Chapter 1

Maya

“Another win for Phoenix Wright and his lovely assistant Maya Fey!” I say as Nick and I walk into the office. “And just in time, there’s a Pink Princess marathon starting in 5 minutes!” I hop onto the couch and turn on the TV.

“Yeah, I’ll join you in a minute, I just have to finish this paperwork.” Nick says, walking over to his desk.

I run to the kitchen, pop some popcorn and sit down right as the theme song for Pink Princess starts. I’ve seen this episode so many times I can recite every line. About halfway through the episode, Nick sits down on the couch. He begins to talk and I tune him out. After all, he should know better than to come between me and my TV shows.

“Easy case….stupid Payne…… you look hot…

Wait…what?

“Huh?”
“I said you look hot. Seriously, it’s hot enough outside to fry an egg on the sidewalk, and you’re still wearing those crazy clothes!”
“Hey! This is the official acolyte uniform, and I’m proud to wear it! Besides, I don’t have much other clothes. I mean, I’ve got my pink princess pajamas, and some underwear, and I should probably buy a bra because I think my bo-“
“O-kay! Ever heard of ‘too much information’?”
I ignore him, then after a couple of seconds I snap my fingers. “Hey, I know! Let’s get some ice cream!”
“Hmm…” Nick says, obviously not wanting to go.
“It’s either that or bra shopping.” I say, blackmailing him.
Nick sighs in defeat. “Fine. It’s better than watching this lame show anyways.” He gets up and moves towards the door.
“Says the guy whose idea of a good time is cleaning the toilet.” I reply sarcastically, also getting up.
“Ouch. Just for that I’m only getting you a single scoop.” I can’t tell if he’s joking or not, so I run over and hop on his back. I try taking him down, but he’s a lot stronger than I had expected, and he stays up.
“H-hey! What do you think you’re doing! I’m not giving you a piggyback ride, you can walk. Now get off!” Nick says, trying to tug me off, but I keep my grip.
“Buy me a double scoop!”
“Get off my back!”
“Buy me a double scoop!”
“Get off my back!”
“Then buy me a double scoop”
“Maya, I’m serious, get off!”
“PHOENIX WRIGHT, BUY ME A DOUBLE SCOOP!” I scream.
“Ok, ok, just get off me!” Nick says.
“Ok.” I hop off his back and skip out the door. Nick mumbles “You didn’t have to yell,” and follows behind me.

Chapter 2

Phoenix

Maya and I head down to the closest ice cream shop. I order a vanilla ice cream for myself and mint chocolate chip ice cream for Maya, which, after receiving an icy glare from Maya, I make a double scoop. After we buy the ice cream, we head over to People Park and sit down.

“Seriously Nick? You just got vanilla ice cream? Sometimes, you are soooo boring.”
“There’s nothing wrong with vanilla ice cream, it’s a classic.”
“Pfft. Vanilla ice cream is so old-fashioned. All the cool people eat mint chocolate chip.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’ll ever understand the appeal of green ice cream.”
“Well, I guess the saying is true. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Maya says with a smirk.
“Hey, I am not old! Remind me never to take you out for ice cream again.”
“Oh come on Nick, you know I’m kidding!” Maya says desperately. I playfully turn my gaze away from her, pretending to be offended.
Maya smiles. “Aw, I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings. Please forgive me?” I continue to ignore her. “Pretty please? With a cherry on top?”
“Nope.”
“Hmph. Well, thanks for buying me ice cream anyways Nick.” Then suddenly, she kisses me on the cheek.
Well that was unexpected.
I quickly turn my head away, trying not to blush. Fortunately, Maya doesn’t seem to notice.
“Hey, it’s been a while. Can we head back to the office? I really want to get back to the Pink Princess marathon.”
“Uh, sure, anything for you.”
Oh, nice thinking Wright. God, I hope she didn’t hear that.
“Oh, is that so?” Maya says, with that mischievous grin that I always find cute. ‘Well in that case, maybe we can go for burgers instead?”
Not sure if my wallet can take another hit, I think quickly. “Uh, I was just joking. Come on, we really should be getting back.”
“You’re no fun at all.” Maya whines.
Well, that was certainly close. Let’s see if I can make it through the day without saying anything else embarrassing.

Chapter 3

Phoenix

By the time Maya and I return to Wright & Co, it seems she has already forgotten everything that happened in the park, and has turned her full attention to finding out if the Pink Princess and Prince Samuel get together and destroy the Evil Lord Nicholas in the latest episode of the Pink Princess. Having nothing to do, I decide to sit down and watch TV.
“So, uh, what’s going on in the show?”
“Shh! I’m watching this.”
I don’t even know why I bother sometimes. You know the Evil Lord Nicholas looks a lot like me…
“Hey, did you notice that-“
“Uh huh, great. Now quiet! Prince Samuel is going to announce his feelings for the Pink Princess!”
Oh, good for Prince Samuel. Well, I guess he’s doing something I’ll never be able to do. Every time I try to tell Maya, I chicken out. I guess it may be for the best, though. I mean, she finds fictional TV characters more interesting than me. I’d just embarrass myself by asking her out.
“What were you saying Nick?”
I realize that the show ended, and Maya is now paying attention again.
“Uh, I was just wondering, don’t you think that Evil Lord Nicholas looks a lot like me?”
“Hmm...” Maya begins to think. “You know, I never noticed before, but yeah, I guess you’re right! And he’s mean like you too!” Maya begins laughing.
“Hey!” I exclaim, and then I start laughing too.
“Hey, who do you think I look like?” Maya asks.
Are you serious?
“Maya, the Pink Princess was based on you.”
“Oh, Nick, you’re too nice!”
“But she was, remember, when we were doing Will Power’s case, and, oh, never mind.”
“Does that mean you think I’m beautiful?” Maya leans in closer and asks me.
“Uh, what?” I ask, a bit shocked. I try to take a good look at her to see if she’s joking or not, but I can’t tell.
“I said, do you think I’m beautiful?” Maya says again, this time a bit frustrated.
“Um, sure, I guess, I mean, yeah, of course?” I respond, but it comes out as more of a question than an answer. I can feel myself turning as red as a tomato.
“Aw, you are so sweet” She says, giving me a hug. Not completely sure what’s going on, I hug her back.
“Hey Nick?”
“Yes Maya?”
“When you said that you would do anything for me, did you mean it?”
I pause for a couple of seconds. “Well, as long as it doesn’t involve me spending any money, then, yes.” I say, half-joking.
“Really?” Maya asks anxiously.
“Really.”
Maya pulls away. “Then you have to prove it!”
“Huh? How am I supposed to do that?”
“Kiss me.”
I think that if my face turns any redder, I might pass out. “Are you trying to trick me or something?”
“No!” Maya says, offended. “You said that you’d do anything for me, so I said kiss me. So now if you don’t that means that you’re-”
I wrap my arms around Maya’s waist, pull her in and kiss her on the lips. After a couple of seconds I pull away and softly whisper “Take that.”
Without warning, Maya leans back in and kisses me again. I begin to stroke her hair, and she lets out a soft moan. We pull apart for air after about a minute.
“Maybe I should take you out for ice cream more often.”

