NOTES: Darcy's POV. Them being cute and feisty in the cafe, day or two later. Sorry for the wait— I made this chapter a bit longer to make up for it! I'll hopefully post again soon; y'all have a great day!

It was a chilly day, later in the week. It must have rained that morning— the grass was still wet with more than dew— but for now there was no more chance of that. The clouds were shattered glass, sparkling like snow across their isolated perches along the skyline. Puddles congregated on the sidewalk's creases, and poor little pummeled dandelions wilted up through the cracks in the asphalt.

The sun was weak, the day was cold, but not to Fitzwilliam Darcy; he was walking on sunshine.

He jangled his car keys in one hand, twirling them around his finger as he smiled. It had been a loooong day, but it would soon be worth it. He turned the corner, and opened the door to the Longbourn Cafe.

Lizzy's head lifted, and her smile grew. Darcy walked up to her, and leaned one elbow on the counter. "So? No kiss today?"

She laughed, and kissed him quick, teasingly. "Thought you would at least say hello first," Lizzy smirked.

Darcy pulled away, grinning. "A greeting by any other name."

"The usual?" She asked.

"Yep. Though, could I also have a blueberry muffin with that?"

"Comin' right up, Fitzie!"

"I thought we agreed not to call me that."

"I never agreed to anything," Lizzy winked.

Darcy smiled at her, and when she handed him the coffee and doggy-bag, he swiped his credit card and tossed a 5 in the tip jar. He was starting to walk away to his usual table (with a skip in his step) when he felt a hand grab the back of his collar. He turned around with one eyebrow raised.

Lizzy held up the five dollar bill with a disgruntled expression. "Hell's this?"

"It's.. the tip…," Darcy answered. His eyebrow lifted another half inch.

"Yeah I know that," she rolled her eyes with a smile, "But why?"

"Well," Darcy said, slowly, as if talking to a small child, "You are expected to leave a tip if you think the employee did a good job, and you want to reward them fo—"

"It's just you've never left a tip before, is all."

He blinked. "I haven't?" Lizzy nodded. Darcy shrugged, reaching into his wallet and pulling out another few bills. "Guess I should make up for lost time then."

"Wait, no!"

Darcy stopped, his hand halfway to the tip jar. "..What?"

Lizzy made a face. "Don't tip me now. We're dating. It's weird."

"Why would it be weird? I'm trying to support my awesome girlfriend in her job that doesn't pay her enough." Darcy smiled, but Lizzy didn't return it all the way.

"Just… can you not tip me? It just feels weird."

Darcy didn't like it much (he wanted to support her in any way he could, and he had MORE than enough money to afford it), but he shrugged and took back his money. Lizzy rewarded him with a grateful look and another kiss, pulling him in by his lapels. That was enough to put a huge smile on his face and keep it there.

As he sat down and sipped his coffee, Darcy contented with watching Lizzy bustle around the cafe. She had a certain way of walking, of stepping with her toes and pushing forward. It was light, and quick, and added an almost sprite-like lens to her movements.

Lizzy caught him staring. She tucked a loose curl behind her ear, and Darcy's eyes followed the movement. The strand sparkled brown and gold, wrapping into a snailshell shape below her ear. A blush was creeping up from under her blouse. Darcy took a sip of coffee and licked his lips, which were suddenly very dry.

Lizzy, who had just finished taking a customer's order, put down her notepad, and sighed. Darcy let his eyes linger on her as she made her way around the counter over to his table, though he didn't turn his head.

"You, my dear, are distracting."

"Oh, am I your dear?" Darcy asked with interest and an offhand smile.

Lizzy huffed, though she looked amused. "Yes. But that's not the point I'm trying to make."

She gently took his face in her hands, and turned Darcy's head to her. She looked into his eyes— hers seemed to swinkle like emeralds in the glowing light.

"YOU ARE DISTRACTING."

"How am I distracting?" Darcy asked, mildly, feeling cheeky.

"Staring at me. I can't work when you're.. You're… looking at me like that!"

"Like what?" Darcy knew exactly what she was talking about.

Lizzy started to frown, but then a smile (that it seemed like she was fighting hard against) broke through, and she bit her lip. "Tell you what…," Lizzy whispered, leaning down until her breath caressed his cheek, "If you'll let me work, without distraction…"

"Yeeees?" He murmured, unable to keep the smile off his face.

"I'll let you do whatever you want to me tonight."

Darcy was unaccustomed to a deep ruby color taking his face by storm, but he certainly wasn't complaining. He couldn't, actually— it was several seconds before he regained the power of speech.

In that time, Lizzy sashayed back to the counter, throwing him a careless wink as if she wasn't driving him insane with just the pout of her lips. He slowly and deliberately turned towards the wall.

