XF → Harry Hook [2]✔

Bonding

Whenever she interacted with Mal's circle, including Mal herself, XJ had always mentally prepared for the annoyance or frustration that would no doubt ensue. However, this was usually due to Mal or Jay, on occasion, even Carlos, whose innocence sometimes got on her nerves. Never had it once been Evie.

Well, there was a first time for everything, and now was a prime example, for it was the first time that XJ had wanted to snap someone's neck because they refused to kiss someone.

"I don't understand how the two of you have been boyfriend and girlfriend for this long," XJ cut into Evie's fretful rant. "And still haven't kissed."

"It's not like we haven't been trying," Evie whined, getting more flustered the second. "He's shy and I've never known love before and..."

"Trying?" XJ repeated incredulously. "What do you mean 'trying'? It's not like the two of you want a kid – it's a kiss, Evie! Just bash your lips together." Her hands formed a gesture that an Italian chef would make at the sight of their magnum opus of a dish, and made the points of her fingers collide with unnecessary force.

"I can't believe I'm agreeing with her," Mal said from beside XJ, leaning against the opposite doorframe. "But XJ's right, Evie; it's actually really simple."

"Easy for the two of you to say!" Evie exclaimed, unable to look away from Doug, who was lying on the table of her sewing room, the sketches of dresses and garments knocked to the ground because of his sudden slip into unconsciousness. "Both of you know that your boyfriends are meant for you! What if he's not..."

"Then he won't wake up." XJ said bluntly, only to be glared at by Mal. "What?" She demanded.

Mal rolled her eyes. "You're not helping."

"I'm just stating a fact – if Doug doesn't wake up, then whatever's between them isn't 'true love'."

"XJ!"

"I'm not finished," XJ folded her arms over her chest, annoyed. "If it's not 'true love', then that doesn't mean it won't be."

That caught Evie's attention, and both her head and Mal's swiveled around to face XJ. "What?"

"Oh, you've got to be joking," XJ grumbled. "Surrounded by all the books the world has ever known about magic, and the two of you don't even know the basic concept of how true love works?"

"It conquers everything," Mal said simply. "It cures whatever's wrong with the other person, right?"

"Provided that whatever's wrong with the other person is a magical ailment, yes," XJ elaborated. "But you do know that true love between two people doesn't mean that they're automatically meant for each other?"

She was met with blank stares, and XJ sighed.

"Okay, look, people aren't born with someone that they're destined to get together with, contrary to popular belief. It's not until that they've found someone that they get to know does 'true love' start to develop."

The blank looks persisted, and it was getting increasingly harder for XJ to suppress the urge to stab herself with her own spear.

"Alright, here's an example: Mal and Ben." XJ gestured at Mal, who looked stunned at the sudden reference to her and her lover. "When Mal was on the Isle and Ben was in Auradon, and they didn't know about each other's existence, their 'true love' didn't exist. It wasn't until they met and started getting familiar with each other did 'true love' between them start to build up. If Ben had been cursed or something before he really knew Mal, and Mal had kissed him, he wouldn't have been cured. Now, of course, since they're engaged and know each other as well as the back of their own hands, Mal can kiss Ben and whatever curse that's been placed upon him will vanish.