Three chapters in two weeks? Damn, your girl is on a fucking roll?

this chapter is just one huge mood whiplash, I swear to god.

Song Inspiration:

Valder Fields - Tamas Wells

Demons - Imagine Dragons

Tsukito could not stop thinking about that vision. He finally understood that they all had to do with Apollon all this time, but he had to hear it from the sun god himself. What actually happened?

He had spent several days with Apollon on Mt. Olympus. Tsukito had several opportunities to ask him about it, but he always freezes up and changes the subject at the last minute. He has to get the truth from Apollon, though, so it's not like he can keep putting it off forever.

"Tsuki-Tsuki, is there something wrong? Is there?" Apollon asked, pulling Tsukito out of his thoughts.

"Not really..." Tsukito said, shaking his head.

"Are you sure? You've been looking like you have a lot on your mind. If you need to someone to talk to, I'll listen. I will."

"It's nothing importrant, really." Tsukito looks down at the ground. Suddenly the waves lapping at his feet were very interesting.

Much to Tsukito's relief, Apollon didn't pry anymore and instead changed the subject. "Today's a nice day, isn't it? It's the perfect day for a swim!"

"Well, I will have to pass. I didn't bring a swimsuit, sadly."

"Who said you needed one?" Apollon asked

Before Tsukito knew it, what little clothes Apollon wore were lying on the sand and he was already running out towards the ocean, "Oh my god...isn't it too early in the morning for this?" Tsukito sighed in exasperation. As much as he knows he probably shouldn't, he couldn't stop himself from staring when Apollon's shamelessly naked right in front of him. It wasn't like it was particularly bad thing, though. Apollon was built like an athlete: tall, muscular...and ridiculously attractive all of a sudden. How is Tsukito just noticing all of this now of all times?

When Apollon turns to look at him, Tsukito turned his face away as quickly as he could, trying to play it off like he wasn't ogling Apollon's naked body just now.

"Are you sure you don't want to join me? The water's niiice." Apollon said in a singsong tone.

Tsukito had to gather all the willpower he had to not have his eyes trail down lower where they probably shouldn't be. "I'm...good."

Apollon pouts, "Suit yourself."

As Apollon goes off swimming somewhere, Tsukito just hopped over some rocks before taking a seat on one that was just above the water. He was so amazed how crystal clear the water was. He could easily watch a little crab the scuttle along the ocean floor. But it wasn't long before the crab was obscured by the big golden blob swimming by. Apollon's face broke through the surface of the water, staring straight into Tsukito's eyes, "Hi." He said with a cheeky grin.

"Got tired already?" Tsukito notices as Apollon swam up to him, his golden eyes had a mischievous glint in them. He cautiously backs away, "...That impish look scares me."

Before Tsukito could get any far, Apollon grabbed him by the ankles and dragged him into the water with a huge splash. The sun god bursts out laughing as Tsukito slowly emerged from the water. Even though his eyes were hidden by his sopping wet bangs, Apollon could tell Tsukito was glaring at him from behind them.

"I'm sorry, Tsuki-Tsuki." Apollon struggled to form words through his laughter, "You looked like a giant whale falling in!"

Tsukito brushed his hair out of his face, "You ballsy little-" He tried to chase after Apollon in the water, but his wet clothes didn't allow him to go very fast. "Why don't you stay still?"

"Nooo!" Apollon giggles, desperately trying to swim away.

Tsukito climbed back onto the rock, feeling slightly weighed down by his clothes. "Great, these were the only clothes I had with me. What am I supposed to do now?"

"Take them off and leave them to dry?" Apollon said like it was the most obvious thing.

"Okay, but have you considered...I only have one set of clothes on me right now?"

"Swim with me in the meantime, then. I'm getting kinda lonely."

Tsukito just sighed in defeat, "I don't really have much of a choice, do I?" He pulled his shirt off and wringed as much water as he could out of it before laying it neatly on the rock. Just as he rests his fingers on the waistband of his pants, he stops, "Don't look...please."

After making sure Apollon turned around and his eyes covered, Tsukito peeled off his pants along with his underwear. He laid them out in the sun and got into the water as fast as he could. The water was cold as soon as Tsukito got in, but his blush alone pretty much warmed up his entire body in an instant.

"Your face is so red, Tsuki-Tsuki!" Apollon squishes Tsukito's cheeks between his hands, "Are you really that embarrassed?"

"Whose fault do you think that is?" Tsukito asks in a deadpan tone.

Apollon couldn't help but laugh, "Come on, Tsuki-Tsuki, lighten up a little. The water's covering most of you anyway, if that's what you're worried about."

"That does not make me feel any better."

"Aww...then what will?"

"This." Tsukito placed his hands on top of Apollon's head and pushed him down as hard as he could, submerging him underwater for a few moments.

