#also Gil really did offer to let Thena come home with him

[softquietsteadylove]

Hello! ✨

Something for the Thenamesh 10 Things AU!

What about some drama with Arishem. He heard a stupid rumor that his daughter Thena had some dirty time with a "bad boy" at a gas station or a workshop. Arishem was storming out of the house when Thena an Sersi came home and he yelled at her and grabbed her, trying to drag her into the house. And then, of course, Gilgamesh shows up and makes it even worse, because Arishem thinks he's this, in the rumor mentioned, "bad boy".

🖤✨Hugs and Love✨🖤

"Thena!"

Thena and Sersi both jumped as their father's voice rattled the air around them. Sersi stood from where she and Thena were sitting on the front step together. "F-Father, what-"

"Silence," the monstrous man stepped closer to them, forcing Thena to her feet with the pressure of his presence. He loomed over them. "Thena, I have heard rumours of you."

"What rumours?" she asked outright. It wouldn't do her any good to play stupid with her father. "Whatever it is, I'm certain it's false."

"Is that so?" he queried, leaning over his eldest daughter more. "I was told you went looking for...transportation."

Thena bristled.

"It is my understanding that you have formed an associative attachment with someone," Arishem paused, "less than reputable."

"Please say who you mean, Father," Thena asked, which was as good as wagging her finger and sassing him.

"Gilgamesh," Arishem spat out the name with distaste. "A young delinquent who will be lucky to graduate school, let alone attend a secondary education befitting of this family."

"And what does that have to do with anything?"

"You know the rules," he spoke deeply and evenly, eyes bearing down on Thena with her head directed at her shoes. "You do not let the common animals bed you, especially not the likes of unlawfuls."

"Father!" Sersi spoke up in a surprising bout of rebellion. "I don't know what you're talking about but Thena-"

"Was seen with this young man several times," Arishem concluded for his second daughter. And favourite, if Thena needed any more proof than this very conversation. "Including, entering and exiting his vehicle."

"I did not realise asking for a ride was strictly forbidden," Thena spoke up for herself again, which she had never done as much of in the past. But she managed to drag her eyes up to glare at her father, "truly I must be the whore of Babylon, then."

Arishem's eyes flared, only making his dark, devilish appearance even worse. "Enough."

"Father!" Sersi gasped.

"Inside," he snarled, gripping Thena's arm and dragging her up the rest of the stairs and towards the door.

"Hey!"

All three heads turned as a figure walked up the sidewalk and towards the house. "I don't know what the hell's happening, but let go of her."

Arishem stared down the young man walking towards him so brazenly. "You."

"Me," Gil made a face at him. Arishem's height didn't bother him, nor the sheer size of his figure, wide shoulders and monstrous limbs. Gil shrugged at him, moving his jacket with his hands inside the pockets.

Arishem looked down at Thena, in his clutches like a bird being shoved into a cage, "truly? This is with whom you wish to associate?"

"Father, please!" Sersi pleaded, tugging at his other sleeve in an effort to help her sister.

"Father?" he an even more sneering face at him. He walked up a few steps towards them. "You're their asshole of a dad?"

Arishem's spine straightened, each vertebra locking into place so he could glare down at the boy. "You have the audacity to address me so improperly?"

His eyes dashed down to the hand around Thena's arm. "I have a problem with anyone who handles their own kid like this."

"Gil, don't-!" Thena bit her lip as her father pulled her upwards, forcing her to stretch up with the impossible angle of her arm within his frighteningly high grasp.

"Gilgamesh," Arishem addressed, still holding onto Thena like an escaped convict. "I will say this only once: whatever claim to my daughter you think you possess, put it from your mind."

"Put it from my mind?" he repeated back as if he hadn't heard it the first time at all. "The fuck is wrong with you?"

