#Thena liking hot cocoa

[softquietsteadylove]

Ahhhh second first date! Second first date! Of course i need to know how it goes!!

"And the server was definitely super jealous of me."

Thena laughed again. That was all she'd been doing since they left the house, she was quite sure. Since Gil 'picked her up', that was to say.

It was very sweet. He had showed up at her guest room door, dressed up and with a charming smile, even making an attempt to look nervous. He asked if she was ready, offered his arm; he was the perfect gentleman for their first date.

Her second chance.

Of course she had to know more about their first-first date. And Gil was happy to elucidate her once she insisted enough that telling her that much would not cause her brain to catch fire (as the doctor seemed to have implied in some way).

"But it was a nice dinner, then I walked you back to where you were staying at the end of the beach," he recounted, his eyes completely starry. "I had never gotten to actually have a romantic walk on the beach, before. Total bucket list stuff."

"It sounds lovely," she remarked mildly, without much choice with no memory of it for herself.

"The moon was out and everything, and it looked really pretty with your hair and your white dress, and the shawl thing-y you had on over it." Gil gestured vaguely to simulate the flowing garment she had worn over her bare shoulders. It certainly painted a picture, and she was quite sure she knew what he was referring to, having glimpsed a long white shawl in their closet.

She tried not to laugh too hard, mindful of the gentle atmosphere of the bakery. The tables were really just for people waiting for orders. They didn't have a fancy coffee machine, or an official barista. But Gil did bring out cups of real, boiled hot cocoa from the back--a secret only for their own, of course. They were waiting on their fresh baked pastries to come out and cool.

"I was so distracted by you that I didn't even realise when we were back at your doorstep," he sighed, but his comedic tone faded. He looked at her more softly, leaning his cheek against his hand. "I told you flat out that I was having such a good time I wished you were staying further away."

Thena attempted to laugh into her mug, this time.

"You laughed at it then, too." He sounded more wistful now. "But I told you I was serious and asked if I could see you again. I don't know why you were so surprised."

Probably because she had never been one to be asked out by someone like him. Men, sure, but not very sweet, very funny, very honest gentlemen like Gil. Just...men. She wasn't approachable enough for someone as sweet and charming as Gil.

She still thought that, to a degree.

"But you agreed, and I asked if I could kiss you too," he at least smiled at this part of the story, although his longing for the past remained. "You said I didn't have to ask, which wasn't a yes, but I guessed I was supposed to read between the lines."

Again, the Thena in the story and Thena herself in the present were different people. But she felt her stomach clench faintly at the idea.

"I did kiss you," Gil sighed, returning to his lighter, more jovial tone. "And it totally blew my mind. I mean if I wasn't in love with you already, that would'a done it."

"Gil," she admonished lightly, partly laughing and partly sheepish at the description of this passionate kiss she couldn't remember at all.

"What?" he chuckled before taking a sip of his own hot chocolate. "You wanted to know. And that date changed the rest of my life, sweetheart."

She liked it when he called her that. She nodded, looking down at her mug. "I suppose I did. It's a nice story."

"Yeah," Gil concluded, although his sigh felt a little heavier.

She still didn't have any memories of her own to contribute. But she attempted to jump over that wave of guilt, trying to put a smile back on his handsome face. "What was our second date like?"

He clearly knew what she was trying to do, but he kept quiet about it at least. He pulled himself up in his seat and started his next story. "Well, we were still on vacation. I asked a little more about you, and you at least told me you were an artist, and you were there on leave because you found teaching wasn't really your thing."

Thena winced faintly. She was sure that was an understatement. She did have memories of teaching before moving to their current residence, and none of them made her glad to have them instead of memories of Gil.

"I told you that I had been a boxer in college, and that I was just working some boring office job and also wanted," he paused to shrug and make a face, "a change of scenery."

They were both in the midst of becoming different people when they met. How fascinating, Thena mused. Although she was quite sure Gil had always been sweet and charming and funny. Just a feeling.

"It was actually you, on that date, who asked what I liked to do for fun," he admitted much more quietly. He looked down at the table, picking at a chip in the lacquer. "I told you I liked baking and you said I could try working part time in it, just to see if I liked it enough to make it my job."

"It sounds like something I would suggest," she agreed. It was hard to imagine the man she knew now doing anything else, really. Although it was almost funny to imagine him stuffing those muscles of his into a regular office suit.

