*He's enjoying this WAY to much* She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. *maybe this is some weird dream. That's what it is! I'm gonna open my eyes and he will be gone. I will be safe in my bed and I will curse pineapple pizza and never eat it late in the night again* Slowly she opened her eyes.
He was still there, smile still apparent in his eyes. "Boo!" He whispered...the rush of his breath against her lips.
*okay.... not a dream.... let's act dumb then* " Okay....ummm..." she looked up at him and chuckled. "You..."she said, poking him in the chest."want me, to 'taste' you?" She raised an eyebrow. "Right...."
He grasped her finger from it's spot on his chest. "Well you're the one that I can't seem to convince of the fact that I am sober..." he leaned in closer, enclosed her entire hand in his has he moved."... let me show you."
Maria closed her eyes as she felt his other hand graze her cheek... *Oh my god...How is this happening? Why is this happening?? I wanted this for so long.... why now???*
Michael smiled as he brought himself closer to her. God how he needed her... how he needed to feel her lips on his, hear her mumble....
RRRRRRIIIIIIIINGGGGGGGGGG!!!!
Michael closed his eyes and cringed. "Damn it!" he whispered. Her eyes popped open as he walked away from her to the ringing phone near the couch. Maria blinked, amazed at how vacant she felt now that he had left his closeness to her. It had been a while since she had felt this way and god she missed it. She closed her eyes quickly and circled the breakfast bar in the kitchen. She stood with her back to him, hands resting on the bar, while he answered the phone.
"Hello?" Michael breathed into the phone. "What do you want I'm busy" Maria was sure he still didn't know who it was.
"Michael, it's Max." Michael looked at Maria, perched on the end of the counter, holding herself up, her back turned to him.
He turned to face the wall. "Yeah, what do you want?"
"Came home and Izzy wasn't here and Mom's car is gone...She there with you?"
"Nope, Maxwell...she's out with Alex. Said something about watching a movie and then going out to the desert to look at the constellations"
"Oh....no. I was just worried. She used all the minutes on her cell and I couldn't get a hold...."
"Maxamillion, not that this isn't interesting, but I am kinda busy here. Think I could talk to you tomorrow??"
Michael heard the questions in Max's voice as he spoke."Yeah.....sure....umm... Talk to you tomorrow?"
"Yeah, goodnight Max." He set the phone down in it's cradle and let out a sigh. All the work he had done to get to Maria tonight was probably ruined now by Max's paranoia about his sister. *Great. Back to square one*
"Tell me again." He heard her speak behind him. He turned... her back was still turned to him.
"What?" he said, taking a cautious step towards her.
She turned back towards him, her eyes filling with tears. "Tell me again...tell me why you don't... love me." He stepped him front of her, looking into her eyes. They glistened with tears but were strangely hopeful.
The space between them seemed so large compared to where they stood just moments before. His heart jumped... maybe it wasn't back to square one after all. He smiled " Don't think I'm drunk anymore?"
"I didn't say that." she glanced at her hands, which were toying with the end of her tank top.
"I just.... I just need to hear it again to figure this all out, okay?" She glanced up at him.
"So no tasting... just yet?"he teased. She could hear the smile in his voice as he spoke.
She sighed and began to walk back to the couch. "If I ever decide to kiss you again Michael, I don't want it to be to prove something.....If I ever do, I want it to be about the two of us... that is, if it were to ever happen again" He smiled... she was saying ��if�� entirely too much. She still hadn't looked at him. He sat next to her on the couch and watched her still fiddling with the hem of her top. "So tell me again..." she glanced at him again." please?"
He turned to her, raising one of his legs onto the couch. He took her hands in his...so small in his. He sighed. "I MORE than love you... I adore everything about you! God... how can you not see that I am telling you the truth! I love your hair.." he brushed his hand through her locks. She turned her head into his hand "I love your spunk and spice... it had to have one of the 2 things I missed about you the most." he chuckled and glanced at his hands in hers and continued.
"I love the way we argue. I love the way you looked at me..." he brushed the tears away from where they had fallen on her cheeks. "I love your little nose..." she chuckled through the sobs and raised her hand to his cheek, her fingers coming away wet from his tears. "I love your voice... even when you are screaming at me. I love the way we are togther. I love the way you hold me...the way I feel that everything will be okay, just as long as I am with you. God Maria, it has been like a death without you... like a part of me is missing if you are not here with me. See now why I can't say 'I love you'? It makes no sense... it's just too little of a phrase to fully explain how I need you. You are the part of me... the part of me that is good...and hopeful... and let's me know I can be myself...." he slid his hand down the side of her face. "...that pushing you away and staying away from you brings me more harm than good." he moved closer to her, leaning in to her, running his hand down the skin of her arm. He chuckled. "You know that movie with the little kid in it??... The one you forced me to watch when I first got this place?? Like actually watch... no fun for the two of us till after??"
