Pomegranate Kora, Ch. 5
David couldn't exactly explain why, but the smooth drape of Selena's legs against his hips and the soft curves that flowered up once her dress fell away made him absolutely useless at decision-making. So an hour after she came whisking into their bedroom, giving him that shy smile that she knew drove him crazy, she asked him in a sweet breathy voice for a favor, her mouth moving skillfully against his neck, her hands touching him in all the right places. Naturally, he agreed. It was the curse of being married to the goddess of love. She was the queen of manipulation.
He regretted agreeing so quickly as soon as she explained the situation. "Venus..." He sighed, returning to the use of her given name to show his displeasure with the idea. "I'm not sure that this is the best idea. Jupiter has made it clear that we are not to interfere..."
"He said that we are not to accuse Pluto of any wrongdoing." Selena pointed out, resting her chin on his chest, her arm curled around him. "You know how stubborn and arrogant he can be; we would only offend him, and that would get us nowhere. But, why couldn't we help Kevin find his way there? He is devout and humble, a model worshiper, and he will try on his own if we do not help him. I think we should at least start him on the right path." She paused, trailed her fingertips across his chest in just the way she knew he liked. "You and I both know that you are the only one who knows the way in, David." Her voice was soft. "If I could take him myself, I would not even bother you by asking."
"I know." David sighed, smoothing his hand over the soft planes of her back. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, nuzzling his cheek against her hair. He hesitated before saying, "You know that he can't..."
"I do." Selena nodded, letting her eyes slide open, focusing them on the creamy wall of their bedroom. "But, that is a decision he will have to make for himself when the time comes. We just need to give him the opportunity to make it."
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Nick awoke to the cool press of a wet cloth against his forehead, and he had the vague thought that it felt nice before his disorientation fell away, and a glimpse of the woman sitting on the bed beside him reminded him where he was. He curled his arms closer against his chest, a soft sob pushing its way out of him. Taylor smiled sadly, dabbing at his flushed skin. "You have a fever." She offered quietly. "Humans do not belong here when they are alive; your body is struggling to adapt."
"Why can't I go home?" Nick asked hoarsely, staring up at her. "Please. I just want to see Kevin. I don't want to be here. Please, let me go back."
"I'm sorry, Nicholas." Taylor shook her head. "I wish I could send you back, especially since I understand the feelings you have about what's happened. But, I do not have the power to take you home."
Nick frowned at her, sank more deeply into the bed. He noticed for the first time that he was wearing a robe. He distinctly remembered falling asleep naked. "Did you... Did you have a boyfriend or anything when he brought you down here?"
Taylor shook her head slowly, stroking his damp hair back from his face. "No, I didn't." She said quietly. "Joseph was my first lover."
Nick let his eyes fall closed again to the touch of her hand, and his desperation for Kevin redoubled; he wanted to be held close and assured things were alright in just that way Kevin was wonderful at. "You have no idea then." He whispered, clutching onto his blankets. "You have no idea how it feels."
Taylor was quiet for a long time. She had to admit that he was right. She shared that feeling of upset with him, in which their entire worlds changed in an instant, in a single terrifying moment. But, she only left her mother, and she was able to return to Olympus to see her for half the year. And, Nick - he had a lover - someone who no doubt desperately wanted him home - and he would no doubt be here for the rest of eternity. Nick had no gods to intervene on his behalf the way she had. "Tell me about him."
Nick's eyes slid open, and he looked up at her. It made her sad to see the distrust in his eyes. "About Kevin?" She nodded. He fell into a thoughtful sort of silence. "He's smart." He offered finally. "Really smart. We met in college. We were in the same photography class. He was really, really good, and I told him that once, and then I couldn't get rid of him." He laughed softly. Taylor loved the way his eyes brightened. "He was really cheesy at first, telling me things like, 'You have to be my model. You're the most beautiful person I've ever seen...'"
He trailed off, rubbing his cheek against the pillow. "I think I fell for him when he was really real with me for the first time." His voice was quiet. "His mom died, that semester, when he was trying to get me to go out with him. It was pretty sudden, I guess, and... he just stopped coming onto me." He smiled sadly. "I couldn't stand it. I hated how sad he looked, and I hated him not talking to me, and... I guess I just felt like I needed to make him happy. I wanted to. I knew there was something there for me when I was that desperate to see him smile."
Taylor smiled at him, at the way his face softened and his eyes shone as he spoke about the boy he loved. "That sounds as if the Fates favor you." When he turned curious eyes up to her, she continued. "His mother dying is tragic, but it served its purpose in bringing you together. It was meant to be."
"I guess." Nick nodded at that, nuzzling deeper into the bed. The linen didn't smell like death anymore. It was sweeter, like laundry detergent. He wondered if it was just Taylor's influence in the room. "He misses her a lot. I wish she was around just so he would be happier, you know? And, he tells me all these amazing stories about her. I wish I could have met her..."