"I said I'd give it a try," he chuckled, reaching for her hand. She gave it reflexively, sense memory knowing Gil much better than her own mind. He kissed her knuckle. "And now I have the best job in the world."

She smiled down at their adjoined hands as well, feeling as if the weight of the world were on top of them. "The date, Gil?"

"Right, right," he chuckled, allowing her to move the story away from the more emotional of the topics. "Well, you suggested that, and I asked about your art some more. And since the restaurant looked kind of full, and I didn't think that was your scene, I asked if you wanted to walk along the boardwalk a little first."

"We walked by a bakery there, and you asked me what everything was, since I was 'the expert' and all."

That also sounded like something she would say; Thena attempted not to roll her eyes at herself.

"I pointed out the regular stuff," he shrugged and even looked at the pastry cases in front of them in the moment. "Croissants, cupcakes, they had some tarts. You asked about one in particular."

Thena tilted her head as he paused, but she leaned back as he did, having been so sucked into the story that she didn't even notice Ajak coming over with two small plates.

"Thanks," Gil smiled at the petite woman, obviously familiar with her.

"Thank you," Thena added, keeping her eyes on the woman who only smiled and waved in response. Ajak knew her, Thena was aware, but Gil had been determined that they could meet formally when Thena felt more ready to reintroduce those parts of their life to herself.

"This is called a petit four, just a small cake," he chuckled, turning his own plate so she could admire the little dessert from all sides. "It's pretty old school, but you asked me about it when I pointed it out to you. I bought one so you could sample it, even though you told me not to."

Thena eyed the little dessert. It seemed to be vanilla, small and glazed completely white. There was something on the top of it.

"I add just a little sea salt to mine. Call it a secret ingredient."

It was just a hint of salt, but it sank into the sweetness immediately. Just like on that day five years ago, she had tasted the saltiness of the ocean air around them as she took a bite. She could remember the wind on her skin, and how warm Gil's hand was in contrast. The smell of the little shop and the breeze around them, and Gil's cologne wafting gently over to her.

Thena whipped her head up at him. He blinked at her sudden movement but didn't say anything. He was trying to read the expression on her face.

She didn't have any other memories of it. Just that one moment had jumped out at her as she had tasted that same taste--perhaps an improvement upon it. She could remember Gil's smile as she had told him that she liked it.

"You promised."

"Hm?"

She blinked, trying not to cry over a silly little cake. "You promised you would make me one sometime. I told you I expected it to be better, since you were indeed, 'the expert'."

Gil teared up immediately. Of course he did, the gentle hearted giant. "Y-You-"

She looked down at her cake again, the pressure immediately mounting. "It's just that one moment. I can't remember past that. But-"

Thena startled as he launched from his seat across the tiny cafe table from her. He caught her lips at a funny angle, but they both tasted like chocolate and vanilla and sea salt. Her eyes fluttered.

"Sorry," he chuckled, offering a sheepish grin as he seated himself, ignoring the worried glances of other bakery patrons. "Couldn't help myself."

"Hm," she pursed her lips faintly, and he returned to his cake, unable to keep himself from staring at her. She dabbed at her lips, resisting the urge to fan herself. She still had her coat on, but it felt far too hot now in their little corner by the window. "Whatever happened to asking?"

"You told me I didn't have to ask."

[eternalowl]

Day 1 - Modern AU

Posted on ao3 with the title “Christmas Trees and Engagement Rings”

It was the morning of the 25th of December and the smell of hot chocolate was present throughout the entire house.

Thena had just woken up. She was still trying to open her eyes, and it was hard for her because of the light pouring into the room through the window. The snow that fell the night before wasn’t helping with the brightness at all. She finally managed to open her eyes and she looked next to her, only to find that the bed was empty beside her. Much to her disdain, she pried herself out of bed and dragged her feet along the floor to the kitchen. Once she got to the kitchen, she was greeted with the sight of Gilgamesh making hot chocolate. Once she saw him, it was as if she gained an instant boost of energy.

“Good morning, Thena,” Gilgamesh greeted as he pressed his lips against her forehead. “Here. Powdered peppermint and mini marshmallows, just the way you like it.” Gil then handed Thena a cup of hot cocoa.

Thankfully, it was already cool enough to drink, so Thena took a sip and let out a hum of contentment. “Just for this I’ll forgive you for not being in bed earlier.”

