#zach x zoey

[onlyhereforangst]

#something something how the night changes

[poguelandia]

THE OTHER ZOEY 2023 | dir. by Sara Zandieh

[all-class-darling]

[loveofstelena]

Multicouples • loml x You're Losing Me

[drewwifee]

Real.

[tetragonia]

how can you say no to this face?

[notmuchtofind]

"you're doing a sex scene?!" | d.s

word count: 1.8k

tw: mentions of manipulation and aggressive behaviour

synopsis: drew reveals his role requires a sex scene and this causes explosive disagreements | slight fluff slight aggressive

you place the bag groceries on the kitchen counter and begin a sigh of relief, the lift in your apartment block is broken and climbing 5 flights of stairs with 3 bags of groceries isn't so fun..

As you walk over to your hallway to kick off your shoes you hear a few thuds at the door, in a beat you're so familiar with. You were expecting Drew around 9ish, you quickly check your watch to see it's 8:47pm... you giggle to yourself slightly and grin with excitement "he's early" you mumble to yourself . A wave of eagerness rushes over you as you lean over to grab the door handle and twist the recently locked door. opening the door, you look up to see Drew, all sun kissed and beaming. He's been in South Carolina for a couple months shooting the latest season of obx so it doesn't surprise you to see his slight tan, you'd imagine he's topless half the time, so it explains itself...

"baby!" he exclaimed with a devilish yet blissful look on his face

"I've missed you!" you say whilst being engulfed into a hug by drew, you feel his arms wrap around you, becoming tighter with time as you stand there swaying back and forth for a while... He places his hands on you shoulders and pushes you back slightly so he can begin to look at your face.

He places a kiss on your forehead "i've missed you y/n/n" he mutters, he looks almost taken back by you, as he makes eye contact, forcing nerves into the pit of your stomach.

"trust you to come 5 minutes after I've just had to carry all the groceries up the stairs by myself!" you tease 

"work those muscles baby" he chuckles

After a few long weeks of being away from each other it's nice to be back in each other's company, Drew helps you put the groceries away and you quickly hop in the shower, you change into your trackies and settle on the couch with Drews head in-between your legs. you run your hands over his buzz cut hair, feeling the individual strands poking at your palm whilst you binge watch.

"hey y/n/n" 

"mmhm?" you murmur

"i've been meaning to mention...I think, maybe, like the next season of outer banks; rafe develops a love interest and I... um-" 

you're suddenly all ears "a love interest?" you interrupt, sitting up slightly, causing Drew to sit up so he's now facing you on the couch.

"yeh, I think so?" said with slight tension

" but I think Jonas is wanting a few urm...like, a few" he stutters and your eyes widen "some sex scenes between me and Fiona..." He paused as you gave him a slight glance

"You know Fiona, right? you met her when you came to visit me shooting last month?" he questions

Yes, of course you know Fiona, is he kidding!?? she's gorgeous, she's bubbly and she's funny she's-...

'fuck, am I jealous?' you think too yourself

"umm, yeh Fiona, she was really nice when I met her" you state through gritted teeth

drew chuckles nervously "I just thought I should let you know...I mean obviously it's all professional but you know... I-"

"No, don't be silly, I know drew. It's your job. I expect it...obviously " you say, getting up off the couch and heading over to the open plan kitchen...'did that come off slightly passive aggressive?' you think too yourself.

Drew leans back into the couch, watching you from afar, you can feel his eyes burning into your back as you grab a glass from the cupboard.

you're aware it's his job, but surely anyone in this position would feel slightly jealous, he's going to have to act intimate with someone and it's then going to be seen by the rest of the world, you're unaware of how sex scenes operate...how far will it have to go and how much skin will be seen?! uncontrollable thoughts run through your mind, you find yourself questioning the love Drew has for you. Are you good enough? Will an on screen romance become an off screen one? In all fairness, Drew and the cast spend more time together within the 6 months of filming than you and Drew do within that 6 months alone...you feel yourself snap.

by snap I don't mean scream, nor shout, nor cry. 

However, there is a slightly toxic side to you, one which is created by past relationships, people that have made you feel less than. Before you met drew, you'd been through some shit and it's always been difficult for you to trust...you're subconsciously 'triggered'

" She's pretty right?" you say, turning to Drew and catching his eyes with yours.

you stand there with an empty glass on the counter as you wait for his response.

"umm.." he stutters, taken back by your question

"she's a nice girl y/n/n...why?"

you nod slowly, pouring a drink into the glass..."yeh,she's a nice girl" you repeat, again, through gritted teeth

Drew squints his eyes over at you as he tries to figure out what your trying to do..."listen baby, its professional, you can't-"

"I can't what?" you interrupt with a slightly raised voice 

There was a silence that filled the room.

"I'm going to bed," you murmur as you grab your glass off the counter and take your first step towards your bedroom.

"y/n/n?" drew exclaimes, but you ignore him

"fuck sake" you hear drew mutters under his breath, followed by a sigh as he tilts his head back into the couch. 

Darting your head over to his direction, you interrogate.

"Am I too much for you?" you exclaim 

"what?" drew says confused whilst frowning "no y/n I-"

you interrupted "so why are you making me feel like you dealing with my emotions is a chore?!" 

"Yes, I'm slightly pissed off drew. but there's nothing I can do about it. just let me have some time, don't sigh at me like I'm so difficult for you?" you say, raising your voice slightly more. He stands up and raises his hands slightly in-front of his chest whilst he gestures "are you fucking kidding me?" he chuckles sarcastically. "I've hardly said a word this whole time, you're being manipulative y/n. stop?" he demands 

"manipulative? drew? really?" 

Drew walks over to you, and you can now see slight anger in his eyes, his energy feels cold. 

"yes!" he exclaims, he comes close to your face and continues to gesture "asking me if I think she's pretty? What kind of question is that? you're trying to catch me out y/n?!" he lashes

"I was just asking you a question drew I-"

"are you fucking kidding me!? you want me to turn around and tell you that, yeh! yanno what, I cant wait to fuck her!? is that what you want? please tell me y/n '' drew shouts.

you're taken back by his aggressive body language and his raised voice and the words he's just spoken. you can feel slight tears forming in the back of your retina, the ball in your stomach grows bigger and you can feel your heartbeat in your fingertips. You're not usto arguing with Drew so explosively, you're not used to seeing his aggressive body language and if you're honest, it scared you. you could either lash out, you could scream...but you're suddenly engulfed by a wave of upset.

"I'm going to bed" you state. turning on the balls of your feet to continue to walk down the hall. A single tear escapes your eye but you're waiting to reach the bathroom before you can let all your emotions overwhelm your being. you didn't give yourself time to see the expression on Drews face after he'd stopped shouting but you didn't have to look to tell that he instantly regretted what he said, you could feel his energy change as you walked away.

_________________

you've turned to face the wall, struggling to sleep when...A few thuds at your bedroom door, in the beat you're again, so familiar with. you haven't been able to fall asleep and to be honest you were hoping Drew would knock and come in, he knows you hate sleeping without resolving an argument. it could be the biggest argument or the smallest argument you've ever had but you always make sure to have it somewhat sorted out before either of you say goodnight, whether he's 3000 miles away or just next door.

"hey y/n/n" drew whispers as you heard the door shut quietly behind him but you didn't turn around. "hey...are you sleeping?" he questions before you feel the bed slightly dip and a creak from the headboard.

It takes you a minute  but you eventually turn around, to be greeted by the back of Drew, he looks to have his head in his hands sitting on the edge of the bed. "I'm awake" you mutter.

He turns slightly, greeting you with an apologetic smile, he then goes to grab your exposed arm and rubs it with his thumb. his energy is warm and calm, much different too before. it makes the nerves form again in the pit of your stomach, like butterflies. "Listen baby" he states "I'm sorry about the shit I said and urm... the way I raised my voice. my actions were out of order and for that i'm sorry..." he sighs apologetically 

There was a slight silence whilst you thought of what to say, but before you could speak he began again "you know I love you? right? It upsets me that you worry about my opinions on anyone else because, I'm sorry but, in my mind no one compares to you y/n/n, I honestly do think you are. thé. most." drew emphasises "perfect girl in the world for me" he finishes, looking at you with a devilish grin 

he knows how to capture your heart...you roll your eyes playfully trying to shy away from the fact he's made you weak... whilst a smile creeps upon your face you push his arm and chuckle slightly.

you sigh.

"i'm sorry about my outburst, it was out of order" you admit "I was slightly jealous and I-"

"only slightly?!" drew says with a sarcastic shocked faces as he interrupts you, playfully teasing

"fuck off" you chuckle, pushing his arm

"Yes, it's because everyone wants you...what can I say, it's hard being me!" rolling your eyes, teasing him back

He engulfs you into a hug and plants kisses all over your face and neck, almost like he's attacking you. you giggle and say stop, but really you need him to carry on. 

"fuck! I love you drew" 

"fuck... I love you" he reiterates.

[cameronspecial]

Saw your post asking for Zach Maclaren request so here I am!

What about reader getting run over by the car instead of Zach and she looses her memory kinda like the movie but reversed? She thinks Zach is her bf cause she has a bf named Zach but he’s an asshole.

