Well, everyone. This is it. The final chapter of House of Romance. I absolutely LOVED writing this story and sometimes I surprised myself with what I wrote. Dedicated to EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MY REVIEWERS BECAUSE I LOVE YOU GUYS SO SO SO MUCH! Your reviews are what kept me going, and I could not be more thankful. You guys know I don't own House of Anubis, so please enjoy this finale. I'm on the verge of tears, literally.

Chapter 25

Nina's P.O.V.

I. Just. Kissed. Fabian. Rutter. Those five words were on replay through my brain as we walked over to the side of road to call a cab, hand in hand like a lovesick couple. Which, if anybody had been wondering, we were.

I. Just. Kissed. Fabian. Rutter.

I. Just. Kissed. Fabian. Rutter.

I. Just. Kissed. Fabian. Rutter.

At first, I didn't really understand why I was freaking out so much. He had kissed me before. He wasn't my first kiss. Nathan Hennessey kissed me in eighth grade on Valentine's Day. So, what was the cause of this amazing, fantastic, over-the-top, queen of the world, gentle, ecstatic feeling?

I may have been just a little head over heels for him. Then again, how are you a little head over heels? You either weren't or you completely were.

I was completely head over heels for Fabian, that's what it was.

As soon as Fabian called a cab, we squeezed into the backseat. The driver had some sort of cargo he couldn't fit in the truck and decided to use the left seat to store it. So, Fabian kindly seated himself in the middle and I took the slightly roomier right side. We told the driver our destination and he grumbled something unintelligible in response.

Two minutes passed in silence, almost exactly like the ride into town. Then, I felt something warm brush my side. Curious, I glanced to see Fabian's pink face and trembling hand.

"Is it okay if I…put my arm around you?" he asked sheepishly.

Giggling like a little girl, I nodded feverishly. He relaxed a little, sliding his hand across the gray cushion and around my body. I felt more comfortable in that position and laid my head on his shoulder.

"Is it okay if I put my head down?" I joked, smiling up at him. Fabian only grinned, tugging me closer. I took that as a yes.

We passed the rest of the time immersed in our own thoughts, occasionally jolting when our apparently short-tempered driver honked his horn and shouted a few foreign words at passing cars. But I wasn't really paying attention. I was too concentrated on the recent events to worry about the rest of the world.

Arriving at the school at around two o'clock, Fabian graciously paid our less-than-courteous "chauffeur" and the both of us were glad to get out of that space. Whatever had been in the seat next to Fabian, it did not smell nice.

The walk back to Anubis House was silent as usual, but I wanted to clear one thing up before we got back into the building. I stopped walking, and Fabian paused next to me.

"What is it, Nina?"

"Are we a couple?"

"Uh…well, only if…"

"Yes."

"O-okay then."

For some reason, his stuttering made me want to just finish what we started in the park, but now we had approached the house. Not a good time for a public display of affection.

Mick was the first to see us. He was humming to himself as he exited his room, then saw Fabian and I. His eyes widened, and a grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Nice job, mate. Finally plucked up some courage," he congratulated, slapping Fabian on the back.

My boyfriend- wow, it felt nice to hear those words, even in my head- rolled his eyes. "What about Mara? Did she end up forgiving you?"

Mick chuckled, his low voice vibrating through the foyer. "Everything's fine. Now go snuggle in the other room before everyone else gets home." I hit him on the arm playfully and walked into the living room, letting go of Fabian's hand. I didn't really need to, because he followed me and sat down next to me on the sofa.

"So, are you going to talk to Jerome?" Fabian questioned me. I knew he was worried about that whole "dinner" fiasco, but I couldn't have been happier to let it go and never talk about it again.

"He'll just have to deal with-" Loud voice interrupted our conversation and pounding footsteps noisily entered the hallway.

