So...I don't have much to say...check out visit-the-moon .tumblr .com, because there's some mildly interesting stuff going on there. Enjoy the chapter.
The box was on the top shelf, and she was not reaching that anytime soon. She stood on her toes, hand straining for the elusive package. An arm snaked up and easily retrieved her box. She accepted it slowly and looked up at her Good Samaritan.
Hermes' face broke into a grin when his eyes met hers. "Hey Lucy."
She tilted her head in curiosity.
"Who are you?"
He frowned. "What do you mean? I'm Hermes."
"No you aren't. Who are you?"
Now she was suspicious, backing away from the stranger.
"Lucy, it's me." He reached out his arms for her, but she flinched away.
"I don't know who you are, but you aren't Hermes. Tell me who you are or I'll scream."
The man regarded her silently for a moment. He grinned and his features began to shift. Blonde hair replaced the black, blue eyes lightened, his frame grew slightly shorter and muscle grew more defined. A new man stood before her, hands on his hips.
"Well? What do you think? Pretty impressive, huh? This is the first time you've ever seen a morph, right?"
She stared at him flatly before shaking her head and turning away. He followed her as she made her way up the aisle.
"I'm sorry I tricked you, but I had to see if you could actually tell the difference between an imposter and the real version."
When she didn't respond, he blocked her path, causing her to look up at him in blank annoyance.
"I'm Apollo, by the way."
He stuck out his hand, which she stared at a moment before accepting doubtfully.
"Lucy, but you already knew that."
She continued to shop and he continued to follow her.
"Was it the bracelet? Is that how you knew I wasn't Hermes?"
She shrugged, her gaze on the tomatoes she was holding.
"That and you didn't act like him."
The god frowned. "What do you mean?" He thought that out of everything, he would have known how to act like his best friend.
"You were too…I don't know. Eager? That might be the word for it."
He laughed. "I thought that was how he acted around you, princess."
She blushed and frowned. "No. He's usually a bit more reserved."
"I'll try to remember that next time I impersonate him."
She finally cracked a smile.
"Please do. It would make it much more interesting if I were actually challenged."
He grinned delightedly, amused by her bravado.
"It's a deal."
He offered her his hand and she took it, firmly sealing the agreement.
"So why did you decide to pretend to be Hermes?"
She was lifting bundles of herbs, examining the leaves. Choosing, she placed them gently in her basket and moved on.
"He wanted to know if it actually worked. The bracelet."
She paused, her hand on a can of tomato paste, and peeked at him.
"He asked you to trick me?"
Apollo hesitated, running his hand through his hair.
"Not exactly," he confessed. "But I'll make sure to tell him you saw right through it. And I'll watch to see how he acts. I'll trip you up next time."
She returned his mischievous grin.
"If that helps you sleep at night," she mocked. "Would you like me to pretend that I can't tell?"
"Well I'd say take off the bracelet to make it an even fight, but Hermes would kill me if I told you to."
She rolled her eyes. "I could still do it, even without the bracelet."
"Sure you could," he said placatingly.
She punched him lightly. "Wanna bet?"
"Well, I'd actually prefer to keep my limbs attached to my body, surprisingly enough, so no."
She frowned. "He wouldn't actually do anything, would he?"
He shrugged. "You never know with him." He noticed her expression and his own lightened. "Just kidding, princess."
"Don't call me that," she said, rolling her eyes.
He chuckled. "But I think it's rather appropriate."
She sighed and walked to the cash register.
"Paper or plastic?"
She handed the cashier a reusable bag.
"So, eco-friendly, huh?"
Lucy arched an eyebrow at the man leaning against the conveyor belt.
"Yes. Believe it or not, I do care about the Earth."
"That earns you good human points," he informed her.
She gave him a warning look, glancing at the cashier. He waved dismissively.
"Mortals are shockingly unobservant. You're one of the few who can actually use your eyes and brains. Right sweetheart?" He smiled devastatingly at the cashier, who could only blush and stammer as the god unleashed his charm. Lucy unaffected by his ploy, rolled her eyes and handed the cashier the money. The young woman accepted it and broke eye contact with Apollo to find change. Once she had looked away, the god caught Lucy's attention. "See?"
She ignored the satisfied man, accepting her change and groceries. Apollo hesitated at the counter, handing the cashier a card. "Call me, sweetheart."
