Author's Note: This chapter starts off with a flashback. No need to be alarmed.

Chapter 10

Stephanie went up to the mailbox hauling her stereo and carrying a cylinder with her letter to Sportacus. She set her boombox down and put the letter down the tube and shot it into the air. She grabbed her boombox off the ground and held it in front of her as she waited for Sportacus.

Up in the airship Sportacus jumped out of his seat and flipped over the floor just as the tube popped up out of the floorboards.

"I've got mail!" Sportacus said in delight as he caught the tube. He pulled the letter out of the tube and shook it open.

"Dear Sportacus. I've started a project and could really use your help. Stephanie." Sportacus read. Sportacus did a spin jump and put his hands on his hips.

"Stephanie wants my help with something?" Sportacus smiled. "Door!" He shouted as he rushed out onto the platform it made. He looked down at the town and saw Stephanie milling about around the mailbox, waiting for him. He smiled again.

"Ladder!" He called. The ladder fell out of the airship and Sportacus descended.

Stephanie jumped a little as Sportacus came into view by 'falling' off the ladder and doing an aerial back-flip to land next to her.

"Sportacus!" She shouted gleefully.

"Stephanie. What's this big project you're working on?" Sportacus asked, a broad smile on his face. Stephanie bounced a little as she started to explain.

"Well, I've written a song!" She said.

"A song?"

"Yeah. And I want to choreograph a dance to it but no one wants to help me." Stephanie complained. "They're all doing other stuff. So I was wondering if maybe you'd like to help?"

Sportacus' first thought was to decline. His didn't think himself much of a dancer, and really there were probably more important things to be done around town... But no one wanted to play with Stephanie, and it seemed such a shame to leave the girl all on her own. It didn't help that she was trying her hardest to look extra cute while asking, biting her lip and swaying back and forth with the radio just a little.

"I don't know..." Sportacus said.

"Oh pleeeease? It's not as much fun to dance alone, and if you were there I might be able to make it a partnered dance." Stephanie pleaded.

"Where do you want to go to practice?" Sportacus asked in concession. Stephanie bounced and cheered and beamed up at him.

"We can just go to the sports field. I don't know anywhere in Lazytown with a big mirror or we'd go there. C'mon." Stephanie took Sportacus' hand and started leading the way. Sportacus laughed and shook his head a little.

"The song is called 'Bing Bang', I'll teach you how it goes..." Stephanie said as they went.

~*~*~[End Flashback]~*~*~

Little did Sportacus know that that one concession would open the way for so many other things. Like taking her camping when none of her friends wanted to scout properly. Stephanie smiled at the memory. Sportacus always did things like that for her.

The 'Bing Bang' had quickly turned into their thing. No one else in town had even bothered to learn the moves to it. They generally performed it for everyone whenever they'd sent Robbie skulking back to his lair and everyone was feeling pretty cheerful.

Stephanie walked herself over to the sports field at a leisurely pace. Now that she finally understood it didn't really seem like she needed to hurry.

By the time she got there Sportacus had graduated to jumping rope. He wasn't counting so Stephanie assumed he was still trying to concentrate on something. She looked at him for a moment to get the rhythm of his and then ran under the rope to join him. Sportacus' eyes went a little wide, but his rhythm didn't falter.

"Stephanie." Sportacus said with surprise. Stephanie smiled up at him.

"Hi Sportacus." Stephanie greeted.

"Having a good morning?" Sportacus asked, swinging his arms a little wider to accommodate Stephanie's jumping.

"I am." Stephanie replied. She was feeling rather chipper now that she thought about it. "You know what I'd like to do?" She asked Sportacus.

"What's that?"

"I wanna do the Bing Bang dance." Stephanie told him. Sportacus stopped jumping at that, looking a little confused.

"The Bing Bang?" Sportacus asked. "Why?"

"Because we haven't yet. And coming back to Lazytown seems like a perfect occasion for it." Stephanie went over to the open space of the pavement and gestured to Sportacus to come follow. Sportacus gave her a skeptical look, but followed anyway.

"Bing Bang Digga-rigga-dong..." Stephanie started, going through the motions. She caught a glimpse of Sportacus out of the corner of her eyes as she danced and sang. He looked like he couldn't really believe they were doing this again, but in a cheerful sort of way. Like he was enjoying himself.

But by the time they got to the pike he seemed to get over his skepticism and leaped enthusiastically. He practically bounced on turnarounds.

Finally Sportacus dipped her with a huge smile. Stephanie smiled back with a happy sigh. Sportacus didn't let her up right away so Stephanie let go of his hand and wrapped her arm around his neck.

"Thank you for doing that with me." Stephanie said softly. Sportacus used his now free hand to stroke Stephanie's face and let it wander up into her hair a little.

"You're welcome." Sportacus had that fond look on his face again. Stephanie thought now was the time, if ever.

Without waiting for Sportacus to decide Stephanie's grip on him tightened and she pulled the two of them together.

The first kiss was nothing but frantic passion. Built up for longer than what was, perhaps, entirely appropriate. There was complete fire and want. Thoughts of anything else were obliterated as this little fantasy came true for the both of them.

They started slipping to the ground slowly as the kiss deepened, Sportacus' coordination not quite good enough to support the two of them while so distracted. Sportacus' hand threaded itself into her hair and cradled the back of her head.

By the time they came up for air Sportacus was squatting on his left leg and his other was completely extended. Stephanie's back was supported by both Sportacus' left arm and leg, but she was nearly sitting on the ground.

"Wow..." Was all Stephanie could think to say once the power of speech returned. She got her feet under her as Sportacus' grip loosened a bit. She then lifted herself into standing from her back bend-like position.

"Eep!" Stephanie yelped as Sportacus dragged her back down to sit with him on the ground. Sportacus enveloped her in his arms from the back and buried his face in her neck. Stephanie, not sure of what to do, put her hands on his arms and leaned into him.

"Stephanie... I love you." Sportacus said, slightly muffled by her hair. Stephanie smiled.

"I know." She said. Sportacus brought his head up and looked at her.

"I mean... I'm in love with you." Sportacus clarified. Stephanie cocked her head to the side and shook her head a little.

"I know that too." Stephanie turned a bit in his arms so that she could face him more or less.

"I'm in love with you too." She said as clearly as she could manage. This earned her another, slightly less intense, kiss.

"How come everyone else knew before we did?" Stephanie asked, once she could.

"Because you are young, and I am stupid." Sportacus clarified. "And between the two of us I imagine that will cause us quite a bit of grief." Stephanie hugged Sportacus and rested the side of her head on his shoulder.

"I'm really looking forward to it." She commented.

Sportacus wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her fiercely but briefly.

"Me too."

Author's Note: Aaaauuugghhh! Epic chapter ten is EPIC! There was a lot I was going to say in the notes of this chapter. But I think I just have to leave it at that.

I was debating whether or not to end this fic here and to start a new one after this scene. Y'know - make this the 'they finally get together' prologue to the story I ended up coming up with somewhere around chapter 7... But I think I'll just continue on this fic. So now would be a good time to review.

So... TBC. YAY.