Celtic's Series
        Walking to Run

   

The street outside Utopia was deserted. The sound of cars whirled in the far off distance. Michelle pulled her jacket tightly around her shoulders and watched a cat run across the street ahead. It's shadow danced and stretched in the moonlight. She had a feeling of isolation. Walking on the sidewalk along the brick buildings, it seemed like they were in a different time, an unknown place where no one could get to them. She felt safe and frightened at the same time.

Danny was walking at a good clip to keep up with his wife walking in front of him. It was her idea to take a walk, but that cat seemed to have run off with her tongue. His mind was racing with thoughts. Something had happened on that dance floor. He couldn't put a name to just what it was, but whatever it was, it was strong..cosmic. He closed his eyes and remembered how she had leaned into him, pressed into him. His windpipe narrowed. He wanted to reach out and take her around the waist. "Where is she going? Why does she want to walk?" he pondered these questions. "It is a beautiful night." His eyes roamed the speckled sky before they settled on the shadowed hair of the creature in front of him.

"Hmmmm, yes it is. " She looked up and observed the stars radiating their light and energy down on them. She stopped walking and just stared into the sky, finding all the constellations she had been forced to memorize for astronomy class. In between them all, she could swear there was an outline of an unknown man. Strangely, it looked like he was wearing a leather jacket, and if she stretched it a bit, there was a cluster of smaller stars above what seemed to be a head… they almost looked like a pile of curls…

"Michelle?"

"Hmm? Oh, I was just seeing if I could remember all my constellations." She smiled cautiously and avoided his eyes. It was that same smile she had flashed at him that time she had unknowingly walked in on him getting  dressed one morning. He didn't see or hear her at first, so she had stood there, unable to walk away. He had turned around and caught her standing there. She had run out of the room and with her hands over her eyes and fanned herself to erase the fire in her cheeks. He had come out to see if she was ok, and he had seen that smile. He had caught her looking at something that she didn't want him to know about. The whole event had just given him hope. "Maybe she doesn't detest me," he had thought.

And now he stood there, looking at her, and she had that same smile. Just what was she thinking? "Are you ok? You look chilled." He slid off his coat and draped it around her shoulders. She closed her eyes as the scent of his cologne from his jacket saturated the air underneath her nose. She was lost in that scent for a moment.

"Ok, snap out of it, Michelle!" Her mind was confused. She didn't really know what she was doing, why she had brought him out here. It's not like she knew the area or just where she was going. It was just too stuffy in there, and she had to get out or she wouldn't be able to breathe. She tried to push away the thought of what he felt like just 10 minutes ago when he was holding her. "C'mon, Girl! What is wrong with you? Now what are you going to do?" She rubbed her forehead and opened her eyes.

He smiled at her, anticipating what she was going to say. But there was nothing. She just looked at him with an expression he couldn't read.

"Um, Michelle, if you don't want to walk, that's fine, we can just go home, or maybe we can go get something for dessert?" The lump in Danny's throat enlarged as he squeezed out these words, but his eyes never left her.

"Hmm? Oh, no, it's such a gorgeous night, I just wanted to get some fresh air, you know? "She looked nervously at her red shoes, before looking back up at him. "I just realized, I really don't know where to go. " She let out an apprehensive chuckle and went back to examining her shoes.

"Oh, well, ok…um, well, we'll just walk and see what we see. " He studied her face and waited for her to move, but she was still. He swallowed, and cautiously took her by the elbow and led her down the street. The wind played and danced over their ears, humming a hypnotic tune.

They were past the buildings now. They continued to walk in silence, but it was nice. Not every minute had to be filled up with conversation over the weather. Michelle had given up awhile ago and let Danny carry her shoes for her. He kept looking down at the top of her head and smiling to himself. She was so small; his chest puffed up as he felt the surge of protectiveness rush into him. She looked up at him and they shared a smile. His eyes roamed her young face and he could almost sense a feeling of trust in her eyes.

Michelle looked off to her left, and saw some sort of creature standing on the grass. She squinted and studied the animal for a moment. She let out a small sigh when she realized that they were standing next to a playground, and she had been examining an old swing set. Without saying a word, she took off across the grass, leaving her frequently bewildered husband watching her.

"Michelle, where are you going?" She didn't answer, and his legs involuntarily took off after her.

She stood there holding the chains with a look of deep concentration in her brown eyes. Danny came up behind her, afraid to breathe and scare her. But she knew he was there, she had come to recognize his breathing pattern.

"These look like the old swings Rick and I used to play on. We used to sneak out onto the school playground at night when Mom and Dad used to fight, and he would push me on this thing 'til I thought his arms would fall off." She let out a soft chuckle and gazed down at her bare feet.

Danny crossed his arms to keep from grabbing her. "Sounds like you have some fun memories. You and Rick are pretty close, eh?"

