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Description
When Hafsa stepped back through the kitchen doorway, Icarion’s expression immediately brightened again. His whole demeanor changed. Just seeing her made him happy. He couldn’t help it. She was there, and amazing, and beautiful, and clever, and really cared about him, and really was his soul mate. After eons, Fate had finally allowed them to come together. How could he not be happy?

She smiled back at him reflexively, but it was a tight expression. Her eyes moved over his face and then scanned over Sigyn and Thor’s expressions as well. After a moment she focused on him again. “Can we talk alone?” she asked.

He nodded. “Of course,” he agreed. “I forgot I need to ask you a few things anyway.” He rose and followed her into the other room.

She stopped to stand by the hearth and turned to face him. “How are you feeling?” she checked. “Are you okay?”

He looked down as he realized that he was staring at her again. “I was just thinking, I missed you yesterday,” he admitted.

Her expression softened. “I’m here now. It was just one day,” she said. She looked over him again, with uncertainty, and raised her hand towards his arm, as if she might lay her palm against it, or take his hand, but she just let it drop again. He was so much more sensitive than most people she knew. She felt woefully unequipped to deal with all of his feelings. She was at a loss to know what he needed. Did he need a hug or something? Or was he just like this because of the romantic stuff again? Because she definitely couldn’t do anything to help with that. “Are you okay?” she repeated. What else was she supposed to say to that?

He nodded. “Sorry,” he said quietly. “I’m just thinking about what Thor was saying - “ He stopped because he didn’t know how to word his thoughts. He tried again. “I guess, he thought you’d want me not to help, with Apophis. But I don’t know. We haven’t really talked about what we’re going to do yet.”

“I guess we haven’t,” agreed Hafsa. “I don’t know if you can help me find Sophia and them. I have to figure out the spell first. Make sure it’s safe. Since I promised Thor we wouldn’t get directly involved.”

“Okay,” Ari agreed. “That makes sense.” He looked up at her again and she could see the relief in his face. “Is it okay if I stay with you?” he asked.

“I don’t want you to get hurt,” said Hafsa. “What if I hurt you?”

“You won’t,” Ari assured her. “If you don’t want to, then you won’t, because you’re not insane.”

“But if I am?” Hafsa asked. “What if it goes wrong and Apophis gets to me again?”

“We can make sure I can call Thor,” Ari suggested.

Hafsa still looked reluctant. “I guess,” she said. “I could put together a spell for that. Try, anyway.” She folded her arms and frowned as she considered that option. “Maybe some kind of automatic emergency flare. In case you can’t call.” Or wouldn’t, like last time.

“Thank you,” said Ari, his tone earnest. “Are you going back to your apartment then? What about Dylan? Is there enough room?”

“I guess.” She hadn’t thought about it, either. Until he’d asked, she’d figured that he would stay with Loki. And she didn’t know how long Dylan would be staying, either. “We’ll take a look tonight,” she said. “I mean there’s the couch and I’ve got a sleeping bag. That should work.” He nodded. She hesitated, in case he was about to add another question. But he didn’t seem to have anything else on his mind. “Are you ready to go see Apollo?” she asked.

“Sure,” Ari said. “You just wanted to ask about how to make sure I don’t faint? Right?”

Hafsa nodded. She hesitated, and then admitted, “I want to ask him about your Fates, too. How that works. Why do they have so much control over you. If there’s any way we can find out more.” And she quickly added, seeing the alarm in his face, “But I know everyone doesn’t want me to try to find them. I get that. Maybe asking is a waste of time. But if I can find out anything that can help, that’s what I want. Even if it won’t help you feel better now, I can deal with it. Just any kind of answer. Even if it’s just a clue about how I can find you again.”

He relaxed a little as she continued to explain. “We can try,” he said softly. “I’ll talk to him, if that’s what you want. But.... Hafsa, I don’t think there’s going to be much to find out. Sorry.”

“I have to try,” said Hafsa with a rueful look. “You know that right? I have to.”

“I know,” said Ari, his tone still soft. “I get it.”

Hafsa took his hand and squeezed it briefly. “Come on, let’s go,” she said.

