Ash POV

I met up with a shivering Sere a block away from shop. A cold brisk wind was blowing through the streets and even on my face, yet she was only wearing a thin sweater.

"My winter jacket's in the wash," she explained, trembling in my arms as I gave her a long warm hug. I didn't like to mention the fact that I had only ever seen her wear one jacket the entire time I'd been hanging out with her. She probably didn't think I noticed these things but like I believe I'd once told her, I notice everything. Well, maybe not every little damn thing, but I knew for damn sure that Sere only had one winter jacket and that made me feel some kind of way.

Ignoring her protests, I immediately pulled off my hoodie and draped it across her shoulders.

"Put it on," I commanded, yanking the small shopping bag from her cold fingers so she could put her arms through the sleeves of the hoodie.

"Ash, you'll freeze," she exclaimed with worried, staring aghast at me in my long sleeved t-shirt. I grinned slightly. How could I freeze when I wasn't even cold?

"No I won't," I assured her, miming zip up motions as I stood in front of her. "You need it more than I do and I was brought up to be a gentleman so zip up and shut up."

Sere hid her cute smile with her hand as she reluctantly zipped up my hoodie. "How gallant," she said sarcastically. I smirked at her as she continued. "If I see even a single goosebump on your skin I'm taking this jacket off and giving it back to you."

"But how will you know its from the cold, considering I get goose bumps when I touch you?" I asked jokingly, wrapping my arms around her neck and staring into her gorgeous eyes.

"Um..." she said nervously making her round cheeks turned crimson. I grinned wider.

"Don't worry, I'm good," I told her. "And if I do get cold, all I have to do is kiss you, really. That'll get my blood circulating in no time."

"Huh." Sere gave me a shock look and her blush turned even redder, not sure if I was joking or not, so I decided to show her what I meant.

Cupping her face in my rather chilly hands, I said, "See? My hands are cold as ice."

"Okay, but I don't get-," Sere started, right before I leaned forward and softly pressed my lips against hers. Forcibly open her lip. Closing my eyes shut and let bliss take over me. I just loved kissing her in mid-sentence. And I just loved kissing her period. Her body tensed for an instant, then relaxed as she wrapped her arms loosely around my neck which was her favourite place to deepen the kiss, kissing me back as we stood in the middle of the sidewalk.

Gently, I slowly pulled back detaching our glistened lips, grinning at the dazed look on Sere's face. "See? Now my hands are warm." I pointed out.

We decided to make a pit stop at a local diner to sort our goodies out and get some grub. I was starving. Well, can you blame me? I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. And I knew Sere was always down for some food, which was why I was surprised when she ordered salad and water from the surly waitress who took our order.

"Really?" I asked her as the waitress popped her gum impatiently.

Flushing slightly, Sere said, "I'm not really hungry, Ash." She said in a low voice. Turning her head away from my direction.

She was lying, that much I knew. I could tell from the way she had carefully scrutinized the menu before ordering the cheapest item on it. Maybe she thought she was going to have to pay for it and she didn't have much money? Even though thinking that way made me feel like an asshole, I was probably right. Sere was just independent like that. It made me feel like an unthinking jerk. For me, money wasn't a thing. I could just charge everything to my credit card. I always forgot that there were some people who had to watch every penny they spent and Sere happened to be one of them.

The waitress barked out, "Is that everything for you?"

I looked up at her scowling face and spoke without wasting any time. "Um, can I get two sandwich, two large fries with dip and two strawberry milkshakes? No salad or water." I ordered. Sere swished her head at me, her expression turned into surprise but to know her more, she was nervous and scared of the amount I've just ordered.

"No, Ash, I'm fine with the water and salad," Sere said hastily.

"Relax, Sere. It's on me," I said soothingly, placing my hands over hers. She shot me an apprehensive look which I pretended not to see.

Rolling her eyes, the waitress made a grand sow of scratching out Sere's order on her notepad.

"So two sandwiches, two large fries, dip, two strawberry shakes. Any other changes?" she asked rudely.

I exchanged a quizzical glance with Sere. Somebody was obviously in a grumpy mood. I guess working in a place like this didn't really help matters. The diner was filled with some people so it was clear for us to take any empty seats.

"No. Thanks, though," I said politely.

As she stomped off, I'm quite sure she muttered, "Whatever."

"Quite the charmer, isn't she?" I joked when she was out of my sight, grinning at Sere. She didn't smile back, just fixing me with an upset look instead.

"Ash," she started wearily. I had an inkling of what was coming, but I decided to play dumb. "You didn't have to get me the fries. Or the sandwich. I told you, I'm not that hungry. The salad would have been enough."

