@ellie_knightfall:
Ellie could feel his body slowly shudder from the held in laugh at her comment, the idea of himself as a man of the cloth, regardless of the faith or denomination, was something neither of them could even consider the most remote of possibilities. He did not believe in any of the various afterlives described by the many belief systems, and even if proven wrong, Ian well knew no heaven would have him. At one time he could have been considered a lapsed idealist at heart, so long ago few to none would have ever known him to even consider things as such. Yet in the end his mind, the pragmatic realist within, always won out, he could not afford such sentiments in his position.
Ian - "What makes you think you know all my kinks....I am known for my secrets."
He teased her back lightly as she took in his words, it was nothing that had not been said in one from or another a hundred times since they first met, but while his words were left unheeded before, things were different now. She had traveled far from home, seen things, had her horizons expanded and perceptions challenged, her point of view had been altered by her leaving the confines of this world, the only question was, how much?
Ian - "Let's be honest Leeloo, I have never left you much of a choice, I could always hide behind my work should I choose and you would be none the wiser if my reasons were due to my position, or my whims. Deep down at times you knew this, but held your tongue, afraid it would cause a rift where you could not afford one...as if there is anything you could do to get rid of me."
He held her close and let her take in all the tactile comfort she needed, Ian had no idea how long she would allow herself to recharge and reflect in the quiet confines of his estate, but it was his intention to make her every moment as restful as possible, barring these needed discussions.
Ian - "I'm not telling you who to love Ellie, but you cannot be guided by fear. Not of loss, rejection, anything, because if you are someone will see it and use it against you. You intend to mentor and guide this young Tessa, but as you said she is inexperienced, reckless, and already knee deep in trouble at first glance alone. You cannot walk into that situation guided only by your heart, or you will fail her, and never forgive yourself for that. Entering her life means entering into the problems therein, your armor must already be fortified and in place, your head already on a swivel for what she will lie and keep from you until trust is established."
He was speaking from experience, one does not enter into a relationship with another, romantic, platonic, or professional, and not at the same time become to a degree entwined into their lives that came before you. In this line of business, a person's secrets can kill.
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