Little Runaway

Zacky had made sure to pull on a pair of boxers which was somewhat abnormal because when he was home, he tended to like not bothering with them. He wore a pair of basketball shorts and a plain sleeveless shirt, only bothering to shove his feet into his sandals. They weren't going somewhere fancy so it didn't matter to dress up that much. He was quiet even when they drove away from the house, only beginning to smirk when Brittney spoke up.

Glancing sideways, Zacky shrugged his shoulders. "You'll just have to see," he answered, not wanting to give anything away to her. Ten or so minutes went by before he pulled up to the spa, finding a place in the parking lot quickly enough. "If there's anything that'll help us get full into relaxation mode, it's a massage. Don't you think?" Zacky asked, leading the way into the spa. He smirked, a little too eager for his deep tissue massage. He had only booked a relaxation for Brittney, hoping it would ease all of the tension he was sure that she still was feeling.

Zacky's answer offered Brittney no relief. She knew it was silly to think he was going to drop her off at the bus stop, especially without her things, but she couldn't help herself. When Zacky pulled into the parking lot of a spa ten minutes later, Brittney was surprised. Of all the places she'd been expecting Zacky to take her, this wasn't even on the list.

But as Zacky spoke, Brittney began to smile. He was putting effort into fixing things after last night and that was the only thing she'd been wanting. No one had ever really put effort into her, period. "Yeah, a massage sounds fantastic," Brittney said as they entered the spa. She stood next to Zacky as he spoke to the woman behind the counter, only leaving his side when a girl came to take her back for her massage.

With it being a last minute booking, Zacky hadn't been able to get in for one of the couple rooms so they were going to have to go for their massages separately. Zacky would have preferred them to be together but he would take anything at this point, his entire body was screaming tension and a nice massage would certainly help him relax. Or so he hoped, as long as Brittney didn't try to challenge him again.

When Zacky was finished with his massage, he dropped down into one of the comfortable chairs in the lobby while he waited for Brittney. He had been offered a glass of water by the receptionist, the girl wanting to make sure he drank enough water to help rid his body of the toxins that had been released during the massage. Sighing, he pulled out his phone to try and occupy himself.

Brittney was more glad than she would care to admit that their massages would be in separate rooms. She was still a little frightened of Zacky, but the fear was waning rapidly. Last night was surely a fluke, one she'd brought upon herself, and the massage was his way of apologizing, at least to her. When her massage was finished, Brittney was in a better mood than she had been since last night. She practically flounced back out to the lobby, lowering herself into a chair next to Zacky and leaning over to press a kiss to his cheek.

"That was amazing, thank you so much," Brittney whispered. "So...did you want to go home? Or maybe get some lunch?" She wanted to leave the choice entirely up to Zacky. Things were finally back to a good place between the two of them and she didn't want to do anything to ruin that. Following Zacky back out to the car, Brittney buckled her seatbelt and leaned against the window with a contented sigh. Now that Zacky seemed to be happy with her again, Brittney was happy. Whether he returned the feelings or not - although she desperately hoped he did - Brittney loved Zacky.

Zacky wanted nothing more than to retire to his house but he was in no mood to put together a meal for the two of them. And he wasn't so sure that Brittney would want to so figuring it would do more good to go out to lunch to help ease any remaining issues Brittney was dealing with. He reached over, setting his hand on top of her knee with a small smile. "We're going to go to a local brunch place. I think you'll end up liking it," he said with a slight shrug of his shoulders.

It wasn't long before Zacky pulled up to the brunch restaurant, parking on the street. He climbed out, waiting by the front of the car for Brittney. He led the way into the restaurant, eager to have a bite to eat. Once they were sat at a table, Zacky looked up to Brittney with a small smile. "Eat your heart out, okay?" He said, ordering a sweet tea to drink when the waitress came by to take their drink order.

Brittney was glad when Zacky decided to go out to lunch. Now that all of the tension was gone, she was glad just to be spending time with Zacky and going out to lunch like this almost felt like a date to her. She eagerly followed him into the little brunch restaurant, starting to look over the menu once they were seated. When the waitress came by to take their drink orders, Brittney opted for a simple ice water with lemon.

