A/N: Thank you everyone! I did want to let you know that I screwed up a little on my timeline in chapter 2, but I have fixed it and reposted the chapter. Just a minoor change. Also, I will be going to visit my older sister in Virginia for a few weeks. I'll still be writing, but it might get haphazard for a bit. Just wanted to let you know that my updating will be a bit spotty for a while. Enjoy the new chapter!

PS... My novel is done and back from the proofreaders. After doing some minor corrections, I will be self-publishing this week! I'm beyond excited. As soon as I get it published, I will give you all of the information for those who would like to read it.

Chapter 3 – Running

Yui got up early like she normally did. Stretched like she had been doing since she got back from the tabletop garden, and prepared for her run, like she had been doing since she had been back. What was not normal in her routine…as soon as she walked outside she gasped, and would have fallen if someone had not caught her in time. The time right after dawn had become her mecca. The time when she could clear her head or spend it thinking about her friends – not that she didn't do that other times as well. "Th-Thank you, Takeru-san," she managed to stammer.

So many times she had dreamed and imagined the gods there with her, that they had left the school together, and every morning she had been disappointed to find herself alone. Even with the appearance of the gods the day before, she had somehow convinced herself it was all a dream and it wasn't real. Seeing Takeru before her, feeling his heat and body when he caught her…he was real, and he was there.

"You look like you've seen a ghost, weed," he teased her.

"It's just…It's just that…" her voice trailed off unable to give voice to the words in her heart and head.

"I know. Sorry about that. We really didn't think so much time had passed and we had duties to attend to when we were done before we could come here," he scratched the back of his head, looking a bit sheepish; and then his expression changed and he grinned, "Good to see that all the training I gave you isn't going to waste."

A confused expression appeared on her face, "Eh?" As if a lightbulb had turned on over her head, she said, "Oh! Hai! I still run and do everything you taught me!"

"Well then, can I join you?"

"Eh?"

"You know the area better than I do. Can I join you, weed?"

"H-Hai!" Her heart soared. It had felt like a lifetime since she and the Sea God had run and trained together, and this morning, old routines began anew.

As they ran together, one thing continued to plague her thoughts: had he heard her when she had spoken to him? Had Tsukito? While she was not sure how to talk to the others, she knew she could pray to the Moon God and Sea God, or at least she should have been able to. Had it worked?

Running side by side, Takeru could tell Yui had something on her mind, but she wasn't talking. He tried to let it go, until she ignored a "Do Not Walk" sign at an intersection and almost got hit by a car. He had pulled her to safety just in the nick of time, and his temper flared, "What are you doing? This isn't some magical land where the only danger around you is falling off a cliff!"

Her body shook and her eyes widened. Her friend had saved her yet again, "Arigato! Gomen! I-I…"

He pulled her into his arms and felt the wet tears start to fall from her eyes. Sighing, he muttered, "You have to be more careful. I won't always be there to save you. Wasn't it you that asked us to come back?"

"What?!"

"Nothing. Come on. We're going back to the temple."

"No. I'm fine. Let's finish."

"No."

"Yes."

His eyes roved over her body from head to toe and back up again before he finally relented, "When did a weed like you grow a backbone?"

Her hands clenched into fists and she stomped her foot, "I am not a coward."

"I know," he laughed and ruffled her hair, his hand sliding down to cup her cheek. Staring into her eyes, he stayed like that for no more than a second before he took a step back and told her, "Well, if you really think you can keep up without getting killed, let's go, weed." Taking off in the direction they had been headed, he left her behind only to hear her ranting a moment later, followed closely by the sounds of her feet running on the pavement.

It felt gratifying and free to run with her again, and yet, it also hurt in a way because he knew where her heart truly lie, and it wasn't with him, or Balder, or even Apollo. Her heart called out for his brother. The moment she had stepped into the waters of the sea, he had known she was there, could feel her; and when she had spoken, he had heard her fervent prayer, had listened to everything she said that day…and the ones that followed. Three times total she had come to him, to talk to him, to plead with him to pass on a message to the Moon God; and although it hurt, he had done as requested. Of course, he also heard when her friends laughed at her, not completely understanding why Yui did what she did, or why she tried to talk to the sea. It wasn't his fault – okay, maybe it was – that a large wave crashed feet from them and they were showered with the sea spray.

The other two times, she had come without them. He tried to show her that he had heard her, however, he knew she didn't understand the way the waves had become more gentle around her, how only the area surrounding her warmed up a few degrees and calmed down compared to the rest of the sea, or how the sea creatures circled around her as if to comfort her. She had smiled at all of that, but she still did not know it was him that had done it for her.

Before Kusanagi Yui, Takeru never believed he would ever be close to anyone other than his brother again. At home, no one really accepted him except for Tsukito, and he doubted it would be different anywhere else. He had been wrong. In that garden of Zeus's creation, he had found people who honestly cared about him and wanted to be his friend; and he had found a human girl who could invoke emotions within him that he had never experienced before. He still didn't completely comprehend them, but he knew she was the cause. A human nobody seemed to have more power than some of the gods he knew. How else could she teach eight misfit gods (more if you wanted to count Thoth and Zeus) about humans and emotions? This little slip of a human had the courage to stand up to the gods and the cunning to carve herself forever into their hearts and minds. While gods may live for an eternity, her life would only last in the blink of an eye for them, but they would never forget her.

When they had come back in order to live with her for a little longer, he had silently vowed to help unite her with his brother. Ever since they had forced her back home, Takeru noticed a change come over his brother. Tsukito was sighing a little more and gazing up at the moon with a longing never seen before. The purple haired god would also rub his finger periodically, the same finger that once had a ring circling it – a ring that had caused so much trouble and jealousy. Tsukito missed Yui, and Takeru would do what he could to help his brother because his brother had always been there for him.

"Ne, weed!" He spoke suddenly, "Who did you miss most from school?"

She stumbled a little, "Eh? Wh-What do you mean?"

He wanted to laugh, but managed to hold it in behind his smile, "Who did you miss most? It isn't a hard question."

"I-I missed all of you!" She proclaimed, blushing a little and trying to stay on her feet. His question had shocked her, causing her to almost trip.

"I know that, but that isn't the question."

Never before had she been more grateful to see the steps leading to the temple hovering in the near distance. Without answering, she started to sprint for the stairs, leaving him behind.

If she thought she could lose him, she thought wrong. Increasing his speed, he easily caught up to her and then passed her, reaching the stairs well before her and then ascending them without breaking his stride. By the time she crested the top of the stairs, he was already starting his cool down and told her, "Answer the question, weed."

"My name is Kusanagi Yui, not weed!"

"Are we really having this argument again?"

"Ex-Excuse me. I have to go do my chores and then I'm meeting my friends to go shopping."

"Fairy! Can we come too?" Apollo seemed to appear out of nowhere and cling to her.

Balder casually walked up to her with Loki and Thor behind him, "Yui-san, may we please join you?"

"Hai! Hai! This will be the perfect opportunity to observe a lot of humans together," Loki declared, but the glint in his eye made everyone slightly afraid of what he might have up his sleeve.

It was a losing battle and she knew it. Her shoulders slumped over, she finally groaned, "Hai, you can come too." Something told her, today would be more exhausting than the typical shopping trip with her friends. Maybe she could crawl back into bed and hide for the day.