A/n: I hate doing x reader. If you want an x reader or a personalized imagine, message me. If not, I'll be doing random OC's. Enjoy!

To say that Tommy Clarke was awkward was..... an understatement. The boy was attractive, there was no doubt about it. Dark, thick hair and green eyes. Sometimes he could smile in this way that made a girl weak at the knees. The problem was, every time he got around a girl, he froze and stuttered and made weird faces that made girls laugh instead of fall for him. Not even in a mocking way. Everyone knew Tommy as "that kid" who made everyone laugh and was nice to be around for a bit if you were having a bad day. He talked to you, he made you laugh; he was pleasant. Unfortunately, no one knew him personally and few had held a long, lasting, or meaningful conversation with him. Even less had done so more than once. He was kind of the bottom of the food chain. The nerds and geeks may get looked down on, but at least they had friends.

Elizabeth Rhodes - Liza, as she went by - was his exact opposite. She had every boy on his knees and wrapped around her finger. She laughed like an angel and her eyes were like trapped stardust. A silvery blue, vibrant and bright and exceptionally beautiful. She was humble, too, and often brushed off compliments and rolled her eyes at flattery. She was gorgeous, but she - the one that mattered the most - couldn't see it. She was popular and social. Smart and funny and easy to talk to. You didn't just go to her for a laugh; you went to her for friendship, comfort, advice. Her hair was always the real excitement. Every week or two she changed the color and it was never the same twice in six months. Today it was jet black and with her bright eyes and clear, soft skin, she looked like an angel, seeming to glow and everything.

Tommy wasn't sure Liza knew he existed. She definitely didn't know his name. He had passed her countless times the last several months since school had started, and everyone talked about how strangers were odd and unwelcome, but Tommy had integrated into the background as if he had been part of the group his whole life. She was vibrant and spectacular and he was.... him.

Liza was laughing with her friends as Tommy stole two or three looks as he put stuff away into his locker and got some other stuff out. A regular exchange. Nothing new. Arms wrapped around the girl's waist and she was pulled into a chest. Her body went tense, eyes wide, but a laugh came out of her. Tommy frowned.

Bryce Riverton was Liza's boyfriend. And no matter what anyone said, how many friends he had, or who's heart he had won, he gave Tommy a very weird feeling. Tommy couldn't help but not trust him as he noticed things about Liza that were off putting. The way she tensed when he touched her. The way she submitted and did whatever he said, even though with everyone else she was an independent firecracker that held her head up, proud and strong in the best way. The way she walked to his car after school, slowly losing energy as her smile slowly became more forced, her footsteps heavier, and her shoulders sagged a bit more the closer she got. There was something off about the relationship that Tommy couldn't quite put his finger on. Even if he could, there was nothing he could do about it. No one would ever listen to him if he said anything about something serious.

That was, if he could even get the words out for them to listen to.

Closing his locker and hefting his bag over his shoulder, Tommy walked away from the couple, eyebrows pulled together as he tried to push them out of his mind.

I mean... what else could he do?

-

Liza was spun as Tommy moved his way through the crowd to see what the heck was going on. When he saw, he froze, eyes wide and watching.

Bryce pulled in front of him, in her hands a bouquet of red flowers with a bunch of different petals, looking kind of like a naturally-grown bee hive. "Go to prom with me?" Bryce asked her. She nodded and everyone cheered as she was scooped up, pulled into a hug by her boyfriend.

Sighing almost silently and shaking his head, Tommy pushed through the crowd, trying to get to his next class. He'd been waiting for this to happen. He knew it was coming. He wasn't even surprised. He just wished that she could have been allowed to asked by someone else. Anyone else.

As he walked past the girl and her friends, he heard someone say. "What kind of flowers are those?"

Bryce chuckled. "Uh, the flower guy said that they were Dalee-something's? I told him a little about how much I love my Lizzie and he told me these flowers were perfect for us."

"Daliahs," Liza whispered, smiling warmly as she held up her phone. "Fun fact: The flower itself symbolizes inner strength, creativity, elegance, change, and dignity." Her eyebrows came together. "But Red Dahliahs mean-"

Cutting her off with a huge faked yawn that caused all his friends to laugh, Bryce put his arm around her. "You're so cute when you know things." Then he kissed her on her cheek. "See you after class, babe." And he was gone. The crowd was mostly dispersed as the bell rang, everyone scrambling to get to their next class on time with the one minute warning bell.

As Tommy passed the abandoned girl, he heard her whisper: "Betrayal and dishonesty."

