Hello! Once again, I wanted to say thanks for the sweet reviews and to all of the readers!

Well, we still have no confirmation about this rumor (at least that I know of) which is definitely interesting. ;)
This chapter is set up a little different, as it will all be in flashbacks. [however, it will not be in italics] To minimize confusion, the first part picks up from Zac and Vanessa moving in (after the scene where they are unpacking), with the last part leading up to the very end of the last chapter. (If that makes sense?) Hope you can follow along with no problems! :D

Anyway, here's the next chapter!

*I do not own HSM or its characters (and obviously not the actors in the series) :p*

After a long day of unpacking and rearranging, Zac and Vanessa went outside to sit in their backyard and enjoy the view.

As Vanessa went to pull a chair next to her already sitting boyfriend, Zac spoke up.

"Babe, what are you doing?"

She was thoroughly confused.

"What?"

"I saved you a seat already."

Vanessa glanced around on the deck, still lost as to what he was talking about.

Zac patted his lap. "Hello?"

She smiled at his effortless attempt at flirting.

"You're right. Silly me," Vanessa said, giving in to Zac's wishes and sitting. "What was I thinking grabbing a chair when I have a nice comfortable seat right here?"

"That's right," he replied quietly.

She leaned back, resting her head next to his while he wrapped his arms around her stomach, pulling her closer.

"This really is a beautiful view."

"Yeah. I think we're going to have a really good time in this house, Van." He paused for a moment. "Seriously. No annoying paparazzi...well, hopefully. No annoying neighbors. Just you, me, and our own little stretch of beach."

Although Vanessa almost always payed attention to what Zac had to say, this time her mind had started to wander.

I really am one of the luckiest girls alive. I'm in the arms of the guy every girl wishes was hers.

"Ness?" he asked, as she appeared to be in a daze.

Without warning, Zac felt Vanessa's arm around his head, pulling him in for a passionate kiss.

However, he certainly was not complaining.

The two continued in their lip-lock, making each feel like the world had stopped turning, even if only for a minute.

"What was that for?" Zac asked, almost blushing. "That was certainly out of nowhere."

"I don't know," she answered, almost unsure herself. "I guess I wanted to see if sparks still flew when we kissed."

"And?"

She smiled. "Let's just say I felt like my lips were on fire."

Zac sighed quietly with a sense of accomplishment. "Then I guess Zefron's still got it."

The next morning, Zac rolled over in bed to find that he was alone.

Did she leave? he thought.

Just then, the aroma of bacon drifted into the room.

Zac was quick to head into the kitchen. He was never one to pass up a hot breakfast.

"Well, aren't you sweet?"

Vanessa turned around from the counter to see a very sleepy, but nonetheless, happy Zac making his way over to the table to sit down.

"I figured why not celebrate our first morning in our new house together?"

Zac grinned.

"We certainly celebrated our first night together."

Vanessa shook her head. Boys.

"I'm pretty sure people in San Francisco could hear us."

"ZAC!"

"What? It's not like there's anyone around."

"Definitely one of the perks," he paused to goose the nearby Vanessa, "about this place."

She rolled her eyes, but Zac could see she was just as satisfied with their previous night together.

"Just eat your breakfast."

Zac looked down at the plate in front of him.

Bacon, eggs, french toast, and hash browns.

"Wow, what did I do to deserve this?"

He took a bite of the toast.

"Ah, I know," he added as Vanessa took her seat. "I obviously did something Miss Hudgens liked last night."

"Oh, Zac. I'm glad my cooking skills please you so."

"And I'm glad my apparently mind-blowing skills in the bedroom.."

She cut him off by shoving a piece of bacon in his mouth.

"Please, just eat."

He surprisingly obeyed.

One week later...

Zac was flipping through television channels when he heard the toilet flush in the bathroom down the hall.

"Babe, please remember to put the toilet seat back down."

"Oh, sorry. Yeah, I'll try to remember next time."

Zac never used to have a problem when he was over Vanessa's house, but for some reason he had reverted back to his old ways.

