The night was young as the moon peeked out from behind the fiery coloured clouds on the darkening sky. He lay motionless on top of the roof of one of the plaza buildings as he took in the chilly wind that came as a set with the night. He watched as the patrons flooded to a store to get their fresh groceries to cook for their loved ones back home. The fountain was too dangerous this time around because children whose parents went into the abyss stood around there. Being curly furred, they might've seen him as interesting and wanted to touch him. The roof was his one area where he was at peace. No one would bother him and he could see anyone. The trouble was getting up and down because the only way up was with a ladder on the side of the building or through the stairs inside the store.
It happened so fast… isn’t that what most people say when something traumatic happens to them? For Ath… it felt like something else entirely… like the world had stopped for a brief moment, when she knew for sure they weren’t going to leave her alone, and then started spinning at such a pace that it felt like it would brake its axles. She had been walking, for what felt like ages, through different terrain and not making out a single thing that she passed by.
Up close the tear trails were visible down her cheeks, her delicate hands riddled with cuts and her hair fallen from the high bun it had been in so neatly just this morning. She felt harried, she felt like the next gust of wind would blow her away… but nothing seemed to want to be so kind. Vaguely she made out crashing water nearby… and felt her body being nudged from side to side with various beings bustling by… but she really didn’t care.
Oliver's eyes drooped softly as the sky turned darker and darker but still retaining the pink colour for a while. He didn't know how long it had been as his head fell suddenly and his eyes shot open. Happy people were leaving the shop, avoiding a little red-head that seemed out of place... He blinked a few times to get in focus as he saw the tiny red-headed girl, Athena, that he had once chatted with. He missed her cute blushing face and scampered down the side of the building as quickly as he could to go greet her.
Athena was on automatic, just slipping through the people, straying as far away from the used bookstore as possible. God what would happen if Aidan found out?… there would be war against the aquarium, all because of her. Her wanting to visit a friend and running into someone that did not know the meaning of NO.
When her knees hit something hard and she went falling nearly face first into the fountain she blinked out of her trance. She stared at her tear stained face, rippling inches from her the reflection of the sun illuminating the scene perfectly.
s**t, if Aidan found her…. <********.
Keeping a constant eye on the kitten that was in the territory, he noticed that she wasn't normal. On the last four or five ladder railings, Oliver jumped, landing on all fours as he made a futile attempt to dash over. It would be his hide if someone died under his watch, whether they are a foe, friend or even rogue. He ran around the people heading left and right. Now he could confirm... it was the girl he once spoke to. Athena. He tried to speed up as he noticed her falling. He let out a call to try get her to snap out of whatever she was in.
"ATHEEEEEEEEEEENA!" He called as he made a valiant jump to try catch her.
She blinked, seeing the face of someone she knew standing behind her. Lovely, the princess… the one she said she would rescue… and yet here she was, quite obviously needing help. Laughing mentally at the irony of the situation she tried to stand from her already crouched position over the edge of the fountain, before slipping back into the same position. She tilted her head forward so that her curly red hair fell forward to hide her face better.
Athena was ashamed, quite truly. They had such a lighthearted meeting before… and she had planned their reunion being as much as well. She shook herself mentally and said nothing… untrusting of her voice. No more tears. Not tonight, not ever.
He dashed over, seeing her hair fall to her face. He jumped onto the fountain edge and moved his arms to try sort of cradle her. Hopefully this wasn't a battle that would come back and hunt her down in the Plaza. "Athena. can you hear me?" He asked in a softer voice, seeing if she was alright. "Please answer me." He said, quite worried now. "Sh-should i go get your uncle?" He spoke again. Oliver wasn't sure if her family needed to know. She was a big girl now, but family is still family, right?
Athena tensed in his arms and moved her face to look at him, the rest of her body limp but the upper half. “Don’t… please don’t. It would… be bad.” She let her body relax, kind of sagging against him, her hair falling back to cover her face, her green gold eyes covered with the locks.
“Aidan can’t ever know about this, Neither can my father.” After all the training she had received from her mother… her father… because of the accident of their birth, of her sister so obviously different from them. It was all for nothing. She still proved weaker then those seemingly harmless toms. It wasn’t like they actually –did- anything… they just… touched… and tormented. Athena’s body gave an involuntary tremor, forcing her to wrap her arms tight against her waist, the blood on her knuckles starting to flow easily past the reopened cuts. Glass wounds, quite obviously.
Oliver felt her weight on his arms. He put his legs out in front of his to give support and so she could lay for as long as she liked without his legs cramping up. "a-alright." He said as he brushed her hair out of her face. He didn't know what to do. He examined her body, trying to find signs of what she might've gotten into. Avoiding looking at her torso area, he began with her legs that brought her here and working his way from her shoulders to her fingerti-... Red. He saw the deep red that he feared... Blood. "Ah-Athena, you're bleeding. You should get it treated before it gets infected. Who did this to you? Why did this happen?" He rambled with a million questions pouring out.
Ath looked up at him. She was bleeding? but why didn't she feel any pain? "I'll go where you take me... just, no family please. I can't start a war over this." Without really realizing it Athena snuggled closer to him burying her face in his chest the best she could under the circumstances. She felt silly, it really was the worst day to wear a skirt, but that just played up the irony of the situation didn't it? She shook again, biting her lip and feeling entirely awkward.
it was like she had lost control of her body, and her mind was floating around the only idea she could think of, no war. Please no war not when we were this weak.
Oliver bit the inside of his cheek while she spoke. He didn't know where to go. Is they were in the open, he'd be found for sure... That is... If Aiden went looking for him for whatever reason. To the roof? no. Athena can barely move and getting to the roof alone is already a hassle. To his home? It's damp and small. He would have to risk being sitting ducks at the fountain. He didn't know what to say. He picked up her hand gently, trying to examine it. If she flinched away, he'd let go. The last thing he wanted to do was force her into doing something, getting her angry and have her collapse elsewhere.
Watching as he lifted her hand Athena neither flinched or pulled away. Though she was surprised to see the blood, something in her brain was keeping her from feeling most of the wounds. "I'm sorry... I really shouldn't have come here." she mumbled softly, what little color she had in her face now gone with the realization of what she was putting him through. Oliver didn't need this... he didn't need her problems, he was a happy cat! She couldn't allow him to be brought into all of this and put a shade on that happy glow.