“Welcome back to Channel 7 news! And now, for today’s headlines. Phoenix ‘Forging’ Wright was officially disbarred today after the outcome of State vs. Gramarye-“
*CLICK*

Well, I think I’ve watched enough TV for one day. Or one week. I know this will be all everybody will be talking about for weeks to come. And the only person to blame is-

*DING-DONG*

Oh great, more reporters. Why don’t they just leave me alone? I’ve had enough trouble; I don’t need them rubbing it in.

I open up the door and a familiar face jumps at me, yelling “NICK!”
“M-Maya?” I stutter, completely and utterly surprised to see her.
“Nick, I…I was watching the news…what happened? Did you really forge evidence?” Maya looks up at me, her eyes filled with tears.
“It’s a long story. Sit down.” I go through the whole story, and by the time I finish, Maya has stopped crying and is looking a lot like her usual, perky self. When I’m done, she hops out of her seat and hugs me.
“Oh Nick…I knew you couldn’t have done it. After all, you couldn’t hire anybody to forge evidence! You’re way too poor! But…maybe if I had been with you, you wouldn’t have-”
I cut Maya off mid-sentence. “Maya, don’t blame yourself. You had to go back to Kurain to become Master. We both know you’d have to go back sooner or later anyways.”
“B-but I didn’t want to go back to Kurain. I wanted to stay here…with you…”
I hug Maya tighter. “Come on. I’m not that incompetent that I can’t get anything done without you.”
She’s silent for a minute, and then we both burst out laughing, despite everything.
“So how are things in Kurain?” I ask.
Maya sighs. “Booooring. I had lots more fun with you. But what are you going to do now, Nick?”
I shrug. “I dunno. Law was the only thing I was relatively good at. Now I guess I’m just a hobo.”
“You’re not a hobo…yet. You still have an apartment!”
“Well then fine. I just look like a hobo.”
Maya smiles. “In that case, you, Phoenix Wright, are the most handsome hobo I’ve ever seen.” Then she leans up and kisses me.

At the moment, I realize just how much I’ve missed Maya since she left. The kiss only lasts a couple of seconds, but it makes me happier than I’ve been in a long time.
“All this talk about hobos is making me wonder. How much longer can you afford this place? Maya asks.
“Well, uh...” Oh man, I hadn’t even thought of that! “I've saved up enough money for this month, but after that, I don’t know...”
“Then come live with me!” Maya blurts out.
“Huh?”
“Please??? I’m sure you can find a job in Kurain, and you can stay at my house so you don’t have to pay rent, and we can be together again, just like before!” Maya looks at me, eager and hopeful.
“Seriously?”
“Of course!”

I seriously had to think about it. On one hand, the chance to get away from all the trouble I’ve dealt with recently sounds great, and the thought of being together with Maya again almost made me yell out “Yes!!” But unfortunately, there was something that kept me from saying it. After much thought, I finally gave my answer.

“I can’t.”
“W-what? Why not?” Maya says, tears starting to form.
“There’s a girl, Zak Gramarye’s daughter, and she doesn’t have anybody else. I want to adopt her. Plus, I know there’s something more to the forged evidence, and I have to get to the bottom of it. I’m really sorry, Maya.”
I look down at Maya. Part of me expects her to slap me; the other part thinks she’ll burst into tears. Instead, she slowly begins to talk. “The public hates you…you just lost your job…you look like a hobo…and you want to adopt a daughter? Nick…you’re insane.”

Ouch. I’ve heard lots of insults recently, but what Maya says hurts the most.
She continues. “And to be honest, I think that’s what I love about you the most.”
She kisses me again, this time longer and more meaningful. After several moments of bliss, she pulls away.
“So… Wanna go out for burgers? My treat.” Maya asks.
“Wait a minute. You’re offering to buy burgers? You?”
“Yup!”
“Well how do I say no to that?”
“Well then let’s go!” Maya says, and then pulls me out the door.
After we’re done the burgers (Which I have to admit tasted much better since I didn’t have to buy them), Maya and I walk down to the train station, and wait for her train to arrive.
“Well Nick, I guess this is…goodbye.” Maya says, looking down.
“Don’t say that. Goodbye is such a harsh word. Let’s just say, see you later.”
Her face lights up, then turns serious. “Nick, you have to promise we’ll stay in touch. Ok?”
“I promise, Maya.”
“Pinky swear?” She says, holding out her pinky.
“Pinky swear.” I say, crossing my pinky with hers.
“Well then…goodb-I mean, see you later, Nick.”
“See you later, Maya.”
I give her one last kiss, and then she hops onto the train.
---
2 Weeks Later

I don’t know what I was thinking. How was I supposed to do this? I can’t even hold down a job. I must be a terrible father for Trucy. I need some air.

I go outside and after a couple of minutes I notice a package sticking out of my mailbox. I take it inside and open it up to find a few Steel Samurai DVDs, a bunch of $20 bills and a letter written in Maya’s handwriting. I read it.

Hey Nick!

It’s me, Maya! You know, the girlfriend you seem to have forgotten about! : ( I know things must be hard on your side, so I sent some things to make your life easier. First off, Seasons 1-3 of the Steel Samurai, because I totally know you’re a closet fan. I also sent you some money. Don’t even think about trying to send it back, because I won’t take it! I’ve got more than enough money, and you need it way more than I do. By the way, you still have to send me some pictures of your lovely daughter Trucy. I know Kurain’s old-fashioned, but I still have a computer!
Love,

Maya

PS. Make sure to send the DVD’s back when you’re done, and don’t forget to write a review, otherwise I might have to Samurai Kick you the next time I come to visit!

When I'm done reading Maya's letter, I smile, the only smile I've had in a long time. I put the money in my wallet, and take out my cell phone. I send Maya a quick text message.

Hey, I just got your package. Thanks Maya. XOXO, Nick.

Then I pop the first Steel Samurai DVD into my DVD player, and sit down on the couch.

“Hey daddy, whatcha watching?” Trucy says, sneaking up from behind me.
“The Steel Samurai. Sit down; I know you’ll love it.”

And as Trucy sits down, I come to the realization that no matter what happens, I know that there are at least 2 people I can turn to.

The End.

September 5th, 2019
Maya Fey
Outside Wright Anything Agency
5:00 pm


There it is. “Wright Anything Agency.” I’m across the street, and yet, I feel like I’m thousands of miles away. I hope I didn’t come this far for nothing.
Nick…
I probably shouldn’t be here. I hear he’s got a daughter to keep him company, he probably doesn’t need me anymore.
But I need him.
The sign changes to “WALK”. I cross the street. The rain pours down on my head. It doesn’t seem to affect me, all that matters is Nick.
Here goes everything...
---
I met Nick 4 years ago today. I remember lying there in front of my sister’s body, feeling helpless. I thought there was nobody I had left. And right on cue, in came Phoenix Wright. When I first saw him, I was kind of scared. Ok, that’s an understatement. I passed out. But then when he came to visit me the next day in the detention center, well, I just knew I could trust him. When he told me that he would defend me when nobody else would, I finally began to have hope, after all I had been through. And when I found out Nick was being accused of murder, I knew I had to do what I could to help him. When things began to look bad, I managed to channel my sister, and together they won the case. Later that night, we went out for burgers, and I could tell it was the beginning of a wonderful friendship.

