Later on that night, after Phillip and Aurora finally reached their hotel room, they were both feeling wet and cold. Ever the gentleman, Phillip suggested that Aurora take a nice hot shower first, and while she did so he secretly ran out to a nearby convenience store and bought them some ice-cream. He was disappointed that they had run out of his favorite flavor – strawberry – but was quite relieved to see they still had French-vanilla, Aurora's first choice. He got her a small tub of that and chocolate ice-cream for himself, then quickly ran upstairs hoping Aurora hadn't come out of the shower yet.

As he walked into the room, he could hear her humming in the shower. He recognized the song as being a show tune from the musical Chicago, called "Nowadays". Phillip sneakily pressed his ear against the door to listen more closely, but very soon his mind started wandering off and imagining… other things. Things he had been trying hard not to think about, especially in Aurora's presence. Suddenly the water stopped running and he could hear Aurora opening the shower door. He quickly hid their ice-cream in the mini-fridge then prepared his pajamas and his towel so that he could be ready to take a shower himself once Aurora came out.

When she finally walked out of the bathroom, she already had her pajamas on (pink baggy pants and a small white top) and was drying her hair with a towel. She saw Phillip laying on his bed, reading a book about Corporate Law. She smiled faintly and shook her head. "I thought we had agreed no studying this weekend," she teased.

Phillip put down the book (which he hadn't really been reading) and smiled up at Aurora before hopping off the bed. "I wasn't studying," he argued. "I was just… waiting for you to come out." He gave her a small peck on the cheek then grabbed his belongings and walked into the bathroom. "Have you called your aunts yet?" he called out to her from inside as he began to take off his clothes.

Aurora picked up her phone from the dressing table and checked the display screen. "No, not yet," she called back to him as she hung the towel over the chair and ran her fingers through her damp hair. "I did text them before the show started, and since they didn't try to call since, I suppose they're not too worried."

"Huh." Phillip turned on the water. He spoke louder now, trying to make himself heard over the water. "Well, it's too late to call them now. It's already past midnight!"

Aurora checked her phone to confirm that Phillip was telling the truth. "Midnight already?" she said in surprise. "Why, I barely noticed the day go by!"

"I know," Phillip agreed. "And to tell the truth, I am not looking forward to catching a flight back to Disney tomorrow."

Aurora felt torn. On one hand, being away from everyone and everything had felt quite liberating. She loved Disney College, but all the pressure became quite overwhelming at times. On the other hand, she couldn't want to get back and tell Jane Porter and all her friends about New York, the show, the people, the lights… It was all so exciting and new to Aurora – something she just had to share with them. With these happy thoughts she sat in front of the mirror and began to comb her long silky blonde hair, while she waited for Phillip to finish taking his shower.

Fifteen minutes later, Phillip walked out of the bathroom wearing a white t-shirt and navy blue boxers, and his towel over his shoulders. He tossed his towel on top of Aurora's and shuffled his damp hair before falling onto his bed and looking up at the ceiling with a sigh. Aurora put down her comb and joined him by sitting on the edge of the bed.

She rest a hand on his leg and smiled down at him. "Are you tired?"

Phillip yawned. "Not really," he lied. He didn't want to go to sleep just yet, knowing that he probably would have a chance to spend a night with Aurora so soon. He sat up slowly and placed his hands behind his head. "We could play a game," he suggested. "How about… a game of chess?" he smirked.

Aurora eyed him playfully. "How about a game I have a chance of beating you at?" She knew the basic rules of the game, but was far from coming up with the intelligent strategies that came to Phillip so naturally. She only agreed to play chess with him whenever Phillip was feeling down, because winning a game against her always cheered him up.

Phillip chuckled. "All right, all right." He gave it some thought. "How about… a game of General Knowledge?"

Aurora grinned. "Deal!" She quickly went to her bag and pulled out two blank sheets of paper from a folder, along with two pens. She gave a pen and a sheet of paper to Phillip and kept the rest for herself. Then, they both proceeded to create six columns on their sheet and give each column a respective title: Name, City, Animal, Brand, Food, Object. The game was easy, and often proved to be quite fun. They'd take turns at selecting a random letter off the alphabet. Then, once given a sign, they would both have to try and think of a word beginning with the chosen letter, then fit it under the respective column. The first one to complete the row would yell 'pens down!', obliging the other player to stop writing. Then they'd proceed to compare the words they had written. If they happened to write down the same word, they'd each get one point. If one of them wrote down a valid word and the other left the field empty, then the first would be awarded with two points. In case they both wrote down different words with the same letter, they'd both get two points. In the end, the player with the most points won the game. Of course, the secret to winning the game was trying to think of uncommon words to win the two points… and be as fast as they could, in order to beat the other player.

