#ship: she loves the wolf she doesn't love the lamb

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Tuesday, February 20

Willow: What were you thinking about? Buffy: Nothing. Xander: Oh, c'mon, you can tell us. We're your bosom friends! The friends of your bosom! Willow: Xander. Buffy: I wasn't thinking anything, really. Willow: What'd you do last night? Buffy: Mm. Slept. I had weird dreams. Xander: Dreams are meaningful. Willow: Tsh! Tell me about it. The other night I dreamt that Xander... Uh, I-it wasn't Xander. I-in fact it wasn't me. It was a friend's dream, and she doesn't remember it.

~~Buffy Episode #13: "When She Was Bad"~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Camisole (Buffy/Spike, M) by firemanwhenthefloodsrollback

Buffy Had a Little Lamb (Who Got Eaten by a Wolf) by TheClowniestLivInExistence

Settling Dust (Fred/Gunn, T) by NAOA

Xander's Gift (Ensemble, T) by KagamiPINKAgreste

[Chaptered Fiction]

Dress My Body All in Flowers White Ch. 31/45 (Buffy/Spike, M) by othellia

Staying Afloat Ch. 9 (Willow/Oz, Buffy/Gage Petronizi, M) by othellia

I Don't Want to Be the One Ch. 3 (Buffy/Spike, T) by pommedapi

Secret Diary of William Henry Allen, Watcher 1908 – 1912 Ch. 6/15 (OC Watcher, M) by jaybird023

Goodbye to Everything That I Knew Ch. 21 (Buffy/Spike, M) by My_Barbaric_Yawp

Worth Fighting For Ch. 30/71 (Buffy/Angel, T) by melodys_muse

Switch Ch. 4/10 (Buffy/Spike, E) by sunalso

Straight to the Heart Ch. 6 (Buffy/Faith, M) by QuillBard

49 Cemeteries Ch, 10 (Buffy/Spike, T) by firemanwhenthefloodsrollback

Everything is different now Ch. 19 (Buffy/Faith, M) by alwynjaegar

Lil' Ripper Makes a Friend, Chapter 38 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Soulburnt

The Neighbor's Point of View, Chapter 86 (Buffy/Spike, T) by the_big_bad

Agency Has It's Price, Chapter 18 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Desicat

Heaven Sent, Chapter 2-3 (Buffy/Spike, E) by sunalso

Oblivious, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, E) by hulettwyo

Coming Through, Chapter 37-38 (Buffy/Spike, E) by hulettwyo

Plastic Hearts Ch. 20 (Dawn, M, MCU xover) by PatriciaLouise

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork:Willow & Tara by kayummii

Artwork:Spike by snottiesnot

Artwork:Buffy by lijzeil

Artwork:Giles and Wesley by yarboyandy

Artwork:Wesley by yarboyandy

Artwork:Spike & Buffy by spikedru

Video: Willow + Spike - Humour by FaithVictoria

Video: Willow + Spike - Humour by FaithVictoria

[Reviews & Recaps]

Mothman’s Buffy Rewatch, Season 2, Episode 14, “Innocence” by mothmans-wedding-photographer

PODCAST: BTVS 510 - Into The Woods by Another Buffy Podcast

PODCAST: Episode 16 - Hey Meatpie! (School Hard) by The Sunnydale Diaries

[Fandom Discussions]

Please Don’t Reboot “Buffy”. Reboot “Sunnydale” instead. by Dark and Twisty

paralells between Buffy and Dawn standing up to mr Maclay in Family and Tara standing up to Xander and Anya in Older and Far Away by tara-fantastico

truly makes me giggle sometimes by werewolferr

The thing about Buffy shipping discourse by coraniaid

Every time I see somebody criticize Xander Harris for being a “Joss Whedon self insert” by brunnismemorybank, coraniaid

Spuffy style Reading Challenge - #26: Ready & Go Reading Challenge by mcgnagallsarmy

So I’m fresh off a rewatch of S2 by elysianholly

This is what I personally think about the characters in Buffy and their queerness by musingsfromthelagoon

