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bullet-clubs-bitch · 22 days

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AEW Wrestlers Pregnancy Headcannons

Summary: AEW Wrestlers (Ft. Zack Sabre Jr and Nic Nemeth) reactions to finding out you are pregnant

Wrestlers mentioned: Kenny Omega, Nick Jackson, Matt Jackson, Jay White, Zack Sabre Jr, Nic Nemeth and Samoa Joe

Part 1 Part 2 Main Masterlist

Kenny Omega

It wasn't a secret that Kenny didn't want kids

He didn't even want a long term relationship as he claimed he wanted to be 100% focused on wrestling.

That was until he met you, he was instanly headover heels in love with you. Yet his opinion on children never changed

When you found out you were pregnant you were terrfied

You didn't know how Kenny would react to the news.

When you told him he broke out in tears.

Deep down inside he always wanted to be a dad

Kenny would not leave you side during your whole pregnancy

He would talk to your growing bump and fall asleep listing to the baby's heart beat

Kenny is such a girl dad, he would be the best father

Of course his daughter would come out with Kenny's gorgous curls

Nick Jackson

When Nick found out you were pregnant he was in pure shock

The two of you always wanted children but it never seemed to work out

When you unexpectedly found out when you were pregnant you coudn't wait to tell Nick, knowing how happy he would be

Nick would be all over you during your pregnancy

He would'nt let you lift a finger, he would take such good care of you. He's such a sweetheart!

He would be a great father

Matt Jackson

When Matt thought you were messing with him when you told him you were pregant. He thought you were playing a joke, although there was a bit of fear in his eyes.

Not because you were pregnant but because you were just pregnant a few months ago. He was more confused on how you were already pregnant again.

Matt would definitely keep you locked away at home constany pregnant. I know he only has two kids but I know he definitely wanted like six.

He would show you off, he was so proud of creating a life with you

He would deffinitly brag about how he got you pregnant

Jay White

You stood looking at the pregnancy test in shock

You couldn't believe you were pregant, you were so young

Jay had just taken over bullet club, this was no time to be having a child

Jay had to find out the hard way that you were pregant because you thought it would be easier to hide it from him

When you confessed you were pregnant he was shocked on why you were so upset about it.

He thought it was a great thing that you were pregnant

Although young Jay (Jay without the beard) was not the best father he sure did try his best.

He loved playing with his son, the two of them were best friends and looked identical

You practically cloned your boyfriend

Zack Sabre Jr

When Zack found out you were pregnant he was confused, almost like he wasn't sure how the two of you could have possibly made a baby when he damm well knew how you made a baby.

Zack would be the paranoid dad

He would read every parenting book to make sure he was doind everything right

He would love that child to death and protect the hell out of them

At times it was like Zack was also pregnant because he swore he was getting your pregnancy symtoms

He would get you whatever you were craving at whatever time

Sometimes he would judge your weird food combinations

Zack is the dad who would be holding three cameras all at diffrent angles to get the perfect shot of your kids christmas concert

He would play with your kid for hours outside and whever you went out it was like he was preparing for a zombie apocalypse

The man carried everyting needed to preform open heart sugery on him at all times, it was almost concerining

Nic Nemeth

Nic always wanted to be a father but he accepted early on it just simply wasn't going to happen

Relationships just never seemed to work out for him, that was until he ran into you one day. And I mean ran into you. Nic had physically run into you at a show one day.

From the moment he saw you he fell in love, you were the girl of his dreams and he knew he couldn't mess this relationship up

For once Nic felt like thing would work out for him

When you told him you were pregnant it was the best day of his life

He coudn't wait to be a father! The thought of being a older dad never bothred Nic, he was just happy he could finally do the one thing he wanted most

He would build you a beautiful nursary and love that child so much

Samoa Joe

You just know Joe would be a massive teddy bear

He would take such good care of you and your baby

If someone even dared to look in your direction he would go into attack mode, he was exteemly overprotective in the best way possible

Joe would cater to your every need, going to get everything you were craving. Even if it was in the middle of the night.

Joe would be sympathetic during your pregnancy

He would probbaly eat all of your cravings with you so you didn't feel alone

He would confort you during all of your emotional outbirsts and show you so much love

This man's love language is acts of service and physical touch to you know he won't let you lift a finger during your pregnancy

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elphantasmo · 2 months

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#ren narita #zack sabre jr #zsj #njpw #this is just so sexy to me #brb re-reading the fic of these two

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nextstopwonderland · 4 months

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“When you love wrestling, you’re completely obsessed with it.”

#bryan Danielson #zack sabre jr #zsj #aew #wwe #njpw #my compilations #Tfw you wrote the 10k fic already but still are having all the feelings that you don’t know what to do with #so glad these two got another chance to dazzle everyone together #AND WE GET MORE SOON #bryanzack

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sydsaint · 7 months

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I'm not ready for Sunday 😭

Summary: The reader is Danielson's sister who has an encounter with Zack before his match with her brother.

"Come on, Y/N, keep up!" Bryan shouts from in front of you.

"Slow down! I hate you!" You groan as you break into a sprint to keep up with your brother.

You hear Bryan laugh as you make it back to his side. You glare at him through gritted teeth as he grins at you. "Come on, Y/N. We're almost done last stretch." He encourages you.

"Yeah yeah." You huff.

Bryan takes off in a sprint and you curse before taking off after him. The two of you round the last corner of your journey and come to a stop in front of the gym.

Bryan laughs at you as you come up behind him huffing and puffing for your life. You come to a full stop and put your hands on your knees to catch your breath.

"Please tell me that we're done?" You plead, lungs burning in your chest.

"Well, I was going to head inside and do some weight training." Bryan laughs as your eyes widen in desperation. "But I know you've been working hard all morning. So let's go get changed and get some lunch. My treat."

You perk up at the mention of lunch. "Yes! I am starving. Just please, can we go to a normal place for lunch? No vegan exclusive food?" You ask him.

"Vegan food is good for you," Bryan argues. "And for the environment." He adds.

"Yeah yeah." You gruff. "Vegetarian place then." You compromise with him.

Bryan nods and agrees to your terms. The two of you get changed out of your sweaty clothes and head out for lunch.

"So, are you feeling nervous about your match against Zack this weekend?" You ask Bryan at the restaurant while waiting for your food.

"Uhh, I wouldn't say nervous." Bryan shrugs. "I know it's going to be one hell of a match."

You laugh and agree. "That's for sure." You tease him. "Have you even met Zack before?" You ask him.

"Not in person, no." Bryan shakes his head. "I've seen a bunch of his work though. Been studying tapes with Mox and Claudio all week." He adds.

"Good. You're gonna need it." You muse and pick up your drink.

Bryan raises a brow at you while picking up his own drink. "You seem awfully interested in my match with Zack all of a sudden?" He comments. "Usually you couldn't care less about who I'm going up against."

"So?" You reply. "You're always nagging me about getting more involved in you and the rest of BCC. So that's what I'm doing."

"No, that's not it." Bryan narrows his eyes at you.

You roll your eyes and finish lunch with your suspicious brother. The two of you part ways until the weekend.

Sunday afternoon, you arrive at the Climate Pledge Arena in a rainy Seattle. Bryan and the rest of his group have already arrived and are planning no doubt, so you hurry to join them. On your way through the backstage area you run into someone interesting, Bryan's opponent for the night. Zack Sabre Jr.

"Well, what do we have here." Zack spots you from across the room, a mischievous grin on his face. He'd recognized you from some of the tapes and research on Danielson he'd been doing. "Excuse me, love. You're, Y/N, right? Bryan Danielson's sister?" He walks over to you with a charming smile.

