Title: First Impressions |
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Chapters 16-20 |
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Chapter 16 Sydney shifts in her seat and checks the time once again. They have begun their descent into Heathrow Airport, but they still have about twenty minutes until they land. Sydney is so nervous and excited that she has to close her eyes and calm herself down. She tries to focus on something besides the fact that she will be seeing Michael in a matter of minutes. “I can focus on my butt,” she grumbles, shifting once again. She almost regrets having flown directly from L.A., a break would have been nice. But she wanted to get to London as quickly as possible, and now that she’s so close she’s sure of her decision. Sydney can’t believe this is actually happening. Convincing her dad to let her come was surprisingly easy. Of course she bent the truth a little bit. Well, a lot. There are partial truths to what she told him, though. She told him that she would be traveling around England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland with Meredith, and Meredith told her parents that she would be traveling with Sydney. In truth, they are arriving and leaving on the same plane, and they will meet up once in awhile over the course of the summer, but the absolute truth is that Meredith is traveling with her boyfriend Stephen, and Sydney is staying with Michael. As much as Sydney hates lying, she doesn’t feel that her dad really deserves full disclosure from her. If he took a little more interest in her life, maybe she would respect him enough not to lie to him. She reaches into the pocket of her sweater and takes out Michael’s letter. She’s read it three times on the flight alone, and countless times before. She smiles as she reads the last couple of paragraphs over again. The day she received the letter was one of the best days of her life. She had been upset about Derek, but Michael’s letter made her quickly forget about him. She had cared about Derek, but her heart had always belonged to Michael. Sydney looks across the aisle where Meredith and Stephen are sitting. Meredith’s head is resting on Stephen’s shoulder, and he is reading a magazine. Sydney can’t believe that Meredith is actually sleeping when they’re this close to landing, but then she doesn’t have the same thing waiting for her when they do. The (current) love of Meredith’s life is sitting beside her, while Sydney’s is waiting at the airport. The thought makes her stomach do another flip. The plane finally touches down and Sydney feels like jumping up out of her seat. Taxiing is perhaps the hardest part of a flight, she thinks. You’ve just flown for however many hours, and then you have to drive around the airport for twenty minutes, like looking for a parking spot at the mall at Christmas. It’s frustrating, especially when you have someone like Michael waiting for you inside. When plane stops and the seatbelt sign flicks off, Sydney grabs her carry-on from under the seat in front of her and steps into the aisle. When Sydney makes it off the plane, she walks as fast as she possibly can, leaving Meredith and Stephen to find their own way. When she gets to Customs, she tries to hide her agitation, thinking that they might find her behavior suspicious and keep her even longer. She gets through Customs without a problem and goes to collect her backpack, but the luggage from her flight is not yet on the carousel when she gets there. Sydney thinks that this must be the longest process ever! Finally, Sydney approaches the area where friends and family are gathered to meet passengers. And as she does, the frenetic pace she’s been moving at since she landed quickly dies down. She’s suddenly incredibly nervous, and she needs to just slow down a little bit. As she walks through the doorway, she looks at the sea of faces, trying to pick out Michael’s. “Sydney!” Sydney turns quickly in the direction of the voice. It’s somewhere to her left, but she still doesn’t see him. “Syd!” There he is. He’s grinning at her, and she smiles back. He begins moving through the crowd, around the roped off area to where Sydney will exit. She moves there too, trying not to lose sight of him. Finally she comes to the opening, and he appears before her. Sydney feels overwhelmed with emotion, tears coming to her eyes. She stops walking, unable to close the gap between them. Michael sees her hesitation and takes the initiative, walking over and taking her in his