Willow + Spike - Humour by girl4music

Do you think Angel/Liam loved his father? by The Whirlwind

Oz and Willow were so amazing together by Sweet-Siren

Speedo Xander remains my favourite Xander by Sweet-Siren

Dr Gregory by geekgirlau

Is there a trigger free way of watching buffy? by Herjules

Buffy fix it and Anya by Reviewingremy

Angel Tattoo Ideas by SaucyParrot

At first, did you believe Parker was showing genuine interest in Buffy? by InfiniteMehdiLove

Giles by WittyWhisperer01

sometimes Xander felt like Buffy's scorned ex by PristineSituation498

“It's not always about holding hands”, what does Wesley mean to say? by jenny_plushie_1401

Do you think the writers wanted us to believe that the world might actually end in season 7? by Glum-Substance-3507

Happy 70th birthday to our favorite librarian today! by sdhuskerfan

Predictions in something blue by annoyingpanda9704

Viewing as a kid vs an adult/then vs now. Part 1. Characters. The Girls. by user_name_taken-

Viewing as a kid vs an adult/then vs now. Part 2. Characters. The Boys. by user_name_taken-

Viewing as a kid vs an adult/then vs now. Part 3. Plots/plot holes. by user_name_taken-

Buffyverse extended community by RestlessTome

Question about Illyria in S5 by Nostromo87

Wesley’s Akimbo skills by Long_Foundation1354

In 4x16 'Who Are You,' Faith (in Buffy's body) asks Riley how he got to the hostage situation by alrtight

Genuinely underrated pairings that deserved more scenes together by quoththeraven1990

Cordy season 4 (*spoilers) by m0wgliiiiiii

What happened to Faith's criminal record? by Piper6728

Would Illyria see through Jasmine's lies without the help of knowing Jasmine's true name? by jdpm1991

Did you know you can borrow things like the (long out of print) Buffy script books from the Internet by sudo-sbux

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

PUBLICATION: How Buffy and Spike's Relationship Set the Stage for Fantasy Love Triangles by CBR

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Join the editor team :)

#btvs #buffy the vampire slayer #angel the series #fan art #meta #fan fiction

[fortunatelyhauntedblackcherry]

Walking the tightrope - A "The Greatest Showman" Fanfiction 1

Yeah I started writing something else, sorry 😅 I'll keep writing the Beetlejuice one, don't worry, I just had an another idea... With one of my other crushes. This won't need any warnings so we'll just skip that :3 Have a nice time reading! Chapter 2 coming tomorrow or the day after! 😘

🎶When the world becomes a fantasy🎶

Drops of sweat were rolling off of Constantine's back. Sparks of joy, confidence and concentration were glowing in his dark brown eyes.

🎶And you're more than you could ever be🎶

He did a twirl, letting his cape fly freely. He was feeling really good that night. The crowd was clapping and smiling widely as the circus company danced.

🎶'Cause you're dreaming with your eyes wide open🎶

The cast changed places, but Constantine stepped even closer to the viewers from his place. Lettie told him lately that he should sing a little alone if he was feeling like it, cause he had an angelic voice. Oh and he was feeling like it.

🎶YEAH, YEAH🎶

He belted while stepping on the ring stool, causing the first row scream out and clap even harder. He smiled at his little admirers: four little kids; three girls and a boy, not one older than 8. And a fair young woman with them, with an excited look on her pretty face. She was cheering just as hard as the children she were with. Constantine changed a quick glance with her as he stepped back in line.

🎶And you know you can't go back again🎶

The cast all posed as Mr. Barnum slipped before them. Constantine flexed his muscles like the greek hero he was on stage, causing several women to gasp. He couldn't help but glance at the young lady he looked at before. She had a naughty little smile on her face. These tiny adoring looks boosted his ego and made him feel less ashamed about how he looked. So he smiled back.

🎶To the world that you were living in🎶

Mr. Barnum tipped his hat towards one of the kids the woman was with, which made the little boy scream in excitement. Mr. Barnum really knew how to make the crowd cheer, thought Constantine.

🎶'Cause you're dreaming with your eyes wide open🎶

Constantine huffed as he got to his place before spinning again. His hair got all wet and rumpled. I'll ask Anne what she does with her wig so it doesn't fall apart.