“Could you really stay mad at me though?” Gil asked, leaving trails of kisses from Thena’s forehead to her lips. Occasionally, he would lay a kiss on Thena’s nose just so that he could watch it scrunch up in that adorable way that it does as she laughs.

“I guess not,” Thena replied, still chuckling.

Gil then took his cup of hot chocolate and walked over to the Christmas tree with Thena. They sat down on the couch and Thena let her head rest on Gil’s shoulder. Gil let his head gently rest against Thena’s.

They stayed like that for a while, not speaking a word and just enjoying each other’s company.

“I got you something,” Gil informed as he walked over to the tree, pulled out a small, rectangular gift, and sat back down on the couch. He handed the gift to Thena and she ripped the wrapping paper off of it, revealing a small box. Thena opened it to see what was inside. The box contained many different colors of acrylic paint and a myriad of different brushes. “About a month ago you said that you were getting into painting, so one day I saw this and thought that you might like it.”

Thena wrapped her arms around him. “Thank you,” she said as she stuffed her face into his neck. “I got you something, too,” she said when she pulled away. She walked over to the tree and pulled out a bigger package. Not only was it larger in size, but it also weighed more. “Well, I guess I can’t take all of the credit. The others pitched in as well.”

Gil carefully undid the wrapping paper and revealed a fair-sized book, but this wasn’t just a regular book; it was a scrapbook. Well, an extremely glorified scrapbook.

Gil flipped through the pages, seeing photo strips from photo booths, small little quotes, and even aesthetic and mood boards for each of them; those were probably Makkari and Sersi’s doing. As he flipped through, he saw the memories that everyone cherished the most about each other. Whether it be someone shoving Ajak’s face into her cake on her birthday, Druig and Phastos trying to beat up Ikaris while Makkari cheers them on, Sprite pranking her favorite target who is better known as Kingo, or something as mundane, even though nothing with any of them involved could exactly be considered mundane, as a selfie of the group, it was there.

“In the back, there’s still a bunch of open pages, so we can still add to it,” Thena threw in, her head resting against Gil’s shoulder once again.

“I- I love it.” He truly meant what he said. “I have one more gift for you.” Thena hummed in confusion. Gil then stood up, holding Thena’s hands and bringing her up along with him.

“What gift? You didn’t need to get me anything extra.”

“But I did,” Gil said, caressing Thena’s cheek. She leaned into the touch. “I remember that, a few years ago, on this day, I fell almost hopelessly in love with you,” Gil chuckled and shook his head at that statement. “so I think that if I’m going to ask you this, it has to be on Christmas.”

“Ask me what?” Thena asked.

“Thena, you are the only one I can ever see myself being with. Years ago, I never thought I could ever feel this way about someone, but then you showed up.”

“What are you…” Thena was practically whispering to herself. Her hands then slowly drifted up to cover her mouth in surprise as Gil got down on one knee. Tears of joy started to shed from her eyes and clung to her eyelashes. Gil then reached into his pocket and pulled out a velveteen ring box.

“Thena, will you marry me?” Gil said as he opened the box, showing her the ring on the inside. The ring was a golden band adorned with a beautiful diamond.

So many tears had clung to her lashes that her vision was being blurred to the point where she could barely see.

“Yes,” she managed to get out between her sobs of joy. “Yes!” Gil slipped the ring onto her finger before she pulled him back up to his feet and passionately kissed him. When he returned the kiss, she let out a moan of contentment. Her arms wrapped around his neck and he let his hands drift to her back and the back of her head. She let one of her hands make its way into his hair.

They continued to kiss each other for a few more minutes before Thena spoke.

“The others don’t know about this, don’t they?” she asked, her lips still centimeters away from Gil’s.

“They don’t have a clue.”

[laelior]

This Old Bird

Mass Effect Gen: Peggy Shepard (OC) & Ethan Johnson (OC) Rating: T (canon-typical violence, injuries) ~1700 words With her granddaughter, the famed Commander Shepard, off fighting the Reapers across the galaxy, Peggy Shepard carries on the fight at home.

Peggy Shepard rarely let her eyes wander up to the stars.

They were clear and bright this high up in the Appalachian mountains, only a little obscured by the waning half-moon that cast a dim light over the green valley floor below her.

