Col looked at the water, shining in the midday sun. He remembered the last time he had seen Connie.

They had been spending a day by the harbor, just laughing and talking about random subjects. It was nearly time to return home, but Col ignored that fact.

"Please don't go," he had begged as Connie turned her back to the fading sunset.

"I have to, Col. I may not get another chance to see other creatures. I need to go on this expedition." Connie had realized that he was referring to her other departure, not her leaving to go home.

"But Connie… You can see all the mythical beings here. I don't want you leaving." Col had pleaded.

"Col," she replied sharply, "This decision was based on the fact that I needed to go, not because you wanted me to stay." Connie closed her eyes. "Don't even think that I'll stay because you're asking. Thinking that only makes it harder for you."

"In fact, you probably shouldn't even come tomorrow to see me to the train station," she continued. "It'll end up breaking both our hearts. I love you, Col, but that's why I have to get away. I'm so in love with you I've been neglecting Argand and my other companions. I need to remember what it's like to be a universal, not a girl in love."

Col's breath left him. "Are you okay?" Connie asked, concern in her still determined eyes.

"Yeah," he mumbled; his first lie of many to come. Lies saying that he didn't care.

A hundred days have made me older
Since the last time that I saw your pretty face
A thousand lies have made me colder
And I don't think I can look at this the same
But all the miles that separate
Disappear now when I'm dreaming of your face

She had been being a bit stubborn, as she usually was, and had told Evelyn to not let Col come to the farewell party for Connie. Col had never seen her since that day by the harbor. It had been almost two years, and the most he had heard from Connie was news Evelyn had passed on to him.

As soon as Connie had gone, Shirley flirted with him persistently. Col had neither the desire to accept her advances nor the heart to tell her to go away and leave him alone. He remained alone, hardly talking to any of his friends, his grandmother, or even his father.

I'm here without you baby
But you're still on my lonely mind
I think about you baby
And I dream about you all the time

"Col," Connie called as she paused in running through the field, "Come with me!"

He followed, and pulled her down onto the grass, laughing as they both tumbled.

Col felt happier than he had felt in a long time. Since Connie had left, in fact.

'Wait….' Col thought, 'Why is Connie here?'

Col woke up, the feeling of joy and exuberance of just being with Connie a few moments ago was now gone.

A dream…. A figment of his imagination, like his relationship with Connie. That, at least, was what Col now thought.

'At least,' Col thought to himself, 'in my dreams, I'll see Connie. Even if she doesn't love me in real life.' Dejected and lonely, Col curled up in a tight ball and fell back asleep, back into the land of dreams filled with Connie.

I'm here without you baby
But you're still with me in my dreams
And tonight it's only you and me, yeah

Col had given up. He had lost hope that Connie would ever return. And if she did- she would come back dismissing Col as a schoolgirl crush. Connie would come back rich with experiences. Col knew that with her beautiful features, she could attract any boy she happened to meet.

Skylark noticed Col's gloominess.

"Stop this nonsense." Skylark said as Col came up, looking very depressed. "Connie loves you. She told me herself. I believe she also told YOU herself. Years of liking a person can't go away in two years."

"Skylark," Col murmured, "She's Connie, and she's the most beautiful, vivacious, kindest person I know. Others are bound to notice it too. People are going to end up liking her, and one of them will manage to overpower anything Connie feels for me."

"Silly fool." Skylark snorted, "I won't argue more. You obviously won't see common sense. Well, as my father said, people are blind when they're in love."

The miles just keep rollin'
As the people leave their way to say hello
I've heard this life is overrated
But I hope that it gets better as we go, oh yeah yeah

I'm here without you baby
But you're still on my lonely mind
I think about you baby
And I dream about you all the time

I'm here without you baby
But you're still with me in my dreams
And tonight girl it's only you and me

Shirley tried everything she knew how to do to make Col like her instead. Col still had never said anymore than necessary to her. He pined after Connie, like a lost puppy whimpering for its master. Just the same as the puppy, Col's heart longed for its owner, Connie. Without her, he felt lost and useless.

Everything I know and anywhere I go
It gets hard but it won't take away my love
And when the last one falls, when it's all said and done
It gets hard but it won't take away my love, whoa

A knock sounded. Col shuffled to the door, and slowly opened it.

"Hey," a familiar yet almost forgotten voice came.

"I… I… H-hello, Connie." Col swallowed. "Come in."

"Sure." Connie walked in, seemingly more confident than she had been before. "Before either of us say anything else, I've been told, by Skylark, that you're being, and I quote, a "silly fool"."

"Blabbering horse." Col muttered.

"And you are being silly." Connie went on, "From what Skylark tells me, I think that I'm the only one who can set you straight."

Connie smiled. And kissed him. Col lost himself in the taste of her sweet lips, in her embrace, in her warm love that radiated off of her.

"I hope I'm not dreaming again," Col murmured, when Connie pulled away.

Connie laughed, and said, "Well, then I would have to be dreaming again too. And it would be just plain cruel if both of us woke up disappointed."

I'm here without you baby
But you're still on my lonely mind
I think about you baby
And I dream about you all the time

That night, Col dreamt once more of Connie. But when he woke up… He smiled instead of brooding, because today- his dreams could be a reality.

I'm here without you baby
But you're still with me in my dreams
And tonight girl it's only you and me, yeah oh yeah oh

"Here Without You" by 3 Doors Down.

I changed the context of the song towards the end because I wanted a happy ending. But… whatcha think? I think I want to keep on doing songfics! They're actually easier for me than writing regular stories…

Migura the INSANE.