A/N: the young wizards are not mine; I only think up different predicaments for the characters to get knee-deep in.

Btw, I've revised this story after CynicalInkSlinger, a reviewer, mentioned some things that I could improve on. Thanx 4 the constructive criticism!!

"The sky's beautiful tonight…isn't it?" said a young wizard, finger combing his uncooperative hair away from his eyes to get a better view.

"Yup." said another young wizard, squirming closer to her companion for heat as a breeze blew strands of short brown hair around her ears.

Nita and Kit lay on their backs, shoulders touching, looking up at the full moon. They were on the ocean water off of the Southampton coastline, or better known as the beach where they participated in the Song of the Twelve. The ocean water below appeared as black as the blackest ink and as dangerous as the unexplored outer space without starlight, but the two teenagers were not called 'wizards' for nothing; their combined spell prevented the black ink to dampen their clothes, and allow them to float, unharmed. As for the dangers of some hungry fish swallowing them whole, Nita and Kit knew these waters like the back of each other's hands, and had spells that would prevent their untimely deaths. Unfortunately, their spell did not prevent the chilly wind from slipping through their clothes and gently gliding on their skin. Upon her sudden fidgeting, Kit —like it was the most natural thing to do—slipped his arm around Nita's shoulders, drawing her closer to him.

"Nita," said Kit, eyes still glued to the moon, "Lately, I've been thinking about all of the stuff that we've been through, and I realized something…"

Nita turned her head to look up at him…and found his face rather close to her own. She could clearly make out his features in the bright moon light; the dark brown swirls--the color of warm chocolate--in his eyes, sharp nose, and messy locks of hair that she suddenly had the urge to twirl her fingers around. Her heart drum-rolled in her chest at their close proximity and suddenly found herself rather warm as her face flushed. Kit did not seem to notice her face practically radiate heat, as his eyes were still transfixed on the moon; the moon surveying them and the little shore-side convenience store down below.

"…that I haven't told you 'thank you' for saving my neck (which is too many times that I would like to admit) while fighting against the Lone One and his evil cronies."

Nita's mind switched from her previous thoughts, and pondered all the times that she had saved him and visa versa, which was not always from evil forces.

"Yes, you have, Kit," said Nita, simply. Lowering her voice into a creepy, mysterious whisper, she snuggled into Kit a bit more.

"You always say it with words that I hear… even though they are unspoken."

Her breath creped up his neck, sending a chill like a bolt of lightening down his spine, leaving goose bumps in its wake. How dare her using my only weakness! She knows that I hate it when she does that!

His breath caught in his throat as he looked down at Nita's sly smile. Hmm…she sure has changed a lot, and not by just developing a new talent for visions and who-knows-what-else, thought Kit, his eyes sparkling as he looked down at his best friend, whose sly smile melted into a gentle grin as she searched the dark sky. In fact…I really like this new Nita.

Nita's giggle shook through her, and vibrated into Kit, making him realize just how close they were.

"Thanks Kit; you always think such nice things about me," said Nita, whose face split into mischievous smirk.

Oh no!! That new talent of hers will put an end to me! How come she can hear my thoughts, and I can't hear hers anymore?! He looked down at her, with a mixture of fear and anger in his eyes, but his anger soon vanished. Aww man; I can't stay mad at her even if I wanted to! How can she do this to me!

"You were listening to my thoughts again?" Kit howled with anger that did not reach his playful eyes. Nita's lips trembled, trying with all her might to keep in her fits of laughter, but was unsuccessful in the end and burst out laughing.

"That's it; I'm going to get you!" shouted Kit, hands twitching in anticipation for his attack. He rolled over, slipping his arm out from under Nita's shoulders, and began his process to tickle her in all of her weak spots—curtsy of Dairine, whose new motto was 'If I can't punish her for turning her music too loud, let someone else try'. Of course, punishment was not Kit's motive to tickle her senseless, but rather his desire to hear her laugh.