The following months were some of the best of my life. I got to meet the Steel Samurai, eat tons of burgers (a good burger is hard to find in Kurain), but more importantly I got to spend time with Nick. TO be honest, I guess I had a crush on him. But after months of being so dependent on Nick, my powers began to fade. I couldn’t channel Mia, or anybody for that matter. I knew that I was useless, so I decided to go back home. I couldn’t bear to say goodbye to Nick, so I left early. But then, Nick came chasing after me, at 5:00 in the morning, and I knew then that I couldn’t leave him for good.
“…I’ll be back soon.”
“Huh?”
“ I’m going to complete my training, and come back!”
“I’ll be waiting.”

And with that I left Nick for 6 months. I missed him a lot, but I swore to myself that I wouldn’t go back until I was a full-fledged spirit medium. I must have talked about him all the time to Pearly, because she’s 100% positive we’re dating. When it was time for my first channeling though, I had to get Nick to come. I don’t know why. I tried to tell myself it’s because I wanted to show him how far I had come, but deep down I know I just missed him. And when the channeling went wrong and I was arrested, he was the first one to come and visit. He had been right there, he had seen (or thought he saw) me holding the gun over Dr. Turner’s body, and yet he promised me he would defend me, and he said that he believed in me, even though all the proof pointed towards me. And that’s when I figured it out- I was in love with Phoenix Wright.

A few months later when I was kidnapped by the assassin, the only thing that kept me sane was thinking about how I couldn’t give up, and that had to be there for Nick and Pearly. I was so desperate that at one time I drew a picture of Nick on a card, hoping that if I drew him he’d find me. In the end, Nick did up saving me after all, but I lost the card. In the end, it may have been for the best, I think I’d die of embarrassment if Nick ever found that card.

After the trial was over, Pearly booked Nick and I a honeymoon suite at the Gatewater Hotel. Nick was pretty angry at first, and I kind of felt responsible. After all, it is my fault Pearly thought Nick and I were dating in the first place. In the end, it was totally worth it. There was really only one bed since it was a honeymoon suite, and I spent the entire night in Nick’s arms. I still haven’t thanked Pearly for booking the room.

And about 5 months ago, I asked Nick to take me and Pearly to Hazakurain. It was the worst night of my life. I saw my mother die right in front of my eyes, and I almost was killed myself. I passed out and woke up inside the inner temple. I had to channel an evil spirit so I could survive, and then the next thing I knew I was in court. Everybody had thought had killed my mother, and of course, Nick came to my rescue again. The next few days were hell. I wanted to just break down and start crying, but I couldn’t in front of Pearly. After a few days, Pearly had to go back to Kurain, and I cried. I cried for myself, I cried for my mother, I cried for everything I missed out on, and I cried because for the first time in my life, I knew my mom was truly gone. At some point, Nick found me crying and wrapped his arms around me, and I laid my head on him and cried for hours. Nick didn’t leave once. The next day I was feeling back to myself, and Nick & I had a conversation I doubt I’ll ever forget.
“So Nick, I heard from Larry that you tried to cross a burning bridge. What the heck were you thinking? You can’t catch the criminal if you fall off a bridge.” I teased.
Nick’s face turned serious. “Maya…I didn’t try to cross the bridge to catch the criminal. I crossed the bridge because I was worried about you.”
“Nick…I can’t believe you’d do that…”
“Of course I would. I’d do anything for you.”
After loving him for almost 2 years, I couldn’t hold it back anymore. I wrapped my arms around my neck and kissed him passionately. After a few seconds, he began to kiss me back. We broke apart for air.
“I love you Nick.”
“I love you too Maya.”

The next few weeks were utter bliss. The little things we did just seemed so much sweeter. Going out for burgers was a romantic dinner. The tiniest conversations made my heart flutter. One day, somehow a conversation of how clean the toilet was turned into a passionate make-out session. At the end of March, I had to go back to Kurain, and if I thought leaving Nick before was painful, this was just heart-wrenching. I had planned to come back in the middle of May, but then everything went wrong. I was reading the newspaper one day when I came across a shocking article.
PHOENIX ‘FORGING’ WRIGHT DISBARRED.
I dropped the newspaper, picked up my cell phone, and called Nick.
“Nick? What’s going on, I just read the paper and-“
“I didn’t forge evidence Maya, I swear, you have to believe me.” Nick says on the other end of the phone. I can pick up on the despair in his voice.
“Of course I believe you. I never doubted you for a second. I was just wondering what happened.”
“…I was stupid. I got cocky and paid the price.”
“Nick…do you want me to come over? I’m not doing anything in Kurain, and I really think you need me more than the village does.”
“…No. No it’s fine, just stay in Kurain.”
“……Ok.”

Which brings me here today. It’s been 5 months, and he hasn’t called me once. He hasn’t responded to my messages. For all I know, he could have fallen off the face of the planet. Now I only hear about him from when I talk to Mr. Edgeworth. I need to know what’s wrong. I ring the doorbell. My eyes widen at the man who answers the door. He wears a hat that makes him look like a hobo. He probably hasn’t shaven in weeks. He’s got a look in his eyes that says “I don’t care.” But I know he’s still the same Nick I know and love.
“Maya!? What are you doing out here? You’re soaking wet!”
I ignore him. “Nick, we need to talk.”
He pauses. “…Ok. Come on in.”
I walk inside his office. It’s changed so much since March. There are pictures of weird guys in strange hats, tons of props, and there’s garbage everywhere. Is he trying to be a magician or something?
“So…what’s up?” Nick says nonchalantly. I start to get upset.
“What’s up? I dunno what’s up Nick, why don’t you tell me what’s up? Because you’ve treated me like I don’t even exist for the last 5 months, so maybe you’ll know what’s up!”
“…”Nick doesn’t say anything, he just looks down. I begin to cry.
“ I just want to know why you’ve been avoiding me. If you don’t want to be with me anymore, than just say so!”
“I do.” Nick says quickly. “I want to be with you, really I do, but…”
“But what.?”
“I thought you would be better off without me. I didn’t want to drag you down with me, and I didn’t want you to be ashamed of what I’ve become.”
I slap Nick. Hard. Nick stares down at me, surely having the same shocked face as I have. I begin to speak.
“Nick…don’t you dare say that again, ever. I could never, ever be ashamed of you. I don’t care what happens, you will always be my hero.”
Nick reaches down and kisses me. After all this time, we finally kiss again. I melt into him, everything but us just stops mattering, the only thing that matters is us…
Nick breaks apart. It takes me a few seconds to figure out why, but eventually I realize that there’s a little girl in the doorway that’s been watching us.
“So daddy, is this my new mommy?”
Nick wraps his arms around my waist and reverts his gaze back to me. “Not yet, Trucy, not yet.”
I kiss him again. It doesn’t bother me that his 8-year old daughter is watching, it doesn’t bother me that I’m soaking wet, all that matters its that we’re together again, and that we’ll be able to share many more memories in the years to come.

