human red bull. (ganymeda) wrote in mythopoeics, @ 2012-06-17 23:45:00 |
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Entry tags: | !mini-log, hebe, raven |
the twenty-third ♥
Hebe was so nervous she wanted to puke, messily and all over her lap, or across the top of the table. She was sure there wouldn't have been time to lean over and aim for the ground to avoid a mess on herself. Butterflies swarmed in her stomach, making her feel uneasy and uncertain and just generally horrible. But she had something to do, and wasn't leaving until she got it out. This was no time to be a coward.
Wanting to pass the time and forget about her nerves, the goddess reached out to play with the length of her braid. He'd be there soon. He wouldn't bail on her, would he? The idea worried her.
Raven was equally nervous, and had been ever since Hebe said she had something to tell him. He had an idea he knew what was on her mind, and wondered if it was the same thing that had been on his since their time in Rome. Still, as he approached the meeting place, he debated just blurting out that he hated seeing her married to some other man when he wanted her with him.
Walking up to where he could see her sitting, the native american paused to watch the goddess playing with her braid. Was she worried, concerned? He wanted to put her at ease, and smiled as he made his move. "Why hello, little girl. Can I buy you a drink?"
His voice startled her, but she recovered easily upon noticing just who had spoken to her. The sight of Raven's face and the sound of his voice always put her at ease. There was no need for him to try -- he was good at just being himself. It was how she preferred him.
She gave a shake of her head. A drink just gave her a reason to choke on something. "But thank you. Sit down?"
He raised one eyebrow at her reaction, slightly confused as to why she'd want to meet at a cafe if she didn't want anything to drink, but he wasn't going to argue Hebe's decision. Smiling as he sat down, Raven ran one hand through his hair to get it out of his face, wishing he'd thought to bring an elastic.
"So, what did you want to talk about?" he asked as he pulled his chair in. He liked getting right down to business, especially when he assumed things would get uncomfortable.
The slight flush on her face was immediate. Figured that he would launch right into the topic, but in all of her apprehension, she still hadn't figured out how to tell him. Starting at the beginning would be wise, though that would take some time, and she was known to babble when nervous. Hebe swallowed.
"I... well. There's something I've been wanting to tell you for a while. I wasn't... I wasn't sure how to bring it up, but. You've been there for me when I needed you, and even when you couldn't be, I knew you wanted to be. We've been through a lot, and..." One hand came out against the tabletop, palm facing the ceiling. Asking for his hand in return.
"Thank you."
He gamely ignored the redness in her cheeks, choosing instead to focus on trying to keep from getting sick. If his instincts were correct, she was about to tell him she didn't want him around anymore, or something equally upsetting. Her apprehension was catching, though Raven was trying hard not to show it.
Without a second thought, he reached out and covered her hand with his own, nodding at her words. They weren't what he was expecting to hear, which was a good thing, but after everything she'd said about him being there when she needed him he thought she'd say something different than a simple 'thank you'. Unable to hold back, he squeezed her hand slightly.
"You're welcome, and you should know I'd go through it all again with you if I had to." He paused, gathering his nerve. "Hebe, you need to know... I love you. I have ever since what we went through in Zurvan, and it's alright if you don't feel the same, but I thought you should know."
Her eyes went wide. Oh, be still her heart.
"No!" Maybe her voice might've been a touch too loud. If possible, her cheeks reddened a little more as she lowered her voice. "Please don't think-- I--" It was about time for some coherency. She could do this. "... I do. I do feel the same. Ever since Zurvan, I thought... well, for a while we didn't talk as often, and I thought maybe... but then Rome happened, and I knew it was never friendship between us. There's always been something more."
By now, Hebe had flushed to a point where she had to dip her head to hide the blush, even though he'd already seen it. Reaching out with her other hand, she turned over his palm and traced an I, a heart, a U, and then the number two. That would get the message across, she hoped.
The sudden widening of her eyes made his breath catch in his throat.
Her exclamation surprised him, and he looked around to make sure that nobody else in the cafe were watching them before leaning in to listen to her. "It was hard for me, coming back here after all that and not talking to you, but things were so different and I didn't want to scare you off. I..." he sighed, shaking his head. "I was afraid that you wouldn't want to deal with me outside of there, but in the end I couldn't stay away from you."
Feeling his own cheeks heat up, Raven glanced down at the table in an effort to hide the awkwardness he was experiencing. When her finger began to trace over his palm he blinked, looking up at her with a soft smile. Gently catching her hand, he brought it to his lips, placing a light kiss to her palm.
There was a sensation in Hebe's chest that gave the impression that her heart was going to leap out of her chest, or maybe something painful like it being wrenched out, but when he lifted her hand to his lips, she had to quell it. She already felt embarrassed enough for going so pink.
The smile that surfaced was easy and genuine. Raven loved her. He wanted to protect her and to be with her, and that, for now, was all that mattered to her. Not Khaos and her minions, not Zurvan. This was her now, her present.
With a little lean over the table, the goddess affectionately brushed a curl from his forehead. "I always want to deal with you," she informed him with a shyer smile, her embarrassment fleeing the scene. A rare strength of will held her in its grasp.
"It's you and me. I promise."
[ OOC: backdated to the 9th ]