Backdated to 2/27/26.
Going without some form of intimacy, especially after a month, (which admittedly was his fault) wasn't something Zay secretly thought he could manage again. Before Micah it was easy…After? Not so much. He was a bit off that they didn't finish dinner, but once again, it was his fault for putting her on the table and proceeding to have dessert early. Not that he regretted his decision, but it would've been nice to at least make sure Micah had something in her stomach, with something to drink to keep hydrated…
God he was vulnerable after sex wasn't he?
Zaayan wasn't sure how he felt about it either.
Sighing into Micah’s shoulder, the arm he had around her waist tightened to pull her closer (despite the fact that they were already as close as they could be given they were still connected), taking in her natural scent. There was…..a bite mark there, but that was something he did warn her about. Something about that made him feel a sense of pride, and he was sure if he told Micah that she would have words to say. So instead he started placing kisses from her shoulder, making his way up to her ear, “Micah.” There was a deep timbre to his voice as he continued, “Don't know how to say this properly, I'm sorry if it isn't clear at first.” He was sure his hair would be tickling them both at this point now that it was free from his usual style,
“But…mine.” he wasn't sure what possessed him to even say it that way, and he swore he was having one of those….Memories. Now wasn't the time to focus on that though. He took a deep breath, trying to focus, “Not how I meant it…” God she was beautiful…
Couldn't he just do this later? He really wanted another round at the moment.
“Just…I…” Why was it hard to say?! In the back of his mind, Zay already knew what needed to be said and why he wanted to say it, but he wasn't a man that was good with feelings and it showed most of the time he was around anyone. “I want you. Only you and no one else.” The arm holding her closed tightened still, “What I'm trying to say ********>.” Don't get distracted, focus… “I love you Micah. I don't want to be with anyone other than you.” His mouth dipped low while the hand holding her went to raise her leg to rest on his. “Let me keep you…Please.” It seemed like he was in some sort of pain, but in truth he was far from it.
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Micah stirred at the feel of being pulled closer to him, and again at the feel of his breath against her shoulder. She was feeling particularly sluggish after. Their intimate time had been particularly intense, no doubt because they had both held out for a month while he recovered from whatever injuries he got from some fights. Fights were inevitable, she knew and accepted that. She even let go of the fact that he hadn't told her that he got hurt—what right did she have to assume he'd make her privy to that information, anyway? But she also knew that recovery was important, and she refused to take any risks with his recovery no matter what he said.
Medical professionals, she was quick to realize, really did make for the worst patients.
It was the kisses that caused her eyes to flutter open. She made a quiet, unintelligible sound when he said her name. It sounded equal parts curious, content, and amused. At first, anyway. Just when he said her name with that voice. She reached up and over, gently brushing his hair aside while he tried to figure out how to say whatever it was he was trying to say.
And then she stopped when the word "mine" left his lips.
She stayed quiet as she listened to him stumble through what sounded suspiciously like a confession. She'd heard worse from men she didn't like after far less satisfying sex, and in fact that was when she heard those words more often than not in the past, so it wasn't like she had a proper gauge for what a "good" confession was like. Hell, she wasn't even sure if she wanted him to be confessing anything like this to her at all.
Though it was an easy enough question for her to answer, even if he hadn't technically asked her a question.
She let him move her as he wanted while she considered.
"'Keep' me?" she eventually asked, her tone mostly neutral with just the faintest trace of a smile in it. "What makes you think I want to be 'kept,' Zayaan?"
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He should’ve known Micah would hone in on that.
Zay had to keep from getting frustrated while he kept his head buried in her shoulder. The sound of his full name caused his hand to tighten on her thigh, “That's…Not what I meant, Micah.” He knew Micah was not the type of woman that you could ‘keep’. She was far too independent for that, nor would he want her to be anything less. He pulled away slightly, looking at her with a slight frown. “You know that.” Closing his eyes with a small sigh, Zay moved the both of them around till he was directly above her, hair creating something of a curtain.
“I don't think you want to be ‘kept’.” He moved lower, nipping at her lower lip, “But, if you allow it, I do think that you would like to be exclusive…” he reached back to grab her leg, lifting it so that it rested on his hip. Sure he got his confession out of the way and no he wasn't expecting Micah to pour out her heart or anything like that. But he was curious as to what she would choose.
