Disclaimer: This is fanfiction, I'm sure I don't have to give you the low down on what I own and what I don't. All the original characters are mine.
So I entirely rewrote this chapter in line with the way I want the fic to progress- more cheesy romantic guff. I feel no shame in saving this is incredibly cheesy, and romcom-esque.
Despite his reputation on the wards for popping up and looming around unexpectedly, Henrik had never been one for surprising people with his appearance. Especially socially. However tonight he could think of nothing nicer than surprising Guinevere and spending the evening with her. The past week had been trying for them both. Today even worse and Guinevere seemed out of sorts. Maybe she could do with the company too.
Ginny was growing increasingly uncomfortable on the ward around Frederik. She was starting to suspect that he suspected something about her and Henrik. His comments were rude, sly, aimed at seemingly trying to highlight the gaping differences between Henrik and Ginny. Twice now he'd undermined her in front of Sacha. At least once he'd tried to get her in trouble whilst Henrik was prowling around the ward. Frederik was clever, he was insulting without using any hard words. He was manipulative in a way that worried Ginny, that shook her to her centre and managed to give her a little chill regarding her relationship with Henrik.
Unaware of anything else that was going on Henrik had had a trying day regarding Fredrik. He'd tried to fool Henrik into starting the drug trial and Henrik had had to let him down. He may have been harsher with his wording than he'd liked to have been but he also made it clear he still wanted a relationship with Frederik. He wanted to get to know him, as father and son, not as boss and colleague. The problem was that Fredrik wanted something more than a relationship with him, he wanted help to further his career, regardless of the cost. That put Henrik on his guard.
Henrik's mind was a whirl with everything at the moment. He liked to keep his life delicately balanced and at the moment it felt like he was losing control with everything going on at the hospital, everything with Fredrik, his relationship with Guinevere. He was trying to juggle too many things and he was scared at some point something was going to fall.
Henrik's confidence faltered slightly as he looked down at the flowers he'd picked up from the supermarket. They were end of the day and slightly manhandled. He'd thought Guinevere would appreciate their uniqueness though. He'd never really intended to come, he'd gone home and gotten changed but then couldn't stand the weight of the day pressing down on him. The silence drilling into him everything he'd said wrong during the day, putting every tiny error on repeat in his brain over and over. He should have called, should have text. Then that wouldn't be a surprise would it?
Henrik rubbed his forehead between his fingers. Why was he so nervous? This wasn't the first time he'd been to Ginny's house. Ginny's house with it's clutter and it's nick knacks and it's mementos. So much love and feeling and life. Stark contrast to his own simple, clear and clutter free house.
"Right." He said to himself before pushing open the door, collecting the shopping off the backseat and the flowers. Henrik made his way to the door and straightened himself slightly before using the knocker. Ginny's garden had been filled with flowers that were now on the turn. Browning as the season changed. It was still awash with life though, just like her.
The door was pulled open and Henrik was greeted by a five year old girl with a mess of auburn curls piled on top of her head and a smattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks. She was dressed rather adorably in a colourful t-shirt and a pair of dungarees.
"Don't you open that door Mary!" He heard Guinevere call from inside. So this was Mary.
"Hello." Henrik said slightly taken aback, a chuckle threatening to leave him.
"Hello, my name is Mary and my favourite princess is Merida because she beats all the boys." Mary said proudly before putting a finger to her lips, looking him up and down and then saying. "Are you a giant?"
"Well hello Mary my name is Henrik." He replied feeling slightly awkward being stood on the doorstep talking to a five year old.
"Mary! What have I bloody told you about opening the door!" Guinevere came into the hallway and her face immediately broke into a smile when she saw Henrik stood there in his jumper and jeans.
"I peeped though and he doesn't look scary! He's in a smiley photo with you!" She pointed out to Ginny as though this was perfectly sound logic. "And I have my sword." Mary pulled a plastic sword out from behind her back and waved it in the air.
"I uhm-" Henrik looked at Guinevere the flowers feeling awkward and over the top in his hands now.
"Are they for me? They're very pretty." Mary said tilting her head almost upside down to get a better look at the flowers.
"Mary, let him come in, come on. Go back in the living room. I'll bring you some biscuits in a minute." Ginny said ushering Mary out of the way and beckoning Henrik in.
"Sorry, I just thought- you said you had the evening to yourself- I thought I'd surprise you." Henrik looked around trying to decide whether to run out the door or stay and move further into the house.
"I was supposed to be having the evening to myself but Alfie is on duty and Jamie has had to pull a double shift so I said munchkin mitts could stay over." Ginny replied. "You don't have to stay you know, if you don't want. I won't mind." Ginny said noticing how nervous he seemed. "Mary can be a bit of a handful."
"I would expect nothing less from your granddaughter." Henrik finally said a smile breaking out over his face as he seemed to relax a little.
"And he's back." Ginny teased. "I'm starting to wish Mary was at home now. I've told you before haven't I, how much I like you in a sweater?" Ginny watched his cheeks colour a little and grinned to herself, there was nothing more fun than making him blush. Henrik cleared his throat and held up the plastic bag of shopping.
"Have you had dinner?" Henrik asked holding up the bag.
"We're making pizzzzaaaaaaaaa." Mary sing songed putting her head back around the door. "Come on Nana I've got to beat you at the last one! Daddy taught me some new moves." She said wiggling her little body.
"I thought you didn't cook?" Henrik asked raising a brow as though Guinevere was keeping secrets from him.
"I don't cook, pizza is hardly cooking. I didn't make the dough and you just throw everything else on top." Ginny replied. "Hardly cooking." She said pressing a kiss to the corner of Henrik's mouth.
"Nannnaaaaaa." Mary sing songed from the living room.
