AN: So I lied when I said tomorrow. My birthday is the fifth so my mom and grandma came into town to see me, and then I got a new laptop that came with freakin Windows 8, so it took me a while to figure out how to work it. Anyway. Angst, angst angst angst, AAAANGST! XD There is much. But then not so much. But then yes. In which Kuki tries a new approach. It's strange, Wally was so sweet last chapter...and then THIS.

My brosefs: I'm Crazy But Who Cares (And now it's THREE. Ohmyword.) GirlyGirl9898 (Who knows...perhaps more cereal boxes. XDD Thanks for reviewing!) addie (You're not annoying at all! I really appreciate folks who still take the time to review early chapters. :3 1) I totally want to see the fanart! Pretty please? 2) Awesome, I'm an inspiration! There isn't much 'cutesy aww' left to be had yet...mostly angst...but I'll try to squeeze some in for you! XD 3) Kuki is as skinny as she ever was. The splash was just Kuki-sized and she does tend to like wearing overlarge tops. 4) He's a goober! 5) These things might happen...and they might not. XD THIS IS ME UPDATING SOON. Thanks for all the reviews!) leafysummers (Oh, that gives me awesome ideas for New Years resolutions! Next day one shot a possibility perhaps later maybe...;D Thanks for reviewing!) numbuh435spiritsong (Uhhh I hope it's good, too, but I can't help thinking people are going to be dreadfully disappointed... Thanks for your review!) Houkanno Yuuhou (Exactly yes! XD Thanks for the review and the tickles!) BlueNumbuh4 (I know! AHHHHHH) tater06 (Oh, tater, you slay me. You totally get everything. I always worry that no one gets the subtleties and then YOU come along and ace it all! Thank you soooo much for your review! And why 29? I have no idea. It seemed like a good, random, rather odd number to work up to. :D) deLattre (Kuki's just being considerate, Wally would just get teased and be embarrassed if she told everyone, and he'd be put off from giving her anything again. It was something just between them. :D I do tend toward abrupt endings, don't I? I tend to know how I want something to end (in this case, it was with 2's joke) and when I reach a point where I can fit it in I'm like THERE THAT'S IT DONE. Impatience, thy name is Toasty. Thanks for your critique!) writer-person2 (x3) KenzieMac (Awwesome! Glad you like! Thanks so much for reviewing!) Averon The Awesome (But was it REALLY a joke...? XD It was. But it also wasn't. INCEPTION.) SareBear96 (XDD I had no idea, so I left it out. Perhaps a 'I 3 Numbuh 3' tee shirt?) ThePaintAlchemist (You're so lovely, thank you! I'm glad you found it humorous!) partygirl2000 (Hmm, all good things…I SHALL SPECULATE. XD Thanks for reviewing!) HermioneGranger (Thank you very much!)

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29 Tries

Attempt #26: The Not-That-Fine

"I like popcorn, Wally, do you like popcorn?"

"Mmhmm."

"Do you like it with butter or cheese or both?"

"Um, both, I guess."

Kuki gave an appreciative nod, as if this was important information that she needed to store carefully in a file marked 'How Wally Likes His Popcorn'. Said Wally just shoved more of it – plain with butter – into his mouth.

Hardly a few seconds of silence went by before she piped up again. "I thought maybe we could get ice cream after this?"

"Sure, if you want, I guess," he replied, suspicious. She definitely wanted something.

Kuki looked at him searchingly for a moment, and his feet shuffled nervously until she jerked her chin in a stiff nod and leaned back against the wall.

For a few moments, there was precious silence. It looked comfortable and friendly, two children standing together and idly munching on their snacks and sipping at their drinks. It was only if one knew to look closer and perhaps knew one of them very well that one could read the tension in the line of her shoulders, the tightness of her mouth, and the careful, steadying breaths.

Kuki unwound her mouth and spoke, "I thought you would really want to see this movie, am I right?"

Wally shrugged. A poster for the movie was stamped on the wall they had their backs against; the frame was completely filled by a fiery explosion, chunks of flesh and debris, and a hairy-chested, muscle-bound action hero with a machine gun charging into frame. It seemed like Wally's kind of movie. Definitely not Kuki's.

