After the incident at the theme park, Zeus told himself he would only see Astraia went it was absolutely necessary and he tried, he really did. But sometimes she'd call him. She'd call him until tears welled in her eye then he just couldn't resist. He was afraid of getting too attached but there wasn't a day that went by after she'd been discharged that he hadn't seen her. He once applauded himself on managing fourteen hours without her but he grew irritable and restless in that time.
On one particular night he sat at the edge of her bed as she lay cosily by his side and relived his old war stories while she listened, truly fascinated by his tales. Zeus also made sure to make it as PG as possible considering he'd recently found that he'd adored her innocence and wanted it to remain so. Astraia claimed herself to be one of the fearsome warriors from his tales and he'd just agree, saying she was the strongest of them all.
After his story telling the two fell into a comfortable silence. Small conversations were brought up now and then but for the most part he was calmly waiting for the other to drift off to sleep. It wasn't until the clock hit two in the morning had Zeus asked the child why she was trying so hard to fight off her sleep.
"I don't want you to leave yet." Astraia says with a yawn.
"I'll be back tomorrow my star." The pet name leaves his mouth so naturally he almost misses it. Astraia replies with a confident, I know, which has Zeus rolling his eyes.
"What do I have to do to get you to sleep?" He says more so to himself.
He feels a subtle shift on the bed and Zeus glances over to find Astraia now sitting up, closer to him, with a toothy grin painted across her tired features. "Magic." She says.
Zeus gave in quite quickly to the girls request. Holding out his left hand, a sudden squeal came from Astraia's lips when a burst of light shown. Zeus hushes her so her parents wouldn't wake. Astraia nods and covers her mouth, giggling with delight.
"You aren't afraid little one?" Zeus asks lazily after a while when he sees the unfaltering wonder on Astraia's face.
Astraia shook her sleepy head. "Nope. I think it's pretty." She's gotten better at pronouncing her R's, Zeus notes. He doesn't know what else to expect seeing that she'll be turning six in a few months.
"But it's dangerous." He says quietly as he watches the miniature lightning bolt on the palm of his hand flicker and flail wildly.
The bolt then grows larger in size when Zeus feels two small hands cup under his own. He can't help the unsteady beat to his heart at the contact. Zeus could do nothing but watch as her face began to glow from the light and her hazel eyes reflected the lightning beautifully. This wasn't a feeling of love that weighed on his chest, no, it was one of complete adoration.
"I don't think so."
Zeus frowns and encloses his hand into a fist, causing the lightning to vanish. A small pout appears on Astraia's face. "It is." Zeus spoke gruffly.
He eyes the silvering lichtenberg figure on her revealed collar. It was a brief look but Astraia caught it. Her little fingers pulled at the collar of her shirt, showed off more of her mark.
"It kind of hurt me once but momma said it was because when Zeus gets mad or sad he throws out light!" She says enthusiastically, doe like eyes full of wonder. "Momma said it's Zeus's way of leaving kisses when he's upset, and I'm special because mine is silver. So Zeus left me a special kiss! But it's okay Joonie you don't have to get mad, you're kisses are way better!" She smiles so brightly at him, her eyes disappear behind her cheeks.
Zeus didn't know she was aware of the little kisses he'd leave on her head when he thought she'd fallen asleep.
A rare, sweet smile graces Zeus' angelic features as he muses at her story. He'd never heard of his horrific lightning strikes being interpreted as kisses but for her sake he simply agrees. His slender fingers tug at her small hand so she'd release the hold on her shirt. With the utmost delicate of touches, he tugs her pajama shirt back up.
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Alright so Incase you didn't know, these are lichtenberg figures, they are branching electric discharges that sometimes appear on the surface or in the interior of insulating materials.
So there are some people in the world who have them as well but Astraia's is a metallic silver, differentiating from the others because it's meant to be a mark of Zeus, signifying their eternal bond.
