So this one's a long one. There's more for this particular evening/event in the story that I wanted to include in this chapter but there was just too much to put into one chapter so I had to split it up into two chapters. Chapter 12 will be part two of this chapter.

Please Read and Review, no flames, please!

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans


Christmas Part Two:

Once again Johnathan found himself standing in a foyer tugging at the collar of his tux. Except for this time the foyer was one that he was familiar with.

The Wayne Manor foyer was sparkling and glittering with lights, laughter, and silver and gold decorations. Alfred had a reputation for going all out for Christmas and this year he had certainly lived up to it.

Fresh garland and holly decorated the banisters of the grand staircase. The large chandelier had been dusted, polished, and shined to its traditional sparkling glory. Fresh pine wreaths with large red ribbons lined the walls of the foyer in between various portraits and paintings. Two huge Christmas trees sat on either side of the main foyer, each decorated with gold and silver ribbons, glittering ornaments, and each topped with a ginormous silver and gold star.

The rest of the manor had been decorated to equal and even greater splendor, with the more private areas decorated with more personal decorations. Everything had also been cleaned, shined, and polished to perfection in preparation for the evening's guests.

Garfield had let out a low whistle when they had arrived.

"I'm impressed. Alfred outdid himself this year." He commented.

Dick had shrugged. "He always does."

Johnathan had noticed the small smile of pride on Dick's face.

Everyone knew that the Wayne family viewed Alfred as a member of the family. Johnathan had even witnessed several interactions that proved that Alfred shared the same sentiments. It pleased Johnathan to see that these sentiments had not been lost with time.

That exchange had been over an hour ago, however.

The Logan family men, along with Rachel, had arrived early to help the family prepare for coming guests. This meant that the girls had not been ready to leave when they had left, so they would be arriving later with Mason.

When they had initially arrived, the foyer had been filled with hired staff for the evening as well as various family members running around preparing for the evening with Alfred barking orders. Some members of the family hadn't even finished getting ready yet.

Now, as Johnathan stood in the foyer trying to keep his collar from choking him, the foyer was filled with arriving guests. The rest of the Wayne family had descended the stairs long ago and taken their places in the foyer to greet guests.

The guests came in droves. Each person was dressed to the nines, covered in jewels, and soaked in strong perfumes and cologne that made Johnathan's sensitive nose burn. The ladies wore expensive furs while the gentlemen wore fancy overcoats and hats to guard their balding heads against the cold.

Johnathan nodded and smiled politely as they filed past him into the grand ballroom. The ballroom was filled with pretentious people who all wanted something from everyone else. The room had been filled with chaotic noise and overwhelming smells.

He kept finding excuses to not go into the ballroom. He needed to use the restroom. He was looking for Alfred. He was getting something for his mom. Whatever the excuse, he had managed to stay out of the ballroom since the actual party had started.

Johnathan told himself that it was because he was avoiding his duties and because he didn't want to go in there with all those boring people. But a small voice in the back of his head, the Beast maybe, told him otherwise.

"You're waiting for her."

'What? No, I'm not! That would suggest that we're more than friends and she has made it quite clear that she doesn't want to be anything more.'

"So?"

'So?! Sooooo that means that we respect her wishes and one of the ways we do that is by not waiting for her to go into the party.'

Johnathan could have sworn he heard the Beast audibly sigh.

"You puny humans make me sick. She is our mate. Whether she knows it or not, whether she accepts it or not, you have feelings for her, which affects my feelings toward her. Your feelings cause me to have developed feelings for her as well. Therefore, she is our mate and this little game of yours is wearing my patience thin."

'She's not our anything. And like I said a second ago, she made it very clear that she doesn't want to be.'

"That is where you are wrong. She said that she could not be anything more than a friend. She never said that she did not want to be."

This made Johnathan pause. He went back over his conversations with Airen on the subject and realized that the Beast was right. She had said that she couldn't be anything else, not that she didn't want to be.

'That still doesn't make her our mate. She has to agree to be our mate before she actually is.'

"Perhaps, but we can still claim her as our mate."

'No. We are not doing anything unless we have her permission.'

"Oh, she will agree."

Johnathan growled at the threatening tone in the beast's voice.

