I stood next to a large pumpkin patch. The Halloween decorations were starting to take over the town's square.

I was a bit early today so I had to wait for Elric to get here. At first, I was excited about this idea, getting here before him but now I'm just freezing.

"Hi." He whispered in my ear and I jumped forward.

"Elric." I turned around smiling.

Oh my sweet potatoes. He is just a snack every time I see him.

His hair was up this time and I could see his eyes and forehead. He looked like a different person.

"Francy?" He waved a hand in front of my face.

"Sorry you just look.." I said, still staring at him.

Self conscious he touched his hair. "Is it bad?"

Bad?

"It's hot." I said smiling and then realized what I said. "In a different way than it usually is. I mean not that it's not always hot. Usually it's sexy. You're sexy. The um...should we go?"

He smiled. "You think I'm sexy?"

Yes. Yes! Absolutely yes.

"This is a really large pumpkin." I pointed at a huge one. "It can fit Cinderella in it."

He decided to go along with my distraction. "It is huge. Do you think they will use it at the carving festival?" He leaned over me and I could smell his wonderful cologne.

"I hope."

"Let's go." He smiled and brushed past me.

We walked side to side and watched the scenery. There was something so magical about oranges and reds and yellows during this time of year and for the October Halloween festival, people were really putting in the effort to make it look beautiful.

Every year the October Festival was such a grand event that locals called it the white night festival. Everyone would stay up really late and enjoy the numerous Halloween meals like witches' fingers, pumpkin punch, zombie brain mac and cheese, ghoul soup and other meals that people volunteered to cook. There were millions of treats like cinnamon buns and apple bread and caramel apples and graveyard cookies.

Then the events were magic shows, theater plays, dancers, acrobats, cooking competitions, costume competitions, photography competitions and the main event the pumpkin carving competitions. Sometimes we will have foreigners come from other countries just to be part of it.

I loved watching them prepare for it.

Suddenly I felt his hand brush mine. I tried to look normal. Walk normal. Don't say anything and don't look down.

His hand brushed mine again. Does he want to hold my hand? Oh what do i do?

My heart beat like crazy. I glanced at him and he walked forward, eyes up front completely distracted by the scenery.

Maybe I over exaggerated a bit...maybe he wasn't trying to hold my hand..

Then his hand reached again and this time he held my hand.

I pressed my lips tight. Don't react like a crazy person.

But I couldn't stop myself. I looked aside trying to contain my grin.

When I got the courage to look at him again there was a huge smile on his face.

So here we were walking holding hands under the fiery festival decorations and I couldn't be happier.

This was the ultimate fantasy.

"I'm really glad I got to see you so soon again." He said leaning in.

"Me too." I smiled.

"We should do this more often."

"I would like that." I smiled as he tightened the grip on my hand.

The older ladies putting on the decorations on their stands were giving us hearty looks and sighs.

Once we passed them we reached the saxophone guy who would play every night at the same spot.

Noo.no way..

He was playing La vie en Rose in a jazzy saxophone tune.

Elric pulled me closer and we got closer watching him play. This is a sign. It has to be. How weird is this.

We both put money in his hat after he finished playing. He gave us a good look and smirked playing another love song.

I tried not to give away my grin.

"So what should we do tonight?" I asked, leaning my head on his shoulder.

"Well how about we get something hot to drink and we keep walking around? Unless you ..."

"No..no. I love this idea. Just like the time we did our spontaneous walk." I said remembering how embarrassed I was the first time.

We got two cups of hot chocolates and we ambled until we reached the middle of the bridge over the little river splitting the town's square.

It was a tall bridge and you could see the whole town and the sparkling lights from the buildings and the festival decorations. It was magical.

"Will you go to the festival?" Elric asked.

"I think I will. It's going to be fun" I smiled.

"What's your favorite part of the show?" He asked leaning on the rail.

"Hmm." I tried to think. "The magic show. No the theater plays. Ah, it's too hard to choose." I sighed. "What about you?"

"I don't know. I've never been in quite a while."

"What?" I was shocked. "How long is this a while?"

"When I was six or seven."

"Oh." Ooooh. That was a while.

"Do you want to go?" I asked hesitantly, this might evoke a bad mood.

"Yes.." He answered with his eyes having this sad glint in them.

I turned towards him. "I usually go with my parents and brothers but um.. do you want to go with me this year?"

He glanced at me and then turned his whole body towards me. His hand reached forwards and he gently brushed back a strand of my hair. His mouth curved up then leaned in to whisper. "You just tell me the time and I'm there."

He pulled away, smirking.

I leaned over the bridge taking a sip from the cup. Was the weather getting warmer? Why were my cheeks burning up?

This was great. We were smiling and making new date plans.. Why was it so hard to start like this?

"Can I ask a question." I said.

"Mm?" He leaned over the bridge as well.

"Why did um.. the last time he had hot chocolate and you said you wanted to kiss me you didn't.."

I looked at him and he was going redder by the second. "You said you knew I would taste like chocolate and.."

Suddenly he made the most adorable face ever. In pure embarrassment.

"Don't say another word. Don't remind me of that idiotic move." He pleaded.

"You said.." I grinned. "Because you do very bad things and you do them very well I'll be overwhelmed."

"Ahhh." He turned around and covered his ears.

I jumped around him. "And that you were not nice.."

He tried to avoid my gaze but I pulled him by the jacket so he could face me. He was so embarrassed it was beyond believable.

"And you.." I smirked thinking of my next hit and then he leaned forward and kissed me.

Oh..

oooooh,

I was pressed on the bridge with one hand holding the cup and the other his jacket. His lips stayed on mine bushing, softly, delicately, just long enough that I could feel his warmth and the chocolate aftertaste in his mouth.

When he pulled away I felt like he took my breath with him. I was dazed. I was always drugged with this feeling after his kisses.

"I was an idiot that night."

"No you weren't." I shook my head. "You were.."

"Sexy?" He grinned.

"Yes." I said shyly.

He suddenly hugged me and buried his face in my neck. Since I wore my open neck shirt instead of a turtleneck I could feel his warm breath on my skin.

His weight over me brought some feelings out I was not familiarized with. It somehow felt so comfortable. So at home.

When he pulled away and I realized how cold it was my whole body shivered.

He looked down at me.

"Are you cold?" He asked. "Should we go..."

"Another hug." I told him. "I want another hug."

He suddenly hugged me softer and leaned his head on mine. When I lifted my head he brushed his nose with mine making me smile.

He was happy. Satisfied. His eyes sparkled. And so was I.

Maybe grandma was right. I didn't need tips and tricks when he already liked me. I just needed to be more confident in myself and believe in his feelings.

Guess those tricks can be saved for another time.