#zeah

Farkle barely acknowledges the receptionist as he bypasses her and straight into his father’s office without knocking. Normally he would sit down and wait to be called in but he was in a hurry and didn’t want to keep his girlfriend waiting. His father, Stewart Minkus, doesn’t at all look surprised to see him barge in, instead he motions for his son to sit down while he finishes typing something up on his computer.

After a few minutes of Farkle impatiently tapping his foot, his father looks up again with a smirk on his face. “You in a rush?”

“Well, yeah. Sort of.” The lanky genius sighs, relaxing slightly in his chair. “Are you sure this can’t wait, dad? I’m supposed to be having dinner with Smackle in like 5 minutes and her dad lives all the way on the other side of –”

“I called you here because I’m offering you the VP position.” Stewart interrupts, still sporting the same smirk from before. “Now that you’re graduated I know you want to start making strides in your career and I’ve always talked about leaving the company in your hands when I retire so I thought what better way to get you well-adjusted then to give you a spot.”

“Vice President?” Farkle’s eyes widen as he lets the idea sink in. “Shouldn’t that go to someone more fit for the job?”

“Who’s better fit than my own flesh and blood?” Stewart raises an eyebrow. “I happen to have all the faith in you.”

“But- but isn’t Darren Williams the VP? Is he getting fired? I wouldn’t want to take someone’s job from them.”

“Relax.” Stewart chuckles, putting his hands out. “Darren is still VP of our New York office.”

“…oh.” Farkle pauses, taking a second to think about what his father is saying. “What position are you offering me exactly?”

“Vice President of our Tokyo office.”

~

“So how have you been?” Isadora’s voice is soft but able to break Farkle out of his thoughts. He could hear the hushed, murmured conversations of their old friends behind them, but does his best to block them out and concentrate on the woman sitting beside him.

He takes a minute to really look at her. It had been years since he saw her in person. She was still striking. Her raven hair perfectly contrasted against her olive skin. Her long dark lashes framing her almond eyes. He exhales slightly, unintentionally ignoring her question. “You look great.”

Isadora smiles but breaks eye contact, tucking a bit of hair behind her ear. She was visibly nervous. The last time she had a one on one conversation with Farkle their entire relationship came crumbling down and now she couldn’t look at him for too long without thinking about the heartbroken expression that painted his face all those years ago.

“I take it you’ve been well.” She answers her own question, glancing over her shoulder towards Riley. The brunette was sitting legs-crossed on the sofa, staring up at the sky while Lucas stared at her. She peels her gaze away from the ex-couple and looks back to Farkle. “How was Tokyo?”

“Exactly how I thought it’d be.” He sighs, reaching over the bar top to grab the closest bottle of liquor. He quickly uncaps it and refills his glass before speaking again. “How’s California?”

“Sunny.”

Farkle smirks letting out a muffled chuckle as he takes a sip of his drink. “Makes sense.”

“This is awkward.” She states, exhaling deeply before meeting his gaze again. “Is it foolish to think we could be friends?”

Farkle freezes, completely caught off guard. It was a simple question that just so happened to pack a punch.  Could he be friends with the only woman he’s ever really loved? Could he force himself to smile in her face and pretend to be okay with them living two completely different lives when it was never his intention to live without her in the first place? Could he put his pride aside to try and be whatever it is she wanted? No. He couldn’t. Not without knowing.

“If you tell me why.” He looks down, averting his eyes as he swirls the liquid in his cup.  

“Why I want to be friends?” Isadora snaps her head in his direction, furrowing her brows.

“No.” He runs his free hand through his out-grown hair. “Why didn’t you want to marry me.”

~

Farkle smiled as he watched the worried look on Isadora’s face turn as her lips curved into a small smile. He had to admit, the limo was a bit much but it was, after all, their anniversary and he wanted this to be a night they both would remember forever.  

“A limousine?” The petite girl smiles, shaking her head in disbelief as the vehicle pulls up to the curb. “If I didn’t know any better I would think you were trying to woo me.”

“You caught me.” Farkle laughs, stepping out of the limo to hold the door open for her. “Only the finest of things for my beloved.”

The two share enamored looks as they get into the vehicle and drive off to the restaurant.  

The reservations had to be booked two months in advance, it was not the kind of place you get a table on impulse. Luckily this wasn’t an impulse decision. Farkle had been thinking about doing this since his senior year of College.

Farkle gives his name to the man up front and soon enough they are being escorted through the rather busy restaurant to their seats. The place was a lot more upscale than he remembered. Large mullioned windows with long embroidered curtains, dark walnut tables with a small centerpiece of flowers on each. Not to mention the delicate live piano music and mood lighting. He glances over to Isadora noticing the uncomfortable look on her face. Perhaps this wasn’t the right place to do this after all.

