I remember the first time I met someone with such cold beauty.

She was so focused on herself that she came off as standoffish, but paradoxically she held a mature and responsible aura , making most desire to initiate contact. However, those who asked for her company were immediately turned down, and no one understood why.

But when she introduced herself for the first time, I saw it.

Her sincerity.

Behind her guarded, blue eyes were gleams of determination and traces of pain. It took but a moment to realize that she was just like me; we were alone in a vast world with nothing but ourselves to depend upon.

I remember calling out to her later that week. It felt like I took a lifetime to muster up the courage to introduce myself to that mysterious stoic transfer student.

I remember her eyes, as blue and endless as the sky, squinting at me with suspicion and curiosity. I remember her stature and how it was so rigid and stiff that no touch could bend or break it. I especially remember her blonde tresses and how it was so intriguing and amazing to look at.

And now that I look back on it, I remember how terribly awkward our firsts have been.

Our first lunch together was filled with tension, mainly because I had never pushed so much effort into making a friend and because she was awkward and new to Japan.

Our first hangout together came much later when we had piles of homework to do and by then, it was more comfortable. Despite this, there were still holes that appeared in our conversations.

Our first sleepover occurred at my house and although it was an awkward event, it brought upon a significant change in our relationship. Important secrets were uncovered such as her fear of the dark and the whole story behind my background.

It was all so terribly uncomfortable but looking at where I am at now, I find that I would relive each and every single awkward moment if it meant that Elichi and I would still maintain the relationship we have today.

Best friends, forever until the end of the world.

"Nozomi?" I blinked when I saw Eli looking at me with worry, "Hey, are you okay? You've been spacing out for a while now."

I looked at Eli and couldn't help but smile. She was currently reading one of the books assigned to our class while I was "working" on the math homework. Her novel lay forgotten while her blue eyes were riddled with concern, and she started to frown out of worry. Letting out a giggle at the sight, I poked in between her forehead, jolting her out of the protective trance she was in.

"I'm okay, Elichi. And don't frown like that, you'll get wrinkles."

Eli bit her lip in apprehension before settling back down beside me. Her novel still lay untouched and it took me seconds to realize that she wasn't going to let me go.

"Nozomi, you've been out of it recently..." Eli started and I held back a sigh, "If there's something bothering you, you'd tell me, right?"

And she looked at me with those wounded puppy eyes of hers that she knew I knew I couldn't refuse. Somehow, she had developed them recently and for some reason, it made my heart race.

It made me feel things I shouldn't be feeling, especially when it was because my best friend was the one who envoked such emotions. I had always admired Eli for how strong and determined she was but it was never like this. Sure I got nervous around her, but that was back then when I didn't know how to act around her.

So why would Eli make my heart beat so fast that I felt like it would explode? There had to be a reason why I found myself staring at her during class, why I found that her touches made my heart stir uncomfortably. It was as if I was in love.

My eyes widened at the thought and I failed to register Elichi's anxious question. The epiphany came crashing too suddenly and I felt a mix of shock and mild disappointment, which was directed at myself.

I found it ironic how I was in the middle before I knew that it had even begun.

"Nozomi?"

In trepidation, I reached out to touch her shoulder, effectively snapping her out of her trance. But what made me frown was how she flinched at my touch.

"Nozomi, I'm really worried now." I said and my frown grew deeper when she only averted her gaze.

Everything about her body language screamed hesitation and fear, and this was making me go crazy. I wanted to do nothing more than to pull her into my arms and tell her that everything was going to be okay.

Nozomi deserved it after all.

She was so beautiful, caring, supportive, and painstakingly sincere. She always stayed by my side even when I was acting like a stubborn idiot and she always made sure to think of everyone else before thinking about herself. In all honesty, there was no perfect word to describe exactly what type of person Nozomi was; if I had to describe her in a phrase, it would be that she brought color into my world.

Why she chose to stick with a hardheaded person like me is something I wonder about every day, but there's one thing I know for sure. I would never trade our relationship for anything else. Not even for all the riches or fame in the world.

