A/N: I had such emotional blue balls after "Close to Me" that I came back to fanfic after an 8 year hiatus. I was astonished to see how many people are anti-Zig. Maybe this fic will show people what I see in him?

Zig sat down heavily on Katie's bed, heart thumping so fast he thought it would crack his sternum. It had taken all his self-control to not kiss Maya in the kitchen, and he punched the mattress with both fists in frustration. Still, he was proud of himself for mastering his impulses. If he wanted to do this right – and he did, no matter how long it took – Maya had to know that despite all the rumors, despite spending so much time in the Rubber Room, and despite being thrown out of his own home, he was still a good person.

Zig lay back on the bed, his legs still hanging off the side, feet skimming the floor. Tonight could not have gone better. Had Miles narked on him 3 months earlier, Zig would be on his way to the police station right now. But after his parents kicked him out and he started living in the abandoned house, Zig knew he couldn't give the cops any reason to look twice at him. So he had let Damon buy him out of the last of his stash, and didn't get involved anymore when his friends talked about any sketchy business. He had lost a lot of street cred, but he didn't care about that. All he seemed to care about was Maya.

God, that girl was infuriating. Infuriating and intoxicating. Zig had never felt this way about any girl before. He had loved her for so long when they were niners, and he still loved her, without a doubt – but something seismic happened over the summer. They grew so far apart so quickly, and Maya knew so little about Zig's life now that he wanted to scream. But then she would smile, and he could feel his anger melt away.

Zig looked up from the bed at the closed door. He thought he had heard someone knocking softly. He let his head drop back down to the mattress, convincing himself his was just imagining things he wanted to hear. There was no way Maya would want to talk to him right now, not after he laid all his cards on the table downstairs. He closed his eyes and a small smile played across his lips, remembering the look of shock in her bright eyes, the smell of her shampoo – it had been months since they had been close enough that he could smell her hair, and he was surprised at how comforting the smell was.

Knock knock knock.

Zig sat up. That was not his imagination. He covered the distance to the door in two steps and opened it to reveal Maya Matlin, that same look of shock in her eyes.

"I… hey…" Zig began. Maya walked into the room and turned around to face him. He took a step towards her, unsure what to say.

Maya closed the gap between them, reached her hands up to either side of Zig's face, pulled him down towards her, and kissed him.

There was a hunger behind the kiss that Zig hadn't experienced before. Kissing Tori had been nice but this… this was everything. Between their lips passed understanding, apology, remorse, and passion. Zig didn't want this to end, wanted to wind his fingers in her hair, wanted to throw her down on her sister's bed and cover her entire body with kisses. But instead he just wrapped his arms around Maya's waist, pulling her a little closer. He knew that if this was to be done right (and it had to be right; it had to be perfect), Maya had to be in control.

She broke away from him then, as though she could read his thoughts, and Zig was startled to see tears in her eyes. He opened his mouth to apologize, but she waved her hand, asking him to wait and let her speak first.

He sat down on the edge of the bed and took her hand, turning her to face him, their eyes level with each others'. Maya inhaled deeply, trying to master her breathing.

"I…" she began, and faltered. Zig waited. She tried again. "I'm so sorry. You said you'd wait. You told me you liked me, and that you'd wait until I was ready, and then I just… I just left you!" Tears had started to fall now.

"It's oka-" Zig started, but Maya's hand flew up again, and he stopped.

"It's not okay!" Maya exclaimed, "Not at all! You were my best friend and you cared about me, and I just went to Paris and got caught up with all that Zoe and Miles bullshit!" She sniffed loudly, looking at the floor. "And when I came back, something had happened. Something changed you, and there was this… this gulf between us, and I didn't think I could cross it, so I…" Maya drifted off, seemingly unaware of how to describe her behavior. "So I let it get worse, because it that was easy. I could have tried talking to you, or finding out what happened, but that would have meant admitting I had done something wrong, and I didn't want to do that. I was selfish, and I hurt you, and I'm so, so sorry."

Zig looked at her. She had stopped crying, and was now looking at him with such intensity he thought he would melt. She had verbalized everything he had held against her for the past seven months, and he found himself without any resentment.

"I accept your apology," he said solemnly, taking both her hands in his. "I just wish you had realized all this earlier. It's sucked not having you around this year."

Maya took a step closer to the bed, standing between his knees. "I'm here now." She leaned in to kiss him again, and Zig turned his head away.

"What?" Maya asked, concern twisting her features. "Am I too late? Did I wait too long?"

"No, Maya," Zig said, "You took the time you needed. That's fine. But I don't want to break the rules."

Maya dropped Zig's hands and crossed to the door, shutting it softly. "There. My parents are asleep. They won't hear us."

Zig shook his head slowly. "Not that."

"Then what's wrong?"

"Miles."

Maya looked at Zig a long moment, then sat down next to him on the bed. She didn't say anything, but slowly rested her head on Zig's shoulder.

"You have a boyfriend," Zig said softly, trying to ignore how his stomach was doing flip-flops. "If this is going to happen - if "us" is going to happen, I want it to be right. I don't want to make you be a cheater, Maya." He lifted her chin up and faced her, looking into her deep blue eyes. "You're too special for that."

Maya wrapped her arms around Zig, hugging him close. "I've waited this long," he murmured, "I can wait a little longer."

Maya pulled away. "Not very. I'll see him tomorrow." She shook her head sadly. "He's not the person I thought he was."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, I'll be fine. I owe it to him to go by myself." Maya stood up and took a step towards the door. "I guess I should go to bed." She didn't move.

Zig nodded slowly. "Guess so…" he said. He knew she must be exhausted, but didn't want her to leave.

