Love Sought is Good, But Given Unsought is Better

[Dr. Isaac Yang]

Isaac put his car in park and turned off the engine, welcoming the silence that followed. It had been a long week, as many of his weeks were, and he was happy to just have the day off to spend time in quiet solitude. It was very early in the morning, earlier than most people even thought about getting up, and the sun had yet to rise over the horizon. That was why he had come to the lake - to sit on the end of a pier and watch the sunrise. It was one of the things he looked forward to most in life; he felt that each new day brought new life and new beginnings to everything, which helped him cope with being a doctor who quite often had to tell people that their life was going to be cut short. Of course, he always did as much as he could, but there was only so much that could be done.

He hadn't bothered to do anything with his hair today, other than comb it out a bit, and he felt laid-back in his light grey sweater and jeans, along with his normal black-rimmed glasses. He slowly made his way towards his normal spot, nodding pleasantly to the few fishermen who also had decided to spend their morning at the lake. It was chilly, but not overly so, and he felt that the day was going to end up being a warm one. Birds chirped pleasantly nearby, and a small smile crossed his face. He wouldn't be totally alone to greet the new day.

He found his way to the end of the dock and sat on the edge, his feet dangling a little ways above the water's surface. It wouldn't be too long now, so his gaze was positioned to the east, right between two mountains where he knew the first glimpses of color would appear.

[Mallory Reynolds]

Mallory liked mornings. She was usually up early anyway, getting ready for the day. It took time to girl it up, like she did every morning. Time to find the right dress, the right accessories. And lesson planning, that too. It was always fun to plot something to surprise her students with, whether it was a free for all class where all they did was mess around and eat goodies, or giving them a surprise assignment. She didn’t do it often, but if the class had been a little out of control the day before... watch out.

This morning, however, she was not giving herself her usual morning make over. In fact, she wasn’t wearing any make up, and her naturally curly hair was up in a ponytail. She was making yet another attempt at being a good girl, and had gotten up to take a walk around the lake. It was peaceful early in the morning, and she didn’t mind watching the sunrise either. She was wearing a pair of black yoga pants, and a bright green hoodie that she kept tugging down over her hips, despite the fact she really hadn’t seen anyone on the pathways yet.

The light was slowly cresting over the water, which was distracting to the teacher. She stopped in her vague attempts to jog (which weren’t going anywhere anyway), and slowed back to her normal stride. Her cheeks were somewhat flushed – partially from the mini run, and partially from the cold – and she was well aware that it was getting close to home time. She still had to make herself look presentable.

A person on the dock distracted her from that, however. She glanced down from the path and grinned. No, she didn’t look her best, but who did this early in the morning? There was someone else here, and what was the harm in watching the sunset? She’d just throw caution to the wind in regards to her classes. Planning on a whim wasn’t that hard.

She stepped off the path and made her way to the dock, careful not to startle the man sitting there. “Good morning!” ... Okay, that was probably a lot more cheerful than a lot of people in the morning. “It’s pretty, isn’t it? The sunrise?” She toed the dock, mentally debating how well it would hold up with both of them on it. “... Do you mind if I watch here? It’s a great spot.”

[Dr. Isaac Yang]

The first rays of light had started to appear over the horizon, and Isaac smiled to himself. It was time. He leaned back on his arms and relaxed, keeping his gaze pointed towards the rising sun. He didn't notice the woman on the dock until he heard footsteps and felt the slight creak of the deck under someone's feet. Surprised that someone else was up this early and not fishing, he turned. He was met with a rather pleasant sight - a pretty young woman, he assumed around his age, making her way towards him. He didn't notice her flushed cheeks or lack of make-up - she was just a friendly face on a beautiful morning. Not to mention she had red hair, which he secretly adored. But that was irrelevant.

"Good morning!" he greeted, slightly less enthusiastic as she, but just as friendly. He nodded and smiled, agreeing,"It's always beautiful. I try to get out here whenever I can. It's a good way to start the day." He patted an open spot next to him. "You're more than welcome. It's always nice to have company, other than the fishermen and occasional bluebird." He offered a hand as she sat. "Isaac. I admire your determination to get out and exercise so early - I'm too lazy to do anything other than sit at this time of the day," he laughed.

[Mallory Reynolds]

It was only luck and a bit of determination (read: coaxing herself) that Mallory was even out. Normally the sunrises were watched from the comfort of her bedroom as she got ready. She’d almost forgotten how nice it was to be outside during it, even if the air was a little cool. That was what hoodies were for, so that was what she’d worn.

