Herbology in the Rain {{Caroline}}

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The rain plunked on the roof, his eyes watched it so he knew. Drops splattered on the glass, sending small rivers of salt water to run down the ages old glass of the greenhouse. In the far distance, thunder roared and was turning it's attention in his direction. He did not hear it, nor the rain that started to fall even harder. The clouds were gray, and the air was a bit warmer than usual for this time of year. Soon, when the sun went down, all this rain would turn in to snow as silent as anything he ever knew. A small arch of lightning raced across the sky above the lake, but miles past the location of the Giant Squid. He watched it, he imagined what it might sound like when the thunder crashed, and he traced a small heart in the dirt on the glass. Two initials had already been placed in the small heart. The curve of a letter "C" followed by an angular "L" his finger tip was smeared with the dirt from the surface. He finished the small heart, and turned to watch as the rain began to fall harder. Now he could hear a small tapping as the storm picked up.

Michael was not completely deaf. If there was loud noises, such as storms, or yelling, he could make out sounds and syllables. He could hear when he was around muggle cars, and the train that brought him to Hogsmead before school started. However, if someone beside him whispered he might never know it. Unless, of course, he was looking at them. You see, Michael could read lips. As far as he could see, he could understand what most people said when they spoke. He often watched the Headmaster across the Great Hall, and picked up bits and pieces of conversation best left unheard. Michael could also sit in the common room, high up in Gryffindor tower, and watch other people speak. He knew tons of rumors, as most people felt comfortable holding deep conversations when he was in the room. Very few of them knew he could read lips, and he was often privileged to information others would not know. Michael felt like a spy sometimes, but it did not stop him from listening with his eyes. A small smile moved across his lips as he thought of this. Michael turned his eyes to the door.

The greenhouse was empty. There were no classes today, but he needed to finish his project. He had fallen behind Herbology, and did not like to think of spending an entire weekend playing catch up while everyone else was off doing whatever they did during the lock-down. Michael would prefer to spend his time in the warm common room reading his books, and listening to others speak as he stole glances in the silence. He pushed the small root to the edge of the table, his knife hovering over the plant, as he sighed. He had to cut up the root, add it to the small amount of other leaves he had already cut, and then determine if the mixture would work for the specific task he had been assigned. It felt more like potions work than herbology, but for some reason the professor was in the mood to question if the students knew what certain herbs could mix well, and those that did not. He had watched one girl suffer through a horrible rash when mixing this root, and he did not want to endure the same fate. Michael sighed, once again, and cut into the root. Soft, creamy, oil moved from the cut and ran down the side of the rough exterior. The bitter smell of old mushrooms danced up from the wounded plant and drifted into his nostrils. Michael coughed, and put one arm over his mouth. His chin nestled in the crook of his elbow.

He had forgot to wear a mask, and now the smell was going to stick with him the rest of the day. Once you smelled this, it was hard to get the scent out of your nose. He could almost taste it clinging to his taste buds. Michael pushed the root toward the leaves, and tossed them all into the small vessel he had set aside. His eyes were set on his work, so he did not see anyone come into the greenhouse. The light moved through the parting clouds as the rain died down. A bright beam of sunlight made the small heart and initials gleam in the light of the plant garden. It was in plain site, as Michael had drew it and turned to finish his work. He never, in a million years, thought that she would be the one walking in to spy him out. Michael did not know that anyone could see his little piece of artwork if they happened to glance just past his left shoulder. In fact, he was so content to finish his work that he had momentarily forgot he had drew the little heart around those two initials. Though, even when deep in thought, she was not far from his mind. Or, his heart.

In Michael's mostly silent world, her name reigned supreme.

{{You do not even know how much of a wonderful distraction this post has been. I know it is not really a great post, but it helped me a bit today. I hope you like it.}}

[lexa]

Caroline really hadn't meant to sneak up on him. But she knew about his hearing, and she didn't want to make some sort of loud bang as she walked in. That would not only get his attention but probably some other people's attention, too. So she entered, not even bothering to keep quiet.

Her shoes clicked against the floor as she walked, and if her friends didn't know any better, it really sounded like she was wearing high heels. But not only would Caroline make a clumsy mess out of herself by wearing high heels, they just weren't her style. She liked comfy, plain sort of sneakers. She had one pair of boots with a small, wide heel, and a pair of sandals in the summer. Other than that, just her sneakers.

