Do you want to know the hardest part of writing Just a Note? Trying to be romantic without kissing, hugging, snuggling, or describing how a person's breath smells. Yet a third of my requests were all romantic. So I'm writing a new short story collection (Have you noticed that all I really write is short stories?) to meet all of your romantic needs. I've got a few rules for requesting your pairings:

1. I'll only do each pairing once. This fic is intended to include as many different pairings as possible, not 300 Phoenix/Maya requests, 300 Miles/Phoenix requests, and maybe a few Justicykes -_-

2. If you want to suggest a situation for them to be in, I'll probably work with it. Probably being the key word. (See #5.)

3. Different from Just a Note: One request per chapter, please. I actually have a life outside of fanfiction. (Ok, that's a lie, but I can pretend XP)

4. All of the stories will probably be between 1000-3000 words, unless it's crack. I'll do crack, crack is funny, but just don't expect me to dedicate an hour or more of my life to writing a romantic situation between Jean Armstrong and Charley, or Regent the Tiger and Dahlia Hawthorne. (Those are real requests I got in Just a Note, if you were wondering)

5. You see that rating there? It says "T". Not M. I don't mind getting fluffy, but there's a point where fluffy turns into me getting grounded and banned from writing :P

On that note, I hope you enjoy! I started with the most underrated couple of all time, because I felt like it. (Not all of the stories will be in first person... This just sort of happened.)

(O)

I crept back into the exploded courtroom, hoping that nobody would try to look for me. The excitement of everyone involved in the Phantom case was gratifying, but I had a job I still needed to do.

Deep down, I knew I wouldn't find what I was looking for. After all, they had already taken any strange fragments out from the rubble in order to reassemble the HAT bomb.

I didn't care.

I picked up a few rocks, tossing them aside. My back wasn't a fan of the heavy lifting, especially considering the fact that I had been in the hospital only days earlier. I stood up, attempting to kick the rubble around with my foot. I looked for the smallest hint of color, hoping that I might be able to find it. I didn't.

I walked across to the witness stand, wincing at the Phantom's blood, which still stained the ground. A sniper attack in a court of law. I looked up at the sky, and I could tell that several people were investigating the attempted assassination from above. I returned my gaze to the ground, looking around uselessly.

I knew that I was just being stubborn. Even if I could find it, there was no point. It was probably just garbage by now. Something in me prevented me from giving up, though, and I continued kicking rocks with my foot.

Finally, it hit something white.

I leaned down, carefully uncovering the object. It was surrounded by black, charred material, and the colorless plastic itself was warped from the heat of the courtroom explosion. Just seeing it brought a smile to my face, however, as if I was a child who had just found an Easter egg. Putting the object in my pocket, I walked outside.

I scanned the lobby, which was filled with people who were enthusiastically talking about the case (And Trucy, who was entertaining some of the bailiff with her magic tricks). I was only looking for one person, though. When I saw her, I could feel myself smiling, and my feet carried me towards her.

"Oh, hi Apollo," she said politely.

"I… I found something for you," I replied, reaching into my pocket. I pulled out the white bottle—Coldkiller X.

"Is that my cough medicine?" she asked with a soft laugh.

"Yeah… I went to go look for it," I answered sheepishly, running my hand through my spiked bangs.

"Thank you," she replied, smiling. "I don't think I'll need it anymore, though."

"Huh?"

"I only cough when I'm nervous… And I don't feel as nervous when I think of you," she said, blushing slightly. "Thinking of you makes my cough stop a lot faster than my medicine ever does." My heart skipped a beat at this, and I could feel myself blushing a little.

"Thanks, Juniper. I'm glad." Oh gosh, I'm so awkward. I'm pretty sure I just ruined that moment.

"You're welcome," she replied with a smile, staring into my eyes. Her eyes were a warm brown, and I found myself lost just looking into them. I blinked, attempting to snap out of the spell she was casting on me.

"It's kinda loud in here. Do you want to go outside?" She took a brief look over her shoulder to see Athena talking with a strange group of lawyers.

"Yes, I'd like that." We walked next to each other, shoulders almost brushing, and I had to fight the urge to lock my fingers with hers. She doesn't like you back. She couldn't, not after that. If someone had accused my best friend of murder, I would have punched them in the stomach. I felt my heart sink a little at the thought, but seeing her next to me was somewhat comforting. As soon as the door opened, the cool December air surrounded us, and I tried not to shiver. It never got too cold in L.A, but when you weren't used to it, 50 degrees could feel like you were in the North Pole. We walked a ways to a bench, where we sat down together.

