𝔏𝔬𝔰𝔱 𝔓𝔯𝔦𝔫𝔠𝔢𝔰𝔰

Athena "Thea" M. Ray || 125 || Mermaid || Café Waitress/Cashier 

[athenaofthesea]

natebaldwinrp:

he watched as she put her shirt on and quickly dismissed his concern. they had never been good at hiding things from each other, and it was clear to nate that she was worried about it too, but she didn’t want to think about it. it was impossible for him to not worry about it, and though he didn’t know what the solution was he had faith they would figure something out. “i know,” he said as he followed her lead and grabbed sweatpants from the floor and pulled them on, “we don’t have to talk about it right now.”

“let’s forget all about mermaids and royalty for a bit,” he suggested, looking at her with a smile. “i’m gonna make you breakfast, come meet me in the kitchen when you’re ready.” he stepped towards her and put one hand lightly on her hip as he kissed her forehead. “but don’t be too long ‘cause i’m not putting a shirt on.” he told her with a grin before he left her in his room.

he started a pot of coffee right away and was starting to mix up some just-add-water pancake mix when she joined him. “do you want chocolate chips in the pancakes?” he asked as he turned to her, a smile so wide on his face you would have never guessed the two of them had just had such a serious conversation.

Athena smiled fondly at him, grateful they’d said what they had to say but now Nate was willing to put the hard, painful emotions behind them and focus on the good. It was easy to be with him. Easy to live how she wanted to in so many more ways than one. As if reading her thoughts, he talked about making breakfast and she couldn’t help the small grin that begun to curl at her lips. Athena was never much of a cook herself so just the idea of his pancakes and not eating another stale poptart from a box in her own kitchen took away some of the heaviness of her heart. 

By instinct, hazel eyes closed at the kiss and she put a gentle hand on his Nate’s as he pulled away. It was nothing more than an affectionate gesture, as affectionaye as she could be. Pointless touches like that were rare for the mermaid. “Ugh, you know exactly what I need,” she groaned playfully, looking wistfully up at the ceiling at the thought of food. But Athena looked back down to watch him leave as a small laugh escaped her lips after his last comment.

She got dressed in nothing more than a tank top and shorts she’d left at his house. But since the morning was a little chillier, she took one of his sweaters as well. After brushing her teeth and combing her hair, Athena came out of room and walked towards him in the kitchen. 

“... Do you even have to ask?” She teased with a small grin, taking one of the chocolate chips from the bag and putting it in her mouth as she passed him. “By the way...,” Athena began, turning to lean against the counter by the sink. “Do you think we can do this more often?” She paused, looking over at Nate as she nibbled lightly at inside of her mouth. “Me staying over, I mean. I could bring things over...?” A small smile curled at her lips.

[athenaofthesea]

natebaldwinrp:

nate let his eyes fall shut as her forehead pressed against his. there was somethings so beautifully tragic about the moment. though everything seemed to be crumbling down around them and their individual futures seemed to be uncertain it was clear to both of them that no matter what they would have each other. through it all nate knew that athena was the one for him. he had never been more sure of anything in his life.

it was as if she was reading his mind when she spoke next. he opened his eyes to meet hers and let a small smile onto his lips. when she had finished he leaned in and kissed her, letting the feelings swirling around inside him settle into her touch. when he pulled away and looked at her again he was smiling, but his eyes showed how serious he was, “i love you too. you won’t lose me, not ever.” even as the words came out he knew that there was an asterisk at the end of the sentence. of course athena aged at a completely different pace than him, and as long as he was human a day would come where he would be gone and she would live on without him. “but i’m human,” he reminded her, “we only have so much time.” that fact hurt him more than he could explain.

When he said those three words with such certainty, it was clear to her this was where she was suppose to be. And it was clear she felt that way too. Love had been in her life before but this was the first time it came with so much faith and trust that he would stick around despite the hardships that came. A small smile curled at her lips, eyes bright as hazel met blue. 

The smile faded slowly as she watched his expression change. Athena pulled further away, sitting against the bed as she watched him carefully. It was difficult to find the words to respond to what he said next but she would have been lying to herself if she said it wasn’t a problem. That it wasn’t something that had crossed her mind once or twice. And yet...