Another sigh rang through Johnathan's mind.

"Very well. I will not do anything until she has agreed. But I will not wait for much longer. She is toying with us, playing a game of cat and mouse, and currently, she is winning. She is making a fool of us and you are letting her by holding back. Pursue her. If you truly wish for her to be our mate, then do something about it. Or I will."

With that final threatening note, the Beast retreated into the dark recesses of Johnathan's mind.

He was right of course, but the last thing Johnathan wanted was to be put into place by his own demons.

Ever since Halloween, he and Airen had been dancing around each other. Stolen looks across the room when they thought the other one wasn't looking. Small accidental touches, the brushing of hands or shoulders. It was a game, always had been really, but the last few weeks it had grown even more intense and, much like the Beast, Johnathan was growing tired of it. It was time to end the game.

Eventually, he caught a glimpse of his sister, Violet, entering the manor. Pushing his way to the front to the foyer, he met her at the coat closet where she was waiting in line to check her coat. Violet stood there shivering and rubbing her arms vigorously trying to warm them despite the warm coat she wore. With her stood Mason and Willow each looking just as cold as Violet.

Johnathan couldn't blame them; the front doors had been left standing wide open in order for better access by the guests. Even from here, several feet into the foyer, he could feel the bite of the cold air.

It didn't take Johnathan but a second to realize that a member of their little group was missing.

"Where's Airen?"

His question must have had more of a bite than he meant it to because a heavily shivering Violet turned to glare at him.

"Why do you care?" She bit back.

Johnathan glared at her, expecting her to see that he was in no joking mood and for her to take his silence as her cue to answer his question. His expectations were left unmet however because Violet just stood there and glared right back.

Willow, tired of the silent stand-off between her two eldest siblings, addressed the situation.

"John don't be rude. Violet, he cares because he cares. Don't push it to somewhere you don't want to go." Willow had a warning tone to her voice that seemed to bring Violet out of her own mood.

With a heavy sigh, Violet's attitude seemed to change, and she seemed to deflate along with her sigh.

"Sorry. It started snowing after you left, and I hate the snow. Plus, it made traffic atrocious."

Johnathan nodded in understanding.

"She's outside. Something about not wanting to miss the first snow. Whatever that means." Violet said in utter disinterest. She had barely finished her sentence before Johnathan began to make his way toward the front door.

Outside looked like a scene from a Christmas movie. Snow blanketed the ground and everything else with a bare surface toward the dark sky. A heavy curtain of snowflakes fell rapidly making the outside world look like a winter wonderland.

White Christmas lights, as well as old-fashioned lanterns, lit the circular driveway for guests and staff alike. Two men in heavy coats, gardeners Johnathan could only assume, were shoveling and salting the driveway to keep it clear for the incoming party guests. Valets ran around opening car doors, parking cars, and storing keys safely away. Guests walked carefully and cheerfully in a steady stream from the driveway to the front door into the welcoming heat and inviting atmosphere. Johnathan could hear the laughter and music from here.

And there she was, standing in the middle of it all, head raised toward the sky, and arms stretched out. She was wearing a black cloak that covered her from her neck to the ground to protect her from the cold and the snow.

Johnathan made his way toward her in awe of how innocent she looked at that moment.

Her hair had been pulled back into a low updo with a tiny braid to wrap around it as though the braid was holding her hair up. She wore a pair of gold, oval earrings that swung back and forth when she moved her head. Her makeup had been done lightly, with natural tones of browns and golds to highlight her features.

As he approached, he noticed that her eyes were closed. Even when his footsteps crunched in the snow next to her, she didn't move.

"Airen." He spoke low and gently.

His voice startled her, but when she opened her eyes to look at him, she only smiled.

"Hi." She said breathlessly.

"Hi," Johnathan responded, amused. "What are you doing?"

Airen's smile only grew.

"Admiring the snow."

"Why?"

"Well, why not?" She asked extending her arms wider. She tilted her head back and stuck her tongue out. After a moment she successfully caught a snowflake on her tongue. She looked at him and smiled with pure joy.

"Isn't it beautiful?" She turned to admire the snow as she said it, leaving Johnathan to fully admire her without being scolded.

