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heythatpenguinhere · 4 years

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Birthday Magic- Eleteo Fanfic

*HELLO! It’s been far too long since I posted an Eleteo fanfic, so we’ve got a little fluffy serving here for you guys! In honor of @pizza-n-sunshine‘s birthday, enjoy! Happy Birthday to the Eleteo Queen!! (Apologies for any grammar issues!)

There are certain moments in your life you never forget. Moments where time completely stops and you intake every detail; committing it to memory that will never be lost...

Mateo knew this was one of those moments. His world was flipped upside down and right side up when he heard the high-pitched cries of his child entering the world.

Everything seemed to move in low motion...

Elena’s gasps turned to tears as the small bundle was placed on her chest, in front of both new parents.

Mateo could hardly fathom it. This tiny being, crying and breathing its first breaths in the world, was his. The most physical and pure byproduct of the beautiful love between him and his wife was here with them now. All those months of them whispering to Elena’s swollen belly and preparing a colorful nursery had led to this moment. She was here now.

“S-She’s so beautiful mi amor.” Elena said between tears, bending down to soften her cries with a gentle kiss to her small forehead.

Looking down, he couldn’t agree more.

She was a perfect blend of both him and Elena. She had a small tuft of wavy brown hair that reminded Mateo of his own sometimes messy waves. He could just make out Elena’s small delicate nose and full cheeks as well. Her eyes were still shut, but as her crying settled, he held his breath and his wife tightly, in the hopes of seeing them open for the first time.

He had his nose buried in Elena’s disheveled hair, eyes wide in anticipation.

Her tiny nose crinkled and then it happened.

Her eyes began to open, unveiling eyes that seemed to glow a mixture of golden and green, a careful balance of Flores and De Alva genes.

The light coming from the window illuminated them brighter as her eyes met her father’s and settled there.

He gasped and he felt Elena’s hand clutch his own.

His daughter was gazing at him and he could barely breathe.

He could feel Elena’s warm gaze on him as well, spying a few tears slipping from her eyes in joy.

Before he knew it, Mateo himself was also soon shedding tears.

“Hello little one… I’m your Papa…” He said with a soft smile as the weight of the words registered in his own mind.

Mateo and his wife stayed seated on their bed, cherishing the tender moment privately as a new family.

Luz de Alva grew far too quickly for her parent’s liking.

Today they would celebrate a year of her life. A year since she came into their lives and changed everything. A year since they could not imagine a life without her.

The new parents could hardly believe it!

Her baby curls had grown in longer, her dimples came in, and those eyes of hers continued to shine brightly as ever. To anyone who saw her, it was evident how perfect of a mix she was between the Queen and Wizard King.

The little princess lay nestled in her wooden crib, cooing and reaching up towards her favorite Jaquin mobile. Three little Jaquins spun around flying magically, never failing to keep Luz amazed and entertained, as the final preparations were put in place for her birthday celebration.

Mateo stopped his busy wife for a gentle hug and kiss, reminding her not to get too stressed about the little details and instead to just enjoy the day. This caused Elena to smile, recalling all the times he had helped her throughout the years.

Glancing back at the crib where the little princess lay giggling she smiled, “Thank you mi amor. What would I do without you?”

Unbeknownst to them however the mobile had stopped its motion. The small princess’ face morphed to one of anger and within seconds, the mobile began to move again…

“Today’s your birthday we’re all here for you! So make a big wish and it will come true! You’re one more year older and so we all say, we love you Lucita on your special day! On your special day!”

Luz bounced happily in her mother’s arms, clapping happily as the room full of family and friends sang just for her.

She loved music and the band playing along made her laugh and smile, melting the hearts of everyone in the ballroom.

A bright pink cake decorated with flowers and Jaquins was wheeled in.

Mateo and Elena stood closely together smiling widely as they watched their daughter’s happiness grow.

“Make a wish mi flor.” Elena whispered to her daughter and moved forward with her to blow the candle for her.

However, the flame on the candle blew out on it’s own…

Mateo was momentarily stunned and looked towards his wife who shook her head, confirming she hadn’t been the one to do. They both looked at their daughter, Luz, who was still clapping happily.

It was time for presents to be opened and the birthday girl sat on a soft, golden blanket with piles of gifts around her.

Family and friends laughed together and prepared themselves to see her parents opening the gifts and placing them on her blanket to see her reactions.

Despite nothing else strange happening since the candle incident, Mateo couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off in the air.

Something felt more charged in the air than usual and he found himself constantly checking on Elena to ensure it wasn’t her magic seeping out.

Sensing his unease, Elena leaned into him. “Are you alright?”

Mateo looked at his wife. She could always sense when he was off or upset, so it shouldn’t surprise him that she had caught onto his slight tenseness. He however did not want to take away from his daughter’s day or alarm Elena in anyway.

“Don’t worry about me love. I promise I’m alright. Let’s get to opening these gifts before Luz tears into them herself!” He said with a laugh.

Elena’s eyes scanned him over, not sure whether she fully believed him, but choosing to trust him nonetheless.

A commotion to their left, where Luz had been, made both parent’s heads whip around quickly.

They didn’t quite expect what they saw.

The pile of gifts that had been carefully placed around them were now floating in the air and flying over the heads of guests. At the center of the swirling present commotion, sat Luz laughing happily and reaching out to the gifts. As they would get close to her, they would carefully settle in front of her where she squealed and played with the wrappings and bows.

Mateo and Elena’s jaws dropped.

“Is she…”

“...Yup.”

Luz’s first birthday was one that wouldn’t be forgotten. Discovering their daughter had magical abilities really shouldn’t have shocked them, I mean they both had magic so it wasn’t too crazy to imagine it could pass down to their children afterall.

Walking back to their royal quarters after saying their final apologies and goodbyes, the two quietly admired their now sleeping daughter in her father’s arms.

The little princess was truly special. Her parents had already thought so, but now she was on a whole other level. Would she struggle with her powers like Elena had? Would she be afraid of getting her magic wrong like Mateo had once? What would her life be like with magic seemingly from birth?

The thought of her daughter struggling with her emotions or relationships due to magical abilities she inherited from her made her feel guilty, causing a slight breeze to kick up in the room.

Mateo placed Luz in her crib and grabbed his wife’s hands gingerly.

“Mi amor, she’s going to be fine. She has the best magical parents she could have that will guide her. If she’s anything like her mother, she will excel amazingly.” He said, caressing her hands with his finger tips to offer her comfort.

They both looked over as Luz let out a small snore. She turned onto her side, a little bit of drool coming from her mouth, making her parents laugh.

Leaning forward, embracing her husband, Elena felt her fears melt away.

She had them both now and forever. They would love and guide her for as long as she needed them.

"If she's anything like her father, she'll be absolutely brilliant." she said.

Mateo squeezed her tight. "She'll be the best of us both. Our little magical princess. The world isn't ready for all she'll do."

And it was that moment, in the calm of their room, gazing at their daughter sleeping peacefully, that Mateo also committed to memory. It was their beautiful family and nothing more magical existed than that.

#eleteo #Elena of Avalor #elena castillo flores #mateo de alva #fluff #fanfiction #fanfic #family

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cartoonfangirl1218 · 4 years

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What now?

A little post coronation day Estoma and some ideas of how Esteban is grappling with forgiveness.

The bell ringed noisily but he breezed past the eager salesperson wanted to persuade him to buy unnecessary items like scented tissues and mangos as well as the bored expression of Martín who lacklusterly warned him that Doña Paloma was too busy in her office to have visitors.

Ah well, she'll have to get used to her presence considering the number of times she barged into his life when he was busy with something.

He tapped his staff to the ground, a bit smug that with his magic, no locked door would ever stand in his way again. Nor those stupid push-pull doors that always made him look like a fool. "Esteban what are you doing here?" Doña didn't even look up from her ledger at his surprise transportation.

"I want to talk." Esteban said smoothly.

"About what? We don't have any work to discuss." Doña raised an eyebrow at him.

It was true. Now that he no longer was Chancellor, he had no work load. At first he had felt relief, and enjoyed his mid-morning siestas safe in the fact that he wouldn't have to cut them short for paperwork or the like.

However, after three days the thrill faded and boredom set in. He had been helping Naomi get more into the swing of things since she had to take on more responsibility now that she officially had the title. He was to use his expertise to guide her through the minutiae of diplomacy as long as he didn't try to take over her work which he didn't. Naomi was much bolder in keeping him away from her duties and asserted her claim when she felt he was getting controlling.

And he had to admit she didn't need as much help as he thought she would. He had approved of her appointment when Elena gave her the job though he had been sure she would need his help in understanding the heavier workload and handling formal affairs. He had been wrong. She was not exactly the etiquettless port girl he had left her who complimented dockhands on their eye patches. She wasn't rash, she analyzed the words, she put Avalor's interests first.

She was knowledgeable, knew ancient Maruvian, and had a knack for getting to the heart of the matters while slicing through trade jargon. She made nobles laugh with her stories and she was simply herself, no formality required though he was pleased to see that his dancing lessons had paid off impressing the snobbier circles. And as she pointed out, she'd been sharing his paperwork during the year he had spent running around the Avaloran countryside with criminals.

So Naomi was doing well. Very very well.

So that's why he was here. He had nothing to do. He felt useless since Naomi didn't need his help, Elena was confident in her role as queen, and he was certainly no use to the wizard and guard sectors of the kingdom. It was a confusing feeling.

So many of his years had been devoted to being useful. Useful to Shuriki. Useful to Elena. Even as a teenager he aimed to impress his uncle and the rest of his family with his knowledge in politics so people would be amazed at him.

If he was useful, they would keep him around even if they didn't love him. Now he knew he didn't need to keep up that work anymore. His family loved him even though he was no longer Chancellor. They loved him because he was familia and that was all. And he was going to keep their love he knew even as he tried to amend his ways. They loved him, they forgave him. But that still left too much time on his hands.

Elena said maybe he should start up community service. A way to earn back the trust of the people while using up his time in a productful way. But they agreed to hold it off for the first week of Elena's queenship, to let everyone relax after the chaos and excitement of Coronation.

So here he was, talking to his rival though he supposed they were rivals no more if they no longer had to compete with each other in royal duties. "I heard you tried to take my place." Esteban stroked his mustache with a knowing look which earned him Doña’s attention away from her work.

"Why shouldn't I have been Chancellor. I was the most qualified." Doña looked at him as if daring him to make a snide remark, "I knew what you did. I certainly helped you enough times when you were chancellor. I had more time since I wasn't Magister. Besides it shouldn't be that hard to handle a full load if you could do it." Esteban was about to retort that it was a lot harder than she thought and weaker people than he would have broken under the strain but he saw her smirk and knew she was trying to goad him.

“I'm just surprised you weren't more upset that you didn't get it." Esteban shrugged.

Doña looked thoughtful, "It's Elena. She made her decision, and I wouldn't be able to change it. Besides, I learned some things from that cousin of yours, and from what she said about the qualities she needs in a chancellor, ultimately, Naomi was the right choice."

Esteban was a bit surprised at the maturity of the statement and more than a little curious at what exactly Elena taught her, "Yes, Naomi has been doing very well. She'll help make Avalor great."

Esteban smiled but still felt a small hollow feeling knowing he wouldn't be working behind the scenes anymore. It was a tiny thing and he knew it would get better in time. Just for now, it was still a bit too soon.

So he continued with a fond smile thinking of how grown-up, mature and strong his cousin was sitting on the throne just as she was meant to, "Elena is a wonderful queen and with Mateo and Gabe by her side... Avalor will be alright."

Which left him where?

"Now that you're not Chancellor or Magister, are you thinking of retiring?" Esteban asked with genuine interest. She had been working almost as long as he had, maybe she too felt the strain of constant effort. Dona looked at him as if he had suggested she saw off her own arm, "NO! No, no, no, no, no, Never. No, I would no no, No, Unthinkable. No. No."

"Wow, 13 "No"s." Esteban smiled at her horror. "This store is my chil-I worked so hard for it. I can't just give it up. I need the money." "You're the richest woman in all of Avalor. You don't need more money." Esteban scoffed.