And she was actually very good at Herbology. She was better at Potions and Charms, yes, but she wasn't at all bad at Herbology. Actually, to tell the truth, Caroline was here because she knew Michael Shane Goldstein was there... She hated to admit it, and she hadn't told a soul.. but she really and truly did have a huge crush on him.

She didn't really know what to do at first. This was the first time she'd ever been alone with him before. And even though he didn't know she was there, she was standing only a little ways behind him, and she couldn't help but see a little hart beside him. She was too far away to see what letters were written inside, but she knew they couldn't have spelled out her name. It wasn't long enough, and her initials never once crossed her mind.

She bit her lip then. Clearly he liked someone else, and she realized then how stupid it was for her to have come all the way here for no reason. I mean, there was a reason, but now she knew that reason itself had no point anymore. Guys don't draw hearts unless they like some girl, and from the look of the one he'd drawn, it wasn't her that he liked.

But, as she began to leave, that's when her clumsiness decided to kick in. She always trips at the most inconvenient times. So typical. But, on the way out the door, she tripped on her own foot and fell into the door. She didn't know how loud the thud had been, but she knew it must've been loud enough to get Michael's attention.

She sighed then, knowing it was impossible to avoid a conversation with him now. She slowly stood up, and began dropping her things back into her small handbag, refusing to look in Michael's direction. She was afraid that if she did, she'd start crying. And she really really did not want to start crying right in front of him.

{{I do like it! And this is how pitiful Caroline is. She sees the heart but doesn't even look long enough to realize its HER initials. So pointless... but I'd probably do the same thing if it was me.}}

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A loud thump made his inner ear tingle. This was always the sensation he could feel when he knew he should be hearing something clearer than he could. His logical mind concluded that it was probably thunder as he knew the storm might be coming closer. He almost did not look up, but something just out of the field of his vision caught his attention. Michael lifted his eyes, and saw someone stuffing things into a purse, or bag, or something, and then realized who the person was.. Michael blushed. He tried to smile, but with a quick step back he hit the window behind him with a loud smack. He dropped the instrument he had been holding, and with a quick swipe made to wipe away the little heart he had made just moments ago. He missed -his eyes not able to leave her- and smudged the dirt on the glass right beside the heart and initials. If he had looked he would have seen that this made the heart stand out even more. However, Michael was doing his best to make it appear like he had been startled by her sudden appearance. He did not think she even knew he existed outside the shared common room, and occasional conversation. In fact, Michael was almost positive she did not know his last name, much less the fact that he thought about her every day, dreamed about her when he should be paying attention in class, and wished on the first star just to see her smile once in his direction. It was her initials in the heart, initials he drew there.

Michael's heart skipped a momentary beat, his eyes closed a second when he counted to ten, and his fingers twisted into small fists that he quickly hid behind his back. Once he had counted, his eyes slowly opened and she was still there. Michael was not day dreaming. He was not asleep in his bed having another one of his long dreams about meeting her, the dreams that ended in the two holding hands in the common room, or her kissing him goodnight. No, this was no dream, she was really in the same room with him. Alone. He had not expected this, and was unsure how to react. He was well aware that he might be making a complete full of himself, but there was nothing he could do to stop. He almost laughed, then figuring it might come out as rude he closed his mouth. Michael slowly gathered his things, and looked to her.

He lifted a single hand -streaked with new dirt from the window behind him- and signed a few words that he knew she would understand. She had used sign language with him before, and although sometimes she got her letters and words mixed up, she kept up with a conversation relatively easy. Michael's fingers moved, "You scared the bat droppings out of me, Caroline." He add a soft laugh, mostly it was silent. He was aware that he had a voice, but it was high pitched, and he imagined it sounded out of character coming from his lips. He never used his voice, unless it was completely needed. Caroline had never heard him speak, and he intended to keep it that way. Michael was already aware that he had no chance with her, that she could never feel for him the way he felt for her, but he would never blow any chance of being with her by letting her hear how stupid he sounded when he spoke. No, Michael had his pride, even if it was unfounded.

