Prologue

The alley appeared dead as the clocks struck midnight, dark and ominous in the weak moonlight. Not even the quietest of sounds could be heard echoing between the foreboding brick walls, only the chiming of the tower. No wind blew through the trees, their branches nearly barren. Broken and shattered streetlights, few still blinking, lined the empty roadside. The entire area was devoid of cars, people, and other critters that normally filled the streets.

A sudden thundering of footsteps, of shoes clapping loudly against cement, materialized out of the silence. A rather small girl, probably only 5' 2", came sprinting down the pavement, halting directly in front of the entrance to the lifeless alleyway. The dim flickering of a near lamppost lit up her tanned face at intervals, revealing the feminine features of a teenager no older than eighteen or nineteen with onyx eyes that sparkled despite the darkness. She did not appear anxious, as would have most young women in her situation, but instead quite eager. Though she didn't venture to take a step inside, her black orbs searched the alleyway's interior expectantly. It was obvious she was waiting for something.

Or rather, someone. The figure of a tall male emerged from the alley, his bright teal irises gleaming with something akin to relief as they landed on the girl. A warm, genuine smile graced his thin lips, one not dissimilar to his companion's. It was quite an attractive expression, for both of them.

As he came to stand before the girl, one could immediately see the vast differences between the two in appearance. While her pleated skirt and blouse were immaculately clean and her chocolate locks shone, the boy's dreary clothes were stained and tattered and his shaggy black hair matted and dusty. Obviously, they were of very different backgrounds, though that seemed to change little in the loving way they gazed at each other. The way they simply stared, unspeaking, was chilling; it seemed as if they were looking straight into each other's soul.

The young man broke the silence, and his smile, to form two words. "You came."

The only response was the girl scooting nearer, so far to the point where his shallow breaths blew warmth onto her face. A soft smile appeared and she rested her forehead against that of her lover. "Of course I came."

He seemed amused at her reply. "I'd thought they forbid you from ever seeing me again."

"...They did."

"And you're here anyways," the boy pointed out, his grin stretching even wider as he joked, "That's breaking a rule you know. I never would have expected it from you."

She smiled, relieved at the lighthearted change in conversation. "Well, I learned from the best didn't I?" she replied as she wrapped her lithe arms around his neck.

"You know it, Princess."

Giggling, she placed a kiss on his pale cheek, then let her chin fall into the crook of his neck. All too soon, a serious atmosphere settled on the pair. The girl sighed longingly. "I just can't wait until this is over and we can be together at last."

"Neither can I," he agreed and moved his hands to hold her waist. The two fell into a content, though slightly strained silence, basking in the feeling of being in each other's arms.

Of course, it wasn't long until the male felt the urge to continue. "Courtney?"

"Yeah?"

His expression and tone fell a little. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"What are you talking about?"

He looked away in frustration, yet did not move. "I'm talking about our... relationship. If you could even call it that right now. But, what I mean to say is... it's okay if you want to back out now."

Courtney cupped his cheek and slowly shifted his somber face back towards her. Their noses were barely touching. Confusion swam in her eyes as she whispered, "Why would I do that?"

The black haired man huffed in a pained manner, trying again to explain, "It's just, you're so intelligent and determined and I know you could do whatever you want to do and go wherever you want to go in life. And, well," despair trickled into his voice, "I'm just not like that. I don't know anything; I haven't planned out my future like you, Court." His eyes focused solely on the concrete beneath him. "I just might hold you back, or screw up your life in the long run. So, all I'm saying is, I understand why you would feel that way, if you do. Though I hope you don't," he added quietly. Right before he could pull away from her as he had intended, sudden contact between his lips and hers made him stiffen in surprise. It took him a second to register before he kissed back eagerly. But as soon as he did, Courtney pushed away, bringing her finger up to his lips to keep him from speaking.

"Don't worry about me, Duncan. I'll be alright." Swallowing her pride she added, "As long as I'm with you."

Duncan's breath caught in his throat as the words left her mouth. The silence returned for a few moments as he thought of the best way to express how he felt, making her wait with baited breath for his reply, anxious.

"...I love you," Duncan eventually murmured, blushing red as he pulled her close once more.

Courtney was elated by this statement. "I love you too."

And then, with her head tilting upwards and his down, the two closed in, their lips connecting for the second time that evening.

Except this time, it was with more passion than ever before.

A/N:

Thanks for reading. Hope it doesn't suck too much! R&R

-Scraps