The Monroe Legacy - G.2. Chapter 11 - Out of the Ashes

Disclaimer- This chapter is rated PG-13 for scenes of a sexual nature- reader discretion is advised.

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At first it was awkward. 

Hallie and Cai skirted around each other, her staying mainly in the studio and him taking over the unused, and largely unfurnished, study. Hallie often wondered why he had bothered staying, they barely saw one another.

At mealtimes and in the evening they made small talk, watched tv or read, each living a separate life in close proximity to the other.

As the days went by it became easier, more like the days of their university friendship. 

Cai became... lighter almost, smiling and chatting more readily while Hallie's embarrassment from his last visit faded, making her less self-conscious when she was around him. They laughed and joked together as if nothing had ever come between them.

When Luna came back to visit on what was supposed to be the last night of Cai's visit, she was gratified to find that things seemed to be back how they'd been in those golden old days.

Cai was cooking and throwing bits of pasta at Hallie, who was gently ribbing him about burning dinner the day before!

The three friends spent a pleasant evening together, each quietly marvelling at how far they'd come in the five years they'd known each other. Much wine was drunk and as Luna stumbled out to her cab she grabbed Hallie and not very subtly whispered,

'He still loves you you know' before cackling and driving off.

Hallie flushed scarlet but ignored it as Cai didn't seem to have heard. When he asked if he could stay another week she readily agreed, though Luna's words echoed in her head and made her wonder whether she truly only wanted him there as "just a friend".

The week became a month, a month several months and Hallie and Cai's lives soon melted into a shared existence. She did morning coffee, he did dinner, they both worked in their separate spaces, stopping for coffee breaks to brainstorm ideas and spent their evenings watching old movies on the sofa.

While it wasn't romantic, neither of them seemed interested in dating anyone else. Their occasional trips to the local with Luna usually got each of them at least a phone number but they always found a reason not to call whoever it was. 

Sometimes Hallie would feel that old heat in a glance or accidentally say something suggestive which would cause them both to look away awkwardly,

Things were too good to risk them on a stupid crush which ought to have died years ago, they'd had enough setbacks to put anyone off. Luna, who was now dating her landlord, would always try and push them together but they were too stubborn and eventually even she seemed to lose hope.

Perhaps the stalemate might never have been broken if not for the night of the fire.

Hallie had come down with a stomach virus and was lying out on the sofa, switching between naps and crappy TV. Cai had checked on her and made some toast and then returned to the study to finish his chapter.

Some time later a strange smell reached his nose, it smelled like melting plastic. Hi ignored it, but as it got stronger he got up to investigate. Cai's heart stopped awhen he saw the flames creeping out from the new fireplace (Hallie had decided to try it out that day) and towards the sofa where she lay sleeping. 

Without a thought for his own safety Cai dashed across the room to grab Hallie and carried her bodily into the garden as she stirred, confused and disoriented.

Leaving her with instructions to call the fire brigade he ran back in, got the extinguisher from the kitchen and began to put out the flames. He didn't seem to be getting anywhere when a slim figure darted past him and dropped a soaked blanket on the blaze.

By the time the firemen had arrived the fire inside was out and they rushed to deal with the cause of the blaze, a chimney fire where birds had nested inside the new structure.

Hallie and Cai sat shaken until everyone had left, the fire brigade congratulating them for putting out the worst of it but scolding Hallie for not checking the batteries in her smoke alarm.

'You should be grateful to this gentleman miss, another five minutes and that little fire would have been out of control with no help on the way.'

As Cai followed them to the door and locked up behind them Hallie just stared at the smoking fireplace, scared by how close she'd come to disaster. When she felt strong arms around her she crumpled back into Cai's chest and started crying.

'I'm so s-sorry' she sobbed, 'I was so stupid, the alarms, the fireplace, I should have been more careful.'

 Cai sighed, 'Yeah Hal, you should but it's over, we're okay. God - when I saw those flames and you lying there not moving. I thought- I was so scared I was going to lose you. I'm just glad you're okay'

Hallie snuffled a half-hearted laugh, 'it can't have been any worse that when I realised you were in there in your own with that crappy little fire extinguisher. The fire service must have thought I was insane, I barely gave them the address before I ran in to find you'.

'That was pretty dumb Hal,' Cai said, combing his fingers absent-mindedly through her hair, 'we could both have died.'

'I'd rather die trying to save you than live without you,' whispered Hallie,  pressing her face into his shirt and wondering if she'd made another huge mistake in telling him the truth. 

Cai's fingers stilled and she could feel his heart beat harder.

'Hallie' he rasped, holding her face and tipping it up until she couldn't escape his burning green gaze, 'if I kiss you now and you change your mind it will destroy me.'

'Cai, I should have realised a long time ago that you've already ruined me for anyone else,' was Hallie's answer and with that she closed the gap and kissed him.

At first it was gentle, two friends exploring a long denied experience but as his hands tangled in her hair Hallie found herself pressing against Cai, devouring him as though through all these years of denial she had been starving for his kiss.

She never knew how they made it to her bedroom, a tangle of limbs and teeth and sighs. He was finally hers and she his and they greedily learned every line of their lover's body, replacing years of frustrated imagining with moments of scorching reality.

As Hallie lay exhausted on Cai's chest, listening to his breathing slow as he slipped into sleep ,she felt something change at the very core of her being. A knot of fear, of doubt and smothered pain finally fell loose leaving her lighter than she could recall feeling in years.

Cai tightened his grip around her, their bodies fitting together as if designed to be kept that way and Hallie fell into a blissful sleep where her future seemed for the first time laid out clearly before her.

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Find out what's next for Hallie and Cai in Chapter 12 - I'd Do Anything