The Other Zach

Pairing: Zach MacLaren x Reader

Warnings: Swearing and Getting Hit By A Car

Pronouns: She/Her

Word Count: 3.2K

Masterlist

Yet another argument with her boyfriend. Yet another time she is walking home upset. Even worse, it’s three in the afternoon so everyone on the street can watch her sad walk home. She feels like everyone around her is staring, judging her for staying with such a dick. As she walks across the parking lot with her head in the clouds, a soccer ball comes rolling toward her. Y/N’s eyes dart up to see Zach MacLaren walking over to her with a big smile, pointing down at the ball to ask her to send it over. She bends down to pick it up, but as she starts to straighten out, a sudden force from behind her sends her head smashing to the pavement. 

Zach watches the whole thing happen before his very eyes. He screams at his sister’s soccer team to stay there and runs to make sure the driver doesn’t try to keep reversing over Y/N. Everyone knew her. She works at the cafe on campus and is known to brighten everyone’s day. Once the driver knows he hit someone and is on the phone with the dispatcher, Zach goes to check on Y/N. She is out cold and this causes him to panic. He checks for a pulse. Relief floods him when he finds one and it is only a matter of her waking up. Her eyes flutter open and her vision is blurry. There is a face over her that she can’t make out. “My name is Zach,” she overhears the unidentifiable face. Her boyfriend. He must have gone after her to apologize. She starts to see more clearly and she wraps her arms around his neck. Her lips try to find him, but he pulls away. “Hey, take it easy. You got hit pretty hard in the noggin,” he advises, looking up at the sound of the ambulance.

——

The paramedics are about to take Y/N away, but she stops them from taking her. She looks at Zack, “Aren’t you going to come with me?.” He looks at her and his heart is pulling him to enter the vehicle, but he doesn’t feel it is right. He has no relation to her in any way. The paramedic counsels it might be better if he comes to help keep her calm and now, he feels he has no choice. “Of course, I just need to make sure an adult can stay with my soccer team. I’ll be right back,” he informs. He heads over to the field’s sidelines, talking to one of the waiting moms about what happened. He is reassured that she will make sure all the kids get home safely, so he heads back to the ambulance. 

After the doctor does his assessment, Zach and Y/N learn she has a concussion and probably amnesia. Zach could definitely a test to the last part since she seems to think he is her boyfriend. “Sweetie, what happened are you okay?” an older woman, who looks like Y/N, frets, rushing to her. Zach assumes this is Y/N’s mom and goes in to reassure her, “She has a mild concussion and amnesia.” The man with the mother raises his eyebrow. “And are you her doctor?” he questions. Zach shakes his head, “No, I’m Zach. I was with her when she got hit by the car.” The man nods and her mother’s eyes light up. “So you’re the boyfriend. It is so nice to meet you, I’m Kim and this is Gary. We are Y/N’s parents. She’s told us so much about you,” Kim introduces. Y/N goes on to complain, “Way to keep it cool, Mom.” “I’m sorry, Sweetie. But he is so cute and seems nice,” Kim apologizes. Zach feels strange about just letting the family believe he is actually Y/N’s boyfriend, but there isn’t exactly a good time to say that while in the hospital. The doctor returns to speak with her parent, so Zach excuses himself to call someone for advice. 

“Guess where I am,” he whispers into the phone. Zoey checks the time, “Coaching your sister’s soccer practice?” “No. I’m at the hospital,” he replies. She sits up from her lying position on the couch, “Are you okay? What happened?”

“I’m fine. It’s just that Y/N Y/L/N got hit by a car. Now, she and her whole family think I am her boyfriend.”

“Elle says she is dating a Zach. Zach Davis. He’s the captain of the hockey team. She just sent you his Insta.” 

While Zach scrolls through the other Zach’s profile, the doctor catches his attention. “Oh, and Mr. Boyfriend. Make sure she stays calm. We wouldn’t want anything stressing her out and making her conduction worse,” she instructs before walking off. Zach groans into the phone, “What am I supposed to do if I can’t stress her out?” “Okay, calm down. Just take her parents aside and let them break the news to her,” Zoey explains. Calm washes over his face, “Yes, that’s a great idea. You are one smart cookie, Zoey Miller.” They bid their goodbyes and he heads back to the Y/L/Ns. 

“Zach, you’re back. We were just talking about you. How would you like to come over for dinner tonight?” Kim asks, helping Y/N sit up so she can get ready to be discharged. It’s like the perfect opportunity falls into his lap.

——

He walks into the Y/L/N’s residence, helping Y/N onto the couch. “Your parents have a nice house,” he looks around the room. As soon as they are settled on the couch, a little boy pops up from behind the couch with a scream. A man a little bit older than Zach sets himself on the chair beside the couch. “Connor, don’t scare her. She has a concussion,” he chides the younger boy. Y/N sighs, “Zach, this is my little brother, Connor. And my older brother, uhh…” “Jared. His name is Jared,” Connor offers with a devious smile. Y/N nods, “Right, Jared. This is my older brother, Jared.” Zach sees Connor’s giggles and leans towards her, “I think he is messing with you, Baby.” “Oh. I think you are right,” she rubs her forehead, trying to remember her brother’s name. “Jack. His name is Jack.” Jack lets out a cheer and holds out his hand for Zach to take. 

Soon, dinner is served and Zach sits beside Y/N. As Connor is recounting his day, Y/N goes to whisper in his ear, “Thank you for keeping up with my strange family. I know you didn’t want to meet them, but it means a lot that you are here.” Zach feels bad at the words she says. Why wouldn’t her real boyfriend want to meet her family? They are so kind and funny. And Y/N is amazing. Even with a concussion, she is so bright and genuine. He has always had a little bit of a crush on her, ever since she gave him a coffee on the house when she saw he was having a hard day. She wrote his name with a happy face and little hearts, which made his day. Sometimes he finds himself going where she works just to see her smile. 

“No problem. I think your family is great,” he says, looking at her with a smile. She grins back at him and slides her fingers through his hand on his lap. “Well, if you think we are so great, why don’t you come skiing with us this weekend?” Gary suggests, overhearing the whispers between his daughter and her (not) boyfriend. Zach knows the words about to come out of his mouth shouldn’t be the ones that follow, but he really does like her family and he wants to get the opportunity to get to know her better. He knows it is wrong to take Y/N’s moment of confusion and to take it as a chance to fill his delusion. However, he really doesn’t see any harm in pretending for the weekend. 

——

“Are you sure you don’t want to hit the slopes? You don’t have to stay behind just for me,” Y/N double-checks, looking at him behind the couch. He sits on the back of the couch and lets himself flop back on the seat cushion. He nods, “Yep. I think it would be nice to hang out with you.” “Really? Well, I’m a very busy gal, I have to check my schedule,” she teases, taking out her phone to look at her calendar. “Oh, look at that the only thing I have planned is to have a concussion. I guess we can hang out.” He grins at her and sits up, scooting closer to her. She scoots over to sit beside him, putting herself under his arms, which makes him happy. “What should we do?” he inquires, looking down at her with a smile. She plays at putting thought into it and drags him to the game room. 

They head over to the air hockey table, but she notices Zach’s gaze toward the foosball table. “We can play foosball if you’d like. I just thought you would like air hockey more since you are on the team,” she explains, changing way toward the other table. Zach has to quickly cover his tracks, “Uh, yeah. I do like hockey, but I’m better at foosball than air hockey.” 

The game they play fills the room with laughter. Zach would yell at her for cheating by spinning her knob, while she would argue she is just using her tools to her advantage. After her last spin causes the tiny ball to sail through the hole for the goal, Zach runs around to her side and picks her up by the waist. “That is the last time you cheat!” he playfully reprimands. Her laughter stops and her hand flies to her head. She starts to move in a dizzy-like motion with her hand still stuck to her head. “Are you okay? Did I grab you too hard? What can I do?” he worries, removing his hands from her to look into her eyes. The tiny giggles she lets out make him feel like she is evil, “I’m just playing with you. I’m sorry. But you can make us something to eat. I can’t use any screens and I have absolutely no recipes memorized.” 

—— 

She watched him in amazement as he made the pizza. She found it incredibly hot to watch him toss the pizza dough in the air. He flicked a little flour at her and she ran away with a shriek. After getting the pizza out of the oven, he helps her up onto the counter and cuts the food. She takes the first bite and the moan she lets out absolutely kills Zach. He finds the pizza held out in front of his mouth, taking a bite at her encouragement. He really hopes the food hides his blush. “This tastes great! Where did you learn how to cook?” she praises, going in for another bite. His blush deepens, “I took lessons as a kid. It was really fun.” Her eyebrows raised. “Really? I always saw you as a more, I will only do hockey because hockey is my life kind of guy.” 

“Right, hockey. I love socc- I love so much hockey, but I don’t think hockey is what I’m going to do after graduation.” 

“Why not? If you like it so much, why don’t you go pro?”

“I do like it, but let’s be honest, I’m not good enough to get drafted. Truth is I don’t know what I’m going to do after graduation.”

“I haven’t seen you play hockey much or really understand how it is played, but I’m sure that isn’t true. But anyway, if you don’t think hockey is your thing, I think opening a pizza place is your path. This is great.”

