Come To Life

Marc laid in bed next to Zoey as they talked. He loved how comfortable he felt with her. He felt like he didn't' have to try to be someone else to impress her. She wouldn't take him as any other person but himself. He liked that about her.

"Are you close with your brothers?" Zoey asked, lifting her lower body up and stretching it out. They had been laying in bed for hours upon hours.

"Yeah," Marc nodded. "I'm really close with them."

"Who are you closest with?" Zoey asked, looking over at him.

"Probably Eric," Marc replied. "We're all pretty close in age, though."

"That must be nice," Zoey stated, tracing over the lines of his abs.

"Having siblings close in age? It's hell most of the time," Marc smirked, giving a small laugh.

"I wish Preston was closer to my age," Zoey replied with a small sigh.

"Your little brother?"

"Yeah," Zoey nodded, smiling. "I mean, I like having an excuse to go to kid movies and to go to the kid section at the store and at theme parks."

"Yeah, it looks weird if four guys in their 20's go to kid's section at a theme park," Marc smirked. "They don't take well to seeing that."

Zoey let out a loud laugh and playfully hit his chest. She rested her head on his chest and pulled herself extra close to him.

"You're fun," Zoey smiled.

"Thanks," Marc laughed, putting his arms around her. "I like to think I'm pretty fun. You're a lot more fun than I am, though."

"I don't know about that," Zoey smiled, nestling into her bed more.

"You are," Marc laughed.

Marc smiled and kissed her forehead.

"I do like you, Zoey." Marc stated after a few moments of silence.

"I know you do, sweetie." Zoey nodded. "I like you, too."

"I'm just-" He sighed, looking for the right words.

"I mean, I'm ready for a relationship, but I'm not at the same time." Marc stated. "I want a relationship, but I don't want to end up using you and have you just be the girl before the next one, you know?"

Zoey let out a sigh of relief.

"Yes, I do know. To be honest that's been my fear since we started getting together," Zoey replied.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't know how you felt," Zoey shrugged.

"I'm sorry, Z." Marc sighed, touching her face. "It's just hard for me right now."

"I know it is. That's why I never said anything. I understood," Zoey nodded.

"I like you and I want to be with you," Marc stated honestly. "I'm just really nervous about jumping into this."

"Then don't push yourself," Zoey shrugged.

Marc nodded. He knew that she was right, but would he ever be ready? How do you know when you're ready to be with someone again?

A few hours later Marc left to go home to his own apartment. He had a game the next day and he had to get lots of sleep for it. The playoffs were quickly approaching and he had to get his head in the game. He couldn't focus on failed attempts at marriage and whether to start a relationship or not.

Marc got to his apartment and sighed, walking into the lonely place and wishing he had someone to stay with. He hated being alone. He was always a very independent person and still was. He just liked having someone to come home to every now and again.

He had contemplated calling Zoey and telling her to come and spend the night with him, but he knew he had to start being okay on his own before he could be with her. He did want to be with Zoey, he really did. He just wanted to be sure he would be ready for her.

Marc had a shower and fell asleep for a few hours before the had to get ready for the game the next day. He got to the arena in his suit and walked through the back way.

"Staal," Came the voice of Dan Girardi behind him.

Marc turned around and smiled upon seeing his friend. "Hey."

"Hey, bud." Dan smiled, walking over to him. "What's up with you lately? You've been happier than I've ever seen you. Is it that girl you've been spending so much time with?"

"Zoey? Yeah," Marc smiled as they walked to the dressing room.

"So, is she your new girlfriend or something?"

"No, she's not my girlfriend." Marc replied, shaking his head.

"Could've fooled me," Dan scoffed. "You two are always all over each other and you act like you're dating."

"It's more complicated than that," Marc shrugged as they walked through the doors of the dressing room, greeted by their nicknames from their teammates.

"Yeah, I don't think it is." Dan replied, shaking his head. "I think you're making it more complicated than it needs to be."

"Are you guys talking about the fact that Marc is sleeping with Zoey Simon?" Michael Del Zotto asked.

"How do you know we're sleeping together?" Marc asked.

All the guys in the locker room laughed out loud, having heard their conversation.

"It's more than obvious," Ryan Callahan laughed. "You hang out with this girl all the time and you come here and you're happier than anyone has seen you since the summer. It's obvious she's giving you more than moral support."

"Okay, okay." Marc laughed, stopping the guys. He didn't want Zoey to be the subject of locker room talk.

"I think you should just date her," Dan shrugged. "If it doesn't work than it doesn't work."

"That's a huge risk," Marc mumbled, taking off his suit jacket.

"Of course it's a risk," Dan laughed. "It's a relationship. There's no guarantee. You just have to go for it."

"She makes you happy, just go for it. Don't be stupid, Staal." Ryan shrugged. "Seriously. Don't be a dumbass."

"Plus she's really hot," Michael stated.

"Nobody asked you," Dan scolded, shoving him.

Marc laughed and nodded. He knew what he had to do and what he wanted to do. After the game he would call Zoey and ask her to come and sleep over at his apartment that night. He would tell her that he wanted a relationship with her.

That had been his plan, but things don't always go as planned.