Colton Birchfield

24. I thought I could balance everything. Turns out I couldn't.

[colton-birchfield]

Vanilla Twilight | Zoe & Colton

[zoethewolfedeactivated]

 ”No, I really didn’t. I’m just…still learning about all this, you know? Taking care of things. I’m still really freaked that I’m gonna fuck everything up,” Zoe admitted. She should’ve known that since she was barely capable of taking care of herself, she sure as hell couldn’t look after another living thing. “Ok. ‘Cause I really don’t wanna hurt her. She’s been through enough already. That sounds good, though. I like that plan,” she said with a small smile. 

[colton-birchfield]

"Yeah, I know you are. But you're actually doing pretty damn great," Colton said, running his thumb across the back of her hand currently clasped in his. Smiling at her sympathetically, he shook his head slightly. "You're not goin' to fuck this up. All that matters is now you know and we all know you'd never hurt her. So, don't go thinkin' about the 'what if's' cause they don't matter," he told her firmly. For how feisty Char was, Zoe did have a way with her. "Then that's the plan we're goin' with," Colton hummed.

[colton-birchfield]

Vanilla Twilight | Zoe & Colton

[zoethewolfedeactivated]

Zoe’s smile slid off her face. “What?” she asked, genuinely horrified now. “Oh, god. Oh, my god. Ok, I take it back, that’s never happening. Jesus, I’ve been threatening her with that for weeks,” she said guiltily. She suddenly wished the cat were there so she could cuddle with her in a plea for forgiveness. The absolute last thing she wanted was to inflict pain and suffering on the little creature whose first few months of existence were absolute hell. “Yes, ok, absolutely, you can try anything you want…aw, Char,” she said weakly.

[colton-birchfield]

Colton cringed slightly, he had figured that Zoe didn't know about that particular fact or she wouldn't have suggested it in the first place. "Hey now, Zoe it's fine. You haven't done anything wrong, you just didn't know is all," Colton said hoping to set her mind at ease and resisting the urge to point out that Charlotte probably didn't even know that Zoe had been threatening her, let alone with something like that. "We'll figure something out, so don't worry about it too much okay? Tomorrow we'll go to the pet store so you can find the little princess a crown and other things to spoil her even more while I mercilessly question the employees about ways to help," he said quite liking the sound of his plan.

[colton-birchfield]

Vanilla Twilight | Zoe & Colton

[zoethewolfedeactivated]

Zoe merely nodded, unwilling to make a verbal promise that she wasn’t sure she would ever honor. She still felt that she was being a little ridiculous about this whole thing, and bothering Colton with her insecurities was the last thing she wanted to do. She’d been vulnerable in front of him enough times already. “They’re good moments. I like those moments. And that I’m apparently the cause of those moments,” she said with a happy grin. She would never tire of Colton saying she was an inspiration to him.

Zoe gasped. “And take away her only means of defending herself? What cruelty!” she exclaimed, bringing a hand to her chest and looking horrified. She dropped the act to raise an unimpressed eyebrow at Colton. “That’s what I’ve been saying, dear. I don’t know how much longer I can last with her trying to rip the skin off my arms at every given opportunity. And the only scratch marks on you should be made by me,” she said with a smirk, unable to resist the comment. “Seriously, though, it’s a procedural thing-there’s practically no risk.”

[colton-birchfield]

Colton let out a sigh. He'd drop the issue for now and hope that she believe him. That she would actually tell him if her doubts or insecurities or whatever it was got bad enough. He knew her well enough to know that needling her about this wouldn't help any. She had to do things in her own time and in her own way. "I like them too," he agreed softly, before finally giving into the urge to kiss her. She was always beautiful to him, but when she was this happy it made his heart feel so light.

"I'm still hoping it doesn't come to that," Colton said, rolling his eyes at her dramatics. "I know, but just let me try, okay? The only-jesus Zoe," he choked out, turning bright red for the millionth time that night. "There might be no risk, but Zo, if you did the same thing to a human, it'd be like cutting off each finger at the last knuckle," Colton pointed out gently. This was the real reason he had an issue with it. Once Zoe had first brought up the idea of declawing Charlotte, well he had done his homework and he hadn't really liked what he had found. "Just, I want to try," he murmured casting his glance downwards.