“Hey Nick, I’m hungry!”
“What? That’s crazy! Next you’re going to tell me that the sky is blue!” I reply sarcastically.
Maya puffs up her cheeks. “Ha ha, very funny. Hey, I know, let’s bake some cookies!” she says.
“Nah, I don’t really want to. You can make them yourself.” I say, not wanting to get off the couch.
Maya sighs. “Ok, fine, I’ll get started myself.” Maya walks out of the room, pretending to be angry. She returns several seconds later. “Uh, Nick? How do I turn on the oven?”
“On second thought, I think it might be easier if I just help you.”
“Yay! This is going to be so much fun!” Maya skips back into the kitchen.
“Sure…fun.”
---

I start by taking out all the ingredients we’ll need. “Eggs...check. Sugar…check. Baking soda…check. Chocolate chips…check. Ok, everything we need is here, but I just realized we have no milk. I’m gonna run out to the store and buy some. Don’t do anything until I get back.”

I’m only gone for about 5 minutes, but when I return, all the chocolate chips are gone, and both of Maya’s hands are holding about a pound of sugar.
“M-MAYA! WHAT IN THE NAME OF-”
“I…I’m sorry Nick. I just got hungry, and then everything went white, and…” She dropped the sugar back into the bag and looked down. I knew I couldn’t stay mad at her.
I let out a deep sigh. “Ok, I’m going to go to the grocery store and buy whatever it is you ate. Then we can finally start.”
“Ok. I guess I’ll stay here and wait.”
“Oh no you don’t. If I leave you here, you might fry up all the eggs and then I’ll have to run out again.
“What? Hey, wait a minute, I don’t even know how to fry eggs. Nick, let go of me! Aaahhhhh!!!” Maya screams as I pull her outside of the kitchen. I try my hardest not to laugh.
---
After several hours and a couple of broken dishes, Maya and I finally manage to make the cookie mix and get it in the oven.
“Okay, the cookies should be ready in about 10 minutes. Remind me to take them out.”
“Right, gotcha, cookies, 10 minutes. Now let’s watch TV!”
Maya and I sit down on the couch, and she begins flipping through the channels, looking for something samurai-related. I yawn. It’s been a long day. Maybe I’ll just take a little nap…

“Hey Nick, what’s that smell?”
“Huh?”
I wake up from my not-so-little nap. How long have I been sleeping for? What is that smell? It’s like something’s burning…
“THE COOKIES!”
Maya gasps.
“Maya, I thought I told you to remind me to take the cookies out!”
“I’m really, really sorry Nick! It’s just that Samurai Summer was on, and I got really into it, and I sort of lost track of time.”
I groan and run to the kitchen. I open up the oven to find black lumps where our chocolate chip cookies should be.
“Well, it’s not so bad Nick. I mean, if you scrape off all the black stuff…”
“Maya, there’s nothing there but black stuff.”
Maya lets out a loud groan. “I’m sorry Nick…” She’s on the verge of tears. I pull her in for a hug.
“It’s OK, I guess. But next time you want cookies, just let me know and I’ll buy you some, OK? It’ll probably save me money.” I say the last part so softly that Maya can’t hear me.
“Really? You have to promise, Nick!”
I chuckle. “Yes, I promise!”
I take the cookie remains out of the oven and toss them in the garbage. “Well, that’s finally over.”
“Uh-huh, I could really use a break.” Maya resumes her spot on the couch, spreading her feet out. “Oh, and Nick?”
“Yes?”
“I’m starving. Can you go buy me some cookies?”

Too Sweet


“Uh, Maya, I have to run down to the courtroom for a bit, let me know if anybody calls, ok?”
“Uh, sure thing Nick.” I answer. A few minutes after Nick leaves the office, the phone rings.
“Hello? I mean er, Wright & Co. Law Offices, how may I help you?”
“Hi Mystic Maya!”
“Oh, hey Pearly, what’s up?”
“Oh, nothing. I was just wondering if you could tell Mr. Nick that I said happy birthday"
“W-what??? Oh my gosh, I completely forgot!”
“What do you mean!? He’s your special someone Mystic Maya, how could you forget his birthday!”
“W-well, the Bronze Samurai Carnival is coming up this weekend, and I’ve kind of been obsessed over it. I guess I could go buy a card or something.”
“ No, Mystic Maya, you can’t do that!”
“Why not?” I ask.
“Don’t you want to give Mr. Nick something that shows your true feelings for him?”
“Uh…well…” My face turns red. Showing Nick how I feel…That’s easier said then done.
“ Then you have to give him something heartfelt! Maybe you should bake him some cookies!”
I get a flashback of the last time I tried making cookies. “Um, Pearly? I don’t think that’s a very good idea.”
“ Well you have to do something! How about baking him a cake?”

A cake, huh? Maybe that’s not such a bad idea. Baking a cake should be pretty fun, and it’s probably easy too. Besides, doesn’t the saying go ‘easy as cake’? Or maybe that’s pie…
“Ok, I’ll do it! But how do I bake a cake?”
“Uh, hold on Mystic Maya, I’ll go check the family recipe book.”
I grab a piece of paper and a pen to take notes.
“Um…3 eggs, 2 cups of sugar, a cup of butter, a cup of milk, baking soda, a teaspoon of salt, 2 and a half cups of flour, and a teaspoon of vanilla ex-tract. Then mix them in a bowl, put them in a pan, and put it in the oven at 350 degrees for 40 minutes”
“Right…3 eggs, 2 cups of sugar, a cup of butter, milk, bacon, soda, baking soda, a teaspoon of salt, 2 cups of flowers, and vanilla.”
“[i] Yup! Ok, bye Mystic Maya!”
“Wait a minute, this doesn’t make any-”
*CLICK*
“Ok, let’s see… I think we have all of this stuff, except for flowers. Actually, I think Nick just planted some outside! I better go have a look.”
I run out of the office and pick up some daisies from the lawn, then run back inside. I start to pick out the ingredients.
“Ok, soda, eggs, milk and bacon are in the fridge, I’ll get those first. Um…1 cup of milk, huh? Wait, what size cup do I use? I guess the biggest ones would be best. This is pretty easy!” I pour the milk in one of the biggest cups, and then reach for the eggs. But being the klutz that I am, I knock the cup of milk over, right onto the recipe. It’s completely ruined, and I can barely make out what it says.
“No!!! The recipe! Now what do I do?” Uh, let’s see here, it’s not so bad, a cup of milk, 8 eggs, 2 cups of sugar, a cup of salt, I think that’s what it said…” I pour the milk into a cup again, and pour it into the bowl. Then I grab 8 eggs and toss them in a bowl. I guess the shells are supposed to provide some sort of crunch? I toss the bacon into the mix, and pour some soda in. I wash the flowers (they’ve got to be clean, after all) and toss them in as well.
“Now was it baking soda or baking powder? Oh well, it probably won’t make a difference.” I grab the baking powder and pour it into the mix. I grab 2 more cups and fill them up with sugar, and then pour them into a bowl. I fill another cup with salt and pour that in.
“Uh, what’s next? A tea spoon of vanilla? But I don’t even drink tea, I don’t know what a tea spoon is! I guess I’ll just pour all of it in.”
I put my mix into a pan and toss it in the oven at 450 for 35 minutes. But I can’t help but feel worried about something.
“Um…Maya? What are you up to?” Nick stands in the kitchen, his face a cross between shock and worry.
“Um, nothing! Now get out of the kitchen!” I answer quickly.
“What do you mean nothing! You’re up to something, and I’m going to find out what it is!”
“Yeah yeah, great, now what do you say we watch some TV?”

