1. blush
She's a little surprised when he kisses her in front of everyone. Liz stifles a giggle and Townsend makes a sound between a grunt and a laugh, but she doesn't complain until he pulls away and snorts.
"You're blushing."
2. gratitude
He takes the bag of M&M's from his pocket and hands it to her. "Here. I ate most of them already."
He watches the girl (Cameron Morgan, her file says) as she regards the bag carefully, her eyebrows scrunching up in a way that he tells himself is not adorable, and… looks away.
"That's okay. Thanks, though."
3. name
The first (and only) time he calls her baby, she has to look around to make sure there are no other people in the room. When she sees no one, she turns her eyes on him and glares.
"I was just trying it out," he defends, but she's still glaring at him, and too late he realizes that she's going to use a move only legal in five countries and – ouch.
He never tries it out again.
4. blood
She hears a gunshot and a terrified scream behind her – another one of theirs – but she glues herself to his side and tries to ignore the red liquid on his face.
But it doesn't work and she thinks no no no not you please no no no
"Zach? It's time to wake up," her voice cracks. "If you don't wake up, I'll—I'll make sure Grant finds out you've been calling him 'vulnerable' behind his back!" She tries to sound angry – mocking, even – but she can still hear the screaming behind her. They need her to fight a battle she already knows they've lost.
"Last chance, Zach. Wake up."
He doesn't answer.
5. hypothetical
They're actually in town without having to worry about the Circle tracking them down and shooting them dead, which is a nice change, Cammie thinks. Out of the corner of her eye, she spots Bex on a wooden bench, drinking coffee and pretending to listen to Liz ramble, while Macey sat with them, looking amused. She and Zach sat on the bench across from them.
"I've got a hypothetical question for you, Gallagher Girl."
She doesn't answer him, only quirks an eyebrow.
"Say I'm still alive in twenty years, and you're not old and wrinkly yet…" He catches sight of her glare, and grins. "And I come across a nifty ring on the ground, and some jerk shoves me and I'm suddenly on my knees and—"
"I'd say maybe."
He smiles.
6. jealous
"I'm just saying, Jimmy would look a lot more attractive if he didn't put so much product in his hair."
7. pet
Terrorist organizations trying to kill them, they could handle. An average-sized pitbull with teeth made of steel, they could not.
8. doubt
"Try them. They're still warm."
He stares at the cookies on the tray she hands him. They were all unnaturally-shaped and dark brown. He even swears he sees something move in one of them.
"Uh, Gallagher Girl?" he tries, not wanting to hurt her feelings, but not wanting to get poisoned either. "Are you sure?"
9. dinner
"So, Zach. What does your mother do for a living?"
She almost chokes on her food and gives him a pointed look, as if to warn him: don't tell my clueless grandparents about your mom's job as a psychopath who's constantly trying to kill me or I will skin you and feed you to the wolves.
Well, duh. "She doesn't tell me much about her job, but I know she's out to get me," he says. It's not the truth, but it's not a lie either. If Cammie's grandparents picked up on that, they didn't show it.
He winks at her from across the table, and when she blushes, he thinks that even if her grandparents did pick up on his mother's real job, it would be totally worth it.
10. deep
It's only after he tells her that he left school and travelled halfway across the country because he was worried about her that Cameron Morgan finds out just how deep her feelings are for this guy and his irritating smirk.
11. disguise
He eyes her too-short dress, overdone make-up, and black wig, and winks at her.
"Nice disguise."
She kicks him where it hurts to keep herself from blushing.
12. impulse
"I love you," she says.
And, as if just now realizing what she'd said, takes an interest in her shoes. She can't bring herself to look up at him. He could be surprised. Or worse, he could be laughing at her!
But he tilts her chin up and the only thing she sees before his lips touch hers is his smile.
He pulls away, and she's not sure, but she thinks she hears him whisper in her ear that he loves her back.