Codename Kids Next Door – Undercover Teenager Division - BREATH

by ZariDenim

Sector V are teenagers and navigating what appears to be a dangerous trap by the Delightful Children from Down the Lane who are targeting former KND agents. It's up to the undercover teens to uncover what is happening and it leads to Wally needing to confront his feelings for Kuki.

Codename Kids Next Door – Undercover Teenager Division

Operation B.R.E.A.T.H. – Befriending Rivals Even After Teenage Heartache

"Can Oi borrow your notes from history?" Wally asked as he pushed his way through the sea of juniors.

"We just came from there," Kuki said. She hugged her binder to her chest. Bright colors and rainbows covered the front.

"She was talking too fast. Oi gave up," Wally admitted. He ran his fingers through his messy blonde hair.

Kuki handed him her binder after pretending to think about the option for a moment. "Here you go," she said sweetly. She pressed her long black hair behind her ear as she opened her locker to get her next book.

Wally scanned through her notes, adding the things that he had missed. He noticed that she had been doodling on her notes again. She was drawing hearts and stars and different versions of her name. He was just about to hand the binder back to her, when he noticed his name doodled on the inner flap of the binder.

"Are you done?" Kuki asked him, looking at him with her inquiring brown eyes.

Wally closed the binder a little too quickly and placed it beneath his own. "Oi still have some left," he lied.

Kuki sighed and looked to her phone for the time. "I guess I can get it back after English. Hand me my Algebra folder?"

Wally pulled out the green folder and handed it to her. Naturally, her favorite subject would be in her favorite color.

Kuki smiled at him and trotted off to her next class.

Wally watched after her for an instant before heading toward his next class.

)

Biology didn't have as much interest to the young Australian as the girly binder that he had on his desk. He opened the front cover and scanned the inside. She had drawn rainbow monkeys, stars, hearts, Japanese symbols, and the names of Sector V on the inner cover.

He closed the binder and silently scolded himself for even thinking she would have a crush on him. If she hadn't noticed him after all the years they had been friends and operatives, then she never would. How could he dream of standing out anyway? He reminded himself that Kuki was also being chased by various other boys in school that she was oblivious to, so of course she wouldn't noticed him. He never seemed to stop dreaming though.

:)

Kuki followed along with the teacher as he explained the quadratic formula. She liked numbers. It helped that the teacher was very enthusiastic about the subject matter… and that Mr. Robin was a young student teacher that was very hot.

"This equation is useful for those of you who are thinking of going to business school," Mr. Robin's sultry voice rang through the room.

Kuki rested her chin on her hand as Mr. Robin answered a time eating question from a girl up front. A piece of folded notebook paper slid onto her desk. She looked to the blonde boy sitting next to her. He was one of the delightful children from down the lane that formerly never left each other's sides, but had recently divided amongst the school. Father had seen fit that they separate when they joined middle school so they could infiltrate it and high school more thoroughly.

Kuki opened the note ad read it quickly.

I have something you want. Meet me in the parking lot after school. Come Alone.

~Bruce

Kuki looked at the delightful blonde from the corner of her eye. She wondered what he had that she would want.

He nodded slightly to her and went back to his work.

Kuki continued in her work as well. She wondered if this was a trap. She made a mental note to send Sector V to her rescue if things were to go the wrong way.

:)

Hoagie looked at Abby from the corner of his eye. Ever since he had gotten over his childhood crush on Cree, her older sister, he had started to notice how incredibly perfect Abby was. He often found himself daydreaming about her long curly hair and her deep caramel eyes and her soft brown skin…

He loved the sound of her voice and would try to keep her talking longer just to hear it. He tried to force himself to focus on his homework, but it was no use. With her so close he could do nothing but stare. He nearly released a longing sigh as he pushed his eyes back to his work.

He understood why Wally had said nothing about his crush on Kuki for so long now. It was hard to imagine that someone as high on the social scale as Wally would feel the same way he did though. He wasn't especially tall, or good looking, or funny, or… he stopped himself. He didn't need to bring himself down. He already had enough problems arising from this recent crush. He couldn't imagine this feeling continuing for as long as Wally had allowed his to, but he also couldn't bear to face the pain of rejection. He was, in every regard, just as screwed as Wally.

:)

Wally rummaged through his notes before English class. After drifting into a dream world during biology class, he realized that he had doodled a rather detailed drawing of him and Kuki kissing. He had barely had enough time to stuff it in his notes before leaving with the bell, and now it was lost in the sea of unmarked notes. He had to find it. If someone else got their hands on it… He returned his focus to his papers.

"Hey, Wally!" Kuki said happily as she took her seat next to him. "Got my binder?"

Wally continued to push papers around his desk. "Yeah, just give me a second."

Kuki giggled at the mess on his desk. "This is why my binder is organized. Here," she said as she began helping him to sort through his notes.

Wally caught the vision of the drawing in his peripheral vision and snatched it from her hands. He stuffed the pages into his binder and handed hers back to her. "Messy works for me. My mom says it's the trademark of a doctor."

Kuki smiled at him. "I think you'd be a good doctor."

Wally grinned at her nervously. That had been a close call, too close. He liked the idea that she had been so sure about what she had just said though. She always had unmerited faith in him.

:)

Abby and Kuki sat at a table with some mutual girlfriends at lunch.

"Are you trying out for the play, Kuki?" Sue asked her excitedly. She was a lovely young Native American girl with beautiful red skin.

"Yeah!" Allison said with a smile. "You're a shoe in with your singing voice!"

Kuki blushed slightly at the praise of her friends.

"And the musical is Grease, so each of us could play a role!" Sue squealed.

Abby shrugged. "It ain't the first musical I been in fo' school. Dad'd be happy."

"We should go to the tryouts together next week," Allison said, her blue eyes sparkling. She was the blonde of the group, but she was the farthest from ditsy.

Kuki smiled widely. "Yeah! It'll be fun!"

A freshman from the junior varsity football team of the school stepped up to the table and places a piece of folded paper in front of Abby.

Abby looked at the young boy, confused.

"It's from the varsity running back," the boy said, motioning over his shoulder to the jock table.

Abby opened the note and read what was inside.

I have information for you. Meet me behind the bleachers after Friday's game.

~Lenny

"A love note from the school's RB!" Sue squealed.

"What does it say?" Allison inquired.

Abby looked at Kuki from the corner of her eye. "Come see Friday night's game. I'll score a touchdown for you. Check yes or no." Abby grabbed the pen the boy was holding and wrote the word "Okay" on the note and handed it back.

The boy rushed back to the table where Lenny, one of the delightful children, sat, finally braces free, smiling at her.

Sue and Allison giggled.

"A little old school, but still cute," Allison commented.

Abby smiled and looked to Kuki. "Yeah. Old school."

Kuki smiled back to show that she understood. The silent exchange went unnoticed by the other two girls.

:)

"They know," Abby said surely as she sat in her classroom with Kuki before Geography class began.

