Amon sighed as he pulled into the small parking space a good hour
after Robin had returned home. He knew he was overly cautious sometimes,
but he knew she was almost as observant as he was, and if it hadn't been
for the overly strong stage lighting, he bet she would have seen him.
The apartment was dark, and Amon figured that she must have gone to bed. For a brief moment, he wondered how she was managing to pay for rent, food, and school, but slipped it from his mind. Inconsequential.
He wanted to see her. He wanted to go up to the door and knock. He shook his head. He would only check on her living conditions and approach her in the morning. She would be more alert and reasonable then. He didn't want to face the shock she would have upon opening the door to a dead man in the middle of the night.
He glanced around. This seemed to be a very bad neighborhood, but the apartment seemed to be of about medium size. He slipped up the stairs, and a few moments later had the lock open. A soft touch brushed his ankle, and he whipped out his orbo gun, before realizing it was a kitten. His lips twisted into an almost-smile. 'Trust Robin to be sentimental enough to take in stray hairballs,' he thought. He went through the apartment.
He was appalled before realizing that this was probably the best a high school aged girl could get living on her own with (presumably) a part time job. The gas was out. A grungy hot plate sat on the stove, and there was no hot water. There was a patched hole in the ceiling, and there was almost no walking space, let alone storage. The plumbing and electricity (judging from the wires sticking out from all of the walls) were shot. The idea of Robin taking cold showers and trying to get a hot plate (which always either doesn't get hot enough or burns everything in two seconds) to work made him go cold. He was the one meant for hard living conditions and shacks, not Robin! In comparison, his bachelor flat was luxurious!
He slipped silently into the doorway of Robin's room to check in on her, and really did smile at the sight of the kitten batting lightly at her nose to wake her up. Robin twisted in her sleep on the pile of blankets on the floor. At first he thought she was trying to avoid the ministrations of the cat, but then he noticed the fact that she was shaking and whimpering. Before he realized what he was doing, he crossed the room and slipped an arm under her shoulders, gently whispering her name, trying to wake her.
"Robin. It's all right. You're safe. You're all right. We're all right."
Robin dreams of fire slowly melted away, turning into a dream in which Amon was alive. He sat next to her, gentling her, holding her, chasing away all of her fears. Gently, his lips pressed hers, so lightly that she barely felt them. Vaguely, she drifted all night; never sure whether what she dreamed was in fact reality. The next morning, she stretched as she awoke, smiling at her dreams. She had felt comforted, and despite the fact that they weren't real... Her arm encountered something firm, unyielding. She opened her eyes to see Amon sitting cross-legged beside the pallet studying her, while Eve curled up to sleep on his lap. She stared, not daring to believe what her eyes told her. Amon gravely moved the cat and said in his usual calm voice, "Good morning, Robin." "You're alive!" She cried, sitting up abruptly and flinging herself at him. Her tears came again, tears of joy. Her heart nearly burst as his arms closed gently around her, this time in a true embrace and not to tie his coat around her. She looked up into his face, and for once there was an expression there; wonderment. He held her more tightly, and said in a thick voice, "Of course I'm alive. I was more worried about you. The last time I saw you, you were in the center of an explosion. I thought I had killed you." "Amon..." She wasn't quite sure what she was trying to say. She was beginning to realize that she had thrown herself at her mentor, who was ten years her senior. He shook his head, and then slowly, as if unsure of himself (which would be a first for Amon), he lowered his lips to meet hers.
The apartment was dark, and Amon figured that she must have gone to bed. For a brief moment, he wondered how she was managing to pay for rent, food, and school, but slipped it from his mind. Inconsequential.
He wanted to see her. He wanted to go up to the door and knock. He shook his head. He would only check on her living conditions and approach her in the morning. She would be more alert and reasonable then. He didn't want to face the shock she would have upon opening the door to a dead man in the middle of the night.
He glanced around. This seemed to be a very bad neighborhood, but the apartment seemed to be of about medium size. He slipped up the stairs, and a few moments later had the lock open. A soft touch brushed his ankle, and he whipped out his orbo gun, before realizing it was a kitten. His lips twisted into an almost-smile. 'Trust Robin to be sentimental enough to take in stray hairballs,' he thought. He went through the apartment.
He was appalled before realizing that this was probably the best a high school aged girl could get living on her own with (presumably) a part time job. The gas was out. A grungy hot plate sat on the stove, and there was no hot water. There was a patched hole in the ceiling, and there was almost no walking space, let alone storage. The plumbing and electricity (judging from the wires sticking out from all of the walls) were shot. The idea of Robin taking cold showers and trying to get a hot plate (which always either doesn't get hot enough or burns everything in two seconds) to work made him go cold. He was the one meant for hard living conditions and shacks, not Robin! In comparison, his bachelor flat was luxurious!
He slipped silently into the doorway of Robin's room to check in on her, and really did smile at the sight of the kitten batting lightly at her nose to wake her up. Robin twisted in her sleep on the pile of blankets on the floor. At first he thought she was trying to avoid the ministrations of the cat, but then he noticed the fact that she was shaking and whimpering. Before he realized what he was doing, he crossed the room and slipped an arm under her shoulders, gently whispering her name, trying to wake her.
"Robin. It's all right. You're safe. You're all right. We're all right."
Robin dreams of fire slowly melted away, turning into a dream in which Amon was alive. He sat next to her, gentling her, holding her, chasing away all of her fears. Gently, his lips pressed hers, so lightly that she barely felt them. Vaguely, she drifted all night; never sure whether what she dreamed was in fact reality. The next morning, she stretched as she awoke, smiling at her dreams. She had felt comforted, and despite the fact that they weren't real... Her arm encountered something firm, unyielding. She opened her eyes to see Amon sitting cross-legged beside the pallet studying her, while Eve curled up to sleep on his lap. She stared, not daring to believe what her eyes told her. Amon gravely moved the cat and said in his usual calm voice, "Good morning, Robin." "You're alive!" She cried, sitting up abruptly and flinging herself at him. Her tears came again, tears of joy. Her heart nearly burst as his arms closed gently around her, this time in a true embrace and not to tie his coat around her. She looked up into his face, and for once there was an expression there; wonderment. He held her more tightly, and said in a thick voice, "Of course I'm alive. I was more worried about you. The last time I saw you, you were in the center of an explosion. I thought I had killed you." "Amon..." She wasn't quite sure what she was trying to say. She was beginning to realize that she had thrown herself at her mentor, who was ten years her senior. He shook his head, and then slowly, as if unsure of himself (which would be a first for Amon), he lowered his lips to meet hers.