“Is everything alright?” He whispers once they’re seated.

The raven-haired girl nods but doesn’t offer any verbal confirmation or bother to look up. Instead she picks up her menu and begins to scan over the items.

“Is it the restaurant?” Farkle persists, leaning over the table. “We can go somewhere else if you’d like.”

This time Isadora looks up and smiles softly, shaking her head. “The restaurant is lovely.”

Farkle relaxes slightly, patting his pocket to make sure the small box was still there and that he didn’t accidently drop it somewhere along the way. So far so good. He takes a deep breath.

Even though he’s eager, Farkle decides to wait until after dinner to propose. He also didn’t want to embarrass or cause any unwanted attention towards her so he wasn’t planning on causing a scene by getting down on one knee. He wanted it to be intimate but not intimidating.  

After dinner the concerned look she had when they first arrived seemed to return but this time it was accompanied by the fidgeting of her hands. “Tonight has been a lovely evening.”

Farkle smiles, trying to ignore the panic in his chest. “I’m glad you think so because there’s actually something I’d like to tell you…well, ask you.”

Isadora’s breath hitches in her throat and she sits up straighter watching as he reaches into his pocket and places a small velvet box in the middle of their table. She blinks several times at the diamond ring staring back at her before looking up at Farkle.

“Isadora Smackle, in my life I have never met anyone as brilliant and amazing as you. You’ve been an arch nemesis, a friend, a teacher, a partner in crime and a first love and now, if you’ll have me, I’d be honored if you’d be my wife.”  

Tears brim the corner of her eyes but she quickly blinks them away. Her voice is shaky as she reaches into the middle of the table, picks up the ring and closes the box. “No.”

There’s a pause and a moment where Farkle feels like his heart is actually going to fall out of his chest. He doesn’t speak when she hands it back to him, or when the waiter comes over and asks if that’ll be all for the evening. He doesn’t speak as they leave the restaurant and climb back into the limousine. It isn’t until they pull up in front of her parents’ house and she gets out of the car that he opens his mouth.

“I’m – moving to Japan.”  

Isadora doesn’t respond, she simply turns on her feet and walks up the stairs into the apartment.

~

“I never said I did not want to marry you.” She answers softly.  

“You said no.” He reminds her, downing the rest of his drink before capping it off again. “Last time I checked, saying ‘no’ to a marriage proposal meant you didn’t want to marry them.”

“I had to do the logical thing.” She swallows the lump in her throat, glancing over to where Riley was last time except this time neither her nor Lucas are sitting there anymore. She could feel a wave of panic coursing through her veins as she returned her attention to the conversation being held. This was exactly why she didn’t want to come to this reunion in the first place.  

“How was that the logical thing to do?” He raises an eyebrow. “Please. Inform me.”

“I had just been offered the job at Caltech that morning–”  

“So what? I would’ve followed you back to California.” He cuts her off, feeling slightly defensive.  

“I know that.” She sighs. “I also knew about your job offer.”

“What?” Farkle’s face drops.

“Your father called me and asked me to meet with him the day before our dinner…”

~

Isadora nervously ran her hands up and down her thighs as she sat in the leather chair in Mr. Minkus’ office. She had known the man for almost 9 years but the only time they ever really spoke one on one was when Farkle left the room to go to the bathroom. She couldn’t imagine what this was about but she figured whatever it was must’ve been important by how quickly she was called into his office.

“Smackle.” The older man smiled as he came into the room and closed the door behind him. “Thank you for coming in on such short notice. I promise this won’t take long.”

“What is this about, sir?” She asks nervously.

“Eager one, aren’t we?” He chuckles as he takes the seat opposite her and crosses his hands over his lap. “This is about you and my son.”

Isadora nods her head along as he speaks, curious as to where he was going with this.

“You two have been together for a very long time and you’re both only 22 years old.” The older man sighs as he leans over his desk, clearly thinking about how to word what he was about to say. “This is not personal. I happen to love the two of you together and who knows, maybe in a few years you’ll get together again –”

“Sir?”

“I want great things for my son. And while you may be one of those great things, you’re also a distraction. I need him focused and on top of his game if he’s going to be my Tokyo VP.”  

“You’re offering him a job in Tokyo?”  

Stewart nods his head as he leans back into his chair. “Tell me, Isadora. What are your plans now that you’ve graduated? I remember Farkle mentioning something about you trying to get a job at Caltech. That’s rather impressive.”

“I have not heard back yet, sir.” She replies.

“Ah but you will.” Stewart smiles. “You are on the right track. Right now you’re thinking about becoming an astrophysicist. But Farkle? Farkle’s thinking about marriage.”

