I own nothing, except for my OC.
"What is it this time?" Alex sighed, dropping into the fluffy love seat in the den beside Irene who was reading yet again. Irene was almost always reading, he noticed when she did it was when she was the calmest. It was her escape; he sat next to her hoping that he could feel as comfortable as she did right about now.
"The Two Gentlemen of Verona, written by—"
"William Shakespeare?" He finished for her. She smiled at him. She had noticed the slump in his shoulders and the surrender his legs had given when he practically sank into his seat next to her. His session must have been a demanding one today, more so then usual. It was the silent groan in his words that came out as sighs that made her decide to avoid the topic.
"Exactly." She continued on reading her play, not a moment afterward she giggled.
"What's happening?"
"Proteus just accused Julia of having more hairs than wits."
"How is that funny?"
"It's a pun on Julia's name." Irene looked up from her book. "Julia is a Latin name meaning downy, which is to have soft and tender hair. To be called as such means to be called youthful and childlike."
"How do you know that?" Alex inquired while rising slightly in his seat like the brow did on his face.
"Everyone's name has a meaning."
"Really? What does yours mean then?"
"Mine is Greek. It comes from Eirene, the Greek goddess of peace." He hummed in understanding. Irene was the perfect name for a pacifist like her.
"What does mine mean?"
"Yours is also Greek. Alexander comes from the Greek words alexo and aner. Alexo means defending and aner means man. Your name means defending man."
"Great," He crooned, scratching his face, "exactly what I needed, more pressure."
"Don't think of it that way. Take it as a compliment. I think now with all the training you've had that you would do a great job protecting the people you care about."
"Thanks."
"Don't mention it." She smiled at him, kissed his cheek, and returned to reading her play. He spent the remainder of his free time lounging next to her, basking in the comfortable silence left between them. He had hoped right coming to her.