#eleteo appreciation week

[shasta627]

Eleteo Week Day 5: Hurt/Comfort/Angst

So I’m super late with this and I’ll probably be posting all my other fics out of order too, but at least I’m getting them done so that’s saying something ahaha. Anyway, I started this a while ago and just finally got it finished, so I hope y’all like some good blind Eleteo angst (with a happy ending tho it’s okay).

To All the Things We Cannot See 

It’s at the beginning of the year that Mateo notices he needs to squint in order to read the text in his spellbooks, but it doesn't bother him too much. He thinks he’s just tired, and there's no reason to worry about it.

He puts the observation in the back of his mind and continues on with his daily life...

~

A few months go by before he notices his diminishing eyesight is definitely not due to lack of sleep. He keeps squinting at everything now, trying as hard as he can to make out a clear picture, but it's all fuzzy and indistinct and hard to focus on what he's seeing.

Maybe it’s because he reads in the dark? His mami often tells him it’s a sure way to put strain on his eyes, but he's never believed her. Maybe he should start heeding her advice from now on, he decides, and returns to his work.

~

It isn't until he's talking with Elena a few weeks later that he realizes it may be more serious than he thinks.

“I don't understand,” he's telling her one afternoon. “I can't find the vial anywhere! I've looked all around my workshop and the library, but it's like it's just disappeared.” He frowns, shaking his head in frustration.

Elena’s frown mimics his own as she comes to stand beside him at his desk. “But Mateo,” she says to him. “Isn’t it right here?” She grabs an object off of the desk and hands it to him, and sure enough, it’s the vial.

“But…” he trails off, squinting at the empty cylinder in astonishment. Now that it’s in his hand he can see it’s the very object he’s been searching for all day, but earlier it looked just like the pestle he uses to ground up herbs for his potions.

He sets the vial down and rubs a hand along the side of his face. “I think I need glasses,” he announces in all seriousness, but Elena just laughs and places a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“It’s okay,” she reassures. “It happens to everyone. Just the other day I spent a good twenty minutes searching for my scepter before realizing it was already in my sheath.” She giggles again, and Mateo can’t help but smile at her in return.

But in the back of his mind the worry lingers, and he knows something is terribly, terribly wrong.   

~

He finally decides to visit the palace physician after he accidentally walks into a wall while heading to the library.

“So what seems to be the problem?” the physician asks as soon as Mateo steps into her office.

Mateo glances around the room in confusion before answering with a question of his own. “Why...why is it so dark in here?”

He vaguely sees the doctor frown before she steps closer to him, her eyes scanning his face. “I assume you came because of your eyes,” she says, much to Mateo’s astonishment.

“How did you know?” he asks hesitantly. Did his face immediately betray his predicament?

“This room's fairly well lit, yet to you it’s dark. That seems like a vision problem to me,” she explains before having him undergo several eye tests.

The results are not great, to say the least.

The physician hums in discontent as she looks over the notes she took while he was performing the various vision exercises she gave him. “It isn’t looking too good,” she admits softly.

Mateo’s stomach clenches. “What does that mean? Do I need glasses?”

The look of pity she fixes him with is almost worse than the news she delivers.

“Your vision is going fast,” she says. “And in a few months, I’m guessing you’ll be completely blind.”

~  

Mateo sits on the steps of the palace and fastens his eyes on the sunset before him. It’s a common sight in Avalor, yet he realizes he's never given much thought to the canvas of colors in the sky before, and with a pang of remorse he knows it’s a sight he's going to definitely miss seeing.

He’s been trying his best not to panic. As soon as the doctor told him the news he ran back to his workshop as fast as he could and began trying to find a way to reverse the blindness, but there is only so much magic can do.

He can feel the fear creeping up, the black monster of panic wrapping around his heart and squeezing it in a vice-like grip, but so far he’s kept it at bay.

For today, at least.

He hears footsteps behind him and suddenly Elena is by his shoulder, sitting down next to him.

“Hey! What’re you doing out—” she pauses, and Mateo assumes she’s seen his grave face. “What’s wrong?” she asks instead, her voice soft and concerned.

Mateo turns to look at her, and soon realizes what a horrible mistake it was.

All at once he realizes that in a few months he’ll never be able to see her again. He’ll never see her beautiful face with her perfectly red lips, or large chocolate eyes and deep brown hair that tumbles down her back in elegant waves. He realizes he’ll never see her smile again, or the way her eyes crinkle when she laughs, or the way she bites her bottom lip when she’s deep in thought.

All these realizations flash through his head in a matter of seconds, and then he’s shaking, clenching his fists at the injustice of it all.

He turns away before he can lose the cool composure he's being trying to maintain all day. He's not sure how to break the news to her, and he tells himself that his hesitation is because he doesn't want her to worry or pity him, but deep inside he feels his stomach knot with anxiety as the gravity of the situation becomes so much heavier. Once he voices his condition it becomes real; it won't be just a nightmare plaguing his mind anymore. He can't just pretend it's all a dream. He's almost tempted to just lie and give her a vague response, to tell her that he's sick and leave it at that, but this is Elena. She cared and he knew it, and he couldn't lie to her, not about this.

And so he opens his mouth, his voice coming out in a hoarse whisper. “I'm going blind,” he says, his eyes trained on the stone steps by their feet.

And as much as he loves the enchanting, melodic sound of her voice, for once he's thankful that she's quiet and says nothing, instead just reaching forward to gently take his hand in hers in silent shock, twining their fingers together. Mateo squeezes her hand tightly in response, and finally lifts his eyes back up to the sunset.

The scene is blurry, and this time he isn't sure if it's because of his failing vision, or because of the tears forming in his eyes.

~

It's only been a week since his diagnosis, and already most of Avalor has heard the news.

The hardest part had been telling his mom, and for the first time he truly wished he was already blind so he wouldn't have had to see the way her face morphed into an expression of heartbroken pity.

He allows the sympathy from his mother, yet he makes all of his friends swear not to feel sorry for him, knowing it would only make the situation all the more uncomfortable and depressing than it already was.

He's still searching, night and day for some sort of spell or potion that can cure him, but according to the physician his vision loss is due to genetics, and he's not certain if magic can permanently rewrite DNA.

It's when his eyesight is about halfway gone that Mateo approaches Elena, holding a crisp piece of paper folded in his hands.

“What's this?” she asks curiously when he hands it to her.

“My resignation letter,” he admits in a soft voice. “Avalor can't have a royal wizard that's blind.”

Elena reads over the letter, her face void of any emotion. Then she rips it in half and crumples up the pieces into a ball.

“Resignation denied,” she tells him, folding her arms across her chest in a defensive stance, as though signaling that her decision is final.

Mateo gaps at her. “But Elena,” he counters, his eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. “How can I learn new magic if I can't read anymore? And how am I supposed to brew potions and cast spells if I can't see what I'm doing?”

“Nonsense. You still have four other senses, y’know,” Elena points out. “And you don’t really need to see to do magic. You still know the spells, you know how to use a tamborita, and you can learn through muscle memory how to make different potions.”

“But Elena—” He begins to protest, but Elena brings up her hands to silence him.

“Plus, you still have all of us and an apprentice to help you,” she reminds him. “Don’t give up on yourself Mateo, because no one’s given up on you.”

Mateo wants to disagree, to convince her that he’s going to become a liability rather than an asset to the kingdom, but her words warm his heart and he wants to believe them, so he simply gives her small nod and turns to leave before she reaches out and catches his arm.

“Mateo…” her voice is soft and Mateo suspects her expression is one of compassion. “You’re irreplaceable. I hope you know that.”

He doesn’t trust his voice so he gently puts his hand over hers and hopes her words ring true.

~

Days pass by while the months slowly crawl, and Mateo tries his best to adapt to his new lifestyle. He can still see a little bit, but everything is hazy and blends into shadows and he can no longer discern the little details present on everything around him.

He learns how to make his way around the palace and the majority of the town based on pure memorization, and discovers how to differentiate his potions based on the size and weight of the vials they’re contained in.

For a while it seems like everything will be fine. He’s trying to keep a positive outlook on the situation and for the most part succeeds, especially when he’s with his friends and family and they all act as though nothing is wrong, as though their faces aren’t becoming indiscernible to him.

But it’s when he’s alone that it becomes the worst.

