"Maria." Was all he would say as he looked down at her, wondering why she would be chasing him, what she wanted.

"Michael." She replied, gasping for breath. He noted dispassionately that she was still dressed in her green uniform from working at the Crashdown Café. The cotton was stuck to her skin in places, the wet fabric clinging to her body like a second skin.

"What?" He asked without preamble, wondering why she was chasing him through the rain. Maria looked up at him, annoyance creeping into her expression.

"I need to talk to you." She snapped, brushing back a lock of hair from her face.

"About?" Michael held up his hands and lifted his eyebrows, a clear sign that he didn't have any idea what the girl could want to talk to him about.

"About what happened. At the Crashdown. You know, when Max and Liz were out doing-what ever it was they were doing at the reservation." Maria told him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"What happened?" He asked, his expression still screaming that he had no clue what she meant. But on the inside, he was reeling, wondering, no, knowing, that that…kiss…was what she wanted to talk to him about. "You know what happened Michael, you started it." Maria was immediately on the defensive, not liking the way this conversation was already heading.

"Started what? The only thing that HAPPENED was that we waited for Max and Liz, and I had to listen to you complain for hours. I kissed you to shut you up and calm you down, and that was it." Michael prayed she hadn't heard the way he tripped over the word kissed, or the sudden heat that was in his cheeks.

Evidently, she hadn't. "That was it. You kissed me to shut me up. You---you…brain-sucking alien!" Maria fumed, more hurt then she wanted to admit by his callous brush off that kiss. A kiss she had replayed over and over in her mind, remembering every detail, the way his smooth skin felt against hers, the way... Maria cut her thoughts off there, not allowing her---attraction---to this…guy…get in the way of her rationality. Such as it was.

"Don't say things like that in public!" Michael hissed, grabbing her arm gently. "What if some one heard you!?"

"Let go of me Michael!" She warned, trying to twist her arm out of his grip. He held on for a second more, their eyes locking. He has the most incredible eyes, Maria thought to herself, feeling a strange warmth spread through her. "Let go of me." This command held less force then the last one, as Maria fought with her rolling emotions, trying to keep herself under control.

Michael released her finally, but his fingers stayed a bit to long on the perfect skin of her arm. The sensations tingled up his arm, and he swallowed hard, yanking his fingers from like he'd been burned.

"Happy?" As always, he tried to cover uncertainty with bravo, putting up a fake face to hid his pain from the world.

"Not really. You’re still around." Maria spat, trying to drudge up some anger, but there seemed to be none to be found. Even her irritation had been swept away by one look into the soulful eyes.

"You cut me to the quick." He snapped back, but his voice lacked venom as well.

"I'd like to." She growled, her face twisting into a grimace.

Michael took a step closer to her, leaning forward so that they were eye to eye. "I'd like to see you try." She wanted to hit him. Hard. Right there in the jaw, knock him down and jump on top of him and…kiss him until the sun fell from the sky and the night burned into day.

"Don't tempt me." She forced the words out through tight lips and clenched teeth as she struggled against herself.

"But I like to tempt you." His voice was a whisper against her cheek, and Maria had to fight to control herself.

"Like you could." She breathed back, looking him dead in the eye. Michael fought to keep himself from drowning in those flashing eyes. To distract himself, he darted his gaze lower until he locked onto her mouth.

He wondered if those lips were as sweet and spicy as they had been the last time he kissed her. Suddenly, all other thoughts fled from his mind, and he caught her chin, tilting her head up. She made a startled sound that he stopped with his mouth, clamping his own lips to hers.

Maria melted against him after nothing more then a second of hesitation. She shut her eyes, and leaned into the kiss, letting it take her away into a world where there WAS nothing, just her and him and the sweet kiss that they were sharing.

The rain continued to pound down around them, falling in puddles near their feet. A bolt of lightening flashed and a clap of thunder boomed overhead, but they didn't hear it. If anything, they pulled together more, kissed deeper, soaking themselves to the skin.

Finally, they had to stop to breathe. Maria looked up at him with half-lidded eyes, a half smile turning up her lips. Michael returned the expression, leaning his forehead against hers yet again.

"I still don't like you." Maria murmured, her eyes telling a different story.

"I don't like you either." Michael told her, his eyes gentle and soft and almost---loving?

"Good."

"Good."

"I gotta get back to work." Maria told him after a long second of silence.

"Yeah." Michael replied, nodding. Maria hesitated, not pulling away from him. "You should go."

"Yeah." She nodded her head, finally stepping away from him. Swallowing, she turned to go, absently pushing a lock of wet hair back from her face. She took a step, and then felt Michael's warm presence beside her. Looking up, she lifted an eyebrow.

"I told Max and Isabel that I would meet them at the Crashdown." Michael informed her, perfectly smooth. Maria lifted an eyebrow, then rolled her eyes. She shook her head and began to walk back to the café. He matched her, stride for stride, his hands buried deep in his pockets.

Half way there, however, he slipped his hand out of his jeans, and took Maria's hand, squeezing softly. Maria looked up at him in surprise, but smiled.