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Post by Lizzie on Jun 25, 2014 4:35:28 GMT
Saying goodbye to Jaime had been difficult for a multitude of reasons. They had grown close, or at least he had felt they had, in the time that the hunter spent with him. It was quite a long time for both of them, it had seemed. It took weeks for Jaime to fully heal and to stop tearing his stitches. In that time they had shared jokes, stories, meals and more. It was the first time in a very long time that the healer truly felt like he had a friend.
He'd even, cose to the time that Jaime had to leave, had told him part of his story. About turning dark, his family. Dominic never thought he would have told anyone his story but he wanted to. He wanted to tell the hunter every time blue eyes leveled on his own and smiled while politely changing the subject so he didn't ask to much. What did he have to lose by telling him? By letting the hunter in?
Little did he know, he had everything to lose. Telling Jaime made him realize that pain, but also made him hyper aware of how important Jaime had come to be to him. It also made him realize that the hunter would leave and, possibly, never return again save for to kill him. He never told him his fears, his worries, or the feelings he'd started to feel. What did he expect would come of them? Jaime was a hunter and they lived very separate and different lives...then there was how dark he'd been and how dark he could become again.
Why would Jaime ever see him like that? Ever want to take a chance on something like him? So he gave him a hug and saw him to the edge of his wards before saying his final farewells. That was all he ever expected and the last he thought he would see of Jaime the hunter.
But, camped out near the edge of his property, eating from an open can of beans and roasting a rabbit over a fire was that very hunter once again. How long had he been there? WHY was he there?
Dominic had a lot of questions, but he shouldered his bag, raised a brow and spoke. "Now, why exactly is a hunter camping outside my territory? Come to take me down after all, my friend?" The healer teased.
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Post by Shea on Jun 25, 2014 5:12:38 GMT
Truthfully, Jaime had been hard pressed to leave. He'd come to enjoy the quiet life Dominic had out in his woods. It was peaceful, waking up to the warm sun on his face and cooking simple meals together. And honestly, going from not being able to bathe himself to being able to run and shoot again had felt like the biggest accomplishments of his life. And Dominic had looked so damn proud.
It'd been a long time, since someone had cared or been proud or respected him as more than a good shot. And he'd be lying if he said he hadn't started to care for the healer as something more than just a friend. The way Dominic had opened up to him, near the end; how they'd shared the darker stories they held to each other... Jaime missed that closeness, and he saw a chance for it again in Dominic.
He hadn't acted on it. He was a human, and a hunter. Dominic was long-lived and while human, he was also more than that. And more than anything, he feared losing him. He couldn't lose someone like Macken again. His sanity wouldn't survive it. So he'd healed, and kept his emotions quiet, and when there wasn't any reason for him to stay, he'd gone.
And he'd been gone a long time. Part of it was because of the chest he kept beside him; full of expensive and hard to come by herbs and salves. That'd taken months to gather. Another was because he'd gotten caught back up in hunting. After the first day of his return, Markus had filled him in a job he hadn't had another hunter able to look into yet. And then another. He had fallen back into his old routine, lost track of time.
Eight months and six days later, he finally found himself sitting in the woods near Dominic's home. Or, where he assumed it was. He'd stopped trying to find it when the wards had somehow turned him back around and made him walk in a circle. He wasn't ready to press past that into the more dangerous ones. So he'd set up camp. And he'd waited.
And feared that Dominic would never show up.
Relief bloomed in his chest, when on the second day he heard the sound of footsteps and that calm, masculine voice. He kept his cool, continued to eat the rationed beans he'd packed for the trip and turn the rabbit he was roasting. "We both know if I had you wouldn't of found me with my pants down, so to speak," Jaime teased back, finally turning to look at him.
He hadn't aged at all. Jaime hadn't expected him to. He looked the same, from the grey in his hair to the curls of it; the same dark eyes, captivating eyes. It made him all the more aware of the new scars he carried; one from a tree branch, of all things, across his upper lip. And another, from an actual terror, along his neck. And the few grey streaks that had cropped up in his hair.
He'd meant to dye it, before he'd come here. But the act of vanity had made him feel guilty. He was returning to repay a friend. Not going on some date.
Standing, Jaime brushed his jeans off. "It's good to see you, Dom. I was wondering if you'd show up, or if this trip and all these supplies were to be for nothing," he motioned to the closed chest at his feet.
