Disclaimer: If I owned it, they'd do this stuff onscreen and I wouldn't have to write it.
Melissa: All right... we've talked about the miracle babies already... The issue of me and my imaginary friends will take more time to write than the rest of this story. :P
Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow: Of course he will :P This is actually the most days in a row that I've ever updated.
Chylea3784: I've never thought of the real wedding being in conversations like that one, but it really makes a whole lot of sense, and I love the idea. Weddings really are just big parties. The wedding is in here, though.
Jenny: I like the idea of adoption, too... It doesn't actually get used in this story, but we'll see what happens in the sequel. :P
Author's Note: This chapter contains mature (but not really all that graphic) situations. In other words: they have sex (finally!) Don't like, don't read past where Andros says good night. Otherwise, please be nice...
Chapter 31
"Happy birthday, Ash," Andros told her for the thousandth time that day, faintly grinning as the waiter cleared their dinner plates away, setting down two menus edged with gold.
"I'll be back in just a moment," he assured them.
"Thanks," Ashley said to his retreating back before turning her attention to the menu.
If nothing else, Karovan restaurant menus were fascinating. While they looked not dissimilar to the ones Ashley was accustomed to back on Earth, if she laid her finger lightly over the name of any particular dish, a holographic image immediately appeared, showing her just what she was considering.
"Hey, that's ice cream," she exclaimed softly.
"Ice cream is universal," Andros informed her, hiding his amusement well.
"Oh yeah?" she retorted. "Since when?"
"Since a few weeks ago," Andros admitted. "Eltar and Aquitar both sent ambassadors to Earth, and news travels fast..."
Ashley laughed. "So ice cream is Earth's best feature?"
"Apparently so," Andros remarked. He grinned. "Don't tell Tawny."
"I'll leave that to Zhane," she assured him wryly. "Hey, did he ever go see Cassie?"
"So she could drag him all through Angel Grove to find the perfect suit, you mean?"
"It's called a tuxedo," she shot back. "You should know that by now."
"Yeah, because it took you two nine hours to decide on the 'perfect' one for me," he grumbled, but he didn't bother to hide his smile. "Don't worry, Cassie sent us a message over the comm while you were in the shower. Both Karone and Zhane have everything they need, and so do TJ, Carlos, Jeff, and Tawny. And herself."
"That just leaves me," Ashley said with a nervous sort of grin. "I've only got five more weeks to find a dress..."
"Only?" Andros repeated, raising an eyebrow at her. "It's one dress."
"It has to be the perfect dress."
"You'll look perfect in anything," Andros assured her. He paused. "Do I even see you in the dress?"
"Of course you do, silly," she said. "You just can't see the dress before the wedding, and you can't see me the day of the wedding before the ceremony."
Andros rolled his eyes. Of all the wedding customs he'd come into contact with, Earth's were some of the silliest. He was firmly of the opinion that the people of Earth had far too many superstitions and traditions, but Ashley seemed determined to follow at least half of them, insisting that it would bring them good luck. He'd thougth she was joking, but didn't dare comment, just in case she hadn't been.
The waiter returned then, and they ordered some dessert, their conversation turning back to the wedding once he had departed. They had decided to postpone what Ashley had termed their 'honeymoon' for a few months at least, and had opted in favor of a shorter vacation with Tawny a week or so after the wedding.
"Remind me again how the blessings go," she said, wrinkling her nose as she reconsidered the dessert just set before her.
"It's almost the same thing as apple pie," Andros assured her, noticing her sudden wariness. "And the blessings are easy. You and I each choose one person, and that person gives their approval to the other."
He'd been pleasantly surprised when she'd asked him about Karovan wedding ceremonies, and in the end, they had decided on a Karovan ceremony. There wasn't much difference between the wedding ceremonies Ashley had seen performed on Earth, except for the fact that there were no lengthy vows. All that was required of any couple was a simple promise to love always.
"So... you're saying I need Zhane's permission to marry you?" Ashley giggled at the mental image that accompanied the thought. Andros made a face at her, but even he had to laugh.
"Not exactly," he said. "He's supposed to just tell you that he thinks I chose right when I chose you, but well, you know Zhane..."
"What's he going to do?" she demanded. While Zhane's pranks had been a constant source of amusement, if anything went wrong at her wedding...
"He won't ruin anything," Andros hastened to say. He grinned. "He can't, or I'll get him back when he marries Karone. I think he's just going to slip in a story or two."
Ashley groaned but grinned ruefully. "I guess it's too much to hope for that they'll be nice stories?"
Andros laughed. "Well, you know what to expect from Zhane. I'm not sure I want to know what Cassie's going to say."
"She'll say something like you're the perfect guy for me and that she can tell just by looking at us how perfect we are together," Ashley said instantly. "Cassie's a hopeless romantic."
"That's what I was afraid of," he muttered just loudly enough to be heard and she laughed.
"Just because you get embarrassed whenever people realize that you actually have a heart..." she teased him lightly, grinning. "Besides, at least Cassie won't tell the story of how we met."
"You mean the story where you thought I was a lizard?" he retorted. "There's nothing wrong with her telling that story."
