#valdaya one shot

[skylarri-fanfics1991]

In Another Life. Finale. Part I.

Author’s Note: 

Hi...so yeah, Valdaya is well and truly a concept of the past now. I understand that and am happy for the real life Val and Zendaya who have found love in their real lives. 

But that doesn’t mean I stopped enjoying creating stories for these two. This whole series-started many years ago in college-was the most fun I’ve had writing any sort of fiction, and I’ve gone back many a time to re-read and try to wrap it up properly. (I seem to not have the attention span to finish any story unless it’s a one-shot.) 

So, here I am, once again, going down the rabbit hole that is this ship and adding fuel to a dead fire. 

But if you want to be nostalgic with me, I’m going to really try to finish thing...and fix some mistakes I’ve found in the other parts. 

This piece is a continuation of the incomplete piece I posted in 2017. 

Enjoy xx

There’s a quick knock on the door to let her know someone’s coming in, and then Peta is there, and she’s dragging Val by the arm in behind her. 

Zendaya sucks in a sharp breath, her eyes raking over the man she hadn’t seen in person in almost seven years. Nerves shoot through her, and she balls her fists and crosses her arms over her chest in attempt to smooth them. 

“..-getting sick of your behavior,” Peta hisses at Val, and Zendaya gulps at the turbulent expression on his face as he looks at his sister-in-law. “I didn’t invite Zendaya here just for you to give her the cold-shoulder the entire night. You’re going to listen to her and you both,” Peta looks across at Zendaya, “are going to talk things out. Are we clear?” 

Val shakes Peta’s hand off his arm. “Crystal,” he practically spits, walking away from the two women to the other side of the room. 

Zendaya watches him, pulling her bottom lip into her mouth. He still hadn’t spared her even a glance. She hadn’t expected anything less but that didn’t mean it didn’t still hurt. 

A gentle hand suddenly covers one of her balled-up fists and she looks quickly up at Peta. 

She squeezes her hand in silent encouragement. “Be strong,” she whispers with a nod. After looking once more at Val, a tired sigh escaping her lips, she turns and exits the room. 

And she’s left alone, without the support of Peta or the safety net of blending into the background of other people, and she takes in a ragged breath, her palms beginning to sweat. 

Val looks out one of the large windows, his hands in his pockets as he stares out at the heavy downpour over the estate. 

He’s changed so much. Yet he hasn’t at all. 

Of course time aged him to the 33 year old man he is now. There might be a few more lines on his forehead and around his mouth, but otherwise, he looks the same as the last time she spoke with him. 

It’s the way he holds himself now. Watching him interact with other people all night, and...and with Jenna, it was so noticeable to her. He was more subdued, more guarded. Whereas before-...before everything...he would’ve been more emotive in such a situation with family and friends. Now... 

She hugs her arms around her middle, her heart feeling heavy. The person across the room from her was a consequence of the actions she’d taken all those years ago. This coldness? She knows that it’s of her doing. 

 “So are you just going to stare at me all night, or are you actually going to get the courage to say something?”

His question jolts her out of her thoughts abruptly, and she stares stupidly at him, figuring that she would be the first one to speak. 

“I-I-...” she trails off, mouth opening and closing. 

He turns his head and she’s skewered to the spot when those green eyes pin hers suddenly. The level of indifference, of contempt even, she notices in them are like bullets through her gut. She can only gape like a fish while he then takes quick inspection of her, as if cataloguing how she had changed over the years.

Then he looks back at her and arches an expectant brow. Realizing that he was actually wanting an answer, her cheeks flush in humiliation and she looks at her feet. 

“I-um...congratulations,” she offers lamely, glancing up beneath her lashes. 

“Thanks,” he sneers. “If that’s all, I’ll return to the party now,” and then he’s moving towards the door and Zendaya panics and races forward.

“No, wait!” she grabs his arm and they both freeze at the contact. 

Sparks shoot up her arm from her hand where it grips his bicep. Underneath her palm, his muscles are coiled like a spring, and her eyes shoot to his face, catching that tell-tale jaw clench she knows all too well. 

“Val,” she whispers, and her saying his name seems to make him even more angry. 

“Don’t touch me,” he seethes, ripping his arm out of her grasp. His eyes catch hers and he levels her with a glare that tears into her enough she takes a small step back. 

“I don’t know why you came tonight, after all these years of blocking me out of your life,” he begins, and her heart skips a beat. Here it goes. “-and to be honest, I don’t give a fuck. All I want to do is go back to my engagement party and try to forget that my sister-in-law thought it would be a great idea to bring you here. So if you could just kindly get the fuck away from me and my family-go back to whatever the hell it was that you were doing before- that would be great.” 

His viciousness hurts her, yet she’s not going to let him get away that easily. 

“Just wait! Please,” she begs, her nervousness and fear of facing him again slowly disappearing. She can’t pussy-foot around about this. If she wanted to make any lee-way she needed to have courage. Be strong. With Peta’s words encouraging her, she squares her shoulders. 

He stops at the door, but doesn’t turn around. 

“I know that this is probably the worst time to be doing this-to be having this conversation, considering everything,” she takes in a shaky breath, “-but...god, I don’t even know where to begin.”

Val turns, eyes slowly meeting hers. His expression is carefully blank, but the fact that he’s giving her his attention is as much clue as any that he’s going to let her have this chance to talk. 

“How about you start with why,” he suggests, voice giving away nothing. “Why you erased me-and my family-from your life.” 

Tears well up in her eyes, and she can’t even be upset that she’d caved so quickly. “Right. I-okay..” she nods, biting her bottom lip. “I-Val I wish I could give you a good reason, but I just-I don’t have one,” she stares down at the floor in shame. Here we go. 

“When you broke things off that night...I was so hurt and betrayed. I wanted you to fight for us to be together still, not cave to my dad.” His eyes go glassy as his mind no doubt goes back to their last moments together. “I realized later, of course, that you and my dad did the right thing. But in the moment? Right after?” she shakes her head, “I wanted to lash out.”

His jaw ticks and she laughs hollowly. “You told me I should be sixteen so I became the most childish sixteen year old I could be. I got petty because I was so hurt and I wanted you to feel as hurt as I did at the time and I abandoned you-...like I felt you were doing to me.” Her vision blurs as a solitary tear escapes. His face still remains impassive, giving away nothing. The only sign she gets that he’s even listening at all are his hands clenching tighter at his sides.

“And I am so sorry for that-” she cries, voice warbling, “I’m so sorry for ignoring you-for growing up and not doing anything when I knew better. For not just hurting you, but your family-one that I grew up calling my own. I-” her arms cross over her chest as she begins to shake. “-and I hate myself for knowing that without Peta demanding that Maks call me...I could have very well gone on doing the same thing for the rest of my life. Pretending that you don’t exist.”

She sucks in a sharp, stuttering breath as she finishes her speech, eyes searching for any sign that she’s reaching through to him. 

He stares at the ground with half-shuttered lids, pulling the corner of his mouth in by his teeth in that familiar way that has her chest aching at the sight. 

After what feels like an eternity, he begins to move towards her in the same slow manner, his gait like a burning fuse getting closer and closer to the dynamite about to blow. 

Her breath hitches when he stops close enough that she can smell his cologne, and she criss-crosses her fingers in front of her. 

“Thank you...for your honesty,” he begins, still looking at the ground somewhere to her right. “No matter how much I might have detested your presence here tonight, I am thankful that I’ve finally gotten the closure I needed from all of this.”

Her heart drops as those emotionless eyes finally meet hers, and he stares at her for a long moment. 

“But even with your explanation I’m still left feeling....confused. Because what you said...it’s something the girl I knew would never have done.” His voice becomes more vehement as that deep-rooted anger begins to show itself and Zendaya backs up instinctively. 

He follows, cornering her into the wall by the door. 

“The girl I knew, the girl I loved-” he spits, “-would never have done something so inconceivably childish and hurtful. She never would have shunned an entire second family that’s known her since she was born, she never-” his fist suddenly slams against the side of her head and she gasps, frightened. Her heart tells her that no matter what, Val would never lay a hand on her but now? It hurt that she couldn’t be so sure anymore. 

She breathes fast as her heart pounds in her chest, staying very still. Val’s whole body was trembling. It was like he was trying to keep himself in check. 

It’s deadly silent between them. Zendaya’s stomach flips as the realization that they’ve come to this point hits her. This place of such deep hurt and resentment and regret. 

Then the most heartbreaking sound in the world comes out of Val and her eyes snap to his. She watches unbelievingly as tears well up in his eyes and then it’s like a dam breaking from within him. 

His head drops heavily on the wall over her shoulder, his hand sliding lower on the other side of her. He’s not touching her but the incredibly close proximity is overwhelming. 

“I never wanted you to leave,” he croaks out, shaking his head slowly against the wall. Her eyes widen at his broken admission. “I didn’t want to leave you. You were supposed to understand. You were supposed to-to know what I meant when I said we couldn’t be together that night. You weren’t supposed to leave me. Why, Zendaya? Why did you leave me?”

He pulls back and the breath leaves her at the devastation in his eyes and she can only gape in horror at the raw display of emotion. Obviously something he’d buried for a long time just now being released. 

“I-I-” she stutters, hiccuping as sobs crawl up her throat anew. “I was hurt and I didn’t understand at the time-” she cries, eyes darting between his, “I’m so sorry. Val, I’m sorry-” she reaches up hesitantly to place her hands on either side of his face. 

The touch burns both of them, and he grabs her wrists tightly, pushing them forcefully back and against the wall on either side of her. 

“No. Don’t-just don’t,” he bites out, still holding her arms back. 

She nods, sucking back a sharp breath in an attempt to slow down her erratic heart. 

His eyebrows pinch as he turns his head towards the side, staring almost curiously at his hand squeezing her wrist. Carefully, like he’s dealing with a wild animal, he loosens his harsh grip. He curves his hand around the back of hers, his thumb sliding up the inside of her hand in an agonizingly slow manner. 

With a jolt, it hits her what he’s doing and she sinks into herself, staying as still as possible as he explores her lost touch. 

His right thumb reaches up, so slowly, to trace the lines of her palm. Her breath stutters unevenly at the touch, electric shocks zinging from the inside of her hand straight to her heart. 

Too many days, months, years without seeing him in person, without knowing his touch-

It’s too much and not even close to being enough. 

She feels her body begin to tremble from where he has her pinned to the wall, but she dares not breathe a word. Wide eyed, she can only stare at him with barely concealed restraint as he frowns in concentration. His gaze stays fastened on their hands. 

She greedily drinks in the sight of him while he’s distracted-the way his face has hardened, his jawline more pronounced, his elegant nose, the hooded shape of his eyes, the green irises just barely visible in the low light of the room-

Her gaze falls to his mouth and oh, how she remembers

..faces slick with tears, pressed so close together in mutual despair…

…his trembling mouth against hers and ‘You have always had my heart, and it will always be yours’...

Without meaning to, she finds herself leaning forward as if chasing the memory. 

“Don’t.” 

She’s brought back to the present at his firm command. She gulps when she looks up and sees his turbulent expression, and the hand that had been exploring hers suddenly grips it like a vice. 

“I’m sorry,” she says, voice barely above a whisper. For so many things..

 Like coming out of an unwanted trance, he takes quick steps away from her, turning and running a hand over his hair. It’s one of the gestures she knows from years of experience to mean he’s shaken. 

She doesn’t move an inch from the wall. Her hands go behind her back and she leans hard on them before she does something more stupid like reach out to comfort him. 

“You shouldn’t be here,” he growls, still facing away from her as he shakes his head. “Out of all the fucking times to try and make things right-” he lets out a bitter laugh, but doesn’t continue. His fists clench at his sides. 

She hangs her head, shame twisting her gut into knots. 

The space between them, no more than a couple of paces, seems suddenly tremendous and insurmountable. The loss of what they once had cuts her to the core and she feels her vision swims with tears she tries valiantly to hold back. 

“Why are you here?” he asks again, sounding both angry and incredulous. “Why are you here now?”

Her chest lurches. She has a feeling he knows the answer already, and she hates that he’s going to make her spell it out. She finds that she really doesn’t want to because she knows it’s hopeless. This whole situation was hopeless. How could she have ever thought that doing this was going to solve anything between them?

When he turns around at her lack of sudden response, she can only stare at the ground, her teeth digging into her bottom lip. Impossibly, she hunches back further into the wall. 

“What, you don’t want to talk now?” he sneers. She flinches. “Isn’t that what you came all the way across the country for? To talk?” 

“Y-yes,” her voice cracks, and she suppresses a wince. Peta would be shaking her head if she could see her right now. So much for being strong. 

There’s a long silence. 

And then, “Ah, I see. You heard from Peta that I was getting married, that I’d finally moved on, that I finally found happiness, and you came here to take that all away because you’re selfish-”

“No,” she denies vehemently, finally looking up. The move cost a little bit of her dignity as the tears she’d been trying to keep at bay are finally set free. 

“Don’t lie to me!” He roars, and then he’s getting in her face again. “You’re selfish, Zendaya! This is selfish,” he seethes and she shakes her head defiantly even as a broken sob escapes her throat, “Don’t even try to tell me this whole fucking thing isn’t you trying to recover what little control you thought you still had over me.”

A vein bulges from his temple as he raises his voice angrily at her, his expression reddening. In all of her 22 years of knowing him, 16 of which intimately, he has never yelled at her. She can’t remember ever seeing him this spitting mad, and the fact that it's all directed at her tears her apart. Her hands cover her mouth to muffle the terrified whimpers as his control snaps. 

This is so different than five minutes ago when he was the one almost brokenly crying onto her shoulder. Now, he seemed to be lashing out at her, trying to erase the vulnerability he had so briefly allowed her to see. 

“You fucking left me!” he shouts in her face, “You left all of us! Maks, Pops, Mama-everyone! You threw us out of your life like garbage for six and half years and you do not get to strut back into my life and try to deny that-”

“I’m not denying it, I’m sorry, Val!” she sobs, body shaking visibly. “I’m so, so sorry!” Her arms wrap around her middle in a feeble attempt to hold herself together. His rage cuts at her viciously. 

For a moment, he looks as if he’s about to go off on another tirade, but then he shakes his head, squeezing his eyes shut as he lets loose a frustrated shout, hands going behind his head as he paces in front of her. 

She sinks to the floor, the dark green silk of her dress bunching around her knees. She cries in earnest now, her keening wails the only sound in the room. 

This was all so fucked up. 

Honestly, though, she shouldn’t have expected anything less. 

All she knows is that as soon as the words ‘Val’ and ‘engaged’ had been said, she’d been reacting on impulse, rushing to see a man she’d actively tried to erase from her life for breaking her teenage heart. When she was finally old enough to look back and know the reasons and the logic behind all that went down, it was too late. She had been too ashamed to attempt reconciliation in the aftermath and too chicken shit to face any negative confrontation with him. Obviously, with good reason, as this whole present situation proved. 

Besides all of that, she had been beyond overloaded with her work. K.C. Undercover had wrapped and immediately she had been cast into the Spider-Man Franchise, then The Greatest Showman, then Euphoria, and soon Dune and time just slipped through her fingers and it got easier to ignore the guilty panic whenever she thought about him- them, because she was so fucking busy. 

But these were all excuses. Weak ones, at that. 

And Val knew it. 

He was furious with her for it, even after all this time.

Her shame swallows her whole, and she sobs anew, drawing her knees to her chest and hiding her face in the space between them. Her red tinted hair falls like a curtain over her face and she’s secretly grateful for the small protection of not having to see her one-time soulmate so angry with her. 

“Z-please stop crying,” the man across from her says after a while of her pain being the only sound in the room. “I can’t-Just stop, please,” he mutters, his tone holding the slightest hint of begging. 

She sniffs bitterly, peeking at him over her forearms where she had them folded over her knees. He’s not facing away from her anymore, but he’s not looking at her either. Instead, it looks as if he had turned towards her but stopped midway. His hands are balled into fists again at his sides and his body is tensed and coiled like a spring. 

Well, it was good to know he cared enough still to not want to see her cry, she thinks with a grimace. 

“I’d apologize, but I think I'm sick of saying sorry for the night,” she quips, resting her cheek sideways on her arm as she gazes sadly at him. 

His only response is a sideways glance, his fists diving into his pockets. 

She breathes out a forlorn sigh. “You’re right, by the way. It was stupid of me to come here.”

She notes his jaw clenching as he stares down at the stone floor. 