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Post by Lizzie on Jun 25, 2014 6:34:13 GMT
"Oh so you wouldn't even pay me the kindness of facing off in a fair fight? ANd here I thought we were friends." Dominic chuckled, looking over the handsome young man. It had been almost a year and yet it had felt like more. Other patients had come and gone in the time since Jaime left, but none had left him feeling quite the same once they left. His days felt long and boring, when he'd always been more than comfortable with his simple life.
Many times he considered turning on the prepaid phone he'd bought the hunter ages back and trying to get in touch..But he never had. He was sure that Jaime had moved on and forgotten him but now he could see that wasn't the case. Sure, Dominic didn't expect that the hunter held any affection for him as more than friends, but it was still good to see him, good that he ame back even if for a short while.
Seeing Jaime had put another worry to rest in him, a worry that kept him up some nights....A hunter's life was a dangerous one, and he would have no way of knowing if Jaime's had come to an end. He walked closer to him, eyeing the chest with confusion. "Supplies? Now are you sure that's the only reason you come to visit me? You haven't missed me, have you? And look, you even put highlights in your hair to make this old man feel even more comfortable around you." He chuckled, teasing the other before offering a friendly hand to the sitting hunter. "It's been a while my friend, I'm glad to see you well."
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Post by Shea on Jun 25, 2014 6:45:25 GMT
Jaime took the offered hand and pulled the taller man into a hug. He drew away laughing, and ran a hand self-consciously through his long hair. It was only a few strands here and there, really. He didn't think it'd gotten so bad. "Yeah... life is starting to take it's toll, I suppose."
He wondered if it had to do with his very near-death experience months ago. Or maybe the years of hunting were finally starting to catch up with him. Either way, he really wished he HAD dyed it, now.
But he shook the thoughts. Dominic was his friend. Not some guy he was trying to woo. How he looked wouldn't matter to Dominic; wouldn't matter to just a simple friend.
He smiled, crouching down in front of the chest. "Don't make light of my hard work. Some of these weren't easy or cheap to come by," he told the healer, opening the lid to show him the collection. Turning his gaze up and him, a small smile pulled at his lip, spreading the new scar just slightly and making it look a little crooked. "But of course I missed you. I was worried you'd have lost your ability to socialize and I'd find you caw'ing at birds."
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Post by Lizzie on Jun 25, 2014 9:59:51 GMT
Dominic chuckled. "Don't fret so much, Jaime. A lot of men with dark hair and under your level of stress get grey hair early in their life. My brother had many before he even hit 26. I used to tease him" The hug had been welcome and had made him feel some of their closeness flittering back after this long time apart. It was good but it made him realize just how badly he'd really missed him.
He wanted to kick himself for even thinking that he had almost wished Jaime was back in his clinic, healing from his wounds. But he tore himself away from the thought, looking down at the chest full of items. Blue eyes grew wide at the items he saw there. Dragon scales, mermaid's song, Siren feathers, traveler's fortune, harpy's breath...and many other hard to acquire items and herbs.
"Christ Jaime...some of this stuff is beyond rare and expensive....and a few are illegal." He tossed a look to the hunter, a look of confusion. Part of him didn't understand why he'd done it, another part didn't care and wanted to kiss him for it. Just a pinch of mermaid's song in that foul concoction he often drank to dull his desire to turn dark and it would last longer...but it often took quite a lot to acquire the herb as mermaids tended to keep such things away from even their allies for various reasons. One reason being how easy it was to create a love potion distilled from the herb and succubus tears.
He stood and shoved the hunter's shoulder. "Cawing at birds...what do I look like, the son of a harpy?" He chuckled, still looking over the items he saw there, too scared to dig further in the chest and almost afraid of what the hunter might want in return for it. he was his friend, and Dominic cherished him...but not many people just gifted a box full of rare and expensive ingredients.
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Post by Shea on Jun 25, 2014 15:19:07 GMT
Jaime let out a startled wheeze of a laugh. "Do you really think I'm concerned with legality?" he asked. "Some of the guns I own are illegal for civilians to carry. I've got a multitude of fake credit cards and forms of identification. If I ever got caught, they'd have a field day with me."
He laughed again at the shove, glad beyond relief that they seemed to already being falling back into the comfortableness they'd had before he'd gone. It was something the hunter was so starved for he'd never take for granted.
But even the joy he felt sort of dulled when he saw the look of confusion and even hesitance that washed over the healer's face. "Dom... ?" he murmured, wanting to reach out to him. Had he done something wrong? "You saved my life. I wanted... to repay you. I had Sierra help me make up a list of what would be invaluable to you. She specifically said the mermaid's song would help when making those elixirs..."
