cormac hier ; the chemist (chemist) wrote in emillion, @ 2014-06-21 12:57:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, !log, cormac hier, ridley irving |
thread; cormac & ridley
Who: Cormac & Ridley
What: Cormac invites Ridley to live with him.
Where: Cormac's Clinic.
When: Gemini 5 (MAY 25) [backdate]
Rating: PG
Status: Complete
Just as he had for Emily, Cormac had ordered dinner for two. This time, however, there were no kisses or looks of affection granted toward the person sitting on the other side of the table. The maid had laid everything out, making it easy for them to serve themselves once they had closed up the clinic. There might be some interruptions tonight, but he sincerely hoped he got through this entire pitch before any of that happened. He didn’t know how Ridley felt about him. She’d stood by his side through quite a lot, but he was sure it was her want to do good that had done it. Foolish? Yes, but still admirable in one so young. Her determination was strong, but so was her mind, which made him favor her. She hadn’t questioned the things that he’d asked her to do, and managed to prove that she was more than able to do things like place bets and handle people of ill repute. When he’d heard that she’d been hassled by idiots, he’d made the decision that he would ask her to stay with him at the clinic. While people may not have liked him, the fact that they were willing to attack a girl as slight as Ridley did not sit well with him at all. She was completely harmless, but he understood the stupidity of people in large quantities. They were even more stupid when they were scared. Lashing out at a child was nothing to be ignored. He’d lost one assistant to opportunity. He would not lose another competent one to stupidity. And so, he’d asked Ridley to come upstairs after she’d locked up. He’d gotten two glasses and sat himself down at the table and waited. The table was much cleaner now that they had people in the house. They were people he’d had checked up on after the battle. He didn’t need anything to randomly disappear...or his maid would have to randomly disappear as well. Fingers laced, he leaned back in his chair quietly. The invitation to come upstairs was a surprise for Ridley, but not an unpleasant one— she’d long grown used to Cormac’s requests, rarely questioning them unless they were completely outlandish. For the most part, he was a good employer, though she had no one else to compare to him to. While she often worked long hours, he worked the same hours. He was a good mage and a good person, for all that she knew and glimpsed of him over the months, and so it was without a concern that she finished closing up, changed into another dress, and hurried upstairs. She found him at the table and smiled in greeting, approaching quietly. “Is this for me?” A hand indicated toward the empty chair. “Yes, please have a seat,” Cormac said quietly. Was he actually nervous? It was probably due to the conversation he had with Emily. The woman had pointed out a lot of things he hadn’t expected or thought of. He was simply thinking of his assistant’s safety. He would have done the same for Cyclone, but Cyclone was a grown woman. Ridley had only started to bloom into one. The thought made him frown. “I was wondering…” he started. When he stopped, he almost picked up the bottle, but stopped his hand to pick up something else. “How have you liked working here?” Ridley curled her hands up in her lap upon seating herself and pulling the chair closer, waiting out of politeness for him to begin rather than questioning him. At his inquiry, she tilted her head slightly, considering. “I’ve enjoyed my time here very much,” she admitted, speaking from the heart. “I’ve learned a great deal, and I feel like I have contributed more than I could have from the Tower alone.” She bit back a Why and simply said, “Has something been bothering you?” Considering what the two of them had been through, Cormac was a little surprised at the answer. He thought perhaps she’d answer otherwise, but she never complained, only pointed out ways to positively improve things. It was a wonderful contrast to Cy’s sarcasm. He’d begrudge the woman that, but she got the job done. “No, nothing’s bothering me. Do you want stay here?” He said without bothering to buffer or ease into it. “With me,” he clarified. “You’d have your own room.” He added to not make it weird. The blonde blinked at him, caught off guard by the offer. Stay with him? At the clinic? To live? It wasn’t that the offer wasn’t appealing -- quite the opposite, as she meant every word that she’d said -- but Cormac was such a solitary person, honest and hard-working but solitary, even with Emily in his life. He was the sort who needed time to open up, and she felt so privileged to have seen the softer sides of him during her time at the clinic. Briefly, Ridley wondered if it had been Emily who’d coerced him into this decision, but she smiled nonetheless. “This would be my permanent residence?” Cormac’s eyes watched her closely, to see her reaction. She seemed surprised, which Emily had too, if he recalled correctly. Everyone would probably be ridiculous about the whole affair, but he didn’t mind. As long as she was safe, he’d be fine. Another weakness, if he cared about such things, but he wasn’t the kind of man with a target painted on his back. He could still see Riyeko’s body, or what was left of it somewhere in the back of his mind. At least he would arrange for someone to be watching her back soon, protecting her from all of that. Perhaps it would have been better to employ a mercenary than one of Cian’s lot, but a well-placed unseen knife could be much more effective than an intimidating looking person. “That’s the idea,” he said drumming the table. “If you accept.” Rather than hesitating this time, figuring there was nothing to lose and everything to gain by being closer to Cormac and the clinic, to what she loved to do, Ridley dissolved into a bigger smile. “Yes, of course, I accept. That would be wonderful.” The physician had honestly expected more questions, but the girl had readily accepted. His chest clenched a little at how happy she was about the whole thing. His lip curved making a weird sort of smile that looked more like a grimace. “Good. That’s settled then,” he said lifting a hand and waving toward the food that had been set out. “I’ll show you your room after you finish eating, and you can move in whenever you like.” Ridley drew a hand to her fork, grasping it lightly. “I look forward to it,” she said, and meant it. |