Oh, good. The man on the dock was friendly. For a brief moment, she’d wondered if it was a bad idea to be so friendly so early in the morning. Not everyone was so bright and cheery so early. She lucked out, though. Grinning as his invitation, she hesitatingly tested her weight on the dock before deciding that it was safe. She was still careful as she made her way to the end, gratefully accepting his hand. “Thank you,” she said with a smile as she sat down beside him. “It’s definitely gorgeous this morning. It’s going to be a lovely sunrise.”

She placed one hand backwards to steady herself on the old wooden platform, wincing and pulling it back quickly. Momentarily distracted, she almost missed his introduction. “Oh, Isaac! Nice to meet you. I’m Mallory.” She stuck out one hand as she studied the other. Yeah, splinter. Ow. “Oh, it’s nothing. I figured it was a better use of my time than making lesson plans, for a change.” Because surely he could see she needed it. Trying not to be rude, she discreetly tried to pick at the splinter in her palm. Seriously. Ow.

[Dr. Isaac Yang]

Isaac glanced back to the sky as the eastern horizon continued to lighten, throwing shades of purple and red into the air. It was gorgeous, especially since the lake reflected the colors, making them twice as brilliant. However, his attention was soon brought back to Mallory, who had sat next to him. He had missed her getting stabbed with the splinter, instead shaking her offered hand. "A pleasure to meet you, Mallory. I hope I make decent company." He let her hand go and brushed it through his hair, suddenly a little self-conscious that it was a bit messy this morning. Which was odd, since he normally wouldn't care at all.

"Lesson plans?" he asked, curious. "I'm assuming you must be a teacher." She looked young to be a teacher, but then again, he was pretty young too, so he wasn't one to judge. For some reason he always pictured teachers as being old and cranky, even though he had had plenty of younger teachers in the past. "I should try to exercise more often too, rather than sit at home or the hospital and do research all the time," he agreed, laughing a little. "I just get so caught up in my work sometimes that I forget I need to take care of myself, too."

But now he noticed her messing with something on her hand, and he recognized the general "Ow, I've been stabbed with something" look on her face. His brow furrowed, and he chanced a glance at the hand in question, where he saw a pretty good-sized splinter lodged in her palm. It was one of those ones that went deep under the first layer of skin, painful but nearly impossible to get out. "Oh, goodness, are you okay?" he asked, automatically reaching out to help. It was almost an obsession of his - if he saw someone in pain, he couldn't help but assist them. He hesitated, adding,"If you'd like, I can get it out. I'm a biological manipulator, as well as a surgeon." He offered a comforting smile. "Removing a splinter is easy." With her consent, he gently took her hand and had her lay it out flat, where he could get a clear view of the wound. Placing his index finger and thumb just above the spot where it pieced her skin, he gently began to move the skin so that he could get the piece of wood out without harming her. He did this without touching her, simply concentrating on the spot and guiding the skin where he wanted it to go. "Sorry, it probably itches a little," he told her, narrowing his eyes and making the last few adjustments. Soon, he reached down and plucked the wood piece off of her hand, grinning triumphantly. "Problem solved." It had been simple enough that he hadn't even gotten a headache, which was a plus. He had healed over the spot too, so any sign of the puncture was now gone. "Does that feel alright?" There was always a chance he had missed something, but with a procedure as simple as that, it was highly unlikely.

[Mallory Reynolds]

Oh wow. Mallory's gaze moved to the mountains, watching the brilliant colors spill over. This had made getting up and out worth it. Not to mention, it looked like she was in line to make a new friend as well. A good morning all around, really, and it had only just begun. Well, good apart from the splinter. It was hard to ignore, being that she knew it was there. Not to mention it hurt. Thankfully, Isaac was doing a good job of distracting her. "I'm sure you make fine company," she assured him. He'd been polite so far, which was a plus in her books any day. There never seemed enough polite men in the world.

"Yes, I am!" She was pleased that he'd listened enough to pick up on that. "I teach home economics. You know, cooking, sewing... Teaching them how to be a housewife, really." She laughed, knowing it wasn't far from the truth. "It's actually a lot of fun. Most of the kids are really good." She loved her job, and she wasn't shy about that fact. As for the exercise, well... she just smiled at him. "You look like you put some hours in exercising already. If not, you must just be lucky." As a teenager, she might have been jealous. Now? ... Okay, just a little. "You work at the hospital? That's so interesting! What do you do there?" Naturally, her first guess was doctor, but other jobs existed too.

