{ According to Chapter 0.01 of this very story, Teddy Morgan's birthday is on November 8th. Which means... I think you all deserve a special birthday chapter that continues off of Chapter 1.26 since today is November 8th!
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Everyone wish my good child, Teddy Morgan, a happy birthday!! Hope you enjoy the special, surprise update!! }

-

"Uh.. Hey, Teddy." Marvin cleared his throat, hiding the smirk he felt manipulating his laugh wrinkles. Teddy and Zoe turned to Marvin, spotting Teddy's coworkers that were staring at them. "Take the rest of the night off. None of us want you working on your birthday."

"No, Marvin, it's all good. I could use the money and I have nothing else to do so-" Teddy started before Marvin cut him off.

"I'm sure she'll think of something." Marvin's eyes shifted to Zoe. "Won't you, darlin'?"

Zoe lit up with excitement as she turned back to Teddy. "Absolutely! Let's go do something!"

Teddy's mouth hung open as he tried to think of something to say, his eyes bouncing between Marvin and Zoe. He knew his usual response would be to say no and maybe throw a quick insult in there but, he just wasn't in the mood to be nasty. Zoe went out of her way on a Saturday night to bring him food, suspiciously not knowing it was his birthday, and was nothing but kind to him. Because of all that, he really had no reason to be refuse her and be nasty about it, like his usual self would.

So, Teddy sighed and gave in. Zoe excitedly clapped her hands together as his coworkers smiled. Zoe was quite a character to them and it only seemed more exaggerated next to Teddy's abrasive character. They were so different. How did they even become friends? Some suspected they were in a relationship but, seeing them together as they got ready to leave, it didn't seem right. There was definitely something between them. They could all see it, it just wasn't fully developed yet.

"What did I tell you about smelling my clothes?" Teddy scolded as he grabbed his backpack.

Zoe frowned as she removed her hands from the collar of Teddy's jacket. She still hugged the material around her, though, letting it's thick material keep her warm. Teddy reached for the garage to pull it open, yelling farewells to his coworkers as he helped Zoe under the big, metal door. Zoe also ducked under to wave a goodbye before Teddy let it drop. She couldn't help but ooh and ahh at the snow falling around them as they walked towards the street again.

"How do you usually get to and from work?" Zoe asked as they walked side by side in the snow. There was only a thin layer in the grass but plenty was still falling.

"On a good day, I'll walk or take the bus. If it's raining or snowing, I'll call one of the guys." Teddy answered.

Zoe looked down and watched the outsole of her heels make little prints in the snow coating the sidewalk. She also liked the way her skinny heel made little circles in the snow. Of course, her feet weren't all that warm, but she was having fun. She liked winter, she liked snow, and she liked Teddy. He couldn't really complain either. She looked like a little kid hopping in the snow, completely oblivious to everything surrounding her.

Although, with Zoe's head in the clouds, she didn't notice when she was about to run into the bus sign. Teddy had to grab her arm and carefully redirect her away from the curb. Zoe looked up with confusion and realized what was happening, nervously giggling as she stood beside Teddy in the cold. They were silent for awhile, not feeling the need to make conversation, as always. Teddy stared, though. And maybe, a little more than he should have.

"Why did you come today?" Teddy suddenly asked, his eyes glued to the blonde. Zoe's eyes lifted from the patterns she was making in the snow as she shrugged. Teddy's eyes narrowed. "You really didn't know it was my birthday?"

"No." Zoe answered, a glint of playful sass flashing across her face. "You never told me when it was."

Teddy rolled his eyes. "I don't believe you. You figured it out somehow. Someone told you."

Zoe wasn't sure if she should explain to Teddy that Howl tricked her into coming. He was trying to set them up, and she was aware of that, but she didn't understand why he didn't tell her the real reason he was sending her on this little quest. Why hadn't Howl told her it was Teddy's birthday in the first place? Why hadn't Teddy said anything? She understood why people weren't talking about it at school, like they did with Courtney's birthday. They probably didn't even know when it was.

"I... came for a different reason." Zoe awkwardly explained, gaining a cocked eyebrow from Teddy. "And then found an even better reason when I arrived."

"What kind of cheesy ass shit?" Teddy muttered to himself as he shook his head, a smile permanently tainting his expression, even as he looked down the street.

"So, what do you feel like doing?"

"For my birthday?"

"Yeah."

"Nothing."

