother was waiting on him to help her out. It was the same every week, and he didn't get any text messages saying she needed them there a bit earlier so, he thought the usual plan was still on. Unfortunately, there was a twist that neither twin was looking forward to; their grandparents were attending this evening. Oh what a joy that would be. Neither Ry nor Nik particularly liked that set of grandparents. Their grand-dad was a retired Career Military man that treated them like Soliders and not grandchildren that he should be proud of no matter what they did. The man spent more time complaining about his son's choice to live his own life and not follow after his father and grandfather, his grandson's choice in Majors- which even though it's very studious and technical is still not Military, and his choice in hobbies. And then there was Nik, whom he seemed to think should be jsut like her grandmother, get married young and take care of her husband, doing everything he asks of her, without quesion or comment. Because Nik was such a submissive soul. There mother, he never commented on, knowing full well that if he did, he would never have been invited back to their home.

It was odd, and yet Ry knew from experience that his grandmother was all that submissive either. In fact, up until he retired and was home most of the time, she was out with friends doing lunch, and shopping in the city. She swore and she drank and she was actually a blast, so long as her husband wasn't around. It almost made Ryder wonder if there was something going on int hat relationship, but he'd asked, being the concerned young man that he was, and she had simply laughed and hugged him close and told him that his grandfather liked to think he ran the show but it was really her pulling the strings. He worried less after that. But the twins were both much fonder of their Italian grandparents. And it wasn't because they were the ones further away and therefore it was a treat to see them. They saw them every summer and when they couldn't get to Verona, Nonna and Nonno Bartolini travelled to New York. Ryder sighed, lifting his eyes from the book he was reading to the petite blonde with her hair wrapped up in a towel and pj shorts and tank on running around the kitchen looking for the mug Ry had set out for her, the espresso doctored to her specifications. She smiled gratefully before snatching it up and racing back out of the kitchen for her room. He slipped his bookmark between the pages at the end of his paragraph, closed the paperback and set it on the table as he finished off the coffee. "Nik, I'll be back! I've got to run out for a minute!" he called down the hall. She knew he'd be back to go for dinner; he wouldn't let her walk in alone, even if it was their parents house. With their grandfather there, and not him to take the criticism, she'd get the full force. As it was, Ry usually took the brunt of his displeasure.

He grabbed one of three acoustic guitars from his room and slipped it into a fabric case so it was easier to cart around. He tossed a notebook and pen into his messenger bag. Then patted the back right pocket of his dark jeans to make sure his wallet was there and snatched his phone off the coffee table as he passed through the living room. He had a song playing in his mind that was just screaming to get out and onto paper. But he couldn't do anything at home; not while Nikki was rushing around the way she was. It would only distract her, because he would keep asking her questions on her opinion at every turn. No, no. He'd go over to the Park, take a seat and work it out. Ryder grabbed his keys and locked the door behind him to the yipping and barking of Ruby and Baxter. They'd be going to dinner with them, there was no way either of the twins would leave they're pets at home when they both knew the dogs loved playing with their parents dog. Once he was outside, Ry made quick work of getting over to the park. He was well aware of his time limit and chose to find a place just a bit in from his particular entrance; just around the Conservatory Gardens. The area was one of his favourites. It was so calm and quiet and peaceful that he could sit for hours and write and play without interruptions.

Ryder slipped his guitar case from his shoulder and leaned it against the wall. Then he took off his messenger bag and set it down as he took a seat ont he ground with his legs stretched out. He pulled his case down and opened it, revealing the smooth, dark finish of the acoustic inside. Carefully, he pulled the guitar out and cradled it properly and testing the strings. Satisified it was tuned properly, Ry pulled the pen and notebook from his bag and flipped pages to a fresh one before setting it just on top of the guitar case. He started to play, just random songs he'd written so long ago, but the band still played around with. It was good warm-up stuff. He was halfway through the second song, completely oblivious to the people around him when something, or rather someone toppled over him. He had just enough time to move his arms. It wouldn't help her fall much, but at least now, she wouldn't be laying on pieces of broken guitar. Lightning quick, he set the instrument down and leaned forward a bit to see if the poor girl was alright. Leaning forward, his palm landed on a shoe his sister would have described as skyscrapers. When those beautiful blue oceans glanced up and he could see them, it took a minute for Ryder's smile to appear. He was slightly stunned and could only think, whoa. He blinked his pale orbs once, twice. "Don't worry about it. Are you okay?" he asked, concerned. It wasn't one of the most epic of falls, but it still looked like it could have hurt.

<sub>+ TAG + His Future Cinderella <3
+ WORDS + 1144
+ LOCATION + Central Park
+ CLOTHES + Be My Lantern
+ LYRICS + Beside you//Marianas Trench
+ NOTES + <3</sub>[/size]

[Aimee Elizabeth March]

WHENEVER YOU'RE LOST, YOU'LL FIND ME
• 'cause everyone needs somebody •

Aimee blinked repeatedly as she looked up at the young man she'd practically trampled. He was so... so... whoa. He took every thought of breathing from her, and it took her a long moment to realize she was still staring up at him. She'd never seen anyone like him, with eyes so gorgeous and amazing and perfect and wow. And he was staring back at them, both of them apparently frozen in their own tiny moment. Aimee didn't dare to move; not just yet. This was too good to be true. You didn't run into breathtaking guys in the middle of Central Park. Hell, you only ran into joggers, romance sickened lovebirds, or freaks. Not hot guys. It was unheard of, even in the fantasy world she lived in. Money, elaborate clothes, insane shoes... those were all realistic. Love at first, however? Hell no.

Finally, Aimee's breath came back to her as their moment seemed to break, the world spinning back into focus. She flicked her eyes off of his with a bit of reluctance, trying to find her other shoe and not blush even darker. "Yeah, I... yes," she nodded, taking a deep breath. Aimee was practically in his lap, and the fact had her turning redder. She was so, so close to him... Her eyes wound up on his again as she tried to speak, but every detail of his handsome face cut off her voice. His eyes, deep and piercing, those lips, his nose, the way his hair fell... It was all so amazing. And it was mere inches away from her own face. "Are you alright?" she asked softly, eyes still entirely drowned in his. She still couldn't grasp how amazing he was, or how her heart was all of a sudden pounding out of her chest.

Realizing she should probably move and that she needed to find her other shoe, Aimee began to scrabble out of his lap. She tucked her hair away from her face, the insanely expensive looknig earrings contrasting strongly with her pale skin. They'd been a Christmas gift from her mother, so she'd felt compelled to wear them today to their failed lunch. Not that she didn't like the sparkly diamonds because, well, what girl wouldn't? She just didn't think they were worth $15,000. Then again, she didn't think a lot of what her mom bought was worth it.

Snapping back to reality, Aimee quickly stood up, one shoe clutched in her hand. They were a new pair, one's that she actually bought for herself. Her eyes scanned the area around him, trying to locate the golden pump. There it was next to a... guitar? Which, apparently, had been where the music had been coming from. Which, apparently, meant she'd probably almost crushed it in her graceful descent. "Did I hurt it?" she asked, eyes widening as she realized she might've broken something. Aimee didn't play guitar, but she could apprieciate who did. And, she did know how expensive instruments were.

