Over 100 reviews! Thanks everyone for all the support. I've already PM most of the reviewers with accounts on FF. So thanks to Sam, K, guest1, guest2, sam, guest3, beyond the staras, dualduda, Sci Fi Disaster, and SakamotoSoraru. I've replied to everyone on PMs so I won't be doing the long review responses anymore.

It looks like everyone wants smut. Unfortunately, there is no smut in this chapter.

Once again, I don't own TVD.


"Dating is pressure and tension. What is a date, really, but a job interview that lasts all night?" - Jerry Seinfeld


Chapter 18 - First Date

April 2007

Rock music blared through the speakers around the room. Victoria looked over her freshly manicured nails which were painted a host of different pastel colors. Although they went to the salon together, unlike Phoebe, who preferred the acrylic nail art, Victoria kept her nails natural. Phoebe's nails even matched the dress she planned on wearing on her first date.

"Ria"-their eyes met in the mirror- "stop looking at your nails and come help me." Ria rolled her eyes as she uncrossed her legs off the bed. She picked up the remote on the bedside table and lowered the volume on the speaker.

"Seriously, you turn into a normal teenage girl for your first date." Ria looked through her sister's makeup box to find something to match the occasion. "You're usually the one who knows exactly what look to do for each occasion."

Phoebe had been looking forward to her first date for a while now. She had been talking with Bellamy for over a month on the phone, but it was the first time he asked her out on an official date. She was excited and nervous and scared and happy all at the same time. Her heart was racing and her body trembled like a person with hypertension. She couldn't focus on one task and she couldn't decide exactly how to finish her makeup.

"Do you know where you're going?" Ria asked.

"No, he didn't tell me."

"Hmm. It's a day date and it's your first date. I doubt he's taking you to a cocktail party or mardi gras." Ria picked up the brow brush before she turned her sister to face her. "Why are you so nervous? With 5000 years of memories, I doubt this is the first time you're 'going out' "- she made air quotes with her fingers -"with someone."

"I try not to look into the intimate lives of my previous incarnations." Her eyes remained closed as Ria applied the eyeshadow. "5000 years of loving generations of people, romantic partners, children, and siblings. I don't think I could take it."

Ria hummed in agreement. She could never understand the burden her sisters carried when it came to the memories of her past lives. Perhaps it was important for her to be reincarnated for 5000 years but it was five thousands years of love and suffering and living and dying. She didn't think she could handle it without losing her sanity.

"I just want to experience it. My own life. My own love without the influence of my previous lives."

Ria painted her sister's face with natural makeup. She realized that her sister had been overthinking due to it being her first date. She only brushed the eyebrows, applied eyeshadow, brown eyeliner, a small amount of mascara, and pink lip balm to match the flowers on her sister's dress.

Ria smiled, feeling like a mother, as she watched her sister's giddy expression as she left for her first date. She sensed Caroline, who came down the stairs to stand beside her. "Pheebs is finally getting a boyfriend," Caroline said. "How long do you think it'll take for them to jump into bed together?"

Ria sighed. "It won't last."

"What? Phoebe's relationship?"

"Hmm. It's because of what we are. Even if we look like them, we're not human. We call ourselves children of the gods and we all know that relationships between gods and mortals end in tragedy."

"I don't see why it can't work out between them. I mean, if I was dating Matt, I don't see how you'd be able to predict that we wouldn't work out before the first date." Caroline's eyes widened. "Wait. Did you get a premonition or something?"

Ria shook her head. "Care, even though you're human, you're still a part of our world. You're in on the secret that every supernatural being is trying to keep from the rest of the world. If you and Matt were dating or if you dated any other supernatural, it wouldn't be a big deal because you're already in on the secret. You're both a part of this world."

"Oh, I see. Bellamy is a part of the human world while Phoebe is a part of the supernatural world."

"I doubt my sister'll tell him anything about us. We have a rule not to bring boyfriends and girlfriends to the house. Relationships are built on honesty and trust. My sister is keeping a fundamental part of herself from him. She can't be 100% honest with him. He'll realize that she's keeping something from him. There goes trust."

"It's like knocking down two pillars of a house. The house might stay standing but…"

"It'll wobble until something comes to knock it over. It might be something as light as a gust of wind or something powerful like an earthquake."

