Blood Lust

Chapter Twenty One

Ash opened the door to his home, being as quiet as he possibly could as so not to wake Rosie. Although all of his actions felt clumsy now he didn't have the agile grace of a vampire of which he had been accustomed to over the past few hundred years.
As he closed the door behind him and slid off his shoes, he took in his familiar surroundings and although they were more dull so to speak without his heightened senses they seemed more homely and inviting; more like a home than a house. And within that house was his love, Rosie, whom now he was human, he intended to spend the rest of his life with her. He didn't even care that it wouldn't be forever now he was no longer immortal for without Rosie forever was a long, painful; and incredibly lonely time; one he knew he couldn't survive.
Ash made his way upstairs to his bedroom where he knew Rosie was sleeping. He peered around the slightly ajar door, being as quiet as he could and his gaze fell upon Rosie, his love, his heart his everything who was sleeping blissfully. Her breaths slow and deep, her eyelashes fanning over her cheeks of which were scattered with the freckles he adored so much and of course her curls splayed out around her, almost as they were a halo; a halo for his Angel.
He tiptoed over to the other side of the bed and carefully slid in next to her, wrapping his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him as he did so. Rosie stirred a little and mumbled something in her sleep which sounded akin to his voice. Ash smiled softly and shushed her, soothing her back into sleep, stroking a stray curl gently off her face, before he too closed his eyes and fell drifted off to sleep to the sound of both their heartbeats beating as one.

*

Rosie awoke to the sound of somebody breathing softly in her ear and the feel of familiar hands around her waist. Ash! It must be her beloved Ash, Rosie thought as she opened her eyes and turned over and sure enough, there was her beautiful Ash laying asleep next to her.
She reached over and stroked his cheek gently, a familiar action between the two of them, however the not so familiar thing about it this time was that he, rather than feeling cool, his skin felt warm beneath her fingers. This could only mean one thing...
Rosie gasped, jumping back slightly as she did so; this stirred Ash and he opened his eyes to see Rosie starring wide at him, her hands shaking asking her mouth displaying her shock clearly.
"Angel, what is it?" Ash asked, concern icing his voice as his brain was still foggy with sleep so he didn't put the two and two together.
"Y-your skin is w-warm Ash as if your cheeks are flushed," Rosie replied her voice wavering and her lip trembling with anticipation.
"Does this mean?" she asked apprehensively her hands trembling even more so as Ash reached over and took them into his own before placing a soft kiss onto the palm of her hand.
"Yes my darling Rosie it does. I am human again," Ash uttered against her hand as he linked his own through hers.
"Oh Ash." Rosie burst into tears as she threw herself at him placing fervent kisses all over his face before finishing with a very chaste and loving kiss on his lips which were now also warm; that was going to take some getting used to thought Rosie to herself; which caused her to giggle slightly.
"What? What is it that's so funny?" Ash asked curiously.
"Oh nothing. I'm just so happy," Rosie beamed as she leaned into another kiss before pulling back and saying against Ash's lips "And you can't read my mind anymore and find out what I was thinking." She stuck her tongue out and bopped him on the nose playfully.
"Hey you!" Ash exclaimed both rather dumbfounded and also amused at his girlfriend's playful comment. "You'll pay for that." He chuckled as leaned over and tickled her.
*

After a while of snuggling and dozing some more, Ash sat up and turned to Rosie with a rather serious look on his face.
"Ash, are you okay?" Rosie too sat up with concern lacing her voice and facial expression.
"Rosie there's something I've been meaning to ask you for a while now," Ash said in a soft but serious tone as he looked her right in the eyes, his own tearful slightly as he did so.
"Ash you're really starting to worry me now what is it?" Rosie cupped his face gently her nerves becoming more prevalent as she saw the tears begin to form in his eyes.
Ash didn't utter another word, instead her reached behind him into the draw of the bedside cabinet, pulling out a very ornate jewellery box. Rosie took a sharp inhale of breath as her mind and heart began to race.
"Ash," she stuttered her voice wavering with the weight of the situation.
"Rosie Ballenger," Ash began as he stood up and came around to her side of the bed before proceeding to go down on one knee and opened the box which held the most beautiful ring she had ever seen. It was almost iridescent in the way it shone in the light, catching every intricate detail upon it as it did so.
"We have been together for just over a year now and that year has been one of the happiest I have ever had in my long life. I honestly do not know what I would do without you Angel; would do me the honour of becoming my wife and sharing our forever with me?" He finished tears now streaming down his face as well as Rosie's.
"Oh of course I will Ash! Yes, a thousand times yes!" Rosie exclaimed her heart beating so fast she thought she might burst.
Ash wordlessly took her petite left hand within his own and carefully slid the ring onto her finger.
"I love you Angel." Ash leaned in, cupping her face as he pressed a soft kiss upon her lips.
"I love you too Ash Worthington." She beamed.
Ash pulled her into his arms breathing in her familiar scent as she hugged her close to him feeling so happy and filled with love he could die which ironically now he was human he could; he thought chuckling to himself.
"What so funny mister?" she pulled back asking curiously.

"Nothing just nothing," he said smiling to himself. "Now how does some breakfast sound?" He held out his hand as he stood up.
"Lovely," she said simply as she followed him downstairs.
"This ring is breathtakingly beautiful," Rosie mused aloud as she held her hand up to the sunlight that was streaming through the window, to admire it some more.
"As is its wearer" Ash smiled as he took a sip of his tea making appreciative sounds as his taste buds actually tasted it for the first time in hundreds of years.
"You enjoying that Ash sweetheart?" she teased.
"Why yes, yes I am actually," Ash replied, tickling her slightly to which she squealed and jumped away a little.
"It was actually my Grandmother's ring," Ash commented rather nonchalantly.
"What? Really?" Rosie exclaimed to which Ash nodded and mmmed his response. "I can't wear this, what if I lose or break it?"
"My grandmother wanted whoever I married to wear this ring, she made me promise, so please wear it Angel." It would mean the world to me." He said as she placed the ring back on her finger, giving it a small kiss once he had done so.
"Okay I will wear it I promise. I'll just have to be very careful with it." Rosie beamed as Ash leaned in and pecked her as he took another mouthful of waffle.
"This is so good!" he exclaimed. "I never realised I would have missed food this much!" He chuckled.
"I'll make you some more." Rosie hopped off the counter and walked over to the stove.
"No don't run around after me Angel that's my job for you," he replied.
"Shush now and eat up while I cook you some more waffles mister," Rosie retorted playfully whacking him with the spatula she held in her hand.
"Yes ma'am." Ash put on a fake American accent as he dug into his waffles; whilst Rosie cooked him some more.
Their lives together just starting as was their blissful future.

*

"May we all stand for the entrance of the bride," said the vicar as the organist began to play the wedding march.
"Oh my goodness I am not ready for this!" Jessie squealed to which everyone gave a light chuckle as did Ash.
Just at that moment, Rosie turned the corner and entered into the Church on her mother's arm and Ash was sure he felt his heart stop momentarily and his breath caught in his throat for before him stood the most beautiful women he had ever seen in his life.
Rosie to him in that moment looked ethereal; his Angel walked towards him with the sun shining on and illuminating her smiling face, and her eyes sparkling like the stars as they met his own.
In that moment Ash was so full of love and joy he truly felt like the luckiest man on Earth. As she joined him placing her hands in his own and the Vicar began the ceremony, Ash smiled as his bride to be squeezed her hands gently and mouthed I love you. To which she replied I love you too. And with that they copied what the vicar said word for word, ending with their "I do's" and sealing it all with a kiss, knowing their forever started now.