Author's Note: So what do you do when you are flunking out of med school? Come home and write a story you don't get paid for.

Thanks to Snuggleshark, who put Zorro in a Snuggie for me. She said no credit. So I will call her Snuggleshark. Thank you Snuggleshark. This is un-beta'd, because I'm depressed and impatient and feel like posting. Several people read it and gave me encouragement on it, though, so I'm going to share. Thanks to all of you, and for those of you who review and get me through my day.

Disclaimer: I do not own Zorro. I do not make any money from writing this story. I will never get any of the money back I've paid for the education I'm not receiving. Dialogue and situations used from the episode are property of ZPI, the rest of the story is my property and cannot be printed or used without permission.

I started this the other day, got inspired for the ending when Klingon was feeling blue. I wanted Victoria to be confident enough to go after what she wanted, cause she has a hard time in A Simple Beginning. Katie suggested teen, so I wrote it teen. Still not much to it, just our favorite couple growing closer. Last night I was remembering the first kiss I ever wrote. I don't think it's any easier now. Maybe next story will be kiss-free.

***July 25, 2013 *** update: adult version is up on my livejournal

I hope you enjoy it.

zzz

"Need something?"

Victoria blushed when she turned to see Zorro standing in the cave entrance holding a tray of food. She glanced at a wall to her side where an intricate stack of baskets, books, crates, and who knows what else trembled and threatened to fall after she'd touched it.

Granted, trying to get a blanket out from the middle of a pile of boxes wasn't the smartest idea she'd ever had. She smiled innocently at Zorro. The tray even had a vase with a flower on it. She sighed and leaned back into the chair. He was so sweet. Zorro set the tray on the desk and glanced at the wall Victoria had been trying to topple.

"Are you cold?"

Victoria shrugged, warmth spreading through her body at his mere presence. He'd given her something for pain, but Zorro was the reason for the tingly feelings she was having. She loved him…he brought her a flower and food. He'd taken care of her ankle. Even now he started tugging at the blanket she'd seen because he suspected she was chilly. He was so thoughtful.

She frowned when he finally liberated the blanket. It wasn't a blanket.

Zorro shook out the…whatever this was. His father had given it to him. He saw Victoria smile, and he held it up in front of himself so she could get the full impact.

Victoria's eyes widened. "What is that?"

Zorro grinned, glancing down at the bright red flannel. He chuckled himself, and decided to show her. He searched a long time to find the bottom, then slipped the blanket-thing over his head, still careful not to remove his mask.

He held his arms out for her inspection as he spun in a circle, the thick wool reaching to his toes, the giant sleeves reaching well beyond his fingertips.

Victoria chuckled. "And again I ask, what is that?"

Zorro grinned, playing with the sleeves and trying to make it fit. It was like a tent. "My father gave it to me one day when I was sick. I think my grandmother made it. I'm not sure what she was thinking. It's not exactly appealing."

"I have to disagree," Victoria whispered, almost to herself. Zorro looked good in anything.

She pushed herself up, the pain in her ankle long forgotten when he rushed to help her stand. The giant sleeves got in his way and they spent a few minutes trying to find his hands. The sleeves fell back over her hands now, and she shivered as Zorro traced his fingers up and down her skin.

"It's a good color on you."

Zorro shrugged, looking down at their arms where his caresses were hidden by the thick wool. Zorro cleared his throat, desperate to find something to take his mind off of the beautiful woman standing in his cave…all alone…and looking at him with a heat he'd only dreamed of. He frowned when she stepped away, picking at his sleeves again.

"Seems a little big."

Zorro stood still, not sure what she was doing as she circled him slowly. Was she going to try to take off the mask? She never let go of his sleeve, and he let her pull his arm behind his back as she tugged and played with his outfit. He heard a drawer open, but he wasn't concerned. Nothing in the desk revealed his identity. If she wanted to play with the robe-thing, at least she was out of sight. She could play with the sleeves, and maybe he would keep this on the rest of the night. With his hands covered, he couldn't touch her. Lord, he wanted to touch her. He needed to gather his wits, to remember he was a gentleman.

He felt her hands slide up his arm to his shoulder, this time over the blanket, and held his breath as he watched her limp back in front of him. Her hands traced the large opening of the blanket for his head, and Zorro wondered if he should have taken his shirt off first. Then she'd be touching skin. He closed his eyes…no, that wasn't how to think like a gentleman.

"Seems like this is almost meant for two people." Victoria's hand trailed down his chest, and he sucked in air when she got to his stomach. He tried to reach for her, then turned to glance behind him when he realized she'd caught the sleeves on something. He stepped to the side, gaping when he saw the ends of the giant sleeves caught in a desk drawer behind his back. She'd trapped him.

