Flint's stomach tumbled and tossed in a nervous grumble as he stood and waited for Sam. He wasn't sure how she would respond to his request in having a BBQ at his home. His father Tim had possessed the charm and excitement of a child as he prepared and pre-prepared the food for the day.

Flint stood in the doorway of the kitchen watching his father with a slight smile. He hadn't seen Tim be in this way about a woman since his mother died. "Do you know if she likes chicken?" Tim asked from the abyss of the opened fridge.

Flint at first didn't comprehend his question until Tim turned around and asked again, "Flint, do you know if Sam likes chicken?"

His son blinked momentarily as he processed his father's voice and nodded like a bobbing toy. "Yes Dad, she likes chicken, pizza, beloni..." he trailed off with a smile as he recalled their banter about the FLSMDRF a few days earlier.

"Ok, Skipper" Tim said, with a hint of an amused smile on his gruff face. He hadn't seen his son behave this way about a girl ever and he found it amusing. He knew Flint was a young man now and was relieved he had attracted a girl. He never had luck at high school as many of his female class mates were threatened by his persona and almost over bearing love for science. He could sense Flint's pulsating anxiety over the guest that will arrive soon. In a rare moment of emotion, Tim walked to Flint and gently placed his hand on his shoulder.

"There is no need to be nervous, son. It is perfectly normal. Sam is a lovely girl, I'm sure everything will be ok."

Flint didn't respond but nodded grimly instead. "I felt this way about your mother too," Tim continued, managing to get a responsive look out of his son. "I had gained enough courage to ask her out one night, so afraid she would say no. To my surprise, she pleasantly agreed and it was a great night." He gave Flint a gentle pat. "So don't worry."

"Thanks Dad."

Steve hopped into the room, mustering a look of disapproval on Tim's face and said, "Excited!"

Flint felt his heart leap into his throat as he heard a car door shut outside. "She's here!" He danced on the spot for a fleeting second before bolting to the front door. Inhaling a deep breath, preparing himself, Flint opened the door and grinned foolishly at the vision standing in front of him.

Sam looked resplendent in a flowing green dress, accentuating the depths of her eyes. Her hair was pulled back, revealing pearl earrings dripping from her ears. She was holding a large bowl of food and a bottle of soft drink in the crook of her arm. "Hello, Flint."

He lent forward to grab the food from her grasp, mustering a kiss on the cheek from Sam in his effort. A wave of pink rushed into his cheeks and he giggled like a small child. "Hello Sam."

As he directed Sam into the house, Flint said, "Dad is in the kitchen. I think he has invited some other town's people to join us."

Sam turned an eye at him as she continued walking. "Lovely, I know Manny has been talking about this BBQ non-stop." She allowed the blatant lie ring in her head. It was her who had been mentioning the BBQ to anyone who had listened. A wash of slight disappointment rolled over her as she wished it was only her and Flint to share the afternoon alone. But she knew Tim invited other people only to alleviate the anxiety Flint would have and she could read it plain and simple on his face. She knew that look; she had been feeling it too.

They reached the kitchen in time as Tim was carrying food outside to the table. Sam flicked the drink bottle to the kitchen bench in front of her and offered to help Tim with the food. "Can I help at all, Mr Lockwood?"

The older man's face showed a brief mask of approval only Flint could see and smiled at Sam. "Sure, only if you call me Tim from now on. Mr Lockwood makes me feel old."

Sam laughed and threw a glance at Flint who had moved beside her. His face had a resonant calm appeal, and shone a sense of relief. His blue eyes stood out like beacons and in that second, Sam saw the real beauty of Flint and her heart ticked a little faster.

An hour later, the backyard was churning with chatter, friends, and comfort. Half the town had shown up offering food and laughter. Flint had found himself alone as Manny had called Sam away to answer a call from the station. He sat at the back, nursing a warm drink and half eaten chicken burger. He had never felt this way about a woman before. Sam brought out a sense of knowing and appeal to him that he thought he had lost since his mother's death. His heart was bursting with all these new feelings and it rejuvenated him. He thought he lost the idea of love for someone else ten years ago. He had given up on finding love and found himself resorting to a life of recluse. But Sam had opened that door he had locked a long time ago.