"I'm Aimee, by the way. Aimee March," she added, eyes still on the guitar as she went to grab her shoe. Her feet slipped easily into them, boosting her height considerably as she brushed off the skirts of her colorful dress. Aimee still couldn't bring herself to look at him; she knew he'd distract any logical thoughts from entering her mind. He was just that amazing. She had never felt anything even somewhat close to love, or whatever the hell this was. Sure, she'd had flings in high school, some relationships that were considered "serious" there. But, really, they weren't all that much. You were still growing up in high school, still discovering who you were. She hadnt gotten very far at 20, but still. She'd been out in the world for two years now, at least, and she knew what she liked, who she was.

And she knew who caught her eye.

IF EVER YOUR HEART IS BLINDED
• whatever you've lost, you'll find it •

WORDS: 720!
TAG: Her Future Prince Charming <3
LOCATION: Central Park!
MUSIC: Dreamer by My Favorite Highway
OUTFIT: ZAP!
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Ryder Xavier Wilcox]

+ I'll be right beside you, Nobody will break you +

Ryder was instantly grateful he'd snuck off for an hour to play in the park. Normally, he'd play for an hour or two, then pack up and go back home. He was passed by joggers, dog walkers, nannies with their charges, little kids with their parents out for a stroll in the park, but never had he been fallen over by a beautiful, classy woman. He'd met his fair share of animals, toddlers and young kids who were partial to being nosey parkers, but never this. Of course, there was a first time for everything. Ryder was pretty sure he stopped breathing there for a second. She was gorgeous, dark hair, pale eyes, slightly ruffled from the fall but you still knew she was full of class. When his hand brushed over hers, he felt a spark, or maybe that was his heart jumping, he wasn't sure. It was sort of surreal; especially after the phone call he'd had with his grandmother the week before. She called every week like clockwork from Verona. She asked how school was, work, the family even though chances were she'd already spoke to his mother. Then she asked when he was going to bring home a beautiful young woman to meet the family. He always made a joke about it to her saying when the right woman fell into his lap, he'd call her up and she'd be the first to know. He hadn't meant that literally, and yet...

When the young woman toppled over him, he'd smirked, wondering if she were upset or drunk or something. But surely someone dressed so attractively wouldn't be drunk at noon. Really he was thankful he'd pulled his Gibson away in time. He certainly wasn't one known for his epic reflexes. Clearly, if he'd managed to allow some girl to literally fall all over him and not catch her from the dirty ground he had been sitting on. When she'd answered his question about her well being, he breathed a sigh of relief. He may have lived in the City since he was six but that didn't mean he knew where the closest hospital was, or if she even needed medical attention. He hadn't thoughts so, and he could take care of minor cuts and scrapes himself. His apartment wasn't limping distance but it was a very quick cab ride. So even though she said she was fine, he still took a minute to make sure himself. He would never be a doctor, the man couldn't handle blood, but he could act like he knew what he was doing. And really, as long as there were no visible bones or dislocated parts he'd be okay; he hoped.

But luckily there was no blood, which brought his eyes back up to hers. He searched her face, trying to take it all in and memorize it. She was so beautiful; so attractive. A man could get lost in those eyes alone, for days. That was the songwriter in him taking over. He could practically see the song writing itself. Ryder shook his head and cleared his throat softly. He really had to get a grip on the level of cheese he was pulling out of the back of his head. Romance novelists had nothing on him. He shook his head. "I'm alright, no harm, no foul," he said, smiling down at her. She was so close to him, it would have been so easy to just reach out. But he was already talking himself out of it. How would she feel about a complete stranger just reaching out and brushing a strand of dark hair out of those beautiful pale blue eyes? Before he had the chance to do so, she moved off his lap and stood up. Ryder followed her actions and stood to his six foot two inch height. He brushed his jean clad legs off from the grime of the ground.

Ryder followed her gaze to his guitar. A rather well tuned one from his vast collection and shook his head. "Nah, she's fine. I, apparently, have some sort of Spiderman reflexes that I didn't know about until a minute ago," he said chuckling. Where the hell was the intelligence he would have sworn he had five minutes ago? It all took a vacation in Tahiti and didn't so much as leave him a note with some cue cards. He was usually so good with words, and now he was making up stupid jokes and acting like a fool in front of a pretty girl. He bent as she did; her to retrieve the shoe, him to pick up his glossed instrument. It had a strap, though he carried it around in a black fabric bag. When he'd straightened up again, he ran his fingers through his hair. "Pleasure to meet you, Aimee. I'm Ryder Wilcox," he said, watching her slip into those skyscraper heels again. They boosted her height considerably. When his sister wore them, he became some overprotective big brother because he knew where guys thoughts led to when a gorgeous woman sauntered passed in shoes like those. Girls thought men didn't notice them, but they did. And then their thoughts wandered off to dark places. When Aimee was standing in front of him with them on, it was a different story entirely. “Do you want to grab some coffee from the vendor down the path?” he asked, hoping she’d look him in the eye and say yes.

<sub>+ TAG + His Future Cinderella <3
+ WORDS + 914
+ LOCATION + Central Park
+ CLOTHES + Be My Lantern
+ LYRICS + Beside you//Marianas Trench
+ NOTES + <3</sub>[/size]

[Aimee Elizabeth March]

WHENEVER YOU'RE LOST, YOU'LL FIND ME
• 'cause everyone needs somebody •

Aimee was actually kind of glad her mother hadn't showed up for lunch. Sure, she had had to squeeze herself into this dress, spend twenty minutes putting makeup on, and wear these death traps called shoes. But, it had brought her to the park which had brought her to this guy's lap. As wrong as that sounded, it was true. And Aimee was, for once, grateful that her mother had blown her off. Maybe the woman would be the cause of something great for her daughter. Maybe. This guy was just so... impossible, though. How could she run into someone like him in Central Park? Seriously. It was movie material, not real life. And, despite where her name had come from, Aimee was not one for novel romances. She was supposed to marry some hot shot in a couple years who made as much money as her father, had ten houses, and could buy her diamonds on a daily basis. That was what her life was going to be; a repeat of her mother's. That's what it was always meant to be.

And, yet, here she was, sitting in some guy's lap in the middle of Central Park. He was handsome... god, so handsome. And, there were sparks coursing through her veins at their closeness. Her breath was caught in her throat, and her ears were drinking in every second of that intoxicating voice. Is this what love at first sight felt like? Hell, she had no clue. All she knew was that this was not some normal frat boy; he wasn't the typical guy she saw. And... there was something crackling between them that her heart pounding faster by the mere second.

She smiled softly back up at him, trying to gulp down the beating of her rapid heart. Aimee couldn't however, no matter how hard she tried. And that charming smile of his was doing nothing to help her what so ever. He was so fucking distracting. "Good. Because, you know the hundred pound barbie doll does so much damage on normal days," she joked softly, her voice still only a bit above a whisper. They were so close... closer than was probably good for either of their brains to process. But, she was relieved he wasn't hurt. Aimee's tiny frame wouldn't have done much damage anyways, but it was still comforting to know she hadn't stabbed him with her shoe or something.

