Was it when she charmed his boots for the first time? Was that it? Kaim looked down at his boots. Dusty and caked with grime, but still sturdy and intact just like when he brought them to Sarah thirty years ago. He thought back again and shook his head. "No not then." He pulled off the old things and set them near the foot of the bed.

Was it when she wrote back in a hurry, worried about his health and death on the seas when he was fighting the Crowe Clan with Seth and her crew? The letter amused him to no end because he could practically hear Sarah scolding him—Kaim, dealing with pirates is not what I expected of you!—and asking him if he was okay in the same breath.

I am okay, was all he wrote back.

The tongue lashing, he received when he met up with her again in person made him feel guilty. She really was worried for him and he had apologized. Kaim found himself shaking his head again. "Not then." Kaim stretched his arms up high and fell back onto the pillows.

It wasn't when he ran her through with his sword. He grimaced at the memory, quickly clearing it with a shake of his head.

It was before she helped him heal his granddaughter almost forty years before, but how long before? Could he really figure it out in his thoughts?

Kaim turned in the sheets, looking out the window of the Kersen's Inn room he was staying at. The guard job was over, and he was finally free of his military duty, but he had this one thing to figure out before he made his way up to Tosca. A new and perplexing riddle that had suddenly sprung up in his long life. It was the hardest mystery he's ever had to solve, one that could possibly be almost two centuries old. He furrowed his brow, eyes moving to the ceiling.

He asked himself again: how long have I loved Sarah?

. . .

"Goodbye, Kaim!"

"Keep in touch, yeah?"

The week before found Kaim waving back to the men on the dock. Men he fought the war with and forged an unlikely friendship. The past three years were relatively easy, not much was at stake with this battle and the fighting was kept at a minimal. The issue between the warring countries was solved and wrapped up before too many people were involved. It was easier that way and allowed Kaim the time off to go traveling. He made his way through the quiet town.

As he passed a store he thought he'd seen a familiar face. Looking back, it wasn't Sarah at all.

Thinking about his bespectacled friend, he pulled out her last letter from his bag. She was in Tosca, just getting back herself from a trip to a city south of the mountains and wasn't going anywhere for the foreseeable future. A quiet way of letting him know that he could pop in whenever he could. He remembered he hadn't written back, so at the next bench he could find, he sat down and wrote to let her know that he was on his way for a visit. It would take two weeks to walk to Tosca, but maybe there would be someone traveling that way by caravan or boat. There's always someone who needs a guard, he thought to himself, and if that meant faster travel, he'd take any job. He just needed to find the requests. He stood up, dropped off the letter at the nearby post, and made his way downtown.

.

While there weren't many listings for help in this town, a short walk to the neighboring city with a larger population, held many. This was a market city and it was crawling with merchants and noblemen that used its port to make their purchases and trades.

It took him a whole day, but Kaim found a man who needed a guard to watch his wares and money traveling to Saman. This was a perfect job as it was only a walk through the Black Cave to get to Tosca. The letter he had sent the day before would get to Sarah and three days after he should arrive. Enough time to allow her to get settled and organized, he thought with a smile. She was a very smart woman, with awful organization skills, and it showed by just how much she could chaotically fit in her tiny home in the mountains. Kaim loved her space, though, and wouldn't dream of correcting her in any way. With a job secured, he headed to the hotel to rest. It was going to be a one-week journey until he saw Sarah again.

. . .

It started off innocently enough. Sarah was sitting next to him, fishing rod in hand, and laughing. They shared moments like this when he managed to visit her in Tosca over the many years: sitting in peace, reminiscing, and catching fish. A lot of fish this time. Kaim didn't seem to worry about the amount so long as Sarah was next to him. Even if it did seem alarming that the fish were practically leaping up to be eaten.

"We've got enough to feed the village!" she exclaimed, looking down at the large bucket of fish that sat beside them.

"Enough for a few meals if we keep getting lucky like this," he replied, as she pulled yet another wiggling fish from the water. They both reached out for it. Sarah caught the line, though Kaim's hand brushed against hers. He felt his breath hitch as he glanced at her sideways.

