Little Runaway

Zacky seemed to relax as soon as he stepped through the threshold into his bedroom. His shoulders sagged as he kicked off his shoes, leaving them in a haphazard pile by the desk. He took the steps slowly, only to turn to face Brittney once he reached the bed. Letting out a ragged breathe, Zacky let himself fall back onto the mattress. He closed his eyes and let out a few breathes before he sat up, looking toward Brittney.

Returning home always put him in a good mood, it meant that all of his time was his. He didn't have to be here at a certain time or there because he was being paid to. While Zacky loved his work, with little room for doubt, that didn't mean he enjoyed being chaperoned around like a child a majority of the time. He patted his knee, his arms slipping around Brittney's waist when she took a seat. He let out a quiet sigh, settling his head on her shoulder. "It feels good to finally be home," he commented quietly. "Maybe we can go to the boardwalk later, show you what Huntington Beach is all about. What do you think?"

Brittney slipped off her shoes before she went over to Zacky, sitting down on his lap. She nodded at his suggestion, smiling as she pressed a kiss to the top of his head. "That sounds like a fantastic idea," she agreed, resting her head against his. It made her so happy that Zacky wanted to show her around Huntington. He was opening his life to her and it made Brittney feel incredibly wanted, something she'd never felt in her entire life.

"Before we go, I think I'm going to take a shower," Brittney said a few minutes later. She reluctantly slipped out of Zacky's lap and went over to her suitcase, digging out her toiletries. She gave Zacky a kiss on the cheek before she went into his bathroom. She probably didn't necessarily need a shower, but besides their little rendezvous behind the waterfall, this was the only time she could remember that she and Zacky would be completely alone. It was essentially a date in her mind and she wanted to look nice. Brittney just wished she had something cute to wear, but she would have to make do with what she had. Stepping out of the shower, Brittney wrapped the towel around her waist, realizing she'd left her clothes and her makeup in her suitcase. "I completely forgot to grab clothes before I went into the bathroom," Brittney explained sheepishly, glancing over at Zacky on the bed.

Zacky felt his annoyance flare up when Brittney moved away from him almost too willingly. His eyes narrowed slightly as he watched her head off into the bathroom. He sighed, laying back on the bed. Crossing his ankles, Zacky locked his fingers together and closed his eyes. He didn't have anything else he needed to do other than wait for Brittney to finish up with her shower. Half dozing off, Zacky jolted awake when Brittney opened the bathroom door. Lifting his head, Zacky couldn't help but grin, his eyes teasing up Brittney's legs as he bit down on his lip.

"Nothing wrong with that, sweetheart," Zacky teased as he sat up. He inched backward, wetting his bottom lip with thee tip of his tongue. "C'mere," he murmured, holding his hand out to her. When Brittney was close enough, Zacky reached up to wrap an arm around her waist and pulled her close. His hand trailed up her thigh, giving her ass a squeeze as he kissed her roughly. "Might want to hurry up before I change my mind, darling," he growled, his hand inching back down her thigh before it drifted away from the contact.

Brittney wasn't quite sure at first what Zacky wanted when he asked her to move closer, but it was pretty obvious once she was close enough. She felt her cheeks turn pink when he squeezed her ass. "Sure you don't want to save that for later?" Brittney said when he started to pull away, surprised with herself for actually saying that. It was certainly among the boldest things she'd ever said, especially to Zacky. She tucked her clothes underneath her arm and went back to the bathroom, dressing quickly. She put on just a little bit of makeup before she went back into the bedroom, finding Zacky pretty much in the same place she'd left him.

"Okay, I'm ready," Brittney announced. She wished she had something cute to wear, something that Zacky hadn't seen before. She vaguely remembered Zacky telling her that he would take her shopping, but there was no way Brittney would bring that up to him. She preferred to stay under his radar as much as possible. "Are you going to get ready or are you just going to lay here?" Brittney teased, crawling up next to Zacky. She rested her chin on his shoulder.

