The day passed in silence for them, an awkward, palpable silence Ike found himself wanting to break but unable to figure out how. On the drive back to her mansion he kept stealing glances at her, annoyed to see her on her phone constantly texting. He wanted to broach the topic of what happened earlier, but found himself tongue tied even as he slowed the car in front of the mansion. He put the car in park and reached for the handle, silently willing her to look up from her phone. She didn't and he let out a growl as he opened the door and slammed it with more intensity than necessary. He went to her door and opened it, her sending off a text before she got out, eyes not leaving the screen on her phone.

"I'll need you to drive me back into town for the evening," she said, eyes still on her phone.

"What for?" he asked and she looked up at him, her mask not quite hiding the hurt in her eyes.

"A date," she said and Ike let out a humorless chuckle.

"Yeah?"

"Indeed, not that it's any of your business," she said and began clicking up the steps to her front door. Ike watched her, annoyance boiling his blood until he stalked up after her, catching the door as she tried to shut it. "Ike-"

"Cancel your date," he growled, pushing himself into the front hall and slamming the door behind him.

"Excuse me?" she scoffed. "I'll do no such thing I-" he stepped right up to her, her words freezing on her tongue.

"You're not going anywhere, and neither am I," he growled out, his hands taking her face with a gentleness that belied his tone. "If you want me gone then you're going to have to fire me. Say the words and you'll never see me again." He paused, taking a breath as he watched panic flicker across her face. "Do you want me to go?"

"No," she whispered.

"Do you want to go on your date?"

"No," she whispered, looking down from his intense eyes.

"Zelda," he said her name gently, making her look up at him again, "stay in with me. We'll watch a movie, I'll stay the night... whatever you want."

"I want," she took a shuddering breath and Ike leaned his lips to hers. The kiss was soft and gentle, encouraging and sweet. He pulled back and she leaned against him heavily. "I have no one Ike. Everyone leaves me. My parents died, my brother and I are barely speaking, every boyfriend cheats on me..."

"Hey hey hey," Ike pulled her face from his chest and kissed away the frown forming on her lips. "I'm a stubborn son of a bitch to get rid of," she smiled slightly at his words and he grinned. "I've seen you at your worst, I've seen you cry, and I'm not going anywhere."

"I don't deserve this," she mumbled and Ike let out a chuckle.

"You're right," he said and she looked up at him quickly. "You deserve the world, I'm the only one who sees it and is crazy enough to try." A smile spread across her lips and he stepped back from their embrace. "Let me go put the car in the garage and I'll be right back okay?" He watched her nod slightly and he turned to go, a weight lifted off his chest.

XxX

That night found Ike holding Zelda on the couch, his arms around her as she laid on top of him. Her head was on his chest, her eyes focused on the screen as the black and white movie played on. Ike turned his eyes from the billionaire in his arms to see Humphrey Bogart turn from the plane taking off down the runway, the love of his character's life flying away with another man.

"Why'd he let her go?!" Zelda gasped in horror and Ike chuckled.

"Because she was safer with him," he said with a shrug. "He loved her enough to let her go." Zelda's arms tightened around him and Ike looked to her, realizing that a movie about letting go probably wasn't the best idea. "Don't worry Zelda," he said in a teasing tone, "I don't love you that much." He snapped his mouth shut at the end of his words, realizing without having meant to what he said. She looked up at him and, as cheesy as the moment was with the movie's music swelling in a grand crescendo, he realized he meant it.

"Promise to never love me that much," she said and he grinned, relief flooding through him at her vague acceptance of his words.

"Don't worry kid," he said in his best Bogart impression. She rolled her eyes and he nodded to the screen. "Want to watch another?"

"Actually," she stretched and looked up at him, Ike grinning at the mischievous glint in her eyes, "I was hoping to go to bed... maybe finish what we started earlier?"

"I told you," Ike said lowly, pulling her up to his face, eliciting a squeak of shock from her, "that it's give and take."

"What does that even mean?" she asked boldly, Ike grinning like a chesire cat.

"That you better be ready for more than that," he said and gripped her hips, bucking his to add emphasis to his words.

"I think I'll be ready," she said, a blush crawling up her cheeks he was beginning to like putting there.

"I have one condition though," he said quickly, stopping her from getting off of him.

"What's that?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm not a casual fuck kind of guy," he said, hoping she'd understand and agree. "I don't want this if it's going to be one and done. I want you, more than I should admit, but I will not if that's all you want."

"It's not," she whispered and he grinned.

"Then come on," he said, standing up and scooping her into his arms. She laughed, laying her head against his chest as they went down the hallway.

XxX

Ike sat on Zelda's bed, watching with growing impatience as she removed her shirt, one dainty button at a time. He growled and grabbed her hips, pulling her to him before gripping the fabric and ripping it open. Pearlescent buttons fell down in a light shower, Ike ignoring her shocked expression as he pulled the shirt from her body. He tossed it aside and saw the nervous blush spreading from the tips of her ears to almost bare chest. "I'm impatient," he explained, a grin growing on his lips as he pulled her to the bed.

He eased her onto the mattress, kissing away the self conscious scowl trying to form on her lips. She gave in, melting into the kiss as his hands went to work on undoing her skirt that was obnoxiously tight and in the way of his goal. Soon her clothes joined his on the floor, him not letting go of her for a second, even as he sat back to just stare at the perfection that surprisingly wanted him.

"What are you waiting for?" she asked and with a devilish smirk he pounced.

XxX

Ike laid there next to Zelda in the darkened room, running a hand over her curves gently as she looked up at him. Through the dim light seeping in from the window he saw her expression, full of happiness and tinged with worry. "Don't make that face," he whispered between them. "I'll be right here all night."

XxX

Ike hated her alarm clock as it roughly pulled him from sleep again. The obnoxious beeping made him send a glare it's way as he pulled himself from Zelda's waking arms to shut it off. There, half over her, he felt her hands touch his stomach, blindly searching for more under the thin sheet. He chuckled as he laid down, her immediately burying her face in his chest.

"I really don't want to go to that meeting," she mumbled and he chuckled, running a hand down her bare back and loving when she shuddered.

"I'll get the car," he said and she let out a light chuckle as she looked up at him.

"I'm not giving you a raise just because I'm sleeping with you," she said and he laughed, bringing his face to hers for a brief kiss.

"That's fine, I think I can live with that," he said as he laid back on the pillows, her laying her head on his chest again. A moment of silence stretched between them, him content to stay there all day. After a moment she sat up, Ike watching her pull the sheet around her tightly. "Now you're going to be self conscious? Really?" he teased as he tugged the silky material from her fingers. "At least let a guy enjoy the show of you getting out of bed."

She rolled her eyes in response as she got up, her hips swaying as she walked to the bathroom. "Join me," it was a command, and Ike smirked as he got up to follow.

XXX

My phone about threw a fit when I tried to upload this as one long oneshot, so I had to break it up which ended up being a good thing because I got more feedback! Yay for reviews! And a special thanks to my reviewers: Purple Mercenary, Paradigm of Writing, Kumakuma-da, the guests HelloIAmMomo and Douchemoe (thank you babe you made me laugh you dork. I love you). Let me know what you think with this final part! Much love, Leigh