Part 15 (Holy crud this is long!)

Oh…well I wasn't planning on having this finished for awhile…but hey! Inspiration hit!

Thanks for the idea from Crazy Cinnamon Goodness! You rock my socks!

Please review!

This means WAR!

Duel

The walk across Waffle Town had been…interesting, to say the least. Akari refused to walk at a steady pace, always rushing ahead of Gill or dragging her feet. And he, of course, would run to keep up with her or stop in his tracks in order for them to walk side by side. She finally got fed up and spun on him.

"Stop it!" She barked.

Gill flinched at how suddenly she was right in his face. "Stop what? All I'm going is walking."

"Stop trying to walk next to me!" She said threateningly.

"But I'm taking you to dinner…."

"That doesn't mean you get to walk next to me!"

Gill glanced at her confusedly. "What…?"

She puckered her lips angrily. Really, it was just the mere proximity of him that was driving her crazy. She kept wanting to peak at him out of the corner of her eye and whenever she did she felt her stomach flutter. That was annoying her, that and the fact that never before had they gone so long without bickering…so something was odd.

She turned back and kept walking with a huff. "Let's just hurry!" She said. He skipped up along beside her, their hands brushing for just a moment where his eyes flickered and met hers. Then she looked away and tried to ignore the urge to grab his hand, just to see what he would do, of course. What happened next shocked and horrified her.

Gill slinked his fingers through hers, intertwining them, his face reddened slightly at he stared at the road. Her heart suddenly was beating a mile a minute as she tried desperately to convince herself that this wasn't happening. But it was, and now he was rubbing his thumb across the back of her hand gently, scaring her because she liked it!

"Gill." She finally said starring at their hands. "Are you confused?"

His face burned burgundy in embarrassment. She's not supposed to talk about it! He wailed in his head then said, "No…"

She clucked her tongue. "Well, apparently you are, because you are holding my hand!"

He let go then and put his hands in his pockets. Then he continued walking without a word. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, her hand still tingling from his touch, and asked, "Are you going to apologize?"

"No." He said simply, not looking at her.

"Oh, I just thought that was a new trend with you is all." She shrugged then slapped her hands together. "Hold on! So you held my hand on purpose!?"

Just then they arrived at the Kirch Restaurant and Gill sighed in relief. He wasn't ready to tell her. "We are here." He said, indicating the building with a nod. She spun around and checked it up and down.

"Really? We are eating here?" She asked.

"Yes, is there something wrong with that?" He said, suddenly worried that he had screwed up again.

"No…" She said turning back to him and smiling. "I just didn't take you seriously." He couldn't believe that she was actually smiling at him. She wasn't smirking or laughing at his expense, she was smiling at him, and nothing could be better. "What are you grinning at?" Her cynical voice brought him back.

"I'm just happy." He admitted. She raised her eyebrow inquiringly to that but didn't say anything. "Shall we?" He asked, opening the door for her.

"Lets!" She said smiling back as she stepped across the threshold.

---

Chihaya paced back and forth across his room. His eyes darted to the clock on the wall, it read six fifteen. Akari had only been gone for fifteen minutes and already he was having a panic attack.

She will be okay! He tried to convince himself. I made sure she had pepper spray AND a taser! There is no way Gill will try and pull something, and if he does she can stop him instantly! It was perfect, his plan was foolproof!

---

"So what'll it be, Gill?" Kathy asked with a pop in her hips as she balanced a tray of drinks on her hand. "The usual?"

Gill cleared his throat and straightened his tie. "No…um…"

Kathy arched one eyebrow. "What is it? Something wrong?"

Gill bit his lower lip and turned around slightly, pointing Akari out at a nearby table. "We…are together…"

Kathy nodded distractedly as she placed a drink in front of another customer then her eyes got big. "Wait, you mean…like a date?" She glanced over at the brunette who was chewing on a straw absentmindedly.

Gill flushed but nodded with a grin on his face.

"Wow, Gill..." Kathy marveled. "How sweet! I knew you two had a thing!" She smiled into his face as she whipped out a pen and pad of paper. "So what do you want!?"

As Gill ordered their food, Akari was watching his back. What's with him today…? She wondered. It's as if someone flipped his happy switch. He turned and smiled at her, making her shrink in her chair self-consciously. He just keeps smiling…

Kathy looked up from the pad she was scribbling on. "Okay, it will be just a minute! Go ahead and be with your date, Gill! I never thought you would actually ask her out! But never say never, eh?" She spun around and entered the kitchen as Gill went and sat down next to Akari.

"Stop smiling at me, it's making me lose my appetite." Akari said, swirling her straw in her glass of water. Gill's smile faltered momentarily then only got bigger.

