Happy

[008]

Alex made a small noise from the back of his throat as he stirred from his sleep, burying his nose in his pillow. His pillow smelled nice – like vanilla and peaches, with just a little bit of perfume.

Wait, what?

He sat up, wincing at the pain it brought to his head as his eyes scanned the room he was in. He could see a dresser, and female clothes so that could only mean that he'd probably slept with someone and was too bloody drunk to even leave before she woke up. Alex was still confused, though, simply because the last thing he remembered was Zooey telling him stuff and answering his questions. The rest was just a hazy memory.

If he was that drunk, then how the hell did he even managed to get laid?

Unless...

"Good, you're up." A familiar female voice spoke, making his eyes snap towards the doorway of the bedroom.

"What happened last night?" He asked softly, voice cracking as a hand went up to massage his temple.

Zooey smiled, walking into the room with a clear glass filled with water and two white pills in her open palm. "You asked me questions, took many, many shots, and then you passed out. So thanks for that."

"I passed out?" He repeated incredulously, eyebrows raised high upon his forehead.

"Yup."

"Then how did I get... here?"

"I don't know, either. I pretty much dragged you, I guess. Dragged you to my backseat, and then got the doorman to help me bring your unconscious body up to my flat." She shrugged. "I was too tired to set up the guest room so I just put you in my room and prayed that you wouldn't throw up in my bed."

Alex half-smiled. "I only throw up when I drink an assortment of drinks and everything from the night before is a complete blank."

"Good to know." She laughed lightly.

"Thanks for letting me crash here, by the way. Wait – where'd you sleep?"

"On the couch."

"And you let me sleep in the bed? Shit, man. You should've taken the bed."

"You were drunk, I wasn't about to do that to you." She assured him. "And my couch is pretty freaking comfortable, if I do say so myself."

Alex frowned. "I still feel bad."

"I would think so. You drank a lot last night."

"That's not what I meant."

"I know." She laughed. "But honestly, it's fine. I didn't wake up with back pains or whatever, so you can stop worrying. You're gonna get frown lines." She mocked, making him smile.

He groaned as he slowly set his feet on the ground, still massaging his temples.

"Mate. A little warning next time, yeah?" Zooey spoke, making him look up only to see her walking out of the bedroom.

Alex furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, glancing down to see that he was only in his tight boxer-briefs. They were his tight boxer-briefs – he didn't know how to work the dryer, okay? – so that made his morning situation so much more obvious than it usually would be, making him flush a deep red colour even though Zooey had long ago walked out of the room.

Mumbling to himself about being an idiot and not checking to even check to see if he was clothed – thank God he was, though – he called out the doorway that he was using her bathroom for a shower before immediately jumping into the bathroom, still feeling embarrassed about the whole situation. It was odd. Perhaps if it was someone else, he wouldn't be embarrassed. But there was just something about Zooey that made him feel... Different. Not as confident and cocky as he'd normally be.

When he was with Zooey he felt like he could be the 'real' him – the one that stayed up through the night just to look up facts on black holes and things, contemplating his life choices, reflecting his every decision he'd made.

He liked being able to be that person. Some would refer to it being two-faced, maybe, but it was really just him being so used to letting people walk over him that he didn't really know who he was anymore. Hell, even Lisa didn't know the real him, probably. She knew the Alex that went to her high school and formed the band and became successful. She knew maybe just a little about the Alex that was nerdy and contemplative.

It was complicated. Even Alex didn't know what it was about him being two different people at different times.

What he did know was that when he was with Zooey, he didn't feel the need to filter out his thoughts. It was scary, how much he trusted her in such a short time, but it felt good – to be able to talk about anything and everything, and know that she wouldn't re-tell it to anyone else. His confidante.

His confidante who was so much more than he presumed. He'd always just thought that she'd had a picturesque life; and maybe she wasn't in college because she wanted to rebel against her parents, or something. He frowned to himself as he realised that he really didn't know much about her. The night before had given him more information about her but that was all he knew now. The basic of basics facts about her, and that her father was in the hospital.

And yet, she knew so much more about him.

