Normal POV
Addison's quiet giggle follows Zed as he gently tugs her wrist to rush around the corner, coming to a stop along the side of the dining hall where they had just finished their rehearsal dinner. He wastes no time pulling his beautiful fiancé, with her vibrant floral dress, into his arms. She gladly returns his embrace, arms around his neck, as he leans back against the brick.
The way her face buried in his shoulder sparked a slight worry for him. She's been anxious all evening and he was hoping getting away for a little bit would alleviate a little of those feelings for her. Craning his neck in an attempt to look at her face, his worries heighten when she ducks her chin to press further from his eyes.
"Hey Adds? Everything ok?" He questions gently. After a heavy sigh, she finally lifts her head to look up at him.
"Yeah, I just wanna soak up as much time as I can get with you." She told him with a somber smile.
"I know, Addy. You've got me till the last possible second." He assured, pulling her in tight to his chest.
They could hear the hustle and bustle of people leaving, mostly from vendors getting their final details about tomorrow. But Addison just tried to ignore the noise and snuggle into Zed's embrace that much more.
She had to admit, their venue was beautiful, inside and out. Even from their spot on the side of the building, they had a perfect view of the sunset. The sky's shades of red and orange slowly burning out with purple fizzling at its edges. She could sit and just watch the sky all night if it was with Zed.
It was a gorgeous ending to such a stressful day of prepping. She relaxed against her zombie. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad tomorrow. All the preparations were set, Bucky and her mom would handle any bumps in the plan for her. Maybe she could actually be excited for her and Zed's big day.
Zed smiled as he felt the tension leaving her shoulders. He hated when she was this stressed out. But he also understood. It was a huge day and she obviously wanted it to be perfect. He just wished he could take some of that away from her. She deserved to enjoy the process, not rush through it at her wit's end.
Just like the moment they were in right now. It was like a refreshing wave of peace soothing the chaos. He leaned down and planted a kiss on her head. These were the kind of moments he lived for.
"There you two are!"
Addison groaned loudly into Zed's button-down as her cousin marched closer.
"I've been looking for you everywhere, Addison!" Bucky huffed.
"I just needed a minute." She sighed, hesitantly pulling back from her soon-to-be husband's tight hug. He understood her reluctance to let go. He didn't want to either. They both knew what was coming.
Sure enough, Eliza, Bree, and Bonzo had followed Bucky's loud voice and found them as well. "Zed! It's time to party!" Eliza shouted, getting a whoop from the taller zombie beside her.
"I'm sure it's gonna be like any other Friday night that the three of us hang out." Zed laughed.
"Actually! I convinced your dad to buy us some champagne! We're gonna live it up on your last night as a bachelor!" She countered proudly, clearly hyped to be breaking the rules. "Let's go get drunk!"
"But not too much. He needs to be well-rested for tomorrow." Bucky reminded her, then turned to Zed with a pointed look. "I'm gonna be there too. Making sure you don't try any funny business before the ceremony."
"I don't get what the big deal is." Zed pouted.
"It's bad luck! You can't see her until it's time! That's tradition!" Bree ranted as if it were obvious.
When both of their faces just remained sour, she rolled her eyes. She rushed over to Addison and tugged her away from Zed completely, much to both their dismay, and began to gush about the pampering she had planned for her tonight.
"I—All that sounds great, Bree. But can I just… can we get just a few more minutes?" Addison asked in a slight panic. Bree softened and Bucky gave a nod as he corralled the other zombies towards the parking lot to load into the van.
"Of course, Addy. We'll wait in the cars for you guys." She smiled, hugging her best friend before following the others.
The second she was free, she rushed back into Zed's arms. The zombie chuckled but gladly returned her affections. All the progress of their peaceful moment was lost, her anxiety was full force in her chest and worry nagged at the edge of her mind.
"You gonna be alright? Being trapped with Bree might be a lot to handle." Zed joked. At least it got a little giggle out of her. She pulled back just enough to look up at him with the best smile she could muster.
"She's just excited. It'll be nice spending some time with her." Addison said, but Zed could feel how forced her smile was.
He wanted so desperately to just stay with her. Forget about a bachelor party or tradition. It's not like they were a cookie-cutter relationship anyways. He also knew that Bucky wouldn't budge so there wasn't much point in fighting it.
But he would if Addison needed him. In a heartbeat.
"Are you sure, Addy? I don't care about some stupid traditions." He asked, brushing a stray curl behind her ear before cradling her jaw in his hand. She smiled, leaning into his palm.
"Yeah, I'll be ok." She tried to assure him.
If it were just her words, he'd have believed her. The churning in his gut told him she was still a nervous wreck. He opened his mouth to voice his concerns but a ruckus from their friends simultaneously hooting and hollering for them to hurry up interrupted him.
He gave his attention back to the blonde in his arms and gently turned her face to look him in the eyes. "Promise you're ok?" He asked one last time, willing her to tell him the truth. But she just gave him a sad smile as she nodded.
"I promise, Zed." She whispered.
He knew she could feel the ping of hurt that pricked his heart from her blatant lie but he couldn't blame her either. He pulled her in, giving her a firm kiss. A reminder that he would always forgive her, he will be by her side forever, no matter what. His outpour of emotions made her whimper against his lips, a fight to push back the tears that now threatened to spill over. Zed hugged her tighter in comfort, separating their lips to press his forehead to hers.
"I love you so much, Addy." He reminded her.
"Gar garziga drozgrog, Zed." (I love you forever, Zed.) She told him, the emotion clear in her slightly shaking voice. He smiled.
