"Drive," Tracy commanded.

Link obeyed, easing the car forward slowly, not sure where they were going.

"Remember that one day, when you saw me in detention with Seaweed?" Tracy asked. She smiled, doing so.

"Not really," Link admitted, thinking of other things.

Tracy laughed softly.

"'I'm a bad, bad girl who needs to be punished!'" she quoted herself in a fit of giggles.

"Oh."

Tracy put her hand on Link's arm as he drove.

"Turn left," she said quickly.

Struggling to focus, he did as told. Link's pretty baby blue Mustang looked rather out of place in the dark, dirty alley they had pulled into.

"Stop," she decided.

"What are we doing, Trace?"

In answer, Tracy gave him a naughty looked that even more so in the darkness. Hastily, she began to unbutton her blouse and unzip her skirt in unison. It was going dark. They were alone, undisturbed, and undiscoverable.

"Trace. NO."

"Huh?" she said, confused.

"No, Tracy. I can't do this. Not to you; not to your parents. They trust me. I've already screwed my reputation up enough today. I… I don't even have, well, you know… I don't have anything with me, for you. For your protection. I can't do it," he repeated. "I don't want to ruin things for us, the way they are. They're good like they are. I'm happy." He gulped down a breath. "It would be awkward." (Like it wasn't.) "It would be… My. First… Time."

"Me too!" Tracy quipped, overjoyed. "It's perfect, Link. It'll be fine."

"No, it won't, Trace. Please listen to me," he pleaded.

Pausing, Tracy looked at him soberly.

"Just let me take you home."

She looked the other way, silently fixing her clothes in the darkness.

"Tracy, I love you. I want to do whatever you want to do… and badly. So bad. Dammit!" he banged his fist on the wheel. "When I'm more… prepared, I promise you we will. I'm doing this for… ugh, this is just so hard." He blew his cheeks up with air and let it out.

"It's okay, Link," Tracy said eventually. "I just wanted to make it up to you. I thought you'd want it. You'd had a bad day and…"

"I do. More than anything, Trace," he promised, not wanting to insult her. "But I can't let myself hurt you. Don't you remember Brenda? …I just can't do it." He leaned in close to kiss her cheek, and check her watch. "Your parents will be upset already at me for having you home so late."

"No, they like you," Tracy said. "A lot."

"Which is why I can't break their trust," Link countered.

Taking shortcuts to get to Tracy's house quickly, Link stopped her before she got out of the car. He was not about to let her go, with things the way they were between them.

He dug around in his glove compartment for a moment before pulling a tiny black box out. Tracy squealed in delight as he opened it, to reveal a tiny but gorgeous heart-shaped diamond on a slim gold chain.

"I wanted to wait until our anniversary," Link said. "I, uh, got a big advance payment from the record company, and got this on Sunday."

"It's beautiful," Tracy breathed.

"Just like you."

Tracy smiled.

"I've only known of you for a few years, been your friend for a few months, and dated you for a few days. But I feel like I've loved you all my life. I'm in love with you, Tracy Turnblad."

"How am I supposed to follow that?" Tracy asked, beginning to cry again – this time, in happiness.

"Shhh. Don't try to," Link said, as she snuggled up to him. "You've made me happy, and that is more than enough."

They shared a kiss before Tracy saw her house's lights go on. Fingering her bracelet, she stepped out of the car, dizzy with joy and her love for Link. The world seemed like a faraway place.

"Good night, Trace. I love you."

"And I love you."