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She moved with him, a curious, slightly mischievous, little gleam in her eyes as she settled beneath him. The vantage point was quietly one of her favorites, and she'd spent an inordinate amount of time memorizing his features from this specific view over the course of their...relationship. Micah smiled when he spoke again, nipping back and staying quiet until he finished. For as little as he said, he'd put a lot on the table for her to consider.
Really, for them to consider.
Exclusivity hadn't exactly been a talking point when they got started. Actually, they hadn't done a whole lot of talking about their relationship in the first place. Which, back then, made more than enough sense. There was a small part of her that didn't think they'd last all that long, given what seemed to be between them was primarily physical. The rest of what made up a normal relationship...
She reached up and cupped his face, pushing him back just enough so she could lock eyes with him. She brushed his hair back, too, to let some light through the curtain it'd made around their faces.
"Well you're right—I'm not interested in being kept. But what exactly do you mean by 'exclusive,' just so we're on the same page."
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Well, something told him he would have to explain that part.
“Exclusive as in seeing no one else. Being official.” Not that he was remotely interested in anyone but Micah, “I would like to start openly dating Micah.” He hoped that was explanation enough. He held her gaze, patiently waiting for her to think on things and come to her own conclusions.
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It wasn't.
And it wasn't.
Micah steadied her expression somewhere between curiosity and surprise. Her lips were turned up in the slightest of smiles as she gave his words some thought. She absently ran one hand through his hair, the gesture rather affectionate despite the silence perhaps being used to put a bit of distance between them while she took her time sorting through her thoughts. They weren't all that muddled to begin with, and she didn't actually need that much time. But keeping this man on edge was something of a pastime for her, so.
"You realize," she started, soon cupping his cheeks with both hands again. "That would imply that you're interested in an actual relationship, Zayaan." She spoke in a soft but serious tone, because for all her teasing this was something that actually mattered to her.
Labels came with strings, after all.
"As in one that actually involves feelings and talking and doing things besides what we usually do—work quietly in the same room or ********." The corners of her lips turned up at that despite her efforts. "Was there something that bothered you about our current arrangement?"
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There was the slightest raising of his eyebrow while he took in the seriousness of what she was saying. He thought that admitting he had feelings for her would imply that he wanted to do more than just working quietly and ******** [eventhough he had nothing wrong with that arrangement]. But maybe he wasn't clear enough? While they waited, Zayaan decided to do something other than stare, taking the hand that was playing with his hair [he has a feeling she doesn't find as much issue with it as she claims] and kissing each finger while she continued to talk.
He kept their gaze of course, but if he had to show her rather than tell what he meant then so be it.
“There was nothing about our current arrangement that bothered me.” a kiss to her knuckle, “I came to the conclusion that what I wanted was something more. Perhaps from the very beginning." It just didn't hit him till now. “I am aware of what I am asking Micah. Talking…Is not my strongest point. I'm better with showing.” he kissed a finger to prove that point. “That doesn't mean I am incapable of learning, if that is what you would be comfortable with.”
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It was hard to keep herself from shivering with each press of his lips against her skin, a combination of the nature of the conversation as well as her own emotions slipping past her guard. She made an impressed little sound at his open admission, smiling openly now that he made himself perfectly clear. Not that he wasn’t earlier, but with this there was no more room for interpretation. Far less chance of some bizarre misunderstanding.
It was better to be sure.
“Please,” she laughed lightly. “I know you well enough.” When his next kiss landed on her index finger, she turned her hand and tapped chin before gently coaxing him back up. She knew exactly where she wanted his next kiss to be…
“With some things, I think even better than you.” She caught his eyes then, her own eyes playful, if only on the surface.
“But I won’t ask you to change for me. I’m just saying. If you’re serious, then things are bound to change. And with strings like this, I have basically two rules.” With her other hand, she started the count. “If there’s something going on, a problem or whatever, we talk. If one of us is unhappy no matter what we do, we walk. Nice and simple. What do you think?”
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Two rules…
Simple enough.
“I think we can handle that.”
It was fair and simple, something he liked immensely.
“Now…” he pulled her into a gentle kiss, nipping at her lower lip. “I believe I need to make up for pulling you out of your post coital comfort…” By putting her back into it.
