Ok, so I guess this is what's considered a one shot. I wouldn't know about that because I don't really write anything short of epic, lol. But anyways, I hope that you enjoy this little scene in Rick and Lisa's life.

I picture it any time before the Factory satellite, before things actually got really awkward between them. So this is considered an AU, or a variation of cannon.

As far as how they both act, I imagine some people will classify them as OCC (that's like not according to cannon, right?) but I think that as friends, they would be very close. I've had male friends and still have that I hug and that are touchy - feely (in a respectful way and friendly way, kind of like siblings or family, totally non-sexual) and that's what I picture between them. Just wanted to clarify that since it is an integral part of the story.

Hope you enjoy...

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Just Friends -

Rick and Lisa were wandering around the little tents that had been set up in the middle of downtown. New Macross' main street was completely inaccessible to vehicles, only foot traffic was allowed. It was a wonderful spring day, the sun was finally out, after months of cold dreary days. Although it was warm enough for them to be able to walk around comfortably without layers of clothing, they were still wearing scarves and in the case of Lisa, a pair of lightweight gloves. Rick always teased Lisa about the fact that he could tell temperature by her hands and nose. As soon as the temperature started getting cooler, Lisa's hands and nose would turn into little icicles. When they were in their offices, it was not unusual to see her holding onto a mug of hot coffee or tea, the majority of the cases more to warm her hands than for the pleasure of drinking the liquid itself.

As they walked around, Rick and Lisa were talking and laughing amicably. Lisa had her arm hooked on Rick's arm as they walked, their hips occasionally bumping against each other's. It was so common for them to do that though, that they didn't even notice their closeness. It was just something that they had gotten used to, in the long days and nights that they had consoled each other.

As they walked, Rick had been teasing Lisa about her red nose, caused by the cold, so he bopped it with a finger affectionately. Lisa mock pouted at his but gave him a teasing smile and hugged his arm closer to her. They walked around aimlessly, browsing the wares of the tents. At one point, Lisa patted his arm lightly to get his attention as she gently redirected him towards the one of the sellers that sold hand made soaps.

The vendor greeted them enthusiastically as soon as she saw the pair approach her. She was seemed to be anywhere around 50 to 60 years old based on the lines on her face and the liberal streaks of white that populated her golden hair. Both of them greeted her back as they proceeded to look through the different varieties of soaps sold.

Rick and Lisa looked around, smelling the different soaps and giving each other to smell the ones that they liked the most or found interesting. The lady was amused by their interactions as she looked at them.

"Here, you should buy this one." Lisa said with a giggle. Rick looked at her puzzled as she handed him the aromatic soap. He grabbed the rectangular, waxy object and examined it warily. It was a dark chocolate color, with an irregular shape which attested to the fact that it was handmade. Glancing over at his amused companion, he finally took a whiff of it and he instinctively recoiled from the object he held on his hand. His eyes opened wide in surprise by the assault to his senses as the strong aroma of coffee beans flooded his nostrils in such a way that it was similar to a slap to his sense of smell.

Still holding the bar of soap and with an incredulous look in his eyes, he turned his attention at Lisa who couldn't hold her laughter any longer. He couldn't help the smile that lit up his face at her obvious enjoyment of the moment. He took another whiff at it and his smile grew wider. Rick raised one of his dark eyebrow at her direction and said "Really?"

Lisa was obviously enjoying his reaction and replied flippantly, "That might actually help you get up in the mornings."

Rick snorted a laugh. "Lisa, even if I were to bathe in a tubful of the stuff, I would still have a hard time to wake up." He said ruefully.

Lisa giggled but she noted that Rick gave the bar of soap to the lady so he could buy it.

The lady took it and said, "As you can see in the sign, we have a sale for the street fair. Buy three bars for the prize of two. Would you like to take advantage of that?" The vendor informed him as she put the merchandise aside.

Rick considered the offer and he looked at Lisa for her opinion. Lisa discreetly shrugged her shoulder as a go ahead and he responded positively to the lady.

Suddenly, his eyes took a mischievous glint and he turned to his companion. "How about this, you find me another scent that you think that describes me and I will find one for you. Agreed?" Rick said, blue eyes twinkling.

Lisa snickered and agreed. They both moved to different parts of the display to find the scents that they identified the most about the other.

"Do you need help finding anything for your boyfriend?" The lady said amicably at Lisa. Lisa startled when she heard the question since she had not realized the lady was so close to her. She had been so focused in her task that she had completely zoned out.

She had been so taken aback by the question, that she couldn't hide the blush that invaded her cheeks. It was not unusual for people to assume that Rick and her were dating. They had gotten to a point on their friendship that they depended totally on each other for comfort. Rick especially needed a lot of physical affection and over time Lisa had gotten used to how touchy their relationship was. The only downside to that was how it was always misinterpreted by others. By now, their closest friends and the people at the base had gotten used to seeing them interacting so they were not used to covering up their affection outside of the base's walls.

"Oh we are not dating." She said matter of factly, used to explanation by now. From the corner of her eye, she noticed how Rick stopped what he was doing and looked at their direction. The fact that he heard them made Lisa more self-conscious and she ducked her head on the collar of her turtleneck, hoping it would hide enough of her face that he wouldn't notice her discomfort.

