Two days in a row! Aren't you all lucky ducks? Well, I hope you enjoy this. Nothing real great but it's something, right?

Shades lied down on his bed with a deep sigh. He was glad his shift was over, that's for sure. Charlotte was pissed at him, not that he could really blame her. He kept repeating the incident over and over in his mind, wondering how it could have gone so terribly awry. A sudden knocking on the door urged him from the bed. He opened the door to see an irritated teenager staring back at him.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" A strangled sound was all that he managed in response. "Could you have been more obvious?"

"Hey! Wait a minute!" Shades had apparently regained control of his speech.

"Yes?" The girl tapped her foot impatiently.

"There's nothing going on between me and Charlotte!" Shades said in an exasperated tone.

"I could tell that much!" Shades frowned, closely followed by his cheeks filling with color.

"You mean, you saw what happened?" Brynn nodded with a sarcastic smile as she took a seat at his small table in the dining room. Shades groaned and flopped down on the chair opposite her.

"That obvious?" He asked, sounding more like a nervous child than a sophisticated security guard.

"About as subtle as a flying brick."

"Jeez Brynn, you're not even here a day and you already know all my secrets," Shades attempted a smile. Brynn didn't buy it for a second.

"You really like her, huh?" She said impishly. Shades nodded sadly.

"Yeah, I actually do." His voice filled with emotion.

"Well then tell her!" Shades groaned in frustration as he stood and started to pace.

"You know that's probably easier said than done," Brynner watched passively from the chair.

"Chill. Look, for starters, before you go for your run tomorrow- you are still running, correct?" He nodded, "Okay so before you go for a run leave a bouquet of flowers on her desk and a note that says: I'm sorry." Shades looked at her skeptically.

"Just that?"

"Yes. Good luck with that!" Shades watched as she left as quickly as she had come. He had no idea what had just happened, but he made a mental note to remember flowers.

A soft breeze rustled vibrant flowers as a suave man in black strolled comfortably next to an elegantly dressed woman. Bright oranges and pastel pinks swirled in the sky as a the sun began its descent behind the trees. Joe found himself often sneaking glances at the woman next to him. It had been her idea to take a final walk in the garden before it became too dark. The path was familiar, he had walked it thousands of times. Though, tonight it felt different. Like every time he stepped energy seemed to creep into his veins. Clarisse felt it too. She enjoyed the easy pace they walked at, it seemed relaxed. Unlike the whirlwind of emotions that were going on inside of her. Her heart nearly missed a beat as she suddenly felt is hand cover hers. She didn't resist, she was too afraid to meet his eyes though. She knew he was looking at her. She could feel his beautiful blue eyes staring intently at her.

"Clarisse," he said softly as they gradually came to a stop. Slowly she raised her eyes to meet his. "I enjoyed this," he said. His voice was soft as he gently ran his thumb across her hand.

"Yes, it was very nice, just what I needed after a long day." Her voice was higher than normal; she couldn't help the nervous tone that crept its way into her voice. Joe immediately took notice of it as his eyes clouded over in concern.

"Are you all right?" She nodded thoughtfully. "You're sure?" She swallowed as he seemed to be getting closer to her. Her heart rate quickened as she breathed in his cologne. His eyes reflected his emotions, that was Joe; he always wore his heart on his sleeve. As his proximity got closer her feelings became more jumbled inside of her; she knew what she wanted, she knew what he wanted. At the last moment she pulled her head down. His shoulders slumped as she quickly removed her hand from his.

"Thank you for the lovely walk," her eyes were downcast as she was unable to meet his.

"Thank you, your Majesty," his voice was low and gravely and bursting with emotion. The sadness that dripped from his words didn't go unnoticed by her. She turned on her heel and tromped back to the palace trying to contain the tears that would surly spill from her eyes if she looked back at him. Joe watched as she fled to the security of the palace. This was not what he was expecting. He was angry for himself for allowing things to go too far. He angrily stomped back down the path that led to his house; tears started to blur his vision. His home seemed even lonelier than ever as he slammed the door behind him. He flicked on the light which also triggered his radio to turn on. He growled at the unwelcome sound, but he stopped as soon as he recognized the lyrics. Nat King Cole's silky words poured from the small metal device in his kitchen seeming to relax him entirely.

We might have been been meant for each other

To be or not to be, let our hearts discover

Let's fall in love

Why shouldn't we fall in love?

Now is the time for it

While we are young

Let's fall in love

Joe stood for a moment as the station cut to commercial. The words circled over and over in his mind. It took him a moment before he realized something: he was smiling.

Clarisse peeped out the blinds in her office as she watched him trudge back to his house. She wiped the salty droplets that had again started to flow as she saw how upset he was. She checked to make sure no one was in the hall before she made her way to her own suite. All was quiet as she her the door click behind her. As she leaned heavily on the door she heaved a sigh as he covered her face in her hands. How could I have been so stupid? She thought to herself as she made her way to the bathroom. Her eyes were puffy and red as she dutifully went about her nightly ritual, trying to keep normalcy as her emotions stormed inside her.

Sunlight seeped through the curtains faintly illuminating the room. Joe groggily lifted his head from the pillow as he stretched. He hit his alarm button as he pushed himself from the bed. He went about his morning routine as he hummed a familiar tune. He showered and pulled on his classic black attire. A quick look in the mirror and, he halted and backtracked to look at his image in the mirror again. He was shocked at the character staring back. No longer her there dark rings under his eyes from many sleepless nights spent thinking about his beloved. No, now he had a mission and he wasn't going to let it fail. He couldn't let it fail. He gave himself a final look before flipping the light switch off and walking back to the kitchen. he pulled the coffee pot off the burner and filled his coffee mug with the steaming brew. Without a further thought he stepped from his house into the blinding sunshine; undeterred in his quest for love.

So...Any good? Well, why don't you lemme know by writing a review!