acontritemess | Reunion;

Reunion;

[That meeting had been annoying, awkward, and left Nathan with a bitter taste in his mouth. The last time he'd joined the lot of them in battle, he'd nearly killed them all, himself included. Now they wanted him to join a concerted effort to assault one of their adversary's weapons depots.

It felt really weird calling them "adversaries", but that's what Natalia insisted on calling them, and who was he exactly to argue with a centuries-old vampire? He couldn't help but smile at that thought. Tony'd hate him for it. "Does that make me an exception, Nathaniel?" He could hear it already. The little meeting they'd had after the main one was boring, and he let Cairn do the majority of the talking.

He was actually finding himself a little exhausted from all the meeting he'd been doing. A year was a long time to be in seclusion and contemplative meditation with only one other person for company and he could already tell it was going to take some to to acclimate to being around people again. There was actually only one person he wanted to talk to at the moment. He hadn't seen her for over a year, and she looked so...different now. Not anything too noticeable, just subtle differences. She held her shoulders straighter, made eye contact. She was more confident, that was it, and it was hot.

Adorable, but hot. Like she'd always been, like he'd remembered her to be. Finally he was dismissed for the night to go back to the rooms they'd prepared for him, and he didn't waste any time getting out of there.

What he wasn't planning on was stumbling upon Luther the Egotistical Prick and Airy in the hall. She didn't look happy to be there and Nathan's eyes immediate narrowed.]

I'm not interrupting anything, am I? [His voice was even, controlled. He didn't like what he was seeing, but the past year had taught him that much at least. How to control his anger, at least to an extent.]

[Luther responds to his question, but doesn't even give Nathan the respect of turning to look at him when he does.] As a matter of fact you are.

[Nathan's tone darkens slightly.] I wasn't asking you.

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[Nathan frowned a little at the mention of her hometown. He knows what they found there, and what she'd done to the place and the people in it, but he wasn't going to mention it. Besides, this was a good moment. There was no need to ruin it. He was actually surprised at how much he missed coffee.

Well, he was for a moment, until he remembered the month-long headache he had after leaving New York.

It looked like a renewed caffeine addiction was in his future.

He couldn't say he really cared all that much. He nodded at her explanation.]

Yeah. Island Falls, right? That's a weird name for a town.

[Airy looks over at him with a smile.]

What? I always thought it was a cool name. Made it sound like I was from a town in a fairy tail.

[Except that a bunch of crazy stuff has happened since she thought that about her home and there are still times when she wishes things would go back to normal. Airy doesn't really remember what normal is anymore.

She takes a sip of her coffee, feeling the caffeine and warmth move through her.]

Want to know a secret? [She breaths against the lip of her cup and then takes another sip.] I haven't been to starbucks since you left. Coffee made me miss you.

[She also didn't go to 'breakfast' because it always smelt like coffee. It was annoying when you wanted the person it reminded you of to be back.]

[He laughed at her description. It was so, typically and refreshingly Airy. God, he missed her.]

Yeah, I guess it kind of does.

[But at her admission, his eyebrows rose and he looked over to her and just looked for a moment.]

...seriously?

[Airy sudden feels very awkward. She looks over at him trying to keep her tone even as if it isn't a big deal.]

What? You drink coffee all the time.

[...and talk about it a lot. It isn't her fault that she's associated the memories to him. Clearly, it's his fault and that stare is not appreciated because her cheeks are beginning to feel very very warm.

Airy promptly looks away sipping her coffee. The compound is just around the corner so maybe the conversation will drop when they get inside.]

[Do I really talk about coffee that much? ...damn, I had a serious caffeine problem...]

I just...didn't realize you cared that much.

[Airy blinks a few times looking from Nathan to the sidewalk and then to her coffee.]

Why would I not care?

[She's a little confused and she doesn't really want to mention how angry and hopeless she felt when he left. Remembering Nathan... hurt because she missed him. Isn't that normal when friends leave?]

We're friends Nathan...

[Or at least she hopes so...]

[He smiles, nodding.]