“... Don’t worry about that,” Athena assured him, turning away to grab the stray shirt hanging off the nightstand. She looked back at him. “Nate, that’s not something we have to think about right now. You’re human... That’s never been a problem for me.” She thought about Andina mentioning turning him into a merman one day but the thought still made her nervous enough to push away from her mind. She pulled the shirt on quickly.

[athenaofthesea]

natebaldwinrp:

nate watched as she fell backwards and felt the pull of the blanket she brought along the way. his lips were in a tight line as he looked down at her, clearly the stress was getting to her and she needed to escape. he listened closely as she explained what she was feeling to him, or course she was happy to find family, but the responsibility that came with that family being royal was a whole different story. “i’m so sorry, babe. they shouldn’t be able to control you like that, it’s not fair.” he validated her feelings softly and let his hand rest on her hip gently.

as she questioned their future together and closed her eyes he felt his own heart twisting in his chest. it would take a lot more than a couple of pious mermaids to tear athena away from him. after everything they had been through to get to this point he wasn’t going to let her get away so easily. “well they’re not getting rid of me, so don’t worry about that, okay?” he said with a smile. but even with that promise worry was building up inside of him, he leaned over and pressed a long kiss to her shoulder and then to her forehead, trying to calm himself as much as her. “we’ll figure it out. just take it one day at a time. athena i’ll do anything i need to in order to stay by your side. anything.” 

he frowned down at her, thoughts of losing her threatening to consume him. “what else do you need from me? how can i make this easier?” he didn’t know how to help her but he knew he couldn’t let her go through something like this alone. he would do whatever she needed, “just say the word and i’ll do it.”

Athena felt her heart tighten in her chest as he spoke, clear unbridled care and love in his eyes. All she wanted was to return that full-heartedly. She appreciated it more than she could voice. Trying to push away the negativity of everything, she focused on that. She focused on him. 

The mermaid cupped a hand over his cheek after his gentle kisses and smiled softly. “Just be here. Be you. That’s all you’ve ever had to do.” She leaned her forehead against his, inhaling shakily but still smiling. Hard as it was to get used to this new life, she was glad she had someone like him to see through it with her. Nate didn’t seem at all scared away by her honesty and it gave her so much hope.

“... I think I love you. I really do.” Athena exhaled, pulling away to look at Nate seriously but with a genuine softness. “I don’t say that lightly, Nate. I don’t know what’s going on with me lately or what’s going to happen in my life but you’ve been a constant for me and despite all this craziness I do still want... all of this.” Her thumb caressed the side of his cheek. “That’s why I need you to know that. That’s why I don’t want you hanging around with Catherine’s vampires or why I’m telling you about my family - I want to make sure I won’t lose you.”

[athenaofthesea]

natebaldwinrp:

nate watched athena as she sat up with a tired smile on his face. but his smile quickly fell as he saw her change in mood. he propped himself up on his elbow and was about to ask her if she was okay when she beat him to it and told him everything. his mouth fell open slightly and when she was done he took a second to process everything. he pushed himself out of his laying position and sat facing her, moving his messy hair out of his face. in his conversation with the royal guards they hadn’t told him anything about her relationship to the king, and nate honestly had no idea what implications that had for her and what it would mean for their relationship.

when he had gathered his thoughts he reached out his hand and put it gently on her knee as his eyes met hers, “so what does that mean for you?” he kept his voice even and calm, even though he was going through every possible scenario in his head at a million miles a second. “will you have royal stuff to deal with all the time? am i going to see you less? what does it mean for us?” his words were coming out a little bit more panicked and he reeled himself back in. “how are you coping with all of this?” he asked, realizing that as freaked out as he was right now she had been ten times more shocked when she found out.

Those were a lot of questions, enough that it overwhelmed Athena to look away and bite her tongue nervously. But she understood his shock, and she knew this was something they had to talk about. It was something she hadn’t been able to talk about with anyone just yet. Despite how much Athena had been trying to avoid the truth, part of her was still desperate to let it all out.

