Hi there, all my dear, wonderful readers! Now, a lot of you might be surprised and even skeptical at seeing a brand new fanfic from me- especially considering I haven't even come close to wrapping up Finally Found You yet, nor completed my short story, Seven White Lilies (though that one's more complete than the other :P). But all my fellow writers out there will agree that sometimes, when a particularly tasteful, magical, or whimsical idea for a story comes to you, you can't help but want to write it down, and oftentimes share it with the rest of the world soon afterwards. And that's precisely what's been happening with me for the past several days! I was unexpectedly hit with a powerful dose of inspiration, and this initial recipe for a promising story kept brewing in my head and refused to be ignored, until a few days later, I just had to mentally flesh it out into a fanfic!

I feel a bit comfortable writing this in knowing that it's going to be primarily romance-centered, and certainly much shorter than Finally Found You (maybe on par with Seven White Lilies- I can't gauge the length for certain at this point). Although multiple couples will be featured in this story, it's going to be focused on one in particular (no need to mention who!). Now, there are no guarantees that this story will be completed within a reasonable amount of time- that all depends on how much time I can devote to writing it, followed by how high of a demand it's in along with how many reviews it garners. The prime reason I had for starting this was because, as I mentioned before, I thought it was too good of an idea to keep to myself. It's also something new that I haven't tried before, and have always wondered if I'd be able to pull a concept like this off... not to mention been curious as to how well it would be received :).

To explain where I drew my inspiration for this story- as I'm sure most of you have been aware of for a while, Dynasty Warriors 8 has now been announced. Moreover, a new Downloadable Costume Pack pertaining to modern-day jobs for every character has just been announced- and this fanfic is based on the these charming, clever outfits! I don't know how many of you have seen these as of yet since they're relatively new, and I believe only the Wei Kingdom's outfits have been revealed in their entirety. But a handful of the Wu kingdom's costumes have been revealed as well, with more releases right around the corner! For more information on these outfits and where they can be seen, please refer to the Author's Note at the bottom of the chapter- because I don't want to cram the beginning of this fanfic with too many boring details!

So, to everyone eager to see what I've dished out, here's Chapter 1 of this never-before-done (by me, at least) story!

Enjoy!

"Order up, Da! Bring this over to Table 17, they've been waiting a half hour!"

"Right away, Chef!"

The raven-headed teenage girl hurried over to the counter and snatched up the trays in both hands.

Making her way to the table in question with as much speed as her elaborate uniform allowed, she laid the platters down and repeated in one breath, for what seemed like the hundredth time that day,

"Please enjoy your meal! I'll be delighted to wait on you should you need any further service."

The head of the family, although previously appearing slightly disgruntled, deigned to bestow her with a pardoning smile once the appetizing aroma of the food she had set down hit his nostrils. She gave a short bow and turned on her heel upon hearing the familiar ring of the bell as the mahogany door swung open yet again. Time to seat even more customers... her boss hadn't been joking when he'd warned her that today was going to be especially busy. But that wasn't going to scare her, she told herself. She had made a commitment, and she was going to stick to it. She grabbed a few menus off the rack at the reception desk just in time to greet the newcomers.

Thankfully, it was just a young couple. She almost sighed with relief... there were plenty of smaller tables available. But any more families, and they'd have to start turning hungry people away.

"Welcome to Sun and Sons' Restaurant and Sushi Lounge, my name is Da Qiao and I'll be taking care of you today! Can I start you two off with anything to drink?"

Quickly jotting down the couples' selections, Da Qiao sped back towards the kitchen.

Flinging the doors open, her face flushed brilliantly red, she recited to the kitchen at large, almost at the top of her lungs,

"A Crabmeat Salad and Sashimi Box for Table 32, and a Lamb Chop Special and Calamari for Table-"

"Da."

Her boss stepped in front of her from out of nowhere and plucked the notepad out of her hand. He stared down at her, a slight frown on his face.

"Ch-chef Sun!" she gulped. "Um... um... everything's going well, Sir, no dissatisfied customers! In fact, we even-"

The middle-aged man sighed, shaking his silver-haired head.

"That's not what I'm concerned with, Da. It's obvious to me that Wednesdays are too much for you to handle alone. I blame myself for this- I should have forced Suyuan and Ai to come in-"

"B-but I was the one who said it was okay for them to take the day off! It's not a problem, Chef, honest-"

"Enough, Da," Sun Jian said firmly. Da forced herself not to protest upon seeing that he didn't seem angry, or unkind. Rather, he appeared regretful, almost pitying.

