ZEE

“look at me.” 

“what if they haven’t changed and i’ve been convincing myself they have?” you asked softly, clearly afraid.  his eyes glint, expression soft, understanding why you felt that way. “you’ve spoken to her, mostly, right?” he asked, referring to your mom. you nod carefully, taking a deep gulp, moving your shoulders back. 

“you’re the only one here tonight who knows exactly what’s been spoken between you both. if your mother is who she said she is, you have nothing to worry about. this is all new, something you’re not quite used to, but everyone in that room has one thing in mind, and that is a new beginning and opportunity,” arch explains, the wrench in your heart lessening. 

“you’re allowed to feel this way. to have your doubts, thoughts from the past resurfacing, and feeling worried about it,” he continues, giving you some space for a breather, but you’re quick to pull him in for a warm, safe hug. 

“please just don’t leave me,” you asked, arch immediately comprehending what it meant 

“i don’t ever plan to, sweetheart.” 

you stay like that for a minute, pulling back, and walking to the front door, where your nerves seemed to incline right back up. you knew if you didn’t reach the courage soon, you’d go right back into his truck and to your apartment.

your mom comes to view after arch knocks on the door. she’s wearing a sundress, hair down and natural. she looks happy, excited that you were here. you greet her with a hug, arch reaching his hand, unsure, but she surprises you both by pulling him into a warm embrace.

you freeze, seeing your father come into view. he looks the same, with a few new grey hairs and a short button-up, but still your father. he calls you by your nickname, which he did as a kid, your nose immediately warming up. you didn’t want to cry, but the sudden shock after seeing him was inevitable. 

“hi, dad,” you said lowly, waving a hand in the air. he steps forward, bringing you into a tight and relieved hug. your eyes shut closed, swallowing the knot formed at the back of your throat. this was something completely rare, only getting the chance to experience it a couple of times. 

he soothes your tears, whispering a series of apologies back to back, his own voice cracking as your arms hugged him tight. both of you needed this desperately, and no one was here to ruin it. the two of you pulled back, huge grins on your faces. this was the first step; there was still much more that needed to be said and done. 

arch and he exchanged a manly embrace, properly introducing themselves to one another. your sister ran towards you, almost knocking you down as she squealed excitedly. she shook arch’s hand, giving him a serious look that spoke, “we’ll talk and interrogate later.” 

you and your mother shared a quiet look, one that spoke solace. your brother had unfortunately had to go out of town that morning due to an issue at the company, and that pending talk was still in place. 

your house seemed completely different after the remodelations. it felt like a whole brand new place. there was a new color on the walls, newer furniture compared to the antique ones your mom had, new cabinets, and pictures hung on the wall. 

“you okay?” arch asked, grabbing your face delicately, searching for any signs. “it feels so different,” you expressed, staring at pictures from your childhood, throughout middle school, and high school. 

“good different?” 

“yes. good different. i’m glad we both came,” you leaned to his side, your arm wrapping around his middle. “your sister is… scary,” arch joked, making you giggle. 

“very much. that’s our future attorney, so be careful when disputing.” 

arch followed you as you descended the stairs to your childhood room. it was a place you avoided since starting university. what was once your comfort spot turned into a space of old unwanted memories.  

“didn’t take you for a fan of one direction,” arch said, looking at a picture from earlier days when you had braces. “i wasn’t just a fan. i was a loyal member and executive fan,” you teased, kissing his shoulder.

“so this is your infamous room,” he said, looking around. it was very modern and chic, yet girly. some posters, a similar bulletin board with polaroids of you and your friends, along with old theatre and concert tickets, and a bookshelf with your old edition books. every single piece there had a connection with you. 

“infamous is a stretch,” you said with a chuckle, sitting on your old vanity. 

“it’s very you,” arch complimented, staring at a photo of you in kindergarten, two pigtails, purple sunglasses, a mix and match outfit with vibrant red boots. “could you tell i’ve always had a sense for fashion? this deserves to be in some sort of hall of fame.”

arch laughs, sitting on the corner of your bed, staring at a different version of yourself. “i’m really proud of you, sweetheart. i know this isn’t easy, and it's extremely challenging, but regardless of all at stake… you’ve always seen the good no matter how difficult or hard it is.”