arms. “Sydney,” he breathes into her hair. His arms are wrap around her waist and hers circle his neck. She is oblivious to everything around her, consumed by the feeling of being in Michael’s arms. Michael pulls back from her and rests his forehead on hers. “Hi,” he says. “Hi,” Sydney whispers, smiling through her tears. “I can’t believe you’re here,” Michael says, pulling his head away from hers and bringing his hands up to wipe away her tears. Sydney feels a tingly sensation run through her as his thumbs brush her cheeks. “Thanks for waiting for us, Syd,” a voice comments teasingly from behind her. Sydney turns around to face Meredith, and Michael loops his left arm around her waist. She’s grateful, she’s not ready to lose contact with him and apparently neither is he. “Michael, this is Meredith and Stephen, guys, Michael,” she says. Michael shakes their hands and the three of them engage in the small talk that accompanies first meetings. “We should probably get out of here,” Michael says, glancing around at the crowd. “Are you two staying at my place tonight, then?” “No, we’re going to stay at a youth hostel in London instead. Thanks anyway,” Stephen says. “No problem,” Michael tells him, but Sydney thinks he looks kind of relieved. Sydney is glad she talked Meredith into letting her and Michael have a little privacy on their first day together. They say their goodbyes, promising to catch up in a few days, and Meredith and Stephen embark in the direction of the tube, while Michael leads Sydney in the direction of the parking garage. Sydney laughs when they reach his car. “You drive a Mini?” she asks with a smirk. “I like it!” Michael says, grinning and opening the trunk. “Me too,” Sydney says, smiling genuinely at him. Michael hoists her backpack and her carry-on into the trunk, and then goes around to open Sydney’s door. She gets into the tiny car and reaches over and pulls up the lock on Michael’s door. “Thanks,” he says, getting in. They start to drive and for two people who have had enough to say to each other that they wrote letters at least once a month, they are surprisingly quiet. Sydney blames her share of the silence on nerves, and glancing over at Michael, suspects that he feels the same way. “How was your flight?” Michael asks after some time. “Good,” Sydney laughs, having already answered that question in the lift on the way to the car. “Sorry, I already asked you that, didn’t I?” “Yeah, but that’s okay.” Sydney feels odd sitting on the left side of the car and not driving, not to mention being on the left hand side of the road. “How long did it take you to get used to driving on the other side of the road?” “Not long,” Michael says, “but I almost got in an accident the first time I drove. The roundabouts are a little confusing at first, but really it’s a much better system. Makes the traffic flow better.” “Hmm,” Sydney says. It’s weird that they haven’t seen each other in four years, they finally admitted their feelings for each other, and they’re talking about traffic. Sydney laughs. “What?” Michael asks, looking sideways at her. “Nothing. I was just thinking that we’re acting like acquaintances. Not…” she stops, not knowing how to categorize their relationship. “What are we, Michael?” They are stopped at a traffic light, so Michael takes his hand off the gearshift and cups Sydney’s cheek. “We’re whatever you’re ready for us to be.” Sydney smiles. The light changes and Michael’s hand returns to the gearshift. “Well, this is Slough,” Michael says disparagingly. “It’s kind of crap, but it’s home. There’s the arena on the right.” They make a right hand turn shortly after the arena and drive down a little street. All the houses and buildings are squished close together, and they look like they’re elbowing each other for territory. Michael turns into a driveway on the right. They drive through a tunnel and into a little parking lot at the back of the building. They get out and Michael opens the trunk, grabbing Sydney’s things. He slings the backpack over one shoulder and she takes the carry-on from him. “What do you have in this thing?” Michael asks. “It’s heavy as Hell.” “Hey, I’ve packed for a couple of months! It would have been better if I could have used a couple of suitcases, but that would have tipped my dad off to the fact that I’m going to be stationary.” Michael leads Sydney into the building. They go up a flight of stairs and stop at the door directly at the top. Michael opens it and waves Sydney in first. Sydney looks