"Me?" You point to yourself nervously and swallow hard. "Yeah, that's me." You nod your head. "It's nice to meet you, Zack. I'm a big fan." You admit, betraying your brother in favor of the devilishly handsome Brit in front of you.

Zack chuckles and the sound makes you weak in the knees. "Please, the pleasure is all mine, love." Sabre insists. "I've seen some of your work in the ring as well, love. And I must say, you aren't too bad in the ring yourself." He adds.

"Me?" You laugh. "I'm alright in the ring. Bryan is the prodigy of the family, trust me." You assure him with a nervous smile.

"Maybe so," Zack replies. "Regardless, I'd love to train with you sometime if you're free." He informs you with a smile that makes your heart pump in your chest like it's about to explode. "Here's my personal number. Give me a call sometime, love. Lunch is on me." He winks at you and hands over a piece of paper with a number written on it.

"Y-yeah, okay." You nod and take the slip of paper.

Zack walks off and you hurry along to the BCC locker room giddy with glee and hoarding your new phone number like it's gold.

"Y/N, there you are." Bryan greets you when you finally arrive. "We've been waiting for you. What, did you get lost?" He asks you.

"No, I just...ran into someone." You reply. "I'm here now. So let's get on with it."

Your brother once again narrows his eyes at you. He can tell with one look that something is up with you. But he chooses to ignore it for the time being. He's got one hell of a match against Zack later, and the last thing he needs is to be worried about you.

Everyone links up and schemes about the plan for the night. You agree to go out with Daniel for support instead of Wheeler since he's got a match against Ricky Starks now. You wonder if you should tell Bryan about your encounter with Zack earlier, but chose not to. You know that it'll just distract him from the task at hand.

The time comes for Bryan and Zacks match, so you head out with your brother. You and Bryan are the first ones out to the ring, so you take up a spot on the floor below Bryan's corner. Zack heads out a few minutes later and can't help but make a pass at you.

"Come to get a front-row seat to the show, love?" Zack cheekily asks you as he passes you. "You know, we could always move that lunch to a dinner. Say, after the show?" He suggests.

"What!?" Bryan hears his opponent's proposition and hurries over to the corner. "Y/N! Quit flirting!" He scolds you.

You roll your eyes and turn to look up at Bryan. "I wasn't flirting!" You shout at him before turning back to Zack. "Sure, I can do dinner. If you win." You find a surge of confidence within yourself.

"Brilliant." Zack chuckles. "Please do enjoy the show, love. We'll talk more soon." He winks at you before making his way over to his corner.

#wrestling #aew #all elite wrestling #zack sabre jr #aew fanfiction #aew fanfic #njpw fanfiction #njpw fic #wrestling fic #wrestling fanfiction

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robinofgothamcity · 2 years

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"if you are not too long, i will wait here for you all my life. “

♡ character: zack sabre jr

♡ pronouns used: she / her

♡ note: not checked for grammar or spelling mistakes / hiiii ik i haven't updated in a while i was just lazy but ig im back and employed now!! and i'm also wildly obsessed with zack sabre jr at the moment so heres a throwback to forbidden door. might be a bit short but its whatever.

"zack, ive done my time in japan, AEW seems like a great opportunity for me," you told him, seeing his face dropping and looking at the ground, "you knew i didn't have much time on my contract and i wasn't planning on staying."

zack sighed, not knowing what to respond with. he didn't want to sound selfish nor did he think you were in the wrong but he couldn't imagine a time where you weren't with him. the two of you came to japan together, spent each of your time working respectfully in Stardom and New Japan.

"i know but maybe i thought you'd stay if i asked," you smiled, sitting next to him and putting your head on his shoulder, "remember our pact? if neither of us were in relationships by the time we hit our mid thirties we'd just marry each other? i stand by that."

he laughed, shoving you playfully.

"you're no where near thirty but maybe i'll marry you the next time i see you."

this time it was your turn to laugh. you knew zack liked to joke around with you but sometimes it was hard to decipher if what he was saying was true or not, "please, like you haven't been eyeballing. i heard stories from maki," you replied, now getting up and stealing the jacket off of his chair, "but maybe i'll let you marry me the next time you come to the states. i guess we'll see."

giving him one final wink, you walked away and shut the door slowly. you could see zack's saddened face and a part of you wanted to go back and just hug him but you knew that if you lingered around any longer, the goodbye would get even harder.

“if you are not too long, i will wait here for you all my life."

you heard the mutter from zack and tried to contain your tears.

it had been three years since your departure from Stardom and you had been running around AEW since then. you had your fair share of feuds with britt, penelope, and nyla but currently, you were in a feud with rosa for the AEW women's belt.

you had secured a match for the forbidden door pay-per-view against rosa and while you were happy to fight against her on such a big stage, you had heard rumblings about who from New Japan was going to make their way to the states to wrestle your co-workers and one of the names going around was zack.

you talked to zack every now and again but it was nothing like how it was before. you hadn't heard from any of the girls in Stardom if zack was in a relationship but you couldn't say the same. you had been in a few relationships since departing from japan but none of them ever lasted.

the only one that lasted a bit longer than the rest was with maxwell jacob friedman but that was only because you joined the pinnacle when they formed which not only made you his girlfriend but his valet as well. during your time with max made many people wonder why you were even with him. one of those people was zack who was beyond shocked to see the way you acted with him. it wasn't anything like how you were in japan and frankly, it made his stomach stir each time you were visibly making out with max.

"guess what i heard," penelope said singing into your ear. you looked up from your latop in confusion, "zack is in building," your eyes widened in shock as you heard kip giggling behind her, "it's not funny to lie especially when i'm on next."

penelope shook her head, "i'm not lying! kip was speaking to him earlier. he's very interested in seeing you again." before you could respond, you felt rosa's arm go around your shoulder, "lets go! we're next."

you gave one final look to penelope who kept muttering that she wasn't lying. you knew penelope would never lie to you but you hadn't seen zack since you arrived got to the building which was a lot earlier than most did.

rosa went onto the ramp first getting heavy cheers from everyone as you cracked your neck in anticipation. the two of you weren't due to wrestle but more or less rough each other up. you were wearing you SPLX sweater, the exact same one you stole from zack, and blue jeans. it wasn't your most stylish outfit in comparison to rosa but you knew it would do the job.

"breath, maybe what penelope told you was just to mess around with you," you whispered as you heard your theme going off. you went out of the heel tunnel, a smirk plastered on your face, "oh fuck off you dickheads!" you yelled.

you walked slower than usual into the ring as you made sure to give rosa as much time as possible to get herself comfortable on her side of the ring. you blew one final kiss as rosa cut you off and immediately starting her promo.

you chewed your gum obnoxiously, something that would make matt menard proud. you knew this would be last time you'd face rosa before forbidden door and you had to perfect your promo more than ever.

"oh rosa, it's really embarrassing that you're standing her not being able to compete at the rate britt was when she had the title. you should consider handing the belt over to me now so you don't embarrass yourself on Sunday. you've never been against a submission master like myself before and it'd really suck to see you injured after our match so like i said i'm willing to take the belt off of you and we can call it even, alright?"

rosa laughed as she tossed the belt to the side.