"All right bossy britches!" Ginny replied. "Do you want to make yourself a drink whilst I finish this game with her." Ginny said. "Or poor the wine."
Ginny and Mary came into the kitchen before Henrik had finished storing what he'd bought in the fridge. He put the wine in there too, along with some cider he'd picked up.
"Are you going to make Pizza too?" Mary asked Henrik scrambling up onto a stool at the kitchen island. "Are you going to make a giant one? I think a me sized one would be too small for you. How did you get so tall? Were you stretched? Did you come down a beanstalk? Oooohhh do you have lots of gold?" Mary asked the questions quickly one after the other and Henrik laughed not sure what to answer first.
"You know who you sound like?" Ginny asked her granddaughter. Mary looked at her batting big green eyes innocently. "Dory!" Ginny said. Henrik didn't get the reference but clearly Mary did because she giggled.
"I'm only asssskkkiinnnnggg." Mary said winding a curl around her fingers.
"Hmmm, Henrik is not a giant." Ginny said.
"He is though. He's GIANT!" Mary emphasized the word and looked at Henrik with a smile.
"I think a normal sized pizza will do just fine and no I wasn't stretched. I ate all my vegetables and listened to my grandparents, that's how I got so tall." Henrik said gently. Guinevere mouthed I'm sorry at him but Henrik didn't want her to be sorry at all. Mary was delightfully amusing.
"Hands misses." Ginny said lifting Mary over the sink so she could wash her hands.
"I take it you have toppings?" Henrik asked peering into the fridge. "What are you going to have Mary?"
"Uhmmm, I haven't decided yet. I like pepperoni and olives and ham and bacon and chicken and peppers and salad and uhhhmmmm I like cheese and tomato sauce and uhm uhm uhm-" Mary trailed off putting a finger to her lips.
"And you think you could eat all that on a pizza?" Henrik asked as Guinevere nudged him out of the way.
"I think so, I'm reallllllyyyyyy hungry and my belly can get big." Mary said pushing out her belly and rubbing it. Ginny starting piling packets up on the side and some various vegetables. Pulling a tube of puree from the back of the fridge and the dough.
"Are you Nana Innie's boyfriend?" Mary suddenly asked and Guinevere sucked in a breath, her head still in the fridge. She wanted the damn thing to swallow her whole. Even though they had been seeing each other, even though she could swear she was falling in love with Henrik they'd never discussed labels. The question took Henrik by surprise, they hadn't discussed labels but he supposed that was what they were. He supposed in the simplest terms he was her boyfriend, she was his girlfriend. Those labels didn't seem strong enough though. Not for the way he felt about her.
"Well I suppose I am yes. Is that alright by you?" Henrik asked looking down at her.
"Hmmmmm, let's see how you make pizza first." Mary said tearing off a chunk of dough in her little fists and starting to roll it. "Can you give me some flour." She said pointing to a bag that Ginny had put on the table. Ginny was still busy trying to compose herself and pretending to look in the fridge. Despite the fact she'd held her breath, felt her heart stop for a moment, she was grinning like an idiot and trying to compose herself.
"I think that's agreeable." Henrik said to Mary.
"Aprons before you start please." Guinevere said taking three aprons off a hook that seemed to be filled with them.
"Thank you." Henrik said taking a floral one and putting it on.
"Peppa Pig please Nana." Mary said pointing to the choice of two that Ginny held up for her. As soon as the apron was tied around her waist Mary was straight in, rolling out the dough in a messy way and then starting to put things onto it. Clearly it wasn't the first time they'd done this.
Ginny couldn't stop her gaze from keep drifting over to Henrik's forearms, shirt sleeves rolled up, as he kneaded dough, moved it between his deft fingers. She couldn't help images of his hands on her, his fingers digging into her flesh, muscle memory making her stomach flutter.
"DONE!" Mary shouted and the spell was broken. Ginny was brought rocketing back into the present.
Once Pizza had been cooked and eaten, Mary decided it was time to watch a film, which she fell asleep halfway through. Her head falling onto Henrik's arm at some point. Rejecting Nana for the new person in the house. Guinevere carried her up to bed, tucked her in and kissed her goodnight then returned downstairs to find Henrik with his back to the kitchen door washing up. Sleeves drawn up to his elbows again.
"What are you doing washing up?" Ginny asked walking into the kitchen and coming to stand behind him, leaning against the kitchen island.
"I thought I'd make myself useful." Henrik replied, turning as he dried his hands and leaning against the sink.
"Perfect house guest, you can come again." Ginny teased hopping up onto the island. "Did I compliment you on this devilishly handsome jumper jeans combination?" Ginny asked tugging him forward by the neck of his jumper. Henrik felt anticipation wind it's away around his nervous system as it often did when Guinevere had that coy look in her eyes.
"I think I vaguely remember you saying something before." Henrik said moving closer to her, sliding his hand along her neck and cupping her cheek.
"You do look incredibly handsome, perhaps more than when you're in a suit" Ginny replied leaning a little closer and arching a brow in a way that made Henrik's spine dance with anticipation. Her legs wrapping around his waist, heels digging gently into his thighs. "Imagine if you dressed like this at work, I don't think anyone would get any work done." She suggested, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth in a way that drove him slightly mad.
"What about Mary?" Henrik asked his lips millimetres from hers. Anticipation thrummed in every inch of Ginny's body as she slid her hands up to his neck and replied.
"She's fast asleep." She tugged just a fraction, pulling Henrik into a heated kiss, fusing their bodies together and feeling a firm hand on her thigh, which moved around to the small of her back to press them together more firmly. Other hand cradling the back of her head, deepening the kiss, letting the world and the worries of the day disappear completely
A/N: Enjoyed? Leave a review! :)