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]

He gives a quiet snort of amusement, even though he knows she's too smart to take him seriously. "Just don't put anything of mine in the freezer?"

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

She cuts her eyes at him. "...Holy crap, you found the inner sleeve I was making for your sword?" All wide-eyed innocence.

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

"...You mean a scabbard?" He's amused.

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

"...Is that what they're called?"

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

"Scabbard, sheath, Saya..." He shrugs, but he seems ready to slip into some kind of teacher mode. "Mine's had a few, I don't even use the one I got it with, anymore, but then, it's not the original blade, either." He gives a quiet, wistful sigh over that.

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

"I see. I expect that after so many years, it'd be pretty hard to keep the original blade and sheath."

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

"I still had Ramirez's until... until a while ago..." Fifteen years ago, like everything else. Losing the people hurt most, but he also had a collection of artifacts and memorabilia collected over the course of his life that was lost in the explosion that killed Rachel.
"But leather only lasts so long, even when it's hardened and treated, and my katana is a lot older than I am."

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

"And lifetimes older than me." she comments. "It's ... so odd, Connor, to look at you and know that you're not just a little older than I am." Kairos pauses. "Is it weird for you, to be attracted to someone so much younger?"

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

Connor nods a little, smiling faintly. The katana is probably at least twice as old as he is, and Ramirez was more than that. Immortals get used to the age gaps, eventually.

"Not... really, no." He looks awkward. "I guess I'm used to it by now. The only women I've ever loved who were my own age was back before I knew what I was. I don't... I've only ever been with one immortal woman." There's something about his expression there, mild distaste, maybe. Obviously she wasn't one of the great loves of his life.

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

"It's more an issue of who they are, instead of how old they may or not be." She understands that. Kairos hasn't ever had a relationship with someone her own age before.

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

He nods, and smiles, watching her. "As long as you don't mind that I'm a grouchy old man." And he is, sometimes. She's been bringing out the best in him, but he can be cantankerous.

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

"Not at all. I can always bling out your walker when you decide you need one."

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

He laughs. "As long as you leave room for a scabbard on it. I don't go anywhere without my sword." It's easier to laugh about these things when he knows he'll never need one...

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

"Sure. 'Property of Connor MacLeod', right along the length of it, in diamonds." She rolls her eyes with a little grin. "I bet you're very 'get offa my lawn' before you have your coffee and bran muffin in the morning." Well, just a little cranky. It's not like she's never seen him before noon.

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

"Diamonds sounds excessive. Gold or silver embossed would be fine." He grins a little. Connor is a morning person, but he can be cranky any time of day. "If I had a lawn..." His smile turns just a little wistful. "There was a time, no immortal came into Manhattan unless they either knew me, or were looking for a fight. Does that count?" If all of Manhattan was his lawn, then he was an ornery bastard, defending it.

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

"Mm. I guess it would!" Kairos had been considering moving before she'd met Connor. She'd been missing a lawn herself. Her 10th floor apartment was great for looking out the windows and seeing the dragons and the beautiful vistas, but Kairos wanted to garden.

Not that she has a green thumb. Her sister seems to be happy out in the country/suburbs so she was kind of jealous.

She's a little afraid to mention it to him, in case it would freak him out or something.

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

"Haven't had a lawn in decades..." He looks a little wistful, actually. New York was good for anonymity, but he grew up in wild places.

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

"Had a big back yard when I was little. Mom .. isn't the type to let us play in the front yard. And gosh forbid we actually get scraped up knees." She grins. "We did anyway, and usually dragged mom's prized Himalayan outside with us. He was Not Happy."

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

"Did you have a swing set?" He smiles, nostalgic and distant. "I built Rachel a swing set..." He was a good single father, in a time when single parents were rare.

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

She shakes her head. "No. Didn't need to swing high in the air when you could take a running jump off of a cliff." If her mother ever finds out about that, she might kill her younger daughter just on principle. "My dad used to take us outside. Swing us around and around by our arms. It wasn't as fun as floating around, or actual flying, but my dad was.." her eyes go distant for a moment. "Have you ever seen The Cosby Show?"

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

"Oh...Heh... I didn't think of that. I used to do that with her, too. She was a tiny little thing..." He's looking a little lost in nostalgia, now, but this is the first time he's been able to reminisce about Rachel without cringing and going into her death. The fact that he's talking about her fifty years ago or more helps.
"The... no... it sounds familiar. I've never been big on TV."

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

"I tend to stay tiny." 5'2", plus the three to five inches she floats..Well, she's still under 'average'. "Anyway, Doctor Huxtable was this doctor who wore these great tacky sweaters on TV. We'll have to watch. But he reminds me of my dad - just less involved."

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

He smirks a little. "You're still bigger than an eight-year-old. But I can try to swing you around if you want."

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

...Well, that has her smirking too. "I could always take you up in the air instead, handsome."

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

He blinks. "You... could float me, too? I'm heavier than I look..." Which is because he's only bone and muscle, and six feet tall.