It’s been three months since his diagnosis now and he's standing in the courtyard, barely able to see the early morning sun glinting above the horizon, his hand shaking slightly as he holds out his tamborita in front of him.

He can still do this.

The potted plant across the enclosure acts as his target, and it’s not too far away. He should be able to knock it over with a simple spell.

But the target is fuzzy and when he tries to squint and focus on the plant it seems to shift and blend into its surroundings.

He calls out the spell and slaps his palm against the head of he tamborita, and winces as it hits the wall behind the target. He tries again, his hands shaking more and his breath unsteady at the aggravation clouding his mind. He can do this. He has to be able to do this.

But the third time he tries the spell is cast way off, and ends up hitting the garden trellis on the other side of the courtyard.

“Mateo!” he hears Elena’s voice call in concern, and then suddenly he feels her beside him and her hands are on his arm, lowering his tamborita and gently removing it from his clenched fist. “What are you doing? You’re not hurt, are you?”

Mateo shakes his head, his chest aching in an effort to keep his emotions at bay. “I’m—I’m fine,” he mumbles, his voice thick.

“Then what in Avalor were you doing?” Elena asks exasperatedly, and even though he can’t see it Mateo knows there’s a worried expression currently etched into her features.

“It’s...nothing,” Mateo huffs, turning away from her and heading back to his workshop. She doesn’t need to see him like this; to see how fragile and weak he is, and that his lack of vision is affecting him more than he’d like to admit.

But of course she follows him, ever the concerned friend. “You practically destroyed half the garden—I wouldn’t call that nothing,” she presses, and Mateo only quickens his steps, trying to get away before he loses control. They reach his workshop and he goes to stand behind his desk, pretending to try and look down at the book lying open there so she can’t see his face.

“I was just practicing,” he says, hoping she’ll get the hint from his cold tone of voice and leave.

She doesn’t, however, and only comes closer. “Why?” she insists. “Mateo, I know there’s something wrong, and if you could just tell me then maybe I could help—”  

“Don’t,” he finally snaps, his hands clenched into fists on top of his desk. “Don’t pretend like you can fix this. I’m broken, Elena.” His voice cracks and he hates himself all the more for it. “I’m a mess, and I can’t even hit a stupid plant with a spell anymore. I—I just—” He’s finding it hard to breath. “I don’t know what to do, and it all just makes me so angry.” The pent up frustration and resentment he’s been harboring toward his condition begins to boil over. “It’s not fair! What did I do to deserve this?”

And before he can stop to think he angrily sweeps his arm across the top of his desk, and sends the large tome he was pretending to read careening to the floor. The loud thud gives him a brief moment of satisfaction before his rage dissipates, and then he sinks to the ground, hot, bitter tears flowing freely from his clenched eyes as he buries his head in his hands. He can’t hold back anymore; it’s too much for him to try and bottle up. He doesn’t even care that Elena’s there anymore; he’s exhausted of pretending everything is fine, and doesn’t know how to handle it all.

But a few moments later he feels Elena’s cool hands on his cheeks as she curls up beside him and pulls his face against her chest, gently stroking his hair as his tears continue to flow. She whispers his name soothingly and occasionally presses soft kisses on his forehead, simply there to hold him and offer comfort through her presence. Mateo just grips her tightly, as though she’s the only lifeline he has left, and cries harder than he ever has before. He cries for friends, family, and himself, and for the sights he’ll never be able to see again.    

~

It’s a warm, Tuesday morning two weeks after his breakdown that it happens. He wakes up and opens his eyes and is greeted with nothing but darkness. He sits up and simply stares at the wall he knows is across from him.

It isn’t as terrifying as he imagined it to be. Definitely strange, but not entirely disconcerting. He’s been preparing himself for this moment for the last four months, so he supposes that explains the weird sense of calm he feels as he stands and begins his morning routine. What’s done has been done, and he figures there’s no point in shedding tears over something he can no longer fix. After he’s dressed and presentable he simply leaves his room with a long sigh, ready to go and break the news to his friends and family.

~   

“Elena,” Mateo begins in slight exasperation after she opens the door for him for the sixth time that day, “I appreciate you wanting to help me, really, but I’m not entirely helpless. I can do things on my own, too.”

It’s been a week since he completely lost his sight, and although he’s appreciated the constant support form those around him, it was getting to be a bit much.

He can almost imagine Elena’s expression at his words, the way her lips are probably twisted into a frown and her eyes full of concern. His cheeks burn in shame at the way she is no doubt pitying him. “You don’t have to stick around because you feel sorry for me. I don’t...I don’t want to burden you. I’m sure you have better things to do.”

She’s silent and he wonders what’s going through her brain. “Mateo,” she finally begins, slight confusion evident in her tone. “You know you’re not a burden to me. And I’m not sticking beside you solely out of pity.”

“Then why?” he retorts in an exasperated huff, his emotions suddenly spiking in annoyance. “Why else would you hang out with me all the time, other than to make sure I’m not going to hurt myself? To make sure I’m not helpless?” He knows in the back of his mind that this is what he fears—that people only see him as a hindrance, and even though he’s been battling this fear ever since he learned of his condition it still often presents itself as a legitimate possibility.

“Mateo,” Elena chides almost affrontedly. “I know you’re perfectly capable of handling yourself, I just...get over zealous at times, I guess.”  

They’re in the library now, and everything is completely still and quiet around them. Mateo accepts her explanation with a single nod and turns to head into his workshop, but the sound of her heavy breathing stops him. He turns back around and faces her general direction, wondering what in Avalor she’s thinking to have her so breathless.

He’s about to ask when she begins to speak again.

“And also I...I care about you, a lot, Mateo, and I—” she pauses, and then he hears the fabric of her dress rustle as she moves closer and takes his hand. “You make me feel like no one else, and I can hardly describe it, it’s just...I want to spend time with you for you, not because I think you’re incompetent or anything.”

Mateo’s standing as still as a statue, his mouth opening in pure shock. He’s always loved her—he accepted the fact a long time ago—but now here she is, saying she cares for him, even after she’s seen him struggle and break down several times throughout these past few months? And she still likes him for him, despite all his shortcomings?

“You don’t have to say anything back,” Elena quickly says, trying to fill in the silence. “I just...thought you should know the truth.” She begins to pull away but Mateo’s grip on her hand keeps her anchored in place.

His heart is pounding and he’s pretty sure it isn’t healthy to be experiencing so many emotions at once, but one muddled thought breaks through the chaos in his mind. He needs to let her know, too.  

He reaches up his hand to gently touch the side of her face, running his finger down her cheekbone and to the edge of her chin with a newfound confidence only his lack of sight seemed to procure.

Elena remains frozen in place as his fingers gently map out the contours of her face, and he smiles as he can picture every feature in perfect detail. He doesn’t miss her subtle intake of breath when his fingers ghost over her lips, and he finds himself lingering there, unable to tear his fingers away.

“Mateo,” she whispers softly, and he can almost feel the word against his skin rather than hear it.

Without a second thought he leans down to where he knows her lips to be and presses his own against them. And as they slowly but surely lose themselves in their sweet exchange, Mateo realizes that he doesn’t need his sight to kiss her, and just for a moment he forgets he’s blind. They both do.

And just for a moment, everything is perfect.

And he knows the future will be, too.        

[msmarshmallowmadness]

It was such a pleasure to make this edit for you Jenni! You are such an incredible artist, plus you have such a kind aura about you! I hope you enjoyed watching it❤️❤️❤️ Also I made the last three edits just as a lil surprise as well. :) I wanted to upload this to YouTube as well, but due to copyright I couldn’t. Though I still wanted to upload it here. And to instagram later. 😁

Fan art by @lovelyrugbee

[fairytale789]

Eleteo Appreciation Week Day 2- AU/Crossover

For @eleteoappreciationweek I decided to draw a crossover with Over the Garden Wall. It’s an amazing, unusual show produced by Patrick McHale in 2014. I liked it very much! I drew Elena as Beatrice and Mateo as Wirt, because in my opinion there’re some similarities between them- a strong girl and calm but brave boy... And I’d totally want to see Elena and Mateo in autumn scenery.

[honeymoonbloom]

Eleteo Day 5 // Adventure

AN: this is a day late and is more of an action scene but oh well. Also, I rly like Alonso, and wouldn’t normally use him for something like this but we’re lacking in evil princes here lol.

