Flight Risk

Zacky woke me up in the morning with a kiss and a couple of Asprin. I groaned and rolled over, immediately wishing that I hadn't moved as a large amount of pain shot through my lower region. "Oh gosh," I moaned, covering my eyes with my arms. "I hate you, Zack Baker. Never again."

Zacky chuckled and climbed into the bed next to me. He dropped a kiss on my neck and spoke, "It gets better, I promise." He unclenched my fist and dropped two white pills into the palm of my hand before he closed my fingers around them. "I brought pain-killers and juice."

I dropped my arm from my face and looked at him. His hair was a mess and he was bare besides a pair of basketball shorts. He sat cross-legged on the end of the bed, a smile on his lips and he leaned over me, holding himself up with his arm propped up on the other side of me.

"Good morning, Ev," he murmured, licking over his lips. "I'm sorry you're not feeling the greatest."

"Where's my juice?" I asked playfully, looking around for the cup.

Zacky rolled his eyes and climbed on top of me, over the blankets, instead of handing me the drink so I could take the Asprin and erase the ache in my center. I groaned and pushed his hips, trying to get him off of me.

"I'm not going anywhere," he stated, putting his hands on either side of my head.

I took a deep breath. "Zack," I said between gritted teeth, "I am in pain and it's your fault, so I suggest that you get off of me."

"Sorry, Granger." He shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me that last night was worth it." He grinned cockily and bit one of his piercings. I shut my eyes automatically and tried not to be turned on by him.

"Get off me," I said slowly, grabbing onto a fistful of his blanket.

Zacky noticed my sudden rigid posture and smirked, shaking his head. "What's wrong, Baby?" he asked, leaning down so that his chest was almost touching mine and his lips were right above my own. "Attracted to me?""

"No," I grunted firmly, "Just in pain."

I pressed his mouth against my jaw. "I'm not buying that," he whispered, causing me to close my eyes again quickly as he shifted.

"Never again," I repeated, "I'm never having sex with you again." I popped the pills into my mouth and let them sit on my tongue, glaring at him. He sighed and reached for the blue cup that sat on the nightstand without getting off of me. He tipped some of the liquid into my mouth and I swallowed slowly. "Thank you," I murmured when my mouth was empty.

He smiled and nodded. "No problem, Baby," he murmured, holding the cup out to his side as he leaned down and pressed his full lips against mine. I giggled and stopped kissing him back. He moved his lips against mine for another couple seconds before he pulled back and looked at me. "What's wrong?" he questioned.

I shook my head.

"What're you thinking about?"

"You," I said.

"What about me?"

I shrugged my bare shoulders and reached up to drape my arms around him, my fingers drawing patterns at the base of his neck, silently tracing the large tattoo that spanned across his back.

"Micki is going to be here a couple hours," he voiced.

I groaned and pressed my fingers into his back. "I forgot that I have a life outside of you."

He chuckled huskily and nodded. "Sadly, you do."

"What time is it?" I asked, looking over to his dresser where a digital clock sat, telling me that it was a little past noon. "What time did you get up?" I questioned, wondering why he wasn't curled up in bed next to me.

He smiled guiltily. "Right before I woke you up," he stated.

I rolled my eyes and dropped my arms above my head. "Will you make me breakfast?" I quipped, a large smile coming over my face as I thought about the man cooking for me.

"Do I have to?" he whined, dropping his head to my blanket-covered chest.

I scoffed lightly and ran my fingers through his thick hair. "I let you take my virginity last night, Zacky. The least you could do is make me some food."

"You sure don't have a problem with the word 'virgin' now," he replied, a smile in his voice.

I faltered, my words coming over softer than I'd intended them to. "That's because I'm not one anymore..."

Zacky laughed and nodded his head against me. "No," he chuckled, "I would definitely think not."

I smacked his shoulder. "Go make me breakfast, birthday boy," I demanded, cupping his face and pulling it up to me so that I could push my lips against his. He deepened it by parting my lips with his and touching our tongues. He moved so that he was crouched over me, holding himself up with his elbow, his fingers pressing against my head, his thumb rubbing gently against my temple.

"You're amazing," Zacky murmured, his lips brushing against mine.

I spoke without opening my eyes, "Don't think that's going to get you out of making me breakfast."

Zacky chuckled, his breath hitting my lips, and kissed me again, rougher. "That's okay. I want to cook for you anyways." He pushed himself up into a sitting position on my hips and I groaned, instantly trying to shove him off of me. He slid off quickly and stood next to the bed, biting his lip. "Sorry, Babe."

I tried to wipe the grimace off my face. "It's okay," I forgave, "You forgot that I'm going to be sore for awhile."