Arishem brought his shoulders forward. "You-"

"No, you!" Gil belted back at him, jabbing his finger up in his face despite the difference in their height. Gil didn't back down in the least in the face of the monster of a man. "You listen to me, fuck-face! I don't care if you're their dad, I don't care if you spoon feed them from gold plates every single day! You don't handle them like this!"

Gilgamesh reached forward, taking advantage of the surprise on Arishem's face and grasped Thena's hand in his. He pulled faintly, but Arishem's grip hadn't loosened any.

His eyes looked as black as coal. "Unhand her."

"Stop hurting her," Gil barked right back at him. "I don't know what happened here, and I don't give a shit. She doesn't deserve this."

"Gil."

He looked at her, grief stricken by the whimper in her voice.

"Enough!" Arishem bellowed, his voice once again seeming like it could rustle the leaves in the trees. He let go of Thena, who stumbled like a fawn into Gil's offered support. "It seems I was right to deem you a lost cause."

"Who the hell talks about their own kid like that?"

"You," Arishem turned his attention back to Gilgamesh, whose hold on Thena's shoulders tightened. "If I ever lay my eyes on you again, your life in this town will cease to exist. Do you understand?"

Gilgamesh didn't even blink, holding Thena against his chest, "I understand that you're a prick who's lucky his daughters didn't turn out to be psychos too."

Perhaps with nothing more he could do to exercise control over the situation, Arishem turned and walked back into the house. The door slammed closed and Sersi's somewhat panicked breathing became more audible.

"Hey," Gil said gently, tipping Thena's chin his way, "are you okay?"

Thena just blinked, somewhat stunned by the past minutes.

"Thena!" Sersi rushed over to her, practically in tears. "I-I-I can't believe Father would-!"

Gil moved aside as Sersi threw her arms around her sister. Thena would never call herself a 'hugger' by nature, but Sersi was always the more emotional of the two of them. She patted her sister's back, "I'm okay."

Her eyes met Gil's, who still had quite a snarly look on his face. "Are you?"

Thena blinked before nodding, "I am."

Gil shifted on his feet, nodding his head in the direction of the front door, "are you gonna be okay going in there?"

Thena had her reservations, but their Father, at the very least, never dwelt on them for long. "I have no concern with what his opinion is of me. But don't worry, he would never expend the effort it would take to hurt me."

Gil eyed her arm--the one that had been wrenched upward in her father's grasp. "You sure about that?"

Sersi pulled herself away from Thena to offer a positively furious expression, no matter how tearful. "I cannot believe Father would act this way. I'm going to tell him that I will never forgive him for this!"

Thena nearly laughed, watching Sersi stomp her way into the house to give 'daddy' a piece of her mind. She rubbed her hands over her arms, "if it comes from Sersi, he is more apt to listen."

"Hey."

Thena looked at him as he placed his hands over hers, letting her guide his hands over her arms as well. She immediately thought of the hoodie that was inside, sitting on her bed waiting for her.

"Are you really okay?" he whispered, as if her father were lying in wait, listening. He ducked his head closer to hers, "you don't have to go in there. My Uncle would have no problem with you staying with us. He has a guest room!--and my room in the basement is-"

Thena smiled, tapping just the tip of her finger to his lips. She had never had the privilege of seeing Gilgamesh ramble on and on. It was endearing. "I am not afraid of my father, Gil, nor will I be afraid of walking into my own home."

"But-" he tried to protest, but she sealed his lips shut again.

"It is a sweet offer," she conceded. She never would have anticipated it, and it was almost humorous to imagine Gil just...showing up with her, like some stray he wanted to keep. "And I appreciate it. But I promise I will be fine here."

He sighed, obviously not in favour of leaving her here to whatever her father had in store for her. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," she echoed back to him, just to see a smile on his face. It was small, but it was there. "I'll come find you tomorrow--prove my living status to you."

He chuckled, stepping back from her with a roll of his eyes, "okay Princess, whatever makes you feel better."

This was very literally for his benefit. But she didn't mind that so much, "very well. Tomorrow, then."