"Nah. This one's a remake. I heard it was really bad."

"Oh," Kuki replied softly.

Wally backtracked. "But I mean, if you want to watch it, you know, it's...fine."

"Fine..." Kuki repeated, as if trying to recall the meaning of the word. There was a beat of silence. "Do you want some Raisinettes?"

Wally threw her a disgusted look. "Raisinettes? Gross, that's not candy! They've got fruit in them!"

"They-" Kuki looked ready to boil up, but had cut herself off before she began. Taking a deep breath, she leaned back out of Wally's space. "Fine. Do you want any other candy?"

"Got any Skittles?"

Kuki reached into her bag, filled with candy left over from Halloween. Wally had already polished his off by the week after. "Here."

"Ew, not the mixed berry kind. Don't you have any sour?"

"Fine." Kuki stressed, rummaging around the bag with more force than necessary. "No. Sorry."

Wally scowled, propping himself back against the wall. "Well, that's just great. Bad movie, non-cheesy popcorn, and no cruddy candy."

"Fine!" Kuki exploded. She threw the bag and her popcorn to the ground with a scream of frustration. Sno-Caps and Skittles and Raisinettes flew out in every direction. Wally stared dully at the scattered sweets, shocked.

"If that's how you want it, fine! Do it your way! We can always do it your way, forever!"

Wally slowly moved his eyes up to her face, past sharking knees and tightly clenched fists. Her cheeks were red and blotchy, eyes narrowed and scrunched almost fully closed behind a furiously furrowed brow. Most distressing of all, however, were the quickly amassing tears streaming down her face.

"I've given you all the time I can! You've had months! Years! What's wrong with me?! Am I too tall? Too girly? Am I just not good enough for the great Wallabee Beatles?!" Her lips twisted up ugly, shaking with something suppressed – and what exactly was left for her to unleash Wally never wanted to find out.

People were starting to stare, murmuring worriedly behind their hands or hiding giggling mouths. Wally put up two placating hands. "No, Kuki, listen-"

"No, you listen!" she screamed back. "I have waited and waited and waited and I am sick of it! I'm sick of you! You're lazy and thoughtless and cruel and I don't even know why I care what you think of me, but I do, and I'm sick of feeling like this all the time! I'm tired of having to give excuses for-!" Her voice split and she paused, squeezing her eyes shut and trembling all over.

Hearts weren't supposed to rip themselves to pieces against one's ribcage, but Wally didn't really think there was any other possible explanation for the shattering feeling in his chest. The worst part was, he wasn't even surprised. This felt justified. I felt earned. As if every event in their lives, twenty-five second thoughts and missed chances, culminated up to this one point in time and everything imploded like it had never existed.

"I'm tired of this, Wally," she shook out. "I don't wanna deal with..." she hesitated long enough for Wally to mentally substitute 'you' "...this anymore. I'm done."

Kuki turned on her heel and stormed out, crunching popcorn under her heels and drawing the eyes of concerned and anxious bystanders.

It was a long time before Wally could make himself follow, and the gazes on his back were much less sympathetic.

He almost hoped someone would throw their candy at him; then he could be angry right back.

No one did.

Kuki didn't speak to him for a full week. Wally began to strategically place himself in her path – on the couch watching football when he knew the Rainbow Monkey Friendship Hour was on, grazing in the kitchen when she came in to make her daily PB&J, lurking in the hamster room in case she came in to play with them – but Kuki never wavered. She swept right past him; face carefully blank, eyes looking straight ahead, treating his presence as you would an old juice stain.

It got to the point where Abby grabbed them both by the upper arms and pushed them roughly onto the couch.

"Oi!" Wally spat indignantly. "What's the big-"

"Can it, Numbuh Four!" Abby whipped back. She stood in front of them both with her feet apart and her hands on her hips, doing such a perfect imitation of Wally's mother that he couldn't quite help the squeak of "Yes, ma'am," that escaped him.

Wally shrank back into the couch. Kuki was seated in the left corner, as far away from Wally as she could get, with her arms and legs crossed so tightly it might take years to unwind them. She was glaring at the floor.

