#and ofc literally the only thing keeping them apart in s4 is loyalty to annabeth

[strideofpride]

Dear S,

Please consider this message as me pressing you to expand upon Lemon x Lavon

Love,

Liz

ah dammit I missed a GOLDEN opportunity to just:

Under a read more because I wrote another essay lol!

Okay so, I talked A LOT yesterday about what was going on in Lemon's head primarily in season 1, but one further piece of evidence I want to submit is in 114, when Lemon goes "I'd give up anything for you George" and then she shoots a yearning look towards Lavon, which I think is just further proof that Lemon didn't choose George because she loved him more, but cause she felt like she had to.

And then as for the Lavon of it all...I think after Lemon rejected him for the umpteenth time in 118, he was done. "Difficult might not stop him" but Lavon can take a hint. He's put his heart on the line over and over and over again, and Lemon keeps stomping it into pieces and it's just too much.

So if Lemon really is over him (she's not of course but bad timing and miscommunication is kinda their thing for four straight seasons), really is gonna marry George after everything, has really moved on, well then it's time for Lavon to move on too. He helps George try to give Lemon the wedding of her dreams, when the wedding is called off, he doesn't chase after her cause he thinks she doesn't want him, doesn't have feelings for him anymore (again, he's wrong, but you know).

And he starts getting involved with Ruby, the high school sweetheart, the only girl he's seemingly ever had a serious relationship with. If he can make it work with Ruby, it's proof, proof that Lemon was really just an affair, wasn't anything deeper, it was all in his head anyway or so he thinks. But Ruby, now there's a love story that could lead to a happily ever after.

And when things fall apart with Ruby, Lavon is so convinced that Lemon is soo over him that the only reasonable explanation for why she told Ruby is out of malice (she's in love with you dummy wake up!!!) but again Lavon can't see that, because he's convinced himself that Lemon never loved him in the first place.

And when Lavon finally finds out that Lemon was in fact in love with him at some point (still is but he doesn't know that), he's already grown attracted to Annabeth, the best friend, and tbh, I do think a big part of Annabeth's appeal to him was how transparent and open she was. Lemon kept him on a string for a year as she dealt with her own mixed feelings, he was convinced Ruby and him were going to live happily ever after in Bluebell, and was almost blindsided when all of a sudden it went from "I'm going to be mayor" to "I could never be happy in this town". But unlike them, AB is inherently very honest, and that's refreshing.

And I think Lavon has convinced himself by this point that he is not in love with Lemon anymore. He wanted to marry Ruby (nevermind the fact that he was only proposing to keep her in town) so he must not love Lemon anymore! And look...I know Lavon and AB are popular, but like...I don't think Lavon was ever fully in love with Annabeth. I think he loved her and cared about her, but in a way she was almost a rebound from the very intense emotional rollercoasters he went on with Lemon and Ruby, she was safe, and stable, and it was nice to feel secure in a relationship for once.

But, like...Lavon is not a slow paced guy when it comes to romance. He was convinced he was going to spend the rest of his life with Lemon after only six weeks!! He was going to propose to Ruby after what? Only eight real weeks of dating? (Not counting the years they presumably spent dating in high school). He and Lemon get engaged in season 4 after like a month. But even after a full year of dating AB, he still wasn't sure he wanted to marry her?? Like, I'm sorry but he just wasn't in love.

And he even admits in the season 3 finale that he was comparing their relationship to his past ones (again, presumably Lemon and probably Ruby too). Because I think deep down Lavon still loved Lemon despite of himself. Lemon had been a cloud over their relationship the entire time. AB only finally started dating Lavon when Lemon decided to "stop being selfish" and finally gave her blessing. And then Lemon took a step back, gave them space, because she knows they both deserve to be happy and doesn't even think she's capable of being the person who could make Lavon happy anymore (also - I've said this before, but it's no coincidence that Wade becomes her best friend at the same time AB gets serious with Lavon).

But you still see that spark during the few times Lemon and Lavon interact while he's dating AB. Lemon tells Lavon in the s2 finale that she's happy for him and AB (this comes right after a shot of Lemon looking at them longingly btw lol) and it's inspired her to find her person too and Lavon...does not look thrilled about it.

It's a very subtle moment, but I do think it was a very intentional one, meant to show that Lemon and Lavon might not be over after all.

In 305, that spark is still there again, Lavon literally looking away when Lemon and Meatball kiss (although I would do the same thing lol - if I have a hod notp it's for sure them), still understanding Lemon, their whole "worried about recreating something magical because it might not be the same" convo they have re: Peter might as well be about them and their fears toward each other.

When Lemon comes back to town in 314, Lavon immediately upon seeing her senses something is wrong, literally committing a crime for her with no hesitation. And then in 315, they literally get crowned king and queen of Bluebell (cause they are!!) and you can tell they become hyper aware of that spark still being there as they share a dance, but then they see AB looking sad and dejected in the corner, and they both realize why they can't go there and separate.

But Lavon doesn't let that thought go completely. In 317, after Zoe's failed attempt to get Lemon and George back together to fix the "curse", she finally breaks down over her break up with Joel, confessing she's worried she's let "the right person just walk away forever". And Lavon's response? "Yeah, I think about that every day."

And I think a lot of the audience at the time thought he was referring to AB. But they hadn't interacted once that episode, but you know who Lavon DID spend a significant amount of screentime with that episode? Lemon. You know who was super against Zoe's plan to get Lemon and George back together? Lavon. Reader, Lavon was talking about Lemon.

And then comes the season 3 finale. And yes, I do think they intentionally misdirect you into thinking Lavon is chasing after AB before revealing he was chasing after Lemon. But I don't think him chasing after Lemon is "out of nowhere". It took me several rewatches before I finally paid attention to what Don Todd had said that inspired Lavon in the first place.

See, I laid it all out on the table. Now I know I've done everything I could. Everything you could. In hindsight, I should've done it four years ago. Now I don't have to spend every day thinking maybe she feels it, too.

FOUR YEARS AGO!!! What else happened four years ago??? Lemon choose to accept George's proposal and end her affair with Lavon!! Also, Lavon had literally just confessed to Lemon earlier in the episode that he felt as if their relationship was "just in his head". Lavon had literally spent all these years thinking the affair didn't mean as much to Lemon as it did to him, wondering if she had ever felt as strongly as he did for her, all because he never laid all his cards on the table and fought for her when George came back to town.

But now he's not going to make that same mistake again twice.

#and ofc literally the only thing keeping them apart in s4 is loyalty to annabeth #and once she gives her blessing... #there's literally no doubt in my mind that if lemon had to have actually made a choice between george and lavon in s4 #she would've chosen lavon this time #hayland #lemon x lavon #hart of dixie #lemon breeland #lavon hayes #hod meta #hod #terrainofheartfelt #strideofprideanswers