He glanced to the roots he had been working with and noticed the dirt streak on his hand. He raised an eyebrow and glanced behind him to the window. On the glass was a long smudge of dirt that pointed clearly to the heart and initials. Michael jumped, glanced to her, and landed in front of the heart. He tried to place his hands behind his back and rub out the heart. Without knowing it, he missed again. Michael watched her wondering -not for the first time- if she thought he looked like a complete fool. That was obviously not the impression he wanted to give her, but it seemed he could not help it. He was always weak in the knees when she was around, as if his joints all turned to boneless jell-o and he would tremble. His heart picked up, beating heavier in his chest, although he attempted another smile. She was beautiful, and had such an effect on the normally well controlled Gryffindor. Michael just could not help it.

[lexa]

Caroline had just finished putting her things back into her bag when he hit the window. She looked up to him then on instinct, but immediately stared back down at her bag as she zipped it up, his entire face turning bright red. Well, I guess he did hear it, she thought miserably. He probably thought she looked ridicules. If he wasn't so hesitant about using his voice, he probably would have laughed at her. But rarely did he even so much as give a tiny chuckle. But she didn't know him all that well, he probably talked a little bit more when he was around his close friends.

She felt her cheeks cooling down again, and she stood up straight, slipping her bag over her shoulder and turning back to him. She looked just in time to see him fingering the words. Bat droppings? But he knew her name! That is what the last word meant, wasn't it? She was almost for certain he'd motioned "Caroline." But part of her thought she must've looked at it wrong. They'd only talked maybe once or twice before, and not very recently, how could a guy like him even remember a girl like her? She must've seen it wrong...

Caroline only knew that hadn't talked recently because she hadn't had the chance to show off her knew sign language skills yet. Due to her photographic memory, she'd memorized all the hand movements she'd seen instantly. So now, with enough practice as watching herself do the movements in the mirror, she thought she had it mastered. Even though she didn't know she'd have a chance to use it, considering the fact that the only person she'd learned it for was Michael.

But he jumped to the side kind of randomly. Why would he do that? And his hands were behind his back, too. Was he trying to hid something? She swallowed then, and motioned with her hands, "I should probably go..." and she turned to leave. No, she didn't want to leave, but she didn't want to stick around where she was wanted. Although in her perfect world, he was ask her to stay. Like that would ever happen...

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Michael paused in his thoughts, slowly realizing that she was not going to answer him. He watched her make as if she would leave. He sighed, how was it possible for him to feel so good and yet so bad when around a single person? He did not know, but he was aware that if he did not do something she would soon be out on the grounds and walking away from him again. He moved around the table, and motioned with his hands for her to stop. She did not see, he made a small fist and frowned. If he spoke then she would hear his voice. If she heard his voice she could make much fun of the way he sounded. If he did not stop her she would leave. It was a double edged sword and Michael was afraid that he was going to be cut either way he went. Still, it was Caroline. She appeared to have recognized when he spelled out her name with his fingers. He did not want her to leave. In fact, he needed her to stay.

"Don't go." It was high pitched, oddly high toned, as Michael called after her. He was not too loud, but loud enough for the long room they shared. He frowned once again, and placed one dirty hand up to his mouth. He supposed that everything would hinge on this next moment. Either she would hear him, turn and laugh. Or she would stop, and not go. He did not want to think about her laughing, and was unsure what he would do if it came to that. However, he did not figure her the type to make fun of someone. Lord knows he got enough of that when he was in his earlier years, especially from the Slytherin. No, Caroline was not a cruel person. She was a loner, shy, and hardly spoke to many people. Michael knew this from years of watching her, wishing their small conversations could turn into something deeper.

He leaned against the desk, dropped his arms to his side, and tried to look casual. There was a long streak of dirt over his mouth that trailed off to a smudge on his cheek. His hair was standing up in little spikes from his initial jump. He had a horrible habit of allowing his fingers to pull through his hair when something unexpected happened. Match these two things with the fact that his shirt was a mess from the roots and dirt he had been working with, and poor Michael looked like a slob. None of these things crossed his mind -he was not even aware of the dirt on his face- as he watched her. He did not open his mouth again, if he did he feared a small moan would escape. That would no do. He had spoken in front of her -behind her actually- and that was enough for right now.

