11 - It's the "I won't say I'm in love" musical number but there's also a frat party somewhere in the middle

Winter, for as incredible as it might be, isn't a loveless season. In our case, actually, it's exactly the season that makes people come together, consolidating blossoming love, pushing long lost crushes back together and further cementing old affections.

While Hermes and Charon slowly but surely kept tip-toeing towards each other, drawn closer and closer by new shared, precious moments and discoveries about each other, other people did the same - maybe slower, maybe not with quite the same degree of intimacy you can only possibly get by pretending to be each other's boyfriend for one evening, but just as surely.
Namely, Michela, whether she liked it or not, had a new friend.
A new friend who had nudged his way into her daily life in a way that had given her no chances to avoid it; a new friend who kept texting her, who made her snicker when she was alone in her room reading his stupid puns and nonsensical ramblings, who didn't judge her or the things she liked, who got fantastically along with that gremlin of a sister she had, who didn't push her to open up.
A new friend who sent her artistically crafted scrap-booked handmade cards that looked like they'd be bought from some fancy uptown store with rick-rolls written inside (she still needed to get back at him for that one. She was going to punch him, that was for sure) via said gremlin sister whenever she'd pass by his street with her girlscout group and troup commanders.
A new friend who made her feel like she had cotton in her brain whenever she'd think about his infuriatingly cute up-turned nose, and fuzzy inside when she'd think about his smile.
She didn't like it. She was going to ignore it, she told herself, even as she kept snorting dismissingly at his jokes and glaring at him while accepting his invitations to meet outside again and again.

Damn you, Hypnos. Damn you and your fluffy, beautiful hair.

Michela was waiting for him for their now-weekly non-date in some coffee shop, in one of the central plazas of the city, nervously tapping her foot on the ground.
Still intentioned to ignore the butterflies.
It wasn't even the right season for butterflies c'mon what the hell-

Hypnos's thoughts had rarely been centered around one single person for so long. Ever since he and Michela had started seeing each other - as friends, of course -, he had someone to talk to every single day. He sent her jokes, random thoughts he had during the day, sent her selfies of his worst bed hair with the caption 'I woke up like this' to make her laugh. She appreciated his handmade cards, which few people did, she indulged him and went with him to most of his favourite cafés and restaurants, they talked about movies and series they liked...

He had promised he'd keep it a friendship if she wouldn't want anything else though, so he'd better not push his feelings onto her.

For their weekly non-date, he had finally decided to invite her to his ultimate favourite café. He had texted Meg this week to make sure that Alecto wasn't working on that day beforehand, of course! Everything would go down smoothly. At least, that's what he thought.

He smiled and waved at Michela when he saw her from afar, before he came closer to greet her. "Hey! Are you ready from the best cappuccino in the whole city?"

Michela was far less animated than Hypnos, so she merely lifted her hand in greeting as she saw him waving at her and coming closer. She snorted. "Yeah, I'll be the judge of that", she quipped back. "As if I believe that you've tried every single cappuccino of this whole city." Of course he hadn't - but unnervingly enough, every time until now, whenever Hypnos had said something was 'the city's best', he had been right.
Much to her annoyance.

"I've tried many cappuccinos in this city," Hypnos countered with a grin and a wink. "Come on, let's go! They also have killer cookies, you won't regret it!" He guided her inside the café, where he brought her to a quiet table in a corner, as per usual. He had noticed that Michela didn't like to be around too many people at once.

He was already chatting with her once they had decided what they might order when a tall woman came by their table. "You're fucking kidding me. Did your brother tell you this was a good place for a date, or what?"
Hypnos tensed at once, and a fake grin got plastered all over his face. "Alecto! Hi! I- thought this was your day off?"
Alecto smirked. "Oh. So you didn't want me to meet your new girlfriend?" She snorted and took a long look at Michela, definitely judging her.

