.. could only be tamed but for a while.

The long flight lasted nearly a day, and maybe it seemed longer than it actually was, cause Zach spent the entire flight looking out the window though Natalya had the window seat, his eyes remained glued to what looked like never ending sky and clouds, every once and awhile making eye contact with someone random from the row across from them. Call it adrenaline from actually going on a real vacation that wasn’t a get-away to the Jersey Shore with his family or Atlantic City that his dad liked to call a yearly vacation and insisting that there was no better place to go; or the fact that Zach had never been too keen on flying -- either way his body ached slightly and though he was tired his heart-rate was elevated he couldn’t help but to be a little anxious, as he shifted in his seat neurotically checking his seat belt while playing with the adjustable end as he finished off a now watered down mix drink made with a small bottle of liquor that probably cost more than its worth if he hadn’t possibly schmoozed the flight attendant into giving him a couple – call in flight birthday present.

it had been at the least a handful of years since Zach had even thought about taking a vacation, needless to say though Natalya had gone ahead and planned the vacation for him, Zach couldn’t deny being excited for the first time in a long time about getting away from his home state; excited about getting away from the insanity that was the city all of the time, and of course being able to take a break from work in general was a definite perk and to do so all with his best friend, there wasn’t more a guy could ask for. If he was planning his vacation by himself, Zach never would’ve thought about going to Las Vegas, a place he had only maybe talked about going to in casual conversation with friends, family, and acquaintances – but thanks to Natalya, and her clever planning and how she did it behind his back without anyone peeping a word, knowing his hatred for secrets is still a mystery, the two were headed for Sin City to celebrate Zach’s birthday. The question now, was what the two would do first? What wouldn’t they do? This was a long deserved vacation for the both of them, something far enough away from life and the everyday drama that was work.

The announcement of their arrival into the city woke Zach, and while others began to stir and gather their things for the moment when the plane landed, Zach rubbed his eyes as he noticed the cabin of the plane had gone dim; the never-ending clouds and blue sky he was fixed upon earlier in the flight, was now replaced with darkness and the faint glow of the glitz and glam that were the lights that made up Las Vegas. Sure there were houses and normal businesses, for most who were on the same flight to Vegas, were on the flight to see the infamous lights that made up the Las Vegas strip – which included Natalya and Zach. “Hey look at this,” he said quietly to Natalya as he pointed out of the small plane window toward the skyline. “This is so cool, we are going to have so much fun” he mumbled to himself, the anxiousness being replaced with the original adrenaline, as he finished off the contents of his glass before following the directions for landing, securing his tray in the upright position, as well as his seat.

When Natalya first started thinking of doing something different for Zach's birthday, she wasn't too sure of what she would do, or if she would even be able to do so successfully. Since she had first met him when they were both back in college, he'd never been a big 'going away' vacation person. Granted, they did have their fun while in college, and she did manage to drag him out for a spring break or two, but as adults he was proving much harder to talk into doing something crazy; they had a typical routine that they both loved, and that was usually their excitement for the day. Their lives were crazy, and for the most part it was run by work, so there really wasn't all that much free time to run off and be crazy for a day. They did the best that they could with the time that they had. The more that she thought of it, Las Vegas would prove to be good for the both of them. She missed the rush she would get from being spontaneous and doing something completely unplanned for -- of course, that trip would be anything but unplanned, but that was beyond the point; it would be fun, and it was different for them -- something which they both needed.

The chief had actually been very understanding and even went as far as helping her with keeping everything quiet around the station-- if the chief told the house there was to be no talk of it, there was to be absolutely no talk of it. It was one of the perks of having a chief who liked you. It was like a family at the station; they were the children and he was the father -- whatever he said went. It didn't matter what it was. She had wanted to surprise Zach with the trip, and she knew he would be the one to make things happen. She loved them all to death at the station, but she knew how big mouthed and gossipy all those other boys could be -- she needed all the help she could get to keep it from getting back to Zach, and she knew with the shift changes that had to happen, they would all have been very inclined to go snooping around and talking. That was just the way that little family operated.