He winked and followed Lucy as she huffed irately and walked out the door. He caught up to her in the street, stealing one of her bags. The god met her disapproving gaze.
"Come on, princess. Not all of us have beautiful girls whom we can shower our adoration on."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "You had to do all that to get a girl."
He grinned at her. "No, but I like to play with my food before I eat it."
The girl shuddered. "That's a horrible thing to say."
She turned and quickly walked away from the god. He stood still, dumbfounded. He finally caught her at her apartment. "Lucy, what's wrong? Did I say something?"
She took her bag back from him. "Thanks for carrying my groceries." She wouldn't look him in the eye, and her movements were stiff and jerky. Apollo was confused.
"Lucy, I'm sorry. I don't know what I said but I apologize if I made you upset or angry or uncomfortable. My sister says I have no tact, and she's probably right."
Lucy gave him a small, unwilling smile. "Just a bit."
The god was relieved that she didn't seem too angry with him.
"Well that's just who I am, princess." His tone returned to joking after its brief stint in seriousness.
She shook her head at him in amused exasperation. "Are you hungry?"
The unexpected question made him pause.
"What?"
She repeated it with barely constrained laughter.
"I'm always up for food, but…why?"
She gestured to the bags in her hands. "Why else would I go grocery shopping?"
"Oh, you have gods over for dinner all the time?"
She shrugged, a small smile playing around her lips.
"Definitely. I make it a daily ritual. Tomorrow I'm expecting Thor."
His replying laugh made the doorman's head jerk up. He saw Lucy and smiled, but when his eyes fell on the stranger, the smile was replaced by a frown. He quickly masked it with another smile. His head bobbed as the two passed.
"Hello miss Lucy."
"Hi Paul," she said cheerfully.
"Hi Paul," echoed the stranger, who received a light smack.
The man in question watched the elevator doors close. As he returned to his work, he wondered where the other man had gone, the one who'd made Lucy so happy.
In her apartment, Lucy was busily putting groceries away while Apollo explored the rooms.
"Can you actually play the piano?
She straightened to see him staring at sheet music she'd left on the table this morning.
"Um, yeah. I used to."
"But you don't anymore?"
"I haven't been around a piano that I'm allowed to play in a while."
He grinned. "You should come to Olympus. We have so many instruments just begging to be played. It can be incredibly distracting."
She smiled as she realized something. "You're the god of music."
He nodded. "Why does that appear to amuse you so much?"
She shrugged, an enigmatic smile still on her lips.
"You don't seem like the kind of person to be a serious musician."
He gasped, his hand dramatically thrown to his chest. "I am offended. Not a serious enough person for you?"
She rolled her eyes, a grin on her face. "I have no idea how I would get that idea into my head."
She turned on the stove, placing a pan on the burner and turning back to the refrigerator. Apollo wandered into the kitchen, touching the many books scattered around.
"You have a rather large variety of reading subjects."
"They're cheap entertainment," she said distractedly. "Cheaper than a piano, at any rate. And considerably less noisy." She grinned at him, but the grin was distant.
He frowned at her odd behavior. He didn't know how his brother had found the patience to keep up with her ever-changing moods. The Hermes he knew would have given up trying on the first day. There must be something special about this girl, he decided. And at the same time, he resolved to find out what.
A pat of butter was flung onto the pan and hissed, interrupting the god's thoughts. A heap of diced onions were swiftly added, and he breathed in the scent.
"That smells awesome," he informed her. She smiled in amusement.
"Good to know that my best work is fried onions."
He nodded decisively, making her laugh.
"You haven't even tried my cookies yet."
"Yet?"
She glanced at the god, who appeared surprised.
"Everyone I know has asked for cookies at one point. Some a great deal more than once. I figured you wouldn't be any different."
"Oh."
She tilted her head curiously.
"Why, what did you think?"
He shook his head, facing the opposite counter. "I didn't think you'd care to see me again."
She frowned, then put on a mischievous smile. "Then how would I be able to prove to you that I can see right through your disguises?"
He turned, wearing the same grin she wore. "Because you can't."
"Scaredy cat," she taunted as she turned back to the stove. Cans of tomatoes were dropped in and a pot was filled with water before being placed on a second burner. She stirred the tomatoey mixture and watched the god in her kitchen. He was different than Hermes, almost made him look serious and responsible, which she found odd. Hermes was supposed to be the prankster, the one forever a child, at least at heart. Apollo was supposedly the serious god, yet he acted more like a teenager than any god she'd met so far.