"I can smile if I want to." He said, scooting closer to her as inconspicuously as he could.

She rolled her eyes. "I guess…then tell me why you are so happy."

He blushed but kept his face from giving it all away. "I told you, it's a secret."

"Don't think I'm an idiot!" She scoffed. "I can put two and two together!"

Gill glanced at her out of the corner of his eye as he took a sip of his water.

"You're in LOVE!" She exclaimed.

He choked on his water, spitting it out on the table. He promptly flushed with embarrassment and rapidly tried to mop it up with his cloth napkin.

"Here let me help." Akari said, leaning over him. He froze at how suddenly she was so close to him as she wiped the table expertly.

"You don't know how to do things like this, do you?" She asked over her shoulder.

"Things like what…?" He asked, focused on the way her hair fell across her face. I know I'm not good at showing you how I feel…I've proved that…multiple times.

"Things like cleaning, duh." She said, then sat up straight again and gave him a confused look. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Gill eyes flashed down to the table. He hadn't realized he had been staring at her. "What do you mean?" He asked stupidly. "I'm not looking at you any differently then I've ever looked at you."

That's a lie. You're not glaring at me. She thought, eyeing him curiously, then she remembered what they had been talking about before he decided to spew his water all over the table. "Hey! Back to what I was saying; you're in love and that's why you are happy!" She held up her hands. "Uh-uh, don't deny it! It's so obvious!"

Gill face turned beet red. "I'm--" Just then Kathy came out and placed their meals in front of them.

"Enjoy it!" She said with a friendly grin and a wink to Gill before spinning off to help another customer.

Gill stared down at his plate for a moment, forgetting what he was about to say.

"Don't get all flustered, Gill." Akari muttered, stabbing her spaghetti. "It happens to everybody sometime….though, I thought it was impossible for you to love anyone…. But I figured that there would be no other reason for you acting so…different all of a sudden." She nodded then added, "That, and your father came gallivanting into the bar and announced it to Chihaya and I."

So that's what father was doing all day…Gill thought as he continued to stare at his plate.

"What? Aren't you going to say something…?" Akari asked hesitantly, trying to catch his eye.

"There is nothing to say." Gill almost whispered into his spaghetti.

"Um…yeah there is! Like, who is it!?" She practically yelled.

Gill finally met her gaze. His deep blue eyes seemed to plead with her, his eyebrows slightly knitted together, his blond hair fell into his eyes cutely as he fixed his lips into thin line. Her stomach twirled precariously.

"Your giving me a funny look again…" She mumbled glancing away.

He lowered his gaze back to his food hopelessly. "Let's talk about something else." He said.

"Like what?"

"Like…what do you like to do?"

This took her off guard again causing her brain to instantly go blank. "Uh…I don't know…what do you like to do?"

Gill stuck his fork in his spaghetti and twirled it as he said, "I like to read and learn new things."

She raised an eyebrow. "What sort of things…?"

"Anything." He said with a shrug.

"So if I were to teach you how to ballroom dance you would be interested?"

"I meant useful things."

"Dancing is useful."

"No it's not."

"Yeah it is! How do you expect to win the girl you love without taking her dancing?!" Akari exclaimed.

Gill froze. Mental note: Take dancing lessons. He glanced at her nonchalantly from over his fork. "Do you like dancing…?"

"Pfft! No!" She slapped the table heartily. "I look like a duck when I dance!"

Gill relaxed. Mental note: Scratch that last mental note.

"What if I taught you farming!?" Akari offered suddenly, not really believing that he would want to.

A warm smile crept across his face as he gazed down at her excited expression. "I would like that very much." He said sweetly.

She caught the change in his voice and looked at him quizzically. "Really?"

"Yes. I would love it." His smile grew and soon she realized she was smiling back at him. This made Gill so happy that he dropped his fork. A tidal wave of tomato sauce landed on Akari shirt, making Gill cringe. Oh no! I've just ruined everything! Now she is going to be all mad at me and yell at me again! He thought miserably as he exclaimed, "I'm so sorry, Akari! I didn't mean it! It was an accident, honest!"

"Don't worry about it." She said simply, glancing down at the large stain.

"I promise I'll make it up to you! I'll buy you a new shirt! I'll--"

"I said, It's not a big deal so don't worry about it."

"But I--" He stopped. "Wait…you aren't mad?"

She raised and eyebrow. "No." She said, shaking her head. "I know it was an accident. It was an ugly shirt anyway."

"But look at it! I made it filthy! Are you sure you don't want to punch me!?" He exclaimed, amazed that she wasn't freaking out.

"Don't tempt me." She warned then started brushing the sauce off her shirt with a napkin.

"Here, it's my fault, let me…" He leaned over, his arm outstretched toward her chest.

