A/N: As promised... despite the ridiculous delays, I have not forgotten about this story! It's always there, hovering at the back of my mind, waiting to sneak back out... I couldn't drop these guys if I tried! And I wouldn't try. I love them too much. I'm hopeless, I tell you what. Originally I wasn't sure if this was a weird chapter ending or not, but you know, looking back on it now with fresh eyes, I think it actually works out. Sorry guys, no makeouts (yet). I'M SORRYYYYY I'M WORKING ON IIIIIT. Also there MAY be weird formatting issues due to posting this from my iPad, if so I will clean them up later! LOVE YOU ALL!

Also to answer someone's question about why Protoman wasn't mentioned when Chaud was listing off his friends to Yai and why he couldn't talk to them about his newfound interest in Maylu... Well, Protoman is presumably sitting in Chaud's holster for this conversation with Yai, so I don't think Chaud would discuss him in the conversation - and I also think that Protoman would have just as hilariously awkward a time on the subject of "love" as Chaud does, so they probably just aren't going to talk about it. At least, not yet. ;)

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If the fact that Lan arrives on time to the masquerade ball - and Maylu is late - isn't a sign of the end times, Chaud isn't sure what is.

He also notes, during his umpteenth trip pacing back and forth across the front entrance, that he never realized how utterly maddening it could be to so dearly anticipate someone's arrival - and to be kept waiting. In fact, it feels as though waiting is the only thing he's been doing for the entire day. Yes, there were the usual phone calls, business meetings, and of course last-minute preparations for the ball… yet, despite the fact that it all should have been enough to keep him focused, instead his eyes kept drifting to the nearest timepiece, discovering each time that only another sixty seconds had passed. Hands that normally rested calmly at his sides or in his pockets found themselves picking up the nearest object and fiddling with it until he caught himself again and put it down. Even a particularly rigorous training session with Protoman did little to assuage the agitated buzzing within him as he helplessly awaited the arrival of 6 o'clock, when the evening event was to begin.

And now it has indeed begun and she is late and he is trapped greeting all the guests he's supposed to be networking with and he thinks he might pick up the ornate antique vase on the pedestal beside him and smash it on the floor if Lan doesn't stop pestering him to find out when dinner will be served because he just wants to be left in peace to wait at the door for her arrival and-

And then he catches sight of that beautiful aqua-blue dress as she steps out of the limo, one graceful leg following the other, calves abruptly hidden by fabric as the hem of the dress rights itself and drapes just over her feet, her cherry-red hair artfully curled and pinned into a stunning up-do, with a few soft ringlets left free to frame her face and the back of her neck, and tasteful, simple jewelry glittering at her throat and earlobes - and the light touch of makeup that she clearly doesn't even need because dear God, she is the most beautiful thing he's ever seen, and he can no longer remember how breathing is supposed to work.

"Uh, dude, earth to Chaud?" Lan waved a hand in front of his friend's face, looking mildly grumpy at being ignored so thoroughly.

Chaud smiled, then, and he turned to Lan for only a moment, placing a friendly hand on Lan's shoulder. "It's times like this that I'm glad you're an idiot," he said. He ignored Lan's offended exclamation, his eyes drawn back to her like a magnet as he walked down the stairs to meet her. It was Lan's continued ignorance of Maylu's feelings - and of her charms - that allowed Chaud to have an opportunity like tonight, and he was not about to squander it.

"Glad you made it," he said, his dry tone belying the fact that it was all he could do not to grin like a fool. "I was starting to worry."

Maylu looked embarrassed, clutching her purse in her hands. "I'm sorry… Yai and I were getting ready together and we just… ran a little late…"

At the mention of Yai, Chaud automatically glanced back at the limo that Maylu head stepped from. Sure enough, his tiny, blonde-haired business rival was just getting out of it - and when she caught his gaze, she gave him a wicked smirk that positively dripped of smugness.

If he didn't know any better, he would have thought Yai had intentionally caused their tardy arrival.

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"It's called 'fashionably late' for a reason, you know," Yai said with a crooked grin, inspecting her own already-perfect hairdo in the mirror.

"But Yai," Maylu looked at her friend helplessly. She was completely dressed, hair and makeup done to a tee, clearly ready to fly out the door. "To be late on purpose…!"

"Relax, Maylu!" Yai picked up a nail file, pretending to tend to her flawless nail tips. "Chaud Blaze has people bending over backwards for him left and right. He can stand to wait a few minutes for two beautiful women to arrive." She smiled at her reflection, reaching for a tube of lipstick. She only wished she could see the expression on his face as the seconds ticked by, the evening dragging further and further away from 6 o'clock, with no Maylu to show for it.