Caroline shook her head as she followed Ria into her newly renovated study room. "You talk like it's not gonna happen to you."

Ria turned to face Caroline. "What do you mean?"

"You're kidding, right? Your guys' lives are almost all about magic. Once you graduate college, I doubt you'll want anything to do with the human world. By your logic, you'll never settle for a mortal; a regular human. There are 6.7 billion human beings on the planet. Half are men (3.35). Let's say a third of that half is in our age range (1.1 billion). I don't know how many are single, but that's a huge pool of people to choose from. The pool of men in the supernatural world is so much smaller since no one's done a census of supernaturals around the world, but I think it's less than a million. It's going to be almost impossible for you to pick your one supernatural guy among the humans."

Ria opened her mouth but closed it at the realization that Caroline was right. There just weren't that many supernaturals around even if the supernatural population was one percent of the human population. Not to mention most supernaturals try to remain hidden so she can't just go up to a guy and ask him if he's a warlock, a werewolf, a vampire, or some other species of supernatural. "Damn, dating's gonna suck."

Caroline giggled as she sat beside Ria, who fell into deep thought. "Oh, I can fix it. I can create my own supernatural dark web. I can program a supernatural dating site using technomagik." Caroline laughed as Victoria opened her laptop. She nodded her head to herself. "Yeah, I'll do that."


Phoebe POV

I took a deep breath to center myself when I stopped the car in front of Bellamy's apartment. Bellamy didn't have a car so I was the one who was picking him up for our date even though I still had no idea where he was taking me. Looking at myself through the rearview mirror, I finger-combed my loose curls and touched up on my makeup before I stepped out of the car.

As I walked up the stairs in my wedge sneakers, my toes caught on a step and I barreled to the front door. I quickly caught myself and took another breath. Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with me? Maybe it's that love thing that always turns people into fools.

I stopped in front of the door and took several breaths to calm my heart. My entire body was humming with magic and I could feel my body trembling with all the blood pumping in through my veins. I closed my eyes as I repeated a mantra in my head. I am Phoebe Donovan. I am a priestess of Hekate. I am a Magus. I am a child of the gods. I am the daughter of Hypnos, granddaughter of Erebus and Nyx. I placed my palm in the center of my chest. I felt the magic pulsing out of my body slowly being absorbed into the crystals on my necklaces and moonstone bracelet. My mind cleared and my heartbeat slowed. I am powerful. I am confident. I am beautiful. I have no need to fear anything. I am me. I finally opened my eyes. I straightened my back as I pressed the doorbell. And I'll still be me no matter what happens today.

The door opened and Bellamy stepped out. "Hi."

I stepped back to take him in. He was dressed much more casually than I was in his white sneakers, blue jeans, gray shirt, and a jean jacket. His curly hair was cut shorter than I last saw him and his beard was trimmed down to his jaw. "Hi," I said. We stood in front of the door, looking into each other's eyes. My breath hitched in my throat when I saw him leaning closer to me. The scent of his cologne wafted all around us as my eyes tracked his lips as they slowly approached me.

Blood and magic rushed through my veins once more. I twisted my fingers in the hem of my dress to hide the sparks of magic dancing on my fingertips. Shit, the mantra didn't work. His lips burned my cheeks and I forgot to breathe. I found my breath again when he pulled away. "You look beautiful."

I swallowed hard as I tried to find my bearings. What the hell? I took several breaths until I felt the magic recede once more. I really don't want my magic overreacting every time I fall for a guy. "You too. You look very handsome. But, you look more casual than I do. Am I overdressed for our date?"

He shook his head. "No. You're fine for where we're going."

He held his hand out to me with a bright smile on his face. I kept my heart in check and pulled my magic back as I placed my hand in his. He led me down the steps to the sidewalk. "Can I drive? I want to keep the surprise until the last possible moment."

I placed my keys in his hands before he held the passenger door open for me. "Milady, your carriage awaits."

I laughed as I held out the hem of my dress and curtsied. "Why thank you, sir. Such a gentleman." Bellamy closed the door and went around to the driver's side, still laughing at the short play between us.

He pulled out of the parking space onto the road. "Why don't you have a car?" I finally asked when we stopped at a red light.

"It's New York City. I don't really need a car to get around. I use the subway."