"I should leave." thinking of an excuse wasn't that difficult, but it felt like forever before she came up with something that would at least be somewhat acceptable. "I have... a place to stay nearby, I'll be fine... I don't want Aidan to find me and freak out>" Almost unwillingly Ath sat up, slowly dipping her hand he wasn't holding into the water and watching the blood stream into the clorene. The bite to the water made her grimace, but she thanked it inwardly. It would kill any infection, and it brought her mind back to reality.
Oliver let go of her hand as she dipped her other one into the water. He clenched to her anyways. "I can't let you go. Not in this condition." He said sternly. Despite his carefree nature, he had a clear idea of right and wrong. "Wherever you need to go, you can go in the morning." He said. If she didn't go to family who he trusted would take care of her, he wouldn't let her go. Who knows where she might end up! It's better for him to be in trouble with whoever she needed to see while explaining what happened and why she was kept rather than to find her decaying carcass somewhere in a ditch. "I don't want you to leave..." He said as he bit the inside of his cheek again. It was a selfish request, but he hoped that it would keep her from doing anything dangerous.
Ath winced inwardly when he said he didn't want her to go. It was perhaps the one thing that would have kept her there... goddamn him to hell, She shook her head, trying to clear it and dipped the other hand in the water, wincing only inwardly as she did so. "I'll stay, but... we need to find somewhere other then here... I feel..." Athena let the sentence fall short, a tremor shaking her mentally. She felt exposed, like something bad was lurking around the corner... but how could she explain that to him?
" I really do have a place to stay around here, Aidan gave it to me as a birthday present awhile back. Its, near the clubs..." she paused, other then her and Aidan no other knew of this place, not even her twin, but she didn't feel as apherhensive to telling him as she should have been. "Its the bakery, if you go into the alley, there is a mini elevator, made to stock provisions in the attic... is there anyway you can take me there?"
"Yes." He said confidently. He had never seen such place before on his walks. But many times did he pass by the sweet smelling bakery on his walks. Oliver moved slowly and tried to move her into his arms. With those hands, she shouldn't use them to hold on. He slipped one arm under the crook of her knees (holding her skirt up from showing her underwear) and one around her back, holding her under her arm. "Are you ready to go?" He asked before he moved too quickly and caused her distress.
Right now, he felt like the princess running away with his prince to a secret hideout that Athena the prince had prepared.
Athena closed her eyes, as he touched her legs, trying not to wince in the innocent gesture. "Yeah, im ready." her voice sounded weak even in her own ears... but hey, it was the best she could do under the circumstances. She let herself drift in his arms, she was safe... at least safe for now. No one would hurt her as long as someone was with her right? This could very well be the end of Athena's continuous wanderings... her fleeting nature that seemed to attract...
all the wrong kind of attention.
She let her hands go limp on her lap, and tried to will herself to be as light as possible for Oliver to carry, hoping her splurge in healthy food had proved to be a good thing after all.
"thank you." she whispered into his chest her eyes still closed, just glad for company that wasn't trying to hurt her, or freak out and hurt someone else.
He pushed himself onto one knee and stood. By now, many of the people have left, the stalls have shut their windows and gone to sleep. The streetlights have turned on and the moon greeted them with a smile in the cloudless sky. He smiled to himself as he watched her rest in his arms. "Sleep well, my princess." He whispered into her ear as he set off in the empty streets towards the bakery where she had said that her place was. Turn left, pull a right, double take to see if the rats were watching, make a sharp left and down the street... The roads engraved in his mind made it easy to navigate.
His arms ached from him being not buff. But he held it in and didn't say a word. Putting Athena down would cause her to wake. He sucked it up and continued walking.
Her eyes flickered once when he called her a princess, but went still under their lids as she rested the best she could under the circumstances. Her stomach felt bruised from the nasty punch she received in it... her legs sore from the continuous exertion, and her arms... well she didnt even want to think of the useless twigs she had.
Ath needed to learn to defend herself, she needed to gain more muscle and less... feminine things that were making it difficult for her to do such things. Damn puberty had hit her hard... [perhaps as hard as Nyx. She blamed her father for that one. She was completely oblivious to what Oliver was going through just carrying her... she was used to Aidan and Kieran, those boys having muscle on top of muscle, otherwise she would have opened her eyes and carried her own weight. In her mind she visualized the way to the small storage room, the way in ... and the things she had stashed away there. The human that owned the place kept a cot there for when she overworked herself and had to sleep in the building... then there was all the almonds peaches and other such things for the bakery itself, and ... thank god, Athena had some loose clothing and a first aid kit stashed under the cot. Perhaps tonight wouldn't be all bad.
He headed down the dark alley. Alleys were dark, right? He walked slowly as his eyes adjusted to the dark. He looked around for the elevator but he couldn't see anything in this part of town. He'd never wandered too far from the main road, thus felt like a blind bat in this area. He nudged Athena softly with the hand under her arm and whispered "Do you know where the entrance is?" before he knelt down on one knee, resting her down on it carefully; giving his arms some rest before the rest of the journey
At the gentle nudge Athena's eyes flew open, and then she was descending and a certain panic filled her, immediately she tried to wrap her arms around Oliver's neck to keep from falling, but only let out a small squeak as her hands clenched each other. Once fully on the ground Athena made an effort to calm herself, trying to keep the shakes in check and keep her face from turning grey from the pain in her hands.
"its..." she breathed, her voice sounding thin... childlike, very unlike her own. She turned her gaze this way and that, searching for any type of landmark before resting on the giant yellow garbage can on the side of one building. "its around that corner, almost immediately upon turning."
She tried to stand herself, without help the stubborn thing that she was, and nearly succeeded, but found the need to lean heavily on Oliver to do so. "I can make it I think... im sorry, again im so sorry for all of this."
Oliver, crooking one edge of his mouth up and furrowing his eyebrows, clenched his fist and swept her off the ground before. It killed his arms and he nearly toppled over, but he caught himself with a bending of his knees. "don't apologize, rest." He didn't know what else to say, so he decided not to say anything. He held her close to his body as he began slowly walking towards the corner where she had pointed. Moving one foot after the next, he made his way there. The corner was in sight. His eyes got used to the darkness and he didn't guess where he stepped now.
When he nearly toppled over, Ath’s eyes widened, and her pulse quickened… it took quite a bit to not scream. “I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry.” She kept saying, burying her face in his chest and crying again, her hand clutching his tank-top tightly. Ath closed her eyes, hoping she didn’t get sick from the elevator and being on such an uncertain level as it was.
“I should have never come… I’m so sorry.” Her voice was hoarse from crying… and screaming earlier.
