pairing: alessia russo x reader

summary: pumpkin picking and carving with your girlfriend

warnings: nothing but fluff

words: 2584

a/n: since my brithday is tomorrow, and despite my hiatus, i thought i'd give you all a little present from me. happy halloween!

It's one of those perfect mid-October afternoons, where the world feels saturated in shades of orange, gold, and muted greens. The air is fresh with a slight bite of chill carried by the autumn breeze.

Alessia sat in the passenger seat of the car beside you, practically bouncing in her spot as you pulled up to the pumpkin patch.

When you had suggested this as a date Alessia was quick to agree, planning the whole day in her mind within seconds.

Finding a space and putting the car in park, you smile at Alessia before getting out and walking to her side, opening the door for her.

Alessia thanked you as she got out and pressed a gentle kiss against your cheek before heading to the boot of the car to get her coat. Once the two of you were wrapped up warm, you took Alessia by the hand and walked towards the entrance.

The pumpkin patch stretched out like a golden canvas beneath a pale, overcast sky. Soft, dappled sunlight filtered through the thinning branches of towering trees, casting long shadows on the ground.

Rows of pumpkins of all sizes dotted the field, their vibrant orange contrasting with the rough brown soil. Some were smooth and perfectly round, while others were lopsided or covered in twisting stems - each one unique in its own way.

Along the edges of the field, old wooden fences, weathered and grey, line the pumpkin patch, while hay bales were stacked in small clusters, offering spots for families and couples to sit and take photos.

The ground was strewn with dried leaves that crunch softly underfoot as you walked side by side with Alessia, the wind occasionally lifting a few into the air, sending them swirling in a lazy dance.

Your shoes left firm imprints in the soft dirt as you weave through the patch, the ends of your hair fluttering in the wind. Alessia came to a halt and kneeled to inspect a massive pumpkin, turning it in her hands before lifting it effortlessly. Her smile was infectious, wide and carefree, like the sun breaking through clouds.

"You like that one?" you questioned, watching as Alessia inspected the pumpkin carefully.

Alessia nodded, her smile expanding broadly. She looked back down at her pumpkin and made sure she held it tightly.

"Do you want me to carry it?" you asked with your own smile forming on your face.

"I'm okay," Alessia said, appreciating your offer.

The two of you continue your walk around the pumpkin patch as you desperately try to find the one for you. Alessia pointed out a few but they weren't what you had in mind.

Making your way deeper into the pumpkin patch, the rows of pumpkins seemed to stretch in every direction, a sea of orange, yellow and even speckled green. You would stop occasionally, bending down to pick up a pumpkin, feeling its weight, brushing off the bits of soil clinging to its bumpy surface.

Picking up a particularly small, round pumpkin, you smile and hold it up so Alessia could see.

"It's the perfect size," you teased, securing it in your arms.

Alessia chuckles and shakes her head, resting her cheek on your shoulder as she looks down at the pumpkin you had chosen.

"The bigger the better," Alessia played along, gesturing to her pumpkin.

"At least mine has character," you said smugly.

"Mine is definitely the winner, perfectly round, no weird bumps. I could go on," Alessia said competitively.

"That's the winner?" you scoffed with a grin. "As if."

"What?" Alessia said, pouting teasingly. "Don't have an argument to back your pumpkin up?"

"Mine speaks for itself," you shrug, looking at your pumpkin proudly.

"It looks like it's already been through Halloween and back!" Alessia said, unable to hold in her laugh. "Mine's classic, sleek - it's practically a pumpkin model."

"Yours is too perfect," you said with mock seriousness "No personality. My pumpkin has stories to tell. This stem alone - look at that! It's like it's been through the pumpkin apocalypse."

"Mmm," Alessia hummed, tilting her head to examine your pumpkin. "I'll give you the stem. But mine will have the perfect face for carving. Yours might end up looking like it's melting."

"Only because it'll have the most expressive face!" you grinned. "Yours is too symmetrical - it's going to be boring."

Alessia couldn't contain her laughter any more as she stood beside you. She held up her pumpkin next to yours and compared them.

"What if we make a deal?" Alessia proposed. "We each carve our pumpkins tonight and we'll let our dog decide who's looks best."

"Deal," you said, smirking. "But don't get mad when Bear chooses mine."

"Please, he's going straight to mine without second thought," Alessia said, scoffing.

The two of you exchange competitive but lighthearted glances, knowing it's all in good fun before continuing their search through the patch, joking about which pumpkins would make the most ridiculous or impressive carvings.

