A kiss of change...

She was being a rude brat, Ana realized, after her outburst after the double-date.

In her pajamas, she crashed down onto her bed on her belly, her face blaring with heat.

She didn't even have to turn to look to know that Christian was still standing where he was after she'd so rudely shouted at him. He was so silent, so still, standing there- probably out of his own sense of shock at her outburst.

It had been the first real time that Ana had lost her temper enough to shout at him.

It was embarrassing, how nasty she was to him. He didn't exactly deserve that, did he?

He had been in her life for so long, her constant companion whenever she was upset or troubled.

He seemed to know all the ways to make her laugh and also, all the ways to cheer her up whenever she needed it. With Christian, it always seemed so effortless.

Like he could see inside her almost, as if he were a part of her that knew her better than Ana sometimes knew herself at times.

And now, here she was, being terrible to the one person that had always stood by her- invisible as he was to the outside world, with her as the sole exception of being capable of seeing him. He always said she was his very favorite person in the whole entire world and yet, this was how she treated him?

Guilt swelled hotly in Ana's stomach as she propped herself up onto her elbows, her eyes blurring as she peered down at her fingers while playing with them.

Sometimes Ana never knew what was going on with herself lately. One minute, she felt fine, then barely a minute later, she felt horrible. She felt so temperamental at times; something she was not even sure was normal. Was this how every girl her age felt? So unpredictable with their moods?

She knew she had sworn to tell him everything that had happened as soon as she got home after the double-date. He was only concerned and was asking her how it went and usually, she never hesitated to tell Christian anything.

Usually nothing was off-limits between them as he was her earliest and longest friend, her guardian angel, her imaginary friend just for her. He'd seen her grow taller and fill out during puberty. He even knew when Ana first got and suffered through her period.

Yet talking of what had happened tonight on the double-date with Trey Michael's and her best friend Kate, suddenly this of all things felt too personal, too embarrassing for her to have to tell him.

What if he laughed at her or it made him see her differently?

She hadn't meant to take her frustrations out on him, but he was there. He was always there and she couldn't help it. He was the nearest person she could get angry at.

Turning on her side as she sobbed regretfully, she saw him standing exactly where he had been after she'd shouted at him with both hands shoved deeply inside his trouser pockets. He reminded her of a statue in that instance, his eyes cautious and wary as he stared back at her. How could she have been so mean?

"I... I'm sorry for yelling at you just then," she managed weakly. "I didn't mean to. Tonight was just really...embarrassing."

A small smile came across her lips as he sighed, finding her apology and the gentle tone of her voice his motivation to approach where she was, sprawled out on the covers of her bed. At least she hadn't truly offended him; It didn't seem as though she had.

"I'm sorry," she murmured again regretfully with a wince. "Lie next to me?"

Ana shuffled over to make some room for him, sniffling. He crawled onto the bed on his knees then laid down on his stomach next to her, only he was too tall that his long legs and shoes dangled off the edge of her bed.

She hummed in amusement and sniffed again as she propped her head on one hand, staring at him. They were laying so close on her bed that the entire length of their bodies were pressed together; His hip to hers, his arm, to hers.

She didn't even feel anything but excitement when Christian pointedly brought his right leg that was closest to hers over, shoving it between the both of hers.

"Does this mean I might be forgiven?" she asked, her voice breathless with laughter as he started nudging the hard leather of his shoe at her bare foot.

"Maybe a little," he murmured back.

All Ana could do was try her very hardest not to laugh out loud when they began a game of footsies, nudging each other competitively; Ana with her bare toe and ankle, and Christian with the hard, coarse leather of his shiny shoe.

She heard herself breathing heavily in the room as she stared at Christian's face while they continued battling with their feet, both their eyes gleaming with mischievous humor and enjoyment. Then a huge teeth-baring smile spread across Christian's face as he laughed breathlessly at their little game and Ana felt her entire chest upwards glow fire hot with heat. It had been happening for her a lot lately- every time he smiled or laughed, in fact.

Weirdly enough Christian was the only guy Ana really didn't mind being close to. She could sit on top of the armrest in the armchair he liked to sit in while resting her feet in his lap without a single self-conscious thought into just how close her bare feet were to his groin.

She could even hug him for hours and not even once begin to feel uncomfortable about it. Hell, she even got changed while he was in the room with her- though he made sure to turn and look in the opposite direction every time she did. Yet like tonight when it came to another guy like Trey, she had felt so out of place and awkward. Why was it so easy for her to be close to Christian and not another guy?

It was so confusing. Her mind flashed back at what had happened during her lunch break at school with Kate. A conversation they had shared just a week ago...

