A/n: And...I'm back! That sure took forever. Thank you to all who remained by my side through these trying times that I call my life. My laptop basically broke; to replace the DC power jack, I had to get a new motherboard as well, and if there's any nerds reading this, you know that its the most essential part of a computer/laptop. Its costs a lot as well. So I decided to buy a new laptop instead! Yay for having a job so that I can actually pay for expensive things, huh?

Anyway, I wrote this chapter mostly in a notebook. Can you say hand cramps? Ugh, it felt like school. But I got it done! So I hope everyone enjoys the highly anticpated installment of LIA!

Reviews are welcomed as always!

Chapter Five: Heaven Can Wait

"Heaven can wait up high in the sky, it's you and I. Heaven can wait deep down in your eyes, I'm yours tonight. Lay your heart next to mine, I feel so alive. Tell me you want me to stay forever, 'cause heaven can wait,"-Heaven Can Wait, We the Kings.

When Yvonne awoke later that morning, the other side of the bed was cold. Blue eyes parted with gradual slowness; a digital clock flashed the time. It was a little after noon. The entire room was now drenched in midday radiance, gold dust swirling in suspended air. Sunlight leaked through the open blinds and enveloped her with a welcoming heat. She squinted from the harsh rays, her fingers blindly stretching out to seek Zac's warmth, but only found the soft, silken canvas cover of the mattress instead.

She was roused by his sudden disappearance. Propping herself up on both elbows, her eyes darted frantically across the bedroom to no avail. There was not the slightest hint of Zac ever being there, and like waking from a fantastical dream, he'd vanish into nothingness.

Yvonne felt her heart sink.

He was gone.

His presence continued to linger, providing a sense of security she lacked since moving from her home in Australia to the United States. Yvonne remembered how Zac's genuine kindness had single-handedly assuaged all her worries of being a tourist in a foreign land. She would go as far as to admit that he was one of the major driving forces that had pushed her to become a much better actress (and person), always having her back even when facing the unknown. Zac had turned into more than just an amiable co-star or peer. He was her confidant, friend. Through the years of being on the set of Chuck, off or on-screen, they developed a profound bond; sharing ideas, inside jokes and beliefs that all came without the risk of judgment or contempt. Being anywhere with Zac was to be treasured…it overwhelmed her with happiness.

Yvonne soon called him family, but sometimes she thought it was too casual of a word for what Zac truly meant to her. A pang of longing shot through her chest. If only he had stayed for the morning, or at least long enough to give her the satisfaction of a heartfelt goodbye. But of course, it was better that he left. She did not want their budding relationship to be threatened by her reliance on Zac, like it had been with Tim. He would not become a crutch for her insecurities. Zac did not deserve superficiality. He was special, one of a kind. And because of this, she could not help but to miss him. Being alone with his scent still pressed into the linens made her feel intensely vulnerable. She wondered if Zac, at home and surrounded by his friends, family and whoever else, missed her at all?

The question went unanswered as expected. With a loud sigh, Yvonne flopped back onto the bed and curled up onto her side, cocooned in the sheets tossed over her naked body. She tried to fall asleep again, not wanting to face the remainder of the day, but failed miserably. Her mind whirled with memories from the night before. She picked out one memory in particular, where Zac confessed his love; shrouded in darkness while the storm raged on outside. But then the scene changed to early dawn, the sun rising as he gave her the laziest of smiles and then she'd return it without hesitation.

This led her to contemplate the inevitable. What she had with Tim and what she presently had with Zac. How she questioned Tim's action and motives, while she never doubted the latter's. It was not a fair comparison really. She and Tim were thrown together by a mutual need to survive in a world paved by broken dreams; Hollywood. But she and Zac had met in that very same world, under completely different circumstances, creating an honest trust that was so organic, it lasted through both the good and the bad. How could she have possibly ignored that sort of undeniable connection for so long?

Oblivious. That's the first word Yvonne could think of to describe her foolish behavior. She had been blissfully unobservant, absorbed with fame and whatnot to see beyond her acting career, to see what really mattered.

Zac.

He dropped all pretences to declare his love.

She had retained silence until it was almost too late.

But they endured countless mistakes, blunders, and all of their faults for it to not end in vain. Yvonne ached for Zac, but knew one more misstep would do no harm. She'd wait for him like he waited for her these past four years.

