---Chapter 26---
The morning came. The magic of night was gone. Michael awoke to the starkness of daylight lightening his room. He had slept more peacefully than he'd ever slept in his life. At first awaking, he remembered the night before and how Victoria had come to him like an angel in the night - torturing him like all the dream-filled nights. But. she hadn't tortured him. She had come to him as an angel, yes, but an angel that gave out such sweet, soft, contentment. It had seemed a dream.. No dream. Michael had to realize when he came fully awake and felt the weight of Victoria's head on his arm. He looked down to see her hair sprawled around her and some of him, too. Her lips were softly parted, peaceful. What had they done? It was obvious of course. He remembered. But, he'd disregarded everything, everything hadn't mattered after she'd leaned over and kissed him last night. He had resisted in that instant. And she knew. She had pulled away and started to stand up. And then - then, that's when Michael had given in, because the thought of her leaving.
But, he too, knew she had given in. To come to him like that, her pride, it had been a surrender for her. Yet, what did it all mean? He didn't like the thought of cutting the intimacy just yet - so he didn't move away. Instead he let her stay in his arms.
Victoria's eyes fluttered open. Instantly light assailed her senses, yet she felt more refreshed and contented than she ever had. Not a night in her life had gone by when she'd had a peaceful night's sleep - but this time she had. And when she glanced up to look at Michael's face, she saw he was awake. He was looking at the ceiling. And the realization and she shock of not what they'd done, but what she'd learned last night - made her sit up.
At her sudden movement, Michael turned to her.
'Was this some kind of trick, some manipulation, some . .." Michael let his fear dwindle into words that dwindled.
Victoria widened her eyes a bit. "No! This wasn't . how could you think that?"
Michael answered, while looking at her, "I just had to put a voice to that. I just had to know." He believed her, something else popped into his mind just then, 'What was it you were trying to find out last night? You said you came here to find out."
"I'll tell you some day. I promise." -Victoria.
"Did you get your answer?" -Michael.
"I did," Victoria almost whispered. "I really did." The latter almost voiced to herself alone.
"This was wrong." Michael said, as he ran a hand through his tousled hair.
"Please. Michael. Don't ever say what we shared was a mistake. Even if you never talk to me again, don't even think of it like that." -Victoria.
Michael looked over at her, "What do you think it was?"
She looked away. Michael reached over and turned her head to look at him. When she looked up at him, he saw her eyes glistening. "My whole life - I've never felt at peace. Not like last night. It was beautiful, Michael. And I can not bear for you to think otherwise. I felt complete for once. And I never had before. Never."
Michael pulled her to him in a hug.
"I felt. I was at peace too," Michael confessed. "And I don't think it was wrong for you, for me." "But," he continued, "In some ways it was wrong."
And Victoria could understand. Because she knew it too. "I know," She said softly. "..What now?"
"What else? We keep it for ourselves, just to ourselves. For now. Maybe for.."
Michael didn't finish it, but she knew his last words would have been, "Maybe forever."
But, it didn't matter then, because as her cheek was against Michael's, she only knew that he hadn't said it was wrong, he wasn't angry with her or himself - he somehow knew it was right, even if they knew logic would say for many reasons it was wrong..
---End of Chapter 26---
The morning came. The magic of night was gone. Michael awoke to the starkness of daylight lightening his room. He had slept more peacefully than he'd ever slept in his life. At first awaking, he remembered the night before and how Victoria had come to him like an angel in the night - torturing him like all the dream-filled nights. But. she hadn't tortured him. She had come to him as an angel, yes, but an angel that gave out such sweet, soft, contentment. It had seemed a dream.. No dream. Michael had to realize when he came fully awake and felt the weight of Victoria's head on his arm. He looked down to see her hair sprawled around her and some of him, too. Her lips were softly parted, peaceful. What had they done? It was obvious of course. He remembered. But, he'd disregarded everything, everything hadn't mattered after she'd leaned over and kissed him last night. He had resisted in that instant. And she knew. She had pulled away and started to stand up. And then - then, that's when Michael had given in, because the thought of her leaving.
But, he too, knew she had given in. To come to him like that, her pride, it had been a surrender for her. Yet, what did it all mean? He didn't like the thought of cutting the intimacy just yet - so he didn't move away. Instead he let her stay in his arms.
Victoria's eyes fluttered open. Instantly light assailed her senses, yet she felt more refreshed and contented than she ever had. Not a night in her life had gone by when she'd had a peaceful night's sleep - but this time she had. And when she glanced up to look at Michael's face, she saw he was awake. He was looking at the ceiling. And the realization and she shock of not what they'd done, but what she'd learned last night - made her sit up.
At her sudden movement, Michael turned to her.
'Was this some kind of trick, some manipulation, some . .." Michael let his fear dwindle into words that dwindled.
Victoria widened her eyes a bit. "No! This wasn't . how could you think that?"
Michael answered, while looking at her, "I just had to put a voice to that. I just had to know." He believed her, something else popped into his mind just then, 'What was it you were trying to find out last night? You said you came here to find out."
"I'll tell you some day. I promise." -Victoria.
"Did you get your answer?" -Michael.
"I did," Victoria almost whispered. "I really did." The latter almost voiced to herself alone.
"This was wrong." Michael said, as he ran a hand through his tousled hair.
"Please. Michael. Don't ever say what we shared was a mistake. Even if you never talk to me again, don't even think of it like that." -Victoria.
Michael looked over at her, "What do you think it was?"
She looked away. Michael reached over and turned her head to look at him. When she looked up at him, he saw her eyes glistening. "My whole life - I've never felt at peace. Not like last night. It was beautiful, Michael. And I can not bear for you to think otherwise. I felt complete for once. And I never had before. Never."
Michael pulled her to him in a hug.
"I felt. I was at peace too," Michael confessed. "And I don't think it was wrong for you, for me." "But," he continued, "In some ways it was wrong."
And Victoria could understand. Because she knew it too. "I know," She said softly. "..What now?"
"What else? We keep it for ourselves, just to ourselves. For now. Maybe for.."
Michael didn't finish it, but she knew his last words would have been, "Maybe forever."
But, it didn't matter then, because as her cheek was against Michael's, she only knew that he hadn't said it was wrong, he wasn't angry with her or himself - he somehow knew it was right, even if they knew logic would say for many reasons it was wrong..
---End of Chapter 26---