Although she doesn’t know he is talking about soccer, he loves that she can see him passed the athlete and see a different part of him. Most people he knows are just interested in him because of his sport. “So what do you want to do after graduation?” he questions, picking up another slice for himself. Her eyes light up, “I’m not too sure yet. I know I’m a computer science major, but I really just chose it because it can be a useful fallback. I think maybe I want to travel around the world and take pictures.” He is touched that she is so open and honest with her answer. He likes that even though her future seems uncertain, she is still hopeful about it. “That sounds amazing. If you need a travelling partner, then I would gladly go with you. I’m sure you are an amazing photographer,” he encourages. Again, a confused look crosses her face, “I thought you hated going outside of the US. You said that nothing good happens outside of America.” Zach fears that his lies are going to start to unravel. The universe seems to come in for the assist because her family comes back at that moment. 

“Hey, you two. What did you do today?” Kim ponders, giving Y/N a kiss on her cheek. She smiles at her mom, “What didn’t we do?” Everyone over the age of eighteen widens their eyes and Zach helps clear things up. “All PG.” Completely missing the moment Connor pats his pockets. “I left my gloves at the lodge. We have to go back,” he panics. Zach jumps off the counter and pats his back, “Don’t worry, Con. Y/N and I can go with you to get it.” 

They get to the lodge and Connor runs inside to get his gloves. Zach turns to Y/N to find her making a snowman. “Need some help?” he proposes, walking over to her. She nods with a smile and they get to work on the snowman. She makes the middle part while he forms the bottom and once she is done, she picks it up to bring it to him. She trips over her feet and goes flying toward him. He catches her as he falls back. The snow from her ball smushes between them. They both sit up while laughing. Her hair falls over her face and he brushes it out of the way, leaving his warm hand on her cheek. The sun lightens her hair and this moment feels perfect. He has been avoiding kissing her to not take advantage of her, but it felt right in the moment. His lips find hers and fireworks spark between them. He scoots forward to deepen the kiss, bringing his other hand up to her cheek until Connor comes out and ruins the kiss. 

——

The weekend comes to an end too fast for Zach. The group recounts their highlights of the mini-vacation, laughing that Connor’s favourite part was playing Battletoads with Zach. Zach is helping Y/N with her bags when the engine of a car catches their attention. “Y/N Y/L/N, you haven’t been answering my texts,” a low voice growls. Y/N freezes at the voice and turns toward the man. Distress washes over her, “Who are you?” She takes a step closer to Zach and he wants to curl his arms around her to make her feel protected. “Who am I? I’m Zach Davis, your boyfriend,” he shouts with his eyebrow knitted. Now, her family looks confused. “You can’t be her boyfriend because he is her boyfriend,” Gary points out, looking toward Zach. Her real boyfriend lets out a low laugh, “Of course, that bitch is cheating on me. Why am I not surprised?” Anger flushes through Zach. 

“Hey! Don’t talk about her like that. She isn’t cheating on you. It’s my fault she isn’t answering your texts; I lied to her. She got hit by a car and lost her memory. My name is also Zach and she thought I was her boyfriend. I didn’t have the heart to tell her the truth,” Zach clarifies. “I’m sorry for lying, Y/N. I just wanted to get to know you and I’m glad I got to because you really are the most amazing person I have ever met. I’m going to go now before I make this more awkward.” Before Zach is out of hearing distance, he can hear Connor complaining that he is better than Y/N’s actual boyfriend. This causes a sad smile to form on Zach’s face.

——

It has been weeks since he last saw Y/N. He has been too embarrassed to go back to her parents’ house and only goes to class then back home. Zach is used to being the gossip of the campus because he is on the soccer team, but it feels a little different when people are talking about his deception. Zoey enters his dorm to find Zach watching a cooking show while eating ice cream. “You can’t just stay up here for the rest of your life,” she critiques, opening his curtains. He ignores her gaze, “Yes, I can. She said that I could open a pizza store.” His mind is blank except for thoughts of her. “I know she did. You’ve told me that a hundred times already,” Zoey gives him a tight-lipped smile.

“Why did I have to mess up so badly?”

“Because you were blinded by love. I can’t believe I just said that. But you like her. That’s why.”

“Right, and I had to lie to her, which broke her trust. Now, she is happily off with Zach Davis.” 

“You know they broke up, right? Like literally right after the ski trip.” 

“Really? Why?”

“That’s only a question that she can answer.”

——

Zach has been thinking about it all day and has decided to go see Y/N. Her bright smile is the first thing he sees when he enters the coffee shop. It makes his heart leap when it doesn’t drop at the sight of him. Instead, it softens, somehow getting warmer. “Hi,” he awkwardly greets, hand shooting up to the back of his neck. She breaths out, “Hey, I’ve been looking for you.” 

“Really?” 

“Yes, really. You disappeared on me the other day.” 

“Yeah, I didn’t think you would want to see me after you found out the truth.”

She whispers something to her co-worker and rounds the counter, taking off her apron on the way. She stands in front of him and takes his hand in hers. “I was a little upset at first, but then I realized that I couldn’t be mad at you. Do you want to know why?” she confesses. He nods his head like a child in anticipation. “Cause you are the Zach I want to be with. You helped me realize how much of an asshole Davis was to me. You treated me with so much love and made me feel safe.” Zach is ecstatic at her words and rushes forward to give her the kiss they have both been waiting for. It is soft but passionate, showing the need they both felt for each other. His arms round her body, engulfing her in the safety of his embrace. Zach Maclaren can’t believe he has found love with the girl he has always wanted.

[drakestoes]

Zach is my sprint animal ngl

𓊆ྀིHe’s such a mongo but he’s so cute𓊇ྀི

[nadvs]

out of bounds (part four)

pairing zach maclaren and soccerplayer! female reader

rating mature 18+ for smut

summary zach has never been the type to rebel, but when he meets you at a soccer camp where you’re both working as counselors, which has a strict policy against dating between staff, he’s tempted to break the rules for the first time.

» part one | two | three

» masterlist

At this point, there’s no way that you can change your mind. And no way that you’d want to.

Because once you lock your door behind Zach and he leans down to kiss you like he’s been starving for you, you forget why you were so insistent on following the rules in the first place.

His hand settles on your cheek, thumb stroking over your skin as his lips hungrily press against yours. His warm kiss and firm touch lull you into a state of pure bliss.

He steps an inch closer, kissing deeper, and your bodies curve into each other in a way that makes you feel like they were made to do this. When someone fits this well with you, you don’t know how you can possibly resist them.

You drag your hands over his damp showered hair and his every muscle tenses. He almost inaudibly moans against your mouth, gripping your hip.

The cotton of your towel bunching between his fingers is a reminder that you’re hardly covered right now, and he pulls back just enough for your lips to part.

He hopes he didn’t come on too strong. You invited him in and it’s like he sort of blacked out from excitement.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to… Do you want to change?” Zach mumbles through shallow breaths. “I won’t look.”

You smile against his lips, not surprised at all that he’s being so considerate about your comfort level.

You’re in a haze. Within minutes, your night has turned around to lead you here, standing in Zach’s arms in the solitude of your small cabin, both in agreement that you’ll start this, whatever this is, in secret.

You pull back a little more to look up and meet his eyes. Now that you can see his face again, you notice that he’s blushing, his cheeks flushed.

You wonder if it weren’t for the one rule forbidding you to do this, if you’d be as eager to be physical together so quickly. You’re sure Zach feels the same, having followed the same rule for so long.

“You alright?” he asks when you don’t answer. His worried eyes search your face as he towers over you. “Should I leave? I can leave if-”

“No,” you interrupt with a small, appreciative smile. “Stay. I’ll get into my pajamas.”

You realize you’re still holding onto the burn gel he came here with.

“And I should put this on since you went through the trouble,” you add.

You laugh to yourself when you see the way Zach sits in your desk chair, facing the wall with his head down, keeping his promise that he won’t look at you while you’re naked.

You want to take it slow with him, as if you met him outside of work, with no rule hanging over your heads. But that doesn’t mean you don’t want to do anything with him at all.

You come up behind him, sliding your hands over his broad shoulders, and he turns to gaze at you, drinking you in as you stand over him your shorts and tank-top.

His lap looks especially inviting, so you lean forward to straddle him. The fabric of his sweats is soft against your bare skin.

Zach is convinced he’s dreaming. He imagined this exact scenario, and now, he’s actually here, angling his head so your lips can meet again.

His thoughts are racing, an overlapping, tangled mess in his head. It’s unbelievable, wanting a girl this badly and actually having her like this, her weight on him, her tongue touching his.

He doesn’t get how he lucked out this much. A girl who struck him from the moment he saw her, turning out to have a heart and mind just as beautiful as she is, actually wants him back.

He can’t mess this up.

Your kisses grow deeper and your hips roll involuntarily, nudging against his groin. The way he called you worth the risk replays in your head. You’d hate to see this sweet man ruin his reputation and lose his job at a place he so deeply treasures all for you.

But when Zach’s big hands rest over the curves of your thighs, fingers digging into your skin as he squeezes, you forget about your concerns. He has a way of touching you that makes your mind go blank.

You inhale sharply as you pull in even closer, feeling how hard and big he is against your core. He lowers his head, your lips parting.

“Sorry,” he whispers, shuffling in his spot.

“For?” you chuckle.

Concern sits in Zach’s chest as he shifts again, mortified at the prospect of you feeling uneasy from how hard he is.

“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable,” he admits.

You gaze down at him with pure admiration.

“I’m literally on top of you,” you tell him with a laugh. “I am not uncomfortable. I like you, remember?”

He smiles lazily, fingers grazing over your bare thighs in circles.

