Tonight The World Dies

Chapter 32: Avery

I looked up at Brian and blinked a few times.

Did he actually just ask me to marry him?

An uneasiness settled across his chocolatey brown eyes at my silence.

"Come again?" I finally spoke, almost blurting out the words because I still couldn't quite believe what he'd just said. I was still getting over the shock and excitement of him returning to me, and not leaving me, and here he was, popping the million dollar question.

"Will you marry me?" Brian asked again, this time with a little more desperation in his voice.

Yeah, he'd definitely just asked me to marry him.

Bringing my hands round from where they'd been trapped beneath Brian, I shoved at his chest, willing him to move. He obliged, but gave me a disconcerting look. Obviously, this was not how he'd been planning me to react, and honestly, in all the scenarios where I'd imagined him proposing to me, this had never been my reaction.

Even in my fantasy where we'd been in an argument and he just blurts it out because he'd got sick of my bitching, I'd said yes before leaping into his arms, kissing him over and over as I frantically repeated the word 'yes' over and over again.

But, dammit, our relationship had nearly just fallen apart, was now really the best time to start thinking about a long-term commitment?

I reached down and grabbed my top and panties from the floor before slipping them on and turning back to Brian, pushing my hair out from my face as I rest my leg over the top of the other.

I felt this was the kind of conversation that needed to be had with clothes on. Brian, of course, did not care whether or not he had all of his extra bits on show, and sat there in his birthday suit looking extremely worried.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" I asked. I felt like I'd asked this question one too many times today, but today seemed to be a day made up of rash decisions.

"If I wasn't I wouldn't have bloody asked." Brian pointed out, his voice a little exasperated, and also a little desperate.

I let out a sigh. "I know." I felt bad for not answering him and leaving him teetering on the edge of worry on whether or not he was going to be shot down. But he had seriously caught me off-guard; I'd been daydreaming and feeling content about the fact that I was lying on the couch in his arms again, appreciating the fact that he was back by my side.

And then he'd asked me that.

"So?" Brian prompted, pulling me out from my thoughts. "What is your answer?"

I glanced at Brian briefly before I turned to look away at all the discarded clothes on the floor as I thought. I knew deep down what I wanted to say, but I just needed a moment.

"Avery, come on, you're killing me." Brian practically whined.

Just say it, I told myself sternly, it's not as if he's got a ring for you anyhow, it's not as if it's official. It's only a damn question.

I pulled in a sharp breath and turned to Brian. "Of course I'll marry you, Brian." I answered, and I watched as Brian let out a relieved breath that he'd apparently been holding in. "I just really had not been expecting you to ask me then." I added with a small laugh.

Out of nervousness, Brian laughed as well before he scooted forward and kissed me on the lips. "You nearly gave me a damn heart attack." He said with a weak laugh. "Don't ever do that again."

"I won't." I promised. "After all, it's a question you're only meant to get asked once." I added.

Brian chuckled and shook his head before leaning forward and kissing me in a gentle rhythmic movement. I could feel myself wanting to give myself over to him again and let him take me again right here on the couch, but...I also felt disgusting because it was a hot day, and I was all sweaty and possibly not smelling too great either. Plus, my hair felt horrible: it was all tangled from where Brian had raked his hands through it.

Reluctantly, I pushed away and ran my tongue across my lips. Brian gave me a quizzical look.

"We could do with a shower." I said, matter-of-factly as I stood from the couch.

"We?" Brian asked, raising an eyebrow suggestively.

I smiled back at him and raised both my eyebrows in answer.

"Well, I am all up for that shower." Brian said eagerly.

I laughed at the innuendo in his sentence as I bent down to pick up our discarded clothes.

"What?" Brian asked, clearly missing his own joke.

I turned to him and said, "You're all up for that shower, are you?" I laughed. Brian shook his head as he chuckled before he turned and picked up a pillow before proceeding to throw it at me. I squealed and ducked away from the incoming object. The pillow hit me on my side before it fell to the floor.

I poked my tongue out childishly at Brian before I began to make my way across the living room.

"Are you coming or what?" I asked, noticing that Brian hadn't moved. I was nearly all the way over to the other side of the room when I noticed that I didn't hear any footsteps padding behind me.

Brian stood from the couch and made his way over to me with a smirk across his face. He got within a few inches of me before he bent over and whispered into my ear, "That's what she said." I furrowed my brow in confusion before I recalled what I'd just said.

"Oh for God's sake." I cried before turning and slapping his bare ass as he strutted past. Brian stopped dead in his tracks and I knew he was going to turn and retaliate in order to get me back for that, so, in an attempt to avoid an attack from him, as Brian turned around to face me, I threw the pile of clothes I had in my arms at his face, disorientating him just enough in order for me to dash past and scrambled up the stairs as fast as I could.

But, Brian was taller than me, only by a few inches, but that was enough in order to allow him to stride up the staircase quicker than me. I barley managed to reach the top before he caught up with me. I pushed myself up and attempted to run into the bathroom before he got me; just as I stepped over the threshold, I felt his arms wrap around my waist, dragging me backwards toward him. Using one arm to trap me against his body, he started to tickle me with his other hand, causing me to squirm in his grip as his long boney fingers jabbed into my side.

My legs gave way underneath me, and I ended up sliding down Brian until I lay in a heap on the floor, crying in laughter. Seeming satisfied with what he done, Brian walked round me, leaving me lying on the floor, heavily breathing as I tried to regain my breath. He disappeared from my view and a second later I heard him turn on the shower before he appeared in my vision again, offering me his hand.

"Come on," he said, jerking his head back toward the shower, "let's go get clean."