He heard a laugh from behind him, and that was really all the justification he needed for looking as ridiculous as he surely did right then.

Without looking behind him, Darcy pulled a kindle out of his bag, and began to read. He read much slower than usual, because (despite his promise) he was still focused on how Lizzy's step-falls clicked across the carpet like brittle autumn leaves, and how when her warmth would occasionally pass behind him Darcy could smell the sour watermelon gum she was chewing.

Then suddenly, her warmth receded to the front of the cafe, and the bell on the door shrilled a half note.

Darcy turned (just to make sure that Lizzy hadn't abandoned him [or, less importantly, her job]) and instead was affronted by a human ken doll.

The man was almost as tall as Darcy, but had dark mahogany skin and a shock of blonde in his tightly packed curls. His eyes like caramel, flashing in the cafe lights. He was muscular, and that fact was accented by the well-tailored suit he wore.

Darcy decided he hated him from the moment he stepped inside. Or maybe the moment he grinned around him with puckish in his caramel eyes. Or maybe it was the moment he said, "Hey y'all, how's it goin'?" in a dripping Southern accent.

Or maybe it was just that Lizzy blushed when that imp-like smile was directed at her.

Darcy took a sip of his coffee. His brow was so low it scraped the lid.

"How may I help you today?" Lizzy asked.

Darcy couldn't help but notice the man's caramel eyes flicking a little past Lizzy's face. "Oh I don't think I cahn ask for that," he said mischievously, leaning on the counter and winking.

Lizzy's blush deepened, and she laughed. The sound was beautiful as always, but to Darcy, it was nails on a chalkboard.

As he ordered a latte-to-go, Darcy tried very hard to grip the table so hard he left dents. He normally wasn't a jealous person— not at all— but GOD. Did this guy really have to flirt with her like that?! And Darcy wouldn't even START with Lizzy's reactions! I mean, did she really think tha—

Her eyes caught his. Darcy knew his expression must have looked like a puce-colored thundercloud, because Lizzy's own face changed almost instantaneously. Instead of a blushing schoolgirl, she became a curt and clear businesswoman. She shot him a 'Don't-Worry-I-Got-This' look, and turned back to the man.

"Here's your change, sir," she said with an even smile.

"Thank ya, darlin'."

Lizzy rang him up and waved as he walked to the door. "Come again soon!

Smooth as melted butter, the man said, "I don't normahlly do this typa thing," (probably a lie) "But would you mind given' me your number? I just refuse to believe that I'll see a face as pretty as yours only once."

Lizzy turned a bit pink, but her mouth didn't so much as twitch. "I'm very sorry sir, I'm already in a relationship."

"Ah." The man's caramel gaze landed by chance on Darcy, and suddenly his good humor returned. The man pointed at him joivally. "That's the fella, huh?"

Lizzy started, but nodded with grace. "Y-yes. That's him."

"Well, ya better appreciate this lady 'ere, man," he called out, raising his cup in a toast, "She can make one helluva latte!"

Lizzy laughed. Darcy forced a smile to crack through his stony features. The man then said a quick goodbye, and sauntered out the door, whistling.

Not eight seconds later, Darcy found himself with Lizzy's hands draped over his chest. "Thank you," she mumbled into his shirt.

"For what?"

"For being you. For being here. For not going berserk and cracking that guy's skull even though I could tell you wanted to."

"I did come pretty close," he assented. Darcy leaned his head back, and pressed his cold nose into the crease of her neck.

"yipE!" Lizzy squeaked, ripping herself away.

"What, what is it?"

"Your nose is s-s-so cooold!" Darcy laughed at this, and at how Lizzy did a demonstrative shiver that shook her whole body.

He scooted forward, and smiled at her with his eyes. "You know what a good remedy for cold is?" He murmured, suggestively, waggling his eyebrows.

"Yes I do— EXERCISE!"

Darcy laughed, but then his 'wait, no' was cut off by Lizzy pulling him to his feet, taking his hand possessively, and walking determinedly to the door.

"C'mon!" she said, beaming up at him, "It's the perfect day for a walk, and there's a park right by here!"

"But— I thought—"

"Oh, don't worry, I'm on break in five minutes anyway, and nobody's coming in. Plus, Violette's there, we'll be fine."

That wasn't what Darcy was protesting. But he went along with it. He squeezed her hand. "Lizzy.. I love you," he said, enjoying the way the words felt in his mouth.

She must have enjoyed it too, because almost before he finished saying them, her mouth was on his. "I love you too," she replied breathlessly, after a long second of bliss.

As they walked together, down the street hand-in-hand, the puddles seemed to recede. And the sun started to come out. And everything was right in the world, once again.