DISCLAIMERS: Don't own them, won't make money out of this, don't sue.
USUAL AUTHOR NOTES: When I read it I realized it's more of the same... I just love writing more of the same about these two... sorry :sigh:
Also remember that English is not my natural language so, please, be nice with my awful grammar (constructive criticism on the subject is GREATLY appreciated and should be submitted to my e-mail, thanks )

Loving Light

The real problem was that agony was just part of it. There were times when he thought it would finally overwhelm him and he'd just give up, that his heart would finally break so he wouldn't have to feel this way anymore. Then she came shining by, all pink and sweet, and beautiful. He had to admit it, his heart could never break because of her, despite the agony; she was what kept his heart beating.
She had managed to get through adolescence staying true to her inner self, happy and still innocent in a way, even as life has touched her, and made her grow up. She had kept the inner light in her, and her eyes kept smiling every time her lips did so, and she'd kept running to him every time she saw him. She was still her Stephanie, now a lovely young woman, but still herself. And so, he had inevitably fallen in love with her.
"Sportacus!"
There she was again, running towards him, bathed in the morning sun like an angel, making his heart ache and his lips smile and his body want to swirl and jump.
"Hi Stephanie," he greeted, and then proceeded to somersault his way to her side.
"Hi," she greeted back, and hugged him as she used to do now. Her hair was waist long now and its ends slightly tingled his arm as he held her just a little longer than he should, breathed a little deeper than he should, closed his eyes... Mint. She smelled like mint, the apple shampoo of her childhood days long since gone and replaced. Anyone who only saw her would think that she smelled of strawberries, but he knew better, and that made him strangely proud.
Embarrassed by his thoughts he let her go suddenly, and intently looked at his feet, missing her hurtful expression.
"Doing your morning exercises?"
"Yup, running a bit," she answered. "Do you want to join me?" it wasn't a question. She took his hand in hers, dragging him along. It was as if she knew he could never deny her anything.
"I assume you had a proper breakfast," he said, already jogging along.
"Sportacus..." Stephanie slightly rolled her eyes at him, "I'm not a little girl anymore..."
His perfect smile flickered a little before he could respond, forcing his usual charm out.
"I know... but you still need energy, and only eating properly could give you that, you-" he began saying, but suddenly Stephanie stopped in front of him and put her hand over his mouth to make him quiet.
His heart began beating so fast he had to stop talking; he could only look at her wonderfully bright eyes, now at his same level, and listen to her voice saying, "I ate properly, okay? Sports candy, cereals and milk."
"Very good" he managed to say, moving his lips under her fingers.
"I learned from the best," she winked at him before resuming her jogging. "Let's go."
'I really have to do something about this…' he thought before joining her.

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It wasn't like him to be up this late in the night, but he just couldn't sleep. He had tried every trick he knew: lying very still and counting sheep, drinking warm milk… nothing seemed to work, he eventually ended up remembering the feeling of Stephanie's hand on his mouth, the urge to kiss her so powerful it astonished him.
He wasn't supposed to feel this way, Stephanie was his friend and he was her slightly above average hero, it just wasn't right. And there was the age thing.
'I can't stay here,' he thought, trying hard to convince himself. 'The kids are all grown up now, they hardly need me anymore… I need to leave Lazy Town before… I need to leave'
His decision taken, he was finally able to sleep. His dreams filled with mint scented angels made of light.

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"Leaving?" Stephanie's eyes were filled with disbelief. "Yes." Sportacus said, trying to avoid her stare and finding himself once again unable to do so.
He had talked to Mayor Meanswell early in the morning. The Mayor had tried to persuade him but in the end understood his reasons and bid him good bye and good luck while Ms. Busybody soundly wept by his side. He had smiled at her and offered her a handkerchief before leaving the office.
He had found Stephanie sitting under a tree, absentmindedly biting an apple while reading a book. She was wearing a long pink skirt and a matching sleeveless top that highlighted nicely her delicate features. He'd sighed, desperately fighting the knot in the pit of his stomach, and slowly approached her.
And now that she looked at him, he found himself lacking the strength to go away. The deep sadness of her eyes cutting his soul in two.
"Why are you leaving?" her voice sounded as broken as her eyes.
"This town is fine now, you are all grown up good, even Ziggy learned to control his anxiety for candies. You don't need me anymore, maybe somewhere else they do," he tried to smile and sound calm but managed to do neither.
Stephanie was silent for a while, staring past him at a point far away on the horizon. Then she slowly, deliberately, looked at him in the eyes, cold blue against the warmth of soft chocolate brown ones.
"Is it because of me?" she asked then.
"What?" a surprised Sportacus asked, dumbfounded by the strength of her voice.
"It is a simple question, Sportacus. Are you leaving because of me?"
A hero always tells the truth and Sportacus was, after all, a hero.
"Yes," he answered, but couldn't keep looking at her in the eye.
"You… am I that repulsive to you?"
"Stephanie… you don't understand…"
"I know I used to be a burden to you sometimes, but I thought… I thought…" her soul was leaking through her eyes, one drop at a time, her cheeks burning red with shame and frustration "I worked so hard to be always what you wanted me to be, I worked so hard to keep smiling and trying… because I thought one day, when I grew up enough, you'd…"
He couldn't take it any longer. His arms flew around her and he pulled her in, holding her tight against him while she cried.
"Stephanie… I don't… you just don't know it, do you?" he stepped back a little, enough to look at her. She avoided his eyes at first, but he put a finger under her chin and softly lifted up her face. "You were never a burden to me, you have never been a burden to anyone around here. You are such a beautiful person, you brought nothing but happiness to this town and everyone on it. You woke up everyone, not only their bodies, you touched they soul, made them alive. You touched my heart, made me alive. You couldn't be repulsive, not even if you wanted to. Not for me, not for anyone."
"Then stay."
"I… can't," his reassuring smile faded away.
"Then I really don't get it. You don't despise me, you say that I'm important to you… why do you want to go away?"
"Because I…" he wished he could look away, escape the charm of her eyes, lie to her, run away. He could do nothing. Stephanie slowly took his hand, understanding slowly lighting up her face.
"Sportacus…" she said softly "Please stay with me."
"Steph… I'm not supposed to..."
"You're not supposed to what?"
It wasn't only his commitment to truth that made him speak then but also that his being couldn't keep hiding it.
"Heroes shouldn't have hearts to love… I shouldn't love you like this, you are my friend, my partner… and you deserve so much more, Stephanie… so much more."
"More than you?!" something close to exasperation dyed her voice but her eyes sparkled with love and happiness "More than a man who loves me, would never lie to me and is willing to leave to protect me even though he wants to stay with me? How could anybody, anywhere, anytime be more than you?" Her whole body was quivering, but she didn't care. "Sportacus, I love you, I… love you!" she shook his hand to emphasize her words, and then began to laugh as she threw her arms around him. "I love you…"
"I can't…" he said, but began to softly caress her hair nevertheless.
"Do you love me?" she parted a little, looking at him in the eyes.
"Yes, Stephanie, I love you" he nodded cutely, unable not to smile 'love you too much, too much…'
"Then there's a way. We can be together. You can stay here, stay with me," she laced her fingers into his. "And you can love me as I love you."
He stared for some seconds at their entwined hands, how could be wrong something that felt this good?
"It's not going to be easy, Steph… there'll be many people that will never accept... us."
"I know. I'm willing to face them all, to face it all as long as you are with me, as long as I have you. Do I have you?"
The strength of her words made his heart skip a beat and he brought her close to kiss her forehead.
"You have me Stephanie."

There's always a way.