Zayn sits across from Stevie at a table. 

They're overlooking the calm waters and crowded beach. It's the early evening, the sun is setting, the day has been perfectly gorgeous, and Zayn's wearing a white button-up that's got his chest exposed and Stevie wants to trace every one of his tattoos with her tongue.

Wait.

No.

She didn't just think that thought.

But, she did.

And she had been thinking these thoughts for a much longer time than she'd like to really admit to herself.

"Y'all have sex yet?"

"What? Jan, shit. No."

"I mean, it's Zayn, Stevie," her sister had shrugged. "You know him."

"Yeah," Edie had added over the phone the night before. "And it's not like you haven't fucked him, either."

"Edie!"

"What? It's true!"

"Yeah," Joan had agreed. "It's true, Stevie."

"What're you waiting for?" Janis asked. "I bet his dick's the same."

"Holy shit, Janis, what're you--"

"I bet it's better," Joan had added. "Like a fine wine, right? Aren't men supposed to get better with age?"

"I bet he'd put it down for you, too, Stevie," Janis had added, as Edie and Joan had hummed their approval. "He fucking loved you, boo. Bet he's still head over heels now."

"And it's been a while?" Edie said. "I bet he'd pull out all the stops to show you what you'd been missing."

And while Stevie had to admit that her sisters were fucking nuts, she also had to admit that she wanted to jump Zayn's bones and she couldn't even fucking deny it.

She wanted him.

He was even more attractive now than he had been when they were eighteen and baby-faced. He was a man, now. He was a man with more tattoos and more control of himself and more facial hair and gah-damn, Stevie had a thing for facial hair.

But, Stevie was also trying to take things slow.

It had been a long time since he'd broken her heart, and that alone...that memory in itself kept her from fully diving in in the bedroom.

Even if she wanted to.

Because she sure as hell did.

Sex, in her mind, would only complicate things further.

"Think of him as a stranger, Stevie..." is what she told herself each time he did something that made her throb. "Think of him as the stranger he should be...the stranger you should've married."

But, it was hard 'cause it was Zayn.

It was also hard, 'cause after that comment about Cosmo's sex challenge, she thought he might want it, too.

"Stevie? Babe?"

She looks up, startled as Zayn snaps her from her trance, their waitress giggling silently at the side of the table.

"You want dessert?"

"Oh," she grins, slightly embarrassed. "Yeah. Sorry about that."

"No worries," the waitress replies, although her grin is pointed at Zayn. "Take your time."

"The tiramisu," Stevie says, plastering on a fake smile the waitress doesn't even see; she's too busy focused on Zayn.

Like she's been all fucking night. 

And Stevie was not amused.

"Sure," the waitress hums. "And for you, sir?"

"I'll...I'll have that, too," he says.

"Copying her, hmm?"

"Well, of course."

And the bitch--waitress--laughs. "Of course," she giggles, and Stevie swears she sees this chick wink. She grabs for menus. "Be right back with that."

"Thanks," Zayn replies, and he catches Stevie's eye and his smile falls. "What?"

"Nothing."

"You're like, sure?" He lifts a brow. "'Cause you're kind of scaring me."

"Scaring you?"

"Looks like you're plotting a murder."

She rolls her eyes. "You're so extra."

"Is it mine, Stevie? You planning on killing me, babe?"

"What?" She gasps. "Zayn, shut up."

"Why?" He giggles. "I do something wrong and I don't know it? Am I 'bout to be on the news 'cause you stabbed me in my sleep, or something?"

"Okay, first of all, what is wrong with you? Secondly, what is wrong with you?"

"You're glaring, babe."

"What?" She scowls childishly. How was she married again? "Am not."

He hums. "Glaring, Stevie. Have been since Rachel's come over to take our order."

"Oh, so that's her name, huh?" She reaches for her wine. "Rachel."

"There you go, doing it again."

"Doing what?"

"Glaring," he lifts his eyebrows smugly. "Scowling. Lookin' angry as shit."

"We'll agree to disagree."

"Admit it, babe," he reaches for his own glass. "You're jealous."

Stevie scoffs, nearly choking on the Malbec. "What?"

He hums. "Jealous that the waitress'll steal me from you."

"Ha--!" She lets out a loud, ridiculous laugh, "If you want a skinny white girl, you should've let me know before we went through with a wedding."

"Who says I do?"

She shrugs.

"'Cause I don't actually remember saying that," Zayn replies. "Just so you know."

She shrugs again.

He laughs. "One day, you're gonna actually tell me how you feel."

