I kicked sticks and stones away with each step, not bothering to pick my feet and shuffling along the wooded path. We broke out of the woods into a clearing stretching over a hill; golden and lit up with sunshine. Thanatos trudged onward beside me, quiet as usual. I didn't pester him to talk to me. He wasn't big on conversation, anyway, and his habitual soft-spoken demeanor was beginning to grow on me, besides. The silence was comfortable, not strained, as though we could get a lot more across to another without saying anything at all. A faint sound of bleating came from the other side of the hilltop. Sheep? I ran ahead a ways, only to discover a herd of goats grazing. A whole herd of little Billy Goats! How cute!

"Thanatos, I found goats!" I exclaimed.

I wondered if they'd let me pet them. I was also a big animal fanatic on top of everything else. Comes with the overly-nice girl territory. Maybe these goats were used for goat's milk and cheese? Maybe the village could sell me some nice goat cheese. My stomach began to rumble slightly. Why was I thinking of food again?

Thanatos emerged on my side of the hill. It seemed that a catastrophe had befallen them all, because the goats bleated like mad and scattered in all directions like fleeing ants. I was thoroughly confused. They hadn't done that to me.

"Dumb beasts," Thanatos murmured. "At least they know to flee the shadow of Death."

And he was right. They'd all escaped to a field adjacent the hill…All except one little black kid. He couldn't have been very old. He was tiny, staggering around on inexperienced and scrawny legs. I wandered over to him and he turned his shaggy head to me with a soft bleat.

"Baaah."

I lifted the small creature into my arms and carried him to Thanatos, rubbing his head between two stubs of horns. He did not take fright to Thanatos' presence like the rest of the herd.

"He's not scared of you, is he? Neither am I."

I smiled. Thanatos peered down at the baby over the bridge of his nose, scoffing.

"It is too young to know any better," he said.

"Maybe so, but don't you like that it hasn't run away from you? That it doesn't think you're terrifying?" I asked.

He shrugged.

"It is just a stupid animal. It does not know anything, nor will it ever. Such creatures are good to me only as sacrifices."

My heart dropped into my stomach. I would show him!



"Here," I said, forcefully shoving the kid into Thanatos' arms.

"Wha—WAIT!" he cried, but struggled to keep form dropping the baby just the same. It bleated a couple of times in alarm, probably fearing that it would fall to the floor, but Thanatos secured it in time.

"Are you mad?!" he hissed.

"Hold it," I said. "It's cute. Just look at it."

Reluctantly he glanced down, stroking his fingertips through the animal's soft fur, like he was testing it somehow. The baby yawned and snuggled against his jacket. I wasn't the one holding it, and I still wanted to swoon! Thanatos flinched, drawing in a sharp breath, which I think he choked on (a strangled noise came from the back of his throat). The kid didn't seem to notice. After a few moments of uncomfortable surveillance of the little creature, Thanatos very slowly began to smooth down its fur with his hand. I didn't disturb him, eager to see the product of this interaction.

"I…. I suppose it is cute," he breathed, the corners of his mouth curling upwards slightly.

A half smile! That was good. I took the baby from him, and he opened his mouth perhaps to protest. But that didn't seem becoming of the god of death, so he said nothing in the end. Feeling quite smug, I carried the baby goat down the hillside and returned it to its herd and parents.

Next thing was to get to the village. It didn't take much longer, after crossing the fields and avoiding the other frightened goats. It was definitely a village on account of its size, but was larger than a few houses and shops. I saw a church, restaurants, antique stores, and the like. We passed a group of adolescent Greek girls, who were chattering amongst themselves and eyeing Thanatos. It occurred to me that they probably thought he was quite attractive themselves.

Sure, he was thin and sickly pale, but his dark eyes were haunting, and he had a very feminine facial structure. His hair was a weird color, being silver, but it still looked silky with its tight, well-kept curls. Aside from that, he was tall, and stylish in his leather jacket. They turned their attention to me soon after, probably trying to assess my relationship with him. They had dirty looks on their faces.

Almost instinctively, I reached for his hand. I wanted to show them that he was mine whilst a very nasty surge of jealousy and possessiveness passed through me. However, as soon as my fingers laced between his, Thanatos gave a little twitch.

"Amarante, please let my hand go."

He glanced towards the girl. They glared at the both of us with undisguised envy. I felt a wave of satisfaction.



"Why? They think you're good-looking; can't you tell? I'm preventing them from trying anything," I said. "After all, you love me."

"But you are calling attention to me," he whispered, jumpy.

And elderly couple was now staring at us.

"So? I want to hold your hand," I said.

"I do not like to be touched, either! Touch is a human tendency, and as a god I have no desire to touch or be touched. Please do not make me do it," he implored me.

I was getting very angry. He had just confessed feelings for me that morning on the beach, but was averse to being amorous in public due to the attention it drew. To make matters worse, he didn't even want me to touch him! I didn't understand; how could we be in love without touching? Was I supposed to never touch him or even kiss him for the rest of eternity?!

"You know what?! Fine! I'm going to go get a drink, and maybe some cheese," I said curtly, wrenching my hand out of his and storming off.

"Amarante? Wait, Amarante!" he cried, attempting to follow.

"Just stay there! You don't want to attract attention with me next to you!" I mocked, twisting his words to suit how low I felt.