"I travel a lot. Compared to Europe, New York's public transportation is paltry. Not that I'm saying it's the worst thing in the world, but if you're trying to get anywhere but the city center, you need a car."

Bellamy shrugged. "I'm lucky that I live around major train and bus routes. And I'm maybe a little stingy when it comes to money. My brother had a lot of trouble with the cars he bought. From high insurance premiums to problems every other week that need fixing. I feel like a car is like a baby that you constantly need to take care of. So long as I live in the city, I'd rather not waste the money needed to take care of it."

"That makes sense," I shrugged.

"Can you tell me about the places you've seen on your travels." It was one of the things I liked about Bellamy. It was so easy to talk to him. My social circle is very small, consisting of the family I made since I was a child. Lora, Jenna, Enzo, Ria, and Matt had known me my entire life. They knew everything about me. We could sit in silence for a whole afternoon and not talk about anything and it wouldn't be awkward. We had no secrets between one another. They didn't need to know about my travels because they already knew where I was going and what I would be doing. When we didn't have as much supernatural bullshit to deal with, our travels were for vacations to rest and recuperate. And we always went together.

There's never anyone else but them. Until now. "Last November, before we met, I traveled to Turkey to visit some of the historical sites. The history of the many people that lived there is fascinating. It's the bridge between east and west. A crossroad of history shared between Africa, Asia, and Europe." I told him of the mainstream places I visited. The Hagia Sophia, Gobeklitepe, Hattusa; the capital of the Hittites, the ancient city of Troy, and many more.

"That's a lot of religious sites."

"But religion is the keeper of history. Why do you think the Hagia Sophia and the Pantheon have lasted as long as they have? People value them because they are the houses of gods. Superstitious humans believe if they tear them down, they'll anger their gods, so they keep them well preserved. It's believed that Gobeklitepe was a religious structure. A lot of our leftover archeological sites are temples and other religious structures. The belief in the same gods brings people together. It forces them to stay together, it breeds culture." I continued to talk about the history of the cities I traveled to and Bellamy talked about his work at the art school museum. The conversation flowed easily, each of us asking a multitude of questions to the other.

"So, can you give me a little hint about where we're going?" I asked.

I watched his lips purse as he remained deep in thought. "I should've told you to bring a camera, maybe a shawl and a hat. But we're almost there." Just as he turned right, the piers of Sheepshead Bay came into view parallel to the road.

"Are we going on a boat?"

"Yeah. It's spring and the whale watches have just started again. I've always gone on a whale watches."

I love animals. I love anything that is a part of nature. I usually work with plants in my garden, planting new flowers and fruits and vegetables. There were pets and wild animals constantly roaming the back woods of my houses. I've gone to several zoos and botanical gardens. I've seen predators and prey drinking together at a watering hole in Sub-Saharan Africa. But I'd never gone on a boat to watch the animals of the sea.

Bellamy looked at me with worry in his gaze as I looked around at the boats lined up along the pier. "This is okay, right? Cause if you don't like it, we can just find something else to do. Though it'll be a waste of the tickets-"

I shook my head. "No. I love it." Without thinking, I pulled him in and placed a kiss on his cheeks, which left him speechless for a moment. "I love animals. I was just thinking about how I've never been on a boat before. I've actually never been to the ocean either."

"Seriously? Not even a summer vacation."

I stepped out of the car, inhaling the fresh sea air. "My family properties have lakes or ponds. We don't usually go to the sea for anything." I made a mental note to mention a Caribbean vacation to the rest of the family. It would be an interesting experience to go by cruise and scuba dive in the reefs. "And I did bring my camera. And a shawl. I wasn't not going to document my first date." I walked to him and grasped his hands in mine. "As for the hat…" I pulled him along as we ran on the boardwalk. We entered a small store not too far from the pier.

As I searched the store aisles, I kept Bellamy in my peripheral vision at all times. I found the summer hats section. Most of the hats were for women and the mens hats that were available were fedoras. I picked an invertible pink and floral patterned hat with a black ribbon around the head that matched my dress perfectly.

It was more difficult to find something for Bellamy. "How about this?" I placed a bucket hat on his head, with a drawstring pulled tight along the chin.

Bellamy looked at himself in the mirror, pouting his lips. "No freaking way. I'm not going fly fishing."

