A/N: As usual, I would recommend putting the video on loop.

"Nice try," she pushed herself off of the tree and avoided stepping on the flowers. "Anita probably will force me to make the date sooner than later anyway." (F/n) sighed somewhat dramatically. She shrugged. "I suppose that it can be sooner."

"How about in a week?" He stood up. "Maybe, you'll miss me by then," he teased with a smile.

Looking back to him, she raised a brow. "Doubt it."

"I disagree," he answered playfully, and she rolled her eyes before she began to walk off.

Tristan caught up to her and walked beside her. Before she could stick her hands in her cardigan's pockets, though, he grabbed her left one lightly. His fingers intertwined with hers when her arm tensed from surprise. A pit in her stomach formed, and she was tempted to rip her hand away. "... What ..."

Cutting her off, he held her hand tighter and responded, "I won't see you for a week. You won't miss me, but I know that I'll miss you." Was vomiting on his shoes an option? She really wanted to.

"... I ... Whatever," she muttered, making a mental note to wash her hand thoroughly when she got back to the café.

"Thank you." He smiled kindly before he led her between the trees and back to the path. A frown was on her lips, and she walked a little behind him. Her (e/c) eyes stared to their hands as though they'd burn a hole through his appendage. It remained quiet between them. To Tristan, her silence meant acceptance, but it really meant that she wanted to leave as soon as possible.

Eventually, they were coming closer to the front gates of the park. She looked ahead and saw Anita and Kaleb by the gates. The pair was holding hands, and Kaleb just finished pressing a kiss to the top of her head. It looked like it was meant to be reassuring, and she wondered if they had been discussing their plan to move Kaleb into the café. Anita, however, soon saw Tristan and her, and a wide grin stretched on her lips. "You got her to hold your hand?!" she exclaimed, glee in her eyes. That glee was like another stab in the heart to (f/n).

Heat entered Tristan's cheeks, and he gave (f/n)'s hand a light squeeze. She simply looked away, which caused Anita to giggle. "I'm impressed, Tristan," Anita complimented, walking towards them now. Kaleb followed behind her, and (f/n) swore that Kaleb gave Tristan a worrying look of approval. (F/n) imagined that Tristan was smirking inwardly. "You've really cracked her shell."

As if to prove Anita wrong, (f/n) tugged her hand away and crossed her arms. "Yeah right." Tristan, though, smiled, thinking that he was winning her over. (F/n) looked to Anita. "Are you heading back to the hotel from here?"

"Yep!" She smiled up to Kaleb before she focused back on (f/n) and winked. "You're welcome to join us. I'm sure that Tristan has some space for you in his room." Not going to happen.

"I'm fine. I'll head back to the café." There was no hesitation in her answer, and she pouted to Anita in disapproval. Tristan went to speak, but she cut him off. "I'll be fine on my own. You three have a good evening." She waved to them and glanced to Anita, giving her a look that meant not to be too long. Of course, (f/n) wanted the opposite, and she knew that Anita wouldn't listen to her gesture anyway.

"Okay, but you always can come," Anita offered, smirking a bit, before she grabbed hold of Kaleb's arm. (F/n) rolled her eyes and walked off. Anita giggled before Kaleb and she walked off to the hotel. Tristan followed behind them a bit after since his eyes had stayed on (f/n) for some time. He wouldn't mind those legs wrapped around him. A smirk touched his lips, and he placed his hands back in his jacket's pockets.

Concerning (f/n), she was having a hard time not speed-walking over to the café. She didn't glance behind her. Instead, she was grateful when she began unlocking the front door. (F/n) wasted no time in coming into the home and locking the door behind her. Her first order of business was to wash her hand. Probably, it was childish, and she was grateful that they only had held hands, nothing more.

At first, she didn't even notice that Lee was leaning against the doorway to the dining room by the kitchen. It wasn't until she looked up that she finally spotted him. He flicked the dining room light on, and his emotionless eyes were on her. A note flew her way. She caught it. How'd it go?

