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Alexia had always found people easy to read. They were like an open book, waiting for her to read and interpret them. That was, until she met Heron. The young man was a walking mistery himself. Alexia had not figured yet how to interpret his actions and feelings. He rarely ever expressed raw emotions in front of others, unless he was crying or angered. Or those rare moments of softness he had reserved just for her. Then again, Heron had suffered a great deal as a child, that stuff surely messed with his head and his way of thinking.
However when Heron was nowhere to be seen, Alexia (for once) knew what had happened. He had just held a dying child in his arms, seen his mother's grave and faced his past bullies. That would have been more than enough to make anyone crumble.
After a sleepless night, Alexia finally found Heron sitting alone away from everyone else. He seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. His curls were messy and his clothes looked slightly wrinkled, as if he had been tossing and turning all night. His bright blue eyes were dimmed by tiredness. Seeing this, Alexia approached him silently, not wanting to startle him.
"Hey" she mumbled, sitting down next to him. Heron didn't speak, but nodded softly in acknowledgement. Without asking for permission, Alexia moved closer to Heron, sitting right next to him. Then, she surprised them both by resting her head on Heron's shoulder, silently offering him comfort.
"You okay?" she asked in a soft voice, even though the answer was obvious.
"I don't think I'be been okay since this whole madness started" Heron sighed.
Alexia chuckled slightly at his words. Not that the situation was funny, but she found comfort in the way he phrased himself.
"I feel you," she said, adjusting her head so that it rested more comfortably against him. She moved her hand to gently grasp Heron's, fingers intertwining with his. Heron didn't look at her, but slowly grasped her hand back.
They sat like that for a while, silently. Alexia closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of Heron's skin touching hers. It felt so intimate, even if they were just holding hands. She thought about all the people who would see them like this and would assume that they were a couple. If only they knew, she thought.
After some time, Alexia spoke again. "You've had a hard day," she mumbled, her eyes still closed.
"Crane" he suddenly mumbled. Alexia opened her eyes, slightly surprised at the unexpected comment.
"Crane?" she repeated.
"A crane" Heron repeated as he extended his arm, his finger pointing at a big, white bird drinking from the lake.
Her gaze followed the direction of Heron's finger. "Oh", she mumbled when she saw the elegant bird sipping water from the lake. Heron looked almost mesmerized by the crane, the way it gracefully moved. She couldn't help but chuckle softly, trying to lighten the mood despite everything that had happened.
"Since when do you have an interest in birds?" she teased.
"Elias used to teach me about birds. He said they were omens" the demigod whispered.
"Do you still believe so?" she asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I've never been one for superstitions" Heron shrugged. "But thanks to that, I can recognise almost every single bird out here."
A soft smile tugged at the corners of Alexia's lips as she listened to Heron speak. She shifted a little so that she could look at the bird too, her hand still holding Heron's.
"So," she said, her voice gentle, "what does this one symbolize then?" She nodded in the direction of the crane, waiting for Heron's answer.
"I don't know... I believe they're the sacred animals of my brother Apollo. They carry justice as well as vigilance. Might be a sign to tell me I have to keep my eyes open" he hummed.
As Heron spoke, Alexia's gaze shifted from the bird to his face, studying the expressions on it. His features looked softer, more at peace than they had before the moment he laid eyes on the crane.
"Guess you have to be our watchman now" she joked, a quiet chuckle escaping her lips.
"I also remember... A story. A man who was killed, and the cranes somehow managed to make the killer confess."
"You do have lots of strange bird-related knowledge, don't you?" she teased, a playful tone in her voice. "Does it have a moral to it?" she asked after a moment of silence, her golden eyes finding Heron's face again.
"To... to be honest with your actions" Heron looked at her, pink dusting his cheeks, before he looked away.
The slight change of colour in Heron's cheeks didn't escape her, and she found it absolutely adorable. It was rare to see him acting all shy and flustered, especially in front of her. It was like he was slowly lowering his guards with her. She squeezed his hand softly again, giving him an understanding smile.
Time seemed to slow down as they sat there together. The silence was comforting, with only the occasional sound of the lake providing a soothing background noise. As the minutes ticked by, Alexia's thoughts slowly wandered back to the previous day's events.
"You did good, Heron" she said, breaking the comfortable silence. Her head found its place back on his shoulder. "I wouldn't have had the strength to deal with all that you've endured, not after..." She paused, biting her lips. She couldn't finish the sentence, not without her voice breaking. The image of Heron holding that dying child in his arms flashed in her mind again, the memory still freshly carved in her brain.