Gil took the steps backwards, staring at her as he made his way back across the street, "looking forward to it."

#Thenamesh 10 Things AU #the drama!!! #Gil is here to say unhand my princess! #Arishem: ??? #Gil really looked at this utter monster of a man #seven feet tall dressed in a black three piece suit in the middle of the day #and said you go to hell sir unhand the girl who refuses to be my girlfriend! #and I love that for him #Sersi here watching like oh my god there's so much going on #but she does go inside and tell Arishem that he has gone too far #that she will never forgive him for handling her sister the way he did #Arishem says something about Thena's mother and Sersi says no I don't wanna hear it #you are dead to me father!!! #Arishem just thinks well teenagers what can you do #also Gil really did offer to let Thena come home with him #boy shows up with Thena like hey gramps this is that girl I'm talking about all the time #Karun here like well...welcome young madame I have a guest room

[softquietsteadylove]

For the Ice Queen/Tyrant King AU:

Thena and Gil visit the grave of his mother before the wedding.

An emotional and soft moment between them :)

"I used to come here with Dad and Imo when I was little."

Thena looked at him, curiosity piqued by the first words he'd spoken since getting in the car. She held onto his arm as they walked, his hands in his pockets.

"Dad always used it as an excuse to bitch and moan about shit, especially about how I was the reason she was here in the first place."

Thena frowned, holding onto him just a little bit tighter. She leaned her head against his arm, "hm...I could kill him."

Gil smiled, leaning his head against hers, "nah, it's okay, Sweetness. Success is the only revenge that actually works in this family."

She had asked if this was even a good idea--her coming with him to visit his mother (in a sense of the word). She had worried that it was more of a family affair--even asked his aunt if it would be disrespectful for her to come.

Imo had told her that she was a part of the family, now, so what did that matter? She also told Thena to call her Imo, from now on.

Gil had grinned from ear to ear.

"When did you come here last?" she asked him gently, not letting him sit in silence but not chatting just for the sake of it, either.

"I guess it was with Imo, last time I was home," Gil shrugged beside her as they turned down another walkway. "I come when I can, but I can't really leave business just to visit."

Thena nodded with full understanding; it wasn't safe to, whether his mother was already passed or not.

Gil looked at her with a smile, pulling his hand out of his pocket just to link their fingers together, "I have a lot to tell her this time around."

Thena stopped beside him as they arrived at a particular grave marker and grassy knoll behind it. She bowed with him, offered her prayers and respects with him, in Korean and everything.

"Hey, Ma."

Gil took in a breath. "Sorry it's been a while. It's been a crazy year and some, so I think you'd understand. I got shot!"

"Gilgamesh," Thena scolded beside him. She squeezed his hand, "give your mother a proper explanation."

He smiled; that was his Ice Queen. "So...this is Thena."

"I know I've talked about her before. It was probably as just--oh, we had a meeting today and the Ice Queen is doing well, sort of thing. I was in denial back then, but you probably knew. You would have told me how obvious it was that I was already head over heels for her."

Gil peeked sideways at Thena, who rolled her eyes at what she definitely thought was embellishment on his part. He chuckled.

"You'd love her though, Ma," he continued, smiling at the stone with just a name in Hangul carved into it. He had long become accustomed to speaking with it as if he could picture his mother's face--it was one of the things that pissed his father off the most when they would visit her together.

Imo never minded.

"You'd love her because I do," he raised Thena's hand to his lips, moving his thumb over her ring. "But you'd also love how tough she is. You'd love how she doesn't let anything intimidate her and how smart she is. You'd love that I have her to keep my head on straight over there while I'm doing business."

"You'd love her because she's perfect," Gil whispered, squeezing Thena's hand as he felt his throat tighten. "You'd love how perfect she is for me. She's smooth and calculated, but there's one hell of a heart under that porcelain shell of hers. And I'm lucky that she gave it to me. I...I haven't always been the most careful with it."