"Yes, but there’s no such thing as too much money." Dona insisted. "Yes.. but I saw you and Julio become very close. Surely, you're going to spend more time with him." Esteban commented, unsure of what to make of the tight knot in his chest every time he remembered the kiss they shared behind her fan.

He had been surprised. Very surprised. That was not a match he would have imagined considering Julio beat her in All Kingdoms Fair and he was a much kinder, considerate person for others while Doña was.... Doña considered herself before other people.

And also.. there was that sense of change he never liked.

While he was away, Elena became a better ruler, Isabel had grown, Naomi learned parts of his job, Victor and Carla were living in the palace now and now Doña found a love.

He didn't know why he had expected things to stay the same when he returned. Maybe it was a foolish hope that he could start over to the moment before his betrayal. Now he knew better. He was starting in the present to fix his past.

"Well, you know." Doña fluttered her fan, shrugging, uncharacteristically tight-lipped, "It was a party, heat of the moment."

The knot grew tighter. Hmm they meant something to each other. Wonderful. He was happy for her, he told himself. So very happy.

"It looks like you really matured if you're willing to forgive and forget how Julio's Magister when you're not." Esteban said, perhaps a bit too nonchalantly.

Doña’s eyes flashed with irritation just as he knew she would when he brought the subject up, "He won only two times to my thirteen. Thirteen! The first time was only because you put that fool idea into his head! The people don't know what they're missing out on having him as Magister instead of me. He puts so much trouble in making sure everyone gets a fair share. This is business, he should be working for Avalor's interests only, not make everyone comfortable. And, and he actually cut off our trade deal with Hectoria for more ships because he said, the Avaloran Navy doesn't even use half of the ships in its fleet. He should know that's not the point! Those Hectorian ships were for the nobles to use for vacationing. I'm the one who had to hear all the complaints from Lady Yolanda and Dolares but I can't do anything because Julio says I'm not allowed to talk to him about Magister duties unless he says he needs my help. Which he does, he just won't admit it."

Esteban’s knot lessen, this relationship wasn't going to last. Not as long as Doña still had her ego about her former job and Julio wouldn't allow her to talk about how he could improve his Magister duties aka let her do it from behind the scenes.

Ah yes, maybe some things, at least some people never changed.

"Also he made a "No talking about work" rule which is.. I can't even begin to say how stupid that is. It's not that he does anything else that's interesting with his day."

Esteban wanted to point out it wasn't like her day was very interesting between her work and gossiping with her friends but held back. He wanted to move the subject away from Julio to other matters.

Especially one question that had been burning in the back of his mind. "It's nice to banter with you. I was ..I wasn't sure I'd have a chance to do that again." Esteban hummed under his breath.

Truthfully, he had thought he wouldn't do many things again. On the run he had an ever present fear in the back of his mind that he wouldn't live through his adventure.

And after Elena hugged him, proclaiming her forgiveness, he thought she would be the outlier, that everyone else would look at him in disdain.

The opposite had happened, Francisco and Isabel immediately welcomed him with open arms. Mateo, Gabe and Naomi had given him shy smiles before being whisked away to help Elena ready for her coronation.

Naomi even called him, Mr. Flores in return for all the "Miss Turners" over the years. And Luisa... He had feared his reaction the most next to Elena. Her final words of how the kingdom would only fear him, and never respect him struck his heart like a mortal blow.

He understood her words, how honest they were, and there was a potential she may never forgive him.

But as he changed for the ceremony, she knocked on his door just as in times of old.

He opened the door thinking it was Isabel as she had been stopping by to stare at him in amazement that he came home and lots of hugs. Instead Luisa stood there, her eyes watery with feeling.

She held his face in her hands and Esteban teared up too when she said, "Mi nieto, you saved the kingdom today And with time and patience and so much love, you can work to fix your mistakes and one day you will grow into that strong magnificent man I know you're supposed to be."

It was a new beginning between them, and he wept into her arms.

The rest of the palace had been wary of him and he was wary to look at them knowing the hurt he caused and how much he'd have to do to earn their forgiveness when he didn't know where to start.

Armando had been the first to break ranks and welcome him back and Esteban had melted with relief and when Armando said the three words, "Welcome back, Esteban."

Esteban knew Armando happily agreed with most of Elena's opinions but he had feared that his actions were too awful for the good-hearted chief of castle to forgive considering he endangered all Armando loved and lied to him for years.

But Armando forgave and soon, other servants started to follow suit with less tip-toeing around him.

Victor and he were still on icy terms. Though they no longer through their former crimes at each other's faces since they were on pretty even ground in that regard.

The citizens of Avalor were tougher people to butter up but it was the people he personally knew that he worried the most.

So he was more than surprised at the party when Doña smiled at him without a hint of malice or comment on his criminal deeds. Nor had she brought it up all in this conversation which made it feel like an elephant in the room.

Doña shrugged, "Everyone else forgave you so who am I to go against the wishes of the crown princ-I mean Queen of Avalor."

Esteban scoffed, royal titles hardly stopped Dona before when it came to doing what she wanted, manipulating events behind the scenes, deriding comments in front of people's faces.

So if she really hadn't forgiven him, she'd be ignoring him right now, banning him from her emporium. He had to know why she had forgiven him.

Esteban cocked an eyebrow in her direction, with questions like these, to hear the deeper truth, words were not needed. Sometimes all it took was a look for each other to know that they wanted more of an explanation.

Doña shrugged which made Esteban wonder if this was going to be a new habit with her when she didn't want to answer his questions, "I'll admit I was surprised that you ran. But then again, you did run so many other times in the past."

Esteban pinched the bridge of his nose, regretting the fact that Doña had worked with him for 13 years and thus knew about some of his worst moments, including the days when he couldn't take Shuriki anymore and attempted escape before guilt and duty drove him back under her thumb.

So apparently Doña forgave him because she knew he was a coward and didn't expect him to be any braver than to run away from his problems. That knowledge felt good.

"Besides, I know how you wanted to be with them and for them to love you despite what you did under Shuriki and then.. they forgave you for betraying them and.. I'm glad it happened. You wanted it so much."

Esteban felt a smile grow though tempered by the memories of the past and the constant guilt he had felt back then.

That was part of the reason he hadn't wanted to face his punishment at the trial. He had spent years under Shuriki, constantly miserable.

Hounded by guilt, by depression, an ache of sadness that would never leave despite the many nights and days he tried to numb the pain with alcohol, wishing he could die.

He had felt he had atoned with his hard work and misery during those years. Now he understood he was just miserable for the mistake he had made and for trusting Shuriki.

He hadn't acknowledged how he caused the pain himself with more bad decisions and inability to accept the blame. He was working on it.

And he kept forgetting that Dona had seen him have panic attacks or guilt-fueled nightmares during business trips over the years. Seen him cry over the death of his aunt and uncle though she didn't know how fully responsible he was for their demise.

Perhaps she had thought he'd atoned already too?

But the more peculiar thought was the realization that Dona was happy because he was happy...

He was no longer Chancellor and she was growing a heart.

These were strange times indeed.

"Thanks." Esteban murmured.

Doña gave a small, almost shy smile, "Maybe I was a little angry that you lied to me. Even though I would have been a brilliant chancellor, I guess some of it was, sort of a revenge. That you would come back and see I have your job."

"And I drop dead on the spot from shock and thus you save the kingdom." Esteban joked.

“Something like that."

“I just can't believe it. A whole new generation leading the kingdom we helped shape. Shuriki's gone, our titles gone. I'm just a duke and you're just a shop owner." "Emporium owner. Richest woman in all of Avalor. I'm not just anything." Dona corrected, "Chancellor, I thought you said you were trying to change. Stop being so morose."

“I can't help it. I have so much time with my thoughts now." Esteban sighed.

He knew redeeming himself was going to be a challenge he needed to do, but facing up to all the people he had hurt, all the bad he had done, was bringing up the guilt that he had tried hard to ignore, weighing him down again.

He needed some activity to keep from just reflecting. He needed to do something. He was going to tell Elena not to hold off on the community service.

He'd like to start tomorrow if needed, maybe that would ease some of his conscience. He just needed to remind himself that even if his insecurities returned, his family still loved him. He had been wrong when he was a teenager and he was wrong now. His family loved him. They forgave him.

“Chancell- I mean Esteban, I'm talking to you." Doña snapped her fingers in his face. "What? What?" Esteban stuttered.

Doña huffed, "I said if you're bored you can help me garden."

Esteban shook his head at her, knowing she was pulling his leg. He'd seen her garden. She had a surprising green thumb when it came to flowers and used them to make her own one-of-a-kind, exclusive perfumes.

While he, he hated plants and all the time and effort it took to grow them just for ornamentation. His green thumb might as well have been flower clippers since he always killed whatever plants mistakenly left in his charge.

He'd rather go advise King Hector in state affairs than be on his hands and knees grubbing in the dirt.

“Thanks for the offer but no." Esteban deadpanned.

“Still if you ever want to hang out, I am available." Doña said, looking too nonchalant as she examined her nails, her eyes looking to him for an answer from under her eyelashes.

"You missed me." Esteban sing-songed, understanding the deeper meaning behind the offer and the admittance that maybe she was as bored as he was.

Surprisingly, she didn't deny it, "I missed you. We worked together for 13 years. I- I couldn't push those memories away even if I tried..and I have tried."

Esteban sobered, understanding hitting him in the face. Her little comment that she was angry he had lied to him, she was happy he was happy, wanting to hang out. Maybe she had been more hurt that he left than he envisioned.

Admittedly, he hadn't given a thought to her when he ran. Fear and survival had been his ongoing guide throughout his hellish fugitive lifestyle.

And before that, he had been consumed with staying with his family, keeping them in the dark of his betrayal. She was just a minor annoyance, a friend turned rival due to their conflicting views and escalating egos.

But now, all the secrets were out and time to spare.

She understood the real angst behind his breakdowns and tears, the vicious hatred and helplessness he felt under Shuriki, the defensiveness he always held in front of him like a shield when her comments hit too close to the truth that he was like Shuriki's second in command, as evil as Shuriki by association.

Thanks to Elena blurting out Doña’s secret while recounting her adventure during the Feast of Friendship, he knew she didn't grow up the richest woman in all of Avalor. She had been the exact opposite. That some of his classist comments of how pitied villagers and laid blame on the poor for their lack of education and manners, of which he cringed since Naomi made him see his offense, might have contributed to her overcompensating boasts of her wealth.

And if he were to dwell on the past, the few, very very few happy memories he had during Shuriki's reign, Doña was in them.

Either because they had closed a victory in trade deals or they were exploring a new kingdom by making fun of a particularly hot-headed King Hector and those snobby Paraisan ambassadors or even mocking each other's foolish mistakes.

She had been another constant though he hadn't realized it. Someone who understood the strain and the inside jokes which made some of the pain ease if only for a day. She was in all those happy memories and apparently they mattered to her more than he knew.

Now they didn't have a kingdom to serve. Potential to be with each other without the masks hiding their secrets. Maybe he would hold off his community service for a few more days.

"I'd love to hang out with you in my free time. Say we have lunch in your place?" Esteban said.

"If you insist. You make the lunch, consider it part of your redemption project." Doña winked. “Or we can start now, I can teleport you from here to your house in a second.” Esteban held out his hand, his trusty staff in the other, “Do you trust me?”

A feline smile slowly graced her lips as she took his hand, “Let’s go.”

So as you can see that I heartily believe they reconnect it a nicer way now that they can’t exactly directly compete for Royal prestige anymore. (They still compete in other ways). Basically it’s like they’re getting to know each other again as this song puts it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAPbNkxcsOI

#esteban flores #doña paloma #estoma #post coronation day #elena of avalor #what now #my fanfic #my fanfiction #luisa flores

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longliveninokuni · 5 years

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Pet Names

Part of the EOA Ship Appreciation Week on the Discord.

Esteban and Naomi going through the motions of pet names.

Ff.net version if you prefer: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13206016/1/Pet-Names

A/N: Tis the third day of shipping week, and I'm already exhausted. Well, today's theme is "pets," but as you can see, I decided to switch that up with "pet names." But then this story got out of control, so apologies in advance if you're confused by the end of it. Anyways, enjoy it!

Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit, fan-based, fanfiction. Elena of Avalor belongs to the Walt Disney Corporation and Craig Gerber. Please support the official release.

"See you at dinner, Nomes!" Cried out Scarlet Turner, Naomi's mother.

Naomi blushed and then growled as she saw the smirking face of her coworker/somewhat of a friend/possibly a best friend/definitely annoying rival Estéban as she climbed into the carriage. He, unwillingly, volunteered to pick Naomi up from her house after she said that both her parents would be too busy to drop her off in the morning. He would've let her suffer, but Elena decided that Estéban needed to 'bond with Naomi after the immense fight you two had' or something stupid like that. But he supposed he didn't have a choice; they were close to bursting into another argument when a very important royal dignitary was visiting. So, he could see Elena's worries. So, he reluctantly agreed. Now he's starting to like his decision just from today's exchange. "'Nomes?'" He snickered.

Naomi kept blushing, but she didn't remove her angry face from Estéban's smirking one. "Yeah, it's a pet name my parents gave me. What of it?!" She said defensively.

"How in the world did your parents come up with a name like that? Were you shorter than the other kids when you were little?" He jested.

Naomi growled. "How they came up with it is none of your business!"

Estéban laughs. "Alright, no need to get all fussy...Nomes." He smirks.

Naomi wanted to tackle him, but they were in an open aired carriage, so that wouldn't exactly be a good decision. But she swears she will get revenge on him somehow.

A month passed, and Naomi decided not to get revenge on Estéban. Surprisingly, he chose to keep her little pet name a secret from the people who don't know it already, Elena, Gabe, and Mateo being the only three who do know about it. And with that, they started to respect each other a little more than they did before. And hey, little progress is still progress. Although that still doesn't mean he didn't tease her by calling her that from time-to-time.

Naomi was waiting for the carriage to pick her up from school, her parents too busy to take her to the castle again, although not really in the mood for more Grand Council decisions. She had a terrible day at school. The other students are still jealous of someone like her getting picked to be part of the Council instead of it being one of them. She never really told anyone about what was happening, but that's only because it never really bothered her. They mostly just threw petty insults and glared from afar, and she can handle all that. But today, they just went too far.

"Oh, does the little GNOME need help reaching that book?"

"Look at the tiny little GNOME; I bet she can't even reach the top of a barrel."

"Does the little GNOME need a booster seat to see over the Grand Council table?"

Somehow. Somehow everyone found out her parents' pet name for her and are now using it to tear her down. She didn't show her dissatisfaction in front of them, because she was better than that. But, right now, she felt like she was on the verge of tears. Naomi never felt so humiliated before, how could they take something that she loves and ruin it for her? How did they find out?! Was it Estéban? No, not even their little bicker thing would be enough for Estéban to tell anyone her pet name from pettiness. He's better than that.

Naomi was so focused on trying to figure out how everything happened today that she didn't realize that she was crying, or that the carriage was here, or that someone was standing in front of her. "Naomi?"

Naomi looked up at the, surprisingly, concerned face of Estéban. Naomi said nothing as she just ran inside the covered carriage, embarrassed that Estéban saw her like this and will probably tease and torment her for the rest of the ride.

She had her forehead resting on her pulled up knees as she continued crying. Then she felt Estéban sit next to her and felt the carriage moving. Great, here come the insults!

"Did something happen? Did someone hurt you? Do I have to get the royal guard involved?" Estéban asked, sounding concerned.

Naomi sniffed as she looked to his face, no sign of his teasing attitude anywhere. Naomi shook her head. "Nothing happened."

Estéban gave her that look. "Oh really? Then what's with the tears?"

Naomi put her head down again. "It's nothing! Why do you care?!"

Estéban sighs. "Naomi, we may fight and argue, but that doesn't mean I want to see you hurt! Do you think I'm that terrible?"

Naomi lifted her head slightly to see that Estéban, looked genuinely hurt at the prospect that she might've misunderstood their weird friendship. Then she fully raised it as she shook it and started wiping her eyes. "No, I just had a bad day today." She sniffed.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" He asked as he pulled out a handkerchief and gave it to her.

She took it and wiped her face. Then blew her nose. Then she shook her head. "Not really." She sniffed again.

"Well, if whatever happened today happens again, don't refrain from telling anyone. Okay?" Estéban asked.

Naomi slowly nodded. "Okay...would it be weird if I asked you to hug me?"

"Yes, very."

"Jerk."

"I just answered truthfully." He smirked.

Naomi growled but was starting to feel better. It's strange; this banter session is helping her feel better. She flinched a little when she felt Estéban wrap an arm around her shoulder. He pulled away and held his arms up in surrender. "I thought you said it'd be weird if I asked you to hug me!"

"I did. But I never said I wouldn't do it." He stated.

Oh. Now Naomi was even more embarrassed. It took a few minutes before she was comfortable enough. "Can... you hug me?"

"Don't you want to wait for Elena?" He asked, playing and look coy.

Naomi whined. "Please? I had a terrible day!"

"Oh fine, if I must." He gives her a gentle one-armed hug.

Naomi rested against his side. She was surprised by how gentle Estéban is being. She's seen him like this with Isabel from time to time, but with anyone else? With her? She's even more surprised that during this whole ride, they haven't had their usual bicker session. She sighs in content.

"Feeling better...Nomes?" Well, he ruined it.

She, gently, pulled out of the hug and sat across from him. "You just had to say that."

Estéban looked confused but didn't press her. "Alright, I don't know what triggered that reaction, but I still need to know: Are you feeling better now?"

Naomi sat in thought. She does feel a little better. But something was strange. She didn't feel hurt when Estéban called her Nomes. She thought her schoolmates would've ruined it forever. But when he said it, it didn't hurt at all. It just felt like his typical way to tease her. Naomi wondered why that was, but it might just be that she's used to Estéban's teasing. Or, it could be that he's not using it to hurt her intentionally. Either way, she does feel better, even if a little. "Yeah, a little." She said softly.

Estéban nodded. "Well, a little is better than not at all."

Naomi nodded a little. "Yeah...thank you."

Estéban widened his eyes. "Oh, well, you're welcome." He said awkwardly.

"No really, thank you," She said. "you helped me a lot right now."

Estéban sputtered and looked away. "Well, that's only because we have important Council business at the palace, and we can't have you distracted by whatever happened to you."

Naomi smiled. "Sure, it is."

The probability of Estéban being a best friend to her just slightly increased.

A week later, she told everyone what happened, but not to worry about it. She was able to deal with it and ignore it, even had a few snappy comebacks to give. Must've been training from all those bickering sessions she and Estéban have all the time. She's going to have to thank him soon. Either way, it was a good week.

Two years since the incident, the friendship between Estéban and Naomi grew. In fact, it grew from a bickering friendship to a bickering relationship. Yup, the two of them are officially dating. But there was a problem: Estéban came up with a pet name for her, and he made it only to annoy her. And the worse part is, she hasn't been able to come up with a pet name to annoy him.

Right now, Naomi was in the library reading a book she pulled out randomly, not paying attention to its contents. Her mind's been wandering to the backtalk and insults she's heard from her former schoolmates about her relationship with Estéban.

"It's obvious she's only dating him for her benefit."

"I bet she's gonna spend all her time shopping with the royal family's money."

"Does she even love Chancellor Estéban?"

Naomi groaned. Why do their words hurt her so much?! Why can't they mind their own business?

"Hey there Nomey." Said the smooth annoying tone of her boyfriend Estéban, standing behind the couch she's sitting in.

Naomi growled a little and turned her head towards Estéban with a pout. "I told you not to call me that."

Estéban put an index finger to his chin. "Hmm, I could, but where would be the fun in that?" He asked with a smirk.

Naomi growled again. "One of these days, I'll find a pet name that'll embarrass you."

Estéban chuckled and playfully patted Naomi's head. "I'd like to see you try Nomey." He had to duck from the punch that almost hit him. "Well, looks like I got to go." And he dodged a book that Naomi threw at him and left the library.

One day, she will get her revenge, and it will be sweet.

"Hey there Ban-Ban." Naomi said to Estéban when she found him making something in the kitchen.

Estéban tensed up and looked over at her, seeing the smirk that he usually wears on her face. "Where did you hear that?" He asked, his terror slipping out of his voice.

Naomi giggled. "Turns out your Abuela is a great source of embarrassing information when needed. Apparently, it's the name Isabel used to call you when she was too young to pronounce your name fully? Oh, but now it'll be my pet name for you." She smirked triumphantly.

Estéban just stood there dumbfounded and betrayed. "Abuela, how could you?" He asked quietly.

Somewhere in the palace gardens, Luisa Flores sneezed.*

Naomi walked over to Estéban and poked his chest. "Now I have an embarrassing pet name for you. How does it feel to have your girlfriend use it against you, hmm?" She snickered.

Estéban growls. "Oh sure, use my family history against me, Nomey."

Naomi frowned. "You did it first, Ban-Ban."

"Nomey."

"Ban-Ban."

"Nomey!"

"Ban-Ban!"

"Would you two kiss and get out already? The kitchen staff needs to prepare lunch." Armando called out to the bickering two, with the kitchen staff in tow.

The two looked at them with blushes covering their faces. Naomi was the first to leave the kitchen, Armando's statement about her and Estéban kissing to end an argument making her face redder than ever.

Come to think of it, the two of them haven't kissed yet. And that's fine by her; she's heard tales of what Shuriki did to Estéban. She wasn't going to instigate anything. She doesn't want to make him relive awful memories. He never stepped on her toes so she won't step on his. Still, though, she thought, stopping in the middle of the hall to bring her fingers to her lips. I guess it wouldn't be so bad to kiss each other. Someday.

"Nomey!"

"Ban-Ban!"

"They're at it again." Mateo said, leaning against the table in his workshop, watching Naomi and Estéban calling each other names.

"What are they fighting about this time?" Olivia, Mateo's apprentice, asked.

"That is a mystery we shall never know Olivia. Now, let's get back to our lesson."

"Okay!" And the two went back to what they were doing, ignoring the arguing couple in the library.

It was a dark night in the library. Naomi was trying to read a book to calm her nerves. But she couldn't focus. Her former schoolmates have to ruin everything!

"Oh, look, it's the GNOME. Shouldn't you be guarding someone's garden?"

"I can't believe Chancellor Estéban would date you; you're too small and GNOMEY."

"No wonder the two never kissed, she's probably too GNOMISH for his tastes!"

Naomi didn't realize she was crying until she felt someone wiping her tears away. She looked up and saw that it was Estéban, who looked concerned. "Naomi?"

Naomi said nothing as she put down her book and just hugged Estéban, crying into his chest. Estéban carefully hugged back and rubbed her back in circles. "Why are they so mean? What did I ever do to them?!" She sobbed.

Estéban only continues to rub her back. After a while, Naomi pulled back and started rubbing her eyes. Estéban pulled out his handkerchief and gave it to her, her taking it to dry her eyes and blow her nose. "Better?"

Naomi sniffed and wiped away the remaining tears. "A little, yeah."

"Want to tell me what they said?"

Naomi shook her head. "It doesn't matter; it's just stupid rumors and gossip."

"Which usually doesn't get to you this much. What did they say?"

"It's nothing important."

"Why not?!"

"Because I said so, Ban-Ban!"

Estéban growled a little. "There's no need for name calling, Nomey."

"You just did it!"

"Only because you did it first!"

"Ban-Ban!"

"Nomey!"

"Ban-Ban!"

"Nomey!"

"Ban-MMF!"

Naomi got cut off as she felt Estéban kiss her lips. Naomi's eyes were wide. She had no idea what to do; she never kissed before. This was her first kiss...ever...and it came about from an argument. Yeah, that sounds about right.

When Estéban pulled away, they both were blushing madly. Estéban cleared his throat and shifted his eyes away. "Sorry, it just felt right."

Naomi tilted her head. "You're sorry? You're the one who was tortured by Shuriki."

"But you're the one being ridiculed now." Estéban said, looking back at her. "You don't think I hear the same thing when people gossip?" Naomi gave him a pointed look. "Okay, Doña Paloma may have had a hand in informing me. But still." He grabbed Naomi's hands. "Why do you always hide these things happening to you? Why torture yourself holding in all your pain?"