[colton-birchfield]

Vanilla Twilight | Zoe & Colton

[zoethewolfedeactivated]

"Ok," Zoe repeated, Colton’s smile letting her know that he really didn’t think she was overreacting. "I just don’t want you to think I’m this crazy, jealous, if-I-can’t-have-you-no-one-can psychopath. I mean, granted, I’m a bit of a psychopath, but not that particular type of psychopath," she said, laughing off her insecurity as always. "Pssh, and you say poetry’s not your thing," she said, rolling her eyes. "That was poetry, Birchfield. And it was pretty damn great."

“Yes, so I can get her a tiara. Do you think they have tiaras? I am absolutely going there tomorrow to check…Ok, see, it has less to do with you than it does with the fact that you’re gonna be trying to get her to do something she doesn’t want to do. She’s surprisingly difficult to outsmart. Trust me, I’ve tried. But I hope it doesn’t come down to that. I like your skin the way it is,” Zoe said seriously before a grin made its way across her face.

[colton-birchfield]

"I'd never think that about you in a million years," Colton said, shaking his head slightly as if even the thought of it was unthinkable.  "I just... If it bothers you I would like to know," he told her softly, not wanting to make her feel like she was under any obligation to tell him. It was just that he could see it was having an effect on her and he hated that she felt like she needed to keep it to herself. "It's really not my thing, but I guess that maybe sometimes I have moments," Colton laughed, boarding on self-depreciation. "Mind you those moments have gone up since I met you. So, I'm glad you think so," he said unable to keep the incredibly pleased, yet some what bashful smile off his face.

"You know, I actually wouldn't be surprised if they do. Mm... You've got a point there. Maybe I can just reason with her then. Convince her that if she doesn't stop with the love attacks, she might just loose her claws," Colton mused before shaking his head. Reasoning with the cat probably wouldn't even work if she could understand english. "Do you think it's too much to hope that she'll mellow with age? Oh, believe me, I like my skin the way it is too," he said before laughing.

[colton-birchfield]

Vanilla Twilight | Zoe & Colton

[zoethewolfedeactivated]

"I just…I don’t want to know. I don’t need to know. Certain things should just stay in the past,” Zoe said quietly. “I’m sorry for…for being weird about all this. I’m probably overreacting,” she mumbled. Like everyone tells me I always do. ”You should use it. I’d love that story,” she murmured with a smile. It grew as she saw the effect her words had on him. She resolved to get better about saying them more often and eventually without prompting, because the look on Colton’s face was one she definitely wanted to see again.

“Ooo. I have a sudden urge to go to the pet store…Char needs a birthday. They told me she was about three months when I got her, so I guess it’d be sometime in July. Did you ever think you’d be dating a crazy cat lady?” Zoe quipped, laughing. ”Yeah, not much to lose. There’s always skin grafting.”

[colton-birchfield]

"No, that's... that's fine Zoe. Whatever you want, okay?" Colton said with a small, earnest smile. "You don't need to apologize and you're not overreacting," he said trying to reassure her. She could react any way that she wanted to and Colton would have accepted it. If anything she was under-reacting and the more Colton thought about it, the worse he felt about ever mentioning it. Things had finally felt normal again and then he had to go and mess it all up again. Silently, Colton berated himself for it. "You would? In that case you can count on me usin' it," he said grinning, already thinking of where he could use it. It didn't take him very long to realize that it fit rather perfectly in the story he had started not too long ago.

"What so you can get her a tiara?" Colton laughed. "Yeah, July sounds about right. I can't say that I ever did. But you know, I don't think I could imagine it any other way now," he said. Cats had never been his favorite animal, but Char had wormed her way into his heart in no time flat. "Skin grafting? Oh, come on now. I don't think I'll be that bad," he said sounding unsure.

