AnimeWriterTycoonGirl: Welcome back! I apologize for disappearing. Last year, as many of you can imagine, was stressful and even though I had some more time on my hands, I could not get myself motivated to write. I have been able to find a way to get myself back on track though, so I appreciate everyone who has been waiting patiently.
I am now focused on finishing my current stories, so expect the next chapter not long after this one. This one is going to move in a direction I'm sure many of you are going to like! I will ask something at the end of the chapter, please feel to respond in the comments or private message, whichever you prefer. Enjoy!
Chapter Warnings: Super fluffy beginning, brother to brother talk, typical swearing, Isidore meets Panthera, more fluff, brief intro to lime, Isidore becomes confused and anxious.
Chapter VII
Grimmjow waited until Isidore went inside to return to home, with his heart feeling as though it would burst from sheer happiness. He had done it … he had convinced Isidore to become his eternal soulmate … in the timeframe of fewer than two months of meeting him no less. The grin on his face could not possibly be wider as he tore through the house looking for Panthera, shouting his name at the top of his lungs.
The god of darkness grumbled under his breath as he emerged from his room, having previously enjoyed a nap while Grimmjow took their soulmate to meet Sunnera (whom he clashed with frequently) and Jinn. Guess it went well, he thought dryly as he shouted at his clearly gleeful brother to shut the hell up.
Grimmjow ignored his tired twin's complaint to grab him by the shoulders and shake him rather violently. "Isidore wants to forgo the rest of the courtship period Pan! He's agreed to become immortal!" he shouted with the largest smile Panthera has ever seen on his face.
That was enough to wake the other entity fully, his eyes snapping wide open in shock and his own excitement. "Are you shitting me? It's only been over a month!" he gaped, gripping his brother's arms with similar bruising force.
The twin gods took a great deal of time to recompose themselves after shouting their joy and excitement, which reverberated throughout their home.
Panthera slumped into his favorite chair, still slightly stunned by the news. "This is unbelievable," he muttered, his own grin etched into his face. "Barely over a month …" he rambled once again.
Grimmjow chuckled at his brother's starstruck expression. "I swear by The Fates," he assured him, taking his own seat while waiting for the emotional high to settle down. "I'm not sure how long it has taken other gods to convince their soulmates to become immortal but five and a half human weeks is not bad. Though … he's not quite agreed to become immortal immediately."
Panthera visibly deflated. "What do you mean?" he asked, already defensive and even a little worried. He barely got to interact with Isidore as it was, so anything stopping him at this point was going to be viewed as a threat. Not to mention he dreaded the idea of an aging lover who would ultimately end up in Tartarus.
Grimmjow shook his head and snorted at his brother's kicked puppy expression. "Nothing to be alarmed about … he just wants to sort out his mortal affairs and prepare himself properly. He wishes to wait until the Greek's Gamelion, which is less than two months away by now." he explained.
Panthera immediately relaxed, then glanced around their shared dwelling, a gnawing feeling still bothering him. "We still haven't been properly introduced … Isidore and I," he began slowly, biting his lip as he paced back and forth, unable to keep still despite the happy news.
Grimmjow smiled softly, albeit inwardly he groaned. "Speaking of which, Isidore had immediately looked for you," he admitted. "He … missed you."
Panthera laughed haughtily and smirked at his brother. "Well, look at that, he hasn't even truly met me and he loves me more." He taunted, much to his brother's annoyance before he deflated. "Still … what if he's scared of me? I freak out other gods, much less … mortals."
"I know, and I think the two of us can come up with something to gently nudge him in the right direction so he isn't afraid of you," Grimmjow assured his twin. "Between the two of us, we can have something figured out we can introduce you by the next meeting." He encouraged.
Panthera grumbled slightly … there had been way too much thinking and not enough doing around here lately for his liking, but it was definitely necessary in this situation. Isidore has never outright shown his distaste for Erebus, but that didn't mean as a human he wouldn't be afraid of him. The last thing he wanted was to see their beloved looking at him in horror.
With a self-suffering sigh, he nodded his head and sat back down, running a hand through his hair. "As much as I don't like it, we could start with a slow introduction? Like, introducing me just as your brother first so he warms up to me … then getting into the whole, shared souls' part?" he offered, eyebrows raised hopefully.
Grimmjow shrugged. "That's a relatively safe option coming from you … I thought you would think of something more dramatic than that." He teased softly while the other god flipped him off. He snickered. "Ok, ok … that's not a bad option. It's better than nothing at all after all. Before we get to there, however, I should gauge what he thinks of your legends and rumors first. If it's clear that he fears you I can at least assure him of what's fact and falsehood."
The darkness god grimaced and slumped down into his chair. "Yeah … good luck with that," he muttered. "Even if everything is not true, it's no lie that I'm one of the most frightening gods out there. Hell, I'm the reason Thanatos and most of the other dark gods and goddesses down in Tartarus exist, which I might add, was named after ME!" he snarled, feeling even worse.
Grimmjow winced; that was all true. While he himself was not father to any deities, Panthera was, and to a lot of them at that. Tartarus was a nickname of his from all the other gods, which was what made them decide what hell and the underworld would be named after. Reflecting all this meant very little good if they wanted their beloved to not be feared by the ancient god of darkness.
Grimmjow rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, that's true … but what about the time you allowed mortals to enter the underworld and told Ulquimorrta to avoid claiming their souls?" he asked. "You have empathy too … oi, why are you shaking your head at me?"
Panthera scoffed. "That honor was given to 'Hades' according the Greeks." he muttered. Grimmjow winced; he wasn't the best at paying attention to the lore his brother was granted among the mortals.
He sighed. "I'm sorry Pan … I should have paid more attention to the things you've accomplished over the years." He muttered, reclining in his seat himself before glancing over at his twin again. "It's still worth a shot; I thought he'd piss himself knowing who Mikolas actually was, and look how that turned out."
