#son of hera!reader

[thealtoduck]

I'm just thinking about Son of Aphrodite reader and Son of Hera reader being able to gang up on people to insult them. I feel like those two would be able to make a few gods cry.

Oh hell yeah, I totally see them being like best frienemies, like they always make snide comments at each other and never really smile at each other unless they’re mocking the other. But trust me they’re besties somewhere deep inside.

But when they team up and actually work together… you better run.

Apollo got on their nerves once, he regretted it instantly. The two might just be demigods but damn they bruised his ego for the rest of eternity.

[x-reader-things]

“You’re our son—” (Spider-Man AU - part 3)

Part One ; Part Two

Ezra Bridger x gn!Reader

Summary ; In which Hera tells you both the plan of action.

Requested? ; No! Part three of the AU that I talked about in my last post- :DDD

Warnings ; mention of Kanan’s master Depa Billaba getting killed. Also not much of a warning, but found family things w / Hera, specifically- <33333

Word Count ; 1.3k

——————————————————————

The explanation was small, and straight to the point. After a couple years of living with the Ghost Crew, Ezra figured out that long winded explanations wasn’t the best route to go down when talking with Hera.

He and Kanan heard from police scanners that ‘The Inquisitor’ was at it again, terrorizing others on a subway train for whatever cause he was trying to pull them into (something something ‘Empire’ or whatever. Ezra didn’t pay too much attention). The both of them swung their way over, got to the subway station just before the train went off on its way, and swung in just in time.

And just before the police got to them too, thankfully. They really don’t appreciate a vigilante when they see one. Luckily, Hera had some pull to help them out of trouble.

While Kanan was busy getting citizens in the subway car, Ezra was busy fighting ‘The Inquisitor’ on his own for the first time.

Bad decision, because he ended up getting thrown onto one of the seats, and his mask got ripped off, which revealed his identity to the ‘Big Bad’ he was fighting. Not that The Inquisitor knew his name, but he definitely knew his face now.

And now yours, too.

Because you were right there, unbeknownst to both heroes and the villain. Hidden in that corner, shielding yourself and your groceries with only your school bag. And you visibly and verbally reacted when you saw what happened.

It doesn’t even take an idiot to realize that you knew who Ezra was once the mask was taken off. Especially when said idiot was The Inquisitor. Which was a no bueno with Kanan and his rules.

After all, he lost his teacher - the only motherly and parental figure he had - Depa Billaba, because something similar happened to him years ago. He never really explained what happened to Ezra. All Ezra knew was that a lot of people were killed that day because of it. Including her.

Kanan could never live it down in the slightest, because of that. He wanted Ezra to always be careful with his mask when going out in the city as another Spider-Man, just in case.

Which, in turn, probably made this situation a lot worse, the more Ezra thought about it.

Hera hummed, mouth pressing into a thin line once Ezra finished his explanation. “Ok… that makes this, well, a little bit more difficult than I thought.”, she said thoughtfully.

She placed the warm ceramic cup down onto the table, and sat up fully. “But, that doesn’t mean this can’t be fixed.”

“Y/n”, she said, turning to you. “You’re gonna have to lay low here for a little while, ok?”

“Wait - what?”, you furrowed your brows, looking at all the grocery bags on the table in front of you. “What about these? Or - or my parents? Or school??”

“We‘ll have that covered, kiddo, don’t worry.”, she smiled at you. “I’ll have Sabine and Zeb drop them off later on today, and we can call up your parents to explain the situation. I work as a consultant for the police, and this house is a designated safe house just in case for situations like these. We have a guest room you can stay inc and You and Ezra can still go to school. You just have to be driven there instead.”

“But the—“ Hera cut you off again.

“I know, I know, the traffic sucks.”, she pointed a thumb to the rooms behind her. “Kanan and I know our way around the city on the roads. So does Sabine, if we can’t drive you guys. It’ll be fine.”

The smile she gave you was one full of sincerity and hope. It was… oddly calming, to say the least. Then again, she always had that effect on you. And Ezra (not that he would ever admit that to Hera herself though. You, however, are a different story).

You took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. It calms you down, before the rush-in of loud thoughts could make their way into your head again. It’ll be fine. It’ll be fine.

You’ve had sleepovers there before, anyways. It’ll be just like those. Just… a really long winded one, until The Inquisitor is off your’s and Ezra’s tail.

“As for you, Ezra Bridger”, Hera continued once again, her voice taking on a sterner lilt. “No going out as Spider-Man with Kanan for a while. Not until we have the situation with The Inquisitor under control, alright? Do you understand me?”

“What?”, now it was his turn to question the decision made. “Oh, c’mon Hera, it was one slip-up—“

“One slip-up that could easily get you and your best friend either hurt or in danger, or - hell - even both”, she told him, gesturing to the both of you. Her tone grew more serious, more urgent the more she went on. “Kanan and I aren’t willing to risk it, Ezra. Your our son—“

Ezra’s eyes subtly went wider. The amount of conviction in Hera’s voice struck a chord in him, one that he sometimes forgets he has.

Family.

The concept is still so new to him, even if it’s been a few years.

“—much like how Sabine’s our daughter. And Y/n may not be apart of this family, but we care about them just as much as you do. We need you both to be safe. This is the best course of action we’re able to do right now, alright?”

Ezra sighed, shoulders visibly deflating. Hera was right; you both knew that. It was the best course of action, and there wasn’t much either of you could say about it. Not right now, at least.

And it’s not like he minded being out on house arrest either. Especially if it was with you. It could be fun, if things went smooth enough.

Hopefully.

“Alright”, he agreed, albeit a hint of reluctance still hung on to the edge of his words. “If this is the best course of action to keep us safe then… I guess it’s fine. Right?”

He looked to you.

“Right.”, You gave a reassuring nod, brows furrowing upwards afterward for a moment in a silent question. He nodded back at you, reassurance there and clear as day for you this time.

Hera’s face softened up, a small and relieved smile turning the corners of her mouth up. “Good. It’s settled then. I’ll go get Sabine and Zeb to grab the groceries and bring them to your parents, Y/n. In the meantime… think about dinner.”

She stood up from her seat, bringing the cup of coffee with her. “Usually it would be my turn to choose what to have tonight, but I’ll leave that decision with you”, she raised her cup in your direction. “After all, it was this bucket-heads fault for getting your into this mess.”

She lightly flicked Ezra’s ear. He let out an indignant noise, and brought a hand up to his ear, staring at Hera with a look of utter betrayal.

“Hey!”, he exclaimed, pouting a little bit. “What was that for?”

“You know why, Ezra.”, Hera gave him a pointed look, and turned back towards the kitchen. On her way, she glanced back at you again. “Think about what you want for dinner, sweetie. It can be anything you want.”

You smiled brightly at the thought. Hera chuckled fondly at the sight, and opened the door to the kitchen, closing it behind her once she stepped over the threshold.

Ezra slowly turned back to you, his hand still rubbing his ear. Flick or not. Hera’s strength stung.

“Soo… what’re you thinking about for dinner?”, he asked you. The casualness of it all made you both fall right back into the usual comfortability, as if nothing big happened between you two, or the family in the house you were in.

The bright smile you had stayed clear as day, only enhanced by the setting sun blaring through the blinds behind you.

“How does Chinese food sound?”, you asked, leaning your forearms against the table.

Ezra always thought sunsets were beautiful. This one was just as lovely.

“Sounds perfect.”

His own smile radiated back at you, like the glare of the moon reflected back to the sun.

[primrosechronicles]

"I Fear He might be Beast.. or a Troll."

A Telemachus x Princess!Reader requested by: @luckywitchsong

Summary : You a Princess is scared, for you do not know who identity of your fiance. Word Count : 1296 Credits to @bernardsbendystraws for the dividers Part 2

“You are to marry the son of Queen Penelope Períphron and King Odysseus the Polytropos. In three months, you will be sent to Ithaca.”

✰ ✰ ✰

You sit in your bedroom, filled with the golden glow of Apollon’s light, its warmth wrapping around you like a warm embrace. Yet, in stark contrast, your mind is a cold wasteland, destroyed by a swirling tornado of thoughts about who this man could be.

You try to think positively, You know your parents! There's no way they would marry you off to a man with no class, he must be a kind man. Not like those rude men in stories. The ones who are usually nobility—entitled, arrogant… and unhygienic. Oh gods.

You stand up and start frantically pacing around the room, thinking about who this mystery fiancé could be. What is he like? Is he really like a manchild like you thought he would be or could he be the opposite? 

A long sigh leaves your lungs as you lean on the balcony, you can only wait until the fates weave you and your future (hopefully kind) husband together. 

Meanwhile, In a distant land, a young prince gazes out towards the horizon 

The Prince sighs, longingly staring out to the sea, his elbows perched on the balcony's railings. He leans onto his hand as he daydreams about his future bride.

His parents had described his bride-to-be as a kind woman. Now, he wasn't foolish; he knew his parents understood what they were doing when choosing a bride whose kingdom's assets could benefit Ithaca. Yet, doubt remained. What if this woman was not what his parents had described?

But… she could be kind and intelligent… The thought of him marrying an intelligent and beautiful girl made his stomach burst with butterflies.

‘Oh Lady Aphrodite, guide me… ‘

3 months later….

Your ship arrived in Ithaca under the cover of night. The guards on duty had orders to provide temporary shelter for you and your companions if arrival occurred during the sleeping hours, ensuring a place to rest until morning.

You lay awake in your bed, unable to sleep as your thoughts are consumed by the identity of who you’re marrying.

These thoughts lead you to the Palace’s gardens, trying to find some comfort in this unfamiliar place. It’s cold— very cold, you rub your hands together in an attempt to generate heat but to no avail.

This weather is not helping your nerves. Mentally preparing yourself, you raise your palms upwards and pray to the Goddess of Marriage 

Hear me, Queen of the Deathless Gods, 

Consort to the Mighty Zeus

and Goddess of Marital Union, —-

“--- My Lady what are you doing..?”  You turn around and see a young man with leaves in his hair and a blue blanket wrapped around his frame. You look at the man from the side of your eye. “Nothing.” You say in response, getting back to your prayer.

I seek your wisdom and guidance.

Please grant me a good husband.

A husband who is loyal— “My lady… while praying to the Gods is important, I feel as though that the God or Goddess you are praying to will be much happier if you weren’t shivering while praying..” 

“I am not shivering.” You say as your shoulders shake from the chill of the wind. You raise your palms up to continue praying.

A husband who is— “But, you are... Shivering”

You let out an annoyed exhale, “I am not.” 

“You are…”

“I am not!” 

“You are!”

‘Sorry Queen Hera, I fear my prayer will have to wait.’ You internally pray as you lower your palms. 

You turn around, annoyed; and raise an eyebrow at the man. “Good Evening um– Ithaca has harsh winds this time of year, I recommend you come back inside where it is warmer, or atleast have something to keep you warm…” He says as he offers his blue blanket to you.

You furrow your brows in suspicion, slowly backing away from the mysterious man. “I’m quite alright thank you…” but then suddenly, a wave of cold air washes over the palace. You shiver and instinctively hug yourself with your arms to shield yourself from the cold.

The young man walks beside you and offers the blanket again. “You say you don’t need it but your shaking shoulders tell me otherwise; please take it, I insist.” 

You shakily reach out and take the blanket, wrapping it around your shoulders. “Thank you,” You whisper. “For the blanket…”

You and the man stare out into the horizon, Selene’s moon casting an ethereal glow onto Poseidon’s deep blue sea.

“Your hands were stretched out… Were you praying?” “Yes.”

In the corner of your eye, you see him turn to you. “Why?” He asks.

“Well that’s oddly personal.” You look him up and down. “None of your business.”

You and the man stiffly stare back out into the distance, the whooshing of waves filling the awkward silence. You tiredly sigh, maybe you shouldn’t have responded rudely. “Because I am afraid, I am afraid of who or what he is, my parents have not told me any details of who he is.”

Your hands grip onto the blanket tighter. “I am afraid of my future, women who are often in arranged marriages tend to have husbands that are… goblins…” 

“A goblin?” He asks, “or a brute.” 

He raises an eyebrow and clicks his tongue in thought. “Who are we speaking of?”

“The prince.”

“Not a peep of information from my mother and father, clearly they are hiding the fact that the Prince is a goblin or a brute.”

He smirks. “Understood.”

You gasp, a metaphorical candle lighting up above you. “Maybe you could assist me in running away from my fate!” 

“A question please my Lady— you do not like brutes or.. Goblins? Does looks happen to be an important quality in marrying you..?”

“I do not care what he looks like, what I don’t like is having no knowledge of my future husband. Now—”

You walk along the side of the palace and spot a horse with a saddle on it. “Do you see that horse over there? By the torch? With your help I believe I could escape my goblin husband!”

“You want me to help you run to that horse so you may escape…?”

“I quite literally just said that.”

“Won't your entourage notice your absence?” 

You wave your hand “I shall worry about that later, now– make haste!” 

He breathes out and shakes his head. “I… have no desire to help you.”

You raise your eyebrows and stare at him in disbelief. “I am a maiden in need of saving.. You refuse? You refuse to help a maiden in distress?” 

“I refuse when that maiden in distress is trying to horsenap a horse so that she won't have to marry me…” He says softly, a soft smile gracing his features. “Hello ____.” 

A crashing tsunami of realization hurls into you. “Oh gods… Forgive me my Prince— I did not know..” You attempt a bow but he stops you in your tracks.

“Please, Call me Telemachus” He softly holds your shoulders, guiding your posture so that you would face him. “Not ‘My Prince’ or ‘Your Majesty’ Only… Telemachus.” 

“Please Your Majesty—” “Telemachus.” He corrects you.

You cough to clear your throat. “Telemachus forgive me, If I had known that you were my fiance—” “You would’ve what? Not have told me your plans that you would steal a horse..?” 

“....Well yes.” You say, He chuckles in response. “I deeply apologize, Your Majesty.” “Telemachus… well yes— ‘your Majesty’ but to you..? Always just… Telemachus.” 

You exhale 3 months of anxiousness, what-ifs, and fears out of your body. He wasn’t a brute after all. He was just Telemachus.