"submission master? that's a funny name to call yourself considering the only person who's had that name is zack sabre jr himself and he's not here right now so how about you stop embarrassing him. we all know how happy he was when you left him and its even more embarrassing that you're walking around here in his clothes three years later!"

your eyes widened as you dove to attack her. you went for her legs immediately you put her in a submission hold making her cry out in agony. it wasn't until you heard a very familiar theme song go off through the speakers making you look up when you realized that the rumors were true.

the crowd went nuts as you stared at zack making his way through the heel tunnel. you stared at him not believing that this was the way he would make his AEW debut and not with bryan who you assumed would be the one he was going against.

you kicked rosa one final time as she rolled out of the ring. you stood in the middle of it and continued to stare down at him, disbelief written all over your face. zack made his way towards the ring, making sure to spew insults at the crowd before finally climbing in and standing in front of you.

everyone in the building went quiet as you felt your body jerk forward to hug zack. the entire crowd started to boo as you felt him laughing against you. you knew that zack wasn't exactly someone who would be hurt with this reaction but you could see that he was holding you tighter than usual.

zack finally pulled himself back and held your hand up as your theme went off. you wanted nothing more than to curse zack out for not telling you he'd be here but you knew you'd have more than enough time to do it backstage. he opened the ropes to help you out of the ring and as you gave one final middle finger to the crowd, zack stood behind you clapping proudly.

as the two of you reached the back, you immediately jumped on him and shoved your face in his shoulder, "you asshole, why didn't you tell me?" you screamed into it. zack patted your back, "had to make sure you still weren't with that dickhead maxwell before i reunited with you."

you could see penelope and kip watching you from afar as they muttered an, "i told you". you paid them no mind as you continued to hug zack, "i missed you so much," you whispered in his ear as you now let your tears fall freely. he could feel the wetness of the tears on his shirt as he hugged your closer.

once you finally pulled away, zack wiped the tears away before pulling you into a more secluded corner.

"i couldn't tell you because i was practically sworn to secrecy until i got into the building," he finally explained. you smiled at him weakly when you realized that he would only be here for about a week until he had to return to japan, "you're leaving after Sunday, aren't you?" you murmured sadly.

zack nodded as he grabbed your hand, "i don't want to but my contract isn't up with new japan yet. if i could stay here just to be with you, i'd do it in a heartbeat," he replied. you closed your eyes, not wanting to cry again but you knew that it was useless to grow closer to him again when he'd have to return just as quickly as he came.

"fuck, this forbidden door bullshit really screwed us up, didn't it?" you joked, wiping away your tears again. zack nodded as he realized that the gift he had in your pocket felt like it was burning him from the anticipation, "remember the last thing we told each other before you left?"

you remained confused for a few seconds until zack went down on one knee when you finally realized what he was speaking about. you saw him pull out a tiny silver ring from his pocket.

"i told you i'd marry you the next time i saw you so how about we go through with it? nothing is stopping us from running to some random officiant and getting married after this," your mouth fell from surprise but you nodded almost immediately, "lets do it," you whispered as he put the ring on your finger.

you went up for a steaming kiss with no intention of releasing him anytime soon. zack felt your fingers running through his hair and let you continue to kiss him until he was out of breath.

"maybe i'll have to ask for an excursion run here in amerca just to spend more time with you," zack whispered against your lips. you giggled, "or maybe i'll be the one to go to you. i know they're doing the princess of princess championship soon and i could see if i can contend for it."

zack's smile widened even more as he spun you around in excitement, "Well lets go mrs.sabre, we have a lot of things to do tonight," he said holding your hand and twirling the ring around your finger.

you nodded, giving him one final kiss on the lips before finding penelope. you knew you'd need a witness and possibly someone to vouch for you when the news inevitably got out that you married zack.

#zsj #zack sabre jr #njpw #new japan pro wrestling #njpw imagine #njpw x reader #njpw fic #zsj imagine #zsj x reader #zack sabre jr imagine #zack sabre jr x reader #aew #aew imagine #aew x reader #wrestling imagine #wrestling fic

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fang-revives · 1 year

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Those who saw the Zack Sabre Jr. / Ren Narita interactions at the WK press conference and thought "wow that's gay even for Zack" I am gently putting this perfect fic in your hands

#fic recs #ren narita #zack sabre jr #zsj #ren narita / zsj #takeover #wrestling shipping #kayfabe fanfiction #katsuyori shibata #SON OF STRONG STYLE im sobbing

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elitehunter · 1 year

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Zack Sabre Jr.: You can mess with a lot of things, but you can't mess with kids on Christmas

Title: You can mess with a lot of things, but you can't mess with kids on Christmas Theme: Day 3 - Candles for @12daysofchristmas Fandom/Character(s): NJPW/Zack Sabre Jr. x OFC Warnings: none, a minor mention of the final Suzuki-gun match if that gets you too deep in your feels but tbh it's just stating there's a match. Word Count: 2,341

There are some very special traditions she's been planning on passing along to her nieces and nephews for the first Christmas she'll get to be home for in years. But when inclement weather keeps her grounded in Tokyo, he decides nothing should get in the way of the plans she made.

Read it on AO3

#12daysofchristmas2022 #zack sabre jr. fanfiction #zack sabre jr. fanfic #zack sabre jr. imagine #zack sabre jr. imagines #zack sabre jr. x ofc #zack sabre jr. x original female character #elitehunter fic #elitehunter fanfiction #series: 12 days of christmas (njpw shorts)

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blacktofade · 10 months

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Fic: Embarrassing

Orange Cassidy/Zack Sabre Jr., NC-17, ~3k

This is a game of chicken gone wrong.

"Oh, no no no," a voice says from behind, and Orange doesn't even have time to react before a hand grabs one of his wrists and an arm settles around his throat, restraining him and dragging him backward.

There's a mouth against his ear, muggy and cloying.

"We're not done here, sweetheart," it tells him.

Orange brings his free hand up, trying to dislodge the forearm around his neck, struggling and catching a flash of blond hair.

Of course it's Zack. It couldn't be anyone else.

"That's it, darling, just let it happen."

Orange's feet slip against the linoleum and it feels like a losing battle.

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debbiechanclub · 1 year

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Knights and Kings

A “Take My Hand, Wreck My Plans” fic

Pairing: Zack Sabre Jr. x OFC Word Count: 4,650 Warnings: ANGST; alcohol use; language

Nellie and Torrance are both in need of relationship advice, and they expected to find it at the bottom of wine bottles and ice cream cartons―not a deck of tarot cards.

TMHWMP Timeline | Masterlist

Read it on AO3

Tag squad: @comeasyoudar @statdaddy @knifepervert @sldghmmr @rusevday @missbrownstone @meteora-fc @bec0m @thatgirlforever5 @rocca09

Saturday, August 1, 2020 Tokyo, Japan

“Thank you for letting me crash here,” Torrance said. “I promise I won’t overstay my welcome.”

“Stop,” Nellie returned. She handed her a large glass of Sauvignon Blanc and sat down on the opposite end of the couch, pulling her feet up onto the cushion. “You can stay as long as you need. I’m sure it won’t be long, anyway.”

Torrance laughed dryly to herself as she eagerly lifted the glass to her mouth. “That makes one of us.”

She took a long drink, and Nellie frowned. When Torrance had called and told her she needed a place to stay because she and Ishimori were “taking some time apart,” Nellie had thought she meant just for the night. But when she’d shown up at her apartment just over an hour later—suitcase in tow, eyes red from crying—Nellie had realized it was a bit more serious than just a night.

“Do you want to talk about it?” she asked. “Or do you just want to drink and binge-watch K-dramas?”

Torrance laughed again, a bit more genuine that time. “All of the above.”

Empathy surged in Nellie’s veins. “I didn’t realize you and Ishimori were having issues again.”

“Again,” because Torrance and Ishimori were one of those couples who always seemed to be either hot or cold. Nellie had seen it for herself during the two months she’d crashed in their spare bedroom after she and Zack had broken up. But she’d also seen their love in all the little things they did, in the way they chose each other every single day. From where she was sitting, this break had come out of left field.

But that wasn’t the case for Torrance. “It started not long after you moved out,” she revealed. “I think you were providing a buffer for us, and we didn’t realize it until you were gone.”