I giggled as he threw the hat away from him like it burned him. He stood in front of the mirror, rearranging his curls. "How does my hair look? Not ruined?"

"It still looks great. Your curls are still very springy." I laughed.

We returned to the cashier with my hat and two pairs of sunglasses. As Bellamy took out his wallet, I stopped him. "No. I'll pay for these."

"You sure? I mean I planned this so I should…"

"You bought the tickets and you're buying dinner when we get back from the boat. I'll buy the sunglasses. Consider it a gift for our first date." As I handed the card to the cashier, a necklace of large blue-green stones caught my eyes. I picked up the necklace, passing my fingers along the rough surface of the stone to feel the resonance with my magic. Agate. Rough cut, untreated with no dyes or chemicals. They were perfect. "I'll take these too."

I could see Bellamy raise an eyebrow in question, but he did not ask and I did not have to explain myself.

"Really?" The cashier asked. Her brown eyes were knowing and curious as she looked at me. "Thank you for buying it. It's actually one of my pieces. I wanted to give a more natural look."

"Wow, they're very beautiful. I should know I also make jewelry. But even if you want a natural look doesn't mean you shouldn't polish it."

As she handed me the bag, our fingers touched. She gasped loudly and pulled back as though she had been burned. Her eyes immediately flew to meet mine. I simply smiled at the dark-skinned young woman. "Thank you." I turned and left the store with Bellamy following close behind me. I could still feel the woman's eyes following me just as I could sense the spark of her magic when I touched the gemstones and my hand.

I shook the young witch out of my mind and smiled at Bellamy.

I was on my first date. I had been nervous before but as Bellamy and I talked in the car, the nervousness dissipated as our conversations flowed smoothly. I didn't want to break my focus or else all the anxiety would return.

"Phoebe, would you mind waiting for me at the pier. I just need a few minutes."

I nodded as I watched him cross the street.

After walking around for a while, I found a quiet, isolated corner along the shoreline, where a concrete fishing pier jutted out toward the sea. I stood with my eyes closed, taking a few meditative breaths as I plucked the individual agate stones from the necklace. I focused my magic into the stone, kissing it before tossing one into the water. "To Pontus, to Thalassa, the primordial seas; the great waves that covered the earth and brought life to the seas." I threw another gem into the water. "To Oceanus, the great river Titanes that encircles the earth and birthed the nymphs and Oceanids." Another gem. "To Poseidon, the ruler of all the seas, and to your fair queen Amphitrite, protector of sailors and fishermen. All the waters comprise your realm. At a wave of your trident, you bring forth earthquakes and waves that can sweep away any ship that dares to enter your realm. I, Phoebe Amelia Donovan, daughter of Hypnos, honor thou, O gods of the seas. You bring forth many gifts to mankind, schools of fish for food, endless sources of water, and majestic beasts that call the seas their home. I pray you find these offerings pleasing to you, who rule the deep oceans. I pray you keep your anger not with me nor my companion, or any other man or woman on the ship. Please allow us safe passage to explore your beautiful realm and marvel at the many creatures who call it home. With these offerings, I honor thou." I removed the crystal necklace from around my neck, which was full of magic stored in the water of the Moon Pool, kissed it, before tossing it into the sea. I remained in the meditative state for several more moments before I turned around and left the pier.

Centering myself, I met back up with Bellamy and we both got on the Whale Watching and Dolphin Adventure Cruise with our tickets as it neared noon. The boat pulled out of the bay as the captain came over the speakers. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome. We have calm seas and clear skies today. Several pods of dolphins and whales have been spotted in the Atlantic Ocean this morning. Mother Nature is going to put on an amazing show for us today…"

I let the captain's voice fade as I sat beside Bellamy on the boat deck. We sat in comfortable silence. There was nothing but the vast expanse of ocean and the sound of the keel cutting through the waters of the ocean. I took out my compact camera from my purse and started snapping shots of the boat and the water. After going around the boat and getting several photos of the people and the ocean, I returned to Bellamy, who had moved to the railing, looking out at the sea.

His sunglasses were placed firmly over his eyes, but his lips were culled up into a smile as he looked out at the ocean. His posture was relaxed, with one foot on the railing and his arms dangling over the side of the boat. With the sun slightly behind us, his dark curls shimmered like obsidian as his brown skin was lit with a warm orange glow.