That feeling of uneasiness lay in Tommy's stomach again. It was growing ridiculously familiar and at this point, he was an inch away from doing something about it. Liza seemed happy and put together and he didn't want to ruin that, but... if there was something under the surface of this relationship that he wasn't seeing....

A deep frown settled on the boy's face. He'd keep his nose in his own business. For now.

-

"You can't go."

Tommy groaned, running his hand through his hair. "Mom, you never know when I'll get to go to a school function like this again. Prom is a big deal at this school and I already paid for the tickets. Come on, just-"

His mother shook her head. "No. I've said it once I'll say it again - my answer isn't changing."

Pausing, fully dressed and ready to go, Tommy looked at his mom. He wanted her permission and her guarding his door was a major inconvenience. But... he didn't need her permission.

His hand slapped over his chest and he was sucked from the room, landing on the grass outside his house. He smiled. "Sorry, mom," he whispered before disappearing again to reappear far, far down the street. He teleported a few stretches again and again until he was too close to the school, and then he just jogged to make the rest of the way. He entered the dance, his mask slipping a bit down his nose, and looked around.

Eyes were on him. He stood straight, confidence soaring after escaping his mother and having his face covered from direct view. A ton of people, if not everyone, followed him with their eyes, unsure of who he was. No one knew him well enough to recognize him through the mask and the suit and tie attire he wore for the occasion. Tommy moved through the crowd and people seemed to give him room, unsure how to treat someone they couldn't pin when they could tell who everyone else was.

As the dance passed, Tommy noticed Liza come in. But, Bryce didn't. This confused him, but just in case, Tommy didn't approach her. And he was watched as she sat every slow dance by herself. He watched as she hovered awkwardly, leaning against the wall or trying to hide. The problem was everyone was looking at her and she knew it. She was gorgeous in her silver and black dress. Her now bright red hair was pinned up out of her face, elegant curls like designs against her scalp and skin. She was too gorgeous to ignore and too dateless to forget. Gossip over her beauty circled as fast as gossip about her missing boyfriend.

The last dance came on and Liza slumped in her chair, eyes watering. Tommy frowned, set his feet, and moved to her. The entire dance a bunch of different girls had come up to him and asked to dance, all wanting to get to know who in the heck this kid they didn't properly recognize was. But none of them knew his face well enough to pin who he was. Now, he pushed past all of them and approached Liza. Everyone froze.

She looked up in surprise as he offered his hand. The lights and setting were like a fairytale set up. "Midnight Possibilities". What a fitting theme. He smiled, nodding. It was a weird Cinderella moment, this whole dance. Liza was Prince Charming, dashing and attractive and alluring. But this Prince Charming was waiting for Cinderella, not single but anguished. Tommy liked to think of himself as Cinderella. And so Cinderella got up the courage and approached Charming.

Confused, Liza tilted her head. "Dance with me?" He asked quietly. He had nothing to loose now. Everyone was looking. She'd been alone all night. No one knew who he was. He had no status. No friends. He only had something to gain from tonight. Even if it was an enemy.

Tommy was surprised to see Liza grin, her silvery blue eyes shining with tears of relief. She placed her hand in his and he helped her to her feet. He pulled her to the dance floor, her dazzling dress finally swishing and moving with her steps as it should have been the whole night. When he reached the depth into the crowd Tommy wished, he stopped her, pulling her close. Here he grew awkward. Their hands were in the air, but he hovered his other hand. She laughed, placing her hand on top of his, guiding it to her waist. She then moved her hand to his shoulder. "Breathe," she teased.

Laughter broke between the two and they started dancing. The ice was broken and Tommy's face was red but she was grinning and practically glowing. He'd never seen her so happy or hopeful. She'd never smiled like this. It was overwhelming.

The two didn't talk for quite a few seconds, before Liza spoke up. "I want to ask your name but from the looks we're getting, you've been holding onto the element of mystery." She smirked and seemed to grow even closer. His heart skipped several beats and then tripped over itself trying to catch up.

"I like to see their expressions," he responded. He was surprised with how easy it was to talk to her. This felt natural and real and it came to him smoothly. He found urges to flirt with her. Pull her close. Touch her face. Bring her somewhere private. He wanted to be with her in this moment, while this crazy easiness was around.

She rose an eyebrow. "Why's that?"