No, she kept her eyes trained on that valley, searching for signs of movement in the thick carpet of vegetation. A snug knit scarf over the lower half of her face both kept her warm and kept her breath from obscuring her vision while she kept her watch, laying flat on the ground next to the Volkov XIII that kept her company. Her bones only complained a little at the cold, hard surface she’d been on for hours.

A slight motion just down the ridge from her caught her attention, the soft whisper of movement followed by the clatter of rocks skittering over one another. Peggy huffed into her scarf and pressed on her left ear.

“Staying awake down there, Johnson?” she murmured. More rocks skittered down the ridge as a dark shape lifted itself up off the ridge, snapping to attention.

“Umm, yes ma’am. Just, umm, shifting positions,” A young, very young, voice replied right in her ear.

Peggy smiled despite herself. “Ma’am is for officers and grandmothers, not old birds up in a perch like me.” The dark shape turned toward her, and Peggy amused herself by imagining the young man’s confusion at her words. “Stay awake, Johnson, and we’ll go get some hot cocoa when we’re done here.”

“Hot cocoa?” The young voice asked despairingly, forever tormented by her determination to treat him as a lost, young lamb and not the young adult he was.

“Maybe a splash of whiskey if you behave,” she added.

“Well I’ll just be the goodest boy you ever did see then, ma’am,” he replied, leaning into that southern accent of his that surely had charmed the pants off of many a young man.

“You do that, Johnson. In the meantime, you just keep your eyes open.”

“Will do.”

Silence blanketed their position without so much as an over and out over the radio. A silence that was as deep as it was unsettling. She’d lived most of her life out in these parts. She’d been born out here, had her babies out here—had outlived most of her babies for that matter. She’d buried her husband out here, too. The pieces in between, the constant uprooting that came with a military career, those didn’t run as deep in her bones as these as the sights, the smells, the sounds of these mountains.

But the mountains were quiet. Not even the owls dared to hoot at night anymore. The mountain streams barely made trickling sounds. Even the occasional breezes that rusted the bare branches of the trees were silent.

It was deeply, unsettlingly wrong. 

But so was everything these days.

The stars overhead tempting her to look at them again, to wonder what was happening up there to the last of her babies. Was Josephine staying safe? Was Thena with her? 

And Bethany, her only living grandchild….

Well. Overthinking never solved anything.

Movement on the valley floor drew her eyes back from the stars, followed by a sharp burst of static in her ear.

“Green Five, this is Green Six. We have word they’re headed to your position. Do you copy?” A clipped but distinctly quarian voice asked in her ear. These earbud radios weren’t as clear as the omni-tool communicators and they only worked over short ranges. But they hadn’t been compromised yet. The same couldn’t be said for the omni-tool network.

“We copy, Six. We’re on it. Over and out,” Peggy replied. She nodded down the ridge to Johnson and shifted to line herself up with the trusty Volkov by her side. Three small, stealthed drones shot from Johnson’s position and made their way down to the valley floor.

When she’d been younger, Peggy had imagined retirement as an idyllic, peaceful break from her long career with the UNAS marines and later the Systems Alliance. She’d imagined living in the home she’d worked so hard to create for herself and her family, and spending it with the man she’d carved her life out with, surrounded by the next generations of her family.

She’d never imagined she’d be pushing 80 and looking down the scope of a sniper rifle telemetered to Johnson’s drones. She’d never imagined she’d be staring at the mangled, blue-glowing remains of what was once a human being. She’d never imagined she’d be fighting in a resistance cell against an enemy so vast and so insidious that the line between ally and enemy was, at best, blurred.

There were no uniforms, no flags in this war. No rules of engagement. Not like the battles she’d fought in her youth. Just pure survival. Living to fight the next day.

“Now?” Johnson asked. Out of the corner of her eye his hands trembling nervously over the drone controls, visible even from her position.

“Not yet,” she replied, moving her aim to focus on the figures moving ahead of the husk horde. Resistance fighters in ragtag clothes, desperately trying to stay ahead of the advancing wave of mechanical bodies. Her finger stayed just off the trigger. 

There was an art to operations like this, requiring a ruthless patience that Johnson hadn’t yet learned. It was easier, she knew, when looking from a distance through the impersonal lens of a sniper scope. It was easier when one had nothing to lose by waiting a little longer.

Easier still when one’s fiancé wasn’t one of the runners stringing the husks along down on that valley floor. 

Finally, the runners crossed the dry creek bed they’d designated beforehand. She smiled in tight anticipation.

