Heist Society: Dangerous Feelings

1- Kat's Birthday

  Kat's POV:
  I haven't seen Hale in months.  He's been busy with his company and I've been busy with a few heists on my own.  I know that Hale would flip if he knew that I'd been alone so long, but I couldn't bring myself to call him up just because I was lonely. I wasn't that kind of person.
  I sit in uncle Eddie's townhouse all alone as I silently cook dinner.  I haven't seen my family in so long either... They've all been busy with their own jobs and I've been somewhat of an outcast.
  I stir my soup and fiddle with the necklace my father gave me last Christmas.  He gave it to my mother on their second date and he had been saving it for me when he thought I needed it most.  I must have been pretty down lately... And people were starting to notice.  I'd have to fix that.
  Today, even I'll admit I was down... I realized an hour ago that it was my eighteenth birthday.  What a way to celebrate? I'm not bitter about my job or that my loved ones have their own lives... I'm just wishing more than ever that I had a little bit of normal.
  I turn around to get a bowl and I'm ashamed to say that I was startled to find a figure leaning in the doorway. An incredibly charming figure.
  "Hale... What are you doing here? How did you get in?"
  "Like uncle Eddie always says... If you can't break in you don't deserve to be here... And I really want to deserve to be here..." He grins.  "Happy birthday, Kitty Kat."  He walks over and kisses my head.
  "You remembered? But I've only told you once..." I say, dumbfounded.
  "Kat... Did you really think I'd forget?" He steps back a bit.  "You thought I forgot... What kind of a boyfriend would I be if I didn't show up for your birthday?"
  "A normal one.  But you're not my boyfriend..." I roll my eyes and turn back to the soup.
  "Then what are we? Two co-workers who kiss and have extremely strong feelings towards each other?" He smirks.
  "Yes," I huff.
  "Katarina you are impossible! You realize that every other girl I meet is falling at my feet, wanting to date me for my good looks and charm," he teases.
  "Yeah, and maybe that's the problem." He tries to touch me but I shove a bowl of soup in his hands.  "Sit. Eat."
  He does as he's told but looks up at me imploringly. "Kat... Come on... I wasn't being serious."
  "I know," I say quietly.  I sit across from him and eat my soup.
  He sighs but moves on. "So where is everybody else?"
  I shrug a bit and he stops eating.
  "Kat...? How long have they been gone? How long have you been here alone?"
  "Three months..." I cross my arms.
  "Three months!" He exclaims angrily. "Every time I've called you and asked you how everyone is, you've been lying to me?"
  "I'm a big girl, Hale. I can take care of myself." I glare at him a bit.
  "That's not the point! I was staying away intentionally, Kat! I wanted you to be able to spend time with your family.... I've missed you so much... But if I had known you were all alone... God I'm such an idiot." He quickly stands up and pulls me into his arms. I'm taken aback.
  "Hale... You're not an idiot... I didn't want to bother you..."
  "Well then we're both idiots.  I'm staying here with you... I'm not leaving and you'd better get used to it." He hugs me tighter and for once I just let myself melt into his embrace.
  "Okay," I say quietly.
  "Good... Because you have no choice." He kisses my cheek.  "Oh, and by the way, I have a present for you..." He pulls away just enough to grab something from his coat pocket. A small box.
  "H-Hale..." I get a bit nervous.
  "Relax... It isn't an engagement ring... Yet..." He mumbles the last part with a smirk.  He opens it up and it's a beautiful Ruby ring.  "It has your name engraved... It's something of value that is for only you... It wasn't stolen... It wasn't used... It's for you and you alone... And it's a sort of promise..."
  "A promise for what?" I whisper.
  "A promise that you'll always have me.... And I'll always have you.... And maybe, eventually... You'll admit that I'm your boyfriend...."
  I laugh a bit and cover my mouth.  When I take my hand off I gently play with my necklace.  "I can't take this, Hale... It's too much... I don't know what to say..."
  "Well then shut up for a minute. You can take it... And you will.... And you'll wear it every single day for the rest of your life... Because you deserve it." He slides it onto a finger on my right hand- the finger exactly opposite of the finger you'd put an engagement ring on.
  I shake my head.  "You are completely crazy... Winifred?"
  He laughs.  "Not even close, but it's cute that you try..." He pulls me into his arms once again and we spend the rest of the evening like that.