Suddenly, a cacophony of pots and pans echoed outside the bedroom and startled Yvonne from her thoughts. She bolted upright in alarm; hastily securing a blanket around her naked body, and then began to gingerly tiptoe across the hardwood floor towards the door. She cautiously leaned against the partition, looking through a tiny crevice. While it was impossible to discern much of anything, the harsh noise resumed along with the addition of what smelt like burnt food.

Yvonne furrowed her brows. She chanced at prying the door further ajar; hands clasped on the wooden frame, her curiosity was satisfied when seeing that the entire kitchen was in shambles. It appeared as though a tornado hit. Her breath hitched, eyes widening in horror.

Warning bells went off in her head. Oh no, oh no! Please don't say I was robbed! Or was it the raccoons again? How did they get inside the apartment?

Whether the intruders were human or rabies-infested critters, Yvonne was ready to get the baseball bat she kept hidden beneath the bed for such occasions. Just as she made her first step backwards, she halted once hearing the utterance of another voice. Her frown deepend into focus, listening intently.

To her surprise, whoever was in the midst of ransacking her apartment, they were undoubtedly humming. It was pure; a rich harmony that had Yvonne captivated by its loveliness. It was distinctively familar. The tone dark, but sweet like honey.

"-And this could be good. It's already better than that."

The hum was replaced with song and her confusion became recognition. Yvonne felt a smile playing on her lips while the melody soothed her senses. It all made perfect sense. There was a relief from the tightness in her chest, causing Yvonne to bounce on her heels with excitement.

He's making breakfast, Yvonne recalled the conversation they had hours earlier, and then she repeated with glee, He's making me breakfast! It was true. Zac had never left at all, and it nearly humiliated her for suggesting otherwise.

"And nothing's worse than knowing you're holding back…" Yvonne overheard him sing and butterflies filled her stomach. She was always fond of Zac's aptitude for music. When they were in-between scenes, or just relaxing during a long day of shooting, he would treat the cast and crew to his random outbursts of song. When Zac would sing, Yvonne would fall silent and listen to him. His voice was beautifully sublime; high and clear, brimming with so much life that no one knew whether they should be laughing or crying.

And she could not understand why Zac was so adamant to object in lending his talents to Chuck, just once. His position was unwavering, but Yvonne promised that one day he'd concede. Her constant pestering became an ongoing joke between the two of them.

"I could be all that you need," he sang. "If you let me try."

She caught a glimpse of Zac shuffling around the kitchen, his back facing her. For a few moments, Yvonne just watched him move aimlessly about. She ignored that the counters and floor were a sticky mess; pancake batter, flour and grease spilling over the tiles. Chazzy and Willy were circling the kitchen like a pair of hungry sharks, ready for Zac to accidently drop something. But when he finally turned,Yvonne gawked; jaw dropping and heart pattering into oblivion. His deliciously tousled hair was still ruffled from their morning activities. A pair of black-rimmed glasses sat perched on the tip of his nose. His chocolate eyes were magnified by the lenses, bringing out the flecks of gold in both irises. His face was unshaven, sprinkled with stubble. And he wore absolutely nothing but the navy blue jeans that hung so outrageously low on his hips. Zac's appearance initially gave Yvonne the mental image of pornstar preparing to shoot a snuff film. But upon closer inspection, he was only a man who recently rolled out of bed. Regardless, she felt herself unconsciously drift forward, like a magnet drawn to its opposite, craving for more.

Zac held a spatula in hand (She idly wondered where he kept finding all her things.) and flipped a deformed pancake. "You set it again, my heart's in motion. Every word feels like a shooting star. I'm at the edge of my emotions, watching the shadows burn in the dark…"

He lifted the spatula to his lips like it were a microphone, "And I'm in love," He professed, unaware that he was inadvertently serenading Yvonne. "And I'm terrified, for the first time and the last time, in my only…life."

Go take a shower before he catches you eavesdropping on him like a total creep, a new voice, probably her conscience nagged insistently. Yvonne huffed, but managed to regain the self-control allotted to uproot from her spot and drag herself towards the bathroom in a hurry.

