Our Fifty Moments
Part Nine: No

The Tomato Challenge
Lloyd says that there is absolutely, positively no way to make him eat a tomato. Colette is determined to prove him wrong.


"C-Colette, stop that! I already said - "

"Come on, Lloyd! Just one little bite? Please?"

"I said no!"

Colette giggled as she playfully followed Lloyd around the campsite, a plump, bright red tomato in her outstretched hand. She seemed to be enjoying herself as she tried to get her boyfriend to take a bite - Lloyd, however, was not having quite as much fun.

"Seriously!" he pleaded, "Cut it out! You know I hate those things!"

"Maybe if you just ate them more often, you wouldn't hate them anymore!" The Chosen walked faster, catching up with Lloyd and holding the tomato in front of his face. "They're really, really yummy, I promise...!"

Lloyd's look of complete disgust only made Colette laugh out loud. Oh, how cute he was when he was flustered! Lloyd placed a gloved hand on the tomato and pushed it away.

"No!" he cried again, backing away from the repulsive fruit. "No way! There's no way you can make me eat that!"

"Really?" Colette approached him again. "No way at all?"

"No way at all." Lloyd frowned and crossed his arms.

The girl pulled the tomato away and smiled. "Are you sure, Lloyd? Because I think I know a way...!" She walked over to the campfire, over which a pot a cream stew was simmering and near which a knife and cutting board had been placed. Colette carefully carved out a small slice of the tomato and returned to Lloyd. She then placed the tomato slice in her mouth and closed her eyes, standing on her toes.

Lloyd blushed a little and gulped. He had no idea she could be so insidious! "Y...You're not serious, are you?"

"Mm-hmm," replied Colette.

The swordsman knew instantly that she had him cornered. There she was, all cute and puckered up, just waiting for him to close the gap between their lips - there was no way he could say no to that. But between him and her bright, shining face was that repulsive tomato slice, and there was no way she was going to remove that obstacle herself.

Whimpering softly to himself, Lloyd shut his eyes tightly and leaned forward. He wasn't going to let some messy, watery, putrid little fruit come between them! He bit into the other side of the tomato, fighting his way through every swallow until he finally found Colette's lips.

After a short, gentle kiss, Colette broke off, giggling happily and throwing her hands into the air. "I did it!" she cried, "I told you I could make you eat it!"

Lloyd coughed and gagged before waving her off. "You got me, you got me..." he said, "Just - don't make me ever do that again...!"

"I won't, I promise." She took a hold of Lloyd's hand. "But because you were so brave, you can have extra cream stew for dinner, okay?"

He sighed, defeated. "Good. I'll need it."