You keep your eyes trained on his expression when you grind up against him again. His jaw tenses and his lips part, immediately giving you the proof of just much you affect him.

“How come?” Zach asks. His eyes drift to your lips again, glossy from your kisses.

“How come I like you?” you ask.

He nods, his teeth digging into his bottom lip. You always got the sense he was more on the sensitive side underneath all the jokes. Last night on the dock proved it to you.

But you realize that he must really crave reassurance, considering he’d rather ask you what you see in him than continue to make out.

“You’re sweet,” you tell him, brushing his messy hair back. “And you’re funny.”

“You are, too.”

You gently glide your hand down his face, looking at the faint freckles peppered over his skin, surely from all his time in the sun.

“And you’re fun,” you continue. The way his eyes wash over your face in pure, awe-struck affection makes your stomach twist. “And hot.”

“I mean,” he mumbles, looking down at how hard he is pressed against you, “so are you. Obviously.”

You giggle and he gazes at you through half-lidded eyes, struck by how much he loves your laugh. How much he wants to make you laugh over and over.

“I like you, too,” Zach says, his tone low and velvety.

You could say that even though you had passing doubts at times, he made it pretty clear from the day you met by the way he stared and flirted that he liked you. But you don’t want to tease him. Not now, when he’s so vulnerable.

So, you lean forward to kiss him again, perched on his lap. Your foreheads press together as you deepen the kiss more than you ever have, mouths hot and open.

He’s hard as rock against you. His hands are kneading the underside of your thighs, inching closer to your ass.

You’re dazed when you pull back, not sure how long you’ve been making out. The position is starting to hurt and you’re hungry to feel all of him against you.

“Should we lie down?” you offer a bit nervously.

“Whatever you want.” He’s almost breathless. “Just tell me and I’ll do it.”

You smile, your noses nudging as you grind against him again.

“What, so you can call me bossy for the millionth time?” you joke.

“Yeah,” he rasps. “I like it when you’re bossy.”

“You do?”

He nods earnestly, enamored, wishing he could express just how twisted up you make him feel.

It makes you realize he really must have a thing for when you’re assertive, and maybe through all that teasing he did, you were turning him on.

For the first time, he’s pushy with you, nudging you to stand and guiding you onto your bed, looking down at you as you gently bounce when your back hits the mattress.

You gaze at him readily, watching him lower to hover over you, kissing you again. He’s not afraid of showing you how hot you’ve got him anymore, bucking his hips as he grinds between your legs.

You let out a shaky sigh when he shifts to kiss your neck, his tongue warm against your skin. You run your fingers up and down over his hair and he starts to kiss harder over your throat.

“Be careful,” you giggle. “If you leave marks, people might see.”

“Sorry,” Zach mumbles, pulling back. “You’re right.”

His kisses are so tender and hungry that you don’t want him to stop.

“Go lower,” you whisper. “Where only you can see.”

He moves like he has seconds left before he has to part from you. His wet mouth is on your chest, right by the hem of your tank-top, where he knows your work shirt will cover.

It’s damn near intoxicating to him, knowing this is your little secret, lying on top of you in your bed, feeling you like this.

Zach leaves kisses all over, his hand cupping your jaw. Your head is resting on your soft pillow, eyes shut as he trails kisses over your cleavage, not dipping below your shirt.

When you feel him stop, you look down to meet his hazy blue eyes. He shifts to bring his fingers to the strap of your top, silently asking if he can pull down the only piece of fabric covering your chest.

You nod and watch him look down as he undresses you, pushing the straps past your shoulders. The tank top bunches up at your waist and he sharply inhales once he sees you bare.

“Oh, my God,” Zach murmurs huskily. “I can’t…”

“What?” you ask. He meets your eyes, slightly shaking his head.

“I can’t believe I get to see you like this.”

Your skin pricks with heat as he gazes down at you again and brings his warm hand to cup your breast. He dips his head to kiss your sternum, burying his face and letting out a small groan as he gently squeezes your flesh.

You sigh contently, never having felt so wanted before. You can tell he sincerely feels lucky to be here right now.

Your skin is so soft and you smell so damn good and once he locks his lips around your nipple, making you breathe shakily, he’s sure he’s never been harder in his life.

All you can hear over your own heavy breathing is Zach’s mouth puckering over your skin. You know there’ll be bruises from how hard he’s sucking.

Your breasts are wet with his spit from all the attention he’s giving you. By the time he straightens up to look at your face again, he almost looks drunk.

His mouth and tongue and jaw are so sore from losing himself in the pleasure, but it’s so damn worth it.

He lowers to kiss you and his lips move slowly on yours. With the heat of arousal in your stomach, you trail a hand down his firm body. You press your palm against his cock, wrapping your fingers around his thickness over his sweats.

“Is this alright?” you ask quietly.

“Yes, I’m…” Zach breathes a nervous chuckle, his breath hot against your cheek. “If you keep going, I’m not gonna last long.”

“That’s okay.”

“I’m not always like this,” he stammers nervously. “I didn’t expect tonight to happen.”

You start to slowly rub his length, shocked yet again by his size.

“I take it as a compliment,” you say in a hush. As you continue to stroke him, you’re sure it’d take some time to adjust to him once you decide to go all the way. “You’re big.”

Zach grips your wrist, guiding your hand away. Your touch is already driving him crazy. The praise will make him come in a second.

“You first,” he breathes, desperately hoping you want him to touch you. “If you want it.”

You take a long, eager breath. The anticipation makes your core tighten as you take back control and direct his hand between your legs.

Even through the fabric of your shorts and panties, Zach can feel how wet you are. He’s already imagining how good you must taste.

He whispers a groaned fuck when he presses his fingers against you. His lips lock around the side of your neck as he rubs between your legs, and while it feels incredible, you have to remind him he can’t leave proof of tonight on your skin.

But before you can, he seems to remember, breathing out a sigh as he pulls his mouth off of your neck to kiss your lips. His pressure is firm, his movements slow, the friction making you writhe beneath him.

It’s a whirlwind being like this, feeling him massage between your legs as he kisses you. When you moved into this cabin just over a week ago, you never would have dreamed you’d be touched and kissed on this bed by the most attractive man you’ve ever met.

You moan and arch your back when he finds your clit, rubbing in circles. You can feel his satisfied smile against the corner of your mouth.

He’s hard against your thigh, tracing shapes on you, bringing you to an intense orgasm.

Zach is in another world when he feels you trembling through your peak. He pulls back to prop himself onto his elbow, solely to watch the way your features contort as pleasure hits you.

“That feel good?” he breathes. “You’re so damn pretty.”

You smile as you come down from the high. He continues to touch you, gentler now. He loves that he’s the reason behind the blissed out expression on your face.

You let out a tired laugh as you cup his cheek adoringly. You sit up for a moment to kiss him, then shift to feel him over his pants again.

Zach’s stops breathing for a second, adjusting to settle on his knees as he lies over you. Hungry lips meet yours as you stroke his length.

Your tight grip around his cock is perfect and he starts to rock his hips, fucking your hand, imagining he’s inside of you and already both excited and nervous to get to that step with you if you’ll let him.

You pull back from the kiss as you think about how much he seems to love reassurance. You decide to take the risk and see how he’ll respond if you praise him some more.

“You made me finish so fast,” you whisper, meeting his eyes.

“Fuck,” he breathes in awe, thrusting against you. “Please keep talking like that. Please.”

You bite your lip, a little nervous, but push through to tell him what you’re really thinking.

“I can’t believe how big you are,” you tell him. “I don’t know how you’ll fit.”

“Fuck,” he says again, his voice straining. You feel him get even harder before he starts throbbing in your hand.

His hot cheek is pressed against yours as he rides the high, jerking against you. You feel heat fill the fabric separating you and he collapses, making an effort to hold himself up so not to put all his weight on you.

Your chests rise and fall together, touching every so often in a broken rhythm.

It’s like he’s high right now. You know just what to do and just what to say.

“I’ll be right back,” he eventually says. He leaves a kiss on your shoulder before he stands to rush to the bathroom and clean himself up.

When Zach comes back out, you’re sitting on your bed, dressed again. The mattress sinks with this weight as he settles across from you.

“You were right,” he says, gently pushing you back so you lie down again, making you laugh. “We didn’t last six weeks.”

“Not even close,” you reply.

He’s on his elbow, lying beside you, lips parted, eyes searching your face.

“You’re so pretty,” he says softly.

“You said that already,” you tease. The way he’s looking at you and the fact that he said it again after the heat of the moment has passed tells you he really believes it.

Zach sighs and looks down, dimples framing the defeated smirk on his face.

“What?”

“It’s gonna be hard keeping you a secret,” he says. “But I think we shouldn’t tell anyone. Not even other counselors. Nobody. Just in case.”

Relief fills you. You figured this wasn’t just a one-time thing, considering your conversations and how he mentioned going on a date with you after the season wraps up. But it’s nice to get the confirmation that he wants to keep doing this. Because you do, too.

“Of course,” you say, nodding. You know he has a great deal to lose if this comes out.

He leans over to kiss you, his lips still tender. He can’t stop thinking about what you whispered to him, that he might not fit.

“Hey, I’ll… I’ll make sure it doesn’t hurt, okay?” he says. “If you want to ever… go that far with me.”

You nod, glad you can speak so openly with him.

