Hellllooo my beautiful friends! I have a little bit till my classes pick up again, but I finished the first seven-week class of my final semester for my associates and I got downtime again! Hell yeah! Meaning possibly more updates!

... Unless I get to be a gay mess like always and not update cause *gestures to being clingy to my girlfriend* lol

Anyway! I hope you all enjoy this update. I decided to showcase just a little bit more of how the major two relationships are in the story at this point and go from there. Hope you enjoy it!

If there was one thing I always had an issue with, that would be sleep.

For years, there was no middle ground to my sleep schedule. I would either sleep way too much or none at all. There was no in-between. What caused that to be as such? Well, you could blame it on many things. Could it be the unhealthy amount of energy drinks I would consume so I could study for all my AP classes before exams? Could it be the fact that I had nightmares that made it to the point I was an insomniac? Or could it possibly be the fact that my brain would fixate on any tiny little noise and not want to sleep till it was completely silent? No one knows.

One thing I know and that is I have never slept normally before Jim came around.

I smiled gently to myself as I felt his arm that was wrapped around my waist tighten just the slightest and I felt him move just a little closer in his sleep. His soft snore telling me that the last detail was for certain.

When it came to my last partners, I never was able to sleep with them around. I don't know why, but I just didn't seem to trust them a much as I thought. Which honestly, I don't blame my brain for being as such since I did make the choice of dating Steve of all people.

... Thinking of such also reminds me that the only time I did sleep near my exes was after sex and that was usually due to exhaustion. Even then, they never cuddled me or anything afterward. Hell, Steve would go hand out with his "friends" and leave me there.

Why did I think that was a good situation to put myself in again? I would really like to know, seventeen-year-old Claire. If you're still in me somewhere to answer that question at least.

I smiled once more as I heard the man behind me mutter softly in his sleep before nuzzling into the back of my hair.

It brought me to where I am now though so I can't be too disappointed with whatever young Claire's reasoning must have been. If I didn't go through all of that, I wouldn't have gone through all the events that followed. I probably wouldn't have been to that flower shop on that fated day.

I would have never met Jim.

I placed a hand on his arm as my thumb rubbed gently at his forearm.

And that would have been a tragedy on its own.

With us living together, he has seen every little piece of me. The good, the bad, and the ugly. He's now seen me at my best and my worst. He's seen me a giggly mess cuddled up next to him in the morning like as well as crying panicked fool over a nightmare. He's seen my scars and all the pieces that are still fractured of me, yet still chooses to be here. To let me love him as he loves me. He's my everything in almost every way, honestly.

I smiled softly as I closed my eyes for the first time. Not minding the fact that I have been laying with the sleeping mechanic for well over two hours now since our sleep schedules are different.

And I wouldn't change a God damn thing.

I lay on my back and look up at the ceiling as I mindlessly toy with a sleeping Claire's hair as she laid her head on my chest.

I wouldn't say I was physically distant from people, but I honestly never thought I would be a cuddling type. Never even thought I would ever have the opportunity to try.

I smiled as I looked down toward the woman sleeping peacefully on my chest.

But yep. Definitely a cuddly kind of guy here. Wouldn't wanna be anywhere else but here with her when I wake up. That's for certain.

I felt a dopey look take over my features as I scratched the scalp of the sleeping Claire. Her instant reaction being a small nuzzle into my chest as burrowed herself closer into my side without realizing it.

I used to hate the fact that I slept so early. It was something that I struggled with a lot in school with the fact that I had to do homework still before passing out. Working two jobs and then going to school on top of that made life difficult for me back then. I would come home at ten from working at the shop or helping mom with deliveries, work on school stuff till midnight, and then pass out till six just to start the cycle again. So once I was out of school and I had a chance to go to sleep sooner, my body just got used to the fact that I could sleep more than six hours.

... Ending up with me sleeping about ten now instead. Funny how bodies do that.

I heard Claire murmur in her sleep as I stopped scratching her scalp and then decided to just comb through her hair there instead.

But I honestly don't mind it if it means waking up to these kinds of scenes in the morning.

Suddenly, I felt Claire begin to shift a little which I knew from past experiences now meant that she was beginning to wake up. My thoughts were just proven as I heard a soft yawn from the woman as she stretched out her legs that were once bent together against my own. I heard a soft pop come from her limbs, but I didn't give a second thought to it. The punk's joints nearly always popped. It was just something I got used to after we first moved in together. Though I will admit, they used to worry me when I first started hearing them.

"Good morning there, beautiful." I gave Claire a lopsided grin as she adjusted her head so she could look up at me.

"Shush." I could see the soft blush on the punk's face as she ran a hand through her hair. "I'm a mess and I can already tell by how I can feel my hair spiking up in the back."

"It's cute though." I chuckled a little as I reached up and messed with the hair the hung right behind her neck that was poking out a bit. "It's fluffy."

"Still don't know how yours stays in place like that." Claire rolled herself onto my chest before reaching out with two hands and running them through my hair. "It's like you put product in it before going to bed or something."

"It's called having it trained." I chuckled a little as she gave me an annoyed look.

"Love, you should have seen my ass in high school. I had so many fucking hair clips to keep this bitch in place," She pulled her right hand back from me so she could comb her fingers through her hair once. "People would joke that I had them in just to break into teacher's classrooms and shit at the academy."

"Seriously?"

"No joke. I couldn't even keep them all the same color. They were just whatever the fuck I could find at a dollar store."

