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[b][center] [color=#d7b4bd]Sweet Reconciliations[/color] [/center][/b]
[/h1][/sup][/color][indent][sub][COLOR=#d7b4bd][I]Casa De Acropolis, Seattle[/I][/COLOR][/sub][/indent][indent][sup][right][b][color=#d7b4bd]Herc & Hebe (ft. Coco)[/color][/b][/right][/sup][/indent][hr][hr]
[right][sub]a [@Danvers] & [@metanoia] collab, ft [@KZOMBI3][/sub][/right]

[indent]He raised a visible eyebrow at Comus. Heracles tried to figure out what her plan was and more specifically,  how she thought he was going to believe that she didn’t mean to tip over the table. Whether or not this was a play to prevent from losing  and, in the process, sabotaging the deal they made, mattered the least to Heracles right now. Even he, someone so dense like him, could pick up on the not-so-subtle changes Hebe was showing. Granted, it did take a bit longer for him to notice, but once he did, he walked with her to a slightly less noisy part of the loft, which took the form by the sink in the second kitchen out of the main party stage.

As he ran a kitchen towel under some water, he handed it to Hebe, offering her a smile in hopes she would be more receptive to it than how she was to how out of control he became. [color=crimson]“Here, this should help.”[/color]

[color=D87093]“Thanks.”[/color] Smiling back, Hebe took the towel, beginning to dab at the spots of beer that had splashed spectacularly across her outfit. [color=D87093]“And I thought I was the clumsy one…”[/color] Shaking her head, a small laugh escaped her lips, the gentle sound tinkling across the space between them. Being alone with him brought the nerves rushing back and Hebe found herself gripping onto the towel, eyes focusing anywhere but directly on his face. Inwardly she cursed herself, wishing she were more like...well more like Coco.  [color=D87093][sub]For gods sake Hebe. It’s not like he’s a stranger…[/sub][/color] 

It seemed obvious to her that Heracles would prefer to be in the throng of the party, rather than stand idle in the kitchen with her. The buzz of drunken excitement though quieter, was still audible from over here, music and raucous laughter echoing throughout the large loft. [color=D87093]“You should go back to the party! You are the host after all.”[/color] She blurted out after a moment's silence, gaze moving over to where she could see a mortal drunkenly trying to do a handstand…or maybe it was a cartwheel. It really was difficult to tell amidst the inebriated tangle of limbs. [color=D87093]“I’m okay. I’ll just wait for this to dry…”[/color] Hebe pulled a face as she looked down at the oversized t-shirt. She was going to stink of beer for the rest of the night. Maybe Hel would have some perfume in her bag or something…she seemed like she would be organised like that. 

He brushed off her suggestion for him to go back to the party. [color=crimson]“I’m sure they’ll survive without me.”[/color] 

Truth be told, Heracles didn’t want to go anywhere. Maybe it was the guilt he suddenly felt for possibly triggering something for her, which he still didn’t understand but Heracles had enough awareness to know that much. Besides, if he was earnest with himself, having some time with her away from the chaos of the party was a reward in its own right. 

Looking down at her shirt, he tried not to stare but Heracles had wandering eyes and the silhouette the beer made on her chest was a point of interest for those eyes of his; though he quickly brought them up to hers, finding the selectively absent control he rarely had. [color=crimson]“I’m sorry, your shirt is ruined.”[/color] He frowned for a moment until a lightbulb of an idea went off and he began undoing the buttons of his shirt, unpromptedly taking it off and handing it to her. [color=crimson]“Here, you can wear this until your shirt dries. I mean, obviously not here, but you can use the bathroom down the hall if you want.”[/color] He offered her a comforting smile, hoping the gesture meant something.

