A/N- Sorry everyone... just a quick couple of acknowledgements from the author. First I'd like to say that Kate's outfit was inspired by something Miley Cyrus wore in her February 2009 photoshoot. I'd also like to thank JasperHaleFan for her input (and constant ranting) that inspired the characters Hannah and Shaina.

Please keep reading and leaving me reviews cos reviews are the best sort of feedback anyone can give. This is the fifth chapter of Dwindling Fire and I hope everyone enjoys it!

"Tony please can I look now?" Kate asked.

"Not yet," Tony replied. He had his hand over her eyes and was leading her towards the grass just beyond the gazebo. As they walked Tony looked at Kate. Her brown hair had been curled and was half up and half down. She was wearing yellow skinny-leg jeans with a light blue tank top over a white tank top. Around her neck were an even lighter blue scarf and an elegant necklace. On her feet she wore black converse.

"Okay, now you can look," Tony said as he removed his hand from her eyes. Kate opened them and found herself staring at a table with a white tablecloth and two white chairs. On the table was a vase full of red roses, and surrounding the table in the trees were dozens of lit candles.

"Tony it's beautiful, but aren't the candles in the trees kind of dangerous?" Tony shrugged and showed her a fire extinguisher he had placed under one of the trees.

"I'm prepared." Tony took Kate's hand and led her over to the table.

"Madam," he said as she sat down and he pushed her chair in. Tony walked around the table and sat down. He reached into a cooler bag at his feet and pulled out two champagne glasses and a bottle of expensive sparkling mineral water. He poured the water and he and Kate clinked glasses.

"Now for the first course," Tony clapped his hands and a server walked out from behind a tree carrying two dishes on the tray. He placed the dishes on the table before retreating behind the tree once more. Kate looked down at the plate in front of her. On it was a salad with three small containers filled with dressings.

"Bon appetite!" Tony said happily. Kate picked up her fork and picked delicately at her food. They mostly talked about school as they ate the first course. When they were done, Tony clapped his hands and the server appeared once more, this time to take their plates away. Ten minutes later he reappeared carrying two plates full of pasta. Once they were set down on the table he walked back behind the tree, leaving Tony and Kate alone.

"I have to admit to you Tony, when you asked me out for tonight I was a little nervous," Kate said as she watched Tony eat his pasta. Tony swallowed his mouthful quickly and smiled at her.

"I was a little nervous about asking you out," he replied. Kate giggled and looked at her hands. The two ate their pasta in silence, not sure what they should say to each other. Every so often Kate would look up but if she caught Tony looking at her she would quickly duck her head. 'What is wrong with me?' she thought to herself. 'I like him and I think he likes me. Why is this so difficult?' But deep down she knew the answer was that because she liked him so much she didn't want to mess anything up. What she didn't know was that Tony was feeling the exact same thing.

By the time they had finished their pasta they still had not said anything and continued to sit in an awkward silence. Kate stared at her hands and Tony looked at her. He was trying to work up the courage to ask her a question, one that could change the course of their lives forever. He still wasn't sure if it was the right question to be asking, they were only sixteen after all.

Back in the student lounge Jacob was sitting against the window with a pair of binoculars trained on the gazebo.

"What are you doing Graham?" Jacob jumped and fell of the chair he was sitting on. When he got up he realised that Kate's roommate Hannah Brown was standing in front of him with her hands on her hips.

"What's it to you Brown?" Neither Jacob nor Hannah liked each other. That was the only downside in Tony and Kate's relationship. That is, if their relationship ever got started. Hannah raised her eyebrows at him. "If you must know I was spying on Tony and Kate."

"Do you have not a shred of privacy in your bones Graham? Don't you think they'd like to be left alone tonight?" Jacob didn't listen but instead looked through the binoculars again. Hannah kept talking.

"Hey I think they're going to kiss!" Jacob said excitedly.

"Gimme those binoculars," Hannah said as she yanked the binoculars out of Jacob's hands. She watched for a few minutes before giving them back to him.

"False alarm." Jacob took the binoculars feeling a little disappointed. See what had happened was Tony had finally worked up the courage to ask Kate the question, and what Jacob had seen was Tony taking her hand and leading her towards the gazebo. Thinking he wouldn't see anything else, Jacob retreated back to the room he shared with Tony.

