Zach climbs into the back of the cab first, and I follow, settling in the back passenger side. Upon fastening my seat belt, Zach scoots over from behind the driver to the middle seat and secures his belt. As I give the cabbie my address, Zach's hand wanders from the buckle to my hip, and slides up under my shirt. Suddenly, remembering an address that I've known a good portion of my life seems impossible. I pause to concentrate on what I'm saying and not Zach's cool fingers stroking along the waistband of my pants. The words stumble out of my mouth and the driver nods. I'm grateful that it's dark and he can't see my boyfriend getting handsy in the backseat. Zach's got an impish grin on his face and I decide I like him very much when he's on a Champagne high.

Grateful the taxi driver's not the chatty type, I lean back and throw my left arm across the back of the seat as he turns up the radio and pulls out of the parking lot. Zach nestles his head where my shoulder and arm meet. I rest my head on his and enjoy the quiet for a few minutes while his fingers draw across my abdomen. Eventually his hand leaves from under my shirt and finds a place on my left thigh. I take my right hand and mindlessly run my fingers over his. I continue beyond his knuckles and over the back of his hand to his bracelets, using my index finger to run across the beads of the one I just gave him. Zach peeks up at me and smiles, then flips my hand over and clasps it between both of his. He runs his fingers along the lines of my palm.

"Divining the future?" I murmur as he moves from my palm and intently inspects my fingers. He runs a zigzag down my pinkie and it sends shivers down my spine. He does it again and I begin to squirm. Zach lifts himself up a bit and pulls out one of the ubiquitous Sharpie markers he's always got stashed in his pockets. It's red, of course. Uncapping it, he looks up at me, and I'm curious to see what my little artist has in mind, so I nod. Taking my smallest finger and bringing it closer to see in the dark, Zach sketches out the design his finger had drawn.

"Future, past, destiny. Red thread," he whispers with a grin. I look down at my hand to find a stylized 'Z' drawn across my finger. Zach then inks an almost-mirror image on his left pinkie, forming an 'S' on his. Then he grabs my pinkie between his and his ring finger, and the top of my Z meets the bottom of his S and both letters bump in their middles, forming a slightly misshapen heart. I swallow at how cute he's being, and he gives me a goofy lopsided grin before settling back into my arm.

I contemplate the perfect day as we pull into the neighborhood. Today couldn't have been better if I'd written it into a story and had complete control of the plot and dialog. I look down at who made my day so fantastic, to see he's fallen asleep. Okay, so it might be slightly better if he wasn't drowsy and half-drunk, but even like this, he's the most beautiful person I've ever seen. And he's clearly getting comfortable with physical affection in public. I wonder how much longer it will be until he's ready to reveal us as a couple to Gabe and Jeanne. I'm glad I've been patient about this, because he is so completely worth it. As we pull into the drive, for the first time in a long time, I feel absolutely content.

"Babe, time to wake up," I quietly sigh into Zach's ear. He lethargically peeks one eye open then blinks them both, realizing where he is and where we've arrived.

"Uh, sorry. Sorry 'bout that," he says as I thank and pay the cabbie.

"No worries," I assure him, wrapping my arm around him and pulling him closer as the taxi backs out of the drive. "It's been a long day." Arm-in-arm, we approach the front door, and I pull out my key to unlock the door as he releases a big yawn. We enter the house and maneuver in the dark toward the stairs. We trudge up the steps to my room, and I turn the light on in the bathroom but leave the bedroom light off. Zach plops down on the bed and sighs as he leans back on the mattress, throwing his hands above his head and then yawns. I kick off my shoes and unbutton my pants, stepping out of them as I unbutton the dress shirt and then toss it on the arm of the bench just outside my bathroom. I look over at him as I pull the undershirt off and toss it on my jeans as I notice his eyes are closed. I sign and walk over to my sleepy beau. Gently shaking his shoulder I whisper to him. "Babe, let's get your clothes off before you go to sleep."

Begrudgingly, Zach opens his eyes and sits up. I help him out of the jacket and hang it in my closet as he tosses my shirt to the pile I started on the floor. I grab the shoes and pull them off while he unbuttons his pants and scoots himself up into the bed and out of them. Tossing them across the room, I decide to run downstairs for water in case Mr. Champagne needs it in the morning.

I grab a bottle of water from the fridge and as I shut the door, I notice some sand fall off Cody's art work hanging there. I look at it and smile, deciding I definitely want to hang it at my new place; I carefully take it down and stash it in a folder with my paperwork to keep it safe. I grab a wine glass and half-empty bottle of red for myself and head back upstairs. Zach is fully asleep and looks adorable. I set the water next to him then crawl into my bed, pouring myself a glass and setting the bottle on my nightstand. I swirl the wine around a bit before taking a sip, making the decision to talk to Zach about the future first thing in the morning. I polish off the rest of the wine and settle in next to him. Zach cuddles closer in his sleep, and I look at my pinkie and smile at the red string Z, just another way he's marked me. Eventually I drift off to sleep.

The next morning arrives and I wake up in the best mood. Looking over, I see Zach is just starting to become alert. I turn in toward him and smile as he opens his eyes.

"Mornin' Sweetheart," he mumbles as he blinks and licks his lips. I gesture to the water near him. "Thanks," he says, uncapping it and taking several sips. He notices the red marking on his finger as he tips the bottle back. He looks at it then at me with a questioning look. I chuckle.

"Red threads," I explain, showing him mine and then how they make a heart.

"Oh God, I'm such a dork!" he exclaims, shaking his head.

"I thought it was cute. You're a-dork-able, Babe." Zach rolls his eyes but turns in to me and smiles, briefly running his fingers across my chest. Suddenly he looks serious.

"Are you gonna head back up to LA soon?" he quietly asks. I inhale, not quite ready to begin talking about what's to come, and what I want our future to look like.

"I'm pretty happy here," I offer, with a smile, looking at him.

"Yeah," he whispers, slightly nodding. Now's the time.

"Hey, why don't you come with me?" I offer.

"Yeah, right," he scoffs.

"I'm serious," I smile, picturing it in my head. "I'll live right near CalArts," I continue, mentally admitting that I'll actually live right near a freeway that takes you to CalArts in less than 20 minutes, which in LA is basically living 'right near' something. He adjusts a bit and I can tell he's thinking. I caress his cheek with the back of my fingers. "You're so beautiful," I tell him, more sincerely. He grins and playfully punches my shoulder.

"Shut up," he instructs with a laugh in his voice, not taking me seriously at all.

"Hey, learn to take a compliment," I reply, and I'm more solemn when I tell him this than I normally am, so he can see I mean it. He blinks several times, then brings his hand to my face and strokes it. I clasp his hand in mine for a second.

"Thanks," he whispers, a shy smile lighting up his face.

"I'm so glad you're here," I reply.

"Me too," he agrees.

I gather my thoughts and prepare to launch into my spiel about wanting him to always be 'here' wherever I am, and just as I open my mouth, a door downstairs slams shut.