Chestnut eyes widened as Herc suddenly pulled off his shirt, heart racing at the sight before her. She had [I]not[/I] expected him to do that. [color=D87093]“What-Herc you don’t have to-I’ll be, I-…okay.”[/color] Hebe stammered, a blush flaring uninvited upon her cheeks. Despite herself, she was unable to stop her gaze from roving over his bare chest, eyes lingering for a moment too long on those well-earned muscles. Somehow she’d forgotten just how well..hot, he was. [color=D87093]“I-I’ll just be a minute.”[/color] Not wanting him to see how easily embarrassed she had become, Hebe quickly grabbed the shirt from his hands before rushing off to the bathroom.

They had been gone for quite some time and Coco was getting restless catering to the whims of the mortals that surrounded her. It was intoxicating for a time, being the centre of attention, but it was only because of her [i]'drunken performance'[/i] and she was done playing actress. Pushing herself up from her seated position, one that was forced upon her by someone or another, she went off in search of her cousin and party brethren. Coming around the corner to the kitchen she could hear the two of them conversing lowly with each other. A warm smile spread across her face as their conversation ebbed and flowed as easily as drink from the very cups she poured for her father.

[sub][color=#B2617F][i]’Where is the old man… haven’t seen him since the meeting…[/i][/color][/sub] the imprint on her shoulder from the grip of Hades was still throbbing if she dwelled on it for too long, luckily the bruise was covered by her shirt dress. With her father on her mind, as well as the previous knowledge of the conclave coming back to bring down her spirits, Coco took off in search of Dionysus in hopes of preoccupying her demons; just for the night.

A couple of minutes later the goddess of youth returned, looking utterly out of her comfort zone. As she wandered into the kitchen, she placed her own crumpled up t-shirt on the side before leaning awkwardly against the counter. It felt strange to be wearing a piece of his clothing, although she couldn’t help but enjoy the woody scent of cologne and pine that drifted up from it. [color=D87093]“So er...how does it look? Totally instagram worthy right?”[/color] Hebe nervously joked as she pulled at the bottom of the shirt. It was a little bit shorter than she’d like, only just stopping her from completely exposing herself, but it was at least still better than smelling like an alcoholic.

[color=crimson]“Damn!”[/color] His voice trailed into an extended, low whistle. [color=crimson]“You wear that better than I could ever.”[/color] And that was the honest truth of the matter. Hebe had always been a cutie. Dating all the way back to their Mount Olympus days, she was quite literally the shining gem of the Gods. Nobody held a candle to her unrivaled beauty, not Aphrodite nor any other  [i]love[/i] god. Fast forward several centuries later and all of those feelings he could have sworn were lost found themselves at the forefront of his mind once again. [color=crimson]“Well, since you mentioned it, we should totally take a selfie!”[/color] He pulled his phone out of his back pants pocket and placed his left arm around her neck, holding the camera up. [color=crimson]“Smileeeee!”[/color]

Hebes cheeks had once again become tinged with pink at his sweet compliment; though she didn’t have time to dwell on this for long as she found herself suddenly drawn close to him. Her body involuntarily flinched at the sudden contact, instinct willing her to pull away. And she nearly did but for the infectious energy that always surrounded the god of heroes. It instantly put her at ease and she reminded herself that it was fine. It was just Herc…no-one else. Pushing back any undesirable thoughts, a genuine smile lit up her features as he took the picture.  

[color=D87093]“Oh no, I look like such a dork there!”[/color] She found herself laughing as the  photo popped up, pulling a face at the result. Without thinking her fingers came up to tap on the screen, swiping through a couple of options until a filter came up which gave them both adorable pink bunny ears. [color=D87093]“Everything’s better with bunny ears…”[/color] She added happily, before suddenly realising that Herc probably wouldn’t enjoy such a thing. Or at least that’s what she’d been told many years ago. [color=D87093]“Sorry…that’s stupid.”[/color]

Normally, he wouldn’t but seeing how her pure, innocent, absolutely intoxicating smile flashed as soon as the bunny ear filter came on the screen, Heracles went along with it. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt so free. Parties were one thing. They allowed him to let loose when he needed to, but whenever he was with Hebe, her mother and everyone else be damned, he was able to let go of preconceptions about himself. And, honestly, seeing her so happy and giddy and embrace that adorkable nature she’s always emoted had never made him happier. 

