"What are we, Arch?"
The words rang in Archie's ears as he sat beside the beautiful redhead on the back steps of the Brownstone. The night was young as they sat under the clear starry sky of New Olympia, and a chill in the air accompanied them on this particular autumn evening.
"Two mortals trying to keep the world safe from a psychopathic god of time?" Archie smiled, hoping to make light of the situation and failing miserably.
Atlanta frowned, turning her attention to a piece of thread dangling from the arm of the blue sweatshirt around her shoulders. Archie had plucked it from its peg in the kitchen as they passed through to the backyard not too long ago, placing it over her as she sat down. "You know what I mean. What are we? You and I?"
Archie's mind flashed back to that night's events. It had been New Olympia High's homecoming dance, and while he wasn't the kind of guy who would associate himself with that sort of gathering, he figured Atlanta would like it and had built up the nerve to ask her – to which she accepted. He recalled the moment earlier that evening when he laid eyes on her for the first time that night. It wasn't the dress he had noticed first; though it was a beautiful little number, a black dress that hit just below her knees, with fabric that swung freely from just above her waist, and black lace emerging from above her chest and over the tops of her shoulders, across her back, and encircling her neck at the base. No, it was her face that drew his eyes first. That beautiful sheepish expression as she blushed, embarrassed to have to be in a dress, and a sweet sparkle in her eyes as she tried to look away from him but couldn't. And he knew why, as he couldn't believe he let Neil convince him to wear what he did – a dark grey vest over a light grey dress shirt with pants matching the vest in their depth of grey.
The dance itself was only enjoyable because of Atlanta. She had dragged him into the crowd of dancing teenagers as the music blared off the gym walls, separating them from their friends who still stood near the entrance trying to get their bearings in the loud surroundings. He knew he had looked like a fool out there dancing, but Atlanta didn't care and soon neither did he. When the music faded into a slow song, he remembered the awkwardness that suddenly manifested between them until his courage suddenly got the better of him and he took hold of her hands, keeping one in his while placing her other hand on his shoulder and his newly free hand on her hip. He remembered how wonderful it felt just holding her hand as they tried to mimic the movements of the couples around them, neither of them really knowing how to slow dance on their own. He even learned, as he recalled the moment once more, the true meaning of 'bliss' as Atlanta stepped closer to rest her head on his shoulder and he could smell the earthy notes of juniper from her hair as it brushed against his cheek.
"I like you, Atlanta," he finally managed to stammer out, as the last of the night's memories faded from his head.
"Ugh. I know that, Arch! You like me, I like you. We addressed that months ago. What I want to know is what you and I are now, after all that. Sometimes I feel like we're still just friends, hanging out and stuff. And then – then there's times like tonight where everything is just… different." She turned her face back to his, her eyes hinting at the hurt her own words gave her as she sighed. "You know I'm not the kind of girl who waits around for anyone, not even for a handsome descendant of a great hero."
The words stung Archie in a way he could never imagine, not because it was an insult – which it certainly wasn't, as she had even thrown in a compliment – but, rather, because he knew it was the truth. It was only by the grace of the gods that, after two years of anxiety and stalling, he was able to confess his feelings for her and for her to accept him. And it was by a power even greater than the gods that she had stayed by his side these past few months without anything more than the knowledge of his feelings.
"I really—"
Atlanta rolled her eyes as she cut him off, "I know, I know. 'I really like you, Atlanta'." She shook her head as the piece of string gathered her attention once more.
"No. Atlanta," he slid his hand under her arm and took hold of her hand, pulling it away from the string, "I love you."
The girl's cheeks flushed as she looked at their hands, their fingers perfectly intertwined as if they were made to fit together. "You…?"
For the second time that night, Archie blindly acted on a single burst of courage. Leaning over, his free hand reached over and gently turned the girl's face towards his and his lips met hers, soft and tentative at first before evolving into something warm and passionate—all within a few precious moments of time. As they separated Archie kept his face close to hers, wanting to relish in the moment for as long as possible. He didn't get the chance for, after only a few moments of being apart, her lips found his for a kiss that started where the last had left off. This was wonderful, Archie thought to himself in not so many words. Though, it wasn't any more wonderful than holding her hand or slow dancing with her. Nor was it any more wonderful than the smell of her hair or her beautiful smile or even the entire night. Rather, it was the realization that she wanted him too that was so wonderful – everything else was just a rather lovely loyalty perk.
Withdrawing her lips, Atlanta rested her head down on the young man's shoulder. After a few minutes of a calm silence, she spoke, "We haven't even been on a real first date and you already know you love me?"
"Well," Archie followed her eyes back to their clasped hands and smirked, "I have been in this relationship a lot longer than you have."
"I've got some catching up to do then."
"You can get a head start on that tomorrow; over pizza?"
Atlanta lifted her head, raising an eyebrow. "You mean a date? An actual date?"
The sarcasm did little to phase Archie's current state of mind. "As long as half the pizza is actual meat and not that veggie-substitute stuff, yeah."
"You really do love me." It was Atlanta's turn to smirk as her head laid back down on the shoulder beside her. "Never thought I'd see the day where you'd let veggie pepperoni even touch the pizza you're eating from."
"I never thought I'd actually get the nerve to ask you out but I did."
He leaned his head against hers and the sweet smell of juniper found his nose once more. The moment was much like earlier: her head on his shoulder, her hand in his, her soft hair on his cheek and its smell in his mind.
Yet, at the same time, it was different. So very different. It was even better.
This was actually intended to be a part of something bigger that I'm working on, but I got so wrapped up in it that it became this long and detailed (and fluffy, I guess?) thing, and I couldn't just stuff it into the middle of something else - it deserves to shine on its own.