Zoe sulked. Of course. She wouldn't expect any other answer from Teddy. It bummed her out, though. It always felt like Teddy wasn't living his life to the fullest, but rather, just making it day by day. And, today of all days, should be when he gets to truly live. Zoe knew that, if she pointed it to him, he'd say something about not having money or the fact that he hated everyone around him. Still, Zoe believed they could have fun without money and there didn't need to be a crowd for it to be fun.

So, Zoe took the limited amount of time they had left of their night to look for something to do. Teddy wasn't surprised that Zoe was glued to her phone as they sat on the bus but, he didn't mind all that much. She had a lot of people to talk to and it was almost a relief to not have her depending on him to entertain her or anything. The fact that she was so busy on her phone even meant he had a little time to close his eyes before their stop. A good nap would be the perfect birthday present.

By the time they made it to their bus stop, Zoe already had a plan in order and was basically running to get off the bus. Teddy laughed at her and stepped off the bus a few seconds after. It was a short walk up the hill to get to their houses, a big smile on Zoe's face the entire time. She couldn't have been more excited. They were going to have so much fun.

"Goodnight, Zoe." Teddy called as he turned towards the little alleyway to his apartment

"Okay, see you in a minute." Zoe nibbled on her bottom lip as she stopped in her tracks, knowing Teddy would ask questions.

As predicted, he stopped and turned with full confusion contorting his expression. "What?"

"We're going out again but we should both change because it's really cold. We can take my car too if you want to meet me at my house in a few minutes." Zoe excitedly explained.

Teddy's eyes narrowed as he stared at the blonde. "What if I don't want to go out again? I'd much rather be sleeping right now, Zoe, I don't want to go through the trouble of getting changed and all that shit."

"Well.." Zoe shrugged, her smile still prominent and eyes still coy. "I'm coming back to get you, anyways. Might as well be dressed by the time I do."

"Zoe-"

"Hurry, Teddy! Your birthday ends in like three hours! Dress nice and dress warm!" Zoe exclaimed to distract him before he could protest. Teddy was shocked, but not as shocked as when he watched her bolt up the street to get to her house.

Teddy defeatedly signed and ran his cold fingers down his cold face. He felt miserable but he was smiling and he couldn't figure out why. The emotions he felt and the way his body reacted were so conflicting when Zoe was around. He was tired. He didn't want to go out. But, somehow, his body was moving to change out of his work clothes and put new ones on. He didn't have control of himself, even when he told himself to refuse Zoe and just go to bed.

"How long are you going to force me to do this for?" Teddy asked, trudging up Zoe's driveway as she watched the garage door slowly rise.

"Force you? It's your birthday, Teddy." Zoe turned to Teddy with a comforting, warm smile. "It'd be a crime not to turn the world into yours for a couple hours."

Zoe's words hit Teddy in a weird way, like everything about her did. He liked it. It sounded nice. But, also, "How the hell do you come up with cheesy shit like that all the time?"

"Oh, poo." Zoe scoffed at Teddy and stepped into the garage.

Now that Zoe was in the light again, he was able to get a good look at her outfit. And to his surprise, she was actually wearing jeans. Soft, baby blue, denim jeans. There formed tightly around her long, skinny legs and disappeared into a pair of giant, white, fluffy boots. She was still wearing Teddy's jacket but had it open to show off a white shirt that bellowed out at her waist since it was tucked into the waistband of her jeans. She looked comfy, casual, short, and warm.

"The big one?" Zoe held up one set of keys. "Or the small one?" She held up the other.

An excited smile spread across his face as Teddy realized he got to drive a Sensation again. He skipped into the garage and snatched a pair of keys out of Zoe's hands before making his way to the small one. Zoe laughed at his excitement and jumped in the car along side him. Teddy was so excited about getting to drive this beautiful Sensation that he didn't notice anything else as he drove it. Not even the Japanese pop music Zoe put on as they drove.

"So, what exactly are your plans for tonight?" Teddy asked as he drove

"As soon as we're in the city, we're going to find somewhere to park for the night because I'm not comfortable driving in the dark and snow all night."

"I'm the one driving, Zoe. We're going to be fine."

"No, I know. I trust you. I just.. don't like it." Teddy sighed but let it go. He understood. "And then, we're going to get something warm to drink at Starbucks. I want to check out the carousel and the Skystar but it's your birthday so, it's all up to you. There's these really cute swings in the park, though, that look out towards the river and I really want to try one of those." Zoe rambled as she checked the area she was referring to on her map.

Teddy snorted a laugh, his eyes glued to the road. "There's a lot of things you want to do on my birthday."

