I think it's about time I say thank you to everstarfictionfan for reading along and commenting. It's really encouraging to know the story has your interest, and your feedback is inspiring me to keep updating whenever I can. Thanks so much!

Also! I've discovered that listening to Josh Groban for chapters like this is a giant help for Vincent's perspective! Yay!

Ok, read and enjoy!

It was too late to undo what I had done, now.

It's fortunate that I didn't wish to.

I didn't realise just how much I had wanted this until it had happened. She had surprised me greatly by not pulling away and slapping me (or something of that kind). At first she had tensed, and her eyes had shot open widely, but as I watched, I noticed her eventually relax into my arms, and accept what was happening. With those wonderful, soft, flawless, perfect lips she had began to return my accidental kiss. With one soft movement, she slid one hand up my back to entangle it with my hair, and after I had felt that, it was very hard not to become relaxed also. Resistence was futile...she had successfully captured me. By now, I too had accepted what was happening, and I felt myself wanting it...perhaps even craving something more.

So many questions were answered within that moment as I pressed my lips harder against hers, kissing deeper, but still attempting to be gentle. Questions such as:
'Do you want to hold and kiss her?' Obviously.
'How much do you want it?' More than you could begin to imagine.
'Would you care for her more than she could ever imagine Tseng to?' Of course...'
Do you...want...her?' ...Yes...but I want her for more than just...that...
'Does that mean you love her?' Ye-...I...well...

That question was still the one that got me. Love is a powerful word. I was unable to casually state 'yes' or 'no'. Before, my answer would have been 'no, of course not.' But now that I had spent time with her, gained her trust, and now felt her touch and kisses, I wasn't quite so sure anymore. Perhaps I was beginning to realise something...I suppose that I...thought I was falling in love with her, but I wasn't certain. Kissing her, holding her close and feeling her return that...I felt something that I didn't recognise within me. I felt almost nervous, I suppose. I didn't want to lose this moment...not for anything...I was enjoying having her this close to me, and I wished to savour that, but yet...I felt somewhat saddened when I realised that this moment would not last forever. Maybe that was when I began to realise what was going on within myself...but I had to make sure. I had to be certain that I was correct before I began coming to any conclusions about my feelings.

By now, my tongue had penetrated her lips, and I had swiftly ran my hands over her body, taking it in, but feeling I was rushing things...however, I felt that haste was necessary. My fingers were tingling with excitement, and I felt that I wanted to take everything all at once. My hands travelled quickly from her back, to her waist, to her hair, and eventually, I had pushed her down towards the bed. She had made no protest, and so I had assumed that it was alright. After what felt like a few minutes, I had no choice but to pull away in order to regain my breath. While doing so, I simply gazed down at her, taking this as another oppertunity to take her in. I know it sounds...somewhat pathetic and maybe oversensitive of me, but...to me, she was someone who I just couldn't look at enough. She was addictive to my eyes. Gazing at her was something that never became boring to me...for as I had previously stated: she was simply too beautiful...she was beautiful because she was herself. Never did she hide beneath make-up or something similar...she was beautiful by nature. It was part of who she was, despite her modesty or what she thought of herself...it would never change my opinions of her.

"F...finished?" A timid voice asked. Waking from my brief daydream, I noticed a pair of wide, honey-coloured eyes staring up at me.

Was I finished? By no means. I'd only just begun...
"Of course not...so...shall we continue?" I felt a smirk on my lips, and feared that she may have found it intimidating, but I gave her no chance to show such intimidation. The second that the question had left my lips, I had leant down against her again. My tongue now free from my lips, and slowly trailing down her cheek, down further past her chin, and I stopped at her neck, kissing it tenderly a few times before fastening my lips to it and beginning to suck at it. Whilst I had been doing so, my hands crept around her back, sliding down and grasping at her bra strap. I'd lost control again...
Apparently I had taken it too far, as seconds after she had felt my hands behind her back, I heard her startled gasp, soon followed by a whimper that made me feel as though I had done something awful. I suppose from her perspective, I had. I was foolish...I'd taken it too far, and now I had scared her...I'd lost it forever...the touch of that skin as soft and smooth as satin...that thought pannicked me, and my eyes widened, staring straight into hers. I had to fix it. I couldn't lose her due to my stupid mistake!

"Elena...I...I'm...I'm so-..."