"Jesus." I laughed a little as she just groaned thinking about her past self.

"High school Claire was a mess. From her rainbow hair clips to her mommy issues." I couldn't help but laugh a little more as Claire laughed a little herself.

"I wouldn't have minded her any though."

"You would have been one of the few." I smiled at her words as she started mumbling into my chest. "I should get up and get ready to open the shop but I don't wanna."

"The pains of being an adult." I chuckled as I put on a mocking tone. "Oh how long it has been since before said torture."

"You're twenty-one."

"And that's supposed to mean what now?" Claire just rolled her eyes at me as I just snickered in reply. "Want something to eat before we're tortured by the pains of work?"

"Yes, please." She pushed herself up by putting her hands on either side of me before swing herself off of me and the bed with ease. "I'm starving." I smiled as I got out of bed myself right after her.

"Whatever the beautiful wants." I said the remark with a smirk as Claire shot me another playful smile.

"Shush."

I bounced my leg anxiously as I sketching aimlessly at the kitchen counter. My eyes looking up periodically to look over toward the pink-haired punk as she was cooking the both of us breakfast. I would have done it myself since she has only been back to Arcadia for a few weeks, but she's been insistent that since I'm the one working right now, that she can at least do this small thing for me in the morning.

Even then, you don't argue with Zoe once she's made her mind up. It's like fighting a golem. Even if they really existed, it's a fight you'll never win.

I smiled at myself as I looked over the woman as she worked.

It was obvious that she hadn't had time in England to dye her hair any since her light brown locks were showing themselves at her roots, but I never minded when it did. I liked her hair however she wanted. Short, long. Pink, brown. Never bothered me. Though there is still a small place in my hair for the fierce brown-haired girl that used to wander the forest areas of Arcadia with nothing but a walking stick and a determined smile. But the slightly taller woman was still that same girl in many ways. From her bright and warming smile to her fierce determination. Just the same Zoe as always deep down.

The same Zoe I wouldn't want in any other way.

I smiled like an idiot for a moment before looking down at my drawing to continue working.

Though there were also differences to the woman before me. She wasn't as loud and carefree as she used to be, but that was honestly for the better. High school Zoe would get herself into dive concert brawls and come out with busted knuckles. The same Zoe who woke up in my yard once with one less boot and missing her jacket. That side of Zoe died down quite a bit once we graduated, but it wasn't a bad side of her at all. One of my favorite memories is actually with that old side of her with how she would sit halfway through my old car's passenger window and scream out into the wind.

Do I miss that reckless and lively side of her? A little every now and then, but it's not something that pained me. We just grew together and growing together also means maturing when we need to and that was one of those things Zoe wanted to move past in her life. She thought it didn't just endanger her, but Claire and I too, so she stopped nearly as quickly as that side of her appeared.

I dropped my pencil as the drawing I originally started in my sketchbook had shifted into a sketch of the woman before me. Her hair sketched out into a soft and fluffy mess as it showed her and how she was cooking in her sleeping clothes still.

But I wouldn't give her up for the world. No matter how she changes through the years. She's still my Zoe. We'll grow together as we go.

"Hm. Grow together." I muttered the words to myself as I flipped to the backside of the sketch I just made as I jotted down a small little melody that appeared in my head. "Grow as we go." I scribbled the words down as quickly as I could before the small melody escaped my head which was just in time for Zoe to catch onto my mumbling.

"You okay over there?" The tone in her voice was cheerful as I dropped my pencil with a satisfied sigh.

"Yep. Just had a small song idea is all." I looked up toward Zoe to see she turned toward me with two plates of our favorite type of eggs before placing one in front of me beside my sketchbook.

"Not gonna tell me about it?" She gave me a curious look that I only matched with a small smirk in reply.

"It's not finished." Zoe rolled her eyes at me as she placed her plate beside mine.

"Your songs are never finished."

"Exactly."

"Fair enough." Zoe chuckled at me a little as she moved around the counter to sit beside me. "I could feel your eyes staring at me so I bet it's about me anyway."

"And if it is?" I gave her a mischievous smile as she just laughed once more in reply.

"Then I guess I'll just wait till you want me to hear it."

"Even if it's forever?"

"You already know I'm not going anywhere anyway." I smiled widely at the idea as Zoe before leaning over and placing a small kiss on my cheek. "You're adorable."

"I am but a lovesick idiot."

"My idiot."

"That's the most important part!" Her laugh echoed through the kitchen as I couldn't help but smile like a fool once more.

Yep. I want to spend the rest of my life with her. May that mean till tomorrow or forty years from now, I don't care. This is it. This is all I'll ever need.

Before I could even change my attention to the food she had cooked me, I heard a familiar alarm go off on my phone.

"Fuck, I'm running late now." I nearly jumped out of my chair as I scrambled to grab my sketchbook and pencil.

"At least take your toast on the side there. You never even got a chance to touch the eggs." I nodded simply as I took the toast on the side with my free hand before leaning over and placing a kiss on the punk's cheek.

"Got it, love you!" I put the corner of the toast into my mouth as I nearly dashed toward where my keys and jacket were hanging up.

"Love you too. Don't speed! Don't need you dying on me!" I gave out a small muffled reply as I flopped my jacket over my sketchbook and nearly dashed out the front door. The only thing on my mind being a small piece to the melody I came up with.

When you're high, I'll take the lows. You can ebb and I can flow and we'll take it slow. And grow as we go