Zoe nervously trapped her bottom lip between her teeth as she turned to Teddy. "We don't have to do any of that, if you don't want to..."

"I never said I don't want to." Teddy smirked as he glanced at Zoe.

Zoe fought a smile as her cheeks flushed. There was a small part of her that kept comparing their night ahead to a date. It was Teddy's birthday, they weren't a couple, and he wasn't even interested in her but, she was a hopeless romantic. Their night may not start out as a date but it could end in love, if Zoe was lucky. For now, though, Zoe wanted to give Teddy a really good birthday. He deserved it.

To Teddy's surprise, he enjoyed his night out with Zoe. The streets were busy since it was a Saturday night so, it was good they dropped off the car and simply walked wherever they needed to go. Teddy didn't go deep into the city very often, or ever, but he still knew his way around from past experiences. Zoe still had her phone out to navigate, though, confidently leading them to a coffee shop from their car.

"If you see a shop you like, a restaurant that looks good, or anything else intriguing, all you have to do is say the word and we'll go." Zoe advised after they got their coffee.

Teddy didn't listen to her, though. He already had a few things on his mind that he wanted to do. The sidewalks were surprisingly almost as busy as the streets so, Teddy eventually got sick of guiding Zoe out of peoples paths and tucked her hand under his arm. Zoe happily held on to Teddy as they walked through the cold. She liked walking with him and not fighting to keep up in heels. He was a faster walker than his low-key personality would suggest.

Teddy's first stop was at the carousel and he made sure to keep his eyes on Zoe when they arrived. He knew she would lit up at the sight of it, which she did. She gasped as her eyes spotted all the twinkling lights and colorful designs on the ride. Zoe looked to Teddy for confirmation that he was serious but, he only smiled. The lights of the carousel reflected so magically in her big, brown eyes and her pearly white smile. She looked like a little kid that had just spotted the world biggest gobstopper.

First and foremost, Zoe wanted a picture in front of it. Teddy didn't complain, although, he could admit this wasn't something he would usually volunteer to do. He took a few pictures with Zoe doing different, adorable poses, smiling the entire time on the other side of her phone. When she was done posing, she grabbed Teddy and forced him into a selfie with the carousel behind them. He made a gross face at the camera since he didn't want to take a photo but, that made her smile in the picture even bigger.

Even when they were on the actual ride, Zoe requested photos. Teddy was sat on a dormant horse, taking endless pictures of Zoe as she posed on an obnoxiously decorated, slowly moving, white horse. The photos looked beautiful, both bright and shaded, colorful but consistent. And, with Zoe in them, there was a familiar, comforting feeling to them. Even with all of this. Teddy would never do any of this any other day but, with Zoe, it all felt very comfortable and simple and easy.

There were other kids on the ride and a group of younger teens that were teasing each other. Teddy looked around as they rode in a circle over and over again. The music, the lights, all the smiles, laughter, the falling snow, and the beautiful blonde beside him was all so euphoric. Teddy felt like he was in a scene in a movie where everything slowed down so the subsidence could appreciate the pure joy of a scene.

Expect, he was the only one watching and all the beauty in the movie scene was surrounding Zoe.

"Awh! Carousel's are so beautiful!" Zoe cried as they both stepped off the ride. She looked at the pictures on her phone, Teddy peering over her shoulder to look as well. "Wow, these turned out really good! You're like a professional photographer."

Teddy snorted a laugh and shook his head. "Better that than the subject."

"Should we go on it again so I can take pictures of you?" Zoe looked back at Teddy with a smile.

"No. I don't like posing for pictures. I'd rather take them." Teddy reached for Zoe's hand, actually taking it in his as he started off down the sidewalk. "Come on. We're taking a quick detour back into the city before we go to the swings in the park."

Zoe's mouth fell agape and her eyes slightly widened as she stared at her hand that was wrapped in Teddy's. Was this the first time they ever held hands? While they were walking in the street, she was holding on to his arm, not his hand. This is the first time they had ever held hands. How did Teddy do that so naturally? If Zoe grabbed Teddy's hand, she always imagined he'd be disgusted. But, it almost seemed like he didn't even notice he was doing it.

The entire time they walked through the streets of Cincinnati, Zoe's eyes kept falling back to their hands. Teddy's hand was visibly larger than hers and so much warmer. She liked the way he held on a little tighter when he was dodging the human traffic of the sidewalks. Zoe didn't question Teddy or bother to pull up her map of Cincinnati on her phone since it seemed Teddy knew exactly where he was going.

