emberstoflames‌:
The smile that Hephaestus offered her was polite, of course, but he could feel a slight strain in the air. It was likely one of his own making, likely one he’d imagined, but he found he was so incredibly ill at ease that he was unsure of how to manage it moving forward. A long breath escaped his lips, quietly, and he inclined his head. He needed to get is together. It was becoming obvious, to Hephaestus anyway, that he knew much more than Aphrodite did; making comments that were so obviously intimate was likely not the best of ideas.
Her raised brow and smile made him feel a bit more at ease, but Hephaestus knew well just how much Aphrodite could lock up when the moment called for it. He wondered, idly, if her mortal counterpart could do the same. A light chuckle moved through the air and Hephaestus ran his hand along his jawline. “Or perhaps I’m simply more perceptive than most.” In another world, in another life, perhaps he would have been accused of flirting – badly, of course.
“I don’t believe you will be disappointed,” he pointed out, smile still present. The shop was rather tiny but he was a regular and so one of the baristas came over to take his order. With a smile, he greeted her and then Hephaestus gestured to the woman in front of him. “I’ll have the usual and then whatever the lady likes.”
There was something about him that was starting to feel familiar, and the familiarity was only growing as they continued on. It was incredibly strange, for Scarlett was quite certain that they had never met before, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she somehow knew him. She could almost predict his mannerisms, as if she had seen the way he brushed his jawline, or heard his chuckles before.
As strange as it all seemed, she tried not to let her puzzlement show on her face. She didn’t need to be explaining to a perfect stranger - because that’s what he was - that she somehow might know him. They didn’t know each other, she was sure. And yet, when he spoke, Scarlett could have sworn that she had heard those words before, and from him no less. It was all she could do to smile and nod, “It seems that you might just be.”
She listened carefully as he ordered, curious if anything else might seem off, hardly paying attention to anything to do with the coffee shop, until the barista in front of her gave a small noise. Shaking her head, she offered an apologetic smile, “Forgive me, please.” Her words were smooth and melodic, the kind that came from someone that no one could be upset with for too long. “A double macchiato with soy milk, please.” She gave another smile, before turning back to her companion - had she even learned his name? “It seems you’ve left quite the impression on the place.”















