A Theme of Firsts

A/N: Finally! My first Zen fic. I just finished his route a couple of days ago and I am so in love with him (Saeyoung will always have my heart but Zen is coming in a close second). He's such a sweetheart and wants nothing more in the world than to be lovey dovey with someone he cares for. So here is my little head-canon of what happens after the party ends and he can finally take MC out and treat her like the princess he believes she is. There WILL be smut in the next chapter. I wanted to spend this short chapter setting up the scene. Hope you enjoy it. ^^

MC glanced at her phone for the fifth time in the past minute before slipping it into her bag. She tightly clasped the strap across her chest and rocked back on her heels, her eyes searching the crowd for her date.

It had been two weeks since the RFA party and finally she was having her first real date with Zen. Both of their schedules had been hectic since the success of the party. She busy looking for a new place to live while attending classes at the local university; Zen busy with rehearsals and photo shoots. Never in a million years would she ever have imagined getting involved with an actor but there had been an almost instant connection with the smooth talking thespian. Many a night they had stayed up until the wee hours of the morning, talking and watching the sunrise together; but only over the phone.

MC refused to have an adverse effect on his career and had only agreed to this outing after days of Zen pleading and reassuring her that being seen with her out in public was not a big deal. She was an extremely private person by nature, so dating a public figure was so out of her comfort zone that if it had not been for the feelings she had developed over their long conversations, she would be far away from this current location.

"MC!"

Turning at the sound of her name, she couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. Zen waved at her over the heads of several staring women, eyes only for her. Quickly, he made his way through the crowd, stopping only when he was in front of her. Awkwardly he shoved his hands in the pockets of his black jeans; his face slightly flushed when he looked down at her. MC's heart fluttered at his nearness.

"Sorry I'm late. Rehearsal ran over," he said apologetically. "It was only supposed to take a couple of hours today. If I had known they had re-cast one of the supporting characters, I would have never suggested we do this today."

MC shook her head and waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. If you hadn't shown up in five more minutes I was going to accept that hunky guy's invitation to join him," she said nonchalantly, gesturing to some random guy who leaned against the theater's brick facade.

Zen's face turned red and he began to splutter angrily. "Wha...has he been bothering you? I'll teach him a lesson about hitting on another guy's girl."

He took a menacing step in the oblivious man's direction before MC laughed, grabbing tight onto his arm to restrain him. "I'm kidding!"

Zen looked at her doubtfully but gave in, grabbing her hand to entwine his fingers through hers. He smiled down at her, his eyes radiating warmth and kindness. She gave his fingers a squeeze, ,just to test that he was real and shyly returned his smile.

"I think we've missed the movie," she sighed in disappointment. Not that she really cared that they missed a movie that had such negative reviews, but was wholeheartedly disappointed that she would not be sitting next to Zen for the next couple of hours in a dark room; shoulders touching and-if she were lucky-holding if he had the inclination to slip an arm around her shoulder and kiss her sweetly, who would she be to complain?

"Are you alright," Zen asked in concern, seeing her face flushed a bright red. He pulled her to a stop and pressed one hand to her forehead. "It doesn't feel like you've got a fever."

"Oh! N-No, I'm fine. It must be the sun. I burn easily."

"Then let's get you out of the sun. Are you hungry?" At her nod, he smiled and tugged her hand to follow him. "I know a great chicken place right around the corner."

When they arrived at the packed restaurant, MC's heart sank. The place was small and homey, which she loved, but the moment the small bell above the door indicated a new customer, someone recognized her date. The girl's eyes widened and she leaned over to whisper to her friend who, in turn, whispered to someone else. Soon all eyes in the restaurant were trained on her and Zen, who was obliviously holding her hand in his and asking if she liked beer with her chicken.

From the beginning, the snow-haired actor had not given any effort to keep their relationship a secret. He had even gone as far as declaring his love for her during a press conference at their last RFA fundraiser. But being surrounded by shocked reporters was a very different experience than standing smack in the middle of female teenage fans who were now glaring at her, their eyes moving over her body in assessment and disgust. She should have expected this; actually she had been prepared for a few glances but nothing at this level of pure

hatred.

Tugging her hand from Zen's she crossed her arms over her chest, hanging her head to hide her features behind her long brown hair. Her body was shaking and she was shocked to realize she was scared.

Zen lifted the hair from one side of her face, giving her a worried look. "Are you alright?" She shook her head slightly, her eyes darting fearfully at the faces she could see. He followed her gaze and she felt him stiffen beside her. He leaned down to murmur in her ear, making sure no one else could hear. "I'm sorry, princess. After Echo Girl and the press conference and all, so-called fans hang around hoping for an autograph or picture. I should have remembered that," he gave a frustrated sigh, "The food will done soon, do you want to take it back to my place?"

MC nodded immediately, giving him a grateful smile. He returned her smile with a wink and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close to his side. The chatter around them became louder but Zen ignored it all, his thumb caressing her side while they waited for their number to be called.

When their food was ready, they made their way through the crowd, Zen ignoring numerous requests for pictures and autographs. His mouth was set in a tight line, anger radiating from him as some of the snide remarks MC had been hearing since they arrived finally reached his ears. He entwined his fingers with hers and held on tight, being sure they were not separated as the crowd pressed in around them.

Finally they stumbled out onto the sidewalk and set off at a small jog. "If you want to stop for pictures and such, I don't mind waiting, Zen," MC panted, her legs so short she had to take two strides to Zen's one.

Zen paused, allowing her to catch her breath. He shook his head at her comment. "No, today is about you. Just for today I want to pretend I'm just a normal guy."