"Who do you think is the hottest guy at school?" Kate had asked curiously as they had sat at a table, Ana fixated on scooping up the small last bits of her vanilla yogurt with her spoon.

She had glanced up from her tub of yogurt to stare at her friend thoughtfully, slipping her spoon into her mouth, sucking off the yogurt. She hadn't really thought of it before, just who in school she found was 'hot', as girls her age often liked to call it.

"You know who I already think is hot obviously," Kate had gone on with a laugh. "But who do you think is hot?"

Ana's mind had flashed to Christian for some reason which had confused her.

She'd felt it a lot lately; Something had changed, something... different about her feelings. She had looked at Christian one afternoon on their walk home from school together- like had really looked at him more critically than normal- and had discovered she had found him handsome. And 'hot', as girls said her age about other guys.

Whenever Christian smiled at her, how he made her laugh and feel better whenever she was sad. How deep and gray the irises of his eyes were. His hair and how funny he was, how he had well-defined muscles in his arms and biceps whenever he wore his shirt-sleeves rolled up. How tall he was and how good he made her feel about herself.

He was her definition of hot. She hadn't even considered it before until that day a week ago.

That was why it was so confusing. Christian wasn't exactly real, was he? Well, he was real to her because only she could see him and only she could touch him, but he did not exist to anyone else. So how could she find him hot?

Ever since that day, she had began to feel remarkably different whenever they were around each other. It was like she felt more aware of him. It had came on so suddenly, it was confusing. She didn't know what to think.

And then tonight, during the double-date, Trey had tried to hold her hand in the movie theater when it was dark. It had made her feel so uncomfortable.

After the movie had finished, Kate and her guy seemed to have gotten along really well and they had ended up kissing outside on the street.

She knew Trey had the same expectations in mind; He'd turned to her expectantly, then had muttered something about them kissing, only Ana hadn't wanted to. She hadn't felt comfortable enough to and now Trey no doubt thought she was a frigid loser.

She hadn't kissed a guy before let alone had her first boyfriend yet Kate had obviously found it so easy to kiss the guy she was interested in. What did that make Ana? A total prude? Abnormal?

Throughout her stressing, she felt Christian nudge at her foot again with his shoe disrupting her thoughts. She peered over at him with a tight, forced smile, the temperature rising in her cheeks.

For once, her eyes dropped to his mouth and his lips.

She'd never really taken good notice of them before, of the shape of them and just how warm they probably would be had she touched them. She caught herself wondering what it would be like if she pressed her lips to his.

Would she feel him just like she usually could? Would it feel like a regular real kiss? Not that she had any real basis to go off on, of course.

She licked her lips, wondering what he would do if she actually had moved over on the bed to kiss him. Only she knew she could never be that brave, even with him of all people, and she sighed heavily, returning her eyes to her hands as she traced around her thumbnail with her index finger.

She knew he was waiting for her to begin explaining what had happened tonight on the double-date. He didn't even have to ask her for her to know that. It was something he always did; Christian was always there for her, always waiting for her to unload her troubles onto him. Even if Ana did not know she had any troubles to begin with.

She wasn't sure how to tell him, but she decided to just say what came inside her mind anyway.

"OK, so I suppose I'll tell you what happened. We saw this action movie that I can't even remember the name of but it was... gory and disgusting. You wouldn't have liked it. I didn't like it." She kept her eyes low to her hands as she spoke softly. "And like I said, Trey was better than usual. He wasn't a jerk to me as much as he usually is only..." She hesitated, biting her lip as she inhaled deeply. How did she say this? Already her stomach was fluttering with butterflies. "Only after the movie finished and we were outside, he wanted to, um, kiss me."

She didn't look to see if he was following her. She just rubbed her lips together, heat running around her face again.

"Kate was making out with her guy. Like really, really getting into it and Trey sort of turned to me and looked at me. I could tell he was expecting us to do it too and he eventually asked if we were gonna kiss as well."

She covered both hands over her warm cheeks, the embarrassment over the memory making her feel sick.

"He forced himself onto you?" Christian finally spoke. Even without looking she could tell his teeth were gritted. The question was an angry growl.

"What? No, he didn't do that!" She laughed nervously at the quick assumption he'd made. "But it was just really embarrassing because I knew he wanted to do it too yet I just... I didn't want to. I felt really, really uncomfortable at the thought of doing it with him, you know? He's always been a horrible jerk to me at school so even the thought of getting close enough and kissing him?"

She shuddered in disgust.

"He probably thinks I'm a frigid loser now but I just couldn't do it."

