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[fires-smith.insanejournal.com]

Characters: Hephaestus, Titania, Titania's Mom
Date/Time: October 10th
Location: Philadelphia restaurant
Rating: PG
Warnings: None
Summary: Hephaestus accidentally runs into Titania and her mother in a Philly restaurant.

Hephaestus had been in town to meet with some psychiatric bigwigs to discuss potential new approaches. It had been a very tedious meeting in his opinion, but at least it was over. He'd get something to eat, take a nap at the hotel, and then head home. It would be simple.

Comments

[ill-met.insanejournal.com]

Except the Powers Above had a particularly strange sense of humor and, when it came to Hephaestus, their jokes seemed to take an especially awkward turn.

He had only just been welcomed by the hostess and made it past her little station, led by her smiles and welcoming gestures, when a strikingly familiar head of loose dark curls and a lilting giggle caught his attention and he stopped against all better judgement. Just then the woman looked up from her lunch companion and her grey eyes lit up, a smile curving her mouth guilessly. "Henry!"

The other woman looked up and followed her gaze at the outcry. She was older and darker but there was enough resemblance in her lovely face to indicate some sort of familial relationship with Titania. "Misha?" she asked, her own voice much more quiet and genteel.

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"Misha?" He said almost at the same time the older woman did. He noted her and immediately noted the resemblance. Oh shit... "Um..hello," he said, trying to compose himself, trying to keep from leaning too much on his cane.

[ill-met.insanejournal.com]

If she realized her slip and the now inevitable awkwardness, Titania gave no sign at all and simply reached out to pat the other woman's hand. "Sorry, Mom. I know you raised me with better manners than to holler out like a punk kid." She grinned.

"Yes, I did but..." Mrs. Durand paused and glanced towards Hephaestus again. This time she offered him a dimmer, more gentle version of her daughter's smile even if a little uncertainty lingered in her gaze.

Before she could continue, though, Titania stood and crossed towards her sometime-lover. Going on her toes, she gave him a fleeting peck on the cheek. "I didn't know you were going to be in Philly."

[fires-smith.insanejournal.com]

"Nor I you." Okay, the peck definitely has to give something away to her mother. He manages to carry himself with dignity, offering a hand to her mother. "Hello, Ma'am. I'm Dr. Henry Phillips, a friend of Misha's."

[ill-met.insanejournal.com]

"A pleasure." Mrs. Durand somehow managed to give him a very discreet and subtle once-over as she took his hand in a quick shake. Then she looked to her daughter with a raised eyebrow.

Titania stood at Hephaestus' elbow, natural and relaxed as anything. If any part of her mind was processing the tricky situation of her lover unexpectedly meeting her mother (or the more awkward chance that her mother might remember the name as the psychiatrist she had consulted), she gave no sign. "Henry's a great friend," she explained cheerfully. "He tries his best to keep me humble and grounded. Poor man. It's a thankless job."

Then she turned back to him and settled a small hand on his forearm. "Anyway, I'm sorry I waylaid you. I was just surprised to see you and it slipped out. I'm keeping you from lunch, huh?"

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"I haven't actually ordered yet," he admitted. "They were about to show me a table."

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"Then you should join us."

That caught Titania off-guard and her eyes widened minutely before she schooled her features back to sweet pleasantry and looked back at her mother. "Mom?"

[fires-smith.insanejournal.com]

Oh lord.

"I couldn't impose on you, Mrs. Durand."

[ill-met.insanejournal.com]

"No imposition at all. I always love meeting Misha's friends. With her living in New York, the chance is a lot rarer than I'd like." Smiling warmly, Mrs. Durand motioned towards the empty chair opposite her daughter's vacated seat. "We have plenty of room."

"Mom... I'm sure Henry just wants to grab a bite and then get back to whatever it is he's in Philly for."

[fires-smith.insanejournal.com]

While part of him wanted to follow Titania's lead, he had to admit it'd probably look even more suspicious if he left.

"As long as it's no trouble," he eased down, setting his cane carefully beside him. He gives Titania an appreciative quick look, but he had a feeling this was something that would have to be done sooner or later.

[ill-met.insanejournal.com]

"No trouble at all," Mrs. Durand assured him again. Her smile at his acquiescence was near-luminous and the relation to her daughter was, at that moment, dead-on.

Titania maintained her own smile as she skirted the table to reclaim her seat. She idly toyed with a fork, her menu remaining folded in front of her. "So what were you here for, anyway?" she asked. Curiosity always got the better of her, after all.

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"Conference with other doctors," he answered. "Some guys yacking about new-fangled techniques. I can't fault their enthusiasm but they had very little substance to their arguments."

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"And what are you a doctor of?"

Titania shot him a look that was caught between amusement and warning; she had decided that things would be easier if her mother forgot that Hephaestus had actually served as her daughter's doctor... Even if it was only very, very briefly.

Approximately one hour long session, in fact.

[fires-smith.insanejournal.com]

"Mental health. I prescribe medications for such things as anxiety, depression, and panic attacks." All true, just not ALL of it.

[ill-met.insanejournal.com]

"Ah. It must be incredibly rewarding when you can help someone." Mrs. Durand continued to smile at him warmly. "Is your practice near here?"

Titania suddenly giggled. "Mom, I forbid you from inviting him to the house for dinners unless I'm there to protect his honor."

"Misha, I was just asking..."

"Uh huh, sure you were."

[fires-smith.insanejournal.com]

"Harrisburg, Ma'am," he replied. "And it is. I enjoy it a lot."

He let the Durand women have their little exchange.

[ill-met.insanejournal.com]

"Harrisburg?" A light of recognition sparked in Mrs. Durand's eyes. "Oh, Harrisburg. Are you the friend Misha visited on her way down for Memorial Day?"

Titania's impatience with her mother's earlier challenge left and her expression spoke of carefully masked laughter.

[fires-smith.insanejournal.com]

Okay, have to be careful here.

"Yes. Misha and I shared lunch together." Among other things, but again, half-truths.

[ill-met.insanejournal.com]

"He let me crash there since it got late on us and I know you and Dad don't like me driving alone late at night." Titania's smile was pure innocence.

"I'm glad you sometimes listen when we tell you things." Mrs. Durand's own expression revealed nothing but a mild sort of pleasure at the obedience.

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"Misha does have a bit of a stubborn streak," he teases gently, in a manner a friend would. "but she's also sensible when it's important."

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"You're so nice to her." Mrs. Durand reached out to squeeze her daughter's hand and there was a trace of laughter in her eyes now. "She's a mule. Gets it from her father."

"That's funny. Daddy says it comes from you." Laughing freely now, Titania turned her attention back to Hephaestus. "So did you set all those other doctors straight, Henry?"

[fires-smith.insanejournal.com]

He shrugs. "I tried. Some people are just set in their ways, others see too far ahead and don't think about how. It was a cluster, to be frank. I'm just glad it's done."

[ill-met.insanejournal.com]

Without hesitation, Titania reached across the table to rest her hand atop his. She let it sit for a moment and then gave a squeeze. "Well, you know. That kind of thing is bound to happen when everyone else in the room has the IQ of a houseplant when compared to you," she returned with a teasing grin.

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"That's an insult to houseplants, Miss Durand," he said with dry humor.

[ill-met.insanejournal.com]

"I didn't realize you were such an eco-humanitarian, Dr. Phillips."