Author's Note: Hello, everyone! This is a one-shot is a prize for the marvelous MrsJoshHutcherson112, the winner of my contest with her Pain of Comfort. Everyone must check out her entry; it's very well-written and I bet you all will love it! Let's give her a round of applause, and I hope everyone enjoys this! The prompt for this was one-shot is a dinner date between Ian and Amy.

Disclaimer: I don't own The 39 Clues, but I own the words below.

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Odes of Affection

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"Love - a wildly misunderstood although highly desirable malfunction of the heart which weakens the brain, causes eyes to sparkle, cheeks to glow, blood pressure to rise and the lips to pucker."

o.O.o

Amy Cahill had never thought that she'd accept a date from Ian Kabra. He was way out of her league; a filthy rich multi-billionaire leading the slyest branch of Cahills, in possession of an estate larger than the White House, practically a celebrity with paparazzi and girls chasing him all over, and he was extremely debonair. She was the quiet bookworm leading the Madrigals, shying away from the spotlight unless necessary, and avoiding interaction with the male species after one ex was murdered, and the other ran off to Rome to chase after some drop-dead gorgeous bachelorette. It was exactly the reason she was quietly (while making top marks) double majoring in English-Lit and History at Harvard. But then there Ian Kabra - who was busy with Law and Philosophy in Oxford - showed up in a Corvette when she was leaving campus .

She had no choice but to say yes when he asked her out for dinner at that moment. It would be rude not to; he had traveled all the way from London to oversee his branch, and then made a two-hour drive from the stronghold to see her. She was much too polite to say no, even though the more outgoing part of her was screaming that Nellie had told her never to go into unmarked vans... or Corvettes. Then again, Nellie didn't have to deal with a mutual crush with a Kabra whose parents and sister were all dead.

Amy wrung her hands nervously, constantly shifting on the black leather of the car. She avoided looking at Ian; he was calm and poised with his hair tousled from the wind due to open roof of the car, and expensive sunglasses hiding his amber eyes. The navy blue button down was free of wrinkles, and Amy eyes drifted to the three open buttons at the top before quickly averting her gaze. A blush spread over her cheeks, and she turned to stare out as the street as Ian slowed at a red light. She glanced at her textbooks in the back seat through the rear view mirror, wishing she was anywhere but riding shotgun with Ian Kabra.

Annoying giggling made Amy's eyes shoot back up and she spotted the car in the next lane, filled with three teenagers. They were constantly shooting flirtatious looks to an indifferent Ian, and snapping pictures with their cellphones. Amy uncomfortably shifted in her seat and moved so her hair hid her face.

"Ian?" she asked. He looked towards her and she tilted her head towards the girls. He smirked, curtly nodding towards the teenagers. They burst into another fit of giggles and squealed with calls of Ian's name. Flashed from their cameras grew more and more frequent.

He quickly hissed, "Hide your face!"

She further blocked their view by holding up her hand. As soon as the light turned green, Ian slammed his foot on the gas pedal and the car shot forward in front of everyone, leaving the girls in its wake. As the car hummed and sped off in terrifying speed that caused Amy to squeeze her eyes shut, they settled back into an uncomfortable silence.

"Expect yourself on the news, Amy," he smirked, keeping his gaze fixed on the road.

Amy felt out of place already, sitting with Ian in a very expensive car. She stumbled over her words to form a sensible response. "Oh, umm..." she stammered. "Must be pretty annoying for you," she lamely finished.

Ian chuckled, and Amy's blush intensified. "Well, the table is private at the restaurant, so no press will be there..." he trailed off, adding under his breath, "Other than those waitresses."

Amy's cheeks further deepened in their flush when he reminded her. The last thing she'd imagined herself doing was going out for a late lunch with Ian Kabra... not that she ever tried to imagine what it would be like.

A few minutes later, Ian was turned in lanes on the side of town filled with expensive restaurants and high-end clothing stores. She never really came here; her wardrobe was still from thrift stores and places like TJ-Max and Wal-Mart. If the restaurant was located here, then it meant that the meals won't be any less than at least eighty dollars. She was still in dazed shock, staring at the tall, sleek building and reading its name, Etoiles de Grâce, that she didn't notice Ian come over to her side and open the door for her. She blushed, murmuring a quiet "thank you". He noticed her reading the elegant script on the building and smiled.

"It means Stars of Grace," he translated.

Amy turned to him at the mention of her late grandmother's name and gnawed on her bottom lip. "I don't suppose that's purely coincidental, is it?"

Ian shrugged, offering no answer.

Inside, the grandeur was much more than she imagined it to be, and Amy felt uncomfortable. At least she was wearing one of her nicer dresses (bought from Macy's, obviously); a green one with silver embroidery with matching flats (she was an absolute klutz in heels.). She silently thanked her professors for choosing today to be the day she would have to make a nerve-wrecking presentation in front of her classmates.