I instantly regretted it, because after my accusation hit home, I seriously though that he was going to cry. The god of death, on the verge of tears. I couldn't take the pain in his face for more than a second, so I retreated into a small grocery store. In fact, I think I literally sprinted inside.

I stayed in there for a good long while, even after having purchased a bottle of artisan spring water and sandwich materials (cheese slices, tomato, some bread… you get the picture). I just didn't have the patience to face him. I knew that he was a god, and maybe gods didn't normally touch. But what about all of those myths involving gods and mortal girls? Had he never done this before? From the way he behaved, I was probably—no, I was certain—that I was the only woman he had ever loved in his entire, unbelievably long existence.

The realization got me to thinking. So if gods were not normally touchy-feely, and him in particularly being Death and usually touching to kill or the like, he was completely unused to the affectionate touching and emotions involved with love. I was his first. I really did have to be patient will him, because he had to be carefully nudged in the right direction. Death didn't welcome change; Death didn't want change, either. It made him feel vulnerable, and his feelings towards me made him feel even more so. I suddenly felt very bad about my outburst. I wasn't sure how he'd cope with my mood swings if I let every pet peeve of his get to me. I had to cool it. I had to show him I could lead him to a true romantic relationship gently and gradually without overwhelming him with mushiness all at once.



Having sorted myself, it was now time to face the music; aka Thanatos and his brooding, which I discovered on a bench under a shady tree. He looked especially dark and almost suicidal sitting there. Of course, suicide was entirely impossible for him, but the vision reminded me of it just the same. It was my fault. I was guilty as charged.

I unscrewed the top from my water and took a swig. Gathering up my courage, I approached the death god and sat beside him on the bench. He glanced at my shoes, but looked away just as quickly. He said nothing, and neither did I. Some minutes passed without consequence, and I cleared my throat finally.

"Do you want some of my water?" I asked.

I offered the bottle. He took it and drank some stoically. He handed it back to me. Suddenly, he turned to me and opened his mouth. I cut him off.

"No, listen, Thanatos."

I sighed.

"Look… I'm sorry. I keep forgetting that you're new to this whole lovey-dovey thing, and I'm not helping very much by trying to hurry you, either. We'll take things slow, okay? You've been pretty generous with letting me do what I want lately, especially since none of it is what you are really into. I've…never really had a boyfriend, so I'm eager to see what the hype is on having one. Holding hands, cuddling, kisses, and so on, for example; always wondered what it was like. But that doesn't give me the right to rush you. So forget I said any of that stuff earlier, okay?"

He gaped at me.

"I will confess that I did not understand the majority of what you said, Amarante."

I resisted the urge to slap my hand to my forehead.

"What I mean is… You don't have to let me touch you, Than. I love you, so I can be patient. It's against your nature; therefore, I won't rush you to change yourself."

Before I could even blink, he'd flung his arms around me. I stammered, wanting to say something, but the words caught in the back of my throat. I was pinned against his chest, and his face was buried in my hair. He felt so cold and hard like a statue. His smell…Reminiscent of white poppies. Like the ones in our front yard. Intoxicating… I hesitantly laid my hands beneath his shoulder blades.

"Thank you, Amarante," he whispered into my ear.

I shivered. Despite the coldness of his body, I was strangely comfortable. In fact, I wished he wouldn't let go ever. He did, of course.

"A-All right. That is enough touching," he muttered with a blush, and released me.



My hands settled back into my lap, and I dug out my groceries. I decided to eat away my depression; the depression brought on by the end of his hug, by the way.

"What is that?" Thanatos asked.

"Sandwich materials."

My brief explanation was still met with a blank look. Poor guy. A classical god trying to get by in a modern world; woe was he.

"Watch," I said, taking the food items out of the plastic bag.

I spread two slices of bread out on my lap, placed the cheese on them, and cut my tomato into pieces awkwardly with a plastic knife. I closed up the sandwich and took a huge bite. It tasted decent even without condiments like mayo or ketchup.

"That is strange," he said.

"Ha! Just wait till you watch Iron Chef America!" I exclaimed.

Another blank look.

"What?"

"Nevermind."

Instead of making things complicated, Thanatos told me we would not swim back to mainland Greece and fly to the hotel. Instead, he would call Xanthos to carry us straight there, as it was already getting pretty dark out. We had chatted on the bench for some time, and Thanatos had eventually convinced me to make him his own sandwich. I'd also given in to the temptation to buy a slab of goat cheese. It was delicious.

"OH, YOU AGAIN," Xanthos boomed, apparently excited to see me (insert sarcasm).

"Xanthos, take us back to the…" Thanatos trailed off.

"My hotel," I finished.

"Ah, yes. The hoh-tehl."

"YES, MY LORD."

The third time around I didn't get quite so nauseated riding the demon horse. Perhaps I was adjusting to his "radical" travel methods of fastness and blurred images. He dropped us off on the front steps and poofed into nothingness.



"Now, Amarante, I have to return both the crown and Hermes' sandals," Thanatos informed me. "I can be very quick, but you must stay here until I return."

I nodded.

"Good."

I gave him the items, and he was gone. I saw him extend his wings, but that was it. He'd just vanished subsequent to doing so. Baffled and also somewhat impressed, I parked my rear on the last step of the hotel entrance and waited.