#windroot

If there was anyone close to being considered Hermes' lover, any Olympian would probably say Aphrodite, Brimo, or maybe even Persephone in rare cases. Everyone knows about his affairs with Brimo and Aphrodite, and that one time he tried to woo Persephone, but ask someone like Aphrodite, who you'd probably expect her to laugh about it and go "Yes, it's probably me, isn't it?", would say Aeolus, and then you'd hear her rave about her shipping them so hard if you ask why. Unexpected pairing, isn't it? Hermes, the messenger of the gods, and this random wind god?

Not if you know Hermes, and have been paying attention to his recent activity. Hermes' recent absence from Olympus has been quite a mystery towards the other Olympians. The one god they'd expect to be there, to deliver messages and receive messages to deliver, or probably to wreak havoc and play pranks on nymphs, muses and Olympians, probably steal a thing or two, wasn't. So when Hermes showed up for the God Games for the first time in what felt like weeks, it was... actually less of a shock than what it should've been. Most gods were just like "Oh, you finally showed up. Where have you been?" or "Where have you gone, Hermes?"....just like right now. "There you are. Took you long enough to finally show up." Artemis commented as Hermes flew down to a seat nearby. Hermes laughed cheekily and greeted her. "Hey there, Artemis darling!" Artemis just stared at him and continued sitting there in silence. (Truth be told, she'd rather stay in her forest rather than be here but her presence was requested by Apollo as support, for some reason).

Hermes fiddled with his fingers and tapped Artemis on the shoulder, sneaking an arrow or two away from her before asking her a question with a nervous face. Looking around, as if looking for someone, he leaned over and asked her, "Say, have you seen Aeolus around?" Artemis raised an eyebrow and replied with a firm but questionable "No...?". With a nod, Hermes responded quickly. "Alright, um, thanks darling." Hermes flew back to his seat and waited. Waited. From there, Artemis had a weird line of thought.

Aeolus. Aeolus, as in the Wind God Aeolus, Ruler of Aeolia? Hermes had always been close to Aeolus, but recently she's suspected their relationship to have gone a little further than expected. Before, it was just little flings and best friend shenanigans, prank wars between gods when they had the opportunity to talk and have fun with one another (which wasn't a lot, since both had a lot of duties to uphold, with one as a divine messenger between gods and the other a ruler of a prosperous kingdom). But she wasn't one to judge, not when it wasn't any of her business, really. A few minutes pass by and a gush of wind overlooks the entire colosseum. If you look up, you'll see Aeolus, the wind god themselves, but in different attire...? What could be the special occasion?

"Hey there, handsome!" A familiar femme-esque, singsong voice rang from above Hermes. Floating around from the top of the large colosseum in Olympus, Aeolus twirled in the air before landing right next to Hermes on a cloud seat of their own. While they smiled and gazed into Hermes' eyes, expecting his own greeting and a cheeky comment or two, what they didn't expect was for him to stay silent, eyes wide, mouth agape and running up and down their body. They smiled mischievously. 'So he noticed the new 'fit, huh?'

Usually, they'd be seen in a usual blue chiton with pants and white swirls around with clouds as accents of their outfit. But for today, they decided to change it up and see if Hermes would comment on it. They donned a blue chiton, this time shorter from their hip down to their left thigh—revealing more of their skin previously unseen under their pants, and the blue swirl marks he had never seen before covering their legs. Clouds covered their waist area while billowing sleeves hanging off their shoulder whilst their chest is barely covered by draped clouds. Their white hair flowed freely, imitating clouds as they sat in their usual relaxed position. Their eyes shined like the clouds in the sky, illuminated by the sun itself.

His eyes lingered on their exposed legs and shoulders, the way their sleeves sagged a little everytime they moved, exposing more and more of their skin. Their sitting position made it easy to see... certain things if viewed from the front, which made him jealous on the inside. How could they have the privilege to see such things of Aeolus when he couldn't? He hasn't even accounted for their—

"Hellooooo, Earth to Hermes?" They floated to change their position to be on their knees and leaned closer to Hermes, waving in front of his eyes, they spoke up once more, their melodious singsong voice waking up Hermes as if it was a mortal's alarm clock.

Hermes, finally waking up from his sweet daydream, jolted at Aeolus' closeness and snapped to scoot a little away from them in an attempt to hide his flustered state, though it only made it more clear. Scratching the back of his neck, he looked away and pretended to start paying attention to the games in front of them. "Haha, uh, hey there, Sweetness." He desperately tried ignoring the cheeky wind god he had for a best friend, even if he so badly wanted to go back to Aeolia with them in his arms, pin them to their bed and make them scream his name and his name only, for all of Aeolia to hear. And if only had they looked down onto his lap, they'd get wind of his little predicament.

They giggled cheekily and commented some comment of theirs, something about him being "distracted", and changed to a relaxed position to watch the games unfolding in front of them. One leg propped up with their arm resting on it, while the other supported the body and the other leg laid flat against their cloud. Every once in a while, Aeolus' gaze would flicker to Hermes to see if he had any reaction they should know about, but they mostly saw the same expression as before—profusely sweating, eyes strained trying to focus desperately on the games, and stiff muscles. They smiled and their heart fluttered with butterflies twirling in their stomach. Did they really have that effect on him?

