Interlude Three: Just Friends
Tomaas Riatavin was nervous, He could face down demons and evil mages without so much a moment's hesitation; yet there he stood, afraid to knock. Of course, being in Heaven's top executive apartment complex didn't help. The last time he had been here...He shook off those memories.
Ah, whatever, he thought and lifted his arm to knock. Before he could bring his knuckles to the wood of the door, however, it was opened from the inside. "Oh, hi! You're there!" Peorth smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, but I'm not quite done with the food," she told him.
Tom raised an eyebrow. Peorth? Cook? Nevertheless, he stepped inside, still wondering why she had invited him over. Suddenly, his nose twitched with the smell of something burned, and smoke started wafting from another room from what he assumed was the makeshift kitchen.
He tired to suppress a laugh, but only halfway succeeded and ended up grinning, which earned him a playful punch from the goddess in front of him. "All right, maybe I'm not done at all with the food," she sighed. Tom chuckled. "You might want to dispose of that," Tom noted, indicating the smoke. Even as a goddess, after all this time, the one thing she still couldn't do was cook, Tom mused. In a sense, it was amusing.
"Just a second." Peorth cast a quick spell clearing out the smoke and the blackened mess in the kitchen vanished – with some chuckling and giggling involved – down the drain into Yggdrasil's recycling center.
"What's the occasion that you'd cook yourself?" Tom smiled a bit as he recalled the last time the goddess had tried to cook. It had been a culinary catastrophe. Peorth chuckled slightly. "You'll see later, mon cherié." Tom stared a bit at the woman in front of him. I guess giving her those French romance comics for her birthday wasn't such a hot idea... She vanished back into the kitchen, leaving him staring after her and wondering what this was all about.
Soon the goddess returned, levitating plates of food and gently setting them down on the table. Tom shot his friend an inquiring look. "Come on, mon cherié, dinner is served," Peorth said with a smile. Tom chuckled and sat down. He knew the goddess had conjured up the food – seeing that her attempt at cooking had failed – but it looked nonetheless impressive.
As they ate, they kept conversation light, talking about the latest wishes, his less frequent encounters with demons, or simply whether Thor would be able to drink Odin under the table at the next drinking contest. Tom chuckled as Peorth recited one of the spells that had backfired on one of the goddesses in the Earth Help Center. "Well, there she was, and covered from head to toe in sunflower seeds," she said. "Apparently she messed up the incantations for see and seeds and sun and sunflower." The goddess giggled, and Tom grinned.
When they were done, Peorth cleared the table with a quick spell. Another spell had soft music wafting through the room. She stood in front of Tom, and raised to her tiptoes, kissing him.
What...Tom stood there shocked for a moment before his instincts kicked in and he pulled away from the goddess in front of him. "Peorth, what is this all about?" What in the world...He hoped she hadn't been possessed or had gone insane. His confused mind raced with thoughts about the woman in front of him, trying to find a reason for her odd behaviour. One single thought popped up. It can't be...
She whispered something he couldn't quite understand.
"What did you say?"
"I love you," she whispered, tears forming in her eyes.
"What?" This was the one thing he hadn't expected, and the one thought he had dreaded at the same time. Maybe those romance comics were a mistake after all...No, that can't be it...
Peorth seemed on the verge of breaking out crying, and he could only stand there, at a loss about what to do. "I love you," she repeated quietly, her voice wavering.
"P-Peorth...I..." Tom fished for words, hoping that by some miracle an inspiration would befall him about what to say. He cursed himself when it didn't come. Cursed himself for having to break a friend's heart. "Peorth...I'm flattered that you think this way...but I'm sure you don't mean this..." Great, Riatavin. This the best you can come up with? She pours her heart out to you, and all you can say is you dont mean this???
A single tear slid down Peorth's face, then she turned away. Good job, Tom. Good job... "You don't love me, then?" Peorth said. It wasn't a question. "Fine! Leave! I-I won't bother you anymore. I'll be out of your life then..." the goddess's shoulders heaved with her sobs.
Tom, you really messed this one up...He tried to sort out his thoughts. Tom knew he felt strongly for Peorth, maybe loved her even. But...not the way she might want him to. Not the way that would form the basis for a true relationship, not now, not yet.
Taking a step towards the crying woman, he laid his hands on her shoulders. "Peorth. Peorth, please, look at me." I'm going to set this right, he thought. Please don't let me mess up again...
When she finally turned around, he nearly flinched at the look in her eyes. It wasn't a pretty sight, the despair and coldness combined. "Peorth, listen to me."
"Why should I? You have said all you had to."
"No, I haven't. Just listen to me please and I'll get out of your life if you want me to."
"Fine."
He took a deep breath. "I care about you, Peorth. As a colleague, as a friend. You are a wonderful woman, and I wish you only the best and happiness. I envy the guy you pick. But...you're a good friend, and I'm afraid we'll loose that if we were to become more. And I don't want to loose you, Peorth. I'm too much a coward to risk loosing you that way, my friend."
Peorth's expression had softened during the entire time. The goddess was still on the verge of tears, though. "But you don't love me, do you?"
"You're wrong, Peorth. I do love you...just not the way you want me to. You'll always be my frined, my little sister. I love you, Peorth." She leaned forward and caught Tom by surprise in a hug. After a moment's hesitation, he responded to it, wrapping his arms tightly around her.
"We would have lost this, wouldn't we?" Peorth asked.
"Yes. And we could've both gotten hurt – and I couldn't live with myself if I did this to you." The goddess smiled. Despite her tear-stained face and red eyes, this was – for Tom – the most beautiful sight he could ask for. Congratulations. You did something right for a change, he thougth and allowed himself a satisfied smile.
"Then, will you dance with me...if not as a lover, then as a friend?"
"It'd be my honor."