twenty-four ── upmarket
"𝖄ou do truly look beautiful tonight, Eden." Hermes complimented, and Eden fought down a grin as he pulled her chair out for her. The god was smiling softly, as he settled opposite her, dressed in a nice suit and tie. "I was going to say it earlier, but I think Luke would have killed me."
"You're right, he definitely would have." Eden agreed, as Hermes sighed. Both of them knew that their son tolerated his father most of the time, but would glare whenever he stood next to Eden, despite the teenager having given the god permission to date his mother. In fact, when Luke had seen Hermes standing next to Eden at his ice hockey game, he had continuously snowplough stopped in front of the god, cackling all the while as Hermes had to continuously brush ice from his coat.
Eden had found it hilarious.
"Who's looking after him tonight?"
"Alfie is." Eden explained, having only said one thing to Alfie, before the man had dropped everything to agree to babysit so that Eden could go out on a date. In his words, Eden was so single it was painful, and Eden hadn't been able to argue that one very well. "He and Luke get along, so it's not too much of an issue for him."
"It's kind of him."
"It's really not. Alfie just thinks I need to get out more, so any chance for me to leave the house, he'll take." Eden shrugged, as Hermes began to chuckle. "Hopefully, they won't have wrecked the house by the time we get back, otherwise we're going to have an issue."
"I'm more worried for any personal property of mine that might have been left at the house." Hermes shook his head. "Luke's threatened to destroy my car one too many times for me to be happy about it."
"That's how he shows affection?"
"The question bit of that is really selling it, Eden."
"I tried." The woman shrugged, before looking down at the menu. "Anything you'd recommend?"
"I don't normally eat, so I'm not sure." Eden's eyes narrowed as she turned to look up at the god, who was reading through everything carefully. "What?"
"What do you mean? I've seen you eat at mine."
"That's different. I eat your cooking." Hermes shrugged. "Gods don't need to eat all that much and if we do, then it's ambrosia and nectar."
"Which is?"
"The food of the gods." Hermes replied. "They taste like whatever your favourite food and drink are."
"Really?" Eden's eyes went wide. "Can I try?"
"You'd incinerate. It's made for gods, or people with godly DNA, not humans."
"That's not cool. So you and Luke can have it, but I can't?"
"Yeah, that about sums it up." Hermes laughed at Eden's scowl. "But Luke can only have a little bit when he gets injured, otherwise he'd also incinerate."
"Are all godly designs just made to kill humans?"
"No."
"Really?"
"No?" Hermes shrugged, before grinning as Eden began to chuckle, before the waiter came over. Hermes motioned for her to order first, and Eden was quick to ask for the sea bream, as Hermes ordered a steak. They both settled into silence, before Eden looked around.
"Is this one of your usual haunts?"
"Usual haunts?" Hermes questioned.
"Do you come here a lot?"
"No." Hermes shook his head. "My half-brother suggested it to me."
"Is this the same one you keep convincing shrinks?" Hermes nodded. "Has he still not figured out it's you who's pulling the prank."
"No." Hermes chuckled. "I'm the god of tricks. I can cover my tracks pretty well, thanks. He's never going to find out, instead, he's just going to think that he's special like that."
"I can't tell whether that's horrible or hilarious."
"Let's go with really funny, because I can't have you adding something else to the list of things to bully me about."
"I don't have a list."
"Sometimes, it really feels like you do. You and Luke share ideas, that I am certain of."
"We do not!" Eden protested, starting to laugh as Hermes nodded. "Lies!"
"Please, you know what Luke said to me last week? He asked me whether or not I even ran the mail or if I'd stolen it from another child that I'd never spoken to before!" Eden pulled a face. "I knew that was you."
"Was not."
"So was."
"I made one joke about it, once, whilst he was half-asleep, to the dog!"
"You've been trying to turn Bradley against me?"
"He was already against you. He's my dog." Eden pointed out, as Hermes gasped, and placed a hand to his heart. "No, that might have been me."
"Is that an admission of guilt?"
"Absolutely not." Eden laughed, as Hermes began to chuckle, beaming at her with that smile of his that she adored.
