𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐇 // 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐡𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐬

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

CONNOR DIDN'T HAVE A lot of complaints when he woke up the following morning. He had a day off, he felt fully rested, and he was still on the couch, with Eila sleeping heavily on top of him, her head still on his chest. Their legs were tangled, and Connor couldn't help but chuckle as he started the job of untangling himself from her, leaving Eila wrapped in the woollen blanket on the couch. Quietly, he leaned over, writing a small note, which he left on the coffee table — just in case she woke up before he returned.

Took a quick run to the store, I'll be
right back. Make yourself at home :)
– CR

Connor snuck out of the apartment, making sure to lock the door. Some of his neighbors stood by the elevator, all of them smiling and greeting him as he approached them. "Good morning," Connor smiled back, nodding politely, before ducking into the elevator. Standing there alone, he felt his heart sink; he felt bad about leaving Eila alone in his apartment, even though he would be returning in no time, especially after she had come to him the night before, seeking a distraction from her own feelings.

In many ways, he was happy she chose him. She wasn't afraid of showing him she had bad days, that she too had weaknesses. Though Connor was aware that every one would have a bad day every now and then, there was something that just made him feel important. Her whole family lived in Chicago, yet she chose to seek his comfort.

Minutes later, he was back in the apartment, a plastic bag full of basic groceries — including groceries to make eggnog. If it was one thing about Christmas that Connor had seen, understood, and appreciated. it was the drinking. Several years in a row, he had found himself sneaking into his friends and colleagues' Christmas parties to get some of the infamous seasonal drink, without even being able to say he enjoyed the drink ( quite frankly, the years he spent away from Chicago, were the years he felt he needed to blend in the most, and he even played pretend about his feelings for Christmas at a few times ).

Connor couldn't help but smile as he noticed Eila on the couch, still asleep, buried underneath the blanket. As quietly as possible, he got around to making food, even managing to turn on the coffee-machine. However, it wasn't until he turned back to face the living room that he was in complete awe of the winter magic everyone bragged about experiencing.

The winter sun was streaming through the windows of his living room, casting a warm, golden shade in his apartment. The light was bouncing off surfaces, and casting a golden glow in Eila's hair. She turned, groaning slightly as she dug her face into the pillow, continuing her slumber.

Humming quietly, Connor turned back to the food, noticing how some of the eggs he was cooking had gotten a crispy, almost burnt edge. "Crap," he muttered, quickly flipping the eggs over on a plate. The surgeon had spent plenty of mornings in hotels, only vaguely remembering the many dishes he could be served in the hotel's restaurant, but found himself on the verge of a small freak-out when trying to make the same dishes in his very own kitchen. "Oh well, at least I tried."

The words came out as a low mutter, which started a chuckling behind him. For a brief second, Connor froze, feeling two arms wrap around his torso, giving him a tight hug, and he didn't feel like moving again until Eila had let go, her arms back at her sides. "Good morning, Connor," she smiled warmly, looking in the pans on his stove. "Am I really looking at a Connor Rhodes that is using his kitchen?"

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," Connor rolled his eyes, dropping some strips of bacon into the pan. "How did you sleep?"

                "Pretty decent, considering I slept on your couch," she rolled her eyes, though the smile on her lips made Connor grin. "What's for breakfast?"

"Eggs and bacon, though I'm quite sure I'm actually butchering it."

"Here, let me," Eila chuckled, grabbing the spatula from Connor's hand. The surgeon smiled, taking a step back as he let his neighbor steal the show. "Not to be picking your techniques apart, but eggs before the bacon is never a good idea. The eggs always takes a shorter time cooking than the bacon, so by the time the bacon is done, the eggs will be cold." She pointed out, partially paying attention as Connor moved around the kitchen island, dropping down on a stool.

"Noted," he nodded. "You know, this is a thing I could live with — you cooking, and then I'll clean up afterwards."

As Eila finished off her cooking, placing the eggs on the plates Connor has prepared for them, she turned, noticing the ingredients still on the kitchen island. "What are those for?"

"Eggnog."

"You want us to make eggnog?" Eila chuckled, as she sat down on the stool next to Connor.

The two of them ate in silence; it was far from the first time that they sat in silence, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It was almost soothing. Their presense calmed one another, and knowing they would spend the entire day together made them both happy. Connor got to his feet as they finished their eggs, swiftly cleaning up while Eila kept her eyes on his back. She wasn't going to lie; she found the surgeon attractive, but his looks could never be compared to his personality. Those intense, blue eyes, almost worked as a security for the gentle soul hiding inside; the gentle soul Eila had gotten to know.

               "What are you looking at?"

               His chuckle pulled her out of her thoughts, a light blush slipping onto her face. "I—," she paused, clearing her throat. "How about we make some eggnog, and continue watching the Die Hard movies I slept through?"

               After all, that would be a lot easier than admitting her feelings about Connor, even if it just was for herself.