A/N : Chapter 2 of my series "For the queen" will come out soon (not rlly soon but it is in the works!) sorry for not posting guys school has rlly been hectic lately.

[starm0onlight]

Drowned by love🥀

₊˚⊹ ᰔ pairing: Greek gods x fem reader!

₊˚⊹ ᰔ note: i don't know what im doing nor why im doing this but we rock i guess

₊˚⊹ ᰔ warning: English isn't my first language so feel free to correct me!

₊˚⊹ ᰔ content: multi characters x reader, greek gods being... greek gods? there will be more than one part

🪽₊˚⊹ you don't remember how this is happened, everything was so sudden, but all you remember is you waking up in giant forest where trees are everywhere you look.

☀️₊˚⊹ you didn't understand what got you here, first you were at your home and now suddenly you're at some forest in some place..

🏺₊˚⊹ as you stood up you start walking around looking for a way out of this forest, at first you start screaming for help but you give that idea up after a while of screaming and your throat hurting

🪽₊˚⊹ after spending hours of walking you suddenly found a gate, giant gate that look like it belong to royalty, you didn't care that much as you start running towards it, forgetting all about your legs pain of hours of walking.

☀️₊˚⊹ as you reach to it suddenly open by itself reveling a giant palace which quickly mad you jump and gasp, how does this giant palace exist in the middle of no where?

🏺₊˚⊹ you where so shocked that you didn't notice the person who has sneak up behind you.

"well well well, what do we have here, a little mortal?" he says close to your ears which quickly make jump and gasp pulling away from him as you look at him with confusion and little fear.

"what would bring such a mortal like yourself here darling?" said the guy before letting out a little chuckles, he was tall with wings on his head and a hat, as you look up and down at him you notice him wearing what look like old clothes, ancient one. and is that shoes with wings in it?

"i...i don't kno-" before you could answer suddenly you heard a voice coming from behind you, much louder and rougher one

"Hermes, what are you doing, and who is this mortal?" said the voice as it started getting closer, as you turn around you see a man with white hair and beard slowly approaching you. okay that just got even worse now.

"i don't know father, this little mortal just appears here and she looks a little lost" said hermes as he got a little closer to you studying your face as you quickly start stepping away but suddenly hit something behind you, or rather someone.

"what a pretty little mortal like you doing here?" said the voice that comes from behind you softly which quickly makes you jump and turn around to be faced with a tanned man whose hair is as gold as the sunlight with eyes that could literally shine.

what's wrong with men here suddenly appearing out of nowhere from behind you?? is that a kink or something? because you're definitely not interested.

before you can even question anything you heard another voice, great the collection is completed , but this time it seems more like feminine voice, very harsh one indeed.

"zeus!? who is this mortal, and how did she come here??" said the woman harshly as pointed at you like you're some... thing.

"hera, we don't know how this mortal got here, but she seems like she's lost?" said the white haired man as he looked at the woman tiredly.

wait, Hermes? zeus? HERA??? this can't be right.. and don't tell me that the golden hair man is Apollo?? oh she's died for sure.

"lost? on the mountain of Olympus?? just throw her off." said hera as she looked at you with hate and disgust .

wait throw her? OFF OF A FUCKING MOUNTAIN?? i mean she did throw her own son. BUT STILL??

"wow wow... please don't throw me off the mountain, I too dont know how I got here.." you finally said as you try to reason with hera. well , we know how this goes.

"mortal how dare you talk back to me??" said hera with even more hatred and disgust, if eyes could kill, you're a gonner.

luckily zeus steps just in time to stop hera from throwing you off herself "calm down hera, we're not throwing anyone, not yet" well it's zeus..

"so what do we do with her?? keep her?" said hera as she looked at zeus angrily.

"well keeping her doesn't sound so bad, it's been a long time since I've seen mortal so beautiful" said Apollo as he got closer to you studying your face, You don't know if you should be flattered at his compliment or be concerned

"Yea It's been a while since the gods had a mortal servant, a little pet if you will" said hermes with little chuckle as he glare at you.

a pet? for the gods?? getting thrown out of the mountain doesn't sound so bad right now.

"yea turn Olympus into a zoo for mortals!" said hera sarcastically as she looked at Apollo and hermes, definitely not a fan of the idea.

"well, it's better and more entertaining than throwing her off, we could use a mortal in Olympus" said zeus and smirk looking at you.

yep your fate has been sealed. doom.

"well welcome to your new home little mortal, what's your name?" you heard Apollo talking softly to you but you can barely focus with your brain trying to take in all the new information.

you can hear hera yell and zeus ignoring her, but suddenly as your body suddenly remembers it's tiredness you couldn't stand on your feet as you suddenly pass out.

well look like you're in for a long ride.

[roguerambles]

Minos, Rhadamanthus, and Aeacus: "Lord Zeus, you repeatedly broke your marriage vows, having numerous affairs, including with your son's wife--"

Ares: "Wait, what?!"

Hera: "I FUCKING KNEW IT--"

Zeus: "...."

Reader: "Oh, great--"

Hades: *sips wine*

Ares: "You've been fucking my FATHER?!"

Reader: "I don't know what you're yelling at me for, you've been bedding Aphrodite our entire marriage!"

Aphrodite: "I'd rather not be involved in this, thank you--"

Hermes: "I think it's a little late for that, don't you?"

Ares: "THAT'S NOT THE SAME--"

Reader: "HOW IN THE UNDERWORLD IS IT NOT--?"

Minos: "....if we could perhaps focus on--"

Courtroom full of yelling Gods: "NOT NOW."

Zeus: "....I'm going to Tartarus, aren't I?"

Hades: *sips wine*

[revelboo]

Since we’re sharing pets now I have 2 and they’re both horrible and evil (I love them to death)

The fat cat is Hera and the pathetic dog is Millie and they’re my babies (they hate everyone) ❤️

Yk who also hates everyone? Es soundwave

*smoothly requests more of him*

🤣 sure! I still have so many of these to go through and it’s helping distract me from my attempt to lighten my brown hair a tiny bit (I got distracted and left the dye in way too long and greatly underestimated how much red was naturally in my hair and it’s either laugh or cry now)

Son Of A Gun Pt 11

ES Soundwave x Reader

• “What’s he like? Rumble?” You don’t really want to talk to him, but working in silence aside from him snapping orders at you is wearing at you. You thought about asking Frenzy and Lazerbeak, but since they don’t seem to know Soundwave is trying to fix the other cassette, it might be too cruel to ask them. The pain might still be too fresh. Know they feel it, they’ve been talking to you before and in the middle of a story, would hesitate, misstepping. About to mention their brother.

• “Don’t pretend you care,” he growls, servos curling into a fist and you ignore him. Doesn’t know what you’re playing at, but you don’t actually care. Probably looking for a way to hurt him. To get him to let down his defenses. Conniving little creature just like all of your kind, like the one who lured Megatron into betraying them all.

• Jaw working, you take a deep breath. Know he’s trying to pick a fight and you’re not going to give him the satisfaction. Or maybe he’s still hurting, too. “We don’t have to be enemies.” If the cassettes are like big, anger issues daddy’s kids, then he has to be grieving still, desperate to do everything he can for his kid. He’s a jerk, but you’re positive he loves them.

• “We’re not friends or allies,” he counters, smacking a hand on the workbench to make you drop a tool. Taking a vicious delight when your fingers tremble slightly when you bend to pick it up. Doesn’t want or need your pity. You’re nothing. An insignificant little stray Lazerbeak harassed him into keeping. “You’re expendable.”

• “He looks kind of like Frenzy,” you say, hearing him growl a warning and ignoring it. “I bet he was a musician, too.” Why can’t you stop talking? Have a tendency to babble when you’re scared and he’s terrifying all the time, but common sense is screaming at you to shut up. “Why instruments? Did you guys have a little family band?” And he lunges to send you backpedaling to avoid his servos when he grabs for you.

• Why won’t you just shut up? Furious, he tries to catch you and you go stumbling back. Sees your eyes widen as your foot finds nothing but air, the shock on your face as your pitch backwards. Will you die from this height? Doesn’t know. Doesn’t care. Of you die, he doesn’t have to put up with the cruel blasphemy of taking care of an enemy. So why is he moving, throwing himself against the work bench, reaching and servos catching you before you hit?

Previous

[xjulixred45x]

Hello and may i ask if its okay to request, if so? Can you do ROR x reader?

Poseidon (romance or yandere) With Reader who's like Amphitrite from the greek Mythology. Maybe like a long drabble/fic, in their 1st meeting?

In Greek mythology, Amphitrite was the goddess of the sea and the wife of Poseidon, the god of the sea. She was also the mother and Queen of sea life like fish, seals, and dolphins. Amphitrite was originally a Nereid, or sea nymph, and the eldest of the 50 Nereids. one of the 50 (or 100) daughters (the Nereids) of Nereus and Doris (the daughter of Oceanus).

Reader known for being "shy" and doesn't like being caught. She's afraid of being married because she's heard stories about how most of gods treat their wives/partners. She's independent and gentle but not a pushover & has a protective/brave side (only to her family and sea life). She prefers a quiet life and is content as long as she is treated well.

In how their 1st meet: (though you can change some of these if you like) When Poseidon was looking for a marriage partner. Poseidon first laid eyes on Amphitrite while she was dancing at low tide with her sisters on the isle of Naxos. He immediately fell in love with her and asked for her hand in marriage. Amphitrite, heard of rumors of him and She's quite fearful of his tempestuous nature, refused his advances everytime they met and she tried to fled from him.

(Thank you in advance)

oh, i absolulty LOVE when the fandom uses Amphitrite as Poseidon s/o, its just scratch my brain just fine.

Poseidón x Amphitrite! Reader

Genre: Headcanons

Reader: female

Warnings: Poseidon can be a warning himself (he is trying, okay?), Reader is scared of him so she runs away, some Angst with comfort.

• Doris and Nereus were known for having a prolific offspring, having in their repertoire very strong sons and beautiful daughters, ocean nymphs known as Nereids. Some had a specific purpose, others simply enjoyed the life they had in the ocean, and very few really did not want to attract attention, given their status and natural beauty.

• However, as with everything, there are exceptions. That was the category that she, Amphitrite, fell into the most.

• Don't get me wrong, Amphitrite loved exploring, messing around with humans, and dancing just as much as any of her sisters, however, she was painfully aware of how complicated it was to be a nymph in the Greek pantheon. If any nymph caught the attention of a god, she ended up either cursed or turned into some animal or plant. There were no happy endings for them out there, not with the gods.

• And even if they could survive to marry a god, there was no guarantee that it would be a happy marriage in the long run, just look at the kind of relationships the gods had with each other. Zeus and Hera, constantly arguing every time a new demi-god appeared on earth. Or Hades and Persephone, who couldn't even spend the whole year together. Who would choose to live through that suffering on purpose?

• Because of that, Amphitrite decided to spend time with her sisters instead of potentially exposing herself to the band of vultures that were the gods of Olympus. Even if the idea of finding someone for herself didn't sound bad (on the contrary, it sounded nice), she wouldn't allow herself to be trapped in a Golden cage.

• Unfortunately (or fortunately, however you want to look at it), she had no idea of the issues that were being discussed on Mount Olympus, specifically, regarding a certain god.

• Poseidon, the tyrant of the seas, seemed more angry and unpredictable every day. Even if Zeus and Hades knew how to prevent things from getting worse, that wouldn't always work, they couldn't keep an eye on him all the time. They had to find a solution to their problem, right now.

• Fortunately, Hades had been studying his little brother's behavior very closely, and he noticed that there was a pattern, he always stopped the storms in a certain area, near the island of Naxos.

• An area which was known, where several of Doris and Nereus' daughters could be seen dancing. It was a kind of custom that they had every time they were on the shores of that city. And it seems that Poseidon was quite interested in that (or, rather, one of Nereus' daughters)

• This could be a golden opportunity to solve the problem, and at the same time, finally get Poseidon a permanent companion, who, somehow, would keep him in line.

• Hades and Zeus discussed it, and decided to put this idea into action. Telling Poseidon that they were going to Naxos to settle a “matter” with Nereus and since it was his domain, they needed him (neither brother missed how Poseidon seemed more interested than usual in a diplomatic interaction)

• They even had the “luck” that when they went to Naxos, there were several of Nereus and Doris’ daughters, as always, dancing on the shores.

• Much to Nereus’ surprise (while Zeus and Hades were rather amused), Poseidon didn’t seem interested in getting involved with whatever his brothers told him, at that moment, he just focused on watching the Nereids. Or, rather, one specific one, Amphitrite.

• Yep, she was, the woman who had caught his brother’s attention, the one who was able to make the feared tyrant of the seas calm for the first time in how many centuries. They knew they had to act now, or they might lose this opportunity. However, Zeus was the one who decided to bring it up with Nereus.

• He briefly explained the situation, that Poseidon could use a partner, and that it would be of great help to them if Nereus would be so kind as to introduce him to his daughters. Obviously Nereus wasn't going to try to argue with the god of the universe, even if he wanted to plead for his daughters, he gave in, afraid of the repercussions.

• A part of Poseidon wanted to strangle Zeus for his stupid ruse, but on the other hand, he played along without much thought, almost as if he was eager to choose the "lucky" nymph who would be his wife.

• Amphitrite saw all this happen before her eyes, a part of her wanted to run away on the spot, but she had the slightest hope, the smallest one, that the god of the seas wouldn't choose her as a partner. But that hope didn't seem very big, not when she could feel the tyrant of the seas staring at her, very intensely, as she walked to her father's side.

• Amphitrite wanted to be calm, she wished she wasn't so scared, after all, he hadn't done anything wrong yet, right? But Poseidon's name alone made even the bravest tremble, it was like a sign that, whatever this god's intentions were, it wouldn't end well for her.

• And that was what she felt, when Poseidon, without hesitation, pointed at her at the moment of choosing between her sisters, she felt her heart sink, how it was difficult for her to breathe air, she had to get out of there, think about it, but she had to be FAR AWAY—

• Before anyone could stop her, Amphitrite jumped into the water at the shore, and swam out to sea at full speed, to everyone's surprise.

