5. IN WHICH TIME IS LOST, A HOMECOMING, AND MINOTAUR MATING CUSTOMS ARE OBSERVED

Chapter five

T hey ate and talked, the conversation flowed easily–shockingly so. Asterion didn't seem to mind when Cora spoke at length, and he was an attentive listener, nodding his head and asking insightful questions about her childhood, the city, and of course, shells.

When it was time to pack up the food, Cora could scarcely believe how quickly the time had passed.

"Is it an hour already?" she asked when Asterion began tidying.

"Past time, honestly, I am probably a bit late on gift number three at this point, so I hope you'll forgive the tardiness. It was just so nice I didn't… didn't want to leave and break the spell." He smiled, sadly, lifting only one side of his mouth. "I asked you for an hour, and I am afraid I took more than that."

"I said I'd try, for an hour, but it was up to me, after that, wasn't it?"

His ears fluttered. "Aye."

Curse him, those ears were adorable, she could see them quickly becoming a weakness.

"Then..." She drew in a fortifying breath. "I think I'd like to keep trying."

"Truly?" Asterion's face lit up. He sped up his cleaning, tidying things up, but not entirely, it was more like he was stowing things rather than cleaning it all up. Was he just going to leave a mess like this? Right on the side of her mountain?

“Shouldn’t we take that with us?” She asked.

“I have a friend who will be by in a little bit to clean it up, don’t worry.” 1

He had a plan then, she liked that. Plans were tidy. Of course, one couldn’t always count on their plan and its perfect execution, but somehow having one had always made her feel better. When things were sufficiently stowed, if not cleaned up, Asterion held out his hand for hers once more. His hands were cooler now, though still warm, their wide expanse engulfing hers easily. “So smooth,” he murmured. Drawing his thumb across the back of her hand. “Your skin, I suppose I expected it to feel cold, or maybe bumpy, somehow?”

“I’m warm-blooded, though you can probably see that my skin is much more like polished marble that’s flexible. Other oreads or earth nymphs might have textured skin, I don’t really know. Our nature means that some of us tend to be isolated. I’ve always been a little jealous of dryads, living in the forest together. I don’t even know if my neighboring mountains have nymphs, though I can see the dryads dancing in the forest sometimes.” She smiled sadly and shrugged.

Asterion led her into the cave and helped her back into the phaeton.

“And your parents? Were they nymphs as well?”

“No,” she chuckled. “My parents are dwarfs. It’s not uncommon for nymphs to be born of want. So, more often than not, we are born of desire for a child, rather than physical desire. In my case, there was definitely no physical desire involved.” Asterion frowned down at her, confused. She didn’t cry, thinking of her parent's difficult marriage, but she could see the question in his eyes.

“My mother hasn’t said it straight out, but I’m fairly certain that I was some last-ditch attempt to save my parents’ marriage. It didn’t work, but they tried, for a few years at least.”

Saying it out loud brought to mind all the reasons she hadn’t ever allowed herself to hope for love. Because, after all, if her mother and father who were two of the best people she knew, couldn’t make their love last, how could anyone hope to do so? They still spent a great deal of time together, being that they worked together, but it seemed their love had never been enough.

“That sounds… uncomfortable to know.” Asterion squeezed her hand as he mounted the phaeton and took up the reins. “But I imagine it’s also some sort of small consolation. To know how badly your mother wanted you?”

“It is, and in truth, my father wanted a child quite badly as well. It was honestly part of what kept them together for as long as they were. At night, they would sit by the fire, and speak about what their baby might be like… those conversations lead to my creation.”

“Let me guess, their home was made out of white marble?” he asked with a smirk.

“You did do your research. One day, my father, who is quite the craftsman, swore he could begin to see the outline of a baby in the stone. He took out his stone-cutting tools and over the course of a week, freed me from the rock.”

“I suppose you could say that your father liberated you, rather than your mother.”

“Yes, but she was involved, of course. In fact, when my father freed me from the rock, I was not yet alive. It wasn’t until my mother held me and cried that I took my first breath. Neither of them expected me to be alive, but my mother says that when my father pulled me out, I was just so perfect, everything they had ever wished for, that it broke her heart, knowing she would never actually have it. When she cradled me, the desperation she felt held enough magic to bring me to life. Well that, and all that my father poured into the rock as he carved me out.” 2

“I read about how nymphs are formed, but you were a bit of a puzzle to me. I admit, I had more reading planned.”

