The Beginning

Old Scars

Speechless.

That's how Diana found herself when she finally got home. Thankfully she was living alone for the past week, so her current state would go unnoticed.

She couldn't believe how drawn she was to him, nor how easily he had teared down her defenses. She would be ashamed of herself for giving in so easily if she didn't know Michael well enough. It was obvious he hadn't really planned any of that, and she would've bet big money he was, at that very second, either beating himself up thinking he might have scared her away, or just as baffled at what he had done as she was.

Who would've thought. Sweet little Michael almost left her with a hickey.

Diana laughed by herself while she took her shoes off, wondering where and how had he learned that. She felt silly for thinking he would be so innocent at his age. But then again, he was still pretty innocent, and she had witnessed it that night. She felt terribly wicked for having pushed him a bit too far.

It had been so long since she had felt something like that. The thrilling excitement from something new and a little dangerous. It didn't help that he had turned into this seductive little punk who wouldn't just accept a no right away.

And it sure did not help that she was starting to give up trying to stop it.

. . .

"Michael, wake up! Do you know what time it is?"

Michael's eyes stung from barely having any sleep the past night. He couldn't, not when he felt a ball of fire inside his chest and closing his eyes only made it burn relentlessly hotter. Diana made him think of things we wasn't supposed to think now. Made him do things he wasn't supposed to. He wasn't married to her. At least not yet.

"Go away..." He put his head under the pillow.

LaToya opened the door wide and walked over to the side of the bed.

"Come on, I'm hungry and you know my pancakes suck!" She pulled the pillow up. "Get up!"

"My pancakes suck too." He grabbed the pillow back.

"At least you keep the shells off!" She pulled his arm. "Up, up ,up!"

Eventually, Michael gave up, and soon enough he was in the kitchen mixing pancake batter in a bowl.

For someone who was supposed to be pissed, Michael was awfully quiet, and now was the perfect time to clear things out. At least in his sister's head.

"Okay Michael, what's going on?" LaToya asked imperatively.

"I'm making your freaking pancakes!"

"You know what I mean." She rolled her eyes, walking around the balcony to face him. "You're weirder than usual."

Michael turned his back to her, avoiding the direct gaze.

"That's because you woke me up to cook for you on a Sunday morning." He murmured through his teeth, mixing the batter more vigorously.

LaToya walked over to him again with narrow eyes, both hands on her waist.

"Hm. Is it now?"