[color=crimson]“No, no it’s not stupid. I think it’s cute,”[/color] he said, offering her an assuring smile. [color=crimson]“[i]You’re[/i] cute.”[/color] He snuck a quick peck on the cheek while he was at it, not even realizing what he had done until he felt a warm, goosebump-like sensation crawl up his arms.

Her heart fluttered madly, unstoppably at his words, and it took her a moment to acknowledge the kiss. A hand reached up to her face, fingertips running softly over where his lips had been only moments ago. She knew the mere thought of such a thing would’ve once pushed her into a downwards spiral but now the action itself only sent butterflies into her stomach. It felt like a wave of fresh air, one that she hadn’t known she needed but one that enveloped her whole body. Part of her still wanted to sink into herself as she had been so prone to do recently, but another stronger part  lit up at Hercs enthusiasm, happily following along. 

[color=D87093]“Mm, well you look pretty adorable yourself Heracles…”[/color] She teased, placing an emphasis on her use of his full name as she pointed to the selfie. [color=D87093]“I wonder what your followers would make of this?”[/color] Slipping the phone from his hands, Hebe pretended to swipe onto his social media so she could upload the precious cargo. 

[color=crimson]“Yeah, same here,”[/color] he commented absentmindedly. It was only a few seconds later did he register what she meant. [color=crimson]“Oh..[i]oh[/i].”[/color] Insert overused joke about Heracles being an idiot here. [color=crimson]“I mean, I doubt they’ll be looking at me when you’re the real eye candy of this selfie.”[/color] He would note, bumping into her shoulder as gently as he could. Given her smaller frame, he didn’t want to hurt Hebe.

A giggle escaped her lips at his slip up, head tilting as she looked up at him. [color=D87093]“You’re just being nice.”[/color] She said with a shake of her head. Hebe hadn’t been planning to [I]actually[/I] upload it but seeing that he didn’t seem too concerned by the idea, she found herself shrugging her shoulders. A playful smile lit up her face when she had added the photo to his stories, shifting her body to lightly nudge him back. [color=D87093]“There.”[/color] She said with an air of finality before passing the phone back to him. 

After a brief series of moments spent looking at Hebe and how incredibly beautiful she was -- a thought Heracles entertained longer than originally intended -- he then thought about that text message just about everyone in the Pantheon he talked to on a regular basis received and how he was certain she did as well. And some ten seconds later, his thoughts focused on them and immediately blurted out, [color=crimson]“so this might be out of the blue, but you know that ball that’s happening a couple of weeks? The ones the Romans are hosting?”[/color] The transition wasn’t something anyone would call subtle, but he ran with it. [color=crimson]“Anyway, I usually avoid their events because they aren’t my cup of tea and I’d rather host another epic party like this one than get all dressed up.” [sub][i]Get to the point, Herc.[/i][/sub] “Anyway, would you wanna be my date?” [/color]

Hebe, who had been distracted by the body heat radiating off the god — which was both intoxicating and comforting at once —  found herself staring at Herc blankly when the question finally slipped from his lips. She'd been leaning into the warmth but as confusion spread over her, she took a step back. Maybe she'd just misheard him or something. Surely he didn't want to go with [i]her[/i]?