Naomi squirmed a little. "I don't know. It just doesn't seem as important. It's just stupid gossip."

"Words can hurt as well. Trust me, I know." Estéban learned his forehead against her's. "Shuriki said many many hurtful things to keep me in line. They all worked. They all hurt, which means that those gossipers words hurt you too. Naomi, I told you everything Shuriki did to me, why do I not get the same courtesy?"

Naomi sighed. "I don't know. Ugh! This is all so stupid!" Naomi felt Estéban squeeze her hands a little. "I guess, I'm just used to dealing with it myself without help. This never really happened before I moved here with my parents, and I've barely paid attention to it when I was still in school. And you know me, I barely ask for help with anything." She looks at Estéban. "I guess I'm too stubborn to ask for help."

"Of course, you're stubborn; you decided to say 'yes' when I asked you to court me, another stubborn person." Naomi laughs a little. Estéban smiles a little. "And now I'm using my stubbornness to figure out why you won't talk to me. And I'm not leaving until you answer me."

Naomi grumbles a bit before sighing. "I guess, somewhere deep down, I believe them."

Estéban raised a brow. "Eh?"

Naomi groans and pulls her hands away to cover her face. "I think they might be right! I don't belong here. I never belonged here. I don't deserve Elena's friendship. I don't deserve this Grand Council position. I don't deserve you." She puts her hands down and looks at Estéban. "What do you even see in me? I'm just a girl from the port."

"Of course, you are, you are from the port."

Naomi gave him a pointed look. "Gee, thanks."

"Let me finish." Naomi settles. Estéban moves from his kneeling position to sit next to Naomi. "Yes, you are a girl from the port. You are also one of the realest people I've ever met. You aren't afraid to tell people when something's wrong. You have impressive insight into people. And not to mention, you aren't afraid to go toe-to-toe with me. I look forward to our arguments every day."

Naomi rolled her eyes. "You argue with Doña Paloma too, why not date her?"

"Because she doesn't give me the same happy, teasing feeling I get when I argue with you. Also, if she and I were to get together, we'd most definitely kill each other in a week." He winks.

Naomi blushes. "I guess those are good points." She said in a tiny voice.

"And," Estéban says in a smooth tone as he hugs her and leans into her ear. "she doesn't squirm when she's nervous like you do. And I find that...adorable." He breathes a little on her ear.

Naomi's entire face is red, and she punches Estéban's chest hard. "Ugh!" He slides over a bit and holds his chest. "Okay, I went too far with that." He said in a strained tone.

Naomi's first reaction was supposed to be something akin to worry and to check if he was alright. But that's not who she is. Her actual first reaction was bursting out laughing. "Hahaha! Your face right now is priceless! Hahaha!" She continues laughing.

Estéban wanted to be mad, but he couldn't. He loved hearing her laugh, even if it's at his expense. He smirked. "I'm so glad my pain has brought you joy." He says playfully.

After Naomi calmed down, she smiles. "Thank you."

Estéban gave her a smirk. "Well it's not like I had a choice, your crying would've disturbed the entire kingdom's rest."

"Hey, I don't cry that loudly." She pouts.

"Oh yes, you do." He chuckles.

Naomi stops pouting and only smiles. Then she rested her head on Estéban's shoulder. "Ban-Ban."

Estéban smiled as well and rested his head on her's. "Nomey."

And the two just stayed in the library for the rest of the night.

A/N: Well, that's the end of this story. This was hard to write for some reason so again, sorry if the ending confused you. See you next time, and try not to get yourself killed. ;)

*In Japanese culture, it is believed that if someone sneezed out of the blue, it means that people are talking about them.

#eoa ship appreciation week #elena of avalor #esteomi #chancellor esteban #naomi turner #olivia's here too #along with mateo #also armando #man naomi get's bullied #don't hate me #sorry if you ended up confused

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ograndebatata · 6 years

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Vows, Woes, Changes, and Blisses - Chapter 1

Here is my first Elena of Avalor fanfic (or at least it’s first chapter).

It’s not the first idea I had for a fic in this series, but it’s the first one I had that I felt could stand on its own enough to be posted.

That said, before reading, please take note of two things.

One: this story is set in the future of the series, and features quite a few references to things that I imagine happening after the series ends. I think the story is strong enough to stand on its own despite that (as its core plot is about Isabel’s wedding) but if I turned out to be wrong, my apologies.

Two: while the story has quite a bit of fluff, and there isn’t anything graphic there, there are references to some angsty moments. If you don’t like angst, you may not want to read it.

That said, I hope you enjoy.

If you prefer reading in another format, here is it on AO3.

Chapter 1 - Sisterly reminders

About 17 years after Elena was freed from the Amulet of Avalor...

Queen Elena Castillo Flores of Avalor was no stranger to pre-wedding jitters.

She had caught glimpses of them during her 41 years of confinement in a magical amulet.

She had seen them with her own eyes before the weddings of many of her friends.

She had felt them personally when she got married.

But there was something indescribable about seeing her sister standing not teen feet away, surrounded by her five bridesmaids (‘Three bridesmaids and two bridesmatrons.’ Elena could mentally hear Isa correcting) as they yet again went over her look to check for any flaw that might have escaped them on previous examinations.

Elena couldn’t put it to words if she tried, and she felt no need to. But there was no escaping the fact it somehow seemed… unreal.

Yes, she had known it was coming.

She had known of the relationship since its earliest stages.

She had been the second person Isa had told about the proposal.

And she had been a part of the wedding preparations, even if she was literally sitting out of this particular part thanks to her condition.

But for whatever reason, it only sank in now, as she sat on a chair watching Tomiko, Amara, Caterina, Estrella and Cristina gathered around Isabel as they double-checked everything for the supposedly last time, though her sister had already labeled the previous two double-checks as the last one.

Some things never change. Elena thought as a smile came to her face. Even if Isa herself has.

Her smile dimmed. Were they really at this point already?

It seemed like it had been yesterday that she had rushed to hug Isa after Mateo had released her and their grandparents from the painting. The memories the two of them had made since then - their work on the Presto Changer, their conversation on the first Dia de los Muertos after Elena’s exit from the amulet, their adventure in the Crystal Caverns, their hug after Isabel went to the Science Fair with her Exer Groomer, their trips to Vallestrella with Migs’ children, and all the others - felt as fresh as if they had just taken place.

They hadn’t. And Elena knew it. But to think seventeen years could go by so fast… How could it be?

“There.”

Cristina’s sentence made Elena start as if coming out of a trance, right on time to see Isa’s bridal party moving away to give Isa room to check on her appearance, and enabling Elena to properly see her sister for the first time since they had gathered around here.

Elena’s smile glowed brighter again.

It might be bias talking, but her sister looked like the most beautiful bride Elena had ever seen. There was no point in singling out an element of her appearance. Everything, from the goldenrod thread spun into her white dress to the hairclip of jaquin feathers that Migs’ children had donated, was something that both reflected who and what Isabel was and yet made her look more beautiful than Elena had ever seen her.

But rather than deem the job as done, Isa turned to the full length mirror behind her and started moving her eyes over her reflection, her face set into the same look of concentration she had when she went over her inventions to make sure each piece of the mechanism was in its proper place.

After moving her eyes over her reflection so many time in such a short interval that it was a wonder she didn’t fall from dizziness, Isabel turned to her bridesmaids and bridesmatrons.

“How am I?”

“Amazing, Isa!” Tomiko squealed. “Your man won’t know what hit him the moment you want down the aisle!”

The others rolled their eyes in amusement at the remark, but Isabel only frowned in uncertainty.

“You look great, Isa!” Estrella piped in.

“More beautiful than an Alaeangelus divinas,” Caterina added.

Elena had no idea what that was, but Cristina and Tomiko nodded in enthusiastic agreement, and while Amara and Estrella seemed just as clueless as her, their reassuring smiles conveyed just the same feeling.

It seemed not to be enough for Isa, though, who once more turned to the full length mirror and started checking her reflection in such a frantic and at the same time focused manner that it really seemed she would fall over from dizziness.

Tinges of hurt started to creep onto her bridesmaids and bridesmatrons’ faces, as Elena narrowed her eyes at the sight. Isa might be a perfectionist, but if she kept insisting on performing a final check after three previous ones - aided by five more pairs of eyes, one of which belonged to a jaquin - hadn’t found anything to fix, there had to be something wrong, and not with the outfit.

The instant Elena had that thought, Isa’s eyes shifted from focused to almost desperate, as if at least part of her actually wanted to find a flaw in her appearance. Something was wrong.

Point confirmed.

The others must have noticed as well, as the hurt had vanished from their faces to be replaced with concern. After an exchange of looks between them, Cristina moved her wheelchair forward. Isa shook as the wheels’ squeak brought her from her frantic search.

“What’s wrong, Isa?” she asked.

Isa’s eyes darted about the whole room before she replied.

“Something is. Come on, let’s check everything again.”

The others exchanged looks again, this time of a very unconvinced sort, before Estrella spoke up.

“But Isa, we have already checked everything three times.”

“And I still feel we’re missing something!” Isabel insisted. “Come on, let’s check everything once more!”

None of them exchanged glances with any of the others this time around. Elena readied herself to stand up, though she didn’t do so just yet. She had promised to take it easy because of her condition, and while there seemed to be no need for it yet, it would be better not to worsen the situation by adding concern for her to Isa’s turmoil.

This time, Tomiko was the one to speak up as she stepped forward and laid a comforting hand on Isa’s shoulder - carefully for not to ruffle the dress.

“What could we have missed?” she asked in a gentle tone, her voice so quiet and subdued it almost didn’t sound like her own. “We found nothing to change on the previous three times. You look great.”

“Tomiko’s right, Isa,” Caterina put in, her voice just as reassuring. “There’s no need to change anything. You look incredible as you are.”

“And you know Desmond will think you look incredible even if you show up like you just came from a hike through the jungle,” Cristina added. For further effect, she held Isa’s hand between both of hers and smiled at her honorary sister.

Isa started opening her mouth, but her matron of honor’s words seemed to have stolen something from her, for instead of replying her eyes started darting about the room, as if trying to look everywhere but at her friends.

This definitely wasn’t about any flaws Isa was afraid her appearance might have. But then what..

Elena’s chain of thoughts broke as Isa’s eyes met hers for an instant, and guilt flashed in them. Elena’s eyes narrowed. She knew her sister well enough to know she hadn’t been seeing things. But why would Isa...

Elena’s mouth opened in a silent gasp as the answer hit her.

How could she have missed it before? Had she been too lost in her own feelings of her sister getting married? Had Isa somehow been so incredibly adept at hiding her feelings that even Elena had missed them at first? Or had those thoughts only struck Isa now?

Either way, the answer didn’t change Isa’s current feelings, or the jab of sadness at Elena’s heart upon the realization.

Nor did, it seemed, stop another blow from jabbing farther down.

Elena put her hand to it to rub over the spot, trying her best to think comforting thoughts.

Meanwhile, Isa kept looking everywhere but her friends or sister.

After the others had another exchange of glances, Amara spoke up.

“What is it, Isa?”

Amara’s tone and face were gentle, but Elena winced upon seeing the look on Isa’s face, a heartbeat before a scream exploded out of her mouth.

“Can you just shut up?” She turned to them and threw her hands into the ceiling. “I asked you to help me double-check things again, not to needle me like deaf chickens! If you can’t do that, then get out!”

Elena let out a silent gasp again, as looks of shock came to the others’ faces, exactly as Isa’s own look of shock dwarfed all the others as she put her hands to her mouth, before raising them in appeasement.

“Sorry! Sorry! I didn’t mean it, I promise! It’s just…” Her eyes started to glisten. “It’s just…” She glanced at Elena again, guilt flashing across her eyes once more. “It’s just…”

Unable to finish her sentence, she looked down, her eyes pressed shut. Her five friends gathered around her, Amara laying her hands on Isa’s left arm, Tomiko standing to Isa’s right and putting an arm over her shoulders, Caterina holding Isa’s right hand, Cristina holding the left one, and Estrella managing to squeeze in to rub her head against Isa’s belly as she purred.

Isa could only press her eyes further shut.