He nodded slowly. "I'll go start your breakfast," he suggested, heading towards the door, "Get dressed and come on out when you're ready."

I watched with a lazy smiled as he headed out of the room and crossed the living room, leaving out of my sight as he went into the kitchen. I yawned and ran my fingers through my tangled hair before I sat up in bed, letting the black sheet and blanket fall to my waist.

"Have you showered, yet?" I shouted out to him, knowing that I definitely would need one before Micki was here.

"No," he yelled back, "Don't worry about it for now."

I frowned. "But, I feel gross," I called back, climbing out of his blankets and his bed, "I'm going to take a shower!"

"Your food is going to get cold!"

"You haven't even started, yet, Zacky," I replied, rummaging through his closet for something to wear once I was clean. I hadn't brought anything with me, really, besides some pajamas that I didn't actually wear. My own clothes had been left on the floor all night, so I opted to find something of his that looked like I would've owned it.

"You look..."

I turned around quickly and blushed. Zacky was standing in the doorway leaning against the hinge with his arms crossed over his chest and his lip sucked between his teeth. His eyes were trained on my bare skin

"What're you doing?" I asked, grabbing a pair of his dirty shorts from the floor and pulling them on.

"What're you doing?" he echoed, frowning as I covered my body from his sight by pulling his clothes on, a shirt following the shorts.

"Getting dressed," I replied like it was obvious.

Zacky pushed off of the door and walked over. He wrapped his arms around my waist and slid his fingers up under his shirt as it hung off my body. "You don't have to hide from me," he murmured, pulling me against him, "There's nothing to be embarrassed about. You're gorgeous."

I rolled my eyes at myself as I blushed again. I pressed my face into his bare neck and took a deep breath. Even after what happened last night, he still had the power to make me nervous. "I need to shower," I mumbled against his skin, "And you do, too. Micki will know if we smell like sex."

Zacky chuckled and I could feel the rumbling of his chest. "You don't smell like sex," he stated, listening to me scoff. "You smell like me."

"That's because I'm wearing your dirty clothes, Zacky."

Zacky grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "I better get started on breakfast," he murmured, looking over me as I stood in his clothes, "That is, unless you want a little help getting clean."

My eyes widened and I shook my head.

Zacky ran his fingers over my lower back and rested his head on my shoulder. "We wouldn't have to do anything."

"Seriously?" I bit my lip timidly.

Zack grinned and nodded. He slipped his fingers between mine and tugged on me. "Come on." He pulled me out of the bedroom and through the living room into the bathroom. He pushed the door closed behind us and turned around to face me. "It's just a shower," he said softly when he saw the hesitation on my face, "I wouldn't even want to have sex with you until you're more comfortable."

I cleared my throat. "I'm comfortable with it."

"I meant until you're feeling a bit better from last night," he clarified, chuckling as I nodded and had an expression of understanding on my face. He ran his hands up my sides slowly, taking the shirt up as he went. I lifted my arms and let him pull it off of me, tossing it to the floor near the sink.

I slipped his shorts off of his hips and let him do the same to me before he turned around and turned on the shower, testing the water before he grabbed my hand and climbed in, taking me with him.

I laughed as he stood under the spray of the water, letting it wet down his hair and send the thick locks into his face. I pushed his hair out of his face and reached for the shampoo. I poured some in my hand and then pulled him towards me, out of the water. I ran it through his hair, watching as he closed his eyes and sucked one of his piercings into his mouth.

I did the same with the conditioner, and as I pushed him back under the water for it to rinse out, he pulled me with him and attached his lips to mine, not caring that the conditioner was being rinsed into his face.

We washed my hair next, Zacky doing the same for me as I did for him. He ran his fingers all the way through my hair, from the roots to the tips and I closed my eyes, pressing my forehead against his shoulder as he washed my hair.

"Baby," Zacky murmured as I rinsed my hair.

"What?" I asked softly, pushing my hair out of my eyes. I looked to him when he didn't reply right away. "What's wrong?"

He stood still, like he was waiting for something, then he bit his lip nervously and looked to me. "The doorbell just rang."

My eyes widened and I cursed under my breath, stepping out of the shower quickly. I wrapped a black towel around my body and leaned back into to kiss Zacky quickly. "Stay here," I demanded, knowing that it was my best friend at the door.

Zacky kissed me again and nodded. "Go get dressed," he encouraged, pulling the shower curtain closed. I hurried out of the bathroom and pulled the door closed behind me.