As if on cue, she appeared at the back door with a plate of food. She scanned the backyard with her big emerald eyes looking for him. Flint jumped to his feet and waved an arm in the air, catching her glance. She threw him a smile that nearly knocked him off his feet and began to weave through the crowd.

When she reached him, she flashed him a look of apology. "I'm sorry for running off before. The station wanted an update..."

"Don't worry about it," Flint said as he motioned for her to sit beside him. A blade of awkwardness suddenly arose between them and Flint tried to his hardest to suppress it. "How are you enjoying Swallow Falls?"

Sam had just taken a large bite of her burger and Flint threw his head back and laughed wildly as she struggled to chew and swallow in time to answer him. Swallowing the last bite, she grinned back and responded, "I love it, and it's a great little town. Everyone has been very nice to me."

She then turned and looked at him, searching for something in his eyes. Flint found himself burrowing a hole into hers, their eyes interlocking as their souls finally met. "Flint, what attracts to you to me?"

Flint almost fell off his spot at her forwardness. He regained his composure and gently took the plate out of her hands, replacing with his fingers instead. "Why ask such a question?"

Sam's face shadowed and she looked away as if in shame. "I ask because I've never had a boy interested in me before. It's new territory for me."

Flint's grasp tightened only slightly. "Sam, you are respectable, smart and...Beautiful. Who wouldn't want to see that?"

She smiled that smile again causing Flint's heart to dance in his chest. The soft sombre sound of music began to bellow from the stereo Flint had fashioned 5 years earlier, at the backdoor. The sun began to sink in the sky, leaving a palette of deep pinks, oranges and mauve in its wake. The backyard was thinning as people left saying their ritual goodbyes to other attendants of the BBQ. Tim was still mastering the BBQ, grilling the very last of the burger patties before succumbing it to the cleaning products.

"I've never met anyone like you before, Flint," Sam said, her voice falling to an almost whisper. Her hand had freed itself from his grasp and planted it gently to his cheek. "You are very unique."

Tim chose his moment to make his appearance wiping his hands furiously on a wet rag. "We are shutting up shop, kids. I have some left over patties if you want one."

Flint loved his father but could have throttled him for ruining a perfect, beautiful moment. He stood, followed by Sam. "It's ok Dad. I think we are pretty full."

"Thank you Tim for a lovely BBQ." Sam smiled, not only at Tim but to herself as she felt Flint's fingers interlacing with hers at her side.

"My pleasure."

As Tim turned to leave, Flint reached over and whispered in her ear. "I have something to show you."

A few minutes later, after being blind folded with the arm of Flint's lab coat, Sam found herself in his lab. The room was completely dark with the faint whisper of music coming from one of Flint's many computers. The room sparkled with fairy lights, making it look like the night sky with a plethora of stars. Sam was overwhelmed when Flint removed the makeshift blindfold. "Oh, Flint it's beautiful."

He stood next to her, grinning proudly. "I bugged all my computers simultaneously with software to represent stars. If you look closely, they all look and blink like real stars...it was no big deal."

He then opened his hand which she took without reluctance. He drew her into his arms and held her close, keeping his hand at the base of her spine. Sam responded to his nearness immediately, feeling his muscles twitch under her touch. They danced delicately, intimately to the soft music that played without hesitation. Flint's whole persona had softened, leaving him wide open. He relished the feel of her against him, responding to her warmth and movement of her body. She felt so perfect in his arms, as if it was meant to be all along.

Sam felt a weird sensation in him that she couldn't place. What was that? Was he trembling?

Her heart ached with a new sense of love and safety. "Flint."

At first he didn't hear it, as if her voice had appeared in his head and not from the woman in his arms. When she whispered his name again, he responded with a look straight into her eyes. They were warm, exotic and were whispering something else to him- love.

She was calling to him, her eyes and her body, screaming for him. Flint removed his hand from her back and wound his fingers through her hair, bringing her closer. When their lips finally touched, an electric bolt rushed through them, releasing fervour that ran like live wire.

Sam answered his kiss with a soft groan, allowing her own fingers to lace through his hair. Their bodies melded together as their passion was released. Flint had never felt like this before, never experienced something as raw and passionate as a kiss. His heart danced and jolted in his chest, only heightening the nerve endings and emotions that were all piqued.

Reluctantly, he broke the kiss, framed Sam's face in his hands and looked into those emerald pools. He whispered one word to her that made tears pool in her eyes: "Sam."

THE END