"Oh please," she scoffs. "I tell you all the time."

"You absolutely do not," he says with a head shake. "'Cause if you were being honest you'd tell me that Rachel--"

"What?" She hisses. "Makes me want to claw her fucking eyes out?"

"Tiramisu?"

And Zayn leans back in his seat, nodding towards the server carrying both desserts from the kitchen--but Stevie can't even force a smile because Zayn has his bottom lip between his teeth; he's trying not to smile.

"Don't look so fucking smug," she mutters, watching as he lifts his spoon and they, again, are left alone.

"Who, me?" He asks innocently, dipping into the dessert. 

He shrugs, "Don't know what you're getting at, babe."

"Right," Stevie shook her head. "Of course you don't."

He giggles, biting into his dessert. 

He licks his spoon, eyebrows raised. "Admit it, Stevie."

"What else is there to admit to you, Zayn?"

"You, dare I say, want me."

"And?"

"And what, Stevie?"

"And?" She shrugs. "And, if I do?"

His lips part, tongue lingering in the corner of his lips. She smiles with the satisfaction of knowing he was not expecting that as an answer. 

"If I do," she shrugs again, "What're you gonna do about it?"

His expression changes instantly as he leans forward, eyes narrowed, a small grin playing on his mouth. 

"You've known me long enough to know I'd do whatever you wanted me to, baby."

Stevie uncrosses and re-crosses her legs. 

Zayn chuckles. 

Neither of them say anything, now. 

Both of them turn back to their dessert. 

Stevie thinks she's about to explode--if she, or someone, doesn't touch her, like, soon, she'll probably go stir crazy with this wanting ache growing in her core. 

"So," Zayn begins, noticing her sudden quiet. "How're the girls?" He takes a spoonful of the dessert into his mouth, "Heard from 'em while you've been here?"

"Oh my god," and at once, Stevie's eyes brighten. Thank god for this change of pace in conversation. "It's been pretty good from what I hear. There're new instructors now and apparently three of my babies have found homes," she beams. "Like, it's barely been two weeks that I've been gone and almost half of the girls won't be there when I get back."

"That's good though, isn't it?"

"Great," she nods. "It's just...it's bittersweet, y'know? Because I won't see them off."

And Zayn finds himself leaning towards her.

"I miss them, though. They're...they're my girls, you know? Like, I've been with most of them for a majority of their lives, and, for them to just  be off with new people, new parents, it makes me so happy at the same time I--" She frowns. 

"What?"

She laughs. "Why're you staring at me like that?"

"Staring?"

"Staring, Zayn."

"I--No reason," he replies, cheeks reddening in that adorable way he got flustered or embarrassed, "I just," he sucks in a breath, "I really love hearing you talk about the things you're passionate about," and he turns back to his wine.

He chuckles softly. "Said that before, haven't I?"

And Stevie could clear off the table and have him take her right then and there.

She clears her throat, "I mean...Thank you," she says, instead. "Thanks, babe."

He winks over the glass with a, "Welcome, love," and Stevie gets wet--and it's not 'cause of the wine.

They finish dinner, and Stevie starts to wonder if this man is doing this shit on purpose. 

With the bill paid, Zayn rises from the table and joins her, helping her from her chair. 

Then, he asks, "So...? Where to next?"

And Stevie gasps playfully, "You mean, you actually feel like being adventurous tonight?"

He shrugs. "As long as it's just the two of us," and Stevie's breath hitches in her throat as he smirks, "I know how jealous you get of other women."

"Bye," Stevie groans, but as Zayn laughs at her side, she can't help but smile at the sight of his smile because Zayn always made her feel like she was dating a model, or actor, or someone so ridiculously good looking he must be famous. "I'm over it."

"Are you?" He grins slyly. "'Cause, your best friend is watching."

Stevie scoffs, rolling her eyes away from the image of Rachel, eyeing them from the table she's waitressing. "Get her before I do."

"What can I say?" He shrugs, "I'm a fucking babe-magnet, man."

And Stevie is giggling. Zayn always found a way to make her laugh. "You're hilarious."

"I've missed hearing you laugh at my jokes."

She inhales. "I--" She's feeling sad all at once; sad that there were so many years that went by between them then and them now and--

"Stevie? Babe."

And his fingers lightly tip her head, turning her gaze to meet his own. His eyes look like caramel or dark liquor, and Stevie has always fucking loved Zayn's eyes. 

His brow furrows, and she can't seem to tear her eyes from his own. 

"Babe," he frowns, now. "Please talk to me."