He chuckled. "Honestly, it's hilarious. This town is small and everyone thinks they know everything and that they have all their fingers in all of the pies but the truth is - no one here knows anything. I promise you most of the people here won't even leave this town, because they couldn't handle anything more than the limits if this place. They're too nosy and controlling and in the real world, there are too many people for someone to be in complete control. Here, people can find their place and make a chart. Out there, it's not like that."

Liza seemed stunned. "Wow. Uh- you're not from here?"

A smile rose to his face, amused and soft. "No. I've been here all year and the past summer. And no one noticed, even though they talk smack about strangers and new people and rant about how those unfamiliar are unwelcomed." Tentatively, Tommy rose a hand, moving the one previously on her waist to touch her cheek. Her smile fell and the locked gaze between them grew more intense. "You're very beautiful," he complimented quietly. Her eyes grew watery and his eyes shot wide. She pulled away from him, pushing through the crowd, trying to disappear. "W- Liza, wait!" He ran after her, ignoring the questioning and judging looks from the crowd. She ran outside, her heels clicking, and he wondered what he said to make her so willing to take off that she'd run in heels.

When he finally caught up to her - man the girl could really MOVE - his fingers wrapped around her upper arm, pulling her to a stop. "Let me go," she whimpered.

He pulled her to face him, tugging his mask off. When her eyes landed on his face, she relaxed and stopped struggling. "What did I do?" He whispered pleadingly. "Why did you run?"

"Tommy," she whimpered.

His eyes went wider. "You know my name?"

Liza nodded. "Of course I do. But I'm sure that's not obvious to you... You're incredible, you know? I should have seen it sooner. How silly of me. I must have been really upset." She laughed shakily, tears streaming down her face. "I- I can't explain-"

Desperate, Tommy held on tighter without hurting her. "Please," he begged. "Try."

There was a long pause as neither said anything and they both caught their breath. Then Liza looked at Tommy very seriously. "What can you do?" She asked quietly.

Confusion and defensiveness twisted his face. "What do you mean?" He prayed and crossed his fingers that he hadn't slipped up somehow and let her know that he had powers. Would she accept him as an Evo? Was that the problem?

Her eyes softened. "Tommy, you know what I mean." She spoke with airy, fluffy tones that were feather soft. She stepped towards him, her hand rising to his face. Her fingertips brushed against his jaw, palm resting on his cheek. Color swirled in his vision, purples and bright yellows and green leaking into what he would normally see, distorting the dark night and making the world a color tornado that made his head spin and his stomach turn in the most wonderful way.

A surprised gasp slipped from him as Tommy stumbled back, eyes wide and breathing quickly. The second her hand left his face, his vision normalized. His gaze met hers. "What was that?" He asked, amazed.

Liza chuckled. "I'm an Evo too. My power is over color. Or, how the mind perceives it. I see colors when I hear noises. I see auras. And, if I want, when I touch someone, I can change how they see colors too."

Eyes wide, he stepped towards her, grabbing her hands in his. "Why are you here, under the thumb of some douche bag that didn't even bother to come to the dance he invited you to, forcing you to sit in a corner for three hours and be completely miserable when you're this brilliant and talented and special?" He asked her, his smile wide. "You deserve eternally better than him."

Blush crept up Liz's face, swallowing her skin whole. "Tommy... will you kiss me?"

Tommy's eyebrow rose. "Aren't you still with Bryce?"

Liza laughed. "Why do you think I came to prom alone? He didn't stand me up, you dork. I caught him cheating on me and it made me realized that I didn't like him. I've seen your aura day after day. You blended in like everyone else and yet there wasn't a day that I didn't notice you. Eventually I just couldn't ignore you anymore - couldn't pretend. I realized that I was using Bryce as a shield. I need protection from the world and he's the only thing that I have. And... he knows I'm an Evo. He- he used it to get me to do- do what he wanted me to." Her eyes watered and Tommy pulled her close, holding her strongly and protectively, his eyes widening as he realized what she was suggesting and wishing more than anything to be able to take those memories and burdens away from her. To protect her from this life that she'd lead. "I have to run," Liza whispered. "Come with me. We should stick together. You, me, and your mom."

A smile adorned Tommy's face. "I would love that." He leaned back. "My poor mother." Both laughed and Tommy paused only a second longer before kissing her. The world exploded again and both of them gasped. The kiss deepened and everything seemed to explode instantly as Liza's secret crush was admitted and Tommy's hidden feelings were exposed.

It was like a fairytale.

And this... this was his Happily Ever After.

Even if this wasn't the end of the story, simply the beginning of their beautiful relationship. It was ending enough for Tommy and Liza.

...For now.