Description
When Hafsa stepped back through the kitchen doorway, Icarion’s expression immediately brightened again. His whole demeanor changed. Just seeing her made him happy. He couldn’t help it. She was there, and amazing, and beautiful, and clever, and really cared about him, and really was his soul mate. After eons, Fate had finally allowed them to come together. How could he not be happy?

She smiled back at him reflexively, but it was a tight expression. Her eyes moved over his face and then scanned over Sigyn and Thor’s expressions as well. After a moment she focused on him again. “Can we talk alone?” she asked.

He nodded. “Of course,” he agreed. “I forgot I need to ask you a few things anyway.” He rose and followed her into the other room.

She stopped to stand by the hearth and turned to face him. “How are you feeling?” she checked. “Are you okay?”

He looked down as he realized that he was staring at her again. “I was just thinking, I missed you yesterday,” he admitted.

Her expression softened. “I’m here now. It was just one day,” she said. She looked over him again, with uncertainty, and raised her hand towards his arm, as if she might lay her palm against it, or take his hand, but she just let it drop again. He was so much more sensitive than most people she knew. She felt woefully unequipped to deal with all of his feelings. She was at a loss to know what he needed. Did he need a hug or something? Or was he just like this because of the romantic stuff again? Because she definitely couldn’t do anything to help with that. “Are you okay?” she repeated. What else was she supposed to say to that?

He nodded. “Sorry,” he said quietly. “I’m just thinking about what Thor was saying - “ He stopped because he didn’t know how to word his thoughts. He tried again. “I guess, he thought you’d want me not to help, with Apophis. But I don’t know. We haven’t really talked about what we’re going to do yet.”

“I guess we haven’t,” agreed Hafsa. “I don’t know if you can help me find Sophia and them. I have to figure out the spell first. Make sure it’s safe. Since I promised Thor we wouldn’t get directly involved.”

“Okay,” Ari agreed. “That makes sense.” He looked up at her again and she could see the relief in his face. “Is it okay if I stay with you?” he asked.

“I don’t want you to get hurt,” said Hafsa. “What if I hurt you?”

“You won’t,” Ari assured her. “If you don’t want to, then you won’t, because you’re not insane.”

“But if I am?” Hafsa asked. “What if it goes wrong and Apophis gets to me again?”

“We can make sure I can call Thor,” Ari suggested.

Hafsa still looked reluctant. “I guess,” she said. “I could put together a spell for that. Try, anyway.” She folded her arms and frowned as she considered that option. “Maybe some kind of automatic emergency flare. In case you can’t call.” Or wouldn’t, like last time.

“Thank you,” said Ari, his tone earnest. “Are you going back to your apartment then? What about Dylan? Is there enough room?”

“I guess.” She hadn’t thought about it, either. Until he’d asked, she’d figured that he would stay with Loki. And she didn’t know how long Dylan would be staying, either. “We’ll take a look tonight,” she said. “I mean there’s the couch and I’ve got a sleeping bag. That should work.” He nodded. She hesitated, in case he was about to add another question. But he didn’t seem to have anything else on his mind. “Are you ready to go see Apollo?” she asked.

“Sure,” Ari said. “You just wanted to ask about how to make sure I don’t faint? Right?”

Hafsa nodded. She hesitated, and then admitted, “I want to ask him about your Fates, too. How that works. Why do they have so much control over you. If there’s any way we can find out more.” And she quickly added, seeing the alarm in his face, “But I know everyone doesn’t want me to try to find them. I get that. Maybe asking is a waste of time. But if I can find out anything that can help, that’s what I want. Even if it won’t help you feel better now, I can deal with it. Just any kind of answer. Even if it’s just a clue about how I can find you again.”

He relaxed a little as she continued to explain. “We can try,” he said softly. “I’ll talk to him, if that’s what you want. But.... Hafsa, I don’t think there’s going to be much to find out. Sorry.”

“I have to try,” said Hafsa with a rueful look. “You know that right? I have to.”

“I know,” said Ari, his tone still soft. “I get it.”

Hafsa took his hand and squeezed it briefly. “Come on, let’s go,” she said.