Hera
The goddess of marriage, mothers, and families.
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"Yes. Michael said to tell you when you'll be ready." He signed. "Michael. His father... He's-"
"He's the son of Hades," Luke said. "The prince of the underworld."
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Calum and Ashton looked at each other and then at Luke.
"You knew?" Calum asked first.
Luke shrugged his shoulders. "It was quite obvious."
They both just stared at him.
"His tattoo."
"Doesn't his tattoo mean fire?" Ashton asked Calum. "My first guess would be Hephaestus."
"It means fire in a basic translation," The son of Athena rolled his eyes. "It means a place of fire."
He read a lot of books. He knew a lot of words and languages. He knew Michael. Luke knew Michael was special.
Luke rubbed his eyes. "He also disappeared when we were in the temple. And which god can make themselves disappear?"
The two boys stared at him like he was insane.
"Hades."
"Oh, he does have that stupid helmet." Calum rubbed his head. "His helmet makes him invisible," the son of Apollo explained to Ashton, who still seemed confused.
"Yeah. How did you two find out?" Luke asked. "And why couldn't you tell me?"
"I've known Michael since I was five," Calum admitted. "My dad and his were business partners and my dad used to take me to the underworld to play with Michael."
Luke's mother never wanted him to have friends, all she did was make him read more and learn more.
"When we were seven, Michael started going to the same school as me, on earth. However, his dad didn't want him to reveal who he was so Michael had to make a promise. He could only tell people he knew he could trust."
Calum sighed.
"His father said it was a life lesson."
"I presume this didn't go well?"
Calum shook his head. "Michael really wanted it to work. He loved school. He loves the sun and clouds. Don't get me wrong, Michael loves the underworld but he loves it here too.
I was the only person who knew and to make sure he could stay on earth he didn't tell anyone."
His heart ached for young Michael, who just wanted to learn and have friends. He knew they would probably be close even at a young age. They found the same things interesting, same things funny.
"What happened?" Luke asked.
"I did." Ashton smiled sadly.
He knew him and Michael didn't get along but this seemed worse than he imagined.
"I overheard Calum and Michael talking. I wanted to please my dad so I told him."
"You what?" Luke was angry for no reason. What happened was already long in the past but he felt like he needed to protect Michael anyway.
"Luke, this happened almost ten years ago," Calum tried to calm him.
"I'm not proud of what I did, either," Ashton said. "My dad punished me for trusting gossips without any proof."
"Is that why- Is that why he can't talk? Was that his punishment?"
"No, but he forbade him from going to school under the sun. I'd still see him now and then when dad would bring me to the underworld. Otherwise, he wasn't allowed to school. He traveled with his dad.
That was until one day about a year ago he showed up on earth and didn't talk. At least not out loud. He sometimes talked to me in my head." Calum explained.
"Where is he?" Luke asked.
They were both quiet. Finally, Ashton spoke up.
"In the temple, Athena begged Hades to bring him back but he didn't want to. Not until Michael asked."
"H-he. He saved me?"
"Yes," Calum said. "But only because he agreed to go back home with his father."
Luke's head and heart couldn't take it anymore.
Michael sacrificed his future for Luke.
"Where's my mother?" Luke suddenly asked. He knew she was near.
"Where are you going?" Ashton asked, worried about his friend.
"I'm going to see Michael."
"Luke-" Calum raised his voice.
"Where is my mother?"
"She said we should go to the nearest temple when you'll wake up and call her."
Luke's horse found him before Luke had the chance to properly look for it.
The nymphs showed him the way to Artemis' temple where his mother was already waiting.
"Luke," she ran to him. "My sweet boy, I'm so glad you're here. So happy you're feeling better." She tried to hug him.
"Are you?" He asked. "Happy that I'm better? Because you didn't seem too concerned about me when I was being stalked and almost killed by a monster that you killed."
"Luke-"
"No, I'm sorry, apparently my father killed her."
For the first time in his life, the goddess seemed astonished.
"Who told you? Medusa?"
"I'm not here to chat." He walked up to her. "I'm here to talk about Michael."
She smiled. "You know who he is, don't you? Wasn't I right to warn you about him?"
Luke looked at her. For a goddess of wisdom, she was pretty dumb.
"No, you weren't. Because unlike you, he helped me, loved me, and protected me. Unlike you, he made sure I was safe. He sacrificed himself from me."
Athena scoffed. "You're being dramatic. You don't even know him."
"He's a part of my prophecy." Luke finally said. "You know who to trust when you'll see the rune."
He knew long before he noticed Michael's tattoo that he could trust him. But when Michael trusted him enough to sleep with him without his clothes off, Luke knew Michael trusted him as well.
"Luke," She said with her I am a goddess and not I am your mother voice. "You'll be a hero one day, just like your father. You cannot associate yourself with the devil."
Luke then realized why his mother never helped him on his odyssey. She wanted him to prove himself to the gods that he was a hero.
"I don't want to be a hero," Luke said with a determined voice. "I want to be loved. I want to feel like I have people in my life who care about me, I want you to care about me."
Athena looked hurt. Her favorite son hated her.
"And what do you propose I do? How can I repay you for being hunted by the monster?"
"Take me to the underworld," Luke said with no hesitation. "Take me to see Michael."
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thoughts?
michael and calum's friendship story?
ashton betraying him?
how luke talked to his mother?
he doesn't want to be a hero he just wants to be michael's boyfriend.
Love, Lucija ♡
please vote and comment! (maybe I'll reunite the boys if you'll be good)