She wordlessly let the blanket pool at her feet, then stepped inside the glass-encased shower. Humming under her breath, Yvonne closed her eyes, feeling the water sink into her skin like summer rain. As she began washing herself, she mulled over a way to surprise Zac, to really get his attention. It would happen during breakfast. She smiled as the beginnings of an idea took form. While enjoying the sound of rushing water, somehow Yvonne could hear Zac's voice still breathing through the apartment walls, following her like a siren's song.

Her body convulsed into shivers of delight.

Yvonne sighed with frustration. God damn him.

The shower went on longer than originally anticipated, and Zac was solely to blame for the delay. It was now the latter half of noon; Yvonne had dried off her body, wringing her hair and then adorned a silk purple robe.

She heard a rapping on her bedroom door and knew it was probably Zac. Tucking a few loose strands behind her ears, she shot the mirror her best flirtaious smile before calling out, "I'll be there in a minute!"

Not a minute later, Yvonne crossed into the kitchen with only one thing on her mind, and it was not breakfast. Zac was too busy scooping food onto her plate to see Yvonne slinking up behind him, circling her arms around his waist. His body froze, almost dropping the dish into the sink. He steadied himself, muscles relaxing as he glanced over his shoulder to find her smiling at him.

"How long have you been up?" He asked casually, handing her the plate while beginning to work on preparing his own meal.

Yvonne stared at the food: two chocolate chip pancakes drizzled in syrup, a couple strips of bacon, links of sausage, and scrambled eggs. While it smelt positively amazing, she placed it in the middle of the island counter for later.

"Not very long," she answered. Zac was loading up his plate with twice the amount he gave her. Yvonne rolled her eyes; his appetite was sometimes astounding. Nevertheless, she patiently waited for him to finish. "I just took a quick shower, that's all. I think you could use one too."

Zac chuckled. "I'd have to agree with you. I honestly did not mean to destroy your kitchen, but I get excited about my foods."

She loosened the ties of her robe, "There's no harm done, we'll clean it up later."

After he finished drowning his entire plate with maple syrup, Zac turned to face Yvonne. She was leaning against the counter, disrobed and completely naked. Zac did drop the plate this time, as well as his mouth as they both hit the floor in shock. He was frozen; too stunned to touch her, but taking every inch of it with his eyes.

"Uh…"he stammered, uncertain. "What are you doing?"

"What do you think I'm doing?"

Zac averted his gaze and muttered. "I broke your plate…"

She grabbed Zac by the arm and yanked him foward. He stepped over the broken shards of the expensive china, looking at Yvonne with his face burning scarlet. He was likely embarrassed from the mess he made, and the fact a naked goddess was practically throwing herself at him was not helping matters either.

She instructed him like a mother to her child. "Forget the plate, Zac."

"Forget the plate…?" It sounded like such a foreign concept to him. He looked absolutely dumbstruck. "But-"

Now she was getting impatient. "Forget the plate, and kiss me."

Before he could protest with another lame excuse, Yvonne silenced Zac with a searing kiss. She traced her tongue across his lips, tasting maple syrup while demanding further entrance. Her fervor did not go unnoticed; Zac snapped out of his stupor and attacked her with such passion that it rendered her breathless. Their mouths glued together, they began fighting for dominance. In their scuffle, Zac lost his glasses as he placed his hand on the small of her back and then proceeded to push Yvonne against the island. Her back arched at his touch and when coming into contact with the marble granite. It was cold and slick, lathered with a sticky substance. Her face contorted in dismay, and Zac broke the kiss.

"What's wrong?" he asked, head tilted.

She lifted off the countertop, feeling as her skin peeled from the hard surface. Zac traded glances with her, his eyes glinting with amusement.

He joked. "I guess you'll be joining me in the shower later?"

Yvonne looked at him mischievously. Before he could react, she swiped a hand for the syrup bottle and then squeezed. The contents hit its mark and Zac was covered in the caramel goo. His lips pursed to convey his discomfort while she remained smug.

The awkward silence erupted into laughter. Yvonne oggled Zac with confusion, but in an instant she too began giggling madly. He was contagious. With tears in her eyes, she saw that Zac was prodding the syrup bottle with his fingers and she quickly braced herself for retaliation.

