Addison regained consciousness slowly. Eyes still closed, she let her senses take over. Even if she hadn't remembered the night before, she would have known her location beyond a doubt; she was blanketed in Zed's scent. She could feel his body wrapped around hers, solid yet comfortable. Her legs were intertwined with his, the coolness of his skin oddly pleasing under the warm duvet, even in the December cold. Addison could also sense the faint vibrations from where her fingers rested around Zed's Z-band. The low and steady vibrations coupled with Zed's quiet breathing sounds by her ear told Addison he was still sleeping. Part of her wanted to turn around and trace his features with her fingers like the sharp curve of his jaw, the slope of his nose or the shape of his lips. She wanted to commit all of him to her memory.

In any case, his arm was wound up so tight around her that the movement would probably wake him up. Instead, she decided to savour the moment. She wiggled, trying to settle back into sleep when her ass collided with an undeniable hardness.

Oh!

Her eyes flew wide open, and she stilled. She waited several seconds, listening for any sign that she'd woken Zed up accidentally. When none came, she relaxed and released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She tried to close her eyes and enjoy the moment, but the damage had been done and she was unable to settle down. She huffed an impatient breath, unconsciously wriggling around to get more comfortable. With a soft and sleepy groan, Zed nosed at the tender skin behind her ear. Addison barely kept her giggles silent, but he never woke up, seemingly in a deep sleep.

Weirdly emboldened by his reaction – or lack of thereof if she was being truthful – Addison pressed back against Zed, intently focusing on rubbing against his morning wood. This time, she pulled a clear moan from his lips. He had tightened the arm around her middle, drawing her impossibly closer, yet still deep in slumber. Assessing her range of movement, she wasn't surprised to see she had almost none left. The corner of her mouth lifted into a smirk. She would have to do her worst then.

Addison deliberately grinded down on Zed's erection.

Zed awoke with a start. Instinct took over and his zombie ran with the freedom. The arm around Addison's waist locked her in place, restricting any chance of her moving while his other hand sneaked between their bodies to interlace his fingers with hers, bringing their arms up to rest on the pillow over their heads. Zed pushed a leg up from where it was tangled with Addison's, the motion allowing him a better angle to thrust against her core. As he moved in jerky and shallow jabs, his mouth latched at the pulse point under her jaw, his tongue lavishing the skin but his teeth barely grazing the delicate skin.

Addison gasped audibly as Zed rearranged their bodies in the space of seconds. She felt something clench deliciously in her stomach. It only grew stronger as Zed thrust up against her. Biting down on her lip, she swallowed her moan and looked down at their joint hands around her. While his Z-band was still buzzing steadily, the screen showing its usual stable green, Addison could see the veins darkening on Zed's forearm and there was an interesting combination of growling and purring against the skin of her neck. She felt the rush of her arousal as it soaked her underwear. Having Zed's zombie around her was exhilarating and more than a turn-on. As suddenly as it all started, Zed froze, and Addison frowned.

Zed's brain was finally back online, and he wanted to hide in shame. He was acting like an animal; he was better than that, Addison deserved better than that. He wanted to jump off the bed, but his zombie held stronger than before, and he could only stop himself from moving. He kept his eyes closed; his breathing ragged, unable to look at Addison. He wouldn't be able to survive the disgust on her face, or worse… the pity for him not being able to control his zombie. Addison whined and Zed found the strength to lift the arm around her mid-section. To his surprise, Addison wasn't having any of it. She nudged his wrist back towards her stomach. She was still wearing his shirt, but the fabric had been pushed up and he could feel Addison shiver when the metal of his Z-band came in contact with her bare skin, his fingers immediately splaying out over her tight muscles in a silent apology.