Nita's shriek rang through Kit's ears as she tried to get out of his reach, but found it useless as Kit's powerful arms snaked around her and held her back. Spring, grab, and attack!! Kit tickled her tummy with quick and nimble fingers; cotton T-shirt warm from her body heat. Nita's laughter made Kit beam as he moved on to her weakest spot: her neck.

Nita's eyes were alive with unshed tears, and her gasping for breath told Kit to stop this tickle torture, and he soon did. Nita sagged against Kit, wiping tears away from her storm-grey eyes. Kit took his previous position and pulled Nita down with him. They lay there, on the water's surface, lightly giggling (Nita) and snorting with laughter (Kit). Kit sat up, and leaned on his elbow, savoring his success in making her cry with laughter, which was rarely achieved by anyone.

But, success was not all that he was savoring. She really is beautiful when she laughs, he thought, unable to stifle the grin spreading on his face. He noticed her dark grey eyes, now luminous in the moonlight; they looked alive with a storm of white lightening.

He watched as her smiles grew wider, but he did not know the reason of her happiness; she could still feel his soft touch on her neck, even though his hands were off of her skin. Thank goodness Kit can't hear my thoughts, or else he'd think I'd gone crazy, thought Nita, as she remembered his arms encasing her, pulling her towards him…his snickers of laughter…his deep, rich voice in her ear…

A breeze picked up and blew strands of Nita's brunette hair over her face, scattering them across the surface of the water as her head rose and sank to the rhythm of the ocean. The wind carried her scent; a hint of fresh, sweet-and-sour strawberries, which filled Kit's nostrils like a powerful rush of sea water; completely consuming him and drowning every irrelevant thought. Kit, closing his eyes, breathed in the wonderful smell; he could have died happy in that moment of his young life.

Nita felt his change in mood—from his content feelings of peace to drowning in nirvana--and felt her face flush in a deep crimson. In the bright light of the moon, Kit could have easily seen her blush, if he was not in his personal paradise.

Nita really liked Kit (which was fully known in the Callahan household); he understood her more than any other person in the universe. Their experiences were similar, and they were always together, either in body or mind. She could tell him things—anything--, and he would listen to her and only her; all other things ceased to matter. Those same things would make Dairine roll her eyes or act indifferent. As for her dad…he wouldn't understand most, or any, of it. Kit would always be there if she needed a shoulder to lean into when she could not stand on her own two feet or to simply help her with Geometry homework. He would always put her first, and would often tell her that she was his one and only best friend, and always would be. She trusted Kit with her life and would do anything in the world for the boy that lay beside her--whose thoughts were of her and only her, making everything else cease to matter.

Kit opened his eyes after…he did not know how long…of daydreaming to find Nita still lying on her back, hands folded behind her head, bare feet flat on the water, knees bent--her signature 'lazy' position--eyes searching for familiar constellations. Powers, thought Kit, his chest swelling with an emotion that he could not name, why did you bring us together? What did I do so special as to deserve her?

"You just acted like a goofball, and I was drawn to it; like a moth to a flame," said Nita matter-of-factly, not taking her eyes off of the never-ending black sky.

Kit smiled; bitterness never coming for her mind intrusion. She was listening again; I guess I should just get used to it. But, I still find myself wishing to know what she thinks; I want to know how she feels about me, and if her heart beats fast when I'm around, like mine does for her. Uh oh, I hope she didn't hear that, 'cause if she did, she'd think I've swallowed too much salt water, and it altered my thought process.

Kit always felt safe with Nita; she just gave you that calming feeling in your heart that she would do everything in her power to help you with any problem. He would often imagine their friendship lasting until death, and beyond. But, what if we were more? What if Nita found out that I have a crush on her?

Nita's dad, Mr. Callahan, liked Kit and often called him part of the Callahan family—"Practically my own son!"--, but if Mr. Callahan found out that the little Hispanic boy from around the block had a crush on his precious, eldest daughter…Kit knew to run like heck if he saw him with his wooden baseball bat in hand.

