Two days before filming started and Lelah realized that she had to stop putting off the inevitable.? She needed to put the sticky, complicated issue of her love life behind her and free up all the energy she'd been using to worry over Ori and Gideon and Daniel.? The film would consume her from now until it premiered in December; she didn't have time for anything else.? And there were other things to clear up with Ori as well.? She'd bled that morning and was filled with such great relief that she felt dizzy for a moment.
The past two weeks had been hard on her.? Hard, too, on Ori, she supposed.? Things had been strained; they hadn't seen each other outside of work, and hadn't spoken more than ten words to each other when they weren't discussing FX or other movie matters.? Truth was, she'd been avoiding him.? After the disastrous tries they'd made at patching things - including an awkward and uncomfortable attempt at love making - she decided that things were just too broken and irretrievable.? They'd never, ever get back to where they'd been before she'd slept with Gideon. She might have blamed Gideon, too, if she knew that she wasn't just as complicit in things as he...if not more so.? So it was with a heavy heart that she went and rubbed her thumb gently over the pretty chunk of polished agate that would function as a doorbell, letting Ori know that she wanted to speak with him.
He was in his study/laboratory, going over some of the spells he'd been learning from the spell book they'd found in the forest.? It was pretty much all he did anymore, if he took the time to be honest with himself.? Since things had...fallen apart with Lelah, he only left the pocket-dimensional mansion to go to work, or recast the spell which created the mansion.? And even when he was at work, his mind was only half there with him.? The magic was always there.? It didn't run off with other, better looking men.? It was never too busy for him.? It came at his call, and did what he wanted.
When the mental ping of the doorbell rock sounded in his mind, he jumped slightly.? There was still only one person who knew about the rock, and Lelah hadn't come to his door in over a week.? Why was she coming here now?? Probably to tell you to get your stupid house away from her door, Ori.? I bet she's tired of you living right next to her.? "Shut up," he said casually to the empty room.? He had to at least make an effort to talk civilly to her.? There was more to consider than just their feelings.? There was...the other thing.? God, he still could hardly even think about it without getting the shakes.? He set the spell book down, sighed, then turned and went to the front door, opening it and stepping out.
She was sitting on the steps that led up to her front door, bare feet on the bricks of her drive.? It was summer - a week past Memorial Day meant summer to someone used to spending three months in the Hamptons - so she was dressed in cut-off jeans and a rose-colored tank top, her hair pulled back into a casually messy braid.? She smiled when she saw Ori and stood up; despite whatever had happened between them, she still felt breathless when she saw him.? She knew she always would.
He'd almost forgotten how good she looked in casual, everyday clothing.? For the past two weeks, he'd only seen her at work, wearing more or less conservative dresses and skirts.? Seeing her this way, wearing girl-next-door clothes ? if the girl next door happened to be a movie star ? sent a little jolt of heat through him.? And that smile...it had been the smile that he'd fallen for first.? It still did things to his stomach.? He smiled reflexively back, even if it was a little strained.?
"Wanna come up?? I made baklava and there's coffee."?
She was being nice...was that a good sign, or a bad one?? He didn't know.? And there was only one way to find out.? "All right," he said, then added, "That sounds nice."? He didn't want to be intentionally rude.
She gave him another smile and turned, going quickly up the stairs and into her loft.? On the dining room table was a vase with simple blue flowers and a platter of the baklava.? "Have a seat," she said, laying her hand on the back of one of the chairs.? "Coffee or something else?"? She was pouring herself a cup of coffee, attention on what she was doing, despite being achingly aware of his closeness after so long apart.
He followed her up the steps much more slowly, almost reluctantly. What was she going to tell him?? Inside, he said "Thank you," to her offer, and sat down in the chair.? "Coffee is fine."? It was too hard to watch her; he just wanted to touch her and kiss her.? Instead he examined the flowers on the table.? They were pretty...maybe some kind of poppy.? Had she bought them, or did someone give them to her??
She poured another cup of coffee and brought them over to the table, setting one down in front of him before curling up in a chair.? She took a deep breath and just jumped right in.? "I'm not pregnant."
"Oh, Thank God," he blurted.? There was no way he was ready to be a parent.? The relief was so great that he put his head in his hands for a moment and heaved a sigh, feeling the knot of tension that had been in his guts for weeks now loosen some.? It didn't go away, though, not with their relationship in the half-existing state it was.
