A/N: So, here's to compensate my lack of updates for DK. See the end of the chapter for another note.

Raven Queen was someone who liked certainty, but rarely had it.

She was certain about not wanting to become an Evil Queen, about wanting to take care of her people, without having to poison someone, especially if that someone was a friend like Apple, but she wasn't certain if she could achieve it.

She was certain her friends had her back, just as she had theirs, but wasn't certain as to how far the Royals could go to get them to pledge destiny.

Lizzie Hearts was something she wasn't as certain, however. It was a thing of sorts to Raven, how the Princess of Hearts from Wonderland would look at her near adoringly, as if she were a flower blossoming or a bird singing, and being honest with herself, she liked it. And she liked it a whole lot.

The ebony-haired girl had hexted her yesterday to apologize, for she wouldn't be able to meet her after classes since her mother had written and it had to do with Wonderlandian business. Since yesterday was Friday, Lizzie had proposed to go to Book End to spend the day. Raven had responded within 10 seconds with a resounding "YES", worded in "Sounds hat-tastic! See you at the entrance at 2!"

Raven remembered yesterday, how Lizzie spent a good part of the class staring at her. The purple-clad girl was enormously pleased, to say the least, for both being observed by Lizzie and for being able to observe herself without breaking the other's trance.

Elizabeth Hearts was a masterpiece. Something so beautiful the artist would've rather hidden her than sharing such beauty with the world, but had no other choice.

Raven could see it even with her peripheral vision being pushed to its limits. Lizzie's luscious body, naturally poised as always, with its curves screaming for her hands to discover them. Lizzie's hair, so dark except for those bright red locks framing her chiseled face, and so soft and silky in appearance, Raven yearned to run her fingers through it. Lizzie's eyes, so penetrating and full of vigor, of passion, and the permanent undertone of sadness, yearning and love, all caged in with no escape in a green that went emerald in depth.

The witch had thought long and hard about Lizzie all night. Could Raven like the Wonderlandian already? Apparently, yes, yes she could.

And so, Raven was standing in the entrance at 1:55, pondering whether she should clear herself with Lizzie and risk being rejected (a little improbable, considering Lizzie advances, but rejection wasn't nice and she'd rather avoid it) when the girl arrived, looking impeccably charming.

"I'm not late, am I?" Lizzie asked and the girls exchanged kisses on the cheek, although Raven thought one on those bright red lips would be so much better.

"Not at all, I arrived a bit early. Shall we?" Raven was the one to offer her arm this time and Lizzie more than happily hooked hers.

"How's your mom and Wonderland?" Raven spoke.

"Both are doing well, thanks for asking. Mom wanted to consult with me about the new uniforms for the maids and butlers. I've been in charge of those ever since I could distinguish colors." Lizzie explained and rolled her eyes good-naturedly.

Raven chuckled, and quietly pointed out a couple who was dumbstruck at the sight of them. Both laughed and decided to have a bit of extra fun aiming a devilish grin at them. The girl shrieked and hid behind the boy, who just gulped audibly.

Soon they were in the village. Lizzie had wanted to check a store and since she didn't really have anything she wanted to see in special, Raven agreed.

"Last time I came I saw one of the stores had a lovely corset that might just fit you." The Wonderlandian commented, pointing at the general direction of the store.

Raven followed and when they reached the store's showcase, she was positively enchanted with the corset her acquaintance had mentioned. It was of a deep amethyst color with silver embroidery, and like Lizzie said, seemingly her size. But right beside the corset was a red summer dress with a black polka dot pattern that had a golden ribbon around the waist. Upon inspection, Raven noticed those weren't dots, but small hearts, and turned to see Lizzie who of course noticed the dress as well and with no more than a maniac smile and a nod they got in the store.

A while later, Raven came out of the store bag in hand followed by a radiant Lizzie in her new dress.

Raven had a wide smile on her face, seeing Lizzie so happy made her happy as well. She couldn't stop feeling like this was pretty much a date and hoped the emerald-eyed Goddess felt the same in some level.

Lizzie approached her and the witch had to fight the urgency of hugging her, "I know where to go next, but you'll have to trust me. Can you do that?"

Raven smirked, "Trust you? Of course I do. Lead the way."

Lizzie tilted her head, "Ah, but if you see where we're going you'll know where I want to take you," she smiled innocently and her hands reached her back, undoing the golden ribbon, "so you can't see."