Kuki nodded in agreement. "I just don't know how. There are kids that don't even know."

Abby chewed on her nail and stared off absentmindedly. "I don't know…"

Kuki pulled the note that Bruce had given her earlier out and handed it to Abby.

Abby read it quickly and handed it back. "This all just screams: Trap. Abby doesn't like it."

Kuki nodded in agreement.

"We need to know how much they know though, so meet Bruce after school, but have me on speed-dial. If it starts to look ugly, call me and I'll kick butt Abby style!" Abby told her.

Kuki smiled. "And I'll do the same for you!"

:)

Wally caught up to Kuki at her locker. The day went by at crawling speed when she wasn't around. "Hey, Kuki, what are you doin' after school?"

Kuki shrugged. "Going home. Unless you have a better offer." She looked at him hopefully.

Wally smiled nervously at her. Seven years of this crud, and he still wasn't over it! "Want to get some food?"

Kuki smiled at him. "Sure!"

Wally grinned as he walked away. On the outside he was calm, but on the inside he was jumping up and down. It wasn't a date, but he had been settling for any time together he could get for years now.

Kuki couldn't stop the schoolgirl smile that was always stuck to her face after Wally showed any type of interest in her. She knew that he preferred to play the protective older brother role when it came to her, but she wished he saw her in a more romantic light. She'd jump at the chance if he ever asked her out.

:)

Abby and Hoagie sat on the front steps of the school. They wanted to be close, in case Kuki sent a call through.

"So why is Kuki meeting one of the delightful children again?" Hoagie asked as though no reason would be good enough.

Abby had her arms folded over her chest. She looked forward, deep in thought. "Because they knew something, and we need to know what."

Hoagie looked at her as she spoke and became entranced by her brown lips. He followed her face up to her beautiful deep brown eyes and felt his heart skip a beat. He hated being so close and so far away as well.

Abby caught his stare and looked at him curiously. "Why are you lookin' at me like that?"

Hoagie snapped out of his dreamy state. He cursed himself for allowing his feelings to bring him to this place. "What? Nothing! I was just… um…" he struggled to find a good excuse. "There was a butterfly and a turtle and… uh…"

Abby shook her head at him. "What are you talkin' about, boy? Would you snap out of it and pay attention to our mission? You're actin' a fool like Wally around Kuki." She turned away from him as she said the last statement.

Hoagie laughed nervously and wondered how much more he could take.

:)

Kuki walked hesitantly into the parking lot. This felt like a trap. She knew she had seen the tallest of the delightful children, David, ride away earlier on his new Kawasaki Ninja. She was glad that she wasn't going to be ganged up on by all five of them at least.

"So you did come alone," a monotone voice said from behind her.

Kuki turned to see Bruce, the blonde boy from the delightful children from down the lane, standing by a red Corvette. She should have known this was his car. What other student would have been able to afford it?

"For a moment, I thought you weren't coming," he admitted. His blue eyes were as icy cool as always.

Kuki didn't move. A part of her wished she hadn't waited until the parking lot had cleared, but she couldn't risk someone learning the truth about her and the rest of Sector V. "So what do you want?" she asked. She wanted to be out of there as soon as possible.

Bruce smirked at her. "Always so direct. That's a good quality."

Kuki continued to look at him skeptically. What did he gain by standing here looking at her?

Bruce sighed and reached into his driver's side door.

Kuki tensed. What could he be hiding behind those deeply tinted windows? She reached her hand into her pocket with her cell phone.

Bruce removed a pink rainbow monkey with a small bottle of perfume stitched into its right hand.

Kuki recognized it instantly. "That's a Too-Much-Perfume Rainbow Monkey! They only made ten of them! I put in for a contest last year to get one but didn't win it." As she babbled about the stuffed toy, she involuntarily began to move toward him.

Bruce smiled at her.

Kuki stopped herself. This was one of the delightful children from down the lane that she was walking so willingly towards. Had she lost her mind? She loved Rainbow Monkeys and wanted to complete her collection, but what cost would this rare collectible come at?

Bruce gave her a knowing gaze and took purposeful steps toward her.

Kuki prepared for the worst.

Bruce handed her the Rainbow Monkey with one smooth motion. "It's yours."

Kuki reached for the toy with a smile but stopped herself before taking it. "What's the catch?"

Bruce tossed the Rainbow Monkey across the small distance between them. "There is no catch. It's a gift."

Kuki caught the Rainbow Monkey and looked it over. "But…"

Bruce smirked at her. "Consider it a friendship gift. It still has all the perfume inside."

Kuki squeezed the nozzle and a squirt of pink fumes released. It smelled of cherries and sugar. Kuki grinned excitedly. "Really! Thank you!" She almost hugged him but stopped herself. "Um… so you want to be friends?" she asked, returning to the matter at hand. Even as she spoke the words they sounded more and more untrue.

Bruce nodded. "We could do studies together, go see movies, attend school functions, and possibly take a senior trip together…"

Kuki thought about his words for a moment. Why did he suddenly feel like he needed a friend? Especially a friend like her. Something wasn't sitting right. "So why me?"

Bruce smiled at her again, but this time it was a sheepish grin that she had come to love on Wally when he asked her to do things. Her heart fluttered at it. "I find you attractive and fascinating," he admitted with his voice not quite as monotone.

Kuki blinked twice to wake herself up. Was he saying what she thought he was saying? "You mean," she nearly had to force the words out past her disbelief, "you like me?"

Bruce smiled with the same adorable grin that she loved on Wally and broke eye contact with her. "Yes, but that is more difficult to say."

Kuki hugged the Rainbow Monkey a little to control the mixed feelings she had. She was worried about this entire thing being a trap and Bruce simply leading her on, but another part of her was extremely flattered that he liked her.

"I will see you in class tomorrow," he said as he entered his car and drove away.

Kuki stood alone in the parking lot for a moment, dumbfounded. That was all? He just wanted to tell her he liked her? No elaborate plan to destroy the kids next door or any other type of threat? What was happening to the world?

:)

Abby and Hoagie sat on the school's front steps playing slap jack with a deck of cards.

"She's been gone a long time," Hoagie said, showing a little worry.

Abby shook her head and focused on the game. "Kuki's no pushover. She'd tear Bruce apart."

Hoagie nodded, though he felt that Abby had a little too much faith in Kuki.

Kuki came walking up to the two of them before Hoagie could say anything else.

Abby stopped playing immediately and turned to Kuki. "What happened?" she asked when she saw the blissful look on her face.

Kuki snapped to her senses almost instantly. "Um, he said he wanted to be friends," she told them the truth.

"That's it?" Abby inquired.

"Yeah," Kuki said, "Weird, huh?"

"Then why are you so happy?" Hoagie asked.

Kuki held out the Too-Much-Perfume Rainbow Monkey to show them. "He gave me this Rainbow Monkey as a peace offering!"

Hoagie raised an eyebrow at the toy. "It looks like he's offering a bit more than friendship."