"Do you really have to ask?" she muttered, walking by him and towards the kitchen. She heard his steps behind her. With her annoyed tone and back to him, she would've been worried in the past. Now, she trusted that he only meant to follow her. "He held my hand. I feel like it's burning now."

With the sink as her first destination, she turned on the water and washed her hands thoroughly with soap and water. A note was placed on the counter by her. Did you let him hold it? She nodded and sighed roughly.

Soon enough, she grabbed a towel and dried her hands. "Yeah. He grabbed my hand, and I ... dealt with it." She placed both hands on the counter and hung her head. "I have another date with him in a week. I scheduled it before Anita could. Otherwise, it'd probably be in the next day or so."

Truthfully, it bothered him a little bit. He knew what she had to do, and he advised her on going along with that plan. To think that such a scumbag would hold her hand, but he was grateful that it wasn't anything more. He saw how it troubled her. She had looked sick when had entered the café. "So, I'm going to get a shower. Then, let's research more." Her fingers clenched around the counter. "I need to find something."

Giving her a simple nod, he watched her push herself off of the counter. She walked around him and pushed back some of her (h/l) (h/c) locks. (F/n) looked mentally drained from the interaction. He handed her a note. I'll set everything up and make you some of that stir fry. Her eyes met his, and he saw the appreciation there before she nodded and left the kitchen. Lee watched the door close behind her before he looked around for a tray.

Shower not taking her long, she changed into a dark blue pajama tank, black lounge shorts and grey plush sweater. She left her hair to air dry, and she slipped on her purple slippers. (F/n) stretched her arms and popped her shoulders as a satisfied sigh left her in the process. Her movement paused, however, when she heard someone in her room. Given the time, it had to be Lee.

Opening the bathroom door, she checked outside and saw him sitting on the edge of her bed. Beside him was a tray with the stir fry that he had made before, and a glass of white wine. Her laptop was set up on her bed as well. A small smile touched her lips. "Thanks. You didn't have to bring it up, though." By her feet, a note landed.

You need to relax for the evening. You didn't enjoy your day. She looked up from the note when she heard Lee move. He walked around the bed and to the left side of it before he pulled back the covers and motioned for her to sit there.

"You're acting like I'm sick, Lee." She did leave the bathroom, though, and head over to him. "I can sit at the desk while I eat."

We both can see the screen this way. Besides, you have the hard part in this. Let me make this easier on you. I know what you're going through and how much it eats away at you. Sighing lightly, she shook her head but crawled into bed. He tucked her in and set the tray on her lap before he seated himself on the other side of the bed and rested the laptop between them.

"Are you ever going to tell me what happened?" she asked, looking to him out of the corners of her eyes. He typed in her password, but he wrote a note afterwards.

When you tell me more about you. That was ... fair, and she was supposed to be trusting him, but ... Not right now. Maybe soon. It only had been a couple of days since the incident at Eric's Pub and Grill. Even now they had gotten a lot closer than she had anticipated, but they shared something that brought them nearer to each other. It brought out both of their vulnerable emotions even if she couldn't see his. She felt his through his writings and actions. That connected them.

"I don't know. I'll think about it." She received a nod from him. Her eyes shifted to her laptop, and that reminded her that she needed to change her password. "Oh before we search anything, I need to secure this better." (F/n) reached over the tray and managed the laptop until she brought up the security section, going to the part on passwords. "I can't let Anita see what we're doing."

Will she find this suspicious if she can't access your laptop?

"Possibly, but I change it every now and then. And with her being at Kaleb's all the time now, she hopefully won't notice." She changed her password, and Lee saw what it was. A small chuckle left him at the new password, wine4winners, but he knew that they'd win in this struggle. "It's obvious, which will lower her suspicious if she finds out about it."

Does this mean that we'll celebrate? A small smile touched her lips at his words, believing that they had a joking tone to them. But, she would be glad when she was finished with all of this.