She nodded her head. "Jerry McGuire."
"Yeah... I thought I knew what he meant before... when he told that girl that he loved her. But after this time... all that��s happen in the last month, and even before that, " he sniffled, making Maria grin at the fact he was actually getting teary eyed at his profession of love. She knew it was so hard for him.. But with each word he spoke her heart grew in her chest. " I completely understand... I know I can��t bear to be without you by my side... I know now... I know that you complete me."
He glanced the tear streaked face sitting inches away from him and winced. He ran his free hand through his hair. "You have to be thinking that I am a complete idiot!" he wiped his face on the back of his hand. "I know I am... I drag you up here and force you to listen to me and now I have you crying...."
He felt her hand graze his face and he looked up at her. She was chuckling and whispered to him "Michael... Mind if I stop you before you ruin the moment?"
He scanned her eyes... roaming from one to the other. He swallowed hard. "Umm..." his voice was hesitant... "okay..."
She smiled. "Good. Cause...uh...Michael?" he raised an eyebrow in response... she settled her forehead against his. "I don��t love you either." she smiled against him and he grinned.
She cupped his face with one of her hands... the other still entwined in his on her lap. "Am I suppose to take that to be a good thing?" he asked her, relishing in the feel of her hands on him again... no force, just her desire to feel him.
"After you��re little speech?? I would think yeah." She smiled and he started to pull away slightly from her.
"Good cause you go around saying that and people may start to think..."
"Michael?" she interrupted him.
"Yeah, " he answered her sheepishly.
"Shut up" she answered, bringing her face to his and pressing her mouth to his. She lost herself as his hand slipped around her waist as he pulled her onto his lap. She gasped as he nibbled on her lower lip, knowing nothing had never felt so right in her life. She felt the tears begin to well up in her eyes again when he pulled back. She looked at him her eyes pleading. "What��s the matter?"
He smiled at her, running her hand through her hair and down her face. "Nothing at all." he looked at her face...God she was beautiful. He tried to keep a straight face. "Just wondering if you tasted the alcohol??"
She dropped her jaw and he started to laugh. She playfully hit him. "You better not have, cause Michael Guerin you would be SO DEAD!!"
"I��m joking I��m joking!!" he laughed, cupping her face in his hands and leaning in for just a little more of what he needed.
~~~~~
He loved this.... he loved just being here with her... just feeling her brushing ever so slightly against him. He smiled down at her and she looked up, catching his eye.
She grinned from where her head rested on his lap. "What?" she asked, her brow slightly furrowing.
"What?" he mimicked. "Can��t I look at you?"
She shifted her position a little. "Yeah... just not like you��re a hungry little alien and I am the main course of the Crashdown menu."she smiled.
He inched his head down towards hers. "What if I am hungry?"
She slipped out from where she was rested on his lap, his arm laid delicately across her stomach. They had assumed the position after their kisses had turned feather light, satisfied to just be in each others presence. Now Maria had broken the hold their bodies had on each other in their proximity... and it just left Michael needing more.
"You��re hungry are ya??" She smiled, walking to the kitchen. "Well I saw some microwave popping corn on my rampage. Just give me a few minutes and I��ll be back.
He was grinning from ear to each while watching her retreating form. *She��s mine. She��s all mine... not even time could screw this up for us. How did I ever get her? What did I do to deserve her?"* He looked at the now empty room... it felt so vacant without her... He felt so empty without her. HE ran his fingers through his hair and laughed *Damn man, she��s only in the next room.* But still... he looked towards the kitchen, hearing her moving his utensils around. He new something had happened tonight to seal the two of them together, and there was still more to come. He just had to figure out how to make it special...
~~~~~
*If I keep myself busy, I can keep my hands off him. If I keep myself busy, I can keep my hands off him...* Her mantra kept repeating in her head as she popped the bag of corn in the tiny microwave. She scooped a hunk of butter into a mug to heat after the popcorn was finished and placed her hands on the counter. Her mantra stopped and her head clouded with thoughts of the alien...her alien in the other room.
She wanted him... there was no doubt about it. She smiled, knowing that the feeling was mutual. She just wasn��t sure if tonight was the best time to let things spin... well... it wouldn��t really be out of control. She had a feeling of freedom with Michael, that was for sure, but it never really felt like she wasn��t in control. It was almost as if she had more control over ever... her senses were heightened and everything seemed bigger and better than ever. Everything was within her grasp.
She pursed her lips together and sighed... glancing towards the living room, she smiled. Maybe she would just test the waters and see where it goes....