08-14-2014, 10:25 AM
<small>[[continued from The Seeker]]
</small>
Life had settled into a comfortable routine for Connor. He was very happy with that. He didn't need anything big in his life, nothing world shaking. He was content being ih love with a woman who was in love with him, having a job that he enjoyed and challenged him, and having good friends. Now that he had gotten that list to Michael he felt better. He wasn't sure what the kid would do with the list exactly, but he knew it would be something. Hoped it would be, anyway. He'd not only made peace with losing his son, he felt like he'd...well, had done something for him and Ayden and the others like them everywhere. He was happy with that.
Ayden's schedule was crazy strange, but they saw each other every chance they got. He couldn't seem to keep his hands off of her when they were together, nor could he stop being goofy around her. He felt like a kid again with her. And he noticed how hard she worked at her job, putting up with a constantly changing schedule. She was the new girl and her lack of experience put her at the bottom of the totem poll. But she stuck with it- thankfully the people at work liked her, so she wasn't being hit with crap there at least- and dealt with it.
He knew what a sacrifice it had been for her. Necessary, yes. The not-killing wasn't the sacrifice. It wasn't like killing people was a good job to have or a calling or whatever. And she could have been caught, despite her abilities. And even if she hadn't, the damage to her soul, to her humanity, would have been unavoidable especially over time. He couldn't have stayed with her, he knew that much. It hurt him to even think that, but it was true. No, the sacrifice was going from having money and security to being a waitress and a student. She had given up so many things for him and he loved her for it. In truth, it weighed on him a bit, the responsibility, that he wasn't doing enough for her after all that.
At times he still puzzled over her ability to compartmentalize what she had done- killing random people on the word of an inarguably bad paying client- with the kind of person he knew her to be. But then he would remind himself that she didn't do that anymore, that she was working as a waitress to not be a person who did that, that she'd done it for him. She wanted him enough to change that. So it wasn't something to worry about anymore. But of course, it was always there in the back of his mind. He wasn't sure it would ever go away, the wondering. Still, when it really came down to it, he was willing to take the risk, to trust in her and believe in her. He loved her. It was a simple as that. And he was willing to live with the consequences of loving her. She was worth it, completely, totally, 100 percent worth it.
Tonight was one of the few nights she was able to stay over after they had a little fun. Well, a lot of fun. She certainly had a lot of energy. It was a good thing he'd been a runner all those years. Tonight though, after, he was drowsy and drifted off to sleep with her against his chest. It was a peaceful dreamless sleep and almost no time seemed to have passed.
He woke up to Ayden thrashing about, mumbling. He was aware of cold sweat covering her. Did she have a fever? Suddenly she sat up and seemed terrified and startled. She was holding his hand and kind of swaying as if lost. She looked down at him in confusion.
He looked up at her. It'd been a long time since he'd had a dream wake him up. Softly, so as not to startle her, he said "What is it Ayden?"
He put his hand to her cheek and held it there, feeling cool her skin against his hand and smiled at her.
Edited by Connor Kent, Aug 27 2014, 04:06 PM.
</small>
Life had settled into a comfortable routine for Connor. He was very happy with that. He didn't need anything big in his life, nothing world shaking. He was content being ih love with a woman who was in love with him, having a job that he enjoyed and challenged him, and having good friends. Now that he had gotten that list to Michael he felt better. He wasn't sure what the kid would do with the list exactly, but he knew it would be something. Hoped it would be, anyway. He'd not only made peace with losing his son, he felt like he'd...well, had done something for him and Ayden and the others like them everywhere. He was happy with that.
Ayden's schedule was crazy strange, but they saw each other every chance they got. He couldn't seem to keep his hands off of her when they were together, nor could he stop being goofy around her. He felt like a kid again with her. And he noticed how hard she worked at her job, putting up with a constantly changing schedule. She was the new girl and her lack of experience put her at the bottom of the totem poll. But she stuck with it- thankfully the people at work liked her, so she wasn't being hit with crap there at least- and dealt with it.
He knew what a sacrifice it had been for her. Necessary, yes. The not-killing wasn't the sacrifice. It wasn't like killing people was a good job to have or a calling or whatever. And she could have been caught, despite her abilities. And even if she hadn't, the damage to her soul, to her humanity, would have been unavoidable especially over time. He couldn't have stayed with her, he knew that much. It hurt him to even think that, but it was true. No, the sacrifice was going from having money and security to being a waitress and a student. She had given up so many things for him and he loved her for it. In truth, it weighed on him a bit, the responsibility, that he wasn't doing enough for her after all that.
At times he still puzzled over her ability to compartmentalize what she had done- killing random people on the word of an inarguably bad paying client- with the kind of person he knew her to be. But then he would remind himself that she didn't do that anymore, that she was working as a waitress to not be a person who did that, that she'd done it for him. She wanted him enough to change that. So it wasn't something to worry about anymore. But of course, it was always there in the back of his mind. He wasn't sure it would ever go away, the wondering. Still, when it really came down to it, he was willing to take the risk, to trust in her and believe in her. He loved her. It was a simple as that. And he was willing to live with the consequences of loving her. She was worth it, completely, totally, 100 percent worth it.
Tonight was one of the few nights she was able to stay over after they had a little fun. Well, a lot of fun. She certainly had a lot of energy. It was a good thing he'd been a runner all those years. Tonight though, after, he was drowsy and drifted off to sleep with her against his chest. It was a peaceful dreamless sleep and almost no time seemed to have passed.
He woke up to Ayden thrashing about, mumbling. He was aware of cold sweat covering her. Did she have a fever? Suddenly she sat up and seemed terrified and startled. She was holding his hand and kind of swaying as if lost. She looked down at him in confusion.
He looked up at her. It'd been a long time since he'd had a dream wake him up. Softly, so as not to startle her, he said "What is it Ayden?"
He put his hand to her cheek and held it there, feeling cool her skin against his hand and smiled at her.
Edited by Connor Kent, Aug 27 2014, 04:06 PM.