"Started on babies?" Stevie grins. "You sure you want that responsibility, man?"

"You didn't hear me?" He asks, as she hovers beside him, "You didn't hear that bit about the three kids and the dog?"

"And your place," she nods. "Oh, I heard."

"So we've gotta get on that," he replies, sucking in his breath as she throws her leg over his lap, sitting nicely on top of him. "'Cause I think I'm serious."

"Ha--! You think?"

He grins, nodding. "Don't think I'd mind raising kids with you, love."

There's more truth to his words than he'd like to admit. 

"A boy?" He continues, feeling her out with this--because he's not ready to drop this, yet. The more he talks about this scenario the more idyllic he finds it. "Two boys? One girl?"

"Flip it, Zayn."

"Flip what? C'mon, lemme have a son, Stevie."

"Your sperm'll dictate that, man," she laughs. "So give me two girls and one boy since you're so set on three."

"I'm not set on any number..." He bites his lip. "'Cause you won't be able to keep your hands off me."

He feels her clench her legs against him and knows he's won. 

But damn, she changes the subject. 

"You think you're ready for kids, Zayn?" She asks, growing comfortable on his lap. "Honestly? With me?"

"When you sit on top of me like that," he says, balling his hands into fists at his side, "know I start thinking of baby names."

Stevie laughs. 

"Besides," he continues honestly, "we'd make great parents."

"We'd be tied together, actually, for at least eighteen years," she says. "Can't divorce me without repercussion, boo."

"Good thing I never mentioned divorce, Stevie."

"You'd really..." She shakes her head. "Never mind."

"No, what?" Zayn asks immediately. "What were you gonna say? I'd really...?"

"It's nothing. Really, Zayn."

"Just say it, Stevie--"

"You really want to stay together?" She asks. "Even after the first time--?"

"The first time," he states, "shouldn't have ended. If we're being honest."

"I--I do want you to be honest."

He licks his lips. "Really?"

There were a lot of things Stevie wasn't sharing with Zayn. 

He could feel it. 

He knew her. He knew them. And he knew that they weren't done talking. If they were going to have a future together they needed to really get to know each other. 

Again. 

Those late night conversations they used to have? They needed to have them again. They needed to be close again. And yes, it seemed like they were working on it, but Zayn was impatient. 

And his impatience grows as Stevie nods, "Yeah. I do."

"I want you to be honest, too. Always," and he shakes his head, "You don't have a reason to lie to me," he adds with a, "wife."

And for a few seconds, they stare. Zayn's gaze is locked with Stevie's and for a moment--for just a moment--there's something in those eyes of hers that reminded him of the young woman he used to know...the one who laughed out at everything and sent him 'I love you texts' when he was in class and played in his hair like he loved when she slept over in his dorm. This Stevie he catches a quick glimpse of. This girlfriend-Stevie wanted him. This girlfriend-Stevie loved him. 

But, this wife-Stevie?

This wife-Stevie blinks once. 

Twice. 

And wife-Stevie swings her legs from his lap and jumps to the floor. 

"Well, then..." She says, crossing carpet and finishing a thought he doesn't hear once she stops and bends over in front of her suitcase. 

And Zayn sits up straighter, groaning aloud at, one, the sight of her bent over in underwear because c'mon now, and two, the fact that getting her to be straightforward with him was harder than he thought and yeah, his dad was right and yeah, Liam was right too--he was impatient as hell because the only girl he'd ever loved was so close and seemingly so far, with these years that went by of them being apart--

"Zayn?"

He blinks. "Yeah?"

"You alright?" She asks. She's crossing the floor. She's got her hands behind her back and she's...

She's coming back. 

"You totally spaced out, babe."

 "I..." He blinks again, confused as she stands beside him on the bed. "Just thinking."

"Too hard," she adds. "About something."

"About you."

"Me?" And she surprises him as she climbs onto bed, back onto his lap, laying that magazine flat on his chest. 

