05-22-2014, 12:27 PM
Connor's heart was close to bursting with relief and release and emotion, out of breath and covered in sweat. He looked down at her, hair now a rumpled disarray on the pillow, and she was breathing heavily too, eyes gazing into his with such intensity, such...he didn't know. But at that moment, he knew he was looking into her soul and he somehow knew that the tiny thread that had begun only a short time ago had become something more. There was something here. He knew it could go many ways. Life was like that. She had her secrets, secrets that he didn't begrudge at all. He would give her her space.
But she had given something to him tonight, balm to his soul. And he had left her with something too. He wasn't sure what it was. He hoped...he hoped it was the knowledge that she could trust him. He had given her his essence, had held nothing back with her. This was no drunken hook-up, no desperate and fleeting attempt to scratch an "itch", no settling because he didn't want to be alone anymore. This was deeper than any of that. But he would give her space. He was content to let it play out as it would, now. There was fear, of course. Years of being emotionally guarded when it came to women were not easily cast aside without trepidation. But for the first time in he didn't know how long, he had opened himself to the possibility of getting hurt. Looking into her eyes, seeing the way she looked at him...it was worth the risk.
She smiled up at him and said, That wasn't your first time.
He couldn't help but laugh a little. First time? Did that feel like it was my first time?, he was going to say, but her tone said this wasn't a joke. That, and after she rolled him over and draped an arm over his chest, she began nuzzling his neck and chest, kissing him while her other hand playfully teased the rest of his body. She better be careful, or she's gonna see round 3. Not immediately- he wasn't superman- but still. It had been a long time and he still felt that magnetic pull to her, that he wanted to live inside her.
But at the same time, he was content to leave things for now. More content than he had been in years. He felt at peace with her. For a lot of reasons, he realized. For one thing, there was the fire. She was a magic user, like the others. Knowing that somehow felt....right. It fit into this new world that he found himself in. He could traverse this universe with her and not be an interloper.
Her words, then, surprised him by touching on that very subject, as they were incongruous with her playful actions. Between kisses, she asked "Where you there when your son's spark manifested?"
He was caught off guard. Part of him hesitated to speak more about that....but this was not the same time as before. They had shared something deep and real, and now could come more intimacy. And he trusted her as he hadn't trusted anyone in a long time. He decided to be completely open about it. Sharing it would be hard, but if this was what he hoped it could be, it was good to start now.
"No, I wasn't there. Hayden- my son- was away at school in Albuquerque. He had been rock-climbing with some friends and fell. It should have killed him but it didn't. He was fine."
He stopped, remember the burst of relief he had felt at knowing his son was ok. Ironic. "A few days later he came down with the sickness. We were there, his mom and I. She was adamant that we not take him to the hospital, that there was a danger to him. At the time I only half believed her."
He closed his eyes, remembering, "He held on for a few weeks. We were by his side that whole time."
He pressed his lips together, forcing himself to remember the truth. "It was good we were there. He was safe with us, sheltered. It was the last, best thing we could do, in the end. Before he died."
His throat still tightened at the memory. But he was grateful for it, that Hayden died knowing he was loved, and not scared and alone.
He lifted her head up and looked her in the eye, serious. "I will keep your secret. But you have to be careful."
He stroked her hair, her cheek tenderly, protectively. "There are people who would kill you for what you can do. They think they are protecting the world."
Anger briefly came to the surface at the thought. "They put them down like dogs."
He remembered her evasiveness. "Maybe you already know that. I know you don't want to talk about where you a from. I'm ok with that. I only want you to tell me when you feel comfortable.'
He stopped. He meant it. Then he went on, back to the subject. "So maybe you already know about them and are running from them. If that's the case, well...that's ok. I want to be with you."
At that point he stopped himself. He knew the rules. He didn't want to scare her off. But he wanted to be honest. It was such a gamble. He thought he knew this woman well enough, now....but to let her know the feelings and life that she had resurrected after they had been dead for so long, that he ached to be with her....he was afraid he'd scare her off. "I want to be with you....if you want that. If not, I understand."
