Answering Smile

A/N: I've decided to write a continuation for WTKB since the inspiration struck me anyway. Hope you like it people. And as always please REVIEW. They make my day. :)) Also, everything happened in the span of one day. I didn't think it would be very realistic if Lissa liked Christian but evaded him for a long time. And yeah, I noticed that I'm babbling and giving the story away already. *sigh*

So without further ado... Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Sadly, VA is still not mine.

It was Saturday and Lissa didn't know whether she'd see him or not. It was exhilarating as well as scary thinking about what would happen when she did though. See him, that is.

That is because she told herself she'd smile the next time she saw him. She even told Rose about it. After all, why wouldn't she when it was what she'd wanted from the moment she saw the other side of a certain Ozera whom which she was pining for since their recapture just a little over a month ago. He even asked for permission (from Rose of all people) to court her. Really, that was the plan.

So why couldn't she do it then?

Rose sighed for the nth time that day. "Why don't you just do it Liss?"

Lissa swiveled at her heels at that. They were walking back to their dorm as it was. "Because I can't!" she exclaimed, somewhat bugged out that Rose would make it sound so easy. It wasn't thank-you-very-much.

Rose sighed again. "How is it not easy then?" She asked.

"Because!" Lissa cried. "I… I… what if—maybe he was just…"

"He was serious Liss. All you have to do is smile and he would court you." Rose interrupted.

Lissa stared at her. "Court! I can't even get started on that." She exclaimed.

"Court. You make it sound like a bad word when you said it." Rose pointed out.

"It's not! I'm just…" she trailed off.

"Why are you even so freaked out at this?"

"Because…"

"Because…?"

"Because…"

"Mature Lissa, real mature. Eloquent too if I might add." Rose said sarcastically while rolling her eyes.

Lissa sighed. "It's not that easy."

Rose's eyes softened. "I can feel that Lissa and I don't, well can't really, understand why you feel it's that way." She said.

Lissa mumbled incoherently.

"What was that?" Rose asked.

Lissa looked at her. "I said I'm scared that I'm not good enough."

Rose stared at her for a moment before she dissolved into fits of giggles. She patted Lissa on her back. "Is this real? You used to be so confident from before, hell you were very brave trying to hide how you like him, but now when you have the chance you get scared? Seriously?"

"You could be more supportive about it." Lissa mumbled dejectedly.

Rose stopped laughing. "You don't get it, do you?"

"Get what?"

"He's waiting." Rose said as a matter of fact.

Lissa looked at her inquisitively. "So?"

"That means he meant it. He wants you both to be together."

Lissa watched Christian from afar. She watched him as he entered the church like he always used to nowadays. She knew he would go to the attic. She knew because she once met him there while she was hiding out. Apparently, it became his sanctuary while she was away. Those times they met there triggered her crush on him.

She followed at a safe distance. She knew she probably looked like a stalker but who cares. Maybe she could account it to wandering whether he was really faithful to her. Ha! That'll be some excuse.

"Lissa?" a voice interrupted her musing.

"Ye—" she stopped, her eyes going wide at who caught her hiding behind a tree. "But you were—how..? Huh?"

She straightened immediately, her head bowed to hide from Christian's penetrating gaze. How on earth did he manage to sneak up on her? A question was on the tips of his tongue for sure.

"Lissa, is there something wrong?"

Lissa blushed. "I—I'm…uhh… Excuse me!"

And she ran.

A few hours of cursing and mentally berating herself later, Lissa realized something.

Rose was right. She always was, after all. Or at least, for her she had always been and for that Lissa trusted her implicitly. She would do it and everything else could go to hell for all she cared. She even got a small shot of wine for extra courage. She wondered if it was wise that she did that. But she only had one… alright maybe two… three? Well she couldn't really remember but that wasn't the case. The case was that she was about to go to Christian's dorm just to smile at him. That's right, she would be going right then and there.