Now that they were finally there, she found it amusing just how much had been done to make his birthday a surprise. It came to show just how well liked he was at the station -- smartass mouth and all. Without even realizing it, a laugh escaped her lips at the thought of just how much of one he really could be, and she turned to face Zach, who just like her looked like he'd just recently woken up. It was definitely a good thing that they had slept through most of the flight, because if she had any say in it, they wouldn't be sleeping much that night; they were in Vegas, there was certainly plenty to be done and seen. She didn't want to waste any time at all; she wanted to get out of that plane, find their hotel room, change into something more Vegas appropriate, and hit the strip. "You know, Zach.." she said as she looked out the window and at the lights that made up Las Vegas. The view of it alone bringing her excitement back up. It was definitely something she was looking forward to. "you can't get away from that dance now.." She gave him a small smile and watched everyone as they got in each others way trying to gather their things. Sometimes she hated the craziness of flying -- it seemed everyone was always in a hurry. She waited a few more minutes while those around her made her way toward the exit before she gathered her belongings and did the same herself. "You know what they say, Zach... what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.. I won't even youtube it.. if there are no pictures, it never happened."

Everything about Las Vegas was overwhelming; the lights, the people, the traffic and considering both Zach and Natalya were from New York that was saying a lot. Zach followed Natalya like an A.D.D stricken child, unable to keep his attention on one thing as his eyes were glued to all that they could be glued to since they left the airport en route for their hotel. Their cab ride from the airport to the hotel was full of stops and Zach craning his neck to peer out at the now illuminated Vegas Strip, still unable to believe that he was in Las Vegas – an actual birthday away from home, an actual vacation for the first time in forever, and really there was only one person he could thank. Finally able to pull himself away from the window, Zach turned to Natalya, a dumb exciting grin upon his face as he shifted in his seat, turning so that he was somewhat facing her. “This is all so crazy, huh?” He laughed as he began babbling about how excited he was to be here, and to be here with her, as well as rambling off a continuous string of ‘thank yous’ – he was grateful, to say the least.

“So beside the obvious of getting checked in, getting our stuff together and whatnot, what do you want to do for our first night in Vegas?” Zach asked Natalya; again as his attention was caught by bright lights and passing crowds that obviously were blocking his view of something important on the strip; an overwhelmed sigh leaving his lips as he again turned back to Natalya. “Personally, I think we should just go get drunk and gamble the electric bill away,” he laughed shrugging his shoulders, really the idea sounded good, the buzz from the little liquor bottles from the plane had worn off to a dulling headache and the only cure for such things were more booze; and well it was Las Vegas, they had to gamble something, it was just the nature of the city.

Natalya had been excited about the Vegas trip ever since she'd first thought if it; now that they were finally there the excitement was like that of a kid at a candy store. There was so much to see and do, it was no wonder to her so many people got themselves into trouble when they visited. As soon as she'd gotten off the plane the first thing she'd laid eyes on were slot machines, and at that very moment the idea sounded wonderful. "You know what Zach... I've been staring at those slot machines since I first got off the plane... so hell, responsible Natalya stayed at home.. let's gamble.." She laughed softly and gave a tight squeeze to his shoulder as she opened the door to their adjoining hotel rooms. The more that she thought about it, the less that she wanted to be responsible - - she had to do enough of that when back at home. She wanted to have fun -- consequences be damned.

Dropping her bags by the foot of the bed, she plopped herself on it, letting her eyes go closed for a second before looking back at him with a smile on her face. "I say you run over to your room, jump in the shower.. get yourself all nice and pretty... I do the same.." She sat up slightly and propped herself on her elbows to get a better look at him. "Then we run off and drink our night away.. until we can't even remember our names.." The rational Natalya knew it was a bad idea, there was absolutely too much that could happen. The Natalya that was there at that moment.. she was telling her to shut up and stop thinking so much. They were on vacation, they were allowed to be dumb.

Jumping off the bed, she made her way over to Zach and gave him a little tug before pushing him in the direction of the door that led to what would be his bedroom for the next few days. She'd opted for adjoining rooms rather than separate ones; it would make things much easier when they made it back after a night of drinking.. besides, she'd fallen asleep on the couch with him on more than one occasion -- she wasn't shy about having him only a door away. "Now, go.. hurry!" She laughed as she gave him a push into the bedroom.

Once Zach had been pushed into his own room, Natalya wasted no time in getting herself ready for the night. Granted, her shower was a little longer than she'd intended it to be, but she wanted to look good that night. She didn't want to be the same Natalya of every day. She wanted to be the Vegas Natalya -- the one who did exactly as she wanted and didn't think of what could happen until it was happening. She wanted to feel young again, and she especially wanted to make Zach's night a memorable one. Looking in the mirror, Natalya was finally satisfied with what she saw. Putting the last few finishing touches to her makeup, she smiled to herself before getting up and picking up the little black dress she'd placed on the bed. She was definitely out to impress that night.