"So you just didn't tell me? We're a couple and you decide that you're just not going to tell me who your dad is? If that's the way you want it, then let's just-"

"Patricia, when would I have ever had a chance to tell you anyway? Half the time you were insulting me, and the other half you spent in your room. It never came up in conversation!"

Eddie and Patricia were dating?

"Well, yeah, but-"

"So don't freak out! I would've told you anyway but you won't stop talking to let me say anything."

"Really?" Patricia said in almost a whisper. I strained to hear the rest of the conversation.

"Duh. Did you not just say we were a couple?" Eddie replied softly.

"I'm sorry."

"I'm hungry."

"Huh?"

"I thought we were stating obvious things."

I heard Patricia hit Eddie and they entered the living room. Fabian and I were snickering on the couch as the pair of them realized we had heard everything.

"Nice, Eddie. Real smooth. I thought I gave you good advice," Fabian commented as Eddie's face turned as red as my boyfriend's when he tried to put his arm around me in the cab.

"I…you don't…she…ugh, whatever," Eddie sputtered, storming into the kitchen. Despite his argument, I still knew he was still hungry. Patricia sighed and plopped down next to me.

"Relationship troubles?" I inquired and she simply nodded. "You guys sound okay, though."

Patricia slunk down in her seat. "Yeah, we are. I just didn't want people finding out we were dating though us fighting."

I laughed and patted her on the shoulder, moving closer to Fabian. Patricia shot up, a smirk splayed across her face.

"So you and Fabian are a thing now?"

I sighed.

Jerome's P.O.V.

My mom hated driving me back to school, but seeing as I had no money for a taxi, she had to. I loved her, but sometimes she could be a real grouch.

Walking back to Anubis, I had a little time to think. Nina was a one-in-a-million kind of girl, and I had feelings for her. But, there was something else.

I had left the idea of ever getting together with Mara when she showed a clear preference of whose girl she wanted to be. That was history, and nothing I could do would ever change that. I went to dinner with Nina, and I could feel something. Something carefree and easy about her.

But I had never been one to take the easy path.

I loved a good challenge, a nice mystery to figure out. My mom used to watch CSI and I would join her sometimes. We loved to deduce horribly complex situations, and every once in a while, I would understand the whole thing before the show ever got around to revealing the "who done it?"

Difficulty was something I enjoyed. And there was one girl whom I felt this applied to.

Joy was a guaranteed good fight. She put up a battle, and it was difficult to win. She was a mystery, hard to read unless she wanted you to understand. Joy was a fireball, but it was almost too much for me.

The easy path was still there, and I thought that for change, I would take it. Be a gentle, kinder person. Have an easy-going relationship with someone who could take a joke and laugh.

I entered the house and headed for the living room, surprised to find it packed. Mara and Mick were grinning and talking to Amber and Alfie, who looked sweaty. Patricia and Eddie were, wait, what? When did they get together?

Striding over to them, I cleared my voice. "When did you guys call off World War III?"

Patricia ignored me, but Eddie laughed and leaned closer. "She surrendered first."

"How's that?" I asked.

"She said sorry."

"I see," I responded, grinning.

My heart broke as I took the next look around the room.

Nina was holding hands with Fabian, closer than they had ever been before. Their faces were inches apart and they were whispering, smiling at each other.

It hit me hard that Nina was never mine to lose. Her heart had always been set on Fabian, even when she told me she'd go to the prom with me. She had been waiting for Fabian's move that never came, and suddenly, for the first time, I felt guilty. Fabian had felt the same way about her, and I hadn't given the poor guy a chance. He wasn't like me or Alfie or Mick, or even Eddie. He wasn't always able to state his feelings, and I should have respected that.

But as my eyes swept over the room one last time, I saw what might have been my last hope. All alone, Joy was staring wistfully at a happy Fabian. It was finally dawning on her as well that Fabian would be her friend, but nothing more. That her dreams of a bigger relationship were crumbling down, and that she couldn't be mad at Nina anymore.

Maybe my life needed a fireball.

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