Sarah was not looking at him, eyes averted to their touching fingers, cheeks burning fire across her face and down her neck. Her own breath was coming in as small gasps, that much he could tell. Was she embarrassed about the touch? He stroked a finger across her knuckles, a teasing touch to see her reaction, and he saw her squirm a little in his peripheral vision. Kaim turned his head to face her fully, and Sarah finally moved to make eye contact. When she did it was like something snapped. Kaim closed the distance between them, as she dropped the fishing rod into the river.

Everything seemed to be moving at top speed but so very slowly at the same time. Kaim's lips landed on their mark and after a moment of fumbling, she parted her own for him. His arms framed her face on the ground, his hair enclosing them to their own little world. Her hands were placed firmly on his shoulders as if she was unsure of what to with them, but Kaim didn't mind. He was too entranced by her softness.

After they broke for a gasp of air, Sarah let her hands move a little south and Kaim rested his forehead on hers. He closed his eyes and let the sensation of her venturing fill his senses. He would have never thought that he needed this feeling before, like he had never felt another woman's touch in his seven hundred years of living. Her cool fingers seemed like ice on his fiery skin, and when he felt her nails scrape against his chest, he opened his eyes and devoured her once again. Lips and tongue moving faster, breath forgotten.

Kaim moved his body fully above her own allowing her even more access to his skin. Between the drive of his lips on hers and her wandering hands, he didn't know how he wasn't dying in this very moment. He balled his fists and gasped when he felt her light touches on his rib cage. The small giggle from below was enough to regulate his breathing. "Sensitive," she whispered.

All Kaim could manage was a small huff of breath before Sarah leaned forward and kissed him softly. It was distracting. The caution and focus it took not take her lower lip in his teeth and growl was all he could manage to give. He wasn't some animal and he knew in the back of his mind that Sarah was entirely new to this. Even though all he could think of was pushing his body against hers, he felt himself lean back a little every time she caressed him with a slow kiss. His mind grew hazy and light and—

Kaim was surprised when he felt her tug his shirt from his pants and broke off the soft contact. He didn't think she'd be so bold, at least not yet. She carefully pushed on his chest, a sign, and when he leaned back onto his knees, she moved to sit up. She quietly tugged the unbuttoned shirt off his arms and laid it in the grass beside them. In this intimate moment he was almost embarrassed at the way her eyes seemed to study his nude torso, but it was soon forgotten when she got close enough to trace a finger over a scar. She explored his battle wounds like a map, following every ridge and crest with one tender stroke until her hands reached the buttons of his pants. He looked into her eyes, hands hovering above hers at his waistband. A strangled cry, "Sarah, are you sure—?"

Wake up.

.

With a gasp, Kaim shot out of bed. He breathed in hard and heavy, eyes focusing in on the thin stream of light coming through the curtains of his hotel room. He wiped the sweat off his forehead, his other hand resting on his chest right above his wildly beating heart. His body was reacting to that vivid dream and all he could mutter was, "shit."

. . .

The next day it took everything for Kaim to not think about that dream. He killed a dozen monsters and kept a vigilant guard for any more as the small group made their way north to a ship that was docked waiting for them. The sea would be the fastest way to get to Saman, but the land before them was filled with monsters. Kaim happily fell into bed that night, though his mind was finally able to think back to the night before. What was that dream all about?

It wasn't like he never had dreams like that in the past. He was immortal but not immune to those kinds of thoughts and feelings, but they never involved Sarah before. He rubbed his tired eyes. He didn't want to dwell on it for too long. He still had this job to finish.

He awoke in the morning even more perplexed. No kissing involved, but a dream still heavily involved with his fellow immortal kin. Images of Sarah laughing, holding his hand, and blushing when they touched crowded his thoughts and he had to push them all back. It was making him irritated, and he knew he needed to be at attention.

