Human Touch
By Danielle
Disclaimers: The characters aren't mine- they belong to Jason Katims and the WB. The song isn't mine- it belongs to Bruce Springsteen. However, the story is mine, mine, all mine!
Notes: This is a companion piece to my own "Alien Lover" which is a Maria POV fic. Bec suggested a Michael POV on the same subject (thanks for the idea!), and I try to make people who like my work happy. I have to say that I found the song unexpectedly when I was looking for songs with Human in the title. And it just fits so perfectly with the theme, I went with it. You have to like divine intervention. This takes place after 'The Convention". Enjoy!
Roswell, New Mexico. Home of the tumbleweed. God, I have to get out of here, he thought to himself as he walked toward his "home" in the Trailer Park. Kicking a rock, which had gotten on his bad side by being in the middle of the road, he reached the door and noted happily that Hank's truck wasn't there, which meant he was still at work. Thank God, Michael thought as he yanked open the screen door and threw his jacket over the back of a chair, only pausing to grab a coke out of the fridge before heading to his room.
He had really wanted to go to the Crashdown after school with Max and Izzy, but that would mean seeing his favorite waitress and he was not up for that. The looks Maria gave him when she thought he wasn't looking melted the ice he tried to form around his heart, and that he did not need.
He switched on the radio next to his bed, searching for a station. He spun the dial for a minute before coming to rest at the only one that would come in clearly- some random Classic Rock station, which at the moment was playing Aerosmith. Good enough, he figured and laid his head back on the pillow, his mind remaining focused on the one girl he knew he shouldn't even be thinking about.
Maria DeLuca. What was it about her? She was too chipper. Kind of ditzy. She talked too much. She expected too much of him. She kissed like... like no one on this earth. He sighed. There was something so right about her, even though she was so wrong for him.
The song came to an end and a new one took its place, one, which spurred even more Maria thoughts. He couldn't get away from her. His brain wouldn't let him.
"I just want to feel you in my arms
Share a little of that Human Touch.
Feel a little of that Human Touch. "
Human Touch. That was what he wanted. A human's touch. But not any Human- only Maria. His Maria. That first night he kissed her, waiting for Max and Liz to get back from the reservation, it was sort of a challenge to himself. To prove that he didn't really want her. He'd been thinking of her non-stop since their night at the "nookie Motel". He'd needed to get it out of his system, believing that after it was over, he wouldn't think about her anymore. What an idiot he was.
Because one Maria kiss was never enough. He learned that really quickly. When he went to the Crashdown that night during the Heat Wave, he wasn't sure what to expect. He didn't even know if she would be there. He had just been so drawn by the possibility that they could be alone together. And when she unlocked the door, he'd seen it in her eyes. She wanted him too.
His heart leapt as she had put her arms around his neck. The feel of her hands roaming over his chest and shoulders made him ache with pleasure. She made the most amazing little noises when she was kissing him. A little growl deep in her throat, or a moan, a sigh. He loved them all. He's wanted to touch her everywhere, just to see what new sounds would come out of her. That night he went completely on instinct, pushing her up against the counter, hearing her sharp intake of breathy excitement when his hands traveled to her backside to lift her up. She'd wrapped her legs around his waist like they belonged there. The sensation was amazing, knowing he had the power to make her feel so good.
And the taste of her lips, her mouth. She had a special sweet tang that made him crazy. He had the urge to kiss her eyelids and nose to see if they tasted the same. She made him feel so wanted, so desired. Normal. Human. Maybe that was what he'd needed all along. And Maria certainly gave that to him. She made him feel like he was the most important person in the world. Until he'd pushed her away. Then she made him feel like dirt. Which he knew he deserved. He had to stop kidding himself about how deep his feelings for her went. It was so much more than lust.
She had accepted him. Knew what he was and didn't shy away. Kissed him anyway. Wanted him anyway. And he threw it away because he was afraid. Afraid to get too attached, but more afraid to let himself feel anything at all. And he felt a lot when he was with her. Too much to deal with. So he walked away.
And he knew it had hurt her, because it hurt him just as much to do it. But he had to, didn't he?
The song, which had been mocking him, ended. He was glad, because the last thing he needed was to keep thinking of Maria and how Human she made him want to be.
~~~~~~~~~~
Human Touch- Bruce Springsteen
You and me we were the pretenders
We let it all slip away
In the end what you don't surrender
Well the world just strips away
Girl, ain't no kindness in the face of strangers
Ain't gonna find no miracles here
Well you can wait on your blesses my darling
I got a deal for you right here
I ain't looking for praise or pity
I ain't coming round searching for a crutch
I just want someone to talk to
And a little of that human touch
Just a little of that Human Touch
Ain't no mercy on the streets of this town
Ain't no bread from heavenly skies
Ain't nobody drawing wine from this blood
It's just you and me tonight
Tell me, in a world without pity
Do you think what I'm askin's too much
I just want something to hold on to
And a little of that Human Touch
Just a little of that Human Touch
Oh girl that feeling of safety that you praise
Well it comes at a hard hard price
You can't shut off the risk and the pain
Without losing the love that remains
We're all riders on this train
So you've been broken and you've been hurt
Show me somebody who ain't
Yeah, I know I ain't nobody's bargain
But, hell, a little touch up and a little paint…
You might need someone to hold on to
When all the answers, they don't amount to much
Somebody that you could just talk to
And a little of that Human Touch
Baby, in a world without pity
Do you think what I'm askin's too much
I just want to feel you in my arms
Share a little of that Human Touch
Feel a little of that Human Touch
Give me a little of that Human Touch
Questions, Comments, feedback to Danielle