“I just-when Maks called me to tell me the news,” she sniffs, “I-I was on the plane before I even really knew what I was actually doing. I think I went into shock,” she let out a bitter laugh, “and just moved on auto-pilot. If Peta hadn’t tracked my location after not picking up any of her calls, I think I’d still be sitting at LaGuardia like a homeless person.”

His guarded reaction is just a slight movement of his head in her direction. His eyes look at the space a couple of inches from her feet. His expression is shuttered, but she does see the corners of his mouth pull down in a frown at her words. 

“I didn’t come here trying to ruin your…,” she bites her lip, “engagement party.” She barely refrains from choking out the two words. She was going to have to get used to this stab of pain to her chest any time she was forced to face the reality of it, now. “I-I just…I realized how much time I lost with you, you know what I mean? I’d been doing so good at compartmentalizing you and the fam away in my mind that when Maks called, it-it me hard. Finally, right?” she rolls her eyes at herself in self-reproach. “I just can’t believe…”

She trails off without finishing the sentence and sits up straighter, pulling her head up to rest her chin on her arms instead of her cheek. She sniffs back snot, the hard sobbing had really taken a toll on her, physically. 

“Z,” he starts, voice quiet. “I really don’t think you should be here.” 

She freezes at his softly whispered words. When he turns to face her full on, their gazes clash and she recoils from the hint of pity she sees there. 

“I have to try and make up for everything, though,” she gets to her feet, wobbling slightly on her heeled shoes. “I realize that now, Val. I want to make up for lost time-”

“I don’t.”

Silence. 

His gaze is unflinching on her as he says this-so steadily-and her arms go around her middle again. Jesus, would this night ever stop finding ways to rip her heart out?

“It’s too late,” he continues, and his gaze turns sad, “I moved on. I found Jenna and….she’s amazing,” she sucks in a sharp breath at hearing his fiancee’s name for the first time, “She understands me, she was there to pick up all my broken pieces and try to put me back together again when I realized you were never coming back.”

She can’t look at him when he says this, and she turns her head sharply to the side, pulling her bottom lip into her mouth. She can feel another lump rising in her throat. Great.

“You have to understand,” he inches closer to her, his hands falling out of his pockets to be placed out in front of him tentatively. “Your abandonment destroyed me, Z. It fucking wrecked me. You were my best friend, and if I believed in it, I’d even say you were my soulmate,” he gets close enough to her and his hands come up to gently cup her elbows where his thumbs trace calming circles on her arms. It’s such an old Val and Zendaya gesture that she involuntarily cries out in longing. 

His grip tightens, warningly. “This is why you can’t be here,” he concludes firmly. “Because I don’t think I can trust that you’re just here to make up for what happened. I think you may still have…unresolved feelings,” he ignores her indignant sputter, “And I cannot have that kind of distraction two months away from my wedding.” He shakes her, not hard, but enough that she meets his beseeching gaze. “You have too strong a hold over me,” he admits in a rush, “you always have and I promised-I promised myself a long time ago that I’d never let myself love like that again….the way I loved you.”

Zendaya gasps, her eyes darting between his. 

She opens and closes her mouth, trying in vain to find the right words, any words to respond to such a statement. 

A loud banging on the door causes them to jump apart. When a familiar blonde head peaks around the door to check on the inhabitants, the tension eases somewhat. 

“You guys need to wrap it up and get back out here,” she tuts, stepping fully into the room and closing the door almost all the way behind her. Outside the room, the party rages, laughter and loud conversation filling in the silence.

Peta glances at Val. “Jenna’s starting to get worried. I told her the veal wasn’t agreeing with you but that was twenty minutes ago. She’s looking around all the public bathrooms on the floor now.”

Val gulps. Zendaya watches him straighten his back in front of her. He hesitates for one single moment, and she begins to hope that he might ignore Peta’s warning to stay and talk longer but…

“Excuse me,” he clears his throat, and walks out of the room without a backwards glance. Peta steps widely out of the way as he passes around the door, her searching gaze being stubbornly ignored. 

Then the blonde woman looks back at Zendaya. “Everything okay?”

The young actress stares miserably at the door he had just walked out of. 

“No,” she whines, “everything’s fucked up and I really kind of hate myself….like, a lot.”

The only thing she can cling to in the cesspool of misery that was tonight was-

‘I promised myself a long time ago that I’d never let myself love like that again….the way I loved you’

Well. She didn’t come all this way to just give up on the first try. 

She’d just have to keep trying, and she didn’t want to toot her own horn or anything but the handful of acting awards she’d won this year reminded her that when she wanted to be…she could be very convincing. 

To be continued….

[ritebeforeyoureyes]

What If

This was a little, slight angst but not complete angst piece that I wrote during my break from writing an endless amount of essays. I hope you guys like it x 

What If 

“What if you woke up one morning and I wasn’t here?” Zendaya asked abruptly, making Val’s head turn. 

They were going about their nightly routine, Zendaya perched on her bed with her phone and Val stood by the bathroom vanity, brushing his teeth. With a quick swipe of his mouth, Val strode towards his girlfriend, his eyes piercing through hers intently. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Val’s body surged with negative thoughts, his heart sinking painfully into his lungs. 

“I mean ... what if, one day, I’m not here-” Zendaya was cut off as soon as she started speaking, Val’s hands moving forward to grasp hers. 

“Z, you’re scaring me. Why this talk about-” Val paused suddenly, his hands letting go of Zendaya’s as if she had shocked him with an electric current. “Are you ending things between us?” 

Val and Zendaya had been together for two years now and Val had presumed she was happy; ecstatically so. But, was that him just imagining things? It had been a doubt in his mind before the couple had gotten together; the doubt that she would always want more. She was young and she had so much of the world to conquer, Val had always thought he’d hold her back. It was why it had taken Val so long to confess his feelings towards Zendaya, he didn’t want her to feel tied down to anything serious, especially after her scumbag ex-boyfriend had cheated on her. 

“What?” No!” Zendaya reached for Val this time, her body practically sliding onto his lap. As soon as she was near him and her words registered in his head, Val let out a breathe that he didn’t know he had been holding. 

“Baby,” Val nuzzled her neck softly, his nose running the length of it leisurely. The subtly of her lavender perfume wafted through his senses and Val inhaled and exhaled deeply; he would never get used to having her so close. “Are you sick?” 

“What if I was?” Zendaya said in the faintest of whispers. 

“Baby.” Val lifted his head, his eyebrow quipped as worry enveloped every fiber of his being. “Are you? Sick?” Zendaya sat quietly, her gaze flickering down to the floor. “Come on, talk to me.” 

“I ... I don’t know.” After a pregnant pause, Zendaya finally spoke up. “The doctor’s think they may have found something and I’m ... I’m scared.” Her lip quivered and a singular tear rolled down her cheek, a tear that Val caught speedily with his thumb. 

“Hey, hey, don’t cry.” Val failed to believe that his beautiful, strong youthful girl had anything wrong with her; she just couldn’t. His heart was beating erratically, his head thumping heavily with questions. However, the most important thing - the only important thing - was sitting in front off him. Her tall frame had closed in on its self and Val knew, his only priority was to reassure and calm her until they had definitive answers. “There’s nothing to be scared about. I’ll be here, with you, no matter what happens, okay?” 

“That’s what I’m scared about!” Zendaya’s tone raised and the tears were an ongoing stream now. “I’m scared of putting you through this ... I’m scared you’ll have to sit by and watch me die-” 

“Don’t.” Val grabbed Zendaya’s face forcefully with his hands. “Don’t you dare. I love you and whatever happens, I’ll always love you. But please, no jumping to drastic conclusions until we’ve seen a doctor, okay?” 

And just like he’d promised, Val had been there ... every step of the way; thirty years and counting. 

[liveandlovevaldaya]

Let Me Say Something

And hopefully I'm going to say it loud enough so all the people in the back can hear me: Y'all know I love Valdaya to death. To me, together they are magical. Living art, soulmates, better halves, whatever you want to say... everyone knows that. Love them together, will always ship them forever and ever. --HOWEVER-- and this may be an unpopular opinion, SOME men, and by that I mean historically, MOST men, do not do well nor thrive in a relationship where the female is wealthier, brings in more money, is a bit higher on the career totem pole. I have seen some really dumb ass members of my family let go of and let get away some women who were literal perfection because of this. Be it she had a better job, was more educated, had higher goals, etc. Zendaya is a whole lot of woman. Intelligent beyond her years, keeps her head down and hustles. Her star has been steadily rising. She makes smart choices, keeps herself out of drama unless it is necessary to address. She is plastered everywhere right now and she has goals and wants to meet them. I can see that being way too much/too intimidating for Val. I'm prepared to potentially get hate on this one. But I see how where he is at now makes sense for him. HE calls the shots. HE says jump someone else says how high. HE runs the show. We know his personality; his swagger, his ego is there. It's part of what most women who find him attractive like about him. Valdaya together would be explosive because they can both be fiery AS HELL. So yeah, that relationship would be end goal for me cause damn, can you imagine what they would accomplish together? But Z isn't slowing the train down for anyone, and I have a feeling Val has an insanely hard time with not being completely in control. Will I still write and continue to ship? Hell yes. Like I said- till the ends of the earth. Do I think I understand how and why all this is playing out why it is? Yep.

[its-ashley-95baybe]

Z finally uploaded her birthday video on her app and suprise suprise there was not one shot of Val. Dang it Z. I know she's trying to be private but I'm trying to see the valdaya reunion 😩

She's real petty. Further proof of them wanting to keep their relationship private...for some reason😏

[ritebeforeyoureyes]

I Want You, I Need You

I am loving the opportunity to keep writing. I am also taking requests on which multi-chapter fic I should continue; Ransom or Favourite Star Season so, let me know if you have a preference.

This smutty Sunday piece was requested by pink7184. I hope you like it.

I Want You, I Need You

"Why are we having this argument right now?" Zendaya was yelling, her arms raised above her head in exasperation.

"We aren't arguing, we're meant to be having a conversation - like adults!" Zendaya hated that word - adults. The age gap between her and Val was one that made her feel insecure, even after years of dating. She was a legal adult who lived independently and yet in moments like these, she always felt like a child. Val didn't mean it, but whenever he was angry, he felt it was necessary to highlight just how old Zendaya was. It was all most a way to belittle her when things weren't going his way.

"I'm sorry I'm not as mature as you, Val." Zendaya snorted with a tinge of bitterness to her voice. "But, right now, we are having an argument, a pointless one at that."

"Pointless?" Val scoffed in response. He was now pacing the length of her living room, his legs taking large strides within the confined space. "You're asking me to sit there and watch whilst another guy fondles you in public and you think this is pointless?"

Val and Zendaya's heated exchange had originated with her Spider-Man: Homecoming 2 contract. As stated in her contract, Zendaya was legally obliged to do whatever her publicist asked of her and in this case, it was a publicity stunt that starred Tom Holland. The aim of the game was to utilise Tom and Zendaya's friendship to boost the hype surrounding the sequel that was quickly approaching its release date. Fans were intrigued to know about Tom and Zendaya's relationship which meant they were seemingly interested to see how their characters' romantic plot panned out in the highly anticipated movie. For sales, the idea was utter genius but for Val, it meant he couldn’t do or say anything as his secret girlfriend paraded around with another man on her arm.

"We are just hanging out! It's the same as the last movie. We just do some of the press releases together, pose for so much pictures - that's it!" Zendaya didn't understand why Val was getting so jealous. In fact, Zendaya thought his overreaction was preposterous. She didn't object to when he had to dance up close and personal with his ex-girlfriends. She sat in the audience and watched him rumba like the proud girlfriend she was. She didn't understand why he couldn't do the same for her.

"That's not it-" Before Val could begin to list all that was wrong with Zendaya's contracted obligation, a knock came at the door. The two suddenly went quiet before automatically turning towards the grandad clock that hung in Zendaya's living room. It was approaching 11pm and neither of them were expecting any visitors, especially at this hour. Zendaya got up off her spot on the couch and stalked towards the door, her eyes scanning past the security camera feed as she did. Within seconds, Zendaya's frown was turned upside down; the smile stretching across her lips as she pulled open her front door.

"Bella!" Zendaya hadn't seen the familiar redhead in months and her unexpected arrival was bittersweet. Zendaya desperately wanted to continue her heated debate with Val but she also wanted to relish in the presence of one of her dearest friends. "This is a surprise. How are you?"

"Hey, Z." Bella went in for a hug and the two met in the middle, their arms curling around each other instinctively. “Sorry for stopping by so suddenly but there are road closures up ahead and the storms are meant to come in tonight.” Zendaya nodded knowingly. It was the reason why Val was staying with Zendaya tonight. The two were meant to spend the following day together after Val had gotten some well-deserved rest. He had been in extensive rehearsals approaching the new season of Dancing with The Stars and truth be told, his partner wasn’t much of a dancer. Hence why Val had decided that a full night’s sleep would leave him refreshed and ready to spend time with his girl. However, weather reports had claimed the approach of the storm of the century and Val didn’t want to be stranded, without Zendaya, on his only day off. “Is it okay for me to crash here tonight?”

“Of course, it is, you goof.” Zendaya pulled open the door, inviting Bella inside her home.

“Oh, hey Val!” Bella’s eyes bulged open, mentally slapping herself. She knew Zendaya and Val were in a relationship and it hadn’t even crossed her mind that Zendaya would have company. “I’m sorry if I’m interrupting anything.” Bella cringed awkwardly, her hands ushering between the two.  

“Hey, Bella! Don’t be silly, you’re welcome to spend time with us whenever you want!” Val smiled courteously even though a nagging part of him wanted to say, ‘Yes, you are interrupting. Leave.’  He liked Bella, he really did, but she couldn’t have had worse timing. Val’s jealousy was bubbling within him aggressively, the idea of Zendaya being so comfortable with another man wasn’t sitting right with him. Val needed to talk this out with Zendaya and he needed to do it soon.

“If you guys don’t mind, is it okay for me to just head straight to bed?” Bella didn’t want to be a third wheel and honestly, Zendaya was doing her a massive favour by letting her stay; she didn’t want to impose any more than she already was.

“Aw, B,” Zendaya closed the door behind her and turned all her attention to Bella rather than grouchy old Val in the corner. “Hang with us! We can watch a movie or something.”  

“No, no, honestly, I am exhausted!” Bella faked a yawn and Zendaya just chuckled at her. She knew Bella well enough to know that she was purposefully trying to give Zendaya and Val their alone time. “I’m just going to call Matt and get some sleep.” Matt, or Blackbear as he was known to most, was Bella’s current boyfriend and just like Val and Zendaya, the two were pros at living out their long-distance relationship.

“You know where the spare bedroom is, right?” The question was more rhetorical, Bella had been over at Zendaya’s place plenty of times; it was practically a second home to her. “You head up and I’ll bring you blankets and … some tea?” An excited nod was given at the mention of tea. Zendaya wasn’t a whizz in the kitchen but one thing she could do right was tea. Bella made her way up the stairs and Zendaya brushed past Val in order to make Bella’s tea. Zendaya was looking at her feet as she walked past him and Val, he was staring directly at her. His hand caught her wrist as she stepped through the doorway and into the kitchen, halting her movements drastically.

“We have to talk about this.” Despite holding her temporarily captive, Val’s touch was gentle. His thumb was tracing light patterns into Zendaya’s skin making unintentional shivers run through her.

“Val,” Zendaya warned with a whisper. She didn’t want to do this in front Bella. She knew they’d start having a normal discussion that would lead back to what Bella had walked in on – a heated, and rather loud, argument. “Not now.”

“Yes, now.” Val was whispering also but his tone was still firm, authoritative. He was a Russian man with hot blood, there was no way he was going to downplay his girlfriend’s current situation. “I go back to work tomorrow and what, you’re free to go on all these dates with Tom? That’s not okay with me.”

“I am not going on dates, Val!” Zendaya felt like she was going in circles just constantly repeating herself. She didn’t know what to say or do for Val to believe her – to trust her. “I am just hanging out with a friend.”

“A friend who has feelings for you.” Zendaya was about to intervene but Val held his hand up, quietening her within seconds. “And don’t try to tell me he doesn’t having feelings. I see the way he looks at you, acts around you.” Val didn’t like to acknowledge the fact that Tom adored Zendaya. The boy couldn’t keep the smile off his face whenever in her presence and Val couldn’t blame him. “I know because it’s the way I look at you.” Zendaya was perfect; her looks, her kindness, her talent. Zendaya was the whole package, hence why Val felt so threatened. He didn’t like the idea of losing her. Zendaya was the only girl Val had ever fell so wholly in love with. The thought of her not being in his life wasn’t just heart-breaking, it was earth-shattering.