Oliver purred gently as she dug her head into his chest, trying to reassure her that it was alright. He walked as she cried into his shirt. He could feel the moisture on his bare skin. He headed around the corner and looked for anything suspicious that looked like it could support a cat and could actually move. Asking Athena was out of the question while she seemed flustered and crying. That would be insensitive of him. He sniffed around and found something shifty. He peered into the darkness, trying to get a better view; unsure of whether this was safe or not to support him and Athena.
Ath blinked, trying to see past her tears. He wouldn't be able to make out the elevator without her... she had a feeling, and yet when her vision cleared, there they were. "it... should be fine." she whispered, closing her eyes once more and trying to ignore the headache pounding between her eyes. Ath had to keep the moan from escaping her lips... goddamn this hurt. Her mother tried not to think about everyones reactions...
her mother... her poor mother. But Athena had a few days before they freaked out, she had gotten lost for longer.
As she leaned, he leaned as well to keep a center of balance. The elevator moved slowly. Even though this was his first time in it, he felt safe. Momentarily, she had led him to this secret wonderland; home. He stepped into the lit area above the ground. He had never seen anything like this. His eyes wide in awe as he looked around the place. Then he snapped out of it as feeling came back to his arms as well as pain. "Wh-where can I put you down?" he asked as he looked about, seeing where there was somewhere soft and suitable to place her down on.
Ath blushed heavily, the thought of how much she was probably wearing him out. "there's um... a cot around those crates." She pointed in the general direction,feeling the wounds on her hands go taunt with the effort, and she only just kept herself from wincing in pain. "I also have a first aid kit there, and an extra set of comfortable clothes. I may need help, with my hands...." Athena peeked up with him, finally feeling more like herself, a little more self conscious and a little less pathetic.
"Do you... like it?" She asked a bit fearful that he didn't. She didn't know why it mattered to her it just... did. He was the first besides herself and Aidan to be there.
Oliver headed for the cot and set her down softly, making sure she was alright before looking around and not touching anything while he looked for the first aid kit that she had spoken of. "You just rest." He said when she said that she needed help. "I'll take care of everything." His voice trembled a bit as he said this. "it's quite nice. Quiet, soothing. Feels a lot like home..." He said to her with a soft smile. He continued to look around for the first aid kit to help her get patched up so she could get some rest. "Am i getting warmer to the first aid kit?" He asked with a nervous chuckle. It was rude to move anything that he wasn't supposed to, so he asked before he moved anything.
Smiling at him she shook her head, curling up on the bed, feeling the most comfortable she had all day. It really did feel like home. " Under the cot, but don't e afraid to make yourself at home Oliver really... You can touch things." Athena actually relaxed, her body loosing its usual perfect composure and sagging against the pillows at her back.
Ath surprised herself, a soft purr falling from her lips as she did so... after all that had happened she could still be that relaxed.... but how? Somehow Athena had a hunch it was the place and the company. She felt safe here, if not happy.
Oliver found the coat and moved it gently. Even if Athena had said he could move things, he felt bad for doing so. He found the first aid kit and pulled it out. Holding it with both his hands, he smiled to himself and headed back to where Athena lay. He knelt by her side and looked at her as she relaxed. He sort of didn't want to bother her as she relaxed on the pillows. But what needs to be done has to be done... "come on Athena. Let's get you patched up first." He said a little saddened that he had to bother her cute relaxed face.
She nodded and closed her eyes shut twice. "Its better im relaxed for this... you may have to check for glass." Ath let the statement die there, not quite willing to go into the story yet. She would have to soon she knew, and if he asked her she would have to tell. It would be unwise to not to. " After your done... can you grab my spare clothing out from under the bed... I really really cant stay in this." It seemed fickle... the statement really did, but if he knew....
Shaking her head Ath kept her eyes closed, offering him her hands without hesitation. A brave move considering how afraid she was. What if something was infected? Ath really didn't like burdening him with this... but ath knew she couldn't do this alone. So the female did all she could do and plan to make it up, ignoring her stinging paws.
He took a breath as he opened the kit up. He wanted to know, he really did. "alright..." He said as he took her soft paws in his own; looking for glass bits as she had warned. "This may hurt a tiny bit." He warned as he continued on to inspect the cuts, trying to press out the blood to see if tiny glass bits would flow out if they had already gotten into her skin. As he tried to check all her cuts, he thought of the best time to ask. After he patched her up? After she rested? He made a confused expression on his face as he wiped away the blood and went to grab bandages to avoid infection. He was curious as to what had happened. If it had something to do with glass, it must've not been good...
Athena quietly let out a sigh as he pressed the sides of the wounds. Living in the basement of an apartment building she was used to this kind of pain, almost welcomed it compared to the other freezing thing that had numbed her body earlier just that day. Arching her back when the final amount of pressure was applied and the gauze was wrapped firmly around her hands Ath pursed her lips.
She would change, and prepare for bed... then she would tell him, it was no use trying not to, curiosity was something that wasn't filled unless the subject was explored considerably. Ath pulled away from him, turning around and unbuttoning the front of her long sleeved shirt. She slipped it off easily, revealing a very pretty lace cami underneath, but also the bruises up her arms, and on her collarbone. Similar thumbprint bruises were on her hips, which were somewhat visible through the cream of her under blouse. "suppose after this im going to have to tel you." She mumbled softly, closing her eyes and gesturing to under the bed. "Grab me the soft pants there please? Thats bout the only thing my legs can handle right about now."
He wrapped as he looked at glimpses of her body. Bruises painted over her skin all over. He couldn't even begin to imagine what had happened. He tried to ignore it and wait for her to tell him willingly than to force it out of her now. As he heard her request for her pants, he held the bandage strip and her hand in one of his pale hands and bent over to reach under the bed. He touched something soft and pulled it out. "is it this?" He asked and handed it to her. Her in pants would be better. At least she would be able to move around without him catching looks of something he wasn't meant to see.
Athena shook her head yes; sitting up and lightly taking the bandage from his hands with her already wrapped other. “Sorry, I need you to turn around.” She mumbled, waiting until he did so before sliding the pants on under her skirt, and taking off the frilly thing. “you can turn around now…”
Feeling a tad self conscious Ath undid the rest of her hair, letting the soft curls fall around her face, hiding her blush. “Come sit with me Oliver… and I’ll tell you what happened.”
Oliver obeyed and turned right around. When she said she was done, He turned around. He lifted his eyes from her bandaged hand and saw the skirt next to her. a chill went through his spine as he did. He did a double-take to see her wearing her pants. phew. What a relief... "Alright, after i tie this off." He said as he finished up bandaging her hand and went over to sit near her as she had asked. "Leave out anything you're not comfortable with telling me, alright?" He said with a smile. He peeked at her face, trying to see her blushing cheeks under her hair.