[color=D87093]“Me? Are…are you sure?”[/color] She stammered nervously. The dizzying sensation of butterflies had crept back into her stomach once more and the goddess busied herself with looking at the pastel pink colour she’d painted onto her nails, not daring to look up at his face. [color=D87093]“I mean- I, well there must be loads of influencers and stuff who’d love to go with you…”[/color] Her voice trailed off, disappearing into nothing. What she really wanted to do was just say yes but somehow she found the word getting stuck in her throat. [color=D87093][sub]Dammit Hebe.[/sub][/color]
 
[color=crimson][sub][i]She’s not making this easy for me. Damn it.[/i][/sub][/color] The thought came to him as he took her hands into his, partially so that she would know he was sure and so she could have a chance to take a breather. He maintained a fixated gaze on her, smiling to ease the worry that was clearly present on her face. [color=crimson]“Yes I am absolutely sure. Listen,”[/color] he paused, taking a moment to find the words he needed. When he did, he continued, [color=crimson]“spending the short time with you--” [sub][i]even if Comus was there, too[/i][/sub] “--has made some stuff in the past come back up and I just wanna re-get to know you, Hebe.”[/color] He admitted with a delayed laugh. [color=crimson]“And maybe I just want an excuse to see you again.”[/color] He shot her a wink.

Looking down at his hands, Hebe found herself focusing on them as he spoke, carefully taking in his words. After a few moments she willed herself to look back up at him, eyes moving over his face before returning his gaze. She could see the authenticity etched across his features. It was something she’d always admired about Herc. So many of the other gods would lie and trick but he had always been honest with her…at least as far as she knew.   

[color=D87093]“That’d be nice…”[/color] She eventually replied, head nodding gently. The idea that he wanted to get to know her again sent a burst of giddy excitement blooming in her chest, causing a smile to pull at the edges of her lips.  [color=D87093]“I’d love to go with you.”[/color] Without really thinking about it, her hands squeezed his gently, having no desire to let go. [color=D87093]“I don’t usually go to balls either. But I guess it wouldn’t be too bad if you were there…”[/color] For what felt like the umpteenth time that evening, Hebe felt her face heating up again at her own words. It was amazing how easily he could both put her at ease and make her feel impossibly nervous.

[color=D87093]“Though you do know you’re meant to dance at balls right?”[/color] She added quickly, a light laugh escaping her lips as she tried to ignore her reddening cheeks.

[color=crimson]“Oh yeah, of course!” [sub][i]Great! Dancing, my single greatest foe behind fried stuff with cheese.[/i][/sub][/color] He gave her a light shrug and a smile. On the outside, he put on a brave front. On the outside, Heracles made it seem as though he knew how to dance. He had the confident smile of someone who knew what to expect, but none of that was the truth. Heracles could do a lot of things: pose for an infinite amount of selfies, shoot a table tennis ball into a solo cup while his back was turned. He could fight an army of Hades’ undead army, but what has avoided him like the plagues and flus has always been a simple one-two step art known as dance. He didn’t know why he couldn’t dance because fighting was just a harsher version of dancing, yet the only times he ever found himself doing it was when he was forced to. [color=crimson]“But, it’s not like required, is it?”[/color] He asked, trying to casually weave in his inquiry while hoping his worst fear wouldn’t be forced upon him.

[color=D87093]“You don’t know?”[/color] Unable to resist teasing him just a little, Hebe tried to contain the laugh that threatened to spill from her lips. Apart from the few bits and pieces she’d picked up from the sororities, Hebe barely knew how to dance herself, so she didn’t really expect anyone else to know how either. Though she couldn’t deny that it would be fun to see Herc try. The idea of having an excuse to be closer to him also made her want to give it a go, even if she knew that she’d be far from perfect at it. [color=D87093]“Yeah it’s [I]totally[/I] compulsory.”[/color] A grin spread across her face as she looked up. [color=D87093]“The romans are really big on the whole dancing thing apparently…”[/color] Unable to go any further, a giggle finally slipped out, nose crinkling playfully at him. 

[color=crimson]“I’m sure it’ll be fine!”[/color] He wasn’t sure if that was the truth or not but some part of him needed it to be so. Dancing was a foe he didn’t want to tame unless he had a good reason. Maybe Hebe would be that reason.
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