Z to the E to the U to the S, holla
Zeus: my character sleeps with yoursNotes: set in New York, 2018 and au in which mel and lucy aren’t friends because i can’t + just ignore everything that doesn’t make sense ily
There’s a giant display hanging in the middle of the private gallery. She’s been studying it for almost an hour, and yet she’s still not entirely sure what it’s supposed to be. The title, as always, does absolutely nothing to help. It looks insanely ridiculous, like a bird’s nest of sorts, but not quite. Why did she choose art as an elective again?
“There she is.” he says, as he approaches her from behind.
Her heart skips a beat at the sound of the familiar voice, and a smile spreads wide across her face. She turns around halfway, catches his eye and she can’t help it. Her stomach does somersaults and just like that, the stress she’s been feeling all week is gone.
“I’ve been looking for you everywhere, darlin’.” he tells her.
She’s about to ask how he managed to get in but then he’s reaching for her and leaning in and pressing his lips onto hers like it’s perfunctory and it’s not, it’s not. ”Wha—.” She stares at him as he pulls away, her eyes wide and bewildered.
She takes a moment to process and compose herself, swallows the heavy lump on her throat. Her eyes narrow and she wants to hit him because he’s smiling at her, all cute and charming and Liam, and like he didn’t just kiss her ten seconds ago. Which, he did.
“I don’t know what that’s supposed to be.” he comments on the ridiculous piece of art that she’s already forgotten about. “Is it a nest?”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out all morning.” She’s still looking at him, wondering.
“I’m sorry. Did I miss something?” she finally asks, cutting through one of his sentences because she can’t just let it go.
He takes his gaze off the center piece, looks at her and despite his smile, there’s a seriousness in his eyes that unnerves her. “I thought a kiss was long overdue. Don’t you agree?”
They tease each other about being married all the time, but this, this feels different. A familiar ache spreads across her chest and throughout her entire body and she takes a step back from him, suddenly scared. “Liam. Whatever it is you’re doing. Stop. It isn’t funny.”
“I’m not trying to be funny.” He looks at her, like he’s studying her, like he’s debating on something. And then he reaches for her, thumb brushing gently along her cheek. “I never have to prove myself when I’m with you. You make me feel like I’m worth something without even havin’ to try.”
She doesn’t know how to respond to that. So she doesn’t. All she knows is it must have been damn hard for him to say that out loud, so when he tilts her chin up, she’s the one who pulls, crashes her lips against his. It’s not some sort of revelation. She’s been in love with him for a little more than two out of the four years they’ve known each other.