☾☼☽
"So, what did you think?" Hermes and Eden were meandering through the streets, her arm hooked through his. Despite having heels on, Eden was still a few inches shorter than him.
"I liked it. Do you take every mom of your kids there?"
"No." Hermes rolled his eyes, having noticed Eden's teasing grin. He picked her up, swinging her, as she let out a screech, clinging onto him.
"Hermes!"
"You want to say it again?"
"Hermes! Put me down! Put me down!" Eden cried, laughing loudly as she clung onto the god, who was walking along with ease. "Hermes!"
"What was that?"
"I'm sorry for bringing up the other women!"
"What?"
"I said I'm sorry! What more do you want?" Eden laughed, as Hermes began to chuckle, placing her back down onto the floor with ease, as she laughed. Her hand latched onto his, and Hermes marvelled at the feeling of how well her hand fit in his. She attempted to walk off, as Hermes tugged her back to his side still laughing. "You're horrible."
"Lies." He joked. "Hearsay. Slander."
"You've been spending too much time with Luke."
"Luke's been spending too much time with me." Hermes corrected. "He stole my mannerisms, not the other way round."
Eden laughed as they finally made it back to Hermes' car. The god was quick to open the door for her, before jumping in to take them home.
☾☼☽
Eden was a bit surprised to find the house still standing when she returned, entering and being met with Luke's passed out form on the couch.
"Hey." Alfie appeared, wrapping the smaller woman in a hug. "All okay, Eds?"
"Yeah, it went good." Eden replied, as Hermes stepped through the door after her. Alfie pulled a face, earning a smack from Eden as she shoved him out of her house quickly.
"Hermes and Eden, sitting in a tree.."
"My god, you are a child!" Eden hissed, pushing him out of the door. "Leave."
"You just want to kiss your boo."
"I will actually fire you." Eden glared, as Alfie laughed loudly, leaving her house quickly. She shot him the middle finger as he drove past, before turning back to the living room and looking at Luke's sleeping form. "Luke..."
"Why you waking him?"
"You think I'm able to carry an almost thirteen year old boy up the stairs, in six inch heels?" Hermes rolled his eye, before reaching down and easily picking him up. "How?"
"Godly strength." Hermes winked, carrying the boy upstairs as Eden pulled a face and followed him up, opening Luke's door so that Hermes could put his son into his bed. Hermes took that moment to look around the room that he very rarely went into.
Luke's work was piled on the desk, by a couple of books in Ancient Greek that must have taken Eden a long time to find. Some Lego sets were set up on the shelves, along with more books, and Luke's ice hockey gear was spilling out of the cupboards.
"I need to remind him to clean soon." Eden muttered, tucking Luke in carefully and kissing his head. Hermes smiled as he watched them, before following the woman out as they both headed back downstairs. "Thanks for tonight, Hermes. I enjoyed it."
"I'm glad you did." Hermes beamed at her softly. "Enjoyed it enough that I can take you on another date?"
"Yeah, I get to choose where this time, though."
"Sure." Hermes nodded, before leaning down to press a quick kiss to Eden's cheek. "I'll see you later, Hermes."
"What? No actual kiss?"
"I don't kiss a woman on a first date."
"No, instead you sl..." Hermes spun around, as Eden grinned and stopped talking. He narrowed his eyes, as she grinned innocently and winked. "Bye Hermes."
"You are going to be the death of me." He huffed, walking back over and leaning down to press a very soft, fleeting kiss to her lips, that left Eden a little stunned. "Better?"
"Bye bye!" Eden grinned, waving as Hermes laughed and left the house. Eden slid the door closed, before shaking her head and hurrying to find her phone so she could call Alfie to tell him all about it, as if they were in college once more.
☾☼☽
Hiya,
First of all, Eden and Luke team up to bully Hermes, and Luke's threatened to destroy his car on more than one occasion, just for the fun of it. This poor god gets no peace, but he just thinks they're both stupid. Also, got to love Alfie, and also Hermes carrying Luke is also adorable. I just love them.
Let me know what you think,
Love Li xx