"Hold it!" She cried snatching his arm. "There is no way in heck that I am letting you get the chance to grope me!" She got to her feet and walked towards the restroom while his face turned violet. But she spun back around and began shifting through her pockets. "I think this may take a while to clean up, so why don't you finish and meet me outside."

"Um…okay, if you're sure."

She pulled a twenty dollar bill from her pocket and was about to place it on the table when Gill stopped her.

"Hey wait! What are you doing!?" He exclaimed, startling her.

"Paying for my food…"

"No, I am paying." He declared.

"But you don't have to, Gill. It's no probable, I can pay for myself."

"No, let me pay." He insisted, gazing at her intently. "I want to."

She stared at him confusedly and figured this was him still wanting to prove his sincerity, so she nodded. "Okay….if you're sure…"

---

Akari examined herself in the mirror after she had blended the red stain into a brown blob. Her brown hair looked quite disheveled, her muddy brown eyes blinked back at her vacantly as her lips curled slowly into a smile. Why she was smiling, she didn't know. All she knew was that this new Gill might not be half bad.

Just then Kathy burst into the restroom and exclaimed, "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't realize someone was in here!"

"It's fine. I'm finished." Akari said, throwing the paper towels she had been using into the waste basket. She started for the door but was stopped when Kathy grabbed her by the arm.

"Akari!" She said happily. "I think it's so wonderful that you and Gill have finally gone on a date!"

The brunette froze. "Um…excuse me?"

"I always thought you and Gill would make a cute couple, now you are!" The blond grinned happily into her face.

"There must be some mistake…" Akari began even as it slowly began to dawn on her.

"What's a mistake?"

"We are not on a date!" Akari exploded. Now it all makes so much sense! The reason why he brought a flower, when he tried to hold my hand, all the staring and him paying for the meal…but that couldn't mean that…

"Really…you aren't?" Kathy asked plainly disappointed. "That's a shame…he seemed so excited about it too…" Akari stared at her in shock as the waitress added, "You guys look so cute together too…" And with that Kathy walked out, leaving Akari alone once again. But now everything was different.

He couldn't possibly…I mean, it's ridiculous to think that he might actually….oh no…I think I might… She ran out of the restroom and through the restaurant to outside where she could get some fresh air. Putting her hands on her knees, she bent in half taking deep breaths.

A hand on her shoulder made her jump. "Gyah! Oh…Gill…" She mumbled, staring openly at the blond boy.

"What's wrong, Akari?" He asked with genuine concern on his face. "Are you okay?"

She was lost in his ocean blue eyes that were completely focused on her. "I really hope so…" She said under her breath.

He gave a half smile then pointed down the road. "I can take you home now, if you want."

"Yes." She said without realizing. He smiled, taking his place at her side as they walked through the night. Her palms were sweaty, and if it was hard for her to not look at him before, it was impossible now. She stared at him out of the corner of her eye and every so often she could have sworn he was doing the exact same thing. They walked in silence except for their footfalls until they reached her door.

"Uh…Akari…" He said finally, shuffling his feet.

"What?" She asked, distracted by how close he was to her all of a sudden.

"Did you have a good time?"

She was captivated by his blue eyes. "Yes…" She whispered. And she was shocked to realize that she indeed had had a good time.

He smiled warmly. "I'm glad." He couldn't help but take a tiny step closer to her. "I had a wonderful time."

"Good…" She said as he came even closer and she found herself leaning towards him.

"Very good…" He muttered as his hand came up and cupped her face softly. She blinked up at him, vaguely remembering the taser in her back pocket that Chihaya told her to use if Gill got too close, as his other hand ran up her arm causing chills. He gazed down at her with the slightest smile, waiting just the right amount of time for her to ask where her kiss was.

"Gill…?" She whispered breathlessly. And that was all he needed.

His lips came down slowly, pressing softly against her warm lips. He suddenly pulled away, worried that she wasn't liking it, but was stopped as she said, "Hold it!" and her hands reached up and pulled his face back to hers.

A smile broke out on his face as she stood on the tip of her toes and kissed him sweetly. Making him happier then he could have imagined. He kissed her back and wrapped his arms around her, never wanting to let go. Her heart was beating faster then ever as her arms wound around his neck. He broke the kiss then and placed little kissed along her jaw line ending just below her ear.

"I'm sorry." He whispered.

"Why?" She breathed, burying her face in his shoulder.

"I love you."

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There you have it! Please, please tell me what you thought!

There is the first REAL kiss, if you may. Gill is being such a cutie its almost sick! Haha! Let me know how you feel!

And this isn't the end! Not yet, anyway. We probably have at least one more chapter to go.

Review please!