A Romantic Story.

I shyly slipped my hand into his, as we walked alongside. I dared not clasp his hand too tightly. His hand was coarse, coarser than my own. I felt bewildered. What sort of strange feeling overcame me? Here I am, walking hand-in-hand with my very first boyfriend! Me, boyfriend! In a park! I drifted off into my thoughts.

"Hey," he articulated, waking me up from my reverie.

"Yea?" I uttered monosyllabically. I dared not speak a word more, for my tongue may betray me.

"Wanna go to the playground?"

"Sure."

We headed for the playground, shaded from the blazing afternooon sun by dense foliage overhead. I was such a pack of nerves, but I loosened up a little as the swings came in my sight. Swings have always been my favourite part of a playground, and I sure was in my element. I scampered towards the nearest swing, releasing his hand in the process. I felt bad about letting go of him, yet strangely relieved that we weren't in such close contact anymore.

I sat on the swing, trying to gain momentum. He immediately offered to push me. Despite being well aware of the fact that I'm pretty good at swinging, I demurely allowed him to. Soaring through the air, I laid aside my worries for a while. My nervousness seemed to be swept off everytime the wind swished through my face. However, after a while swinging was no longer a viable diversion. We were quiet for too long, and I came to a stop.

I was led to a bench, where he sat close to me: uncomfortably so, I must add. After observing a minute or two of silence (in which the mounting tension reached an unbearable state), he solemnly asked:

"May I kiss you?" He gazed at me intensely, waiting for a response.

I was speechless. I didn't know what to say. I got up in order to avoid his piercing stare. Focusing pointedly at a nearby twig, I stammered, "I d-don't know."

He got up from his seat and took me gently by the shoulders.

"And why?"

"I... I'm scared." My eyes couldn't bear to meet his and I turned myself away from his grasp, pacing up and down the path.

"What have you got be afraid of?"

"N-no one has ever kissed me before. I... I don't know!!" Torn between hesitance and eagerness, I frustratedly plonked myself down on a rocking animal, sitting awkwardly on the toddler-sized toy. He walked up and stood before me. I still dared not look him in the eye, choosing to stare stubbornly at his feet, yet occasionally sneaking peeks at his oh-so-kissable lips.

"So, may I kiss you please?"

*silence*

"Eh... I kiss you arh."

And with that, he stooped down and planted a light kiss on my unsuspecting lips.

I was stunned. I blanked out, not knowing what had just happened. Suddenly, the realisation hit me, and it was as if sacks upon sacks of magical fairy dust had exploded atop me. The tingles diffused to the tips of my ears, and trickled down to my very little toesies. I traced my lips gingerly, trying to remember how wonderful that sensation was.

He looked at me quizzically, slightly alarmed by my faraway expression.

"Hey, did I do something wrong?"

"No... no, no. It's just... Wow."

A smile split across his face, while he gestured for me to get up and continue walking. I was still in a state of amazement and shock. My first kiss! Wow! But not long after, the guilt and regret set in. Oh no. I didn't kiss him back. Why, oh why?!

I stopped in my tracks unexpectedly, and he halted with a jolt.

Looking concerned, he asked, "Is anything the matter?"

"Well... I thought... I just wanted... Canikissyouagain?"

In response to his puzzled reaction, I took a deep breath and asked once more.

"Can I kiss you again? This time, properly?"

I didn't get a verbal response, as his twinkly eyes with the cute crinkle told me all I needed to know. He swiftly placed his lips on mine. This time, I reciprocated the kiss, taking just a moment to recover from the suddenness. We eventually tore away from each other - too quickly, I thought. That feeling of satisfaction is unparalleled by any other, and suffice to say, it was sweet.