May had never looked more beautiful. Her forehead was sweaty, her cheeks flushed, her golden hair looked like Demeter had tried to weave a basket in a hurry but when she held my boy, my Luke...she was radiant. She was the first mortal woman in a few millennia that I'd stayed with for more than 3 months but seeing her and Luke, having a family with them had meant more to me than my duties. George and Martha had been anxiously whispering for the last few months about how I had to be more careful with my job but as soon as Luke's cries had echoed through the room, they'd fallen silent.
"Do you want to hold him?"
I blinked. May was looking at me with a dazed smile. Happiness seemed to be pouring out of her. I wanted to speak or even nod, but a knot of fear had formed within me freezing all rational thought and function. I knew that moving would break the beauty, the peace of the moment.
"Come on Hermes. He's your son. He won't bite." I gave a watery chuckle and held out my arms. May carefully handled the bundle of blankets that Luke was settled in and passed him to me. A wave of happiness took over me as my beautiful boy yawned and adjusted himself in my arms.
"Hello son," I said. My voice woke him up and as his blue eyes made contact with mine, the moment shattered. The happiness replaced with dread and soul-crushing despair. I knew. I had known that this couldn't have lasted. I would lose them. I would lose May. I would lose Luke. It would have happened eventually. They were mortal. But I wished it were in any other way than this one. Tears filled my eyes and I hung my head so as to not let May see.
"Hermes, what's wrong?" Of course. She'd seen. She always saw too much. I composed myself, like any god would.
"Nothing. He's perfect."
I turned back towards May and wore a smile as two-faced as Janus's promises.
"He's going to be a hero."
Disclaimer: I don't own PJO (duh). Also, super sorry for the angst (not really, haha. Share my pain.)