Recap
His eyes soften tenderly, looking me helplessly. " I can't tell if your doing this on purpose or not." He mumbles under his breath, but I still hear it.
" Anyway, I've come to tell you some news. I'm moving into my colleges dorm."
" What?" My head snaps up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
" Why?" Because of me?
" I can't get over you when my feelings grow stronger the closer I am to you. I need to move on as soon as possible to be able to work with you in the future."
" Move on?" I spit out gritting my teeth. With who? A fire of anger sparks inside my heart. What is this? It hurts...
" If I can't have you, then I need to let you go." It feels like he dumped a bucket of cold water on my heart.
But he's right. Some distance would do well for both of us. I need to get my head back on straight, keep it professional.
" Alright. Do as you see fit. It is your mission." I get up. Walking a few steps away, I stop and bid him goodbye.
" Don't die."
~~~~~~~
Alex left the next day, with his bags packed and ready. He didn't say anything and neither did I.
A year passed.
Then two years passed without any contact between us.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now it's been four years, since I last spoke to Alex.
" And here is this weeks report, sir."
" Has he eaten today?" I question as I flip through the report of what's he done this week.
" Yes, sir. Pancakes at a restaurant with three other colleagues from work. He bought a sandwich from a store near his gallery for lunch."
" What about dinner?" I raise an eyebrow. Why does host have such bad eating habits?
" He ate some fruit before painting for about two hours. He fell asleep at 10:30, sir."
Sigh, he needs enough energy to paint for hours but he takes fruit as a meal. " You can go now. Keep up the good work." I wave away my assistant Everyin.
" Yes, sir. Understood." She's says before leaving.
" Boss."
" What, Jean?"
" If you weren't my boss I would have reported you to the police for stalking years ago, when you first started."
" I'm not stalking him. I'm just checking up on him." It's my responsibility as his system to monitor and advise my host. He's not letting me advise him or even be near him, so the least I should be allowed to do is monitor him.
" Sure, whatever you say." He turns away, going back to his book. He doesn't even try to argue with me anymore.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Today is the last day.
I'm currently leaning on my car outside the gallery building where host works. I blow out the last puff of smoke before crushing the remainder of the cigarette with the heel of my shoe.
It's time to pick up my host.
I walk up to the front door and enter. I roam around for a bit. I want to see the place where Alex has spent most of his time these past couple years.
The gallery endowed a spacious and elegant style. It was chic enough for upper class people, yet it had this warmth that spread making the common people comfortable enough to come here amidst the elites.
He truly has done well for him self. I'm glad.
" It's been a while."
I turn to see an angel smiling softly. His light blond hair and dark blue eyes shimmer in the sunlight coming in from the floor to ceiling windows behind him. His white outfit gives the illusion of wings sprouting from his back.
A huge contrast to my image. I'm wearing a pure black suit, with a silver chain from my collar to my breast pocket instead of a tie. My dirty blond hair is swept back giving focus to my prominent features, I also shaved my beard today to show off my jaw line. The cherry on top is my cold pale blue eyes, almost white, that seem colder than ice. My overall image is of a tempting merciless tyrant.
A devil coming to take away the angel.
" Yes, it has been a while. I'm here to inform you of the mission completion."
" I know." He says nonchalantly, walking up to me.
" How much longer do I have?"
I raise my hand to look at my silver watch. " One hour."
" I see. We still have some time then. Hmm, how about I give you a tour of this place?" He claps as if he found the answer.
" Sure. Lead the way."
" Follow me." He beams. He's gotten much more cheerful than I remember him being.
After a while, he brings me to an abstract painting.
" This one is one of my favorites." It's a chaotically thrilling fight between hot and cold colors. In the middle of that fight is a man standing on a dark road, back facing us.
" I like it."
He chuckles. " You finally say something other that 'it's decent' or 'it's alright' ."
" I'm quite picky in what I like." I smile at him. I turn towards the painting, " Who made it?"
" I did."
" Really?" How come I didn't know? It wasn't in the reports.
" Yes. I just finished it yesterday. I hung it up earlier this morning."
" I see."
" Can you guess what inspired me to make this?"
" What?"
He turns to look straight into my eyes. " You."
" Me?"
" It was my own way of letting go of what I held on to."
I look away from him. My heart feels like it's burning again, only it's worse this time. I clench my jaw. ' Did you move on? Did you forget me and how my touch made you feel?' These questions get stuck in my throat.
We remain in an awkward silence before being interrupted.
[Ding. Mission completed!]
Get it together, you're a professional. I breath in and turn towards him.
" Congratulations, host, on completing your first mission. Would you like to remain here or return to rest?"
" Five years is enough fun for this world. Let's go back."
" Understood."
[ Extraction of system 200 and host 20780 commencing in ...3, 2, 1.]