Abby put all the pieces together in her mind. This didn't look like a trap anymore, but it wasn't trustworthy either. Unless that delightful piece of the delightful children actually had feelings for her. She wondered how Lenny could have been involved in it as well. Something wasn't right. For now, though, nothing seemed obviously wrong.

:)

Wally hated sitting across the table from her. He could never look her in the eye. He would always sit next to her for that reason. She didn't mind it…he thought. It's not that he didn't want to look at her, and gaze into her eyes, or stare at her perfectly pink lips, or…STOP! Stop doing that! She might see what an idiot you look like and decide she wants to go home.

"Are you okay, Wally?" Kuki asked as she bit into another french fry.

"Oi'm fine," he defended quickly, feeling the heat rising in his cheeks. Why couldn't he just get used to having her around? Why couldn't he just be calm? Why couldn't he be smooth and suave and attractive to her? Why couldn't he just…

"You seem really distant," she said kindly.

"Oi'm, uh…Oi'm…" Crud. She was going to see right through him. Just pretend it wasn't Kuki. Pretend you haven't been in love with her since you were ten years old. Pretend she's not looking right at you with those incredible almond shaped eyes right now. Just pretend…

"Wally?" Kuki said with concern. "Did you need to talk about something?"

Wally stare at his French fries. They weren't that interesting, he just needed something to save him from opening his mouth too wide. "No. Oi'm just a little uneasy about this mission."

Kuki tilted her head at him. "Why?"

"Oi'm no good in it," he explained.

Kuki smiled at him. "Of course you are! Abby and I will need backup if this thing goes south."

Wally looked up at her. "Oi just don't loike this whole mess."

Kuki looked at him from under her eyelashes. "I don't like it…but I'm okay with it as long as you're there."

Wally looked up at her and felt heat rising in his face. No. He didn't need her to see this. He needed to make it stop. He nodded coolly. "Oi'm always here."

:)

"I'm glad you decided to come out with me tonight," Bruce told Kuki as they found their seats and the theater.

"Are you kidding? I've been wanting to see this one for a while!" Kuki said excitedly.

Bruce looked at her with his stone blue eyes. "I thought you might feel awkward…considering our history."

Kuki tossed a piece of popcorn in her mouth and shrugged. "It's a little different. Everyone deserves a chance though, right?"

Bruce gave her a slight smile.

The movie was good, but Kuki attempted to keep her wits about her. Bruce seemed nice enough, but there was something still off. Why now? Why was he suddenly wanting to make a huge change and be her friend…well, boyfriend? Still, it was sort of nice to be on an actual date for once. Not video games in the tree house or in Wally's living room. It was just…nice.

Kuki nearly felt her heart leap from her chest as she felt Bruce's fingers trace their way into her hand. It was strange. It was soft, and warm, and made her feel a heat in her chest and her cheeks. She had always imaged the Delightful Children from Down the Lane to be non-human creatures with no warmth or emotions. She was grateful for the darkness. She was on a mission and she needed to remember that. This wasn't actually something real. What Wally and she had was…what did Wally and she have? They had a friendship where he made plans with her and then spent half the time reminding her that it wasn't a date. They had a friendship where he told her she looked pretty one moment and then told her that she was clingy the next. She was tired of pretending that he was going to realize that she was waiting for him to make a move. She shouldn't hold back on his account. They were just friends, after all.

Bruce pulled up to the curb in front of Kuki's house.

Bruce walked with Kuki to her doorstep, with her hand still in his.

Kuki smiled as she slipped her hand from his. "I had a good time," she told him.

Bruce gave her a slight smile. "I should hope we could do it again."

Kuki nodded. "Sure," she said as she opened her front door and stepped inside. "Goodnight," she said with more nerves than she expected.

Bruce looked at her with something in his eyes that seemed familiar. "Goodnight."

Kuki closed the door and rested her weight against it. What in the world was happening?

:)

Wally watched as the dirty delightful dork from down the lane returned to his car and it drove away. He could go home now. He should go home now. Kuki was safe at home. He hated that…that brief moment when he could see that she was enjoying herself though. And what was with her holding his hand? She didn't need to pretend to like him. She just had to get to the bottom of his plan, right? Right? What was she doing? And what about her watching him until she closed the door the entire way? What was that all…about? Why couldn't he…why couldn't she look at him that way?

He moved from his place in the tree and began walking home. A few weeks. A few weeks at most. That's all this mission would take, and then she'd be back in his living room playing Plumber Brothers until all hours of the night again. Just a few more weeks.

:)

"This has been way more than a few weeks!" Wally practically barked at Hoagie and Abby. "When is this nightmare ever going to end!"

Abby rolled her eyes at him. "It ain't my fault. I'm stuck in the same boat as Kuki. I've got another date with Lenny tonight."

Hoagie appeared disappointed at her words. Wally understood all too well.

"Lenny is a double agent and we all know it! He's been helping the Kids Next Door for years now! Crud, he even knows you haven't been decommissioned! Kuki is parading around with that delightful dork like he's not planning to take out the Kids Next Door from the inside out," Wally bellowed. How could she even think to compare the two situations? Lenny was giving them hints about what was going on from the inside. There was no danger involved when she went out with him. It may have been hard for Hoagie to watch, but at least he knew it was only a short-term arrangement.

"Nobody is happy about this situation, Wally. We just have to stick it out a little longer," Hoagie reminded him. His half-hearted words weren't reassuring.

"Don't we have enough information yet? Clearly this plan isn't as immediate as we thought, so maybe we should just have Kuki abort," Wally suggested.

"The only thing we know is that the Delightful Children are asking specific people out based on a predetermined list that they were each given. We don't know why. There's no motive that connects any of them to the Kids Next Door besides Kuki and me," Abby reminded him.

"Maybe the other dates are cover ups to hide the fact that they are trying to sneak in?" Wally suggested.

Abby thought about that for a minute. "Something ain't sittin' right with all of this. I'll see what Lenny found out tonight."

Kuki's melodic voice came echoing into the treehouse. She skipped into the room, and stopped her singing as she saw the seriousness on her friends' faces. "Is everyone being decommissioned?" she asked fearfully.

Abby folded her arms over her chest. "Not yet," she announced.

Kuki sighed in relief. "Then what's everybody so serious about?" She stepped over to the couch and took her usual seat.

"All of the Delightful Children from Down the Lane now have standing relationships with someone in the school. All of which were at one point members of the Kids Next Door," Hoagie updated her.

Wally made his way to the couch and sat beside Kuki.

"Are any of them still active?" Kuki asked.

Abby shrugged. "It's takin' some diggin' because we can't contact the Kids Next Door headquarters without blowing our cover."

"There have been some rumors going around that David is going steady with Fanny Fulbright, but we have no way to confirm it," Hoagie added.

Kuki pushed her raven hair behind her ear. "I can ask Bruce tonight when we talk on the phone."

Abby, Hoagie and Wally looked to Kuki with a look of combined confusion.

