I was listening to Mumford & Sons' 'Awake My Soul'.

Why she had chosen a male partner when she had such a phobia for men; she really didn't understand. She only knew that when she heard him playing, she had felt safe in that dark, melancholic sound. His shocking appearance didn't deter her either. If anything, she was intrigued by it and offered her hand to the strange boy.

Why she had invited him into her home upon learning he had nowhere to stay besides the dorms completely eluded her. In her infinite fourteen year old wisdom, she forced her Papa to put him as a permanent resident at the apartment. Wasn't she was just setting herself up for disappointment when he left?

She kept creating situations for him to leave. Every opportunity he brushed off saying it wasn't cool, or he was too lazy. When she felt the fear gripping her heart during their fight with Blair, she realized she was in over her head. She would play that scene over and over in her head for weeks but she could never understand why he hadn't left.

Eventually, she began to seek him out for other activities besides training or school. They were more than just weapon and meister. They were friends but he held a greater portion of her heart than Tsubaki or the Thompson sisters. She began to adjust her behaviors and habits to ease or please him. Just one smile from him could make her day.

When she realized that changes in herself, she grew worried. Her old fears resurfaced and she reverted. More violent retaliations and less compromising. She watched as he was just left confused. She wondered if he had even noticed her changes she had made for him. That thought made me angry. Then it just made her sad.

She wondered if she was being fickle. She demanded trust from him but afforded him none. Every comment he made, she looked for a hidden derogatory meaning. Every phrase he uttered, she questioned the legitimacy of. Why was she so weak that the thought of him leaving, deceiving, or demeaning her left her near useless.

It had been a warm summer day they both had off. She was laying on the couch reading ahead in the textbook for the next couple of classes when she heard the light melody drifting from his room. His fingers teased out a soothing string of tones from the acoustic guitar that could make even her forget about homework. She didn't get any work done for the rest of the day.

Slowly but surely she was opening her heart and soul to him. Their soul resonance was getting deeper and stronger. In that state, she would catch glimpses of his thoughts. They ranged from his favorite foods to his deepest fears. He had noticed lately all of his favorite foods had been stocked in the kitchen.

The day she realized he had always been completely open to her, she ran. During a training session, she saw in their soul resonance the depth of his devotion to her. She suddenly knew he would never leave. She was so stunned she fell out of resonance. Then she had run off into the forest, her mind full and empty at the same time.

He hadn't said anything when she returned. She realized he could probably see into her soul during resonance too. She confessed how scared she was. He just took her hand as they sat on the couch. They sat all night and into the morning. And she knew. Just as he did.