He was beautiful. And I wanted him to be mine.

My heart thudded against my chest as I raised my camera up to capture his image. My anxiety about all things romance threatened to rear its head but I squashed it down in place of excitement. I am confident. I am beautiful. I'm the child of a god. What do I have to fear?

Perhaps I should've been more afraid of the slight obsession and possessiveness I felt for a man whom I had only recently met. Perhaps I should've remembered that the gods were unlucky in love. Or maybe I should've decided to learn from Zeus' mistakes in courting his many lovers.

Pfft. I could care less about old Greek men who decided that the mainstream was tragedy. My heart wanted what it wanted and it would have it. There was nothing to be nervous about.

"Bellamy." The moment he turned to face me, I snapped as many photos as I could before he could realize it.

"Hey, no. Don't do that," he complained. He tried to take the camera from me, but I quickly pulled it out of his reach. He was seven inches taller than my five foot five and his limbs longer. "Come on, give it."

I switched the camera from hand to hand whenever he reached for it until I hid it behind my back. In our playful game of hot potato, we had come to stand chest to chest, with my back against the accommodation bridge of the cruise. He leaned over me, his entire body encasing me in shadow as he breathed heavily. His arms caged my body with one near my head and the other at my waist, where he had been grasping for the camera.

Our breaths mingled as my eyes met his amber ones. I felt the heat radiating from his body as we were in such close proximity. Once again my heart beat fast. But instead of anxiety, it was with anticipation. I could see his eyes roaming my face and body, lingering on my lips before returning to meet my eyes.

"Don't be naughty," he breathed.

I stepped closer to him, pressing my body only millimeters from his chest as I looked up at his face. He held his breath but I didn't give him a chance to look away. He had made me a nervous wreck all morning, manipulating my hormones, making my blood race through my veins. It was my turn to give him a taste of his own medicine. "How about a compromise? I'll let you see them and you choose the ones you like best." Before I knew it, I reached up on my toes and placed a short peck on his lips.

He froze. His eyes were wide as he reached up to touch his lips.

I couldn't help the smirk that formed on my lips as he looked at me with a dumbfounded look. I passed under his arm and walked away from the wall. I should've worn some skinny jeans instead of a dress to accentuate my ass as I marched to the deck with a swing in my hips.

Bellamy joined me not too long after against the railing as I looked through the photos in the camera. Together, we chose the photos that weren't blurry and the ones Bellamy found flattering.

"You're really good at this. Photography, languages, history, and anthropology. What aren't you good at?"

I simply smiled at him and replied, "Not much." Of course, there aren't many things that I'm not good at. Having mostly raised my siblings, I had to pick up the homemaking skills necessary to take care of them. Cooking was one. I picked up photography because I wanted to record all their milestones. First days of school, holidays, birthdays, and many others. I even keep a spelled album with all the photos of the magical milestones from their first fire spells to the familiar bonding ceremony. Those photos are spelled so that only bonded members of the coven can open them and no one else. I have to be the one to make the memories because there's no one else who will. Kelly…

I shook my head to force my mother out of my mind. "Why did you choose whale watching?"

"I went on a school trip when I was in elementary school. I don't remember much but I do remember how it made me feel. It was amazement and awe and just pure joy." A smile was permanently plastered on his face as he looked out to the sea, reminiscing about his first experience on a whale watch. His face was full of contentment and anticipation. "When I started making my own money, I saved up to be able to afford at least one whale watch every year."

His smile was infectious as a smile came to my lips. I placed a hand on his forearm, which caused him to quickly turn to look at me. "Thank you for sharing this with me."

He pushed his sunglasses over his head as his eyes bore into mine. "You told me how you're always busy with work and taking care of your siblings. You're young but you have so much responsibility. Sometimes it's good to take a breath and enjoy what the world has to offer." He placed his other hand on top of mine, softly caressing the skin. "I was a poor, black kid. My parents and grandparents were immigrants who left their country to find better opportunities for their children. My responsibility was school." He chuckled softly. "I barely had any friends growing up. My parents were strict with me and my sister but I understood why. I wanted to pay them back for everything they sacrificed for me. I worked hard and went to college on several scholarships and grants. I couldn't afford loans." He paused and inhaled a deep breath. "I'm talking too much but the point is that I wanted to share this with you…"

"And there she blows!" The captain's voice over the intercom took our attention away from one another as we quickly turned to face the sea to watch a pod of bowhead whales coming up for breath, spouting air from their blowholes.

