hey everyone, thanks again for the great reviews i'm really glad i have people reading. don't expect chapters to come as quickly as they've been, though. i just happen to have a block on pretty much everything else i'm writing, and i'm anxious to get past the wrapper.

Sam: (my sane Yami) sighs i should explain. this stemms from a long, complicated metaphor, in which the middle of the story is the creamy center of a chocolate or twinkie, the fun parts directly in front of the middle are the chocolate, and the introductory and conclusion stages are the wrapper. what she is trying to say is that she wants to write the middle, but will get through this first.

CPegasus: never travel without a translator. but anyway, thanks a ton. enjoy!

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Megan didn't have a chance to see Pegasus again until dinner that first night, and she took the extra time to properly prepare. When she arrived, it was in her full glamour—or as close as she could get. In her sixteen-year-old mind, she was stunning.

Even in reality, she looked rather nice. Pegasus was taken aback again for a moment when she came into the dining room. She wore a long, red dress, not by coincidence the exact shade of Pegasus' favorite suit. Her black hair was still straight, but she'd found a less-than-perfect white rose to place behind her ear, and had pulled out a shining pair of ruby earrings.

"My, aren't we lovely tonight?" Pegasus asked suavely, taking her hand with a smile and kissing it. Megan giggled and blushed. "Come on now, I'm sure we have a lot to talk about." He allowed her to latch onto his arm, and they walked to a small table on the balcony.

Later, neither of them would remember what they ate. Megan was in her own little bubble, thrilled to be in his presence. Pegasus was actually interested to learn all he could about her; they wouldn't be together for long, and she was entertaining.

"Let's see, you're sixteen? That makes you what, a Junior?"

"Senior, actually, and I'll be 17 in December" she replied, still giggling at inappropriate moments. "I skipped second grade."

"She's brilliant and beautiful." Megan flushed the same color as her dress and began to stammer. Pegasus laughed. He'd never seen his simple charm have such an effect.

"But enough about you, let's talk about me." Megan burst out laughing. "I'm sure there's plenty you'll want to know."

"Oh, I think I know enough," Megan said slyly.

"Do you, now?" Pegasus folded his fingers and looked at her over his hands.

Megan continued to giggle, but got into her stride soon enough. "Yup. I've done my homework. You're Pegasus Crawford, 25 years old. You went to an art college, but dropped out to go and study abroad, and that led to creating Duel Monsters." Some emotion flickered across his face, but Megan failed to notice. "Your birthday is October 8, so you're a Libra, and that makes you elegant, kind, just and extremely attractive," Megan flushed again and turned her head away in a way she thought was coy.

Pegasus chuckled. "You have done your homework. A plus." Megan smiled and turned her attention to her food.

Pegasus smiled also, but he was a little more worried than he had been that morning. She kept smiling and laughing, and glancing at him. It was only an innocent crush, that much he could tell. But it didn't show signs of stopping the way he'd thought it would.

"Well in that case, more about you," Pegasus said after a pause that seemed slightly too long. "Tell me about yourself."

"Oh, I'm nothing special," Megan replied, deliberately not looking at him, and yet still managing to sneak admiring glances at him when she thought he wasn't looking. "17 in a few months, going into Senior year, no clue what to do with myself, Capricorn, single," he laughed, and she smiled yet again. "oh, and I sing. That's all," she concluded pseudo-modestly.

"I thought so," he said without thinking.

"Really?" Megan asked, surprised.

Pegasus mentally kicked himself—he should have been paying more attention. 'now she'll think I'm interested in her the wrong way...'

"Your voice," he said, covering his mistake with the same suave demeanor. "You just sound like a singer."

Megan's accumulated blushes had turned her redder than the sun setting behind her. "Well maybe I'll have to sing for you sometime," she suggested. "I know you're a pianist."

"I think you know a little too much," Pegasus said jokingly. "You'd better be careful."

"If I know too much, you'll have to kill me, huh?" Megan asked.

"Took the words right out of my mouth."

A cough from the room behind them announced Croquet's presence.

"Sir, you have a phone call, it's very important."

Pegasus sighed. "It's those advertising people again, isn't it? I told them not to call...very well," he turned back to Megan. "I'm so sorry about this."

"No, no, it's alright," Megan said, getting up so fast she almost knocked her chair down. "I uh, still have to unpack anyway," she continued, rubbing the back of her neck.

Pegasus had also gotten up, but he froze and stared at her for a moment. "What have you been doing this whole afternoon?" he asked incredulously.

"Getting ready," she said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Then she ran off through the castle to her room. Pegasus looked after her, and laughed.