"Yes, it is." He spoke quietly, breathlessly almost, obviously not talking about the snow.

She really did take his breath away.

She turned back to smile at him but noticed the look he was giving her. He must have had his thoughts written all over his face because the look in her eyes changed and he knew that she knew that he wasn't talking about the snow.

He was about to catch himself and look away, try, and keep his distance, but a low growl in the back of his head reminded him of his earlier conversation. And his earlier decision.

He met her gaze with a serious, but open look, daring her to scold him or discourage him for what they both knew he was thinking.

But she surprised him. She held his gaze and instead of disapproval, he saw a look of longing, admiration, and…. dare he say it? Approval in her eyes.

Johnathan moved closer, not breaking eye contact with her. She stayed where she was, not moving toward him, but not moving away either. She also kept eye contact with him, which he took as a good sign.

He had nearly reached her, was so close to standing right in front of her when the moment was broken by an over helpful valet.

"Excuse me sir, but would you like a coat? It's awfully cold out."

Trying not to growl, Johnathan turned toward the poor valet.

"No, thank you," Johnathan said shortly.

Next to him, he heard a small giggle-like sound coming from Airen. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She had looked away and was now back to admiring the snow. But the smile she wore was more of amusement than of joy, which told him that she was listening in and found the situation amusing. That was far more than what he could say he found the situation.

"Oh. Sorry for the interruption." The valet said seemingly bewildered as he noticed Airen for the first time. He then scurried off to continue his job as Johnathan glared at his disappearing back.

Meanwhile, Airen covered her mouth to try and keep from laughing out loud.

"What's so funny?"

"You." She said glancing at him with a knowing smirk.

Johnathan raised an eyebrow at her and took a step forward, intending to resume their previous interaction.

"Is that so?"

Airen seemed to pick up on his intention.

"Oh no, Casanova. The moment's over." She said it teasingly, but the look in her eye told him that she was dead serious.

"Fine." He huffed disappointedly. He shoved his hands into his pockets and kicked the snow, imagining that it was a certain valet's special place.

A sudden gust of wind sent a chill through Johnathan and he shivered. Any normal human would have turned blue by now, but thanks to his animal DNA he had a little more tolerance when it came to certain weather conditions. Although he did have his limits too.

"So why are you out here admiring the snow again?" Johnathan asked trying to keep his teeth from chattering.

Silence was the only response he got, so Johnathan looked up to see what was wrong. Airen seemed to be thinking long and hard about what her answer was going to be. She had that same serious look that she had that night at lookout point when she had talked about her past.

A few more seconds of silence passed before she answered.

"I've….never seen it before." She whispered quietly looking out at the snow.

Johnathan blinked for a moment, confused, before he clarified, "Snow?"

Airen nodded without looking at him.

"Where I come from is dry and hot. A desert pretty much. We, we don't get snow."

"So, you've never seen it or anything before," Johnathan said now understanding.

Airen nodded, looking almost sad. Johnathan frowned. He couldn't have that.

He closed the space between them by gently wrapping her up in his arms, in a friendly way of course. Thankfully she didn't pull away. In fact, she seemed to snuggle into him. A swell of warmth and pride filled his chest, and he stood a little bit taller.

He placed his chin on top of her head and took a deep breath enjoying the feeling of her in his arms. She smelled of lavender and roses and the ocean. No, the nasty bay ocean, but the fresh, sunny day clear and clean ocean. It was refreshing, especially after all the overly sweet perfume and tangy cologne inside. It was also so overwhelmingly her he could stand there and drink it in all night. All he wanted to do was bury his nose in her hair and hold her close.

'Azar help me, it's going to be a long night.'


Jimmy watched the interaction between the Logan brat and the young woman with analyzing eyes. He watched the way they interacted with each other and took note of the significant looks that they exchanged. He watched them embrace one another as though there was no one else in the world. He watched as Logan escorted the woman inside out of the cold. He watched as they happily went about their evening as though they had nothing to worry about. He watched and waited.

"Carl," Jimmy called for one of his men once Logan and the woman were inside.

"Yeah, boss?" Carl stopped "shoveling the snow" and came over to stand next to Jimmy.

"Get me, Kyle. Now."

"Yes, boss." Carl trotted off to do as he was told.

