Even Angels Fall

Sarah was humming to herself the next day at her desk as she put the presentation her boss was making that afternoon into a binder. She had felt so good since she had woken up that morning, although she would have preferred to remain lying in Zip’s arms for the whole day instead of working. Still, her body tingled when she thought of the previous thirty-six hours and the fact that she was going to see Zip later at his place.

“Hey there,” Sin popped her head into Sarah’s office. “How are you doing? I heard you missed work yesterday. I hope you’re feeling better.”

Sin only came into the office on occasion, when she was having meetings or going over photo spreads. Feeling her face flushing as she looked at her brother’s girlfriend, Sarah wished silently that today had not been one of the days she was in.

“I am feeling better,” Sarah told Sin, giving her a smile. “I think it was just a bug.” Watching Sin nod, Sarah suddenly took the woman in. While she was only five years older than Sarah, she carried herself completely differently – as if she didn’t care what other people thought. Her long violet-tinged hair and the tattoos that scattered down her arms could have made someone else look unprofessional or unreliable, but on Sin they seemed to just bring out her natural beauty, which was considerable.

“Why are you staring at me?” Sin asked Sarah suddenly, her eyebrows crinkled. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay? You’re looking at me like you’ve never seen me before.”

Biting her lip, Sarah felt her cheeks heating again. Sin had hit the nail on the head – Sarah had been looking at her like she had never seen her before, or at least had never seen her the way she was seeing her now – as Zip’s ex. “Sorry,” Sarah shook her head, trying to wipe such thoughts from her mind. “I was still running a little fever this morning. I’m not positive I’m completely well yet.”

“Well, don’t push yourself,” Sin was looking at Sarah suspiciously, as if she didn’t quite believe her. “You should just go home tonight and get some rest. Maybe Eddie or I can stop by later with some soup-”

“No,” Sarah said, louder than she had intended. “I mean, you guys don’t have to bother coming by tonight. I think I’ll try to sleep as soon as I get home.”

This strange behavior was too much for Sin, who was never one for deception. Stepping into the office, she closed the door behind her and crossed her arms over her chest. “Sarah, what the fuck is going on?” she asked, her forehead crinkled. Her voice sounded somewhere between concern and annoyance, which was probably just what she was feeling at the moment. “And don’t say nothing, that you’re just sick. We both know that’s bullshit.”

Her heart beating hard in her chest, Sarah had no idea what to say. Chewing on her bottom lip, she stared down at the binder on her desk, and realized that the silence in the room was deafening. Finally, she sighed and looked up into Sin’s eyes.

“I’m dealing with something right now,” Sarah said slowly, realizing for the first time just how threatening Sin could appear with just a look. Zip’s fears of her now made a lot more sense to Sarah. “Something I’m not really ready to talk to anyone about yet. Is that okay?” She asked this softly, without a trace of sarcasm.

Studying Eddie’s sister for a moment, Sin nodded. “Of course,” she said matter-of-factly. “You should have just said that from the beginning. I understand respecting privacy. As long as you’re safe and healthy and happy, I have no desire to impose myself.” Giving Sarah a little grin, Sin tilted her head, suddenly not looking so threatening anymore.

“Thanks,” Sarah told Sin, feeling incredibly guilty that she was keeping something like this from such a great person, but knowing Sin’s feelings might change if she knew what was going on between Sarah and Zip. “I appreciate it.”

“No problem,” Sin told her, opening the office door again. “And listen, I know that it’s got to get lonely at that apartment. If you ever want to come over for dinner, or just to hang out, you know you’re welcome, right?”

Nodding, Sarah swallowed hard. Now Sin was being TOO nice – it was making Sarah feel awful for not coming clean. “Thanks,” she told Sin. “I’ll remember that.”

With a wave, Sin left Sarah’s office. Letting out a heavy sigh, Sarah suddenly felt like her good mood was completely gone. ‘We have to tell them,’ she thought as she ran her hands through her hair. ‘It’s going to suck, and I know they both have a problem with Zip, but-”

At that moment, Sarah’s phone rang. “Good afternoon. This is Sarah,” she said dully.

“How long until I get to see you?” Zip’s voice was slightly whiny and incredibly adorable on the other end of the line. “It’s been hours already.”

