{I'm sorry, i know the chapter title is corny as all hell. I just couldn't help myself :-)}

Aya-chan is a conniving bitch.

I sat at an overdone table with a bored looking Sakura watching Aya-chan fawning all over KEN. MY KEN. I very nearly throttled Aya-chan for even daring to consider dating MY MAN. I don't know how she got him there but there was obviously blackmail or drugs or brainwashing involved. He looked really uncomfortable. Aya-chan was all over him, cozied up as close as she could be. She tried to sit on his lap but whenever she went to transfer herself Ken would get up to get everyone punch, whether we needed it or not. She finally gave up but not before there were fifteen full glasses on the table.

I really wasn't being a very good date. Sakura kept trying to draw me into the conversation, but I was content to just sit back and fume. She was confused as to why I was glaring at Aya-chan, but she wasn't really mad. She knew I had asked her as a friend. She did catch me looking sadly at Ken a few times, but though I could hear her mind puzzling over it, she couldn't seem to put two and two together.

There were three other girls at our table who hadn't managed to get dates. Ken frowned when Aya-chan started boasting about how he had gotten her alone in the shop three days ago and begged her to come to the dance and she had said yes and he kissed her on the lips.

[More like she cornered me while I was trying to sneak out the back and burst into tears about how if she didn't have a date she would be thrown to wild dogs until I finally offered to go with her just to shut her up and then she grabbed my face and drooled into my mouth.]

I snorted. Very un-cute but I couldn't help it. I suddenly felt a hell of a lot better about the whole situation. Aya-chan looked at me with confusion and distaste but no one else seemed to notice.

About twenty minutes later (with a good-bye grope for Ken that nearly made me overturn the table) Aya-chan lead the gaggle of girls to the ladies room for whatever the hell it is girls like to do in the bathroom together. If I wasn't gay I would be very curious.

As it was I was overjoyed. Aya-chan had chosen the most secluded table in the gym so she could molest poor Ken without drawing the attention of any of the teachers, so Ken and I were alone half hidden behind a giant Styrofoam snowman and a rack of volleyballs.

Ken smiled at me sheepishly.

[I look like such a dweeb]

"No, you look good." Ken blushed when he realized I had read his thoughts and immediately started concentrating on keeping his mind blank. I was kind of hurt, but I didn't say anything.

In all honesty, he did look like a dweeb. Aya-chan had only asked him a few days ago so he hadn't had time to reserve a tux and had to take the last one that the rental shop had, which fit poorly and was probably made in the eighties. The shirt was ruffly with red edging, the cummerbund and tie were both thicker then was necessary, and the pants and jacket, while black thankfully, were of an extremely showy cut with wide lapels and ridiculously long tails that while fashionable in the eighties, were now just plain tacky.

Ken noticed me scrutinizing his appearance and blushed. We sat in silence for a while as I listened to Ken trying to not think.

[Oh man, I would rather be anywhere but here] I fought the urge to agree with him and pretended I didn't hear that. I think Ken figured out what I was doing because he gave me a small smile.

I asked him a question. I don't remember what but soon we were both smiling and chattering about the most mundane things but having a great time. He said something that made me laugh and I could feel his eyes on me.

[I wish I was here with Omi] almost the second he thought that Ken remembered where he was and the situation with me and all the blood drained out of his face, too mortified to cover himself by saying 'because we are such good friends' or 'because Aya-chan is a bore'.

I was too shocked to move for a second, so completely paralyzed with glee. It occurred to me that Ken possibly didn't mean that in a romantic sense but fortunately the horny part of my brain told me I was being paranoid and I should go for it. The question was how.

I snuck a peek over at Ken. He was deeply engrossed in examining his punch and trying very hard to keep his mind completely blank so he didn't give anything away. What to say what to say. I had to say the perfect thing. I wanted desperately to just kiss him like they always do in the movies, but if I was wrong then I would have thrown away my reputation as straight for nothing, not to mention bringing Ken's into question.

It had to be cool, something witty and smooth, that specifically told him my intentions. After much thinking I decided on 'Oh Ken, I've been wildly in love with you for years, let's go home and hump like bunnies.' It probably needed a little revising, but out of the corner of my eye I saw Sakura-chan and Aya-chan heading back toward the table so I had to act quickly.

"YouknowIkindofsortofmaybewantedtoaskyou." Smooth Omi. Dumbass.

Ken seemed to forget his embarrassment for a moment though because he looked up from his drink. His upper lip was bright blue because of the cheap punch.

"...what?"

I smiled at him, somehow the blue made him seem more approachable. Less like Ken Hidaka, the sex god I usually think of him as, and more of Kenken, one of my best friends that still gets lost on his way to the grocery store and blames it on Swartz.

"I was sort of thinking about asking you to the dance but I didn't think you would have any fun."

"You're right, this isn't any fun." My face fell. Maybe he hadn't meant romantically after all. "I mean...not that...I'm sure it would have been more fun with you but.." I managed a sad smile. [You've done enough damage, just go for it] "Maybe it would have been more fun if we had gone somewhere else. Without Sakura and Aya-chan." I looked up from the table. Despite his suave words Ken was blushing horribly. Was he asking me out? I licked my dry lips.

"You mean...like, uh, a date?" His face broke into a huge smile.

"Yeah"

"You're right, that might have been more fun."

"Only one way to find out."

"Find out what?" And they're back. Damn Aya-chan showing up at the absolute worst possible time.

"Uh, find out if you two are ready to go yet." Suddenly all of the confidence from a moment ago was gone and Ken was groping for words and blushing hotly once again. It's a miracle Aya-chan wasn't suspicious.

"Oh, but Ken we haven't even danced yet. And they're announcing the snow court soon."

Ken sighed, but was smiling broadly. The previous discomfort between the two of us was replaced with an easy levity. And when Aya-chan pulled Ken out on the dance floor for a very slow number and settled her hands well below his waist and Ken looked at me over her head and rolled his eyes, I decided Aya-chan wasn't so bad after all.

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Yay another chapter. I feel so productive. Despite my history of rushing things once Omi gets his swerve on, I think this fic is only about halfway finished. Maybe.

Reviews make me happy! Even short pointless ones.