Alonso ran his hand threw his hair and spun his sword with the other.

“You do know how to use a sword right?”

Mateo felt the heat rise to his face and hoped it wasn’t outwardly visible.

‘Uh no, not really.’ was his true answer but considering the circumstances he went with a lie.

“Yeah. Sure.”

The crown prince of Córdoba smiled. What Alonso lacked in political know-how, he more than made up for in his ability to read peoples falsehoods. It was a ‘takes one to know one’ type of deal. He didn’t know anyone better at playing these little mind games.

He circled the young wizard sizing him up.

Mateo stood constant gripping the thin blade in his hand. It was heavier than it looked, but not impossible for him to wield. Still, as his fingers adjusted around the hilt, he wished he had not been foolish enough to have left his tamborita in his sleeping quarters.

It was Alonso himself who had come rapping up to Mateo’s guest room door suggesting they take a midnight tour of the palace. It had bad idea written all over it. Yet Mateo had manners enough to know not to refuse a personal invitation from his royal host.

Alonso had seemed polite and gracious enough since his arrival with Elena that morning. So much so, he had actually wondered if the stories Gabe had told him once were true.

Now he knew it was all a facade. In the light of the lanterns, the surrounding courtyard in shadows, a look of distaste was very clear on Alonso’s face.

“You don’t belong here.” He said as he lunged.

Caught off guard Mateo stumbled backward nearly falling but remained out of Alonso’s range.

“Too skinny, baby faced, weak, and no sense of style,” He scoffed. “Why does Elena even like you? You’re worse than that guard of hers. At least he had a decent haircut.”

Mateo raised his sword in what he hoped was a defensive manner. He knew he needed to ignore the insults though they preyed on some of his more vainer insecurities. It was his first time in a sword fight and if he had any chance of winning he needed to focus.

“Why did you bring me here? Why are we doing this?”

Alonso huffed while continuing his way towards Mateo. “You show up on the arm of the only Princess who’s even remotely worthy of my time and you think you’d be welcomed here? Someone has to put you in your place.”

Quicker on his feet than Mateo, he pressed forward again, this time making a direct hit on the opposing blade with a loud clang.

Mateo held fast. The force of the strike against his resistance sent an unexpected wave of pain all the way up his arm. He fell back once again.

This time, however, Alonso didn’t hold back. He swung left, then right using all his strength. He could see and feel Mateo’s sword coming loose in his grip.

“Royals have always dabbled with the help. Elena’s got a soft heart but she’s no different than the rest of us. You’re just a phase she hasn’t out grown yet.”

With a final hit he synchronously knocked the sword from Mateo’s hand and shoved his shoulder into his frame. The young wizard fell with a dull thud kicking up dust from the dirt and gravel.

Alonso rested his weapon over his shoulder. “Go home to your familia wizard boy. Take what little dignity you have left, I’ll be here to pick up the pieces of Elena’s heart. You will always be just the help.”

Mateo had never known much hate in his life, but the way Alonso talked down to him like a child, made something that very much felt like hate burn in his stomach.

Ever since his relationship with Elena had become public knowledge it had opened a door for public scrutiny as well. Everyone had an opinion. Everyone had a theory. Didn’t people just accept a love story for what it was anymore? Prince Alonso, his mother, Esteban, even Gabe and Naomi... they all had their doubts.

He knew what they shared was special. They were going to defy everyone’s expectations.

He glanced to the side and found his sword. But before he could make a pass Alonso’s blade was directly in front of his face.

“Stay down. You look like you’re about to cry. Don’t embarrass yourself anymore.” He snickered.

Unable to take his contempt any longer Mateo threw a handful of earth into the princes face. He jumped to his feet, his left arm brushing the blade away. He felt the sting of it cutting his flesh but continued to act on his instincts.

Alonso was spitting and coughing trying to clear the dirt from his eyes when suddenly Mateo’s right fist made contact with his jaw.

The blow knocked him to his back. He groaned loudly as he hit the ground.

Running on adrenaline, Mateo jumped on him, pulling him by his collar.

“Stay the hell away from her!” He demanded venomously, “You act all high and mighty and talk like you know her so well, but you don’t even know the first thing about her!”

Unwilling to relent, Alonso spat the taste of iron from his mouth, “She will never marry you. You will never be her king.”

Mateo pulled him by the collar again their faces inches apart. “I don’t care about becoming king. I only care about Elena. I love her for who she is, not what she will become. My heart is tied to hers and until that string is cut I will never leave her side unless she asks me to. So stay away from her and stay away from me.”

He let go of Alonso and stood to his feet, brushing the dirt from his vest. He had a nasty cut on his left arm that was staining the white of his shirt as well as leaving little red droplets on the ground. He turned around looking for the pathway back to his room.

“I could have you executed for this!” Alonso shouted.

Mateo stopped in his tracks. “Do what you want.” His hazel eyes glared with spite, “But if you ever cross me again I’ll conjure up a curse that will burn you from the inside out.”

[worldstraveller]

My Top 10 favourite shippings/pairings Part 3

It’s now it starts the solos...

4. Elena x Mateo (Elena of Avalor)

Before I explain why I ship them, I want to tell how I came to know and  start watching this animated series and so shipping Elena with Mateo, then it will be the reasons why. Elena of Avalor, when was first announced to the media, I was curious, because I liked Sofia the First a lot  and the great job Craig Gerber done with it, when a show is introduced before airing, they introduce the important characters of the show, I knew about Elena's character before and I remember I liked the idea and the concept of her character and circunstances since it added more lore and expanded to the world of Sofia The First (yeah, I have thing for lores, world building in no matter media form - be video games, graphic novels, mangás, books, animated series, movies, etc), as I looked over the character's bios and design (I liked the descriptions back in time (the characters I was most interested then was Mateo, Elena and Isabel - I liked the idea of a princess  being an inventor), imediately Mateo got my attention with his promo picture and description, I got the feeling back then he would be my favourite character being a wizard in training and all, it made me a little hopeful about a chance of maybe seeing a wizard and princess (this was before I knew of the whole "avoiding the romance" thing - to me avoiding something is the same as something is present and trying not to get close to it, it's there but won't be part of the plot or to be a subplot, just vague hints, the "elena will not have a love interest", this to me can vary in terms of interpretation about "romantic interest", you can grow to like someone romantically without being interested romantically in the person because liking is different from being interested in someone), but one of the characters was a royal guard (Gabe), my hopes went quite down (since is a classic trope, many different dynamics inside royaltyxroyal guard were explored, there is only 1 exception I give to this trope in shipping but is in somewhere else), as I researched a little more about Mateo, I saw the famous promo duo picture of them, which made me feel a bit more hopeful. I did actually waited for the Secret of Avalor to air before starting to watch the animated series, because I wanted to know how it began first (and the explanation of the change of the new main dress of Sofia in mid-season 3 in Sofia The First), I was actually bit surprised Mateo appeared and played an important role in Secret of Avalor and in freeing Elena and her family, I was already very interested in his character, as seeing the character in action, I was charmed by his character and became instant fave, when Elena and Mateo first meet face to face, you sense and see there is a special connection between them, be it romantic or platonic, that's was when I officially shipped them...

The reasons of why I ship them:

- For starters, I find the special relationship between Elena and Mateo as pretty unusual, between a Wizard/Royal WizardxRoyalty in romantic concept is something I always wanted to see and read for a very long time, unfortunately is almost non-existent, there is only two works of fiction and is in literature, however is for the adult audience (if you're interested - The Royal Wizard (Dragonblood, #1) by Alianne Donnelly and the saga of The Wizard of Bright Isle and both well received in GoodReads, the first mentioned is about a royal wizard woman and a prince, the saga one is between two men (wizard>royal wizardxprince>king) - I'm interested in both, however the saga one, seems to be a bit gory), but for the younger audience, pretty much doesn't exist, it's a very unexplored great potential. Even by close friendship standards is unusual as they are, the royal wizard when friends with the king is usually wise and old, when the same age is like we see with Cedric and his wizard peers, their input isn't valued by the royalty they serve, while Elena and Mateo are both the same age and teenagers, besides in the beginning of the series, they are both in training and gaining experience in their respective fields, Mateo being a wizard-in-training into Royal Wizard (he is still learning how to be one), while Elena is a ruler in training as crown princess into becoming queen, as they grow as individuals, they grow closer together too, It's very easy to tell that Mateo is becoming Elena's right-hand man and confidant.

