TheDarkestShinobi: Hello this is the Tina/Zack that was requested from me. This is set to take place between the first and second tournaments. Hope you enjoy. Let me know if I portrayed them well, I don't really know these characters as well as my regulars

Scene 6: Shots

"Tina baby, how you doing?"

Tina raised her eyebrow as she glanced over towards the clearly inebriated man besides her. She sighed and rose the shot glass to her lips before throwing her head back and downing the contents. She slammed the cup on the table and called for another. She patted the seat next to her and Zack wasted no time filling it.

"How you doing?" He asked again leaning over the table and watching her from the corner of his eyes. She shrugged not wanting to tell him of her recent fight with her dad. They had just met after all. She really didn't know why she entered the first tournament. It wasn't her big break and she lost so she couldn't even prove her skill. And Daddy still was being an ass.

She watched her cup get refilled and emptied it just as quickly. The bartender filled it up again and she let the drink sit there as she turned to face the man besides her.

"I'm doing mighty fine I s'ppose." He laughed. She narrowed her eyes and he laughed further.

"Darlin'" he drawled making fun of her before straightening at her tightening fist. "You get this cute little tick in your jaw when you lie." He laughed again and ordered a drink for himself.

"I'm fine." She hissed out and Zack nodded not believing her in the least.

He took his shot like a pro, but she supposed he must have been drinking all night. She wanted to get drunk. That's why she came in the first place she just needed a release.

"Daddy problems?" He asked suddenly in what almost appeared to be a sober voice. She looked over and felt the words rising in her throat. Before she knew it, he knew everything.

"I mean I am gonna be a star. I just haven't gotten a break." She drank the shot that must've been filled when she was talking. "You believe me right?"

"Tina baby, I believe you can do anything."

She looked over to him then, to see if she could find the note of condescension she hadn't heard. There was none.

She smiled.

"Thanks."

"Hey yo bartender fill us up."

The bartender did and Zack put his arms around Tina and pointed to her.

"Remember this chick cause one day she's gonna be so famous people will come to this bar just to sit where she's been."

The bartender laughed and waved them off attending to some other customers.

"Do you really believe that Zack?"

"I wouldn't lie." He said seriously and picked up his drink.

"Cheers," he suddenly said raising his glass causing most of the drink to spill to the floor. "To getting so rich that we dunno what to do with all the MONEY!"

People stared when he finished that with a whoot but Tina laughed and they clinked their glasses before drinking away.

Tina and Zack ended up in his apartment later. Clothes were discarded rather quickly and Tina knew even now, that she was going to regret this.

Later, when she hadn't been sent away, when instead he pulled her towards him and made them cuddle while pulling the blankets up around them she thought maybe she wouldn't.

Even today she doesn't.

He tucked her head under his chin and snorted.

"What?" she asked not sure if she really wanted to know.

"Nothing much," he mumbled as he drifted off to sleep "I just think you'd make a hot blonde."

She laughed quietly and drifted along to sleep with him.

She left in the morning after breakfast. She said that this never happened and he shrugged with a 'sure, whatever.'

When she left she didn't notice that he stared at the door mumbling to himself that he was an idiot.

She also didn't notice the wide smile that grazed his face when she showed up to the next DOA tournament with blonde hair.