"It's a lot quieter out here," I commented. She nodded. I had expected her to be shivering in the cold, considering her small figure, but I remembered vaguely that she lived up in the mountains, and she was probably tougher than she seemed.

"Thank you, Apollo."

"Huh?"

"I thought it was really brave what you did in there, with Athena."

"You mean accusing her of murder?"

"You wanted to make sure that your friends were worth trusting. I think it shows that you really do care about her, in your own way." My bracelet felt a bit tight, and I could tell why—her eyes had flashed to the side while she was talking. I briefly wondered why she seemed uncomfortable with what she was saying, and when I realized why, I smiled.

"Some people don't need to be tested," I said gently. "Athena should have been one of those."

"Do you trust me?" She asked bluntly, her sweet, innocent eyes staring into mine longingly.

"Yeah," I replied softly, smiling. A breeze kicked up, and it blew my bangs into my face, which Juniper swept aside with a small hand. My heart was beating a thousand times a second as those eyes met mine again, warm and sweet, and almost glittering. Suddenly, she shivered because of the cool breeze, and my arm stretched instinctively around her shoulder. When I realized what I had done, I jerked it away in the most awkward way imaginable. She giggled.

"It's all right, your arm was warming me up." I hesitantly put it back around her shoulder, squeezing her against me slightly. She smiled, looking into my eyes. I could feel my heart beating, and I hoped she didn't notice. If she did, she didn't say anything.

"Thanks for being here for me, even when I messed up like that…" I trailed off as her smile disappeared, leaving a serious expression.

"I never considered leaving," she replied softly. Her sweet voice blended with the noises of the outdoors, innocent, soft, and pure. I could feel myself blushing when I evaluated the meaning of her words. Maybe she does like me after all. Her gaze broke from mine, and she rested her head on my shoulder, her hat falling to the ground. The warmth of her body contrasted against the cool winter air, and I pulled her tighter with my arm, wanting her to be closer. I could feel her heartbeat on my neck, and it was just as fast as mine. She's nervous, too. I could feel her soft breath across my throat as she inhaled and exhaled, cold and warm air dancing across my skin. I closed my eyes, and took in the moment. Something in me wanted more, but I didn't know how to ask for it, so I sat on the bench, content just to have her so close.

Her head lifted off my shoulder, and I attempted to protest, when I felt something smooth and wet on my cheek. Did she just kiss me? Looking at her face, she was blushing, so I assumed as much. I wasn't quite sure what came over me, but I pressed my hand behind her head gently, bringing her lips to mine. I felt her hesitate at first, but she gave in, and her soft lips met mine. Her breath tasted like oranges, I noticed, and I wanted to laugh, but I knew it would ruin the moment. Typical Juniper.

It only lasted a few seconds, but when we broke apart, we were both smiling. Looking down at the bench, I laid my hand on top of hers, grasping her fingers beneath mine. That look in her eyes, and the feeling of her hand, and my heart beating softly and quickly inside my chest—It was perfect.

At least, it was perfect until I heard something from behind us. We turned around to find two figures hiding behind a bush. "Th-thena?"

Athena and Trucy stumbled out from behind the bush, grinning. "That was the cutest thing I've ever seen!" Athena exclaimed. "I told you it would happen, Junie!" Juniper's usually pale face filled with a rosy pink color, which, in my opinion, made her look even more beautiful.

"Polly! You didn't tell me you had a girlfriend!" Trucy ran up to me with an annoying grin. I looked at Juniper, blushing as much as her, if not more.

"I guess I do, don't I?" I responded with a slight smile. She smiled, too.

"I guess I should have known, though, considering what she was saying about you at her trial," Trucy continued. "What was it? Apollo's like the sun, bright and warm! He's so brave, and when I'm around him, I feel brave too!" Both Trucy and Athena began cracking up, and I turned to Juniper, whose face was definitely more red than it had been before.

"Did you really say that?" I asked.

"S-something like it…" she stuttered out, making me laugh.

"So, if you guys are still hungry after eating each other's faces, we were going to go to Eldoon's." Trucy is going to get it later. Juniper made some sort of surprised squeak.

"I wanted to spend a little more time with Juniper. We'll catch up later." Just don't act embarrassed, and they'll leave you alone. Sure enough, they did, whispering and giggling to each other as they walked.

"Sorry about that…" Juniper said.

"It wasn't your fault," I laughed.

"We should probably go to Eldoon's, before people start wondering where we ran off to," she mused, blushing. I agreed, knowing that Mr. Wright would definitely want revenge on me after suggesting that he should pay for everyone's noodles.

"Let's go."

I picked up her hat from off the ground, and placed it on her head. We walked to Eldoon's hand in hand.