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 Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2022 2:07 pm
Zac had promised Talia he would sleep in his bed and he had been. Even if he'd badgered her about sleeping on the floor, and heckled her some of the time, most of the time he was respectful. He still slept on his side of the bed. Sometimes, it was face first in a pillow. Most of the time it was just quietly.
He'd had one nightmare and it had been silent, but then, he was pretty good at keeping things to himself.
Without a television to distract himself with, he'd just stared at the wall and listened to the sound of her breathing until he fell asleep again, too.
Zac had also told her that he’d spend a bit more time around the house so they could get to know each other, and he was trying. He worked, but for the most part it was never more than eight hours. Most of his shifts in the past few days had been closer to six hours, but today kicked his a**.
A single had turned into a double, and he couldn’t turn down the overtime. It wasn’t a hard job, just a tedious one. Working security was less lucrative and less eventful than playing bouncer, but it had its perks.
Better hours, mostly.
Except when things worked out like today. He’d been up at five to work a six to two shift at some hoity-toity gallery, except his replacement didn’t come in, and they needed someone there. So they begged him to stay. He hadn’t even had to pressure them to make it worth his while, they offered double pay if he stayed until close. Which he hadn’t realized was going to be eleven at night but whatever, more money.
He was practically dreaming about his bed on the way home. Almost fell asleep at the wheel, so he just turned up his music a little louder and drove a little faster.
He made it to the house safely. He just didn’t make it in the house. He’d turned the car off, got his things together, unbuckled. Leaned back in the seat to grab something out of the back seat.
Fell asleep right there.
It wasn’t the first time he’d fallen asleep in his car in the last month, but it was the first time he’d fallen asleep since he’d promised Talia he’d stop avoiding his room.
…This wasn’t avoiding his room. He’d have been there if he’d had the energy to make it so far. But the car wasn’t that bad. It wasn’t even too cold. Yet.
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Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2022 4:14 pm
Talia had slept a lot better now that Zac was taking the bed. She no longer felt guilty for it remaining empty, and the fact that there was another person in the room, something to focus on when she awoke time after time was…miraculous. Falling back to sleep was so much easier when she could listen to Zac’s breathing, when she knew that she wasn’t alone.
Tonight though, Zac was late. He had warned that he would be late, but this was getting late to the point where Talia was growing concerned…and was becoming rather unable to sleep.
It was nearly one in the morning when she gave up, getting out of her nest and padding to the living room, wondering if Zac just went to sleep on the couch again. If that was the case she would just…drag him back to their room and be done with it, it was sweet if he was trying to let her sleep but…it was doing the opposite.
The fact that he wasn’t in the living room made Talia pause and frown slightly. Well…perhaps he was in the bathroom? If he wasn’t…she’d just power up and try to find him, that was all. If something had happened…
She shook her head, trying to banish those thoughts and moved towards one of the bathrooms, frown deepening when it was empty, and a quick check in the second showed that it was also unoccupied.
s**t.
Her hand was on her phone, and she was about to call him, just to see if he was okay, when she looked out of the window and saw his car. “********.” The word was said with some relief, and swiftly, she made her way outside, not bothering to even put on shoes and hurried ot the car, pausing when she saw the sleeping blonde in there.
…Poor thing.
Quietly, she eased the car door opened and brushed some hair away from his face. “Zac, Zac, wake up. You’ll freeze out here, come on. Bed is waiting.”
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Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2022 6:59 pm
His nose wrinkled before his eyes opened, and he made a face like he was a little cranky at being woken up. It faded quickly when consciousness returned to him, and though he was groggy for the first few seconds after she’d woken him up, the tenderness in he touch was enough to ease him into awakeness.
“Talia,” he said, nearly slurred, but at least he hadn’t said Cambria.
It was her hand, it felt the same. Their voices almost seemed identical. Really, it was just that she was the only one who was so tender with him.
He dind’t ask what happened, he pieced it together a few blinks, and muttered a quiet “<********>” under his breath.