He turned back to her, but she was bending down now. Cool air gave him a brief reprieve as she lifted the front of the blanket and crawled under it…sliding right up against his body.

After a few seconds of maneuvering, her head popped out next to his, her lips shiny and her cheeks rosy. "Victoria…"

Victoria's fingers traced up his chest again, and Zorro tried to think of something…anything to take his mind off of Victoria's soft body barely grazing his. He started to sweat when her hands rested on his shoulders and she smiled at him.

Zorro gave into the urge to bury his face in her neck, placing a moist kiss there before he stood straight again and tried to clear the lump out of his throat. She kissed his neck in return, and he swallowed dryly, closing his eyes tight against temptation.

Victoria traced his lips with a light touch before coming back down to his neck, tugging at the collar of his shirt. "Victoria, undo my hands."

Victoria shook her head. "Then you'll run away."

Zorro chuckled, but no sound came out. He bent his head, his lips teasing hers gently before she pulled him close to kiss him eagerly. She pressed her body up against his, and Zorro thought he just might catch fire. The sleeves threatened to come loose from the drawer, and Zorro fisted his hands and concentrated on keeping them behind his back. If he didn't touch her, it'd be alright. Well, if he didn't touch her with his hands.

"I could never run away from you," Zorro whispered, his lips and tongue tracing heat down her neck to her shoulder. Victoria hugged him tighter, but she missed his arms around her.

"I like it better when you hold me," Victoria tried to pull herself away, but he was so hot, and the muscles she felt beneath his thin shirt were captivating.

She gasped as his hands came around her hips, and he lifted her against him in the next breath. It was several moments before she was able to break away from his lips to stare down at him. She'd hugged him, yes…gently, teasing. Now Zorro held her tight against himself, and she could feel everything. This was even more captivating. "I thought your hands were trapped."

Zorro grinned, his hands smoothing up her torso and making her forget her name. Zorro bent to place a kiss against her skin just above her breasts, then captured her lips again, his tongue and hands giving her a preview of what he wanted to do to the rest of her.

"Like you said, it's big enough for two. Plenty of room to move." He turned them, set her on the desk and stepped between her legs, his hands on her bottom pulling her close again. Victoria's head fell back, and Zorro's lips took advantage as he licked and kissed her skin. "It's getting hot."

Victoria's fingers clenched in his shirt, and she kissed him again, tugging at his bottom lip with her teeth and making him groan. "So take it off."

Zorro's hands stroked down her legs, imagining he could feel her skin through her skirt. He didn't even realize he was searching at first, and his eyes widened when he found her bare leg. His hands smoothed up her legs, slowly bringing her skirt with it, but his hands stilled when he looked down. The blanket concealed everything. "I'm scared."

Victoria cradled his cheeks and gently kissed his lips. "So am I." Her fingers traced over his mask, down his neck to his shoulders. Then she pulled away, stretching the limits of their secret cocoon. She found his hands beneath the blanket and squeezed, then released him completely.

"I love you."

Victoria smiled at his confession, but frowned at the doubt and fear she could hear in his voice. "I know. I love you. Now show me."

Zorro brought her hand up to his lips, took a deep breath, then disappeared.

He couldn't look at her when he stood again, this time free from the blanket…and his mask. He watched the red wool disappear as she pulled it over her head and tossed it behind her. Now he could see her legs, though, the red fabric she was sitting on highlighting her beauty. His fingers reached out to touch her knees against his will, and he finally looked up in surprise when her feet hooked behind his thighs to bring him closer.

Victoria touched his face again, this time stroking his hair and kissing the worry from his forehead. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Diego let out a heavy sigh, his hands still disobeying him. His fingers toyed with the edges of her pantalets for the briefest moment before his hands smoothed further up her thighs to grasp her hips. Her underwear wasn't nearly as thick as her skirt, and Diego leaned into her to kiss her lips as his fingers caressed her. Diego tried to think when he felt her hands tugging at his shirt. "You're not acting very surprised."

Victoria stared at his chest, watched as her hands smoothed over his muscles beneath the black silk. "Your father has one, too."

Diego blinked at her, hardly comprehending her words when his hands were filled with her warmth. "One what?"

She changed tactics, her hands leaving his skin to reach for the shoulders of his shirt. Not to be denied, she put a hand on his head and pushed, pulling his shirt over his head with the other. Diego let her have the shirt, then closed his eyes in bliss when he felt her lips touch the skin over his heart. The shirt was strangely cool as she dragged it up his chest to drop it behind him, then she pulled him against her again. He was lost, how could anyone be expected to think when she kissed him like this?

"You're making it hard to be a hero right now," Diego muttered as his hands went after what he wanted, slowly caressing her thighs, seeking the opening in her underwear.

