A/n: Hi, guys! Sorry for making you wait so long. Been busy, you know, and I'm desperately in need of sleep. I'm SO VERY tired right now and I'm still not satisfied with this chapter, but whatever, I'll post it anyway since I haven't updated for a while.

So here it is, Chapter 5!

Chapter 5: Burgers!

"That movie rocked!" Maya cheerily exclaimed as she pushed through the exit doors and pumped her fists wildly in the air.

They were the last to leave the auditorium thanks to Maya. She had insisted on watching the entire credits before leaving, in case there was a surprise bonus scene at the end. There was absolutely no way she'd miss that. Unfortunately, to her surprise, there was none.

Phoenix walked casually in front of her, his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, I know what you mean. My ears are still ringing. Don't know why you're so excited about this movie, though, too much noise if you ask me."

She snorted in response. "Hmph, what noise? All I heard was music, Nick, music to my ears!" she said as they made their way out the corridors and toward the lobby.

He scoffed at her. "Doesn't sound like music to me. Why can't they lower the volume a bit, especially during the battle scenes? I got a humongous headache from all the clanking and clonking."

"Well, what's the point of seeing it in the theaters then? You might as well just watch it on your TV."

"I prefer that actually. It's a lot quieter that way. I mean, I couldn't fully understand what I was watching back there could you? The whole thing felt like one huge concert, you know with all those screaming fans, particularly a certain fan right here." He smirked.

She playfully stuck her tongue out at him before replying, "Old man."

Phoenix frowned, bringing a hand up to rub his ear. "If I lose my hearing in one of my ears, I'm blaming you."

"Hehe… old man."

He turned to glare at Maya, who could only look at him with an innocent smile. "Will you stop that?"

"Stop what?" she asked grinning.

Pearl skipped happily alongside Maya, holding tightly to her cousin's arm as she giggled softly. "I enjoyed the movie, Mystic Maya. It was lovely."

"Thank you, Pearly," Maya replied as she hugged her. "See, Nick, why can't you be more like my perfect little cousin over here?"

The young girl blushed at the comment. "Oh, Mystic Maya, you're so kind!"

"What about me, Pearls?" Phoenix pouted.

"Who, you?" Maya asked before facing her cousin. "Nick's a big grump, right Pearly?"

Pearl quickly nodded.

"Yeah, a big grump!" the small girl repeated as she stuck her tongue out at the lawyer, just like Maya had done a couple seconds earlier.

"Hey, don't forget, I'm the one who took you two to see this movie, you know." He huffed.

"And we are eternally grateful for that, really," Maya responded. "But c'mon, Nick, you gotta admit that it was the greatest movie ever!"

"Yeah, the greatest movie ever!" Pearl excitedly exclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah, great… movie… whatever," he grumbled.

"You didn't like the movie, Mr. Nick?" Pearl asked.

Phoenix turned to face her and was about to answer, but Maya quickly cut in.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure he enjoyed the movie, Pearly. No doubt he was definitely interested in something." She smirked.

"Really, what's that?" Pearl asked, curiosity filling her eyes.

Maya snickered, trying her best to suppress a laugh. "The Steel Samurai's… legs!"

The young woman instantly doubled over in laughter as soon as the words left her mouth. Tears filled her eyes as she continued to laugh uncontrollably. Eyes wide with embarrassment, Phoenix stopped in his tracks as a faint blush stained his cheeks, the sudden action causing both Maya and Pearl to bump into him.

"Haha… ow!" Maya rubbed the tip of her nose.

"What's wrong with Mr. Nick?" Pearl asked staring up at the back of his head.

"Hee hee," Maya giggled. "Maybe he's attracted to… man legs."

Shaking off his embarrassment, he snapped his head towards her and scowled. "That's highly unlikely!"

Maya laughed at his expression, much to Phoenix's dismay. He, on the other hand, didn't find that funny one bit as he continued to walk ahead of them. Maya quickly regained her composure as she and Pearl followed closely behind.

"Don't deny it, Nick. You know you've got a thing for man legs." She made a noise that sounded like a snort.

Pearl gasped in surprise. "You do, Mr. Nick?"

