#ftf: zach 002

[mir-iamwilde]

If you need me call me, no matter where you are, no matter how far || Zach & Midge

WHO: @zachwilde, @mir-iamwilde

WHERE: The Spare Room

WHEN: The 31st of October

WHY: Zach and Midge have an honest discussion about Aaron.

WARNINGS: Mentions of violence, abuse, religion, and slut shaming.

zach wildeHey, kiddo. How’s it going? [they smile] Nice costume.

Midge Wilde

[Smiling genuinely and hugging Zach] Better now. You look….Incredible. [She motioned to the dress] You are the cutest Lydia Deetz I’ve ever seen.

zach wilde

[Zach does a twirl in their dress and then bows.] Thank you, thank you. You should see Immy. She’s fucking killing it in her Beetlejuice costume.

Midge Wilde

Yeah, I’m sure. How are you doing? [Her tone a bit more serious] Haven’t had anymore run ins with dad, right?

zach wilde

I’m good! [Zach shakes his head.] Nah, thankfully. Think he’s too busy with “work”. Have you?

Midge Wilde

Not since before the weekend. I mean, I've seen him briefly at work, but he doesn't seem to be speaking to me, which is just fine by me.

zach wilde

Good. Just steer clear of him, if you can. By the way… I saw you and Danny are matching. Are you guys official, or something?

Midge Wilde

I will. Huh? ...Oh, no. We just talked about dressing up together during the lockdown, it sounded like fun. Would that bother you, if we were?

zach wilde

Would it bother me? I don’t know about that. Do I approve of him for you? Not really. But I also recognize that you can make your own choices too.

Midge Wilde

Right, but I'm not asking for your approval, I just want to know if you have a problem with him. I know how people see him, and he's not like that, you know? He's ...a lot more than just his reputation.

zach wilde

[That comment stings but they try to not let it show.] I get that you can screw around and still be a good guy. I’d like to say that’s how I was before Immy came back into my life. But I’ve seen the way he talks to girls and it rubs me the wrong way. I don’t like the idea that he talks to you like that.

Midge Wilde

[Frowning at their words, stepping closer to hug them.] I know you want to protect me, you've always protected me, but I promise you, he's always been sweet to me, he's good to me.

zach wilde

[Zach hugs her tightly and nods.] I trust you, Midgie. You’ll let me know if anything changes, right?

Midge Wilde

[Tried not to feel guilty at their words, knowing she probably didn't deserve anyone's trust.] Zach, I...[Licking her lips and deciding better of her first impulse] I promise, I'll tell you.

zach wilde

[Zach could always tell when something was going on with his siblings, or at least they’d like to think so.] Hey. [They reach out to take Midge’s hand.] What’s up?

Midge Wilde

You shouldn't trust me, Zach. I lie all the time. I lie to everyone, I lie to all of you, I lie about work, and I lie about who I am, and I...I lied about what happened with Dad.

zach wilde

[Zach pauses.] What happened?

Midge Wilde

She knew she shouldn't have said anything, but she'd done it anyways. She couldn't bring herself to make eye contact with them, not wanting to upset them, but knowing that trying to change the subject now wasn't an option. "Look, you're going to get upset, we can just talk about this another time, okay? I don't want to ruin your night."

zach wilde

Zach shook his head. No matter what, his siblings came first. He tugged her away from the loud music and towards a private booth. “You seem upset and that’s all I care about. You know you can tell me literally anything, right? I’ll always love you no matter what, Midge.”

Midge Wilde

She followed after them to the booth, shaking her head at their words, "I'm not worried about you not loving me, Zach. I'm worried that you love me so much that you're going to do something reckless." She sighed, wrapping her arms around the front of herself, "He didn't just yell at me. He showed up at my apartment and..." She trailed off, "Look, I need you to promise that you're not going to fly off the handle, okay? You promise?"

zach wilde

Zach knew before Midge had said anything what Aaron did. He was thankful that they were in a public place, and the fact that Midge was pleading with him to not fly off the handle. They took in a deep breath. “What happened, Midge?” His voice was soft, but he knew his hands were shaking. If Aaron had touched a hair on Midge’s head… he thought back to the grounding techniques that his therapist had taught him. “Just tell me. It’s okay. I’m not going to do anything.”

