Ravenna curled her hair around her fingers as she waited for Michael. She eyed the end of the bed, where she had spent the night on the floor, pulled onto her knees by the ties that bound her to Peter. She rubbed her wrists again, trying to massage away the memories of that man. Ravenna wished Michael would spot her signal and find his way to her.
After what felt like an eternity of waiting, Michael stepped between the realms, appearing next to the lantern signals Ravenna had left for him. She hopped down from the bed, excited to see the Seraphim finally enter the room. "Michael, thank goodness you're finally here!" She fell into the angel's waiting embrace, pressing her cheek against his chest.
Michael wrapped his arms and wings around the small woman. "I did not know I would be missed this much," the smile evident in his words. He took a step back and folded his wings against his back. Michael placed his hands on Ravenna's small waist and lifted her onto the bed. He sat next to her legs, leaning across her knees to place his palm on the wall, his body turned toward her. "How were your travels through the town?"
Ravenna watched the angel lean across her legs as she lay on the bed where he had placed her. "It was okay, I spoke to the innkeeper, I heard there is a festival coming up in Graenwood. We were…lucky to get the last room available."
Michael's ice blue eyes looked into her golden brown eyes as if he had detected something was causing her unease. "There is something more you have not told me."
Tears rimmed Ravenna's eyes. She did not want to admit to Michael that this was the room that she had been held hostage in, as this would make him angry again. "No…"
"Ravenna. You hesitated when you said we were lucky to get the last room. There are tears in your eyes. I can see them." Michael took his palm off the wall and placed his hand gently on Ravenna's knee.
"This is just…it's…this is the room I was brought to when Peter stole me from my home. He kept me here for the night before we continued toward Nerium, which is where you found us. Peter had my wrists tied together, and tied his ankle to my wrists. I stayed at the end of the bed, and as he slept, he rolled, and I was pulled to kneel throughout the night." Ravenna finally told Michael the rest of her story and felt a weight lifted off her chest, similar to when she had confided in Rosie in Nerium.
Michael opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a knock at the door. He quickly stepped between the realms to stand behind the door, and Ravenna moved to open it. She greeted the innkeeper, who had come by to offer her to come by for lunch in the inn's restaurant. Ravenna politely declined and said she might have food brought to her room later in the day. The innkeeper bowed and left Ravenna to her reading, not knowing about the Seraphim holding his breath behind the door.
Ravenna closed and locked the door, and Michael let out the breath he had been holding. Ravenna offered her hand to the Seraphim and led him back to the bed where they had been sitting. The room was far from as spacious or furnished as the one they had shared in Nerium, and the bed was the only piece of furniture, aside from the bathing tub behind the screen. The pair sat on the edge of the bed, side by side.
Michael continued where he left before he was interrupted by the innkeeper. "Are you sure you want to stay here? If you are uncomfortable, we can find somewhere else to go. The last thing I want for you is to be unhappy." He placed his hand on Ravenna's knee and wrapped his left wing around her shoulders for comfort.
"I will be okay, Michael, but thank you. We're so close to home; staying here today will be fine." Ravenna looked to her right and gave a small smile to the angel, who still did not look convinced that she was comfortable with staying in the same place she was held hostage. She placed her hand on Michael's and moved it to her cheek. Ravenna nuzzled into his touch. If she couldn't forget what had happened to her in this room before, she would replace the memories with new ones.
Michael straightened his back as if he was not expecting Ravenna to be so forward with him. Ravenna circled her arms around the back of Michael's neck and bit her lower lip. She had kissed the Seraphim before; she could do it again. Looking at his bright blue eyes, she watched his pupils dilate and closed her eyes as she approached him. Slowly, softly, she placed her lips against his, feeling his body react to hers. Ravenna thought about the first time they had kissed; they had been so cautious, so careful. She didn't want to be careful this time. She wanted to know how passionate he could be.
Ravenna leaned into Michael's kiss, his hand caressing her waist while his other softly touched her neck. His lips gently pried hers apart, deepening the kiss. Ravenna felt Michael's tongue slowly dance with her own, and her heart raced. Her arms left his neck and moved to his waist - she knew how his clothes worked since she had borrowed his waistcoat. Ravenna allowed Michael to explore her mouth with his tongue, purposefully tasting her. She slid the buttons at the back of the waistcoat through the holes, slowly freeing his wings.
Michael stopped his kisses. He looked at Ravenna with confusion, feeling his wings more free than they should have been. He reached around to his back, feeling the buttons no longer in place. "...Ravenna…are you…are you sure…?" His voice was deeper than usual, and his pupils were still dilated, very black against his bright blue irises. Ravenna paused, embarrassed that she had done such a bold thing. She bit her lower lip and looked downward.
She nodded.
Michael's face burned bright red as Ravenna watched. He leaned forward; his breath came out as a shudder of excitement. His smile mixed with nervousness; he gently kissed the tip of Ravenna's nose and carefully grasped her small hands. He placed her hands on his chest, where the rest of the buttons of his waistcoat were. Ravenna bit her lower lip again, her freckles disappearing in her blush as Michael guided her fingers to undo the buttons of his waistcoat. He removed the garment, tossing it aside. He reached around his back and freed the wings from the back of his black shirt.
Ravenna watched him swallow hard as if nervous, and then he placed her hands on his chest again. He did not guide her hands this time. Instead, he put his hands on either side of himself. Ravenna thought he was trying to steady himself, judging by the shudders of his body. She took a shaky breath and carefully undid each button, slowly revealing his sculpted chest and abdomen.
Michael removed the black shirt from his body and stretched his wings. Ravenna looked at his bare chest, cautiously reaching out to touch it. Michael caught her hand in his own and pressed her hand against his heart.