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[gotham_knocking]

The bathroom door opens, but on the other side is a bar. This is impossible, of course, but there it is. Through that door step two people, a stunning blonde woman and a not-so-stunning man in his mid-30s. The door closes, and the couple find thmeselves in a large, recently painted, and empty room.

"Welcome to Bristol, my apartment, and the master bedroom." Alex beams.

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[longlonghair]

She laughs at that. "Someday I suppose I should write down the real story about me. You could sell it as fiction here in your world!"

She smiles at the mention of the wars. She forgets that Gotham is behind the time she lives in.

"Your mother isn't happy with your career? She does realize that you're brilliant, right?"

[gotham-knocking.livejournal.com]

He laughs at that, and gives Rapzunzel a quick squeeze. "She knows that one son is a doctor with a degree from Johns Hopkins and the other is a reporter with a high school diploma. It's not that she's not happy with me as ecstatic with him.

"You'll have to tell me that real story first. And maybe I can help you edit it. After all, I am brilliant." He smirks as he opens the door from the bedroom to the hall.

[longlonghair]

"Better yet, I'll tell you the story and let you write it all, and you can claim that you met the real Rapunzel in a bar, and she told you the whole story...kind of like Interview With The Vampire, but with a fairy tale perspective instead of blood sucking."

She follows him into the hall, making mental notes of where furniture and pictures and things would look good.

[gotham-knocking.livejournal.com]

He laughs loudly as this one, even though he can tell she means it. "Interview with The Princess? It would be fun. And I could just write it in my own style and not have to worry about things like how to write fiction. Because I never tried that."

He opens the next door in the hall, and the room inside is a bit smaller, painting in something more off-white. "Guest bedroom. Suitable for teenaged girls who like hng from rafters or fire guns."

[longlonghair]

"Maybe we should pad the walls with bullet proof, fire proof, hairspray proof jackets."

She gives him a mischievous grin.

"Or we could just put in a hot tub, and let the girls sleep on the floor of the living room in sleeping bags."

[gotham-knocking.livejournal.com]

He raises his eyeborws at her, a bit wryly, a bit wickedly. "I like the way you think, Countess. A hot tub would be real inviting. But I'm pretty sure that this isn't that kind of building. And odds are I'd have to do all kinds of paperwork to get permission, to boot.

"Padidng, though...maybe corkboard on the walls, just in case? To keep noises in?"

[longlonghair]

"If you're planning on that lot, you might want to make sure your insurance is up to date, as well."

Her tone is amused.

"But something to keep the noise levels down wouldn't hurt...in both bedrooms."

She winks at him wickedly before turning to go tour the rest of the place.

[gotham-knocking.livejournal.com]

He doesn't say a word. That naughty look in his eye is more than enough.

"Insurance...huh. Let me make a note of that." He enters the living room space ahead of her and grabs a pad off a window sill. "I'm trying to be organized about this. Every time I think of something, I write it down." A look over his shoulder would show a rather long list, scribbled in a handwriting that would be better suited to his brother the doctor.

[longlonghair]

"Been busy already, I see."

She scans the list, but the writing is pretty illegible to her eye.

"Are you going to bring any of your furniture from your old place, or are we starting with a blank slate?"

[gotham-knocking.livejournal.com]

"I'm bringing some of the stuff to start with. The bed, dining table and chairs, a couple of the bookcases, maybe the couch." A couch that Rapunzel might recall needed a cleaning badly and maybe reupholstering. "But certainly the bed is just temporary in a room that size. I know my dressers are in bad shape - I bought them when I moved in. And the stuff I have in my living room isn't nearly enough to fill this place." The space is rather roomy for an apartment.

[longlonghair]

She eyes him sadly and shakes her head. He is such a man.

"Alex. You can have a bed delivered in a matter of hours. Why move one all the way from Gotham that you're not even going to keep? And let's just say 'NO' to the couch."

Yes, she is being a bit bossy, but it is for his own good.

"You can take the Countess Rapunzel Overbrook into town, and she can get things delivered pretty quickly, I'd wager."

[gotham-knocking.livejournal.com]

He raises a finger to reply. He could say that the couch and the bed both have plenty of good memories, but that would be a little tacky since some of those memories don't involve Rapunzel. Or he could say that he just likes that couch a lot.

He opens his mouth, and closes it. He's no fool. He knows he's not going to win. Which is fine, since it's not like he doesn't want her help.

"I bet she could.

"You really can get a bed that fast? It's not just some gimmick in a commercial?" He's thinking of those ads that tell you to leave off the last S for savings. He's never believed it.

[longlonghair]

Her smile softens a bit at his capitulation on the sofa, when it's obvious that he wants to argue. She kisses his cheek.

"It would take a while to get that sofa recovered. If you're that attached to it, we can look into it--but you really shouldn't bring it here as-is, or you'll likely never get around to getting it done."

She is beginning to get to know him, by now, after all.

"As for the bed? Honey, when they have a countess wanting a bed from your store, and she's willing to pay for immediate delivery, they'll find a way. Trust me."

[gotham-knocking.livejournal.com]

"Yes. I noticed that at the restaurant." The idea continues to be appealing. Getting the rude and nasty salesmen of Gotham to actually be helpful would be especially fun.

"But it would be nice to still keep the couch. I guess I am attached to it. Lots of Super Bowls and World Series went with it." A thought comes to him.

"I should get a new TV. One of those 30 inch jobs. Cable ready."

[longlonghair]

She grins at that, and wonders what he would say to the idea of a sixty inch flat screen HD television with a satellite hook up. A less scrupulous person could easily make a fortune and build a legacy of wealth for generations to come with a fraction of the technology they could bring back to their own world from Milliways.

