"Ummm... I didn't kiss her?" Michael's face crinkled and he wrung his hands as Isabel stood over him shaking her head in disbelief. He wasn't really lying to her, which he could never do, it was obvious in his tone. Besides, she knew. She could tell everything about him in one look.

"Ugh!" She spun around on the heel of her boot and made for the door. The soles of her platforms clomping loudly on the tile covered floor of Roswell High School. She gritted her teeth and let out an angry breath as she made her way outside.

"Is?" Michael couldn't stand for her to be angry with him, even though it seemed that he was perpetually the object of her ire. Hardly a moment went by where she wasn't rolling her eyes at something he said, or pretty much calling him a moron. She hated that he acted without putting the same amount of thought that she did into everything. Still, he knew that somewhere in that icy heart of hers, there was a very soft spot for him. He could see it in tiny glimpses when it mattered most.

She turned back to him as she reached the door and he met her eyes.

"What, Michael?" Her tone was impatient, but her voice cracked just slightly. Betraying her.

"Nevermind..." He said, looking towards the floor and feeling berated. As usual. He watched her reach for the door handle and pull it to her tensely, only looking back for a split second before the door closed behind her with a bang.

* * * * *

Isabel sat on the side of the desert road quietly watching the sky, as she'd been doing for the past few hours. The sun had set in a pink and purple haze and the world around her had darkened slowly through twilight. Now, the harvest moon hung glazed orange over her head and she stared at it, as if it could reveal all the answers she tried her hardest to make it seem like she knew. It was difficult being the one who looked like she had it all sussed out, especially when she really felt as if she had no freakin' clue half the time. But, she made it look good. And looking good was half the battle.

But this kissing Maria thing, damnit! Now what? Michael wasn't supposed to start falling for twitty, human girls. He was supposed to... well, he was supposed to stay with her forever. They were supposed to protect each other from the rest of the world and stand together. All three of them. Now Max was over involved with that Liz, and Michael could jump on the bandwagon too. And where would she be left? Out on another meaningless date with some eye candy boy with a decent wardrobe and a good average. Isabel was annoyed and as much as she hated to admit it, she was hurt.

She slid down off the hood of the Jeep and waved her hand over the back of her white clamdiggers, the desert dust erasing from them with its passage. Getting behind the wheel, she sped off towards home, the dark wind ripping through her hair.

* * * * *

Michael crouched against the door frame in front of the Evans' house, waiting for Isabel's return. She really should have beat him there, hours had passed since she stormed out from school to get away from him. He'd looked around town, passing by the Crashdown and seeing Max and Liz, and Maria... They'd played a bit of tonsil hockey in the walk-in and when she had to get back to work, he'd taken his leave. He could get into this having a girlfriend thing, even if it was Maria DeLuca. It was nice having someone who seemed to actually want him around and was excited by his presence, for a change.

Then he'd gone walking and magnetically wound up here, waiting for Isabel to tell him all the many reasons she was pissed at him this time. Maybe he should have just gone home, or hung out at the Crashdown like he'd said he would, but he felt like he needed to clear things up with isabel, for whatever it was worth. He still didn't even know what there was to clear up, but he felt like he owed her something by way of explanation.

The Jeep rounded the corner and he stood, his hands dug deep into his pockets. Isabel pulled into the driveway sharply and he approached the car hesitantly. She looked surprised to see him. As if he'd really be anywhere else.

"Michael... what are you doing here?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know." His hand went absently to his hair and he pushed his fingers through, scratching at the back of his neck. "Where've you been?"

Isabel walked past him and into the house, ignoring his question. She wouldn't let him see what she was really feeling, she didn't think that she could let him look into her eyes yet.

"Mom?"

Mrs. Evans came into the living room smiling. "Isabel, you're home early. No date tonight?" She noticed Michael standing quietly behind her daughter. Close to the corner, still by the door. "Oh! hello, Michael." She moved to kiss her daughter on the cheek and looked around her. "Where's your brother, honey?"

"He's at the Crashdown with our friend Liz, Mom. Michael and I are going to watch a video in my room." She tipped her head towards the bedroom, indicating him to follow her. She still hadn't looked at him, and it made him nervous. He'd never really seen her act this way towards him, and it couldn't go unnoticed.

"Well all right, darling. Michael? Are you hungry? Would you like anything?" She looked at him lovingly, a sweet smile spreading across her lips.

