Hello, hello! I'm excited to be able to post this on the correct day since school started and I already feel a bit like I'm drowning. Hopefully the next chapter isn't delayed too long, but I can't make any promises, unfortunately. Please know that I haven't forgotten about this story and am still very excited about it, but my last semester of grad school definitely takes precedence.

Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, followed, or sent a delightful message to my Tumblr! I'm glad so many of you are still enjoying this story. :)

This chapter is a bit of a change of pace from the others, but it was a lot of fun to write. Downton quotes used in this chapter are italicized. Thanks again for reading!

Enjoy!

Chapter Six

September 1946, Honolulu, Hawaii

"There's a girl in this class."

"What's a girl doing in an engineering class?"

"I dunno, maybe she's looking for a smart husband? You better not talk to her though."

"Shut up, she'll hear you. Easy on the eyes though."

From where she sat near the front of the classroom, Mary clenched her teeth so hard she thought they might fall out. Nearly thirty male voices buzzed about her. their whispers not quiet enough to avoid her hearing. All of them seemed to be focused on her.

Just ignore them, she told herself, her face warming under the gaze of so many men. Although not from flattery that they were looking at her, but irritation and maybe, as much as she hated to admit it, a little embarrassment. She was the only woman in the class. Of course they'd notice her.

They'll get bored soon enough. Find something else to talk about. But she silently wished the class would begin faster, that one of them would trip or provide any sort of distraction.

"Hey, honey, you lost?"

Mary lifted her head up from the engineering textbook she was reading to find a dark-haired boy in front of her, his hands resting on the table as he leaned toward her, clearly at ease. Fighting the urge to glare at him, she forced a tight smile. Her mother would be so very proud of her ladylike behavior. At least for now.

"No, actually I know exactly where I am," she said, playing with her necklace as a distraction. And tried not to think about strangling the boy with it.

He smiled, apparently believing that his attempt at flirting had worked on her so quickly. She sensed the other men in the class were watching their exchange, probably trying to determine if it was safe to flirt with her or not.

"What's a pretty little thing like you doing in an engineering class anyway?" he questioned, perching on the corner of the desk.

At this Mary did roll her eyes. Her mother wasn't here to scold her and she'd already lost her patience. She'd fought tooth and nail to be allowed in this class, had almost gotten a perfect score on her SAT. She wasn't about to let this jerk get away with patronizing her.

"Learning about the application of scientific and mathematical principles to practical ends, like the design, manufacture, and operation of efficient and economical structures, machines, processes and systems," she said bluntly.

The boy looked amused at this, although Mary had hoped it would put him off. Take a hint, she thought in irritation.

"That's cute. Did you read that in the textbook, sweetheart?" he asked.

"Why, you know, I did, actually," Mary said, purposefully batting her eyelashes at him. "See, I can actually read. Can you?"

A collective hush settled over the rest of the class and the boy was now looking less sure of himself, a sight Mary enjoyed immensely.

"You just playing around until you find a husband?" he asked, apparently looking for any excuse to humiliate her now that his ego had been stung, despite the fact that she'd never laid eyes on him before.

What an ass! Her inner monologue was irrate.

"I'm actually here to learn, you little-" Mary began bitingly, but she was cut off.

"Hey, buddy, why don't you leave her alone? She's got just as much right to be here as you do."

Mary's gaze was pulled to the new speaker, a blond-headed boy with piercing blue eyes which turned steely as they looked at the other guy. Her "rescuer" stood next to Mary's chair, clearly at ease in spite of his intervening for her. Something she didn't really appreciate.

"I'm perfectly capable of-" Mary started again, but now it was like she didn't even exist, as it seemed to be a battle between these two over who would lose their staring contest firt.

"I was just being friendly," the first boy said, challenging the other one. "Keep a better eye on your girlfriend."

"Excuse me, but I am not his-" Mary interjected, but she continued to be ignored. And interrupted.

"Why don't you take a seat? Learn a thing or two," the blond boy said, refusing to back down.

With that, the first boy sauntered away to his seat, the whispers resuming among the rest of the class. Mary was livid as her defender took the chair next to hers, leaning back in it as though he were a hero, hands folded behind his head.

"A thank you would suffice."

Mary turned her head at his arrogant voice, her eyes meeting this stranger's for the first time.

"For what? Interrupting me a thousand times? I had it handled," she said, silently wishing he would go away, sit anywhere else but beside her. She glared at him, hoping that would suffice.

