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“They really hit it off, didn’t they, Aggy?” Tribbie, who had been watching Phainon and Stelle for a while, asked the Demigod of Romance who had just joined her for some leisurely conversation.
“Yes, they did, Teacher,” Aglaea answered without even needing to look or guess who her mentor meant.
Phainon and Stelle were sitting on the grass in the Garden of Life, grooming and petting some chimeras with Hyacine. There was a competition between the chimeras going on and, while the pink haired healer was taking her job very seriously, Phainon and Stelle were joking, poking each other and fighting for who got to groom the cutest chimeras.
“You can barely ever see one without the other nowadays, and when you do, chances are they are on their way to meeting. Even if they had a bit of a rocky start, it’s really amazing how they bonded so fast and so tightly,” Tribbie continued, measuring Aglaea’s reactions for clues on how she felt about this.
“Yes,” Aglaea answered concisely.
“You’re worried, Aggy,” the Demigod of Passages asserted.
“Worried? Somewhat, yes.”
“You’re afraid their friendship might hinder the Flame-Chase?”
Aglaea now looked at Tribbie and smiled.
“Not at all, Teacher. The Trailblazers proved without doubt they are trustworthy and willing to help Amphoreus reach its destiny,” Aglaea said and then turned her attention towards the pair sitting a few metres away from them. “As for Phainon, you know better than I do that he would never put himself and his own wishes first,” she finished sadly. “Which is what makes me worry. I know first hand how hard it is to carry the duties of a Chrysos Heir, I know how hard it is to keep relationships from souring due to our obligations. I want him to experience some happiness, however fleeting, before the inevitable end,” Aglaea looked back at Tribbie and shook her head. “I’m sorry, Teacher, you were excited about them and I brought the mood down.”
“It’s okay, Aggy. You worry about all of us, we are lucky to have you. Say, what if we nudged them in the right direction, you know, about their feelings?”
Aglaea’s attempt at an answer was cut short when Stelle suddenly sprung up, speaking loudly.
“Ew, did you just fart?” She asked the chimera she had been holding. The chimera just looked innocently at her with eyes that said "I did and I'll do it again". Hyacine giggled, Phainon chuckled and Stelle crossed the Garden of Life to groom another chimera. Phainon waited the whole eternity of ten seconds before following her.
He stopped in front of Stelle, positioning himself between her and the two Demigods, blocking their view of her.
“Did their staring bother you?” He asked.
“A little. But that chimera did fart…”
“Partner,” Phainon smiled and tried to take her hand.
Stelle looked at him warningly and then tried to peep over his shoulder.
“We’re in public, don’t forget.”
“I know,” he said, looking adoringly directly into her eyes.
Her expression softened. He knew exactly how to make her forget what was vexing her, with that tilted head, that lopsided smile and those not so innocent blue eyes. She felt a sudden urge to bite him and take his clothes off. Not necessarily in that order.
“You know, sometimes I wish I could just drag you to the middle of Kephale Plaza and shout to anyone interested to hear that Amphoreus' most handsome hero (elected by yours truly) is mine,” she said, enraptured by the sheepish look on his face.
“Well, the feeling is mutual. Whenever we’re together in the baths and people keep staring at you I wish I could tell them that they can look, but the miracle that fell from the Heavens is only mine to touch.”
“Stupid,” Stelle said, looking down.
“And that I’m the only one able to make her look this adorably embarrassed.”
“Shut up,” she said, smacking him in the arm with the brush she was using on the chimera. “But, having this just for ourselves is also nice in its own way. No gossip, no teasing… I guess it can stay this way.”
“Until the day you say something enchantingly nonsensical and I just kiss you in front of everyone without even thinking.”
“Not if I beat you to it.” Stelle pointed the brush at Phainon, menacingly. She then looked over his shoulder again and continued. “Do you think they suspect something?”
“Aglaea certainly has the means. But she usually tries not to pry too much on our personal matters. I think if she knew she would’ve brought it up with me already. This is something that would probably… worry her to an extent.”
“If she didn’t bring it up…” Stelle started.
“We still can’t be sure.”
Aglaea severed the golden threads for a while. She didn’t actually need them to know what was going on between those two. She knew that most of the sparring they had been doing lately was with their lips and the reading together was done with their hands on each other’s body. She couldn’t help but know almost everything that happened inside the Holy City walls, with her extensive net of golden threads. She tried, but sometimes knowing things was inevitable. At least she knew he was getting some of the happiness she wished for him, she just had to pretend she didn’t.
Tribbie felt humoring Aglaea was the right thing to do. It was impossible that her threads had not caught what Tribbie was aware of with just her eyes and ears. She surely had her reasons and Tribbie was not going to push it.
Hyacine looked around. Everyone was here to help with the chimeras and yet she was the only one doing any actual work. She saw Phainon and Stelle having the hardest of times keeping their hands off each other and Aglaea and Tribbie pretending not to notice. And then she saw Cipher approaching, could at least she be here to help?
“Hey, Deliverer girl!” Cipher’s voice echoed throughout the Garden of Life.
Stelle and Phainon looked at each other and then at the source of the voice.
“Did you just call me ‘girl’?” Phainon asked the Demigod of Trickery.
“What? No, I’m talking to her,” Cipher turned to Stelle. “I need a small favor, she’s pretty good at finding treasure.”
“Hm, since when I’m ‘Deliverer’?
“I said ‘Deliverer’s’. Deliverer’s girl, like in ‘his girl’,” Cipher said, pointing at Phainon with her thumb.
Everything and everyone stopped and the Garden held its collective breath, including the chimeras. The only things still moving were Hyacine, who had been feeding a few of the chimeras and kept stuffing their mouths with fruit while watching to see what would happen next, and Little Ica flapping their wings around trying to steal some.
“What? Were you trying to keep it a secret?”