Michael could only hope she would stop and turn to him. All the while, his chest was being hammered by the heart beating inside. He thought if it hit his ribs any harder that it might simply burst through and land on the floor in front of him. What reaction would that draw? He did not know. Michael leaned, face dirty and heart racing, and hoped she would turn back... and not laugh.

[lexa]

Caroline swallowed hard as she finished zipping up her back. But before she could take off out of embarrassment of just being around him, something caught her attention. Don't go? Did he actually... speak? She turned to look at him with a shocked look on his face. She'd never heard his voice before. It's not that she thought he couldn't speak, she only thought that he didn't talk because he couldn't pronounce words right. She worked at a deaf center for a few weeks over the summer ones, and when they tried to talk, not only were their voice pitches all over the place, but they couldn't form the words correctly half the time. When Michael said "Don't go" however, he'd pronounced it clear as day, despite his pitchy tone.

She finally wiped the shock off her face, she didn't want offend him or anything. She swallowed again and waited to see what else he had to say. He didn't want her to go? Part of her was grateful, he actually acknowledged her existence enough to ask her to stay. It made her heart skip a beat, which actually really hurt, but she wouldn't dare show it. The other half of her, the part that wasn't exited about this, only dreaded that she'd start doing something stupid, and make herself a complete fool of herself in front of him. That was one of her worse fears, and she knew it was bound to happen eventually.

She looked to him then, gulping down her fear, and spoke, knowing he could read lips. "You don't want me to go? Aren't you... busy?" she saw how dirty he was, and the roots he'd been toying with before she came and interrupted him. But the dirt, even all over his face, didn't make him look any less attractive than he did when he was sparkly clean. She only wished that he felt the same way about her.

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Michael sighed lightly when she paused and turned around. The shock that registered on her face almost made him laugh. How ironic would that have been? He was so concerned with her laughing at him, then he laugh instead? He swallowed hard and tried to force the laughter down into his throat. It clicked, a noise he felt but did not hear. He had no damn idea what to say to her next. Obviously he had to say something, do something to let her know that her company was appreciated. But what? Michael had never really held a good relationship before. Most of the girls spent time with him in his past out of curiosity. One girl even snogged him at a dance as a dare from her friends. Michael did not think he was anything special, and mostly felt uncomfortable around girls. Caroline was so different though. Yes, she made the butterflies dance in his tummy. Yes, she made his palms go clammy. Yes, his heart seemed to want to race a billion miles a millisecond when she was around. But, even though those things were not normal to his behavior, Noah was comfortable when she was near.

He watched her mouth move. The way her lips moved above her chin as she spoke. Her whole look, the way she stood, the way her eyes moved, told him that she was speaking in a low voice. She was calm, but something in her eyes told him that she was both afraid and a little excited. He saw her words, and nodded. Michael lifted his hand and moved his fingers slowly. He remembered that she knew some sign language, but he did not know if she retained much of it. He did not want to move too fast so she would misread what he was saying. Only last year he had made that mistake with a boy from back home. His fingers did the language dance, and he ended up telling the poor kid that his "hungry fly was undone and the butterfly was swimming." Noah did not want a repeat of that with the girl he had a crush on. Seriously.

He signed, "Hello. I am not so busy as to not want some company. Fact is, I could use the help." It was not entirely true, Michael did not need any help. But, at the same time, it was no lie. He could use help. As to wanting company, Michael could think of no one better to spend the day with than the girl standing in front of him at that moment. He smiled, and motioned to the table and roots. He flicked his fingers to make them look like a little man walking on the surface of the space between them, and patting the table beside him. A sure fire sign of, "come on over here, join me" without saying a single word.

[lexa]

So, he wasn't too busy then. He looked about as scared as she was, but she'd probably scared the heck out of him just by being there. It's not like he'd heard her come in, and when something moves out of the corner of you eye, well, Caroline knew how bad that could startle someone. But she motioned her the words, which she understood perfectly and nodded.

Then he did the little finger dance, and she couldn't help but smirk. That might not have been actual sign language, but it was obvious what he was saying, and she came over like he directed her to. So he wanted help, but at first he'd called her company. So, she was just company-help then. Not just company, like she wanted to be. She sighed quietly then, knowing he couldn't hear it, and glanced at his dirt-covered self.

