AN: I swear this story is writing itself. If only I had this easy of a time with all my tales. :) Please review and let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is also welcome (always looking to improve).

Enjoy!

...

She was late.

Ten had abandoned the party in favor of the roof, almost immediately after her friends had whisked Kate off again. It was a cool and clear night, and bright moonlight bathed the roof. The sky above was a canopy of more stars then he could count. It was truly beautiful, and it would have been relaxing, even soothing were it not for the Exhilaration still running through his veins, combined with the anticipation of time spent alone with Kate.

But the roof was quiet, too quiet, leaving Ten alone with only his thoughts for company. And when an hour passed, with no sign of Kate, his thoughts turned to worry and doubt.

He had seen the way the Six of Diamonds watched him, concerned for her friend. He had no doubt that Kate had been warned repeatedly to avoid contact with him. Warned of what could happen to her if she was noticed. What if Kate had been convinced not to come?

Or what if she didn't want to come? What if his inability to articulate around her had caused her to lose interest?

He shook his head, denying his own negativity. She had been the one to suggest the roof. And his cheek still tingled from where she had kissed him. She had likely just lost track of time, or was having a hard time shaking the other Diamonds. He sighed and leaned against a wall, turning his face toward the starry sky. He would wait the whole night if he had to.

But he didn't have to wait long. She was twenty minutes late, though it had felt much longer, but he spotted her, making her way across the rooftop toward him.

Her face was flushed from dancing, and the moonlight reflected off the thin sheen of sweat on her skin, making her almost glow. She was barefoot, and holding her shoes in her hand as she made her way toward him.

She winced and shot Ten an apologetic look as she approached and leaned up against the wall beside him. She said nothing, just turned her face toward the stars for a moment, before letting her eyes drift back to his face. As soon as their eyes met, she smiled sweetly at him, before turning her eyes back to the sky. Ten just stared at her for a long moment, drinking in the beauty of his Diamond against the backdrop of a starry sky. It was breathtaking.

He was holding his breath again. He realized it, and slowly exhaled, before finally breaking the silence.

"I thought you weren't going to come."

Kate turned back to him immediately, a quizzical look on her face. "Why wouldn't I come?" she asked, wrinkling her brow slightly.

Because I'm the Ten of Clubs, his mind answered ruefully, but outwardly he just shrugged and sighed slightly. He watched her eyes change, soften, grow concerned, and he quickly broke contact and looked up at the sky once again. He knew his eyes were betraying his feelings. No matter how much he could school his face, he had never been good at keeping his emotions out of his eyes. But he didn't want to mar the night with his self-pity or pain.

The touch of a gentle hand on his arm sent shivers through his body, and he looked down at Kate again. She was standing so close now, and watching him intently. His heart started to pound hard in his chest and he took a small, ragged breath.

Then her lips were on his, soft and gentle, inviting. He was so stunned that for a moment, all he did was stand there, trembling. But then, as she didn't pull away, he felt his lips starting to respond, to kiss her back. His hands trembled at his side for just a moment, before he reached up wrapped them around her waist. She responded, her own hands tracing up his arms to his shoulders, to his neck, her fingers burying themselves in his hair as she pulled him in tighter and deepened the kiss.

They pulled apart when they both needed air, but Ten kept his arms around her. Kate's cheeks were flushed and her eyes were shining, and Ten found himself blown away again.

Kate took a slow breath and released it. "Wow," she whispered and gave a little laugh.

Ten couldn't help the broad smile that spread across his features. "That was..."

Kate cut him off with another kiss pressed firmly to his lips, but just when he started to respond, she pulled away and breathed, "... very, very good."

…

"They all talk about you, you know?"

Ten shot Kate a quizzical look. "Who?"

"The other Diamonds." She grinned at the surprise that swept through Ten's eyes.

They were sitting together now, leaned up against the wall. Ten had given Kate his suit jacket when the cool of the night had caused her to start shivering, but even so, she seemed content to curl into his side a little. Kissing had eventually given way to conversation, and when Ten had finally relaxed, he had found her to be incredibly easy to talk to.

"Why do they talk about me?" Ten still looked genuinely surprised, and Kate shot him an incredulous look.

"Because you're mysterious. And dangerous." Kate grinned at him again. "And really, really good looking."

Ten shook his head, looking skeptical. "None of them even look at me," Ten protested. Then he paused, and looked into Kate's eyes again, and his voice softened. "Except you."