"Dad knows that you like me Kit, so don't worry about it. Although, he does have his bat handy now-a-days, for some odd reason…" said Nita, who finally took her eyes off of the titanic landscape above and turned her head to Kit.

"I'm always listening, you big goofball."

Oh crud; she did hear me! But, the fear slowly melted, leaving him with no thoughts what-so-ever in his head, and he seemed to visibly melt as he gazed into her eyes. There was no one else that could make him feel like the strongest boy in the world, but have the biggest weakness. In fact…he loved her. Whoa! I can't be in love; I'm too young! I mean, I don't even know what love is! But…weren't Romeo and Juliet soul mates at, like, 13, or whatever it was? Wait! Why am I thinking 'bout English class at a time like this?!

Kit noticed Nita staring at him; the way his eyes widened as he came to realizing his feelings for her, was, in her opinion…cute. He took his right hand and ran it through his dark, messy hair, multiple times. Nita knew he was nervous; he had a habit of 'fixing' his hair when he was uncomfortable or under pressure.

"What?" asked Kit nervously, wondering why Nita was looking at him with amusement twinkling in her eyes and had her signature half-smile on her face.

"You're in denial," said Nita matter-of-factly.

"In denial of what?" asked Kit, his heart having its own drum solo against his ribs. He did not expect her to ignore his question.

"Kit…have you ever wondered why the Powers made us partners?" asked Nita.

"Umm…well, yeah, I guess. I thought that it was just because we would work well together," lamely finished Kit, immediately knowing that that was not what Nita was thinking.

"Kit…I had another dream last night," started Nita, turning back to the stars, "The Powers were deciding if we should become partners when we found out that we were wizards. They said that we were perfect for each other, but…we would also be the others' biggest weakness, which could have been a problem in the long run. They discussed it…and finally decided that it would be best if we were together, but not only because we would work well together." Nita fell silent, listening to the water rush under her ears. Then, she heard the cogs and wheels in Kits' head start to work out what Nita meant.

Kit pondered on Nita's enlightening dream…and was relieved. He just found out that he was supposed to have these feelings for Nita, for the Powers decided to put them together because of said feelings. Kit sat silently, mentally thanking the Powers for their ultimate decision of putting them together, because he would not have wanted to share his wizardly experiences with any one else. He then looked down at Nita from his elbowed position and slithered closer to her.

"I'm glad they agreed," Kit whispered into her ear, lips trembling, "Because I--I think I know why they put us together. I have these feelings for you Nita, that I've never had before and I think…I love my wizard partner."

Nita lay still as Kit's warm breath tickled her ear. She turned her head to look up at Kit, and found his face inches above from her own. She stared into his dark eyes and saw them look back at her with admiration; hesitation vanished from his eyes. She could see dark, multicolor swirls that mystified her, like an unsolved mystery, and stared into the warm darkness with curiosity. She could see his eyes flick back and forth from her own—studying and memorizing them-- and saw the swirls reflect the silver of the moon. For what Kit did not realized, was that Nita's love for mysteries was pulling her closer to solve it, ultimately narrowing the gap a bit more…

Kit stared into Nita's grey eyes with wonder. He could see an entire sky in their depths. When she was mad or determined, they were as dark as storm clouds, threatening the roar of thunder and blinding streaks of lightening. When she was confused, the storm clouds swirl with a light fog, like black watercolor paint mixed with water. When she was practically bursting with happiness, her eyes were the pale grey of fading stars and mist of dawn.

Kit laid there, watching her eyes search his own, as if trying to find an answer to an unspoken question. He soon found that he was addicted to her anxious eyes, and not once let his gaze waver.

He closed his eyes, and blackness covered his sight, and closed the minimal gap between them.

Nita could feel her heart pound painfully in her chest as her breath quickened; her mind shut down.