"Look. I gave you this job because I thought you deserved it. I also believed you could handle the responsibility- and I still do," he went on more loudly upon seeing Da's lips twich, "but sometimes even the best of us take more responsibility than we can get on with. Now, I want you to go take a breather, while I-"

"But I promised I could work today-"

"And I'm letting you off the hook. It's too much to ask of anyone, let alone a young-"

"I don't want to let you down, Sir!"

"You won't be. I'm only letting you relax until most of the business thins out. That shouldn't take more than an hour. For heaven's sake, child, no one said you had to do it all alone- all you had to say was that you needed help. Instead, you give those girls a free vacation day!"

Da looked crestfallen.

"I... I didn't want to cause trouble for anybody," she was able to say clearly.

"Yes, and I suppose you'd rather cause trouble for yourself instead. Don't you have homework to do? Exams to study for? College wasn't a breeze for my boys, and I'm certain it isn't for you. Stop overworking yourself."

Da swallowed hard and lowered her gaze. Her boss had, she was coming to learn, an uncanny knack or sniffing out youth's tendencies.

"I'll be able to manage," she said in a voice barely above a whisper. Her courage had reached its limit; she was no longer brave enough to keep eye contact with the owner of Sun & Sons.

Sun Jian's gaze softened as he watched the young girl hang her head. He was a father, after all, with a daughter of his own hardly younger than his newest- and, he had to admit to himself, best- waitress. But as a father and fair employer, he wasn't about to take advantage of her excellent work ethic when he saw the strain all the work was putting on her.

"Take a break in the back, Da Qiao," he repeated more gently. "I won't cut any of your pay for the day. In fact, you get a bonus for even showing up. I'll send for you when the place is less busy, understood?"

She looked back up at him beseechingly.

"But I-"

"That's final," the Chef barked firmly, snatching the pen from her hand as well. "If you don't want free pay, then go help Xun by the bar! Go on, out! You're getting in our way!"

"Yes, Sir."

Blushing furiously as she ducked her head and slipped out the kitchen's back door through smirking sous-chefs and waiters, Da did as she was bidden.

She let out a long sigh. She knew Chef Sun had purposefully sent her to the least busy area in the restaurant to keep her from working. She walked into the bar where Lu Xun sat fingering his red bow-tie on a swivel-stool, looking mightily bored.

Upon catching sight of her silhouette, he leaped to his feet, almost like a solder at attention, and chanted,

"Welcome to Sun and Sons' Bar, how can I help-"

"It's all right, Xun," Da managed to laugh. "It's just me."

"Oh, thank goodness," he exhaled in relief, sinking back down wearily. "Imagine how bad it would've looked if the Chief caught me dawdling like that at work... Still, it's hard to serve at all when there's no one to wait on! I've been standing for hours."

"I could do with that problem," Da groaned in confession, taking a seat by him. "You've got it easy. Bar-tending at a family restaurant!"

"Hey, I had no idea it would be this easy when I applied," Xun insisted. "Would you believe the last customers I served left over two hours ago?"

"Oh, they would," she sighed. "Meanwhile, customers have been pouring in every three minutes on the restaurant side. I can barely take a second to breathe. Maybe the Chief's right. Maybe I've bitten off more than I can chew."

"You aren't thinking of quitting, are you?" asked Xun, suddenly anxious.

Da laughed, a sweetly girlish yet mature sound which Xun never failed to thrill to.

"Imagine that. Quitting when I've only been working for a week. That's got to be a first here, hasn't it?"

"Oh, I wouldn't know," replied Xun with a fresh, youthful laugh of his own. "I was only here a month before you started. I still can't believe I got the job in the first place... I told the Chief I wasn't even legal yet, and all he said was, 'That's fine. So long as you stick to pouring and not drinking.'."

Da laughed again, not at all finding it difficult to imagine Chef Sun Jian in that light.

"I really like him, Xun. He thinks he's working me too hard, but I'm so grateful he gave me a chance. I want to repay him by doing the best I can for his restaurant."

"Well, he gave you more than that," Xun remarked, eying her uniform. "Just a week, and you're already the restaurant's mascot."

"Oh, not the mascot!" Da said at once, embarrassed. "Just Head Waitress... that only means I get this apron and headdress along with the standard uniform."

"It also means you get to boss the other waitresses around," said Xun, smiling. "But of course, you're far too nice to do that. It makes Ai and Suyuan think they can walk all over you."