Eventually, Teddy and Zoe stopped in front of a ticket booth outside of a theatre. Teddy pointed to the big white sign above them as he reached for his wallet. "Want to see a play?"

"A play?" Zoe was shocked. She read the name of the play again but didn't recognize it. "Do you know this play?"

"Nope." Teddy answered with a smirk and took a step towards the ticket booth with his wallet in hand. "Two tickets, please."

"No! I've got it!" Zoe pulled her wallet out of her back pocket and slid cash to the guy in the booth before Teddy could say a word. He still shot her a playful glare, though. "It's your birthday so it's my treat." She defended with a smile.

Teddy took the two tickets and grabbed Zoe's hand again to rush inside. He didn't even stop as he easily made his way through the lobby and then through the seats of the theatre to find their own. They were sat towards the middle of the center section of seats, plenty of people surrounding them as they idly chatted. Zoe was confused but she waited to start asking questions until they were sat down and she could take Teddy's jacket off.

"I would have never predicted you wanted to see a play on your birthday." Zoe admitted as her eyes scanned all around the dimly lit theatre.

"Carmen was in drama in high school." Teddy began to explain, instantly gaining Zoe's attention. "I was dragged to her plays and her musicals for the entire four years that she went to school. They usually took place at the high school but she did a few here. This is one of the few places where I only have happy memories."

Zoe felt her muscles relax and her face spread into a soft smile as she stared at Teddy. He was so cute and precious. She wanted to hold him. People didn't give him enough credit. He was nice and he was sweet and he was sentimental but, he hid it all away from the demons that he had to go to class with everyday. If none of them ever treated him fairly, Zoe understood why he didn't show them this side of him, but, it was unfair that they had such a bad perspective of him. He wasn't the monster they all thought he was.

"I've never been to a play." Zoe whispered as they sat and waited for the play to start.

"Never?" Teddy's eyebrows perked up. Zoe shook her head and Teddy understandably nodded. "Kind of makes sense. You're usually the type of girl to be on stage, not in the audience."

"True. Although, I did decide to come to school here so that I could be apart of the audience for once. Being in the spotlight gets exhausting sometimes." Teddy stared at Zoe as Zoe stared at the stage. When she turned to him, she smiled at the fact that he was already looking at her. He was so handsome. "Thanks for treating me like a member of the crowd. Nobody else does."

Teddy scoffed, rolled his eyes, and shook his head. It was comical how backwards Zoe was. He couldn't help but to chuckle at the idiocracy of her entire existence.

"What? What's so funny?" Zoe playfully pushed Teddy when she got offended by his laughter.

"Nothing, Zoe. You're just.." Teddy's sighed as his eyes shifted from Zoe to the stage and back to Zoe. "Most girls love to be treated like the center of attention. Everybody loves to be treated special. It's funny to me that you love being treated like a normal fucking person." He chuckled.

Zoe laughed at that as well but, all she could do is shrug. "The grass is always greener on the other side, I guess. You know that good, old saying." She joked.

Teddy laughed once under his breath before the lights in the theatre dimmed. The entire room grew silent before old fashion, gentle music started people started pouring in from the sides of the theatre, all of them dressed in Victorian fashion. It was a play, apparently, about a poor man and a rich woman that crossed paths at a founders festival and eventually fell madly in love. There was a lot of quirky comedy that pointed out the inefficiencies of the era and a few musical bits but, it got more and more heartfelt and romantic towards the end.

"I'll work in the mines day and night, bring my lot to your daddy, Chloe, and prove I'm worthy enough to be your husband!" The man dramatically shouted to the woman as she stomped across the stage with the skirt of her dress in her hands.

The woman stopped and turned around, her tight curls bouncing under the fancy hat that matched her giant dress. "You know it's the money daddy wants, Thomas! You could turn into a bandit and rob a bank and daddy still wouldn't except you! Let's just forget about my pops and run away together, Thomas!"

Zoe leant towards Teddy to whisper to him and he did the same when he noticed her movement. "Didn't know you were such a romantic, Teddy." Zoe teased, her voice hushed and brushing against the skin of his ear since she was so close.

Teddy ignored the little hint of tingles traveling down his spine to shoot her a glare. "Trust me, Bozo, I never came here for the romance, alright?" He playfully defended. Zoe snickered and sunk back into her seat.

