AT THE SAME TIME
VESTA
Dragging Michael inside the Primrose Tavern should have been simple. SHOULD have been. But then again, nothing involving him ever was, as he leaned heavily against my shoulder as I guided him to a seat, his breath still uneven from overtraining. Every few steps he murmured something that made my ears heat up.
"You smell nice…"Michael muttered.
"That's the smell of food, Michael."I said,
"Still nice."He whispered.
"Shut up."I said.
Behind us, Hestia followed like an excited child who'd discovered soap opera drama happening live. Bell trailed behind her, confused but supportive, like he always was. I pushed Michael down into his usual seat.
"Do not move." I ordered.
He held up his hands.
"No problem. I can't feel my legs anyway."He said.
I glared and he smiled. I hated how that made my chest flip. I turned away before he saw. Focus, Vesta. You're a goddess. Act like one. I moved into the kitchen, grabbed the small pot already simmering bone broth enriched with dungeon herbs, and poured it into a bowl. A soft golden aura rose from it, the magic settling warm and heavy in the air. Hestia hovered over my shoulder.
"Oooooh, what's this? A recovery dish? A 'good job, you handsome idiot' soup?"Hestia asked.
"It's a normal stamina restoring meal."I said.
She poked my cheek.
"You're blushing again."Hestia said.
I almost dropped the ladle.
"I. Am. Not."I said.
"You sooo are~."She said.
I inhaled sharply through my nose.
"Do you want a meal or not?"I asked.
"Two, please!" She chirped immediately. "Bell, sit! She's cooking!"
Bell sat so fast you had think Hestia pushed him. When I brought the bowls out, Michael's eyes lit up like a kid seeing cake for the first time.
"You made that… for me?" He asked softly.
I ignored the warmth crawling up my neck.
"It's for recovery." I said sternly. "Not affection."
Hestia snorted.
"I don't think she means that…"Bell whispered.
Michael took a sip. The effect was instant a warm glow washed through him, straightening his posture, easing his breath, clearing the exhaustion from his muscles.
"Vesta…" He said reverently. "This is amazing."
"Of course it is." I muttered. "I made it."
He leaned a little closer, eyes soft, voice low.
"I like when you take care of me."Michael whispered.
I froze. Hestia screamed.
"HE SAID IT! HE SAID THE THING! OH MY GOOOODS THIS IS BETTER THAN I HOPED!"She kept screaming.
Bell flinched.
"Lady Hestia, please my ears…"Bell groaned.
Hestia slapped Bell's back.
"This is CLASSIC romance, Bell! CLASSIC! Look, look, look at Vesta's face! She's about to combust!"Hestia said.
I was. I really was. Michael just looked at me… like I mattered. Like my existence wasn't forgotten. Like my name wasn't one the gods brushed past.
"I'm your goddess." I said quietly. "It's my job to care for you."
"And I'm your Familia." He said. "It's my job to make you proud."
Something in me stuttered. A beat. A pulse. A spark. Hestia swooned dramatically.
"Aaaah, young love~~ so unfair, why does SHE get a romantic swordsman while mine is a chaotic rabbit boy!?"Hestia teased.
Bell choked on his soup.
"HEY-!"Bell shouted.
Michael reached out, gently taking my wrist as I tried to stand.
"You okay…?" He asked, so soft I almost felt it instead of heard it.
I swallowed. Hard.
"Finish your food." I said, voice barely steady. "You have more training later."
He squeezed my wrist lightly before letting go.
"Yes, Goddess."Michael said.
Too warm. Way too warm. I turned away with my face burning hotter than my ovens and Hestia whispered to Bell loud enough.
"Bell… we're witnessing the birth of a new power couple… and I LOVE it."Hestia whispered.