After about half an hour, the timer rings.
“What was that?” Nick says, anxious.
“It was a timer, geez Nick, stop being so paranoid. Just go sit at the table, I want to give you something.” Nick reluctantly sits down, and I run back into the kitchen. I open up the oven to find…a disaster. There isn’t any cake in here, there’s a complete mess.
“Nooooo!” I yell. Why does this always happen to me?
“Ok, I just have to focus” I whisper to myself. “Maybe if I put on a really big smile and act like everything’s ok, Nick won’t notice the mountain of garbage here isn’t a cake!”
I put the mess onto a plate, get 2 forks, and bring it over to the table. Nick sees it and opens his eyes in shock. I feel terrible.
“H-Happy Birthday.” I croak, putting “the cake” on the table. I sit down and put my head in my arms, trying not to cry.
“Uh……what exactly is this supposed to be?”
“….a birthday cake.”
“Oh! I thought it was…I guess I should….” Nick reaches for a fork.
“I wouldn’t.” I say quickly, stopping him in his tracks.
“Ok then.” Nick says, clearly trying not to hurt my feelings. I begin to cry.
“I’m sorry Nick, I completely forgot about your birthday, and then Pearly called to tell you Happy Birthday, and then I tried to bake you a cake by myself, and then the milk spilled, and I didn’t know what a tea spoon was, and-”
“Thank you.”
“What? Why?”
“For the cake, of course.”
“But it’s a disaster! I totally screwed up!”
“Well, it may not be fancy…or edible…but you put so much work into it, and it’s the thought that counts, right?”
“That’s a lame excuse.”
“Maya, you’ve put more work into this present than there is in all of my other gifts, and that is what’s important.” He gets up and takes my hand. “Now what do you say we go get some burgers?”
I smile. “Burgers sound great.”
I get up, and he softly kisses me on the cheek. My face turns red.
“W-what was that for?” I ask, averting his gaze.
“Well, you showed me how much you cared; I figured I should do the same.”
“Well, this is how much I really care.” I reach up and kiss him on the lips.
I probably shouldn’t be doing this, but it feels soooo good.
I pull away. Now Nick’s blushing.
“Um, that was certainly, uh, fun. Um…”
“Come on, let’s get some burgers!”
I drag Nick out of the office, suddenly craving a burger with all the toppings. As we leave, I hear Nick mutter to himself “Best birthday ever.” Something tells me it’s going to be a good night.

September 9th, 2016
10:08 pm
Wright & Co. Law Offices
---
“Ahh…those burgers really hit the spot. Thanks Nick!”
“They would have been better if you had paid for them. Don’t you have to pay me anyways?”
“Nick! I’m you’re assistant, remember? Don’t I get some sort of discount on legal services? Like, say, 100%?” Maya says with a smile, which in turn causes me to groan. I get the feeling I won’t be getting any money from her.
Let’s check the tally, shall we? Amount of clients so far: 2. Amount of paying clients: 0. It figures. I guess I should just be grateful that Maya and I made it out in one piece.

“Hey Maya, where are you staying?” I ask.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I was just wondering if you had an apartment in the city or something.” I reply sheepishly, hoping I didn’t seem too forward.
“Um…nope. I don’t have anywhere I can stay really. I live in Kurain village, Maya was the only person I knew that lived out here. And I don’t think I can afford an apartment. Oh well, I guess I can just wake up really early and take a train here.”
“What? No, you don’t have to do that. Mia owned the flat upstairs, so you can probably stay up there for now.”
“Are you going to stay here?”
“I wasn’t planning on it, why?”
Maya looks down at the floor. She quietly says “I don’t want to be alone…”
I realize that after all Maya’s been through the last few days, leaving her alone in her sister’s apartment wasn’t such a good idea.
“I’ll stay.” I promise her. “Now, it’s been a pretty long day, what do you say we get some rest?”
---
OBJECTION!

“The witness’ testimony is clearly faulty, Your Honor!”
*sigh* And can you prove that, Mr. Wright?
“Well…not exactly, but-”
THAT’S ENOUGH, MR. WRIGHT. You are clearly not fit to be a defense attorney. You have no proof to substantiate your claim, so I have no reason to doubt the witness’ credibility. I don’t believe there’s any reason for doubt, so I proclaim the defendant GUILTY. Now I would ask that you hand in your badge, Mr. Wright.

Nooooooooooooooooooo!
…
“Ack! That is the last time I eat a burger before bed!” What a horrible dream…Wait a minute, what’s that?
There’s a noise coming from the next room that sounds a lot like sobbing. It takes me a second to realize that it’s coming from the room Maya’s sleeping in, and I hop out of my bed to see what’s going on. I knock on her door to find it’s already open, and there lies Maya, curled up in her bed, tears running down her face.

“Maya! What’s wrong??” I rush to the side of her bed.
“I…I miss her. My sister…she was a great person…how could anybody do something so terrible to her?”
I pull Maya into a hug. “There are some terrible people in the world, and Mia just had the misfortune of meeting one of them.”
“My sis raised me up, and she was my role model…I can’t believe she’s-“
I cut Maya off. “She isn’t really, though. You saw her earlier tonight, didn’t you?”
“Yeah…I guess.”
“And you heard her say that she’d always be watching us, right? As a matter of fact, she’s probably watching right now.”
“You think so?”
“Yes. And I bet she doesn’t want you to cry, because she’ll always be here for you.”
“Yeah, you’re right! Don’t worry sis, I’ll be strong!”
“Great. Good night Maya.”
“Good night Nick. And thanks.”
“Any time, Maya.”

I head back to bed, sure that Maya will be OK. As I fall back to sleep, I swear I can hear Mia say “Thank you, Phoenix.”
---
September 10th, 2016
9: 02 am
Wright & Co Law Offices

I get out of bed and head downstairs to finish up some files, only to realize Maya’s already awake, watching TV.
“You’re up early, aren’t you?”
“No, you’re up late. Too bad for you, you could have watched my favourite show with me.”
“Right, well anyways, are you feeling better?”
“Uh huh. I slept great.”
“Yeah, me too.” I walk over to my desk.
“Hey Nick?”
“Yes?”
“Thanks for staying with me.”
“It was no big deal. After all, what are partners for?”
A huge grin spreads across Maya’s face. “Yeah…partners.”