The sun glistened over the black hides of the animals as their fins surfed the surface of the waters. The large whales swam around the calves. "Oh my god!" I gasped when I saw the size of the whales. Of course, I knew whales were the giants of the sea, but I was not expecting them to be so large so up close. One after another the whales jumped out of the sea and fell back in a large splash of water, causing everyone on the boat to laugh joyously.

Time flew by as I watched the whales surround the boat, spouting with their blowholes and jumping out of the water. Bellamy was close to me, whispering random facts he had learned over the years he had been fascinated with the majestic animals. Not long after, dolphins joined the whales in the amazing show. There were jumps and flips and rolls in the water as the animals rubbed against each other. I found myself so enraptured by the display that I often forgot to take photos with my camera. The best shot I got with the camera was when one of the whales came right beside the boat and jumped out of the water, falling back into the sea in a large splash that sprayed everyone in the vicinity, including myself.

"Oh!" I gasped. Although I couldn't find myself angry at the animals even though I was soaked in seawater.

"Oooooh." Bellamy brought a hand to his mouth to try to stifle his laughter, but I clearly heard his soft chuckles. "She really got you good."

"You think it's funny," I joked. I ran up to him and wrapped my arms around his waist, pressing my entire body against his torso to transfer the water that was dripping off me all over the deck onto his clothes.

Another splash of water from a whale on the side of the boat drenched him and me and the other watchers around us. I pulled away from him as he screamed, "Oh, no, no, no, no, no." - jumping up and down like a dog to try to shake the excess water off.

His distress devolved into laughter as I snapped several photos of him in his sorry state.


"They're so beautiful." My fingers tightened over his knuckles as we made our way down the ramp to the pier. The water had dried off already in the afternoon sun, leaving me and Bellamy caked in white patches of sea salt on our skin and clothing. My hair and makeup were ruined. My hair returned to its wild, tightly coiled state and I had to wipe the makeup off as it began to irritate my skin when it mixed with the salt water.

But, even then, the day was fun. I don't think the date could've gone better considering Bellamy was still holding my hand. "I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"It was the first time I had ever seen something like that." I stopped and looked up at his face. "Thank you."

"The world is beautiful, you know. I wanted to share that with you. All the time, you hear about the war going on here and the injustices there. No one reports about the beautiful pod of whales that brought joy to a group of random strangers on a boat."

"You know, you are very philosophical."

"You found me out. I'm actually the reincarnation of Plato. And Socrates and Aristotle."

We laughed together as I faked a gasp. "You are such a liar. Aristotle and Plato's lives overlapped. You're telling me you lived in two bodies?" I raised a brow.

"Damn, I really hoped I'd get away with it," he joked.

"I had a lot of fun today, thank you."

"Good. I'm glad. This morning, I was a little nervous that you wouldn't like it and maybe find it boring."

I couldn't help smiling at the thought that we were both nervous for our date, although each for different reasons. "No, I loved it. I loved doing something new that I had never done before and you were right that sometimes we need to take a breath and take in the beauties of Nature." We remained silent for several moments as we just stared at one another. My eyes flew to his lips. I really wanted to kiss him. "They say you're not supposed to kiss on the first date but since I already broke that rule, why don't we just keep holding hands?"

He laughed as we continued to walk back to where he had parked my car. "Does that mean you'll let me take you out on another date?"

"I thought you'd never ask." We stopped in the middle of the parking lot, my car not too far away.

"How about next week?" he asked.

"I'm going to Europe on business next week. Not sure when I'll be back."

"Okay." He turned to face me, intertwining our fingers together to hold both my hands. "Why don't you call me when you're available and we can make plans."

"I will." We remained standing together in comfortable silence. Bellamy had plans with his family who lived in the area so we were splitting up instead of driving back to his apartment. I didn't move, stretching our time together as much as I could. After several long moments, Bellamy leaned toward me. I closed my eyes as his breath fanned my face before I felt his lips touch my cheek. My eyes fluttered open.