“Val, can we not talk about this now, please.” Zendaya shook her hand out of his hold and continued to make Bella’s tea. From the corner of her eye, she saw Val leave the room and she let out an audible sigh. She hated fighting with him. But, for now, Zendaya needed to distract herself with the hospitable arrival of Bella – she could talk to Val later. Zendaya prepped some jasmine tea on a tray full of snacks and made her way upstairs, a fluffy blanket tucked neatly under her arm. Zendaya paused outside Bella’s door, placing the tray on the floor before reaching over to knock.

However, Zendaya’s arm paused as she heard a soft moan come from inside.

“I miss you so much, Matty.” Bella’s voice was raspy and seductive and Zendaya simply stood frozen in her spot. She didn’t know why but her legs just wouldn’t let her move. A sense of curiosity was ignited within her and she stopped to listen. “I wish you were here, I wish you were the one touching me, playing with me.” There was a light lag in conversation, presumably where Blackbear responded to Bella on the phone and Zendaya felt a sensation bubble within the pits of her stomach. “Are you playing with yourself, huh? Thinking about me here … by myself.” Listening to Bella was turning an already angsty Zendaya on. She could hear Bella’s fumbling on the mattress accompanied by her moans and Zendaya had to try holding in one of her own.  With Val’s crazy rehearsal schedule and her Spiderman promotion tour, the couple spending time together was a rarity. With this entailed a prolonged period of no sex. And truth be told, she missed him … she missed him like crazy. She missed the movement of his hips, the throaty whispers into her ear, his rough yet simulatenously soft touch.

As if she had been zapped by a sudden force, Zendaya snapped out of her turned on haze, dropping Bella’s blanket beside the tray of food. She speedily made her way to her own bedroom, knowing that was where Val had made his way to earlier. She spotted him instantly, he was stood in front of the TV, his fingers fussing at the buttons on top.

“Stupid remote.” Val was mumbling to himself, his anger seemingly being taken out on the TV and its inability to function how he wanted it to. He was so focused on trying to get the TV to work that he hadn’t noticed Zendaya walk into the room. With her hormones still running a rage, Zendaya made her way to Val, her knees dropping before him. Val looked down at her suddenly, his eyes looking down at her widened doe ones. “Babe,” Val said, the uncertainty evident in his voice. “What are you doing?”

“I don’t want to fight anymore.” Zendaya played with the buckle of his trousers, desperately trying to get them undone. She grabbed at his length through his trousers and Val took a step back. He knew that sex wasn’t the answer to their problem; a discussion was. He placed his hands against her shoulders, forcing her up and back onto her feet again. A look of sadness – and rejection - floated across Zendaya’s features and Val tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. He let his hand travel leisurely down her face before he spoke.

“I want you-“ Val didn’t want Zendaya to think that he was rejecting her because the idea of her dropping to her knees and taking him was the hottest thing he had seen, ever. He adored her, in every sense of the matter and he wanted her to know that – fight or no fight. “But-“

“No buts, Val.” Zendaya pressed her chest against his tightly, their body heat intermingling. “I want you, no, I need you, right now.” And as she spoke Val knew he was putty in her hands. Her simple sentence of reassurance and the glazed over look in her eyes was enough of an indicator for Val to know that she was his. Regardless of Tom’s affection towards Zendaya, at the end of the night, she got into bed with Val. She told him she loved him, she made love to him and that was all that mattered.

Val’s hand progressed from Zendaya’s face down her body in admiration; her arm, to her breasts, her hips and then her thigh. Zendaya sucked in a breath as his fingers traced the smooth skin. His fingers inched closer and closer to her inner thigh, excusing her panties and finding their way inside her. Zendaya gasped, her eyes fluttering shut. “Val…” The sound of his name on her lips was ecstasy and enough to make Val move faster. He moved his fingers at an increased pace, his neck falling into the crook of her neck.

“I’m sorry, baby.” Val peppered kisses to her neck as she spoke. “I didn’t mean to get angry … I just I want to be the only man on earth who gets to adore you.” He was muttering into her neck whilst his fingers steadily moved in and out of her. Zendaya opened her mouth to respond but no words came out. She was gaping, like a fish out of water, the moans just ascending from the back of her throat. “I want to be the only man who gets to touch you, feel you.”

“You …” Zendaya’s moans were louder, her eyes still glued shut. She was captivated by Val’s touch: the way his stubble rubbed against her skin, the way his free hand cupped her hip. Zendaya knew she couldn’t use her voice to tell Val that he was only man for her so, she decided to use her body instead. She grabbed his face with her hands and pressed her lips against his, kissing him with a pent-up hunger. Her claw like fingernails pulled at his shirt, tugging it up and over his head in seconds. Then came her pleasurable torture. She scratched and tugged at his toned body, her whimpers soon drowning against his lips. Their mouths were pressed together tightly, both fighting for dominance. But as time passed and breathing became harder, Zendaya gave in. Val parted her lips with his tongue before tasting her mouth fully as she fell apart around his fingers. “Val!”

As Zendaya came down from her orgasm, they separated to catch their breath. Zendaya and Val took the opportunity to discard of all their clothing. The process was messy and clumsy; a depiction of how urgently they wanted one another.  Zendaya pushed Val back against the bed as soon as they were naked, her eyes devouring him before she inched up his body. She rubbed her fingers up and down his thighs teasingly, his body clearly tightening with the amount of tension he was currently experiencing.

“Don’t tease me, not right now.” Val grabbed at Zendaya’s hair, pulling her up his body. She smirked against his pouted lips before slowly straddling him, her body engulfing him fully. “Fuck.” The hiss left Val’s mouth in pleasure. He had missed this, being this close to her. They’d been apart for so long he had forgotten how good she felt.

Zendaya placed her hands flat against his chiselled chest as she began to rhythmically rock backwards and forwards. Val’s hands freely travelled her body; her arms, her stomach, her thighs, her perky little breasts. He gripped her firmly, massaging her breasts to the rhythm of their movements. “Baby, I’m so close.” Val’s head was flat against the bed.  

“Val … please … oh my god, please.” Val’s hands fell to her hips, all most guiding her so that he was effectively inside her more; deeper, harder. The two moaned each other’s names until they were effectively riding out their simultaneous orgasms – their argument completely forgotten.

[its-ashley-95baybe]

Those comments just reminds me why I love Valdaya. In the 4 years we been here none of us has gone to his accounts or even Jenna about some shipping bs. We have never gone to attack her on her accounts. Her stans have countless times attacked Zendaya Jenal Amber (R&S). The only time Valdaya went off was when Jenna blocked people definding Z against her racist fans. Tells you alot of why I dont like her pitiful ass. Our comments stay here. Her fans are the ones screen shot them to other sites.

This. I can't tell you how many times I've seen my messages and posts on Twitter. Even when we first started out we were more mature than the others. Her stans and her need to go somewhere. Idk where since she's stuck on the same show and has yet to do anything outside(and no,those 2 week dance shows aren't anything)

[ritebeforeyoureyes]

Never Again [Valdaya]

apologies for the ending - don't hurt me, i promise i don't do it on purpose! and, i got the inspiration for this from trey songz's 'never again'. hope you like it, lovelies xo

Never Again [Valdaya]

Alex furiously typed away at his phone, his thumbs poking at his phone aggressively as he tried to pull her number. His body was wracking with many emotions and he was unable to control himself completely; he was nervous. His nervousness was easily visible though his jittery fingers and Ben placed his hand upon his shoulder to calm him down just a touch. 

"You've gotta tell her." Ben urged, his elbow pressing into Alex's side gently as he pushed him to press call on his phone. With a large intake of air, Alex pressed call, something within him hoping she wasn't able to take his call just yet. 

After a few customary rings, she answered and Alex sighed heavily into the microphone - he hated delivering bad news. Especially to her. He really didn't want to ... he knew it would break her but he also knew he was obliged to.

"Hello?" Her whimsical, child-like voice rang through Alex's ear and he closed his eyes gingerly. He didn't want her to know, he really didn't but Ben was right, she needed to know. Alex was just upset that he had to be the one to break the news. 

"Hey, Zendaya." Alex inhaled and exhaled deeply, his mouth puckering as the scent of multiple medicinal products enveloped him. Alex spluttered a little and Ben pat his back lightly. He looked down at Alex sympathetically; neither of them were in a particularly nice situation. "How are you?" 

"Alex!" Zendaya's warm voice cheered softly. Her voice was a little loud because as usual, she was at work. You could hear the buzz of instruments behind her: guitars, bass', drums, vocalists. For months now, Zendaya had been preparing for her next headlining tour and today, was like all the others. She had left her home before the break of dawn and was still rehearsing and working with producers, despite it having turned midnight. Zendaya was really dedicated to her profession, something which Alex admired about the nineteen year old. However, he was even more proud knowing about her current situation ... her current - early pregnant - situation. "I'm great, a little tired ... but great, nevertheless. How are you doing?" 

Alex gave Ben a wistful glance before speaking. 

"Zendaya is it possible for you to get off work?" Alex asked warily, unsure of how to state such tragedy. "We need you to come down to St. Mary's." 

Instantly, Zendaya's heart dove into panic. By Alex's shaky tone and the reference to the one hospital on the coast, Zendaya knew something was wrong. She could just feel it. She had been feeling a little on edge all day, however, she had just figured it was the stress of work. It had been weeks since she had, had a proper day off and Zendaya felt as if sleep was creeping upon her. She was wrong. Her hands began to grown awfully clammy and she couldn't gather the ability to reply back to Alex. "Daya? Sweetie, you still there?" Alex questioned as Zendaya's mouth opened and closed, like a fish out of its element; water. 

"What ... what happened?" She asked, gulping down the large ball of mucus that had formed at the back of her throat. The thick liquid flowed down her throat and into her stomach, the bitter taste lingering upon her taste buds. "What's wrong?" Zendaya croaked. 

"It's ..." Alex rubbed his heel against the hospital floor, his eyes glazing over as he looked over towards the room where his best friend was currently laying in. "It's Val." 

"What about Val?" Zendaya began to panic even more. Her eyes widened as she silently prayed for all to be okay. "What's going on, Alex? Oh, God! Please tell me he's okay ... please tell me he's okay, Alex because I don't think I'll be able to live if he's not. I just can-" Zendaya subconsciously rubbed at her flat belly. She was only around a month into her pregnancy and was a little worried about heading on tour in such a scenario but Val, her boyfriend, had convinced her that he'd be there for her throughout both the tour and the pregnancy. He knew she loved performing and he also knew until she was around five months into the pregnancy, she was allowed to be on stage. Like any responsible soon-to-be-father would, Val also knew he was going to be standing next to the stage; a paramedic by his side as Zendaya did her thing. 

Val had given his full approval and his full support. 

It was the only reason she had agreed to carrying on with it. "Please, Alex." Zendaya's voice pleaded desperately.

"He's been taken into hospital for alcohol poisoning, Z." Alex shook his head, unable to let the words sink into his own head. "He passed out at the apartment and when I got home, I found him on the floor-"

"What?" Zendaya blurted out, interrupting Alex mid-sentence. "No. No way! Val hasn't had a drink in years. He's been sober for like two years, I'm sure of it, he promised me ... he swore on my life that he'd never touch a drink again after what happened to my Aunt. There's no way, no way in Hell he'd put himself through that ... put me through that." 

Zendaya's Aunt, her mum's younger sister, had only been thirteen when she'd started drinking. It was something she did when alone or when depressed or when she was feeling a little upset - she did it in secret. To most, she was happy Clara. To Zendaya she was always jolly Aunt Clara who was practically a second mother to her. Nobody was aware of how bad her drinking habits. Nobody had contemplated how badly she was addicted until doctor's declared she only had a few months left.

The news had killed the whole Stoermer and Coleman family. The shock ot it all made the wound deeper, sharper; more painful to bare. The two families were so conflicted between emotions as they watched their close family member rot away slowly. Clara's once joyous face began to grow ghastly and her large frame began to shrivel until suddenly, there was nothing left. And, when she'd passed away, Zendaya had spent months hiding away from the world. 

She felt as if a small piece of her died with her Auntie and Zendaya couldn't help but blame the alcohol for snatching Clara away from her. That vile liquid that teenagers mercilessly gulped down because it made them feel better, was the one and only thing Zendaya truly despised.  The plain stench of the weakest alcoholic drink made Zendaya sick. Not the actual liquid itself but the image of her Aunt. Zendaya's mind would immediately drift to her deceased Auntie and the sight of her Aunt on her death bed was enough to make Zendaya feel poorly. So much so that she'd sleep on the bathroom floor, her head between her knees as she dry heaved. 

From then onwards, Zendaya tried to eliminate the alcohol from her life. She wasn't much of a drinker before but the odd glass of wine she had with dinner was no longer present. The multiple rum bottles her grandma kept for special occasions were downed the sink. Her mother's chocolate and vodka mousse was emptied out into the trash can. 

Zendaya couldn't stomach any of it.

That was also the time when Val had taken that oath. He had placed his hand flat against Zendaya's chest - where her heart was resting - and had said, "I will never touch a drink again." Val had pressed his forehead against his girlfriend's as she silently sobbed. At the time, he wasn't sure if her tears were of happiness, because he was going to become sober, or because things hadn't gotten so uncontrollable with Aunt. Either way, Val had vowed he would never let the poisonous liquid snatch away his most prized possession. 

Liar. 

"I am really sorry, Zendaya, I really am, about everything: what happened to your Aunt, what Val's been doing, what's happening ... I'm sorry but ... it's ... it's the truth. The doctor's claim he's been drinking in private for years and it got really bad tonight because he managed to knock out, cold." 

"He ... he ... promised." 

Zendaya hadn't even realized that the tears were beginning to grow within her irises; the briny water taking its toll on her body and flowing uncontrollably out of her hazel jeweled eyes. She rubbed at them furiously with the back of her palm and shuffled away from the few people around her. Sympathy from strangers, no, acquaintances was not needed. Zendaya didn't want them to see her like this, broken. She just ... she just wanted to stand alone to gather her thoughts for just a moment. 

"He promised, I know. He promised you, me, everyone. He promised himself he would never drink again but Zendaya ..." Alex ran a hand through his red hair. His fingers struggled through the strands that were now growing sticky with perspiration. "He needs you right now. He needs you both right now." 

Zendaya looked down at her flat stomach. Val needed her and their baby. 

"I'll see you soon." Zendaya's raspy voice croaked into the phone until the dial tone started ringing. The repetitive tone beeped over and over into Alex's ear until he disconnected the call, his eyes drifting on over to Ben.

Alex looked at Ben, who was as equally as distressed as him, before letting his body collapse backwards into a hospital chair. The plastic death seats took him in compellingly, the hard surface smacking into Alex's toned legs. He groaned at the impact, his head falling into his hands as he shook it about furiously. 

He was hoping this was a dream, all of it. Deep down, he had faith in his best friend and he wanted to believe. He wanted to believe that Val was innocent and that him passing out was just a misunderstanding. Like most, Alex wasn't sure whether to trust the doctor's diagnosis or not. After all, Alex had known Val since he was a little child. The two were brothers and Alex knew Val was a man who kept to his word. He truthfully loved Zendaya and Alex also knew that Val truthfully had proclaimed he was never going to let Zendaya shed a tear again. Alex was hoping Val had just had some bad Chinese food and that his body had taken its toll for the worst. 

Alex was hoping for everything ... everything but the truth. 

"What are we going to do, man?" Alex mumbled into his clammy palms. The salty taste lingered on his lips and he pouted, trying to be rid of the sour cloud that had settled over his taste buds. 

"I don't know ... I don't know." Ben's large frame flopped onto the chair opposite Alex's. Ben - who was drastically larger than Alex - seemed out of place in the small chair. His large legs were split wide as he rested his elbows against his thighs. "We just gotta hope for the best."

Despite the fact that neither of them were strictly religious, they sat together silently. The two knew it was wrong and uncalled for but they couldn't help but pray. They silently prayed together, their thoughts drifting within the home of both birth and death; the hospital. In the background, the wails of children could be heard: the cheers of happiness, the sobs of bereavement, the coughs of ageing patients, the buzz of medical instruments, the pitter-patter of shoes, the howling of the wind, the whispers of conversation ... Midst all this noise, Alex and Ben still felt alienated.

Val's family, the Chmerkovskiy's were in New York and Val's kinship brother was currently on a flight into the state. Alex had been unable to contact Maks but had left him a message which he would hopefully receive as soon as he got off his flight. 