Ian, of course, seemed unfazed at the rich carpets, the crystal chandeliers, and waitresses and waiters (that all resembled penguins). The woman at the table in the entrance looked up and instantly reddened.

"Table for one, Monsieur?" she said, ignoring Amy's presence. She pretended not to notice, and absorbed herself in the leather-bound menus.

"No," Ian flashed her a blindingly white smile, "Two, sil vouis plait. Reservations under Kabra."

The woman's eyes widened at the name, and suddenly flustered, she smoothed the creases in her black dress. She nodded at Amy, and smiled in a flirtatious manner towards Ian, leading them towards their table with a tilt of her head. Her heels clicked against the marble floor, occasionally silencing when they crossed carpet. Amy quietly fell behind, seeming out of place with the wealthy people gawking her. Noticing them, but not showing that he did, Ian laced his fingers through hers and he tugged her forward. Amy blushed, ducking her head as shivers shot up her arm. Whispers erupted at once, and the gawking turned into nods of respect, and some of jealousy.

She would never be able to go anywhere with Ian without being noticed.

They were quickly seated on a table separate from the others that overlooked a garden in the rear of the restaurant. Two waiters rushed to pull out Amy's chair for her, and she marveled at how she didn't need to lift a finger. It shocked her that Ian was completely used to this. He didn't waver when he saw he had about a total of ten various spoons, forks, and knives, all in assorted sizes. Amy stared at them, and decided she would stick to one of each like a sane person would.

She glanced at the clock and saw it was only five. A long way to go, considering that they only arrived. She glanced at the bowl of salad before her, and then at the forks.

Oh, whatever, she thought, and picked one at random.

o.o.O.o.o

She'd never imagined it to turn out the way it did, because the meal was eaten with conversation about topics ranging from their branches, to whether or not Shakespeare was worth his fame. No longer did she care that she was getting gawked at, or that the waitresses were practically throwing themselves with Ian. For once, she felt completely comfortable dining with the Kabra, even if sometimes it dissolved in awkward silences that would be broken when Ian would brush his knee again hers. When that did happened, they'd both look away with pink tinting their cheeks, and quickly bring up a pointless topic that would turn into a small debate. (Even if she didn't want to admit it, Ian was a magnificent opponent in debate.)

Then they had finished the last of the tiramisu, and she felt it was over all too soon.

"You ready to leave?" he asked, breaking her out of her thoughts. She stopped scraping the last of the dessert off of her plate absent-mindedly, and set down her fork with a nod. Ian was over to her side and helping her out of her chair within seconds, and Amy suppressed a smile when instead, a rosy hue flared across her cheeks.

"Thank you," she murmured for the millionth time that night.

Ian simply shrugged, and said, "There is something I'd like you to see before we leave."

Amy raised an eyebrow, silently slipping on her jacket and following him out the back doors of the restaurant. The french doors gave way to a landscape of rolling hills and a small stream. Lanterns were strung onto wires tied on branches of trees, and Amy's eyes widened at the sight.

"This is - " she started.

" - not what I wanted you to see," Ian replied, staring ahead. He walked straight down the path winding through the gardens, stopping suddenly near a fountain. Amy looked behind her and noticed that they were quite a far distance away from the restaurant. No one would be able to see them here, and Amy watch curiously as Ian pulled out his wallet. He slipped it back into his pocket after finding a silver coin with the design of vines carved into it. He flipped the coin so that it fell into the fountain, and mumbled a few words that Amy couldn't hear. He stepped back, grabbing Amy's hand and pulling her with him.

She didn't have a chance to be embarrassed because the ground gave way and they were descending into the earth on a round platform of what she discovered to be artificial grass. The small stream of light that the opening offered disappeared when it closed behind them, and it was soon pitch-black. She would have been terrified - she wasn't exactly one for dark, confined places after rather unfortunate experiences - if Ian hadn't been next to her, his fingers threaded through hers.

As if he had read her mind, the warm from his hand disappeared when he let go.

Amy hoped her sigh of disappointment wasn't too loud.

The elevator type of contraction came to a stop into a silver cylinder like room. Two doors with the Lucian crest painted on them slid open, giving way to the most breathtaking sight she had ever seen.

A library.

Not just any library - this was the rumored library that was thought to have existed as early as Gideon Cahill's children's generation. The library that Amy once thought was destroyed and lost in time. The library that held documents and books that were considered to be lost to the world.

This was the library.

The room was circular with dark hardwood flooring. There was no furniture except for a coffee table and four leather couches around it in the center of the enormous room. There were no walls - just shelves. Shelves upon shelves filled with all sizes and colors of books. They reached very high up, suggesting that they were very deep underground.

But the books. Thousands - no, Amy was sure there were millions. They were documents so old, so precious, completely priceless.

And she was standing in the middle of them all.