around the flat. It’s not very big, but this is England after all. There is a small cream coloured sofa against one wall. In the opposite corner sits a television, and a computer takes up another corner. “It’s small, I know. I thought about moving, but I don’t know how long I’m going to be here, so I don’t know if it’s worth it. I didn’t see the place before I came over, the Jets organization found it for me. It’s all right. It’s furnished, so I didn’t have to worry about that.” Sydney begins to move toward the window to see what Michael’s view is like when he grabs her hand and pulls her back to him. “Syd,” he breathes, taking her face in his hands. Sydney closes her eyes as their lips meet. She puts her arms around his neck as his drop down to her waist. Sydney is the one to deepen the kiss, her tongue seeking entrance to his mouth. Michael groans in response and pulls her tighter to him. He turns her around so that her back is against the door and he leans into her. Sydney encourages him by threading her fingers through his hair. Their first kiss was wonderful but brief, and ended in anguish. The second, chaste and out of friendship. This kiss is unlike either of those. This kiss feels right. This kiss is passionate and hungry. This kiss is shared by two people who can’t get enough of the other, neither letting go, neither wanting to. This kiss was worth the wait. Chapter 17 “Who’s that?” Sydney asks, pointing to the woman on the television screen. “That’s Pat. She’s married to Frank,” Michael explains. They’re cuddling on the sofa while watching EastEnders. Michael is explaining the intricate web of characters on the popular British soap. Sydney can’t believe that he’s so into it, but he insists that it’s incredibly addictive and that she’ll be hooked by the time she leaves. She doubts it, but she’ll give it a chance. Pat is screaming at some other lady, and Sydney starts to phase out. It’s been a long day… long two days… and so much has happened. The kiss. Calling it a kiss is actually misleading, since it evolved to a make-out session. They moved from the door to the sofa, from sitting to lying down. Michael’s shirt was even undone at one point, but they stopped and both agreed that things were moving a little too fast. The atmosphere was a little uncomfortable after that, and Sydney wished she could say something to make things less uneasy. Michael seemed to be wishing the same thing, and every time Sydney looked over at him he would give her an awkward little smile. Finally she got a fit of the nervous giggles and Michael joined in with her laughter, which broke the ice. “I’m telling you, Melrose Place has nothing on this show!” Michael says, squeezing Sydney’s shoulder. “Well, the actors aren’t as good looking, but still.” Sydney smiles, but it transforms into a yawn. “You must be tired after your flight and with the time difference. You’ve gotta be completely turned around,” Michael says. “What time is it in L.A.?” she asks. “12:30 in the afternoon,” he tells her. “Wow, I shouldn’t be this tired then. But I didn’t sleep much on the plane.” “Do you want to go to bed?” “Where?” Sydney asks, finally able to get the answer to the question she’s been asking herself since she arrived. “In my room. I’ll sleep here on the sofa.” “Michael,” she says, shaking her head, “you can’t sleep on this thing, it’s tiny. It’s not even a sofa really, it’s a loveseat. You would be too cramped.” “Well, I’m not going to make you sleep out here,” he says. “you’ve got long legs too.” “I think that we’re both mature enough to share a bed,” Sydney says a little shyly. “Syd, I just don’t want to make you uncomfortable or make you feel pressured in any way.” “I know, and I don’t feel pressured. We’re just going to sleep,” she says, getting up off the couch and going into Michael’s room. He made space in his chest of drawers for her clothes, and she takes out a pair of pajamas. She also grabs her overnight bag and heads toward the bathroom. Passing Michael on the sofa, she slyly adds “For tonight, anyway.” She closes the bathroom door as she hears Michael groan, and what she can only assume is the sound of his head hitting the back of the sofa. Sydney performs her nightly bathroom ritual, and as she looks in the mirror, she can’t help but smile. Everything is perfect. She’s in England with Michael. “With Michael!” she whispers to her reflection. She was serious when she insinuated that there may be more happening in his bed than sleep in nights to come. Michael is the