"Bye." He pulled back. I opened my hands and released his fingers. The heat and pressure from his hands faded and I wanted to hold him again. To touch him again. To feel him again. Is this really love? Wanting to be close to someone even though you've only been apart for a matter of seconds? The emptiness in the chest as I watch him walk away? The anxiety and paranoia that I'll never see him again?

It's irrational. I know I'll see him again. I know where he lives. Where he works. I have his phone number. And yet, my heart can't seem to reconcile what my brain already knows.

I fell back against the side of the car as I released a breath I didn't realize I was holding. I passed my hands through my messy curls. I placed a hand over my wildly beating heart. "Eros, you really got me good didn't you."


Side Story

Hekate transported from her palace in Hades to Atlantis. Her long flowing black dress turned into a navy blue skin-tight wetsuit that allowed her to move through the waters with ease. Although she had domains in the Sky (Mount Olympus), in the seas (Atlantis), and in the earth (The Obsidian Palace in Hades), she preferred to remain in Hades.

Olympus was too crowded since most of the gods resided there. Atlantis was too wet and she could never get any work done unless it had to do with water magic. Hades was just right. Most of the gods she worked with such as the Moirai and Persephone lived in Hades. As a goddess with dominion over the dead, most of her work was in the underworld anyway.

However, some rare treasures and ingredients she needed for some powerful spells could only be found and stored in the underwater palace of the sea deities.

The goddess moved easily through the water without the need to use her arms and legs.

"Hekate!"

The goddess of magic stopped when a voice sounded in her head. She turned around in the direction of the voice to find a beautiful woman swimming toward her. Her tail glistened through the water a host of colors of blues, pinks, lilacs, and greens. Her webbed hands allowed her to move through the waters with ease as her fins opened and closed behind her like wings. Scales covered her body, from her cheeks to down to her neck to the underside of her breasts.

A diadem of seashells rested against her forehead as her turquoise braids floated around her, decorated with pink pearls. The young goddess came to a stop beside Hekate.

"Your Highness, Queen Amphitrite." The younger goddess launched herself into the arms of the older in a tight hug.

"I am so pleased to see you," said Amphitrite. "You have not visited me in so long."

Hekate laughed as she wrapped her arms around the back of the younger girl. After Persephone's marriage to Hades, Hekate became the young goddess' consort as she adjusted to her new role as Queen of the Dead. Similarly, when Amphitrite was set to marry Poseidon, her uncle, Nereus, came to her and asked her to accompany the young Amphitrite in her role as Queen of the Seas. And she agreed. Although they are cousins, Amphitrite treats Hekate more like an aunt whom she always goes to for advice and to complain. And Hekate did not mind spoiling her younger cousin.

"I am pleased to see you as well, Your Highness. I am sorry that I have not had the time to visit you. I have been quite occupied as of late."

"Yes. I have seen your child, your priestess. My husband and I, as well as grandfather Oceanos, and uncle Pontus and Aunt Thalassa have been very pleased with her." Water gathered in her hand to show a recording of Phoebe praying to the gods as she threw agate stones into the sea as she prayed. "I must say that I was very pleased with her offering."

"Phoebe and her family give offerings to the gods every month. They sacrifice the best of their livestock and harvest to the gods."

"Yes, I know that and I have partaken in the offerings. They are very well prepared and very delicious. But those offerings have been for all the gods." She smiled as she passed her fingers on the rough stone she picked up when the priestess dropped them into the sea. "But it's been so long since I have received an offering. The humans have forgotten us and they poison the seas. For the first time, I feel content. We are hallowed as we once were."

Hekate placed a hand on her younger cousin's cheek. "I am pleased for you. But never forget my dear Amphitrite, you are a goddess. Even if it's not by humans, you are cherished by your family."

"Thank you." Amphitrite grasped Hekate's hand and held it up with her eyes pleading. "Hekate…"

The goddess of magic swallowed and straightened her spine at the sound of Amphitrite's voice. She knew well whenever Amphitrite spoke with her cooing voice, she could not deny her anything. And Amphitrite knew it too. She sighed. "What do you want me to do?"

Amphitrite smiled brilliantly when she got her way. "I know you've visited your priestess before. I wish to see her in the mortal realm."