"You've been busy lately, your reading habits have changed, too."

Asterion blushed, his ears wiggling. "Yes, I uh–needed to focus my research ahead of the holidays."

"Oh?"

"They put me in charge of the holiday festivities. As far as I could tell, it's a bit of a trial, to see if I can do it. It was really important to me that I not mess it up, since it's my opportunity to show them that I am not an idiot."

"Of course you aren't!" Cora could hardly believe such a thing! "I don't see any of them in my library day and night with their noses in books!"

Cora was so annoyed that it took her a moment to realize what he meant by being in charge of the festivities.

"Wait a moment, does that mean you are in charge of the decorations?"

He nodded.

"And the holiday market?"

Another nod.

"The ball and the–Asterion! That is so much work!"

"It hasn't been easy, I 'll tell you that! It's part of why I wanted to plan tonight for you. I've needed every spare moment to get everything ready for the town, I worried that you'd think I forgot you..."

Cora smiled and looked away, though the second she did, she realized they were in a quite close cave, and she looked like an idiot being suddenly interested in a wall, when really it was obvious she was just being shy. "It likely worked to your advantage... I sort of thought you had, and then I realized that maybe I was disappointed about that... This was certainly a surprise."

"Do you think you can forgive me then, for my lack of attention the last several weeks? I wanted to make sure that I wasn't messing it up again, like I did with the cookies. I am sorry for that, by the way. Back then, I didn't know where you lived, and following you to find out, or ambushing you when you left for the night both seemed..."

"Creepy?"

"Let's say uncouth."

"Oho! Whipping out the big words, are you?"

"I've got to! The girl I'm interested in, you see, she's more into big words than big–ahem–sorry, that was also uncouth. "

Cora giggled and covered her face. "No, no, it was funny! Do you normally woo women with big other things?" She bumped his shoulder, inviting him to tease back.

Asterion coughed, rubbing a horn. "Well, it's not as if I lead with it–"

"Unless of course, you're very happy? Then you might have no choice but to lead with it!"

"You little minx!" Asterion looked down at her in shock.

"Sorry," Cora gasped. "I like teasing, and word play, and just playing in general."

"No, I like it," he said softly. "I think I'll like playing with you."

"Oh, point scored! But I did set you up for that one."

"You did, I'm just glad I didn't miss it. I'll have to brush up on my wordplay."

"But really..." Cora looked down at Asterion's clothing. It was drape-y and he didn't seem to wear trousers with it, as his furred legs stuck out the bottom of his tunic. "Is that something you have trouble with... leading when you don’t mean to? It doesn’t seem like your chiton would do you any favors there."

Eyes blinking, Asterion was silent for a moment. "Well, no, I'm a gentleman, I tie it to my leg, of course."

"You what?" It was Cora's turn to blink now.

"Well, I certainly can't have it flopping about, or God's help me, leading anywhere!"

"Well, now I am just curious!" The words flew out of her mouth before she could stop them, and she realized that they were true... In more ways than one. Asterion intrigued her in a way that no one had in a long, long time.

She might have learned to be wary of people looking to her for casual sex, but that didn't mean she wasn't interested. 3

And where Asterion was concerned, she was very interested. She bit her lip, her core heating at the thought.

"Well, I certainly won't object to you being curious, I just–well, I sort of assumed it might not be something you were interested in at all..."

"Oh?"

"At first, I wondered if you just didn't realize I was interested, if cultural differences were getting in the way. Then, after you seemed to understand, I messed up with the cookies, and then, well I backed off in hopes that you'd show me, if you were, I mean... "

"Asterion, I–I am afraid I am not very good at this sort of thing, so I'll just be honest. I haven't had good luck in this area. Others haven't been keen after really knowing me. From what I can tell, I am a relatively good time in bed, but I also realized, over time, that was all some people wanted me for. And if I am going to be involved with someone... I want more than that. I was trying to drive you away when I talked to you about mollusk reproduction, because that is who I am, and I couldn't bear liking you more than I already did if you were only going to leave when you saw the side of me people tend not to like."

Asterion's eyes were half-lidded and tender when he looked down at her, his warm hand coming up to cup her cheek. "So, what I am hearing is, you like me." He smiled and rubbed his thumb over her cheek. "I hate to tell you, it had the exact opposite effect. It solidified, for me, how much I wanted you. It meant a lot to me that you wanted to share what you liked, that you thought I was smart enough to understand."

"I did, I do–I mean I thought to use it to drive you away, of course, but only because people tend to find it incredibly boring... not because you wouldn't understand it."

"If someone else was talking about it, I probably would have found it boring, but you just got so excited that it was hard to not be interested. I suppose I also knew you liked fossils already because you have them everywhere, so that made it easier to know it mattered. Plus," his ears wiggled, and Cora thought he might do that when blushing. "Your nose does this adorable wrinkly thing when you get excited, so even if I got bored, I could always look at that."

Cora couldn't stop smiling for the entire drive home. When they pulled up to her door, there was a tension in her chest, at knowing Asterion might be leaving.

"What now? It's certainly past three..."

Three in the morning and here she was, asking to stay up later? What had come over her?

Then again, it wasn't as if the library were open in the morning, nor was she expected anywhere... she had no reason to wake early. The night had a magic to it that might fade in the light of day. What if she woke to find it nothing but a dream? No, she needed to savor the night, lest it all melt in the light of day.

"It is, which means it is time for your next gift," Asterion reached into his cloak and extracted a small box .

Cora's breath hitched. The entire night had been special, magical even, but somehow, jewelry seemed like a massive step that she wasn't certain she was ready for. Jewelry meant commitment. It meant claiming herself, publicly, for someone else. Her vision focused on the small velvet box. On how Asterion’s hands dwarfed it. How he could hide it away from everyone by curling his fingers. Asterion's hands shook as he held it out to her.

That shake, the trembling of his strong hands is what did her in. It's what convinced her that she should at least entertain the idea of looking at what he presented. Looking didn't mean accepting, didn't mean commitment. It meant...exploring. Entertaining the idea of moving forward in a real, tangible way. In a way that might allow her to get hurt, true, but also a way that could allow her intimacy in ways she had never known.

She'd shown Asterion the parts of her others had rejected, practically shoved them in his face.

And yet, there he stood, holding a small box with hands that shook so hard she feared he might drop it. Maybe he was as nervous as she was? Maybe the chance...might be worth it?

With her own unsteady hand, Cora bridged the distance between them, the milliseconds slowing so much that she noticed the dim purple glow of the street-crystals, the cheery dim orange of the crystals dotting the library. Meeting Asterion’s eyes, so openly vulnerable, unlocked a part of her she hadn't even known existed. A part that though she ignored, she'd also actively hid her entire life.

Vulnerability, after all, opened one to hurt. But, somehow, it also invited connection. Her hand rasped against the smooth leather box, and with a deep breath, she allowed herself to open it.

Inside, reflecting the light of the crystals, was a beautiful, smooth ring, with a bead of white marble in the center. The odd thing though, was how massive it was. "Asterion, this is beautiful but, I think it's–"

"A little large?"

"Well, yes."

He chuckled, removing the ring from the box. "It's not for you, long term at least." He held the ring up, in front of his face, under his nose. "It's a minotaur thing. I knew I should have given you the book first, but then I would have to stand here while you read it, and that felt stupid and–"

"Asterion, just tell me about it." She placed a hand on his arm and was shocked at how warm he felt. His skin was lightly furred, even where it looked like he wasn't, like a peach.

"Oh, quite. Well... this is sort of like a wedding ring, I suppose, but minotaurs wear them in our noses. Don't worry though it's not... I am not asking you to get married… right now at least. When we are seriously interested in someone, in pursuing something seriously, in a way we hope could end in marriage, a minotaur will gift their partner their ring. You're supposed to ensure it's specific to the person. This one is marble and gold like your skin, I had made especially for you. And then this–" He moved, and now that he pointed it out, Cora could see that there was a delicate gold chain dangling from it. "This allows you to keep it, until you decide that you do want to mate–er, marry. We can mate before then... I mean, if we mate..."

Asterion's face was bright red, his ears wiggling adorably as he fumbled his words.

"I see, so one partner gives this to the other to indicate... serious intent? Perhaps like a courtship?"

"Yes!" Asterion seemed so relieved, though his shout was a bit jarring. "And it goes around your waist, so you don't need to show it if you don't want to. In fact, most people wear it next to their skin. If you decide that you'd like to marry, then you'd give it back to me, ideally by piercing me yourself, but I understand if that is a bit much when you weren't raised expecting that you might do that."

"Should I have something for you?” Cora was intrigued by the idea but felt immediately unsure about if it was something she should reciprocate.

