A/N: *Sips imaginary coffee* Just rolling up at 4 AM with my next submission (and insomnia), don't mind me.
(I am so going to regret this in the morning)
Anyways, this is my next story for the Gloves Up SmackDown contest, for which the genre is romance!
A warning, I am absolute trash at writing romance. Partially because I've never had any experience with it, and partially because I just don't read about it. The only romance I read is within other genres, like historical fiction or sci-fi. Like, the writer's block for this one... phew. But, ultimately, I think I'm pretty happy with my finished product.
Without further ado, let's get into it!
Word count: 1499

Close your eyes, give me your hand, darling
Do you feel my heart beating?

He stumbles again, instinctively reaching out his hand to grip onto her arm. His eyebrows furrow determinedly as he glares at his roller skates.

All in all, he's doing really well, for his first time roller skating.

She watches him with an amused smile. It is far from her first time roller skating, and watching her boyfriend get the hang of it is especially entertaining.

"You good?" she questions, not bothering to hide the mirth in her voice.

"Yep," he replies, not bothering to lift his head. He lets go of her arm and pushes forward again, eyes laser-focused.

That's Kayden, she thinks, feeling a swell of affection and pride rise within her. Never a quitter.

She can feel the stares, coming from all directions. They are aimed at them - or, specifically, at Kayden. And she knows it's not for his incredibly handsome looks.

She knows he can feel them too; it's a little hard not to. But he manages to ignore them all, which only makes her prouder.

He's come so far.

She can still remember the first time she met him. When she first saw the cracks in his impenetrable walls.

She sighed as she reached the cover of the bus stop, rain dripping from her hair. Of course, she had to stay late to talk with her professor and get caught in the storm.

She was so occupied with her misery, that it took her a few seconds to notice the man that stood in the bus stop with her.

He was facing away from her, so she couldn't see much other than his back and dark, neat hair. But she wasn't studying to be a lawyer for nothing. A lifetime of being observant had taught her how to read people, and to read them well.

The man was slumped slightly, shoulders sagging and head dipped. He was upset, but hiding it fairly well.

And then, he turned around.

Her own hazel eyes met the man's brown ones. The man's facial expression was angry, but his eyes were... complicated.

They were filled with a lot of emotion - frustration, some anger and fear, but, mostly, sorrow. And even though she would never admit it, the maelstroms behind those eyes made her heart ache a little.

"What are you looking at? Oh, wait, let me guess," the man snapped at her, voice dripping with sarcasm. "My arm?"

His arm? She hadn't even glanced at his arms. She moved her eyes down and-

Oh.

He had only one arm.

Despite her surprise, she kept her face stoic. The man didn't need more pity.

"No." She placed a hand on her hip. "I was looking at your face."

"My face?" He seemed taken aback.

She raised an eyebrow at him challengingly. "Yeah, you know, where your eyes are. So I can make eye contact, like a respectful person."

This seemed to surprise him even more. "You're- You're not going to ask about... you know?" He awkwardly gestured to the stump where his arm should be.

Just how many times had he been asked that, to instantly expect that from her? "How is that any of my business?"

"Hey." His gentle voice breaks her out of her reverie. "What are you thinking about?"

She smiles at him. "How we met."

"Ah." He scratches the back of his neck with his hand, like he always does when he's embarrassed. "I was a jerk, wasn't I?"

"You're still a jerk," she teases him, only to squeak with surprise when he bumps her shoulder with his, almost making her trip. "Hey!"

"Payback, Lia. Aren't you well-versed in that?"

"Well, I don't usually get payback from my mock-opponents that easily."

"Oh, really?" He moves closer, until she can feel his breath on her left ear. "Would you like me to make it harder for you, then?"

She can feel her breath hitch, and, judging from the way Kayden smirks in her peripherals, he notices it too.

He is not going to get the upper hand on her.

"As if you could." She rolls her eyes, before abruptly surging forward. "Catch me if you can!" she calls impishly over her shoulder.

She sees more than hears her boyfriend's playful growl, and the way he tries - key word, tries - to skate faster, to catch up with her. He is moving faster, but it's definitely less gliding and more stepping.