February 16th, 2019
Wright & Co Law Offices
10: 37 pm

“And we’re finally back.” I announce, opening the door for Maya. She leaps inside, rushing to get out of the cold.
“S-S-S-See, now wasn’t that fun?” she asks, her teeth chattering. She’s shivering, and her face is blue from being outside for so long. That’s what you get when you wear nothing but an acolyte uniform in the middle of February, I suppose.
“Hmm…well, it was interesting to see how much Kurain Village has changed since I last visited, but I don’t really think the 4 hours on a train was worth it.” I take my jacket off and wrap it around Maya, warming her up. “Next time you drop Pearl off in Kurain, leave me out of it. For all we know, I might have gotten a call from a possible client while we were gone, and by now they chose another lawyer.”
“Clients, clients, clients. Is that all you think about? Lame! Besides, you saw how glad Pearly was to see you come with us.”
“I think she was just glad to see me with you. You know how Pearls can be.” I remark.
“Yeah, but in an annoying way, it’s kind of cute. I’m going to miss her.” Maya sighs.
I guess that Pearl is the only relative Maya’s got left now. They’ve been especially close lately; they’ve even slept in the same room ever since that incident at Hazakura. Although it makes sense, since Pearl probably doesn’t want to be alone after that. Maya and her were both pretty sad about Pearls leaving. I guess that now it’s only a mater of time before Maya leaves too…
“Hello? You’re doing that thing again!” Maya says, pouting.
“Huh? What thing?” Maya snaps me out of my thoughts.
“You know, that thing where you completely zone everybody else out. It’s very rude, you know!” Maya turns her head away. I chuckle.
“Ok, I’m sorry, honest. Now what were you saying?”
“Can I sleep with you?”
Huh?
“Huh? What do you mean, ‘sleep with me?’”
“Well, what do you think I mean? It’s kind of obvious, Nick.”
Oh…My…
“Wait a minute…don’t tell me that you’ve never…Nick, you’ve never had a sleepover before?” Maya says, shocked.
…………Oh. I let out a sigh of relief.
“Well, yeah, but that was like, 16 years ago!”
Maya pouts again. “Oh come on, it’ll be fun!” she whines. “Pretty please, with a cherry on top?”
“But, well, maybe it’s not such a good idea…”
She gives me what is quite possibly the most intense puppy dog face I have ever seen. It looks like tears are even starting to well in her eyes. I wonder if she practices that look in the mirror.

I sigh in defeat. “Fine, we can have a ‘sleepover’.”
“Cool! Thanks Nick, you’re the best! Ok, I’ll be over in about 10 minutes.” And with that, Maya ran off to her room.

How is it I always get roped into her crazy ideas? It’s like I can’t say no to that girl. Oh well, better head to bed.
I brush my teeth and slip into a T-shirt and some Children’s Masterpiece PJ pants that Pearl gave me for my birthday. I hop in bed and pull the blanket over myself, hoping to fall asleep before Maya gets here. Sure enough, as soon as my eyes close, Maya walks in.
“Don’t tell me you’re sleeping already! We have to stay up and gossip!

Within a second, Maya’s jumped onto my bed, telling me to wake up. The first thing I notice is her hair. She’s taken her beads out, probably because they make it difficult to sleep. I have to admit, it looks rather nice. The next thing I notice is her eyes. I’ve seen Maya’s eyes a bunch of times before, but there was something different this time. The moonlight from my window shone at them at the perfect angle, making them look beautiful and alluring. And the final thing I notice are her pajamas. Pink Princess pajamas, to be exact.
“Pink princess PJs? Seriously?”
“Oh, be quiet.” Maya says, and for a minute I swear she actually look embarrassed.
“I’m just kidding.” I say quickly. “You look…pretty.” Maya looks away, but even in the dark room, I can tell she’s blushing. “Well,” she says, “you don’t look too bad yourself.”
I don’t have time to blush, as the next thing I know Maya tucks herself under the blanket and squishes next to me. I have to tell myself that she’s strictly my friend, and yet, I can’t help but feel a bit awkward about having a girl lying in my bed right next to me, even if they are wearing pajamas designed for 8-year olds.
“Mmm…this feels nice…” Maya says, resting her head on my chest.
“Umm…I guess?” I reply, and even though it’s a statement, it seems to come out as a question.
“So, what should we do now?”
“Well, since it’s a sleepover, shouldn’t we sleep?”
“Booooring. When I had sleepovers with Pearly, we’d always make fun of you behind your back.”
“Hey!”
“Well, at least I would. Pearly would say ‘You should talk about Mr. Nick that way, Mystic Maya, he’s your special someone!”
“What are we going to do with that girl?” I chuckle.
Maya looks up at me. “Hmm…Maybe if we went on a fake date, we could get her to stop bugging us?”
“Nah, that plan might backfire. She’d probably hunt us down, or make us kiss afterwards.”
“Oh yeah, I guess you’re right. I wouldn’t want to kiss you or anything…” Maya trails off. Am I hearing things, or did that kind of sound like she was lying?
“Maybe we could tell her the truth?”
“Pfft. I’ve tried to tell her that a million times, she always thinks I’m testing her faith in us or something.”
“Well, maybe we’ll come up with an idea after we get some sleep.”
“Sounds like a plan!”
Maya shuts her eyes and places her head on my chest again, and to my surprise, she wraps her arms around me as if she’s trying to hug me. Not really sure what to do, I wrap my arms around her waist.
Wow…this actually feels really nice. Maybe I should go with Maya’s plans more often…
After a while, Maya’s breathing slows, and I feel myself drift off to sleep…

“Nick, wake up! Nick!”
“Hmm? What’s going on?”
“Oh, nothing. I’m just going back to Kurain.”
“WHAT!!?? But…why?”
“Well, there’s no point in being here. After all, you’re just so boring.”
“What? But we’re friends, aren’t we?”
“Well, I guess, but I can still call you once in a while in Kurain, can’t I? Once a month is pretty good, isn’t it? O r maybe once a year…”
“But…but I crossed a burning bridge for you!”
“Correction: You tried to cross a burning bridge for me. But you wiped out and fell, and ended up in a hospital bed for a day. Face it Nick, you’re kind of pathetic. You can’t even admit that you’re in love with me, can you?”
I’m shocked. “Y-yes I can! I…I love…I love…” I chicken out. I can’t bear to look into her eyes, or to risk the chance of being rejected.
“Ha! I knew it. Look Nick, you’re a nice guy and all, but we both knew I couldn’t wait for you forever. Maybe if you would have told me when you had the chance, things would have been different! Oh well, bye!”
This can’t be happening!
I hop out of bed. “Wait! Do you want me to walk you to the station?”
“Oh no, you don’t have to, Larry’s dropping me off. He’s got a car, you know. Oh, did I mention we’re dating?”
“You...you and Larry are…dating?”
“Well, to be honest, I used to have a crush on you, but after all those times you had a chance to tell me how you felt, and that you always chickened out on, I figured I could do much better. So I moved on to Larry.”