"Zed…"

Addison's breathed out plea shocked Zed's nervous system. He finally indulged in his senses. The first thing to reach his brain was Addison's pulse from where his mouth was still connected to her jaw. It was rapid, but not in fear. His nose confirmed that as well, her scent was spicy with lust, that wonderful addicting smell that made his mouth water. He could also feel her arousal, in the soaked fabric of her underwear against his thigh. He thrusted against her core, relishing in both the hot damp fabric against his clothed erection and the quiet moan that tumbled off her lips. At the back of his mind, his zombie was very smug. Zed mentally rolled his eyes but admitted defeat. He wanted this and so did she. He licked a strip of skin along Addison's jaw, before tracing a path of kisses until he reached her lips. Addison tilted her head, granting him easier access and he leaned in to finally capture her mouth with his. The hand on her stomach caressed her skin, languidly lowering and sneaking past the waistband of her panties. His fingers went straight to her swollen nub, intent of bringing her to the edge fast. Zed's lips pressed harder against Addison's, swallowing her every sounds. Unable to wait anymore, Zed bucked his hips.

They moved furiously against one another, their kisses quieting their heavy moans. Their rushed pace wasn't meant to last. Minutes later, they were both spent, reaching their peaks embarrassingly fast if not for the way they'd both came seconds behind each other. Zed released Addison from his hold. She pouted before turning around to snuggle in his chest. He chuckled and hugged her closer.

"Did you sleep okay?" he finally asked.
"Better than I have in a long time." Addison admitted. "Thanks for bringing me to the mash. I had a lot of fun! Though I'm a little fuzzy on details…"
"You were pretty tipsy last night. I should have known you'd be a lightweight," Zed teased.
"No way! I can usually hold my own, I swear!"

Zed chuckled.

"You probably do." He conceded. "For all that a zombie's metabolism is slower, alcohol doesn't affect us the same way. Our beer is stronger. I'm sorry, I didn't think about how it would affect you."

He sounded so contrite about it that Addison could only smile up at him.

"It's okay, Zed. I didn't think about the cold either, remember?"
"I guess."
"We're still learning about each other."
"Yeah, we need to talk about that kind of stuff."
"Speaking of talking…"

Addison was interrupted by a series of knocks on the door.

"Yeah?" Zed called out.
"You guys should get up and ready before Zoey does." Zevon called back.
"Thanks dad."

Zed and Addison listened to Zevon's retreating steps. Addison's cheeks were bright pink; hopefully, Zed's dad hadn't heard them. Zed turned his attention back to the girl in his arms.

"Sorry, what were you saying?"
"Nothing." Addison almost winced at her obvious cowardice, but she didn't want to rush this conversation.
"If you say so… You can shower first." Zed told her, sitting up on the side of the bed.
"Don't you want to clean up before it sticks?"

Addison was pointing at his lap with chin, blushing darkly from the root of her hair, down to her neck. She was delicious enough to eat, Zed thought. Her innocence was adorable, especially after all they'd been up to in the last 24 hours.

"We don't get a lot of hot water," he argued.
"All the better reason for you to go first. I'll probably take longer."

Even after knowing her shortly, he recognized that tone. It meant she wasn't about to budge. Zed sighed but agreed. He could be quick, and he knew that crusty and sticky boxers were no fun to deal with.

"Alright. I'll be back soon. Oh and I plugged your phone by my desk."

Slipping on an old pair of sweatpants, he grabbed cleaned clothes and pressed a kiss to Addison's hair before leaving.

Zed was true to his word and was back in less than 10 minutes. Addison grabbed her bag and followed him to the bathroom. After assuring him that she was good and didn't need anything else, he left her to it with a reminder that hot water wouldn't last too long and that he'd see her downstairs.

On his way downstairs, Zed stopped by Zoey's room. He cracked the door open, smiling indulgently at the sight of his little sister cocooned in her blankets and cuddling with Zander, her plush dog. He had belonged to Zed first, a gift from his mom, but he'd given it to Zoey when he was about her age; it was a memento of the mother she'd never gotten to know. Zombies hadn't been allowed to own pets for so long – somehow humans thought they would turn family pets into snacks – but laws were said to be changing soon and maybe Addison and him could get Zoey her very own dog for her birthday.

The thought was random, but not exactly surprising to Zed. Addison had inserted herself into his life and was now an immovable constant. After all, she was his mate, and it was so easy to picture himself with her at any point in the future. Of course, if he didn't find the courage to tell her the truth, she wouldn't be here three months down the road. In fact, even if he did tell her, she might not be there three months down the road. Hell, she could be gone in the blink of an eye… which was why he was waiting until after Christmas.

