Title: Bliss
Fandom: Zoey 101
Pairing: Zoey Brooks/Chase Matthews
Prompt: 032: Sunset
Word Count: 741
Rating: G
Summary: Chase and Zoey go for a walk on the beach. Will he finally tell Zoey how he feels?
Author's Notes: I finally wrote fluff, yay!
Disclaimer: I do not own Zoey 101.
He feels the sand between his toes, hears the waves crashing ashore, and smells the saltiness of the ocean as he walks alongside his best friend, Zoey. He loves their weekly beach walks.
Neither one says anything for a while. They are both content to walk along, enjoying each other’s company and the peacefulness of the beach.
After a while, Zoey breaks the silence. “C’mon, Chase,” she says, I want to put my feet in the water.”
He rolls his eyes but still smiles. “Zoey, last time you wanted to ‘put your feet in the water’ you lost your balance and pulled me down with you. I have no desire to get wet today, thank you.”
“Oh shush, I’m not gonna fall down this time. Besides, you big baby, it’s just water.”
She reaches out and grabs his hand. He feels like an electric current is running through him; his heart skips a beat and he feels all tingly. She’s really holding your hand, he thinks. This is really happening.
She pulls his hand and nods her head to the water. “Please?”
There’s no way he can say no now. “Yeah, let’s go,” he says.
She squeezes his hand and smiles at him. He feels his heart skip a beat again. He smiles back and they walk toward the water. A couple walks by, holding hands, and Chase is suddenly hyper aware of Zoey’s hand in his. What does it mean?
They reach the water and Zoey lets go of his hand. He frowns at the loss of contact. She walks a few steps forward, so that the water is halfway up to her knees. The wind blows her blonde hair everywhere. He thinks how pretty she looks, standing in the water and watching the sunset.
He thinks back to last night when they were dancing, how great it felt to have her in his arms. He longs to hold her again. He takes a step forward and then stops, still unsure of himself. She turns her head and looks back at him, smiling that amazing smile of hers. He takes another step forward and she turns her head back around, looking out across the ocean at the beautiful California sunset.
He makes up his mind for good. He walks up behind her and puts his arms around her waist. She doesn’t move at first and he thinks he really messed up, but then she relaxes and leans back into him. He breathes a sigh of relief.
“So…did you have fun at prom last night?” he asks.
“I had a great time. How about you?”
“Best night of my life,” he says seriously.
She turns around to face him and puts her arms around his neck. “You really mean that?”
“Yes.”
She smiles up at him. He can hear Michael’s voice in the back of his head: So, are you gonna tell her? He knows that Michael would say this is the absolute perfect time, even more so than last night. Here they are, standing in the warm California water with the sun setting behind them. He knows this is the perfect time. But what if she doesn’t feel the same? He’ll absolutely die. Not to mention, their friendship would be totally ruined. But then, if she doesn’t feel the same, why are they standing like this right now? Why-
But before he can think about it anymore, Zoey closes the distance between then and kisses him. It’s like he’s been struck by lightning; his whole body is alive and electrified. Her lips are soft and taste just like the cherry Chapstick she’s always putting on. He wishes this moment would last forever.
She breaks away and looks into his eyes, as if waiting for him to say something. She bites her lip in the way she always does when she’s nervous, and in that moment he knows: he’s going to tell her.
“Zoey,” he says. She bites her lip harder and he knows for sure that he really does love her. He takes a deep breath. This is it. “Zoey…I love you.”
And then she’s smiling again, that amazing smile that he loves so much. He knows he did the right thing.
“I love you too, Chase,” she says. He thinks that if he should die in the next five minutes, he will die a happy man. And then she’s kissing him again, and everything is right in the world.