When the play was over, Teddy and Zoe stood to give all the actors and actresses a round of applause. When everyone began to funnel out of the theatre, Zoe stole multiple glances at Teddy's hands. She wanted to hold his hand again. She wanted to hold his hands during the play but he had his hands stuck in his hoodie pocket. Even now, his hands raised from his sides and slithered into his big hoodie pocket. Zoe frowned and continued followed close behind him.

"Do you enjoy it?" Zoe asked when they were stood outside. She threw Teddy's jacket on, flipping her hair out from the collar of it.

"It was alright for a play all about white people. The only time I think I saw a black or Asian person was in the coal mining scenes." Teddy smirked. "Accurate to the era, boring as hell to watch."

Zoe chuckled and curiously peered down the busy city street. "You should make sure you tell Carmen we saw a play in her honor. I would've really liked to see her act in a play."

"She was really good." Teddy started down the sidewalk, Zoe hurrying to keep in line with him. "Her incredible acting skills definitely got the better of me when she said she was making thousands of dollars babysitting."

Zoe's mood fell at the reminder of Teddy's tragic story. She remembered him telling her that her parents never believed her but Teddy didn't ask questions and blindly defended her when he didn't know any better. Teddy was probably much more naive back then and believed Carmen when she made up answers to all her parents questioning. Even Zoe knew that, if it was all happening now, Teddy would care too much about his sister to let her anywhere near rich, abusive, gross men.

"How come she's not here for your birthday but she came for Bailey's?" Zoe asked.

Teddy shrugged. "Carmen doesn't get out much but, I wanted to see Bailey. Her birthday is more important than mine. We can still give her good childhood memories whenever the opportunity arises. I'm a lost cause already."

Zoe took all of Teddy's words like a punch in the gut as she sighed. "Geez, Teddy.. And you snapped at me, asking me why I had so many sob stories in my back pocket. Look at you now, pulling them out left and right."

Teddy opened his mouth to defend himself but, eventually, shut it to narrow his eyes down at her. "Touché.." He muttered. Zoe triumphantly smirked at him and continued sauntering down the street with him.

-

There weren't many people at the park but there were city staff members putting up Christmas lights. There were people on ladders in trees and throwing netted Christmas lights over bushes. Zoe instantly got excited over that, chanting that she was so excited for Christmas and she loved how everything looked like a fairy tail. She was like a bunny full of joy that had just taken a five hour energy drink as she skipped through the snow that had piled up in the park and was still falling all around them.

"Look! There's a playground!" Zoe gasped.

Zoe wasted no time in rushing towards the playground, easily leaving Teddy behind. Teddy took his time making it towards the little blonde as she explored. It had been years since he was last at this park. It was so long ago, in fact, that he barely remembered it. The little bit of those memories that he could remember, though, were really, really great. Carmen was there, his parents were there, there were smiles on everyone's faces.

Teddy tried not to focus too much on his back pocket sob stories, though. Zoe never fixated on them too much, after all. She spent most of her life always searching for something to get excited about. So, Teddy followed in Zoe's footsteps and admired he snow and the lights and the view of the river as they frolicked through the park to get to the playground. He would much rather live with the same joy that Zoe cling to than always live in his bitter mindset.

This felt better. He felt better. All thanks to Zoe.

"Wahh!" Zoe proclaimed as she climbed on to a sculpture made of big log pieces all assorted to create a jungle gym. "This is so cool!"

Teddy laughed and slipped under one of the logs to get within the statue. He pulled out his phone and pointed it to Zoe and she instinctually posed without either of them saying a word. Teddy liked seeing Zoe in jeans. Maybe it was the jeans, or the fact that she was wearing his jacket, but she looked really adorable. Even when she straddled one of the logs and extended a leg for a badass pose, she still looked small and not at all intimidating. She couldn't even pull off an evil glare.

"Aren't you a professional model or something? What kind of face is that?" Teddy laughed but still snapped a picture.

Zoe pouted. "I'm trying to be cool."

"Well, your failing."

"I don't know how to be a bad boy like you. What am I suppose to do?"

Teddy cocked his head at the fact that Zoe called him a bad boy but he ignored it. "Flip off the camera and look at me like you're Beyoncé."

Zoe blushed, her cheeks turning red from embarrassment instead of the cold. "Flip off the camera? I can't post something like that."

"Then, don't fuckin' post it. It's not going to ruin your reputation if it's just sitting on your phone." Teddy countered.

"That's your phone!"

