Hello friends!

A while ago I wrote quite a few oneshots about my favorite love interest from The Freshman/The Sophomore, Zig. I took a hiatus from the game for almost a year and have now returned with a desire to keep playing that series and I can already feel renewed writing fire igniting inside me! Yippee! I also have a lot of catching up to do as they have finished the book I was in and added two more since I've been gone.

Anyway, this was one I wrote at the end of The Freshman Book 3 after we discovered that Zig had gotten accepted into Hartfeld University. It's one of many I wrote back then because that was such an exciting time to be a Zig fan! So, keep reading and I hope you enjoy!

It was a warm, clear day but she wasn't going to be able to enjoy it. She gazed briefly out the window in disdain before turning back to the computer screen.

She sighed in frustration as she continued typing, finding herself deleting and rewriting the same line over and over. This novel was going to be the death of her. She loved Professor Vasquez dearly and missed him just as much. But part of her still couldn't believe he'd tasked her with finishing his book.

One more paragraph…just one more was all she needed. Then she would be ready for her next meeting with Professor Atiyah. She would also be free to call up Zig before he had to head to work.

Things had been going well between the two of them since they'd started dating a month ago. He was the most attentive guy she'd ever been with. He always seemed to be able to tell when she was feeling down or frustrated and knew exactly what to do to cheer her up. He regularly brought her coffee and little baked goods from work. He'd learned quickly that the strawberry scones were her favorite and he made sure she stayed stocked up. A sly smile appeared as images of their last late night romp flashed through her mind. He was no slouch in bed either.

As if on cue, the door to Professor Vasquez' office opened and there stood her boyfriend, looking anxious and worried. She got to her feet, immediately coming toward him, an eyebrow raised in confusion.

"Hey, you. I didn't expect to see you here. Is everything okay?"

He hesitated before responding. "Yeah. I've just been…thinking about got a second?"

She nodded, trying to ignore the knots forming in her stomach. Her heart was pounding mercilessly in her chest. She'd never seen such uncertainty in his expression before. It was unnerving and she braced herself for bad news.

"Of course. What is it?"

He ran a hand through his hair and glanced down at the carpet before finally looking back up at her. "So, I was thinking about that scholarship. The one I helped Chris and Arjun with? I was thinking maybe I might go for it."

He still looked unsettled and she took both of his hands in hers, fighting the squeal threatening to break free from the back of her throat. "Are you serious?"

"I'm not totally sure but yeah, I'm thinking about it."

"That's great, Zig!" Her mouth split open onto a wide grin.

He nodded half-heartedly and her smile faltered. She led him to a couple of chairs across from the desk. Something was obviously bothering him and she intended to find out what it was.

"You don't seem at all excited about this," she observed.

He shrugged and blew out a frustrated breath. "I'm just…worried, I guess."

She squeezed his hands. "About trying?"

Another shrug. "Something like that. I've just spent a long time struggling to stay afloat. Every time an opportunity to do something better with my life came along, it was immediately squashed…sometimes because of my own screw ups and sometimes because of things I couldn't control. It was almost like some cruel joke."

She nodded sympathetically as he continued.

"Then I moved here and met you and you care about me just as much as my family does. In fact, you're the only girl I've ever dated who liked me for more than just the physical stuff. And on top of that, this scholarship appeared and I started to feel pressure because I don't want to disappoint you or my sisters or…"

"Yourself?" She finished for him.

He paused before giving one quick nod. She stroked his cheek tenderly with her thumb. "Hey, you know I want this for you. But, I'm not trying to make you do it. I'm happy you helped out Chris and Arjun with the initiative and everything else. You're a big reason this scholarship even exists now and it's going to help a lot of people. But you did that because I wanted you to. All I ask is that you do this now because you want to."

He gazed intently into her eyes before leaning in to kiss her softly. When they parted, he still had apprehension in his expression, but he appeared slightly less nervous. Still, he got to his feet and began pacing.

"I know. I just keep thinking I'll mess this up too or they'll just say no to me. I don't know if I can handle that…"

She stood, drawing him into a hug. She slipped her arms around his waist and snuggled into his chest. He rested his chin on her head, heaving a deep sigh as his arms nestled around her.

"I know this is scary and it's a big risk. But whatever you decide to do, I've got your back. Okay? No matter what, you're not alone, Zig."

He nodded again before leaning down and resting his forehead against hers. Momentarily they both looked into each other's eyes. He spoke first.

"Thanks. I'm grateful for you, you know that?"

She nodded, smirking. "As you should be. I'm a catch."

He chuckled at her teasing and she smiled. It was just the reaction she was hoping to get. Then he glanced at his phone screen. "My shift's starting soon. I'll call you when I'm off, okay?"

"Please do." She winked and he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before releasing her and disappearing out the door with a wave.

She collapsed back down in her chair at the desk, her fingertips at her temples. Everything inside of her wanted him to go for this. He'd been trying to hide it, but she knew just how badly he wanted to go to school. She'd seen him pausing to glance at textbooks in the bookstore whenever they stopped in. She'd noticed him eyeing the course catalog with a highlighter to mark classes he was interested in. It stung her to watch him shove down that desire and he seemed to be doing it to spare himself the disappointment and to avoid his own feelings. But that's not what she wanted for him. She would almost rather hear him yell or scream if it meant she got to see him express a genuine emotion about his future.

