A Better World (Record of Ragnarok x Reader)

Chapter 13 - All for her

Dawn had broken, yet [Name] was still cursing her ancestor's name. Mumbles such as 'that damn bastard', 'son of a bitch', and 'failed abortion' were carried away by silent breezes and spread through the entirety of the gardens. Nehemia and Fenrys had decided that perhaps it was best to give her some time alone, to ease her mind, and to not be on the receiving end of her wrath.

The secluded area she had chosen to vent her anger, was encased by tall multicoloured glass walls – one single tunnel leading in and out of the open-air greenhouse with exotic plants flanking the blue, pink, and green glass. [Name] stared into the glistering water of the stone fountain in the very centre of the enclosed space, one foot still on the cobblestone ground while her other knee rested on the fountain edge.

And for a flashing second, as she heard cascading water rush and break and splash into more water, she seriously contemplated summoning that useless ancestor of hers and drowning him in the fountain. Damn you for already being dead. Apparently, a night full of training and sweating had done next to nothing to lower her cortisol levels - if anything, it had the opposite effect.

Her ears picked up the echoes of leather shoes treading through the tunnel nearing her. "Lady [Name]? May I ask why you're looking into the water like you are about to kill it?" Without looking, she could already tell who that polite, yet slightly snarky voice belonged to.

"What is it you want, Hermes?" she snapped, still staring at the falling water. He gave a slight bow with his usual smile on his face.

"Am I not allowed to talk to my friend?"

[Name] snorted, "Has hell frozen for us to be friends?"

Hermes ignored her comment. "I simply wondered why my friend was so distressed. That is all." He didn't plan on asking her, but somehow, he felt the need to. "Is it because of the battle you are to participate in?"

[Name] finally looked at him, and if eyes could end lives, hers would end the entire world. "My mood has absolutely nothing to do with the battle and all to do with that absolute moron people refer to as King Solomon."

Hermes muffled a laugh, "Family problems?"

Her eyes softened a bit, as she made a whirl and sat on the fountain edge. "Ancestral problems to be more specific." Hermes was about to open his mouth to ask what Solomon had done, but one look at [Name] and he changed his mind. How did she even speak with Solomon?

Hermes had always had a keen intellect, but for some odd reason, he could not bring himself to understand the woman before him, whether that was her actions or background. He had gathered small pieces of information, but instead of helping him paint the whole picture, it seemed to blur it instead.

"You have been awfully quiet," [Name] muttered, sitting with one knee up to her chest, observing him as she heard light splashes of droplets behind her. A cat, Hermes thought. Her stare reminded him of a black cat.

A smile crept to her face when he did not answer. "Trying to get a read on me, but failing miserably, god?"

Putting a smile on his face, Hermes made his way toward her. When he was in front of her, he leaned in closer, placing his hands on either side of her as he said, "And what if I have, Lady [Name]?"

[Name] brought her hand to his chin, letting her thumb graze his soft bottom lip – causing his smile to waver. "Then I hope you never stop. Because nothing brings me more joy than seeing a god fail," she cooed. Hermes' eyes widened.

It had all gone by so fast.

It took him a second to process her fingers wrapping around his seven-fold tie, and the strong tug he felt as the silk material tightened against the nape of his neck. And it had taken him even longer to understand that they were falling – falling into the fountain. His vision turned dark the moment his head was underwater, but Hermes quickly braced his hands against the fountain floor and pushed himself up. Eyes wide, he could do nothing but stare at the woman underneath him – propping herself up with her elbows. Her clothes were drenched – partly see-through and her wet hair clung to her skin.