Horns & Talons

Chapter One

-Athena's POV-

Swallowing, I judged my options. Both seemed equal in their promises of happiness, joy, and ever lasting love. My eyes darted between the two. On one hand, the sweet yet bitterness of one promised to bring a smile to my face. However, the gentle purity of the other dared me to think of a life beyond my current misery. Both were so delightful. How could I be expected to make the choice? My decision would change my life indefinitely, leading me down a path significantly different than the other option offered. I was backed into a corner. What could I do?

"What'll it be, ma'am?" The vendor asked, gesturing between the chocolate ice cream and the berry ice cream. I looked into his eyes, still indecisive.

Suddenly, two strong hands wrapped around my hips. I kept my focus in front of me. Dick's lip met my neck as he softly kissed, his hair brushing against my cheek. "Dick, let me be. I need to decide," I barked.

He chuckled, facing the vendor while holding me, "I'll take the chocolate and she'll have the berry, please." Dick ordered. I smiled, satisfied. 

"Do you always know what to do or only when it comes to food?" I joked, turning to face him.

"I actually just ordered both because I'm pretty hungry but didn't want Wally to think they;re both for me."

I gasped, shoving his chest playfully. "If you go anywhere NEAR my ice cream, the swords are coming out."

He laughed, his happy little giggles dissolving into a care-free grin. For a moment, we just stared at each other. Dick's eyes rested softly on my face, bathing my skin in a warm blush. He held me by my hips. I had a strong feeling that if he hadn't been anchoring me to the ground, I might've drifted off the face of the Earth. 

"Here you two love birds are," the vendor said, smiling. Dick grabbed our ice creams and exclaimed a 'thank you' before walking away from me. 

"Richard Grayson get your sexy little ass back here," I scolded, jogging through the sand after him. He picked up his speed, balancing the two cones perfectly while running. "Dick!" I screamed after him. 

Eventually, he stopped. I narrowly ran into his chest, forcing him to drop both cones. But, having experience with those kind of tricks before, I stopped myself just as suddenly as he did. With an ego filled smirk, I took a long lick of both ice creams. Dick watched me, a playful smirk on his lips.

"Athena, are you trying to drive me crazy?" He asked while I took another lick of his ice cream. I shrugged. When he bent his head down to taste mine, I wrapped my arm around his neck. Pulling him down suddenly, I shoved my lips onto his. The sweet taste of the chocolate met my tongue as our cold lips slid together. 

Feeling the ice cream melting down my wrist, I slowly pulled away. Dick didn't skip a beat. He took my other hand in his and continued to walk. As we continued on the beach, licking our ice creams, I caught him sneaking glances at me. Little, childish smiles bubbled onto his face every time his eyes hopped over to me. 

For once, I let myself smile, too.

Once we had finished our summery treats, Dick and I wandered down to the beach. The slight ocean breeze picked up my sundress, tugging at the bottom. The white fabric flowed around my shins like the sea in front of me. I had my brown hair -- which now had light blond highlights, as requested by Artemis -- was tied up with a yellow bandanna. I slipped off my flip flops, needing to feel the sand between my toes.

Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Dick. He was wearing a light, white cotton shirt and a pair of khaki shorts. He had insisted on wearing his sneakers for the day. His hair was softly slicked back. His skin had tanned quite a bit since the spring.