Extra Darling

Chapter 24: Beauty at the Ball

(A/N:  Song above is great for a certain scene down below ;) enjoy!)

I clutched the folds of my beautiful gown nervously as I made my way through the brightly lit jungle. I felt a cool breeze whisk the strands of golden hair from my eyes, which I kept trained on the ground to prevent myself from tripping and destroying these fantastic glass shoes.

Skye had left me in the little wardrobe hut and hadn't given me instructions on how to find him again, but my tracking skills were quickly improving here in the leafy mazes of Neverland, and in no time at all the distant murmur of voices became clearer and clearer until I was able to recognize Arthur's voice.

My heart skipped a beat in my chest as I heard his voice and wondered what his reaction to my dress would be. I wondered what he would look like. Had Skye given him a wardrobe hut as well? Was he dressed in a lavish suit and adorning mask?

As I rounded the corner of bushes, my long dress clinging to my body from my leaking nerves, my questions were answered.

Skye and Arthur fell silent as I appeared in the clearing, and it wasn't just Skye's jaw that I saw fell open.

Arthur looked more handsome than I had ever seen him before. His luxurious black locks were gelled back tightly behind his ears, the ends coiling just above his shoulders. The golden hoop was removed from his ear, as was the typical thick layer of kohl under his eyes and the jingling necklaces around his neck. His face was wiped of its usual grime that comes from being aboard a ship, and his tanned cheeks were clean shaven.

The suit he wore was beyond suave. It was a crisp, dark blue and the shirt tucked neatly into his trousers was navy. He was well polished, and his suit made the blues in his eyes pop. They were nearly hidden by the intricate black mask that sat on the bridge of his nose, but how could I miss those very eyes I had grown so accustomed to?

I noticed golden buttons going down the front of the coat tails of his suit, and a similar color embroidery trailing down his arms. A wrinkle-free handkerchief peaked out from his coat pocket, and as I shyly tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, I saw him straighten it out.

"Ophelia-" He stuttered, clearing his throat as I walked closer to him, biting my lip, "You look.. I think... You--"
"You look beautiful." Skye finished, playfully elbowing Arthur and smiling at me.
Arthur released a breath of air, reaching down to grab my hand and bringing it up to his lips, "I was going to say you look ravishing, but beautiful is also correct."

He pressed his rosy lips against the back of my palm and I blushed, politely returning my hand to my side and giving him a slight bow with my head, "You don't clean up too bad yourself, Captain Arthur."
"No where near as breath taking as you are, blondie." He grinned, looking me up and down.

I suppressed the wave of heat crawling up my neck and laced my fingers together behind my back, giggling when I met his eye. He truly looked enthralled by me and it was entirely amusing. I had ever seen a person unable to keep their eyes off me.

I gave him a bashful smile and straightened out a fold of the gown, "Thank you."

"That gown turned out to your liking, I'm assuming?" Skye asked, raising an eyebrow, "In case it wasn't obvious enough, the young captain and I are quite dazzled by it."
I nodded, stretching my arms out to admire the wonderful material, "It's better than anything I've ever owned. And the jewelry?" I lifted the heavy gem from around my neck, "It's unbelievable, Skye."
Skye grinned, "It is something, isn't it?"
"I was unaware that magic such as this existed?" Arthur pointed out, "I had been lead to believe that magic was an elemental talent only."