"Did I just collapse to sleep?"

It was already morning, and you were up by the moment the sun landed on your face.

You rubbed the sleep off from your (e/c) and sighed, leaving yourself to ponder on your thoughts for a moment. Then you remembered last night, a cup of tea all to yourself, the calming ambience of the cold night, and a rabbit. A specifically peculiar one. "Red overcoat... pocket watch.. t-the lense thingy," you muttered with the drowsiness still heavy on your voice. You yawned. Something-somewhere at the back of your head-scratched this particular area of your brain where you kept all your core memories and tried to dig up for one specific memory. "It- it seemed familliar. So oddly familliar. But I just can't seem to ring a bell."

With a frustrated sigh, you got out of bed and got ready for work, messily bringing up your (h/c) lockes into a small up-do. You wore your usual work clothes, and trudged off to Marissa's bakery, where apparently she looked like she was anticipating for your arrival all morning.

"(Y/n!) I was waiting fir ya!" Now it seemed her Irish roots came all the way up through the bread stuffed in her mouth as she said those words in a mumbled but excited tone, holding a boquet of flowers-(favourite flower), and a box of sweets. Now this was something that you don't get everyday. "Marissa," you said, calming your friend down from the excitement she's had. "Where- who're these from?"

"From a lad, about 5 feet-ish who looked like he came from a wealthy family, ginger hair, and a smile that would prolly charm a few ton of 'em ladies down the streets of London." Marissa says, keeping the grin on her face. Oh no, but you didn't show any evidence of joy on your face, you were outrageous.

"Alexandrius," you say through gritted teeth. Looking down at the gifts, you could've sworn you imagined them being put to good use and be happy if they came from someone, but oh good golly it came from none other than Alexandrius himself, Hamish's son that you despise so much (as much as his father). You see, the boy was harmless, but harmless in a way that it wasn't at all physical, but rather on an emotional aspect that touched your sanity that drove you nuts when you were near him. Well, he also looked a bit different from his father-let's put it as a Hamish Junior but minus the annoying eyes, smile, and nose that seemed to point at you like you'd just done a crime.

"Ya know him, mate?!" came another squeal from Marissa. "Marissa-"

"(Y/n), I swear you two look like a power couple together. I most definitely knew the gifts were for you! Teehee!"

"But I despise him with all of my might, Marissa." You say, dropping your hands from the air.

"Say what now?"

"Yes. Quite a long story." you replied. "Now let's get started to work, shall we?"

__________

"Hmm. Seems that Hamish Ascot guy is a bit of a knock-off," Marissa says, "and top o' the hat bonkers. BONKERS!" she laughs, making you laugh too.

"And Alexandrius is no different from Hamish," you chuckle, "cocky, arrogant-bah! He's a prick in the arse with the guts to marry me, even if we just knew and met during one of the Ascots' tea parties!"

After telling her the story on your villain arc with them, time seemed to pass by too quickly as you peered out the bakery window and saw the sun starting to set. You and Marissa were about to close the shop, when the person you least expected to come across today comes in the very last minute.

"Any fresh loaves today, madame?"

You eternally groaned.

"Yes, sire." You reply with a rather cold tone with a forced smile. As soon as you came to face the man, almost immediately a grin-not sure if it was smug or out of pure amusement-came creeping up his mouth.

"Alexandrius."

"(Y/n)!" the said man squeals in joy. He comes in to hug you, but you back away into the kitchen to get a fresh loaf from the oven. Alex chuckles.

"You know how I have terribly missed you, darling." Alexander says in a rather horrible flirtatious way, leaning against the counter as you packed the bread. You let out a forced laugh. "And I don't miss you, ever, just to be completely transparent with you," you say through gritted teeth. "You were the person that I least expected to come across today."

"Well, here I am." Alex arrogantly replies. "I hope your mother has informed you about... the news. And I hope you've come to an agreement with yourself."

"I most certainly did not."

"Yes, you will have to marry me soon." Alex tapped his foot rather harshly and impatiently on the floor, sending an echo throughout the bakery. "You will not humiliate me infront of everyone just like how your mother did to my father."

"Kiss a sheep's arse, Alexandrius. For all I know I do not want to marry such a sluggish, arrogant man like you." You replied, pointing the loaf at him and stretching out your palm for him to leave his payment. "And at least, for all that's damned, before you leave and you go weep to your father, pay for the loaf." you send him a glare.

"Hmph," was all you got as a response before he left his payment and trudged off to his carriage. You sighed, relieved from a thorn that suddenly. pricked you for the afternoon. And you apparently hadn't noticed your wee friend Marissa by the kitchen doorway, mouth agape, with a fallen piece of a chocolate roll from a tray she'd just carried.

"I never knew (Mr./Ms./insert preferred terms) Kingsleigh could be such a feisty one." Marissa trailed off, which left you to laugh at her.