bored out of my mind | open

This was probably the most boring day Ember Lynn had ever had. She was slouching in her office chair spinning back and forth and watching the ships come and go from the Ports. It was like no one had anything for her to do today and she was being held captive in her office.

She pushed out of her chair and walked across the room, leaned her forehead against the window and let her blue eyes follow the ships as they floated back and forth. There was not telling how long she had been standing there when she finally decided to bail. They could always call her with an emergency.

Ember Lynn pulled a coat over her green dress and tip toed up to the door. She peeked around the corner. Her secretary was sitting at her desk typing away at something. Ember Lynn pushed the door open like she was on some sort of mission and walked across the floor confidently.

"Madame Chancellor?" The high pitched voice echoed off the marble floors, "You have a meeting in twenty minutes." Ember Lynn bit the inside of her mouth to hide her annoyance and nodded.

"I completely forgot, thank you dear." She said sweetly, turning back to the office door and disappearing back into the room. By now the sun was dipping below the watery horizon and reflecting off the surface, causing Ember Lynn to blink. She sighed and collapsed back into her chair, dropping her bag on the floor and waiting for the knock that did eventually come.

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Dylan smiled to himself as he made his way to the reception area of the Chancellor's office. He knew the place like the back of his hand, especially after the many late evening trips that he made to "discuss the curriculum" With Chancellor Hadley. He waved in the general direction of the secretary, who by now knew that he was expected and was to be let in immediately. Before Dylan could knock on the door to be let in, the little woman stopped him and motioned towards the desk.

"You're lucky Mr. Bridges,  I just found out that her last appointment was cancelled. You would've had to wait otherwise. Please tell her for me, since I know she doesn't like your meetings interrupted." She commanded in a light but firm tone. Dylan took a moment to assess the situation, wondering if the woman had caught on to their true purpose for meeting. After a long minute, he decided that she was harmless and that he would let the comments slide.

"Thank you ma'am. I will make her she gets the message first thing." He replied in the most reassuring voice he could muster. Continuing on to the door, he knocked a few times before letting himself in. She rarely answered the door herself, as almost anyone who would frequently visit knew to enter as long as it was unlocked. Her back was to the door when it opened and he briefly wondered if she had forgotten about their arraignments for the evening. He took a few steps forward and placed his bag on the table before deciding to say something to the stunning woman behind the desk.

"Evening Em."

The familiar voice snapped Ember Lynn back from her pouting. She spun around in her chair, unable to hide the smile from her face. Before the door was even closed all the way Ember Lynn was out of her chair and across the room, her arms wrapped around Dylan's neck, "Thank goodness it was you." She sighed into his neck, having completely forgotten that they had planned to meet that night.

She opened her eyes and saw her secretary give her a knowing smile. That sweet girl knew better than to tell anyone. Ember Lynn waved behind Dylan's back before pushing the door closed with her finger tips and pulled back so she could see his beautiful face.

The man was a work of art, and freakishly smart. Both were traits that Ember Lynn found freakishly sexy. She kissed his cheek before finally pulling out of his arms and making her way back to her desk, "So, what curriculum are we discussing this evening?" She asked playfully.

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"Well, if you really must know..." He started with a playful smile as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. It had been almost a week since the last time they had been able to meet. Dylan had started seeing Ember around three years ago, though she still insisted that they keep the relationship a secret. Had they been a normal couple, he would almost be considering proposing at this point. Em was far from normal though, and he loved her for it. He didn't know how much longer it would be before they could finally go on dates like normal people, or even live in the same neighborhood, but he hoped to talk her into it soon.

"Slow day at work love?" He commented as he led her to the couch that overlooked the ocean. Supposedly, the official reason for the much beloved piece of furniture was that she often worked late and needed a place to sleep. The real purpose was for meetings such as these, though no one would admit to it if they were asked. After positioning himself comfortably, he reached for her hand and beckoned for her to join him, smiling as she did.

A happy sigh escaped Ember Lynn as she sunk on to the couch next to her secret boyfriend. She had often day dreamed about the day they could come clean and tell Concordia about their love. Of course, the reason why she hadn't said anything at the beginning was because Concordia was just barely starting then, and she didn't want the people to think she couldn't handle the distraction of love on top of the new world they were trying to create. Now she was trying to decide the best way to break it to them without coming across like a liar for the past three years.

To wipe the thought from her mind, Ember Lynn leaned against Dylan's chest and sighed again, "I miss these days. I am glad you came today." It had been entirely too long since they had last met. She had been crazy busy the last few weeks with the influx of immigrants and so many demi-gods coming to age and graduating. It was like a  nightmare not being able to see Dylan every single night. Her mind wandered once again to a time where they could live together and she could see him every day and even be called "Chancellor Bridges". Of course, she could never let Dylan know of these fantasies, "How was work today?"

