She had been in the shower an awfully long time. Seborga was beginning to worry.

It was supposed to be a friendly sleepover. Sealand and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus were in the next room, waiting for Wy to finish up and join them in their game of cards – and to provide a buffer to prevent the two from bickering. Seborga had opted to sit the first round out in favour of making dinner; he was, after all, their host.

Seborga hummed quietly to himself as he stirred their pasta. He was achingly aware that Wy was just down the hallway and completely naked.

He shook his head, laughing at himself. Had he really just thought that? He laughed again, a little nervously this time.

Wy.

An image of her and Sealand, standing opposite him and upside down – or rather, right-side up – played across his mind. It certainly wasn't a very romantic first meeting, stuck in a tree covered in ketchup as he was. An awkward first meeting and an even worse first impression.

Wy.

He loved her name. There was something about it that summed up her unique persona with incomparable accuracy. The way she always acted so mature and independent while concealing the nervous, childlike girl beneath.

He had sworn not to hit on her for at least a few more hundred years. How could he possibly have fallen for her? She was just so...young. Seborga ground his teeth together uncomfortably.

Maybe he shouldn't have invited her here tonight. With three other boys there she was bound to get uncomfortable. He hung his head. It was selfish of him to expect her to enjoy being around so many of the opposite sex.

Come to think about it, Wy didn't seem to have any girl friends. Seborga frowned at this thought. She got along quite well with Hungary when the two of them crossed paths, and she clearly felt a certain liking towards Liechtenstein, but again, only when they crossed paths. Wy always seemed to prefer hanging out with Seborga and Sealand.

A shocking thought crossed the Italian micronation's mind. What if Wy wasn't actually…interested in boys? He felt his heart thump at this thought. That would explain why she had never had a boyfriend. He bit his lip. Of course, as her friend, Seborga would care about her no matter what, but it she didn't like boys then...

He shook his head, already feeling his face turn a bright crimson colour.

He checked his watch. She really was taking a long time in the shower...

"Really? A full forty-five minutes?"

On the other end of the phone, Seborga's voice was uncertain and layered with concern. "Mm-hm, and that's only since I've been timing it; it's closer to at least an hour. What does it mean when girls take a really long time in the shower?"

Seychelles frowned thoughtfully as Seborga kept talking in a hurried tone. "I'm sorry to be asking you about this – I just wanted to know if it was a girl thing or if something was wrong...I don't exactly want to walk in on her..."

Seychelles laughed. "No, I agree; that would be bad. Well, we girls love taking our sweet time in the shower but even we can't justify a whole hour just for cleanliness' sake – especially somebody like Wy who grew up on a continent that's going through a drought half of the time. I'd say she's either knocked herself unconscious-"

Seborga sucked in a breath.

"...Or she's crying."

"Crying?"

Seychelles nodded, before realising that he couldn't see her and saying, "That's right; if a girl takes a long time in the shower it usually means she's crying and doesn't want anybody to know."

There was a pause. "Oh." Another pause. "Girls do that?"

Seychelles laughed. "Don't worry, Seborga; I'm sure it's nothing serious. It couldn't have been anything you've done – I heard she's still arguing with Australia about getting her driveway; it's probably upset her to be fighting with her brother."

Seborga didn't sound convinced, but he thanked the island girl nonetheless. "I'll see you later, then~!" he concluded, laughing merrily. "Thanks again, Seychelles!"

Seychelles smiled to herself. "You're most welcome – see you, Seborga!" After a moment, she put the phone down, still smiling to herself. It was so obvious why Wy was crying.

Seborga was frowning to himself. Every time he thought he knew everything there was to know about the female mind, it went ahead and amazed him again. What possible benefit could standing in a shower for more than an hour have to somebody who was upset?

Hesitantly, he made his way down the hallway to the bathroom door, listening. There was no sound audible above the noise of the water.

He bit his lip, Seychelles' other warning playing over and over again in his head. What if she had slipped on the wet floor and was slowly bleeding to death on the other side of the door? His heart thumped. If Wy died, how could he possibly live with himself? How could he possibly live?

He knocked hesitantly at the door, praying she would answer and save him any further trouble.

She didn't.

He cringed, imagining her reaction if he opened the door to find her completely...

