He saw her the moment after he had kissed her for the first time. He felt his own cheeks get hot when her face got flushed. He could see the confusion and surprise that was written all over her face. He saw her put her hand to her mouth. He saw a small smile on her lips when she pulled her hand away.

He saw her when he had come to the Crashdown that night during the heat wave. He could feel how her heart was racing when she saw him standing outside. He saw her hesitate for a moment, and then open both the door and her heart to him. He felt everything she had been feeling when he had taken her in his arms and kissed her.

He saw her when he had gotten sick. He saw how all the anger and rejection she had been feeling then just melted away when she found out that he was sick. He saw how she did everything, anything that could do to try to help him. He watched her breathe a sigh of relief when she saw that he was all right again.

He saw the look in her eyes when he got up and hugged and thanked Max and Isabelle and said nothing to her.

He saw her after he left her that last time. He saw how confused she was when he said he loved her, and then left her. He saw her later that day, as she was comforting Alex and Liz and telling them that everything would be okay. He saw her later that night, as she was laying in her bed, calling his name, and crying herself to sleep.

He saw her.

He could see all of Maria, but he could only hear one thing.

He saw her again, as she was standing outside two nights ago. He watched as she looked up to the stars and whispered ‘I love you.’

And he knew exactly who she was talking to.

***

She saw him.

She saw him standing in his apartment, facing three other people.

She saw that he was arguing with Max and Tess and Isabelle.

And she could hear what they were saying.

"I can’t do it, Maxwell. Michael’s voice was so clear. I’ve tried. You know I have been trying. But I can’t do it anymore. I can’t."

"Michael--" Max started.

"No. NO. And don’t act like you haven’t been thinking about it too. You know it as well as I do. I can’t do this. We can’t do this. Not all of it, anyway."

"So what are you going to do?" Tess fired at him. "Go back and try to be normal? Human? And just pretend like this whole destiny thing never even happened?"

"I don’t know," Michael said. But I can’t stay here. I need to get away. I need to… to think."

"You can’t run away from this!" Isabelle yelled.

"I’m not running away! But I need to figure some things out. I… I have to go."

"Michael… Michael wait," Max pleaded. "Is this about Maria?"

"Oh, like you haven’t been dying to run back to Liz, Michael shot back. You keep Maria out of this. This isn’t about her. It… You know? I don’t have time for this. I need to go. "

She saw him turn around and look at Max. "I didn’t think it would be me," Michael said. I honestly thought that you would be the first one to leave. You were always so much more… connected… so much more human than I was. I thought that you’d be the first to go back. I guess I was wrong."