"You? A frigid loser?" He sounded disbelieving and at the same time, the words as they rolled off his tongue had sounded odd. She wasn't sure he knew what 'frigid loser' even meant but she didn't bother explaining further.

"I don't feel comfortable around him and sometimes, I feel like I won't ever be able to kiss someone unless I can truly trust them."

She kept her palms pressed to her too hot cheeks, avoiding him still on the bed.

"Kate probably thinks I'm some weirdo or a lesbian or something now because she asked me about it on the way home, why didn't I kiss him? So now our friendship is probably ruined and she'll never speak to me ever again."

"I hardly think she wouldn't be your friend after that," he pointed out, always her voice of reason.

She knew was blabbing on while letting her mind run off into different scenarios only he didn't seem to mind listening. He never did. "I just didn't feel comfortable though, at least not as comfortable as I am when I'm around you. It's like with any other guy I get so nervous and do stupid things, but... when I'm with you, I'm completely fine. I just don't get it."

Christian remained silent, listening to his charge as she confessed her confusion out loud.

His chest had fallen in instant relief the minute she began explaining what had happened and he had discovered that fortunately she had not been in any way harmed tonight. But he frankly was not expecting this. The very last thing he was expecting was for Ana to talk about kissing and how Trey had wanted to kiss her and how she hadn't wanted to. Apparently this was the reason for her upset; Not wanting to kiss the boy and feeling strange that she hadn't.

It felt surreal, the conversation they were having.

He was unsure of the appropriate way to respond. His hands had twitched on the pillow as he lay down beside her on the bed, his fingers physically aching with both the need yet uncertainty of whether he should reach out to comfort her or not. Somehow he did not think touching her out of comfort was what she needed from him. She just needed someone to speak to, someone to speak her own frustrations and insecurities to even if Christian was beginning to feel inept when it came to this topic.

He had not kissed a woman either, to be honest. Kissing and other forms of affection and love were not something freely expressed where he came from. The counsel elders usually refrained from any touch, preferring to nod out of respect or courtesy rather than anything else.

He was lost at sea on this one yet he could feel Ana's mortification and doubts as if they were his own.

"Remember that movie we watched recently together on the couch while Mom had gone to bed? The one where the two characters went back to his apartment and they started kissing?" Ana went on softly as he tried to follow her.

Vaguely he could remember the movie she was referring to. The male character had invited the female back to his apartment and they had gazed into each other's eyes deeply before he was placing his mouth on hers.

Christian had felt perplexed yet fascinated over what they had been doing at the time- having never seen such a thing before. The camera had even whirled real close to their faces as their mouths had opened, and he'd caught a glimpse of the man's tongue entering the woman's mouth.

"I think I remember," he admitted uncertainly, his voice sounding strange to him.

"Well, that's what kissing is. That's what they were doing, they were kissing." Ana tried her very hardest to hold in a nervous laugh at what she was saying. She couldn't believe she was saying this, especially not to Christian, describing what a kiss was. Usually Christian was the one who explained things to her, not the other way around. "That's pretty much what Trey wanted to do with me only I didn't feel comfortable enough to."

Ana braced herself before letting herself look in his direction quickly. Christian appeared in deep thought as he stared at his hands, his forehead creased, eyes narrowed. He was curling his fingers into fists, a repetitive motion.

Curiosity burned within her as she bit down on her lip again. She found herself aching to know. "Have you, um, done it before?" she asked breathlessly before she could stop herself. Her cheeks burned at her inelegant question as Christian turned his head to look at her, meeting her gaze.

"Done what?"

"You know, kiss someone before?"

"Never." A strange feeling like relief swelled in Ana's gut at his admission. Apparently she was not the only inexperienced one.

"So you never, um... met a woman that you liked back where you're from? Are there even women in your world or wherever it is that you've came from?"

"Any physical forms of affection were always strictly forbidden."

"Oh." It occurred to Ana that they were both whispering to each other with their faces inches apart, like they were gossiping or speaking of something dangerous. "Do you ever wonder what it's like? To be kissed?" She cocked her head to the side as she waited for his answer.

"Sometimes, sure. Like in that movie you mentioned that we had watched together, when it had came on it had looked... interesting."

"Would you ever wanna try kissing me?"

Christian felt as if his brain had plopped out of his head at the low gush of words that had escaped his charge's mouth. When he went to glance over at her, assuming he had misheard her, it was too late and he realized she had shifted closer towards him on the bed, her blue eyes bright and eager, unlike anything he had ever seen before.

At her unexpected closeness to him, their noses bumped and touched. He watched as Ana immediately pulled back with a laugh, and then before Christian knew it, Ana was showing him what kissing was and how it felt like when it happened to him.

