She couldn't wait another day. Aphrodite had to tell Hera how she felt about her. How when the sun hit her in a certain angle it looked as if she had a halo surrounding her body, or how her eyes lit up when she was doing something that she enjoyed. She had to tell her how her heart sped at the sight of her smile and how she was falling hopelessly in love with her. It had happened overnight the awe and fascination turning into something deeper more meaningful to her. Hera was kind and smart and understanding, something that Aphrodite hoped to be in later years.

It was a rather scary yet exhilarating experience to be washed ashore with nothing on her back and her mind empty of knowledge. The world looked vastly large and it overwhelmed her senses as she looked at the white sands and smooth pebbles. The smell of sea salt and the sounds of the ocean meeting the earth and the winds whipping through the trees filled her. She gotten up with shaky legs and stumbled around wondering where she was and why she was here. Aphrodite was found by Hestia and Demeter, who had come down to swim, and had inevitable scared her. Hestia was able to convince Aphrodite to come down with her and she followed after the two girls hesitatingly.

Once they had reached their home, they dressed and fed her and tried to talk to her. But she was mute and wouldn't look anybody in the eyes, only looking firmly at her feet. That all changed when Hera and Hades came through the door, and Hera's voice filled the room.

"Where is she?"

Aphrodite had looked up and felt her breathe leave her as her eyes widen at the sight of Hera. The youngest daughter of Rhea and Cronos had long wavy dark brown hair with light green eyes and a dust of freckles across her nose. She smiled at Aphrodite and the blond could've sworn that her heart skipped a beat. Aphrodite looked back down at the floor again and tried to steady her breathing. As she did so she listened as they talked around her as if she wasn't there. She didn't know why but it angered her, if they had any questions shouldn't they be asking her and not each other?

"Hey? What is your name?" Hera asked her voice soft and gentle.

Aphrodite looked up at her slowly and she swallowed hard. She didn't know her name but she didn't want Hera to know that. Hera who had her hand on top of hers and was smiling at her understandingly and Aphrodite didn't want that to go away but she didn't want to lie either.

"I—"

"Her name is Aphrodite and she is Uranus lastborn." Said another voice and she turned around to face a woman.

She was beautiful and haughty and she made Aphrodite nervous but she accepts the name all the same.

"Aphrodite." Hera repeated and Aphrodite loved the way the name falls from her lips. "What a beautiful name."

It was from this moment on that Aphrodite trusted Hera far more than anybody else in the room. The only one that she talked to, for weeks to come and the only that made her laughed and smiled as much as she did. Hera had been her first friend and her first love, and it was borderline ridiculous how she followed the girl around like a lost puppy. It was time that Hera knew about her feelings for her, and she couldn't, not for another second, keep this a secret.

So when Hera had taken her away like she always did after lunch, Aphrodite swore to herself that she was going to do it. That she would admit her feelings to the green-eyed beauty. But Aphrodite is nervous and even though it didn't show, Hera was her best friend after all. She had helped Aphrodite become more opened and had learned to read Aphrodite's expression.

Hera tilted her head and looked at her with concern. "What's wrong?"

Aphrodite, instead of answering her, kisses her and she can't help but think this isn't how she wanted to do it. She actually wanted to tell Hera, how much she liked her and how she likes how Hera always gave her, her full attention and make her feel like the only deity in the universe. She wanted to tell her how much she liked it when Hera was mischief and sneaky and how sexy she looks when she runs her hand through her hair. How she values the way Hera wanted to change the world for good and actually cared for the people around her. But somehow Aphrodite felt as if her actions could convey more than she could ever tell.

She only panics slightly when she realized how unresponsive Hera is, and how tense her body is. It's only at this that Aphrodite thinks that she has made a terrible mistake and she should have thought this through. Disappointed and hurt, she began to pull back before Hera gripped the front of her dress and pulled her back into the kiss. Aphrodite wondered briefly as Hera pulled her on top of her, if this was what ecstasy was like, to have all of your senses exploding all at once and having your world narrowed down to that one thing.

So immense in the kiss, neither goddess realized how close they were on the edge of the hill until they're tumbling down it. They both squeal and laugh at the sudden drop and Aphrodite couldn't have been any happier. That this was her paradise and Hera was hers, even if it was for that moment.