You see the colors in me like no one else
And behind your dark glasses you're
You're something else

She can feel the stares, still, and how they seem to intensify as he skates after her clumsily, laughter mingling with hers.

Sometimes, it makes her angry, how blatantly they stare and judge Kayden for his missing limb.

Kayden has had to deal with everyone's judgement, everyone's taunts, for all of his life. And she knows he doesn't deserve that. On the surface, he is withdrawn, antisocial, and short-tempered. But she always seems like the only person who can see beyond that.

Kayden has a soft spot for animals, especially birds. He loves hyacinths, because they were the favorite flower of the mother he never knew. He has the strongest will of anyone she knows - once he starts something, he won't stop. He falls asleep on his stomach, but always ends up flipping to his back in the middle of the night.

Despite his missing limb, Kayden plays trumpet and piano. He spends hours at his desk, designing homes and other buildings for his architecture major. Even though his missing arm bothers him sometimes, he never lets it hold him back.

It's a part of the reason why she admires him - and why she loves him.

Like every person, she knows that he has his flaws. There are days when even she can't break past his thick barriers. Times when he is uncommunicative and bullheaded. Instances when he picks an argument for no real reason.

But the days where he smiles and laughs, when he makes her laugh by telling stupid jokes or tickling her until she can't breathe, when they tease each other until she wins, like always, when the weight of the world finally seems to lift off his shoulders - those days outnumber the bad ones. And they make them worth it.

She twists her head around while skating leisurely, bursting into a new bout of laughter when he almost plows into the rink wall, again.

God, she loves him, she loves him, she loves him. The thought of being with someone else is inconceivable to her. How could she, when he is there for her?

She loves him with all her heart, as cheesy as that sounds.

She can only hope that he does, too.

* * * * *

The sun's fading rays cast a golden light over her skin as she drops into the bus seat, exhausted. He follows diligently behind her, carrying her skates and their bags.

Almost as soon as he sits down, she lays her head on his chest, eyes drooping. The long days of mock-trials, and the exertion of their date must be catching up to her.

Her boyfriend chuckles as he shifts, allowing her a more comfortable position. After he sets down their stuff, he wraps his singular arm around her.

Even half-asleep, on a bus that's only about a third full, she can feel the weight of the stares on them. But she can't bring herself to care.

After all, everyone has scars. Kayden's are only a little more obvious.

And, underneath it all, he is the best man she could hope to be with. He is the man she is in love with.

She's really lucky.

It doesn't matter that Kayden doesn't have both his arms. It doesn't matter to her, because he can do almost everything she can, almost everything that people with two arms can. He is everything people with two arms are, and more.

He's devoted, and strong-willed, and stubborn, and funny, and loving. He's warm, and soft, and gentle, and his current hug is just as comforting as any two-armed person's would be.

Kayden starts to run his hand through her locks, and she can feel herself beginning to drift off.

Perhaps her state lowers her inhibitions, because she utters three last words, pushing to get them out before the darkness takes her.

"I love you."

Maybe, if she were more awake, she would notice how her boyfriend's hand suddenly stops combing through her hair. Maybe she would see how Kayden's eyes start filling with tears, or how lovingly he smiles down at her tired form.

But she doesn't.

Though she does catch what he says in response, right before she slips into slumber.

"I love you too, Aurelia."

I believe it's meant to be, darling
I watch you when you are sleeping
You belong with me
Do you feel the same? Am I only dreaming?
Or is this burning (burning) an eternal flame?

A/N: So, what did you think?
Good, or bad, for my first try at plain, pure romance?
One of my first ideas for this was to bring back Mateo and Amalia (mentioned in my Qualifying Round submission) and recount their jobs, how they met, and better introduce their daughter. But, in the end, I decided it wouldn't fit with the two songs I was using for inspiration. I'll let you guys guess which two I used, it's quite obvious. :)
Okay, quick serious talk, everyone! I have all my limbs, fortunately, but some people don't. Don't stare at them, or make them feel uncomfortable! They're people too, and they deserve to be treated like it.
Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed it!