She didn't let that show, though. Instead, she pulled herself closer to Heron, her body almost pressed against his. She wanted him to feel the comfort her presence would hopefully provide. Heron didn't say anything, his eyes brimming with tears. She saw the tears pooling in his eyes, her heart clenching painfully in her chest. For a while, she didn't say anything. She lifted her other hand and slowly cupped Heron's face, turning it towards her. Her thumb brushed away the first tear that fell silently from his eyes.
"It's okay," she whispered, her voice so soft that it could easily be mistaken for the rustle of leaves in the wind. "You're allowed to cry, you know."
"I'm tired of crying" he confessed, sniffling. "I want to laugh, to joke, to be happy..."
A soft, sad smile appeared on her lips. She understood what he meant. The weight of the world had been on his shoulders for so long, how could he be expected to hold it all in?
"I know, sweetheart" she said, her voice laced with empathy. Her hand cupped Heron's other cheek, and she leaned her forehead against his. "One day, when all this madness is over," she continued, "you'll laugh until it hurts and you'll forget how it felt to cry every night."
She gently wiped the remaining tears from his cheeks with her thumbs, her touch soothing. She wanted to say so much more. To tell him that she would be there for him, every step of the way. That she would hold him as he healed, that she would love him through it all.
But that was too much, too soon. They hadn't even confessed their feelings to each other, the weight of unspoken words heavy between them.
So, she settled for staying close to him, her head resting on his shoulder and her fingertips tracing light, soothing patterns on his skin. They sat in silence again, the stillness of the moment only broken by the quiet sounds of the lake nearby.
Alexia's fingers kept tracing Heron's skin, her touch light and reverent, like he was something fragile that could break any moment. She was aware that he needed this. Time to just... exist without having to think about everything else.
"Would you like to dance?" Heron suddenly asked.
Her eyes widened slightly at the unexpected question. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips, and she pulled back a little to look at Heron quizzically.
"Dance?" she inquired, tilting her head a little. "Out here?" She looked around, and indeed they were all alone.
Heron stood up, dusting his clothes off and holding his hand out for her to take.
She looked at Heron's outstretched hand, her gaze flickering between it and his face, which wore a shy, almost hopeful expression.
A soft, surprised chuckle escaped her lips as she slowly took his hand, intertwining her fingers with his. She let him pull her up, a giddy feeling bubbling inside her. "You're full of surprises, aren't you?" she teased, a hint of amusement dancing in her green eyes.
"Have you ever heard of the crane dance?" He asked, eyeing the bird still on the lake.
She followed Heron's gaze towards the white bird, then looked back at him, her curiosity piqued. She shook her head, a small smile on her lips.
"No, I can't say I have" she replied, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. "Is this a Heron-special dance?" the name-pun was intended, and she couldn't help but grin at her own, terrible joke.
"Ha, ha, how funny" Heron rolled his eyes with a chuckle. "We would need at least five boys and five girls but... we'll do a reduced version."
Her grin widened at Heron's sarcastic response, and she couldn't help but chuckle.
"Oh?" she asked. "So we're doing a... duo-version, then?" She raised an eyebrow, excitement still sparkling in her eyes.
"Alright... hold my hands. Both of them" Heron said. She let out a soft chuckle, amused by how serious Heron looked. Nevertheless, she obeyed his order. She took both his hands in hers, her smaller ones fitting perfectly inside his larger ones.
"Now what?" she asked, gazing up at his face playfully.
"Now, follow my lead."
Heron began to hum and mumble a song, sometimes making up the lyrics as he sang.
Alexia listened to Heron's hummed tune with curiosity and growing amusement. She wasn't sure if he even knew what he was doing, making up lyrics on the spot.
But despite the uncertainty, she found his impromptu song endearing. His hums were surprisingly melodious, like a soft, intimate lullaby. She followed his lead, stepping in tune with the slow, almost waltz-like rhythm of his hums. As they moved together to Heron's improvised song, Alexia found her gaze drifting over his face. She took in the soft flutter of his eyelashes, the way his dark locks fell messily across his forehead, the small scar on his eyebrow...
She wanted to reach up and brush his hair away from his face, to trace the curve of his jaw with her fingertips. But she settled for gently squeezing his hands instead, silently conveying the feelings she wasn't entirely ready to put into words yet. A fond smile danced on her lips as she looked up at Heron, her footsteps gracefully mirroring his.
The dance was slow and uncomplicated, and Alexia found herself surprisingly enjoying it. She'd never been one for structured, formal dances. This simple act of swaying and stepping in sync with Heron felt so... right, like a private, intimate moment between the two of them.
She noticed how close they were standing, her body almost molded to his, their hands still clasped together. It was intoxicating, the closeness, the way his warmth radiated into her, the way he was looking at her...
Heron looked into her green eyes, stopping his song briefly. He licked his lips gently, his cheeks slowly turning pink.
The moment Heron paused, his eyes locking with hers, she held her breath. She could see the rosy tint blossoming on his face, could almost hear the rapid beating of his heart.