Phoenix stared at the two girls as if they were crazy. "No… never in a million years! Don't listen to Maya, she's crazy!"

"Hey, don't be mean! Besides, you mentioned the Steel Samurai's legs earlier, so I just assumed that—"

"I do not!" He quickly interrupted as he clumsily grabbed Maya's wrist and led her away, desperately trying to escape odd stares from several people. "Let's go!"

"Huh? Hey! Where are we going?" she questioned as he continued to drag her along the pavement.

'Anywhere but here, I don't think I could ever show my face here anymore,' he thought to himself as he hastily walked across the parking lot.

Pearl tried her best to keep up with them. She couldn't help but feel thrilled at the moment because her two favorite people were holding hands, though not exactly in a romantic sort of way like she had hoped, but still, she was pleased that they were making some progress.

It wasn't long before the three of them stopped after noticing huge groups of people, not too far from where they were standing, gather in the parking lot. It was difficult to see exactly what was going on due to the thick crowd, but whatever it was it seemed to have gotten everyone's attention.

"I wonder what's up," Maya said as she tried to get a better view.

"Um, isn't that the mean old grumpy bear from before?" Pearl asked nervously as she began to bite the tip of her thumb.

"A bear? Where?" Maya asked as she searched around for anything that looked like one.

Keeping his eyes on a few certain people, Phoenix tapped the side of Maya's arm with the back of his hand, motioning for her to look. "I think she means Mr. Grumpy and his overly flirtatious girlfriend over there."

"Huh?" Maya followed his gaze, gasping softly as a familiar scene played out before them.

Three people were standing in the center of the crowd; two men, one of them screaming at the other, and a young woman, who appeared to be enjoying it as she calmly stood by, a satisfied smile on her face. The larger man, Mike, saw only red as he began to shove the other guy around.

"You've been touchin' my girl!" Mike roared.

"No, I haven't!" the other man shouted, holding his hands up in defense.

"You've been touchin' my girl!"

The crowd began to shout, "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

Unsure of what to make of the situation, Phoenix slowly exchanged looks with Maya and Pearl, who looked just about as confounded as he was.

"This all seems too familiar somehow," Phoenix said annoyed.

"Sure does." Maya agreed.

The scene just got worse as Mike got into a fighting stance with his legs apart, knees bent, and fists held high near his face, resembling that of a boxer.

"Alright, buddy! Let's dance!" Mike's deep voice echoed as the crowd began to cheer even louder.

The other man found this extremely irritating. "You are insane, man! Why the hell you want to fight me for?"

Mike wasted no time as his fist met the side of the other man's face, knocking him roughly to the ground. Again, the blaring crowd would cheer, and in a few short seconds, they had formed a circle surrounding the two men.

"Uh oh, this is bad." Phoenix said as he continued to observe.

"We should do something, Nick!" Maya quickly shouted.

Just then, they heard a loud whistle as a security guard rushed into the scene. The circle had been cut and the fighting had ceased in just a matter of seconds. Phoenix, Maya, and Pearl watched in wonder at how the security guard handled the situation so quickly, and in an odd sort of fashion. Several seconds later, the crowds slowly began to disperse, leaving only a few people behind.

"Um, did you see what I saw?" Maya asked as she stood there in amazement.

Phoenix blinked a few times before answering. "You mean how Ms. Oldbag managed to tackle a man twice her size to the ground, not to mention body slammed the guy? I saw, but I find it hard to believe."

"Um…" Pearl began. "…do you think he'll be alright?"

"He'll be fine," Phoenix answered. "C'mon, we should get going before we're spotted."

"Right…" Maya responded.

After a few moments, they were back on the streets, watching the cars go by as they continued to walk. Young Pearl hummed quietly to herself as she held on to both of their hands, hugging their arms tightly together. It didn't bother the two much since the small girl had done this several times before. By now, they had already gotten used to it.

"Hmm, where should we go next?" Phoenix asked. As soon as he said this, Maya's stomach grumbled, receiving an odd look from the lawyer. She chuckled sheepishly.

