A/N: Thanks to those who continue to leave reviews - much appreciated :) Also, I recognise that not everybody likes the same characters or side pairings as I do myself, but hey, what makes us different makes us beautiful, right? ;)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 4

Even after all the trouble he went to in getting this weekend set up, there was a part of Wade that didn't quite believe it was going to happen. Sure, he had convinced his buddy to lend him the cabin, and convinced Wally to let him out of his shifts at the Rammer Jammer. He had also convinced Zoe that they deserved a weekend away alone together, and convinced Jonah to take point at the practice to make it all possible. It had been a lot of work, but the payoff would be pretty good, Wade was sure on that. As it turned out, this time, he was not destined to spend the night alone in a cold bed. This time, things actually did go according to the plan.

"Okay, door locked, cell phone off," Zoe confirmed, tossing it aside with the bags that Wade had just carried into the place. "It's just you and me, cowboy."

"I like the sound of that," he said, moving around the bed and reaching out for her.

Zoe went immediately into his arms, kissing him with a passion. "I seem to remember promising you a serious amount of sex to make up for abandoning you this past while."

"I seem to remember that too," he agreed, the only words he got out before she kissed him again.

Not that Wade was arguing at all. He sure hadn't planned this trip so they could sit around and talk. Conversation was all very well, and he was sure that he and Zoe would talk later, because why not? Still, first things first and he had waited a real long time to get back to being with her.

They literally fell into bed, clothes flying in all directions, as they got right into the moment. Zoe was as enthusiastic as she had ever been, crazy passionate, and pretty damn serious about making things up to him. Wade was not objecting in the least, but he was determined on her having a good time too.

Quite a while later, they both lay in the bed, breathing very hard and trying to get their bearings. The sun had been high in the sky when they arrived at the cabin, now it was already sinking. They had to have spent hours sating their passion, but Wade had no regrets. The smile on Zoe's flushed face seemed to prove she hadn't either.

"Okay, so we waited way too long to get back to that," she said, breathing unevenly yet. "Seriously, were we always that good?"

"Hell, yes," Wade told her without pause. "'Course, stuff always seems better when you had to wait a while for it."

"Delayed gratification." Zoe nodded in agreement.

Wade shifted onto his side and propped his head on his elbow. "You and your four-dollar words," he said, rolling his eyes like she was just so tiresome.

"I'm sorry if my education offends you," she told him, poking out her tongue and giggling at the expression it caused.

Wade made a grab at her, tickling her ribs when she tried to get away. They rolled around like a pair of foolish kids, laughing and messing with each other. Zoe seemed bound and determined to win their play-fight, and even though it would've been easy enough to use his weight against her, Wade didn't try all that hard. When she ended up on top, straddling him, the two of them naked and the sheets all tangled on the floor, she gave a victory yell.

"See, you think you just won," he told her, grinning widely, "but maybe this is exactly how I wanted things to turn out."

Her eyes went wide, realising she had been duped somehow, but even then, she didn't try to get away or change their position. Leaning forward, she held his arms fast and kissed his lips.

"Hmm, so this is where you wanted me?" she checked, deliberately shifting on top of him until he groaned.

"Zoe, that ain't playin' by the rules."

"What rules?" she challenged, kissing him again

She finally took pity on him, just when Wade thought he was about to lose his mind, allowing herself to be rolled onto her back, so they could go again.

Honestly, Zoe hadn't meant to initiate anything serious, not so soon after the last time. She was always impressed that Wade could rally that fast, but she was never sorry about it. That being said, she was flagging a little herself. After this, there was going to have to be sustenance or she was going to pass out before too much longer. Honestly, there was a point during that last time when she almost thought she might have.

"Seriously," she gasped as Wade rolled away from her then. "Please tell me there is food in this place, because my blood sugar just hit the floor."

"Yeah, I think I could use a little help in that department myself," he agreed, though he didn't move from the bed for quite a while.

Zoe couldn't blame him. They really had exhausted each other, but it had felt too good to stop until they absolutely had to. After a while, chivalrous as ever, Wade did get up and went over to the mini fridge to see what he could find. They ate on the bed, wrapped in the covers that he retrieved from the floor, feeding each other and draining bottles of water like it was going out of style.

"Okay, dehydration officially averted," said Zoe, smacking her lips. "That was a close one."

"Seriously?" said Wade, giving her a look. "Now you're doin' it on purpose."

"What?" she asked in all innocence, only then recalling what he had said before about four-dollar words. "I'm a doctor, Wade. Not that anybody needs qualifications to know about hydration, but still. I was kidding before about my education offending you, but now I'm actually starting to wonder."

