Emotional Connection

dinner

Ashley didn't remember falling asleep in a bed - well, she didn't remember falling asleep at all - but it was weirder that she was in bed in her clothes.

And then she remembered the dragons and feeling exhausted, sitting on the sofa... Had he carried her to bed? This certainly wasn't her house, wasn't her room. So he must have done.
She wasn't sure how to feel about that, but it made her smile nonetheless.

She definitely needed a shower, And quietly cursed herself for not doing it in the day when she got home from work. Then she had to remind herself she never even made it home. She should probably go home and shower.
Opening the door, she heard Charlie walking around in the kitchen, so she took a deep breath and closed the door behind her. The noise alerted him to her presence, and he looked up as she walked in.

"Hey, I saved some dinner for you if you want."

Ashley smiled, "I gotta shower. But I'll come back for that, I really don't want to cook at this time."

Charlie nodded with a smile, so she left, walking over to her own house. She felt her chest ache as she noticed the lights all off, but got to the door anyway, searching through her pockets for her key before realising she'd left it in her bag back at the hospital. She leaned against the doorframe, sighing to herself, before realising she had to go back to Charlie's and ask for a shower there. Hopefully, he wouldn't mind too much...

She knocked on the door, not entirely certain if she was just allowed to let herself back in.

He opened the door, confused as to why she was back too early. "You can always just walk in if the door's open, Ash. Didn't you shower?"

"I forgot my key at the hospital. Would you mind if I showered here?" She asked, and he grinned, grabbing two towels for her from the cupboard.

"Here, take your time." He smiled, handing them to her, and she thanked him, locking herself in the bathroom.

She turned the shower on, letting the warm water through her hair as she washed it, trying to relax. But even in the warm water, it was near impossible for her to completely relax. Finishing quickly, she jumped out, drying herself quickly.

She jumped as Charlie knocked on the door. "I've left some clothes on the bed for you, I'll be in the living room." He called through, and she acknowledged that she'd heard him, wrapping the towel tightly around herself before waiting a few seconds, grabbing her clothes from yesterday from the bathroom floor before going through to the guest room. Charlie had laid out a pair of sweatpants, socks and a hoodie for her, even going as far as giving her a pair of boxers which made her laugh, but she put them on anyway, dressing and drying her hair quickly.

Ashley emerged, with the hoodie down to her mid-thigh, making sure she wouldn't trip over the sweatpants. "Thanks." She smiled, at Charlie who was stood by the cooker heating up dinner for her.

He glanced over, smiling at how big his clothes were on here. "No worries. At least you'll be comfortable."

Ashley looked down at herself with a laugh, "I agree with you there." She sat down, letting Mango curl up in her lap as she crossed her legs on the sofa. "Hey Mango, how you doing?"

Charlie grinned, handing her a plate and cutlery, "clearly Mango has a favourite."

Ashley shrugged, balancing the plate on her hand so she could eat while not disturbing the dragon, "clearly I'm just better." She gave him a smug look as he laughed.

"I can believe that."