That had just left Zendaya. 

Alex's heart sank as Zendaya's beautiful face drifted into his mind. The girl had become a sister to him and soon enough, she was going to be the mother of his god-son, his nephew. From the many years Val had spent with Zendaya, Alex had seen his life ignite. Val was always pessimist, somebody who just lived life because had to - until he met her. Despite the large age gap, Val and Zendaya had clicked instantly.

They had become friends and then best friends. 

Alex saw the positive change in Val and suddenly, he felt sorry for Zendaya. Zendaya had been on this upwards journey with Val. All she had ever seen from Val was happiness, support, love and now, Alex was unsure of whether Zendaya was going to be able to handle everything that was going on. Especially whilst pregnant. 

"Can I see him?" A draught filtered into the narrow hallway as the door, on the far right of the room, swung open. The nurse at the reception desk looked up at the worried girl and then back down again, her mouth curling into a sympathetic smile. Somehow, she knew of Zendaya's predicament and she signaled towards Alex and Ben with her chin before turning back to her usual idle work. The nurse was used to situations like this one. She was also there to witness people’s pain and she had taught herself to keep herself emotionally detached from it all. With that last wistful smile she looked away, positive that she would start weeping if she stared at Zendaya’s broken face for any longer.

Zendaya nodded curtly at the receptionist before letting her long legs push her towards Ben and Alex. Neither of them looked up at her, both of their heads hanging low as they looked down upon nothing in particular. Zendaya stopped a few inches away from Alex, her hands shaking as she tried to gather her words, her feelings, her emotions. Alex placed his hand against hers as he tried to control her shivers. He was trying to comfort her but he knew it was going to be difficult to do so.

"He's in there." Alex pointed towards the room a few metres to his left. His thumb indicating to hit shakily. “Visiting hours ended hours ago but-“ Alex looked on over at the receptionist and he knew she wouldn’t object for any of them to go see Val. She seemed like a kind enough woman.

Zendaya just nodded as she dropped Alex’s hand from hers, her feet shuffling towards the slightly ajar door. Pounding from within her chest, Zendaya’s heartbeat was slowly yet predictably grew faster and faster. After only a few steps forward, Zendaya felt herself becoming out of breath; adrenaline shooting through her. With one last look at Alex and Ben she pushed softly at the door before letting her body slip through the small gap and into Val’s room. She was on the balls of her feet as she did. Somehow, she felt as if creeping around silently would make all of this much easier to bare.

Instantly, Zendaya was hit by the smell of alcohol. So much so that she had to press her back up against the wall, near the door; her hand covering both her mouth and nose. The gagging feeling penetrated at her throat and she swallowed it back down, the tears probing at her eyes once again. Zendaya wasn’t sure if Val was awake or not so she stood and she watched. She watched his body heave upwards and downwards as he breathed. She watched the wires connected to different parts of his body tangle together. She watched the machine next to him beep every so often. She watched him with absolute disbelief; her mind trying to grasp how Val had betrayed her.   

“Zendaya, baby,” Val’s voice cried.

He was awake.

Zendaya, however, did not move from where she was standing. In fact, she pressed her back tighter against the wall, her breathes hitching even more than before. “Zendaya?” Val, because of all the machines, was unable to get up from his current lying-down position and his head lifted – painfully – as his red-tinted eyes met with Zendaya’s. He held his weight with his lower arms as he pleaded, silently, to approach him – she wouldn’t.

She couldn’t. “Baby-“

“No.” Zendaya interrupted Val. Even though her voice was just a tad over a whisper, Val felt as if she were shouting at him. He knew, deep down, this was coming and he knew he had to be a man and face what he had done but … having her so close yet so far was killing him. All he wanted to do was to touch her: cradle her hand with dear life, stroke at her silky skin. He just needed her near him. “No,” Zendaya’s eyes closed as her face contorted together painfully. Images of Zendaya’s Aunt flew into mind and she clutched at her side, praying for everything to just dissolve. She wanted all of this to be a dream, a nightmare. She needed it all to be a figment of her imagination. She was so conflicted she was aware of the mental and physical pain it was causing her. “How … how could you? Huh, Val? How could you?”

“Dayachka,” Val begged with his tone, his hand aimlessly fisting at the air, trying to grab a hold of her. “Please … I … I, don’ know what to say but I’m sorry. Prosti menya, forgive me.”

“You don’t know what to say?” Zendaya chuckled bitterly. “You don’t know what to say?” Zendaya rubbed at her forehead, the smell of medicinal products making her feel a little woozy. The fact that Zendaya was pregnant and her morning sickness was beginning to creep up on her was not helping in the slightest. Zendaya’s hand gripped the door frame tightly as she tried to carry her own weight. “You lied.” She muttered in disbelief. “I thought we were meant to tell each other everything, be there for one another through everything.”

“I know, baby, I promised … I promised. I just … I couldn’t, I couldn’t stop. It was like my oxygen, I needed it.” Val let his head fall backwards against his pillow. His head hitting the oddly hard material. “I had, have a problem and I promised you I’d stop drinking because I thought I could fight it. I thought I was strong enough to stop drinking but I wasn’t, I’m not and I admit that now … I just, I need you with me right now.”

“You promised?” Zendaya spat. “You swore on my life! You swore on my life that you wouldn’t touch a drink again. You were there when Aunt Clara died. You were in the room as the last embers of life within her were snatched from her, you were there to see all the bad alcohol can do and yet you carried on. You lied to everybody who loved you: your parents, Maks, Alex, Ben, Nicole, myself. Everybody and now, you have nothing but empty apologies to say for yourself.” Zendaya’s voice raised a little, her words coming out in complete disbelief. “You promised.” She laughed dryly until it fizzled out into cries.

That’s what stimulated it. Her body slid down the wall and onto the floor; a fatal position. With her legs curled underneath her, Zendaya sobbed. And she sobbed. And sobbed.

“Zendaya!” Val’s voice called with all the strength he had. He was pretty drugged up – both by his alcohol overdose and medicinal drugs – and calling for her was draining but the sight of her, upset, was enough to make him climb Mount Everest; Zendaya came first. Always. “Not always.” A voice in his head nagged and Val knew his conscious was right. Val had picked alcohol over Zendaya and that evidently seen through Zendaya’s current appearance.

A few seconds after Val had shouted her name, Alex came running into the room. He was panting heavily as he looked left and right quickly, his eyes taking in Zendaya and then glaring on over at Val. His best friend really had messed up this time. Alex closed the hospital room’s door and wrapped his arms around Zendaya’s long frame. He gently settled his body down onto the cold hospital floor, his arms enveloped Zendaya as he cradled her; she cried.  His large hand rubbed at Zendaya’s back as she buried her face into his neck. He was trying to comfort her and he looked on over at his brother disapprovingly. “I’m sorry, okay? I’m so god damn sorry and …”

“No,” Zendaya mumbled into Alex’s skin but she pulled away suddenly, wiping away at her tears and looking on over at Val. “You promised on my life that you’d stop drinking and you broke that promise.”

Zendaya knew the next few words would break her, but she also knew they had to be said. “I’m dead to you,” She glanced down at her belly, the belly that with given time would swell with her child. Her hands met with her stomach, hugging at it bizarrely as she looked Val in the eye intently. “We’re dead to you.”  

[ritebeforeyoureyes]

Favourite Star Season [Valdaya]

an anon asked for this … so, here you go, guys.  i was only going to upload one-shots this weekend but thought, what the heck? you guys wanted it so … here ya go!

Favourite Star Season [Valdaya]

Chapter Four

“I’m nervous,” Zendaya whispered to Derek, one of her thighs resting against his as they drove down towards the Nokia Theatre, where the Emmy’s were taking place this year. The whole cast of season eighteen had been squashed into one limousine and Zendaya was currently stuck between Victor Ortiz and Derek Hough. Both of whom could feel the jitteriness she was feeling; her body trembling lightly. Derek had one hand placed upon Zendaya’s thigh and Victor had his well-toned arm curled around her shoulders.

“You’re going to be amazing, just relax. I’ve got you.” Derek reassured Zendaya, a smile gracing his lips as he gave her thigh a gentle squeeze. A comforting gesture that calmed Zendaya’s nerves for a fraction of a second.

The limousine was tightly packed and Val, who was sitting on the far end, kept taking sneaky glances towards Zendaya.

He felt uneasy and he most definitely felt like an idiot. How had Val not realised his feelings for Zendaya sooner? He had seen her multiple times over the past two years and he’d always felt happy and joyous but, he’d never really considered it to be anything but friendship. Val also hadn’t seen her interact with a man – Derek - so closely and so lovingly before. Yes, Zendaya had acted in romantic movies but her on-screen beaus were just that, on-screen. Zendaya had never openly confessed being in a relationship with someone and so, Val had, had nothing to worry about. Until now.

Derek and Zendaya were close and flirting was in Derek’s blood; he did it all the time. Derek was a natural at it. He knew how to rapture women into his hold and he knew how to pull at certain strings in order for them to be putty in his hands. And, from what Val had seen, Zendaya was all most there. Val – when they had spent days locked up in a studio – had realised that Zendaya always hesitated when it came to physical contact. She had eventually grown used to Val’s touch though – four to five weeks after meeting him. It still amazed Val that Zendaya allowed Derek to be so open with her. He’d hold her hand and kiss her face and place his hands against her leg and Zendaya was okay with it. Like now, Derek’s hand was very high up her leg and frankly, it was making Val rather angry.

Now that he was aware of his feelings, Val wanted to be the only man in Zendaya’s life; always.

“You okay?” Tristan mouthed from opposite Val. Tristan was excellent friends with Val and he could see the shift in his mood, he could also see his constant glares at a certain Derek Hough. Like Maks and a few others, Tristan had found out about Val’s feelings towards Zendaya even before Val did. They saw the way his personality changed after he met her and they saw his motivation in life take a sudden upright journey; she was good for him. And, Tristan had realised that they were a match made in heaven. Val just needed to realise that. Tristan wasn’t sure if he had yet, but, from the persistent jealous glares thrown at Derek, it wasn’t too hard for Tristan to draw a conclusion.

Val’s feelings were starting to become aware of his feelings.

Val nodded in reply to Tristan but his lips were pressed into a thin line as he heard the other side of the limousine erupt with laughter. A warm smile suited Zendaya’s lips, her mouth hanging open as she laughed. Her long eyelashes fluttered shut as she relished in a joke that Val’s side of the extended vehicle hadn’t heard. Zendaya’s hand smacked against Derek’s thigh loudly as she laughed uncontrollably. Her hand was high up on his leg and Val’s eyes were bulging open. The inner animal in him didn’t like the close contact between Zendaya and another male, especially Derek.

Val had no control over his anger and his jealousy and now, his face was beginning to glow with a certain redness that Tristan saw as a warning. Tristan, as one of Val’s best friends, knew it was his duty to calm him down before Val did something he was going to regret. Tristan leaned over casually in his seat, his hands clasping together as he smacked Val’s knee playfully. Val – who was hyperbolically staring at Zendaya – cast his eyes away from the natural beauty so that he could look at his favourite Irish man that, right now, he didn’t like very much.

“What?” Val answered murkily, his eyes rolling as he tried to keep his voice at a minimum so his aggressive tone couldn’t be heard by the others around him. He knew it sounded rude and Tristan knew Val well enough to know he didn’t mean to be.

“Leave it.” At first, Val didn’t understand what Tristan was talking about but after a few seconds of cryptic thinking, he caught on. Val stole one last glance at Zendaya before nodding curtly at his friend. Tristan let out a blow of air before hitting Val’s knee, his hand circling the cap. Tristan gave it a light shake and Val suddenly felt a tad bit better knowing he had such a friend who was willing to hold back from doing something wrong.

Val was definitely appreciative of Tristan and his part in his life.

Throughout the rest of the ride towards the Nokia Theatre Val was silent. He could hear light murmurs of conversation and the odd erupts of laughter but Val didn’t join in himself. His mind seemed to dive into memories as he reminisced upon season sixteen of Dancing With The Stars; her season. His greatest season to date. Val truly felt he and Zendaya had been ripped of the Mirror Ball Trophy and he was praying this season would help rectify that. Val wanted that Mirror Ball Trophy, not only for himself but for Zendaya as well. Val knew she deserved it and he knew now was the right time.

Zendaya was older, she was more mature, her fan-base was bigger and Val had absolute faith that she could go all the way. She was going to rumba walk and jive all the way to that finale and hopefully, Val was going to be right by her side.

“Okay,” As the limousine came to a slow stop, a head popped through the door on the far left, the opposite side to where Val was seated. All of the heads simultaneously snapped to the direction of the authority filled voice. A man, dressed in black, had a headset strapped to his face and a clipboard in his hands. His eyes screamed for sleep and his nonchalant tone indicated that he was strictly present for business. He wasn’t really bothered for formalities … or politeness. “We need Zendaya and Derek to walk out together and then after around five to ten minutes we need you to all come out alone. We’re not advertising your partners so no walking out together. Wait about a minute or so before the person after you leaves and then make your descent down the carpet, understood?” Some people answered verbally and others just nodded.

The competitors all understood that tonight was going to be Derek and Zendaya’s night. Derek was being awarded a prestigious award and Zendaya was performing with him tonight; people had gotten work of the collaboration and fans were ecstatic to see the duo walk down the red carpet, hand-in-hand. All of the major news firms were lined on either side of the carpet in hope to catch the decorated choreographer and the triple threat teen star.

Derek smiled over at Zendaya as she glanced over at him warily. Victor, as a sign of encouragement, whooped loudly as Zendaya and Derek’s hands joined together. Val watched as Derek forcefully yet subtly conjoined their fingers, threading his pale ones through hers as they shuffled across the black sofa seat towards the exit. The man who was clearly deprived of sleep moved his body out of the doorway so that the couple could get out. Derek got out first and made sure to help Zendaya out in her heeled shoes and her lengthy dress. His hand threaded around her waist as they disappeared from the doorway and towards the carpet that was vibrating with the sound of camera clicks, fan cheers and reporters.

Zendaya had become accustomed to grinning and she grinned from ear to ear as camera lights flashed in her eyes. She squinted every now and again but Derek held onto her tightly, his hand resting against the dip in her back as they edged slowly across the red carpeted floor. Arms waved around aggressively, ushering Zendaya and Derek over, however, were not allowed to pick who they were spoke to. Derek’s publicist pushed them left and right before they settled on one media website that would ultimately make the two look better in the public eye.

“Don’t you two look precious!” The reporter gushed as she leaned in for hugs from them both. Zendaya smiled gratefully and thanked her, repeating the compliment back at her. Despite the fact that the woman was minimally dressed in a black pant suit. “Now, Zendaya, tell us … who are you wearing tonight?” The camera man let his camera zoom in and out of Zendaya’s astonishingly detailed outfit.

“Well, my dress is …” Zendaya thought about it for a second before remembering Law’s voice recite it in her head. “ Couture Zuhair Murad and my shoes are … of course, Ruthie Davis!” Zendaya kicked her leg up a little as she let the camera close in on her nude shoe. Her face lit up with a joyous laugh and the camera managed to snap the beautiful moment. The reporter and her camera man cooed loudly before turning to question Derek. Zendaya tilted her body towards Derek’s, her face lightening as she pretended to listen in on a conversation she knew was rehearsed. Derek was an expert when answering these questions and the interview ended quickly. Again, Derek and Zendaya were ushered on over towards another media crew.

By the time the whole Dancing With The Stars cast had gotten out of the limo, Zendaya and Derek were on their last interview. They were grinning and laughing and Val cautiously tried to depict what they were talking about; he failed. The place was too chaotic and he frowned at the image of Derek and Zendaya together. He hadn’t noticed it before but Derek’s tie matched Zendaya’s red dress and he could just imagine the headlines for tomorrow morning.

Zendaya and Derek … dating?

Derkdaya? – The new Brangelina?

Zendaya and Derek make their red hot, red carpet debut!

Val inhaled and exhaled deeply, praying it wasn’t too late for him to confess his feelings towards Zendaya. He knew it was a risk and he knew it could possibly ruin their friendship but he also knew it was worth the risk. Val knew Zendaya was worth the risk. She was a genuine person, a genuine person that Val knew he couldn’t live without. He had never felt like this about any other person before and he knew it was right. He was just hoping time was on his side.

“You okay, man?” Tristan high-fived Val as they walked of the red carpet. The cameras turned their angles towards another star and soon enough, Val and Tristan were forgotten. They were able to dissolve into a crowd of celebrities. Tristan was dressed in a full tuxedo and he shrugged off his jacket, draping it over his arm.