Midge Wilde

Her bruises had faded quickly to the point that they were easily covered with make up now, which meant that what had happened wasn't clear just by looking at her anymore. She frowned again, wanting to believe them, but she knew Zach wouldn't take this well. "He came to my apartment, he slapped me." She said, her eyes fixed on the floor now, "I mean, he did yell at me, and call me a whore, and that was all true but, he slapped me across the face first, and then ...He choked me." She admitted, shame filling her at the memory of it all, at how afraid she was of him. Finally, she looked back up, wiping at the start of a tear in one of her eyes, as she let out an incredulous laugh, "then he made me cook him dinner and eat with him."

zach wilde

Zach felt his heart drop to his stomach, and he curled his hands into fists so hard that he could feel his fingernails digging into the skin. The fact that he did all of that and then had the absolute fucking audacity to make her cook him dinner — that was exactly like him. Of course it was. They took a deep breath, because really, they wanted to run out of here and go straight to their childhood home. Instead, though, he focused on Midge — who needed it much more than he needed to take out his anger. “First of all,” Zach started, voice shaky. “You are not a whore. Don’t say that.” He wanted to cry, scream put Midge in a bubble. Fuck, why did this guy have to ruin all of their lives? “Are you okay?” Zach asked softly - that was the most important thing.

Midge Wilde

She watched them, watched as their whole body seemed to fill with anger, and felt guilt stabbing her directly in her gut. She nodded at his words, though she didn't truly believe it, she did use her body to make money, and more than that, she used it as a bargaining tool, but Zach didn't need to know about all of that right now. "I'm okay." She said, looking back up at him now, she was okay, the last week had been hard, but she'd managed to force herself through it, force herself back to work, force herself to cover her bruises and go on with life. "I didn't want to ever tell you what happened, but then that felt like I was lying to you, which seemed worse."

zach wilde

Did he hate the fact that Midge had lied to him? Yeah, of course he did. But she was scared and it made complete sense. They knew that one thing she’d be worried about is if they were mad at her. “I’m not upset with you, okay? I wish you had told me sooner, but if there’s anyone I’m upset with, it’s that piece of shit.” Zach sighed. The night had been going well, but now all he could do was worry about his sister. Not only everything with Abby, but this too. Zach felt like he was completely failing as a big brother, and he didn’t know what to do about it. This was his fault. All of it.

Midge Wilde

She frowned at the look on their face. “Hey, remember what you told me the other day, when you warned me that he was mad? You said he uses how close we are to hurt each other. He knows that what he did to me is going to turn you inside out, so don’t let him win, okay.” She sighed, pulling them into a hug, “Besides…I have a plan. I don’t want to get into it all tonight but, I think I have a way to get us all away from him.”

zach wilde

Zach titled his head to the side. A plan? “What do you mean? A plan?” Obviously, she’d said she couldn’t talk about it, but he was still confused. “Midge.. Whatever you’re doing, are you being careful? Because he could do this shit again, you know? And if he does it again… I don’t know if I can stop myself from doing something stupid. It’s already taking everything in me not to.”

Midge Wilde

The last thing she wanted was anyone else getting hurt, including herself, but mostly Zach. “I’m not going to tell you not to worry, because I know you will anyways, but I’m being careful, I promise. I’ll tell you everything, I promise, jusy not tonight, okay?”

zach wilde

They nod, and they can’t help but bring Midge in for another hug. He holds her tight, wishing that he could just keep her safe like he used to. “Yeah. Just.. Keep me in the loop this time, okay? I know you’re worried about me and how I feel, but, fuck. Midge, someone’s gotta be there for you. And it sure as hell isn’t dad or mom. So you’ve gotta let me be that person.”