Maylu sighed, defeated. She didn't understand in the least why her friend was so insistent about such a thing - but she also knew that further attempts to persuade her otherwise would only prove to be a waste of time. So she sat in the nearest arm chair, her gaze drifting to the clock…

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"Well, don't worry," he said, smiling slightly. "It's not like you missed anything. Unless you wanted to see me shake hands with a hundred different strangers while pretending I know and like them."

Maylu laughed, finally seeming to relax. "Well, I was rather looking forward to that, but I suppose I'll just have to wait until next time."

The boy chuckled. Then he offered her the crook of his arm. "Shall we?"

She hesitated for only the briefest moment, then accepted it gracefully, hoping he could not see the warmth seeping into her face. "Let's," she said with a smile, and together they ascended the stairs.

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It had been all Maylu could do not to express her surprise that Chaud was escorting her personally. When he'd extended the invitation to them a month ago, he'd made it clear that he was going to be incredibly busy socializing with potential business partners for most of the evening. In addition to which, he'd certainly made no move to include Yai in the escort - in fact, Maylu could have sworn that she caught Chaud glaring in Yai's direction. However, it was only for a split second, and in the end she couldn't tell whether or not she'd imagined the glare. But if she hadn't just imagined it, what on earth had Yai done to get under Chaud's skin enough to earn such a look? Usually it was the other way around.

As they stepped down the red carpet lining the front hall together, Maylu was again distracted by Chaud's now-familiar scent - clean, sweet, and musky, and altogether far too wonderful to even be fair. It made it tempting to lean even closer to him, which she was absolutely not about to do.

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"Wow, Laika, I didn't expect you to come!" Lan said, holding a chicken leg in one hand and a fork full of potato in the other. "You're such a hermit!"

His friend gave him a withering look, arms crossed. Then he closed his eyes and cleared his throat. "Hermit accusations aside, I did have other things in mind for the evening," he remarked. "But someone… ah… insisted."

Lan looked at him curiously, cheeks stuffed with food. "Who?"

Laika seemed mildly embarrassed at the question, a hint of color in his cheeks. "Nevermind." Still, he couldn't stop his eyes from drifting over to the beautiful, blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman wearing a crown that stood in the middle of a small crowd nearby, smiling softly at her audience. Clearing his throat awkwardly for a second time, he shifted to lean on the railing that overlooked the ballroom dance floor below, turning instead to gaze upon the dancers. Two familiar faces in particular caught his eye, and he made a small sound of surprise. "I didn't realize Sakurai could dance so well," he remarked crossing one arm over the other on the railing as he watched.

"Well, she didn't useta," Lan said, gulping down half a glass of water. "But Chaud gave her lessons."

The green-haired boy startled, glancing over his shoulder at Lan. "What, personally?"

Lan nodded, his mouth now full of what appeared to be Jell-O. "Yeah, why?"

"I wouldn't have thought he'd even have time, between his business and his Net Police work."

Lan rolled his eyes. "Chaud basically does whatever he wants. If he decides he's gonna do something, he makes time."

Laika glanced at him momentarily. "So what you're saying is that Chaud wanted to give her dance lessons personally."

The brunet shrugged, digging his fork once again into the pile of potatoes. "I guess so! I mean, they hang out sometimes, so I donno why not. But I really don't get why anyone would wanna do dance lessons at all." He snorted. "I'd rather skate any day."

Laika returned to observing the pair on the dance floor, leaning somewhat more conspicuously over the railing this time. 'Hang out sometimes?' he thought, now even more curious. And then Maylu appeared to say something, and Chaud smiled - really, truly smiled - and Laika chuckled out of sheer disbelief. Well, wasn't THAT something. "So Sakurai isn't chasing after you anymore, hm?"

Lan looked up, perplexed. "Chasing? Huh? I mean, I haven't seen her around as much lately, I guess, but I don't really get what you mean."

The Sharo boy looked over his shoulder at Lan, realizing once again just how oblivious the boy could be. "Ah… I just assumed, with her and Blaze hitting it off so well…" He trailed off, not really certain where he was going with that sentence, or if he should even bother. It was Lan, after all. "So they are not… ah, together, then?" Lan's blank stare made him even more uncomfortable as he rooted around for a different phrasing. "I thought perhaps they were… going out."

At this, Lan burst into laughter to the point of almost choking on his food. "What? Chaud? Are you kidding me? He doesn't even know what a girl is!"

'As if you are one to talk,' Laika thought drily. But, if that was how his friend perceived things, he would leave it at that.

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