Zacky had opted to turn his phone off after plugging it into the wall outlet by his bed while he waited for Brittney to finish getting ready. He had crossed his ankles and locked his fingers behind his head, just enjoying the peace of being home. He didn't have to be pulled in this direction or that and it was such a relief. Even when Brittney crawled onto the bed, he didn't react until she was laying against his chest. His arm slid around her waist, tightening a bit as he turned his head to the side to kiss her temple. "Mm, not so sure that I want to get up now."

After a minute or so, Zacky elt out a sigh as he dropped his arm, moving to sit up on the bed. "Alright, I'll grab my wallet and then we can head out. There's a few boutiques on the boardwalk that we can check out along the way if you want. If you can't find enough at them, we can always head to the mall tomorrow." Zacky stood, moving to grab his wallet from the side pocket on his duffle bag. He shoved it into his back pocket, holding his hand out to her. "Come 'ere, sweetheart. Let me show you my home," he spoke softly, a genuine smile growing on his face.

"We'll have all the time in the world to lay in bed now that we're home, but you promised you would take me out to see Huntington, remember?" Brittney teased. She was comfortable here in Zacky's arms, but she was eager to get out and do a little exploring. This town was Zacky's home and she wanted to make it her home, too. When Zacky sat up, Brittney did too, brushing a hand back through her hair to move her bangs out of her face. She perked up instantly when Zacky mentioned checking out a few boutiques. So he was going to buy her new clothes. She'd never been treated like this before, not by anybody.

Brittney eagerly took Zacky's hand when he held it out to her, loving the smile on his face. He seemed genuinely excited to show her his home town and open up his life to her and it made her so happy. For the first time ever, Brittney felt like she had someone who truly cared about her, who made her feel wanted and secure. "I'm really excited to be spending the day with you, Zack," Brittney said as they walked along the boardwalk. "Away from everybody else, just the two of us...it's so nice." She smiled, leaning into him as they walked. She liked the way some of the girls looked at her, like they were jealous that she was the one hanging on Zacky's arm instead of them. She felt special that Zacky had chosen her.

Zacky loved being home so much because he didn't have to work and a lot of the time, fans didn't bother him as much. While some approached him, most understood and respected his personal space when he was home. It wasn't like he was the only rockstar in the city either, residents were somewhat familiar with the idea of being in the preseence of a famous person. They were in Southern California, after all.

Zacky gave Brittney's shoulders a squeeze, leaning over to press a kiss to her temple. His hand dropped, moving around her back so that he could lace his fingers with hers. "Come on. This place has the best damn funnel cake you could ever dream of," he explained as he steered her into a sweet smelling establishment. He smirked, giving a wave to the girl behind the counter. She was the daughter of the woman who owned the shop, had worked there for a long time and by now, her and Zacky were friendly enough.

"Get whatever you want, there's not a damn thing here that you could go wrong with," Zacky said as they reached the front of the line. He was quick to order a funnel cake and a strawberry lemonade to drink. He glanced down to Brittney as he pulled out his wallet, giving her a nod of approval. "Go on, sweetheart."

Brittney was a little surprised that Zacky was being so affectionate, but she wasn't going to complain one little bit. She'd never felt the way she felt when she was around Zacky, like someone actually cared about her and she wasn't going to do anything to risk it. The small shop that Zacky led her into smelled absolutely heavenly and Brittney was instantly hungry. Deciding not to look over the menu, Brittney ordered what Zacky had suggested, also ordering a strawberry lemonade because if Zacky was getting it, it had to be good.

Once the girl behind the counter had given them a tray with their food, Brittney followed Zacky over to a table in the corner of the little shop. She pulled off a piece of her funnel cake and stuck it in her mouth, instantly understanding why Zacky had said this was the best funnel cake she could have. "Oh my God, this is so good," she said. "The ones at the state fair don't have anything on these." Brittney was silent for a few minutes until a thought came to mind. She smiled softly at Zacky. "You know, I was thinking. This is technically our first date."