It was a few minutes later that she finally found herself knocking on Zach's door. "Hey, handsome.. " She yelled through the door, a big smile on her face. "You done in there?"

Everything about Las Vegas was over-stimulating to the senses, it was overwhelming to find a good starting point, but what was better than gambling? It was what people came to Vegas for after all, right? Zach was beyond excited to bust out his nice suit, really his only nice suit and get dressed up for a night of gambling and other debaucheries that him and Natalya were about to partake in. Zach was never into getting fancied up for anything, in fact before this moment the last time he wore his usually wrinkled suit was for a wedding of either a relative or a close friend of the family, or a funeral of the same persuasion usually ending up with Zach spending more time at the open bar than socializing with his family or the close family friends who invited him. As he smoothed the remaining wrinkles from his sleeves and buttoned up the last button of his crisp, freshly dry-cleaned shirt, he wondered what Natalya was going to be wearing and soon as he idly went along with the finishing touches of looking good for the night he was snapped back into reality by the knock upon the adjoining door of their rooms.

“I mean, I don’t want to brag or anything…” He began as he posed in several typical Macy’s window mannequin poses for Natalya showing off his fancy suit that usually stuffed in the back of his closet, and his remarkable memory for tying a tie. “But I have to admit, I look good.” He offered Natalya a wink, laughing as he shut the door behind them; the two were now in Natalya’s room.

Natalya looked amazing; to Zach she was stunning all of the time, but she could easily take someone’s breath away when she dressed up, even if it was a simple black dress. “Wow,” he began, as he held his hand out for her, and before she could even protest, taking her hand as he forced her to make a full turn for him so that he could inspect the outfit for the evening. “Watch out Vegas, I think I have landed myself the best looking date.” Zach’s compliment was honest and endearing and he ended his slight poking at her looking so good embarrassment with a kiss to the top of her head. “Are you ready?” He asked as he made sure all of his necessary forms of ID and cash flow were with him as he held his arm out for Natalya. “Let’s go get drunk and pretend like we know how to gamble.”

There was absolutely no denying it; Natalya loved a man in a suit, and when Zach was the one wearing that suit, it made her heart skip a beat before it was finally able to catch up to itself again. She loved his normal messy, typical guy look, but when he put the extra effort into looking good, he definitely accomplished it. "I don't know Zach..." she laughed as she was spun around and came back face to face with him, "I think you might have beat me there.." She smiled softly and let her eyes go closed for a second when he kissed the top of her head. She'd never admitted it to him, but that had to be one of her favorite things; she found it incredibly comforting. "Hell, Zach... I might have to start prying women off of you."

She wasn't really kidding either; the thought of other women with Zach was not one that she enjoyed very much. There were plenty of times when she had to remind herself that he was only her best friend and she couldn't do anything about that. That night she was being greedy, though, and she didn't want to share.

"Oh, I'm ready.. " She smiled as she took a hold of his hand, before wrapping an arm around him. The best part of picking a hotel that had everything they needed was that whatever they wanted to do, they didn't have to go far. "I might need a few drinks in me first, though.." She laughed as they walked out of their room and out into the elevator. "Something to ease the pain of losing all that money..."

When they were finally out in the lobby, she turned around to face him, and hooked both her arms around his waist. "What do you say Zach...? A little liquid courage.. some music.. a little dancing...?" She emphasized her point by doing a spin and letting her body press back into his. "You know... a little college Zach and Natalya." She missed those days when they had absolutely no worries or responsibilities, and they could do what they wanted when they wanted.

“Bring on the liquid courage,” Zach said with a smile as his arms instinctively came to rest upon Natalya’s hips, his chin resting upon her shoulder as he breathed in the scent of whatever perfume she was wearing lately mixed with her shampoo, they were lucky to have the elevator to themselves and at the moment Zach relished in the privacy the two had. “Cause you know that is how I will get into dancing, not to mention my best moves are when I’m drunk – who can forget the drunken moonwalk of the college days...” His words trailed off as the ding of the elevator coming to rest at the first floor caused Zach’s posture to straighten though his hands never moved from Natalya’s hips.

