Silver Lining [Mick Schumacher]

You Are In Love

And you understand now why they lost their minds and fought the wars
And why I've spent my whole life tryin' to put it into words
'Cause you can hear in the silence
You can feel it on the way home
You can see it with the lights out
You Are In Love (Taylor's Version); Taylor Swift

-

Ethan's disappearing figure signaled Mick to emerge from the shadows. Although his mind warned him against asking questions whose answers were clear as day, he did it anyway, "you know him?"

"Unfortunately," Hestia grunted as she was absently staring in front of her, shocked at her own stupidity, "what was Genevieve for you, was Ethan for me," she let out a sigh, "he gave me the right amount of attention at the wrong time." She should have known. It was right in front of her the whole time, in plain sight like a glass onion. Genevieve wasn't a girl's girl. It was all a part of the plan because this woman only cared about herself. Hestia never meant to go to war, she enlisted against her will. And despite knowing how wretched this game was to be, Genevieve teaming up with Ethan was not on her bingo card.

"What did he tell you?" Mick heard the sense of irritation that flowed out of him effortlessly. He couldn't believe someone this miserable and pointless had even the slightest change with Hestia. She was so intelligent, creative, she always made him laugh. Not to mention her breathtaking features. How could someone so many ranks below snatch her heart?

"Eh, nothing interesting, unfortunately," Hestia pursed her lips, hoping that Mick wouldn't see right through her. She couldn't tell him the truth yet. Not until she confronted the serpent, "do you want to come back?"

Mick looked in the direction of the center. The idea of returning to the lion's den and Gabriel's judging eyes didn't excite him too much, "eh-"

"It was enough for you, wasn't it?" Hestia chuckled, "I agree."

Mick suddenly grew shy as he considered his next words, "I don't want the night to end yet." Being alone with Hestia had never made him anxious before. It all changed when they started expecting more from each other. But this more was a forest fire: burning, hungry, devastating. The grass was too dry, it was bound to happen. The only question was when.

"If you don't want the night to end, then don't end it," Hestia held the door open for Mick to enter. He didn't want to say it out loud, but this was the true highlight of the evening. Little moments when he could discover a new detail about her were his favorite type of scavenger hunt. No spectators, no performance, no based on true events...only the realest reality.

"I wanted to thank you again for your help with the...you know, Sangría situation," Hestia said when they sat on the couch together, sipping an iced coffee at midnight.

"How did it even start?"

"I was sixteen and fucking miserable. I used to always blame someone else because I was simply too proud to admit that the only person who put me in this situation was myself, my own voice," Hestia tugged one of the pillow's ends, "it all seemed normal at first, I was doing the same as everyone else. Until it was Sunday evening and it was just me with the bottle, all alone in a dark apartment," Hestia chuckled dryly, "it washed away any insecurity. I didn't feel a single thing and it was...perfect. Life was suddenly so easy, bearable, interesting...I was interesting," Mick tensed at her words. He wanted to shake with her, screaming that she was fascinating, even without motivational drinks or magical pills. How could she not see what he saw so vividly and perfectly? Even if she saw herself as a failed soldier, in his eyes, she was a national hero, "the first time I saw myself in the mirror after my overdose I was shocked. Disgusted. There was a ghost who looked nothing like me. Every time I relapsed, I remembered that reflection. That was a wake-up call for me. I didn't want to live like this, destroying the ones I love the most. I want to win this great war between me and myself to prove myself I can.".