They were both laying down watching the sun rays cast on each other's face.

She's beautiful. He thought.

His fingers itched to touch her, touch her smooth and pale skin. Touch those rosey cheeks that always glow due to his effect on her.

He's handsome. She thought.

She frowned wanting to touch him. Kiss him. She wanted to feel him against her. Touch him and make him say those forbidden words to her.

Neither of them said a word and just kept watching the sun shifting from the east to the west slowly.

"Why do ya live in the forest?"

Emerald was taken aback from his sudden question. She always liked talking to him. She liked knowing him. His past. But right now she wanted nothing more than to hide in her beloved cave.

"Why do ya always wear them green dark hoods?"

Her eyes widened as she realized where he was going with these questions.

"Why don't ya let me..... Touch ya?"

This was the last straw as she quickly sat up and watched him.

"Don't look at me like that. Iam curious." He sat up. "Curious to know the girl who I have been meeting for the past sunrises."

Emerald clenched her jaw and looked away. Her heart felt heavy. She didn't have the courage to answer him.

"What are ya hiding?"

Her eyes snapped to him and she stood up.

"N-nothing. Iam hiding nothing. What's with your never ending questions?"

He stood up and dusted his breeches.

"Me? Let's talk about ya Emerald. I want to know... Things about ya. Things that make me question ya." He said getting serious.

She looked down at the ground kicking the small pebbles and rolling them on the sand.

She hated this confession. She hated talking about herself. She hated being asked to. But, she didn't want her admirer to hate her even before the secret was spilled. She didn't want him to think as if she didn't trust him. She wanted him to be comfortable. Comfortable with her.

She took a deep breath and sat back down. Arlen followed her. She looked at her fingers and intertwined them together. Something she does when she's nervous. And Arlen was quick to catch up.

"Ask away. Slowly" she said and gulped wanting to run away.

"Why do ya live in the forest?"

She looked at the sun and then back at him.

"It's my home. My place. Don't know what I am missing on." She shrugged her shoulders as if it was normal.

His eyebrows furrowed and he asked, "If ya need hel-" she put her hand forward in a gesture to stop him.

"Nay. Nay help. Iam good. Gramercy"

He nodded and licked his lips. They felt dry. His mouth felt dry. He was nervous. Nervous of the answers to his curiousity.

"Green hoods?" He said referring to his second question earlier.

"All I have. Next." She replied distantly.

He was utterly confused. Nay home, nay money? How does she live?

"I live just fine Arlen. Me'cy for ya concern but I think we should leave now." She said knowing the battle inside his head.

She stood up, dusting her cost, wore her hood and started walking, leaving a very confused Arlen behind.

"Emerald!" He shouted and jogged up to her. "Why such sudden act? Did ya not like our time spent together?"

She shook her head and smiled widely at him.

"Nay, it's nay that Arlen. Trust me. I had a lovely time with ya. It's just that, I have to reach the forest before..... I-I just have to go. I think it will be for the best."

Before what? He thought confused as to what she meant before she interrupted herself.

Sunset. She looked at the sun which was now slowly moving towards the west. Slowly setting down and causing her heart beat to rise.

"As ya say my lady. As ya say." Arlen smiled at her and started walking forward.

Once they reached the forest Emerald felt relief but it was short living as she saw Arlen sitting on the log.

"So, now as I was saying-" he spoke calmly but was soon interrupted by Emerald who had her heart racing like a track horse and had eyes widened with fear.

"Arlen! Ya can't be h're." She shrieked and slowly stepped away.

He stood up with hurt visible in his eyes.
"Why? Ya said ya wanted to go to the forest before sunset. H're we are. What more do ya need?"

Arlen raised his hands feeling annoyed by his beauty not wanting him around.

"Arlen ya can't be h're. Just leave. Come by tomorrow. I'll see ya. Promise." She spoke with a calm tone hoping he'd leave fast.

He shook his head and took steps towards her to which she obviously took steps back hurting him once again.

"Why do ya not what me h're?" He asked stopping in his steps.

Her eyes widened when she looked the sky behind him. Black. The sky was black. The sun had set. Her fear grew more and she knew she had to do this.

"Arlen! Leave! What more will it take ya to understand? I. Don't. Need. You. Here. Stop being a burden!" She shouted at him with tears pooling in her eyes. She froze when she realized what she had said.

Blank. His face was blank. No emotion. He was hurt deeply hurt. He just stiffly nodded and left without a word.

Her throat felt dry wanting to call out for him. Wanting to tell him that she didn't mean it. But she knew it was for the best.

••••••••••••••••••

Splash!

He splashed his face with cold water and looked at himself in his dirty cabin mirror.

Failed. He thought. You failed her. That's what you're good at. Failing others.

He felt his cheeks growing hot and his eyes feeling heavy.

He didn't want to upset his beauty. He didn't want to be a burden to her. He just wanted to be loved and cared for. He just wanted a friend. Or possibly more than a friend to be with.

He splashed his face again feeling hot tears trailing down his cheeks. He wiped his face with a cloth and looked down leaving his cabin.

He couldn't look at himself in the mirror like that. Too much negativity. He felt negativity surrounding him.

He felt wrong. he shouldn't have asked her those questions. He knew they would trigger her as she was always very closed off and didn't like to talk about her past that much.

He felt a weird sensation in his heart. It hurt. Hurt alot thinking that he might have failed the only good thing that ever happened to him.

Will she hate me now? He thought and shut his eyes tightly while laying in his uncomfortable rug.

Will she treat me like others now?

He had a thousand thoughts running through his mind right now. All being different yet being the same. Negative. They were all negative.

He felt shadows of his demons surrounding him. Lurking around in the dark of his cabin.

He shut his eyes tightly not wanting to think about the green eyed beauty anymore.

It hurt thinking about her. For the first time, her thought was what he was hoping to avoid.