Mortals. Goddesses. All useless. Except… maybe not. Not him. Not Michael and that was exactly the problem. I slid a ladle into the simmering pot, testing the thickness with the same concentration priests use when handling holy relics. Behind me, Michael practiced his footwork in the space near the tables side step, pivot, strike his boots thudding softly across the wooden floor. He'd gotten a lot faster lately. Too fast, actually. Fast enough that when he spun, sweat dampening his dark hair and Falna mark pulsing faint gold, he looked …well. Good. Very good. I pretended I wasn't staring.
"Keep your shoulders lower." I said, mixing the stew with unnecessary vigor. "If you clench them that hard, you'll fight like a constipated minotaur."
Michael laughed, the bright, boyish kind that echoed.
"Hah yes, Goddess!"He said.
"And stop calling me that."I said.
"Okay… Vesta."Michael said.
He said my name like it was something warm and sweet.
I nearly dropped my ladle. But before I could regain my dignity, he did it again, that small, stupid, dangerous thing he'd picked up lately: a smile, angled upward, eyes soft, the exact look mortals used on deities when they wanted trouble.
"You know…" He said, stepping closer. "I like training with you."
"I like not watching you die." I corrected.
"That too." He chuckled. "But mostly… I like spending time with you."
My entire chest warmed like I'd swallowed my own divine hearth.
"Stop flirting and keep slashing." I muttered sharply.
He blinked innocently.
"Flirting? I wasn't flirting."He said.
"You absolutely were."I frowned.
"Was I?" He tilted his head. "If it worked… I could try harder."
I choked on air. Before I could banish him to the backyard to cool off, the tavern door creaked open.
"OH HOOOOH???" That was never a good sound.
Hestia leaned in, smiling like a fox that found the world's juiciest secret. Bell stood behind her, confused. Lili was already facepalming without context.
"Oh, don't mind me." Hestia said sweetly. "I'm just checking on two of my favorite people~"
I narrowed my eyes.
"Hestia. No."I said.
Hestia ignored that completely and bounced literally bounced straight toward Michael. She circled him like a shark, hands behind her back, blue twin tails swishing. My stomach dropped.
"Hestia… what are you doing?"I asked.
She leaned up on her toes, cupped her mouth, and whispered something in Michael's ear. Instantly, instantly his face turned scarlet. Redder than the tomatoes I diced. Redder than a flametongue spell. Redder than he had any right to be around me. He stiffened like someone had poured ice water down his armor.
"H-H-HESTIA?!"He squeeked.
His voice cracked like a dying chicken. Hestia skipped back to my side, looking unbearably smug.
"Whaaat? I was just giving him a little advice."Hestia grinned.
I crossed my arms.
"What kind of advice?"I asked.
"Oh, you know…" She grinned slyly. "Romantic advice."
Michael let out a strangled noise and nearly dropped his sword. Bell sputtered.
"Lady Hestia… w-why did you get involved in that?!"Bell asked.
Lili smacked her face again.
"She's going to ruin two Familias at this rate…"Lili said.
I pressed fingers to my temples.
"Hestia. Please do not give mortals ideas."I said.
"What? I'm helping!" She said proudly. "He likes you, you like him boom! Perfect."
Michael's knees buckled so fast he nearly face-planted.
I caught him by the back of the collar with one hand.
"STAND." I said.
"S-sorry, V-Vesta…"Michael whispered.
He was still blushing violently. His ears were red. His neck was red. Whatever she whispered had been nuclear. Hestia winked at me.
"At least someone's making progress."She said.
"I swear." I hissed. "If you whispered something indecent-"
"Oh it was very decent." She sang.
Michael made another faint, desperate noise. I stared between the two of them. Then I leaned slightly closer to him, narrowing my eyes.
"…What exactly did she say?"I asked.
Michael shook his head so hard I feared it might detach.
"N-NOTHING! NOTHING AT ALL! PLEASE DON'T ASK!"He screamed.
Hestia giggled like a demon. And for the first time in centuries… had no idea whether I wanted to hide, scold Hestia, or use my divine flame to incinerate embarrassment itself.