As I pressed my lips to hers, I felt a softness that I had never known before. It was…it was…a feeling you cannot simply describe in words. One must experience if for themselves to know what I am speaking of.

After a short moment of almost incomparable ecstasy, I pulled back. I still needed to learn how Aoife felt.

I was worried…no, not even worried would be a proper word for what I feel at this moment. I was distressed. I have never, in my hundreds of years in existence, felt this worried about something.

She is the most precious thing in my life. Without her I feel that my entire existence would be meaningless. I who has been a warrior, painter, writer, actor and poet find would life meaningless without her.

Even if she told me that she didn't love me, though I would be heartbroken, I will still manage to live on in order to make sure she is happy in any way I can.

Love is not just an emotion, it is also a choice. Regardless of what may happen, whether it be hurt or happiness, I chose to love her. I chose to love her and accept the possible consequences that may result from my love, no matter how harsh they may be.

I am fully prepared to do anything for her. With my entire being, the only thing I wish for her is to be happy. I will do anything, absolutely anything to make her happy…even if it means leaving her….

After I pulled back, I opened my eyes, and what I found was shocking: A completely immobile and shell shocked Aoife.

She just sat there, not doing anything at all. Aside from being unmoving, she had a blank look on her face, as if she couldn't comprehend what had just happened.

In all my years of knowing her…not once had I ever seen her this way: Unfocused, unsure, and confused and without a word to say.

Perhaps I made a mistake…a very big one at that. I threw away our friendship because of my greed. I wanted too much. I should have just been happy as a friend…and now….

Now, who knows what we might be, awkward strangers? Maybe I disrespected her and I now have the person I have as a life-long enemy….

These horrid thoughts, and many similar ones, disturbed me. Did I really want too much?

All of a sudden, Aoife turned away from me.

I was panic stricken. I had to find out what she was thinking.

"Aoife?" I asked carefully.

When she didn't reply, I panicked.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…to…I'm sorry" I said as I stumbled through a horrible attempt at an apology.

I am so ashamed of myself. I never should have done that to her. I practically just forced a kiss on her…any maiden would have gotten understandably angry.

"I-I'll just go" I said quickly getting up.

Without warning, a hand shot out and grabbed my arm.

"Don't go!" Aoife said softly, looking at her lap.

I can barely see the side of her face…but I think her face was a rather…for lack of better wording 'cute' red.

"Are you…are you blushing?" I asked her slowly. This was the absolute first time that I'd ever seen her blush despite being with her for over a hundred years.

"NO, I-I'm not blushing!' she practically yelled at me.

I grinned. I believe this is what my people nowadays would call a 'tsundere'.

"Aoife, look at me." I said as seriously as I could manage.

She looked at me with a very flushed face. I've never seen her look cuter in my life.

I sat down beside her and mustered up the courage to say the one thing that I've wanted to say to her for the past decades.

"Aoife"…I cupped her face again with my left hand.

In response, she brought up her right hand and touched the hand that cupped her face.

Still flushing, she stared at me, a mixture of hope and anxiety plain on her face.

"Aoife" I repeated with more feeling as I bent down towards her again.

I stopped and whispered to her, "I love you Aoife"

I kissed her again, deeply this time, my right arm wrapping around her back to pull her towards me.

The thing that amazed me the most was not the fact that I was kissing her, or the fact that it wasn't a dream, was the fact that she was actually kissing back.

After a long and very enjoyable moment, I had to pull back to breathe.

Right after pulling back, I hugged her tightly. I placed my head on her shoulder and said again, "I love you Aoife."

After a short moment, I pulled back and I saw her with a tear leaking out of one of her eyes.

I brushed it off with a finger and asked her, "Why are you crying?"

"You don't know how long…I didn't think you…I never thought that…." She stumbled unsure of what she was trying to say.

We sat there for a few moments in a half comfortable, half awkward, if that makes sense, silence.

After about a minute of no speech, I decided to take the initiative.

"Do you love me?" I asked her seriously as I looked her square in the eye.

She looked back, flushed, and looked away.

"Do you?" I asked again.

"Yes" her reply was so soft that I might have mistaken it for the wind.

"Yes, what?" I teased her with a slight grin on my face.

She flushed even darker, rotated her body away from mine and whispered, "Yes, I love you…."

I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her back to my chest and kissed the back of her head lightly.

"You cannot believe how much I have wanted to hear that." I whispered to her.

"Aoife…." I said after a short pause.

She turned to look at me and said, "What?"

I felt as though there were about a million butterflies in my stomach as I said "Aoife, will you marry me?"

She sat there and stared at me in stunned silence before more tears came out of her eyes and she sobbed out, "Yes"

I smiled wholeheartedly and kissed her again as I imagine a very long and bright future together.