"What?" Kuki asked, innocence and confusion painted on her face.

"Are you talking to him on the phone a lot?" Hoagie asked.

Kuki looked between the three of them as though she were afraid to answer honestly. "Well, yeah. We're dating."

"You're pretending to date him," Hoagie corrected her.

"I don't get what the problem is," Kuki said, sounding defensive.

"Do you rememba that we were supposed to try keepin' all the talkin' to text so we have somethin' to keep the trail hot?" Abby reminded her.

Kuki gasped. "Oops! I forgot!"

Wally felt his heart sink in his chest. Was she spending all night draining her battery by talking to that little freak?

"But he likes talking on the phone because he likes to hear my voice," Kuki defended.

Wally made a gagging noise. "Kuki! Don't tell me you're fallin' for that crud!"

Kuki lowered her eyebrows at him. "What does that mean?" The anger in her tone that he was all to accustom to was leaking into her voice.

"It's a line, Kuki!" Wally continued, hoping she would see that she was forgetting the entire mission, and falling for the Delightful Children's trick.

"Oh? Because why would anyone actually like the sound of my voice? Is that what you're trying to say, Wally?" Kuki snapped angrily.

Wally sank back in his seat protectively. "Oi'm just trying to keep you from forgetting that he's the enemy, Kooks."

Kuki stood from her seat. "You know, the more I spend time with Bruce, the more I think that there's nothing going on this time. I think maybe they are just teenagers like us who want to date and be normal for once!"

Abby stood up from her chair. "Are you listening to yourself? We're the Kids Next Door, they're the Delightful Children from Down the Lane! They've been brainwashed by Father to hate us. As long as we know the secrets of the Kids Next Door, it's a threat to the entire operation for us to even imagine anything close to 'normal' with them!"

Kuki looked at her friend for a moment, and then her demeanor changed. She seemed defeated. "You're right."

Wally nearly sighed in relief. At least Abby was able to talk some sense into her.

"I know that while I have my memories, I will be a loose end for the Kids Next Door. That's why I'm thinking about asking to be decommissioned," she said without even the slightest hint of hesitation.

Wally's mouth fell open at her words. Hadn't she just come in fearful that the whole sector was being decommissioned?

The treehouse went silent. How could she even consider such a thing? Only a select few members of the Kids Next Door were allowed to stay within their sectors and continue fighting the battle against the adults. She was chosen for a specific reason. How could she even entertain the idea of throwing everything away? With Number 1 out in space trying to help Kids on other planets and his entire sector waiting for his return, how could she just let everything slip away with decommissioning?

"ARE YOU CRAZY, KUKI?!" Wally's words flew out of his mouth without his control.

Kuki didn't look in his direction.

Wally continued to plead with her. "What if Nigel comes back and sees that you-"

Kuki looked at Wally with clear displeasure in her expression. "Nigel will manage without me. He's been gone for five years, Wally! If he is coming back, he's not coming for us!"

"That's blasphemy!" Abby snapped at her, defending Nigel's allegiance to Sector V.

"Kuki," Hoagie said, sounding calmer than Abby and Wally, "do you know what you're saying?"

Kuki took a breath and looked at her feet. "I'm saying…I want to grow up."

Wally felt his heart sink into his stomach. Grow up? Why would she do that? If she is decommissioned, she'll…she'll forget him. She'll forget the times they were together. The times they fought, their friendship, their first kiss…she wouldn't be his Kuki anymore.

Kuki turned and began walking out of the room, toward the ladder. "I'm packing my things, and I'll let you know when I've contacted headquarters."

The three stood in the room motionless. Of the four of them, she was the last anyone would have guessed would leave by choice.

"I think we know what the plan is now," Hoagie said softly, breaking the silence.

Wally and Abby looked at him. "Decommission the undercover Kids Next Door," Hoagie finished.

Abby looked to Wally.

Wally hung his head and stare down at his feet, his hands balled into tight fists. He wasn't going to lose her without a fight.

:)

"Kuki!" Wally barked as he entered her room.

Kuki had a box of her things nearly full already. All of her stuffed animals were back in her room at her house now. Wally wondered if she had left so little here to make this easier.

Wally forced himself to cross the room, but his footsteps were weak as he reached her bed.

Kuki looked to him for a minute and then tossed a Rainbow Monkey into the box. "It's going to be okay, Number Four. I won't remember anything."

Wally felt his adrenaline kicking in. "I know that! That's the whole problem!"

Kuki turned to look at him. "We can still be friends," she told him. "Just find me after and talk to me. It'll be fine."

Wally shook his head. "I don't want to be friends with you!" He regretted the words the moment they were out of his mouth. The way they came out, it sounded like he didn't want to be friends with her, not that he wanted more than that.

Kuki placed the last item in the box slowly. "Okay," she said softly, her voice cracking as though she were holding back tears. "Then just don't talk to me," she said, a little more audibly. She grabbed the box in her arms and took long strides toward her door.

Wally ran to catch up with her and blocked the door, holding onto the doorframe to steady himself. "You…you mean something to me, Kuki."

Kuki frowned at him. The tears in her eyes hurt him to see.

"I don't want to be the only one that has memories of us," he told her.

Kuki placed the box on the floor roughly. "Oh, so now our friendship matters?"

Wally couldn't bring himself to look at her. Eight years. Eight years he had been with her, and he wasn't just going to let her slip through his fingers like this. "It always mattered, Kooks."

Kuki sighed and wiped a tear from her cheek. "I don't want to play your games right now, Wally."

Wally had to do something. He had to say something. He was losing her. "Oi...Kuki, Oi..."

Kuki turned and picked up the box again. "I need to be home by dinner, or my mom will take away my phone."

Wally was grasping at anything. Speak! Speak! Say something! Anything used to do! Anything! What an idiot he had been. He couldn't just let her go.

"Move!" Kuki ordered him.

Wally slowly released the door frame and brought his hands down. He couldn't say it. Not now. It wouldn't matter anyway, right?

"Goodbye, Wally," Kuki said as she moved into the doorframe and tried to push past him.

Wally had to do something. Speak! Move! Do something, cruddy body! He felt his heart nearly explode when she brushed past him as though he didn't exist. He had never been so scared. This wasn't going to happen! He turned and knocked the box to the floor, probably breaking a few figurines that he would have to buy her again later.

"Wally!" Kuki snapped at him, turned to face him angrily.

Wally wrapped his arms around her before he thought better of it. He pressed his face into her hair, and squeezed her until her breasts were flush with his chest. "Don't do this, Kuki," he said, feeling his voice failing. He wouldn't have much more courage for this. This tiny Asian girl was bringing the mighty Wallabee Beatles to his knees. "Don't forget me!"

Kuki stood motionless in his arms.

Wally felt tears streaming out of his eyes. "Please!" he begged. "Don't forget me…" He didn't think about how he would regret letting her see him cry later. He had one shot.

