Hello! So, this is my first time writing fanfiction for Despicable Me. I saw the second movie the other day and absolutely loved it! I adore the relationship between Lucy and Gru so much that I finally felt compelled enough to contribute something to the fandom.

This will probably be a few chapters long, with each chapter being individual and separate from the others. These will be set both after the volcano scene and after the end of the movie, depending on the prompt. The series will explore Gru and Lucy's relationship with each other and sometimes with relation to the girls as well.

This first chapter is set sometime after the volcano scene, during the first out of the 147 dates that Gru and Lucy have.

I hope yall enjoy! Review, please!

As far as first dates go, this was suprisingly one of the better ones she'd had.

Not to say Lucy expected it to go poorly, of course. After all, she and Gru had so much to talk about, so much to say, especially after their reunion following the brief, painful time neither thought they would see the other again. (And besides, who knows if this was actually their first date? Sometimes Lucy thought back to when Gru saved her from the volcano and wondered, could that have counted? She hoped so.)

No, she would say tonight was a suprise because she didn't expect the butterflies in her stomach whenever he looked at her, or the warmth of the wine they drank with dinner to create a pleasant humming in her head only matched by the humming in her heart. She never expected the inevitable awkward hitches in conversation or his slight nervousness to be endearing. And as the two walked out of the restaurant at the end of the night, she never knew how much she would wish it didn't have to end.

The night was calm and quiet, the cold of the coming winter cutting the air and nipping at her ears and exposed shoulders. It was a short walk though, only a few blocks to her apartment, so she didn't mind. The streetlamps shone a merry, golden light in a repetitive string into the darkness, creating a lovely glow to the atmosphere. She brushed a loose piece of hair behind her ear and glanced up at Gru, who was walking close enough to her that their shoulders brushed.

"That was a great dinner, Gru," she said, breaking the silence. "Thank you.

"You are welcome," he replied warmly, looking at her from the side of his vision. "Dat is one of my favorite restaurants, and I was hoping you would like eet."

Lucy grinned impishly. "Pretty sure the only downside was not getting to shoot someone with a moose tranquilizer dart." She wistfully drummed her fingers against the purse hanging at her side - it's not like she stowed the dart gun away earlier that night, just in case what's-her-face popped up again.

He laughed quietly, shaking his head. "I think I could go without something like dat happening for a while, thanks." A second passed where his cheeks seemed to redden before she suddenly felt his hand gently encompass hers. He chanced a look at her and hesitated. "I-Is dis okay?"

She chuckled and smiled in return, briefly squeezing her fingers around his. "Of course." It was nice, Lucy thought, to see him gain confidence as the night continued, as if bolstered by her outright happiness to be there with him. She was no stranger to rejection, but somehow she knew the ex-villain had had more than his fair share. She figured it must be at least part of the reason for the shy and nervous tendencies he had around women. The more time they spent in each other's company, however, the more his hesitation seemed to ease. It took a while to accomplish, but Lucy noticed with glee that he almost seemed relaxed in her presence.

Gru spoke suddenly, breaking Lucy out of her thoughts. "Your fingers are cold."

"What?"

"I said your fingers are cold. Eet is a bit cheelly out tonight. Would you like my coat?"

She blinked owlishly, and then broke out into a poorly concealed smile at the gentlemanly gesture. "Oh, we're almost to my apartment, so I'll be fine. Thanks, though."

"Well, Lucy, you can have eet until then," he replied, letting go of her hand to shrug the coat from his broad shoulders. "Eet is not a problem."

He paused and she followed suit, the pair coming to stand under a hazy beam of light from a streetlamp. He shook the coat out and brought it around her arms, setting it down lightly on her shoulders. As the comforting weight and residual warmth from his body heat settled around her, she found a blush rising to her cheeks. His hands lingered about her shoulders for a few moments, and he seemed to get lost in studying her. His eyes flitted about her face, a softness in his expression that would seem completely out of place to those who didn't know him. Lucy recognized the tenderness from the way he looked at his daughters, and a part of her knew instantly that he only reserved it for the people he held very dear to his heart. She was about to say something, anything, to let him know how happy it made her to be among those people, but he suddenly jolted in place and hurriedly looked at anywhere that wasn't her face. He must have realized how long he had been staring, because his hands left her shoulders instantly and he coughed nervously.

"I-uh, I think dat should keep you warm enough," Gru stammered.

Lucy felt slightly crestfallen at the lost moment, but smiled anyway and took his hand. "Come on, my place is just down the block from here." She tugged him along and he fell into step beside her, his cheeks burning red.

The two rounded the street corner and continued on their way. Lucy could see her porch in the near distance and frowned. All good things must end, she reasoned, but that didn't mean she had to be happy about it.

"I had a great time tonight, Gru," she said. He looked at her with an almost surprised expression and smiled.

"I-I am glad to hear dat. I had fun as well." They came to a stop at the foot of her porch steps and hesitated, both looking for a way to prolong the moment.

"You know," Lucy ventured, fingering the sleeve of her borrowed jacket, "for a while, I was worried you'd never screw up the courage to ask me to dinner."

"You were?"

She grinned, feeling her pluckiness return to her. "Of course. I like you, Gru. You're a great father, and your daughters are beautiful little girls. Not to mention, you did some really kick-butt stuff working for the AVL." She shifted, sliding the coat from around her frame and folding it in her arms. She pressed it into his chest and gave him a sly grin. "This better not be the last time I see you, Gru."

He surprised the both of them when he leaned forward, capturing her chin between his forefinger and thumb and tilting her head toward him. He pressed his lips to her cheek softly and pulled back, gifting her with a small smile. "It won't be," he promised. "Good night, Lucy."

He turned to leave and the sudden movement stirred her from her reverie. She smirked evilly, reaching out and grabbing his scarf. "Oh no, you don't," she muttered. She yanked back on the fabric, sending him spinning around and stumbling forward with a yelp. He barely regained his balance when Lucy fisted one hand in his sweater and tugged, crashing her lips to hers. He made a muffled noise of surprise and seemed to hesitate for a few seconds before closing his eyes and bringing his hands to rest on her back and waist. He kissed her back softly, and the butterflies in her stomach returned full force. As cliché as Lucy knew it was, it was as if time had slowed to a standstill. The sounds of nighttime – far-off traffic, lulled conversation, television muffled behind apartment walls – seemed to take a backseat to the steady heartbeat and growing warmth that filled her head. The moment didn't last forever, though, as Gru had to break away for air. Lucy made a noise of protest and yanked him back. He chuckled against her mouth as she planted a few lingering kisses on his lips.

She finally pulled away, giddy from the rush humming through her veins. Gru looked positively dazed and dizzy, his eyes half lidded and a charming, goofy smile on his face. Lucy stifled a giggle.

"Good night, Gru," she said, stepping backward. She slid her hands down his scarf and let the ends slip from her grasp before turning and unlocking her front door.

Ex-villain, charming, wickedly evil, father of the year and a great kisser? Oh yeah, she was totally up for a second date.

Okay, so there's the first chapter! I hope yall liked it! I tried to write Lucy as in-character as I could, but she proved to be somewhat difficult to get down. Hopefully I'll get more of a hang of her as the chapters progress. Let me know what you thought in a review, please!