🎶'Cause you're dreaming with your eyes wide open🎶

They retreated back to the back of the stage, then jumped back to their original places to finish the grand finale. They all raised their hands in fists.

🎶So come alive!🎶

They opened up their fists and turned around to face everybody in the crowd. Constantine belted out his last lines with closed eyes and a huge smile spread out on his face. He then did his end pose with a confident smile.

After the company finished the show with bowing, they retreated to their quarters with huge smiles on their faces. Constantine took his cape off and threw it on his bed. His small room with red walls, arabian style drapes on the ceiling and dark brown furniture with fretwork all over it was way better than his old hammock in the poopdeck of the ship he was "working" on. He transferred back to reality by the feeling of someone touching his skin. He looked at the person who gave him a friendly pat on the back. The warm smile of his best friend welcomed him, as always.

- How are you feeling, my friend? - asked the sicilian man with a heavy accent while he sat down on Constantine's bed. It was packed with colorful pillows and was covered in dark green satin bedsheets.

- Very good, Lentini, very good! - said the greek while he walked to his wardrobe. He pulled out a white shirt, a pair of suspenders, some underwear and a pair of burgundy red trousers, with light fishbone patterns on them. - This night was a true blast. - he said with a wide smile, then disappeared behind his dark brown, wooden dressing screen.

- That's why I came, to be honest. - said the sicilian as he stood up from the bed. He walked up to Constantine's trident and touched its edges. They were sharp as knives. - I wanted to congratulate you! - Lentini turned around with a huge smile on his face when he saw from the corner of his eye that Constantine came out from behind the dressing screen. That's what Constantine liked about him the most. That Frank Lentini was the most positive, most wholesome man he ever met. And that he was always smiling. That made the tattoed Prince of Greece feel better, no matter how gloomy he was. He was still buttoning his shirt when Lentini grabbed his shoulders. - Your act was very good! You are getting better and better in pleasing the crowd! - he winked. Constantine laughed and shooed his hand away.

- You are making me blush, Frank. - the sicilian shrugged while he put his third leg up on the chest that was placed before Constantine's king sized bed.

- I wouldn't know it though. - Constantine rolled his eyes.

- Come on pal, my face is not THAT covered in tattoos! - they both laughed. Constantine grabbed Lentini's shoulder with his right hand while he put his left hand on his heart. The real one, not the one that was tattoed across his chest. - But thank you, I really felt great on stage. Have you seen how many people came tonight?

- I'm not blind, my friend. - Frank leaned closer with a cheeky smile. - Did any of your cheering fans caught your attention? - Constantine pushed the three legged man away with a half smile.

- Maybe. But you know I'm a lone wolf, my friend. - Lentini raised an eyebrow.

- I also know that's a lie, dearest Prince. - he grabbed the Prince's shoulder again and squeezed it. - Don't worry, amico mio. Sooner or later, you will find your Princess. - Constantine looked him in the eye with hope in his eyes.

- You know how hard it is for us. But, I hope you're going to be right. - Frank patted the greek man's face.

- I'll go and grab a bite in the tavern nearby. Care to join me? - Constantine stepped away from his friend and sat down before his vanity.

- Maybe later. I'm not really hungry now. - the sicilian bowed, Constantine waved.

- See you later then, my friend.

Constantine washed his hair in his iron basin. He grabbed a towel and just started to dry it up when suddenly he heard a woman call out.

- Melody? It's time to go home, honey! - the man pricked his ears. The greek was pretty sure that the woman who was calling out was young. And beautiful. Such an angelic voice couldn't come from some old hag. The voice kept repeating "Melody" over and over again, the next call always more panicked then the one before. Constantine decided that he should help this damsel in distress. He stood up and started following the calls.

Constantine gallopped down the stairs, still drying up his hair with the towel when he spotted the owner of the voice. She truly was a young lady, a beautiful and petite one, to be exact. She wore a dark purple spotted white evening dress with dark purple lace on her slim body, which really made her light caramel coloured skin pop. Her black, wavy hair was tied into a tight bun, but several loose locks framed her pretty, triangle shaped face. She wore little golden hooprings in her ears, which matched her thin golden bracelets. She didn't have any gloves on. She was looking under the seats next to the ring. Constantine stepped behind her and threw the towel across his shoulder.