[colton-birchfield]

Vanilla Twilight | Zoe & Colton

[zoethewolfedeactivated]

"No," Zoe said, almost as soon as Colton was done talking. "No, I don’t-it’s fine, I don’t need to know." She was afraid that asking for details about his past with Jess would prompt him to expect her to tell him more about her previous relationship with Alec, especially since she’d recently been working with him. She hadn’t done a single thing to warrant guilt, but she’d much sooner focus on Colton than him. It’d been the mere suspicion of her cheating on him with Alec that had been the cause of Colton’s hurtful silence, but she still wasn’t willing to talk about any of what had happened during that time. She listened, stunned, to Colton’s words. It still surprised her to hear the l-word directed at her, let alone all this. “Is that-” She cleared her throat to regain a little strength in her voice. “Is that from one of your new stories?” she joked weakly, not having a clue as to how she was supposed to react. “I like it…I love you, too,” she told him, proud of herself for saying it with next to no hesitation.

"She really is, isn’t she?" Zoe thought aloud, a grin forming. "Is that a serious offer? ‘Cause I have a feeling she’ll be showing you a whole lot more "love" if you try," she said, biting her lip to keep from laughing at the thought of her poor boyfriend covered in band-aids. 

[colton-birchfield]

Colton was slightly taken aback by Zoe's immediate answer and it left him feeling a bit more on edge then he would have thought. "Okay, if you're sure," he said slowly, unable to shake the feeling that there was something he was missing. It was easy to tell that the whole wedding thing was bugging her, so he just thought... Colton bit back any further comment. Sometimes it still felt like she was hiding something or that she still wasn't fully comfortable telling him certain things. It was ridiculous. He knew that Zoe had every right to keep things to herself, that there would always be things she wasn't going to tell him. And for as hard as it was for him, Colton was trying his best to just accept it. Even though sometimes it stung just a little. "It's not, but it might find it's way into one," he laughed gently. It certainly wouldn't be the first time that something from their relationship found it's way into his writing. Colton's face lit up when she said it back, treasuring the way the words sounded falling from her lips.

"All she's missin' is a crown and maybe a castle at this point," Colton snorted. "It might as well be," he shrugged not seeing all that much of an issue with it. "I couldn't hurt to try and even if it doesn't work, it's not like I've got much to loose. Plus I'm thinkin' that I might be able to use catnip to my advantage."

[colton-birchfield]

Vanilla Twilight | Zoe & Colton

[zoethewolfedeactivated]

"Team? More like partners in crime," Zoe laughingly corrected. "Ahh, the gala," she sighed. "Really,” she said, interested. “Well, for the record, it wasn’t intentional. At least, not to any level past ‘kinda’. Alex, yes. You, not really. Just happened, I guess. Maybe I have a natural talent,” she said with sarcastic pride.

Zoe closed her eyes, doing her best to suppress what she was well aware was completely irrational jealousy. She wanted to be anything but the crazy, insecure girl who forbade her boyfriend from having female friends, but she couldn’t help but still feel a little freaked that Colton and Jess had once been planning their wedding. And she still wasn’t aware of what had actually happened that caused them to call it off. She blew out a silent breath and relaxed her muscles as Colton pulled her closer, figuring he had a good reason for keeping silent about it all and that that reason didn’t include feelings for his best friend. “Well, I would hope so. I spoil that cat rotton. Including letting her keep her claws, at your insistence. And believe me, I’m starting to rethink that decision.”

[colton-birchfield]

"Partners in crime does have a better ring to it," Colton hummed in satisfaction. "You mean you haven’t noticed?” he said eyeing her skeptically. “Huh, is that so? Well it’s not like you really had to try all that hard with me,” Colton laughed. It had almost come second nature to him. That and if anyone deserved to be spoiled, it was definitely Zoe.