"You did not," he said with a laugh, his voice teasing now, although Mary wasn't amused in the slightest. "Although I'm sure you'll whip all of our asses come exam time. Already read the textbook and it's not even the second day of classes."

Mary looked away.

"Are you making fun of me?" she asked, relieved that the professor had finally entered the room and would soon be saving her from this pointless chit-chat.

"Not at all," the boy said, and the sincerity in his words pulled Mary's gaze to him again. "I'm fascinated by you." He rested his chin on his hand as he gazed at her, a playful smile on his lips that Mary did not return.

"Mm, like a strange creature in the zoo," she said, humorless, but finding it harder to remain so under his gaze. "Or perhaps a unicorn?"

"No, more like discovering a new star and wanting to learn more about it," he replied, serious, but his eyes were lively.

Mary couldn't help but laugh at this.

"Does that line actually work?" she asked with a snort, in disbelief that such words had been uttered to her.

"I don't know, I've never tried it before," he replied, smiling at her.

Mary pressed her lips together to keep from grinning back, although she desperately wanted to. She had a feeling her eyes betrayed her, because the boy now grinned.

"Please settle down," the professor called out, sounding tired. "I'd like to take role before we begin."

Mary looked away, her heart thudding unevenly as the rest of the class quieted, waiting to hear their names be called.

"Crawley, Matthew," the professor said without shifting his eyes from the class list.

"Here," said the boy at Mary's side, his at ease tone drawing her gaze to him once more.

Matthew Crawley, Mary thought silently as he smiled at her again, the sight both irritating and strangely adorable.

Oh, God.

After class, Mary had taken her time packing up her things even though she was on a tight schedule. But so had Matthew.

"Do you have an eidetic memory, Mary?"

Mary looked up, pulling the strap of her bag over her shoulder.

"What?" she asked, finally heading for the door with Matthew at her side.

"An eidetic memory? Like a photographic memory. I'm pretty sure you answered 80% of the questions in class today without giving any of us a chance to think," Matthew said.

"Boys think?" she questioned, unable to stop herself from smiling as she spoke. Matthew laughed and Mary's heart felt lighter at the sound. Apparently he enjoyed her slight jab at his sex.

"Only some do," he replied, following after her.

"Which ones?" she asked, teasing.

"Probably just me," Matthew said, looking proud of himself.

"Only you, wow, what a state the world must be in," Mary retorted. "How on earth were you blessed with such talents and the rest of the men left behind?"

"Well, I was in the Marines for an entire year," he said as they left the building and walked outside, greeted by warmth and sunshine. "That might have something to do with it."

"Only a year? What happened?" Mary asked, surprised by her own interest in him.

"There wasn't much need for me after the war ended," Matthew told her, looking a little disheartened. "Not a lot of action in the Presidential Honor Guard."

"I thought you looked a bit young to be splashing onto the beaches with Eisenhower on D-Day," she said.

"My mom would have murdered me if I'd even tried to sneak in as a 16 or even 17 year old," he replied, a smile on his face once more.

"Well, at least you tried," Mary told him. "And that surely counts for something. Although you only answered one question correctly in class, so I'm not surprised they let you go."

"Are you giving me a hard time?" he asked, still grinning.

"If you have to ask, I must not be doing it right," was Mary's retort, playing with her locket again. But she was trying to distract herself from him.

"You're quick, Mary," Matthew said.

"Someone has to be," she teased, but glanced at her watch to check the time. "I've actually got to go," she said, feeling rushed but knowing she had to leave.

"Me too. Another class?" Matthew questioned.

"Flying class," Mary said. "At Hickham."

"Wait? You...fly?" he asked, and Mary couldn't tell if he was more shocked or impressed with this disclosure.

Mary lifted her eyebrows, before replying, "I teach."

Matthew looked like you could knock him over with a feather. She couldn't believe how cute he looked.

"Wow, that's…"

"I know," she replied with a smile, turning on her heel to leave. "See you later, Crawley," she said over her shoulder.

All the way to the airfield, it felt like she was floating.

October 1946

"Mary, that guy keeps looking at you."

"Who?" she asked, following her friend's gaze until her eyes settled on Matthew Crawley, although Mary didn't find herself surprised when she saw him. She'd guessed he would be there, it seemed like half the school was, but she was surprised that they'd run into each other so quickly. His gaze didn't waver as she met his eyes, but remained just as intent as ever, causing her heart rate to accelerate. "Oh, of course," Mary said, turning her attention back to Elsie, ignoring her racing pulse.