Nellie’s frown deepened. So this had been building for a month, then. She had noticed that Torrance hadn’t been her usual self the last few weeks, but she hadn’t thought too much of it—most people weren’t themselves these days. New COVID cases were surging again in Tokyo, and Stardom had just two shows planned for August after only just starting up again at the end of June after a three-month hiatus. So, Nellie had just assumed Torrance was depressed over the general state of things; she hadn’t thought to ask if anything else was going on.

And plus, Nellie had been dealing with her own personal matters lately.

She pulled herself out of her thoughts and refocused on Torrance. “So what exactly started, then?” she asked. “After I moved out.”

“Just, bickering,” Torrance breathed. “Constantly, about everything, about the stupidest, littlest shit. And I’d been hoping it was just a rough patch and that we’d get through it, but we haven’t and now… I’m doubting our entire relationship.”

A weight settled on Nellie’s chest, and she looked regretfully down into her own glass of wine. She could relate all too well.

“It’s exactly like what happened to you and Zack.”

Nellie flicked her eyes back up at her. Torrance was already shaking her head.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”

“No, you’re not wrong,” Nellie ruefully returned. “It is exactly like what happened to me and Zack.” She paused to take a sip of wine, her mouth suddenly dry. “You know you could have talked to me about it.”

“I know,” she quietly said. “I actually almost did call you after Taiji and I got into it last week, but then I realized it was Zack’s birthday and I didn’t want to bother you with my shit when I knew you were probably dealing with your own.”

Nellie’s mouth moved too fast for her brain. “It probably would have been better if you did call.”

There was a beat of silence as they both realized what she’d said. Nellie froze. Torrance noticed.

“Why? Did something happen?”

Nellie shifted uncomfortably.

“Shit, something did happen, didn’t it?” Torrance figured, and Nellie knew there was no avoiding it now. So, she spit it out.

“I slept with Zack.”

Torrance’s jaw unhinged. “On his birthday?”

She nodded.

Torrance stared at her a few seconds longer, mouth agape. “Well, I’m glad I didn’t call, then,” she remarked.

“No, it’s not good, Torr,” Nellie woefully returned—but Torrance was already asking her next question.

“Did it happen here or at his place?”

Nellie sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She might as well just give her all the details. “His place. I texted him happy birthday because it felt like the right thing to do; we’re still friends. But then we started talking, and he said he was getting takeout from this udon place we both love, and asked if I wanted to come over. It was only like six-thirty, so I figured it was fine and I could leave before it turned into hook-up hours, but then one thing led to another and… yeah.”

She took a gulp of wine, her heart pulsing in her neck. In truth, she knew she should have declined Zack’s invitation that night; she should have called Torrance and had her talk her down. But she was having a harder time moving on from Zack than she was willing to admit. Some days, she gave herself grace for it. Of course she was having a hard time—she’d uprooted her whole life and moved across the world with the person she loved only to have it all fall apart. Anyone would have a hard time moving on from that.

But other days—like today, the entire last week—she felt like a fool.

“Was it good, at least?” Torrance asked, cutting into her thoughts.

“Torr,” Nellie breathed, half a smile on her lips. “You’re not helping.”

Torrance pulled her mouth to the side of her face. “Well, I guess we both need tonight.” She let out a tired sigh. “Please tell me you have ice cream or chocolate or something else we can eat our feelings with.”

Nellie pushed out her bottom lip. “I don’t. But there’s a 7-Eleven a few blocks away.”

* * * *

Neither of them was concerned about impressing anyone, and a few minutes later they both left Nellie’s apartment in oversized t-shirts, bike shorts, messy buns, and masks to walk the few blocks to 7-Eleven as the last remnants of twilight died in the darkening sky. And it didn’t take long for Torrance to resume her line of questioning.

“Have you and Zack talked about it at all?”

Nellie snorted. “No. I left practically as soon as the sun came up. It was my first walk of shame since back when I was hooking up with Riley,” she lowly added.

“You snuck out?” Torrance balked.

“No, I didn’t sneak out,” Nellie clarified. “I told him I was leaving. But he was still half-asleep, so.” She left it at that and gestured to an alleyway on their right. “It’s this way.”

They cut into the alleyway, lined with tightly packed open-air bars and restaurants. Paper lanterns and electric signs hung every few feet advertising food and drink in kanji, but the atmosphere wasn’t as lively as it would have been under normal circumstances. It made Nellie recall one of her very first dates with Zack at an izakaya just like these, a smile on her face as she turned toward him on a barstool, his hand on her thigh—

“Would you like your cards read, my dears?”

Nellie and Torrance both slowed to a stop. An older woman with kind, dark eyes stood outside a stall toward the end of the alley. Nellie looked up at the sign overhead; in bright neon letters it read in English, “PSYCHIC TAROT PALMISTRY TEA LEAVES.” Her brow furrowed in confusion. This stall hadn’t been there any of the previous times she’d walked through here.

Torrance hesitated. “Oh, I don’t know—”

But the woman cut her off. “Yes, come. You especially need a love reading; I can tell from your aura.”

She beckoned them into the stall. Torrance and Nellie exchanged an uncertain glance.

“Come, come!” the woman repeated. “You want to know if you and your partner are too incompatible, yes?”

Torrance’s eyes widened. Nellie could see her overthinking it in real time.

“Okay, that’s a really general statement,” she quietly attempted to assuage her.

“There’s no need to be afraid,” the woman said. “The cards will only tell you what you need to hear.”

Torrance and Nellie tapped eyes again. “Yeah, that’s what worries me,” Torrance muttered under her breath; but she moved forward into the stall. Nellie followed. She had to admit, she was intrigued—and there was something comforting about the old woman’s presence.

There wasn’t much to her set-up; just a small folding table covered by a woven tapestry with one chair on one side and two on the other, a neatly stacked deck of tarot cards set in the middle. An electric tea kettle and paper cups sat in the corner, presumably for those who wished to have their tea leaves read. They all sat down around the table. The woman looked at Torrance first.

“All I need are your name and the name of your partner, nothing more.”

Torrance shifted; so they were jumping right into it. Her voice wavered a bit as she answered. “Um, I’m Torrance, and my boyfriend’s given name is Taiji.”

The woman hummed as she nodded and reached for the cards. She held them intentionally in her hands for a moment, her eyes closed, focused; and then she reopened them and started to shuffle. Overhand, varying her pace—sometimes quick, sometimes slow—until one of the cards popped out from the pile, making itself known. She laid it facedown on the table, and then repeated the process two more times. When she was done, she set the rest of the cards off to the side. The air in the room seemed to thicken as she did.

“This is a traditional three-card love spread,” she explained, deliberately pronouncing each word. “Many people think, ‘the more cards, the better.’ But with too many cards, the message can become muddy and lost. A three-card spread cuts right to the heart of the situation.”

She placed her finger on the card on the right. “This card represents you.” She moved to the card on the left. “This card represents your partner.” Finally, she put her finger on the card in the middle. “And this card represents your relationship together.”

“Okay,” Torrance breathed, nervous. But the woman smiled at her, and even though her mouth was hidden behind her mask they could see it in her eyes, sympathetic and kind.

“Again, the cards will not tell you anything you do not need to hear,” she repeated; and then, without warning, she flipped over the card on the right. It displayed a striking graphic image of an angel pouring water between two cups. At the bottom, it read in capital letters, TEMPERANCE.

“Ah, a major arcana card!” she noted. “This is an important message.”

Torrance’s brow furrowed with anxiety. The woman went on.

“Now, the card looks upright to you because we are sitting opposite one another. But because I am the one doing the reading, it is reversed. And Temperance reversed indicates that you must look inward first before you can move forward.”