As the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting a warm, amber hue over the pumpkin patch, the two of you made your way to the checkout area with your pumpkins nestled carefully in your arms.

At the small wooden booth near the entrance, the cashier greets you both with a friendly smile. You let Alessia place her pumpkin down first before you place yours with exaggerated effort.

"You two have some great picks there," the cashier said with a smile. "Going to do some carving tonight?"

"Oh, definitely," Alessia grinned. "We've got a competition going - best carved pumpkin wins bragging rights for the whole season."

"Not that I'll need the bragging rights, since mine's obviously going to win," you said cockily.

The cashier laughs, handing the receipt to you after a brief exchange of payment. You both thank the cashier, and with pumpkins in hand, head toward their car.

The gravel crunches underfoot as you approach the car, and after a bit of manoeuvring, you carefully secure your pumpkins in the back. Double checking the seat belt around your pumpkin, you hum happily before sitting in the driver's seat.

"Is that necessary?" Alessia teased, waiting for you to start the car.

"Obviously," you grinned, turning on the ignition.

Pulling out of the car parking space, you begin to make your way home. Golden fields and trees turning shades of orange and yellow flash past as you drive through the country roads.

The windows are slightly cracked, letting in the fresh, cool air as a playlist of Alessia's choice fills the car.

"So, are you ready to lose tonight?" you said, glancing over at Alessia with a smirk.

"You keep telling yourself that," Alessia grinned, looking out at the road ahead. "I've got the perfect design in mind."

"Let me guess," you said teasingly, "something pretty and perfectly symmetrical?"

"What's wrong with that?" Alessia laughed. "Yours is probably going to end up with mismatched eyes or a crooked smile."

"It adds personality," you shrug, glancing over at Alessia again.

"Yours is going to look like it got hit by a tractor," Alessia added playfully.

"Hey!" you said in faux hurt. "You didn't mean that."

Alessia laughed once more as you continued to drive. The drive through the countryside was serene, with the orange and red hues of the sunset fading into purples and blues, the soft glow of headlights lighting up the road ahead.

The car smells faintly of apples, hay, and damp earth, a lingering reminder of their afternoon in the pumpkin patch. Alessia leant her head against the window, watching the landscape blur while you hummed along to a song with your hand resting casually on the wheel.

The trees along the way seem to catch the last light of day, glowing in rich, warm tones. It's peaceful, and the teasing back and forth between you two only adds to the cosy, playful atmosphere.

Finally turning onto your road, the lights of nearby houses begin to twinkle on, and you begin to imagine the mess of pumpkin guts and seeds that awaits you both once you start carving.

The moment Alessia opens the front door, your dog, Bear, bounds over to greet you both. It was clear that he had been waiting eagerly for you two to return, ears perked and nose sniffing curiously at the pumpkins you carried inside.

You bring the pumpkins inside, setting them down on the kitchen table with a thud before going to get a couple of carving tools from a drawer and lay them out neatly on the table.

"Hey, Bear," you laugh, kneeling down to pet him. "Did you miss us?"

"I think he's more interested in those pumpkins than us," Alessia chuckled, leaning against the counter.

Bear, still wagging his tail, sniffs at the pumpkins eagerly as if trying to figure out what new game you'd brought home for him. His eyes sparkled with curiosity, and he nosed at the table as though offering to help.

"You think you can carve, too?" you asked Bear teasingly. "Maybe we should've gotten him a mini pumpkin to work on."

"He would've ended up eating it," Alessia laughed, giving Bear a playful scratch behind the ears.

A few candles flicker in the background, casting a warm glow around the room. The air smells faintly of cinnamon from a candle burning on the counter, and the windows reveal the darkening evening outside, with the sky now a deep shade of twilight.

Two large bowls sit nearby, one for you and the other for Alessia to put the pumpkin seeds and guts the two of you'll scoop out.

"Alright, no backing out now," Alessia teased as she tied her hair back.

"May the best pumpkin win," you smile, picking up your knife of choice.

With a laugh, you both dig in, starting by cutting around the tops of their pumpkins. The scraping sound of knives cutting through thick pumpkin skin fills the air, along with the occasional groan or playful complaint.

After a bit of effort, you both pull off the tops of their pumpkins, revealing the stringy, gooey insides. Alessia scrunches her nose a little but dives in, scooping out handfuls of seeds and pulp, tossing them into the bowl.

"This part is always so gross," Alessia said, wiping her hands on a tea towel.

"Forfeiting already?" you asked teasingly.