He looked too serious about it and that made Zoe uncomfortable. She never thought about Wade not liking her because she happened to be well-educated. She never liked him any the less for only having a high school diploma and nothing else by way of qualifications. Of course, she was also aware that he had a chip on his shoulder about that in the beginning, as evidenced outside of a very different cabin in the woods, when he yelled at her for only wanting to date educated men, like George or Jesse.

"Wade..."

"Forget about it," he told her, waving away whatever she was going to say to him. "I don't wanna fight."

"I didn't know we were fighting." Zoe shook her head, frowning as she watched him move to the edge of the bed.

Wade retrieved his jeans from the floor and shoved his legs back into them, scouting around for the rest of his clothes straight after. He seemed to be coming up with more of her stuff than his own, and began unceremoniously throwing each item up onto the bed where she still sat watching him.

"Hey," she said, catching his arm the moment he was close enough. "What is going on with you? One minute we're..." she said, gesturing vaguely to the bed and hoping she made herself plain, "and now, you're like this. Are you seriously mad at me for using words with more than one syllable, because I can't help it if you didn't go to college. That was your choice."

"No, actually, it wasn't," Wade told her crossly, something unpleasant flashing in his eyes, though it was gone as fast as it appeared.

The fight went out of him in a second and he sank down onto the edge of the bed again, his back facing her, his head in his hands.

Zoe really didn't know what to say or do. Slipping quickly into the clothes he had tossed her way, she moved to sit beside him, her hand landing on his knee.

"Talk to me, Wade," she urged him softly. "Please? I don't know what just happened, but I do want to understand."

After a few seconds, Wade let out a sigh, one hand landing on top of her own at his knee.

"Yeah, I know that you do," he said, looking sideways at her. "Makes a real change for you not to know something, huh? Look, I'm sorry," he said right after, making her wonder if it was that strangely barbed comment he was apologising for or a whole lot more of what had happened in the last few minutes. "Sometimes, you just... you remind me how smart you are. How educated and classy and... and I'm never gonna be that way, Zoe. You're right, I didn't go to college, but like I told you, it wasn't my choice. I barely graduated high school, because after Jesse left, somebody had to take care of Earl, and keep a roof over our heads, and... and I'm not blamin' him entirely, and it sure as hell ain't your fault, but it meant things were real different for me. I don't know if I coulda made much outta my life, if I could ever have had the kind of career you've got. Prob'ly not, but now, I'm never gonna know. I'm never gonna be like you, Zoe. Like George or Jesse or Jonah Breeland. I'm never gonna be a smart guy, a career guy."

When he looked at her then, he wasn't sure what he expected to see in her eyes. Pity or disappointment maybe. He wasn't quite ready for sympathy or understanding. Maybe he should've known better than to think she would give him anything else.

"I wish this stuff didn't bother you so much," she said softly, her hand at his cheek, "and a part of me even wishes that I could go back and fix things for teenaged Wade so that you had more chances, but at the same time, I... I also don't wish that. Wanna know why?"

"Why?" he asked her, wondering when his own voice had got so soft too.

"Because... I happen to love you just the way you are, Wade Kinsella."

She smiled when she said it, so bright it almost blinded him, not that Wade believed it was only the look on her face that was overwhelming his senses. He had to have heard her wrong too, had to be mistaken about what she just said. He was sure he did not just hear what he thought he did.

"Zoe..."

"I know what I said," she confirmed, before he ever had a chance to ask. "And I meant it. I do love you, Wade. I don't know exactly when or how it happened, but I think I started falling for you a really long time ago. No matter what you think about the kind of man you are, I am perfectly okay with you being a bartender and nothing else. Of course, if you want to get an education or have a career, it's not too late, but if you don't want to? That's fine too, because it's like I said, I love you for you. I honestly do."

He didn't know how to answer her, or maybe he did, but his brain was so scrambled, he couldn't find even the three simple words he so wanted to say. Instead, he ran his fingers through her hair, then pulled her closer and kissed her softly. When her eyes were closed and his were too, everything got calm and simple and right. Then the words came, right into her ear when the both of them least expected it.

"I love you, Zoe Hart," he told her. "Love you so damn much, I can't even explain it."

She pulled back to look at him then, tears in her eyes and a wide smile on her lips. He had a feeling she wasn't quite expecting to hear it back, but there it was. Wade wasn't about to take it back. He meant every word.

"You know, I was getting dressed with a plan to take you home. Now, I forget why," he told her, shaking his head.

"Sounds like a really bad plan to me," she told him, grinning wide, even as he kissed her all over again.

To Be Continued...

A/N2: Please note, the next chapter will be posted on Friday 7th June, because next week, I'm on holiday/vacation :)