• Obviously, Poseidon isn't happy with this. Almost offended by the nymph's behavior, he seems to make the seas even more unstable in his search.

• On one such day, Hades appears to try to appease him, after all, what kind of image will he be giving to his future wife, if his response to an inconvenience is to throw a tantrum?

• Hades tries to make Poseidon see things from Amphitrite's point of view, so that he doesn't scare her so much the next time they meet. When it seems that Poseidon understood enough, Hades gives him another piece of valuable information; Amphitrite's location. Poseidon left in such a big hurry that it didn't even occur to him to reproach his brother for not telling him right away.

• Amphitrite, meanwhile, only dedicated herself to collecting the snails within reach, staying out of sight thanks to some sea rocks. Not really knowing what to do next, only praying that Poseidon would lose interest in her soon so she could return home.

• However, she didn't expect to start receiving company.

• At first, it was just some small sea animals, like crabs and turtles. They approached her as if trying to cheer her up, make her feel better. Then other animals started coming (as the tides rose), like sea horses, fish, etc.

• Amphitrite didn't really know what to do at first, afraid that they would betray her to the gods, but the animals didn't seem to have hostile intentions, on the contrary, they made her forget for a moment why she was there.

• However, Amphitrite wasn't naive. While she was petting a dolphin on the shore, still covered by the rocks of the sea, she decided to ask a question in the air, about whether this was his way of saying he was sorry. No answer.

• Okay, it seems that he is not very talkative (at least they have that in common), time to try another topic.

• Amphitrite complimented the appearance of the dolphin that demanded her attention on her lap, also highlighting his playful attitude. This time there was a response, even if it was brief, about how additionally, they were intelligent.

• They stayed like that for a while, Amphitrite pointing out both the positive and negative aspects of marine animals, it was strange, even knowing who was answering, she no longer felt the same fear as before when being near him. Is he really the same god? The same one who caused storms, earthquakes and tsunamis, was also talking to her about the fauna of his domain? It was something unbelievable.

• Eventually, Amphitrite decided to face the elephant in the room. She asked him if this was his way of convincing her to accept him as a husband, if so, what assured her that she would not be a trophy wife? What assured her that she would not have a miserable existence?

• The other side of the conversation was silent for a moment, when Amphitrite was losing hope, finally the god spoke.

• He told her some things that she had not noticed, things that he noticed when he saw her(several times) in Naxos. How she cared so much about her family, how she liked to collect seashells and shiny things from the shores to make ornaments after dancing, how gentle she was with the creatures. It was something he could never understand, but it brought him peace to see her.

• Amphitrite didn't know what to say, this was something she genuinely didn't expect, not from the tyrant of the seas at least. Maybe, just maybe, she could try this, maybe she could take the chance, maybe things could be okay, with him.

• If we talk about the relationship after these events, it's much better than many think.

• I say this because every time Poseidon says he's married, you can feel a general aura of concern for the woman, which, while very effective in annoying the tyrant of the seas, the only one who can prevent it from turning into carnage is Amphitrite.

• She has a comfortable life, not only because of the aspects of being royalty and ruling one of the three domains of the Greek pantheon alongside her husband, but she is generally enjoying this kind of life.

• Amphitrite and Poseidon have good communication (ironic given how it was their first time meeting), so while Amphitrite has luxuries and comforts, they are also adapted to her tastes.

• Her crown, for example, was made by herself, with a mix of starfish, pearls and shells. Poseidon gave her as a wedding gift a specific area of his palace so she could be with her favorite sea creatures. And, above all, Amphitrite could come and go as she pleased, dancing with her sisters in Naxos, touring the coasts of Greece, etc.

• (I like to think that Amphitrite also enjoys dancing in the palace, sometimes Poseidon just shows up and stares at her in the doorway)

• Poseidon is someone difficult for everyone to read, but Amphitrite is probably the only one who knows what he is thinking (and vice versa), which makes it of UTMOST IMPORTANCE that she attends her brothers' events with him (neither of them wants to go, but there is no option. They either leave early or make an excuse together to stay with the sea animals).

• Fortunately, the seas are much calmer and less deadly now, but be careful, not all of Amphitrite's charm can retain her husband's character. Although a part of me says she prefers it that way.

Shares, reblogs and comments are very welcome!

[lwolfcat429]

Raising Zeus's child p2

(I know this isn't very popular but I like this idea so... Suck it up... Kindly)

Anyway

You made the honest mistake of taking the child, you named (since his biological mother didn't) Alexis meaning "helper" or "defender", to the beach. You did soon care for the boy, just out of fear of the gods but to genuinely love him motherly, so you took him out for a walk and happen to walk on the beach, Zeus had learned he had a half immortal son again, so he told the gods to watch out for him. Poseidon saw you and him and instead knew, that was his brothers' son but he didn't immediately show himself, no he watched you. He watched as you played with him in the water, showing him differently sea creatures before releasing them back to the water. You were so kind and beautiful (and has a great body) you almost immediately caught his attention, he watched you more and more, you spoke so softly and sweetly to Alexis he couldn't imagine not having more children with you. It worsended when a randim man flirted you and when he was about to take it too far, you punched him before grabbing Alexis and running to safety-- oh...his..father--you were hot, who doesn't want a kind, thoughtful and strong willed baddie as a bride.

Ever since then Poseidon disguises himself as a friendly neighbor or friend that helps with Alexis, help feeding him, helps clean the house, helps with the garden, help watch Alexis on walks. Then Zeus comes along, also disguised but still claims to be Poseidons brother.

Zeus did want to meet his son but with hera, Olympus, and being literal king of gods, he had duties to perform but was able to sneak away long enough to interact with you and his son.

As you two spoke, Zeus was asking about you to be polite even when his brother said he (Zeus) was probably too busy to chat, Zeus ignored Poseidon and listened to you talk about you and Alexis..when he asked about who the father might be, you quickly shut that down, (again not knowing he was Zeus),

" I don't know. Or care. He hasn't tried to see his son yet, he has to prove himself to me before I let him see Alexis, you can never be too careful; some people are real sickos, I wouldn't let Alexis get guy willingly"

God dam-- now Zeus hooked, but he knew he didn't have sex with you so... He asked if the dad was there during the birth, you explained you weren't the actual mother of Alexis but took care of him since his mother stopped and sorta abandoned him.... saY WHAT NOW--- Zeus was pissed, he just learned the biological mother of his son... Stopped caring, okay noted.... Gonna see her later about that-- Zeus apologized but you said it was nothing, you actually hadn't had plans to have kids so, this was a win win for you, you didn't want a painful birth but also you didn't have anyone to have a child with so... Win-win. Zeus and Poseidon were a little upset you didn't want kids, but ya know, that's fine, they can make new ones for you to foster later.

It was a nice chat, actually, Zeus and Poseidon learned you and Alexis needed to be protected.... Perhaps they can go a little far sometimes

" what the fuck?! " --R

*reader yells suddenly waking up in Olympus*

[bvidzsoo]

Cosmically divine

☆ Synopsis: Olympus, the place where Gods play pretend and do as they wish. Dion, the place where mere mortals suffer and do as the Gods wish. One might wonder, is life ever fair? ★ 

☆ Author: bvidzsoo ★ 

☆ Pairing: Ateez members x female reader ★ 

☆ Rating: nsfw, 18+ ★ 

☆ Genre: Greek mythology, dark romance, violence, smut, gore

☆ Status: on-going ★ 

☆ 1. Choi San x female reader ★ 

༄ ҉ 　Underwater ◖Ares x Naiad Nymph!au◗ 

Summary: You knew that your love would never be fulfilled as the man you loved belonged to another woman. But can you help your poor Naiad heart when San, the God of war himself, seeks you out again and again when he is most vulnerable?

☆ 2. Kang Yeosang x female reader ★ 

༄ ҉ 　Marionette ◖Aphrodite!au◗ 

Summary: Doomed from the beginning, your mother, Hera, only saw a weapon in you. If you had once thought she loved you, she proved you wrong the second she cast you away once you failed to kill her enemy's son. Yeosang, Aphrodite's dearest and most prized offspring.

☆ 3. Kim Hongjoong x female reader ★ 

༄ ҉ 　Color of love ◖Hermes x Iris!au◗ 

Summary: If there was a God everyone feared, perhaps it was Zeus. After the continuous abuse he's put you through, you never thought you'd get to live your eternal life peacefully. That is, until the messenger God shows up and whisks you away before Zeus can see and stop him.

☆ 4. Jung Wooyoung x female reader ★ 

༄ ҉ 　Kingdom come ◖Oread Nymph x Dryad Nymph!au◗ 

Summary: Nymphs were nothing but deities that preserved nature and allowed the Gods to love them in return for their blessings. And when Zeus lurks around, you are labelled as his, never to be touched by anyone in the whole cosmos. But can you help yourself when the man he claims is Wooyoung himself? The gorgeous and warm-hearted Oread that coincidentally returns your forbidden feelings for him?

☆ 5. Song Mingi x female reader ★ 

༄ ҉ 　Dead man running ◖Hades!au◗ 

Summary: You were cursed, at least that's what your family thought about you. After a while, you started believing it too, the shadows that whispered to you convincing you that you were either crazy or just...different. And maybe you were, after all, the God of death himself, wouldn't have just called you his little shadow without a reason, right?

☆ 6. Choi Jongho x female reader ★ 

༄ ҉ 　Nightmare ◖Phobos!au◗ 

Summary: Coming from a family that thrived under pressure and mayhem, it was only a matter of time until your father allowed you to join him on the battlefield. But perhaps what set you apart from other warrior families was the fact that each one of you worshiped a God of war. You just happened to make the mistake of offering yourself up to one in exchange for your dear sibling's life.

☆ 7. Jeong Yunho x female reader ★ 

༄ ҉ 　One Kiss ◖Atë!au◗ 

Summary: Cast out of Olympus because Zeus has had enough of the mayhem and craze you created amongst men, living and meddling with mortals changed nothing. You thrived off of stupid men falling to their knees and begging you for attention, promising things no mortal could offer. But when a pure, untouched, and unassuming boy might just fall into your trap, you can't help yourself and entice him just to the point of madness.

☆ 8. Park Seonghwa x female reader ★ 

༄ ҉ 　Moonlight Melody ◖Poseidon!au◗ 

Summary: You always thought the man of your dreams never existed, would never come and whisk you away from this terrible terrible life that you lived. And perhaps when he starts showing up in your dreams, with promises that he'd soon come and see you, you find yourself hoping for a love that only the stars would bear witness to.

☆ A/N: Hello, my lovelies, I am here with a new story, can you believe it?! Because I can't lol, this wasn't supposed to exist but I thought...why not? Updates won't be too frequent, probably, as I have got quite a few others things to write, but I can't wait for you all to see what I have planned here! ^^ These stories won't be too dark, but I felt it necessary to mention dark romance as we're still dealing with some ambiguous topics. Taglist, as usual, is open and you are all very welcomed to comment on this post if you'd like to be added! Thank you for showing love, support, and interest in my works on here, they mean the world to me! <3 divider ★ 

↳Perm. taglist: @orshii @jjoongstar @tinyelfperson @thestarskiller @zuuhaa

@aaa-sia @gong-fourz @a-tinycarat @sooberryworld @hopefulrascalstatesmantoad

@anastasiamin860 @yunhogrippers @vcutparis @tunaasan @blvckarabixnvoid

@yusalterego @arigakittyo @slowee00 @jaerisdiction @hey-syia

@vnessalau @oddracha @chatsgotmytongue @potatos-on-clouds @yunhowooyo

@watermelon2319 @yoongzsmile28

❀ complete the forms if you're interested! ^^

[theoceansluvr]

Percy Jackson x Hera!Reader

warning; uhh the gods (read: zeus) being petty.. author's note; thank yo to the anon that requested this and sorry it took me WEEKSSSS to post it- finals + holidays killed my flow T^T

forbidden child + forbidden child.. what could go wrong !

well uh firstly, hera took percy aside and gave him an hour long scolding on how he better treat him out well or he's getting a horrible quest😨

but percy loves you too much to even THINK about hurting you so he's safe !

is really giddy about the fact that he knows you two are locked in

like he's very aware that it's marriage or nothing !! and he couldn't be happier :3

he dates to marry and nothing else

Zeus was actually more upset about it then Hera was (which shocks none of us)

he'll go out of his way to interfere with any quests you two take on which is.. less than ideal

but hey, they gods will be petty no matter what !

anywho, back to percy😼😼

he gets you a bunch of trinkets with peacock feathers on them ?! earrings, keychains, an entire porcelain peacock, he's got you !

he also LOVES doing domestic house chores with you !!

kinda sucks at folding clothes for some reason, but he'll do it just so you guys can gossip or talk about whatever you two have on your minds <9

before a major quest he had to go on, you gave him a sailor's knot bc.. son of the sea- (it's tied cloth people used to give sailors before they went to sea :33)

it took him a good couple minutes, a asking annabeth, to figure out what on earth it meant-

but when he finally figures it out, he starts BAWLING and when i saw bawling i mean it :(

needless to say, he takes it EVERYWHERE with him, doesn't matter how long he'll be gone

highkey.. you guys have matching rings as a "placeholder for when you get married" -percy's own words !!

the minute you're ready, please expect him to drop to his knee to propose T^T

also anytime you guys go to Olympus after a quest, Hera glares at him and he kind of just.. leans over to you and whispers "you think i have something in my teeth ?"

bc he thinks he's soooo funny angering the woman that basically wiped his memory😓

I AM BEYOND APOLOGETIC THAT THIS TOOK ME SO LONG TO POST !!!! break was hectic, but trust me i WILL get all of these reqs completed loves :<

[xoxochb]

⋆·˚ ༘ * the one (master list)

warnings: regency era inspired, reader lives in the underworld along with nico, nsfw themes, and kissing, vulgar language

pairing: percy jackson x daughter of hades and persephone

summary: once you turn eighteen you are forced by your father to marry a man from the underworld. one problem: you’ve been dating percy jackson, aka the boy your father loathes, what will you do?

