To Kill A Mockingjay and I are organizing what will hopefully become the annual Alex Rider Fanfiction Awards. Check it out here: forum. fanfiction .net/forum/The_Royal_General_Bank/93073/ .

As a note, the name of the pizza place, Fio Rito, is somewhere I grew up going to. They're out of business now because the original owner had to sell due to his age and the new owners sucked. You probably don't care all that much, but I wanted to share and to say that I don't own the restaurant.

11

"Hello?"

"Neal, where are you taking Alex tomorrow?"

Neal blinked, glancing at his phone in confusion. "What?"

He heard Ben sigh. "For her birthday? Where are you taking her to dinner?"

"Her birthday? What?" He ignored the curious look James shot him, getting to his feet and moving to the hall. "She didn't tell me it was her birthday. Crap! Is she expecting anything? What should I get her? ...Why the hell didn't she tell me about her birthday?"

"She didn't say anything? Why am I not surprised?"

Neal shrugged helplessly. "She said she didn't want to do anything for Valentine's Day - something about Tom. She didn't say it was her birthday."

"It isn't. Saturday is. Jack is having a small party for her friends. Look, just figure it out and surprise her tomorrow. If she gets upset, tell her I threatened you again."

"Right. Okay. Thanks Ben." He got off the phone and wandered back into the living room. Seeing James' raised eyebrow, he shrugged again. "Apparently it's Alex's birthday this week. What the hell am I going to get her?"

James' lips quirked into an amused smirk. "Didn't we just have this conversation a couple months ago?"

Neal gave him a sour look. "And a fat lot of help you were."

"She's your girlfriend, not mine." Not that I would have known what to get her myself. I'm just glad Jack was willing to help. "Just do like you did for Christmas, get her something practical. Mace or something."

Neal snorted, flopping onto a chair. "Just because you think it's a great gift idea, doesn't mean she will."

James shot him a look. "You've been dating her how long now? Eight or nine months? Shouldn't you know this by now?" And she did like the knives so there... Shit, I've spent too much time with that brat, Tom. Why the hell did I agree to teach him how to drive?

Neal shrugged. "I do. I just want to get her something special."

"What did you get her for Christmas again? A necklace?"

"Yeah."

"So get her matching earrings or a bracelet or something... And a stuffed bear. Girls always seem to like those."

Neal thought about it then nodded. "Okay. Sounds good... Where should I take her to eat? That pizza place we always go to or that French place Dave was telling us about?"

James rolled his eyes. "Why are you asking me? I don't know. Go with the French. Give her a reason to dress up a bit. Like you said, we're always at Fio Rito."

Neal nodded again, tried to reserve a table, had to try a few more places, gave up declaring that it would be pizza anyway, then settled in to watch the rest of the movie with James.

Alex frowned, looking at the clothes folded by the sink. That was not what she had grabbed before getting in the shower. At least she now knew why Jack had come in earlier. Forgot her hairbrush my foot, was the uncharitable thought going through the blonde's head. She always forgets it.

After wrapping her towel around her body, she opened the door and moved toward the stairs to yell down at Jack, planning to go to her room for her original outfit after. That got thrown out the window when she saw Jack talking with Neal, who had seen her and was gaping.

Alex stared at him blankly for a few seconds before shrieking and vanishing into the bathroom again. "I hate you Jack!" she hollered, ignoring the redhead's howls of laughter, and slammed the door shut. She avoiding looking in the mirror, not wanting to see how red she could feel her face was, and sat on the closed toilet.

There was a knock on the door a couple minutes later.

"Alex?" Neal's voice called.

Alex moaned softly, mortified, and dropped her head into her hands.

"I'm sorry. Jack said she'd let you know that I was coming over... I swear I didn't see anything. Well, not really. I mean, obviously I saw you but I didn't see anything you wouldn't want me to, but if you wanted me to, then that's okay, but we should probably talk about stuff like that before actually doing it. Not it it, but anything that involves a lack of clothes because Ben would probably kill me. 'Course, I think he'd kill me just for thinking it, but I can't help that because you're very attractive so I have those kinds of thoughts even though I'm trying not to since you're only sixteen. Seventeen. Sixteen. Shit. Sorry. An‒"

Alex started laughing, cutting him off. There was an embarrassed silence on the other side of the door before he broke it.

"I sounded like an idiot, didn't I?" He huffed out a breath then there was a soft scraping sound from the wall next to the door - most likely he had leaned against it and slid down to sit on the floor. "Look, I'm sorry if I upset you. I'm here to take you out for your birthday if you want to go, so... Surprise?"

Alex smiled, half-fond and half-sad, looking at the door he was on the other side of. "Okay. I'll be out in a bit." If he was this upset over something that wasn't that big of deal in the long run, how would he react to her telling him about her past, about being Cub?

Neal looked up from where he was still sitting outside the bathroom when Alex opened the door maybe twenty minutes later. He blinked, climbing to his feet, and stared at her. He had heard her drying her hair and had assumed she would put on makeup, but the kinds of things girls could do with stuff that looked like instruments of torture to him still astonished him.

