[ She could hear the scathing tone that took on when he said that. Anastasia forced a smile onto her face, though her tone was more firm. If he wanted to play hatter and call her that, she could definitely pull her Queen accent on him. ]
Fine. Sit down and don't move, darling. Wouldn't want you to lose your head while you waited.
[ She's going to go get her shampoo bottle, hide it in her dress (very poorly, but he's drunk enough he probably won't notice) and find something else to put it in so she can just rinse it out and fill it with water. ]
[ Will broke character for just a second and gave her a disgusted look but quickly remembered what he was doing and pulled one of Hatter's goofy expressions instead. ]
Can't I just follow you?
[ He clumsily caught the hat and put it back on his head before crossing his arms and giving Ana a probing stare. ]
[ She definitely gives him a look like she totally was doing it on purpose since he's being an asshole. Yeah, she knows she can use that against him. ]
This isn't your room, Hatter.
[ You wanted her to play along. ] Be a good boy and sit.
[ She gave him a look at that like 'really' then rolled her eye before going to the kitchen. He's drunk enough he probably didn't even know where anything in her place was. Oh well. Into a glass with film covering it the shampoo went, and she started quickly rinsing the rest out in the sink, shaking the bottle to get as many suds out as she could before filling it up with water.
Sorry Will, you're not inducing poison control on her watch unless she wants you to. Shortly after, she comes back out and holds out the shampoo bottle. ]
[ She was right. He really had no concept at all of what was going on, a problem which seemed to worsen every passing minute. At least he still knew he was supposed to be Hatter. Or was it Jefferson...? No, no, that's the same person. He thought it was anyway.
When had Ana come back? ]
Nope. We'll...
[ He held the hat forward, but it was just out of her reach. ]
[ Jefferson would never give up his hat, let alone meet her halfway for it, so there's a little smile on her face. Even if they'd actually traded bodies, something like this would've given it away easily. ]
Both then.
[ She holds the shampoo bottle filled with water out, her other hand extended for the hat. ]
[ Dear lord that hat's just going to cover up half of her face now. Jefferson's head is much bigger than hers. Anastasia reaches up and adjusts the hat, tipping it up with her right hand and giving Will a look.
SHE'S NOT EVEN GOING TO SAY ANYTHING, JUST FEEL THE LOOK WILL!! ]
[ Will inched a bit closer, leaning forward and giving her a charming grin. Even if he was pretending to be Hatter he couldn't deny that she looked awfully cute. ]
And just what else do you think you can get away with?
[ Anastasia was trying very much to hold herself like a Queen, calm and composed, but her smile at Will was clearly giving her away as just being happy to see him not be mad at her. ]
[ He glanced at her hand and back to her face, his smile fading just a bit. Will stared into her eye, trying to figure out just what it actually was that he was doing. He knew he wanted to apologize to her. He knew he didn't want them to fight anymore. He also knew that he desperately wanted to kiss her. ]
I think -- I think I'm tryin' to get you to forgive me for bein' a right bastard of a boyfriend to the only woman that matters in my life.
[ Anastasia got worried for only a few seconds as that smile faded from his face, but when he spoke her face lit up to a much brighter smile than she'd had before. ]
Will, there's nothing to forgive. I deserve every bit of it, I'm just glad you're still here.
No, Ana. You're wrong. Just this once you're wrong.
[ His voice was even, quiet. ]
When I was back out there, I had a friend that told me somethin' I never quite understood. "When you love somebody, you don't need proof." She'd say it to me all the time. I always thought it was rubbish, like she was kiddin' herself.
But then I started thinkin' about what that meant. Maybe what it means to me and what it means to Alice are two different things, but here's what I figure: it means I shouldn't need to keep thinkin' about what happened cause you already told me why it did. I shouldn't need you to prove that you care about me over and over. I should believe in you.
[ His eyes shot to the floor, a sudden embarrassment overtaking him. He hadn't let himself be a romantic in a long time. He peered up at her again, his thumb gently rubbing against her cheek. ]
I love you, Anastasia, and I know you love me too. That's all the proof I'll never need.