She rested her head against his shoulder, thus hiding her face further. Ath looked at the bed, knotting the fabric in her hands. She stayed quite for a long moment, the sound of her heartbeat loud in her ears as she tried to find her words.
“Well…” Her heart pounded against her ears as she spoke, and it took a lot just to breathe. “I was off to the aquarium visiting … my friend, and some guys… they… didn’t understand the meaning of the word ‘no.’ Certainly not from a lady.” Ath shook her head, closing her eyes once she felt the prickling start up again. “We got in a fight when they thought I was just going to lay down and take what they wanted to give me. I pushed one of them into a window… and took off from the others. They tried to hold me still… but I got away. And you…. You…” She shook her head again, not trusting her voice and what she felt would be there.
Oliver was slightly confused at the story. He was quite oblivious to these types of scenarios with males and females. He couldn't just nod and go 'mhm' at her story. "Wh-what did they try to do or rather give you that needed you to use force?" He asked. He didn't even bother asking for a name as he knows that if he accidentally spilled it out, it'd be his pelt as her bedsheets. He really wondered why Athena didn't want to tell her relatives. Perhaps they knew the guy or group of toms? He could only imagine what went on earlier.
It was obvious to her... but then what girl wasn't told time and again what would happen if some male decided to take advantage of them? That and the product of their birth had in fact been a rape, not by their father of course... he came after the b*****d, She shook her head, debating the course of action in her mind, lips going firm in thought. How did she explain this... where it wouldn't hurt her, and she wouldn't have to explain more throughly?
Then the thought came into her mind... oh it wasn't very wise she knew, but well, sometimes you have to be unwise to become wise. Ath pulled back from him, debating this move once more in her head, before shrugging and straddling Oliver. "They did something like this." she whispered, leaning forward toward him, wrapping her bandaged hair in hsi curly hair and smiling softly. She gently laid her lips on his, before blushing and pulling away. "just in a more extreme fashion."
After seeing her contemplate, he wondered it if was wrong to ask. His ears drooped as he felt silence as she thought. His tail slightly flickered as she began to move and talk. "w-wait. this isn't good..." He said as his voice drifted off at the end as she straddled him. He tried to fall further back into her bed as she got closer, talking as she did. He could smell her scent as she was this close. He hadn't noticed it before, but it was nice. It showed personality and character. As his long hair was taken into her fingers, he winced back a little. Maybe asking wasn't a good idea after all....
His mind went blank with the kiss on his lips. He understood now. Well, at least most of it and if his thinking was right, then this was bad... He couldn't find his words and his mind had been blown. All he could say was gibberish from the touch of her pink lips on his. His face flushed a deep red, all the way to the sides of his face.
pandalilypancake (6:33:13 PM): (( I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY. YOU BROKE LIVER >: ))
At the silence, Ath shifted, still straddling him and unsure of how to proceed...
s**t. s**t. s**t. Her mind kept repeating, over and over like a broken record, her heart pounding so hard she was sure that he could hear it too. "I..." she stared, her voice trailing off. "I should get off of you." she mumbled, looking down and allowing her hair float over her now scarlet cheeks. Every turn of her head started with things that ended in something of similar nature to pig Latin, and she wouldn't allow herself to make more of a fool of herself.
She peeked at him through the veil of her hair, trying to make out his features... was he mad, flustered... or was he... disgusted in her? Had she thrown herself into the pits of his mind, as worthless as some b***h mutt wandering the streets and attacking cats? His face was just as colored as hers... so he was... embarrassed... but why? She was the one making the moves here.
"I... I shouldn't have..." Her voice died out again, and she shifted nervously, silently cringing from stiffness in her joints. The kiss wasnt that bad right? It was... after all her first.
... worst part was, she wanted to do it again.
He could only let out random sounds from his mouth. He wanted to pull his bangs in front of his face to hide it, but he couldn't move. When she suggested she get off of him, he nodded stiffly and said "th-that would be good..." He wanted to cover his face with anything! his ears, his hair, his hands, his jacket... He managed to turn his head in a robotic manner towards her. "...n-n-n-no." He said softly to her. "i-it's alright." he said softly, avoiding eye contact, but still wanting to face her at the same time. "it was... good." Uses of better adjectives didn't seem to exist in him at the moment.
She peaked up at him through her hair. "good?... oh.... umm...." Her voice was unusually shaky and it took her a moment to realize, though she had stated and he approved of her getting off of him... she hadn't yet. Ath's face lit up and then went pale, seconds within each other as she rolled off and cringed in pain. She let out a quiet moan and curled up into a half ball, her face buried in the pillows. Her legs shaking from being in a different position for such a long time.
Though she may seem strong, Athena was really not a fighter, she could plan and plot how things were going to go... but actually fighting took too much out of her. "Im sorry oliver, I didn't know how else to explain." she mumbled softly, before shaking her head and trying to sit up, but only succeeding in more of a half pushup.
He blinked a few times as she began to quiver in a rolled position. He wanted to soothe her; hold her. He panicked a little and he closed his eyes as he hugged her from behind. "Can i just stay like this?" he asked, feeling his heartbeat in his chest as if it were to pop out at any second. Oliver wanted to console her and make her feel better. Anyone would be shaken from that kind of trauma. Many people don't even make it out in one piece or live life to the fullest ever again. He didn't want to leave another friend behind ever again...
She blinked for a few moments, silent. He was... "... thank you." she said quietly, laying back down and resting against his form. He was doing what her parents did when they slept. The thought made her smile, the soft warmness of the position had always made her feel comfortable. This is not saying there wasn't some pain involved,and the awkward-ness of a rather ample bosom, but what could she say, she had inherited her mothers form, just like most of her siblings. (excluding the boys of course)
Athena stayed like that for awhile, just listening to the sound of his heartbeat, and closed her eyes sleepily. She felt too tired to sleep, but resting seemed possible in the moment. Ath kept shifting slightly, so that her body wouldn't hold firm in one position and hurt her later. After awhile she felt she had to say something, not really knowing how awkward it would sound until she had voiced it.
"I liked kissing you Oliver, as awkward as it was." Mentally she slapped herself, s**t now she sounded like some young pervert in training or something. Quick to try to fix it.. "I mean I like you..." she mumbled, turning scarlet again. Thank god he couldn't see her face.
