Title: How is this Suppose to Go

Author: Whit

Feedback: Would be amazing! .

Disclaimer: The characters and the show belong to NBC.

"Topic of discussion for today!" Frank said loudly as he sat down at the table in the cafeteria. Everyone looked up and him and he smiled, "Anybody want to take a guess?"

"Death," Eva offered before taking a bite of her pizza.

Frank frowned and grabbed his coke, "Not quite."

Natalie looked across the table and Stephen and they shared a wary glance.

Miles decided to join the discussion, "How Coca Cola is proven to rot your teeth?"

Grumbling, Frank pushed his drink away from him, "Thanks. No, that isn't it."

"Just tell us, will you?" Eva pressed, fighting the trail of cheese that was stringing off of her pizza.

Natalie looked over and Frank and shrugged before looking away again and staying silent. What ever he was going to say she wasn't going to say it for him. Finally, he spoke up, "We are going to discuss the signs of two people falling in love."

"Oh brother," Natalie was the only one to hear Stephen mutter it as he took a bite of his own pizza. When he realized she had heard he shook his head and she nodded in agreement.

This would be painfully interesting.

"So, does anyone want to take the floor with this one?" Frank reached across Natalie and took a slice from the box.

Miles began talking before the food was out of his mouth. Finally when they could understand him, he began speaking normally and with an empty mouth, "Isn't it simple, they look at each other a lot."

Natalie and Stephen, who had exchanged glances again, looked down quickly at their food. Nervous that others had seen them and would jump to conclusions--conclusions that weren't there.

Eva swallowed her bite of pizza and held up a hand to speak, "They talk to each other without saying a word. That's a good indicator."

Natalie set her slice of pizza down and joined the conversation, "This is important, how?"

Frank cleared his throat and squared his shoulders, deciding that rotting teeth would be okay as he took a quick drink of his Coke. "This is important because I say it is. Do you have anything to add? We're making a list."

"They avoid the subject," Stephen piped up, trying to choose between pepperoni or sausage. He took the pepperoni and dabbed the grease off the top with a clean napkin.

Natalie looked at him and frowned, looking absolutely betrayed, "Elaborate."

Miles cut in before Stephen got the chance, "They constantly tell themselves that they don't."

"Oh! Oh!" Eva pointed her finger at him as if she was going to add to it, "They get defensive when people bring up the subject because they are afraid the other person is going to find out. I had a friend in college who would literally rip your head off if you said the word love or anything to do with it around her."

"They find any excuse to talk to the person they have feelings for," Natalie said finally, picking a small piece of sausage off of her pizza, "and get pretty good at it because no one notices."

Miles looked at her for a long second, "That too."

"I have one," Frank spoke up. "They avoid looking at each other when they know people are watching."

"They get confused," Eva said, "because they like being around the other person, they just don't know if their feelings are shared."

"Too true," Natalie said, then realized what she had done and smiled gracefully. "The number one reason why a lot of feelings go unannounced."

When they looked away from her, satisfied by her answer she took a quick bite of her pizza to shut herself up.

Stephen looked at her and raised an eyebrow before looking away and listening to the others.

"They get irritated with each other a lot, otherwise known as sexual tension." Miles declared proudly.

"Where are you getting these?" Stephen asked, confused to why he was beginning to feel uncomfortable while sitting across from Natalie, who had choked on her pizza.

"Everyday experiences," Miles answered, oblivious to Natalie's panicked reaching towards her soda as she took a drink, hoping it would dislodge the food from her throat. It did and she pounded her fist against her chest and tried to blink back unwanted tears of pain.

"Are you okay?" Frank finally asked.

"Fine," she croaked. Looking at Miles she grimaced, "Everyday experiences?"

"Yeah," Eva answered for him, "things you see here and there. Certain people…"

Stephen pressed the back of his hand to his mouth, hiding his frown, "Things? From who?"

Frank made an uncomfortable sound, "That's not important. Come on, we need to add more."

"They're completely oblivious," Miles said with a smile, "everyone around them can see it, but they kind of just push the feelings back."

He shrugged, "A pity if you ask me."

"I'm full!" Natalie said with an unusually chipper voice.

"They are completely uncomfortable when the subject is brought up and try to find a way to leave," Frank spoke over her.

Eva looked at Natalie, "How ironic. Don't you think, Nat?"

"What? I don't know what you are talking about," Natalie sat down again and smiled far too cheerfully for it to be real, "I said I was full, I didn't say I was leaving."

Stephen scratched his forehead, "Is the list complete?"

"I don't know," Frank said, "do we need to keep going."

Natalie's fake smile fell from her face, "Tell me what is going on before I shove that Coke bottle down your throat!"

"Fiesty," Miles mumbled

Stephen heard him and glared, "Explain. Now."

Eva got up slowly, "I do believe I have to go. Catch you guys later," She headed off, leaving a flustered Miles and Frank behind to do damaged control.

"Last thing on the list," Frank said clearly, while standing up, "Is that when they realize what is going on, they feel like idiots and fumble around with words until they stop and finally spit out the truth."

Miles nodded quickly and they were both gone.

Natalie looked at Stephen, Stephen looked at Natalie. They looked away and she cleared her throat, "Well... that was... strange. Do you have any idea what they were---never mind... I." She froze.

There was a long silence before Stephen laughed.

Looking at him dejectedly, Natalie sighed, "What's so funny?"

Stephen rolled the napkin between his palms and watched her coyly, "How long do you think it took them to rehearse that?"

"W-what?" Her cheeks turned red as she digested his words. She had been so angry and nervous about the conversation to even wonder if it had been rehearsed.

Peeling off a pepperoni, Stephen looked at her with a raised eye brow and smiled.

"I don't know what they were talking about," Natalie mumbled forcefully. "They've obviously come down with something."

Stephen's eyes danced with laughter as he looked at her; it was written plainly across her face that she was in denial. "Would you like another piece of pizza?"

"No," she muttered, "I'm not hungry."

"What's the matter?" He finally asked.

A small involuntary smile broke across her face, "They ruined my lunch."

"How?" He raised an eyebrow.

Natalie shifted in her seat and looked down, her eyes avoiding his, "uh--well…I…"

"You're fumbling your words," he pointed out gently.

"You'd be too," She hissed, her eyes narrowing.

Stephen laughed again and shook his head, "Come on, I've got an idea."

"An idea for what?" Natalie asked suspiciously, allowing him to grab her arm gently and pull her into a standing position.

As they moved away from the table he pressed his hand to the small of her back. "I don't take it lightly when people imply I'm suffering from sexual tension."

Natalie looked up at him, slightly started. He smiled down at her gently. "I have an idea," he repeated softly, "but you're going to have to agree to it."

"Alright," she said slowly.

With the hand on her back he guided her through his office door, catching a glimpse at Eva in her own office, staring at them. "Let me explain," he said to Natalie as he closed the door behind them.