“Marriage?” Her voice shakes and she can feel her heart rate increase at what was just said.  

“I need him on the right track, Isadora.” Stewart looks at her expectantly. “Can you help me with that?”

~

A moment of silence passes between them. Both unsure of what to say now that the truth was out there. Isadora couldn’t believe that Farkle actually thought she didn’t want to marry him. Sure, at the time she wasn’t thinking about marriage but she knew without Mr. Minkus’s involvement she would’ve said yes, no questions asked.

Farkle has a hard time wrapping his head over what he just heard. His father was the reason Isadora rejected him? His father got into her head and manipulated her into thinking being with him was detrimental to his career. His father was the route of all the anger he felt these past 6 years.  

“Why didn’t you just tell me that at the time?” He strains his face, “We could’ve – we could’ve talked and I would’ve told you that he’s insane for thinking you were a distraction. You were the reason I was doing so well in the first place. You challenged me and made me better. How could he think – how could you think he was right?”

“I have always wanted you to succeed, Farkle. I had no doubt in my mind that you would go on and do amazing things.” She pauses, “And at the time it made sense. I would not be able to forgive myself if I stood in the way of your success.”

Farkle looks at her and then back down at his hands. He could feel the effects of the alcohol finally starting to catch up with him. His tolerance still amazed him, the way he could down drink after drink and still be able to walk and talk like nothing. But right now the fuzzy feeling wasn’t enough, his entire world had just been turned upside down and the last thing he wanted was to be sober. “I need another drink.”

———

Zay twirls the cue stick between his hands as he leans over the pool table. “What do you think they’re talking about?” He motions his head over to Riley and Lucas before taking the shot.

The last striped ball bounces off the corner and into the left pocket. Maya shrugs and gets into position, sighing in frustration. Not just over the fact that she was losing but over the never-ending story that was Riley and Lucas. “Who cares?” She takes the shot but misses, sending the eight-ball into the far right. She frowns as Zay chuckles at her lost.

“Seems like you do.” He answers honestly, racking up the balls again. “You keep looking at them.”

“Not them.” She scrunches her face up in disgust. “Riley.”

Zay waits for her to continue, breaking up the balls on the pool table.  

“I only came to this thing because I thought she and I would make up once and for all.” She sighs, leaning against wall. “Is that stupid?”

“Depends on why you stopped being friends in the first place.” He shrugs, taking a sip of his drink.

“I called her a judgmental bitch and she called me a homewrecker with daddy issues.”

Zay spits out his drink, prompting both Farkle and Isadora to turn and stare at him. He mouths an apology before turning to look at Maya. “Cotton Candy Face said that?”

Maya rolls her eyes. “Don’t be so surprised. She’s not as sweet as everyone thinks.”

“You sound bitter.” He chuckles, smirking as the blonde rolls her eyes a second time and takes her shot.

“What about you?” She asks once her turn is up. “I mean, how’s the whole acting thing going?”

Zay purses his lips as he thinks of what to say. Does he tell her the truth and admit that it fucking sucks? That being a black man in his late 20’s sadly doesn’t offer a lot of roles? He lets out a deep breath before answering. “It’s challenging.”

Maya nods in understanding. It was clear he didn’t want to talk about it so she changes the subject. “And your love life? Last I saw you were dating some cute bartender guy, are you two still a thing or?”

“Are you trying to get with this, Miss Hart?” Zay teases and Maya smirks.

There was always a little something there between her and Zay. There were a few moments in high school where she thought maybe under different circumstances they could be something more. But the timing was always wrong, not to mention they were always dating someone else off and on. Overtime they actually became really good friends so the idea of getting together romantically just seemed weird. Even now, 10 years later. Although she had to admit he was definitely a looker.

She laughs off his insinuation and projects the conversation back onto him. “Seriously what’s the deal?”

Zay sighs, leaning up against the pool table as he thinks back on his roller coaster ride of a love life these past 10 years. After coming to terms with his bisexuality in college there was an abundance of possibilities as far as the dating world went. He had a pretty serious boyfriend up until he was about 25 but since then he hadn’t really gotten serious with anyone. But there was someone who caught his eye a few weeks ago that he couldn’t stop thinking about.

“There is this one girl…” He smiles in spite of himself. Maya raises her eyebrows and a grin covers her face as she leans in his direction. “Do tell.”

~

The audition was a bust. They let Zay get halfway through his monologue before telling him they’d be in touch. He huffs, mumbling under his breath as he collects his things and exits the audition room. Unfortunately, he’s not watching where he’s going as he yanks open the door and walks straight into the person walking inside.

