The summer was drawing to a close and a cool crisp snap hinted at the beginning of autumn. The fields were tall with golden wheat. Not a moment to soon. The spring had been late and the leaves were starting to change.
     "Jasper! Jaaaaasspeeerr!" A worried mother hollered out of her cabin door. They were by the edge of the wood, the trees beginning to thin before they cleared and cut off abruptly to make way for the wheat fields. She sighed, sweeping her graying hair from off her forehead.
     "Mother you worry to much." A girl chided from just inside, rocking slowly, a hand on her distended belly. "You know Jasper. He will wander in from the wood just at dusk, covered in grass stains with berries on his fingers." She chuckled.
     "Mary Ann he is sixteen. He needs to take on some responsibility.  He can't be a child forever. I just don't know what I'm going to do with him." She shook her head in dismay, closing the door and returning to sit by her daughter.
     Deep in the trees Jasper lay in a patch of sun, filtering through the changing leaves. He hummed, his eyes closed and a smile on his lips. The breeze whispered rumors of the land around him and birds gossiped happily in the canopy. A rustle of dried leaves nearby spoke of a small animal ferreting around. Jasper ignored it, much like the calls of his mother. They didn't bother him. He wanted to enjoy the sun while he could. When the movement shifted to his side, more particularly his haversack, he opened his eyes to catch the thief. He expected a racoon or some other small furry creature. It was not a raccoon.
     He meet a pair of eyes the color of the spring violets. Awfully messy dirty blonde hair stuck up all over the place as a perfect comical O adorned the pink lips. Jasper stared for a moment at the young man rifling through his bag. He was lean, dressed in soft green, his skin peachy and smooth, with dirty bare feet, pointed ears and a mischievous glint in his eyes.
    "Oi! What are you doing?" Jasper finally managed. The other laughed, swiping the pan flute from the bag and running. "G-get back here!" Jasper hollered, taken aback. He took chase, and the stranger laughed as he looked over his shoulder. He leapt, snatching a tree branch and swinging himself up. Jasper skidded to a halt, watching in awe as the boy navigated his way along the limbs, then gasped aloud when the boy touched the trunk. His skin changed, turning bark-like and he melted into the tree without a trace.
     He was a nymph! Jasper circled the tree, touching the bark. "Where did you go?" He said softly.
     "You'll never catch me with that pace!" A cheery voice called. Jasper whipped around to find the nymph hanging, upside-down, from a tree some twenty paces away. He dropped, cat-like and scampered away with a hoot for laughter, waving the flute above his head.
     "Wait!" Jasper called, hurrying to catch up. "Wait up!" But he disappeared again. Pausing for breath he leaned against a tree, a hand on his knees. Nimble fingers skittered around his waist and he was rendered free of his belt. "You!" Jasper yelped whipping around. The nymph was half out of the tree.
     "Gotcha belt!" He giggled, slipping back into the tree as easily as if it had been water. Jasper snatched at him, his palm connecting with the solid trunk. He cursed and stamped his foot, whipping around to see where the foolish creature had gone, his coat falling open. "Don't give up! You were so close!" A voice called. Jasper craned his neck up and his nose bumped against the nymphs as he hung, a knee and and elbow crooked over the branch. He pushed hard at Jasper's chest, catching him off balance and knocking him on his bottom.
    "Ouff," Jasper gasp as he hit the ground. Laughter rang out around him, clear like church bells. It didn't come from a single place, it was as if all the trees and ferns were laughing as well. The nymph was gone again and Jasper scrambled to get to his feet. He would not be bested by some mythical woodland bumpkin!
    "~Strolling through the green fields on a summers day!!~" Jasper spotted the nymph, skipping, one foot in front of the other with his hands above his head as he sang. ~"Watching all the country galls a working at the hay!~" He grinned back at Jasper and took off at a sprint.
     Jasper was quick to follow. He wanted to be angry and annoyed, but he couldn't stop the smile on his mouth as laughter bubbled up from his chest.
     He broke out of the tree line and blinked in the sudden onslaught of full sun. Everything was gold and standing in a halo of light was the nymph. His head was thrown back and he was laughing at the sun. Jasper blinked, and he was gone.
     He stood there and panted for a moment trying to catch him breath as he stared at the spot where the nymph had been....he had been there right? It was all real...right? He reached down and touched at his waist. His belt was gone, leaving his button down coat to hang open. He hadn't imagined that, so he had to be real.
     Slender arms looped around his hips and yanked him to tumble down below the sea of wheat. He gave a shout that caught in his throat. He arched his neck back to get at look at his assailant. The nymph peered at him, upside-down and smiling.
    "You are not very good at chase." He said with a chuckle. He laid Jasper's stolen things next to his head and rolled to lay on his back as well, ear to ear with the young man.