She watched him, half a smile on her full lips, as he apparently experienced the same amount of profound relief that she had that morning.? "Yeah," she said softly, nodding a bit.? "My reaction exactly."? She took a sip of coffee and then reached for a triangle of baklava to nibble on while he put himself back together.
The past two weeks had been hard on her.? Hard, too, on Ori, she supposed.? Things had been strained; they hadn't seen each other outside of work, and hadn't spoken more than ten words to each other when they weren't discussing FX or other movie matters.? Truth was, she'd been avoiding him.? After the disastrous tries they'd made at patching things - including an awkward and uncomfortable attempt at love making - she decided that things were just too broken and irretrievable.? They'd never, ever get back to where they'd been before she'd slept with Gideon. She might have blamed Gideon, too, if she knew that she wasn't just as complicit in things as he...if not more so.? So it was with a heavy heart that she went and rubbed her thumb gently over the pretty chunk of polished agate that would function as a doorbell, letting Ori know that she wanted to speak with him.
He was in his study/laboratory, going over some of the spells he'd been learning from the spell book they'd found in the forest.? It was pretty much all he did anymore, if he took the time to be honest with himself.? Since things had...fallen apart with Lelah, he only left the pocket-dimensional mansion to go to work, or recast the spell which created the mansion.? And even when he was at work, his mind was only half there with him.? The magic was always there.? It didn't run off with other, better looking men.? It was never too busy for him.? It came at his call, and did what he wanted.
When the mental ping of the doorbell rock sounded in his mind, he jumped slightly.? There was still only one person who knew about the rock, and Lelah hadn't come to his door in over a week.? Why was she coming here now?? Probably to tell you to get your stupid house away from her door, Ori.? I bet she's tired of you living right next to her.? "Shut up," he said casually to the empty room.? He had to at least make an effort to talk civilly to her.? There was more to consider than just their feelings.? There was...the other thing.? God, he still could hardly even think about it without getting the shakes.? He set the spell book down, sighed, then turned and went to the front door, opening it and stepping out.
She was sitting on the steps that led up to her front door, bare feet on the bricks of her drive.? It was summer - a week past Memorial Day meant summer to someone used to spending three months in the Hamptons - so she was dressed in cut-off jeans and a rose-colored tank top, her hair pulled back into a casually messy braid.? She smiled when she saw Ori and stood up; despite whatever had happened between them, she still felt breathless when she saw him.? She knew she always would.
He'd almost forgotten how good she looked in casual, everyday clothing.? For the past two weeks, he'd only seen her at work, wearing more or less conservative dresses and skirts.? Seeing her this way, wearing girl-next-door clothes ? if the girl next door happened to be a movie star ? sent a little jolt of heat through him.? And that smile...it had been the smile that he'd fallen for first.? It still did things to his stomach.? He smiled reflexively back, even if it was a little strained.?
"Wanna come up?? I made baklava and there's coffee."?
She was being nice...was that a good sign, or a bad one?? He didn't know.? And there was only one way to find out.? "All right," he said, then added, "That sounds nice."? He didn't want to be intentionally rude.
She gave him another smile and turned, going quickly up the stairs and into her loft.? On the dining room table was a vase with simple blue flowers and a platter of the baklava.? "Have a seat," she said, laying her hand on the back of one of the chairs.? "Coffee or something else?"? She was pouring herself a cup of coffee, attention on what she was doing, despite being achingly aware of his closeness after so long apart.
He followed her up the steps much more slowly, almost reluctantly. What was she going to tell him?? Inside, he said "Thank you," to her offer, and sat down in the chair.? "Coffee is fine."? It was too hard to watch her; he just wanted to touch her and kiss her.? Instead he examined the flowers on the table.? They were pretty...maybe some kind of poppy.? Had she bought them, or did someone give them to her??
She poured another cup of coffee and brought them over to the table, setting one down in front of him before curling up in a chair.? She took a deep breath and just jumped right in.? "I'm not pregnant."
"Oh, Thank God," he blurted.? There was no way he was ready to be a parent.? The relief was so great that he put his head in his hands for a moment and heaved a sigh, feeling the knot of tension that had been in his guts for weeks now loosen some.? It didn't go away, though, not with their relationship in the half-existing state it was.
She watched him, half a smile on her full lips, as he apparently experienced the same amount of profound relief that she had that morning.? "Yeah," she said softly, nodding a bit.? "My reaction exactly."? She took a sip of coffee and then reached for a triangle of baklava to nibble on while he put himself back together.