Ditto
They were relaxing in Nikki’s hotel room, a far more private place than Zac’s apartment complex, when Zac decided to bring up the comment that had started a sequence of events which had left Karen alone, with the exception of Kathy Reichs’ latest offering, and Dylan in Glen’s borderline capable hands overnight.
“You yelled ‘I love you Zaccy’ on national, international television...” He looked down at Nicole with an amused smile.
“And? I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true.”
“I know, I just…the internet’s probably gone into meltdown.”
“You don’t care what gets said online.”
“People can say what they like about me.” There was something off…she couldn’t put her finger on what it was but it didn’t matter, she knew him well enough to read between the lines.
“I appreciate the concern but if a bunch of girls I’ve never met want to make me into the Wicked Witch of the East that’s fine by me.”
“The Wicked Witch of the East is Nessa.” Nikki gave him an eloquent look, he took it for the warning it was. “Nessarose…I didn’t…never mind.” He sighed and flicked his hair out of his eyes before getting back to his point. “My supposed fans vilifying you isn’t fine by me.”
“It really gets to you doesn’t it?” Zac blushed slightly.
“You think it’s stupid.”
“No I don’t. It’s sweet…if a little silly.”
“Gee thanks.”
“I know you get protective, which is ten types of adorable, but you can’t stop a bunch of superficial brats from talking crap anymore than you can stop Perez…and Glen…and Dylan calling you Zacquisha. Not that you’ll ever give up trying.”
“I could tell the truth.”
“And have your life blow up in your face? People hear what they want to hear and you don’t owe them an explanation. I thought you’d already decided to pretend until the dvd came out…unless Utah wasn’t pretending.”
“You know it was. The moment the plane touched down I stopped being me…I was ‘Troy’ the whole time I was there.”
“Except when you were Pinocchio?”
“Yeah…” a smirk spreads across his face, “and when I was in the shower, in bed....”
“Oh? Do I want to know…?”
“Maybe.”
“Hmm…Goofy? Bashful? Grumpy? Happy? Dopey? I know…Woody!”
“Funny…and wrong.”
"Do I get any clues?"
"He looks a bit like me."
"Dylan?"
"No...and thanks for those nightmares."
"Mike, Richard, Cameron, Steven, Trevor, genital cuff boy..."
"Geni-what?!"
"The Navy show....NCIS."
"You're way off...and deeply disturbed."
"Whatever Zef. It's definitely not Troy?"
"Definitely. If Troy even thought about some of the things this guy's actually done his head would explode."
"Which one?" Zac chuckled.
"Both probably."
"That narrows it down. The only perv I know that looks like you...is you."
"Well done Nicole, you got there eventually."
"I'm not a moron Zac. You were only you when you didn't have to be somebody else...and Disney never wanted you to be anything other than Troy and half of their tweenage version of Brangelina."
"Disney can go to hell."
"I take it they know the honeymoon's over."
"Probably. They haven't been calling much since I gave the visiting execs a piece of my mind."
"And it wasn't a g rated piece."
"How well you know me. Glen said I'd made him proud."
"You must have been pissed." Nikki looked away for a moment before speaking again. "Would we be here tonight if a microphone hadn't picked up what I shouted?"
"Honestly, I don't know, but I'm glad we are...here I mean." Cuddling up to him, Nikki lay her head on his chest.
"Me too."
"I missed you. I knew I would but, god...I really missed you."
"I'm sorry. I just thought you doing the necessary in Utah would be less of an evil if we weren't...us. Selfish of me..." He pulled the sheets up to keep her warm and left his arm around her.
"You were entitled...if I were you I'd have kicked my ass by now."
"Believe me the thought crossed my mind...but I'm kinda fond of your ass. The rest of you isn't bad either."
"I'm so grateful that I have you to keep my ego in check."
"Well it's too big for Glen to handle on his own."
"Glen enjoys making work for himself...martyr complex."
"St Glen..."
"I said martyr, not saint. He's too much of a pain in the ass to be a saint."
"So are you by the way..."
"I'll do better."
"I know."
"Nik..."
"Hmm?"
"We're not on a break anymore are we?"
"S'up to you. I was just horny."
"Nikki be serious."
"Are you...about us?"
"Yes. Very."
"Then no, we're not on a break anymore."
"Good. And I swear, as soon as I'm out of Mickey's damn shadow I'm taking out a full page add in every major newspaper. ZACHARY DAVID ALEXANDER EFRON WOULD LIKE TO ANNOUNCE THAT HE IS, AND ALWAYS WILL BE, NICOLE MARGARET BLONSKY'S SEX MONKEY."
"My dad is gonna love that."
"I'll just hire a eight food bodyguard. Any thoughts on how you'd handle the camera-toting vermin?" Nikki shrugged.
"Fuck 'em."
"You'd better not." She laughed, a joyous sound.
"I love you Zaccy."
"Ditto."