A/N: Yeah. I don't even know how I posted this chapter so fast. But it is done, finite, and that is all that matters to me at this point. Although I find it a bit lengthy and I'll probably try to shorten it in the future. Just that right now, I can't see what parts I should get rid of. So I apologize if some parts seemed drawn out. Anyway thanks to .Secrets, SaintofSillySocks, Knightgirl4Jack, THE Night Yagami, thegriffin88, kawaii uchiha's, and PeachTwilight for reviewing. You guys are awesome. :)

CHAPTER 10 – The Date:

Tonight was the night. At the last minute, Naminé had pleaded for her friends to rush over and help her. She didn't need help picking out an outfit; that she could do just fine. She had just wanted some form of comfort, a couple of people who could keep her from cracking under the insanity of the situation. Naturally Vi and Mel obliged and had come over in a half hour's time. They did manage to calm her down and tell her not to freak out because it was just Kimblee. But Naminé hadn't expected to find herself sitting in front of her mirror, getting her make-up done by one person and her hair by another. It was almost as if they were trying to doll her up for Kimblee and when she asked why, Vi merely sighed.

"It's not for Kimblee," she stated like it was the most obvious thing. She stood back for a moment, scrutinizing her make-up job. After what seemed like ages, she finally appeared satisfied. "You never know who you might run into out there. You can't go looking anyhow."

"She's right," Mel nodded in agreement. For the last half hour, she had been twisting Naminé's hair this way and that way, unwilling to let the woman see the masterpiece at hand. But nothing seemed to be coming out right. "Suppose you run into a billionaire looking like a hot mess. What will you do then? A simple trip to the bathroom wouldn't save you." After torturing herself, as well as the brunette, she did a simple bun, leaving the bangs hanging in front. She finally left the woman's hair alone and patted her friend on the back. "Okay. Done."

Vi rolled her eyes. "If you were going to do that, then I should have done her hair."

"It looks just fine," Mel insisted.

Naminé stood up and examined herself in the mirror. The black dress she was wearing – she had originally bought it for her date with Roy. She remembered thinking how sexy she had looked in the store. Now, she found that perhaps the dress was a bit too short. Her heels were a bit too tall for her liking but Vi and Mel had both agreed that the black shoes had looked amazing with the dress for whatever reason. She leaned closer to the mirror, pouting her red lips a bit. "Are you sure this isn't overdoing it?" She asked. "I don't want him to think I'm dressing up for him."

"Oh please," Mel said, waving her hand dismissively. "Make him beg for it."

"Wait, what?"

Mel suddenly laughed. "Are you telling me you never once thought Kimblee was hot?"

"Of course not!" Naminé couldn't see what that had to with making him beg for "it," "it" practically meaning anything raunchy.

Mel smiled. "I find that a bit hard to believe. Even Vi thinks he is."

Vi sighed and looked away, her red eyes narrowing slightly. "Don't twist my words around. I said if he keeps his mouth shut and acts respectful, he could be."

"You know," Naminé suddenly said. "Roy wished me good luck tonight. He suggested that I would need it."

Vi snorted. "Dealing with a jackass like Kimblee, I bet you would."

The doorbell rang and three women stopped talking. "That must be him," Naminé whispered. Already, she could feel the nervousness returning. "I can't let him see me now," she said, biting her bottom lip. She looked at her reflection and she saw the worry in her eyes. "I'm not ready yet."

"You're kidding me right?" Mel asked, shaking her head. Despite her instinct to pull her friend out of the room, she walked out of the room by herself. "I'll get it," she called from the hallway.

Vi reached for her sunglasses and put them on. Then she looked at Naminé. "I don't know why you're acting so nervous. It's only Kimblee out there."

"I know," Naminé sighed and picked up her purse, making sure she had everything in it. She knew that Vi had a point. It was only Kimblee out there. But she still felt nervous. She believed that it had a lot to do with the fact that this still constituted as a date and she hadn't been out on one recently. Which meant that she was still liable of making a complete and utter fool of herself. She knew Kimblee would love to see that. Suddenly the woman felt a pair of hands on her back pushing her out of her room and into the hallway. "Hey!"