"Yo boss!" A few seconds after Carl left two more of Jimmy's men came up from the opposite direction.

"Keep your voice down! Do you want to get caught before we even get started?" The second guy scolded the first one.

"Sorry boss." The first guy said thoroughly chided once they reached Jimmy.

"Just tell me what you found," Jimmy ordered.

"Well boss, they're in the back ballroom, which means easy entry from the backyard. One whole wall is glass windows. As for the ceiling…."

"There's a skylight, but it's small."

"But" the second guy looked at the first one, incensed at being interrupted. "Our guys can fit. They'll just need to go in one at a time."

Jimmy nodded, almost pleased, but not quite.

"And the second floor?"

Both men looked nervous. Not a good sign.

"Well…." The second guy started.

"There isn't really a way into the upstairs from the outside. The only other skylight is in the pool room on the other side of the manor."

"And all the windows have locks and alarms. Like, advanced locks and alarms. Like we're talkin beyond federal grade shit. We may be able to bust in eventually, but it'll probably take longer than what we've got."

Jimmy nodded, silent as he weighed the options.

"Don't worry about the second floor. It was only a backup anyway. Get the men into place. I want them ready when I give the word."

"Yes, boss." The two men nodded and rushed off to follow orders as Carl came up with a young man in a valet's uniform.

"Kyle." Jimmy addressed as he turned back around.

Kyle visibly gulped which made Jimmy smile. He likes it when people were afraid of him.

"What did you find out Kyle?" Jimmy asked.

"Not much actually," Kyle reported. "He got mad when I interrupted them."

"I'll bet he did," Jimmy said with a sly smile. He had watched the whole interaction from afar. "But did you hear anything important?"

Kyle shook his head. "Not that important." He then recounted their entire conversation for Jimmy.

Jimmy nodded. "Not much, but not nothing either." He muttered to himself. To Kyle, he said, "Go back to work before someone misses you."

With one last nod and a "yes boss" Kyle took off.

Jimmy frowned at the snow, thinking.

"What is it, boss?" Carl asked.

"I don't like this. We only have two points of direct entry, the house is far more guarded than it should be, and we have no idea where Bats is tonight. For all, we know he could be inside waiting for something like this to happen."

Carl looked surprised but remained silent.

"To top it off he didn't tell me why. Usually, I know why we're sent to do something, but this time…." Jimmy shook his head. "It just doesn't feel right."

"Sooooo…. are you going to call it off?" Carl asked.

Jimmy looked at him with cold, watery brown eyes, pure evil in them.

"No. We have orders, and we carry them out. No matter what. Now do what you're told and get into position."

Carl scrambled back, pale, and nervous at the sudden harshness in Jimmy's voice. He nodded franticly and ran off to get into place.

Jimmy looked at the front entrance where guests were still entering.

"In and out. As simple as that. Just get in, get what you came for, and get out."

Something told him it wasn't going to be that simple.


"Can I take your cloak ma'am?" An elderly English butler stood just inside the front door offering to take Airen's cloak.

"Airen, this is Alfred. He's the butler here at Wayne Manor and a member of the family." Alfred seemed to perk up a little bit at the last tidbit.

"Alfred, this is Airen. She's Violet's roommate and a very good friend of the family's." Johnathan introduced.

Airen blushed at the introduction, but even more so at the way, he said it, like she was way more than a good friend.

A look of understanding crossed Alfred's face. "Ah, then we shall take very good care of her."

Trying to hide her blush, Airen smiled and nodded at Alfred. "It's very nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you."

She could feel Johnathan's questioning look, but Alfred seemed pleased, so she chose to ignore Johnathan.

Out of the corner of her eye, Airen could see Johnathan begin to question her, but before he could someone interrupted him.

"Logan!" Someone called from the other end of the foyer. Johnathan looked to see who it was and turned back to her annoyed.

"I have to go talk to him. You can give Alfred your cloak. He'll take care of it." And with that, he was gone, lost to the crowd as though he had never been there.

Suddenly a surge of panic went through her. Johnathan was the only person that she knew that had been close enough for her to stay close to. Without him, everyone else she knew had already gone into the ballroom. Which meant that she was left alone to navigate through a sea of strangers, in a strange place, with strange social rules. It felt daunting and overwhelming.

