she had gone for years without. Years with no kiss, no sting, no love. It had been years without Him at all. And she never knew it until it was staring her in the face...this, kiss...

For most of her life, lauren craved the extremes, from happy to sad, mad to peaceful, powerful to weak. Extreme was what she knew. That day, she knew more... He looked through her with His hazel gems and just smiled, His head cocking to the right, His words simple but sweet. And He greeted her.

Now, being drama queen that she was, lauren greeted back thoroughly with dripping enthusiasm and thoughtful words. she knew how to read what He wanted, knew how to give it to Him

The nights prior to the evening had fallen lonely beside her boyfriend. Things were complex. she looked to his eyes and straight to this Stranger, this Greeting, this simple Pleasure. she saw Him again in random passing. He was the same, with gentle greetings and flashing hazel eyes. she was similar, charming in her way, attempting to lure this taken Creature... And He was, taken that is. Taken in every sense of the word, and she was breath-taken at His simplicity. she loved the way He rolled His words on His tongue, and loved the taste as they pierce her ears. she loved Him, she Thought. Begin Ffriendship, now...

It started in following with letters of the short nature. Incessant babblings really of a few paragraphs, maybe more, maybe less. When Tthey passed, Tthey nodded, Tthey smiled, she pretended to care about this kitten He spoke of. All the while, songs of Dixie Chicks rolling through her head about loving someone better. Tthey chewed the breeze mostly, speaking of anything from French class to the day of the week. And Tthey passed again, Tthese Sstrangers, becoming a little less strange now...

Weeks would pass sometimes between Ttheir meetings, sometimes months. And when Tthey met again, Tthey always smiled and nodded, chewing the breeze, remembering memories.

It was then when lauren lost her child, ripped from her womb with no goodbyes. Then there were no more passings, not for months. she didn't want any more. When she saw Him next, she couldn't tell Him. she just clutched her belly and curved her fingers into it coldly. she cried inside and smiled out. she screamed outside and nodded out. she...she...

lauren looked through blackened eyes now, as she slithered around weakly, unable to smile. she took her son then, in a jar with Mickey Mouse and Mini on the outside, and wrapped in a paper bag. It was raining that day, a nice warm rain that felt like tears with the kiss of the wind. she and a friend slipped beside the lake, and they spread his ashes, and she cried. kate saw the Stranger that night...

That was when there was no more kitten. He came to her with His head hanging, regretting that His kitten and He were no more. she wrapped Him tightly in her arms then, rocking Him gently and never letting go. her right hand placed on His heart to heel the pain, not heal, mind Yyou, but heel. she flattened her hand against His heart and tried to make it beat again, with all her might, she tried. she held Him to let Him hold her. Tthey cried..

It would be months before Tthey would see eachOother again. And this time, lauren smiled, and He smiled right back into her baby browns. It was then when Tthey realized how much the Oother meant to Tthem. So Tthey began writing again, pages now of how Ttheir days went, what Tthey got for Christmas, what Tthey used to say as children, Ttheir abhoration of tar-like coffee...Tthey supposed that time would weave its spell upon Tthem, and eventually that something would happen. But Nneither pushed, for whatever reason. This drama queen who was hopelessly addicted to love waited, patiently, knowing in her heart that there would be a time.

Ttheir friendship grew with every letter. Love and compassion began to bud, until she fell for Him head first and hard...

He forced her to confess one night. she ran away after she did. And He cradled her face in His hands, stared lovingly into her dark brown eyes and told her that He loved her too.

That was it. Tthey simply were...from that point on...Tthey simply were.