Who? M/K, Professor!verse

Follow up to The Sculptor.

A Long December

A long December and there's reason to believe
Maybe this year will be better than the last
I can't remember the last thing you said as you were leavin'
Now the days go by so fast

And it's one more day up in the canyons
And it's one more night in Hollywood
If you think that I could be forgiven... I wish you would

The smell of hospitals in winter
And the feeling that it's all a lot of oysters, but no pearls
All at once you look across a crowded room
To see the way that light attaches to a girl

And it's one more day up in the canyons
And it's one more night in Hollywood
If you think you might come to California... I think you should.

- Long December, Counting Crows (live version is best)

After the sale of Venus Felix had launched him into the stratosphere of art and sculpture, Keith had used some of the money from the outrageous selling price to return to where he grew up – the hills of Hollywood. The only son of a relatively successful actress and a studio executive, he couldn't have asked for more supportive parents. Recognizing his artistic abilities at an early age, they had provided numerous teachers and mentors, family trips were to Europe to see the work of previous masters, and Christmas presents were usually some sort of top of the line sculpting tool, canvas, or paint. It wasn't a traditional childhood, but it was one that had brought him a lot of happiness. At the end of the day, aside from all the glamour, his parents had an incredibly happy marriage and it was something he craved.

Flipping on the television one evening in December, he was irritated to see some sort of trashy 'infotainment' show on the screen. Moving to change the channel, he paused when a familiar face flashed past.

Her face.

Part of the reason he had escaped the university was because of the memories of her – they were undeniable and everywhere. Tucked away, hidden in the Hills, he didn't have to face their brief past. Turning the volume up, an obnoxiously upbeat anchor said, "The fairytale romance continues… Mina Atkins, most well known for being the model of Keith Logan's worldwide sensation, Venus Felix, has just announced her engagement to the buyer of the sculpture, Ace Gordon."

Keith cringed as he watched the screen – a montage of Mina's quick rise from college junior to one of the most sought after models in the world. Globally, people were delighted that she and Ace, a politically connected, media savvy millionaire had hit it off. Their pictures were constantly splashed on magazine covers and celebrity websites.

The sculptor zapped the mute button, but was unable to tear his gaze from the screen. Disappointment washed over him, forcing him to recognize feelings he had been trying to escape. His cell phone rang. Checking the ID, he was surprised to see Mina's name appear on the screen.

Trying to clear emotion from his voice, he answered gruffly, "Hello?"

"Keith?"

"Yes."

"Oh…is now a good time to talk?"

"What time zone are you calling from?"

"Tokyo."

"That's nice."

Silence stretched across the thousands of miles that separated them. He refused to ask why she was calling, or congratulate her on her engagement.

"So, I have a favour to ask."

"What would that be?"

"I, um, Ace asked me to marry him."

"Mmm-hmmm." Keith, uncharacteristically nervous and unable to keep still began pacing the large foyer.

"I wondered if you could help me with a wedding present."

There was nothing on earth he wanted to do less, and yet, it was impossible to deny any request she had of him. He asked, "What kind of help? Does he want something else from the Venus series?"

"I wanted to commission a new piece."

"With you?"

"Yes."

He hesitated and answered, "I'm fairly busy."

"Please?"

Keith sighed loudly and said, "Sure, when will you be in town?"

He could hear her ruffling through some papers and said, "I've got a free week in January. Are you still on campus? I could meet you at—"

"I moved. I'm in Los Angeles, will that still work?"

"I, uh, okay…if you could just me the address."

"No problem. I need to get back to something – see you soon."

"Thank—" Not caring how rude it was, Keith hung up the phone.

Looking out over the lights of the San Fernando valley he sighed loudly. Leaning his head on the glass, he could only think of one thing to say, "Fuck."