She looked over at him, her green eyes wide and fixed on him, but she still seemed nervous. "I.. I trust you. It won't happen again and you didn't mean anything by it. I just want to lay down now."
She nodded slightly, going into her room and closing the door behind her. Once inside she leaned against the door, running a hand through her hair. She sat on the edge of the bed and waited for Ben, looking as if she might cry.
It didn't take long. He came in about 10 minutes later, holding an armful of books. He seemed very excited, holding them to his chest. "I got some stuff about flying," he said excitedly. "Flying for people who don't fly."
She looked like she had been crying, her hands balled up into fists on her lap. When he came in she relaxed, but still looked incredibly nervous.
His wings were glowing, and he was about a foot off the ground, but when he saw her, his whole face fell. He set down the books gently before coming over to her, his head tilted curiously. "...Cal?"
She took his hands, already appearing as if she might cry again. She shuddered, looking upset. "I don't want you to get upset."
He looked bewildered, sitting on the edge of the bed as he watched her. “Upset? Why would I be upset?”
She looked panicked, her hands waving slightly as a flurry of words came out of her mouth. "P-Puck kissed me and I didn't know he was going to do that but I didn't kiss him back and I freaked out and went in here to wait for you and I don't want you to be mad at me and I dont want you to fight him and I hate the situation."
As she explained, his wings slowly lowered, the glow leaving them somberly. He watched her, his dark brow knitted as he considered her. His expression was hard to read because she hadn't seen it on him before. It took a moment to place it; Ben was hurt. He looked away from her for a moment, looking at the unread books on the table.
"I didn't kiss him back," she whimpered, starting to tear up and balling her hands again, "I just went to my room because I wanted you. I love you."
He seemed to process this, his grey eyes staring at the ground. There was a silence before he looked up at her, giving her a small smile. The smile seemed fake, somehow, but she could tell that he was genuinely trying. "It's alright, Calliope," he said gently. "Don't cry. You don't need to apologize. It's alright."
It was too late. The tears had already started falling and she looked terribly upset. "I don't want to mess this up. I want this to be okay. I really, really care about you but I feel like this is all my fault," she said through soft cries, "I want it to be okay, but it's not and you're upset. I can tell. Even though your smiling it doesn't feel okay."
He pulled her into his arms, brushing his fingers through her hair gently. “Shh. Don’t cry,” he said softly, his voice still reserved. “It’s not your fault. It’s just something that happened. Don’t cry, Calliope.”
She held onto him, her face buried in his chest. Slowly her cries became just whimpers, but her shoulders still shook with nerves.
He was still holding her, rocking her gently as the storm passed her. He rested his head delicately on her shoulder, not offering his thoughts.
Eventually, she shifted and turned her head. Her eyes were red rimmed and closed and she still sniffled a little. "I love you, Ben."
He felt tense and unsure in her arms. “It’s fine,” he replied, still avoiding her gaze. “You should get some sleep.”