“Yeah, bro, I’m all right.” Val, absentmindedly searching for Zendaya, waited a few seconds before answering Tristan. Val was standing on his toes now, trying to catch a glimpse of her. He hadn’t spoken to her properly but he knew he needed to. He needed to tell her how he felt before her imploded – sarcasm aside.

“Don’t lie to, Valentin.” Tristan scolded with his accent, his finger waggling the air like a father would tell their child off. “You’ve been on edge all evening-“

“You know, Trist, you don’t have to ask. I know you know.” Val simply shrugged, grabbing a champagne glass of a waiter’s tray as he shimmied through the thick crowds. The waiter didn’t even seem to realise that Val had taken a drink and Tristan frowned as Val did. Val knew how to control his alcohol but he only knew Val drank when he was upset or antsy, or both.

“You like her, okay, go tell her!” Tristan made it sound so simple. He simplified Val’s problems in a few words and Val groaned at how easy Tristan made it sound. Tristan made Val’s problem sound so petty that Val wanted to stand back and laugh at himself. “Val, I’ve never seen you like this … you’re always the smooth one, the one who knows what’s up with the ladies – what’ so different now?”

Smooth with the ladies? Val chuckled bitterly before speaking, “I think I’m losing her, Tristan. It probably sounds silly but have you seen her with Derek? She’s practically in love with him! I haven’t seen her in months and we haven’t even sat down to have a proper conversation and it’s been three days. I’m restless, I can’t eat, I can’t sleep … I probably won’t be able to enjoy tonight because she’s with him!”

“You make Derek sound like an anarchist.” Tristan laughed, trying to make Val realise how preposterous he sounded, but Val just frowned at him before continuing.

“You know what Derek’s like, Tristan. He’s a charmer, he is just as smooth with the ladies and … I’m scared his magic is already working on Zendaya. She’s clinging to his arm and holding his hand and laughing at his jokes, that’s pretty smitten if you ask me. I am scared it’s too late.”

“Is Valentin Chmerkovskiy giving up?” Tristan punched at Val’s shoulder as they walked into the Nokia Theatre. The place was lit up with florescent lights, multiple movies posters and the stars themselves. Val could see celebrity after celebrity but he knew couldn’t enjoy any of it. He wasn’t excited about being in the same room as the likes of Meryl Streep and Ben Affleck. All he could worry or think about was Zendaya. The way her hair fell across her shoulders, the way her mouth perked up into a flawless smile, the way her hips swayed as she walked, the way her eyes twitched with excitement. “You’re not a quitter, Val. I’ve known you for years and if this is something you truly care about, if Zendaya is somebody you really like … you are going to work for her. You are going to go backstage and you are going to confess your love to her before she goes on stage tonight.”

“I can’t-“

“The Valentin Chmerkovskiy I know, doesn’t have can’t in his dictionary. The Valentin Chmerkovskiy I know wouldn’t let Derek Hough walk all over him. The Valentin Chmerkovskiy I know-” Tristan didn’t slip up once as he said Val’s full name.

“What am I meant to say-“

“You tell her how you feel, Val!” Tristan threw his hands up in exaggeration. His shirt that was tucked into his dress pants was beginning to come out because of his dramatic arm motions. “Tell her exactly what you’re feeling-“ Tristan pocked aggressively at Val’s chest. “Tell her that you love her and grab her face and just-“

“Okay!” Val held his hands up in surrender. “I’m going. I’m going to tell her how I feel.” 

[ritebeforeyoureyes]

Four Words [Valdaya]

this is dedicated to the lovely that requested it – the sweeterthejuice - yesterday morning. and, hold up, okay, strictly come dancing started last night – the british answer to dwts – and len goodman is so much more nicer when he’s in england. i swear, it’s creepy and unexpected. it's like his personality does a three-sixty when he's on his home ground. 

Four Words [Valdaya]

“I don’t like her.” Val wasn’t sure of how many times he’d said those four words.

He had said it to his brother, Maks. He had said it to both of his parents- Aleksandr and Larissa. He had said it to Nicole and Teddy Volynets. He had said it Alex and to Ben and to Serge and to Jonathan. And, to be honest, Val was sick of everybody and their comments.  

Val didn’t like her. He would have known if he did and he was frankly annoyed that so many people in his life were trying to push him towards something he didn’t want. He didn’t want anything other than platonic with Zendaya Coleman and he wanted people to respect that. His closest family and friends especially.

Zendaya meant the world to Val, yes, but he didn’t see her as nothing more than a sister. She was a sweet girl who had an astonishing future and Val was glad to be a part of that; he was just a little bewildered because everybody pictured them as something more than what they were. Maks always claimed Val and Zendaya had a connection but Val was oblivious to such a thing. Val and Zendaya knew how to dance together – they had chemistry – but, Val couldn’t picture this translating into a long-term relationship.

It just wasn’t meant to be.

“You okay, Valentin?” Elizabeth mocked lightly, knocking her elbow against Val’s rib as they walked arm-in-arm towards the new studio space the show would be occupying. Val had seemed to space out and Elizabeth could see his façade. Val just nodded in reply, before turning his head sharply. He didn’t want to have to repeat those same four words to Elizabeth too.

ABC’s Dancing With The Stars rehearsal and stage space had suffered from a water leak and therefore the place was under construction. Builders and designers were crowding and overflowing the small – or semi small space; forcing the competitors of season seventeen of the show to find a temporary rehearsal space. This was also the spot where producers would be assembling a temporary ballroom floor that would hold all – now ten – competitors and an audience for their weekly Monday night show.

Currently, all ten competitors and their partners were huddled into a tight herd. The judges of the show – Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Toniolo – were also part of the group, alongside a few producers and directors.  They had all just walked into their new rehearsal space and were curiously glancing around.

Compared to their usual space, this place was miniature. There was a big foyer which could comfortably hold the ball room floor was open wide, filtering towards an extended hallway, front and centre, which directed them to four other rooms. These rooms were similar in size to the usual ones the couples rehearsed in. But, doing the math, there were ten couples and only four rooms. This was going to be tricky when trying to keep choreography and dance performances a secret until the final dress rehearsal and performance on Monday’s.  This was going to make it difficult for the couples to get private dance time together. 

Val and many other pros did not like this fact.

“This place is tiny.” Derek Hough huffed loudly. He was looking about, unsure of how a ballroom floor was going to fit in such a cramped space. Despite the open white-washed room, the place felt like it was closing in on them. It was definitely not the kind of place that Derek, Mark, or Val envisioned choreographing their – hopefully – next win.

“It’s about to get smaller.” Bruno muttered cheekily, snapping his fingers as he pointed down the corridor. A group of confused eyes met with his. All of their eyebrows were cocked upwards and as they subconsciously demanded some answers. “You have somebody occupying the biggest studio room today.” Bruno pointed to one of the wooden doors and, indeed, music was blaring from the other side.

The music was muffled but it was instantly recognisable as rhythmic hip-hop. The bass was harsh, perfect for body popping and the words, even inaudible, were somewhat minimal with a catchy ring to them.

“Who is it?” Cheryl asked, genuinely intrigued as she reached for the door knob, her long skeleton-like fingers wrapping around the glistening golden ball. When in Central Hollywood, there were stars creeping out from everywhere. It was like a Halloween haunted house but with Barbie blondes, extremely high heels and plastic surgery. You never knew who you were going to come across in a central location like their current one.

“Are we even allowed in there?” Christina asked warily. “Aren’t we going to get like … thrown out or something?” She laughed bitterly, conjuring up the situation in her head.

“It’s … somebody most …” Len Goodman spoke lowly. “Of us know, she’s a good friend.” His head swivelled left and right as he glanced at his acquaintances that were significantly younger than him. Len’s eyes glazed over as he encouraged Cheryl to open the door. His shoulder jutted out forward quickly as he waited in anticipation to be reunited with a good friend that was on the other side.

Genuinely eager now, the cast of season seventeen slowly walked into the studio room that was thumping erratically with music. The mirrors looked like they were vibrating as the music’s harmony played yet nobody seemed effected by the loud sound. The Dancing With The Stars cast shuffled into the studio awkwardly, everybody trying to cram in so that they could catch a glance at this ‘supposed friend’. There were speakers on either side of the room and only seven people present in the room. Five of those people were seated against the back wall, one of them holding a camera and the other two were in the centre of the floor.

Val could see the girl’s face but from her posture and her lengthy frame he knew exactly who it was.

That was his Zendayachka.

Val wanted to start grinning but when his eyes travelled up and down her body; he knew he had no reason to be smiling. His heart suddenly dove into overdrive as his eyes took in the sight before him.

Zendaya was dressed in a white crop top. Just like most of her wardrobe, the top was crazily printed; expressing Zendaya’s unique taste in clothing. The top’s hem skimmed half of her stomach, giving Val and whole lot of other people, a peak of her caramel coloured skin. Her tall legs were adorned with a pair of harem bottoms that fit tightly over her backside but ballooned out at her thighs before tightening once against her ankles; they were black pants. Zendaya’s signature red, black and white sneakers graced her feet and from what Val could see, her bright blue socks were peeking out from underneath. Again, Val wanted to grin but he couldn’t not when he could see what he could see.

Zendaya and the other dancer, Nathan Maas, were in their starting frame for the dance they were about to do. Nathan’s head was planted into the space between Zendaya’s shoulder and her neck and his palm was pressed flat against her bare abdomen. Zendaya’s head was thrown forward, her open hair covering her view of her new found audience and one of her legs was slotted through the gap between Nathan’s. Their bodies were pressed tightly up against one another and Val could see Zendaya’s chest heave upwards and downwards as she rallied herself up for the dance she was about to perform.

Despite the fact that most of the professionals were eager to embrace Zendaya, they stood back silently as they awaited her dance performance; she was always gracious. Zendaya and Val had only danced hip hop once and they were all curious to how this different style of dance would pan out, especially with a partner other than Val. The thought of Zendaya having a dance partner that wasn’t him, made Val feel agitated.

He didn’t like it, he didn’t like it at all.

For what felt like hours, Zendaya and Nathan stood in their starting position. Val continued to scowl, not liking the close and intimate contact between the two. He was huffing rather loudly and Elizabeth looked - eye level - at him. Her face was laced with confusion but Val just let it go. He didn't have a rational explanation for his feelings anyway. He looked back at Zendaya  before the heavy pounding music swiftly dissolved into another song; one of Zendaya’s songs. Val owned the whole album and had heard every single song at least once but he wasn’t so familiar with all songs. This song happened to be one of those.

“Baby, I can’t live without you, I’m slowly dying.” The first line of Zendaya’s song – Scared- rang eerily throughout the room. Zendaya and Nathan moved their bodies slowly, their postures weakening as they inched away from another as the song’s melody began to fizzle in. The hard kick snares of a drum settled behind Zendaya’s harmonic voice and Zendaya and Nathan began aggressively body popping. It was as if they were possessed and their bodies were shaking with an irrevocable force. Zendaya’s head fell forward and pushed backwards harshly, her hair flying with her creepily as her and Nathan parted so that they were at separate ends of the large studio room.

This was when Zendaya lifted her eyes, her hazel eyes meeting with Val’s green orbs. Val’s heartbeat quickened erratically as he found himself falling into the depths of her eyes; she was mesmerising and Val was shocked that he hadn’t felt such a spark before. He had spent long durations of time with Zendaya – locked up in a studio – and he had never felt as antsy as he did in that one moment.  

Zendaya – trying her hardest not to lose herself in Val’s eyes – glanced away quickly before recounting the steps she was meant to do for the build-up to the chorus to one of her favourite songs on the album. The chorus slowed down a little and despite her voice sounding raspy and quick, the beat was slow and sultry – kind of like the choreography she was about to do.

This particular performance was going to be performed for Zendaya’s Halloween fundraiser therefore the slightly spooky intro choreography. Zendaya alongside Nathan had choreographed the dance and also had started to visualise the staging and the outfits for that one performance. Zendaya wanted to step out of her usual tour clothing and set-up and she wanted to do something special for the charity she was performing for and the dive into the holiday spirit. By the end of today, Zendaya was hoping to be done with the whole performance.

“Forgive me and I’ll forgive you,” Zendaya mouthed the words to her own song as she straightened out her left leg. As soon as the next line came in, Zendaya was squatting slightly and her hips rotated – thanks to her hula experience – as her torso sat completely frozen. “For playing my heart like a cello, strumming me no longer, beating like a drummer.” Zendaya’s hands paced leisurely up her body, her hands tangling within her crop top. The top inched upwards a little more as she did so revealing her flat stomach and her silky smooth skin that Val had the urge to reach on over and touch.

Zendaya’s face inched into a smirk as she looked forward with a look of determination on her before. She threw her head downwards and flipped it back up, her hair feathering behind her back as her and Nathan moved in sync to the words of the chorus. She was trying to lip-sync the words but Zendaya, being Zendaya, couldn’t help but sing-along. Her voice was a replica of the one playing from the speakers, confirming to doubters that it was indeed her that was singing. There was none of that auto-tune malarkey.

Zendaya was in her zone and she was singing along to her own music. You could see the instant serenity within her face and the flow of her body and you could hand on heart say that she was born to do what she was doing.

Val’s tongue unintentionally flew out across his lip as he watched his girl dance to something she was so comfortable with, hip-hop. There was none of that pre-show jitters that she would get when performing on Dancing With The Stars. Today, she genuinely submerged in her forte of dance and Val admired how different it was from what he was usually so comfortable with.

Val’s heart seemed to grow with admiration as pride filled him. Val was always proud of his partners; Elisabetta, Sherri, Kelly, Zendaya and now, Elizabeth. He was always present in the studio to see them grow and it was rewarding. He liked watching these girls jump – head first – onto the ball wagon and take risks. But, today, Val wasn’t proud of Zendaya as he was with Elizabeth. Yes, Elizabeth’s hard work was paying off in the studio and yes, she was doing tremendously well but that pride and the pride currently directed at Zendaya were polar opposites.

Val could feel that this was something a lot more than that.

Val was glowing, inside and out and he wanted to beat himself for not realising this sooner. He was right, he was right to have fought his close family and friends by saying he didn’t like Zendaya because, he didn’t.

Val didn’t like Zendaya – he loved her. 

[ritebeforeyoureyes]

Only When You're Close [Valdaya]

because i feel like we need something happy in the tag after so much negativity; time to spread some love ... hopefully ;)

Only When You're Close [Valdaya]

Val was trying, real hard, but he just couldn't. He wanted to be happy and dedicated - like he usually was - but, he knew his A game was off and was probably going to be for the next few weeks. She was back in town and it was making him uneasy. Val wanted, for Elizabeth's sake, to concentrate on the Dancing With The Stars competition but his mind wouldn't let him do so. 

Zendaya had been back in town for around four days now and it Val's heart was aching because he knew he couldn't be with her like he had done before.

The couple, who had confessed their love to one another during the finale of season sixteen, had spent a month or so afterwards in a blissful relationship. Despite being miles away from each other, the two had, had persevered through obstacles in order to be there for one another. 

Everything was perfect between them.

That was until Val dove back into preparation for season seventeen and Zendaya began shooting Zapped in Canada. Their polar-opposite schedules conflicted with one another and Val had suggested it. He had suggested the idea and now he deeply regretted it; he had suggested the two break of what they had. He told Zendaya, straight up, that maybe they needed to spend some time apart before committing to something serious. Val hadn't meant it in a cynical or hurtful way; he had just wanted Zendaya to grow and flourish within herself before giving herself completely over to him. He wanted her to live a care free teenage life without having to worry or think about him.

He just wanted what was best for Zendaya and for himself - Val felt as if separation was what they needed. So, the hundreds of miles between them made it easier for Val to stomach his lose. He loved her, he always would, but he knew some space would allow him to concentrate on work and for Zendaya to do promotional stuff for her album. Yet, he couldn't help but feel antsy when Zendaya was tweeting pictures from her birthday. He knew her and Trevor Jackson and Spencer Boldman were all great friends but the thought of her with other guys made Val angry. And, in that one moment, Val knew he had given up on something he knew was worth fighting for. He had hoped for positive outcomes at the end of the tunnel but, he hadn't really reassured Zendaya about what he wanted. He had told her what they had wasn't working currently but they could stay friends and maybe try again in the future. It was a cliche ending, something Zendaya had calculated might come true. Nevertheless  it had hurt just as much as she had expected and amongst her busy life style, she tried her best to push her feelings away ... However, now that Val thought about it, he'd broken up with Zendaya, not taken a break from her; like he had intended. 