Nellie glanced at Torrance out of the corner of her eye. She fidgeted in her seat again, the corners of her mouth turned down. But she remained quiet, interested in what else the woman had to say. And so, she continued.

“Something is imbalanced in your life, and you must think about what it is that you truly want. Not anyone else—you. It is the only way to find harmony again.”

Torrance went rigid. Clearly, the woman’s words resonated with her; perhaps too much.

“It’s not a bad card,” Nellie cut in. “It’s just saying you should take a step back and figure things out. You’re doing that now.”

The woman smiled. “Your friend is right. And if you’re doing this, you are already on the forward path.”

Torrance nodded in understanding. “Okay,” she said again.

“Let’s see Taiji’s card now…” The woman reached for the left card and flipped it over. It pictured a robed king holding a longsword in his hands: the KING OF SWORDS.

The woman considered the card for a few seconds. And then she asked, “Does Taiji have very high standards?”

“Yes,” Nellie immediately commented. Torrance rolled her eyes; but she didn’t disagree.

“Yeah, he does,” she dolefully confirmed. “For everything.”

The woman nodded. “The King of Swords is someone who is very controlled and ambitious, and sometimes that can come off as…” she fluttered her fingers, searching for the right word. “Overbearing—cold—especially in relationships, as they tend to be reserved in showing their emotions. To them, love means pushing their partner to do and be their very best, and they desire someone who will do the same for them. When the two partners are aligned in this concept, it makes for a very strong and beneficial relationship.

“But,” she pointed meaningfully back at the Temperance card. “Do not forget what Temperance has told you. If your desires and needs don’t align with Taiji’s, then it will benefit neither of you.”

Torrance gnawed on the inside of her lip. Nellie couldn’t think of a positive way to spin that message.

“Alright,” the woman said with a single nod. “Now, your relationship together…”

She flipped over the middle card. A knight sat atop a gallant horse, a cup in his outstretched hand. The KNIGHT OF CUPS.

“Hm,” the woman remarked.

“What?” Torrance asked, leaning forward, an edge of panic to her voice. “What does that mean?”

The woman thought for a beat. “Well,” she began, “the Knight of Cups could mean one of two things here, both very positive. First, it could indicate that you and Taiji will take the positive actions necessary for you to move forward together as a couple… or, alternatively, it could represent someone new coming into your life. Someone much more emotionally in-tune with your needs than the King of Swords.”

Nellie snapped her eyes at Torrance. She sat frozen, shocked; but Nellie swore it looked like someone specific had popped into her head.

The woman noticed it, too. “Ah… is there someone else already who could be the Knight of Cups?”

“What?” Torrance reacted. “No,” she shook her head, cleared her throat. “I’m just surprised. This is… eye-opening, for sure.”

The woman smiled again, her dark eyes wrinkling at the corners. “Good! That is the cards’ entire purpose! And now, we will see what they have to say to you.”

Nellie snapped to attention. That meant her.

“You are single, yes?” the woman asked. “Newly single.”

Goosebumps prickled over Nellie’s skin. How had she figured that? “About three months now, yeah,” she returned.

“Mm,” the woman hummed and nodded again. “Then you have a choice. Either I can do a general love reading, or, if there is someone specific on your mind,” she said this as if she already knew, “you can give me their name and I will do a reading like your friend’s.”

Nellie hesitated, a lump in her throat. If Zack knew she was doing this, he would give her so much shit. He was a hardline atheist; he didn’t believe in anything but provable facts, something that had been a point of contention in their relationship. She had always believed in something more, some force bigger than herself.

And she wanted to know.

“His name is Zack.”

The woman picked up the deck. “And yours?”

“Oh. Nellie.”

“Thank you,” the woman nodded, and she started to shuffle.

The first card popped out almost immediately; she pulled it from the deck and laid it on the right. A few seconds later, the second card emerged, and she laid it on the left. Not long after, the final card seemed to jump from the deck of its own volition. The woman laughed lightly to herself as she placed it in the center.

“That was quick.”

Nellie rubbed clammy palms on her legs. She didn’t know if that was a good or bad sign.

The woman reached for the first card. “Your card,” she said; and as she flipped it over, Nellie was struck by the imagery. A large red heart pierced through its center by three swords, storm clouds in the background.

She scoffed to herself. That was a little on-the-nose.

“Ah… the Three of Swords reversed,” the woman noted. “You are having trouble moving on from the relationship that recently ended.”

It was a statement, not a question. Nellie stiffened. “You could say that,” she quietly returned.

“Mm,” the woman hummed again. “It is not so bad, though. The Three of Swords indicates that you need to go through this period of grieving to move forward. But you must be careful not to live in that grief and get stuck. You must keep yourself open to what lies ahead.”

But what lies ahead? Nellie wanted to ask. Maybe the cards would tell her.

“Now Zack’s card,” the woman continued. She picked up the left card and flipped it over. A knight charged forward on a horse, a staff in his hand. At the bottom, it read KNIGHT OF WANDS—and like Nellie’s card, it was reversed.

“He’s the person you recently broke up with, yes?” the woman asked.

Nellie blanched. How did she keep doing that? “Yeah,” she confirmed. “After almost two years. We moved here together in January and then… yeah.” She looked down, surprised at her candor. Maybe she’d just needed to say it.

The woman studied her a beat longer before looking back down at the card. “Like the King of Swords in the previous reading, the Knight of Wands is highly ambitious. But he is more impulsive than disciplined. He struggles with impatience, and sometimes fails to think before he speaks.”

“Do you know Zack personally?” Nellie quipped. The woman’s eyes crinkled in amusement before she continued.

“However, because the card is reversed, it indicates that he’s been feeling very frustrated. There are obstacles in his way, ones he cannot control, and he’s unsure how to proceed. Additionally, his frustration might not have anything to do with your relationship at all, but it affected it nonetheless. He must reconcile all this before he can move forward to what he wants.”

Nellie curled her hands into fists on her legs. There had been extraneous strains on her and Zack’s relationship that had played a factor in their break-up, of that there was no doubt. Living together for the first time in a foreign country where neither of them spoke the language, in the midst of a fucking pandemic, unable to do their job, the thing they loved, the thing that had brought them together in the first place. It had piled up on top of them, and they’d broken under the weight of it all.

“Does this resonate with you?” the woman asked. Again, Nellie had a sense that she already knew the answer.

“Yeah, it does,” she said. “But I don’t know if I’m part of what he wants.”

The woman’s eyes sparkled. “Well, let’s see if the final card will tell us.”

She reached for the third and final card, and Nellie reflexively held her breath as she watched her flip it over. The first thing she noticed was the bright red background. Then, a man and a woman, each holding a cup in their hand, the man reaching out toward the woman. TWO OF CUPS, it read.

“I believe you are part of what he wants,” the woman said. “The Two of Cups. This a soulmate card, my dear.”

* * * *

Nellie tried to pay the woman for the readings, but she refused the money. “The spirits had me seek you out,” she said. Nellie didn’t argue. She just thanked her and practically ran out of the stall, her head spinning.

Soulmates? Her and Zack? Please. She didn’t even think he believed in the concept.

“Wait up!” Torrance called as they exited the alleyway. Nellie spotted the 7-Eleven up ahead and started walking faster. Torrance had to jog to catch up with her. “Well, that was intense,” she remarked.

Nellie didn’t respond.

“Nell.”

“What?”

“That woman just said you and Zack are soulmates, and you’re clearly feeling some type of way about it.”

They came to an intersection, and Nellie jabbed the crosswalk button with her fingers. “She also said that card didn’t necessarily signify romantic soulmates.”

“Okay, but that was a love reading.”

Nellie kept her gaze trained on the crosswalk signal, willing it to change. “It was probably a bunch of bullshit,” she dismissed.