"I'm so sorry! How terribly rude of me. I really shouldn't assume…" The lady said, as uncomfortable with the situation as Lisa seemed to be.

The lady was so ashamed that she left them alone for the time that they were perusing the wares. Lisa, who had been enjoying the little game that her friend had come up with, was now feeling rather uncomfortable. She still went through the motions but her heart was not on it. Mechanically, she kept smelling the different soaps but nothing called to her until she found a particular scent that she found appealing and she wouldn't mind smelling on her friend. But as she held the bar of soap in her hand, her mind was reminding her that it would all be for naught. She would barely be able to really enjoy that scent on him, because at the end of the day, she would not be able to be with him when he just finished a bath or shower, she would not be sleeping in the same bed as him and would not be able to be enveloped in his scent as she cuddled the pillows.

"Ready Lis?" Rick asked softly next to her. She started, realizing that she had been so lost in her thoughts, she had not realized when he had come around to her side and was now standing next to her. His blue eyes were soft and inquiring as he patiently waited on her answer.

Lisa nodded quickly, trying to cover up her thoughts and getting out of her funk, as to not bring the mood of the day down. She was so distracted by all this that she had not realized she was clutching the bar of soap so tightly in her hand that the rough hard edges were digging into her skin. She realized what she was doing and opened her hand to look at it. She made a distressed sound as she noticed the marks. Rick, who was standing next to her, looking directly at her, also noticed the marks but instead of making a fuss about it, he gently took the bar of soap out of her hand and asked "Is this your choice for me?"

"Yes." Her voice cracked a bit as if she had not used her voice in a thousand years. She watched him as he brought up the soap and inhaled deeply, a smile in his lips.

"I like it." He said jovially and her heart flipped in her chest at his expression. She saw him give the object to the lady who was discreetly trying not to look their way and failing miserably.

'Get yourself together, Lisa!' she thought to herself. As she saw him paying for the merchandise, she tried to make an effort of appearing normal. She asked "Where's my bar of soap, you already gave it to her?"

"Yup." He answered.

"That's not fair. When do I get to smell my scent?" Lisa asked, trying to play it off as if nothing had happened.

"Soon." He answered enigmatically as he finished paying and accepted the bag from the lady.

They waved goodbye to the vendor and walked away from the tent, both of them distracted. It was obvious that the lady's question and Lisa's answer were laying heavily in both their minds. Almost as an unspoken agreement, they walked away from the tents and moved to a quieter area.

As they walked, there seemed to be some sort of distance between them, an uncomfortable air that was not there before. There were no more accidental bumpings of their hips, no playful touches, no curling of their pinkies when their hands happened to brush each other's. Lisa snuck a glance at Rick and she noticed how preoccupied he looked, as if he was not there with her. Her heart sank. He was probably wishing that there was another woman walking by him, another woman that was truly his girlfriend and not the pale substitute currently beside him.

They suddenly reached the park that that lead to the military living quarters. It was a park that they knew well. Whenever the day was nice and they didn't want to be indoors, they would come out here and discuss non-confidential things under the shade of the beautiful transplanted trees. The fact that they were here, so close to their houses, signified the end of their excursion and Lisa felt a pang at that realization.

She was so deep in thought, that she didn't realize when their steps became slower and slower until they stopped altogether by the shade of one of their favorite trees. The park was quiet, a little oasis, and the day was starting to wind down. It would have been the perfect end to their day, if the atmosphere was not so heavy with the feeling of unspoken words.

Rick was the first one to break the silence. "Here" he said, giving her one of the bars of soap that he had bought. Lisa looked at it incredulously and then back at him. Her confused brain couldn't make sense as to why he was giving this to her now. Was he planning on saying goodbye here? Not even walking her to her house? Was he so disgusted by the idea of them being together that he couldn't stand to be with her any longer?

Her confusion must have been obvious because he said as an explanation, "Didn't you want to know what scent reminds me of you?"

Lisa thought it was an odd timing for this, when her whole world seemed to be falling apart but she mechanically took the bar of soap from him and idly examined it. It was a pale cream color with specks of green and purple. The rectangular brick was surrounded by a carton ring that identified the name as "English Garden" and listed the ingredients. Instead of reading them, she brought it close enough to inhale its fragrance. The smell of citrus was the first to assault her, tangy and sweet at the same time. Then she caught the essence of flowers, probably the "garden" part of the name. Finally she got the sense of ozone, like the air when you have been inside for too long and you walk outside. The air outside smells always different than the canned air conditioner smell that is recycled inside of a building. Lisa blinked open eyes that she had not been aware of closing. She actually liked the smell very much. Regardless if that scent brought any memories of her to him, she knew she would always remember this moment based on that scent.

"Do you like it?" Rick asked softly as she took a while to answer. He seemed almost nervous at her verdict.

"Yes, yes I do." She answered, her voice heavy with emotion. She was trying not to cry at the irony of the whole situation.