Oliver breathed softly, hoping she wouldn't hear his breath breaking now and then or be bothered by the warm air on her. He smiled to himself and kept his eyes closed. Slowly but surely, he drifted off to sleep. With his breathing steady and body going limp, he was deaf and blind to the world around him in a soft slumber. A while after her thanks, he was sleeping like a log; arms still clinging to Athena's now more womanly frame.
It happened so fast… isn’t that what most people say when something traumatic happens to them? For Ath… it felt like something else entirely… like the world had stopped for a brief moment, when she knew for sure they weren’t going to leave her alone, and then started spinning at such a pace that it felt like it would brake its axles. She had been walking, for what felt like ages, through different terrain and not making out a single thing that she passed by.
Up close the tear trails were visible down her cheeks, her delicate hands riddled with cuts and her hair fallen from the high bun it had been in so neatly just this morning. She felt harried, she felt like the next gust of wind would blow her away… but nothing seemed to want to be so kind. Vaguely she made out crashing water nearby… and felt her body being nudged from side to side with various beings bustling by… but she really didn’t care.
Oliver's eyes drooped softly as the sky turned darker and darker but still retaining the pink colour for a while. He didn't know how long it had been as his head fell suddenly and his eyes shot open. Happy people were leaving the shop, avoiding a little red-head that seemed out of place... He blinked a few times to get in focus as he saw the tiny red-headed girl, Athena, that he had once chatted with. He missed her cute blushing face and scampered down the side of the building as quickly as he could to go greet her.
Athena was on automatic, just slipping through the people, straying as far away from the used bookstore as possible. God what would happen if Aidan found out?… there would be war against the aquarium, all because of her. Her wanting to visit a friend and running into someone that did not know the meaning of NO.
When her knees hit something hard and she went falling nearly face first into the fountain she blinked out of her trance. She stared at her tear stained face, rippling inches from her the reflection of the sun illuminating the scene perfectly.
s**t, if Aidan found her…. <********.
Keeping a constant eye on the kitten that was in the territory, he noticed that she wasn't normal. On the last four or five ladder railings, Oliver jumped, landing on all fours as he made a futile attempt to dash over. It would be his hide if someone died under his watch, whether they are a foe, friend or even rogue. He ran around the people heading left and right. Now he could confirm... it was the girl he once spoke to. Athena. He tried to speed up as he noticed her falling. He let out a call to try get her to snap out of whatever she was in.
"ATHEEEEEEEEEEENA!" He called as he made a valiant jump to try catch her.
She blinked, seeing the face of someone she knew standing behind her. Lovely, the princess… the one she said she would rescue… and yet here she was, quite obviously needing help. Laughing mentally at the irony of the situation she tried to stand from her already crouched position over the edge of the fountain, before slipping back into the same position. She tilted her head forward so that her curly red hair fell forward to hide her face better.
Athena was ashamed, quite truly. They had such a lighthearted meeting before… and she had planned their reunion being as much as well. She shook herself mentally and said nothing… untrusting of her voice. No more tears. Not tonight, not ever.
He dashed over, seeing her hair fall to her face. He jumped onto the fountain edge and moved his arms to try sort of cradle her. Hopefully this wasn't a battle that would come back and hunt her down in the Plaza. "Athena. can you hear me?" He asked in a softer voice, seeing if she was alright. "Please answer me." He said, quite worried now. "Sh-should i go get your uncle?" He spoke again. Oliver wasn't sure if her family needed to know. She was a big girl now, but family is still family, right?
Athena tensed in his arms and moved her face to look at him, the rest of her body limp but the upper half. “Don’t… please don’t. It would… be bad.” She let her body relax, kind of sagging against him, her hair falling back to cover her face, her green gold eyes covered with the locks.
“Aidan can’t ever know about this, Neither can my father.” After all the training she had received from her mother… her father… because of the accident of their birth, of her sister so obviously different from them. It was all for nothing. She still proved weaker then those seemingly harmless toms. It wasn’t like they actually –did- anything… they just… touched… and tormented. Athena’s body gave an involuntary tremor, forcing her to wrap her arms tight against her waist, the blood on her knuckles starting to flow easily past the reopened cuts. Glass wounds, quite obviously.
Oliver felt her weight on his arms. He put his legs out in front of his to give support and so she could lay for as long as she liked without his legs cramping up. "a-alright." He said as he brushed her hair out of her face. He didn't know what to do. He examined her body, trying to find signs of what she might've gotten into. Avoiding looking at her torso area, he began with her legs that brought her here and working his way from her shoulders to her fingerti-... Red. He saw the deep red that he feared... Blood. "Ah-Athena, you're bleeding. You should get it treated before it gets infected. Who did this to you? Why did this happen?" He rambled with a million questions pouring out.
Ath looked up at him. She was bleeding? but why didn't she feel any pain? "I'll go where you take me... just, no family please. I can't start a war over this." Without really realizing it Athena snuggled closer to him burying her face in his chest the best she could under the circumstances. She felt silly, it really was the worst day to wear a skirt, but that just played up the irony of the situation didn't it? She shook again, biting her lip and feeling entirely awkward.
it was like she had lost control of her body, and her mind was floating around the only idea she could think of, no war. Please no war not when we were this weak.
Oliver bit the inside of his cheek while she spoke. He didn't know where to go. Is they were in the open, he'd be found for sure... That is... If Aiden went looking for him for whatever reason. To the roof? no. Athena can barely move and getting to the roof alone is already a hassle. To his home? It's damp and small. He would have to risk being sitting ducks at the fountain. He didn't know what to say. He picked up her hand gently, trying to examine it. If she flinched away, he'd let go. The last thing he wanted to do was force her into doing something, getting her angry and have her collapse elsewhere.
Watching as he lifted her hand Athena neither flinched or pulled away. Though she was surprised to see the blood, something in her brain was keeping her from feeling most of the wounds. "I'm sorry... I really shouldn't have come here." she mumbled softly, what little color she had in her face now gone with the realization of what she was putting him through. Oliver didn't need this... he didn't need her problems, he was a happy cat! She couldn't allow him to be brought into all of this and put a shade on that happy glow.
"I should leave." thinking of an excuse wasn't that difficult, but it felt like forever before she came up with something that would at least be somewhat acceptable. "I have... a place to stay nearby, I'll be fine... I don't want Aidan to find me and freak out>" Almost unwillingly Ath sat up, slowly dipping her hand he wasn't holding into the water and watching the blood stream into the clorene. The bite to the water made her grimace, but she thanked it inwardly. It would kill any infection, and it brought her mind back to reality.