"And I told you that its on me. Don't worry about it. Besides," I said, rubbing my thumb over her warm knuckles, "what kind of guy would I be if I took a pretty girl on a date and expected her to pay?"

With her mouth half open, Sere stared at me wide eyed as a blush formed all over her face. It always made me laugh whenever I managed to render her speechless because I could practically see her mind whirling, trying to come up with a response.

"But if this was a date, you would have your arm around me," she breathed finally.

Grinning at her, I scooted around in the booth till I was sitting next to her, put my arm around her shoulder and pulled her against me, letting her head drop onto my shoulder and her soft hair tickling my cheek. Oh, and sniffing that strawberry delicious fragrance.

"Better?" I whispered, moving my head to give a quick peck on her forehead.

Smiling sweetly up at me, Sere murmured, "Much better. And thank you."

"No problem." I snickered. "I just can't believe you ordered water. Girls are so complex!"

"And guys aren't?" Sere asked, pursing up her lips. "You know, Ash, science has proved that-."

As soon as Sere pursed up her lips to give me a little info that she no doubt made up herself, I grabbed my reusable bag from across the table, opened it and pulled out the time capsule.

"And here's the capsule," I announced, stopping Sere in mid-sentence again.

"Ooh, it's so cool!" she enthused. "It looks exactly like a rock! I guess that's the point, huh?"

I nodded. "Yeah. That way we can just pop it in a garden or something and hope it's still there when we go back to dig it up."

As I was showing her the metal cylinder that we would actually be putting our memorabilia in, the surly waitress returned with our food. She looked frazzled as she slammed two plates with yummy looking sandwich and steaming fries on the side, our frothy shakes and delicious looking dip on our table.

"Enjoy," she snapped in a tone that suggested that if we happened to choke on our food too, she wouldn't really care.

"Thank you," Sere called after her in a polite tone. She stared at her full plate of fries, a troubled look on her face. "It must be rough working here."

"I'll say," I agreed, talking around a mouthful of strawberry milkshake. We ate in silence for several intense minutes. I guess we were both hungrier than we thought. Finally, once the edge of our hunger had been taken off, I said, "So what did you bring to put in the capsule? Let's go through our stuff and see if they deserve a place in- um, history?"

Sere shrugged, smiling indulgently at me. "That works. How about you go first?"

Wiping my mouth clean with a napkin, I pulled an envelope with Sere's name on it out of my bag. "Okay, I've got my letter to you." I beamed at her as I placed it ceremoniously into the capsule. "That goes in first, of course."

I was rewarded for that by a heartwarming smile from Sere and she gave me a clumsy one-armed hug. "Aw! That's so sweet of you." I watched as she took out an envelope of her own from her bag. "Here's my letter to you."

"Wow. It's pretty thick," I commented, weighing it in my palm before I slid it in the capsule.

"Once I started writing, I just couldn't stop!" She giggled at the mock sad look on my face and patted my hand. "Don't worry, that's a good thing."

"It better be," I growled playfully, holding up a white t-shirt with my name scrawled on it.

"What's that?" Sere wanted to know.

"A band t-shirt signed by the one and only. Hollywood undead."

I folded it neatly so it would fit inside for enough room to place other items and put it carefully in a ziploc bag before putting it in the capsule.

"You really met them?" Sere asked, an awed tone in her voice. I glanced at her, heartened that she even knew who they were.

"Yeah," I said to Sere. "Two years ago when I was in Laverre city. We were in the same hotel and I met one of them in the lobby."

I almost scared then off with my fan-boy like behaviour too, something I didn't share with Sere.

"That's so cool!"

I nodded. "Yeah, it was really sweet, so it was really awesome."

Sere held up a coin. "I'm putting in my lucky penny," she said.

Bemusedly, I handed her a ziploc and watched as she dropped it in. "What if you need luck in the next few years?" I asked her. "You can't come and dig it up!"

Grinning at me, she said, "I think I'll be okay. Who knows, I might even find a four leaved clover."

"Or a rabbits foot," I joked, remembering that day we went to Walls and she told me about all the good luck charms she knew about.

"Or a rabbits foot," Sere said in agreement.

"Next- concert tickets." I sighed and paused from continuing on, looking only at the two tickets firmly in my hand. They had been for the chainsmokers concert that I never even went to and just looking at them brought back memories I would have rather forgot. Just lock them up in a box deep in the recesses of my mind and throw away the key. Unfortunately, I couldn't do that.