"I don't want to leave," Maya admitted, again mirroring Zig's thoughts with her own. "Can I…?" The half-formed question hung between them.

"Yeah!" Zig exclaimed, smiling. The thought of just sleeping in the same bed as Maya caused a rush of warmth to pass over Zig's body. "Yeah, of course. You might not be that comfortable, though…" he warned.

"Why? Is Katie's mattress that bad?"

"No, it's just…" Zig looked pointedly at Maya's body. She was still wearing her semi-formal dress.

"Oh!" Maya looked down at herself, then cast a glance at Zig's duffel bag sitting on Katie's desk. "Do you maybe have something I can borrow?"

"Why don't you-" Zig started, then caught himself. He was going to point out her own pajamas were right down the hall, but he realized just how badly Maya wanted to stay in the room. It was as though a spell has been cast between them, and opening the door might break the magic. He nodded, crossing to the bag and pulling out some sweatpants and a clean t-shirt.

"Here," he held them out to Maya. "I'll just…" he motioned to the nearest corner, "…over there." As he turned to face the wall he heard a soft giggle. He started to look at Maya to ask what was so funny, but the sound of her zipper made him direct his eyes back to the wall. He had to do this right, difficult though it was.

"All set," came Maya's voice, and Zig turned around. She looked ridiculous in his clothes, the pants legs pooling around her feet. He smiled, and she smiled back, and his heart did a cartwheel. This was actually happening. After seven months of trying to push Maya as far away from him as possible, she was right here in his bedroom. Zig crossed to the bed and pulled down the covers, sliding in.

"Don't you want to change?" asked Maya, crossing next to the bed.

"No, this is fine," he replied, not wanting to tell Maya he usually slept in just his boxers. That didn't seem appropriate, and she was wearing his only pair of sweatpants. He'd be fine in his jeans.

"Don't be silly," she said, "your shirt will get wrinkled." Zig realized his was still wearing the button-down from the dance. Maya climbed onto the bed, kneeling next to him. She smiled at him again. "Let me help."

Zig swallowed hard and closed his eyes as Maya began to undo the buttons of his shirt, trying to master his impulses Her fingers danced across his chest leaving fiery traces in their wake, and her hands brushed against his shoulders as she pushed the shirt down his arms, sending chills up his spine.

"Maya…" he whispered, and opened his eyes. Their eyes locked, and suddenly her mouth was on his again, pressing, yearning for more. Maya lifted a leg and brought it to the other side of Zig's lap so she straddled him, never breaking the connection. It seemed that Maya was trying to make up for the last seven months in one kiss' worth of passion, her hands working up the back of his neck into his hair.

Zig pulled his wrists free of the shirt and threw it across the room. He sat up, bringing their bodies closer together, his hands traveling up Maya's spine. She shivered, inadvertently grinding into Zig's lap. He felt a sudden rush of blood and had the impulse to throw Maya off him so she wouldn't feel his erection between their clothes.

He could feel her lips smiling against his, though. She had felt it, and hadn't minded. If anything, she was kissing him with even more hunger now, and Zig was only too happy to reciprocate. Her hands tugged at the hem of his undershirt, and he obligingly lifted his arms to allow Maya to pull it over his head and cast it aside, their lips parting momentarily only to meet again once the shirt had cleared his head. His hands came to rest at Maya's waist underneath her t-shirt, and he fought his impulse to move them higher on her body.

Maya caught his lower lip in her mouth, sucking softly. A moan escaped from Zig and he closed his eyes. This was heaven, but it was too much. It wasn't supposed to be like this, impulsive and careless. Zig knew what he wanted with Maya; had known it for over a year, and it wasn't supposed to be a wild scramble, trying to accomplish as much as possible before they were caught or had a change in heart.

He felt Maya's hands move down to his pants' zipper, and he caught her wrists.

"Hang on," he murmured against her lips, and she sat back, frowning.

"What's wrong?" she asked, "Do you not like it?"

"No," Zig replied quickly, "This is wonderful." He looked at her, taking in her flushed cheeks and swollen lips. "You're wonderful," he added.

Maya smiled seductively. "Than what's the problem…?" The question trailed off into a whisper as she leaned in for another kiss. Zig tilted his head to the side and heard Maya's head softly 'thud' against the headboard.

"The problem," he began, placing a soft peck on the red spot on her forehead, "is that we…" he faltered, trying to verbalize his feelings without revealing their full intensity, for fear of scaring her off. He began again. "I don't want us to be rushed, or hurried, Maya. I really like you, and if this is going to happen, I want to do it right."

Maya looked into his eyes, and he could feel her trying to read something hidden behind his words. He knew she wouldn't find anything, though. For the first time since she came back from Paris, he was being completely and totally open with her.

"I understand," she said, and slid off his lap onto the bed. "You're right."

Zig brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "You're incredible," he said, "You know that, right?"

Maya looked down, blushing. "We should go to bed," she said. "If we keep talking…" Her hands rolled over each other, implying that if they stayed up they would go right back to making out.

Zig nodded, scooting down on the mattress. He lay on his back, and held out his arm so Maya could lie down with his arm around her. She did, nuzzling against his chest once. Zig kissed the top of her head, again breathing in the scent of her shampoo. She exhaled contentedly, snuggling deeper into his side, one hand on his stomach. Zig worked to steady his breathing, trying to come down from his emotional high. This evening had been absolutely perfect. He replayed the night's events in his mind as he fought against sleep, not wanting to surrender the night to a new day. There was magic in the room, and he hoped that the dawn of morning wouldn't break the spell.