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You used to be the one teasing Zayne. You loved to do it, especially since your beau happened to be a reserved gentleman who liked to show you his affections and his emotions in private — behind closed doors, most preferably on a bed, a couch, or against a wall if he was too impatient to make it all the way to the bedroom.
Somewhere after your first year of dating though, this began to change. And it was so subtle you didn’t notice at first.
Holding your hand progressed to embracing you from behind when you waited for him sometimes in an area for a meetup. And then kissing you full on the lips whenever he sends you off after your check ups or whenever he had to pick you up — all while in the presence of other people.
You weren’t complaining, of course. But it is certainly interesting. Now you’re the one who is blushing out of nowhere, blood coloring your cheeks to a natural rosy hue that never failed to earn the pleased, barely-there, self-satisfied smirk from him.
So you decided to test something.
You agreed to go to a mountain cabin along with Greyson and Tara for a couple’s trip for the winter holidays. You and Tara were as excited as kids, knowing that this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance that came your way with two of Akso's excellent physicians allowed to go on leave.
Zayne is roasting marshmallows over a fire while trading stories with the other two and you just came out of the cabin from the restroom. Feeling cheeky and rather naughty, you went straight to Zayne, lifted his quilt he had used to cover his long legs with and sat down on his lap demurely — a queen claiming her throne — automatically wrapping your arm around his neck.
Greyson blushed and didn’t say anything, while Tara’s gasp and expression was more like “you go girl!”. The conversation paused as you grabbed the marshmallow stick your boyfriend has just roasted and smiled angelically at him, expecting to see an embarrassed expression on his face while you ate the treat triumphantly.
He was staring straight at you instead, that micro-pleased smirk back on his stupidly handsome face.
He ate the remaining marshmallow on the stick you stole from him, licking his lips slowly in satisfaction while still keeping his eyes on yours, gaze heated. Then he turned back to Greyson and Tara, continuing the conversation as if nothing happened, an arm wrapping around your waist to steady you on his lap so you wouldn’t fall off.
Your heart skipped a beat, your stomach is doing somersaults, and you felt your face burn.
Your teasing just backfired. Spectacularly.
You were sure you were so red you looked like you had just eaten one of those wings from that popular video channel which guests celebrities and makes them eat wings which increases in the Scoville scale the more they ate.
You sighed, mentally accepting your defeat with grace and deciding to move off his lap and go back to your own camp chair. But before you could go as far as lifting your butt off him, his arm around your waist tightened.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Your body is racked with full shivers as Zayne whispered the question in your ear, his lips brushing the skin of your earlobe and making heat rise into it.
“I um.. just wanted to sit in my chair, your legs might fall asleep…” you whispered back, making him chuckle.
“Don’t change your mind now.” His tone is low and fond as he stopped your fidgeting on his lap with a mere arm, strong and sure. “You never used to get embarrassed around me. Don’t start now.”
“S-So you knew about it!” You whisper-yelled, incredulous, the mock betrayal clear on your face.
Greyson and Tara decided to excuse themselves at that moment, joking about you two needing to get a room. Zayne merely nodded at them before turning back to you.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He said, his voice back to normal, darling hazel eyes lit with his quiet grin as he started to roast another stick of marshmallows.
“You’re enjoying this too much.” You accused half-heartedly, crossing your arms over your chest. “You used to keep me at arms’ length in public. Now you’re initiating PDA!”
“I wouldn’t call that ‘arms’ length’, my love. I hold your hand and touch you all the time.” He was smiling now, almost mischievously.
“Oh so hugging me and kissing me like no one else is watching is part of it?” You challenged, huffing.
He dropped the stick he was roasting before wrapping his other arm around your waist, brushing your hair away from sticking on your forehead. “I thought my little penguin would appreciate it if I wasn’t so stiff around her. But seeing you blush like this then and now…” he lifted his index finger to rub your heated cheeks. “Well, I’m glad to know I have such an effect on you.”
“Like I said…” you wrapped your other arm around his neck, burying your face against his chest, “you’re enjoying this too much.”
Zayne pressed his lips against your temple, soothing you. “Is it selfish of me to want to see you like this? You think it’s embarrassing but to me you look breathtaking. And I thought this is obvious, but you also have that effect on me.”
“The 'me' effect? But you don’t show it!” You raised your head in protest to look at him again, making him sigh in response.
“I thought you’ve noticed it since earlier.” He looked exasperated, staring at you pointedly, willing you to notice something that has escaped your attention since earlier.
You stopped, confused, until you realized that something hard is pressed against your derriere. You flushed prettily, cursing your body for being so responsive to him. “Zayne…”
“I have a beautiful girl on my lap who happens to be my girlfriend. Did you really expect me not to have a physical reaction?” He lifted your hand and kissed the back of it. “And that beautiful girl is blushing whenever I so much as touch her more than she expected. I wanted to see more of it.” His voice lowered, gaze darkening and turning heated once more as he stared at you with the telltale hunger of a predator.
“You’re so greedy.” You whispered, only now managing to take the weight of this realization in and it made you out of breath. Your heart is beginning to beat faster in your chest, and your cheeks are still flushed.
His head began to lower towards you as if he couldn’t help it, drawn to you with your feminine magnetism. He is already staring at your lips. “I thought we've already established that.” He said matter-of-factly and there was a knowing look in his gaze on you. “Do you want me to tone it down?”
You shook your head, your lashes fluttering as you felt his breath touch your lips which were slightly open. He caressed your cheek, smirking to himself once more in satisfaction at you melting visibly with his touch.
“I thought so.”
He kissed you, a mere soft press of lips at first. Your eyes were half-open, meeting his and making you look all the more enticing to him.
“I will never get enough of you. But you don’t need to worry about that,” he assured you, opening his mouth, running his tongue over your lower lip and making you open up to him with a sigh of surrender.
“I will spoil you so much it will never cross your mind to complain."
You were grasping at his collar as your lips joined, hearts beating as one.