Welcome to the Family (On Hold Until Further Notice)
Safe and Sound
Ashlynn’s PoV
I woke to a pair of muscular, tattooed arms snaked around my waist. I smiled and stole a glance behind me, seeing my savior lying next to me, with his eyes shut and lips taut. He looked so peaceful, I almost didn’t want to wake him up. I kissed his lips gingerly, feeling that same spark when he kissed me earlier, only magnified a thousand times because it was on the lips this time instead of the cheek. The kiss was enough for his eyes to flutter open, revealing majestical chocolate brown eyes that made my heart skip a beat or two. He smiled and returned the kiss.
“Morning, Sleeping Beauty.”
“Morning? How long have I slept?” I repeated, shocked that I had let the time pass like that. Then again, I didn’t mind as long as Brian was with me.
Brian looked at the alarm clock on the bedside table. It read 10:18 A.M. “Oh, about twelve hours.” He replied.
I bolted upright. “Shit! Really?”
Brian laid a hand on my shoulder and pulled me back gently until I was lying down again. “Relax, It’s alright. You need the rest after what you just went through.” He crooned, wrapping his strong arms around my scrawny waist and burying his face in my messy hair, occasionally placing small kisses on my neck. I smiled. I’m safe and sound.
I was focused on the heat from Brian’s body, but my mind kept returning to what had just happened. Ticca, what he almost did to me, everything. A small tear escaped from my eye, but I quickly wiped it away. My hand brushed against my broken nose and I yelped. Brian gasped in alarm and said, “Babe, are you okay?”
“I think my nose is broken.” I said in pain, my hands over my nose.
“Oh my God! Why didn’t you say anything earlier? We need to get you to the hospital right now!” He exclaimed, jumping off the bed and running over to my side.
“No! I can’t go to the hospital!” I said a little too quickly, causing Brian to flinch. “I’m sorry... I just.... Can’t we just fix it here?”
“Fix it? Like straighten it?” He sat down next to me on the bed.
“Yeah... We don’t need a hospital, right?” I mumbled, looking down.
“I- I guess not.” Brian said, lifting my head with his finger to examine my nose. “It’s gonna hurt like a bitch, though.”
“I know. Just get it over with.” I said, bracing myself.
“Wait. I have some Band-aids and painkillers in the cabinet downstairs.” Brian stood up and started walking towards the door. “Want to come with?”
I smiled and stood up slowly. I walked over to Brian and pecked his cheek. “Sure.”
“Okay.” He smiled and laced his hand through mine. My heart soared in my chest and an intense wave of happiness surged over me. Synyster Gates... no, Brian, is actually holding my hand! I thought, ecstatic. “Do you mind?” Brian asked, motioning to our hands with a nod.
“Not at all.” I replied, grinning.
“Good.” Brian returned the smile and opened the door, motioning with his other hand for me to go first.
“Why, thank you, kind sir.” I curtsied, nearly falling over from my lack of coordination.
“You’re quite welcome, madam. Shall we go?” Brian bowed in a goofy manner and we started walking down the hall, hands swinging happily. I had completely forgotten about my nose until we had gotten down the stairs. The other three guys were sitting on the couch as usual, watching television and drinking beer. When they heard Brian and me coming down the stairs, they immediately stood up and ran over to me.
“Are you okay?”
“How are you feeling?”
“Why the hell are you guys holding hands?” That was Zacky.
“Guys, she needs help. Her nose is broken and she wants me to fix it.” Brian ignored the last remark.
“Fix it? Like...” Matt asked.
“Yes, I’m gonna straighten it. Ashlynn’s already made up her mind.”
“What about the hospital?” Johnny suggested. “They could give her anesthetic.”
“She refuses to go.” Brian explained.
“Well, ok...” Johnny trailed off. Brian led me into the kitchen and opened a cabinet full of medicine, Band-aids, and the like.
“Why is your medicine cabinet in the kitchen?” I wondered out loud.
“I- I don’t know. Never thought about it, I guess.” Brian shrugged and grabbed a bottle of pills and alcohol wipes.
“Vicodin?” I asked, reading the label.
“Yeah. Don’t worry. My doctor prescribed it to me. I sometimes get migraines.” Brian explained.
“I thought you weren’t supposed to give other people Vicodin if you’re prescribed to it.” I said.
“Oh, yeah. Dammit, I forgot.” Brian took the Vicodin from my hand and put it back on the middle shelf. He searched around a little bit and grabbed a different bottle of pills and placed them in my hand. “Here.”
“Ibuprofen? I might have to take twenty of them before they start to numb the pain.” I joked.
“Yeah, but it’s the only thing I have besides Vicodin.” Brian replied. He patted the counter. “Hop up.”
“Yes, doc.” I smiled, pushing myself onto the counter. Brian chuckled and opened the ibuprofen bottle, taking out two and placing them in my palm along with a glass of water.
“It’s gonna hurt. A lot.” Brian warned, looking me dead in the eye so I understood how serious he was.
“I know.” I sighed and took the pills along with a drink of the water.
“You might want to hold someone’s hand.” Brian said, taking the glass away from me when I was done with it. I grabbed for the nearest hand and found myself attached to Zacky. He smiled and grasped my hand with his other one as well.
“It’ll be okay, Ashlynn. It’s gonna hurt for a little, and then it will go away. I promise.” Zacky assured me, squeezing my hand gingerly. I nodded and looked at Brian.
“Do it.”
Brian hesitated at first and placed his right hand on my crooked nose and the other on the side of my face. I squeezed my eyes shut and braced myself for the excruciating pain that was coming very soon.