Sighing, Zed silently and carefully closed the door to Zoey's room and ran down the stairs to the kitchen. His dad was sitting with a cup of coffee, clearly waiting on him.

When had their kitchen become the designated place for all those uncomfortable if not important conversations? Zed frowned but poured two cups of coffee, adding milk to both and a tooth-rotting amount of sugar to Addison's. It wasn't as good as her campus favourite spot, but it also wasn't the sludge Zed had grown up with before the integration. He sat down with the coffees and raised an eyebrow at his dad.

"Seven hours, Zed. It's been seven hours since I specifically asked that there'd be no shenanigans with Zoey in the house."

Zed chocked on his mouthful of coffee, thankfully managing not to spit it out.

"DAD!"
"Look, son. I get it, potential mates and all. I remember those days with your mom."

Zed wrinkled his nose at those words. He didn't want to know about his parents' sex life.

"But seriously, you're secreting a ridiculous level of pheromones, son. You should really talk to her and make it official."
"I'm not doing it on purpose." Zed said through gritted teeth. "We still haven't…"

Zed waved his hands around, not quite gesturing but not finishing his sentence either. His dad would have to put the pieces back together because he wasn't telling.

Zevon did complete the puzzle and he reflected on the situation. Maybe this was only part of the puzzle?

"Have you considered she might be the only one, that you might not have other potentials?"

Zed felt the growl rise from his chest and pushed it back down. He might be an idiot sometimes, but he wasn't completely brain-dead either. He clenched his jaw, but otherwise kept a straight face and shrugged, refusing to give any more ammunition to his father. He didn't want to have the conversation that was certain to follow with anyone, let alone his dad. Ok, so maybe he could talk to Bonzo about it, he was the only one who wouldn't give him shit about it… probably.

Zevon sighed, wishing for the umpteenth time that his wife was still alive. She had been much better at getting Zed to talk, not that the boy often kept things bottled up. He glanced at his son. He was sitting ram-rod straight, his jaw was locked and he looked ready to bolt. There was no point in continuing this conversation.

"Alright, we're done talking about this. Just keep it PG when your sister is around. You've both showered so it should take care of most of it. And for the love of Z, be careful today."

Zed nodded tightly, grateful to see his dad drop the subject. Moments later, Addison's head peaked through the kitchen doorway. She was wearing the green dress again. Zed felt his cock swell in his pants, but his dad cleared his throat noisily. The warning look sent his way felt like a cold shower to Zed. He took a breath to compose himself and met Addison halfway.

"Hello gorgeous!" He flirted.
"Don't you mean delicious?" She asked innocently, though her playful tone gave her away.

Zed couldn't help but wrap his arms around her waist to bring her closer and lay a chaste kiss on her lips. Even with his eyes closed, he could feel the corner of Addison's lips rising in a smile.

With both young adults lost in each other, no one noticed Zevon rolling his eyes hard enough to hurt. His son was truly a fool. Addison was just as gone on him as he was on her. It did strike Zevon that zombie green was a good color on the human girl. While diverse colors in Seabrook were not unheard of, it was still uncommon, but it did cement the thought that yes, Addison would fit right at home in Zombietown.

Addison finally broke their embrace, wiping away imaginary dirt off Zed's shirt. As much as she wanted to bask in the comfort of his arms, they had things to do.

"Come on. We can't all be superstar athletes, some of us need coffee to function."
"Puh-lease! We both know you're the star of the cheer team." Zed objected.

Addison blushed but didn't otherwise protest. She knew she was good. Coaches had told her as much after Thanksgiving. Her name was even thrown around to replace Bucky as cheer captain he graduated that spring. But to hear that Zed believed so too, it was better than the time she had mastered the funky chicken. Sitting down next to Zed, she blinked at Zevon, realizing he had been there the whole time.

"Hello Zevon. Thank you for letting me sleep over. Zed said you wouldn't mind."
"You will always be welcome in our house, Addison. Even if my son isn't around."