Thena finally snuck her eyes over to him, but stayed silent.

"I know, and you and Imo would both kick my ass if you knew the whole story, too," Gil sighed. The look in Thena's eyes when she accused him of lying about loving her; he would never forget it. "But I righted my wrong--I took responsibility, just like you taught me. And you were right; good things come to those who stand for what's right."

"And she's the best damn thing I've ever found," Gil swallowed, blinking a few times. "I'm sure you would just kill Dad if you knew what he had tried to pull with the daughter of that business partner of his. You and Imo always were talking about how he was going to run your hard earned business into the ground. Imo's still got a handle on things, though."

"And hey," Gil sniffed, finding a smile again, "Imo loves her too!"

Thena looked at him again, about to accuse him of exaggerating.

"I've never seen Imo like anyone," Gil chuckled, finally tearing his eyes away from his 'mother' and to the woman beside him. "But I think she took one look at you and knew that you were right for me."

Thena shook her head at him.

"Really," he whispered, looking forward again. "You know how Imo is, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't terrified to find out she was in America to see us. But I was shocked when she accepted that I wanted to stay with Thena instead of coming home. I mean, it was basically giving us her blessing. She even told Thena to call her Imo--that she's part of the family!"

Thena smiled.

"Dad doesn't know yet," Gil said in a quieter voice, his face drawing down again. "And he won't. He's never getting anywhere near the woman I love. I think you'd support me in that."

The grave marker didn't have a reply, but he really got the feeling of agreement.

"He doesn't need to be in my life, he doesn't have to know my business," Gil stated more for himself than anyone else, present or not. He squeezed Thena's hand again, "he doesn't have to meet my wife."

"Gil," Thena squeezed his hand back.

He looked up again, some lightness returning again. "We're not married yet. Well, not officially, I guess. Far as I'm concerned, we've been married since the very first time we-"

"Gil!"

"Sorry, Princess," he chuckled, turning and kissing Thena's warm, pink cheek. "But you already know I've been down bad for you since before then."

She chose to roll her eyes at him again instead of dignifying his claim with a response (whether denial or confirmation).

"But yeah," Gil looked at his mother's grave again, "this is the woman I love, Ma. She wanted to meet you--and I wanted her to meet you, too, even if it meant coming over here. Even if Dad knew we were here, even if our enemies knew we were flying over."

He looked at Thena beside him, in a simple white sundress with her hair loose around her shoulders. She wasn't here as the Ice Queen, just Thena: his fiancee and the woman he loved.

"Some things are worth the risk," he concluded, feeling he had told his mother the most crucial parts he wanted to. He had neglected to discuss the poisoning and the shooting and such, but that was business. They were here for a family matter. He looked at Thena again, "anything you wanna add, sweetheart?"

Thena took a long look at the stone before them before stating very plainly, "I love Gilgamesh."

Concise, his Ice Queen.

"I love your son," she elaborated in a whisper-soft tone. "I certainly hadn't expected to. But I'm sure you knew better than anyone that not loving him is...just impossible."

Gil blinked away a few tears again.

"There isn't much I can promise," Thena confessed in a surprising admission of fragility. "Imo may like me, but I doubt anyone else will. And my family...doesn't exist anymore. I don't have much to offer."

Thena very literally controlled the global diamond market--was one of the riches human beings on the planet (off the record). And only she could see that as 'just business' and set it aside from herself enough to think she had nothing to offer in a marriage.

"But I'll love him," she said with conviction, gripping his hand. She was shaking. "I will love him every second of every minute we have. I already do--I love him so much I can't breathe. It rewrote the world I knew and every cell in my body. But against all odds...I suppose I find it worth the risk."

"I know how special you will always be to Gilgamesh. And I promise that I will take care of him. I will stand by him through every decision and every consequence. I was willing to go through with a ceremony here with your family, actually...not that I had mentioned it."