Little did they know, his gaze would linger on their exposed skin he apparently loved so much, their face he always wanted to see for every hour of every day, their hair that he has always admired for its softness and just... 'floaty-ness', their hands he so desperately wanted to touch and hold, intertwine with his, whenever he was sure they weren't looking. (Unbeknownst to him, it was the Winions pawing at their billowing sleeves that later snitched on him as they slept in their bed in Aeolia.)

While Hermes only appeared to be paying attention to the God Games unfolding in front of him, perhaps the singsong giggles and cheers of his oh-so stunning best friend was too distracting for him. He just can't stop his heart when it comes to Aeolus. Oh, the way they talked, the way they smiled at him, their cheeky little comments that never fail to get his heart racing and his face hot, and the way they react when he spits back a comment that just captures their heart in the right way... Oh, he doesn't know why, but they're just his type. They match perfectly with one another, like two peas in a pod. The cheeky wind god who keeps the winds and storms in check, ruler of Aeolia and the messenger of the gods, god of athletics, thievery, lies and traveling (among other things) Hermes. Heck, even Aphrodite noticed their odd behavior, but every time she approached him and asked about his relationship with Aeolus, he continuously threw out excuse after excuse. "They were just cold, so I lent them some of my clothes! Is it wrong to say they look great in it?" "We're just best friends, it's our way of showing our friendship!" "They looked like they needed it." But it always seemed like Aphrodite knew what was happening in his heart, she is the Goddess of Love after all. If there's one god/dess to know how he feels (and that it's not Aeolus), it's gotta be Aphrodite.

"She's always so pretty...!" Aeolus commented, as Aphrodite battled Athena for her "release him". Honestly, her argument about Odysseus' mother dying was pretty convincing, and it sounded just like something Aeolus would expect out of Odysseus. "Oh, you had an... affair with Aphrodite in the past, right?" Their sweet, happy tone drastically changed in tone to one he knew was them trying to be happy when they attempted to get his attention. "Hermes...?" By their voice alone, he could tell their smile had gone away. Aeolus then poked his cheek trying to get his attention, leaning to him as they got on their knees again and gazing into his eyes, trying to see what they're so distracted by. "Hermes..." They turned to the main area of the Colosseum then at the audience seats in front of them in an attempt to see who was distracting him. What else could have gotten his attention like that when they were right there in such a different outfit? Who could it possibly be?

Averting their gaze back to the games in an attempt to cover up what just happened, they returned to their laid back position in their cloud-seat. Ares had just entered the arena, interrupting Athena pleading Aphrodite to reconsider her choice. Truth be told, Aeolus would have been incredibly invested in the event held in Olympus if only Hermes was acting normally. To the usual resident of Olympus, they would've been seen bickering and sharing silly stories from their youth. From their birth to recent events, such as Odysseus' visit to Aeolia a while back, and the fact that they technically helped Odysseus right off Poseidon by the storm left in the bag of air they gave Odysseus. Hermes would have shared his story of the affair he had with Aphrodite too, if he was in his right mind. They knew that they had a child together, but they had convinced themselves it was alright, fine and dandy. It was just a one-off fling, after all, it's not necessary to be this jealous if Aphrodite is in love with Ares and is even engaged to him now.

"—didn't even try to kill Scylla! Hides—"

As violent as he usually is as the God of War, Ares threw his axe to the crowd, directed at Athena during the heat of the battle as he broke Athena's Quick-Thought Realm, but the axe, weirdly enough, hit Aeolus' seat and thus almost killed Aeolus as a result... though they were sure it was just out of coincidence because Athena dodged his axe pretty easily. As the axe came flying towards them at an incredible speed out of Ares' pure strength, it was mere inches from their legs, they were about to float away and honestly, it would've probably worked and they'd be fine if they floated fast enough, however they knew they would be hurt in the end. Blood would seep out from their legs and they'd fail to fly. The events then would domino into a storm because the weakness the damage of the wound would cause and would cause them in turn, to lose control of the storms they were entrusted to keep by Zeus. That's a dangerous game to play, one they know not to agree to, they weren't as naive and sure-of-themselves as Odysseus when he agreed to their game. However, things got... odd after that.

As they stepped foot off their cloud as the axe came mere millimeters towards their chest, almost piercing their skin and tearing their perfectly sewn chiton (that, might I mention, was just finished being sown by the Aeolian weavers this morning) as their cheery smile faded quickly from their face, eyes widening and heart almost stopping right then and there when they left warm hands wrap around their waist and under their knees quickly. They yelped as they were hoisted into the air before it turned into mischievous and cheeky laughter, ringing into the air. Hermes, meanwhile had a face of nervousness and shock, tightly gripping Aeolus' waist (without hurting them, of course), as he fearfully looked on to the axe next to him.

Aeolus put their own hands over Hermes' (which were on their waist) and pried them off their body, freeing themselves from his grip and floating away to face him as they summoned another cloud seat to sit on. They smiled and looked at Hermes, who finally started paying attention to them. "So the Aphrodite thing didn't get your attention but this did?" With a smile and a happy tone, they questioned his actions. Hermes, looked back at them with a red face and pulled up their sleeve, which had continuously been dragged down by gravity, in an attempt to cover the skin they were showing. "I couldn't let you get hurt."