"Yeah, but you're … pretty," the darkness god mumbled. "Don't look at me like that; we both know you're the more physically appealing twin. I look like death … literally."
Panthera didn't take great care to his appearance, unlike most gods, especially given his job, which is why his skin was so pale, his eyes appeared sunken and his hair extremely unruly. He also had an infantile habit of chewing his nails when he was bored or nervous, which is why Grimmjow swatted his hand away from his mouth.
"Moron … I thought I told you not to do that anymore," he scolded much to Panthera's annoyance. "Your less than appealing parts of your appearance can be fixed. Go out in the fucking sun for a few hours and drink some ambrosia. And stop chewing your damn nails. That will help."
Panthera groaned and slung an arm over his eyes. "Who do you think you are, our Father?" he grumbled. "Fine … I'll even talk to Amara about making me look good … but I ain't cutting my hair!" he warned. "Don't fucking laugh at me!" he snarled.
Grimmjow controlled his laughter just enough to mollify his twin. "Alright, alright I'll stop," he promised while still smirking even through Pan looked ready to rip his head off. "Look, we'll go with the original plan. I'll ask what he thinks of you, explain you're my brother, and offer him a chance to meet you in your true form. Happy?" he summarized.
The god of darkness grumbled again at his light twin but nodded petulantly. "Fine … anything else I should know?"
Grimmjow narrowed his eyes and nodded. "Yeah, while Isidore was enjoying himself with Sunnera and Jinn, Lukki showed up," he added.
"The fuck?" Panthera rumbled, his eyes darkening almost black. "Why the fuck was he there?" he growled.
Grimmjow also scowled. "I don't know, but I don't like it. You know his feelings about mortal lovers. He tends to be the one who caused many of the other god's lovers to have fatal 'accidents.'"
Technically, no god has ever proved it had been Lukki's doing, as the little weasel somehow managed to squirm his way out each time. Still, everyone from the heavens to Tartarus knew if a god's human lover was injured or killed before they could be immortalized, Lukki was indirectly or directly involved.
"Accidents my ass, he's still bitter over being rejected by the one human he loved. She died over a thousand years ago and he's still hostile toward humans," he snapped.
The happy marriage, life and death of Lukki's unrequited love is what caused most of the animosity between any of the gods and their lovers and the god of discord and strife; Lukki far too enraged and arrogant to try seeking another lover or let anyone else be happy.
Lukki has even gone as far as injuring some gods or immortals to stall them from saving their beloveds. However, in regards of the twin gods, he was far too scared to try and harm them. Both twins' reputation made them a force to be reckoned with, so they would be safe from such tactics.
Grimmjow hummed. "Then it's a good thing I asked Merci to make some scrolls protecting his home. No one, not even other malicious gods, will be able to harm anyone on their farm." He noted.
Panthera blinked. "Huh? When did you have time to do that, and why for that matter?" he asked, suspicious.
Grimmjow groaned. "It's a bit of a story …"
…..
Panthera was so pissed by the end of the explanation that he was seeing black; a terrible sign for mortals. Even now, as he was pacing the room rapidly, he was unconsciously and brutally ripping departed souls from dying mortals and flinging them into the underworld at a herculean speed.
"Those bastards … those VERMIN dared to attack our Isidore?" he snarled, midnight hair visibly turning darker. His fists clenched tight enough to turn his knuckles white. "I should kill them all!" he roared, shrugging off his brother's hand.
"Don't do anything stupid Pan; I already handled it. Besides, Isidore was terrified of the consequences just from my reaction; he hasn't officially met you yet. Imagine how upset he'd be if you went off the rails not even a day after I swore to his family's safety?" Grimmjow reasoned.
Panthera groaned. "Fine. Just…promise you'll tell him about me soon? I'm trying of just being the transportation." He groused.
Grimmjow laughed and leaned into his chair again. "That I can do, Pan. That I can do." He promised before an idea popped into his head. "Hey, wanna talk to him tonight?" he asked slyly.
Panthera furrowed his brows and hesitantly sat down. "Hit me."
The twins discussed their ideas and plan back and forth before both were satisfied and went their separate ways. They had plenty to do to kill time.
…..
Isidore wasn't sure how he was able to keep his huge decision a secret from his family. Even though he practically floated throughout the rest of the day, no one in his family seemed to notice. It was probably for the best; they had already received so much excitement for one day. By Athena, the last month had been so exciting for the Karousakis family.
Returning to his room after one last check of the animal shelter (both goat and horse content with their straw and water) he relaxed and allowed himself to fall asleep.
Within a span of what felt like a mere moment, but could have been minutes or even hours, Isidore found himself wandering an endless mist. Despite seeing nothing stretch on for what felt like eternity, Isidore could not help but feel nostalgic in this place.
"Ah, you're finally asleep," Grimmjow's smooth baritone graced his ears from behind him. The god chuckled when the mortal whipped around to fling himself into the god's waiting arms. "Hello to you too," he teased, stroking his precious farmer's vivid hair.
Isidore smiled brightly. "Grimmjow! Could you tell I was missing you?" he asked, a shy blush creeping onto his face. Before the mist began, he had been dreaming of the proposal from earlier.
"Maybe," the god teased before placing a kiss on the mortal's forehead. "Though I'll admit I'm here for another reason."
The orangette made a noise of confusion as Grimmjow waived his hand and the area turned back into the beautiful meeting ground between gods and mortals, the marble chairs and table back in its place.
"Is everything alright?" he asked slowly, allowed himself to be settled into one of the chairs with mild caution. Grimmjow wouldn't call off the offer of being his immortal one and only so soon after he accepted, so whatever it was had to be unrelated. Or … perhaps it was. "Does this have to do with wanting to wait until Gamelion? Because I'm certain I can finish my earthly duties …"
"Hush love, that's not it at all," Grimmjow soothed, pressing a finger to the startled young man's lips. "No, I am perfectly happy letting you take the time you need to get your affairs in order. The truth is, I haven't been entirely open with you about something personal, and I would like to share that with you before we go forward." He explained.
