A week after Dolph's firing, Zack decides to take it easy. He's doing well with his in-ring training, so it's easy enough to convince himself that one night won't kill him. Besides, Dolph needs him. He orders pizza, getting all of Dolph's favorite toppings, sides and dips, before settling down next to him on the couch. When Dolph squirms over and lays his head in Zack's lap, Zack grins and starts to run his fingers through Dolph's hair until he hums and shifts, dozing off.
It's unfortunate on a number of levels when the pizza arrives, the guy banging so loudly on the door that it startles even Zack, Dolph almost falling clear off of the couch if not for Zack's hand on his shoulder. "It's ok," he soothes him. "I just ordered food. Sorry." Cursing to himself for the guy ruining Dolph's much needed rest, he goes to the door and if he tips the guy a dollar less than he initially planned, oh well. He's tempted to check his door for damage but refrains, pushing it shut and locking it behind him before bringing the food to Dolph.
His eyes light up when he sees the large pizza, moz sticks and marinara sauce. "Thanks, kid," he says, already digging in to the food and grinning cheerfully when Zack sits back down next to him and scoops out a slice of his own. "I love you."
"Love you too, bro," Zack responds, swallowing down another bite of cheesy, meaty goodness. "So what are you doing tonight?" he asks carefully, knowing what he's doing but not wanting to impose it on Dolph in case things are still too painful for him.
"Watching OSU," Dolph says simply, his tone telling Zack all he needs to know.
"Ok, bro. Well, I'm gonna watch TV in the bedroom tonight." Leaning over, Zack grabs another slice of pizza before shifting over and kissing Dolph. They stay there, eating and quietly watching Seinfeld on TV until closer to 7 when Zack escapes into the bedroom and turns the USA Network on, watching Raw. Nothing much happens that catches his eye, he spends most of it tweeting on his phone or playing mindless app games.
By the time Raw ends, Dolph's football game is still lingering on so Zack only slips into the living room long enough to sneak another couple of kisses before going to get ready for bed, his eyes slipping shut even while he stands at the mirror, brushing his teeth. "Gah," he yawns, staring at himself. Getting back into the ring had exhausted him, not to mention trying to be there for Dolph during some sleepness nights following his being fired. As soon as he kicks his jeans off and sinks into bed, Zack falls asleep almost as soon as he hits the pillow.
When OSU finally wins, Dolph gets up and shuts the TV off, slipping into the bedroom. The lights are still on, but Zack is conked out so thoroughly that he doesn't even shift when Dolph lays down next to him after getting ready for bed and shutting the lamps off. Chuckling fondly, Dolph leans in and kisses him, watching as he sighs and sinks further into his pillows, looking more comfortable now that Dolph's close again. "G'night, kid."
