Ch. 1

Lum Invader was busily making breakfast before school. She'd recently learned how to make toast without dousing it in tobacco. She carefully lifted the delicate pieces of crispy, freshly toasted, breakfast items from the toaster and started to butter them. After she had decided they were perfect, Lum went to grab juice from the fridge. Her Darling bounded down the stairs just as she finished topping off two glasses of orange juice. Suspicion crossed his handsome features as he walked over and poked the bread with his finger, earning a dollop of butter on the tip. He licked it off, searching for any hint of spicy red sauce. Content that the tobacco had been left out, he dug in. Lum just watched and slowly bit into her breakfast, ecstatic at her Darling for eating what she had made him.

"Good morning Darling, how's your breakfast?" She asked delightedly.

He felt that this was a good morning and he wasn't going to ruin it so he answered with-

"Yeah, mornin' Lum, it's just toast, tastes fine." He continued to eat, hoping he got his meager compliment across. He didn't know why he couldn't just tell her she did a good job and that he was proud of her. He looked at Lum to read her expression but Lum just smiled and looked like his compliment mean the world to her.

Yes, it was starting to be a good day.

School went by with minimal disturbances. Ataru harassed a few girls, fought with Mendou a few times, the usual, but on the way home he obediently walked with Lum. She was content with walking and keeping silent next to him, smiling sweetly and glancing at him every now and then. He walked with his usual silly gait and ignored the breath-taking beauty walking next to him but he wasn't oblivious to her little glances. He was going to quickly look at her and maybe offer a smile before a car drove by with a hot blonde (full figured by the looks of it) inside. His feet decided to give chase and he ran off hooting and hollering for her to give him her number. Lum was about to fly after him but she gave up the second her feet left the ground as he was miles away. She sighed and continued her walk, silently promising to give him a piece of her mind later

She passed a certain shop and stopped. She felt strange, like she was being pulled in. The shop's roof was entirely black and creepy. It was rusted and dingy and in dire need of a remodeling. She slowly, hypnotically, walked inside. The door shut behind her but she gave little notice. She walked through; taking note of all the strange items that littered the shelves. There were little dolls, vials and bottles with names too faded to read, and strange looking candies strewn all over with no organization.

"See something you like, deary?" asked a short and wrinkled old woman. She wore a long red shawl that draped over her small, hunched shoulders. Underneath the shawl was a simple black dress that fell to her ankles. Her feet were encased in little slippers.

Lum, who snapped out of her trance, shivered and stared at the old woman for a moment before shaking her head.

"Oh, now there must be something of interest to a pretty young soul like you. You seem a little stressed, need a pick-me-up? Oh no, wait," She said peering at Lum over a pair of tiny spectacles. "You look like you've got the love bug. I can see it in your eyes. Oh, but you don't seem to want my help." She said before turning around.

Lum looked uncertainly at the old woman before she asked, "Can you really help me with Darling?"

The old woman grinned with her back to the young lady but quickly changed her expression to one of indifference as she whipped back around.

"Well that depends, sweetie, what kind of help?" The old woman inquired hungry for a sale.

Lum just looked at her, sadness tinging her weak smile, and said, "I give him all of my love and he doesn't seem to love me back. He's always chasing after girls and I always wish he'd chase after me. I want him to touch me, kiss me; I just want him to want me." She choked out the last part with tears glistening in her eyes. She'd always kept these feelings hidden because she didn't want to believe them. Now that she'd said them aloud, they felt at that much more real to her. She realized what she'd just said to a complete stranger and her face turned pink with embarrassment.

The old woman just stared, a knowing smile on her face. She felt sympathy for the poor girl. The little missy really did look like she loved the young man she was referring to. She didn't seem like one of those ditzy love sick girls. The old woman walked over and put a wrinkly hand to Lum's young one and looked into her eyes.

"You want him to want you?" She asked in all seriousness. "Do you really love him as much as you say?"

Lum didn't even miss a beat, she looked at the woman with all the honesty she could put into her expression and said bravely "I love my Darling."

That's just what the old woman wanted to hear. She released Lum from her feeble grip and walked over to the shelves of vials and candy. She rummaged through the cabinet before resurfacing, apparently not finding what she was searching for. She reached up to rummage in the candy. She tossed a few items this way and that before picking a small green sphere no bigger than a marble. She turned back to the vials before she stopped, seeming to think hard. She grinned suddenly and pulled out a small vial from a cluster of bottles. She turned her back to Lum and her grin turned mischievous a she looked at the items in her small fist. The vial had a dark blue liquid in it that was very pleasing to the eye. The old woman giggled slightly as she drenched the small green sphere in the intoxicating liquid. The smell that invaded her nostrils was divine. The smell emanating from the liquid reminded her of her late husband, a slightly dusty smell but with a rich scent of his cologne that she had adored. A lonely pang hit her heart but she shooed it away as she continued with the task at hand. The sphere turned a darker shade of green as she walked over to Lum and placed it in her palm. She stepped back and nodded at Lum, she was obviously pleased with herself.

"Well my child, all you have to do now is eat that little candy and you'll be irresistible to your man." The old woman's grin just got wider as she waited for the younger's response.

Lum stared at the small treat, curiosity etched upon her delicate features. She'd encountered small objects like this before, in the form of a pickled plum which made her intoxicated. This situation was suspicious. What could this small candy do to her? "Should I eat it now?" She asked tentatively.

"On no, you should wait until you two are in the same room and then eat it. It's okay if you're not alone but you want to keep your intimate moments private yes?"

Lum just blushed in response before digging in her bag for her wallet.

Realizing what the young woman was doing the old woman again shook her head. "No, child this one's on the house. Just make sure to visit this old gal and tell me how it goes." She said with a wink. *I might as well give her a freebee because this was an experiment.* she thought.

"Oh, I will!" Lum said gleefully before running out, candy in hand, to get home.

Author's Note:

The blue liquid is inspired by Harry Potter's Amortenia. I'm a super Harry Potter fan and wanted to use that concept for a while. I'm sorry I haven't written anything for a while and I appreciate everyone who reviewed The Spark of Love. It was my second fanfiction I'd ever written and I realize it is pretty short. I always finish fanfics too quickly and end it on a whim. I hope this one is a bit better than my last because I plan to make it longer and a little more risqué. Stay tuned for more chapters. I'm almost done with the second chapter!