She was trying to keep focused on what he was saying, but damn it, the splinter was just a little distressing. She was starting to wonder if she had a sewing needle in her car. Not the most sterile thing in the world, but she could make it work. What she didn't realize was Isaac's rapt attention on her minute distress. "Um... It's just a splinter. I don't think amputation is necessary, right?" In other words, she was trying to make light of it. But his offer intrigued her. "Wow. A surgeon and biological manipulator? Sounds like a match made in heaven." But that still wasn't an answer. "I'd love it out, if you honestly don't mind. It's really in there." And she'd probably only made it worse by picking at it. She let him take her hand, and watched curiously.

The whole process was incredible. She didn't even mind the itch. "Oh my gosh. Thank you!" She flexed her hand experimentally. "It feels great. You're amazing!" Happy? Just a tad. "How can I thank you from saving me from certain splinter death?" Her usual methods involved a metric ton of baked goods, but a doctor might not appreciate that. .... Even a self confessed lazy one.

[Dr. Isaac Yang]

"I should have taken that class in high school," Isaac sighed. "The only thing I can cook is frozen burritos and toast. And as for sewing, well, I do know how to use needles, but not the kind to repair clothing." Not that his work was easy - far from it. But it was amusing to think that he could insert a needle into a patient's vein without a problem, while sewing a simple stitch sounded incredibly difficult. "It must be fun to be a teacher. I considered it, before going into the medical field." He had discovered he was too meek for teaching, though; he couldn't tell a child no. He laughed at her comment about exercise. "I run when I can. But not as much as I should. I think I shed pounds from stress." Fortunately, he was usually pretty calm under pressure, but there was always something that could go wrong, and so he was never completely unstressed when performing operations or taking care of people. "I'm an oncologist. I specialize in leukemia, but I treat many other types of cancer as well," he explained. "I'm very fortunate - I always wanted to be a doctor, and my ability had enabled me to not only pursue my occupation, but to flourish in it. I get patients from all over the country - it's very humbling." He turned back to the rising sun for a moment until the splinter caught his attention.

"No, no amputation necessary," he assured her, smiling to relieve her tension. Splinters hurt like hell, considering how tiny they were. "Just a few moments to move aside the layer of skin to remove it without pushing it farther into the epidermis. I don't mind at all. You'd be surprised how often I come across people in need of assistance outside of work." Like Julia, a few weeks ago. Her scratch was a bit more severe, though; this splinter would be easy enough. She had irritated it a bit by messing with it, but he couldn't blame her - he would have done the same in her position. A person's natural instinct when something was piercing them was to pull it out!

And soon it was out. He held up the piece of wood, then dropped it in the water. "Now it won't hurt anyone again," he said. "Begone." Oh God, he sounded like a dork. He ignored the moment of flushing he felt on his cheeks and grinned up at her, glad to see she was goofy as well. "As much as I would like to say I saved you from certain splinter death, that is quite an exaggeration. However, you are very welcome. ((IN RETURN YOU CAN GIVE ME REDHAIRED ASIAN BABIES - oops, sorry, Apollo took over x.x)) But it was nothing. There's no need for you to repay me. Simply having some company for once is enough. Very pleasant company, I might add."

There he was, being a dork again. He suddenly felt much more connected to Mallory, which he hadn't expected. He had learned he became connected to people he healed, but for such a tiny thing, he hadn't thought anything would happen. Apparently he was wrong, because the thought of her leaving and never seeing her again was quite distressing. "Actually..." He paused. Was he really about to do this? "I would love to get coffee sometime. That is, if you do coffee." He shrugged, a little embarrassed, and drew his gaze back to the water's surface. He suddenly felt like a shy teenager again.

[Mallory Reynolds]

Mallory stifled a little giggle at his wistful talk about cooking. “It’s not so weird for guys to take the class now. One of my best students was male.” She missed Isaac now he’d graduated and gone off to college. “But it’s never too late to teach a dog new tricks,” she assured brightly. Of course, he probably didn’t have the time to do more complicated cooking. “I love being a teacher. Most of my kids are really good, but a few do slip in because they think it’s going to be easy credits.” She shrugged, because that was the nature of her subject. They just tended to underestimate just how ‘easy’ sewing and cooking could really be. “I wish I was that lucky. Then again, I’d have to get stressed for it to work.” She didn’t often stress out about things. But she wasn’t a doctor. She was sure Isaac would have plenty to stress over in a day. “Oh wow,” she murmured when he told her about his job. “It must be nice to help people all day.” She shifted, pulling her knees to her chest and resting her chin on them. “But I guess it would be sad, too.” Mallory was also silently lamenting how lucky people were with their powers. “You got lucky with your power. I wish mine was something useful like that.” Or even something less harmful.