But Torrance shrugged a shoulder. “I don’t know, she seemed pretty intuitive to me.”

“Oh yeah?” Nellie returned. “Who’s the Knight of Cups?”

She looked probingly down at her. Torrance blanched. “Okay fine, we won’t talk about it.”

* * * *

But long after they’d returned to the apartment, loaded up with ice cream, Japanese pastries, and more wine, Nellie still couldn’t stop thinking about it. And then, two more glasses deep and well into a Netflix binge session, she got a text. From Zack.

Are you free?

She nudged Torrance and wordlessly showed her the message. Her eyes bulged.

“Now he chooses to mince words?”

Nellie rolled her eyes. “I’m telling him I’m not,” she said and started to type back—but Torrance stopped her.

“No, don’t! You two need to talk.”

Nellie’s brow furrowed in disagreement. “I’m not leaving you here by yourself to go talk to Zack.”

“What, don’t trust me with your stuff?” she joked.

“That’s not—”

“I know,” Torrance interjected. “And seriously, I’ll be fine. Please go talk to him. We don’t both need to be miserable tonight.”

Nellie ran an uncertain hand through her hair. On the contrary, there was no guarantee that talking to Zack wouldn’t just make her more miserable. But Torrance was right. They did need to talk.

“Fine,” she said. “But I’m coming back.”

She didn’t bother changing, but she did pull her long, dark hair out from its messy bun and comb it out with her fingers, double-checking in the bathroom mirror that she looked decent, and then she was out the door. Zack lived two buildings over in the same complex, in what used to be their apartment. Nellie admitted it wasn’t ideal still living so close to him, but options were limited in the current market, and she hadn’t wanted to overstay her welcome with Torrance and Ishimori. Besides, she liked this neighborhood; she was familiar with it. She needed that more than ever right now.

Less than five minutes and she was at his door. She’d never responded to his text, she realized, but it was just as well. He wanted to see her; at least, it had sounded like he did. So, she raised her hand and knocked.

It wasn’t long before Zack answered. He seemed surprised to see her. “So I guess you are free, then?”

A swell of embarrassment flushed Nellie’s face. She was wrong, she shouldn’t have just showed up. Maybe he’d just wanted to talk on the phone, over text—not face-to-face. She must look like an overeager fool.

“Sorry, I should’ve—”

“No,” he cut her off with a shake of his head. “Come in.”

He pulled the door open further, and she gave him a tight smile and moved inside. Soft music floated out from the record player in the corner of the living room; a half-full glass of beer sat on the coffee table. So he’d been drinking, too.

“Do you want anything to drink?”

She looked back at him as he shut the door. “Um, water, actually. I had some wine and I’m starting to get a headache.”

“Ah,” he smirked. “Wine drunk. So that explains you just turning up.”

He disappeared into the kitchen, and Nellie let out a breath. She needed to relax. She moved around to the couch and sank down into the cushions, listening to the music. It was one of Zack’s favorite bands; they’d seen them live in England before all this. She’d gotten him that record player for Christmas. It made her wonder what was going through his head before he’d texted her.

“Here you go.”

Zack reappeared with a glass of ice water. She thanked him and took a long drink as he sat down next to her. It wasn’t until she set the glass atop a coaster on the coffee table and sat back that she realized how close they were.

“So were you just drinking by yourself?” he asked. Cheeky like always.

Nellie pursed her lips. “Not that that would be anything to judge someone for these days... but no. Torrance is over.”

Zack’s brow furrowed. “She is over? And you just left?”

“She practically shoved me out the door, trust me,” Nellie returned, and the implication was obvious: she’d told Torrance what had happened. The mood shifted like the needle on the record player to the next track on the vinyl. There was no avoiding it now.

“So, why’d you want to know if I was free?” she opened.

He laughed shortly. “Is it not obvious?”

“No, it is,” she said. And then, more quietly, “Where’s your head at?”

Zack sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Honestly, I don’t know, Nell. But it shouldn’t have happened, should it?”

Nellie’s heart dropped to her stomach. She felt the same didn’t she? Then why did it hurt so much hearing him say it? “I guess not,” she returned.

“I’m not saying that I regret it,” he quickly clarified. “I don’t, at all. Nell, I would take you to my bed right now.”

“But?”

“But. There’s a reason we broke up. Reasons, plural.”

Nellie’s nose burned. She thought of the tarot reading again, the Knight of Wands reversed, all the outside stresses that they’d been under, that they were still under. She wanted to bring it up to him—the circumstances, not the tarot reading; he’d laugh her out of the apartment if she brought up the tarot reading—but it felt like it wouldn’t make a difference.

And yet. “What if the reasons were all extraneous?”

Zack looked confused. “What?”

She pivoted to face him on the couch, and her knee bumped his. “I mean, what if the reasons we broke up weren’t actually issues between us, but outside issues that affected us?”

He sighed again. “Nell, we were fighting about everything.”

“Yeah, because we were cooped up here together, unable to work, unable to go anywhere or do anything, really. You don’t think that maybe that had something to do with it, that maybe it was just the circumstances we were under and not actually us?”

“I’m sure it did have something to do with it, but what if it just sped up the inevitable?”

The air was knocked from Nellie’s lungs. Was that really how he felt? “Oh.” She was a fool.

“Darling,” Zack started—and then he caught himself, realized what he’d said. Nellie’s eyes steeled.

“Don’t call me that right now.” She stood up from the couch. “You’re right; it shouldn’t have happened.”

She started for the door.

“Nell—”

“I should get back to Torrance,” she said, and with that she walked out.

The Knight of Wands, his impulsiveness.

The Three of Swords, its necessary heartbreak.

The Two of Cups—soulmates.

Nellie wanted to believe that maybe there was something to it. But it felt like it was all just bullshit.

#zack sabre jr fanfiction #zsj fanfiction #zsj x ofc #zack sabre jr fanfic #zsj fanfic

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inastrangerskiss · 1 year

Text

rush

Zack Sabre Jr. x Reader

content warning: a pub is referenced as is a drink but that is the only thing aside from that it's straight fluff

summary: they say that distance makes the heart grow fonder

a/n: this is the first fresh zsj fic i've posted in months and months (everything else was backlogged) and the first fic i've written in months and months. i hope you all enjoy!

“You don’t need to rush.” He laughed.

“I’m not rushing.”

“You’re going fifteen over the speed limit.” He said with a smirk.

You looked at the odometer and realized you were in fact going fifteen over the speed limit and Zack was gripping the handle over the door with white knuckles. Carefully, you tapped the brakes, bringing the car back to a reasonable speed.

“That’s more like it.” He said, lessening his grip just barely. “Slightly less deadly.”

Your face flushed as you watched his smile grow. You tried taking deep breaths and you tried focusing on the road but nothing could distract you from the way his body next to yours in the car made you feel. His hand gripped the middle console and you wished with all your being that maybe he’d trade the leather clad installation for your thigh. Perhaps that’d be more comforting to him anyways.

“I just want to get you to the airport on time.”

“I have over two hours. I don’t think security will be that heinous.”

“You never know.” You shrugged, trying to act casual.

It didn’t take much longer for your car to arrive at the intricate weaving that was the airport. You slowed down considerably more and tried your best to read the signs as they came. Arrivals or departures? Departures. Did you want AerLingus and JetBlue or Delta? You turned in the right direction, almost sideswiping the car on your right.

Zack gasped but tried to maintain a calm demeanor. It was your first time driving him and he knew how seriously you were taking the task.

If he missed his flight he missed his booking. And if he missed his booking he would certainly hold it against you, you thought. And you didn’t want that.

When you approached the drop off area you put the car in park and opened your door.

“You don’t need to help me.” He laughed.