As they both stood up, Aimee couldn't help but blink. She wasn't entirely short while wearing those heels, but without them? Yeah, different story completely. Especially when standing next to him, who towered over the young lady. She had to tilt her head back slightly just to look up at him. "And I'm a total klutz. You're sure I didn't break something?" she giggled softly, biting the inside of her lip as she peeked up at him again. There would be no problem in her paying for a new guitar, which she knew perfectly well. Not that she'd know what, where, or even how to really buy one, but that was besides the point. Pianos, now those she could find easily enough. But guitars? Not so much.

Aimee breathed a quiet breath of thanks of she slipped into her shoes. They made her not seem so much like a doll compared to him which, to her, was pretty good. She was no doll, despite the jokes and how she dressed. And, as she would gladly prove to the right people, she had a personality that wouldn't fit some pink and blonde Barbie. "Ryder... I like it," she smiled thoughtfully, tilting her head to the side slightly. The name was different, but it suited him. He was different, after all. Made sense he had a cool name.

The effect of the heels on her legs escaped her mind entirely. Don't get her wrong, Aimee knew she was hot, but she usually didn't play it up when going to meet her mother. The only thought on her mind was that the shoes a) looked expensive and b) matched her dress. That was all her mother would care about, anyways. Now, though, she caught Ryder's eyes lingering on her as she straightened herself up. Part of her was insanely glad she'd worn the shoes. "That sounds great," she nodded quickly, eyes shyly peeking up at him again. "But, I'm paying to thank you for saving me from a tragic sidewalk death," she smirked softly, tucking her hair away from her face again as she stared up into those gorgeous eyes of his. If she hadn't been so loopy from the racing of her heart, Aimee would've sworn he'd just asked her out.

IF EVER YOUR HEART IS BLINDED
• whatever you've lost, you'll find it •

WORDS: 840!
TAG: Her Future Prince Charming <3
LOCATION: Central Park!
MUSIC: Dreamer by My Favorite Highway
OUTFIT: ZAP!
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Ryder Xavier Wilcox]

+ I'll be right beside you, Nobody will break you +

Apparently, he needed to sneak off to the park more often. Good things happened when he snuck off. A beautiful girl just falls into his lap; a tune just comes to mind, and doesn't actually sound half bad when played out. It was just a damn shame it would all be ruined later with that unfortunate trip to his parents’ house. Seeing his grandfather put a damper on his good moods and made his bad moods worse. It was no wonder both twins tried as hard as they possibly could to get out of everything and anything that included the grumpy old man. But he wouldn't let the jerk ruin his day just yet and he quickly pushed the man and upcoming meeting out of his thoughts. There would be time for that later and then he could just escape to thoughts of this woman. He knew he'd be thinking of her for a while to come. Funny, how one look at a person could tell you if you were going to remember then in five minutes or forget them the instant they leave your sight. This girl, she was going to be stuck for some time.

He'd met beautiful women before, he was Italian, and traveled to Verona frequently. But, he'd never met one that made his heart hammer in his throat, that made his mind go to mush, that made him want to recite poetry in his native tongue; or any language for that matter. But this girl, this woman, his heart was in his throat, his mind was an utter blank and he had authors of poems all lined up in his head in both languages. His palms felt like they were sweaty, but he knew they were dry. He licked his lips, trying to jumpstart his brain. He needed to say something, anything really, but something that didn't make him sound like some fool was preferable. Her words lit a spark in his eyes and he chuckled at the joke. "You know, I've heard that, but I never thought it to be true." God, how lame was that? Could he even joke about something like that? She was a girl and the joke was primarily based on her weight. Wasn't that like a huge, giant 'no-no' for guys to joke about, or even talk about? She was going to slap him in the face and walk off, he knew it.

And where the hell were all these negative thoughts coming from? He was a charmer. He could charm the stars if he tried. Yet, here he was slow as molasses and as fogged as the San Francisco Bay at sunrise. He shook his head, attempting to put some semblance of order back to his thoughts. With his gaze on his guitar, he took a quick inventory, just to please her more than actual need. With the quick glance, he could see there was nothing wrong and with a closer inspection he may find just some dirt or a loose string; neither of which would ever have been anybody's fault but his own. He looked back up at her and shook his head. "No. Really. You're good. There's nothing wrong with her." Especially since he'd just gotten her back from the shop only a few short weeks before. She'd had some minor damage due to wear that needed to be fixed up on her neck. Nothing super major, like a complete overhaul.

Standing, he ran his fingers through his messy hair and just watched her slip into the mile high shoes. It always amazed him when he saw women walking all over the city in shoes like that and none of them broke stride, broke a heel or toppled all over themselves, even if they were practically running while carrying ten bags, a coffee and talking on the phone all at once. He wouldn't admit it to any of his guy friends, maybe not even to Allela, but men were the weaker half of the species. Sure they were considered the stronger half, always the ones the women ran to when there was a bug to off, but he knew if he were ever dared to walk around in a pair of Nik's heels, he'd most definitely break them and then half to go buy her a new, more expensive pair. He smiled, "Thanks, I like it, too." He hadn't when he was younger. Growing up in Italy for the few short years he had, he'd been the only one with an "odd" name. It had gotten to him, because the kids had made fun of him having what they considered an "American" name. It took him a long time, even after the move halfway across the world, to like the uniqueness of his name. But he'd been a resilient kid, and grew out of his worries.

He cleared his throat, finally tearing his gaze away to look into her pretty blue eyes. The contrast of dark hair and light eyes intrigued him. It was rare to see that in the streets and know they were real; that they weren't contacts or enhancements of some kind. He shook his head, more at himself than to answer her, but it worked out to be for both. Who does that? He'd known her all of what? Not even five minutes, and already asking her out. He couldn't believe he'd just done that. He couldn't believe those words sped past his lips before he'd even thought it all through. He'd just asked her out. He'd known her all of what? Not even five minutes? And already he was asking her out for coffees. He knew nothing more than her name! But he knew he wanted to get to know her, and he wanted to prolong being with her. "I can't let you do that. It's my treat, really," he said, grabbing the fabric bag and slipping the guitar into the partially open bag like a pro. The bag was still dark like it was brand new, but it was seriously frayed showing its true age. He'd have to get a new one soon enough, he knew, but he was taking his sweet time getting around to it. With his guitar in it’s' bag, Ryder bent to retrieve his notebook, pen and messenger bag, tossing the first two into the third as he straightened up again. He slipped the messenger bag over his shoulder and adjusted it. Then he slipped the guitar case onto his back and adjusted that so it fell comfortably before holding his hand out for Aimee's.

<sub>+ TAG + His Future Cinderella <3
+ WORDS + 1 099
+ LOCATION + Central Park
+ CLOTHES + Be My Lantern
+ LYRICS + Beside you//Marianas Trench
+ NOTES + <3</sub>[/size]

[Aimee Elizabeth March]

WHENEVER YOU'RE LOST, YOU'LL FIND ME
• 'cause everyone needs somebody •

Aimee could practically feel her brain turning to mush as she continued to sit in this guy's lap, entirely lost in his... just him in general. He was making her forget how to speak, how to breathe, how to be the perfect little angel she was raised to be. Though, really, she wasn't quite an angel, except when around her parents. But, that was a story for another day. Right now, all she wanted to focus on was this boy, how close their lips were, and if they'd be spending more than a few mere seconds together. Everything in her was telling her she had to find some way to stay with him, even if it were only for a couple more seconds. She couldn't let him simply slip away so easily; not yet, anyways.

