I don't own Lizzie McGuire or any of it's characters. I just like to write about them.

Ok, you all might want to have a bucket handy for this one, because it's pure sap. It's just an idea I came up with, and had to write it right away. Be kind, please(



Lizzie sat on the park bench gazing out at the tranquil lake. She often came to this spot after volleyball practice to wait for her friends Gordo and Miranda, who were both involved in activities of their own. She loved it here, especially at this time of day, because it was still and quiet, and she could see the reflection of the trees and sky on the lake's mirror like surface. Completely lost in her own musings, she was startled to feel the bench move slightly, and to look over to see that Gordo had joined her.

"Hey! Where's Miranda?"

"She's still at Choir practice. You know, she has that solo she has to work on. She said she and Michael will meet us at the Bean later."

"Hmm. She really likes him." Lizzie thought enviously of her friend and her new love. She was happy for her, of course. But she couldn't help but feel a small stab of jealousy when she saw them walking hand in hand or stealing a kiss when they thought no one was looking.

She looked over at Gordo. He wasn't a kid anymore. His body and face had matured into something that was not at all hard on the eyes. She had always liked his raven unruly curls, and his dark sincere eyes. They had always held a familiar comfort for her, but lately, she felt more and more unsettled by them. And those broad shoulders and chiseled chest, arms, and abdomen didn't help matters at all. She wondered, not for the first time, why he didn't date more.

"Lizzie, you're really quiet today. Is everything ok?"

"Yeah, sorry. Tough practice. We're so close to winning regionals, and we don't want to mess it up. How was wrestling?"

"Good. I'm pumped for the tournament this weekend. You coming?" She always went to watch him, and she was his muse. He would look up into the stands and see his golden haired goddess, and he could do no wrong. Of course, he never told her that.

She laughed, "Don't I always?" She got quiet again. I wish you guys could come with me to go to the State Tournament. If we make it, that is."

"You will. And I wish I could go, too. Can't I be your personal trainer, or something?"

"Absolutely! You can rub my shoulders and bring me water, and otherwise be my slave!" she giggled, though the thought was definitely appealing.

"Hey, you're not a star yet!" He laughed, too, but was also thinking the idea had merit. "So, you ready to go?"

"I was thinking I would dangle my feet in the water for a while. You can go, though, if you want to." She had shed her shoes and socks by now, and heading over to the water's edge.

"No, no, I'll stay. Unless you want to be alone."

"Mmm-m." She patted the sand beside her, as she extended her toes toward the chilly water. It felt good on her feet, hot from the running and jumping she had done during practice. The sand was still warm from the heat of the day, and that felt heavenly to her sore muscles. The first sounds of the cricket's song could be heard in the distance, and the fireflies seemed to dance an intricate ballet to the enchanting melody.

Gordo had watched her move toward the water, unable to tear his gaze from the graceful curves of her maturing body. He was thinking that he should have left when he had the chance if he wanted to keep from making a fool of himself. But he knew as he thought it that he would never have gone. He kicked off his shoes (he wasn't wearing socks) and joined her. Feeling the heat of her body next to his, he tried to think of something to say that would keep him from saying something he might regret. Finally, he spoke up, "Miranda seems happy."

"You think?" Lizzie was being sarcastic, but not mean. "I'm glad. Sometimes, I wish they would come up for air, though, when we all go out," she giggled. "Still, Michael is a nice guy, and he's really good to her."

"Lizzie, why don't you go out more often? I mean, I know lots of guys ask you out." He thought he managed to keep most of the jealousy out of his voice. "But you hardly ever go out with them, and when you do, you don't go a second time."

" I don't know. I'm so busy with volleyball, and my job, and keeping my grades up. And all the dates I have had have been so… I don't know…disappointing. They never have anything to talk about except sports…no original ideas about where to go…always dinner and a movie…or maybe just a movie…and then they just want to go to it to make out. I don't want to kiss a guy I barely know! I don't know…" by then, she was just thinking out loud.

"Lizzie, that's just guys. They don't know what to talk about, so they turn to what they know. And of course they want to kiss you. You're beautiful."

Lizzie smiled. He always said that. "Anyway, all guys aren't like that. You always have interesting things to talk about. And you always listen to me."

"Yeah, but you don't want to kiss me….do you?"

"No."

Gordo hadn't known that his heart could sink so fast before that moment. Before then, the question had been unasked, and he always had the hope that she might say yes. Now he had his answer, and it hurt like hell. He turned his face away from her so she wouldn't see his pain.

The silence stretched out like a chasm between them.

Finally, Lizzie spoke, "Gordo, it's not that I don't want to kiss you. It's just that I'm afraid I'd like it too much."

Gordo forced himself to face her and said, half jokingly, but only half, "Yeah, and knowing me, I would obsess about it. I would think about it all the time, and about how beautiful you are, and hope it was good for you so you might want to do it again. And then I would wonder where our relationship was going to go from there, and how long I should wait before I proposed…"

He suddenly felt Lizzie's lips on his mouth, warm and soft, electricity seeming to shoot through his body, spreading warmth, and awakening every nerve. After the initial shock of a half second, he closed his eyes reciprocated, trying to imprint the entire experience on his memory so he would remember this feeling forever. When she finally pulled away, she was smiling.

"You did that just to shut me up, didn't you?" His head was still spinning, but he was very happy. And anxious to know if it would ever happen again.

She laughed, "Well, partly. And partly because what you were saying was so sweet. But mostly, because I really wanted to."

"Lizzie, I think you should know something." He sounded serious. Very serious, even by Gordo standards.

"What is it, Gordo?" Was he practicing on me for another girl? Or guy? Is he going to die? Do I have bad breath?

"I love you, Lizzie. I have for a very long time."

Lizzie gazed at him, absolutely stunned. She stared for so long that he began to worry that the fears that had kept him from telling her all along ~ that she didn't feel the same way, that he would ruin their close friendship, that it would repulse her or make her angry~ would be true. He looked up to meet her eyes.

Which were brimming with tears, and under them was a very happy, smiling mouth with lots of teeth showing pearly white. She flung her arms around him, knocking him to the sand. Laughing, she pressed her lips to his mouth again in a much longer, passion filled kiss.

"Oh, Gordo, I love you too! I never let myself think about it before. But every guy I went out with, I compared to you. And I always wished it was you I was with instead. I just never let myself think any farther than that, because I was afraid of ruining what we had, because you didn't feel the same way."

"But I did, and I do."

They lay in each other's arms for a long time, talking, kissing, and watching the sun set on the water. When Gordo's stomach let out a loud growl, Lizzie started laughing. "Guess we'd better get going before you starve. Everyone's going to wonder what happened to us, anyway."

When they got up, they were covered with sand. Gordo grinned and said, "And we'd better get this sand off, too. We're going to have enough to tell them without having to explain the sand, too!"

So, they brushed off as much sand as they could, and headed hand in hand toward home, and their new life together.