Then she motioned, "What do you need help with?" A part of her wished she'd never stopped by this place. But, she was very good at Herbology, and by the looks of Michael and the table, he was very messy at it. He could definitely use the help, but she really didn't want to talk about plants with him. She guessed it was better than not talking at all, though.

[msg]

He watched her eyes when she signed back to him. He almost lost the few words by her beauty. He blushed under his dirt smears, but did not pay attention to that. He had to think of something quick, something to show that he needed help, even though he needed no such thing. Michael turned and looked down at the instrument he dropped. One swift grab and he picked it up again, fumbling it and watching it fall from his hands to smack on the table in front of him. The small cutter bounced loudly -he could not hear this- and smashed against the pot. The claw busted sending more dirt, roots, and feed spilling out onto the table. He frowned as he placed his fingers over the pot trying to hold back the dirt as if he was sticking his finger in a hole to stop a leak. His eyes were wide, and his face was flush. He looked more embarrassed than he could ever recall feeling in his entire life. Michael tried to sweep the mess aside with a smile. He made a little sound that almost sounded like an "ouch" and frowned.

Michael lifted his hand to his eyes, completely forgetting about the mess, and saw the long gash in his palm. The cut ran up the hard side of his palm from the wrist across to the middle of his thumb. He crossed his eyes a moment looking at it, and finally felt the wet patter of his crimson flow dripping down his arm and off his elbow. Michael followed the stream with his eyes while holding the wound with his free hand. He tilted his head to watch the drops fall from his elbow to the dirty floor below. Michael lifted his eyes, looked at the girl he was falling for, and actually fell for her.

His lips moved, and in a high pitch her said one word. "Ouch." The world started to dim around the edges as his eyes went from the wound to Caroline, and then back again. Michael tried to hold the wound closed with two of his dirty fingers. Particles of black soil mixed with the blood to run down his arm. He tried to smile to her, still making an attempt to show her that things were fine. The one thing in the world he never hoped would ever happen then happened. Michael's eyes slid shut, he gave a small moan, and he collapsed to the ground. Michael passed out from the sight of his own blood, leaving the girl he loved alone in the room. In his blacked out state he whispered her name, and smiled. Then, there was nothing.

{{I am SO sorry. I saw this happening and had to laugh. It just struck me as something that would happen to Michael, and would be just Caroline's luck!}}

[lexa]

{{Well, Caroline is very good when it comes to spells. I suppose she could be Michael's nurse for the time being}}

Caroline didn't really pay much attention to what he was doing until she heard something. Something that sounded painful, and by the look on Michael's face, she knew he'd hurt himself. And she couldn't help stare at his bloody arm and hand, and then he fell to the ground. She couldn't tell if he'd passed out from losing the blood or seeing the blood. Either way, it made her heart pound as if it was trying to break through her chest. Lucky for Michael she had a strong stomach, and just because the blood looked gross it wasn't enough to actually make her queasy.

She gasped slightly and swallowed hard as she watched the blood running down his arm. Come on! Think, you idiot, she told herself angrily. She could tell that it was deep, whatever it was that had cut him, and she knew that she must've learned some kind of healing spell in one of her classes. She just had to remember it. But she had a lot of photographic memories running around in her little head, and she was digging around for the right spell. And then, she remembered it!

She got down beside him. She hadn't even noticed he'd said her name, and he pulled out her wand from her sleeve. Chanting a few words and holding her wand just right, she watched the tip of her wand light up. She'd never actually witnessed the healing spell work on someone before, and it was enchanting to watch as it healed Michael, leaving his arm blood-free and seemingly untouched. But she was frozen in place, still holding her wand up, as she waited for him to regain consciousness.

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When life fades away does it feel like floating on a cloud? When the soft space between being awake and dreaming takes over reality, where do you go then? Was this dying? Was this the end of all things known? He strained but could hear nothing.

You are deaf silly!

He was deaf silly, no wonder he could not hear a thing. He was not meant to hear a thing. The truth was, Michael did not know if he had ever heard much of anything in his life. There were times when his sister's would yell and he could just point to his ears and smirk. They would just try to get louder, and louder, and he could hear them; but, Michael could also pretend not to hear them. It made him happy. Yet, that was all over now. Now that he was dead.