Thankfully, the splinter escapade distracted her somewhat. “You make it sound worse than it should be,” she gently teased. Sure enough, it really wasn’t that bad. An itch in her palm, but no pain. She had a feeling that this was miles better than picking at it with a needle. “To think, I was going to try to dig it out with a needle. This is much better.” She was a little prepared for some sort of scolding over that, but hey, it worked in a pinch.

She grinned and watched the little piece of wood float on the surface of the lake. “Thank you,” she repeated, beaming at him. “You vanquished the beast!” Yes, she was playing along, and was actually having a good time with it. She did pout for a moment, internally anyway, over his refusal of repayment. “You could have,” she prompted with a little grin. “It could have made some horrible, deadly infection. Then I’d have to repay you.” She couldn’t say anything in regards to his comment about pleasant company. It just made her blush a little and stare back at the mountains.

She continued to watch the sky lighten for a few moments, enjoying the quiet. Her gaze did wander back to Isaac when he spoke again. Coffee? Really? “Really?” It was a bit more of a squeak than she would have liked. Stuff like this never happened to her. “I’d love to.”

[Dr. Isaac Yang]

"Never too late to teach an old dog new tricks," he mused. "Well, I suppose I could always learn how to be a housewife - er, husband now, eh?" He chuckled. "I would need an awfully good teacher though. I'm pretty sure I would burn a salad if I tried to actually make one myself." Seriously, how did he survive without proper cooking knowledge? A doctor out of all people should know how to provide for himself. "Students can definitely be a pain," he sighed, thinking back to his Hammel days. He had never been a troublesome kid, but he remembered the ones that were, and had always felt bad for the teachers that had to deal with them. Another reason why he decided not to become a teacher himself. "I love my job," he agreed. "It definitely has its ups and downs, but I tell myself that in the end, I always do the best I can, and that is all that I can do." It sounded a bit cliche, but it was true. "Oh, you're a meta as well?" he asked, slightly surprised. For some reason he hadn't suspected it. "Did you go to Hammel? Maybe we've met before. I graduated fifteen years ago, so I'm sure there are some faces that I've forgotten," he laughed quietly. He wondered what her ability was that she seemed to dislike.

Isaac clucked his tongue. "Unless the needle is sterile, I would advise against that in the future. Next time, just call me up, I'll get it out in a jiffy, free of charge." Oh wow, had he really just said that? He was never that bold. "But I'm glad I could be of use," he finished lamely.

He stared at her for a moment after he dropped the piece of wood in the water. She was actually playing along! "I suppose I did," he laughed eventually, watching the tiny piece slowly float away. "And I suppose if it was a deadly, poisoned beast, I could have very well just saved you from certain death." A grown man, professional, acting like a silly kid. He didn't know what had come over him. A big grin spread across his face. He liked this Mallory.

The sun had almost finished it's rise when he asked his question, and his heart pounded in the few seconds it took for her to reply. She'd love to? Did she really just... Agree? To coffee? With him? This was unbelievable. Not only was she the first woman he had asked out in.... A very long time, but she had accepted! They barely even knew each other, but Isaac didn't care - she was pleasant to be around, and, he had to admit to himself, quite beautiful. "Great," he smiled. "How does Friday sound? I don't go into work until later, so how does... Seven o'clock sound?" He paused, realizing this was probably far too early for coffee dates for a lot of people. "Unless of course, you would rather do an evening..." he trailed off. He was no good at this stuff.

[Mallory Reynolds]

“Hey now!” She pressed her hand to her mouth in order to try to stem the giggles that were now flowing. “I didn’t say anything about old,” she teased. “It’s really not hard, though. ... Okay, burning a salad would be a challenge.” She grinned at him. His sense of humor was fantastic, though she did find it curious that a grown man couldn’t fend for himself all that well. Wasn’t that supposed to end in college? Or sooner, if her brothers had anything to say about it. Then again, they’d learned that girls liked guys that could cook. She’d been happy to teach them the basics, and they’d both survived (or was surviving) college without having to resort to Easy Mac and ramen.

