Aly had lost something, something very important. Where the hell are you, Nawat? The couple had gone on a spontaneous road trip to the city and Aly had stepped away for one second, one measly little second, to find a restroom, but now she had no idea where he was.
"Nawat?" she called out, looking down another cobblestoned street. Ugh, can't even call him. He just had to leave his phone at home… She looked around at the stores lining the picturesque lanes. The city was old quiet, full of crowded little cafes and overflowing flower pots in front of nearly every doorstep. There were people talking on their stoops and couple walking hand in hand, completely oblivious to the rest of the world. Like we should be doing…
Aly's phone rang. Checking the screen, she saw it was her mom. Again. Sure I only texted her about the trip when we were halfway here and sure I forgot to tell her exactly where we're going but twenty calls? In an hour? This is why I need to seek out independence, mother! I'm almost legally an adult, she can't keep bothering me! And I told her we'd be back tonight…
Aly huffed in annoyance, yanking her hair out of the hair tie and pulling it into a messy bun. This isn't even worth the scolding I'll get later if Nawat isn't even with me. She took a random turn into another another little alley. Hah, Aly in an alley. She wandered down the street, taking a quick stop to peer into an antique store. Continuing down the alley, Aly found that it led to a sunny courtyard with a fountain in the middle. There was someone sitting at the edge of the fountain, surrounded by crows and a few other birds. Of course. Follow the birds and you'll find Nawat. Nawat always carried a ziplock full of bread crumbs and bird feed with him. Always. In fact, that was the only other thing he'd had other than his boxers when they'd first met. She'd run into him, literally, on a midnight jog she'd taken to escape her mom for a while. He was coming off of a bad high and was completely disoriented. Aly had helped him to the hospital and visited him in his recovery and they soon got quite close. Her parents, namely her mother, strongly disapproved of their friendship, so it was particularly upsetting news to them when the started dating; they considered him a bad influence.
Sighing, Aly walked towards the figure. As she got closer, she saw that it was indeed her boyfriend feeding the squeaking birds. Hearing her come up, he gave her a boyish smile.
"I knew you'd find me!"
Aly sighed again. Standing in front of him, she scowled. "We weren't playing hide-and-seek. Do you know how long it took for me to find you? You don't even have your phone! What if something happened to one of us? Do you ever think about stuff like this?"
Nawat's smile softened. Dumping the rest of his handful of seeds, he reached out for her hand and tugged her down. She reluctantly allowed herself to be pulled to sit next to him. She settled down with a pout, refusing to make eye contact.
"Aly? Aly, sweet? I'm sorry. You're right, I didn't think about what could go wrong. I should have. I just came here to find a nice place for…" Nawat hesitated. Reaching out to twirl a strand of her hair, he took a deep breath looking as if he was preparing what he was going to say next. "I was just wandering around the square you left me at and I guess I went a bit too far. And I guess I forgot that I didn't have my phone."
Aly shook her head with a rueful smile. He seems like he means it. Might as well take what I can get. Sliding closer to him, she put her arm around Nawat and rested her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her and held her tight. Swaying a bit to the strains of light music coming from one of the many cafe's lining the square, he dropped a kiss on her head. They silently watched the birds argue over the few morsels left from Nawat's feast, appreciating the relaxed atmosphere.
"Aly?" Nawat whispered into her hair.
"Yes?" she mumbled softly, turning towards him a bit.
"This is a nice place isn't it?"
"It's beautiful… So peaceful. I want to remember this forever, to be honest."
Nawat stilled. "I hope you will."
He pulled her away a bit and turning them so they were facing each other. Sliding his hand into his pocket, he played around with something in it. And wait, is he blushing?
"What is it, Nawat?" She bent her head, trying to look at his eyes. Pushing a loose strand of hair of his behind his ear, she let her fingers linger on his cheek. He blushed even farther. Gosh he's adorable.
"Well, we've known each other for a long time and we've been together for a long time and I really, really like you and… I love you."
Aly froze. Nawat looked at her in alarm. He loves me? Like, actually loves me? Her face slowly broke out into a smile. "I love you, too." she whispered back. And it was true.
"Honestly? You're not just saying it?" he asked, grinning like a boy again. When she shook her head giggling, Nawat pulled her into a kiss.
Breaking it a couple of minutes later, Nawat pulled something out of his pocket. Taking out a glittering little pouch, he placed it in her hands.
"To commemorate the moment," he explained at her curious look. She untied the little ties and peered inside. Bursting into laughter, Aly upended it to reveal a glass figurine of a crow attached to a gold chain. Nawat chuckled and took it from her, gently drawing it around her neck.
"Do you like it?" he asked between laughs.
She took his face in her hands and pulled him in for another kiss, saying, "I absolutely adore it." Breaking away, she murmured, beaming, "You might even say I love it."
