Disclaimer: I do not own Nisekoi or any of the characters in this story.

"Darling? Something bothering you?" Chitoge waves her hand in front of a spaced out Raku. They were currently seated at a cake shop, waiting for their orders.

"No-nothing. Err, Chitoge? What would you want for your birthday? I mean, being a Mafia princess and all, you already have everything you could possibly want so, is there anything in particular that I could still get you?" Raku says, very out of the blue. Truthfully though, the boy knew that the birthday gift question was just a diversion tactic.

"Do you have a fever, bean sprout? Why'd you ask that all of a sudden?" Chitoge checks Raku's temperature while trying to hide her light blush.

"Because you're my girlfriend, and no, I'm not sick. Thanks for checking though, darling." He grabs her hand and smiles at her, grateful that she was genuinely concerned for his well being.

"R-right," she stutters, her blush now becoming very much evident on her fair colored face. Chitoge noticed that recently, Raku would omit the term 'pretend' whenever he called her girlfriend. Unlike before. Though it wasn't like she didn't fancy it. It was just a bit too elating sometimes is all.

Their relationship was still pretty much pretending. At least, on his part, or so she thinks.

"Here's your cake, master, mistress," the maid of the cafe set down two plates of cake on their table along with two glasses of milk. Effectively breaking the awkward silence between the two teens. They both thanked the maid as she left.

"Itadakimasu!" They say cheerfully as both of them delve into the expensive slices of cake. Oh the tooth tingling sweetness of red velvet and the mouth numbing sourness of blueberry cheesecake. Heaven on a plate.

"Here, honey, say ahh," Raku offers Chitoge as he hovers a piece of red velvet near her mouth with his fork. "It's the best in town, I promise," he smiles at her and it took all her willpower not to melt from the sweetness of that smile. Who needs cake when you have a Raku Ichijou right in front of you. She swears that she doesn't feel the one-sidedness of of this pretend relationship anymore. He's being almost uncharacteristically sweet!

She calms herself as she bites the piece of cake, "It's good, thank you," she says to him. Genuinely impressed by the taste. She drinks from her glass of milk to hide her blush, again. She finds it weird when she sees him smiling at her, more like smirking, in her peripheral vision.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" She asks him, raising an eyebrow.

"Aren't you going to give me a piece of yours, darling? It's only fair." He smirks at her. Very annoyingly so.

Since when did he become such a tease? One of these days, Raku will be the death of her. Defeated, more like elated, she copies his actions and has him eat a piece of cake from her fork as well.

An indirect kiss. Twice now. Get a hold of yourself, Chitoge.

"There. Happy?" She chides at him.

"Happy. It's really good too. Thank you, sweetheart." They continue eating in silence. Raku, seemingly contented with the bashful look on Chitoge's face.

Finally, some peace and quiet.

A/N: Thanks for reading. I hope you liked it. Requests for the following chapters are welcome. :)