Kate smiled and tilted her head up, kissing him lightly on the cheek, and delighting in the slight shiver that it sent through his body.

But Ten's face grew serious. "I am dangerous, Kate." He met her eyes again, despite what would be showing in his. "There are reasons why people are scared of me."

Kate's eyes flitted away from the intensity in his, and she drew a deep breath.

"I know," she said softly, and her eyes met his again. He could see the reluctant acknowledgement in her eyes, the gravity that she didn't want to accept. But he had to wonder if she really knew how dangerous this was. If she realized what the consequences could be.

It wasn't that he was not allowed to have romantic entanglements. It certainly wasn't forbidden, in fact a great deal of the Queen's court were either married to or heavily involved with another. But he had seen, first hand, how the Queen had used that to control people – by threatening the ones they loved, or even making good on the threats. And the Queen already had his cousin as leverage over him. He didn't want Kate to be threatened (or worse) as well.

They both sat in silence for a long moment, and Ten could not help but feel like a heavy cloud had settled over them, a heavy cloud that he wanted desperately to lift.

Taking a deep breath and pushing dark thoughts aside, Ten forced a smile and asked a question he had wanted to know the answer to for weeks. "Why did you look at me?" All those weeks ago, what had made her make that first contact?

Her eyes softened, warmed again. "I was curious." Kate chewed her bottom lip and looked up at Ten through her lashes. "I'd heard a lot about you." Then the corner of her mouth quirked upward, and the playful sparkle danced in her eyes again. "And I liked what I saw."

Then Ten kissed her again, fervently, and pulled her tightly into him. She returned the kiss with equal passion, and he felt some of his loneliness melting away by the warmth of the Diamond in his arms.

"Thank you," he whispered against her mouth. He felt her lips curve into a smile, before he deepened their kiss again.

Neither Ten nor Kate noticed a bit of a shadow that, for a moment, played on the wall beside them. Or the softest of footfalls as the shadow disappeared.

…

She would admit it to herself eventually; name the emotion that played warmly in her chest.

Just not tonight. It was too early to admit it tonight.

Sighing happily, Kate slid into her bed and pulled the covers up over her head. The first light of dawn was starting to gray the sky, ending an amazing night. She only hoped to get a few hours sleep before she was expected on the game room floor.

…

He passed her in the hall outside of the game room. There were people about, so Kate just quirked the corner of her mouth again, but her green eyes sparkled. Then she brushed past him deliberately, nudging him ever so slightly.

He schooled his features, forced himself not to smile, but his breath hitched and for a moment his eyes danced.

...

"She's suspicious, Cruz."

The Nine of Clubs glared at his cousin as they walked away from the throne room. Even he could see the difference in Ten's countenance today. It shone through the cracks in his well-practiced facade.

"She didn't believe you just had too much tea," Nine continued. Usually it was Cruz, lecturing him for not being careful enough around the Queen. Nine was the one who had only narrowly, through the intervention of both Ten and the King, avoided beheadings four times. Cruz was usually the careful one. So to see him so... different, was alarming.

Ten nodded. "I'll be more careful," he agreed, and tried to banish the memories of the night before from his mind. But he couldn't quite shake the warm glow that accompanied him through the day.

They had talked, a conversation longer then any Ten had ever had in his life. They had touched, and they had kissed. It hadn't gone beyond that, but the connection he had felt had been like nothing he had ever experienced before, real emotion or tea-induced.

He had almost admitted it to himself. He had almost said it out loud. But even without the words, even without the silent admission, he knew. And he thought, even hoped, that he had seen it reflected back in her eyes.

A pleasurable shiver coursed through Ten's body again, and Nine shot him a warning look and shook his head.

...

Ten fingered the vial of Calm that his cousin had given him. Nine regularly took the tea, an effort to keep his nervousness in check around the Queen, but Ten had never had need of it. He rarely drank real emotion tea, mostly just counterfeits, believing that he had a much better chance of keeping his head on his shoulders if he could think clearly.

But with the emotions he had let himself feel the night before still radiating through his body, he knew he needed it. The Queen had been watching him closely all day, scrutinizing his every move and every look. She was sensitive to emotions, especially the ones that didn't come in the form of tea. It helped her to control those around her, and control them she did.

Taking a deep breath, he raised the vial to his lips.

…