Heart Beat Song (A Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist Fanfiction)

Chapter Thirty-Three: New Traditions

"Oh, yes, yes! Come on, come on! Yes, yes, YES!"

I jumped off of the couch waving my Nintendo Switch Controller around in celebration as I beat Leif at Mario Cart. He watched on in amusement as I dance dorkiliy around his living room. 

"Ok, no one likes a sore winner." He said through a chuckle. I smiled, sitting down on the couch and turning sideways, laying down with my head in Leif's lap. He shook his head, smiling before lightly running his fingers through my hair. "You know...the fact that you not only play video games, but are good at them...is insanely attractive."

"Oh, is it now?" I inquired. He nodded, his eyes focused on my hair rather than meeting my eyes.

"Yes." I smiled. 

"Well you know what I find insanely attractive?" I asked. He raised his eyebrows. "I really like the cardigans." His eyes widened in shock and I laughed.

"Really?! You're into the cardigans?!"

"Yeah, I'm into the cardigans. I think they're really cute on you." I said. He laughed, shaking his head. "So, we've played video games. What would 'the real Leif Donnelly do next?"

"Cook dinner, probably. Like my famous, home-made Chicken Alfredo." I raised my eyebrows, sitting up and turning to face him. 

"You cook?!" I exclaimed.

"Mhm."

"How did I not know this?!" He smiled, shrugging his shoulders.

"I don't know, I guess you never asked."

"Well, I have to witness this! It has to be done!" I said.

"Ok, so what do you say we pour a couple of glasses of wine, I get cooking and you come and keep me company?" I nodded in agreement.

"I think I like that plan." He smiled wider, his eyes glancing at my lips before leaning in and kissing me briefly. Once he pulled away, he stood up, leading the way to the kitchen, leaving me on the couch, smiling to myself. I stood up too, but before going to follow him, I took the opportunity to really look around his apartment.

Even back when we were friends, I'd never been to his place. It was usually either Tobin's place or we'd just go out and do stuff. It was very Leif; Geeky with a splash of color. Well, I say splash...with the neon lights that littered the place, it was more like a Tidal wave. I smiled, walking over to his video game shelf and picking up a framed picture. It showed a couple, no doubt in their early 60s, flanked by three very tall and very attractive boys, one of them being Leif.

"Hey, did you get lost?" I looked up to see Leif poking his head out of the kitchen door. His smile fell as he glanced at the picture in my hands. I held it up.

"Are these your brothers?" I asked. He sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets and coming over to stand behind me, looking at it over my shoulder. 

"Yup. That's them. You probably can't tell that I'm the oldest, seeing as those two look like Hemsworths." I leaned back slightly closer to him, holding the picture frame farther from me.

"Nah...I don't see it." I had to admit, his brothers were much bigger and more muscular than him, with strapping jawlines and manly stubble.

"Yeah, right. Look at them." I looked over my shoulder at him.

"I'm not a chiseled, muscular type girl. I told you, the Cardigans really do it for me." He chuckled, shaking his head and taking the picture frame, putting it back on the shelf.  "Seriously...you're every bit as good as your brothers."

"Yeah?" He asked, looking at his feet. "You haven't met my brothers."

"But I've met you," I argued, grabbing his hands in mine, prompting him to look at me, "And I think you're awesome. You are...attractive," He rolled his eyes, "And interesting, and smart...seriously Leif, you know me. Do you really think I'd be wasting my time with you if I didn't believe you were worth it?" His slightly amused smile fell.

"Yeah...I guess not." I shook my head.

"Exactly...I'll at least wait until after you feed me to leave you in the dust." We both burst out laughing and Leif let go of my hands, trailing his own up my arms before pushing my hair back so that he could put his hands on my face. 

"Do you want to sleep over tonight?" He asked, glancing at my lips before meeting my eyes. I smiled, putting my hands on his wrists.

"I was planning on it." He smiled, pulling my hand down and dragging me into the kitchen. 

~~~

After an amazing dinner, followed by a few hours on the couch talking, laughing, and drinking wine, we both went to bed. That was it, we just went to Leif's room and...went to sleep. That was all, and it was weird because it wasn't. Like, at all. Despite the fact that we'd never been on a date, despite the fact that we hated each other's guts a few days prior, it didn't feel weird sleeping in the same bed.

I woke up early in the morning to my alarm going off. My eyes shot open to find that I was sleeping on my side, Leif's arm resting lazily around my waist.  I slowly slipped out from beneath it, rushing across the room and turning off my phone before I could wake him up. I grabbed my bag, going to tip toe out of the room to the bathroom when a sound caused me to pause.

"Mary?" I paused, glancing over to see that Leif was now sitting up, leaning back on one arm as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "What are you doing up so early?"

"Well, I go and get coffee with Zoey and Max every morning, so..." he nodded, yawning. "But I can stay, if you want. Or, you could come with us!" 

"No, that's ok. You go ahead. "

"You sure?" He nodded and I put my stuff down, walking over and crawling back into bed so that I was sitting down, facing him. "Well, I just wanted to say that I had an incredible time last night...and I'm really happy with whatever it is we've got going on here." He smiled sleepily at me, reaching up and brushing my hair off of my shoulder, trailing his hand down my arm until it rested over mine on the bed.

"Me too. Its been a long time coming." I nodded in agreement, leaning in and kissing him on the cheek. "Actually, on second thought, maybe we just drink coffee here and stay in bed for a few more hours." He grabbed my arms, laying down and pulling me with him. I laughed, falling and ending up with my head on his chest. He wrapped an arm around my waist, his mouth lazily resting on my forehead.

"I don't know, I mean...I kind of always grab coffee with them. Its a tradition."

"Well then, maybe its time to make some new traditions."  I smiled, moving so that I was laying on my side, propping my head up on my hand. Leif smiled, reaching over and tucking my hair behind my ear. 

"Oh yeah? What'd you have in mind?" He moved so that he was on his side too, leaning on his elbow. 

"Well, I was thinking pancakes," He leaned in, lightly pressing his lips to my jaw, "and bacon," He moved, pressing a kiss to my cheekbone, "Or..." He trailed off, pulling back to look at me.

"Or..." I prompted, combing some of his hair out of his eyes. 

"I don't know, I forgot where I was going with that. I got distracted." He wrapped an arm around my waist once more, pulling me closer to him and pressing his lips against mine. I laughed into the kiss, putting my hand on his face as he rolled over so that my back was pressed against the mattress and he was hovering over me.