Title: In the Heat of the Moment
Synopsis: In an effort to escape the unseasonable heat, Diego takes Victoria to a secluded location and unintentionally reveals all.
Written: 7/05
Notes: It's been so-o humid and hot here in Los Angeles that I was inspired to write this short little tale.
In the Heat of the Moment
Diego raised his hand to knock on the wood frame but couldn't quite bring himself to complete the action when he noticed Victoria standing with her back to him. She was stacking recently arrived bottles and crates of wine. Small tendrils of hair were stuck to her cheeks and neck and her skin was moist from the heat permeating even this normally cool cellar.
Los Angeles and the whole territory had been assaulted with over a week of hot, humid weather unlike anything anyone currently living in the territory had ever seen. Everyone took refuge from the weather where they could find it. . . but currently there was no place in the dusty little pueblo that could afford any relief from the humid heat.
Diego swallowed hard, his sense of propriety warring with his desire to simply stand there and watch the woman he loved.
A grunt of frustration as she tried to lift a heavy crate shook Diego out of his momentary stupor.
"Victoria, let me help!" Diego rushed over and took the heavy crate, his muscles flexing beneath his white shirt as he lifted it to its proper place.
"Diego!" Victoria panted, grateful for the rescue, "thank you."
Diego gave her a small smile as he wiped at the sweat that beaded his forehead. Even the ever calm, cool de la Vega was starting to succumb to the heat.
"It's so-o hot today!" Victoria frowned in disgust. Even breathing in the humid air was difficult. "I'm tempted to close for a long siesta today."
"You should," Diego agreed as he helped her finish stacking the crates. "I know of a perfect place to escape the heat."
Victoria turned wide eyes on her friend. "Where? Oh, Diego, I would welcome such an escape. If just for a few hours! Is it far from here? Where is it? What is it like?"
Diego chuckled as the curious questions spilled from her lips as if she were an excited child waiting impatiently for a candy stick. "Good things come to those who wait, Victoria." Diego's eyes held hers for a moment longer than was customary before he glanced away, afraid she would see the longing barely concealed within the blue depths. "I'll return at siesta and we can ride out there. Send for me in the Guardian's office if you decide to close early."
Victoria frowned. It was unlike her friend to keep secrets. He was the most open and uncomplicated man she knew. She reached out and touched his arm as he moved to leave, and he stopped, glancing down where her hand rested on his shirt. "You're going to make me wait?"
A familiar amused smirk parted his lips. "Yes, Victoria, I am going to make you wait."
Victoria blinked and shook her head, unused to Diego's unusual frankness. The heat must be affecting him more than he's letting on. A smug little smile passed across her face at the very thought. The image of the always prim and proper caballero breaking a sweat over anything was too amusing for words. But still – there was some secret fantasy buried deep inside her that wanted to see him lowered to a base level with the rest of the pueblo – even if it was only in the form of breaking a sweat.
"Fine," she huffed and brushed passed him to return to her kitchen.
Diego grinned as she climbed the steps, annoyance written across her beautiful features. Her volatile temper was something he loved about her – even when it was directed at him. He lingered for a few seconds before following, eagerly looking forward to the cooler afternoon that awaited them.
"Where are we going, Diego?" Victoria asked as the warm, humid air assailed her skin. Even at a trot, the breeze was anything but cool or refreshing.
"You'll see." Diego gave his companion a sidelong grin.
"I think you just tricked me with some false hope of finding some relief from this heat in order to have me all to yourself this afternoon!" Victoria shot an obviously forced frown at her friend.
Diego laughed and regarded her with a wide smile that reached his eyes. "And would that be so bad if I did?"
Again, Victoria was taken back by his unusual openness. "Diego!" Her attempt to tease her friend had backfired this time.
One day it was going to get her into trouble.
The further north they rode, the cooler the air became but it was still heavy, filled with moisture from rain that had not yet fallen. The horses climbed up a small trail and soon came to a stop when that trail narrowed and sloped sharply.
"We'll need to leave the horses here. The rest of the path is too dangerous for them to traverse," Diego dismounted and pulled the saddlebag from Esperanza's back.
Victoria regarded him with a skeptical look. "Leave – where are you taking me, Diego?"