The easy acceptance and further reassurance that she was not only welcomed but wanted into the Necrodopolis' home tugged at Addison's heart. It also threw her a bit off-kilter; people in Zombietown were so open. She hid her dismay behind a sunny smile and a sip of coffee. She sighed in delight as the caffeinated nectar hit her tastebuds. It was made up to her exact preference. Addison reached to squeeze Zed's fingers in thanks.

"I'll admit I'm surprised that Zoey is still sleeping."

Both Necrodopolis men chuckled.

"Zoey has always been a late sleeper. I swore she spent her first ten months sleeping 18 to 20 hours a day." Zed explained. "I thought having a baby sister was very boring because I couldn't play with her."

Addison could picture it clearly in her mind. A tiny energetic green-haired boy glaring at a sleeping baby in annoyance.

"Zed on the other hand was a handful." Zevon reminisced. "He was crawling by 6 months old and by the time he was 9 months old he was walking. He used to get in everything."
"Not everything…" Zed tried.
"Everything." Zed frowned at his son making Addison giggle.
"Well, you are a never-ending source of energy. Is that how you got into football?"
"His mom got him into flag-football. Zombies weren't allowed contact sports for the longest time… Well no contact is safer for kids anyway."

The way it was thrown off-handed wrenched at Addison's heart. It was a simple statement, but to her it was yet another proof of how unfair Seabrook had been, and still was, to zombies.

"Did Zed ever tell you his grandfather played for the Seabrook high school team?" Zevon asked, seemingly catching unto Addison's sadness.

She turned to look at Zed in shock.

"You never said anything!"
"It was before the accident." Zed shrugged. "I might not have gotten to play on the same high school team, but I made it on the college team like he did."

Zed tried to downplay the importance of it all, but the look Addison was giving him told him she was seeing right through him. Back when he was a young teen, there had been talks of integrating zombies into Seabrook High. He'd put so much work and hope to ensure he would make the team. It had been gut-wrenching when the City Council had backed down.

He'd never admit it, but Zed had sobbed in his father's arms for hours that day. All Zed had ever wanted was to follow in his family's footsteps and prove that zombies weren't dangerous. Back then, he'd even thought about giving up on his dreams but neither Eliza nor Bonzo had allowed him to do it. In the end, they'd been right because here he was, junior year of college and right where his grandfather had been; not to mention Addison sitting right next to him in his childhood house.

It didn't matter to Addison that Zed was tight-lipped on the subject, she could see the pride in his eyes. It had been important to him, getting on the team; more than anything else, she supposed. Addison laced her fingers through his. She wanted him to know he had her support. She would stand by him and make sure he wouldn't have to face hardships alone anymore, for as long as he allowed her to stay by his side.

After they had all finished their coffee, Zed had gone upstairs to wake Zoey up. A loud yelp was heard and before they knew it, Zed he was back with a giggling little sister thrown over his shoulder. Now widely awake, Zoey hurried them through breakfast and out of the door within the hour.

They had piled up in the Necrodopolis family car to go and pick out their Christmas tree. Both siblings were bouncing with the same barely held excitement and Addison couldn't help but grin from where she was sitting next to Zoey in the backseat. Oh, Zed had tried to convince her to sit in the front. One steely glare along with the reminder that Zed was a foot taller than she was had settled that argument.

To Addison's surprise, they never left Zombietown. Then the thought popped in her mind that less than three years ago, zombies were forbidden to cross the barrier, a few exceptions notwithstanding. She didn't know why she kept being taken aback by the unfairness Zombietown was facing.

The car had hardly come to a stop that Zoey was running out in a fit of giggles followed closely by Zed. Zevon shook his head fondly at his children's antics an shrugged at Addison. They both followed at a more sedated pace.

Zed tugged playfully at Zoey's braided hair while they took in the Christmas tree lot. While his sister wanted nothing more than run through the aisles, Zed had called a time-out. It would be just his luck if she wandered too far away and got lost. After a quick reminder of what they were looking for: not too wide and more than 6.5 feet tall, they split into two teams. Zoey claimed Addison as her partner much to Zed's dismay, but the two girls seemed so enthusiastic that he didn't complain.