Zacky emitted a small groan as he took the first bite of his funnel cake. His eyes closed as he relaxed in his chair, a almost child like sort of smile growing on his features. After a few moments, he opened them. Only for his grin to grow as Brittney complimented the cakes. "The family that owns this place has made them for so long. Each month they have a different special," he explained. "It sucks being away because it's always the best flavours they have when I'm gone," he said, a faux pout morphing his features.

Reaching across with one hand, he gave Brittney's hand a gentle squeeze before pulling away to continue eating away at his cake. After his next bite, he took a sip of his drink. "Good first date so far?" He teased, leaning forward as his face scrunched. "Or do I need to step up my game?"

Brittney couldn't help but giggle softly at the little pout that appeared on Zacky's face. He was just too cute sometimes. She was such a lucky girl, she couldn't believe it. She continued to eat her funnel cake, nodding when Zacky asked if the date was good so far. "The best first date I've ever been on," she told him, grinning. Technically it was the first first date she'd ever been on, but she was sure she didn't need to tell him that. He'd probably figured out that she didn't have a lot of dating experience during their little rendevouz behind the waterfall when she told him she was still a virgin.

"So what's next on the agenda?" Brittney asked, pushing away her empty plate. She looked to Zacky with a soft smile. "Are we still going to walk through the little shops?" She was hopeful that they still would, but she wouldn't force Zacky if he happened to have changed his mind. Today was proving to be a very good day and Brittney would hate to ruin it by tapping into his often volatile temper. "If we do, I might even pick out something just for you, if I can find anything," Brittney added, hoping to sway Zacky. If there was one thing she'd learned that placated him, it was anything sexual.

"Something just for me, huh?" Zacky inquired, raising an eyebrow as he cocked his head to the side. He couldn't help but smirk, tugging his bottom lip between his teeth. It was evident that his mind had gone where Brittney had hoped it would as his eyes grew heavy, dropping to appreciate Brittney's figure. Even if her current outfit left quite a bit to the imagination, Zacky knew just how beautiful she was beneath everything and to see her wear something just for him? The thought piqued his interest enough that all he wanted to do was take Brittney back to the house without so much as glancing into any of the shops that ran along the boardwalk.

Zacky stood, wiping his hands off on the napkin that he had been provided. There was still a bit of the funnel cake left but he was stuffed and as much as he wanted to take it home, heating up a funnel cake just wasn't the same as it being fresh. Clearing his throat, Zacky offered his hand to Brittney. "Come. Let's see what we can find," he teased. "For each other, of course." When Brittney stood, he led the way to a small retro inspired boutique, thinking that she may be able to find a few things there, at least.

"Yeah, just for you," Brittney repeated. She felt her face heat when she noticed the way Zacky was looking at her, like he was undressing her in his mind. It was her fault though, she was the one who'd sent his mind in that direction. Brittney took Zacky's hand when he offered it to her, getting to her feet. She grabbed her plate and threw it in the trashcan as they left the little shop, following Zacky into another. It was a cute little shop and several things immediately caught Brittney's eye. She went over to a display of sundresses, looking one over. "This is cute," she said, partially talking to Zacky and partially to herself. She checked the tag, smiling when she saw that it was her size. She wasn't exactly sure how many things she was allowed to get, but she was sure Zacky would say something.

Once Brittney had chosen a few things that she liked, she took them to the checkout counter so that Zacky could pay for them. She knew going shopping was a normal thing for most girls, but she couldn't remember the last time she'd gone just because she could. And she certainly never would have imagined that a gorgeous rockstar who could have any girl he chose would be buying anything for her. "You make me feel so special, you know that?" Brittney whispered to Zacky as they walked out of the little boutique, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek.

Zacky stood back as Brittney thumbed through the various garments in the little shop, not really caring one way or another what she bought so long as it would look good at her. He shoved his hands into his pockets, smiling and nodding when he was supposed to. It was easier to play the part of a happy, caring boyfriend out in public because he didn't want to deal with the guys with a hero complex that couldn't even hope to match up to their fighting ability. More than just a bit relieved when Brittney headed toward the check out, Zacky was quick to pay, thanking the young girl before leading their way back outside.