Isidore relaxed. "Al-alright," he smiled, feeling a bit foolish. "What is it you wanted to talk about?"
Grimmjow thought quietly for a moment. "What do you know about the god Erebus?" he finally asked.
Isidore furrowed his brow. "Erebus? The god of darkness?" he asked, wanting to clarify. When Grimmjow nodded he paused for a moment. What did he think of the ancient god of darkness? Certainly, he's never prayed to him, but then again, he's never prayed to Aether either. "Well… I know he does not have the greatest reputation. Nor is he a very popular god to have as a patron." He concluded.
Grimmjow inwardly winced; damn the two of them would need to start offering some good press very soon. "Ok, but what are your personal thoughts about him?" he pressed. "Do you think you would find yourself uncomfortable in his presence?"
Isidore lightly chewed on his lower lip. "I'm… not sure," he admitted. "I would probably be scared he would come take me into Tartarus… but I don't have to worry about that now with you!" he smiled softly.
The god in turn smiled weakly back. "That's good to know… because there is something else you need to know before we go forward." He said, finally taking his own seat. "To the Greeks, the story goes that Erebus birthed Aether of Light and Hemera of Day from a union with the ancient goddess of night, Nyx, correct?" he asked. At the tentative nod he continued. "That… isn't true.
"However, the truth still remains that is I am, in fact, related to Erebus, though he is not my father," he admitted.
The farmer's eyebrows rose high in surprise. "Oh?" he managed, taken aback. Well, Grimmjow already admitted he had never sired a child, so that left only a few options, but he would leave it to Grimmjow to fully explain.
Seeing as Isidore did not reaction negatively, he smiled. "He also doesn't actually go by that name either, much as I do not go by Aether," he continued. "In fact, you've already met him."
Isidore looked around the clearing in surprise, as if expecting to suddenly see another god nearby. "Really? When? I don't recall meeting another god, only goddesses." He stammered, feeling confused (and had already forgotten about Lukki).
Grimmjow chuckled, and motioned with his hand towards the forest near the waterfall. After a few moments, a familiar black stallion crept out.
Isidore's eyes widened and he burst into a delighted run. "Panthera!" he cried out happily, meeting the horse halfway and stroking his mane and nose. The horse whinnied softly and nuzzled him back.
Grimmjow laughed softly and pulled the mortal away from the "horse" and gave it a stern look. "Alright that's enough; show yourself properly." He scolded.
Isidore's mind went blank as the horse huffed, before standing on its hind legs as it shrunk down to the size of a man. A tall, well-muscled, and very familiar looking man. His eyes widened as he took in the paler skin, darker eyes and rich blue hair the color of early night artfully slicked back.
The horse turned god smiled nervously at his soulmate's dumbstruck expression. Grimmjow left the boy to stand next to his brother, an arm slung over his shoulder. "Isidore, this is my twin brother; Panthera." He explained kindly.
Isidore responded in kind by sinking softly into the moss below, completely stunned. Panthera looked exactly like his brother, albeit with obvious differences. No wonder Grimmjow wanted to introduce each other properly. Properly…
Within seconds the poor farmer erupted into a massive blush, feeling overly hot. "Wa-wa-wait a moment. The horse…the horse this whole-time w-w-w-was…" he stammered, feeling unbelievably embarrassed.
Panthera couldn't help himself – the boy was too precious – and burst out laughing. "Yeah, that was me the whole time. Sorry; I didn't think it would have bode well had you met me as I am right from the beginning." He explained before lightly glaring at his brother. "That and someone said I would come off as scary to you. I told you he wouldn't be." He complained, poking his brother in the chest.
Grimmjow sneered back at him. "I was being precautious, you fool. Bold of you to act like you knew the outcome when you aren't one of The Fates," he deadpanned before reaching down to help Isidore up. "Isidore, love, everything's alright." he cooed, noting the boy was still very flustered.
"Bu-bu-bu…but I had the audacity to … ride a god like an ordinary horse," he muttered, still taken aback by the big reveal. Grimmjow having a brother was one thing, but finding out he had been disguised as a horse multiple times really threw him off guard.
Surprisingly, it was Panthera who took the initiative to calm the mortal down. "Easy there, Isidore," he offered slowly, taking a moment to appreciate the exhilarating feeling of holding his soulmate course through him. "It was my idea to tag along and disguise myself as a horse. I wanted to see what the man who caught my brother's attention looked and acted like." He explained with an easy smile.
Meanwhile, Grimmjow was impressed with his brother's gentle actions. Neither of the brothers were exactly known for being kind (nor merciful), so it was a small miracle that both of them were doing so well with Isidore. Perhaps knowing it was their soulmate made them naturally more charismatic, but he was hardly going to question it.
Isidore also felt the electric shock course through him at the god's first humanoid touch, but brushed it off as a sensation one would feel being touched by any god. He swallowed thickly and looked the god of darkness directly in the eye. "And… what did you think?" he wondered shyly.
Panthera smiled and lifted one of Isidore's hands, brushing his lips against it. "I think you will make a wonderful addition to the family." He stated cryptically.
Isidore's cheeks continued to bloom red even after the god dropped his hand. He felt elated that yet another god – a sibling of Grimmjow's no less – approved of him. A third chair appeared and he watched as the darkness god helped himself to a drink he hadn't realized was there.
Grimmjow wanted to be jealous that Isidore was looking that affectionate toward another man, but he knew this was a great sign that the three of them would be able to enjoy their relationship seamlessly.
Moreover, he couldn't bring himself to actually be jealous of his twin even if he wanted to. The two of them were the same soul, and they knew they would have to share Isidore anyways. Besides, Panthera's personality seemed to have made a complete 180 since he first laid eyes on Isidore (ignoring the "last night of flings" incident of course), so it was clear he wanted to be a good mate.
