Olympus Falling

Aspen

Aida was asleep sprawled across Aspen's bed. Aspen laid awake next to her. Listening to the lul of her steady breathing. There was something about this girl that had Aspen on edge. Before she had fallen asleep they had a very long argument about who would sleep on the bed. Aida argued that Aspen should since it was his house. Aspen argued that Aida should because she was a guest and a woman. That angered Aida and they settled the argument by deciding that both of them should sleep on the bed. As long as Aspen kept his distance because Aida was still in fact being courted by Tarius.

Aspen turned on his back and stared at the canopy above his bed. He found himself turning his head to look at Aida again. It was not only that she was beautiful. There was something else. He felt like he had known her his whole life and she was destined to be with him. But those thoughts were absurd. She was being courted by Tarius son of Hades. The eldest son of Hades. Aspen could not compete with that. He was the son of Ares, he was not even the eldest.

Aida began to stir in her sleep disturbed by her dreams. She dreamt of many things, not being able to focus on one aspect alone. Aspen drew a shaky breath as Aida turned to face him laying on her side. Her hair fanned behind her, the braid she had in early was removed for sleep. Aspen reach out to her but refrained himself from touching her. His hand fell onto the bed half way in between them. With that he closed his eyes. The sounds of Aida's breath his comfort. Slowly he fell into a dreamless sleep.

Aida was awake by a loud crash. She shot up from the bed knife in her hand ready to be thrown, she looked around the unfamiliar room. A tall man with brown hair stood before her. She took in his features.

"Darius?" Her voice arose from the quite air. Darius stood before her with a guilty look on his face. The brass sword that he had just dropped was now in his hand and the tips of his ears turned a bright pink.

"Good morning Aida." Darius corrected his stance and cleared his throat. Aspen the whole time remained asleep completely obvious what had just happened.

"Morning." Aida nodded in return and took a seat at Aspen's dresser. She found it odd for a man to have a mirror in his room.

"Aspen is obsessed with looking perfect. That is why he keeps a mirror in here. He also will not rise at the crack of dawn." Darius sighed and tread towards the sleeping Aspen. "I warn you this may not be pretty."

"I have seen many not pretty things." Aida began to braid her hair back. Darius looked at her in wonder. Women were never meant to gaze upon anything not pretty. Especially someone as beautiful as Aida. Once her hair was done Aida stood up and went behind curtain to change. Darius turned away from her to allow her privacy and he threw a bucket of water on Aspen.

"Ahhhggggg." Aspen shot up from his bed pulling the knife out that he kept under his pillow. He swung it a Darius. Darius narrowly dodged the blade, it snagged his shirt in the process. Darius grabbed Aspen and turned him around. Aspen saw Aida dressed in men's clothing and froze.

"Aida?" Aspen didn't even notice that Darius still had a firm grip on him. Aida let out a full laugh that sounded like bells to their ears. She laughed so hard that a year escaped from her eye.

"Darius. My dear friend." She paused trying not to laugh. " I could have awoken Aspen myself. If I knew it would be such a hassle."

"Then I would lose out on all the fun." Darius released Aspen. Aspen turned to Darius and stared at him with a bored expression.

"When did you arrive." Aspen yawned and stretched. At some point in the night he had removed his shirt. Aida admired the way his muscles flexed in the faint candle light. The way his body was chiseled out. She quickly averted her eyes away from him. Aida was being courted by Tarius.