Chapter Two: Olympic Records
A/N: ha-ha the dad reminds me of my daddy!
Atlanta had just stepped through Hermes' portal back to her home town. She quickly took off in the direction of her house with Archie hot on her heels.
"Race yeah!" she called over her shoulder, hearing Archie protest. She put on a burst of speed and quickly zoomed far ahead of Archie.
Throwing her head back to taunt his slowness, Atlanta slipped on a patch of ice. She threw her arms out to catch her self but it was too late. Falling backwards Atlanta prepared for the worst, so she was extremely stunned when she fell on top of a warm body. It was still a pretty hard impact, but at least she didn't break anything.
"Archie?" Atlanta asked suddenly. Since when had he been that close behind her?
"Yeah…Atlanta do you wanna get off me now?" Archie whispered, breathlessly. Atlanta jumped up and almost slipped again. Archie laughed and got up too. "Careful, it's icy." He teased.
"How did you get so close behind me? I was way ahead of you." Atlanta wondered still a tad dumbfounded.
"Well, I saw you falling and I knew you would probably kill yourself and I couldn't let that happen. Also I am trying to avoid the bad first impression thing and I figured if I brought you home with a broken arm or something I would be done for." Archie explained blushing slightly.
Atlanta laughed and a small shiver went up her spine 'He couldn't let me get hurt? That's new; usually he knows I can take care of myself…Wait. Is that why he always stays by me in battles and why he went all psycho with the Seeper? Maybe he likes me…naw.'
Archie saw Atlanta's thoughtful expression and sighed. How could she not notice he liked her! He did everything but smack her in the face with it. She was so oblivious!'
Atlanta finished the train of thought and decided she was cold.
"Hey Arch, let's get going I'm freezing."
Archie was almost tempted to put his arm around her but decided not to push it. He was already doing pretty well with his two hugs earlier and her falling on him. Yeah… that was-
'No, Archie Stop thinking like that!' He commanded internally. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Atlanta almost slip again. What was with her, she was never this off balance! Maybe she's distracted. Slipping a hand though her arm Archie got her off the icy patch.
"Thanks" she muttered, mind miles away concentrating on a certain purple haired boy.
'Maybe he does like me…Do I like him?' Atlanta laughed at the thought. Her like Archie? No way in Elysian Fields! 'But then again, he knows me better than anyone, including Theresa. He may be a dork but he is sweet and funny. Perhaps I do like him. But he has Purple- Oh, who am I kidding. I'm in love with a purple-haired dork.'
Atlanta sighed with the realization. Archie noticed and asked what was wrong. Surprised Atlanta looked at him. She had almost forgotten he was there, his large, warm hand on her elbow.
"Nothing… if my parents aren't home do you wanna just go in?"
Archie fumbled for an answer. He settled for a small shrug of his shoulders. Atlanta sighed again and leaned against him. Her red hair tickled his chin. Archie reached up and fixed it gently. He let his hand drop blushing. What the hell was wrong with him!
Atlanta held her breath when she felt Archie's hand smooth back her hair. She closed her eyes and wished he would put his arm around her. When he let his hand drop back down again, Atlanta bit her lip. Stupid oblivious boys.
At that decided point in time Atlanta came to the conclusion that she really, really wanted Archie to like her back, and she was dead-set upon achieving this. Picking out a bench just ahead Atlanta went to sit on it.
Archie missed the warmth of her head almost as soon as it left his shoulder. She sat down on the bench and he joined her very slowly. The two teenagers sat in an uncomfortable silence until Atlanta lifted her feet to the bench and wrapped her arms around them.
"Do you think they miss us? Our parents, I mean." Atlanta asked softly. Archie looked at her liquid eyes and moved closer.
"Of course your parents miss you. I bet they are sitting around right now and wondering what you're doing. Come on lets go see them."
Atlanta shook her head and scowled at him sharply.
"I asked if our parents missed us, meaning not only my parents, but yours as well."
"Nah they don't care. I bet they are trying to figure out why the supper isn't being made for them now." He laughed bitterly. Atlanta leaned on his shoulder again, intrigued.
"What do you mean?" she asked. Archie was startled to find her hazel eyes staring at him from his shoulder, but he was none the less enjoying it.
"I took care of them. I have a bit of a dysfunctional family. I take care of the parents and they let me take the responsibility. After we defeat Cronus I'm not going back. I'll ask Hermes to take me somewhere nice and I'll live out my life there." Archie murmured. Atlanta only heard because of her proximity to his mouth. Without thinking Atlanta blurted out something she would probably never live down.
"You could come live with me?" Archie smiled at her.
"Thanks Lannie, but its okay. You don't need me hanging around."
