Chapter 16
A Beautiful Morning
"The best thing to hold onto in life is each other."
Audrey Hepburn
I have not stopped smiling since I woke this morning. Last night was… perfect. Even though I was drunk, thankfully I still remember all of it. Ariston was such a gentleman, such a true and good man.
I hummed the song we danced to last night, 'Bring On The Rain', as I cleaned the stall, then I began singing it.
"Bring on the rain." I sang.
"I want you to myself today." A beautiful, deep voice sang the next words in the song and my heart soared further.
I looked up to see Ariston standing there in the doorway of the stall looking like the god he is. As I looked into his eyes, in my mind I could hear the next verse in the song. 'I've got all the blue sky in your eyes combined, so bring on the rain.'
I dropped the pitchfork and leapt into his waiting arms and kissed him as we clutched onto each other. He chuckled breathlessly when our kisses ended. I love being able to see in his eyes just how crazy he is about me.
"Mera?" Ariston let me go when we heard Ella's voice. Does it have to be Ella? She turned the corner right after Ariston let me go. Ella stopped short when she saw Ariston.
"Oh, hi Mr. Crete." She said, blushing.
"Hello, Miss Dawson." Ariston greeted her in his courteous tone.
Ella stood there for moment, looking between the two of us while blushing and ogling Ariston, he looked to me and smiled. I rolled my eyes and shook my head.
"Is there something you needed?" I asked Ella.
"I was hoping you could catch some grain bags." She said.
"Sure, I just need to finish the stall." I told her.
"Go ahead, I will finish it." Ariston said. I looked at him and smiled.
"Are you certain?" I asked.
"I am. This is not the first time I have cleaned a stall." He said with a laugh, picking up the pitchfork.
"Thank you." I thanked him and he smiled.
It took everything in me not to kiss him. I placed my hand over his on the pitchfork then walked away with one last look at his smiling face. Ella went to say something but I stopped her by putting my hand up.
"Can you just drop the bags down?" I asked. She sighed.
"Fine." I smiled.
I knew the questions were inevitable, but I wanted to put them off for at least a little while. I was not looking forward to what I knew was coming. The questions, the advice, everyone trying to figure out just what Ariston and I feel for each other. I went through all of that when I began dating Aaron two years ago, and I was not about to let anyone tell me what I should or should not be doing. What Ariston and I choose from here on out is our decision, it has always been our decision. Our relationship has nothing to do with anyone else but us. I was not eighteen as of yet, but in Maine, seventeen is the age of consent, which meant that that was not in our way when Ariston and I do sleep together. The very thought of which made me flush.
Ella climbed the stairs to the second level and went to where the grain bags are stored. As I waited, I felt an all too familiar presence, I knew Ariston was standing behind me. I turned around and saw nothing. I laughed, I could feel the spot on which he stood. I looked right at him even though he was not there.
"I love you." I whispered.
"What was that?" Ella asked from above.
"Nothing." I said as I turned around.
Ella stood at the edge of the opening in the wall eight feet above me and lowered a 50 pound bag of grain into my arms. If we were to drop the bags down from where the grain is stored, the bags would break open and that is a pain to clean up, not to mention a waste of good grain.
"Got it." I said, Ella let go of the bag and it dropped into my arms.
"So you two are like together now?" Ella asked. And so it begins, I thought with a shake of my head. I decided I would answer questions, but only to a point.
"Yes, we are." I told her.
"Do you love him?" She asked.
"More than anything." I told her truthfully as she dropped another bag into my arms.
"Is it true he took you out on a date last night? The whole school is talking about it." Ella said as she lowered another bag. No surprise there.
"Got it," She let the bag drop. "Yes, he did. It was… magical." I smiled as she lowered another one into my arms. "Ariston is an incredible man and I am truly blessed to have him in my life."
"That is so sweet." Ella cooed then dropped the last bag down into my arms. She left the opening and came down the stairs a moment later.
"Ella?" Marge called.
"I have to go, tell me more later?" Ella almost begged.
I sighed and nodded, she squeaked in excitement and walked quickly away. I smiled and shook my head, she has always loved anything to do with love. I turned around and looked at where I knew Ariston still stood.
"I know you are there, my love." I said softly. A laughing Ariston appeared a few feet from me out of thin air, right in the spot I felt him.
"Your senses are expanding." He stated with that beautiful crooked grin.