Oliver let go of her hand as she dipped her other one into the water. He clenched to her anyways. "I can't let you go. Not in this condition." He said sternly. Despite his carefree nature, he had a clear idea of right and wrong. "Wherever you need to go, you can go in the morning." He said. If she didn't go to family who he trusted would take care of her, he wouldn't let her go. Who knows where she might end up! It's better for him to be in trouble with whoever she needed to see while explaining what happened and why she was kept rather than to find her decaying carcass somewhere in a ditch. "I don't want you to leave..." He said as he bit the inside of his cheek again. It was a selfish request, but he hoped that it would keep her from doing anything dangerous.
Ath winced inwardly when he said he didn't want her to go. It was perhaps the one thing that would have kept her there... goddamn him to hell, She shook her head, trying to clear it and dipped the other hand in the water, wincing only inwardly as she did so. "I'll stay, but... we need to find somewhere other then here... I feel..." Athena let the sentence fall short, a tremor shaking her mentally. She felt exposed, like something bad was lurking around the corner... but how could she explain that to him?
" I really do have a place to stay around here, Aidan gave it to me as a birthday present awhile back. Its, near the clubs..." she paused, other then her and Aidan no other knew of this place, not even her twin, but she didn't feel as apherhensive to telling him as she should have been. "Its the bakery, if you go into the alley, there is a mini elevator, made to stock provisions in the attic... is there anyway you can take me there?"
"Yes." He said confidently. He had never seen such place before on his walks. But many times did he pass by the sweet smelling bakery on his walks. Oliver moved slowly and tried to move her into his arms. With those hands, she shouldn't use them to hold on. He slipped one arm under the crook of her knees (holding her skirt up from showing her underwear) and one around her back, holding her under her arm. "Are you ready to go?" He asked before he moved too quickly and caused her distress.
Right now, he felt like the princess running away with his prince to a secret hideout that Athena the prince had prepared.
Athena closed her eyes, as he touched her legs, trying not to wince in the innocent gesture. "Yeah, im ready." her voice sounded weak even in her own ears... but hey, it was the best she could do under the circumstances. She let herself drift in his arms, she was safe... at least safe for now. No one would hurt her as long as someone was with her right? This could very well be the end of Athena's continuous wanderings... her fleeting nature that seemed to attract...
all the wrong kind of attention.
She let her hands go limp on her lap, and tried to will herself to be as light as possible for Oliver to carry, hoping her splurge in healthy food had proved to be a good thing after all.
"thank you." she whispered into his chest her eyes still closed, just glad for company that wasn't trying to hurt her, or freak out and hurt someone else.
He pushed himself onto one knee and stood. By now, many of the people have left, the stalls have shut their windows and gone to sleep. The streetlights have turned on and the moon greeted them with a smile in the cloudless sky. He smiled to himself as he watched her rest in his arms. "Sleep well, my princess." He whispered into her ear as he set off in the empty streets towards the bakery where she had said that her place was. Turn left, pull a right, double take to see if the rats were watching, make a sharp left and down the street... The roads engraved in his mind made it easy to navigate.
His arms ached from him being not buff. But he held it in and didn't say a word. Putting Athena down would cause her to wake. He sucked it up and continued walking.
Her eyes flickered once when he called her a princess, but went still under their lids as she rested the best she could under the circumstances. Her stomach felt bruised from the nasty punch she received in it... her legs sore from the continuous exertion, and her arms... well she didnt even want to think of the useless twigs she had.
Ath needed to learn to defend herself, she needed to gain more muscle and less... feminine things that were making it difficult for her to do such things. Damn puberty had hit her hard... [perhaps as hard as Nyx. She blamed her father for that one. She was completely oblivious to what Oliver was going through just carrying her... she was used to Aidan and Kieran, those boys having muscle on top of muscle, otherwise she would have opened her eyes and carried her own weight. In her mind she visualized the way to the small storage room, the way in ... and the things she had stashed away there. The human that owned the place kept a cot there for when she overworked herself and had to sleep in the building... then there was all the almonds peaches and other such things for the bakery itself, and ... thank god, Athena had some loose clothing and a first aid kit stashed under the cot. Perhaps tonight wouldn't be all bad.
He headed down the dark alley. Alleys were dark, right? He walked slowly as his eyes adjusted to the dark. He looked around for the elevator but he couldn't see anything in this part of town. He'd never wandered too far from the main road, thus felt like a blind bat in this area. He nudged Athena softly with the hand under her arm and whispered "Do you know where the entrance is?" before he knelt down on one knee, resting her down on it carefully; giving his arms some rest before the rest of the journey
At the gentle nudge Athena's eyes flew open, and then she was descending and a certain panic filled her, immediately she tried to wrap her arms around Oliver's neck to keep from falling, but only let out a small squeak as her hands clenched each other. Once fully on the ground Athena made an effort to calm herself, trying to keep the shakes in check and keep her face from turning grey from the pain in her hands.
"its..." she breathed, her voice sounding thin... childlike, very unlike her own. She turned her gaze this way and that, searching for any type of landmark before resting on the giant yellow garbage can on the side of one building. "its around that corner, almost immediately upon turning."
She tried to stand herself, without help the stubborn thing that she was, and nearly succeeded, but found the need to lean heavily on Oliver to do so. "I can make it I think... im sorry, again im so sorry for all of this."
Oliver, crooking one edge of his mouth up and furrowing his eyebrows, clenched his fist and swept her off the ground before. It killed his arms and he nearly toppled over, but he caught himself with a bending of his knees. "don't apologize, rest." He didn't know what else to say, so he decided not to say anything. He held her close to his body as he began slowly walking towards the corner where she had pointed. Moving one foot after the next, he made his way there. The corner was in sight. His eyes got used to the darkness and he didn't guess where he stepped now.
When he nearly toppled over, Ath’s eyes widened, and her pulse quickened… it took quite a bit to not scream. “I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry.” She kept saying, burying her face in his chest and crying again, her hand clutching his tank-top tightly. Ath closed her eyes, hoping she didn’t get sick from the elevator and being on such an uncertain level as it was.
“I should have never come… I’m so sorry.” Her voice was hoarse from crying… and screaming earlier.
Oliver purred gently as she dug her head into his chest, trying to reassure her that it was alright. He walked as she cried into his shirt. He could feel the moisture on his bare skin. He headed around the corner and looked for anything suspicious that looked like it could support a cat and could actually move. Asking Athena was out of the question while she seemed flustered and crying. That would be insensitive of him. He sniffed around and found something shifty. He peered into the darkness, trying to get a better view; unsure of whether this was safe or not to support him and Athena.
