Thief Of Truth's Heart

Chapter 22

"Phoebus, I am sorry!!"

"I am not listening to you this time."

"Phoebus please!! I will never do this again. I swear on my chocolates that I nicked off your portion!!"

"Then we have to start removing all chocolates from the house already- wait a minute, what do you mean by my portion? Well, nevermind. You are not getting out of this though."

"Have mercy?"

"I am ruthless."

"You are a softie."

"Lana, you know it. This is for your own good, isn't it? Don't fight me over this, my love."

"I don't like this. Please Phoebus, once was more than enough. I can't take it again."

"If you couldn't have taken it again, then why did you try to go down the stairs on your own to get to the kitchen in the middle of the night? I was right there and you could have woken me up, but did you do that? No. Instead, you went alone and almost tumbled down from the top of the staircase.", Apollo ranted while bandaging up the cut on his pouting best friend's right foot. "Thankfully, I woke up after hugging the empty bedside and rushed out to see you about to fall from the top of the stairs. What would have happened if I wasn't there to catch you? Hmm?"

Atlanta whimpered and looked at her best friend with her helpless baby seal eyes. "Phoebus, I knew that you would always be there to catch me. And I didn't tumble down now, did I? Please take off the bandage and get the slimy stuff off my skin?"

Apollo resolutely shook his head. "Not a chance, Lana. As much as I love your flattery, you need to recover. So do the kids from the excitement of the night. I think your body is now struggling to support your additional weight and that's why you became unbalanced. You cut your foot at a sharp corner of the staircase. That's it, I am putting you on bedrest for the remaining period of your pregnancy."

Atlanta stopped whimpering and gave a wide eyed look to her best friend. "You can't do this!! I am the daughter of the Sea!! And the Sea-"

"-cannot be restrained, I know. But you can't go around without any supervision anymore, Lana. It will be risky for you to walk around without somebody by your side all the time. It's the best option for the three of you. You understand, don't you sunshine?", Apollo asked his wife sweetly.

Atlanta huffed and gave an angry pout. "I hate it when you make sense. And I don't like the idea of having to stay on bedrest either."

Apollo laughed before gently helping his wife from her seated position on their bed to lie down for her sleep. "I know that you are no fan of the idea. But we all have to do stuff sometimes that we aren't happy about out of sheer necessity. I will bring cookies of Aunt Hestia tomorrow. Now go to sleep."

After struggling for a comfortable position to sleep in, Atlanta answered back. "Phoebus, I have to attend to my duties too. What about them? And who will make the meals if I don't?"

"Triton offered to take on your duties temporarily till you are back to your full strength as he doesn't have much duties to begin with. As for the food, not bragging, but I am quite a decent chef.", Apollo told his wife while lying down next to her.

Atlanta gave him a blank stare. "No offense Phoebus, but you can't cook to save your life."

"I can make scrambled eggs!!"

"But that's about it.", Atlanta ignored her husband's protest while pouting at her bandaged leg and finally finding a good position for going back to sleep. "I don't want you to burn the house down."