It was the first time Addison had been left alone with Zoey for more than 15 minutes and she was enjoying every second. The young girl was cheerful, bright and had a sharp sense of humour for her age, no doubt influenced by Zed. Zoey insisted to look at every single tree, chatting happily about school, her friends and cheer. Mostly cheer. Addison was happy to indulge her and answer every question she had.

"Any reason why the tree needs to be more than 6.5 feet tall?" Addison asked after Zoey rejected the fourth tree in a row for being too small.
"It needs to be taller than Zed, duh!"

Addison laughed warmly at the answer and agreed with her. It would take away from the holidays' magic to have Zed tower over the Christmas tree.

"Yeah, your brother is pretty tall, huh. Must be hard to find the right tree then."
"It's easier now."
"Oh yeah?"
"When I was really little, we used to only get Seabrook's leftovers. Whatever wasn't perfect enough." Zoey shrugged.

Addison let out a harsh breath, yet another proof of Seabrook's prejudice. Not wanting to dampen Zoey's cheerful mood, Addison carried on.

"Well I'm glad it's easier. Hey, what about this one?"

Zoey had declared Addison's tree to be the perfect one. As they were waiting to pay, the little girl pulled her to a stall. Addison gasped as she took in the display. She felt transported right back to the market they'd visited earlier that week.

"Ms. Zuri had the best decorations ever." Zoey whispered loudly. "But she's never at the Christmas market, because they're too busy here."

Addison raised her hand and reverently stroke a colourful glass ornament. It gleamed as her touch caused the sun to shine directly through it.

"It's beautiful. You're very talented." Addison said to the woman in the stall.
"Thank you my dear. First zombie Christmas?"
"Oh! Yes." Addison blushed.
"She's Zed's girlfriend, Ms. Zuri!"

Ms. Zuri raised an eyebrow at Zoey's words and studied Addison carefully. She was certainly a vision to behold and what an interesting scent she carried. Addison didn't seem to realize the scrutiny she was under because she continued to look at the ornaments with Zoey, unbothered. Ms. Zuri watched as the young woman furrowed her brows, holding a delicate ornament from her milestones collection. Merry & Mated, our first Christmas as mates. The older zombie's mouth twitched up; the ghost of a smile lingering.

"Oh!" Zoey sighed happily. "Mom and Dad have one just like that. We hang it every Christmas."

Addison was confused. Every time she felt she'd finally found her footing regarding zombies, a curveball was thrown her way.

Zed knew his little sister better than anyone else and it had been his job for years to tear her away from the ornament stall. Left to her own devices, Zoey would probably spend the entire day perusing the decorations. With the help of his dad, he had secured their tree on top of the car before heading to his retrieval job. Zed snickered at his own joke. He waved at Ms. Zuri as he approached, noticing the pointed look she was giving Addison. He stepped behind her, his stomach knotting as he took in what had captured Addison's interest. He drew a long calming breath; he was not going to zombie out over this. It didn't matter that his zombie was clawing from inside, demanding that they mark Addison properly.

"Ready to go?" He asked calmly instead.
"Sure."
"Awn, already?"
"Yes. This tree won't trim itself, you know. And I'm sure dad will make cocoa"
"Oh! Alright! Bye Ms. Zuri." Zoey waved as she started for the car.
"That kid has so much energy." Addison laughed before turning politely to Ms. Zuri. "Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas to both of you and it does seem congratulations are in order."

Zed's expression turned panicked but he schooled it before Addison could notice.

"Oh… um… Well Merry Christmas…" Zed stammered, rubbing the back of his neck.

Addison scowled; she was getting tired of not understanding what was happening around her. Nevertheless, she let him lead her to the car, knowing very well they needed to have this conversation sooner rather than later.

On the other, more "perfect" side of town, Missy Wells was sitting in her office at City Hall, elegantly dressed as always and sipping a cup of tea. She might have been the image of poise, but she was boiling on the inside. She was losing control over the situation and if there was one thing she despised, it was losing control.