The two friends sat on the beach in the midst of a party for first year students. Some were just talking, others were dancing or drinking bottles of Coca-Cola and root beer. Mary and Elsie had arrived together and were now watching the other students, watching for people they knew as the sun settled lower on the horizon. The sun looked as though it were dipping into the water as the sky darkened in the east, hues of dark blue mixing with softer pinks and oranges.

"Did you do something to him?" Elsie asked, the flames from the bonfire flickering across her face.

"I'm sure he's just irritated that I ruined the curve in intro to engineering," Mary replied, raising her eyebrows. Elsie laughed at this.

"Well, I'm sure it must've been a shock since most of that math looks insane," Elsie said. "I wonder how any of you don't have grey hairs yet."

"He just spends too much time goofing off and not enough time studying," was Mary's only response.

"And you know this because?" Elsie questioned, still looking at Matthew. "He's pretty attractive."

"He's not that good-looking," Mary insisted, although her words didn't sound very convincing as Elsie cast her a knowing look. "And he's a pain in the ass."

"Don't swear," Elsie insisted. "It's not ladylike. Oh, he's coming this way." Her voice was practically a squeal.

"God," Mary groaned, although she felt her stomach knot in thrilled anticipation. She hated to admit how much she liked this man. How much she couldn't get him out of her head.

"Mary."

His voice was like fresh honey mixed with sunlight, warm and delicious.

She had to play it cool.

"Oh, hello," Mary said, hoping her giddiness didn't show as she met his eyes. "Enjoying the party?"

The corner of Matthew's mouth lifted in a half smile and he twirled an empty cola bottle between his fingers. Mary glanced away, trying to look disinterested in the conversation, although she felt her cheeks warm under his gaze.

"I'd have a better time if you'd agree to dance with me," he said and Mary looked up again, only moderately surprised by his confidence. She'd come to expect it from him as a matter of course in the last month.

"Are you asking me to dance?" she asked. Beside her, Elsie laughed, but pretended to cough in order to cover it up. Nice save, Mary thought.

"Wasn't that obvious?" Matthew asked with a smirk. "To someone as brilliant as you, I thought it would be."

"Still sore I ruined the curve for you?" Mary questioned, unable to keep herself from smiling any longer. Or outright flirting. "What did you get? A C?"

Matthew rolled his eyes, but he laughed all the same.

"Actually, it was a B-plus, you know," he said. "Above average."

"You certainly are that," Elsie interjected and Mary shot her a reproachful look, but Elsie wasn't paying Mary any attention and looking as though she'd dance with Matthew in a heartbeat if he asked her.

"How about just one dance?" he asked. "If I step on your toes, you don't have to agree to any more."

Mary bit her lip, considering for a moment until Elsie gave her arm a shove.

"Go on, then," her friend said hastily.

"Fine," Mary agreed, getting to her feet. "But you'd better not scuff up my shoes or there will be hell to pay."

"I wouldn't expect anything else from you," he said, walking with Mary past the bonfire to an open space where other couples were dancing to a Frank Sinatra record.

As they stopped, Mary noticed that Matthew looked unsure of himself for the first time since she'd met him.

"You do know how to dance, right?" she questioned, smiling softly at him as Oh! What It Seemed To Be began to play.

"Of course I do," Matthew retorted, immediately placing a hand on her waist as his other hand held hers. He pulled her close and Mary held her breath. "I just didn't know if this song was too slow," he said, voice soft in her ear.

Mary finally sucked in a breath, tilting her head up to look at him better.

"Just slow enough," she managed to respond, feeling lightheaded. She wondered if she'd be able to follow the steps now that she seemed to be intoxicated by being held by him.

Matthew smiled again at this, Mary's heart pounding erratically at the sight. She had no idea why this man had such a hold on her, but she found that she didn't mind one jot.

"So, how have the flying lessons been?" he asked after a few moments of dancing, which Mary discovered he was actually quite skilled at. Her heart beat faster.

"None of them are what I'd call standouts," Mary said. "Colonel Crawley asked me to keep an eye out for any talented men."

Matthew's eyebrows lifted suddenly.

"Colonel Crawley?" he asked with a scoff Mary didn't immediately understand. "You know my dad."

"Oh, I-I had no idea-" Mary began, noticing Matthew's change in demeanor. Cautiously, she continued. "I just never thought about it, I guess."

Matthew scoffed, but recovered quickly.

"Hope he's not giving you too much of a hard time. He doesn't usually have much time for other people."

"He's not, not really," Mary said, although she conveniently left out the conversation she overheard where the Colonel was discussing Mary's gender at length. Matthew probably already knew what his father thought about those things.