"I think I already know what I want," Brittney said, looking up at Zacky with a smile. After looking over the menu for a few minutes, she'd decided on an eggs benedict dish. This would feel her up until dinner time but wouldn't leave her feeling overly or uncomfortably full. "I haven't had eggs benedict in forever. What are you thinking about getting?" Feeling a little brave, she reached out over the table to grab Zacky's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Zacky studied the menu for a bit longer than he needed to, not sure how Brittney was feeling quite yet. She seemed to be in a better mood but he wasn't going to push it. It wasn't that he gave a shit so much as he just plain didn't want to deal with Brittney in a sour mood at all. Looking up when Brittney grabbed his hand, Zacky offered a slight smile as he sat back in his chair. Closing his menu, Zacky started to speak. "I'm going to get the sesame chicken stir fry." He had decided to go with something a bit more geared toward lunch, realizing that he didn't want breakfast.

When the waitress came by with their drinks to take their order, Zacky opted to order both his and Brittney's food. When she walked away with a flounce in her step, Zacky couldn't help but roll his eyes as he turned back toward Brittney. "The downside of being home is a lot of people know who I am," he muttered, though a small smirk was still evident on his features. As frustrating as it was, it felt good at the same time.

[he doesn't give a shit if she's happy, how rude ]

Brittney was glad when Zacky didn't immediately pull away from her. After last night, she was a little afraid he would never want to be affectionate with her again. She nodded her head when Zacky told her what he was going to get, wondering if he might be willing to share a bite or two. She'd always liked stir-fry, but she just really wanted eggs benedict.

When the waitress returned with their drinks and to take their orders, Brittney opened her mouth to speak when Zacky had given his order, a little surprised when he gave hers as well. But she said nothing, afraid to sour the good time they were having over something so trivial. The way the waitress walked away made Brittney think that she knew who Zacky was and his comment afterwards only cemented that idea. "Do you get recognized a lot when you go out?" Brittney asked. She hadn't really given much thought to that, but after all, Zacky was a rockstar and she was sure this wouldn't be one-time occurrence. She just wanted to know how often she should be expecting someone to recognize Zacky while they were out and about.

{he's an asshole. wat u want )

Zacky sipped at his tea, relaxing back in his seat. Looking up when Brittney spoke, he shrugged as a bit of a frown formed on his lips. "Quite a bit. Usually, locals don't bother me too much except to come up and say they like Avenged. It's the tourists that tend to flock to any of us when they see us," he said, scowling a bit at the thought. It didn't bother him too much when one or two people came up to him but when groups of people did, he got annoyed pretty quickly. He didn't need hordes of people to tell him that his music was cool and that he inspired them, he knew that he did and that his music was awesome. He had been in their shoes once upon a time.

"You'll start getting harassed from time to time," Zacky said, his voice falling flat. The idea of anyone bothering what he had deemed his was enough to piss him off and it hadn't even happened yet. "I might have to get Dan to hang back when we go on tour if you don't come with us," he said, reaching up to rub his cheek as he let out a small sigh. "At least until you get used to everything that comes along with being with me."

"Oh," was all Brittney could think to say. Zacky seemed annoyed by the fact that he got recognized so often and she didn't quite understand it. Shouldn't he be happy so many people enjoyed the music he made? She understood that it might get old from time to time, getting interrupted while he was just trying to live his life, but for the most part, Brittney would be flattered if she were in his shoes.

Hearing Zacky tell her that she would start to get harassed, Brittney couldn't help but frown herself. She wasn't sure how well she would do in the public, but she understood that it came par for the course with being with Zacky. "I'll probably go with you," Brittney said quickly. She didn't like the idea of staying behind while Zacky went on tour, even if Dan stayed with her. Zacky was the closest thing she had to a family in this world, she didn't want to be apart from him that long. And in all honesty, she was surprised that Zacky would be willing to let her out of his sight for that long, given how low his level of trust seemed to be.

Zacky had craved the attention at one point but now, it was just frustrating that he couldn't seem to go anywhere without someone recognizing him. If he wanted to go grocery shopping, that was all he wanted to do. Not stop every twenty feet to turn a short grocery trip into an hour long ordeal. He looked up from his drink when Brittney said she would likely go with him and he gave a nod, figuring that it was likely best to begin with. That way he could keep an eye on her and he didn't have to worry about anything happening while he was away on tour.

