A/N: I haven't updated this story in months so I can't apologize enough. Unfortunately, I don't really have an explanation other than I sort of lost my muse. But with some encouragement, I got back on track and managed to write this chapter. Again, I'm sorry for the long wait, and I give you all permission to be annoyed with me :)

Patricia eyed Eddie suspiciously as his attention returned to her once again. His usual smirk was replaced by a nervous smile, and he offered no explanation as to why.

Great, that's all I need - an abnormal Eddie!

Tonight had been weird enough to begin with, and his peculiar behavior only added to her concern. With a long sigh, she set into her plate once again. But she could feel Eddie's stare still fixed on her, and the unwanted attention sent color to her cheeks.

"Would you stop it already, slimeball." Her words were nervous and rushed but that was understandable given the circumstances. The way he was looking at her had something strange about it. It was all very odd.

They ate the rest of the meal through an amicable yet forced conversation. At times, only the clatter of silverware hitting the plate, or the thoughtful chewing of either person could be heard.

Eddie, who had proudly scraped every last bit of food off his dish, was the first to stand and clear his side of the table. Patricia followed close behind, and soon they were side by side, washing plates in a heavy silence.

He turned towards her abruptly, setting down the dish rag and shutting off the faucet with a quick slap of his hand. She could tell he was in obvious distress by the way his eyebrows furrowed together, casting a look of concern over his usually nonchalant features.

"You okay there, Krueger." Her words were cautious. She knew if there was really something wrong he would tell her, but that didn't stop her from prying. More than anything, she was curious as to why he had been acting so strange.

He offered no response. Instead, he moved closer, the manic look still clear in his eyes.

And then the unthinkable happened.

He kissed her.

At first, she was so caught up in the initial shock that she couldn't process what he'd actually done. She felt only the sensation of his lips against hers. It was soft and sweet, everything that a couple's first kiss should be. But then logic kicked in, and panic did too.

"What the hell was that!" She spat, thoughts still reeling inside her head. There were too many emotions to consider, but confusion took a spot above the rest.

A single word kept repeating itself.

Why?

Why had he kissed her?

Why?

Why had she pulled away?

She didn't know the answer to that one herself.

Her heart immediately sank as she saw the expression on his face.

"I'm late for something." He quickly picked up his coat and made a beeline for the door.

"Of course you are..." She muttered, before running a hand through her hair. Eddie offered her an uncomfortable nod, clearly desperate to leave before he was humiliated any further.

"Well, uh, I should go." There was a steely edge to his voice, similar to the one she heard all those years ago on the phone. But there was one glaring difference between the two. What was then annoyance was now pure, raw hatred. His icy stare bore down on her, and feelings of guilt and regret settled in her gut.

She really messed up this time.

The door closed with a soft click behind him, and an eerie silence followed. It was the calm after the storm, and every second it lasted made her sick to her stomach.

"Shit." the curse rolled effortlessly off her tongue as she pressed her back against the door.

It didn't have to end this way. But she had come along with her big mouth and ruined it all. And in that moment, as she heard the faint echo of his footsteps down the hallway, it was as if all the feelings that had been bottled up inside for years suddenly burst.

He wouldn't get away this easily. Not if she had anything to do with it.

"Wait up, doofus!" Her breaths were heavy and uneven from running, but her voice was clear. It came out more as a command than a plea, and she bit her bottom lip nervously; so much for trying to be nice.

Eddie did stop, however, and turned to face her. His guarded disposition sent a pang to her stomach. He expected her to yell again, didn't he?

There were so many things she wanted to say to him, but the words got caught on her tongue before they could escape.

What happened next surprised them both.

She practically leapt forward, planting her lips on his and completely catching Eddie off guard. He pulled away slightly, his breath shaky and mind now terribly conflicted.

"Patricia," He whispered, "don't lie to me." His eyes begged as much as his voice for her not be messing around. He knew she could be cruel, but this would have brought it to an entirely new level.

"You know I'm a terrible liar, slimeball." She gave him a cheeky grin, hoping he would pick up on her reference to their old joke.

He did.

Eddie broke into a full-faced smile and it sent the butterflies swarming in her stomach again. He caught her lips in a rough kiss and they stood there, smack in the middle of her apartment hallway, kissing each other with such desperation, such need, that they didn't care about anyone else who might have seen them.

They should have been talking about their relationship, making sure not to jump into things too fast, worrying about the little details of it all...

But right now they had better things to do, and some unfinished business to take care of.

A/N: So it kind of turned sappy at the end but overall I tried to keep it as non-cliche as possible. With a story like this, though, I thought it was a little hard. Anyways, thanks for reading and remember to review!