Vienna, Austria, 1799

January 5th, 5:12 PM

My adrenaline was slowly turning into despair as I stood outside the palace doors, waiting for Stephen. We had agreed to meet at five o'clock, but every minute that passed since then made my heart sink lower. I began to suspect something happened that caused him to not be able to make it. But then, at last, there he was. A young man with orange hair, light brown freckles across his cheekbones, and natural redness on his cheeks. When I saw Stephen, all other people around me became foggy. My gaze only focused on him, and his on me.

"Hey," he greeted, rather breathlessly.

I curtsied and grinned.

"Good evening, Stephen. I hope you have a good excuse for keeping a young lady waiting."

"Daphne, I'm so sorry, I got caught up in a science experiment back at the lab and there was fire and--"

I paused him by setting a finger on his lips.

"I was only teasing. I'm very pleased to see you."

I felt my face redden as I looked him up and down, only now noticing how well dressed he was. He wore a black tailcoat over his waistcoat. The tailcoat had gold around the collar and wrists, and he also wore black high waisted breeches with gold buttons, long white socks, black leather shoes, and a white cravat.

"I must say, Stephen, you clean up better than I expected," I said with a nervous chuckle.

He grinned and held my hand, leading me into the palace to find our seats.

"You look gorgeous," he said as we walked. I gazed at him with a smile, admiring the color of his eyes and the freckles underneath them.

After half an hour of waiting in our seats, the curtains opened to reveal a full orchestra on stage. I tightened my grip on Stephen's hand in excitement. He didn't seem to mind, though. Watching all of the musicians with their instruments made me feel at home; so much so that the cacophony of the orchestra tuning was enough to make my heart swell.

At last, the concert began with the overture from Le Nozze di Figaro. The energy of the orchestra immediately captivated me in a way that made my heart beat faster and faster and my smile anything but subtle. I was highly impressed by the balance of the instruments of high timbre with those of lower ones, as well as the near flawless dynamics. While I observed the musicians, I appreciated the way they moved with the humor of the music and how they phrased along with their movements. There was no doubt that I was in awe of the entire orchestra. This entire evening!

Succeeding the astounding opening to the performance, the orchestra played a whole collection of Mozart's compositions, including the first movement of his Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, the first of the Clarinet Concerto in B Flat Major, the third movement of the Horn Concerto No. 4 in E Flat Major, and his Requiem in D Minor. Now, it was unfortunately time for the last piece of the evening. When I looked at Stephen in the middle of the applause, I was pleased to find him as enthusiastic as I. Our gazes met as the cheers died down, and we only smiled at each other, but that was enough to know that we were nothing but happy to be in each other's company.

The final piece of the evening began with an arpeggio in the lower woodwinds, and then a steady pulse. As soon as I recognized it, I let out a timid gasp. The piece was the third movement of Mozart's Serenade No. 10 in B Major, and it never failed to make me feel as if I was floating. I liked to imagine that the oboe and clarinet solos in the beginning were used to represent what love feels like, even though I hadn't had the grace of knowing the feeling. Just as those solos reprised themselves in the middle of the piece, Stephen leaned close to me.

"Daphne," he whispered.

I turned around to become caught in his loving gaze.

"Yes, darling?"

"Can I, maybe, kiss you?"

A warm smile formed on my lips as I nodded.

"Most certainly," I responded, my voice more of a dreamlike sigh than a whisper.

My eyes fell shut, and I soon felt the warmth of Stephen's lips on mine. My tense shoulders relaxed, for we were now only two lovers caught in the sweet melody of a clarinet solo.

When we pulled away, I found myself unable to open my eyes for some seconds afterwards. Only when Stephen caressed my cheek was I able to meet his gaze again. He wore the same expression as I; a soft smile with dreamy eyes and blushing cheeks. Without a word, we turned and enjoyed the last few minutes of music. Our hands still entwined, of course.

Laughter echoed in the foggy January night as Stephen and I exited the palace. We couldn't stop babbling about how utterly fantastic the orchestra played.

"I've never enjoyed a symphonic concert so much in my life!" Stephen exclaimed. "I'm so glad I chose this for our first date."

"You certainly know how to show a lady a good evening," I said between giggles.

"How about we take a walk? Not just to the garden, but somewhere far away where we can be alone."

Smiling, I took both of his hands in mine and watched his cheeks turn several shades brighter than my makeup.

"I can think of no better way to keep this pleasurable night going. My darling, we shall walk until we feel our limbs about to fall, and then we will dance in the fog."

Both of us began to laugh and giggle again as we began our lengthy journey. Our conversation made the minutes turning into an hour seem like only a few seconds. Soon enough, Stephen and I had arrived at a quiet, solemn street with no light except for the dim lanterns outside the buildings.

"I quite like this, don't you?" I asked.

I barely saw Stephen nod in the darkness.

Just as I had begun looking through the windows of the buildings, I felt Stephen wrap his arms around my waist. The feeling sent a shiver down my spine. He turned me around so that I was facing him and once again, I was caught in the galaxy of his eyes. I glanced down at his lips, then quickly back to his eyes, my cheeks hot.

As if he could read my thoughts, Stephen moved his hands so that he held my face in them, and kissed me. My heart soared in the softness of his lips and the warm feeling of his body so close to mine. My hands trembled as they caressed his hair. I was left yearning for more when my lips drifted from his. He looked down with a bashful smile.

"Sorry," he mumbled with a dry chuckle. "I just. . . I've wanted to do that since the concert."