She looked back at Nate and shook her head, clearly anxious. The mermaid then groaned and fell back against the pillow, bringing the blanket with her. “I’m not, Nate. I’m happy I found a big part of my family, but I can’t get over the changes. I’m being forced to live in a seaside mansion, which would have been great for anyone but me.” She propped herself up on her elbow to look at him. “I spent my entire life trapped in the hands of someone else - it feels like I’m reliving that. And I know I’m not but...” Her gaze moved away from Nate’s as she tried to think how to explain. But it was difficult to explain the trauma and PTSD she felt like she was experiencing. The sense of hopelessness and the fear of change that was making her fall into depression. 

So she didn’t try to. Athena just shook her head and looked back at Nate. “I know Paio and Nadia are okay with you and me but honestly... I don’t really understand the extent of what this will do to my life. Or yours if you’re with me. I’m-” She felt a lump rise in her throat and she closed her eyes, hoping it would stop them from stinging. She inhaled deeply to try and gather herself. But it was a lot. 

[athenaofthesea]

natebaldwinrp:

though athena brought up a good point about not wanting to break any more things (which seemed to be something they were really good at) he found it nearly impossible to pull himself off of her. once the two of them got started like this it was hard to break it, they were like magnets that needed to be kept together. he kissed her for a few more moments before he eventually forced himself to pull away. he caught his breath and grinned at her, “what, you don’t like buying new glassware every time i come over?” he teased as his arms snaked around her back and he picked her up off the counter again. he pressed his lips to hers again as he carried her through the hallways that felt like they were just as much his as they were hers. he sat down on the edge of her bed and kept her straddled around his hips and broke their kiss only to throw his shirt to the ground.

nate woke up in the morning with athena’s head on his chest and smiled to himself. waking up next to her had quickly become the best part of every day for him. he could hardly remember what it felt like to spend a morning alone anymore. she was wearing his shirt from the night before and looked as beautiful as ever as she rested peacefully in his arms. he closed his eyes and had almost fallen back asleep when he felt her moving. his gaze met hers and his lips curled into a smile, “morning babe,” he said in a gravelly voice. his hand worked through her hair gently as he looked at her, “i think that may have been the first night we didn’t break anything before we ended up in here.”

Athena laughed softly, letting herself be picked up from the counter and holding on, smiling down at him. “I just want you to still us to have glasses to drink from every night.” Being carried was not something she was usually fond of with other partners, but perhaps as the years had gone by she’d decided she actually liked it. Or maybe it was just Nate. Either way, she happily held on, trusting him to not drop her and planting the occasional kiss by leaning down as he got them to the bedroom.

The next morning, Athena woke up comfortable and warm. Eager to feel more of that warmth, she instinctively pressed herself closer to the body beside her. And that was when she started to come to her senses and wake up. Athena blinked sleepily, looking up and smiling at the sound of Nate’s voice. “What a miracle,” she said before yawning. She pressed her face against his chest before sighing and sitting up, running a hand through her messed hair.

Then, as last night’s events ran through her head, she remembered what she’d promised herself. That realization made her heart twinge and she froze in place, brows furrowing. Noting the fact Nate was probably watching her, oblivious, Athena looked down at him and blurting it out before she could lose her courage. Rip the bandaid off, as it was, so she didn’t have to agonize about the prospect of telling the truth while they got ready for the day. “I found my family.” She said quickly. Her shoulders slumped, knowing there was no going back now. “Paio is my uncle. The... king of the merkingdom. I just found out.” She winced. “Please... please don’t freak out. I’ve been dreading telling you the truth but I know you... deserve to know. I don’t want to lie.”

[athenaofthesea]

natebaldwinrp:

nate grinned at athena as his back hit the fridge and the words that followed surprised him. he wasn’t expecting her to be so serious with him in that moment, but by what she was saying it seemed as though she felt just as happy as he did. everything about that moment felt perfect, everything about her was exactly what he needed as well. his smile grew as he looked at her, “it’s impossible for you to be happier than i am. you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” there couldn’t have been more truth behind his words, and while nate never thought he would be in this position now he couldn’t imagine his life without her.

he returned her kiss with just as much intention, and as his hands found her waist he let himself smile against her lips. “you tricked me, i was supposed to leave you hanging,” he mumbled, but despite his words he pulled her in closer to him. he broke the kiss to look at her with a crooked smirk, “you’re evil babe. just pure evil.” with that he lifted her up and spun around so she was sitting on the counter next to the fridge. he let a moment hang between them as he tucked some of her hair behind her ear and grinned at her, and then he kissed her with a spark of passion.