Honestly, Aimee was not one of those girls who worried about their weight. Sure, when she'd been modeling it'd been a bit different. Back then, she had to be at a constant, nearly anorexic state and had to bare it bravely. Now, though? Now she ate whatever the hell she wanted and worked it off later with a jog in Central Park. She wasn't insecure about her body or about people looking at it, not even her mother anymore. Aimee had learned that she was pretty enough to be a model, that was all she needed to keep her confidence from crumbling because she gained a pound or two during the winter months. "Well, maybe we'll have to do this again on a normal day and see," she replied, biting her lip at how terrible that sounded. Aimee could be a flirt; hell, that was part of her job as a famous designer's daughter. She had guys throwing themselves at her left and right, plus all the ones her mother forced on her. She knew how to flirt... or, at least, she had known five minutes ago. Now that she'd been brain-mushed by this guy, it was a wonder what the hell she remembered. At this rate, she was lucky she'd been able to tell him her name without stuttering.

She watched him check over the guitar, taking a little comfort in the fact that nothing did seem to be broken. Well, at least in her eyes. She didn't know the first thing about guitars. Aimee's lips tugged into a smirk as he called the guitar "her". "'Her'... hmm... that mean she has a name, too? I feel like I should be properly introduced," she teased softly, eyes sparkling in amusement as she looked up at him. Maybe those rumors about musicians naming their instruments were true. Not that she'd ever named her piano - but she also hadn't been very "serious" about it. Music was just a hobby for her, and it most likely always would be. She could find comfort in ivory keys, but a sketch pad and fabric swatches were what really made her design loving heart tick.

Her eyes snuck glances at him, watching him run his fingers through that dark hair of his. Part of her wondered what it'd be like... soft, probably. It'd flow between her fingers as easily as water. "God, Aimee, shut up," she mentally slapped herself. Why was she fantasizing over that right now? She'd just learned the guy's name; day dreaming about running her fingers through his hair should not have been happening. Then again, this heart pounding shouldn't have been occuring, either. And, yet, Aimee could hear it echoing in her ears as she brushed the skirt of her dress off. There was something seriously wrong with her. "Different's definitely something to like. Plain names are... boring," she smiled again, knowing perfectly well the strangeness of "weird" names. Her's was, in fact, quite peculiar. Aimee had never been able to figure out why her mother spelt her name the way she had, instead of "Amy". But, despite her mother's selfish claims about needing a nice, fresh baby name, Aimee liked her name. It was different, and most definitely not plain and boring. That was what you needed in her chosen career path, after all. Different, eye-catching, and new. And, if her name already gave her a bit of an advantage, well, hell, she'd taken it.

Aimee met his gaze with big, innocent blue eyes. They were one of her favorite things about herself because, well, they were one thing her mother couldn't change without her consent. She could die her hair, force her into dieting, dress her like she was the woman's personal Barbie doll, but Aimee had control over her eyes. They were pretty, and she knew that. It was one of the reasons she liked them. Well, and the fact that they were the complete opposite color of her mother's dark ones. Aimee would much rather be compared to her father, and her eyes put her one tiny step closer to that. Now, they were laughing as he tried to weasle his way into paying. Aimee wasn't going to let him, no matter what he did. "Please, this is the 21st century and I'm going to pay. Chivalry can go to hell for now," she smiled up at him as he slid his guitar into its case. It looked old, and she figured it meant he'd been playing for a long time. Well, at least she knew his fingers would be skilled. Her pearly, pin-pricked fingers slipped easily between his as he offered them, and Aimee had to remember not to gasp at the warm rush of sparks that tingled through her body.

Yeah, something was seriously wrong with her.

IF EVER YOUR HEART IS BLINDED
• whatever you've lost, you'll find it •

WORDS: 992!
TAG: Her Future Prince Charming <3
LOCATION: Central Park!
MUSIC: Dreamer by My Favorite Highway
OUTFIT: ZAP!
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Ryder Xavier Wilcox]

+ I'll be right beside you, Nobody will break you +

All he could really about was how this feeling must be what all those great songs and poems were about. That feeling that just hits you like a ton of bricks, or a freight train and just completely knocks you on your ass. His lungs refused to cooperate. He felt like he was going to turn blue or purple or something. He coughed, trying to get his lungs to open up. It was odd, really, that he felt so strongly towards this girl. They were so close and a shocking thought crossed his mind almost immediately after he finally squelched the plan to move that lock of hair that had fallen into those pools of blue; he wanted to kiss her. That idea was even more intriguing than the first. It would be all too easy to just give up the family dinner and stay with her. But he couldn't do that to Nik; even if she could take care of herself. The man was well, an asshole. He never had anything nice to say to either twin. The worst part of it all was that he would say all the mean nasty stuff that should have been left on the front lines behind his son's back. He would say the usual things about Ryder and Nik's schooling, their father's not following the path of the last three generations of Wilcox's and the Incessant barking of the dogs playing when they were all together. When he was alone with one twin, both of them or another family member that happened to be there, he would say so much worse. Ryder always said the man was going to die the day he smiled.

Oh, he'd seen the wedding day pictures of his grandparents. There was love, a love he wanted, just more openly, more freely, but only his grandmother was smiling. General Grandfather was straight-faced and serious, like his Military pictures; taken at least once a year. It was a horrible way to live. And neither Ryder, nor his father had wanted anything to do with it. Sure they both disappointed, but their lives weren’t his to live or dictate, so neither of the Wilcox men gave a damn. He choked back a cough. He was a decent flirt, at least he'd managed to charm a few women in his twenty years. Even as a baby, they all said he'd be a heartbreaker-both twins would be. It was a nuisance, even attempting to live up to some frivolous title he didn't want. Musical artist, songwriter, epic architect? Those titles he wanted to live up to. For some reason, he couldn't even begin to think what to say. And what came to mind, didn't make sense. Unfortunately, his mouth was open and the words were out before he'd even had time to get his thoughts more organized. "We'll have to," is what came out of his mouth. Those three words. And they didn't make any sense to him at all.

His guitar was fine, but he Appreciated her concern over the glossed wood. It wasn't his favourite; all things considered it wasn't even his best acoustic. His favourite had to be the one his father bought him, but he rarely took that one out of his house. That one was just for him, for the house. If the bands practice was at his house, then he'd pull that one out, or if the twins had company and they wanted to hear him play. But for things like this? Or practice at Allela's? He grabbed one of the other two, or he grabbed one of the electrics he had. He shook his head, laughing genuinely. "Like cars, guitars are always 'hers', but I do have a few my sister has named. This one isn't one of them yet." Thankfully. She'd already named his cell phone, laptop, three of his electric guitars and two of his bass guitars. He'd hoped she'd get bored of naming his things, or run out of names-whichever happened to come first. But there were thousands of names in those books and on the internet and at the school alone for her to ever run out of them. So his only hope was her getting bored, and that didn't look like it was going to happen in the new future. So, really, his only option was to grin and bear it.