The girl falls on her butt, dropping her script on the ground and Zay quickly bends at the knee to help her. He was already feeling like crap because he knew he didn’t get the part but now he was feeling guilty for stalling this girl on her audition. He could hear the casting director from inside the room shouting out 'Next’ as he handed over the script. “I’m really sorry about that.” He shakes his head, helping the girl to her feet as he stands.  

“Don’t even worry about it.” She laughs.

It isn’t until they’re face to face that he gets a good look at her. To say she was gorgeous was an understatement. She looked like she had just walked off a runway or even out of one of his elaborate fantasies. Realizing that he’s staring he clears his throat and moves out of her way. “Good luck.” He smiles, looking down to see their hands were still intertwined. He awkwardly pulls away and watches as she enters the room, closing the door behind her.

After bombing an audition the last thing he wanted to do was go work behind the bar but he had bills to pay and was in desperate need of a distraction so he makes his way to the bar.

The bar is hundreds of conversations told in loud voices, all of them competing with the upbeat music that dominates the atmosphere. The crowd is young, students from the university for the most part and a few regulars here and there. Zay winds his way through the warm bodies to get behind the counter. He quickly punches in and washes his hands before tending to the customers.

His coworkers chat him up, filling him in on any drama or humorous encounters they’ve had so far that night which makes the night go by faster and even helps lighten his mood.  

While he’s making the umpteenth long island ice tea for the group of sorority girls sitting at the bar he recognizes someone in the crowd. It was the girl from the audition earlier. His lips curve into a smile as she approaches the counter.  

Her eyebrows knit together as she looks over him and realization crosses her face. “I know you!” She laughs, trying to compete with the loud noise. “You’re the clumsy guy from earlier.”

“Yeah.” He laughs nervously, bobbing his head. “Sorry about that I’m usually quick on my feet.”

“It’s all good.” She smirks, sliding into the only available stool.  "I’m Leah.“

"Zay.” He smiles, outstretching his hand to shake hers. “What can I get for you?”

“Whatever’s on tap is fine.” She peels her jacket off and rests her elbows on the bar top. “So an actor and a bartender, huh? ”

“Aspiring actor.” He corrects, a playful grin on his face. “Speaking of, how’d your audition go? Hope I didn’t screw you over too bad.”

“I didn’t get it.” She sighs, “They gave me the old ‘we’ll let you know’ but we both know what that means.”

Zay shook his head in disbelief. “That fucking sucks. I’m sorry.”

“It’s whatever.” She shrugs, “What about you? Any luck?”

“Same as you.”  

Zay slides over her beer and she takes a sip, eyeing him in the process. A smirk crosses her lips as their eyes meet again. “So I guess we both need some cheering up, huh?”

-

Zay felt her breath on his skin, then the tender brush of lips burning as they make contact with his neck. He didn’t normally do this. One night stand were never his thing, he was a serial monogamist, but there was something about this girl that he couldn’t deny.

He runs his hand through her hair, as the kisses become harder and more urgent. Another hand slides around her waist, and pulls her close to his body. Her kisses are now on his shoulders and working their way down his chest and abdomen.

He picks her up and she wraps her legs around him as he maneuvers his way around his apartment in the dark. After bumping their way through the living room and sofa they finally make it to the bedroom.  

“I don’t usually do this.” She whispers through intense kisses. Her hands work their way around his body, feeling each crevice, each line along his perfect physique.  

“Me neither.” Zay breathes as he lies her on her back. His hands venture over her curved body, exploring before he takes a second to think it over. They pull apart.  

They stare at each other for a moment. “Are you sure?” His voice is low and hoarse as he looks deep into her eyes.

Leah nods her head before pulling him back down to her, into another passionate kiss.

~

“So what’s the problem?”  Maya pulls him out of his thoughts. “That sounds really hot.”

“It was.” Zay sighs. “I just, haven’t heard from her since. I think maybe…maybe she regrets it.”

“You don’t know that for sure.” Maya gives him a look. “She’s probably waiting for you to reach out!”

“I don’t know, Maya. She was a little out of my league. I think I just got lucky.”

The blonde reaches over and smacks Zay on the back of the head. “Shut up! You’re amazing and anyone would be lucky to have you.”

“Thanks mom.” He teases, rubbing the now sore spot on his body. “So what about you?”

“What about me?”

“Are you seeing anyone?” Zay rephrases the question. While Maya struggles with how to answer he glances over to see that Lucas and Riley were gone. He doesn’t think too much of it but can’t help the smile that crosses his face.  

It was inevitable. 

————————–

End Notes: Oh man okay so Smarkle is going through the motions right now and Zay’s ‘one night stand’ may or may not be his soulmate. Who knows? (I know.) 

The next chapter will be rucas centered !! and maybe even cover Maya’s complicated love life, I haven’t decided yet. 

P.S here’s “Leah” in case you were wondering: