Chapter 1 You figured, after centuries of the stares, taunts, and jeers, he would be used to it by now. Usually he just walked past the snickering groups of people, not even noticing their taunts.
But when it was HER..when she gave him those looks, or whispered behind his back, it broke him, a new piece every time. Some days, Hephaestus wondered why he even bothered trying to gain her affection. She was the most pure, beautiful creature he had ever seen. He had tried crafting objects that could match her beauty, hoping that maybe if he could create something similar he would stop falling for it. Alas, everything he created, though beautiful and high in value, paled in comparison to Aphrodite's beauty. Deep down he knew. Knew that his attempts to woo her with gifts and kind words would never work. Those were no different from the array of praise she receives every day. Working down in his forge is the only thing that brings him peace. Relief from the constant stares and buzzing. Relief from the constant reminders that she is laying with his brothers. Reaching up, he placed a calloused hand on the right side of his face, his worn fingertips grazing over every rivet created by a mass of scars, marring his face. Was this really why she didn't love him? Could she not move past the horrid image? He figured. Who really could love a beast like him?