Colton bit the inside of his lip, going back and forth on offering her answers to the questions she probably had. He was grateful that she didn’t freak out on him when he first mentioned the engagement, especially since he was still friends with Jess. But honestly, he had kind of expected her to. It wasn’t something that was easy to deal with. “You can always ask me about it if you want to, Zoe. I’ll answer any questions you have,” Colton offered softly. He had never talked about everything that happened with Jess because he was never sure where on earth to start. The entire thing had just been a mess and he still didn’t know if he’d ever made complete sense of it. “But either way, I love you. And it’s not like I didn’t have any choice in the matter. I knew what I was getting myself into and I chose to love you. I think that no matter what, in a hundred lifetimes, in any version of reality, I’d find you and I’d choose you Zoe,” he told her. After everything they had been trough lately, after how unwanted he had made her feel, it was important to him that she knew exactly how much she meant to him. “That you sure do. Char’s just a little princess” Colton laughed. “Hey, all cats deserve their claws. What if I try and teach her to use a scratching post instead of you?”

[colton-birchfield]

Vanilla Twilight | Zoe & Colton

[zoethewolfedeactivated]

"Well obviously it’s on that list; that’s what we’re talking about,” Zoe said, reaching for the hand not wrapped around her to lock her fingers with his. “I like your sentimental dorkiness. It complements my sarcastic cynicism so very well.” She wasn’t willing to admit out loud that he had made her a bit of a sentimental dork herself. “Yeah, you kinda are,” she confirmed, nodding in a faux-pitying kind of way. 

Zoe tensed at Colton’s mention of having almost married Jessalyn. He’d told her that the engagement hadn’t meant anything to either of them, but they had been so close to actually tying the knot. She didn’t like to think about what everything would’ve been like if they had. She forced a one-syllable laugh at Colton’s actions. “Yeah, well. I’m just saying she could use a bit of fun, that’s all.” She grinned. “Well, if we assume that she shows love through scratching-which I’m hoping is actually a valid theory-I’m definitely ahead in that department,” she snorted.

[colton-birchfield]

"I'd certainly hope so," Colton said with a teasing poke to her side. "Well, I'm certainly glad that you do," he said aiming for a light tone but it ended up coming out more soft and tender. He always felt a rush of pleasure and contentment when Zoe payed him any sort of compliment. "We just make a good team, it seems," he settled on fondly.  "I think 'kinda' might be puttin' it a bit mildly," he laughed, looking at their entertained hands.

Colton suppressed a groan when he felt Zoe stiffen. He knew that he should've known better than to mention anything about his and Jess' previous engagement. It was still a slightly touchy subject at best. That and he really didn't want to think about what if would have been like if he and Jess would have actually gone through with it. Colton simply held Zoe a tiny bit tighter and pressed a kiss to her brow, trying to silently convey a sense of reassurance. "Nah, she probably could. Lord knows it definitely couldn't hurt," Colton mused, wondering just when the last time seen Jess actually smile had been. "I'd say that for Charlotte, it's definitely a valid theory. And you're definitely ahead," he teased, he still hadn't relented on the stance of Char's right to bear arms after all.

[colton-birchfield]

Vanilla Twilight | Zoe & Colton

[zoethewolfedeactivated]

Zoe turned a large grin in Colton’s direction. “Well, in that case, I just started a list of my own. ‘Being a giant sentimental dork’ is the first thing on it…Mm, I’m your muse, am I? I rather like the sound of that,” she said, humming in contentment. ”Oh, it’s very simple,” she said seriously, holding up a pinky. “You see this?” she asked, pointing at a spot on the finger. “That’s you. Hi, Birchfield!” she said, directing the words to the finger. 

"Oh, baby, you did your best," Zoe assured, biting back a smile. She made an unsure sound. "Ih, I don’t know how much better at it I am, but I guess we’ll see. I could at least help Jess find a casual fling. Between the two of us, I think she needs to blow off a little steam." Zoe smiled at the thought of her rambunctious little cat. "I like to think so. She’s one of the best decisions I ever made."

[colton-birchfield]

"I say something like that and I get called a 'sentimental dork' in return. Hopefully it's the list of reasons why you love me" Colton said, huffing only slightly. Colton looked at Zoe a bit skeptically as she pointed too and talked to her pinky finger. It certainly was an imaginative way of illustrating her point. "So it's because I'm wrapped around your finger then, huh?" Colton asked before he tilted his head in realization. "Actually, I can't fight you on that one. I definitely am."