"I hope it was all good things that you heard about me," Alfred said calling her attention back to him.

"Huh?" Airen turned back toward Alfred, having completely forgotten that he was there. He looked at her with a polite and expecting expression.

"Oh, yes." Airen shook herself out of her momentary panic and smiled gently.

"I heard that you're an amazing cook. Especially when it comes to exotic dishes." Airen said with a sly wink.

Several expressions crossed Alfred's face over the following few seconds. Confusion, understanding, uncertainty, surprise, and finally, pleasure.

Before he could say anything Airen rushed to add, "I also know that you can keep a secret. Really big secrets, really well." She put urgency and desperation in her voice, hoping, pleading, that he would understand what she was asking.

At first, he seemed unsure, but when she held his gaze steadily with her pleading one, he relented.

"You heard correctly my dear." He said quietly nodding. He gave her a quick once over and looked at her lovingly and full of pride.

"It's been so long since I've seen you. The last time I saw you, you were just a little thing. Just a few weeks away from turning three."

Airen blinked at him in surprise.

"You-you knew me when…. but I thought…." Airen whispered, confused.

Alfred nodded as he pulled her out of the main flow of guest traffic.

"Yes, I knew you back then. When your mother would come to Gotham for modeling jobs, and more specifically fashion week, she would always stay here and leave you with me when she had to work. Well, me and your grandfather Bruce." Alfred inclined his head toward the billionaire.

Airen balked, eyes wide. "But I thought…. she told me that he wasn't…"

Alfred chuckled. "No, no. Not in that sense. Your mother always looked at Master Bruce as a father figure. Even went so far as to address him as such in private. No, to be quite honest I never knew who your father was. She never told anyone from what I gathered."

"From what I've gathered too," Airen mumbled under her breath.

If Alfred heard her, he had the decency to ignore it.

"Yes, your mother was extremely secretive when it came to you. She valued her privacy greatly, even more so when she became a mother. Besides, I suspect that there were some whom she did not want to know of your existence, for various reasons." Alfred stated with a solemn expression on his face.

"Then how did you and Bruce know? And why didn't she tell me that you knew me?" Airen asked.

Alfred smiled. "Master Bruce is the world's greatest detective. It did not take much for him to find your mother. As for me, well, your mother could never keep anything from me." He winked at her. "And the rest, as they say, is history.

"Why she did not tell you any of this I do not know. But perhaps she had her reasons, and it was for the best. I will say, the only thing I regret about the whole situation is that I did not get to watch you grow up into the beautiful young woman that stands before me now."

Airen blushed at the compliment.

"I also know that Master Bruce shares the regret as well. You were his favorite. Still are as far as he and I are concerned. You and your mother both."

Airen felt a warm sense of pride fill her at his comment. She had never been anyone's favorite before. It felt…good.

"I also regret missing the development of the only young woman in the world who seems to have been able to capture our young Master Logan's heart," Alfred said with a serious and knowing look in his eyes.

Airen again blinked out of confusion.

"Wha-what? He doesn't…I'm not-I don't….what?" She stammered.

Alfred gave her a pointed look. "If I know anything it is when two people care for one another. Having Master Bruce and the young gentlemen parade numerous young ladies through here was education enough."

Airen bit her lip and looked down trying to conceal a blush once again.

"Now, if you kindly hand over your cloak, I will escort you to the ballroom."


"So, then I said…."

Johnathan sighed as the group of older gentlemen around him all chuckled at Mr. Maldov's dirty story. He had come over when Mr. Maldov had called because Johnathan wanted to discuss some business with Mr. Maldov who was one of the largest sponsors of the Logan family's charity organization. Johnathan had several ideas that he wanted to discuss with the varying sponsors. Though, that's not exactly how the conversation had gone.

As it turned out, Mr. Maldov was already three drinks in and in no condition to discuss anything other than dirty jokes and his own…. adventurous experiences with his secretaries. In fact, the whole reason that he had called Johnathan over was so that Johnathan could share his own adventurous stories of his playboy days.

Johnathan, however, was not so inclined to share. In fact, all he wanted to do was find an excuse to leave the conversation and find Airen.

