Hi, everyone! It's good to be back! Welcome to my series of short fics featuring Climene and Stelios, my pair from An unexpected story. If you're thinking "I know Stelios, but who's Climene?", I suggest you read An unexpected first, so you get to know her.
I'm thrilled to be finally publishing this fic, an idea that I had over a year ago. And for those of you who have been keeping up with An unexpected story, I'm really sorry!
I know it's been more than a year since my last update, but in this period of time I wasn't inspired enough to write the final chapter (yes, it'll be the last one!). I'm also a fic reader and I know how frustrating it is when a fic that you like is apparently "abandoned", but when I became a fic writer, I understood just how picky writers are about what they write, and I am VERY picky. So I really want to give an inspired final chapter to you, one that I can say I'm proud of, just as I'm proud of An unexpected story. I sincerely hope you can forgive me for taking so long to finish this story, but know that I haven't abandoned you! This fic is very symbolical to me, so it will have its ending! Have faith! XD
That being said, the short (sometimes really short) fics here explore different situations in Climene and Stelios' life, which are not connected to An unexpected story. Only the characters are the same. And if I made any English mistakes, please let me know!
As always, I hope you enjoy it!
It was an ordinary night. The men were spread out and most of them already slept. Astinos prepared himself to do the same, almost closing his eyes, when he felt a hand in his hair.
He looked to his side and saw Stelios, who was lying in the opposite direction, with a strand of hair between his fingers.
"Ah... what are you doing?", he asked truly confused.
"We have the most beautiful women in all Helade*, and yet we make them shave their heads when they get married", Stelios answered ironically.
"And?"
"This is the only of our ways that displeases me. What sense is there in taking away the hair from the women?"
"Making it easier for the young men who are about to get married. Hence we spend our entire life around men, making women look like men makes it easier to get used to them".
"I'm already tired of seeing your face, why would I want to see it when I look at my wife?", Stelios answered without missing the chance to make a joke.
"I thought the issue was her lack of hair, not my face".
"Why would I rather see the face of anyone here instead that of my wife?"
"I don't know, Stelios", Astinos said yawning.
"If the hair is what is most charming about women, why shaving it? I would much rather feel it between my fingers", and when he said that Stelios remembered his plan to prevent Climene from having her hair shaved – maybe arriving earlier at the house where she would be – but as he didn't know exactly where the house was located, it had been impossible to put the plan into practice. He regretted it once more.
"I understand your displeasure, but what has my hair to do with this?"
"Simply let me feel what I couldn't feel when I got married, yes?", Stelios said without the slightest sight of embarrassment. Astinos couldn't find anything to say in face of such an awkward situation, until Stelios took of his hand, placing it under his own head.
"When I come back, her hair will be already longer than yours".
"I'm flattered that you prize my hair as much as your wife's", it was now Astinos' turn to make the joke, "but I'm thankful that you let it go".
"If her hair is anything like yours, I'd rather seeing her with a shaved head".
Astinos smiled and bade him good night. And Stelios also slept, dreaming about Climene's hair perfumed in every possible way.
*Helade = that's how the Greeks referred to their homeland. And the shaving head thing was real, women did have to shave their heads in Sparta when they got married, because of the reason that Astinos gives. I thought it would be funny to have Stelios complaining about it...