He had let her go.

And, judging by her Instagram and Twitter pictures of her birthday and her album release party from the two nights ago, Val could tell that Zendaya wasn't dealing with the breakup as harshly as he was. 

Val was sulking around the studio, trying his hardest to ignore his own heartbreak but the constant reminder of Zendaya was making it ache even more; she was everywhere. Her album had just released and it was all people could talk about. Her Twitter was jumping and her schedule was jam packed full of appearances and performances. Val suddenly felt worse because he knew he was no longer part of her schedule. 

"You okay?" Elizabeth's arm was linked through Val's as they made their way on over to City Walk for their Access Hollywood interview with Mario Lopez. Val's sun-shade glasses were covering his eyes; manipulating the sight of his red and puffy pupils. Val had spent the previous night re-watching videos from last season and going through the private album on his phone.

He missed her. He really did.

He wanted to go to her. He wanted to just stride up to her door and proclaim his undying love to her but ... truth be told, Val was scared. It was him who had initiated the 'mutual' breakup and now, he was suffering the consequences. 

Queen Zendaya was preparing for take off - ready to take over the world - and Val was still stuck at his restrictive job with ABC. The place where he was continuously compared to Maks and punished for expressing his opinion. Val didn't want to be ungrateful because ABC had given him Zendaya and Sherri and Kelly and now Elizabeth but, Val couldn't help but compare himself to Zendaya.

She was capable of so much and deep down, Val felt as if he was going to bring her down if they began dating again. He wanted so much for Zendaya, so much, that he wasn't sure if he could deliver what was intended.

It was why Val hadn't turned for her album release party or why he'd made up an excuse when Clair invited him over for dinner. It was because Val knew, if he looked into her big doe eyes again, he was going to melt. The self-control he had forced himself to learn would quickly disappear once he had Zendaya by his side.

And, for her sake, he wasn't going to let that happen. "Val." Elizabeth pushed again, nudging his side lightly.

"Yeah, yeah." Val shook his head, snapping out of his train of thought. He nonchalantly answered, not wanting to elaborate on what he was restless over. 

"Good." Elizabeth clasped her palms together tightly, rubbing them together maliciously. "Because, I have a surprise for you!" Her voice was cheery and warm; cheering Val up a little. Elizabeth was a genuinely lovely person and it was hard for anyone not to smile when they were in her presence. Val felt guilty because he knew Elizabeth deserved a hundred per cent dedicated partner. Hopefully, Val was going to be able to push his personal issues behind him and make Elizabeth and that damned Mirror Ball Trophy his priority. "You will not believe who's performing on the Walk today." 

Val looked at Elizabeth questioningly but Elizabeth just shrugged in reply, leading him away from big crowds of paparazzi and towards one of the stage doors. 

"Who's performing?" Val asked impatiently, intrigued. The two walked arm-in-arm through the door. A soft buzz of audio was loitering the air and the closer they walked, the more prominent the sound became. 

He heard her before he saw her. Her harmonious tone massaging the ears of many as she stood center-stage. Like an angel, she was dressed from head to toe in white. A few pieces of gold jewelry adorned her body, breaking down the whole white ensemble. Those perfectly rounded lips that Val once used to kiss were painted a crimson red, the blood like colour contrasting against the brunette hair.

"I can't catch, my breathe," She sang softly, her hair flying with her as she bounced from one side of the neon lit stage, to the other. The song seemed to be ironically perfect because Val's heart rate was beginning to plummet. "Only when you're close." Zendaya closed her eyes as she dragged out the syllables in the word close. She was completely engulfed into her performance and Val was utterly engulfed in the sight of her.

She was a vision of beauty, one that his eyes couldn't look away from. There was no skin on display yet Val could easily say that she was the sexiest woman in the room. Her white jeans sculpted her ever-lasting legs and her shirt was loose enough to conceal everything but tailored so that her best assets were accentuated. Val's tongue darted out across his lips as Zendaya finished of her live performance of Only When You're Close. 

"I wish I was that talented at seventeen." Elizabeth had to scream over the band that was playing as Zendaya and her dancers - who Val knew very well - departed from the stage. 

However, Val noticed Zendaya's quick skim of the crowd before she was concealed by walls. He wasn't sure if she'd noticed him but the juxtaposing emotions within him were battling, hoping she had and had not seen him. 

"Come on, let's go see her," Elizabeth tugged at Val's arm. She was excited to finally meet the girl that had encouraged her to except the challenge of Dancing With The Stars. Elizabeth had watched the previous season and had been inspired by Zendaya's hard work. She had seen her progress over the course of the competition and Elizabeth realised that she, like Zendaya and Val, had a passion towards dancing. Even though she'd given it up years before, Elizabeth wanted to reconnect with herself and physically and was hoping Dancing With The Stars would let her do so. 

She also wanted to thank Zendaya for being her catalyst in the situation. "I am so excited to finally get to meet the one and only Zendaya." Elizabeth grinned at Val and Val grinned in return; his grin was forced.

He didn't know what to feel and how to react. He wanted Zendaya and he missed her badly but there was something inside of him that was encouraging her to move on. Yes, the thought of her lips attached to somebody else's made him envious and sick to the stomach, Val felt unworthy of Zendaya.

He'd rather be out of her life all together rather than have to sit and watch as she took off on this upward journey, her hand clutching tightly onto somebody else's for support. 

Elizabeth skillfully looked about as her and Val walked backstage. Surprisingly enough, the two weren't questioned for backstage passes or anything along that line.

Val's grip on Elizabeth tightened as his eyes found Zendaya again. From where he was standing, Val could see Zendaya chest heaving upwards and downwards she tried to catch her breathe. She was still pumping with adrenaline from her previous performance. Her hair was disheveled but it just made Zendaya look more rough and rebellious. It was making it harder for Val to control himself.

Elizabeth and Val stood a few steps away from Zendaya before she finally managed to look up. Her eyes didn't even bother to look over Elizabeth, at least not when Val was standing beside her. 

Zendaya's breathing hitched heavily and she gulped down the lump of mucus that had magically formed at the back of her throat. Her heart was pounding heavily and that powerful feeling that she received whilst on stage was still coursing dominantly through her. She didn't know what came over her but Zendaya practically stumbled over her white and gold sneakers; her arms flying out as she dove into Val's awaiting arms.

Elizabeth stepped aside knowingly, giving the good friends - from what she knew - some time to reunite and greet one another. 

Immediately, Val's face slipped into the crook of her neck, his hands resting against her back heavily. Val's large hands had pushed her shirt up her back and he swiftly hoisted her up into the air, Zendaya's long legs twisting around his waist. 

"I've missed you so much." Val mumbled into her skin quietly so that only she could hear. His lips were pressed so tightly against her skin it was as if he were peppering kisses in the place that she was most sensitive; her neck. She didn't know what it was but her neck was always something that made her tremble. She hated being tickled there and it had always been something she had reacted to when Val had touched it during rehearsals.  "Baby ... we can't ... I can't-" Zendaya's body unintentionally shivered against his, her teeth biting down upon her lip as she suppressed a moan. All off the mental debacles Val had, had with himself disappeared. 

Being with her ... like this, having her in his arms; Val knew, there was nothing else in the world that he wanted. "I can't deny that I feel like this when I'm with you. I can't ignore it and push it away ... because, it's here and I know you feel it. I thought time apart would help but ... I can't. I really can't do it anymore, it's-"

"Only when you're close." Zendaya finished of his sentence for him, a smirk gracing her lips. 

[ritebeforeyoureyes]

just something small. i don't even know where this came from but, hey! i have this addiction to brant, with all seriousness. i am so glad he's on next season :)

Support [Valdaya]

Zendaya bubbled with excitement. She hadn’t expected this invitation and she was more than pleased to be where she was today. From what Zendaya knew, Val’s old partner –Kelly Monaco – hadn’t been invited into any of their – hers and Val’s - rehearsals and Zendaya was honoured when Val had asked her to come and sit in on one of his and Elizabeth’s rehearsals.

It made her feel special.

Elizabeth – who hadn’t danced properly since her Saved By The Bell days – was jittery about going out in front of the whole nation, live, and Val was hoping that Zendaya would be a sort of support system for her; help her overcome her fears and just enjoy being out on the floor and just being able to dance.

Zendaya was cool and collected on the stage, she always had been, and her and Elizabeth had been interacting over Twitter so much lately, Val thought it was about time the two women met.  Zendaya was permanently back in Los Angeles now that Zapped was finished and Val knew he needed to see his Zendayachka again.

He couldn’t help but swell with pride because Zendaya was a huge part of his life and he was glad that she had already formed a friendly connection with Elizabeth because Val was really hoping he would succeed with Liz this season. She had potential. And, he wanted Zendaya rooting him as he proceeded towards his victory.

However, Val wasn’t the only person who wanted the victory this season. Everybody did and, from what Zendaya had witnessed, the fan bases attached to each celebrity were strong. Each celebrity had dedicated fans and these fans were going to be voting like crazy for their favourites – it was going to be a tough call this season, Zendaya could already see it. It was hard to predict where the future was going to take all of them.

Zendaya shook her head, her brunette curls flying with her. Back when Zendaya was competing on the show, she was forced to have her hair tied up during rehearsals just because it was inconvenient towards Val. Val, however, loved the rare occasions where he was able to see Zendaya’s hair down and now that she didn’t have to worry about slapping anybody in the face with her hair, Zendaya had left it down. Her natural waves framed her face and a simple outfit adorned her body.

Her ever-lasting legs were dressed casually in a pair of boyfriend denim jeans that just skimmed her ankles. The light washed-out blue denim had intentional holes in the material, giving the world a sneak peek of Zendaya’s silky smooth skin. Her upper body – her torso – was wrapped in a see-through white blouse that also, exposed a little skin.  The outfit said ‘I’m not trying too hard but I still care’ and was completed with Zendaya’s signature garment of clothing – her sneakers. Her pure as snow high tops adorned her feet and Zendaya, with a look of determination upon her face, was ready to meet Val’s new partner.

She twisted the door knob that lead to the meeting room within the centre where everybody rehearsed. A sudden rush of emotion overtook her and Zendaya couldn’t help but smile at all of the good memories she had, had in this place. Her heart was thumping as her brain reinacted some of the moments that had taken place within this particular ten mile radius.

This was where she had learnt to ballroom dance. This was where she had connected with Val. This was where she’d rediscovered her love for dancing in general. This was where she had met Maks for the first time. This was where she had found out about her Grandma’s health. This was where she’d spent three months of her life; locked up and just rehearsing.

The feelings Zendaya got whilst back at the studio were bittersweet and she pushed away the tears that prodded her eyes, reminding herself that she here for a positive reason; she was meant to be happy. She was happy. She was glad to see Val again and even more glad to finally be able to meet Elizabeth in person.

“Daya,” Zendaya instantly recognised a voice and she smiled on over at Karina. Her small, petite body was running towards her and Zendaya – who was genuinely happy and surprised to see her – caught her in her outstretched arms.  Zendaya cradled Karina’s tiny body within her arms as the two distanced friends hugged it out after all most three months apart. The two hugged one another tightly as the celebrities and their pros seemed to exit their studios simultaneously. It was as if somebody had planned it and demanded the couples walk out at exactly the same time; the moment was very picturesque.

Zendaya’s arms dropped from Karina’s waist as she squinted her eyes carefully, straining her line of sight as her heart thumped violently within her. Suddenly, Zendaya wasn’t looking for Val or Elizabeth and most definitely wasn’t clutching tightly onto Karina, no.

Zendaya was running.

Val, who believed Zendaya was running for him, smiled warmly. He hadn’t seen his Dayachka in three months and he missed her dearly. It had killed him when he’d discovered that he wasn’t able to fly out to Canada due to his schedule and it killed even more when she called him up, upset one night. She had cried to him about how she felt like she was easily replaceable and the connection that she had formed with him wasn’t anything special because it was something he was going to have to do with a lot of other women. In that one moment, Val had confided in Zendaya and told her that she meant that world to him. It was also when he’d invited her to rehearsals.

Val wanted to confirm that even though his partner’s meant a lot to him, Zendaya was the one person who had made the greatest impact in his life. Zendaya was the one who had changed him and inspired him to do bigger things and for that, he was always going to be thankful – she meant everything to him.

It was why his excitement multiplied by three thousand as her body came hurtling forward. But, as soon as the excitement came, it left, because Zendaya wasn’t running towards him. Actually, she ran straight past him. Val’s neck rotated backwards as he watched Zendaya’s body haul up into the air and wrap around Peta’s partner’s – Brant’s body. Val didn’t have a single clue about who Brant was – before his Google search – but he had witnessed Peta, Karina, Lindsay, Cheryl, Emma and Tyne squeal once Brant had become a confirmed celebrity on the show. He was obviously a good looking man that attracted the ladies and Val couldn’t help but feel jealous as Zendaya’s long legs wrapped around Brant’s waist, her head fitting into the crook of his neck.

Zendaya had found out about Val’s partner through Val, she hadn’t had to watch the Good Morning America announcement, and therefore she hadn’t been informed that a family friend of hers was competing on the show; Brant. She was actually pretty wounded that her ol’ buddy Brant hadn’t told her himself.

“What?” Zendaya pulled her head out his neck and looked him straight in the eye. Val felt himself grow agitated as Brant’s hands rested against Zendaya backside, keeping her body hoisted and pressed up against his own. “How could you have not told me?” Zendaya dove straight into multiple questions and she interrogated Brant and Peta about their partnership and why Brant hadn’t felt it was important to inform Zendaya that he was competing on the show. Zendaya playfully scowled at him, giving his rock solid chest a few playful slaps as she frowned.

Elizabeth, who was standing next to Val, eyed Val cautiously and then looked at Brant, Zendaya and Peta.

“You know,” Elizabeth nudged at Val’s side but she noticed how he didn’t look away from Zendaya. “I know that look; just tell her how you feel.” Liz smiled knowingly as Val looked over at her, puzzled. “Oh! Don’t look at me like that. I’ve seen that look … it’s the way Greg first looked at me.” Elizabeth’s eyes seemed to glaze over at the mention of her husband.

Val’s eyebrows shot upwards as realisation hit him. “Go get your girl, Val.” 

[ritebeforeyoureyes]

monday prompt challenge one-shot about their first date. i don't even know what this is ... lol. it's really crap, sorry :)

First [Valdaya]

"My lady," Val mocked in an English accent as he held the door open for Zendaya. The door chimed as the two walked in, hand-in-hand. Zendaya's heart was thumping erratically within her chest as she took in the sight before her. In that one moment, she felt as if she were going to start tearing up. She placed her unoccupied hand open her heart, her head turning towards Val who was looking at her expectantly; awaiting a reply. 

"You ... you didn't." Zendaya gushed as she looked about, her head rotating upon her long neck. She was entirely bewildered by the sight and the simple thought that Val had done this, for her. For their first date. "How ... how ..." Zendaya stuttered, chuckles escaping her throat as she looked about; completely giddy.

She was scared, if she touched anything, she would jump awake from a lovely dream. She was scared if she touched anything, her daydream would fizzle away - this was something she didn't want. 

"So, you like it?" Val peppered a kiss onto Zendaya's hand as he looked at how awestruck she looked. A smile pulled at the corner of his lips as she stepped out of his hold and looked about their surroundings. Zendaya slowly spun around her kneels, looking back at Val who patiently waited for her to let everything sink in. 

"Like it?" She exclaimed, dramatically. "I love it." In that one moment, Zendaya inhaled deeply. The scent of fresh brewed coffee and cocoa beans eloping her senses, making her moan throatily.

Val gulped, trying to hide his sexual need for Zendaya as she batted her eyelashes closed and moaned. This was their first date and Val wasn't going to push her to do anything she didn't want; that was if she didn't continue to moan like the way she was now. "But how?" Zendaya turned back to him, her hands cupping her mouth as she bounced on her toes like a kid in a candy store ... well, she was, in a candy store. Just not a kid - she was seventeen now, soon to be eighteen. 

"The owner is a good friend of the family and, this place always reminded me of you." Val took his own glance around and smiled. Whenever he missed her, Zendaya, he'd come here. 

It was a quaint chocolate boutique in a hidden corner of a Brooklyn street. It was unexpected and small but in a way, it was like a break from the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple. The place was painted a deep crimson colour and the walls were adorned with old-fashioned mahogany shelves that held endless treats for anybody with a sweet tooth. Bean bags and small coffee tables were scattered here and there but Val always loved the cigar smelling sofa behind the counter. It was battered and ripped but, it allowed Val to take a break from his hectic life and just reminisce on his days with the girl he loved, Zendaya.

