Human love

Juan had known for quite some time how he had felt about Fern - there had been some interest since the first time he had seen her, but despite how she had treated him, the face she had put on, and all of the mysteries he had learned about her over time, his feelings had only deepened. He'd never mentioned it to her - he'd hinted here and there, but she wasn't one to let on - mostly because as he had learned, over the centuries that she had been alive she had been broken. He imagined that at one time she had held compassion in people, and trusted them, but that trust had been betrayed again and again until she had reached her current state of constantly hiding herself away and wanting nothing to do with the humans who were part of her domain.

But things were different now. Technically speaking, he no longer was human - although what exactly that made him, he honestly wasn't entirely sure. But he had managed to make his way into her life, and she was beginning to depend on him and become comfortable with him. He had given up much in his life so that he could be with her - she didn't realize how much she had had to do with that decision. She knew that he had decided to help her - she didn't realize that it was also because he had fallen truly and madly in love with her.

The look of frustration on her face was apparent and heavy - something that he was all to used to seeing. "I don't understand you," she said roughly, the pout on her face oddly cute. "Why do you keep trying to interfere with my affairs? Why must you always butt in? I am working here. I do not need your help with this. Why must you insist in persisting?"

He could see the glow around her person as clear as day. It was around most things now - a visible guide as to the amount of life and energy that was in any living being. The plants, animals, people. It was everywhere. It had taken some getting used to. Hers was one of the only ones around that was faded - she worked so hard to keep everything else alive and well that she didn't have time to focus on herself. "I can't let you do this, Fern," Juan said firmly.

"I have done this for thousands of years without you," she responded angrily. "Why should now be any different?"

"You can hear the spirits, too, I know you can. They've told me how much you have expanded your work. How much you put into everything. I won't let you hurt yourself like this."

"And what concern of it is yours?"

"I can not watch you hurt yourself. I physically can not."

"And why not?"

"Because I can feel my heart breaking when you do."

The anger on her face broke and she staggered back, blushing slightly and looking confused, as though the words themselves had physically hit her. "W-what...?"