Chapter 11

The rest of the dance went really well. Mel and Mike danced to every slow song, and walked around holding hands when one wasn't playing. Zack and Eve were pretty much inseparable, and Mel found it absolutely adorable. They danced and laughed, and Eve looked really happy.

They met up with Kofi and Punk about an hour later. Kofi was dressed like Mike and Zack, in a tux with a light blue tie. His date, a pretty black girl named Naomi, was holding his hand and looked stunning in a long blue dress. Punk, on the other hand, was wearing a pair of black jeans and a white button-up shirt. The sleeves of the shirt had been rolled back, revealing some of the tattoos on his forearms. He didn't believe in ties, and he'd come alone.

Mel felt bad that Punk didn't have anyone, and she tugged gently on Mike's hand. "Mikey, can I dance with him? Just this once?"

"Of course," Mike said with a warm smile.

Mel hugged him tight. "Thank you!" Then she ran over to Punk and grabbed his hand, tugging him out onto the crowded dance floor.

Punk looked surprised. "What are you doing?"

"Dancing with you!" Mel exclaimed cheerfully. She put her arms around his neck and smiled brightly up at him.

Punk smiled back slowly, and then he placed his hands on her hips and started moving to the music. They swayed together, and Mel rested her head on his shoulder happily. After a moment, he pulled her closer and allowed himself to relax.

It seemed like the song ended too soon, and Mel stepped back and smiled shyly at him. "Thank you for the dance."

"Thank you for dancing with me," Punk replied with an equally shy smile.

Mel went back to where Mike stood by one of the tables. She ran up to him and threw her arms around him in a tight hug, burying her face in his chest and inhaling his familiar scent.

Mike hugged her back, a little surprised at how sudden it had been. It didn't mean that he didn't like it, though. He loved it whenever he got to hold Mel.

"Thank you for letting me do that," she murmured, leaning her head against his chest. "It meant a lot to him."

"You're welcome, baby," Mike said, stroking her straightened hair.

Mel lifted her head out of his chest and looked around. The dance was winding to a close; people were starting to trickle out of the gym, heading to the parking lot. Despite all of this, Mel didn't want it to end. This night had been magical, and she wanted to stretch it out as long as possible.

"So what do you want to do now?" Mike asked, taking her hand as they walked toward the exit.

Mel glanced over at Zack and Eve. From the snippets of conversation that she could overhear, they were going back to her place. Which meant that her house would be empty...

"Can we go back to my house?" she asked, looking up at Mike hopefully.

Mike smiled. "Sure. We have to go there eventually anyways."

When they got back to Mel's house, they took their shoes off and left them by the door. Then Mel took Mike's hand and led him up the stairs to her bedroom. She shut the door and sat on the bed, patting the spot next to her. Mike sat down, looking around her room curiously.

"Do you like it?" Mel asked, sitting cross-legged on her purple bedspread. She still had her dress on, and she smoothed it down so it covered her upper legs.

"It reminds me of you," Mike replied, turning to face her. "It's bright and happy."
Mel melted a little. She scooted forward until she was closer to him, their legs touching. Slowly, she reached out a hand and gently brushed her fingers across his cheek. Mike leaned into her touch, relaxing immediately.

Mel chewed her bottom lip as she gazed at him. Suddenly, she felt an overwhelming urge to let him know how much he meant to her. She said, "I love you so much, Mikey. You mean the world to me. I never thought that we would end up together, but I'm so happy that we did. So happy."

Mike's eyes softened, and he placed his hand over hers, holding it on his cheek. "I love you too, Melly. I'm so glad that you decided to let me in, and you're my everything. I know this may sound odd because we only started dating two weeks ago, but I want to be with you forever."

Tears sprang up in Mel's eyes, and she whispered, "I want to be with you forever too."

Mikey leaned in close and kissed her deeply, and Mel kissed him back. The kiss grew in intensity until they were both clinging to each other, Mel's arms around his neck and his hands on her waist.

Mel took Mike's hands and guided them around to her back, where the zipper of her dress was. She broke the kiss to look into his eyes, biting her bottom lip.

Mike's eyes glowed with love and passion, and he slowly unzipped her dress. Mel helped him get her out of it, and then she kissed him again as she slid his jacket off of his shoulders. She nipped at his bottom lip as she unbuttoned his shirt, and then she ran her fingers down his chest and abs, making him shiver.

Mike lay her on her back, and the rest of their clothes hit the floor. Mel looked up at him, her hazel eyes full of love. Mike gazed back at her, bringing his hand up to caress her cheek. "Are you sure you want this?" he whispered.

Mel ran her hands slowly down his muscular arms, then lifted her head a little and kissed him softly. "I'm sure," she whispered against his lips. "Je t'aime."

Mike kissed her back passionately. "Je t'aime."

About twenty minutes later, the two of them lay tangled in the blankets of Mel's bed. Her head rested on Mike's bare chest, and he was running his fingers through her soft hair. He bent his head and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, pulling her closer to him in the process.

Mel intertwined her fingers with his, kissing his knuckles. Then she snuggled into him and fell into a deep, contented sleep, Mike following only a few seconds after her.