🎧 - the 1, long story short, enchanted, guilty as sin?, tv in black and white, speak now, dress, the last great american dynasty

see this post to be added to the tag list for this series!

part one: I’ve got my mind on you

synopsis ⇒ your father throws a party for you to meet a man to marry, however your son of poseidon boyfriend does not approve and pays you a visit

part two: what if he’s written ‘mine’ on my upper thigh

synopsis ⇒ the aftermath of part one- you then re join the party and your father orders you to pick a man to marry before the night is over. you meet a mysterious man who has the scent of the ocean. where is there an ocean in the underworld?

part three: you and I go from one kiss to getting married

synopsis ⇒ wedding preparations are in order and you get another visit from percy

part four: they got no idea about me and you

synopsis ⇒ you move to olympus for your wedding and dress try-ons per hera’s request.

part five: if you get lonely, think of me only

synopsis ⇒ your soon to be husband pays you a visit and percy doesn’t appreciate it

part six: and they said ‘speak now’

synopsis ⇒ (time skip a week later) your wedding day. what happens when the son of poseidon objects?

part seven: but daddy I love him!

synopsis: ⇒ all is revealed after percy crashes the wedding

part eight: only bought this dress so you could take it off (take it off!)

synopsis ⇒ the wedding: part 2

part nine: if my wishes came true it would’ve been you

synopsis ⇒ they all live happily ever after?

[thealtoduck]

if there was a son of hera in Percy Jackson.

Do you think his powers are able to put devine punishments on to any descendants of Zeus including full gods like Apollo, ares and most gods and even the kids in the Zeus cabin like Jason grace.

The power could even extend to punishing the female that bare Zeus's children.

Son of Hera has the pontiential to learn to wield some magic, for example curses that could be used as punishments. But to use them as a punishment against the Olympian gods would literally get him murdered.

He’s a powerful demigod sure but not on that level.

He might be able to curse very minor gods but i don’t see why he would.

He could curse Jason and Thalia and any other of Zeus potential children if he felt like it but he dosen’t cause he views them as his step-siblings out of both geniune love and because he respects Zeus and Hera’s marriage (even if they’re both terrible for each other).

He dosen’t punish the women who bare Zeus’s children either. Because of his mortal side he’s a lot more reasonable than Hera and he knows they’re not the ones blame for the affair. Sure, he might judge and side-eye them but he’d never harm them.

[loverangels]

can i request a Percy x reader, where readers likes making flowers crowns and makes one for Percy (with blue flowers of course) and basically crowns him with it since he's the son of the king of the water?

(You know what it would make it fun if reader was a child of the big three (zeus or hades) or hera, that their also like a 'princess')

Thank you in advance!!!! And i hope this isn't weird

pairings: percy jackson x fem!reader

a/n: this was such a cute idea and was so fun to write thank you sm nonnie!!

The meadow was warm and quiet, sunlight filtering through the trees and spilling golden light across the grass. You sat cross-legged in the middle of it all, surrounded by a pile of blue flowers—bluebells, hydrangeas, and cornflowers. Your fingers worked quickly, weaving the delicate stems together.

A few feet away, Percy was sprawled on his back, one arm slung behind his head while the other tossed a small rock up and down. His sea-green eyes kept flicking to you, a lazy grin playing on his lips.

“You’ve been awfully quiet over there,” Percy finally said, his voice teasing. “That’s either a good thing or a very bad thing.”

You didn’t bother looking up from the flower crown you were making. “Why? You scared?”

“Should I be?” He rolled onto his side, propping his head up with his hand, his grin widening. “You’re not, like, braiding me a noose or something, right?”

You snorted. “Relax, Jackson. You’re not that annoying."

“Wow. Thanks,” he said, feigning offense. “And here I thought I was your favorite.”

“Favorite pain in the ass? Definitely.”

“Hey,” he protested, crawling closer so he was within arm’s reach. “Admit it—you’re obsessed with me.”

You glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. “Obsessed? Yeah, sure. That’s why I’m sitting here minding my own business while you keep interrupting me.”

“Interrupting?” Percy said innocently, leaning closer and poking your knee. “I’m just keeping you company. You’d miss me if I wasn’t here.”

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t help the smile tugging at your lips. “Whatever helps you sleep at night, seaweed brain.”

Percy’s grin widened at the nickname. “You’re so mean to me,” he said, dramatically leaning forward and resting his chin on your shoulder. His warmth was immediate, his breath tickling your neck.

“Am I supposed to feel bad?” you teased, finishing the last twist of the flower crown.

“You should,” he said, his voice low and playful as he nuzzled closer, his nose brushing your temple. “Especially when I’m this nice to you.”

“Nice?” you repeated, scoffing. “Since when are you nice?”

“Right now.” He nudged you gently, pulling back enough to catch your eyes. “I’m letting you ignore me and you get to look at my amazing face for free. That’s peak generosity.”

You couldn’t help but laugh, leaning back slightly to hold up the flower crown you’d just finished. “Well, then, I guess I’m being generous too. Here.”

Percy blinked, sitting up straight as he looked at the crown in your hands. The blue flowers were vibrant and soft, perfectly woven together.

“A flower crown?” he said, his eyebrows raising. “For me?”

“Who else would it be for?” you asked, scooting closer and holding it up. “You’re the son of Poseidon. King of the waves, right? You need a crown to go with the title.”

He opened his mouth to respond, but you leaned forward before he could, gently setting the crown on his head. Percy froze for a second as your fingers brushed through his messy black hair, adjusting the flowers so they sat just right.

“There,” you said, sitting back to admire your work. “Perfect.”

Percy blinked at you, then at the crown, then back at you. “You… just crowned me.”

“Yep.”

“With flowers."

“Uh-huh.”

His lips twitched like he was fighting a grin, but then he reached out and grabbed your waist, pulling you toward him. “You realize this means I’m your king now right?”

“Oh, please,” you said, laughing as he tugged you closer, his hands warm and steady on your sides.

“Hey, you made me the crown,” Percy said, his voice full of mock seriousness as he leaned in. “That’s basically a love confession in flower language.”

You swatted at his chest, laughing. “It is not!”

“Sure it is,” he teased, his nose brushing against yours. “And now you’re sitting here, gazing at me all starry-eyed, just totally falling for me.”

“I’m not” you protested, though your cheeks were definitely warm.

“Oh you totally are” Percy said smugly. He nuzzled against your cheek, his breath warm as he added, “but don’t worry, I’m falling for you too, so it’s fine.”

You groaned, trying to shove him away, but Percy just laughed, catching your wrist and pressing a quick kiss to your palm before letting it go. “admit it,” he said, his grin softening as he gazed at you. “I look amazing in this crown.”

You sighed dramatically, pretending to inspect him. “You look… okay.”

“Okay?” Percy gasped, clutching his chest like you’d just mortally offended him. “this is royalty you’re talking to! You made me a crown!”

“You’re lucky I didn’t make it out of poison ivy,” you shot back, but you were smiling now, unable to stay annoyed when he looked so stupidly cute.

Percy chuckled, leaning forward and resting his forehead against yours. “Nah, you love me too much for that.”

Before you could respond, he pressed a quick, warm kiss to your nose, grinning as he pulled back. “See? I’m irresistible.”

“You’re insufferable,” you corrected, shoving his shoulder lightly.

“And yet, you keep making me flower crowns,” Percy said, tilting his head with a smirk. “face it—you’re whipped.”

You laughed, shaking your head, and Percy grinned, tugging you closer again. “Don’t worry,” he murmured, his voice low and warm as he kissed your temple. “I’m totally whipped for you too.”

[ma1dita]

don't blame the kids

a 'partners in crime' installment - luke castellan x dionysus!reader prev -> not your goddess | next -> trouble's coming for you words: 7.6k summary: (established relationship (kinda lol)) The one where you both chaperone a trip to Mount Olympus. The Olympians are bigger gossips than you thought they'd be. (Luke Castellan x fem!Dionysus!reader) a/n: the Chapter—set during the winter solstice; tldr: your dads are besties + hera is a good judge of character.... more d & trouble as requested, enjoy! eh ill edit this once i get back from class later tonight, taglist & ao3 update to be posted then as well

—

Your head falls against the metal of the school bus with an audible thunk. The sound of discordant cackles wakes you up from a dreamless sleep, making you jam your mouth shut and feel your spit go stale on this chilly winter morning.

“Rough night?” 

Keeping your cool despite the pounding headache, you mumble out an incoherent reply to your younger brother, whichever one he was. The old leather seat sighs as one of them sits down, the added weight jostling your legs as you groan and open your eyes to see two blond heads staring at your tired form. One of them peers from over the seat in front while the other leans over your lap, rifling through your backpack for snacks—there’s no such thing as personal space with these two for siblings.

You blink slowly as your vision clears, the cold grayscale interior of the bus still too bright on your eyes.

It’s too early for this shit.

“You’re talking to yourself again,” Pollux grins, noticing briefly that you’ve made an internal thought external. He hands his twin a granola bar from your backpack and leans back against your shoulder.

“Need this weekend to be over already,” you mumble, “just wanna sleep a bit longer and forget all of this. You two helping me later or are you gonna do that juggling bit again with the bottles of ambrosia?”

“Too bad it’s just begun,” Castor chuckles, before flopping back into his seat, then calling out, “and we’re playing the water glasses, thought it would make dad laugh—HEY!“ You tossed your water bottle at him and missed only because he conjured it into his hand and not your intended target of his skull. 

“We’ll be around if you need an extra hand up there,” Pollux murmurs over a hot chip, the crunch reverberating into your ear, “Are we gonna talk about why your boyfriend is on the opposite end of the bus?” Or why he didn’t come to cabin 12 last night… The stealth of sons of Hermes aside, the twins always know when he drops by— Luke usually leaves bags of stolen candy and tiny trinkets tied to their doorknobs when they lose teeth. To be honest, they’ve known the tooth fairy hasn’t existed since they were ten, but Pollux has one last molar he was looking forward to cashing in for a Push-pop.

“Nope.”

“Good talk,” he nods, before belching so loudly you shove him into the aisle, “Ow!”

The rest of the bus is filled with quiet chatter and excitement as you decide to take the chance and get up to survey the handful of campers who join you for the winter solstice. Some of the younger ones are crammed like sardines with bobbing heads as the bumps and turns of the Long Island Expressway rock them in and out of sleep, which is a privilege you were just robbed of. The others that are still excited to see their godrents move animatedly as they clamber over each other and practice their performances for later, a dissonant symphony of prose and instruments out of tune, vines growing from the Demeters’ row, and multiple charcoal pencils rolling along the floor towards the driver sitting up front.

There’s only so much you can hide on a bus, and now that you’re awake…

“Beck!” you hiss as the smell of burning hair wafts through the enclosed space, “No fire on the bus!” The dark-skinned boy looks at you sheepishly, fanning his younger sibling’s singed eyebrows and cracking open a window. Ironically (no pun intended, but while we’re here, ha!) Hephaestus will love his kids even if all of Olympus goes up in smoke. You wish you could say the same for the rest of your campers. The ones left to consider—like those of Hermes, watch the blur of the road whizz past their peripherals, lacking their usual sense of merriment and mischief in knowing their father will be a no-show even on the one day a year they’re allowed to visit. Though a worthless trip off the island is way better than cleaning wine glasses with the nymphs—to them, kitchen duty ends when one’s fingers are about to fall off the bone. 

Making a mental tally of your kids in case any of them have decided to fall out of the vehicle during your much needed break (demigods can get into twice the amount of trouble mortals can in half the time after all), you notice Annie’s waving you over towards her and her seatmate who is coincidentally the only person you wish would drop into the East River.

You make your way over feeling like you’re walking to your death, with your knees buckling with the movements of the bus, momentarily stumbling to a stop in front of their row and conjuring a juice box for Annie with a small smile. Your boyfriend(? — could you still call him that? You remember falling asleep in the storage room counting the sleeping bags, waking up in your bed alone and not much else) looks up at you expectantly as if you’re the one who should have something to say now. You avert your eyes quickly. 

Even on the shortest day of the year, being under his gaze makes time pass slowly like being dipped in molasses. The feeling sits at your throat uncomfortably, and your resolve makes your stomach feel like an endless pit.

“Yeah, Annie?” you say simply. You don’t mean to, but the smile on your face fades ever so slightly. They both notice and don’t say anything—one in contemplation and the other in disappointment. 

“You look awful.”

Okay, what the fuck. Between the thousand-yard stare you gave your wall this morning and the amount of time you spent slathering makeup on at the crack-ass of dawn, you would think that at least your eyebags were concealed enough.

But Annabeth Chase is nothing if not honest, and even if you were the best actress she’s ever met (which you are), there is no way of hiding heartbreak. 

Can you call this that? 

Heartbreak. 

You’re still unsure of if it’s really over—can you say that Luke broke your heart if there’s no way of being certain? What is a break, anyway? Are there terms and conditions you should follow? Is this the part where you two just never talk again and it’ll always feel like this?

But if the boy sitting across from you broke your heart, you think you’d be able to tell—so let the evidence show (or lack thereof) that you’re pretty sure he took it with him, wordlessly and selfishly like a son of Hermes would. With no remorse. 

Let’s not call this heartbreak then. Perhaps the more accurate word to describe your expression is despondence—he chips away at you further with how he looks at you now. Luke catches himself admiring the way you’ve done your hair and the glitter on your eyelids and then honey meets amethyst as your eyes lock. In between an obvious sigh and the way you bite your tongue, he realizes that despite your beauty always rivaling that of Aphrodite (at least in his honest opinion), there’s something hollow in the way you look back at him this morning. He doesn’t know how to feel about that either. 

You both didn’t end off on a good note yesterday—and that much, plus the rare occasion of sleeping alone in the months you two have been together was disconcerting, to say the least. 

“Thanks for that. If that’s all, I’m gonna go back to my seat,” you deadpan, turning back towards the front of the bus. 

You can’t even look at him, you realize. In the almost five years you’ve known Luke Castellan, your favorite thing to do was just look at him, from the way his nose scrunches when he laughs, to the fluttering of his eyelashes when he gets tired, because one of the easiest parts of loving him was by just watching him to see if he was looking right back at you.