Grinning over toward Brittney, he gave a shrug of his shoulders. "We need to get you some sandals. There's no way in hell that you'll want to walk around in anything but," he commented with a small laugh. It was true though, a majority of the people in Huntington Beach wore sandals ninety percent of the year. Several shops over, Zacky pulled the door open to let Brittney step inside first. An older gentleman who recognized Zacky almost immediately, smiling as they traded pleasantries. Zacky motioned toward Brittney, a goofy little grin on his features.

"Pick out whatever necklace, whatever bracelet that you want, okay, sweetheart?" Zacky spoke to her, turning back to the man and giving a firm nod. Whatever Brittney wanted, she would have tonight.

Brittney nodded when Zacky said they would need to get her some sandals. Given the weather here and the beaches, the reason they were needed was quite obvious. And she was sure that she could find a cute enough pair. Brittney followed Zacky into yet another little shop, which seemed to be a jewelry store of sorts. She stood by as Zacky and an older gentleman who worked in the shop greeted one another, grinning when Zacky told her to pick out any bracelet or necklace that she wanted. Anything? She'd never had such freedom of choice before, she didn't even know where to start.

Brittney had never really cared much for bracelets, so she instead gravitated towards the necklaces. There was a display of beautiful pendants that instantly caught her eye and she went over to it, looking over each one before finally choosing one with a deep purple gemstone on the end. Purple was her favorite color and the stone almost looked like garnet, which was her birthstone. "I like this one," Brittney said, smiling softly as she took the necklace over to Zacky. She realized a little too late that she hasn't even thought to check the price but then again, he'd said she could pick out anything she wanted.

The older gentleman was immediately pulling out a long box, wrapping the necklace in tissue paper before he placed it inside. He smiled as he slid the box into a bag just a bit bigger than the box before holding it out to her. "Enjoy, dear," he addressed her before stepping off to the side to deal with the transaction. Zacky wasted no time in paying before they left the jewelery shop.

Zacky wrapped an arm loosely around Brittney's waist, grinning over at her as he raised an eyebrow. "Shoe store is the last stop for the night unless you have somewhere else you want to go before we head home," he said. He leaned over, placing a gentle kiss to Brittney's temple. "What do you think, sweetheart?" He asked, waiting for her opinion as he led them to the side of the boardwak so that they would be out of the way of others.

"I will, thank you," Brittney said with a smile, taking the box from the older gentleman. As she and Zacky left the shop, she leaned into him, adjusting the bags she had hanging from her arm. "I haven't picked out anything for you yet," Brittney told him, blushing when he kissed her temple. She could get used to having this Zacky around, the one who was affectionate and sweet. It was a stark difference from the way he'd been on tour, volatile and sometimes violent. But she was sure that was mostly because they were all crammed onto a bus together. Or at least she hoped.

"Why don't we pop into that shop down there before we go to the shoe store?" Brittney suggested, pointing across the boardwalk. The shop she was talking about had a mannequin wearing a bra and pantie set in the window, so she hoped she might be able to find what she was looking for in there. "Actually," she said, putting her hand on Zacky's chest. "Why don't I go inside and look around and if I find something, I'll have them bag it up before you pay for it? That way it's a surprise," she added with a small grin. "Maybe for tonight."

Zacky had started to follow Brittney across the boardwalk, wondering what sort of outfit Brittney would pick out on her own. His brows shot into his hairline when Brittney turned, setting a hand on his chest. Zacky was completely surprised that she wanted to go into the shop on her own and for a second, a frown whispered onto his lips. Just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone to be replaced by a wide, cocky sort of grin. "Sounds like a great idea, darling," he said, leaning down to press his lips against hers. Reaching into his back pocket, Zacky pulled out his wallet. He thumbed through it, realizing quickly that he didn't have enough cash for whatever Brittney wanted to buy. He was a bit uneasy about handing over his debit card but after a moment of consideration, he decided that it was unlikely Brittney would try to steal money from him in the future. She would be stupid to. He handed over his card and told her what his pin was before watching her had into the shop.

