After that night, Sam would stay up late and would come and join her on the roof. It quickly became a routine for the two. Sometimes, they would stay up and talk, telling stories. Other times, they would just lay in silence and look at the stars. They were the type of friends who could just sit in a comfortable silence and not get bored. They enjoyed each other's presence. That's why they didn't have to talk a lot, because their friendship was deep. They understood each other. And that's what made their friendship unique.

Sometimes they would even be on the roof together in the day if they were home together. The roof had become a safe place for them. It was the place they could go and be alone and not have to worry about the world. They could escape and pretend that nothing existed except them. They could forget all their problems and not have to worry.

One night, they had a blanket on the roof with them. They were laying on the roof and looking up at the stars. A silence was between them, but it was a comfortable one. It was almost midnight, but they didn't care. They had no plans and they were too lazy to move. Their arms were touching and Zella felt warm, the warmth spreading through her body. She couldn't help but glance over at Sam. Her heart started racing whenever she looked at him, but she didn't understand why. It happened whenever she was with him. Whenever she thought about him.

Sam's voice brought her out of her thoughts. "So, Kat told me you were thinking of dying your hair?" He said, glancing at her with a soft smile. "She was excited about it and hoped you would."

Katrina often died her hair a different color, her hair was currently a bright pink. Zella had wished she was as bold and brave as Katrina, but she was too scared to do anything crazy like that. She was scared of what people would think. "Yeah, but I don't know." Zella murmurs, looking back at the stars. "I was thinking about getting some pink high lights but I'm not sure."

"Why are you not sure? I think you'd look great with pink highlights." Sam says, tilting his head slightly. "I think you should go for it. Do whatever makes you happy."

Zella tried to ignore the way her heart fluttered at his words and the way she felt her face grow warm. He had no idea of the effect he had on her. She sighs softly. "It's not that. It's just that, I'm not brave like Kat. I'm scared of what people will think. I've never dyed my hair or do anything crazy like her."

"Oh, come on, Zellie. You're way braver than you give yourself credit for." Sam reassures her, looking at her with a soft smile. "You should go for it, I'll even be there when you do. You can ask Kat to help you. I'm sure she would be thrilled to assist you in adding some flair to your hair."

Zella couldn't help but smile at Sam's encouragement. His support meant the world to her. "You really think so?"

"Absolutely," Sam replied, his gaze warm and sincere. "Just remember, the opinions of others shouldn't hold you back from expressing yourself. And hey, even if you don't end up liking it, it's just hair. It'll grow back or you can change it again. What matters most is that you feel confident and happy."

Zella nodded, feeling a sense of determination wash over her. "You're right. Thanks, Sam. I think I will give it a try."

"Anytime, Zellie," Sam said, giving her a reassuring smile. "I'll be here to support you every step of the way."

As they laid there together under the stars, Zella couldn't help but feel grateful for their friendship and the unwavering support Sam always offered her. With him by her side, she felt like she could conquer anything, even something as simple as dyeing her hair.

It was around 2am when she fell asleep, her head resting against Sam's arm. Sam felt her weight on his arm, looking over and seeing that she was fast asleep. He was going to move her, but he decided against it. He didn't want to wake her. She needed sleep. But it was getting cold and late so he gently picked her up and took her back into the apartment.

He made sure he didn't wake her as he got to her room. The lights were already off in her room, but her LED lights were on. They illuminated a purple glow in the room. He laid her down in her bed and pulled the blankets over her. Pluto, Zella's dog, was curled up at the foot of the bed. Ace was a red golden doodle and he was the sweetest dog. But he was protective and loyal to his owner. Pluto opened his eyes and looked up at Sam, tilting his head. His tail wagged though and his ears perked up, recognizing the male.

"Hey, Pluto. You gotta be quiet. Zellie's sleeping." Sam whispered, reaching over and petting him. Ace's tail wagged and he licked Sam's hand. He always liked Sam, but he was always a little protective of his owner. He liked Colby too and he liked some of Zella's other friends. He was a good dog and he would protect his owner at any cost. Sam gave him a couple more pets before he pulled his hand away and walked out of the room.