Aurora sat on her bed, crossing her legs beneath her. Phillip had especially requested a room with two twin beds, and even so asked Aurora if she was comfortable sleeping in the same room as him. She didn't mind it the least – they often fell asleep together on a couch at Disney College anyway – but had thanked Phillip for his consideration. Even after she discovered that Phillip was not a virgin, she had never felt uncomfortable around him, nor did she ever feel pressured to engage in any sort of sexual activity with him. He was a gentleman – as he should be – and respected Aurora's space and wishes.

At times she only wondered if indeed he felt the same way as her and thought it was wise to wait before they consummate their relationship… or if, deep down inside, Phillip was growing impatient.

"All right, I'll pick a letter first!" she announced, clearing the thoughts from her head. "You must say the alphabet in your head then wait until I say 'Stop!'".

Phillip nodded in agreement and closed his eyes. He leaned his head against the bed frame and pretended to be mentally singing the alphabet. In truth, however, Phillip was thinking of something entirely different.

He loved Aurora and yearned for her well-being in their relationship, but, like (almost) every 21 year old man, he had begun to wonder when Aurora would feel comfortable enough to take their relationship to the next level. It was becoming harder and harder to hide his sexual appetite in front of her, and he felt almost ashamed to ask her to make love to him. It was a step, he believed, that they had to take together and in mutual agreement, and sometimes he feared that his desire would make Aurora feel pressured into doing something she didn't really want to do. But when would she be ready? When could he at last make love to the girl he loved?

"Stop!"

Phillip opened his eyes and blinked a couple of times. He discreetly took in a deep breath and tried to wipe all his thoughts away.

"I said stop!" Aurora insisted, looking at him with big eyes.

Phillip looked back at her and grinned like a small schoolboy. "You said what?" he mocked.

"Phillip!" she whined, grabbing a pillow and tossing it at him.

Phillip laughed as he ducked and covered his face, then picked up the pillow Aurora had thrown at him. "All right, all right!" he surrendered. He quickly chose a random letter. "B for… believe."

Aurora immediately put her pen down to her paper.

"Ah, ah, ah!" Phillip scoffed, tossing the pillow back at her. "You're cheating. You have to wait for me to give you the signal."

Aurora rolled her eyes playfully and put her pen down. "All right, go on th-."

"GO!" He had barely finished saying the word when he began scribbling on his sheet of paper.

Aurora gasped, ready to scold Phillip for purposely trying to outrun her, but decided to waste no more time and started writing down all the words that sprung to her mind.

Fifteen seconds had passed and she was still half-way. She glanced at Phillip nervously and noticed that he was looking down at his sheet, ever so calmly and with a smirk on his face. It made her feel more nervous than before, for she assumed that Phillip was probably almost done. She hurriedly looked down and wrote down another word which had just sprung to mind, but before she could move onto the next column, she heard Phillip yell the words she had been dreading to hear: "Pens down!"

At that exact moment, Aurora remembered the name of a city. She bit her tongue and tried to quickly jot the word down without Phillip noticing, but unfortunately he was more attentive than he thought.

"Aurora! Pens down!" Phillip grabbed a pillow and tossed it at Aurora.

She swatted it out of her way with a giggle. "All right, all right, I surrender!" She put her pen down and held up her sheet. "Very well, then. Name?"

Phillip looked at his paper for a few seconds before answering. "Benjamin."

Aurora grinned. "Briana!" She triumphantly wrote down the number two next to the word.

"Animal?"

Aurora looked up at Phillip. "Bird."

Phillip chuckled. "I knew you'd pick that." He jovially pointed his pen at her. "Beaver."

"Oh, well done!" she said cheerfully. "That's four points for the two of us!" She looked down at her sheet. "Food?"

Phillip paused for a moment, then looked up in thought. "Bacon." He wrote down something on his paper.

Aurora glanced at her sheet to see what word she had written. "Broccoli!"

Phillip pulled a face. "Dreadful! Only you'd pick a word like that." He pulled his tongue out at Aurora playfully then sighed. "Brand?"

Aurora grinned, remembering exactly which word she had chosen for this category. "Ben & Jerry's!"

At first Phillip widened his eyes, then smiled and shook his head. "Ben & Jerry's!"

"Oh, snap!" Aurora hissed, upset that she hadn't managed to come up with something more original. She noticed Phillip scribbling something on his paper, and first assumed he was writing down the points. But something seemed fairly odd… She twitched her nose thoughtfully. "City?"