And you can’t even do that, because it comes with a whole bunch of feelings you have no time to unpack right now. You decide to focus on the scar that spreads across his cheek instead when Luke calls your attention back towards them. He says your name so softly you almost miss it, gentle, like how someone talks to a child. It’s infuriating.

“I thought you were driving the bus today?” 

Somehow a simple interaction like this feels like the hardest performance of your life. Breakups never came easy, but dear gods, why right before the winter solstice of all days— you mumble a reply so quietly even Annabeth leans a bit closer to hear, “Didn’t sleep well. Big day today.” You brace against the seatback in front of them, tightening your core as the bus whips around a bend.

“Thought it’d be safer if I got one of the satyrs. Had to promise him unlimited access to the kitchens for a month though.”

Almost slamming into a full stop, your eyes widen as your body hits leather, properly leaning over the both of them as the daughter of Athena holds onto your leg and one of Luke’s hands grabs your arm.

“Gods. Look how that’s going,” the younger girl jokes, before looking up again to see her brother and you staring at each other motionlessly. Everything goes quiet—you don’t hear screaming campers or see Clarisse shaking one of her younger siblings upside down for a candy bar. Your knees shake slightly under the weight you figuratively carry on your shoulders. How will you show face to the gods when you can’t even keep a smile steady?

Time stops for a moment, and if it’s only been 12 hours, you’ve already lost count— but its felt like a lifetime since he held you like he might still care. It’s hard to tell, the both of you are too stubborn and it reminds you of a time when all of your conversations went like this—vitriol and annoyance leaking from each word, but at least when you were fourteen it felt like the build up to something great.

But what happens after great is exhausted? The comedown is a terse conversation that almost flies over Annabeth’s head—said in a way that adults do when everything is veiled and heavy, not meant to be seen by prying eyes and younger hearts. 

“I didn’t mean for it to turn out this way,” Luke mutters from beside her. You retract your arm like you’ve been burned and shake your head, “Well, it did.”

The wise girl starts to put the dots together, face scrunching as she deciphers the hidden meaning behind your exchange. She should’ve known Luke didn’t actually want to sit with her and talk about her latest chess match—the son of Hermes loves a good game but has no interest if he’s not the one winning. They both watch you rush back to your seat, the swaying of the bus pushing you farther and faster until you fall away out of sight. 

When she gathers her thoughts, the words lay heavy on her tongue like a hot iron until she spits it out at her older brother. Annabeth Chase sparingly cusses, you see, mostly under her breath and really only when she’s stumped by a situation, especially since she’s only just turned eleven a few months ago—but she looks at him like a foreign object she doesn’t know how to dissect.

“You’ve got nerve, Luke. How do you always fuck up this bad?” Her dark braids drag over her shoulder as she turns to look the other way, away from him.

Luke swallows dryly, biting down on the flesh of his cheek. Between his plan for today and his impeccable timing of monumentally screwing up his relationship with you? 

It’s like Annabeth hit the nail on the head, and he couldn’t agree more.

—

“Alright, places everyone,” you drone, tapping your pen against your clipboard like a gavel before a session in court. The Hall of Gods is just as unruly as your campers when you don’t water down the juice boxes, you realize—Olympians are mulling about the throne room, chattering and making it known that they’d rather be doing who knows what on the only day of the year that it’s mandatory for them to be parents. You sigh, pinching the bridge of your nose as you silently agree—there are much better uses of your time that you can think of right now, like making sure to hand Michael his epi-pen before lunch and hoping Connor and Travis aren’t scamming every seller blind at the street-markets of Olympus.

Everyone else is enjoying their free time and you’re…here, watching Apollo, god of music and truth, annoy his twin by sending birds to fly circles around her head. 

Cacophonous laughter startles you, turning to see Hades watching the chaos with his arms crossed over his chest. Draped in black, his chill expression looms over the papers in your hand as he peers at the schedule.

“Siblings, am I right? Sorry you have to deal with mine.”

“Divine Hades,” you bow your head slightly, “they’re erecting your pedestal for the solstice as we speak, I apologize in behalf of—”

He waves a hand dismissively, “No need, child. I know you’re just doing your job. I can wait.”

“Well, I can’t if they’re all acting like children,” you mutter, the both of you watching Zeus bicker with Hera with increasing volume before she storms out, not before addressing the god of the Underworld with a nod.

And he smirks, letting out another laugh that the sound of it quiets the Olympians and sends them towards their seats like obedient students in a classroom. The nymphs are finished pushing the newly-fashioned slab of a throne into position, twelve turning into thirteen and Hades makes his way over as well, gesturing back at you, “Remind me of your name again?”

You say it calmly, clicking your pen. Your dad is sprawled out on his throne, legs over the side as he stares at the ceiling, “Alright princess—let’s get this show on the road.”

“Will we be waiting for…” your voice trails off, briefly looking towards the door.

“Nonsense. I’m sure you can brief her afterwards,” Zeus booms, and you swallow. There goes your lunch break.

“Of course. And Hermes?” You ask, eyes flickering to the only empty seat.

“Working.”

Clearing your throat, you stand tall to address the deities in the room and though you can’t look any of them in the eye, (besides your father that’s already guzzling his fourth cup of ambrosia at eleven in the morning, but you're not any better---you're on your third can of Redbull) it does not deter you from what you came here to accomplish. Might as well do the job well if there’s nothing else to look forward to for today.

You go over the schedule of events like an automated system, not stopping even when Ares starts sighing at the end of your sentences and Demeter sends daggers toward Hades with her eyes. It’s enough to wonder why those without children present today even stay. Formalities, you presume.

“Any questions? Good, I’ll see you all in here at four o’clock,” you quickly say, not giving them a chance to interject—spinning on your heel to walk out of there with even a shrivel left of your patience. 

You find yourself running through your list again by the time you reach the end of the hall: you need to grab the tapestry that cabin 6 wove for their mother’s shrine from the bus, Lee needs help bringing in the harp after lunch, and your brothers need enough wine glasses to fill with water for their performance since they haven’t mastered the conjuring trick so well yet.

Her presence imposes itself upon you before you spot her perched next to the windowsill—the queen of the gods is not meant to be a decorative wallflower, after all. 

“D-divine Hera,” you stutter and stop short, “Would you have a moment to go over the schedule?”

“I know the schedule, child. I’ve been here longer than you. What is it, your fourth year running this thing?” She’s expressionless, maybe even a bit bored with the topic as she looks down at you. You stare at the peacock feather shawl that hangs off her shoulders.

“Third, ma’am.”

Hera smiles (or at least it sounds like she is, talking to her has always felt like twirling on a minefield), “It doesn’t surprise me that all of this falls on a woman. Where’s your husband?”

“My what?” 

You don’t mean to, but your knee-jerk reaction is to look her in the eye and the both of you are surprised by that. Hera’s perfectly arched brows are sky high now, but you haven’t been incinerated yet, so you can deduce that she might like you (or is still contemplating the matter), “The one with the pretty face, such a shame about that scar. You two were inseparable last year, I just assumed…”

With a face on fire, you clear your throat, “Oh. Luke and I aren’t…” Your eyes press closed, hot-red embarrassment brimming into tears you don’t expect to surface. Another reminder that he’s not your…anything right now.

“Mm,” she hums thoughtfully, “Sometimes I forget what year it is. Human societal norms and all that.”

A soft wind billows through the open air, and you hug the clipboard to your chest. You are not about to trauma dump on Hera. Though in a way, she might understand you more than you think.

“I sent him away, I guess. Sometimes it’s much easier to do things alone,” but even you don’t sound convinced. The side of Hera’s lip quirk upwards and she looks at you knowingly, “I agree. Though I guess there are worse things in life than sharing the hard parts with someone you love.” 

Looking down at your shoes, you’re not sure of what else to say. It reminds Hera of her and her husband, before time complicated everything. In the early years, every obstacle feels world-ending until it passes and all you can do is laugh with the person who was by your side. 

“I don’t have to be there later, don’t I?” the queen of the gods mutters. You shrug. Your opinion doesn’t matter, clearly, because she continues, “I don’t have any children in the show that are performing but…I want to be there.”

“I get that,” you say awkwardly, shaking your head to not fumble this conversation further, but she smiles, patting your shoulder as she walks past—it almost feels like a blessing. 

Or maybe she wasn’t even listening to you at all. 

She stops at the end of the hall.

“Trust is a fickle thing, child. It has more value once it’s been broken, and rebuilding it takes two sets of hands. Catch and fall, push and pull, go and follow.” Hera looks back at you again, her white dress swishing at her hips, “Do you agree?”

“I guess.” 

The queen of the gods looks at you thoughtfully, a girl humbly offering her heart out to her divine presence and wanting her partner, a son of Hermes at that— over any glory Olympus can provide. 

Oh, to be young and in love—it makes one invincible.

“Then I hope he makes it worth your while.”

She leaves you to your thoughts and they echo to meet her like a bittersweet greeting. Hera smiles, seeing them run through your head like a video on loop—replacing bloodied bandages in a dark train car, glitter and giggles in a locked room, burnt chocolate chip cookies, and face masks in the dim light of a bathroom. 

The ritual of marriage has definitely changed over the millennia the goddess has lived through, but what you and Luke share is what she considers to be its truest form—that of two souls choosing one another over and over.

—

There’s not a lot of things that can make the herald of Olympus stop in his tracks. He holds as many titles as the letters that fly through his fingertips—though Hermes delivers mail with gratifying ease. The job has always been second nature; being a father…not so much.

But all the power in the world cannot compensate for the fact that you cannot save your children from themselves.

So when he sees you leaning against one of the ornate marble doors outside the Hall of Gods that afternoon, he wills himself to join you in real time. Infinite versions of himself scatter across the Earth with every second that passes. But you look familiar, and well, the trickster loves solving a good puzzle.

“I know you,” he says matter of factly, yet he can’t put his finger on it. His voice is deep, like a howling wind; it blows your hair back even when he stands still in front of you. Your gaze lifts from your clipboard to travel across his face briefly, but you don’t look him in the eye. You can’t even if you wanted to—incineration by divine form and all, so you weren’t about to test your luck with him. Tempting though—you’ve heard enough about Luke’s father to want to burn holes through the god’s head like he could yours.

“Shouldn’t you be inside with the other campers for the rest of the show?” Hermes prompts again, despite your silence. He is the god of communication after all. But there’s not a single thing you could think of telling him besides, “Shouldn’t you? Your kids have been waiting all year to see you.” Mortal lifetimes pass in the blink of an immortal’s eye—but he can’t spare a few minutes to see his kids? Hermes shrugs, like it’s nothing of the sort. Nothing he can do about it. Olympus takes priority. 

“The work never stops. You would know that.”

There’s a startling shriek that escapes from the seam of the doorway as little Will Solace shuffles through the doorway shyly. He tugs at your sleeve, keeping his head bowed and mumbles your name, “Where’s the bathroom?” The god replies to the kid instead, looking at the tiny fractals of light that reflect off the boy’s hair, “Uhhh…down the stairs and to the left, fourth door.”

“Need me to go with you buddy?”

He squeezes your hand and shakes his head, undeterred by the fact he interrupted your conversation with an Olympian, instead going to hop down the stairs without looking at either of you, “Miranda tried to sing again. She should really just stick to plants.” 

Perhaps the presence of gods isn't as impressive to a mortal when their godrent regularly visits them.

“So why exactly did you want to speak with me?”

You cross your arms and lean against the cool wall and wonder why Luke’s dad is still in front of you. After all, he has to have better things to do than make conversation with a moping girl with a workload stacked to the heavens.

Hermes repeats your name slowly as if he’s memorizing the way it sounds coming off his lips, “You look a little lost. So much so that it made me take a moment here with you.”

“I’m right where I need to be unfortunately, so…thanks but no thanks.” He’s the god of many domains—finding lost things being one of them, good luck being another, among the others. He can feel—actually, he knows that you’re searching for something even if you yourself don’t know what it is. The force that summons him to you feels thick, like quicksand that pulls him in planting his winged feet to the ground. Hermes observes your standoffish attitude and wonders if he’s offended you somehow. 

Pushing down the yearning you feel for his son who sits inside the marble doors, you wonder if it would’ve hurt less had Hermes not made your want known to you, an ugly, embarrassing thing that feels like a lump in your throat. His caduceus vibrates loudly in his pocket and with a sleight of hand it appears in front of him, clacking buttons. It’s annoying to be treated like an inconvenience, especially in a time of need. Like father, like son, you suppose.

But unfortunately he’s right. You’re a lost little thing, mind scrambled from this hellish week and where you left off with Luke. You want him with you in all senses of the term, both right now as you glare at his father and in the way one breathes air through their lungs—autonomic, because you simply can't help it. Hermes looks at you again, scratching at his ear as if everything about standing in front of you is making his ears ring, “Who do you belong to again?” He’s trying to remember where he’s seen you before. The sound of trumpets pierce your ears when the door opens again, this time Castor catching his breath as he calls your name, “Hey. Where’s the little pipsqueak? 7’s going on soon.” Everyone seems to know you except him. 

How intriguing.

Rolling your eyes, you grumble, “Bathroom. Go back inside Cas.”

“See that’s the problem, Luke asked me where you are, should I tell him you’re…” The blond looks at who you’re speaking to and swallows, “busy?”

“That’s it. You’re Luke’s girl—” the frown that deepens on your face makes him pause, “I thought your name was Trouble?” The god looks even more confused, scratching his goatee—his son, through his nightly devotions, has asked for a lot of things from him in his short lifetime. The realization comes to the forefront of Hermes’ mind like a thumbtack pierced through a map as you respond. 

“Sometimes.”

In the past year, Luke’s narrowed it down to two things: to guide him onto the right path in life and to make sure you live well enough to be on it with him. That’s what was sacred to him—but Hermes could only see himself fulfilling one of them, if we’re being honest here: an unfortunate trick of the trade.

You grimace—maybe being in there and facing Luke would be better than having this conversation with his deadbeat dad.