"Then Zhane can tell the story of why you finally worked up the nerve to ask me out," she shot back.
"Anyway," Andros said quickly, trying hard to suppress a grin. "After Cassie and Zhane talk, then we're supposed to say something to each other."
"I remember that much," Ashley said. "Kinda like wedding vows on Earth, but not any of the 'for rich or for poor' stuff. Just a promise to love each other forever."
"Yeah." Andros nodded, smiling. "And then we're supposed to tell each other what made us love one another."
"Well..." Ashley paused just long enough for an impish grin to take shape across her face. "You were a really cute lizard."
"Not like that," Andros said emphatically, flushing red as she laughed.
"I know," she assured him. "Are you ready?"
Andros nodded, swallowing the last bite of his food before standing. Ashley wrapped her arms around his waist. Andros smiled, kissing her lips lightly. He had only three inches on her, and in her heels, their faces were nearly even. She smiled and leaned in, lengthening the duration of the next kiss, but she pulled back a moment later, realizing that getting carried away in a public place would be very hard to live down in a community where the popluation was under two hundred.
Andros guided her out to the car. Hovercar, she corrected herself, laughing silently. The vehicle looked nearly identical to those back on Earth, and except for the fact that the Karovan model came with the advantage of flight, they were practically the same thing.
The restaurant was a only a few minutes drive from their home and they passed the time in silence. Ashley watched Andros out of the corner of her eye, knowing that she'd been lucky enough to find her soulmate and at the age of seventeen, too. There was no doubt in her mind that Andros wasn't her one true love, an she knew that no matter what happened, he would always be there, always loving her.
"Thank you again for dinner," Ashley murmured, resting her head on his shoulder as they strolled slowly up the walk to the front door. He smiled softly and squeezed her hand, staring at her out of the corner of his eye, wondering if she had any idea how stunning she appeared to him right at that moment.
The pale yellow dress flaunted Ashley's near-perfect figure, clinging to her upper body and just barely reaching her knees. It was practically strapless, the few threads that somehow supported the weight of the fabric too thin to be true spaghetti straps. The Karovan sun had lightened her hair from a medium brown to a dark blond, and she had let the golden strands tumble freely down her back in soft waves.
Ashley smiled to herself as she caught Andros's eye. He looked down quickly and she smothered her laughter, realizing that she was doing a much better job watching him than he her.
Andros always appeared faintly uncomfortable in any sort of formal attire, she supposed the result of spending two years on end in his ranger uniform, but he'd allowed himself to relax tonight, and she wondered if he had any idea how good he looked.
His hair was loose for once, only adding to his relaxed appearance. Deep, dark reds suited him almost better than the bright red of his ranger uniform, and the one he had chosen tonight was absolutely perfect. She could faintly make out the definition of his muscles beneath the fabric and sighed quietly, wondering when she had started wanting him again.
The answer was surprisingly simple; she had never stopped.
But we weren't ready...
And that was six months ago, she remembered. She sighed again, saying a distracted goodnight to Zhane and Karone, thanking them for baby-sitting, but all the while wondering what would happen if...
She sighed. If nothing else, she simply wanted to fall asleep in the warmth of his arms once again. It had been a wise decision for them to keep separate bedrooms, as it had kept them from going too far too soon, but she couldn't help the feeling that he was much further away from her than he should be, even if he was just across the hall.
"Good night," Andros whispered as they reached Ashley's room, following her inside, but keeping near the doorway. She kicked off her heels and sighed quietly with relief as her feet readjusted themselves to the sensation of distributing her weight evenly.
Andros laughed softly, reaching out to brush some stray wisps of hair back from her face, tucking them behind her ear. She mimicked his gesture without knowing she did so, her hand resting on top of his as they lost themselves in each other's eyes.
Andros caught her lips in a soft kiss and extremely reluctantly turned to go, suprised when Ashley caught his hand and pulled him back to her, throwing her arms around his neck. Startled to see tears in her eyes, Andros wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. "What's wrong, Ash?"
"Nothing," she whispered, inhaling deeply as she kept her head buried in his shoulder, breathing in his familiar scent. "For the first time in a long time, everything's perfect."
Andros smiled and kissed the top of her head. "You make everything perfect, Ash."
"I love you," she whispered. "I can't believe that I'm marrying you."
"I love you, Ash." Andros spoke softly, tracing the outline of her collarbone with his thumbs. Ashley raised her hands to cover his as she tilted her head up, her lips meeting his. He kissed her gently and then slid his hands behind her head, running his fingers through her silky sheen of hair before crushing his mouth to hers.
It took a greater force of will than Andros would have liked to admit for him to pull his mouth away from Ashley's. They stared into each other's eyes for a long moment as Andros tried to form words in his mind.
"Ash," he muttered softly, finally recovering his voice. "I should go."
"No," Ashley whispered suddenly, her arms locking firmly around his neck. "I want you to stay."
"You do?" His heart was pounding furiously, and it was all he could do to keep himself from grabbing her right then and there. "Ashley..."
"Andros, we're getting married in a month," Ashley reminded him, her mouth quirking up into an amused smile. "If I wasn't ready for this, that date would be a lot farther off."