He felt horrible for abandoning her and wanted nothing more to spend the evening with her. Actually, now that he thought about it, he hadn't realized how much he had been looking forward to spending the gala with her until he had been pulled away from her.

His source of rescue came moments later in the form of none other than Alfred himself.

"Logan my boy! Don't you have a story about the S.A. Club? Of course, you do! They always have the best dancers at the S.A Clubs!" Mr. Maldov slurred.

Johnathan opened his mouth to protest, but someone cleared their throat next to him.

"I beg your pardon gentlemen, but Master Logan is needed elsewhere at the moment." Alfred, the most beautiful sight in the world to Johnathan at that moment, stated clearly and firmly.

All the other men nodded and grumbled their understanding, but Mr. Maldov protested.

"Aw come on Alfred old boy! We were just about to get a good story out of the boy!"

Alfred raised a disapproving eyebrow at Mr. Maldov.

"I believe you are mistaken Mr. Maldov. The young man has never entered an establishment such as the S.A. Club and if he has, he has the good graces not to mention it." Alfred said stiffly with his nose in the air.

Johnathan blushed but said nothing. What Alfred didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

"As for you Mr. Maldov, I believe some water would benefit you greatly. I also trust that you will refrain from having any more drinks before you sober up." With that final command, Alfred turned and walked off. Johnathan, not wanting to miss his opportunity to leave, hurriedly followed him.

Alfred led him toward the entrance of the ballroom, smoothly weaving in and out of guests.

At the double doors leading into the ballroom from the foyer, there were two small steps that led from the foyer into the ballroom. At the bottom of these steps, Alfred stopped and turned to face Johnathan.

"I expect that you will treat Miss Airen well in any future interactions that you have with her?" Alfred looked at him pointedly.

Johnathan looked at him confused.

"Of course, I will," Johnathan said slowly. "Why would you think that I wouldn't?"

Alfred frowned at him but didn't answer. He merely turned and walked away.

'Oookay. That was weird. I wonder what his deal is'

Johnathan was pulled out of his train of thought by a familiar laugh. He turned to find the source of the sound and was rewarded when he saw her standing at the door to the ballroom talking to his sister.

When he saw her, everything else dropped away?

He'd seen her outside, but she had been wearing a cloak and it had been dark. Now the light radiated around her like a full-body halo, making her glow. He golden hair reflected the light, and her face shone with joy. And her dress….her dress was amazing.

Her dress was form-fitting with a high neck collar. It was sleeveless and fell all the way to the floor. The color of the dress was red.

Johnathan couldn't remember another time that he had ever seen her in red. He didn't know why, but red seemed to fit her. It gave her a hue that other colors didn't seem capable of giving her. It seemed to scream and announce her personality in a subtle way. It just seemed so right. Red was definitely her color.

As he watched her, she talked and laughed with Violet. She smiled and glowed and acted as though she had grown up doing this type of thing, which of course she hadn't.

Eventually, she turned and saw him watching. She smiled at him and he felt as though a weight had been lifted off his chest. The world began to spin again, and he made his way toward her.

She watched him come toward her for a moment and turned to say something to Violet.

By the time he reached the steps, she had turned to face him.

Johnathan held out his hand and Airen took it. With her other hand, she slightly gripped her skirt to keep from tripping on it. When she did, he caught a glimpse of her shoes. He didn't know what he was expecting but 4-inch heels with a strap and buckle at the ankle that was the same red as her dress wasn't it.

"Something wrong?" Johnathan looked up and realized that he had been staring at her feet.

"Uh, no." He said clearing his throat.

She gave him a look that said that she didn't believe him.

"Want to dance?" He asked desperately grasping at straws.

Thankfully she seemed okay with dropping it and moving on.

"Absolutely." She said enthusiastically.

Johnathan gratefully swept her onto the dance floor where dozens of other couples were already in full swing.

They started off with a few fast-paced dances. Johnathan knew them all and Airen was an excellent dancer and followed his lead no matter what. So much so that he took advantage of it a little and led her through some more complicated moves. A couple of which may or may not have consisted of lifting her off the ground.