“thank you, baby. truly, you have no idea what it means to me to hear someone say this. it means a lot coming from someone special and kindhearted like you,” you walk to him, sitting on his lap, careful not to make much noise or move around much. 

“i’m special?” 

“the most special, respectful, humble, and sweetest man i’ve ever met,” you kissed his lips twice, unable to hold back from hugging him. “i love you, don’t ever forget it,” arch mumbled, soothing your back with his palm. 

“i love you too.” 

“now, i don’t want to cut this short… but i don’t want your family thinking we're escaping or purposefully avoiding them,” he said with a breathy laugh. looking at your eyes, which spoke of every desire and want. appreciation. 

“i know, but i also don’t want to leave. just yet,” you said, still clinging onto him. he accepted it, waiting however long you needed before going back down. months ago, this was an entirely different situation. barely knew one another, yet felt that familiarity of love. 

no matter where you were, how you stood, he’d wait for you in every place. 

arch knew his busiest time for football began in the summer. it was his most difficult time getting back into that headspace around the sport, locking in physically and mentally. training and acquiring new sets to better enhance his style of play. 

but he wasn’t thinking of any of that right now. his sole focus was on this tropical getaway with you. he planned the entire trip, start to finish. from picking out flight details, the proper villa, drivers, activities, and dinners. 

you tried to input and pitch in from your end, but arch was stubborn and refused. he wanted to do this on his own because it’s what you deserved. he wanted to soak in the last few weeks before his second season as the starting quarterback began. 

the flight was fairly early in the morning, unable to sleep due to the happy nerves that ran through you. arch led the entire way, helping you check in your luggage, grabbing breakfast because he knew you couldn’t drink coffee if there wasn’t any food in your system. 

he let you have the window seat because he also knew how nervous you felt about flying after going on a long rant about the airplanes crashing the year before. arch fell asleep mid-flight, his head lying heavy against your shoulder, snoring away. 

arch was tired, letting you do the talking when passing through aruba’s customs. though he soon locked back in when waiting for the driver who’d take both of you to the villa. he smiled the entire time you toured the house. 

you had promised not to make any comments regarding the price, but you knew how expensive this might have been. neither of you wasted time, wanting to soak up the sun before the sunset dinner he’d organized. you dress in a vibrant blue bikini, a little more revealing than the ones you owned, grab your book and cover-up, meeting arch, who had already dipped into the pool. 

arch swore his heart stopped, almost inhaling a bunch of water upon seeing you. his throat closed up, his eyes unable to tear away from your gorgeous figure that sat on the lawn chair. the sun made your body oil glow, further enhancing the curves and lines that shaped your body. 

“you’re going to get sunburned,” you said, standing up from the lawn chair, grabbing the spf lotion to your right. “i will be fine,” arch tried to dismiss, but he wasn’t about to refuse the idea of your hands on his body. not when you were wearing this skimpy bikini. 

you knew him too well. he would be stubborn and go the entire day without applying any spf to protect himself from the harsh sea sun. your conscience wouldn’t allow him to go the entire day without wearing any protection, either. 

“no, you will not. my mother always told us that if we never applied sunscreens, when we're older, it will have its consequences. you also never use any during your football practices,” you reprimanded, giving him a look. 

you grabbed a good jab of it, spreading it along his already warm and red back. “what if i look like a clown, or a sunscreen eater…” he says while turning around so you could apply on his chest. 

you smirked and looked into his eyes, not daring to look away, as your soft hands ran over his muscled torso and chest, slowly, patiently, without any worry. “you’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” 

“maybe…”

“a little too much,” he teased, his own hands coming to grip your sides. 

“you’re one to talk. are you gonna stand there and deny that you haven't looked away ever since i walked out wearing this?” you pulled back and did a slow take, your body glistening under the sun, “admit it, arch.”

