"So.... what's up with the barista?"

"Hm?"

"The barista," I repeated, nodding toward the young man at the counter, who was slowly making his way back into the kitchen, his eyes never leaving Larry and me. "He said you and Lydia threw snakes at him, then he started tap dancing against his will."

"Oh yeah, heh.... Lydia gets into haunted houses, so we put one on. We forgot we had ordered pizza, so we thought he was interested in the attraction... so we essentially treated him like a 'customer', per say. The snakes were fake and the tap dancing thing was hypnosis."

"Well, you're a regular magician, aren't you, slick?"

He gave me a Cheshire Cat grin.

"You bet, Angel. I got lots of tricks I'd love to show you when we're alone~"

I choked again, blushing madly. Larry  just smirked at my flustered state and rested his chin on one of his large hands.

"Geez, are you always this.... recklessly brazen?" I asked, coughing and wiping my mouth with a nearby napkin.

"Nah, only with you, Angel." Another wink.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Whatever you want it to."

"Um. I don't know how to take that."

Larry chuckled and took another sip of his coffee. I had given up trying to finish mine in his presence, so I put the heat-trapping lid back over the cup to save it for later.

My phone buzzed. I looked down and saw that Rita had texted me. I unlocked my iPhone.

"Hey. I found this really cute guy that works at the shoe shop we stopped at last week. What days are you free this week?"

I sighed wearily.

"Rita.... now's really not a good time."

"Oh come on! He's so hot!!!"

I sighed in frustration.

"What's wrong?" Larry asked me.

"Oh, uh, my friend Rita, she keeps trying to set me up with random guys she comes into contact with.... She says it's a good idea to forget about.... about someone else I'm trying to forget about," I explained vaguely.

To my surprise, Larry nodded.

"I get that. I've done it before. But eventually you remember, and the only thing that can truly help you at that point is for your new partner to stick by you and help you through it."

I stared at him in awed silence. "No offense, but I never, in a million years, expected something like that to come out of your mouth."

Larry just laughed lightly. "None taken, I get that a lot."

My phone buzzed again.

"(Y/N)? Hello??"

"Just tell her you're talking to some guy from like, another state or country or something."

I shook my head ruefully. "Already used that one. She called my bluff from a mile away."

"What if.... What if we pretended we were dating?"

I looked up at him in surprise, and he had a faint trace of a blush on his face. There were also some wisps of his hair that were a rosy pink.

How had I not noticed that before?

"You mean, you would pretend to be in a relationship with me, just to help me? Why?"

Larry raked a hand through his hair, and maybe the light had hit it weirdly, because the pink strands were gone. "Because... Because I know how frustrating it can be to have someone try to fix your love life for you. That's something that you have to do for yourself."

I nodded. That made sense.

"Alright, Larry, you've got yourself a deal. But no funny business," I added sternly.

"Come on, Angel, give me a little credit," he said, rolling his eyes, bit grinning as well.

My phone started ringing.

"Shoot," I hissed. "It's Rita. She wants to FaceTime."

"Well, get on over here, Angel. It's showtime," he said, grinning and motioning for me to come join him on his side of the booth.

I smiled bashfully and obliged, scooting next to him, still keeping a little of distance between us. Larry grinned again, rolled his eyes, and pulled me close.

"Come on, you have to pretend you like me, at least a little," he told me good-humoredly, chuckling at my flustered state once again.

"R-right. Sorry." I grinned sheepishly at him.

"No sweat, Angel," he reassured me, draping an arm around me.

I was startled by how unnaturally cold he was, but quickly shook it off. Being a hot-natured person myself, I found it quite pleasant.

As much as I didn't want to admit it, this seating arrangement felt natural to me. I scooted just a teensy bit closer, and I think Larry noticed, because he cleared his throat awkwardly and motioned toward my phone, which was still ringing.

I took a deep breath, then answered, angling the camera so Rita couldn't see Larry, yet.

"Rita, this really isn't a good time."

"Oh, come ON, (Y/N)! You didn't even look at that last pic I sent you!"

I saw Larry arch an eyebrow at me questioningly, and I gave him the ghost of a nod, not wanting to tip Rita off.

