XXVI- The Mortified

Michael quickly dried and dressed, not wanting to keep Ravenna waiting. He had not returned to the Kingdom yet, so his old outfit had to do. He put his undergarments back on, wishing he at least had a change of undergarments. He quickly tied his trousers and swept his wings through the slits in the back of his shirt, buttoning the back under his wings. Michael left the front of his shirt open for the moment.

Once he was no longer wearing his towel, he told Ravenna that he was clothed and she was safe to turn. She faced him, her freckled cheeks still pink from walking in on him. Michael watched her eyes follow the muscled lines of his torso, and a slight smirk appeared on his face for a quick moment.

"Sorry about that, Ravenna. How was your day?" Michael rubbed the towel against his damp hair as he sat on the bed. He looked at the dresses on the bed beside him; a deep emerald green, a black, and a red dress lay in a neat pile. "Are these to replace the one that man ruined?"

Ravenna smiled. "Yes. I found a dress shop, the seamstress was lovely. Her name was Rosie." Michael listened as Ravenna told him about Rosie, her stern way of doing business, and how she had closed the shop just for Ravenna. It made him warm inside listening to her talk.

"Rosie told me that what happened to me happens much more frequently than women speak of, and that breaks my heart. I don't know if anyone saved her like you saved me."

Michael's ice-blue eyes looked downward. Had this Rosie woman prayed for help as Ravenna had, but nobody heard or answered? His disgust for the Ruler's abandonment of the humans was growing. These things did not need to happen to women and the men who perpetrated these crimes needed to be punished. Michael felt his stomach twist. He couldn't fathom how any man could force a woman into having sex with him. The thought was nauseating.

"Michael?" Ravenna's voice brought the Seraphim back to the present, away from his thoughts. "If you don't mind stepping out for a while, I will tell the housekeepers I fell asleep and didn't get to use the bath. I snuck out of the inn using the back entranceway so my story would hold up. I just wanted you to be able to feel clean after spending the night in the forest with me."

Michael ran his fingers through his damp hair to make his curls manageable. "It was a much-appreciated gesture, thank you again." Michael smiled, his cheeks reddening as he thought of Ravenna walking in on him wearing only the towel.

Michael began to button the front of his shirt; he had left it open long enough for her to get a good look at him, and he was pretty sure that Ravenna liked what she saw.

"Actually," Ravenna began hesitantly, "if you just want to stay hidden while they fill the tub, you can nap while I bathe, if that doesn't make you uncomfortable? I don't want you to have to go back to the forest."

Michael's eyes widened at her offer. She would be so close to him, just separated by a screen. His self-control would be significantly tested. But she was right; his eyes started feeling weighted after staying up all night to keep her safe in the forest. His thoughts traveled in many directions. This woman was still in a fragile place. He couldn't offer himself to her.

Not yet.

"I will make myself scarce. Knock on the door when it is safe for me to come back out."

Michael slipped into the closet, feeling his wings cramped by the small space. He heard Ravenna leave to talk to the housekeepers. His mind raced again. He could not believe this beautiful woman trusted him so much after all she had been through. Especially after what he had saved her from. He would have thought she would be very slow to warm up to a man after being attacked by one.

Michael heard Ravenna and the housekeepers return, happily chatting amongst themselves. She had an attractive personality. One other quickly found themselves wanting to be friends with. Michael added that to the fast growing list of why he found Ravenna beautiful and hard to resist.

After some time, Ravenna softly knocked on the door and quietly called his name. "Michael? Michael? You can come out now."

Michael left the cramped closet and stretched his wings, happy to escape his hiding place. Ravenna glanced upward at the taller Seraphim and placed her hands on his shoulders. Michael's thoughts whirled, recalling how she had gotten him to come to her height to kiss him in the forest. He quickly and over-eagerly squatted down and placed his hands on his knees, hoping the young woman would put her lips on his cheek again.

Ravenna giggled, and Michael's heart beat faster. He leaned slightly closer to her, hopeful. She pulled a coat hanger from the back of his shirt. "That can't be comfortable, can it?" Ravenna handed him the hanger that must have been tangled in his shirt while hiding in the closet.

Embarrassed and slightly disappointed, Michael took the hanger from Ravenna and placed it back into the closet. "I will go for a rest now so you can enjoy your bath in privacy. Feel free to wake me when you're dressed, we can have dinner together when you're ready."

Michael walked over to the bed and stretched out across its soft surface. Michael pulled a pillow on top of his face, holding it in his arms. He wanted to melt into the bed, to hide his mortification at bending down too quickly for a kiss that did not happen.