5. High Style Gorilla (Take 2)

Sorry, I really hated the last chapter I wrote, this is a revised version, hopefully without most of the badness that was in it before. I hope no one actually liked the original! (though I can repost it for anyone who really did like it…)

I own nothing but the plot.

Enjoy!

After lugging her bags down two flights of stairs, Mary-Lynette was glad to have finally reached her new home. All she wanted to do now was collapse on the couch and let her mind go numb for a couple of hours. Infomercials to the rescue.

Ash opened the door and dumped his bags inside. He then looked Mary-Lynette up and down.

Next thing Mary-Lynette knew, he swept her off her feet and carried her through the door. "Now, my Lady, we have arrived."

The place seemed warm and comfortable, if a little lacking in personality. Ash put her down gently and Mary-Lynette stood in his arms contentedly.

"So mine handsome gorilla, what shall we do anon? I am much fatiguéd, from our perilous journey, and I am forced to admit that I shall soon wish to collapse upon the couch."

"Gorilla?"

"To be a knight, thou must have armour that shineth like a clear lake in the moonlight."

"I'll put that on my to-do list," said Ash wryly, his eyes a mischievous green.

"We're done with the flowery language then? My brain's starting to shut down."

"Couch and TV?"

"Couch and TV. We can unpack tomorrow."

"Agreed." Ash went back to the hallway to get Mary-Lynette's bags, and Mary-Lynette decided to explore her new home.

There was a small, but serviceable galley-style kitchen, with a couple of pots and pans in the cupboards, plates and cutlery in the drawers. The stove was clean too. There was a dining table and chairs at one end of the kitchen.

Past the dining table, the room opened up into the lounge, which had two three-seater couches, a couple of chairs and a glass coffee table. This is a really nice apartment! I think we ought to give James some money for this, Mary-Lynette thought. The door from the lounge led back to a tiny hallway which went past the front door and the entrances to the bathroom, toilet and bedroom.

Hold the phone… Bedroom. Singular. It made perfect sense of course. But Mary-Lynette hadn't really considered the long-term implications of actually living with Ash. Running from Briar Creek had seemed like more of an adventure, and waking up in Ash's arms had been part of the adventure. But now…

Thinking a little more, Mary-Lynette realised that there was nothing she wanted more than to wake up in Ash's arms every single day. The going to sleep in his arms bit was making her slightly nervous though. Nervous in a good way.

Ash had just finished putting her things in the bedroom, his own bags were still outside the door. Mary-Lynette picked one up and started to haul it in.

As she dragged it inside, Ash looked up at her and raised one eyebrow. "Oh, don't look at me like that, you… munted idiot! I do know my own mind."

"Alrighty then. But Mare…" he crossed the room to her and gazed intently into her eyes. "Well, I am an adolescent male and despite my deep love and respect for you I-"

"Ash, shut up. I know your mind fairly well too."

Much to his chagrin Ash actually blushed. Mary-Lynette gave him a warm smile. "We'll be fine Ash. Nothing can stop us now." She paused and gave him a speculative look. "What was that you were saying about love?"

Ash knew a cue when he got one. Giving her his most dazzling flashing grin, he grabbed her hands and swung her in a circle. Mary-Lynette laughed delightedly and didn't resist when he pulled her into a tight embrace. She looked up at him and he sobered. "Mare," he began hoarsely, "I'm nothing without you."

You're still a calculating chauvinistic prig, said Mary-Lynette as she pulled him in for a kiss.

But you know you enjoy it… he replied jokingly, but the curious mix of emotions Mary-Lynette could feel behind his thought; love, partnership, protectiveness, lust and longing, made her shiver with anticipation.

Do you think couch and TV could wait just a little?

Mary-Lynette kissed him harder in answer.


Awhile later, when they were lying on the couch watching the television, but not really paying it any real attention, they were disturbed by a subterranean growl.

Mary-Lynette tried to ignore it, but the growling gradually got louder and more insistent. After a particularly long and loud burble, Ash said "Why don't we get some pizza delivered?"

"I suppose. I just don't want to move."

"We don't have to just yet," said Ash, reaching into his pocket for his cell phone. "Here you go. Order."

Twenty minutes later, Mary-Lynette did have to get up to go and get the delivery. When she opened the box to see the steaming pizza and her stomach rumbled even louder, she decided it was probably worth getting up for.


Hours later, when the pizza was eaten and she was asleep in his arms, Ash looked down at Mary-Lynette and stroked her hair softly. He couldn't bear to move her for fear of waking her, and decided that they would just have to sleep on the couch tonight.

Fear. It was both exhilarating and terrifying all at once. Fear of losing her, but exhilarating that he was actually holding her. Clearly his life would never be the same again. And despite missing out on some seriously good parties, Ash felt the better for it.

In spite of the fear, Ash eventually let himself drift off to sleep as well, content.


When they awoke from their slumber, it was not in each others arms, nor was it morning. The perils of glass coffee tables had become rather obvious.

During the night, one of them had rolled over in sleep. Mary-Lynette had woken to find herself falling off the couch. Ash had awakened to her cry of pain.

Mary-Lynette had fallen onto the coffee table. To try and stop from banging her head, she had put her hand out. Unfortunately, her hand had gone through the large glass pane of the table.

Ash quickly picked her up and carried her away from the table. A shard of glass was still in her hand, and tears were running down her cheeks. The smell of fresh blood had heightened Ash's senses, much to his dismay. It seemed completely insensitive, but there was little he could do about it.

He sat her down on the kitchen bench and began to inspect her hand. The gashes from the glass were horrible, some deep. They were causing her a lot of pain, and he could feel it through their link.

Putting his hand under her chin and brushing away the tears, Ash said "I think we need to get you to a doctor. You can't heal quickly, and that piece of glass is in an artery. You will loose too much blood if we take it out here." He kissed her gently on the forehead.

Mary-Lynette bit her lip against the pain and gave him a slightly curious look despite the throbbing of her hand. "How do you know?"

"It's the blood."

Mary-Lynette looked closer at him, and saw the silver in his eyes and the redness of his lips. He knew it was how he appeared before or after he fed. "Will you be able to control yourself?" she asked. "At the hospital I mean?"

"Yeah, the antiseptic smells should take care of it. But that's besides the point. We need to get you to a hospital." With those words, he grabbed his wallet and keys, picked up Mary-Lynette and began to take her down to the car – before her pain could overwhelm him.