Pluto yawned and closed his eyes, snuggling up close to his owner. He now laid his head on Zella's legs. Zella was fast asleep, not aware of the events. She was deep asleep and didn't realize that she had fallen asleep on the roof and Sam had carried her into her room. Ace closed his eyes after making sure his owner was alright and went to sleep.

****

The next morning, Zella was surprised to find herself in her bed. She didn't remember falling asleep in her bed. The last thing she remembered was being on the roof with Sam. Did he bring her inside? Her face flushed at the thought. He must've carried her into her room. But that was sweet of him. He could've just woken her up, but he had brought her inside and let her sleep. It warmed her heart. She didn't expect that. But then again, that's what made Sam special. He was always sweet and caring, putting others before himself.

She sighed and sat up, stretching. Her muscles were sore from sleeping in an awkward position on the roof. But she didn't mind it, she had a fun night with Sam. It was one of her best nights. And it was all thanks to him. Her stomach growled, signaling her that it was time to get up and make breakfast.

Pluto was laying by her, his tail wagging as soon as she looked over at him. She couldn't help but grin and reach over to pet his head. He gave a soft bark and licked her hand, his tail wagging happily. Zella chuckled softly and gave him a few scratches behind his ear before she got up. Ace got up as well, his tail still wagging.

"Let's go, boy. I'm starving, I'm sure you are too." Zella said, looking over at her dog. He barked, his tail wagging in response. She couldn't help but chuckle and shake her head. He was a ball of energy, she was sure of that. He was always ready for anything.

Zella left her room and walked to the kitchen. The apartment was quiet, indicating no one was up. Which wasn't surprising, it was 8am. She wasn't a morning person either, but she had always been a light sleeper. Which is why she was usually the first one awake. Ace trailed behind her, his tail wagging. She glanced down at him and couldn't help the smile on her face.

She had found Pluto at a dog shelter when he was just a puppy. He was a rescue dog, abandoned by his family. He was scared and didn't trust anyone. But Zella had won him over. She spent all her free time there and gave him treats and toys. And one day, she had gotten to hold him and play with him. And after that, he had won her heart. She had fallen in love with him and she didn't want to leave him. So she adopted him and took him home. It was hard to get him to trust her at first, but she had won him over and now he was her best friend. She knew Pluto would be by her side through anything. He was a big part of her life. He had brought her so much joy. And she loved him.

Zella reached the kitchen and was met with the smell of food. Her stomach growled, realizing someone had already made breakfast. She didn't realized someone else was already awake. Ace eagerly went ahead of her into the kitchen and barked.

"Pluto, buddy, keep it down. People are still asleep." A familiar voice said. Zella's breath hitched when she heard the familiar voice. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Sam in the kitchen. She will never get over the sight of seeing him shirtless. She hated he looked so handsome. It wasn't fair, why did he have to be so hot?

"Morning, Zellie." Sam looked up and smiled, a pan with pancakes in his hand. She didn't miss how his eyes lit up and how his smile brightened. Her stomach fluttered at the sight of his smile. But she pushed the feeling down, telling herself he was in a happy relationship.

"Morning, Sam. When did you wake up?" Zella asked, her voice soft. She walked into the kitchen and went to the pantry where they kept Ace's food. She grabbed his bowl and went to fill it. Ace's tail was wagging, his eyes were watching her as she filled the bowl.

"About 15 minutes ago. I couldn't fall back asleep so I decided to make breakfast." Sam replied, a sheepish look on his face.

"That was sweet of you." Zella smiles, putting the bowl of food on the ground. "Thanks, Sammy." She sent him a smile, grabbing another bowl to fill it with water for Ace as Ace began eating.

Sam smiles. "Of course, anytime, Zellie." He looks back at the stove and goes back to cooking. She watched him cook for a moment, a smile on her face but her face turned red and her heart fluttered. She had been friends with the guys for so long and lived with them that seeing them in a shirt didn't faze her anymore. But with these feelings she had for Sam, it made her feel nervous and flustered. She couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions swirling inside her.