"Let's get this over with," Vi said. They heard Mel's giggling from down the door and Vi made a sound of disgust. "Figures she's hitting on him already." When the entrance came in sight, the two stopped in their tracks and inhaled sharply. There was Mel, flirting away. That was practically expected. The Kimblee in front of them was not.

He had cleaned up rather nicely from this afternoon. He seemed like a respectable gentleman. Naminé could always assume it had more to do with his white suit or its matching hat. It was a huge change from his military uniform after all. Naminé must have given him several once-overs before she realized that his eyes were on her. She quickly looked away. "Hi."

"Hey."

Naminé felt awkward standing there, not saying anything really productive and the fact that he was just looking at her wasn't very helpful. She bit her bottom lip, wondering what to say or do. A slight nudge from her right caused her to look at Vi. Vi nodded toward Kimblee and gave her a look that blatantly said, 'get on over there'. Clutching her purse tightly, the Lightning Alchemist walked over to him. "Let's go get this over with."

"What about your jacket?"

"Don't need one," Naminé said, opening the door already. She was not going to waste any time to get one. The sooner this date was over, the better.

"If you say so," Kimblee said. "Let's go before we're late for our reservation."

Naminé stopped and turned around. "What reservation?"

Kimblee raised an eyebrow. "A reservation. The thing you make with those fancy restaurants."

Fancy? "Oh. Right." She looked back at her friends. "I'll see you guys later."

"Have fun," Vi said.

"Don't do what I would do on a first date, Naminé," Mel said with a wink.

Before Naminé could say something, Kimblee closed the door. The woman stared at him, not sure what to say and once again, he was looking her over. Suddenly he smiled to himself. "I'm a bit surprised, babe. You actually look hot."

"You don't look bad yourself," she replied, trying so hard to not be effected by his comment. But deep down inside she was and she knew it was bound to show on her face. What was wrong with her? She could tell this was going to be a long night.

The restaurant was different than what Naminé had originally expected. It was far fancier than she had thought. With it's the overhead crystal chandeliers and tablecloths that would be a shame to ruin, she felt out of place. Still, despite her instinct to run out, she followed Kimblee and the waiter to a table for two that had a lit candle in the center. Before he took his seat, Kimblee pulled out her seat and she sat down before she picked up the menu. Her blue eyes quickly glanced over the prices, wondering how Kimblee would pay for all this.

"Order whatever you want, babe," he told her.

She looked at him, her eyebrows furrowed. "Are you sure--!"

"Whatever you want," he repeated.

Naminé's gaze returned to the menu. She was looking for a familiar name, one that didn't promise anything strange. There were a few and she was glad about that. But they all sounded so good and she couldn't make up her mind. She glanced at Kimblee and saw that he was done choosing whatever he had wanted; his menu laid on the table. Her blue eyes settled on the man. Why does he look so handsome? She wondered. She hadn't thought it was possible to be mesmerized by him. There was no way this could be the same Kimblee she worked with every day in the military.

He looked up at her. "What?"

"Um," Naminé averted her gaze. "I, uh, wanted to say that I'll order whatever you're ordering."

"Okay."

Another silence. Hiding behind her menu, the woman took a deep breath and asked, "Why are you doing this to Romberg?"

Kimblee raised an eyebrow, obviously confused by her words. "What are you talking about now?"

"Clearly you're doing this to annoy him," she stated. "Taking me out on a date and all."

It took a while for him to understand what she meant. Smirking, he looked away from her. "Who said this had anything to do with Romberg?"

Naminé narrowed her eyes. "Who else would this deal with?"

