It's when he feels the release of tension through her body that Z feels like screaming in triumph; sure, his heart is beating a mile a second, and not just because of the kiss, but also because of everything it implies and everything it changes. They're in public, and it's the most terrifying thing Z has ever done in his life, it feels like, and he's been in jail.
Still, he doesn't pull away when she moves closer, instead holds her tighter, and kisses her deeper, letting out a tiny noise before he reaches down and wraps an arm around her hips, pulling her up into his arms, lifting her off of the ground.
She has every instinct to pull back and remind him that they can be seen, to make sure he knows what he is doing because, well, it's been such a battle since the beginning. But she can't, she wants to savor this moment, to treasure it. She can question it and him later.
He sweeps her off her feet and she can (and wants to) do little else but hold onto him and kiss him back, making her own contented sound against his lips.
When he pulls back, it's reluctantly, lips sticking to Charlie's for a moment as he lowers her back to the ground, leaning in for another brief press of lips, soft. He brushes his thumb against her cheekbone, not quite able to smile, despite everything bubbling up in his chest.
"Congratulations," he repeats, voice a little rough.
When he pulls back, she probably looks a bit starry-eyed and thoroughly wooed. Her lips curve into a lazy, contented smile as he speaks and her hands move to his sides, dragging him closer to her, ignoring the fact that her dad is somewhere around here.
"Gee, thank you," she murmurs happily, lean up to nuzzle his nose with her own. "Has someone had a change of heart?"
His eyes close again, one of his his hands moving up to her hair, cupping the back of her head. It's hard not to pull her to him as tight as he could, with how much he needs her close, but he manages to control himself. He has no idea it that's going to last, but he's doing his best.
"I've missed you so much," he says, murmuring against her lips. "I've quit my job here."
"I missed you--" Record scratch. Her eyes open from their dreamily closed state to look up at him, a little shocked but at the same time, it makes sense why he'd kiss her now. "You what? Wait, really? Why?"
He nods, pulling back enough to look at Charlie, absolutely serious and completely genuine. "It was just because of us, but it was a big part of it. I just - I want something different, and I want to be with you. So I can't be here anymore."
Now that he says it out loud, it seems like such a simple decision. It wasn't, it was so far from being easy, but as he holds her, it makes all the sense in the world. It's the right decision.
"It's the right decision," he repeats, out loud this time, thumb pressed gently against Charlie's jaw.
She looks at him for a moment, her cheeks flushed and wonder in her gaze. A part of her is sad that it took so long, that they had taken that time apart. But at the same time, it made her realize how much she loved him, missed him.
To hear him say that he wants to be with her... "Well, it took ya long enough," she said with her usual swagger, the one she had when they first met, the one that gave her an air of confidence that, as he knew better than anyone, wasn't always present.
She lifts her hand to touch his at her face. "I was planning on traveling through Europe and eating pretty much everything I came across... Is that a plan you can get behind?"
"Yeah, it did," he replies, even though he knows if he hadn't waited for her graduation, it would never have worked out. Not with his own hang-ups, and with his need to not be doing this at school. She'd have been here, and he'd have been... somewhere else. But not with her, he knew that.
Maybe, one day, she'd understand why he did any of what he did. Maybe one day, he'll be able to explain it in a way that doesn't make her feel like he was ashamed.
"That sounds like heaven, actually. You know if you want, we could start right away. Takes me seconds to get to the mainland."
It still doesn't make sense to her, not exactly. She can understand that he wanted to keep his job but at this school, the boundaries between students and teachers were blurred, romantically. And all she could think about was that he was ashamed of being with her when there were lots of other people who had no problem with showing off. It was, ultimately, what drove them apart.
"It takes me a little longer than that." Considering she doesn't have the perks of his power. She glances at him with a gentle and tentative smile. "Are you sure about this? Because I can't do the whole hiding thing again."
It was possible she'd never understand, the way they'd both grown up so differently, with different boundaries and hang-ups. But they could move on from it, now.
"I can take you with me."
Only on short distances, and in a way that's pretty exhausting, but it's a possibility, if they wanted to make the most of time - at least at the beginning. There was something about traveling like everyone else too, anyway.
Shaking his head, he brushes some more hair off of her cheek, tucking it behind her ear. "I don't want to hide anymore, and we don't have to. I'm not a teacher, and you're definitely not my student. We're just... together. If you want us to be."
"That's cheating," she murmurs playfully, although it might be cheaper than having to actually travel. However, she's a little more distracted by what he says next, as he confirms he doesn't want to hide anymore, that they don't have to.