Taylor was quiet, her forehead crinkled in thought. She kissed his hair. "Perhaps it is time that you experienced the rest of the realm where you will be living.If you would like to take a walk with me later, I am sure I could arrange it."
Nick smiled up at her. "I would really like that." He paused, then added, "Can I wear my own clothes?"
He regretted agreeing so quickly as soon as she explained the situation. "Venus..." He sighed, returning to the use of her given name to show his displeasure with the idea. "I'm not sure that this is the best idea. Jupiter has made it clear that we are not to interfere..."
"He said that we are not to accuse Pluto of any wrongdoing." Selena pointed out, resting her chin on his chest, her arm curled around him. "You know how stubborn and arrogant he can be; we would only offend him, and that would get us nowhere. But, why couldn't we help Kevin find his way there? He is devout and humble, a model worshiper, and he will try on his own if we do not help him. I think we should at least start him on the right path." She paused, trailed her fingertips across his chest in just the way she knew he liked. "You and I both know that you are the only one who knows the way in, David." Her voice was soft. "If I could take him myself, I would not even bother you by asking."
"I know." David sighed, smoothing his hand over the soft planes of her back. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, nuzzling his cheek against her hair. He hesitated before saying, "You know that he can't..."
"I do." Selena nodded, letting her eyes slide open, focusing them on the creamy wall of their bedroom. "But, that is a decision he will have to make for himself when the time comes. We just need to give him the opportunity to make it."
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Nick awoke to the cool press of a wet cloth against his forehead, and he had the vague thought that it felt nice before his disorientation fell away, and a glimpse of the woman sitting on the bed beside him reminded him where he was. He curled his arms closer against his chest, a soft sob pushing its way out of him. Taylor smiled sadly, dabbing at his flushed skin. "You have a fever." She offered quietly. "Humans do not belong here when they are alive; your body is struggling to adapt."
"Why can't I go home?" Nick asked hoarsely, staring up at her. "Please. I just want to see Kevin. I don't want to be here. Please, let me go back."
"I'm sorry, Nicholas." Taylor shook her head. "I wish I could send you back, especially since I understand the feelings you have about what's happened. But, I do not have the power to take you home."
Nick frowned at her, sank more deeply into the bed. He noticed for the first time that he was wearing a robe. He distinctly remembered falling asleep naked. "Did you... Did you have a boyfriend or anything when he brought you down here?"
Taylor shook her head slowly, stroking his damp hair back from his face. "No, I didn't." She said quietly. "Joseph was my first lover."
Nick let his eyes fall closed again to the touch of her hand, and his desperation for Kevin redoubled; he wanted to be held close and assured things were alright in just that way Kevin was wonderful at. "You have no idea then." He whispered, clutching onto his blankets. "You have no idea how it feels."
Taylor was quiet for a long time. She had to admit that he was right. She shared that feeling of upset with him, in which their entire worlds changed in an instant, in a single terrifying moment. But, she only left her mother, and she was able to return to Olympus to see her for half the year. And, Nick - he had a lover - someone who no doubt desperately wanted him home - and he would no doubt be here for the rest of eternity. Nick had no gods to intervene on his behalf the way she had. "Tell me about him."
Nick's eyes slid open, and he looked up at her. It made her sad to see the distrust in his eyes. "About Kevin?" She nodded. He fell into a thoughtful sort of silence. "He's smart." He offered finally. "Really smart. We met in college. We were in the same photography class. He was really, really good, and I told him that once, and then I couldn't get rid of him." He laughed softly. Taylor loved the way his eyes brightened. "He was really cheesy at first, telling me things like, 'You have to be my model. You're the most beautiful person I've ever seen...'"
He trailed off, rubbing his cheek against the pillow. "I think I fell for him when he was really real with me for the first time." His voice was quiet. "His mom died, that semester, when he was trying to get me to go out with him. It was pretty sudden, I guess, and... he just stopped coming onto me." He smiled sadly. "I couldn't stand it. I hated how sad he looked, and I hated him not talking to me, and... I guess I just felt like I needed to make him happy. I wanted to. I knew there was something there for me when I was that desperate to see him smile."
Taylor smiled at him, at the way his face softened and his eyes shone as he spoke about the boy he loved. "That sounds as if the Fates favor you." When he turned curious eyes up to her, she continued. "His mother dying is tragic, but it served its purpose in bringing you together. It was meant to be."
"I guess." Nick nodded at that, nuzzling deeper into the bed. The linen didn't smell like death anymore. It was sweeter, like laundry detergent. He wondered if it was just Taylor's influence in the room. "He misses her a lot. I wish she was around just so he would be happier, you know? And, he tells me all these amazing stories about her. I wish I could have met her..."
Taylor was quiet, her forehead crinkled in thought. She kissed his hair. "Perhaps it is time that you experienced the rest of the realm where you will be living.If you would like to take a walk with me later, I am sure I could arrange it."
Nick smiled up at her. "I would really like that." He paused, then added, "Can I wear my own clothes?"