2007-07-31: Married to the Job

Starring:

Aileen_icon.gif Felix_icon.gif

Summary: Aileen and Felix chat over coffee.

Date It Happened: July 31st, 2007

Married to the Job


Midtown, NYC - Common Grounds

Felix has already taken a table. It's after dinner, but not too late. And he's up for coffee, especially after that embarassing encounter with Ling, earlier. At the moment, he's brooding over a decaf mocha, briefcase at his side.

It's after work. For once, she's actually got her white coat and everything, even if it is slung over an arm. Letting out a long sigh, Aileen glances around the coffee shop, moving to go order a mocha of her own.

"Kincade, let me get that for you," Felix doesn't hesitate to speak up, once he's noticed her. He calls her attention over with a wave as well, grinning rather sheepishly.

Glancing up as she notices Felix, Aileen returns the grin with one of her own. "Alright, but only if you call me Aileen. Kincade makes me think of my father." She wrinkles her nose at the idea, an odd sign of distaste.

Felix says, easily, "As you like," before pulling himself up to head over to her.

Ordering a mocha of her own, Aileen offers a bit of a smile towards the agent. "So what brings you here, then? Escaping a night at home alone?"

"Something like that," he says, with a rather rueful grin. "Actually, been out having dinner with the family. It went well enough, but I wasn't in the mood to head straight home and go to bed."

"Ahh, the family." Aileen laughs. "I've forgotten what that's like. Rest of my family's back in England, which means that I basically get to avoid familial obligations and, for the most part, can remain working ridiculous amounts of hours at my job." She grins.

Felix waves her to his table. "I know the feeling. I've only got my parents. They live in town, happily, or I'd never see them."

Aileen moves to sit down, warming her hands over her mocha as she shuffles her doctor's coat to an empty chair nearby. "I go and visit my mum enough in London. She works for a hotel chain, so I never really have to worry about having a comfortable vacation over there. It's rather nice." She sips from her drink.

"I can imagine. I've only been overseas a few times since we immigrated," he says, more thoughtfully. "How long've you been in America?"

"Mostly just for college. My da was from the States, so I got dual citizenship." Aileen grins. "It came in handy when I came over here for school."

Felix whistles. "Lucky you. Not that I needed it. My parents pretty much surrendered their original citizenship when they defected."

Aileen nods. "I got lucky." She glances back to him. "So where'd they come from, then?"

"USSR, at the time," he explains, swirling his mocha lazily in the mug.

"I see." Aileen smiles. "How old were you when they came over?"

"Eleven. I came with them," he explains, peering over the rim of his glasses at her.

"Ah." Aileen sips from her own cup, glancing back over. "Personally it's nice having both. Means if I ever need to get out of the country.." She laughs.

Felix's lip curls at that. "Yeah. I've dodged over a border more than once. Hopefully never again," he admits. "Though I'm happy to just be a citizen here."

"I love it here, don't get me wrong." Aileen laughs. "Trust me, I wouldn't work overtime here for just anyone." She lets out a sigh. "Personally I couldn't deal with that sort of trouble. It'd give me a headache."

Felix nods. "I'm glad I'm out of it. Things were falling apart there, anyway."

"I can imagine." Aileen murmurs, sipping from her cup. "I prefer to make my life as uneventful as possible." She grins. "Hence why I don't get out too much."

Felix looks down at his cup. "I'm there with you. Got enough excitement at work."

Aileen grins again. "I second that sentiment. Sometimes work tries to follow me home, too."

"See, now I have to say - I'm picturing zombies in hospital gowns trailing after you," Felix admits.

"Oh, if only. Then my life would be /way/ more interesting." Aileen laughs. "No, instead I just get psychos who come after me because they're disgruntled at the hospital and try to stab me with syringes."

Felix recoils. "You're serious, aren't you?" he says, blinking at her.

Aileen looks sheepish. "I am." She looks back to him. "I just had a bad night. Almost the next night I almost got mugged. I think I either get too much excitement or absolutely none."

"I know that feeling. It's like how someone described the Army to me. Endless periods of sheer boredom, followed by a blender of utter terror," he admits, finishing off his mocha.

"Kind of feel like I'm just in this limbo waiting for my life to really start." Aileen can't help but laugh. "Or maybe my life is doomed to be forever lived in the hospital working overtime."

"Well, I mean, what you do is worthy, right? You're satisfied by it?" he asks, tentatively.

"It's good work." Aileen admits. "I feel good every time someone comes out for the better. It's really exhilarating, knowing you've done something good, but then.. then they go off and they live their lives and I'm just sitting there. It's just like I've done something exciting and then.. there's something entirely missing about it." She pauses. "Maybe I need a dog."

Felix considers this. "I…..kind of know how you feel," he specifies. "I've got two cats, myself."

"Yeah. It's kind of one of those things where I feel like I've done something good for a lot of people, but nothing that really means anything. Like.. I'd be ten times happier if I could just make one person completely happy." Aileen sips from her cup. "I just need to get out more I guess."

"Well, maybe you need one specific person to be involved with," he muses, before reaching up and scratching at a brow.

Another sheepish grin. "Maybe. I'm sort of horrible at that kind of thing, though." Aileen admits, staring into her coffee.

Felix notes, sourly, "Again, there with you. I'm married to the job."

"God, I know how that is." Aileen admits. "It'd just be nice to have someone to come home to. You know.. someone that would notice if I actually got stabbed in the neck with a syringe on the way home. I think that's what really made me realize it lately."

Felix nods at her, expression sympathetic. "Yeah," he says, simply.

Sipping from her coffee again, Aileen smiles. She doesn't say anything, but instead just takes another sip.

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