"To the most beautifully hidden and refreshing place on earth." Diego took her hand and led her over the initial rocky path. When she stumbled, he gently rested his hand on the small of her back to keep her from falling.
The trees and brush surrounded them, enclosing them in their cool embrace and Victoria found herself completely at ease as they climbed through rarely traversed territory.
"Well," Victoria panted as they climbed, "if you wanted to take advantage of me, this would be the perfect place."
"You wound me! How could you think I would do such a thing?" He brought his hand to his heart in mock horror and she laughed heartily, wiping away a tendril of hair that had stuck to her cheek neck.
"Oh, Diego!" Victoria continued to laugh as they climbed through the forest, small animals dodging past feet as their daily routine was interrupted.
When they reached what appeared to be the end of a trampled path, Victoria favored Diego with a questioning look. She tilted her head when she heard what sounded like a small breeze whispering through the foliage.
Diego offered her a smile that reached all the way into his eyes as he reached out and drew back the large, flat branch of a low-lying tree that barred their way.
Victoria's breath caught and her eyes widened in disbelieving shock.
Towering before her was a steep, rocky incline surrounded by broken tree trunks, and dangling branches. Rushing in a steady misty stream over those rocks was a clear, white waterfall. The liquid gathered in a large pool at the base of their feet, lapping gently at the rocks surrounding it.
Sunlight poked through a break in the trees, causing a narrow stream of light to shoot into the water. The bright, colorful rays of a rainbow shimmered where the light hit the falls, cascading over the rocks and disappearing before the end could be seen.
Victoria thought she had never seen anything so beautiful.
A smile touched Diego's lips as he watched surprised delight pass across her face.
Victoria turned wide eyes on Diego and reached for his hand, squeezing it in her excitement. "Diego! It's – it's beautiful!"
She turned to regard the sight laid out before her with excited eyes, nearly missing his whispered, "Not nearly as beautiful as you."
Victoria slowly turned to face him again but he lowered his eyes. Knowing he'd been caught, Diego sought to distract her by leading her toward the pool.
A large flat rock overlooking the pool would do for a makeshift table and Diego began to unpack the snacks he'd brought along for their picnic.
They said little as they ate, making small talk about the weather and the pueblo only. Victoria was distracted and so, it appeared, was Diego.
When she nervously announced she was going to stick her feet into the cool water, she missed the small smile that passed across her companion's face. She slipped off her sandals, slid to the other side of the rock and sighed happily as she plunged her feet into the cool water.
Victoria watched him curiously as he struggled not to stare at the woman he loved.
As she watched Diego stare at the falls, she wondered what had come over her normally calm, unemotional friend. The words she'd heard him whisper repeated through her mind, suddenly making her body tingle. Was there something about him that she'd never noticed before? She was used to amorous attentions from other men. But never had this man, her best friend, shown any interest in her.
Well, that wasn't entirely true, she reflected with a sudden clarity. He had shown an inkling of affection when he'd returned from Spain, but it had disappeared seemingly as quickly as it had appeared. She had also noticed deep affection in his eyes when she'd awoken after being shot. But she'd been so enamored of Zorro, she hadn't paid her devoted caretaker any further thought. Shame at such inconsiderate behavior caused Victoria to swallow abruptly.
But her mind wouldn't stop remembering. He'd looked at her strangely at her holiday party one year as well and then – in the windmill on their way back from Santa Paula.
When he looked over at her again, the familiar friendly look appeared in his eyes, making Victoria wonder if she'd imagined seeing something else flicker there.
A small animal skittered over the rocks and into a nearby tree and Victoria watched it curiously blending into the branches, its color changing until she couldn't tell where it ended and the tree began. Shifting her eyes back to Diego, she realized with a sudden start that he was very much like the chameleon hiding in the tree.
Before today, she'd never thought of her friend as a man, with a man's feelings and emotions, but she'd gotten a firsthand look at them today. All of a sudden, past actions, past looks, past words filtered through her mind, centering on the man sitting across from her. Realization that he loved her slammed against her conscious mind and she gasped, unable to stop herself.
Diego cocked his head and gazed at her with a concerned expression. "Is something wrong?"
Victoria dropped her gaze away from those soul-searching eyes and bit her lip. Taking a deep breath, she smiled at him and plucked a piece of fruit from the bowl. "Not at all." She needed time for her mind to process this startling revelation.
Diego regarded her with a small smile. "You're not a very good liar."
Victoria gave her most properly forced horrified expression. "And just what do you think I am lying about, Diego de la Vega?"
Grinning, Diego leaned against the rock. "You tell me."
Victoria huffed and ignored him, shooting back a quick, "On the other hand, you are a very good liar."
Diego gave her his most blank expression. "Me?" he chuckled. "I'm as open as a book, Victoria. Simple and uncomplicated."
Victoria regarded him with a discomforting stare. "I used to believe that. Until today."
Diego's eyes widened innocently. Had he inadvertently given something away? "And what has changed about today?" he asked quietly.
"You have," she said slowly, watching carefully for his reaction.
"Oh?" He raised a curious eyebrow. He had to get her to tell him what she was thinking. "And how have I changed?"
"The unusual teasing this morning," Victoria began, her eyes never leaving his. "A private picnic in this beautiful setting . . ."
"And that is unusual for me?"
"Yes! For the man –" Victoria stopped herself from berating him. He was a man. A very handsome man, now that Victoria thought about it. She shook her head. She never thought about her friend this way and it was causing a very unusual stirring in the pit of her stomach.
Diego's eyes flickered with amusement. "Yes, I am a man, Victoria."
Victoria threw her hands up in frustration. "And a most infuriating one you are, Diego!"
An amused grin lit his eyes. "Well, I don't mean to be."
"You said you thought I was beautiful," she said quietly, forcing her eyes to meet his.
He swallowed, instantly nervous, but pushed the feeling aside. Maybe it was time to tell her how he really felt. "So I did. Is something wrong with such honesty?"
"Well," Victoria couldn't help but feel flattered that her friend thought she was attractive, "I – don't know. I didn't know you thought of me that way."
"Perhaps I'm better at hiding things than you give me credit for." What did he say that for? He waited nervously for her reaction.
"What else are you hiding, Diego?" she asked quietly, afraid and yet excited about the answer.
Hi grinned wryly. "Oh, I hide a great many things. Which one specifically would you like to know about?"
Victoria scowled. He was doing it again. She was quickly learning that he was quite adept at shifting conversation from topics that made him uncomfortable.
"Diego?" Victoria watched him with a sudden concerned gaze. "You're hiding something and I – think I know what it is."
"Do you?" Diego fought the fear rising in his heart. She was going to guess and he was going to let her. Against his better judgment, he leaned against the large rock, bringing himself closer to her.
"Yes," Victoria answered with a determined tone.
"What is it you think you know, Victoria?" He slowly, methodically replaced their snacks in Ezperanza's saddlebags.
"That you . . ." Victoria trailed off when she noticed a familiar look burning in his eyes.
Diego sank slowly beside her on the rock and took her hand, absently stroking her fingers with his thumb. "That I?" He brought her hand to his lips and gently brushed them across her fingers.
Diego watched, fascinated, as Victoria swallowed nervously and couldn't help but smile at the upper hand he had been presented with. Never before had he, as Diego, given Victoria any reason to be nervous.
But her hand now, unmistakably, trembled in his as he leaned closer to her. His breath was warm on her cheek as he whispered, "That I love you?"
Victoria had averted her eyes as he sat next to her but as the full implication of his admission washed over her, her eyes met his, an uncertain confusion mirrored in their dark depths.
"Diego . . ." Victoria began, confused as how to approach this sudden change in their relationship.
The splash of the water behind them and the slosh of that same water on the rocks at their feet echoed through their private haven as Diego leaned forward and brushed his lips ever so slightly against hers.
Victoria's mind reeled. She wanted to pull away. Her mind screamed at her to do something, anything. But she found herself, instead, leaning into Diego's kiss, moving her lips beneath his to invite a more intimate caress.
She gasped when he slid his hands along her neck to cradle her cheeks. Only one other man had held her like this as he kissed her.
As Victoria closed her eyes and sighed against Diego's lips, she could almost feel that she was in Zorro's arms now. Such a thought should have brought her back to her senses, but it felt so incredibly right being held like this, kissed like this, and she found herself not wanting the moment to end.
A small sound escaped the back of her throat as his lips traveled in a slow, maddening caress down the long column of her neck.