Midge Wilde

She nodded, "Yeah, okay. You can be that person, but just remember you've got other people that rely on you to be there for them, now. You can't let them down. I'm a big girl, I won't get hurt, I promise."

[corimmy]

Pocketfull of Sunshine || Zammy

TAGGING ➝ @zachwilde, @corimmy

LOCATION ➝ Immy's house.

TIME FRAME ➝ 9/25. Evening.

WARNINGS ➝ Possible mentions of childhood abuse, and csa - nothing mentioned super specifically or indepth.

NOTES ➝ Zach comes to Immy's house for dinner and gets a surprise when he finds out she has a daughter, then a little bit of fluff and cuteness.

Immy Cortes

It was pretty rare that Imogen would be nervous to cook for anyone, she knew what she was doing in a kitchen, especially her own, but Zach coming over had her nervous. She knew it was mainly about them meeting Malea, but for some reason the food part was getting to her. She knew what he liked as a teen, but was it silly to be assuming that was still his favorite? It didn’t matter, if he hated it, she’d make something else, but she couldn’t stop feeling like a nervous fool. 

Immy made her way to the living room and turned the TV on to Malea’s favorite show while cleaning up some of her toys. “Okay, when this episode is over it will be time for dinner,” she said, placing the toddler on the couch to relax while she finished preparing everything.

zach wilde

Zach was brimming with excitement and nervousness. Having Immy back in his life was an absolute whirlwind, and something he still couldn’t wrap his head around. He’d made an “emergency” appointment with his therapist to talk about everything — he needed to talk about the fact that he’d felt guilty about everything, even though he knew it wasn’t his fault. He’d dressed up in a nice pair of pants and a button up shirt, and found himself in front of the door that Immy told him was hers. 

Zach knocked on the door, chewing on their bottom lip. Back then, Immy and Zach had been.. something. Of course, they’d been with several people since, but Immy had always been in the back of their mind no matter what. She was flipping their world upside down, and they were pretty sure they didn’t care at all.

Immy Cortes

Even though she was obviously expecting him, she jumped when she heard a knock at the door. Immy took a second to settle herself, smoothing out her shirt and jeans before opening the door. Seeing Zach standing at her front door was so surreal, he looked so much like they did all those years ago, but their face had matured, had become even more handsome if that was even possible, and she found herself just staring for a few seconds before stepping back to allow him into her entryway. “I’m glad you found it okay,” she said as she shut the door behind him. 

Immy licked her lips when she realized the moment had come to fess up about Malea. “Uhh, maybe I should have told you this before, I DON’T know why I didn’t really, it’s …There’s someone else who lives here, too.” She smiled nervously, “Someone really important to me.” Immy stepped back, grabbing their hand to lead them down the hall to the entrance of the living room. Somehow Malea sat in the same spot on the couch, her thumb in her mouth and naked little toddler toes sticking straight up in the air because her legs were too short for her feet to dangle off the couch, but all of the toys Immy had just put away were strewn about the room again. “This is Malea,” she gestured toward the couch, as the girl barely noticed anyone else in the room, not while her favorite show was playing.

zach wilde

Zach smiled at Immy when she opened the door, stepping onto her home. She was beautiful, and it was rather distracting for him. He was taken out of his thoughts when she mentioned that someone else lived with her. His brows furrowed in confusion as he followed Immy. A wave of shock rolled through him when he saw a child sitting on the couch — one that looked so much like Immy. “This is your daughter?” He asked, almost breathless. 

“Malea,” they repeated after Immy, and nodded. The young girl looked up at them and they couldn’t help the grin on their face as they walked over to her. It took their breath away — to them she was truly a mini-Immy. Zach slowly sat next to her, looking up at the television. Malea seemed curious, and she turned towards them and asked: “Who are you?” Zach laughed, looking over at Immy. They were already in love with this little girl. “I’m Zach. I’m your mom’s friend from when we were kids.” They pointed to the TV, and then looked back at Malea. “What’re you watching? This looks awesome.” Zach looked back at Immy, and smiled at her, feeling so incredibly full of love.