MC grinned and tugged his long ponytail playfully. "You're too beautiful to be normal. But if you want to pretend, you might want to get me off the street. I'm afraid someone is going to start throwing rotten fruit at me if I don't disappear soon."

"They wouldn't dare," Zen protested in horror, though his eyes darted around the perimeter. Once more he clasped her hand, pulling her into a nearby alley. When they arrived in the middle he pulled her into a recessed doorway, setting their food on a high wooden crate.

His hands cupped her face, his eyes searching hers with concern. "Are you alright?" He asked again, his thumbs caressing her cheeks.

MC could feel heat rising to her cheeks and she tried to pull his hands away while sliding her glance away from his. "I'm fine, really."

Zen ignored her weak efforts to remove his hands, leaning down to catch her eyes with his. "I'm sorry," he began softly. "I told you I haven't had a girlfriend in a while and when I did it was before any fame came my way. I should have known better than to put your safety at risk."

"Zenny," MC said with a small smile. "You didn't do anything wrong, so stop apologizing. I was a bit shocked and I have to admit a little scared at the threats I could hear but those people aren't your fans, they are just jealous little girls angry that I somehow managed to snag the most handsome man in the world." Her arms wound around his neck, her fingers playing with the hair at his nape. "How in the world did that ever happen?"

Zen grinned and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her against his body. "Because you are a beautiful angel that was made just for me."

The alleyway was quiet, only faint sounds of car horns occasionally blaring and high pitched laughter from girls who passed quickly by. The couple was hidden quite well in their space, the recessed threshold and stacks of empty wooden cartons doing an excellent job of concealing them.

They stared into each other's eyes. Soft brown gazing into soft red, their breaths increasing in speed with words unspoken. Zen's hand methodically stroked her back as MC's fingers traced the outline of his jaw.

"I want to kiss you," Zen's husky voice finally broke the silence, her fingers pausing as she considered his words. Her blood raced through her at the thought of his lips on hers. She could still remember the feel of his chaste kiss at the press conference, cameras flashing, reporters shouting out unanswered questions. She also remember the kiss they shared at his apartment when it was just the two of them. While not chaste, it was certainly reserved. He had been so scared of doing anything that night that was untoward.

Suddenly she realized he was waiting for her answer, unwilling to touch her without her permission. As thoughts raced through her head, he waited patiently.

"You're so tall," she finally blurted, the blood instantly rushing to her face.

To her surprise, he grasped her under her arms and hoisted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist by reflex, her fingers digging into his muscular shoulders. His arms wrapped around her torso, supporting her weight on the concrete behind her.

Now at eye level, he grinned at at her. "Is that a yes," he inquired in amusement.

MC's heart was racing with his nearness, the beauty of his chiseled features overwhelming her. "I've never seen your eyes this close; their beautiful.'

"I know," he answered, not in conceit just as a matter of fact. "I can't count how many times I've heard that; but coming from you...it does something to me. I feel like you're the only person who compliments me without wanting anything in return."

Her eyes drop to his lips, hands moving to his nape; biting her lip nervously. She moved her mouth slightly closer to his and said, "I wouldn't say nothing," then pressed her mouth to his; her small tongue slipped between his lips slightly open in surprise. He recovered quickly and tightened his embrace, pressing her against the hard surface behind her.

This kiss was like nothing they had shared before. It was not chaste or restrained; it held all the want and desire they felt. The only way MC could describe it was simulated sex with the way his tongue plunged into her mouth to dominate hers before withdrawing to make her moan

for more.

When they finally broke apart, they were both panting; his ponytail wrapped around her small fist, his large hands grasping her bottom tightly.

"I want you so much," he breathed, his voice thick with lust.

"Me too," she answered, her body throbbing with need. "But I'd really like my first time to not be in an alleyway where we could be caught at any second."

She gave him an embarrassed smile at his look of disbelief. "F-F-First t-time?" He stammered, his face suffused with color. Slowly he lowered her to the ground and took a step back, slipping his hands into his pockets.

"So that's how it is," she whispered sadly, crossing her arms over her breasts. It wasn't the first time she had been rejected for being inexperienced. It was something she never understood unless the men she almost got involved with thought she was trying to trap them into marriage; but Zen had always been different. Several of their conversations consisted of him imagining a life together, going as far as imagining what their children would look like. Obviously that had been merely nothing more than a way to pass the time. "I thought you were a better man, Zen. I...well I guess I was wrong. Thanks for an almost amazing experience." She finished in a rush, turning to walk away before he could see the tears that were starting to fall from her eyes.

She took three steps before she heard him curse under his breath and grab their food. He caught her in one long stride placing a restraining hand on one shoulder, turning her to look at him. She kept her eyes chest level, even now imagining what he looked like underneath.

"I'm sorry," he said immediately, drawing her into his arms. "That was a stupid reaction to something that makes me indescribably happy. To know I'm the first man who will...well, it's an honor and I'm sorry I made you feel any other way. I just freaked out for a moment about hurting you. If I didn't release you when I did, I was afraid the beast would take over. I didn't mean to make you feel unwanted."

"I love you, Zenny," she said, her voice muffled by his jacket. Her arms squeezed his middle tightly.

"I love you too, princess," he answered softly, placing a finger under her chin and lifting her face to brush his lips against hers. "We'll take this slow, alright? I don't know about you but I plan to spend the rest of my life loving you."

A bright camera flash went off at the end of the alleyway they were closest too. Instead of trying to hide, Zen gathered MC into his arms and kissed her passionately, not caring who saw him kissing the woman he loved.