Gil grinned; he already knew that, but still.

"He worries about me meeting his father," Thena peeked over at him before addressing his mother again. "I am not so fragile as to fear someone as cowardly as someone like him."

Gil held in a laugh. His Dad would shit a brick if he knew this woman - a powerful business mogul whom he had never met - had called him a coward to his late wife.

"I would rather face down his father and his whole empire than have to meet Imo for the first time again," Thena let out a breath at just the thought. She smiled, though, "I can see why Gilgamesh turned out to be such a good man. He had such wonderful women raising him, it was never in question."

Gil's eyes watered again.

"So, I suppose I would like to thank you," Thena mumbled, some shyness coming over her. "I don't remember my own mother, but...I promise I will do my best to honour you all the same."

Gil watched Thena clutch at her lace shawl laid in the crooks of her elbows and dangling around her legs.

"Thank you for having me," Thena bowed again before looking at Gil, holding her hair back against a breeze, "are you okay?"

He nodded, leaning forward to kiss her forehead, "thanks for coming with me, baby."

"Hm," she sufficed to say as they slowly came away from his mother's grave and made their way back to the entrance to the cemetery again. "I did want to meet her."

Gil moved his hand from hers, only to unfold her shawl and pull it over her shoulders so it could drape over her arms, which were only partially covered by billowing linen sleeves attached to her dress. "I don't want you to burn, Ice."

Thena held onto his arm, leaning her head against him again as they made their way back to the car. "It would be worth it."

#Ice Queen/Tyrant King AU #a soft moment #which you know I love #Thena called Imo #trying not to sound panicked but secretly freaking out #which Imo could obviously tell because she knows all #and Thena asks about his mother and if it's acceptable for her to be there with him when he goes #and Imo tells her straight up #fool you are a part of the family now #MY family #where Gil is welcome so are you #and Thena pretends that she doesn't want to break down into tears #instead she thanks Imo for her time #and that's when Imo tells her to call her Imo #basically tells her to call her Auntie and then hangs up on her #Thena is touched all the same #Gil takes Thena back to Imo's #where they're staying #Imo quietly adores Thena #like they get back and she has tea and snacks and a nice cool room waiting for them #she sits down and immediately starts talking with Thena #leaving Gil to just kind of...be there #she tells him to sit up straight every few minutes #he gets bored like a kid and slowly moves closer #until Thena looks down and his head is in her lap

[softquietsteadylove]

For the Thenamesh Proposal AU:

Thena finds the perfect dress and is suprised by Gil’s reaction!

"What about this one?"

No, this one!

"Girls, please," Ajak said gently over her arguing daughters, both holding veils in their clutches. She patted their hands, turning over her shoulder, "I think we might be starting to smother our guest."

Thena turned, raising her hands in protest, "no, please, it's-"

"Sorry, Thena," Sersi offered her a very sweet, very contrite smile. She brought her choice in veil closer to her chest. "She's right, we're having a little too much fun playing dress-up with you."

Sorry, Makkari also smiled and plopped herself on the bench at the foot of Ajak's luxurious king sized bed.

Don't be, Thena shook her head with a smile to both of them. She really did like Gil's sisters. They were both warm and sweet, just like him, and their mother. A whole family of sweethearts, they were--even Gil's cousin Kingo, who had just arrived yesterday.

Ajak set down the last of the pile they were working through at the moment. She came over to Thena, putting her hands slightly upwards on her shoulders, "we must be overwhelming."

Thena offered a sheepish smile. She had lied to Ajak enough already, and it would be another lie to say that she wasn't used to having so many family members around. Especially all so...genuinely fond of each other. "That doesn't mean I don't like it."

Ajak laughed at Thena's reluctantly honest answer. They were also a whole family of knockouts--each and every one of them, absurdly beautiful. She still hadn't met Gil's father, the supposed demon man. But Gil described him as monstrously tall and cold as ice.