Apollon came up coughing and gasping for air, "Hey, no fair!"

"You attacked me when I had my guard down. It only makes sense to retaliate accordingly."

Even though Tsukito's expression didn't show it, Apollon somehow knew he was gloating on the inside. "Oh yeah? Well, how about this?" With a wave of his hand, Apollon sent a huge splash of water in Tsukito's direction which hit him square in the face.

Puffing his cheeks, Tsukito gets him back with an even bigger splash. He doesn't usually get this petty, but he just couldn't let Apollon have this one. This quickly escalated into an all-out splash war. The sound of their laughter filled the air, drowning out the sound of the ocean waves.

"I'm pretty sure I won..." Apollon said, panting and out of breath.

"No, I think I did."

"Are you challenging me to a rematch, then?"

"I'd rather not. I'm tired now." Tsukito leaned back into the water until he was just floating on it. Apollon does the same thing, but takes hold of Tsukito's hand so they didn't float away from each other. The floated in silence for a while, just staring up at the fluffy white clouds moving against the brilliant blue sky.

Then Apollon spoke up, "You know, I think this is the first time I've ever heard you laugh."

"I think that's the first time I laughed in years." Tsukito replied, "I think you're growing on me."

"Why are you saying that like it's a bad thing? When I first met you, you just looked so sad and lost. If you ask me, you've come a long way in almost a month." Apollon said, "If you don't mind me asking, why did you come to Delphi in the first place?"

"I don't know, honestly. I just wander around the world and go anywhere I please, I guess."

"Wow, that sounds fun! You must've seen a lot of places!"

"Yes, I did." Tsukito replied, "And it is fun, though traveling by yourself does get a little lonely."

"Don't you ever miss your family? Won't they worry about you?" Apollon asked.

Tsukito sighed, "I don't know...I don't even think they even care that I'm gone. Not that I care, either."

"What about your brother?"

"Akira probably hates m-"

"No, I mean the younger one." Apollon clarified.

"He's...not with me anymore."

"Did he leave? Like you?" Apollon asked, clearly not catching the implication Tsukito had meant. But Tsukito was sort of relieved he didn't.

"...I suppose you could say that." Tsukito said.

"My clothes are still wet..." Tsukito sighed in disappointment, gathering his still damp clothes.

"I think I might have something you can wear."

"Okay, but I'm not walking back to your palace completely naked."

"Alright, then I'll carry you there."

Before Tsukito could say anything, Apollon lifts him off the ground with no effort at all. "There, now you don't have to walk."

"Walking is not the problem though..." Sure, he was embarrassed, but Tsukito didn't resist as Apollon carried him all the way back to his palace.

"Wait here, okay? Please wait here." Apollon said as he dropped Tsukito onto the bed.

As soon as Apollon left the room, Tsukito took the sheets off the bed and wrapped them around himself.

Apollon returned pretty quickly, carrying a neatly folded pile of clothes, "Here you go!"

"Oh, thank you..." Tsukito went through the pile, finding a pair of grey knee-length pants, a sash of some sort, and a huge sheet of linen cloth, "...What exactly am I supposed to do with this?"

"You don't know how to put it on?" Apollon asked.

"Uhm...the pants, I can figure out. Everything else...no."

Apollon gasped as he came to realize, "Oh right, people don't just wrap themselves with cloth anymore."

"No, we do not..."

"Alright, stand up. Stand up, please." Apollon said, "I'll show you how to put it on."

"Hold on." Tsukito quickly slips on the pants, now making this situation forty percent less awkward. But still, having Apollon dress him was more unnecessarily tense than it should be. The few times Apollon's fingers would brush against his skin, Tsukito would jump at the slightest touch. Why did this make him so nervous all of a sudden?

Unnecessary tension aside, putting it on was a lot simpler than Tsukito had expected. Who knew all it literally took was a few pieces of cloth and pins? He doesn't know if the Ancient Greeks were geniuses or just plain lazy. Maybe both.

"Wow Tsuki-Tsuki, you look wonderful!" Apollon exclaimed when he finished helping Tsukito put on the clothes.

"Really? Do you think it suits me?" It was comfortable, he'll give it that. So nice and light. Maybe Tsukito should dress like this more often.

"Yeah! Maybe we could put a laurel crown on your head and it'd be perfect!"

Tsukito could feel his heart flutter at the compliment. First Apollon just barely touches him, and now this? Apollon is always hugging and praising Tsukito and he barely reacts. What was going on with him?

Fortunately this painfully awkward moment didn't last too long as Apollon suddenly piped up, "Ah! I almost forgot I promised the Muses I would meet with them today!"

Tsukito sighed in relief, "Then don't let me stop you."

