Laura sniffed the concoction suspiciously. It seemed harmless enough, but one could never be sure. She dipped the tip of her tongue into the green goo. The look of disgust on her face nearly caused Stefan to laugh.

Laura's mouth set in a stubborn line, as she extended the arm with the glass. "No way I'm drinking that. It's gross."

"You have to drink it all," Stefan told her, not taking the glass.

"It. Is. Gross," she repeated, as if he were slow.

"Laura," Stefan warned.

Laura shook her head. "I'm practically all better now. And you can't make me."

A mischievous glint lit in Stefan's eyes. "Oh, no?" Calmly, he took the glass and set it on the bed stand. He turned back to Laura.

Laura knew he was up to something, and her eyes narrowed. "What are you up to?"

"Me?" Stefan asked, the perfect face of innocence. His hand snaked under the covers and took one of Laura's bare feet into his hand, and smiled at her. "I've been meaning to ask. Are you ticklish?"

"Oh, no, you don't!" Laura tried to wrestle her foot away from his grasp, but he held on tightly. Two fingers gently grazed her foot from the heel to her toes.

Laura laughed uncontrollably, but refused to give in. "I'm still not drinking it!" she said between laughs.

Stefan attacked her foot in earnest, causing her to thrash about in a fit of giggles.

"Okay! I give! I give!"

Stefan stopped his torture and smiled smugly. His smile turned into something different as he took in the picture before him. Her breathing was labored, her face flushed, her mouth parted. Stefan thought she had never looked more enticing.

"You, uh, you can let go of my foot now," Laura said, her voice oddly nervous.

Stefan nearly jumped out of the bed. He grabbed the glass, and turned back, handing it to her. "Enjoy," he grinned.

"Jerk," Laura glared at him. She closed her eyes and drank the whole contents in one gulp. She shoved the empty glass at him.

Stefan's laughter filled the room as he walked out.

Laura fell back onto the bed, turning her head so she was looking up at the blue sky through the window.

Every time he came near her, she felt as if her heart was going to jump out of her chest. And when he touched her"

"Please forgive me, Scotty," she whispered.