one. He’s the one she wants to share her first time with. She considered sleeping with Derek, but it never felt right. She wasn’t ready, and she didn’t feel that it would be special with him. Of course there was another reason. Now she can finally admit that she was secretly holding out for Michael, hoping that someday they could be together. That day has come, and she knows that when it’s time, it’ll be really special. Tonight isn’t the right time, but soon. Sydney opens the bathroom door and finds Michael in the kitchen. He’s changed into a pair of navy plaid pajama bottoms and a grey t-shirt, and she laughs because they sort of match. She’s wearing red plaid pajama bottoms and a grey tank top. He’s turned away from her, cleaning up their dinner dishes, and she leans against the doorframe admiring the view. “You hungry?” he asks, turning around. She shakes her head and smiles at the look on his face. Apparently he likes the way she looks in her tank top. She’s glad she didn’t wear a t-shirt. “Okay, well you go ahead to bed. I’m just going to finish up in here,” he says after clearing his throat. Sydney goes to Michael’s room and digs her book out of her carry-on. She climbs into his bed and settles in. It’s very comfortable, the sheets very soft and the pillow spongy. She opens her book and starts reading, getting quickly engrossed in the story. “What are you reading?” Michael asks as he walks in the room. “The Mists of Avalon,” she says, showing him the cover. “Any good?” “Very good. I’m at a particularly juicy part. A threesome!” she says with a blush. Even at eighteen she hasn’t stopped blushing occasionally. “A threesome, really? I thought that book was about Camelot.” “It is.” “Oh,” he says, his eyebrows raised. He crawls into bed and props himself up on one elbow to look at her. “Do you want to turn out the lights?” she asks. “It doesn’t matter, whatever you want. It’s still pretty early for me, so it’s up to you.” “You don’t have to come to bed just because I have,” she tells him, feeling bad that she’s dictating his schedule. “It’s okay,” he says, shaking his head. “I want to be with you.” She smiles and leans over to kiss him. She drops her book and moves closer to him. “Sleep. You need to sleep,” Michael says, breaking the kiss. As if to prove his point, Sydney yawns and they both laugh. Michael turns off the lamp beside the bed and snuggles up to Sydney. They fit together perfectly, his knees tucked behind hers, his arm around her waist and his hand resting on her stomach. “Good night, Sweet Sydney,” Michael whispers into her hair. “Good night,” she says sleepily. It doesn’t take her long to fall asleep, worn out from her travels. ~~ Sydney wakes up slowly, and smiles when she realizes that Michael is still curled up behind her. She looks around the room, realizing that it’s still dark. “You’re awake,” Michael whispers from behind her. “What time is it?” “Midnight.” “Why are you still awake?” she asks, turning to face him. He keeps his arm around her and she returns the favour. “I don’t know,” he shrugs. “I was watching you sleep.” She smiles and snuggles in closer to him. “Syd, I have to tell you something.” She moves her head back to look in his eyes, waiting for him to continue. “Do you remember when we first met, and I lost my watch at the track? You found it and gave it back to me.” Sydney nods. “Well, I never did get it fixed. Something kept nagging at me. The watch belonged to my father. It used to keep perfect time, and when he gave it me, he said, “You could set your heart by this watch.” I’ve thought about it a lot since you returned it to me. Do you know when the watch stopped? It stopped the day before, right around the first time we met.” “What do you think that means?” Sydney asks, hoping she’s not reading too much into what he’s saying. “I know what it means, Syd. It means you’re the one,” he says, brushing her hair back from her face. “It means I’m in love with you.” Chapter 18 The little car hugs the corners of the winding road. Sydney is looking at a road atlas, trying to see how much longer it will be until they arrive at their destination. “I can’t believe you haven’t been out here yet,” Sydney marvels. “I know,” Michael agrees. “It’s just not something I’ve gotten around to yet, but I promised my Aunt Trish that I’d see it, so I knew I’d eventually come. Now I get to see it with you.” Michael chuckles. “What’s so funny?” “Oh, just Aunt Trish, she’s kind of crazy. She’s into all this stuff; stone circles, crop