Disclaimer: I obviously don't own Hana-Kimi. It belongs to Hisaya Nakajo. I worship the land she walks on. Let's all harass her for more Hana-Kimi! Teehehehe. :)

A/N: I wanted to make a series of one-shots between making my "novel" chapters (you have no idea how long it takes… ugh… I hate editing…) so here's the first one… o.o This one goes out to Mizuki & Sano. ; SO HERE WE GO!

This contains spoilers for Volume 22, Chapter 133

It wasn't often that Mizuki felt awkward around Sano. Most of the time, they were able to talk about anything they wanted. So why, now that they both had got rid of the burning "does he/she love me back?" barrier and the secret of her cross-dressing charade… why did they feel awkward talking to each other?!

Sano had told Mizuki his feelings, and she had told him hers, so now weren't they basically together? Mizuki could kiss him and hug him without feeling weird, or awkward, seeing as Sano now knew of her being a girl… or rather, she knew of him knowing her secret. She no longer needed to suppress the ache of not being able to get close to him, to kiss him, to hug him. She could do it without worrying, because she knew Sano would have no complaints. Wasn't he the one who confessed first anyways? Who kissed her?

So now, that they were a feet away from each other, why was she so shy? So uncomfortable? And even now, while her mind was raking for a subject to break the ice, she couldn't help but blush uncontrollably at Sano's presence so near her. She couldn't look him in the eye. She couldn't even stand looking at him without dying of embarrassment! What was wrong with her? She still continued to think of a subject to talk about, but as she worried about it more and more, the more she couldn't think of one…

"I…I'm happy for you…" Mizuki had failed to be the one to bring up conversation, so Sano had decided to break the ice. He was tired of sitting next to the girl who had stolen his heart in pure awkwardness. He wanted to talk to her normally now that the main barrier had been lost between them. Now the stupidest thing was coming between him holding her in his arms? He wouldn't have it.

"Ah… thanks… that is… I'm sorry for not telling you?" Mizuki had come to that subject once more. She started twitching and playing around with her hands. Why did it always have to come to that subject? Couldn't they talk like they used to before? No, for the past few days, it was always this and that. Nothing normal like before.

"Ah! But it wasn't because I didn't trust you or anything Sano! Ah… I don't know how to say it…You could say I didn't want you to hate me or anything for lying to you…or you could say I was scared…" she was babbling. Why did that always happen? Talking gibberish and babbling on about things that didn't matter… but once she started, she just couldn't stop, "Besides, I didn't want to involve you in on my problems by letting you in on my…secret…"

Sano was basically smiling. Mizuki was back to normal… well, almost. She was doing exactly what he loved about her. Well, actually, her talking like that made him wonder how he had ever fallen in love with a chatterbox like that. So to completely break the ice that had been between them a minute ago, he reached over and patted her head. She instantly stopped talking, and looked up into Sano's face.

"Don't worry about it. It's okay. I didn't tell you either, so we're even." Mizuki looked into Sano's eyes, and she didn't even stop to think when he reached over and brushed the hair out of her face. When he took hold of her chin and leaned over so suddenly. She didn't even notice her leaning towards him too, on her knees and basically crawling towards him. Didn't stop to think when her lips met his. She just sat there and savored the victory of having won Sano over from all those girls who had ever wanted him. Knowing that the kiss they were sharing confirmed it, and that she was now stealing a kiss from the one so many girls had wanted in the past.

Sano wasn't thinking straight either. He only remembered feeling her soft lips touching his. Having won her over from so many competitors – Nakatsu, who had first realized his feelings for her, Gilbert, who had lied about kissing her lips to cause Sano further fury, and who knows how many others who wanted her – it just made him feeling superior.

There was nothing to worry about now. He could kiss her without worrying about rejection. Without worrying about anything. Well, maybe about the other problems… her charade at school… families living across the world…

Either way, he could worry about that later. Right now, he would worry about whether his breath was fresh.