Battery Park is teeming with life, the sun is shining brightly in the sky and your hand is in mine. We are strolling through the crowds, people watching and getting to know one another. We haven't been dating long, and even though I feel like I've known you my whole life, there's still so much to uncover.

I'm surprised you agreed to do this. You hate crowds, and tourists, though I'm not sure why you set up roots in New York City. But, you seem calm and relaxed in the melee and your hand feels good in mine and I won't question it.

You nudge me with your elbow, pulling me from my thoughts, "It's your turn to ask a question."

"Oh! Oooookayyy," I drawl, "How is a girl like you still single?"

You bark out a laugh and I feel it everywhere. "Not what I was expecting, ms. how many times have I scraped my knees, but ok, I'll take it." You pause and I can see you look down at the ground as you decide how to answer it. "Well, I'm not really what you would call a people person like you."

I can tell you're holding back, so I shake our joined hands and urge you to continue. You're still looking down when you answer, but I can hear the truth in your voice, "I hadn't met anyone who moved me, deep in my bones."

I can feel my knees go weak and I stop walking. You turn to look at me, and I can't see your eyes through your sunglasses, but I can tell they have that shy look in them just from the expression on your face. "What?"

I slide my sunglasses up to get a better look at you and to buy myself a second, "You said 'hadn't'."

Your face breaks out into a small shy smile. "I did." Your voice is so small, I know that your words are only meant for me. I can feel them in my blood, and I know I'm falling for you hard. I squeeze your hand with mine and place a kiss on your lips and I swear the world stops turning. Your kisses are still new to me, but so familiar. Our lips glide together like they've been doing so for centuries. I cup your cheek with my other hand, and slide your sunglasses up for better access. Our kiss is soft, sweet, full of emotion.

I feel the need to come up for air, so I break the kiss but hold your face close to mine. My eyes are still closed, and I just want to feel you, breathe you in. I hear you gulp and I know you're feeling what I'm feeling. I slowly open my eyes and kiss your cheek before pulling away. Your eyes are full of awe and sparkling with something I'll never get used to.

"I'm glad." I whisper, before smiling and placing your sunglasses back down on your nose. You let out the cutest giggle and I feel my heart jolt like never before.

You squeeze my hand and start walking again, pulling in front of me. I enjoy the view, how your shoulders look in that black tank top, your long dark hair pulled up in a high pony, how awesome your ass looks in those short shorts, and your cute, slip on white chucks. You look so amazing and you're not even wearing anything special. You're literally dragging me and turn around to shoot me a wide smile and a laugh. "Come on! What are you doing?"

"Enjoying the view." I hear my words slide out of my mouth in my most flirtatious voice, and I can see you blush from here. You're so shy. You know you look good, I know you look good, we all know you look good.

Just when I think I've got you tongue tied, you pull me closer to you and purr, "Likewise."

We both walk on in silence for a bit, enjoying the music and listening to conversations of those around us. It's nice and I could get used to it. And I know you're not lying when you tell me that people think you're cold, harsh, bitchy. But, you're not. I can see you, the real you, and I've barely just met you.

"How many serious girlfriends have you had?" I can hear the nerves in your voice, though I don't know what you have to be nervous about.

"Two."

"Two?"

I nod, "Two girlfriends, yes." It's the truth, those were the serious ones. I've slept around with a bunch of girls, but I only gave my heart to two.

"Why are you qualifying it?" you sound confused, I guess I haven't been clear.

"Well, I also had a couple serious boyfriends."

"Oh."

"Yeah. I kind of just like people. I never really labeled myself."

"That's cool." It sounds too cheerful the way you say it.

"I know. But, I haven't been with any guys in a long time. I've been focused full time on lady killing for a while."

"Lady killing, huh? That's a little cocky." The playful tone is back in your voice and I can tell that I just calmed your worries.

"Just telling you the truth, it's a hard job but somebody's gotta do it." I say with a shrug and a tilt of my head in your direction.

You bark with laughter again and I swear it's my new favorite sound. If I could only hear one sound again for the rest of my life it would be that sound. I want to make you laugh as much as possible. "Well, I'm glad someone out there is taking that responsibility to heart."

"How about you?"

"How about me what?"

"How many serious girlfriends have you had?"

"Just one." You sigh. You seem like you want to say more so I leave the conversation hanging, content to let the silence sit between us. I hear you clear your throat as you continue, "It was really serious. We were together for 5 years, we met sophomore year in college and it was amazing and then something just… broke, I guess. We became different people, we didn't grow together. We didn't really even fight about it, it just sort of died before we realized it. It was still painful when I moved out, though." Your voice is quiet and reverent.

You don't say anything for another long minute. "After that I dated around, casually, for a while but it was just such a slog. I wanted to focus on my music and I think I was still mourning what I had lost. I had to relearn how to be me again. Be my own person. Then I met this girl that I really liked. I really liked her and she brought me out of my shell again. We dated for a while but when it was about to turn serious she got a job offer out in LA and moved. It sucked, and I missed her for a while, but I knew she wasn't it for me. We didn't have that click, that chemistry."

