I woke to a snowflake touching my cheek.

We lay tangled under our clothes, that he had draped over us as I fell asleep last night, exhausted, but happier than I've ever been in my entire existence. My hair was slightly damp, and the grass tickled my bare skin. My body felt sore, and throbbed in places I didn't even know about.

Then there was his steady heartbeat, the curve of his neck, the firm arms wrapped around me, pressing my bared breasts to his chest. Messy dark hair that I know feels like silk, long, boyish eyelashes, beautiful proportions.

Sculpted lips that kiss so hungry and taste so wonderful. For a moment I forgot about my aching body and felt like I could fly.

Did last night really happen? It must have, but I kissed him anyway, in case this was all a dream and I would wake up, cold and alone on another plane, with no one to chase my loneliness away.

Zach kissed me back, and I jerked back in surprise. His eyes were bright with laughter. "I almost fell back asleep waiting for you to wake up."

It wasn't a dream!

"Zach." I felt a million times happier just saying his name.

He pulled me back down, brushing my lips, softly,. Heat spread like a wave through me, his fingers stroking my back, leaving lingering trails of fire on my skin.

His lips in my hair, tracing the lines of my face, gentle hands tilting my head back to bury his face in the hollow of my neck. "Cammie, oh God I love you."

"I love you too," I whispered against his lips, meaning it with all my being.

But we have to forget all this when we wake up.

Even in my blissed-out state, I couldn't ignore that. I forced my arms to pull me away from him. I stared straight into his jade eyes, and I could see that he knew what I was going to say next.

"If I tell you to get away from me and leave me alone, will you listen?"

Zach touched my face. "Don't be stupid. I'm coming with you even if you napotine-patch me again. I'm coming even if you chop my legs off and dump me in the ocean."

"You won't live through your twenties."

"I don't care."

"You'll be staying in a lot less comfortable places."

"I've been in plenty of 'uncomfortable' places in my life, and you know that."

Softly, I said, "You'll have to tell me everything. No more secrets, no more lying. If you think it's going to put me in danger, then I have more right to know. Okay? You have to trust me, Zach."

He looked at our intertwined hands, not moving. "Zach?" I asked uncertainly. Oh no, did he hear what I said? "Za-"

His eyes flashed back to mine suddenly, brimming with an unfamiliar expression. "I trust you with my life. But can you trust me, Cammie?", he whispered, so low I almost missed it.

Even when you know what my mother is? You still don't know the things that I know, that I don't tell you. I've put your life in danger every time we've been together. All that, can you still say you trust me?"

I slapped him across the face, hard, my hand stinging like hell. I recognized the look on his face now. It was honest, brittle, vulnerability, and I saw that he had been always been blaming himself for a lot of things he wasn't even in control of. I've seen vulnerable before; I saw it this morning in the mirror above the sink, when I thought I'd have to leave him again.

Vulnerable looks so strange on his face, that's why I didn't recognize it at first. But hell!

Why is he being so . . . so. . . so ridiculous?

"Of course I trust you!" I growled through my teeth. Zach looked too stunned to say anything, and there was a red mark on his cheek.

You can't help being raised by that woman! You're going to tell me everything if you want to come with me anyway. You've saved my life every time we met; my life has always been in danger since I could talk, so it's not like there's any difference. It's part of being a spy, goddammit! Stop being such an idiot!"

Zach watched me, his lips slightly open. His eyes were bright, more alive somehow, more… free. They were full of warmth, and (I know this sounds cheesy but bear with me) love. My breath caught. I've never seen him like this open, even last night when I collapsed on his chest and fell asleep saying his name. Looking at him, you wouldn't even think he has a poker face, let alone be (in)famous for it. Then he smirked.

"You really trust me?"

"That's what I just said, didn't I?" I huffed.

He pulled me close and ran his gaze over my boobs. I blazed red, but I didn't cover them. My dignity was at stake here! But I still remember the way he touched them, stroking and pulling on the sensitive parts with his teeth, and the lightning that spread through me.

He reached for them now, stroking my nipples with his thumbs. I'm sweating now, and I clamped my lips to keep from panting.

Zach looked at me, a wicked look in his face.

"Really, really?"

"Wipe that smirk off your face."

"Yesterday you said you loved me, now you say you trust me. Or are you saying you do 'cause you just loved how I was last night, and want to keep me around as your boy toy. You heartless wench!"

I laughed, and put my arms around his neck to whisper in his ear, "Boy toy? Where'd you get that from?"

But he was too busy carrying me inside, and on the bed, and soon I was too busy kissing him to ask for an answer.