Funny though, he thought if he was dead then the floor would be fluffy, like clouds. Maybe there would be music, like harps, and wings. But, alas, he was on the cold floor. His eyes would not open. He also felt a dull ache in his arm, like a pressure that should not be there, but it was so far away. It was like the pain was at the other end of a long, dark tunnel. He did not feel like crawling through the dark to find the pain. What was the point? If you are dead, pain should not exist. Michael decided to ignore it.

He moved one lid, and gazed out at the bright room beyond his black vision. The lights pounded into him like sharp rays that made him flinch. This being dead shit was not all that much fun after all. He did not like it, and would remember to find someone to complain to once he could actually think to move. He sighed, and let the death air move into his lungs.

Lungs?

Hold on, dead people do not breathe. He had read once that vampires faked their breathing so that they could easier fit in with others. However, he was fairly sure that oxygen was moving into his nose and filling his lungs. It felt like breathing. But, honestly, how could he know. Being dead was such an odd thing to experience. He was not sure it was all it was cracked up to be. He was disappointed, and made the decision that he no longer wished to be dead. If this was how they treated you he was going to go through that dark tunnel and find his pain. Yes, this was his plan.

Michael moaned and opened his eyes. The room floated into view, and he squinted to see in front of him. There was a sharp ache in his arm, and he winced as he tried to move. With one eye opened he saw a vision of beauty, and was not sure where he was. Was this the death he was suppose to have? Was this some sort of angel ready to carry him... Damn! He figured it all out quickly. It was as simple as any thought he ever could have. Michael Goldstein was dreaming again!

Caroline Lockhart was there, of course. She was usually in his dreams. He never had many without her around somewhere. This was mainly due to the fact that he had fallen in love with her. She had no clue he even existed, which made him sad. Michael never held much nerve to actually try to talk to her, much less tell her how he felt. But, being in a dream was much different. Being in a dream Michael could have all the courage he ever needed. That was why it came as no surprise to him to feel himself move closer, and kiss the girl he loved. He pressed his lips against hers, moved the arm that was not injured around her neck, and pulled her closer to him. He moved his tongue across her lip, and sunk his fingers into her soft hair. His breathing all but stopped as he was wrapped into her scent, her kiss, the way she tasted, and his whole world paused with the motions of his lips.

Micheal moved back to look into her eyes. He could still taste her on his lips. His fingers moved to rub her neck through her hair. He was so happy for dreams. They made the world perfect. Michael mouthed three words, small and soundless, "I love you." It was true, he did. He smiled, and the winced. The dream was so realistic. He could still feel the pain in his arm. Michael did not think about it and looked back to Caroline. He wanted this moment to last forever.

It would still be several moments before he realized he was not asleep.

[lexa]

Caroline watched helplessly and begged that he be all right. There was no way she'd be able to live with herself if she'd been part of the reason the love of her life was dead. She'd already lost her mother, and feared about her father. There was no way that she could bear it if she lost anyone else, especially not Michael.

But wait! He was moving a little bit. His eyes were fluttering and he was breathing. That cut must've been a lot deeper than she'd thought, but it seemed that her healing spell had worked its magic and he appeared good as new, he just needed to awaken. She had to hear it from him himself that he was all right. But then he sat up and gave her a look. A look that she'd always wanted him to give her, but thought it was only possible in her daydreams.

But then, he kissed her. And pulled her closer to him. Surely he had no clue what he was doing, or why else would he do that? But there was no way Caroline was going to take this for granted it was probably the only time she'd ever kiss him. The shock of feeling his lips made her gasp, and she was sure she looked like an idiot. And she heard a clink, and knew that it was because as she gasped, she'd dropped her wand. But Michael probably didn't hear it.

Not that she'd ever admit it, but she'd never kissed anyone before, not really. And definitely not like this. His hands were holding her close to him, probably tangling up her hair, not that she even noticed at the moment. She couldn't help but pull herself even closer to him. She had no idea how long she'd waited to actually kiss someone she really cared about. And this was enchanting.

Once she was over she surprise of his seductive lips, she kissed back. She had no idea if she was a good kisser or not, she'd never kissed anyone enough to know. But she sure hoped with all her heart that she wouldn't disappoint him. Even though he'd almost died and probably thought he dead, she wasn't going to let this kiss go to waste.