Immy Cortes

Immy didn’t know why she’d been so nervous, knowing Zach she knew he wouldn’t take the news of her having a child badly, but seeing the way they automatically moved to sit next to Malea felt like something clicking right into place in her heart. Immy stood back, watching the interaction rather than interfering. She has always been vigilant about never leaving her baby alone with anyone, especially men, but she never had to question Zach being a safe person for Malea. “I’m gonna go finish dinner while you two talk, be nice, Boo Boo.” She said, knowing her daughter could be a ball of sass. “We’re having burgers, I hope that’s okay.” She added as she headed to the kitchen. She could still hear the duo in the other room and grinned when Malea spoke. 

“Well this show is my mermaid show. I’m a mermaid, too! But this morning we watched another show about a girl who was really sad and then she became a superhero and learned how protect herself from things that make her sad and she had a purple cape and boots.” Immy shouted back into the room “that was yesterday, Bug! She says this morning when she means anything happening in the past.”

zach wilde

Zach couldn’t help the smile on his face upon hearing that Immy was making burgers. “Okay? That’s more than okay! I could eat a million burgers, but I’m sure yours are going to be the best I’ve had,” he called out, and then turned his attention back to the mini-Immy. 

They were about to comment on Malea being a mermaid, but he was taken aback as she started talking about an episode of Mindscapes. They weren’t sure if she could understand the concept of him making it, but they still wanted to let her know. They laughed, noting that ‘this morning’ meant in the past. “You know…” Zach started, a proud smile on their face. “I actually made that show about the superhero! I drew it and wrote the story.” Malea whipped her head towards him, seemingly apprehensive. “No you didn’t,” she told him, and they couldn’t help but throw back their head and start laughing. Zach already loved her so much. “No, I did! I promise. Do you have any markers and paper? I can draw her for you.”

Immy Cortes

She was thrilled to hear he still liked burgers, glad that some things really did never change. Listening to the conversation in the living room over the sound of the burgers sizzling on cast iron she had to stop herself from having day dreams of a lifetime of evenings like this. Her cooking dinner while Zach and Malea played in the living room, that would basically be her dream life handed right to her. 

“MOMMY!” Malea shouted, stomping into the kitchen and shaking Immy away from her thoughts. “Where are my markers?” Immy grinned at the girl as she opened a childproof drawer to pull the box of markers and some blank paper out. “You don’t need to shout, you’re inside, remember?” She said, though she knew Malea hadn’t heard a word she said as she bounded back to the living room to deliver the materials to Zach. “So…if you made the show about the superhero then do you know her?” She asked, her voice tentative but hopeful.

zach wilde

Zach was amused with what a spitfire Malea was, and immediately took the markers and paper and set them on the coffee table. He sat on the floor so he could have more control of the marker. “I don’t know her! I made her up all in my head, actually. Have you ever made anything up in your head?” He grabbed a few of the markers and immediately started drawing the character that she’d been thinking of. It meant a lot to him that this character had stood out to her, which made him want to work on his new show even more than before. 

After a few minutes, they finally finished drawing the character. Zach lifted it up to show Malea, and watched her eyes go wide. “See? That’s her! Her name is Masie, that’s why she’s got an M on her chest. But.. Now I’m thinking I need to create a super hero with the name Malea. What do you think?” Zach could sit here and talk to her forever. He hadn’t been expecting this, of course, but it was everything - especially because Immy seemed to trust him with her.

Immy Cortes

Malea watched quietly, it was probably the longest she’d ever been quiet while awake in her whole life, not that she realized that, as he drew the same superhero from the show. “Sometimes I make up songs in my head and then Mommy always sings them wrong.” Her eyes widened as she looked up at Zach! “That IS her!” She said, a loud giggle bubbling out of her. “If you draw a superhero named Malea can she be a mermaid?” She asked, her voice filled with excitement at the idea, as she walked to where Zach sat and whispered in his ear just as Immy returned to the room. Luckily Malea hadn’t quite mastered the art of the whisper yet so Immy could hear quite clearly as she said “Is drawing your superpower?” 

