✧ modern feminism ✧

Grayson let out a quiet breath through his nose when she rolled her eyes at him. He leaned back slightly against the edge of the desk, watching her with a mixture of patience and restrained amusement. “My job does suck sometimes,” he admitted dryly. “You’re not wrong about that.” When she challenged the lock situation, he shook his head, gesturing lightly toward the door. “I can’t have a lock on it,” he explained. “Policy. If there’s an emergency, medical, safety, anything, staff have to be able to get in immediately. That’s why the knocking rule exists. People knock, I answer, door stays accessible.” When she casually mentioned what she had planned to do on the couch, his jaw tightened just slightly, though the reaction was more controlled restraint than shock. He dragged a hand briefly over the back of his neck before focusing back on her. “Damn, I think I could've worked that into my schedule somewhere.I would opened up a slot just for that." When she pointed at him and called him a party pooper, he gave her a long look. “Tragic reputation,” he replied. “I’ll try to survive it.” As she claimed she had a lot of discipline, his brow lifted a little in quiet skepticism. “Mm,” he said. “I’m sure you do.” He loosened his tie slowly while speaking, mostly because the room felt warmer than it had a few minutes ago. The first button of his shirt came undone, but his attention stayed on her face, watching the way she observed him so openly before suddenly looking back down at her iPad like nothing had happened. “A menace,” he repeated, a faint smirk forming. “That sounds about right.” When she asked about the gap in her schedule, Grayson shifted back into something closer to his professional mindset. He crossed his arms loosely, listening as she explained about the assignment due Friday. He walked a few steps closer to the table when she pulled up her calendar, glancing down briefly at the screen. “If you were one of my advisees,” he said thoughtfully, “I’d tell you the same thing I tell everyone.” His gaze lifted back to her. “Short breaks are useful. They keep you from burning out." When she stepped closer and started toying with his tie, Grayson went very still for a moment. His eyes dropped to her hand, then back to her face. His hand came up and gently, but deliberately, caught the tie just below where her fingers were playing with it, stilling the motion without yanking it away. “Professional advice,” he continued, voice quieter now, “The couch,” he said thoughtfully, “doesn’t get cleaned very often.” His attention returned to her, one eyebrow lifting slightly, before turning to look at the desk behind him. “The desk does.” The comment was delivered in the same calm, measured tone he’d been using the whole time, though the faintest hint of dry amusement tugged at the corner of his mouth.

it wasn’t like zara hated grayson’s job, it was impressive, he was the dean, the head of the university. what annoyed her was how everything in his life ran on a schedule, and by extension, so did hers. he always had to be available, meetings, responsibilities, people needing him, and even if that was attractive in its own way, she hated having to think about it when all she wanted was him. "right… but it still sucks," zara rolled her eyes playfully. she was good at reading him, and as she hinted at what she wanted to do on the couch, she caught the way his jaw tightened, a smirk forming on her lips. when one of his buttons came undone, her gaze lingered, dark eyes fixed on him before she deliberately acted like she didn’t care. when he called her a menace, she just smiled, she’d grown to like that title. as he mentioned her assignment, she nodded lightly. "short breaks are useful," she said with a small smile. noticing him stilling his tie, she let it go, raising her eyebrows at him instead. when he pointed out the couch didn’t get cleaned often but the desk did, she caught the hint immediately. the slight pull at the corner of his mouth didn’t go unnoticed either. her hands slid from his tie to his chest, stepping closer, closing the space between them, her eyes locked on his. she pushed him back gently until he was leaning against the desk. "lean down already," she murmured with a soft laugh, her hands moving up to the back of his neck as she pulled him closer, pressing her lips to his in a slow, deliberate kiss.

Grayson didn't miss the way she retreated, but he didn't let the distance last. His gaze remained anchored to hers, watching with a quiet, focused intensity that cataloged every flicker of teasing defiance in her expression. As she settled against the arm of the sofa, he mirrored her movement, leaning forward until the space she’d just created began to vanish again. A faint, knowing tug appeared at the corner of his mouth. "A lock?" he repeated, his voice dropping to a low, resonant hum. "I don't know if I'm allowed one of those. My room is a open room to students." He ignored her comment about being a buzzkill, his focus entirely on the way her name for him sounded when she slowed it down. "What we do now," Grayson murmured, his eyes searching hers with a blend of professional composure and a very unprofessional hunger for the thrill she’d just described, "is see if you actually have the discipline you're currently pretending to have." He tilted his head slightly, his shadow falling over her as he encroached on her newfound distance. "You want to torture me? Fine. But don't expect me to make it easy for you to do it." With a low, huffed breath that was half-laugh and half-exasperation, he reached up, his fingers hooking into the knot of his tie. He gave it a sharp, deliberate tug, loosening the silk until he could undo the top button of his shirt. He stood up, the movement fluid and commanding, and walked the short distance to his desk. Instead of sitting behind it, he leaned back against the front edge, crossing his ankles and resting his weight against the polished wood. He picked up a small stack of files, idly thumbing through the top few pages, though his focus remained entirely on the woman across from him. "You're a distraction, you know that?" he murmured, his voice dropping an octave as he glanced up from the paperwork. "Let’s see first, I have a third-year who needs me to mediate a conversation with Professor Thorne about an extension. Apparently, 'existential dread' isn’t on the approved list of medical excuses." He didn't look away as he turned to the next sheet, his expression softening into something more mischievous. "After that, I have to present the mid-semester student reviews to the governors." He paused, his dark eyes locking onto hers with a slow, deliberate intensity. "And then, I have a gap. A very small, very dangerous window of time where I’m supposed to be 'prepping' for tomorrow. So, tell me, are you gonna fill that gap, Zara?"

