Merry early Christmas! sorry I haven't been around at all. You know I had... stuff. But I realized I needed to finish at least one of my stories before new years. I'm still not that comfortable with writing romance so I kind of procrastinated A LOT on this chapter. Everyone having a good holiday?... Here in Canada we had an awful ice storm. Broken trees everywhere. Yup.. okay then.

Thanks for all of the awesome ideas, I tried to use a little bit of everything and it turned out, well, you'll see

Lynne's POV

It was Saturday and I felt sick with nerves. I sat in an unrefined fashion, one leg on either side of my desk chair, and slowly rolled myself forward and back. I pulled myself over to my desk and threw on the headphones. A minute into the latest One Piece episode and I gave up and closed the browser. Was he going to call? Was he not? GGAAAHHH! Why did I confess in the first place? Relationships seemed like work!

I waited impatiently for the phone to ring, while silently praying it wouldn't. What if I messed up on the date?

RING!

DON'T!

RING!

DON'T! OR I SWEAR TO BELL THAT I WILL DROP YOU FROM THE WINDOW! Eh, who am I kidding? It's a Nokia.

I jumped as the phone actually did ring, as if defiant to my threats. "Hello?" I asked a little too hurriedly.

"Lynne?" Oh God, it was Mori.

"Heeeeeeeeeeeey" I said, trying my best to sound casual, I seemed to have forgotten that I don't talk like that. "What's up?"

"There is a movie…" He said, "Do you want to go?"

"Sure." I squeaked.

"I'll be there at three." He said.

"Coooooooooool" I responded once again dragging out the vowels too long. A movie, yes, a movie. That works, what could go wrong at a movie? Mori is a genius.

Three eventually came. I headed out to the front gate, it was too embarrassing to tell my mom I was going out on a date. Mind you, my mother and I were on pretty good terms right now. She was not mad that I didn't go to Tokyo and even stood up for me against my father when I got home. Actually, being her typical self, when I got home from school that day she jumped on me crying and asking why I left her alone so long.

A black limo was already waiting and my heart flipped. I started to speed up but began to slow before I tripped. Mori stepped out of the car and smiled sheepishly. He held the door out for me and some of the anxiety faded. Until he stepped back in and sat next to me.

The ride was… awkward I sat, he sat, we both sat. I looked at him and he gave an affectionate sideways smile. I smiled back and nodded my head to slowly return to face the window. Does he expect me to talk right now? What should I say? I calmed myself, this is Mori, he's just not a talker that's all.

The movie theatre was packed. Luckily, we were there early enough to beat the crowds. The movie began and I paled. "What kind of movie is this?" I whispered to him.

"Not sure." He responded.

"How are you not sure?" I asked.

"The hosts recommended it."

Well, great. The hosts know about this. Facing Tamaki was just about as frightening as facing my mother.

The music in the film got eerily and I was all but certain; this was a horror film. Well shoot.

Tamaki's POV

They sat in the fifth row, about three below us. It was perfect for surveillance. I lifted the binoculars to my eyes and Haruhi sighed. "Sempai, please don't use binoculars in the theater."

"NONSENSE DEAR DAUGHTER!" Which warranted many shushes in our direction. I zoomed up closer to the couple and frowned, "Why aren't they holding hands yet?" I grit my teeth. Mori was hopeless. Not a shred of romanticism in his bones. It's a good thing he has such great friends.

My tolerance for horror was low but luckily I was so focused on the pair that I wasn't really following the movie. When everybody jumped. I rose my binoculars back onto Lynne and Mori-sempai. She was crunched slightly in her seat. Mori glanced at her. "Ata' boy!" I whispered, "Now comfort her!"

He appeared to whisper a few words to her concernedly and she sat back up straight and waved her hands slightly as if to say, "I'm okay."

NOO LYNNE! Both of them are hopeless, they'll never last as a couple without some major intervention. He needs to offer her some sort of comfort, and if he doesn't, it's her duty as a women to use her female wiles to trick him into it. That's it, I need to get Mori's attention. I grabbed a piece of popcorn from the twins and tossed it at the pair. I missed. So I tried again. Well, third times the charm.

Lynne's POV

How much longer was the movie? I didn't think I could take it much longer. I HATE horror movies. Just as you think they're safe, NOPE, jump scare! Plus every time the music picks up, you just shrivel up, close your eyes and wait for it to pass.

The music stopped and everyone was together in the film so it was safe to say I could let my guard down for a couple minutes.

