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"Major."

He was startled out of a vision of Janko sharpening a knife with exquisite precision. "What?"

"Sorry. Bad time?"

"No, it's fine." He got up off the couch, stretching to work the kinks out. Ravi got the couch tonight, and Major wasn't sure if he was relieved not to have to sleep on it again or nervous about sacking out on the floor with a pile of blankets. "Never been a fan of that couch."

Liv nodded. "That's what I've been meaning to talk to you about."

"Has the couch complained about me, too? I mean, I am a restless sleeper. It's probably a little bruised as well."

"It has it in for you," she said solemnly. "Which is why we need to go pick up some supplies if you and Ravi are going to continue staying here. Sleeping bags, maybe, or an air mattress."

"Great. I know just the place." Together, they said, "The Army-Navy store," and then nodded sagely at one another and added, "Mercenary brain."

On the way, Liv drove past Major and Ravi's house, hoping to pick up a few personal items, but there were still too many news vans camped out there to go in and grab anything.

"Damn," Major muttered from his position awkwardly crouched behind the driver's seat. "I really wanted my favorite coffee mug. Oh, and my own coffee and coffee maker, since neither you or Peyton has the first idea how to create a drinkable caffeinated beverage."

"Yes, well, I'd like my couch back. Although I have to admit, it's nice to have another zombie around to cook for. I … missed cooking for you."

"Me, too."

They were silent for the rest of the drive. Major was thinking about how strange it was that now they were both zombies. Even once he had managed to wrap his head around zombies being real, or his girlfriend being one, now he was one, too, and they had that in common … and yet he still felt as though they were so far apart. Maybe there had been too much water under the bridge to get back a more intimate relationship—and he wasn't sure right now that he wanted one. So much baggage.

He couldn't stop thinking about Natalie. Her blue eyes, her self-assurance, her bravery. He had meant to fulfill his promise and be the first person she saw when she woke up, and now … now Vaughn du Clark had taken that from him. In the long list of du Clark's crimes, that was higher up in Major's estimation than it probably should be.

The car pulled into a parking place and came to a stop. "Here we are," Liv said in the bright tone that meant they were done talking seriously and were going to forget it ever came up. He wondered about Drake—what the guy was like, how much Liv liked him, whether Major would like him—but it was oddly not with jealousy. More like protectiveness. He didn't want to see Liv hurt any more. He wanted to see her happy with someone she could trust, someone who wouldn't remind her of how things used to be and everything she had lost. If this Drake was that guy, Major would be okay with him, he promised himself.

He followed Liv into the store and they spent a good hour wrangling over the best knives and stealth gear for a raid on Max Rager, in addition to picking up that much-needed air mattress, before heading back to Liv's place.

As Liv reached to unlock the door, Major's phone buzzed. He dug it out of his pocket, reading the text. "What the hell? 'Can you believe the news, tell me you have stock options too, see you at the company party tomorrow'."

"Who's that from?"

"Dr. Wyatt Tomlin, one of the younger guys I train at Max Rager." Major stuck his phone back in his pocket as Liv opened the door.

"A party could be the perfect opportunity to sneak into the basement."

Whatever else she might have said was forgotten as they both stopped short at the sight of Ravi and Peyton making out on the couch. Peyton didn't notice them, but Ravi pointed at them over her shoulder. "Uh … company."

Peyton stopped covering Ravi's face with kisses and looked at them. "Oh. Hey," she said, breathlessly.

"Hi," Liv said, clearly not sure she was okay with this.

"'Sup," Major added, finding it highly amusing. Coming home to Liv and Peyton's apartment to find Peyton with a guy was nothing new, and that the guy was his roommate only meant her taste had improved. Also, Ravi uncomfortable was all kinds of entertaining, and Ravi was practically squirming.

Unphased by all of them, Peyton got to her feet and grabbed Ravi's hand, dragging him off in the direction of her bedroom. "Okay. Good-night."

Ravi cleared his throat and gave them a weirded out look before disappearing behind Peyton and closing the door.

"I'm guessing we won't be needing this inflatable mattress," Major observed. He was grateful; little as he liked the couch, it was better than a pile of air on the floor. In Major's experience, the things always deflated overnight, leaving the unlucky occupant basically sleeping on the ground.

"Yep." Liv grinned. "Peyton never changes."

"It's her charm. Come on, this seems to call for popcorn and a movie with a lot of loud explosions and gunfire."

"Platoon. Full Metal Jacket."

"You're rolling hard on that Janko brain, aren't you?"

"You could say that. Apocalypse Now?"

Major rolled his eyes. "You pick."

"I have it. The Magnificent Seven."

"Now, that's more like it."