Follow the Setting Sun

The day couldn't have been any better. The air was warm and bright, like a summers day should be. A few white clouds hung about the sky, posing no threat our plans for the day. The mountains we were planning on exploring were rather steep and rocky, but still rich with grass and life. It was such beautiful setting for a date. Everything just felt so merry and free. I felt blessed to be in such a wonderful country, with beautiful weather and stunning scenery. I was even more thankful (and rather bewildered) to be in the company of such an angelic lady.

The cheery look in Laexis' eyes as she stepped out of her car was amazing. She looked so chilled out in her tiny blue shorts and her Masked t-shirt. Everything, her makeup, her hair, her clothes, was relaxed and cheerful. She flashed a smile at me as she opened the boot of the car to change her shoes.

"Great day, don't you think?" She chuckled, sitting back in the boot to tie her laces. I flushed furiously as the accent laced with British charm rung in my ears.

"You don't get weather like this back in Britain very often." I agreed.

She stood up and stretched, revealing a heavily tattooed torso. I could make out an old fashioned grandfather clock, showing roughly half past eight. Bats were flying from the clock, signifying something dark and horrible. Other than the clock, there were some Pac-Man ghosts and flowers and some french words I didn't understand. There were a few birds and spiders and naked ladies. I blushed again, and hoped she hadn't caught me staring at her rather wonderful body. She picked up her rucksack and slammed the boot closed.

"Ready?" She asked with a confident smile.

I nodded, and slung my own rucksack over my shoulders. "I presume you know where we're off to?" I asked.

She laughed a little. "There's a path there. We'll follow that," she pointed off to her right. There was a trail leading into the trees. By the start of the path was a signpost. She studied it quickly. "It begins here, and it'll take us right round here." She traced a red dotted line with her finger, detailing the path we would be taking. It looked simple enough.

We set off down the path, with smiles on our faces. I was enjoying the time I had with her. As soon as my woking holiday had finished, I'd be back in the UK and she'd forget all about me. Laexis was beautiful, and talented and funny and everything I wasn't. She'd never have any interest in a guy like me.

She sighed as we stepped under the cool canopy of the forest. Her skin had already tanned beautifully, unlike mine which had burnt, but still remained its pale glow.

"You're here studying, aren't you?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Teaching. I teach English to university students in Versailles. It's nice to get away from the city, actually. It's funny you should be here, most people go on working holidays to Australia or to ski resorts." She replied.

"I'm looking for inspiration. Anything to get my mind going again. I'm just so sick of London, sick of being stuck in the crowd, going nowhere." I sighed.

She smiled, her dark eyes sparkling. "France is a beautiful place, Versailles is a fantastic city to be. Maybe some other day I'll take you sightseeing." Was she proposing we went on another date? I flushed a funny shade of pink.

"Thank you, I'd love to!" I stammered, biting my tongue to stop myself from saying something stupid. But she deserved a compliment. "You look lovely today." I managed to say. I was surprised to see her cheeks turn slightly pink.

"Thank you," She said quietly. She eyed my cut denim shorts and old faded band t-shirt. "And so do you." She winked and skipped along ahead of me, leaving me a little bewildered again.

I jogged to catch her up. She was stood still, listening intently to the sounds of our surroundings. "Can you hear that? It sounds like a waterfall!" She whispered excitedly.

She grabbed my hand and pulled me off the track and down a steep little bank. Suddenly we were out of the forrest and exposed to the harsh glare of the sun. We stood still for a moment, her hand still in mine. I watched her face closely, admiring her as she concentrated on the sound. Everything about her was stunning. Her dark chocolate eyes were wide with excitement, reflecting the sun's light.

She pulled me in the direction of the sound of rushing water, still holding my hand tightly in hers. I tried to stop myself from thinking of all the perfect things we could be in the future. It was impossible. Laexis was everything I could ever ask for: intelligent, beautiful and exciting.

The ground was very rocky, pebbles and stones falling away under foot. This didn't deter Laexis, and she ploughed on anyway. From where we were, I could see down into a nearby village, and I could almost make out the makeshift car park behind us. I could see little streams flowing into the mountain village and the dams the villagers had built on it. I wondered if they had much contact with the bigger cities.

Laexis pulled me around a sharp corner, where we were attacked by a gorse bush growing off the side of the mountain. She helped me through and grinned.

"Alright?" She asked, pulling me through. I tripped on a dead tree root, and fell into her.