"I'm sure he's being a bit of an ass," Matthew countered. "It's in his blood."

"A family trait?" Mary questioned in jest, brushing her fingers across the back of Matthew's hand. She gave Matthew a small smile and watched as he relaxed again, the sight of his returning smile doing nothing to ease her already unsteady heartbeat.

"Only a little, I hope," he said gently and Mary found herself closer to him than she had been, her waist nearly against his hips. "But enough about that. I never properly congratulated you for kicking my ass in that test."

Mary dropped her gaze, wishing she hadn't brought it up in the first place.

"I know most men don't like it when girls are-" she began, but Matthew interrupted her.

"Smarter than them?" he asked. Mary looked up. "Well, that's just too damn bad for them, isn't it? They're missing out on knowing an amazing woman like you."

She blushed, her face so warm she would normally have been embarrassed, but she could only smile.

"I never expected you to admit that I'm smarter than you," she replied, biting her lip as he grinned at her.

"For some reason I can't help myself," Matthew replied, his hand playing with the fabric of her shirt. She'd opted for a blouse and pants rather than a dress, to Elsie's disapproval, but she didn't care now. "Do you...you want to maybe go for a walk?"

The last notes of the song signaled its end, but Mary didn't want it to be over yet.

"Matthew Crawley, I think you're just trying to get me alone," Mary said, mock surprise, although she found herself thrilled at the prospect.

Matthew gave her a wink. God, he's adorable.

"You know me so well, Mary," he said, dropping his hand from her waist, but he didn't release her hand from his.

"Hardly," she shot back, walking with Matthew down to the shore away from the other students. The water lapped against the sand, softly illuminated in the moonlight. "You're just very easy to read."

"Hopefully my story's not too boring," Matthew asked, his fingers giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

Mary tilted her head to the side, giving him a small smile.

"So far, I'd say it's intriguing," she replied.

They could barely hear the music so far from the party now, but Matthew stepped up to her again, his hand gently pulling her waist closer to his.

"Oh, really?" he asked, his voice softer, less playful than before. "You're still an enigma to me."

"How so?" she questioned, trying to remain clear-headed in spite of the fact that Matthew was even closer to her now, his cologne mixing with the saltwater in a way that made her head swim.

"Women are always a mystery to men," he countered and Mary laughed, laying her free hand on his shoulder.

"Like I said, do you think I'm a unicorn?" she asked, teasing.

"Alright, you're definitely something more realistic than that. Maybe, like, a complicated calculus problem," he replied in jest, easy in her presence.

Mary liked that.

"Well, you're not so dumb," Mary said, smiling. "I'm sure you could figure it out if you put your mind to it. Apply yourself, Crawley."

"You think so?" he asked, leaning closer, as though drawn to her by a magnetic force.

Mary nodded and Matthew held her gaze for a few moments, Mary not even realizing they'd begun to dance again.

"Only if you like a challenge," she murmured, her thumb trailing across his collar.

"You forget, I was a Marine," he replied. "But do you?"

"Well, I like a good argument," she told him.

"If you really like an argument...we should see more of each other," Matthew said.

They regarded one another for the space of a few erratic heartbeats on Mary's part, the color rising in her cheeks at such outright flirting. She was glad the moon was their only source of light, for he couldn't see her blush.

"I wouldn't be opposed to that," she breathed.

Matthew's eyes flicked down to her lips before meeting her gaze again, Mary not at a loss as to what would come next, longing for it so completely she could hardly stand the anticipation.

"Yeah?" Matthew murmured, unhurried as he slowly moved closer to her.

His lips hovered near hers for a few lingering moments, Mary holding her breath as she waited. And then, when she couldn't any longer, Mary kissed him first.

He kissed her back, his hand releasing hers to cup her face, unnecessarily holding her to him, as she made no move to pull away. Instead she brought herself closer, her fingers grasping the hair at the nape of his neck. His lips were soft against hers, so much softer than she thought they would be.

Somehow, it didn't feel real, standing on the beach with Matthew Crawley getting her first proper kiss. Not one that was quick, or to prove something to other people, but private and made her toes tingle and put her stomach in knots.

And Mary knew.

After what could have been hours or mere seconds, Matthew pulled away, but didn't go far, resting his forehead against hers.

"Wow," was all he could say and Mary couldn't speak at all, although she silently agreed as she held his gaze, her heart thudding maddly.

Unable to say anything at all, Mary kissed him again.

Thoughts?