Settling down into his chair felt like being accepted into a familiar embrace.  He had to force back a groan as some of the aching in his body released.  Aedan still had the gun, though it was resting against the broad left arm of the chair in a limp hand, pointed more toward a wall and away from his guests.  Should the thing go off, it would only kill a beautiful mica lamp.  A tragedy, to be sure, because he loved the warm glow it provided on long nights when he couldn’t fuss about with the fireplace.  It went with the rest of the décor, which was dark in that elegant sort of way.  Dark wood, thick carpet, and understated rug.  The edges were blurred by a handful of indoor palms and a single prayer plant for accent.  The room itself was painted in a rich, dark blue, except for the wide trim and ceiling, which was all done in white.  There was a thick crown molding that made the simple scheme a bit more on the regal side.  There was another seat at the other side of the fireplace, both that one and his own arranged at a friendly angle as if he had a regular friend for drinks.  Against the far wall was a small couch, which matched the other chair, and they went well with the dark wood of other surfaces in the room.  The leather chair was the odd piece out.  It had been the only decision of his in the entire room, even if the environment seemed to suit him.  Raff had also had a hand in the design and had overseen some of the construction of the house, either when Aedan had been too sick or didn’t care.  The sitting room happened to be an area of disinterest, or at least it had been at the time, and had only been constructed for the sake of symmetry and aesthetics for the front of the house rather than true functionality.  In the end, it was one of his favourite places to rest.<br/><br/>He’d ignored Govannon’s initial greeting from the start, but now that he was in his comfortable spot, felt in control, he at least appeared more willing to listen.  It was the first time he could get himself a proper look at the man without Raff’s ginormous form getting in the way, though the Italian hadn’t let his guard down entirely.  He knew better than anyone how quickly Aedan could go from calm and silent to a raging nutcase if the wrong thing was said.  But Aedan was tired, his body sore, and he didn’t have it in him in that moment to be anything but quietly irritated.  Unless something completely out of line was uttered, he was more likely to seethe and bark orders than come back up out of his chair.<br/><br/>So he let his eyes study the man in front of him as Govannon began to speak.  His style of dress was not what Aedan would’ve expected.  There was an unanticipated warmth to the hue, and it was a little on the light side.  Had he imagined darker?  Perhaps… navy business suit and tie, black shoes?  No, that wouldn’t have done, either.  This wasn’t a man who sought money or fame.  Had that been the case, he’d have relished more in his infamy, sold his story to anyone who would listen, and probably wind up on talk shows and reality television before finding himself standing in Aedan’s house.  This was a man after more than what material goods and attention could get him.  He was focused on the medicine, the science, and the hope of something that should’ve been out of both their grasps.  Suit and tie?  No.  This was a man who belonged perpetually in a lab coat, with an intense look in his eyes staring out from behind those inconspicuous glasses.  In another life, Aedan could’ve seen himself with someone like that.  Drive and intellect.  Passion and a disregard for the rules.  Like a professional rebel with nothing to lose.<br/><br/>All of that went through his mind as Govannon stated his case.  For the vast majority of it, Aedan seemed uncaring of the man’s plight.  Of his very presence, really.  The only reaction was a tiny squint of his eyes at the mention of being each other’s last hope.  As if Aedan was so optimistic as to believe in something like that…<br/><br/>He reached for the mug beside him with long, pale fingers and tilted it, disappointed to find that he hadn’t wasted a drop.  The kitchen seemed forever away.   How long was appropriate to sit and listen to the man’s bullshit before he snubbed him off and told him to get out?  It was the attitude he wanted to have, but Aedan realized that there was a reason Govannon was there.<br/><br/>Raff, for all his sneaky power and wealth, was a very down to earth individual.  He placed high value on friends and family, and him bringing the ousted doctor there could only mean that he was aware of how bad things really were.  It wasn’t for his own curiosities; Raff didn’t give a damn about self-preservation if it crossed those kinds of moral lines.  Legal ones, neither of them could care less about, but the Italian still somehow held to his religion.  Both of them had been raised Catholic, but Raffaello hadn’t ever really given up the faith like Aedan had, at least not entirely.  Thus, his interest in Cherish’s work was not for his own sake, nor for the doctor’s.  It was for Aedan.  How could he turn away help like that?  It wasn’t fair.<br/><br/>Sighing, Aedan lifted the gun from its resting place, only to let it clatter against the wooden side table with little regard for the polished surface.  This guy was too attractive and sounded too nice, and that somehow irritated him even more.  Perhaps Aedan just resented his better fortune.<br/><br/>“For being a supposed brilliant mind, an intellectual, you’re an idiot,” he stated.  It wasn’t the gentlest lead for a reply, but Aedan thought he was being kind.  “Either that, or you think you’re conning me.  But then that might be giving you too much credit.  It was probably all Raffie-boy’s doing that you even made it this far.”  He scoffed and shook his head.  “<i>Your</i>last hope…  I’m not the only one.  The world is full of dying people, Cherish.  All you have to do is look around you, but I’m guessing you’ve spent the last month or whatever moping about and feeling sorry for yourself, ignoring the reality of your position.”  He was sometimes able to pin people down with his gaze alone, especially when he held such strong conviction in his chest, and that was precisely what he intended to do here.  Before he could even begin to consider allowing this man to stay in his home, to work with him, treat him… to see him at his most vulnerable, then Aedan had to establish a sense of control over the situation.  It was<i>his</i>house,<i>his</i>body, and<i>his</i>life.  He had remained alive thus far under<i>his</i>power, and he didn’t take lightly the thought of handing over any amount of it to anyone else.  So, warning in his eyes, Aedan continued with no hesitation.<br/><br/>“I’ll spell it out for you.  You weren’t crucified.  You were fucking freed.  You have high learning, experience, and more money than you know what to do with.”  They’d covered Govannon’s wealth in the news.  “You can buy equipment and order all the supplies you need.  The black market is crawling with shit someone like you would drool over.  All you need are living bodies, and those come cheap and easy.  Especially when it comes to unlucky fuckers with one foot in the grave.  People go through a lot of torture, even in legitimate medical treatments, just to keep living a little longer.  So before you feign bowing your head, wake the fuck up.  Stop insulting me.”<br/><br/>That out of the way with, he looked toward Raff.  The Italian immediately knew that the younger man wanted something and lifted his chin in question.<br/><br/>“Coffee,” Aedan grumbled, his arm bracing against the arm of his chair and his head leaning into his hand.  He had a headache, because of course he did, and it was only getting worse.  He’d have gotten it himself, but it was more important to get all the initial arrangements and discussions out of the way.  Aside from that, it was a good excuse to get Raff out of the room for a few minutes.  Once the Italian had nodded and wandered off toward the kitchen on his accepted mission of acquiring caffeine, Aedan let his attention turn back to the attractive doctor.  It was killing him that this was a real consideration.<br/><br/>“If you’re still interested, sit,” he ordered more than offered, nodding to the chair across from him.  He wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d pissed the man off too much for that, and he honestly couldn’t bring himself to care either way.  “Tell me what you need.”