“I just want to make sure you get everything out of my trunk.” You responded.

So you pulled his suitcase from your hatch and handed them to him as he loaded the luggage onto the sidewalk. His hand touched yours as you passed one handle to him and then the next. After his suitcase came his carry-on and his personal duffel. His fingers grazed yours with every single pass.

And you tried to contain the shiver in your spine.

But, god, it was difficult.

You finished unloading everything and he hugged you tightly.

“I’ll see you when you come bacK?” You asked, as he pulled away, his hand remaining on the small of your back.

“You’re my ride, yeah?” He responded.

“Of course.” You nodded.

You’d taken a day from work just to ensure you’d be around for him.

“Well, until then.” He smiled.

You wanted to be pulled in by his strong arms just one last time. Instead, he squeezed your shoulder and started towards the entry to the airport.

He had to tag his bags. He had to check them. He had to check in for his flight.

You were last of mind.

ii.

The conversation started simply.

Zack sent a picture of a statue and you smiled.

“Thought this might be something you liked.” The text read.

Then another picture came through. This time the image was a box of intricately decorated chocolate confections.

“Want me to bring you back some?” He asked in his next text.

“Absolutely.” You responded.

You shut your phone and moved about your business, assuming that was where the conversation would be left. But, before long, you heard vibrations and saw someone had begun to call you.

Zack’s beaming face sparkled on the screen, his contact image being a picture from the first time you had hung out one on one. He had put his arm around your waist and insisted you take a picture together to send to your other friends. You had hid your face in his chest and he laughed.

It was still your favorite picture.

“Hello?” You asked.

“Hey!” His chipper voice responded.

“What’s up? How’s the tour?”

You tried to busy your hands that shook in the wake of excitement. He had called you. He had wanted to speak to you.

It means nothing, you tried to tell yourself. He’s just bored.

“It’s good. A bit dull.” He said. “How’s home?”

“It’s good. A bit dull.” You repeated his words, earning a laugh.

You heard a quiet beep and the sound of a door handle turning and realized he must be returning to his hotel room. Gentle shuffling followed as Zack unloaded the bags from his time exploring the new city onto the wardrobe. It was silent but you didn’t need words - you were more than happy to listen to the ambient noises of your friend settling in for the night after a long day out and about.

“Any big matches coming up?” You asked.

He was silent for a moment and you couldn’t quite understand why but you didn’t think too hard about it.

“Nah.” He sighed. “Just multi-man warm up type matches now.”

You frowned. “Mm, I’m sorry.”

“No worries.” You could tell his phone was pressed between his shoulder and his ear as he moved about. “I’m having fun.”

“More fun than you’d have at home?” You asked.

You were teasing but a part of you hoped he’d say “no”.

“Hmm.” He deliberated. “Let’s see. I could spend time exploring new cities and seeing new things and eating new food or I could explore the same old city, see the same old things, eat the same old food.”

You nodded, having expected a response of that caliber. You couldn’t be mad.

“But,” He started again, catching you off guard. “Home does have you, after all.”

Your face flushed and you were thankful there was a phone screen and a few thousand miles separating the two of you. The last thing you needed Zack to know was that his words got you flustered.

“So, I guess maybe being home would be better.” He continued, suddenly making you starkly aware of the fact that you’d been silent for far too long. “As long as I’m not in a car with you.”

“Well you’ll be home in a few weeks.” You offered with a laugh, kicking yourself for not having anything better to put into the conversation.

“‘Spose I will be.” He said with a heavy exhale. After some more prolonged shuffling he spoke again. “And you’ll still be there.”

“Waiting for you.” You smiled, trying hard to mask the overwhelming fondness you were feeling. “And we can explore the same old city, see the same old things, and eat the same old food.”

“Speaking of food, are you taking your lunch now?” Zack asked, abruptly switching tones leaving you to feel slightly jarred.

“Haven’t yet.” You shook your head, regaining your composure. “It’s been busy.”

“Take your lunch.” He pressed. “The shop can survive without you for a little bit.”

“I have to -”

“You don’t have to do anything. You need to eat.” He said, more forcefully this time. “Don’t make me come all the way back from Japan just to make sure you take care of yourself.”

“Alright, alright.” You relented. “I’ll take my lunch when you hang up.”

“That’s not fair.”

His words confused you, causing your eyebrow to arch as you walked to turn the sign on the door to “Closed”.

“Why’s that not fair?” You asked.

“Because I intended to talk to you for a bit longer.”

“Guess you’ll have to save your words for another day.” You shrugged, fully aware Zack couldn’t see the physical action through the phone.

He smiled and you could hear it in his words. “Guess I will.”

“I’ll text you while I eat.” You promised.

“Don’t let me bother you.”

“I want to talk to you, Zack.” You responded.

A small laugh slipped through the receiver. “That’s good.”

“That’s good?” You asked, once again unsure of what his words meant.

“Yeah.”

“Why’s that good?”

“Because.” He started and you feared he’d stop there. You were thankful when he began speaking again. “I want to talk to you too.”

As you tried to find a sentence that was an appropriate mix of friendly and flirty in the mess that was your brain, his voice broke your concentration, trickling slow as honey through the receiver.

“I miss you.”

Had you started your lunch prior to this call you likely would’ve choked at the surprise of his words. Blush crept up your cheeks and you began to feel silly, the elation that came with what felt like a schoolyard crush filling your heart.

“Alright, go get yourself food.” He chirped as though his previous words had held no wait. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“Talk to you tomorrow.” You nodded.

When you hung up the silence felt too silent. The absence of Zack’s voice against your ear made you feel as though you were missing something vital. An emptiness followed the dial tone.

You shook your head, trying to dislodge the dull ache of loneliness from your chest. It was meaningless.

However, five thousand miles away, as Zack picked at the leftovers from his lunch he felt that same exact dull ache.

And he couldn’t place why.

iii.

You sat in the cell phone lot waiting.

You felt your nerves multiplying. Zack had been texting you the entire plane ride but it had only just hit you that he was coming home. It had been a long month without him and you were worried that the Zack you had been speaking to on the phone might be different from the Zack that would be sitting next to you in your car.

“I’m excited to see you tomorrow!” He had said over the phone the night before.

“I’m excited to see you too.” You had responded.

“I’ve been wishing you were here.” He had murmured, almost as though he were self conscious of his words.

You still hadn’t recovered from that comment.

Your phone vibrated and a text from Zack saying he had gotten to baggage claim lit up your phone. That was your cue to put your car in drive and start making your way to the pick up lane.

It may have only taken ten minutes to get from point A to point B but it felt like hours. With every rotation of your car’s tires you wondered if Zack would be the Zack you had known prior to dropping him off at the airport or if he’d be the Zack you’d been introduced to in his absence. You wondered if he remembered all of the words he had said over the phone or if he’d forget them the moment his suitcase was in your trunk.

When you saw him you couldn’t help but accept the beaming smile that unfurled across your face. You were thankful when he mirrored you, his cheeks blooming fondly.

You put the car in park and hopped out of the driver’s side, pulling the latch to pop open the trunk. As you reached for his suitcase his hand caught yours.

“C’mere.” He murmured, pulling you tight to his chest.

You hardly knew how to react but you certainly had no complaints as you reciprocated the affection.

“Been a month since I last saw my best mate.” He said, his cheek pressed to the crown of your head. “Think a quick hug is in order.”

Best mate. The words rang out in your head as you forced a small laugh trying to not appear as heartbroken as you were beginning to feel.

He released you with a small exhale. Before you could reach for his suitcase once more he waved you back, signaling he could handle it himself.

“Don’t worry about this. Go get warm and I’ll be there in a second.” He said, gesturing to the interior of the car.

“You sure?” You asked.