“Only with him,” Castor smirks, and you shove your brother towards the stairs to go find Will. 

“How did you know that, anyway?”

Hermes chuckles, looking you up and down as if seeing you clearly for the first time, “His thoughts are even louder than yours. Even though he probably has nothing nice to say about me, he thinks about you all the time, that son of mine.”

“And what do you do then? Let it fall on deaf ears?”

“Listen, I’m not allowed to meddle,” he murmurs, a twitching hand ghosting over your shoulder. He wonders if can offer comfort —you know Luke better than the idea he has of him in his head, the glimpses of his son’s life that he’s allowed himself to see. You’ve been there these past few years to live it with him. Hermes swallows, retracting his arm to put it back against his side. The door swings open again—and it’s your father this time, cradling a wine glass that fills with ambrosia when he swirls it in his grasp.

“Kid, what’s the holdup—where’s the little sunspot and Thing 2?” Mr. D raises his glass with a grin, clapping his best friend on the back— “Hermes, my friend. Making a pit stop?” 

This just got even weirder—your head starts to spin a bit. 

Talk about a nightmare blunt rotation.

Between their lighthearted banter, Will and Castor skipping up the stairs towards you, and Pollux popping his head out of the doorway to yank the glass out of your dad’s hand (“SISSY! He’s drinking my musical instrument!”), you shut your eyes to center yourself. This might be the worst day of your life. Chaos becomes you and your blood is boiling at being surrounded by too many men when the only one you care about won’t even lo—

“Kid, you okay?”

Breathing heavily, you don’t realize you’ve clenched your hands into tight fists, and your dad doesn't know what to do. There's a thought that passes his mind as swiftly as his friend can scale the world that Luke would know what to do. Mr. D doesn't mean to, but he scoffs under his breath, shaking hand extending to reach out to an equally trembling shoulder and you flinch before it makes contact. 

"M'fine, I just need a second to think."

Pressing your palms into the pits of your eyes, your father watches you inhale a breath that seems to calm the storm brewing in your core, even for a moment, “Cas, take Will inside for his cabin’s performance. D, next time, don’t touch things that aren’t yours,” you say calmly as you conjure another glass of water and hand it to Pollux, not before taking a few sips to steady your resolve and perfect the tone of the vibrations. 

Sip. 

Too sharp. 

Sip. 

Perfect.

Putting the now fully functional instrument of water in your brother’s hand, he happily walks back through the door and now you’re just left with two gods that look at you somewhat impressed. 

“Can I help you with anything else, or are you both just going to waste my time?” Tapping your foot, your face is expressionless again, any previous traces of emotion wiped clean.

“Princess, you know you could talk—”

“Nope,” you protest, “Nothing’s wrong at all. Just ready to get this day over with.” It’s rude and to the point, but you have no patience left, “ and all offense D, I’m not gonna talk about my boy problems with you, and especially not you,” you grit pointing at Hermes, “neither of you would get it and I don’t even fully get it, and partially you two are the reason why we’re like this!”

“What did Luke do?” your dad says incredulously, eyebrows furrowing. He’s sobering up from the buckets of ambrosia he’s consumed—itching to find out about what the golden boy could ever do to agitate you like this.

The gods will never know what it feels like to love someone like this—every fiber of your mortal being constantly anticipating an end without knowing when that is. You sigh helplessly, “I don’t even know where to begin.”

“I don’t know who I am without you, and he only knows who he is because of you,” spitting the words out like acid, you seethe, “we’re not exactly normal teenagers, you know, so thanks for that. I can handle it from here.”

And you push past the both of them and walk through the marble doors like nothing even happened.

"Makes sense he'd fall for her," Hermes mumbles, “your girl is a force to be reckoned with.” If not a bit insane like his best friend. 

"Yeah. Just remember I can tear your boy limb from limb. Just because she can handle it doesn't mean she should. Pray your kid fixes it or fucks off. " It’s the truth—poor Penthus was just an example of Dionysus’ contradictory behavior. Ruthless punishments were like a walk in the park for your father. A jilted noise escapes Hermes's throat as if his own truth was trying to claw its way up his esophagus. The future of humanity rests on the shoulders of his favorite son, and for once, the messenger god is still---in fear? Guilt?

His thoughts are still trying to catch up with the rest of his body, but as he watches the door shut softly behind you, his winged shoes start to flap to signal his imminent departure.

“He's a good boy. He knows the worth of being loved by the right person at the right time. If he’s anything like me, he’ll cherish it while it lasts,” Hermes smiles as he fades from view, “and if he’s not like me at all—he’ll make sure it’s forever. But it looks like we’ll be in-laws, bestie!”

Mr. D groans, waving him off and conjuring another glass of ambrosia—when he walks in to rejoin everyone for the show, his boys are killing it on the musical glasses. He surveys the crowd, watching Luke Castellan only have eyes for you even in this dark crowded room.

“Shit.”

—

Nights on Olympus are prettier than what you’re used to. The stars are much closer than they would be if you were still on Earth, and they act as a natural nightlamp hanging over the enchanted ceiling of the ballroom you and your kids occupy for your one night stay. Yawning into your fist, you spot Charlie Beckendorf who’s already fallen asleep directly on top of his sleeping bag, sweatshirt on backwards and tennis shoes still on. Offering to take the last thirty minutes of his shift after watching him nod off earlier against a marble column while doing everything in your power to try to fall asleep was a no-brainer. But now that you were actually wanting to stay awake yourself, your eyelids didn’t seem to want to cooperate. 

Figures. Nothing you ever wanted has ever happened the way you wished for.

Sleep pricks at the corner of your eyes like dust from a sandstorm—presumably Hypnos forcing a hand on you getting rest. Here on Olympus he’s only a few doors away, after all.You rub your knuckles into the sockets of your eyes quite unkindly, hoping it’ll do the job. Even blinking is taking an added effort.

Patting your own cheek lightly to stimulate your senses, you cross your arms and decide to take another lap around the room. The rubber of your boots clomp louder with every shaky step and—

Tap-tap. Tap. T-tap.

D is rapping his knuckles against one of the glass doors on the perimeter like he’s playing the drums.

“Shhhh!”

Arms outstretched, you slip past rows of sleeping children, narrowly missing stretched out arms and fallen backpacks as you glare at him, “Are you trying to wake up all of Olympus?”

He looks at you with amusement, rumpled clothing and looking like a tiny, angry raccoon. You must’ve forgotten to take off your eyeliner, but he doesn’t mention it.

He brandishes two cigarettes in his hand and nods toward a door he left ajar leading onto the sprawling, wrap-around patio. And you swear you start floating towards him like an enticed cartoon character—surely you’re dreaming. 

Is there even a designated smoking area on Olympus?

“How long have you known?” 

The words almost slur out of your mouth as you swipe at his fist like a man starved—Mr.D can’t tell what exactly you’re asking. He’s known you’ve smoked since he found ash in the windowsill of his office. He’d known you and Luke have been having problems since you both started to sit at the opposite sides of the room during counselor meetings. Some things about you are harder to catch onto than others, and Mr. D is known for always being a little late to the party.

Dionysus, the god, was a late arrival to the Pantheon. Him as a father, he’s often late to discerning the happenings in his daughter’s life.  But he’s also known that boy has loved you long before he drunkenly stumbled onto his porch. Could smell it off of him— love makes people do crazy things after all. Out of all of your partners, he always thought the golden boy was just as bad—if not worse than you, gods willing. But you two were good kids, and the thought makes him chuckle, “I’ve always been able to read you, kiddo. I get there eventually.”

“Besides when I first showed up at your doorstep.”

“Shock of my life, actually. And that says a lot. You should be honored,” there’s a stupid smile on your father’s face now as he looks out onto the darkened horizon, glittering city lights on the floating mountain top. Olympus has changed in the years he’s been gone from it without him noticing. He looks over to you and realizes you have too—no longer fourteen with your hair sticky from Kool-aid, or multiple sun-tan tattoos. You always liked making a project out of your boredom.

Laughing gruffly—the base of your throat itches and you surface for air sounding like something being strangled. Blame it on the lack of sleep or teenage angst as he so aptly calls your temper tantrums, but he pulls you in to rub your back, leading you further down the walkway with a shushing, soothing coo as you whine, “What if this is the best I can be?”

“You’re nineteen, princess. A hell of a long way to go. To be honest, it gets worse as the years pass.”

“Fuuuuuuuuuuuck,” you groan, smacking your head against the cool marble. “That's like a blink for you. For me it feels like I’m constantly getting off on the wrong foot. How do you do it?”

He sighs and looks at you—and all of a sudden you see your father’s age in the way he grimaces. Left to do the dirty work, the things the gods don’t want to talk about, meant to endure because every ion of his existence has reeked of resilience. 

Because it’s what’s expected of him. 

You see the resemblance now.

His wrinkles are prominent and eyebags are heavy when he doesn’t fortify the image of a silly asinine man as he lets it all melt away in front of you.

You light a cigarette and puff life into the lit end to burn the other one, breathing out and handing it over. Smoke billows around the two of you as you lean against the marble railing—-but nothing has ever been so clear. It rolls through your lungs, warming you inside and out. You lean your head against his shoulder.

“I think you could shake this whole place up if you wanted to. Never met a more stubborn kid in my life,” your dad mutters, jostling when you elbow him, “I mean it. For a lack of better words, you’re a once in a lifetime kind of girl.” He’s not looking at you, but the sentiment wavers in the air and settles slowly until you learn to appreciate it. 

“You mean that?”

D has had a share of his own struggles, from being ejected from his mother and birthed from Zeus’ thigh, to being curb stomped by Hera herself, and of course the occasional trip to the Underworld. Suddenly your life pales in comparison. 

“Get that look off your face and stop thinking so badly of yourself. Life is not a dress rehearsal—just give it your best. I'll be in the wings for as long as you need me,” he swallows, “If you want that. I’m the only one dealing with this prison sentence, anyway.”

“I would like that.”

The god scratches his neck before dragging his Birkenstocks toward the door, swiveling to point at you, “Get to bed. You've got an early morning tomorrow.”

“I know. Is that an order?” 

“Yeah, twerp,” he mutters, lingering by the glass, “Quitting cold turkey is never fun. Things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end. I've always been more of the type to go and get it myself though.”

“Cold turkey,” you repeat, nodding distantly. 

Letting go means to accept that you let it in. And if you’re not ready to let it go, fight for it. 

For a bunch of wordweavers, you both suck at talking to each other. It must be an Olympus thing to talk in riddles, but you’ve never been deterred by a challenge. Your fragmented conversation means a lot more than he’ll ever know. With a newfound appreciation for your dad, you smile and take a few puffs of the cigarette, taking a seat against the wall to let everything sink in. The comfortable weight of nicotine in your lungs lulls you to sleep, a momentary reprieve from everything. 

You swear you shut your eyes for just a second. Just a moment—to rest them a tiny bit.

And Luke slips out the glass doors in the other direction towards the throne room without you noticing.

When you wake up, it’ll all be over.

—

It’s snowing by the time Luke comes back. Biggest day of his life—something he’s been waiting for for months now, and it was just too goddamn easy.

And yeah, Luke understood that it is so irrevocably wrong to steal from the gods. 

But then why was it so easy?

Of course, it was all thanks to you. You don’t know it, but you helped the pieces fall into their perfect places. Keeping you up last night with the fight and leaving you to your own devices all day kept you indifferent enough about him to not notice the smaller details—him switching the night shift schedule around to his liking and making you the only obstacle between him and the Master Bolt and the Helm of Darkness (well, Ares was too, but onto more important things).

Everything happens for a reason, right? 

Getting on your last nerve has always been easy, and though he hates seeing you cry—it almost makes him feel guilty that there’s a certain thrill that soars through him when you two fight. You love him like how you argue, with an unbridled passion he loves to sink his teeth into.

And he loves you. It’s as simple and as complicated as that. So despite the tear in his side that makes him clench his teeth, his first objective after his completed mission is to sidle over to your slumped form with a smile. Luke slings his jacket over your body and wraps his arm to bring your head against his shoulder. The grounds are weather-protected like at camp, yet a few stray snowflakes still catch onto your hair. You stir, “Lu?”

“I’m here. Not leaving you.”

If salvation could manifest itself into something akin to human form, perhaps it would still look like a god. Being saved is a feeling unfamiliar to Luke—the only person he was always sure could save your ass was himself.  But he wants this, you nestled against him for as long as you want, until his arms ache and pins and needles ravage his body. Luke knows he would crawl to the ends of this earth and the next if it means he’ll be with you. 

Gambling with fate will be worth it if he can find a way to make this love last forever. 

This has to work. You did what you had to do, he thinks.

Sniffing, he kisses your forehead and his jacket faintly smells of smoke. Snowflakes dot his eyelashes and he rubs your arms to make sure you’re warm, “Let you sleep longer. Looks like you needed it.”

“How long have I been asleep?” you say groggily. His thumbs wipe at your eyelids gently with the hem of a fresh shirt, “Don’t worry. I took care of everything.”

It makes him grimace, emotional manipulation and a quick escape—hello Hermes!

“I’m tired, Luke.”

He sighs, and you turn to him, the both of you knee to knee, slowly being illuminated by a blanket of cool toned hues from the rising sun, “I know. Let me make it better, baby.”

Wistfully, you tangle your fingers with his in the space between you as if sealing a vow. 

”Every future I envision includes you with me. I need you to know that.” 

Overwhelmed by the events of the night, hell, these past few months—Luke starts to cry. A single rivulet cascading on the cheek adjacent to his scar and you catch it by pressing your lips to his jaw.

“Could you still love me?”

Inching closer, he feels as if you’re not close enough even when you’re breathing against the nape of his neck like this and you mumble, “You’re saying that like I ever stopped, angel.” The line blurs with each breath he takes—to earn a spot to walk amongst the gods, to live a completely ordinary life, or to be stuck in the strawberry fields of Delphini Farms forever. Luke was never awarded the privilege to want for himself before he met you, the absolution to all his wrongdoings. He can feel the quaking of your jaw under his fingertips as he slowly turns you to face him and all you have left to give him is a shattered breath.