It wasn't long before their food was brought out and Zacky eagerly took a first bite. "Oh my god, I forget how good this place is," he groaned, scooping a bite of food onto his fork. He offered it to her, a small grin on his face. "Here, you might just be turned onto the stir fry here after this. No more eggs benny for you."

Zacky seemed pleased to hear that Brittney would join them on their next tour and strangely, Brittney felt proud of herself. She was nothing if she wasn't a people-pleaser and Zacky was the most important person in her life, so it was important that she please him. And aside from that, she wanted to do everything possible to prevent anything close to what had happened last night. Brittney perked up when the food was brought to their table, eagerly cutting into her eggs benedict. But before she could take a bite, Zacky was offering her a bite of his food and she eagerly accepted.

"Oh wow, that is really good," Brittney agreed. "I'll have to order that next time." Picking up the bite of her food she'd cut off, she offered it to Zacky. "Now you try mine," she said. Watching as he took the bite from her fork, Brittney felt as nervous as she would have if she'd cooked the food herself. She wanted to keep his current good mood as intact as possible and Zacky seemed to have the smallest little triggers. "It's good, right?" Brittney asked hopefully. She smiled softly. "You picked a good place."

Zacky had already turned his attention down to his own plate of food by the time that Brittney complimented the food. He gave a quick nod of his head, offering the smallest of grins. "This place is always busy. I almost wish they had another location. They'd be making bank if they did," Zacky commented softly, looking up when she offered him a bite of her food. He leaned forward, his eyes locked on hers as he took the bite of food off of her fork. After a moment of consideration, Zacky gave another nod of his head. "It is really good. I don't usually get eggs benny but if it's that damn good, I might have to reconsider my choice next time."

Groaning as he finished off the last of his food, Zacky sat back and smoothed down his shirt. He looked up to Brittney, glad to see that she only had a few bites left herself. "Ready to head home after this?" He asked, hoping that their day at home would be a bit more peaceful than the night before. So long as Brittney behaved herself and didn't think it was a good idea to challenge him, everything should go well.

Brittney was strangely proud when Zacky said he liked her dish. She knew she hadn't cooked but she was glad he liked the choice she'd made. "It's so cute how you say eggs benny," Brittney teased, smiling at Zacky. She'd never heard anyone call it that before but Zacky was so different from anyone she'd met before. Brittney was nearly finished with her food when Zacky spoke again. She nodded at his question, more than ready to just head home and maybe cuddle with Zacky on the couch for a little while before it was time for dinner.

Brittney had high hopes for the day now that Zacky seemed to be in a better mood. And at this point, she would do anything to keep it that way, no matter what it took. People-pleasing was her forte, so she hoped she would be able to tread lightly enough around Zacky to keep him in a good mood. Once he'd paid their check, Brittney rose to her feet and followed Zacky out to the car, sliding into the passenger seat. "So, what did you feel like doing once we get home?" Brittney asked as Zacky began to drive back to the house. "I kind of feel like just being lazy until it's time for dinner."

{wait have you never heard it referred to like that before? }

Zacky was a little too eager to get back home. After the disaster that was yesterday, he just wanted to get on with their lives. It seemed like Brittney was opting to be a bit smarter today so it seemed like they would be able to move on. He glanced toward her for just a moment before turning his attention back to the road. "Great minds think alike. I don't think I'm in the mood to make dinner tonight so we'll probably end up ordering out but other than that..." Zacky trailed off, giving a shrug of his shoulders. He wondered if Brittney would offer to make supper instead because that would certainly help ease any of his remaining tension.

Once he was parked in the garage, Zacky wasted no time in climbing out of the car. He waited for Brittney at the front of the car before he led the way inside. "I'm going to go change, I'll be down in a minute," Zacky said as they entered the home, wasting no time in heading upstairs so that he could get changed into something a bit more comfortable.