"Are you sure? Are you gonna be okay?" Apollon asked.

"When am I ever not okay?" Tsukito replied, "Go. I'll...just wait here."

Apollon smiled, "I'll try to make it quick, okay? Don't wander off anywhere."

"Don't worry about me. It's not like I can leave your realm without you, anyway." Tsukito said.

"That's true." Apollon leaned over and gave Tsukito a quick peck on the cheek, "I'll see you later."

It was such a casual gesture to Apollon, but it made Tsukito immensely flustered all of a sudden. He was glad Apollon left before he noticed.

Tsukito had snuck into Apollon's music room again. Was it really sneaking in? Apollon did give him permission to go anywhere in his realm, after all.

He was hoping playing the piano might help pass the time and distract him, but thoughts of that vision just kept bothering him no matter how hard he tried to push them into the back of his mind.

"Apollon?" Tsukito heard a voice echo throughout the halls.

Tsukito's fingers froze over the piano keys as he heard footsteps approaching. The door slowly creaked open and a man with spiky red hair poked his head in. He glanced around the room for a bit before making eye contact with Tsukito, "Oh, it's just you, Tsukito."

"...how do you know my name?" Tsukito asked.

The man smiled at Tsukito, "You would not believe how much Apollon talks about you."

"And may I ask who you are?"

"Dionysus: god of wine and fertility. Nice to meet you." The man said, "Have you seen Apollon by the way?"

"He said he had some business with the Nine Muses...or something like that. He should be back soon, so you can stay and wait around if you wish."

"You know what? I think I will." Dionysus took a seat on the piano bench next to Tsukito, "I brought wine, do you want any?"

Tsukito shook his head, "I'm underage."

"Whaaat? Oh yeah, you humans have legal drinking ages now. How old are you?"

"Nineteen." Tsukito stated bluntly.

"Tch, that sucks...welp, more for me then." Dionysus popped off the cork and drank straight from the bottle.

Tsukitos fingers fidgeted with the piano keys, trying to figure out the words to say, "...May I ask you something?"

Dionysus just glanced at him, signaling to Tsukito that he was listening.

"Did something happen to Apollon? Something he didn't want me...or anyone to know about?"

"He's a god, but he's not perfect. Apollon's done a lot of things, a lot of them very morally questionable. But I think that's part of a god's nature, to be honest." Dionysus said, "He's really weird and too kind for his own good. Whatever he did, he most likely would feel terrible afterward."

"That's not what I'm asking. What did Apollon do that he's so insistent on hiding from me?"

"That, I can't answer. It's better if you hear it from Apollon himself. He can't hide it forever. You just have to be prepared for what he's going to say." Said Dionysus, taking another swig from the bottle, "If you ask me, he's most likely terrified of how you'll react."

Suddenly, they heard the door open, "Tsuki-Tsuki, are you in here?"

"Welcome back." Tsukito greeted Apollon.

"Oh, Dee-Dee's here too? When did you come?" Apollon asked.

"I came looking for you, but I forgot why, so I guess I'm gonna leave now." Before Apollon could finish saying his first word, Dionysus had already left, but not before flashing a wink at Tsukito.

"What was that about?"

Tsukito shrugged, "We were just talking."

"About?"

"...Nothing."

Tsukito had procrastinated all day and now he decided: this is it. He's going to ask Apollon the question.

"Apollon."

"What is it, Tsuki-Tsuki?"

"I would like to talk about my visions." Tsukito said in a solemn tone.

"Of course! I'm always here to listen."

"I...I figured out what I've been seeing..." Tsukito hesitates for a moment. He had to get the truth out of Apollon. It's now or never. "It's the Trojan War..."

Apollon's face turned ghostly pale upon hearing those words, "Are...are you sure? Maybe you're mistaking it for something else?"

Tsukito shook his head, "I'm certain. I saw the wooden horse and Artemis was there...and you too. You were shooting black arrows from the top of the wall and the look you had..."

Before Tsukito could ask anything, Apollon ran out of the room. "Apollon, wait!"

Tsukito followed him out of the palace, begging him to stop running. But Apollon wouldn't listen and kept going. Tsukito was amazed how far and fast the sun god could run in such a short time. With what little stamina he had, it was hard for Tsukito to keep up with him.

"Apollon, please...stop. What's wrong?" Tsukito called out to Apollon as he chased him along the beach.

"Go away!"

"No!" Tsukito refused, "Not until you tell me what's wrong."

After a while of chasing after him, Tsukito had managed to corner Apollon at a dead end. The edge of Apollon's realm. Now that Tsukito notices, it's basically a floating island of some sort. Everything beyond that was just clouds. But now's not the time to dwell on it. Tsukito was sure Apollon won't be able to run anywhere else.