“No matter what?”

Pressing his lips to yours as an apology feels like being saved. Lightly, until he pours himself into it and you relent, until the only thing that matters to you is that he’s with you now. Luke would merge your souls right now if he could—a tangled mess of eight limbs and head to head and everything is as it should be.

“Even if you don’t sit with me on the bus,” you smirk. He scoffs, kissing you harder and locking his lips with yours feverishly before resting much gentler ones against your tired eyes, “Oh don’t worry. Can’t get rid of me that easily, Trouble.”

A new day breaks on the horizon the longer you stay out there. But he takes these last final moments and keeps them under lock and key for safekeeping. You leave Olympus in a few hours, and by then there’ll be no time for regrets—his perfect crime with his perfect partner.

—

"I weep because you cannot save people. You can only love them." -Hanya Yanagihara

[importantstudentbusinessspy-blog]

Spice & Secrets Chapter 2

Masterlist

Pairing: Constantine Corrino x (f)reader

Tags: NSFW, Childhood Friends to Lovers, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn Romance, Betrayal of Duty vs. Love, Angst, Yearning, Power Dynamics, Politics, reader is a bene gesserit, first time, drinking, fighting, semi-public sex, smut

Word of the Richese boy's death reached the Bene Gesserit faster than anyone else, as always. The funeral took place the following day, with the boy’s body draped in gold covers as the families of House Corrino and House Richese gathered to bury him.

That evening, you made your way through the palace alongside Sister Hera. As you walked, you exchanged a subtle hand signal, and the two of you split paths, moving in opposite directions.

You continued down the hall, passing several rooms before stopping at a familiar door at the end of the corridor.

You knocked.

A minute passed before the door creaked open to reveal Constantine. His bedhead was disheveled, and he rubbed at his eyes. His gaze softened when he realized it was you. "Flower, what are you doing here?" he asked, stepping into the hallway and closing the door behind him.

You didn’t miss the way he positioned himself against the door, like he was hiding something.

"A child was killed on palace grounds,” you said, with a serious tone. “And the killer has not been caught. I’m here to check in on you-”

The door behind him opened abruptly, and a woman stepped out, her dress hastily arranged, her hair a mess. She paused, her eyes meeting yours for longer than was necessary.

Recognition dawned as you realized she was the sister of the boy who had been killed.

Your mouth dropped open slightly, and your gaze darted between her and Constantine. His expression was a mix of discomfort and guilt.

"Never mind," you spoke coolly, bowing slightly to mask your disgust. "I see all is as usual with you."

You turned on your heel and walked away. He didn’t follow.

You landed hard on the mat, your breath catching as Sister Hera’s blade pressed lightly against your throat.

"I yield," you groaned, accepting her extended hand to help you up.

"You seem distracted," said Hera, wiping her brow with a cloth.

"... I need to speak to Mother Superior," you admitted. "I had a vision yesterday," you said quietly. "My skin was burning. I was dying. And they found that poor boy today."

"You felt what he felt?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"I don't know."

"Something must have triggered it." Her tone was tinged with amazement. "What were you doing when it happened?"

Golden hooded eyes, his parted lips, his touch against your skin flashed in your mind.

"I was on patrol," you lied.

Footsteps echoed, drawing both of your attentions to the entrance as the imperial bastard prince appeared, his presence commanding even in the dim light.

"I was hoping to find you here," he said, his gaze fixed on you.

Hera gave you a look before excusing herself.

You turned to him, your expression guarded.

He opened his mouth to speak, but when you held out your blade, he paused. Then he understood. Shrugging off his vest, he approached you on the mat, taking the weapon from your hand.

You activated your suit, and so did he.

"En garde." you said, assuming a defensive stance.

You advanced first, your blade moving in precise arcs. Constantine deflected each strike with ease, his movements calculated and smooth. When you got too close, he countered, bringing his blade to your throat.

You looked down at the weapon at your pulse, then back up at him. You were evenly matched, and his widened eyes told you he realized the same.

"What you saw this morning. That wasn’t right." he said, his voice low.

"You’re the Emperor’s son," you replied flatly. “Why do you care what I think?"

"You know why."

"Well, you’re lucky. It so happens that I don’t care. What you choose to do in your free time is none of my concern."

"I almost believe you." He grinned.

"That boy hasn't even buried for a full day before you took his sister to your bed." Your voice was sharp, tinged with judgment.

"She was waiting for me," he said defensively. "I was drunk, heartbroken, and she was... interested. We didn’t exchange a single word before then."

"Words aren’t necessary. A look is all it takes from you, Corrino."

He raised his chin, a faint smirk playing at his lips. "Yes, I see now how much you don’t care."

Damn it. You’d given him power over you. Frustrated, you decided to show him who he was dealing with. Advancing with deliberate steps, you broke through the barrier of his suit, grabbing his arm and sweeping his legs out from under him.

Constantine’s eyes widened in shock as he hit the ground but quickly rolled back to his feet.

You stood taller, your chin raised. Once, you would have relied on him for protection. Now, you were trained and skilled in the Weirding Way. The stakes had changed, and his surprise only fueled your satisfaction.

"Is this what our fights will be like when we’re married?" he huffed, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "I can’t wait."

Your voice was edged with rage. "You really think we’ll last? Or will you go with the first woman who waits for you in your room a day after were together?"

"We were together?" he shot back, his brow arched. "Or were you in the tenth dimensions exploring the astral plain... pardon me if I took your mid-climax departure as a clear rejection."

"That vision I had was a gift. One I unlocked by being with you!" You argued.

His eyes narrowed in confusion.

"I wanted to speak to you yesterday," you said, your voice quieter now, "to ask if you felt... different."

The silence grew heavy between you.

"You fought well," you said at last, saluting him.

He returned the gesture, understanding the conversation was over. Leaving his blade and armor by the door, he walked out without another word.

Constantine sat at a dimly lit bar surrounded by his friends. The conversation, which had begun lightheartedly three whiffs ago, had shifted to politics with the passing of Dennis's spice container for the third time.

"The recent drop in spice prices. Some say it’s sabotage targeting your father’s spice workers. What do you make of it, Costa?" His friend, Dennis, asked.

Constantine sipped his drink. "Harkonnen desperation. When a house as weak as them resorts to violence, it’s less about strategy and more about survival.”

"And what of the Fremen?"

Constantine raised an eyebrow. "What of them?"

"You don’t think they’re behind these attacks?"

Constantine shrugged. "As far as I know, they’re a weak minority on Arrakis. Nothing to worry our pretty little minds about."

Colin smirked behind his glass. "Rumor has it the Emperor’s next move involves a new Empress."

Dennis laughed dryly. "A time-honored tradition, isn’t it? When diplomacy falters, there’s always the marriage bed." Nudging Constantine with a sly grin he said. "Speaking of, Flower’s back. How convenient."

"Wouldn’t that be something?" Colin mocked. "The Emperor leaving you his sloppy seconds."

Constantine turned to him with a faint smirk. "Perhaps if you concerned yourself with your aim as much as you do imperial affairs, you’d be a decent shot."

Colin offered him a fake chuckle. group laughed uneasily, the tension palpable.

Fueled by alcohol and a bruised ego, Colin stood up, swaying slightly. "Fellas, the night is young, the stars are clear, and the weather is perfect! The amphitheater is calling out our name."

The amphitheater was a grand arena reserved for gladiator fights. It was their clandestine playground.

When they trained with their sword masters, the boys seldom experienced any real pain or risk. But here, in the dead of night, they would pretend to be gladiators, feeding their desire for raw, brutal, and carnal behavior.

The friends exchanged uncertain glances.

Constantine, still eyeing Collin, took a long swig from the bottle, then stood. "Why not?"

The amphitheater was illuminated by the moonlight casting shadows over the sandy floor. Colin and Constantine discarded their shirts, stepping into the center. No weapons allowed.

They saluted each other, reciting an old gladiator chant, their voices saying the well-known phrase in unison.

Colin attacked first. Constantine dodged, but his movements were clumsy, his reflexes dulled by alcohol.

Their friends murmured nervously, they made for the stage. Constantine raised a hand, stopping them. "It’s between me and him," he declared.

The fight intensified. Constantine’s concertration faltered, and Colin’s fist struck his cheek. Constantine tasted blood.

The arena's unease grew, their laughter replaced by anxious whispers.

You read in your quarters when a vision struck you.

Flashes of pain. The rough feeling of sand. The pillars of the amphitheater. The taste of blood. The crowd’s unease. Colin standing over you, fists raised.

The vision vanished as quickly as it came. You stumbled to your feet, heart racing, and ran out the door.

Constantine was on the ground, dazed and bleeding. Colin stood over him, blade poised to strike. When had he brought it?

"Drop the knife!"

The voice boomed through the amphitheater, ghostly and commanding.

Colin’s blade clattered to the ground, landing at his side.

Disoriented, Constantine turned, as you descended the stairs. Your nightgown clung to you, sheer fabric glinting in the moonlight.

"Oh no," Colin muttered, his face paling as he caught sight of you.

You hurried to Constantine’s side, dropping to your knees and pulling him into a fierce embrace. "Are you hurt?" you demanded, your hands frantically searching for wounds.

"I’m fine," Constantine mumbled. "Flower, he wasn’t going to-"

You rounded on his friends, your voice ringing with supernatural authority. "Go home. Forget this night ever happened."

Their faces slackened, their eyes glazed. Without a word, they turned and walked away.

Constantine struggled to his feet, swaying slightly.

You glared at him. "Every day, I worry about you. Did you know that? Every thought is 'Is he safe? Is he hurt?' Meanwhile, here you are, throwing your life away over a stupid game!"

He didn't speak.

You held your palm to your forehead. "You’re the Emperor's only male heir. A gifted strategist, a capable fighter, a talented musician. Why don’t you see the vakue of your life?"

"Because it’s all for nothing!" Constantine shouted, his voice cracking. "I will never inherit the throne!"

"And I’ll never be free of the Sisterhood," you shot back. "We’re both trapped, Constantine. But you have the power to make something of yourself. You have everything I don’t. Freedom, wealth, power-"

"You're wrong." He interrupts. "I dont want the benefits of being a bastard. I want a purpose. I studied our politics, I worked for them, and I secured relations for years, but she's going to be the one on the throne. And what else, I can’t be with the one person I truly desire."

His bitterness was fueled by alcohol and his unrequited love. "You’re so loyal to your precious Sisterhood. So willing to give them everything. But have they ever thought about you?"

You kept your composure, "They’ve given me a purpose. Something beyond what you can even comprehend.”

Constantine narrowed his eyes, his tone turning cutting. "What? Some prophecy that will be realized thousands of years from now when we will all be dead? You don’t even see it, do you? They’re grooming you! Like they groomed my mother. To be nothing more than... than a ‘toy,’ for some rich pervert. Do you think the men they send you to will care about you at all?"

"I know the risks, Costa." Still you faltered, clearly affected by his words but refusing to let him see it. "It's a necessary evil."

His voice grows softer, laced with anger and anguish. "You’d rather throw yourself at a sisterhood that trained you to conceive children... than let someone who actually gives a shit about you show you what it means to feel wanted. To feel loved.”

Your face burned, equal parts anger and humiliation.

Constantine stepped abruptly, crowding your space. "Tell me I’m wrong," he growled. "Tell me you haven’t thought about that night. About what it felt like to let go. To trust someone. To trust me." His hands rose to griped your arms.

The tension was thick. Your nipples pebbled against the thin material of your nightgown. And the heated gaze he gave you fueled something within you. Something exciting, something powerful was happenning to you.

"I have," you gasped, unable to meet his gaze. You zeroed in on one focal point - his lips. Beautiful, cut from his fight.

A moment later, they were pressing against yours. He pushed you against the wall, lifting you into his arms. He angled his lips on yours, molding your bodies together. His bare chest brushing against your sensitive nipples.

With his free hand, his finger grasped your hair and pulled, baring your neck and collarbones to him. The string holding the front of your nightgown was loosening with each movement. And then his lips traveled down your throat, kissing, licking, and biting, his curls tickled your neck, and you couldn't control the sounds you made.

He raised you up higher against the wall so that your chest was in front of his face. You looked at the hunger in his eyes as he licked his lips before taking your nipple in his warm mouth. Your back arched off the wall as your hand rose to grasp his hair, bringing him closer to you. Silently begging for more, more.

He switched to your other nipple, leaving the first one cold and sensitive in the night air. His hand reached beneath your skirt to cup your sex, his fonger sliding into you easily.

"Costa!" You cried against him. The stimulation on your sex and nipples was too much, not to mention the fact that the two of you were in a public space right now. It was currently empty, but that didn't mean you were alone.

Your training forced you to push away, masking your vulnerability, as you smoothed down your nightgown and turned back with a calm expression. "Dont say such things when you’re drunk, Constantine."

Constantine’s bitter laugh echoed through the empty amphitheater. Then he paused.

Something shifted in Constantine’s gaze. A clarity, sharp and dangerous.

"You’re right," he said softly, almost to himself. "I’m the Emperor’s only male heir. A strategist. A warrior."

He looked at you, his expression unreadable. “I can have anything I want.”

You nodded, misunderstanding him. “Exactly. You just need to decide what it is you truly want.”

A slow, dangerous smile spread across Constantine’s face. I want everything, he thought.

And you. You would be his, too.

[downthe-f4ndom-rabbith0le]

Always Been You (Dick Grayson x Reader) - Chapter 6

Always Been You (Dick Grayson x Reader) Reader Insert: she/her pronouns Word Count: 2946 Warnings: death, violence, fighting, bloody wounds, angst, infuriatingly oblivious love interest, slowburn Spoilers: Young Justice Seasons 1-3 plot partially, but it ended in 2022 so catch up.

Y/N Prince - miracle daughter of Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor - and Dick Grayson - first adoptive son of the Batman himself - have been best friends since day one. They went to school together, trained together, kept each other's alter ego secret from everyone else, and they founded the Young Justice alongside their friends together. 

