For The First Time
(Follow-up 1)

By Theresa Wymer

I wake up, and something's different. For a moment, I'm so fuzzyheaded I can't even remember what happened last night and why my body feels so warm. Then I smell a familiar scent and feel someone's arms wrapped around my body.

My god.

Unwilling to fully wake up and face reality, I order myself to open my eyes. I blink as a cloud of green fogs my vision. As I focus, I understand what I'm seeing.

Michiru. She's snuggled up against me, clinging to me like she's afraid I'll vanish in my sleep. So warm. I want to bury my face in her hair and hold her tightly back, but I'm afraid of waking her up.

I can't help it. I ever so lightly touch her hair, feeling her slow, relaxed breath against my skin, her heartbeat. Has she cradled me like this all night? Her arms must be ready to fall off; mine are pretty numb right now.

I wince as I figure out I also fell asleep in my bra. No wonder I feel so squeezed.

I just gently hold her and gaze at her, a goofy smile on my face. I can't believe she's here. I can't believe she said she loved me last night. And...*gulp*...another memory comes back and I remember I said I loved her, even before she told me. With words, that is. What have I gotten myself into? This is too big a step for me.

She moves in her sleep, and I know that I don't care. This is Michiru. She was willing to give me everything, and I'll give her everything in return that's in me. Unconsciously, I hug her tighter. She blinks. I've woken her up. I don't care.

She smiles at me as her eyes focus, and god, it's like the sun just came up all over again. I don't know how I got lucky enough to inspire this kind of look, but I'm just grateful to get it. We adjust our heads so our lips meet. This isn't--quite--our first kiss, but I can't remember another one so sweet. It keeps running through my mind, the wonder that she really loves me. And I love her more than I thought possible.

As we break away, it hits me. We found the damn Talismans! It hadn't had a chance to hit me before. We succeeded. And no one had to die. Least of all, and my arms tighten around her again, my Michiru.

I don't know when I've been so happy.