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A BIT OF TIME HAD PASSED, and charlie was now wandering around the dojo, her eyes darting from corner to corner to keep track of the remaining participants. She noticed Alyssa in conversation with Sam, who kept their eyes on Chozen to make sure he didn't find their eggs.
Suddenly, a familiar voice cut through her concentration. "Hey." Charlie spun around, a smile already tugging at her lips as she recognized Hawk's distinctive tone.
"Hey," she greeted, her eyes drawn to his casual egg-holding technique. "Doesn't seem like the best hiding spot."
Hawk's confident smirk widened as he reached her side. "Oh, this?" he said, gesturing to the egg. "It's called strategy, Charlie. And like you could do any better."
Charlie let out a chuckle, "I can actually, come on."
Without warning, she grabbed his wrist and dragged him along until they reached her hiding spot. She lifted the pile of neatly folded gis, however she was greeted not by her decorated egg, but by a puddle of sticky orange goo.
"No!" she whined, staring down at the mess.
Hawk, barely containing his amusement, peered over her shoulder. "You were saying?" he teased.
"Oh, go away," she retorted, replacing the gis with a sigh. Her gaze drifted to Alyssa's equally ill-fated hiding spot, now also a victim of chozen, "I didn't even see him come near this area."
She felt his arms snake around her waist, while Hawk's chin rested on her shoulder, "It's fine, Charlie."
A smile formed on Charlie's face as she turned in his arms, her hands instinctively finding their way to the back of his neck. She tugged him down to close the distance between them. Her lips met his in a quick kiss, and she leaned back against the edge of the table for support.
Hawk eagerly deepened the kiss, his hand instinctively reaching out to place his egg gently on the table, as if nothing could be more important than this moment. His hands moved from her waist to cup her face, thumbs gently caressing her cheekbones.
"Ew, oh god!" a voice groaned, getting their attention.
Both teenagers snapped apart as if burned, turning to see Robby standing awkwardly in the doorway. Hawk's face twisted into an annoyed scowl, and he leaned his head heavily onto Charlie's shoulder, grumbling under his breath.
Robby rubbed his eyes, a sheepish look on his face. "Sorry, I just came in to find a hiding spot."
"Well, genius, you'll notice there aren't many here," Hawk snapped, his voice full of irritation.
Charlie gently squeezed Hawk's arm, a silent warning to keep his temper in check. "Okay, okay. Come on, guys." She took the lead, tugging Hawk along with her. "I think there's some soil outside where you could bury it, maybe? Chozen already got mine and Alyssa's when we tried hiding them in here."