"Is that another skill of yours, appearing out of thin air?" I asked him, he chuckled.
"It takes training to sneak up on the enemy without a sound." He said.
"Oh, so I am the enemy am I?" I asked playfully.
"You know what I meant." Ariston said with a smile that melted my heart and made my mind loopy. He reached out and gently took my hand. I smiled and we began walking.
"About last night." I said, a bit embarrassed, I would not have been quite so direct if I had not been drunk. I looked at him. Although…
"It is alright Mera, you were drunk." Ariston said simply. "I am a patient man my love, even though with you it is not easy to be. As I said before, we have time. I would not have you do anything you were not ready for." I turned to him and placed my hand on his cheek.
"You truly are a great man, god I mean." I said.
I leaned up to place a sweet kiss on his lips and as I quickly became lost in his lips, I realized that I am ready. I know that Ariston is the only man I will ever want, I could never love anyone the way I love him. I want him to be my first and my last. When the kiss ended I smiled and Ariston and I began walking again, hand in hand.
"I cannot believe I got drunk off of one glass of wine." I shook my head. "How pathetic is that?"
"You were very entertaining." Ariston said with a chuckle. I elbowed him in the ribs and immediately regretted it.
"Owe." I said as I clasped my elbow, feeling a bruise coming on. It was like slamming my elbow into a block of stone.
"Are you alright?" Ariston asked, trying not to laugh.
I looked at him and tried with all my might to be angry or at the very least irritated with him, but it was impossible. Ariston laughed, and I found myself starting to be truly irritated with him. Though if I was being honest, it was more to do with the fact that I was irritated, because I could not be irritated with him.
"What, pray tell, is so funny?" I asked.
"That look." Ariston said, still smiling. "When I see it, I am not entirely sure if you are about to smack me or kiss me." How could anyone hope to stay angry with those eyes and that smile.
"Damn, why is it so difficult to be irritated with you?" I asked him.
"Because you love me." He stated simply. He was right of course. He leaned down to place a soft kiss on my lips, which melted away any irritation that I had built up.
"That is entirely unfair." I half complained breathlessly.
"In that case, I give you full permission to kiss me if I should ever become irritated with you; I am certain it will have the same effect." Ariston said breathlessly and I laughed. "Let me see that arm." He gently took my elbow and placed his hand over it, I felt his warmth flow through me and my heart skipped a beat. Moments later the pain was gone. "Better?" He asked.
"Much." I smiled. "Thank you."
"Loose horse!" Marge yelled.
In one of those blindingly fast movements, Ariston wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me to him, while spinning us out of the way just in time for the horse to charge past where I had been standing.
"Nice reflexes." I said, my hands resting on his chest, my heart beating wildly. Has anyone so irresistible ever existed? I wondered to myself while looking into his eyes.
"Thomas!" Marge ran past us, yelling the horse's name.
I sighed and Ariston let go of me. Thomas is one of the most stubborn horses at Blueridge Stables, he gets it from his owner. I knew he would not come to Marge. As I walked outside I grabbed a can of sweet feed along with the lead line. I walked out to see Thomas still running from Marge, his ears forward. The horse was playing with her.
"Let me get him!" I yelled to her. Marge shot me a 'thank you' look, then walked away.
I walked slowly up to the horse where he was eating grass. I shook the grain in the can and Thomas raised his head at the sound, ears forward. Almost every horse in the world knows that sound, it means food.
"Shh, it is alright Thomas," I said softly, holding the lead behind my back so he would not see it. I shook the can again and he slowly started to move towards me. "That's right, come here boy."
I stood still and let him come to me. Holding the can under my arm, I grabbed a handfull of the grain and held it out to him. He ate some, he was still jumpy so I took out another handful and fed it to him.
"That's it, good boy." I said.
I slowly went towards him and stroked his neck, then turned around and wrapped my arm around his nose, I had him then. I put the lead around his neck then quickly made a halter out of the rest of the lead line. I yanked down on the lead line, not brutally but enough to let Thomas know he had done something wrong.
"You fool, if you do not stop these escape attempts you are going to get yourself seriously hurt." I said. The horse looked at me with ears forward, clearly too full of himself to get the point.