Of course we are, I just...didn't know... [That I meant that much to you?]

[Airy feels a little awkward but she pushes the feeling aside.]

Well now you do. [She smiles and then pushes opened the door with her hip when they get back.]

Um... can you get the door?

[She has her and Rachel's coffee.]

[He was already ahead of her and pushed the door open, holding it for her to pass by.]

Yeah...I guess I do. [And he can't keep the smile from his face so he looks back toward the city bashfully. Maybe she won't notice as he passes by.]

[Airy doesn't seem to notice, now focused on the full coffee clamped lightly between her fingertips. She just has to get this bribe to Rachel and then she can show Nathan everything.]

Hey, [She looks back at him taking what felt like the last sip to her coffee. She drank it to fast and she misses it.]

I'm going to run this to Rachel. [She holds up the coffee.] Want to come with or... [Her voice trails off.]

Gus is making breakfast.

[Airy doesn't want to leave Nathan's side until she is sure he's not going anywhere again but she knows that it's silly and it's not worth mentioning or acting on.]

Uh, sure. Lead the way. [Because he honestly didn't spend much time here before he left, and he really doesn't know the place.]

Gus knows how to make stuff other than hotdogs? [He chuckles.] Or wait, are they breakfast hotdogs?

[Airy turns away and laughs as she steps down the hallway.]

You know, I've gotten him to make hotdogs for breakfast before but he makes really good eggs too.

[She can rant on and on about breakfast.]

Rachel's... office I guess it close to my room. Once we drop this off we'll swing by there and then hit breakfast.

[She's only telling him her plans so that he knows where they are heading. The annoying part of this place is that most of the hallways look the same. Airy got lost a lot when she first woke up.]

[He laughs, shaking his head, and takes a sip of his coffee. He did not drink his too fast, he still has plenty left, and he's pretty sure it's turning him into a god, because it tastes like ambrosia.]

You know, I'm not surprised. [A beat.] Well, I am about the eggs.

[And he nods, keeping step with her. He doesn't really care where they go, if he's honest, so long as he's spending time with her.]

I was surprised to.

[She isn't sure if she is more surprised about Gus being able to cook things besides hot dogs or him being a werewolf.

Airy turns the corner and then pauses hearing a familiar high pitch squel shouting at her from a little ways down the hall.]

Airy!

Hi Belle, your mom here?

[The little girl giggles, nods at Airy and then stares up at Nathan.]

This is Nathan.

[She looks over at him with a smile. Rachel sometimes comes with a small child also.]

[Nathan smiles down at her.] Hey, it's nice to meet you, Belle. You're really excited for it to be this early.

[He seems to remember a young girl from a year ago, but only vaguely. He's starting to realize how much he doesn't know about this place.]

[Airy has a sinking suspicion that things were bound to get awkward fast, if only because of the few tidbits of information Airy has shared about Nathan. Before Belle could ask the first question that is most likely rising in her thoughts Airy looks down and preempts her with a smile.]

Why not lead us to your mom before the coffee I got her gets cold.

[Belle seems to know what Airy's game is because she puffs up her cheeks and then stares at Airy. Airy just stares back and in no time at all Belle's concentration breaks into a giggle.]

You win. It's this way. [She runs to Nathan and grabs his hand with her two small ones.] Come on! Is Papa with you? I haven't seen him in a million years!

[Airy laughs as she steps towards the nearest door.]

It hasn't been that long. [While Airy is nice to Belle she's the sort of person who treats both children and adults the same.

She peeks into the room letting Belle entertain Nathan for the time; even if that comes back to bite her. She smiles a little wider and a little sheepishly when she spots Rachel at a thin wooden desk. The woman looks up and her lips curled into a beautiful smile. Belle had given away the fact that they were coming down the hall so of course she doesn't look surprised.]

I brought you coffee. [Airy smiles weakly while Rachel gives her a silent motherly look that merely says 'and?'.] It's a bribe. [She continues softly feeling more and more put on the spot. Airy gets the feeling that Rachel already knows that Nathan is back.]