Abby went on in her most authoritative voice, "Now, I am tired of ya'all two fightin', you hear me? You're hurtin' the team!"

"Yeah!" Numbuh Two piped up from the adjacent loveseat where he sat with a solemn Numbuh One. "Hey, why do vampires hate arguments?"

He paused to let everyone roll their eyes in unison.

"Because they make themselves cross!" Numbuh Two burst into laughter at his own joke, his own way of trying to break the tension between his two friends. Abby braved a hopeful glance at them, but neither Wally nor Kuki cracked a smile or glanced at each other. She sighed.

"Seriously!" she tried. "Numbuh Three has been quiet all week! Quiet! Do you know how hard that is for her?"

Kuki glare grew affronted and turned on Abby. "Sorry, girl, but it's true. Now I don't know what happened between you, and I don't even wanna know, but this has got to stop."

"If two people on this team are not able to work together, then we'll have to find others who can," Numbuh One warned, looking sternly over his sunglasses.

"Fine!" Kuki finally spoke. "Replace him, I'd prefer it that way." Her smile was so fake it hurt to look at.

"None of us want that to happen, Kuki," Numbuh Five replied pointedly. "Ya'all just need to apologize and-"

"I'm not apologizing!" Kuki interrupted, eyes blazing. "I didn't say anything I didn't mean!"

Abby crossed her arms. "I don't care! Ya'all both need to-"

"I'm not going to apologize!"

"Would you stop interrupting me?!"

Wally spoke so quietly that no one heard what he said, and Kuki was far gone enough that she spoke directly to him. "What?!"

"Sorry," he repeated uncomfortably. No one had time to look surprised before Kuki threw back a response.

"For what?"

"Oh, come on-"

"For what?"

Wally was beginning to get what Abby meant about the interrupting thing. He glanced around. Everyone was watching him, waiting.

Wally shrugged, not quite meeting Kuki's eyes.

"No, Numbuh Four. That's not good enough. Tell me why you're sorry!"

"I don't know, you tell me!"

Kuki's eyes lit up. "Say you're sorry you're a jerk."

Wally glared.

"Say it!"

"I'm sorry I'm a jerk," he mumbled.

Kuki cupped one hand around her ear. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"I'm sorry I'm a jerk," he repeated through clenched teeth.

Almost smiling, Kuki nodded in approval. "Say you're sorry my candy got spilled."

"I'm sorry your candy got spilled."

"Say you're sorry I wasted my pocket money."

"I'm sorry you wasted your pocket money."

"Say you're sorry I'm so much nicer, better, smarter, and prettier than you."

"Oh, come on! Numbuh Five-"

"Say it," Abby commanded, clearly seeing a way to get through the argument.

With a great heaving sigh and a glare so hot no one could deny how much he didn't want to say this, Wally parroted back, "I'm sorry you're so much nicer, smarter, and prettier than me."

Numbuh Two started giggling and Wally's face burned with embarrassment. He knew this was going to be the brunt of Hoagie's jokes for quite a while.

Numbuh Five, smiling in amusement, relaxed her mom-stance. "There. Not so hard, huh? You good, Kuki?"

She nodded, and was smiling, to Wally's great relief. "Alright, shake hands, ya'all."

Kuki held hers out readily, and Wally grasped it in his sweaty digits. Their clasped hands moved slowly up and down.

"So...friends?" he ventured quietly.

"Just," Kuki replied and let go.

If anyone noticed Wally's hand lingered just a little too long, they didn't say anything.

"Now, if anyone's interested," Numbuh One piped up, looking impatient "We have a mission to be going on. Everyone to the C.O.O.L.B.U.S.!"

Wally rushed off with the others, trying his best to cheer as energetically as the rest, but his heart wasn't in it.

'Just', Kuki had said. 'Just friends'.

Just friends with as much potential as they always had?

Or just friends, period, forever?

Maybe they had finally reached that point, and he had waited too long.

AN: Longest chapter in quite a while! I could have made it a LOT longer, I think, but there was only one 'try' so I didn't want to have to split it up. Maybe I'll do a fuller rewrite oneshot one day. Hope it was satisfactory… *hypnotoad* Reviewwwww...

Tickle that toast.