“Light it,” she said softly. 

The valley below exploded. The bare branches above her clattered against her each as they swayed from the blast, raining dust and twigs down on her. Mountain streams burst from the earthen dams hastily put in place weeks ago, washing away the mangled husks they hadn’t managed to blow up. Ashes and smoke wafted lazily on the night breeze up toward her, ticking her nostrils under her scarf.

Below her, Johnson’s explosive sigh of relief carried over the sudden rush of sounds echoing up from the valley.

Peggy pushed herself up from the ground, feeling her old bones creak in protest. Johnson was still focused on the drone controls. No doubt looking to make sure Kaz had made it clear to safety ahead of the blast. 

She laid back down and peered back through her scope. What few husks remained were struggling futilely against the water rushing down the valley. Except….

“Scion!” she called, training her rifle on the larger husk that waded against the current. She centered her aim on the head emerging from its right shoulder—had that been someone once? Had that been more than one someone?—but the telltale blue glow told her it was too late. A wave of energy cascaded from the grotesque shape and up the hillside.

Up the hillside and straight at her position.

She squeezed the trigger down and pushed herself up. 

“Move, now!” she called down to Johnson. The younger man whipped his head in her direction, then back down the hill, seemingly frozen in place. The blue wave travelled up the hill, ripping plants up out of the ground as it approached.

“Move!” She ordered again, slinging her rifle and her pack up over her shoulder and skidding down the hill to grab Johnson and move him by force if necessary. 

The ground exploded under them, pulling Peggy up off of her feet and slamming her back down into the ground.

She laid on her back, dazed and out of breath. The metallic taste of blood coated her tongue, mingling with the ashes in the air as she tried to remember how to breathe. When the ringing in her ears subsided, she slowly, painfully pushed herself up. No major injuries. Nothing some medi-gel and a good finger of whiskey couldn’t fix.

Johnson was splayed face-up on the ground twenty meters downslope, his wide, unblinking eyes staring up and his left leg tucked at an unnatural angle under him.

But his chest rose and fell steadily.

Peggy let out a trembling breath and crawled on her hands and knees over to him. Sharp, broken rocks dug into her knees and palms but she hardly noticed. 

“What did I tell you about falling asleep during an op, Johnson? It’s a bad habit to get into.” She set down her pack next to him. There was medi-gel in there. Somewhere. If only her hands would stop trembling long enough to find it.

Johnson coughed, rolling his head to look over at her, his baby-blue eyes almost entirely swallowed up by his pupils.

“Tell...Kaz….” he gasped each word harshly. She shook her head and immediately regretted the action as her head swam with unexpected pain.

“Ethan, my boy, you’re not dying here. What would I tell Kaz, hmm? If I don’t kill you for being an idiot boy, then he might,” she said lightly. Where were those damned medi-gel packs? She picked up the bottom of the bag and shook its contents out on the ground. Five red-and-white packs clattered to the ground and she immediately set to work applying them to his leg.

He would live. By God she would see to it he lived to fight the next day.

Her own family was too far away for her to help so Johnson and the rest of her resistance cell were her family now. Each and every once of them.

The first rays of pre-dawn light cast a murky blue-gray light to the east. Her eyes turned to the west to where the stars were still futilely shining their last rays in defiance of the encroaching sunlight. Peggy wiped the ash and blood from her face with the back of her hand. Somewhere out among those stars, her babies were still out there. Still fighting. 

And she could do no less.

[wintershieldedheart]

Thena & Margo - “I can’t feel happy. I feel anxious. Like there’s something out there, waiting. And unless I learn how to fight it… it’s going to really hurt.”

Thena’s words caused an ache deep in her chest. If anyone could understand exactly what she was describing, it was Margo, and yet, the idea of one of her favorite people experiencing something she was so viscerally familiar with made her heart ache. There was only so much Margo could say, and she wasn’t sure any of it would actually make Thena feel any better. However, she had to try at the very least. Margo would do anything to make her best girl feel better. Setting down the two mugs of hot cocoa, Margo knelt down in front of her girlfriend and put her hands on her knees gently, “Hey, look at me?” 

