The sun was almost setting, spreading its rays over the small town, coloring the sky in different streaks of red, orange and blue. Blake sat by the river, silently paddling her feet, enjoying the quiet, looking over the water that lay before her. Even the wind seemed to understand the sanctity of the moment - it whispered, the trees bowing before him, Blake's hair following the breeze. It was majestic.

Edmund suddenly came. He sat beside Blake and held her hand, which made Blake feel tingly sensations all over. No amount of time could stop Blake from feeling the butterflies in her stomach every time Edmund holds her hand or smiles at her or kisses her on the forehead or hugs her tightly. Every little thing - even the littlest contact - could make Blake shiver and feel wobbly. 

Edmund was beautiful. Not the stereotypical kind of beautiful. His was an ephemeral kind, the kind that makes you doubt if you're still on Earth. With his snow-white hair and obsidian eyes and a smile that takes you off guard, Edmund McHalley is an angel in disguise. And, Blake thought, she was so lucky that Edmund was her angel.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?," Edmund whispered.

"I know, I'm beautiful. I have known that for a long time now." Blake responds with a smile, turning her head to face Edmund and be once again taken aback by how beautiful he is.

"Oh, you are, aren't you?" Edmund smiles back, his lips going up one side, his eyes lighting up. "But I was referring to the sunset. Sorry to disappoint."

Blake laughed as the wind swept her brunette locks back. She, too, was beautiful,  but not the noticeable kind. Her eyes are a deep shade of emerald green and her hair, though curly, falls down perfectly on her shoulders. "Oh you were, weren't you?" Blake says, winking.

"Yes. But for the record, yes, Blake, you're beautiful too." Edmund looks at Blake, his eyes on hers, and they stay like that for a while, looking at each other, seemingly memorizing each other's face. Everything is quiet and calm save the beat of their hearts, silently screaming each other's names. Edmund leans in and plants a kiss on Blake's forehead. Suddenly, Blake felt like a jelly. There they are again, the butterflies never leaving her stomach. Edmund has that effect on her, after all this time, and probably until forever.

They look over the water and stare as the sun tints the sky in dark shades of yellow and orange, descending slowly over the horizon, leaving only the moon and the stars to give light in the darkness of the city. They stay there, hands clasped tightly together, Blake's head on Edmund's shoulder. 

"I love you," Edmund says quietly, almost a whisper. Blake kisses his hand, letting her lips linger on his skin, and whispers back, "I love you too, Edmund."