Kuki wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

Wally squeezed her tighter and stifled a sob.

"Okay," she said softly.

Wally felt the relief in his chest first. What had she said? Did she say okay? That meant she was going to stay, right? She wasn't going to willingly destroy the last eight years?

"I won't ask to be decommissioned," Kuki told him. "Stop crying, Wally."

Wally released her and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "Oi'm not crying! Your hair poked me in the eye."

Kuki smirked at him. "Oh, yeah? Which one," she said as she folded her arms over her chest.

Wally darted his eyes away from her. "Both of them," he lied.

Kuki giggled and shook her head. "Okay."

Wally cleared his throat. "Let's put your stuff back in your room, okay?"

Kuki smiled at him. "Okay."

:)

"Abby's got a bad feeling about this one," Abby said as she took a seat next to Hoagie in the cafeteria.

Hoagie looked to Wally from behind his glasses. "Has she said anything else?"

Wally shook his head. "She's just been spending more toime with that jerk." He knew he was pouting. He didn't care. What did he have to do to get her to look away from that kid?

"Lenny told me this wasn't some small operation," Abby told them, in a hushed tone. "He said this is big enough to last a lifetime."

Hoagie took a bite of his sandwich. Wally could tell by the look on his face that something was missing. "What if Kuki is right?"

Abby and Wally both looked to Hoagie in surprise.

"What if they really do just want to be as normal as they can be?" Hoagie mentioned. "Maybe they didn't intend to pick people that were former KND ops. I mean, besides us, everyone else has been decommissioned already, we figured that out. They didn't exactly push for us when we said no, either."

Wally folded his arms over his chest and leaned back in his seat. "There's got to be an angle, we're just not looking hard enough," he pouted.

Abby played with her straw. "Maybe, but it's still weird that they all decided to start dating at the same time."

"And you're forgetting that if they are really trying to just be normal, we wouldn't need Lenny to give us information," Wally added.

Hoagie nodded and looked down at the sandwich in his hands. "What if their decommissioning is wearing off?"

Wally and Abby looked to him and then looked away.

"If they were coming to their senses they would find people that they remembered," Abby said, piecing together Hoagie's theory.

"Lenny did come out of his spontaneously," Hoagie mentioned. "This could be the same thing."

Wally looked up and saw Kuki enter the cafeteria with her tray. He stood from the table, and was about to wave at her, when he saw Bruce enter behind her. He smiled at her and pointed to a table on the far side of the cafeteria, by the window, the couples table. Wally dropped himself back into his seat. "They're eating lunch together now?" he grumbled.

"Abby doesn't like this," Abby announced. "We gotta get that to stop."

Hoagie nodded. "Agreed. See if Lenny has noticed any odd behavior lately."

Abby nodded.

Wally watched as Bruce held the chair for Kuki before she sat down. "Stupid, cruddy guy and his stupid, cruddy charm," he mumbled under his breath.

:)

Kuki walked up to her doorstep and looked up at Bruce from below her eyelashes. "Thanks for keeping it short tonight. My parents really wanted me home by nine."

Bruce smiled effortlessly at her. "I can respect curfews," he told her plainly.

Kuki bit her lower lip and stepped backward toward her front door. "Well…goodnight!" She turned to place her key in the slot, but Bruce's voice halted her.

"Kuki," he stated coolly.

Kuki took a breath before turning to face him again. "Yeah," she asked, barely audible.

Bruce stepped closer to her and held out a small box.

Kuki eyed the box and then looked back to Bruce. "It's not my birthday, and Valentine's day is a long time away," she informed him.

Bruce smiled and released a soft laugh beneath his breath. "It's a gift. Today is our three month anniversary."

Kuki felt her heart sink in her chest instantly. "But I didn't know we were supposed to get presents for each other for that. Don't you have to wait for a year or something?"

Bruce grinned at her and eyed her with his crystal blue eyes. "You don't even want to see what it is?"

Kuki took the box carefully from his hand and opened it slowly. How was she supposed to know that people exchanged gifts on a three month anniversary? This was her first boyfriend and it had begun as a mission. Begun? Wasn't it still a mission? Were they… "Oh my gosh…" Kuki said in awe as she looked down upon the small pink necklace. It was shaped like a Rainbow Monkey holding a giant heart, pink liquid filled the heart.

"Do you like it?" Bruce asked her.

"It's amazing!" Kuki said as she reflexively wrapped her arms around him and hugged him in thanks.

Bruce hugged her back awkwardly.

Kuki recognized what she was doing and stepped back. "Sorry, I was excited."

Bruce smiled at her. "It's actually a refill for the one I gave you before. I imagine it must be getting low."

Kuki looked down at the necklace. He certainly paid a lot of attention to her for this being just one big elaborate scheme. "I didn't even know they made these." She brought her eyes to meet his and smiled. "Thanks."

Bruce smiled at her and took two deliberate steps backward toward the porch stairs. "I was hoping to meet your parents the next time," he told her, "if that would be all right."

Kuki watched him as he stepped away. "I guess that wouldn't be a big deal."

Bruce didn't stop smiling at her, but he averted his eyes to the ground for a moment. "Goodnight," he said smoothly.

Kuki gave him a slight wave. "Goodnight," she said before turning back to her front door and making her way inside. She closed the door and looked down at her necklace in the box. This was not some elaborate scheme. He actually liked her. He wanted to meet her parents! What was she going to do now?

:)

"What?!" Wally shouted as he shot from his seat at the table in the treehouse. "You gotta be kidding!"

"I think he might just…like me," Kuki told her friends.

Wally rustled his hair in his hands. "He's the enemy!"

Kuki pouted at him. "He's not that bad. I actually like him now that I've gotten to know him."

Wally felt his heart hit the inside of his ribcage. What had she just said? Did she just say she liked that delightful dork?

"You're in too deep, Numba 3," Abby told her.

"It is probably time for you to abort," Hoagie added.

Kuki looked around at the others in surprise. "What? But I thought we were only supposed to abort if the situation becomes too dangerous!"

Wally smacked his hands down on the table. "This is too dangerous, Kuki! You're even wearing that stupid necklace he gave you every day!"

Abby eyed Kuki warily. "You got that from the delightful boy?"

Kuki wrapped her fingers around the Rainbow Monkey and avoided eye contact with her friends. "Bruce gave it to me as an anniversary gift," she mumbled softly.

"You don't have an anniversary, Kuki!" Wally reminded her. "You ain't actually dating him!" How did she forget? This was a mission, nothing more. How could she possibly even consider the notion of falling for this trap? She couldn't be blind to his feelings, right? She could feel his love for her, and that had been what kept her from dating other boys until now, right?

Kuki pouted at her best friend's words. "Maybe I should be," she said with more vocalization than she used before.

Wally knew his heart was no longer beating. What had she said? He misheard. She didn't say she actually wanted to date that delightful dork! She wasn't picking the stuck-up creep over him. That was impossible! He slumped back into his chair and had to force himself to breathe.