"Wait! Just wait. Why? W-...why are you...?"

She didn't finish her question, but I had heard enough to allow me to answer. I could forsee that my answer wasn't about to make much sense, but I had to try to explain what it was that was rushing through my mind at that moment. I would not let her know about how I was beginning to feel...I wanted to be certain of that first.

"There's something I need to be sure of...and asking myself confusing questions is solving nothing. The only way I'll ever put my mind at rest is to just...do it. I apologise. I hadn't wished to force you into this...nor did I wish to make you feel uncomfortable...but I suppose it's a bit late to be saying that...In any case...this isn't the way in which this should be done. I must seem selfish. I'm sorry."

It was true...I felt awful. I'd been too hasty about it...forgetting about what it was I was asking of her. Even so...if she and I ever were to get together, I'd want to remember our first time (if we were ever to go ahead with this) as being something special. I wouldn't wish to remember it as me being selfish and taking her because I wanted answers. No...those answers would have to wait. I had to keep in mind that if I wanted her to scream my name...it would have to be in the right place (which this was) at the right time, and in the right situation with us both feeling the right thing. At the moment, I did not know what it was I was feeling quite yet, so...I would have to sort that out first. Maybe that would give her enough time to realise any feelings that she might have had for me...

"You know what, Valentine..." I heard her begin.

(Ah. So...we weren't on first-name terms yet, Elena...? Here I was debating whether or not I loved you, and yet you couldn't manage to call me by my first name?)

Even so, she continued...with such a suggestion that I could never allow. Not like this. I had already decided that much. "Do it. Do it and find your answers...ok?"

"W-..."

"You heard me."

I didn't quite understand what had brought on this change in her. There was once a time when she became suspiscious when I held out my hand for her to hold...there was once a time that she glared at me when I requested that she get changed out of her wet clothes and into something of mine...and yet, here she was, offering her body to me so that I could make up my mind and sort out my feelings. It would have been too selfish of me to take her for such a purpose..so...however hard for me it was to say no in that moment, I managed to.

"What? You don't want those answers, Valentine?"

"No. Not like this."

"Not like what?" she questioned me, her head tilted to once side, a subtle look of doubt presented on her features...but I could still see it there.

"It's not that I...erm...Elena...remember that I...I want you...I just..."

At the words 'I want you', her eyes had become wide again, and she lay there gazing at me in awe. I had to stop in order to look away. With her staring at me in such a way, I found that I was unable to speak. Surprisingly, the fear had all gone from her face. All that remained was shock, her lips parted as though she wanted to tell me something, but couldn't. We stayed there in silence for a few moments, until she began:

"Valen-..."

I had to stop her. I needed to...I couldn't stand to hear her call me that any more...it was what she had gotten used to, but I couldn't listen to her speak to me as though we were still Turk and AVALANCHE members.

"Don't-...did that...just now...did that mean nothing to you...?"

Elena was silent. I didn't wish to look at her face --however beautiful it looked-- and see her staring at me with a look that I assumed would have demanded what the hell I was on about. Yet again, we were silent as I awaited her answer to my rather nervous question.

"Well, it...it was..."

She was going to say 'nice'. She was going to say 'nice' and completely crush my heart in the process...I could feel it coming...

"It was...um...I thought...it..."

"Is it that difficult to decide...?"

"No! It's not! I just-...!"

I would have to help her, apparently. Leaning down once more, I pressed my lips to hers, silencing her. Her eyes slid shut, as did mine, and I felt her lips push tenderly to mine. I deepened the kiss, holding on to it for only a few more moments until I broke it again, gazing down at her. "Well?"

"I...it does...it means something, ok...?"

"Then don't be so formal with me. Talk to me as Elena...as the person...not as the Turk. I'm not your enemy anymore...keep that in mind. Anyway, what was it that you wished to say?"

"I was gonna ask you: what question were you trying to find the answer to?"

I hadn't been expecting that. How would I explain without making her uncomfortable? Without making myself uncomfortable? This would cause some sort of awkward silence, but I suppose that I would have to admit it at some point. I should have been prepared for that when I told her that I needed the answer to a question. I should have expected that she would be curious, but even so...I answered...

"I was...well...I...I wanted to be sure about it...erm..." I cleared my throat, and shut my eyes, taking a deep breath before admitting: "Elena...I...I think I've...fallen in love with you..."