“Yeah. No need for both of us to freeze to death.” He carefully maneuvered the suitcase into the trunk. “Don’t want you catching a cold or something.”

His words hit you as though they were an afterthought as you made your way back to the driver’s seat. You could’ve missed them if you weren’t listening close enough. A spark of hope lit up in your chest as you thought perhaps the comment was more than just a courteous gesture.

Within minutes the trunk slammed shut and Zack hopped into the passenger seat, shivering for dramatic effect.

“It’s abysmal out there.” He commented as he dropped his carry on at his feet and pulled his seatbelt on.

“You say that like you’re surprised.” You laughed.

As you pulled away from the curb you could feel Zack’s gaze zero in on you and you expected some sort of smart ass remark in response. But, once you were comfortably on the road and headed away from the arrivals, you could see from the corner of your eye that he was simply smiling. The moment was fleeting as he turned to face the windshield, rubbing a hand against the back of his neck. You had hoped it might last forever.

“I’m dropping you at yours. Right?” You asked.

“Mhm.”

“I’ll have to get some gas.” You noted.

“No worries.”

You looked over to Zack, hoping to catch his eye. He was transfixed, however, by his own hands as they kneaded and picked at each other. His eyes darted to his carry-on, sitting at his feet and seemed to zone out. At first you thought he was tired. He was fresh from a long flight and a big timezone shift. It made sense if he was not in the mood to make small talk. But then, as he looked back to his hands a realization dawned upon you.

He was anxious.

You took a hand off the wheel and squeezed his bicep, garnering his attention.

“You okay?” You asked. “I promise to drive more carefully than I did when I dropped you off.”

You thought he might laugh at the comment or perhaps make fun of you but instead he offered a tight-lipped smile that could very nearly be confused for a grimace.

“Yeah, no. I’m fine.” He shook his head.

“You sure?”

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t worry about me.” He tacked a half hearted laugh at the end of his words, causing you more concern.

You shrugged and brought your hand from his arm back to the wheel. The drive was quiet as Zack opened the carry-on and fiddled with a bag while you kept your eye open for a service station. You turned the radio on but even that couldn’t assuage the tension.

“I’m gonna pull in here.” You pointed to a rest stop. “It’ll be quick.”

Zack remained silent as you pulled the car up to a gas pump. You parked and took the keys out of the ignition, offering one final glance towards the man sitting beside you. When he kept his eyes trained on his window you opened the door and re-entered the chilly outside world.

You could feel your head spinning as you unscrewed the gas cap and selected your grade of gasoline. He was never normally this quiet. He always had something to say and, while you didn’t always welcome every word that came out of his mouth, you were sorely beginning to miss the talkative person you had called every night while he was away.

You watched the price on the screen slowly go up. You wondered if he regretted everything he had said during his time away and was now trying to find a way to return to the platonic standard you were both used to. The thought alone caused your heart to ache. It was becoming more and more clear that you had potentially fallen head over heels for someone that was very clearly not on the same page as you.

You let your mind wander to the tune of gas pouring into your tank. You didn’t hear the passenger side door open and close. You didn’t hear Zack as he came around to your side of the car.

“Christ!” You gasped as he appeared next to you. “What’re you doing? Go back-”

“I got you something.” He blurted, not allowing you to finish your sentence.

His eyes were wide like a deer in the headlights. You couldn’t look away from him. You didn’t want to look away from him.

The gas pump clicked as the tank filled up, peeling your attention back, if only for a second. You placed the nozzle in its holster and declined a receipt.

Zack didn’t move. When you turned to face him you noticed his hand outstretched to you. In it sat an unassuming brown jewelry box, a small, dark green ribbon tied in a bow around it. This was not the box of chocolates he said he’d bring back. This was not something you had ever expected to receive - especially not from him.

Your heart began to pick up pace as you took the box from him, offering a brief, confused glance up to his still terrified face.

“I just - I thought of you when I saw it.” He started.

You pulled the ribbon slowly, no longer aware of the cars as they came and went, speeding back onto the highway. The lid of the box took a small amount of effort to remove but it came off. Zack stuck his hand out, offering to hold it for you while you peeled away a tiny rectangle of cottony gauze.

Your heart started slamming against your chest.

In the tiny, unassuming box sat a thin gold bracelet adorned with a matching golden sun charm. It was delicate and you worried if you dropped it you may never find it again. With the most care you could possibly offer a piece of jewelry you lifted it up and held it from your fingers.

“If you don’t like it that’s okay.” Zack continued. “I just saw it and I thought it was something you might want and I wanted to - after all of our conversations while I was gone I just wanted to-”

You held your hand out, palm facing the ground, silencing the stuttering man. You then held the bracelet up to him in your other hand. He stared at you with his head slightly tilted.

“Put it on me.” You smiled.

The fear in Zack’s eyes quickly melted to reveal a warm grin. You could feel the anxiety rolling off his back and disappearing into the earth as he took the bracelet from you and clasped it around your wrist. His hand lingered on your skin as he admired how it looked on you, his thumb rubbing small circles against your forearm.

“You really like it?” He asked. “Because I don’t want you taking the piss or making a joke about this. If you’re fucking with me just tell me now.”

Laughter escaped from deep within you, quickly causing Zack to glare at you.

“You’re fucking with me, aren’t you?” He muttered, a slight sneer on his face.

With a deep inhale you managed to pull yourself together.

“No. No.” You shook your head fervently. “I swear I love it. I really do.”

“I don’t believe you.” He said, beginning to walk away, back to his side of the car. “You’re a pain in the-”

Before he could finish his insult or walk too far, you reached out for his arm and pulled him back to you. You hadn’t planned your next move as he stood, his chest nearly aligned with yours, so you did the one thing your brain had been dying to do for the last month.

You reached up and pulled his head down and quickly pressed your lips to his. He hesitated for an agonizingly long second. He had only ever thought this was possible in his dreams and a fear ignited in him that perhaps he was, in fact, asleep. You worried you had overstepped and wondered when it was right to break away but you waited one last moment.

And then he reciprocated the kiss. And it was full of need and want and love. And you smiled against his face.

When you pulled back you looked up at him.

“I love it.” You murmured, clouds of your breath getting carried away with the wind. “Swear.”

His eyes studied you, a satisfied look twinkling in his eyes.

“Your hand smells like gasoline.” He responded, his eyes looking at your hand that was currently cupping his cheek.

“You’re the worst.” You said, trying to contain the grin that was threatening to break across your lips.

“I don’t think you mean that.” He chimed, his nose brushing yours.

“I don’t.”

He pressed a kiss to your forehead and you took a step backwards.

“Get back in the car. You’re gonna get sick if you stay out here.” He noted, gesturing indiscriminately to the weather.

You shook your head but followed his orders, getting back in the car with every intention of cranking the heat up. Zack sat beside you, still smiling from ear to ear.

“So, I’m dropping you off at your place now?” You asked.

Zack appeared to consider the question before pursing his lips. “Maybe we could get a bite to eat first.”

“I could eat.” You nodded.

“I think we might have some catching up to do.” He said, resolutely. “And anyways, my flat isn’t really the best place to have a first date.”

As though it were the pin in the grenade a hot blush rushed across your face and you didn’t bother hiding it. Instead, you shifted into drive and began rolling back towards the highway.

“I’ve seen that place. It’s definitely not first date material.” You joked.

“No. It’s not.” He agreed. “But the pub around the corner might be.”

So you drove and parked outside of the pub. You ate subpar, greasy food and laughed over a drink and watched the game playing on the television. And Zack ran a thumb over your brand new bracelet and then took your hand in his, winding his fingers between yours.

And he kissed you once more. Slowly, this time.

There was no need to rush.

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