At first, all he registered was how unbelievably pillow-soft and warm Ana's lips felt as they pressed up against the lining of his. Then having immediate mental flashbacks of that movie she mentioned, how the male character acted during the kiss, how he'd touched the female's hair and cheek, he clenched his eyes closed and began moving his lips against Ana's, turning his head slightly while trying to imitate the male actor.

Ana hadn't even been sure he would want to kiss her yet here they were, laid out on her bed together, leaning over with their heads, their lips attached as Christian moved his gently against hers in a slow rhythm that made her heart burst. She tried to follow the movement of his lips with her own, her eyes opening then fluttering closed several times as she made sure he was still closing his.

Unlike with Trey's suggestion tonight to kiss, while doing this with Christian, Ana felt no fear or worry or sense of unease whatsoever. She felt truly relaxed and comfortable as she focused on nothing else but reminding herself to breathe only through her nose as she relished in the sensation of Christian's lips moving against hers.

Now she thought she could properly understand why kissing was such a big deal to people. She felt her heart race when Christian brought a hand to the right side of her face, four fingers gently stroking her hot cheek while his thumb began tracing below her chin. For someone who apparently did not understand kissing or did not even do it in his own world wherever he had come from, Ana was amazed at how good Christian could be.

A frightening thing happened to her when Christian deepened the kiss, something that infected her from the top of her head, straight down to her very toes. It was like an uncontrollable out-of-body experience. As her mouth opened a little and his tongue brushed along her top row of teeth curiously, Ana felt her entire body tremble and shake as a delicious set of tingles infected her.

She never realized kissing someone could feel this wonderful and, amazing of all, it was her earliest and longest friend- someone only she had the power to see- that was doing it to her, that was making her feel this way.

After what seemed to her like hours of experimentally kissing, Christian pulled back and Ana did the same. She was panting heavily, her face feeling bright red as she turned away from him to lick her lips.

"Holy crap," she gushed out unsteadily. "That was... wow! Incredible!"

Stunned at first afterwards Christian couldn't speak, let alone think. But then he thought his charge's words summed it up quite accurately. It was incredible.

...

After that, everything had changed between the 2 of them in ways neither of them could have ever believed possible yet Ana's harsh words still filled his head, ringing in his mind.

I don't need you.

He could sense the time was near approaching yet he wasn't sure exactly when.

Now after what had happened that night, kissing each other on the bed, Ana had changed and he could sense it palpably. Every time he waited for her to walk home with her during the afternoon after school now, he was met with genuine happiness and an excited smile. He hadn't had her being so excited and happy to see him since she were a young girl.

And during the nights when it was safe and Ana had said goodnight to her mother before retreating up to her bedroom, she'd greet him with a kiss, enveloping her arms around his neck while he sat in the armchair waiting for her.

Or even as they laid around on her bed speaking, she'd surprise him with an unexpected kiss, eager to experience kissing with him as much as she could. All the while that impending sense of dread wouldn't leave him. He knew the time was approaching to leave her. She no longer needed him or required him in her life anymore.

The fact that he had managed to stick around for as long as he had was a surprise enough. More so was that the nature of their relationship had changed course especially.

...

The night it came he'd sat in his usual armchair, a leg crossed over the other, listening to his charge's slow breaths as she slept soundlessly. He had felt it all day, a feeling of fading, a feeling that he was about to disappear.

He didn't feel ready for it. Especially not after how the nature of their relationship had changed so dramatically.

It was more now than just mere friendship and respect. It was love; A closeness he never knew he could share with someone before, least of all not the charge he was assigned to.

But in this, he knew he was powerless. He couldn't prevent or stop what was bound to happen. When his time came to an end, it just came.

Sighing restlessly, he stood from the armchair, wandering over to where Ana slept on her bed. He turned, sitting carefully on the edge of her mattress, watching her. Even while sleeping, she appeared so beautifully peaceful, so content. Her mouth was slightly parted as she slept, one arm beneath the covers, the other resting against the pillow near her head. Her thin wrist was turned upward, her palm up fingers curled, as if even while dreaming, she was waiting for his touch.

Reaching over quietly, he touched her wrist, stroking around it tenderly with his fingers. And then her blue eyes opened and she blinked heavily, squinting over at him. He hadn't meant to wake her.

"Hi," she murmured sleepily with a smile.

Christian wondered whether he ought to tell her then. Ideally, he knew he should warn her and tell her beforehand. It would be unkind not to and he didn't want to break her heart.