- The role of Mateo in Elena's life and the show itself is unusual, he plays a key role in the story as much in Elena's growth, even as royal wizard, he is probably the youngest character to become a royal wizard in the media (after him would be Howl from Howl's Moving Castle) and appointed by the crown princess Elena, the most moving part in this, besides Mateo's mom, Elena is the one who believes most in his worth as wizard and royal wizard, even see potential of hero qualities in him (that's a pretty big deal), she believed more in him than Mateo himself.

- One of the traits that makes their connection so special (whether you ship them or not, whether you perceive as romantic or platonic), there is a sense of complementing each other, giving each other what they lack and need, a sense of completion because in the start of the series, Elena is more of a giver and receiver while Mateo is the other way around, it went full circle from "Spellbound" to "Jewel of Maru" in the confidence department, Elena giving Mateo encouragement and Mateo in retribuition of receiving her faith in him, he gives his votes of confidence when she needed it, which made them grow closer together.

- The other reason, it is that I find always so adorable how much attention she gives to Mateo, usually is her who takes iniciative, Mateo at the beginning was always very surprised at the much attention he received from Elena, you could tell from his wide range of facial expressions by wondering if was okay of him to be friends with the crown princess, even when as a wizard-in-training and as royal wizard, even though recently he became used to it, he does still react slightly surprised.

- Another thing I want to note, as is obvious, Mateo isn't afraid to call out on Elena when she makes a misstep while follow and respect her decisions at the same time with unwavering loyalty, and Elena will defend and speak up for Mateo when someone's doubting him. It's quite fun to find hints based on their interactions when you ship them, because isn't something "in your face", their special connection and growing closer relationship, they will eventually becoming lifelong partners in either romantically or platonically, it's displayed ambiguously, it can be interpreted in a romantic or platonic way, I would bet slightly romantic inclined.

Favourite Moments (I will mention the least mentioned, my most memorable is the most mentioned): I love the many moments they have together as much when they're separated thinking of each other...There is no order of preference...

1.I liked how they first met face to face (I think as many wonder, for Elena may have been bit earlier since she watched what was happening inside the amulet, including when Sofia met Mateo), you can tell, there, to me it had the special spark, as Jaquins arrives to welcome Elena being freed from the amulet, as they bow, while Mateo welcomes her excitetly mounted in Luna to falling from Luna's head when Luna bowed to Elena, as when he introduces himself as he bows, not wishing for formal treatment as comes close to his face asking to just call her Elena (in Mateo's house, when few civilians saw Elena and bow to her, it was a bit similar except coming closer or asking to call her by name), so far, Mateo was the first and only person she asked to call her by name on screentime (later was Naomi and then Gabe).

2.Next favourite scene, it might be a small things to many, but I liked in the first episode very much for scenes such when Elena and Naomi was trying to find the boat Isabel and Gabe were, Elena was was informed how the thiefs looked liked and suspected they were magical, I liked that she thought of Mateo with a smirk, as if looking forward to see him again and confident he might know about these magical creatures...I thought it was cute how she connected magical creatures to thinking of someone magical, Mateo.

For a better view of the picture click here.

3.It's followed by the scene above, when they enter Mateo's workshop, as Naomi wonders Mateo wizard get up as bathrobe, Elena explains he is wizard and Mateo extends Elena's answer "in-training", I like how she looks at him as she says "Mateo is a wizard" and Mateo extending feeling humbled and bit shy that she saw him as fully-fledged wizard while Mateo saw himself as wizard-in-training.

4. Of course, the adorable small moments when Elena catches Mateo from falling and vice-versa, it's curious and cute that it starts with Elena but due to Mateo clumsyness or help him finding his confidence - his character development, while when is Mateo catching Elena, it's more plot focused, since he usually plays a key role in the story.

5. In "Island of Youth", I thought was so sweet, when Mateo uses the first time the floating spell on himself, I think is sweet and moving how she whisper "Oh, Mateo." as if praying for his safety with deep fondness for him.

For a better view of the picture click here.

6. There is many moments of the song scene "The Magic Within You", I like very much, but I always giggle when Elena sings the first lines of the lyric about how since she met him for the first time saw that Mateo was meant to be a hero to everyone, because Mateo's expressions between these lines are amusing and bit funny, as we know well before Mateo starting gaining confidence in himself, it's notable he does have a bit of sarcastic self-deprecating humour, his expressions between these lines of this song, he is thinking from how he met her was him falling from a jacquim head to the floor, so you can have a good guess of what he was thinking on those expressions (from remembering about their clumsy meeting with a sad expression to disbelief and wonder how did she saw him potential to be a hero by him falling from a jacquin's head) It always makes me wonder which first time she means? inside the amulet from sofia perspective when first meeting Mateo or face to face, it could be both, hmmm. look at how she looks at him when she sings "The first time that I met you..."

For a better view of the picture click here.

7. "Spirit Monkey Business", one of my beloved favourites scenes of these two, when the Zanies "kidnaped" Mateo as their king "wizard king" while Elena pretends to be queen of the zanies, addresses Mateo as "King Mateo" and asks to walk with "her king", Mateo's response to play along, he stutters a little and little shy, he must have a thought for a moment about this play along and calling her "Queen Elena" (pretending to be a married couple as king and queen of the zanies), but it seems he might haven't been the only one (Elena, after the zanies asking her did they have king And a queen, she went a little nervous when the idea of her and Mateo pretending to be a married royal couple), this scene is so cute, I think it hints a little they were conscious about it, when is as "just friends", you play along without being nervous, usually, I do think it's hinting at something...

[supercharged-nostalgia-blog]

Getting an early start on Eleteo Appreciation Week, with a sweet little doodle of Elena receiving Avaloran chocolates from her royal wizard!! "Ooh, mi favorita! Gracias, mi querido!" 🎨 Art by queen-of-fools

[autumnprincess14-blog]

Eleteo Dream Team 😍

[latoons]

Written for Eleteo Week Day 2, Angst! It’s a little late and I was too much of a sap to let it end badly, but overall I’m pretty happy with this :)

The fic is available both on AO3 (which is at the link above) or below the cut. Enjoy!

It wasn’t uncommon for Mateo to remain at the palace late at night. Whether it was a potion that required precise timing or a spell that he was close to perfecting, there was always something that made him lose track of time. Even when he was aware of the time, chances were it wouldn’t have stopped him anyway. He refused to lose focus in the middle of a project, and if that meant staying for another few hours or skipping dinner, then so be it.

That night, Mateo had been decrypting some runes in a Maruvian spell book he’d recently gotten his hands on. Though he had initially told himself that he’d translate a couple chapters and then head home, the content became too entrancing (as it often did) and he ended up finishing the entire thing before he even glanced at a clock. Now, as he hurriedly made his way through the halls, all he could do was hope that his mother didn’t chew him out like she had done the last time he arrived home so late.

Everyone had already gone to bed, so the palace was eerily quiet. The lights had been extinguished as well, so he was forced to continually cast entertainment spells in order to see in the spaces where a torch hadn’t been left.

“How is it that I haven’t gotten around to learning a simple lighting spell yet?” Mateo criticized himself under his breath.

Unexpectedly, someone called back, “Maybe you should prioritize that over the runes.”

Although the voice alone was enough for him to recognize who it was, Mateo still cast another spell to make out Elena pressed against the wall outside her chambers.

“What are you doing out here?” he asked, finding it odd that she wasn’t fast asleep. With the amount of work she had to get done on any given day, she was usually quick to fall asleep so that she’d be all set for the day after when she woke up in the morning.

“Oh…” Elena paused. Mateo could hear her shuffling her feet. “I just needed some space to think.”

“Really?” Mateo didn’t believe her one bit. If that were truly the case, she’d sound tired, yet contemplative. On the contrary, her voice now sounded lost. Putting thoughts of his mother aside, he took a seat beside her. “What about?”

Avoiding giving a straight answer Elena answered with, “You know… stuff.”

Knowing that something was off, Mateo inched closer to provide comfort. She had probably gotten into a fight with her family, or botched an ambassadorial trip, or maybe she was just stressed. Whatever it was, he was prepared to cheer her up, no matter how long it took. As his arm brushed against hers, however, his heart dropped.