She rather thought she was quite cold, but he always told her she was more like ice cream: cold, but sweet underneath it.

"Why don't you try these without all of us fussing over you?" Ajak suggested so gently as she ran a hand over Thena's hair. Her motherly touch was so natural, in a way Thena had never really encountered for herself before. "See which ones you like and then you can show us."

Thena looked at the pile of dresses to get through before nodding. Perhaps this would expedite the process a little. Although she liked the way Sersi had described it; it was a little like playing dress-up, and it wasn't un-fun, as it were.

"Okay," Ajak clasped her hands around Thena's for a brief, tender moment before turning. She waved her hands, ushering her daughters towards the door as if she were herding lambs, or chickens. "Come on, you two, let's leave the bride to her fitting."

Thena sighed as the door closed behind them. She had never thought she would end up becoming a bride, let alone under the current...circumstances.

When Gil asked her to put on this charade with him, she was honestly surprised. He was such a sweet guy, she could barely imagining him telling anyone a lie ever in his life. But if it was for his sister's sake, he was more than willing, especially given the opportunity to embarrass his father.

And he was her best friend--not just work friend, but probably actually her best friend, all things considered.

He was apologising to her morning, noon and night, now that the charade was no longer a charade, and actually happening. He even offered to call the whole thing off, but she wanted to see it through. She liked Sersi, and she also wanted to help alleviate her burden, some.

When asked what having a marriage - annulled or divorced or whatever - would really do in her life, she had told him that it probably wouldn't make much of a difference, really. It wasn't like she had someone waiting for her back home.

Thena ran her hands over herself as she tried on the first one that had actually caught her eye. Sersi's taste was more flowery and plant based, and Ajak's was for lace and chiffon and tulle. Makkari's choices were a little...eclectic, but they tended to be a little shorter than Thena would choose for herself.

This one, though.

It was sleek, elegant without looking plain. The silk was shimmering white, tight where it needed to be but flowing off her nicely instead of being more of a mermaid fit. It sat around her shoulders in a way that felt somewhat alluring but with some of her usual penchant for coverage. It was a little more cleavage than she was used to in turtlenecks and cardigans, but she had to admit, it did look good on her.

She tilted her head at herself, running her hands over it. For as much as she had never given thought to what kind of wedding dress she would like, it certainly seemed to fit her perfectly. She had worn plenty of white dresses before - it was kind of her colour - but this one really did feel different. This really did feel like her wedding dress.

A knock.

"Come in," she smiled, expecting Ajak and her daughters to be pressing their ears to the door in anticipation. She examined some of the details of the dress a little closer. "I don't know who picked this one, but I think it's-"

"Wow."

Thena whirled around, her toes curling in the carpet as Gil smiled at her from the doorway. Ajak and his sisters were nowhere in sight. "Gil!"

"Sorry," he chuckled, stepping into the room more with his hands in his pockets. "I came looking for you because I just finished making lunch."

"Oh," she blinked, wringing her hands together. Ever since arriving, there was a nervousness cropping up here and there that she never used to experience with Gil before. Not consciously, anyway.

"You like it?"

"Hm?" she blinked, desperately trying to collect her thoughts as he walked even closer. His smile was probably the most relaxed she'd seen it since arriving.

"The dress." He looked at her in a funny way--like he had with plenty of other dresses already. She wasn't used to it. But the way he was looking at her now was like nothing she'd seen before. His eyes flicked over her and she felt an increasingly familiar wiggling under her rib cage. "It's...wow."

Thena felt herself start to blush. She wasn't used to that either. "Th-Thanks. I must admit, I think it suits me more than some of the other choices."

Gil's smile was still that one she couldn't quite identify. He stood close to her, his hand close enough to touch her arm but hovering in the air around her. "I think it's perfect."

His breath hit her ear, even moving the stray hair or two curling around it. She swallowed, which suddenly seemed suspiciously loud in her mind. "Good."

