I watched the sunrise slowly seep across the ceiling, I had been awake for hours.. Literally hours.

After coming back from Aaron's house I felt better. We were in good terms again but only if I gave up my job at Joey's.. I admit the bruising was harrowing to see but it wasn't on their body, they didn't have to look. But they chose to. I didn't show it off, I kept them hidden. But the severity of almost being sexually assault was Aaron's final straw. He told me to give it up and Zak? Well he jumped on the band wagon..

Something I soon dealt with when I got hom- to Zak's.

We had arrived home at 12am but didn't go to bed until 3am.. That's after I tore him a new one about ganging up on me with Aaron and his apology.. That came in the form of butterfly kisses, cuddles, countless I'm sorry and the reason why he agreed. But he too, like Aaron was afraid I was going to be seriously hurt one day.

It was no mistake Joey's was a little rough around the gills. There was never a night I wasn't jumping the bar to get in the middle of a fight and sometimes on the rare occasion I've threw the first punch when someone has called me a name I didn't like.

You respect the staff at Joey's.. It's rule number one.

Now at 7am laying beside Zak in bed who was on his front with a hand on my stomach to make sure I hadn't.. I don't know moved country whilst he was asleep.

The mix colour eyes opened meeting mine, his arm went over me and I was pulled towards him.

"Love you." He grumbled before he closed his eyes again.

I frowned, did he just..? He's probably dreaming I'm his weights right?

When has Zak ever slept with his weights?

Hey I'm just giving you a suggestion.. Those biceps came from somewhere.

I'll let you off..

Why thanks.

-----

I woke up in bed alone, the shower was on and music was playing.

The homeowner was up.

I began smiling as he sang in the shower, I actually sat up hearing his voice.

He wasn't a bad singer. I could live with that..

I was too busy looking across his bedroom to notice he had walked in. That was until I was dragged across the bed.

"WAKEY WAKEY!"

"N-NOOO!" I shouted trying to grab the bedding for resistance but I was up and off the bed in his arms.

"Yay!!! Maria is awake!"

"I hate your face right now." I grumbled.

"No you don't! Let's dance!"

His definition of dancing was me in a bear hug being shaken around. I ended up laughing from the stupid face he pulled whilst doing it.

"Don't be grumpy." He said stopping.

"I love me jo-"

"No! Shake shake shake!" He shook me hard making me giggle.

"Let's not argue over work today. But I will only say that I want you safe.. That place is not it."

I went to reply but he bit my lip making me growl.

"Wow I should 'ave 'ought of vis vooner" he laughed.

I rolled my eyes and grunted at him in annoyance. I stayed in his arms as he walked to the bathroom and dropped me onto my feet.

"Shower, cause you stink."

I slapped his arm "I do not!"

"No you don't but I like it when you're angry.. All fiery eyes and clenched jaw. My sex kitten." He teased.

This was the annoying side of Zak, when he wanted you to do something. So he would teased until you snapped and did what he wanted.

"Allow me to be a sex tiger and rip your throat out."

He pulled a face "not hot."

"Cats don't like water."

"Be a do- never mind." He replied as I narrowed my eyes as he was about to suggest being a dog.

"Oh dance!" He forced me to dance with him around the bathroom, well I was as uncoordinated as a blind duck first thing in the morning so I hit everything in creation adding more bruises until I finally slipped on the floor and pulled Zak down with me.

I landed on my back and he was between my legs...

"Good morning to you too." He wiggled his eyebrows.

"Get.... Off!" I struggled to push him away. He laughed and stood up pulling me up off the floor too.

"I can't wait until you're with me on the road." Zak spoke turning on the shower.

"I'm not working with you. I've told you this how many times?"

"Why not?"

"Uh maybe because there's a chance, no I know we will argue too much between us. I also happen to know that you don't need anyone else so creating a job is a waste of money, and the channel will complain, plus we're putting Aaron in a rock and hard place. We can't be all canoodling in front of him. He'll hate us." I answered.

Zak sighed working it all out and eventually nodded "Yeah, with Aaron I guess you are right-"

"Usually am."

"But we do need someone else, not to do lockdowns but behind the scenes...
Go on. Just say yes woman. Then we can celebrate..." He grinned.

"All you want is sex." I responded causing him to gasp.

"What kind of man do you take me for?!"

"A snake, you're always trying to be sly with your innuendos and always try to tempt with me with your trouser snake."

"Working though." He smirked.

Problem was.. It was working.

-------

"97, 98, 99, 10-"

"I'M BORED!" I shouted walking into his garage, he jumped and the bar nearly fell on him making me scream. He caught it and put it back up before sitting up.

"I could have died for your distraction!" He snapped.

"I.. Sorry." I mumbled.

He sighed, "sorry, it just scared me that was all. You okay?"

I nodded looking at my socks, penguin socks to be correct.

"Sorry for shouting at you,"

"I said I'm fine. Just bored now.. How's your chest?" I asked. The bar had came down hard.

"Still able to breathe and move, so I guess it's okay." He answered. I still felt bad, I could have cracked his ribs from that stupid announcement.

"Maria really I am fine." He repeated.

"Okay.."

"So you are bored?" He asked.

I nodded "You know what.. I know what I'm doing."

I disappeared and came back with a bin bag and his handheld Hoover.

Unlocking all of his cars I got into each one and began cleaning them out, I originally thought of putting the water bottles I found into the bin bag but I found more joy tossing them across the garage at him calling him a tramp, or a bum. Or a hoarder.