"Wy?" he called, unaccustomed to the nerves he was now feeling. This wasn't right – he was usually so confident around women. "Are you okay in there?"

No answer.

"I- ah, I'm coming in. My eyes are closed."

Seborga ginerly opened the bathroom door a crack. "Wy?"

The shower curtain was drawn, but Seborga could clearly see the standing outline of the young, slim girl, curly hair cascading down her back…so beautiful.

Seborga suddenly felt very uncomfortable.

"Seborga!" Wy's voice suddenly blared out from the shower. Seborga jumped.

"Uh- I- um…this isn't what is looks-"

"What are you doing?" Her voice was unusually high pitched. But even over the sound of running water the tone was unmistakable. Seychelles was righ; Wy was crying.

Seborga uttered a long stream of stutters before finally choking out, "I- you- you were in here for a long time and I thought that you might have hurt yourself."

"I'm fine. Go away! I'll be done soon!"

Seborga wanted to leave. It was too much, having her so close. But there was something about her voice, rooting him in place. "Wy…are you sure you're okay? You sound like you've-"

"I haven't!" she barked. "I- I'm-" Her voice suddenly cracked. "I'm fine…fine."

That settled it; Seborga wasn't going to leave Wy to cry alone. Even if she was in the shower. "You can tell me what's wrong, Wy…I'm your friend."

There was a pause, before Wy's delicate, tanned face appeared from around the curtain. Seborga's breath caught.

She looked so different with her curly hair wet and slicked back, and her face flushed red from the hot water. And yet somehow she looked the same as she always did; the same pretty girl who had yelled at him whist he hung upside down in her garden. Fiery little Wy. His Wy.

"That's the problem, Seborga," she whispered, her voice strained with tears.

Seborga blinked. "Wy…?"

As quickly as it appeared, Wy's face dissappeared. "Seborga, we can't be friends anymore."

For a full minute, Seborga couldn't breathe. He felt himself grow lightheaded. "What are you talking about, Wy?"

"I c- I ca-" Her voice erupted into sobs. "I just can't handle being friends with you! It's too much!"

"I don't understand," Seborga said gently.

"Seborga!" she pleaded. "Please, just go. I'll finish up here and leave."

"Not until you tell me why," Seborga said, his voice unswayable.

There was absolute silence but for the rushing of water.

And then, as if part of some blurry dream, her voice dropped until it barely counted at a whisper. "I love you, Seborga," she whispered. "That's why. And you only see me as a friend! I- I…"

Seborga didn't answer her. Couldn't answer her.

"It's just too hard being around you anymore," Wy cried. "I can't take it, Seborga. I can't!"

"So you're running away?" he asked quietly. "That doesn't sound like the Wy I know."

Wy didn't answer, but her crying didn't cease.

"You never run away from anything." Seborga's heart was practically flying right out of his chest. "And Wy…there's nothing to run away from."

Wy held her breath. "What do you mean?"

Taking care to avert his eyes, Seborga gently brushed the curtain aside and peered in at her wet, tear-stained face, surrounded by its cloud of steam.

For a while, neither micronation said a word, simply staring at each other. And then Seborga took a step closer.

"What are you doing? You'll get wet-"

Stepping into the stream of water, Seborga gently cupped her cheek in his hand and closed the distance between their lips.

The kiss was too sudden, catching Wy off-guard as it did. By the time she had time to comprehend what was happening, he had pulled away and was staring intently into her clear brown eyes.

"…Seborga?" The word escaped her throat as nothing more than a choked whisper.

"I've loved you ever since we first met, Wy." Seborga combed his fingers through her locks of wet brown hair. "I thought it was obvious from the beginning."

A fresh tear fell from Wy's eye, disguised amongst the spray of the water on her face. Seborga gently leaned forward and kissed her forehead again.

As if on cue, the tears started flowing again. Seborga wrapped his arms around her, murmuring out her name as he held her close.

How could this be real? Seborga looked down at the sobbing girl in his arms. The girl whom he had been in love with since their awkward first meeting hanging from a Jacaranda tree. The girl who had yelled at him and told him to leave her alone over and over again. The girl whom he had been waiting for for hundreds of years.

"I love you, Wy," he murmured, kissing her again as the water fell down around them.