He laughed good-naturedly and put on a face. "I'm a big boy. I won't die."
His laughter died. He stroked her face, watching her eyes, now dark with mystery. He looked, fearing how she would respond.
Edited by Connor Kent, May 22 2014, 12:35 PM.
But she had given something to him tonight, balm to his soul. And he had left her with something too. He wasn't sure what it was. He hoped...he hoped it was the knowledge that she could trust him. He had given her his essence, had held nothing back with her. This was no drunken hook-up, no desperate and fleeting attempt to scratch an "itch", no settling because he didn't want to be alone anymore. This was deeper than any of that. But he would give her space. He was content to let it play out as it would, now. There was fear, of course. Years of being emotionally guarded when it came to women were not easily cast aside without trepidation. But for the first time in he didn't know how long, he had opened himself to the possibility of getting hurt. Looking into her eyes, seeing the way she looked at him...it was worth the risk.
She smiled up at him and said, That wasn't your first time.
He couldn't help but laugh a little. First time? Did that feel like it was my first time?, he was going to say, but her tone said this wasn't a joke. That, and after she rolled him over and draped an arm over his chest, she began nuzzling his neck and chest, kissing him while her other hand playfully teased the rest of his body. She better be careful, or she's gonna see round 3. Not immediately- he wasn't superman- but still. It had been a long time and he still felt that magnetic pull to her, that he wanted to live inside her.
But at the same time, he was content to leave things for now. More content than he had been in years. He felt at peace with her. For a lot of reasons, he realized. For one thing, there was the fire. She was a magic user, like the others. Knowing that somehow felt....right. It fit into this new world that he found himself in. He could traverse this universe with her and not be an interloper.
Her words, then, surprised him by touching on that very subject, as they were incongruous with her playful actions. Between kisses, she asked "Where you there when your son's spark manifested?"
He was caught off guard. Part of him hesitated to speak more about that....but this was not the same time as before. They had shared something deep and real, and now could come more intimacy. And he trusted her as he hadn't trusted anyone in a long time. He decided to be completely open about it. Sharing it would be hard, but if this was what he hoped it could be, it was good to start now.
"No, I wasn't there. Hayden- my son- was away at school in Albuquerque. He had been rock-climbing with some friends and fell. It should have killed him but it didn't. He was fine."
He stopped, remember the burst of relief he had felt at knowing his son was ok. Ironic. "A few days later he came down with the sickness. We were there, his mom and I. She was adamant that we not take him to the hospital, that there was a danger to him. At the time I only half believed her."
He closed his eyes, remembering, "He held on for a few weeks. We were by his side that whole time."
He pressed his lips together, forcing himself to remember the truth. "It was good we were there. He was safe with us, sheltered. It was the last, best thing we could do, in the end. Before he died."
His throat still tightened at the memory. But he was grateful for it, that Hayden died knowing he was loved, and not scared and alone.
He lifted her head up and looked her in the eye, serious. "I will keep your secret. But you have to be careful."
He stroked her hair, her cheek tenderly, protectively. "There are people who would kill you for what you can do. They think they are protecting the world."
Anger briefly came to the surface at the thought. "They put them down like dogs."
He remembered her evasiveness. "Maybe you already know that. I know you don't want to talk about where you a from. I'm ok with that. I only want you to tell me when you feel comfortable.'
He stopped. He meant it. Then he went on, back to the subject. "So maybe you already know about them and are running from them. If that's the case, well...that's ok. I want to be with you."
At that point he stopped himself. He knew the rules. He didn't want to scare her off. But he wanted to be honest. It was such a gamble. He thought he knew this woman well enough, now....but to let her know the feelings and life that she had resurrected after they had been dead for so long, that he ached to be with her....he was afraid he'd scare her off. "I want to be with you....if you want that. If not, I understand."
He laughed good-naturedly and put on a face. "I'm a big boy. I won't die."
His laughter died. He stroked her face, watching her eyes, now dark with mystery. He looked, fearing how she would respond.
Edited by Connor Kent, May 22 2014, 12:35 PM.