She didn't even care that this place was only a few miles from her home without her knowledge. She didn't care that the Lucians (or at least Ian) were aware of its existence. She didn't care. She was here, and the books were all around her - that's what mattered.

She must have stood there for quite a while, just marveling at the sight around her, because had to clear his throat very loud for her to snap out of her reverie. He stepped next to her, and slipped a coin into her grasp - the same coin her used to enter the library.

Very unpleasant memories rushed back to her about a very different coin in a very different place halfway around the world.

Ian suddenly looked uncomfortable, and she knew he was reminded of the same thing.

"This is for getting into the library. The coin will be deposited into the library once you're in the elevator so you have unlimited access in here," he explained.

He took her flabbergasted expression as a positive thing.

"This," he said, gesturing around the room. "Is all yours."

Amy, the leader of the Madrigals, the uniter of the branches, the winner of the Clue Hunt for the 39 clues, the defeater of the Vespers... could only manage a small squeak in response.

Ian chuckled, his lips curving into a smirk as his amber eyes glittered in pleasure at her reaction. A small spark of affection flared in his heart at the sight of her jade eyes earnestly staring at the shelves, as if she were a two-year old discovering Christmas for the first time. His body went rigid as his mind whirled, debating whether to do what he had restraining himself from doing the entire night.

He couldn't wait any longer, he decided. He needed to do it now, or she'd slip away from his grasps again - just as she had years ago.

Ian slipped his hand through her, pulling her closer suddenly and looping his arm around her waist so she couldn't pull away like he knew she would. Before she could manage some sort of surprised expression, Ian Kabra was leaning forward and his lips connected with hers.

He held her gently, as if she were still the fragile and breakable teenager from years ago. His lips moved slowly against hers, and suddenly she felt safe and as if there were no worries in the world. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she savored the moment before it was over. Adreline rushed through her veins as both their heartbeats quickened, and Amy knew that Ian Kabra was not as smooth and suave on the inside as he showed himself to be.

Just when she decided that she was okay with the kiss never ending, Ian pulled away to read her expression. For once, he didn't worry that his mask of indifference towards her dropped away. Suddenly flustered, Amy pulled away from his grasp.

Ian Kabra had kissed her. And she had kissed right back without hesitation.

As her brother would say, the world was officially ending.

When she finally managed to rip her gaze away from the floor, she saw that Ian had a defeated look on his face. His hands were shoved into the pockets of his trousers, and his eyes were focused on the shelves behind her.

"Um..." Amy trailed off, watching him as he ran a hand through his hair. When he looked back at her, she could see the walls and mask back into place. His posture was rigid and his face was unreadable.

"I'm sorry," he said, emotionless. "I shouldn't have done that." His mouth opened, and he debated if he should say more. He decided it was best to stay silent, and started back towards the elevator.

Amy watched, helpless.

She had messed up. Ian Kabra wasn't the one breaking hearts; it was her.

She turned on the heel of her shoes, reaching out and grabbing the sleeve of his dress shirt before he could go any further. His sharp gaze swerved to her expectantly, and Amy knew that she had hurt him.

"I'm sorry, Ian," she managed to say, wanting to kick herself at her stupidity and how lame her apology had sounded. He raised an eyebrow, and nodded stiffly, returning his arm to his side to she was forced to release him.

"I shouldn't have kissed you," he replied. "But I did, and you should know that I have decided that my feelings for you are more than a mere infatuation. I understand if those... feelings are not returned, and will walk out of your life if you tell me to," he completed briskly, his accent thickening with each world. Amy stared at him, in complete shock as she tried to translate his complex statement into a simple statement.

Ian Kabra loved her.

Her stomach coiled with anxiety as she stared at him. She closed her mouth, completely sure that she probably looked like an utter fool. She wasn't sure what she felt for him, but she knew that maybe 'infatuation' and 'crush' were not strong enough words to describe it. Ian Kabra held her secrets. He had seen her at her weakest, and he'd seen her when she was strong. He was constantly there, lurking, even when she didn't realize it. He was always there to catch her when she fell - and he didn't offer a single I-told-you-so when Jake cheated on her and took flight.

It was then she realized.

She was completely and irrevocably in love with Ian Kabra.

Her hand traveled to the collar of his button-down shirt, and she yanked him down to her height to meet his lips in a searing kiss.

She was crazy.

She was absolutely mad.

She was in love.

And there was no way she was letting him walk out of her life again.

She pulled away quickly afterwards, horrified and mildly pleased with what she had done. Ian stared at her, wide-eyed, and she met his eyes in embarrassment.

"I am insane, aren't I?" she whispered, a bit dazed.

Ian's lips lifted into a boyish grin. "Completely."

"Have I officially established a mutual admiration society with you, Ian Kabra?" she asked, a bashful smile lighting her face.

A chuckle worked its way up his throat, and he kissed her once more - the action sweet, passionate, and slow.

"I think you have, Amy Cahill."