"I--" 

She gulps. Here they are standing in front of their empty table in a restaurant in Hawaii. Now isn't the time for this. 

But, she speaks anyway. 

"I loved you so fucking much Zayn Malik," and her voice waivers and Zayn's eyebrows pull deeper. "And--" She gulps, "And when I needed you the most you were gone."

"Jesus, Stevie," Zayn's hands go from her face to her waist and she's pulled against him. She can't go anywhere, now. "Why the fuck didn't you say that then?"

Stevie feels the onset of tears, but she thought she ran out of tears years ago. "I didn't think I had to, Zayn."

"You did, Stevie," he stresses. "You did. It's like the fucking waitress, babe. I can't read your mind," he implores, "And when you put on that fucking smile and act like everything's okay, a part of me wants to believe you even when I know you're lying."

"Zayn," her face is hot. She shakes her head, "it's in the past. I don't even know why I brought it up--"

"I don't care," he states. "We need this. Stevie, you gotta know I'd have never left if I knew you wanted me to stay."

"But," she shakes her head, "then you wouldn't have gone to the Air Force and--"

"And we'd have been together," he exclaims. "And we wouldn'tve had to get impulsively married and run into each other like this," He laughs with little humor, "We might actually be married if we--"

"We are married, Zayn," she says, finding herself smiling. "Remember?"

And he laughs, nodding. "I remember."

"The universe has a twisted sense of humor."

His smile falls. "Things happen for a reason," he states. "And this time around, I need you to talk to me. I need you to actually tell me how you feel."

She looks away. "I do."

"Stevie," he grunts. "I'm not one of your orphans, or your sisters. I don't need you hiding your feelings 'cause you think it's gonna spare mine."

And Stevie blinks back her shock--She had forgotten just how well Zayn knew her. 

Things really hadn't changed. 

"Be selfish for once," he mutters, and as Stevie in this moment becomes hyperaware of these resurfaced feelings she'd been trying to compress since she'd seen him through her veil down the aisle. This, right now, is the closest she'd been to Zayn in years. This, right now, made her remember those nights in his room or those afternoons on the quad or those long rides in his car. This, right here, with his hands riding dangerously low on her waist, and his forehead pressed against hers, and his sugary breath on her lips, made her want what they had at the same time it made her want to run away from this familiar feeling of falling. 

But, she finds herself nodding. "Okay," she says, and she stumbles backwards, pulling away. 

The lack of contact makes her feel cold. 

"Thank you," Zayn replies, as Stevie dares not look in those eyes. 

"You're welcome."

"So," he begins again, the humor returned to his voice. "You haven't told me where you wanted to go, and," he grins, falling into stride beside her as they exit the restaurant, "as long as it isn't surf-related, I'm down for whatever."

This makes her laugh, and as she does so, she can feel his fingertips against her palm, a tickling sensation as Zayn skillfully slips his hand into hers. 

He gives her hand a gentle squeeze, and Stevie doesn't pull away. 

She licks wine-stained lips. "How about," she shrugs, trying to act as casually as she can muster, (because, like, she was holding hands with her husband--get a grip, girl), "we call it a night? You can hike with me, tomorrow."

And Zayn's loud groan causes her to laugh again. 

She bumps lightly against him, smiling again. "You're so silly, Zayn."

"Am not," he mimics, garnering another eye-roll. 

"Right," she nods. "Silly isn't the word I'd use, either."

"You insult me 'cause you like me," he hip-checks her. "I know how girls are," and he swings their hands between them. "And you must really like me, Stevie."

"I do," she nods, and his eyes go wide again and Stevie fights a laugh. "I do really like you, Zayn."

And they walk along the beach, back towards the hotel, as a silence consumes them. This time, though, it's not a terrible, awkward silence like they'd grown semi-used to. This time, it's a pleasant silence. It's a silence Stevie can--

"Stevie?"

She turns with a soft hum that vibrates through her against Zayn because he's kissed her--he's paused in the sand and lifted his hand to her jaw and pressed his lips against hers, startling her, making her eyes widen, making her heart race. 

Her eyes close. 

And she sighs. 

And it's a while before they pull apart. 

And Stevie blinks, staring at him as he smiles at her. 

And she smiles. 

"I don't know about you," he says huskily, and Stevie's pulse accelerates, "But, I'm ready to call it a night."

Stevie hopes he means what she thinks he does. 

She nods. 

Zayn grins. 

He swings their intertwined hands between them, strolling casually along the beach. 

___

ok so this was kind of a filler but they're getting close again.

and they want each other. can you tell? 

L O L. 

comment&vote!