Dinner as a goodbye...

[1stmacleod]

After talking with Jelani in the Nexus, Connor returns to the place he's starting, tentatively, to think of as home base. He tucks the envelope full of money away in his suitcase, and takes roughly two minutes to pack, because he's been living out of it anyway.
Then he goes to the kitchen, and rummages, and gets to work. A chocolate cake comes first, made from scratch. While that's cooling he starts on dinner; chicken breasts stuffed with broccoli and cheese, rice pilaf, a little more steamed broccoli in case what's in the chicken isn't enough.

He has to tell Kairos that he's going back to his world, just long enough to get things in order and talk to Duncan, but he's not sure how long that will be.

After it's over, though, this is where he plans to return to.

Comments

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

"He's got little kids. Three under 10. He teaches them, so he's always busy. Plus his mates keep him busy, too."

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

"...Mates, plural?" One eyebrow rises, but he's not too shocked. "Nothing can keep you busy like young children." He smiles wistfully, speaking from experience.

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

"Mmhm. He'd been with Casciel for years. They grew up together in slavery. Cassie was the slave-wife of a guy named Jarrod, and Hyou was kept as a housecat." She doesn't think to elaborate on that. "Years later, after Jarrod died, they met a guy named Kage. He's..well." She pauses, frowns. "Kage loves his family."

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

Connor blinks, and eats his cake slowly, processing all this. Only half of what she's just said made sense to him, but he also knows he's got a lot to learn about the Nexus, still. "...Okay. You make Kage sound like somebody without a lot of good points." He's picked up on that, of all things, because he wonders if anybody's ever floundered around and ended up describing him that way.

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

Kairos cuts off a bit of cake with her fork. "I don't think it's that he's a bad guy, per se. He's just.. He doesn't like me very much. And when Kage does not like you, it's very apparent."

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

He nods, and eyes her levelly. "I know you like me, now, but I'm sure there's a lot of people out there who'd say the same about me."

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

She sighs a little bit. "The trouble comes with his jealousy, hon. He was jealous that Hyou thought I was cute when we met. He was scarily possessive, and he still is. Unfortunately there were .. situations that arose last year that made his jealousy worse. And when Kage doesn't know how to handle things, he gets a little hot headed."

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

"You're not worried about me getting jealous?" He smiles a little, but the truth is that if Connor thought she was interested in another man, he'd back away. He does get jealous, but he also tends to assume any woman could do better than him.

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

She shrugs. "No need to be jealous. There's no one else." Just old feelings, but they certainly don't get in the way of how she feels now.

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

Connor shrugs, because he knows there's no one else, right now, and she won't be looking either. "There wasn't in the situation you just mentioned either, right?"

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

"With Hyou, no. It'd be like kissing my brother, y'know? But the other.. well, the man in question was technically single, and I wasn't stepping on anyone's toes." She shakes her head. "But it didn't matter."

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

He reaches for her hand, smiling weakly. "I'll bet you get a lot of looks from men, but I'll try not to be jealous."

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

She takes it and squeezes tight. "Sweetie? I don't mind jealousy. I've never experienced a man being jealous over me. It might actually be nice."

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

Connor blinks, expression bewildered. "But you just said- wait, he... wasn't jealous over you...?" Now he feels slow.

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

She shakes her head. "No. Kage wasn't in love with me, he wanted to kill me. Kage was in love with Phil too."

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

He blinks again, and gives a raspy laugh. "Was that stupid of me to assume, or just biased?" Connor leans forward and kisses her hand.

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

She preens a little. "I'm gonna go with biased. Thank you, Connor. Makes me feel good."

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

"You're the kind of girl I can see lots of men wanting." He smiles, a little sheepish.

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

"Only three have shown any sort of interest. Back home, only old men wanting a babysitter inquire about me."

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

"Well I fit half that requirement." He smiles, and sips his coffee.

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

"But not physically, thank goodness. I wouldn't mind if you wanted to get me naked." She finishes off her slice of cake.

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

He nearly chokes on his coffee at that. Of course he wants to get her naked, but even Connor is tactful enough not to just come out and say it that way. He coughs a little, and his voice comes out a little raspier than usual. "Ah... Not physically. You... ah... Glad you don't mind." He looks down at the table, slightly awkward.

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

Kairos figures out that maybe she was just a little too blunt. She blushes red and takes a sip of coffee, avoiding his eyes. "Sorry."

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

"It's okay, just caught me by surprise." He finishes his own cake a little more slowly, curbing his impulses.

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

"It could hardly come as a surprise, handsome."