She felt her own cheeks growing warmer under his gaze, her stomach doing a little somersault. The world around them seemed to fade away, leaving only her and Heron, standing almost impossibly close to each other.
She gave his hands a gentle squeeze, a silent encouragement for him to continue. As Heron resumed singing his improvised song, Alexia couldn't look away from him. She was mesmerized, her heartbeat echoing in her ears, the proximity to him making her head spin.
She took a step closer, closing the already small gap between them even more, her body now almost flush against his. Heron's smell surrounded her, an intoxicating mix of pinecones and something undeniably him. It was heady, and it took all her willpower to not bury her face into the crook of his neck to breathe him in deeper.
"You're beautiful" Heron said, before he could stop himself. His face went red as he cleared his throat.
"I-I mean, you always are but I..."
As Heron blurted out his unexpected compliment, a soft gasp escaped her lips. She was stunned into momentary silence, her heart skipping a beat.
When he started to stammer, clearly embarrassed, Alexia couldn't help the wide grin that spread across her face. He was flustered, the blush spreading across his cheeks and his eyes darting away from her, unable to hold her gaze anymore. It was adorable.
"Heron..." she murmured, her voice soft and filled with affectionate amusement. Her fingers gently tightened their grip on his, pulling him even closer so that their bodies were fully pressed together. She could feel his heart pounding beneath his chest, a mirrored rhythm to her own drumming heartbeat.
"You're not so bad yourself, sugar" she teased, her tone light but her eyes sparkling with sincerity.
She lifted a hand, her thumb gently tracing the contour of his jawline up to the scar on his eyebrow. At the combination of her touch and the nickname, Heron's face went completely red. He looked down, swallowing nervously. Seeing how flustered Heron got from her touch and the affectionate pet-name, Alexia couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle. His rosy cheeks and averted gaze were a stark contrast to his usually stoic demeanor, and it was adorable.
She cupped his chin with her fingers, gently tilting his head up so that he was looking into her eyes again.
"You're blushing" she said, her voice quiet, barely above a whisper. She was now standing so close that their faces were just inches apart. She could see the faint dusting of facial hair scattered across his cheeks, never quite forming a beard, the tiny flecks of silver in his bright blue eyes, the way his parted lips seemed to form a pout.
Her thumb gently grazed his bottom lip, feeling the softness of his skin. She wanted badly to close the remaining gap between them, to feel his lips against hers. But she held back, settling for a smile instead.
Heron remained silent, his mouth now gaping open as he felt her touch on his lower lip. Seeing Heron speechless, his mouth slightly opened, was a first for her.
It was as if the words had died on his tongue under her touch. She found it endearing, how such a stoic demigod could turn into a bumbling mess just from a simple poke at his chin. Her smile widened, and she couldn't helped but poke his chin one more time, this time a bit more firmly.
"Still in there, sweetheart?" she asked, her voice low and playful. Heron blinked a few times and then lowered his gaze to meet hers, blushing. He opened his mouth to say something, when the crane near them suddenly flew away. The unexpected departure of the crane caused them both to jump a little, their bubble of intimacy momentarily popped. Alexia turned her head towards the sound, watching as the crane's white wings took it further away from them, disappearing into the distance. A small sigh escaped her lips, the moment of quiet between them now interrupted.
Turning back to Heron, she looked at him, her gaze a little amused, yet still filled with warmth. She gave his hand another soft squeeze.
"Seems like we've been abandoned" she remarked with a chuckle. Alexia could still feel the way her heart had been racing just a few moments ago, the way her skin had tingled at Heron's touch. And judging from the rosy tint still dusting his cheeks, she knew that he felt the same way.
She gave his hand another squeeze, her voice soft. "We should probably go back."
"We should" Heron nodded. His hand slowly found hers again, grasping it close.
"Do you want to sleep in my room? The bed is big and it gets lonely in the mornings" he offered. The offer took her by surprise, a rush of warm feelings fluttering in her chest. Spending the night in Heron's room... it sounded intimate. She chewed on her lip, contemplating his request.
"No, no. Not in that way" he quickly added. "Just sleeping. Nothing more."
The way Heron immediately clarified that he meant just sleeping, and nothing else, almost made her want to laugh. He was so adorably flustered, trying to make sure she understood that no funny business would be happening.
She chuckled softly, giving his hand a light squeeze to reassure him. "Yeah," she said, her voice soft. "Sure, I'll stay with you tonight." A part of her was relieved, and almost a bit disappointed, that he had made it clear that they would be purely sleeping. But the other part, the rational part, was thankful. She couldn't afford to let her heart take the lead and do something they both might regret for now.
She smiled at him, her eyes warm. "Lead the way" she said lightly, ready to follow him to his room.