A/N: Sorry for lateness but FF seems to hate me this week.

-.- Next one should be on time.

Enter Mouko

"I would be delighted to have lunch with you Saiai," I said with a smile as she blushed prettily. I wonder how many of those I can get out of her, I thought with a small laugh. She smiled uncertainly at my use of the strange word and I couldn't't help but chuckle. I released her hand and fell into step next to her as she walked with her head bowed, blush still on her cheeks. "You know that's probably how you hurt your nose in the first place," I commented with a chuckle and her blush deepened to crimson but she lifted her head and looked straight ahead. I kept my eyes trained on her as I walked, her shimmering green aura entrancing me.

"You'll trip," she said with a small smile.

"Like you?" I jived mockingly. She wrinkled her nose and gave me a mock glare. I smiled widely and kept my eyes on her. She blushed again but kept her eyes on mine. Two, I thought.

"Why do you keep staring at me?" she finally asked when we had sat down on the ground, me across from her, and she had started to unpack our lunch.

"Lots of good things to look at," I said as I let my eyes drift over her body and back up to her eyes. She blushed and bit her bottom lip. Three I thought as I vaguely wondered if that lip was as sweet as I thought it was. She didn't comment and continued to unpack the food. She handed me an extra pair of chopsticks and I smirked as she started to eat. Quickly, before she had realized that I had moved, I positioned myself close next to her. So close I could smell the crisp apple scented shampoo that she used. She gasped and choked on a small squid like food when she registered my nearness. I patted her back gently and handed her a cup of tea that she chugged. I smiled when she finally caught her breath and gave me a startled look.

"How did you do that?" she asked shocked.

"Do what?" I asked with an air of innocence that I had long perfected.

"Move so fast." I just gave her a blank stare for a moment and she finally blushed and looked away. Four. "Never mind," she mumbled. I hid a smirk as I saw a plethora of emotions cross her open face. Surprise, embarrassment, indignation. "Why are you over here anyway?" she asked, her tone surly. "Your side not good enough for you?" she indicated my previous seat across the lunch box from her with a pointed glance.

"Lots of good stuff on this side," I said with a smile. She blinked and blushed. Five. I reached to pull the box closer to us and used my chopsticks to grab a squid looking thing. I looked at it and cocked my head.

"It's a hot dog. I cut it to look like a squid. See the face?" I blinked at the happy little face on the side of my "hot dog".

"It's a dog?" I asked horrified. On this planet domesticated K-9's were considered companions. Why would the people here butcher and eat a companion? By the spirits they're heathens, I thought.

"No!" she said with a laugh and an amused frown. "It's a ...well..." she hesitated. "I'm not sure what it is but it's not a dog. Hot dog is just the name for them." I nodded but still frowned at the hot dog squid. "Just try it," she said. "You'll like it." I took a deep breath and put the small piece of meat in my mouth and chewed slowly, a pained look on my face.

"Hmm," I said in surprise when the flavor of the food hit my taste buds. She laughed and I bumped her shoulder with mine gently, a small smile on my lips. I liked to hear her laugh.

"Here," she said excitedly. "Try this." She held up a green object that I assumed was a vegetable with her chopsticks, expecting me to take it with mine but I leaned forward and ate off hers. She blinked and blushed. Six. I chewed and swallowed then smiled at her. It was good and I was usually the one in my family who ran from vegetables but I would eat a whole garden to see her smile.

"What are those white things?" I asked, pointing to four white mounds with black strips on them. She gave me a strange look but I just blinked at her, my head cocked to the side.

"Rice balls," she said slowly. "Here," she handed me one. Though I wasn't thrilled about the vegetable I remembered that the other food where good so I bit into the ball.

"What's in it?" I asked, tasting meat. "Salmon?" She nodded.

"Grilled salmon." She pointed to the others. "That one has tuna in it, that one has pickled plum, and this one," she said picking up one. "Is just plain with a little bit of salt for flavoring." She bit into the ball and chewed delicately. I cocked my head and leaned closer to her. Her chewing slowed as I stared intently at her. She swallowed hard. "What?" I narrowed my eyes at her then quickly bit her rice ball and retreated. "Hey!" she protested but I ignored her and picked up the tuna rice ball and bit that one.

"I prefer the salmon. What's with all the vegetables anyway?" I asked annoyed lifting my rice ball laden hands for her inspection. She chuckled.

"Rice is a grain not a vegetable." I shrugged. "Here try this." She held up a white snowflake looking object and I again ate it off of her chopsticks. Chewing I nodded my approval at the slight spicy flavor.

"How did you get into cooking," I asked suddenly after a few more bites of my two rice balls. She chuckled as she saw me alternating between rice balls.

"My mom used to make me Obento when I was younger. She would make the rice in cute shapes and things like that which is where I got the idea to put faces on my 'squid'."

"Cute shapes?" I asked.

"Teddy bears, fish, tigers, panda bears, tigers, pigs, birds, things like that." She laughed.

"Could you make me a tiger rice ball," I asked.

"Sure. I'll have it for you tomorrow." I gave her a wide smile.

"Thank you, Saiai." I leaned in quickly and brushed her cheek with my lips and she blushed smiling. Seven. I stared into her green eyes, loosing myself in them and her aura. The bell rang and we both jumped at the unexpected sound. She blushed again. Eight.

"Well," she said as she started to clean up. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"I'll meet you here." She smiled and I helped her to her feet. We stood looking at each other for a moment before she waved goodbye and started to walk away. I had the erg to call her back but suppressed it. "Don't walk into anyone else today, Saiai. I don't think your cute nose could take it," I couldn't help adding.

Written by: Mouko (Angel84508)