Lucy stood at the end of the dock, holding onto the dry wooden post. Spring had come a little earlier this year, but the pond still needed some time to warm up before it would be comfortable to swim in again. Still, Lucy knew that she shouldn't be here, that she shouldn't still be human. She should have flown south with all the other ducks that winter and stayed in a warm place, ignorant of the proceedings of humans.

Her hand trembled, still clutching the post. She didn't know what was stopping her; she had fulfilled her duty in the story, so theoretically she should return to being a duck. There was no one to remember her anymore anyway…

A tear suddenly dripped down her face and she closed her eyes, preparing to step into the water…

"Lucy!" A voice rang out behind her.

Feeling her heartbeat rise, Lucy turned to see Loke standing at the end of the dock, panting as he clutched at one of the posts.

"What are you doing?" He asked sharply, seeing her extended foot.

Lucy swept her foot back onto the dock and discreetly wiped the tear from her face, pretending to sweep aside her bothersome hair. "I was just admiring the day. It is beautiful, isn't?" she chirruped, hoping he wouldn't notice that she'd been crying.

His eyes narrowed. He'd noticed. Slowly, he walked down to the end of the dock and stood behind her and to her right, placing his hand on the wooden post that she was clutching so tightly. Looking down in surprise, she could see her white knuckles between Loke's fingers. Slowly she relaxed her hand on the post.

"Idiot." He muttered, still looking out at the sky. Lucy's heart jumped and she looked back at him nervously.

"You can't lie to me; I know you better than that." He said brusquely, continuing after a difficult pause. "You don't have to go." He murmured so softly that Lucy almost missed his words. She looked up at him, feeling her heart rise into her throat. She wanted to tell him how she felt, but that would only make things harder for her when she left. She wasn't sure that he would mind having her leave; it would certainly get her out of his hair…

"I…" Her voice rose unbidden, but she wouldn't let it go any further. She didn't want to make Loke have to keep looking after her. He didn't need the extra responsibility.

She carefully pulled her hand from beneath Loke's warm, hand and sighed before she closed her eyes and stepped off the dock, into the cold, cold water. Loke moved to stop her, but his hands only closed on air.

Lucy let herself be dragged down, the cold seeping into her body as she shivered, waiting for the change to take place. Her lungs screamed for air, but she stayed down, knowing at any second that her feathers would grow out and insulate her body.

But for some reason, the feathers did not grow. Opening her eyes, Lucy lifted her hands to her face. In the dim water light they were pale, white, and human. Her eyes widened. Why wasn't she changing…?

A curtain of black began to draw over her eyesight, creeping quickly as it ate away at her vision. She struggled for the surface, but her muscles cramped with the cold; she couldn't swim. She could almost cry, knowing that she'd stayed a human and was now going to die, without ever having confessed to Loke just how much she really loved him.

She closed her eyes as the curtain drew down over her sight, allowing herself to sink into the dark embrace of oblivion. Or so she would have, had not a strong pair of hands wrapped around her waist and pulled her toward the surface. The icy water surged past her nearly numb face as she was drawn toward the surface.

Loke cradled her in his arms as he stumbled onto dry land, sloshing water everywhere as he went. His wet black hair draped across Lucy's face as he roughly set her down, holding onto her arms when she stumbled.

When he had regained his breath, he looked up at Lucy, his eyes ablaze.

"Lucy! I told you that you didn't have to go!"

Lucy did not reply immediately, still staring at her hands.

"I didn't change." She whispered breathlessly. Her auburn hair was plastered to her face, but she took no notice of it.

Loke rolled his eyes in frustration. "That's the second time I've had to rescue you from that pond! How much longer are you going to keep acting suicidal?" He demanded.

Lucy looked up at him, meeting his furious eyes with her own placid ones.

"Loke, I'm supposed to be a duck! My part in the story is over! Why didn't I change?"

Loke sighed exasperatedly. "Your part isn't over."

Lucy's eyes lit up. "So does that mean that there's still someone here who needs me?"

Loke was caught off-guard at that statement. Pondering her words, he realized with some chagrin that they were true. Very true.

He grinned suddenly and pulled her to him, holding her tightly against his chest. Lucy's eyes grew wide.

Quietly, hardly believing that he was finally saying it, he murmured into her ear,

"I need you."

Loke's words left her as stunned as his sudden embrace. She pushed herself back enough to see his face. "Wait, when you say that, do you mean-"

She was interrupted, mid-sentence, when Loke caught her face in his hands and made her gasp in surprise as he pulled her face up to his and pressed a warm kiss to her lips. Astonished, Lucy's breath stopped and she felt as if she might still be falling through the water. She sighed, shuddering at the rush of warmth that spread throughout her body. Slowly, Lucy closed her eyes and wound her arms around Loke's neck. He responded, moving one of his hands to her lower back, pulling her closer, and one settled at the nape of her neck, threading through her damp hair as he deepened the kiss.

He felt so alive, the warm feelings that he'd always felt for Lucy melting into delirious happiness. Distantly, Lucy became aware of warm tears running down her face and mingling with streams of water at her collarbone. She returned his kiss, trembling with overwhelming emotion.

After a few moments, they broke apart. Lucy stared up at Loke in slight shock while he smiled awkwardly down at her, just now realizing the extent of his audacity. Lucy shyly drew her arms from around his neck, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed. She was about to turn her head to the side, cheeks flaming red, when Loke's hand cupped her face again, turning her toward him. "I need you, or else the story will never go on." He said, touching his forehead to hers, eyes closed.

"I always meant to tell you, but I can't seem to write without you nearby. There's something about you that always inspires me. -But now it's more than that. "

"I love you." Lucy murmured, her voice soft and light, seeming to float with her heart.

Loke's eyes flew open, and he looked into her clear eyes in slight shock.

Lucy placed her small hands over Loke's on her cheek, closing her eyes with a smile. "That," she announced, "Is what I always meant to tell you."

Loke smiled, the look in his eyes warming Lucy's heart as she reopened hers.

"Moron." He murmured softly, and pulled her into another kiss. Lucy closed her eyes and let herself be enveloped by the sweetness that ran from his lips through her body. When they broke apart again, she rested her forehead in the crook of his neck, inhaling softly the familiar, slightly bitter scent of ink and parchment. Loke rested his head against hers, eyes closed, silently and desperately willing the moment to last.

"Am not." Lucy muttered into his neck. Her moving lips against his neck made his heart quicken and his breath hitched.

"You're not what?" He asked gently, still holding her.

"I'm not a moron." She said with teasing firmness.

Loke smiled, laughing softly into her damp hair. "It wasn't you that I was talking about." He closed his eyes, burying his nose in her hair again, but she gently pushed him away, looking quizzically into his eyes. "Then who were you talking about?"

"Myself."

"Really?" She snorted sarcastically.

"Yes, idiot. I'm the one who should have said something sooner. I suppose I'll just have to say it now…" He smiled as he drew her closer for another kiss.

"I love you too."