A/N: Hey guys, thanks for the reviews! I just wanted to dedicate this chapter to ExceedinglyPeculiarChick, who was the first to encourage a Chiron/Iris fic. :)
Chiron the centaur sifted halfheartedly through racks of hippie clothing, hoping that that frustrating goddess of happy rainbows would just show up so he could leave. Frustration and anger weren't like Chiron—he realized this, but given the circumstances, anyone would be a little bit miffed.
Mr. D himself had sent him on this errand; apparently, he needed some more multivitamins (did he even take multivitamins?), and Rainbow Organic Foods and Lifestyle was the only place that carried them. Chiron had been listening to some soothing music after a never-ending morning filled with classes and breaking up fights between the Ares and Apollo cabins. He hadn't had much time to himself, so he figured that he at least deserved a few minutes of 40's hits.
But even that turned out to be too good to be true. Mr. D invited himself into Chiron's office, settling down in the armchair nearest to the fire, and said with an uncharacteristic twinkle in his eyes, that he needed multivitamins.
So hear he was, on the other side of the country on a quest for supplements. Unfortunately, though, Iris was a bit "busy" doing Zeus knows what in the storeroom, blissfully unaware of Chiron's presence.
"Oh, you see, we mustn't disturb the goddess when she's sorting tea leaves!" insisted Iris's assistant, Fleecy. The jittery cloud nymph then proceeded to follow Chiron wherever he went around the store, as if she was worried that he might act as a common horse and drop one in the middle of the floor. Disgusting—how impolite that would have been! No, the centaur had perfect control of his bowel movements, thank you very much.
Thankfully, Iris came out of the storeroom sooner than later and greeted Chiron, either ignoring or not noticing his moderate annoyance. "Yes, Mr. D wanted Happy Unicorn All-in-One Vitamins of Destiny," he said, reciting the name word-for-word.
Iris's face twisted in confusion. "No, we stopped carrying that brand a couple of decades back. There was a mass recall, you see, due to unpleasant side effects."
"And what might those be?" asked Chiron, now making no attempt to mask the edge to his voice.
"Oh, after a while they turned whoever took more than five a day into some potted geraniums. Zeus knows we could use more of those around here, but oh, well," she said, with an absent-minded wave of the hand.
"Humph," he grunted. "Then I ought to get back to Camp Half-Blood now, thank you," he said, and turned for the door.
"Ooh, wait," called Iris, clearly distressed that he was leaving so soon. "We just got another shipment in! Are you a fan of Dean Martin?"
Chiron stopped in his tracks and glanced back at her. "A fan? My dear lady, I am much more than just a fan!"
The mood in the store shifted, from tension to piqued interest. Chiron spun around and for the first time since he arrived, met the goddess's eyes. They shone like a million rainbows, warm and inviting yet intelligent, with a bit of necessary cunning.
He fought back a giddy smile when he realized what Dionysus had really sent him there for. Chiron would have to have a stern talk with that wine god later, but now, he had better things to do.
He strode toward Iris and they immersed themselves in The Best of Dean Martin.