circles, anything New Age. She calls herself a Neo-Pagan and she worships the Goddess.” “I think that’s kind of cool,” Sydney tells him. “Yeah, I do too, actually. I call her crazy with all fondness,” he says with a grin. “Where does she live?” asks Sydney. “San Francisco.” “Ah, of course. I should have known.” Sydney goes back to studying her map. It’s no use. She has no idea where they are, so there’s no way of knowing how much farther they have to go. She continues staring at the map, but her mind has wandered elsewhere. It’s been almost a week since she first arrived in England, and things have been going wonderfully. She and Michael have been to London, Oxford, and Brighton. He’s been teasing her that they are going to exhaust their touring options before the week is out, but there are so many places that Sydney wants to see this summer. She could visit London another ten times and not see everything she wishes to. She still hasn’t made love with Michael. They have come close a couple of times, exploring each other's bodies in detail, but always pulling back before it gets to that point. She doesn’t know if Michael is holding himself back to make sure she’s ready, or if he doesn’t feel it’s the right time yet. She’s sure he wants to be with her. She may be inexperienced, but she can recognize lust when she sees it. “Syd,” Michael says. Sydney looks up and sees it. It’s odd how they just came around a corner, and there it is, standing in a normal farmer’s field. Stonehenge. “Wow,” Sydney breathes. “Yeah.” They turn into the marked road and Michael parks the car. There are lots of people, even though it’s drizzling a little. Sydney pulls the hood up on her rain slicker. They walk to the gate and pay their fee, and go to pick up headphones. Sydney spots the last pair with the Union Jack on them, meaning she’ll get the audio tour in English. Michael just shrugs and picks up a pair with the French flag. They walk up the path, and Stonehenge appears before them. Sydney is awed by the sheer size of the monument, but as she gets closer, she realizes there’s something else too. She wonders if she’s as crazy as Michael’s Aunt Trish, but she feels some sort of energy here. The other people walking on the path surrounding the stones must feel something too, because even the people who were loud in the parking lot have fallen into a hushed reverence. Sydney pulls the headphones from her ears. The audio tour is interesting, but she can read the facts about Stonehenge anytime. She’s here now and she wants to experience it. She looks over and realized that Michael has done the same thing. Wordlessly, she takes his hand and squeezes it. They follow the circular path, stopping every once in a while to admire a specific view. Sydney wishes she could have seen it when it was in its full glory, all the stones standing and mounted in place. She and Michael stop, opposite the point they started from. She looks at him and he brings his hand up to cup her face. “I’m so glad I’m here with you,” he whispers, taking her into his arms. “Me too,” she whispers back. The rain is falling on her face as she looks up at him, but she doesn’t care. “I love you, Michael.” “I love you too, Syd,” he says before brushing her lips with his. Sydney tightens her grip around Michael’s neck, and he deepens the kiss. There are a few people nearby, but Sydney and Michael are oblivious to them. They break apart and Sydney lays her head against Michael’s chest. When they start walking again, Michael puts his arm around Sydney’s shoulder and she hugs him around the waist, both needing maximum contact. Sydney has never felt closer to Michael, and he seems to be feeling the same way. He’s looking at her with the same reverence that others are looking at Stonehenge with, and she bites her lip to keep her emotions in check. They make their way back to the starting point, and Michael asks Sydney if she wants to stay longer. She shakes her head and they walk back to the entrance. They stop and poke around the gift shop for a few minutes. Sydney picks up a miniature replica of Stonehenge for her dad, even though she knows he won’t appreciate the gesture. Back on the road, they are still quiet. It’s as if the atmosphere of Stonehenge has come away with them. Their hands are entwined and resting on Sydney’s leg, Michael only moving his when he needs to shift gears. “That was amazing,” Michael says finally, breaking the silence. “I know. I think maybe your Aunt Trish is on to something,” Sydney says with