"Either way, you'll do better than me." Colton pointed out. "You're probably right but, despite the fact that for a while there I was about to marry Jess, I really don't want to think about her and a casual fling. Feels weird. She's too much like a sister," Colton said making a face and shuddering. It felt too much like imagining his sister having sex and that wasn't really something he wanted to do. Ever. "She probably feels the same way about you. After all it's pretty obvious you're he favorite person," he said. Right after Zoe left this time around Colton had checked on Charlotte when Alex was busy and he always found her sulking around the apartment. It was obvious how much she missed Zoe.

[colton-birchfield]

Vanilla Twilight | Zoe & Colton

[zoethewolfedeactivated]

"I didn’t say it had to be out loud. Just as long as you keep saying it to yourself. Wouldn’t want you to forget anything.” Zoe squinted suspiciously at Colton. “What do you mean there’s overlap? Dare I ask for an example?” She clicked her tongue at Colton’s histrionics. “That’s what I get for dating a writer…Well, I should think so. But you know I would’ve kept calling you cute even if you didn’t want me to. And you would’ve learned to love it,” she said, trying to sound ominous.

Zoe grinned at Colton’s words. “Well, still, that was very bro-ish of you. And yeah, it is pretty adorable. He never told me about that, so I guess he was trying to spare you the embarrassment,” she said, patting a hand on his chest. “Well, you know, we’d-well, you’d already had him for a while. She was insecure about her place in our lives. Plus, I don’t think I ever told you, but she was rescued from this illegal breeding operation. She’d been neglected for weeks before they found her,” she said angrily, shaking her head. Zoe’d first been drawn to the cat’s fiery temperament and seemingly inexhaustible energy, but when told of the terrible conditions under which Charlotte had been found, she knew she had to adopt the kitten. The two of them shared far too many similarities to be ignored.

[colton-birchfield]

"As if I could ever forget the reasons why I love you," Colton said shaking his head at how ridiculous the notion sounded.  "I mean that sometimes you're absolutely ridiculous and I love you for it. Like, even though you've managed to burn popcorn using the button on the microwave specifically made for that sort of thing, it just made me love you more," he clarified pressing a kiss to her temple. "'Fraid so," he shrugged. "It just comes with the territory. But, if it's any consolation dating a writer also means you tend to become their muse. Oh I would've now, would I? Do I even want to know how you would've accomplished that?" Colton dared to ask.

"Oh, yeah, totally bro-ish. I don't know if anything could have spared me of the embarrassment, but I'll have to thank him for tryin'. I had to learn the hard way that I make for a pretty pathetic wingman. So, I'll just leave the matchmakin' to you," he told her. She seemed to be better suited to helping in the field anyway. "You never tole me that," Colton said softly. It sure explained a lot of things about the little fuzzball's behavior and he could see why Zoe had been so quick to bring her home. It seemed like the two were meant for each other. "You know, I don't think she could've found an owner better suited for her."

[colton-birchfield]

Vanilla Twilight | Zoe & Colton

[zoethewolfedeactivated]

"Good. Remember it and recite it every time you’re about to bring up something from the list of things you’ll never let me forget," Zoe suggested, smiling exaggeratedly and batting her lashes. She rolled her eyes. "Again with the not liking being called cute. You’re just gonna have to suck it up, sweetheart. I like callin’ you cute. ‘Cause you are.”

"Oh my god, you were his wingman? That’s ador-I mean, that’s tough. And rugged. Very manly of you," Zoe said in a gruff voice before she cracked and started laughing into Colton’s shoulder. "Yeah. I just don’t want him to be lonely. Or feel like he’s the third wheel. Jessalyn, either-if he were straight I’d absolutely be pushing the two of them together…We’d just have to keep him or her a secret from Char. She probably wouldn’t take too kindly to having a cousin."