“that’s different,” arch tried to object, his blue eyes roaming everywhere. from head to toe. every single curve and dip your body offered. you squirmed, looking and turning away, and he was quick to follow behind. “you’re teasing me at this point, sweetheart,” he interjected, touching your warm skin again. 

“i’m not doing a single thing, arch. i’m simply trying to enjoy my day at the beach with my book and handsome boyfriend. who seems to be too stubborn to listen to me when i’m only trying to offer proper guidance…” your arms ran against his toned arms, feeling his muscles clench. 

“i am listening to you,” arch said quickly. 

“you’re gawking at me. like a victorian man seeing an ankle for the first time,” you giggled, leaning up, your arms wrapping around his shoulders, giving him a long kiss. he sighed immediately, pulling you closer, kissing you harder. 

“i can’t resist it, sweetheart. being here, you and me, enjoying our first vacation alone…” he lifted you, your legs, without thinking, wrapping around his torso, “i’m allowed to appreciate my sexy girlfriend who’s making it hard for me to do any task.” 

he slowly descends the stairs that lead to the pool. the water is the perfect temperature, cold enough to cool the body heat, but warm enough so one wouldn’t freeze to death. you held on tighter, kissing his right cheek, the crevice of his dimple appearing on every peck placed. 

“i don’t want to be the only one here. it’s not fun when you’ll be sitting there reading,” he teased, pulling you impossibly closer if it was possible. “what do you have against reading?” you laughed, brushing his hair back, which had turned into a wavy curly mess since arriving in aruba. 

“nothing, only when it's your main focus and not me,” he spun both of you, the water crashing throughout the pool walls. none of you said anything, clearly impressed, taking the scene silently, birds chirping, the waves from the ocean at a distance. “i can’t believe we're here,” you broke the silence with a giggle. 

arch presses a wet kiss along your jaw, its soft, showing every sign of comfort. “are you happy?” he asked, eyes softening, awaiting your response. “am i happy? of course, i’m happy. not to be corny, but whenever i’m with you, i’m happy. so yes, i’m happy,” you blabbered, suddenly getting a pit of nervousness. 

he cut off your ramble with a fierce, harsh, hot kiss. “whoever was in charge of this miracle, i will thank them over and over,” you said, pulling back for some air.  

“a year ago, we hardly knew of one another. it's crazy to see how quickly life can change when something is waiting and planned for you. i’d never in a million years though i’d be with the one and only arch manning. fake date him, which then turned into an everlasting relationship,” you said, seeing him smile widely. 

“god, i remember how nervous and caught off guard you were that night i approached you. how you wanted to run off, but then agreed to our deal. how you hid in a corner of our cafe when we agreed on our rules. how jealous i got after the utep game. i think we tried to both ignore how we felt, until it kept backfiring. we were always meant to be,” arch said this time. 

“can you believe we faced all that commotion in just a few months?” you asked, laughing. 

“thinking back at it, it seems so long ago, when in reality, it was just last year,” he said this time. “our love story is truly one for the books, don’t you think?” he asked, going further into the deep, clinging closer to him. 

“it really is. i never imagined my first boyfriend would start due to us fake-dating,” you kissed his dimple, feeling his cheeks turning into a wider smile. “you’re first and last boyfriend. because i’m going to marry you one day,” arch says, leaning down to kiss your inner wrist.

“you want to marry me?” your question sounds surprised, as if it were a forbidden thought. 

“i want to spend the rest of my life with you, so yes, sweetheart. i’d love to marry you one day,” arch voiced, his head picturing different ideas of when that special day would come. it was far away, it would be sometime after his draft, your graduation, maybe his rookie year, or his second year in the nfl. 

“what?” he asked, chuckling, seeing your love-dazed expression. “nothing? i can’t admire you?” you teased, seeing the red blush deepen on his cheeks, your own chest filling with butterflies. 

“you say i’m the shy one, but look at you now. ignoring me, looking away when i compliment you,” he hears the teasing tone in your voice, securing his grip tighter. 

