4 - Comfort zone

Asterius would have loved to just lean in and nuzzle against Theseus' palm - but it was clear that it would have to wait. He kept a sigh to himself and turned around nodding at Carleen. "Of course. You're welcome", he answered, raising from his chair. He turned to glance at his... alright, they'd need to talk about that too. "Can you get up? Do you need help?", he asked, offering him his hand.

"I should be alright, but thank you, friend," Theseus said, getting up thanks to Asterius' help. The word 'friend' felt odd on his tongue, and he too felt like they should definitely talk about it. And the pet names he might be able to use around Asterius from that moment on.

"Alright, then. I'll be spending the afternoon with Aria. Text me when it's over, alright?" Carleen looked over at Asterius. "Don't feel forced to wait for him, I can fetch him again tonight if needed. You can use the car to drive yourself home, we'll retrieve it tomorrow morning."

Asterius shook his head at Carleen. "I'll wait", he simply said - as if it would have been obvious for him to do so. "Please, let Horknath know that I won't be home soon." He waited for Theseus to be standing upright before gesturing for him to get out of the room first. "I'll be following you. In case your knees start to wobble and I need to catch you."

Carleen felt her cheeks flush slightly when Asterius asked her to warn his brother in his stead. She agreed to it and quickly messaged Horknath about it, keeping it vague for now. She'd let Asterius and Aria fill him in about the details later.
For now, she joined with Aria so that the two of them could grab a coffee together. "Well! First of all, I didn't get to congratulate you for your engagement!" She grinned and caught her friend's arm in hers. "Did he propose at the party?"

In the meantime, Theseus got to his own car with Asterius, thankful to have him around for support, for he occasionally wobbled on his feet - the pain was distracting.

Aria had been distracted when Asterius had asked Carleen to warn their brother about the accident - or else she would've found it suspicious, and might have started asking questions about it right away. She lit up like a Christmas tree though when Carleen grabbed her arm and asked her about the proposal. "Thank you!", she beamed. "And yes! He came to check on me at some point to see if I was having a good time, like he always does - pulled me to the balcony with the excuse that he wanted to smooch me in peace." She giggled. "And instead of a kiss, I got him on his knee, taking my hand in his, and asking me if I could make him the happiest man alive." She sighed, a dreamy look in her eyes. "I wept for a whole minute. I was super gross, and he still wanted me to marry him." She showed her left hand to her friend, enthusiastically, where a ring sat on her ring finger. It was clear that she couldn't wait to show it to someone!

Asterius opened the car door to Theseus - and drove him to the clinic, after reading the address Carleen had sent to him. On the road, he was silent for a little bit - before he cleared his throat. "Theseus", he murmured, uncharacteristically shy. "You're my boyfriend now, right?"

Carleen chuckled and beamed when she heard the whole story and saw Aria's ring. "Oh, wow! I know they were rich in his family, but this is gorgeous! And definitely custom-made for your finger!" It probably was a lovely ring with really thin vine leaves to decorate it, around the lovely diamond that sat in the middle. "I'm so happy for you, Aria. I've always thought you were perfect for each other, but he's so romantic, I'm almost jealous!"

Theseus beamed. "Why! Of course, Asterius. I'd seal that promise with a kiss, but I'm afraid we'll have to wait after my operation for that." He hesitated, and rested his hand on Asterius' a bit, if he had it on the gear lever, with a loving gaze for his boyfriend. "However- this doesn't invalidate our relationship as rivals, does it? Will I still be able to wrestle you?"

"I know right?", Aria sighed again, looking back at her pretty ring with a loving - maybe a little goofy - smile. Was she talking about the fact that the ring was gorgeous, or about her fiancé being super romantic? Who knows. Maybe both. Honestly she would've been happy even with a ring made with one of those round potato chips - the fact that it was an actual diamond, and especially made to fit her, was just a sweet bonus. She loved Dionysus so much it made her feel like... like she was always drunk. Drunk and happy. Her eyes glinted though, when Carleen mentioned being almost jealous. "Does this almost have to do with the mystery boyfriend you've been teasing me about in these last weeks?", he asked, perking up immediately with a grin.

Asterius hummed, gazing to their hands rested on top of each other and then at Theseus - briefly, turning back to the road right away. "I am good at waiting", he simply hummed. Then he snorted, shaking his head. "I'd be severely disappointed if you stopped asking me for wrestling matches now that we are in a different kind of relationship."