"GAHH!" Came a masculine voice in front of us, I grabbed Mori's arm and quickly let go, "sorry!"

The man in front of us wheeled around, "Which one of you smart [alecks] keeps throwing popcorn at me?" (alecks was not what he said.)

A women with a lot of lipstick grabbed the man's arm, "Babe, it's okay."

"NO IT'S NOT!" He turned on Mori, "Was it you big guy?!"

"No." replied Mori.

Now, sometimes the worst thing to say is the bare minimum. The last thing a person whose lot lost their cool wants to hear is that they are the only one riled up.

"Are you trying to make me look like an idiot?" The man growled.

Mori looked baffled, "No?"

"THAT'S IT PRETTY BOY! YO-" a flashlight shone on the four of us.

"I'm sorry, but you are disturbing the movie for the rest of our customers, I'm going to have to ask you four to leave."

I would have protested, if I was not grateful for an out.

We stepped out of the theater and I smiled up at him, "Well, thirty minutes well wasted. What next?"

He glanced at the streets and frowned, "I don't really know this area."

"Well then, let's explore!"

Tamaki's POV

"We're losing them!" I shouted hurrying through the crowded admissions area.

"Sempai." Started Haruhi, "I think we should stop."

"What are you talking about? Their date would be a mess without us!"

Haruhi mumbled something under her breath as I dragged her out onto the street.

They wandered for awhile before Lynne perked up and dragged him into an arcade. I sighed, what's so romantic about an arcade?

My first once over the place proved it seemed harmless enough.

"Hey, Tama-chan!" Called Hunny, "Look at this!" I looked over, he was standing beside a large pink machine covered with hearts.

"A love tester?" I asked.

"Yup!" Said Hunny-sempai, "We should get them to try it."

"Brilliant!" I exclaimed. Just then a young man and his girlfriend walked over to the machine.

"Should we try it?" She asked him conspiratorially.

"I already know what it will say" he said, pecking her on the lips. He procured a token out of thin air and wiggled his eyebrows, "but shall we give it a try anyway?"

She giggled and both put their hands within the hand imprints. After a couple fancy lights, a number appeared on the screen and the machine said, "9% suitable match"

"Well," he said rubbing the back of his head in confusion, "would you look at that… must be a fluke."

"A fluke…" She mummered and then she rounded on him, "OR MAYBE NOT!"

"Wha-what do do mean?"

"Oh, don't think I don't see how you look and other girls when you are with me!" She growled, "and what about that 'childhood' friend of yours?!" She poked his chest.

"Misa? She's just a friend! I swear." He protested.

"Oh really?" She asked, "Is that how she sees it too?"

"I-" He started but she cut him off, "You know what? WE'RE DONE!" She screeched and stomped out of the doors.

"Well." Said one of the twins.

"Scratch that!" I announced, "Mori and Lynne-sempai cannot use that accursed machine!" I bit my thumb in thought, "Now how to get them out of here…"

"Sempai," Haruhi protested, "just let them be."

"Shush Haruhi, Daddy's thinking." I said.

A loud noise interrupted my thought, "CONGRATULATIONS" said one of the nearby machines, a girl holding a microphone squealed. "NEW HIGH SCORE" I glanced over and happened to see the number two position and grinned, "Perfect."

Lynne's POV

We walked around and looked at the various machines. "So," I started, "What do you want to do?"

He was about to respond but we both froze as the front doors burst open.

"WHERE IS IT? WHERE IS IT?" a woman called out and she frantically did a once over of all of the machines. "Ah, there." She promptly straightened the folds in her skirt and walked over to a machine called SongMaster.

"Please tell me that is not my mother." I said in disbelief. A girl holding a microphone to the machine was looking at her in awe and she strolled over with a grace made silly by her outburst and surrounding.

"Well, well," she told the girl, "The new high score, well isn't that nice?" She flipped her hair, "sorry but your victory is short lived. See, I got this high score on the first date I ever went on with my husband, and I'm not so ready to let it go." She dropped a coin into the token slot, "Well then…"

I grabbed Mori and booked it out, we stopped running about a block down. I bent over out of breath, Mori not affected by the run in the slightest pat my back sympathetically. "I'm good" I said straightening.

"Are you embarrassed to be seen with me?" He asked.

I turned to him in confusion, "What are you going off about?"

"We just ran a block so that you wouldn't be seen by your mother."

"You have met my mother right?"