I was brought back to reality when Nozomi turned her head to make eye contact with me. I held back my surprise at her uncharacteristically shy look and instead slowly put my hands on top of her shaky ones.

"Nozomi," I paused to give her a reassuring squeeze, "what's wrong?"

She seemed to calm down slightly and I continued my ministrations, hoping they would make her feel less nervous. She took a deep breath before looking down.

"I..." Nozomi started, "I think I'm in love with you."

And with those 7 words, I felt the world become still before everything exploded; it felt as if my world was engulfed by vibrant colors.

I could practically hear her confusion when I started to laugh loudly. With a relieved smile, I gave Nozomi a hug and relished at how warm she was.

"That was it? That was the reason why you've been out of it?" I asked softly when I pulled back and chuckled at her confusion.

"E-Elichi, you're not bothered by this at all?" She asked and I shot her another smile before leaning in closer.

"Of course not. I'm more worried about your well-being after all." I replied, touching my nose with hers and loving how cute she was when she squeaked in embarrassment, "That, and because I love you too."

I felt my smile become wider at her surprise and laughed inwardly before brushing one of her stray purple locks back behind her ear, making her blush even more. All these years she had the upper hand on me, making me embarrassed with her daily teasing. But this, this was a nice change.

Nozomi looked adorable with her rosy cheeks. The way she tried to avoid my gaze and remain calm was cute, and it made me want to kiss her just to see how she would react.

"Nozomi, look at me."

She slowly turned her head and I inched forward. I moved my hands so one was around her waist and the other was behind her neck. I slowly moved closer until our foreheads touched once again.

"Nozomi..." I started and looked at the twinkling emerald eyes I fell so deeply for, "...can I?"

When I felt her hands hesitantly move around my neck, I couldn't help but smile softly before melding our lips together.

The kiss was short but it left a tingling sensation. It's something I can never forget; the way her soft lips felt, moved, and tasted—it was quickly becoming addictive.

After, we didn't move away and instead looked at each other's eyes. I was content with staying like this but was surprised when Nozomi suddenly moved forward, pushing her lips against mine.

This kiss was longer, and I could feel the message Nozomi was trying to send me.

"I love you." I whispered and my racing heart beat even faster when I saw her warm smile—the very smile I fell for when I first met her.

"I love you too, Elichi."

"I wonder why you barely noticed now." I mused out loud and chuckled when Nozomi snuggled closer to me, "You're usually sharper than me when it comes to emotions."

After finishing our homework, we decided to watch a movie on the couch. I wasn't surprised when it went from watching the movie to watching each other. Eventually Nozomi had moved closer to me and we began to cuddle, our eyes drifting to the TV absentmindedly while continuing whatever conversation we were having.

"I don't know either Elichi." Nozomi admitted with a small giggle before continuing, "It's just that one day I noticed that you left some sort of effect on me and I didn't understand why, which confused me to no end. I have no knowledge on this subject and I didn't want to ask you."

"Before we continue, I want to know what type of effect I have on you." I teased with a smirk and laughed when Nozomi playfully hit my shoulder.

"Elichi, keep teasing me and you'll get no more kisses tonight." Nozomi giggled when I tensed up.

"Hey, you're not playing fair!" I responded and Nozomi only giggled more. I absolutely loved the sound; it was so soft and melodious and relaxing.

"But why couldn't you just ask me?" I asked gently and moved so that she could look at my face.

"How can I? You're the person I was puzzled about after all." Nozomi smiled softly before leaning in to give me a quick, sweet kiss, "I feel so stupid for not seeing the answer when it was right in front of me."

"You're anything but stupid." I replied but before I could say more, my phone rang. I frowned and pulled away, making Nozomi giggle. With a disappointed sigh, I answered the phone.

"Hello? Arisa?"

"Yeah, I'm at Nozomi's place right now. You're staying over at Yukiho's?"

"Alright, just be safe okay? And be sure to pack correctly."

"I'll see you tomorrow afternoon then. Text me when you get there so I know you made it."