- Can I help you? - he asked. The woman straightened herself up.

- Yes! I'm really sorry to bother, sir, but... - she turned around to face the man. The young woman's hazel colored eyes widened and her bow-shaped lips parted. Constantine just realized that this was the girl he spotted during the finale. She was still speechless. He cleared his throat and stepped back as a sad glow found its way to his eyes.

- I didn't mean to frighten you. - the woman shook her head with a smile, kind of awkwardly.

- Oh my, no, you didn't! - she stuttered a bit. - I just... - she flashed a perky little smile as she looked into the man's dark brown eyes. - ...I just got starstruck.

Constantine smiled back at the woman. He immediately felt happier, knowing that his appearance didn't frighten her... Not like many others. Most normal people felt either disgust or fear when stood face to face before him. But it looked like this woman was fairly different. He bowed a little. As he did, he heard children giggling from the back. He looked at them, a boy and two girls. The boy's brown skin was spotted with white patches, like he got sprinkled with white paint. The girls looked normal. He winked at them, which made them giggle even harder. Constantine's smile widened. Oh how he loved kids. They were much more accepting than grown adults. He looked back at the woman, who crossed her hands before her chest and rested her head on one of her fists. He couldn't help but glance at the young woman's soft feminine figure - which her corset emphasized even more - as he faced her again.

- It seems you have one less children then you had before. - the woman rubbed her temples and growled.

- Yes, my little Melody decided to sneak away from my watchful eyes... - she opened her eyes and pointed at the greek man. - Wait. From where do you know I had 4 children with me? - Constantine shrugged, held a hand up, rubbed his scrag with his other hand and smiled widely.

- You were the loudest members of the audience tonight. - the kids all giggled from the background, just as the woman they were with. The woman's glance ran all through the tattoed man face, not too conspicuously. But Constantine kind of noticed that her glance stayed a bit on his mustache... Or his lips? It was hard to tell. - Well, I hardly think that your little escapee will be somewhere here. - Constantine pointed back to the staircase. - Would you like to come into our quarters with me to see if she sneaked up there? - a relieved smile found its way to the woman's face.

- Yes, thank you so much! - she sighed and tilted her head. - That would literally save my job! - she turned to the children and crouched down before the eldest looking girl. - Alice, would you be a lamb and watch after the others?

- I'm the man, I should take care of the girls! - said the boy with a pout as he crossed his arms before his chest. The woman stroked his face with a gentle look.

- Yes, Jacob, you will be a wonderful gentleman one day, but right now Alice is the ranking member of our party of criminals. - she kissed the boy's forehead, scruffed his hair, then looked at so-called Alice. - So, honey? - the girl did a courtesy.

- Yes, Miss Munroe. - she got a kiss on her forehead as well. The woman stood up and faced the tattoed man. The Prince gave her his hand.

- Shall we? - Miss Munroe put her hand in the man's palm. Constantine gulped. Yes, several woman gasped at the site of his muscular body and tattoes and awed as he flexed on stage, but he couldn't go near any them... Once the show was over, he was a freak in their eyes again. But not to this woman. There wasn't a spark of disgust in her eyes. No. Constantine only saw the colors of autumn leaves, rays of sunshine and appreciation in her eyes. It was so weird for him. Weirdly comforting.

As they started ascending the stairs, hand in hand, the man helping the woman, Constantine started conversation.

- So tell me, what are these children doing with you? You are pretty young to be a mother of four. - he said with a cheeky halfsmile. The woman jokingly punched his shoulder with the hand he wasn't holding.

- Mind you, sir, I'm 24! Almost a spinster. - she said with a laugh. Constantine glanced at the woman with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

- You're still younger then me, little missy. I'm 30. You could call me a spinster as well. - the young woman stopped at the top of the stairs. Her eyes widened with disbelief.

- You are a bachelor? - she pointed her index finger at the man, touching the tattoed heart on his chest. - You?! - he leaned closer to the young woman. His sparkly dark blue makeup made the mischievous look in his brown eyes even more dangerous.