Ever since that dreadful Thanksgiving weekend, things were unraveling. She didn't recognize her own daughter anymore: parading around with that hair, dumping the best suitor in town, even dating that zombie boy…

She had built her entire career on her perfection: perfect looks, perfect husband, perfect daughter. Perfection. Her family had led the settlers to their town, they had built this town and she was not going to let anyone stand in the way of her family legacy.

Addison was being stubborn, but there was one sure way to bring her back. It was time to take matters into her own hands. It was with a very self-satisfied smirk that she allowed entrance to the person knocking at her door. When her visitor stepped into the room, the smirk morphed into a sunny grin.

"I'm delighted you could make it, my dear! You are just the man I need."

On the drive back, it was Addison's turn to be excited. She didn't even remember how old she was the last time she got to decorate a Christmas tree. Five? Maybe 6? Even back then, her mother had it all redone by an interior designer within 24 hours. She had only allowed it because it had produced some beautiful campaign photographs. Was it sad? Addison figured it was more pathetic than sad. Her mother was so obsessed with perfection.

As Zevon parked the car, Addison wanted nothing more than to help bring the tree inside. Seeing as the massive evergreen towered two feet over her head, she imagined it would only end in disaster. She nibbled on her bottom lip, trying her best not to pout like a toddler. She wished she could help. Zed seemed to read her like an open book because two minutes later, he stopped wrestling the tree.

"Zozo, why don't you and Addie bring out the decorations?" He suggested, eyes fixed on Addison.

Zoey darted inside, yelling for Addison to hurry which she did, but not before sending her zombie a grateful smile.

Trimming the tree with the Necrodopolis had started innocently enough. Addison had untangled the strings of lights while Zed made his way around the tree. Zevon had taken Zoey to the kitchen under the pretense of making cocoa but mostly to get her out of the way. Lights were put up, they were well balanced and not a single spot was standing out more than another. That was when chaos had unfolded.

There was no theme, no color scheme, no complex plan to follow. In their place, there were layers upon layers of ornaments, all well loved and carefully wrapped in old newspaper pages. Some were pastel traditional ball ornaments, tarnished by years, their surfaces speckled with imperfections and Addison just knew they had been thrown away by Seabrook's citizens. Some were delicate or clunky but handmade with the sense of style and craftmanship that she had come to associate with Zombietown. Others were somewhere in between. But Addison's favourites ornaments? Those were the type of crafts one could only create as a child; it spoke of Zed's and Zoey's childhood; perhaps a happier one than her own.

At first, it had been daunting; all of them just grabbing something, unwrapping it and sharing what they'd unearthed before choosing the best possible spot for it. Addison pressed her lips together, uncertain of what she should do next.

Zed stepped up to her, a little bundle of paper in his hands. He pushed her hair back from her eyes and smile softly.

"No wrong or right here. Goal is to get everything on the tree."

He passed her the bundle, pointing it with his chin. Addison's fingers carefully extracted the ornament from its security layer. It was a little ceramic football. She grinned. It could only belong to Zed.

"Mom's gift, the year I turned six."

Zed pushed Addison towards the tree. After that first one, it was like the dam had broken. She took pleasure in listening to the story that came with every other ornament. From the way Zed kept rolling his eyes, it was a family tradition. There was no doubt he was enjoying it as much as Zoey was though. The final ornament was stored in a box – the only one – and Zed reverently handed it to his dad. Zevon was cautious as he took it out, raw emotions displayed on his face. As the man pulled away from the tree, Addison caught a glimpse of it and knew exactly what it was. It was understated, simpler than the one Ms. Zuri had, but it said the same: first Christmas as mates.

Once they had finished putting the empty papers away, Zed pulled Addison to his room, ignoring the stern look his dad gave him. Addison sat on the bed cross-legged, snatching on of Zed's pillow to cling to. Her heart was beating so hard it felt it was a second from ripping out of her chest.

Zed sat down at the other end of the bed and looked at the girl sitting across him. He was so desperately in love with her. He knew he owed her the truth, but he wasn't sure how to proceed. No matter what he started with, it had the potential to become a disaster.

"Look, there's obviously things we need to talk about," Addison finally broke the silence.
"I know. I just don't know where to start."