Aeolus smiled, "Whatever you say, baby."

"Sooo... Aeolus. Let's talk about them, shall we?" Aphrodite approached Hermes and laid down with her legs in the air lying on a cloud made of a foggy aphrodisiac, emitting hearts made of smoke. With his mouth agape and cheeks flushed from their relationship finally being noticed by a fellow Olympian, let alone the Goddess of Love herself, Hermes responded as he stuttered and stammered, desperately trying to justify their interactions and most importantly, his behavior back in the games earlier. He pulled down his hat and hid his eyes, "Um, what about it, Aphrodite darling?"

As the Goddess of Love, she can easily identify when love strikes another being. It's really cute, and other than spending her time in bed with someone, she enjoys overlooking people in love, and especially if they're in the crush stage. This one, however, is a special case, because she knows who Hermes is, and you can say they're close (not really). Aphrodite laughed, and just said, "Admit it, Hermes! You two are in a relationship, aren't you?"

Hermes shook his head repeatedly and scratched the back of his neck, gripping his shoulder bag's strap out of nervousness. "No, no! That's not it at all, darling! We're just best friends!" Aphrodite smiled with teasing intentions, signaling that she doubts they're just "friends". "Come on, Hermes. I'm the Goddess of Love, you'd think I know when one falls so deeply in love they can't act normally, no?" Hermes bowed his head a little in defeat, avoiding Aphrodite's gaze out of embarrassment that he was caught, finally.

"Let's talk about it, shall we? It's just between the two of us, I promise." Aphrodite smiled and assured him with a pat on his shoulder. She is the Goddess of Love, if there's one persone who should be trusted with his feelings, it's her, right? "Where should we start? How about... what happened back there?"

Hermes starts sweating bullets. He didn't think anyone would notice, they were sitting or standing too far away from him. Hades, Medusa, Amphitrite, Artemis, they didn't suspect a thing! (They did, it 100% raised a few eyebrows here and there.) "Whatever do you mean, Aphrodite? Nothing happened back there."

"You're not tricking anybody this time, Hermes! I know when someone gets so infatuated with someone that they can't function properly." Aphrodite reassures him once again, but this time, he does kind of let the mask slip a little. After a while of this pushing and pulling game between the messenger and the love goddess (and also because I refuse to elaborate more on this scene), Hermes finally lets it down.

"So you do like them?" Aphrodite questioned, this time, instead of a teasing smile and a wiggle of the eyebrows, with a gentle and reassuring smile, exactly what he needs right now when he's trying to open up. You know Hermes, he struggles with this kind of thing. Hermes nodded as his head was in his hands, this dilemma really had a hold on him (so did Aeolus), and for the sake of all the gods who wanted things delivered by him but ended up waiting a while because Hermes was distracted by a certain wind god, Aphrodite was doing a favor for everyone. (Yes, they were thankful in the end.) "I just... I do like them a lot, I love them. I love Aeolus, but they should just be a friend. You'd think they have better things to do, right?" Aphrodite didn't think it was a convincing argument. "Admit it, you just love them but you're a coward." She was starting to get annoyed, a little.

Hermes pulled down his hat to hide his eyes and smiled like a highschool boy in love. "It's just... the way they smile at me, the sound of their singsong laughter, their voice, something about it makes me want to hear it every day of my life. Their attire makes me feel butterflies in my stomach all the time, especially when they pull stunts like... that... Fuck, it does something to you when you see your love wear something revealing in their whole life of modesty." Aphrodite smiled cheekily. Hahaha, it worked. It's getting to the good stuff. If Olympus had popcorn, she would be snacking on it while listening to Hermes ramble. (Though inside, within herself she questioned how that can be considered revealing to Hermes, but she thought it was just the fact that it was Aeolus. Considering their usual attire, their new outfit could be considered "revealing" then.)

Aphrodite smiled, this time her cheeky grin had returned to her fair face. "Go on." Hermes felt comfortable to spill his feelings for Aeolus, especially since it was the Goddess of Love, but most especially because Aeolus wasn't there (he thinks so, at least). "I still remember the first time I made them blush from s comment I offhandedly spit out one day, that day will forever be burned into the minutia of my brain. Gods, they looked so cute when they were caught off guard. Not to mention, their reaction the first time I visited their chambers upon Aeolia. The way they awaited for me the following nights, the way their eyes lit up everytime I flew to their balcony. The first night we slept together in their bed was... the most magical and ecstatic night of my life." With a red face and a lovesick smile, eyes turning into hearts under his hat with white wings, Hermes continued to ramble on for hours and hours until Hermes had duties to attend to as a god. Flying away with a red face, he clutched a letter he had written himself, with the help of Aphrodite and Apollo (not mentioned) and smiled into the air as he flew to Aeolia. As the eyewall covering Aeolia came into view, he smiled the widest lovesick grin he's ever smiled and flew as fast as he could to his love's arms.

Little did he know, Aeolus hasn't left Olympus yet.

