Mixed Emotions Valentine's

"This is so different compared to back home." Stacy says scrolling through her glass device that's technically part of Kiki.

"What's that?" Lizzy says laying on Stacy's couch. She stops reading her glass book with yet another romance manga on it to look at Stacy spinning around in her desk chair.

"Have you not been listening?" She doesn't wait for Lizzy to respond. "So back home boys would give their girlfriends things for Valentine's day and the close friends would get each other things. Then there are the few that start dating on Valentine's day."

"But here." Stacy continues. "Here it's the girls that give out chocolate or baked goods on Valentine's day." Stacy plays with some rings on her free hand as she continues to swipe through inspirational pictures.

"Wait. You're saying girls have to put in effort here?" Lizzy asks setting her book on her lap.

"Looks like it. And it looks like the cafeteria kitchen is fully booked so we can't use it. Argg!" Stacy does one hard push so she spins faster in the chair.

Lizzy used up her blackmail on Alex already. So she can't ask Alex for them to use his kitchen. Karen was furious that Lizzy used it so she could play video games with Alex. Lizzy isn't very good at using blackmail. Then she scolded Karen for her suggestions. To top it off Lizzy also told Karen to delete the video for Alex's sake.

"I could ask Grams and Gramps." Lizzy thinks out loud.

"I feel a bit awkward doing that." Stacy states.

"It won't be bad. Grams and Gramps like you to my knowledge. And I really doubt Alex told them how truly crazy you are." Lizzy says grabbing a couch pillow to shield her head.

Stacy chucks her slipper at Lizzy. Luckily for Lizzy it hits the pillow.

"I thought you love me!" Lizzy pretends to whimper.

"Haha. Yes I do. You pain in the-"

Ping! Lizzy and Stacy look to Karen sitting on the coffee table.

"I took the liberty to ask Grams and Gramps if you two can use their kitchen. They replied with yes and are very excited to see Stacy." Karen has a smug face.

"Do you have any control over your Soleil?" Stacy asks Lizzy.

"Sure I do! Watch this. Karen, power down." Lizzy commands. Karen powers down.

"You know she only does that because she likes doing that right?" Stacy raises a brow.

"Ehh." Lizzy shrugs her shoulder.

Later Lizzy and Stacy get help from Grams to make baked goods and chocolate for the boys in their lives.

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The four boys sit in silence in Stephen's bedroom. The suspense of Valentine's day hangs in the air. Will they get chocolates from admirers? Will they get obligation chocolate? Or will their worst fear come true with not a single piece of chocolate?

"Sooooo." Tate breaks the silence. "You think Lizzy would make us anything?"

They ponder that for a moment. 

"I don't think she knows when the holiday is." Comments Dragon.

"Could be but Stacy is bound to be talking about it. And they are always together." Hitohito adds.

They ponder a moment more.

"We're fine. We will get chocolates this year." Stephen says with confidence.

They all join in with confidence of Lizzy's cooking skills. They all relax and start playing video games with each other.

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The five guys sit around in their livingroom. All quietly asking themselves the same thing. Will Lizzy get them anything? 

They are friends but they are also adults and she is a minor. Gloom comes over the room. Yet again they may have another chocolate less Valentine's day.

"Maybe Lizzy will get us some. She did give us these bright orange crocheted hats for Christmas." Tiger says hopefully.

"One can hope." Ray chimes in.

"She is a sweet girl." Jay comments.

"I wonder if she will give Alex any." Jaff thinks out loud.

They all maul that over for a bit.

"Who ever doesn't give her a return gift on white day.... I may be going to jail guys." Angel says looking up from his bowed head. His elbows on his knees while his fingertips are touch each other. If he didn't have such a pretty face he might have been taken seriously from his friends.

They all begin laughing and planning white day gifts for her. 

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Alex is sitting on his couch with a racing heart. He doesn't know what to think.

Lizzy keeps asking about playing video games together. The way she is, she could just really like the game or is she coming over to be with him? Then at work she randomly asks him to stand in an animal enclosure so she can observe behavior. The whole time they hold a lively conversation about random things. Could she be only asking him for work or is he reading too much into it?

Alex scratches his hair and makes it a complete mess. "Arrrgggg!" He cries out.

He sits back and looks up at the ceiling. "So there is a good chance she will get me something tomorrow. But would it be out of obligation, friendship or ...." He can't even say the word love. His heart rate is high enough.

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"That's the ninth time you have sneezed in here! Are you sick?!" Stacy points her chocolate covered spoon at Lizzy. Her weight shifted to one hip so her pink apron shows off her curves.

"I'm ahhh I'm not sick. I'm not allergic to ahhhh anything either. Achoo!" Lizzy sneezes into her shoulder trying to avoid her white apron Grams let her borrow.

"Maybe a lot of boys are talking about her?" Grams giggles.

"Let's hope that's it." Stacy comments. "Aren't you making a lot Lizzy? I know I'm making a bit for guys but you're really going all out."

"Yea I figured everyone would want something tomorrow." Lizzy looks at the brownie batter she is stirring.

"You're not making some for the gang guys are you? I thought it was sketchy that you made them hats." Stacy comments.

"I made them those hats so I can spot them a mile off. Along with their heads looked really cold with shaved hair. I think I'm going to send Karen with a few cookies for them." Lizzy glances over at the counter where she has a small mountain of cookie accumulating.

"Don't hesitate to ask me to taste test anything." Gramps is sitting in the corner. He gives the girls a wink.

"Oh you!" Grams chases him out of the kitchen with a wooden spoon. "I'm making you something so you ski-dattle!"

