Chapter Text
Beautiful, calming smell spreading across the Crossroads, as Melinöe dissolving bath salts in the cleansing pool, making it more suitable for bathing. Icarus stands behind, nervously twitching from foot to foot.
“Thank you for... agreeing to spend some time with me.”
“You're welcome. I guess... a few minutes of rest before the run wouldn't hurt.”
Icarus hastily look away in embarrassment, as princess slip out of her garments and sink into the spring.
“You can use changing stalls out there, Icarus”
“Oh, thank you! I never noticed them before...”
“Well, I've ordered to build them just recently, and they are not used much.”
A strange mix of honor and anxiety flow through Icarus when he realizes she most likely build it just for him. He gets behind the cover, carefully removing his equipment
“And... Icarus. I made a new enchantment for this pond. It will allow shades to feel some of its effects. Dora tried it, and she thinks it is wonderful!”
“Thank you, Your Gra-... Meli. You really shouldn't have to.”
He comes back after a while, towel wrapped around his waist. He steps in pool, expecting nothing but floating sensation... and suddenly Icarus is hit with a very familiar feeling. Too familiar, perhaps. He is already used to his nature as a shade; tactile sensations are almost non-existing. At their previous soaks, he only felt that water does exist around him, nothing more. But now... Soothing warmth seeps into his body, his muscles give up from relaxation, his eyelids flutter. He can feel melted wax pouring down his back, leaving burning, painful trace...
Icarus jump out of the spring as fast as he can.
“Icarus? Is… everything alright? You look scared.”
“Y-yes. I… it is a bit too hot for my tastes.” Icarus is quivering, as he tries to breathe deeply.
“…Perhaps, I know a way to help you.”
As she stands up in the spring, Icarus find himself struggling to look elsewhere. She whispers and incantation, and summon some sort of… stone plate?
“Meli, what are you doing?”
“Icarus, this is Tablet of Peace. I usually use it to calm down lost shade… I feel like it can be useful, currently. You want to try?”
“Calming magic…I never knew you… possess such, Meli. But, I am willing to try.”
“Wonderful.”
As she raises her arms in the air and sing out the spell, Icarus feel…strange haziness growing in his mind. His body relaxes, his thoughts slow down, and his mind feels… blissfully empty.
“...Can you step into the pond now?”
“Yes, Your Grace” slips from his lips from his lips almost automatically, as he sinks into the water again, the numbness of the spell suppresses the panic. After Icarus get used to the temperature, she finally breaks the spell and sit back down, as Icarus shake off the lingering daze.
“...Wow. Didn’t expect this to be so… potent. That’s certainly exciting, but a little bit creepy. When did you learned do that?”
“Since I started going all out on Chronos, I assume. Tablet of Peace brought many good shades on Crossroads.”
“I can certainly see why!” Icarus let out a nervous laugh. It is great that shades are unable to blush, or he’ll be beef red by now. This calming and mind-numbing sensation felt… strangely addicting.
“But… It feels weird to realize how much power you have over me, Meli.”
“I promise I wouldn’t use the tablet against you, Icarus.” Melinöe chuckles. “Unless, that is what you want?”
“C’mon. You know you don’t any spells to wrap me around your finger, Meli.”
Melinöe giggles on that, and comfortable silence fall over the spring
“By the way, Icarus… Does this soak feel a little weird for you, after all what happened?” Melinöe blushes and look away slightly “I mean…It started as a friendly thing. But after all we’ve been through… I started feeling unfamiliar.” Melinöe makes a big pause of hesitation “… Very blunt, but you look very handsome”
“I do feel kind of awkward, yes. But thank you.” Anxiety only grows in Icarus each second he is silent, so he mumbles out first thought in his mind. “I would’ve given anything for a sip of that elixir right now”
“… was there any side effects, since last time?”
“Except longing to feel it again, I haven’t noticed any.”