Zendaya was taking the world by storm and she'd spent months, actually, all most half a year away from Val. It had killed him to see her progressing but it killed him even more knowing he was something that was holding her back.

He'd always dreamed of being by her side as she conquered the world but, life hadn't turned out that way. Val had spent so much time on his life and vice versa that, the two had only revealed their feelings for one another recently. Actually, they had been oblivious to the feelings they had towards one another until Val realised how much he missed having Zendaya by his side, smiling and laughing and just, being herself.  

So, when she'd come into New York for a concert Val jumped on board and asked her out on a date and, he couldn't have been more proud of himself for doing so. Seeing the look of pure happiness in her hazel doe eyes just made him feel good. It made him feel complete. "I'd always come in here and just have some coffee and, look back on all of the good times we had together-"

"Val-"

"No, let me finish. I loved coming here because I always remembered how much you loved ice cream and chocolate and you always had this distinct musky smell that reminded me of fresh mint and milk. This place, unintentionally, brought me back to you. And, it was unhealthy for me because I missed you so god-damned much ... but, in a way, it made me feel connected to you."

"You'll always be a part of me, Val, always. I want you to know that." Zendaya was taking baby steps towards him, stopping when their toes were pressed up against one another. Val smiled at the proximity between the two, his long arm twirling around her waist as he cradled her to him as if she were going to vanish in thin air. "You're always going to be my gummy bear." Val's face contorted as she called him by that nickname she had taken a liking to. Val hated when she called him, a gummy bear, the comparison was so odd yet it could only come from Zendaya. 

Zendaya, seeing Val's facial expression leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, her lips lingering against his skin. It was unexpected, to say the least, because, Zendaya was never really forward with physical contact. She never had been and never would be. She rarely reached out and kissed Val the way she had done now; actually, it had only happened the once, after the Dancing With The Stars finale. 

Val froze as Zendaya's lips were placed against his skin. Her soft lips closed in around his stubble and his eyes closed shut for a second as he relished in the feeling - the feeling of her. 

"I've missed you, you know." Zendaya pulled away from the kiss but Val was adamant to keep her close and so, he took her hand. Their fingers curled together and Zendaya grinned warmly as he lead her towards the glass counter that was lined with perfectly wrapped candy. 

"I missed you too, Val." Zendaya jumped up onto the glass counter, her longs slinging off the side as Val took to standing behind it, his eyes scanning the multiple shelves for something that would intrigue Zendaya. His eyes stopped on a piece of candied ginger, something spicy that he thought would get Zendaya's taste buds going. 

"Here," Val quickly forced the small piece into Zendaya's mouth, startling her. She drooled a little, not expecting Val's fingers to be forced abruptly between her lips. She looked up at Val sheepishly, wiping away at her wet mouth; embarrassed. Val didn't care that Zendaya's spit was tangling off his fingers. What he did like, however, was that Zendaya was comfortable enough to drool in front of him - on him - without hesitation or resentment. 

Val had met plenty of girls that would make a big deal out of such a situation but not his girl, not Zendaya. And, Val liked that about her. He loved that about her.

"Sorry-" Zendaya cupped her face, her cheeks growing with a beetroot blush. But, her blush grew even deeper when Val pulled his fingers up to her lips and sucked away at her spit. "Ew, Val, that's so gross!" Zendaya whacked his chest, her mouth still full of the ginger piece. She chewed on the candied confection, squinting her eyes at the soar and sweet juxtaposition exploding within her mouth. 

"I believe we just made a baby." The words came out before Val could stop himself and he mentally slapped himself - did he really just say that? 

"I think it takes more than sharing spit to make a baby, Val!" Zendaya chuckled, her laughter echoing throughout the small shop. 

"How about we test that theory?" Val retorted with a sassy comeback, his lips teasingly descending onto Zendaya's. Zendaya swallowed the chewed up piece of candy quickly before letting Val's lips peck hers. 

It was soft and subtle and Zendaya let her hands wind around his neck, her fingers pulling at the small strands growing upon the back of his head. Her claw-like nails were massaging Val's head as their lips moulded around one another; a jigsaw puzzle. Sparks were igniting between the both and Val immediately felt stupid for not doing this sooner; for asking her to be his sooner. He'd missed out on two years of being with Zendaya and he instantly knew he had to make up for it. So, he let all of his emotion come out in that one kiss: the passion, the neglect, the love, the lust. 

It may have started off slow but it didn't end that way. Zendaya's legs curled around Val's hips and she pulled him closer to her. Val's torso was pressed against the glass counter and his eyes found their place on either side of Zendaya's hips. His thumbs became erect and he twiddled with the hem of her top teasingly, his fingers flicking out to trail light patterns against her bare, flat stomach. 

Zendaya smiled against his lips, Val's tongue coming into a contact with her pearly whites. He probed at her teeth, pulling them apart so that he could massage her tongue with his own. As soon as the two tongues connected, simultaneous moans escaped their lips and they pulled apart; staring each other in the eye. 

"Nope, no baby." Zendaya chuckled as she got the chance to catch some air. 

[ritebeforeyoureyes]

this is short but, it was requested by an anon, so, here you go x

Blood [Valdaya]

"Oh my God!" Zendaya screeched loudly, clutching to the hospital chair as the doctor stood before her.

The hospital stench was beginning to get to Zendaya's head and she suddenly felt rather woozy. One of her palms was clutching her head as the doctor stood before her, trying to calm her down. Zendaya didn't care that people were beginning to stare at her or that she probably looked like a complete mess. Her mascara was dribbling down her face along with her tears, her hands wiping furiously away at them. "No! You're lying! Stop lying!" Zendaya yelled at the doctor, her legs flying up onto the plastic seat as she cowered away from the monstrous doctor.

He was lying to her, why was he lying to her? Doctors were meant to be trust-worthy and reliable; she was meant to trust her doctor. So, why did it currently feel like her doctor was her worst enemy? 

"Miss Coleman, I am really very sorry, but-"

"Zendaya!" Zendaya instantly recognized a mesh of multiple voices but she couldn't see people's faces. Her vision had been clouded by her briny tears therefore limiting her line of sight. However, Zendaya could hear very well and she heard a stampede of footsteps approaching her and the doctor.

"Doctor, please explain, what is going on?" Zendaya immediately pin-pointed her father's voice and the comforting sound of his vocals made her weep even louder. She felt somebody reach for her but she shrugged out of the person's hold. Forcefully, she hit the person's hands away as she let her head fall into her knees; her forehead coming into a painful contact with her knee caps. 

"He's lying! Tell him to stop lying!" Zendaya screeched at the top of her lungs, her hands flying to hers ears as she violently shook. Zendaya silently excused the pain that was bubbling within her lower abdomen, her tears reflecting the pain she felt. 

She hadn't changed her clothes yet, thus, her clothes were completely covered. Her once white shirt was now a crimson red - her blood. 

"Doctor, what's going on?" This time, this person's voice strummed a chord within Zendaya and she yelled louder than any time before. Her cries were more louder and conflict-driven than ever. Val excused his girlfriend's cries and desperately clung to the doctor's lab coat, begging the doctor to tell him what was wrong. "Please, doctor, tell us what happened. Please, she's my girlfriend, just tell me!" Val was growing impatient as the time progressed in complete utter silence. 

"I'm sorry for your loss, Sir." The doctor bowed in morning, his head falling in respect. 

"You're sorry for our loss?" Val question, completely confused. What was he talking about? "I'm not sure I quite understand you." 

"Your girlfriend ... " The doctor looked at Val like he was crazy. "She ... she was pregnant." As a caring gesture, the doctor placed his hand upon Val's upper arm. "She ... you had ... she had a miscarriage." 

Val's knees buckled from beneath him as he grabbed Zendaya's arm, shaking her. He was unsure of how to react to such news. He had always wanted a child, always. He'd dreamed of settling down with the woman of his dreams - Zendaya - and having children but, he hadn't imagined it to happen so soon. He also hadn't imagined fate to take such a violent and cruel turn. 

A miscarriage? It sounded like such a proper word for something utterly cynical - death. His baby - a baby Val didn't know of - had just died. The word miscarriage seemed utterly formal and improper, as if Val were reading a rather realistic book, rather than actually living through this scenario. 

Val hadn't been crying, he was devastated, but there had been no tears on his behalf. That was until, she spoke, until Zendaya spoke. 

"I'm sorry, Val, I'm so, so, sorry." And, from there onwards, they cried together. They mourned together over the lose of their unborn child. 

[ritebeforeyoureyes]

i've had this idea in my head for ages now and haven't written it; don't know why but .. hey, here we go. it's here now. it's short but i hope you like it xo

warning - it isn't edited and this was written at 1am, my time. so, yeah .. bits may be gibberish. 

Ballas Hough [Valdaya]

"You nervous?" Val nudged the sixteen year old's side playfully. 

This was the first time that Zendaya and Val were going to meet their fellow cast members for season sixteen of Dancing With The Stars. Val - who was already good friends with the majority of the professionals - wasn't as nervous as Zendaya seemed to be. After all, she was going to have to get acquainted with both the professionals and the celebrities whereas with Val, it was just the celebrities. 

"A little." Zendaya nodded sheepishly. 

The whole cast of the upcoming season were scheduled to be on Good Morning America, where their pairings were going to be announced to the public. This was also the first time that everybody was going to formally meet and get to know one another. 

From past experiences, Val knew these meetings could either North or South - good or bad. He had had to sit through awkward confrontation and hand shakes and also be enveloped into hugs and warming smiles. There was no in between with this show, you either went hard or you went home - simple. 

"You'll be fine," Val reassured her. He'd gotten to know her well enough over the past week or so and Val could honestly say she wasn't what he'd expected. He first of all, hadn't expected a teenager but after coming to terms with her age, he'd expected tantrums and whining; that never happened. Zendaya was a determined girl who was frankly doing well with the choreography Val had created.

He was excited to work with such talent. "You're likable." Val winked at her as he, like a gentleman, opened the door to the green room where everybody was scheduled to meet. Zendaya walked into the room first.

She was dressed in a white dress that was dotted in blue flowers, the color complimenting her caramel colored skin. Val hadn't lied when he'd said that she was beautiful, the first time they met because she was. She was gorgeous, absolutely so. And, Val knew it was going to be difficult controlling himself - no matter how old she was - around her. 

He was only human. 

Zendaya walked into the room hesitantly, Val's hand placed on the palm of her back. But, as soon as she'd taken one step into the room her body was lurching forwards. At first, Val had thought she'd fallen but, no ... she was running. She stepped out of Val's hold and threw herself onto a certain blonde guy that Val knew very well; Derek Hough.

Derek and Val were friendly when they wanted to be, however, Maks - Val's older brother - had complained various times about how ABC favorite the professional dancer and Val had seen such favoritism take place during the three seasons he had been on the show. The judges adored Derek's every move and truth be told, Val was jealous of it. Derek was a great dancer but Val also wanted his moment to shine as a dancer and as a choreographer, he was hoping this season would do that for him. 

"Derek!" Zendaya yelled as she jumped on him, her long bare legs wrapping around his waist as he caught her lanky figure in his arms. Derek, who was startled at first, looked at Zendaya completely bewildered - like everybody else in the room - before breaking out into a smile. 

How did Zendaya know Derek? 

"Daya?" Derek questioned and Val ignored the pang of jealousy he felt when Derek referred to his partner by a pet name. "Oh my gosh, what are you doing here?" He asked before quickly answering the question himself. Val took into account that Derek's hands were resting against Zendaya's bottom, holding her up to him; he hadn't let go of her yet. "You've come to support your favorite person, huh?" Derek joked, pecking Zendaya's cheek softly.

"Ha!" Zendaya chuckled, her eye catching Mark Ballas who was also present in the room. "You wish."

"No, because she's come to support me." Mark swung an arm around Zendaya's shoulders and now Val was even more startled.

She knew Mark too? How? "Right, Zendaya?" 

"Nope," Zendaya popped her P's. She turned her head, glancing over Mark's arm at Val who was still standing in the doorway. "I am here to whoop your butts this season." Zendaya ushered Val over with her fingers, pouting at him to come join her. "Right, Val?"

"Your competing this season?" Mark asked, surprised. "No way! This is awesome." 

Derek, Mark, Zendaya and Bella Thorne had done a Disney dance feature and had met a few months back. Mark and Derek had been hesitant about dancing with a few amateur teenagers but had regretted their stereotypes within seconds of seeing the two dance. They were naturals who had picked up choreography within a couple of hours - maybe even less. Derek had been paired with Zendaya, Mark with Bella and they had performed a simple Waltz in front of cameras in glamorous outfits.

However, the shoot hadn't been very glamorous or sophisticated. The foursome were a crazy bunch and had laughed through each take; pulling silly faces and making weird noises. The four had instantly connected and had chosen to take each others Twitter's and phone numbers in order to stay in contact. 

They called each other every so often, like casual friends would do.

"But, how do you guys know each other?" Val asked, finally joining Zendaya, Derek and Mark who seemed to be the center of attention in the room. 

"She may be your partner now, Valentin, but she was mine first." Derek winked, making Val scowl at him. 

"She may have been your partner before, Derek, but, like she said, we plan to whoop your asses this season." 

[ritebeforeyoureyes]

the feedback to his story has been phenomenal – thank you so much. and, there will be another part to this so, don't you guys worry your pretty little hearts off.                

Red-Handed [Valdaya] Part Two

Val stalked through the crowds, a bull-like expression plastered across his face as he tried to grasp and image of Zendaya. The club, tonight – on a Friday night – was completely packed. People had to press themselves upon one another to create some sort of room to manoeuvre and, even then, it was difficult to do so. Girls were latched onto guys and guys were latched onto girls, everybody clinging to one another so tightly it made it virtually impossible to differentiate one person from another.

All Val could see was flickers of pink and green and blue and then, pink again. The neon overhead lights were forceful and harsh; the beat of the music contradicting yet harmonically mingling with the pace of his erratic heartbeat.

Val was mad, yes, he was mad. He was mad because Zendaya, his little Zendaya had even contemplated picking up a cigarette. However, he was even more enraged by the fact that Zendaya had walked away from him before he could have coaxed an explanation out of her or scolded her into admitting smoking wasn’t good for her. It was hypocritical of him, Val knew that. He and his friends smoked often. It wasn’t something he was proud of, especially when he was around little children quite often but, it was something difficult to grasp control over. Val had convinced himself that it was time to stop smoking but then, when a cigarette was placed in front of him, he couldn’t help himself.

He was addicted to the stuff, like most warning signs implied.

Now that he thought of it, the visualisation of Zendaya and an addiction to cigarettes made him uneasy. It was completely unlike her. The two words – Zendaya and cigarette – didn’t fit in the same dictionary, let alone the same page.

There was definitely something wrong with her; something was off and Val needed to know what.

Deep down, Val felt as if he was responsible for her. And, he was. It was like she was his property and he had to ensure she was functioning and performing properly.

“Yo, man.” Alex slapped his heavy hand against Val’s back, startling him. Val had expected Alex to be grieving with a glass of vodka after the blonde girl he had been talking to earlier, had turned him down. Obviously, Val had thought wrong. Alex didn’t seem fazed by the woman’s rejection; actually, he seemed pretty cheery. “What’s up? Haven’t seen you in a while.” Alex ruffled his ginger hair slightly, giving it a sort of rouge, rebellious look. “You just disappeared.”

Val didn’t want to answer formalities or elaborate on his motive about disappearing; he just wanted to find her. Val just wanted to ensure that Zendaya was safe.

Places like this – clubs – weren’t safe for a girl like Zendaya. She had been sheltered from drinking, drugs and smoking from the day she was born. She grew up in a good family with good friends. Everybody she knew influenced her in a positive way; they made her a better person. As Val had said many times before, the reason for a child’s success was their parents. Clair and Kazembe had done a great job raising Zendaya but, in a situation like the current one, it meant that Zendaya wasn’t street smart. She wasn’t prepared for any of this. The people in here weren’t all fan-girl teenagers, some of them were seriously dangerous, criminals: rapists, kidnappers, drug-dealers, perverts, and murderers. Zendaya, who had never been exposed to such scenarios, was just as vulnerable as the half-drunken people in the room. There was nothing stopping people for zeroing in on the pretty girl who was wondering the club aimlessly by herself. The plain thought of somebody even reaching for his Zendayachka made Val angry. So much so, that he had his fists clenched on either side of him.