as he dismissed her idea about the lock, she rolled her eyes at grayson. “you’re the dean—you’re basically the highest authority here and you can’t even put a lock on the door? if you ask me, i’m sorry, but your job kind of sucks,” she pointed out with a shrug. “but since i still think we probably shouldn’t be seeing each other, considering you’re the dean and i’m a student… i’ll trust your judgment,” she added lightly. “so what do we do now?” she continued, tilting her head. “i don’t know, mr. dean. i was planning to ride you on this couch—I’m wearing a nice skirt for a reason—but no, you decided to be a party pooper. poor mr. grayson.” she pointed at him accusingly. “oh, i have a lot of discipline,” she added with a small nod. “but sure… show me what you can do, grayson.” she smirked, shrugging like she was ready for whatever challenge he had in mind. her gaze followed his fingers as they hooked into the knot of his tie. her head tilted slightly while he undid the first button of his shirt, and she just watched him openly, not even pretending to look away. then she gave a small shake of her head, smiling faintly before letting her attention drop back to the ipad resting on her lap, as if she’d suddenly lost interest. “i know,” she said casually. “a menace, if you will.” while he started listing the things he had to do next, she kept her eyes on the screen. “a gap?” she repeated, finally glancing up at him with the same intensity he had been giving her. at his question, she looked back down at her tablet again. “i don’t know.” she stood up and walked toward the table, opening her calendar before glancing back at him. “i was supposed to finish an assignment for friday,” she said thoughtfully. “do you think that little gap would be good to relax… or would i regret it later when i have to rush everything?” her eyes moved slowly from his to his lips. “i’m looking for professional advice,” she added with a soft smile, reaching out to toy with his tie. her big brown eyes lifted back to his face. “so… do you think i should fill the gap?”

Noticing Angel hovering, Hudson shifted without hesitation. He scooted over on the couch, nudging Zara lightly with his knee as he did. “C’mon,” he muttered, motioning with his chin toward the open space he’d created. “Before she starts another interrogation. Sit here.” Hudson then quickly glanced Zara's way instinctively. His expression faltered for half a second before he huffed a soft laugh, shaking his head and dragging a hand over his mouth as if to hide it. He broke eye contact first, looking down at the pizza box. “Don’t,” he warned, under his breath, still smiling despite himself.

angel smirked at her sister. “all that guilt-tripping for a slice of pizza? please, zara,” she rolled her eyes. “and don’t get it twisted, hudson—I’m the only sharma with actual sense.” when hudson told her to sit beside him she scoffed, though she did it anyway. “oh great, now i’m being used as a human shield. amazing. what a gentleman.” as soon as zara announced the interrogation, angel’s eyes widened in mock horror. “this was a trap,” she laughed, pointing accusingly at hudson. “and i blame you. ‘sit here, angel, be my shield,’—for what exactly?” she chuckled. but when zara asked about the night before, angel felt her heart kick a little faster—mostly because she had actually spent the night at hudson’s place. still, she kept her expression perfectly casual. “it was great,” she said easily. “shauni is learning how to make pomegranate margaritas,” she added, lifting her fingers to her lips and blowing a dramatic chef’s kiss. “amazing, if you ask me. and she spent half the night telling me about her new boyfriend—spanish, accent, very hot, just saying.” angel smiled innocently. “honestly… i should get myself a man like that.”

He glanced between the sisters, then back to Angel. “We were just killing time,” he added, easy. “Talking nonsense, waiting for the food to disappear.” His eyes lingered on her for half a beat. “Your sister asked me to order some take out in and I honestly couldn't say no."

angel’s attention immediately shifted from hudson the second her sister walked in, amusement flickering across her face because she knew that look—zara had absolutely been interrogating the poor guy she was secretly seeing. “i’m really glad you guys ordered food, i’m starving,” she said brightly, already reaching for the biggest slice in the box without a hint of shame. she took a bite before glancing between them. “i don’t know what you were talking about,” she added casually, “but i’m one hundred percent sure you were mortifying him over literally anything he said.” her eyes narrowed playfully at her sister. “you’re actually a menace, zara,” angel teased, shaking her head as she chewed, clearly entertained by the whole situation.

When she brought up being busy and the campus job, he chuckled, tilting his head to watch her with amusement. “Yeah, I’m busy,” he said, hand brushing over hers resting near his chest. “But I’ve got time for the things that matter. And you, well, you make the schedule feel a lot less hectic.” His smirk returned, cocky but warm. “You’re the only student who can actually make me forget what time it is.” Grayson let out a low chuckle, pressing his forehead lightly against hers again, his hands still resting on her back and hair, but deliberately steady, controlled. “Hey! I am fun,” he said, voice low, teasing, but careful. “Just fun with limits. Not the kind that gets me in trouble if somebody knocks and sees me getting handsy during work hours." He leaned back slightly, just enough to let her see the playful smirk tugging at his lips. “I like you, Zara,” he added softly, eyes locking onto hers. “I like all of this. I wouldn't stop if I knew I didn't have appointments lined up soon and scheduled meetings." When she pouted, crossing her arms, he tilted his head, brushing a curl behind her ear. “You’re irresistible,” he said, voice husky, “but patience is part of the game. And trust me, it’ll be worth it.” He let the pause hang, giving her the moment to react, then leaned closer again, careful not to reignite the kiss too soon. “So, you gonna test me some more, or are we just going to sit here and enjoy being dangerously close for now?” Grayson’s lips curved into a slow, knowing smile as he looked at her, thumb brushing lightly against her knee. His voice dropped, teasing but calm, very aware of the door behind them. "What’s your excuse going to be if someone knocks and we're both disheveled messes?”