Other than that minor issue, everything had been going just fine between them. Living together had been everything they had imagined. The two felt it had made them closer as a couple. To be honest, life had been no different than when they would just spend occassional nights over each other's houses. Actually, it was even better now.

Vanessa was getting ready to make dinner when Zac stopped her.

"Hey, just take it easy today. You've made almost every single meal since we've been here. Let me cook you something this time."

She was pleasantly surprised. "All right."

Zac wouldn't tell her what he was making, but instead had her relax on the couch.

After he had finished the meal he promised, he whistled for her to turn around.

Vanessa walked up to the table to find a delicious meal of chicken parmesan for two.

"Wow, aren't I special?" she said. "What did I do to deserve this?"

He pulled out the chair for her to sit down.

"Ah, wait," she started, trying her best to sound like Zac on their first morning together. "Mr. Efron must have liked something I did last night."

"Or maybe I just love you," he said kissing the top of her head and sitting down himself.

Vanessa smiled at her boyfriend's gesture.

"I can live with that."

She found her dinner to be absolutely delectable. Zac's skills as a chef really came as a surprise.

"Zac, I had no idea you were such a good cook."

"Well, thank you," he said cheerfully.

"Now I never have a reason to make a meal again..."

"Oh, nice try, Vanessa. But there's no way I'm missing out on your awesome breakfasts."

She gave him one of her seductive smiles. "Well, keep up the good work, Efron, and you will keep finding them on the table in the morning."

Two weeks later...

"Zac, please put the toilet seat back down."

"Oh, right. Sorry about that."

They crossed paths on her way back from the bathroom, as Zac went to look for a Band-Aid.

"Babe, where are the Band-Aids at again?"

"In the medicine cabinet."

Where they've always been, she thought.

Vanessa couldn't believe he hadn't learned their location after the first four times. How did he ever find anything in his house?

Zac, after retrieving his Band-Aid, opened the cupboard under the sink to look for a paper towel. His discovery made him turn white.

Every feminine product he had ever seen in a grocery store was there. It may as well have been the entire selection the supermarket offered.

Yes, he was living with a girl, but...that was just it. He was now living with a girl. No matter how long he and Vanessa had been together, the topic still embarassed Zac to no end.

This is definitely one of the things Dylan was talking about.

When Zac returned to join Vanessa on the couch, she noticed his face was ghostly pale.

"Zaccy, what's wrong?"

"Uh, it's nothing."

"What is it?"

She knew only one thing in that bathroom could have made him look ill.

"Really, Zac?" Vanessa laughed. "Do you need me to reteach middle school health for you?"

He still refused to say anything.

"It's not like I asked you to go out and buy tampons for me. That's just cruel."

Zac couldn't look her in the eye.

"You do know that I've been using them since we started dating, right?"

Ah, didn't need to know that, he thought.

Vanessa practically read his mind.

"Okay, Zac. Well when you're ready to graduate from sixth grade, come and find me."

Three weeks later...

Vanessa walked into the kitchen to find Zac drinking right out of the milk carton.

Oh my God! Ashley was right!

"ZAC!"

He nearly dropped the carton on the floor. "What?"

"What the hell are you doing?"

Vanessa quickly grabbed the carton out his hands. "Ew! That's..." she struggled for the right word, "disgusting!"

"What?"

"You can't do that, Zac! You're not the only one using it!"

"Babe, it's not like I have cooties."

Vanessa thought he sounded like a kid again.

"I know that, Zac," she asserted. "But it's really unsanitary."

He brushed his hand through his hair. "Fine, I'll use a glass."

"Yes, please do."

Vanessa knew she probably sounded like a nagging wife, but it had to be stopped...now.

Wow, there are a lot of things that are going to take getting used to around here.

Zac was feeling frustrated, he was having a hard time adjusting to this new lifestyle. He was so used to doing things his way. But he knew that it wasn't fair to Vanessa.

They had only been living together for a few weeks, but there were already little things about each other that were starting to get annoying. It didn't exactly change their feelings for one another, but it wasn't going to be easy dealing with such different lifestyles.

Would things get worse before they got better?