[colton-birchfield]

"Oh, you'd like that wouldn't you?" Colton drawled with a smirk. "I guess it's a good thing for me that the lists have some overlap then," he said amused at her dramatics. Colton let out a slight huff, truthfully he didn't mind being called cute half the time, but still it wasn't his favorite adjective. "The whole of the english language and you pick cute," he grumbled under his breath. "I suppose I can make my peace with it. But only for you," Colton allowed.

"More like I tried to be his wingman," Colton joked. None of his attempts had been anywhere near successful bordering on slightly embarrassing. "Oh, go ahead. Call it adorable because it sure as hell wasn't any of those things," he said looking down at her affectionately as she laughed into his shoulder. "I don't want them to feel those things either," he said wistfully. "I just want them to be as happy as possible. Mm-hm, we sure would. She already puts up enough of a fuss at havin' to share attention with Gatsby."

[colton-birchfield]

Vanilla Twilight | Zoe & Colton

[zoethewolfedeactivated]

Zoe raised her eyebrows at Colton. “Oh, we’re keeping lists, are we? I don’t think I want to know what all is on mine. But I would hope it’s shorter than the list of reasons why you love me,” she grinned. “If it’s any consolation, you’re really cute when you blush.”

"Yeah, I think he’d really like that. I kept trying to set him up with this cute guy from Applause and he kept saying he’s not ready for a relationship yet. I think it’d be good for him to at least have a pet to come home to, you know?" She smiled and shook her head at Colton’s comment. "Alex is just about the least wolflike person on the planet. He’s more teddy bear than anything else." She hummed in agreement. "Then again, it might be more kitties using him as a trampoline."

[colton-birchfield]

"Don’t worry yourself there darlin’. The list of things I’m never goin’ to let you forget doesn’t come anywhere close to matching the list of reason I love you,” Colton said, a small adoring smile gracing his lips as he looked at her. The main reason the two lists didn’t compare was that Colton hadn’t stopped finding reasons to love her. “‘Cause what a guy really wants is to be called cute,” Colton snorted. “But I guess there are worse things to be.”

"He wasn’t all that receptive to my attempts to play wingman either," Colton said even though calling them attempts was being pretty generous. "Well then, looks like the day he’s all set up in his new place we’re goin’ to have to take a trip to find a cat. Yeah, I do. Knowing there’s going to be someone, even a pet, happy to see you when you get home, it makes it easier," he mused. Back when Zoe had broken up with him for the first, and hopefully only, time having Gatsby around had been a godsend. "You got a point there. Out of the two of you, you probably take after your namesake a bit more," he said knowing full well that Zoe’s certain brand of intensity wasn’t for everyone. "He is a teddy bear isn’t he? One lucky cat is goin’ to love pouncin’ on him," Colton laughed.

[colton-birchfield]

Vanilla Twilight | Zoe & Colton

[zoethewolfedeactivated]

"Hey, there’s plenty of stuff you’ll never let me live down, Birchfield. It’s only fair…No. Not really sorry,” Zoe parroted, grinning and pecking his lips as he turned back to her. She was thrilled to be back in this routine with Colton-laughing and teasing and flirting. She’d hated his treating her like she was attached to a lit fuse, and the return of normalcy was something she intended to maintain for quite a while. 

"C’mon, C’mere," Zoe called, smiling triumphantly when the dog padded back over to them and settled down with his toy. "Might as well get my full attention while Charlotte’s not here, Gats. Speaking of, my brother is absolutely in love with her. It’s actually pretty cute-we may have to get him his own cat for a housewarming gift. Sorry, Gats-Uncle Alex isn’t a dog person. You’re the only exception,” she told him, pressing a kiss to the dog’s furry forehead.

[colton-birchfield]

"I guess that you've got me there. At least the list of stuff I'll never let you forget is longer than the one you have on me," Colton smirked, before his expression softened as she pressed her lips to his. It still sometimes surprised him when she was the one who showed affection, but none-the-less, he savored it every time. "I knew you weren't," he laughed, shaking his head slightly.