as he told her she made his schedule feel less hectic—that she was the only student who made him forget the time—she smirked. “good. i’d be offended if i wasn’t,” she teased lightly. when his forehead rested against hers, she rolled her eyes, though the closeness made her pulse quicken. “fun with limits? that just sounds boring as hell, gutierrez,” she joked. “people live for the thrill of almost getting caught… but not you,” she added, pulling back just enough to look at him. her dark eyes held his as he admitted he liked her, that he wouldn’t stop if he didn’t have appointments lined up. “you could forget about them,” she murmured, though she shook her head right after. “but i won’t say that, because we both know you love your job too much.” when he mentioned patience being part of the game, she groaned softly. “oh, grayson, don’t start with that,” she laughed. at his question—whether she planned to keep testing him or just enjoy being close—she tapped her fingers against her lips, pretending to think. “i kind of want to torture you for being such a buzzkill,” she smirked. but the moment his thumb brushed over her knee, her resolve faltered. “you tell me to behave, but you’re not exactly pushing me away,” she teased. “honestly, you should invest in a lock,” she added with a soft laugh. then, deliberately, she pulled away, picking up her ipad and leaning back against the sofa’s arm, putting a little distance between them. “wouldn’t want to ruin you before your precious appointments,” she said lightly, watching him carefully. his name slipped from her lips slower this time. “so… grayson. what do we do now?”

Grayson scoffed softly, a smug smile tugging at his mouth. “Twelve out of seven?” he said, leaning back just enough to look amused. “I’ll take it. I respect a woman who schedules her obsession responsibly.” His hand brushed her knee like it belonged there, casual and confident. At her dismissal of the guy, he nodded solemnly. “Glad we agree,” he said easily. “If you don’t like him, that’s all the argument that I need to have." Her psychic line earned a low chuckle from him. “Careful,” he murmured, eyes bright and locked on hers. “Keep talking like that and I might actually call you mine.” The smugness crept in naturally, like he knew exactly what effect that would have. When she laughed about affording her, he laughed too—warm, unbothered. “Expensive suits me,” he said. “I’ve always had impeccable taste. I'm also the only soon to be graduate here that gets paid by the campus itself.” He tilted his head, grin turning wicked. “But yeah, I’d be probably a great office pet. Loyal. Well-trained. Occasionally disobedient.” As she crawled closer, he didn’t retreat—if anything, he leaned in, eyes darkening as he noticed her satisfaction. When she mentioned kissing him, his breath hitched just enough to give him away, though his voice stayed smooth. “Funny,” he said quietly, pulling her in without hesitation. “That’s exactly what I had planned the second you straddled me just now." Her lips met his, and he kissed her back just as slowly, just as deliberately—hands steady, sure, like there was nowhere else he’d rather be. When he finally pulled back a fraction, his forehead resting against hers, he smirked. “Yeah,” he murmured, completely enamored. “This couch definitely passes inspection.” Before she could tease him back, he leaned in, capturing her lips in a kiss with tongue that was daring and playful. He pressed closer, one hand sliding to the small of her back, the other threading through her hair and giving it the gentlest little tug. "Steady now, I'm going to get carried away if I keep going."

zara loved how natural everything felt around grayson; she could be herself, and he liked exactly what he got. “oh, you can definitely call me yours,” she smirked, her gaze dropping from his eyes to his lips like a challenge, her eyes glinting with excitement. “you’re a busy guy,” she smiled. “i’m dating the only student, soon-to-be graduate, who actually gets paid by the campus itself,” she chuckled, looking at him as she stuck her tongue out playfully. “disobedient? this is starting to sound like one of those wattpad office romances,” she flirted, her voice dropping to barely above a whisper as she crawled closer to him. when he pulled her into his lap, she smiled. “great, what a great idea,” she said, her hand moving to cup his cheek as their lips crashed into each other. she was ready to keep going when he pulled away, pressing his forehead against hers. “good, i didn’t want you changing it,” she mused, already leaning in to kiss him again, this time more heated, more needy. his hand slid to the small of her back, pulling her closer, while his other hand gently tugged at her hair. she gasped into the kiss, ready to forget where they were, but he pulled away once more. she sighed, pulling back to look at him. “you’re such a bad office pet,” she muttered, shifting out of his arms to sit beside him, her legs still draped over his lap. “it’s not fair,” she pouted, crossing her arms over her chest as her long curls spilled down the couch. “you’ll regret this, french-kissing me and getting me all worked up just to stop,” she sighed. “you’re not fun,” she added, challenge thick in her voice, waiting to see if he’d cave or hold his ground.