Some animals are just not very bright, and it is not usually their fault. This horse is as proud and foolish as his owner, Vance Colwell, and it does not help the situation that Vance only rides Thomas once a month, if that. I sighed and walked the horse back towards the Stables. Ariston was looking at me with such a smile it made me bite my lip.
"You have quite a way with horses." Ariston said.
"I get it from my father." I told him.
"I know. Your father is descended from both Poseidon and Ennina." Ariston said. "Poseidon created the horse, and Ennina tamed them for man to ride." I smiled as we walked Thomas back inside.
"I'll take him, thanks." Marge said to me. I handed the lead over to her and with one last glance between Ariston and I, she walked away with him.
"She knows." Ariston said with a smile.
"The whole school knows by now." I said, turning to him.
"Does that bother you?" He asked.
I shook my head as he took me into his arms, my hands resting on his chest as I looked into those entrancing eyes of his.
"May I give you a ride back to your dorm?" Ariston asked.
"If you like, I still have to make lunch for the horses." I told him.
"I will wait." He said.
He leaned down and kissed me. I leaned into his kiss and wrapped my arms around his neck to make it last longer, I never wanted his lips to leave mine, and Ariston was more than content to keep kissing me.
"I could spend the rest of my life kissing you and not regret a moment of it." I told him when we stopped kissing. He chuckled.
"Sounds like a plan to me" He said, making me laugh before sharing a few more kisses with him.
He let me go with great reluctance and took my hand in his as we walked towards the grain room. As we turned the corner, we came face to face with the girls. I could already hear their questions.
"It seems I should be going." Ariston said. I gave him a look as if to say 'don't you dare.' Ariston chuckled as he kissed my cheek, making me melt. "I will see you shortly, Mera."
"I am going to get you for this." I said under my breath, my lips barely moving, knowing he could hear me. Ariston's smile widened. "Until then, my love." I said, for the girl's sake.
He walked away and I watched him go. I hate how hard it is to stay annoyed with him. I shook my head with a smile and turned to the girls, their looks told me what they wanted.
"This can go one of two ways," Marge stated. "You can either tell us what is going on between you and Mr. Crete, or we can bug you all day until you get so fed up you tell us everything." I smiled, knowing that I could hold out if I wished.
"Alright, I concede. May I at least work as I talk?" I asked, seeing no way around it since Ariston abandoned me to this. They agreed and I went to the grain room with the four of them following me and started on making lunch grain.
"How long has this been going on?" Marge asked.
"I honestly do not know," I told her as I filled a bucket. "We have been drawn to each other since the day we met. I could not give you an exact day I fell in love with him, I cannot remember a time when I did not love him." I smiled, I had to admit that I enjoyed talking about Ariston.
"Has he kissed you?" Heather asked. I blushed, my heart pounding at the thought.
"Yes." Was my simple answer.
"How was it?" She asked. I bit my lip and shook my head.
"Let's just say that the phrase 'I saw fireworks', does not even begin to cover it." I sighed and chuckled. "He is extraordinary in every way, shape and form. I love him with all my soul, same as he loves me. He is the one."
I think they all awed and sighed at once, I laughed under my breath. That was easier than I thought it would be, I thought to my relief. I finished making lunch, then got up and washed my hands off as I made my way for the exit.
"I need to be going, I have to shower before school." I said to them, walking out before they could stop me.
I found Ariston with Vrontos in his paddock. Ariston smiled at the sight of me and Vrontos turned his head in my direction. I walked up to them and stroked Vrontos' neck once before kissing Ariston.
"The fireworks truly are something." He said with a smile, I blushed.
"You heard?" I asked. He smiled and nodded.
"I could hear for miles if I chose to." He said.
"You really need to fill me in on your abilities." I said and he laughed. I stroked Vrontos' neck. "Can you communicate with him?" I asked Ariston.
"Yes," Ariston answered. "Animals speak in the language of the mind. It is made up of a mixture of thoughts and feelings and sometimes images. It is communication in its most basic form. We should be going if you do not want to miss school." I nodded and Ariston took my hand as we began our walk.
"About your abilities?" I asked, my curiosity getting the best of me.
"My sight is perfect, I can see details that mortals cannot and also I can see great distances. I can even see colors and details which mortals are blind to." Ariston told me. That amazed me.
"What do they look like?" I asked him, he shook his head.
"I cannot describe it. Could you describe what blue looks like?" He asked.
"A color between green and purple." I answered and Ariston laughed.