I don’t have the heart to make a sarcastic comment about what Maya just said. My heart’s been shattered, and my soul’s been crushed. This all feels so surreal…
The door rings.
“Don’t worry, I’ll get it Nick.”
Maya opens up the door to reveal Larry.
“Hey sweetie!” she says.
“Hey baby.” He responds. Maya kisses him on the lips. And not just a sweet, light, half-a-second kiss. It’s a very long kiss. My stomach churns. I’m going to be sick. Larry finally seems to notice me.
“Oh, hey Nick! What’s up buddy?”
“Oh, don’t worry about him honey. He’s a loser.” Maya says, and pulls him in for another kiss. Larry is all too happy to oblige.

He’s a loser. He’s a loser. He’s a loser. He’s a loser……
---
I wake up from the terrible nightmare. Oh, thank God that’s over! Oh my…I think that dream was a bit too graphic for my liking. I have to make sure it doesn’t come true.
I check my clock. 2:13. I’m going back to bed. And then Maya lets out a sigh. Why’s she still up? I turn around to look at her. She’s facing away from me, looking at something. Tears streak her face. I wrap my arms around her from behind, and rest my head next to hers. She lets out a quick gasp, not realizing I’m awake. She tries to hide what she’s holding, but I catch a quick glance of what it is. It’s a picture of Maya and Mia when they were young, the picture Misty Fey kept in her Master’s Talisman. I instantly realize why she’s been crying.

“Your mom…” I begin. Maya chokes out a sob. I grip her a bit tighter, and whisper that it’s okay. She calms down quickly.
“Do you really think it’s possible that she thought about me every day?”
“I know if I had a daughter as amazing as you, it would be hard not to. Heck, I think about you every day as it is.”
I can feel the heat radiating from Maya’s cheeks. I’m not really sure why I ired I am, I stop caring about how wrong this seems, all that matters is her, or to be more specific, me being with her. Her lips taste like mint chocolate ice cream. Looks like somebody went for a midnight snack.
Maya breaks away for air. “I love you.” She blurts out. The look on her face after she says it is hilarious, but I’m far too in love with her right now to tease her.
“I love you too.”
“Please tell me I’m not dreaming.”
In response, I kiss her again. I feel her melt into my arms, and it feels incredible. Take that, Larry! I wouldn’t mind if this night never ended.
“Does this mean you’re my boyfriend?” Maya asks when we break apart again.
“Do you want me to be your boyfriend?” I ask. I already know the answer; I just want to hear her say it.
“Well duh! I mean, totally.”
“Are you going to be my girlfriend?”
“Most *yawn* definitely.”
“You know, you seem pretty tired; maybe you should get some rest.”
“What? There’s no way I can get to sleep now! I’m way too excited. Besides, I want to stay up with you and…you know…make out or something.”
“We can do thired I am, I stop caring about how wrong this seems, all that matters is her, or to be more specific, me being with her. Her lips taste like mint chocolate ice cream. Looks like somebody went for a midnight snack.
Maya breaks away for air. “I love you.” She blurts out. The look on her face after she says it is hilarious, but I’m far too in love with her right now to tease her.
“I love you too.”
“Please tell me I’m not dreaming.”
In response, I kiss her again. I feel her melt into my arms, and it feels incredible. Take that, Larry! I wouldn’t mind if this night never ended.
“Does this mean you’re my boyfriend?” Maya asks when we break apart again.
“Do you want me to be your boyfriend?” I ask. I already know the answer; I just want to hear her say it.
“Well duh! I mean, totally.”
“Are you going to be my girlfriend?”
“Most *yawn* definitely.”
“You know, you seem pretty tired; maybe you should get some rest.”
“What? There’s no way I can get to sleep now! I’m way too excited. Besides, I want to stay up with you and…you know…make out or something.”
“We can do that tomorrow. Right now you should get some sleep.”
“Fine. But now you owe me burgers.”
“Are you asking me out on a date?” I tease.
“W-what? No, I was just…Oh, never mind.”
Maya gives me one quick kiss, and then turns away. “Good night Nick.”
“Goodnight, Maya.”
“Hey Nick?”
“Hmm?”
“This sleepover was pretty, um, fun. I was wondering maybe…maybe you wanted to do it again sometime?”
I smile, and turn Maya to face me. “Any time Maya. Any time.”

i] I’ve got to get it, I’ve got to get it, I’ve got to get it…[/i]
I almost slip and fall as I turn into the kitchen. I only hope it’s not too late.
I’m so close, just wait a bit longer, my sweet!
I look around the kitchen and scream.
No, it can’t be!!! Why!?
“Nick! Noooo!!!”
The criminal stops just in time. I’ve got him red-handed now, there’s no way he’ll escape. But then he turns his attention to me, and with a cold, menacing look, he speaks. “What is it now, Maya? If you want me to watch the Nickel Samurai with you, the answer’s still no.”
“Put that cookie down! Now!”
“Why should I? I bought the cookies; I think I deserve the last one.”
“But Nick, it’s a tradition! To not give me the last cookie would be like to not go out for burgers after we win a case, or like not taking me out to the theatre the first night a Samurai movie comes out!”
“Well, to be honest, I wouldn’t mind giving up those traditions. It would sure save me some much needed money. For example, I was thinking that maybe we could buy a painting to put in the office, like Mr. Grossberg’s…”
“Nick, there’s no time to discuss home décor! Just give me the cookie now, and nobody needs to get hurt!
“Maya, I’m hungry! Besides, you just had a burger, you don’t need anything else.”
He just didn’t get it. There’s such a huge difference between burgers and cookies, you can’t compare the two! And besides, I had been planning this moment for weeks! There was no way I was going to let Nick get in the way of my perfect, last cookie eating session. I’m just going to have to crank the notch up a bit.