[ "Just this once." Anastasia almost laughed at that statement, considering how many wrongs she'd committed, but she thought better of it given Will's tone. This was something he had to say, and she wasn't going to stop him. If there was one thing she was, it was a listener when it came to Will.
And this was something she wanted to listen to, which made it all the easier. The seriousness of his tone had made her smile falter for just a few seconds, but by the time he was done, she was smiling softly.
Instead of giving him a verbal reply, as she couldn't think of anything more than needed to be said to that, she leaned in and pressed her lips to Will's. It was gentle at first, her hand moving up to his cheek as though she was trying to console him and show him that yes, she understood.
And she did. More than anything, she'd wanted to believe that Will would love her still, even after everything, because she couldn't imagine not loving him. It'd hurt so much to lose him, for it to be her fault, and she tried so hard to get over him but it wasn't possible. There was no reality in which Anastasia Tremaine would not love Will Scarlet. It wouldn't matter how different the stars scattered across the night sky were, or what direction the sun rose in, she would never be capable of not loving him.
That was why when she had realized that the first time it was so painful, to realize that she may have burned that bridge. To realize that she may have turned that love into hatred, to screw up again and again even though the only thing she wanted was him back and then when she had finally resigned herself to a fate in which no matter how much she loved him, she wouldn't be able to see him again, she made a final mistake to try to just have anything. There was a darkness everywhere when the sun went down and she had resigned herself to the night just before the sun finally rose. That was the day that Will Scarlet transferred into the prison.
And if Will found out that she'd almost given herself up to the darkness she was afraid that he would never forgive her, but here he was. She had told him, he didn't find out as though it were a scandal in a tabloid magazine, he found out from her. He still loved her; he still forgave her. He still wanted her.
Anastasia found her eyes watering as she kissed him, suddenly overcome by a strong bout of happiness. She knew he was drunk still. She could taste the alcohol on his lips still, but she threw her arms around him anyway and Jefferson's hat tumbled to the floor behind her with that quick movement as she deepened the kiss, not letting go of Will until she was satisfied that he could feel through that kiss that every ounce of her being was his.
When she finally let him go, the smile on her lips wouldn't fade. ]
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[action]
Fine. Sit down and don't move, darling. Wouldn't want you to lose your head while you waited.
[ She's going to go get her shampoo bottle, hide it in her dress (very poorly, but he's drunk enough he probably won't notice) and find something else to put it in so she can just rinse it out and fill it with water. ]
[action]
Can't I just follow you?
[ He clumsily caught the hat and put it back on his head before crossing his arms and giving Ana a probing stare. ]
[action]
This isn't your room, Hatter.
[ You wanted her to play along. ] Be a good boy and sit.
[action]
Be quick about it, will you? Can't be late, you know.
[ Wait. That was someone else. ]
[action]
Sorry Will, you're not inducing poison control on her watch unless she wants you to. Shortly after, she comes back out and holds out the shampoo bottle. ]
The hat first.
[action]
When had Ana come back? ]
Nope. We'll...
[ He held the hat forward, but it was just out of her reach. ]
We'll... both. Both first.
[action]
Both then.
[ She holds the shampoo bottle filled with water out, her other hand extended for the hat. ]
[action]
Yep.
[ He held the hat over her head just out of her grasp, his other hand reaching for the bottle. ]
We'll hand them over on the count of three. Ready?
[action]
If I wanted it without playing fair, I'd hit you with something and take it.
[action]
[ And just like that he dropped the hat on her head and snatched the bottle. ]
Thank you very much.
[action]
SHE'S NOT EVEN GOING TO SAY ANYTHING, JUST FEEL THE LOOK WILL!! ]
[action]
Problem, Majesty?
