Declan watched silently as Holly J snapped another picture in Central Park, a bright flash erupting from her small, pink Nikon digital camera. He chuckled as she took another, and then another. They were in Central Park for the day. At this moment they were in Strawberry Fields, the 2.5 acre area of the park that was set in remembrance of John Lennon. Holly J had been taking pictures of the design on the ground that read 'Imagine', surrounding by multi-colored flowers that created a peace sign around the words.

"What?" she asked when she noticed that he was laughing at her.

"Holly J. Sinclair. The tourist."

She rolled her eyes and elbowed him playfully before lifting her camera again, snapping a quick picture of his face when he least expected it. She pulled the picture back up and snorted, showing him the unflattering, candid and close-up picture.

"I wasn't ready!" he objected, just to amuse her. He honestly didn't really care that much, being used to paparazzi and photographers, but he knew she was trying to egg him on. He and Fiona even kept a collection of unflattering photographer shots, just to look through and laugh at during a later time. Of course, the good pictures outnumbered the bad, but the bad ones were a rare treasure. Except for the 'twincest' incident, of course. Declan had thrown away every copy he could find.

"Deleted." she said, as she erased the picture from the camera's memory. She took a few more pictures of her surroundings before pulling him close to her. "Smile!"

She held the camera and took the picture of them together, extending her short arm out to get them both in the shot. Then she looked up at him, her eyes inviting him for a kiss. He obliged and she snapped another shot before stepping away.

"I thought these pictures were for your parents." They were still not his biggest fans. He was sure that her mother still held a grudge about the backstage scandal that took place during the mentorship award. And he had hardly ever met Mr. Sinclair, only a handful of times. He had a demanding work schedule and was rarely around the house at the same time that Declan was.

"Not all of them." she answered. "Mom creeps on my Facerange page. I take lots of pictures of sightseeing, she doesn't bother me for more information about what her daughter has been up to in New York."

"Like what was up on the living room couch last night?" he teased with a lowered voice, unable to help himself.

"Declan!" she blushed lightly, looking around at the different people surrounding them in that area of the park. Nobody had heard him. He laughed at her reaction and earned an elbow right to the ribs. He rubbed the spot, still smiling.

"If I recall correctly, your mother said I'm supposed to be staying in the guest room for the summer. I barely remember what it looks like. Keep it up, mister, you might lose a roommate." she threatened. She didn't mean it at all but it was still fun to argue.

"Okay, okay. I'll be good." Declan surrendered. "…For now."

She smiled and then pulled the Central Park map out of her purse, Declan biting his tongue to keep another 'tourist' joke from slipping out. He could find everything there, or he could use his iPhone if he absolutely needed to. Who used actual maps anymore? Holly J did. She was so funny.

"I want to see the Alice in Wonderland statue." she said, pointing to it on the map and then folding it back up. "The map said that way."

"Then that way it is." He took her hand and they ventured off to the next part of the park that she wanted to see. They saw the Alice in Wonderland Statue, the zoo, and many other different parts of the park, Holly J snapping pictures the whole way. They walked until her feet were aching and both their stomachs were growling.

"You hungry?" he asked as they sat down on a bench to rest. He was starving but he'd always check on her well-being first.

"Starving. Lunch?"

"Absolutely."

They went to a bistro where they could sit outside and soak up the sunshine, along with the not-so-fresh city air. Instead of birds, they heard traffic. You took the good with the bad when you were in the city. They had each other, that was what made it perfect.

"You know, you look exceptionally beautiful today." he observed, taking a bite of his sandwich. "Not that you don't always look beautiful. It's just the way that the sunlight is hitting your hair today. It's breathtaking."

A wide grin came to Holly J's face, the compliment taking her by surprise. He was always such an eloquent speaker and while some of the things that came out of his mouth were a little mushy, every sentiment managed to make her heartbeat go faster.

"Thank you," she said, picking at her french fries. "You always know the perfect things to say. Lots of practice?"

"Unfortunately." he admitted. "But I do mean everything. You know I think you're truly the one for me."

He did it again. Holly J could almost feel her heart pounding in her chest, and she could feel the heat of a blush rising up to her cheeks. She took a sip of water from the glass in front of her to cool off, then tucked her hair behind her ear. She reached over and held his hand.

"How are we going to survive being apart for this school year? I've spent every day with you this summer. Right now, it's weird to imagine not seeing you." The idea of the distance really bothered her. It was going to be hard.

"Well, what's one year of separation when we have the rest of our lives to spend together? That's the plan, right?"

She nodded, eating some more fries with her open hand. "Of course."

"And you know I'll visit. Plane tickets are not an issue for me. I can come see you, fly you into New York…I'm sure we can see each other at least once a month, preferably more. We need to focus on our studies, anyway. For Yale."

"Yale. How could I forget?" she asked. School had been the last thing on her mind. She just wanted this summer to last forever, just talking about the technicalities of the upcoming school year was enough to give her a migraine. Especially the idea of all the financial aid she would need. Declan could see the worry in her eyes.

"You know what? Screw school. It's summer, HJ. Our summer. No more saying the S word for the rest of it. No school talk allowed."

That sounded like a wonderful idea. She raised her water glass and clinked it with his in agreeance. "I'll drink to that."