Now, it wasn’t about scolding Zendaya for smoking … it was about determining her safety.

“Have you seen her?” Without beating around the bush, Val turned to his best friend. “Have you seen, Zendaya?”

Alex had known Val since they were young children. He had grown up with the guy, seen him go through puberty, relationships, dance contests, just normal hurdles in life; they were brothers. This meant that Alex knew things about Val that others did not. Easily, Alex could tell that something was off with his friend. His posture was rigid, his back muscles clenched together just like knuckles – this was something that occurred when Val was nervous and, or upset.

“What is Zendaya doing in a place like this?” Alex looked about, shocked. He suddenly understood the reason for Val’s nervousness. Zendaya was sixteen years old. Yes, Alex had only met her a few times but their connection had been a strong one. Weirdly enough, Alex had been able to relate to the teenager and her work ethic and just her basic mentality. She was just an easy person to get along with. They were able to joke around and have serious conversations and just … act like friends. Alex seemed to forget that she was sixteen years old whenever they spent time together. She truly had the mind-set of an older woman and Alex admired that. He cared about that. He cared about her. And, he was one hundred per cent sure that a girl of her age – no matter how old she behaved – wasn’t meant to be in a club like this one. She was underage and there was a high possibility of many things going horribly wrong. “Is she all right? Who is she with? How did she get in?”

“I … I don’t know, man.” Val, now panicked by Alex’s reaction, looked around the room hoping to catch her. He craned his neck upwards, hoping he’d be able to spot her tall frame amidst so many people.

“Listen, you call her, I’ll get the others to look around.” Alex looked towards a reserved booth on the far side of the club, where everybody else was currently seated. They were oblivious to Val’s predicament and Alex knew Val would be relieved just a tad bit knowing his friends were also looking out for Zendaya. Val nodded curtly, hitting Alex’s back as a silent thank you before rummaging through more crowds, praying Zendaya was okay. Worriedly, Alex scurried off to inform their friends about what was going on.

“Come on, Zendaya.” Val whispered to nobody in particular, his head swivelling left and right desperately. “Where are you, baby?” As if were fate, he finally seemed to spot her. The disappointment suck in when he took in what she was doing. Again, her legs were crossed over one another as she sat at the bar. Her eyes were glazed over as she looked at nothing in particular, one of her hands absentmindedly twiddling with a strand of her silky hair. Val frowned, not remembering seeing her in a hooded sweatshirt before. The sweatshirt was too baggy, indicating to Val that it didn’t belong to her. Jealousy burned through Val’s blood deeply; she was here with another guy. She was at a club with another male, she had to be. She couldn’t have just conjured the jumper from thin air. And it was too big; it covered her shorts completely, skimming her knees, confirming that it belonged to a man. It was thrown on across the blouse she had been wearing earlier.

Puffs of smoke were sweeping around her, like clouds of foggy mist; the origin, a cigarette. Val was relieved to see her in one piece and ran towards her, practically slipping and stumbling against the dance floor. Once he was at least a metre away from her, he lurched his body towards her, his arms swallowing her body whole. He let his head fall into the crook of her neck, his lips brushing against the tender flesh there. “God, you’re okay.” Val whispered into her ear as she struggled against him.

“What are you doing?” She held the cigarette away from his body, making sure nothing went up in flames. Val’s hands roamed her body freely, touching her everywhere to make sure she was there, safe and real. “Jesus, Val, calm down!” Zendaya looked at his as if he were completely delirious. “Stop!” With all of her might, she pushed at his shoulders. Val staggered a few steps away from her before looking at her with a huge scowl tattooed upon his face.

“You … you can’t just do that!” Val tried to reach for the cigarette in her hand but she held it away from him, masterfully taking a swig before Val could pry it out of her hands. Zendaya slowly blew grey clouds into the air, providing her contribution to the already foul smell present in the room. “It’s not safe out here … you can’t just walk away when you feel like it. You’re like my little sister, Z.” Val regretted the words the second they came out – knowing he was lying to himself – but he excused the fact that his heart ached at the sound of his own voice and went back to telling Zendaya off. “I need to protect you.”

Zendaya felt a pang of pain at his words. Val always, openly, admitted that he didn’t feel the same way that she felt about him and yet every time he did, it seemed to shock her even more than the time before. He didn’t know how she felt but Zendaya knew Val would never like a girl like her. She wasn’t his type and he’d just called her his little sister; Val had taken friend-zoning to a completely different level. “Well, last time I checked, you’re not my Dad, you’re not my brother-“ She let her tongue roll at the end of the word, brother.  Zendaya was confused; angry, startled, annoyed, home-sick and Val’s continuous rejection only made her feel worse. “So, leave me alone.”

Her heart was breaking, over and over again. Every time she saw Val she cracked and … on top of that, being away from the people she loved – her Mom, Deja, Dominique – made it even harder to deal with. She was thrown into the middle of Canada where she barely knew anybody; she wasn’t happy. Zendaya also knew she couldn’t talk about crushing on Val or missing everybody in California to her Dad, he simply wouldn’t understand. Kazembe never really had been able to relate to Zendaya. Yes, he was an amazing father-figure but Zendaya was a teenager who really wanted, no, needed that female support in her life. She needed her Mom, who was currently working back home in Oakland.

Val’s chin jutted inwards as he tried to let her words sync in.

“Come on, Z, something’s wrong … I know something’s wrong so, just, tell me what’s going on. Talk to me.” Val pleaded. He knew he was going to coax the cigarette out of her hand so, he let her smoke it. He let her smoke a few more puffs until she had to put the cigarette out; it was agonising to watch her do it. It felt wrong. Heck, it was wrong. “Please.” Val begged.

“Why is it so hard for you to just leave this-“ She glanced down at the burnt out cigarette on the bar top. “Alone. I’m old enough to make my own damned decisions, so just … drop it!”

“I’m here because I care about you.” Val defended his concern. His green eyes igniting with a determination he didn’t know he possessed. “Which brings me to, who are you here with and how the hell did you get in?” Val folded his arms firmly against his chest, his huge biceps crossing over one another, snagging the attention of a few surrounding females.

“That is none of your bus-“

“Cut the crap, Daya.” Val stated simply. “I’ve know you-“

“No, you don’t.” Zendaya slid off her stool, landing steadily on her heels. “You don’t know me, Val-“ Zendaya, in her heels, was towering over Val. She was looking down at him, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to let lose any moment now.

Suddenly, she felt as if nobody understood her. Nobody knew what was under the pretences she put up. Nobody realised what these two months of separation from everything she loved had done to her. It sounded stupid on her behalf but smoking was a way for her to relax and just forget, even if that was just for two minutes. She wanted to forget the stress load of work: she wanted to forget that her mother was miles away, she wanted to forget that she felt like failure for losing Dancing With The Stars when she’d gotten so close,  she wanted to forget all the comparisons people made between her and Bella Thorne, she wanted to forget that Val would never like her like she liked him, she wanted to forget that the pressure was on for her album to sell. She just wanted to leave it all behind for a second.

She wanted to have fun – for a second. “You’ve known me for what, five months?”

“I know you well enough to know that this isn’t you.” Val had a comeback as soon as Zendaya finished talking. He wasn’t mad at her for behaving recklessly and a little rudely. He was mad because he desperately wanted to abolish the cause of her change in attitude. Val wanted his Zendaya back, his fun-spirited Zendaya. “Just tell me what’s wrong, why are you suddenly into smoking? Who are you here with? Why are you so ... distant? You know you can talk to me whenever you want, so, why are you turning away from me? Let me help you.”

“Help me?” Zendaya scoffed. “I’m not depressed, I don’t need a therapy session from you, Val. I need a break, is that what you wanted? The truth, I want a break. I just want people to leave me alone.” Her voice cracked at the end of the sentence and so did Val. He reached for her and this time, she didn’t turn him down or force him away from her. She took a step forward, letting him give her a genuine hug.

Val’s arms circled around her waist and Zendaya let her head drop down onto his shoulder. The silent tears streaming down her face as she let Val comfort her for a fraction of a second.

“Shh, babe, it’s all right. I’m here, it’s all right.” Zendaya felt Val’s hands swoop under her knees, pulling her up bridal style into his arms. Zendaya’s hands flew around his neck as she cried into his neck. Val hated seeing her cry – as her brother, as her friend, as something more platonic; whatever he was to her – he hated seeing her upset.

She was vulnerable, he could see that now and he knew she needed to get a lot off her chest. And, in order for her to do that, he was going to need to get her out of here; the club.

He was going to take her back to his apartment. 

[ritebeforeyoureyes]

okay, this was asked for ... so, i thought it would give me a break from revision :)

Red-Handed [Valdaya]

Zendaya walked into a corner with the packet in her hand. She was clutching it tightly, glancing this way and thought; trying to avoid the chances of getting caught. 

Her hair, which was earlier styled into a bun, had been let loose to disguise her face a little. Her brown tresses framed her face and she slumped backwards into a corner of the crowded club. There was seated booth that had been abducted by drug smokers and sleeping party goers. Zendaya figured nobody here was going to recognize a Disney girl and she shimmied between a sleeping Barbie and a hammered man. The guy excused her casually, his eyes rolling as he let his head fall back against the padded couch they were seated on.

Zendaya looked at him warily, wincing at his state before turning back to the packet in her hands. 

It had taken her a while to get a hold of the stuff, but, after weeks of shooting and weeks away from her close friends and family, it was exactly what she needed. Zendaya wasn't legally allowed to drink yet and, to be honest, she didn't want illegally get completely smashed. She didn't want to awake with a killer hangover and have to face her parents because of the consequences of her actions. 

This, was second best. 

A cigarette wouldn't kill her, at least one wouldn't. And, she was pretty sure it could loosen her up a little. Zendaya hated Canada. She loved the people and the atmosphere but it just wasn't home. Weirdly enough, she could differentiate between the accents and the smell of the air and the taste of the tap water. She felt like a complete foreigner out there. She was dreading going back but she knew, because of Unleashed, she was going to have to go back. No matter what she thought about the place, her work came first.

With that thought, Zendaya pulled the cigarette out of its snug seat in the packet, setting it alight with a lighter that she had also had some difficulty finding. Neither Kazembe or Clair smoked and therefore getting a hold of cigarettes was a struggle. She had to get a stranger - somebody who wasn't going to sell her out to the paparazzi - to buy her the cigarettes and them get them to her without getting caught. After all, Kazembe was Zendaya's manager and he was practically with her, twenty-four-seven. However, this wasn't Zendaya's first time smoking. Her good friend, Bella Thorne's boyfriend, Tristan, had encouraged her to take a drag for the first time. Zendaya and Bella had, had a sleepover and had crept out of the window to meet Tristan and his friends in their car.

That was when Zendaya had, had her first cigarette - a few nights after he sixteenth birthday. She hadn't really liked it, it smelt disgusting and it gave her a funny after taste, but, it made her feel light-headed and happy. Something she desperately wanted to feel right now. So, Zendaya took one long puff. Her lips curling around the thin devil-stick, her breathe drawing in the nicotine and then blowing it back out slowly.

A cloud of grey covered her face and Val, who had come to the club with a bunch of his friends, looked over at the corner pointedly. He wasn't sure if he was buzzing from that one shot he'd taken or if he was actually seeing what he thought he was.

Was that his little Zendayachka ... smoking?

Val knew she was meant to be in New York for her concert on twenty-forth of August but, he didn't know what date her flight had been scheduled for. Her new Disney Channel Original Movie had rearranged her calender and forced her to move around some plans. Dance With Me Juniors, for example. Val had been super excited to have his girl back in his arms after over a month apart but unfortunately, her shooting was extending for another day and she missed her flight. 

Maks had tried to arrange a video-chat which failed terribly due to signal problems and Val called her, only to find her blabbering on and on about absolutely nothing. 

Val hadn't spoken to her, in private, since then. And, he missed her. Her really did. Maybe he really was just conjuring up images of her. There was no way his little Zendaya could be smoking. She was too innocent for that. Val shook his head and turned back to Alex who had miraculously disappeared.Val spotted him on the opposite side of the club, neon lights flashing overhead as he tried to chat up a girl who Val thought was way out of his league.  Val smirked before turning his gaze back to where he was looking before. 

This time, he had to squint his eyes because ... he was pretty sure he wasn't imagining it anymore. That was Zendaya, most definitely. 

Her hair was let loose, like she usually chose to leave it whilst they did their rehearsals. Her ever-lasting legs were barely covered in a pair of shorts and her tanned brown stiletto heels adorned her feet. She sat with both of her legs crossed over one another, the cigarette placed skilfully between her index finger and her forth. Excess smoke dribbled out from the burning orange nub and Zendaya looked down at it before bringing it back up to draw to her lips. 

Val's eyes bulged open and he pushed. 

He pushed through grinding bodies and sweaty girls, not caring that these grown women were tripping over their shoes and spilling their drinks. Before Zendaya could leisurely pull the cigarette to her lips, Val knocked it out off her hands. He pressed the burning tip against the table booth, letting it fizzle out and die. 

House music pumped heavily in the room and neon lights were flickering this way and that. Zendaya, who was utterly surprised by the fact that her cigarette was no longer in her hands, had to adjust her eyes as she looked up at the person who had taken what was hers and killed it. Her eyes came together in a frown as she tried to zero in on the person who had just forcefully grabbed the cigarette from her hands. 

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Val gripped either side of Zendaya's face, forcing her to look up at him. Shocked, Zendaya stood up, the hammered guy from earlier falling sideways onto the seat she had just occupied.

"Val?" She asked completely bewildered, not bothering to answer the question Val had just asked. 

"A cigarette, Z?" Val motioned and whacked at the air with his hands. He did that a lot, spoke with his movements. Zendaya figured it was something that occurred with most dancers. Val liked expressing himself with his hands. "What were you thinking? That stuffs not good for you!" 

Zendaya was annoyed now. All she wanted to do was relax and let loose for once in her life and now, Val, who she hadn't seen in over a month was dictating what she could and could not do? Since when had he become her Dad? 

"Oh, please." Zendaya retorted back. "You don't think I saw that Instagram picture?" She looked at him accusingly. Val had not so discreetly advertised to the world that him and Maks were enjoying a night in with food, friends and two packets of cigarettes. The picture had actually made Zendaya pretty jealous. She envied Val and Maks' facial expressions. They seemed to be so happy with what they were doing. They looked carefree and Zendaya wanted that. She regretted even auditioning for the movie just because it was forcing her away from home, the people she loved and promotional opportunities for her album. For once, she wanted her schedule to be clear just so that she could be real teenager for a while ... and, this is what teenagers did. They rebelled. They tried stuff. They got influenced by others easily. "You can't exactly preach about smoking kill when you do it yourself."

Zendaya was about to spin on her heels, getting her fingers ready to light another cigarette before Val pulled her backwards. His hand was laced around her waist. He curled his long arm around her petite, pulling her backwards into his chest with a loud smack. She flew forward and stumbled lightly in her heels but Val was there to stop her from falling. He pressed his mouth close to her ear and blew softly. His lips brushed against her earlobe and Zendaya unintentionally shivered under the fanning of his breathe. It was warm and smelled a little like mint and vodka; hypnotizing. 

"That's different." It sounded like a whisper but Val was really screaming over the consistent buzz of a bass and people's singing, screaming and usual noise. 

"Why is it different?" Zendaya demanded stubbornly  her hands moving down to grip Val's fingers that were comfortably resting against her flat stomach. "I just wanted a cigarette." She shrugged nonchalantly which frankly had Val worried. 

Why was she acting like this? She never had a fascination with smoking or drinking or drugs .. or clubbing for that matter. So, why now? What had changed in a month since he'd last seen her? Zendaya was always the goofy one out of the two. She had a childish nature to her when they were alone and Val adored that. She didn't act like a child yet she did. She was able to be her dorky self around him and Val loved her for being unique. He loved her for being her, without any pretenses and cover-ups. 

"What's wrong, Zendayachka?" Val let the worry seep into his voice, his fingers widening across Zendaya's so that her fingers could slip through his own - they were now holding hands. 

"Nothing!" Zendaya defended her actions rather haughtily. She gave Val one last glance from over her shoulder before stepping out of his arms and making a speedy escape. Val - who was completely dazzled by the sight of her endless legs - took a second to let the fact that she had walked away from him, sink in. 

Determined now, Val cracked his knuckles loudly before looking in the direction Zendaya had just disappeared from - it was time to show her who was boss.