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chapter 01
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"I brought you flowers!" Vox says excitedly, holding out a rather drowsy bouquet of dandelions to a five-year-old (Y/N). The plant's stem began to sag from how tightly the young boy had clutched it between nimble fingers, and the once vibrant yellow petals faded to brown around the edges. However, (Y/N)'s (E/C) eyes sparkled with fascination, and she eagerly took the flowers from her friend, tucking some poorly behind her ear.

"I love them!" she exclaims, swallowing the dark haired boy a tight embrace. "Thank you, Vox!"

The little boy beams, squeezing (Y/N)'s hand. "They're so pretty on you, (Y/N). You look just like a beautiful princess."

(Y/N) and Vox's mom both giggle in a corner at their children's childish and carefree behavior, buzzing at how adorable the kids looked together.

"Ooh, Vox!! Mom bought me this white dress for my birthday. It can match with your suit and we can play wedding!" she chirps gleefully, taking Vox by the arm. "Mama, can we go to Vox's house so we can pick up his suit? We want to get married."

(Y/N)'s Mom laughs hysterically, clutching her best friend's arm like a lifeline to string together her composure. "Sure, honey. You can go over to Vox's house as long as you bundle up."

"Yayyyy!" the kids cheer, scrambling to wiggle their thick winter jackets over pudgy arms and trip over themselves to tie their boots on. (Y/N) huffs, struggling to tie the shoelaces on hers. "Vox?" she calls out. "Can you help me tie this?"

Vox smiles, kneeling before her to tie a double knot in knowledge that just one would naturally come undone.

(Y/N) zips up her coat, taking Vox's gloved hand in her mittens and rushes out the door. The two toddlers run next door to Vox's house, trying their best not to trip in the heavy snow that began to fall. "Is your dad home?" (Y/N) asks, slowing her pace as they begin to approach his house more cautiously.

Vox's smile fades a bit, and he shakes his head. "Daddy's never home," he replies.

The girl nods sympathetically, breathing out a breath of cold air into the frigid Brooklyn atmosphere. "Let's go sneak through the back door," she whispers, a grin spreading across her face in an attempt to cheer her friend up.

Vox's smile reappears as he ushers her inside—tip-toeing through dusty hallways and up the staircase to Vox's room. He creaks the door for (Y/N), motioning for her to go in first before following after.

The (H/C) jumps on the bed, landing face-first into the mountain of the soft feathery pillows Vox had piled up on the mattress. Vox laughs, struggling to climb up to join (Y/N) and holds out a hand, silently asking (Y/N) to help him up. (Y/N) pulls his weight over the height of his mattress, and Vox digs through the covers to find a stuffed animal resembling a shark. "Look what my mom got me yesterday!" he says with a smile. "My dad named him Billy."

(Y/N) hums, giving him a firm head shake. "That's a boring name," she informs him, resting her head on his shoulder. "I think you should name him...Vark!"

"Vark? Why?" he tilts his head.

"Your name is Vox, and he's a shark. Like... Vox's shark. Together it's Vark!!" she explains. "I think it's better than Billy. It's more you."

Vox thinks about it. "I love that name, actually." He nuzzles his nose into the shark's head. (Y/N) smiles in approval. Vox sighs, "I wish I had a real shark..."

(Y/N) smile twists into a frown, and she cuddles up closer to Vox. "When we're married for real, we can get a real pet shark. I promise."

"For...real?" Vox's eyes light up. "You want to get married when we're older?"

"Duhhhh! That's why we play wedding! So we can practice for when we're older and we DO get married."

Vox's once pale, rather plump cheeks grow warm as he begins to blush at (Y/N)'s comment. "I can't wait until we're married," he says softly, fidgeting with a loose string at the end of (Y/N)'s dress.

"Me too..." (Y/N) sighs contentedly, patting Vark's head.

To think, that Vox would have his heart's content sealed through the marriage of his beloved best friend and forever first love was enough to make his heart's pace double in pace, and he shifted anxiously in his seat. Of course, he had always enjoyed playing wedding with her, but he would now look at it completely different angle whenever seeing (Y/N) walk across the freshly mowed grass in the backyard in place of the isle, gaping at her beauty as she excitedly sway the hem white dress back and forth. One day, it would be real, and a more mature and beautiful woman would be walking gracefully down the isle of the church, taking Vox's hands as they seal their eternal love in a passionate kiss after the tradition vows.

The emotion began to pile up as Vox's nose filled with the flowery scent of (Y/N), and he patted her head rather awkwardly, enjoying the feeling of her soft hair beneath his fingertips. "I love you," he says.

(Y/N) looks up with a grin that spreads from ear to ear. "I love you too, Voxxy." She presses a long kiss on his cheek, and the tips of his ears grow beet red. "Can you put on the suit now? I want to get married already!"

Me too... he thinks.

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ANGIE SPEAKS !

Ahhh this book is gonna be so cute!!! I've wanted to do childhood friends trope for so long—and now I am hehe...
Stay tuned for more coming soon >:)

—Angie 🥂