From behind a pillar hidden by the magical clouds of the heavens hid the wind god Aeolus, spying on the conversation between Hermes and Aphrodite. This was the plan as Aphrodite and Aeolus talked and agreed on the night before—Aeolus would stay after the God Games and Aphrodite would approach Hermes and try to get him to admit that he loved them. Aeolus, with their wind powers, would hide somewhere nearby to see the conversation behind some pillar of whatever.

Once Aphrodite left, they were stunned with an equally red face, partnering Hermes' own red face as he flew off. Aphrodite turned around and mouthed, "See? I told you he loved you."

(Aphrodite pointed to Hermes and also mentioned, "You should probably go back to Aeolia now, Hermes is speeding over there to see you and he might be bummed to see you aren't there." With that, Aeolus disappears out of thin air and patiently awaits him, overlooking from their balcony as usual every time he visited Aeolia. With a soft smile and a dumb, lovesick grin, both gods had hearts in their eyes the moment their eyes locked.)

Upon the island kingdom of Aeolia lived a ruler by the name of Aeolus, whom the picturesque perfect kingdom was clearly named after. Contradicting their role the ruler of an idyllic kingdom (unknown to most), Aeolus was a mischievous and playful mortal. Quick witted and always seemed like they lived in a world that was slowed down, they were favored by Zeus as a great ruler and thus, he cared for them (in a platonic way, Zeus has no interest in Aeolus). Because of this, Zeus had decided to make them handle the winds of the mortal realm. All gentle and harsh winds, storms and typhoons, rainfalls and hurricanes were under their jurisdiction, the harsher winds and storms having needed to be controlled and kept somewhere with a close eye on them. Aeolus handled this role perfectly and juggled this role with their preexisting role of ruler of Aeolia, and yet with a cheeky smile and whimsical voice, they never cracked under the pressure once and always managed it perfectly.

Fair and stunning, it was a surprise to most Aeolians and mortals outside of their scope that they hadn't chosen a suitor yet. Many would come to ask for their hand in marriage but would all be turned down for a number of reasons. This was one of the real reasons the eye wall protected Aeolia from the outside eye, seeming to have disappeared from thin air to the regular mortal. Their reasons were considered so silly that they could barely even be considered reasons to turn suitors down if it weren't for them being an esteemed ruler favored even by Zeus. Reasons like "Oh, sorry, my hand is broken!" or "I don't know, but my hand doesn't like your hand!" But truth be told, none of them just felt right, and even if they did feel right, their heart never yearned for them.

Not until someone came along.

One day, as the Ruler of Aeolia was relaxing in their chambers. They felt a gush of wind blow inwards, into their chambers and blowing their sheets into the air. Clutching their sheets, they squinted and prepared to send a storm to banish the intruder, only for an oddly familiar voice to ring from the silhouette. "Hello, my friend! Aeolus, is it?" The wings atop the hat, brown wavy hair, pure eyes and that messenger's shoulder bag, paired with winged sandals... "Right on the nail, Hermes!" Aeolus happily chirped back, in their melodious, singsong voice many adored by heart. And Hermes understood clearly why.

"For a young mortal like you, I'm almost offended no one has taken you just yet! You have clearly been blessed by Aphrodite." Hermes commented, leaning against the marble railing of their cloud home's balcony with a sly smile. "What a charmer." With an equally cheeky smile, they responded while teasing him by just pulling their sheets in a way that exposes skin without exposing themselves. "And such a beauty too~" They smiled.

"So what is such a handsome god doing in my abode or are you just here to try and take my hand like the others?" Hermes snapped out of his trance, and scavenged through his shoulder bag before pulling out a golden letter. "Hera has a message for you, and one from Athena, too." As he handed them the letter, he spread his fingers to reveal two, as if they were cards and he had the flexible and tangible (and dare I say, attractive?) hands of a (modern) magician. Aeolus sat up from their bed and grabbed the letters, opening them and looked through the letter from Hera and the letter from Athena eagerly and thoroughly, delivering "mmm"'s and "ahhh"'s.

"Alright, give me a moment, handsome." Aeolus smiled mischievously and pulled out a white quill and a golden sheet, writing a letter back quickly. They placed it in a white envelope decorated with blue swirls and handed it to Hermes. As he placed it amongst the other letters, he secretly pulled out another letter and placed it near them, somewhere they'd see but was too preoccupied by their vigorous writing and reading. He thought.

Whilst they read Athena's letter, they saw him sneak the letter next to them and bit back a cheeky and excited smile. They rushed the response letter and smiled, repeating the process as with their response to Hera, handing the letter to Hermes once more. "Don't get it mixed up, cutie. I see you're really busy... Don't over do it." They leaned over to Hermes and kissed his forehead, and waved him off, summoning a strong enough gale to blow him away, blocking their chambers from sight with a cloud of fresh fog and smiled sweetly, as if nothing happened.

As he floated there stunned, he had a thought as his heart raced. Perhaps he had been hit by one of Eros' arrows? All of his affairs and loves had always been short, one-off flings that never lasted because mortals are just a mere blink in the eyes of an immortal's lifespan. However, never in his years of living had he met such a mortal like them. Their quick wit, stunning beauty, mischief and cheekiness paired with that melodious smile and sweet, singsong voice had him head over heels, and their eyewall had barely let him in if it were not for his status as a god, one of the Twelve Olympians as a matter of fact. Who knew his type was a stunning and fair mortal who could actually keep up with him?

