Athena x Nike

#79 * Not Prepared

Based on 'not prepared for you' by Diane Warren and Lauren Jauregui.

Requested by SunsetMahi

------------------------------

"I was not prepared for you." Nike muttered staring at a picture of her and a certain grey eyed goddess.

The angel layed on her bed. Originally she had been staring at the ceiling. There was not much to see so she had turned her head to the side making her eyes fall on a picture of her and Athena.

The picture showed Athena with Nike on her waist, while the latter crowned the former with a laurel crown.

"What did you do to me?" The victory goddess asked the Athena in the picture.

But she didn't answer. She didn't even spare her a glance, probably far too occupied with picture Nike. The angel's mind betrayed her as she was warped back in time, straight to the very moment in the picture frame.

The fighting eased down. Athena looked up slightly confused to see a chariot flying over. She could hear cheers of happiness from the Golden glint in the sky.

Soon enough the chariot touched the ground. Out stepped Nike and Eirene.

Eirene took the liberty of walking around, telling everyone "The battle is over and peace has arrived."

Nike however didn't move. She stared at Athena while she tended to her horses. Athena stared right back at her, leaning on her spear.

Up until the moment where the wisdom goddess could no longer take it. She tossed her spear and shield aside, not caring where either would land, and walked up to the victory goddess.

No warning, no context, she just pulled the angel closer and lifted her up onto her waist.

"Congratulations." Nike grinned, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend's neck.

Athena just smiled wide. She was happy and relieved to be holding the angel again. Nike summoned a laurel crown and gently placed it on Athena's head.

From their right a bright flash startled them.

Hermes was playing reporter for Olympus. Of course he was holding a camera. The mischievous god gave the couple a wink and a smirk and ran off.

"He just can't help himself can he?" Athena grumbled, watching the cloud of dust her brother had left behind.

"Why are you complaining. Now we finally have a proper picture of us." Nike chuckled.

"Are you suggesting the rest aren't good enough?" The daughter of Zeus asked with playful underlying threat.

"I'm saying it's up for debate." The angel said, not able to hide her smile.

Nike's body twitched, bringing her back to the present. A present where she was alone. She glanced at the picture one last time. Then she put it face down onto the night stand and turned her back on it.

If Athena was able to do it so easily so could she right?

The angel closed her eyes, but images of the wisdom goddess kept popping up. Some were of the two of them sparring. Others showed Athena with a concentrated frown. And the last one showed Athena leaning against a column, with a genuine smile on her face.

The victory goddess pressed her fingers into her eyes until spots started blurring Athena's images. She didn't want to see her or the things she loved so much about her.

Meanwhile in the arena a couple of miles from Nike and her bedroom Athena pierced her spear through a dummy. She yanked it out of the puppet and ripped the rest of it's body in the process.

All around her decapitated and ripped dummies littered the ground.

How could Nike just let her walk out? Didn't she understand that if she had said one word Athena would have dropped everything for her?

A new dummy was summoned by the wisdom goddess, but it didn't last much longer than it's companions in the dirt.

It got a few stomps in the stomach and groin from the end of Athena's spear, before having its head sliced off by the other end. The head aimlessly rolled past the goddess' feet.

Athena and Nike sat in the dining room at the table. Just the two of them.

Athena stared at her hands and Nike's eyes darted towards everything but Athena.

"We can't keep moving back and forth Nike." The wisdom goddess stated.

The daughter of Styx remained quiet. She didn't know what to respond.

"You heard what Zeus said. This doesn't work."

Athena gestured between them. It felt like the goddess had just shot the angel in the chest. The pang of hurt spread out towards the rest of her body. It became heavier with every new word the wisdom goddess spoke.

"You favor me and I told you that cannot happen."

"I don't favor you." Nike managed to say barely loud enough to hear.

"Yes, you do. You might not see it, but everybody else does." Athena said firmly.

Her face was a mask, but Nike hoped that somewhere underneath she felt as hurt as the angel did in the moment. Not out of hate, but as proof that the wisdom goddess loved her as much as she did her.

The Athena Nike knew would feel that pain. But sitting across each other at the table, Nike wasn't entirely sure she knew Athena as well as she thought.

"I don't favor you Athena." Nike repeated her words carefully.

"It's your job as a strategist to find the way that leads to victory." She added, just above a whisper.

The fact that the victory goddess was almost afraid to speak her mind hurt Athena more than anything. She had always urged the angel to not be afraid to tell her anything. But apparently she still feared the wisdom goddess' wrath.

"Yes, but it has never been this easy." Athena replied.

Nike's face fell. Did she just name all the previous battles easy? As if thousands of soldiers hadn't layed down their lives for the victory she was supposed to her girlfriend.

"So there's not enough challenge for you?" The daughter of Styx muttered.

"It would seem like that yes." The wisdom goddess said.

She took her eyes away from her restless hands and moved them to see the angel's reaction. Nike had stiffened in her seat and her eyes had become glossy as she seemed to disappear into her own thoughts.

"It needs to stop. We need to stop."

Each new sentence made Nike feel like she was being punched in the gut. Athena was tearing her apart with her words.

"We can't keep fooling ourselves. So unless there's anything else you'd like to say I'd suggest we put an end to it right here, right now." Athena stated, but her voice was slightly shaking.

The victory goddess was so dumbstruck she didn't even know what to say. She hadn't seen this coming.

Athena stood up and turned around, ready to leave. She hesitated, waiting for Nike to say something -anything- to stop her from leaving. Mentally the wisdom goddess begged the daughter of Styx to say something. But Nike never did. She was too dumbfounded.

So Athena left and she didn't look back.