"Abby don't like dis," Abby said to Kuki directly.

Kuki pouted at the three of them. "He's nice to me. He notices details about me. He makes time for me. And I actually like being with him! He's been a pretty good boyfriend so far, and I've been a pretty bad girlfriend since I've just been pretending this whole time. It's not fair," she insisted.

"He wants you to think that," Hoagie corrected her. "It's a part of his plan."

"There is no plan!" Kuki snapped as she stood from her chair, her arms instinctively clinging straight by her sides as Wally knew her to do when she was frustrated. She looked to Abby with tears building in the corners of her eyes. "I've been undercover on this mission for almost four months! If there was something going on, I would know it by now! There is nothing there! They are just trying to find people to date. That's not evil it's normal!"

"Kuki…" Abby began her attempt to talk some sense into Kuki.

"No. You want me to abort. Fine!" Kuki said as her hands curled into fists. "I'm out. I'm out of the Kids Next Door. No more missions."

Wally knew Hoagie and Abby were talking to her, but he couldn't hear what they were saying. His ears were ringing loudly over their voices. He saw the two of them stand from their seats and wave their hands at her frantically. He watched as Kuki shook her head and frowned as she said something he couldn't hear over the ringing in his ears. She gave him a sad smile and walked past the other two operatives toward the exit.

Wally couldn't breathe. This couldn't be real. He wasn't losing her. She wasn't…she wasn't walking out the door never to return, right? She was going to come back any minute and say she was just kidding and that she was just pouting to get her way like so many times before.

"Wally!" Hoagie yelled at him, shaking his shoulders, and breaking the ringing in his ears.

"What?" Wally asked, confused now by what had happened. Perhaps he had fallen asleep during the debriefing and it had all been a terrible nightmare?

"You're losing her!" Hoagie yelled at him, clearly recognizing that Wally was not fully grasping the situation.

Wally looked to the doorway and saw Kuki walking away without even looking back. This was real. This was happening. He felt his heart start back up and begin beating faster than he had ever felt before. Adrenaline shot to his feet and made them move with all his speed to reach her. He had to do something. If she stepped out that doorway…she would be gone forever. He'd never get to look into those brown almond shaped eyes again. He'd never fight with the television remote with her again. He'd never have her take his hand and drag him to do things that he didn't like, only to have the best day of his life with her each time. The girl he was in love with…would be gone.

He caught her in a hug from behind and gripped her tightly. "OI LOVE YOU!" he yelled louder than he had intended. The adrenaline had him going crazy. His breathing was heavy as he clung to her as though she would fly away if he let go.

"That's not funny," Kuki replied after a long pause that felt like an eternity.

Wally released her slowly, still processing what she said.

Kuki turned on her heel with an angry pout on her face. "That won't work this time, Wally!"

Wally stumbled to find words. This time? What did she mean? Surely she wasn't referring to all those times he used the Mr. Huggikins voice? That wasn't the same at all. "Kuki…" he felt her name escape his lips, and an enormous fear gripped him that it was probably going to be the last time he ever spoke it. He reached for her hand and felt his entire body going cold when his fingers wrapped around hers. "Oi mean it…"

Kuki lowered her eyebrows at him. "You always act like you care right when I'm about to leave! It'll all go back to normal once I go back to that chair!"

Wally had to force his voice to work properly. Why couldn't he just speak? Why couldn't he fight like he normally would? Why wouldn't his heart stop hurting? "Oi do mean it! Oi…Oi've loved you forever…" He felt tears creeping into the corners of his eyes and he could do nothing to stop them. "Please…" he could no longer make eye contact with her anymore. This was not how he wanted his first true confession of love for her to go.

Kuki pulled her hand away from him. "No!" she snapped.

Wally felt the word like a kick in the stomach, more than he heard it.

"You don't get to keep stringing me along like this! I actually have a chance to be with someone who cares about me, and I'm not going to pass that up for the chance that you might love me back one day!" she yelled at him, before turning on her heel and dashing out the door.

Wally felt his knees go weak, and he slumped to the floor. She couldn't possibly think that…that he only tells her those things to hold her back. He could only bring himself to have the courage to say those words when he was so afraid of losing her that his adrenaline kicks in. He didn't want it to be that way…he just…couldn't… He tried to get to his feet to salvage his manly bravado in front of Abby and Hoagie, who he had just recalled were still in the room, but his legs wouldn't obey. Tears came streaming from his eyes onto his cheeks and dripping onto the floor. He had always had a slight fear that if he told Kuki how he really felt that she would reject him, but he never imagined that it would hurt so much.

Abby's phone beeped, and she checked the text message. "What?!" she snapped, as she looked to Hoagie. "Did you analyze that perfume I gave you?"

Hoagie fumbled with a 2x4 technology laptop quickly. "I had it running overnight, so it should be just about done. What's wrong?"

Abby gripped her phone in one hand and placed her other hand to her lips in a fist. "Abby has a bad feeling about dis…"

Hoagie opened the results. "It's done. It says that it's… Oh my gosh…"

Wally wiped the tears on his cheeks onto his sleeves. He needed to get up. He needed to walk to the table with the other operatives. He would fix this. He had to. He straightened his legs and put one foot in front of the other until he reached the table and stiffly sat in his seat.

"Abby thought so!" Abby remarked as she looked at the screen over Hoagie's shoulder. "Lenny said they had some."

"It's a love potion!" Hoagie exclaimed.

Wally forced himself to process the words that the two of them were saying. Perfume…love potion… "KUKI'S STUPID CRUDDY RAINBOW MONKEY!" he yelled the last thought without noticing, and was suddenly on his feet, ready to fight again. "I'm going to beat that delightful doofus until he can't breathe!" He cracked his knuckles as he spoke, ready to fight now. He had a target. He should have known that Kuki was far too sweet to ever reject him as harshly as she had. He had to get her back. And he was going to make that delightful dork pay for making her say those things to him.

"It makes her think she's in love with Bruce and turns any feelings she has for anyone else feel like lies," Hoagie explained. "It normally wouldn't work this strongly, but if there was constant exposure…"

"Like wearing it all day long in that necklace," Abby finished.

Hoagie nodded. "We have to get that perfume away from her and expose the truth!"

Wally was the first to start for the door. He'd smash that necklace to pieces.

"Start looking for an antidote for the potion," Abby told Hoagie.

Hoagie nodded. "Got it." His left hand held the 2x4 laptop and his right hand furiously instructed it to find an antidote.

Wally felt a rage burning in his chest. This was not going to happen. He would not let someone steal Kuki away from him.

:)

"Where else could she have gone?" Abby asked in frustration as they left Kuki's house.

"I'll see if I can locate her tracker," Hoagie said, working on the 2x4 technology.

Wally's eyes searched up and down the street before looking at his cell phone again. He'd sent three text messages already…he really shouldn't send another…but…

Kuki, please, just text me back.

"Now would be a great time for you to tell me you know where she is," he said as he turned to Hoagie.

