| SOMETHING REAL- PART 5 Liz spent most of the movie, when she wasn't clinging to Michael in terror that is, contemplating what was going to happen after it was over. Though she was technically still a virgin, she didn't consider herself to be innocent anymore. After that night in the desert with Max things had progressed in their relationship. They had come close to having sex several times after that night, but they had always held back. Max had been afraid that something might happen to her. He said it was too risky; that they didn't know for sure if it was safe for humans and aliens to mate. Eventually they had come up with what Liz had called the 'everything but' rule, which basically meant that anything except actual intercourse was acceptable. As long as both of them were okay with it, of course. This had mostly just consisted of a lot of touching, but they had experimented with oral sex a few times. She knew they should probably set some boundaries before they went to bed. The way he made her feel was deeper and more intense than anything she'd ever experienced before. Sleeping in the same bed was bound to be tempting, but they were nowhere near ready to consider having sex. They still had a lot of ground to cover with each other before they got to that point. The problem was, she wasn't quite sure where they should draw the line. There were two sides to the coin so to speak. On one hand, their relationship was brand new and normally that would call for keeping physical contact to a minimum until they knew each other better. On the other hand, she and Michael were nowhere near strangers. They had known each other casually since elementary school and had been part of a very tight group of friends for the past year and half. They had been through some very dangerous times together. She knew his biggest secret and he knew, well pretty much everything about her since he had read her journal last year. Even Maria didn't know half the stuff she put in there. That journal contained her most private thoughts, the things she couldn't tell another living soul. So you could probably say that Michael knew her better than anyone, now. Because of these things she didn't think that the usual time frame for a new relationship really applied in their situation. Liz finally decided that she would make it clear to Michael that she was not ready for intercourse, but she was open to other things. Then they could just let things happen naturally without trying to steer them in any particular direction. She knew that she could trust Michael to back off if she was uncomfortable with anything that happened. Unbeknownst to Liz, Michael was contemplating similar issues. He had realized after their first kiss that he felt connected to her in an odd way. He couldn't explain it. He had never felt anything like it before. It was completely different than what he had felt with Maria or the few other girls he had fooled around with before her. His first taste of her had stirred something in him. It was almost like a memory. As though they had been a part of each other before and just hadn't remembered until now. It felt strangely familiar and yet brand new at the same time. He imagined that it was what home would feel like if he ever got the chance to go back. Comfortingly familiar and terrifyingly new all at once. He knew that in reality they had only been a couple for a little over 24 hours, yet it somehow felt much longer to him. Like they had been slowly moving in this direction for a long time and this was simply the final stage of the journey. He instinctively knew that once he let himself open up to her, he would never be able to let her go. All of these things worried him, because his attraction to Liz was so strong. The more time they spent together, the closer he wanted to be to her. He didn't know what she expected of him. Max and he had never discussed the intimate details of their relationships like most guys did. Michael had no clue how far they had gone and thus no idea what she was comfortable with physically. He didn't want to scare her off or insult her by initiating things she wasn't ready for. He finally decided that the smartest thing to do was just tell her how he felt and ask her what she wanted to do. He didn't want to risk ruining this by moving too fast for her. He would go as slow as she needed him to. Even if it killed him. "Liz..." "Michael.." They both laughed. "You go first," Michael said. "Okay." She turned sideways so they were facing each other. "I think we need to discuss what's going to happen tonight. I mean, we're going to be sleeping in the same bed. I think we should make sure we both know where we stand, you know? I don't want there to be any misunderstandings between us." She reached out for his hand, entwining their fingers. "That's exactly what I was going to say," he nodded definitively. "Oh, good. We're on the same page, already," she giggled. "Yeah, now we just have to make sure we stay on the same page," Michael said seriously. "I don't want to make any mistakes with you, Liz. I'm more attracted to you than I've ever been to anyone before, but we can take things as slow as you need to." "Thank you, but you don't have to worry. I feel the same way and I'm not going anywhere. I've never felt anything like this in my life." "Even with..." He stopped abruptly, deciding the rest of that sentence was better left unspoken. Bringing up their past relationships would only cause trouble. Liz knew what he was going to ask and she decided that he deserved to know the answer, even if he couldn't bring himself to ask the question. "Yes, even