"Who's that, babes?"

I inwardly cringed at the nickname, but wore a face of absolute adoration when he called me "babes".

"Oh, it's just a friend," I replied, smiling sweetly at him.

"Uh, (Y/N), what's... what's going on?"

"Well, I'm sorta in the middle of a date, right now," I huffed.

Rita crossed her arms. "I don't believe you."

I sighed and turned the phone so that Larry and I could both fit in the frame. "See?"

She simply arched an eyebrow at me, unconvinced. "Nope. Not buyin' it. For all I know, he could be some random dude you hired off of the street!"

"Whoah, there, excuse me, but I'm not a prostitute, 'kay?"

I burst out laughing. Rita, however, looked mortified.

"N-no, that's not what I... sorry. But anyway, I'm not buying this crap, (Y/N)."

I sighed, ready to throw in the towel, but then I got an idea.

"All right, Rita, I'll prove it to you," I said sassily, propping my phone on the table so she could still see Larry and me.

I turned to Larry, taking a preparatory breath, and blushing slightly. He looked at me questioningly. I then turned to him and cupped his face in my hands. His cheeks heated up and his hair began to turn back into that same rose-pink as before.

Okay, that's not normal.

I mentally shook myself. I would ask about that later. For now, I had to make a point to appease Rita.

"(Y/N), what're you-"

I stopped Larry's whispering mid-sentence when I pressed my lips to his. One of his arms snaked around my waist, the other behind my head. I felt myself give up and surrender to the kiss, melting into Larry's strong arms. I used one hand to rake through his surprisingly soft locks, and a little, quiet moan escaped his lips and tickled my own.

After a few seconds, Rita mumbled a "I stand corrected, sorry to bother you," before hanging up, not that Larry or I noticed.

I felt his forked tongue glide across my bottom lip. I immediately granted him entrance, his long, snake-like on tongue exploring the inside of my mouth.

When I finally had to come up for air, I was a blushing mess. I hadn't expected to enjoy that, at least not as much as I had. Larry stared at me with awed, love-struck eyes, and I noticed all the green in his hair was completely gone, replaced by the rosy pink color.

I suddenly realized I was still embracing him. I quickly turned back forward in the booth beside him, not making eye contact.

"What was that?" he asked, giggling excitedly.

I groaned and buried my face in my hands. "Ugh, I'm sorry. I meant for it to be just a simple kiss. I  don't know what got into me."

"Hey, (Y/N), look at me."

I reluctantly obeyed.

"It's okay. Besides....." He bit his lower lip, looking down. "Penso che potrei innamorarmi di te."

I could tell by his expression that someone had told him Italian was stupid romantic or something, and I could also tell that he had no idea I spoke the language and had just heard him tell me, "I think I could fall in love with you."

I blushed a little harder and looked down. I took a deep breath, thinking.

Could it be possible that I was finally putting Lawrence in the past?

Could it be possible that I was falling for this man? This rough-around-the-edges, crude, brazen, yet gentle and caring man?

I didn't think I could answer either of those questions right then, but I told myself that I would like to find out.

I finally met his piercing, green gaze. "Anch'io."  Me too.

Larry's eyes widened in panic and he blushed harder. "Oh god you understood that?"

I giggled and nodded.

"So... do you really mean that?" he asked me nervously.

I nodded. "I'd like to see where this goes. So, also, we don't have to pretend."

He grinned at me, and I noticed his hair slowly fading back into its normal electric green hue. Larry realized I was staring.

"What?"

"Your... your hair! What's... How's... How's it doing that??"

He chuckled. "Oh, it's another trick of mine. Lydia calls it mood hair."

I felt like there was more to Larry's "tricks" than he was letting on, but I let it slide.

"So, what does pink stand for?" I asked him slyly, and I noticed the tips turn slightly back into the rosy color.

"Um...." He gulped. "Well... it's sorta... it's sorta a mix of happiness, excitement.... love... and, l-lust."

I blushed a bit at this information. Larry took a swig of coffee, still red.

"Oh, good. Glad I wasn't the only one who was feeling all that."

It was his turn to choke.