Inside, my brain exploded as its embarrassment level reached breaking point. My face turned stupidly red, I could feel the heat radiating from my cheeks. All the time I'd been trying so impossibly hard to keep my cool around her, flirt with her carelessly and act like I had no idea what I was doing was a complete waste. I could feel my heart pound in my chest, pumping red heat into my cheeks. I could've sworn I could hear Laxeis laughing, or cursing at me for knocking into her. But instead, quite the opposite happened.

In my agonising attack of embarrassment, I hadn't noticed her slip her arms around my waist to steady me. A body like hers pressed against mine would usually send my already damaged brain crazy. It would've fried every little ounce of control left in me, and left me helpless. Instead, I felt my brain cool down and switch off temporarily. She looked up at me, eyes laughing. I flushed again and let myself wrap my arms around her waist.

"Carefully, you might fall." She teased quietly.

She bit her lip in the most lustrous way. I could feel my embarrassment spike again as she pulled our bodies impossibly closer. I wanted to say something, regain my cool and let this painfully close moment end. Her cheerful eyes met my own, a nervousness I had never seen in them before. I watched her teeth let go of her bottom lip, allowing her to smile beautifully.

"This height difference is just perfect." She giggled.

"You think?" I asked shyly.

She shrugged. "Yeah. I always wanted a taller man. Come on, let's go find that waterfall!" She let go of my waist and took my hand, pulling me further along to where she believed she could hear rushing water.

We walked on a little while, hand in hand. It wasn't awkward or forced in any way. Our hands fitted, like two pieces of a puzzle. I loved being so close to her. I felt like I belonged with her. I hoped she felt the same way too, but she probably didn't.

"Laexis, do you actually know where we're going?" I asked, just to make conversation.

She shrugged. "We're going to find the waterfall." She said simply. She grinned at me, and tucked a piece of pale blue hair behind her ear. She pulled it over one shoulder, letting the pink tips fall over her breast.

We veered off the narrow little path, further down the steep cliff face. We helped each other keep our balance as rocks and dirt slipped beneath our feet. I couldn't see the village anymore, only sharp rock edges. The car park was long gone, and I really got the feeling that we were on our own. The glare of the sun etched into our skin, with no shelter apart from the trees a few miles back.

When she found the waterfall, she was overjoyed. She slipped off her shoes and sat on a boulder to dip her toes in the cool, clear blue water. The water was a similar colour to her hair, except it didn't turn pink. Watching her enjoy the sounds and smells of nature was just as breathtaking as the nature itself. I sat next to her, admiring her eyes as they reflected the glitter in the water.

Then she looked at me looking at her, and it was as if time stopped. Her eyes reflected the admiration in my own. She broke the trance, blushing and looking down into her lap.

I placed a shy arm around her waist, letting her rest her head on my shoulder. She felt so small and thin in my arms, like she almost wasn't there at all. I felt like I needed to protect her, like a father protects his daughter. I wondered if she felt protected, or if she wanted to be protected.

She looked up at me, eyes wide with childish happiness. I had never seen anything so beautiful. Not even this clear blue waterfall, that matched the colour of her hair. There was something in the way she looked at me that made me feel loved and wanted. Whatever it was, it gave me the confidence to just kiss her.

We were both take aback by my actions. I hadn't consciously planned on doing it, but it had happened and my embarrassment meter was hurting again. I felt a shaky hand stroke the nape of my neck, and her body relaxed against mine. What a perfect spot for a first kiss. A beautiful waterfall and sparkling pool, with no one around for miles. Just the two of us and all of nature's beauty. I pulled her closer, and allowed her to lay me down across the boulder we were sat on. Her delicate little frame lay across my own, bulkier one. Nothing had ever felt more perfect.

We broke apart gently, her eyes welling with overwhelming jubilation. She giggled at me and bit her lip. "Let's go find the path we planned on following." She said quietly, crawling off my body. She sat up, and stared around the clearing.

"Which way did we come from?" I asked, sitting up next to her. I could see the panic in her eyes as she realised we had no idea where we were. "Well, we have to go up, right? If we go up, we must find the path eventually." I suggested, jumping off the rock.

I helped her down and handed her her shoes. "So should we go that way?" She asked, and for the first time I noticed the slightest hint of her French accent. She was pointing off to the left, on a winding little path that led us upwards, under a canopy of trees.

I nodded, and took her hand, leading her forwards into unchartered territory.