Michela had rolled her eyes at Hypnos when he had winked at her, but still followed him inside the café. It wasn't super crowded, thankfully - it wasn't one of those times of the day where people usually stopped by for coffee, she guessed, but there were still quite some people around. Must be a popular place.
She had just started to flip over the little menu, following Hypnos' finger (he was always leaning in from the other side of the table to point out stuff at her) when someone tall and mean-looking stopped by their table.
And started making assumptions about dates and girlfriends.
She briefly threw an interrogative glance at Hypnos - noticing his discomfort - before turning to stare up at the invasive stranger - Alecto. She squinted at her. Hard. 
Well. Whoever this girl was, if she thought she'd take the judging, she was wrong. "If you're going to keep staring, I'm going to ask that you pay a fee. I have bills to pay", she let out, not lowering her gaze. "And who would you be, by the way?"

Alecto snorted. "I'm the manager here."
"So you're- here to take our orders?" Hypnos asked with a hopeful voice.
"Oh not yet, can't waste the opportunity to learn more about your love life, Hypnos. It's not like it comes up frequently anyway..." Alecto crossed her arms and kept on staring at Michela. "Where did he dig you up? I'd have expected someone like you to show up with Charon, but it's not like this gremlin over here's got any charms to lure a girl like you in."

Michela's black-painted lip curled. Where she had been dug up from? "From the cemetery. Obviously", she answered, not losing a beat. "Still don't see how that's any of your business. Why you care so much about his love life, anyway? What are you, like. His ex or something?" She threw a judgemental glare towards Hypnos. "Is she?" Had he really brought her to a café where an ex-girlfriend worked? She surely hoped that was not the case. Else she would have been forced to completely reevaluate her opinion about him.

Hypnos was nervous, but at least he didn't look like he was lying to Michela. "Oh no, nononono, she's just, like, the sister to my future sister-in-law."
"And you're just like the piece of gum forever stuck under my shoe. Oh, but who would have thought I'd ever see you getting all cute and awkward around me? Where's your snark, Hypnos?" Alecto was definitely into bullying him, and since he didn't snap back at her as easily as he would with his brothers or Hermes nearby, she was delighted.

"Hey", Michela snapped at her, quiet and clipped but definitely looking as unpleased as she could ever be. "Leave him alone. The snark's on this side of the table. And I think you and whatever kind of spoiled milk you drink for breakfast to make you this crabby should turn around. Go harass some other poor unassuming couple, if that's your thing." She put both of her elbows on the table, assuming a confident position. "Besides, if you want to pick a fight, do it with someone your size."
Oh she couldn't stand bullies. If this gal wanted a verbal spar, she was on.
And if she wanted to fight in the back alley, she was so on.

Alector smirked. "Oh, I'd love to keep arguing with you honey, but I don't leave before 6. Though don't hesitate to come back in case you're bored with the sleepy gremlin." She winked at Michela, and straightened up (ha, straight). "I'll send you someone else for the service. You'd better be ready when she comes, we're busy at the moment." She eventually turned heels and walked away.

Hypnos blinked for a few seconds, before he made a face. "Did she flirt with you?"

Michela raised a single eyebrow at Alecto - carefully built-in resting bitch face barely even slipping away - and just watched as she walked away.
She turned again to face Hypnos and shrugged, making a face as well. Honestly that had been the last reaction she'd been expecting, so she was just as taken aback as he was. "I don't have a clue", she answered honestly. "You're the one who knows her, you tell me."

Hypnos scoffed. "Yeah, well... Guess she was flirting with you. Sorry about that. I know she was into some... Weird stuff, but now that I know that she likes people to bite back at her, I just- yeah. That's so weird." He shrugged. "Erh. Sorry about that, by the way. I really thought she wouldn't be there, otherwise I'd have taken you somewhere else."

Michela shrugged too, and offered him a little smile. "Eh. That's alright, don't sweat it. It's not like I was the one who got bullied. I was fully prepared to take it outside if needed", she added, taking another quick glance at the menu. "I can't stand bullies, especially if it's not me. Especially before I get any coffeine." She paused. "I guess I'll take that cappuccino."

Hypnos chuckled. "Well. Thanks! I usually manage to get back at her for any bullying she's doing, but- Maybe that only works when my brothers or my mother are in the vicinity. Truth be told, it's the first time she's attacked me this much." He smiled at Michi. "Truth be told, I didn't know you were so good with comebacks either! That was quite awesome."

Michela looked quite pleased with herself. "Oh, it was nothing that impressive", she modestly waved it off. "I had better ones coming her way if she kept that up. But you shouldn't let her behave like that on the regular - I mean, if you're getting related soon, I can only imagine the kind of carnage there would be at family dinners."

