Author's Note: I'm pretty sure you'll all hate me for this. XD Enjoy anyway. And I'm sorry for any out of character moments. I'm sure those are unincidental.

Giroro kept glancing at Natsumi as her face lit up- both figuratively and literally- toward the fireworks display. Finally, he bit his lower lip and stared down at the groups of people forming another long line. It seems the Ferris Wheel was on everyone's list tonight. That, or it was just insanely popular. Fortunately Keroro and the others had gotten away just in time-

Or did they?

Giroro squinted and leaned further down, examining the pavement. Is that blood?

"Well, that was nice," Natsumi said as the last few fireworks sparked the sky. "Hey, what are you looking at?"

"Nothing," Giroro turned his attention back to her.

"So…" Natsumi said. She idly fiddled with the little skull badge pinned on her purse.

"So…?" Giroro's cheeks burned feverishly. He directed his face toward the sky in a desperate attempt to play it cool. He frowned slightly as he noticed that a few clouds were beginning to gather, and rather quickly at that. "I think it's going to rain."

"Is that so?" Natsumi asked, her voice betraying her disappointment. "I guess I'll have to go back home then."

She gingerly neared his side, refusing herself but daring Giroro to make the first move in what he could only assume. He interlaced his fingers together, having the sudden urge to plunge off the cart. He wanted to kiss her, so why couldn't he?

Maybe it was his conscience?

He reasoned that he wasn't forcing her to like him. She wanted to kiss him. She wasn't mind controlled or controlled at all under any circumstances. She liked him, because… because….

…He was himself?

Giroro felt the choker with one hand.

Suddenly he realized why he was bothered by this in the first place.

"Rio?" Natsumi smiled shyly at him.

"Yeah?" Ah, who was he kidding? He pushed the thought far at the back of his head. He was himself, kind of. Well, the important thing was, Natsumi wanted to kiss him, right? He only lived to fulfill her desires…

Giroro turned his whole body toward her and rested his hands on his laps. He slowly leaned toward her face, his face turning a humiliating red color. He considered closing his eyes but thought that it would be worse if he kissed her in the wrong area, like the nose or the neck.

Natsumi waited expectantly, cheeks turning pink. She closed her own eyes, waiting.

He could just feel her warm breath.

Their lips were just about to meet, when-

The cart stopped, and the door opened wide, revealing the Ferris Wheel assistant leaning inside to escort their way out.

When he and the line of people behind him realized what he had just done, he turned crimson in embarrassment and the crowd laughed.

"Aww, you go man!" Someone in the group shouted out. "Kiss her, whatchu stoppin' for?"

The audienced heckled them a little more as they clumsily stepped out of the cart and made their way past them.

Natsumi hid her face with both her hands. Giroro wasn't sure which emotion was more intense at the moment- bitter disappointment, unwelcome humiliation, or hot anger. Each were pretty much explanatory.

"C'mon," Giroro muttered, taking her hand. "I'll take you home."

"I wonder what's all the commotion down there?" Dororo asked, hearing a large group of people laughing from below.

"There's Natsumi and Giroro," Koyuki pointed. "We'll ask them later."

"We were never here, remember, Koyuki?" Dororo asked her.

"Oh… that's right. Oh, well."

Koyuki looked out into the night. She sniffed the air and sighed happily. "It's going to rain."

"We'll be nice and dry in our little shack," Dororo said. He stared down at his hands. "I wonder how long it'll take for the affect to come off?"

Koyuki shrugged. "I dunno. But what I do know is that when you're back to normal, I'm going to hug you. I miss your tiny size."

Dororo laughed.

"Dororo?"

"Yeah?"

"I wonder what it's like to kiss someone." Koyuki turned toward him and frowned, seeing him far back against the cart opposite of her. His arms were crossed, forming an 'x'. "What are you doing that for?"

"I'm staying right here, okay?" Dororo said, nervously. He inched further away.

"Why?" Koyuki giggled, sitting next to him. "I think you're thinking too much into this, D."

He couldn't take his eyes off her lips.

Thank frog I'm wearing a mask.

"You know what?" Dororo scrambled to the other side, advancing away from her again. He backed off until he found himself leaning against the door. This was by far worse than his fear of the Ferris Wheel. "L-let's play another game, okay?"

"Alright," Koyuki said cheerfully, oblivious to Dororo's odd behavior. "Let's play the Thought game! I'll think of a word, and you'll tell me what word comes to mind when I say it, okay?"

"O-okay," Dororo stammered. He tried to relax as she thought about a variety of words.

"I got one. Amusement Park."

"Fun."

"Fireworks."

"Pretty."

"Frog legs."

"Gross."

Dororo smiled slightly as Koyuki paused to giggle. She continued, "Rain."

