A/N: Wow. This was supposed to be a one-shot. :)

Thanks to everyone who has read or commented, especially the wonderful SketchyJawa.

Bull's Eye

Chapter 10

After Ginger left her alone on the beach, Divya closed her eyes and enjoyed the sunshine warming her skin. For a few minutes, she sat by herself, simply basking in the sound of the waves and her new freedom.

However, it wasn't long before her solitude was interrupted. Without looking, Divya knew that the person slowly approaching her was Evan. She opened her eyes as he clumsily collapsed on the sand next to her. "Hey," she said softly.

"Hey," he repeated. Oh, husky voice, Divya thought. How I've missed you… "Where's Ginger?" he asked.

"She quit. She's going back to work in a hospital."

"Oh," Evan said, sounding mildly surprised. "That's a bummer."

Divya shyly glanced at him and asked, "You never actually did like Ginger as anything more than a friend, did you?"

Evan rolled his eyes and scoffed, "Divya, she was here for, like, a day! Besides, I thought I made it very clear last night exactly who I—that I don't like Ginger that way. She was nice and everything, but the fact that she quit is just a hassle… We have to find another replacement now."

"Mm. Perhaps," Divya grinned.

Puzzled, Evan scrutinized her. "Divya, why are you smiling like that? I'm going to be honest; you're kind of reminding me of Heath Ledger in Batman. I feel like you're going to ask me if I want to see a magic trick. And then shove a pencil into my brain."

"Ugh!" Divya exclaimed indignantly. "That's a flattering comparison!"

"I'm just stating the facts, Divs."

"You are not stating the facts. That is an opinion—an erroneous one…"

"Anyway," Evan interrupted. "What's got you looking so happy?"

Divya smirked and said, "Raj lied and told his parents that I'm a sex-crazed alcoholic."

Evan's eyebrows shot up. "Um… That's—uh—" He floundered, looking for something to say. "…That's nice?" he eventually managed.

"So his parents called off the wedding."

There was a momentary silence as Evan processed this. He stared at her disbelievingly, mouth gaping. "Are you serious?" At her vigorous nod, he beamed at her. "So, you're going to stay here? And keep working at HankMed?"

"Ginger's left the position open, so if you want me—"

"Of course I want you!" he cried excitedly. Once he realized exactly how his response could be taken, he quickly amended, "Hank and I want you. For HankMed." He cleared his throat. "So, you're not heartbroken or anything, are you?"

Divya laughed. "No. Far from, actually."

"And your parents aren't going to be jumping off of cliffs anytime soon?"

"Actually, no," Divya said, still in wonder. "They said that they were going to let me make my own decisions now. I can live here, and work in medicine… They even said that I could date whomever I want!"

"Seriously?" said Evan, looking as though he were trying to hide the hope that was written plainly on his face.

"Well… They said that they would support me dating as long as I stick with successful Indians with social status. And no tattoos."

Evan doubled up laughing. After calming down, he cocked his head and said with a small smile, "What about a Jewish certified public accountant from New Jersey? Would they support you dating him?"

Divya's cheeks heated at his words. However, she couldn't let him feel that particular brand of satisfaction this easily. "I don't know if he would make the cut," she teased.

"How about the charming CFO of a flourishing medical corporation located exclusively in the Hamptons?"

"Hmm… That might work, but we couldn't actually tell them that the CFO is you."

Evan pretended to be offended. "Why, do they remember me?"

"Yes. Vividly."

Evan chuckled again and, to her surprise, gently laced his fingers through hers. "I just… I have to know," he murmured, brushing her knuckles with his thumb. "Was last night a huge drunken mistake for you? I'd understand if it was."

"No," Divya said quietly. "It wasn't a mistake. Was it for you?"

"No." He looked at her furtively, and then grinned mischievously. "I thought that you didn't approve of mixing business with pleasure."

"I find that I'm constantly evolving," Divya smirked, nudging his shoulder with hers.

"So, um," Evan stammered in what Divya considered to be a very endearing way. "Would it be—just hypothetically speaking, of course—would it be totally weird for someone to ask you out, even though it's been, like, three hours since your engagement has been called off?"

"Hypothetically speaking?" giggled Divya. "Really, Evan? After everything we've—"

"Yes, hypothetically speaking, Divya," he said crossly.

She rolled her eyes and replied, "No. It wouldn't be weird. Hypothetically. Though, with you, anything's possible."

"Huh. Cool." He glanced at her slyly. "Um… So, you and me… Together now? Hopefully staying that way?"

Divya stared at him in a mixture of pleasure and disbelief. "You're not that good at this, are you?" she giggled.

Evan's mouth dropped open again. "Are you really going to criticize me about this? Come on, Divsie…"

Ignoring his protesting, Divya said, "After all the waiting and hoping... All that tension and the unwarranted jealousy… That's really how you're going to ask me out? I just assumed that you'd use a verb somewhere while asking, but I suppose that was expecting too much."

"Look, Divya," Evan said defensively, "This isn't exactly something that I do every day, so could you please just put me out of my misery and answer the—"

"Yes."

"…Yes?"

"Yes."

"…Awesome."

After a minute of silence in which they only focused on the paths that Evan's fingers were searing on Divya's palm and the crash of the waves on the shore, she spoke. "So, are you going to kiss me now or what?"

"What?" Evan squeaked, his voice an octave higher than usual.

"Well, I've observed that in circumstances like this, it's customary for an exchange of affection to occur."

Evan laughed incredulously. "An exchange of affection? Is that what the kids are calling it these days? Look, I understand that you haven't really done this before, but what the hell?"

"Evan, if you can't take this seriously—"

"Whoa, now, Divya," Evan interrupted, wavering between being insulted and amused. "I take making out with you very seriously. It's very high on my list of priorities. Like, first, probably, after food and water and reality TV and stuff."

Closing her eyes and massaging her temples with her free hand, Divya muttered, "I honestly cannot believe that I am subjected to this drivel. Voluntarily, even."

"Besides, Divs, if I ever want to make out with you, apparently all I have to do is volunteer to sleep on the couch. Because, rumor has it, I'm pretty irresistible when I'm chivalrous. All I'll have to do is, you know, slay a dragon or something and you'll sink your teeth into me. Like a lioness."

"Honestly, Evan, you are the most infuriating idiot that I've ever—"

And then he kissed her. So she stopped talking because her mouth was more pleasantly occupied. While their kiss last night had been fierce, this one was slow and gentle. Evan was taking his time, softly skimming his lips over hers, and occasionally nipping her gently.

Divya slid her hands to his shoulders and gripped him firmly in an effort to pull herself against his body. She twisted so that she could push against him harder, aching pleasantly wherever she pressed against him. Evan demonstrated his approval by grazing his tongue over her lips and moaning slightly.

Suddenly, their kiss wasn't quite as gentle. She crushed herself to him with more force as Evan guided her mouth open and slipped his tongue inside. His hands travelled down her back to rest on her hips, trying to pull her to him. However, due the position they were sitting in, they couldn't actually get any closer to each other. Realizing this, Evan stopped kissing Divya and shot a frustrated look at their legs.

Divya took the opportunity to say breathlessly, "You can't just kiss me whenever I say something that you don't like, Evan."

"Mm-hmm," Evan murmured, clearly not listening to her. Instead, he moved the hand that was on her hip to her calves and flipped them over his legs so that she was effectively sitting on his lap. "There we go," he said triumphantly, using their new position to pull her against him tightly and kiss her again.

And Divya knew right then, though she'd be mortified if he discovered it, that Evan had found a place in her heart.

Bulls-eye.