"Apollo?"
The god looked up. "Yes?"
"Why do you act…younger than Hermes?"
He smiled. "Love is a funny emotion, princess. It makes some act like children when they are anything but, and some act more mature and grown-up than they would ever be otherwise."
She frowned. There it was again, that word. They kept saying it so casually, as if they were sure of its accuracy. But how could they be so sure when she herself wasn't? She cared for him, of course. She was attracted to him in a way she could not explain, yes. But she didn't know if she trusted him. It wasn't that she didn't trust him. But any man, when they learned what had happened to her, would have the right to be wary. He had been incredibly unexpectedly kind about her first story. She had thought that, when he'd learned she was used, damaged, that he would have gotten up and left. That he did not made quite an impression on the girl. However, when he'd explained his lack of physical contact, she hesitated to tell him the entire truth about her past. She had much respect for Hermes, it was true. But he was still a man. And no man wanted broken goods. No matter how wonderful they were. He would pretend not to mind, of course. But that was because he was gracious. He would not want to hurt her. But she didn't want to hurt him either. So she had quite a dilemma on her hands. And it showed on her face.
Apollo watched her expressions with fascination. It had been incredibly interesting; whatever he had said triggered something in the girl and she had become almost completely unresponsive. If she had not continued to stir the sauce and cook the noodles, he would have been worried as to the state of her mental capacities. However, he'd determined that she was merely thinking rather deeply about something, and decided not to interrupt. Her expressions had revealed much about her thought process, nonetheless. She was confused, her brows furrowed and she chewed her lip. She was affectionate, a small smile gracing her mouth. She was worried, her brows arching back, her lips downturned. Then she met his gaze with a smile masking the anxiety hidden in her eyes.
"Ready for your taste buds to explode?"
She poured out the pasta and instructed him to empty the sauce on top. She then pulled out a fork and handed the concoction to Apollo. Taking it, he looked at her questioningly.
"You aren't going to eat?"
She shook her head. "I'm not hungry."
She ushered him to the table and sat in the chair opposite him. She pulled out her sketchbook as he took his first bite. His eyes widened and he sighed through the mouthful of pasta.
"Oh gods, this is delicious."
She laughed softly. "Told you."
"Why are you in art school? You should be in culinary school?"
She shook her head, grinning. "To tell the truth, I'm not actually that good at cooking. I can make about three things. Other than that, not so much," she said, making a face.
His jaw dropped in mock horror. "You dirty, dirty liar."
She laughed. "I'm a terrible person with the blackest soul anyone has ever had. You should just murder me now and get it over with."
"I should," he replied solemnly. "Hermes will never forgive me, and I'm probably risking my life, but I will preform my duty to the citizens of the Earth. But first," he pointed his fork in the air like a superhero, "I'll finish the pasta." He impaled the fork into his noodles and ate eagerly.
The two were quiet as the god ate and the girl drew. He finished and she took his plate to the kitchen. He was about to follow when his eye caught the sketchbook; still open to the page she had been working on. The drawing was rough and incomplete, only a sketched outline, but it was clearly himself. The beauty in the simple lines entranced him, and he flipped through the book, completely forgetting about the girl whose sketchbook it was until she gently pulled it away from him.
"They're not very interesting, don't bother wasting your time on them," she said softly. Something in her eyes stopped him from protesting. It was as if she was warning him of something.
He was about to speak when he felt a familiar, annoying pull. He was being summoned. He bowed theatrically to Lucy.
"I must regretfully bid you farewell, fair princess. I hope that you will grace me with your presence soon."
She laughed and curtsied. "And to you as well, brave knight."
He bowed once more and disappeared. The girl smiled in the amused exasperation that seemed to be so often on her face now. Gods were an interesting group. But she was slowly beginning to understand them. And that was a promising start.
So Lucy has met, what, four gods now? Not bad, but that's definitely not the end.
Hermes and Lucy haven't been together in quite a few chapters. Do you think we should remedy that? (Bear in mind that it might not go the way you imagined, either option you choose.)
Also, remember the poll (backstorys .wordpress .com /polls) guys. Drink or don't drink?