"I'll send it to you! Either way, nobody gets hurt. Come on, Bozo! I thought you wanted me to teach you how to be a badass." Teddy smirked.

Zoe rolled her eyes but understood his point. Being a goody-two-shoes who had to be a pristine flower in the face of the public had always been exhausting. That's why she approached Teddy in the first place, so his attitude would rub off on her. She didn't want to be such a pushover. She wanted to be pretty and perfect on camera but a badass in her personal life. So, Zoe figured she should listen to Teddy. He hadn't been teaching her much since she asked him but, maybe he was finally coming around.

It took some mental math for Zoe to put all her fingers down expect for the middle one. She had never done it before but, she was trying. Teddy found it funny to watch her stare at her hand as her fingers malfunctioned. When she finally got it, she huffed her hand out towards the camera and tilted her head with a murderous expression on her face. Teddy smiled and snapped the picture.

"There you go! Perfect!" Teddy cheered. Zoe put her hand down and was about to move before Teddy stopped her. "Hold on! Do that again. Let me get one more."

Zoe groaned and replicated the pose she just did. Teddy repositioned the camera so Zoe was on the right side of the picture and raised his left hand to flip her off. Zoe gasped but her middle finger was still up so he took the picture. As soon as the camera flash went away, Zoe hopped off the sculpture and bolted for Teddy. He bursted out in laughter and took off through the park to escape her wrath.

(cue the tear-jerking music and cheesy, slow motion montage of Teddy and Zoe laughing and chasing each other through the park full of Christmas lights and falling snow)

This wasn't how Teddy planned on spending his birthday; having fun in a park he hadn't been to since he was happy, playing with a girl that was suppose to make him miserable, somehow feeling warm in the snow. Everything was so backwards and right at the same time. Teddy didn't expect to be happy until he was out of college, making money, and finally building a life for himself. That's the only point in his life were he could see happiness return to him.

But, in this moment, laughing with Zoe Yang, he couldn't give two shits about anything else.

-

"I'm so sorry I made you spend your birthday taking pictures of me. It's just reflex at this point. If I'm doing something fun or new, I have to take pictures." Zoe pouted as she looked through the photos Teddy had taken on her phone.

Teddy leant over the armrest in the middle of their porch-style swing that pointed towards the river. "Yeah, Bozo. I thought this was suppose to be my night." Teddy teased with a cocky smile on his face.

Zoe silently gasped, not expecting Teddy to agree with her that wholeheartedly. Teddy snickered and Zoe playfully pushed him away, although, he didn't go far and came back to sit just as close. She deleted a couple photos she didn't like and kept scrolling for more. There truly were too many pictures. Teddy basically spent his entire time in the park taking pictures of Zoe. She had totally forgotten about the fact that it was Teddy's birthday. It made her feel incredibly selfish.

"What else do you want to do?" Zoe asked as she dropped her phone to her lap.

Teddy looked up at the blonde and shrugged. "Nothing. I had more fun than I expected to have tonight so, don't worry about it."

"No. Come on.." Zoe whined and turned sideways on the swing to face Teddy. Since they weren't focusing on looking at pictures, Teddy pushed his foot off the ground so they could continue to swing back and forth. "The night is still young, you know. We can go anywhere, do anything. Whatever you want."

There was silence for a few, very long, seconds as Teddy stared directly into Zoe's eyes. Soon, all he could do was shake his head. "I don't want anything. Or, at least, there is nothing that I want that you could give me. This is why I don't make my birthday a big deal. This is why I don't make anything a big deal. Everything I want is... too far out of reach from me."

Zoe realized that what Teddy was saying was something very personal to him and it made her feel warm. She liked when Teddy confided in her. The only she didn't like was that she didn't know how to help him besides.. just letting him talk. Zoe wanted to make a back pocket sob story joke but, she didn't want to ruin the moment. She just wanted to talk.

"Like what? What's something you want that I can't give you?" Zoe asked, her voice quiet, as if she'd scare Teddy away if she spoke any louder.

"My sister." Teddy answered. "And Bailey and Malik. I'd say I want my entire family back, you know.. My mother, father, Carmen. All of us together and happy again. But, it's such a waste spending my time dwelling on something like that."

"A waste?"

"Well, yeah. No matter how much I miss it- them- I can never get all of that back. I'd rather focus on the future, you know. I'd rather keep my mind focused on college and getting a big-paying job so, I can save my sister, her kids, and destroy her piece of shit husband."