a grin. Michael smiles back at her and lifts their hands to place a kiss on the back of hers. “You’re amazing, too,” he says, looking at her. The shy girl within Sydney wants to break his gaze, but she doesn’t. She looks him right in the eye until he has to look back at the road. They remain in relative silence the rest of the way back to Slough, but the silence is a comfortable one. They are both deep in thought, and Sydney wonders what is running through Michael’s mind. Sydney’s thoughts have traveled ahead to what’s going to happen later at Michael’s flat. The thought of Michael’s hands and lips on her brings a flush to her face. She looks sideways at him, admiring his features. His nose is his defining feature when looking at his profile, and the aristocratic look of it speaks of his French heritage. She loves the dent in his chin, but she can’t see that while he’s facing forward. But his eyes are his best feature by far. When he looks at her, really looks at her, she is overwhelmed by the intensity of his feelings for her. Sydney wants to make love with Michael tonight. She knows it’s right, she can feel it deep within herself. She’s nervous, but not about her decision. Her nervousness stems from the thought of the act itself, but she trusts Michael and she knows that he will be gentle and patient. What’s more worrisome is that Michael won’t feel that it’s the right time, and Sydney will offer herself to him, only to be rejected. “Michael,” she says, trying to keep the nervousness out of her voice. “Yes?” he asks, looking at her. “I want you to make love to me tonight.” Chapter 19 “What?” Michael asks incredulously, looking at her. “Michael, the road!” Sydney warns as the car veers right, crossing the center line. Michael focuses back on the road but glances over at Sydney. “I said that I want you to make love to me tonight,” Sydney says quietly, looking down at her lap. Her cheeks are burning and she’s wondering how she can possibly get out of this. Why did she say anything? What must he be thinking? “That’s what I thought you said,” Michael replies. Sydney sheepishly looks up at him, but he certainly doesn’t look upset. In fact, he’s grinning at her. “You just caught me off guard.” “Sorry,” she says, smiling. “Syd,” Michael says, suddenly serious, “can we talk about this more when we get home?” Sydney silently nods. She feels very confused. First he was shocked, then he seemed happy, and now he’s serious. She’s unsure of how he’s feeling, but she doesn’t want to ask him because he obviously wants to wait until they get home. She squirms in her seat, wishing again that she hadn’t said anything. The rest of the trip passes in silence, and when they finally park behind Michael’s building, Sydney feels like she’s screwed everything up. She was too forward, she should have just let him make the first move. She feels like banging her head against a wall. Michael takes her hand as they climb the stairs and enter his flat. They take their wet jackets and shoes off and sit on the sofa. Sydney waits with an odd mixture of anticipation and trepidation. “Sydney,” Michael starts. She thinks it’s a bad sign that he’s using the long form of her name. He picks her hand up from her lap and caresses the back with his thumb. “I want to be with you more than anything.” “But you just don’t want to be with me,” she states sadly. “What?! Of course I do! You thought I didn’t?” he asks. “Well, when you said you wanted to talk about it…” “Oh God Syd, I’m sorry. Please don’t doubt that. God, any man would be crazy not to want to make love to you.” “Then what did you want to talk about?” she asks, pleased by what he said. “It’s just that your first time is a big deal. And not only that, but our first time together is a big deal. I want to make sure that you’re ready, I don’t want you to feel like we have to rush this, because we don’t. We have all the time in the world.” “You’re so wonderful, Michael,” Sydney says, touched by his words. Thinking of Derek, she remarks “I don’t think there are a lot of guys like you. None that I’ve ever met, anyway.” “Well, I don’t know,” he says shaking his head, “Remember that I had already finished my teen years when I met you. I don’t know how patient I was back then. Not that I was ever like Derek. I’d still like to kick his ass.” Sydney just smiles and shakes her head. There’s no comparing Michael to Derek. She thinks of all the times she had to fend Derek off. Every time they were alone, every time they would kiss, his hands