"Do you know why it reminds me of you?" He asked softly, the question seemingly innocuous but charged with a hidden order, 'ask me, ask me why.'

Lisa just wanted to go, she wanted to go home and forget about this day, forget about him, but something about his eyes,a certain vulnerability made her indulge him. "Why?"

Rick's lips quirked in a soft smile, as if satisfied at her question, even though he had suggested it. "Well, the first scent is citrusy, like lemons, tart and somewhat bitter, like the first impression I got of you the first time that we met." He said and she looked at him between incredulous at him bringing that up and upset that he was STILL bringing that up. Before she could retort, he continued, "But the second layer of a lemon is also somewhat sweet, right after the tartness, there is sweetness too. Just like when I finally got to know you. There is some sweetness, buried deep, deep inside of you." He joked with a wink, making her slap his arm lightly at his teasing.

He laughed softly but then his eyes took a serious look. "The other scent is of flowers, a rare scent nowadays. It's not the overpowering smell of fake flowers but that of a field of wildflowers. Like the first flowers I found after the devastation of Earth. It didn't matter that the Earth had been decimated by the Zentraedi, it still rallied back and flourished. Just like you Lisa, nothing brings you down. No matter how hard the situation is, you always rally back with more strength."

Lisa couldn't help but hold her breath as she listened to him. At the beginning, it had seemed like the whole thing was a joke, as if he was teasing her, like he usually did. The whole tart and sweet joke had not helped at all, but what he was saying now… it sounded so deep and sincere. Regardless of the fact that he didn't reciprocate her feelings, his warm voice and his kind words were letting her know that he did appreciate her and she felt warm at the caring words. She unconsciously stopped running away from him as her body turned towards his. He in turn, leaned into her space a bit more. There was only an arm's' length between the two.

"The last scent is the same as the air we breathe. It reminds me of when I used to fly in the Mockingbird, of the freedom that the sky brought me. Being with you is so exhilarating that I feel the same as when I fly. Flying used to be my only passion, the only reason why I woke up day after day, so that I could get up in a plane and experience that same freedom. And now, I don't need to escape in the blue anymore, not when I can come to you." He said as he grabbed the hand that was still clutching the soap, his sky clear eyes looking at her confused ones.

"Rick, I don't..."

"I heard what you told the lady, when she asked if we were dating." He said and her eyes darkened in pain at the confirmation that he had heard and that he probably was trying to make her feel better. Her lips parted to reply but he continued before she refute. "And I heard you tell her that we were 'just friends'."

"Rick." Lisa sighed, a pained frown marring her visage but again Rick didn't let her continue.

"The thing is, I don't want us to be 'just friends'. I don't believe that we have been only friends for a while to be honest. You are my rock and my strength. You are my comfort and warmth. I don't know if I mean the same to you as you mean to me but I would like to change that if you are willing to try." He told her as he took a step closer. Lisa did not even try to talk now, she could barely even breathe at his words. Was he saying what she thought he was saying? Was she dreaming? As if he was reading her mind, Rick told her, "Lisa, I know that this is probably not the right way of saying this, since we have not even gone out as a couple or anything," Lisa's eyes widened in shock, while Rick just blushed. He looked so nervous and so earnest about what he was saying. "but I think I love you." He smiled self-deprecatingly as he averted his gaze in what seemed to be shyness. "Well, I am pretty sure that I do." He took a deep breath and looked at her again, his eyes searching for an answer. "Do you... Do you think that we can be more than 'just friends'? I would like that very much." He finished softly, his voice strong and unwavering but intimate, just for her.

"Oh Rick!" Lisa exclaimed as she gave him a one-armed hug, as he was still holding one of her hands. He let go of her hand to return the hug. Now that both her arms were free, she squeezed him warmly, trying to convey with her actions how much she embraced the idea. She snuggled her face on his chest, breathing in the comforting scent that was all his. Her eyes were moist as she separated enough to look at him. She searched his face and could only see the hope in his eyes as he waited to see if she returned his feelings. "Yes," a watery laugh escaped her at the look of absolute happiness that brightened his face. "Yes, I would like to be more than friends because I love you too! I have loved you for a long time." She said, her voice losing strength, not because her feelings were not true but because she was embarrassed still to admit it.

"You do? You have?" His voice was filled with wonder as he saw her nod. Now it was his turn to embrace her tightly, their bodies closer than what they have ever been. Lisa had never felt as warm or as loved as she did at this moment. Her tinkling laugh was echoed by his own huskier one. And this time, when they separated, it wasn't far, in fact Rick's face was as close as it had ever been, except when they had kissed for the Zentraedi. His eyes looked deep into hers and it seemed that he was relieving the same memories as hers. "May I kiss you?" He asked, his lips so close to hers that she could feel the little puffs of his breaths on her lips. She sighed what could have been a yes but it was more of a sound of surrender as she closed the gap between them and their lips finally met together, not because they needed to survive, not because they had to follow orders but because they desired it. A mutual desire that burned brightly between them, that turned a simple brushing of lips into an exploration of mouths that was more of an exchange of souls. And when they had to stop to gather their breaths, their eyes communicated the wonderment and hope for a new chapter of their lives.

-The END-