CHAPTER 17- WE’RE ON TOP OF THE WORLD
February 24
Zeus’ Palace
Mount Olympus
-Aurea-
I sat in the palace steps and held out my hand. I let the light catch my new pearl-and-diamond bracelet and watched subaas the facets of the diamond scattered the light. I smiled and my heart felt very light. Thanatos was really one thoughtful man.
And right now, he’s sitting beside me.
“It brings me joy that you like the bracelet. If I knew you’d enjoy trinkets that much, I would’ve given you many of those.” He remarked.
I playfully slapped his arm and laughed. “I don’t enjoy just any trinket. Gods know how much of those I have because of my father being the God of Riches. I like your gift because of the thought that went into it. There’s something special about this because it’s the pearls you scavenged for on a lake and it’s your power which makes the diamond swirl with a black mist.” I explained.
His brows were furrowed as if he did not understand it.
“In gifts, it’s a cliché to say that it’s the thought that counts. But for me, it’s true. I’d rather receive something someone made rather than receive something very expensive that someone chose out of a shop.” I explained further.
Finally, Thanatos nodded. I laughed again for I loved just how innocent he was of this world. I know that he represents Death... But deep inside he’s as pure as driven snow...
I smiled at the thought and looked at him. “Aren’t you going to join the next games?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Eros told me that the next game is Zeus playing chess with Poseidon. And then there’s this huge chessboard where the Gods play the pieces. Eros said it takes a very long time. I’m not usually present in this games so there’s no more spot for me.” He said with a sad shake of his head.
“Aw... Too bad... If you could choose one chess piece to play. What would you choose?” I asked him while I touched the pearls absentmindedly.
He was silent for a long time. “Maybe a knight.” He answered with a small smile. The edge of his lips was turned up and he looked so very freakin’ sexy. I swallowed the lump in my throat as my traitorous mind chose that moment to replay a certain memory: a memory of Thanatos by the lake as he stripped off his armor and spread his wings.
Holy freakin’ moly!
I felt my face flame as my brain played the memory vividly. My eyes roamed over all the hard planes in his chest... And then trailed lower to his washboard abs. Instantly, I recalled Emma Stone’s line in Crazy Stupid Love as Ryan Gosling took off his shirt:
“Seriously? It’s like you’re photo shopped!”
Yeahp. Thanatos definitely looked photo shopped.
And it didn’t even end there. He just had to spread those beautiful white wings and stretch them to their limits. When he did that, my hand instinctively moved forward, recalling the feeling when I touched those soft, white feathers in the Underworld.
But the vision of his wings only lasted for a moment for he quickly tucked them back. And then I was snapped out of my crazy, lust-filled moment when the other goddesses screamed their appreciation at Thanatos’ body.
My face flamed for my mom was one of those. Oh gods, talk about embarrassment!
“Aurea?” Thanatos asked softly.
Jeez. I just realized that I completely spazzed out there and didn’t hear whatever it was that he told me.
“Sorry?”
“I asked if you would like to go somewhere for now. We could stay here but I could show you the other places I love. Remember our deal in the radio station?” he asked.
“Of course, I remember!” I replied and my face split into a wide grin.
“So would you like to go?” he asked. There was this hopeful look in his eyes. It was a look which you couldn’t just say no to. It was like a cute little puppy asking you to lift him up and cuddle.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“Give me a minute. There’s just so many great locations around the world that it’s hard to choose.” He answered with a nervous chuckle.
“It’s alright. Take all the time you need.” I replied.
While waiting, my mind drifted once more. My memory took me to the lake again. After snapping out of my lust-filled trance for Thanatos, I looked towards the other side of the river where Achilles started to strip too.
Yes, he also had a hot, gorgeous body worthy of a Greek marble sculpture... But sad to say, he did nothing for my libido. I stared and stared but I just found him hot. Plain hot.
Not super duper mega ultra hot.
“Aurea?” Thanatos’ voice reached me again.
And again, I spazzed out.
“Sorry? Didn’t catch that.” I told him.
His face hardened. “Please tell me if I am boring you. I am really sorry but I do not seem to be good at this conversation stuff.” He said in an apologetic tone.
“Oh, no! No!” I said and I grabbed his arm.
“You’re really good at this! It’s just that I... My thoughts are drifting off. I really had fun today at the games and my brain seems to want to recall every moment.” I said. It wasn’t really a lie but I couldn’t just very well tell him that I am recalling the images of his half-naked body on the lake.
“I think I know the best place.” He said.
“What is it?” I asked excitedly.
“You’d just have to wait and see.” He told me with a wink.
Before I could react, he grabbed my hand and I darkness surrounded both of us as he teleported us to the surprise place.
I opened my eyes again and we were in some kind of a large circular room. There was a small crowd and I realized that they were tourists. They had cameras strapped around their necks and they were standing in front of glass windows which overlooked into a vast skyline.