I sighed this is NOT how everything was supposed to go. Why does everything keep going wrong? We walked by a store and Mori stiffened, "Lynne." He said, gesturing to the store window.

I gawked, "L-lingerie?" I turned on him suspiciously, "What exactly are you getting at here?"

He paled. "N-nooo!"

"You want me to wear that?!" I asked accusingly pointing at the articles in the window.

He turned red "No."

"So you don't think I'm attractive enough to pull it off do you?! You think I'm ugly!" I shouted.

"No! That's not-" He was cut off as I snorted and began to laugh,

"relax, I'm just messing with you." He breathed out a sigh of relief. "So what were you trying to say?" I asked between giggles.

"The reflection." He said, "Across the street." I glanced back and the window, I didn't have to be as discrete as Mori was about looking at dubious shops, I am invisible after all. I saw in the reflection two blondes, a pair of twins, a black haired teenager with a notepad and and brunette who looked like she'd rather be eating needles. "Hosts." I sighed out under my breath.

"What should we do?" He asked.

"Follow me lead." I winked and began to walk, "Don't let them know that we've seen them."

He matched my pace and shot me an expression of mirth. I couldn't help but think that look alone made this entire day worth it.

Kyoya's POV

The pair stopped outside Lynne's estate. She smiled up and him apologetically. They exchanged a couple words and then Mori nodded and began to walk away.

"NO, NO, NO!" Cried Tamaki, "This is not right! I know he's not a romantic but he couldn't at least do that head pat thing he always does or something?!"

Haruhi was the first to emerge from the bush, "Well sempai," She said sounding angry, "What can I say? You've ruined their date AND took away from valuable study time." She stalked off and Tamaki chased after her, "WAAIIIT DAUGHTER!"

The twins got up as well, "Well, that was boring" said Hikarou. "We're going back to the arcade" said Karou.

That left just me. I stepped out from the bushes just as two girls were walking by, they turned to me with shocked expressions. I did my best to smile, "Good afternoon, m'ladies'." The blushed and hurried off, then I focused back on Mori. As expected, he deviated off the sidewalk and I smiled. I wrote a few notes and began to walk away. I stopped as there was another rustle.

Sasuki Eri hopped out of the bushes and landed gracefully in a crouched position. "You guys suck at tailing." She grinned.

I was too surprised to withhold looking taken aback.

"Wow." She stated in awe, "I didn't know it was possible to surprise you."

"When did you?-" I started.

"I finally got the chance to go watch the latest Aomori horror film but couldn't let this opportunity to spy on Lynne go to waste." She sighed, "It's boring watching it alone anyway. I tried to get Aimi to go with me seeing as it was her family that produced the film but she said she couldn't stomach it! What a waste!" She laughed.

I readjusted my glasses. "So what do you intend to do now?"

"Dunno, she shrugged, "I guess catch the next showing?"

"Mind if I accompany you?" I asked putting my notepad away and extending my arm.

"S-sure" she blushed, she took my arm and we strolled back down the street.

Lynne's POV

The gates of my estate closed and I sighed slumping my back against the cold, hard metal. Then I grinned and sprinted to the backyard. I climbed the back fence leading to a small wooded area and saw Mori waiting on the other side, I smiled at him mischievously, and blushed in surprise when he returned it.

He stretched out his arms, "Jump." He said.

I nodded and hopped down. He caught me and cradled my back and hooked his other arm under my knees. I laughed, "That was pretty fun, I gotta admit."

He began to walk. "W-wait! What are you doing? You can put me down!" I squirmed but he held me closer. I could hear my heart beating through my ears. "M-Mori?" I asked looking up.

He smiled at me, "call me Takashi."

"Takashi." I said experimentally. He smiled and put me down.

I looked away in embarrassment as we continued to walk, "honestly, what's with you so suddenly?"

"I call you Lynne, so you should call me Takashi." He said smiling while looking at me through the corner of his eye. It had to be this very second that I realized just how attractive he was. I mean, I saw him all the time and yet only now was I admiring his athletic frame.

He looked over at me, "What?"

"N-Nothing!" I stuttered, looking back at the path. The trail opened up into a large park.

"Have you been here?" He asked.

"No-" I started but perked up, "Wait, that pond…" I ran over and glanced over the edge and knelt down, a bunch of fish swam over and swarmed the water just below me. They stuck their heads up and popped heir little mouth open and closed. "I have!" I told him, "Though I barely remember. I must have just been a little tot!"