She stormed determinedly across the corridors separating her from her Christian. This was it.

"You're finally mine…" An almost crazy, goofy grin grazed her lips.

She was just about to knock on Christian's door when a sigh from behind her interrupted her. She turned to find Rose looking at her warily.

"What are you doing Liss?"

Lissa smiled at Rose. "Going to smile at Christian." She said as a matter of fact.

"Dressed like that?" There was a note of concern at Rose's voice.

Lissa looked down at her clothes. She was wearing a simple tee and jeans. She frowned, "What's wrong with it?"

Rose sighed, the edge of her lips lifting up into an exasperated smile. "Your clothes are all rumpled and ruined Lissa."

And true enough, Lissa finally noticed the small bit of detail Rose just pointed out. If she guessed, it was probably all from her pacing and the small bit of drinking she'd done. Her tee had a small patch of wet stain too, most probably from the wine. She grimaced.

Lissa turned to Rose with a sheepish grin on her face.

Rose nodded. "That's right. You won't be smiling at him like that."

Lissa laughed and raised her hands in surrender. She pouted, "But Rose, I was just going to give him his smile already?"

Rose shook her head, smiling at her friend's antics. "Yeah, his smile with matching alcohol and just-out-of-bed appearance. Yep, I'm sure he'll love you."

"I just had a few!"

"Uh-huh…"

"Rose!"

Rose laughed. "Whatever Liss, I absolutely forbid you to make a fool of yourself."

Lissa smiled at Rose. Yeah, Rose knew everything.

Evening came and everyone started to pile in the cafeteria. It had been exhausting for Lissa just thinking about what she had done during the course of the day. She slept the remnant of what wine she had drank and woke up with a slight headache. Her head was throbbing and Rose was really no help smirking at her dilemma all the way.

"It's your fault." Rose said as a matter of fact.

Lissa grimaced. "I know Rose, no need to rub it in." she grumbled moodily.

Rose's smile widened. "Who knew you could be so flustered anyway? All you had to do was smile and what you did…" Rose shook her head ruefully for a moment but then snickered again. "Way to go Liss."

Lissa glared at Rose. "It wasn't funny!"

"Yes it is."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Ye-"

"Is everything alright?"

The two of them turned their head to face the person who asked the question. It was Dimitri.

"Everything's just fine, Comrade."

Dimitri's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Are you sure?"

Rose rolled her eye. "Yes Comrade. Lissa here was just—"

Rose didn't get to finish what she was about to say because Lissa immediately reacted by covering her mouth. "We were just leaving, Dimitri." Lissa smiled at him and tried to drag Rose away.

Keyword being tried. They barely moved at all.

"Lissa?"

Hearing the voice, Lissa immediately let go of Rose and turned around. She stood facing her dilemma of the day. Her mind went into overdrive and for a moment all she could think of was that she should run.

She felt Rose grip her arm before she could so much as turn.

"Sparky." Rose greeted.

From the sidelines, Dimitri was watching the scene with slight interest. It was bound to be good.

Christian gave a nod to Rose but his attention was otherwise occupied by a certain Dragomir princess who has her head bowed. "Lissa?" he asked warily.

Rose nudged Lissa forward.

Lissa looked at Christian from beneath the fringes she was hiding in. She was terrified. What if he changed his mind and didn't like her anymore.

"He still does."

Lissa's head snapped up at that. She then realized that Rose must have been listening in on her thoughts. Again. She sent a small accusatory mock glare on her friend's way to which Rose returned with a grin.

Christian was still waiting. "Uhh.."

Lissa, realizing that her crush was still waiting finally looked at him. "Christian." She greeted.

Christian gave a small smile at that. "I thought you were ignoring me." A flash of sadness crossed his eyes but it was instantly gone replaced by a larger grin. "Are you going to the cafeteria?"

Lissa looked at Rose and upon seeing a glare that says get-on-with-it looked at Christian again. "Yes actually." She said formally. Rose nudged her harder.