Carleen's smile grew much more shy all of a sudden. "Mh, yeah, but- his identity is not so mysterious, and- I'm afraid I'm just as clueless as my brother, sometimes. I, uh." She bit on her lower lip, and avoided Aria's gaze for a few seconds. "I failed to notice that 'Laurkinson' is not exactly a common last name around." She finally dared to look at her friend again. Surely she'd understand quickly that she had been dating her brother all along.

Theseus positively beamed once more. "Marvelous! Then, as soon as I'm out of there, promise me that we'll have our match!" If he could be the one deciding, it would happen on the very next day. But that definitely wouldn't be reasonable, and he'd better wait for his nose to be fully healed before doing anything irrational once more.

Aria blinked at her, looking politely lost for a second - she was reorganizing her thoughts there, buffering if we will. She needed a solid second before her eyes widened considerably and she gasped theatrically. "Wait a SECOND", she exclaimed. "Oh my GOD, are you the Flyer Girl Horknath's been dating for the past weeks!?"

Asterius chuckled. "I am a man of my word, Theseus. As soon as your conditions will allow us, we will have the match I've promised you." He threw him a little, teasing glance. "Given that you've passed that exam, of course." Eh. He would've conceded even if he didn't pass - he had seen how much diligence he had put into studying, and that was already an achievement.

Carleen couldn't help but chuckle. "Yep. Yep, I'm the girl who was hellbent on getting to find your brother again so she could date him. Had I known you were siblings, I'd have told you beforehand! And asked directly for his number. I feel silly to both have kept it from you, and for embarrassing him to no end with my strategy."

Theseus looked offended. "Asterius, you must be joking! We were initially supposed to wrestle today - and now you want to wait for our results? It will take a few weeks!" And he couldn't wait to wrestle him! He retrieved his hand and crossed his arms, pouting a bit.

Aria laughed. "I thought it was a great move", he corrected her with a grin. "Horknath's too shy for his own good. Something a bit bold like that was definitely the right way through his heart. He couldn't shut up about how amazing amd great you are in every way possible - and I'm very glad to find out it's been you all along!" Her smile got cheekier. "You are welcome, by the way. I am the one who outed him."

Asterius chuckled. "I was joking, Theseus. You will have your match, whatever the results will be, as soon as you're at your best shape again. Just as I've promised you." Theseus was very cute when he pouted, he thought fondly, glancing at him. He looked at the road again, keeping silent for a couple of seconds, trying to keep his pokerface. "-if you want a kiss though-"
DIES

Carleen laughed. "Of course you did! Thank you!" She finally got into a café with Aria, and sat down with her. "I'm not surprised that we didn't get to talk about it until now, since we didn't manage to make plans to see each other. But what I'm surprise about is that Horknath has never once told you my name! Then again, he is rather shy. Not that I mind it- he's really sweet with me."

Theseus arched a brow, and his pout morphed into a smile. "Is thar another joke of yours? Ha! I'll kiss you as soon as I'm out of the operation block Asterius, that's the least you owe me for momentarily damaging my beautiful face! Oh, I'll kiss you to my heart's content."

Aria shot an apologetic smile to Carleen as she sat down. "He is very sweet, yes", she admitted. "And very reserved. I try to avoid pestering him too much about details, otherwise he just gets flustered and clams up." She stared carefully at Carleen, pressing her palms together. "I'm... guessing he never told you why he is always behaving like he's walking on glass around you, right?"

Asterius laughed. "I'm afraid kissing will prove to be a little more complicated than you think, at least right after you'll have gotten your surgery", he gently observed. He pulled into the clinic's parking lot and turned off the engine, getting out of the car first so that he could assist Theseus. "But you can kiss me however much you like."

Carleen blinked a few times, and shook her head. "No, I just assumed he was shy, and that dating was new to him." She was genuinely curious about what Aria was talking about - but she had no idea is she should feel concerned in any way. Was there a deeper reason behind his bashfulness around her?

Theseus grinned. "Then be ready for it, Asterius. I can't purse my lips much yet, but I sure will try soon!" He brushed his hand against his boyfriend's. Gosh, that felt nice to think! Asterius, his boyfriend. He'd probably never get used to the happy feeling that settled in his stomach at the thought.

He entered the clinic with him, and was soon taken in charge to be brought to the block. After one last wave, he disappeared into a room, leaving Asterius to wait in the waiting room of the apparently expensive clinic.
One hour later, an indian man walked in. He was wearing an elegant outfit - some might have called it tacky, but let's be real: black and gold were his signature design in the field - and had long hair brought up in a bun, as well as a thin, elegant beard. Everything about him indicated a strong sense of fashion, and a few eyes raised on his way, along with whispers.
The clerk at the front desk near the waiting room surely seemed to know him, too. She talked to him for a bit, and then gestured to Asterius. The man thanked him, and walked over to the bull-man, looking a little awkward all of a sudden. He cleared his throat upon coming near. "Hello. You're- My name is Sakrish Mishra. Are you Theseus' friend? My daughter said someone would drive him."