There was a dense haze that occupied the vast space that was the casino floor; the sounds of several different types of slot machines going off all at once and non-stop chatter was almost deafening as Zach walked with Natalya across the floor in slow strides, his hand coming to rest upon the small of her back. “So,” he paused as he looked up at the guide of their gambling choices for the evening (not to mention, quite possibly leading into the next day) “we have slot machines to the left…” he began, as he pointed vaguely across Natalya in the general direction of electronic chaos, “or tables to the right…” his hand moving slowly as he pointed in the other direction, his eyes never leaving the overhead guide as he continued to read the options.

His attention was caught on the bar straight ahead, and before either of them could make a decision a drink was necessary and definitely in order. “Let’s start here first,” he offered Natalya a smile as he took her hand leading her through the dense crowds of waitresses filling drink orders for gamblers who refused to leave their lucky machines and already inebriated patrons who stumbled backwards in laughter and loud conversation, spilling their drinks and dropping lit cigarettes – their safe haven was found as they reached the bar, Zach forcing Natalya in front of him, his arms placed on either side of her as they staked their claim of bar worthy ground from the crowds.

Their first drink was strong, simply ordered by Zach once he was able to get the bartenders attention. A quick shot of whiskey, a toast to their vacation and to his birthday, they could order more personalized drinks later, but this was to kick off everything for them. “To us,” he began as he leaned down, the words whispered into Natalya’s ear, thanks to the crowd. “To our vacation,” he continued as he brought his glass to hers. “And to losing a lot of money…” he laughed as the rim of his glass clinked against hers.

As soon as his glass touched hers, she knew it was the start of their night. The bar itself was crazy, and the music was addicting. It was the perfect recipe for a good time. "As long as we make some of it back..." She laughed softly, moving her arms behind her to hook around him. She was sure it wasn't something he noticed, or ever thought about, but he'd always been a very protective friend. Natalya had never been someone who wanted to be taken care of, but it was the little gestures, the small touches here and there that she loved - - especially when they came from him. There was something about Zach and his touches that had a comforting and safe feeling.

"Who could forget that moonwalk, Zach?" She said as looked around the room, spotting all the drunk and quite obvious college kids who were out there that night making their own memories. "Sometimes I got you drunk just to see that move.." She added with a laugh. Their college days had always been fun - - he always knew how to have a good time, and she was more often than not there for those nights. They were like birds of a feather, where one was the other usually wasn't too far behind. There had been plenty of times when she'd been asked if they were together, and there were even more times when they wouldn't believe her when she said no. It was almost a joke between them -- they were platonic soulmates.

Of course, as the years passed and their friendship grew stronger the platonic line seemed to get a little smaller -- at least in her eyes it did. As far as she was concerned, when it came to Zach she was still only his best friend. It was something she had come to accept, but there were still days when she wished for a little more. That was not something she wanted lingering in her mind that night, though, and as soon as she got the bartenders attention, she ordered them around round of drinks -- a double shot of whiskey that time. Alcohol helped her forget, and she didn't want that thought clouding their night.

"Come on..." As soon as she chugged her drink she turned around and took a hold of his hand, only waiting long enough for him to finish his. She still had a while to go before she could say she was drunk, but she didn't need that excuse to drag her best friend out to the dance floor. Him on the other hand, she was sure he would have wanted the alcohol before showing off his dance moves. "Now Mr. Zachary.. " She laughed as she hooked her arm around his neck, her body moving to the beat of the music. "What dance moves are you giving me tonight before we hit those slots over there..?" She added, looking in the direction of the slot machines, a big smile touching her face.

Zach was barely able to get down his second drink before Natalya had begun to drag him down onto the dance floor. His mouth full of whiskey as he slid his glass upon the bar his feet struggled to keep up with the direction she was pulling him. “Oh god…” he groaned, his face grimacing as he swallowed the burning liquid in one rough gulp; his arms immediately finding their way around Natalya’s waist after a victorious pat on the back. “I don’t know, I am definitely not drunk enough to moon walk, but I might be just buzzed enough to start the running man, or better yet the shopping cart?” he laughed as he began to start the awkward flailing of his limbs in attempt of doing the move. His arms fell to her waist as he held her close, his face buried into the crook of her neck and though he was not much of a dancer throughout the years Natalya helped him fake the art of dancing -- whether it be for weddings, or fundraiser dinners for work, there was always a late night crash course of how to slow dance without making it look too junior high-ish or so that he didn’t crush her feet trying to keep up and usually drunk the two laughed about how Zach still needed to count to keep the pace.