She was trembling.

“You’re lying,” Mateo finally confronted her. “I know something’s bothering you.”

Elena remained silent for while after that, resting her head against his shoulder.

Mateo allowed her to stay that way for a while, waiting until her heart rate calmed down before he pried any further. He had never seen her so distraught, not even when she had discovered she was a key player in some prophecy. He could feel his heart break every time her breath came out in ragged gasps, as if she was forgetting how to breathe. For once, her touch wasn’t electrifying in all the best ways. Instead, it sickened him with worry; so much so, that he was convinced he wouldn’t actually be able to speak to her.

Thankfully, Elena decided she’d break the silence herself.

“I had a dream…” she began, her voice clearer than it had been before.

“What was it about?” Mateo gently pressed her, wanting to keep her talking.

“I went back in time, before Shuriki took over,” she said. “It was as if nothing had ever changed. My parents were still alive, Esteban was decades younger, and Avalor was thriving in every way. Everything was perfect.”

Sensing that the dream couldn’t have ended that simply, Mateo questioned, “And then?”

Elena raised her head and sighed. “A voice suddenly called out to me. It offered to let me stay there. There were no conditions; all I had to do was accept.”

“What did you say?”

“I said no.”

It was then that Elena lost all the composure she had been keeping up until then. She grasped at Mateo’s sleeves, pressing her face into his robes. Hot tears stained his clothes as he pulled her closer. It was as if his warmth could protect her from all evil. Before he knew it, he was on his knees, enveloping her in a comforting hug. His tamborita lay forgotten to the side; magic wasn’t going to solve this problem.

“Shhh, shhh, calm down,” he whispered, rubbing her back. “Everything is fine.”

“I’m so selfish,” Elena snapped at herself. “Everyone would be happier if Shuriki hadn’t taken over.”

“You’re anything but selfish, Elena,” Mateo attempted to reassure her, but Elena was having none of it.

“I am!” she insisted. “Avalor was shrouded in gloom for over 40 years! You could have met your grandfather if not for that. Isabel would’ve been able to grow up with a family that was whole, Gabe could’ve become a guard sooner, Esteban could’ve lived out his youth the way he had wanted to, and Doña Paloma wouldn’t have had to work so hard to keep Avalor’s economy afloat. Who am I to say no when the answer was so obvious?”

“All of that is in the past,” Mateo reminded her. “There’s no use in thinking on what could’ve been. All we can do is move forward from here.”

“I know that, but what if!” Elena pulled away, staring down at her hands. “How could I have been offered so much and refuse it all?”

“Well, why didn’t you accept?” Mateo asked, struggling to understand exactly what she was so upset about. Maybe then, he could help her feel better.

“If nothing had ever happened, then I’d be 58 right now!” she pointed out. “There’s no way I would’ve been friends with you or Naomi or Gabe. I probably wouldn’t be going on so many sailing expeditions, I wouldn’t have become such a great fencer, and you might not have become my royal wizard! How would I be able to get through anything without  you?”

Mateo tried to come up with some sort of assurance, but he couldn’t think of anything. Elena was making a compelling point, but she wasn’t seeing the whole picture here.

“I decided to give up everything for a handful of friends. What does that say about my right to rule? Shouldn’t my first priority be to my kingdom?” Elena murmured.

“I think it makes you an even better leader,” Mateo splurted out without thinking.

“How so?” Elena raised her face, a glimmer of hope in her voice.

“Well,” Mateo began, choosing his words carefully. “Maybe it’s true that a time without Shuriki would have benefited everyone, but think of all of the improvements that Avalor has gone through during your time as Crown Princess in this reality.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t mean to toot my own horn,” Mateo rubbed his neck awkwardly. “But look at everything we have accomplished together. We discovered the Codex Maru, which ended being being really useful, you and Naomi helped to catch all three goblin brothers before they tore Avalor apart, and without Gabe’s guidance, the bridge between Avalor and Córdoba may not be near completion.”

“So?”

“In other words, your decision wasn’t just what you thought was best for yourself, but what was best for Avalor as well! We don’t know how Avalor would’ve been like with your parents ruling, but we do know how it’s like with you. Avalor has grown so much because you confided in us to be at your side. I think you made the right choice,” Mateo finished.

He wasn’t convinced that his argument had been very sound or made sense, but he hoped it was convincing enough to hide the fact that he was being selfish himself. He’d admire Elena whether she was 17 or 58, but he doubted he’d be as close to her as he was now if she were really that old.

He could still agree with his statement, though. He’d lived under Shuriki for years, and even though he’d had to learn everything he knew in the secret confinements of his basement and watch his mother keep her dancing and cheerful personality locked away, he wouldn’t change it for the world if it meant he’d never befriend Elena.

“You really think so?” Elena asked, rubbing her hands together with nerves.

“Yes,” Mateo confidently replied, squeezing her hand so that she could feel his sincerity. “Even if you are being selfish, I believe that you can overcome it.”

“Only if you help,” Elena’s mood brightened up a little.

“No matter what, I’ll always be there to help you, remember?” Mateo rose to his feet, offering up his arm to help her up as well.

“See? I can’t even do this without you!” Elena laughed, taking Mateo’s hand.

“Well it’s a good thing I’m here, then,” Mateo grinned, pulling her up and suggesting she get back to sleep. After receiving a nod of agreement, he opened the door to her bedroom and led her over to the bed, casting a quick spell so that he didn’t bump into anything in the dark.

Once she was safely under the covers, he asked, “Anything else you might need?”

“No, I think I’m good,” Elena answered, pulling the sheets over her shoulders for warmth.

With that, Mateo headed for the door, satisfied with his work. Before he could get very far, though, he was stopped once again.

“Actually, can I ask you for a favor?” Elena interrupted him. “I need to be a little selfish one more time.”

“Yeah?”

“Can you stay here tonight? I don’t think I can get back to sleep alone.”

It was a good thing the room was so dark, because Mateo could feel his face redden by the millisecond. Even so, he couldn’t say no to his beloved princess. In truth, it didn’t matter what she asked him to do; he’d do it regardless.

“Of course,” he replied, closing the door and making himself comfy on a chair near her bed.

“Thanks,” she yawned, her drowsiness returning after being up for who knows how long. She reached out for Mateo’s hand, which he offered straight away. With one last squeeze, she soon fell back asleep.

Watching her peacefully sleep, Mateo wished he could stay there forever. Instead, he reluctantly let go of her hand and moved to a chair farther away in case anyone came in later on. Making himself as comfy as he could, he accepted the fact that he’d wake up with a bad back. He bore no ill will, though; he was just happy he had been able to help.

Realizing that he hadn’t sent word to his mother, Mateo figured he’d just have to tell her that there had been an emergency at the palace. After all, although Elena’s first priority would always be to her kingdom, Mateo’s first priority would always be to her. All he could hope for was to land a spot as second place on her list someday.

[malenafan4ever-blog]

Day 6 happily ever after eleteo week

“47 years ago, Avalor was invaded,” Elena began, with an apologetic look at her husband. Mateo just smiled and shook his head. Once Elena’s mind was set on something, she never gave in. “An evil, power-hungry sorceress named Shuriki came into Avalor. She wanted the throne. With one spell, Vadhissima, from her wand, my mami and papi were gone. The royal wizard Alecazar, your papi’s grandfather, had a spell that could protect Aunt Isa, and your grandabuelos from her. But, the spell would take time to cast, so I decided to face Shuriki alone, and she tried to strike me down. But I had a magical amulet that could protect me from harm. It did-by sucking me inside. Alecazar figured it out, and set out on a quest to free me. In the end, the amulet found its way to Princess Sofia of Enchancia, and she and your papi freed me forty-one years later. The entire kingdom banded together to destroy Shuriki, and we were successful. It was our happily ever after.” She grinned wistfully at Mateo, and he grinned happily back as they took each other’s hands, leaned in, and gently pressed their lips together. It was our happily ever after. Truer words had never been spoken.

“Mami, why did you and papi name me Chloe?”

