Lina's red cape billows behind her as she sprints through the streets of Ember. She has a very important message to deliver, to a very important someone.

Earlier that day, when she took a message to a stock clerk worker, her best friend Lizzie told her a surprising secret.

"Doon was in earlier and asked me what he should do to win you over!" Lizzie squealed, grabbing her friends hand and squeezing it.

"Wait, are you talking about our Doon? Doon Harrow?" Lina asked, bewildered.

"Of course Doon Harrow you silly!" Lizzie giggled, swatting Lina's arm playfully. "He's totally in love with you!"

"Doon?" Lina thought for a moment, her mind wandering into her fantasy land she lived in when Doon wasn't around. She snapped out of it almost instantly. "No, he can't, it's impossible! I mean, we're good friends, best friends even, but…"

"Oh come on Lina! Don't you see? The way he looks at you? Do you remember when he asked you to switch jobs with him?" Lizzie squished up her nose and gave Lina a queer look.

"Sort of…I mean, he just wanted to get a job where he could get close to the generator." Lina was puzzled.

"Yeah, well, he practically jumped for you!" Lizzie exclaimed. "And when you accepted his proposition and ran off excitedly, I saw him watch you! He had that, look in his eyes!" She beamed. "So?"

"So?" Lina asked, not convinced. "That doesn't prove much of anything. What did he say this afternoon?"

Lizzie took a deep breath. "He wanted to know how to win you over and asked me because I'm your best friend. Well, I told him to be slow about it and not rush into anything. I told him to wait until you were in the right place to make his move."

"What?"

"Let me finish!" Lizzie hated to be interrupted. "Then I told him to find every chance to be with you and Poppy and to be protective and rescue you when needed, to be a hero but not overdo it."

"He couldn't figure this out for himself?"

Lizzie huffed in annoyance before continuing. "I told him to be brave, but not stupid, but to make sure you always stayed safe. You love it when a guy keeps you safe."

Lina nodded. "But, why didn't he ever come to me? I thought we were best friends!"

"You are! But Lina, Doon's scared of hurting you, he's scared of ruining your friendship over love. He loves you that much; to never tell you that if it secures your friendship!" Lizzie sat back on her stool and crossed her arms. "So what are you going to do?"

Lina thought for a minute, in a daze. Doon loved her…Doon loved her…Doon loves her… "Doon loves me…I love Doon."

She didn't realize she'd said it aloud until Lizzie clapped her hands and shouted, "Yes! I knew it!"

Lina felt excited and nervous. "What do I do?"

Lizzie smiled slyly. "You're the messenger."

Lina first frowned at that cryptic message, but then understood. She zoomed out of the store and down the street.

Lina is almost to Pipeworks. In her head, she goes over what she's going to say to Doon. Everything in her head is mush, but the only thought that is bright as day is "I love Doon."

"Doon!" she shouts once she's in the Pipeworks building. She hurries down one of the tunnels. "Doon!" She turns a corner to see him. He's looking her direction. They walk toward each other.

"Lina, what are you doing here?" he asks her, wiping his hands on his dirty clothes.

"I have a message for you," she says quickly.

"Ok…" Doon says slowly, confused. "Who would be sending me a message?"

Lina smiles. "It's from Lina Mayfleet."

Doon's eyes crinkle in confusion. "What?" he starts to ask, but is cut off when Lina grabs his suspenders and pulls her to him, pressing her lips to his. At first he's surprised, but slowly he becomes more relaxed, his hands winding around her waist. The kiss deepens as he kisses her back.

After a moment, they pull apart for air. Lina's cheeks are flushed, but her eyes are sparkling. Many questions are running through Doon's mind, but only one comes out. "Did you pay yourself twenty coins to bring that message to me?"

Lina grins coyly. She answers with a kiss.

When Lina goes back to visit Lizzie, she doesn't have to say anything, the rosy glow in her cheeks says it all.

Thanks for reading! I must not be that bad at fanfiction if I keep getting reviews! LOL Please review and read and pass it on!

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