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Maybe it was because they had squirmed out of death’s hand together, maybe it was because they both had love-hate relationships with their mothers, or maybe it had finally dawned on the two that they both shared a bond weirdly greater than any other, but whatever it was, it compelled Raven Queen to Apple White and Apple White to Raven Queen.
At first, it was subtle. Apple would come back to her dorm, tired of playing her perfect little princess role when Raven would run to her arms crying, having a meltdown because the thought of her mother almost killing her dear friend would not stop eating away at her. Apple would comfort her and tell her it was her own fault for smashing the mirror in the first place and the pair would exchange apologies and lay in each others arms a little longer to absorb one another’s warmth before going their separate ways once more.
Then it would slowly progress.
Apple would notice Raven acting strangely and would have extensive search for ways to cheer Raven up. Raven would see that Apple at times wasn’t radiating with kindliness like she usually was and would get her small trinkets, things like cute bracelets or treats she knew her roommate loved, and Apple would do the same. Apple would tell Raven that it was all unnecessary yet couldn’t help but feel like the small gestures were the only thing giving her a purpose. They had grown fond of each other and adored their friendship.
It wasn’t until an unusually cold winter, though, whilst the girls were on the ground giggling after a failed game of Twister that Raven just spilled it out. “I love you.” She had said as she watched how a shivering Apple with slightly messy hair turned her beautifully small head towards her and said, “I love you too.”
When Apple answered, Raven saw her icy breath escape her gorgeously sculpted mouth, forming a trail of clouds of carbon dioxide, the clouds making it seem as if her reply were still lingered in the air, kept in place.
I love you too.
They retreated to Apple’s bed and scrambled within the warmth of a blanket, settling next to each other, a body next to a body. Apple laid her head on Raven’s shoulder and Raven turned around quickly in response to the sudden movement, accidentally having challenged the space between them. Both of their eyes darted from each other’s lips to their eyes and back to their lips again and their breaths hitched.
“Don’t even think about it,” Apple had said as she felt Raven slowly lean her head forward, planting her lips onto the princess’. At first, Apple remained unyielding, like a statue, until she gave in to the touch of her roommate. She tasted just as sweet as she looked.
When they pulled away, a remainder of each other had stayed on their lips, Raven having traces of ruby red on hers and Apple having plum purple traces on her own. Despite how tired her cheeks were of keeping up the facade of smiles to her peers, Apple’s first reaction to Raven kissing her was to smile like the world’s biggest loon.
With this new profound love of theirs, Apple felt complete, Raven felt complete. They had been each other’s missing pieces and despite their love, they were and would always be friends at core, their friendship would continue to blossom and nothing else mattered. They would die for each other.
A month later, once again, Apple came back to her dorm to find Raven collapsing with guilt-filled tears, her mother’s deed unable to go away, to leave her in peace. Instead of the usual consolation speech, Apple decided to coo Raven like a young, teenaged maid she had made a friend out of once had to her when she was about 9. Apple had wept because there was a thunderstorm outside and the darkness felt horrific. The maid, Cecily, was 16, Apple’s age now, and she was an only child, so Apple quickly became somewhat of a surrogate younger sister to her. Cecily cuddled next to her and cooed her sound asleep, humming a beautiful melody Apple could only mimic; she didn’t recognize it. Apple cuddled next to Raven and cooed her. She caressed strands of her hair with her fingers, and hummed her a melody, putting her to bed.
Raven had decided the next morning that she needed to find a way to show Apple how grateful she was for the night prior and decided to use some of her magic. When Apple came to her dorm this time, instead of beautiful tears, she had come home to the roof of her dorm gone.
Well, not gone gone.
Raven had cast a spell to make the ceiling look like the night sky and whenever she would turn the ceiling into the sky, a specific melody would play, the one Apple had hummed to Raven. Now, it was Apple crying. She had never met someone who would do such marveling things for her and make her feel a happiness that burned a thousand suns.
“You moved the moon and stars for me,” she had whispered to herself, her eyes continuing to flow with warm tears of awe.
That day had been her favorite of the year.
And in the end, only heaven knew.
Only heaven knew how powerful, how magnetic, how genuine, how strong Apple and Raven’s connection was. Only heaven knew how unusually beautiful this bond between two awkward teenage girls was, and only it would know when that link secretly intensified and nourished and grew in the dark, reminiscent night as the roommates secretly consoled each other, held each other, kissed each other, loved each other. Only heaven knew how much a blonde could love an ebony-haired girl and how much an ebony-haired girl could love a blonde, and the amount was more than a thousand seas; bigger than any love before it or yet to come, so big it was hard to even try to get a grasp on it. Only heaven knew that this love, this connection, this blossoming friendship, despite any disagreements or downs or arguments, was eternal and it would continue to be so for a millennia of generations to pass the two princesses.
Maybe it was because they had squirmed out of death’s hand together, maybe it was because they both had love-hate relationships with their mothers, or maybe it was just that two awkward girls with a friendship so ethereal knew that they were made for each other and unknowingly created a love bigger than any existence known to the world, but whatever it was, it compelled Raven Queen to Apple White and Apple White to Raven Queen.
And heaven knew.