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"Long and tedious. It's almost time for graduation and the paperwork is endless, though I'm sure that you have it much worse." Dylan softly replied, almost whispering as he played with her golden hair. "It's sheer torture trying to get through a day like this, knowing that if I can get to the end of the day I can be with you again. I miss you."

The ocean waves were rhythmic and relaxing as he laid there, listening to his girlfriend's breathing. Unconsciously, he hugged her closer to his chest as he thought about the coming weeks and the long days they would spend apart while this season's graduates and placements were dealt with and the immigrants were sorted. He would be busy with the students, guiding them and signing off on their work assignments. Her duties would call her away and keep the office busy beyond reckoning. This couch would become her bed, and he wouldn't be here to hold her through it.

"How are you holding up? I know that it's been busy here in the big house."

The warmth radiating off of Dylan was calming to Ember Lynn. It was like all the stress that was to come was completely gone and that she was going to be able to sleep like normal, wrapped in his arms tightly. As if on cue, a beep came from somewhere on her desk and the secretary's voice chimed brightly, "Chancellor Hadley, sorry to interrupt..." Ember Lynn sighed and buried her face in Dylan's chest, "There's a problem at the docks. Apparently an immigrant isn't taking kindly to Concordia..."

Ember Lynn sat up, looking at Dylan with a pouty face, "Why can't the Council handle it?" She asked, knowing full well that her job wouldn't be near as important if she hadn't handled this situation personally. Of course, it was the middle of the night when these shipments always came in. They would be so much more convenient if they happened during the work day... She turned her blue eyes to Dylan and sighed, "Sorry babe..."

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Reaching out to grab her hand again, Dylan tried to hide his disappointment. He knew that her job came first, but he could see the reluctance written on her face. Sure, he could go find somewhere to hide out and come back after hours, but it was more likely that she would end up leaving whatever crisis she was handling and go straight back to her own home. Right now, he would love nothing more than for her to ignore the call and stay there with him.

"Come home with me." He said suddenly, surprising himself. He knew the topic was off limits, which is why he normally didn't offer. Ember Lynn was afraid of being called a hypocrite by her beloved people and with three years under their belts, it was hard for them to stop lying now. Dylan wished they would though. The people loved her, he loved her. Everyone would understand, if only they could just stop hiding.

It was completely unlike Ember Lynn to cry about anything, but the moment he asked her to come home with him, it was like someone was squeezing her heart until it burst. It had been a long time since he had even risked bringing the subject up. Ember Lynn took in a deep breathe and looked at him painfully. She knew how he felt. More than anything she wanted to have a way to tell everyone about their relationship and be with him. Maybe then her day dreams of white dresses and stupid expensive food could come true.

Ember Lynn reached forward and took his hands into her own, "Dylan..." She started, preparing herself to turn him down for probably the millionth time. In all honesty, she had never even see his house. Three years of dating and she never stepped foot into her own boyfriend's home. There was something seriously wrong with that...

She looked down at her hands, holding his so tightly that her knuckles were going white, "I..." Why not? The elections weren't for another year and maybe by then the people would forgive her. Then again, maybe they wouldn't. Her heart was breaking with every thought. Finally, she pulled her eyes to face him, finding his comforting expression even harder to resist, "Okay." She whispered, not actually believing she had said it herself, "Okay." She said louder, letting the smile break across her face. She nodded and buried her face in his shirt, "Yes. I love you."

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For a moment, Dylan was stunned. Had he heard her wrong? Was he dreaming? He quickly dismissed the last theory, as he felt her head nuzzled against his chest. She had finally said yes, and he was too shocked to speak. Instead, he wrapped his arms tight around her and held her close until he heard the buzz come from her desk again. The secretary's words were lost in the static, but he knew she was speaking. Dylan could've cared less if the world was burning down around them, he was happy where he was.

Of course, the buzzing eventually persisted enough to catch his attention, which he realized meant that it was of great importance. The secretary was repeating her initial message, but this time more urgently. Whether Ember Lynn went home with Dylan tonight or not, she definitely wouldn't be able to ignore this call. Especially if they were going to go public.

"Love, I think they need you." He whispered, kissing her forehead as he finished. "Go to them, fix whatever problem they have now, and then come back to me. I'll be waiting to take you home, no matter how long it takes."

God, can't that secretary tell that Ember Lynn was having a moment in here? Obviously that didn't matter because the buzzing continued and it got to the point where Ember Lynn couldn't deny it any longer. She sighed heavily and pull away from Dylan, her face full of sadness as she stood and up looked at the door, she gave Dylan one lingering kiss, "I love you so much. You know that right?" And with a smile, she passed through the door, straightening her dress to look more professional.

