holy crap, 45k reads, on my birthday??? thank yall so much 😭
Hermes held out his hand, and you took it. It was breath-taking, going towards the sun, only to find that it still goes a long way. Then soon, the sun completely disappeared, and Selene’s chariot replaced it in the sky.
This time, it’s a little less terrifying when you flew on the air. Hermes and you agreed that you should step on his foot for support and while you wrap your arms around his neck, he gripped tightly on your armpit. He took you to a food market, and you had so much fun trying new things. You only get to eat delicious foods when your mother is around, when she’s not, you have to eat a dish that your zombie Italian cook made. Sure he’s an award-winning chef who owned one of the best restaurant in Venice, but he’s been dead for a long time, you don’t think he knows what’s edible and what’s not anymore.
Gods are different than humans. They can exist without the things that humans need to live. They can exist without food, joy, or love. Now you know why mortals live for those things.
You aren’t sure how long have you been there. The glow of the food stalls made it hard for you to determine the time. You aren’t used to it, it was never this bright at the Underworld. The golden fairy lights crisscrossing the street in every lamp posts makes you think of fireflies, you know because your mother gave you a jar full of it last fall.
The sun is rising when Hermes returned you home. The two of you sneaked in to your balcony. Fortunately, your parents didn’t notice you were gone. You know they didn’t notice because one time you fell asleep on a tree on Asphodel and you woke up to an army of undead warriors looking for you. You see no search lights and paranoid royal guards, so they might not know about your absence. Time is different and confusing in the Underworld, they probably think you’re only gone for a quick nap.
“Thanks,” you whispered at Hermes, clinging into the sheer curtain that closes your balcony door. You cannot hide the wide grin playing on your lips, much less contain the euphoria burning in your chest.
“I had fun,” Hermes replied, grinning too. His eyes are heavy, and you only just realized that you kept him awake all night, and he had to carry you around too.
“Are you tired? Stay here, if you want. You can sleep on my room,” you offered.
“Aw, hell no, princess. Your parents would kill me,” he said, his face turning red.
You were confused. “Why?”
“Well, it was a lot to explain. A girl and a dude sleeping together is not really. . . how do you say it—acceptable.”
“But my parents sleep in the same room.”
Hermes turned red even more. “They’re married,” he said. “It’s—confusing.”
“You seem uncomfortable talking about it. I suppose I musn’t ask,” you said.
He sighed in relief. “Yeah, it’s difficult to say.”
“Uhm. . . .” You flushed. “When you said that you would take me again. . . were you being truthful?”
“’Course I am!” Hermes snorted. “There’s a lot of thing you haven’t seen yet. I will take you there.”
“But. . . what my parents said. . . . How they are worried that I might leave. That must have a reason. I’m afraid I might crave the outside. I do not want to regret it,” you said, avoiding Hermes’s eyes.
Hermes chuckled. “You are clueless, aren’t you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Your parents do not want you to leave because you’re beautiful.”