Sitting on a bench outside, Zacky relaxed against the back of it. He ran a hand through his hair before relaxing and pulling out his phone. Zacky doubted that Brittney would take too long so he wasn't really upset at all. Besides, she was buying outfits to surprise him with. What about that could end up bad?

Brittney was surprised when Zacky complied with her idea, but happy all the same. It would give them an excuse to christen Zacky's mattress together, although she doubted he would need one at all. She quickly committed his PIN number to memory, tucking the debit card into her pocket before she went into the shop. There wasn't anything terribly racy inside, but there were still several things that Brittney wouldn't dare to wear. Eventually, she chose something, taking it to the girl behind the counter so she could pay for it. "Here you go," Brittney said, handing Zacky his debit card back. "So just the shoe store and then we can go home?" she asked, looking to Zacky for clarification. "Maybe after dinner I can show you what I got for you," she added, waving the bag in front of him.

Brittney felt like they'd been out for a long time and she was sure Zacky was ready to be home, so she was quick in the shoe store. It wasn't like it took much to pick out a pair of sandals. She held Zacky's hand as they walked back in the direction of his car. "Thank you," Brittney whispered, leaning her head against his shoulder. "For taking me out and showing me the city. You certainly know how to make a girl feel special." She gave him a kiss on the cheek, dropping his hand when they reached his car. Brittney was a little surprised how quickly she'd been able to fall into her life here; she hadn't even been in Huntington Beach for twenty four hours and she already felt like this was her home.

There was something about living in Huntington Beach that Zacky could never quite place. Of all the travelling that he had done over the years, he had never come across a place quite like it. The people here were relaxed and just had a different pace of life that they took to. Zacky wouldn't have wanted to grow up anywhere else in the world, it was his home. That was why he still lived in Huntington, when he could have afforded a home in pretty much anywhere that he damn well wanted. He could have lived in Los Angeles, Vegas, really anything that he had desired.

When they finally reached the house, Zacky breathed a small sigh of relief as they stepped inside. He was happy to be home, happy that they didn't have to leave any time soon.In the back of his mind, he knew that he should head around the back of the house and start the tedious work of opening his pool but he decided that it could wait until tomorrow. Letting out a sigh, Zacky set Brittney's bags down just inside of the door. He decided that it wasn't a necessity to take them upstairs right away, instead they could focus on what they were going to have for supper. Clearing his throat as he made his way toward Brittney to set his hands on her hips. "I was thinking pizza and wings, maybe. I don't want to worry about cooking really," Zacky explained quietly. He offered a small smile as he leaned down to press a gentle kiss to her lips before pulling away. "Well?"

Brittney was glad when they finally got back to the house. She'd enjoyed being out with Zacky and having him show her Huntington Beach, but now she was ready to relax, at least until she decided to show him the surprise she'd gotten for him. There wouldn't be much relaxing after that. Brittney smiled as Zacky set his hands on her hips, setting hers on his shoulders. "Pizza and wings sound good," she said. She was still a little full from the funnel cake earlier, but she was sure she would be hungry by the time the food arrived. "Anything is fine with me, just no olives, okay?" She gave Zacky a short kiss before she pulled away. "I'm going to take my bags upstairs and change really fast, but I'll be right back."

Brittney grabbed her bags from where Zacky had placed them next to the door, taking them upstairs to his bedroom. Or was it technically their bedroom now? Either way, it was still the nicest bedroom she'd ever seen. Brittney grabbed a pair of yoga pants from her suitcase and pulled them on before searching for a shirt to wear. She wondered if Zacky would mind if she wore one of his. Surely he wouldn't. She was his girlfriend, wasn't she? So hopefully it would be okay. Brittney pulled out the first one she grabbed, tugging off her old shirt before pulling the new one on. It was an Iron Maiden shirt and it was a little big on her, but Brittney didn't mind. "So what kind of pizza did you get?" Brittney asked as she walked back into the kitchen.