"Trust me, there's no need for you to apologize."

His smile turned into a regretful sigh, which led me to worry I had done something unpleasant.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

"The other day, I came to buy my clothes. I saw you from a distance with your fiance and I saw how much he cares about you--and I know I shouldn't have kept watching, but I saw him kiss your cheek and everything. It really sucked."

"I beg your pardon?"

"The word 'sucked' means it was. . . it wasn't good."

"I see. Well, my darling, I do regret that you had to see that. You know how it is for me, though. I have to let him be affectionate towards me because I can't have people suspecting that I languish in a loveless engagement."

I grinned and turned his chin up with a finger. He looked at me with a pleading expression.

"You know perfectly well that the only man who has bewitched my heart and mind is you. Only you. Don't let Herr Leitner's feelings for me intimidate you."

We stood silent in the dim candlelight, gazing at each other. Yearning for each other.

"You look so beautiful tonight," he whispered.

I smiled but softly and took his hand to my lips. Stephen was blushing madly when I looked back up at him.

"I just remembered," he began, "you still owe me a dancing lesson. I already picked the perfect song."

"Are there still ballroom dancing pieces in the future?"
"Not exactly. But the song I have in mind always reminded me of ballroom dancing for some reason."

I stood with a puzzled expression as he pulled out his device and began to play a piece that started with a surprisingly pleasant string introduction.

"This is called All My Life by K-Ci and JoJo. I think you'll like it."

As a pulse began in the music, I smiled and curtsied, indicating that the dance was starting. Stephen quickly bent into a bow and took my hand.

I walked hand in hand with him to the pulse of the piano motif. To my most pleasant surprise, he wrapped a hand around my waist and dipped me along with the introduction of the strings again--three descending notes that made me close my eyes out of the adrenaline that rushed into my heart. When Stephen pulled me up again, I found a feeling in me, as if my stomach was being tied up in knots.

"I thought you didn't know how to ballroom dance," I remarked breathlessly.

"I don't. . . I just really wanted to do that."

All throughout the first verse of the piece, I led his hands to wherever the dance called for. Sometimes they were on my waist, and other times simply entwined with mine. We spent the entire time giggling as lovers do, but also because he kept stepping on my toes and tripping on my dress.

Once the chorus played, I placed his right hand on my waist and set my right hand so that it was barely touching the side of his face, and we spun in circles all around the cobblestone path lit bronze by warm candlelight. Stephen bit his lip to keep his concentration on the dance, and his brows narrowed when he couldn't quite find the right place to step.

I whispered to him, "Don't look at the ground," I took his hand and stretched it out as we spun, "Only look into my gaze."

Our eyes were locked, caramel brown in mine with all shades of the ocean in his. The next few parts of the piece went more gracefully. I gently swayed my waist along with the music and smiled at how comfortable his hand felt in mine. As we danced I would whisper commands.

"Take my hands."

"Spin me."

"Follow my gaze."

"Lift me up and spin me."

"Wait, what?" he responded with panic in his tone.

"Lift me up. Don't worry, you could never hurt me."

I let out a small gasp when I felt his firm grip around my waist, and then a blissful smile when my feet left the ground and I was spun around slowly, allowing the romantic evening air to fill my lungs with all its ecstasy. My eyes closed, leaving only the feeling of warmth around my waist and of Stephen's shoulders that I held onto as I spun.

I met his gaze only when my feet touched the ground again, and the song had faded, allowing us to feel and hear nothing but each other. I took those seconds to admire every aspect of his face, just as I did most times when I looked at him.

At last, he broke the silence.

"You're amazing," he muttered in a low, husky voice that admittedly made heat rush to my cheeks.

"Believe me when I say you make me feel as if every second with you is a dream from which I never want to wake," I responded.

"I love the way you talk."

He sighed, looking at the device around his wrist, "Unfortunately, it's getting late. I have to get back to the future for my physics exam tomorrow."

He paused, and then let out a laugh.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, well I said 'back to the future'. It's a movie reference."

"A what?"

"It's a long story. The point is, I have to go now. I would escort you home but I don't think you'd want to be seen with me. And I wouldn't want you to get in trouble because of it."

"Oh, Stephen, I wish to belt from the stage of that concert hall about our courtship and to serenade you with the most romantic pieces I know on my cello, but music was a part of my soul taken from me, and I don't wish to lose you the same way, which would certainly happen if I belted about our affections."

"Shh. . ."

Stephen took my face into his cold hands and kissed me once more, a feeling of which I knew I would have the fondest memories of for the rest of my days.

"I'll come back in a couple of days," he whispered, already taking short steps backward.

"My heart already yearns for you, though you are but a few inches away."

"If you speak another sentence that poetic, I'll have to kiss you again."

"I suppose I'll have to speak this way for the rest of the night, then. The words that come out my fair lips shall be fit for a Shakespearean play about the dashing time traveller and the maiden who he charmed with his eyes the color of nature's most breathtaking miracles, and with his heart purer than the gold the king of France wears upon his head."

I smiled as Stephen walked back over to me and gave me a quick kiss, after which he wrapped his arms around me in a warm farewell embrace.

"I'll be back soon, I promise. I don't know how I'll concentrate in my lectures with you on my mind."

"I think your mind is more than capable of such a feat. Now go on, darling. I'll see you soon."

He kissed my hand, then smiled as he made his way back to wherever he had stationed what he called his "time machine".