“I do,” you say. He smiles, then takes your hand and brings it up to his mouth, kissing your knuckles.

“How’s your burn?” he asks, gazing down at your arm.

“I honestly forgot about it.”

“Yeah, I’m kind of a great distraction,” Zach says.

You watch him sit up and stand to collect the gel he brought that you left on your dresser.

You’ve caught on to how normally, he likes to sarcastically play up his confidence, but during intimate moments, he’s vulnerable and sensitive. It makes him all the more interesting to you.

Zach lies back down next to you, applying the gel onto your forearm, his face crinkled in concern as he stares at your injury.

“It’s really not that bad,” you say, watching the way his pointer and middle finger gently run over your skin, reminding you of how they felt between your legs just minutes ago.

“I’m not buying your tough guy act,” Zach replies with a smirk.

“Excuse me?” you laugh.

“Everyone knows girls who play soccer pretend they’re fine when they’re not,” he says. “And guys who play soccer are crybabies.”

“True,” you laugh. It’s a running joke that you’re well aware of. Male athletes exaggerate injuries on the pitch, while women have a reputation for continuing to play after a fall or collision like nothing happened.

“But that’s just during a game,” you say. “If I’m in pain off the field, you’ll know. I’ll tell you.”

“You better.” Zach’s sits up to blow cool air onto your skin where he just applied the gel, as if taking care of you is an instinct to him.

He closes the tube and leans over to toss it onto your desk, but it slides too far and knocks over a few things that clatter onto the wood floor.

“Crap,” he laughs. “Sorry.”

“Stay away from any sports involving throwing,” you tease.

“You saying I’m bad with my hands?” he murmurs as he lies beside you on your pillow. “You weren’t complaining a minute ago.”

You chuckle, gazing at him as you both lie on your sides, facing each other.

“The ego,” you reply with a laugh.

Zach smirks, shifting to kiss you slowly, revelling in the way you taste. He’s not going to forget how pretty you looked when you came. How nice you sounded when you complimented him.

When he pulls back from the kiss, he swallows disappointment, knowing it must be past ten o’clock by now and that it’s best for both of you to get your rest.

“I should probably make a run for it,” he says.

“Great pillow talk,” you tease.

“I just mean because it’s late,” he laughs. “And Malcolm will wonder where I was. I can’t tell him the truth.”

“Do you have to be so responsible all the time?” you say with an exaggerated groan. He loves how open you are about how you don’t want him to leave. He doesn’t want to leave, either.

“Yeah, I’m being real responsible right now,” he replies sarcastically.

Your smile falters.

“Are you sure you want to keeping doing this?” you say. His brows furrow, realizing that his joke made him came across as regretful. In reality, he wouldn’t take back tonight for anything.

“I didn’t mean it to sound like that,” he says. “I talk before I think sometimes. Sorry.”

You nod understandingly, still not entirely at ease.

“I’m sure,” he reassures you. “But if it makes you feel weird-”

“That’s not it,” you interrupt. “You have so much to lose if we get caught. If I get fired, yeah, it’d suck, but if you get fired, it’s… so much worse.”

Zach exhales slowly. This is part of the reason he likes you so much. How considerate you are of his situation. He loves this place and its people. Getting caught breaking this rule would be a stain on his reputation.

But he’s confident you can both hide it.

“I’ve seen a lot of staff date and never get caught,” he tells you. “We’ll keep it on the down-low. I’m totally sure I want to do this with you. A hundred and five percent.”

“And five, huh?” you say with a quiet chuckle.

“That five is crucial,” he replies.

“You’re a goofball.”

Zach chuckles and kisses your cheek before sitting up. He sits on the edge of your bed, pulls his phone out of his pocket, and opens the weekly schedule in the staff group-chat.

“No drills together tomorrow,” he says, the disappointment clear in his tone. “But Monday, we’re on the east field in the morning. And Malcolm has an overnight on Wednesday. My cabin will be free.”

He looks over at you to see you perched up on your hand, smirking at him.

“What?” he says.

“It’s just cute that you’re already scheming for when we can hang out again,” you reply.

He laughs and kisses you one last time before sneaking out.

The next day, you and Zach catch each other staring nearly every time your paths cross. You can’t forget how he felt lying over you, kissing as he touched you, panting as you touched him.

Any time you’re near each other, it’s a thrill to think that you know what his kisses feel like and how hard he gets for you.

Monday marks day ten of the season, and when you stand beside Zach on the touchline as campers run through their morning warm-ups, you wonder if he feels as tense as you do being so close to each other and not being able to touch.

“You want to lead the drill or get the pylons?” Zach says as both of you stare ahead at the field under the cloudless sky.

“I’ll get the pylons,” you say, looking back at the closest storage shed. “We need four, right?”

“You got it, newbie.”

You turn but he stops you.

“One more thing,” he says.

You meet his eyes, the tension between you thick. Zach can barely take this. He can’t stop picturing the way you looked on your bed. The way your lips felt. The way you touched him.

It’s its own form of agony, having to act like you’re just a coworker to him when you’re all he thinks about. You’re so beautiful, standing just a few feet away from him but so painfully out of reach.

“Yeah?” you ask.

“Do you know if there’s a way to like, professionally hold hands?”

You laugh and flash him an unimpressed expression.

“Don’t think so,” you say.

“Damn.” He licks his lips and smiles at you before you walk away.

Not surprisingly, the shelves are a mess. You’ve heard the directors and vets over the walkies reminding counselors to tidy up the storage spaces over and over. They hardly ever do.

You search through the choas for a minute before Zach’s voice stops you.

“All good?” he asks, stepping in past the open door.

“It’s a mess in here,” you say, pointing to the three pylons you found on the floor. “I’m just looking for one more.”

Zach steps into the small, cluttered space, a foot away from you as his eyes trail over the top shelf.

“Think I see one,” he says. You could move out of the way, but you don’t, so his chest presses against you as he reaches over you.

Zach collects the pylon and looks down at you as he lowers his hand. Your stares are fixed on each other. You’re alone for the first time since Saturday night, and to him, that feels like an eternity ago.

“Thanks,” you say.

“You’d be lost without me.”

“Shut up,” you laugh, pushing against his firm chest. Instead of moving back, Zach leans into your touch, his grip on your wrist featherlight as he dips his head to kiss you.

You surrender completely, as if your body is the one in control, pushing you to do what it wants instead of listening to logic that this is risky.

Your lips part with a quiet smack.

“It sucks that I can’t do that whenever I want,” he says in a low voice.

“Yeah,” you agree. You swallow hard and take the pylon from his hand. “We should go.”

When you step out of the shed, Zach following, you’re startled by one of your campers coming around the corner. Two seconds earlier and she would’ve seen you kissing.

“Hey,” you say kindly, hiding your nerves. “What’s up?”

“Can I go get my hat from the cabin?” she says, blocking the sun with her hand.

“Of course.”

After you finish set-up, your heart still racing, Zach guides the kids through the drill. Once you’re standing next to him at the touchline again, you see him shaking his head in your peripheral.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbles to you. “That was so stupid of me.”

You look up at him to see his brows turned down, clearly ashamed. You don’t need to say it. You both know how badly that could have ended.

“I didn’t exactly stop you,” you say.

Zach’s lips turn into a small, but genuine smile, endeared that you’re not mad at him. He’s eager to push the conversation into easy territory again, but thankfully, you seem to have the same idea.

“You just can’t stay away from me,” you tease. He chuckles.

“Guilty.”

Zach crosses his arms. You have no doubt if dating was allowed, he’d be touching you right now. He’s more affectionate than you thought. It makes you like him even more.

“I won’t do that again,” he says.

“You won’t kiss me?” you joke quietly.

“Not in a public area. In private is… a different story.”

You share a knowing smile. The secret between you is safe. You’re determined to keep it that way.

On Tuesday night, you and Zach chat during free-time when you notice Oliver and Jemma hanging out by the fire. The young boy seems at ease again, talking to his new friend. Zach can’t stop thinking about how much he admires you for helping him out.

A minute after lights out, Zach gets a call on his walkie from Tom, asking him to meet him at the campground office.

Even though he’s not one to worry much, when he does worry, it gets near catastrophic. He’s on edge that he got caught for breaking the no-dating rule. He feels like a little kid going to the principal’s office.

The mood isn’t tense when he enters the small office. He sees a couple of counselors sitting and chatting with Ruby at the back desk. It’s one of his favorite things about this place, how staff like to hang out like this, comfortable with the directors.

And it’s a relief. If he were in trouble, other people wouldn’t be here.

Tom is sitting at the computer when he waves Zach over.

“How tired are you?” Tom asks. Zach clues in immediately.

“What do you need?” he replies.

His uncle offers him a smile and a piece of notepad paper with a list of needed supplies. He’s used to this, running out into town every so often for odds and ends.

It’s a reminder of how much his aunt and uncle trust him. He tries not to think about how he’s been hiding something from them for days now.

“Malcolm’s not on an overnight if you want some help,” Tom suggests. “And keep the-”

“Receipt,” Zach says. “Got it.”

As Zach heads out of the office, he doesn’t even have to think about it. He wants to go with you. He’ll think of an excuse for why he didn’t take his best friend later.

He texts you: You down to go buy some stuff with me? This is strictly a work event.

You just got in your cabin when you see his message. With a soft chuckle, you reply: i accept, and tell Ami you’re going into town to run an errand and rush out before she can ask for any details.

