Ethan walked slowly through the still dusk, thinking of Lily. His mind had been full of little else since they met, but especially since that kiss. As he drew near the staff pub where he had agreed to meet Jack, his brother's voice floated across the street.

"Ethan... hots... ice princess..."

Ethan's frame visibly drooped as the sounds of laughter and shock reached his ears. Once across the street he slowly opened the door, wincing as shouts flew across the room.

"Lover boy, over here!", called Max, causing Lofty to half-choke on his pint.

"Your brother has told us everything", Robyn emphasised, "Prepare for a grilling."

"Caleb!", Ethan half-shouted. How could his own brother sell him out like that? Didn't Caleb care at all about what might happen if Lily found out he was in love with her? Ethan's head jerked as he realised what he had confessed to himself, he was in love with Lily Chao.

"They forced it out of me", replied the semi-drunk Caleb.

"So Ethan...", Robyn continued perkily. Ethan's shoulders dropped, it was going to be a long night.

"Robyn, for the third time, Yes, we kissed. No, we're not dating. Yes, she loves Ash. No, I am not lying."

"Okay, so?", asked Rita expectantly.

"So... what?", Ethan asked warily.

"What now?", chorused Robyn and Rita, happily. They both knew something Etgan didn't and were planning to use that to their advantage. Besides the blindingly obvious fact that Lily was in love with him.

"Nothing", Ethan replied surprised.

"C'mon mate. You can barely string a sentence together when she talks to you. You know, we know, she knows. So grow a pair and ask her out!", commented Max.

"How about no?... Robyn, what are you doing?", Ethan as worridly as Robyn started tapping away on her phone.

"Finding Lily's number."

"Guys, seriously?", Ethan asked wearily. If the fact that Caleb had told half of Holby wasn't bad enough, they were going to announce to Lily his one-sided feelings. And she would kindly reject him and he would nod and try to smile and Caleb would laugh like always and if he didn't watch it, he was going to snap at the two of them.

"I need some air", Ethan muttered, standing up slowly.

Lily closed her eyes, steeling herself to go inside. To look around and see hostile stares. To hear whispers and laughter. Again Lily asked, why she was putting herself through this. Deep down, she knew why. There was a chance, a small chance, that Ethan would be there and that maybe he would let her explain. Let her tell him just how much she cared. Maybe he would tell her why he left.

Or not. It could all be for nothing. At least at work, they had to pretend to be civil.

Stepping back, out of the way of the moving door, she tripped over thin air. Falling, she saw the ground approaching, as if in slow motion. She braced herself for the impact.

Which never came. Gently, a pair of strong arms lifted her to her feet.

"Okay there... Lily?"

"Ethan?", Lily asked more as a confirmation, than a question. He was here! What was she going to do? What if...?

"Lily. So... Ummm..."

Suddenly, plucking up what little courage she had left, after two days of whispers, murmurs and gossip, Lily leant forward. Softly she touched her lips to his. The short delay before Ethan responded sent her heart sinking through her shoes. She had begun to draw back, flushing red, when Ethan wrapped his arms once more around her waist. Sliding her hands behind his neck, she leant into the kiss she had wanted since that first, unsure brush of the lips.

Inside the pub, Caleb stared at the two interlinked figures. His attention was brought back to the table by a groan from Lofty. Reluctantly Lofty handed a crumpled five pound note to Robyn.

"Told you!", she teased. Robyn had known she could win this bet the minute Lily's silhouette appeared on the glass of the pub door. All the two had neeeded was a little push

"What's going on?" asked Max. Since when does Lofty give my sister money?

"Robyn bet me a fiver that she could get Ethan and Lily together tonight", replied Lofty, annoyed with both himself and Robyn

"Wait...", asked Caleb in confusion, "You knew she was outside?"

"Yep!", grinned Robyn, "You didn't actually think I had her number, did you?" Men, so plain dense sometimes!

VOILA! The big kiss!

I'm planning to write one, if not two more, chapters. But after that one-shot/multi-chapter ideas are very welcome!

Thanks to guest, sorry-but-its-true and hannahisnotarealperson for making me edit my story!

Love Lizzy