Aria sighed. Of course Horknath wouldn't have mentioned it. "Well... he is shy. And he is new to the relationship scene." She pursed her lips in thought. "Of course you know about what happened with me and your brother back in highschool - but Horknath had is fair share of heartbreak too", she started. "There was... this girl", she didn't even remember the name, to be honest, "in his class. He kind of liked her, and he thought she liked him the same way too - so he wrote her a little poem for Valentine's day. It turned out to have been a bad decision." She grimaced. "She sent it to the whole institute. Humiliated him, laughing out loud about how stupid it was, and how ridiculous he was for thinking that he had a chance with her at all." 'What the hell is this? We aren't in elementary school! Can you believe this guy?' She could still hear it. "They laughed behind his back for weeks. Fortunately enough, people's attention span is quite low, and as soon as the next gossip came around they got tired of it and forgot about it." She pressed her lips into a thin line. "He put up a brave face and went on doing his own thing. But if you know him, you can imagine how he felt."

Asterius was reading one of his school books - might as well check his exam's answers a little bit while he waited - when Sakrish cleared his throat as he walked towards him. He lifted his head, and immediately raised from his chair when he introduced himself. "Yes, sir", he answered, putting his book back down on his bag. "I'm Asterius Laurkinson, Mr. Mishra. It's... nice to meet you", he added awkwardly, offering his hand to him. He didn't correct the part about being Theseus' friend, but it was definitely not the right time - and it was probably way too soon anyway.

Carleen brought her hands to her lips. "Oh no- I can only imagine how stressful it must have been for him when I hung all of those posters about our conversation around campus! I'll apologize properly to him. What that girl did to him is terrible." She sighed and looked down at her hands.

Sakrish nodded. "There's no need to be so formal with me. Let's sit down." He smiled at Asterius, and sat down by his side. "So- I suppose you're the famous 'best friend' I keep hearing about. Carleen even said you've encouraged Theseus to study." He seemed to relax a bit already around Asterius.

"Oh no, don't worry - he might be an easily stressed person, but I assure you he knows perfectly well how to differentiate between someone who is attempting to reach out to him and someone who is trying to ridiculize him", Aria quickly tried to reassure Carleen, gently reaching to pat her arm. If her friend would raise her gaze, she'd see her smile kindly at him. "Honestly, I think I've never seen him so excited about meeting someone. He talks about you any time he has the occasion - he's probably very thankful that you had the idea of looking for him like that."

Asterius still felt a little awkward, but he sat back down at Sakrish's side. He did look at him, though, a little taken aback by his words. "I suppose I am", he answered in kind. Did Theseus talk about him to his parents? And Carleen, too? "Oh - yes, I... tried to find a way to push him", he explained. He was still proud about the fact that theseus had finally given his first theory-related exam also thanks to him. "I'm glad it worked. I hope he'll keep going like this."

Carleen had looked back at Aria, and visibly relaxed as well. "Thank you. I'm glad he feels that way." She still seemed a little concerned about what she had just learned about Horknath, and his heartbreak. "Would you mind if I talked to him about that story? To... reassure him? He probably doesn't know me enough yet, but I'd like to make sure he feels comfortable around me. I mean- the fact that we're friends is just another guarantee that I won't ever betray him."

Sakrish tried to himself. "Well! I can't wait to see where that leads us." He sighed. "You know... There are many things I could do for Theseus, regarding his future, but I'm glad he has a friend he can count on, and who can motivate him to do his best in his studies. He'll feel more... accomplished, if he succeeds that way. Thank you."

"I think there shouldn't be a problem if you talk about this with him", Aria answered with a smile still, a little unsure. She hoped Horknath wouldn't be offended that she had spilled the beans in his stead! She took a breath. "But, so! How do you like him as your boyfriend up to now? I bet he's been the perfect gentleman", she added with a more open grin. Horknath wouldn't have settled for anything less!

"... you're welcome." Asterius looked a little embarrassed. "I was just worried for him. It... didn't seem like it, at first, but I think that the thought of being stuck like that for a long time was really stressing him out." He couldn't forget how distressed and confused Theseus had looked on that first day where they had tried to study together.

Carleen chuckled. "He is! He's very sweet and romantic. Can you belive it, he's shown up to every single ones of our dates with flowers!" She was definitely gushing about Horknath, and didn't hesitate to show Aria pictures of some of the dates they went on.