Zoe froze as she was reminded of the very idea that shook her nerves to her core. She had forgotten about Teddy's life mission of being so rich that he could destroy anyone in his path. Zoe was instantly very uncomfortable. There was nowhere to run and puke here. How did she end up like this; falling head over heels for a guy that wanted the same things that her own parents had and abused? Was it fate? Was she meant to live this life forever?

Maybe, Zoe began in her head as she tried to rationalize it all, this was just his anger speaking. Maybe, in a few months or years, Teddy would give up his quest for money and destruction and take a more peaceful path in life. Maybe, he just needed to mature a little more and come up with a more grown up plan. Maybe, Carmen would find her own way out of the toxic situation she was in. She was a grown up. She could handle herself. Maybe, it would all work out.

"Why-" Zoe's cold fingers squirmed around the warm exterior of her second hot chocolate of the night as she stared out at the river. "Why do you have to make money and... hurt people.. to get what you want?"

Teddy opened his mouth to reply before a few pictures of his own imagination popped into his head. He remembered the horror stories Zoe told him about her parents and remembered that there were probably many more. His words must be sounding very familiar to her right now. Teddy awkwardly straighten out his posture and rolled his shoulders. This was suddenly very, very bad and awkward. He didn't want Zoe to see him like she saw her parents.

This couldn't be what scared her away. There were plenty of other things that would do it. This couldn't be the one that did it.

"I don't want to hurt people, Zoe." Teddy reassured, gaining her very cautious attention. "Just Ezra."

Zoe sniffled from the cold and gulped from the nerves piled in her throat. All she could do was nod and lift her drink to her lips. She would take that as a reassuring answer. She would honestly take any answer if it meant she could excuse Teddy's life long plan of riches and vengeance. Still, there was some tension between Teddy and Zoe now that neither of them knew how to get rid of. There was a huge problem sat right between them that neither of them wanted to acknowledge.

Teddy was getting frustrated again. There were two parts of him that were always fighting each other for first place. There was one part of him that was joyful and calm and happy when Zoe was around. And then, there was another part of him that felt guilt and angry and anxious. Why did he have to feel bad for wanting to save his sister from the situation she was in? Why did he have to walk on eggshells around Zoe just because she was sensitive to real life shit?

"Why are you doing all of this?" Teddy blurted, his eyebrows slightly pulled in and expression stiff. Zoe looked at him with innocent, puppy-dog eyes. "Why did you come to the shop? Why did you drag me out here? Why do you keep wasting your time, inserting yourself in my life?"

Zoe nibbled on her bottom lip as her eyes drifted back towards the river again. "I, uhh... I want to help you live your life a little more than you already are.."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Teddy's expression contorted into even more anger and confusion.

"All my life, my parents have shaped me into this person that brings light to every room I enter and person I meet." Zoe recited, ignoring the acceleration in her heartbeat. "And then, I see you and you're trudging through the hallways of the school and you're mean and bitter.. I like that about you, too, it's not an insult. It's a good change of pace for me but, for you, I can't help but wonder about everything that you're missing out on."

"Missing out on?" Teddy questioned with an indifferent tone. He didn't know what to think about this rant yet but, he wanted to be offended.

"Yeah. You won't go to football games, you don't play sports, you don't have friends, all you do is study and work. I mean... I just, kind of, want to put some light into your life. I think you deserve light and nobody is giving it to you so, I want to." Zoe shyly shrugged. "If you'll let me..."

Teddy held Zoe's stare for awhile before his eyes landed on the river again. His thumb nail somehow found it's way into his mouth as he scowled at the river and all the city lights that danced in it's calm currant. He didn't know how to take all of that. Should he be offended? Zoe wasn't wrong. Teddy always felt his world was a lot darker than most of the peoples around him but, he never asked for more light. He never really thought to look for any.

Zoe was very self aware to know how bright she was. Everywhere she went, she made people happy and she created friendships and memories. Teddy wondered why she had so specifically chosen him. He wasn't the only sad sap at that school, even if his classmates disagreed. Was that the only reason Zoe clung to him? To light up his life? Did she like him like he assumed she did or was she just flattering him to boost his self-esteem?

Was Teddy just a passion project to her that she could fix up and walk away from when it was all over?

"Are you trying to fix me?" Teddy finally asked after a moment of agonizing silence.

"No! Dear god, no! " Zoe panicked, reflexively reaching for his free hand and, somehow, interlacing her cold fingers with his. "I'm not trying to fix you, Teddy. I don't even think you need fixing. I just.. want to see what you're like beyond your demons.."