After giving the others a few seconds to show Isa they had no hard feelings, Elena stood up. Enough was enough.

“Girls, can you leave us for a bit?”

The others nodded in agreement as they granted Elena’s request. But from the look she gave them as Amara wheeled her out, Elena knew that at least Cristina had also realized what was going on.

Of course she does. Elena thought. Like her, Cristina could also relate to this issue.

She waited until Tomiko closed the door, and then moved to Isa, who kept looking at the ground, still with her eyes pressed shut, but with two streaks of ruined makeup where tears had run down her face.

Elena’s heart grew heavier - and farther down, there was a stirring on her belly.

Elena put her hand to it in order to settle that restlessness down, and then, as gently as she could, she put her fingers under Isa’s chin and, with a feather-light touch, turned her head upwards. Her sister’s eyes were already beginning to grow red, with more tears glistening at their corners.

“I think we need to talk,” she said. “Come, sit here.”

When Isabel didn’t protest, Elena lead her over to the couch on the corner of the room and helped her to sit, before sinking down onto it herself as gently as possible.

“What’s wrong?”

It was a pointless question. Elena knew the answer, and if she had to guess Isa knew she did. But her sister simply looked aside and asked, “Didn’t you hear what I told them?”

Elena put a hand on her sister’s shoulder. “Isa, even they didn’t fall for you only wanting to check your looks once again. And I’m your sister. I’ve known you since you were hours old.” She squeezed her sister’s shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

Isa sighed as if Elena had pressed a painful wound. Elena rubbed her shoulder for reassurance. “You know you can tell me anything. Don’t you?”

At long last, her sister looked back up at her. Elena saw another tear trickling down her left cheek. “I do, Elena. But…”

“But?”

“But it’s not fair,” Isabel finished with as much effort as if she had to pull one of her own teeth. “What I’m feeling doesn’t compare to what you must have felt when you got married.”

Elena scooted closer to her sister and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“This is not a competition. You’re in pain, and you need to let it out.”

“But how about you?”

“I had people to share my pain with as well,” Elena reassured with a smile, even as the memory of her own pain caused her heart to grow heavier again. “But even if I hadn’t, that’s not the point. I’d never close myself to your or anyone else’s pain just because I had no one to share mine with.” She again turned Isa’s face back up to her. “You know that, don’t you?”

If Elena’s question about what was up had been pointless, this one was even more so. After everything they had been through, Elena knew that Isa had no doubts her big sister would always be there for her.

Still, Isabel replied, “I know. I just…”

She looked down at the hem of her dress, blinking repeatedly as if trying to clear her eyes. Then she took a deep breath, as if trying to inhale a bag full of sand, looked up to Elena with wide child-like eyes, and finally voiced her affliction.

“I wish they were here as well.”

Elena sighed as the weight in her chest grew. She knew who Isa was talking about. Mami. Papi. Abuelo Francisco. Abuela Luisa. Esteban.

All people both of them missed dearly.

And all people who had not lived to see Elena’s wedding either.

Elena pushed away the flood of memories of that day and the moments of struggle that had accompanied it. Despite what she knew of the afterlife and the fact she had gotten to talk to all of them more than once on Dia de los Muertos, she still missed them.

She couldn’t imagine what it was like for Isa, who had no such knowledge and would never be able to see them again until…

Elena cut off the train of thoughts there. That would not be happening as long as she had something to say or do about it.

Again pushing a wave of unpleasant thoughts away, Elena held Isa’s hand.

“They are here, Isa.” She pressed her hand below her sister’s collarbone. “Right here.”

Her sister gave a tiny, mirthless smile as tears again started flowing down her face. Then her shoulders started shaking. Elena wrapped her arms around her sister and drew her in, feeling her sister respond in kind as her whole body now shook. Elena hummed and murmured as she ran her fingers along her sister’s hair.

“I just miss them so much…” Isa sobbed. “How can I get through this without them?”

Elena carefully pulled away from Isa, still keeping her hands on her shoulders. “Just remember this: wherever they are, they’re watching. And I know they’re just as happy for you as me, as the rest of your family, as all your friends.”

She flinched at the end of her sentence, as a particularly strong kick came from below her, as if to compensate for the time her constant charge had remained still. Unable to hold back a smile, she looked down, put a hand to her pregnant belly, and said, “Yes, you also count.”

In spite of the sadness of moment, she couldn't help a tiny grin. Even about two months before being born, her youngest child already wanted to affirm herself.

A hint of joy returning to her face, Isa put a hand to Elena’s belly and smiled at it as if she could see the unborn child and was thanking it for the support. Then, as if catching herself, she pulled it back, guilt and sadness creeping back onto her face.

“I know that. But it’s not the same thing,” she said.

Elena again put her hand to her sister’s chin. “I know how you feel. But think about what you already have. Would you want to give it up because of what you don’t have? Don’t you think that would make them all even sadder? Wouldn’t it make you even sadder?”

At Elena's words, some sadness returned to Isa’s face, but it was of a different kind, and joined by fear. Elena knew such a face well - it was of the kind she had whenever she imagined her life without her family, both the one she had been born with and the one she had built.

Putting her hand back on her sister’s shoulder, Elena finished, “However else they feel, they’re all so happy that you have found someone you love, someone you want to share your life with, someone who wants to share his life with you in just the same way. And you know that, don’t you?”

After some seconds of consideration, her sister nodded.

“And you’re happy for all that also, aren’t you?”

This time, there was no hesitation. Isabel nodded again, her eyes now dry and a smile back on her face.

“Then don’t give it up. There’s nothing wrong with being happy.”

Once more, her sister remained still, as if making sure she took in everything.

After a long moment of silence Elena decided not to break, Isa’s smile widened. Then, she lunged forward and engulfed Elena in a hug. Elena returned it, and smiled also at not feeling any new tears soaking through her dress.

“Now come on, it’s time for you to get married!”

“You mean it will be after you fix your makeup,” her sister retorted as she pulled away.

“Look who’s talking,” Elena countered with a smirk that matched her sister’s.

After a round of laughter at their corny joke, Isa turned to the closed door.

“You can come back in!”

Her three bridesmaids and two bridesmatrons walked in through the now open door, their eyes widening at the new state Isa had gotten in. Again, she looked aside for a few moments, before putting her best appeasing and innocent smile, a sight that could only get Elena to giggle.

But her mirth faded as she heard more footsteps from beyond the still open door, and a few seconds later, her husband walked in, tamborita in his hand, a concerned look on his face.

As the others gathered around Isa and began the job of fixing up her sister’s appearance, Elena stood up and walked over to Mateo.

“Something wrong?” she asked.

“Not where I came from,” Mateo replied, a concerned look on his face.

Elena smiled and replied, “Not here anymore either.”

Mateo’s eyes fell on the smudges on her shoulder, and Elena could see his eyes light up as he worked out everything that had happened.

What happened? She read in his expression.

She raised a hand in response. Later. She told him with her eyes only.

Any questions he had never came out. He didn’t even nod. But Elena knew he had understood.

“Where are the children?” she asked, though she knew Mateo would never leave them unattended before coming here.

“Candida is with Val and Manuel, Alex with Naomi and Marzel, and no prizes for guessing who Leonor and Lucero are with.”

Elena rolled her eyes. She could indeed imagine who her two youngest born children were with, not to mention his reaction at having them cling to him like they did at every available chance. But seeing what her husband had just walked himself into, she slid closer to him and whispered with her best seductive grin, “None at all?”

Mateo rolled his eyes as he pretended to mull it over, before he replied with a whisper of his own, “Well, maybe a participation prize before we go to sleep.”

“That’s good. Because I already guessed.”

With a grin of his own, Mateo added, “And if you’re interested, there’s an early sampling if you guess how he feels that they chose him to look after them while I came here.”

Elena smirked as she walked out of the door.

“Sometimes you make it too easy,” she stated as Mateo pulled the door closed behind them.

“What can I say?” he replied. “I enjoy these just as much as you.”

Elena could think of more than a few answers to such a remark. But she held back any verbal ones and just raised a hand to her husband’s face as they started indulging in the sampling he had promised.

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shasta627 · 6 years

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Merry Christmas Georgia!!! ( @missnobodynobodius ) I wrote this Eleteo fic for you but I accidentally got really carried away, so sorry that it’s extremely long! I had a lot of fun writing it though, and I hope that you enjoy it :) Have a wonderful holiday and a happy new year!! - Amelia ♥

Of Secrets and Snow Globes

"Is it really necessary to decorate every single room of the palace? I hardly ever walk in here!" Chancellor Esteban of Avalor exclaimed, gesturing wildly at the large assortment of colorful flowers, ornaments, and candles adorning the walls and windows of the small area.

The young woman in the corner of the room turned at the sound of his voice, the stool she was balancing on shaking precariously as she paused in her attempt to place more decorations atop the large dresser. "C'mon, Esteban! Where's your Navidad spirit?" she responded as she hopped off her rickety stool and walked to where he was standing, elbowing him in the arm with a playful grin. "Just because you never go into the fourth guest room on the right side of the east hall on the third story doesn't mean no one else will."

The Chancellor could only sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers as he tried not to be too exasperated with his cousin. "Elena, I understand that Navidad is one of your favorite holidays, but this is simply a waste of time! Surely there are better things you can spend your afternoon doing."

"It's not a waste of time if I enjoy what I'm doing," Elena countered. "And I've already finished all of my crown princess duties for the day, so why not just embrace the festivities and decorate?" She gazed about the room happily, evidently proud of her handiwork.

Esteban had to refrain from sighing again, but decided to just let the matter go. Elena would be crowned Queen in just a matter of months, and if she felt that decorating random parts of the palace with Navidad decorations was the most beneficial thing to do at the time, then there was nothing he could do to change her mind.

"You know what would make it even more festive, though?" Elena asked, walking to the window and peering out at the ground below.

"Enlighten me," Esteban responded indifferently.

"Snow!" she exclaimed, turning back to her cousin with a wistful expression on her face.

A hint of a smile appeared on Esteban's lips as he took in her jovial behavior. "Of course, I should've known. You say that every year."

"Can't you just imagine it though? Waking up on Christmas morning to a land full of white, fresh, beautiful snow?"

"We had snow a few years ago, remember? When Mateo and his apprentice caused that cataclysmic climate change in the middle of the town square?" Esteban pointed out.

"True, but as fun as that was, it was in the middle of summer, so it didn't feel quite right. But just imagine how amazing it would be on Navidad!" Her eyes seemed to glow at the thought, but then she sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "Unfortunately, the chances of snow in Avalor are basically nonexistent, but I can hope, right?" She grinned at him, her vibrant energy from before having returned again.

"Of course you can," Esteban told her kindly as she went back to decorating the dresser, climbing atop her wobbly stool once more. He was about to turn to leave when he suddenly remembered the reason he had sought Elena out in the first place. "Oh, I almost forgot," he said, turning back around to face his cousin. "I have a personal request to ask of you – that is, if you're not too busy embellishing the storage closet downstairs later this evening."

Elena had the decency to abstain from rolling her eyes, instead just smirking at him with an amused shake of her head. "What can I help you with?"

"Tonight I am supposed to meet up with Naomi to go over last minute preparations for the Navidad celebration and the parranda tomorrow, but there is a package I need to pick up from Doña Polama this evening as well – may I ask you to retrieve the package for me?"

Elena nodded. "Of course! What's in the package?"

"Oh, it's a…a rather, uh, personal thing, so please do not open it," Esteban said hesitantly. "Can you do that for me?"

Elena nodded again, but felt her curiosity peaked. "What type of personal thing?" she couldn't help but ask.

Esteban narrowed his eyes at her. "Elena, I am very serious, do not open that package. I'm counting on you to keep your word."

"Okay, okay I promise," Elena relented, meeting his eyes to confirm that she understood.

"Good. And thank you. I'll see you later this evening," he said, giving the room one final look over before leaving, mumbling something about 'fanatics' under his breath.

Elena simply rolled her eyes, smiling to herself as she completed the final touches to the spare room. Satisfied with her work, she placed her stool back in its rightful place before leaving as well, her mind still buzzing as to what secret Esteban was keeping from her. Her cousin was a fairly private person, so his secrecy wasn't too out of character – it was just the fact that he was so adamant about her not looking inside the package that made her want to do exactly that. But Elena had made a promise, and she intended to keep her word.

