are you mine[?]

.quatorze.

Patroclus stared at Nico, both having changed their clothes. Nico was now wearing a white sweater over his button-up and his black leather boots. Patroclus had changed into black pants and a crimson red sweater with his black coat over it.

"Patroclus?"

He shook himself out of the daze. "Sorry. Where're we going?"

"Hmm... the cafe?"

"The cafe," Patroclus mused, following the younger boy out of the castle.

The cafe was the only cafe in the entire city and was fairly close to the castle. There was a path through the well-preserved woods that Patroclus took, and Nico had taken to using it as well.

As they passed by, several dryads giggled and threw leaves and flowers at them, making Patroclus blush with the resemblance to a wedding ceremony. Several more danced around them as they walked the path into town. Nico ignored the dancing around them and he dragged Patroclus after him with a rare smile lighting up his face.

People turned when they exited the woods and bowed. Patroclus greeted several, Nico continuing to pull him off in the direction of the cafe.

"King Patroclus!" the cafe owner greeted with a grin. "Ghost King! What can I get you two?"

"Hmm... anything new?"

"We have... darling? What's new?"

Her wife came out from the back, carrying a fresh tray of scones.

"Oh, hello!" she greeted. "The newest is... oh, these scones and I think we have a new smoothie. Maybe... there it is!"

Aurelia wiped her hands on her apron and pointed toward the new smoothie. Light concentrated around it and the Roman daughter of Apollo kissed her wife and disappeared around back again.

"You know what?" Patroclus said as the light went back to normal. "Charlotte, can we help out here? We've nothing to do."

"Oh!" The mortal woman blinked in surprise. "I mean, sure, but it's not exactly easy. Speaking of — AURELIA! THE DISHWASHER'S BROKE!"

"I KNOW!"

"This is chaos," Nico muttered.

"Chaotic Lesbians," Patroclus confirmed. "Hey, we can be the organized gays."

He winked at Nico, receiving a red-cheeked shove.

Charlotte turned back around and offered them aprons with the slogan, "The Best Cafe in All of Rome and Troy Combined".

"Amazing," Patroclus chuckled. He took off his coat and made Nico give up his white sweater.

He made a face, but complied, leaving the two to spend the rest of the day in the cafe.

It was nicer than the castle, and defied the still-gloomy feeling of New Troy. It was filled with sweet-smelling candles and fresh and dried flowers. The bookcase had old books, written in Anatolian and other old Trojan, Ancient Greek, Latin, and English. Fairy lights were wound around the exposed beams and the lights dim but still bright enough for students to study and older people to sit down with a Shakespearean comedy.

Suffice to say, Patroclus enjoyed their day in the cafe.

}{}{}{

I have used all of my pre written chapters. Yikes.