Atlanta glared at him. I mean, thank god for chivalry, but Atlanta could not just let this lie.
"So what, you plan on going somewhere nice and not visiting anyone ever again! Not even me?"
Archie looked a bit stumped and hurt. "Well I mean, of course I'll visit." Atlanta crossed her arms and scowled at her best friend.
"Not enough I bet."
"No, it definitely won't be enough." Archie agreed softly. Atlanta was taken aback. Since when did Archie not argue? What was wrong with everyone tonight?
"Since when do you ever agree on me with anything, Arch'?" Atlanta said moodily.
Archie sighed and whispered. "Since when your right. Actually I agree. After living with you, how can visiting be enough? It will be so weird to not hang out with you and go boarding all day."
Atlanta grimaced, now he had to go all sweet on her! He couldn't have been this way before when she wanted his arm around her.
"You are really stupid sometimes, aren't you dork." She playfully ruffled his hair, "I already told you you could come live with me and you said no. So I'm going to ask again and then you answer. Why don't you come live with me?"
Archie looked at her and imagined all the fun times they could have if he did live with her. But then again, if he lived with her he would never get over his crush on her. 'Admit it, Arch-Meister. You are in love with her and you know it.' Archie sighed.
"How about I tell you something, and if your okay with it, then I will come live with you after we destroy Cronus."
"Done!" Atlanta said determinedly. There was nothing Archie could say that would surprise her. She knew everything about him, including the fact that he read poetry and listened to opera.
Archie took a large breath. This was the moment he was waiting for and he had to be ready to get out of Atlanta's swinging range.
"I love you. A lot."
Okay so that could surprise Atlanta. She had a feeling her jaw hit the ground and her eyes along with it. She could barely squeeze out two words.
"Since when?" Archie was thrilled she hadn't hit him yet.
"Since the Seeper almost killed you, and I realized what I would be losing." Archie answered quietly. Atlanta sat there staring at him a moment and then she looked at the ground.
The next words out of her mouth just about put Archie into Cardiac Arrest.
"I think… I think I love you too." Atlanta replied. Her mind was in turmoil and her heart was soaring somewhere up in the clouds where it wouldn't come down. So much for Atlanta's goal of getting Archie's arm around her. She had just won the race and beat the Olympic record. 'Nice Atlanta, compare Archie's arm to a race and his love to and Olympic record…'
Atlanta was brought out of her trance by a warm arm around her shoulders.
"Do you want to go see your parents or what?" Atlanta nodded and smiled. The two walked down the sidewalk holding hands nervously. A blue car drove by and Archie saw a face smiling at them. He wondered what would happen when they reached Atlanta's parents house.
"Awe, Carl look at the love birds. They look so new at this. Young love! Honestly sometimes I think youth is wasted on the young, but then I see this and I just brighten up inside!" A slender woman with blond hair exclaimed to her husband. He looked out the window and smiled at the sight the woman beside him described. His smile fell abruptly.
"Denise! No!! That boy is holding hands with my baby girl! That's Atlanta!" Carl shouted, beet red. He quickly pulled over and unbuckled when he heard his wife's voice.
"Atlanta? Here? Oh, Yay! That must be Archie, her best friend. This is delightful, I knew she liked him!"
"What! Atlanta can't like anyone! It's not allowed." Carl yelled at his wife. She immediately harrumphed and looked back at her red-headed daughter.
"Look, they are cuddling." She murmured.
"CUDDLING!" He screeched, "I'll kill him, I will kill him for touching my baby! Wait a second…Does that boy have purple hair!" Denise nodded dreamily and made another comment about being young and in love.
Quite calmly Carl examined the situation. "You are telling me my baby girl is cuddling with a boy with purple hair without even talking to me?"
"Yes, Carl I am, and you are going to deal with it and be nice to this boy okay!?" Denise commanded with large eyes. Carl sighed; he would be polite until the time came to blow off this boy's head. Yes, he would do that for his wife. No one could tell Carl what to do!
Atlanta reached her house with Archie shortly after. She rang the doorbell and heard her mom yell to Carl to get the door. A tall man with short grey hair opened the door. He looked straight at Atlanta.
"Daddy!" Atlanta cried and flung herself into his arms. Archie almost rubbed his eyes. Did Atlanta – His Atlanta – just say Daddy? That was such a Theresa thing.
"Hello, sweetheart! Why are you here? Is everything okay?"
"Oh, I am just fantastic. I just wanted to visit at Christmas, I missed you so much!" Atlanta declared marching into the house leaving Archie on the doorstep.
"Atlanta…Who is this…boy?" Carl growled, leaving no doubt in Archie's mind that he was not wanted here.
"This is Archie, Daddy. He is my best friend." Carl looked once again at his daughter and allowed Archie inside.