"Let's forget about him," he said. "I'm more interested in you, babe." He wished he could see her reaction to that line. However, she decided that behind a menu was where she wanted to be. He thought about leaning across the table and pulling it out of her hands but he knew that wouldn't end well. It was as if she was looking for something for the two of them to disagree over. It was a strange idea. Still, it seemed to fit what she was doing rather nicely.

"What's so interesting about me?" She asked, not bothering to look at him. She couldn't see his face but she could still catch the smirk in his voice.

"Everything."

Before she could respond – or try to for that matter -- the waiter arrived at the table. The man took out his notepad and pen. "May I take your order?" He asked, his eyes moving back and forth between the two of them.

"Two steaks," Kimblee said.

"And the drink?"

"Water," Naminé said.

"Red Wine," he said.

The waiter scribbled the drinks down. "Your food will be here in about twenty minutes," he said. "Do you want any appetizers?" The two of them shook their heads and the man nodded in agreement. Then he walked off to take care of another table. Soon after, their drinks arrived. All they had to wait for were their steaks.

Naminé sipped some water, her eyes anywhere else but Kimblee. Everything, she repeated in her head in disbelief. He found everything about her interesting. She wasn't used to this side of Kimblee. It put her a little on edge because she wondered what he was expecting to gain from all this.

"Naminé."

Her blue eyes landed on him instantly. "Yes?"

"Tell me something about yourself."

"Like what?"

Kimblee shrugged. "Something I wouldn't be able to tell at first glance."

"I, um . . ." She supposed this was the part where she had to think of some clever story to share. Naminé would have talked about her job but Kimblee worked with her. He knew all about that. She tried hard to think of something from her childhood. "When I was younger, I wanted to do ballet."

Kimblee couldn't suppress a grin. "Really?"

She knew she should have chosen a different story. "What? Is it that unbelievable?"

The man laughed. "It is, considering where you are now."

Naminé didn't see the humor. "I don't think many adults end up being exactly what they wanted to be as a child," she said matter-of-factly. "I doubt you saw yourself as a military dog when you were little."

"That's where you're wrong, babe," Kimblee said, leaning back into his seat. "I already knew that the military was for me. My... 'line of work' wasn't suited for anything else."

Naminé couldn't say she was surprised by that. Unless it was general alchemy, most of the specialized ones were of the destructive kind. Her lightning, Roy's flames – those were a couple of examples. Kimblee's alchemy was perhaps the most obvious. She couldn't see how explosions could help anyone unless, of course, it was used for military purposes. But even then, some people were bound to get hurt or possibly even killed.

"Naminé."

She looked up at him.

"You're okay over there? You zoned out."

"I'm fine," she said. "I was just thinking."

"What I said doesn't require much thought, you know."

"Who said I was thinking about that?" She said quickly, earning a smile from Kimblee.

"Why are you getting so defensive, babe?"

Naminé sighed and reached for her glass of water. As charming as he appeared, Kimblee was still Kimblee. Once one got pass him holding doors open and pulling out seats, that fact became obvious. Although... Her blue eyes flickered in his direction again and she felt that bizarre fluttering in her stomach. To make matters worse, his eyes met hers. Her heart skipped a beat as she waited for him to say something stupid. But he didn't. He averted his gaze elsewhere and she reached for her glass of water again. She wished that he would say something stupid or sarcastic or rude soon. Anything would do just as long as it freed her from this abnormal state of mind.

Suddenly a plate was placed in front of her and she looked up at the waiter. "Your steak, miss," the man said in case she didn't know. She looked down and saw the juicy steak laced with a dark sauce and surrounded baked potato wedges, sliced lemons, and various greens which included lettuce and steamed broccoli. The waiter walked away and the woman hardly noticed. She was still wondering how food could look so good.

"Looks good, right?"

Naminé looked up at Kimblee. "It does," she told him with a small smile. She reached for her napkin and, after unfolding, placed it on her lap. Then she started to eat. Dinner was eaten in mostly silence except for a few comments about the food and anything along those lines. The woman used that time to assess the situation and Kimblee. Just when she thought that she had figured everything out, something suddenly changed in the equation and thus changing the results. To be honest, she was enjoying the date and even liked Kimblee's little quips here and there. Was that why some women like Sonia swoon over him?