"I don't want the hero. I want you."

Victoria's legs trembled when Diego found her skin, her fingers trembled as she reached for his belt. Diego's hands covered hers, and she kissed him again. "Please, Diego."

"Shhh…" Diego kissed her fingers, then lifted her hands back to his shoulders. He kissed her then, his tongue plunging deep in her mouth as his fingers gently touched her. He kissed her jaw, then nibbled at her neck as his other hand smoothed down her shoulder, pulling her shirt down out of his way.

Her hand came up to cradle his face as she arched against him. She tugged at his hair and he met her kiss with a growing hunger to venture into the forbidden.

He pulled away when she called his name again, because now her voice sounded funny. He put a hand to his cheek with a pout when she slapped him…hadn't Victoria started this?

...

Victoria put her hands on Diego's shoulders and shook him, then gave his cheeks another hearty pat. "Don Alejandro, maybe I should go for the doctor."

Victoria blushed when Diego grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips, pressing hot, moist kisses over her fingers and palm. Diego reached her wrist and she couldn't move, captivated by the sensations. She tugged at her hand finally when Alejandro called her name, turning a deeper shade of crimson.

She tugged again, but Diego tugged back. She fell into his arms, where he held her close and buried his heated face into her neck. Victoria heard him whisper surprising words against her skin before Alejandro got involved, no longer caring if his son had a high fever if he was well enough to be so grabby!

"Diego!" Alejandro dropped the cloth they'd been trying to cool him with and dumped the entire bowl over his son's head, grateful when the man finally opened his eyes. "Diego, can you hear me?"

Diego blinked and tugged at the blanket-thing which once again held him captive. It was all tangled, and he was in bed. Hadn't Victoria taken it off already?

He glanced up at her, then took her hand again when he finally managed to free himself. Victoria tugged back when he tried to pull her closer again. "Querida, what's going on? When did my father get here?"

Victoria turned wide eyes to Alejandro and shook her head innocently when Alejandro gaped at her.

Diego wiped his face with the overly-attached blanket-thing and tried to sit up, but his head spun. "Father, can you leave us alone, please?"

"What?" Victoria squeaked, and Alejandro almost laughed.

Diego gave up the tug of war on her hand and reached for her waist, but she stepped back. "Father, you're embarrassing her."

Alejandro crossed his arms as he narrowed his eyes at his son. "Diego, are you awake?"

Diego glanced between them, confused at how he'd gotten into bed. "Of course I'm awake. My head is just fuzzy." He put a hand to his aching head and ran a hand through his wet hair, then grinned. He turned to Victoria. "But I do remember removing the mask. You were right. I just had to take it off." His eyes traced down Victoria's dress, lingering in favorite places. "Why did you change clothes? Where's the ring? You can wear it for a little longer, can't you?"

Victoria's hand automatically went to the chain around her neck as she blushed again.

"Diego, I think you'd better start explaining yourself."

"Nothing to explain." Diego waved a hand at his pesky father. "We're getting married. Leave us alone."

Diego reached for her again, but sighed heavily when Victoria took another step away from his hand. He forced himself to a sitting position and sat still while his head spun some more. He tried to get up, but stumbled. Victoria put her hands on his shoulders to push him back into bed, and this time Diego was successful. He wrapped his arms around her waist and fell back, smiling when his ring popped out of her bodice.

"There it is…" Diego said, his voice full of triumph and childish glee. He pushed his hand into the center of the necklace, running a finger over her skin before tugging until he got the chain off. Victoria finally managed to find her sense, and she pushed away from him. This time Alejandro took her shoulders and pulled her back, still staring at Diego as if he were mad.

Diego stared at the ring dangling from the chain. "I'm sorry, querida. Can you put it on? I want to see it on your finger again, but I'm so tired…"

Alejandro reached out and caught the ring when Diego dropped it, holding it up in amazement. "Where did you get my wife's ring?"

"Your…" Victoria tried to find her breath, and swallowed hard as she saw the truth in Alejandro's eyes. She chuckled crazily, then her eyes widened as she glanced back at the bed. This time they both heard Diego's confession of love. "Zorro gave it to me."

The End

Zzz

Author's Note 2: How'd you like it? Simple. Snuggly. Two reveals in one. I did think of a new ending for the original mature plan, so I will write that one soon. Hopefully post the M version by next week for those of you who like more mature stories. Note you won't see it pop up unless you are including M in your filter. It will be a re-write of the second half, though back to my rule of no sex before marriage.

Hope you enjoyed, hope you review. Let's keep the ending secret in the reviews if possible, to torture the next person. Thanks guys! Have a fabulous day!