As his winged sandals took him high into the air, up into the heavens of Mount Olympus, his heart continued to race as his mind was plagued by Aeolus, and Aeolus only. Everything about them screamed to him, and he now desired nothing more than to be able to call them his. He really needs to get all of these deliveries done, as he pulls his finger over all the letters packed in his shoulder bag. He wants—no, needs to get back to them as soon as possible.

As Hermes flew away out of the eyewall, Aeolus let their mask slip and their gaze flickered to the dainty envelope scented strawberries, pomegranate and of faint cinnamon, a scent that they'd go on to associate with him as they spend their life with him. However, this letter wouldn't open no matter how hard they'd try, even putting it through the roughest of their storms and harsh winds wouldn't make the envelope budge.

But the answer came out one day as Hermes and Aeolus were cuddling about a year into their apparent friendship. Hermes had his arms around their waist as they were on top of him—he was sitting as he leaned back into their quartz wall of blue swirls, hands wrapped tightly around their waist as they sat on his lap, head tucked between the crook of his neck and his head. "Say, cutie, what's up with this letter?" They finally questioned as the question popped into their head not a moment ago, leaning up from his embrace as they pulled out the letter from a cloud behind them. Not releasing his tight grip from them, he smiled and replied with his usual cheeky tone. "It's not until you complete a task when you'll finally get that message. It's... important to me, and maybe even you. It's best if you wait. Yeah, baby?" Aeolus puffed their cheeks and huffed, pouting before nodding, returning their head between the oddly comfortable place of his neck and head.

While Hermes couldn't see their face, their eyes glanced down as they doubted and feared what could be in the letter. 'It's best if I wait..?' His words rang throughout their head as they closed their eyes and leaned further into his body and touch, pursing their lips and eventually smiling at his warmth and comfort. Hermes pulled them up after a minute or two, tapping their shoulder as they sat up once more. He smiled softly, as if asking for permission before it was granted. As soon as they gave their suspicious and hesitant nod, he grabbed their chin and used their chiton to pull them to him, pulling their face to him before moving their face to the side and kissing their cheek. As they pulled back from his touch, he smiled and pulled them back closer to him. He chuckled as he felt them warm up and their heartbeat quicken.

To them, this was quite literally the first kiss they've ever had, even if it was just a kiss to the cheek. Their face was red and for the first time, they couldn't respond with a quick witted and clever response when Hermes teased and poked them about their red-faced reaction. They never pulled away from his touch, not even after he teased them—they only leaned further into his touch as they squirmed and wriggled deeper into his touch, gripping his waist tightly as Hermes responded by doing the same?

'Are you really just a friend to me? Is this your way into creeping into my heart?'

It had been years since that fateful day Aeolus and Hermes met, and ever since, Hermes has been visiting consistently.

Every night they'd wait for him atop their balcony as he flew to them, capturing them in a hug and barely hovering over his lips before pulling away with a mischievous, triumphant smile, feeling his rapid heartbeat and excited rosy cheeks. They truly enjoyed messing with the god they had for a best friend, even over their moments of pride as a ruler, even over their moments of turning into a large fog version of themselves and driving those who betray him away, even above those.

And every night, they'd spend their time falling deeper in love, leaning further into the other's body, deepening kisses as they pant against each other's mouth, smiling and giggling as they play prank after prank against one another, spending the most magical parts of their lives with one another in Aeolia, yearning for more, even more than they could ever handle, but most especially, more time. These moments with each other marked the most happy and magical moments of their lives, both of them. Even for an immortal god like Hermes, out of all his lovers, he felt as if Aeolus was the one.

After one particularly sentimental night, Hermes talked to Aeolus about proposing, more specifically getting married. Remembering how years before they would reject any suitor because it just didn't feel right, how they knew they would not love them for them but for the title of king/queen, how they made any excuse to preserve the second throne of Aeolia for someone they were sure they loved. Now having dropped the mask years ago, Hermes' mask fell too. The letter finally opened one night as Hermes and Aeolus were discussing potential vows if they were to get married as they let the gentle winds blow against them atop Aeolus' balcony of their temple/palace. They were being the cutest couple to walk on Earth and possibly even Aphrodite felt exhilarated at the new love blooming for an immortal, this time, true love. Not some one night stand or a short-lived affair, this was true love. One she could tell Hermes wanted to keep.

And she predicted it correctly when Hermes finally approached his father about it.

According to what Aphrodite has heard, Zeus agreed since he favored Aeolus and cared for them, admiring their resolve as ruler of Aeolia and keeper of gentle and rough winds. In his words, "Summon them and I'll have our cupbearer brew Ambrosia for them." Hera, however doubted that Hermes could keep his marriage, especially with an immortal spouse, and also doubted Aeolus could do the same considering their personality and characteristics, and thus later refused the Ambrosia and ordered that Aeolus be put in trials while Hermes be tempted with beautiful and tempting nymphs and women in the Underworld, away from his love. If either one of them or both failed, the Ambrosia would not be granted, and Hera would punish the loser for leading the other on. However, if both succeed, Aeolus' last trial will be drinking Ambrosia (with being told it's poison to test their wits and resolve) in front of the Colosseum and in front of Hera herself.