"No thank you, Mrs. Evans. I'm fine," he said sheepishly, stuffing his hands further into his jeans and following Isabel into the bedroom.

He expected her to lay into him as soon as the door closed behind them, she knew he did. And part of her wanted not to let him down, sort of. To not change the rules this far along in the game, but it was getting harder and harder to cover up what was really going on in her head, and her heart. And maybe she didn't want to anymore. If Max and Michael thought that they could change the rules on the fly, to suit their needs, then so could she. Of course, this change might be a little more than he could take.

Michael stood in the center of Isabel's room watching her move things around for no reason, confused. He felt like he was waiting for a bomb to drop. It was maddening. Well, he wasn't going to wait any longer. If she wanted a fight, he'd give her one. This waiting around for her to start was getting to be too much for him to handle.

"Isabel, are you mad at me or something? Let's just get this over with."

She snapped her head around to look at him, her hair flying across her face in a golden sheet.

"What? Mad at you?" He'd caught her off-guard, although he shouldn't have. She had to know that he knew something was amiss, she'd been odd with him all day. Still, she looked at him incredulously.

"Yeah. Are you pissed at me for... well, because I kissed Maria, because... y'know, I kinda like her. I mean, she's really annoying and she bitches nonstop, but... well, it's kinda cute."

"Ughhhh... Please, Michael. Too much information, okay?" she snapped.

"You are mad at me! I knew it! What is it, Is? Is it Maria? I mean, I know that you don't like her and all, but she's really not so bad, Y'know?" Why the hell was he defending himself? He never got on her for the guys she dated, and lord knew there was enough of them. Why was it suddenly not okay for him to date? Jeez! Michael let out an exasperated sigh and scowled at her. This was really none of her damn business.

"I'm not mad at you, Michael." She stepped up to him, so close that he could feel her breath warm on his cheek. The hair on the back of his neck rose just slightly, just enough that he could feel a tiny tingle. He scratched at it, willing it away.

"Then, what?"

She looked into his eyes for a split second, before averting them quickly. She didn't know if she could do it, just change everything between them with one motion. But either way, she could lose him. At least this way, she would know.

Her eyes wandered back across his face, lingering on his lips for a short moment before coming to his eyes and locking them there, her hand floating up to touch his cheek. He looked up at her with innocent eyes, he had no clue as to what she was doing.

"I'm sorry...," she whispered, as she slowly covered his open mouth with hers and held his jawbones in her hands. She pulled him closer to her, expecting him to push her away as soon as the realization took him. He didn't.

Instead, his arms rounded her waist and moved up her back, tracing her spine with his nimble fingers. He returned her kiss, deepening it, sucking her tongue into his mouth and twisting his around it. Tasting her. There was a taste, they both were aware of it. Something different and immensely addictive. A powerful metallic, sweet, heady, spiced taste that mixed in their mouths and surrounded their tastebuds. They moved closer to each other, their bodies pressed at the hip, mouths enveloping each other, taking in as much as they possibly could.

Isabel felt a shock between them and a heat expand inside of her, weakening her legs beneath her. She felt as though she might collapse under her own weight, head spinning in one direction as the rest of the planet spun in the opposite. But his arms kept her grounded and standing, the heat of his hands along her back and steadying her head, fingers pulling at her hair. Their lips didn't part, each drinking from the other this thing that they'd never experienced before and which could never be described in words.

Michael felt his pulse quicken with hers, laying soft kisses across her jawline and tasting the fruit of her neck. He took pliable bits of skin between his teeth and ran his tongue along them, nibbling at her neck and her collarbone before returning his mouth to hers.

When they finally moved away from each other, arms still intertwined, their chests were having and their breath caught in their lungs. He looked into her eyes, amazed.

"Wow."

"Michael.." Isabel sat on the edge of her bed, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. No one had ever made her feel so filled with abandon. Nothing had ever felt so correct, so true. Nothing would ever be the same again, nothing could ever live up to that kiss.

"Wow." Michael's entire life had come into place in that one kiss. It was as if he'd never experienced anything before the moment she placed her soft, wet lips on his.

"Is that all you're capable of saying?" she said, afraid to smile. She'd already tipped her hand and he hadn't pulled away, he hadn't turned and fled from the shock of her kiss. Still though, she feared what he might think once the shock faded.

He sat down next to her, their thighs touching, and he turned to face her. The only other word he was capable of saying forming on his lips as he pushed her back on the bed and brought his lips again to hers.

"More..."

* * * * *

To be continued...