Zeus

chapter 13 - your what?

My dislike changed to hate in under a second. "You two dated?" Aaron's eyes gleamed with satisfaction, but I wasn't angry because of the reason he thought. "Misha?" I asked and she looked up at me. Her eyes were suspiciously bright. "We dated for a few months." She confirmed and bit her lips. I already knew who Aaron was to her. I doubted she had many rich asshole ex-boyfriends. Her eyes held a sadness that cut through me like a knife. I could see the pain she was trying to hide, the scars that weren't visible on the surface. "It was more like a year." He sat down opposite Misha. "I'm just so surprised you are with Zeus. I didn't think he was your type." I tried to get my anger under control. This was the man who-. Fuck. My chest started to hurt. Misha blinked as if waking out of a trance and practically sneered: "You mean a fair, loving and funny man?" Aaron looked taken aback at her open hostility. I think he still thought of her as the woman he could control. "A womanizing TV anchor with a drinking problem, actually." I huffed a laugh. "That's in the past. Kinda like you." I said and relished the way he squirmed in his seat. His comment didn't even scrap at the surface. I've heard a lot worse about my habits than what that snake could throw at me. His eyes settled on Misha and whatever courage she had had before, seemed to vanish. "I think it makes sense that a broken man like Zeus would want you. Anyone else wouldn't even want-." He broke off at the same time I lunged for him. Misha stood up and held me back though. Her hands pressing against my chest. "Zeus, please." She whispered and looked at me under her eyelashes. "He isn't allowed to talk to you like that." I was seething. I needed to break something. His face, his legs, anything. She cocked her head. "He wasn't being very nice about you either." "I don't care about me." I replied and didn't let Aaron out of my sight. Misha stared up at me with surprise and admiration. I think it stunned her, how much I cared about her. "Let's go. I'm not hungry anymore." She said, clearly wanting to get away. Aaron grinned, seeing an opportunity to strike again. "That's a surprise. I had to drag you away from food when we were dating." Misha looked like he had hit her. My heart raced, torn between the urge to fight Aaron and the need to get Misha as far away from him as possible. "You are pathetic." She said and then we were moving through the crowd, passed a worried looking Hera and then we were outside. I nearly gasped at the cold air that hit us, calming some of my emotions. I shook my head and grabbed Misha to pull her into my chest. "Fucking hell." I whispered and Misha let out a humourless laugh. "He hasn't changed. Still taunting and belittling me." She tightened her arms around me, slightly shaking. Fucking asshole, but there was one more thing. "He also controlled what you ate?" I said, my voice laced with a mix of anger and concern. Misha's inability to meet my eyes gave me her answer. Anger surged within me, and I wanted to storm back inside and punch him until his face was unrecognizable. She deserved better than what Aaron did. A rush of memories flooded my mind – how she reacted to comments about her eating or how much food was on her plate. I clenched my fists, struggling to contain the anger that threatened to consume me. "Misha." She looked up, but I was at loss for words. I shook my head and she understood. Instead of saying anything else she went on her tiptoes and kissed me. My hands went to touch her cheeks, feeling the warmth of her skin under my fingertips. Her lips were soft against mine, and for a moment, the anger began to subside. "Thank you," she breathed, pulling away slightly. Even if my chest still hurt, like Aaron's attack had been directed at me, I nodded and kissed her again.

As the New Yorker night started to cool down around us, we reluctantly made our way back inside, fingers interlocked. "Are you guys okay?" Hera walked to us, the deep furrow on her forehead, showing how worried she was. I didn't reply because I wasn't sure if I really was okay right now. "We are good." Misha answered for me and quickly hugged Hera. "But we are going home now." "We?" Hera echoed, her brows knitting in confusion. "She is living with me." I supplied and Hera's jaw hung open as though it had suddenly lost all control. She stammered and shook her head. "I-. Wow. This is so unexpected. I-." Misha laughed. "You are acting as if we told you I was pregnant or something." "Are you?" Hera gasped and I groaned, that woman. "No!" Misha said and added: "Not yet." I blushed at Hera's intense stare and nudged Misha's shoulder. "Misha, come on." We hadn't even slept together yet. We did other stuff, but not that. "What? It's just too funny." Well, at least she was laughing. "Goodnight, Hera." I said and pushed Misha to the cloakroom.

We were home for an hour, and I was laying on my bed half-asleep with a book in my hands when Misha stood in front of me, clearing her throat. "I need to paint." She announced and I squinted an eye open. "What?" She pulled a hoodie over her head. "I just really need to paint. I'll be back tomorrow." I rolled off the bed. "Let me come with you. I don't think you should be alone right now." Misha hesitated and I took the opportunity to press a slow kiss on her lips. "Please? I'll be quiet?" She laughed and nodded. "Wear something warm." I put two huge pillows and one thick blanket under my arms. I wore a hoodie and followed her out of my cozy, warm apartment into her cold studio. Misha turned on the light and the smell of paint filled my nose. I threw the pillows on the ground next to the lamp and sat down. I was hoping the lamp would warm me up a bit when it ran hot. "Oh, I missed this." Misha whispered and I watched her sketching on a new white canvas. I observed how the tension she carried with her since she saw Aaron fall off her for a while. "I can't believe you slept in this cold studio alone." I murmured and pulled the blanket up to my neck. Misha turned on her old chair. "I only slept in here for half a year." "You can't sell me on this." I closed my eyes. I was so tired from today and last night. I needed to sleep, but Misha said: "Aaron and I were together for a year but that was three years ago. After that my life went downhill because I couldn't find a job that paid enough to keep the apartment, then I moved in with an old friend from college, but she got married so I had to move out and I landed here. This place isn't that bad, I did some of my best work in here." "Thank you for telling me." - "I trust you." She whispered and kept starting at her painting... of me, I realized. Misha kept sketching for the next two hours. When she was done, she turned off the light sitting on an old box next to her. Her hair cascaded down her back and the tip of her nose was slightly red from the cold. Even if I wanted to fall asleep, I couldn't stop looking at her the whole time. "It's already past two in the morning." She whispered and walked over to where I was laying on the floor. I lifted a bit of the blanket and she slid below it. I shivered at the coldness she brought with her but tucked her closer anyway. "Are we going to stay here?" I nodded and I could feel her smile against my neck.