A/N) Because writing Tom and Lexi as children makes my world go round... :)

Tumblr prompt: 'Imagine your OTP being cast in a school play where they have to kiss. Person A has never been kissed before, and Person B offers to practice.'

To this day, Lexi still had no idea how she had been cast in this play.

One moment, it seemed, she was stumbling her way through the lines in the audition, trying hard not to make a mistake. The next moment her name was written at the top of the casting sheet in green marker and the other girls were looking at her accusingly and enviously as she tried to hide her shock. Lexi Nekross. Playing Princess Celia.

And that wasn't even the worst part of it.

All that was before she found out about the scene.

"We have to do what?" Lexi yelped.

Her teacher smiled down at the eleven year old girl, Lexi's blond hair tied in two uneven bunches and wearing a faded grey pinafore that struggled to reach her knees. Her father wasn't exactly diligent in buying her new clothes at the best of times, he was generally too busy working or buying Varg new things. "The final scene is that you kiss and the magical spell is broken at last."

Tom had an unreadable expression on his face as he digested the news. Lexi didn't dare meet his eyes. As if it wasn't bad enough that she had been cast as the main role in the play, where she'd have to act and sing - two talents that she had never managed to pick up - but Tom Clarke had been cast as the prince. Of course he had. With his cropped brown hair hanging at just the right length and his warm brown eyes that always seemed to be laughing at a silent joke, of course he would be the perfect candidate for the prince.

And now, she not only needed to get through the play without making a fool of herself to her lifelong crush, but she had to kiss him.

Normally this news would have made her heart leap. But in front of everyone, in a school play?

She had never kissed anyone before. Well, unless you counted Jathro, and that had been 'practise' that he claimed he needed for his girlfriends. And Varg of course didn't count because he was family.

But she knew Tom had. Tom, with his many girls following him dreamily about, hopelessly in love with him. Tom, with his many girlfriends that he had had over the years of primary school. Well, at least three or four. That was three or four more than Lexi had ever had, anyway.

"I don't think I can - I mean - um." Lexi's mouth dried up completely as she tried to argue with the teacher. She couldn't be a princess. That would mean having to act graceful, to be confident, to sing... it was too much. She had only come to the audition to watch Jathro audition for the court jester (which he had performed very well) and had been told to read lines off the script for her audition. It had been halfway through her audition until she had actually realised she was auditioning, and by then it was too late to run away. Jathro had come to watch her and had been the only one to clap.

But apparently they liked her, because now she had been cast as the main part.

Then, unexpectedly, Tom cut her off, stepping up next to her. "We'll do it, miss. Thank you for casting us."

Lexi cast him an incredulous look. "We will?"

Tom winked at her, making her heart melt inside. Tom Clarke had never looked at her like that. Never really given her a second glance, really. "We will," he agreed. Then he took her arm and dragged her out of the classroom, leaving Lexi dazed and wondering what had happened to get her to this stage.

"Relax," he told her quietly when they were in the corridor. "You'll be great. I've got football now, but meet me later. We can practise." Then the eleven year old boy was away, Lexi standing in the corridor staring after him dreamily, still trying to figure out if this was her dream or her worst nightmare.

Jathro cracked up laughing when he heard.

"Lexi... Nekross... having to ... kiss ... Tom ... Clarke!" he gasped in between bouts of laughter over the phone.

Lexi folded her arms in annoyance, even though Jathro couldn't see her pout. She had phoned her best friend who went to a nearby boys school, for hope of help or comfort. "I was hoping you'd be of slightly more assistance than that, Jathro. Laughing at me isn't helping."

"You have to kiss that jerkface!"

"He's not a jerkface!" Lexi argued hotly, before realising what she'd said.

She could almost visualize her best friend's grin. "Ooh... Tom's not a jerkface!" he mimicked mockingly.

"It's not that -" Lexi argued. "Its just I don't want to make a fool of myself on stage. Kissing my lifelong crush in front of a giant audience is not an ideal situation."

"Sounds like the ideal situation to me," Jathro mused.

"It would be good if I could act normal for once, but there's no chance of me acting cool around Tom on stage," said Lexi wistfully. "He's going to laugh at me. I'm no way good enough for him."

Jathro, evidently realising Lexi was serious, suddenly sounded outraged. "Hey, don't worry, Lex. You're the prettiest girl I know. Well, not quite as pretty as Emily Harding - now she's pretty - but one of the prettiest anyway. That jerkface would be lucky to get a kiss from you."

Lexi smiled weakly. "Thanks Jathro. That helps. A bit."

Jathro made some kind of winking noise down the phone. "I'm here to help, aren't I? Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to practise. I'm the court jester, you know. And you're the beautiful princess."

"I wish," Lexi said before hanging up. Surprisingly, Jathro had made her feel a little better. His reassurances were quite kind, for him. He may be an idiot, but he was a great best friend.

"Who you talking to?" came a familiar voice from behind her. Lexi spun around, clutching the phone to her chest.

"No-one," was her automatic answer. Lexi winced. Now it sounded like she was either crazy or trying to hide something from him, neither impression one she had wanted to make.

Mercifully Tom raised his eyebrows but changed the subject. "So, you want to practise our big scene?"

"Our big scene?" Lexi repeated dumbly.

"Yes. The kissing scene?" Tom reminded her. Lexi felt a rush of fear. That scene.

"You know, Tom, I really don't think -" Lexi began.

Suddenly Tom cut her off by leaning in close and pressing his lips to hers. It was only the briefest of touches before he stood back, but Lexi's eyes widened at the sensation. So that was being kissed. By her biggest crush, as well.

Tom gave her his crooked half-smile that Lexi had fallen in love with. "You know, you just need to have more confidence in yourself, Lex. Plus -" even he looked slightly embarrassed at this point. "You're not a bad kisser."

Lexi's mouth fell slack. Tom Clarke had just kissed her - and said she was a good kisser!

Wait until she told Jathro about this.

Maybe she wouldn't be so bad at this part after all...