hey again. response time to David- that wasn't a typo. read it again. The night of the kiss and the day after, she holed out in her room. it was the night of the day after they talked.

0-0-0-0-0

Tuesday passed mostly the same as Monday did. Another work day, more chance meetings in the hall.

Megan was much more comfortable in the castle by now, and spent most of her free time in the music rooms. All the time Pegasus was working, she sang and fiddled with the piano. But she made sure to keep her eyes on the clock, and ran out to meet him in the halls.

One such time, she hadn't had time to put all her music away. Rather than fling it all onto the floor and lose her place in the books, she simply ran out the room with them filling her arms.

It was nearly noon and time for lunch, so Pegasus had come looking for her. Knowing her by now as well as he did, the first place he looked was the music hall. Of course, Megan didn't know he was there.

She came running out of the room, arms filled with music, not looking where she was going, and ran smack into him, scattering the music all across the floor and knocking both of them down.

"AH! Oh no, I'm sorry, I meant to keep them organized, oh, they're everywhere! I'm sorry, are you okay?" Megan began to scramble around the floor, picking up books and apologizing endlessly.

Pegasus laughed. "I'm just fine. Here, let me help," he picked up some of the books nearest him. With both of them picking up the same things, of course his hand landed on top of hers. She blushed and quickly pulled away, and he did the same more slowly, with an inaudible sigh.

The books picked up, Megan put them away in the piano room and they went off together, more self-conscious than usual, to lunch.

0-0-0-0-0

Megan spent a lot of her day thinking. She'd been spending as much time with Pegasus as she could over the last week. Her feelings had definitely changed about him.

She really loved him, now.

When she had come to Duelist Kingdom, she'd been his fan. She'd wanted to meet him, sure. She'd wanted to be with him. But she was just a fan. She didn't know anything about him, not really. But now…

She still wanted to be with him. She wanted to be someone special to him. But now it was different. Before, she'd had a crush on him. Now, she loved him.

Even if he'd never be able to love her, she loved him.

He was acting normally, and so was she, but something had definitely changed the night he brought her up to the tower. He still loved his former wife. She could tell. All of a sudden, it all made sense. He'd acted so sweet, but he was only being polite to his guest. Now she understood all those paintings around the castle. All the portraits of the same girl. Now she understood that room next to his, full of her presence.

He still loved Cecilia. But she still loved him.

0-0-0-0-0

Later that night, when all the work was done with, Pegasus took Megan outside to talk.

"What's up?" She asked, sitting on a bench surrounded by flowers. He made a mental note to remember that picture, and paint it later.

Pegasus hesitated for a moment, having forgotten to pick his words in advance.

'Why are you so nervous? She's obviously crazy about you. Just tell her. Tell her how you feel!'

Of course, one cannot just bring up a subject like that without segue.

"Megan, are you happy here?" He sat down next to her.

"Yeah, why?"

"It's just…you've been quiet lately." He smiled "It's not like you."

She giggled a little and turned her head away. "Guess so…"

"I didn't…I didn't hurt your feelings, did I? When, I mean—"

"In the West Wing?" Megan bit her lip, but smiled a little. "It's okay."

"Are you sure?" He reached his hand out and replaced a strand of her long black hair behind her ear.

She drew back just a little. "Really, I'm fine." Megan bit down harder on her lip, and decided what to add. She turned her head away again, and he moved his hand away. "I…I don't like you the way I did then."

Not a lie, not technically. But now he wouldn't have to worry about her falling in love with him. Now he could be happy with his memories.

"…Oh." Pegasus also turned his head. "Just making sure you were alright." He could almost hear his heart breaking in his chest. He got up off the bench and started to leave. "I'll see you a bit later, I…have some painting to do." Megan didn't answer, and he left.

Megan put her head in her hands, dropping the fake smile.

'It's true…I don't like him the way I did. I really love him.'

0-0-0-0-0

Pegasus closed his door quietly and opened the window to his studio—he hadn't painted in so long that it was full of dust. As soon as everything was cleaned up and ready, he began to paint the picture that wouldn't leave his mind.

First an outline.

'So I was right the first time, wasn't I?'

She was so young. It must have been one of her first crushes. No wonder it had lasted so long.

He picked out all the colors he needed.

She didn't really love him. She must have only realized it when she saw how much he loved Cecilia. Only now, it was Megan he loved.

Dark blue and black made a twilight sky.

Cecilia would always have a place in his heart. As long as he lived, he would love her. But she also would have wanted him to love again. She wouldn't have wanted to see what he'd become, only thinking of her. He knew this, and yet was still afraid of it.

Black hair on pink roses.

Could he really let go so easily? Yes, because he wasn't really letting go. He was simply making room. Cecilia would never leave his heart, but Megan had her own special place, too.

Color filled the canvas, and he stepped back when it was finally done. Why hadn't he ever noticed before how beautiful she was? Megan brought back feelings that he hadn't felt in years.

"I thought I'd never feel this way again…" he whispered to himself.

But again, his love was in vain. After she had died, his love for Cecilia had been useless and futile. Now he'd fallen for a girl who he couldn't be with, and who didn't love him.

"You have fabulous taste in women, Pegasus," he said to himself. Leaving the finished painting on the easel, He left the room.