But thankfully, Vegas didn’t care if he couldn’t dance, nor did Natalya considering after all of these years she was still his friend even with seeing his awful dancing --and soon the liquor began to take over, causing limbs to feel numb as one song turned into the next, and the closer they got to each other meant a new song had started and more people joined them on the dance floor. Soon Zach’s coat jacket was finding its way to an un-occupied bar stool as he took advantage of the break from the crowd to order them another round of drinks and to take a breather himself. Zach loosened the collar of his shirt, as well as his sleeves, rolling them up his forearms as he waited for their next round of drinks; his eyes glued upon Natalya who he left on the dance floor to enjoy the remaining seconds of the last song to herself, a smile upon his face as he knew she was enjoying herself as much as he was at this exact moment, there was just something about her that he could never put words to, and it always just left him somewhat speechless.

Zach grabbed the drinks as he made his way back onto the dance floor, weaving through the crowd of people as he blindly reached for Natalya, grabbing her hand as he pulled her toward the edge of the dance floor and away from anyone who would’ve replaced their hands upon her body, and it wouldn’t take long for someone to notice Natalya by herself on the dance floor especially in the dress she was wearing. “I don’t know what this is, I just asked the girl behind the bar to make me something special, and I guess this is it?” He laughed, Zach’s words were mumbled against her ear as he inspected the liquid in the glass, handing Natalya her drink, his arm wrapping around her shoulder as he pulled her back close against his chest.

The alcohol was coursing through Natalya's body, and she couldn't hide the fact that she felt incredible. She was very relaxed and happy, and she was sure she had the look plastered on her face. She wasn't drunk yet, but that numb and tingling sensation that came from the alcohol was certainly there. She had a very distinct drunk look -- one which Zach knew very well.. and one which was accompanied with a very 'don't give a fuck' attitude. It was the very same attitude that had gotten her in trouble on more than one occasion before.

As soon as the song both Zach and Natalya had been dancing to came to an end, and Zach had walked away to get them more drinks, Natalya closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, pushing her hair back and out of her face. It smelled of booze, cigarettes and a mixture of too much cologne, but she was having too much fun to mind any of that. When it came to dancing she wasn't shy, and as soon as the next song came on, she fully let herself go. Hands in the air, body swaying -- she had never been one to hold back. Through the corner of her eye she could still see Zach, and the smile on her face got wider when she caught him looking back. Giving him a quick little wave she turned back around, finding herself in a dance with one of the many people around her. She was glad the song he had walked away for was anything but slow - - she wasn't drunk enough yet to allow herself a slow dance with a complete stranger.

It wasn't but a minute later when she felt herself being pulled back in the other direction. "Nice..." Natalya smiled once Zach made it back onto the dance floor, two drinks in hand. She was beginning to get thirsty, and the drink being offered to her was definitely very welcomed -- whatever it was. Grabbing a hold of the drink she took in Zach's new appearance, and she smiled, her free hand moving to wrap around him. She was sure it was mostly the alcohol speaking, but she couldn't help herself, "Have I ever mentioned that's my favorite look on a guy..?" She laughed as she let her body melt into his, playing with the undone collar on his shirt. The music changed once more and Natalya couldn't hold back another smile, it was as if that was all she'd done since she'd gotten there. A slow dance with Zach; that she could definitely do. Those were usually only saved for him, and whoever she'd be dating at the time - - which if she was honest had been no one in a while. "Drink up, Zach.." She mumbled into his shoulder, placing a small kiss to his neck, "... before the night is over, you'll need give me your famous moonwalk.."

Zach laughed at the mere thought of his embarrassing dance moves and the reality of how drunk he would really have to be to bust them out in front of strangers in Las Vegas, and though he wouldn’t completely rule it out he could only imagine hearing about it once they got back home – after all this wasn’t college, and he was supposedly an adult now. He shook his head as his grip tightened around Natalya, as he quickly downed the specialty drink as he set the glass upon the bar behind him. “Oh god that was…. Not what I was expecting,” he laughed as he shook his head. “Let’s just stick to whiskey from now on,” he exclaimed, speaking in between a short round of hiccups as he touched his finger to his temple as if he were keeping that information stored in a safe place for them later, confirming his statement with a nod.