Despite having been originally somewhat nervous about meeting the notorious Erebus, Isidore appeared to have no fear of the god in question sitting in front of him.
"Take a seat Isidore, I'm sure you have many questions for both us," the god of light suggested gently as he returned to his own.
Earlier, the two decided to sit down and be as open as possible with Isidore now that he was agreeing to become Grimmjow's immortal soulmate. Both brothers swore that when Isidore asked, they would admit that both of them were his soulmates, but only if he asked: neither wanted to scare the boy off.
"So…you were the stallion the entire time?" Isidore asked cautiously. Panthera nodded. "Why a horse of all things?" he wondered.
Panthera chuckled as he enjoyed finished his ambrosia. "It seemed the most natural," he said honestly. "I doubt you'd ever seen a jungle cat before. In fact, most of your people haven't."
Most gods have animals they preferred to disguise themselves as, especially depending on the culture they were being worshipped under. Panthera was a fan of large cats like tigers, lions, panthers (which he did, in fact, have the creatures created as inspired by his name) and the like, but they didn't exist in Crete. Sure enough, Isidore looked confused, having never seen a house cat much less a predatory one.
"I'll show you one day what they look like," Panthera promised. "In the meantime, it also made sense as horses are a depiction of wealth. Had to make this guy look good after all!" he teased, poking his brother on the shoulder much to Grimmjow's annoyance.
A sudden realization popped into Isidore's head and he gasped in shock and horror. "Wait … you sent your own brother to sleep in a mere stall while we were at that inn? That's so cruel." Isidore lamented pitifully for Panthera while scolding Grimmjow.
Panthera sighed, suspiciously looking downcast. "You have no idea. He tends to bully me for being a darkness god even though I'm technically the older one." He mournfully declared, hamming up the attention from their soulmate.
'You fucking liar! What the hell are you doing!?' Grimmjow telepathically seethed as Isidore offered his sympathy and gave him a look a disappointment. Panthera couldn't physically grin or it would have given him away, but there was smugness in his reply.
'Just leveling the playing field … brother." He teased as he accepted a considerate hug from Isidore as he continued playing the victim.
Grimmjow glowered at him and sighed. "Please don't believe everything he tells you," he said wearily. "He insisted on staying in the horse stalls. He claimed he wanted to be nearby in case there was any emergencies." He explained, all the while warning his brother mentally that he could have revealed what Pan was doing in there with more than half a dozen elemental spirits.
"I'll add that he's lying about being the elder brother. We both appeared at once, so there is no elder or younger sibling." He added, still annoyed at his twin's antics.
Technically, both were right. When the universe was still forming, darkness was one of the first deities to be created, however, the two souls that would make up Grimmjow and Panthera were merged into one soul. When the world needed more than darkness, the original being that the two gods were willingly split in two; one of darkness and one of light. Both appeared instantly; this was done so there was no need to rival one another for power rights.
Isidore took in his interpretation of the story and was amazed at the powerful men in front of him. He pulled away from Panthera to fully process what he was told, much to the god's dismay.
"I see. Well, regardless of who is telling the truth or not, it is an honor to meet and be in your presence," he bowed his head, ever the respectful mortal.
"Oh, don't be like that," Panthera waved off the praise, somewhat embarrassed. Both gods weren't used to being worshipped, but the god of darkness even less so. "Besides, we'll be family soon enough. There's little need to be so polite with me."
Isidore smiled softly. "Yes, I suppose that's true." He said, looking between the two gods before stifling a yawn surprising himself.
"Perhaps I should send you back, even though your body is technically resting still back in your home, sending a mortal's spiritual body up here without it can be exhausting," Grimmjow apologized.
"No, please, I want to know more," Isidore said despite his fatigue, turning to the other god. "So, is everything about you true? Aside from being a god of darkness you also pull damned souls into the darkest parts of Tartarus?" he asked.
Panthera chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah, that's true, but it's not the only thing I've got going for me. I'm also in control of a dimension known as the Eternal Pit that can punish especially damned souls and spirits, and even the others gods and goddesses should they go against the Fates' wishes." He explained.
Isidore's eyes widened. "Punish even other gods?" he gaped. "What possible transgressions could that even entail?" he wondered.
Panthera shrugged. "Depends on the crime, like trying to prevent someone's fate from coming true, causing pure mayhem to the mortal world without explicit permission, extreme aggression to one another to the point of affecting other gods or mortals … to the most severe sin of them all." He said, his eyes darkened at the end.
Isidore tilted his head to the side. "The most severe sin even amongst gods?" he repeated. All of the crimes listed sounded absolutely horrid to him. He could never imagine going against the sacred Fates to rewrite someone's thread, much less the other options.
"Killing another god." Both gods said in unison, their expressions somber. Isidore felt a chill run down his back and gulped nervously. He had no idea a god could even die, but if anyone could achieve the feat, it would have to be another of their kind.
"…That does sound rather serious. What… happens to gods who die?" he asked, not entirely sure if he wanted to know the answer.
Panthera shook his head. "I'm sorry Isidore, but The Fates had forbidden me and the other gods who run Tartarus from sharing that information with anyone, including the other gods. Even my brother here isn't allowed to know." He said, glancing at Grimmjow.
Grimmjow had originally been very frustrated at being denied access to this information, but after being held in the Eternal Pit for 10 months after making such a scene when he was a younger god, never questioned it again.
He had learned not to complain, and had been traumatized by what he suffered there. To his credit, Panthera hadn't wanted to put him in there; unfortunately, he had been ordered by The Fates themselves to make an example out of Grimmjow to the other gods.
Isidore frowned, noticing Grimmjow's haunted expression. "What… happens in the Eternal Pit?" he asked cautiously, feeling worried.