Athena had lived many years, had many instances in which she felt strongly for people. When she was very young, it was often. But the more time passed, the less it happened and the weaker the feelings were. So as she watched Nate smile close to her and heard his words, she couldn’t help but feel perhaps this could be more than the rest were. She hoped so. Right now, Athena wanted nothing more than to be this brand of happy and at peace for the rest of her life. She wanted to forget all her inner conflicts and just keep him happy and safe with her. Even though decades of pain and disappointment in life made it hard to be optimistic, she’d never felt so close to believing the best might be able to happen.

A smirk curled her lips when he teased about her tricking him. She returned the playfully teasing with a mockingly innocent, clueless look followed by a soft laugh. “You got me,” Athena joked quietly. Then, when Nate lifted her up, she couldn’t help letting out a small yelp of surprise before laughter spilled from her lips and she held on until she was on the counter. “You’re the one who was about to leave me hanging.” She joked around happily. “That’s just cruel and unusual.” She was grinning all the while, even smiling into the passionate kiss before she let it get more heated. “Mm- you know,” she began, having to keep pausing between breathes. “Last time time we broke,” Pause. “Three glasses in here so,” Pause. “Maybe...”

[athenaofthesea]

natebaldwinrp:

nate watched as her expression became more relaxed, and she even teased him about the whole situation. an airy laugh escaped him at her threat, “you wouldn’t,” he challenged her with a mischievous look in his eyes. “you’d miss me too much,” in reality it was the either way around. most days he felt like he probably felt stronger for athena than she felt for him even though she had never really given him any evidence of it. he just thought there was no way anyone could feel stronger for another person the way he felt for her. the protectiveness he had over her was something he had never experienced, and if anything ever happened to her he would never be able to forgive himself.

“plus, if you put me in a bubble i couldn’t do this to you,” he said as he pushed her lightly onto her back and ghosted his lips against hers. he kissed her jaw and down her neck as he pressed his body against hers with one hand pulling lightly on her hair. but then he pulled away suddenly with a grin on his face, “that’s all you get ‘cause you threatened me.” he pushed himself off of her and disappeared into the kitchen to refill their glasses of wine.

Athena grinned at his statement, knowing full well it was true. Her heart beat strong when his eyes glinted with mischief and suddenly she was in the mood to be mischievous as well. But something else in his eyes made her want to just admire them. She paused everything in her thoughts, smiling, just watching him and memorizing his features. She hadn’t been so happy in so long. Her smile widened, just in time for him to push her down. Was it normal to want to give someone the world if she could?

She thought this as his lips went against hers and she arched her back to be closer. But then Nate pulled away and it felt a record scratch moment. Still stuck in her previous moment, Athena blinked in surprise and only got her bearings when she saw his grin. She scoffing, smirking, watching him walk off before following suit. Before Nate could get to the wine she gently pushed him against the fridge and smiled, face close to his. “Thank you for listening,” she said softly. “And thank you. Really.” Her smile became a little less playful and more warm. “For being everything I need. I can’t get over how scary but happy it makes me to want to trust you with everything.” 

She decided then and there to tell him in the morning about Paio and Nadia. Athena felt maybe she had to stop holding back. Unsure yet how to voice everything she wanted to say, Athena instead cupped his cheek and kissed him with every ounce of her affections. 

[athenaofthesea]

natebaldwinrp:

“of course it’s not my responsibility, i know you can take care of yourself. but you know that if anything ever happened to you i would lose it. to keep my sanity i have to know that you’re safe,” the truth behind his words was clear, athena was his everything and he would do absolutely everything in his power to keep her happy and safe. when she leaned back into him again he brought his hand up to hold her face gently, “you don’t have to worry about me. i won’t put myself in harms way. i promise.” he closed the gap between them and pressed a long kiss to her lips, and when he pulled away he kept his eyes closed and rested his forehead against hers. “don’t do anything stupid or dangerous, okay? ‘cause if you do i probably will and then we’ll be stuck in a cycle of stupid and dangerous things.” he opened his eyes and pulled back all the way, his hand falling from her face to her leg. “we have to protect each other from ourselves more than anyone else.”