Hoarder really got him going, something I found funny and kept repeating.

By the time I had cleaned two of his cars, the Bentley and his Huracan I had 7 bottles of water. I still had another two cars to go! A Range Rover and van.. It's like a weirdos van.

You know the type, all the wrong kind of people have them. For like kidnapping people and killing them.

"PULL!" I shouted as threw it across his garage, Zak had taken the chance to grabbing the broom as a rifle and pretended to shoot it out the air.

"GOT IT! Hey we could go swimming today if you want?" He suggested.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, then I'll make you lunch and we can sit in the garden with some oh so alcoholic drinks and turn ourselves into seasonal drinkers." He answered.

"So have lunch and then drink O'Doulls." I laughed as he nodded proudly.

"Sounds like a plan Stan."

"Who's Stan?" Zak asked making me roll my eyes.

"Never mind... Doughnut."

"I heard that!"

"PULL!"

"Bang bang bang pheow!" He made the noises and threw the broom down giving a bow.

Such a weirdo that man.

----

I didn't miss the wolf whistle as I walked in the garden in a bikini.

"Daaaaaamn you're mine?! If not then hey the name is za-"

"Nu uh"

"I just thin-"

"Nu uh."

"Fine. Mar-"

"Nu uh." I interrupted him as he spoke and I eventually one. He skulked off indoors whilst I was now dipping my foot in the water.

I didn't want t-

I was shoved. I mean shoved in the friggin pool and when I say it was cold.. I mean titanic water fuckig mind cold!

"YOU.... ABSOLUTE....DICK!" I shouted at him angrily gasping for air.

"Oh hey sweetheart."

"Don't you... Sweetheart me, you jacka-"

"Nu uh." He replied making me narrow my eyes at him.

"Tsunami!" He shouted and pushed a wave of water at me, of course I didn't close my mouth in time and ended up with a mouth full of water and almost drowning.

Okay drowning was a strong word but I did choke on the water. I swam away stropping but he swam with me.

"I miss my old pool. Well the waterfall actually."

"You do? Why?"

"I used to have sex in the cave behind it."

I stopped and looked at him as he continued swimming, "Well I'm glad you don't.."

"Why?"

"Because you've probably shot so much of your ectoplasm in there that the whole thing looks like a Christmas tree under a UV light!"

He laughed hard at my reason until he ended up putting his own face in the water because of it.

What have I seen in this weirdo?

We spent a while in the pool before we got out instead of shrivelling up like raisins. The shower together was more eventful and dangerous as Zak dropped the soap... He expected me to bend over.

Wonder why?

But I already had soap in my eye and was panicking about never seeing again.

You know the whole scenario.

My eye! My eye! It burns! Stings! I can't see! I can't see! I'm gonna be blind! Where's the towel?!

Well in that time I stepped back on the bar of soap and nearly put myself as well as Zak through the glass pane. Because what's love then killing your other half as well as yourself.

Hello Romeo & Juliet!!

Making it out the shower I had made no attempt to move myself as I laid in jeans and my bra on the bed enjoying the cool air.

"Oh. What we doing?" Zak asked hovering over me and blocking the air.

"Move aside you oaf, I'm getting cool air. It's relaxing."

"I expect so as you blow out a lot of hot air."

I threw him a look as he laid beside me chuckling.

I turned myself enough for Zak to think he was getting snuggles when I kicked him off with my feet onto the floor.

He hit the floor with a thump and a groan  "My bed!" I sang.

He got up and rubbed his elbow before sitting on the end of the bed. I paused and poked out my bottom lip.

"I was only playing.." I mumbled scooting over to him.

"Still hurt."

I picked his arm up and kissed from his wrist up his arm and to his mouth making him smile.

"Better." He replied giving my nose a kiss.

"Carry me to the wardrobe... Please?" I asked getting behind him and wrapping my legs around him.

I was going for a piggy back ride. I got it as he went into the wardrobe and stopped as I pulled his ears gently.

"Woah there my noble steed. I need a top." I sifted through his and found a black one with a cross on it. I pulled it on and held onto him.

"Onwards to where you'd like to be." I replied snuggled into his back.

Of course he galloped around the house making me giggle and hold on tighter but I think that's why he did it. To make sure I did hold him a little tighter than what I was before. As we passed the kitchen counter I frowned seeing a newspaper open and a pen sat on the page next to some things circled.

It was only when Zak put me down I grabbed it and looked at it.

Job advertisements/Situation Vacancies.

I looked over the paper to catch Zak's little smile of please don't hurt me.

The ones circled?

-Nursery assistant (working with kids? Always a no)

-Retail assistant (hmm.)

- bar work (morning and lunchtimes only)

-cafe assistant

- office worker

-pot washer (was he for real?)

"A pot washer. I've never felt so belittle-"

"I'm not saying that's all you are good at. But that's all I can see that keeps you out of harms way besides I don't know if you have any qualifications so that was just my circling.. You'll know what you are capable of." He answered.

I had a red pen handed to me, for me to begin circling.

"Besides I can imagine you working in an office in a two piece. Pencil skirt, unbutton blouse, stockings, heels, red lips, glasses with a long rule- ahem." He cleared his throat and went back to making dinner as I smirked.

I think he just revealed a little fantasy.

The door bell rang making me push it all away. "I still think it's stupid looking for another job when there's nothing wrong with mine." I answered heading out the kitchen.

"What's right with it?!" He yelled.

I growled and got to the front door, I wasn't prepared for who was on the other side.