Raven, instantly liking the prospect of the daughter of the Queen of Hearts blinding her, bowed her head and allowed Lizzie to tie the ribbon, effectively blocking her view. She felt the other girl get closer until she could feel Lizzie's warm breath against her skin.

"Let me guide you." The girl of Hearts whispered in Raven's ear, eliciting a slight shiver.

The Rebel could feel the hair at the back of her neck stand on end, and wordlessly nodded. She couldn't suppress the smile that crept up her gorgeous features when Lizzie grabbed her hand and began walking.

Raven concluded they had reached destination when they stopped, but when she was about to untie the ribbon, Lizzie kept her hands down and whispered in her ear again, "Not yet."

The girl sighed, but surrendered, and so Lizzie pushed the door open. The merry sound of a bell announced their arrival and the scent of fresh paper and ink filled their nostrils. Raven recognized the smell instantly and released a giggle.

Lizzie had taken her to her very favorite store.

"You can see now." The Wonderlandian said.

Raven untied her blinding and, to Lizzie's surprise, rounded her waist with her arms and length of golden ribbon, tying it behind her neatly. She blushed and thanked Raven quietly. The witch responded with a wink in kind and proceeded to check one of the many shelves that housed all kinds of pens, pencils and markers.

Hurriedly, the emerald-eyed girl went to the dependent of the store, a middle-aged man, and asked for a pentagrammed paper block. The man went to a shelf behind him and retrieved the item, telling her it was the last one. She asked to pay for it right then and in hushed tones explained it was a surprise gift for her acquaintance. He smiled kindly and proceeded with the receipt. Lizzie paid in cash and hid the block in the bag of the store where they had gone earlier.

Raven, completely unaware of Lizzie's doings, emerged from one of the hallways holding a myriad of markers, pencils, color boxes and blocks with different kinds of drawing paper. She deposited her load as carefully as she could on the counter, and eyeing Lizzie happily, she asked the dependent for a block of pentagrammed paper.

The man eyed Lizzie briefly, "I'm sorry, but someone took the last one earlier today."

The purple-clad girl's face fell for a bit, "Oh, well, next time." She motioned to her things, "I'd like to-"

Raven never got to finish her sentence, because Lizzie had interrupted with "I'll pay for this." And lifted her chin commandingly, defying Raven to protest.

The girl didn't, but blushed profusely. Once the transaction had been made and Lizzie thanked the man, they made their way out and settled course for the café that was a mere three shops away.

"You didn't have to pay for that, you know." Raven said, still a little flushed, eyeing her bag of art supplies.

"You didn't have to pay for my dress either. Take it as a gift, just what you said I should take the dress." Lizzie countered.

The café wasn't the most popular by far, but they served great desserts and a pumpkin spice latte to die for. After a short line, they placed their orders, Lizzie having a Black Jungle cake and mokaccino, while Raven asked for blueberry pie with a normal latte.

They seated then, and Raven spoke, "It was a shame there weren't any blocks left. I needed a new one for a few songs that have been on my mind lately." She blew on her coffee before taking a small sip.

Lizzie smiled naughtily, "Oh? You mean one of these?" she said, and drew the block of paper from her bag.

Raven's face was of utter surprise and amusement, "So you were the one who took it! But how?" she asked, and received the block when Lizzie handed it to her.

"You were so distracted checking markers that you didn't notice when I bought it." She explained and took a bite of cake.

"It means a lot, really, I enjoy writing songs very much. Thank you, Strawberry." Raven hugged the block and stared directly into the ponds of green, emerald in depth.

"It's nothing. Every once in a while Maddie comments about how much you like music and so it came to my mind. Now, Raerae, will you tell me why I'm Strawberry?" Lizzie asked, adopting the same position she had the day prior in the Castleteria table.

"Well, strawberries are a curious fruit. They're sweet, but they're also a bit acid. They're like you. At first look, a red fruit that looks really good. At first bite, a strong, kind of acid flavor that, depending on the state of the fruit, can be more or less sweet too. Many people don't know how to take the acidic flavor and move on to other, sweeter fruits. It takes someone less delusional to enjoy strawberries for what they are, and someone special to make them their favorite fruit." The lavender-eyed girl explained.

Lizzie lowered her face and smiled yet again, this time knowingly, "And they're your favorite fruit, aren't they?"

"Looks like I've been discovered." Raven shamelessly laughed, "I figured that I could relate my favorite fruit to my favorite Princess."