The twins shuddered. "All I can say is that the true name is the Eternal Pit of Despair and Suffering," Panthera relented, which was more than enough for the mortal farmer to feel terrified. "Ah, but don't worry; someone as benevolent as you would never end up in there. Believe me; I oversee the ones who go in and for how long." He said calmly.
Grimmjow said nothing.
Isidore cleared his throat. "I see… it must be difficult being burdened with such heavy tasks. You seem to be someone in good spirits despite it." He smiled. The twins relaxed, appreciating his kind words to smooth over the heavy subject.
"Yeah well… it's been a pleasure, but even I can see how exhausted you're becoming, Isidore," Panthera said, noting the way Isidore's eyes were becoming slightly unfocused and his posture slumped.
Grimmjow nodded. "I agree. Let's get you home." He said, offering a hand to the weary mortal, who took it with another poorly disguised yawn. "Pan, I'll see you when I return." He added.
After the god of darkness smiled and waved, Isidore felt himself feeling lighter and looked around. They were back in his dreams … or rather, the space he was in before Grimmjow brought his soul to the sacred gardens.
"Feel better?" the god of light asked, still concerned with the way Isidore clung to him. At his bright smile the immortal offered one of his own. "I truly am sorry for not introducing you two properly sooner. Had I known he would have been so calm and respectful; I would have recommended he joined me as a third party during our travels to Syracuse." He admitted, much to Panthera's annoyance.
Isidore chuckled. "It might have been more of a shock when you both revealed yourselves, but I agree, it would have been fun." He said before looking around. "Has this place … always existed?" he wondered out loud.
"The mindscape? Yeah … most mortals aren't able to remember their time in here. Chronos and other gods of dreams use it as a way of interacting with mortals, but the memories typically fade away after they leave. I'm not sure why." He admitted before pulling the farmer into an embrace. "I'm … very pleased that you were able to get along well with my brother." He said, hugging tighter when Isidore reciprocated.
"Thank you for trusting me with meeting someone so important to you. He's not nearly as terrifying as my neighbors claimed him to be." The orangette assured.
In fact, the only reason Isidore even knew about Erebus was overhearing an interaction of his older neighbors as a child, where they spoke about spotting the god in the area and how frightening his visage had been. From what his neighbors described, Isidore originally believed Erebus was no god, but a monster.
However, after meeting Aether, or rather Grimmjow, and discussing the god in front of him, he had all but forgotten the rumor of his deadly appearance. He wouldn't dare breath such insulting words to Grimmjow; he had most likely heard the same rumors already. It was no wonder he had been so nervous introducing his twin to him.
Grimmjow relaxed his grip slightly and pressed a kiss to those lovely bright auburn locks he admired so much.
"Believe me, the pleasure was all mine." He said warmly. "I already admitted I wasn't a very social god, and Pan is even less popular. I'm extremely happy this meeting turned out so well."
Isidore giggled. "Pan … that's such a cute nickname for a god of darkness," he admitted.
Grimmjow snickered and pulled away. "Yeah … next time you see him, call him that. I want to see his reaction. Only I've ever gotten away with calling him that." He warned, but only jokingly.
Isidore shook his head. "I could never do that," he mumbled weakly. Panthera wasn't even his lover. To call him by such an intimate nickname felt … wrong. He relayed as much to his soulmate, who suspiciously looked like he knew something but wouldn't say.
"Would you prefer to give me one?" the god instead teased, flustering his pretty soulmate further. "I'm pretty open minded to them." He insisted.
"I-I-I…uhh…may-maybe another time?" Isidore stammered, his face flushed crimson and his eyes looking anywhere but at the smirking god in front of him, who pulled him close and leaned close to his ear.
"So cute." Grimmjow cooed, kissing a spot right above Isidore's neck. The farmer trembled at the intimacy, still extremely new to receiving affection. An idea popped in Grimmjow's head and he smirked again. "My Agápe*."
As expected, the pet name had a strong reaction on the farmer. Isidore's breath was knocked out of him and his pupils were blown out. He reached up and pulled the god's face to his, tangling their tongues in a passionate kiss. The force was strong enough to take Grimmjow by surprise and cause the two of them to fall to the ground.
Outside of grunting in surprise at the amorous attack, Grimmjow only cradled his soulmate closer in his arms and deepened the kiss. Isidore hummed in approval, tangling his hands in the god's hair and gasping for breath as Grimmjow moved his lips to Isidore's jaw, then hollow of his throat and finally settling just above his collarbone.
Grimmjow groaned in satisfaction as Isidore pulled harder on his hair, something he realized was becoming more and more of a turn on for him. His own hands wandered lower, brushing against the farmer's tunic clasp and working on its removal.
Isidore hiccupped, his own ministrations freezing for only a moment, but that was all it took for Grimmjow to halt his actions immediately and pull away. The two of them panted lightly, Grimmjow more for show than actual lack of air, with a light blush dusting both their cheeks.
"I apologize," Grimmjow shook his head. "As much as I long for your body, this isn't the place." He explained to apprehensive eyes.
Grimmjow wanted nothing more than to take his lover right then and there, but by have sex in a dream, it would not be real. He wanted Isidore's physical body and well as his soul. Call him greedy, but he wanted more and more with every passing minute.
Isidore wanted to complain, because he also wanted more, but he could faintly understand what Grimmjow was trying to say. Instead, he clung to the larger man's frame.
"Could we stay like this just a little longer?" he pleaded, still breathing heavily.
"…How could I say no to a face like that?" Grimmjow teased, giving in with little hesitation, the two of them curling up against one another just enjoying the silence.
"Get some proper sleep Isidore. I would hate to take away from your rest knowing you have so many tasks ahead of you come the morning," he insisted.
The farmer sighed but relented; now that the family had a horse in their possession, Isidore was going to have Anatoli pull a plow to increase their farmland among other tasks. He also knew his sisters would be desperate to have a ride on the Arabian beauty. Though he was only a novice rider himself, he would want to be fully alert to ensure they were safe while teaching them to ride.
