☾ huszonegy ☽
Hebe couldn't stay still. She'd more or less been pacing and fleeing from bench to tree in the span of only fifteen minutes, nervous about meeting her father. Mental images of Zeus from Hercules were clashing with her real memories of what her father was really like, and it kept her mind busy. While it had been easy over the community, being here and about to face Zeus, king of the gods, ruler of Mt. Olympus was making her so anxious, she could barely breathe.
The goddess of eternal youth ducked behind a tree, surveying who was passing by and keeping an eye out for her father. Butterflies fluttered around in her stomach as the seconds ticked by.
Zeus made sure to be on time for his daughter. Over the community, it had been endlessly evident how young Hebe still was and he was relatively sure that it wasn't just the fact that she was the goddess of youth. He'd had a very pleasant evening with his older daughters, beautiful Persephone and remarkable Artemis. This would be different, though.
Hebe had been so close to him, in the days before Ganymede. Zeus wasn't so foolish as to think that everything could be as it was but she was Hera's daughter, too. He'd never admit it aloud, but he missed his wife.
He reached the bench at which he was to meet her and stood still, hands on hips, looking around.
Her heart caught in her throat as she peeked around the tree, digging her fingers into the trunk as she peered at Zeus like a nervous little critter. Here, he was here. And so real. Brushing the stray pieces of hair from her face, Hebe took a deep breath and stepped out of hiding. Quickly, like ripping off a Band-Aid, so there would be no more time to hesitate.
"... Dad?"
Breathing. Breathing was good.
Zeus turned as soon as he heard the movement. He looked down at the girl, and she was only a girl to him (she always would be).
"Hebe," he said softly, his smile growing wide. There was no thought to it as he swept her up into his arms and hugged her tightly. For a split second, there was a memory, from this life, from not-Zeus; a memory of his other little girl, who was twenty-one now and her own woman. He held Hebe tighter and then set her down. "Oh, my darling girl. Look at you."
The butterflies had madly begun to tornado in Hebe's stomach when he laid his eyes on her, but from the moment she'd been wrapped up in a hug, that happy smile graced her face, despite the quiet squeak that'd escaped her lips from being picked up. That smile remained as the girl was set back on her feet, teeth scraping over her bottom lip out of nervousness and excitement, but also genuine joy.
"Did you expect me to be younger?" She couldn't stop the words that just spilled out.
"I expected you to be just as perfect as you are," said Zeus and these weren't the shallow, flattering words of a manipulator. This was a father, impossibly happy to see his child again. He held her at arm's length, just so he could examine her closely and he could only smile. "Are you well? You look so well. Oh, my little girl."
If Hebe could've bottled up her happiness and stored it next to her bed, it would've been enough to illuminate a stadium. She felt like she would start glowing any second. "I'm well, I'm more than well. I've--"
Really needed you.
Hesitance clipped her words before she could finish her sentence, and without another peep, she shot forward to wrap her arms around her father's back in a tight hug. This was elation at its purest.
"Hey, what's all this?" said Zeus, his voice a soft murmur. He hugged her back though, of course, determined to keep her close and safe and determined to keep this girl smiling, at all costs. "Everything's going to be great now, my darling. You'll see. We're together again."
Until Ganymede comes here, Hebe inwardly added, giving him another squeeze but not quite letting go. It had been too long. Too long to allow herself just a few seconds of her father's comforting warmth and his familiar arms.
Not caring about the hair falling into her eyes, she slipped into an even bigger smile if that was even possible.
"I know, daddy. Everything is already great."
[ Backdated a day or two. ♥ ]