- --- - --- - --- -

Another angry son of Ares. Most of the immigrants that throw a fit are Ares or Mars kids. Prone to anger, especially when they don't understand something. Like the politician she was, Ember Lynn smiled and worked to calm them down. This one seemed to accept the inevitable in record time. Ember Lynn looked at her watch and realized that Dylan had been waiting on her for almost two hours. She couldn't help but hate the kid just a little bit for pull her away from their hasty decision.

Speaking of hasty decision....

Ember Lynn began to walk back to her office from the Ports with a heavy heart. She was trying to decide if what she had told Dylan was what she really needed to do. She really did want to go home with him. But how would that work exactly? Would she live with him all the time? Or was this just their, for lack of a better term, coming out party? She was almost back to the Authority and she hadn't even figured one thing out.

By the time she was standing at her office door, her secretary had taken off for the evening and Ember Lynn couldn't help but wonder if Dylan had actually waited. In the back of her mind she knew he had. He wouldn't have told her he was going to wait if he didn't have every intention of doing so. That's one of the things she loved so much about him. She pushed through the door and, the moment she laid eyes on him, smiled brightly, "You actually waited." She whispered, letting herself fall into his arms.

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As soon as he heard the outer door open, Dylan sprung up from the couch. He had been grading papers using a side table he had commandeered from across the room. Something had to be done to pass the time, otherwise he would be a nervous wreck by the time Ember made it back to the office. He had never waited for her like this before. Sure, he had left for a bit so that she could handle a quick meeting and then had returned, but matters like this generally took hours to handle. Before he knew it, he could hear the click of her heels crossing the reception area's tiled floor, slow and steady like the ocean waves outside the window.

The instant she entered the room, he knew something was on her mind. The split second before she knew he was still there had told him everything he needed to know. She was either having doubts or second thoughts, which she was entitled to. This was a big step to take in just one night and he doubted that she would ever be completely alright with it. If they didn't do this now, he wasn't sure they ever would.

With her in his arms again, he knew that he was right. It was now or never. He wouldn't leave her in a million years, but they would spend the rest of their lives in this office praying that no one else came to call. "Of course I did Love. I will always wait for you." He whispered with a smile, leaning down to give her a peck on the cheek. "Are you alright? You seemed worried when you came through the door."

It was like a wave a frustration was crashing over Ember Lynn. She couldn't tell which direction her heart was being pulled. Actually, that was a lie. Dylan had stolen her heart away years ago. He was more important to her than anything else in the world. So why wasn't this the easiest decision she ever made?

Suddenly, she found herself feeling calm, "We should talk about this, Dylan." Ember Lynn said, her voice steady. She led him to their couch and sat down, waiting for him to do the same, "I need you to know that I love you..." She started.

Realizing that it sounded like she had changed her mind, she took a second to think it over This was her last chance to bail, but why would she? Ember Lynn smiled and weaved her fingers in his, "I would leave behind anything to be with you. But please don't ask me to." She whispered, tilting her head to one side, "So, did you mean it? You really want me....to come home with you?"

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A few brief seconds passed while Dylan processed everything she had just said. He had been worried she would change her mind, but now it seemed like she just wanted to discuss the aftermath, as he knew she would. "No one is going to ask you to leave behind anything Ember Lynn Hadley. The people love you and trust you. They'll be confused, but they'll understand and be happy for you once the shock wears off." He argued with a beaming smile. He placed his free hand on her waist and pulled her closer so that he could kiss her softly.

"If you need more time, I can wait Love. But if you choose to leave this office with me tonight, there isn't going to be a way to go back. No more secrets, no more hiding. No more bad Chinese food." He added the last part with a slight chuckle, as take out was their go to date night meal. They couldn't go anywhere, so they had to make due.

After kissing his girlfriend one more time, Dylan pulled himself away so that he could look her in the eyes, fully taking her in again for the first time since she had entered the office. She was tired and stressed and the most stunning person he had ever met in his entire life. Taking his keys out of his pocket, he pressed them into her palm with a smile.

"It's up to you Chancellor Hadley. You don't have to make a decision tonight, but I wish that you would."

There was just something about the way her body reacted, taking his hand in hers before he had the opportunity to pull it away, that told her this was a long time coming. His presence reminded her of the sea, which was her true home. It was salty and warm and just a little bit dangerous, in a wonderful way. In the moment, Ember Lynn knew she didn't need time to think it over. She meant it when she said she would leave everything behind...

"Lead the way..." She whispered, leaving butterfly kisses on his neck as she wrapped one arm around his, still leaving her other hand firmly in his, the keys suspended between their fingers, "I'll follow you anywhere, Professor Bridges." She giggled and pulled away just enough to get a glimpse of his eyes.

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