It was a full moon night. The moon shone with all its splendor and bathed everything in a silvery light. From the edge of the forest, the camp looked serene and quiet. The trees in the forest were aglow with moonlight and for once looked inviting and safe. Never mind all the monsters it housed and all the dangers in there.
Beckendorf and Silena had spread their blanket a little way from the edge of the forest and they lay facing the stars. Their hands almost touching each other.
Silena sighed and said, "Isn't the moon beautiful?"
Beckendorf took his eyes off her long enough to look at the moon.
"Yes, very." He said.
But to him the moon was nothing compared to Silena. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen and she had swept him off his feet. It had taken him all his courage to ask her out and even now their relation ship felt so fragile to him, like it would break if he did anything wrong. Beckendorf had never thought he would ever have a chance with her. She was a daughter of Aphrodite, beautiful and lovely, while he was a son of Hephaestus, big and awkward. One can see how that could have not worked out. But here they were, lying under the stars and he couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe they could have a life together.
She turned to look at him and found him staring at her. Her mouth turned into a slight smile.
"You know, I was talking about the moon. Not me." She said looking into his eyes.
"The moon has flaws." Beckendorf replied in a soft voice.
She turned away from him and said, "So do I Charlie. You just don't want to see them."
Her face looked sad; Beckendorf didn't like this sadness creeping into her. It had been happening a lot lately. When ever he saw her like this, he wanted to help her. He wanted to protect her and make the sadness go away.
"You know I don't care. You know I think you are perfect." He said sitting up.
She sat up and put her hand on his.
"You are only saying this because you don't know any better. I am not perfect, not in the slightest way….."
He leaned in and kissed her. When he pulled back he looked into her eyes and said,
"You are my perfect. I love you and will love you forever."
She looked at him and her eyes had tears in them. She said with a tremble in her voice, "forever…."
He held her close in his arm and said, "forever."