Hudson groaned, dragging a hand down his face as she talked, already bracing himself. “Jesus, Zara, I didn’t say you were stupid,” he shot back, exasperated but amused. “You just have a talent for attracting chaos. You thrive on mischief and mayhem unlike anyone else I know." When she stuck her tongue out, he snorted. “Real mature. Uni’s clearly doing wonders for you,” he muttered, though the corner of his mouth twitched. The second she stood up, his head snapped toward her. “Sit. Down,” he warned, voice low and sharp, eyes narrowed. At her relentless teasing, he scoffed, folding his arms. “I didn’t say anything nobody else doesn't think” he argued, immediately losing ground by being too defensive. When she threatened to keep an eye on him, he rolled his eyes hard. “Oh, fantastic. I’ve always wanted a self-appointed menace following me around,” he said dryly. As she laughed and grabbed the pizza, Hudson let out a breath he hadn’t realised he was holding. “You’re insufferable,” he called after her, shaking his head. “And if you ever do mortify me on purpose, I will remind you of every embarrassing thing you’ve ever done—loudly.” He watched her go, then muttered under his breath, half-smiling despite himself. “Full fat Coke, please,” he called after her. “The original one. I don’t do diet or zero sugar.” He paused, smirking despite himself. “You go full or nothing—same rules apply to drinks and dealing with you.” Hudson waited until Zara’s back was turned before pulling his phone out, thumb moving fast like he’d done this a hundred times before. His expression softened immediately, annoyance melting into something quieter. He typed quickly: i miss you. please come save me. After a beat, he added another message, smirking to himself. your sister is being a menace and i’m outnumbered. He slipped the phone back into his pocket, prepared for Zara to come back into the room at any second.

as angel walked into the room, she smiled. “i hope it’s still warm,” she mused as she walked over to them, kneeling in front of the coffee table and leaning over it to grab a slice. her hair was damp, falling over her face and down her back, clearly fresh from the shower. “what were you talking about?”

Hudson watched her launch into her list of self-assigned adjectives. He snorted under his breath; she always did have a flair for drama. When she told him he couldn’t expect her to know whether the guy she was seeing was the one, Hudson lifted his hands in surrender. He simply nodded, accepting her pace. "Just don't do anything stupid, alright?" But she cut him off with a mocking imitation of his tone, earning an exaggerated eye roll from Hudson. The smirk on her lips told him she was doing this on purpose, and he couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped him. Then she accused him—again—of checking her sister out. When she congratulated him sarcastically for managing another adjective, Hudson dragged a hand down his face. She was relentless. And she clearly wasn’t going to let the topic go until she’d wrung every bit of gossip-fuel out of it. “Zara—no. That’s not—Would you just—” he tried again, but she was already steamrolling forward. He froze. Any answer he gave was going to be used against him, and he knew it. When she gasped dramatically and stood up, Hudson shot to his feet instantly. “Zara! Sit down. Do not—Zara, I swear, don’t you dare—” he called after her, torn between exasperation and resignation. He knew she lived for this chaos. Hudson finally caved, throwing his hands up in defeat as she kept pushing. “Alright—fine,” he muttered, glaring at her with a mix of annoyance and reluctant amusement. “Maybe I think she’s pretty. Happy now?” He shook his head, disbelief tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Damn, girl,” he added, half-laughing, half-sighing, “you really don’t give up.”

zara smirked, rolling her eyes at his protectiveness—it was cute, even if it was a bit much. "i’m not stupid, so i’m not gonna do anything stupid. don’t expect me to come home pregnant or some shit; i’m a smart woman," she promised with a grin. "i may be in uni, but i’ve still got a brain, and i'm not horny 24/7, so stop worrying about me, hudson." she stuck her tongue out at him playfully, feeling like she’d definitely won that round. she’d definitely caught hudson checking angel out. he could try to play it off all he wanted, but she knew that look—that wasn't how you look at someone you aren't interested in. the way he was getting all worked up gave her all the ammo she needed to see if the tattooed guy in front of her actually liked her sister. she dramatically stood up, pretending like she was about to go tell her sister exactly how much hudson fancied her, and his reaction was priceless. once she’d gotten the rise out of him she wanted, she sat back down. she had him exactly where she wanted him. "oh, so you think she’s pretty?" she smiled. "not surprising. sharmas have 'pretty' in our genes," she nodded. "and i don’t give up. i never give up. you're acting suspicious," she added, narrowing her eyes. "i’ll be keeping an eye on you, everett," she mused, torturing him with a grin. "i'll be ready to call it out the second you decide to make a move. and when you do, i’m gonna make sure to mortify you by telling her what a total simp you can be. i don’t even know if you’re that kind of guy yet, but rest assured, whoever you date is gonna know i’m only in this life to torture you," she said, her voice dead serious as if she were actually threatening him. then she just broke out into a laugh, grabbed a slice of pizza, and stood up. "relax, i’m not telling angel. i’m just going to get you a coke. take a breath, everett," she teased.