"Drozgrog, ag garziga." (Forever, my love.) He agreed, leaning in for another soft peck before Bucky blared his horn. Addison shot him a nasty glare but Zed just let out a breathy laugh, kissing her temple in comfort.
"Let's get this over with." He said. "It's just one night."
She took a deep breath and nodded. "One night. Then the rest of our lives." She smiled.
Zed's smile widened. "Absolutely."
"Wasn't that so refreshing?" Bree sighed happily as she plopped down on the spare twin-sized mattress they'd drug into Addison's room for their sleepover.
"So refreshing." Addison agreed sarcastically as she giggled under her breath. Bree had definitely gone all out for their pre-wedding pampering. Complete with face and hair masks, basically a full-body exfoliation, feet and hand massages, and a fragrant lavender bubble bath to wash it all away.
If she wasn't so worried about tomorrow, on top of knowing she literally couldn't see Zed at all until time for the ceremony, she might have actually been able to enjoy the incredible job Bree had done. But she just couldn't shake her anxiety of being in front of so many people, showing off the twin baby bump that was probably super obvious. She could already hear all her extended family running their mouths about how 'of course a zombie would get her knocked up out of wedlock and have to marry her'.
What if Zed heard their snide remarks? Her chest constricted at the thought.
"Alright! Time for beauty sleep!" Bree clapped, interrupting Addison's spiral of panic. She glanced at the clock, reading 10:45 pm.
"It's so early! There's no way I can fall asleep, Bree!" Addison whined.
"No arguing! It's for your own good and that's final!" She said with her nose up.
"Ugh! Fine!" Addy huffed, flopping on the bed.
"Good!" Bree chirped happily, stretching up to switch off the nightstand light then snuggled under her sheets. "Sweet dreams, Addy!"
"Goodnight, Bree." Addison sighed softly.
She wasn't sure how long she laid there staring up at the ceiling. It felt like an eternity. She felt wired. The mix of nerves, excitement, and anxiety swirling in her stomach made it impossible to fall asleep.
So when her phone lit up the darkness, she was quick to check who had messaged her. A perk of excitement jolted through her heart when she saw Zed's name.
A short text reading, 'Shhh, sneak to your window.'
Her brows furrowed curiously but she wasn't even tired so she quietly slipped out from under her blankets and crept over to the window. A soft, excited gasp filled her lungs when she spotted her fiancé smiling at her, sitting on the thick tree branch right outside her window. She moves faster to push the windowpane open.
"Zed! What are you doing here?" She asked in a whisper. "I'm not supposed to see you until the wedding."
"It's not midnight yet, so we're technically not breaking any rules." He said with a smirk before continuing. "Besides, I couldn't sleep with your uneasy feelings stirring in my gut." He teased. She let out a soft, guilty laugh.
"I'm sorry Baby."
"Don't apologize. Do you wanna talk?" He offered.
"I'm ok, really. Just, nervous." She admitted.
"Have we gone too fast? You know we can hold off if you're not ready yet—"
"No!" She interrupted him a little too loudly, slapping a hand over her mouth when Bree started to stir. She settled back into her pillow though, so Addison sighed in relief, refocusing on Zed outside her window. "No, I'm excited for tomorrow. Just nervous about being in front of, so many people. Being the center of attention. Bree's been pampering me all night and it just feels so, weird."
Zed softened. "You deserve to be a princess for a day, Addy." He reached forward and she took his hand, the only way they could have contact. "You're my princess every day but I guess I can share for one." A smile lifted the corners of her mouth, then she laughed softly, a genuine laugh.
"Even though you won't really be sharing." She teased.
"No, I won't." He agreed as if dropping a charade. They laughed quietly together.
"Hey!" The sudden shout made both of them jump, hands slipping from one another's. Zed barely managed to regain his balance on the branch to keep from falling.
"Zed!" Addison cried in worry.
"I'm fine! I'm fine!" He assured her.
"You won't be if you don't amscray!" Bree threatened with a glare as she rushed to Addison's side. "You two are gonna curse your marriage by seeing each other right now!"
"It's technically not tomorrow yet." Zed countered with a cheeky smile. Bree huffed while Addison giggled. She slid back forward and took his hand once more.
"Either way, if Bucky finds out, you'll probably be getting married in a cast." She said with a fond eye roll.
"Yeah, yeah." He conceded with a shake of his head. "Before I go though, you're feeling better?" He asked in genuine concern. She smiled softly.
"Yes, thanks Zed." She said sincerely. His shoulders relaxed and he leaned forward to kiss her knuckles.
"Gar garziga, Addy. Sweet dreams."
"Gar garziga, Zed. Goodnight."
One last smile and she watched him climb down the tree, making sure he made it to the bottom safely. When she turned around to go back to bed, she was faced with Bree scowling at her.
"You are really lucky you're my best friend." She said, a soft smile cracking replacing her harsh expression. Bree gently linked her arm with Addison's and led her back to their beds.
"He felt some kinda connection thing, didn't he." She guessed, Addison giving her a small embarrassed nod.
"Do you wanna talk about it?" Bree offered.
"I'm ok now, Bree. You don't have to worry." Addison assured her with a sincere smile, warmth budding in her chest thinking about her conversation with Zed.
"Alright, if you're sure." She conceded, getting back under her covers. "Then, beauty sleep. Now." Bree pointed joke-threateningly.
"Yes Ma'am!" Addison giggled, snuggling into bed and finding a comfortable position.
No matter what ended up happening tomorrow, it was going to be an amazing day. She would finally be able to call Zed her husband and it would be the first day of the rest of their lives. A smile spread across her lips as thoughts of her handsome, loving zombie filled her head before drifting off into blissful sleep.