The room grew dim as the tempo of the music changed, and the once pounding bass that coursed throughout Zach’s veins was now replaced with his own increase in heart-rate so much so that he was sure Natalya was going to be able to feel his heart beating within his chest; the music changing in a seamless shift that only a skilled D.J. could accomplish as Zach guided Natalya back to the dance floor against the flow of traffic. “Oh this is my jam,” Zach exclaimed, though he didn’t know the song at all, using the slowed pace as his excuse to get her back out on the floor only this time without having to share elbow space with everyone else.

“This is better,” Zach said his words barely above a whisper as he kept their conversation in close quarters between them, though no one was bothering them, Zach kept his arms close around Natalya keeping a protective hold upon her as the already thinned crowd thinned out even more and though they were far from being the only two on the dance floor, let alone the only two in the room, the two could’ve shared the moment as if they were. “How ya’ doing?” He asked as he looked down at Natalya, his eyes finally adjusting to the lack of a strobe light pulsating with the beat, and a rainbow of lasers that chased the bass line; his hand instinctively pushing loose strands of her hair behind her ear, before pressing his lips gently against her temple.

Natalya laughed as she let her body melt let into Zach's. It was a position she was incredibly comfortable in, and if every song while they were there had been a slow song she wouldn't have had any complaints. "Your jam, huh..? You mean it's a jam you can dance to?" She found it very endearing that even when he wasn't a dancer he at least attempted at it - - it was something she loved to do, and it kept her happy. When it came to best friends she certainly had no complaints. Bringing her lips closer to his ear, she mumbled softly part of the song, a smile coming to her lips before she placed a kiss on his cheek. "Don't worry, Zach... we'll get you off the dance floor soon.."

It was starting to get to the point of a dance break, but she knew as soon as she stopped moving the alcohol she'd consumed would hit her all at once. "maybe by special she thought you meant extremely sweet.." She mumbled as she took a sip of her drink. The warmth of the alcohol combined with the heat coming from the dance floor starting to finally get to her, and she was starting to feel a little light headed. She was glad for the dress she'd chosen that night; it was the one thing keeping her comfortable in the heat if the room.

As soon as the song was over, Natalya took a hold of Zach's hand and started making her way through the crowds of people. It was starting to get later into the night and while the dance floor itself was getting lighter, a lot more people had finally decided to join the party. Of course, there were also those who could barely stand any longer and were swaying all over the floor; a few of them bumping into them as they made their way to the bar. Natalya was almost expecting a fight to break out between any of them before the night was over.

"You know what, Zach...? " Natalya gave a small shake of her head followed by a laugh before hiding her face in the crook of Zach's neck. "I think I'm starting to get a little drunk.." Looking up at him with slightly glazed eyes, and pointing down at her now empty drink, she added, "One more drink and I might actually feel better about losing some money.."

It was safe to say that Zach had finally reached that fine line between buzzed and more-than-just-a-little-drunk; the double shots him and Natalya had consumed in between the changing tempo of songs finally had hit him as he knew that soon enough the drinks were going to leave him tripping over his words (and his feet) and the open window of possible not necessarily of sound mind decisions, wide open. “Only a little drunk, huh?” Zach laughed, shaking his head at Natalya’s comment. “Well… We better fix that…”Zach’s words were slightly slurred, as they trailed off and a hiccup or two sneaking in between his words, the two ordering another round of whiskey -- this time their glasses affixed to their hands as Zach took Natalya’s hand into his own; their fingers interlaced as they left dance floor, the pulse-replacing bass filled music and the already overly drunk crowd.

The casino was just as loud as the dance floor, if not louder with the sounds of lucky slot machines emptying coins into the metal basin below for some lucky gambler to collect and re-distribute, and shouting crowds of people winning at whatever table, encouraging the luck and higher bets. The lights were bright as the two walked down the carpeted walkway; Zach with Natalya no more than an arm’s length from him as they searched for the right slot machines to dump their change into, or even the right table games to fail at since neither of them were strong gamblers. “Who would’ve thought that me and you… US, would be in Las Vegas right now,” Zach laughed as he took a long drink from his glass, finishing most of it as he let go of Natalya’s hand, taking a few steps ahead of her before turning to face her. “It’s just so crazy, this is crazy,” he said as pointed blindly around him, the smile upon his face that had been with him since they landed in Vegas, now seemingly permanent.