“well, it’s because it makes me nervous! you make me nervous, sweetheart, in case you haven’t noticed,” arch groans, knowing the deep red color, probably worsened further. 

“i have noticed! you just refused to admit it in the past,” you squealed when he turned both of you, walking to a pool wall, your back hitting the cold tiles. 

“i have a reputation. what would people think if they heard or saw me in that state?” 

“that you love your girlfriend? that you’re downbad? that the arch manning turns into a tomato when his girlfriend simply stares at him?”

“exactly! you’re also not one to talk, ms. didn’t want to kiss or hold my hand when we first started our agreement. little ms. turned into a shy mess when i complimented her as well,” he flips the switch onto you, where you grin into the crook of his neck. 

“that’s different! we were strangers! we were in a fake relationship,” you tried to differ. 

“fake or not. you’ve always been my shy girl.” 

“okay, enough before i throw up at whatever this is. just kiss me already,” you pleaded, reaching for arch until he pulls back. “beg for it,” his voice drops into a deeper state. 

your brow quirks up, letting go to undo the string from your neck, his sudden cockiness gone at whatever you had planned, “beg for a kiss? you want me to beg? i shouldn’t have to beg, because in the end, i always get what i want.”

he doesn’t fight it, giving in to whatever spell you placed him under. his lips are back on yours, moving fervently, teeth clashing, tracing his name along your tongue. he hears your muffled whine, your hips grinding against his bulge, to which he actively responds. 

“take me to our bed, please,” you end up pleading after all, but it didn’t matter. not when he casually picked you up, walked carefully, undoing the second knot from the back, going straight to the decorated bed. 

one thing about him is that he was never afraid to give in to any of your requests. his lips brush under your jaw, his tongue tracing, sucking against the pulse point that had you heaving underneath him. you pulled him back up, holding his face with your smaller hands, not wanting him to let go as you kissed him sloppily.

“what do you want?” he asked in a whispered tone, sending a course of thrills down to your sensitive core. 

“you. always you.” 

it didn’t matter how this started or what happened between them; the ups and downs faced by the people who tried to hurt you both. what mattered was that in the end, your love was strong enough to build a stronger foundation. a connection that was that no matter what happened, it was a road that led to one another. 

it wouldn’t be perfect. nothing in this life was. but it was perfect enough to retell, to have endured, to have been able to experience. you wouldn’t take any of it back. arch would go through all of it again, without changing anything. 

because in the end, you chose one another. in the end, your hearts knew where it belonged. 

“it’s a problem that you don't want to listen to how much fun i had with the girls, and the guys that tagged along,” the lie fell from your lips. it was so quick to make his actions stop, brows furrowed inward as he stared at you with blatant confusion. 

“what guys?” arch’s voice is deep and low, demanding. 

“that caught your attention, didn’t it? there were no guys,” you explained, your hand reaching up, grabbing his face softly, feeling his stubble tickle your palms. not much changed from him. his hair was a tad longer, wavier, and defined due to the humidity. eyes still blue. 

he wore a casual outfit, a white tee with dark shorts, clear glasses that made his eyes appear bigger than normal, and his iconic redbull hat hiding the untamed hair. 

“i don’t like it when you do that. it gives me a heart attack each time,” arch expresses, kissing the corner of your mouth, then a small beauty mark on your cheek. you were sitting on the marble counter, the cool tile beneath quick into rushing goosebumps along your skin.  