Hypnos shrugged, and smiled at Michela. "Ah, don't worry. I usually stick by Charon's side for family events - she hates his guts so she usually leaves me have my peace. I can even bully her back when that happens! And she hates his boyfriend even more. Which makes me think I should totally make you meet the guy someday, you might just love him, he's a bunch of fun!"

"If you say so", Michela snorted. She seldom 'loved' people, and others tended to find her too grim and clammed up on the long run.
Sure, sometimes you had those who just wouldn't surrender to it, and managed to cut up some space for themselves in her tiny book of friendship. Like Carleen, for example. 
"So that was what she was referring to when she talked about your brother and dating in this place", she observed. "I guess she bullies you because you're the smallest of the bunch?" Not that she herself was very tall - but Hypnos, always hunched over himself and with that sleepy, friendly face and round cheeks hardly looked intimidating enough to keep harassers at bay.

Hypnos chuckled "Eh! Actually I'm not the smallest among my brothers. Although I'm probably the scrawniest, or the less mean-looking. I've shown you pictures of them, right? I mean Charon kinda hides it under his fancy layers of clothing, but it's more obvious on Than." He scratched his cheek. "It's probably why Alecto picks on me. I'm adorable next to them, haha!"

Michela hummed, nodding. She remembered Hypnos showing him a picture of him and his two brothers - his twin, Thanatos, and the oldest, Charon. She kinda wanted to meet the guy, honestly, if only to ask him where he had bought that amazing hat. She also remembered thinking that Hypnos looked much like a parrot among ravens, but she guessed that was part of the... charm. Probably.
"You're definitely the least scary looking. Your brothers look like they could kill someone, and you look like the mascotte of a bakery", she observed, without really meaning to be mean about it. It was her indirect way to agree that yes, he was kind of adorable alright.

Hypnos laughed kindly. "The mascotte of a bakery. Is it because you've seen me eating too many pastries?" He grinned at Michela with fondness. "Why, you could call me a sugar statue. A monster made out of fondant! Come on, I know you to be more creative than that!" He had to stop in his tracks for someone decent finally came to take their order. He managed to get Michela to get herself one pastry to go along with her cappuccino, and then winked at her. "You'll love the brownie there, trust me!"

Michela opened her mouth to protest, but had to wait as another waiter came up to them to take their orders. She let Hypnos convince her to get a brownie, and raised a brow at him. "I'll trust", she sighed. "And you're definitely too soft-looking to be either a statue or a monster", she finally countered. "I am very creative, thank you very much, but I do enjoy for my inventive to be rooted in reality. And you look like a stuffed plushie, with that softie-looking face and that mess of a head", she added, pointing at said messy hair with a little smirk.

Hypnos grinned some more. "Awww. Does that mean you find me huggable then, if I'm a plushie? Be careful, that's a slippery slope. Hardly anyone agrees to hug me. I'm a snuggler. I trap you between my arms, fall asleep there and then you never manage to break free ever again!" He had completely forgotten to tell Michela about his narcolepsy so far, by the way.

Michela scoffed, not keen on admitting that she wasn't entirely against the idea of hugging, and she suddenly looked very concentrated on her cappuccino as she lifted it to her lips. "I'll have you know that I live with someone who has probably been a koala in her past life - by now I am a master at sliding out of wrestling holds and grabby hands." She really was. Lucia was tenacious to say the least, but she was stronger, and flexible enough. "Besides, I'm not very huggable. You wouldn't hug me. I don't have a lot of huggy bits, and I bite."

"Aw," Hypnos chuckled as he too took a sip of his coffee. "You'd bite even me? I'll tell Lucia about it. Who knows, she might even share all of her hugging secrets with me, and together we'll be able to trap you in our loving arms." He winked at Michela and hummed happily while taking a bite of his ridiculously huge cheesecake.

Michela narrowed her eyes at Hypnos. "You wouldn't dare", she threatened. "And I would bite especially you, you menace." It was an empty threat, by now Hypnos would probably know it - with people close to her, Michela was all bark and no bite. She took a bite of her brownie. "... alright, this is pretty good", she muttered, her mouth full.