Ath blinked, trying to see past her tears. He wouldn't be able to make out the elevator without her... she had a feeling, and yet when her vision cleared, there they were. "it... should be fine." she whispered, closing her eyes once more and trying to ignore the headache pounding between her eyes. Ath had to keep the moan from escaping her lips... goddamn this hurt. Her mother tried not to think about everyones reactions...
her mother... her poor mother. But Athena had a few days before they freaked out, she had gotten lost for longer.
As she leaned, he leaned as well to keep a center of balance. The elevator moved slowly. Even though this was his first time in it, he felt safe. Momentarily, she had led him to this secret wonderland; home. He stepped into the lit area above the ground. He had never seen anything like this. His eyes wide in awe as he looked around the place. Then he snapped out of it as feeling came back to his arms as well as pain. "Wh-where can I put you down?" he asked as he looked about, seeing where there was somewhere soft and suitable to place her down on.
Ath blushed heavily, the thought of how much she was probably wearing him out. "there's um... a cot around those crates." She pointed in the general direction,feeling the wounds on her hands go taunt with the effort, and she only just kept herself from wincing in pain. "I also have a first aid kit there, and an extra set of comfortable clothes. I may need help, with my hands...." Athena peeked up with him, finally feeling more like herself, a little more self conscious and a little less pathetic.
"Do you... like it?" She asked a bit fearful that he didn't. She didn't know why it mattered to her it just... did. He was the first besides herself and Aidan to be there.
Oliver headed for the cot and set her down softly, making sure she was alright before looking around and not touching anything while he looked for the first aid kit that she had spoken of. "You just rest." He said when she said that she needed help. "I'll take care of everything." His voice trembled a bit as he said this. "it's quite nice. Quiet, soothing. Feels a lot like home..." He said to her with a soft smile. He continued to look around for the first aid kit to help her get patched up so she could get some rest. "Am i getting warmer to the first aid kit?" He asked with a nervous chuckle. It was rude to move anything that he wasn't supposed to, so he asked before he moved anything.
Smiling at him she shook her head, curling up on the bed, feeling the most comfortable she had all day. It really did feel like home. " Under the cot, but don't e afraid to make yourself at home Oliver really... You can touch things." Athena actually relaxed, her body loosing its usual perfect composure and sagging against the pillows at her back.
Ath surprised herself, a soft purr falling from her lips as she did so... after all that had happened she could still be that relaxed.... but how? Somehow Athena had a hunch it was the place and the company. She felt safe here, if not happy.
Oliver found the coat and moved it gently. Even if Athena had said he could move things, he felt bad for doing so. He found the first aid kit and pulled it out. Holding it with both his hands, he smiled to himself and headed back to where Athena lay. He knelt by her side and looked at her as she relaxed. He sort of didn't want to bother her as she relaxed on the pillows. But what needs to be done has to be done... "come on Athena. Let's get you patched up first." He said a little saddened that he had to bother her cute relaxed face.
She nodded and closed her eyes shut twice. "Its better im relaxed for this... you may have to check for glass." Ath let the statement die there, not quite willing to go into the story yet. She would have to soon she knew, and if he asked her she would have to tell. It would be unwise to not to. " After your done... can you grab my spare clothing out from under the bed... I really really cant stay in this." It seemed fickle... the statement really did, but if he knew....
Shaking her head Ath kept her eyes closed, offering him her hands without hesitation. A brave move considering how afraid she was. What if something was infected? Ath really didn't like burdening him with this... but ath knew she couldn't do this alone. So the female did all she could do and plan to make it up, ignoring her stinging paws.
He took a breath as he opened the kit up. He wanted to know, he really did. "alright..." He said as he took her soft paws in his own; looking for glass bits as she had warned. "This may hurt a tiny bit." He warned as he continued on to inspect the cuts, trying to press out the blood to see if tiny glass bits would flow out if they had already gotten into her skin. As he tried to check all her cuts, he thought of the best time to ask. After he patched her up? After she rested? He made a confused expression on his face as he wiped away the blood and went to grab bandages to avoid infection. He was curious as to what had happened. If it had something to do with glass, it must've not been good...
Athena quietly let out a sigh as he pressed the sides of the wounds. Living in the basement of an apartment building she was used to this kind of pain, almost welcomed it compared to the other freezing thing that had numbed her body earlier just that day. Arching her back when the final amount of pressure was applied and the gauze was wrapped firmly around her hands Ath pursed her lips.
She would change, and prepare for bed... then she would tell him, it was no use trying not to, curiosity was something that wasn't filled unless the subject was explored considerably. Ath pulled away from him, turning around and unbuttoning the front of her long sleeved shirt. She slipped it off easily, revealing a very pretty lace cami underneath, but also the bruises up her arms, and on her collarbone. Similar thumbprint bruises were on her hips, which were somewhat visible through the cream of her under blouse. "suppose after this im going to have to tel you." She mumbled softly, closing her eyes and gesturing to under the bed. "Grab me the soft pants there please? Thats bout the only thing my legs can handle right about now."
He wrapped as he looked at glimpses of her body. Bruises painted over her skin all over. He couldn't even begin to imagine what had happened. He tried to ignore it and wait for her to tell him willingly than to force it out of her now. As he heard her request for her pants, he held the bandage strip and her hand in one of his pale hands and bent over to reach under the bed. He touched something soft and pulled it out. "is it this?" He asked and handed it to her. Her in pants would be better. At least she would be able to move around without him catching looks of something he wasn't meant to see.
Athena shook her head yes; sitting up and lightly taking the bandage from his hands with her already wrapped other. “Sorry, I need you to turn around.” She mumbled, waiting until he did so before sliding the pants on under her skirt, and taking off the frilly thing. “you can turn around now…”
Feeling a tad self conscious Ath undid the rest of her hair, letting the soft curls fall around her face, hiding her blush. “Come sit with me Oliver… and I’ll tell you what happened.”
Oliver obeyed and turned right around. When she said she was done, He turned around. He lifted his eyes from her bandaged hand and saw the skirt next to her. a chill went through his spine as he did. He did a double-take to see her wearing her pants. phew. What a relief... "Alright, after i tie this off." He said as he finished up bandaging her hand and went over to sit near her as she had asked. "Leave out anything you're not comfortable with telling me, alright?" He said with a smile. He peeked at her face, trying to see her blushing cheeks under her hair.
She rested her head against his shoulder, thus hiding her face further. Ath looked at the bed, knotting the fabric in her hands. She stayed quite for a long moment, the sound of her heartbeat loud in her ears as she tried to find her words.
