She'd had feelings for him ever since they first met, but the night they ran from the Black Fang was when she fell in love. How could she not have, after he'd risked his own life to protect her?

She remembered how tightly he'd held her as they ran into the night, the way he'd protected her during the battle at the Water Temple, his eyes burning with hatred as he confronted Sonia in those final moments. He'd been so angry, not for what she'd done to him or the rest of the Black Fang, but what she'd done to Nino.

It was strange, really. He'd risked life and limb for her, but even in the face of what most would consider undeniable evidence, Nino still didn't know how he felt about her. That was the trouble with Jaffar, he was impossible to read. Even after all they'd been through, she didn't know whether he was with her for good, or if he'd turn around and betray her the next day.

"I have to find out once and for all! Are we friends, or does he like me in that way, or is he just toying with me?"

Quietly, she slipped out of the tent she shared with Rebecca.

As she expected, Jaffar wasn't even in bed at this point. He sat against a tree, separated from where the army had prepared camp, staring at nothing. Nino took a deep breath and slowly approached.

"Jaffar?"

He turned to look at her, his face as unreadable as ever.

"You should be sleeping," he said. "It's been a long day."

"I could say the same for you, too, you know," she teased, then became serious again. "I...wanted to ask you something."

"What is it?

Her hands twisted and bunched the fabric of her skirt nervously.

"You've...been with us, with me, for like a month now. And...even though you saved me and you're always protecting me, we never talk and whenever I try to talk to you, you say you'd rather not. And I guess it's okay, some people just aren't very talkative," she babbled. "But, when you say it you make it sound like you'd rather I wasn't around, so it makes me wonder..."

His eyes seemed to burn into her, and she flinched.

"I'm sorry, I guess I'm bothering you again," she sighed.

"Just ask me what you came to ask," he said coldly.

"Jaffar, how do you feel about me? I mean, I know you came along with this army for me, but was it really for me, or was it because you had nowhere else to go? Do you protect me because you feel like you have to, are we friends, how do I know you're not gonna turn around and-"

In a flash, he'd stood up, grabbed her small shoulders, and kissed her. Nino froze, the stream of her words cut off and snuffed out entirely.

"And before you ask," he said as he pulled away, "I didn't do that just to silence you. Make of that what you will."

He turned and walked away, leaving the bewildered Nino to touch her lips.

Nino stumbled back to her tent, her face burning and her heart pounding furiously. My first kiss...my first true kiss, and it had to be Jaffar! Oh, he does like me, maybe not as much as I like him, but he kissed me even when I was probably annoying him, and he even said it wasn't just to shut me up!

She didn't need a straight answer anymore.