I wanted to show Nathan around. [She pauses.] And get out of practice today?

[Rachel continues to smile and Airy has no idea how this woman can both be one of her close friends and make her squirm like her mom used too. Silence lingered in the air, only filled by Belle's endless chatter. Finally Rachel spoke and then reached for her bribe.]

Only if you introduce him to me.

[Meanwhile, out in the hall, Nathan has been left at the mercy of Belle, and he smiles first, nodding.] Papa? You mean Cairn? Yeah, he's here. He's the one who brought me back.

Did he make you learn your Latin letter and say them back to him when you made him mad?

[Nathan's eyes narrow at the question.]

Uh...yeah, actually...

[She giggles and covers her mouth.] But it's really easy!

[Nathan laughs, shaking his head even though the little girl is the only one currently able to see it.] Maybe for a genius.

[Belle's little brow furrowed in confusion.] It was hard for you? But Airy says you're really smart! And she says you're funny, too!

[Nathan's eyes dart back toward the room before he smirks slightly and crouches down to be more on her level. He leans forward, whispering conspiratorially.]

What else has Airy said about me?

[Belle's lips curl into a child like smile that suggests she's doing something she isn't supposed too. She leans forward and hurriedly whispers in Nathan's ear like a pixy whispering its secrets.]

She says you're an amazing actor and she wants to see you perform in a musical. Mommy teases her a lot when your name comes up and it always breaks Airy's concentration. She says-

[Airy suddenly feels very nervous and she doesn't even know what the conversation out in the hall is about. She just nods at Rachel before peeking around the door frame. She's just in time to stop Belle from getting to the horribly embarrassing part of her tale.]

Nathan? Come in and say hi. Rachel wants to meet you.

[Nathan's smile of bashful excitement falls apart he hears Airy's voice behind him. He swallows and looks over his shoulder, nodding.]

I'm on the way.

[He looks back to Belle and whispers.] We'll finish this conversation later. [And he turns toward the door to meet Rachel, smiling amicably.]

[Airy blinks noticing Nathan's expression. She raises an eyebrow and looks from Nathan to Belle.]

What were you two talking about?

[Her words sound weary however Belle just giggles and runs back into the room with her fingers over her lips. Airy watches Nathan for a few seconds as he heads into the room too.

Yeah, she has totally just missed something.]

[Nathan smiles as he heads in after Belle, eyebrows raised innocently.]

Nothing, really. You know kids.

[Airy really doesn't believe him but she doesn't really want to argue about it. She wants to get to her room to give him the plant she found in Rome.

She walks in after him and Rachel just smiles at Nathan.]

The infamous Druid. It's nice to meet you formally Nathan. You've been training under my Grandfather so I suppose I should apologize as well.

[Rachel stands and holds out her hand as she speaks more formally than Airy is used too.]

I wasn't able to see you before you left. Seth, Belle and I were working on something important. [That important thing was Airy...]

[Nathan takes her hand and returns the handshake, though he looks more than a little confused.]

I'm infamous? That's news to me. I guess your grandfather didn't think keeping me abreast of new was important. [He shrugs.] He's not so bad, once you get past his love of nature, his weird problem with running water, and the demand for no power. [He smiles, though.]

It's nice to meet you, too.

[Rachel's smile stays in place and her eyes flick between Nathan and Airy with a knowing gaze. Belle moves to cling to her mothers side as if that includes her in the conversation.]

The Creator and The Druid? You two are very well known, best get used to it.

[She waves a hand and then looks down at Belle.]

I've given Airy the day off so go have fun but tomorrow. [Her smile widens and her eyes shine at Airy.]

Ah! Right tomorrow. [Airy takes Nathan's hand and pulls him from the room.] Tomorrow.

[Seriously Rachel is going to kill her if she begins asking Nathan questions.]

[Nathan waves a hand as he's pulled from the room.]

It was nice meeting you, and you too, Belle.

[Once they're gone from the room, though, he looks over to Airy, confused.]

...so, what happens tomorrow?

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