"If only it were that simple." Ariston said, then placed his hand on the side of my face. "I can show you."
With that, my mind was flooded with images. There were details and colors to flowers, and grass, and trees and oceans I hadn't imagined existed! When he showed me all of that, the last image I saw was of an incredible, angelic being that radiated a warm light from her very skin... I was stunned to silence to realize this was me, how I looked to him. When he removed his hand and I found myself looking into his eyes again... I was unable to form words and he just smiled to me. The idea of seeing that much detail, every single day, was beyond everything, but not beyond how he made me feel.
"As for my abilities," He began talking again as he held my hand on the way to his car. "I am rather strong, I can lift almost anything and not to mention my speed, as you have witnessed. I can also feel the essence of everything and everyone around me, unless it is shielded."
"What does it feel like?" I asked, now that I could somewhat think again.
"Every essence is unique; each species of plant, tree and animal have their own essence, their own feeling to them." Ariston began. "Humans have a similar essence in a small way, just enough to show that they are from the same species, but beyond that they are their own. Gods have the strongest essences, it is easy to feel them unless they are wearing jade. When you learn the essences you can tell what is what and whom is whom without even looking."
"There must be billions though, how can you remember them all?" I asked him.
"That is another of my gifts, gods have perfect memory. I can remember everything that has happened since the day I was born, and before that I remember my mother's womb." Ariston said.
"Wow, that must be a lot of memories." I said.
"Five thousand and sixty three years worth." He said. I was still struck by that.
"What is it like to live for so long?" I asked, truly curious. He smiled faintly.
"You see many things. I have watched empires rise and fall, seen hundreds of generations be born and die. I have fought in countless wars on the sides of good. My sister Ennina taught me how to fight and also the wisdom to know when not to. War is nothing pretty and killing a man is nothing to treasure, but it has its place, its purpose. Freedom is not free, it is an age old truth that oppressors have to be removed from power. Of course, powerful people tend to forget their own mortality, and how easily it can be ended." He smiled. "Which is why most powerful women and men die in the stupidest of ways, so as to remind others of their own mortality, that the things they do in their lives have consequences upon others as well as themselves." We were silent for a moment as I took his words in.
"Does it ever get old? Do you ever wish to be human, to just live for a hundred years then die and be reborn into a new life?" I asked him. Ariston smiled to me.
"Not since I met you. One life time with you could never be enough." He said, my heart fluttered and my smile grew at the truth in his eyes.
"Dido." I said, he laughed.
Ariston and I walked to his car, he held my door open for me then went around and got in the drivers seat.
"Would you like to ride Vrontos later?" Ariston asked.
"I would love to." I said with a smile.
Ariston and I sang on the car ride and laughed and talked. All the while he held my hand as if it were a sacred treasure, and I knew that to him, it was.
"What is this?" Ariston asked, referring to the inch long scar on my left hand near my thumb.
"Two summers ago I was helping my father clip horses, not all of them liked it." I said. "One mare kept rearing up and so I had to hold her down with the lead line while my father clipped her. He would have gladly left her unclipped, but it was ridiculously hot that summer, and she had a very thick coat that was not going anywhere anytime soon. The mare pulled back hard and the lead line cut into my hand and left this. My father got me out of the way in time before the horse bolted.
"I can take care of it if you wish?" Ariston offered.
"I would like that." I said.
He smiled and his hand glowed. I felt his warmth within me, felt it seep into my pours and closed my eyes, my head lulling back against the headrest. When the warmth stopped I opened my eyes and looked at my hand, the scar was gone. I smiled, it had never bothered me and in all honesty I only had him remove it in order to feel his warmth running through me.
"Thank you, my love." I thanked him.
"You are very welcome." He replied, kissing the hand he healed. Ariston pulled up in front of my dorm and we looked at each other.
"I will see you in class." He said.
I did not want to go inside, I wished I would never have to leave his side again. I leaned over and kissed him, his hand going into my hair. My arms went around him. We ended up kissing passionately for the next few minutes in his car.
"I really should take a shower." I said, breathlessly.
He nodded and kissed me again; oh how his breath feels as it washes across my lips. A moment later he reluctantly let me go.
"I love you." I told him.
"I love you." He replied. I kissed him once more, needing to feel his lips again. I smiled and used what little willpower I could muster to get out of the car and walk to my dorm.
