A short one-shot about how our favorite gray-eyed heroine figures out her feelings for our beloved Seaweed Brain. Just a pinch of fluff. Just a pinch.

AU.

Acquaintance

They make an arrangement to sneak out at night while the others are asleep. She knows his hotel room number and he knows hers. It was decided that they would go take a walk around Amsterdam to visit all the key points at one o'clock in the morning. Of course, it wasn't a date or anything, for she had a boyfriend and he had recently broken up with his girlfriend. It was supposed to be a friendly walk, a friendly activity. They were just taking a tour of the foreign town as two close friends. Oh, little did she know what he was planning. They had been friends for a long time now, joined together by the rigorous sport of swimming. They both shared a talent in that sport, and because of that, were able to land a spot on their school's traveling team to the Netherlands to compete at an international meet. It was all thanks to swimming why they were here and why they had such a strong, unique friendship.

When her fellow female swimmers/roommates were finally asleep, she tiptoed around the room to prepare herself. She dressed comfortably, yet stylishly as always, fully clad in dark clothing, which was her preference. She had put on dark gray leggings, a black denim button-down and over that, a black fisherman's knit sweater. She throws on her dark blue overcoat after tying her sneakers. She double-checked herself in the mirror to see if her wavy blonde hair is the way she wanted it to be. Everything about her appearance must be perfect, she thinks. Strangely, for no valid reason, her heart is thumping quite loudly. What is this feeling?

~o0o~

He is waiting for her in the hallway of their hotel, leaning against the wall with his head tilted towards his shoes. Oh, just look at him. Look at how charming his dark, tousled hair seemed. And his eyes, oh, his eyes. Whenever she looks at them she feels as if she were falling into a pair of emerald green pools.

He looks up automatically when he hears her footsteps and gives her a foolish grin when she meets his eyes. She grins back, and for some reason, she feels a blush creep up into her cheeks. What was wrong with her?

"Shall we go?" he whispers, his special grin never leaving his face. In response, she merely nods shyly and smiles.

~o0o~

They are walking alongside one of the numerous canals in Amsterdam. The streets are ablaze and humming with open cafes and the chatters of late night couples going out for a rendezvous sounds pleasant to their ears. The dim orange lights of the cafes and stores highlights the sharp features of his face, bringing out his nose and the hollows of his cheeks. She can't help but noticing how perfect he is as they walk silently for the first few minutes.

The air is chilly and the wind is blowing. Her hair is whipped up by the strong breeze. She shivers slightly, stuffing her hands into her pockets.

He finally strikes up a conversation, and they begin talking about many things as they walk. First, they start talking about swimming and how new of an experience it was for them to compete at such a grand competition. But later, their young souls begin craving for more and their curiosity opens up a whole different conversation. Gradually, they begin talking about other things. School. Friends. Hobbies. Childhoods. Dreams. Life. They become deeply engaged in the conversation and learn so much about the other. The atmosphere of the young couple becomes more relaxed and heated up, both of them falling harder in love with the one beside them, without the other knowing. They start copying what the other one does, absentmindedly, as all lovers do. Laughing when she is, smiling when he is. They have a great time.

As they continue their conversation and stroll, she realizes that he is leading both of them to a quieter place. They seem to be in an alley where two tall buildings have formed a small gap. He stops. So does she. He turns around to face her completely and she loses herself in his eyes once more. Two mesmerizing, green eyes look back at her but this time, they are swirling darkly, full of emotions that she fails to recognize. Desire. Wanting.

They have stopped their conversations and the only sound they are able to hear are their own harsh breaths, blowing out puffs of steam. One breathing as hard as the other, their hearts slamming in their chests in unison. Her back is to the brick wall and he is facing her. He begins to take small steps towards her, the space between them slowly diminishing. Her mind is swirling. What are they doing? Didn't she love another boy? However, she realizes that that is not the case. She begins to discover how unhappy she is with her current boyfriend. It is clear that he loves her more than she loves him. It is a one-sided relationship and she had wanted to end it ever since they started dating. She never loved him. She understands now that that was because she had always been madly in love with another boy. The boy currently standing right in front of her. The boy with the hypnotizing green eyes.

He places his arm against the brick wall, securing the way out, in case she tried to escape. She doesn't because the feeling that he feels towards her is met by an equivalent amount from her.

He takes another step. His muscular body is now pressing against her lithe form. She can feel every part of his body: his strong legs, his sturdy stomach, and his wiry biceps. She can feel his harsh breath as he looks at her, however, she cannot look back. Instead, her eyes are fixated on his chest, her heart beating wildly. She begins to fiddle with the buttons on his shirt, making sure her eyes didn't meet his. Nervousness. Excitement.

She whispers his name softly, barely inaudibly. He whispers hers in a single exhale. His other arm encircles her thin waist, his hand pressing against the small of her back as the space between them vanishes once more. Not being able to bear it no longer, she finally looks up to meet his eyes and that is all it takes for him to begin his descent down to meet his lips with hers. It is a slow descent, one taking in every moment of it, yet when their lips finally make contact, she gasps sharply.

It starts off gentle, both of them feeling each other's soft lips, memorizing all the curves and dents of their mouth. But as desire takes over, they begin craving for more, deepening the kiss. She lightly places her hands on his broad chest before slowly moving them up to entangle her fingers into his soft black hair. She tilts her chin up to further deepen the kiss and he lets off a moan. It was cold before, with the harsh breeze cutting through her clothes, but now she can't feel any of it. All she feels is him and the fire she has deep within, set alight by his presence. He shifts his head down to kiss the soft spot on her neck and she sighs deeply in content before having her lips meet his once again. Passion ignites warmth within them, thawing the night's cold. In between each kiss, she whispers his name over and over, barely inaudibly and it seems to drive him over an edge.

When they each feel like their heart is going to burst, she finally breaks apart, gasping for air. Breathless, he beams down on her and she notices that his lips are red and slightly swollen. She blushes.

He leans down again to place light kisses on her forehead, eyes, cheeks, and nose, not being able to get enough of her. She wraps both her arms around his waist and hugs him tightly, taking in his intoxicating smell.

They stand embraced in each other's arms for a few minutes, cherishing their moment, before he finally whispers the three words. Her heart swells up with love and pride and she can't help but grin from ear to ear. She murmurs the words back and he chuckles to himself.

I love you.

And with that, they head back to where they came from, as too much time has passed.

But this time, her hand is safely and warmly grasped in his.