Suddenly, all the guilt Sarah had been experiencing was pushed aside as she was flooded instead with a warm feeling in her chest. Glancing out the door, she didn’t think anyone was within earshot. “Well, if you had a real job instead of being a rock star, you wouldn’t be home all alone in the middle of a work day.”

“When the band’s on tour or in the studio, I’m totally busy. But this is what I do, and I make a lot of money doing it. In fact… Couldn’t I hire you as MY assistant?” Zip asked, his voice playful. “You could quit your job, and I could pay you to stay here with me and do anything I ask…”

Letting out a laugh, Sarah shook her head in amusement. “I would not be an assistant, then. That would officially make me a prostitute,” she informed him, grinning to herself.

There was a short pause before Zip replied. “And…?” he asked her, feigning confusion. “I’m not seeing the problem here, Sarah.”

“Ass,” Sarah replied with a chuckle. “I’ll see you around six.”

“Okay,” Zip sounded defeated. “But remember the offer. I’ll double your salary…”

“Goodbye,” Sarah said, effectively cutting off Zip. As she hung up the phone, she smiled to herself. ‘Not yet,’ she thought. She wasn’t ready to be forced to look at the possible negatives about their relationship yet. Things just felt too good right now.

Sarah was so lost in her thoughts, she didn’t even notice when Chris popped his head into her office. “Hey there,” he broke her daze, and she felt her cheeks flush. “How are you feeling? You were just staring off into space there. Are you taking any meds? Because I know flu medications make me loopy.”

Shaking her head, Sarah gave Chris a grin. “No, I’m fine,” she told him. “Just thinking. So what’s up?” she asked, reaching back to pull her hair into a loose bun at the nape of her neck.

“Nothing,” Chris shrugged, taking a few steps into Sarah’s office. “I was just making sure you were okay… you know, seeing as you weren’t in yesterday, and after what happened at the diner last weekend.”

Feeling herself blushing yet again, Sarah looked down at her desk and picked up a pencil. “I’m fine,” she told Chris, and then suddenly heard him chuckle. Looking up with confusion in her eyes, she cocked her head questioningly. “What’s so funny?” she asked as Chris gave her a knowing smirk.

“Nothing,” Chris told her, his eyebrows raised. “But you might want to put your hair back down. Unless, of course, you had some strain of flu yesterday that gave you a big-ass hicky on the side of your neck.”

Knowing she was no longer blushing – because she could feel all the color drain from her face – Sarah’s hand instinctively moved to her neck. Feeling around with her fingertips, she quickly found a spot that was a little sensitive to touch, just below her ear. “Oh no,” she said with embarrassment, pulling her hair out of the bun.

“Calm down,” Chris told her, shaking his head. “No one can see it if you keep your hair down.”

“Do I have to explain this to you right now?” Sarah asked Chris, her pleading expression making it clear she really didn’t want to do that.

“Of course not,” Chris walked back towards the door. “You don’t ever have to, if you don’t want to. But just remember, there IS someone who knows, so if you ever need someone to talk to…”

“Thanks, Chris,” Sarah said sincerely. “I really do appreciate that.”

“No problem,” Chris told her then smirked. “You just… might want to try a turtleneck tomorrow.” With that, he started laughing, even more so when Sarah stuck out her tongue at him. Waving, he left her office to get back to work.

Unconsciously reaching for her neck again, Sarah couldn’t help but smile to herself a little. She had told Zip the day before to be careful with the way he nipped, or she was going to end up with a mark. He had just scoffed, saying he knew just how hard and how long he could play without leaving behind evidence. ‘I guess Zip Kopti doesn’t know EVERYTHING about sex,’ Sarah smirked to herself. ‘Or else he does, but he just does what feels good anyway.’ Somehow, that idea wasn’t sounding so bad to Sarah just then…

-----

“Oh God, Sarah,” Zip whispered into Sarah’s ear as he thrust into her. She had barely made it through his door that evening before he had basically jumped her, and Sarah certainly hadn’t seemed to mind. Even when he had undressed her in the foyer of his condo, accidentally tearing a button from her shirt, she seemed nothing but content with the situation.

With her hands resting on his shoulders for balance and one of her legs held against his hip by Zip’s hand, Sarah tried to keep up with him, but it was hard to not just lean back and enjoy the incredible experience. After their first few gentle times together, Sarah had been ready to explore with Zip, and had been more than pleased with how much he seemed to want her as soon as she arrived.