He sat up, wiped at his face, tried to get himself put together enough so he could make it inside. It was cold, and now that the door was open he was feeling it so much more.
“What time is it?”
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Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2022 7:59 pm
“Almost one…I was starting to get worried about you. You hadn’t come to bed so I checked the couch and the bathrooms, honestly, I’m glad I saw the car, I was about to power up and go searching.”
Talia shifted, her feet very cold on the driveway, but she kept running her fingers through Zac’s hair. “Make sure you have your keys, we can get the rest of whatever you need in the morning. You’re freezing, Zac. Come let me tuck you in and see that you’re warm.”
Her hands lowered to his hand and she began tugging gently. “I’ll make you coffee in the morning too, and bundle you up and bake you something, if you want. I was thinking of making some bread, and Evan said he’d make grilled cheese for everyone with it if I did.”
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2022 6:29 am
He grumbled, but she was warm and her touches were soft. “Okay,” he said, apparently a bit more agreeable when he was still half asleep. He fumbled for his keys, grabbed them, and pulled himself up.
“You’re not wearing shoes,” he observed; he’d been looking down to make sure he hadn’t stepped on her feet when he got out.
If he was cold, he could only imagine what that was like for her.
The front door seemed so far away, too…
He hadn’t really thought about it; he scooped her up into his arms and kicked the car door closed. He did it like it was casual, like she didn’t weigh anything, and stifled a yawn as he carried her to the house. “Didn’t mean to stay out that late. Sorry I worried you. Thought I was going to make it in, it was just a long day. You stayed up waiting for me?”
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2022 10:40 am
Talia opened her mouth to say that she hadn’t had time, that she had been worried about him, when suddenly she was in his arms, and she gave a squeak of embarrassment, feeling…kind of silly, but kind of like a princess too. Picked up by the dashing…hero.
“It…it’s okay.” Her voice was slightly breathy and Talia tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, forcing herself not to squirm. “...I was just worried something had happened to you. Wanted to make sure that you were safe. That’s…what friends do, right?”
Obviously. Honestly, Talia was glad it was dark, for her face was hot enough that she was sure it was glowing…but maybe her calling him a friend would cause him to overlook that detail. If not…well. She could say that her cheeks were red from the cold, easy enough.
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2022 12:06 pm
“If they’re good ones, I guess. You don’t have to squirm, I’m not going to drop you. I can tell how warm you are, going to have to get you under a blanket when we get inside, too. Here, grab the door,” he said; he waited for her to do so and then carefully maneuvered her inside.
He waited until they were inside to set her down, and he was glad that Maxim was a good dog who liked to sleep through the night; he might have just let him run loose if he’d made any effort to bolt out the front door.
He peeled off his cold jacket and seemed like he was ready to throw it on the ground, but instead he just toed off his boots and began to trudge towards the bedroom. “You sleeping on the ground again tonight? Bed’ll be warmer. Unless you’ve got a good blanket, I guess.”
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2022 12:14 pm
Talia nodded. “You’re strong,” It wasn’t the most intelligent thing to say, but it seemed like she should at least acknowledge it. “Yeah, I’ll be sleeping in my nest, it’s warm enough. Don’t worry about me.” She gave a small smile, following him and climbing back into her nest of pillows and blankets, sighing softly and feeling suddenly exhausted, pleased that he was home and safe.
“Thank you for the offer though. I’m just…not in a position to want to put you out of your bed. Or..you know.” She closed her eyes, already feeling sleep pulling at her and with a yawn, buried herself deeper into the pillow.
“...Night, Zac. Sleep well. See you in the morning.”
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2022 12:32 pm
Zac grunted; he wasn't in any sort of mood to argue with her. He was too tired. Too cold. He dropped his jacket on the ground, and if he'd been alone he might have dropped his pants and thrown down the shirt too, but he didn't have the energy to drag himself to another room and change into his pajamas.
So, he face planted into his bed and wriggled until he wound up underneath the blankets.
"Night," he said; it was all he could manage before the sleep set in.
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