Aphrodite didn't make it very far before she felt them: the dark emotions rolling behind her as the large doors of her husband's forge slammed shut. Her throat tightened as Helios drove his chariot across the still dawning sky and an anguished roar filled the air. Wrapping her arms around herself, the goddess of love forced herself forward. She had been turned down before, this would be no different. Why should she care if some gimped up, yellow-bellied god chose not to return her advances? She nearly scoffed at the thought. He should have felt honored that she even gave him the time of day!
She walked through the still waking streets of her home. Her real home. Olympus's sprawling city where other gods and nymphs lived and thrived; not in some washed up, tired god's filthy dust covered home that reeked of loneliness and desperation. Aphrodite slowly lowered her arms, finally stopping outside of her favorite house in town. The home of her favorite child and his once mortal wife.
Eros always made her feel better. Slowly climbing up the perfectly carved marble steps, the scantily clad goddess couldn't stop the memory of Hephaestus carving these steps with a joyful light in his eyes. This home had been his wedding gift to the couple, and he spent days pushing off other projects and designing every little detail of the home, even going as far to create four extra rooms for future children he wished for the couple.
The doors parted for Aphrodite as the winged god dropped from somewhere on the upper floors, eyes widening at his mother's rather unkempt state; her normally pristine hair was frizzy and windblown, looking as if she trekked through a storm, and her normally laughter filled amber eyes were dull and sad. She was dressed in a loose robe, something one would sleep in.
"M-Mother. We didn't expect you so early..!" the younger god stuttered, rushing forward to close the door and gently grab his mother's arm. "Why don't you go sit in the sunroom and I'll get you some tea?"
She let her son guide her to his glorious sunroom, almost physically flinching as she gazed upon the large arches that circled them, leading to beautiful windows that overlooked the field leading to her husband's home. Shakily sitting at the ornately crafted wrought iron table, she tried to ignore the feeling of her heart hammering and her stomach trying to crawl up her throat.
A few minutes later, Eros sat across from his mother, placing the cup of steaming tea in front of her. "What brought you here this early mom?" he asked nervously, trying to tread lightly.
"Oh, Heph and I were..working some things out. I told him I thought it was best if we stopped pretending and went our separate ways-" she was cut off by Eros rising.
"What are you talking about mom? You and d- I mean, Heph...split off?" his voice wavered, hands clenching into shakey fists.
"Yeah, sweetie. I'm sorry. But sometimes people just can't work-"
"FINALLY!" Eros let out a relieved laugh, raking his fingers through his perfect golden hair. "Do you know how long I've been waiting for you and dad to split? Now..now I can help him!" the look of pure glee on her son's face sent chills down her spine.
"What…?" Aphrodite clenched her tea, watching her son as he paced around the table.
"I've been trying to find someone for him for...well forever! But he kept turning my offers down. He was waiting for you. For so...so long. But now..now he won't be! He can finally be happy!" plopping down in his chair he let out a relieved sigh, rubbing his hand down his face.
She couldn't believe what she was hearing...her own son...had been conspiring against her and her husband? Standing, she slams her hands down on the table, glaring down at her son. "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?! You dare conspire against your own mother…? What did I do to deserve this?!" She snapped, only stopping when Eros gave her an almost pitiful look.
"And what did dad do to deserve it? You weren't loyal to him...he loved you so much, mom… you don't know how much he loved you. He tried so hard to win you over...to make you see him. But you couldn't...you only looked at him when it was convenient for you, and I was tired of seeing him get hurt over and over again. So, what did he do to deserve it?"
"He didn't love me! I was just some pretty trinket he won in a bet with Zeus! He wanted to tie down the most beautiful goddess for his own. He didn't love me..he tried to own me!"
Eros's eyes didn't change, they still looked upon her with pity. "Do you really believe that mom?"
She opened her mouth to respond, rage filling up in her throat, but was cut off by the ground beneath them shaking. Eros spun around, moving to squint out the window. Wasting no time he darted past his mother, unfurling his mighty wings to take off once he moved past the grand doors of his home.
Turning she sprinted after her son, watching as he flew in the direction of Hephaestus's home. The ground shook again as she struggled to catch up, finally reaching the field. Amber eyes widened in horror as the mechanical wonders that usually filled her husband's forge surround the trembling doors. With a loud roar and a burst of flame, the ground shook for the final time as the once mighty building collapsed within itself, burying anything within it beneath the smokey rubble.