Zach gets out of his work clothes, exchanging quick greetings with Malcolm in their cabin and vaguely mentioning that he’ll be back later, then he meets you in front of your cabin.

You come down to the dirt path with quick steps, a sweet smile on your face.

“What are we buying?” you ask.

He holds up the list. Normally, with Malcolm, who tagged along any time Zach was asked to go into town for an errand, they’d split up the list for efficiency.

But Zach doesn’t care about efficiency right now. He just wants to hang out with you.

“All you have to do is keep me company,” he says. You set out towards the parking lot together, your shoes crunching over the dirt and rocks.

“And this counts as work?” you say. “Nice.”

“My uncle said I can go with Malcolm, but no offense, I’m obviously gonna pick you.”

You smile, your cheeks warm.

“No way you said that to Tom,” you laugh.

“Nah, I just left,” Zach says. “I’ll come up with something if he sees us.”

When you sit in his car, in between conversation, you notice Zach makes sure your seatbelt is on before he starts driving.

The supermarket in town is large, bright, and quiet, with on an hour left before close. As you pace together through the aisles, you ask him, “How many times have you been here?”

“Lost count,” he says.

It feels strange for some reason, knowing that everything you’re seeing for the first time at work and in town is stuff Zach has been seeing for years. He has a whole history of summers here behind him, with long-standing relationships with so many of your coworkers.

You continue to chat as you shop, eventually entering an aisle to see tin cans scattered across the floor.

Zach sighs in frustration before picking up the cans that other shoppers have clearly just pushed to the side. You admire how kindness is second-nature to him.

“You’re so sweet,” you say, helping him.

“What else am I?” he asks. You chuckle. This man loves compliments.

“Considerate.”

“Yeah?” he continues. “And?”

“What, do you want me to call you a good boy?” you reply with a laugh.

It was a joke, but by the way Zach shyly looks down, you can tell it had an effect on him.

“Noted,” you say a bit timidly, putting the last can up on the shelf. “So, what’s next?”

Once you cross off the last thing on the list, you finally gain the courage to ask if there’s a pharmacy.

“Yeah, what do you need?” Zach asks. “Is something hurting you? Is it your burn?”

“No,” you laugh. “I just want to take a look.”

After you walk through the department, you realize that while you feel plenty comfortable with Zach, saying what you’re looking for out loud is too nerve-wracking.

“So?” he says once you reach the end of the aisle. Even after what you did with him the other night, it’s embarrassing to say.

“I’m ready to go,” you mumble. He can see by the way you’re avoiding eye contact that you’re nervous.

“What is it?” he laughs. “Get whatever you need. I’m not going to judge you. Would it be better if I gave you some privacy?”

You swallow your nerves, looking away from him.

“If we…” You sigh. “You know what we talked about? I think it’s good to be prepared.”

His brows furrow, confused amusement on his face.

“I’m so lost,” Zach says with a grin. You put your hands on your hips.

“Maybe prepared isn’t the right word,” you say. “Protected.”

He stares at you for a moment. Finally, he catches on that you’re talking about condoms.

“Oh,” he says, his cheeks burning. “Yeah. It’s good to be... You’re right. Um, let’s - we can go see what they have.”

“Okay,” you reply. “I was just thinking it’d - like, if we’re in the situation-”

“And we don’t have anything,” Zach understands, “that’d suck. Right. Yeah.”

You both laugh now that it’s out in the open, a little less tense. He can’t believe how weak he is for you, considering that merely talking about the potential of having sex makes arousal rush through his body so fast.

Tomorrow night, he has his cabin to himself. You both are very aware of the fact that you’re one sleep away from having complete privacy again. He already thought he couldn’t wait. This is a new level of impatience.

Soon, you’re standing next to each other in front of the shelves of mutlicolored boxes. Silence passes between you.

“In case I didn’t say it, I’m really glad you came here with me,” he says. You laugh and nudge his shoulder.

“Pick one,” you say.

“You know I’m bad at making decisions.”

“Consider this an opportunity to get better at it, then.”

Zach breathes a laugh, scratching his cheek as he looks at the options.

“Any day now,” you say after a few moments.

“Cut it out,” he smirks. Finally, he picks up a box and holds in front of you. “You approve?”

“Wow,” you say. On the front of the box, in white letters reads: Enhanced for her pleasure. “Um, yeah. That’s good.”

“You sure?”

“A hundred and five percent,” you tease. “It’s nice of you to pick that one.”

He shrugs with a sly smile, putting the box in the cart.

“There has to be some red flag I’m missing,” you say. “You’re kind of too perfect.”

Zach laughs again, pushing the cart down the aisle as you follow. You hook your hand in the crook of his elbow. He loves the feeling of your touch, shifting to cup your hand in his.

“Then, let’s figure what my red flag is,” he plays along.“I’m indecisive.”

“You were just decisive ten seconds ago,” you say with a laugh. “Not a red flag.”

“I’m messy,” he admits.

“Also not a red flag,” you say. His car isn’t pristine, but it isn’t necessarily trashed, either.

Zach figures if this subject is open, he might as well let everything out.

“I don’t always say it when stuff bothers me,” he tells you. Every ex-girlfriend has had this issue with him and he hates that he can never seem to break the habit.

“Well, that’s not really a red flag, either, I don’t think,” you say. “Why do you think you do that?”

“I’d just rather… be happy, you know?” he confesses, keeping his eyes ahead. “I spent so much of my childhood sad. I saw the way it affected my parents. Getting over stuff on my own is easier for everyone.”

You can’t find the words to say right away. This glimpse into his soul tells you so much. And truthfully, it makes you a little nervous. If you upset him, what’ll he do? Just swallow the pain and never tell you?

But, you get it. From what he’s confided in you, you understand that he must’ve felt guilty as a kid when his parents spent so much time desperately tried to find ways to make him happy.

It’s heartbreaking. He was bullied for being quiet and now, as an adult, he’s quiet in a new way, hiding his sadness.

“Is it really easier for you, though?” you say softly. “How you feel matters. It’s not something you need to hide for other people’s comfort.”

Zach squeezes your hand, gazing down at you. He’s never met someone who can joke with him one second, then treat him with so much empathy the next. It’s just what he needs.

“How much for the therapy session?” he asks. You smile, already used to how he prefers to navigate out of tense conversations.

“First one’s free.”

You make it to the register and as you help unload the cart, Zach points to the array of candy on the rack by the magazines.

“Let’s see if you can get this right,” he asks. “What’s the best snack here?”

You point to your favorite candy, telling him it’s obvious. When he picks up the bag, you realize he asked just to buy a treat for you.

“You tricked me,” you laugh. “You don’t have to buy me anything.”

“It’s the least I can do. You made a trip to this store fun for once.”

Zach separates the purchases, looking a bit awkward when the cashier scans the condoms, saying he doesn’t need a receipt for ‘the box’. You can’t help but giggle.

He doesn’t let you carry anything on the way to the car. You settle in the passenger seat, happily accepting the bag of candy he hands you. His car roars to life and he drives out of the parking lot.

You fill the fifteen-minute drive with conversation and laughter while you feed him pieces of candy every so often.

You make it onto the campground, hiding the box of condoms in your bag as you step out. You plan to head to your cabin while he drops off the supplies at the office, but once you pass the dining hall, you see a familiar figure in the dark. It���s Tom.

“Crap,” he whispers. “Remember when I said I’d think of something? I didn’t.”

“It’s okay,” you say. “I’ll talk.”

Tom greets you both, playfully asking Zach why he roped in a newbie to help him with a chore.

“It was all me,” you say with a laugh. “I ran into him at the perfect time and begged to go so I could get a snack. Poor guy had no choice.”

Your boss doesn’t seem fazed, making friendly conversation and confirming with Zach that he can drop the bags off in the office, where Ruby should still be, before you part ways.

Once he’s out of earshot, Zach sighs.

“Nicely done,” he says, impressed.

“All I could think about was the condoms in my bag falling out,” you whisper, earning a laugh from him. “That was terrifying.”

Once you reach the fork between the office and the staff cabins, you wish you could kiss him goodnight. Instead, you offer a smile.

“Thanks for the invite,” you say.

“Thanks for coming,” Zach says. He doesn’t move. He stands across from you, his eyes on you under the moonlight.

“You okay?” you ask with a quiet giggle.

“Yeah.” He’s more than okay. You’ve thrown him and everything in his life for a loop in the best way. It’s wild how he misses you before you’re even gone. “Get some rest, alright?”

“And I’m bossy?” you joke, stepping away. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

As you pace away from him down the trail, Zach watches your silhouette, and he’s sure that if you didn’t already have a piece of his heart, you do now.

(part five)

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[simplyswiftly]

Beach Day, Drew Starkey

summery: You and Drew go out and about in charleston with his family, your sister, and your daughter

warnings: none, just a bunch of fluff!

pairing: dad!drew starkey x fem!reader

You had yours and Drew's three month old pressed against your chest in between a baby carrier. Her chubby cheek was pressed against your bare skin. She was fighting herself to stay awake as you tapped her butt gently knowing it soothed her.

Drew was sitting beside you with his niece in his lap. Unlike Maya, Liliana was jumping around on her uncles lap.

"May asleep?" Drew whispered to you, hooking his arm around your shoulder. Maya jumped, trying to prove she was awake to her dad at the sound of him saying her name. Her lashes fluttered as she started to doze off again.

