Author's Note: Because love actually is… Zac and Vanessa. Be kind please? And thanks to Molly for her awesome editing.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I'm still depressed over that thought. Someone needs to book me a guest episode at Dr. Phil soon.

BETTER TOGETHER

"Wow... That was... just... Wow!" exclaimed Vanessa as she slowly returned to earth from the dizzying heights her boyfriend just took her to. Vanessa tightened her arms around Zac who was still perched above her, panting and trying to catch his breath.

"Yeah. Wow indeed," Zac slowly lowered his body so as not to crush his girlfriend. He then wrapped his arms around her and turned so that they were now both on their sides and facing each other. It took several more seconds of trying to calm their racing hearts before Vanessa slipped out of his grasp and got off the bed. She picked up his shirt that was discarded in the frenzy of their first love making hours earlier.

"If it's always like that, maybe we should be apart more often," Vanessa joked while dressing herself with his shirt. Zac, who was sitting on the edge of the bed to watch her, immediately grabbed Vanessa's hands and held on to them tightly.

"Don't say that. Not even as a joke, Ness," Zac's tone and face were suddenly serious. "I was missing you so bad when I was there. There were moments when I had to draw all my resolve so as not to just walk away from there and hop on a plane to see you."

Vanessa looked down at the blue eyes which at that moment was gazing at her with such love that she would have been overwhelmed by it had she not love him back with the same intensity.

"I love you so much, Zac," she said as she slowly lowered her face to his. He eliminated the distance between them and molded his lips to hers with sureness and familiarity.

When he felt her tremble, he let go of her hands and wrapped his arms around her waist to steady her. His hands slid to the edge of the shirt as his fingers slowly and gently pushed the shirt upwards to free Vanessa from the offending garment. Zac fell back on the bed, pulling Vanessa with him. He flipped them over so that she was underneath him, as Vanessa welcomed his weight and breathed in his scent. Her fingers feathered across his familiar chest, reveling in the hard muscle. With tremulous hands, she etched a pattern down his chest to his lower abdomen, and Zac gasped in anticipation. But before she could fully explore the evidence of his desire, he caught her wandering hand and placed it over her head. As his hands skimmed down her body and ran a tantalizing finger all over, a shiver of pleasure coursed through her and if it seemed that the thrill that his hands were causing weren't enough, Zac began placing kisses on her body. The roughness of his unshaven chin was bestowing an extra sensuality on the sensation of his mouth and tongue moving across her bare skin. As they partook in the ancient rhythm of love, promises reassured and hearts that were too long apart were once again home.

--

Vanessa woke up from her nap when she felt kisses were being rained on her collarbone.

"Hey baby," she greeted her boyfriend causing Zac's head to spring up from where it was buried in her neck.

"Hi babe. I need a shave huh?" Vanessa glanced down and saw that indeed her collarbone, and she presumed her neck now too, were kind of reddish, indicative that his five o'clock shadow had scraped on those areas.

"Yeah. You kinda do, Zac." He chuckled, gave her a kiss on the forehead and got out of bed. Unmindful of his nakedness, he took out his toiletries kit from his suit case that was propped beside the closet. Vanessa stared at the 5 feet10 inches of pure masculine perfection in front of her. And he was all hers.

"Finished checking me out yet, Hudgens?" Zac laughingly asked his girlfriend who blushed for being caught staring at him. Despite however her flaming cheeks, she never took her eyes off him.

"Nope, not yet. Could you stand still for a few more seconds? Okay now turn to the right, babe." Zac was only too happy to oblige Vanessa's playful request. "And turn again. And then another. Okay now I'm done. Thanks," she cheekily said. Since Zac was a young male with a healthy libido, his body reacted in the same way as a male who had a gorgeous girl check him out so blatantly would.

"No way. You can't be done, yet. You put me in this situation, you gotta fix it. Join me in the shower, babe?

"Zac, I've been joining you for the last 4 hours. I'm exhausted." Zac burst out laughing at this comment as he headed for the bathroom alone.

"Enjoy the cold shower, Efron!"

"Yeah yeah. I love you too, Van," he shouted from the bathroom.

Upon hearing the steady stream of water from the shower, Vanessa got up and once again put on Zac's shirt. She fell back on the bed and stretched lazily before closing her eyes. She thought of their emotional reunion last night. He arrived at the hotel late last night and after a few minutes of crying, making out and reassuring each other that 'yes they are indeed together again', they both fell asleep cuddling. Vanessa woke up around 8am the same way she always did when she was with Zac, with his kisses. And ever since then, they haven't left the bed yet... well except when she tried to get up to get some breakfast but Zac prevented her and they fell laughing on the floor with Zac on top which of course led from one thing to another.

She must have dozed off for a few minutes because next thing she knew, a strong arm enveloped her waist and drew her back against his still- wet chest. The last thing she remembered before closing her eyes was smiling because Zac was singing in the shower and how she missed hearing that sound every morning.

"What time is it?" Vanessa asked. Zac lifted his head and looked at the digital clock beside the bed.

"Quarter past 1pm, babe. You wanna have lunch?"

"I dont know, babe. I'm kinda hungry but then again I'm sleepy," Vanessa answered as she snuggled against him further.

"Ahhh. One of life's hardest choices. Food or sleep?" Zac commented while pushing away her curls to nuzzle the back of her neck.

"I know, right? Maybe if we sleep, we can do some sleep-eating?"

"Sleep-eating?" Zac asked, amused by her suggestion.

"Yeah. Kinda like sleep walking only ours is so much cooler coz we get to eat too." Vanessa let out a yawn after saying that so Zac pulled the blankets over them and tucked them securely against their bodies.

"I like your idea, babe. Sleep it is."

"Yeah. Let's just stay here for a while, Zac. I'm not ready to share you with the rest of the world yet. I missed you too much."

"Me too, Van. I missed you so fucking much." He drew her closer and she rested her head on his chest, lulled by his steady heartbeat and comforted by the fact that his heart belonged to her completely.

A whispered "I love you" from Zac brought tears to her eyes as she remembered those months when she missed him so much that her chest physically hurt. And now that she's finally back in his loving arms, she found the name for that emptiness that she was feeling during their time apart. It was loneliness... and she only recognized it in its absence.