Taking the skin on Sarah’s neck between his teeth, Zip bit down softly and heard her release a soft cry of pleasure. He didn’t know what had come over him as soon as she walked through the door; all he knew was that he needed her right there, right then. And as he concentrated on the way their bodies fit so perfectly together, he couldn’t imagine ever not wanting her that much.

Zip slid his hand from its present spot on Sarah’s neck downwards, until he was massaging her breast. She let out a groan, encouraging Zip, and he took one hard nipple between his thumb and forefinger, pinching gently and causing her to jump. Sarah’s only reaction otherwise was to continue tilting her hips to meet Zip’s thrusts and letting out soft moans as his body pressed hungrily into hers. She felt like he was trying to drive her into the wall, low moans escaping his lips as he pressed them against the skin of her shoulder. In other words, Sarah had no complaints.

“Zip, I’m coming close,” Sarah told him, her voice broken by the force of their movements. She felt him lift his mouth from her shoulder so he could meet her eyes and give her wicked smile. “What?” Sarah asked him, still meeting his movements with energy and desire.

Not saying anything, Zip removed his hand from Sarah’s breast and reached for one of the hands she had placed on his shoulder. He watched her eyes as he led her hand slowly down over her whole body – from the rapidly beating pulse point on her throat, over her breasts, down her flat stomach, until she finally felt the place where they were joined together. “Touch yourself,” he whispered, still looking directly in her eyes. “Please.”

Immediately, Sarah blushed, although Zip could barely notice it through the passionate flush already in her cheeks. Nodding nervously, Sarah leaned her head back, closed her eyes, and began carefully playing with her clit.

Looking down but not slowing his movements at all, Zip couldn’t believe how erotic he found it to watch Sarah’s small fingers pressing at her own body. Her hips were still meeting his with each thrust, and he began teasing her nipple again with his fingers. Looking up, he saw that Sarah was biting her lip, obviously close to her climax.

“Come on, Sarah,” she heard Zip whispering to her, his thrusts growing harder and faster, needier. “It’s okay. Let yourself go. I want you to come.” The desire in his voice was just too much, and Sarah found herself quickly going over the edge. She no longer cared that her back slammed into the wall each time Zip pushed hard into her, or that she was releasing loud incoherent ‘oh’ sounds and broken words, or that Zip was watching her face the whole time with interest. She simply leaned back against the wall for support, her fingers still caressing her own body, as heat built up in her lower stomach. The release she was looking for came powerfully, and she called out loudly as her muscles contracted.

Seeing Sarah’s innocent face flushed and so filled with satisfaction, Zip needed only to push himself inside her a few more times before he let out a groan as he came, his whole body tingling with approval. Releasing her leg, disentangling his body from hers, and then leaning forward, he couldn’t help but almost crush Sarah against the wall as they both fought to catch their breaths.

Sarah put her hands on Zip’s shoulders, and pressed her forehead against his chest. She could smell the combination of his sweat and hers, the cologne Zip always wore, Sarah’s shampoo, and what she now knew was the lingering scent of sex between them. She felt intoxicated by it all as her breathing calmed down.

As Zip finally caught his own breath and began to come down from the daze he was in, he leaned back a little to look into Sarah’s face with a smirk. “Damn,” he said, raising his eyebrows. “I thought I was going to have to be patient with you, and show you things slowly. But you seem to be a born natural.”

Laughing, Sarah wrapped her arms around Zip’s neck and felt him do the same thing, with his arms around her waist. Their bodies were each warm and slick against the other’s. “Oh, you usually give yourself more credit than that,” she smiled up at him. “It just goes to show what a great teacher you are.”

Wrinkling his brow, Zip nodded seriously. “You’re right,” he said after a moment. “I am just that good, I guess.”

Unable to suppress how wonderful she felt, Sarah giggled and tugged town Zip’s head until his lips met hers. They shared a slow, lazy, deep kiss before Zip caused Sarah to let out a little yelp when he picked her up. “Bed,” he whispered into her neck. “Pizza delivery, television, blankets, bed,” he explained his plan as he laid her down on his king-sized bed.