would roam. He was constantly trying to shove his hands down the back of her pants, so she took to wearing really tight jeans when she knew they would be alone together. Thinking back, she guesses that actually added to the problem. But he just wouldn’t give up. If he hadn’t been so pushy, she might have even considered sleeping with him. No, probably not. It took Michael’s admission that he had feelings for her to admit that she’d been saving herself for him. She’s glad she did. There’s no one like Michael, and there’s no one else she would rather share this with. “Anyway Syd, we can wait,” he says, bringing her back to the present. His hand reaches up to touch her neck, his thumb brushing her cheek. She reaches up and stills it. “I don’t want to,” she says seriously. “Wait, I mean. I’m ready if you are. Are you ready?” She sees something flicker in his eye, something he’s been holding back in himself. “I’m ready.” They lean toward each other and kiss, softly first, but growing in intensity and need. She opens her mouth to invite his tongue inside, and they move closer together on the sofa. Soon their hands are everywhere on each others’ bodies, each wanting to touch the other as much as possible. Michael begins to undo Sydney’s shirt, but she pulls back a little. “Can… can we do this a little slower?” she asks, trying to catch her breath. “Of course, I’m so sorry. Here,” he says, standing and holding his hand out for her to take. She puts her hand in his and lets him pull her up and lead her to the bedroom. Their lovemaking is sweet and slow and sensuous. Michael is very patient and tender, guiding Sydney through the painful parts as well as the pleasurable ones. When they are finished, he curls up behind her in a spooning position. “Are you okay?” he asks, stroking her arm. “Um hmm,” she says to the affirmative, turning her head to kiss him. “I’m perfect.” “Yes, you are,” Michael agrees. “That’s not what I meant,” she says, playfully swatting his arm. She turns around to face him and kisses him. “I love you, Michael,” she says when they part. “I love you too. More than I’ve ever loved anyone.” “Michael,” she says, drawing a pattern on his chest, “what are we going to do when the summer is over?” “I don’t know,” he says seriously. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring you down. I shouldn’t have brought this up now.” “No, it’s okay. I’ve been thinking about it too. I was thinking that I could go home to L.A. for Christmas, and maybe you could come back over during your reading week. You could tell your dad you met a friend over here and you want to visit her.” “That sounds good,” Sydney says, smiling, “but I’m still going to really miss you.” “I’ll miss you too. But we’re really good at writing letters.” Sydney smiles and snuggles in close to his neck. She feels very tired and starts to doze off, trying not to worry about the end of the summer. It’s a long way off and they’ll be able to spend a lot of time together before then. Right now she’s laying in Michael’s arms, knowing that he loves her and that she loves him, and nothing is better than that. Chapter 20 Sydney looks over the menu and decides on a burger. She tells Michael and he goes up to the bar to order. She looks around the pub appreciatively. At first she was wary of going to a pub to eat, but she quickly learned that a pub here and a pub back home were completely different. She and Michael come here often, and she enjoys it. She enjoys almost everything about England, especially the fact that she’s been living with Michael Vaughn for six months. As the end of summer neared, Sydney just couldn’t face the thought of returning to L.A. without him. She called her dad and told him she wanted to defer UCLA for a year and travel around Europe. He wasn’t very happy, but he didn’t stop her. She was ready for more of a fight, but that would mean that he would have to focus more than five minutes of his attention on her, and why should he start now? Christmas is almost here and Sydney is excited to spend it with Michael. She hasn’t been truly excited for Christmas since her mom died, and this year she’s going all out. She and Michael got a real tree and decorated it, with Christmas carols playing on the stereo. Afterwards they turned off all the lights and cuddled on the sofa, admiring the lights on the tree. Sydney could honestly say it was one of the most serene moments of her life. Hockey season is in full swing and Sydney loves watching Michael play. She also loves hanging