The alcohol had definitely made its way into Natalya's body and with her being a lot smaller than Zach, she was sure she felt it a lot more than he did. "Oh believe me, Zach.. I'm glad I'm here with you.." She laughed loudly as she took one long chug of her drink, and closed the distance between them once more, her arms wrapping around him in a hug. "You're the only person I'll marry drunk in Vegas and not regret it in the morning.." It was really only a joke, but she also knew the alcohol was making her a lot more honest than she cared to admit - - she really wouldn't have regretted in the morning, not the way she would have with anyone else. She was in love with him; she wouldn't tell him that, but it was something she'd come to accept.

Her head was spinning - - a combination of too much alcohol, the flashing of lights, and the million thoughts going through her head. She wasn't going to lie, she was enjoying it - - especially seeing how happy Zach seemed to be at that moment in time. He'd been her best friend for so long that it almost became second nature for her to make him happy; On bad days she even made it her goal for the day.

"C'mon, Zach.. " Natalya laughed, finishing the last of her drink and stumbling over her words; her face immediately going to rest on Zach's shoulder as she hid her face in the crook of his neck. She was drunk, and she felt like a teenager out with her crush - - she was definitely in trouble. When she finally managed to make herself pull away from him, she gave him a little smile and nodded in the direction of an empty booth near the dance floor - - she needed a minute, but she was nowhere near ready for the night to end. "it's... official.." She said between a laugh, "now I'm drunk..."

Zach laughed as he watched Natalya take a seat in the vacant booth. There was something about the consistency of the way the alcohol caused her cheeks to flush with color that was comforting; Zach could remember the first time the two were drunk with each other, it was the first thing he noticed about Natalya. Zach slung his jacket over his arm as he stopped at the closest bar ordering two glasses of water before he made his way over to the booth, taking his seat across from Natalya, setting the glass in front of her as he watched the several double shots of whiskey wash over her, which caused him to laugh at the sight. “Are you okay?” He asked genuinely concerned for his best friend’s well-being; reaching for her hands as he laced their fingers together before bringing the top of her hands to his lips.

Zach’s pulse returned to a racing state, pounding so loud in his ears that it drowned out the rest of the background sounds of the casino and for the first time Zach couldn’t tell whether or not it was the double shots of whiskey he consumed, or if he was straight nervous for other reasons; his eyes fixated upon Natalya’s every move as every feeling he ever had for her, spanning back to the moment where he first met her slowly re-surfaced all that was left was for him to tell her everything he had done so good at keeping a secret non secret. “I wonder what it’s like…” He began, as he took a long drink from his glass, only temporarily letting go of Natalya’s hands, he was certain that she was able to tell that he was now turning into nervous Zach. “I wonder if all the chapels here in Vegas have Elvis marrying people…” He laughed at the thought, and though it was something cliché and cheesy, he couldn’t help but to be intrigued by the thought. “We should do it,” again his words trailed off as the thoughts from his head were obviously now being vocalized, he was somehow speaking about something he wasn’t a hundred percent sure on, but right now he sure as shit felt one hundred percent sure of. “Wanna get married?”

She was sure she was hearing things; there was absolutely no way that the man she'd been friends with since she was a teenager had just suggested they get married. 'The alcohol' she thought.. 'That must be it' At the same time, while her brain was working on overdrive trying to figure out what was going on, all that she really wanted to do was turn it off and go along with it -- listen to what her heart was telling her, rather than her brain. If she was to be responsible, she would have simply smiled, given him a hug, and shrugged it off as the alcohol -- a simple joke coming from her best friend. That was the last thing she was doing that night, though-- responsibility had left her the minute she got off the plane in Vegas. Instead, she found herself nodding her head, a stupid, happy drunk smile on her face. She'd go along with it, see exactly how far they would really let it get. She would have no problem with waking up and finding herself married to Zach; he was her best friend, the one person who practically knew her better than she knew herself. If there was anyone that could make something like that work, it was them.