"You wish," Alessia said, going back into her pumpkin.

Bear watched intently, his head tilted as you and Alessia scooped out the pumpkin guts, clearly interested in the new smells filling the room.

"What do you think, Bear," you said, pretending to offer him a handful of pumpkin guts. "Want to help us clean up?"

Bear sniffed at the stringy pulp, but quickly backed away, wrinkling his nose in distaste, earning a laugh from you and Alessia.

"I guess that's a no," Alessia grinned.

You both work in relative silence for a bit, the sounds of squishing pumpkin innards and scraping echoing through the room, interspersed with the occasional playful comment.

Once the pumpkins were hollowed out, you moved on to the carving part. The two of you hunched over your respective pumpkins with intense concentration.

Bear settled at your feet, laying down but keeping a close eye on the action. Every so often, he'd lift his head, watching intently as you both carve, especially when pieces of pumpkin hit the floor. You'd toss him small bits to nibble on, but mostly he seemed content just to be part of the fun.

Alessia's lines were neat and precise as she carved with care, creating a symmetrical, classic jack-o'-lantern face with sharp, triangular eyes and a toothy grin. You, on the other hand, were freehanding your design, occasionally stepping back to check the progress. Your lines were a bit more erratic, but you clearly enjoyed the process.

"Is that supposed to be a smile?" Alessia asked, glancing over at your pumpkin. "It looks more of a grimace."

"It's a smile with attitude," you grin. "Besides, personality wins."

"Well," Alessia said with mock seriousness. "Personality isn't going to save you when mine is clearly superior."

"We'll see," you said, leaning back to admire your work.

After a while, you both finish carving, stepping back to admire your creations. Alessia's pumpkin is almost picture-perfect with symmetrical, clean lines and an evenly carved smile and eyes.

Yours is a bit more lopsided, with one eye larger than the other and a mischievous, crooked grin.

"Mine's definitely the better one," Alessia said, crossing her arms with a proud grin.

"Yours is too perfect," you chuckle. "At least mine has character."

"Character my ass," Alessia grumbled playfully.

"What was that?" you teased, leaning closer to Alessia.

"Keep those hands away," Alessia laughed, dodging your pumpkin gut covered hands with a mock glare.

Moving towards the drawer, you pull out two tea light candles and hand one to Alessia. Together, you light the small candles and place them inside before turning off the lights. The room was instantly filled with a soft, flickering glow as the candles illuminated their designs.

"Okay, I'll admit yours looks better in the dark," Alessia said, gazing at hers with a smile. "But mine still looks the best."

"That's all I needed to hear," you smile, wrapping your arm around Alessia's waist. "Mine wins in the dark and everyone knows that's the true test."

"Bear still hasn't decided yet," Alessia said. resting her cheek on your shoulder.

"Let's see shall we?" you smile, taking the candle out of your pumpkin and placing it on the floor whilst Alessia did the same.

You turn back on the lights and see Bear watching the pumpkins with quiet fascination. You stand beside Alessia and watch Bear quietly as he sniffed the pumpkins curiously.

He takes a longer sniff at Alessia's and sits down in front of it, nuzzling his nose through the pumpkins carved out mouth.

"See," Alessia said with a triumphant grin. "Bear thinks mine is the best."

You let out a small huff and hang your head in defeat, accepting your fate before you hear a crunch. Looking back up, Bear seemed to be eating something but it wasn't a pumpkin.

Gasping, you turn to Alessia in shock, "You cheat!"

"Hm?" Alessia hummed with a grin. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You hid a treat inside your pumpkin!" you said, crossing your arms.

"No," Alessia drawled teasingly. "I'd never."

"You're lucky I love you," you chuckle, pulling her in by that waist and placing a delicate kiss on her lips.

The two of you part at the sound of Bears whining and you kneel down to give him some kisses too.

"I love you too, Bear," you smile.

Getting back to your feet, you and Alessia head to the living room with Bear hot on your heels. You both settle down on the sofa, wrapping a blanket around you for extra warmth as Bear rested his head on your thigh.

Alessia turned on the t.v and flicked through Netflix trying to find something to watch before deciding on 'Beetlejuice'. Pressing play on the movie, the two of you cuddle up together with Alessia resting her head on your shoulder, feeling the steady rise and fall of your breathing.

Feeling left out, Bear pawed at your hand causing you to chuckle softly and begin to stroke through his fur. Letting out a content sigh, Bear watched you and Alessia, clearly satisfied with his role as the evening's honorary pumpkin-carving companion.