Immy grinned at the girl, “Come on, time for dinner.” She said and watched in part amusement and part embarrassed horror as Malea simply held her arms up at Zach as if expecting them to carry her to the table like the little princess she was. Immy felt like she should remind the girl not to be so bossy, but part of her wanted to see how Zach reacted, so she remained silent.

zach wilde

It was official — Zach was definitely in love with this little girl. “I think I might just have to make a superhero named Malea..” He told her, already a million ideas bouncing around in his head, starting with making a character based on her and having the character in an episode for her to watch. He was about to answer Malea’s question with her “whispering”, but Immy told them that dinner was ready. They nodded, and pushed themselves up off of the floor. Zach noticed Malea holding her arms up and he couldn’t help the smile on his face. 

“Come on, Malea the Magnificent.” Zach scooped her up in his arms and carried her over towards the kitchen. He set her down in her seat, not being able to help himself as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. He finally turned towards Immy. “First of all.. I’m obsessed with her. Second, the food smells amazing. You’re incredible, Immy.”

Immy Cortes

Immy knew that Malea was easy to love, it wasn’t biased, she was a fun kid to be around, and she knew it was equally impossible to dislike Zach, but seeing them together and getting along truly was a testament to the wonderful person Zach was. Coming for dinner and having a toddler sprung on you and winning them over in a matter of minutes was no easy feat. 

She beamed at them when they spoke, partly from pride but mostly with admiration. “I think she’s obsessed with you, too.” She grinned, squeezing his forearm gently before making her way to serve Malea her burger and the side of broccoli that she’d be accidentally dumping on the floor any minute. “Mama, after dinner is it bath time and then bed?” She asked, Immy nodding in confirmation. “Okay, Zach is going to read me Go To Bed, Snugglebug.” Immy couldn’t help but laugh, “That’s funny, that sounded an awful lot like a demand and not some asking nicely and saying please.” Malea frowned and rolled her eyes and she facepalmed herself. “Zaaaaaaaach, will you read me my goodnight story? But you have to do all the voices!” She said and then looked at Immy before quickly adding, “Oh, please?”

zach wilde

Dinner was full of good conversation and giggles from Malea, and the next thing Zach knew he was laying in bed with her and finishing up the book that he'd been reading her. They turned to look at Malea, but she was fast asleep, and they couldn't help the put as they watched her sleep. He knew at that moment that she held a special place in his heart, and it would always be there - just for Malea. Zach quietly made his way out of the girl's room, and gently closed the door. He turned to Immy and laughed quietly. "I know I've already said it, but she's incredible. Thank you so much for letting me meet her tonight, Im. It really means a lot to me."

Immy Cortes

It was entirely foreign for Immy to be doing dishes while Malea was falling asleep. She hadn't gone a day in the girl's life without putting her to bed herself, and yet, she felt at peace know that it was Zach taking care of her. Turning to grin at him when she heard him speak, she nodded, "Sorry, I know I sprung her on you. It's just that when you asked me the other day if I was happy...I just wanted you to see what I meant when I said my life is full of happiness." Immy leaned back against the kitchen counter, crossing her arms over her chest, "Can you stay and hang out for a while, or do you have ot get going? I have wine. Or...Milk and cookies, whichever you prefer."

zach wilde

"And I'm so thrilled that it's full of happiness. It's all you've ever deserved, Immy. Truly." Zach moved himself across from Immy, just taking her in. She was so beautiful. Just as beautiful as they'd remember, and perhaps even more beautiful. She was completely magnetic, and on one hand, it felt as if no time had passed between the two of them. On the other, there was so many things that the two of them didn't know about each other. Who was Malea's father? Was he still in the picture? Was Immy in love with someone? "I'd love to stay, if that's alright with you. And... I wouldn't say no to wine and a cookie," he grinned.

