The sun was setting low over the roofs of the pleasant city. Workers were busy closing show and heading home to a warm supper. The cobble-stone streets were packed with citizens of all kinds-- humans, animals, robots, even strange combinations of each. They all seemed to be busy; the air above the crowd's heads seemed to buzz with anxiety and urgency.

Away from the busy streets was a beautiful waterfall. It was near the town's center, secluded and peaceful, despite the water's constant roar.

For what she assumed was the first time in her life, she had taken extra time with her hair and appearance. She'd attempted to comb out her hair, but the thick curls remained in tight little knots. At least it wasn't all frizzy, though. She had even washed her face and brushed her teeth several times. She put on freshly-cleaned clothes, completely free of any dust or stains. She glanced down at herself, feeling sure she was about to make a huge fool of herself.

Naturally somewhat short, she wore a dress that went down four inches above her knees. It was a warm, spunky yet cute shade of pink, nothing too bright, nothing too drab. It had thick tank-top straps and an easy, curved neckline. Beneath it she wore a long-sleeve shirt of dark purple and off-white stripes. Over her legs she wore black woolen tights that had faint flower patterns on them. She'd even located a cute pair of purple flats that had little hearts all over them. There was a ribbon tied around her wrist.

Alee silently chidded herself for dressing up so much. After all, they might sit down on the ground! What was she going to do then? The skirt wasn't quite long enough for that and she knew dirt would cling to her tights.

She hadn't ever wanted more to look good for someone. She still wouldn't admit it to herself, but Alee really wanted his eyes to light up when he caught site of her.

She stood, looking down at the waterfall's secluded area. Finally, she couldn't stand it anymore and lifted her eyes from herself to search him out. Bitter disappointment burned in her. She didn't see him. Alee hadn't ever not seen him by the waterfall at that time of day. She sighed and was surprised to feel her eyes well up with tears.

There was no need, though. He came walking into sight, out of a small clump of trees. He was barefoot and his pants had been rolled up to his calves. His sandy-colored hair was tussled and part of it stood up at an odd angle. There was something in his hand, and a large, gold dog ran not far behind him. While he was looking away, it lunged for the thing in his hand and tugged it from his grasp. The bright creature leaped out of his reach as he tried to grab it back. Then it turned and ran off ahead of him.

Alee couldn't help but laugh. It was funny to watch him shout something after the dog and shake his head in annoyance. Either hearing her laugh or simply glancing about, his gaze landed on her. She was too far away to see his expression fully, but he seemed to be staring down at his bare feet as they began walking towards each other.

A blush settled over her pale features. What would she say to him? Should she ask him how she looked? Ask him about his dog (she'd seen it trailing him before)? She had the strangest longing to run up and touch his hair where it stood up. But she held herself back, not knowing how he'd react and certainly not wanting to make a fool of herself.

"Alee," he began in an almost-surprised voice, "I wasn't expecting you."

She blushed darker, narrowing her eyes. "Should I leave then?"

"No! Don't go." It sounded as if he were pleading with her. Her eyes softened at once.

"Elan." Alee spoke without thinking, perhaps just to feel his name on her tongue. He blinked questioningly at her, but said nothing. Before any rational held her back, she stepped closer to him and reached up to comb over the sticking up hair with her fingers. His hair wasn't very long-- hanging lightly down over half of his ears. Still, it took her a few pats to make it lay down properly. She dropped her arm and found herself staring him in the face-- much closer than before.

Before he could see her turn a bright shade of red, Alee took a step back and muttered "Sorry" with her face diverted. There was a moment of silence between them. She glanced quickly up at him and found Elan's gaze stuck on her purple, heart flats. She couldn't tell, but it seemed the expression on his face was tied somewhere between confusion and disgust. Alee drew in a sharp breath, wondering what about the shoes could so completely offend him. But the expression was gone in another heartbeat. She could feel his gaze moving up her black tights to her dress and then up to her stripped shirt. She felt torn between burning with embarrassment and standing defiant before him. All she could manage was a tiny step back in his direction.

Again, there was silence between them. Alee felt like crying almost. She didn't want it to be so awkward between them. She wished things were still so simple and easy as they had been when they'd met at the waterfall for the first time. It was horrible just wondering if things would ever go back to the way they'd once been. All the same, Alee felt she didn't exactly want to turn the clocks back. There was something heavy and beautiful weighing on her heart, and she didn't want to loose it. She looked slowly back up at him, surprised by the raw emotion in his eyes.

"Why'd you have to be so perfect?" he whispered, leaning in close to her.

Alee blinked. "I'm definitely not perfect," she replied, surprised by his words. Her indignant expression slipped away. "Besides, what's wrong with perfection?" she asked, thinking of the way his eyes lit up when he smiled.

There was a strange, almost sad, glint in his eyes as he stared openly at her. "I want to kiss you." He said it so quietly she wasn't sure she heard him right at first.

A strange feeling of elation filled her-- something she wasn't sure she'd ever felt before. It swelled until her very heart ached with an almost-physical pain. She gasped aloud. His eyes sparkled with concern, but also understanding. Alee clamped a fist near her heart, eyes wide in shock. What was that? Why had her heart soared so suddenly when he'd said the word 'kiss'? Was she really that desperate for his affections?

She hadn't heard him move, but, when she glanced up, Alee found herself six inches from his clear, blue-gray eyes. They were wide and warm. One glance made Alee's heart melt into a little puddle. She was so entranced with his eyes that she actually jumped when she felt his hand lightly brush her cheek. A lopsided half-smile lifted his face from seriousness. Alee couldn't have helped herself even if she'd wanted to...

Alee could have never dreamed being so close to him. His left hand was on the back of her head, neither holding her there nor pulling her in closer. Indeed, she wasn't sure she could get much closer. His nose brushed hers and she felt like her lips were glued to his. The thought of pulling away was so absurd it didn't even cross her mind. She stayed very close to him until she started to feel lightheaded and even then couldn't figure out why. Elan pulled back, only a few inches. His breathing was heavy, and Alee realized she, too, had forgotten to breathe. She felt his breath on her cheek, and a blush she didn't think would ever go away tinged slightly darker.

"You don't like my shoes?" she asked, suddenly wanting to know the answer very badly. "Or is it the tights?"

Elan looked surprised. "What? No... No, that's not it." Alee was surprised to see a crimson cloud fall over his cheeks, and he looked away. "You don't want to know."

Once he'd said that, of course, Alee simply had to know. "What is it? Tell me." She smiled at him, hoping to sway him into speaking.

He sighed, still not meeting her gaze. When he spoke, his voice was quiet as if he hoped she wouldn't be able to hear him. "I was imagining taking them off you."

Alee surprised even herself by laughing out loud. She found his words hilarious beyond words. She was soon laughing so hard she had to cling to Elan to keep from falling over. He stared at her, slightly alarmed. He had an arm around her waist and slowly eased the two of them to the soft ground. As her laugh died out, Alee found her cheek resting against his shoulder. Both of his arms were still tight around her. It was nice-- comforting and close.

"Your dog ran off," she whispered to him.

A tiny smile came to his face. "Yeah... She does that."