Colton sat back, happy to watch Zoe and Gatsby. He looked at Zoe, curious. It was easy to see how Alex would fall for the bundle of fluff, but t always did surprise him that he and Zoe had a penchant for cats. "Really now? I'm sure we can help him out with that. You know, for a family of wolves, you two seem particularly fond of cats," he observed. "I think he's happy bein' the only exception. Less competition that way," Colton remarked.

[colton-birchfield]

Vanilla Twilight | Zoe & Colton

[zoethewolfedeactivated]

Zoe bit her lip to prevent a last round of giggles, reeling it in for the sake of her poor boyfriend. She rested her chin on the back of Colton’s shoulder, tracing her initials between his shoulder blades. “Ok, I’m really done now. Promise. It was just that I hadn’t laughed in a while and some floodgates somewhere in my brain were opened. Sooorrrry,” she said in a singsong voice, chancing a smile.

"He better be," Zoe said in a slightly raised voice at Gatsby’s shadow outside of the fort. "Cause he should love me a whole damn lot by now." She pretended to scrutinize Colton, tilting her head from side to side. "Well, I suppose you’ll do," she finally said. "You won’t get any fur on my clothes. And you can talk back to me. And I don’t feel like I need to brush my teeth after you kiss me. Yeah, all right,” she said, returning to her place next to him on the pile of cushions.

[colton-birchfield]

Colton heaved a deep sigh into the cushions. "I'm never gonna live that one down am I?" he asked, voice muffled by the cushions. He had to admit that it was nice to hear her laugh so freely after not hearing it for so long. Especially since it had, rather easily, became one of his favorite sounds. Even still, Colton rolled over slightly and eyeing Zoe suspiciously. "You're not really sorry, are you?" he sighed before his lips quirked upwards. He had missed this more than he ever could have imagined.

"'Course he does. You're his his favorite person... well after me of course," Colton reassured her as the Gatsby shaped shadow moved towards the opening of their fort. Gatsby peeked his head into the fort, a stuffed fire hydrant in his mouth and looked from Colton to Zoe. "See, told you he'd come back," he hummed. Colton raised an eyebrow at her scrutiny and rolled his eyes. "Glad to hear that I make the cut," he snorted, his tone betraying his fondness.

[colton-birchfield]

Vanilla Twilight | Zoe & Colton

[zoethewolfedeactivated]

"Like that was a completely unreasonable thought!" Zoe pointed out, again laughing. "How the hell else would I wear a bell? Exactly,” she said before Colton could respond. She raised her eyebrows and turned to look at him, surprised by his uncharacteristic boldness. “Judging from how you no longer seem to find the idea horrifying, that remains to be seen. But Colton? Dearest?” She patted his cheek with her palm. “I’m not wearin’ a collar. Keep dreaming.”

Zoe watched, open-mouthed, as Gatsby turned and walked out of the fort. “You see that? Just usin’ me for treats. Unbelievable. And he’s supposed to be the more affectionate of the two. Maybe I’ll just go snuggle with Charlotte,” she called. She glanced over at Colton. “Or your owner. Whichever makes you more jealous.”

[colton-birchfield]

"On a bracelet?" Colton offered sounding unsure. "To be honest I was too busy having a slight heart attack to think of where exactly the bell would be," he said. The second Zoe turned and looked at him, Colton immediately wished that he hadn’t said anything and he was sure it showed as his face colored with embarrassment. "Yes?" he responded meekly as she patted his face. He normally wasn’t bold in these sorts of situations and now he realized why. Colton ducked his face into the cushions as it heated up once again. "Nope. No, I’m still horrified. Can we just pretend this conversation never happened?" he half-heartedly groaned, regretting ever having let the bell comment slip out in the first place.

"Don’t worry, he’ll be back and trying to sit in your lap in no time," Colton reassured her wiping away silent tears from how hard he had been laughing. He heard a slightly affronted sounding grunt from Gatsby somewhere outside of their fort. "Char would probably make him more jealous, but since she isn’t here I guess you’ll just have to settle for me," he said with a mock sigh.