"No no, I can't tell you. You wouldn't understand!" Apollon said,

"Let me try to understand, then! Please, Apollon, you can trust me!" Tsukito begged Apollon, "You're my friend, I'm not here to hurt you, so please...if you would tell me what's wrong."

Apollon took a deep breath and sat on the ground. "Come." He beckoned Tsukito, his voice cracking like he was on the verge of tears. "This is going to be a long story."

Tsukito cautiously approached the sun god, sitting down beside him. Neither of them said anything for a while, which Tsukito didn't mind. He didn't exactly want to rush Apollon into telling him.

After a few moments of time had passed, Apollon finally spoke up. "How familiar are you with the Trojan War?"

"Hmm, not very. All I know is that it involved a wooden horse somehow, but that's pretty much it."

Apollon laughs bitterly, "Yeah, I think that's what people associate with the war nowadays. Then, let me ask you a different question. What exactly did you see in your vision?"

"Well...it wasn't in a battlefield...in Troy at first. I found myself in a meadow somewhere with a forest right next to it. There was a woman just walking around, a really pretty one at that. But then all of a sudden this man just came out of the forest and grabbed her." Tsukito explained.

"Oh yeah, Paris took Helen. I remember that." Apollon said.

"Can you...tell me more about it?" Tsukito asked.

"So once Eris, the goddess of chaos, threw down an apple labeled for the fairest. Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena ended up having a huge fight over it, so Zeus sent them to Paris, the prince of Troy. He ended up picking Aphrodite in the end, so she promised him the most beautiful woman, that being Helen. Paris knew Helen was already married to the king of Sparta but he kidnapped her anyway and that's pretty much how the whole war started in the first place."

"Then...how do you come into play in all of this?"

"Me, I was a different story. Long ago, I fell in love with a woman. Cassandra was her name. To show my love for her, I...I gave her the gift of prophecy. But somehow she became able to see her own future and saw how our relationship wasn't going to work, so she rejected me in the end." Apollon paused, trying to hold back a sob, "But I loved her so, so much and got angry that she just left me like that, so I cursed her so that no one would ever believe her prophecies. But even that wouldn't quell my anger, so I ended up fighting with the Trojans in the end."

The more Apollon talks, the more Tsukito notices how hard he is trying not to cry. Tsukito inched his hand towards Apollon's and held it gently, trying to assure him somehow. "Go on."

"It started when the king of Mycenae insulted one of my priests, so I went over to Troy and shot plague infected arrows into the Greek army camp and it just escalated from there. At that point I just didn't care anymore and went massacring anyone I could during the whole war." Apollon continued to explain, the tears in his eyes were becoming more evident, "I killed so many people. And I still regret what I've done to this day. You have no idea how much I wish I could go back in time. I would change everything! EVERYTHING!" The sun god screamed in between sobs, "Then maybe I wouldn't have to feel my sins crawling on my back everyday!"

Tsukito just sat there at a loss of what to do. Seeing Apollon so broken like this, he honestly couldn't fathom how someone so cheerful and loving could be hiding so much pain. It must be even worse for a god since they have to bear their scars forever.

"What you did was wrong...very, very wrong. You made a mistake, and I can't imagine how much of a burden it feels for you. You can't go back and change it, no matter how much you want to." Tsukito said, "But the least we can do is learn from it. Resolve to be better and move on."

"All this time, I've tried to do everything to make up for what I did, but...that feeling never goes away. I can still feel all the blood on my hands and it feels gross." Apollon's shoulders shake as he breaks down crying "Sometimes I wonder if it even matters anymore? Maybe I just wasted my time desperately wanting to believe it's possible to be a good person, even if I've killed people. I think it would've been easier if I didn't care so much."

Tsukito hesitates before giving an answer, "You didn't waste your time. To be honest, I would like to think anyone could be a good person if they try." He cautiously wrapped his arms around Apollon, treating him gently as if he were made of glass. "But I think you can do it. I believe in you."

Apollon pried Tsukito off of him, half expecting him to look at him with contempt and hatred. But there was none.

"Tsuki-Tsuki..." Apollon grabbed onto Tsukito's waist tightly and buried his face into his chest, "Thank you...even though I don't deserve this..."

"I didn't do anything. The least I could do was listen."

"I'm sorry, Tsuki-Tsuki...I'm not as perfect as you think I am." Apollon sobbed into Tsukito's chest.

"That's okay too. I don't expect you to be." Tsukito said as he cards his fingers through Apollon's long golden locks. He rested his chin on the top of his head and sighed. He wanted to do something for Apollon and if that means letting him cry in his arms all night, so be it.

As we approach the last few chapters of this story, I will take the time to announce that I might change the rating next chapter because it may or may not get smutty from this point on.

I mean, probably the skinny dipping scene should probably tell you something x)