Lightning bolts and a strong thunderstorm were the main cause of the lack of sleep Aphrodite had during the night. She could not stop her mind from thinking about Hermes, how she had failed her friend, how she left him to bleed out and how pissed Zeus must be. Now she was resting on a stranger's bed, but without the main reason she would normally be in a place like that: the man. She knew there was a tough rain outside, and the thought of leaving Kassus out there, a mere and weak mortal in the nature to get soaked in rain was troubling her thoughts. She could not let the man that just saved her life freeze to death when she was supposed to be inside, warm and safe, right?
She got up from the bed, and grabbed a nearby leather coat to cover her bare body. It seemed to be made of sheep skin by the way it was not just warm —it was impregnated with the hunter's natural scent. It wasn't a bad one, though. Despite being a warrior that deployed all the stereotypes of 'masculinity', he didn't smell like rotten flesh or such. He had a scent that reminded her of a nice garden, along with hints of mud and that strange smell any man had, that one that screamed "Hey, look at me. I'm a strong male and I'd die for you". Or at least, that is what Aphrodite wanted to feel.
She craved to feel needed, to be a damsel in distress, to watch all men in the world die for her. She surely had a lot of strength on her own, and she was a fearless warrior at times too. But the thought of a man creeping on the floor directly to her feet and telling her he adored the goddess was simply irreplaceable. Although she had to focus: Kassus was out there in the rain and she had to let him inside his own shack. With a slow and gentle pace, she walked towards the wooden door and pushed it open, taking a look at how the grass was soaked in raindrops, how the thunderstorm got stronger the moment she took a peek outside. Her eyes looked from one side to the other, feeling strangely worried about the hunter that firstly attempted to take her life away and was now letting her sleep on his bed.
"Kassus?" she called out, hoping her voice was not muffled by the immense rain falling outside.
But there was no response, and that made her heart twist furiously. What if he froze to death? what if he accidentally got inside the lake and drowned? what if a lightning bolt fell directly on him? Even worse, why was she worrying about him?
She called out his name once again, this time even louder. She was terrified of the thought that indeed, a man just died for her, but he did not love her. He pretty much despised her, at best. But he died regardless, in an attempt to show kindness. She was troubled internally, and as her hands went to her head thinking of the worst of possibilities, a shadowy figure lunged towards her, and pushed her inside the shack. It was Kassus, soaked in water and with a look of confussion and anger.
"Do you realize what you are doing?! That coat you are wearing is made of sheep leather, and you are soaking it in your sweat and rain!"
Kassus exclaimed as he shut the door closed, and turned his head towards the goddess. She remained shocked at the sight of the man not only alive, but strong enough to scold her was letting her let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Instinctively, she lunged back towards Kassus, wrapping her arms around him.
"You're alive. I thought you froze to death or... or worse." she muttered, hiding her face on his chest. Even if she was relieved, she took advantage of the moment and let herself sink further into his skin and pectorals.
Kassus immediately noticed the reason behind Aphrodite's closeness and pushed her away from him, finding her antics disgusting and quite odd. He let out a long and loud huff of irritation, before his gaze softened at the sight of Aphrodite already tearing up just at the way he reacted. In the end, he could not deny that it was a nice thought that someone cared about him after all these years. Let alone, a goddess.
"I am fine. I went to a nearby cave as soon as the rain started but sleeping inside my shack is better than that." He finally said, his voice softer than usual. "But we must sleep. I hope you feel strong enough in the morning to leave before I change my mind."
Aphrodite was confused. The man just shouted at her and pushed her away, and now he was again letting her sleep under the same roof as him? But then again, he threatened her? He was an odd man, one that made her feel... intrigued. She remembered the first time she felt that kind of intrigue, and it was with Ares. But Kassus was different, he was not always talking about battles or how he was going to cause another war. The mortal man was surely concerned about more relevant things in his life. And Aphrodite was intrigued and eager to find out more about him, even if she was completely aware that asking Kassus about his life was not going to help at all. She was ready to go back to Olympus and start to stalk him from above.
The next morning, Aphrodite was awakened by the noise of a rooster nearby calling out the presence of the Sun's chariot. Aphrodite immediately got out of Kassus' bed, and with cautious steps she made her way out of the shack, being careful not to awake the man sleeping on the floor. Right as she opened the wooden door, she turned her head and gave Kassus a final glance.
"Farewell, Kassus. You're quite the example of warrior." she said, her voice barely a whisper.
With a smile, she crossed the doorway and waved with both arms at Helios, who was riding his chariot right above Rhodes at the moment. She wanted to get his attention and a chance to get a free ride to Olympus. The Sun God was calmly doing his usual routine, until he noticed the goddess' waves. He changed course and landed the golden chariot right in front of her. He tilted his head to one side, confused and amused.
"Dite, sleeping with mortals again?" he asked with a warm smile, before he was gratefully greeted by a hug and a kiss on his cheek by the goddess. He couldn't stop the way his golden skin turned slightly orange, a strange manifestation of a blush.
"Not quite, sun boy." she responded, placing her hands on Helios' shoulders and offering him a sad smile. "Can you give me a ride? I can't go back to Olympus on my own. I bet Zeus is mad at me."
"You bet he is." Helios chuckled. "He said you let Hermes to die and he wants you at the throne room, like, right now."
Aphrodite's body froze in place, almost as if she was seeing a ghost. Of course, she was capable to understand that Zeus was pissed, but knowing that he required her presence soon sent chills down her spine. She felt fear, she was terrified of the punishments that were going to be placed on her poor, divine and immortal soul. Helios' usual smile changed the moment he saw his friend horrified at the thought of facing the king of gods. He recognized that cold sweat, because even if he was naturally warm, he had felt it too. As an act of empathy and friendship, he placed a hand on her shoulder and carefully began to guide her to his chariot.
"Don't worry. I'll stay with you the whole day, alright? If he scolds you I'll try to make him mad so he stays angry at me and not at you." Helios said, his voice kind and gentle as he started to guide his Pegasus back to the skies.
Aphrodite had to admit that the sun god was, at times, too kind for his own good. He didn't mind getting hurt or scolded because he would burn brighter than ever for her, and she knew that. They were good friends, and even if the goddess never looked at the god with different eyes, she could rely on him anytime.
"You're too kind for your own sake, sunshine." She commented, leaning her head to rest on his arm, barely getting to his shoulder since he was way taller than her.
Helios let out a soft chuckle, as he wrapped his right arm around her instead, pulling her closer to his warmth, allowing her to feel better in his arms. He loved her, in the end. And even if he had been rejected in the past, that was no excuse to not be helpful and a nice friend to her. He was the Sun, after all. His work was to please and help others blindly.
"Maybe I am. But this world deserves kindness at times, don't you think?"
Kindness. That word resonated deep into her mind and heart, thinking about Kassus again. That man had left her too intrigued to not forget about him anymore. Maybe if she acts kinder to Kassus, she will get a chance to know him more, and maybe, just maybe, she can try to persuade him into not killing any other god. She had to use her natural charm and not any love spell anymore. Of course, her main goal was to avoid the fall of the gods. She had nothing else to do asides from that. She did not want to really know that mortal warrior just because she was curious and perhaps a little attracted.
She was not like that.