"You are going to spoil me like this. Pretty soon I am not going to want to leave this spot unless it is to drag you back to my bed," Zack says with a smile that is mostly audible in his relaxed posture. "Well, you know stress and lack of sleep is bad for tests," Anna said thoughtfully. "So, relax a bit, sleep if you can. I will watch over you." Zack's lips twitch into a smirk at her practical reasoning, though the underlying sentiment– her willingness to guard him even in sleep– means a lot to him. "Stress and lack of sleep are definitely bad for tests," he concedes, his voice growing heavier with relaxation under her skilled massage. "But I have a feeling you are more worried about my grades than I am." His eyes remain closed as he savours the feeling of her hands working magic on his shoulders. The warmth of her palms on his shoulders seeps through the material of his shirt, melting away years of tension he has carried without realizing it. "If I fall asleep, you better wake me up before classes start," he instructs groggily. "Otherwise, I will drool all over your skirt and then you will actually be annoyed with me."
"I will wake you up when the bell rings," Anna promises sweetly. Zack's breathing evens out almost instantly, the steady rhythm of her fingers working his shoulders lulling him into a state of blissful calm. Everything else fades away, all he is aware of is the gentle pressure of her touch and the quiet hum of the library around them. "Mmm, good," he mumbles into her lap, his voice thick with impending sleep. His own hands have gone lax around her ankles, fingers twitching occasionally as he drifts further toward unconsciousness. The stress of keeping up appearances, maintaining his tough-guy façade– all of it melts away under her tender care. From their isolated corner, Anna can hear distant voices and footsteps from other students scattered throughout the main section of the library.
As soon as Zack is fast asleep, Anna stops her massage and takes a sip of her cappuccino. Then she slowly takes the muffin out of her purple backpack and softy unwraps it. She eats the muffin while revising her biology notes. After reading through her notes, she looked down at Zack's sleeping face. She never imagined things would turn out like this. That Zack would ever willingly be so vulnerable around her or even talk to her about his mother. She feels a flutter in her chest, thinking about how much has changed between them, all thanks to one stupid misunderstanding. If she knew it would turn out like this, she would have date someone way earlier…
Around 8:15 AM the bell rings and Anna softly nudge Zack. "Wake, wake sleepy head," she said gently. Zack grumbles incoherently at the gentle nudge, his eyelids fluttering open reluctantly. The first thing his hazy vision registers is Anna's face hovering above him, framed by the warm morning light from the window. Her expression is a mix of amusement and affection that makes his chest ache in a good way. "Five more minutes," he mumbles into her thigh, burying his face back into her lap without opening his eyes fully. "Just five. You promised to watch over me." His arms wrap more securely around her legs, anchoring himself to this peaceful moment. The bell ringing through the library sounds distant and annoying compared to being held by Anna. "Bell or no bell, I am not moving until you give me a proper good morning kiss," he declared stubbornly, his tone shifting from sleepy to demanding.
Anna leans down and kissed his forehead, "That is all I can reach in this position," she says playfully. "If you want a proper kiss, you have to sit up." Zack's green eyes fly open at her playful challenge, a smirk spreading across his face as he processes the terms of their negotiation, the initial grogginess from sleep evaporates instantly, replaced by renewed energy. "Fine," he agrees easily, pushing himself up from the floor with fluid motion. "But that means I get to choose where that 'proper' kiss lands." He positions himself on his knees in front of the red bean bag where Anna is seated, bringing them nearly eye-to-eye level. His hands land on either side of her hips on the soft fabric caging her in without applying pressure. "My terms are non-negotiable," he informs her with mock seriousness. "A proper kiss starts with lips and ends whenever I decide it should.
Anna smile brightly and kiss Zack on the lips. The moment her lips meets his, all pretence of mock seriousness melts away. His hands moved from the red bean bag to frame her face, tilting it slightly to deepen the kiss. He responds immediately, his mouth parting to welcome hers with a familiar hunger that speaks of pent-up longing. "Much better," he murmurs against her lips, his voice low and satisfied. "That is the kind of greeting I was hoping for." His thumb stroke gently along her jawline while one hand tangles in her brown hair at the nape of her neck, pulling her closer. The library around them fades into background noise– the rustle of turning pages, distant footsteps. "God, I could get used to this," he breathes between kisses, his forehead resting against hers when they pause for air. "Waking up to you every morning."
"Me too," Anna said happily. "We better get to class." Zack groans dramatically at the mention of class, resting his forehead against her shoulder with exaggerated reluctant. "Class sounds terrible when I have a perfectly good excuse to skip and keep doing this instead." His arms snake around her waist from where he is kneeling, pulling her slightly against his chest. The movement forces her to lose balance slightly, tumbling backward into the red bean bag with a soft squeak of protest. "We will be late," Anna protests weakly, though her hands find purchase in his hair instead of pushing him away. "Let them wait," he argues, settling himself more comfortably between her legs. "Mr. Fen's history lecture isn't going anywhere. Besides, I think I deserve bonus points for good behaviour after proving I can behave myself around you." He lowers his head to kiss along the column of her throat, sending shivers down her spine. "You have a test and so do I," Anna reminded him quickly, her tone more serious now.