Immy Cortes

It was silly, the way she couldn't seem to wipe the smile off of her face when they were around, she could feel herself blushing as they stepped closer to her, wanting to burst out of her skin at his words. Immy pushed herself away from the counter, moving close enough to squeeze their forearm gently, "You can have whatever you want." She said, her voice a bit more serious than she'd intended it to be, "After all, you took bedtime duties off my hands, that deserves a thank you." She joked, trying not to say something that would get her in over head. "Here," she reached for two wine glasses off the rack and handed them to him, "If you go sit down, I'll open a bottle and meet you in there with the cookies, deal?" 

She waited for them to leave the room and allowed herself to catch her breath as she opened the bottle of wine, wondering for just a second if it was a bad idea, she already felt like she was floating around them, who knew what would happen with wine thrown in. It didn't matter, she was already propelled all the way back to her teenage years, the wine wasn't going to change that. Immy entered the living room, a bottle of wine in one hand and plate with cookies on the other and poured them each a glass before sitting down next to him. "You know, you told me about work, and it seems like you really enjoy it, and I'm so thrilled to hear that but...you're happy, too, right?" She asked, wanting to make sure.

zach wilde

Zach plopped themselves on the couch with the wine glasses and happily waited for Immy to return to the living room. His thoughts were swimming all over the place, but mostly on one thing: how distracting it was that Immy was so gorgeous. He was a simple person with eyes, and it would be crazy not to notice it. Absolute madness. He was shaken out of his thoughts (somewhat) when she arrived back in the room, and he took a sip of the wine before giving her a smile. "I am happy. Fulfilled? Not completely. There's a lot I still want." 

Zach took a cookie and took a couple of bites. This was Immy, and he could tell her anything. "I'm working on myself. I struggle really badly with anxiety and PTSD. I go to a therapist once a week. I take Xanax and smoke weed like my life depends on it, because if I didn't, I probably wouldn't be able to get out of bed. But I do love my show, and my students. I really enjoy it. And of course, being around my siblings and friends." He washed down another bite of cookie with the wine, which wasn't necessarily the best pairing, but he didn't care much.

Immy Cortes

She knew plenty of people had anxiety for all kinds of reasons, but that didn't mean she didn't fully blame Aaron Wilde for what Zach had just said to her. There was no way to get around him being responsible for their PTSD. It hurt to hear how he suffered and how he didn't feel fulfilled, even if he was happy, and she was glad he was happy, she wanted him to never have to feel another second of sadness in their whole life. 

"Well, I'm not exactly a stranger to therapy myself, so I'm glad to hear that you've found what's working for you. I wish I could take all the pain away for you, you deserve to have everything you've ever wanted, and the things that you haven't even thought of wanting yet." After her childhood, she knew she'd need to seek help, and she had for years, but she got much more intense with her own therapy when she found out she was pregnant, wanting to take every step she possibly could to not pass on her trauma. 

Immy slid the sandals she was wearing off and brought her feet up onto the couch in front of her, wrapping her arms around her knees before taking a sip of her wine, and allowing herself to stare at them, maybe for longer than she should have. "It's just so surreal having you, all grown up, sitting on my couch. My Zach, in my living room." She shook her head, letting out a small chuckle and refusing to be embarrassed for calling them hers.

zach wilde

Zach couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corner of his lips when he heard Immy call him her Zach. He took a few more sips of his wine and then scooted closer to her, feeling weird not being as close as he possibly could to her. "Let me know if this is okay," he told her, stretching his arm along the back of the couch. "Just so you know, I am your Zach. I was your Zach then, and I'll always be your Zach." 

Was that weird to say? He wasn't entirely sure, so to make himself feel better, he took another long sip from the wine. Liquid courage always helped him feel like not so much of an idiot. "Seriously, looking at you right here? I feel like no time has passed. I know it has. We're older. You have a beautiful daughter. Nothing's different except now we have wine rather than the Whiskey we'd steal from my dad, and no Gushers or Doritos. I'd say it's an upgrade."

