Half Hearted

Chapter Fourty Eight

| Ash |

He had toured Teresa around the whole city, using four whole days. Taking a week off from work for a while, he'd led her to his favourite spots - the ones he went to most in order to unwind. She was fascinated by the people, the history, the fact that Ash had memories in each of those places. But one thing was left the elephant in the room - he was still going to proceed with the fight.

There was about one day left until he had to go in the ring; three days until Teresa had to leave. Time was running out and they both knew it. She had seen all there was to see of the great city of London, and yet she still felt dissatisfied.

Ash could sense her discomfort every time she went to sleep in her room. Being the 'newly changed man' that he was, he didn't pressure her to sleep with him in his bed. Instead, he offered her his small guest room and she gladly obliged.

He knew that she was the most inexperienced girl he'd ever been with, but that, strangely enough, had no impact on him. He still felt normal around her. Relaxed.

Now, on the last evening before he had to prepare himself for his fight routines, they were sitting on the couch watching Fight Club - as Teresa had suggested the film out of sheer humour, but he went along with it. He was sitting down on the couch, and she was laying comfortably beside him, fast asleep.

Her rhythmic breaths started to get louder, and soon enough she was flat out snoring. Ash grinned, standing up slowly to turn off the television, and went to grab the blanket from the guest room. Then, he proceeded to lay it on her, but as he gradually pulled it up to her shoulder, Teresa softly wrapped her hand around his wrist. "No," she quietly murmured.

Confused, Ash wondered if she was simply having a dream. But then she spoke again, "carry me to your room so you feel guilty if you leave me in the morning."

He chuckled, doing as she ordered and laying her down on his bed.

They then laid beside each other quietly, Teresa now wide awake. After a while, she turned on her side - facing him - and spoke, "is this going to be your last fight?"

Ash didn't bother turning to his side to face her. He knew he would only have to look at her pained expression. "We already talked about this."

"Then let's talk about it again," she insisted, bring her cold hand up to draw circles around his shoulder.

"I'm going to need this money," he sighed.

"You keep telling me that, yet you never tell me what for," she frowned.

"You don't need to know."

"Aren't I like, your wife now? I have a business to know," Teresa teased, causing a wave of panic to crash over him, but also involuntarily making him smile.

"I've known you for less than a year," he stated, bringing his hand up to catch hers, and holding it there.

"Well then that's good," she shrugged, "more years to spend getting to know each other, then."

After a while of utter silence, Teresa fell back into her heavy breaths. Ash forced his eyes shut and brought her hand, now warmed by his, to his lips for a moment. Then, after many many solitary years confined in the walls of his own pride, it crumbled.

And he was finally capable of fearing a fight.

{ Author's Note

Sorry for that really reaaally long wait, guys - I use writer's block as an excuse for everything c:

Being honest, I thought about writing up a 'steamy' scene, and I actually tried but I'm just sooo awkward about those things

I'll try wrapping it up as neatly as I can, and if there still are questions, I'll make a comments section in the last chapter so I can write a chapter for curious readers.

Thanks for the journey!

~ QB }