But as time progressed, Y/N and Dick grew up and Y/N found herself wanting more than friendship with Dick. But he never seemed to indicate that he reciprocated her feelings. And when Wally died and Dick abandoned the team, Y/N realised he never would. So she heads to the one place she knows will help her become a stronger warrior so that one day she can take her mother's place: Themyscira.

Two years after his leave, Dick reaches out to his old friends to help him with a mission. But when he finds out Y/N left too, he chases after her in the hopes to bring her back.

However, when the two finally reunite, it isn't as warm as he hopes. Not to mention Themyscira becomes under siege as they go to war against Echidna, the Mother of Monsters in Greek Mythology, and her army of monstrous children.

Will Dick and Y/N be able to put their past behind them and save the Amazonians' homeland? Or will they fall, unable to tell one another their true feelings?

~~~

'...Starting tomorrow, we prepare for Echidna's war,' Queen Hippolyta announced to those in the War Chamber.

After Echidna's kraken attack, the Queen had called for an emergency meeting in the War Chamber to discuss matters. Generals and their lieutenants discussed the right protocols and procedures they would instruct their soldiers to carry out over the coming days. It was well past midnight now, but no one in the chamber looked as if sleep would come easily when they returned to their own chambers.

'For now, head back to bed. Hera knows we are going to need all of our energy to face what lies ahead.' Everyone simply bowed their heads in understanding and left the chamber. Except for Y/N.

She was staring intensely at the small sculptured map of the entire island - as if trying to commit every stair, every mountain, every grain of sand to memory - when a hand on her shoulder pulled her from her trance.

'You too, my dear,' Queen Hippolyta said gently. 'You have endured much tonight. Go. Rest.'

'What? No.' Y/N shook off her grandmother's hand and stood up tall, but she could not help rubbing her tired eyes as she strained to keep them open. 'We should be preparing now, Grandmother. Echidna will certainly not be resting before she tries to destroy all of Themyscira. I will not let her.'

'I know, dear child.' Queen Hippolyta gently cupped Y/N's face and turned her attention away from the map. 'But what good are soldiers if they do not rest? We have three days - there will be plenty of time for sleepless nights then. For now, I am telling you to rest.'

Y/N had to admit she was exhausted. She had been training all these months, but hadn't been in a real fight with real danger since she'd left the team. Her body was already starting to ache, and so she conceded. 'Is that an order from her Royal Highness?'

'It is an order from your grandmother,' the queen replied with a soft smile. She brought Y/N's forehead to her lips briefly before she finally let go. 'Rest. Our work begins tomorrow.'

Y/N nodded then headed for the War Chamber doors. Now that she'd acknowledged it, her exhaustion was now weighing on her eyes more heavily, and the thought of falling into her crisp linen bed sounded heavenly.

As soon as she opened the door to leave, however, she was met with, 'So what did you talk about?'

Dick Grayson didn't look an ounce tired as he pushed off from his place on the wall and sauntered up to her. Damn, had he waited there for three hours? It didn't matter. All that mattered was getting to her bed and he certainly wasn't going to stop her now.

'Nothing you need to worry yourself about,' Y/N deflected as she made her way down the corridor. She was hoping her stern tone would hint that she was in no mood to talk, but Dick Grayson was not one to read such obvious signs.

'What's that supposed to mean?' he asked, following swiftly after her. 'You woke up every general and their lieutenant to discuss what then? A new uniform?'

'If you want to make jokes about my people's future existence, then we definitely don't have anything to talk about,' Y/N bit back, increasing her pace as she turned around a corner.

'Then what did you guys talk about in there?' Dick insisted. Y/N had to give it to him, he was persistent. 'Look, I want to help. But how can I if you won't talk to me?'

'Just because you caught me tonight, does not mean I am obliged to answer your every question.'

'Catching you? I saved your life! Speaking of which, I think a "thank you" is at least the minimum you can say to me right now. Which, by the way, you're welcome for. But if you won't say it, then tell me why I can't possibly help you with this.'

'Because this doesn't concern you,' Y/N replied, reaching the spiral staircase that led up to floor of her chambers. She started her ascent as she continued. 'This isn't your war to fight. You weren't even meant to be here.'

'So what do I do then?' Dick asked, his tone offended as he still followed her up the stairs. 'Just jump on a sailing ship tomorrow and head back to Blüdhaven like none of this ever happened?'

'Oh, so that's where you've settled down. How noble of you.'

'I'm being serious, Y/N.' Dick grabbed Y/N's wrist with a grip tight enough to halt her charge, but loose enough to let her know she could escape any time. She had just reached the next floor when he did, leaving him two steps below her eyesight.

'So am I,' she hissed back, but her anger was superficial. Her bed was just down the corridor and Richard bloody Grayson was doing everything in his power to stop her from reaching it.

She tugged her wrist out of his grip and looked down at him with a glare so severe she hoped he would catch fire. 'Go home. To your life of freedom and abandonment, to the girl who undoubtedly is waiting for you in your disgusting apartment, to the team, I don't care! Just go.'

The pair stood looking at each for the longest time. The window beside the staircase entrance allowed the light of the full moon to shine onto Dick's flawless, sharp face. The pale light cast shadows under his eyes, hollowed his cheekbones. And for the first time since coming to the island, the cocky glint in his eyes wasn't there.

It was the most serious Y/N had ever seen him, even when they were both on the same team together doing the most craziest and dangerous missions that either of them could've died on.

He was telling her the truth, and that one fact made her soften her glare.

'Why do you hate me so much?' he asked, his voice cracking slightly as if he were on the verge of tears.

This took Y/N aback.

Hate. She'd never used the word in association with Dick. Even when he left, even when he never came back, even when he never spared her another thought or word. She wanted to slap him, tell him he was stupid because how could she ever hate him after she'd spent so much time feeling the very opposite for him?

Y/N didn't hate Dick Grayson, but she couldn't forgive him for what he'd done either.

'You left me,' she finally said, voice low so as not to release all her emotions at once. 'You left all of us behind as if we were nothing. As if we weren't family. You left when we - when I needed you the most. What? Did you expect me to just be waiting for you when you decided to come back? Were you ever going to come back, Dick? Well?'

He had no reply, only a face expressing a full range of emotions. Shock, sadness, guilt, shame.

The last one gave Y/N her answer.

It wasn't until Dick reached for her cheek that Y/N realised she was crying. She was too shocked to bat away his hand as he wiped her cheek gently, smoothing away her tears. Despite the cold night, his hand was warm, and in her moment of weakness, Y/N allowed her eyes to close for just a moment and lean into his touch.

Once or twice she'd dreamed of a moment like this, where Dick would hold her as if she were the most precious thing in the world. But that's all it was, a dream.

Remembering herself, Y/N pulled away from Dick's hand and hastily wiped her tears. His hand hung in the air for a moment longer before letting it fall to his side in defeat.

'I should go rest,' Y/N said after an eternity of silence. 'We start preparations and training at dawn. I will make sure someone sets you on your way early tomorrow. It will be as if you never had come to Themyscira.'

'But I will remember,' Dick said gently. 'I will know what is happening.'

Y/N nodded in agreement. 'But it is not your war to fight.'

Dick stared at her, the blues in his eyes swirling like tumultuous waves as if battling with himself. Eventually he nodded and took a step down.

'We both leave at dawn, then?' he asked.

'So it would seem,' Y/N answered.

'And I will never see you again?'

Y/N hadn't contemplated this, but now that it was out there, there indeed was a high chance that they would never see each other again. Not only him, but the rest of the team, her mother.

Y/N swallowed the lump in her throat and said, 'It is a sacrifice every warrior offers up before every battle.'

It wasn't a straight answer, but it was enough for Dick it seemed as he said, 'Then I wish you the best of luck, Princess.'

Y/N didn't like how distant he sounded when he used her title. It wasn't him, it wasn't her. All of it was wrong, but had it not been herself that insisted he call her by such? To put distance between them? To communicate her anger with him, and make it clear that she wanted nothing to do with him ever again?

She'd dug her own grave, and so now she must lay in it.

'You too, Nightwing,' she managed to get out, and then Dick was descending, leaving Y/N alone with her jumbled thoughts and emotions on the stairs. She'd been exhausted before, but now she was wide awake.

Y/n stayed at the top of the stairs well after Dick's footsteps stopped echoing, unable to move over the threshold of the past into the future. She'd just unofficially said goodbye to her best friend and the love of her life. So much was left unsaid - maybe for the best, or possibly it would be her biggest regrets if she didn't make it through this war.

Y/N finally managed to pull herself away from the staircase at that thought. I must rest now, she told herself as she finally made it to her chambers. Tomorrow, I have a war to try and win.

~~~

T minus three days until Echidna's War

Y/N doesn't remember when she fell asleep, but she does remember taking a long time to do so after her conversation with Dick. All that had been said - all that hadn't been said - had left her tossing and turning for a long time after she slipped into her linen bed.

However, she was very much awake the moment she felt warm sun rays bathe her skin.

Her eyes flew open as realisation shocked her into action. I'm late! Y/N looked out the window briefly and saw the sun high in the sky; it was well and truly past dawn.

Faster than she'd ever done before, Y/N dressed in her warrior uniform, grabbed her sword that she always had on hand in case of an emergency, and sprinted through the palace and down to the training grounds.

The other women were never going to let her live this down if they were to survive Echidna's war, but they were not going to survive by sleeping in. It only appeared to be early morning, but the warriors would've been working for a solid few hours by now. Precious hours that Y/N had wasted sleeping in, instead of training or making blockades or literally doing anything more helpful.

By the time she reached the training grounds, she was the most out of breath she'd ever been in her life. Y/N quickly spotted Calliope supervising a group of young warriors as they practised using monster nets against some wooden dummies.

'Well look who finally decided to wake from their beauty sleep,' Calliope said with a smirk as Y/N approached her.

'I slept pretty bad last night,' Y/N explained. 'And no one came to wake me up. Where is the group I'm meant to be taking?'

Still smirking, Calliope pointed to a large crowd seemingly gathered around one person. Whoever it was, they had to be interesting, as women and young girls were enamoured with whoever was talking.

'Who is that?' Y/N asked, unable to see the instructor through the thick crowd.

'The reason you slept bad last night,' Calliope answered smoothly, and Y/N felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment and shock.

Not wanting to be teased any further, Y/N staunched over to the crowd and forced the women to part so she could reach the front of the crowd. And there in the centre on the ground, pointing at seemingly random points on a map of Themyscira, was Dick Grayson.

'...Now we don't know specifically what Echidna is going to throw at us,' Dick said to the group, 'but my guess is she is going to send big and small creatures alike. With the small creatures, I suggest setting up traps here, here, and here where the passages are narrow and there is only one way out. We'll lure them into the passageway and then take them out from above.'

'What if they can fly?' one soldier asked.

'Then we lure them to places like the caverns on the east side of the island. Or we make nets to secure the creature's exits out over the passages that have no roofs. Let's go scout those areas today and start setting up what we need weapons and equipment wise there. Any questions?'

'I do,' Y/N found herself saying, finally drawing everyone's - including Dick's - attention to her arrival. 'What do you think you're doing?'

Dick stood up and made to step towards her. 'Y/N, I-'

'Give us a minute,' Y/N directed at the crowd, and they all quickly dispersed at her stern tone. When everyone had either started their own conversations or started sparring to kill the time, Y/N finally addressed Dick.

'What in the name of Hera do you think you're doing ordering my soldiers around?' she seethed, though she was more angry at herself still than him. 'I thought I told you to go home. You're meant to be on a ship sailing back to Blüdhaven by now.'

'I was,' Dick agreed, and that seriousness from last night returned to his stupidly beautiful face once more. It made him look older, wiser. He still looked good, much to Y/N's chagrin. 'But what you said last night got me thinking that... that maybe I need to stay.'

'What?' Y/N couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was he mad? 'Dick, this isn't some silly little mission to complete. We are preparing for war.'

'I know that,' he insisted. 'But... all I've done since Wally's death is run away. It's true; I left the team, I abandoned you - all because I was too scared to try and be brave. Brave... like you.'

Y/N was too shocked to respond, so Dick continued.

'You may hate me, Y/N,' he said, and the look in his eyes surprisingly pained her, 'but I want to stay, I want to help.'

'If you're doing this to make yourself feel better, then you can just leave now-'

'I'm not, Y/N,' Dick interrupted her, now looking into her eyes with such sincerity she knew he was telling the truth. 'I'm doing this because it is the right thing to do. I also just can't accept that I will never see you again. You're too important to me, to the world, to leave behind.'

Y/N's breath hitched as Dick took a step closer to her, never once breaking eye contact. 'I won't abandon you. Never again.'

Those words alone almost broke her facade of cool and uncaring. He meant it. He truly meant it. If he had not just said the words, she would've seen it in his eyes for it was there - the same sentiment.

He would not leave her. Regardless of Themyscira's fate, he would not leave her.

Her Dick Grayson was back.

She regathered her composure by taking a small step away from him. He might be back, but Dick would have to prove himself still if he wanted her back in any capacity.

'Just because I was late, that doesn't mean you take over my training,' she muttered grumpily.

Dick chuckled. 'I didn't steal them. I spoke with Queen Hippolyta herself. She thought it would be a wonderful idea if I stayed to help.'

Y/N sighed in defeat. 'Of course she did,' she muttered. She made a mental note to have a word with her grandmother later about this.

For now, she - and now Dick, it seemed - had a training to conduct.

She spun around to the slightly dispersed crowd of warriors and called out, 'All right. Everyone, grab what you need for the scout today. Half of you will go with Nightwing here to the East Caverns and map out our traps there. The rest of you will come with me to the Northern Passages between the mountains. We leave in ten minutes.'

'Yes, Princess!'

'Well, then, Nightwing,' Y/N said as the group dispersed again to gather their equipment, 'are you ready to go win a war?'

Dick flashed her his signature smile, though his eyes had a renewed sparkle and Y/N wondered if it possibly was because of her.

'Always, Princess.'

'Don't call me that.'

'Oh, but I insist, Princess.'

'One more remark and I'll order the warriors to set you up as bait for the monsters.'

'Whatever you say... Princess.'

--------------------

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