When her stomach couldn't hold anymore, she placed her fork down. "I'm so full." There was a little bit of steak left along with the string beans she could careless for and tiny chunks of baked potato. She picked up her fork and poke a bit at the leftovers.

Kimblee, whose plate was empty by this point, reached for a tiny menu set in the middle of the table. Smirking, he asked, "So you have no room for dessert, babe?"

Naminé blinked. "Dessert?" He handed her the tiny menu and she looked at it. Dessert hadn't crossed her mind but now that he mentioned, she couldn't resist the various cakes and pastries jumping off the page. The woman looked up at him. "Do you want to split the Chocolate Fountain with me?" According to the photo, the Chocolate Fountain was a chocolate cake with a bowl-shaped center. The center was filled with melted chocolate. According to the description, the cake would be presented on a small plate, surrounded by various kinds of chocolate. As fattening as it was, she couldn't leave it.

"Sure," Kimblee said. When the waiter returned, he told him about the dessert and the waiter went off with their dirty dishes. Within a few minutes, the waiter appeared with their dessert. Kimblee noticed how Naminé suddenly lit up at the sight of chocolate. He had never understood what women found in the sweet. It was like any other one. Still it had the ridiculous affect on them and watching Naminé take the first bite and smiling like it was the most heavenly thing on earth only solidified his point of view more. Taking his fork, he dug in. "From the looks of it, you seem to be enjoying the cake more than the date."

Naminé quickly swallowed the chocolate in her mouth. "Don't be silly," she said, reaching for one of the chocolates on the plate. "I'm actually loving the date so far." She caught the surprised expression on his face and she wished that she had kept that small tidbit to herself. But he didn't make any comment so she relaxed a bit. Little did she know that he was silently gloating to himself as he helped her get through the cake.

The dessert was soon gone and the bill was paid. Having no other reason to stay in the fancy restaurant, the two headed out into the cool night. The breeze blew down the city-lit street and Naminé shivered. Instantly she hugged herself and rubbed her upper arms, trying to keep warm. "It's cold."

If he had brought the car, they could have sat in its warmth. But the Lightning Alchemist, he had learnt, had a thing for nightly strolls because it was 'so beautiful with the stars out and stuff'. Not that it was easy to see the night sky with all the city lights and such. Kimblee sighed. "If you were going to complain and whine about the weather, you should have brought your jacket."

Naminé rolled her eyes. "Don't start."

Kimblee took off his white blazer and held it out for her. "Here," he said.

She was about to take it but then she realized that he was holding it in a way to help her put it on. Blushing a little at the idea, she turned around and slipped one arm through the sleeve, then the other. The blazer, of course, was too big but she felt instantly warmer. Her blue eyes landed on the man. "You sure you'll be fine without it?" She asked.

"Yeah," Kimblee said like it was a big deal. To be honest, he was a bit chilly but there was no way in hell he would admit that. The two walked in silence for a while, neither sure of exactly what to say in this situation. They didn't have the dire need to speak; the silence wasn't awkward. So they allowed their minds to wander wherever they wanted. The two didn't talk until they were walking up the stairs in Naminé's apartment complex.

"I don't get you," Naminé had suddenly said as they reached her floor.

Kimblee frowned. "What's not to get?"

Naminé turned toward him. She was walking slower than she could have. She knew once she got there, then the date would be official over and they could part ways. They couldn't do that until she got a plausible answer to her question and for that, she needed to stall somehow. "You act like such an ass at work. I just don't get how you can be... act kinda like a gentleman."

"Kinda?"

"Kinda," she reaffirmed. She was not second guessing herself on that. There was no point in being confused any further about this situation. "How come?"

Kimblee smirked. "You can't expect me to be your Prince Charming, babe," he said. They stopped outside her door and he faced her. His golden eyes passed over the woman. "Not all the time anyway."