"I'll see you soon enough," Grimmjow assured him, pulling the young man up into a more comfortable position, stroking his beautiful hair once more. "Goodnight Agápe." He smiled, before fading away, allowing the mindscape to shift into a more natural dream.
Isidore sighed as he dreamed of Grimmjow … and imagined continuing the passionate exchange as though it had never stopped.
When he would awake in the morning, Isidore would be very flustered from his wet dream, but he would be smiling despite himself.
….
Grimmjow returned to his home just as flustered as Isidore was, but he was able to brush it off easily enough. There would be plenty of time for that in the near future. Meanwhile, he needed to find his brother, who had returned several minutes earlier.
Panthera was in the kitchen, grabbing some sacred wine Shanes recently gave them to celebrate the discovery of their soulmate.
"Hey. Wanna glass?" he asked, a bright smile stretched across his face. Grimmjow snorted but nodded, accepting the glass (that Panthera poured way too much of given its content) and clinked their glasses together.
"That went far better than I expected," Grimmjow admitted, taking a slow sip of his wine. Shanes really went all out and gave them the really good stuff, he mused to himself as he enjoyed it slowly.
"Fuck yeah it did. Were you expected anything less?" Panthera scoffed, chugged his with less grace. Grimmjow gave him a flat look, causing the god of darkness to roll his eyes and slow down. "What? I'm celebrating. I'm that much closer to getting Isidore comfortable enough around me to reveal my true part in this whole thing." He said with a cheeky grin.
Grimmjow scoffed and rolled his eyes back, but still smiled. "Yeah … who fucking knew, huh? We'd get to be one of the lucky ones. At least, one of the few who actually got a happy ending with our soulmate." He mused.
Panthera frowned, and put his glass down. "You think we should keep an eye on Lukki? You know his thoughts on human lovers."
Grimmjow shook his head. "I already told you; they'll be safe as long as Merci's wards hold. Protection of the home is her thing, and she would never let anything happen to someone who worships her so valiantly like Isidore's sister does."
Grimmjow had reasons to feel confident. Gamelion was only a few short weeks away. Seven, in fact. Even if Lukki was planning something horrible, he would only have a scant amount of time to come up with something.
Then of course there was the protection from Merci, himself, Panthera AND Sunnera. She confessed her admiration for the boy and his patronage of her, and had already vowed to keep an eye on Lukki herself.
With all these factors, Grimmjow saw no reason to be paranoid. Isidore was safe as long as he was in his home or with either of them, and since their little anti-social lover was not one to go out of his way to socialize, this would be easy enough to keep him safe for the next seven weeks.
When relayed all of this information, Panthera relaxed. "Alright, fine. But I wanna spend some time with him just by myself in the future." He insisted.
Grimmjow raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"
"You know … I wanna court him too. It's only fair since you've already taken him out to Eire and got him a fucking horse. I … want to do my fair share too, ok?!" he grumbled, finishing off his wine and reaching to refill it.
Grimmjow snatched the casket before Panthera could drain all of it. "You … want to court him too? Even though it's already a done deal?" he asked slowly. Panthera scowled as the wine was held out of reach.
"Well yeah! He's only really seen you as the romantic side even though I'm his partner too! I wish he had asked why it was so important for him to meet me tonight," he admitted, looking a little deflated before glancing back at his brother. "I made a nice first impression, sure, but I need to get him to ask, so that I can give him the answer."
Grimmjow was really impressed with Panthera's mature explanation. It was a major contrast from the god who would jump beds with … just about anyone, honestly … to wanting to be a reliable, good mate.
"Well, sure … you're a grown ass adult, you don't need my permission or anything," he snorted before his expression softened. "But I recognize your efforts, Pan. I'm proud of you."
Panthera huffed, though he was smiling. "Yeah, yeah. Now fill me up. This shit's better than the usual stuff and I wanna enjoy it."
"I'm not letting you finish it off, you drunkass."
"You know … you really are a killjoy sometimes."
"Jackass."
"Asshole."
Clink.
…
Isidore was left alone to his own devices for the next two days, but that was fine. He was being kept busy with the larger plots of farmland. Now that they had the accessibility, the Karousakis were entertaining the idea of growing apple and walnut greens as well as lentils.
Having Anatoli was such a boon for them. The work was done in less than a quarter of the time. Had he attempted to do so by hand himself, Isidore would have never been able to sow any seeds at this rate. The beautiful stallion was not solely used for farming though; he was allowed to roam the farm at his own leisure.
Isidore found the horse was not interested in running away and let the creature be when he was tending to other tasks. Anatoli let himself into his stall when he was tired or thirsty. Either he was the most intelligent horse in the world, or Grimmjow had trained him well.
Grimmjow. Isidore sighed wantonly, his mind drifting once again to his amazing soulmate. He still hasn't had the courage to tell his family his decision, but nevertheless, he was excited to spend his life with the exotic-colored immortal.
Isidore lovingly cared for his olive trees when he felt a presence behind him. Elated, the farmer turned around, only to be left somewhat puzzled by the god of darkness' appearance.
"Lord…Panthera? What can I do for you?" he asked politely, though not without caution. Surely a god of the darkness wouldn't be moving about during broad daylight, unless mortals assumed wrong all this time?
Panthera barked out a laugh. "Lord? HA! Spare me the title … we will be family soon enough … and isn't that the best reason to visit?" he asked, all smiles and humor after being addressed so formally.
Isidore put down his tools and smiled softly, bowing his head in respect. "That is true. I appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to meet with me again." He said before looking the god over again.
Now that it wasn't night, he could see Panthera's features far more clearly. True, his hair was slightly longer and more unruly than Grimmjow's, and his coloring was different, but other than this, he really could be mistaken as the god of light himself.
For some reason, this triggered a familiar sensation inside Isidore, and he blinked twice to bring himself back to present. 'What… what am I thinking? Grimmjow is my soulmate, not Panthera.' He fretted silently.
