It took a lot for Hebe to truly feel helpless. When it came to Hercules, she had tried and tried until she felt like she didn't have any other tactics. She had been there for him countless times. She had spilled her heart. She had loved him openly and had tried to be with him. Nothing seemed to work. She felt like there was nothing left to do but wait for him to either come around himself or give up and move on. Neither of them were good choices for Hebe.
She was so focused on her papers that she hadn't meant to be so distant. She was just so close to being finished. When he set down the rose she stopped working. She set down her pen and picked up the rose, a little smile on her face. She would have preferred red, the color of romance, but white would do. It meant something. Work could wait. "Thank you," she said quietly, smelling the rose. She didn't know whether he would let her kiss him or not, so she settled with standing up and kissing his cheek.