He leaned down and kissed her temple before Puck spoke. “She doesn’t love you, you know.” Ben looked up, a strange expression crossing his face. “What?” “Calliope. She doesn’t love you.” Ben frowned, tilting his head at him. “I... I know,” he said after a moment. “That’s okay. I’m in no rush.” “No, she’ll never love you.”
Ben looked down at her, rubbing her back gently. “Maybe not,” he said eventually. “But I guess that’s all we can hope for, you know? Just love her as much as we can, and then hope that she’ll love us back. That’s all any of us can do.” Puck fell silent, lying on his back. “...how was I not enough?” he asked after a moment. “How was it that I wasn’t enough for her? What do you have that I don’t?” Ben laughed a little. “Cut off wings?”
Neither of them had noticed her consciousness, but Ben was still rubbing her back. “I don’t know,” he told Puck, looking over at him. “It shouldn’t have happened. I’m...” He laughed a little. “I don’t get the girl in this story. But... I don’t know. She has a tendency to surprise.” “Calliope?” Puck asked incredulously. “Surprise?” “Doesn’t she?” he asked quietly, and his voice was full of that same warmth that she would feel in her head. “She’s... she’s extraordinary, Puck. You of all people should know that.” Puck fell silent, looking up at the stars.
Puck finally spoke, his voice low. “So... it’s real? What you feel for her is genuine?” She would be able to hear in Ben’s voice that he was a little insulted. “What? Of course it is. I’m not that good of an actor. Plus, Calliope knows me better than you do and she vouches for me.” “Calliope is... naive. She trusts far too easily.” “Calliope is hopeful and brave,” Ben corrected. “She wants to believe that people have good intentions, and she’s willing to put herself at risk in order to prove her faith.” “It’s easy to valorize it, Benedict, but you’re not the one who’s had to protect her.” “She doesn’t need protecting,” he replied calmly. “She got out of the human castle. I didn’t. She went down in those sewers, Puck, and I know she was terrified. I know she was. She just needs people to believe in her.” He fell silent for a moment before sighing. “Your anger is a betrayal to her. You realize that, don’t you?”
Puck didn't respond and Ben sighed before lying down next to Calliope, gently wrapping his arms around her waist.
She shifted closer to him, staying quiet as she tried to go back to sleep, feeling a bit more comfortable with his arms around her.
When she woke the next morning, Ben was sitting by a large fire, cooking breakfast. Puck was still asleep on his bedroll.
She sat up with a small yawn, leaning over and kissing his cheek lightly. It wouldn't be hard to realize she was much more affectionate towards him when Puck couldn't see it.
He looked over at her, his face hard to read, but he gave her a small smile. "Hello. Did you sleep okay?"
She nodded a little, resting her head on his shoulder with a small sigh. Her hair tickled his neck a bit. "Yeah.. Did you?"
