KEEPSAKE

chapter seventeen

17 STEPPING STONE

"LIKE THIS?" ADONIS ASKED, SQUINTING HIS EYES AND THROWING THE FLAT ROCK IN THE WATER.

     Artemis couldn't stop the laugh that fell from her lips. The two had been talking about hobbies and when Artemis mentioned she liked skipping rocks to pass time, Adonis begged her to teach her how. 

     The goddess shook her head at Adonis, "No, you have to stand sidewa—here, let me help." She said, stepping closer so she stood behind Adonis. She put her hands on either side of his hips and positioned his body to stand sideways by the water shore. Adonis made a protesting noise but Artemis shushed him.

     She then went on, squeezing her own foot between his legs and pushing them so they were about a foot apart.

    The close proximity was heated. Sparks of static dance the air around them. The thin material of his shirt hides nothing to the imagination of what lies underneath. Tough bony muscles on his hip bones dig in to her palm, that's still sculpted around him. His foot lightly pressing into her ankle, like a cat and mouse game—daring the other not to move.

    "This right?" He asked, looking at Artemis over his shoulder. That did nothing to help the agonizing uneasiness between the two.  The way he looked at her like he grasped onto every single word that poured from her tantalizing mouth.

     Yet she only nodded in response. Taking a step back, she folded her arms and leant away to watch Adonis.

     He bobbed his adam's apple before returning his gaze to the water. Leaning down, he picked up a flat stone, brought it back once and then he released it.

     It paddled against the water surface—once, twice—three times! Even though Artemis was skilled enough to get a total of four, she was impressed. The art of skipping stones could take days to accomplish. But then again, it seemed everything came easy to Adonis.

    "Woohoo!" Adonis cheered cheekily with a dimple-full smile.

     Artemis clapped her hands nonchalantly with a lazy grin, "Okay, okay. That was...decent." She teased.

     He laughed with a scoff. Pressing his palm to his chest, he gasped, "Oh, I see how it is. Please, show me how it's done." He started, stepping back and gesturing for Artemis to step forward.

     "With pleasure." Artemis' eyes lurched down at the shore, tilting back and forth, searching for just the right stone.

    "Do I suspect..a chicken?" Adonis asked from behind Artemis, making fake chicken noises.

     Without turning back to face him, she shot back, "Shut up!" She snagged a stone, got into position, inhaled, pulled her arm back, threw the stone, and exhaled.

     One. Two. Three. Four.

     "Hmm." Artemis smirked snobbishly. She turned to see a gaping Adonis with his jaw hanging, and bowed.

     "Now that's..wow." He said, smiling.

     "Thanks, my mom taught me when I was a kid. She wanted to teach Apollo too, but he was busy with girls and pleasantries." She made a look.

     "Ah." Adonis nodded, understandingly. "Wanna start walking?"

     "We should. Come, on."

     And then they were off. It was quite easy for the two to step back into their normal comfortable silence. The chirping birds, streaming water producing the only sounds. The eerie air also contributed to their routine, encasing them in a serene oxygenated atmosphere that allowed their hearts to feel something more than the others presence.