Space and time halted in the comfort of that kiss. It felt unbelievable to be wanted this way - to feel like she couldn’t be replaced for once. Maybe it wasn’t going to be true forever, but however long this bliss would last, she felt she’d come out of it changed. To feel at home somewhere was all she ever wanted that somewhere would be someone, then Athena couldn’t deny she’d take that quite happily. There was no way to put the depth of her appreciation into words, so she said it in the returning affections. 

She exhaled slowly through her nose as forehead rested against forehead and her eyes remained closed. Bliss turned to uncertainty once more as those fearful thoughts of vampires and monsters returned. How long would it take for her life to have it’s toll on him? 

Athena’s eyes opened with his and she mustered a small, sad smile. “I can make that promise just as easily as you can. Which is to say... not easy at all.” She offered a more playful smile then. “But I’ll try as long as you do too. And at least if you fail, then I can resort to locking you up in an underwater bubble for the rest of your life.” She joked quietly. “So think of that next time you want to bromance an infamous vampire.”

[athenaofthesea]

natebaldwinrp:

her words of caution caused a frown to appear on his face, he wanted to tell her so badly about the meeting he had with the guards, but he had promised not to say anything. he just wanted to know what she was facing and why she was in danger so he could better prepare and protect her. “if i don’t understand, tell me.” he said, his hand resting gently on her leg. “tell me what’s going on so i can be ready. i don’t care if there’s a target on my back, because it’s worth it to be with you. but if you’re worried about me, doesn’t it make sense to tell me what you’re so worried about?” his voice was gentle, and of course he didn’t want to force her to tell him anything he wasn’t ready to, but if her safety was in danger he wanted all the information she was willing to give. “how am i supposed to keep you safe if i don’t know what i’m keeping you safe from?” he asked, his expression serious and concerned.

Athena sighed, leaning away from him a little and looking away. “That’s not your responsibility, Nate.” She looked back at him with a frown. “I can take care of myself. I’ve been doing that for more than a century. The best way to protect me is by protecting you. That’s also why I don’t want you near someone like Augustus. I will resort to stupid, dangerous things if it means someone I care about is in those situations.” She leaned closer and looked at him seriously. “That’s also why I know it’s unnecessary and even risky to tell you more then what you already know. It’s Catherine. It’s always been her. She hates me and Paio and Nadia are the only reason she hasn’t killed me. But if I get involved with her vampires again, I’m not sure they’d be able to stop her... Augustus is one of those.”

[athenaofthesea]

natebaldwinrp:

nate flinched at the word killer, flashes of what his parents had looked like after being killed by a vampire took over his mind for a brief second. he had a hard time believing augustus could do something like that, but athena wouldn’t lie to him about something like that. her face was as serious as he had seen it, and he knew she wouldn’t want him to spend any more time with the other man. 

he let out a breath and nodded, showing her he understood. “if you really think he’s that dangerous, the last thing i want to do is go the way my parent’s did.” he hated loosing friends, but seeing her as concerned as she was made him think he needed to make an exception. the comment about catherine made nate stiffen a little bit, and he thought back to the conversation he had with her guards. they had mentioned being worried that someone was trying to hurt her, and maybe this catherine woman was who they had been concerned about. but despite his worries he had followed their request and kept the meeting a secret from athena. if it was for her safety, he would do anything. he brought his mind back to the conversation at hand, “i’ll stay away from him,” he told her and leaned over to press a kiss to her shoulder, “as long as you promise to stay out of trouble too.”

Athena nodded slowly, thankful he seemed to be agreeing. She smiled softly and relaxed the tension in her shoulders as Nate continued to speak. She’d become so open and trusting with him, Athena couldn’t remember to be her usual distrustful self. Whatever he said, went. Her lips curled up further at his last comment and the gentle kiss. She put a hand on his cheek. “I try to,” she admitted. It was certainly the truth. But, unfortunately, trouble seemed to adore her no matter what. Her hand went down to his collar. “... And I really am sorry. I don’t want you to lose friends because of me. But... Augustus isn’t friend material and I need to stay safe. Somehow, just being with you... I feel like it’s putting a target on your back. Honestly, I’m still not sure you really understand what you’re getting yourself into here. With me. It’s complicated.”