Margo cupped the other girl’s face, giving her a soft, reassuring smile, “That feeling is valid, and I think given everything, it only makes sense that it’s lingering. We’ve faced a lot of bad things, a lot of big things, and we’ve come out the other side. You’re not alone in this, Thena. You’ll always have me by your side,” she promised. Kissing her forehead gently, Margo refocused before continuing, “But you can’t let this fear consume you. If you do, you’ll spend every moment of your life waiting for the next fight and you’ll forget to live in all the moments in between, trust me, I know.” Using her thumb to brush Thena’s cheek, she added, “We can prepare for a fight six ways to Sunday, but the truth is, we can’t prepare for everything, as much as we’d like to.” 

Moving so that she was sitting on the sofa next to her, Margo pulled her against her chest so that Thena could lean against her. “Someone very wise told me that if you’re constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop, you’ll never get off the ground. She’s pretty ancient, so I think she probably knows what she’s talking about,” Margo teased. Giving her a slight squeeze, Margo finished, “I love you, and I’m here - bad day or good day - I’m here.”

[softquietsteadylove]

How about them going ice skating? Gil is pretending he can’t ice skate so Thena helps him and guides him but then Thena challenges him to skate alone but with every challenge there is an award right? So he says something like if I can skate to the other side without help or falling I get a kiss. And she agrees fully believing he can’t so he surprises her how naturally he can skate. Some fluff and humor :D

you choose wich AU it should be. The Thenamesh receptionist AU or the Thenamesh Ice Queen/ Tyrant King AU :)

Gil inhaled the cool, crisp air of the outdoor rink. There were other people skating, light chatter, the scent of zamboni fluid and hot cocoa in the air. It was perfect!

Thena gasped as Gil fell forward and flat on his face. She made her way back to him in her pristine white figure skates. "Are you okay?"

"Ugh," he groaned as she helped him pick himself up (which was never going to be an easy task in any form of skate). "Fine, just tripped over a chip in the ice or something."

The Ice Queen smiled, though. Maybe it was the light snow dancing in the breeze, or maybe it was the twinkling lights everywhere. But she took his hands in hers, gloves on gloves, and started skating backwards gently. "Just hold onto me."

Gil happily followed suit, moving at her pace, careful of his movements. How could he say no to that?

And sure, he didn't really need her help--not like this, at least. But who was he to say no to his Princess?--his Queen, rather.

Gil shuffled along, not really having to fake any clumsy movements when all he was really trying to do was stay as close to Thena as possible. She had a natural grace to her, as always, guiding him around the rink with his hands in hers. "Why haven't we done this before?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well," he shrugged, smiling at the stunning woman with her blond hair floating around her and the faux-fur collar of her coat on her cheek. "You are the Ice Queen, after all."

Thena rolled her eyes. "How did you become so respected when your jokes are so terrible?"

"Couldn't tell you, Sweetheart," he chuckled, happy to let his girlfriend lead him around. "When did you learn to skate?"

"When I was young," she shrugged, still moving blithely without a care to those who may be behind her as she led Gil by the hand. Everyone made room for them, anyway, between the intimidating beauty of Thena and the sheer size of him behind her.

Gil stared at her, though, eager just to keep holding her hands and hear her talk more. "Did you do it seriously?"

"No, it was just one of the many activities I was supposed to do," Thena mused. She didn't have to explain further, and they both knew Gil already knew what she was talking about when she brought it up.

Just like Gil came from a long line of people in the business, Thena's family also was the foundation upon which her current empire was founded.

"What else did you do?" he asked, hoping to hear more as he followed her around and around.

"I suppose the things everyone at boarding school did," she sufficed before looking up at him again. "Think you can handle it?"

"Handle what?"

Thena let go of his hands, turning away from him and leaving him standing on the half line. "You seem to be doing fine. See if you can reach the far wall and back without me."

Oh, it was a challenge. She hadn't even noticed that he didn't really need her help not falling. Well, if she asked, he would tell her that he had fallen for her a long time ago, and then she would roll her eyes, and pretend she didn't think it was funny, but she'd have that cute smile on-

"Gil!"

"Hm?" he blinked, returning his attention to the woman even shorter than him than normal in their skates. He tilted his head at her, "what do I get if I do?"

"Bribery, really?" she raised a brow at him.

"Come on, Princess, number one rule of business," he chuckled, leaning closer to her, "nothing comes for free."

"Fine," she sighed, leaning away from him primly. "What do you want?"

"A kiss."

"Just a kiss?" she raised her brow at him and he nodded as if she were promising him riches beyond belief. She shook her head at him, "fine, one kiss--go."