"Hi," he murmured back while thinking over what to say. Then he felt that horrible sensation again, as if his skin was being pulled high off his bones. It couldn't be long now. He had to tell her before it got too late. She deserved this. She deserved a proper goodbye. "You know you're my favorite person, don't you?" he whispered.

"Sort of but that's only because you're my favorite person as well," she muttered with a smile. It almost made his heart burst.

"And you're beautiful and strong and you're entirely capable of being on your own now," he went on.

She must have caught something off in his tone.

At that Ana lifted her head to peer at him as if sensing the worst was coming. She appeared immediately alert. "What's going on? Why are you acting different? What's happening?"

His eyes burned as he dropped them to the bed sheets instead. Peering directly into her face, it was suddenly too painful. "Ana, we both knew this was coming eventually. I think it's coming tonight."

"What? Are you... are you leaving?"

"I think it's time. You're old enough now. You're 15. You don't need me anymore."

"H-how can you say that?" He heard her swallow as her eyes widened. "But I'll always need you," she said, her voice wavering. Her blue eyes began to moisten with tears. He couldn't handle it if she cried.

"Not anymore. I know it's coming, it's time. I can feel it in my bones. I think I have to go now, Ana."

She sat up suddenly against the headboard, reaching out. She grabbed his arm and held on tightly. "But I never want you to go! You're my... my best friend! You're the only one I completely trust! You've always been around!"

"Ana, I'm sorry. I can't stop this but if I could I-" The words got caught in his throat as she moved. Before he knew it she had thrown herself over him, both of her arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders as she knelt on her knees.

"Please don't leave me. Not now, Christian, I'm begging you. I can't be without you! I...I've known you my whole life!"

"Ana, I can't stop this."

"You said you were here to protect me? That you were assigned to protect me in life?" There was sudden anger and hurt in her voice that he did not understand.

"I am. I was."

"So what about after school? What about when after school begins and I need you again? What about getting a job or... or trying to be an adult? W-what if I need you and your guidance?"

"Then you might just have to try to get by without me." As she pressed her forehead against his, Christian heard her sob despairingly.

"I'm sorry but I can't. I don't know how to get by."

He reached up, stroking her face and her hair with his hands gently. "Ssh, please don't cry. You'll be fine without me. You'll see."

"But I don't want to be without you! I'm not ready yet! I'll never be ready!"

"Ana, most aren't as lucky. Most don't get as long as I have to be with their assigned one," he tried to explain in a measurable tone while resting his chin on the top of her scalp. "We've had 15 years together. 15 years that others don't usually get. Let's just be thankful for that."

"But I love you!" He could feel himself fading, even through the shock of her words. He wanted to tell her that he loved her too.

He would never forget her. Hopefully she would never forget him. To be assigned her as his charge- it had been a true honor.

Just as he bent his head to kiss her goodbye on the forehead, Ana felt him vanish and fade beneath her. Her arms fell from their hold around his shoulders until she felt nothing but empty air instead. The bed and the space where he were sitting was empty without so much as a single trace of him to hang onto, just like that.

He'd gone before her very own eyes- her best friend. Her most favorite person on earth. Her first kiss... her everything. He'd gone.

SOMEWHERE MILES AWAY...

Christian Grey, CEO of Grey Enterprises Holdings, was running late to dinner at his parents house; A usual get-together with the family. Shutting off his laptop and grabbing his satchel, he locked his office door then strode out towards the elevator to take him down to ground floor level.

He checked his wristwatch in the elevator once the doors slid open and he got in. It was already ten-thirty at night and he was well and truly late. His mother Grace had probably already dished out dinner right now and his siblings were no doubt already finished and onto dessert.

Panicked, he ran a hand through his hair and blew out heavily through his mouth, staring up at the illuminated panel above the doors that told him what floor he was currently descending. Four... Three... Bloody slow elevators. He began tapping his right foot against the floor impatiently. Two...

One.

At last, the doors slid open and he darted out, breaking out into a run. Seattle at this time of the night was thickly congested with traffic and he knew he probably would not make it as quickly as he would have liked. He found his driver and head of security Taylor waiting for him across the road in his parked car, and he waved him down before beginning to jog across the road.

He'd failed to look both ways. The last thing he heard was a horn bleeping at him as he ran into the middle of the road. Then the last thing he saw was pitch-black darkness.

At the same time the incident occurred an angel was leaving the Earth world and his young charge. The two souls merged together, creating a phenomena rarely known.

One soul leaves a body while the other, an angel, takes that souls place.

Sorry for taking long to update this one. I hope it is not too badly written. I would love to know your thoughts and feelings so far :) Thank you, hope my english or this plot isn't horrendous either