A chuckle fell from the blondes lips before he pressed a kiss against the top of your infants head. His head turned and he pressed a kiss against your chest before lifting his head to look back at Liliana.

Your arm that was around Drew's shoulders moved up to run over his buzzed head. You pulled Drew's head to your lips, pressing a kiss against his temple. Liliana looked at you with the biggest smile.

"Hey girly!" You said enthusiastically to her, waving at her.

Her blue eyes shifted down to Maya before snatching Maya's pacifier. Instantaneously cries from Maya began.

"Liliana, no baby." Drew said, taking the pacifier from Liliana. He pushed the rubber pacifier back between Maya's lips, calming her down a little, but still little cries left her lips from around the pacifier.

Drew faced Liliana to him, he could see little tears well in her eyes. Just then Mackayla and Jodi walked out of the restaurant with your sister and mom beside them.

"You can't take Maya's binki baby. You got your own" Drew pointed out, pulling Liliana's from the clip that was attached to her shirt. He pushed it in between her lips just like he did with Maya.

Mackayla, Jodi, your sister Kaylee and your mom walked over as Liliana cuddled into Drew, a couple tears shed onto her cheeks. Her wet cheeks stained Drew's white tee shirt, as she rubbed her chubby cheek against it.

"What happened?" Mack asked, noticing the tear stained cheeks on her daughter.

"Paci stealing." Drew explained as you stood up, Maya continuing to cry.

You swayed your hips, trying to calm your daughter. Maya's cries got louder causing her pacifier to fall onto the pavment below you. She wasn't wet and she wasn't one to cry for no reason.

You unhooked the straps of the carrier, making sure to hold Maya's head as the carrier fell against your legs.

"Babe, can you get me May's bottle please?" You asked, not wanting to pull your shirt down in public and breast feed her.

You obviously knew that if a mother wanted to do it it was more than okay. But with yours and Drew's followings, you didn't want your boobs all over the internet, so you were very careful with breastfeeding in public.

"Breast mik or formula?" Drew asked, unzipping the diaper bag.

"Uh, when did I breast feed her last?" You asked, knowing Drew might not remember, but you were trying to calm her down so you were spacing it.

Drew handed you the breast milk bottle as Mack took Liliana from Drew. You pushed the nipple of the bottle in between her lips, her cries quieting down as she began sucking the pumped milk.

"Yeah, I know, sweet girly." You whispered as her tiny fingers pulled at the edge of your bikini top. Her blue eyes fluttered closed as she made tiny sounds of bliss, enjoying her food.

You sat back down next to Drew, keeping your eyes on the hungry baby in your arms. As everyone around you continued their conversations, you watched Maya single handedly inhale her bottle.

The blonde baby in your arms rested her head against your breast, once again asleep against your chest.

"Baby." Drew said, catching your attention.

You looked over at your fiance, placing one hand over Maya's face to shield the sun from her face.

"We're heading back to the beach." Drew said, Liliana already strapped back against his chest.

Gently you strapped yours and Drew's daughter back against your chest, making sure to secure it enough so you knew she was comfortable.

Making your way toward the beach, one hand under Maya's butt and the other laced with Drew's.

A pair of teenage girls walked up to you, huge smiles on both of their faces.

"Hi.. uhm can we have a picture?" One of them asked both you and Drew as you managed to shift your sleeping daughters foot a little bit so that Maya's foot was out of your jean shorts.

"Yeah. Just give me a second." Drew said, unclipping the carrier that was snug against his chest.

He handed Lilana off to his mom along with the carrier. Since Maya was facing you, you didn't do anything about her.

"Is she sleeping?" One of the girls asked you as she slowly approached you.

"Yeah... She's been zonked most of the day." You started, showing the girls since neither of them had their phones out to take photos.

Before Maya was even born, you'd decided not to show the public too much of her, including no photos of her face, and minimal photos of her at all.

"She's so cute! She looks just like Drew!" The blonde girl pointed out. Something that was very pointed out whenever people saw her for the first time.

"But she for sure has your nose!" The red head said.

"Oh for sure. Carbon copy of Drew besides her nose." You laughed. "Who know's.. you guys seen baby pictures of Drew when he was a baby. He had a normal nose then."

Drew looked at you fake offended, pulling a smile at your lips. You took a photo with the girls and ccoversed a little bit more before you went your seperate ways.

When you got to the beach, Maya was awake again, this time happier than last time. It was getting chillier, so you'd put a sweater on and changed Maya into warmer clothes.

Sitting down by the water, Maya was in between your legs on a blanket and Drew was by your side. Your head was laid on his shoulder.

"I love you, sweet girl." He whispered while running his fingers through your hair. A soft kiss was pressed against the top of your head,

"Love you too." You mumbled.

"Tired?" Drew asked, picking Maya up. You nodded your head. "How 'bout we head back home, everyone can meet us back at the house when their finished here... hows that sound?" Drew asked you.

So that's what you ended up doing.

[onlyhereforangst]

THE OTHER ZOEY ↳ you kiss me and it stops time

[chenslucy]

this is the cutest end credits scene ever

[flowerygrdn]

chasin' you | z. maclaren

pairing: zach maclaren x reader

warnings: fluff, fluff, and... wait what was it....oh, MORE FLUFF!!!

summary: zach seems to have taken an interest in y/n. she definitely does not believe he actually likes her. no matter how often she says "it's never gonna happen" he can't seem to give up. maybe he actually does mean what he says...

a/n: um...hi. i'm back from the dead...anyways let's get on with the story. luv ya!!!!

---

For the love of God, I just couldn't get rid of him! Why me? Out of every single girl in this university, he has to go for me?! This has to be a joke. This has to be a dare...or or a bet, yeah that's what this is. A bet. Probably by his soccer buddies.

There is just no way that Zach Maclaren keeps asking me out. This is the third time this week he's weaseled his way next to me during a lecture. His arm was around the back of my uncomfortable wooden chair and his knee kept bumping mine every so often. Fuck my life, people were also dead staring at us. The universe must hate my guts.

"So, maybe after this, I can take you to that coffee shop a few blocks away." He whispered in my ear. His nose kept brushing the side of my face and chills kept spreading throughout my body. God damn it, why is he doing this to me?

"Unlike you, I'm actually trying to learn. So get your arm off me and leave me alone!" I whisper shouted the last part at him. I also whacked his arm off of my shoulder. However, instead of getting offended, he took it as a challenge. The arm that was once wrapped around my chair moved to my lap. He leaned forward in the chair, acting like he was paying attention just so he could put his hand on the farthest part of my leg. He started rubbing circles with his thumb and I'd be lying if I said it didn't give me butterflies.

I try to the best of my abilities to pry his hand off but he would not let go.

"You know some people would consider this harassment," I whispered to him again.

"And yet, your muscles relaxed when I put my hand there." I could hear the smirk in his voice, he didn't even have to turn his head. My mind blanked for the last half of the lecture, it wasn't until Zach snapped me out of my trance that I realized it was time to leave.

"Hey, baby, time to go." He took my hand as if he were trying to help me up, but I yanked it out of his grasp.

"I can get up myself, thank you. And don't call me baby. I am not your baby!" I shove my finger in his face and start towards the door.

"No...but you could be," Unfortunately for me, he has longer legs, therefore he caught up with me really fast. His head met my shoulder and his hand went to my waist.

"God, do you ever take a vacation from being an annoying jackass?" I roll my eyes and shrug my shoulder to get him off.

"Nah, it's too fun. Hey, but maybe, you can take me out. I would be a lot less annoying if you'd shut me up. Preferably with a kiss." He spun me around, hands landing on my waist, and smirked as he leaned in just enough for me to feel his breath fan across my face. I raise my hands to his neck, which causes his smile to widen. I smile and act like I'm going to kiss him.

At the last second, I smack the side of his head and begin to walk away.

"Ow...so what, no goodbye kiss?" Once again I hear the smirk in his voice as I walk to my car.

---

Once again, I was just minding my business eating and drinking my coffee, when all of a sudden the chair beside me was pulled out and a familiar figure was seated next to me.

"Ugh, not today Maclaren. I need a break." I lay my book down and begin to rub my temples.

"Aww, why so stressed, baby? Need me to rub your shoulders? Or better yet how about an infamous "feel better kiss" He leans in and fully expects me to kiss him, however, I pick up my doughnut and shove it against his puckered lips.

"I'll pass, thank you." He grabs the doughnut and takes a bite out of it.

"You know, I guess I'll settle for your half-eaten doughnut." He says as he begins to devour the treat.

"You're crazy, you know that, right?" I say in utter shock that he won't give up.

"Crazy about you, baby." He smiles wiping his mouth.

"Damn and cheesy." I pick up my coffee and take a large sip of it before picking my book back up. I hear a metal chair drag against the ground and the next thing I know, Zach is breathing down my neck. He lays his head on my shoulder and picks my legs up to lay them across his lap. And fuck me, I don't stop him. "Why the hell didn't you stop him?" you may be asking, and to that I say...I DON'T FUCKING KNOW!!!!

"You're so pretty and you smell good. You're smart and caring. You love your friends and family unconditionally. You read Jane Austin over and over again. You're taking Criminal Justice because you believe the justice system is fucked up and you want to change that. You're probably the most perfect person I have ever met." Zach says each and every word into my neck as he rubs his thumb up and down my thigh. All the words in my book began to blur. It's funny because, at the time, I was reading "Emma" by Jane Austin.