[action]
[ Playing along isn't half bad, especially if it gets Will to smile at her like that. She can't even help that she's smiling back. ]
[action]
[ Will wasn't sure who he was speaking as anymore, but he did know he liked the smiling. It was a lot nicer than how he had last seen her. ]
[action]
[ Anastasia was trying very much to hold herself like a Queen, calm and composed, but her smile at Will was clearly giving her away as just being happy to see him not be mad at her. ]
[action]
[ He leaned a bit closer. ]
Especially if I were Will Scarlet.
[action]
How sad you're a hatter then.
[ She moves the hat back that it stays on her head, even if it's clearly only just staying up. ]
I hear hatters don't have half the head to handle a situation like he would.
[ She has no problem teasing him like she doesn't know, at least until he either openly says he's Will or does something about it. ]
[action]
[ He grinned wider, reaching his hand up to hold the side of her face. ]
Wonder what would happen if I told you I wasn't a hatter at all.
[action]
Could it be a disguise? I never would've guessed.
[ She reaches her hand up to touch his forearm, not stilling his hand at all, just.. touching him. ]
Just what might you be trying to get away with, Mr. Scarlet?
[action]
I think -- I think I'm tryin' to get you to forgive me for bein' a right bastard of a boyfriend to the only woman that matters in my life.
[action]
Will, there's nothing to forgive. I deserve every bit of it, I'm just glad you're still here.
[action]
[ His voice was even, quiet. ]
When I was back out there, I had a friend that told me somethin' I never quite understood. "When you love somebody, you don't need proof." She'd say it to me all the time. I always thought it was rubbish, like she was kiddin' herself.
But then I started thinkin' about what that meant. Maybe what it means to me and what it means to Alice are two different things, but here's what I figure: it means I shouldn't need to keep thinkin' about what happened cause you already told me why it did. I shouldn't need you to prove that you care about me over and over. I should believe in you.
[ His eyes shot to the floor, a sudden embarrassment overtaking him. He hadn't let himself be a romantic in a long time. He peered up at her again, his thumb gently rubbing against her cheek. ]
I love you, Anastasia, and I know you love me too. That's all the proof I'll never need.
[action]
And this was something she wanted to listen to, which made it all the easier. The seriousness of his tone had made her smile falter for just a few seconds, but by the time he was done, she was smiling softly.
Instead of giving him a verbal reply, as she couldn't think of anything more than needed to be said to that, she leaned in and pressed her lips to Will's. It was gentle at first, her hand moving up to his cheek as though she was trying to console him and show him that yes, she understood.
And she did. More than anything, she'd wanted to believe that Will would love her still, even after everything, because she couldn't imagine not loving him. It'd hurt so much to lose him, for it to be her fault, and she tried so hard to get over him but it wasn't possible. There was no reality in which Anastasia Tremaine would not love Will Scarlet. It wouldn't matter how different the stars scattered across the night sky were, or what direction the sun rose in, she would never be capable of not loving him.
That was why when she had realized that the first time it was so painful, to realize that she may have burned that bridge. To realize that she may have turned that love into hatred, to screw up again and again even though the only thing she wanted was him back and then when she had finally resigned herself to a fate in which no matter how much she loved him, she wouldn't be able to see him again, she made a final mistake to try to just have anything. There was a darkness everywhere when the sun went down and she had resigned herself to the night just before the sun finally rose. That was the day that Will Scarlet transferred into the prison.
And if Will found out that she'd almost given herself up to the darkness she was afraid that he would never forgive her, but here he was. She had told him, he didn't find out as though it were a scandal in a tabloid magazine, he found out from her. He still loved her; he still forgave her. He still wanted her.
Anastasia found her eyes watering as she kissed him, suddenly overcome by a strong bout of happiness. She knew he was drunk still. She could taste the alcohol on his lips still, but she threw her arms around him anyway and Jefferson's hat tumbled to the floor behind her with that quick movement as she deepened the kiss, not letting go of Will until she was satisfied that he could feel through that kiss that every ounce of her being was his.
When she finally let him go, the smile on her lips wouldn't fade. ]
I love you, Will.