Alex got out of the shower, using a dry towel that he presumed was left out for him to wipe himself down, and then he stepped into the clothes from before. Without bothering to put a shirt on just yet, he slung it over his shoulder, walking into the kitchen and setting at the breakfast bar with a groan.

"Hello to you, too." Zooey laughed lightly, turning to look at him for a moment before turning back to the stove. "There's coffee there, so pour yourself a mug. I don't wanna burn the bacon."

"Thanks." He mumbled tiredly, grabbing the empty mug and then filling it with the hot liquid in the pot. Once he did that, he settled back into the stool from before, crossing his arms and burying his face in them.

She chuckled. "Bad headache?"

"The worst." He mumbled. "I don't even know why."

"Maybe it's because you didn't have sex after you got drunk."

Alex laughed lightly, tilting his head at an angle so that one eye could be seen. "Yeah, probably."

"At least you've got breakfast now." She grinned, sliding over a plate filled with French toast, bacon and scrambled eggs to him.

He thanked her again before digging into the breakfast, pausing to look at her in awe. "I think I've just fallen in love."

She laughed, shaking her head. "Shut up and eat, you fool."

-----

"Could you imagine it, though?"

"What?"

Alex grinned, pointing to the telly. "Spock!"

"Imagine what about Spock?" She laughed.

"Were you even listening to me?"

"I was watching the movie!" She defended herself, turning back to the telly where Kirk was taunting Spock – trying to get him to show emotion to prove that he had been emotionally compromised.

Alex scoffed. "You've watched this before, and you're still so into it?"

"It's a good movie!" Zooey protested with a small laugh, gently kicking his thigh.

He gasped in offence, grasping her ankles and yanking them so that she was dragged forward closer to him on the couch, making her squeal in surprise. The squeal turned into laughter, making him unconsciously smile, as he pulled her up, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her into a playful headlock.

"You still trying to watch the movie now?" He taunted.

"Yes!" She whined, trying to tug herself out of his grip. "Let me watch Chris Pine being an attractive motherfucker in peace."

"What – am I not attractive enough for you?"

"Well, I mean..." She trailed off, looking at him before clicking her tongue and turning back to the telly. "Chris Pine, though." She smirked, making him gasp before he laughed, letting her out of the headlock only to tackle her onto the couch.

His fingers performed merciless torture on her – in a completely innocent way by tickling her till she squirmed about and almost started crying. He stopped abruptly, smirking widely as he cocked his head to the side, raising an eyebrow at her.

"You never answered my question, you know." He said suddenly, frowning.

"What was your question?"

"Can you imagine what it'd be like – having sex with Spock?"

Zooey looked at him for a moment before bursting out into snickers. "Why – why the fuck would I ever think about that?" She spluttered out in between laughter, making him laugh along with her.

"Maybe you've got a crazy fetish for Spock, I don't know!"

"Sorry to burst your bubble but I've never thought about that before." Her laughter subsided slightly, but she was still chuckling, as was Alex.

"But..." Alex trailed off with a smug little smirk. "You're thinking about it now, aren't you?"

Zooey shook her head. "Nope."

"Lies."

"I'm telling the truth." She laughed. "Thinking about sex with Kirk though... Yeah, maybe. Because have you seen Chris Pine?"

"Again with Chris Pine." Alex moaned exaggeratedly, making her laugh lightly.

"He's hot." She stated in a matter-of-fact voice.

"Am I'm not?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not gonna answer that."

"Why not?" He whined, smirking a little.

"Because you've got thousands of fans who would gladly answer that." She pointed out. "Besides, your ego is already big enough."

"Is not!"

"Your ego is as massive as your eyebrows. Now get off me."

"What is with you and mentioning my eyebrows?" Alex huffed.

She raised a brow. "Have you seen your eyebrows recently? They're massive. Like I've mentioned before: just like your ego."

"I don't have a big ego!" He protested, getting off of her and pouting in her direction.

"Uh huh, sure."

"I don't!"

"Right."

Alex pouted his bottom lip even further. "I mean... It's not my fault that everyone alive – male and female alike – think I'm hot and they want to fuck me and –"

"Oh yeah, you don't have a big ego at all."