As she watched Sam cook, she couldn't shake the warmth that spread through her chest. Despite her efforts to bury her feelings, they seemed to persist, making her heart race whenever he was near. But she knew she had to push those feelings aside for the sake of their friendship. She sighed inwardly, hoping she could maintain her composure around him.

"So, are you still going to ask Katrina to dye your hair?" Sam asked, glancing at her. He was curious. She seemed so unsure of dying her hair last night. He hoped she wasn't backing out of it.

Zella's cheeks flush at the reminder of their conversation from the night before. She hesitates for a moment, wrestling with her conflicting emotions before answering, "Yeah, I think I'm still going to do it. Just need to muster up the courage, I guess." She sends him a small smile, trying to appear casual despite the butterflies in her stomach. "I was hoping to do that today. If she's not busy." She looks at him curiously. "Do you really think she would want to help me out?" She asked hopefully. She knows he said Katrina did last night, but she just wanted to make sure. She overthought things a lot.

Sam nods, a reassuring smile on his face. "Definitely, Kat loves doing stuff like that. Plus, she's always looking for an excuse to experiment with hair dyes. I'm sure she'd be thrilled to help you out. Just ask her, she won't mind at all."

Zella's nerves ease a bit at Sam's encouragement. "Okay, thanks, Sam. I'll talk to her about it after breakfast then," She says, grateful for his support. Despite her inner turmoil, she was glad to have such a supportive friend like Sam by her side. "Speaking of breakfast, how's breakfast coming along?" She questioned, sounding curious as she sat at the kitchen island. Her gaze went to Ace, smiling while she watched him eat.

"Almost done, just a few more minutes." Sam said, he flipped the pancakes sizzling on the griddle. "I made your favorite – blueberry pancakes." He added with a grin, knowing how much she loved them.

Zella's eyes lit up at the mention of her favorite breakfast. "You remembered!" She exclaimed, a genuine smile spreading across her face. Despite the whirlwind of emotions she was feeling, she couldn't help but feel grateful for Sam's thoughtfulness. Her heart warmed because of the fact he remembered something like this.

"Of course, Zellie," Sam replies, returning her smile. "Anything for my favorite roommate."

How was she supposed to act like she didn't have feelings for him when he said things like that? Her heart flutters and she smiles softly. "Don't let Colby hear you say that." She teases. She laughs softly, trying to lighten the mood. "He might get jealous and start demanding pancakes every morning."

Sam chuckles, flipping another pancake onto the plate. "Well, if that's what it takes to keep the peace in the household, I might just have to start making double batches every morning."

Zella glances at the hallway when from Colby, followed by a groggy "Morning, guys." She chuckled softly at the sight of her other roommate stumbling into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes sleepily. He had messy bed hair, and his pajamas were wrinkled from sleep. Pluto had gone over to greet him, his tail wagging and he leaned into Colby's hand when the boy scratched him behind his ears after Colby bent down. 

"Morning, Colbs!" Zella greets cheerfully, smiling with amusement after seeing his disheveled appearance. "Sleep well?"

Colby grunts in response, shuffling over to the coffee maker and pouring himself a cup. "Yeah, until someone decided to start making a racket in the kitchen." He grumbled, shooting a mock glare at Sam.

Sam chuckles, flipping another pancake onto Colby's plate. "Sorry, buddy, but these pancakes wait for no one."

Colby's expression softens as he takes a sip of his coffee, a small smile playing on his lips. "Alright, alright, I forgive you. As long as I get some of those delicious pancakes."

The morning banter continued, filling the kitchen with warmth and laughter as they enjoyed breakfast together. Despite Zella's internal struggle with her feelings for Sam, she cherished these moments with her roommates, grateful for their friendship and the sense of home they provided. As they ate, she made a mental note to talk to Katrina about dyeing her hair later, hoping that the distraction would help quell the butterflies in her stomach.

A/N we're finally getting closer to zella & katrina's friendship! also I love zella & sam sm, they're so cute. & decided on zam for ship name bc why not