Addison opened her mouth but was interrupted by a cheery chirp. She looked down at her phone, swiping the notification left and silencing her phone. She had bigger fish to fry.

"What if I asked questions? Would that help?"
"Maybe?"
"Mates. What are mates?"

Zed groaned. Really? That's what she was starting with.

"It's complicated. It's a zombie thing. A biology thing… I mean, I've told you about my parents, right? It's like a soulmate thing…"
"And?"

Addison knew he wasn't telling her everything and she wanted answers. Zed was actually blushing, okay so he only got a shade or two darker, but he was blushing.

"I… It's… I…"
"You what?"
"I swear, it's not that I don't want to tell you, it's just… fuck."

Zed ran his hand through his hair. He kept avoiding Addison's eyes, his gaze darting all over the place. Addison sighed. Why was this so fucking complicated? Though, she wasn't sure how she'd react if she were the one in the hot seat. But avoiding the subject did reduce the number of questions she had planned to ask, drastically.

"Beatriz said…" Addison started but couldn't finish. If she asked and he answered, it could break her.
"Beatriz said what?" Zed asked, his heart pounded. Had Beatriz told her? Was he going to lose her?
"I asked her if she wanted you back."

Zed cocked his head to the side, confused. Why would she ask her that?

"She laughed at me and said that you were over."
"We are."
"She said you broke up with her because you had a thing for one of the cheerleaders."

Zed groaned and hid his face with his hands. He was going to kill Beatriz next time he saw her. He swore. Addison misunderstood the reason behind his reaction. She reached out with one hand but ended up curling her fingers into the soft pillow.

"You should have told me."
"I'm sorry, I didn't want to make you uncomfortable." Zed explained, looking up but not making eye contact with Addison.
"Uncomfortable? Me? I'm the one who should apologize. I didn't mean to get between the two of you."

Addison wrung her fingers together. Zed perked up. Had he been a cartoon, a lightbulb would have lightened up over his head.

"Addie, did Bea tell you who I was crushing on?" He spoke slowly.
"No." Her cheeks were dusted with pink. "But whoever it is, I can introduce you… I mean. You're exceptional, Zed." Her voice cracked on the last words, and she sniffled ecactly once. She wasn't going to cry.

He let out a harsh breath and chuckled nervously. Had he gotten it all wrong from the start?

"Addison."

Addison as looking down at her hands, stubbornly refusing to look at him. Zed crawled on his knees on his old mattress – probably looking like a damn fool – until he knelt in front of her. He cupped her face with his hands; his heart jumping when she automatically leaned into his touch. Caressing her cheek with his thumb, he pulled her chin up to look into her eyes.

"She was telling the truth." Zed confessed.

Addison bit her lip, keeping the welling tears at bay.

"See, I've been crushing on this girl since freshman year."
"Oh!"

Addison's breath caught in her throat. This long? Who was the girl lucky enough to have Zed's attention for two years. She tried to look down, but her zombie – no, Zed… he belonged to someone else – wouldn't let her. Instead her pressed his forehead against hers, a soft smile tugging at his lips.

"I never thought I had a chance."

Addison snorted or maybe it was the start of a sob?

"Until she sat next to me in class one Tuesday morning."

Addison gasped as the words finally sank in. It was her. It was her! She was the lucky girl. She giggled disbelievingly, but covered Zed's hands with hers. She looked into his eyes and saw nothing but the truth. Well, the truth and hope.

"Zed?"
"Yes?"
"I like you back."

Zed's heart leaped and his zombie purred. He rubbed his nose to hers tenderly.

"But…"

Zed's heart plunged to its death and his zombie snarled. He pulled away, but Addison stopped him with a hand at the back of his neck.

"But that means I won't settle for friends with benefits."

Zed laughed loudly. She was going to be the death of him, he thought as he pressed his forehead back against hers.

"Addison, would you make me the honor of being your real boyfriend for the holidays?"
"Just the holidays?" She teased.
"For however long you'll have me?"
"Yes!"