Da shook her head. "Oh no, that's not how they think," she said slowly, looking at her feet. "They just had... important things to do today, so I let them off the hook. I don't want to be overbearing, you know. I can relate to being overwhelmed with things often. Besides, they've been working here for a lot longer than I have. I didn't want them to resent me for being made their superior..."

Her voice trailed off. She decided not to remember the looks on her co-workers' faces when Sun Jian appointed her as the new Head Waitress instead of them.

"But it's got to be tough, hasn't it?" Lu Xun pressed. "I mean, you have things to do too. Isn't it hard to juggle college when you're working all day and looking after things at home?"

"Well, I do have to maintain my scholarship if I want to stay enrolled," Da Qiao admitted, a worried knot in her brow. "And that means I need to stay on the Dean's List. It isn't easy, of course. But don't worry about me, Xun. It's not as if I didn't know what I was getting myself into."

She turned and gave him a slight smile, before turning back to her feet and plunging herself into thought. There was more than she was telling him, of course... but Xun shouldn't have to hear it all. She didn't like to unload her troubles on anyone if she could help it, especially not on someone younger than herself.

"Well, you've certainly got me worried for next year," she heard Xun fretting. "If you're having this much trouble, I don't know how I'm going to-"

"Oh, Xun you'll be just fine," Da said warmly, cutting him off at once. "You're valedictorian. And National Honors Society President. Not to mention you've put in about two hundred hours of community service, and you're at the top of the list for scholarship nominees. You're the last person who should be worried about anything."

Xun smiled back, reassured, and nodded. Da was always so kind and thoughtful. Even when she could use some cheering up herself, she never failed to better the mood of others before tending to her own problems. It couldn't just be an age thing. She was only about a year older than him, and even when they were in high school together, she'd been just the same then, always caring for everyone around her, always there to lend a helping hand...

"At least these uniforms are so pretty," Da mused, stroking the pleated, almost-maroon fabric of her skirt with fond smile. "I love the checkered pattern on my kimono. And the flame motif on your jacket is nice, too," she said, surveying the black, buttoned up dinner vest and shiny trousers her friend was wearing.

It's just a hassle to keep changing in and out of these every day, she thought to herself with a sigh.

Lately she'd been considering attending classes in the uniform to save herself the bother of rushing in to work and dressing in the bathroom in seven minutes tops, and then repeating the whole process for any of her night classes. But she had a feeling that wouldn't work out so well. She didn't want to risk sweating in her clothes all day, after all... she would give off a poor impression of herself as a student and a waitress.

Absently, she watched as the front door to the restaurant opened once more. The shrillness of the bell jolted her out of her thoughts. There was a glass divider between the bar and the Family Dining Area, so she had to crane her neck to see if anyone was attending to the newest arrival. To her surprise, when she got to her feet, the reception area was bare. Had the customers been forced to seat themselves? She exhaled anxiously. Why wasn't anyone else taking their jobs seriously? Perhaps there was something in what Lu Xun was saying about people walking all over her...

"Xun, may I borrow your notepad and pen, please?" she asked, tying her frilly white apron back on.

"Sure, but it's only been about thirty minutes so far," Xun said, taken aback as he handed her what she'd asked for.

"I know, but we've just had a customer, and no one's at the front desk. I don't want us to lose any business. I'll be right back, okay? Please don't tell the Chief!"

Da walked with quick steps over to the other side, menu ready in her hand. She was pleased to see that the place was thinning out already. Many of the families were preparing to leave, satisfied looks on their faces. She hurried to the door to bow them all out one by one before attending to the customer, a gracious smile on her face. Most of her bows were returned; a good sign. She congratulated herself, hopeful that they'd receive many returning customers in the coming weeks.

Finally, she went back over to the tables.

To her relief, the only person without a menu or food on the table was a young man seated alone. He looked a bit older than herself, and was dressed in a tight, white wife-beater and from what she could see, his red trousers were held up with a thick black belt. His hands were placed casually on the table before him, and thankfully, he didn't seem impatient or irritated at having to wait for service. On the contrary, he appeared to be surveying the restaurant with a half-smile on his face, which was slightly upturned as he looked around. He seemed almost nostalgic.

As he stared around the place, he spotted her approaching him.

Cheerily, he waved away the menus she was carrying with a big hand.

"Thanks, but I won't be needing those," he said pleasantly. "I know what I'll be having."

"Certainly, sir." Da found herself warming to his easy, personable manner, and tried to match it. She put away the menu, took out her pad and carefully noted down his order.

"I'll have your order ready in just a bit, if you can bear with us," she promised.

"You don't have to rush it," he said smiling. "I'm on my lunch break, so no worries."

