#maybe I just don't like cozy fantasy. man. there was a bit where a guy should've gotten eaten by a kelpie but didn't. so maybe too cozy

[gigantomachylesbian]

Guys. I did not know before now that writing could be painfully millennial in a full prose book but the pho*nix ke*per has proven me wrong and I have to complain about it in the tags

[iammultifandomaf]

Chapter 2 - Lydia’s encounter

BROTHERHOOD

Lydia woke up earlier than Stiles, so she decided to make coffee for them before she headed to work. Lydia worked in a small coffee shop named Smelly Cat. It was just a few blocks away from the apartment, therefore she could've slept until eight a.m. Even though, she wasn't earning big money, she grew to like the warm atmosphere of that place and felt just fine with working there. In her spare time, Lydia was teaching mathemathics to children because she felt a little guilty that Stiles worked harder for their comfortable way of life.

Lydia carried Stiles his favorite cup to bed where he had been still asleep, covered in blankets. She sat at the edge of the bed and laid her palm onto his shoulder. His eyes immediately shot up open as if they awaited some kind of danger. Stiles' gaze softened when he noticed Lydia by his side. He could have recognized the slight confusion in Lydia's gaze which followed with a simple question: "What's wrong?"

Stiles sat up and noticed his cup in her fingers, beginning to salivate over the hot coffee she held. Lydia handed him the cup, her questioning eyes never leaving his, though. He had a sip and swallowed the warm liquid down the throat.

"Nothing's wrong. Why?"

"Your eyes are swollen up. Like from crying," she said with a worried voice, touching his red-ish skin under the right eye. Stiles squeezed her hand and said with a chuckle: I must have sleep-cried when my body felt you had left the bed."

"Haha, funny."

...

Later that day in work, Lydia had a short break with her colleague and also her best friend, Allison. They sat down behind the coffee shop and Allison withdrew her package of cigarettes from her pocket. She handed one to Lydia who accepted it with a smile.

"So," Allison began, letting a cloud of smoke out of her mouth, "how's your fairytail relationship going?"

"It's alright. Well, you know Stiles... A sweetheart, really, but still protective about his past. I almost feel like I'm in a cheesy fantasy novel for teenagers. But yeah, I suppose it's nothing serious."

"You may have an own Edward at home and you just let it go?"

"I didn't say I let it go... I'm just giving him time."

"Lyds," Allison said, looking straight into her friend's eyes, "it's been two years."

"Shut up, Al. Look, we are planning a trip to Italy. A nice hotel in Ega Eggen. And I think that I'll find out something there..."

"Oh, really? How nice," Allison said mockingly with a sarcastic smile.

"Shut up, would you?"

"Whatever, hon." Allison rolled her eyes at the redhead but kept a smile on her face.

"What about you?" Lydia asked, changing the topic.

"Eh, not much. It's like guys don't notice me at all. I was thinking to try the gay thing or something."

"You can't just 'try to be gay', Allison."

"What do you know? I might have been gay all time along."

"Yeah, sure," Lydia scoffed and threw the cigarette on the ground, stepping on it with her shoe. "I'm going inside, what about you?"

"Yeah, me, too. Gimme a sec."

They went inside and began working again. It was a quiet day and there haven't been many customers, which meant ending earlier for Lydia.

"Hey, Lyds. Do that guy sitting at number four and then head home. I'll close up," Allison said, nodding to table four.

"Are you sure?" Lydia asked, feeling bad leaving her friend with all the work behind.

"Yeah, don't worry." She send a reassuring smile to the redhead and walked away to another customer. Lydia shrugged and approached the man who was reading a book whilst drinking his espresso. Her eyes fell on the red cover of the book. She couldn't read the title, though. The man must have noticed her standing by him for oddly too long because he lovered the red book and looked up at her with his dark eyes. A smile appeared on his lips when he saw Lydia's embarrassed gaze, realizing that she had been staring.

"I'm sorry," she laughed awkwardly, "I was just wondering what book you have here... Might have stared a bit, though."

"Oh, that's alright," he chuckled and ran his hand down his growing beard, "it is a novel by Henri Barbusse. Under fire. Must say that it isn't exactly a nice story to read but I find it rather interesting."

"Haven't heard of that, should I give it a try?" Lydia asked politely, her eyes scanning the table for any dirty dishes to bus.

"Well, you're pretty young, you better enjoy joyful literature," he said kindly, finishing his coffee," the coffee was quite exquisite. I'll be sure returning to this cozy place."

Lydia grinned at him politely and took away his empty cup. "We are looking forward to your next visit, sir."

Lydia returned to the bar where Allison was peeking at table four behind the coffee machine. She stopped the redhead and nodded to the man: "He's a candy for the eye, don't you think?"

"I guess, but I prefer clean shaven," Lydia said, remembering her boyfriend's face, covered in little cute moles. That was actually the first thing she noticed at him. The moles. But don't mistake it for a romantic fairytail. Lydia had met Stiles in a dancing club which was filled with people that night. Lydia had already a few drinks and she felt her barriers had fallen down. Her friends dragged her out on the dancing floor, although Lydia would had rather stayed at the bar for a few more drinks. But that didn't matter much, she danced anyways. Suddenly, somebody bumped into her and Lydia, not having quite a clear head, she grabbed the one's arm and began dancing with that person. That person ended up being Stiles and she had made out with him several times during that night.

Lydia shrugged at the memory and went to grab her coat to finally leave. She said a quick bye to her colleague and chose the back exit. It was already dark outside, even though it was just around five p.m. The redhead withdrew her phone from her small brown purse and began writing a short text to Stiles. Her attention was directed mainly to the small screen in her palm, therefore it was quite a surprise when she hit something in front of her. Lydia swiftly looked up from her phone to let her eyes meet with the gentlemans dark irises.

"Well, hello, again," he said with a soothing grin.

...

Stolos had been forcefully dragged out of his home, leaving the dead body of his father on the floor. The Romans weren't too kind to the children they gathered in the village, and Stolos found himself in a wooden cage within several minutes. He wasn't alone in the cage. There were two other boys who seemed undoubtedly suffering as Stolos did.

Both boys Stolos knew, but they didn't speak to each other anyways. They were in shock. Disbelief and maybe even denial. Not Stolos, though. The hatred against those men just grew inside Stolos and he knew that he will avenge his father one day. He would make them all go through agony and pain.

And that crucial decision influenced Stolos' whole life, but at that time, the young boy had no idea what his rage will do one day. So, he sat silently with the other children, watching the nature passing along while they traveled to the big city of Rome where they were supposed to be re-educated. They were to be Roman soldiers.

https://m.fanfiction.net/s/12211562/2/