X

A/N: So! I've thought of doing a little more *cough* detail, but it seemed a bit too early in my return for that *coughcough*

Maybe when this story gets more popular I will. Sooo howwasit?

Three hours later, we were showered and fully dressed, bags packed, weapons loaded, a fast emptying half-full box of Krispy Kremes. We sat beside each other, with the laptop open and papers in piles around us on the floor.

"So why Egypt? I thought we were going to London." Zach said, reaching for his twelfth donut.

Me, I was on my tenth. "I didn't say we were going to London. It's your fault for assuming."

"And you let me think I was right. I'd say you're not completely blameless either."

"That was just in case I had to get you in the wrong plane again."

"Hell," he said with grudging admiration and kissed my neck. I laughed and nudged him away. I had to concentrate! "I'm glad you didn't go without me," he murmured.

I smiled. "Me too. Anyway, see this here?" I pointed to a typed document, the one with the photos of my father. "It says, 'taken in Egypt, but the papers weren't on his person.' The report says they think my father sneaked it to an acquaintance in Cuba, but I think it's still somewhere in Egypt, Cairo I think. Dad did it by actually sending them to an acquaintance in the Amazons, who was a travelling journalist, who hid them in an artifact in Meret Basha."

"How did you know that? There wasn't even a mention of the journalist anywhere, " he said, motioning to the papers in front of us.

I waved the blue notebook in his face. "This."

"Ohh, I forgot about that. So what else does it say?"

"I only got up to the journalist part. I still have to de-code the rest. Her name's Naomi Deveaux. Black hair, tanned, pale green eyes, aged 40 as of now, divorced with two kids, of Egyptian and French mix. She's working in the museum now, and her nephew's a maintenance worker in the museum too."

"Naomi Deveaux." Zach frowned. "I've heard about a Naomi before, but I didn't get her last name. Solomon mentioned her when he was telling me about a honeypot mission in Marrekesh, and he met her at a brothel. Said she was a pretty sharp lady. He had this look on his face, though. I think they had an affair."

I grinned. "Wow. Solomon tells you about his missions, huh. Like storytelling?" In my head, I saw a five-year-old Zach looking at Mr. Solomon with huge green eyes, and saying "What happensh next? Tell meee!" with a kid voice. It wasn't as hard to imagine it now.

Zach ruffled my hair and started gathering up the papers. "Joe's like a father to me. He tried to give me a childhood when my mother insisted on 'training' me. I don't know who my real father is. Or was. I know my mother knows, and she doesn't talk about him, and I was always too scared to ask. I don't even know his name, but she used to look at me at times and turn away like she's seen a ghost. I think I remind her of him. But I know he's still out there, somewhere; I just have this feeling, y'know?"

"Yeah," I said softly, "I know exactly what you mean." I looked at the time; 3:17. We had to get on the road in fifteen minutes if we want to make it in time for our flight.

I split the last donut in half and offered it to Zach, annoyed at the stupid blush I felt coming to my cheeks."I'm happy you told me about your father. See? We do have some things in common."

He pinched my nose. "I promised to tell you everything, remember?"

I kissed him.

X

An hour later, we were coming out to the highway from a dirt road on a blue, rusty Chevy, speeding through the mountains. The radio was crackling some country music, and the heater was on. The sun was setting and I got sleepy from watching the light filtered through the trees, and the thin layer of snow that got thicker as we went further north.

Zach drove, sometimes humming along to the beat, and looking at me when he thought I fell asleep.

"Watch the road. I don't want to miss the flight 'cause you wrecked the car."

Zach just smiled and offered me a bag of M&M's from the dashboard. The ones with no peanuts.

I told him I hate nuts in my chocolate and he was horrified. We argued about whether cheese tastes green or orange. I found out that he hates red bean paste from when a Japanese instructor gave him some ( not that the instructor was bad, but the stuff was just too sweet). We discussed the best way to choke someone; personally, I prefer pressing my thumbs real hard on the larynx, Zach preferred to just crush the whole thing (I know- must be his education). He taught me a few words of Somali, which is one of the languages that I haven't learnt yet. One of my favorite songs went up in the radio, and we (tried to) sing along but ended up arguing again about who sang the worst rendition of the Spice Girl's 'xxxi wanna'.

It was just us, speeding through the Himalayas talking over instant coffee and sandwiches, watching the sun's setting rays set fire to the newly fallen blanket of snow.

X

Yayy! Zach's comi-i-ing! I can write all I want to now about his hotness!

Haha :3

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XOX, mwah!