Maria was one of those girls.

The ones that looked like springtime and sounded like an afternoon in the park, that always had to say 'I love you' last. Those were the battles you let her win.

A propensity for making friends and sheer boredom on the subway is what made her first introduce herself to you that fateful day. Unusual for the city, but you'd later learn that she'd just moved in, still eager to make her own community in New York.

Since, she hadn't left your mind. First out of sheer concern for the bubbly girl with an endless supply of questions that she liked to unload on unsuspecting commuters. Then a friend, one of your absolute dearest. Now... something that felt too dangerous to even think about.

She probably has no clue is what you would tell yourself in efforts to ease your mind. Maria had enough troubles, you knew that well enough. She didn't need you and your feelings adding to the mix. God knows she'd be sweet about it. Too sweet. And that was enough to keep you silent and smiling when she was around you.

Still, it was fair to say you needed her, even if it had to be platonically. And it was no secret that she felt the same. Sleepovers were a constant when it started to get cold, her brother unwilling to heat the apartment when he had a girlfriend to keep him warm.

Tonight was one of those nights, though the scent of the changing seasons was already in the air. What could you say, codependency and pining were an unfortunate mix that drew a path straight up to Maria's apartment, through her bedroom door and onto her bed.

Last week's left-for-recycling magazines strewn across the expanse of quilt between you, she flipped through dress advertisements while you examined apartments of the city's wealthy. Not that you really cared about the state of living rooms on the Upper East Side, but... damn, you could see Maria perched on that pink couch. The two of you not having to effectively steal the fancy colored magazines from the curbsides on the eve of trash day.

"Did you hear what I said?" Shit. Her voice snaps you out of whatever daydreaming you shouldn't have been having, brown eyes locked on yours from the foot of her bed. You'd do anything to be able to just say you wanted a life with her. Oh well. "What's in that one?"