At some point in his life, he would have disagreed completely. But he'd had the time to get used to his name, and everyone in America liking it. It was such a nice pace from the usual jokes and laughter back in Verona. Children could be so cruel, no matter where in the world you happened to live. At least in America they were a little more relaxed with differences and oddities. "I didn't used to think so. I used to think that plain, boring names were good things." Boy, did he know better now. At one point in his lifetime, he would have done almost anything to have it changed, but now? He didn't want to be anyone other than him. Like any other artistic career choice, his name, he now knew, would help him get ahead in his choice field. With a distinctly interesting name would give his employers pause, and they would go back because it was original, and somehow that would mean his designs and creations would be original and fresh. He only hoped that was true.

Ryder laughed, he couldn't help it. It was very this century of her. He wasn't sexiest, he was all for women taking their rights and he knew how well women could do what men did. If anything, his mother, sister and best friend kept him firmly in the women rule the world column. If he said something that wasn't, but sounded sexiest, he was scolded by whichever woman in his life was there at the time, promptly followed by threats of a dessert less dinner, or something equally ridiculous. He sighed, but gave in. He wasn't one to make people unhappy and he could see that she wanted to do this. Who was he to argue? He smiled a glint in his pale eyes "Alright. But I'll get next time," he said, hoping there would be a next time. He sure wanted one, at least. When her hand slipped into his, his eyes widened, the only visible sign that he'd felt something close to a shock in his hand; a tingling that went all the way up his arm. He adjusted his bag, to give himself a moment to gain the control that had slipped momentarily, before starting down the path towards the vendor. As he set an easy, slow pace, he thought one thing that intrigued him. "If you don't mind my asking, what brought you to the park today?"

<sub>+ TAG + His Future Cinderella <3
+ WORDS + 1 143
+ LOCATION + Central Park
+ CLOTHES + Be My Lantern
+ LYRICS + Beside you//Marianas Trench
+ NOTES + <3</sub>[/size]

[Aimee Elizabeth March]

WHENEVER YOU'RE LOST, YOU'LL FIND ME
• 'cause everyone needs somebody •

Aimee had always wanted to fall in love. It was just that she, well... she couldn't. She'd never trusted a single guy in her life, not even in high school when she'd claimed to be "in love" with some jerky, rich pretty boy merely to please her image absorbed mother. Now, she knew it wasn't real; none of it had been. What she'd had was the kind of thing you laughed about when you were forty-five and raising your own kids, telling them stories of when you were their age and how different the quickly developing world was back then. And, that wasn't what Aimee wanted. She wanted the kind of love you saw between two elderly people in the park as they wandered hand in hand along some pathway or other. Really, she wanted a movie romance, complete with love at first sight, kisses in the rain, and the big beautiful wedding all sappy movies closed with.

That was what this was quickly turning into. At least, for her it was. Sitting in his lap, their faces mere inches from each other's, electricity practically crackling between them; it was practically a scene from the big screen. Sure, Aimee still believed she was partially crazy for even thinking of the things running through her mind. But, at least, it looked somewhat good from that angle. Now, if only some famous screenwrite was watching, then the two of them would have it made. "It'd probably be safer to leave the guitar at home then... for next time," she replied almost silently, mentally slapping herself at how horrible that sounded. Before she could focus too long on it, however, Aimee caught herself leaning towards him, shortening the distance between their faces. He was so close... and those lips, god, those lips. They looked warm and delicious and tender... and Aimee wanted to taste them. It was overwhelming, and insanely strange. It was like she needed to feel his skin pressed against hers to soothe some animalistic urge that she'd never discovered before. Logic gained control of her mind again in a matter of split seconds, and Aimee quickly froze, that longing to kiss him still very much present in her mind. This was so effing weird.

Trying to shake the sudden, and strange, lust off, Aimee smiled prettily at him, letting out a giggle at his words. Who said she'd forgotten how to flirt? "Yet?" she teased, quirking a perfect eyebrow at him. They were Aimee's pride and joy some mornings; most especially when going to meet her mother. The woman picked out every tiny, microscopic detail about her daughter. And, the eyebrows were one of the most heated topics on occasion. They required a lot of work... and a steady hand, on her part. But, it was definitely worth the arguement she'd otherwise get into. Hearing (again) about how she should have them professionally down every couple days got boring after, say, about the second time. Then again, most of what Bailey said blew over Aimee's head, anyways.

"Hey, at least they stand a chance at spelling yours," she laughed, keeping the smile on her glossy lips as she spoke. Aimee had grown used to nearly everyone mispelling her name by now, and it had long since faded in annoyance. She kind of expected it nowadays, and was used to correcting people. On the other hand, there were people who butchered pronouncing her name. Whenever she'd had awards ceremonies at school, they'd always said some weird, contorted version of her name and nearly everyone in the room would roll their eyes in annoyance. Well, everyone but Aimee. It was normal for her, though it was still sometimes a pain the ass to have people ask "You're sure that's how you spell it?". Her response usually consisted of something along of lines of "Yes, positive" though she was thinking more "Yes, you idiot, I can spell my own name perfectly fine".

The sound of his laugh wrapped around her, and Aimee couldn't help noticing the butterflies that swirled in her stomach from the sound. It was intoxicating all by itself. "That mean I get to pick where we go?" she countered, smirking playfully at him as she temporarily drowned in those enchanting eyes of his. Those paired with his smile and laughter were enough to practically make her heart stop beating. Plus, the desired feeling of his skin touching hers added to the amount of breath-taking, almost knocking her out entirely. How could one single person be so goddamn amazing?

Aimee walked along easily with him, showing no signs of struggle as she strutted along in her shoes. Walking in them hadn't become a problem after about the third or fourth time she'd worn them. "I was supposed to be eating lunch with my mom. Though, you're a much better date than she'll ever be," she commented, sarcasm filling her tone at the end. That is, until she realized what she just said. It instantly brought a blush to her cheeks, one she tried to hide with her hair. "I-I mean... you're better company," she said half-heartedly, figuring he'd have noticed her slip anyways. What was the point in trying to hide it? Besides, part of Aimee really wanted this to be a date. If only she could read his mind and find out if he wanted it, too.

IF EVER YOUR HEART IS BLINDED
• whatever you've lost, you'll find it •

WORDS: 955!
TAG: Her Future Prince Charming <3
LOCATION: Central Park!
MUSIC: Dreamer by My Favorite Highway
OUTFIT: ZAP!
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Ryder Xavier Wilcox]

+ I'll be right beside you, Nobody will break you +

Maybe he'd be able to breathe if he looked away. Maybe he'd finally be able to bite the urge to lean in just a little bit more and kiss her. The thing was though, he just really didn't want to. He wanted to stay there with this girl, in the park; even if it meant freezing his ass off on the cold ground. He'd never been in love until this moment. Wait a minute, love? No, he may have been a musician- a path that was basically filled to the brim with love and affection, he may have enjoyed romance novels and romantic comedy films, but he was a realist as well. He knew love at first sight was a fairytale, something made up for the silver screen and small girls who dreamed of their prince charmings and fairy godmothers; wasn't it?

