(Putting the Dog to Sleep - The Antlers) [This takes place pre-final showdown, also, slight nsfw warning]

Bif screwed up. Royally. He honestly never meant anything wrong with what he'd done. Besides, it wasn't like he and Zoe were officially dating or anything. That would make everything a lot worse.

To be honest, as many times as Gord assured everyone that Lola had the best lips on "this side of the country, I assure you", she fell short compared to certain fiery redhead who lived on the outskirts of town. Even when Lola's breath had been hot on his neck and her hands had expertly undone the zipper on his slacks, he couldn't concentrate on anything she was doing.

"Zoe! Zoe, please, listen to me!"

Here he was, outside her grungy palace as the sky swirled cool blues into angry oranges. He was reduced to pathetically begging just inches from her porch step. She was home, he knew it. As he'd approached her house with his heart racing a mile a minute, she had been sitting on the roof, looking at the sky. She'd gone inside with a look of disgust as soon as she'd seen him come closer.

"Zoe, please. Please listen to me. I'm begging, and I never beg! I just want to talk to you."

"Why the hell are you still here, Bif?" Zoe snapped from just behind the screen door. He couldn't see her face. It was too dark inside to see anything really.

"Because you mean something to me! It was a stupid mistake! I shouldn't have done it, but I thought it would be okay since it's not like we're together or anything!"

Shit. The second the words left his mouth, he wanted to die. That wasn't what he meant. Yes, damn, that's what he'd been thinking at the time, but it wasn't at all what he meant.

Zoe was silent and then he heard it and his heart snapped in half: the door slammed shut.

"Bif, get your heavy ass off of me!" Zoe giggled, shoving his shoulders. Bif grinned and got off of her lap. He spun around, placing his hands gently on either side of the chair and leaned forward.

"You're not being fair. I'm only heavy because I work out a lot."

"Boxing isn't 'working out a lot', numbskull. It's mindlessly beating people up."

"Oh, like you aren't surrounded by that day-long anyway?"

Zoe rolled her eyes and gently cupped his face, pressing her soft lips against his chapped ones. He smiled slightly against her lips and returned the kiss.

When they parted, his lips tingled with her energy. Her smile as her eyelids fluttered back open made his heart do a flip.

"I-" she cut herself off and looked away for a second, the smile dropping. Bif tilted his head and dropped his eyebrows to convey his concern. Her eyes met his again. "I really like you. Don't mess this up."

"I swear, babe, I will not."

She muttered a 'good' and leaned back in to kiss him again.