Naminé had her keys in her hands and she was ready to open the door. But her eyes caught his and she stood there slightly perplexed by the strange expression on his face. What was he waiting for? A comment? An insult? She leaned against her door. "What's that suppose to mean?"

Kimblee removed his hat and held it by the side of her face like he was trying to hide it from whoever might be down the hallway. Then he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers.

Her eyes opened wide. She was frozen in place, her mind slowly comprehending what was going on. This couldn't be really happening, right? Because this was Zolf J. Kimblee, the Crimson Alchemist, the mad bomber, the man who had deemed her as 'uptight.' So why would he... Her mind struggled to function properly but her body was quicker to react and in a matter of moments her eyes fluttered closed. Her body didn't care for the why's and how's; it just cared for the physical contact.

Glad that he was getting some sign of life from the girl, he leaned in a bit more, deepening the kiss. He could feel her hands on his chest – possibly an attempt to keep some distance between the two of them – and wished that she would move them so he could press into her the way he wanted to. But he figured that he shouldn't really complain. He became a bit rougher and he felt her hands grasp his shirt. His tongue came out begging for entrance.

Naminé didn't know what happened in the next few seconds but Kimblee's tongue was inside her mouth. Despite the tingles going down her spine, despite the sudden rush she got from it, despite the excitement that made her heart skip a few beats, she quickly pushed him away. Kimblee was surprised. Naminé immediately felt stupid. Feeling her face heat up for more than one reason, she turned around and tried opening her apartment door. "I, um--!" Another jab and miss "—I'll--!" After missing the key hole a few times, the key went in and she opened the door. Barely sparing him a fleeting glance, she quickly said, "Thanks for the date. Good night!" She slammed the door. I must really look like an idiot now, she thought.

"So how was it?"

Naminé looked up and was surprised to see Vi and Mel lounging on the couch. She had thought that they had gone home. But apparently they hadn't. Both of friends looked at her expectantly. "How was what?" Naminé asked, not sure what they were talking.

"The kiss," Mel said impatiently. "Out there."

Naminé's blush deepened and she turned away. "What are you talking about?"

"Your lipstick's smudged," Vi stated.

"I don't know," she finally said, unable to come up with a decent lie. "... Is it... normal for people to put their tongues in other people's mouths?" There was a brief silence before her two friends erupted into laughter.

"Obviously someone has never really been kissed before," Mel grinned to Vi, who was trying to control her laughter.

"Seriously," Naminé frowned. "I don't know what to do. I can't face him now." The doorbell suddenly rang and she looked through the peep hole before groaning. "It's him," she said. "What should I do?"

"I don't know," Vi said, finally getting control of herself. Her eyes passed over her friend. "Give him back his jacket? I mean, I would think that he would want it back."

Naminé looked down at herself and realized that she had run away with his jacket. Slowly she opened the door and saw Kimblee standing there.

"My jacket," he said simply. "I forgot it."

"Right. Of course." She slid his jacket off and held it out to him. Already she could feel the blush creeping back into her cheeks. Her mind had finally comprehended what had happened. Her gaze lingered on his lips. So tongue was alright?

He took the jacket from her and put it on. "I'll see you Monday, babe."

"Right," she said, nodding her head. "Monday." She heard giggling behind her but she ignored it for the time being. Even though he had said goodbye, the man had yet to leave. His eyes were still on her and she wondered if he believed that he would get another kiss out of her. "Bye."

"Bye." With that, Kimblee started to walk down the hallway.

Naminé was about to close the door but she stopped. She stuck her head out into the hallway. "Hey." The man stopped and turned around. "You might want to, you know, wipe that little bit of lipstick off your lips." Before he could say a word, she closed the door and leaned against it as her friends burst into laughter. "It's not that funny," Naminé insisted.

"Monday should be interesting," Vi said.

The Lightning Alchemist sighed. "Tell me about it."