The flash of the red and green lights bounced playfully off of the reflection of his glasses. The eyes that he tried to hide behind the smeared and stained lenses, stared painfully, half-full and glazed with emotion as he clutched her arm trying to explain love. In a relatively clumsy stamor, he explained how much he still loved her, after so long. After so much. Two years, he said. Two years, not wasted, but invested into an undying friendship for a love that, although has changed, has become indefinitely stronger. But now, instead of standing side by side, they had stood on opposite ends of a bridge that neither of them were willing to cross anymore. Nothing more than a platonic smile, hug, or any physical sign of affection. Maybe it was the slightly awkward smile that would curl up on her face, creasing her eyes as she tried to hide everythjing that raged inside her.

"I still love her", he exclaimed. "But it's not the same love. She knows that I'd do anything for her. She knows. But it's time. We're two different people. There are things about us.. that are alike, that I love. But there are things that are different, that we cannot do anymore." He spoke with such conviction that it was hard not to believe in him. Not to believe in his hope for a better, brighter future. It had only been two days. It had been the start of the new year, and it was the start of something new.

It was nothing more than a confession to a stranger at this point, but it was the truth. Nothing could change this. The room was still loud, booming with music and the shuffling of feet, of people, strangers at will coming together. Across the room stood another pair of persons looking for an escape. She held him close, placing her hands to his face. He stood stoic, leaned against the wall, staring off into a distance. Thinking. No words. Like a statue, just waiting for someone to break apart his concrete exterior. A normally outrageously outright person, who's laugh could make you stand to your feet at the sheer notion of sharing his excitement -- he stood alone. He stood off in the distance, while others paraded around to the clamor of sights and sounds.

His mind weighed down on him, but it was as if nobody could see this. Nobody could see the weight of the world as it stood atop his shoulders, crushing his posture. Bending, breaking -- almost.

Love, was definitely in the air. In all of its refined, and utterly debilitating glory. It stood around us. Waiting to capture it's next victim. And we waited back.

Inspired by events occuring on the night of January 4th, 2009 & ASW comic # 359