Andros's face relaxed into a grin and he cupped her face in his hands, his thumbs lightly cherishing her cheeks. He knew that Ashley wasn't lying to him; she was as ready as he was to let their relationship move forward. One look in her eyes told him as much... but it also told him that ready or not, she was still haunted by lingering fear.
"I won't hurt you," he whispered, leaning forward to breathe his words directly into her ear as his fingers caressed her bare shoulders. Ashley sidled closer to him, relaxing almost completely at his words, wondering how he could read her so easily.
"I know you won't," she murmured into his ear, her breath warm on his skin. "Andros..."
It didn't take any more persuasion than that for Andros to wrap both his arms firmly around Ashley's waist and bring his lips down to claim hers. He kissed her hungrily, trying to hold back and let her be the one to set the pace but finding it impossible. In the end, Andros surrendered completely to the emotions he once thought he didn't possess, promising himself only that he would be as gentle with her as he knew how to be.
Ashley's fingers fumbled with the buttons on his shirt, unbuttoning it without once letting his mouth leave hers. A moment later, she was running her hands over his bare chest, lightly tracing his toned muscles as she felt him shudder at her touch. Andros pulled her deeper into his embrace, simultaneously taking a step forward, the result being that their bodies were pressed closer than Ashley would ever have thought possible.
Andros slid his thumbs under the thin spaghetti straps that somehow managed to support the weight of Ashley's soft yellow dress. At his touch, Ashley's heart started pounding furiously, causing her to tighten her grip on his neck half without meaning to.
She started giggling as he lifted her up into his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist, letting him carry her the few steps to her bed. Andros grinned at her as he set her down again, letting her settle herself in a semi-sitting position before he joined her, straddling her lap as his lips found hers yet again.
Ashley found herself relaxing even as Andros's kisses became more and more demanding. It's his eyes, she thought distantly, the world beginning to slip away as she returned his kisses with more passion than she'd ever thought it was possible to feel towards one single person. There were dozens of emotions flowing freely through Andros's hazel eyes, but the one that remained the same was the look of absolute, utter adoration and love that caused her to feel completely and totally safe, secure, and cherished.
A soft moan escaped her lips as Andros slowly ran his hands over her body. Her dress was still on, but the fabric was so thin that it might as well not have been. She squirmed to be closer to him, looking at him in surprise when he pulled back suddenly.
Reaching behind her, he slowly pushed the pillows down until they were flat on the bed, gently easing Ashley down onto her back. As he did so, she felt her eyes widen as she truly realized for the first time what they were about to do.
"Ash?"
His mind and several parts of his body protested loudly when he drew back, but his heart refused to let him move any further while Ashley's eyes were wide and locked onto his as she lay nearly frozen beneath him.
"I'm all right," she whispered, reaching up to touch his face, her fingers lightly tracing the outline of his cheekbones. "I love you."
"I love you too, Ash," he whispered back as he slid his hands between her shoulder blades, tugging gently on the zipper that held her dress on. Ashley lifted her upper body up off the bed to make it easier for him as she began fiddling with his belt. A moment later, their clothing lay discarded on the floor and Andros was laying lightly above Ashley.
Their hands began eagerly roaming each other's bodies, wandering to places explored only brieftly on their engagement night. The caresses were gentle at first, but their kisses grew steadily more heated, and it wasn't long before Andros slowly entered her. Ashley gasped softly as he pushed into her, her hands balling themselves into fists as her entire body stiffened.
"Ash," Andros whispered hoarsely, holding himself perfectly still. Ashley's eyes were shut tight, but his voice prompted her to let them flutter open. All signs of discomfort slowly faded from her face as she stared up into his eyes, a disbelieving smile taking the place of any and all doubts she might have had left. Her arms moved seemingly of their own volition to wrap themselves around him, gently caressing his back as his mouth caressed her face and neck.
At that moment, there was nothing in the world but them and their love, but as lost in him as she was, some small part of Ashley refused to surrender to Andros as completely as he had surrendered to her, and instead remained tense, waiting, unwilling to let go and believe that there would be no pain and no horror.
Andros slowly moved within her, giving her more than enough time to adjust to the sensation before he began to put more force into his thrusts. Dimly, it dawned on Ashley that he was battling every instinct in his body as he struggled to be gentle with her. As this realization hit her, whatever it was that had held her back before vanished, releasing her from the invisible hold the nightmares of her past still held her in.
Ashley rocked her hips into him and slowly began to move along with him as Andros groaned, never wanting this to end but knowing that he couldn't last much longer. A moment later, Ashley cried out in ecstasy, her back arching as Andros exploded inside of her.
Andros collapsed next to her on the bed, panting heavily. Wordlessly, he reached out for her, pulling her into his warm embrace as their breathing evened out. Ashley rested her head on his chest, closing her eyes to savor the moment, simply letting the feeling of complete bliss overwhelm her as Andros held her close. She felt his breathing gradually shift from desperate gasps for air to the deep, even breathing of those fast asleep and despite her exhiliration, Ashley felt herself growing drowsy as well. She snuggled closer to him, her last thought before she fell asleep that they would last forever.