"What were you doing in here?" Flint finally asked, puzzled. "Last I saw, you were in the Rec Room playing chess." Thinking of Ace hovering over her, he frowned.

"Believe it or not, I was looking for you," she sighed, exhaustion starting to set in after her hysterical fit.

"Me? I figured you were busy enough with your new friend."

"Who, Ace? Nah, he's just a guy I trained with a while back and we get along pretty well." No need to go into the brief relationship they had before they discovered they were better off as just friends.

"Well, now you found me," Flint said, smiling after her latest remark, "what did you need?"

She became flustered. This was not exactly going the way she wanted it to. Romantic comedy or not, she told herself, it was now becoming one of those teen movies where the main character does all the wrong things and embarrasses herself. She sighed.

"I just thought….never mind. I can see you have work to do. I'll go," she said, blushing. She started to get up, but he reached out and held her hand.

"I'd like to hear what you thought," he said softly, looking at her in the way that made her heart skip a beat. He rubbed his thumb along her hand, sending little quivers up her spine.

What the hell am I doing? she asked herself.

"I just thought," she paused, trying to find the words. "I guess I wondered if…..you wanted to talk," she finished lamely. God, she felt like a fool! Get out while you still can! her instinct was yelling at her.

Flint gave the lopsided smile she liked so much.

He liked seeing her like this - vulnerable. One, he was very happy about what she had said about Ace. Even more, he was thrilled that she had sought him out, to the fact that she was hiding in his office. He wasn't sure why she felt the need to hide, but he'd get that out of her later.

"Want to take a walk?" he asked, deciding she had been embarrassed long enough. From what he'd learned talking with Lady Jaye, he knew she didn't embarrass easily and was definitely feeling awkward right now.

She smiled at his suggestion, nodding her head. Anything to keep him from staring at her! She couldn't think with his thumb stroking her hand and the looks he was giving her!

He decided to be a gentleman and not push her further, so he talked of a book he was reading and was pleased that she had read it, too. Of course, she pointed out, she had read it in the original German it was written in, but she thought the English translation did a pretty fair job. Flint had to smile – that's my girl, he thought.

He walked her to the female barracks and up to her door.

"Thanks," she murmured, still embarrassed by the office scene.

"One of these days," he teased, "you're going to have to tell me what that was all about."

Cupping his hand under her chin, he gave her a soft kiss goodnight. She could feel the spark between them and reached up to deepen the kiss. She wasn't sure how much farther they would've gone, but Scarlett opened the door at that moment and cleared her throat.

The two broke away quickly, looking like kids with their hands caught in the cookie jar. Scarlett grinned. "Don't mind me," she teased, pleased to see the two of them together. She would definitely have to tell Snake Eyes that he was wrong and she was right tomorrow!

"Um, I guess I'd better go," Flint said to Lady Jaye, running a nervous hand through his hair.

She bit her lip. "Thanks for walking me back to my quarters," she answered shyly.

Leaning up, she whispered in his ear. "Tomorrow night?"

He smiled, squeezing her hand. "Most definitely."