"One second, Mick!" I called as I ran into Zacky's room and moved to the pile of clothes that I had pulled out before Zacky appeared. I dressed quickly and shook my hair out, hoping that it didn't look drenched even though it was.

I tossed the towel into the closet and closed the doors before I hurried back out to the living room and pulled the front door open, smiling at Micki as she stared at me.

"Where you in the shower?" she asked as she walked right in, "Where's Zacky? I forgot to wish him a happy birthday."

"No," I said quickly, "He's in the shower."

Micki gave me a strange look. "Then why's your hair wet?" she questioned, lifting a strand before letting it drop back to my shoulders.

I cleared my throat and shook my head. "I mean, I was in the shower before him, but he's in there now. Want to have a seat? I was just about to make breakfast," I said as he eyes trailed to the kitchen, where Zacky had left the items out.

Micki crossed her arms over her chest and glanced at the closed bathroom door. "You don't cook," she stated, "Ever. What's the special occasion?"

I shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly and dropped down onto the couch. "Nothing, really," I said, "Zacky wanted a birthday breakfast so I said that I'd try."

Mick's eyes widened and she looked towards the bathroom door quickly. "Oh, my god!" she exclaimed loudly, looking between me and the bathroom room. "You two were taking a shower together! Oh, my god!" She dropped herself down onto the couch next to me and grabbed my arm tightly. "You had sex with him!"

I started the deny it, sputtering out a few words. "No, we didn't!" I exclaimed, shaking my head, but the blush that covered my cheeks caused her to screech loudly and jump up from the couch.

"Oh, wow," she said, suddenly calmer, her fingers raveled in her hair, "Your first time was birthday sex."

"Micki!" I shouted, although not loud enough for Zacky to hear us,"Shut up!"

Micki grinned and sat back down next to me. She grabbed my arm again and looked at me with wide eyes and a wide smile. "So, was he any good?"

I blushed a crimson red and shrugged my shoulders, looking away from her. "I don't know," I grumbled, "I haven't had anything to compare it to."

"Do you want something to compare it to?"

I glared at her. "No, now be quiet, Mickhalah."

Micki laughed at my confirmation of the fact that I had slept with him and then she continued talking, making me want to gouge my eyes out with whatever cutlery Zacky had in his kitchen. "This is how you know if it was good," she stated, "Did he make-"

"Oh, my god, Micki. Shut up!" I demanded, getting up from the couch and hurrying over to the other side of the coffee table. "Not a word," I hissed as Zacky pulled the bathroom door open and stepped out with a towel around his waist. He froze when he saw the two of us standing there looking at him. Me with my arms crossed and Micki with a large grin on her face.

"I should kill you, you know," she said casually, causing me to groan and for Zacky to take a step back, looking at me with widened, worried eyes.

"She figured it out," I sighed.

Zacky groaned and walked towards the bedroom, crossing behind me along the way. He touched his fingers to my arm as he passed, and I gave him an apologetic look, hoping he wasn't going to be mad about Micki figuring it out.

Micki got up from the couch and headed towards him, her smile long gone as she glared at the newly twenty-one year old man. "I should kick your ass for de-virginizing my best friend!" she called after him as he went into the bedroom and shut the door. "She was innocent before she met you!"

"Micki, knock it off. Nobody can know," I commanded, shoving her back onto the couch. "And I mean nobody!"

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Who am I really going to tell, Granger? You're the only person I know who cares about who you sleep with."

"He's twenty-one years old," I hissed, pointing back towards the room, "The state of California is going to care if they find out!"

"Relax," she stated, drawing out the word, "I'm not going to tell anyone, Grange. I wouldn't wrong you two like that. I'd hate for Zacky to get in trouble or some shit."

"And for me to be murdered by Gabe and my mom," I added like it was obvious, which, of course, it was.

Micki nodded. "That too." Then she turned serious, patting the spot on the couch next to her. "This is kind of really serious though, isn't it?"

My mind found the place where hers had run to and I nodded. "Yeah," I breathed, realizing that for the next seven months Zacky and I being together would be considered statutory rape.

"Are you worried?" she questioned, biting her lip nervously. "He could go to jail for a long time."

I shrugged. "Kind of," I admitted, "But Zacky won't let anything like that happen."

"You're so sure," she stated, looking into my eyes.

"It's hard not to be," I replied, "Zacky just kind of makes me feel like there's nothing wrong with the world." I smiled when she bumped my shoulder with hers.

"You're really serious about this guy, huh?" she questioned, leaning into me and keeping her gaze intact with mine.

I nodded. "I think so," I stated, trying to find a flaw in him in my mind.

She slung her arm over my shoulders. "You guys better be really careful."

