Yes, in some areas I took some liberties. Is that not the whole basis of fanfiction? I find saying this tiresome, but every time I take an actual existing episode and embellish it in FANFICTION, I find people commenting on how "that never happened" or "he never said that". My motto: Fanfiction, because I want it my way. -.-'

Okay, enough ranting. Please, enjoy!

Enduring? Misaki thought, watching Kuuga walk away, still smirking to himself. Enduring what?

A stupid question, she knew already. Enduring her physical abuse. Enduring her verbal flaying. Enduring her constant lies and denials. Enduring her lack of openness when he was so very bluntly honest. Really, the list could go on and on for ages.

Deep, deep down on the most basic level of her understanding, she knew how Usui felt. She refused to acknowledge it with the rest of her being, but that part of her knew that what Usui said he felt was real, and not just one of his little games designed to tease her. She, and everyone else who knew the two of them, knew what she was to him. But she still wasn't sure what he was to her. Usui Takumi loved her. He did, and she knew it, but she didn't understand why, with everything she always seemed to put him through.

She wasn't fair to him, she already knew that. She was strict and violent and clueless, just as Kuuga had accused her of being, and she couldn't for the life of her understand what about all of that drew Usui. Maybe he was simply a masochist. Misaki couldn't say for sure. But she found that the thought of Usui enduring all these awful things for her made her feel damn awful as well.

Usui frowned as he got closer. Something seemed to be bothering Misaki. It was plain on her pretty face. In fact, if Usui didn't know any better, he would say that she looked…close to tears.

"Sorry for the wait," said Usui, taking a sip from his drink. His Misa jumped and whipped around to look at him. Her cheeks were glowing red again. "It was packed with people, so I had to wait."

She didn't say anything. Her amber eyes just continued to look sad.

"What's the matter?" asked Usui with a frown. He took a step closer.

Misaki blushed and looked away. This kind of behavior was far from rare for her: the blushing and the inability to meet his eyes. But that expression was not normal for her.

"I-it's nothing," she mumbled.

Usui looked at her curiously, even concernedly, but she didn't elaborate. His brows creased into a frown. When she glanced back up, the color in her cheeks darkened further.

"What's that look for?" she spluttered, quickly looking away again.

"It's nothing," said Usui, shaking his head. "Let's go enjoy the rest of the festival."

The next hour or so was spent just walking between different booths, trying certain foods here and there, and playing several games. Playing was really too gentle a word. Any game they participated in, they dominated. It was the way Usui and Misaki worked when they were together. As Yukimura had once said, they were the Golden Team.

When they had exhausted themselves—or rather, bored themselves—with the games, they escaped the large throngs of people in favor of a slightly less crowded area of the grounds. The two of them sat together on a short garden wall at the edge of the festival, so close together that it was impossible for either to ignore. The sun was just beginning to set above them, sending streaks of amber and gold across the sky. Soon it would be gone, and the stars would come out, just to be outshone by the fireworks display that was going to take place at the end of the festival. However, right then, the sky was a beautiful ocher color, streaked through with deeper shades of amber.

Almost the exact color of Misa-chan's eyes, thought Usui. But not as striking.

"Well, I've completed what I came here to do…I think."

There was no question that she was talking about evaluating Kuuga for Sakura.

"Huh, you're not acting like your usual self," he said softly, looking over at her. She was usually so sure, so confident. But today, she hadn't been.

"It's not up to me to decide, anyway," she mumbled, looking off to the side.

She was fidgeting her feet, and playing with her fingers in her lap. The heat in her cheeks refused to go away, and the pounding of her heartbeat just seemed to be getting worse. Why? It couldn't be because she was sitting next to Usui, so close that their hips were brushing and she could feel the natural warmth emanating from him. It surely wasn't because she was so close to Usui that she could hear his almost silent breath. Oh, and it certainly wasn't because of the strange desire she felt to be even closer to him. No, that was silly.

"Well, since we're done already, shall we head back?" asked Usui with a smile.

His bright green eyes lit up when he did that. It was hard not to notice such a thing, when a smile was so rare for the perpetually bored Usui Takumi. It wasn't odd that Misaki had noticed that, was it?

Don't tell me he's still enduring it?

How could Kuuga manage to confuse her like that? Well, she supposed it wasn't really Kuuga that had her all twisted into knots. That was one hundred percent Usui. Despite that, she'd been enjoying her time with Usui today.

Misaki…Misaki didn't want to leave. She was actually having a lot of fun, at least, up until that short little spat with Kuuga. Though she was loathe to admit it out loud, if she was with Usui, she almost always had fun.

"W-wait. Since we're here already…" she said, face feeling extremely hot.

Usui loved seeing Misaki blush. It was so cute, because she got so embarrassed, and then she just blushed even more. It proved that she had a side other than the super strict president of student council. Not that he hadn't already known that. His Misaki Ayuzawa had many sides, all of which he loved.

"I wanna stay until it ends…" she mumbled, looking down at her hands folded neatly in her lap. "Usui, are you still free?"

Slightly caught off guard by the question, Usui's beautiful emerald eyes widened. It wouldn't do to have her take him by surprise. He put on a wry expression, raising an eyebrow and fighting a smirk.

"This is very unexpected indeed," he muttered.

Her blush deepened even more, and she leapt to her feet in agitation. He wanted to laugh at how quickly her temper flared. It was one of the most entertaining things about her, after all. At least, it was to him.

"What's wrong?! I just felt like inviting you!" she snapped, trying to look irritated. The dark redness of her cheeks didn't lend to that attempt.

When he didn't answer right away, she turned on her heel.

"Fine! I'll just go there alone!" she growled, storming away.

With a smile, Usui rose to his feet, hands in the pockets of his khaki pants.

"All right," he said.

Misaki stopped and looked back at him.

"We cleared the trial and got this special invitation anyway," he said, holding out the ticket.

"R-right," Misaki muttered.

"Your face is so red," chuckled Usui, walking to her and setting a hand on her cheek.

She made a startled noise, her eyes flicking up to his. Gold met emerald, and her blush darkened even more.

"If you blush any more," Usui murmured, leaning in so that he could whisper in her ear. "It might not ever go away. Someone's going to ask you if you're having heat stroke soon."

"Sh-shut up!" Misaki snapped, flicking his hand away. By degrees she managed to control the color in her cheeks, feeling relieved when the temperature of her face cooled.

When she felt she had regained appropriate control, she risked looking back at her companion. His green gaze was already fixed on her, such a look of concern and adoration in them that she felt her pulse spike once more.

"Quit looking at me like that," she mumbled, looking away.

"Like what, Ayuzawa?" he asked, leaning down.

"Like…that," she said inarticulately, gesturing at his soft gaze.

He smiled, and leaned in close. His warm breath brushed across her lips, but apart from that, he did not touch her. He didn't need to. Staring up into his eyes, she could feel the warm embrace he had wrapped her in so many times before, despite the fact that there were still several inches between the two of them. When he spoke, his voice was a soft, silky whisper.

"You mean, like I love you?"