[colton-birchfield]

Vanilla Twilight | Zoe & Colton

[zoethewolfedeactivated]

Zoe continued to laugh, making no effort to tamp down her amusement. “Ok,” she said finally, clearing her throat and stifling a giggle. “Ok. Baby, I’m sorry, but you have to admit that was pretty damn funny. Oh, come on, it was right there. You knew I couldn’t pass that up. Nevertheless, I will take responsibility for that one.” She grinned and said nothing at his last words, refraining from pointing out that he had still seemed a little terrified of her when they’d first met. 

"I think he sensed the presence of something edible," Zoe scoffed, making a face at Colton as Gatsby came back over and licked the treat residue off her fingers. "Thanks, Gats," she told him, wiping her hand on the dog before reaching for the bottle of hand sanitizer on the nearby end table currently acting as a support beam. "That’s one respect where I prefer Char: hygiene."

[colton-birchfield]

Hesitantly, Colton withdrew his slightly-less-red face from hiding. After a moment of reflection he laughed and shook his head, a small unbidden smile forming. "Alright, I'll give you that," he conceded. "I should've known you couldn't resist and, you're right, it was funny," Colton admitted, almost reluctantly. "Good, cause that one was all you," he drawled with a smile. "If anyone in this relationship is the kinky one, my money's on it bein' you," he whispered slyly in her ear. 

"Mm, he probably did. That nose of his probably picked up on their existence," Colton said laughing at the face she pulled. Gatsby simply looked at Zoe, the picture of contentment, as she wiped her hand on him. "Fair. Cats are generally less slobbery than dogs," he observed as Gatsby finally got tired of his humans not showering him in affection and left their fort in search of his chew toy.

[colton-birchfield]

Vanilla Twilight | Zoe & Colton

[zoethewolfedeactivated]

"Well, I’m used to it now.” Colton did have a way of making as little noise as possible, as if he thought he could disappear from view if he were quiet enough. “And you’ve gotten better about it. I thought I was, too, but apparently not. Oh, you wanna put a collar on me? I didn’t know you were kinky, Birchfield,” she said, chortling in a most unladylike manner. “Ha, yeah, me, too-I doubt you would’ve asked me out if I had…Yep, absolutely worth it,” she repeated, grinning over at him.

Zoe held up her free hand in surrender. “All right, ok, you’re right,” she said, trying to quell the frustration she was sensing. “Well, now it’s a talent I don’t need anymore. Yaaaay,” she said, miming cheering. “Doesn’t it, though,” she agreed, losing herself in excited thoughts of her new position before the neglected canine between them nudged his nose beneath their pile of cushions and almost dislodged them. “Gats, Gats! All right, all right, jeez,” she grumbled, sitting up and reaching between the pile to dig out the dog’s treats and throw a few in his direction.

[colton-birchfield]

"That makes sense. Huh... I guess I never knew I was that quiet," Colton mused. He supposed that it did make sense. The house he grew up in felt more like a museum than a home. The spacious hallways and sitting rooms were always deathly quiet unless his parents were hosting company. It always felt like a crime to break the silence so he gained the habit of walked the halls like a ghost. "I'm probably just not as attuned to listening to everythin' around me," Colton said. His mouth opened and closed trying to form some sort of response as his face heated up. Abandoning all hope of forming a coherent sentence, Colton buried his face in her hair to hopefully hide how his face was getting even redder. Okay, so maybe the thought had crossed his mind once after he thought about putting a bell on her, but he had been quick to shove it back. "Hey, all I said was bell. You're the one who jumped straight to a collar," he said, futility hoping to turn this back on her. "True. I probably would've been too terrified of you after that," Colton snorted before returning her grin.

Colton simply raised a skeptical eyebrow at her surrender, barely believing it, but he'd take what he could get. He just hoped that one day she'd be able to see herself as beautiful as he saw her. "Well it could still come in handy with the plays you'll be puttin' on," he pointed out. Colton hummed in agreement before it morphed into a laugh at his dog's antics and Zoe's response. "For a dog that used to be a stray, he sure need more attention than I ever thought he would," he laughed watching Gatsby eagerly go for the treats.