The following night, the trails would start as Hermes quickly made his way to Aeolus to warn them about it, but found himself melting into them as they unknowingly led themselves blind into the trials. As they fell asleep against him that night, Hermes found himself hyperventilating about losing them, losing this, whatever they had. Be it friendship or romance, he feared losing them to a scary and almost life-changing degree. He feared that they'd be scared to approach him, in fear that the gods would forbid their love because one was unfaithful, or worse, feared losing them as his lover and spouse.

He feared letting go of them in the morning would be the last joyous memory he has of them before they fear him eternally, even in the Underworld. That their yawn and mischievous and teasing laugh and comments would be the last thing he has of them before they're gone forever. And they seemed to have noticed this.

"No witty banter, herms? Come on, that's not fun!" No response.

"Herms?" No response.

They placed their hands on his shoulder as they got on top of him once more, looking into his distant, wandering eyes with a concern that can't be measured by numerics no longer. "Hermes." They called out to him. "Hermes..." They uttered his name to a degree that even the Winions couldn't hear their words. As Hermes registered their breath against his face, he snapped out of his daze and feared speaking in fear that for the first time, faux witty banter wouldn't be enough to cover this up. Aeolus knows too much, knows him too much. He can't bear to lie to them, even if lying is supposedly one of his divine associations as a god. "I'm sorry, Ae."

They laughed at his words freeheartedly, their airy giggles and laughs echoing throughout the wind. "Whatever do you mean?" But by the look of his face, he's serious. Something is bound to happen. And he knows it. "What... do you mean?" Their silly facade fell as they became genuinely scared and concerned, by the tightening grip he has on their waist as he pulled them closer to him, pulling them as close as he could while he tried to hold back tears. They could hear his sobs as he tried to keep it down, and his efforts kept them grounded to him, their bodies almost molded into one another. "I'm sorry." He utters again, like a prayer to them.

"I don't want to lose you. Not you, anything but you...." Hermes' grip tightened ever so slightly, holding back from squeezing them too hard as they are still human.

After a moment, Hermes calms down enough to relay what's going to happen sometime today through sniffles and teary eyes, streaks of tears visible dried on his face. "Hera is going to put you in a trial... She is going to put us in a trial that challenges the foundation of our... love." They listened attentively, perhaps for the first time in forever. "If both of us succeed, you'll be granted immortality and eternal youth. But if one loses the trial, you could.... You could be... I can't, not you—" Aeolus silences him with a finger to his lips, blowing a gentle wind to his face, though it might've just seemed like it to them because what was a little blow felt like winds had picked up as if a storm was about to hit a city in Greece and those winds were right in front of his face for a hot second.

"Don't worry about me, baby! I'll be okay! You know how I am, I can do it!" Hermes still doubted them, even if he knew they could do it even without trying. But against Hera? They don't stand a chance against the Queen herself. He nodded, putting on a slow, reassuring but fake smile and nodded. "Alright, baby."

Come the afternoon when Aeolus found themselves faced with a different messenger in their temple. Iris, the Goddess of Rainbow (though more importantly, Hera's acting personal messenger), had visited Aeolus in place of Hera, who now gave Aeolus their first trial in a line of three that battled their resolve and ability to love and trust, and most importantly of all, their loyalty to the one they love.

First Trial: Enarete.

A consort that once was to be wed to them, a consort that was banished the faithful day they banned arranged marriages and vowed to continuously refused offers to marry queens, nymphs and princesses from many, even gods and perhaps Hera once in search for one that would light the truly spark in their heart. It was many months and years ago when Enarete first came to Aeolia for Aeolus' hand in marriage. They were enchanted when they first witnessed Aeolus banish their ship inadvertently to the direction of their island, and they fell deeper in love when they met Aeolus once more in their temple as they pleaded for their help... and later returned to thank them and ask for their hand in marriage.

An enchanting princess, heir to her kingdom's throne in search of a suitor to contribute to her kingdom's power and reputation, one of the most beautiful and desirable maidens according to most, blessed by Aphrodite. And yet, even with all of her desperate pleas, tries at courtship and seduction, nothing worked. She even pleaded for Aphrodite to step in, but she received no answer. It was years ago when she died in a shipwreck in the ocean due to a harsh and unforgiving storm (that was not sent by Aeolus, mind you). In the Underworld, she spent her days deep in sorrow as she dreamt of Aeolus and a life she could've had, but hope reignited in Enarete when Hera herself summoned herself to Enarete, offering another chance to captivate Aeolus. With blessings and the reluctant assistance of Aphrodite, the Charites, Eros and a few other Olympians and minor gods (minus Hermes, of course), they helped Enarete capture Aeolus' heart once more.

Now as enchanting as ever, any man fell to their knees and worshipped her beauty for days on end, many suitors rushing into the palace and the fronts of her kingdom to ask for her hand in marriage. (After getting over the initial shock of Enarete suddenly coming back from the dead and adjusting once more, of course.) She, however, had her eyes set on the direction she remembered Aeolia was in. Setting sail once more and ignoring the desperate pleas of her parents to save her from potential doom once more, fearful for their daughter's life, she soon arrived in Aeolia after first traveling to Ithaca to be closer before setting sail.

