Tohyama Kazuha did not go on dates. Nobody asked her out on any, and she never asked anybody, for she was sure that the one she truly wanted to go out with would say no. So it would be safe to say that she was the one who was most surprised to find herself sitting in a café, with a miniskirt and a T-shirt, waiting for her date to show up.

Kazuha sighed, wondering why she had allowed herself to be dragged into this. She was supposed to be with her friends – that had been their promise on the ever-dreaded February 14th. Instead, as soon as she had arrived at Akiko-chan's house, she had been given these clothes, told to change, and finally placed firmly in the seat and told not to move until her date showed up. Normally, Kazuha would have barged her way out of the restaurant, but Akiko-chan was as good as Kazuha in the aikido department, with a temper to match. Not wanting to cause a scene amidst all the happy couples, Kazuha had sighed and reluctantly sat down.

She was muttering to herself just how much she hated Valentine's Day when she noticed that somebody had sat down across from her. Scowling, she looked up to tell the stranger to go away – and her mouth dropped open.

Heiji sat across from her, smiling, clad in jeans, a T-shirt, and his beloved baseball cap. He flashed her that toothy grin that made her heart melt, and for a moment she just sat there smiling at him.

Then, reality came flooding back. "Heiji? What are you doing here?" she asked, face flushed, not daring to dream that he was her date.

"Bothering you," he grinned cheekily at her. "I figured I should protect people from murder for once, instead of avenging them after the fact."

"Baka," she chided. "I'm not going to kill anybody, plus the only guy in here without a date is you. If you haven't noticed, it's Valentine's Day – everybody else is out being romantic."

"So why are you here? Last time I checked, sitting in a café by yourself didn't qualify as romantic. Unless you're dating yourself, and if you are you have officially gone insane."

Kazuha blushed hotly. "I-I am not dating myself!! I'm here on a blind date, thank you very much."

"Oh? " Heiji snickered. "Whose the lucky guy?"

Bristling at his obvious sarcasm, she glared at him with as much composure as she could muster, not wanting to cause a scene in front of all the obviously-in-love couples. "He..he hasn't shown up yet. He was supposed to be here at 2:30, and he's still not here…" she trailed off.

Expecting a comment from Heiji about how he'd probably ran off as soon as he saw her, Kazuha was surprised when none came. Looking up, she noticed that Heiji had the oddest expression on his face, a mixture of bewilderment, confusion, and another emotion she couldn't quite place.

"I think I'm your date," he told her bluntly. Most people would have said he was fine with the idea, but Kazuha didn't miss the way his eyes wouldn't quite meet hers. He didn't want this, she knew, and though it broke her heart beyond repair, she could never force him into something that wouldn't make him happy.

"Hahaha!" Kazuha laughed suddenly, without humor. "Should have known Akiko-chan would try to set us up, right? She reminds me of that girl Ran's always talking about – Sonoko, I think."

She'd just picked up her bag and was prepared to walk out when she noticed him staring at her, like he was staring straight through. It was hard to imagine there was anything left of her anymore, and her strangled laugh was dying fast as she choked back her tears, knowing full well that her crying was stupid – after all, iit wasn't like she'd been expecting anything.

" Where are you going?" he asked her quietly, smile gone but that damnable twinkle still dancing in his eyes. " It's Valentine's Day – you wanted something romantic, right? Let's have a date."

It was typical Heiji fashion – blunt, obscure, and Kazuha still couldn't tell if he was doing this as a friend or a potential boyfriend. But she swore she saw just a trace of pink on his cheeks, and she didn't miss the way his hand lingered on hers just a beat longer than necessary when he pulled her back down.

It wasn't a confession of love, and it wasn't a date, but at least it was a start. At the very least, it was a start.