The Golden Gift

Chapter 5: Peractorum

[Hi everyone! here is the long-awaited next chapter. Thank you for nearly 400 reads 😊 I really can't believe how much support I have received with this work sometimes and it means so so so much to me. Please vote for the chapter, comment your thoughts and share with others ❤️ Avi.]

Peractorum: nostalgia

Hadrian gets up from his chair, returning to his coffee machine to make yet another cup of coffee, carrying his phone on speaker so that he could continue talking to Julius while continuing his caffeination.

"How is everything going at the council of elders?" Hadrian asks cheerfully, simultaneously powering up his coffee machine again.

"Things are good here. Everything seems to have finally settled and quieted down here since the new additions to the council. We have a few matters to settle over the next few weeks about improvements for the Collectives, but nothing too serious or of concern." Julius answers earnestly, running his hand across his defined jawline.

"Have you thought about taking some time off soon? I know you haven't since you were instated on the council and I know it's your wedding anniversary in the next month." Hadrian inquires encouragingly, pressing the button for his coffee.

"So, I was thinking," Julius begins casually.

"This better be good." Hadrian instantly responds, smirking tongue-in-cheek. Julius scoffs jovially.

"So, I was thinking about taking some time off, and maybe making a trip with Phineas to San Francisco for our wedding anniversary, just for fun, no business involved." Julius finishes, nonchalantly.

"Are you sure that you're capable of that?" Hadrian inquires, semi-seriously.

"Capable of what?" Julius asks, mildly flummoxed.

"Capable of not only officially taking time off, but organising to travel somewhere with your lovely husband and not end up allowing any business to interfere with and impede your sojourn." Hadrian responds, brash cheekiness penetrating his tone.

"It is so good to know that my kindred spirit has so little faith in me." Julius replies, full of sarcasm and cheek. Hadrian's lips curled up in a smirking smile, getting the predictable response out of Julius.

"It's because you know he's right, Julius," Phineas yells, distantly echoing into the speaker of Julius' phone.

"Put him on speaker, Jules." Hadrian says quickly.

"How are you, Phineas?" Hadrian asks, cordially.

"Very good thank you. Consider yourself owed a round of well-made martinis for being the only person that can remember to remind my dear husband of the sins he committed on what was supposed to be our honeymoon when he comes up with these ideas." Phineas begins amusingly.

"That's because he's the only one that knows," Julius adds, chuckling.

"I am fairly certain that isn't the case... I think I did tell Sophronia one evening after too many whiskeys; and if she knows, then Felix probably does too, if only as a cautionary tale to him. If he knows, then who knows who else might know?" Phineas responds playfully. Hadrian hears Julius simultaneously chuckle and sigh.

"Anyhow, when are you planning to visit? I'm assuming you'll come and say hello at some point," Hadrian inquires contentedly, taking his fresh coffee off of the machine and adding milk.

"Hopefully sometime in the next month or so to coincide with the wedding anniversary. Finn is a bit tied up in work at the moment," Julius responds nonchalantly.

"Julius Aloysius Maxwell, please retract that hot garbage water second half of that statement. Your kindred spirit can tell when you are lying," Phineas rebukes theatrically. Hadrian laughs, knowing what Julius was up to.

"The joys of married life." Julius comments sarcastically with a grin.

"What is the actual excuse?" Hadrian asks, a broad smile on his face.

"I'm almost certain that dear Julius came up with that plan on the fly after you asked about our plans for our wedding anniversary, which previous to this conversation did not exist," Phineas adds, continuing to be his rather theatrical self.

"Aha." Hadrian responds, nodding his head and struggling to hold back unbridled laughter, knowing the shenanigans and dynamic of Julius and Phineas.

Hadrian glances at the time on his watch, 1pm. Time flies in good conversations with old friends, he thinks.

"It must be close to 9pm your time; I better let you get on with your evening." Hadrian states, staring to the space of his kitchen.

"It is good to hear from you. Talk tomorrow?" Julius asks sincerely.

"Definitely. Good night to you both." Hadrian responds.

"We miss you. Talk soon," Julius answers before hanging up the line. Hadrian hears the line go dead and shuts his eyes, taking a long sip of his coffee, leaning on his kitchen counter.

Hadrian places the cup down on the counter, now half empty, and stares at the ceiling. That could have been Rory and I if it wasn't for the curse, he thinks, burying his face in his hands. Taking himself and his cup back to his chair, Hadrian allows himself to indulge in nostalgia for the time before the curse for a few moments. He holds the ring on the necklace around his neck close to himself, knowing his exact location when he was given the only piece that he really had left of his parents. He remembers how Aurora held him lovingly and kissed him softly when the tears threatened to spill from his eyes.

The thoughts of Aurora bring his mind back to the moment that he found her; his superior hearing detected the breathing of someone unconscious in that burning house. He armed himself with protective magic before rushing into the inferno and finding her unconscious yet alive, rushing her out of the blaze. Her eyes fluttered open for a moment, he saw their soft emerald hue with flecks of gold and prayed that he was right. There was a golden pocket watch nestled in her shirt pocket, Hadrian instinctually grabbed it and put the pin in her arm. It was enough to keep her safe for a moment, long enough for him to arm his own pocket watch with more potent healing magic and prick her with the pin from his watch. Stowing away the pocket watches, he hoped that it was enough, and for the first time looked at her properly. Her fiery waves, her soft features; the blue colouring from her lips began to disappear with her shallow breathing and was replaced by a much healthier sound, the colour returning to her face. She opened her beautiful eyes fully and spoke with a hoarse voice from the smoke inhalation.

"Thank you." Aurora said.

Hadrian called Sophronia who came quickly to pick them up in the Medi-Van, hurriedly taking them both back to the infirmary in the Old Main Building.

Hadrian places his head in his hands. I was hoping to think of the happier times, he thinks, sighing.

A notification sounds on his phone. He sees that it is Sophronia messaging him.

"Would you mind terribly making dinner for four people tonight?"

"Sure. Any occasion?"

"None at all, only dinner at mine. You're invited, so anything you fancy is perfect."

"Ok. Will do."

Hadrian raises his eyebrows, not totally surprised. Sophronia was never much of a cook-for-fun person anyway, he thinks, draining the dregs from his coffee cup before getting up to leave and shop for ingredients.