"Yeah, he pretty much raised me. I don't think anyone knows me better than he does." She let go of the chains and turned around to face those eyes. "Things got pretty intense sometimes, but when he would take me out, the problems just kind of disappeared for awhile. Does that make any sense? I'm rambling, aren't I?" Even by the moonlight, Danny could see her cheeks redden.

He gently placed her shoes on the ground and looked back at her. "Why don't you get on? Let me see if I can challenge Rick's endurance at this sport." He smiled and Michelle was lost in the sparkle of his teeth.

"What? Oh, no, that's ok, don't be silly…"

"No, Michelle, I insist… I won't go too fast, I promise."

She hesitantly turned around and sat in the swing. He was behind her, so she couldn't see him, but she felt him approach. It was like some sort of heat-radiating field that came at her every time he approached her. She closed her eyes and braced herself for his touch.

He watched her hold onto those chains with white knuckles. He fought back a grin and gently put his palms on her mid-back before giving her a little push. She glided forward and came back to him. He met her with firmer hands this time, and she soared higher. The wind whipped her hair around and cooled her face. She never opened her eyes, she simply lost herself in the lightness that she was feeling, and for the first time in months, she had no worries.

Danny's arms were growing heavy, but he was determined to keep going until she asked him to stop. With every push, they burned a little more, and a couple of streams of sweat had made their way down his temples. The little giggles that Michelle would let out now and then would keep him going.

"Danny?"

"Yeah?"

"I think I'm going to be sick, can we stop now?" She giggles again.

"Sure," He said loudly followed by an inaudible "with pleasure."

After the swing had stopped, Michelle sat there trying to quit spinning. She attempted to stand up but the ground moved and she fell forward. Danny leapt in front of her and caught her in his aching arms. Her face was smothered in his chest, and she couldn't help but let out another giggle. The warmth she felt coming off of him quickly silenced her and she slid her hands up his chest and grabbed hold of his shoulders to balance herself.

When the ground felt more solid, she lifted her head and found Danny's face about 1 inch from hers. "Um, thanks. I guess I didn't realize how long we had been at that."

He couldn't help it anymore. He tightened his arms around her waist and pulled her to him to steady her a little more. "That's alright. I'm glad that you had fun. I did, too. I…uh…I think it was a good night, don't you?" He looked at her intently.

There it was again. She could feel his heartbeat again, and it comforted her. Her fingers tightened their grip around his shoulders, and his responded accordingly around her waist. "Yeah, I guess it was nice to get away from things for a little while." She smiled and his eyes followed her lips as they curved.

He let out a shaky breath and slid his arms up her back and swallowed her into his chest. His face leaned into hers and she gasped as his cheek passed hers and landed on her shoulder. She stood there dazed for a minute, caught up in his embrace.

He was fighting it with everything in him. "Don't push it Santos, you're going to scare her off. But, she's not pulling away…" His brain hurt. His lips plucked at her collarbone and she breathed heavily onto his neck. She touched the back of his neck and pushed him into her a little more. He responded by letting his mouth explore her neck and ear.

He drew back a little and looked at her. His thumb petted her parted lips and he leaned in to claim them, but met her forehead.

He pulled back again. "Michelle?" He looked at her inquisitively.

Her eyes had darkened and were no longer on him, but on an object somewhere beyond him. "Um, it's getting late… we should probably get going before your mother sends out the dogs." She tore free from his grip and reached for her shoes. He bent down with her and took her by the arm.

"Michelle, no. Not this time… not this time." He looked at her, searching for the right words to say.

She sighed and found her defiant tone. "What do you mean, Danny? We really should get going, don't you think?" She tried to free herself again, but he hung on. She glared at him.

"Michelle… why? Why… ugh." He dropped his head and sighed before looking back up at her. "Why is it that every time that you recognize the connection that we have, you run away from me?"

She stuttered a bit. "Connection? What connection, Danny? The only connection we have is some charade show we have to put on for your family."

"Well, Michelle, my family wasn't here tonight, and you know as well as I do, that what is happening is NOT some sort of charade." He grabbed her other arm and she hissed at him.

"Well, call it whatever you want, but I'm really tired of you reading into things and looking for something that OBVIOUSLY isn't there!" She pulled at his arms and kicked, trying to get away, but secretly hoping he wouldn't let go. "What? Are you going to hang onto me like some predator that's just caught his prey??" Her eyes shot daggers at him.

"Are you saying that I've just caught you?" He smiled smugly, pleased with his comeback.

"Would you just stop this? Why are you doing this?" She shrieked at him.

"I'm doing this because I think you have a problem with what you're feeling."

"Oh, yeah, and just what am I feeling?"

He studied her before answering. "You tell me, Michelle."

She squirmed harder than ever before to get away from him. He just held on like a mother who waits for a temper tantrum to cease. "Tell me, Michelle.'

"Let go of me!!"

"Tell me."

"There's nothing to tell! Now get your hands off of me!! Ugh!"

"Nope. Not until you tell me. It's that easy, Michelle, all you gotta do is tell me."