"Um, how about we go grab a bite to eat? You still owe me a burger," she said, holding back her wide grin.

Phoenix laughed. "Of course. How could I forget? You and your constant craving for burgers."

Fifteen minutes later, they found themselves at a small fast food restaurant, a few blocks away from the theater complex. After ordering the usual, Phoenix grabbed the food tray and sat down at the table where Maya and Pearl waited patiently for him.

The smell was so delicious, Maya could practically taste it. She quickly thanked him and reached for the burger, removing the wrapper forcefully. She took a large bite, then another quickly after. Bite, chew, swallow…

"Whoa! Slow down there, Maya! You don't want to choke, do you?"

"Sorry, I can't help it," she mumbled as she continued to wolf down her food.

Pearl laughed quietly as she watched her cousin admirably; she was completely amazed at her ability to eat so much and in such a short amount of time. After thanking the lawyer, the girl in pink took the small burger from the tray and began to eat as well.

About a minute later, Maya had finished her burger, smiling contently as she wiped her hands on her napkin. Phoenix slowly shook his head. How Maya managed to eat a large burger in just a few minutes was beyond him.

He slowly raised a brow at her as the corners of his mouth quirked in an amused smile. "Satisfied?"

"Mmm hmm… definitely."

"You should've taken your time. That way, you could've savored every bite. Who knows, you probably won't be eating these kinds of food for a while."

Maya quieted down almost instantly and looked down at the leftover wrappers. Her heart tightened in her chest as his words resonated through her mind. Perhaps he would be relieved once she left the city. No more burgers, no more Steel Samurai, no more annoying assistant. Would he miss her? No, what was she thinking? Of course, he'd miss her. Wait, why was she thinking about the same things over and over again? These thoughts, they were becoming a bit of a nuisance already. When will they stop?

"Maya?"

Staring out the window absentmindedly and ignoring the voice that was calling out to her, the spirit medium felt like she was once again being sucked into another one of her daydreams. The silly little idea that Phoenix would confess that he had feelings for her seemed farther away as that dreadful day drew closer and closer.

Maybe she should be the one to confess to him about how she felt. Yeah, that shouldn't be too hard. If he didn't feel the same way, then they could just laugh about it, right? It wouldn't be such a big deal. But then, what if he started feeling uncomfortable around her later on? That would certainly push him away. What then? She didn't want their relationship to be awkward. That's the last thing she wanted.

Did he feel anything for her at all, something more than just friendship? How the heck would she know? He certainly didn't show it, or maybe he was just really good at hiding it. No, that couldn't be right. How could she fall victim to something so silly such as wishful thinking?

"Maya?"

The young woman blinked a few times before jolting back to reality. "Huh?"

Phoenix stared at her momentarily before chuckling lightly, "You sure daydream a lot. Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," she said softly.

He raised a brow at her. "You sure?"

Maya nodded, giving him a small smile. "Yup."

"Oh, okay."

Silence followed.

"Aah!" she suddenly cried out.

"W-What? What is it?" he asked. Her sudden outcry made him jump in his seat.

Maya slapped her head playfully. "I just remembered! I have to pick up something from the store nearby. Wait here, this'll only take a couple minutes."

Before he could even ask, Maya stood and exited the restaurant, leaving Phoenix with a puzzled expression. He exchanged looks with Pearl who sat diagonally across from him as she continued to eat her food very slowly. They sat there for a whole three minutes, not once did Pearl take her eyes off him.

Phoenix shifted uncomfortably in his chair, under the heavy scrutiny of Pearl's stare. After minutes of staring, the small girl finally spoke.

"So…" she began.

"So…"

"When will you ask her?" She asked with a serious face.

He swallowed hard. "Ask her what?"

Her expression quickly changed as she blurted out, "To marry you of course!" She gazed at his face, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Excuse me?" Phoenix asked as he was taken aback by her words.

"You know… marriage. I wanna see a wedding, Mr. Nick!" She pleaded with him.

"What makes you think Maya and I are getting married?" He asked as beads of sweat fell down the side of his face.

"The two of you have already gone on a date, so—"

"Date?" He interrupted. "We've never gone on a date."