“Sounds perfect,” Sarah sighed contentedly, climbing under the covers and curling up close to Zip as he joined her. “That sounds just… perfect.” Resting her head on his chest, they both lay in silence for several minutes. Finally, Sarah rolled onto her stomach and rested her chin on her hand on his chest. “So what do we do now?” she asked him in a small voice.

“Well,” Zip smirked, reaching over to push some loose hairs back from Sarah’s face. “Give me about ten minutes, and we can go back to what we were just doing.” Expecting her to teasingly hit him for his words, Zip tightened his stomach muscles. But Sarah didn’t hit him. In fact, she barely changed her expression. “Babe, what’ the matter? I was just joking.”

Sarah looked up at Zip with those trusting brown eyes, and he felt his stomach tumble. “I know,” Sarah sighed. “It’s just, I saw Sin today, and…”

“You want to tell them,” Zip said bluntly, not seeming bothered. Without what seemed like any real physical effort, he reached down and took Sarah by the shoulders, pulling her up over his body until she was looking down into his eyes. “Okay,” he said. “Whenever, however, you decide. I’ll be there, or I won’t. Whatever you want. As long as, at the end of the day, I get to be with you.”

Tears were once again burning Sarah’s eyes. “I don’t even…” she shook her head, and then a smile curved her lips. “You keep acting like this, and you are going to lose your title as biggest asshole in New York.”

“Come on,” Zip grinned up at Sarah, brushing his lips against hers softly. “I’m not even the biggest asshole in the band, let alone the state. Although, I guess there are a few women in the Tri-State area that may disagree with that…” He chuckled at his own joke, as he always did, and it made Sarah feel safe.

“I don’t,” Sarah told Zip softly. “I only think you’re the biggest asshole, in like, a hundred blocks. Max.”

Feigning a hurt look, Zip took Sarah by surprise by quickly flipping her over until her body was locked under his, and then beginning to tickle her mercilessly. Her giggles and shrieks of glee made his heart race, and he suddenly stopped tormenting her. “I want to be with you,” he told Sarah gently, kissing the tip her nose sweetly. “I want to be with you for a long time, no matter what anyone thinks, okay?”

“Okay,” Sarah whispered, closing her eyes as she felt Zip descend upon her mouth for a long, warm, intimate kiss. What else could she say when he said things like that? After all, she knew that she already felt more for him than she had ever felt for another man in her life, and they had only known each other for just over a month. “I want to be with you for a long time, too.”

-----

Sarah woke up in the middle of the night, and was unsure why. Suddenly, she realized she could hear her cell phone ringing from the other room. Rushing from Zip’s bed, she felt her heart racing. Almost no one had her cell phone number, so she was afraid that maybe Eddie had come by her apartment looking for her.

Seeing on the caller ID that her brother was the person calling, Sarah swallowed hard and considered not answering. ‘That wouldn’t be fair to him, though,’ she told herself silently. ‘Then he’d be worried sick about me.’

Using all her courage, Sarah answered. “Hello?”

“Hey, Sare, it’s me,” Eddie’s voice sounded upset, making Sarah’s heart jump into her throat. “I tried you at your place, but I didn’t get an answer.”

“Oh, I’m, uh…” Sarah racked her brain looking for an excuse, but she didn’t need one. Eddie just plowed on.

“It doesn’t matter. At least I got a hold of you.”

“What’s wrong?” Sarah suddenly realized that Eddie wasn’t calling to check up on her. He had bad news. “Eddie, what is it?” Sarah jumped a little when she felt Zip walk up behind her and put his hands on her hips, looking questioningly at her over her shoulder.

Glancing back, Sarah put her finger on her lips to stop Zip from speaking, and then turned back to the conversation. “Eddie, is it Mom or Dad?”

“No,” Eddie sighed heavily, sounding almost on the verge of tears. “It’s Lianna.”

“What’s wrong?” Sarah asked, her voice getting higher as her anxiety level rose. “Is she okay? Is the baby okay?”