“Welcome to Dubai.” Thanatos whispered in my ear.
“We’re in Dubai?” I squeaked. I could hardly keep the excitement out of my voice as I turned to face him. He lazily lounged against one of the glasses as he nodded at me.
“We’re in ‘At the Top’. This is the 124th floor which is the observation deck of the tallest building in the world, Burj Khalifa.”
“You gotta be shitting me. This is so cool!” I exclaimed.
Thanatos’ brows drew together in confusion. “I do not understand this phrase.” He told me.
I rolled my eyes. “It’s one of those slang phrases. Never mind.” I answered.
“Eros also uses phrases like those which I also do not understand.” He told me.
“I’ll teach you some other time!” I told him and pulled his hand so we could go away from the crowded tourists and towards one of the tall glass windows. I placed my hands on the window and looked at the amazing view outside.
“It’s beautiful!” I exclaimed. I heard Thanatos sigh.
“Yes...” he answered. But I saw that he was not looking at the view. Instead, he was looking at me...
My heart faltered in my chest and then it seemed to stop and miss a beat as those blue-slash-grey eyes of his bored into me. Those eyes of his always seemed to look past my physical appearance and deep into my very soul. When he looked at me, it was as if he was searching for something in the depths of my mind.
And when I looked back at him, my entire body would always shiver. And I would feel this lovely anticipation building inside of me...
“Hey, miss. Can I take a picture of the two of you?” a little boy tugged on the skirt of my gown.
I looked down at him and realized that I was still in my Greek gown with this extravagant pearls in my hair and the gold bangles on my arm. Plus the pearl and diamond bracelet Thanatos gave me. And speaking of Thanatos, he was still wearing his armor.
I also noticed that some of the tourists now had their attention at Thanatos and me. I smiled at the little boy.
“There’s a Greek convention in one of the lower floors that’s why we’re dressed like this. Of course you could snap a picture.” I told the little boy. I also made sure that my voice was loud enough for the other tourists to hear.
The boy smiled at me.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“Colin.” He replied.
I stood next to Thanatos and then smiled.
“The guy besides you looks uncomfortable. Can you please hold her hand or something?” The boy directed his question towards Thanatos. Thanatos smiled at the boy and then to me. He stepped closer to me and placed his arm around my waist.
The boy’s smile became a grin and he started taking photos using his Polaroid camera.
I turned around and stood face-to-face with Thanatos. He was about a foot taller than me so he looked down on me. I placed my hands on his armoured chest while he wrapped his hands around my fingers. It was a very close and intimate gesture and again, it made my heart skip a beat.
With him like this, I felt as if everything was right.
It was as if this is how things are meant to be...
I felt a blush creep on my cheeks and then I felt uncomfortable. To take away the uncomfortable silence, I decided to get creative. I held my head up regally like a Greek goddess. Thanatos caught my drift and he drew his sword and raised it high for the boy’s benefit. We made some more weird poses and the boy squealed his delight and snapped away with his camera.
I laughed and I heard Thanatos husky laughter beside me. I didn’t even think something as simple as this would be fun. I smiled at Thanatos and he smiled back at me. With that wonderful smile, a tingling feeling started on the base of my spine and then spread throughout my entire body.
“Thank you so much!” the boy said as he began waving around the Polaroid images he got from us. He waited for the images to appear and then squealed with delight when he saw them. He began to sort them out. He placed the ones with the weird poses in his jacket and then he started to study the others.
“For you, lady.” He told me as he handed me one of the photographs. It was the one taken of me and Thanatos as we stood facing each other. My hands were on his chest and he was smiling down at me with that crooked smile of his that I loved so much.
My heart beat faster with excitement and delight at that rare moment being captured. I didn’t even mind that I looked like an idiot staring at him with wide eyes and a blush in my cheeks. What I cared about is that his smile was captured in a photograph. Something I could look at forever...
“And for you, mister.” The boy held out another photograph for Thanatos. He bent down and ruffled the boy’s hair as he accepted the Polaroid picture the boy offered him.
“Thank you. I will treasure this always.” He told the boy. The boy nodded to him and then he waved us goodbye before he returned to his parents.
I glanced down to look at the photograph that the boy gave Thanatos. It was one of the more candid shots that the boy took of us. We were standing side-by side- with his arm wrapped around my waist. I bent my body forward and I was blowing a kiss into the camera. Thanatos was beside me with one of his arms wrapped around my waist and the other one was above my head, giving me bunny ears.
I laughed at the photograph. It was a damned good one. But I won’t replace the one I have with that for the one I had captured Thanatos’ beautiful smile.
Thanatos slowly stood up and I saw him look at the photograph with an intense expression. It was as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. It was also as if he was feeling something very, very deep. His eyes shone with an unknown emotion.