"Sounds like a plan, to me."

[gotham-knocking.livejournal.com]

Alex heads towards a window. "Now look at this. A view of something. How about that?" The apartment faces a tree-lined street. It being late May, the trees are in full foliage. It's not quite Paris in spring, but it's much nicer than the gtimy alley visible from the old place. It even looks almost safe.

[longlonghair]

"A pretty view. It looks like a nice place to take an evening walk."

She was glad he wasn't showing any strong signs of regretting moving even this short way out of Gotham.

[gotham-knocking.livejournal.com]

"I was thinking that, if you feel like going out after dark." He runs a finger through her hair, with affection but also to show that he knows that she might want to be careful about such things.

"Or I could show you the kitchen."

[longlonghair]

"In summertime, it should still be light well into the evening.'

She stops to kiss him, appreciating his concern for her safety.

"I'd love to see the kitchen. I kind of miss cooking."

[gotham-knocking.livejournal.com]

"You cook...well now, that's nice to know." He guides her to a combination kitchen/dining room. As is the case far too often in apartments, the builders skimped on kitchen space. Cabinets are at a minimum, and there isn't much room to work. But compared to Alex's old kitchen, it's huge.

There are also two folding chairs and a very small folding table in the space likely to be occupied by the real dining room table.

[longlonghair]

"It took me a long time to learn. I can make fantastic bread, now. I haven't made any in a long time, but I might be convinced to make cinnamon rolls some morning."

She shakes her head at the card table. It was certainly serviceable, if not very pretty. Her mental list keeps growing.

[gotham-knocking.livejournal.com]

"That's more than I can do. Guess I fell in the habit of takeout from the start. I know how to open a can of Chef Boyardee, and in a pinch I know how to do instant rice and macaroni and cheese." He moves towards the fridge. "Cinnamon rolls sound nice, either way."

He opens the fridge. It's roomy, with plenty of space for whatever sorts of things both might like. And maybe even room for junk food.

But it's not empty. There's a bottle of Champagne inside.

[longlonghair]

She struggles to keep the look of horror from her face at the mention of Chef Boyardee. He is a bachelor, after all.

"At home, I tend to make a week's worth of meals ahead of time, and keep them in the freezer, ready to be warmed up when I need them. Maybe I can give you some cooking lessons."

At the sight of the bottle of champagne, she grins.

[gotham-knocking.livejournal.com]

"You sound like a very practical woman, Rapunzel. I knew there was reason I liked you." He smiles as he takes the bottle out. "You really think you have the patience to teach me, though? It would be easier just to order from the local pizza places."

He opens one of the cabinets and removes two disposable champagne flutes. "I think that a new place is a good reaosn for a toast. Don't you?"

[longlonghair]

"All that junk food is going to clog your arteries. I'll find the patience, if it means keeping you out of the hospital and having to call your brother the doctor to tend to you."

She chuckles at the disposable flutes and nods.

"It's a great reason."

[gotham-knocking.livejournal.com]

"You sound like Guppy did when I first got to the Bar. I'll be good, Nurse Rapunzel." He smirks at here, even while nearly repressing certain thoughts about her dressed as a nurse. "And I think that it would be fun to cook with you."

He places the bottle in the sink and very carefully begins to loosen the cork. (He hasn't done this often, but he's not all thumbs with it either.)

[longlonghair]

"I don't know who Guppy is, but he sounds very smart."

She watches as he carefully opens the bottle, approvingly.

"We'll have to make a list of things you like or don't like and make up a menu. Before you know it, you'll be living like a successful writer, instead of a bachelor."

[gotham-knocking.livejournal.com]

"Dr. Guppy, in the Bar - I forget his last name - and Guppy is short for something Indian. Nice guy. He gave me a free check-up when I first found the door." Amazingly, not a drop of the bubbly bubbles over, and Alex smiles in triumph.

"Are you saying there's something wrong with living like a bachelor," he asks teasingly.

[longlonghair]

"Not at all...if you're in your twenties with no career to speak of."

She beams at his success in getting the bottle open, and picks up the flutes so he can fill them.

"Like it or not, my dear, you are a grown-up now."

[gotham-knocking.livejournal.com]

He pours the champagne, and only a little flows out of the cups.

"Yeah. I know. When the hell did that happen?" He's still smiling, but at some level, he really doesn't know how that happened. "Guess there's no going back, though, is there?"

[longlonghair]

"Aw...poor Alex. Being a grown up is fun, too. You'll see."

She raises her 'glass' to him with a smile.

"May you live as long as you want, but never want as long as you live."

[gotham-knocking.livejournal.com]

He "Clinks" her glass, , and takes a sip. "I like that." He raises his glass anew.

"Here's to new apartments, new furniture, new adventures, and new friends."

[longlonghair]

"Now that is worth drinking to."

She sips again, then kisses him soundly.

"Congratulations, Alex."

[gotham-knocking.livejournal.com]

He returns the kiss with some passion. "Thanks."

[longlonghair]

"What shall we tackle first?" she asks, slightly breathless.

There is a lot to do, but they have to start somewhere.

[gotham-knocking.livejournal.com]

"The bedroom. Definitely the bedroom." He is most assuredly inspired. "That should always be the first thing in any home, right?"

[longlonghair]

"Absolutely. The sooner we get a bed in here, the sooner we can break it in. I don't know the stores around here, I'm afraid, so you'll have to pick one, then I'll intimidate them into delivering it today.'

This is going to be fun!

[gotham-knocking.livejournal.com]

He laughs long and loud, and then gives her another joyous kiss.

"Lady, I like the way you think!"

Fun indeed!!