Hekate sighed once more. "As you wish." She whispered a spell, creating a vortex portal connecting the waters of Atlantis to the oceans of the earth. The moment the mouth of the vortex formed, Amphitrite pulled Hekate through without looking back. The two goddesses hid within the waves as they watched the boat's approach. With their godly powers, they watched Phoebe and her lover on the deck talking and laughing with one another.

"What is she doing?" The two goddesses turned around to find themselves surrounded by several other deities. Schools of fish surrounded them, attracted to their divinity. For the first time in thousands of years, gods, Nereides, and other deities who once called the sea home blessed the sea with their presence.

"Husband," Amphitrite gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"I knew the moment I sensed Hekate's arrival, I would find you with her," Poseidon replied. He looked at Hekate. "You have chosen a great priestess, Hekate."

"I, too, am pleased with her," said Pontus.

Thalassa moved closer to the boat. "Who is that man?"

"He is her suitor. They are courting," Hekate explained. "In this time, I believe the terms are boyfriend and dating."

"No!" the two primordial sea gods exclaimed.

"She is far too young," Pontus said.

"She is seventeen and he is only twenty-four years of age," Hekate replied. "In the past, humans used to marry much earlier and the age gap was much greater."

Thalassa furrowed her brows in disgust. "Do not remind me. I am pleased the world has changed."

"She is the one who chose him and from what I've heard from Aphrodite, courting in this time does not necessarily mean marriage," Amphitrite said. In the past few centuries, Aphrodite has been the most happy when women began dating as they pleased. As the goddess of love and beauty, love-filled hearts were food for her. As women gained more independence and began marrying for love the goddess was full of glee. She allied with Hera, her nemesis since the ancient times, to bless the love-matches that led to marriage and even blessed the children of such matches to find their own great loves. Being friends with the goddess of love, Amphitrite got the best gossip about the "it" couples of every generation and the current dating scene. "I must speak with Aphrodite once I return. I am certain she will be watching Phoebe and her lover closely."

Hekate said, "Phoebe reveres all the gods. She will likely make an offering to Aphrodite and Eros soon to bless her love."

"Yes. Her offering was most satisfactory. She dropped a crystal full of lunar energy in the sea," Oceanos said. "Her magic is sweet."

"It must be one of the crystals from the Moon Pool."

"If that man is courting her, why did he bring her to the sea?" asked one of the Nereides.

"It is called whale-watching. Humans like to watch the whales and the dolphins when they feed and mate in the springs."

"That is disgusting," another deity said. "Why would they want to watch the animals fornicate?"

"It is not. It brings them joy to see the whales and the fish," said another mermaid. "They like to swim with them. They see the animals of the sea as majestic and beautiful."

"If it is so, then why do they poison the creatures of the sea?"

The winds gathered into a cloud over the sea as they came to settle with the sea gods. "This generation is more attuned with the natural world than their forefathers who sought to tame the sea by hunting the creatures almost to extinction. Although human progress and technology has poisoned the earth, they are trying to lessen their impact by protecting the creatures of the air, the seas, and the land. To restore the earth."

There was silence. No one spoke of the elephant in the room, Gaia, the embodiment of the earth itself."

Amphitrite left the group of sea deities. She danced through the sea, her tail moving up and down and side to side. "Well, if they came to watch the creatures of the sea, then we will give them our blessing." Her voice reverberated through the waters, translated into each animal's call. Whales and dolphins and schools of fish came toward the dancing goddess. A pod of bowhead whales responded to the call of the goddess. A calf left the side of its mother and rubbed its body against the goddess as Amphitrite passed her hands over the animal's head. "We must show our gratitude for Phoebe's offering." She looked at the whales and dolphins that were feeding on the schools of fish. "Go. Make her laugh and smile. Give her our blessing. Show her our gratitude."

The dolphins sprung out of the sea, jumping in the air before diving back down into the water. The pod of whales surfaced to take a breath, causing sprays of water to spout from their blowholes, revealing their presence to the humans as they approached the boat.


Amphitrite - Herizen F. Guardiola

AN: Question: Why the fuck is it so hard to write romance? I mean their date was less than 5000 words and it took me weeks to write it.

Please review. Leave some constructive criticisms. I'd really love advice on how to keep writer's block away. I spend some days where the only thing I write is one line.

You know what, I'll let you guys decide what should happen on their dates. Write it in the review box about what you think about this date and what they should do on their next date.

Thanks for reading.