"Would you like to come with us?" Rose asked.

Christian looked at Rose warily. "I guess?"

Rose smiled. "Excellent. Come on Lissa" She then proceeded to tug Lissa away.

"Hey… wait a minute." Lissa stopped Rose from dragging her.

Rose frowned. "Yes Liss?"

"I…Uhh…"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Not again Lissa,. Coherent sentences please."

Lissa glared at her. "Shut up." She turned to Christian addressing him. "Christian… I uhh.. I mean…About the thing…"

Rose cleared her throat. "What she meant is that—"

"Shut up Rose." Lissa hissed at her.

"Nope." Rose said popping the p along the way. She grinned sarcastically.

"Rose…"

Rose snickered and that was what it took to snap Lissa's patience. She glared at Rose then looked determinedly at Christian. She gave a tight-lipped smile, still fuming a bit at her friend's unnecessary boldness. Today at all days too! "What I mean is that I accept your proposal to court me."

Christian looked at Lissa disbelievingly. The day was just getting weirder and weirder. He didn't even know how to react. "Uhh…" he was speechless too.

Lissa, who in the heat of the moment got taken away, finally realized what she did and what she said. She flushed red to which Rose burst out laughing.

She paused, just enough to say: "Wow. I didn't know it would turn this way." then burst into laughter again. "This is totally crazy."

Lissa stared at Christian, totally aghast at what she did. She turned to look at Rose and groaned. "This is your fault."

"I didn't do anything."

"You were doing it on purpose."

Rose looked at Lissa with big innocent eyes. "I didn't do anything." She repeated.

Lissa finally smiled and reluctantly gave few chuckles too. She shook her head at her friend. "You purposely made me mad didn't you Rose?"

Rose stared at Lissa, taking offense at the words. The mock widening of her eyes and flaring of her nose said otherwise though. "Of course not! I'm a good friend."

"Rose…"

Rose grinned. "Worked though, didn't it?"

Lissa smiled at that. "You're definitely crazy."

"You love me anyway." Rose looked at Christian. "Speaking of love… I think Sparky still in lala land where you're accepting his proposal." She tried to poke him but Lissa swatted her hand.

True enough, Christian still hasn't moved from where he was rendered speechless. Lissa laughed merrily which snapped him out. Lissa smiled at him. He looked dazed for a moment before his brain finally managed to process everything and allow him to catch on.

Christian grinned at that. "You like me too then?" he asked.

Lissa blushed. "Yeah."

Christian laughed and jumped, expressing his triumph. "She liked me too." He whispered to himself.

Rose rolled her eyes but a smile was playing at the edges of her lips. "Can we eat now? I'm seriously starving."

That got everyone to look at her.

Lissa slipped her hand to her friend's. "Rose… how can you even think of food at a time like this?"

"Hey!"

They laughed.

"But seriously, can we go now?"

Christian shook his head. "Way to ruin the moment Hathaway."

Rose looked at him pointedly. "You have no right to say that. Do you even have a romantic bone in your body?"

"Hey!"

Lissa laughed and Christian's demeanor changed just the slightest bit. Rose watched as admiration shone in his eyes. It was mirrored in Lissa's eyes too whenever she looked at him, she realized.

She broke the moment again. "We're going." With that, she tugged at Lissa's arm again not allowing her to stop again. Lissa laughed at her friend's behavior while Christian could only shake his head.

Just a bit farther behind the trio, Dimitri watched with amusement dancing in his eyes. He watched as Rose tugged her laughing best friend and couldn't help the upturning of the corner of his lips. Someday that would be them.

Rose stopped for a moment and looked at Dimitri. Her eyes were wide with laughter and mischief. She knew he'd been watching them.

She winked. "You can come too Dimitri."

Yeah, someday. Definitely someday.

.fin.

A/N: Like it? Hate it? Something to say? Please Review!