Author Note: Ok, this one might seem very short (and it is), but is still one of my favorites. Actually the whole story came from this scene. I really hope you enjoy it! Also, I can't emphasize enough how important it is to me when you review, so please, please, take a second when you're done reading and let me know what you think. Thank you! And thanks to everyone who has reviewed all teh other chapters of this story too!

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"Check."

Freddy moved his knight where Summer's queen was and took her piece off the chess board, where it joined the several black pieces organized in ranks on the floor next to him. Summer had improved, but not quite enough for their matches to be fair.

"What?!" She exclaimed indignantly. "You can't take my queen!"

"Yes, I can." Freddy replied smirking. That was the first thing she had learned: without the queen, you lose. And how furious she became when she lost!

Summer frowned deeply and concentrated on her next move. Then she smirked and with a twist of her wrist, and the help of one of her rooks, she sent the blameworthy knight flying off the board, lightly hitting Freddy in the chest.

"Ouff!" he overreacted. "Don't throw pieces at me!" He accused her, tossing the white knight back at her.

"Well, don't you take my queen, then!" She rebuked him, catching the knight and throwing it at him once again, and following rapidly with a couple of puns.

Freddy ducked aside to avoid the flying pieces and then leaped at Summer, pinning her down on the floor. "What now, Tink?" He asked her jokingly, with a victorious smirk. Summer smirked as well, and rolled to the side, dragging Freddy along, so that the situation was reversed and she literally had the upper hand. "I don't know," She replied, amused at Freddy's surprised expression. He clearly didn't expect such reaction from her. "What now, Jones?" She asked mockingly. Freddy smirked and swiftly pushed her back on the floor, his ears delighted by her crystalline laughter. They kept rolling around the floor in a twirl of laugh, coming to a stop in front of the fireplace.

Abruptly, a wave of seriousness washed over them, wiping away the playful smiles, silencing the carefree laughs. Summer, who was now hovering over Freddy, felt their gazes lock and her cheeks burning. She was suddenly aware of the heavy rain pouring outside and the heat of the fire beside her, the chessboard abandoned a few feet away and their books still open on the table, the awkwardness of their position and the lighthearted fun of a few seconds ago. And suddenly she was aware that she did not care. She did not care about any of this, about how responsible she was expected to be, how she should have gotten up and resumed studying, how she should have reminded Freddy that they didn't have time for this, that they had a test tomorrow, that they really should have known better. She was so tired of being the conscientious one, she just wanted to enjoy the moment, for a change.

Freddy had been silently waiting for her to stand up and walk away, as at first he thought she would do. But then he had realized her inner struggle between what she was supposed to do and what she desired to do. Watching the changes in emotion in her deep dark eyes, he could almost follow her troubled trail of thoughts, but he would have never expected her to react the way she did.

Summer sighed and gently laid her head on Freddy's chest, one hand a few inches from her own face, on his chest, and the other on his shoulder, her fingers curled ever so slightly to hang onto him. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, taking in everything about that instant, listening to Freddy's heartbeat. Freddy, shocked and delighted, tentatively stroked her silky hair with one hand. Summer did not flinch away, as he had feared, and he encircled her waist with his other arm, holding her tightly, his hand playing with the ends of her black locks while he caressed her soothingly.

They stayed there, breathing deeply at the same slow pace, until the last cinders in the fireplace died. In that novel darkness, certain that Summer was asleep, Freddy found the courage to plant a single butterfly kiss on top of her head.

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