Phillip closed his eyes for a second before turning to Aurora with a smirk. "Berlin."

Aurora looked down embarrassedly. "Object?" she said quietly.

"Hold on…" Phillip perked up. "I didn't hear your city." His grin grew wider, as if he already knew what Aurora was going to say.

"I… I didn't have time to finish writing it," she admitted.

"Ha!" Phillip cried triumphantly. He went on to write a note on his sheet. "That's two points for me and zero for you."

Aurora sighed deeply and shook her head in disappointment. "You were too fast for me! I still can't believe you managed to write all those words in such a little amount of ti-" She stopped mid-sentence and looked at Phillip with wide eyes. "Hold on… show me your sheet."

Phillip defensively pulled away, a small smirk on his face. "Show you my sheet? Now why would I do something like that?"

Aurora stood up and took a step towards Phillip's bed with her hands on her hips. "You couldn't possibly finish your row in such a little amount of time," she pointed out. "Besides, I noticed you scribbling something earlier…" She tapped her foot impatiently. "Go on, then! Show me your answers!"

Phillip gasped playfully, clutching his sheet against his chest. "I can't possibly believe I'm hearing such insinuations. Are you…" He curled up in his bed and hid the sheet away from Aurora. "Are you calling me a cheater?"

"I'll believe it when I see it," Aurora stated before she reached out her arm and tried to snatch the paper from Phillip. He stretched his arm in the opposite direction, obliging her to come closer and lean over the edge of his bed.

Phillip chuckled, enjoying the suspicious look on Aurora's face. "Now, now, Aurora," he reprimanded playfully. "Try to be reasonable here!"

Even more suspicious than before, Aurora resorted to her most foul tactic: tickling Phillip. She climbed onto his bed – much to his surprise – and tickled him all over his stomach.

"No, no!" Phillip laughed. "This is unfair! You can't do that!"

Aurora giggled with him, and a few seconds later was finally able to snatch the paper from his hand. She looked down at it… and gasped. "There's nothing written here!" she said in shock. Aurora showed Phillip the sheet of paper and pointed at it incredulously. "There are no words on it! Only scribbles!" She crunched up the paper into a big ball and threw it at Phillip. "You were cheating!"

Phillip laughed even harder than before. "I wasn't – I swear! I…" He winced as Aurora eyed him menacingly then knelt on the bed beside him. "I was just… making mental notes!"

"You were cheating!" Aurora repeated, though as upset as she might have been feeling, she was unable to contain her laughter. "Just admit that I'm better at this game than you are and it will be settled," she teased.

Phillip grabbed Aurora's hands before she could tickle him any further. "What?" he gasped. "You? Better than me?" Without warning he grabbed Aurora and pulled her down, then pinned her to his bed and towered over her. "Never," he smirked.

Aurora shook her head with a grin. She tried to lift herself but Phillip's grip was tight and barely allowed her to move an inch. "I demand you let me go at once!"

Phillip rolled his eyes. "You're acting rather demanding tonight," he retorted playfully. "I thought I was the man in the relationship."

Aurora pinned her chin up. "Real men don't cheat," she scoffed.

Phillip sighed deeply. "I see how it is." He reluctantly let go of Aurora and lay on his back beside her. "I am obviously not fit to be your knight in shining armor." He feigned a sad sigh and closed his eyes. "What a shame… I suppose I'll have to find someone else to give that tub of French-Vanilla ice-cream to…"

Aurora looked at Phillip in surprise. "…French-Vanilla ice-cream?"

Phillip nodded. "Hm-mm." He turned to Aurora and smirked when he saw the look on her face. "Don't tell me it's your favorite flavor."

Aurora offered Phillip a tilted smile, knowing that he knew exactly what her favorite flavor is. She towered over Phillip and shyly put a hand on his chest. "What tub?" she whispered.

Phillip got up and walked over to the mini-fridge. He opened the door and pulled out the two small tubs of ice-cream which he had bought earlier while Aurora was in the shower, along with two plastic spoons. Then he sat on the edge of the bed and lifted the two tubs in the air, one on each hand. "French-Vanilla or chocolate – what ever will I have tonight?" he mocked.

Aurora sat up and gave him a sheepish look. "You couldn't possibly have them both. You'll be left with a sore stomach!"

Phillip pretended to weigh his options. "Hmm… I wonder… What would a real man do?"

Catching his hint, Aurora got on her knees and crawled over to Phillip. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him gently on the cheek. "He'd do whatever his heart tells him to do," she said softly. "And I have a feeling your heart tells you that it's better to give me the French-vanilla ice-cream."

