“Hey.” His voice was soft. “I meant what I said. I want everything, Hecate, and I know it’s probably easier for you to pretend this is just sex…” Her eyes snapped back to his. “But it isn’t for me. I don’t want that. So yes.” Aeëtes released her hands and stood, grabbing a few of the parcels and coming back to sit beside her on the mattress. He scooted backwards until he was sitting up against the wall, patting the space between his legs with his free hand.
Hecate froze.
Aeëtes realized that while their chemistry meant falling into bed was easy for them both, intimacy was going to be another story.
I will castrate any man who made the concept of affection so foreign to her.Aeëtes’s thoughts raced violently while he waited patiently. There was no judgement on his face, only a tender eagerness, hoping that she would choose him for this, too.
She moved slowly, and Aeëtes found himself holding his breath like he would frighten her away. Hecate pushed herself backward until she was sitting between his legs, but she looked straight ahead and was stiff as a board. She was almost acting as if it were her first time, with anxious movements and an uncertainty about where anything might lead. Truth be told, in that moment, she felt like a virgin. Casual sex was one thing, but she couldn’t remember the last time that she had intimate, physical affection with a man.
“Hecate,” Aeëtes’s lips were at her ear, and she shivered. “If you’re really uncomfortable, then we don’t—”
“No,” she cut him off with a small shake of the head. “No, I want…this.”
Aeëtes nodded, his smirk slowly growing as he wrapped an arm around her waist. He tugged her to him until her back was flush with his chest, comfortably nestled in between his legs.
“Look at that!” His voice was full of mirth, trying to cut the tension between them and make Hecate feel less self-conscious. “A perfect fit. Alright, little witch, bread or cheese?” He held up two of the fabric-wrapped blocks. Aeëtes felt her relax slightly as she smiled.
“I’ll take the bread, thank you.”
“A woman after my own heart.” He winked, opening it up and ripping off a piece before holding it up to her lips. Hecate froze again, turning to look at Aeëtes’s with an expression of near panic.
“It’s okay.” He reassured her again, ever patient. “I just want to sit with you, feed you breakfast. Eat some cheese. Tell me about the Underworld.”
There was a genuine expression of interest and tenderness on his face. It almost pushed Hecate to tears again. She leaned forward slightly, accepted the bread, and found herself laying her head on his shoulder as she chewed. Aeëtes had an arm around her waist, his hands holding the food in front of her.
“You know, this one time, when we were younger men,” Aeëtes ripped himself a piece of bread, popping it into his mouth, “Pelias was sore that I was a faster runner than him. Which, let the record show, I still am,” he paused and held up another piece of bread for Hecate, this time with cheese, “and he said if I was really that fast, I should run through the temple of Dionysus and steal some wine.”
“No!” Hecate giggled as she chewed, her body relaxing a little more. “Tell me you didn’t agree to that?”
“I most certainly did.” Aeëtes winked at her, preparing more bites for them both. “Luckily, I’m pretty sure that Dionysus considered it a form of worship.”
“I’m almost positive he did!” Hecate was fully relaxed now, cuddling into Aeëtes’s chest and melting into the sturdiness of it. She accepted bites of food from his hand and once their breakfast was gone, he began stroking her arm gently. Each touch made Hecate’s soul feel like it was going to burst; she was nervous she was going to get addicted to this feeling. Aeëtes was so warm and strong, yet she felt safe in his presence. Her eyelids fluttered, and she wondered if she was going to fall asleep on him.
“I was serious.” Aeëtes looked at her with a gentle expression. “Tell me more about the Underworld.”
And so, Hecate did. She told him stories about Nyx and her dogs, tall tales of how many times she had to get Hermes out of trouble. Hecate even told him about the time that she had walked in on one of the Fates and Hades. The entire time that she talked, Aeëtes kept his hands moving over her with caressing touches. It never got overly sexual although they could only be so close to each other without thinking about it, but it was soothing.
They traded story after story, until Hecate was relaxed and laughing, and they were covered in crumbs. She was telling him about an evening where Circe turned Hermes into a hare. Aeëtes was scratching her scalp, and she had an arm tossed around his neck. He listened to every word, hanging off her sentences and always having the perfect thing to say in response.
Hecate finished her story and let out a soft sigh, nuzzling into Aeëtes’s neck. A strong sense of pride went through him, knowing that she was relaxed and accepting. It broke his heart to see how much she seemed shocked by each caress, how every touch almost seemed to make her cry—like she had been dying of thirst and didn’t know it until someone gave her a cup of water.
He didn’t know how much longer they sat there, but he didn’t care. There was nothing that could pull him from the feeling of Hecate in his arms, the smell of cinnamon in her hair. He rested his head on top of hers, giving her a squeeze. She murmured a gentle sound, a lazy smile crossing her face. Aeëtes felt like magic underneath her, his arms feeling stronger than spell work.
“I think you’ve got a little bit of witchcraft of your own,” Hecate scoffed playfully as she balanced her chin on his chest and looked up at him.
“Why?” He kissed her forehead softly, his lips lingering there as he spoke against her skin. “I’d say I’m more of a…lion tamer,” Aeëtes teased her, his hands going to her sides and tickling her ribs.
“Aeëtes!” Hecate shrieked, squirming to get away from him as laughter poured out from her. It was a delicious, unhindered sound, that didn’t have a stitch of restraint in it. This wasn’t Hecate, the terrifying goddess of the Underworld. This was Hecate, the woman.
“Little witch.” Aeëtes grinned, tightening his grip on her and hauling her back into his lap as she stopped squirming. She was straddling his waist, and when she looked into his eyes, the carefree attitude evaporated. The tension between them returned, and Aeëtes felt her body stiffen.
No, no, no, no…Aeëtes sighed deeply, his brow furrowing. He felt like he was chasing the wind.
“Aeëtes…” Hecate started slowly, chewing on her lip. He didn’t like it when she looked nervous, especially around him. He leaned forward and pressed soft kisses to her hairline, running his hand over her head. Her eyes closed again, and she sighed, leaning into the embrace.
“Yes?” he whispered gently, his arm tightening around her waist. She looked up and he readjusted, leaning down until their foreheads were touching. She could swear that he was looking directly inside of her heart. It felt like there was no one else in the world when he stared at her like that.
“I’m going to need time.” Hecate’s voice was barely above a whisper. “This… It feels so good. It feelstoogood. I can’t get used to this if I feel like it’s going to go away.”