The first time he lifted her she seemed surprised and caught off guard. But she was a good dancer and didn't freak out or anything, so it went well. The second time she seemed to be expecting it and was ready. The third time however she huffed and rolled her eyes.

"Okay, now you're just showing off." She commented when he put her down.

He smirked and spun her around.

"Perhaps." He dipped her. "Or perhaps I just enjoy holding you." He grinned wickedly and winked at her.

Airen's eyes went wide, and she seemed to turn a few shades paler. Johnathan would have been concerned if he hadn't seen the blush set into her cheeks.

He stood her up straight as the music ended and adjusted their position as the music began to play a waltz.

'Good, it's easier to talk and waltz than to talk and speed dance.'

"It's also easier to hold her closer to us."

'Shut up.'

Johnathan shifted one arm so that it wrapped around her waist and his hand rested on her back. He then grasped her left hand in his right one and began moving around the dance floor. To his great relief, she didn't push him away and run off the dance floor. Instead, she accepted his grasp of her hand, placed her right hand on his shoulder, and followed his lead. She was a little farther away than he would have liked, but he could work with what he got.

They stayed like that for a moment, silent and just dancing. Then Airen ruined the moment with reality.

"I don't think you... I mean you shouldn't…" She huffed, frustrated. "Friends don't say things like that to friends."

Johnathan blinked at her for a moment thinking. For half a second he thought about playing dumb but could see that, by the expression on her face, that wouldn't go over well.

With a weighted sigh, Johnathan closed his eyes, all teasing and joking moods leaving him and being replaced by seriousness and responsibility. When he opened his eyes Airen was looking at him with a painful and pleading look in her green ones.

"No, I suppose they don't," Johnathan responded slowly and carefully, weighing each word before he said it.

"Buuuuut?" Airen baited with a look.

Johnathan sighed. He couldn't do it anymore. He needed to be honest with her. And he needed answers.

"But" Johnathan swallowed carefully weighing his next words before he said them. "What if I don't want to just be friends anymore?"

When he was saying it he looked over her shoulder, watching other couples dance around them and guiding them through the dance floor. When she didn't respond right away, he looked down to see what was taking her so long.

Airen was looking at his shoulder, zoned out with a deadly serious expression on her face. After another moment she took a deep breath and replied, "I already told you, I can't be anything else" without looking at him.

He knew when he started this conversation that that was going to be her response, but for some reason, it still made him angry. He felt his face flush, his muscles tense, and his jaw clenched. Airen, noticing the change in his demeanor, finally looked up at him. Concern flooded her face and she started to say something, but Johnathan was too angry to listen.

He sped up their pace and steered them directly into a group of people that were close together. He pulled Airen closer to himself so they could make it through the group without hitting anyone else. Again, to his relief, she complied and moved closer to him. Her elbow now rested on his shoulder and her hand gripped the back of his neck. He could easily look down and his nose would be in her hair, which wasn't an unpleasant thought.

Suddenly he felt a sharp pinch on the back of his neck. He yelped and glared down at Airen who was glaring right back.

"Johnathan stop!" She hissed where only he could hear.

He suddenly realized that he had been spinning them faster and faster and she had been trying to get his attention to no avail. He slowed their pace, ignoring the curious looks that they were getting from other guests.

His jaw resembled stone and his muscles felt like steel, but he refused to look at her.

"Johnathan. Johnathan look at me!" Airen hissed.

He couldn't take it anymore. Suddenly he just burst.

Looking down at her he growled, "Why?"

At first, Airen looked surprised.

"Why what?"

"Why can't you be anything more than friends?" He growled.

Understanding dawned in her eyes, but instead of a calm and measured explanation, she glared right back at him.

"Why should I tell you?" She asked indignantly.

Johnathan balked surprised. "Because it affects me and because I asked!" He growled back.

"No, you demanded! Yes, it might affect you, and I might even be inclined to tell you, but not while you're being a jerk about it!" Airen huffed, fire burning in her green eyes.