His mouth twitched upward at the sight of her sticking her tongue out at him. It was ridiculous how something so childish made him want to grin like an idiot. When she joked about being too expensive to hire, Grayson snorted. “Oh, trust me, I can’t afford you,” he said, leaning back in his chair like he wasn’t hanging on every word she said. “You charge in chaos and attitude and I’m broke.” Her teasing about stealing his things—and that first kiss—made Grayson’s brain short-circuit for a second. He scoffed, trying to hide how the memory hit him square in the chest. “Please,” he fired back, smirking, “I know you think about me at least 23/7. I’m giving you an hour off for sleep. You’re welcome.” When she called the faculty “a bunch of assholes” and exaggerated the professor’s age, Grayson let out a startled laugh, running a hand through his hair. “Zara—he’s like… sixty. Not ninety.” He paused, amused. “Though with the way he complains, yeah, I get why you’d round up.” Her dramatic prediction about the professor committing murder had him snorting into his hand. “Oh good, so you’re pre-logging crimes now. Great. I should put you in our ethics committee group.” Then she went for the secretary line, and he put a hand to his chest in mock offense. “Bold of you to assume I’d hire you,” he shot back with a grin. “You’d run this place within a week and demote me to office pet.” But any comeback he had evaporated the moment she crawled across the couch toward him on all fours. His breath caught—just a little—and he watched her approach like it was the only thing happening in the world. Her voice dropped. Grayson swallowed, trying to look unimpressed, but his ears betrayed him by turning pink. He tilted his head, smirk returning, soft around the edges. “Yeah?” he murmured. “Well… I’m here now.” And God help him, he liked her in his office. Liked her taking over his space. Grayson didn’t even pretend to stay upright. The moment she reached the cushion in front of him, he let himself ease back against the arm of the couch, shoulders relaxing, posture opening—as if inviting her into the space without a word. His hands lifted automatically, fingers brushing the sides of her waist before settling there, warm and steady, like he’d been waiting to hold her exactly like this. He tilted his head, eyes tracking her every movement with that soft, puppyish attention he tried so hard to hide behind sarcasm. A slow grin tugged at his lips. “And what,” he murmured, voice dropping as he gave her waist the faintest pull toward him, “did you have in mind?”

"it’s bold of you to assume i think of you 24/7. more like 12/7—i need my beauty sleep," she teased back, a smirk on her lips. it was true that she thought about him way more than anyone would expect, especially since they lived together, but she wasn't about to give grayson that satisfaction. "sixty... ninety... same shit. he’s annoying and i don't like him, next question," she chuckled. zara nodded at his words. "i’m just that smart. i know a crime is gonna happen before it even does. call me psychic, call me yours—honestly, just call me," she winked. she’d had that line locked and loaded in her head, and for zara, this was the perfect moment to use it. when he joked about her running the office and demoting him to office pet, she lost it. "what’s bold is assuming you could even afford me," she laughed. "i’m incredibly expensive. but yeah, you’d definitely be the cutest office pet," she added with another playful wink. zara was never easy to read; she had a mind of her own and loved keeping people on their toes. just like the first time she’d kissed him—she hadn't waited for permission, it was pure confidence. it was the same energy she had now, crawling slowly across the couch toward him. she noticed the blush creeping up his ears, and the sight gave her a surge of pure satisfaction. "oh, i know you’re here now. you’re also blushing, which is adorable, and i’m obsessed with it," she nodded. as he reached for her waist, her smile widened. she was loving every second of this. the way he looked at her was enough to make her melt, her arms feeling weak as he pulled her closer until her chest was pressed against his, close enough to feel his warm breath. "what i had in mind was kissing the hell out of you right here," she said softly, the words barely a whisper. "i still haven't checked 'making out on this couch' off the list. i’m an expert on the one at our place, but this one..." her fingers trailed down his jaw. "we still need to test it out," she whispered. she leaned in, her hands cupping his face as she pressed her lips to his—slow and passionate at first, wanting to savor the moment and let the rest of the world just disappear.

He listened, caught somewhere between disbelief and reluctant amusement, as she recounted the story of walking into her dean's office and and kissing the guy. Hudson blinked, unsure whether to laugh or warn her about her impulsive decisions. He exhaled through a laugh he couldn’t quite hold back. “Zara, you’re crazy as heck,” he muttered, half-admiring, half-exasperated. The way she owned her choices left him without a retort; she believed in her own boldness more than anyone else ever could. When she admitted she didn’t know if the guy was the one, only that she liked him, Hudson’s expression softened. That—at least—sounded human. Honest. He could respect that. “Fair enough,” he said, his tone quieter now, less defensive. “Everyone does have crushes.” But the moment her sister’s name slipped into the conversation, the atmosphere changed. He hadn’t meant anything by it—a passing comment, a careless comparison—but Zara’s eyes sharpened instantly. Hudson blinked, caught off guard. “What? No—Zara, I didn’t mean—” He stopped as she squinted at him, suspicion flaring in her voice. When she accused him of checking out her sister, Hudson froze, utterly thrown. “What—no! I wasn’t checking her out!” he said quickly, hands lifting in protest. “I just meant…you both have that same impulsive energy, that’s all!” But the damage was done; she was glaring now, and he could already tell this conversation had veered wildly off course. He sighed, dragging a hand through his hair. “You’re impossible,” he said finally, a helpless laugh slipping out despite himself. “I try to have one serious conversation with you, and suddenly I’m being accused of having a crush on your sister.” He paused, a mischievous glint in his eyes, leaning back slightly. “…and what if I did, huh?" he said, voice low and teasing. “I just want you to sit there and stew a little. Think about it."