[nope ]

"Well maybe I could make dinner," Brittney suggested. She wouldn't be able to make anything fancy, but surely it was better than nothing. When they reached the house, Brittney followed Zacky inside, slipping her shoes off at the door. She nodded when Zacky said he was going upstairs to change. She would wait until he returned before she went to do the same.

Once Zacky had returned to the living room, Brittney headed upstairs, deciding on a pair of shorts and one of Zacky's t-shirts. She remembered how he'd reacted last night when she'd come downstairs dressed in his clothing and she hoped for a similar one tonight, if only because she hoped it would keep up Zacky's good mood. Going back to the living room, Brittney sat down next to Zacky on the couch, turning to wrap her arms around his waist. "Thank you for today," she said softly, her voice muffled by his shoulder. "I had a good time." It was almost as if last night hadn't even happened.

Zacky hadn't even bothered with a shirt when he changed into a pair of basketball shorts. It was his usual outfit because it was comfortable and he didn't exactly need to layer up. It was always warm and sunny in Southern California. When it rained, it wasn't for long and usually then he would just head inside. Like most other locals around. Plopping down on the couch, Zacky crossed his legs and propped them on the coffee table. He picked up the remote and started to scroll through the channels, not really looking fo anything in particular.

When Brittney reappeared, Zacky didn't even bother to look up from the television. He'd opted for espon that was currently playing sports replays, his attention only being grabbed when Brittney leaned into him and started to speak. He raised an eyebrow as he turned, noticing his shirt almost immediately. A smirk grew on his lips as he reached up to cup her cheeks. "Wearing my shirt your way of apologizing?" He teased as he leaned in to kiss her. "Knowing what it does to me?"

When Zacky turned to look at her, Brittney immediately knew he'd noticed her choice of shirts. She blushed when he smirked, leaning into his touch when he cupped her cheek. She hadn't really meant it as a way to apologize but she would let him think she did because she knew that was what he wanted. "Why do you like seeing me in your shirt so much?" Brittney asked, her voice soft. She was sure she probably already knew the answer, but she sort of wanted to hear Zacky say it. And she didn't really mind that he saw it as a way to mark her as his. She liked knowing that she belonged to somebody.

"Let me know when you're hungry and I'll start on dinner," Brittney said. She leaned in to kiss Zacky again, lingering for a few seconds. She wasn't particularly hungry, so she would leave the dinner choice and when she actually cooked up to Zacky. And in the meantime, she was perfectly fine with just sitting on the couch and kissing Zacky. After last night, she was glad for the opportunity to be affectionate with him, since she'd certainly thought she'd fucked things up completely. When she pulled away from him again, Brittney almost opened her mouth to utter three little words, but after remembering Zacky's lack of reaction last time, she kept her mouth closed.

"You're mine. It's just a way to physically see that," Zacky answered simply, giving a shrug of his shoulders. He knew that there plenty of other ways to mark Brittney as his that would be plain as day but he wasn't at that level with her. Not yet and likely, not any time soon. He had never found a girl that he truly thought he wanted to marry so he wasn't holding out with Brittney either. Though, he did have to admit it was nice that she was naturally submissive. Zacky hated strong willed women, they always talked back and fought with him tooth and nail. An argument was one thing but when their temper was as bad as his, it was a match made in hell.

Zacky settled back against the couch, more than happy to just watch television for awhile. He was tired of always having to do something or another so for once, it was nice to just blatantly not do anything. He became immersed in the movie he had put on, only coming out of it when his stomach started to grow. He sighed, turning toward Brittney with a raised brow. "What were you thinking about making for dinner?"

The way Zacky just stated that she was his was surprisingly comforting to Brittney. It felt so nice to feel like she belonged somewhere and to someone, especially someone who most of the time seemed to really care about her. "Well I'll wear your shirt every day if you want me to," Brittney said. She brought her legs up onto the couch as she settled against Zacky. "I like belonging to you."

It was nice to just be able to sit with Zacky and do nothing but spend time with him. She knew there was still more of the city she needed to see, but that could always wait. Brittney only stirred when Zacky spoke and up until then, she'd forgotten about her offer to cook supper. But she knew it would make him happy, so she would still do it. "How about fried chicken?" Brittney suggested. "Maybe with some mashed potatoes and whatever canned veggie I can find in the pantry?"