Just a little something that's been in my mind lately.

Not telling you what the bold and italics mean until the bottom. No peeking. It'll make the reading so much more fun.

Listen to "To Whom It May Concern" by The Civil Wars while reading.

I remember that day so clearly.

I'll never forget the way you smiled at me.

She was young, a girl on the verge of adulthood. She could feel the freedom as she reached for it, igniting her fingertips with its flames. Each bar stool she touched caused sparks of nerves to erupt in her chest and stomach, adding fuel to the fire that was starting to burn inside her. She was an outsider here, but she wanted to be there so badly it hurt.

Call me crazy, but I had to know. I had to know who you were.

He was older, but not by much. A year or two at least, but it didn't stop him from feeling like he was so much younger. Every time he walked into his local bar, he felt like time spun backwards to the first time he stepped foot in the establishment. The smell, the people, the place hadn't changed. It was home. He belonged here with the day-drunks and longing words.

I had no idea what to expect. You blew me away.

As she walked, she could feel the stares on her. She ignored them the best she could, but she wasn't used to being the center of attention like she was now. It was strange, and exhilarating at the same time.

She let her eyes wander over the faces, looking for that certain one. Though she had never spoken to this person, she couldn't help but search for them. She could always pick out those green eyes that bored into hers from across the room in her history class. The look gave her a jolt of unknown feelings in the pit of her stomach.

You didn't even know how much of an effect you had on me. I didn't, either.

A bottle was placed in front of him, stopping him from drowning in the thoughts of what he had to do to prepare for the next day. But with the bottle came relief. It slipped inside of him as he took a drink, calming him. It was nearly empty when he slammed it back down on the bar-top. His eyes caught the blue ones of the bartender, signaling for another.

Cold air touched his back, causing him to glance over his shoulder at the walkway that led to the other section of the bar. He couldn't see what caused the cold, there were too many drunken men playing pool, but he felt different. Almost complete.

Funny, isn't it? I hadn't even spoken to you, and yet you complete me.

She pushed her way through the people, beer-smelling air swirling around her as she walked. Her eyes were connected on a lone boy sitting at the bar. She couldn't tell if it was her green eyed stranger or not, but it looked like him. He sat like the boy did in her class. And her body was buzzing, almost in anticipation. She wanted to run to where he sat so she could pull his face towards her to stare into his eyes.

She prayed that they were the green ones that burned her.

You made me so crazy.

Another bottle was placed in front of him as the music changed. His body wanted him to turn away from the bar so he could watch for whoever opened the door and made him feel like this. But he resisted. He knew it was only his imagination messing with him as it mixed in with the alcohol in his system.

Those two shots he took with his brother before he arrived were taking its hold on his mind now with the added alcohol. Or so he thought.

I didn't know you were what I needed at the time. God… I wished I did.

Butterflies were attacking the inside of her stomach as she continued her walk through the bar. She was so close now that she was almost afraid. What if it wasn't him? What if it was and he didn't want her? All of this could be for nothing, and she didn't know how she would feel about that. Ashamed? Mad? Mad at whom – him or herself? She didn't have a clue.

I almost ran. Almost.

Footfalls echoed in his ears, drowning out the music from the other room. He didn't dare look up as a stranger sat two stools down from him, placing their jacket on the bar-top beside them. They sat there for a while before asking, "Can I have a beer, please?"

Your voice… To this day, it still is as beautiful as the first time I've heard it.

The bartender looked at her like she was crazy. It took her a minute to realize that she didn't look her age, so she pulled out her ID before handing it to him. He gave her a nod before handing it back to her and walking over to the cooler. She kept her eyes down as she placed her ID back in her pocket, but she could feel the boy's presence.

I didn't know what to say. You intimidated me.

He continued to glare down at the scratched bar-top, but couldn't help a glance up when the bartender set down the bottle in front of her. And that was all it took.

I was blown away. You were so beautiful, still are.

She could feels eyes on her again, but this time they didn't send her running. They burned her, just like the green eyes of her stranger did. When she turned her head in the boy's direction, she was met with them, and those same feelings erupted in her chest and stomach.

It was you. I was so relieved.

It felt like he couldn't breathe as he took in the beauty sitting next to him. Her brown hair was lightly curled as it framed her heart-shaped face. Her soulful brown eyes were the same eyes he stared into whenever she spoke quietly in class.

It was the girl he wanted for so long, but knew he could never have.

I was a fool for thinking that I didn't deserve you.

His eyes were staring into hers. Those green eyes that she dreamed of every night were looking at her like they weren't strangers, but like they felt so much more for her than she could ever know.

She wanted to know what he felt – she longed to know. But what would he think of her for blurting out a question like that? He would run for sure.

Would you have run?

He knew he should say something before he scared the beautiful girl away, but words failed him.

I really wanted to say how beautiful you were, but words didn't seem enough.

