His Lady in White - Ace Merrill

Quiet... Little... Wife

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Chapter 18 - Quiet... Little... Wife
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Ace and Billy stumbled back up to Billy's. Ace had his arm draped around Billy's shoulder, who's arm was wrapped around Ace's waist helping him along. Ace had a clear limp as his other hand holding a bloodied towel went up to his nose, wiping the small trickle of blood again.

"Can't believe it..." Billy mumbled. "He actually-"

"Shut up Billy." Ace coughed slightly as the pair reached the door but Ace quickly stopped him from going straight in.

"Don't tell Cora." He spoke firmly with his traditional scowl.

"Ace buddy... She's gonna see you've taken a beating..." Billy muttered, his eyes flicking over Ace's face, his bloodied nose and the bruise that was already forming under his eye.

"Don't." Ace mumbled again as Billy sighed, nodding slightly, before he turned and opened the door.

The pair stumbled inside as the looked straight into the living room where Cora was laying fast asleep beside an empty bottle of wine laying on it's side.

"Connie must have just left her to sleep." Billy mumbled as he let go of Ace, who steadily stumbled his way over to Cora.

Billy watched as Ace slumped down on the floor beside Cora, who stirred as she moved her arm but remained asleep. Ace's back leant back against the couch as he let out a sigh, his head falling back on the couch by Cora's. She shifted on the couch once more as her arm moved to wrap around his neck loosely.

"Night then Merrills." Billy mumbled with a small laugh as he turned the light off and headed up to his own room.

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Cora coughed slightly as she groaned, stirring and waking herself up. She attempted to roll over and would have rolled straight off the couch if she hadn't felt someone there. Immediately she forced her eyes to open as she saw Ace trying to wake himself up and stretch slightly.

"Jesus  Christ, what happened to your face?" She tried to groan out as she made an attempt to sit up, her hand going up to her hungover head as it throbbed.

"Is that any way to greet your husband in the morning?" Ace grumbled in response.

"It is when he comes home looking like that." She tried to speak firmly.

"Technically this is Billy's parents place, not our home." Ace coughed slightly as he forced himself to sit up, putting both hands on the couch to pull himself up beside her.

"Don't make me give you another black eye." Cora scowled.

"I got a black eye?" Ace asked as he groaned, sitting back beside her as he looked at her beside him.

"Ace." The scowl remained on her face.

Ace sighed as he just shook his head, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as he pulled her closer to him. Cora let herself lean against his side as her head went to his shoulder.

"Just be a good quiet little wife today m'kay?" Ace mumbled as he let his other arm wrap around her, holding her close to him as his head rested on hers.