- I hope not for long. - the woman bit her lower lip while flashing a playful smile. Constantine winked. He stepped back and opened the first door. Lentini's room. He looked around, not a single child in sight. Constantine shook his head at the woman. She sighed. They started to walk towards the next door.

- You are right though, I am not their mother. I am their teacher. - Constantine flashed an amazed, impressed look. - I work in a rich people's orphanage, you know. I teach orphaned upper class little kids history, music and literature. - Constantine stopped, opened the next door and looked into his own room. No one was there. When he stepped back to the woman, she was looking down at the children who were playing tag in the circus ring. She smiled caringly. - I brought these kids here to show them the wonders of humankind. That there are many shapes and colors of humans and they are all beautiful. - Constantine stepped closer to her, hands crossed before his chest.

- That's a rare opinion. - he said as he leaned against the wooden parapet. The woman shrugged.

- Most people are unfortunately narrow-minded. - she looked back at the man. - I want to teach younglings that they shouldn't be narrow and dark as a corridor. - Constantine let out a laugh at the girl's joke. She smiled as well. - You know, kids in our orphanage are very restricted, so...

- You sneaked them out, I suppose. - he chimed in as he opened the door to the room of Deniel, The Lord of Leeds. Not a soul there neither. The woman put her left hand in the air and her right on her chest as Constantine looked back at her.

- Guilty, your honor. - she lowered her hands. While walking, she was twiddling with her thin bracelets. She had at least 3 on each hand. - I sneak different children out every day, so each one of them could see your daring acts. - she shrugged and pushed a flock of hair away from her eyes. - Plus I like it here. - Constantine stepped to the next door. There was faint music coming out.

- Just a second, darling. - he opened the door after knocking. His colleague was sitting on his sofa, reading a book about Napoleon. - Hey Charles, have you seen a little girl running around here?

- About this tall, pretty golden curls... - said and showed the woman as she stack her head in under Constantine's muscular arm. She waved with a wide smile. - Hi, sorry to bother you, sir. - Charles closed his book and jumped off his sofa. He was 130 centimeters, max. He walked up to them.

- Lost kid, aye? - he shook his head. - No, I haven't. Sorry, ducky. - as soon as Miss Munroe left the room, Charles tucked on the leaving Constantine's trousers. He started whispering. - Hey, Prince! - he pointed after the young woman. - New girl in the crew? - Constantine shook his head and waved his hand. Charles looked after the woman and flashed a toothy grin. - She's pretty, invite her out! - Constantine rolled his eyes and pushed the short man away. He closed the door behind him. The woman was blushing. Oh Hell, she heard Charles...

- I'm here, sorry. - Miss Munroe waved.

- No problem. - they started to walk towards the next door. The girl looked down at her shoes, still blushing a little. - You know, it's kind of fortunate that Melody got lost. I really wanted to tell you that I loved your act. - Constantine stopped. - I've seen like 5 shows already and your act was always my favourite. - the greek's chin dropped a bit. The woman lowered her voice as she looked deep into the tall Prince's eyes. - You're really talented. - Constantine chuckled nervously and scratched his scruff. Nobody from the outer world told him personally that they liked his act yet...

- I'm just throwing around tridents... - the woman stepped closer to him. Even in her heels, that made a clanking sound with every step, she was way shorter than Constantine. And she was intimately close.

- But you do it with style and elegance. - she looked down at his chest, then back to his eyes. Her minxy little smile made Constantine see stars and those cute dimples in her cheeks made him weak in the knees. - And your aim is phenomenal.

- T...thank you... - he stuttered. He didn't know what else he could do so he quickly opened up the door that was behind him. The owner of the room let out a little scream. Constantine faced her with a nervous smile and a shaky voice. - Lettie! Darling dear! - he grabbed the towel which was still on his shoulder, and wiped the sweat off from his forehead. What the hell has gotten into me?! - Have you seen a little girl? About ye tall, with golden locks... - the bearded woman reached down.

- You mean this little angel? - she lifted a little girl up from the floor. She was about 4 years old, had golden hair, piercing blue eyes and dark caramel skin and was playing with a fan. Her blue eyes lit up as she looked at the young woman. Miss Munroe gasped and opened up her arms.