Lizzy and Stacy both giggle at their interaction.

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Stacy and Lizzy make it to school a little early since they have so many baked goods and chocolate to hand out. They spot the boys coming into the class.

"Hey guys!" Stacy calls them over. She starts handing them bags of smiley face shaped chocolates. 

"Since you guys are such good friends." She says with a smile. She gives Hitohito his last.

"Why are ours smiley faces and he gets hearts?" Asks Tate looking over Hitohito's shoulder.

"Got to go! I can't miss Tiara!" Stacy yells over her shoulder before closing the door behind her.

"She chickened out!" Lizzy tries mumbling under her breath but the boys heard her. They all start nudging Hitohito with their elbows and smiling.

"Are those cookies?" Dragon looks over at Lizzy's pile of cookies on her desk.

"Yes I made the whole class chocolate chip cookies and a few other people." Lizzy smiles while handing out the cookies to the class.

.      .     .      .      .

"Hi Karen what brings you here?" Tiger asks opening their apartment door. The other guys are off to work and he was getting ready to head to his part time job.

"Lizzy can't make it here today due to school and work but sent me to deliver these." Karen let's go of the cloth bag carrying chocolate chip cookies.

Tiger catches them. "Make sure you tell her thank you! The guys are going to love them!" He has the brightest smile on his face while he peeks in the bag.

Karen takes off.

"Thank you for delivering these! I know you didn't want to. We will forever be sorry for what we did to you." Tiger calls after her down the hallway.

Karen smirks. She doesn't like them but enjoys having people "indebted" to her.

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Alex sits in his work chair. Trying to keep his cool even though he saw a very nice ribbon wrapped tin on the "chatting table". Lizzy and Gramps declared nothing can be placed on the table so they can have tea and cookies there together. But there's a tin sitting on it. Unopened. 

Alex starts running scenarios through his head. Maybe Lizzy made them for Gramps? Maybe they are just friend chocolates from her? Or maybe Grams made them.

He takes a breath to calm down. He looks down at his desk. There is a note.

Alex,

I have cookies for you when you get out of work. Come on over unless there is a young girl involved then you better stay with her. If I sent them with Gramps it would end up like the one year where he ate them all before you even got them.

Love, Grams

P.S. You can bring the girl over if you wish.

Alex hits his face with him palm. His grandparents hearts are in the right place but boy are they a bit pushy. 

Gramps sees Alex struggling with his emotions over the tin on the table. He just smirks and enjoys the acts of youth.

Alex does his best to stay busy to pass the time till Lizzy usually shows up. But the time moves so slow for his shift. 

Thirty minutes before Lizzy usually shows up. "Welp!" Gramps gets up. "I'm going to go home. Grams needs company and flowers." And leaves his grandson behind. Alex believes its so he would have "alone time" with Lizzy.

Alex doesn't say anything. He wouldn't be able to hide the stuttering from being nervous. He will end up alone with Lizzy, again. Their time at his place was just for them to play a video game and she had blackmail invloved twice to do so. Now there is a tin in the room that could define their relationship or where it could go. He is too scared to date a minor and she knows this. 

Lizzy is five minutes late but to poor Alex it feels like an eternity.

"Gosh its cold outside!" Lizzy says hurrying into the office, jump scaring Alex in the process.

"You good?" She giggles watching him grab his chest.

"Yep." He whispers.

"Hey it looks like Gramps did deliver the tin like I asked." Lizzy says stripping her coat.

"I guess. He never told me what it was." Alex says.

Lizzy grabs it and tries to steady her shaking hands. "Here these are for you." Lizzy says shyly.

Alex's heart almost stops beating. The normal hot headed, brute strength girl is acting timid. The blush on her face is brought out by her hair. Then the combo makes her green eyes more mesmerizing then they usually are. Her lips are a brighter pink today from being in the wind.

"Um." Lizzy is standing there still holding the tin. Alex's heart remembers it needs to beat and he is able to grab the tin from her.

"T-thank you... Lizzy." He stammers.

"You're welcome." She gently smiles.

"Can I open it?" He asks. He is beyond nervous but can't contain his curiosity. He spent many hours trapped in the room with this package.

"Yes you can." She is keeps looking down and back up to his face.

Alex's hands are shaking. Lizzy is trying to slow her heart rate. He finally gets the tin open. Inside are brownies with a heart shaped chocolate on top of each square.

"I made them so they weren't too sweet for you." Lizzy says.

"Thank you." He can't get much else out. He is happy she gave him these but a little scared.

"These don't change anything between us right? I like what we have." Lizzy sits on the stool she has claimed as hers in the office.

"I would like that." Alex comments.

Lizzy tilts her head and is looking at the tin. Questioning something.

"Is something wrong?" Alex asks.

"There is one missing." Lizzy concluded.

"That's why he took off!" Alex yells and makes Lizzy jump. "He didn't take off to give us privacy. He took off because he took one!"

"He wouldn't!" Lizzy's eyes are big in disbelief.

Alex hands her the note Grams wrote him. "Oh yes he would!" Before she took it he slaps it on his desk and blacks out Grams talking about a girl. He hands her the note.

She reads it. She let's out a gasp. "How could he? And you know I can still read that Grams wants you to bring a girl over right?" She tips the paper up to the light to see it better.

"Gosh!.. Ignore that! I was robbed of a brownie! The man's sweet tooth will stop at nothing. My saving grace for these even being here is from you making them more bitter and you being you." Alex announces.

"So how do we get him back?" Lizzy asks.

Alex and Lizzy look to Karen. Who has been hiding in the corner. She smirks back at them, happy to be of service.