He stood up from his crouch and extended his hand to me. I took it and he pulled me up. "Ready for date attempt number three?" I asked.

"Ah," he smiled.

I glanced around, an ice cream stand was stationed beside the garden. "There!" I pointed and dragged him over.

A couple minutes later we were sitting at the park bench with ice creams. "I didn't think you liked sweet stuff." I said.

"I like it every so often" He said.

"So who all knows about our date?" I asked.

"The hosts," he said, "…. And my family."

"Your parents know?!" I asked in surprise, "What did they say?"

"They were relieved." He admitted in embarrassment "They were starting to get suspicious because I only spent time with boys…. They thought…" he didn't need to finish, I laughed.

"Well, that's embarrassing," I said between chuckles, "I can't believe you told them though!"

"I'm not embarrassed to be with you." He said, I cringed. Ouch, that was a low blow.

"Listen," I started, "I'm not embarrassed about you it's just my mom-" A couple ducks waddled over and I lifted my legs. I've been attacked by ducks before, a couple dozens of times before.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Animals hate me." I said.

"Well," He smiled, "They love me." He tore a piece of waffle off his cone and fed it to the ducks. They honked in thanks and waddled closer to him. I watched in awe. He patted the first one's head.

"Do you have any pets?" I asked.

"Ah, a tanuki and a chick." He said.

"I had no idea." I said quietly.

He gestured for me to pet the duck but I shook my head. "That's probably not a good idea." I said.

He took my hand anyway and held it for a moment, he rubbed his fingers against my own and then placed my hand on the duck's head. It quacked and I cringed but that was it. The two duck waddled away and I turned to him in excitement, "I touched an animal and it didn't try to kill me!" He smiled at my enthusiasm. "A duck no less!" I said in disbelief. He chuckled and pat my head. It had not slipped my notice that he still hadn't let go of my hand.

We sat in silence for a moment, not the awkward silence like before but a comfortable one. "So" he said and I turned to him in surprise, of all of the surprising things that happened today there was nothing stranger than Morinozuka Takashi actually starting a conversation. "Tell me more about you."

"Well you pretty much know everything about me." I paused to think, "I sing covers for vocaloid and animes both in English and Japanese.

"In English too?" He asked.

"Yup," I replied, "so I actually have a lot of followers from all over the place."

"That's amazing." He said

"Says the kendo champion." I grinned pushing his arm slightly.

"You like anime." He said.

"Err, yeah." I mumbled. It was still pretty embarrassing to admit.

"Tell me about it." He said.

I straightened and then smiled really widely. "Well you see," I said, "There's all sorts of different kinds, obviously I stay clear of hentai and ecchi but there are comedies and action, although I really love the mysteries, and honestly, some of the best soundtracks I've ever heard are from animes…" I went on for quite a while before I caught myself and coughed in embarrassment. "Sorry, I guess I just needed to let that all out."

He never stopped looking at me his eyes softened affectionately. "It's fine." He said.

"Do you…" I started and then sighed because there was no turning back now, "want to see an episode of something?"

"Sure." He said. I pulled out my phone and paused, what to show him? It couldn't be something with a slow start or a romance… I finally settled on Sword Art Online. I pulled out a pair of ear buds and handed him one. I scooted closer to him without a second thought so we could both see the screen and pressed play. When the intro started, spoke to him without tearing my eyes from the screen, "I covered this song too."

After the episode ended I turned to him excitedly, "so?"

"It's not bad." He said. It had to be then that I noticed how close we were. Our legs were even touching. I blushed and tried to slide away but he stopped me.

"Well," I said standing up and glancing at the setting sun nervously, "It sure is getting late and-"

Warm lips pressed against mine and my voice died in my throat. He pulled away tentatively but while he was still at my level I grabbed his collar and pulled him back, my heart was beating fast and for once, with my grip on his shirt I could hear his was too. It wasn't like the kisses in movies, it was quick and lingering but sweet. I smiled a little and looked away, face feeling so hot you could roast marshmallows.

He held my hand as we rounded up to the front of my estate. "Well," he said glancing up at the security cameras on the front gate, "I guess I should go."

"Wait." I said. "Do you want to… join us for dinner?"

"Your mother will be there." He warned me.

"I know." I said and he smiled. It was about time I introduced my mother to my boyfriend.

Aaaaand that's a wrap! You can all go home now. It was fun writing this you all were awesome, Have a happy holidays, and if you're reading this way later, have a happy whatever time it is.