Phillip put the chocolate ice-cream on the side-table then slowly opened the tub of French-Vanilla ice-cream. "I'm pretty sure that's what your heart says. My heart…" He paused as he teasingly dug the spoon into the ice-cream. "My heart tells me that if you want a piece of this smooth… tasty… sweet French Vanilla ice-cream…" He scooped some ice-cream onto the spoon and mockingly waved it around. "You're going to have to apologize."

Aurora pulled back from Phillip and sat down on the bed with her legs crossed. "Apologize?"

Phillip nodded. "You said it. Apologize for accusing me of cheating, and resorting to foul tactics in order to steal my sheet of paper."

"You can hardly blame me for doing what I did," Aurora retorted, folding her arms with a smirk. She lay her head on Phillip's pillow, pretending not to care about the ice-cream anymore. "And I will never apologize to you!"

Phillip sighed. "Well, then. I suppose I'll just have to eat this all by myself…" He slipped the spoon of ice-cream into his mouth then savored it nice and slowly. "Mmm…"

Aurora shook her head with a small smile as she lifted her leg and playfully poked Phillip's waist. "You don't even like French-vanilla," she pointed out.

"Correction," Phillip cut in. "I didn't like French-vanilla, but that's because I had never really tried it. Now I realize why you like it so much, and why you were never willing to share it with me," he teased. "Well… vengeance is served."

Aurora closed her eyes tightly and curled up her legs, realizing that watching Phillip eat her favorite ice-cream did not help the temptation at all. For that reason, she didn't notice as Phillip leaned forward with a smirk on his face. He lay down beside her and scooped another spoon of ice-cream. "Soft and tempting," he whispered in her ear, in attempt to make her even more jealous than she already was. "It melts on your tongue and slides down your neck, taking you back to those nice and warm Spring afternoons during which we lay back on the grass and counted the birds in the sky…" He ate another spoonful of ice-cream. "Mmm… Paris," he decided. "This sweet taste reminds me of Paris."

He stretched his arm over Aurora and put the ice-cream container on top of the side-table. Then, at last, he slipped his arm underneath Aurora and rest his head next to hers on the pillow. She opened her eyes slowly and turned to him with a loving gaze. "Tell me more about Paris," she asked in a whisper, shifting closer to him to absorb the warmth of his body.

"Paris," he began, "is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It blows you away with its history, its charm, its lights and its atmosphere. One day…" He lifted a finger to her lips and softly caressed them. "One day I will take you there. We will walk the streets of the River Gauche after sunrise, while the shopkeepers are still cleaning up, getting ready to open. You'll finally taste a sweet and soft croissant accompanied with French coffee, while we watch people pass by on the street, ever so cheerful. I must take you to the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris so that, like me, you can be taken away by its magnificent architecture and profound history. Then…" Phillip shifted closer to Aurora and smiled lovingly as he watched her eyes slowly begin to close. "We'll climb up the steps of the tower, so that we can gaze upon the same breathtaking view as the gargoyles do every day." He ran his fingers over her cheek.

Aurora smiled beneath Phillip's touch, imagining his descriptions in her head.

"Then," he continued, "we'll walk along the Isle de Saint Louis so that you can do some shopping on the Champs Elysees. But we won't be there too long," he added playfully, "for if you are like all the other women, you are bound to get lost among all those enormous stores. As the sun starts to set, I'll take you to a café window near the Paris Opera house, and if it's your wish we can even go inside in search of the Phantom," he said with a small chuckle. "For dinner, there's nothing like going to a restaurant near Gare de Nord, and once the sun has set and given place to the bright moon… we'll climb to the top of the Eiffel Tower and overlook the city at night. Then, Aurora, I'll take you in my arms and kiss you… like this." He leaned over her and pressed his lips gently against hers.

Aurora smiled then cupped his face with her hands. "I suppose that's the closest I'll get to tasting French-vanilla tonight," she whispered teasingly as she pulled Phillip down for another kiss. He responded by lifting himself slightly above her and slipping his arm behind her neck as he gently towered over her. She made herself comfortable beneath him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Kiss by kiss, inch by inch, Phillip's hand slowly made its way down Aurora's neck until it rest on her stomach.

She was so lost in his kiss that she barely noticed it when Phillip slipped his hand under her shirt, the warmth of his skin rapidly blending with hers. She did notice, however, when his hand moved upwards, until it gently cupped her breast. She pulled back and let go of Phillip. "No, wait," she murmured.

Phillip's muscles tensed. He involuntarily held onto her tighter, even though he could feel Aurora trying to push him away.

Aurora frowned as she tried to sit up. "Phillip, please."