- Melody! - the little girl put the fan down and ran to her and hugged her teacher's neck, who hugged her back. - Sweetie, what did I tell you about running off? - she placed a kiss on the top of the child's head. - You scared the hell out of me, I was so worried! - Constantine watched as the young woman peppered kisses all over the little girl's head. She looked so caring... - You little nasty... - she let go of the little girl and looked at Lettie. She put her hand on her chest. - Thank you so much for taking care of her! - Lettie smiled back at her and nodded. - I'm happy she was in good hands. - the woman reached down to lift little Melody up to her hip. Constantine put his hands before her, blocking her reach.

- Oh nonono, I'm the stronger one, I'll carry her. - the woman's mouth opened, trying to say something, but in the end she stayed quiet. She closed her mouth with a smile and stepped back so Constantine could pick up the child. He grunted as he put Melody on his hip. - Wooh you're a heavy one! - the little girl looked down to her teacher. - Hey honeybee! - Constantine lifted the little girl's chin up, causing her to giggle. His eyes lit up and he smiled widely. - Hi! Did you like the show? - Melody nodded enthusiastically. Constantine squeaked. - Aw you did? That's awesome! Who was your favorite? - the little child looked back at Lottie and pointed at her.

- The bearded lady. She has the voice of an angel. - Lottie awed and rubbed her eyes. Melody looked back at Constantine and put her little hands on his face. - And you. Your drawings are pretty. - Constantine gasped.

- Thank you! Tell you what, I did some myself! - he held up his left hand and showed her his big palm. There was a tiny birdie in the middle of it. - Look! - Melody let go of the tattooed man's bearded face and touched the bird in his palm. Miss Munroe gestured 👌 to Constantine with a wink. She waved to Lottie and exited the room. Constantine nodded with a smile towards the bearded woman. - Thanks Lettie!

When they reached the end of the stairs, Constantine threw the girl up in the air, then started to lower her towards the ground slowly. She was giggling hard.

- Here we are, little honeybee! I'm gonna put you down, okay? - the little girl hugged the Prince's knees, then ran after her friends. Miss Munroe fiddled with her hair as they looked at each other with the bearded man. She looked down with a cheesy little smile, then back at Constantine.

- Hey kids! - she called out, still facing the man who now leaned against the banisters. - Could you wait for me at the exit? - the four children ran towards the exit. Little Melody slowed down for a second before Constantine, just to say:

- Byebye, pretty mister! - Constantine waved back to her with a smile and blew her kisses.

As soon as the kids disappeared, the woman stepped closer to him with a welcoming smile on her face and with glistening eyes, like they were filled with thousands of fireworks.

- Well, thank you very much for helping me. - she sighed. - Now all I have to do is sneak the kids back into the orphanage. - for a couple seconds, Constantine thought that that was all she wanted to say. But she took a deep breath and started talking while gesturing heavily. - Look, most of the time I'm the one who gets invited, so this is kind of a first for me. - she breathed out and locked eyes with the Prince. - As an acknowledgement for your helpfullness, would you accompany me to dinner tomorrow?

Constantine gawped. He almost fell over by the surprise, but quickly regained his composure. He shook his head and cleared his throat.

- Dinner as in... - he asked hastily.

- As in you and me eating at a restaurant. - came the quick answer from the young lady. Her cheeky half smile and her cute dimples already made Constantine melt. - Just you and me, no kids or colleagues. - she explained. It would be so nice... But...

- I don't know... - he anwered with a shaky voice. He suddenly felt the worst anxiety and unsteadiness he experienced in a long time. He looked down at his shoes and sighed. - I mean... - he looked back up at her and raised his hands. - Look at me. - he rolled his eyes and clicked his tongue in an annoyed way. - People always stare at me and chase me away eventually. I... - he got stopped by Miss Munroe's hand stroking his beard. He gasped at the sudden touch. The clanking of her bracelets sounded like windchimes on a sunny morning. She smiled warmly.