     Jasper just laid there, not sure what to do as he stared up at the blue sky through the bobbing haze of wheat. He reached back to touch the messy head of the nymph. "Who are you?" He asked at last. "Where did you come from?"
     "I have always been here." He answered simply. "This," He extended his arms to both sides, his feet and legs as well. "Is my home!"
     "I've never seen you before."
     "I know, but I've seen you, and your sister, and your mother and your Da and your brother when he comes with his wife and little girl. I like you guys." He said with a wide grin, his eyes squinting shut. "And you, I like you. Your nephew is going to be just like you. Carefree and wild, in touch with the earth around him."
     Jasper rolled to prop himself up, taking his turn to look down at the nymph. "How do you know that?" He asked in shock. Mary Ann's baby wasn't due for another month or so.
     The nymph looked curious at him, his lips parting. "What...do you mean?" He asked. "It is plain as the sun in the sky. You can see it, feel it when you touch her. When you see her does she look happy?"
     "Yes." Jasper said nodding.
     "That's because she knows too, she just doesn't realize it."
     That didn't make any sense! He opened his mouth to argue this, but the words died in his throat as the nymph sat up, their noses almost touching. A pale rose colored blush stole it's way across Jasper's cheeks and neck as he leaned back with a gulp. He could count the individual freaks on his nose, see the flecks of gold spackling the purple eyes. At first he smelled of sun warmed grass, but under he smelled of the morning just after a nights rain.
     "Will you tell me your name?" Jasper asked, his voice shy.
     "Name?" The nymph asked as he leaned in to reclaim the proximity Jasper had put between them.
     "What are you called? If I wanted to address you what should I call you?" He tried to say calmly, his flush deepening, but he didn't lean back this time.
     "I am the trees and the grass, the wind and flowers. The wind sings my name and the birds tell each other of me. I am the earth and the water. Is that what you mean?" Jasper shook his head. "Then, what are you called?" The nymph asked.
     "Jasper."
     "You are the rocks." The nymph said, seeming to catch on.
     "No, I'm just Jasper. The nymph leaned back, his head cocked to one side and Jasper actually laughed at the look of confusion on his face. "It is something simple, that you are given when you are born so people can call for you." Jasper tried to explain.
     "Then, I want one. So, Jasper, what will you call when you want me?"
     Jasper was taken aback and blushing more than ever, for reasons he himself wasn't quite sure of. "I-I I don't know? I don't know you, how can I give you a name?"
     The nymph pouted and looked away. "But now I want one? How am I too get one, I have no mother! You must think of one." He said crossing his arms and looking back at Jasper. "Until then," He gave Jasper a firm shove to lay him back down. "I want to hear about you. You are curious and I'm very interested in your kind. I hardly ever see animals like you."
     Jasper snorted with laughter and obliged. A gentle flow of back and forth followed, the conversation was easy and Jasper found himself laughing, arguing, and even agreeing with the nymph. Somewhere between arguing and agreeing he'd reached back and hooked the tips of his fingers on Jasper's and he didn't mind. The touch was warm and comforting. He felt so close to this stranger, this very strange stranger and as the sky turned red he knew he'd have to go, but he didn't really want to.
     "Jaaaaasspeeerr!"
     "That's my mother." He said softly, his heart sinking. 
     "She worries about you, all the time. She is overwhelmed by you."
     "It's because, I'm different, from my brother and sister." The words fell from his tongue bitter and sour.
     "There is nothing wrong with different." The nymph said plaintively. Jasper gave a hollow laugh that died when he found the nymph laying on top of him, resting their foreheads together and nuzzling his nose to his cheek. "I mean it. It's why I like you. Nature loves variation, society is the one who hates it."
     Slowly, tentatively, Jasper reached up to cup the smooth freckled cheek. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to enjoy the feeling of acceptance and love. It was almost alien to him.
     "You asked me what I'd like to call you; may I call you, Love?" He whispered, afraid to be heard.
     "I like that. I like that a lot, Jasper."
     Jasper opened his eyes to look into the purple gaze just inches away. He parted his lips as he took a short quick breath and Love moved closer. He watched, holding his breath as Love learned in and captured his trembling lips in a warm embrace.
     Dusk had fallen and moved into night. The stars shone bright and clear in the velvety blue and black sky. Jasper cautiously opened the cabin door and stepped into the light of the fireplace, a lamp lit on the table. He had grass stains on his pants, his hair had small bits of straw in it and he carried his belt.
     "Where have you been!?" His mother chided, throwing down her knitting to cross her arms at him. "Look at the state of you."
     "I'm sorry." He said sheepishly, he was still smiling, a pink coloring his skin. "I met Love in the forest and lost track of time."