“Well…” Her heart pounded against her ears as she spoke, and it took a lot just to breathe. “I was off to the aquarium visiting … my friend, and some guys… they… didn’t understand the meaning of the word ‘no.’ Certainly not from a lady.” Ath shook her head, closing her eyes once she felt the prickling start up again. “We got in a fight when they thought I was just going to lay down and take what they wanted to give me. I pushed one of them into a window… and took off from the others. They tried to hold me still… but I got away. And you…. You…” She shook her head again, not trusting her voice and what she felt would be there.
Oliver was slightly confused at the story. He was quite oblivious to these types of scenarios with males and females. He couldn't just nod and go 'mhm' at her story. "Wh-what did they try to do or rather give you that needed you to use force?" He asked. He didn't even bother asking for a name as he knows that if he accidentally spilled it out, it'd be his pelt as her bedsheets. He really wondered why Athena didn't want to tell her relatives. Perhaps they knew the guy or group of toms? He could only imagine what went on earlier.
It was obvious to her... but then what girl wasn't told time and again what would happen if some male decided to take advantage of them? That and the product of their birth had in fact been a rape, not by their father of course... he came after the b*****d, She shook her head, debating the course of action in her mind, lips going firm in thought. How did she explain this... where it wouldn't hurt her, and she wouldn't have to explain more throughly?
Then the thought came into her mind... oh it wasn't very wise she knew, but well, sometimes you have to be unwise to become wise. Ath pulled back from him, debating this move once more in her head, before shrugging and straddling Oliver. "They did something like this." she whispered, leaning forward toward him, wrapping her bandaged hair in hsi curly hair and smiling softly. She gently laid her lips on his, before blushing and pulling away. "just in a more extreme fashion."
After seeing her contemplate, he wondered it if was wrong to ask. His ears drooped as he felt silence as she thought. His tail slightly flickered as she began to move and talk. "w-wait. this isn't good..." He said as his voice drifted off at the end as she straddled him. He tried to fall further back into her bed as she got closer, talking as she did. He could smell her scent as she was this close. He hadn't noticed it before, but it was nice. It showed personality and character. As his long hair was taken into her fingers, he winced back a little. Maybe asking wasn't a good idea after all....
His mind went blank with the kiss on his lips. He understood now. Well, at least most of it and if his thinking was right, then this was bad... He couldn't find his words and his mind had been blown. All he could say was gibberish from the touch of her pink lips on his. His face flushed a deep red, all the way to the sides of his face.
pandalilypancake (6:33:13 PM): (( I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY. YOU BROKE LIVER >: ))
At the silence, Ath shifted, still straddling him and unsure of how to proceed...
s**t. s**t. s**t. Her mind kept repeating, over and over like a broken record, her heart pounding so hard she was sure that he could hear it too. "I..." she stared, her voice trailing off. "I should get off of you." she mumbled, looking down and allowing her hair float over her now scarlet cheeks. Every turn of her head started with things that ended in something of similar nature to pig Latin, and she wouldn't allow herself to make more of a fool of herself.
She peeked at him through the veil of her hair, trying to make out his features... was he mad, flustered... or was he... disgusted in her? Had she thrown herself into the pits of his mind, as worthless as some b***h mutt wandering the streets and attacking cats? His face was just as colored as hers... so he was... embarrassed... but why? She was the one making the moves here.
"I... I shouldn't have..." Her voice died out again, and she shifted nervously, silently cringing from stiffness in her joints. The kiss wasnt that bad right? It was... after all her first.
... worst part was, she wanted to do it again.
He could only let out random sounds from his mouth. He wanted to pull his bangs in front of his face to hide it, but he couldn't move. When she suggested she get off of him, he nodded stiffly and said "th-that would be good..." He wanted to cover his face with anything! his ears, his hair, his hands, his jacket... He managed to turn his head in a robotic manner towards her. "...n-n-n-no." He said softly to her. "i-it's alright." he said softly, avoiding eye contact, but still wanting to face her at the same time. "it was... good." Uses of better adjectives didn't seem to exist in him at the moment.
She peaked up at him through her hair. "good?... oh.... umm...." Her voice was unusually shaky and it took her a moment to realize, though she had stated and he approved of her getting off of him... she hadn't yet. Ath's face lit up and then went pale, seconds within each other as she rolled off and cringed in pain. She let out a quiet moan and curled up into a half ball, her face buried in the pillows. Her legs shaking from being in a different position for such a long time.
Though she may seem strong, Athena was really not a fighter, she could plan and plot how things were going to go... but actually fighting took too much out of her. "Im sorry oliver, I didn't know how else to explain." she mumbled softly, before shaking her head and trying to sit up, but only succeeding in more of a half pushup.
He blinked a few times as she began to quiver in a rolled position. He wanted to soothe her; hold her. He panicked a little and he closed his eyes as he hugged her from behind. "Can i just stay like this?" he asked, feeling his heartbeat in his chest as if it were to pop out at any second. Oliver wanted to console her and make her feel better. Anyone would be shaken from that kind of trauma. Many people don't even make it out in one piece or live life to the fullest ever again. He didn't want to leave another friend behind ever again...
She blinked for a few moments, silent. He was... "... thank you." she said quietly, laying back down and resting against his form. He was doing what her parents did when they slept. The thought made her smile, the soft warmness of the position had always made her feel comfortable. This is not saying there wasn't some pain involved,and the awkward-ness of a rather ample bosom, but what could she say, she had inherited her mothers form, just like most of her siblings. (excluding the boys of course)
Athena stayed like that for awhile, just listening to the sound of his heartbeat, and closed her eyes sleepily. She felt too tired to sleep, but resting seemed possible in the moment. Ath kept shifting slightly, so that her body wouldn't hold firm in one position and hurt her later. After awhile she felt she had to say something, not really knowing how awkward it would sound until she had voiced it.
"I liked kissing you Oliver, as awkward as it was." Mentally she slapped herself, s**t now she sounded like some young pervert in training or something. Quick to try to fix it.. "I mean I like you..." she mumbled, turning scarlet again. Thank god he couldn't see her face.
Oliver breathed softly, hoping she wouldn't hear his breath breaking now and then or be bothered by the warm air on her. He smiled to himself and kept his eyes closed. Slowly but surely, he drifted off to sleep. With his breathing steady and body going limp, he was deaf and blind to the world around him in a soft slumber. A while after her thanks, he was sleeping like a log; arms still clinging to Athena's now more womanly frame.