“sorry, handsome,” you say while leaning in, before dodging the kiss he was about to place. arch huffed, annoyed, clearly not impressed by your antics, or wanting to waste any second longer. it was a hard three weeks, and all he wanted was to kiss you properly, not a quick one like you shared in the airport arrival lane. 

his chest heaves in desperation, lips parted, letting out a patient breath, eyes focused on your shiny lips thanks to your lip gloss. “as i was saying, our airbnb was beautiful! it was hot due to not having any ac-... isn't that crazy? if that happened here, we’d die from the heat!” you blabbered, everything you said entered through one ear and escaped the other. 

he was willing to wait, however much, but it was growing incredibly difficult. he wasn’t truly paying attention, and maybe that was his consequence for it. he hates thinking about it in this second; he wants you to remain quiet, just so he can properly kiss you.

his eyes shift up, so do his hands, which now rest on your waist, pulling you closer to his warm body. you notice it immediately, how rugged and intolerant he was at your moves. you grow quiet, fingers twisting a small curl that let out from his hat, twiting it with your finger. 

he leans in, just for you to turn to the side and grab another drink of water. arch gulps, vexed, his dimple marking its place as his jaw clenches tightly. he grabs the worn-out waterbottle, his hand tilting your face to his, leaning and crashing his lips with yours.  

his eyes shut immediately, heart beating fast, letting out a quiet groan, one you’re quick to swallow as you press harder against his. arch tilts his head, so the hat he wears doesn’t prohibit or cause issues as he finally tastes his favorite delicacy. 

the kiss is messy, rough around the edges, desperate after 21 days, and arch doesn’t plan to stop anytime soon. you pull back for a quick breather until you feel his tongue press against your bottom lip, asking for permission to drag the kiss deeper. 

you oblige, one of your hands going from his chest to wrapping his muscled back, your other hand tugging the roots on the nape of his neck. arch’s pants feel tighter when you left out a soft, quiet moan, feeling the anticipation in your touches and the way you flicked your tongue along with his. 

the kiss was never-ending. you were quick to forget about the conversation, rather too focused on how he felt against you. was it possible he grew in size in just three weeks?

arch’s hand moved down, resting dangerously close to your ass. you pulled back, his eyes open wide, confused and still dazed. your bottom lip is between your teeth, looking up as your hand removes the hat and places it on backwards, “always wear it like this when you’re around me…”

“why’s that?” he knew why. he just wanted to hear you say it.

“because you look ten times hotter. and so i can kiss you better,” you mumbled between the popcorn kiss, giggling when he smirked deeper. “you like it when i tell you stuff like that, don’t you?” 

“like? baby, i fucking love it,” he ushers, this time taking your top lip and giving it attention. he pressed his lips tighter against yours, blowing the air away completely. he’s not worried this time about his hat getting in the way as he relishes you. 

your tasted sweeter than ever, never wanting to part from you. he feels your hands return to his face, setting them along his jaw; this time, you’re the one to guide the kiss. he lets you, because he’d be stupid enough not to. “i missed you so bad,” he says, eyes closed, a look of despair, hating to think of how alone he felt. 

“i miss you too,” you replied, thumbs tracing along his skin before giving him a softer kiss this time. both of your chests move up and down, utterly breathless after the deep and tense kiss that was shared. his kiss was starved, to now soft paced, as if he were afraid to lose or you’d disappear again. 

this was the aftermath of 21 days of pent-up yearning. 

“i’m sorry for not listening to you… i just needed to kiss you before i passed out,” arch joked. 

“you’re so dramatic!” you teased, feeling his kisses move over your jaw and cheek this time, as your hands play with his hat, now resting sideways, wonky.

“i am not dramatic?” 

“are too… i’m gone for three weeks, and you act like it i left you for good.”

“because you did! all i had and carried around were your plushies because i missed you badly,” arch says, offended. 

“plushies? they're my stuffed animals. our kids, by the way,” you scold, peppering a kiss along the bridge of his nose, unable to detach yourself from his magnetic force. 

“shut up and kiss me again.” 

“make me,” you dare, pulling back, lips pursed with a brow raised, awaiting his next move. arch doesn’t think twice before lifting you off the counter, wrapping your legs around his torso as he leads both of you to the overly large couch in the living room. 

your back hits the soft pillows, arch coming back between your legs, grinding his lips against your already sensitive core. he kisses you once, then moves back, now ushering kisses along your collarbone. 

“you’re gonna lie here and tell me about your trip while i listen and show you how much i missed you, got it?”