That's why she hadn't been fazed by his anger outburst in the cafe back when Chris and Arjun had first proposed this plan. Although she was upset to see him hurting, she was also happy to see the passion behind his anger. To know that he cared about more than just keeping her safe. That he was starting to consider caring about himself.

She returned back to her work, still with the image of his troubled look etched into her brain. She hoped he would decide to put himself first for once and go for this opportunity. She would be right there to help him with whatever he might need. But, as much as she wanted to talk him into it, she knew she would have to let him make this decision on his own.

~o0o~

Somehow, she found herself with a little alone time in the suite on a Saturday afternoon. All of her roommates were off hanging out with friends or each other and she was enjoying having the space to herself. Zig would be coming by any minute which would make her afternoon that much better.

She still couldn't help thinking back to the day they'd talked about the scholarship. It had been a couple of weeks now and she'd promised herself not bring it up but inside she was a ball of nerves. He'd been so conflicted and tense that day, she was positive he wasn't going to go for it. She knew the deadline was fast approaching and it took all of her willpower not to pester him about it. Everything would be fine in the end, whether he went to school now or not.

She heard a quick knock at the door and jumped up instantly. When she answered, Zig stood on the other side of the door, his signature smirk on his face. He looked so sexy and she'd been craving him for the past two days. Without a word, she yanked him through the doorway and slammed the door closed, locking it behind him. Then she grabbed the back of his head and pulled him toward her, causing their lips to crash together. She attacked him hungrily, her kisses moving from his top lip to the bottom one and back again. She was just beginning to deepen the kiss while slipping her hands underneath his shirt when he reluctantly pried himself away, flushed and breathless.

"Woah, hold up there, tiger!" He teased, his hands raising in mock defense. She narrowed her eyes at him and folded her arms.

"Seriously, Zig? I tell you we have the whole suite to ourselves and you don't want to do anything?!" She didn't even try to hide her frustration and he chuckled.

"Hey, relax. Of course I want to! I always want to. But I have something to show you first."

He pulled out his phone and opened up his email. He then scrolled to one particular message and held it out for her to see.

Dear Applicant,

We are writing to inform you that we have received your complete application package for the Second Chances academic scholarship. You will be notified as soon as selections for the upcoming school year have been we should need any additional information from you, we will contact you directly with….

There was more in the email but she could no longer concentrate on the words. She couldn't believe her eyes…he'd actually gone for the scholarship on his own! She shifted her gaze to his and held it for a moment, clearly seeing the excited glint in his eyes. Then she suddenly slammed into him, wrapping him up in a bear hug. He stumbled backward a few steps with the force of her embrace but quickly recovered, chuckling. She felt him stroke her back, giving her a small squeeze back.

"Oof! Hey, babe, could you loosen up a bit? I can't breathe."

After a moment, she pulled back, searching his eyes.

"So you did it, huh?"

He nodded sheepishly. "Yeah."

"Why didn't you tell me? I could've helped."

"I wasn't sure if I was going to go through with it. And when I finally decided to, I really wanted to do it on my own. I also thought it might make a nice surprise for you."

She grinned. "It's the best surprise ever. But, I have to say…after that conversation we had, you didn't seem like you were going to apply."

"Honestly, I really wasn't sure. It seemed like a long shot. I mean, why would they pick me? I still feel that way now but something in me just told me I need to stop wasting my time. This could be a new start for me. So I went with it."

She carefully placed her hand against his breast bone and slightly to the left, her fingers splayed out across his chest. "Sounds like you're finally listening to your heart."

He nodded, slipping one arm around her waist and pulling her close. He placed his other hand on top of the one she had near his heart and curled his fingers around her smaller ones.

"I already did it with you and that decision is turning out to be my best one yet. So I just hope I'm lucky enough to have it happen again."

Her face heated up instantly and she smiled. This time he leaned down toward her and gently pressed his lips to hers. He pulled back after a moment, his eyes finding hers again.

"Thanks for being there for me through this."

"Zig, you've been there for me since day one. It's the least I could do. And I really believe you can get this scholarship. So don't worry too much, okay?"

He smirked. "I'll try."

"How long until you hear back?"

He thought for a moment. "I think the email said they'll start notifying us in about a month or two."

"Alright. So we need to figure out a way to keep you occupied until then."

An intensity entered his gaze as he leaned down to gently kiss her neck. "I think you were on the right track earlier."

"Yeah?"

"Definitely."

He continued to work his way around with his kisses until he reached the other side of her neck, settling on an area between her jawline and earlobe. She felt her entire body shudder and a needy moan escaped her lips. Dammit, he knew exactly where her spots were.

"How much time do we have?" He murmured.

"A couple hours."

He nodded. "Perfect." Then, in one swift motion, he lifted her up easily, one arm at her back and the other behind her knees. He made a beeline for her room and she giggled as he attacked her neck with more playful kisses.

As much as she was ready for some one-on-one time with him, she couldn't help but think about how proud of him she was. He'd stepped far outside of his comfort zone to apply for this scholarship and she could only hope that his efforts would be rewarded.

But more importantly, he was finally going after his dream. She couldn't wait to be there by his side when he finally achieved it.