"Normally, if you were a minotaur, yes, though both things sort of... move on their own time frame? Like, you aren't expected to have one ready for me, you'd give it to me when you felt ready to commit to me. It's a statement of your own investment to the relationship. In some cases, it doesn't even communicate exclusivity, depending on the couple, though in mine it does. You just... uh, say if it does or not, really. It's like a conversation. I give it to you, you either accept it or not, and then when and if you're ready, you reciprocate. Then, when we are certain, we give it back and get pierced." 4

Cora pursed her lips. Honestly, it made a great deal of sense. She liked that it was stating one 's own intentions and commitment, rather than asking for the same back immediately. "And if I refused to accept it?"

"It would mean that you weren't interested. That you weren’t interested in seeing where things went." His voice was soft, and sad. but he gave her the option nonetheless. He still held it, his hands running over the gold chain over and over, one after the other.

"In that case, I think you have something of mine..." she whispered.

Asterion smiled, wide and welcoming, heated and hopeful in a way that made her melt. For months she'd watched him, studied him from the corner of her eyes, and never had she seen him smile like that. Like everything in the world was exactly as it should be.

"That I do... May I put it on you? Over your clothes, I mean..."

Cora nodded, somewhat nervous to have his hands on her.

Instead of walking around her back, like she expected, Asterion approached her front. The chain looked so tiny in his hands that it practically disappeared. Heat pulsed off of him, and Cora burned with it. His arms wrapped around her back, encircling her with his chain. Asterion’s warm breath rustled the hairs on her head, tickling her with the reminder of his closeness. He didn't touch her as he looped the chain around her back, but she could feel how close he was, reinforced by the chain sliding against the fabric of her nightgown.

When his hands looped to the front, Cora was struck by how delicate his movements were. He had large hands with thick fingers, but he worked them deftly, looping the chain through the ring in a complex pattern that secured the thing. After, a length of chain hung down the front of her nightdress, ending just before her knees.

"We can tie that up, as well, if you'd like, but many people leave it hanging... as a reminder."

Indeed, the chain would hang low, between her legs, as she walked. If she weren't careful, when worn underneath her clothing, it would likely occasionally settle between them, nestled against her sex. She imagined going about her day, the constant reminder of him tickling and teasing her. She'd be a needy mess at the end of the day... And didn't that sound delicious?

Cora blew a slow breath out between her lips. "That would be a reminder for sure."

Asterion smiled a lot. It was ready and rarely left his face longer than a few minutes, so Cora had seen many versions of his smile. The look that came over his face then? The slow spreading of his lips in a way that dripped of satisfaction and sex? That wasn't a smile she'd ever seen but would love to see more of. He slipped a finger under the length of the chain, running it back and forth so that his finger just grazed the fabric of her nightgown.

"I suppose this is a good time to tell you that I don't mean to fight fair. I want you, Cora, and I'll fight dirty to keep you." His voice rolled through her, fanning the flames of desire that licked at her insides. Her mouth hung lax and she panted unsteady breaths.

"Fuck, Cora," he groaned, looking briefly at the ceiling as if trying to regain control of himself. "I thought you were beautiful the moment I saw you, but now? With your cheeks flushed and your hair mussed from the wind, and in a nightgown and wearing my chain? I've never seen anything I liked more."

Cora's mind flitted from thought to thought. From elation that someone seemed to see her and wanted what they saw, to nerves at the possibility of losing him. Concern at the overwhelming size of him, before she even had him, at his smell so close she could almost taste him.

Cora meant to say something smart, truly she did. Or perhaps she'd meant to say something witty. Instead, all that came out was a breathless " Ha!" that was less a laugh than a sound of disbelief.

With that thick finger still looped through her chain, Asterion applied the slightest pressure, inviting her closer to him. Cora stumbled as if she'd been tugged, but really, she'd already been swaying with her want, and that tiny movement was all it took to send her stumbling into his chest.

With slow, almost inexorable movement, Asterion lowered his head. Strands of his hair flopped over his forehead. Breaths shaking in and out of her, Cora tried to steady herself. Surely, he would kiss her now? The slow descent of his head toward hers meant nothing else, right? He met her eyes, shifting back-and-forth between hers, as if searching for something. When he had almost closed the gap, Asterion shut his eyes and tipped his forehead against her.