“Wait a minute, if you eat that Nick, I’ll show everybody the video of last year’s Christmas.”
“So what?”
“Oh come on, there has to be some sort of law against what you tried to pull, even if it was Christmas. I’m sure that if I showed it to the judge, he might have something to say.”
For a moment, Nick looks terrified, but calls my bluff. “You don’t even know how to set up a DVD.”
Darn it! Curse Kurain Village and its old technology. Oh, I know, maybe I can bribe him!
“Well…what if I paid you for the cookie?”
“I’m your boss, remember? Even if you paid me, I’d just end up paying you back anyways. I said no.”
I groan. Nick looks annoyed. “Maya,” he sighs, “stop being so unreasonable.”
Unreasonable! I’m totally reasonable. I’ve even stopped ordering the extra-large drinks when Nick takes me out for burgers! I don’t know why Nick treats my like a kid sometimes, I’m a young woman, who’s also really mature for her-
Nick draws the cookie towards his lips. “Nick, don’t!” I yell. I blurt out with the first excuse I can think of. “It’s poisoned!”
Ok, maybe not that mature.
“Poisoned?” Nick’s really ticked off now.
“Well, I mean, it might be, maybe you should give me a bite first. That way we’ll know if it’s poisoned.”
“I think I’ll take my chances.” He mutters.
The cookies once again move in towards his mouth. All I can think about is not letting him get that first bite. I realize the best way to stop him from biting the cookie is to stop his mouth from moving, and make a spur of the moment decision, pressing my lips up against his. I tackle him a bit too hard, and push him up against the wall. I pull away after a few seconds. Nick’s staring down at me, shocked. He’s also blushing a lot. Like, his face is redder than my Aunt Morgan’s strawberry desserts.
Did he actually enjoy that? I mean, I only ‘kissed’ him to stop him from eating the cookie, but still…wow…
“Wow…”he stutters. He’s at a loss for words. “That was…unexpected.”
Unexpected, huh? I think I might have a way to get that cookie, yet!
“Did you like it?” I say, pressing him against the wall even further. He begins stuttering, but I place my finger on his lips. “Because if you did, there’s a lot more where that came from.” I kiss him again, this time with purpose. He stops struggling, and I slowly lower him to the floor, than kneel down on him. I loosen his tie, giving him the most suggestive look I can muster without braking into a fit of giggles. The look on Nick’s face changes from shock to something else. Wait a minute, is he scared?
“Maya…what are you doing? You’re kind of freaking me out.” Nick says, surprised by my sudden forwardness. He’s definitely shocked. My heart lurches for a second. I feel terrible for having to put him through this, but maybe next time he’ll know not to come between me and chocolate chip cookies. Besides, Nick’ll be fine after a long nap, and maybe a cup of coffee or two. I’m not going to do that much damage.
I lean in and whisper into his ear “If you think I’m a freak now, just wait until we get to the couch.”
Nick gasps. I remove his tie, and start to unbutton his shirt. I have to admit, if I wasn’t more focused on stealing that cookie from him than anything else, I might actually enjoy this.
“What? What’s gotten into you???”
“Nothing, I’m just hungry for you, Nick.” I get the last button of his shirt. I get up, to stare at Nick, who’s almost completely shirtless. It’s quite a scene.
“Now then, I took off your shirt…” I lean in again, so that my nose is pressed against his.” Do you want to take off mine?”
This is too much for Nick. “WHAAAT!??” I try as hard as I possibly can not to laugh. “No! I mean, I-I can’t! Is this what you want?” Nick holds up the cookie. “I’ll let you have this, just….stop!!!”
I pull away, and place my finger on my chin, pretending to think. Yeah right, like you even have to ask!
“Ok!” I pipe up. I snatch the cookie out of his hand and skip out of the kitchen, indulging myself in its sweet, chocolatey goodness, while Nick lies on the floor, a complete wreck, or rather, a completely hot wreck. Something tells me he won’t be taking me out for burgers for a long time. But when I look back and think about all the trouble I went through, it was still totally worth it.

2 Hours Later…

Aw man, there’s nothing to eat in here! It’s almost dinner time, and I’m starving! I guess the only thing I can do now is kiss up to Nick and hope he makes something.

As fate would have it, Nick walks into the kitchen as soon as I finish my thought.
“Oh, good evening! Nick! I was just-”
Nick sighs. “Let me guess, you’re going to apologize, act like what happened a couple of hours ago was no big deal, and then ask me what’s for dinner.”
“N-no!!!” I reply, pretending to be shocked at his accusation. Boy, he’s good. “I was just going to ask what you’ve been up to, is that a crime?”
“Oh really?” Nick says, raising his eyebrow. I can tell I’m not fooling him. “Well, actually, I was wondering if that offer you made earlier still stands.”
“Offer?” As if on cue, I realize what he’s talking about. “Now then, I took off your shirt… Do you want to take off mine?” Nick has to be bluffing. He’d never be able to do it. I decide to play along.
“Oh, it’s definitely still valid.”
A look appears in Nick’s eyes, although I’m not sure what it is. What are you up to, Nick? I don’t have time to think any harder about this, because the next thing I know, Nick lifts me on to the kitchen counter, then he climbs onto the counter as well, and wraps his arms around me. He slowly begins to kiss my neck. He’s not fooling me yet, a couple of kisses on the neck doesn’t mean that you’re going to…Wow, that feels amazing!
Nick slowly begins to move up my neck. Pretty soon, he’s kissing my cheeks, and my forehead, and just below my lips, so close that I can taste his lips. They taste like grape juice. I let out a tiny giggle. Nick’s lips stop in front of mine, and he pauses, probably trying to leave me in suspense. I can’t wait any longer though, and I pull his face down and kiss him. I thought kissing him before was fun, but this is just amazing. I’m in heaven- until I realize he’s not kissing me back. What the heck? Why isn’t he kissing me? Nick pulls away, a smug look on his face. I don’t know why, but I get the feeling that the next thing he’ll say is going to make me want to kick him. Hard.
“I knew you liked me.” He says. Yeah, I do want to kick him.
“What!!?? You’re the one who kissed me!”
“Yeah, but I only kissed you to see your reaction. I wasn’t going to kiss you on the lips, you kissed me.”
What…? “I…I only kissed you because I thought it’d be weird to not kiss you back!” I lie. I really hope e doesn’t see through it. “I was just being nice!” I add.
“Right…Sure you were.”
“I was! I don’t like you! Not that way, anyways!” I don’t think I’m fooling anybody. “And so what if I, hypothetically, did? What’s your point?”
“Well then, hypothetically, I might have told you I liked you too.”
“W-well then…” Nick likes me? No way, he’s got to be screwing with me. Eww…that sounded wrong. “Hypothetically, I’d ask you to prove it.”
“Hypothetically, I’d tell you that I’ve always got evidence, and then I’d do this.” Nick lowers himself onto me, and he kisses me, this time for real. I try to put up a resistance, but before I know it, I’m kissing him back as well. If he wasn’t sure before, he definitely knows now. I totally have a crush in him.
“Well, hypothetically, I might have enjoyed that. Then what would you do?”
“Well, it’s getting pretty late, so, hypothetically, I’d ask you out to dinner.”
“I see…Well then, hypothetically, what if we’re not being hypothetical?”
“Well …Hypothetically not hypothetically, I think we should be honest with each other.”
“In that case, I really like you Nick. Like, like like you.”
“And I really like you, Maya. Now, before you ask, here’s your proof.”
He leans in and kisses me again. This time, I don’t bother to try and resist, I kiss him back passionately. I’ll be honest, this is way better than the last chocolate chip cookie. Or all of the chocolate chip cookies, actually. We break for air.
“Now then, isn’t there something you want to ask me?”
“Um…Well I was wondering if you got around to sorting my files…”
“Not that! You said you’d take me out for dinner, silly!”
“Oh yeah, that…See, I just remembered I took you out for lunch, so I don’t really have any money left.”
I groan. “You just said you’d take me out so that I’d admit I had a crush on you, didn’t you?”
“It worked didn’t it? Besides, I’ve got something you’ll find much more appetizing than a burger.” Nick says.
“Blasphemy! Nothing can compare to a juicy burger, with extra onions and a side order of-” Nick cuts me off with another kiss, and I finally understand what he means.
“Hmm…Actually, that was really good. I think I’ll need another helping though, just to see if it’s really better than a burger.” I imply after Nick pulls away.
“My pleasure.” He says, and leans in one more time. I think I’ll be Ok with skipping out on a burger, just this once.