5: Odd pieces

 *Cynamon*

 I spend the rest of the day feeling like I am floating around on a pink cloud. .. Zac is the most amazing man, hell the most amazing human being I have ever met. We spend every minute together ... talking, holding hands, kissing ... and no one seems to wonder why I am with him ... even Nick acts like it is totally normal.

 Zyca is overjoyed. She has hoped for a mate for so long and she doesn’t care that Zac is human, to her he is perfect too.

 In a rare moment when Zac is out of sight I take Nick’s hand. “Thank you ... for being this understanding and for ... sending him after me”.

 “Zac is one of my best friends and he deserves to be happy”. He squeezes my hand softly. “I realised pretty fast, that you might be the one who could make him just that ... and I am not one to stand in the way of true love”.

 I look over at Zac, who is laughing as he stops to chat to someone on his way back. “He really is special isn’t he ?”

 “He is ... and so are you”. Nick lifts my hand and presses a soft kiss to it. “You two owe me to be obscenely happy for ever and ever”.

 I giggle and feel my cheeks heat up which make Zac cock his head as he comes back. “Hey Nick, no stealing her back now”.

 “Like I would stand a chance”. He gets up, giving me a wink, then he slaps Zac’s shoulder and whispers loud enough for me to hear. “But you better be good to her or I might change my mind”.

 “Believe me I will”. Zac is looking at me and a warm smile spreads on his face, then he throws himself down on the big pillow I am sitting on, landing with his head in my lap. “Missed me ?”

 I comb my fingers through his hair. “Will I seem weird and clingy if I say yes ?”

 “Nope, not at all ... cause I missed you”. He looks up at me, biting his lip.

 “You guys are both weird and clingy and absolutely adorable”. LZ rolls his eyes, grinning at us from one of the other pillows.

 Zac winds his long arms around me, pulling me down and into him. “I’ll happily cling to you”. 

 I manage to turn in his arms, looking up into his bright and happy eyes … it makes my stomach erupt in joy l.. am I really allowed this happiness ? “I’ll happily let you cling to me”.

 “I’ll happily kiss you”. He leans down, his soft lips finding mine and the world around us kinda fade away, all I really feel is him.

 “Hey you two.. get a room or a tent or something”. Zach calls out, but there is laughter in his voice and we kinda ignore him.

 After the kiss I just snuggle into Zac, breathing in his amazing scent ... seriously I never really been into how men smelled but he smells almost ... eatable ... like delicious candy, but with a masculine undertone that I suspect is his own scent. I have a feeling this is a mate thing.

 My head is resting against his wide strong chest and to be honest I don’t think I have ever been this comfortable or felt this safe before ... ever.

 “How is it that you fit so perfectly in my arms ? Like you were just meant to be there”. Zac mumbles into my hair, snuggling deeper into the pillow with a sigh.

 “Okay ... I am gonna leave you two alone ... cause ... too much ... love”. LZ gets up and retreats to the pool, leaving us alone.

 I sigh too, feeling tensions and worries kinda just seap away ... my body is relaxing more and more and my mind too. Zyca is all but purring with content, telling me constantly that this is how having a mate feels. “You are right ... we are like two odd puzzle pieces that fit together perfectly”.

 *Zac*

 “That’s a very correct description ... you are so right”. My fingers softly draw patterns on her back.

 I wonder how it is possible for something to feel this right, this perfect and in such a short amount of time ... but she is right. I have always been kind of that odd puzzle piece that didn’t fit with the other pieces. I have tried to bend and tug in the weird edges, but it didn’t work ... with her I don’t have to.

 “This is ... heaven”. She mumbles softly, her hand slowly rubbing little circles on my chest.

 “I can only agree”. I look up at the blue sky, realising that there is an important subject I have to breach with her. “So ... I hate to have to bring this up, but well ... the publicity..”.

 To my surprise she halfway jumps up. “I ... I don’t want that ... can we ... Maybe just not tell people ?”

“You want us to ... be a secret ? You don’t want to ... like post pictures on social media and change your f******k status and all that ?” Okay I admit I might sound weird, but I am just so used to women having a hard time accepting it ... no one ever asked for secrecy.

 “Is it bad ?” She suddenly looks all tense and nervous. “I just ... I want to get to know you Zac ... for real ... the real true you. But I don’t want attention and I don’t want to see myself in the media and on social media being picked apart ... is that okay ?”

 I reach for her and she allows me to pull her back into my embrace. “No it’s not bad. I am just used to ... kind of the opposite reaction. Most women seem to want to flaunt their relationships and happiness”.

 “Well ... I guess I am kinda weird like that. I never post anything. I am not on most social media at all”. She kinda shrugs against me.

 “I like weird”. I press a kiss into her cinnamon coloured hair. “Can I ask if there is a special reason for it ?”

 She looks up at me, and a pain I did not expect flashes through her eye and at that moment I swear to myself I will do anything to never see that pain in her again. “You can ask ... but ... I am not ready to answer it. I hope ...”.

 “It’s okay ... You don’t have to”. I pull her into me, hiding the hurt I feel that she doesn’t trust me ... but also understanding. “When you are ready ... if you get ready. I will listen ... elseway ... I will respect your wishes”.

 “Thanks Zac. I promise ... when I feel ready I will tell you”. She snuggles into me and I feel her tremble slightly, making me wonder what dark secret lurks in her past.