"Carl, who is it!" A tall woman with curly blond hair bustled in and got sight of Atlanta.
"Atlanta!" She flew across the hall in her pink slippers and hugged Atlanta tightly. Almost as soon as she finished hugging Atlanta she started talking. The only person Archie had ever heard talk faster was Echo and that was saying something.
"Oh, darling, we missed you! Merry Christmas. Are you home to stay or not? Oh my who is this boy?" She winked outrageously to her daughter who flushed.
"I'm home just till tomorrow and this boy is Archie, I told you about him." Archie smiled. She told her mom about him?
"Hello Archie I am Denise and this is Carl," She glared at the tall man, "Welcome to the family!!" Then the woman he had just met came up and hugged Archie. He almost died of shock twice in one night. First, Atlanta loved him and second, her mother just hugged and welcomed him to the family!
Almost immediately Denise ushered them into the living room where a beautiful tree was set up. There were Christmas decorations everywhere. Santa's stared at them from on top of closets and Angels floated above his head hanging from the roof.
"I can see why you love Christmas here." Archie murmured to Atlanta who smiled softly at him.
"Atlanta I am soo happy you came, I needed to send your presents and your friends' presents." Denise blabbered on.
"Mom! I told you I didn't need any presents? Why did you get my friends stuff?" Atlanta objected.
"Atlanta, dearest, don't be silly! And your friends feel almost like family you talk about them so much, I had to get them something." Atlanta sighed
"Okay Mom, I have to leave early tomorrow morning so why don't we open them tonight?"
Denise nodded like a maniac and went to retrieve some cookies from the kitchen. When she came back Carl, Atlanta and Archie were all sitting around the coffee table eyeing each other.
"Atlanta, why don't you tell me about your friends?" Carl asked, never taking his eyes off Archie. Archie felt uncomfortable.
"Daddy… stop that. Archie has never done anything to you so leave him alone. Please?" Atlanta begged. Archie almost fell out of his seat when he saw the look she gave her father. Her hazel eyes were wide and looked almost brimming with tears. She was smiling sweetly but looked like she could break down and cry any second. Carl huffed.
"No, he's never done anything to me, I suppose. But the really important question is, what has he done to you?!"
Archie felt his face burning. What kind of a question was that! Atlanta blushed but barely lost her composure at all.
"Daddy, you're being unfair. Mom won't like that. Archie has never done anything to me! Please try to be nice? For me?" And then Atlanta did the eyes thing again. Archie was trying to keep from laughing at this new side of his tough, I-take-no-shit girl. Who would have known Atlanta was Daddy's little princess?
"Fine. Archie, would you ever hurt my baby?" Carl demanded. Atlanta rolled her eyes at this interrogation process knowing it was necessary for her dad to even moderately accept Archie.
"Me. Hurt Atlanta, no way." Archie said sincerely. Carl grunted accepting the answer.
"Would you protect her with your life?" Carl said melodramatically.
Archie smiled finally understanding Atlanta's dad. He felt the exact same way about Atlanta that Archie did, just in Dad form.
"You could save yourself time, and just know that in every single situation I am in with Atlanta, I would make the same choice you would make." Archie stated. Atlanta widened her eyes. 'No Archie, just answer the questions! Please.'
Carl looked Archie in the eye and nodded. This pale, purple haired boy had just won his respect.
"Alright, Atlanta you win. But Archie, if you make her cry I will-"
"Dad! I do not cry!" Atlanta interrupted. Carl laughed.
"Since when? I remember you crying when you skinned your knee or when you fell down the stairs almost everyday." Atlanta blushed and sat back down. She muttered something darkly and looked at the ground. Archie laughed.
"Well sir, I will make sure if the stairs ever make her cry again, I will beat them to a pulp." Archie declared. Carl laughed boisterously. He had never seen someone who could make Atlanta blush like this. Man, this kid could be good for her soul.
Wait, what was he thinking, giving away his baby to this boy. Carl went to glare at Archie but found the boy much more interested in something else. His blue eyes were staring directly into Atlanta's hazel ones and her cheeks were still rosy. The one look they gave each other told him everything he needed to know.
Atlanta would not listen to him if he told her to never see him again. She wouldn't even consider it for a moment. Carl sighed softly and went to help his wife in the kitchen.
"Ahh, Denise. How I miss being young and in love."
"Carl, what brought on the change of mind?"
"He answered the questions right."
Denise laughed a tinkly laugh and kissed her husband softly.
Archie and Atlanta left the next morning but not before Denise planted a kiss on both their cheeks. Just before the door closed Archie heard Carl's voice.
"Oh and boy? You keep her safe as I would."
Archie nodded and they were off.