out with his hockey buddies - they’re hilarious. Unfortunately, not many of them have girlfriends. Most of them preferring to play the field, especially the Canadian guys, being away from home and all. Two of his teammates, Gary and Scott, are meeting them here today for lunch. Michael comes back with their drinks, a Guinness for him and a Shandy for her. She was skeptical the first time he brought her the concoction of part beer, part Sprite-like soda the Brits call lemonade, but it’s actually really good. “Scott!” Michael calls out when he sees his friend looking for them. He waves and Scott starts walking over. “Hey Mikey, hey Syd! How’s it goin’ eh?” Scott says, sitting down. “Not bad, eh,” Michael says, poking fun at Scott’s Canadian vernacular. “Mike, how many times do I have to tell you,” Scott says, “you can’t just stick an ‘eh’ in anywhere, it has a purpose!” “Yeah, okay,” Michael says, shaking his head. Sydney just smiles, thinking of her Canadian cousins. “Where’s Gaz?” Michael asks, calling Gary by his nickname. “He’s coming. He was on the phone, so I left him.” Scott and Gary share a flat. Gary goes up to the bar to get a beer and Sydney smiles at Michael. She gets such a kick out of Scott. “You’re quiet today,” Michael comments. “Really? I’m just thinking,” she tells him. “What about?” “Just about how much I love our life here. I almost don’t want to go back next year.” “Syd,” Michael says seriously, “you have to go back. Taking one year off is one thing, but I won’t let you completely blow off school just to be with me. Hell, I don’t even know how much longer I’m going to be here.” “Michael, don’t worry, I said almost. I’m going to school next year.” She leans back in her chair and takes a sip of her Shandy. “I just can’t imagine being separated from you.” “I know. But who knows what’s going to happen.” “What do you mean?” Sydney asks, concerned. She knows that Michael loves her, but every once in awhile she gets a little insecure. “I mean that I could be back in L.A. by then too,” he explains. “I thought maybe you meant you’d break up with me by then,” she says, trying to make light of her comment by smiling. “Of course not, Syd,” he says, reaching across the table and taking her hand. “I can’t believe you still worry about that.” “I don’t really,” she says truthfully, “but a part of me will always be the shy young girl you first met, and that part of me will always think of you as the unattainable crush.” Michael nods in understanding. “You two are awfully serious,” Scott says sitting down at the table. “What’s up?” “Nothing,” Syd says, smiling. “So tell me about this Fiona chick you picked up last night,” referring to the girl she saw him with before she and Michael left the pub last night. Scott tells them the story of the mighty Fiona, and Sydney is laughing so hard she’s crying by the time Gary comes in. He was with Scott at the time, so he breaks in every once in awhile to add details, which just makes the story funnier. The two could be a comedy duo. Sydney never laughs as hard as she does when they’re around. She leans back in her chair and thinks once again that she loves her life here. ~~ “Michael!” Sydney says in mock annoyance. They’re watching a movie on T.V. and Michael has leaned over and started kissing her neck. “Watch the movie!” She playfully pushes him away. “But this spot…” kiss “right here…” kiss “on your neck…” kiss “is so much…” kiss “more interesting…” kiss “than Monty…” kiss “Python.” Sydney grins and wonders why she’s even bothering to pretend she doesn’t love what Michael’s doing. She grabs the remote and turns off the T.V., but Michael reaches over and turns it back on. “No, you’re right,” he says, sitting up, “we should watch the movie.” He’s trying to be serious, but a smile is tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Oh no you don’t,” Sydney says, grabbing the remote back from him and turning the T.V. off again. She climbs onto his lap and says “Don’t start something you can’t finish.” “I’ll finish it,” Michael says, unbuttoning her pajama top. There’s a knock at the door and Michael leans his head against her collarbone and sighs. “Are you expecting anyone?” Sydney asks, standing up and buttoning her top back up. “No,” Michael says, getting up and going to the door. When Sydney is buttoned and presentable, he opens the door. “Can I help you?” Sydney can’t see who’s on the other side, but her heart
stops when she hears his voice.
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