It was true. Raven found those similarities between her favorite fruit and Lizzie's personality that it fitted just right. Any other nickname seemed dull in comparison to this one, and Lizzie was her favorite Princess. Saying 'favorite person' would be a half-truth, because her best friends forever after were her favorite people too, but who says 'you're one of my favorite people' in what really felt like a date? No one. And she wouldn't be the first. Instead, she took another term, one that made the sentence a full-truth.

Lizzie looked astounded and blushed a pretty shade of red, but recomposed quickly, "So I'm your favorite Princess?"

Now or never, Raven thought.

"That you are. I really, really like you, Elizabeth Hearts. Call me delusional, but I can't seem to get the idea of you and me together out of my head." Raven confessed, smoothly in her opinion since she didn't stutter as she expected herself to do.

Lizzie took Raven's hands in her own, "Then I must be delusional as well, because I really, really like you too, Raven Queen. And pretty much the same idea has been fluttering around my head."

"All about today has felt like a date. How about we turn it into a real one?" Raven proposed, feeling confident.

"Of course. What about a walk in the park?" Lizzie checked her wrist watch; it was 5:45 in the afternoon.

The witch was exhilarant, to say the least. There was something else she wanted, but she had to wait to see if she'd get it.

"Let's finish these treats first." Lizzie said, and released only one of Raven's hands.

Both Black Jungle and blueberry pie were finished in due time, with both girls trading flirty glances and sly smiles while their legs brushed beneath the table all the while.

With her drink and bags in her right hand and arm, Raven grabbed Lizzie's own right hand, smiling when the girl intertwined their fingers. She must have expected this maneuver, because her mokaccino and bag were on her left hand and arm, mirroring hers.

Both girls made conversation while walking the few blocks from the café to the park. Their favorite bands, their families, their homelands (at the latter Raven noted that Lizzie was looking so happy that the usual nostalgia that invaded her whenever she spoke of Wonderland wasn't there, and its absence made the lavender-eyed teen content) and what they liked about each other.

Raven highlighted Lizzie's strong will, her undeniable talent for art and skill at confectioning clothes, her insight and her resolve, her unwillingness to give up without a fight, and therefore her braveness.

Lizzie highlighted Raven's own strong will, her heart of gold and loyalty, as well as her own insight and creativity, for she too was an artist. She countered Raven's last point by saying that it took true bravery to go against what destiny said, to decide to abandon the foresaw in favor of the unknown.

When they got to the park, they chose a bench away from the path, one that provided a good view of the Ever After Castle. Lizzie laid her head on Raven's shoulder, sighing contentedly.

They spent several moments like this, none feeling the necessity to talk, until the purple-clad witch felt it was time to ask.

"Strawberry?" she voiced, the always annoying uncertainty making an appearance right when she needed to be certain about this.

"Yes, Raerae?" Lizzie responded, lifting her head from its position on the other's shoulder and eyeing her acquaintance.

Raven turned to Lizzie and at seeing the true interest, adoration and even perhaps love the girl had in her eyes, she had the certainty she needed.

"I don't know very well how to say this. I know many would kill to have you and that a group of those many are probably more worthy of doing so than I am, but I like you more than I thought possible for having a handful of conversations, and I would like to have many more with you. You're truly fascinating, truly a sight to behold, truly a person to be remembered, and I would be tremendously honored to call you my girlfriend."

By the moment the final word left from Raven's mouth, Lizzie was at the verge of tears and, without a single word or prior warning, she planted a firm kiss to the lips in front of her.

Raven was caught off-guard for mere moments before she returned the kiss. Nothing had been softer than Lizzie's lips in this precise moment.

When they parted, Raven stared intensely into the green eyes of her newly girlfriend, the green eyes that went emerald in depth.

"I'll take that as a resounding yes." Raven joked, and Lizzie swatted her arm playfully before going back to her previous position, now adjusting herself to mold more fully into the witch's body.

"Of course it was a yes. Although I thought I would be the one asking. Not that I'm complaining, not at all!" she said.

As if on instinct, both tightened their grip on each other's hands, that had their fingers still entwined.

Whoever said red and purple don't go together? Raven thought to herself.

A/N 2: Congrats to the cuties who got the "cinnamon roll" Tumblr meme reference in chappie one. Also, a lovely guest asked whose blue eyes were those at the end. You'll discover it soon ;)

Tell me what you think of the story so far, pretty please!