“Joseph called us a few hours ago, to say Lianna’s water had broken,” Eddie tried to explain. “But then he called back a little while ago to say that labor never started after that. Since she was almost two weeks early, they didn’t want to induce the pregnancy if they didn’t have to. But it seems she had developed some sort of infection or something.” Sarah was silent and still as she listened to her big brother take in a sharp breath. “Her fever is around 105, and they’re doing everything they can for her and the baby, but I think you should come here…”

“Oh my God,” Sarah’s eyes filled with tears. “Of course. What hospital are you guys at?” Memorizing the information, she promised Eddie she would be there soon and hung up. Turning to Zip, her cheeks were already tearstained and blotchy. “It’s Lianna. She’s having complications. We have to go to the hospital.”

Zip said nothing; instead, he just pulled Sarah to his chest and kissed her forehead. “Let’s go,” he finally whispered, releasing her.

-----

“I’m going to wait out here for a minute,” Zip said as he and Sarah got out of a cab in front of the hospital twenty minutes later. “We probably shouldn’t go in there together.”

“What?” Sarah looked at him with shock, her eyes wide. “This isn’t the time to worry about our relationship-”

“I know,” Zip cut her off, putting his hands on her shoulders. “Which is why we shouldn’t burst in together. Everyone has enough to think about. They certainly don’t need what’s going on between us to be added to the mix. Right?”

Biting her lip, Sarah nodded. “Okay,” she leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed Zip’s lips lightly. “But hurry.”

“I will,” Zip promised, gently pushing her towards the entrance to the hospital. “You go in, and I’ll be just a minute.”

Zip watched as Sarah hurried inside the building before pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. Of course, he wanted to rush inside too – Joseph was his best friend in the world, and the guy was probably losing it. But Zip wanted to wait just a minute, so he and Sarah didn’t just add to the chaos. After taking five or six drags, Zip threw his cigarette down. ‘That should be enough time,’ he thought to himself. Then he took a deep breath and did something he hadn’t done in years.

‘God, I know you and I don’t have the best track record,’ Zip prayed silently to himself. ‘But please don’t let anything happen to Lianna or the baby. Joseph loves them both so much, and he and Lianna are such good people. Please… take care of all of them.’

-----

OKAY, I AM GOING TO GUESS I SHOULD START HIDING FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE ANGRY THAT LIANNA’S SICK. PLEASE DON’T HURT ME! NOW, A FEW COMMENTS TO REVIEWERS:

TEMPLETON21 – YOU’RE RIGHT, THINGS NEVER STAY HAPPY-PERFECT IN MY STORIES FOR LONG, DO THEY? OH, AND I BLUSHED WHEN I REREAD THE LINE YOU QUOTED. SOMETIMES I LOSE TRACK OF HOW DIRTY I CAN BE…

IOTC247 – ONLY TIME WILL TELL…

ADAEE – SORRY IF I’M A LITTLE OFF MY GAME WITH THE DESCRIPTIONS OF WHAT SARAH AND ZIP ARE ACTUALLY DOING. THIS STORY IS GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF PLOT, SO I THINK THAT’S CLOUDING MY MIND A LITTLE WHEN I’M WRITING SEX SCENES.

FOAMYFAN010 – I KNOW. I WAS RESEARCHING ISLAMIC NAMES FOR ZIP, AND WHEN I SAW ‘HASSAN’ AND WHAT IT MEANT… TOO PERFECT.

SAMMO_00 – I’M SORRY IF I DIDN’T MAKE THAT CLEAR ENOUGH WHEN I MENTIONED ZIP’S PARENTS AND THE MEAL HE COOKED A FEW CHAPTERS BACK. HIS FATHER IS FROM JORDAN, SO HE IS HALF MIDDLE EASTERN.

AFICI0NADO – FLATTERY WILL GET YOU EVERYWHERE…

GIRLFIXER – DID THIS CHAPTER HAVE A LITTLE MORE WHAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR?

ROSIE – WELL, AT LEAST YOU DON’T SEEM TO HATE SARAH ANYMORE LIKE YOU DID AT FIRST.

MISSHOLLIEMAE – YOU WERE THE ONLY PERSON TO COMMENT ON THE TITLE OF THE CHAPTER, AND I HAVE TO THANK YOU. THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT I INTENDED!

THANKS ALSO TO ARAINAINA, DANE DEFRYSKE, EGGMAN, R0SEMARY, LKN, MEMORY CHASE, MIZTIKAL_DRAGON, CARIAD, ANGEL, AND NABI FOR READING AND REVIEWING.