Da bowed, grateful. Now she had to come up with a plan to sneak his order around Sun Jian to keep him from knowing she'd gone back to work...

"Oh, Miss? One more thing," the man called out as she moved away.

"Yes?"

"Please let the chef know he's got a reputation for under-cooking my steak. I want him to get it right this time."

Da blinked, puzzled at his request. A strange smile was tugging at the corner of his mouth, and a sudden thought struck her. Why did he look somehow familiar? She thought hard, but couldn't place him. She was certain she'd never seen him before... she was pretty sure she would remember someone like him if she had. Curiously, she nodded again.

"I'll make sure he gets the message," she said at last.

Turning back, she scribbled his note onto his order. She had to avoid the chef. Making her way to the kitchens, she ducked her head under the counter and quickly slipped the piece of paper on top of it, praying no one could see how foolish she looked. Too late, she noticed the young man catch sight of her from the corner of her eye, an amused look on his face. She took a deep breath. It wasn't his fault. She would be laughing at herself too, were she in his place.

It's okay. He's just a customer and I'm probably never going to see him again.

She made as if to walk back to the bar unnoticed, when she heard someone call out, "Excuse me?"

Turning around, she saw that the couple she had served earlier were impatiently waiting to leave. She looked to her left and right desperately. No one else was around. It had to be her.

"I'll be right there with your check, ma'am!"

Da flew to the cash register, processed their bill, apologized for the wait when she returned, and no sooner had she bowed them out when another table needed assistance.

Da sighed again. Abandoning all attempts to get back to relaxing, she continued to serve table after table, repeatedly keeping her eye on the young man who had asked her to deliver the strange message to the chef to make sure he was enjoying his food. When she was finally able to come up for air, she had to excuse herself to use the bathroom. The heat was getting to her and her face was moistening up. She needed to wash and wipe it clean before anything else.

Brushing up her bangs and dabbing at her rosy cheeks with a wet towel, Da glanced at herself in the mirror. She sighed again. Even to her, it was apparent that she wasn't getting enough sleep. What with two big tests coming up in a few weeks that she was constantly having to study for when not working at the restaurant, Da was barely giving herself any spare time. Her responsibilities really didn't leave much time for leisure. It was a wonder she was able to appear neat and presentable for work, with not a hair out of place or a stain on her dress.

Or... maybe it wasn't such a wonder, really. Da liked coming to work. It was a beautiful restaurant; it truly was. Everything in it was either made from rosewood or mahogany, and the place had such a rich, royal, and at the same time, almost homey feel to it. She loved the smells of it, and the ambiance it created. The chandelier was perfect for a family restaurant; not too big, not too bright, but classy as well. The chairs were lined with scarlet, velveteen cushions, the napkins were made of red and gold silk... even the uniforms matched. The walls and ceiling were decorated with beautiful swirls of either red or gold calligraphy, with alternating backgrounds. It was a lovely, roomy place, and one she was proud to work at. That was why she knew she had to suck it up and continue to work hard for it. Yes, perhaps today had taken more out of her than she had bargained for, but this was the first time. It wasn't usually like this, after all.

When Da finally hurried back out, she was alarmed at seeing the young man in the wife-beater wiping his hands on the napkin and preparing to leave. His plate was empty; she had taken too long in the bathroom. She should have been paying more attention-!

Never mind, I'll make sure he doesn't have to ask for the check like the others.

She quickly produced his check and proceeded to run back out, when she came face to face with the man himself halfway to his table.

She caught herself in surprise, and staggered back. The man looked surprised as well, and mechanically reached out to steady her elbow.

"Are you all right?" he asked, concern on his face.

But Da wasn't paying attention. Her head was spinning slightly in confusion. Why hadn't he waited? Had he been trying to leave without paying?

"I'm sorry for making you wait for the bill, sir," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "Here you are."

She held out the checkbook.

The man blankly looked at the book, and then back at her. For the first time, he focused his stare on her fully. His eyes narrowed.

"Excuse me?"

His voice, for some reason, sounded suspicious, even affronted.

To her horror, Da found herself blushing under his gaze. Oh, her accursed unpredictable shyness of men- why did it have to resurface now? She swallowed hard, and struggled to explain to him.

"U-Um... I'm sorry, but... you have to pay before you leave. It's the rules here."

And everywhere else, she added silently. Why did he look so offended? Had she said something wrong?

She forced herself to keep looking into his sharp, silver eyes. How did he make them look so intense, so stern? It was all she could do to keep from looking away.

The man folded his arms and turned his head to the side, looking at her quizzically.