She looked at Mateo with a smile as they looked at their oldest daughter. Chloe was only 8, but she still had surpassed Esteban’s maturity. She was outspoken, impulsive, clever, and righteous, as well as a bookworm. She also had a special gift with scepters and tamboritas, and a strong distaste for purple things and amulets. A perfect combination of her two parents. She had asked this question many times, as it was common knowledge that the heir to Avalor’s throne did not like her name.

“Chloe Gwendolyn De Alva Castillo Flores. Your first name means blossoming sprout. Your middle name means fair. It is the perfect name for a future queen.” Elena said, with a small smile and a glance at her husband.

“What about me?” asked Julian. He was the middle child, 6 years old. He had a smiling face, and was one of the most adorable children Elena and Mateo had ever seen. “Why am I Julian?”

“Julian Amor De Alva Castillo Flores. Your first name means youthful. Youth is the most precious time in a person’s life. We wanted you to appreciate childhood. Your middle name means love. Love is the most precious thing in the world, and we wanted you to know it.” Mateo said kindly and softly to his son.

“Me. Ava.” the three year old girl spoke up from the corner, where she was playing with her teddy bear, Sir-Teds-a-Lot.

“Ava Zoe De Alva Castillo Flores,” her parents said in unison. “Ava means bird. Birds are beautiful, majestic creatures, and we wanted you to remember grinned wistfully at Mber that,” her father said. “Zoe means life, and life is an amazing thing,” her mother added, gazing fondly into Mateo’s eyes.

“Why is life so great?” Chloe wondered.

Mateo and Elena looked at each other, communicating with their eyes. Should we tell her about Shuriki? Elena’s seemed to say. She’s just a child. Mateo’s seemed to warn. She has to know. It’s important to know Avalor’s history if she’s going to be queen. Elena insisted. In eight years. Mateo’s eyes shot back. Elena sighed. Whatever you want, mi amor.

“47 years ago, Avalor was invaded,” Elena began, with an apologetic look at her husband. Mateo just smiled and shook his head. Once Elena’s mind was set on something, she never gave in. “An evil, power-hungry sorceress named Shuriki came into Avalor. She wanted the throne. With one spell, Vadhissima, from her wand, my mami and papi were gone. The royal wizard Alecazar, your papi’s grandfather, had a spell that could protect Aunt Isa, and your grandabuelos from her. But, the spell would take time to cast, so I decided to face Shuriki alone, and she tried to strike me down. But I had a magical amulet that could protect me from harm. It did-by sucking me inside. Alecazar figured it out, and set out on a quest to free me. In the end, the amulet found its way to Princess Sofia of Enchancia, and she and your papi freed me forty-one years later. The entire kingdom banded together to destroy Shuriki, and we were successful. It was our happily ever after.” She grinned wistfully at Mateo, and he grinned happily back as they took each other’s hands, leaned in, and gently pressed their lips together. It was our happily ever after. Truer words had never been spoken.

[cartoonfangirl1218]

EoA Ship Appreciation Week 2022: Music

Sometimes the snow comes down in June Sometimes the sun goes 'round the moon I see the passion in your eyes Sometimes it's all a big surprise

'Cause there was a time when all I did was wish You'd tell me this was love It's not the way I hoped or how I planned But somehow it's enough

And now we're standing face to face Isn't this world a crazy place? Just when I thought our chance had passed You go and save the best for last

All of the nights you came to me

When some silly girl had set you free You wondered how you'd make it through I wondered what was wrong with you

'Cause how could you give your love to someone else And share your dreams with me Sometimes the very thing you're lookin' for Is the one thing you can't see

But now we're standing face to face Isn't this world a crazy place? Just when I thought our chance had passed You go and save the best for last

Sometimes the very thing you're looking for

Is the one thing you can't see

Sometimes the snow comes down in June Sometimes the sun goes 'round the moon Just when I thought our chance had passed You go and save the best for last

You went and saved the best for last

[lieutenant-amuel]

EoA Ship Appreciation Week | Day 2 | Keeping Warm

"You saved Navidad."

[shasta627]

Eleteo Appreciation Week - Day 2: Angst

So, as always, I went a little overboard and wrote a really, REALLY angsty one-shot, so prepare to be depressed. I promise I’ll write something more light hearted to make up for this though :P

Marry Me

Mateo’s hands shake as he ties the ruby colored sash around his waist. His hair is styled to perfection, every last curl neatly combed and set, and his formal robes are ironed and pressed. He glances in the mirror for what must’ve been the hundredth time within that hour, but his eyes are hazy and unfocused, and he looks without really seeing. After staring for a few moments he takes a deep breath, letting the air fill his lungs entirely before letting it all out in a quiet whoosh, trying to quell the turning of his stomach as he thinks about the moments ahead.

Today is the biggest day of Elena’s life, and she’s so happy - happier than he’s ever seen. He wishes more than anything he could be as happy as her, but he’s never been good at lying, even when it’s to himself. He still doesn’t know how he’s gotten this far without anyone discovering his secret; how he’s been able to smile and laugh and pretend like his heart isn’t withering away like a frosted flower every time he sees them together.

He remembers the first time she talked about having a wedding. He remembers feeling surprised, for she had never seemed like the type to settle down and start a family right after being officially crowned queen, but he now knows never to assume when it comes to her, for he always seems to be wrong.

He remembers her saying she wants to have it in the spring, where everything is alive and feels hopeful. She wants bright colors, flowers, dancing, and lots of food made by none other than her grandmother and the Avaloran bakers. She wants it to be full of laughter and happy tears, and then later admits she wishes her parents could be there by her side, to experience all the festivities and meet her betrothed.

Betrothed.

Hearing that word was a fire that burned him silently from the inside, with dark tendrils of smoke filling his lungs and slowly strangling his heart. Her betrothed. She had spoken generically, almost causally, but it was at that moment Mateo knew exactly who she was talking about, and it was clear from the expression on her face that she wasn’t thinking about him.

He realizes now he was too late. He waited too long. He was afraid to tell her how he felt in fear of losing her friendship, but now he is losing her all together to another man, an ambassador from another town who they’d met only three years ago. He wishes he could hate him. He wishes he could find some fault in him, but the man is perfect, and so is she, so it naturally makes sense that they’re perfect together.

Voices start floating down the hall and into the room, calling everyone into place as the ceremony is about to begin. He just barely hears the announcement and finally manages to force his stiff limbs to move from their rooted spot in front of the mirror. It’s almost time, the time he’s been dreading, and it’s suddenly much too hot to be wearing a large robe. He finds a glass nearby and fills it with water, quickly downing it and wishing for the first time in his life that it was something stronger, something to help him forget all that’s going on around him and numb the pain. But the water’s only water and all it does is moisten his dry lips and settle like dead weight in the pit of his stomach.

People begin to walk by now, all smiles and laughter, and to have to pretend to be as joyous as them makes him feel even more sick, but he does it anyway, because even though it may be the worst day of his life he’s not going to ruin it for her. He wants her to be happy and so he’ll fake it until he makes it, or at least until he convinces everyone else he’s as happy as them.

He mindlessly follows the other members of the wedding party and stands where he’s been instructed to, waiting until she walks down the aisle and hoping it’s soon but not too soon because he’s afraid he won’t be able to pretend anymore.

He wonders if he can just close his eyes, so he won’t have to watch her promise herself to another man, but as soon as she comes into view he can’t tear his eyes away. The world is no longer a blur or a haze - everything is crystal clear and comes into sharp focus once he sees her. She’s beaming and her smile is as bright as her dress, and she’s adorned with lace, pearls, and diamonds that all seem to make her glow with an unearthly beauty. He’s never been so awestruck in his whole life, and just for a moment, he forgets about all the pain and mistakes he’s made. Just for a moment, he can pretend it’s him that she’s walking to, and that she loves him just as much as he loves her. But reality comes crashing back all too quickly, and instead he is forced to watch her stand beside another man and gaze at him as though he was the world. They say their vows to one another, and hers are filled with so much love and passion that it brings a tear to every eye in the room, including his, but unbeknownst to others his is from regret. He quickly swipes at his eyes, and makes his own vow to not cry, to not show weakness, and to be happy for her. He knows it’s his own fault for his internal pain and there’s nothing he can do, so he just tries to ignore it for now and focus on making the day as perfect as he can for her.

The ceremony ends soon but not soon enough in his opinion, and he doesn’t think he’ll ever get the image of her passionately kissing her new husband out of his head as he turns and follows the crowd to the reception room.

