Is this destiny?

"What's with that face?" Jamari asked when he saw that Imani's frown is not easing up.

"You should want to move in together with me because you love me and because you want to spend more time with me and not because you want to sleep with me."

Jamari stifled a laugh. Imani has no idea what she wants. Or maybe she does, but she is too shy to admit it clearly. Well, as a man, he needs to step up his game.

Jamari inched closer to Imani. "I love you, and I want to spend more time with you… and that includes holding you every night until the morning comes."

Imani smiled at his sweet words. Jamari can be charming when he wants. She noticed that Jamari is close. Too close. Is he going to kiss her? She glanced nervously around.

"It's just us…" Jamari murmured before planting a kiss on Imani's lips.

Zack and Masika entered the common room and paused at the sight of Imani and Jamari making out on the sofa.

"Why are you not doing this in one of your rooms?" Masika asked mockingly.

Imani was startled and she swiftly turned toward the voice. Her eyes stopped at the sight of Masika and Zack who are holding hands.

"We were just talking about moving to an apartment." Imani said clumsily.

"It seems that the talk is progressing nicely…" Masika teased.

Imani wanted to bicker, but with the guys around, she is aware that it can backfire. "Maybe we can pick apartments on the same level and we can be neighbors."

Masika's eyes opened wide in surprise. "How do you know that we were talking about it?"

Masika does not care if Imani heard them talking about the apartment, but they were also talking about contraception!

Imani realized that in order to avoid one mess, she ended up in another one. There is no way she will admit that she eavesdropped even though it was for less than a minute. "I guessed. Don't all serious couples end up moving in together?"

Masika wanted to ask for an explanation of 'serious couples' but then she remembered that Imani saw them that morning in the bed. That can be described as serious.

"Are you saying that we are not serious?" Jamari grumbled at Imani.

Imani rolled her eyes and turned toward him. "We are serious. But we should be more serious. At this rate, all the apartments will be taken. We should hurry…"

Jamari bought Imani's flaky explanation. He does not care about the neighbors, but the idea of sharing a living space with Imani is definitely opening up many other possibilities.

…

At that time, Aiden and Sarah were replenishing their energy with food which Aiden got from the kitchen.

They were sitting on the bed with the tray full of breakfast items between them, and Sarah was in a bathrobe. She didn't want to dress up after a bath because she knows what Aiden's plans are when they are done with food. And she does not mind, not even a little bit.

"Masika and Zack are talking about living together." Aiden informed Sarah. "I bumped into them when I went to get food."

"And?"

"I recommended them to move in here, to one of our apartments."

Sarah nodded in agreement. If Masika and Zack want to be together, no one can stop them. If they stay with them, at least they will be safe.

Sarah's chewing slowed down. "Does that mean that they…?"

Aiden was pleased that Sarah reached the same conclusion he did, and that also means she has the same concern. "They used a condom. I told Masika to talk to Anna as soon as possible."

Sarah was vexed that JoAnna was right when she announced last night how Zack and Masika will move fast, but then she remembered how Aiden is awesome. "You thought of everything."

Aiden smirked proudly. "Of course. I am thinking of everything, so that you can think only about one thing."

Sarah laughed. She likes it when he is cocky. That is her husband. She reminded herself to eat faster so that they can continue their morning activities. Sarah is looking forward to the day when she gets to tell him that their baby-making was a success.

~ Los Angeles, the basecamp of the Army of Chaos ~

About one hour later…

Masika is in Zack's room.

Regular army members share rooms, while officers have their separate rooms with a bathroom attached.

Masika and Zack went to the basecamp, for Zack to change before they go to meet with JoAnna.

While at it, Zack decided to shower so that he can smell like himself again. They have time, and Masika was happy to keep busy on his laptop while he gets ready.

This is Masika's first time in Zack's room. Usually, they would spend time on the training ground or in one of the common rooms because she always came to the basecamp with a task and now she is here, waiting for her boyfriend to get ready.

As soon as Zack closed the bathroom door, and the sound of the shower was heard, Masika kept the laptop on the side and started visually inspecting Zack's room. She smiled at the sight of a headband with Mickey Mouse ears which is balanced on two pushpins stuck on the corkboard; she bought that headband for Zack about three years ago, when they went to Disneyland. Wasn't that their first date? Even though she didn't think about it as a date… She remembers how he was kind and caring. Zack was always like that. Masika is happy that he saved that headband. She still has the matching Minnie Mouse one… somewhere.

Masika plopped on the bed and thought how only twenty-four hours ago she was in the classroom at the university, talking to Albert about the new parfait and he asked her to spend the afternoon at the beach with him. So many things happened in the last day. Zack told her that he cares about her, and he was sweet and nice, and they ended up sleeping next to each other and making love, and now, they are a real couple.

Masika is happy that Zack said how living at the Cliffside Villa is a good idea. She is confident that soon the last spec of reluctance from Zack's side will crumble and they will claim one of those apartments for themselves. Maybe they will be next-door neighbors with Imani and Jamari, or maybe with Oni and Michael. The idea of spending nights in Zack's embrace made Masika giddy. 

"What are you thinking?" Zack asked when he got out of the bathroom. He saw that Masika is staring at the ceiling with a silly grin on her face.

Masika looked at Zack and blinked. His damp hair is making him super-handsome.

"I'm thinking about you." Masika responded.

He hoped to find out more. "Something good?"

Masika smiled. "When it's about you, it's only the best."

Zack liked her answer. He sat at the edge of the bed and a second later, Masika snuggled in his lap.

She took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of his aftershave.

"Do you want us to linger here, or go somewhere?" Zack asked. They have the whole day to themselves with only one must-have thing planned. "It's almost lunchtime and after that, we should go to meet with Anna."

Masika thought that lunch is a good idea, but they had a late breakfast, so she is not hungry. And Zack should not be hungry either. That means, they can have lunch later.

Masika lifted her head and kissed him on the lips. "You smell nice…"

Zack hugged Masika tighter and enjoyed the way she clung onto him. "You didn't answer my question."

Masika trailed kisses on Zack's neck while murmuring: "We can have lunch after we meet with Anna…"

Zack hummed in approval. "What do you want to do until then?"

"You went to the store, right?" Masika asked in a whisper.

Zack paused. On the way from the Cliffside Villa, they made one stop and he went to the store to get condoms. Is she talking about that? Does that mean that she wants to…?

Zack craned his neck to see Masika's face, and the way her lust mixed with shyness was super-seductive. Ah, he is aroused already!

He kept her on the bed, and she remembered… "Lock the door."

Zack smiled. "It's locked."

He took care of that detail as soon as they arrived. There is no way that he will allow anyone to intrude on his time with Masika. Even if they are sitting and reading side-by-side, that is Zack's precious time with his girlfriend. And now they are about to do much more than reading. And they did.

---

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