A/N: This is my first response to the Pure Horace Mantis challenge. If you haven't heard of it yet then check out suburbs's profile. I think she'll be putting a new one up every week. The first one was quotations and she a list of a few, and I really liked one of them. I'm pretty happy with this piece actually. It was really fun to write. Also check out the Pure Horace Mantis C2 if you haven't! it's amazing! It's kind of like Jonas has a section even if it really doesn't! And I just realized that this is my 80th story! Wow...I have far too much free time, lol. ;)

Like a Ninja

By angellwings

Challenge #1: "True love comes quietly, without banners or flashing lights. If you hear bells, get your ears checked." - Erich Segal

Kevin had never thought of love as sneaky until recently. He had merely been sitting with his brothers, Macy, and Stella at their usual table when something suddenly hit him. Quite literally. There was some sort of goop on his face. He reached a hand up to see what it was and found a glob of chocolate pudding on his cheek. He glanced across from him to see Macy gaping at him with her mouth in the shape of a perfect "o." He glanced down at the pudding cup in her right hand and the foil disposable cover in her left and new exactly what had happened. She had been trying to open her pudding cup and had lost control of the lid. He expected her to start stuttering apologies, but she didn't.

She started laughing. Loudly and without shame.

Kevin sat there in shock for a minute before the corners of his mouth moved upward. Before he knew it he was laughing with her. In the midst of their laughing Macy handed him a napkin and he wiped the pudding glob from his face. Joe, Nick, and Stella grinned at them in amusement as the laughter continued. Neither really knew why the situation was so funny. It just was.

When they calmed down Kevin had automatically noted how the current shade of pink that graced Macy's cheeks looked rather pretty on her. He'd never really thought of Macy as pretty before…not consciously at least. The smile on her face gave left a small knot in the middle of his stomach, and he began to wonder what was happening to him. The rest of the day he walked around in a thoughtful daze. The more he thought about the more he realized the stomach knotting hadn't just started today. He'd only acknowledged it today. He remembered feeling it before when he was around Macy. He tried tracing it back and finding the first time he remembered feeling it, but he couldn't. It was a while back though. He was sure of that.

How could he have felt this way for so long and not realized it? Was that even possible?

Could you feel something and not know it? Kevin prided himself on being more in touch with emotions than his brothers, but this seemed to contradict that. Clearly he wasn't if something so obvious had escaped his notice for THIS long. People who were in touch with their emotions probably knew they were in love the minute it happened. So obviously Kevin wasn't very in touch. He had been in love with Macy all this time. Love had decided to slip into stealth mode all this time.

Kevin shook his head as he reached his locker at the end of the day and muttered to himself, "Geez, Love is like a ninja."

"What's like a ninja?" Stella asked as she appeared behind him. With out missing a beat he turned and gave her a confused look.

"Love, love is like a ninja. How is that fair?"

Stella arched an eyebrow, "Oh, Kev, who said love was fair?"

He considered that for a moment before answering, "Well, no one really."

"Trust me, love is anything but fair. Some times the little chubby winged archer is nice and other times he just likes to make things complicated. But he's never fair," Stella said as she placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "So, did you finally realize you're in love with Macy?"

Kevin's eyes widened, "How did you know?"

"Kevin, dear, I know everything," Stella said plainly.

"Well, why didn't you tell me?" He asked with a glare.

"Because you needed to figure it out on your own, and, unlike some members of your family, you're a smart one so I knew you would," Stella grinned.

"You know I always thought there would be some magic moment where everything would fall into place," Kevin told her.

"You're not the only one," Stella sighed. "I used to think that too. But the truth is…love really does come softly."

"So what do I do now?" He asked her.

She shrugged, "That's up to you. What does your heart tell you?"

"To throw everything out the window and just kiss her," Kevin said honestly.

Stella smiled at him, "Well, that's the way to go if you want to put Macy in a catatonic state, but maybe you should try something a little more subtle."

"Like what?"

"You could ask her out on a date. I mean I know it's cliché, but it's a tried and true classic," Stella told him simply.

"It's much easier to act on something than it is to talk about something," Kevin said with a nervous sigh.

Stella chuckled, "And that's another way love is unfair. Relationships have to be made clear and talked about…which can sometimes be awkward."

"What if she doesn't feel the same way?"

"I know where you're headed with that, Kev. And I want you to ask yourself one question," Stella said with a sigh. It's a question I should probably answer myself, she thought before she continued. "What if she does feel the same way and you do nothing? Is that a risk you're willing to take?"

Stella smiled when determination filled her friend's eyes and he answered firmly, "No. It's not."

"Then go get her, big guy," Stella said as she shoved Kevin towards Macy's locker gently.

"Thanks, Stella," He told her with a soft smile before he began the walk toward Macy's locker. Stella watched him go with a proud smile. Now if only convincing herself to do something was that easy.

Kevin took deep steady breaths as he made his way toward Macy's locker. He could do this. All he had to do was be honest. Kevin was good at honesty. That's what happens when you're a terrible liar. Macy was cleaning out her locker and throwing away papers she no longer needed. As he approached her saw her pull out a picture of all of them together. She considered the picture for a moment and then looked up at the Jonas poster currently hanging on the inside of her locker door. He smiled brightly and nearly tripped over himself when she took the poster down and replaced it with that picture. The small gesture spoke volumes to Kevin and it gave him hope. He tapped Macy on the shoulder and she spun around expectantly. Her eyes and smile brightened when she saw him. He had to remind himself to breathe.

"Hi, Kevin!" She said happily. He took a deep breath and returned the smile.

"H-hi Macy," He stuttered.

Macy seemed to notice that Kevin was nervous, "Is everything okay?"

He nodded, "Yes, everything is great. I just wanted to talk to you about something."

"Oh, what?"

He swallowed thickly, "Would you like to go out with me this Friday?"

Macy beamed at him before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and looking up at him shyly, "Really?"

He breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn't completely repulsed by the idea. That was good.

"Yes, really. So, what do you say?"

She nodded eagerly, "Yes, yes I would love to go out with you this Friday."

Now it was his turn to smile brightly, "Okay, this is good. Now what?"

Macy chuckled, "I think we have to figure out where we're going and what time we're going."

"Right, we can do that," He nodded. "Hey, there's a football game on Friday. Dinner before the game?"

"That sounds like fun," Macy told him as she closed her locker and picked up her bookbag.

"So, where are you headed now?" He asked. He didn't really want to walk away from her just yet. He was too giddy.

"The gym for volleyball practice. Would you like to walk with me?" She asked hopefully. She didn't want him to walk away from her just yet either. Kevin smiled. He could get used to this.

"I would love to walk you to the gym, Macy," He answered with a smile. As they walked toward the gym side by side Kevin quietly reached out and laced his fingers with hers. She blushed and squeezed his hand lightly.

"This is nice," Macy said with a contended sigh.

"No, this is right," Kevin corrected her with a grin. He suddenly didn't mind that love had decided to be sneaky. The results felt too perfect to care.