"Honestly! Men! You act as though everything revolves around you! Well let me tell you, it doesn't! You expect us to trust you and open up to you and to be agreeable and when we're not you're so surprised! Well, guess what? We act that way because of you! You, you…. men flirt and flatter and act all chivalrous in order to date us, and then when we tell you that we just want to be friends with you, you agree! Why? Because you think if you stick around and keep it up, we might change our minds! And yes, sometimes we do, but then again most of us don't. And when you ask again and we haven't changed our answer, suddenly the world is ending! Suddenly, this nice, sweet thoughtful guy who has been our friend, confidant, and companion for lord knows how long becomes a two-faced, green-eyed, red-tailed, double horned demon who screams and hollers and threatens us and takes his anger out on us and scares us to death and proves exactly why we wouldn't go out with him in the first place and yet we're the bad guys!"

Airen took in a deep breath, winded from her little speech.

Johnathan blinked, blindsided by her outburst. After a moment he sighed and hung his head in shame.

"You're right. I'm sorry."

Now it was Airen's turn to blink, blindsided.

"I'm sorry, what?" She asked disbelievingly.

Johnathan grinned slightly. "You heard me."

"Did I?" Airen asked teasingly. Immediately Johnathan knew that he was forgiven, though he still felt like a jerk.

"Yes, you did. And I dare not repeat it or else your ego might become too large to fit through the door." Johnathan teased back.

Airen rolled her eyes and he chuckled. They were quiet for a few more minutes before Johnathan became serious again.

"Why?" He asked gently.

Airen looked away, a look of pain and disgust on her face, though Johnathan wasn't sure if it had to do with him.

"Why can't you be anything more than friends?" He prodded.

Airen glared at his shoulder.

"Because I'm here for a reason, and that isn't it." She said simply.

"Oookay…. can't you just multitask?"

"It's not that simple."

"Why not?"

"It's complicated."

"Explain it to me."

Green eyes met his.

"You're not going to let this go, are you?" she asked suspiciously.

"Nope." He confirmed.

Airen sighed.

"I'm here temporarily. I came here to do something and once I accomplish that I have to leave. I have to go back home. So, while I'm here I can't," She paused, thinking about her next words carefully. "I can't fall in love. It will just make leaving more complicated and painful than it needs to be." She finished matter of factly.

The silence that followed was deafening.

Airen looked up at Johnathan, watching him for some sort of reaction. Johnathan looked over her head, fighting to keep his face blank while he thought this through.

Several emotions waged war in his head and in his heart as several thoughts bombarded him at once. Suddenly a thought popped into his head and before he could think it all the way through, he was talking.

"It doesn't have to be like that." He said absently.

Airen looked like she was going to protest but he cut her off.

"No no, just, hear me out." Johnathan insisted, gaining more confidence in his plan. Airen nodded reluctantly.

Encouraged by her willingness to listen, he continued.

"It doesn't have to be like that, you know, falling in love. It can be just for fun. You know, we mess around, hang out, that kind of thing. I mean, like you said, you have to leave eventually so you can't fall in love, so it's not like you'll be dating anyone or anything. And when you leave, we call it off easy peasy, no pain, no messy breakup, it'll be a mutual understanding."

Again, Airen looked ready to protest so he rushed to finish.

"And if you change your mind then no harm no foul."

Airen didn't look convinced.

"Look, we can give it a trial run, say until after fashion week is over. And if we decide that it's not a good idea, we call it off early. Or if it works, it works!" Johnathan smiled, pleased with his quick thinking.

"We would need ground rules," Airen said slowly.

"Of course," Johnathan said matter of factly.

"First, when it ends you can't pull another jerk episode. Or if I decide to call it off early for whatever reason."

Johnathan nodded. "Agreed."

"Also, nothing physical. Even in private."

Johnathan frowned. That wasn't exactly what he had in mind.

"But-"

"Nothing physical or no deal," Airen said with a smirk. Understanding dawned on him. She thought that if she took away physical stuff then he would change his mind and back out then she would win. Well, two could play that game.

"Done." He said a mischievous smirk on his face as her own smirk fell.

"Finally, no one else can know," Airen said.

Confusion came over his face. "But, how else will other people know we're together?"

"That's the point. They won't. This way when I leave, it ends, and nothing comes of it no one will be asking a bunch of questions."

"Johnathan huffed. "Fine, but you'll be singing a different tune when you change your mind." He grinned.

Airen looked reluctant. "I'm not going to change my mind."

"We'll see." He said with a wink.