Sakrish blinked a bit. "Did it? I see." Theseus had never mentioned it, but it made sense now. He tended to drown himself in sports whenever he was a little nervous, and hid it with overconfidence. "I'll try to talk to him about it, and get him to take things slow for a while." He sighed again. "And stress out the fact that he should be more careful when doing sports," he added with a slight smile. "That's how he broke his nose again, didn't he?" Uh-oh.

Aria gushed together with Carleen about how cute a couple she made with Horknath - commenting over how obvious it was that her brother would only come to her with at least a flower at every date! "-you two are so cute together", she cooed. "I'm so glad. I know it's a bit early to tell, but I can already see that you are definitely made for each other!" She threw an eloquent glance at her friend. "And that, at least physically, you definitely have a type." But well, they both knew that Horknath was nothing like her terrible ex-boyfriends.

Asterius stiffened visibly. "Uh..." He clearly hesitated, shuffling on the chair. "... I don't know how much Carleen has told you, Mr. Mishra", he started carefully, still unable not to be at least a little formal. "But- it's my fault if Theseus ended up with a broken nose. It was all born from a misunderstanding of course", he added quickly, "but I won't deny my responsibility!"

Carleen flushed at the thought. "I trust you on that. All I know is that Horknath makes me happy, and that I've never had such an adorable boyfriend. It feels kinda like what I imagine it must have felt for you to date Dio after my brother," she added with a chuckle.

Sakrish tilted his head, frowning slightly. "She only told me I'd have to ask Theseus myself. But- if it's an accident, you don't have to worry too much about it. As long as my son doesn't hold a grudge against you, I won't either. Even if I was really counting on him for that show in Stockholm," he added with a resigned smile.

Aria sighed happily. "Oh, yes. I mean, I've had my fair share before him, but - Dio is definitely the best boyfriend I've ever had. Which is good, since I'm going to marry him", she added with an excited giggle. She could still barely believe that- oh! "Oh! Right, there was a thing I'd like to ask you", she suddenly exclaimed, taking on a more nervous expression. "But you don't have to say yes, if you don't feel up to it. I mean, I just thought it would be nice because you are the closest to a best friend I've ever had, and I'd be super happy if it could be a thing-" She took a deep breath. "How would you feel about designing my wedding dress? I can pay you for it, obviously!", she added quickly, clasping her hands together.

Asterius felt himself flush. "Yes, it's... probably better for Theseus to explain", he muttered, scratching his head. "But he isn't holding it against me at all. I'm sorry for that show you had planned- maybe if he'll only be a little bruised by then, you'll be able to cover it up with make up", he reflected, remembering Carleen saying that it was one or two months away still.

Carleen first chuckled when Aria pointed out that well, not only Dionysus was the best guy she'd ever dated, but also her soon-to-be husband. She was about to remind her friend too that she did count as one of her best friends as well, but she downright squealed when she made that request. "Oh Aria! Of course I'd love to! Oh, that's just so sweet of you to ask!" She was beaming, and didn't even try to hide how excited she was. "I don't want for you to pay for anything else than the fabric though, don't worry. And I'll definitely make you a price- Oh! What about your fiancé? Do you know who's going to tailor his suit? If yes I could make sure you two are fitting well together!"

"Hopefully, yes," Sakrish sighed. He then looked at Asterius carefully, until his eyes seemed to spark with some peculiar interest. "Forgive me for asking but- how tall are you, Asterius?"

Aria made the same excited squealing noise when Carleen immediately accepted her request. "Oh I'm so happy you said yes!", she exclaimed. She had been ready to beg if necessary, let's be honest - she was way less shameless than her brothers. "Well- Dio's sister-in-law, Aphrodite, organizes weddings, and has her own stylist that she'd probably try to push on us. But Dio would like to avoid for his extended family to be too... involved in any of his choices. He said they would most likely end up fighting and making it all about themselves." And she could believe him fully, after seeing them all together at dinner. "Besides, he knew that I would've liked to ask you first. So I thought, if you were going to say yes, I could maybe suggest your father to him, for his suit. What do you think?" Well, Dio was rich - he could definitely afford a tailored suit coming from Carleen's father's outlet. She was beaming, already hyped about the amazing result the Mishra's father-and-daughter team would obtain. She and Dionysus would look fabulous.

Asterius tilted his head. What a curious question! But, well. He guessed that one doesn't really meet someone as tall and large as him just about everyday. "Not counting my horns? Two metres ten. Like my brother", he added without really thinking about it - usually when someone asked that wuestion, Horknath was also around, and he had gotten used to immediately answer for both. "Why?"