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NEW YEARS [PIN HAWTHORNE]

Summary: You thought that it would be a fun thing to come to the New Years party for 2024 that the girls had hyped up, but as you're left alone, you consider to leave. But you didn't believe that your crush, Pin, would like to ask you something...

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"C'mon, it'll be fun!" Tracie pleaded with you, jumping slightly, holding her mascara in her hand. She, Polly and Una were all in front of Tracie's mirror, putting on makeup and wearing glitter dresses, where you still sat on the bed in your hoodie and jeans.

Polly nodded along, smacking her lips after applying lipstick. "It's a New Year's party, you don't want to miss the moment 2024 hits us, right?"

You huffed. "2024 hits us in any case, whether I'm asleep or not."

Una smirked at you while putting on her earrings. "His Royal Highness, the Duke will be there. He'll be disappointed if you won't show up."

You scoffed, shaking your head as you turned your face away from them. "As if Pin would even notice whether I'm there or not."

Polly groaned. "You've been pining for each other for what, a decade? And neither of you still haven't made a move."

Polly's words made you return to that day momentarily, the day you first met Pin. You had just moved to the island, two weeks before your 13th birthday. You had been sulking because the island was far away from everywhere, and then you just happened to collide with Bright Fields stables, and met Pin. You had immediately fallen for him, even when he clearly had his walls up and seemed frustrated by you trying to talk to him. It seemed like he protected himself from something.

You found out why he had treated you like that a year later, after you had befriended him. His mum leaving had hit him hard when he was just a child, but you had managed to make your way inside and had made friends with him.

Friends.

He called you his friend awfully lot, which was why you were so opposed to making a move to a more romantic direction, you were sure it would just become awkward if he figured out you have feelings for him. He probably saw you as his sister, it would probably be uncomfortable for him, and you'd only manage to push him away.

"I just don't want to get disappointed again," you mumbled, playing with your hoodie string.

Your friends looked at each other, then at you again. Their teasing smirks were gone, sympathy having taken over.

Una sat by you on the bed, laying her hand on top of yours. "Alright. Look, come with us for a little while. If you feel bad, then leave the party and we'll take you out to eat next week."

You looked up to her, taking in a deep sigh and then shrugging. "Okay. But what would I even wear?"

Tracie giggled, pushing her walk-in wardrobe open, revealing dozens of glitter dresses, stockings and high heels. "You need to ask?"

—

The music boomed across the stable, your friends having the time of their life as they munched down cupcakes and drank the juice punch. You just watched them, covering yourself instinctively - this kind of outfit wasn't really your style, and you didn't really feel comfortable in it. But your friends insisted you needed to be dazzling on a New Year's Eve, so you said yes for this one time.

Everyone at the Bright Fields stable had grown up now, many of them married - you and Pin were really the only ones who weren't in a relationship, and had never been in one. You felt like it was the only reason why everyone was so adamant of getting you two together. When you were younger, it had been Becky and Jade, but now when you were in your twenties, they had gotten backup from your friends who had begun to ride at Bright Fields a few years back.

You stood at the side, looking at your friends being dragged to the dancefloor with their partners one by one, and soon losing them in the crowd. You stood there for a moment longer, but then sighed and took out your phone, intending to text your friends about you leaving.

But then you saw someone approaching you, and looked up from the screen to see Pin. You immediately straightened up, trying not to admire how handsome he looked in his suit.

"Hi," you greeted him with a smile. "I, um... I didn't think you're here too."

Pin smiled at you too, nodding slightly. "You look... beautiful."

You swore your heart beat louder than the bass as soon as he said that.

"O-oh. Thank you. You... you look good too. Very handsome," you uttered, and glanced at the dancefloor.

Pin was quiet for a moment, but then offered you his hand. "I... um. Would you like to dance with me?"

You blinked at him, once, twice. Then you felt your face flushing and you could force out a nod as you squeaked out, "Yeah, sure."

He led you to the dance floor, and just on cue, the slow dance part began and your eyes widened at it, a slight disappointment flooding over you. "Oh. Seems like we're too late."

Pin thought for a moment, but then glanced down at your hands. "May I?"

"May... may you what?" You frowned, before your mind caught up. "Oh, you mean... um, if it's okay by you, then I'm not against it."

Pin nodded and took your hands, guiding them around his neck before he put his hands on your waist, and you started to sway to the music. Fireworks were going all over you, in your head, in your heart, in your stomach, you felt like a princess. You weren't sure for how long you had danced there, but soon you felt Pin's forehead grazing against yours.

"Is this okay?" he mumbled, and you let out a shaky breath as you nodded, carefully pressing your own forehead against his as the song continued. Your eyes fluttered closed, your fingers almost automatically going up to his hair, gently threading through his black strands.

The music and other people faded into the background, it was just you and Pin dancing there, enjoying each other. Even when neither of you directly confessed, you knew that next year would be something you both had craved since you were teenagers. You would most likely be each other's first kiss when the clock would hit midnight, and you'd finally be together.

You made a mental note to listen to your friends more often, who by no doubt had already seen you there, dancing with Pin, your foreheads pressed together. The teasing would never end the next day, but you found yourself not minding - if it wasn't for them, this would have never happened.

That New Year was truly magical, and you couldn't wait to see what would be in store next.