"Michael!"
His hand clamped over my mouth before I could scream again, his other arm wrapping around my waist tightly. He must have been sleeping if I got the first one out uninterrupted. Michael held me close and I realized for the first time that we were both very much naked; it'd been much too hot for me to sleep in anything and I should've realized that as hot as he was naturally, he wouldn't bother either.
"Lily, you have to stop screaming. Tell me what's wrong," Michael said. His grip on me kept tightening in an effort to quell my hysteria, his body flush against mine. "Lily, talk to me. Please!"
I simply responded by bursting into tears, effectively frightening and confusing him.
Michael just held me, letting me cry it out. He kept talking to me, trying to take my mind off of the nightmare. Soon I had quieted enough for him to disentangle our bodies and pull away just enough for comfort, Michael stroking my hair back.
"Lily-"
"Can you give me a rough estimate to when Charlie's baby is going to get here," I asked, my voice shaky. I could feel his eyes searching my face. "I honestly have no idea. But its soon. What did you see," Michael questioned. I inhaled shakily, my arms tightening around his neck, "Same nightmare. But worse… Charlie's baby was there among the dead." Despite my momentous words, Michael didn't respond- instead, he went completely stiff. "Lily, can you give me a moment?" His voice was soft and I realized again just how we were, naked and covered in a thin sheen of sweat. I immediately pulled away, crossing my arms over my chest in an effort to restore his comfort. "I'm sorry."
Michael forced a smile and sat up, "Don't apologize, please." He stood and went into the little bathroom, returning a few minutes later in his boxers and with a wet washcloth. Michael climbed back into bed and motioned for me to crawl in his lap, pressing the cloth against my forehead. I was almost shocked how quickly I got over being naked with Michael. It felt almost natural…
Because I loved this man.
The years of all the bullshit I had been through didn't seem to matter anymore, not now and not ever again. No one had ever just held me when I needed to cried; none of them had ever cared enough to ever comfort me. Except Michael. He had always been there. Maybe he was the reason I had never fallen in love, the reason I closed myself off from the world, so that he was the only one, my one and only. Michael had seen me both vulnerable and strong, but now where was just one last thing he had yet to experience…
"Michael," I said, my hand moving up to cup his cheek. I could see the want and the conflict in his eyes, felt the sudden tension in his body. The eager chills racing throughout my body were calmed by the tightening of his arms, only to get started again by the searching of his eyes on my skin. Resolution dawned in his eyes and he pulled me so that I was laying underneath him, every inch of my skin matched by his. I could feel blood rising in my chest and cheeks, his touch only making it worse. "I love you Lily, despite your swollen eyes and your erratic little heartbeat," Michael said, smiling softly. "But you are really in no position to make a decision as serious as this tonight. And you already know that."
"I already know I love you."
He smiled again, taking the time to kiss me once more, soft and almost bittersweet. "I know you do. But you could- however unlikely that may seem now- regret this in the morning," he replied, stroking my hair back.
I scoffed.
"Like you said, unlikely," I said, Michael bundling me up in the sheet and wrapping his arms around me.
After awhile my adrenaline from my dream started to wane and I felt almost ashamed about how bold I had been with Michael. Almost. I knew exactly what I had been getting into the minute I had told him I loved him and I knew what I wanted- him. Plain and simple.
It seemed too late to argue now, Michael's breath was slow and even, despite his hold on me not losing an inch. The horror of my nightmare faded away with every rise and fall of his chest against my back, making each of my muscles relax and loosen in turn. I shifted in his arms and settled myself, closing my eyes.
"God, I love you."
Michael was gone by the time I woke up again, the smooth tenor of his voice reaching my ears even from downstairs. It was mostly unintelligible, but I heard my name quite a few times as my feet hit the floor, Michael raising his voice slightly. "Good morning Lily."
"Morning."
I moved into the bathroom and poured some of the water into the tub, taking a bath before starting my day. I went through my ritual of prayer before dressing in a tank top and jeans, braiding my hair to keep it out of my way.
When I got downstairs, there was a cup of coffee already awaiting me, a ham sandwich cut into fourths with the crusts cut off. I sat down and began to eat, "Thanks."
"Feeling better," Michael asked quietly after watching me for a few moments, leaning on the counter top. I nodded and Michael looked at me knowingly, giving me a smile, "Do you want to talk about last night?"
