The Seeds of Wrath

20

I can't believe that I'm doing this.
My heart was hammering in my chest, keeping time with the pounding rain that surrounded me. The hoodie that I had grabbed on my way out of the house was practically useless against the wet, doused completely only moments after I'd left my house. I didn't care, though.

I was running as fast as I could, rushing before I could talk myself out of this. Pushing past the underbrush of the little bit of forest that I had to walk through to get to Hermes' house, I felt my feet slip from beneath me. I stumbled, fumbling wildly as I tried to regain my footing. It was to no avail; I fell to the ground, splashing in the mud, but I didn't care. I just knew that I needed to get to the house.
My mind was reeling with thoughts, doubts of my worthiness. I berated myself internally; isn't revealing your feeling for somebody supposed to be romantic? I was a mess, still in my pajamas, and now I was covered in mud. I hesitated only for a moment, wondering if I should turn back and change into something more appropriate for the weather.

If I went back now, I would talk myself out of this.
I decided not to think about it; I would only get more anxious if I let myself think on it. My stomach was already twisting itself into pretzels, the desperate thoughts clouding my ability to think straight.

What if...what if I was too late? What if he didn't want me anymore? Why would he even say yes to me. He... My mind was racing faster than my feet, my heart pounding wildly in my ears. In the distance, I could see the lights of his house; my eyes trained on my destination, not letting myself think of anything else.

I was so focused on his house; I suddenly felt myself slam into something hard, the breath rushing from my lungs as I pinwheeled my arms, trying frantically not to fall backwards. Something warm wrapped around my waist, pulling me back upright and my eyes locking on the green ones of the person that I'd just been trying to see.
Gasping for air, I found myself unable to think straight.

"Aeteia?" Hermes' eyes were wide as he tightened his grip on my waist, only making me blush harder than I already was. The rain around us seemed to batter at our skin, frantically trying to join in on the conversation. "What the actual fuck are you doing here?" My feet and legs suddenly felt as if they'd been filled with sand, my mouth turning try as I tried to force the oxygen to rush through my lungs. I couldn't seem to pull my gaze from his, beginning to shiver in the cold that I was being shielded from by...him. All I could feel was his warmth, which radiated off of him in a comforting way.

He pulled me closer to him, as if realizing the temperature himself. His eyes were intense with emotion, his voice somewhat softer as he looked me over. "And why are you in your pajamas?"

I hesitated, my face just inches from his now as he pulled me in. Another shiver ran down my spine, this time from the touch. My mouth opened a closed a few times before I was finally able to get the words to come out. "I..I wanted to see you." His eyes were so beautiful, like emeralds that had been polished. The rain was not helping me to stay focused; his hair was wet, soaked through, and his skin on his face was glistening a heavenly glow. I felt as if the rest of the world had melted away, my eyes moving between his eyes and his lips a few times.

His face seemed to relax, his eyes melting into pools as he smiled, his gaze moving up and down me one more time. He sighed softly, his voice a little rough as he spoke. "This couldn't have waited until morning?"

I hesitated, "I..." His eyes were guarded, as if he was expecting me to say something mean. I blushed a bit at his gaze, looking to the ground finally as I finished, "No, it couldn't." It was only now that I began to feel self-conscious about the fact that I was in my pajamas.

Maybe I should've changed into actual clothes.

As if a switch had been flipped in his mind, his eyebrows knitted together, worry evident in his gaze. "You shouldn't be out here in the rain like this. You're in your pajamas, Aeteia. You're going to catch a cold, or worse." He moved back a little bit, taking a hold of my hand before his began to half-tug me towards his house. He pulled me inside without hesitation, only disappearing long enough for him to grab me a towel and a blanket. He began to walk through the living room, picking up random clothes from a shelf beside his couch and handing them to me. "Here, put these on, dry yourself off and wrap up in the blanket. Just let me know when you're done, okay? I'm going to make you some hot cocoa."