"Cleansing."

"Ferris Wheel."

"Torture."

"First kiss."

"That's two words!" Dororo said quickly, leaning far back again, ignoring the fact that she had used two words twice before. Koyuki stared at him in confusion as his face began to turn red. Is she doing this on purpose?

The door clicked open, and the back of his head met painfully with the pavement. The same poor assistant clapped his hand on his own mouth. "I-I am so sorry, sir!"
Dororo held his head, groaning slightly as he heard the cool air fill with laughter. It was suddenly apparent that the people waiting in line were hungry for entertainment- he reasoned that they were probably going to take what they could get.

"D! Are you alright?" Koyuki took him by the arm and pulled him up.

"I'm fine… for the most part…" Dororo rubbed his temples, the pain throbbing from the back of his head.

"I'll massage that when we get home, okay?" She said, concerned. "C'mon… I'm sure Giroro will take Natsumi safely back home."

"Yeah…" Dororo slurred. He found himself unable to restrain putting some of his weight against her. "Ko-yu-ki…. I think I gots a concussion…."

To make matters better, it suddenly began to rain.

The tiny bell twinkled as the door swung open, just in time before the rain began to fall. The customers at the store stared at the young couple, who both struggled to catch their breath.

"That was a close one," Natsumi said between gasps of air.

"Yeah…" Giroro unzipped his sweater and slid it off his arms. "Here." He plopped it over her head. "I don't want you to catch a cold. You might… die, or something."

"Thanks," Natsumi murmured, slipping her arms through the sleeves. It practically swallowed her tiny frame.

"Well," Giroro glanced out the window. "It's getting late. I need to get you back home- I don't want your mom to worry."

Natsumi pulled out her cell phone from her purse and suddenly had a thought. "Hey, Rio? Do you have a phone number I can use to call you?"

Giroro started. "Uh- … y-yeah, I do, but…" The choker took full control. "I left it at home. Give me your number, though, and I'll text you."

Natsumi asked for paper and pen at the desk, but was only given the latter. Giroro gave her the palm of his hand. "Just write it on here."

"But, the rain…"

"I'll protect it with my life."

She grinned at his dramatic statement. "Alright… here it is." She pressed the pen against his hand and began to write. When it was done, he waved his hand to let it dry. Even if the number got wet, he still had her it down in his own cell phone. He was going to have to ask Kururu to make him another one, however, if he was to keep up the charade…

"Seriously, we're going to have to go," Giroro said, gazing outside the window. The rain dribbled down the glass, streaking and staining the letters that spelled out the name of the shop. "I don't want your mom to think I kidnapped you."

Natsumi laughed at that. "Okay… you're right."

Giroro opened the door, the drops of rain splashing against his face. "Let's go."

"Don't run, don't run-"

They ran anyway. Giroro saying that just made them want to do it more, like it was some little law that they were daring to break. Their feet slapped against the sidewalk, fighting to keep their grip on the ground and to keep from breaking their neck on the wet pavement. Women with umbrellas gave them the same warning to slow down, but their cries were ignored. Familiar houses came to view- the blocks began to blend together as they flew past each one.

"We're here," Natsumi panted, slipping to a stop. Giroro caught himself, finding himself nearly running into her. She looked up at him with large eyes. Her lips curled to a sweet smile. "Thanks for the jacket."

"Keep it until you get to your door," Giroro said. "You can give it back when I see you again."

The two held each other's gaze for a moment. The rain speckled their faces, running down their eyes and cheeks and chins. And lips.

Natsumi took a shy step closer. The cold atmosphere made her breath come out as warm puffs of fog.

"U-umm…"

Giroro's face reddened. Here was another chance. Another chance to….

The familiar tingle. Aw, frog.

He hid his hands behind his back, trying to appear casual.

"You're getting wet," Giroro said quickly. "Go inside. I'll see you later, okay?"

"D-… Don't you want to come inside and dry off?" Natsumi asked.

"I can't!" Giroro waved her off. "I really have to go. Really. Go inside!" He couldn't let her seem him like this. Chaos will ensue!

And hilarity.

Oh, frog, I don't need anything from you!

Giroro hid behind one of the trees, hoping Natsumi did what she asked him. He didn't relax until he heard the door open and Aki's ushering voice for her to come inside and dry off. His body shuddered under the rain as it began to shrink into his old form. He found himself staring listlessly at his hand. Her number was nearly gone, faded and destroyed by the water. He sighed. He guessed Lady Luck was going to kick him in the rear again- after all, she had already helped him earlier… sort of.

He sighed, going back to the Hinata residence to go inside his tent. Before he could step inside it, Fuyuki opened the door and invited him in.
Giroro rejected the offer- he felt too exhausted to do anything other then sleep.

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