She tasted of smoke and alcohol that flavor that was just her, and it a glorious. He knew instantly that everything they'd gone through, all that she had put him through in the past month had been worth it. Every second. "Nothing worth having is ever easy," he muttered into her hair when she hugged him. They could do this. He knew it.
Apollo barked and wagged his tail when Minerva looked down. "He's an arseload of trouble, that's what he is," Atlas laughed. "Keeping me and Oc busy."
"I'm glad you didn't," he said then, keeping his arms around her waist. "I was up anyway, getting ready to go run. Speaking of which. . . I need to owl Ronan. Tell him I'm not coming."
He kissed her swiftly once more before reluctantly letting go and heading to the small desk in his bedroom. He quickly penned a note to Ronan, tell him he wasn't coming, but giving no explanation. Then he returned and handed the tightly rolled scroll to Bartholomew, who had been observing the reunion from his perch near the window. "Take it to Ronan," he said. "I don't need a reply if he doesn't look like he's going to send one."
After the owl had flown, Atlas went back to his girlfriend, smirking as he let the word play around a bit in his head, and placed his hands on her waist. "Take off your cloak," he grinned. "Stay a while."