“Thanatos?” I asked softly.
My voice seemed to snap him out of his deep trance. “Yes?” he answered me. His voice broke and it was as if he wasn’t able to contain the deep emotion inside him. He coughed to draw away attention from the slip in his voice.
“I have an even better view.” He said and then he took my hand again and teleported.
When the darkness from my vision cleared, we were no longer in the Observation Deck but in the topmost floor itself!
“Careful.” Thanatos cautioned. He was looking at me with a weird expression.
“Is it too cold up here? Do you have difficulty breathing? We’re very high above the ground.” He asked worriedly.
“I’m fine. It’s perfect! Don’t worry about me, Thanatos. I won’t break. I’m immortal too.” I answered with a wink.
I inhaled deeply and then opened my eyes and took in the beautiful view of the city of Dubai.
“Gods, this is so beautiful!” I exclaimed.
Thanatos was silent as he took in the view also. “How did you know about this?” I asked him.
“I use my free time travelling. I like to go to the places where there aren’t many people. That way, I can be myself. I can let my emotions flow freely without causing anyone to die.” He answered.
I sighed for I instantly felt sorry for him. I saw how rigid his control over his emotions is. And I wondered how it would be if he could be free to feel emotions like the rest of us without allowing his aura to cause deaths.
“Wait here. I’ll go get us food.” Thanatos told me. Before I could answer, he disappeared. I sat in one corner and leaned across one of the beams as I watched the view of the city before me.
A few moments later, Thanatos returned and he was balancing a tray in one hand with a bucket of ice with a bottle of wine and two champagne glasses on the other hand. A linen was also draped on his arm.
“I robbed the exclusive restaurant downstairs. But don’t tell anyone.” He told me with a wink as he laid out the napkin in one of the raised slabs of stone on the building. I couldn’t help it as laughter shook my entire body. The thought of Thanatos slipping into the kitchen and robbing food was just too precious.
Thanatos set down the tray and started to arrange the silverware. I helped him arrange everything while he grabbed the champagne bottle.
He took off the cork with his bare hand and started to pour champagne in the two glasses
“To your first time Dubai!” he said as he raised his glass. I smiled at him as I picked up my own glass and clinked it with his.
“To an amazing day with you.” I answered. I saw surprise flare in his blue-grey eyes before he regained himself and bumped my glass with his.
We both drank our champagne and then sat down on the floor with the raised slab acting as a table between us.
I saw that Thanatos took two plates of rib-eye steak in barbecue sauce. It also had mashed potato and some corn and carrots in butter.
Deym! One of my favourites! Aside from Pizza and Pasta, of course.
My mouth instantly watered as I picked up the silverware. “This is excellent! I have to say that you are definitely the best food robber ever.” I teased. My words were rewarded with Thanatos’ deep throaty laughter.
“Thank you, milady.” He replied in a mock-gallant voice.
“I apologize if we are here instead of the restaurant downstairs. I just hate fine dining and there’s too many people down there. I am afraid to lose control of my emotions...” he explained hesitantly.
I reached forward and placed my finger on his lips. I felt a spark of electricity when my finger touched his chiselled lips. That spark travelled from my finger to my spine and made me forget for a moment what I was about to say.
After a few moments of gaping there like an idiot with my finger on his lips, I finally remembered what I was supposed to say:
“Stop. This is excellent. I’ll let you in on a little secret. I hate fine dining too! What we have here is the best dinner of my entire life. Ever.” I added in emphasis.
Thanatos grinned and I saw him sigh with relief.
I waved my hand and indicated the stunning view before us. “And this is the best view ever. Plus the dinner. Plus the champagne. Plus the companion. Equals perfect.” I told him with a wink.
When I finished my statement, he was about to bring a piece of steak into his mouth with his fork. My words seemed to have stunned him for the food stopped midway into his mouth. He froze like that and after a few seconds, the steak dropped down into his plate.
I can’t really help it. I burst out in laughter and even slapped my knees for I was laughing too hard. There even came a point in time when I was laughing so hard there wasn’t even any sound. Thanatos looked aghast for a moment and then he too, joined in on the laughter.
“Days with you are the best, Thanatos. I will save this day in my “Best Days Ever” folder.” I told him.
“What days are included in that folder?” he asked.
“Well, there’s my eighteenth birthday. And then there’s also this year’s Valentine’s Day. The one we spent pigging out. And then there’s also the night on the radio station. There’s really many more but this outshines them all.” I answered, ticking the list off my fingers.
I saw his chest swell with pride.
He filled out wine glasses once more and raised his glass in another toast.
“To many more ‘Best Days Ever’ to come.” He toasted.
I lifted my glass and grinned very, very widely.
“To many more ‘Best Days Ever’ to come.” I repeated as I bumped my wineglass against his.
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