She fought with everything in her, and his grip just tightened. "You're gonna bruise me, you..you jerk! Let me go!"

"Tell me, Michelle."

She got one of her arms free and slapped him. He just took hold of her arm again. "Tell me."

She clenched her teeth. "What? What do you want me to say?! Do you wanna hear that any time I'm with you I can't think? Or do you wanna hear that no matter how much I try to hate you, I can't! Or, I got it! How about this? Any time you go out of town and leave me there, I can't sleep at night because you're not lying there next to me breathing! That I dream about you? That when I look at you now, I don't see your family?.." her voice softened and a tear rolled down her cheek. "That when something exciting happens in my day, that you're the first one that I want to run to and tell? That no matter how much I try to deny it, that I feel completely and utterly safe with you?" She stopped short, realizing what she was saying.

He pulled her to him and they stood up. "Michelle…"

She looked up at him, and quit squirming. He loosened his grip and leaned into her again.

She closed her eyes and grunted. Clenching her teeth again, she broke free and kicked him in the shin before running off.

"Owwww! Michelle! Come back here!" He bit his lip to drive off the pain in his leg and took a punch at the air. His eyes followed her; she was halfway across the playground with her hair flying behind her. She was running sporadically, not really knowing where she was going, just desperate to get away. Her silhouette started to fade in the moonlight before he began limping after her.

Danny was dodging trees, skillfully listening for the rustle of leaves in the distance. He had seen her run into the highly forested area before following her in. She could have been anywhere. He stopped running and grabbed at the stitch in his side.

"Oh, c'mon Michelle, we need to talk about this!" He bellowed out and heard no response but his own echo. It was too dark to read his watch, but the moon had traveled a good distance across the sky since they started their little 'walk'. He walked slowly, the limping had subsided somewhat. His eyes darted in and out of the dark trunks around him.

He walked a good distance before he caught a glimpse of the sparkle. He had rounded one group of trees, and there was a small clearing before another group started. It was that sparkly red clip Michelle had been so proud to wear for their evening out. He studied the clip and let his eyes adjust before he saw a beautiful pair of legs stretched out from underneath the red dress he had become so acquainted with earlier that evening. He heard a slight sniffle before he navigated towards his wife.

He was very good at missing the twigs that would've alerted her he was coming. But she knew. She felt that same warmth coming at her from behind that she had felt on the swings. She bolted up and turned around.

Danny stood there and put his arms out to the side. "Ok, Michelle, I won't grab you. But I think you're right, we need to be getting home, we can talk in the car if that's alright with you?"

"There's nothing to talk about, Danny." She wiped the tears from her face and took a step back.

"C'mon Michelle. Fine, we won't talk. Let me take you home." He hesitantly took a step towards her.

She took another one back.

"Michelle, c'mon, you know I'm not gonna hurt you. You're the bruiser of the pair, don't you think?" He smirked and she gasped.

"I didn't hurt you too badly, did I?"

"I'll live, but it will help if we can just go home so I can get some ice on it." Michelle felt a lump in her throat and wanted to go take care of it for him. But instead, she turned around and started walking away from him.

"Michelle? Michelle.." He cut around the corner of trees to the left and cut her off. He popped up in front of her and she dropped her jacket.

"Danny, please…" She didn't have the strength to yell at him. There was a sense of pleading in her voice now. He moved toward her, and she moved back until she was stopped by a tree. She looked around her for a place to go, but she just didn't have the strength to run. He continued coming towards her until she could see the pounding of his chest again.

She couldn't look at him. "I'm sorry. I…I… I don't know how to handle this."

He put both hands on the trunk behind Michelle, and she could smell him. Oh, she loved that smell. "Handle what?"

She looked up at him, avoiding his eyes, but they were unavoidable. She searched for the look of anger, but there was none. There was nothing but tenderness and patience. "I… I want, oh" she sighed and looked down again.

He put his hand under her chin and brought her face to meet his. "I'll give you anything you want, Michelle, but you gotta tell me."

"I wanna be your wife, Danny." She lost her breath and her strength in getting those words out. She didn't want to look at him, but she had to see his reaction.

He sighed and dropped his head into his chest. She was puzzled by that, she thought for sure that he would be happy to finally hear that. His hands moved and embraced her face and his head slowly raised. There was a sweet smile on his lips and his eyes looked moist. He let go of his bottom lip and rubbed her face tenderly.

"You got it." He smiled and without hesitating, took her mouth before she could run. His lips were hot and soft, and they were swallowing her. She kissed back and fed his emerging hunger. She raised up on her toes to get closer to him. His hands slid down to the small of her back and he pulled her chest into his.

She finally pulled away with some effort and tried to catch her breath.

"Danny?"

He laboriously answered "Hmm?" before resuming his feast on her neck.

"Take me home now. "

He pulled away and looked at her. "You ready?"

She nodded, and he led her away, pointing out the dangerous spots to step.