A blush had crept its way on her cheeks, painting them a perfect shade of pink. She didn't know what to say, or what to do when they finally did have to speak.

We were both so shy…

"Who are you?" he finally heard himself say. He almost wanted to smack his hand across his mouth for blurting it out like that, but stopped himself when he heard a reply.

"Bella," she said. "We have history together."

I laughed at that, but so did you. We didn't know how true that statement was then.

"You sit in the back row on the other side of the lectern. You barely say anything, but, when you do, it's like you captivate the entire room," he said with wonder.

Her blush deepened as his words lay through her. She couldn't contain the smile that wanted to erupt out on her face from his praise. He didn't have any idea how captivated she was by him.

I was so captivated. You have no idea.

"Thank you," she replied in the same quiet voice she used in the classroom.

It was strange for someone to be so quiet around him in the rowdy bar, but he embraced the silence because he was near her. For once, he didn't have to stare at her longingly from across the room.

"You're welcome," he replied as he slid onto the bar stool next to hers. He didn't want to intrude, but there was something pulling him closer to her that he couldn't resist.

I had to be near you. I didn't know why then, but I do now.

She smiled at her green eyed stranger. "You never told me your name."

"Oh, sorry. I'm Edward." He held out his hand for her, and she gladly took it. "Nice to meet you officially, Bella."

It was so nice to meet you finally.

Sparks ignited from their touch, causing them both to pull away at the same time. Two pairs of wide eyes in different colors looked into each other, both questioning what had just happened between them.

"Did you…?" he asked.

I was hoping you had.

"Yes. You?" she replied.

Me, too.

"As crazy as it seems, I did."

Crazy… Understatement. More like wonderful.

Before she could think about what she was doing, she reached for his hand, grasping it tightly in hers. The sparks flared up immediately from their touch.

I couldn't name what I felt at the time, but I can now. Can you?

He placed his free hand over their clasped ones and stared down at where they were joined with those same wide eyes that stared into hers. "What does it mean?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I have no idea."

We didn't know. Until now.

They were closer now as they both gazed down at their clasped hands. She could feel his breath on the skin of her forehead, and when she looked up, she met those piercing green eyes that burned her in all the right places.

I could see your love that day. I bet you didn't know that.

He licked his lips as his eyes caught a glance of her pink lips. He knew that kissing her was a horrible idea, but that didn't stop him from wanting to. For just having met her officially, it felt like they had somehow known each other for longer than that, and who was he to deny that type of feeling? Didn't his mother always warn him to keep his heart open? He only wanted to follow his mother's advice, so sue him for not thinking rationally.

I thought about my mother before I kissed you. I bet you didn't know that.

She gasped as his lips moved closer to hers. What would happen if he kissed her? Would he turn away and claim that it was a horrible mistake? Or would she? What if he wasn't the one with the burning eyes?

I was a nervous wreck as you moved closer. But you stopped my thoughts.

Their lips touched, the sparks moving from their clasped hands to where their lips touched. He pulled back a little before he noticed that her eyes had fallen closed and her body language was begging for more.

He let go of her hand and cupped her face, pulling it back to his. Their lips crashed together in a heated kiss, beating out all the other first kisses he had in his lifetime.

Best first kiss.

She kissed him back with just as much passion that he gave her. Her hands were tangled in his beautiful bronze hair, pulling and tugging as they continued to kiss in the middle of a public place.

Finally, she had to breath. They pulled away from each other after untangling their hands from each other's bodies, shocked eyes staring into one another.

By far.

"I-" he tried to apologize, but she silenced him with a soft kiss.

"Don't," she said softly. "It was right."

And it was.

He smiled at her as he stood, throwing a twenty down for a tip. He shrugged back into the leather jacket he brought with him before grabbing hers. She carefully slid into it as he held it open for her before turning back to him with questioning brown eyes.

"If we're going to kiss before we actually know one another, then I think I owe you dinner," he replied to her with a smirk. "If you agree to it, of course."

You were a cocky bastard, but I liked it too much to care.

She smiled at him, her own cocky attitude shining through. "You could have at least paid for my drink for that, but I guess dinner will make up for that."

He chuckled at the beautiful girl before grasping onto her hand tightly. He didn't want to let her go now that he finally had her.

And I haven't let you go. Never will.

She let him pull her away from the bar, but she promised herself to never forget her bravest moment of searching him out. She was proud of herself for it, and she hoped that, someday, they could come back to this place as one.

It's our place now. And I'll never you let go, either.

He had the girl, now all he needed was to make her see his love. He hoped that dinner tonight would lead to many more so she could see just how much he wanted her to be a part of his life. No more staring from a far, he had her.

Forever.

And always.

I bet most of you can guess who the bold and italicized words were. Bold was our boy, Edward, and italicized was our blushing girl, Bella.

What did you think?