Come To Life

Marc and Zoey laid on her bed in her apartment. They were both bundled up in his Rangers sweaters (blue for him, and red for her) and curled up under the covers.

The dinner at Zoey's parents house had gone smoothly, and Marc couldn't be more thankful for it. Meeting parents was a big deal, but meeting the man who actually attended Rangers events was also a big deal.

Frank Simon had treated Marc with respect and didn't treat him like he was just "some guy" dating his daughter. He treated him like a friend. Marc didn't know if it was because of his job (it wouldn't be the first time someone had been nice to him because of it) or if it was simply because he liked him. At this point, Marc didn't care. The first meeting with the Simon's went well and that was all he cared about.

"I feel like people define me by my wealth," Zoey stated, breaking the silence between them. "I feel like people only see me as the rich girl whose daddy gets her everything she wants, but that's not who I am."

Marc looked at her and waited for her to go on. He had been the person who judged her by her wealth. That was how they met, and he didn't really regret it, but he had no idea that it hurt her.

"I know how fortunate I am, and I'm really grateful for all the things that I have, but I wish it didn't make or break me when it comes to others. People seem to only want to be with me because of my dad and the money we have," Zoey explained, tracing the palm of Marc's hand.

Marc was hoping that this wasn't where she ended things. He wasn't generally one to think on the negative side, but ever since his wedding fiasco he learned to be more cautious when it came to personal relationships.

"But not you," She continued, looking at him and smiling. "You don't seem to treat me any differently. You wanted nothing to do with me when you found out who I was. I've had that reaction before, but just something about you. Something about the way you spoke to me when you apologized and the look on your face when I verbally kicked your ass."

Marc laughed and shook his head. She always liked to remind him of that.

"I love you, Marc." Zoey stated softly. "I do. I like that you don't judge me for who I am and you accept me for who I am. I seriously think that I could spend a great deal of my life with you because you accept me for exactly who I am. You don't accept the parts you like and fight the rest of them, you accept me fully. I think that's hard to find."

"Zee," Marc mumbled, holding onto her neck gently. "I love you, too. Where did all this come from?"

"I just felt it," Zoey shrugged. "I don't know. I just think about where we came from to now and it feels right, it feels great."

"Can I make a confession then?" Marc asked, a nervous ball bouncing around in his stomach.

"Of course," Zoey nodded.

"I am so intimidated by your family," Marc sighed. "I've always kind of been intimidated by you because of your wealth. And to be honest I kind of always looked down on you for it. I mean, I don't so much anymore, but I just feel a little out of place in your world."

"I don't want you to feel out of place in my world," Zoey stated. "You've become a huge part of it!"

"I know I have, and I'm so grateful that you've let me in, but I've dealt with this type of situation before and it didn't end well. I guess I'm just scared of what could happen in the future," Marc replied. "I was just really intimidated by meeting your family. It's always kind of intimidating, but I just think your dad's status freaked me out."

"It shouldn't!" Zoey replied, pulling him closer to her. "I don't want my family to make you feel out of place. I want you to love us and want to be around us! I swear you and my little brother will be best friends, I can already tell that he idolizes you."

"I love that," Marc nodded with a small smile. "I just wish I didn't feel so insecure about it all, you know? It will take some getting used to, but I am a little tense around your family."

"We're not like your ex-fiances family," Zoey stated firmly. "I can assure you of that."

"I know," Marc nodded. "I just wanted you to know."

"I'm glad that you told me," Zoey smiled, kissing the underside of his chin.

"I know that my family can be a little intimidating, but so is your family." Zoey smiled.

"You think the Staals are intimidating?" Marc asked, laughing.

"Yeah, they are intimidating for us that didn't come out of the womb at 6 foot 4, and 220 pounds of pure muscle. Some of us bond with our siblings in ways that aren't violent. I can tell you right now I do not put on machete shoes and check my little brother into boards at full force," Zoey stated.

Marc burst out laughing and held her face.

"I'm fucking in love with you. That was hilarious," He laughed, kissing her forehead. "I don't think you could even put your little brother against the boards, Tiny. I'm pretty sure he's stronger than you."

"Fuck you! I'm strong!" Zoey stated, grabbing his wrists.

Marc laughed and twisted his hands from her grasp, he rolled her onto her back and pinned her hands to the mattress.

"I'll tell you what," Marc smirked as she struggled to free herself. "The next time we're in Thunder Bay, you and I are going to play a little one on one hockey. And we'll put on our 'machete shoes' and really decide who's the strongest."

"Deal," Zoey smirked. "You're going down, Staal."

"If you say so,"