"You did today," Pearl stated as her smile grew larger. "Mystic Maya said if a man takes you to the movies, it's a date, so that must mean the two of you are in love, right?"

"Maya said what?"

Phoenix wondered what else Maya had been saying to the little girl, how to make fun of the spiky-haired lawyer no doubt, but now Pearl had gotten the silly little notion that he and Maya were dating, all tightly wrapped up in that tiny little head of hers.

He thought a bit before smiling halfheartedly at her. "Well, technically, Pearls, it wouldn't really be called a date if you came along with us, now would it?"

"Huh? Oh, well I um…" Pearl paused briefly as she began to think. A small frown became visible on her face. "…I guess you're right, maybe I shouldn't have come. I can't believe I made such a simple mistake, now I know I'm gonna be punished."

"Wait a second there, Pearls, don't say things like that. I wanted to treat the both of you out, so there's absolutely no reason for you not to come."

She pouted, feeling dejected as she rested her head on her elbows. "Yes, there is."

He sighed, it was no use.

Phoenix glanced at his watch. "Maya's been gone for quite some time now. I wonder what's taking her so long."

"It's only been like fifteen minutes. She'll be back." Pearl said as she began to fidget with her hands.

"Hmm, why do you think she left in such a hurry?"

"Huh?" Pearl looked a bit nervous. "Um, maybe she'd gone to the bathroom to use the potty."

'If she needed to use the bathroom, she would've used the one in the restaurant. Judging by the way she's acting, I bet Pearls knows exactly what Maya's up to. Well, time for me to pry some information from her. It is my job after all,' he thought as his lips curved into a smile.

"Ahem, hey Pearls?"

"Yes, Mr. Nick?"

"So about Maya…"

"Oh, Mystic Maya!" Pearl exclaimed as her face was filled with delight.

He raised a brow at her. "Uh, yeah. Um, what exactly—"

"…am I doing?" A voice from behind him called out.

"D'ahh!" Phoenix screamed. "My god, Maya, don't sneak up on me like that!"

She chuckled lightly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

He placed a hand over his chest as he steadied his breathing. Looking up at his assistant, he noticed she was holding a medium-sized box. Curious, he decided to ask, "So, whatcha got there?"

"Oh, this?" She placed the box on top of the table. "It's just a little present I got for you."

Pearl gasped.

"A present?" Phoenix stared at the white box. Slowly and carefully, he opened the lid, curious as to what it contained. Inside was a round, vanilla-flavored cake covered in chocolate frosting. He smiled as he caught sight of odd little finger-pointing designs drawn randomly in blue icing. He turned to face Maya.

"You do know that my birthday isn't until next month, right?" He asked, hoping that she didn't forget when his birthday was. How could she forget about something as important as that? They had known each other for three years.

Maya folded her arms across her chest. "Well, of course I know that! What kind of friend do you think I am? Besides, it's not a birthday cake. It's a thank you cake."

Phoenix gave her a questioning look. "Thank you… cake?"

"Here, read what it says," she said as she pointed to the blue writing on the surface of the cake.

Thank you, Nick.

He brought his head up to look at Maya. "Thank you for what?"

"For everything I guess." She clasped her hands together behind her back as she nervously continued. "You've been looking out for me ever since Mia died, and I really want to thank you for that. You made my life so much more exciting, and these last few years have been really fun. Not only that, but you're the kindest, most amazing guy I've ever met. I'm so glad that you're my best friend, Nick, and I'm really hoping that it stays that way." She finished, unable to meet his eyes.

Shaking with excitement, Pearl glanced at Phoenix, then at Maya, then at Phoenix again. The suspense was killing her.

Phoenix couldn't think of anything to say, so instead he rose from his chair and lightly wrapped his arms around her, holding her close in a gentle hug. What she said just now, every single word, they meant a lot to him.

Closing his eyes, he thought, 'I should be thanking you for even being in my life, Maya. You've done more for me than you think.'

A/n: Okay, there it is. Thanks for reading, everyone! Now, just two more chapters to go...

And many thanks to those who have reviewed. Your reviews are greatly appreciated :D

Love you, guys!