"Okay, Zach.." She smiled, hearing the alcohol in her voice. There was absolutely no denying that they were both drunk, and she knew when morning came if anyone regretted the decision they were about to make, it would all get blamed on the alcohol. Sadly, she was fine with that; she was perfectly willing to make a mistake of that size if it meant there was even the smallest possibility things would go differently for them. "Why not, right..?" She let out a soft, almost nervous laugh as she watched him. He looked nervous, but it was a different kind of nervous than she was used to seeing on him; she was sure it was the same look that was currently on her face. Letting go of Zach's hand, Natalya slowly pushed herself off her seat, feeling very lightheaded, very quickly. She knew it was both the alcohol, and what she was about to do, but there was something she'd always wondered about, and she knew if she didn't take that opportunity right then and there it might never present itself again.

Slowly making her way over to Zach -- not exactly sure she could move any quicker, even if she wanted to, she looked down at him and smiled. "Everyone already says we practically are.." Sitting down next to him, she let her hand go up to his face, lightly brushing her thumb over his lip. Natalya knew she could be very well on her way to making a big mistake, but that night had turned into something completely different than she'd expected, and she wasn't sure she'd be able to stop herself any longer. Moving her face closer to his, she brushed her lips over his, lingering there for a second longer than she would have had her heart not been in her throat. She was suddenly feeling a little less drunk, and a lot more scared. "Gotta prove them right, I guess.."

For once Zach couldn’t tell whether or not it was the alcohol that was causing his sudden ‘irrational’ behavior, or whether or not it was years of true feelings finally coming out thanks to the liquid courage. Again, Zach’s pulse began to race, and his face grew flushed with nervousness – really he couldn’t believe that he had just proposed that they go and get married, and without a stitch of hesitation to his voice. No truer words had been spoken about Zach and Natalya’s relationship; they coexisted as if they were married and they definitely could pass as each other’s significant other’s (and often did when the timing was necessary), it was simply just missing that last step of finalizing an actual marriage that kept them from listing each other on their taxes every year.

His eyes were locked upon Natalya as she moved from sitting across from him to filling the void beside him; a drunken smile upon his face as he rested his hand upon his chin, soon compensating for her body now settling beside him. Zach’s breath hitched in the back of his throat when he felt her lips graze against his; it wouldn’t have been the first time they had kissed, but under the circumstances, this was different than any sober or non-sober kiss the two had shared over the years. Soon, Zach’s fingers went from nervously playing with his rolled up sleeves and the remnants of water in his glass, to finding themselves brushing her hair from her face, tucking strands behind her ears, prolonging the moment between them as his pulse continued to race and he was sure he wasn’t breathing – Zach trying to get the courage to kiss Natalya, or to tell her all of the thoughts and feelings he had been somewhat keeping from her for years now – though with their drinking rate, it was sure that it would all come out in a long string of emotional jumble. “Let’s do this…” Zach said, his words quiet, and whispered against Natalya’s lips as he soon placed a barely there kiss upon her lips.

Natalya's heartbeat was going a million beats a minute; she'd had feelings for Zach for so long and now that the opportunity to do something about it was there, she was at a loss as to what to say or do. She had been so good at hiding her true feelings, only really showing small bits on the rare occasion that she let her guard down, but never really enough to get his attention. That night there was no guard, and while there was a lot of fear, she wasn't really dwelling on it - - she couldn't, not anymore. She needed to let go of her fear; life was meant to be lived, regardless of the outcome. That was something she had always believed in, but when it came to her personal life, not really something she always stood by.

Everything around her was at a standstill, she was no longer focused on the music, or the people, or any of the gambling going on - - there was the occasional excited yelling that would catch her attention, but nothing long enough or as important to her as the man currently sitting next to her. All she could think of that moment was him, and the way his lips against hers made her catch her breath, and her eyes would close for a second to take it all in. Yes, she had kissed him before, but never under the current circumstances -- never when there were so many emotions coming to the surface. She was sure if she was able to at that moment, she would have told him exactly how she felt.

"You know I love you, right?" She asked, her hands moving to wrap around his neck as her fingers drew little circles on his skin. Natalya had told Zach she loved him more than enough times throughout the years, but she never meant it more than she did at that moment. "Come on," She added, as she took a hold of his hand and brought herself to get up, tugging at him to do the same. "Let's go get married.." She gave him a quick smile, lightly biting down on her lip as she tried making her way through the group of people out on the floor -- people she had completely forgotten about until that moment. She was nervous, she wasn't going to lie, but at that very second there were no doubts in her mind; she wanted to get married.