TAMING APOLLO | completed

28. hidden truths

28. hidden truths

G A Y L E

❝WHAT IS THIS PLACE? Where is everybody?" I ask Apollo through the blistering silence.

We're sat at a dining table eating dinner he prepared for me.

"Well, you woke up at 3am expecting everybody to come out and have dinner/breakfast with you? Everybody is asleep, Gayle." He explains with the roll of his eyes. I almost want to slap him for his sarcastic remark but refrain.

He made me food, after all.

I twirl the spaghetti on my fork, poking one of the meatballs and shoving the entire thing into my mouth.

Apollo grimaces at me, face contorted in disgust. "Want some?" I offer with my fork pointed to him, holding out the delectable food.

He shakes his head, frowning.

"You know how to prepare spaghetti and meatballs but you've never heard of mac and cheese? Blasphemy." I tut, mind reeling back to the days of when he was still human, discovering new foods for the first time and completely enthralled by mac and cheese.

He shrugs. "I'm not that well-versed in the makings of human food, but I do know a thing or two."

I shove my plate across the table to him, nodding for him to have some.

He glances down at the plate curiously, eyes darting back up to me before glancing back down.

He hesitantly grabs the fork and twirls some spaghetti around and and pokes another meatball.

He slowly puts it in his mouth. I half expect him to start digging in and enjoy the food like that day back in my apartment but he scowls, forcing himself to swallow the food before pushing it back to me.

"It's not the same." He sighs, running his fingers along his thicket of blond locks. "I guess it's cause I'm not human anymore. Mac and Cheese is the only thing I'll miss." He says wistfully, glancing out into the distance.

I take back my food and dig in again. "You didn't answer my first question." I remind him. "What is this place?" I ask, glancing around at the marvelously palace.

He shrugs. "Home."

"But isn't your home on Mount Olympus?"

A flicker of amusement flashes through his eyes briefly. "Wow, look who's been paying attention in history class." He drawls sarcastically. I flip him off, rolling my eyes while trying to conceal the smirk threatening to break free.

"It's supposed to be – it was..." His amused expression fades. "But after Cyrene died nothing felt the same anymore. Home didn't feel like home and being a god wasn't all that amazing. So I left."

My eyes widen at his words. "You just left? You can do that?" I ask him and he nods.

"I left and I was gone for a while. Until Ares and Eris found me." He explains, eyes glazing over while a reminiscent smile forms on his lips.