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Zara climbed out of their car, pushing the door shut with a little more force than necessary to get it closed. After a long day of paperwork, uncooperative witnesses, feuding Captain Sung and Mayor Friedman, Zara was done with all of it. Usually, it would have been a typical day for them but today it was grating on their nerves to the point that Zara was thankful that they had the weekend off.
Well…that was providing the Agency did not call them out every time they start to lay down to sleep.
Running their hand through their long red hair, Zara released a heavy sigh. Part of them wanted to just go up to their apartment, change into pajamas and spend the evening watching a movie. The other part of them just wanted to crawl into bed and get some much-needed sleep. However, all those plans seemed to fade away when they saw him sitting on the front steps of the apartment building.
Frowning, Zara shoved their hands deep into the pockets of their pants as they sucked in a deep breath. Temptation between turning around and leaving again was growing. Yet, the curiosity of why he was there was suddenly driving Zara to continue walking in his direction. Adam must have heard their thoughts because as soon as Zara took a step towards the apartment he was jumping to his feet and turning to face them as they approached the building.
“Adam. What brings you out this late afternoon?” Zara asked, fiddling with the keyring in their left hand.
They could not explain how their skin heated or their heartrate increase or even how sometimes the very breath they took became painful. Just being near Adam, Zara could feel the pang of the emotions they felt for him. There had been too many nights curled up on the sofa, in tears over this man. The man that would bring them to the height of desire only to have the rug ripped out from beneath them to find themselves flat on their bottom. This man caused Zara’s emotions to ebb and flow like a storm that raged inside.
Two sets of green eyes meeting as they stood there, several feet apart on the sidewalk in front of the apartment building. Neither able to move as they found themselves locked in each other’s gaze. With much more strength than Zara had, Adam pulled himself away and cleared his throat.
“I…I was asked to bring you this,” Adam said, turning towards the steps where he had been sitting when Zara arrived home. Picking up a wicker basket, Adam turned back to Zara to hold it out towards them. His eyes still low, unable to meet Zara’s again. “Nate felt that you would like this after working the long hours that you have during your investigation.”
Stepping closer, Zara hesitated for a moment before reaching out to lift the lid of the basket. Inside, they found a blue and black plaid blanket and several containers of food. Reaching into the basket, Zara pulled out one of the containers.
“Nate feels that I need this?”
For a moment, Zara had thought they had seen Adam’s cheeks flush slightly before he cleared his throat, turning away. “He…um…thought you should eat something that was home cooked instead of whatever it is that you’ve been eating.”
Zara nodded as they returned the container back to the basket. “Tell Nate thank you for the gesture but – “
“He’d be disappointed if it wasn’t put to use,” Adam interrupted. His hand lifted to rub at the lower part of his neck. His eyes moved around everywhere but on Zara’s. “You know how difficult he could be.”
Reluctantly, Zara smiled as they watched Adam shift nervously before them. “Yes, I know how Nate can be sometimes.” Tilting their head sideways, Zara looked at him. “Please tell Nate thank you.”
Adam straightened himself, finally turning to face Zara. “He has tasked me to ensure you eat and return the basket.” He snorted, turning his attention to the item he held. “Apparently he feels I should make sure you eat. He’s worried about your health.”
Lifting an eyebrow, Zara found themselves staring back into Adam’s eyes. He shifted from one foot to the other. “We…we are all worried about your health, Detective. You’ve been working a great deal more than you are accustom to.”
Taking in a long breath, Zara folded their arms across their chest and slowly nodded. “I’ll see that he gets his basket back.”
“I…I thought…” He inhaled deeply and released a heavy breath. “It’s still a nice evening. Maybe we could go to the park and enjoy the food.”
Zara’s eyes widened as they looked at him curiously. “Did he just ask me to go on a picnic with him?” they thought. Mentally shaking themselves, Zara decided not to question it. As much as he drove them to the edge more than once, Zara found that they could not walk away once again. They needed to be near him as much as possible just like they needed their next breath to live.
“I guess Nate’s wanting you to make sure that I eat, too?” Zara teased.
“Yes, I…” He paused, turning to look away. “He does.”
A smile tugged at Zara’s lips as they turned to face towards the park. “I’m sure he does.” Biting at their lower lip, Zara motioned with their head. “Well, we wouldn’t want to disappoint Nate, now do we?”
Walking in silence, Zara and Adam made their way towards the nearby park. The walk was short so Zara did not need to worry about small talk with Adam, knowing how much he despised it. Adam was a man of few words especially when he was around Zara. Subtle nods, barely there touches when they needed comfort. He spoke to Zara in ways that words never could. Ways that made their heart soar to the highest heavens and sink to the lowest depths, sometimes in just mere minutes.