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Post by Lizzie on Jun 25, 2014 16:15:50 GMT
He felt himself relax and he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He didn't dare continue that some of the items there were illegal, not to normal human law, but to a higher, much less forgiving law. Instead he smiled and stood, walking to wrap his arms around his friend once again. "You are such a fool, you have already repaired me for what I've done."
The embrace lingered for a moment longer than it should have but he still pulled back, giving the human man a smile. "I can't believe you did all of this just to repay me. You sure you didn't use it as an excuse to come visit me?" The healer teased. "I do appreciate it, some of these items I've been in sore need of for a long time but, you know me and how very bad I am at being social."
Dominic was touched, more than just a little, by his friend's actions. On top of the overwhelming happiness of seeing him again, now he had the thought in his mind that Jaime had done this for him. To him, it was so much more than just returning a favor....
"Come, you should come back to the cottage with me. I've got better food cooking tonight than those beans you were shoveling earlier. The rabbit might go nicely with what I was cooking, as well."
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Post by Shea on Jun 25, 2014 16:30:22 GMT
Between the lingering hug and the way Dominic kept bringing up that Jaime might have missed him, the hunter couldn't help but wonder if he was missing something. Did... Dominic know? Was he able to pick up the racing in his heart when Jaime had first seen him? He was a healer, after all. And bodies gave signs of emotions.
But he didn't say more than that, so Jaime let it go. "I value my life a little more than you think, if you think this was too much of a trouble for me. It look a while to collect it, but... it was worth it, if you'll find use in the items."
The offer to once again share a meal with Dominic made him smile. "Oh, really? Well then what are we still doing here?" he turned back to his meager campsite. It was simple enough to toss the can of beans, wrap up the cooking rabbit, and grab his backup. He hoisted the chest up onto a shoulder, and kicked dirt over the little fire pit.
"Lead the way, o' healer," Jaime teased. "I've got some nice brandy, a reward from a grateful survivor, to go with dinner."
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Post by Lizzie on Jun 25, 2014 16:41:06 GMT
"Well, I would argue but it pleases me too much to see a hunter who actually values their life." Dominic smiled, offering to take one of the items off his hands. He didn't want to be too obvious in his affections for the hunter but he knew hew was bound to let SOMETHING slip if he partook in too much brandy...her still didn't decline ad that surprised himself.
Perhaps he wanted a reason to let it slip in conversation.... "Well you're certainly in for a surprise my young hunter friend. I don't mean to boast but my cooking has gotten even better since you last graced me with your presence." Dominic tried to distract himself and lead the conversation even while he lead his friend through the winding wards on the trek to his cottage.
"A few months back I treated this lovely young woman. She was quite the cook and she taught me a few new recipes and herbs to use to give boosts in flavor. It was quite an educational experience, not unlike your visit...though she taught me a few less fatal skills than you." The healer chuckled.
To some degree, DOminic still couldn't believe he was back and STILL couldn't believe that all the feelings were as strong and as fresh as the day he left. He wanted to kiss him and hold him and run his fingers through that long, dark hair. He yearned for those moans the dreamer's root had dug from him...but he just smiled and pushed them back down and locked those feelings away as tightly as he could manage.
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Post by Shea on Jun 26, 2014 1:02:08 GMT
Jaime listened absently as they walked, trying to figure out how to get through the wards. It only ended up giving him a headache, and he turned his full attention back to the conversation just in time to hear Dominic speak of a "lovely young woman".
His heart sunk. Dominic had had a wife, once. And a son. And now he had met someone else? Someone educational? He couldn't help but wonder just what that "education" had entailed. And it only made Jaime suspect again that perhaps his friend wouldn't be interested in him. Maybe he only liked women.
"Made a new friend, hmm? And a "lovely, young" one at that? Should I expect to meet someone when we get back to your house?" He tried to make it teasing, but there was a bitterness in his voice that he hated. Dominic didn't owe him his affection. He didn't even owe him his friendship, and here he was acting like a spoiled child. He hung his head, jaw locking as they walked on.
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Post by Lizzie on Jun 26, 2014 1:17:59 GMT
Dominic noticed a hint of something in the other's voice that was beyond just playful teasing. It had been so long since he'd been around him, since he'd been social that he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was, so instead he just chuckled and moved forward. "You will find nothing but an empty house and an angry cat. I'm pretty certain her and I were very far from each other's type, if that's what you were insinuating my friend."