Kit could hear Nita's uneasy breathing and felt her lips pressed to his. Then in the blackness, he saw a flash of blue lightening. A storm of sapphire, aqua, and dark green swirls rained down in front of his eyes. Strawberries in a field with freshly cut grass and salty ocean water filled his nose and masked his thoughts. He remembered how some people could look into another's eyes and see their soul…but this was how to be one with the soul. He could sense her slight fear of the kiss, and in the wake of lightening, he saw a figure in the blue storm standing casually with fists in black jean pockets, longish dark hair, and anxious eyes: Ronan

Nita saw something in the distance of the blackness of closed eyes. Majestic mixtures of colors came closer and pushed at the darkness. A kaleidoscope of black-blue, amethyst, and lilac flew around like wind blowing flower pedals. The smell of fresh mountain air and motor oil, which counteracted each other, seemed to separately confuse her senses. Nita was looking into his soul--twisting and turning with it--and could feel his emotions as well as his warm, chapped lips. She became afraid that he would quickly pull away, like her first kiss…but she soon felt something push to her mind. Pushing through the swirl of amethyst, a lone figure appeared. A simple T-shirt, faded jean, and necklace with a single shark tooth materialized, and suddenly, a bare foot Kit stood calmly through the fury of dark colors. His goofy smile, inviting eyes, and 'peace' sign gave her the kind of reassurance that only Kit could give her. She knew that he would not run like Ronan; he knew what he was getting into.

They pulled away from their kiss slowly, and watched as their respective colors faded, and darkness slipping back into view. Their kiss was physically sweet and simple, but mentally, fireworks exploded, and for now, that was enough for the two wizards. They each felt the others' presence leave their mind and they slowly opened their eyes. They saw bright, white-silver radiance of the moon…then each other.

Nita looked into Kits' eyes again and could see the shadows in their depths, but their mystery was solved.

She, Juanita Callahan, never thought that she would actually kiss Christopher Rodriguez, and it turn out to be such a brilliant sensation! She would never have thought that the little 12 year old that she had met three years ago would be the one to capture her heart so unexpectedly and yet so effortlessly.

Kit looked into Nita's eyes. Whoa. I've never done that before! Oh, Powers…I just kissed Juanita Callahan! Wahoo!

Kit slowly slithered his arm around Nita's shoulders, much like he did earlier, and brought her closer. She laid her head on his deep chest and looked up at the moon and winking stars.

Two shadows were resting against the front door of the little convenience store on the sandy beach. The two wizard advisors watched the romance unfold from a distance; not needing to hear their speech, but understood from their actions.

"All right, Carl, hand over the cash," said Tom, with an air of 'I told you so!' mockery, holding out his hand expectedly to the man beside him.

"Man! Why'd they go and do that…?" grumbled Carl, who extracted $20 from his jean pocket, and shoved the wad of green bills into his wizard partners' hand.

"I told you that they would kiss, but did you listen to me? NO! Then you decided to make a bet out of it all," said Tom with a tone of superiority, like a parent talking to a child (a.k.a. Carl).

"Yeah, but I thought that they were still nervous and edgy around each other…"

"They're not those little kids that we met 3 years ago, Carl. Besides, if Nita told Kit about the dream, they would have realized their feelings for each other, and they would kiss."

"You know…" said Tom thoughtfully, looking at his wizard partner, "you should listen to me more often. We always argue about stuff like this, and I always turn out to be right."

"Yeah…whatever," said a disgruntled Carl, waving his hand to dismiss the conversation, "Come on, lets leave the two love-birds alone before one of them figures out we're here, or else they'll never let us hear the end of it!"

Whispers of a spell were carried on the wind, and the two men braced themselves for their departure. CRACK! The noise of 'Beam me up, Scotty' echoed through the empty beach. The force of the spell disturbed the sand on the rickety porch, and the two sets of feet prints were erased.

"Told you we were being watched," said Nita, victory shining through her smile.

"Yeah, yeah, I heard it, too. You know, for wizard advisors, you'd think they'd be more covert in their spying…but that's old wizards for ya, I guess."

The End