If Panthera was aware of his inner confusion, he did not comment on it. Inside the god dropped to the grass under one of the olive trees and patted the space next to him. "Come, sit. I would like to talk to you more since I actually have a mouth and not a snout this time." He teased.
Isidore couldn't help but laugh, though he was hesitant to sit directly next to the god, leaving a decent amount of space between them. Panthera did not seem offended by this, rummaging through his tunic before pulling out some simple honey bread and breaking it in half.
"Here. Grimmjow told me your schedule. I know you haven't eaten yet." He insisted before taking a large bite of his piece. Isidore shyly accepted the bread, eating his at a much slower pace. There was silence between them for a few minutes, though neither could say it was a bad one.
"So … are you happy, Isidore?" Panthera asked finally, still smiling.
"I …" Isidore looked up at the sky as he hesitated. "I have never been so happy in my entire life." He admitted. "These past three months have been both the strangest and most wonderful of my life so far, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds."
"I'm happy to hear. I cannot express in mortal words the joy my brother has felt since he first laid eyes on you," Panthera said honestly. Despite his own desire to get closer to Isidore, he was, first and foremost, happy for his brother. Even if he had to run to catch up regarding gaining Isidore's affection, knowing the race was nearing the end had him mostly content.
"You know, you are more than welcome to ask me anything you might have questions about, whether it's about becoming an immortal or our personal lives. I'll do my best to answer on Grimmjow's part for anything of that sort, but my insight can be valuable as well." he offered as an afterthought. It would be a nice opening to try and get Isidore to ask the one question he desperately needed to hear, but he would also just be happy to spend more time with the farmer regardless.
"Anything?" Isidore wondered. He certainly had some questions before he made the largest decision of his life, but he didn't dare want to offend Grimmjow, his brother or the other deities. At Panthera's encouraging smile he pondered to himself quietly.
"What will happen at Gamelion?" Isidore wondered at last. He knew he would obviously be made immortal somehow, but the technique was beyond his understanding.
"You'll drink a special ambrosia liquid only the gods and immortals are allowed to consume. Since I was always an immortal, I can't tell you if you'll feel any pain or discomfort, but from the changing ceremonies I've seen in the past, it had not affected the parties involved too much." Panthera explained.
"How old are the two of you?"
"Heh … older than dirt. Literally. Before there was a world to roam, there was only me, Grimmjow, The Fates and a handful of ancients who created the world you know and love. As for an actual age … well, I couldn't say; we've lost track after so many millennia."
"How did everyone decide who received what tasks?"
"That's… a little hard to say. We sort of just woke up and knew what we were supposed to do. For instance, when Grimmjow and I were still one being, we were already designated as the god of light and darkness. Same went for everyone else who was born from the Nothing."
"You two were one being?"
"Huh? I thought Grimmjow told you about that already? Worthless twin … anyways, yeah, we were originally one singular being who controlled both aspects of the light and dark, but it became a bit much for one being to successfully maintain. We were always there, but working in halves.
"After a while, the two of us came to the mutual decision to part, and that's how we came to be. Grimm's always acting like he's the more responsible one, or like he's the elder twin, but like he said when we first properly met, we both simultaneously existed to avoid actual conflicts like that.
"We are one soul, but two different people with completely different personalities and thoughts."
"Ok … what do gods like to do to for fun?" Before visiting Eire, Isidore had never considered having a leisure activity outside of work, but soon he wouldn't need to work ever again (should he choose).
"There's actually a lot to do. There's always plenty of parties to go to, especially hosted by Sh-Dionysus, as well as games like hunting, but Grimmjow and I tend to be a little less active. However, it won't be an issue if you want to go out and enjoy yourself with all the others."
"…What is your brother like, if I might be so bold to ask?" Isidore dared to ask. Siblings could be the most honest when asking about a person's character. Surely the same applied to the gods.
"Ha! He's not nearly as impressive as you might think … his task is hardly one that reigns above the other gods. But for a mortal I'm sure he sounds great." Panthera shrugged before laughing at himself. "Not that I can talk, in either aspect. I provide the atmosphere for Tartarus, and he the heavenly air for those who live in the sky. Hardly very remarkable." He admitted, his whole expression dimming naturally. Their claim to fame was being old enough to garner respect, after all.
"Not at all!" Isidore insisted. "Without either of you, would there be life? Death? Without the atmospheres in place, there would surely be nothing. Nothing us mortals could live on, in either case. So please, do not talk so poorly about yourself or your brother." He scolded.
He wasn't afraid of offending Panthera; the god had already made it clear they would be family and so they should be treating each other as equals.
The god in question froze, and looked at Isidore with an unreadable expression. This mortal really was incredible; to argue with a heavenly or Tartarus being would normally mean death. Isidore really was not afraid of him.
Panthera's face softened and he placed a warm hand on the mortal's shoulder.
"You truly are a good man, Isidore." he praised, enjoying the sensation of touching him once more.
The same could be said for Isidore, though he was left confused; why did he feel just as comfortable and accepting of Panthera's touch? Shouldn't this be a feeling exclusive for his soulmate? The mortal could not bring himself to ask, lest he offend his future brother-in-law or Grimmjow.
Panthera sensed his ill-ease but didn't push. Instead, he pulled away and reached into his robes once again. "This reminds me … I have a gift for you myself. I understand that at the very beginning of the courtship, Grimmjow gave you a summoning relic to call him if you ever need him or miss him. I would like to offer the same."
The god pulled out a leather bracelet with a stone not unlike Grimmjow's, but the colors were reversed, a rich dark blue speckled with lighter sky-colored spots. Isidore's breath hitched, stunned by the gesture.
"…Why?" he asked, not taking his eyes off the bracelet.