Immy Cortes

She felt her entire body grow hot when he moved closer to her, his scent wafting over to her as if she was in a cartoon and could see it coming off of them. "It's okay," she nodded, her voice a little shaky as she met their eyes, and to prove her point she let herself move closer too, her knees now brushing against them as she rested her head against his upper arm. "You shouldn't say things like that to a girl after spending the night doting on her daughter and reminding her how just how wonderful you are, you might just take her breath away." Immy smiled. 

"I'm sure Malea would share her Gushers if you wanted." She laughed, but took a sip of her own wine, her face growing more serious. "I feel the same. I feel like we should be holding hands under a blanket so your siblings don't see while we watch a movie." Immy cleared her throat, looking down at her knees for a few seconds before gathering the courage to look back up and speak again, "I feel like I'm back where I belong."

zach wilde

Zach looked over at Immy, not being able to hide the emotion in his face. From when he was a teenager to right now, he always felt a magnetic force bringing them together. Them being in each other's life again was further proof. They thought back to when they would grab her hand underneath the blanket, their heart thundering just because of the feeling of her palm pressed against their own. He was always worried that she would pull away, but she never did. 

"Me too," they replied quietly, taking a quick sip of their wine before sitting it down on the coffee table. He turned his body towards hers, and his heart was thundering in his chest just like it used to. "Those times when I was laying there with you, Immy.. that's when I always felt the most at home. I forgot what that had felt like until now."

Immy Cortes

As much as she tried to tell herself this was all in her head, that they couldn’t be feeling the same, the way they looked at her sent chills down her spine. In a good way. She watched as they put their wine down and then looked back at their face, holding eye contact while she listened to him speak. Immy put her own glass down and reached out to rest a hand against his fave, her thumb stroking his cheek gently. 

Maybe it was entirely stupid, she’d just gotten him back in her life and could be doing something to lose him all over again but she couldn’t stop herself. Immy leaned forward, pressing her lips to theirs for just a few seconds before pulling away. She stayed close, her eyes still closed and her forehead pressed to his. Immy let out a shaky breath before finally daring to open her eyes to see if she’d ruined everything all over again.

zach wilde

Immy kissing him had felt so right that Zach didn't even question it. He kissed her back, and it felt exactly as he remembered. Perhaps, even better. It was over far too soon, and he was hoping that she wasn't regretting it. They finally dared to open their eyes and looked at her. She didn't seem to regret it. In fact, she seemed to be gauging exactly how he felt about it. 

"Immy, I..." Zach started, but then he cut himself off. It didn't matter. Now, all he wanted to do was kiss her again. So that's exactly what he did. He cupped the back of her neck and brought her closer, pressing his lips to hers, this time a bit harder than before. It was perfect. She was perfect.

Immy Cortes

Hearing them say her name she worried she’d overstepped, but then she felt him pulling her in even closer. She kissed them back, and felt like something inside her was bursting open, something she’d locked away years ago and forgot even existed. Immy’s knees were still up near her chest so she straightened her legs, laying them across his lap, not wanting anything to be between them in this moment. 

Kissing them was perfect, and she knew how easily things could push forward into more than kissing, and she knew she wanted that, too. Still, she pulled away, a giggle escaping her, “I’m sorry,” she said lightly, apologizing for ending the kiss, but not for it happening. “I think if we keep kissing I won’t be able to stop and then before we know it we’ll be doing a lot more than kissing, and I’m a big fan of casual sex, but I don’t think there’s anything that will ever be casual about you for me.”

zach wilde

Zach couldn't help the smile on his face after she pulled away giggling. He wanted nothing more than to pull her in again and kiss her until the two of them couldn't breathe anymore. "Now, Immy.. That's not fair to tease me like that," Zach teased, almost breathless from the kiss, but then pressed a kiss to her forehead. "It's okay. Those are your boundaries and I expect them. Even though I'm pretty sure I could kiss you for hours, just like the old days." 

They took her hand in their own. Zach couldn't believe that all of these feelings - ones he had felt so strongly when he was a teenager - came up again, and just as strong. "We could just talk if you want, but you're going to have to keep holding my hand. And not under a blanket this time."