He was overwhelming. The scent, the heat of him, the singular small place where the back of his finger brushed her stomach. She had experienced arousal before, but this felt deeper. It was an aching need to be touched, for connection. Because, beyond how much she wanted him to touch her, Cora craved the acceptance and connection of sharing touch with someone who truly seemed to value her for who she was.

Allowing her eyelids to flutter closed, Cora matched him, and waited. She was shocked when she first felt his touch on her forehead. He tipped his against hers and it was so beautifully, achingly intimate, but Cora worried she might cry. He was so close, it was overwhelming. Her entire body was sensitized and ready for him. Each molecule reached for him, sang for him.

Shifting his head, Asterion ran his nose against hers. She had never rubbed noses with anyone before, but as he ran the flattened warmth of his against hers, she thought, this is what love could feel like. It was only a taste, a preview of what the future could hold, but she was desperate for it.

When he spoke, Asterion’s words tickled against her lips, his breath warm, and sweet. “Please, can I kiss you, Cora?"

Asterion’s words scattered across her lips, across her nerves, and shattered through her. A lightning bolt, burning her to her core and rebuilding her from the ashes. It was a miracle that she was able to answer.

“Yes,” she said.

Asterion nuzzled his nose against hers again. Rubbing the soft, warm and slightly furred suede expanse of his against her own. She suppressed a giggle; she didn’t want him thinking that she didn’t take this seriously.

Cora closed her eyes, allowing the sensations to rush over her. Asterion’s warm breath, the steady, reassuring weight of his hand as it slipped around her waist. His other hand, snaking up her back to twine into her hair. And then, the delicious press of his lips against her, gentle and questing. His kiss was an invitation, a conversation. Will you join me? Will you fall with me into something unknown and exciting? In a dance as ancient as the very stones from which she formed, she answered. Yes , she said with each kiss. Yes, was the slide of her lips against his, her body melting into his embrace. Yes, was the parting of her lips and invitation for entrance.

Once invited, once accepted, Asterion was no longer timid. His tongue flowed into her mouth, inevitable and seductive. He teased her, savoring her, and she was bowled over by the sensation. His mouth tasted of the heady spices of the wine they’d shared, and she could get drunk on tasting him alone. All too soon, he was pulling away, leaving her questing with her mouth for him. Eyes closed, she searched, bereft of his warmth, overwhelmed by his absence. He didn’t go far, his forehead pressed to hers again, though she could feel his shaking where he touched her.

“I need to say goodnight. I have so much to do tomorrow. I know I need to leave, but even backing up has cost me.” His words were quiet, even had the library been filled, they were pitched so quiet only she would have been able to hear them. “Will I see you at the ball tomorrow? I’d offer to accompany you, but I need to be there early.”

“I–I hadn’t planned on–” A crowded room full of people still sounded like a nightmare… but with Asterion looking at her like she’d hung the stars, it almost sounded like a nightmare she might be willing to brave for him. “I don’t have anything to wear…”

“I was hoping you’d say that.” Asterion turned around and reached into the phaeton, extracting one final box from under the seat. It was wide and long, white, and tied with a golden ribbon. He pressed it into her hands and leaned in to kiss her forehead. “Think about it, for me?”

Cora watched him as he left, unable to tear her eyes away as he drove off. As soon as he was gone, however, she tore the ribbon off of the box and gasped. Lovingly wrapped in the same tissue she knew from her own modiste was an absolutely stunning gown. Her hands shook as she removed it, knowing how much such a thing would cost, and immediately seeing the thought that had gone into the design.

She hated crowds, and the thought of dancing in front of half the town made her feel like her stomach was about to drop through the floor… but the ball was something Asterion had worked so incredibly hard on… and the dress was really so, so lovely… it would be a shame to let it go to waste, wouldn’t it?

1. If she’d dug, she’d find that the friend he had to help cleanup was the partner of her own friend, Catrin.

2. As best I can tell, all nymphs are created in response to a great want, and then the magic inherent in the continent of Caihalaith fulfills the need by coalescing to create life.

3. Cora’s situation and Asterion’s involvement on the council has led to a concerted effort to help different races overcome the stereotypes about them that have been spread by the Empire. While some are partially true, like this of nymphs, they are almost universally harmful, regardless.

4. As one can imagine, these sorts of cultural conversations have since become increasingly common, but at this, one of the earliest stages of the rebellion, they were quite groundbreaking. Cora, in her role as Head Librarian went on to introduce courses and talks about culture in order to help the disparate peoples of the Empire understand one another in ways the Pathians actively supressed.