[athenaofthesea]

natebaldwinrp:

nate tried his best to stay open-minded about all species in west hollow. it was probably naiive, but given his limited knowledge about what some of them were actually capable he thought it was reasonable. but there was one species that always sent a chill up his spine, and that was vampires. ever since harper had told him about the supernatural he had adopted the truth that his parents were murdered by a vampire. it all checked out, the bites they had and the paleness of their skin. they had been sucked dry, and knowing that created a hatred for all vampires. the discomfort was clear on his expression, and he shifted slightly to pull athena’s legs in closer to him as if to protect himself. 

“i - okay.” as much as he hated vampires he knew augustus, and from what he had seen there wasn’t anything to be afraid of. “i don’t think he’d try and do anything to me,” he started with his eyes on hers, “we’re friends.” he knew athena was trying to look out for him and keep him safe, but he wasn’t sure he was ready to loose another friend in this town. “i’ll be careful around him, but i don’t think i can just cut him out. ever since parker left,” he stopped, taking in a breath, “i just don’t really have any close guy friends anymore, he’s the last one.”

Athena frowned, listening as he explained. There was nothing in her that felt good about pushing him away from someone he considered a friend. She could tell Nate actually cared about that psychopath. But she’d learned a lot about Catherine’s henchmen ever since her title came to light. Her new family was something she hadn’t yet talked to Nate about yet and there were many reasons why. Thankfully, right now wasn’t a good time. She kept wanting to push that truth away as much as she could.

So she focused on trying to find the right words. Though, as gentle as she wanted to be, Athena was realistic and often blunt when it came to trying to protect the people she cared about. “Nate, I’m sorry. I don’t want to push you away from people you like. I really don’t, but... Augustus is different. He’s a killer and he’s been that way for centuries. Friendship won’t change that. If Catherine tells him too, he won’t hesitate to snap your neck. Trust me...” She looked at him with more seriousness. “I know the kind of pull she has. And I learned the kind of person he is.” Vague as that was, Athena definitely wasn’t about to explain what happened with her, Hugo and Catherine.

[athenaofthesea]

natebaldwinrp:

nate saw the automatic shift in her mood at the mention of his name, and she seemed to be genuinely concerned about augustus. he assumed it was because augustus was some sort of supernatural creature, humans usually didn’t warrant such a protective tone from athena. “he just comes into alastor’s a lot, and we started talking one day and kinda became friends. it’s a really casual thing, i don’t usually see him outside of the bar…” he trailed off, seeing the concern still present on her face. “why is he dangerous?” he asked tentatively, not really sure if he wanted to know the answer. “he’s always been nice to me, anyways. i mean yeah he’s a little rough around the edges but i think he’s a good guy somewhere in there.”

though nate had been aware of the supernatural in west hollow for a while now, it was still hard to get used to at times. of course nate had wondered if augustus was human, he wondered that about almost everyone he met since finding out different species existed. but he had still never considered the man a threat, if anything he was one of the few friends nate still had. with aleki and parker both leaving with no warning he was feeling a little bit abandoned, and he was need of guy friends. if augustus was off-limits that would count out pretty much all his guy friends.

Athena did not look pleased to talk about him, especially since it involved Nate talking about Augustus as if he was someone to bromance with. She shifted a bit where she sat to face him a little more. “He’s a vampire,” she said. “And not one of the good ones either. He’s got a lot of issues to deal with and I hear he’s working for Catherine now... so the queen bitch of this town probably has him wrapped around her little finger. You need to keep your distance or you could find yourself in another bad situation, Nate.” Her expression fell a bit. “And I don’t want that. Please?” She rasied her brows a bit, pointedly, as if hoping to get some reassurance from him that he understood. And preferably that he wasn't going to associate with him anymore. As much as Athena wanted Nate to have whatever social life he wanted, she was going to try to help him make it as safe as she could. Maybe being friends with a vampire like Charlie was a different story, but being with Augustus was like playing with fire. She'd seen his temper.