Gil took off like a shot, able to propel himself rapidly with the muscles he had. He made it there and back in record time, skidding to a halt just beside her so he didn't get ice shavings on her.

Thena stared at him, her jaw bobbing. "Wh-"

"Sorry, baby," he chuckled, coming right up to her and rubbing her arms with his hands, "but I can skate fine. I really did trip on something when we first got here, but you were the one who started leading me around."

"But-"

"And I wasn't going to say no to holding your hands," Gil shrugged innocently, perfectly accepting of it as she slapped his arm hard enough for onlookers to seem concerned. "Now, I believe I have a reward to collect."

"You are unbelievable."

"Hey, a deal's a deal, Ice," he grinned down at her, although he soon leaned down to be in a better position for kissing. "Business is business."

Thena's lips twisted as she leaned up and in slowly, and not steadily. Her eyes darted away a few times and Gil was delighted to see a soft and pretty blush in her cheeks. His Ice Queen had a shy side to her when it came to the smallest of affections.

Gil closed his eyes, always in bliss as Thena touched her lips to his. She pulled back, satisfied with the deal. But she didn't go far, and that was all the sign Gil needed to lean in, asking for another one.

Thena let him wrap his arms around her, her hands sneaking into his open coat and onto his chest as she leaned up for him. They parted again, her needing to breathe just a little more heavily than before. Gil pressed his nose to her cheek, their eyelashes brushing each other's skin as they hovered still entangled.

Gil smiled at her, letting her pull away just enough for him to get to see those killer green eyes again.

Thena did her best to feign some disapproval, "what did I tell you about kissing in public?"

"Hey, this was my prize to collect," he smiled at her, kissing her cheek, "no conditions apply."

Thena shook her head at him again, although she clearly wasn't exasperated enough to pull away as he pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Fine; pleasure doing business."

"Oh," he winked at her, "pleasure's all mine, Ice."

"Insufferable man."

"Excuse me," he chuckled, taking her hand in his and now the one to pull her into his pace, "but you still owe me a date, Ice. So I guess you'll just have to suffer through it."

[softquietsteadylove]

Hi again😊 soooo my birthday is tomorrow and i just have a thought do eternals have birthday?🤔(maybe they don't 🤣) Just wondering if you can make a short story of a celebration of their birthday maybe thena or Gilgamesh 😄 thankyouuuuuuu❣️

"Wait, so what is it called?"

"Coq au vin," Gilgamesh smiled over his shoulder as he attended to the very delicate sauce required of the dish. "It's French for chicken in wine, basically."

"Oh," Thena nodded as she continued chopping vegetables for him on the other counter. "I thought you were saying cocoa something."

"You thought I was going to braise chicken for something with chocolate?" Gil laughed at just the thought as he set the sauce on low and wipes his hands on his apron.

"Well, I dunno," Thena shrugged, glancing at him over her shoulder. Her hair slipped over the shoulder her loose necked sweater exposed, drawing Gil's eye. "Everything you make always turns out good. I don't really question what's in it."

God, he loved her.

Not that that was anything knew. He adored everything about Thena, and he always had. Because she was his best friend in the world, and she was the most reliable constant in his life, and who wouldn't love everything about her? Look at her!

Thena looked back at the vegetables, biting her lip as she continued to chop. It was her first time wearing the sweater that exposed most of her clavicle and even a little bit of cleavage. She was more prone to turtlenecks. But Sersi and Makkari had advised her on the outfit, and part of her had kind of looked forward to seeing Gil's reaction.

It was just her birthday--she had one every year. And they had celebrated plenty before just like this. He would cook her something special (as if she didn't love every recipe of his). And she would assist by way of chopping vegetables and tasting his delicious food.

But this birthday was also different.

Because just last night, they had been celebrating all together, like they did every year. It was the actual day, and she and Ikaris had to share it, no matter how much they disliked it. They'd gone to a bar, like always, just had some beer and some store bought cake, like always. Everything seemed like it always did.

And then Gil had asked her to join him for dinner. She had of course agreed. Always. And then he had leaned in and kissed her cheek. Definitely not something they'd ever done before.

And she really wanted it to happen again.

She and Gil had always been best friends, every since they were kids. All her life, if there was anyone who was always by her side - besides her literal twin brother - it was Gilgamesh. She had helped him practice for dance lessons, and tested recipes, and even advised him when he'd taken up pottery that one summer (he was bad at it). And she had never questioned what it meant for them to be so inseparable.