"crazy is one of the many adjectives i can be described with, crazy, hot, smart, incredibly amazing, just one of a long list," she smiled proudly, tossing her hair back. "you can't expect me to know if someone is the one after this little time, we have fun, i like him, but i don't know that much yet, i guess we need to give me time to answer that question," she shrugged, they could take things at their own pace, she wasn't going to overthink it just because her brother's best friend had asked if he was the one. "no, zara, i didn’t mean—" she mocked him, "oh, please, i know you were checking her out, don't deny the obvious, everett," she looked at him, a smirk on her lips. "but that's true, we're pretty impulsive," she nodded, she could give him that, but she knew what she saw, and his words didn't match the vibes she was getting. "another adjective, you’re getting better," she rolled her eyes, she was going to get to the end of that conversation. "you're accused of having a crush on my sister because you keep bringing her up for some reason," she shrugged. at his words, zara furrowed her eyebrows together, "so you want me to tell her you have a crush on her so she gives you an opportunity?" she started laughing, taking her hands to her stomach, "that is the worst idea ever," she chuckled. "okay, so you like my sister?" she insisted, "i'm telling her right now, oh my god, i love gossip," she mused as she stood up, ready to see if he would follow or not.

Grayson chuckled under his breath at Zara’s teasing, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Noted,” he replied, voice light as he raised his hands in mock surrender. “Next time, I’ll make sure to knock on my own office's door —scout’s honor.” As he stepped closer, he couldn’t help but notice the way her lips curved in that confident little smile, the one that always made his chest tighten just a bit. Her comment about being an inspector drew a grin from him. “An inspector, huh? Remind me never to end up on your case,” he said, his tone matching her playful energy. When she smiled against his kiss, he couldn’t stop himself from smiling too, a quiet laugh escaping as he pulled back just enough to meet her eyes. “A good greeting, huh? Guess I’ll have to make it a habit,” he murmured, clearly enjoying her reaction. Sliding onto the seat beside her, he watched her pretend to focus on the tablet, the corners of his mouth lifting knowingly. His hand brushed near her shoulder—not by accident—and he caught her glance immediately. “Oh, so now I’ve got you distracted?” he asked with an amused tilt of his head, voice dropping just slightly. Her smirk drew his in kind. “Thinking about me 24/7 doesn’t sound too bad.” At her question, his gaze softened but didn’t waver. He grinned, conspiratorial. “Alright. So, apparently, there’s a new proposal to shuffle department budgets around, boring faculty stuff, I know. Completely under the radar. Faculty are pretending it’s just routine housekeeping, but they’re actually reallocating research funds from History to Computer Science. Think about that, crazy, and they're going to lie about it to the History Professor!" Grayson pressed a hand to his chest, gasping theatrically. “I am shook." He leaned back, hand pressed to his chest again, and suddenly softened, as if remembering someone else might have secrets too. “Enough about me,” he said, voice conspiratorial. “What secrets have you learnt reading files this afternoon? You caught up on what meetings I have scheduled for this week?"

zara’s grin only widened as grayson agreed to knock on his office door so he wouldn’t startle her. “you’re a good scout, thanks, gray,” she smiled, sticking her tongue out at him childishly. “oh, you’d never be able to pay for my services, gray, i’m expensive,” she joked, a playful smile still on her face. she liked to imagine she’d be doing something great when she worked for real, but for now being around grayson was enough—she was lucky to live with him, and now that she’d basically claimed his office, she had even more places to keep him close during the day. “oh, you definitely should make it a habit,” she nodded, “or i’ll just have to steal it from you the same way i stole that first kiss.” she wiggled her eyebrows at him, teasing. when he pulled her attention back, she rolled her eyes. “you’re too full of yourself if you think i’ll think about you 24/7,” she laughed, “but keep going.” she huffed dramatically. “they’re a bunch of assholes for lying to that poor man—how old is he, ninety?” she exaggerated, pouting. “he’ll be devastated when he finds out, poor guy.” she shook her head. “and that’s bad, they should be asking for more money and keeping both departments at the same standard. if there’s a murder in this building, i’m calling it now—it’ll be that professor either crying or getting revenge.” she chuckled. “and bold of you to assume that just because i’m in here i’m your secretary.” pushing the table aside, she crawled toward him on all fours across the couch, voice dropping. “i was waiting for you so we could have fun.”

Hudson leaned forward, elbows braced on his knees, eyes narrowing with a mix of curiosity and disbelief that came off more playful than judgmental. “Hold on,” he said, dragging the words out slowly, like he was trying to piece together a puzzle. “So you… what—you stalked his office hours, plotted your little ambush, and then just waltzed in and kissed the guy after getting to know him a few times?” His tone was incredulous, but the amused smirk tugging at his mouth gave him away. He shook his head, chuckling under his breath. “That is such a Zara move. Risky, reckless, but somehow you make it sound like it was the most natural thing in the world.” His gaze lingered on her, the warmth in his eyes softening the teasing edge. Hudson tilted his head, studying her with the kind of over-familiar scrutiny only he could get away with. “So what, you just knew? Just from seeing him in the hall, you thought, ‘yep, that’s the one’?" He let out another laugh, shaking his head again. For a fleeting second, he opened his mouth, a thought about Angel almost slipping out—“Sounds like something your sister would’ve—” But he stopped short, clearing his throat and covering the near-slip with another grin. “Never mind. Point is, you really don’t do anything halfway, do you? You Sharma's."

the surprise in his eyes was enough to make zara smirk. as he told her to stop, she raised an eyebrow, not surprised—just ready to hear what was going through his mind. “no, i didn’t stalk him, we’d talked before, but i booked a couple of meetings, and in one of them, yes, i just walked in and kissed him,” she mused. “it’s better to know if it would work than to wonder what could have happened,” she pointed out, brushing her hair back. “i kiss so well, he was speechless, and that’s how i got my man,” she added with a smirk. at his words, zara tilted her head. “i don’t know if he’s the one, i just know i like him, and i realized it after seeing him in the hall—everyone has crushes,” she shrugged. she paused, her eyes widening as he mentioned her sister. “no, we don’t do anything halfway…” she squinted at him. “what do you mean with ‘that’s something your sister would’ve…’? what does angel have to do with this?” zara insisted. “you’re weird—do you have a crush on my sister?! first checking her out and now this?!”