Until that moment, he used to think so. Now, though, his opinion was quickly changing. Ryder felt a pulse beat through him, like an electric current. And all he could think was if he somehow died that day, the heavens had at least let him kiss this girl that was taking up his entire view. Everything else around them had dulled and gone grey. His smile was lightning quick. He wanted to laugh but couldn't find the breath for it. "Definitely," he agreed, more to the 'next time' part than anything else since his mind was taking longer to process her words while she was in his lap. He wasn't sure who was moving closer; him, her or both of them. It didn't matter because it had stopped all too soon for Ryder's liking. Maybe both of them thought it was crazy, this pull, this instant attraction to each other, who knows but he stopped and she stopped and it gave him the time to kid of freak out over this. Where were these feelings coming from?!

Ryder shook his head and rolled his eyes. He knew his sister would get around to the acoustics but she still had a few of the others to go. Plus, as of late, she'd been distracted with school and work and just too preoccupied to run around their apartment naming his things. He knew when she got the chance to fall onto the couch and relax; she'd start rattling off more names for more of his stuff. "It's bound to happen. If Nik doesn't name it, someone will, I'm sure," he said, believing that to be true. Naming his belongings was a favoured pastime among his friends apparently. Sometimes, he wondered how old his friends, and sister, were when they did things like that. But then, he remembered how he and Allela acted in public, in plain view of pretty much any pedestrian who happened to be walking by at that moment; they were quite the pair.

Ryder nodded, agreeing, his name was easy to spell, too bad there were still those dolts who wrote in an "i" over a "y". It took more time, correcting it, than it does to spell it for them, which, Ryder realized early on. So every time he had to give it for school, banking, work, what have you, he spelt it out for them. By the time the next generation grew up, the people working would know how to spell the name properly! "And by the time they finally get it right, the next generation will have more," he said with a shrug. At least no one had said his name awkwardly, forcing him to correct their mistake. Her laugh went right through him. It was like he just couldn't get enough of it. He wanted to hear it more, and more, like he could never get enough of it. It just grabbed him, and those eyes just kept pulling him in deeper.

His smile was wicked, and sparked a glint in his dark emerald orbs. "Next time?" He paused sighing a bit dramatically, "I suppose so, Tesoro," he said, letting the pet name slip. And where, exactly had that come from? He thought, almost swallowing his tongue at the slip that wasn't really, if he thought about it, a slip. He wanted very much for her to be his treasure. She was beautiful, stunning and she had a quick wit and flirty; lord was she flirty. But she was beautiful, and that reeled him in to want to know more about her. He wanted to know her favourite colour, movie, place in the City. He wanted to know where she would love to travel; he wanted to take her to Verona. He'd never wanted to take anyone to his home besides friends to hang out at his family's villa. They'd kept it after the move when he was six so they'd have somewhere to stay when they vacationed.

He was impressed, even Nik needed assistance slipping into those shoes, whether it was yelling down the hall until he went to her bedroom door to see what she wanted, or with the help of the wall. She could walk just fine in them, but getting into some of the steeper heels still gave her trouble. He figured after all the years she'd spent in heels; she'd be used to slipping into them apparently not quite yet. Of course, she could walk around New York and the cobble stone streets of Verona with ease. Ryder grinned at the blush on her cheeks. It was cute; she was cute. "I like to think I'm a much better date than young women's mothers," he said, hoping to make a light joke out of it; trying to show her that he was perfectly okay with that particular slip up. "Of course, I usually have more notice to plan something for a date than five minutes, but," he shrugged, chuckling.

<sub>+ TAG + His Future Cinderella <3
+ WORDS + 971
+ LOCATION + Central Park
+ CLOTHES + Be My Lantern
+ LYRICS + Beside you//Marianas Trench
+ NOTES + <3</sub>[/size]

[Aimee Elizabeth March]

WHENEVER YOU'RE LOST, YOU'LL FIND ME
• 'cause everyone needs somebody •

Aimee was so afraid that if she blinked, all of this would be gone. He'd vanish into thin air, this feeling would turn out to be nothing more than a dream... everything would be revealed as a cruel trick of her romance loving mind. So, instead of blinking, she just stared into his eyes, the ones that were pulling her to him more and more by the second. They seemed to be looking past all the makeup she had on, the dress, the heels, everything. They were looking down into the soul she kept so well hidden from everyone else. They made her want to melt. And they made her body want things she'd never felt a true need for before.

The closeness of their lips had Aimee's heart rate spiking to probably dangerous levels, but she didn't really care. All she knew was that she wanted to kiss him, and she wanted him to kiss back. She wanted to touch him, make sure he was real and not a very vivd figment of her imagination. But, gosh, she wanted to kiss him. It was like some burning desire inside of her, like a piece of her that had been missing was suddenly found. This was the kind of thing that wasn't supposed to exist... and, yet, here they were, caught up in each other with the rest of the world melting away from them. It was too surreal to be reality. Reality was harsh and cruel; not warm embraces and pounding heart beats. This couldn't be reality. She needed proof that it was. So, one of her hands very slowly reached up. Hesitantly, so, so hesitantly, her fingertips ran down his soft cheek, eyes widening softly at the sparks that instantly rocketed through her veins. He was real. He was actually sitting here, her in his lap, her fingertips on his cheek. Holy crap. Blinking rapidly, she instantly retreated her hand, blushing a faint shade of pink. "S-Sorry, I..." But, she couldn't even find the words to apologize. The sparks were still coursing through her body, making her long for more contact with this boy. Aimee wanted to know everything about him. His middle name, where he lived, his favorite color, how long he'd been playing guitar. Everything, from the simplest to the biggest fact. If it would bring her closer to him, it was of importance to her.

"Why don't you? Beat her to the punch," she suggested with a small smirk. "Plus, then you'll at least get to pick a name you like." Aimee didn't really name her things, mainly because she had too many to name. And, her phone switched nearly every seven or eight months, her laptop did bi-yearly, her iPod... well, that was probably one of the only things that didn't constantly change in her life. Even her closet changed between seasons, between years. Clothes were there one week, gone the next, and replaced by some new, "current" pieces her mother had ordered up for her. It was the price she payed for living above one of her mother's boutiques. Live above fashion, constantly get new fashion.

"By then, Mary and Jane will be the odd names, while Ryder will be half normal," she laughed softly, tucking some of her dark hair over her shoulder as she smiled up at him. Flirting was Aimee's automatic defense mode. If she was nervous, she flirted her way out. If she was in trouble, she flirted her way out. If she was rapidly falling in love with a complete and total stranger, she flirted with him to try and gauge his reactions to her. It was just in her nature; the charismatic daughter of a stock broker and fashion designer. She practically needed the trait to survive in the social whirl she'd been born into. And, it did come in pretty handy for picking up guys.

Aimee's pale eyes sparkled up at him as they got lost in his emerald ones. She couldn't help it! They were just so enchanting, mesmerizing, handsome. Her eyes blinked at the last word he said, slight confusion filling them. What the heck had he said? "Te-" something? Definitely not a word in the English language, at any rate. "Next time. We'll see each other again," she nodded confidently, skimming over the subject of what he'd called her. Aimee would grill him about it later, maybe if he called her it again. She hoped it wasn't something bad. But, part of her didn't think he'd call her anything bad. And, for some strange reason, she trusted that part more than she probably should've.

She clip-clopped easily down the pathway in her heels, her hand still woven through his tenderly. Aimee didn't want to let go right now. She didn't want him to leave, not just yet. "You win that contest hands down," she giggled softly, cheeks still a bit flushed but otherwise returning to normal. Aimee gave him a smile, laughing with him, "And I usually don't trip and fall on my date before hand. Next time we'll have to plan better." Gosh, she wanted there to be a next time. And this first date wasn't even halfway over yet!

IF EVER YOUR HEART IS BLINDED
• whatever you've lost, you'll find it •

WORDS: 936!
TAG: Her Future Prince Charming <3
LOCATION: Central Park!
MUSIC: Dreamer by My Favorite Highway
OUTFIT: ZAP!
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Ryder Xavier Wilcox]

+ I'll be right beside you, Nobody will break you +

She was stunning, breathtaking. Ry couldn't seem to be able to take his eyes off her. It didn't matter the ground was cold, it didn't matter that there was a possibility that he'd have to take his guitar back to the shop after just getting it back, it didn't matter that he had a clock counting down the minutes until he had to be at his parents’ home with his sister in the back of his head. It seemed as though time had stopped. There was no future, no past, just the here and now. There wasn't any countdown, there wasn't a young blonde girl running around an apartment a short distance away getting ready to appear as presentable to her grandfather’s standards. It was just a boy and a girl, sitting on the cold ground of Central Park. It would have made a beautiful painting. He could feel her breath tickling him, mingling with his own shallow exhales. The need to move just an inch or two closer was all consuming. He didn't know how he had the will of steel to be this close and not give in to the urge. Ryder rarely gave into his urges, but this one, it was starting to chip away at that rule like an Archeologist chips away at a particularly nasty piece of dirt on bone. He'd give in eventually, he knew it; the up, or maybe downside, of knowing oneself well.

His pale eyes widened at the touch of her fingertips on his cheek. Just her fingertips and she was igniting a fire inside of him. He was really going to lose his cool in a minute. But, then, he didn't know if that was a bad thing. Was it? Would it be? Sure, they'd probably make shows of themselves, but he was a musician, in a band, and he had a friend like Allela where making fools of themselves, or showing off or whatever was as common as breathing. He wouldn't have minded in the least, but he wasn't concerned about him, either. How embarrassed would she be putting on a scene in Central Park? The pretty girl in his lap moved her hand all too soon and he was felt feeling chilled where she'd had contact. He swallowed in air, and shook his head. "Don't be sorry," he said, softly, just loud enough for her to hear. His voice was husky, and he had to cough to clear his throat if he was going to say anything more.

Ryder shook his head, smiling at the thought. "Nah, it pleases Nik too much. I wouldn't want to take that away from her," he said with an easy shrug. "Besides, I don't mind all that much. It's just complicated trying to remember them all when she's around because she'll correct you and huff around the apartment if you get it wrong. If I get it wrong," he amended. Others got more patience from the willowy blonde. Allela was like the sister she never had, despite being the same age. They were constantly going out to shop, and always, always picking on Ryder. But he was okay with that. He liked seeing his sister happy; she was entirely too busy with school sometimes.

Ryder nodded, hitching his guitar bag onto his shoulder more. It was uncomfortable when he had both straps on, so he wasn't used to it. Normally, he tossed it onto the one shoulder and let it slide where it might, but he wasn't willing for it to slip and hit Aimee in the back and make her lose her balance or something. "John and Noah who? They'll be the names of the past!" He said, laughing. "Aimee will still be creative for the spelling. Let's hope that doesn't become too mainstream. It's too unique to fit anyone else," he said, smiling over at her, assuming the spelling was what she was talking about since she’d never actually spelt it out for him. She was closer to his own height teetering on those skyscrapers, but not close enough. He was still taller. He was a bit stunned himself that he'd said that word. He only heard it a million times as an endearment back in Verona, but he'd never uttered the word himself.

He'd always said that he'd only use terms of endearment for his sister, whom he refers to as darling, or butthead depending on the scenario. But "Tesoro"? That was something he was only going to use for his soul mate. He was a hopeless romantic after all, and had chosen something he'd heard countless times from the couple that meant as much to him as his own parents; his grandparents. That was what his nonna called his nonna when he thought they were alone. And when he'd seen that on a summer vacation when he'd been twelve, he knew where he'd gotten his hopeless romantic gene from; his mother's father. He was stupid to say it. Okay, yeah, there was a part of him, a rather big part of him that wanted his words to be true. That was almost shocking. He'd only met her how many minutes ago?! And he was already falling; hard. He raised a brow at her, "You seem pretty confident in that fact," he said, shaking his head. But it was nice to know that they were on the same page there.

He smiled and casually bumped his shoulder into hers, while keeping a firm hold on her smaller hand. He was being flirty, not well, but he was trying. Really, he wanted more contact with her. Holding hands was starting to seem like it wasn't enough. He tilted his head to the side with a shrug and laughter. "I try," he said jokingly. He liked the blush that was slowly fading away. He'd miss it when it disappeared, but while it was there, resting on her cheeks, he'd enjoy the look of her. Plan better was a definite must. And he was already thinking of something to do in the city. "Next time," he said before pausing, probably a beat too long to continue the suspense, "Will be well thought out and planned. That I can promise," he finished with a mischievously wicked grin. Ryder lifted his head to gauge the distance between them and the little vendor to find the small cart only a few feet in front of them. "Well, have anything in mind?" he asked her, nodding his head towards the cart with its pastries on display behind a glass case.

<sub>+ TAG + His Future Cinderella <3
+ WORDS + 1097
+ LOCATION + Central Park
+ CLOTHES + Be My Lantern
+ LYRICS + Beside you//Marianas Trench
+ NOTES + <3</sub>[/size]

[Aimee Elizabeth March]

WHENEVER YOU'RE LOST, YOU'LL FIND ME
• 'cause everyone needs somebody •

Aimee gave him a smirk as he commented on her confidence about them seeing each other. They would, and she knew it. She didn't know how she'd survive without going insane if they didn't. Knowing her, with her inherited habit of dropping thousand dollar bills like they were pennies, she'd probably hire someone to scour the city for him until they did meet again. Stalkerish? Completely. Totally insane? Entirely. Aimee-ish? Absolutely. But, she would see this boy again if it was the last thing she did. "I'm just confident in general, sweetie," she said playfully, smirking more as she tossed some of her dark curls over her shoulder.

She smiled up at him as he bumped his shoulder against hers, gently elbowing him back and giggling in that pretty way again. Aimee let her fingers toy with his as they walked, enjoying the seemingly relaxed nature they already had. Well, besides that burning need to be closer than she already was to him. But, other than that, Aimee felt... at ease, normal. Like she didn't truly need to impress anybody for once in her life. And, for her, that was rare. Usually, she was jumping through fire-lit hoops to show off to one of her mother's fashion friends, or for her father's work buddies. Always, though, always she was the pretty little princess that had the flawless genes from two flawless people. But, right now, Ryder had no clue about any of that. He didn't know who her mother was, he didn't know who her father was. He didn't know she was wearing earrings that cost a miniature fortune. He didn't know about any of it. Aimee could just be Aimee right now, not Miss March, not the spoiled rich girl. Just Aimee. And, maybe, she'd win him over. Just maybe. "So you let me take responsiblity for the crappy date?" she joked, grinning up at him in return and shaking her head as she laughed.

