I'm awoken at dawn by a silhouette in my room nearly a week later. He's
leaning over me, shaking me gently and whispering my name. I look up
groggily at Virgil and murmur something even I don't understand.
It's been a protracted few days since I've been able to catch Virgil alone. Scott's always at his side, and I know he's trying to force our relationship into exile. Lucky for us, he hasn't said a word to anyone else in the house and Alan, still in Thunderbird 5, continues to be in the dark concerning our actions.
John's recovering steadily and I fear the day he takes off in Thunderbird 3 to return to his post in the space station. Then Alan will be back and we'll have to tell him. We don't have a choice in that matter any more.
Virgil, seeing as I'm not responding to his rather mild pokes, pulls the covers off my bed and lifts me up, much to my bleary surprise. I protest weakly before finally settling into his arms with a faint yawn, enjoying his hold on me.
He walks quietly through the lounge with me still half asleep and opens the door, stepping out on the balcony. On the horizon, the sun is just beginning to rise and its beauty causes me to open my eyes fully. It's a gorgeous mosaic of golds, reds and blues with the circular sun in the center, spraying its colours in every direction. I lean against Virgil after he puts me down and we both gaze at it, finally on our own in what seems like forever.
"Sometimes I wish you didn't live with your family," I say after a minute. He chuckles softly and agrees, knowing it's been hard to keep the secret under wraps.
All week he and I have had to keep our exchanges casual and short, not wanting to draw attention to ourselves. Scott's barely said two words to me and only a few more to Virgil. It's harsh seeing his father giving him curious looks as he breezes past his brother without even a simple greeting. Mr. Tracy doesn't know about Virgil and I, and neither do Gordon or John. If I had it my way, Scott wouldn't know anything either.
It's a bit too late for that.
The sun comes up over the mountains in the distance and I let out another yawn, squinting against the brightness that has suddenly spread over the island. Everyone else will be waking up soon, and I want desperately to freeze time so we can just enjoy this moment together. A sharp wind picks up, fluttering my nightgown and I shiver. Virgil notices and we go back into the lounge, out of the cold.
"How long do you figure we have?" He asks quietly as we stand facing each other.
I check the clock over Mr. Tracy's desk. "Father's always the first up, and he awakens promptly at six."
"Ten minutes isn't a lot of time."
"We'll have to make the most of it then, won't we?" I smile at him slyly and stand on the tips of my toes to give him a kiss. "Why do you have to be so tall?" I whine lightheartedly against his lips, my neck already getting sore from having to raise my head so much.
He pulls back and looks around the room. I wonder what he's thinking for a second before he clears a section on his father's desk and helps me up on it so we look at each other levelly. "Better?" He whispers.
"Much." I squirm around slightly, feeling my thigh push against something on the side of the desk. I ignore it as it sticks into my leg and kiss Virgil again.
After a few passion-filled minutes, we break apart and stare at each other. "You know," I start thoughtfully, "a lot of couples usually spend time talking."
"What is there to talk about?" He moves in to kiss me once more but I put my hands firmly on his chest to keep him away.
"Well, what do you want to know about me that you don't?"
"Tin-Tin, I think I know everything."
"Do you?" I wonder, enjoying the desperate look in his eyes.
Virgil nods and I finally surrender to his warm mouth as it falls on mine. I hear the grandfather clock in the corner chime six and reluctantly push him off.
"Father will be here soon," I breathe, risking a look over his shoulder.
"I think we need a nice relaxing vacation from this island," Virgil suggests and I grin.
"How would we pull that off without having people figure out we want to be alone?"
He shrugs and kisses my nose. "I guess it will have to wait until we tell everybody, including Alan."
"You don't have to tell me anything."
I sit bolt upright at the cold voice, nearly hitting Virgil in the head as I do so. I look frantically around the room, hearing the pain in the words that have just been spoken. My gaze lands on the row of portraits along the wall and I gasp in shock as I see Alan's has been replaced with the live feed from Thunderbird 5.
"You might want to be careful with those buttons on the desk, Tin-Tin. You don't want to accidentally sit on one and call me, do you?" Alan's eyes are like ice, but I can faintly see the tears forming as he stares at me frigidly.
"Alan. . .I. . ." I'm at a loss for forming a coherent sentence as I look at him, feeling my own sadness and guilt resurfacing.
"Don't bother explaining."
The words cut me like a knife. Sweet, innocent, compassionate Alan has turned bitter and expressionless on the screen, looking at Virgil and I in disgust.
"Please let us clarify ourselves, Alan," Virgil says coolly, looking at his brother.
"There's nothing to clarify, Virgil. Obviously things have been going on I've been unaware of and you've been using it to your advantage that I'm up here and not on the island." Alan blinks, trying to keep his heartless façade from crumbling.
"You don't understand," I plead feebly.
"I do understand, Tin-Tin. That's where you're wrong," Alan answers. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Dad would have my hide for using the frequency. Someone may be trying to call." His portrait swings back into place, leaving Virgil and I staring at the picture helplessly.