Grayson lingered in the doorway a moment, a crooked smile tugging at his lips at her playful jab. “I figured deans don’t need permission, this is my office after-all” he replied, his tone light, but the way his gaze lingered on her betrayed the fondness he was trying to downplay. Crossing the room with unhurried steps, he let her teasing wash over him, the mention of meeting schedules and stolen offices pulling a low chuckle from his chest. “You call stalking people important work?” he asked, arching a brow as he leaned casually against the edge of her desk, his arms folding across his chest. Her quote made him shake his head, amused, though he couldn’t keep from smirking at the way she set the iPad down, all but inviting his full attention. Finally, he bent down, brushing a kiss against her lips with deliberate slowness, as though conceding her point. “There’s your hello,” he murmured, straightening with that same quiet confidence. “And for the record, I was in class getting my study on." Without another word, he crossed the office and dropped heavily onto the couch beside Zara, sprawling in a way that suggested he owned the space just as much as she teased he did. One arm stretched lazily along the backrest, his fingertips brushing close enough to her shoulder that the touch was more implied than given. “You know,” he drawled, turning his head toward her with a grin that carried a hint of mischief, “if I’d known you were just here, waiting, spying on everyone else’s lives, I would’ve hurried. Can’t have you filling your head with all those secrets when you could be filling it with me instead.”

zara rolled her eyes playfully at grayson. “sure, sure, but knock next time,” she insisted, winking at him teasingly. she tried to seem unbothered as he walked toward her, a smile playing on her lips while she waited for him to get closer. “it’s researching people’s lives, i’m like an inspector,” she chuckled, setting the ipad aside just as he bent down to kiss her. she smiled against his lips. “see, that’s what i call a good greeting,” she grinned, scrunching her nose at him. “go, mr. dean! get your grades up so you’re not the bad influence in this relationship,” she teased. when he sat beside her, zara pretended to focus on her ipad again, acting disinterested—until his hand brushed near her shoulder. she looked at him, a wicked smile tugging at her lips. “oh, so you want me thinking about you 24/7?” she asked, smirking as she set the ipad down and shifted closer, her gaze locked on his. “what secrets are you going to tell me, mr. dean?” she whispered, her tone playful but edged with curiosity.

Hudson had been laughing with her, letting her antics roll over him the way they always did—her smirk about garlic knots, her digs about wrinkles, the way she crowned herself queen of the house. He’d thrown the napkin at her half in defense, half because he couldn’t stop smiling at how insufferably funny she thought she was. Watching her crack up, laughing so hard her hands pressed into her stomach, had him shaking his head, lips twitching even when he tried to look annoyed. But the second the conversation turned, the second he mentioned Grayson, something shifted. His voice had carried more weight than he meant to let slip, more protective edge than he’d planned. Hudson shifted on the couch, still trying to hide the heat crawling up his neck, but curiosity got the better of him. He glanced at Zara out of the corner of his eye, then looked away just as quickly, trying to play it casual. “So…” he started, tone light but not quite as careless as he wanted it to sound, “how’d you two even meet? Was it one of those, like, campus party things or what?”

talking to hudson had always been easy, he’d been around longer than she could even remember, always hanging out with her older brother, so zara just adopted him as another older brother. she teased him the same way she teased zayn, but deep down she loved having hudson around, he made everything lighter. she could laugh with him, joke with him, but also count on him to care about her life. she noticed the shift in the air, the way he tried to hide his blush, and instead of letting it go when she teased him about her relationship, he pressed on. “oh, you’re asking questions now? you’re going to regret it,” she chuckled. “i saw him around the hall, i didn’t even have class nearby, i was just waiting for a friend. i saw him and thought, damn.” she grinned, remembering. “i asked who he was and they told me he worked on campus, not as a teacher, so i checked his office hours and got myself a meeting,” she explained. “and then one time i just showed up, kissed him, just like that.” she laughed softly. “he was so surprised.”

Grayson froze in the doorway for half a second, eyes widening before breaking into a grin he couldn’t contain. The sight of her there—chilling, gorgeous, completely unbothered—was a kind of surprise that hit him in the chest. “Well damn,” he breathed, shutting the door behind him as if to keep the moment to himself. “I didn’t realise I needed permission to walk into my office.” His voice carried amusement, but his gaze softened the second it landed fully on her. "You know,” he said, lowering his tone just a little, “you sitting here like you own the place? Can’t say I mind the view or the distraction." He dropped into the chair across from her, leaning forward on his elbows across his desk. “What were you doing to keep yourself occupied?"

at the sight of grayson she smiled. “you don’t need permission, you could’ve knocked though,” she mused, glancing up from her ipad before looking back down, pretending to be unbothered even though she was quietly soaking up every second he looked at her. “oh, i thought i owned this office now? didn’t i give you my meeting schedule?” she teased, lowering the device to look at him. “i was waiting for you, but i have no idea where the hell you were,” she said, setting the ipad on the desk. “i was stalking people,” she chuckled, “seeing what they’re up to, who’s got a baby, who hasn’t… that’s why my hair is so big—full of other people’s secrets,” she joked, quoting a movie line. “i was going to ask how you’ve been, but no hello kiss? that’s rude—more rude than startling me while i’m doing really important stuff.”