"Victoria . . . querida. . ." came the familiar, breathless whisper.
Victoria realized in that sudden, thrilling moment that she was being kissed by Zorro. She was in his arms. Only it was the real man behind her hero's mask who was bestowing those long-awaited kisses along her skin now.
Familiarity propelled her to slide her hands along his muscled arms and into his soft, dark hair. Something she had always wanted to do, but had never been afforded the chance. It felt just as she'd dreamed.
"Dios," Victoria murmured. She tugged his lips from where they so lovingly tasted the soft skin of her neck and gazed for a split second into his familiar blue eyes.
When their lips met again, they clung hungrily, drawing the breath from their lungs until they were forced to part from lack of air.
Shame instantly filled Diego's eyes and he stood quickly, wondering how he would ever explain himself out of this fine mess he'd gotten himself into. He turned from her and said, his voice trembling, "Victoria – I'm sorry."
"Why didn't you tell me?" she whispered, her heart in her throat.
After a few moments of silence, Diego finally answered, "I was afraid."
"You're not afraid of anything," came the quick retort and Diego finally realized that there was no talking his way out of it this time. She knew. She knew – everything. Not just that he, Diego, loved her.
Diego turned suddenly, unmistakable longing in his tender blue eyes. "Only of you – of your – rejection."
Victoria shook her head, happy tears dripping down her cheeks. But Diego continued before she could respond. He quickly knelt beside the rock and took her hands in his, staring up at her imploringly, "I'm sorry, Victoria. Can you forgive me?"
She gazed down at Diego, the true Diego, she realized. Leaning forward, she trailed slim fingers down his cheek. "Zorro's mask is not the only mask you've worn." It was not a question and he didn't take it as such.
"It was necessary," Diego admitted, his eyes searching hers for understanding, "or no one would have believed the deception."
Victoria nodded and fell silent, struggling to understand the implications of this revelation. Their lives would be different now. Very different.
"What are you thinking?" Diego asked, afraid of the answer but needing, for his own sanity, to know.
"About you," she said, staring at him, her eyes sad, "about how much I really don't know you."
"You know me better than anyone," Diego corrected.
"Do I? The real you?"
"The real me is a blend of the masked man you love so much and the friend you see sitting here beside you," Diego said honestly.
Victoria nodded but remained silent, glancing down at the water lapping against her bare feet.
After a few moments, Diego gently touched her arm. "Please talk to me. Tell me what you're feeling."
'I feel –" She looked up at him with an unreadable expression. "I've wanted to know Zorro's identity for so long now and –"
Diego swallowed nervously.
Victoria smiled wryly. "I can't help but be a little sad that the mystery is now gone," she chuckled and shook her head. "Ridiculous, I know."
Diego sighed, his voice barely above a whisper, "It's not ridiculous if you can't love the real man behind that mask."
Victoria's eyes searched his for a moment, noticing for the first time the fear radiating brightly in the beautiful blue depths. She'd seen that look in his eyes only once before – in the cave the day he'd asked her to marry him. "Oh, Diego –" She took his hand and pulled him closer. "I'm still so shocked at this – this – revelation, I didn't – don't –"
But Diego stood quickly and turned away from her to hide the hurt in his eyes.
"We should go." He forced the words from his mouth, trying desperately to keep his voice from shaking.
"I don't want to go!" Victoria's eyes blazed and she stepped around him. Why was he doing this?
He glanced away and only when her cool hand slid beneath his chin to draw his eyes back to hers did he look at her again.
"You don't want to be here with me." Diego whispered, his voice barely audible above the falls.
Victoria blinked, for the first time noticing unshed tears in his eyes. "Did I say that?" she snapped, angry that he would just assume something based on words she had not even said.
Diego was confused. Had his misread her actions? "Then what are you saying, Victoria?"
Victoria took his hands and led him back to the large rock. He sat slowly, allowing a small measure of hope, when she took her place very close to him. "I want to know everything. I want you to be honest with me," she said, invitingly.
Diego smiled then, encouraged by her closeness and her desire to know everything about his secret, and not so secret, life. If she was to trust him, he needed to reveal everything to her now.
And he would begin his tale with the day he returned from Spain and lost his heart to a beautiful raven-haired señorita.
THE END