It was another three days before they reached the port and Kaim couldn't find any peace. As the boat rocked underneath him, he found himself thinking. The dreams were one thing, but now he couldn't decipher his real feelings. He's fallen in love before, but this felt different. For one he's known Sarah for three centuries, and that's a long time to get to know someone, and why would it take this long to fall in love? Could he have been denying himself for this long?

He knew this feeling wasn't just lust. He would feel disgusted with himself otherwise. There was no question that he was crushing on her, but why? Why now? he thought to himself. After all these years?

Sarah had been there for him through troubling times just as he was for her. And thinking back on it; the more he visited her, the harder it was to leave. He enjoyed spending any time with her and knew he longed for those moments with her when he was away. When he was off doing what he was doing, he savored every letter and note that came his way and reread them when he was feeling particularly moody—

Kaim put his head in his hand. He couldn't believe this was all making sense now. When did this happen? Why now when he only had days to figure out what he was going to do about it. Did Sarah feel this way about him? He couldn't just come out and ask. In his past it was always the mortal women who came out and said it first. Kaim felt that it gave them a choice because he knew how fragile and short lived their time together would be. Was it because Sarah was immortal that it would be different this time around?

The boat trip went without any problems and he was paid in Saman. The letter would have arrived at Sarah's three days before just like he thought, but now he was feeling anxious looking at the Black Cave entrance. It was late in the afternoon, it wouldn't seem off if he decided to stay one night in Saman, so he turned and walked towards Kersen's Inn.

. . .

The next day Kaim felt even worse. How could he bring up the courage to walk to Sarah and ask her how she felt about him? He felt the words scramble his tongue and she wasn't even there. He paced outside of the Black Cave entrance, not caring if any other passerby saw him overthinking every move he was about to make.

With one step into the cave he decided that he was just going to go and figure it out on the way.

It was his most disastrous trip through the cave yet. He couldn't keep his focus and made very many missteps and falls. At one point he forgot to get a few fireflies to help him see, and he twisted his ankle in a hole. Feeling miserable and banged up, he fought the bats and other monsters the best he could and made it out to the open. Another few yards and he'd be in Tosca, and that's when his stomach flipped. It wasn't too late to turn back—

—except someone recognized him, though Kaim was still too far away to know who it was. "Ah, Mr. Argonar! I see you're here for a visit!"

"Uh, yes." Kaim limped his way to the teenager, and finally realized he was one of Sarah's closer neighbors. He had grown in the last three years since he'd been here. "How is everything?"

"Just fine! Nothing changes too much here!" The younger gave him a goofy smile. Kaim returned it with a pat to his shoulder. He was fond of this boy, as was Sarah, and there was no way Kaim would be able to get him to quietly ignore his presence and let him escape back through the cave.

"Well, let me get some rest and I will tell you some stories."

"Yes, sir!"

Kaim looked down to his feet and knew he didn't want to take another agonizing step. "And, also, would you mind grabbing Sarah for me? I don't know if I can limp all the way to her house."

With a nod, the boy darted away into the village. Kaim gently sat himself down onto the ground and stretched his legs out. It wasn't long before he saw Sarah make her way quickly towards him, and why was his damned heart beating so fast?

"Kaim!" Sarah kneeled beside him.

"Sarah." He avoided her eyes for a moment looking down at his feet. "I think I twisted my foot."

She was healing him without another moment's notice. He felt her hand on his back and was sure that he was blushing at the connection but was prepared to blame it on the travel to see her. When she finished and let him go, he was sadly thinking of the loss of her touch. Get yourself together, Argonar, he rumbled through his mind.

"I'm happy to see you."

Kaim looked up and her genuine smile took his breath away. She was beautiful just sitting with a smile on her face. He felt honored to be even graced with such a look that he had to turn his head away. He rubbed the back of his neck, grateful for his old creaking bones. Anything to hide the fact that he couldn't look at her a full ten seconds without flushing.

Sarah stood up beside him, and he took her offer of a hand. He tested out his ankle, knowing that her healing would be perfect but still bouncing anyway, and they made their way into town.

