Soooo....

Senna's POV

Be cool Senna, be cool, I think as we walk hand in hand along the gravel path just outside the hall.

She points to a clearing just up ahead. "The pond is just over there."

We take a seat on the bench by the water and sit in silence. It is cold but there is a stillness in the air with a distinct lack of wind making the temperature bearable. The only noise apart from the water lapping gently at the pond's edges is the distant thump of music from the fundraiser and the rhythmic sound of Harri breathing.

I am not sure if she is breathing loudly or if I am just acutely aware that she is sitting next to me in the flesh. The thought alone is enough to make me smile.

"Soooo," she says breaking through the quiet.

I let out a chuckle, "soooo."

She bites the inside of her lip, nervously. "Did you mean it?"

"Mean what?" I question.

"What you said in there?" she stammers, "you know about being my boyfriend?"

I rub the back of my neck, which is something I often do when I am nervous. Am I nervous now? Judging by my sweaty palms I guess I am.

Funny how I can perform to millions of people without a problem yet some girl sitting on a park bench with no one else around has the ability to make me weak at the knees. "Oh, that," I reply.

"It's okay,  you can say you didn't. I won't be offended," her words say one thing but her disappointed tone says another.

I turn slightly so that I am looking straight at her. My arm draped over the back of the bench, coming to rest in line with her shoulder. I pause thinking about the best way to word this."You know I'm not good at this whole relationship thing," I start.

She takes a deep breath, "oh."

Shiitake. Clearly, that wasn't it.

"No, what I mean is. I've never been good at this relationship thing, but I've also never met someone who makes me feel the way that you do," I explain, verbalising my true feelings.

She smiles cautiously, "oh."

"When you said you bought a date tonight I was hurt," I admit.

She opens her mouth to speak but no words come out. I watch as she looks down disappointment is written across her face.

Shiitake, I am really not good at this.

"You don't get it, Harri. I was hurt even though I had no right to be. I mean you didn't owe to me to come alone."

She looks back up at me in confusion, the sparkle I've come to expect to see in her eyes is barely visible, "spit it out already, SJ. What are you saying?" she chokes out.

I place my hand under her chin and lifting it up, forcing her to look directly into my eyes. "Harri, what I am saying is that it was then that I realised that I didn't want anyone else to be your date. That I wanted to be your date. And not just for tonight, for as long as you'll have me," I profess nervously.

She snorts, which my ego hopes is a sign of nerves on her side, rather than the fact that she finds my admission funny.

"So that's yes then? You did mean it?" she clarifies, her lips turning up tentatively at the edges.

"Yeah, I did." I concede sheepishly.

She laughs, "you couldn't have just said that? Instead, you made me panic!"

Hearing her laughter makes me smile. "This is big deal for me, Harri. I just felt I had to explain it."

"It's a big deal for me too, SJ. I've never done anything like this before," she stutters.

"So you meant it too? You know when you said you were my girlfriend?" I ask.

The word girlfriend sounds foreign on my tongue. Usually, the idea of having a girlfriend would give me anxiety. But today? Today, I am smiling. Although cautiously until she confirms that she does, in fact, want to be my girlfriend.

"Yes. I mean I know nothing about you outside of this but..." she trails off as she moves her arms in a circle.

"But...?" I prod gently trying to get her back on point.

"Buttt... even though you tell me nothing, Mr Secret Service SJ," she says with a smile. "I still feel like I know you, as in the real YOU. And... and I like what I know," she blurts out.

Even through the layers of costume makeup, which are slowly wearing off, I can see her cheeks are blushing.

I look her in the eye. "You want to know something?"

She nods. "I am probably more me when I am around you than I am with pretty much everyone else in this world. Besides maybe five or six people and that includes family."

"Five or Six? You've got it good. I've only really got Jazz," she laughs. "That reminds me, I need to check in with her to make sure she's made it home," she says unlocking her phone.

"Soon. You haven't answered my question yet," I tease, covering her phone's screen with my hand.

She smiles cheekily, "what was the question again?"

'Harri.... put me out of my misery. Please?" I beg although I am fairly certain that I know the answer.

"Neverrr," she screams as she does something I never expected. She gets up and starts running. Away from me.

I don't even think I just react. "Harri....stop!" I call out as I start chasing after her.

"Catch me if you can..." she teases, showing no signs of slowing.

I move my legs as fast as they will go to try and catch her, but she is fast. Almost too fast. It is dark and I am having trouble seeing in front of me, save for the red material of her dress fluttering with each stride and moonlight refracting off her crown which is slowly slipping off her head.

"Please Harri," I beg breathlessly as we round the halfway point of the pond.

Hearing my plea she stops suddenly, right in the middle of the path. Unfortunately, I don't notice until it's too late and I crash straight into her, sending us both flying along the gravel landing in a heap on top of each other. "Shit! I am so sorry Harri. Are you ok? " I ask as I give her a panicked once over, mentally berating myself for always being so clumsy. I guess that wasn't exactly 'being cool.'

"Shiitake,' she says correcting me between fits of laughter.

"Shittake, Harri. Are you ok?" I ask again, pinning her playfully to the ground while brushing the gravel off her palms.

She laughs again, as she tries to wiggle out from underneath me, "I will be when you stop fussing over me."

"I can't do that," I whisper as I stare down at her. The moonlight dances on her skin which has almost been completely absolved of her costume makeup, allowing me to really take in her beauty.

"Why is that?" she inquires, still wiggling.

I can hear the crunch of the gravel beneath her with every movement. "Because that's not what good boyfriends do,"  I reply with a grin.

She wiggles a little more but with her tiny frame she is no match for me. I let go of one of her arms and gently remove the crown from her head letting her black hair fall free. She rubs her head where the piece had been sitting with her free hand.

She looks up at me and smirks, "oh yeah, and what is it that good boyfriends do because I might just have an opening for one?"

"This," I say as I lean in towards her, my heart racing.

My breath catches in my throat as the familiar aroma of jasmine and hairspray fills my nostrils. I slow my breathing as I hover over her. She exhales deeply, the warmth of her air hitting me gently in the face.

I notice for the first time since we crash landed that she has stopped wiggling. Her grey eyes look back up at me expectantly which I take as an invitation, and with no more time wasted I press my lips gently to hers.

-----

Author's note:

Well, well, well isn't that just a  Merry Christmas to Serri!!

What do you think of their first kiss? Did it hit the mark or did it fall short? Overall thoughts on the chapter?

It's 3 am Christmas Eve morning here and I will do my best to have another chapter up for Christmas but I can't make any promises. If I don't, I just want to say thank you to you all for reading. Secret Identity has just hit 2k reads and I am totally blown away. Honestly, you guys are awesome! (I truly mean that).

I hope you all have a very merry, happy and safe Christmas.

- Trudz

PS: I have a pretty lame fan girl Twitter account (@WoundedByWords), that would be much more awesome if we were friends. So if you're on Twitter come find me- make sure to send me a DM with your name too so I know who I am talking to.