For the rest of the evening everyone is singing and dancing and eating, and when she comes up to him to ask if he wants to dance with her he has to tell her no despite how much he wants to say yes. He knows that by saying no he’s disappointing her and practically breaking his own vow, but he just doesn’t trust himself to be that close and be able to hold it together, and doesn’t want to risk the chances of falling apart in her arms.

The evening drags on yet the party is still in full swing. His sash feels as though it’s beginning to constrict his breathing and the noise is loud, pounding against his head harder than the heels of peoples’ shoes as they dance across the floor. After a while he finally sneaks outside with the excuse of needing fresh air and takes a deep breath, the cool night air stinging his lungs and eyes.

He knew it was going to be hard, watching her marry another man, but he never expected this much pain.

Be strong, he tells himself, remembering the vows he made earlier. But as he thinks of her and everything that he’s lost, he can’t help the hot, bitter tears that stream down his face as his shoulders shake in stifled sobs, his sorrow full of regret from all the times he kept silent, all the times he missed his chance.

If only he’d been faster.

If only he’d been stronger.

For today, the love of his life got married.

But she didn’t marry him.

~~~

Come cry with me 😭

The fic and its title is based off of the Thomas Rhett song here. It’s beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time and I love it.

[msmarshmallowmadness]

Day 3 alternate universe, eleteo appreciation week In this Au I call it 'Losing control'. Where Mateo ends up being corrupted from getting tricked into using a dark spell by Shuriki. And it's up to Elena and her friends to find a way to help him.

[ducksisthebest]

2021 EoA Discord Ship Appreciation Week Day 7: Anything Goes | Continuing from Day 3: Childhood AU

A/N - Welp, might as well add another chapter going along with Day 3 since most -- cough EoA server cough -- loved it so much. Including myself x), little Elena and Mateo is soo cute!! Anyways... enjoy!! ;> | ~ Ducks ~

Walking back with freshly made chocolates from Princess Elena's abuela, Luisa, Mateo finally reached his house. Knocking on the door with a smile brighter than before, Rafa opened the door and smiled warmly at her son.

"Come in mijo! Want to make chicken mole with me?" Rafa requested, knowing Mateo liked to help in anyway he can.

Mateo's smile only grew, "Yes mami! And guess what!"

Rafa got out the ingredients before responding, "Yes Mateo?"

"I met Princess Elena, her grandmother Luisa, and Queen Lucia!! Also her cousin Esteban." Mateo was practically bouncing out of his seat in excitement.

"Really?"

"Yes! And they're very kind, I'm also Princess Elena's best friend!!" Mateo couldn't help it and jumped out of his seat, bouncing all around the kitchen.

Rafa shook her head at Mateo's never-ending energy but was glad to see him happier as ever. She knew he was having a hard time with the other kids at school from the bruises, but he'd always hid them. She managed to help heal the bruises on Mateo with some special oils and lots of hugs and kisses.

"That's great mijo! Now please sit down or you might hurt yourself" she said sternly, yet gently.

"Yes mami" Mateo said with a sheepish smile and helped Rafa make dinner.

That night, Mateo had plans after he got ouot of school, he was going to see Elena again and talk more about himself. Maybe she'll talk more about herself too. As hours past, Rafa got up early as usual to wake up Mateo and get breakfast ready. Changing out of his pajamas, he walked down the stairs to find his mami cooking, he could barely keep up with her as she multi-tasked between cooking and cleaning.

"Buenas dias mijo, eat your breakfast and off you go to school okay?" Rafa called out.

Mateo sat down and started eating, "Buenas dias mami, and okay."

Right. Time for school, Mateo thought with a small frown. He knew he might get bullied again but it won't stop him from getting good grades, and especially from him getting to Elena. After walking on school grounds for a while, he met Naomi at the school gates.

"Hey Mateo! How are you?" Naomi asked while leaning on a nearby tree.

"I'm good Naomi! How are you?"

"FIne. Now come on! We're not getting late for class." Naomi took Mateo's hand and led him over to their classroom.

Just then, he could've swore he saw something red pass the gate's entrance but when he blinked, it was gone. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he went back to paying attention to the teacher.

- DING DING DING -

"Come on Mateo! Let's go before those big kids get you!" Naomi said with concern.

Mateo didn't wait a second more as he ran out through the gates with Naomi just when the big kids came out through the principle's doors with their hands in their pockets.

"That-" Mateo took a breath before continuing, "That was too close."

"Yea, so where you off to now?"

"Oh! I didn't tell you yet, I met Princess Elena and I'm her best friend!"

"Woah, didn't expect that but that's so cool! Think we can see her?" Naomi asked as she smirked a little at his over excitement for the Avaloran Princess.

Mateo took off running with Naomi not that far behind, "Yea! I was gonna meet her today after school, I left my mami a note so we should be good."

"Cool!"

Finally reaching to the chocolate shop where they no doubt found Elena, Esteban, and baby Isabel in the shade underneath the trees. Elena sat up and stretched lazily, before opening her eyes to see Mateo.

"Hey Mateo!" Elena called out with a dazzling smile.

"Hey!" Mateo called back.

Naomi watched the spectacle and smiled knowingly.

"Who's that?" Elena asked while looking at Naomi.

"Oh! This is Naomi, she's my best friend at school."

"Hi Elena."

Elena stood up and hugged Mateo then Naomi. The two of them returned the embrace, Mateo looked towards a sleeping Esteban and little Isabel.

"So what are you guys doing here?" Elena asked.

Mateo rubbed the back of his neck with his hand as he replied, "I came to see you again so we get to know each other a bit more."

Elena felt that familiar tingly feeling and nodded, not trusting her voice at the moment.

"Are we going to sit here with you guys or go inside?" Naomi asked Elena, eyeing the tables inside the chocolate shop.

Following her gaze, Elena responded with a playful poke at Mateo's nose. "We may my friends! Esteban, I'm gonna take Isabel from you now."

Esteban groaned in acknowledgement before Elena carried her little sister up. "Follow me, I'll take you inside."

With that in mind, the three of them walked inside and sat down at the nearest table, with Mateo and Naomi on one side and Elena with Isabel just beside them.

"Anyways, what are we gonna talk about first?" Elena asked.

Mateo looked thoughtful before answering, "Maybe some questions that we have for one another?"

"Sure" Naomi and Elena said in unison.

Naomi started it off with, "Do you have a 'thing' for Elena Mateo?"

"N-No?" Mateo said with a blush to which he hid by lowering his head onto the table.

Elena looked curiously at Mateo before asking her own question, "What's your favorite thing to do Naomi?"

"I like to tease Mateo" she said teasingly before adding, "And helping my friends out."

"That's nice" Elena said, her gaze turned to Mateo's chestnut curls once again. Before she could realize what she was doing, Naomi's voice stopped her from whatever she was doing.

"What are you doing Elena?" Naomi questioned as she eyed Elena's hand going towards Mateo's hair.

"Nothing" Elena said quickly and redrew her hand back to her lap.

Naomi peered at Elena closely before dropping the subject and went back to playing with baby Isabel. Elena's face felt hot from embarrassment at being caught but calmed instantly when Mateo found her hand and squeezed it comfortingly. Elena gave his hand a squeeze in thanks.

"Uh, I'll bring Isabel to your abuela since uh, Isabel is crying." Naomi said as she tried to make Isabel stop crying with a few rocks back and forth.

"My abuela is in the kitchen, you can bring her there and come back." Elena said.

"Ok" Naomi carried Isabel up carefully and walked into the kitchen.

'Ok, now's my chance' Elena thought as she brought her free hand and laid it flat on Mateo's hair.

"Are you doing it again Elena?" Mateo said sleepily.

"Yep! I can't help it! It's sooo soft!!" Elena giggled and took her hand out of Mateo's, as much as she wanted it to stay, and placed both of her hands on Mateo's curls.

"Mmm, okay Elena" Mateo responded as he occasionally shivered when Elena's fingers brushed his forehead.

It suddenly came to a pause when Naomi came back with a knowing smirk towards her two 'best friends'.

"Ahem." Naomi cleared her throat.

Elena and Mateo flinched as both of their gazes were locked on Naomi.

"What are you doing Elena? And with Mateo's hair?" Naomi asked with her arms across her chest.

Elena blushed, "Um, playing with it? It's soo soft! You try it and see what happens."

Naomi shook her head and responded with a grin, "I don't think Mateo wants me to, I think he only wants your hands on it. Isn't that right Mateo?"