They walked through Tosca's little market place, Sarah buying a few things to make for lunch, and they ultimately stopped at Sarah's little house. Kaim insisted on helping make the tea, and when he finally sat down it was with the mug and a long sigh.

"Long journey?"

"It actually wasn't that bad," Kaim replied, taking a long sip of the warm drink. He let it settle before finishing with, "in the three years there was only one actual battle I was in. Seems the Kings of Uhra and Gohtza didn't need much convincing to settle their difference."

Sarah's knee touched his, and Kaim almost choked on his tea. "Any interesting people out there?"

"Um, yes." He prayed she didn't see his face or at least thought the redness of his cheeks was from the coughing. "Yeah."

He told her of the men he fought with and how they seemed more capable than what he usually got. Eventually he forgot about her knee, instead enjoying her attention and eyes that never left his. He thought maybe he could do this. Maybe he could sit and not stumble and criticize his words and thoughts about every minute he spent with the woman next to him.

As luck would have it, he stumbled onto the definitive test.

Sarah leaned back into her loveseat, head resting on the back of it. She sighed into the air, and Kaim listened intently. "I only wish I had enough sense to travel like you do, Kaim. The most I can do is find someone who is already heading in that direction and tag along with them."

Kaim knew what he wanted to do. If he really needed to figure out his feelings for Sarah, traveling with her and spending more than just a few days or a week here and there with her would be the best way to do it. "A vacation."

"Hmm?"

Kaim dared to look her in the eyes, regretting it as she looked so cute still laying head back though tilted towards him. He held eye contact, blurting out, "come on vacation with me."

"Vacation?" Sarah leaned forward. Her eyes were sparkling and Kaim couldn't seem to swallow. "Vacation?" she repeated again.

"Yeah, uh." Kaim moved his body so that he was facing her, again telling himself not to lose focus. He finally got the words out around the rock stuck in his throat. "Come with me. We'll…go, somewhere."

"Somewhere?" There was amusement in her voice, and he hoped she missed his embarrassed duck of his head. "Go on vacation with Kaim."

Kaim knew he couldn't last any longer. He was going to laugh it off, a joke—oh, me? Vacationing? I was only messing around. You know I don't rest—but he saw it in the corner of his eye. A nod. Pause. Then a more resolute nod.

"I haven't gone anywhere for pleasure in a long time!" Kaim felt his spirit die in his body. He couldn't believe it. "I'll go on vacation with you!"

"Oh! Good!" Kaim laughed nervously, voice higher in pitch though he was sure it was only something he noticed. "I'll…uh, plan."

"Yes. Good! Let me see how much money I have." Sarah jumped up, a wide smile on her face. She turned to go into her kitchen area to drop off their mugs before sliding into her room.

Kaim couldn't read her at all right now. Was she just happy to go on a trip, or did she really want to spend time with him? Was this going to be a romantic getaway, or two friends visiting all the best places? He folded arms over his chest and tapped his foot on the ground. How did this happen? Now Sarah was joyfully looking into her expenses and Kaim had maybe a good half hour to figure out what to even do on a vacation. When was the last time he traveled anywhere to relax? Other than the many trips to Tosca?

It was the perfect opportunity to show her some of the places that meant something to him. Maybe while they were visiting he could gage her feelings. Would they be actual feelings for him or just a general curiosity for new information? Should he take her to places of his past? Can he take the heartbreak of visiting places overgrown with age and lost in past wars and also the possibility that Sarah wouldn't care about what it meant to him? Could his long life be just another marking in a new book? Kaim Argonar: The Besotted Fool. He groaned a little. Why was this so hard?

"Oh! I forgot to mention, but while you were gone, I finished my ship!" Sarah popped her head back into view, smile still stuck on her face. "We can go anywhere!"

Kaim's smile was strained at best. "Great!" he said with a little too much force. Sarah didn't bat an eyelash, instead turning back around to her room. He frowned, brow twitching. What did he get himself into?