As they walked through the last wards and into the yard of the cottage that looked so much smaller on the outside than it was on the inside, he thought to maybe tell or hint that someone else had stolen the last of the affection he had left in him...but instead he motioned toward the cottage. "Please, see for yourself. I'm still every bit of the lonely old hermit as I was when you left. It hasn't quite been the same since then."
He walked to the door, swinging it open so the hunter could walk through. Almost instantly the smell of roasting beef, and fresh vegetables assaulted their senses, making Dominic realize he'd forgotten the herbs he'd left his home for in the first place. "I hope you're hungry. I got a bit carried away cooking tonight. After all, the cards said I'd have company." The healer joked, having often dabbled in tarot but rarely believed in them.
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Post by Shea on Jun 26, 2014 1:26:30 GMT
Jaime merely shrugged. "I don't know what your type is," he said. "Usually calling someone that shows a sort of interest," he let the topic go after that, now in a bad mood. What the hell was that about? He was so angry with himself. If Dominic wasn't interested in him, he had no right to be so bitter.
He'd just managed to fool himself into thinking there may have been something on the healer's end. And now, faced with the very real idea that Dominic wasn't, he didn't know how to handle it. But that's what he got, for putting all his money on this.
The smell of food cheered him up just a little. It would be nice, eating something other than meager rations or fast food. "It smells really good. Last time, it was hard to smell the food over the burning..." he teased. Dominic hadn't been that terrible of a cook, but the smell now made his stomach rumble.
It was odd, how comfortable he felt here. He left his back and coat by the door, and headed into the small kitchen, taking a pan from under the stove to place the half-cooked rabbit in. It really would go nicely with the small feast Dominic already had going.
When he'd finished that, he took two glasses from the cabinet and poured each of them a small amount of the brandy he'd been given. "Cheers, my friend," Jaime smiled, handing him his glass and holding his up for the healer.
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Post by Lizzie on Jun 26, 2014 1:39:39 GMT
Chuckling he shook his head. "I call most women that as a means of being polite." What he left unsaid was that it had been difficult for him to find interest in any woman since his wife's passing. No woman could compare to her. She had fire and kindness and she kept him sane, kept him on the right path...until their son had died. He also left it unsaid that Jaime, as surprising as it might be, had been the first person he'd desired for more than their body since even then.
Being afraid of what you were, what you could become, made it hard to fall in love, made it hard to have feelings for someone...yet there he was, standing in his kitchen with someone who had, even without trying, broken past all of his blocks and he didn't even know it.
"You can't say anything, the last time something was burned it was entirely your fault. I am a quite resourceful cook. You hunters are so over saturated by fast food and that slop you call rations I'm amazed you can even still taste normal food. But i'll forgive you, especially if you're going to cook up the rest of that rabbit yourself." Dominic smiled at him, taking the glass from him and touching it to the one jaime held up.
"It's been lonesome without you here. I don't think i realized quite what it was like to have a friend and lose them until you left." Dominic tipped back his glass, closing his eyes to the burn in his chest. God it had been quite a long time since he'd had good brandy...
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Post by Shea on Jun 26, 2014 1:46:09 GMT
Jaime laughed over the rim of his glass. It had been his fault the last time they'd almost burned down the kitchen. He'd managed to step on the cat's tail, and she'd screaming so loudly it had startled him. He'd thrown himself back into a shelf and knocked all manners or things over. They'd ended up cleaning it up and laughing at the hunter's expense and forgetting about the cooking food until Jaime had smelled the smoke.
"I can cook just fine," Jaime said, mockingly offended. "It's not like I CHOOSE to eat so much fast food. Just... not much of a choice. Eating becomes more of a chore than anything." Sitting on watch for days on end, he didn't exactly have the time to cook a nice meal. It was easier to shove a burger down his throat.
Downing his own bit of brandy, he hissed at the burn, and poured them each another, bigger glass. "I can agree with that. It was... unsettling, going back to spending all my time alone and facing death. The vacation here spoiled me," he grinned.
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Post by Lizzie on Jun 26, 2014 2:09:46 GMT
Laughing, looking at the glass in his hand. "Vacation...I think you're the only person I have met who would call that a vacation. But I'm glad to hear that it was much better than being alone and facing death every day. I might feel somewhat offended if it wasn't." He took a long drink from the glass, setting his jaw to the bite and the burn as it went down once again.
"Thank you, for everything you brought, and for coming to visit. If you make a habit of coming around every 8 months I might give you a way to navigate the wards. Might." Drinking down the rest, he set his glass down, and crossed his arms over his chest and the loose white tunic he wore. "How have you been? And your friend? Did she manage to recover well?"
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