Mini-story: The one that got away

Chapter 3 * Face it

"You what?" Athena asked.

Even though her voice sounded normal, Nike couldn't detect any kind of emotion in her voice. As if her wife was trying to stay objective at all costs. However the angel knew very well this new knowledge had a huge impact on the wisdom goddess.

Anything related to Metis had that effect on Athena. Mostly because she hardly knew her mother. Hearing about her was often a rather hard subject to deal with.

"I can't tell you that." Nike muttered, not wanting to hurt her wife any more than she had to.

"You liked her." The daughter of Zeus stated, seemingly having puzzled the pieces together after a moment of silence.

The angel wanted to come up with an excuse, tell her it wasn't true, but she couldn't lie like that.

"Yes, I did."

As she laid against her wife's chest Nike could feel her breathing stop for a moment, just as she heard Athena's heartbeat hammering in her chest. She might be able to hide everything on the outside, but over the centuries the victory goddess had learnt that didn't mean her wife wasn't feeling anything.

"I'm going to need you to give me some space for a moment." The wisdom goddess stated.

The victory goddess felt the pang of hurt she had dreaded so much stab her through her chest, but she didn't object. She peeled herself off her wife's chest and sat back.

Nike watched as Athena rose to her full length and walked out of the library. She swore she could have seen the wisdom goddess wipe a tear from her eye.

As soon as her wife left Nike sighed. She hated this because she knew this one would run deep for the both of them.

Her eyes fell on the book on the coffee table in front of her once more. The urge to throw it across the library was huge, but she couldn't do that to Athena. She already had so little of her mother, she couldn't risk Metis' work getting damaged or lost.

"What do you do to me?" The angel muttered to the woman she knew was no longer here to listen or reply.

Nike's feet touched the cool rock of the lake. She didn't bother with sandals most of the time. She'd much rather feel all the textures beneath her feet.

"Good morning." The voice of Metis greeted her.

"Morning." The angel replied in a cheerful mood.

She sat down next to the titaness as usual.

"You're early, usually you don't come by until noon."

"I was able to get out of the underworld sooner today. A couple of gods were having a competition, you know I have to be there to judge." The victory goddess grinned.

"A contest? This early in the morning?" Metis wondered.

"Don't ask me. They wanted to know who could run faster, I just did my job."

The victory goddess let out a chuckle. For a moment wonder seemed to strike Metis' eyes. But it was gone as fast as it came, so Nike blamed it on her imagination.

"Anyway, what are you up to titaness of wisdom?" The angel asked with a grin still on her face.

"I was writing down some of my ideologies." She replied, showing Nike her notebook.

"I hope the next generation of gods will be willing to take up a book and learn from the past."

Metis' eyes turned glossy as her mind seemed to drift away slightly. She looked down at her stomach and placed a hand on it.

Something clicked inside Nike's mind. Something that both repulsed her and made her incredibly happy for her friend.

"Are you-?" She started asking.

The titaness looked up towards her again and started smiling wide.

"Pregnant?" Metis finished for her.

Nike nodded.

"I am." 

On one hand the victory goddess couldn't be happier. She knew Metis had been wanting a child with her husband, Zeus, for quite a while now. On the other hand, extreme jealousy filled the angel's gut. Obviously she knew she never stood a chance against Zeus for Metis' hand, but that didn't mean she wasn't willing to try.

"Congratulations!" Nike smiled, forcing her jealousy down.

She refused to let her own feelings ruin her best friend's happiness. The angel hugged her friend.

"I can't wait for you to meet them." Metis grinned, an eager light shining in her eyes.

"And I can't wait to hand them their first victory." Nike winked.

The angel stared at the ceiling. She needed to get out of here. Normally when she felt like this she'd just go find Athena, but that wasn't really an option right now. Her wife asked for space so she'd give it to her, no matter how desperate she was to feel her strong arms wrapped around her.

Instead she decided on the stables where she would find her beloved anemoi. With a flash of bright light the angel flashed herself to the Olympian stables. Four horses immediately felt their charioteer's presence and turned their heads towards her.

Boreas, the anemoi of the northern wind and the leader of the four knocked his hoof against the stable door. He seemed to notice the victory goddess' melancholic mood. He neighed, seemingly calling her to come closer.

Nike walked up to the snow white horse and started petting him, to the dismay of the other three.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll take you guys out don't worry." She managed to grin.