DISCLAIMER: I don't own the Lorien Legacies or "Fine by me" by Andy Grammer.

"Nine please!", Ella whines as she pushes the mike towards me for easily the hundredth time and I have to resist the urge to pull my hair out.

"I told you kid, I don't sing!", I grumble back and push it away, hoping she'll decide to stop trying and leave me alone.

Ever since the girls discovered Sandor's bloody Karaoke machine, they've been singing non stop, and what's worse is that they've been trying to get the rest of us to join in.

Eight gave in last week, after a lot of pleading from Marina and unfortunately for us all, he sounds like a dying animal when he sings.

What's even more unfortunate is the fact that it doesn't seem to faze him in the least, and so we're forced to hear his off key renditions of every song known to mankind.

In such situations, having enhanced hearing doesn't do you any favors.

"Don't you want to tell Kiara how you feel about her?", Ella asks with her eyebrows raised and I rub the back of my neck as I answer, sounding more and more pained by the minute.

"Ella, I don't need to sing to her to tell her what she already knows and plus-", I start to say, looking to Kiara for support.

She smiles back at me, clearly amused but her smile doesn't reach her eyes, in which I see a bit of disappointment.

Does she actually expect me to do this? She's not really the type for the whole flowers

and chocolates kind of thing, but singing? She expects me to sing to her?

I gulp and swallow the rest of my sentence as she opens her mouth to add something, but Eight interrupts.

"Nine's just making excuses to avoid admitting he's afraid", he says, and I can imagine the smirk on his face even before I whip around to face him.

Scared? Me? Seriously?

I open my mouth to retort -with probably more cuss words than required- when Sammy laughs before standing up and squaring his shoulders.

"I'm Nine, I can kill two hundred Mogs with my little finger", he says in what is clearly the worst imitation of my voice I have ever heard. But the others don't seem to think so as they burst out laughing.

I'm seriously pissed off, and it only gets worse when Six grabs a mike and waves it in front of his face as he pretends to cower in fear, screaming like a six-year-old girl.

"Okay that's it", I say as I stand up and grab the mike from Ella as the others snicker at my discomfort. I walk to the front of the room and start to browse through the song catalog, looking for anything that isn't overly stupid, cheesy and all out lame among the few I've heard.

I finally select a song and turn to Kiara, who's smiling at me in earnest now.

I guess I was right about the singing thing.

I only hope I don't screw this up, I'll never be able to live that down.

I tap my foot through the first few bars, trying desperately to not look at the others who are giggling like lunatics and focussing on Kiara, who gives me a wink.

Well here goes nothing.

You're not the type, type of girl to remain

With the guy, with the guy too shy too afraid to

Say he'll give his heart to you forever.

Kiara smiles and shakes her head, laughing slightly, but I can tell she's already impressed.

I'm not the boy, who'll fall to his knees

With his hands clasped tight

Begging, begging you please to

Stay with him for worse, or for better.

She raises her eyebrows at me and I wink back, making her smile.

But I'm staring at you now,

There's no one else around,

I'm thinking you're the girl for me.

I look away from her briefly to send a glare -the best I can manage while singing- at the others.

I'd like nothing more than for them to get up and leave now, and though I'm sure they get the hint, they make no move to take it.

Thankfully this song isn't all that cheesy, I think to myself as I start on the chorus.

I'm just saying it's fine by me, if you never leave,

And we can live like this forever, it's fine by me.

Kiara laughs at the lyrics, though I'm sure she's secretly thrilled, and the others have fallen silent, their faces reflecting a hint of confusion and, awe? I take a second to pride at my song choice.

In the past I would try, try hard to commit to a girl

Wouldn't get too far

It always somehow seemed to fall apart.

Fall apart, right. If you can describe meeting a gory end of "Death-by-Piken" as "falling apart".

I shudder a little at the thought, but I'm sure the others don't notice.

But with, with you I can see

What I need, I can dream realistically,

I knew that this was different from the start.

Kiara's eyes reflect a mix of pride, concern and another emotion I can't quite place as I continue. I know the reference to Maddy wasn't lost on her, but thankfully she doesn't seem to be upset or anything.

And it seems that every time we're eye to eye, I can find,

Another piece of you, that I don't wanna loose.

I hear Eight scoff out "Cheesy" and send him a murderous glare as Marina elbows him in the ribs.

She gives him a look of disapproval as she says, "It wasn't when you said it to me", at which he turns a little red and looks sheepish as I smirk in their direction.

And I'm staring at you now, there's no one else around,

I'm thinking you're the girl I need.

I try glaring at the others again, but to no avail and I have to stop myself from sighing as I start the next chorus.

I'm just saying it's fine by me, if you never leave,

And we can lay like this forever, it's fine by me.

And it's never easy, but darling believe me,

I'm as skeptical as you.

Kiara looks more serious now. We had actually discussed it, the feasibility of a relationship in the middle of the war, but had come to the conclusion that we didn't want a repeat of what happened to Eight and Marina.

I don't think second chances come around twice.

But when I think of, life without "us",

It seems like "What we're supposed to do?"

But I don't wanna come on too strong.

She laughs, knowing as well as I do that this was probably the most ironic line in the whole song. Though she didn't realise it at the time, I made absolutely no efforts to hide how I felt about her before we got together, something she finds quite hilarious in retrospect.

I don't see how me assuming she liked Mog boy was funny.

I'm just saying it's fine by me, if you never leave,

We can lay like this forever, it's fine by me.

I'm just saying it's fine by me, if you never leave,

We can lay like this forever, it's fine by me.

I finish with a flourish and raise my eyebrows at the others' shocked expressions.

"You...", Six starts to say in awe, her eyes wide.

"Can sing", Johnny finishes for her and looks at me in disbelief.

I smirk back as I turn to Kiara, only to find her right next to me, and before I can react, she pulls me in for a kiss.

"You have to do that more often", she says with a smile as she pulls away and I grin back.

"That depends on what's in it for me...", I say but she cuts me off with another kiss -a clear answer to my unfinished question- as the others yell at us to get a room.

She's right, as usual.

I should really do this more often.

Yes, it's a little cheesy... :P

But at least its not sad! :)

Thanks for reading

thesecondgarde