If there were one thing that Sawyer Nelson would never miss a chance to tease Hazel about, it would be her choice in television shows. While most girls her age were immersed in the inner workings of Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars, Hazel sought refuge in The Partridge Family and The Brady Bunch and Hazel's absolute favorite, I Love Lucy. Anything pre-21st century and Hazel was there. The superficiality of being obsessed with make up and clothes and cheerleaders simply didn't appeal to her. And Sawyer understood that. But it didn't make it any less fun to tease her about her ancient TV choices, and how she couldn't enjoy Netflix the way any normal teenager could. Hazel simply rolled with it, occasionally whacking him on the shoulder and laughing. She'd tell him that he'd love the classics if he just gave them a chance. Just give them a chance.

It took about four days for the issue to arise. Sawyer kissed Hazel, they attempted to hide the fact that the vibe between them had changed, failed miserably, got teased incessantly and went about life as normally as possible. But that was the issue. Things just went back to normal. And every time Hazel would glance at Sawyer, her heart would skip a beat, and every time he smiled, she grinned, and every time he came to talk to her, she hoped to God that he'd ask her out and every time he came over, he never did. And it was killing her. So Hazel decided that she, a strong and independent spitfire, albeit tiny spitfire, would ask the damn boy out herself.

They were putting away Winter and Hope's toys when she brought it up,

"Hey, Sawyer, I have a question." Lame, you idiot, she thought

He glanced at her from behind a shelf, "What's up?"

Hazel picked at a hangnail and took a breath, forcing herself to look at the waiting face of her best friend, "Well, I was wondering, you know, if you wanted to hang out sometime." She flushed a little and glanced away,

"Aren't we hanging out right now?" Boys. They are thicker than concrete, I swear to the Lord. She rolled her eyes a little bit and grinned, pausing to put the rubber duck ring back on the shelf,

"I meant, like a date sort of thing. Like a movie. My dad gave me Frankenstein on DVD. I thought we could watch it, even though it's a weird old movie. You did kiss me, after all. I just thought it might be nice and –" She broke off. Sawyer's smile had slipped off pale and freckled face, and he shook his head almost imperceptibly. Hazel's heart and stomach dropped and settled somewhere roughly around her knees, "Why are you shaking your head? What's wrong?"

Sawyer rubbed his face with one hand and sighed, "Hazel, I've been thinking about that. I- I shouldn't have kissed you. It was a mistake."

Hazel's face flushed red and her stomach boiled slightly, "A mistake?" she said, slightly shrilly, "It was a mistake? Was it a mistake when you told me you wanted something more?" Her eyes narrowed slightly and she cursed the fact that she had to look up at Sawyer. She was much less intimidating when she had to crane up at him.

"Yes. It was a mistake, Hazel. I work for your dad. We see each other every day. He's practically a father to me. Even if we could go out without it being weird here, what happens when we break up? I don't want to take that chance! This place, your dad, you mean too much to me!" Sawyer's tone was desperate now.

Hazel scoffed a little bit, "Do you remember what I said the last time you laughed at my latest 'old TV' reference?"

Sawyer's confusion was visible, "No."

Hazel grinned humorlessly, "I said you should give it a chance. Maybe you'll find something incredible." She sighed, "Maybe you should give this a chance. Maybe we'll find something amazing."

Sawyer opened his mouth, stopped, closed it. He stared at Hazel, "I just can't, Hazel. I'm sorry. Forget it ever happened."

Tears stung Hazel's eyes and she spun on her heel, "Fine. Consider it forgotten." She marched away, not even pausing when he called after her, not even pausing when she heard the crash of Sawyer kicking over a box of Winter's things.

Sawyer Nelson was furious at himself. He stalked to his room as soon as he got home, and locked the door, something he never does. Pacing back in forth, he muttered "Stupid, stupid, stupid" to himself over and over again, grabbing his hair. Irritated, he flopped back on his bed, and his head hit a plastic case. He reached above his head. It was a box set of I Love Lucy. Hazel had given it to him for his birthday as a joke. He smiled at it and lay there for a minute. He grabbed his laptop, and Sawyer watched three and a half seasons of Hazel's favorite TV show that night. He was nearly drifting off to sleep when the beautiful Lucille Ball laughed, "I'd rather regret the things I have done than the things I haven't." Sawyer sat up in bed and stared at the computer screen. He had to talk to Hazel. He checked the time. It was 2:12 in the morning. He knew he should wait, but he also knew he couldn't.

Hazel nearly didn't pick up her cell phone. She was too ticked about being woken up at such an ungodly hour. But she saw Sawyer's picture light up the screen, and knew something had to be up. So she answered,

"What do you want at this hour, Sawyer?"

"I need to talk to you." Hazel sighed slightly,

"So talk."

"No, in person." His voice had taken on a begging tone, "Please."

"Sawyer, it is 2 in the morning. I am not meeting you anywhere. This can wait until the morning." Hazel rolled back over, about to hang up,

" No, Hazel, please. I'm outside." Hazel closed her eyes and tipped her head back in exasperation,

"Ugh alright fine." She wrapped herself in a long sweater and tiptoed out to the front of the houseboat. Sure enough, a pajama-clad Sawyer was standing on the sidewalk.

"Sawyer, what the hell-"

"I don't regret it," Sawyer blurted out, "I don't regret kissing you. It wasn't a mistake and I'm sorry."

Hazel wrapped her arms around herself and narrowed her eyes at him, "What changed?"

Sawyer laughed a little bit, "I'd rather regret the things I've done than the things I haven't." Hazel tilted her head to the side and smiled,

"The only things helping your case right now are that I know for a fact that you didn't want that Lucy set until tonight and that you appear to have shaken your irritating albeit slightly endearing awkward persona, at least for now."

Sawyer tried again, "Look, I said I was scared, and I am and I don't want to lose what we have but Hazel? I really care about you and I think I'd regret not taking this chance."

He hopped down onto the deck. They were closer now,

"What makes you think I still want that?" Hazel's face was a mask, unreadable.

"Because you want to find something amazing, and you think that you can find something amazing here," Sawyer grinned.

Hazel became very aware of how close they were, and how very confident and rather un-Sawyer-ish this version of her best friend was being,

"Have you slept at all tonight?"

"Nope."

Hazel threw a hand up in exasperation,

"Alright, you idiot. You win. I accept your apology. Now go home, Sawyer. A lack of sleep makes you weird. We can discuss your proposition when you're rested and acting less like a movie." Sawyer grinned.

"Night, Sawyer." She turned to go,

Sawyer shook his head and smiled, "Hey, Hazel!"

She turned.

"Shut up and kiss me, would you?"

Hazel was only too happy to oblige.