"…Just in case," the god said. "I know my brother has promised you that he would always come when you call, but the truth is, there could always be a summoning from The Fates or a quorum held for the gods who rule over the sky. If that happens, and you do need something, whether it's companionship or protection, I'd like to be able to help when I can."
Truthfully, these quorums were rather rare (maybe one every 600 to 1000 years), and The Fates rarely summon gods unless someone has broken the rules, but Isidore didn't need to know that.
Isidore was touched, and smiled brightly. "Thank you … this is a very kind gesture and I appreciate it." He allowed the god to place the bracelet on his left wrist.
The shock of desire that shot up his arm was palpable this time, and instinctively, Isidore flinched as soon as Panthera's touch left his skin. A light flush crept onto his face, though the poor farmer had no idea why this was happening.
Unable to continue ignoring his soulmate's stress, Panthera's brows furrowed in alarm. "Are you alright? What's wrong?" he asked. He wasn't trying to be pushy, but Isidore looked almost scared. 'Shit…did I fuck up somehow?' he wondered.
"I…I don't know." Isidore admitted, his eyes darting back and forth between his arm and the concerned deity in front of him. "I … feel so comfortable with you … but … shouldn't I be … only this way with my soulmate? Feeling … this way?" he managed out.
The poor mortal was trembling so hard Panthera thought he was going to faint, so the god wordlessly and thoughtlessly pulled Isidore closer to him and stroked his hair.
"Shh … it's ok," he cooed, pressing a kiss to the young man's temple. "I'm sure everything is confusing for you right now, but take a deep breath. It will be ok."
Isidore tried, he really tried to calm himself down, but the innocent kiss only renewed his worries. It felt right. Too right.
Panthera tilted Isidore's head up, and was about to repeat his previous statement, but froze upon seeing those honey-brown eyes. Even though they were unfocused and fogged over with panic, he could see what had caught Grimmjow's eye.
Isidore was stunning with his fiery hair, amber eyes and that little blush on his face as he tried to regain control of his breathing.
Unable to help himself, Panthera closed the distance between them, pressing slightly parted lips against his own, completely forgetting the circumstances.
More electricity shot through the farmer's body, and his mind went blank. Isidore allowed himself to relax into the kiss, wrapping his arms around the god's neck and letting himself be lowered into the grass below, with just enough of the god's weight pressing down on him to be a touch beyond comfortable but still pleasurable.
They both groaned as they rubbed against one another, Isidore's a soft rise and fall to Panthera's low and guttural.
"Isidore …" Panthera grunted into his ear as he released his mouth to trail kisses along his jawline.
Isidore sighed as he let the ministrations happen, his head falling back.
"Gri…Grimmjow …"
Panthera stiffened, painfully aware of what he's done. Feeling the god pause, Isidore looked up with bleary, lust filled eyes and also froze. Amber eyes widened in horror as he processed what just happened. With a loud gasp, he wrenched himself out from underneath the god of darkness and dragged himself backwards, trying to put as much distance as possible between them.
"…What have you done?" he managed out, his eyes welling with tears and his body shaking worse than ever before.
He's committed one of the worst sins among mortals; adultery could be punishable by death. And how could it be anything less for betraying a god?
"Isidore, I'm so sorry, but please let me explain!" The god said hastily, pushing himself off the grass with panic in his own dark features. Isidore scurried away from his hand.
"Stay away from me!" the farmer shouted, shielding himself from the darkness god's touch. "How could you do something like this?! Knowing I love your brother and you …" tears flowed down his face as he ground his teeth. "And how I could let you do … I'm an despicable person."
Panthera's face twisted in pain as he felt his soulmate's devastation. "Isidore please! It's not what you think, just please let me explain!" he pleaded. "Grimmjow will be more than understanding because …"
"Who are YOU to assume what he will understand?" Isidore hissed. "I betrayed him, and you even more so! How could someone who shares the same blood do something to their own family."
"Not blood, SOUL! That's what we've been trying to say for the past few days. Grimmjow is another part of me, and I him. Isidore, please calm down!"
Panthera fumed at himself as he watched his soulmate drag himself as far away from the god as he could in his shellshocked state. 'I'm such a fucking idiot. He'll hate us both now and it's all my fault," he thought mournfully.
"…What the hell is going on here?"
Both god and human looked up in surprise (and horror) to see Grimmjow, having felt both men's heartache from the heavens.
Isidore trembled. "Grimmjow …" he managed, more tears falling.
The god of light immediately went to his side. Isidore clung to him, sobbing. Grimmjow looked between his young lover and his brother, who looked crestfallen. The other god had an idea of what happened and sighed.
"Alright, it seems we need to have a discussion."
AN: Whew! I managed to churn out most of the rest of this chapter within only two days. I'm glad to be back! I have a question for the audience I would like to get out of the way.
Poor Isidore. Don't worry, I'm not going to leave him to suffer for long.
The way the story is going, as you can expect, Isidore is going to be enjoying the love of BOTH Grimmjow and Panthera. My question to anyone willing to read this AN is whether there should be threesome action going on? I've written about it before, so it's completely within my ability (Hint: check out A Paradise Like Heaven [interestingly enough, also including twins … what is my fetish with twins lately?]).
I also want to know who you think should take Isidore's virginity. It's even more sacred in the ancient times than it is in the modern day, so the choice should not be taken lightly. The answer cannot be both brothers at the same time, mind you.
Should it be Grimmjow, who has been the highlight of the relationship so far? Or Panthera, who has been actively changing his lifestyle to try and be a better mate for Isidore? I leave the decision to you.
The next chapter is actually mostly written, but I've left the person who is taking this high honor blank. Once I get enough responses, I will fill it in and have the next chapter out as soon as possible. Thank you once again for being so patient with me!
* Agápe (Ah-Gop-Eh) is a form of love named by the Greeks. It means the love of the soul, and Christian Greeks have translated it as the love of God, so I thought it most fitting to have Grimmjow call him this.
Ciao~!