He smiled, staring in awe. "I'm a lucky man to be dating someone as gorgeous as you," he commented, eying the way her jeans clung to her legs and how her sweater brought out her eyes. Her hair was tied back and lightly curled while neutral colored makeups enhanced her features. He grinned when she blushed.

"Well, then, m'lady. Shall we?" He offered his arm with a half-bow.

Alex laughed, pushing him lightly. "I need to get my stuff first," she said, moving to go around him. She frowned at the arm he put out, blocking her way. "Neal?"

He smiled and braced himself against the wall, hands to either side of her, and leaned down to cover her lips with his. He kissed her, lightly at first before slowly deepening it.

Alex sighed, leaning back against the wall as Neal stepped closer, the fingers of one hand brushing the side of her neck and along her jawline. She stared up at him after he pulled away, gasping softly. "Uh... What...?"

Neal smirked. "I couldn't help it." His lips twisted slightly and he forced himself to step back. "But we'll never get out of here if I don't."

She blushed lightly and nodded before smirking herself and dropping her voice to a slightly husky tone. "Like I can help it that you make my knees weak," she said then flounced to her room before he could react.

He blinked then laughed. "Evil, evil girl," he muttered, doing his best to ignore the way Jack was grinning at him from the bottom of the stairs. "You aren't any better," he added, loud enough for the redhead to hear.

"Who do you think she learned it from?" was the retort, full of laughter, before she vanished into the kitchen.

Neal glanced at Alex's open door then made himself go downstairs. Following her would prove to be just too big of a temptation and they really wouldn't leave. Not that he'd complain about wasting the afternoon like that.

He turned, hearing Alex coming down behind him. He smiled at the sensible boots she was wearing and the scarf she was wrapping around her neck.

"Happy Birthday," he murmured, holding out a gift bag.

"You didn't have to get me anything," she responded.

"I know. Now shut up and open it," he said, grinning as he quoted what she had said on his birthday.

She grinned back, setting down the bag and pulling out the tissue paper. Her hand met with something soft and, when she pulled it out, she started laughing. It was a stuffed bear dressed in camouflage pants and a black t-shirt. "He's adorable," she said, giving it a hug before kissing Neal's cheek.

Well, she tried to kiss his cheek, but he turned his head at the last second and caught her lips again. He put an arm around her waist, drawing her closer.

Alex laughed again, hitting him in the face with the bear. "I thought you said we were supposed to be going somewhere?"

Jack reappeared in the door to the kitchen as Neal was helping Alex into her coat. "Try and have her back by midnight, okay? Have fun."

Neal nodded. "Probably be back before then. We're walking," he answered, opening the door.

"So, I was thinking we could go ice skating and get a pizza. I tried to make reservations for this French place, but they were booked already because of Sunday. Sorry."

Alex shrugged from where she was tucked under his arm. "It's fine. I don't much like French food anyhow." She smiled up at him. "Skating and pizza sounds fun. I haven't gone ice skating before."

"Okay. We have a plan for once."

"However vague."

Neal stuck his tongue out at her then yelped when she shoved him into a snow pile. He dug himself out and lunged at her, laughing. He chased after her, scooping up some snow as he ran to lob it at her.

They had reached the park when she returned fire and hit him in the face. He yelped again and staggered, putting a hand to his face, half covering his eye.

"Neal? Are you okay?" she called, jogging back. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"I'm fine," he said.

Alex had a second or two to see the smirk that had been hidden by his hand, but by then it was too late. He tackled her into the snow, forcing a shout from her.

They wrestled for a few minutes, he trying to pin her and she doing her best to get away, both trying not to hurt the other.

Neal laughed triumphantly when he finally got her, pushing up slightly to grin down at her. His breath caught slightly at the way her hair was spread around her head and the pink flush spread over her cheeks. He licked suddenly dry lips, gaze drifting from her eyes down to her lips, and leaned down, their gasping breaths mingling in the cool air.

Alex smiled slightly then her eyes flickered to something behind him.

This time, it was Neal's turn to shout in surprise as someone slammed into his side, yanking him off of Alex.

Alex started laughing at the way that Tom and a couple other friends from school were yelling, dog-piled on the soldier.

"Guys," she called. "It's okay. That's my boyfriend." She got up and started to pull at them.

Tom blinked and looked at the man under him. "Oh, sorry Neal," he apologized, quickly getting up and hiding behind Alex, doing his best to avoid the irritated glare leveled at the three boys.

"Thanks guys, but I didn't need to be rescued," Alex said, moving over to Neal and tucking herself under his arm again. Seeing one of them open his mouth, she smoothly overrode him. "Neal and I are on a date. I'll see you guys on Monday, okay?"

Tom nodded quickly. "Okay. See you." He started to usher the other two away.

Neal sighed. "It's always something, isn't it?"

Alex giggled. "Things wouldn't be as interesting."

He shrugged. "I guess." He pressed a quick kiss to her cheek. "How about we get that pizza first and try to dry out some?"

"Sounds good," she answered.

This, of course, was when the bomb exploded.