- Well, all I see is a handsome, fine young man. - Constantine didn't say a word. He just... Couldn't. He couldn't find his voice. Which was not a fortunate thing in this situation. After a couple seconds of awkward silence, the woman let go of his face and stepped back. She anxiously bit her lower lip and looked down. - Emmm... - she stepped even further from Constantine and put her hand up in an apologetic way. - You know what, this was a way too bold idea, I'm really sorry. - she did a quick courtesy. - Good night! - and she ran off.

Constantine just stood there, touching his face where that small, delicate palm touched it with an open mouth.

- What the Hell are you doing Constantine?!? - shouted Lettie from the middle of the stairs. Did she see the whole scene?!

- What? - asked Constantine in a dumb manner, which only made Lettie come down from the stairs and slap the Prince's nape lightly. He grabbed his scrag after the slap with an "OW" sound.

- Go after her RIGHT. NOW! - said the bearded woman angrily.

- Lettie, I... - Lettie rolled her eyes and grabbed Constantine by the shoulders. Even though she was at least a head shorter than him, he still feared her more than O'Clancy, the giant.

- She invited you out on a rendezvous, you moron! - since being terrifying didn't work, she huffed, closed her eyes for a second, than continued in a much calmer tone. - Don't screw this up, Constantine, please... - the Prince wanted to say something but Lettie signaled to him that he should shut the hell up. So he just sighed. - You know I have a good knowledge of character. Trust me. - she cupped the tattoed man's face in her palms and looked deep into his eyes. - She is not like Selena. I know it. She is not going to break you heart. - she let the man hardened into stone go and pointed towards the entrance with a small laugh. - Run after her you idiot or you'll miss your chance! - Constantine shook his head to gain back his confidence, planted a soft kiss on Lettie's face and ran like his life depended on it.

When he reached the exit, he pushed the doors wide open. The warm wind of June brushed through his hair as he looked around, trying to find the woman he helped out. He spotted a carriage, and Miss Munroe as she loaded the kids into it. Constantine ran towards them and almost tripped just before reaching his destination. When he finally got hold of the chariot, he huffed out, basically bent in half before the woman he met earlier. His heart was beating like a drum in his chest. God he hated to run.

When he finally straightened himself up, the young woman he was facing almost burst out into laughter but was trying really hard to cover it. So she cleared her throat.

- Hello, Miss Munroe! Again. - Constantine scratched his scruff anxiously. - Umm, when do you finish at work? - the woman's eyes lit up with excitement and mischief. She started putting her weight from one leg to another, like a deb before her first ball.

- At 4 in the afternoon. You?

- If I don't perform at the night show, then at around 5. - he stepped closer to Miss Munroe with a light smile that turned more and more confident with every passing second. - What do you say, could we meet at around 6 o'clock? - the girl jumped a bit as she clapped her tiny hands together.

- Absolutely! So, meet you here tomorrow? - Constantine hesitated.

- Not eeeexaaaaactly, I think the back entrance would be safer for you. - he pointed at one of the threatening boards that was left on the stairs of the circus. - You know, the protesters... - Miss Munroe nodded enthusiastically, with a wide smile.

- Oh yes. Absolutely. See you tomorrow then. - she said as she grabbed the handrail of the rig. But Constantine grabbed her hand.

- Wait! You forgot to tell me your first name. - the woman stepped back to the ground and pulled a lock of hair beneath her ear.

- Oh, it's... - it sounded like she hesitated for a bit. - Hazel. - she offered her hand for shaking. - I'm Hazel Munroe. - but Constantine didn't shake her hand. He gently held it, turned it flatways, bowed and blew a gentle kiss on her hand. He was pretty sure he felt the girl tremble.

- It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Hazel Munroe. I am Constantine. - her eyes narrowed.

- Like your stagename? - Constantine rolled his eyes with a devilish smile as he stood back up.

- Well... It's actually Prince Constantine. The tattoed héros of Greece. - Hazel giggled. The Prince let her hand go, so she stepped closer to the man.

- Alright. I can't wait to see you again, your majesty. - the man sighed with an eyeroll, but turned to stone when Hazel planted a kiss on his beard. He watched her with wide eyes as she pulled herself into the carriage. - Have a good night! - she waved goodbye and disappeared into the night.

Oh, it certainly will be good.

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