Stepping once more on the lands of Aeolia, she stepped up to the islands and with an ever growing smile, she blushed at the thought of seeing her love again. Nervousness creeping up the many layers of her garments, sewed delicately by Aphrodite herself, she entered the tall palace-temple of Aeolus sat atop the highest island of the batch of islands Aeolia was. Not wasting a moment, they greeted Aeolus and pleaded for their love once more, with the exact words they once pictured Hermes declaring to them one day after he had mentioned marriage offhandedly. But now, that beautiful and lovely daydream had turned into a nightmare.

Harsh winds swirled around them as their hair floated, emitting anger only they could express in such a way. Balling their fists, they couldn't tell if they were about to cry or if they were about to send another storm to kill Enarete (even if they didn't send the first one). They didn't want to see her again, they didn't want to hear her desperate pleas for their love, not when they did the same for Hermes, in a more... intimate way. They refused to open that curtain that separated the two from meeting, they shut it with their winds harshly without mercy. But as the storms got harsher as Enarete got closer and got more desperate and bold, against all odds, managed to get into Aeolus' chambers behind the blue curtains anyway.

"My love, there you are!" Enarete exclaimed, her dark chocolate hair now cascading down her body, curled at the ends for a finishing touch. With many fragrant flowers and spices in her hand, she walked further towards Aeolus as her saffron-dyed veil blew in the wind aggressively. In the heart of the storm, she pursued her "true" love and entered the harsh summoning hurricane surrounding the ruler of Aeolia. "I've been looking forward to meeting you again, Ae!" That's the nickname Hermes calls them. She can't do that, that's reserved for Hermes only.

"You don't have permission to call me that." In an uncharacteristically harsh and cold tone, their eyes darkened with anger and deep-seeded wrath. They even refused to look at Enarete, almost putting all of her efforts to waste, if it weren't for Enarete pulling Aeolus to hug them. "Why won't you look at me, my love?" Putting on her best doe-eyes, she batted her eyelashes as if trying to flaunt her new appearance, guaranteed to enchant them with just her body and beauty. "Look at me, won't you love me now?"

No answer.

"My love?" Enarete crept closer to Aeolus, cupping their face as her lips hovered over theirs, doing her best to make them stay with an iron grip on their shoulders, not minding the worsening storm around them that could kill her. "I'm your wife now, we're bound in the eyes of the gods." Enarete smiled sweetly, drunk on love only she sees. Aeolus swats the beautiful and enchanting bride away like a fly with the hardest of winds as she was thrown to the quartz railing of their balcony, so close to being thrown off the island itself. As the hurricane came towards her, Enarete held on for dear life as she continued to sweet talk Aeolus as if they were wed. "My love, what are you doing?" Fear finally creeps into her body, crawling up her spine as she held on to the breaking and cracking quartz railing, sharp and dangerous pieces and fragments of debris tearing her veil and almost hitting her directly occasionally.

"You are not my wife! YOU WILL NEVER BE MY WIFE!" Aeolus screamed at them from above their head, looking down onto them in their largest form possible, harsh winds consuming the entire island kingdom of Aeolia as Aeolians ran, fearing for their lives. It was clear something, someone made the faithful mistake of angering the Keeper of Winds. "But I could become your wife! If only you would just—" Enarete took the risk and stood up, standing her ground as her bridal garments were stained with dirt and debris. "I never wanted you in the first place! I never even wanted you in my life!" Aeolus finally had enough as they rubbed the space between their eyes of their nose irritatingly, sending their Winions to take Enarete away and drop her off somewhere to die helplessly. "Take her away and make sure she never comes back." The Winions did as they were told as soon as possible, also so that Aeolus wouldn't be mad and scare them further. Rubbing their temples, they locked Aeolia to the mortal scope, unable to be found easily by mortal means while still allowing for those worthy to enter and Aeolians to leave.

Iris smiled. First trial complete.

Second Trial: Adultery.

More specifically, reactions to illusions of Hermes committing adultery. Could they figure out it wasn't him? Can their wits outsmart mortal instinct?

As they spent their day casting storms to appropriate areas and guiding sailors with gentle winds and directional gales, Iris was sent to ask for Pasithea, the Goddess of Hallucinations and Meditation to assist with the trials set up by Hera. As Iris relayed Hera's plan to Pasithea, Pasithea reluctantly agreed and casted illusions of Hermes committing adultery, getting with Aeolians and nymphs right under Aeolus' nose and of him rejecting their advances. Could they realize his cold touch isn't identical to the hands that hugged and cuddled them last night and the night before?

Aeolus entered their chambers once more, still a little stressed from the night before. However, what they saw only stressed them out further.

Hermes.

And Enarete.

They were cuddling right there in Aeolus' bed, just like they used to do—like they literally did last, last night when Hermes wasn't trapped in the Underworld. They felt betrayed as winds began to pick up again. "My love..." Enarete muttered against his neck, kissing his sweet spot as she smiled and looked at him lovingly, Hermes seemingly enjoying it and chuckling. "Enarete, honey, we're married. Think you can stop with those or..." Hermes grabbed her chin and muttered into her ear, "are you just as insatiable as a rabbit in spring?"

