𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 || Cillian Murphy ¹

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝐸𝓁𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓃

Auden stood in her full-length mirror, analyzing her outfit for her dinner with Patrick. She had paired a black-laced long sleeve button up with a pair of light jeans and black heels. She was anxious to get the dinner over with so she could come home, cuddle her cat, and wallow in the feelings she was beginning to have over Cillian.

Auden hadn't seen Cillian since their time at the gallery days earlier. Her mind wandered back to that moment where Auden had held Cillian as he cried over his divorce. His body had curved into hers perfectly as his arms wrapped tightly around her frame. As his tears fell into her neck, she had thought back to how she was never given the opportunity to emotionally release herself to someone the way Cillian was doing with her. She felt so alone in her sadness over her father and past relationship, but she found comfort in the fact that she could aid Cillian in his grief. Grief was such a lonely, empty chasm that swallowed you hole if you let it.

After Cillian composed himself, he had brushed his thumb across her cheek whispering his gratitude for her. That was when Charlie had awoken, breaking the fragile bubble of vulnerability they had created. After demanding something to eat, Cillian had laughed softly at his son and left her office.

Since then, they had occasionally texted each other random thoughts, but no substantial conversation had come from it. Cillian didn't seem like much of a texter - probably because of his age - and Auden was trying to seem casual about the moment they had shared in her office. But she couldn't keep him out of her mind - she felt like she was in high school again getting giddy over the possibility of Cillian calling her or showing up to her office.

She swallowed the lump of guilt she was starting to feel as she finished getting ready to meet Patrick. Auden knew she had nothing to feel guilty about. Her and Cillian were not actually exclusive. In fact, they hadn't actually done anything that would suggest otherwise. But Auden had a feeling that Cillian would never come out and address the budding closeness between them, and she couldn't work up the courage to do so either. So, Auden found herself at a crossroads.

It didn't help that Auden hadn't dated anyone since her last relationship ended almost a year ago and she lost touch with what it meant to be with another person in that way. Her ex-lover's face flashed in her head, and she cringed at herself. She hadn't seen or spoken to James since he dumped her right after her father died. Apparently, James didn't have the mental capacity to help her through the death of dad, despite spending three years of their lives together. There was a time when Auden cried over both men - but her broken heart had quickly hardened and adapted to the loss of James and the possibility of ever loving someone intimately faded from view. Instead, she channeled her pain into the loss of her father.