Mateo stayed silent but Elena was pretty sure he was blushing by his red ears.

"I'll take that as a yes" Naomi said as she walked out the door.

"Hey! Where are you going Naomi!?" Elena asked.

"To give you two some privacy!" Naomi shouted back.

Elena blushed in earnest this time before turning her gaze back to Mateo and her hand that happens to still be tangled in his brown chestnut curls.

"So uh, can I keep playing with your hair?" Elena asked, as if she ignored what happened just a few minutes ago.

"I don't mind Elena, your my best friend and the princess so who am I to deny the princess' request?" Mateo smiled sleepily at Elena and laid his head back on the table.

Elena's heart went off in a small gallop, only noting in mind of how close they really were. This time, instead of playing with his hair, she wrapped her arms comfortably around Mateo's waist and rested her head on his shoulder. She could feel Mateo straighten at the sudden embrace but wholeheartedly returned it. He wrapped his free arm around her shoulders and rested his head on hers. In Elena's mind, this was perfectly normal right? A normal best friend hug. But the way her heart skipped a beat every time he looks at her and touches her was one thing Elena didn't take into mind until now.

"Hey Mateo?" Elena said quietly.

"Mmm" Mateo hummed in response.

"Is this a normal best friend thing?"

Mateo thought about it, and said carefully, "Truthfully, I don't know. But I do know that I would gladly stand by you until the end and whatever you want me to be, a best friend or something more, I'll be any of them for you" Mateo paused, "And maybe the one for you to give hugs on." He teased afterwards, but the tone Mateo used was soothing. Though she should probably pay more attention to the situation rather than his voice and features.

"You mean that?" Elena asked, her heart clenching in a pleasant way.

Mateo gently brushed his fingers against her cheek as he said confidently, "Yes, every word."

Elena felt more adoration for this boy than anyone she's ever met, its like fate brought them together, or its just a turn of events that happened coincidentally. Leaning forward, she pressed a light kiss on his cheek, lingering just a bit longer before she moved back, grinning at his flushed face.

"Mmm, so that stays between us okay? And I'm talking about that kiss" Elena said lightly with a wink.

Mateo shook his head to clear his dreamy thoughts and nodded.

"So uh, what do we do now?" Mateo asked as he bumped his shoulder against hers affectionately.

Elena laughed lightly, grasping his hand in hers. "I don't know, how about a walk? Just you and I?"

"Sure!" Mateo got up and gave Elena his arm, to which she took with an extra nose boop on Mateo for an equal measure of affection.

"We're still best friends right?" Mateo asked.

Elena flashed Mateo her best smile, "Of course! Always."

'And maybe something more than just best friends' Elena thought with a light blush.

The two of them walked around the chocolate shop, talking with one another, occasionally poking each other playfully, just being the best of friends.

"Also, Elena?"

"Yes?"

"Were you watching me while I was in class?" Mateo asked, peering closely at Elena.

Elena looked down and replied, "Uh, nooo?"

"Hmm, okay." Mateo said, pleased knowing for sure that it was her who came by.

[honeymoonbloom]

Eleteo Day 2 // Angst

“She was never meant for you, mijo.”

Her tone was soft, apologetic even. But in the quiet of the room it seemed to have a gentle echo, reverberating off the bottles and potions of his basement workshop.

His back turned to her, hands leaning on his desk, he blinked and felt the first salty tear trail it’s way along his cheek.

He swallowed and tried to find a normal tone of voice, “Mama, it’s ok. I’m ok. I’m happy for her. I’m happy for Avalor.”

There was silence again. He wanted to turn around and show his mother he was fine. But he felt his strength dissolving, and his eyes slowly beginning to cloud.

He hadn’t meant to worry her and keep her in the dark for so long.

It had been a week ago, that he had come home suddenly, locking himself away in his workshop. He refused to explain why he wasn’t working in the palace.

But then the news had broke that morning. The official announcement of the engagement of the crown Princess of Avalor and the crown Prince of Córdoba.

Rafa had put the puzzle together. And it had hurt her heart that there were somethings a mothers love and effort could not fix.

“No me mientas, Mateo.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Sì, pero...”

“Just go! Please!” His voice cracked, and suddenly Rafa felt she was intruding on something she didn’t want to see.

“I love you Mateo. I’m so proud of you. Everything you’ve done. You’re a true hero of Avalor. You’re the Royal Wizard. Son, you should be proud of these things. No one can take that away from you.” She made her way to exit, taking one last look at the back of her son. “Focus on these things instead.”

Half back up the steep basement steps, she jumped at sound of glass crashing and shattering. She sighed and clucked her tongue, “Aye Mateo, you’re so much more like your father than you know.”

~•~•~•~•

It was past midnight when a loud knocking awoke Rafa from her sleep. Luckily she had fallen asleep on her rocking chair instead of heading to her bedroom. It was done in a hopeful attempt to catch Mateo in the kitchen to convince him to sleep in his own bed.

‘That is something that has not happened in a long time...’ she thought to herself.

Another round of harsh knocking jostled her thoughts. “I’m coming!”

She pulled her rebozo around herself tightly and unlocked her door revealing a very wet Princess Elena.

“Your Majesty! W-what are you doing here?!”

Elena stepped forward inviting herself in from the pouring rain, “I’m sorry to bother you Señora de Alva, but is Mateo home?” Elena lowered the cloak from her head and peered around the sala.

Rafa pursed her lips, feeling her defenses rise. She took Elena’s cold hand into her own drawing the princesses gaze to her stern eyes. “Elena you should not be here.”

Elena retracted her hand like a wounded animal. A look of shame crossed her features, “I’m sorry to disturb you this late at night. I... I know I shouldn’t be here. But I just need a few minutes with Mateo.”

~•~•~•~

Mateo’s homemade workshop was darker and smaller than she had envisioned. Walking down the steps, she could hear the clinking of glasses and the shuffling of papers.

The peculiar scent of herbs and unfamiliar elements tindered excitement in the pit of Elena’s stomach. She rushed her last few steps nearly falling on her face.

“Elena?” Mateos voice called out in the dim candle light.

Elena looked around until her eyes settled on a slouched figure half concealed in the dark. “Mateo!”

She rushed to his side, her hands immediately reaching out to tangibly confirm his presence. It had been so long since she had been near him, and she had longed to caress his face.

But as soon as he was within her reach, he pulled away.

A pang of embarrassment hit her and she found herself standing at an awkward distance from him, eyes searching his face. His rejection stung her more than she ever thought possible. How could she have expected him to welcome her with open arms?

“You’ve been crying?” she asked quietly changing the subject.

He swiveled away from her gaze pretending to be preoccupied with a stack of old spells. “Why did you come here?”

“I needed to see you. You never gave me a chance to talk to you. You never gave us a chance to figure things out.” She rested her hand on his shoulder grateful he didn’t flinch away.

Mateo sighed, “There’s nothing to figure out.” He no longer attempted to hide the dejection in his demeanor.

Abruptly Elena spun him back in her direction and placed her lips on his. Her hair was cold and wet, her skin icy to the touch, but there was still that undeniable warmth that blossomed between the two of them when they were together.

Mateo wrapped his arm around her waist, bringing her closer and Elena happily followed his lead. She straddled his waist unconcerned whether the stool could support both their weight. She ran her hands through his curls and breathed him in.

Nothing compared to the feeling that Mateo’s presence instilled in her. It gave her a new found confidence that made the rest of the world disappear. Like there was no limit to what they could reach, that nothing was impossible. Her highest high and her safest place, all in one.

She hesitantly pulled away and rested her forehead to his. Crystal like tears sparkled in the corner of her eyes, “I’ve always believed in you, Mateo. Can you trust me? Can you believe in us?”

/////

AN: a snippet of a story idea where the two of them had been sneaking around as a couple, when suddenly she had to get engaged and then needed to find a loophole to get her out of it. I think Mateo is a little OOC here but like angst right ?? Lol 💕 also Rafa is on their side, she’s just trying to help her son heal, which sometimes means being brutally honest. Even though she was wrong lol!

[okaysimones]

happy late sweethearts day!