She smiles up at him. "I do," she confirms, she wants to be with him. "I never stopped wanting to be with you." Her smile turns a little impish. "But I hope you know, I'm going to take about, like, a bajillion pictures of us together."
He can't help the roll of his eyes, even as he chuckles gently, still stroking her cheek as he does. He's never been one to have much of a presence on social media in any way - especially not with the job he used to have, and how much he wanted to keep his anonymity. But none of it matters anymore.
"Yeah, I gathered you'd be trying to make up for lost time."
"Don't act like you don't love me," she teased him with a smirk, moving to tug him down for another kiss, whispering against his lips. "I promise I won't post too many."
He almost retorts something about loving her, not loving her need to post her life out on social media, but he doesn't really want to argue with her right now, not when things might actually get back to being good. To being back to what he wants them to be.
"I love you," he says instead, hands in her hair, tilting her head towards his. "I really, really do."
Feels like an obvious destination, but he's never been, despite being so close to the mainland and having spent many days in Portugal. And if they are to take a proper gap year, culture is absolutely necessary.
"Only if we get to go to Óbidos after." That had been her plan first, to go to Óbidos then decide from there. But Lisbon was an easy space to get to, one that made sense.
"Speaking of after... do you have any plans later?" Her father and brother are somewhere around here and she has to wonder if its a good idea for him to meet them or not yet.
"Well, my dad's here so I kind of have to go see him off but later..." She waggles her eyes at him for a moment. "Unless you're feeling keen about meeting my dad right now." Which she's not exactly all about at the moment. There would be a time for that, down the road. But maybe not right now, all things considered.
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Still, he doesn't pull away when she moves closer, instead holds her tighter, and kisses her deeper, letting out a tiny noise before he reaches down and wraps an arm around her hips, pulling her up into his arms, lifting her off of the ground.
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He sweeps her off her feet and she can (and wants to) do little else but hold onto him and kiss him back, making her own contented sound against his lips.
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"Congratulations," he repeats, voice a little rough.
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"Gee, thank you," she murmurs happily, lean up to nuzzle his nose with her own. "Has someone had a change of heart?"
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"I've missed you so much," he says, murmuring against her lips. "I've quit my job here."
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Now that he says it out loud, it seems like such a simple decision. It wasn't, it was so far from being easy, but as he holds her, it makes all the sense in the world. It's the right decision.
"It's the right decision," he repeats, out loud this time, thumb pressed gently against Charlie's jaw.
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To hear him say that he wants to be with her... "Well, it took ya long enough," she said with her usual swagger, the one she had when they first met, the one that gave her an air of confidence that, as he knew better than anyone, wasn't always present.
She lifts her hand to touch his at her face. "I was planning on traveling through Europe and eating pretty much everything I came across... Is that a plan you can get behind?"
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Maybe, one day, she'd understand why he did any of what he did. Maybe one day, he'll be able to explain it in a way that doesn't make her feel like he was ashamed.
"That sounds like heaven, actually. You know if you want, we could start right away. Takes me seconds to get to the mainland."
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"It takes me a little longer than that." Considering she doesn't have the perks of his power. She glances at him with a gentle and tentative smile. "Are you sure about this? Because I can't do the whole hiding thing again."
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"I can take you with me."
Only on short distances, and in a way that's pretty exhausting, but it's a possibility, if they wanted to make the most of time - at least at the beginning. There was something about traveling like everyone else too, anyway.
Shaking his head, he brushes some more hair off of her cheek, tucking it behind her ear. "I don't want to hide anymore, and we don't have to. I'm not a teacher, and you're definitely not my student. We're just... together. If you want us to be."
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She smiles up at him. "I do," she confirms, she wants to be with him. "I never stopped wanting to be with you." Her smile turns a little impish. "But I hope you know, I'm going to take about, like, a bajillion pictures of us together."
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"Yeah, I gathered you'd be trying to make up for lost time."
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"I love you," he says instead, hands in her hair, tilting her head towards his. "I really, really do."
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Feels like an obvious destination, but he's never been, despite being so close to the mainland and having spent many days in Portugal. And if they are to take a proper gap year, culture is absolutely necessary.
"There's tons of stuff to see, there."
I miss themmmm
"Speaking of after... do you have any plans later?" Her father and brother are somewhere around here and she has to wonder if its a good idea for him to meet them or not yet.
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Because when he thought of later, he thought of time alone with Charlie, not exactly meeting up with the in-laws...
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