"You haven't been working here long, have you?"

Da flushed deeply in shame at his words. Was it that obvious, then?

"A-Actually, I only started last week. Please forgive me if... if my inexperienced showed-"

"No, no, that wasn't what I meant," he said, calmly, unfolding his arms and removing his transfixing stare from her at last. His brow seemed to clear, as though he had figured something out, and she was surprised to see a dimple appear in one of his cheeks. "I understand."

Wordlessly, he took the book out of her hands, fished in his pocket, pulled out a thick wad of cash, slipped it inside and handed it back to her, not taking his eyes off her face.

"Keep the change. It's for your excellent service today."

"I... Thank you," was all Da managed to say, her face hotter than ever. She couldn't look back up at him. She kept her gray eyes trained at her feet.

"If you don't mind, I gotta use the restroom," he said pleasantly. "So if you could stand aside, please," he motioned.

"O-Of course," Da replied.

The moment he was out of sight, she let out a deep sigh, clutching the book to her chest, still in confusion. He had given her almost twice the amount of what he owed. Those had to have been, without a doubt, the strangest few minutes of her life. Why had the man seemed so surprised upon being asked to pay? She couldn't make sense of it. But more importantly, why was her heart racing so fast? And why on earth couldn't she get the way he'd stared at her out of her mind? Or his mesmerizing eyes, for that matter... She gave her head a little shake.

Well, it's not as if I'm ever going to see him again. He probably won't come back here after what just happened... though I've no idea what I did wrong.

Strangely, this thought didn't make her any gladder than she already was. She was still pondering why that was when a familiar voice jerked her back to her senses.

"Da! What did I tell you about continuing work too early?! Are you begging me for a demotion, child?!"

Da whipped around, ready to spill out the best apology she'd ever mentally rehearsed.

"Chef, I'm-"

Sun Jian had been glowering at her before she had turned to face him, but the moment her heartfelt entreaties were about to escape her lips, something distracted him.

He took his eyes off her, and his face broke out into a smile at something he spotted behind her.

"You there!" he roared, making Da start, his eyes twinkling. "I'll have you know, my steak has been praised since before you were ever thought of, you brat!"

Steak? Oh, no.

Da gulped. She should have known better than to deliver that message. She knew that Sun Jian took his cooking very seriously. She knew he almost never received complaints. Now he and that young man would get into an altercation, and it would be all her fault. What would she tell the police?! Maybe she could prevent it before it happened... Da dared to turn around.

To her amazement, the man was smiling, his eyes twinkling in the exact same way as the chef's.

"Well, now that I'm around, old man, I'll be the judge of how good it is," he laughed heartily. "So keep 'em comin', Pop."

Pop?!

Da's voice caught in her throat as she wildly looked from one laughing man to the other. Her heart beat faster than ever.

My God. I just asked him to... I just asked my boss's-!

She felt Sun Jian's heavy hand rest on her shoulder proudly, his face completely devoid of all previous annoyance with her.

"Da Qiao, dear, this is my eldest son. I sincerely hope he was a pleasure to wait on?"

Da tried to answer, but failed. All she could do was nod once.

When was able to raise her head, her boss's son was looking her in the eye once more, still watching her with a smile stretched across his face that took her breath away.

"It was a pleasure being served by you... Da Qiao."

Da couldn't stifle a gasp. Not unnoticed by anyone, her face crimsoned yet again.

Still laughing to himself quietly, the young, handsome man swung open the doors and was gone before Da could even begin to fathom the act of apologizing to him.

Well, there you have it! Please be sure to let me know if you'd like me to continue with this- I have the basic plot all figured out in my head so far, so just say the work and I'll bring it out on paper! As I said before, other characters will be making appearances as well, but first, their DLC outfits are going to have to be revealed so that I can place them in this fanfic accordingly!

And yes, for those who need confirmation, the young man is in fact Sun Ce. Surprise! LOL, or not, since most of you know me WAY too well hahah. Anyway, the outfits which I've (somewhat) described in this chapter (don't worry, many more descriptions will be coming soon!) are identical to the DLC outfits in question, hairstyles and all. They can be viewed very easily on Dynasty Warriors 8's Facebook Page, (the one with 8600+ likes) or on the Koei Wiki page. I'm sure there are other places they can be seen, but those are the ones I personally find the easiest to locate.

Finally, please remember to review! I wanted to make this chapter semi-short, because I didn't want it to be too tiresome a read for you to not be able to give me your opinions about the story and where you think it might be headed. So, I hope you enjoyed it, and see you with the next update!