Hoagie raised his eyes to meet Wally's and he could almost hear his thoughts. She didn't…she wouldn't… "She's at the Delightful Children's house," he said ominously.

Wally felt his jaw tighten but nodded and jumped into Abby's jeep as the other two took the front seat and Abby started the engine. At least she didn't go straight to being decommissioned but he'd have to do something soon.

"Is that antidote ready?" Abby asked as she drove as quickly as she could without getting a speeding ticket.

Hoagie looked at his screen frantically. "I-I can't make one fast enough. She's been exposed to the potion for months and has had constant contact with it for almost a full month now. Based on the analysis… uh oh."

Wally turned to his friend in the passenger's seat. "What could possibly make this worse?"

"It looks like we've run into this stuff before. Other undercover teen agents. The teens use it to convince them to grow up. The effects usually wear off on their own but they can be permanent if she gets any of it in her mouth," Hoagie said, the reflection of his cell phone screen in his glasses.

"Good thing Kuki ain't drinking the perfume then," Abby said, never taking her eyes off the road.

Hoagie glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "Did you kiss Lenny?"

Abby jerked her head to face him and promptly returned it to the road. "That ain't none of your business!" she nearly squealed, something neither of the boys had ever heard from her before. She looked at Hoagie again when the car became quiet and she nearly barked, "No. No! I didn't kiss Lenny!"

Wally's eyes darted to his friend and saw the tension release in his chest.

Hoagie looked back to his cell phone. "The report says the teens created a version that's in a lip balm…so a kiss…"

"Would put it roight in her mouth…" Wally finished, thinking of Kuki's lips and not Abby's. "Tell me there's an antidote, Hoagie!" A horrible vision of that stupid delightful dope putting his mouth on Kuki's lips wouldn't leave his mind as they drove down the lane toward the Delightful Children's house.

"Not for the balm," Hoagie told him.

"Then Oi've gotta stop her before it happens," Wally said as he unstrapped and leapt from the car as soon as Abby touched the brakes.

"What are you going to do?" Hoagie called after him.

Wally didn't turn back to him as he ran toward the house, passing Bruce's red Corvette and heading toward the back sliding-door that Lenny had showed them how to sneak in through. "Oi'm gonna keep his cruddy lips off her," he nearly growled. This was were he thrived. This was why he was an operative. He would walk right into danger and never think about the consequences. He had blind courage that would get him through anything. He slid through the door and made his way to the basement that he had been in so many times for secret missions as a child. He never wanted to be here again. He hadn't seen any other vehicles outside, so maybe there was only one delightful loser to deal with…and it was the one he wanted to deal with now.

He could hear Kuki's voice coming from the entertainment area. As a child, he had been jealous that the Delightful Children were so spoiled, but as he grew up, he realized it was all a trap. Father had been giving them things that would make them want to grow up. He made them want to think about working tireless hours and ignoring their childhoods. He hadn't looked at it the same since.

"They'll come around," Bruce's monotone voice rang, Wally could see him sitting on the couch with Kuki sitting dangerously close to him.

Kuki had her arms folded over her chest and her chin tucked in a pout. "I just thought they'd want me to be happy," she whined.

"We do," Wally said as he stepped up and grabbed her hand, attempting to pull her off the couch.

"Wally?!" Kuki remarked as she looked at him before he pulled her from the couch and she clumsily made it to her feet.

"I don't recall inviting you," Bruce told him, stepping between him and Kuki as she pulled her hand from his grasp. Wally hadn't been holding on tightly, because he had never had to before. Anytime he took Kuki's hand, she was never the first to let go. The small gesture enough to refuel the rage burning in his chest. "And I'd appreciate it if you didn't touch my girlfriend without her consent."

"Consent?" Wally scoffed the word at the hypocritical jerk. "You're a master of that, ain't you? Must be easy to have consent when you've got a love potion keeping her wrapped around your finger!"

Kuki lowered her eyebrows at Wally and looked to Bruce. "What's he talking about?"

"What do ya even get out of this?" Wally asked, honestly wanting to know the motivation behind ruining what he had with Kuki…even if what they had was a mess.

Bruce smiled at Wally, a smile that he knew all too well. He usually saw several more smiles identical to it when the Kids Next Door managed to catch them right at the end of a plan that they might not be able to stop. "I'd think that would be obvious by now, but I suppose someone as slight as you would need an explanation."

Kuki's eyes never left Bruce and Wally felt the action like a kick to his stomach.

"I get a high school romance," Bruce told him, matter-of-factly, his hand slipping into Kuki's as though he had done it hundreds of times before.

Wally lowered his eyebrows at him, his eyes darting back to their laced fingers.

"And what could be more delightful than high school sweethearts that create a life together?" Bruce told him, the smirk on his face burning Wally to his core.

"Like…a life together?" Kuki asked, a slight hesitation in her voice that let Wally know she wasn't completely gone.

"Eventually," Bruce told her, turning to her and touching her chin with his fingers. "One day at a time. We'll be together forever, after all." He inclined his head to hers and Wally could tell he was going in for a kiss. He couldn't let that happen. He couldn't let him win.

Wally pushed Bruce, causing him to bonk heads with Kuki and her to release his hand and grab her forehead.

"Ouch! Wally!" She griped as Wally grabbed her hand and pulled her toward him.

"You'll forgive me," he told her, wrapping an arm around her protectively. "Oi need you to trust me. Don't let him kiss you. He's got some koind of love potion in his lip balm."

Kuki looked from Wally to Bruce. "But…"

Bruce laughed at Wally manically. "You think I need that stupid potion? I've never worn it!"

Wally scoffed at him, attempting to get Kuki to leave with him slowly. "Yeah, right!" He pulled the necklace from Kuki's collar bone and the clasp broke easily as she yelped a protest. He dangled the necklace from his fingers for Bruce to see. "I guess that's why she needed this then!"

"Wally, that's my necklace!" Kuki protested, reaching for it. Wally used his free arm to hold her back.

"It's poison, Kuki! It's got you all crazy for him!" Wally told her.

Bruce shook his head calmly. "I believe I already told you that I didn't need the love potion. Kuki and I are falling for each other naturally."

Wally pulled the necklace into his fist. "Oi don't believe you," he said, more malice in his voice than he expected.

"Wally!" Kuki snapped at him. "Stop it!"

Wally turned his head to face her, tightening his grip on the necklace. "Are you crazy, Kuki? Oi just told you he's been making you fall in love with him and you're mad at me?"

"I'm not!" Kuki yelled, stomping her foot and clenching her arms to her sides tightly in her anger. "We talk on the phone every night. We go on real dates. We study together and laugh together and like being together. That's normal. We're supposed to do stuff like that in high school. We're supposed to date and fall in love. No potion made me do all that stuff! I like Bruce and I want to be his girlfriend!"

Wally pressed his lips together and swallowed the lump in his throat to settle the ache in his chest. "You don't mean that," he said, his voice barely above a whisper and his confidence shaking.