He lifts the Cosmo. "What the fuck's this--"

"Sex challenge," she giggles. "Duh. Now," and she taps the magazine back against him. "Why're you thinking about me when I'm right here?"

"I..." He furrows his brow again, shaking his head. "'Cause I want you to open up," he chuckles softly, "Feels like you're keeping so much from me and I keep tellin' you, I just want you to be able to talk to me."

"I'm trying."

He chokes on a laugh. "Stevie, c'mon."

"I am!" She exclaims. "Really," and she takes a deep breath, her chest heaving in that black cotton bra. "Look," she blinks, eyes on the magazine, "It's been a long time we've had sex, isn't it?"

"Yeah..." He nods. "What're you getting at--?"

"And," she forges on, "when we met on the altar, all but like, a week ago, you probably thought I'd broken your heart I thought you'd broken mine, and it's taken us until a few days ago to realize that--"

"It wasn't intentional!"

"Exactly," she grins, "Yes. Zayn, hush."

"Bossy."

"Anyway," she rolls her eyes. "So, here's me being honest," she takes another breath, "Zayn Malik, I have to tell you two things. The first, is that I do want this to work out. Us, I mean," and Zayn can't help himself--he smiles. 

"I do," Stevie nods. "I'm also scared," she admits, "because I've never experienced heartache like I did when we fought and you never called and I went back home to two sisters and one cousin looking at me for answers when my mom--our mom--was dying."

"Stevie," he begins, that overwhelming feeling back again, "I'm so--"

"Sorry?" She lifts an eyebrow. "Please, Zayn. Don't be."

"But, I am!" He exclaims. "I could've been there! I wish...Damn it Stevie, I could've--"

"I know," she nods kindly, "But, it was both of our faults, Zayn. You're right about me, honestly. I don't confront my feelings a lot of times. I don't voice my feelings.

"And that's why you're right about now," she nods. "I'm trying. You've got to be patient with me, okay? Because I want us to have a real...something again," she says. "I really do."

"Me too," he rubs his palms against her thighs. "I want that too, Stevie."

"I'm happy to hear that," she smiles, "husband."

"Well, then?" Zayn grins, because he really liked the Stevie who talked to him, and he can't even hide it. "What's the second thing?"

And her grin stretches wider into a full-on smile. She sits straighter on his crotch, "I, Stevie Davis--"

He clears his throat. 

"Excuse me," she laughs, "I, Stevie Malik..." She pauses, "Better?"

Dammit, he can't even fight the smile on his face. "Better," he nods. 

Stevie beams. 

His heart thuds. 

"I, Stevie Malik,  would like to ask you, Zayn Malik, her husband, to participate in a Cosmo sex challenge for the next five days," she lifts a brow. "Are you up for it?"

"I, Zayn Malik, husband of Stevie Malik, would be delighted to do anything that involves having sex with his wife," and he runs his hands up her thighs, "who talks to him. And expresses her feelings. And opens up."

"Noted," Stevie replies, as she flips open the book to the page she'd marked and points to number two. "Wanna start here?"

"Huh?" He blinks, gaze held captive by the feel of lace beneath his fingers. "Whichever one, babe."

Stevie laughs. "Fine," she says, tossing the magazine aside. "Whatever."

"S'long as you remember," he grins, hands riding up her ass as she leans forward, pressing herself against his chest. 

"I do," she kisses him softly. "Lucky you."

And Zayn, in this moment, thinks two things. 

The first? That he's excited like a little kid for this sex challenge--this sex challenge with Stevie.

The second? That he could cancel the rest of the vacation and the rest of Hawaii and never surf again or never lay eyes on a beach just to stay in a hotel room and complete a sex challenge with Stevie. 

Wife-Stevie. 

Wife-Stevie who he, her husband, had never, try as he might, ever, stopped loving. 

He found himself genuinely hoping she felt the same way too. 

___

on a roll guys so here's another update

(yeah imma add some of their challenge sex in here so don't even worry 'bout it just get excited for the next chapter)

comment and vote! <333