Chapter Text
I’d been hiding under the archway for about half an hour.
The rain came quick and suddenly, slow at first but then it really picked up. For some reason, I thought I’d just wait it out as I had merely been out for a walk on the palace grounds…but that didn’t really work out. So here I sat, my h/c becoming frizzy as I twisted the moisture out of it. The cries from a couple of the suitors echoed behind me, but I paid them no heed, simply letting them rush by as they attempted to flee to the warmth and shelter the palace promised.
”may I should try to make a run for it” I thought. No, I’m sure it would pass soon.
As the rain carried on its downpour, more frantic footsteps and voices came into earshot- but they were coming towards me. Snapping my head upwards, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief washing over me as Telemachus came into view.
”THERE YOU ARE” his voice cracked through the sound of the water pouring, as he came to a halt just a few feet before me. Not even allowing me to speak, he wrapped a now mildly drenched blanket around my form and yanked me forward, his warmth enveloping me for a moment before the wind stole it away.
”I couldn’t find you, not even Athena knew where you were”
Allowing myself to smirk at his words, I fell forward against his body and stayed there for a moment in silence, not breathing a word as I took in his words. The idea of him bugging a literal Goddess over my whereabouts was honestly quite amusing, but I had a feeling she was used to annoying mortals. Eventually after a while I spoke.
”You went asking Athena about me…that’s pathetic”
”Shut up-“
It was good few hours before the rain cleared up and we were free from the arch. I’d suggested heading back but Telemachus had insisted on going on another walk together. I would’ve declined but there was something about his expression today that made me agree.
Through the bushes, along the many, many paths, we walked and spoke of meaningless things until we came to a stop beside a stray apple tree just short of the palace walls. Its pure, green leaves had proved the area below some decent shelter, so it had been untouched by the previous shower.
”This should suffice” I sighed, my back slumping against the cool bark as my eyes shut gently, shutting out the world for a moment as I relaxed. Although, I failed to take note of how Telemachus didn’t join me, I also failed to notice him moving about awkwardly, reaching out to the low hanging branches and twisted an apple of in one clean snap.
“Y/N…you know I love you…right ?” he whispered, his voice crisp as the words cracked at the ends. It caught me off guard. And so, flickering my eyes open once more, I straightened myself up against the tree before nodding in response.
”Of course I do…did one of the suitors-“
“No, no…nobody said nor did anything, I just…Y/N”
”Yes ?” still just as clueless as before, I attempted to answer only to have an apple slam into my stomach. My body tensed on the impact, and my pupils briefly dilated as I scooped the apple up and tossed it. “What the hell-“
My words instantly caught in my throat when I sight of Telemachus out of the corner of my eye. There he stood, red faced, eyes welling, fists clenched at his sides- crying.
Instantly I jumped up and scrambled towards him, cupping his face in my hands as his tears burned my palms.
”What is it !?”
”You-“
”I what !?”
”You didn’t-“
”Didn’t what !?!?”
”You didn’t catch the apple”
Didn’t catch it…he threw the apple !?!?
”Why does that matter Telemachus, it’s just an-“
“You rejected me !!!”
And then it hit me, hard like a hammer on a nail, like a sword against its enemy’s armour. He was proposing. I’d briefly heard before about the old courtship practices but I’d assumed they were no longer preformed. My heart could eat its alive right now, his face…his voice- the revelation was almost too much to handle.
”Oh Telemachus…”
Another few hours passed filled with many tears and lots of laughter, and by the end of it we were both in pieces underneath the tree, wrapped around each other as the last rays of the sun kissed the horizon. The apple now settled in my palm, my fingers keeping a tight grip around it as I sighed…
It wasn’t perfect but it was mine…this apple, this moment…and soon he would be too.