บท 31: Chapter 7.4
An hour later, both walked out of the bathroom, refreshed and satisfied. Elizabeth, who was wearing a small towel that barely covered her assets, led a towel draped Jason to the dining table which had already been set. Between the two sets of dinnerware was a large bowl of mashed potatoes. Next to it was a gravy cup full of brown sauce, and a pan full of thick, juicy sausages that completed the dish.
"Told you, bangers and tatties, your favorite," Elizabeth beamed while waiting for a compliment. Jason smiled gently as he remembered how, when he lived with her, they would eat this meal whenever she cooked.
The Aether had affected the crops all over Europe, so potatoes became the staple food amongst the people while Elizabeth, who could barely cook, would bake sausages whenever she wanted a 'home meal'. Still, she was right, this dish was Jason's favorite because it was the first meal someone had cooked for him. He could recall how the first spoonful lit up his lonely world, letting him know that there was much more to food than just rye bread and meatless jerky.
"It's perfect," said Jason softly, his gentle eyes on Elizabeth, who turned away to cover her embarrassment by scooping some mashed potatoes onto his plate.
"Shite, it's gone cold," She frowned when she was about to place some sausages on his plate.
Jason sat on a chair as Elizabeth took the pan to warm it up again, but he froze when he turned and saw her. She had bent down to place the pan into the oven and that caused the short towel to lift up and expose herself to him. Jason got up and went behind her, hugging her from behind as he turned off the oven. Then he lifted her to the kitchen counter and started another round with her.
This continued for more than three hours, each battle occurring in a different place. They had two rounds in the living room, one time on the sofa and another on the carpet near the holographic fireplace. Then another in the hallway and, finally, they moved back to the bedroom where they performed twice more.
The two only stopped when both their devices began ringing again. Both sighed simultaneously as they looked at each other; they both knew they had to go. As they tried dressing back up, they couldn't help but laugh. Jason had to go commando since his trousers were ripped, and Elizabeth couldn't use her bra as it was torn.
As Elizabeth buttoned her shirt, she stopped and looked at the ring Jason gave her. She stroked it gently, then she hesitantly took it off and placed it in Jason's hand, who was watching her quietly.
"It was nice, wasn't it? Acting like a married couple for a day?" Elizabeth asked softly while trying to act as normal as possible. As she turned to move away, Jason grasped her arm.
"Maybe - maybe it doesn't have to be just a day," he mused quietly, as Elizabeth turned to look at him incredulously.
Jason had just realized that yesterday's wedding was perhaps more than just an act. No, he was hoping that it was much more.
"Did the sex muddle your head, laddie?" she asked in bewilderment.
"I'm serious," Jason answered shocking Elizabeth to the core. "I - when we exchanged those vows, I might've been more truthful than I let on. You - I did find myself in you. You opened the door showing me .. a whole new world. One that I never knew existed and I… I like you.
"Stay here, Lizzy. Stay here, give up the … killing ... the vengeance and move here. There's plenty of stuff to do here, and we coul- you could stay ... with me. Together,"
Jason urged, his voice breaking multiple times as he opened up to her for the first time.
"Oh laddie," Elizabeth held her tears back as she lifted a hand and stroked his rough stubble. "You know that's not the life for us, we're too … damaged to live a normal life like this. And I … I'm not ready for … that."
Elizabeth turned away to hide her face from Jason who looked back at her with a heartbroken gaze. Despite everything, a part of her felt that she wasn't right for him. She was much older than Jason, and even with Aura Sight, she was still blind. She felt that she would be nothing but a nuisance to him.
"This about your sight?" Jason asked, a hint of despair creeping into his voice as he looked away from her for a second to ready himself before asking her.
"No. Yes! Partially, yes. It is about my eyes. I can't even see you! All I see is some smoky cloud shaped like a human. This … isn't fair. To you, or me." Elizabeth tried explaining while trembling when Jason hugged her from behind.
"It's all right," Jason whispered. "I know what you're worried about but you're wrong. That won't happen, Lizzy. Never. I'll never regret having you. Never."
"I - I need to go," Elizabeth broke away while forcing her tears back and started leaving. This time Jason didn't stop her and he quietly watched her leave through the door.
Another notification came on his holo-watch and reading it surprised him. It was a receipt from the hotel and on it was a list of items provided by the management for room services. The list only included some drinks and a few ingredients for making sausages and mashed potatoes.
She … cooked those herself? He thought. He walked to the kitchen and took some on his plate and started eating. It's delicious … but it's not exactly the same, not without …
He looked back at the door before silently eating the remainders. After putting the plate down, Jason turned to look around at the place one last time, picturing the happy night the two shared before exiting through the window, leaving the place bereft of life. A sigh of wind breezed through the open window, almost as though it was lamenting on how this morning ended.
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