"Don't go there."
He reached out and stroked my cheek, sighing. "I wanted to Lily- but something told me no. I can't apologize for that," he murmured.
I looked away from him, letting my gaze sweep the diner before my row furrowed.
"This isn't how I left things last night," I noted. "Where's Sandra?"
Before Michael could answer me, there was a harsh scream from the back of the diner, making us both leap to our feet and run. In the back office Kyle, Bob and Audrey were wrestling with Sandra, trying to keep her from opening the door. It seemed as if she had shoved the desk away from it and was trying to bolt- which she would definitely do if we couldn't subdue her completely. "Jesus Christ Jeep! What are you going to do, stand around and look pretty," I asked, glaring at him over my shoulder as he stood with his arm around Charlie's waist.
I pushed Audrey away and wrapped my arms around her mother's waist, Kyle doing the same as Bob stepped back. With a massive effort, we pulled her away from the door, the entire room in chaos. "Be quiet," Michael said in a heavily authoritative tone. He then turned to Audrey, who was in his arms sobbing quietly, "What happened?"
All she could choke out was: "Dad."
Michael sat Audrey on the edge of the desk and moved past where Sandra was wildly thrashing about, cracking the door. He immediately closed it and leaned against the wood, hanging his head. Most of the others didn't get a chance to see what was out there, not with the quickness of his movements.
But I had.
Someone had erected a large cross in the back and Howard was tied to it, upside down in a mockery of Jesus. And he had still been moving, thrashing, covered in the most hideously pulsating boils. Just the sight of him made me want to throw up, but what was truly sick was that there was no way Howard Anderson could be alive. "Sandra, no!" I was hit with an elbow straight to my jaw as she broke free, bracing myself to hit the ground but Michael was already there. I knocked him off balance in the process of stumbling over Kyle, leaving Percy out of everyone to go after her. I stretched out my hand, as if just by will I could stop her…
Percy caught Sandra and swung her around just as the boils covering Howard burst, blood and pus going everywhere. Percy caught the majority of the blast, but some it still hit my bare shoulder, making me scream bloody murder.
And if this pain was only backsplash, Percy-
He reached the door, gasping as he pushed Sandra through. Bob went to him and wrapped his arms around him as Percy collapsed, letting out an anguished cry. I could see his spine, bared by the acid that had drenched him.
Michael scooped me up in his arms and took me into the front of the diner, Charlie behind him. "Get me vinegar, anything to neutralize the burn!"
I felt the pain spike and I fainted, Michael shouting at me.
"Freaking idiot," I muttered.
"Are you talking about me," Michael asked.
I opened my eyes to see him looking at me from his place at my side, glaring at him rather irritably. I moved to prop myself up on the pillows behind me and winced, my bandaged shoulder burning. "You know very well I was not talking about you Michael. I was talking about myself."
Michael moved closer and kissed me before pulling away with a frown on his face. "Is something wrong?" I couldn't help the sound of… panic that had found its way into my voice.
Something about his expression was making me beyond nervous and almost fearful of his answer- because I knew he wouldn't lie to me; he was incapable of that much-desired trait. "Lily, I realized that I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing," he said quietly. He was sad and I could tell that from the way he was slumped over, the darker color of his eyes. "I'm following my own hedonistic wants and because of that, a man died today. I've become… distracted."
His words began to sink in and I struggled to breath.
"You look upset Lily."
"And you don't," I replied almost defensively. "And that's what's blowing my mind right now."
Michael sighed and leaned over me, his eyes begging compliance. "Lillith, you know I wasn't made for this kind of love. One so intimate its threatening everything I'm trying to save… Everything is worse being human for me. Every day I wake up there's something new and in my face. I'm learning what to say and how to say it. I'm trying to get used to the knots that my stomach keeps twisting into- fear and lust alike. I want you, so much I can barely focus when you're around Lily. My thoughts are filled with," Michael said, struggling to speak. "I can't do what I need to, when I'm focusing on what I want."
"I understand what you're trying to say Michael and I get it because I tried so hard in the beginning to be… good around you. Focusing is hard to do when you're constantly thinking about sex- you can say it, it isn't a swear word. I sit there and try to get something accomplished and then I look at you… and my fucking plans go to shit. Its normal.
"You're human," I said firmly.
Michael shook his head, looking away from me, "I don't know how to be human."
"Then let me show you…"