Elena wandered through the rest of the palace hallways, greeting anyone who passed by and admiring the streamers and flowers hung across the wide ceiling. As she walked by the kitchen the smell of mazapán, turrón, and other Navidad sweets stopped her in her tracks, but before she could decide whether or not she wanted to face the cook's wrath if caught sampling one, a familiar voice drew her attention away from the tantalizing food.

"…and don't hesitate to call if you need any help again," came the voice, belonging to none other than Mateo de Alva. Both he and the person he was speaking to rounded the corner a moment later, yet neither of them caught sight of Elena.

"Thank you, I'll keep that in mind," the man walking with him said, a relieved smile plastered on his face. He then gave Mateo a friendly wave as he headed towards the palace entrance, calling, "¡Felices Fiestas!" over his shoulder as he did so.

Mateo returned the wave, and spun around to leave when he suddenly saw Elena. A large smile split his face when his eyes met hers, and Elena tried not to overanalyze his reaction as he made his way towards her.

It was hardly a secret that Elena considered the Royal Wizard of Avalor to be one of her best friends, but what many people were unaware of was that the term "best friends" was no longer applicable when describing the relationship between them, at least in Elena's case. Elena herself wasn't even quite sure when the change took place, but throughout the last several months she began noticing small differences in their friendship – the lingering looks, secret smiles, tender touches, and fluttery feelings in her stomach when he was around. She couldn't be sure that Mateo was experiencing similar emotions, but his words and actions seemed to suggest that the feelings were mutual. She just wasn't sure how to bring up the subject of their budding attraction, lest she interpreted the whole situation incorrectly and ended up straining their friendship.

All in good time, she reminded herself as Mateo stopped beside her, giving her a mischievous grin as he noticed her position by the kitchen entrance. "And what is the crown princess of Avalor doing lurking around the kitchens? Not stealing food meant for the festival, I hope."

Elena gave a mock laugh. "Me? Please, I would ever do such a thing!"

Mateo nodded, his eye twitching in a nearly imperceptible wink. "Of course not. Where're you heading then?"

"I was actually just on my way out to the Via Mercado when I saw you. Who was the gentleman you were speaking to?" Elena asked as they both slowly made their way to the palace entrance. Once again, she tried not to overanalyze the fact they their hands kept brushing as they walked, instead deciding to just simply enjoy being in his close proximity.

"Oh, that was Arturo, a man form the village. He came to me saying he thought a spirit was stealing the clothes form his clothesline. It turns out it was just his neighbor's goat."

Elena grinned at the exasperation in his voice, and couldn't help but ask, "Are you sure it wasn't a spirit goat?"

"No, I'm very positive that it was a very real goat. Anyways, it was an… interesting day."

"Only you would get disappointed by the lack of spirits tormenting people's lives," Elena joked as they went outside, the late afternoon sun casting golden rays on the ground.

Mateo shook his head at her jest. "When you put it that way it sounds rather heartless, but I suppose you have a point. Where are we going by the way? You never told me," he pointed out as she dragged him in the direction of Doña Paloma's emporium.

"To get a secret package of Esteban's that no one's allowed to see."

Mateo nodded. "Fun. What's in the package?"

"I don't know," Elena sighed, and then frowned in confusion as she caught Mateo smiling at her. "What? Do you know what it is?"

He laughed and shook his head. "No, I just enjoy watching you get so curious about everything."

The way he was smiling at her made Elena's cheek's flush pink, but she couldn't help the delighted grin from splitting her lips in return.

When they reached the store Doña Paloma was nowhere to be found, but her assistant was sweeping the front steps when they approached. Elena greeted him and explained that she and Mateo were there to pick up the package for Esteban, and he immediately went inside the shop and retrieved what they needed.

"Thank you!" Elena told him as she gently took the package from his arms. It was about the size of a dinner plate, yet square and brown with Esteban's name scribbled on the corner of the wrapping.

"No problem, Princess. Have a good day," the man said with a smile as he returned to his sweeping.

"You too, and ¡Feliz Navidad!" Elena shouted over her shoulder as they left.

"Navidad is still two days away, you know," Mateo told her, smiling at the eye roll she gave him.

"Where's your Navidad spirit, Mateo? You sound like Esteban," she teased, but then turned her attention back to the package in her arms. They barely taken five steps before Elena started gently shaking the box, holding it up to her ear to hear better.

"Elena, you're hopeless," Mateo remarked with a shake of his head. "You better hope it's not fragile."

"Don't worry, I won't break it. I've had several years of experience," Elena boasted playfully, turning the package on its side to view it from another angle. "It's not too heavy," she mumbled, eyes glued to the box.

"You should probably –"

"LOOK OUT!" a loud shout interrupted Mateo, and Elena looked up just in time to see an olaball hurtling right towards her face. She barely had time to even register what was happening before Mateo's hand shot and knocked the ball away.

"Are you okay?" Mateo asked immediately, gently griping her shoulder,

"Thanks to you, I'm fine. I honestly was more worried about the package," she responded, gripping the parcel tighter to her chest. "Nice block, by the way.

A second later Elena spotted several kids running up to them, horrified and apologetic expressions masking each of their faces.

"Princess Elena! I'm so sorry! We were playing in the courtyard just around the corner and I accidentally kicked the ball too hard and it flew out of bounds and I'm so sorry! I didn't hurt you, did I?" a small boy of maybe seven or eight fretted, eyes wide with remorse.

Elena bent down to his eye level and gave him a smile. "What's your name?" she asked.

"Diego," he mumbled shyly.

"Well, Diego, you have nothing to be sorry for. I am completely fine and unharmed," she reassured him. "Also I must say, I'm a bit impressed. You must have some strong legs to be able to kick that far. If you keep practicing, you could end up on the Avaloran olaball team one day."

Diego's face lit up at her words. "You really think so?" he asked excitedly.

"It's a possibility," Elena said, standing up again with a smile. "I hope you guys enjoy your game," she said and turned to leave when one of the children reached out and grabbed her skirt.

"Princess Elena, can you come play with us?" a young girl asked, watching Elena with large hopeful eyes.

"Yeah, can you play with us?" all the other kids instantly chorused, jumping enthusiastically as they awaited her answer. .

Surprised by their request, Elena glanced back at Mateo and saw him watching her with an amused smile on his face. "I could be referee," he offered.

Elena turned back to the kids and shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

They all cheered and immediately grabbed both her and Mateo by the hand, dragging them towards the courtyard where they'd been playing.

"You can be on my team," Diego informed her as the kids retrieved the ball and got in their positions.

Elena nodded, and quickly stashed Esteban's package behind one of the large potted plants on the sidewalk nearby, safely out of reach of a flying olaball. But as she turned around to join the game, she nearly tripped over a loose brick in the sidewalk and almost fell flat on her face, but thankfully Mateo caught her just in time.

"Feeling accident prone today?" he joked as he steadied her on her feet.

"Well, not everyone can be perfect," Elena responded, smiling at him in thanks. "Okay, I'm ready," she announced to the kids, getting into her position and nodding at Mateo to begin.

"Alright everyone, as referee I want to see a nice clean game," Mateo instructed, flashing a quick grin at Elena before he tossed the ball into the air, commencing the game.

Elena was prepared to go very easy on them, expecting the kids to be basic beginners – just simply kicking and bouncing the ball around, without knowing any real moves or strategies. Within three minutes into the game, however, she found herself pleasantly surprised at the skill level the young kids were playing at. It still wasn't as intense as she was used to on the actual Olaball Team, but she could actual hit the ball and not be afraid of it completely crushing one of the children.

After several games and lots of laughing and cheering from both the kids and the older teens, Elena switched positions with Mateo so he could play a few rounds too. She soon discovered that she almost enjoyed watching Mateo play with the kids rather than playing herself. He was so gentle and kind to them, and could make any of them laugh with his goofy smiles and playful jokes. Elena's heart warmed at the sight, and she could only feel herself falling for him more and more as the afternoon wore on.

Elena had lost count of how many olaball games were played by the time the sun began to set, although now the kids were simply just chasing Mateo and trying to snatch the olaball from his outstretched arms, which she found just as entertaining.

"Princess Elena, come help us!" one of them cried, and Elena was more than happy to oblige.

Mateo gave her a roguish grin as she walked towards the swarm of kids surrounding him, leaping and jumping as high as they could to grab the ball held above his head. "Do you think you can reach it?" he asked.

"Of course I can, you're not that much taller than me," Elena replied with confidence, and reached up on her tiptoes to grab the olaball, but with a flick of his wrist he tossed the ball high into the air where it stayed hovering just above their heads.

"Go ahead and try," he said, gesturing to the olaball with a smug smile.

Elena crossed her arms and jokingly glared at him as the kids all 'oohed' and 'awed' over Mateo's magic. Fine, two can play at this game, Elena thought as an idea darted through her mind. "You're getting pretty good at nonverbal spells, especially without a tamborita," she praised, turning so that she was standing directly in front of him. "I bet it takes a lot of concentration to hold the spell though, right?"

Mateo shrugged. "As long as I don't lose focus I'm fine."

Bingo. Elena smiled sweetly and moved closer, draping her arms around his neck and trying to ignore the ferocious beating of her heart. "It'd be a shame if you got distracted then," she whispered, staring intently into his eyes as she did so. She watched as he visibly gulped, his face turning an endearing shade of scarlet.

"I – uh, I – guess…" he stammered, and Elena noticed his eyes flitting back and forth between her eyes and lips. This has got to be proof that he likes me, at least a little, Elena thought in triumph, and then decided to take her ploy a little farther. She slowly leaned forward, their faces so close their noses almost touched, but then she leaned back last minute and stepped away – just in time too, for the olaball above their heads fell down exactly where she'd been standing.

Elena bent down and picked up the ball, arching an eyebrow at Mateo. "Looks like I won," she announced pleasantly as the kids cheered, all gathering around her in excitement. "Sorry I broke your concentration," she added to him, giving him a small wink.

Mateo rubbed the back of his neck and gave her a sheepish smile, cheeks still tinged with red. "I probably deserved it," he admitted with a shrug.

"Let's play another game!" Diego cried as he tugged on Elena's arm, diverting her attention away from Mateo.

Elena looked at the sky and saw that it was almost completely dark. "Sorry, but I think it's time for you guys to be heading home. You're going to miss supper if you stay out any longer."

All the kids groaned in disappointment, but none objected to Elena's words. "Can you walk me and my sister home at least? It's not far," Diego pleaded, and all it took was one look at his large, imploring eyes and Elena agreed.

After all the other kids bid their goodbyes and scattered off, Elena and Mateo walked Diego and his sister, Sophia, back to their house, the two kids prattling on nonstop.

"…and then one time, I had a dream that I was being chased by a bear, but then twenty jaquins swooped out of nowhere and saved me!" Diego explained, waving his hands animatedly as he talked.

"Sounds scary! Good things the jaquins were around to save the day," Mateo commented seriously, and Elena had to hold back a chuckle.

"This is our house," Diego then said, pointing to the building on the right. "Thanks you for walking us home, Princess and Mr. Royal Wizard." His sister nodded in agreement.

Elena smiled as she gave both of the children a hug. "It was our pleasure. Have a good evening, and ¡Feliz Navidad!" The kids waved and then disappeared inside the house.

"Navidad is still two days away," Mateo informed, his lips twitching up into a smile.

"So you've told me," she responded dryly, bumping her arm against his.

The two walked in silence for a while as Elena reflected on all that had transpired between them that afternoon. She was almost completely certain now that Mateo had feelings for her, especially considering his reaction to her little trick during the game. She felt a bit guilty for teasing him in such a way, but vowed to make it up to him later, when there was less prying eyes watching their every move. But now that she knew their feelings were mutual, what was she supposed to do? Was she supposed to tell him that she wanted more than a friendship with him? Or maybe just kiss him and see where it goes? The thought of kissing Mateo made Elena's skin tingle, but it was an exhilarating thought all the same.

"Elena, are you all right?" Mateo's voice knocked her out of her reverie. "You're smiling at nothing."