"Good," he agreed, stepping back with his smile turning into more of a grin. "I'm glad you found one you like."

"I-I suppose I am too," she mumbled, pressing her palms together again so they wouldn't seem shaky. She smiled at him, "I'll be right down."

"No rush," he shrugged, taking his good sweet time actually leaving. Every step backwards he took worsened her nerves. "That's worth the wait."

Once the door was closed again Thena let out a breath and pressed the back of her hand to her cheek. This was a far cry from herself at work, literally called the Goddess of War. She was getting a little too used to all this 'bride' stuff. She shook her head.

"Stop it," she spoke directly to herself in the mirror as she started pulling herself out of the dress. "None of this is real."

#Thenamesh Proposal AU #I remember really liking this one when I first wrote it #waaaaaaaaaayyyy back when #so I'm glad to do more for it! #it's the slow burn of it all #the mutual pining #the fake dating!!! #I have been trying to conjure a fake dating au for these two for ages #the thing is that I don't think it's easy specifically for Thenamesh #Gil is so honest and I don't think Thena would feel the need to lie to anyone #but this is actually an early inspiration for Something Old Something New believe it or not #I just love the slow realisation that they are and HAVE BEEN in love #also Ajak already knows because of course she does #she sees how they look at each other and is like #whatever is is going on here... #continue

[softquietsteadylove]

Thenamesh receptionist AU: Gil is sick and Thena takes care of him :)

Thanks for your amazing prompts and fics! Love them all and love you too 😁❤️

Thena looks up when another coughing fit breaks the silence. She looks at the doors to the office behind her desk. She's been working here for a few months now, and she might even dare to say that she's gotten to know her boss a little bit, by now.

Everyone always asks if she knows what she's doing, or why she works for the company, let alone as a personal receptionist to the CEO. But she always says that she likes living in Korea, she likes the change in jobs from what she did back home at the museum. And she likes him--Gilgamesh.

He's nice, even though people keep warning her that he's some kind of monster. Certainly, he might seem scary on the outside. He's a mountain of a man, and she can see how his scowl might come off as intimidating.

But he's also nice--kind of sweet, really. He never says as much, but she knows that he's done things like make a note of which restaurants are her favourite to order lunch from, or ordering her a car service home when it's late and he doesn't want her to walk alone.

Thena pokes her head into his office, bringing in a tray with some barley tea as well as a few papers that need signing. She keeps it to herself when she sees the cold medicine on his desk and catches him while he's wiping his nose.

"Thanks," he mumbles as she places them down in front of him. He turns in his chair.

His eyes are bloodshot, the tip of his nose is red from agitation, and he even looks faintly flushed, surely from a fever. He's wearing a business suit, like usual, but he has his suit jacket on. And his sleeves aren't rolled up to the elbows (both an indication that he's cold).

Thena makes note of all of these things in her head as she watches him scribble out his name on everything.

"You okay?"

Thena looks up, not just at the question, but how he asks it in English. They speak in English often, since he spent some time in his youth in America. Something he has apparently not told a single other soul, since people are shocked whenever they hear the boss is fluent in it. "Sorry?"

"Are you okay?" he repeats, setting aside the last paper and picking up his tea. He takes one sip and winces as he swallows it. His throat is sore. "You seem kinda...distracted."

"Sorry," she says softly, attempting to smile at him. She can see on his face that he doesn't really believe her, but doesn't want to - or maybe know how to - ask further. "You still have a meeting at 4 today with Jasmine bank."

"Right." He sighs just a little, and his shoulders sink visibly.

Thena taps her fingers against the tea tray in her hands, "I can...cancel it, if you wanted to reschedule."

"No, no, I've been putting it off for too long already," Gilgamesh grumbles, folding his arms around himself. He really is cold. "Although, maybe..."

"Maybe?" Thena prompts him, eager to do anything that might help him in his current state.