Instead, she felt the syrup drizzle across her naked form, beginning from her collarbone down to her thighs. Yvonne's brows furrowed; cracking an eye open, she watched Zac taking his time as he let the liquid drip onto her bare skin like he were some kind of artist.

"Zac, no!" She yelped, suddenly resisting. Each protest was afflicted with a heavier Australian accent. "Please, naeiou, naeiou, naeiou!"

He briefly assessed his masterpiece before casting the bottle aside. Yvonne heaved a sigh, but her moment of peace was short lived as Zac began to cop a feel. He started at the knee, his hand sliding from her thigh to cup her bottom. With a squeeze, he bent forward, nuzzling against her neck. Yvonne's breath shortened; Zac nipped her skin, following the trail of syrup to the valley of her breasts.

She inhaled sharply as he hoisted her onto the countertop, then taking a hardened nipple into his mouth while massaging the other with a free hand. Yvonne gasped his name, startling both the dogs that have been waiting by the kitchen like scavengers. They scampered off in fear. Zac hummed with content. He kept teasing her breasts, lightly scraping his teeth across the tender flesh and sucking on it.

As he gave her other breast the same treatment, Zac descended down Yvonne. He held her writhing form steady when first dipping his tongue inside her navel. She became irresistibly tense; feeling him swirl around her folds, she grabbed a handful of his curls and tugged. If this caused him any pain, Zac did not show it. He was too consumed with Yvonne, feeling her desperation for pleasure as he did everything possible to make her cry in ecstasy. He tasted her sweet juices flowing, mixing seamlessly with the syrup. And as she shudderd around him, that's when he knew she was ready. Zac lifted his chin, dark eyes meeting her hazy blue.

"Is this what you wanted?" He asked Yvonne in a soft whisper. Her legs quivered, yearning again for his touch. The pressure between her legs blossomed, desperate for relief. "Haven't you had enough already?" Zac went on to say, "I was starting to wonder if I somehow put you into a coma…"

"You're...obviously giving yourself... too much credit," she tried a clever retort, "Don't get cocky..."

"Cocky? Who me?" Zac said innocently as he stared up at her gorgeous body. "There's a fine line between cocky and confident, you know."

She groaned in exasperation. "Why are you torturing me? Is this part of your plan? To make me spontaneously combust? What did I do to deserve this?"

"Well for starters, you can tell me why you were eavesdropping on me earlier this morning."

Yvonne blushed. "W-what are you even talking about?"

"I'm not that oblivious." He said, leanding foward with a hand still resting on the inside her thigh. "I saw you peaking through the door, like you were spying on me or something." Yvonne noted the playfulness in his tone and swallowed thickly. "Which of course was unavoidable. I know how you get when I sing…"

She concluded that Zac had sang so obnoxiously just to draw her out to investigate. "How do I get exactly?"

A finger slipped inside her without warning. He rubbed slow ministrations and crooned softly. "I've got you under my skin…I've got you deep in the heart of me. So deep in my heart, that you're really a part of me." The intensity in his eyes and voice (followed by a simultaneous flick of a fingertip against her clit) caused Yvonne to see stars. Zac was smirking, "I've got you under my skin…"

He hovered over her while she panted wildly. "And that's how you get."

"Fine, fine you win!" Yvonne almost shouted. "Now will you just take off those stupid jeans before I rip them apart myself?"

Zac hastened to obey. "I don't think we need any more causalities this early in the day," he remarked, to which Yvonne agreed by grabbing a hold of his face and bringing their lips together in a smoldering kiss that might've made the whole ground shake beneath them.

While their mouths were linked for a never ending battle of control, they found themselves both on top of the counter with Zac pinned on top of Yvonne, his member standing tall and ready for her. He did not hesitate to penatrate deep into her wetness; thrusting immediately as one hand started manipulating her breasts, while the other had its thumb against her clit, trying to coax Yvonne to another of her many releases. Their eyes locked the instant that each other's muscles clenched, lacking any semblence of restraint, sending them to the brink. Zac gave one last upstroke before collapsing. He lay resting on top of Yvonne; both recuperating as they rode out the last of their respective orgasms.

"I think now would be a good time for that shower," said Zac as carefully rolled off Yvonne, sitting cross-legged on top of the counter. She nodded in agreement as their bodies were drenched in sweat, syrup and whatever else.

