Ezza was smiling as she entered their apartment. Penny Pizzaz whom she worked with, turned out to also be a neighbour. In fact she lived right next door. Ezza couldn’t have been more happy if she’d tried. Now Ezza would have someone to hangout with after work was done, if Penny wanted to that is.

Changing out of her work clothes, she headed down to the town plaza. The last time she’d been down there she had seen a sparkling little bobble in a box on the side of the road. It had said free, but Ezza had been too nervous to grab it. What if it had been a trap? Today she was determined to try it, secretly. She reached the part of the sidewalk where the box was and sure enough, there was something sparkling in there. She slowly started walking in that direction. Right next to the box she bent down to tie up her shoe. Looking around in what she hoped was a casual way, she watched for people looking at her, and then reached in quickly and grabbed it. Straightening she sped up and turned the corner. Looking down discreetly at what she had grabbed she found it was a snow globe. Cute little Bunny, She thought. She would show it to Zas when he got home.

Zas saw their cute neighbour in the hall on his way home. He walked over to find her struggling with trash chute. He offered his help and then started a conversation. After talking turned to flirting, Zas decided to stop tempting fate and head home to Ezza. Penny could be a nice diversion from Ezza and his tension problems. Contemplating his options as he headed for the apartment, he missed the look on Penny’s face.

As Zas walked in the door, he felt like he had something on the bottom of his shoe, and had bent down to look at it. When he straightened he almost smashed his face into what looked like a blurry pink bunny. Jerking back he saw Ezza holding out a snow globe, an excited look on her face.

“What is that?” He asked moving around her to get into the apartment.

“A Freezer Bunny snow globe. Although why humans would want to freeze bunnies and put them in snow globes I can’t fathom.” Ezza said shaking it. Zas grinned, he couldn’t help it. Ezza was just so adorable when she was like this.

“I’m sure it’s not a real bunny. Where did you get it?” He inquired as he went into the bedroom to change.

“I took it! Right off the street in front of people.” Ezza said excitedly. Zas popped his head out of the bedroom door with a shocked look on his face.

“You stole it!?” He practically yelled. Ezza’s eyes widened.

“It was just sitting there in a box of other things marked free.” Ezza said a little pout in her voice. Zas, who had finished dressing came out of the bedroom and stood before Ezza. He put his hands on her shoulders and rubbed them up and down her arms a couple of times.

“Look at me,” he said. Reluctantly Ezza looked up. “Now we have two things to celebrate.”

“What two things?” Ezza asked him. Zas smiled at her.

“You beginning in a life of crime and my promotion at work.” Zas said. Ezza beamed a smile at him.

“You got promoted? To what? When?” Ezza was almost as excited about his promotion as Zas was. It made him happy knowing she felt that way.

“I got promoted to Beat Reporter. So we’re going out tonight, go get ready!” Zas said turning her towards the bedroom. Ezza giggled and started for the bedroom. Suddenly she stopped, and turned around.

“Um, Zas? Where are going?” She asked.

“Does it matter?” He said, giving her a questioning look. Ezza shook her head and took off into the bedroom. As long as she was with Zas she’d be fine, no matter how she was dressed.

 

Ezza and Zas were having a blast at the Narwhal Arms bar. It was a place they never visited, but had wanted to. Ezza was kicking Zas’s butt at Don’t Wake The Llama again. After another stunning loss, Zas began to get grumpy. Looking around he spotted Diego Lobo, and left Ezza to chat with Diego for a few minutes. Ezza went to the bar and ordered herself another drink. The Mixologist wasn’t bad, but Ezza knew she could make it much better, and in less time.

As she sat there, she looked around the bar for Zas. Sensing someone sitting down near her, Ezza looked over and almost jumped off her stool. Sitting there, her hair shining gold in the bar lights, was Dina Caliente. Ezza felt her throat begin to close up, she longed to reach out and run her fingers through Dina’s hair, see her smile after she told her a joke. Listen to her talk about her day, even the parts Ezza used to find boring.