“This looks like an adequate position for us to take,” Adam said as he surveyed the surroundings as he would searching for something.
Always prepared for a fight or the unexpected. Zara was used to Adam’s heightened sense of readiness. However, for a man that insisted on knowing everything and being prepared, he had not expected for them to feel the way they did about him.
Zara nodded as they opened the basket to retrieve the blanket from inside. Unfolding it, they flipped it out to its full length before dropping it to the ground beneath a large tree. He was right, the place that he had picked was a good spot. They could hear the sound of the ducks and geese floating across the small pond. The path for joggers and cyclists were in the distance, not close enough to interrupt them. The position offered privacy but not secluded to make it uneasy for Zara to be completely alone with him.
Holding out his hand, Adam stood beside them. “Please, let me.”
Staring at the hand briefly, Zara accepted it as he helped them down to the ground on the blanket. He tugged at his pants slightly before he knelt to sit on the other side of the blanket across from Zara. Running his hands down the legs of his slacks, Adam watched as Zara began to remove items from the basket.
“Nate said he packed some of your favorites,” Adam said, watching Zara carefully set out the containers.
Their hands bumped into each other as he reached in to retrieve a thermos. Both stared at each other nervously as they withdrew their hands as if they were stung by each other’s touch.
“I’m sorry…I…” Adam began to say.
Zara shook their head, smiling at him. “No harm done.” Looking at the remainder of the basket, they chuckled. “I think Nate’s trying to fatten me up. There’s too much here for just me.”
“Ha can be persistent,” Adam said, laughing.
“Would you like something, too?” Zara asked as they removed a cylinder from the basket. Moving it, they heard the sloshing of the liquid inside. “His tea is only good when it’s fresh and I can’t drink it all.”
Nodding, Adam moved closer to Zara until they were just inches from each other. Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply the sweet scent that was only Zara. No other person could smell so exotic, so incredible. So desirable.
Impulsively, Adam reached out to take the thermos from Zara, setting it to the side. Zara’s eyes were focused on his as they watched him take their hand into his. Lifting their hand to his lips, Adam placed a soft kiss on the inside of Zara’s wrist. Eyes closing, Zara sunk into the feel of his lips against their bare skin. It was not until the loss of his breath against their skin that they opened their eyes to see Adam staring back nervously.
“I’m sorry,” he said, scurrying away to put distance between them. “I should not have – “
“Yes…” Zara shook their head as they reached out to grab his hand before he could pull it further away. “Please…don’t go.”
Adam stopped from retreating completely when he found himself trapped in Zara’s gaze. Dark green eyes holding him paralyzed under their stare. “Zara…”
“You did this, didn’t you?” they asked. “The basket? The food?”
Zara watched Adam swallow hard as he slowly nodded.
“Yes,” he answered. Inhaling deeply, Adam shifted again so he could sit back beside Zara on the blanket. “I…I have been wrestling with myself. With something that I heard you say that I needed to address.”
At a loss for words, Zara nodded their head as he took their hand again, holding it in his. The way he held Zara’s hand was as if he was holding something fragile, delicate. With such tenderness that Zara had not felt before.
“I struggle with matters of importance,” he began to say. Adam closed his eyes as he gathered his words. “And as it seems you have become very important to me.”
As Zara lips parted to speak, but Adam stopped them by placing a finger over their lips.
“Please, let me finish,” he said. When he felt Zara slightly nod, he pulled his finger away. “I have been accused of not listening to words when spoken to. That I only hear what I want to hear. What I think is being said but not entirely what is being said or not said.”
He inhaled as he reached out to touch Zara’s cheek. His finger grazed across their cheek so gently that they leaned their head into his touch. The sheerness of his touch across their skin was igniting sparks across their body. Their back straightened when they felt him move his finger across to brush back their hair behind their ear.
“Amor vincit omnia, et nos cedamus amori,” he whispered.
Zara’s eyes opened quickly to look into Adam’s eyes. “What does that mean?”
He cupped their cheek in his palm as he ran a finger over their lips. “Love conquers all things, so we too shall yield to love.” He leaned forward to press a tentative kiss on Zara’s lips. “It is with your love that I shall overcome all of my fears.” He kissed them again, smiling. “To be your ma’aqqibat.”
Zara’s hand reached out to touch his face. “My guardian angel,” they said softly.
“If you will have me,” Adam whispered against their lips.
Smiling, Zara leaned closer to kiss Adam. “You have been since we first met.”
Adam pulled Zara into his arms as he kissed them with the desire and passion that he had been holding back. He was never going to let Zara feel alone anymore. Never feel unworthy of love. To make Zara feel wanted, desired.
And most of all…
Loved.