It's been a protracted few days since I've been able to catch Virgil alone. Scott's always at his side, and I know he's trying to force our relationship into exile. Lucky for us, he hasn't said a word to anyone else in the house and Alan, still in Thunderbird 5, continues to be in the dark concerning our actions.
John's recovering steadily and I fear the day he takes off in Thunderbird 3 to return to his post in the space station. Then Alan will be back and we'll have to tell him. We don't have a choice in that matter any more.
Virgil, seeing as I'm not responding to his rather mild pokes, pulls the covers off my bed and lifts me up, much to my bleary surprise. I protest weakly before finally settling into his arms with a faint yawn, enjoying his hold on me.
He walks quietly through the lounge with me still half asleep and opens the door, stepping out on the balcony. On the horizon, the sun is just beginning to rise and its beauty causes me to open my eyes fully. It's a gorgeous mosaic of golds, reds and blues with the circular sun in the center, spraying its colours in every direction. I lean against Virgil after he puts me down and we both gaze at it, finally on our own in what seems like forever.
"Sometimes I wish you didn't live with your family," I say after a minute. He chuckles softly and agrees, knowing it's been hard to keep the secret under wraps.
All week he and I have had to keep our exchanges casual and short, not wanting to draw attention to ourselves. Scott's barely said two words to me and only a few more to Virgil. It's harsh seeing his father giving him curious looks as he breezes past his brother without even a simple greeting. Mr. Tracy doesn't know about Virgil and I, and neither do Gordon or John. If I had it my way, Scott wouldn't know anything either.
It's a bit too late for that.
The sun comes up over the mountains in the distance and I let out another yawn, squinting against the brightness that has suddenly spread over the island. Everyone else will be waking up soon, and I want desperately to freeze time so we can just enjoy this moment together. A sharp wind picks up, fluttering my nightgown and I shiver. Virgil notices and we go back into the lounge, out of the cold.
"How long do you figure we have?" He asks quietly as we stand facing each other.
I check the clock over Mr. Tracy's desk. "Father's always the first up, and he awakens promptly at six."
"Ten minutes isn't a lot of time."
"We'll have to make the most of it then, won't we?" I smile at him slyly and stand on the tips of my toes to give him a kiss. "Why do you have to be so tall?" I whine lightheartedly against his lips, my neck already getting sore from having to raise my head so much.
He pulls back and looks around the room. I wonder what he's thinking for a second before he clears a section on his father's desk and helps me up on it so we look at each other levelly. "Better?" He whispers.
"Much." I squirm around slightly, feeling my thigh push against something on the side of the desk. I ignore it as it sticks into my leg and kiss Virgil again.
After a few passion-filled minutes, we break apart and stare at each other. "You know," I start thoughtfully, "a lot of couples usually spend time talking."
"What is there to talk about?" He moves in to kiss me once more but I put my hands firmly on his chest to keep him away.
"Well, what do you want to know about me that you don't?"
"Tin-Tin, I think I know everything."
"Do you?" I wonder, enjoying the desperate look in his eyes.
Virgil nods and I finally surrender to his warm mouth as it falls on mine. I hear the grandfather clock in the corner chime six and reluctantly push him off.
"Father will be here soon," I breathe, risking a look over his shoulder.
"I think we need a nice relaxing vacation from this island," Virgil suggests and I grin.
"How would we pull that off without having people figure out we want to be alone?"
He shrugs and kisses my nose. "I guess it will have to wait until we tell everybody, including Alan."
"You don't have to tell me anything."
I sit bolt upright at the cold voice, nearly hitting Virgil in the head as I do so. I look frantically around the room, hearing the pain in the words that have just been spoken. My gaze lands on the row of portraits along the wall and I gasp in shock as I see Alan's has been replaced with the live feed from Thunderbird 5.
"You might want to be careful with those buttons on the desk, Tin-Tin. You don't want to accidentally sit on one and call me, do you?" Alan's eyes are like ice, but I can faintly see the tears forming as he stares at me frigidly.
"Alan. . .I. . ." I'm at a loss for forming a coherent sentence as I look at him, feeling my own sadness and guilt resurfacing.
"Don't bother explaining."
The words cut me like a knife. Sweet, innocent, compassionate Alan has turned bitter and expressionless on the screen, looking at Virgil and I in disgust.
"Please let us clarify ourselves, Alan," Virgil says coolly, looking at his brother.
"There's nothing to clarify, Virgil. Obviously things have been going on I've been unaware of and you've been using it to your advantage that I'm up here and not on the island." Alan blinks, trying to keep his heartless façade from crumbling.
"You don't understand," I plead feebly.
"I do understand, Tin-Tin. That's where you're wrong," Alan answers. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Dad would have my hide for using the frequency. Someone may be trying to call." His portrait swings back into place, leaving Virgil and I staring at the picture helplessly.