He knew everything about me. He listed the reasons why he liked me. To top it off, he's holding me like I'm the most valuable thing in the world. Does Zach Maclaren like me? Like actually? No Bullshit?

"I like you, y/n. No bullshit." It's like he read my mind. I look at him and see the complete adoration in his eyes. He actually means it. He lifts his head and kisses my cheek before softly setting my legs down. He gets up and turns to me one last time.

"I want you to like me how I like you. I want you to see me how I see you. And if you don't, then I can live with that. As long as you tell me the God's honest truth." Then he's gone. The coffee shop doorbell rings and I just sit there. He wasn't joking, he actually meant every word he said.

Zach noticed things no other guy had. He sees me as more than a pretty face. God damn it the justice system is fucked up! Maybe I do like Zach Maclaren...

---

I stand by the locker room doors and wait for him. He told me to tell him the truth, so that's what I'm coming to do. Fuck man, it's too cold and I am too nervous to be standing here right now. Soon, I heard the door open. Zach came out with a few of his teammates. He spotted me and froze for a second.

"Hey, I'll catch up with you guys later." He tells his friends and they run off. He stands in the same spot. The silence is so loud and I can't stand it.

"Hi," I said, full of nerves.

"Hi," The smile on his face was enough to make a girl melt.

"You did great, congrats on the win."

"Yep, thanks." I could tell he was waiting for me to say what I really wanted to say.

"That's all I needed to say...bye!" I went to run off but my wrist was caught by Zach.

"Nah uh uh, you could not pay me enough to believe you bought an eight-dollar ticket, sat through an hour-long game, stood by the locker room door for half an hour, and waited for me to come out just to tell me congrats." He could see straight through my bullshit and it was scary. He pulled me closer and let go of my wrist. His arm then snaked its way around my waist.

"Talk to me, baby." His words were like music to my ears. His voice was delicate and soft. I could just...well...you'll see.

"Um...so IcametotellyouthatIreallylikeyouandIwanttobewithyouandyoumakemereallyhappyandyeahthat'sall." My words were all jumbled and he looked so confused.

"Okay um...a little slower, please." He laughed and I took a deep breath before responding,

"I like you, Zach. And I want to be with yo-" Before I could get the last word out, he smashed his lips against mine. My hands went to his neck and his hand that was holding his soccer bag let go and went to my neck. The kiss was filled with so much adoration and passion. We only pulled apart when we had to breathe.

"I only needed to hear the first sentence." He smiled as he rubbed the side of my face.

"So...is that coffee shop offer still on the table? Baby" His smile widened and he looked up at the star-lit sky.

"Of course it is. Damn, all this chasin' you made me do, baby." With that, he connected our lips again.

---

a/n: hehe again, sorry for falling off the face of the earth. I'll try to be more active!

---

[winterrrnight]

I'll be there for you

PAIRING: zach maclaren x gn!reader

SUMMARY: on your way to be broken up with (unknowing to you), you bump into a blue eyed boy who becomes your saviour after the break up.

WARNINGS: break up, heartbreak

EDITH SPEAKS: zach maclaren is what I have always imagined soft!rafe to be like. You don't know how big of a win it is for me (and for all the people who are obsessed w soft!rafe). zach is a sweetie and i NEED to write fics for him, so here you go!! it's my first fic for him as per the poll 🫶🏻🫶🏻

if you enjoyed reading this, please reblog!! feedback is always appreciated so please don't be afraid to comment and leave your thoughts 💕💕 + give me some cute cute zach requests y'all 😭

navigation || join my taglist || requests

You speed up your jogging, and try to simultaneously avoid all sorts of puddles. It's been raining heavily and you almost had an accident with your car as you accidentally drove into a huge pothole. It's at the repair shop, and you're stuck with walking as your medium of transportation.

Your partner asked you to meet up with them at a local coffee shop, and it's been almost 20 minutes since the time you were actually supposed to be there. You forgot to charge your phone so you're just carrying a dead device with you, and you have no way of informing them about you being late.

As you're jogging (which has now become sprinting, accompanied with your heavy breathes) you find yourself getting mesmerised by a new shop as you pass it. You watch through the window of the shop whilst running, and the decore inside intrigues you deeply as you make a mental note to visit the shop on your way back.

Just as you direct your attention to the road, you find yourself almost running into a huge puddle of water. Your reflexes act up as you suddenly swerve to the left, and with such a late response, you end up crashing into someone.

"Ow!" You say, as you and the unknown person both groan. In the heat of the moment, the other person has their arms wrapped around you to prevent you from falling (or from keeping themselves from falling) and you clasp onto their arms as you both steady yourself.

As you regain focus and look up at the person, you see the most beautiful pair of blue eyes looking at you back, and a mop of hair which looks as soft as bunny ears.

You forget what happened just a second before as you find yourself so mesmerised by this person in front of you. The world around you has seemed to stop spinning, and it feels like you and this person are the only people on this planet.

"Are you okay?"

The most musical voice enters your ears, and you think you haven't seen a person this perfect before.

"Yeah, yeah I'm okay, are you okay? I'm so sorry I just full on slammed into you," you laugh, as the person takes their hands off your arms and you do too. You had forgotten you both were holding each other.

"Yes, I'm fine. You look worried and distracted, is everything alright?"

"Uh yes, it's all good," you smile at the stranger. His kindness has warmed your heart.

You suddenly remember you are on your way to meet your partner. You look at your wrist watch to see you're now over 30 minutes late.

"Oh shit I gotta go," you say, starting to run again.

"Be careful!" You hear him call out behind you. You lightly laugh at his words as you run, and pick up speed but this time keeping yourself focused.

You quickly reach the coffee shop and enter inside, the bells jingling just like they always do. You look at the corner to see them sitting there with their eyes buried in their phone. You rush up to them and give them a quick kiss on their cheek before sitting opposite to them.

"I'm so so sorry I'm late, my car is at the shop and I had to run and on the way I almost-"

"It's okay," they say, taking a sip of the coffee they ordered for themselves. There's nothing on the table for you, when you know they are fully aware what you love to drink from here.

Ignoring that, you just nod and look outside the window.

"Listen, I want to talk about something really important," they say, regaining your focus.

"Yeah?"

"This," they say, gesturing to the both of you, "this isn't working out anymore. I'm pretty sure you've noticed how we've grown apart and have been basically living two separate lives since a few months now. I, I want to break up with you."

You watch them with your eyes widened and your heart loud in your chest.

No doubt you have felt the lack of love between you two, but you've made some beautiful memories with them and to think it all ends here now, does make you sad.

"Oh," you whisper, not knowing what else to really say.

"I'm also moving away next week, and I might as well start to live there permanently," they add, and you just look at them with disbelief. They're moving away and this is the moment they thought is the perfect one to break this news to you?

"I have absolutely loved being with you all this time, but I think it's now time we separate and do our own thing." They take the last sip of their coffee and get up from their chair. "I wish you the best for your life." They smile at you and leave the coffee shop, you left all alone at the table.

It takes you a few minutes to process what has happened, and how you've been broken up with in such a horrific way. You stay seated with your eyes focused on your hands in your lap, as you turn their words in your mind over and over.

You take in a deep breathe and get up from your chair, and leave the coffee shop. You walk slowly back to your home, you hands stuffed in the pockets of your jacket as you try to distract yourself by kicking the stones on your path.

You are nearing the shop you wanted to visit, and just before that, you spot a familiar face sitting on a bench. He sees you and gives you a smile as he gets up from the bench.

"You look so sad," the blue eyed boy says.

"Well, I did just get broken up with," you say with a laugh, but nothing was funny about this situation.

"Oh my," he gasps, "I'm so sorry," he wraps his arms around you and pulls you in a hug.

Should you be hugging someone who's name you don't even know?

Probably not, but you are in a desparate need for closure.

And this person really knows how to hug.

"You'll be fine," he says. "It wasn't meant to be, because if it was, you wouldn't be broken up with right now. It may take some time for you to realise it, but I promise you, it happened for the best."

Your lips upturn into a small smile. "We fell out of love a long time ago, I don't know why I'm clinging onto something which practically ended so long ago."

"I think it's because they did make you feel things, and you're just missing all the good times. And that's totally normal. But there's someone out there who'll keep you so much more happy."

You suddenly pull him into a another hug, and you hear him giggle as he hugs you back. This is the best thing that has happened to you all day.

"Thank you for that," you whisper. He simply smiles at you and nods.

You look around and your eyes land at the shop which attracted you deeply.

You only live once, right?

"If you aren't busy right now, would you like to check out that shop with me?" You ask, pointing to it. He turns around to look at where you're pointing.

"I would love to," he smiles, and it's like you've already forgotten about the heartbreak you were experiencing a few minutes ago.

He was right; it was never meant to be and there's someone who's going to keep you so much more happy.

And that someone is him.

Zach Maclaren, the boy who you fell in love with because he provided you support when you thought you would crumble apart.

The boy who showed you happiness in forms you didn't know you could feel.

The boy who loved you with his last breathe.

↶ೃ✧˚. ❃ ↷ ˊˎ-

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[stqrgirlie0]

I present… my husband of 4 years😘😘

#exams have been EATING ME UP but I’m backk #sorry mattheo and theo🥲