Then he had kissed her, and suddenly everything felt...different. Thena peeked over her shoulder again, watching Gil start the process of preparing whatever a sous-vide was. She had always loved watching him cook. It made him happy, and to be around Gilgamesh while he was happy was to feel your own happiness.

He also looked kinda hot when he had his sleeves rolled up and a towel thrown over his shoulder.

Thena turned back to her leeks, biting her lip as she wondered if he'd caught her staring at him. She'd been doing it every since she'd arrived. But she figured it could be expected--the shirt he was wearing was pulled so tightly over his muscles. It couldn't possibly be the right size for him.

Gil had caught her though, but he said nothing. He'd been catching her looking at him all night. But he didn't mind it, and he didn't think she would feel very happy about being embarrassed over it either. He kind of liked the idea of her looking at him, if he was being honest.

Every since he'd kissed her cheek last night he'd been hoping he might get the chance to again. Although the sweater she was wearing was making a really strong case to kiss her...elsewhere.

The sous-vide timer startled both of them out of their thoughts.

"Okay, twenty minutes in here and this will be the most tender chicken you've ever eaten," Gil chuckled as he did whatever it required. Thena watched him submerge a bag of chicken in boiling water(?). "How're the leeks coming?"

"Good, I think," Thena mused with a smile. She still didn't have much by way of knife skills, even after all her years of helping him. But she would argue that it was because he got nervous when she went too fast. He was always worried about her accidentally cutting herself.

"Seems it," he said as he leaned over her shoulder to admire her work. He was braced against the counter with his hand dangerously close to her hip. It was already dangerous having his face so close to hers. He smelled nice.

Thena turned to look at him. Their noses nearly collided from their proximity. Heat rushed into her cheeks and she could imagine her pupils blowing wide. She looked down at his lips.

This time it was the oven timer.

"Fuck," Gil cursed, leaning away from her to check on the veggies already roasting. He pulled them out and set them on the cooling rack. "Okay, it's your time to shine."

Thena just smiled, scraping them all onto the pan he'd oiled and spiced already. He rejoined her, spreading them out over the pan, as if it were necessary to reach around her to do it. But she didn't mind it if he wanted to be close. She wouldn't mind if he wanted to be closer.

What was she doing to him? Gil sighed, wishing he could turn everything off this very second and kiss her right now. But he knew better than that; as soon as he kissed her, he wouldn't think about anything at all for the rest of the night.

And he was not going to let Thena pass her birthday eating only cake.

Thena bit her lip, tugging at her sweater as he slid in the leeks--the last dish that needed to go through the cooking process before he took over the more detail oriented final touches and assembly. "How long do they go in for?"

"Twenty minutes, so I can use the really charred bits," he smiled as he set the traitorous timer again.

"So," Thena inhaled, trying not to appear nervous, "we have a little time."

"Uh, yeah," Gil nodded, fidgeting with the sleeves of his shirt, tucked up to his elbows. "What, uh...do you wanna do something?"

Thena felt that wretched heat spread across her face. She'd never been one to blush, but it seemed that after last night, she couldn't stop. Just thinking about him made her her heart skip a beat and butterflies erupt in her stomach. "Like what?"

Gil sighed but smiled. He hadn't expected Thena to make the first move. It was why he'd kissed her on the cheek last night in the first place. Because he knew what he felt for Thena. And while he thought maybe she might feel the same, he also thought that she wouldn't understand it enough to know what to do about it.

After all, he'd known her all their lives. He'd watched plenty of poor bastards confess their love to her and get shot down point blank.

Thena inhaled as Gil slowly and lazily - and sexily - sauntered over to her. Her eyes ran over him as he leaned against the counter again, arms on either side of her. She reached up and took the towel from off his shoulder, setting it behind her. He grinned, and her heart might have just stopped completely. "Any ideas?"

He kissed her. He leaned forward and just kissed her, and she kissed him back like she'd been waiting all night for it. Well, she had been. Maybe she'd been waiting for longer than that. Thena wrapped her arms around him, responding maybe too eagerly, she feared for a minute. But Gil wrapped his arms around her waist, and suddenly she didn't care if she seemed too into it. Because he was her Gil, and she was safe with him.

And they continued to make out until the damn oven timer went off again.