"I forgot to ask you something," she told him and Zac gave her a confused look. "Why did you decide to stay, honestly? Don't say you rescheduled again because of me."

He shrugged. "What can I say, you have this effect on me."

"That's your best excuse?"

"Was it not as elaborate as you thought it'd be?"

"No, it's just…" She sighed. "I don't want you to give up the life you had before me."

Zac climbed off the countertop, saying nothing, but when he opened his arms, there was no deliberation for Yvonne resist him. His body had become familiar to her: the way it moved, its smell of his cologne, and even the sound of his heart beating with hers in unison. This was the first time she really felt it, lean hard-muscled against her own.

"Listen," he said. "I'll give up anything for you, Yvonne. It's not your choice to make, it's mine. And besides, I think that ship had sailed a long time ago."

She smiled despite all her guilt. Circling her arms around his neck, she buried her face into the crook of his shoulder, feeling him lift her up and carry them back towards her bedroom. The day was already half over and there was still so much left to accomplish. The kitchen resembled a war zone and needed to be cleaned immediately, grocery shopping was on her long list of things to do as well. And on top of that, calling Tim was top priority. Her head was so full of thoughts that it made her dizzy.

"Sweetheart, I think your phone is ringing," Zac returned her to the present with a kiss on top of the head.

Yvonne mumbled, "Just let it go to voice mail." She placed a kiss of her own on his chest.

But he dismissed the suggestion and picked up the Iphone from off the nightstand, placing it where it could rest on her cheek. Groaning, she answered. "Hello…?"

"Yvonne, why haven't you been answering my calls?"

It was Tim, again.

"I've been asleep," she half-lied. "How many times have you called me?"

Zac whispered into her ear. "Fifteen calls, seven voicemails, and eleven text messages."

"Who was that talking to you just now?" Tim asked suspiciously. "It sounded like a guy, but I thought you just said you've been asleep?"

Yvonne wished she could be sleeping, but hanging up on Tim was rude thing to do, so she grudgingly stayed on the line. "It was a guy," she admitted tiredly. "Tim, we need to talk-"

And talked they did.

The call ended with Yvonne chucking the phone and not caring where it landed. She was currently strewn across Zac's lap; he absently stroked her hair. "So," he asked curiously. "How did it go?"

"Not as expected…"

"What does that mean?"

"Tim dumped me."

Zac looked down at her in disbelief. "Are you kidding? How is that even possible?"

"I guess there's some rumors circulating the internet about me seeing someone else," she replied with a yawn. Zac still was confused. "The tabloids are convinced that I'm dating some guy named Zachary Levi."

His eyes grew twice in size. "Oh fuck me…"

"That's what they said too," Yvonne joked but he did not seem to think it was very funny. "Anyway, Tim was convinced that TMZ was accurate on their assumption about us. So he's done with me, moving onto bigger and better things I suppose…"

"And, you're ok with this?"

"Ok with what?" She asked, "Tim and I being over with, or the entire entertainment industry trying to figure out our love life?"

Zac did not know how to answer this. He chewed on his bottom lip, suddenly deep in thought.

She continued. "Tim was a huge part of my life, but I think I'll manage without him, but, we need to begin strategizing for how we're going to face the press. I don't want it to blow up in our faces."

"It won't, I promise."

They traded brief glances; Zac hulling her to the bathroom. When standing opposite of the other, Yvonne crossed both arms over her breasts. She raised a brow, "What are you planning?"

Zac tossed her a knowing smirk. "If I tell you, i'd have to kill you."

"How about you explain in the shower?"

"I say that's a fair compromise."

And in a heartbeat, they darted into the stall like a pair of teenagers.

They had a future to discuss.

A/n: That was longer than expected. But I owed you guys anyway, so there's my justification for the length of the chapter. Chapter Six will revolve around how Zac and Yvonne "come out" to the public as a real couple, that and of course, the highly anticipated appearance of Zac's mohawk. Yep, that's all on the way!

1. The first song Zac sings is Terrified by Katherine McPhee & Zachary Levi.

2. The second song is Under my Skin, by Frank Sinatra, which is another song that Zac did a cover for during his trip to NYC.