Grayson stared at her like he was trying to breathe through fire, jaw tight, fists flexing at his sides like he was holding himself back from breaking something—or maybe just breaking down. His voice, when it came, wasn’t loud. It was sharp. Real. He ran a hand through his hair, pacing once before stopping in front of her, chest rising and falling. “Yeah, I fucked up. I won’t sugarcoat that. But don’t stand feign all innocence. You think it didn’t kill me seeing you with him?” He pointed at her, his voice rough with restraint. “You say there’s a difference? Cool. Tell that to the version of me who watched you dance on top of him from across the room and had to just sit there." He let the words hang, the air charged and raw. “You wanted to make me jealous? Congratulations. It worked.” He let out a short, humorless laugh. “You got what you wanted. But don’t pretend like I didn’t break a little seeing it. I didn’t just go into that room with Jess because I wanted to. I did it because I didn’t know how to not feel like shit anymore.” He looked at her bleeding knees, the dirt on her, the anger in her voice, the cracks in her eyes. He exhaled, a sound filled with too many emotions to name. “You think I don’t know how Jess looks at me? You think I give a shit?” he said, voice lower now. “She could stare at me all night and it still wouldn’t matter, because she’s not you. She said it herself. And yeah, we didn’t just kiss. You want honesty? There it is. We didn't go all the way in there either though." When she whispered I’m an asshole, his expression cracked. Not out of pity—just something deeper. Something real. “You’re not,” he said quietly. “You’re just scared. Same as me.” And then she said it—the part that mattered most. He took a step forward, slow, careful. "I never asked you to be my secret, Zara." Then she hit him with the final blow. He didn’t flinch. He just nodded, jaw clenched, voice steady. “You won’t, Jess is history.” And he meant it. Every damn word. Then, without another word, he slowly lowered himself to his knees in front of her, the gravel biting into his jeans. His hands moved with practiced ease, pulling a wipe and a small plaster from his jacket pocket like it was second nature. He gently took her leg, his touch careful, not asking for permission but giving her every chance to pull away. She didn’t. He dabbed at the scrape on her knee with the wipe, slow and precise, like she was something fragile, even if she hated being seen that way. Once the blood was cleaned, he peeled the plaster and pressed it onto her skin. His thumb lingered for a moment, smoothing over the edges—not because he had to, but because he couldn’t help it. A quiet gesture. One of care. One of choice. “I like you, Zara,” he said softly, thumb still resting over the plaster. Then his eyes lifted to hers, tired but clear. “More than like you, dammit.” He stayed there a second longer, on his knees, looking up at her like he was done pretending this wasn’t something real. His breath left slow, unsteady, but his voice was sure. “Just say you want me and I’ll say it right back,” she told him. He looked up at her, and for once, there was no wall, no ego, no shield. Just him. “I’m done pretending. I’m done hiding."

zara looked at grayson, her heart pounding so hard it hurt, her hands fidgeting uselessly because she didn’t know where to put them. she was a mess—makeup smeared, knees scraped and bleeding, dirt clinging to her skin—and for once, she was too exhausted to care. when he told her she couldn’t pretend innocence after what she’d done, her lips pressed into a thin, tight line. “yeah, well…” she started, but he was right. there was no excuse. “i wasn’t thinking,” she admitted, voice heavy. “i’m loud, i’m always in the spotlight, and i could say i only did it because people expect me to—but you want the truth? fine.” her tone cracked, exasperated, as a tear slid down her cheek. “i wanted to make you jealous. i thought it wouldn’t mean anything after, i thought you’d just hold me tighter, but it backfired.” the words came out raw, honest, no point in pretending otherwise. when grayson said he didn’t go into that room with jess because he wanted to, but because he was tired of feeling like shit, it hit her like a weight. “i don’t know the shit you carry, grayson,” she murmured, shaking her head, but when he admitted that no matter how long jess stared, it would never matter because she wasn’t zara, her breath caught. she hadn’t realized that while she was busy trying to push his buttons, she’d been the only one he was looking at. “you can say it,” she whispered, “i fucked up.” when he stepped closer, she didn’t move, didn’t open her eyes, too tired and ashamed to do anything but wait for the final blow. he hadn’t asked to be his secret, it had just happened, maybe because it was fun at first, the thrill of hiding, the adrenaline of being something forbidden. but they’d never once talked about what it really meant. so she sat there, eyes squeezed shut against the sting of tears, until she felt him kneel in front of her. she blinked her eyes open, not daring to look at him, just staring at his hands as he pulled out a wipe and dabbed gently at the scrape on her knee. it burned and she hissed, but she didn’t pull away, too drained to resist. then he covered it with a plaster, careful, steady, not because he had to, but because he wanted to—because maybe he knew that’s what she needed. when his confession came, when he asked her to admit what they’d both been circling around, she finally met his eyes. zara wasn’t the type to be speechless, not ever, but her lip trembled, her throat tight. she dropped her gaze for a second before nodding. “i like you, grayson,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “i like you a lot. i don’t want anyone else but you.” the words came out soft, trembling, but true. then she leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his neck, clinging to him as if she could pull him into her chest, into her apology. “i’m sorry,” she breathed, and this time, she meant it with everything she had.