Teddy's eyes fell to his hand, that was being tightly gripped by Zoe's. His fingers were visibly longer, and thicker, than her own. Her hands were cold but they still felt soft. She was wearing a few silver rings and her nails were nicely manicured, too. Even her hand was pretty. How that was even possible was beyond Teddy.

It wasn't until he was staring at their hands that were tangled together that he realized he hadn't ever held her hand before. That realization instantly made Teddy's heart rate spike. He could feel the thumping in his throat, and suddenly, his mouth was very, very dry. How was holding Zoe's hand so comfortable when he had never done it before? Stuff like this shouldn't come so naturally like that. It totally freaked Teddy out.

"I'm cold." Teddy slipped his hand out of Zoe's and stuck both of his in the pockets of his jacket. "More hot chocolate. That's what I want for my birthday. More hot chocolate."

"We were just at the coffee shop and you said you didn't need one." Zoe countered, oblivious to his anxiety attack.

"I changed my mind."

Teddy hopped off the swing and started down the snow covered sidewalk, calling for Zoe to hurry up. She took a deep breath, secretly wishing their heart-to-heart sessions lasted longer than they did. Zoe could spend hours and hours just talking to Teddy. She had never felt so comfortable talking to someone about everything. She could tell Teddy anything and not worry about it. Unfortunately, she never actually got enough time with him and, when they were together, the silence was more comforting than anything else.

-

"I'll make this all up to you." Zoe declared as she looked through the plethora of photos that Teddy had take of her tonight on his phone. "I'll throw you a birthday party or buy you a whole bunch of presents or-"

"Zoe, seriously.." Teddy chuckled, his eyes glued to the road. "Don't worry about it. I had fun."

"Really?" Zoe peered up from his phone. She didn't believe him. "What was your favorite part of the night?" She playfully challenged.

Teddy rolled his eyes and shifted in his seat. "I enjoyed walking around the city. I haven't explored the city in awhile and it was nice to see people putting up Christmas lights in the windows and the drunks going bar-hopping. It was a good, happy atmosphere."

Zoe slowly nodded as she relived the very memories Teddy was referring to. "Do you like the city?"

"I do. I like the idea of a busy lifestyle in a busy city." Teddy explained.

Zoe found that confession quite odd. They were so different. Zoe came here to escape the busy city life and all it's fame and riches. She liked things calm and quiet and easy. Apparently, Teddy was the opposite. His life journey was to get rich, tear down his enemy, and live a busy life in the city. How were they so different in every way expect for a few mirroring qualities? And, why was Zoe clinging to those few mirroring qualities when she could probably find them in someone else?

Because, it was Teddy. For some reason, she had a soft spot for him. For some reason, she didn't want anybody else.

"Are you still going to walk to and from school in the snow?" Zoe asked, her eyes glued to his phone. If Teddy never told her to shut up, she probably wouldn't.

"What other option do I have?" Teddy countered.

"You could take my car. We could drive to school together."

"What? No." Teddy peeled his eyes from the road long enough to shoot Zoe a conflicted expression. "I don't want to drive your car to school. That's just.. I can't.. I couldn't."

"Why not? You're going to freeze to death, Teddy."

"And what about you, huh? You're the one that waits in front of your gate for your cluster-fuck of friends to walk to school with you."

"Chuck said he's going to start driving once it snows so we're all going to hitch a ride with him. But, I can drive with you if you want to take a Sensation."

Teddy's fist tightened on the smooth leather wheel as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He liked this car. Of course, he did. But, he couldn't drive it to and from school everyday. This wasn't his car. He didn't have the right. This car was so out of his league. People would laugh if they saw Teddy arrive at school in a car like this. Police officers would pull him over and assume he stole it if he drove anywhere else with it. It was too much responsibility and he didn't want hand-me-downs.

"No, Zoe. I don't want to. I don't. I can't. I couldn't." Teddy's voice tapered off as he continuously shook his head. Zoe choked back a laugh but it still managed to catch Teddy's ears and cause him to shoot her a quick glare. "What?"

"Nothing. You just panicked a little and it was cute." Zoe grinned.

"Cute? What the fuck? How am I cute?" Teddy blurted in outrage, making Zoe laugh even harder. Teddy tried to push for an answer but Zoe didn't give it up as she laughed.

-

{ Can we all just fucking appreciate Ruben Loftus-Cheek's smile in that video!? I'm so obsess with it! He's so handsome! No wonder Zoe has such a crush on him! }