At last Phillip released the pressure inside of him and plopped himself onto the bed beside Aurora. He let out a deep sigh as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Why not?" His voice dripped with despair.

Aurora finally sat up and curled her knees up against her chest. "I'm just… not ready yet."

Phillip sighed again. "Will you ever be ready, Aurora Hale?" He sat up next to her. "Or is there something you're not telling me?" Lately it had become easier to read Aurora's thoughts just by studying the look in her eyes. Right now her gaze beheld a slight uncertainty blended with a tinge of fear.

"I just…" Aurora shrugged and shyly looked away from Phillip. "I've never done it before, and… I just feel like we should wait a little longer."

Phillip rubbed his face with his hands. "I just don't understand," he confessed, his voice still slightly harsh. "Are you scared I might hurt you? Do I make you feel uncomfortable?"

"Oh, no, it's not that," Aurora quickly interjected. "It's just…" She began fiddling with a lock of hair which hung over her shoulder. "I just feel there's a lot we should do before we start to… you know…"

"To make love?" Phillip jumped in, always eager to say the words Aurora was unable to express. "I don't understand – what 'things' do you speak of?"

Aurora sighed as she tucked a wisp of hair behind her ear. "It's such a big step… So many things could go wrong! Have you never heard of those dreadful diseases? Or, or… girls, my age, falling pregnant!"

Out of all of the concerns he imagined Aurora could have, Phillip never would have bet on those. "Of course we'll use protection," he stated bluntly. "I've been carrying condoms around with me since I was seventeen!" He noticed Aurora shoot a glance at him. "Not that I've ever used them," he added quickly. "But Aurora, I swear, you have nothing to worry about." He sat up next to her and leaned his head against the bed frame as he looked down at her tenderly. "You know I will never force you into anything, but I don't want you to live in constant fear either. You could… start taking the pill," he suggested. "And if it's diseases you're worried about, I'll schedule an appointment at the doctor and run some tests."

Aurora looked up at him with a faint smile. "Really? You'd do that for me?"

Phillip chuckled as he put his arm around Aurora and gently squeezed her. "Of course! I can tell you now that they'll all come back negative, but it's best to be sure."

Aurora was overcome by a sudden sense of relief. "Oh, thank you, Phillip. I… I never thought you'd do such a thing! I was always so sure you'd think of my worries as petty and foolish."

Phillip tilted his head. "Petty, perhaps… but never foolish." He kissed her softly on her temple. "I understand, truly. I wished I could have given my first time this much thought. I just want yours to be truly unforgettable. For the right reasons, that is."

Aurora rest her head on Phillip's shoulder. "I really want you to be the one," she said softly.

Phillip smiled faintly. "I will be." He sighed. "Whenever you're ready, I will be. But right now…" He pulled back from Aurora and turned around facing the edge of the bed. "I think I need to take a shower."

Aurora frowned in confusion. "Another one?"

Phillip stood up from the bed with a groan. "Unfortunately… and a cold one too." He stretched his back with his hand on his torso, then grabbed his towel and awkwardly made his way to the bathroom.

Aurora sighed deeply once she heard Phillip turn on the water, then slowly got off his bed and slipped into her own one. Although relieved, Aurora felt slightly guilty. This weekend had been perfect – the moment had felt perfect – yet there was always a concern in the back of her mind which forbid her from going all the way and giving Phillip what, she knew, he desired. She tucked herself underneath her blankets and looked up at the ceilings for a few seconds, lost in thought.

By the time Phillip came out ten minutes later, Aurora was already fast asleep. He made his way over to her first and kissed her softly on the forehead, then got into his bed and turned off the lights.

He was reluctant to close his eyes because he knew that, the moment he did, their perfect Valentine Weekend would be over. Instead he turned around in his sheets until he was facing Aurora's bed and simply lay there gazing at her under the very dim moonlight that pierced through the window. He tried to imagine what his life would have been like if he hadn't met her. Ever since Aurora Hale had come into his life, Phillip felt like he was riding on a never-ending rollercoaster ride. Over the past months, she had made him experience emotions he had never felt before. She had the ability to boast his self-esteem while making him doubt himself at the same time. She had taught him to love another for the first time, and make him want her so bad that sometimes he felt physically ill when thinking about all the obstacles they had overcome – and had yet to overcome – in order to be together.

He was Phillip Van Dyke, the senior resident advisor from the big city, who was obliged to know better and live under the pressure of always having to do the right thing.

She was Aurora Hale, the naïve freshman from a small town whose life had just begun, and whose heart was as a fragile as a flower in spring.

She taught him how to live. He taught her how to love.

THE END