Elena was glad that the darkness covered her blushing cheeks. "Oh, er, sorry, I was just lost in thought."

"Are you thinking about what's in that package again?" Mateo teased, and then froze, a horrified expression covering his face.

Elena frowned in confusion, and then gasped, eyes wide. "Esteban's package!" she cried, turning around and racing towards the courtyard, Mateo right on her heals.

"Please still be there, please still be there," she mumbled to herself as they ran through the streets of Avalor, not caring about the strange looks they got from people passing by. "If anything happens to that package Esteban will probably never speak to me again," Elena told Mateo worriedly as they skidded into the courtyard, taking only a moment to catch their breath.

"It should be by the potted plant right there," Elena said, running over to the spot with bated breath – which she released in a big sigh of relief when she saw the box sitting right where she'd left it.

"It's alright," she called to Mateo, picking up the package and turning to walk towards him. "The package is perfectly –"

Elena suddenly pitched forward, the package flying out of her hands and landing in the street with a loud crash. Elena quickly pushed herself to her feet and turned to see what she had tripped on – and groaned. It was the same loose brick in the sidewalk she had tripped on earlier that day, only this time Mateo hadn't been close enough to catch her.

"Why didn't I remember that?" she berated herself, as Mateo quickly rushed to her side, asking if she was hurt. "I'm fine," she quickly reassured, "but…the package!"

She gently picked it up off the ground and felt her stomach drop at the noise it made. "It didn't sound like that before," she said quietly, gentling shaking the package by her ear. It sounded like broken glass.

"Are you sure?" Mateo asked in concern.

"Mateo," Elena whispered, staring numbly at the box in her hand. "I broke it."

How was she going to tell Esteban? He had trusted her with this package, and in it was something personal to him and she had wrecked it with her forgetfulness. "How am I going to be queen if I can't even do something as simple as delivering a package?" she groaned, slapping a hand to her forehead in frustration.

"Elena, look at me," she heard Mateo say, and felt his hands grip her shoulders tightly. She did as he instructed, and was taken aback by the intensity she saw in his deep hazel eyes. "Don't you ever think for one second that you will not be a good queen. I know you Elena, and I know that you always strive to do what is right, and never give up on the impossible. I know that you will prove your worth as the rightful leader of this kingdom, and I know that everyone will love you for just being yourself. Don't let one setback discourage you from what you're meant to do. My mami always said, 'You don't throw away the whole carriage just because one wheel's broken,' and she is absolutely right. This situation that you're in right now – it's just a broken wheel. We can fix this. You just have to believe the magic within you, remember?" He smiled at her, and Elena found herself speechless. She wasn't sure if it was possible to feel so many emotions at once – amazement, surprise, joy, confidence, love – but she was experiencing them all, thanks to the boy in front of her that she now realized she was completely and hopelessly in love with.

"Thank you," she whispered, hoping he understood how much his words really meant.

Mateo smiled at her, and gently took her hand in his. "Let's fix this – together."

Elena nodded, and hugged the package tightly to her chest as the two of them made their way back to the palace and into Mateo's workshop. Once inside, Elena set the box down on the desk and began carefully peeling the tape off of it.

"I know I'm not supposed to look, but I'm afraid it can't be helped right now," Elena said, trying to unstick the tape from her fingers.

"Admit it – you're just a little excited," said Mateo as he gathered a bunch of his spell and potion books from around the room.

"Of course not," Elena replied unconvincingly, finally opening the box and peering into it. She gasped as she saw the object lying inside.

"What is it?" Mateo asked, eagerly coming beside her to look.

In the box lay several shards of shattered glass, but in the center of it was a small podium, and on that podium was a minuscule replica of the entire city of Avalor.

"It was a snow globe," Elena whispered in awe, reaching down to pick it up before Mateo quickly stopped her.

"Don't touch anything right now. As long as all the glass shards are still in there, I think I have a spell that can piece them back together."

"Really?" Elena said, still staring at the snow globe in wonder.

"Yeah, but I have to find it first…" Mateo mumbled, and spent the next several minutes flipping through the large tomes until he shouted, "Aha! I found it!" He came over to stand beside Elena again, tamborita in hand. "All right, stand back," he instructed, and then pointed his tamborita at the package, saying, "Resporta!"

The pieces of glass rose up out of the package, melding together to form a completely flawless glass dome. Elena reached out her arm and grabbed the glass once the spell was finished, and grabbed the podium form the box as well.

"Now we just attach the two, right?" she said, cupping the glass over the miniature city, but then frowned. "But we need snow, or else it's not a snow globe."

Mateo scratched his chin, and ran over to one of his potion books. "I think I can come up with a formula to make fake snow. Just give me a minute."

"Is there any way I can help?" Elena inquired, but Mateo just shook his head.

"As of right now I'm okay, but I'll let you know if I need help."

Elena nodded and sat down to watch him as he worked, and soon became fascinated with the way his hair shifted every time he turned around to grab another ingredient, and found herself admiring the one stray curl hanging between his eyes on his forehead.

"You're smiling at nothing again, Elena," Mateo suddenly said, grinning at her as though he knew that 'nothing' actually meant him.

"Lost in thought," was all Elena said in reply as she continued to watch him. Almost an half an hour later Mateo announced that his potion was complete, and showed her the result.

"It looks just like fake snow!" Elena exclaimed happily, as she took the bowl form his hands.

"Good, that's what I was aiming for."

Together they poured the fake snow into the glass dome, and then secured the podium to it using a sticking spell Mateo had found earlier.

"It's just like new," Elena breathed as she watched the snow gently fall down onto the small city of Avalor.

"What did I tell you? We can fix anything," Mateo pretended to boast, but smiled genuinely when Elena turned to face him.

"Mateo, I just – I don't know what to say. Without you I could've never been able to fix this, and you just…you mean so much to me, you don't even know. Thank you," she managed to say, and stepped forward to give him the biggest hug that she could. She felt Mateo's arms circle around her waist, and felt the deep vibrations of his voice in his chest as he said, "We do make a pretty good team."

Before she had a chance to respond, however, the door to the workshop slid open, and another person entered, saying, "Aha! I had a feeling you would be in here. I've been looking for you all evening, Elena."

Elena reluctantly stepped away from Mateo's embrace and felt her heart drop as Esteban walked over to her. "Elena, did you happen to get my package like I…" he trailed off as he suddenly caught sight of the snow globe sitting on the table behind her.

"Esteban, before you say anything, I need to apologize," Elena quickly interceded. "I promise I did not open the package out of curiosity, it was a bit of a necessity seeing as I was careless and I accidently…broke it."

"It's broken?!" Esteban exclaimed.

"No! Well, not anymore. I dropped the package and heard it shatter, and I was really upset but then Mateo kindly offered to help me fix it and so we did, but I had to look at it in order to fix it and – I'm just so sorry, cousin! I understand if you're mad, but I tried to honor my word, I really did."

Esteban stood there in silence, and Elena waited anxiously, hoping he wouldn't be too disappointed in her.

"Do you like it?" he suddenly asked.

"Wha – the snow globe? Yes, it's…it's beautiful," Elena answered truthfully.

"Good, because it is for you," he said, picking up the snow globe and handing it to her. "It was supposed to be your Navidad present, but for some reason I can never seem to surprise you."

Elena was speechless as she took the globe from his hands. "You got this for me?" she finally managed to say.

"Aren't you always saying you want it to snow in Avalor?" Esteban asked, giving her one of his rare smiles. "I thought it seemed like an appropriate gift for you. Turns out I was right, although I must say –"

His next words were cut off by Elena flinging her arms around him in a rib crushing hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she cried. "This means so much to me."

Esteban slowly returned her embrace, looking a bit flustered but very pleased. "You are most welcome Elena," he replied softly. Elena released him a moment later, a large smile still plastered to her face.

"Well then," Esteban said, straightening his clothes, "I guess I'll be off and let you two get back to…whatever you were doing."

"Thank you again," Elena called to him as he turned to leave, and he gave her another smile before closing the door behind him.

Sighing, Elena gazed happily at the snow globe in her hands as she turned around to face Mateo, who laughed at the awestruck expression on her face. "And I thought you only got that happy over pan dulce," he teased.

Elena set the globe down on the table and slowly wrapped her arms around his neck, just like she had done earlier in the courtyard. "I get happy over a lot of things," she told him, pleased to see that he was not as flustered with their close proximity as before.

"What things make you happy, Elena?" he asked softly, wrapping his arms around her waist and doubling her heart rate.

"Pan dulce," she said first, and he grinned. "Also snow globes, and –" she paused to take a deep breath before finally saying, "and you."

"Me?" he repeated happily, he eyes lighting up at her words.

"Yes, Mateo de Alva, you make me happy because you're funny, you're smart, you're kind, you're loyal, you're handsome and one of the best people I know, and you mean so much to me, and…" She paused, knowing that what she was about to say next would change the nature of their relationship forever, but she was ready. She was confident that they were meant to be together, and knew that she wanted to take this chance with him. "I…I love you," she finally whispered.

Mateo was silent, and for a second Elena wondered if she has said the wrong thing when Mateo suddenly leaned forward and kissed her.

Their lips met hesitantly at first with trepidation, but they soon succumbed to the longing that had been present between them for months prior, and Elena knew that without a doubt, she had made the right choice.

They broke apart moments later, both smiling as they happily held each other in their arms.

"I love you too," Mateo replied quietly.

Elena smiled and leaned forward to rest her forehead against his. "Feliz Navidad, mi amor," she whispered.

"You know, Navidad is still two days awa –"

Elena simply cut him off with another kiss.

#eoa secret santa 2017 #elena of avalor #elena castillo flores #mateo de alva #eleteo

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twobrokegirlswithbooks · 7 years

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Get To Know Your Followers Tag!

Rules: Tag 20 followers you want to get to know better.

Tagged by the awesome @turnt-pages!

Name: Rebekah -Nerdy Panda Crystal -miss kitty Nickname: Becca -Nerdy Panda my mom calls me minion, my ex and a friend used to call me garden fairy -miss kitty Gender: Female Star Sign: Virgo -Nerdy Panda Cancer -miss kitty Birthday: September 15 -Nerdy Panda July 8 -miss kitty Height: 5'5" -Nerdy Panda 5′0″ -miss kitty Age: I just turned 25! -Nerdy Panda 25 -miss kitty Sexual Orientation: Asexual -Nerdy Panda Heterosexual -miss kitty Relationship Status: Single pringle never ready to mingle -Nerdy Panda In a relationship with a super awesome guy! -miss kitty Hogwarts House: Huffllepuff Favorite Color: Blue -Nerdy Panda Red -miss kitty Time Right Now: 3:03 pm What Are You Reading: All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven and Lucky in Love by Kasie West -Nerdy Panda Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause -miss kitty Last Movie You Watched: Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (which was great) -Nerdy Panda Lego Batman -miss kitty Average Hours of Sleep: Maybe around 10 -Nerdy Panda 6-8 -miss kitty Lucky Number: 13 -miss kitty Last Thing You Googled: Blood and Chocolate -Nerdy Panda shirts -miss kitty Favorite Fictional Characters: Recently it’s Rufus and Mateo from They Both Die at the End -Nerdy Panda Mercy Thompson, Anna Cornick, Elena Klovis -miss kitty Number of Blankets You Sleep with: 3 -Nerdy Panda 1 in the summer 3 in the winter -miss kitty Favorite Band/Singer: The Beatles, Wall off the Earth, Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Pink -Nerdy Panda Pink, kesha, liv kirstin, mika, shakira, melanie Martinez -miss kitty Dream Trip: A trip to Italy -Nerdy Panda Anytime and anywhere in the TARDIS -miss kitty Dream Job: Author -Nerdy Panda Oh the possibilities... -miss kitty Current Job: Walmart cashier -miss kitty When This Blog Was Created: March of 2015 Current Number of Followers: 769 What Do You Post: Bookish stuff and things Who Are Your Most Active Followers: @flamingmirrorbookish, @bookoffee, @thelovelygrinch When Did Your Blog Reach Its Peak: Umm..? What Made You Decide to Get a Tumblr: Seemed like a fun idea Why Did You Choose Your URL: Seemed to be relatable. Two broke girls with books run this blog Do You Run Any Other Blogs: @thecreativeshyone @words-going-across-the-universe -Nerdy Panda @fan-grl-fashions -miss kitty What Are You Doing Tomorrow: Going to town and eat Chinese food -Nerdy Panda working -miss kitty

Tagging (time to tag some people to know them better. It’s not 20, but here’s a few): @bestestbooknerd, @theprintedgirl, @whatbooksaremadeof, @partiallybooks, @readingtomes, @poeticallypoetic, @thelovelygrinch, @books-are-my-escape, @books-of-dawn

#get to know your followers tag #tag

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cartoonfangirl1218 · 4 years

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Gumdrops

“I love you" Mateo smiled shyly popping a gumdrop in Elena’s awaiting mouth.

