1 Breaking point

Only a couple days until Valentine's Day. Even for those without a near-perfect memory, being able to forget the holiday arriving bordered on impossible. Everywhere a person traveled, their vision was filled with flashy red and pink hearts. Or for those who dared to visit the mall, salesmen pushing sales from every candy or jewelry store.

Providence was the only place Rex could find even the slightest of peace and quiet from the madness. Of course he could visit Noah. But with how he and Claire were going. All Rex wanted to do was break down the walls whenever the two hung out nowadays.

As he walked past the Zoo, Rex noticed Holiday holding a bouquet of blue flowers as Six stood silently beside her. Guess I'm getting out of training today, Rex thought.

Rex was still pondering what to do this Valentine's Day with Annie. While they had been seeing each other more over the past year. It was more as friends than a couple. And there was no denying he had started to develop feelings for her. Unfortunately, he knew that he had zero experience with serious relationships. And no idea of what to do for *this* Valentine's Day.

He started off by asking different grunts for help. Flowers. Chocolate. Fancy candlelit dinner. Not finding a solution he turned to other sources. Noah gave the same answers as the grunts. White Knight told him to get her something from the armory. (Probably from how effective she was against EVOS.) Bobo mentioned things that made Rex turn red and not want to repeat to Annie. Good thing she wasn't a mind-reader. Holiday told him to be original. And Kenwyn. Oh Kenwyn. A heated conversation. A snappy reply. And a literal slap to the face from her.

While he appreciated their help –minus Bobo and Kenwyn who both needed help of their own- he didn't think any of it fit what would make Annie happy. While she was a girl. That didn't mean she wasn't unique. And doing something generic probably wouldn't impress her. He didn't want to treat her like any other. How would she feel if he did what everyone suggested? How obvious would it be that he wasn't being original? But then. What if he was overthinking things? What if they weren't at that level but a lower one?

It turned out that Six offered the best advice. "Breathe. You're overthinking everything."

"But, Six!"

"It doesn't matter what you do. If she truly cares about you. She will be happy being together with you. Theatrics won't change that."

Six then described how he and Doctor Holiday weren't doing anything special themselves. He had brought her flowers to show he cared but that was it. She didn't much like the holiday and preferred to be in the lab. While not extravagant. It made them both happy.

---

"Hate this stupid holiday." Rex grumbled, lying on the floor of the gym. A day away and he still hadn't found what he was going to do. To make things worse, Six wasn't giving him any time to think about it. Instead ordering Rex to meet in the gym for his training regimen.

Hearing footsteps, he laid there a moment, eyes shut, before sitting up, groaning. "Hey, Six-"

Something hit the top of his head. Hard. He glanced around, eyes wide, immediately searching for danger, then frowning when he found none.

"Hello?" he asked.

A second ball was launched into his face.

Or what he thought was a ball.

Looking down he realized that what he'd actually been assaulted by was a grenade.

"HEY!" he shouted, scrambling to his feet as the grenade exploded.

He glared as he emerged from the smoke, then froze when a very familiar blonde appeared from behind a barrier, smirking and holding a missile launcher.

He blinked his wide eyes in confusion. "What?"

"Catch Rex!" Annie shouted.

Reflexively, Rex dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding a second salvo of smoke and flame.

Seeing this Annie dropped the missile launcher and hid behind another set of barriers.

Rex got up and made his way quietly to the barricades. He slowly peered around, ready to ambush her. But when he reached the other side, she was gone.

Rex frowned.

He heard snickering behind him and turned around, but his vision was quickly filled with yellow as his world turned upside down. Annie sat on his stomach, fists in the air.

"I am victorious!" she shouted to the empty gym before turning to grin down at Rex. The grin, however, didn't last long, because Rex quickly threw her.

"What was that?" he asked, holding Annie's wrists as she glared up at him with all the ferocity she could muster.

"I'm winning, that's what!" she shouted back, eyes shut as she struggled against his weight.

Eventually, she managed to slide her legs out from under his, wrap them around his waist, and throw him to the side. Rolling on top of him and pinning his wrists, leaving him staring up at her with wide eyes.

He wondered why he didn't fight back.

He could have easily thrown her again.

She grinned at him, but the grin slowly faded, her blue eyes boring into his.

He just stared at her with confusion.

Slowly, Annie leaned down, her eyes steady with his own. He swallowed hard, eyes widening more, heart hammering, watching her eyes slide shut and her face come nearer. As her breath ghosted over his face, his eyes slid shut, his breath stopping.

There was a moment's pause.

Quickly and very suddenly, he felt her lips peck his nose and her weight leave his body. When he opened his eyes, she was gone.

He sat up and sighed.

"I hope you know my feelings about you are still very mixed."

Maybe Valentine's Day won't be that bad.

Maybe.