And then, he pulled back away from her. Her heart still pounding in her chest, so loud and hard that she was certain that he must've felt it because they were so close. He mouthed "I love you" to her but she was still frozen in place. It wasn't until after it was over that she fully realized what had just happened. And once she did, she just stared at him in completely disbelief, and waited to see his reaction to what they'd just done.

Part of her wanted to take off running, but her legs felt like jelly and she'd never be able to stand up. Not for a few minutes, anyway. Another part of her wanted to curl up into a little invisible ball so Michael wouldn't be able to laugh at her for being a terrible kisser or walking away for kissing her for no reason. But the last part of her just wanted him to kiss her again and never stop, but that was too crazy to ask for, and she knew that this had only happened because he'd almost died. There was no other explanation for it. Unless he really did like her, but that wasn't possible... was it?

[msg]

Michael's eyes slid open and he tilted his head. There was a dull thud in his arm, and he knew immediately that he had hurt himself trying to look cool in front of her. He was never a "show-off" and figured his clumsy body had betrayed him somewhere along the line. This also meant that the kiss he had just shared with this beautiful girl was just as real as the pain in his arm. Michael looked at her, smiled, and remembered. Caroline had kissed back though, her lips were right in front of his, and her taste lingers strong on his mouth. His heart was racing twenty miles a minute, and he did not know if he was going to be able to catch up. His hands trembled, but he managed to reach out and take her hand. For the first time in his life he wished he could speak in a normal tone, yet at the same time he was glad he could not. He had never been so afraid of a girl in all his short life as he was with this one so close to him in this moment. Michael looked at her, and moved his fingers close to hers.

His fingers touched her hand, her wrist, her arm... then he moved and pinched himself so she could see. Michael then flicked his fingers to speak to her in what seemed their own private language. "I wanted to be positive I was awake, and not just dreaming of you again." He was so scared that she might not believe him. He was certain that she might laugh and think he was being stupid. He had fallen hard, not just after the cut and seeing his blood, but for Caroline. He was sure it was love, there could be no other cause for the way his body reacted when he was close to her. Michael was in love. He looked up from their hands to her eyes, and made one hand follow. He wanted to look into her eyes so she could see him and his words at the same time. It was important to make this connection. Michael was about to bare his soul to her, to let her know... to tell her the truth.

{{Can you work with this, or do you need me to go ahead with another paragraph? I am writing on the run, so to speak... Thanksgiving. Hope your trip went well. PM me if you have time.}}

[lexa]

Caroline had not idea what to say or what to do. She was breathing heavily still uncontrollably, and she still wasn't convinced that he couldn't feel her heartbeat. They were still so close, and he looked about as nervous as she was. But at least he was able to move. She as just frozen in place.

As his fingers moved up her arm, she shuddered slightly. She hoped he wouldn't laugh, but no one had ever touched her like that before, and especially not someone she actually liked. She'd never felt like this before, but she'd never been this close to Michael either. She had no idea why she was so attracted to him... he was almost deaf, and that was not something that most girls would call attractive. But she'd all ready fallen for him before she knew he could barely hear.

She swallowed hard as he motioned his hands. He dreamed of her? What? Was he serious? If he was, that was a relief, because she dreamed about him too. More than she wanted to admit. But if he dreamed of her too, than maybe the feeling was mutual... and maybe she had more of a chance with him than she thought. But she was still frozen in place, and now she was confused also. Did he actually... like her...? The way she loved him?

[msg]

His shaking hands moved out to touch her hand, fingers wrapped around her small wrist, and Michael lifted her hand to his lips. He kissed her fingers, one at a time. His eyes looked into hers, and his own hands trembled. If she pulled away his heart might shatter. He had told her things he had never dreamed of telling anyone. She was his heart, broken or not, and he wanted her to know this.

His lips touched the soft tips of each of her fingers. He closed three of them leaving her index finger pointing in his direction. Michael moved slightly, and lifted her pointing finger toward the window. His eyes moved in that direction to show her that she should look. He used her hand and pointed to the small heart he had traced, and the initials inside.

Michael then looked back to her, and used her finger to point at her own chest. He placed her finger over her own heart. Michael smiled. Caroline was one of the most intelligent people he had ever met in life, and he knew she would understand what he meant. If she put her mind to it, Michael thought she could solve any problem. This puzzle was not difficult. He loved her, and he wanted her to know this.