[athenaofthesea]

natebaldwinrp:

private starter for @athenaofthesea

nate had athena’s legs draped over his lap as they sat on his couch together, eating junk food and only half-watching the show that was playing on the tv. his hand was moving slowly up and down her leg as their conversation lulled and there was a moment of comfortable silence between the two of them. his mind had been all over the place lately, especially when he was with her. the conversation he had with her royal guards had thrown him for a loop, and the thought of her being in danger consume him when they were together. he tried to be optimistic and think that nothing would actually happen, but in a town like west hollow there was definitely no guarantee that she was safe. 

to silence his racing mind he started a new conversation, “my friend augustus came into the bar the other day for the first time in a while,” he commented. “it’s nice to see familiar faces in there sometimes, it can get exhausting to deal with drunk people without someone to talk to.” he brought his eyes over to hers and stopped moving his hand and let it rest lightly on her thigh. “have you ever met augustus? he works at the times.”

Athena had been so consumed in setting up her life that day that an evening with Nate was a welcome escape. As habit led her to do, he was the first person she thought of to distract her from the stresses of life - this one being that apparently her uncle and aunt her Paio and Nadia and she was living a very bad version of The Princess Diaries. But this time the distraction was simply the joy and comfort of his company. (Though nothing with him was off the table.) And she’d been able to put most of her stresses out of her mind the moment they got comfortable in his house. At least that hadn’t changed. Athena expected she’d end up spending as much time away from her new home as possible so she’d even brought things to keep at Nate’s.

She was getting a little more curious about the random TV show that had been playing in the background as they talked. But Nate’s question put the criminal mystery out of her mind with the mention of a (quite possibly, if not absolutely certain) actual criminal. “Augustus?” Her brows furrowed. Athena had recently been briefed on Catherine’s business. Apparently the vampire had become a part of it - which meant nothing good. She shook her head at Nate, looking suddenly more serious than before. “Nate, he’s bad news... How do you know him?”

[athenaofthesea]

lindyabbott:

“Oh gosh, hi!” Lindy said, facing lighting up at the sight of Athena standing in front of her. It was taking a lot of restraint to not leap up and wrap her in a hug, in fact. She had been worried about her ever since her abrupt exit at the beach, but she hadn’t had any way of getting into contact with her. She been too nervous to ask around town about her either. But now here she was, standing in front of her. “It’s okay, you weren’t rude at all. I’m glad that you came over. I was worried about you but I had no clue where to even begin to look for you.”

People caring enough about her to worry, especially strangers, was never something Athena could get completely used to. Her brows furrowed a bit at that comment but she kept up a small smile and sat down, sitting on her feet with her hands on her lap right across from the other mermaid. “Well, thanks,” she said, a bit awkwardly but still smiling. “I’m fine, really.” No, she wasn’t fine. But explaining she just found out the family she’d been looking for her entire life were strict royalty wasn’t easy to explain. “My aunt and uncle just wanted to talk to me. They’re just a bit dramatic.” She joked. “Did you at least enjoy yourself? Parties in this town can get wild.”

[lindyabbott]

Armed with her iPod and a notebook, Lindy found herself sitting in the park. She had come out here to try to get some ideas for a new set for the summer, but ended up making a new playlist instead. Reuniting with Abby had made her seek out the music of her youth, realizing that there were some songs that she hadn’t heard in a long time. She had just jotted something down in her notebook when she saw a shadow come across her notebook. She looked up, taking off her headphones.“Yes?”

[athenaofthesea]

Athena smiled sheepishly and bent down a bit. “Hey. It was Lindy, right?” she asked. A small sigh escaped her lips, though she kept up the small smile. “Just thought I’d apologize for last time when I saw you as I was passing by. The quick exit at the beach party? Wasn’t my plan - I actually was dying to talk to a mermaid that wasn’t trying to teach or lecture me on something.” Or that wasn’t a friend she was risking the loss of. But worrying about Verina was not something she wanted to do that second in order to spare herself some of the anxiousness.