“Well, that’s all you can do,” she said sympathetically as he discussed his job. She couldn’t imagine having to be in his shoes. Hell, she cried at television shows, movies, even sad commercials. Talking to people that might not live long, no matter what you did? Her heart would break. At least he was able to distract her by meta talk. “Yes, I am. I graduated... oh...” She made a face as she counted back. “About nine years ago, but I kept going back after graduation for additional training, just to make sure I had complete control.” She flexed her fingers, sighing. “I got the short end of the stick when it came to useful powers. Poison gas emission. Great, huh?” She rolled her eyes, well used to the dislike over her powers.

Of course he’d scold her over the needle idea. Glad to be off the meta topic again, she just gave him a sheepish smile. “Thanks. I’ll remember that.”

Ahh, the one thing that her power was useful for. “Well, if it was poisoned, we’d be in luck. Poisons really don’t have any effect. But we can pretend.” She was teasing again. Really, it would have sucked to get some sort of infection from the thing, because medications were practically useless unless she took a dose more suited to an elephant.

But never mind that, because now she was practically giddy. This happened in movies. Or to the pretty, popular girls if she was going to relate it back to their school days. Not her. She was having a hard time hiding the massive grin she was sporting, and not even looking at the sunrise was helping to stop it. “Friday’s perfect. I don’t have a class until close to nine, and as you can tell, I like being up in the morning.” She shrugged indifferently to the proposal of an evening instead. “I honestly don’t mind the morning, if it works for you.” If it went well, she’d be giddy all day anyway. “Did you have a place in mind?”

[Dr. Isaac Yang]

"Nine years ago?" Isaac winced. "Now you're really making me feel old. Amazing how time flies - it seems like only yesterday, I was forced to sit through Sean's lectures about sex and sexuality," he laughed. "That's not really something that you forget about easily. And I still meet him every once in a while. I'm going to see him next week, actually," he added thoughtfully. "He played a huge role in my Hammel years, after my mom died," he explained. "He helped me realize the path I wanted to take."

"Poison gas emission?" he repeated, intrigued. "Can you emit different kinds of gases? Or just one type?" He was always asking questions about other people's powers, always curious about the nature of abilities and how they affected their user and the people around them. "It sounds really interesting. As long as I won't get poisoned by being near you," he added, chuckling a little. "That would be... Inconvenient." He raised his eyebrows at the side effect. "You can't get poisoned? Whoa. I would love to study your immune system..." He trailed off. She might think that was weird.

He grinned at her, feeling his heart speed up a little. "Friday morning it is then. I'll make sure not to keep you from your class, so seven should probably be early enough. As for where..." He tapped his fingers against the dock, thinking and also trying to hide how nervous he was. He never did anything this bold and rash. "Do you know Velvet-Tone Coffeehouse? It's in downtown, and they have excellent coffee for a decent price." Although if he had his way, she wouldn't spend a dime. Guys always paid on the first date, right? Because that's what this was. A date. With a gorgeous woman. He didn't know what he was doing. But he was happy.

[Mallory Reynolds]

Mallory looked over at him and grinned. “Age is just a number,” she reminded him. She remembered her mother giving her the same lecture at some point or another. “Oh, don’t remind me. I had to do it too.” She’d been one of the ones that had doodled in the back. Not because she had been a poor student, but because she’d been a little embarrassed by the whole spectacle. Granted, no one had gotten into pranking it then. Now, it seemed like a contest as every year passed. “That’s great you still see him. He’s wonderful. But... um... I’m sorry about your mother.” She peeked up at him with a sympathetic gaze. She didn’t know what it was to be without her mother or her father, and she didn’t want to imagine it.

“Mn, yeah.” Wait. Did he sound interested? She looked at him curiously. “Really just one type. I can’t stand using it, though. I accidentally poisoned a lot of people at my high school, before I was recruited. It was awful.” She failed to mention why she’d set her power off, because he didn’t need to know that. “Oh, no! No, I keep it under control at all times. You’re safe, I promise.” She smiled at him, hoping that was enough to reassure him. ... Evidently it was. “Well... good luck with that one. It’s weird.” She made a little face. “I can’t really get poisoned, but I can’t take most medications, either. Something about the chemicals in them being neutralized by the poison.” She waved a hand, as if to dismiss it. “I’m used to it.”

Two hours was long enough for a... date? Yes? Was that really what this was going to be? Lots of time to get class started. She’d just have to be prepared. “I do know that place! It’s great.” She grinned at him, then looked back at the rising sun. This was going to be wonderful.