This would have been up sooner but I just had to do a complete computer system recovery. That and I've been working on a few other things. I've written out when Ben and Tom meet and will be posting it under the title of Spin Out.

06

They shared their second kiss roughly a month into their relationship.

Neal was being his typical cheerful, hyper self and had managed to drag Alex into his antics.

They had been walking through the park, enjoying the sun, gentle breeze, and each other's company, when strains of music reached their ears. After coming across the impromptu concert (it was really a local band just practicing on the grass) and listening for several minutes, Neal decided that this music was great for dancing.

Alex, who we all know is more reserved, declined joining him, preferring instead to watch, and to laugh. She smiled as Neal's solo performance (some strange combination of square dance, jitterbug, and haka as near as she could tell) emboldened others. Most were between Alex and Neal's ages, though she did spot one couple who were well into their golden years revolving slowly, cheek to cheek, even though the music didn't quite fit.

She was so involved in watching the dancers that Alex didn't notice the pair of teenage boys heading her way.

Neal did.

Seconds before they would have reached her, Neal was there, taking Alex's hand and pulling her into the dance.

They spent the next twenty or so minutes spinning and laughing and dancing and tripping over one another and generally just forgetting about the world around them (not that it didn't take Neal the first few minutes to talk Alex into it).

The sun had begun to set when they finally decided to leave. Rather than go to a restaurant for dinner, they stopped to pick up a pizza then retreated to Alex's since it was closer.

"Jack! I'm home!" Alex called, unlocking the door to let them into the darkened house. "…Jack?"

Neal followed Alex to the kitchen. "Maybe she's out?" he asked, setting the pizza down and turning to grab plates.

Alex sighed softly, nodding. "I'm going to see if she left me a note. Be right back."

"I'll move to the living room," Neal called after her, grabbing a pair of sodas and the plates he had set up.

Alex was down a couple minutes later. "Judging by what was written, she had a date," was the report, stated as she flopped next to him.

Neal looked at her, forehead creased. " 'Judging by'?"

"It said she had a cooking lesson."

"…And that leads to she's on a date how?"

Alex snorted. "She hates cooking."

Neal blinked. "Oh."

It was after eating and while watching the television, some football game, that Neal slipped an arm around Alex's shoulders. He was, however, thwarted in pulling her closer when she let out a soft "Oh!" of her own and stood before hurrying from the room, leaving a surprised and confused man behind.

"That hasn't happened before," he muttered to himself, sounding hurt even to his own ears.

When Alex returned, it was with a smile across her lips and a wrapped box in her hands.

"Here," she said, thrusting it into his hands.

He blinked. "Wha-?"

"Happy birthday."

Neal blinked again. "Thanks, but you didn't ha–"

"I know. Now shut up and open it," Alex ordered, not moving from where she was stood.

Neal sighed with a soft smile and head shake, turning his attention to the box. It was wrapped in light blue and green striped paper and was maybe a foot long by five inches wide. Considering the size, whatever it was was of a decent weight.

Neal hid a grin when he began to sense Alex's impatience with his study of the paper. It was a matter of seconds to remove the wrapping and the top of the box.

His hands stilled and surprise overtook his features when he saw the gift. It was an antique looking dagger with dark leather wound around the grip. The rest of the hilt was an interesting blend of gold and silver, resembling smoke and water. The sheath was a direct counterpart to the grip and hilt.

Carefully, he lifted the blade from the box – setting that aside absently – and slid it free of the sheath. What was revealed was a perfectly balanced steel blade with a beautiful depiction of an eagle, its wings spread in flight, wrought in silver and set into the side of the blade. He stared at it for a little before gently re-sheathing the knife and setting it on the table.

Neal had to clear his throat before he could speak. Rather than protest the cost of the gift as he had intended, he asked this instead, "Why an eagle?"

There was a slight hesitation that he missed in his shock then Alex answered. "Because they didn't have any with kites."

Neal blinked, the oddity of the statement drawing him out of his stupor. "What?"

Alex smiled slightly, mischievously. "Well, with the way you are, people ask if you are, and I quote, 'high as a kite'," Alex lied flawlessly before adding, "Besides, I thought of you when I saw it."

Neal shot to his feet at the first sentence, a half-formed protest dying in his throat as he caught the twinkle of laughter in Alex's eyes.

What followed next was a three minute chase around the ground floor of Alex's home.

It ended when Neal caught Alex in the living room and she threw him over a shoulder and onto the couch.

His "I keep forgetting you can do that," cut off her apologies.

She laughed softly, sitting on the floor near his head. "…So do you like it?" she queried, voice soft with mostly-hidden insecurity.

Neal looked at her then moved to sit on the floor next to her, putting an arm around slender shoulders. "It's great. One of the best gifts I've ever received," he assured, gently brushing her hair aside.

When she smiled up at him, he couldn't help himself and leaned in to catch her lips in an innocent kiss.

Neal pulled back to return her smile. "Today was great, birthday or not," he whispered, pulling Alex closer, hoping she'd stay but expecting her to move away. He was pleasantly surprised when she pressed a kiss to his cheek.

It was as they kissed again that Jack moved away from the doorway, a smile upturning her lips, just as unnoticed by the couple as her presence had been.