The flirty smirk came back to her lips as he asked what she had in mind. From the time she was fifteen, Aimee had had her coffee order memorized and could say in it less than five seconds now. Granted, the time had improved as soon as she started college and she was rushing at the last minute to grab a drink and get to class, but, still. Aimee knew what she wanted when she stepped up to a coffee stand and gave the guy behind the counter a winning smile. "A medium half-caf, no-foam, non-fat vanilla soy latte," she said easily, with no trace of hesitation in her voice. The guy blinked at her in shock before hurriedly scribbling her words down. The smirk on her lips twitched in amusement at the stunned look she recieved. But, she was more than used to it by now. "Oh, and one of those chocolate muffins and whatever this charming young man will have," she added, turning her grin on Ryder as she finished and bumping her shoulder into him. Later, possibly with him if she was lucky, Aimee would eat some real food instead of this, but it'd hold her over for now. Besides, it wasn't like she in dire need of cold pizza and some leftover Chinese from the other night.

IF EVER YOUR HEART IS BLINDED
• whatever you've lost, you'll find it •

WORDS: 620!
TAG: Her Future Prince Charming <3
LOCATION: Central Park!
MUSIC: Dreamer by My Favorite Highway
OUTFIT: ZAP!
NOTES: This is short... but I want to get them moving XD

[Ryder Xavier Wilcox]

+ I'll be right beside you, Nobody will break you +

Ryder smiled, squeezing Aimee’s hand lightly. He was enjoying himself, and she was intriguing him. He wanted to know more about her. Like, for instance, where she got such confidence. He knew even out in the park that she would be able to hold a room captive; everyone watching her movements, to see where she would go next. Maybe even to see if they could get close to her. Ry knew he’d be like that; watching her from the corner of his eye, wondering if there would be a chase to accidentally on purpose bump into her casually. That is, if he’d seen her somewhere, but that wasn’t the case of he would have remembered her. Fate must have been on his side today, because he didn’t need a crowded room, or a plan ready to set in motion. She’d fallen into his life, by falling into his lap and he already didn’t want to let her leave!

He blushed! Colour actually rose to his cheeks, but he could get away with it, thankfully, because he had been sitting on the cold ground, colour was bound to brighten anyone’s face up. He hoped she didn’t notice his face got darker. It took his a second to recover, but he could finally speak afterwards without sounding off. “I like a girl with confidence,” he said, lightly, easily. He wasn’t the greatest flirt around; no one would ever call him Casanova, but he was decent enough at it to get the girls’ he flirted with to laugh and accept the drink he offered them, if that were the case. This wasn’t and he was in a whole new ball game and he didn’t know all the rules just yet. It complicated things; but just a little bit. Ryder was good at figuring things out as he went.

He laughed, enjoying how her fingers danced over the skin of his hand. It didn’t matter if she was out of his league; it didn’t matter if he had no way to impress her because he didn’t feel like he had to. He didn’t feel like he had to jump through hoops to impress her, like he sometimes had to do at clubs, when he was flirting with the ladies. He felt natural and at ease with the situation, even if he wasn’t aware of the rules, or what was really developing between the two. He did know he was quite fond of her already; maybe it was because of the way they met, or maybe it was how they were so casually flirting with each other. “Naturally! It can’t be my fault this isn’t the most thought out date of the decade!” he said with a haughty tone of voice, which he pulled from thin air. He was joking of course, and that was obvious with the devilish smirk on those lips of his, and the spark that lit his light jade coloured eyes. He was enjoying himself a lot actually. And he didn’t blame either of them for the quick coffee date they were in the middle of.

Standing at the coffee vendor, he only had a minute or two to look over his options. He knew he’d need a major caffeine high for his parent’s dinner, but was it too early for it? Ryder’s brows shot under his messy bangs at Aimee’s order. He shook his head, but knew he couldn’t say anything when his was equally long and just as quick. He laughed at the end of her order, catching the smirk in the middle there when the poor guy behind the stand’s eyes widened, realizing he’d have a mess on his hands. “I’ll have a large caramel macchiato, triple shot espresso, extra caramel, no foam,” he said to the guy, before turning to Aimee, “I really dislike the foam,” he added for her benefit before turning back to the guy behind the stand once again, to watch him scribble dizzyingly on that second cup. Poor guy, Ryder thought again, with an absent shake of his head. “Nothing to eat for me, thanks. I have a dinner to go to in a bit,” he said, more for Aimee’s benefit than anything else; especially considering he’d been thinking about inviting her since he learned her name!

<sub>+ TAG + His Future Cinderella <3
+ WORDS + 715
+ LOCATION + Central Park
+ CLOTHES + Be My Lantern
+ LYRICS + Beside you//Marianas Trench
+ NOTES + <3</sub>[/size]

[Aimee Elizabeth March]

Aimee didn't want a high-society boy. She'd had them, many of them, and had quickly discovered that they were all the same. They wanted two things: sex and money. The first, Aimee had had an issue with supplying for quite awhile because she hated being used. But, after a few years of the pressures increasing, she gave into a few people and still does every now and then. Having no steady boyfriend left her lonely on occasion, and the stringless stands were nice to fill that void. But, right now, she was thinking that maybe those random flings should come to an end. Maybe she could use something more stable, more real. Maybe an actual relationship would be good for her, maybe it'd be what she needed to bring some life back to her mundane lifestyle.

Aimee's smile grew as his hand squeezed her, and she began to play with his fingers once more, enjoying the warm and tingly sparkles that raced through her entire arm from the movements. "Stay tuned. I'm sure you'll find more you like," she smirked flirtily up at him, giving him a playful wink before continuing to walk. What could she say? She'd charmed plenty of guys before, it was just a natural thing to fall back on now in the presence of Ryder. Plus, she really did want to make him like her, all parts of her. And, if the flirting helped, then she'd continue it for as long as it took for him to fall.

Nobody was ever out of Aimee's league. Nothing usually was. She was raised on the belief that she could achieve and have anything, and that included guys. It was probably why she had a bit of a track record, though not too many people knew about it. Right now, Aimee didn't see Ryder as out of her league or too much for her. She saw him as different, and that was what kept making her smile at him like that. She wanted different, wanted refreshing. And that's what she saw every single time she looked up at Ryder's gorgeous face. "The next one better be so I have something to top!" she laughed back at him, giggling and smiling uncontrollably. But, Aimee did like this coffee date, and it wasn't even halfway over yet. It wasn't the typical, "romantic" dinner date she'd been on more times than she would ever care to admit. Coffee in the middle of Central Park was a new one for her, though Aimee wasn't paying too much thought to the location. Her attention was more focused on the company.

Aimee couldn't help laughing as Ryder read off an order that was nearly as long, if not longer, than hers was. She gave him a smirk when he spoke to her, answering, "I'm afraid it's over now! I could never date someone who hates foam!" she teased dramatically, bumping his shoulder and giving his hand another squeeze. "You're cheating on me already?" she joked again with a dramatic gasp, though there was a bit of worry in her eyes now as she glanced up at him. He already had another date for tonight? What did that make her? Desert before the main course?

• • •

WORDS: 600!
TAG: Her Future Prince Charming <3
LOCATION: Central Park!
MUSIC: Breathe by Faith Hill
OUTFIT: ZAP!
NOTES: <3 <3 <3