Melinöe’s hesitation is visible “… I brew a little bit more. I have a little bottle in my dress, wouldn’t last longer than half an hour. I didn’t want to tell you at first, I am sorry. I thought it would be better to wait some more time… but I am starting to feeling impatient as well”
“… for real? Melinoe, that is just amazing! I would be honored to take it right now”
“Yeah, but I feel guilty about all this. It is supposed to be for your pleasure, not for mine. You should spend it when you want, and you shouldn’t spend it all on me”
“Melinöe.” Icarus’ anxiety is forgotten for a moment, as he moves closer “There is nothing I would like to spend it on more than on time with you”
“…Fine.” She gets out of the spring, and quickly returns with a small bottle, while Icarus tries his hardest not to stare. “You can have it right now”
As he drinks the green liquid, sensations overwhelm him immediately. Luckily, he founds composure not to go overdrive now, and successfully calms himself down. Although, “calm down” is a big word, because Icarus is smiling widely, trying his hardest not to tremble
“Good heavens, I never get tired of this. A-are you sure you are comfortable with how… intimate this setting is?”
“Let’s just… figure it out along the way, shall we?” Melinöe swims a little closer
“Happily.” He tentatively put his hand into her hair, going through her locks. “…Wow. Is everyone’s hair is supposed to be that soft? I thought I’d remember that.”
Melinöe leans forward, which make long forgotten warmth flow to Icarus’ cheeks, as he tries his hardest not to look downwards. She put her hands into his hair now.
“Well, yours are pretty soft too!” She can’t resist to give it a ruffle, which makes Icarus chuckle and do the same for her.
After that, he puts his hands on her shoulders, touching her smooth skin and rock-hard muscles underneath
“Meli… are you feeling sore?” Icarus’ memory of how human(and godlike) bodies are supposed to work is very limited, but even he can sense that something is wrong
“What? No, I don’t think I am”
Icarus mind starts to cloud up a bit, as he slowly rubs her shoulders. It’s for her own good, right? He just wants to help her out, she needs to relax a bit, no ulterior motives- No. Still too agitated. Every body is just a complicated mechanism, right? Warm, beautiful, soft- No, no, just imagine it as a complicated mechanism. Routine maintenance. Just need to press the right spots, and it should work fine.
“Icarus! Icarus! Can you even hear me?” Melinöe’s voice pulls Icarus out of the trance.
“Oh! Sorry, sorry, I doze off a bit. What were you talking about?”
“I was asking what are you doing.”
“Well… massage, I guess?”
“But I am not that sore, I’ll be fine.”
“Even if so, what’s wrong with doing it just for pleasure? I thought we are here just to have a good time.” Something about this situation makes Icarus bolder than usual.
“I still have a mission after all this. And, honestly, I am afraid you’ll get me too relaxed.”
Awkward silence thickens between them, Icarus stop in his tracks.
“… I am sorry, Meli. I don’t want to get in a way of your mission. But it was a long while since I’ve seen you cheerful. I am worrying.”
“There is no time for cheers until I defeat Chronos, Icarus.”
“You going to exhaust yourself one day. Please, just let me take care of you, only for now. And I wouldn’t ask again.”
“…Fine.” Melinöe sighs, but smiles nonetheless “It isn’t like I am not enjoying that.”
“Thank you, Melinöe. It means a lot to me”
He does his best to keep his hands from trembling, as he slowly massages her shoulders before going onto her back.
“Heavens… So I really was sore. Guess I just didn’t realize it was considered “sore”, even” As Icarus finishes his work, Melinöe stretches and let out a long, relieved sigh.
“It was my pleasure.” As the effect of the Draught starts to slip away, Icarus can’t resist to place a kiss on Melinöe’s back, which make her shiver.
“Icarus!”
“Sorry, couldn’t resist.”
“Now, you are not getting away without an answer!” She snatches a kiss on his cheek, which makes last remnants of living essence in Icarus’ body flow to his face.
“C’mon, this is just childish now.”
“I thought you wanted me to let go and relax?”
“Touche.”
They both get out of the pond and dress back up. Icarus speaks up first.
“So… you still going to your mission tonight?”
“Yeah. I’ll take a minute to get muscles to work after all that, but after that, I am good to go.”
“Good luck, then. I guess I’ll be on my way as well. And… I couldn’t thank you enough for trusting me today, Meli.”
“Thank you as well, for being near when I didn’t understand I needed you to be.”
Icarus flies away, living Melinöe alone with her thoughts. It was much more pleasant than she thought that would be, more than it should be. Would there ever be a future, when such events, such… dates could be a regular occasion? Melinöe never dreamt… not until now.