She was perfection.

There was nothing she could do that he did not approve of. Perhaps he glorified her, and was blinded by his undying affection, but perhaps to him, no human being could ever be better than her. That was probably the case, he thought to himself, as he drew crooked lines in the dirt. He let his mind drift, hanging on each separate detail of this melancholy reality he had to face.

She laid upstairs asleep while he pondered over the proper course of action to take. For the while that they had known each other, he had tried to show her how much he cared, but she assumed that it was all an action of mere friendship. Of course, he loved being her friend, but he wanted more. He desired to know that she was always going to be there for him. That she'd never leave.

He'd tell her how much he loved her, but that would pose a problem. He had a limited vocabulary, consisting of merely grunts and his own name. Many times before he had tried to say her name. Though it was only one syllable, he could not utter it. Kole. That was all he wanted to say. He felt he could change everything if he could manage to get those sounds to fall from his lips. She could understand him perfectly, but to communicate in her language was something he could only dream of.

With heavy eyelids, he made his way into the bedroom, and laid on his cot alone, staring vacantly at the ceiling, listening. Her breathing was soft, and shallow as usual. She was such a delicate girl, but she was undeniably a hero, and a fighter. Not only did he find her beautiful, he admired her for the person she was. The strong, yet loving girl whom he had come to know and adore.

He hadn't given up hope of her feeling the same way, but the very real possibility of her falling for somebody else weighed down his damaged heart. She was beautiful, and he was? He was nothing close to that, in his own eyes. But she already saw past his gruff exterior, and got to know him for who he was. Could that have been enough?

All of these thoughts, concerns and ideas floated about his skull. They drove him mad, for he knew he could never express them. Kole was the only one who could comprehend what he said, and letting her know what went on in his head could damage all that he worked so hard at establishing. He was stuck in his own mind, and it was eating away at him more than he would ever confess. Love, he realized, was just as terrifying as the world above.