him. Michael, I have never felt this strongly about anyone before and that includes Max." She kissed him softly and then sat back to look at him. "I've thought about this carefully and I think that we need to be more settled and comfortable with each other before we consider having sex." Michael nodded in agreement. "But..." Michael looked at her questioningly. "But what?" "But...there are a lot of other things we could do between now and then." Liz met his eyes shyly. She had to resist the urge to giggle at the look on his face. Michael was stunned. She didn't mean what he thought she did, did she? "Liz.....what exactly do you mean by that?" he asked carefully. Liz gazed into his gorgeous eyes for a minute and then stood up, tugging at their joined hands. "Let's go to bed, Michael. We'll just take it one step at a time and see where it leads. No pressure and no expectations, okay?" She walked backwards towards the bedroom pulling him in front of her. Michael smiled and followed her, waving his free hand over the room behind him. The t.v and the lights turned off and her favorite Dave Matthew's cd started to play. The apartment was dark except for the dim glow of the bedside lamp Liz had turned on earlier. When they reached the edge of the bed she stopped and looked up at him. "Which side do you sleep on?" He laughed. "The middle." "Oh. Somehow I don't think that's going to work too well. Unless I'm...and we already decided not to go there yet." She turned 12 different shades of red at the image that popped into her head. "Relax, Liz. No pressure remember? We're not going to do anything you don't want to do. You don't have to be nervous or embarrassed. I want you to feel comfortable with me. I want you to trust me, Liz. I would never hurt you, I hope you know that," he whispered seriously as he caressed her cheek. "I do trust you, Michael. I feel safe with you," she replied honestly. "Good." He dropped a quick kiss on her lips and smiled. "Why don't you take whatever side you normally sleep on." Liz climbed in bed and scooted over so Michael could lie down beside her. He propped himself up on his elbow and leaned over her. "You sure you're okay with this?" he asked quietly as he brushed the loose tendrils of hair off her face. "Definitely." She lifted her head slightly and reached up to pull the clip out of her hair. Waves of chocolate colored silk tumbled down over her shoulders and Michael thought he had never seen anything more beautiful. He combed his fingers through the dark strands, fanning it out on the pillow around her. "You are so beautiful," he sighed against her lips as he kissed her so slowly and sensuously she felt tingles spread to every part of her body. She briefly wondered how Michael had learned to kiss like that. Was it something you were born with? Did his DNA read 'blonde hair, brown eyes, amazing kisser'? He continued to kiss her with the same slow, soothing rhythm for a long while. It made her feel totally relaxed and yet aroused at the same time. It was a unique blend of sensations. Liz let her hands wander over Michael's chest and shoulders as he kissed her. She wanted to feel his smooth skin under her fingertips. Reluctantly tearing her mouth away from his, she whispered breathlessly, "Michael, can I take your shirt off?" He looked into her luminous brown eyes and nodded silently. Liz grabbed the hem of his T-shirt and pulled it over his head, tossing it carelessly onto the floor. She stared in wide-eyed appreciation at the broad expanse of naked skin and firm muscles laid bare before her. She smoothed her hand down his chest and over his tight stomach muscles. She hadn't realized what a great body Michael was hiding under those baggy clothes. He sucked in his breath as her hand caressed his stomach lightly. She lifted her eyes from his chest to look at him and he immediately descended on her mouth with another drugging kiss. Liz moaned and pressed her body closer to his. She squirmed in frustration. He hadn't even attempted to touch her, yet. She wanted to feel his hands on her. Liz twisted her face away from him, breaking the kiss. She was fully intending to tell him to stop treating her like a china doll. Michael pulled back and looked at her with concern. "What's wrong, baby?" he whispered quietly. He seemed alarmed at the idea that he might have done something to upset her. Liz felt her insides melt at the endearment and the look in his eyes. She had never thought of herself as the type of girl who'd like being called by all those mushy pet names, but hearing Michael call her 'baby' caused her heart to skip a beat. She didn't think he was the type of guy who normally used mushy pet names, either. It made her feel special. "Nothing's wrong, Michael. It feels wonderful, but you don't have to be so careful with me. I promise I won't break," she laughed softly, reaching up to stroke his cheek. "Touch me." His eyes darkened with desire and he leaned down to kiss her again. This time the kiss was deep and hungry; like he had been holding back, waiting for her to give him permission to take it further. His hand moved down to the hem of her shirt and slipped under it to caress her bare stomach. His fingers traced intricate patterns over her soft skin, leaving goose bumps in their wake. She moaned against his mouth and kissed him harder. As his hand finally moved up to cup her breast she broke away from the kiss and cried out softly. He brushed his thumb over her nipple and it tightened instantly, flooding her body with a tingling warmth. God, he was incredible. Every kiss, every touch was more intense and arousing than the last. |