"Alright, alright. Good night."

After I put the phone down, I faced Nozomi and felt my heart pound fervently. She was looking at me with these loving eyes and I couldn't help but blush at the sight.

"N-Nozomi?"

"Hm?" She replied with a knowing smile and I moved closer.

"W-Why were you looking at me like that?"

"I can't look at my girlfriend?" Nozomi teased and I groaned inwardly. As if knowing what I was thinking, she giggled and lightly pinched one of my cheeks.

"I'm just joking Elichi. I was just thinking about how cute you are." I blushed at the compliment and did nothing when she pulled me back so that we were back to our original positions; Nozomi laid her head on my shoulder while my arm was draped around her neck.

"I'm not the cute one; you are." I protested and kissed the top of her head when I saw her pout, "And don't even try to deny it."

"You're so unfair Elichi. But I love everything about you." I felt Nozomi nuzzle her head closer and chuckled, giving her another kiss on her head.

"I love everything about you too, Nozomi."

We spent the rest of the night next to each other in peaceful silence. There was no need for words, not when we both knew exactly how the other felt.

And the last thing I heard before I drifted into the realm of dreams were the soft hums of Nozomi's lullaby, and the sweet whispers of "I love you."

Life could never be better than this.

That was the first thought I had when I woke up in Eli's arms. I couldn't stop my smile from growing when I saw her beautiful, relaxed face and I definitely couldn't stop myself from kissing her right then and there.

I giggled softly when Eli groggily opened her eyes. Wanting her to be more awake, I gave the blonde another chaste kiss. It seemed to do the trick, seeing as how Eli held me closer and prolonged the kiss.

"Good morning, honey." She whispered and I felt the heat rush into my cheeks.

"Good morning, darling." I responded and let out a giggle when Eli chuckled, "Come on, let's cook breakfast."

"I'd rather stay here with you." Eli bluntly admitted with a lazy grin, making me blush once more.

"Geez, Elichi. It seems like I'm a terrible influence on you seeing as how you keep blatantly flirting with me." I playfully chided and Eli scoffed in response.

"Oh, so it's okay for you to flirt but not me."

"Yep!" I laughed when Eli sighed in slight exasperation before kissing her, delightfully noting that she brightened up considerably, "I'm just joking. Seriously though, we should start getting up. We still have practice at the shrine in the morning."

"If you say so." Eli hummed noncommittally and I giggled before taking out a comb to brush my hair.

Eli was terrible during the morning and it took some effort to get her to fully function. I didn't mind at all; I found this side of her adorable

But once again I found myself thinking. Thinking about how life would be like now that Eli and I were together. Thinking about the future hardships we would face because of our relationship. But mostly, I thought about how great it would be to wake up beside Eli for the rest of my life. It wasn't until Eli was beside me that I noticed I was absentmindedly brushing at the same spot. Eli promptly took the comb out of my hands and started to brush my hair.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked softly and I couldn't help but smile once more.

"You." Was my immediate reply and I felt Eli stop brushing my hair in embarrassment before she started to move again, "Well more specifically, us."

"Are you worried?" Eli asked gently and put the comb down when she was done. I hummed thoughtfully before I turned around to face her, silently noticing how her beautiful blue eyes were riddled with anxiousness.

"Not at all," I replied and smiled at her slight shock, "As long as you're by my side."

I wrapped my arms around her neck while Eli snaked her hands around my waist. Our lips met with no hesitation, and I felt as if all my worries were washed away at the feel of Eli's lips against mine. We pulled away moments after, breathing softly while our foreheads touched. I almost melted at the sight of Eli's adoring blue eyes boring into my emerald ones. She gave me the warmest smile I had ever seen before kissing me once more and whispering a phrase that was uttered with such sincerity I almost cried.

"Forever and always, I will be by your side."

AN: A fluffy oneshot for goddess of Muse whose birthday falls on one of the best days ;)

Since finals are over, I'll probably be publishing more fics soon -cough-nicomakiandkotoumifluff-cough-. As always, reviews and criticisms are much appreciated!