Richelle Mead owns the VA and Bloodlines series.

This is a short little one of Jill's thoughts on a certain couple. Takes place in TGL. Hopefully I'll be able to get one more cute chapter out before TFH releases on Tuesday! Eek!

Falling in love doesn't happen all at once, although it can certainly feel like it does. At least, that's how it felt to me. Not that it was my love to feel or anything, but still. I felt it. Whether I—or Adrian—wanted to or not.

I'd known Adrian liked Sydney, but it was in a friendly sort of way. I'd thought it was, anyway. He teased her and she'd tease him right back, but they had an understanding. Adrian trusted her and he cared what she thought of him. It had struck me as odd, him caring so much what she thought, but she was the first person to ever believe he could accomplish something other than just spending his family's money on booze and women. And she expected more from him. Most people, not even Rose, actually expected more than that from him. Sure Rose believed he could do great things, or so she said, but it didn't matter. Because Rose didn't want to be around for those great things. It didn't matter to her one way or the other. But Sydney—Sydney was there, and making her proud, seeing the soft smile spread across her face when he did something good for himself... It was like a beam of sunlight breaking through the clouds.

It wasn't like they hadn't had their ups and downs. Adrian was still Adrian. He was stubborn and used to giving up, used to falling back on his old ways. But Sydney kept refusing to let it be okay. And seeing the disappointment on her face, knowing it was because he gave up on something that was important to him, was too much. Whether or not Adrian succeeded in his goals had nothing to do with Sydney, but still, she cared. Because she believed in him. And somehow that made him believe in himself.

I knew that that simple belief, that trust, was a big part of why he was attracted to her. And he was attracted to her. The first time I'd found myself in the middle of a fantasy about Sydney I'd been weirded out. I mean, who wouldn't be, right? She was my friend, I didn't want to have those sort of thoughts about her. But then again, I knew Adrian was a guy, and Sydney was pretty. Of course an occasional stray thought might slip through the bond.

But then everything changed.

It went from mere attraction, maybe fleeting feelings on Adrian's side, to something much more confusing. Ever since he saw her standing in the sunlight, her eyes shining gold, it had been growing more and more obvious. But today... Today was something else entirely.

Today I realized he was in love with her, or at least heading in that direction. And quickly. He stood up to Dimitri and Sonya when they were pushing for a sample of her blood. Everyone noticed how protective he was. Sydney claimed he'd done it because she'd promised him a favor, but that wasn't it. He wouldn't have cared if she'd refused his request for her to take him to see his dad. He just didn't want to see her upset. He hated what Sonya and Dimitri were asking of her. Clearly she was terrified. Why couldn't anyone else see it? Why didn't they leave her alone? So he told them to and then she'd looked at him, the gratitude in her eyes making him feel a sense of pride he'd rarely felt before. She needed him and he'd helped her and she actually appreciated it.

Appreciated him.

The feelings didn't really sprout out of nowhere, but like I said, they felt like they did. One moment I was going about my business, the next I'm stuck in Adrian's head remembering the way she smiled at him. Remembering the slight purple glow of her aura when she was around him.

I tried to ignore it, but now that I knew, I couldn't help but understand the random thoughts shooting around his head a little better. He was falling in love. With a human. A human who would never love him back. A human who would freak out if he ever tried to touch her. But would she really?

Adrian believed so. I wasn't so sure though. Sydney got along really well with him. She liked when we all hung out with him, even if she would never admit it. I could see it in the way they teased each other, in the way she supported him. If she didn't care, why would she bother wanting him to do better?

Okay, part of it might have been because of his bond with me, but that was only in the beginning. Getting him into college and helping him get his own apartment? Those had nothing to do with me, and she did them anyway.

Maybe it wasn't because she loved him, and maybe Adrian wasn't full blown, head over heels in love with her either. Yet. But they had feelings for each other, feelings Adrian was scared of. And who wouldn't be? Falling for an Alchemist seemed like a bad idea, even to him.

But, the more I thought about it, the more it didn't seem all that terrible. If they could both get passed all that human/Moroi stuff, the two of them together might actually be a really good idea.

Adrian was cute and funny and nice and one of the greatest people I'd ever known. And he was exactly what Sydney needed, because under all of her straight laced, book smarts was a girl who needed a little spontaneity and fun in her life. And it wouldn't hurt if some of her responsible, get-it-done attitude were to rub off on Adrian, either.

Maybe I could help them out a little, play matchmaker... No. That wouldn't work. Not for those two. Adrian was still mending after the Rose incident, and Sydney would probably run in the other direction if I were to even mention it. No, they needed to get there on their own. I hoped they did eventually, because even if it was ridiculous, I found myself beginning to root for them.

I guess I'd just have to wait and see.