Chapter 10

Light and airy classical music drifted through the halls near the ballroom on Terra Rex. Aerrow looked around, Radarr perched on his shoulder. Harrier approached them, a smile on his face.

"It's nice to see that you have dressed for the occasion," he commented. Aerrow nodded slowly, narrowing his eyes slightly. Harrier put his hands up passively. "No, no, no sarcasm this time." He looked around. "Where is your most..." He paused, trying to find the right words as he surveyed the rest of the squadron. "...civilized member?" Finn glared at Harrier from behind Aerrow's back, then looked over his shoulder and gasped. Moving his mouth frantically open and shut like a dying fish, Finn tapped Aerrow's shoulder, and pointed at the something beyond Harrier. Aerrow glanced around the Rex Guardian, and his eyes widened. "What are you all staring at?" Harrier questioned irritably. "I asked you a question."

"And I'm right here."

Harrier turned and Piper noticed the surprise in his eyes with a degree of satisfaction. She had spent a good long time getting herself ready, so he should be taken aback. Her hair had been smoothed back into curls that fell to her shoulders, and her orange headband separated her bangs from her curls, allowing her bangs to fall by her eyes. Her silky dress remained tight until her waist, at which point it poofed out and touched the floor, swaying as she moved. The transparent covering over the actual fabric was laced with sparkles and various other designs, causing glints of light to seem to radiate off of Piper as she moved under the lights.

"Piper," Aerrow breathed, her name being the only thing he could think of to say. His eyes glowed as he took in her absolute beauty, blown away as her eyes glittered with a smile that was directed at him. He felt his lips twitching into a returning smile as he realized that she personified absolute, magisterial beauty - in person and in spirit. Aerrow wanted nothing more but to wrap his arms around her, kiss her, and never let her go. He bit his lip and looked at the floor, realizing that he wasn't supposed to be thinking that.

"Dude! You look like a - a - a girl!" Finn stammered, sounding like someone had kicked the breath out of him.

"Don't I usually?" Piper asked irritably, glaring at him. Aerrow quickly stepped between the two, his hands out passively.

"I - I think what Finn means to say is that you're -" Aerrow paused, taking in the vision of Piper again, "-beautiful." Piper's eyes softened and she smiled gently back, a pink tinge coloring her cheeks.

"Well, it's nice to see you've arrived," Harrier commented, stepping in and bowing graciously. Piper, with the smile still lingering on her face, curtsied back politely. "May I have the first dance?" Harrier continued, holding out his hand. After a quick glance at Aerrow, Piper took Harrier's hand, and the two whirled off in an elaborate dance that made Aerrow glad he was not asked to dance first. The squadron split into two different groups; Stork, Junko, and Radarr went to eat, and Finn and Aerrow went to find a table.

"What are you doing?" Finn grumbled, as they sought out empty chairs and an empty table.

"What do you mean?" Aerrow questioned, confused. Finn groaned.

"I thought I was the dumb one," he muttered, then returned to normal volume as he added, "Dude! You finally got Piper. And now you're letting her slip away!"

"No, I'm not!" Aerrow argued. "It's not like we're not friends or anything!"

"That's the point, man," Finn retorted. "You're just friends. Aerrow, I can tell you want more than that! How can I see what you miss?" He paused and sighed. "First, you let her talk her out of a relationship. Then, you let some uptight Rex Guardian literally waltz off with her!"

"That was a waltz?" Aerrow asked.

"Don't try to redirect!" Finn exclaimed. "If you want her, go get her! Don't sit around and wait for an impossible 'everybody wins' scenario! Go get your girl!" Aerrow's eyebrows pushed together as he looked up at Finn. This was so weird...how was Finn being continually right this week? Well, it didn't matter. What mattered was Aerrow's love for Piper that was letting slip away. The two of them had the potential to make the best kick-butt couple in the Atmos, so why not embrace that?

Aerrow quickly rose. "Tell the guys I'm going out to get a breath of fresh air," he instructed Finn, who grinned. Aerrow strode quickly to Harrier and Piper, tapping Harrier on the shoulder. "May I intrude?"

The Rex Guardian opened his mouth to reply, but Piper interrupted by saying, "Of course. This song seems to be wrapping up anyway."

Harrier nodded. "I see. Well, have fun." He chuckled snobbishly, clearly believing that Aerrow would not know the complicated dance that he and Piper had been performing. Luckily for Aerrow, though, when he took Piper's hand and put his other hand on her waist, the music slowed, allowing them to just sway in place peacefully like the other pairs around them.

"You're actually dancing," Piper commented, leaning her head against his chest.

"Yup," Aerrow replied, putting his chin on her head. She loved hearing his heart beat as he steadily breathed in and out, and he loved the feel and smell of her hair. "Piper, I've gotta talk to you about something. Wanna go outside?"

"Sure."

They moved across the dance floor, hand in hand, toward the balcony. There was a bench by the railing, and the two of them sat on it, looking at the moon.

"It's beautiful," Piper breathed. Aerrow glanced at her, a smile growing across his face.

"So are you," he murmured, causing her to chuckled at the awful cliche. It was still sweet, though, and that's what she loved about Aerrow...he could make almost anything sound totally sweet and heartfelt.

"So what is this about?" Piper inquired, looking up at Aerrow in curiosity. Aerrow sighed, realizing how much she could always see right through him. As if understanding his thoughts, Piper added, "I mean, you wouldn't bring me out here just to tell me that you thought I looked good."

"Piper, I'm in love with you and I want to be able to call you my girlfriend," Aerrow explained quickly, letting the words fall straight from his heart. "I know we'll always be friends, but I want more than that. I don't want to hide what we have, and I don't care if we argue in the future. That's in the future. The Storm Hawks wouldn't fall apart due to an argument between us. We're too strong for that. Let's live for today. I want to hold you close, to call you mine, and to be able to say honestly that I have the best girlfriend in the Atmos. I -"

Piper suddenly interrupted him by stepping forward and gently pressing her lips to his. She put her arms around his neck as he kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her in. When they broke apart, Piper stayed on her toes with her arms around his neck, leaning her forehead against his.

"If you wanted that," she murmured, "why not say it to start with?" Aerrow smiled at her, so completely infatuated with her smile that if asked to describe that feeling, he wouldn't be able to find the words.

"I was afraid you wouldn't agree," he mumbled, almost ashamed to think it. Piper lifted his chin gently, and his green eyes looked into her hazel ones gently as her eyebrows pushed together.

"Know now that I will never disagree with you on matters of the heart," she breathed laying a hand on his chest and feeling his heart beat. "You have a very reliable one, and will always be right." Aerrow smiled hesitantly at her, then leaned forward and kissed her again. They broke apart, and heard music wafting to them from the ballroom. Remaining in the same place with their foreheads touching, Piper and Aerrow resumed their swaying, dancing in the moonlight.