“Love you too.” Elena had a big, goofy grin that spread across her face as she took another big sip of coco. She had her wizard king, a roaring fire, coco and gumdrops with the smell of gingerbread and tamales in the air, what more could she ask for?

It had been 3 months since they confessed their feelings for each other and have been in a blissful relationship since. They had always been close, and confirming their love for each other only elevated their deep bond a bit more. It involved a lot more cuddling and maybe a few secret trysts in Mateo’s workshop. Elena gave a feline smile to Mateo, thinking of the last time she had managed to sway Mateo’s attention from his books and relaxed him with a few smoldering kisses.

Mateo gave her a similar smile, seeming to already know what she was thinking. She wouldn’t be surprised if he could guess her thoughts, he knew her so well already. They were in sync whether in battle or olaball or just every day life like right now as he shifted a little more in his love seat to give her a better chance to nuzzle against his neck.

She adored everything about him, the way he would mockingly sigh and make outraged noises every time she stole food from his plate. Or the cocky, self satisfied grin he made when he said a witty pun, the way he laughed hysterically at her own pun jokes. She loved the big smile and blush when she complimented him, which only reminded her how insecure he used to be and how modest he still was.

She loved dancing with him and the way when she was in his arms, that she was in a private world for two.

And now, they had said “I love you.”

They had said it before but used it sparsely since. Mateo saved his “I love you”s for private moments. Not that she minded. She felt like it was more intimate, he wasn’t doing it out of spontaneity or overusing it. Whenever he said “I love you” it was with meaning. He truly cared for her and his choice to say “I love you” in meaningful moments reflected that.

A gumdrop bouncing against her forehead brought Elena to the present and the twinkle in her wizard’s eye.

“Ah!” Elena squawked before grabbing the bowl and dumping it on his chest which only served to dump the gumdrops all over her lap since she was sitting on his lap.

Elena pokes Mateo under the arm, a sensitive spot causing him to squirm off the chair so they both fell to the floor, rolling on the rug, laughing and squealing until they bumped against the coffee table. The bump of Mateo’s elbow against the table leg caused the gingerbread house that had been set there for later.

Gingerbread and icing and gumdrops splintered on the floor and the young couple looked at each other guilty at Luisa’s broken hard work.

“Whoops” Mateo sheepishly rubbed his neck and went to clean up the pieces, “Guess we’ll have to go without gingerbread tonight.”

Elena got up as well to pick up the crumbs when a bright idea came to her, “Who says, we’ll go without? Let’s make another one ourselves. We have time.”

“Sure! First one there gets to lick the batter!” Mateo called out and the two raced to the kitchen, hurriedly finding the ingredients and supplies they needed.

“I won!” Elena cheered triumphantly, setting up the bowl and pouring the flour in a big poof of the substance settled at the end of her ponytail.

“Good thing the challenge was speed and not neatness.” Mateo teased, swiping some flour that had gotten on her cheek.

“I got the spoon.” Elena sing songed childishly as she mixed the flour and milk into its sweet tasting dough.

Mateo grinned, shaking his head in amusement at her. He laughed which made Elena laugh at herself and they started a small cycle of laughter until they were both hysterical. Elena gripped the counter to keep from falling and noticed Mateo’s arm shooting past her to grab the spoon from her bowl.

“Hey, no stealing.” Elena said, grabbing the spoon back and licking it all over.

“Well I have a better way to taste the spoon.” Mateo declared leaning close as if he was going to tell her the amazing secret though she already had a good guess what it was.

Mateo caressed her cheek as his lips took her own, melding the sweet taste of batter and gumdrops from her earlier, the soft fullness overriding any thoughts that had been in Elena’s mind all but one.

“I love you, mí amor.”

When they pulled apart, she looked into his deep hazel eyes and knew he was thinking that too. They needed no words.

“You taste like gumdrops.” Elena beamed, “My favorite.”

And they kissed again, and again for each gumdrop they planned to put on the gingerbread house they were making together.

#elena of avalor #mateo de alva #elena castillo flores #eleteo #gumdrops #my fanfic #my fanfiction

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cartoonfangirl1218 · 5 years

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Estoma kiss fic

So in honor of my favorite month of the year, I’m posting a kiss fic that I did ages ago. It’s a continuation of the Estoma fic I did for Ship Appreciation week. For context, it's in present time and Doña finds out that the kiss had actually happened and was not some drunken dream she had imagined. And is angry that Esteban never told her, "Were you really so ashamed that we kiss that you wanted to pretend it never happened? Am I really not that good enough for you?!?" And go... "Don't you think 13 days is enough of the silent treatment! How ridiculous and pigheaded are you going be with this?" Esteban scowled, banging at the locked office door.

The anger and frustration he had been feeling the past couple of days faded as he sighed, his chest clenching with anticipation and nervousness at what he was about to admit.

"Doña, please just listen to me. I swear that kiss had nothing to do with being better than you or being ashamed. Really, it wasn't. I thought that that kiss was just a fluke because you are unusually affectionate when you're drunk. But I was also scared of things going further. That maybe if we became too close it would affect our work, or Shuriki would be displeased and do who knows what. Most of all, I was scared that if we went further, I would fall in love with you."

The defeaning sound of silence from the other side of the door made Esteban feel a bit faint, wondering how she was reacting to this or how she would reply to what he would say next.

"Which honestly was useless because I think I already am in love with you. So if you want to continue this grudge, I'll just forget about it and go home."

The door slowly opened and Esteban let out the breath that he had just realized he had been holding in.

Doña didn't look angry but confused as if she couldn't believe what was coming out of his mouth or if she was questioning his sanity.

"We should talk about this" She said in an uncharacteristically quiet voice. "We should," Esteban took a step forward and cupped her cheek, and tilted her chin so they could lock gazes.

It was an odd sense of deja vu from the drunken kiss they had shared so long ago. It was just the two of them, and as he stared at her large emerald eyes, he felt their surroundings fade away.

It felt claustrophobic but thrilling, and his senses heightened to where he felt all sorts of small points he never had noticed before like softness of her skin, the faint whiff of rose perfume, the heat of their bodies so close to another.

He waited to see if she would say anything but she seemed too shocked by the turn of events to know where to start.

It was new ground for both of them but at least he had the foresight to prepare a small speech before coming here.

He licked his lips in anticipation, and his heart pounded faster than before. His mouth felt full of cotton and he panicked, wondering if he could say it aloud. He forgot what exactly he had wanted to say first, if it would make more sense to talk about their first impression or maybe he should just talk about what he wanted their relationship to be like or a million other ideas flooded his mind in a jumbled slew of words and sentences.

He opened his mouth and spoke in a rapid fashion, trying to make sure the words made at least made some sense even if he babbled.

"You drive me crazy, you annoy me, you insult me, but these last few days of not talking made me miss you. It made me think about the kiss a lot. Really think and I've realized it was one of the sweetest moments of pleasure I had during Shuriki's rule. The more I thought about it, most of the time I spent with you during Shuriki's rule are some of the only good memories during those dark years. You challenged me, and made me become more enthusiastic and ambitious than before. All that in the hopes of proving you wrong I'll admit. I haven't had such riveting conversations about politics with other leaders, at least ones that enjoy doing.”

“We understand things about each other that I don't think anyone else knows. We talked about our families and the guilt and the loneliness. I know our love may not be as picture perfect or "adorable" as the king and queen's but we understand each other and we still, care at least I care about you in all the years we've worked side by side. “

“And if you feel the same way...I don't think we'll be lonely or in want for any sort of affection. So if you'll let me start with this one..."

Before he could even lean in, Doña pulled him towards her. Their lips crashed against each other in a passionate fervor that Esteban felt was equal to the taste of delicious, gooey melted chocolate with the surprise of a firework.

He felt a boyish sort of giddiness as one thought sped through his mine, "She likes me!"

She raked her hands through his hair, pulling a bit, urging him to move closer. He did so, sliding his arms around her waist to pull her closer, savoring the warmth and perfect fit of their bodies plastered against each other, and revealing in the feeling of affection.

Her other hand slid down his back, stopping to grab at his butt then drew back, quickly traveling up to shoulders as if realizing how inappropriate that gesture had been.

However for Esteban, that move made something in him light up so he grabbed tightly and lifted her up so her legs crossed around him and she only could hold onto him lest she wanted gravity to do its duty.

His breath became shortened and he forced himself to part lips for a moment, air rushing through before he returned to those soft lips that he had begun to associate with what paradise must feel like. Thrilling, all encompassing, warm, delightful, and the need to never leave it.

The kissing that had started tender eagerness became a small battle of vigor and who could put more fire into the intertwined embrace they were in.

He had new sense to win, not for dominance of tongues but for love. That he could somehow win this and then proceed to lavish her with warmth and devotion that they had been longing to have and to share for far too long.

He gave another shuddery sigh as they part and Doña nipped at his neck allowing him to regain another gulp of air, her nails pinched at his shoulder blades with an animalistic want.

A sense of satisfaction filled him as victory was achieved. He combed his head through her hair, knocking off her hat. From there, he drew small circles around the small of her back, then placed a kiss on her collarbone, holding it there sucking and letting the tension build until he finished by sliding his tongue across the bone and nip at her mouth. She let out an incomprehensible murmur, tensed, relaxed and melted into him.

The kisses slowed down to a steady eager pace so Esteban began to sneak his hand up her dress and brushed against her thigh.

"No no we should stop. I mean we shouldn't stop. I mean we should talk first" Doña stammered.

"Oh right we should" Esteban agreeded readily removing his hand and kissing her again.

"I do have a few things to add after your speech" Doña added between the kisses.

"Of course you do." Esteban murmured stopping for another kiss.

They quickly lapsed into silence, fully enjoying the lingering kisses between them, talking was far from their minds.

Then there was a knock and nervous laugh. They both turned to see Mateo at the door.

Esteban was momentarily confused in what possible situation would have brought the wizard to Doña's office when he remembered that Mateo had been the one that encouraged him to say his feelings, and had come with him to the emporium for moral support.

"Heh uh the door wasn't fully closed." Mateo said sheepishly.

"Sorry" Esteban said hastily putting Doña down and smoothing his rumpled clothes.

"I was wondering if I could go? I promised Elena I would be home in time for dinner." Mateo continued on with a teasing smile, "And I think you have things handled here. I'll tell them that you're occupied."

"Uh well maybe not. We could keep this a secret for a little bit?" Doña said a bit breathily, looking at him for confirmation. "You know, until we talked this out."

"Yes, that would be an excellent course of action." Esteban cleared his throat, willing his heart to stop beating like a hummingbird at his realization that this kind of encounter would happen again.

"Secret got it. Sure can do" Mateo nodded eagerly and ducked away.

Esteban turned to Doña who was still flushing profusely and bowed, "Will you save a date for tomorrow night?"

"Yes, of course. We'll defiantly have plenty to talk about." Doña winked.

Esteban bowed again and didn't bother fighting the broad smile that spread across his face when he left the store.

"Told you it would work!" Mateo cheered.

"Ay Mateo, it was...yes it worked. But remember not to say anything." Esteban reminded easily falling in step with him.

"Did you get a date?" Mateo asked.

"Yes, yes I did." Esteban answered catching on to Mateo's enthusiasm. And hopes to many more.

#estoma #mateo de alva #esteban flores #doña paloma #my fic #my fanfic #estoma kiss fic #elena of avalor

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