"Kate, there's something I've been meaning to ask you but I'm not sure how I should say it," Tony said nervously. He and Kate were sitting on the bench in the gazebo holding each other's hands and staring into each other's eyes.

"It's okay Tony, I think I know what you're trying to tell me, and there are so many things I want to tell you to," she began but then stopped. She closed her eyes and leaned in letting Tony do the same thing. The next thing she felt were his lips on hers. Later when she got back to her room she wouldn't be able to describe how she was feeling to Hannah. For one of the first times in her life she was speechless. When the kiss ended she felt a little disappointed. She didn't want this moment to ever end. Tony stood up and helped Kate to her feet. They interlocked their fingers and began walking back to school together, side by side.

"Kate," Tony said suddenly pulling her back, "would you like to be my girlfriend?" Kate was stunned for a few seconds, but when she unfroze she felt as though her heart would burst with joy.

"Yes!" She blurted out. She through her arms around his neck and he kissed her full on the mouth. When it was over they walked back to the dorms together. Tony dropped Kate off at her dorm first before walking back to his. Once inside Jacob began hounding him with questions.

"What happened? Did you kiss? Did you ask her out again? Are you going steady? Tell me everything!" Tony sat on his bed before answering Jacob's questions.

"Tonight was absolutely perfect! The candlelit dinner and the roses were the perfect thing for a first date. Oh that reminds me, I have to pay that bloke from the school orchestra by tomorrow."

"Why do you have to pay someone from the school orchestra?" Jacob asked confused. The dinner and the roses he understood, but not an extra person.

"He served us our meals." Jacob nodded his head to show that he understood. "Anyway after the dinner I took her into the gazebo and we kissed." Jacob jumped up and gave Tony a high five. When he sat down again Tony continued his story. "Anyway, after we kissed we started walking back to the school together, and then I asked her to be my girlfriend."

"Did she say yes?" Tony nodded.

"I now have one truly hot girlfriend!" Tony stated proudly.

"Awesome! Just one question."

"What?"

"Does this mean you're going to start hanging out with her and sitting with her at mealtimes and in class and stuff?"

"Yeah, what's the matter with that?" Now Tony was the one that was confused.

"Oh man! That means that the four of us will be hanging out together doesn't it?"

"The four of us?"

"You, me, Kate and Brown," Tony shrugged his shoulders. He didn't see what the problem was. "Brown and I don't exactly get along." Jacob explained.

"You're just going to have to try." In the girls dorm Hannah was anxiously waiting Kate's return. She wanted to know everything. When Kate finally came in she looked as though she was floating on clouds.

"So how'd it go? You have to tell me everything!" Kate came in and sat on the bed cross legged next to Hannah.

"Well, he surprised me with a candlelit dinner and red roses. It was really romantic. I swear he is the most romantic man I have ever met," Kate stared off into space thinking about Tony until Hannah clicked her fingers in front of her face.

"Sorry. Um, where was I?"

"You were talking about how romantic Tony was," Hannah supplied happily.

"Right. Anyway, after dinner he took my hands and led me over to the gazebo where we kissed." Hannah screamed and Kate put her finger to her ear. "Ouch! I think I'm partially deaf now thanks to that scream."

"Sorry Kate, I'm just happy for you."

"If this is you being happy I never want to see you ecstatic. After we kissed we began to walk towards the school but he pulled me back and asked me to be his girlfriend."

"Did you say yes?"

"Of course I said yes Hannah! I must be the luckiest girl in school. I mean I have a boyfriend who loves me for who I am and is truly romantic." Kate sighed and laid back on her pillows.

"I am truly happy for you Kate, but I'd be a lot happier if I didn't have to be anywhere near Tony's friend Graham."

"Oh come on Hannah. Can't you two just try to be friends? For me and Tony?" Kate turned on the charm and began giving Hannah puppy dog eyes.

"Kate you know that Graham and I have been enemies since pre-school." Kate said nothing but continued looking at her with puppy dog eyes. "Well, I, I guess we could give it a try." Kate smiled and hugged Hannah tightly.

"One of the many reasons you're still my best friend."