(3) Not the Same: An All Time Low Fanfiction Romance

Chapter 56: Forgive

        It was taking a lot out of me to stay awake on the car ride home, head bobbing when the humming of the radio and the steady rhythm of the car began to put me to sleep. I hadn't realized how far I had drifted off until I was brought back to reality when we were only two blocks away from my work.

        "Ace," Zack muttered softly, fingers tugging on mine briefly to yank me awake. I jumped, shaking my head and sucking in a surprised breath. I stretched in my seat, fingers falling from Zack's while they expanded awkwardly in the small space. He chuckled. "Sorry. I just don't know where you want me to take you."

        His hand was resting casually on top of the steering wheel, wrist bending to the leather. It was hard to see him,e ven with the moonlight in the windows and the traffic lights illuminating across the windshield. I blinked multiple times, processing the intersection that we were sitting at. We had the option to go left towards my apartment, or go right towards his. I'ds ay we both lived in the less hectic part of Los Angeles, but there were a few cars passing by while we stopped at the red light. I settled into my seat once again, running my fingers through my hair with a sigh.

        "I don't know," I murmured softly, feeling pathetic at the thought. I didn't have a home anymore, really. Not the same way that the apartment was to me, that was my house. No, I'm not sure Craig even wants me in it ever again.

        "How about you stay with me for the night?" he asked, looking over at me briefly. There was a small glint to his eye while he grinned at me. "I mean, you should get used to it if you're moving in."

        "Is that a good idea?" I said, feeling uneasy. I wasn't sure why spending the night with Zack seemed like a big step. I just agreed to move in only an hour before, why did this seem like a big deal?

        "If you want to, you can. If you don't, I can take you back to your place," He said nicely, nodding in both directions while he spoke. Maybe it was because of the simple fact that the other guy I'd spent the night with was Craig, and that alwas entailed sleeping with him. I wanted to take things slow with Zack; he was worth the time.

        But, picturing Craig's face in my mind and sharing that space for even a minute made Zack's bed a little more inviting than it was previously.

        "Okay, your place it is," I said, giving him a weary smile. He nodded without hesitation, smiling while he flicked on his directional and taking the right on red turn with smooth movements. It was only a few minutes before we pulled into his apartment's parking lot, cutting the enging in his usual spot.

        It felt like such a long day, and all I wanted to do was sleep. I had a feeling that Stella was waiting on his couch, with the guys surrounding the television playing video games. It was like them to be at someone's apartment without them being there, feeling just as at home as if they were in their own apartment.

        "Stella and the guys aren't here," Zack seemed to read my mind while I unbuckled myself. I let out a sigh, shrugging once while opening the door. He laughed while he did the same, pulling open the door behind him and grabbing my bag while I grabbed my purse.

        "I can take that," I muttered quietly while we met at the front of his car, reaching for it. He only shook his head, pulling out the handle and letting the wheels do the work while it trailed behind his feet, creating a steady hum across the cement.

        I wrapped my arm around his free one, lips briefly touching the skin of his upper arm while my grip tightened. I had no idea how I lasted the last nine days without him, let alone the six years that I pretended he wasn't even alive.

        After getting out his keys, opening the front door and taking the elevator to his apartment, he was pushing open the threashold to the apartment. I stepped inside while he carried my stuff, moving towards the third door on the wall to our right, his bedroom.

        I swallowed my spit, following behind him slowly. He hit the lights as we went past, illuminating the hallway, and then the ceiling fan that hung above his bed. I had only been in his room twice since I started seeing him again, but I never really looked at it before.

        The walls were dark gray, and the carpet was black. His furniture all matched, the same shiny black glaze, modern and simple. He placed my bag on the floor next to a few bins that held fan gifts with hearts and cards stacking high. His guitars sat against their stands on the adjacent wall, next to his desk that held his laptop and two of his old skateboards hung above his workplace. There were scattered pictures hanging of the guys performing, his own photography, and his surfboard leaned against the door, taking up a big portion of the space. It looked exactly like him.

        "You can sit down, you know," Zack teased, eyes lighting up while I stood in the doorway. I gave him a feeble smile, wandering over to his kig sized bed. The sheets were white, plush and soft. I ran my fingers over the top of them, leaning into the comforter on the side closest to Zack. I kicked off my shoes, resting my back against the headboard.

        I watched Zack while he moved things out of the way for my bag before turning towards me with another smile. I gave him one back, unsure of what to do or say. With Craig, the only thing that came after a look like that was sex and sleep. I wasn't sure what his intentions were for the night.

        He lifted his shirt over his head, letting it fall to the floor next to the dresser. He kicked off his shoes, and unbuckled his jeans. My eyes almost went wide at the sight of Zack in just boxers. He thought nothing of it while pulling open a drawer behind him, lifting a pair of shorts out and pulling them over his legs.

        He moved towards the door a moment later, shutting it and hutting the light switch. I tried to calm my heartbeat as the room went dark; the only sound was his feet shuffling across the carpet to the other side of the bed where I felt the blankets move.

        I almost expected his lips to move to the side of my neck, or his hands greedily reaching for my body, but that never happened. HIs fingers slid around my waist, pulling me to lie down next to him without a word. I sunk into the mattress, his hands pressing to my back, holding our stomachs against one another lightly. He let out a breath against the side of my temple, lips brushing against mine for only a small taste before pulling away.

        That was it. He wasn't looking for anything more.

        I felt my mouth twitch up slightly, realizing that this wasn't the same as Craig, and Zack was completely different. Zack never pushed my limits, because he respected me, or at least, contained himself enough to respect me. I lifted my hand, nails trailing the side of his jaw in the dark. I could feel him shiver under my touh, clenching my body to his tighter before I leaned forward to kiss him again.

        "Should have had you over for sleepovers before," he laughed lightly, hands moving in patterns across the bare skin of my back. I could hear the exhaustion in his voice as well, but I didn't want to go to sleep now. All I could think about was the time I'd lost these last two weeks for being an idiot.

        "I'm sorry," I whispered softly against his lips before he pressed his to mine. I could feel him nod against m body, lips moving to my jaw. I could feel the light air of his breathing against my face and I shuddered lightly, heart pumping faster than normal.

        "I forgive you, Laur." I could feel his lips brush against my top while he spoke, engulfing me with his scent while he leaned in and captured my mouth once more.