 

“Oh I’m sorry if I startled you.” Dina said looking over. Ezza plastered a smile on her face, and shook her head. She felt stiff, and felt as if all the air had left the room. Dina ordered a drink and looked over at the tv in the corner. She laughed at something she was watching, and Ezza felt she had never heard anything so beautiful in her life. She ordered another drink and quickly downed it. Dina had turned towards Ezza to talk when Greta Rasoya, Zas’s partner at work walked up. She struck up a conversation with Ezza, after a few moments Dina got up and wandered away. Ezza sighed in relief and continued talking to Greta.

Zas turned around when someone behind him said Boo! He had been expecting Ezza, but found himself face to face with Dina instead. They hugged and Zas introduced Dina to Diego. Dina and Zas stood talking with Diego for a bit, but Zas continued to look for Ezza through-out the conversation, only giving a few answers mostly uh huhs, and short yes and no’s. he could see Ezza sitting at the bar pounding back drink after drink, which meant she knew Dina was here. After a bit, Zas excused himself and went to find Ezza.

“Hey, how’s it going?” Zas asked leaning on the bar beside Ezza. Ezza poured her newest drink down her throat and then immediately ordered a new one before turning to Zas, who was signalling the Mixologist to cut her off.

“I’m fine, and you don’t need to do that. I can hold my juice.” She said slurring her speech a little. Zas gave her a little nod.

“I know. Why don’t we go home now? We’ll get some sleep, maybe I’ll make us a nice dinner, then we can wake up and be miserable together in the morning.” He said joking with her.

“You know that Dina’s here right? I feel fine, no need to worry so much. I’m gonna dance.” Ezza said patting Zas on the arm as she hopped off her stool and made her way to the dance floor. Zas followed behind her, exasperated. Ezza couldn’t dance at the best of times, but when totally juiced? It was going to be an interesting time.

Ezza started off swaying to the music. She could feel the beat pounding through her body and started moving more. She felt like she was releasing weight from her body, letting go of everything that was bothering her. As images and memories flashed behind her eyes, she moved her body more frantically, almost as if she was casting them out. It was a joyous experience for her.

 

When Dina’s face flashed in her mind, she felt her body slow. She felt like she was being anchored and pulled down from the sky. Then a hand touched her side. Her eyes opened slowly as she looked in front of her.

Zas stood, his hand on Ezza’s side. She’d been flinging herself around on the floor, much to the amusement of the other patrons. When she stumbled and almost fell over, Zas had reached out and grabbed a hold of her. Looking into her face, with her bright eyes, and that slow sexy smile spreading on her face, Zas knew he had to leave her alone for a bit. Just as he was willing himself to let her go, he felt his grip tighten and slide to her lower back.

At first she went along with his movements as he tried to show her how to dance, but eventually she broke loose and they ended up dancing apart on the floor.

It was all good, until Ezza spun and lost her balance. She crashed into Braylen Carson, who spilled his drink. When he turned around to yell at her, both Zas and Diego intervened. As Zas led Ezza off of the dance floor, he could hear Diego defending him and Ezza to Braylen, but eventually a fight broke out. Zas stayed behind to see if he could help, while Ezza went up the stairs to cool off.

Eventually Zas found his way up the stairs, and sat beside Ezza on the small bench in the hall.

“I messed up real bad.” Ezza said. Zas nodded.

“Yeah, but it could’ve been worse.” He told her.

“How?” Ezza asked looking at him.

“It could have been me getting hit in the face instead of Diego. I owe that man lunch sometime.” Zas said smiling as Ezza snorted.

“I think you should be hit at some point. Might do you some good.” Ezza said leaning forward and poking him in the forehead.

“Oh? You want my handsome face marred by a bruise?” Zas feigned being offended.

“Rearrangement of your features would be a sin wouldn’t it?” Ezza joked. She had leaned very close, and had a sexy little smirk on her face as she flirted drunkenly with Zas. Zas sat very still watching her for a moment. He knew he shouldn’t, but he leaned forward anyways and kissed Ezza. At first it was a quick pressing of the lips that could barely be called a kiss, but then he found himself kissing her more passionately again and again. For once he gave up his self-control, and let himself embrace what he felt inside.