[athenaofthesea]

freyawhitmore:

MAYBE IT WAS BECAUSE SHE LIKED THE MERFOLK. they were a fascinating people with history and purpose. they were also beautiful and they were entertaining to work with. it was not like how she disliked ghosts and vampires and hardly gave them the light of day. she rarely had patience for them. but she could enjoy this show of reckless courage now with the mermaid she’d known as a little girl. there was no holy objects involved so freya let her grab hold without fighting back. she just grinned. blue eyes were bright with enjoyment.

the blonde felt driven to answer the question. ❛ i did nothing. i just gave her directions on what covens knew how to create the potion. my price was nothing but information in return. information on merfolk royalty. although… ❜ the demoness had not intended to share the next information but she continued to feel compelled. ❛ i probably should have mentioned to her some of them require participation in their magic trials. i learned months later one of the side effects of a ritual they were trying was… well… heart disease.❜

It was as if she could only hear static in her mind as she tried to process all the information and all the emotions together. It was overwhelming and it was making her squeeze tighter on the woman’s shirt before letting go with a push. It took two heartbeats for Athena to speak again, controlled rage in her voice. “My mother was nothing but cruel to me my entire life. But she was my mother.” She paused. “If you ever try to mess with anyone in my family ever again, I will find a way to kill you.” Despite how unlikely that was, she meant it.

“Now, you’re going to tell me exactly what coven gave my mother this potion unless you want to spend the week drowning over and over again.” The mermaid demanded. But she hadn’t unknowingly or knowingly put any magic into her voice. She was far too overwhelmed to concentrate. The guards at her sides had not moved their weapons, or at all it seemed. They were still poised to attack.

[athenaofthesea]

natebaldwinrp:

the gentle way her fingers made their way through his hair caused a smile to tug on the corner of his lips. when she told him to go ahead he nodded lightly and forced his head off her shoulder. before he pulled away completely he pressed a light kiss to her cheek, a small sigh leaving him as he looked at her. he couldn’t believe this was real, and that the two of them were finally being honest about how they felt. it felt amazing, and it was in this very moment that he realized he would do anything to keep her safe and by his side.

once he was in his room he pulled off his shirt and switched out his jeans for a pair of sweatpants. then he brushed his teeth and washed his face quickly before nearly collapsing onto his bed. he gritted his teeth as a pang of pain left his bruised sides when he tried to get comfortable. he laid on his back which seemed to be the most comfortable position, and he pulled out his phone as he waited for athena.

when she came into the room he looked at her with a tired smile, “you can grab whatever you want to borrow to wear to bed. unless you don’t want to wear anything,” he teased with a wink. once she was laying next to him he pulled her in towards him, trying to ignore the soreness of his entire body. “i’m really glad you came back to me,” he mumbled as his hand ran up and down her arm lightly, “i missed you.”

Athena quietly made her way to the door after putting everything into the sink and hearing the water start to run upstairs. She tried to be as quiet as possible as she shut the door behind her and walked down to meet Sebastian and Andrina that showed up practically out of nowhere in front of her. After finally convincing the two slightly reluctant guards to let her stay, they assured her they would not be leaving the premises and gave her a couple warnings and advice. Barely listening at this point, Athena just hoped they’d just stalk from the car if they had to linger around. She quietly entered the house again and shut the door as silently as possible with a tiny exhale of relief. Then she hurried up the stairs and couldn’t help smiling to herself as she did so.

When she got to the room and saw Nate there on the bed, a warmth spread inside her. It was happiness, she realized. Happiness she got at least one good thing back into her life. Happy she was there with him. A short moment later, she’d escaped to the bathroom with a long T-shirt of his to use some mouth wash, thank her lucky stars she’d had the good sense to brush her teeth after her salmon dinner and to make a mental note to bring her own things to his home sometime soon. Then, with not much else but the T-shirt, Athena escaped into the warmth and comfort of the bed and pressed herself close to him. Her eyes closed against his chest at the comfort, lips still a little curled up in a peaceful, absent smile. “I missed you too,” she murmured quietly. “There’s no where else I’d rather be right now.” Her hand went to his chest as she tried to close her thoughts to everything but the bliss of being there. “... Good night,” she whispered tiredly, knowing it was more likely he’d fall asleep first and she’d lay there for a moment - mind reeling and heart still trying to calm. It’d been quite a day. Quite a week, really. But she had finally found some peace again.