Author's note: Thank you to Sam0728, NotMarge, NicoleR85, partygirl98, and simmaris for the reviews! This is the last chapter I'm going to post until Wednesday, as I will be internet-less until then thanks to my move. Please don't abandon me, guys! I'll be back I promise!

I Think You're Wonderful

The next afternoon I met Zoey at Marceline's.

At four o'clock precisely the door opened and her lovely scent wafted to me like some sort of siren's song.

"Hi, Billy," she called.

And then a small hand touched my shoulder and I turned, a welcoming smile already on my face. I was greeted with a light kiss on the lips that sent a jolt of electricity down to my toes.

"Hello, Hank," Zoey said.

"H-hi, Zoey," I practically croaked, still recovering from the kiss.

I am such a moron.

"I got your drink already," I told her, gesturing to the cup in front of me.

"And flowers, too, I see," she noted, grinning through her blush. "Thank you."

We chatted for a long time. I'd never considered myself particularly witty or funny, but Zoey seemed to think I was, if the way she laughed at my jokes was any indication. She was constantly giggling, or at least smiling.

The way she looked at me... for the first time in my life, I felt like I had something to offer the opposite sex simply by being myself. She made me feel things I didn't think I was capable of. Something bordering on self-confidence, and I was simultaneously nervous and ebullient all at once. I was afraid to examine my emotions too closely.

For now I simply allowed myself to just bask in the glow of her presence, her light. Just being around Zoey lifted me out of the metaphorical winter of my life, the depression and hopelessness I never thought I'd escape after so many years. She took my hand and led me gently into springtime.

Could this truly be happening to me?

"You know, the Professor mentioned that you can speak several languages, but I don't know what they are," Zoey mused after a while.

I ducked my head, reflexively shy as usual. "Let's see... There's English, obviously. Then German, French, Spanish, Japanese, Arabic, and Russian."

She frowned. "That's only seven. I thought the Professor said you could speak eight?"

"I know Latin, but you can't really speak it," I explained. "Since it's a dead language and all."

Belatedly, I realized how pedantic and arrogant that sounded, but Zoey was giggling. I let out a mental sigh of relief.

"Is there anything you can't do?" she teased.

"Talk to people. And I have no artistic ability whatsoever," I admitted.

There were plenty of things I couldn't do, but those were the first ideas that popped into my head.

The things I can't do would fill a book.

"You can talk to people, you just choose not to," Zoey scolded. "And as for art... I thought you were an inventor?"

I frowned, unsure of the direction of her thoughts. "Occasionally."

"Art doesn't have to be paint on canvas," she said, running her index finger along the edge of her coffee cup.

For some reason, the action caught my attention. The motion seemed almost... sensual, somehow. I fixated on it, watching her purple nail skim along, and pictured her doing it to my skin instead-

Whoa. Focus.

"Art is about creating something beautiful, and I'd say a machine that works counts. Elegance in design, and all that," Zoey announced, with a small shrug and a grin. "So as far as I'm concerned, you're wonderful."

My face felt so warm you could've fried an egg on my forehead.

Dinner time came all too soon.

I wasn't ready for it, not yet. I wanted more time with Zoey. So instead of excusing myself, I plucked up my courage and asked her to dinner with me.

"Would you like to go out to dinner with me tonight?"

Zoey gave me a teasing smile. "Are you asking me on a date, Hank?"

"I am, yes," I replied, feeling my face heat up.

Do I have to be so awkward?

"I could cook you dinner back at my place, if you'd like," she offered, noting my discomfit.

It was difficult to keep my expression from giving away my alarm at the thought of eating Zoey's cooking again so soon.

Come on, McCoy. Poker face.

"I'd really like to take you out," I mumbled.

She blushed prettily, like she was flattered. "Ok. Let's go."

It was our first date, in an official sense. I took her to an Italian restaurant a few streets over, and thankfully it went very well. Or at least I didn't make a complete fool of myself.

Mainly because I kept telling myself this was no different from our coffee conversations, and the "date" label shouldn't daunt me.

Afterwards I walked Zoey home and kissed her good night. This time I knew what to expect, and was able to hold myself together much better. I was even starting to enjoy the liquid fire that sang through my veins when I kissed Zoey. It was hard to stop, but I pulled away before I came anywhere near losing control.

Who knew I was a bit of a masochist underneath it all?

The next afternoon, at four o'clock, Zoey appeared in a little flash of light right in front of where I sat waiting for her on the front stoop of the school. Of course I jumped about a mile.

"Oops, sorry," Zoey said sheepishly, with a smile.

"It's ok," I assured her, having recovered myself. "Hi."

"Hello."

"How do you do that?" I asked curiously, standing up. "Are you teleporting?"

I couldn't stop the grin from crossing my face. The scientist in me was jumping up and down, eager to discover the extent of Zoey's abilities.

"No. I can dissociate myself into heat and travel through the air that way. When I get to where I'm going I pull myself back together," she explained, shrugging.

Zoey disappeared.

I concentrated, trying to see if I could smell her or sense her in any way-

There.

It was difficult to discern the difference in air temperature, considering the oppressive warmth of the summer afternoon, but I could just barely feel the soft brush of a more intense heat across my face.

I grinned, envisioning Zoey touching my cheek tenderly while she was invisible.

My beautiful little fire sprite.

And then she was there in front of me again, the lady of summer herself heralded by a small flash of white light. She was all warmth, and sunlight. Everything that was good and beautiful.

"You're amazing," I said simply.

And I am desperately attracted to you.

I held out my arms, and Zoey fell into my embrace with a rather modest and shy expression. When she looked up at me I caught her mouth in a thorough kiss, relishing the fire that flowed from her and into my bloodstream. I kissed her because she let me, and I was so incredibly grateful for the chance to love her.

"And you said you didn't know if you'd be a good boyfriend," she scoffed when we came up for air.

My forehead dipped down to lean against hers, so Zoey's emerald green eyes completely filled my vision. The sight was both mesmerizing and calming all at once.

"I still don't know. I feel like I'm playing with fire," I murmured honestly, thinking of her abilities and the thin line I walked every time we kissed. "Literally."

She chuckled softly, her eyes sparkling only a few inches from mine. The sound was enough to immediately make the heat start to move through my veins once more. It only intensified when she kissed me again. This time slow and lingering-

"See?" I asked breathlessly, pulling away. "You're trying to kill me."

"Am not," Zoey retorted in a lofty tone. "I want to keep you, not kill you."

And then she giggled at the look on my face, which I assumed looked rather love-struck and foolish.

She wants to keep me! She wants me!

I shook myself, trying to recover my composure.

"Would you like to see Olivia?"

"Very much."

We spent the rest of the time until dinner with the little girl, who was ecstatic to see her aunt. She told us all about her class, and the new friends she was making. Olivia was in an earthly paradise, here.

It didn't even sound like she missed her parents at all. Not that I blamed her.

All too soon it was time to face the couple in question. We said goodbye to Olivia and hopped in the Bentley for the short drive to the Dubois mansion.

"Ready?" I asked Zoey, after I'd helped her from the car.

She nodded calmly and slipped her arm into mine. Together we walked up to the front door and rang the bell.

It rather felt like we were going off to battle.