I nodded. "We know," I murmured, "We're not even telling anyone."

Micki nodded and then smiled, grabbing my hand. "Did he tell you he loved you, yet?"

I frowned and shook my head. "No," I murmured, "Should he have?"

"Oh, Everly," she muttered, shaking her head, "No, no, I didn't mean it like that, girl. I was just wondering if he had told you yet, because it's so obvious that he does."

I shook my head. "I didn't tell him either," I replied, swallowing, my head falling in my hands, "Does that make me a slut?"

"Oh, gosh, Granger, no," she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around my shoulders tightly and pulling me against her.

"I don't know if I actually do," I murmured, my eyes closing as I groaned and ran my fingers through my hair. "How could I not know?"

"That's normal," Micki replied, trying to comfort me, "It takes time to love someone and be sure about it. You and Zack have only been together for three months."

"But we had sex!" I exclaimed, tossing my hands into the air.

Micki grabbed my arms and forced me to face her. "Granger," she called, stealing my attention. "Do you care about Zacky?"

"Yeah, I- Of course I do. He's the greatest person I've ever met," I replied automatically, not even having to think about it before the words were spilling out of my mouth.

Micki nodded. "Do you regret what you guys did?"

"Well, I didn't," I muttered, "Until I started thinking about all this love shit."

"Then stop thinking," she demanded, patting my arm. "Stop thinking and let yourself fall in love with him."

I sat up quickly as Zacky came walking out of the bedroom, his eyes trained on me with a smile on his lips. Micki leaned back against the couch and bit her lip, watching the two of us interact.

"You still hungry?" Zack questioned, heading towards me.

I nodded and cupped his cheeks as he leaned down to kiss me. "Thank you for brushing your teeth," I joked as I licked my lips, the faint taste of mint left behind from his mouth.

He shrugged his shoulders and headed around the couch. "It's the least I could do."

Micki shook her head and grinned at my boyfriend. "The least you could do is make us breakfast," she retorted, "Because we're hungry."

"Get lost, Mick," Zacky replied, "I'm not the chef."

I looked over the back of the couch and into the kitchen. "Please, Baby?" I questioned, "Just make us breakfast and I'll love you forever."

Micki looked at me when that word left my lips. I just pushed her shoulder and turned back to look at Zacky where he stood in the kitchen, getting ready to cook.

Zacky grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "I guess. Just because you asked so nicely."

Micki grinned mischievously and I shook my head at her as she started to speak. "Actually, it's because she let you-"

Zacky rolled his eyes at my best friend as I covered her mouth with my hand, acting like the filter that she'd never developed. "Mind your own business, Mickhalah," he demanded, "You don't need to be saying shit like that out loud."

"No one's around," she claimed, "Stop being so up tight, Zack."

Zack pointed at her while looking at me. "Control her, Granger, won't you?"

"Oh, relax," I muttered, "Both of you."

Zack and Micki, who had always gotten along, settled into a comfortable period of not talking to each other, just both of them having two different conversations with me.

They quickly got over their little spat when Zacky finished breakfast and Micki realized that he was an amazing cook. She quickly apologized when she saw the spread and gushed to the twenty-one year old about how good everything tasted as she shoved it in her mouth.

"She's right," I agreed as all three of us sat on his couch, me curled into his side as we flipped through the TV channels, trying to find something that we all could agree on. "This is really, really good."

Zacky thanked me for the compliment and pressed his lips against mine. I ran my tongue over his bottom lip and smiled at the taste of pancake syrup on his mouth.

We finished eating and I helped with the dishes before Zacky followed me into the bedroom so that I could grab my things, deciding that Micki and I better take off before my mom started calling to demand me home. When she would realize that my phone was dead, she'd be calling Micki's house; where I was supposed to be.

"I'll text you when I charge my phone," I promised Zack. The two of us stood in his room with his arms wrapped around my waist.

He nodded and glanced at the unmade bed. "I'll see you tomorrow," he murmured, touching the ends of my hair.

"I wish I didn't have to go," I muttered, not moving from the spot even though it was time for me to go.

"You have school tomorrow," he replied, always being the responsible one.

I ran my fingers through his hair. "I know," I muttered, "Will I see you after practice?"

"Of course." He kissed me.

Micki shouted from the living room that it was time to go so I grabbed my bag from the bed and took Zacky's hand, letting him lead me out of the house since there was no way I was going to go on my own. He walked to me Micki's car and opened the door for me. I kissed him through the window before Micki pulled out, informing me about how disgusting we were now that we'd had sex.

"You know you think we're cute," I replied, grinning at my best friend.

She rolled her eyes. "I'll never admit it."