Watermelon Sugar

Lauren really shouldn't have been surprised. After all, Kieran was her "boyfriend." Even saying it aloud elicited an eyeroll. But it somehow still shocked her when he asked her to be his date to the annual APD Winter Ball. In a weird way, Lauren was glad he'd asked her. Now she had a legitimate excuse to refuse all the new recruits whose souls Kym hadn't crushed yet.

Speaking of Kym... she was getting grumpier by the day, and Lauren thought she knew why.

"Kyyyyymmmm..." she whined over the sergeant's shoulder.

"What," came the elegant reply.

"You seem pretty low," Lauren probed gently.

"Why?" Will said bluntly, entering the office. Kym seared him with a glare that could melt carbonite.

"Because SOMEONE stuck me with a gajillion pounds of PAPERWORK." Will smothered a laugh.

"Well, have fun you two," he said, smirking. "I finished all of mine, so I'll be going to the café next door. I hear their watermelon juice is off the charts." Oh, boy. Will had just poked a scrappy, angry, sleep-deprived bear.

"What. Did. You. Just. Say?" she said, teeth gritted. Will pasted on his "innocent pretty boy" face.

"What? All I'm saying is you look a little MELONcholy." He winked at Kym and took off at a surprising speed. Kym, momentarily dumbfounded, stood there for a second. Then the rush hit.

"YOU BETTER RUN!" she yelled, taking off down the hallway. Lauren sighed. Some things never changed.

Kym cornered him in the archive room. "YOU. ARE. DEAD," she hissed. "How dare you make watermelon puns! You're unworthy!" Will swallowed a laugh and put his hands up in surrender.

"Ok, ok, Ladell. I'll make you a deal. You need-"

"THE FREAKING JUICE-"

"And I need-"

"A life."

"A date to the ball."

Kym froze.

"What?" Will looked uncomfortable.

"It's not personal, Ladell. If I don't get a date for this ball, my father will keep trying to set me up with 'respectable potential matches.' He grimaced. Kym smiled.

"You have to buy me as much juice as I want."

"Fine."

"Wow, you really are desperate." Will extended his hand to shake. Kym grabbed it and pulled him into a quick hug.

"Um, thanks?" Will said, blushing slightly.

"It's not for you," Kym muttered. "This is 100% for the juice."

***

"NO."

"Kym, come on."

"I SAID NO." Lauren scowled.

"You can't avoid it forever."

"Yes, I can."

"No, you can't."

"Watch me."

"Kym... you have to." Lauren held the dress out to Kym, who was cowering under her desk.

"There is no way in hell that that THING-" she pointed to the frilly mass of fabric in Lauren's arms- "is touching any part of me." Lauren sighed.

"Just think of it as a disguise. I'm wearing one." Kym opened one eye.

"Is it as awful as mine?"

"Worse." Kym cracked a smile.

"Fine."

It took twenty more minutes of coaxing to get Kym INTO said dress, but the effect was spectacular. Lauren wrestled her dress on and Kym burst into raucous laughter.

"Shut up," Lauren retorted, turning red. The dress was silver and black, complimenting her auburn hair and pretty, pensive eyes. The neckline was FAR lower than she would've liked, but she had to admit the way the slinky fabric hugged her wasn't horrible. Kym wolf-whistled.

"Well, if that doesn't catch Kieran's attention, nothing will."

"You got that right," Will said, strolling airily into the room. Kieran sauntered in behind him, faltering slightly when he caught sight of Lauren. Will stopped dead-on when he saw Kym.

Kym's dress was midnight blue, and the tiny rhinestones sprinkled throughout glittered like stars. The top was fitted, but the skirt was made of a light airy fabric that was shorter in the front. Her hair, usually rumpled, was held back on one side by a silver flower that-when Will looked closer-seemed to be a watermelon blossom.

"You look...wow," he said, catching his breath. Kieran laughed softly.

"Subtle, mate," he whispered.

"Oh please, like there aren't a million voices screaming in your head right now," Will hissed back. Kieran rolled his eyes, but secretly, Will wasn't wrong. Kieran wanted to run home, pick up his pencils, and never stop drawing until he captured the perfect curve of her lips, the pensive look in her eye. Kym snorted, and both boys snapped out of their reverie.

"STOP OGLING THEM, THEY AREN'T STATUES TO BE STARED AT!" Lukas yelled from the hallway. All four parties jumped.

"See you tonight, I guess," Will said sheepishly, one hand rubbing the back of his neck. Kieran just grinned at Lauren and winked. Will and Kieran met Lukas as soon as they left.

"Nice, boys," was all he said, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, shut up," Will said, uncharacteristically loudly.

Tonight was going to be interesting.

***

Will knew that he looked good. His slate blue tux was perfect to set off his hair and eyes; and not to mention his police-built frame. But that didn't stop him from worrying that tonight would be anything other than perfect.

Kieran knew he looked real good. His suit was bloodred, with (of course) both sleeves rolled up. But that didn't stop him from worrying that tonight would be anything other than perfect.

They met at-duh- the café that served freshly pressed watermelon juice. Kym was strangely shy in all her watermelon glory, but Lauren and Kieran had no such compunctions and stared at each other unabashedly.

"Well," said Will, casting a wary eye at the lovebirds, "these are for you." He elbowed Kieran and both boys handed their dates bouquets.

Lauren gasped. Hers had white tulips, cattleyas, and a single purple hyacinth.

"Pure love, devotion, and remembrance," Kieran said softly. Lauren gave him a look. Purple hyacinths didn't mean remembrance. They meant "forgive me." Lauren couldn't meet his eye. She smiled slightly.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Kym's bouquet had sunflowers, lilies, asters, orchids, and-of course-watermelon blossoms.

"Loyalty, brightness, hope, strength, and laughter," Will said, almost shyly. Kym grinned and buried her face in the blooms.

"I love them," she said, her voice muffled. She said something else, but Will couldn't hear her. They went on their way.

The ball was fun, but the dancing when late into the night. It wasn't until the middle of the last dance that Will realized what Kym had said. He glanced over and saw Lauren and Kieran slow dancing in each others' arms. He looked back at Kym, who had her eyes closed and was swaying to the music. He smiled. Will leaned in and whispered softly,

"You too, Ladell."

Kym smiled.