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]

"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."

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

"You saying it was." He grins a little. "Are you going to keep calling me that?" Because he likes it. He could use the self-esteem boost.

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

She chuckles a little. "Well. If that was a surprise, me saying that I want to get you naked shouldn't be that shocking." Kairos drains the coffee - she so didn't need the extra energy, he's in so much trouble when he gets her on that couch! - and sits the mug down. "I dunno. Handsome, gorgeous. There's a couple of things I could call you. If you get on my nerves it might be Mr. MacLeod."

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

He blushes, just a little, but he's grinning and his eyes sparkle. "Not really. But you can keep calling me that. I've never been called that before." He's compared himself to Duncan for centuries. Duncan is older, stronger, dresses better, and gets more women.
Connor finishes his coffee in a gulp, and gets ready to collect the dishes. The coffee is decaf, in fact, but Kairos is probably fueled up plenty anyways.

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

If nothing else, it would work as a placebo. All Kai has to do is look at something loaded with caffeine (or legendary for it) and she vibrates with it. "You're too masculine to be beautiful." But his jawline is, now that she thinks about it. "But I don't think anyone is stupid enough to think you're average or ugly." And Duncan might be older, stronger, dress better - but he won't be getting her.

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

He's looking just a little flustered, and flattered, and collects the dishes to cover for it. "I've always thought I was average." His eyes are too distinctive for that, really. He may be just a little shy of introducing her to Connor until he's more confident of his relationship with her.

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

"I thought I was pretty nondescript myself. My sister is the pretty one." There's something about his jawline covered in the scruff. When she comes home for lunch she has to hold herself back.

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

He shrugs. "I'm not interested in her." That's not just because she's taken, either. She doesn't have whatever it is that Kairos does that's kept him here, when he was only planning to stay one night.
Maybe she should be glad he's so bad about shaving. She may think he's handsome, but he doesn't seem to take much care in his appearance.

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

She smiles. "Good thing. I'd have to go all cave-man and claim you for myself. Plus I'm not sure you could take on her husband." Pause. "Though you can punch him for me."

((also: she says to apologize for her, she'll be rusty till she catches up on episodes.))

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

"Heh. Cave-woman. I don't mind you getting primitive with me." Yes, that is a smirk, as he puts away the leftovers.
"Why do you want me to punch her husband?"

((Understood! And she can msg me herself with questions anytime...))

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

"Silly." She rolls her eyes heavenward but it's clear she's not upset. "He's intent on calling me Fun Size."

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

"I could come up with a better nickname than that." He shakes his head a little, but he's pretty sure that's not a punching offense. Punch in the arm, maybe. Hard. It depends how much she hates being called that.

((Finally posted, with helpful history.))

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

"Of course you could." She's got the utmost faith in him! "Thankfully it hasn't caught on outside of him and his best friend."

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

"I won't repeat it to anybody. Promise." He grins when he says it, but he does mean it.

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

"Thank you. I am not, in fact, a little treat to eat."

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

He gives a snort of laughter and turns away quickly, trying to smother the rest. Connor's mind lives in the gutter.

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

Her eyebrow arches. "What was that, Mr. MacLeod?" she's not upset, she knows exactly where his mind is at.

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

"You said it, not me." He's trying, very hard, to sound innocent. He's failing badly. She'd better be nice though, because he's putting away the leftovers she'll be eating for the next few days.

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

"Do you disagree or something?" She's totally fishing.

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

"If I get into this, you just might punch me," He grins anyway, and kisses her forehead in passing as he clears off the table. "So let's just leave it at that, Sundrop."

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

"I'd have to reach it first. You might have time to run." And she pauses, then smiles as she decides she likes it. "Sundrop?"

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

He smiles, and tweaks a lock of her golden hair, and carries the last of the dishes to the kitchen. Sunshine didn't seem quite right, but she's been an unexpected piece of sunlight, dropping into his life. A much-needed one.

[kairos-aether.livejournal.com]

She grins up at him. "Come sit on the couch with me?"

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

"If I sit on the couch, where were you going to sit?" He runs water over the dishes, and leaves them. He's been the ideal house guest, cooking and cleaning everything for them both. She'll have to do that for herself while he's gone, and he doesn't really feel like doing dishes his last night before going away for a week. Or more. Hopefully not much more.