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

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

"I don't say goodbye, and it's not... home. It hasn't been for a long time." He doesn't grab at her, but he does watch her pull back, soulfully, worried. "But I can't abandon Duncan. Maybe... maybe he'd like the Nexus, and I need to do something about my car. I thought... it might be a few days. I'm not sure how long. It might... take a week." He looks a little anxious. "But if you... don't want me coming back here, after..." Because he thought she would, but now he's getting mixed signals.

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

She's sort of avoiding his eyes. She isn't sure what she'd see there. "I don't want you to abandon Duncan. Or anyone." Her, for example. "I just.. figured you'd stay once you mended things with him. I guessed.." she shrugs. "Dunno what I thought. You never unpacked, so I figured you weren't planning on staying." She chews on her bottom lip for a minute, trying to get up courage. "I want you to come back. But I want you to be happy. Happyish, anyway." She wants him to be happy coming back to her, but she doesn't have that much bravery stored up to say that out loud.

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

Connor's not so dense that he doesn't start to figure this one out, after a quiet moment of thought. "Duncan has his own life. I... need to talk to him, but even if he forgives me... Well, I thought I'd tell him about this place, but I'm not going to live with him. They did, for years, back when Duncan was his student. Now, it would just be weird and they'd end up grousing at each other. Plus Duncan would get all the women.

He reaches for her hand again gently. "I was going to sell the car because I won't need it anymore, if I'm... staying here." He smiles sheepishly, looking down. "I'm scared to get involved with you, but not scared enough to run away. I just need to take it a little slow. But I need to get things in order because I was planning to come back here." His other hand runs through his hair, making it stick out worse. "And I live out of the suitcase because I only have six shirts and two pairs of jeans. It looks pathetic if I stick it in a drawer."

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

"Oh." Well. Now. Doesn't she feel stupid. She squeezes his hand. "I see. You make valid points. We can go very very slow, as long as you don't mind me stealing kisses ever so often."

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

He lets out a breath, smiles a little, and then rises out of his chair enough to lean over and beat her to it. The kiss is a gentle one, but he means it.

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

She kisses him back, just as sweetly. "Mmm." And once the first kiss is done, and they've breathed, she kisses him again, letting herself taste him. "Figure if you're allowed to get a kiss in, so'm I."

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

He tastes more like coffee and tea, today, instead of scotch, but he needs a shave again. She can steal a few kisses, then he draws away reluctantly. "I've got to get things off the stove. You'll still eat dinner, right?" He worked hard to make it.

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

"Mmhm. You will too. If I'm not there, I can't make sure you eat well." And if he's nervous about going to see Duncan, she knows he won't eat much.

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

He looks sheepish, going to turn off the burners. He probably won't eat as much as he should, but he'll try. Duncan's probably going to prod him about it, though, so she shouldn't worry too much. They're both good cooks. "I promise, I'll try to behave myself." He smirks a little, but he means that.

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

Kairos leans back, steeples her fingers. "Mmmhm. I'll try to behave myself, too." Pause. "Do you have a cell phone?"

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

"No, sorry... I... haven't had anybody to call." He gives her a weak smile from over by the stove. The last time he was in a position to have a cell phone, they were big, clunky things. He knows times have changed, but with no money and no friends...

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

"Mm. It's okay." She just will worry while he's gone. She might have one for him when he gets back, though. "When were you planning on leaving?"

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

"I have a PINpoint, but I'm still learning how to use it..." He transfers broccoli and rice to dishes while the chicken cools. "I don't know, before I lose my nerve again. Tomorrow, I guess." Theoretically he should get a good night's sleep first, although that's unlikely to work out well.

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

"So.. one more night with me, huh. For a while." She gets up from the table to get drinks. She's craving carbonation, so she gets Pepsi for herself. "What d'you want to drink?" She peers at him from around the fridge door.

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

He nods, blushing just a little. "I'll try not to be gone long." If he's gone more than a day or two, that probably will mean things are actually going well.
"Whatever's there? I don't know. Just water is fine." He's not a big soda drinker, and hot tea with dinner sounds too weird.

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

"Water? Okay." She should understand by now that all the soda in the fridge is hers, and all the hot tea is his. "Well, hon, take all the time you need." Pause. She grins at him, and it's just a little naughty around the edges. "And when you get back, means your welcome home will be.. even better."

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

She should try his hot tea, sometime, he makes it in true British fashion.

Connor sets things out on the table, getting that shy, awkward look again. "No more than a week, I think. And... I'll look forward to getting back."

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

Kai's John Hart is British, or the 51st century British, and he's never made her tea. She'll look forward to it.

She looks a little shy herself. "Okay. I've got plenty things here to keep me company. And maybe when you get back, you can come to the store with me, so you won't be so bored here during the day."

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

All she has to do is ask. Or get sick, and then he'll make her drink lots of it.

"I've got that girl to teach, but... I get restless, the rest of the time. I'd like to see the store." Left to his own devices, he falls into dark thoughts too easily.

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

"You're free to explore, y'know. You like to cook, so you can go to the Way, or work with my sister at her bakery. Or if you explore, you might find someone making swords still by hand. I know there's a guy that make's Cassie's chain mail dresses by hand, so... maybe there's someone who could employ you as a blacksmith?" She guesses. She really has no idea what blacksmiths make, aside from swords.

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

"I'm... out of practice, but..." He looks thoughtful. "Blacksmithing and swordsmithing aren't quite the same thing, but I've done both. I had to make a new blade for my katana, a few..." He pauses, frowning slightly. "About twenty years ago. If I get my money back, though, and found someplace to set up..." He misses it, really, and it's a less than useful skill in his own modern world.

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

Kairos is pretty clueless about a lot of things. But she's curious, and she likes to hear him talk. "Oh. Well. It's something to think about!"

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

It's a shame she likes to hear him talk, because Connor isn't much of a talker. He can go all day without saying a word, until prodded. It's not the slightly raspy voice, that's just natural, but he's spent a lot of time alone, with no reason to speak aloud.

"I guess I should do something, and you wouldn't want me to take up sailing again..." He didn't have anyone to come home to, back when he did that. Once he's got everything on the table, he pulls out a chair for her and waits for her to sit, like a gentleman. Tonight's dinner is special, since it's the last together for a while.

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

"Never been sailing before." she comments. "Oh, thank you hon." She grins up at him and sits. No one really does the chivalry bit with her.

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

Connor doesn't always have the presence of mind or manners to do the chivalry thing, but tonight he's making an effort. "I'll take you sailing sometime, I just need a boat." He eyes the table, making sure he hasn't missed anything, then sits.