I woke to a pair of muscular, tattooed arms snaked around my waist. I smiled and stole a glance behind me, seeing my savior lying next to me, with his eyes shut and lips taut. He looked so peaceful, I almost didn’t want to wake him up. I kissed his lips gingerly, feeling that same spark when he kissed me earlier, only magnified a thousand times because it was on the lips this time instead of the cheek. The kiss was enough for his eyes to flutter open, revealing majestical chocolate brown eyes that made my heart skip a beat or two. He smiled and returned the kiss.
“Morning, Sleeping Beauty.”
“Morning? How long have I slept?” I repeated, shocked that I had let the time pass like that. Then again, I didn’t mind as long as Brian was with me.
Brian looked at the alarm clock on the bedside table. It read 10:18 A.M. “Oh, about twelve hours.” He replied.
I bolted upright. “Shit! Really?”
Brian laid a hand on my shoulder and pulled me back gently until I was lying down again. “Relax, It’s alright. You need the rest after what you just went through.” He crooned, wrapping his strong arms around my scrawny waist and burying his face in my messy hair, occasionally placing small kisses on my neck. I smiled. I’m safe and sound.
I was focused on the heat from Brian’s body, but my mind kept returning to what had just happened. Ticca, what he almost did to me, everything. A small tear escaped from my eye, but I quickly wiped it away. My hand brushed against my broken nose and I yelped. Brian gasped in alarm and said, “Babe, are you okay?”
“I think my nose is broken.” I said in pain, my hands over my nose.
“Oh my God! Why didn’t you say anything earlier? We need to get you to the hospital right now!” He exclaimed, jumping off the bed and running over to my side.
“No! I can’t go to the hospital!” I said a little too quickly, causing Brian to flinch. “I’m sorry... I just.... Can’t we just fix it here?”
“Fix it? Like straighten it?” He sat down next to me on the bed.
“Yeah... We don’t need a hospital, right?” I mumbled, looking down.
“I- I guess not.” Brian said, lifting my head with his finger to examine my nose. “It’s gonna hurt like a bitch, though.”
“I know. Just get it over with.” I said, bracing myself.
“Wait. I have some Band-aids and painkillers in the cabinet downstairs.” Brian stood up and started walking towards the door. “Want to come with?”
I smiled and stood up slowly. I walked over to Brian and pecked his cheek. “Sure.”
“Okay.” He smiled and laced his hand through mine. My heart soared in my chest and an intense wave of happiness surged over me. Synyster Gates... no, Brian, is actually holding my hand! I thought, ecstatic. “Do you mind?” Brian asked, motioning to our hands with a nod.
“Not at all.” I replied, grinning.
“Good.” Brian returned the smile and opened the door, motioning with his other hand for me to go first.
“Why, thank you, kind sir.” I curtsied, nearly falling over from my lack of coordination.
“You’re quite welcome, madam. Shall we go?” Brian bowed in a goofy manner and we started walking down the hall, hands swinging happily. I had completely forgotten about my nose until we had gotten down the stairs. The other three guys were sitting on the couch as usual, watching television and drinking beer. When they heard Brian and me coming down the stairs, they immediately stood up and ran over to me.
“Are you okay?”
“How are you feeling?”
“Why the hell are you guys holding hands?” That was Zacky.
“Guys, she needs help. Her nose is broken and she wants me to fix it.” Brian ignored the last remark.
“Fix it? Like...” Matt asked.
“Yes, I’m gonna straighten it. Ashlynn’s already made up her mind.”
“What about the hospital?” Johnny suggested. “They could give her anesthetic.”
“She refuses to go.” Brian explained.
“Well, ok...” Johnny trailed off. Brian led me into the kitchen and opened a cabinet full of medicine, Band-aids, and the like.
“Why is your medicine cabinet in the kitchen?” I wondered out loud.
“I- I don’t know. Never thought about it, I guess.” Brian shrugged and grabbed a bottle of pills and alcohol wipes.
“Vicodin?” I asked, reading the label.
“Yeah. Don’t worry. My doctor prescribed it to me. I sometimes get migraines.” Brian explained.
“I thought you weren’t supposed to give other people Vicodin if you’re prescribed to it.” I said.
“Oh, yeah. Dammit, I forgot.” Brian took the Vicodin from my hand and put it back on the middle shelf. He searched around a little bit and grabbed a different bottle of pills and placed them in my hand. “Here.”
“Ibuprofen? I might have to take twenty of them before they start to numb the pain.” I joked.
“Yeah, but it’s the only thing I have besides Vicodin.” Brian replied. He patted the counter. “Hop up.”
“Yes, doc.” I smiled, pushing myself onto the counter. Brian chuckled and opened the ibuprofen bottle, taking out two and placing them in my palm along with a glass of water.
“It’s gonna hurt. A lot.” Brian warned, looking me dead in the eye so I understood how serious he was.
“I know.” I sighed and took the pills along with a drink of the water.
“You might want to hold someone’s hand.” Brian said, taking the glass away from me when I was done with it. I grabbed for the nearest hand and found myself attached to Zacky. He smiled and grasped my hand with his other one as well.
“It’ll be okay, Ashlynn. It’s gonna hurt for a little, and then it will go away. I promise.” Zacky assured me, squeezing my hand gingerly. I nodded and looked at Brian.
“Do it.”
Brian hesitated at first and placed his right hand on my crooked nose and the other on the side of my face. I squeezed my eyes shut and braced myself for the excruciating pain that was coming very soon.
Would like to see Brian and Ashlynn end up together in the end. :)
2/6/14