You look at me as you say your last sentence and I know you're comparing me to that girl. We have a spark between us that we can both feel. You're telling me that I'm different. You've been telling me that I'm different in the most beautiful subtle ways all day.

And I swoon.

We keep looking at each other for another minute before you smile a big smile at me, full of dimples, and I feel like I can breathe again.

"Want to get some ice cream?" you point to a stand a few yards away.

I nod, "Definitely."

You lead us over to the ice cream cart where we join the small line of mostly children and tourists, and stand close to me. You pull our joined hands behind you and place mine on the small of your back, leaning into me and placing your head on my shoulder. I pull you closer and kiss the top of your head as you start humming softly while you focus on the menu in front of us.

And with the comfort of it all, the ease, the grace, I feel something burst inside of me. I get warm and tingly all over, like I swallowed the sun, and I know that you're different, I'm different, we're different.

And I feel like I'm falling in love with you. A big, scary, real, earth-shattering, love. A forever love.

We get our selections and you swoop in and pay before I even have a chance to. I look at you in a way that's supposed to show annoyance, but you just giggle and steer me toward a bench. There's an artist drawing charcoal portraits and scenery not too far away, and we sit and watch him while we eat our treats.

You're leaning into me again, your shoulder meeting mine, your body turned to me. I love it. I place my arm around your shoulders and pull you closer, offering you a bite of my ice cream cone. You lean in and take a huge chunk, and laugh at my horrified face. "Hey! Not cool!"

You sweetly offer me a taste of yours and just as I'm leaning in to try it, you swipe it on my cheek. "Hey!" I whine, again. You giggle and move in to kiss the ice cream off my face, with loud kissing noises and I feel like I could float away.

"Sorry, babe… Couldn't resist." You smirk at me, and I can feel myself grinning like an idiot.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that? Do I have something on my face?" You sound worried.

"Babe." My voice comes out in a whisper.

"Huh?" Your eyebrow is raised and your brow furrowed. You clearly didn't hear what you said.

"You called me babe."

You blush now, full and fierce enough for me to see. "Oh." You say shyly. "I guess I did."

I surprise you with a kiss quick on your lips. "I liked it."

"I'm glad."

We sit and finish our ice cream in a happy silence. Your hand on my thigh, my arm around your shoulders, a humming energy between us. It feels safe and thrilling, all at once.

We stand up to leave and I grab a bottle of water before we continue on our walk, but when I turn around you're not where I left you. I spot you talking to the artist we were watching, your legs tan and beautiful, your hair shiny in the sun, rippling in the soft breeze. You shake his hand as he hands you a cardboard tube. You turn to face me and bound into me with a hug.

"Whatcha doin'?"

We break apart, and you lift your sunglasses up so I can see your face. "Getting you a surprise."

"A surprise? When do I get to see this surprise?"

"Later…"

"Mmmkay." I grab your hand, and we continue our stroll.

We keep asking each other random questions throughout the day. It's not 20 questions, but they are peppered into our conversations and we take turns asking. I ask you about your favorite childhood memory, if you had any favorite stuffed animals or a blankie, or the first movie you can remember crying to. You ask me how old I was when I had my first kiss, how I got the little jagged scar above my elbow, what my parents do for a living. We both talk about summer vacations and high school cheerleading. There's an excitement in the unraveling of ourselves and also an ease that I've never felt with another person before. We continue our walk through the park, weaving among the tourists and street performers, never straying too far from one another, holding hands for the majority of the time. We sit and watch the sunset and feel the air begin to cool around us. Evening is the time for lovers, and soon we see more and more couples walking hand in hand.

I smile to myself when I compare us to the couples around us. Are we a couple yet? I feel like we are, but is it too soon? What is too soon? I know I feel different with you. I know I want to be a couple.

You decide to bring me to one of your favorite pizza places in the city, something low key to fit into our relaxed day. I can feel my cheeks aching from all the smiling and laughing I've done with you today, and it warms me.

It's not until after dinner, when you walk me back to my apartment that you hand me the tube. Inside is a beautiful charcoal rendering of the Manhattan skyline. I gasp, it's stunning. You watch me with focused eyes, trying to determine if I like it. "This is… this is beautiful… thank you."

"I wanted you to have something to remember our day."

You're silly. I had already tucked away so many moments from today, moments of you, moments of us. "I love it."

My hand on your hip, I guide you closer to me and envelop you in my arms, into a passionate kiss, one that I can feel in my soul. We stay like that for what feels like hours kissing under the streetlights. You break away, placing a few soft kisses on my lips, looking up at me with those soulful eyes. "I should go, it's getting late."

"Ok." I kiss you again. Chaste.

"Thank you for today." You voice is husky and soft.

"Thank you for coming with me."

You kiss my cheek, "Goodnight, Britt."

I give you a soft smile, "Goodnight."

I don't stop smiling as I walk into my apartment, or change into my pajamas. I don't stop smiling as I wash my face, and say hi to my roommate. I don't stop smiling as I read your text that you got home ok.

I don't stop smiling until I drift off into a peaceful sleep, filled with thoughts of you.