Chapter 6

That Friday was much like any other, though Kaldur continually found his eyes darting to the door of the private room, and the group within. The friends all appeared to be having fun, occasionally toasting to the various couples seated around the long table. Jade and Roy were at one end, each with a non-alcoholic beverage as it seemed they would be responsible for making sure the others all got home at the end of the night. Zatanna was seated on Dick's lap, the dark strands of their hair mixing as she would bend to whisper something to the grinning man. Opposite them, Megan appeared content to lean against Connor as the two enjoyed their drinks and watched all the rest, both smiling contentedly. Artemis and Wally, on the other hand, seemed to be just as passionate as usual, sometimes bickering with their friends or one another, though Kaldur could see that they never stopped holding hands beneath the table.

The one he found himself looking to more often than the rest, though, was Raquel, who'd also managed to wind up in the chair that gave her a direct view out of the room and to where he was working at the bar. Their eyes met on several occasions, with one other the other smiling and quickly looking away again.

As he refilled drink orders through the night, Kaldur kept up his cheerful mood, glad that after the headache-inducing talks he'd had all week with members of the group, they'd all seemed to sort their relationships out into something positive. It made him feel good to have helped out.

As the night wound down, customers began to head out, including the group from the private room, many of them holding close to their significant other. Raquel, however, didn't move towards the door with them - she came straight to where Kaldur was wiping down the bartop.

"Have I thanked you for being such a wonderful person yet?" The woman asked him with a wide grin. "In less than eight days, you've managed to help solve what I've been putting up with for months."

Chuckling, Kaldur continued cleaning the polished wood. "Such thanks isn't necessary, but I appreciate the thought."

"Mm-hm. Now, I know you're probably exhausted after putting up with my friends' problems, but I've got one last piece of relationship advice to ask you before I quit."

"Raquel, I am fairly certain we both know you're not the quitting type." He arched his eyebrow at her, eliciting a subdued chuckle.

"True, but I swear, this is the last time I'll bring this up with you. Now, there's a guy I've been interested in for a while now: he's tall and handsome, kind of quiet, but really sweet once you draw him out of his shell..." As she described the object of her attentions, Kaldur felt his heart sinking. He had to sternly tell himself that Raquel was merely a customer, perhaps a friend, but certainly nothing more than that. "...But no matter what hints I drop, I think he's just completely oblivious."

"In that case, if you think it unlikely he's going to make the first move," Kaldur said slowly, trying to maintain his neutral expression, "May I suggest you do so instead?"

Nodding, Raquel agreed quietly. Then, she carefully leaned across the bar top, and pressed her lips against his. Kaldur was so stunned he took a few moments to respond, cautiously deepening the kiss. By that point, only her friends and his wait staff were left in the room, many of them whistling at the pair. When the two of them separated after a little bit, her eyes were dancing with an excited light that made his heart flutter rapidly.

"Kaldur Ahm, would you care to have dinner with me next Wednesday?"

"I would love to, Ms. Ervin."

A/N: And that is that! I hope you all enjoyed reading this little tale as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'm planning on leaving off here, but if enough folks leave a review asking for an epilogue... Well, I'd hardly be able to refuse, would I?

-Triscribe