He looks at her, the scary-boss face gone and just Gilgamesh's almost-cute face in place of it. "Maybe...they could do 3 instead of 4?"

Thena does her best to contain her smile, "I'll call them."

"Thank you," he gives her an exceedingly rare smile. Their eyes meet and something in his face changes, "Thena."

She nods and turns; sometimes she gets a shiver when he says her name. She doesn't really know what that means, but she still thinks she would rather keep it to herself.

She returns to her desk, already picking up the phone and dialing the number and extension for the representative with whom Gilgamesh deals. She exchanges pleasantries with him and asks if they can move their meeting ahead in the day, due to an unforeseen opening.

He asks how far forward. She asks for his earliest opening possible. He offers just after lunch, 1:30 at the latest. She thanks him for his consideration and his time.

She hangs up the phone, clicking around on her screen and scrolling through her options. This...might be a bad idea.

Gilgamesh sneezes into another tissue and tosses it away when Thena re-enters his office. He tugs at his jacket, which is now even buttoned up.

Thena lingers by the door, turning up the thermostat for the room, despite his usually strict rules about it. "They asked if you could do after lunch. The rest of your day is technically free, so I figured-"

"Great!" He's so visibly, clearly elated. Obviously it's the only reason he's here in the office today. His smile is so nice, she briefly wonders what she could do to see it more often. He clears his throat and settles into his seat again more quietly. "Order whatever you want, I'll be-"

"Actually," Thena starts, and then pauses almost immediately. Is this a bad idea? It's definitely not the best idea. Yes, Gilgamesh is nice, but she's also already overstepped today (and lied to him about it). Maybe this is nosy of her. Maybe he'll tell her to mind her own business.

"What?" he prompts her, looking genuinely curious, if a little worried.

Thena steps into the room, clasping a bag in her hands. She walks over to his desk, hoping she doesn't look foolish as she sets the delivery down in front of him. "I, um, noticed you seem...under the weather."

"Oh."

She steps back, increasingly aware of her increasingly warm cheeks. "I know you love sundubu jjigae, and I've had it from a place around the corner from me more times than I can count. I thought the soup might be good f-"

"Thena."

Her shoulders draw up automatically, just a little. She looks up at him, half expecting for him to tell her that this isn't the kind of thing for which he hired her.

But he's got that smile on again. Although maybe it isn't as bright, but it's so soft, and so warm. She feels like she's being hugged just by witnessing it. He clutches the bag to him as if she's given him a very personal gift. "Thank you for thinking of me."

Thena clasps her hands in front of her, at a loss as to what else to do with them. She offers him a smile, feeling much more bashful than she did a moment ago. "I-I'm sure you could go home after your meeting, if you so desired."

He chuckles as he unpacks the soup and various sides. His eyes light up when he sees the rice she ordered as extra. She knows that he likes to stir it into the soup. "You're spoiling me."

Thena is already turning as she mutters out, "ordering your lunch is part of my job, actually."

It is. Although maybe feeling nervous and embarrassed about it isn't usually part of it. And maybe she doesn't necessarily have to know all his favourite dishes to get from the different restaurants they patron. And maybe it's not part of her job to turn the heat up for him yet again on her way out and back to her desk.

She's just...being a good employee.

#Thenamesh Receptionist AU #going back in time a little bit #I don't know if this is what you had in mind #but I watched a video of how to make kimchi jjigae #and I couldn't help but think of her like #Gil loves food that feels home cooked #but then she's also like #is this...weird? #is it too obvious? #he won't...he won't think she likes him will he? #because he's her boss #she's just being...considerate #obviously she orders it #and Gil is loaded on cough medicine in his desk chair #Thena is going to eat lunch at her desk as usual #wondering why the hell she let herself do this #but Gil is practically humming to himself as he stirs around his soup #that his beautiful receptionist ordered just for him #because she's so sweet and pretty and god he's glad he hired her