For Centuries - Season 1 [Completed]

Episode 19

"Pink Moon", Nick Drake

The sun had finally come back after days of grey clouds and I, like many Parisians, had seized this rare opportunity to enjoy a coffee on a terrace and a walk in the Luxembourg Gardens. I took a picture of a jazz trio playing in the street and sent it to Ethan, as a way to ask how he was doing. He replied with another picture of passersby near Washington Square and it made me smile.

I had invited Aidan for dinner at my place in the evening. I thought we needed a quiet moment to talk. I was in the kitchen cooking when I heard him knocking at the door. He was wearing an elegant shirt which made me look definitely underdressed. He had a gift for me but he told me that I could open it later. He also gave me a bottle of very fine Champagne.

"Your go-to drink, right?" He said.

"Indeed." I smiled. "Thank you. I was cooking dinner. Come and follow me."

"Can I help you with something?"

"Do you cook?"

He shook his head. "Not at all. But I can learn."

"Well, it is not that different from what you do with your painting. You have to think of it as a mixing of pigments to find the right color."

"I'm interested."

I gave him some vegetables to chop and slice.

"So, how are you doing?" He asked me.

I smiled. "I am fine. Yesterday I was training with Anna and Lucas. You could come with us one day. It could be interesting for them to test their work with you."

"Of course. It seems fun."

"And you? Have you seen James again?"

"No." He shrugged. "But, thanks to you, I think things might change in the future."

I put my hand on his arm. "That is great news."

When everything was ready and in the oven, we came back to the living room and Aidan grabbed his gift for me. It was a painting, a portrait of me. I was impressed by the way he had captured my expression and I recognized immediately the blue dress and how my hair was done. It was an image of the first time I had seen him, this moment when his work and his eyes had momentarily taken the pain away. I was overwhelmed. "Thank you so much. I do not know what to say. It is incredible. How could you remember exactly that night?"

He stared at me with a soft smile. "I painted it immediately after when I came home. I could not think about anything else."

I drowned in his eyes and slid my hand in his. After what seemed to me like several minutes, I said: "Aidan, I really care about you."

He squeezed my hand tighter. "I care about you too."

"And I would like to be with you," I said. He smiled. "You have to understand that this feeling is very unusual for me. And, there is something you should know."

"Tell me."

"I am asexual."

He smiled again. "I would like to be with you too," he said while kissing my hand. "Sex is not important to me. You are. Maybe you can tell me what you want and what you are comfortable with, and we'll take it from there."

"I also want you to feel free to tell me what you want, alright?"

"That's a deal. Can I hug you?"

I laughed. "Yes, you can."

I rested my head on his chest while he wrapped his arms around me. And we stayed like that for a long time, perfectly still, as if posing for another painting.