Kuki's posture relaxed and her piercing stare from the almond shaped eyes he had come to adore slowly allowed the flames of anger to fade away. "I do…" she said, softer this time, as though she were offering an apology. "Wally…"

Wally knew there were tears forming behind his eyes and his chest felt heavy, like the delightful dork himself were sitting on it. "We used to do all of that stuff together, Kooks. You don't need him for that."

Kuki frowned at him and shook her head. "It's not the same, Wally. You know that."

Wally pressed his lips together and hoped what he said next wouldn't ruin everything. "What if it was for me?"

Kuki's eyes widened as though she were surprised and then the familiar flames of anger returned to them. "Wally…I told you not to string me along like that!"

Wally turned to her, fighting every bone in his body not to run. He had to do this. He had to break whatever spell the delightful dork had on her. He had to get her back before she was gone forever. "Oi'm not!" He took her hands in his and managed the courage to look into her eyes. "Oi can't focus when we study because Oi can't stop looking at you. Oi invite you to things that would be way more appealing to Hoagie because Oi won't have as much fun without you. You're the first person Oi text in the morning and the last person at night. Oi used to wear that filthy orange jacket every day because it smelled like you from when you would hug me. Oi couldn't stop looking at your mouth after you kissed me at Hoagie's Christmas party. Oi've planned what Oi would say to you a zillion toimes in my head and have been terrified that you'd tell me that you don't feel the same way about me."

Kuki's lips parted as though she were going to say something but was left speechless.

"You may loike him, Kuki, but," Wally said, inhaling a breath to steady his tone for what he was about to say next, "Oi love you!" The words practically came out in a yell. He had hoped they would sound much more manly and casual, but they sounded like a desperate plea for her attention instead.

Kuki blinked and took a hesitant step toward him, the gap between them closing. "You mean it… don't you?"

Wally coughed out a laugh from his nerves being completely shot. "Oi mean it."

The softness in Kuki's eyes returned completely and he saw in them the sparkle that made his knees go weak.

"Can we go home? Please, Kuki?" Wally asked, his voice faltering.

Kuki touched her fingers to his cheek and looked up at him. "Prove it and we'll go."

Wally felt his entire body go stiff. Was she asking him for what he thought she was asking him for? Right now?

"Just kiss her already!" Hoagie yelled at him, suddenly behind them with Abby by his side.

Wally felt heat rise in his cheeks and up his neck. He was sure he looked like a tomato in a messy blonde wig. "Aw crud!" he exclaimed as he threw the necklace to the floor and grabbed her chin in both hands and brought their lips together. He hadn't practiced nearly enough for this and he hoped she wouldn't notice. The instant his lips were on hers, he felt like he was putting too much pressure and opened his mouth slightly to release it. He took a breath through his nose and took in the smell of her shampoo, the smell he always looked forward to when she would sit next to him or hug him. The smell he never washed out of the cruddy sweater as a kid. He took another step forward, even with his eyes closed and never separated their lips. A warm feeling spread through his chest and his head felt light. If he thought it were at all possible, he'd stay like this forever. His hands cradling her face, her scent making his head swim, and her lips warm and smooth pressed against his… and then he remembered that the delightful dork and two of his best friends were currently staring at them and he closed their lips again before coming out of the kiss and staring down into Kuki's dark eyes. "Was that proof enough?" he breathed, feeling winded even though he hadn't really done anything.

Kuki bit her lower lip and looked up at him from beneath her eyelashes. "It's a start," she whispered.

Wally smiled and breathed a laugh. She liked it? Maybe she would let him do it again sometime then?

Kuki's hand leapt to her mouth and she turned to Bruce. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry, Bruce! I've been waiting for that for a really long time!"

Wally lowered his eyebrows at her. "Hey!"

Kuki picked up her necklace from the floor and handed it to Bruce. "I like you, Bruce. If I wasn't completely crazy about someone else, I'd be happy to be your girlfriend. You're going to make someone very happy."

Bruce let out a sigh through his nose and cast daggers from his eyes at Wally. "I knew it was a long shot when I asked you out. I'll ask again when he messes this up."

Wally almost defended against the delightful doofus's words, but he couldn't deny that he'd been a complete wuss about this so far and was going to be winging it from here on out. He could mess this thing up… whatever it was.

Bruce took the necklace from Kuki and gazed down at it as though it were a lifeline to her. "I didn't, you know."

Kuki tilted her head to the side to see his eyes. "Didn't what?"

"I didn't use the love potion on you," he told her softly. His crystal blue eyes calmly found hers and the sadness in them was unmistakable.

Kuki smiled at him. "I know," she whispered, her words sounded more like an apology than an admission. She stepped away from him and walked past Wally and the others, Abby quickly following her and Hoagie not far behind.

Wally turned to leave, partially stunned that Kuki hadn't grabbed his hand and pulled him along with her, but was stopped by the sound of the delightful loser's monotone voice.

"I didn't use the potion, but that doesn't mean I don't still have it," Bruce warned him, his blue eye casting a frosty gaze. "I'll be there when you mess up."

Wally didn't respond. He heard the challenge loud and clear and he was always up for a challenge. He left Bruce behind, wondering how close an eye he would need to keep on him going forward and how much of what he said was the truth and how much was a lie. Did he really not use the potion on Kuki? Could she really have started to fall for him without it? How easily could he have lost her to someone else?

"Wally, pick up the pace, would ya?" Abby called to him from the driver's seat, Hoagie perched nervously in her passenger seat.

Wally trotted over to the Jeep and hopped in the back seat, barely able to make eye contact with the tiny Asian girl as he got inside.

Kuki let a soft smile cross her lips and she lace her fingers with his as they rode along. "I'm sorry I worried all of you," she said to the entire vehicle at once.

"All's forgiven, but let's not let that happen again," Hoagie responded.

"At least Numbah 4 finally let go of the friend zone," Abby said, looking at him in the rearview mirror.

Heat rose from the base of Wally's neck to the top of his head.

Abby dropped Wally and Kuki off around the corner from the Sanban house.

Wally was only a few houses up, so he shouldn't have felt as awkward as he did, walking beside her, his hands nervously hidden in his pockets and his eyes unable to look up from his sneakers. It seemed like an eternity until they reached her house and she turned to face him.

"Thanks for coming after me," Kuki told him, the carefree bubbly Asian behaving like her normal self again.

Wally nodded, unable to speak and unable to clam the heat on his face.

Kuki took a step toward her house before turning around and rushing back to him, planting a quick kiss on his lips before walking backward toward her door. "Don't make me wait years for the next one, okay?"

Wally watched after her, his jaw slack and outside of his control after feeling the warmth of her lips on his again.

Kuki smiled at him and offered a quick wave before closing the door behind her.

Wally had to force his feet to move to carry him home, but once he reached his house, he couldn't help the smile on his face. That had happened, right? It wasn't a dream this time?