Zed captured Addison's lips in a heated kiss. Kissing Addison had been incredible so far, Earth-shattering, remember? But now that he didn't have to hide his feelings, it was more. Zed wasn't sure more what, just that it was more. He reveled in the softness of her lips, the lingering taste of marshmallows and cocoa and the way her scent engulfed him. He was astonished to discover that it was the same as it always was. She had not been pretending either. The thought made his zombie roar in pleasure.

The kiss had morphed in something fiery, not that Addison minded. With one hand, Zed wrestled the pillow out of her hand and threw it on the floor. She was about to protest when he pushed his body into her own. She uncrossed her legs instinctively, spreading them open to allow him closer. He released her mouth to pepper kisses all over her face and down her neck. Once he reached the junction of her neck and shoulder, he inhaled deeply. The action spurred her, pushing back against Zed's chest. He looked down at her with confusion but sat back on his heels anyway.

"That. You keep doing that. Smelling me. What's up with that."
"Come on, Addie. Can't we just be done with questions for today?"
"Last one, I promise."

Zed couldn't deny her anything at that moment, no matter how embarrassed he was.

"We have a better sense of smell."
"What?"
"Not everything smells stronger, but people usually do. Not that you smell or anything… Well you smell like you… just not bad… OMZ, I mean you have a very distinctive scent for me… not that I go around smelling people… Fuck!"

Addison giggled. It had been a while since Zed had been this clumsy with his words around her. Suddenly she froze.

"Does that mean you can tell when I'm… you know…" She gestured to her crotch area, her face burning as red as a firetruck.
"When you're all wet for me?" He purred. "Yes. Do you how much of a turn on that is?"

Addison turned to hide her face in the mattress, mortified.

"Don't worry, it's because I've got you in my arms. It's not like anyone can smell that." Zed chuckled deeply, placing a kiss on her cheek.

Something told Addison she should worry about the way he phrased it, but she's just too giddy about Zed actually, finally, being her boyfriend to stop and listen to it. He was still over her, holding himself up with one arm and looking at her like she was the best thing he had ever seen, and she forgot how to breath. She was still playing in his hair when her phone started buzzing. She wanted to ignore it and wait until it went away, but Zed was with her, and Bree was in California. There were only two other people that went through the do not disturb and only if they'd been calling repeatedly.

Addison pushed Zed off her with a sigh and grabbed her phone, earning her an annoyed groan. Always the gentleman, he still moved before offering her a hand to sit up. The conversation was brief and when she finally hung up, Zed guessed it right way.

"Need to leave?"
"Tomorrow is the Mayor's Gala, and she wants me to run a few errands for her."
"Damn! Want me to tag along?"
"Honestly? Yes. But you'll be a bigger distraction than anything." Addison admitted after a slight hesitation.
"Point taken."
"Yeah?"
"Yes." Zed leaned in to deliver his next words directly by her ear. "Doesn't matter where we would be, I would want to ravage you."

Addison shivered, a faint whimper escaping her lips. Damn him!

Countless kisses later, Addison finally managed to extricate herself from Zed's charm and climbed into her car. She was staring at her phone, ready to get started on her list when she made a choice. Her mother didn't have to know just yet, and she was already so close by.

Zed watched as Addison drove away, his bottom lip jutting out in the exact same pout Zoey made when she wanted something. Said little sister rolled her eyes, before pulling Zed away from the porch begging him to watch a Christmas movie with her.

Addison and Zed were both silly, Zoey couldn't help but think, when she finds her mate, she's going to do something about it.

They were well into their third movie that night when someone knocked at the door. In the kitchen, Zevon sighed, neither of them seemed to be getting up to answer the door. On the other side stood the person he least expected to see. But Zevon didn't raise Zed without learning how to roll with the punches.

"Mayor Missy. What a surprise! May we help you? Did you get lost or something?"
"Good evening Mr. Necrodopolis. I'm not lost. I'm here to speak with your son."

Zevon gasped and stared at the most important person in town. What the hell had Zed gotten into?

Usually I work on chapters little bit by little bits, but this one just kept going for long stretches. I edited it, but probably a bunch of mistakes around.

Let me know if you liked this chapter and what you think Missy is up to! You can always just drop an emoji or two.

Thanks for keeping up with this story, for the kudos and the comments. They really make my day!