𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮...
In which a 28 year old American girl meets a 46 year old Irish celebrity, where they bond over loss and learn to love again.
First Installment of the Auden & Cillian series *UNDERGOING EDITS!*
TW: Age Gap...
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Auden returned to work that Monday to find that Charles had given her a large number of pieces to analyze. Fall was creeping around the corner and Charles wanted to overhaul the current displays for the new season.
Auden sat in the gallery while Brigid flipped through a large booklet of possible items to display. Brigid was good at listing off ideas on how to utilize different canvases, statues and installments to fill the space nicely. However, Brigid could tell that Auden's mind was elsewhere from her mumbled responses.
Auden's mind couldn't help but drift back to her walk home with Cillian only a short day before. She had been extra diligent to take side roads and alleyways ease Cillian's anxiety about being recognized.
The walk was nice. Talking to Auden seemed to uplift his mood. She had smoked while they chatted lightly about various topics - music, food, and of course, art. That's when he had asked her about her job back in Chicago. Auden was hesitant to respond.
"I taught Art History," Auden had said, "At the University of Chicago."
Cillian glanced down at her, "You're joking."
She shook her head, chuckling, "No, I have my PhD." Auden snubbed out her cigarette on the ground. "I can prove it to you if you like. It's shoved in a cabinet somewhere in my apartment."
Cillian had laughed awkwardly at her suggestion, but a dark sultry look passed over his eyes simultaneously. The look had made her stomach burn, and the thought of Cillian actually coming into her small space had made her slightly giddy.
"Unbelievable," he had whispered, "That's something to be proud of," Cillian had bumped her shoulder slightly, ignoring the fact she had indirectly invited him over.
Auden gave Cillian a small smile but didn't venture the subject any further to save herself the embarrassment of rejection. Plus, the last thing Auden had wanted to do was take a deep dive into her decisions to leave Chicago. She tried hard to block that out of her mind.
Cillian, however, had wanted to know more: "So why'd you leave?"
Auden's mind had flashed to the familiar face of a man with messy light hair. Her first love. "There's just some things I want to forget." Auden's voice had come out as harsher than she intended, and she cursed herself silently for her inability to hide her emotions in her voice.