Enarete giggled and almost shook vigorously out of pure excitement, smiling as if drunk on true love as she grabbed his face and kissed him deeply and passionately. All the while, glaring happily at Aeolus who seemed to either grow more sorrowful or wrathful as they went on. A sly and smug grin was evident through her eyes as they parted, gazing once more into Hermes' eyes. "I love you..."

Aeolus' breath hitched in their throat as angry winds swirled around them, pushing Enarete against the eyewall harshly and ignoring her cries for Hermes. As Hermes leaped up to catch Enarete, Aeolus hugged him in an attempt to keep him to themselves, their eyes widened as their heart stopped. This wasn't Hermes. This man doesn't feel like their love. This man wasn't as warm as their lover and they knew Hermes would never cheat on them. He's told them many times that they feel different from other mortals and even nymphs he has gotten with. He would never cheat on them, not after all the things they've done together.

They smiled as they lulled Hermes, faking desperation and cooing pleas to stay, even spiking their eyes with tears to further their acting. It wasn't necessary, they've already found out that this Hermes wasn't Hermes, but they figured to make it a little bit more fun.

"Herms... You don't love her, trust me!" In a playful tone as if desperate for him to end this prank, they moved his face to face them, one hand on his shoulder while the other touches his lips with their thumb, caressing his cheeks with love in their eyes. "I know who you are. You wouldn't love her when I'm all that you could ever want." They've never been like this before, and honestly they don't know why they suddenly started acting like this. But, of course, anything for a little fun!

Aeolus leaned in to kiss the illusion of Hermes, with as much fervor and passion as they would in bed. As they felt this Hermes lean into the kiss while the illusion of Enarete faded away (confirming their suspicion that none of this is real, that it's all an illusion), they created a makeshift sword made of something surprisingly physical and sharp made of just winds and stabbed the illusion of Hermes as it fades away. Their playful smile faded away as Hermes melted and faded away, though inside they truly missed him, even if it had just been fourteen weeks. Would the torment have concluded if he was here now? The illusion gave a brief image of Pasithea as she smiled and clapped, impressed and glad that they saw past it and didn't overreach too much (referring to the storm earlier). "I'm impressed you were able to sense it wasn't Hermes, Aeolus." Pasithea commented with a gentle smile. Though donning a gentle and kind persona, she was intimidating and terrifying in a way that also drew in a sense of comfort as she spoke and moved. She almost didn't feel real, in a way. "How did you know?" She smiled.

"His hands are too cold, he doesn't kiss back the same way Hermes does and... he doesn't grab my waist the same way. I know Hermes wouldn't cheat on me, not after everything we've done!" With a playful and mischievous smile and tone, the winds calmed down back to gentle winds and sea breezes as they twirled around, carefree and joyous. "I know him too much~" They winked.

Pasithea smiled and nodded. "Congratulations on passing your second trial. You have my blessings, young ruler." As she faded away, Aeolus gave a grateful smile and waved her goodbye, as Winions grabbed onto their leg and pulled at their garments, scared. "Hey now, don't be scared! She doesn't bite!" They smiled as they scratched their chin like a dog, the Winions giggling and smiling happily. "I'll be fine. He'll be fine. We'll... I hope we'll be fine." Aeolus' smile faded to a hopeless and bittersweet smile, intertwining their hands and bringing it to their chin, imagining it was Hermes.

From the balcony, Iris smiled once more and flew away before Aeolus could catch her spying. Second trial complete.

Third trial: Banria

Banria isn't a woman Aeolus has spent as much time as they have with Hermes ever in their lives, but it's justifiable—this Banria isn't even a woman at all. Banria is a human illusion crafted by Hera herself meant to steal Aeolus' heart from Hermes' hands. Cunning, flirty, enchanting, seductive, playful, mischievous. She is everything Aeolus loves about Hermes times 3, their first love, in fact, and Hera calculated that it would be effective in derailing the marriage. Now, because the eyewall makes it obvious that Banria isn't real (because no mortal can bypass it from the outside anymore since the two Enarete incidents), Hera made it so that Banria was already an Aeolian and placed her into the timeline as if everyone knew her already. She was good friends with Aeolus before they became ruler of Aeolia, but she left and went missing, and she has been for years now, until about a month ago under Aeolus' nose. (Truth be told, the real Banria is dead.) She (Banria) was in love with Aeolus but never made advancements, until now, when the storms caught her attention as Hera ordered her to take action the following night.

"Great wind god Aeolus, I've come to pray for your emotional guidance. May the storms within you calm and give us gentle winds for many years. I, and as an extention to the Aeolians, have been concerned and I've been sent as a sacrifice... with many offerings." Banria waved the Aeolians who brought all the offerings bye as she continued praying. Within Olympus, Hera watched eagerly, making sure Banria plays her role perfectly.

Banria stays around the temple, cleaning, but in reality she had just been waiting for Aeolus to come and meet her. She drops the rag on the floor as Winions look at her suspiciously then looking at one another. She inhales deeply and steps in the blue curtain. This calls for plan two.

"Aeolus?" Forward, perfect. Banria steps further in the dark chambers as she sees Aeolus' markings glow in the dark night of the dusk. "I saw the storm and I came as fast as I could... are you alright, dear?" Banria approached the distressed ruler on the balcony and stood next to them. Finally turning his head as he feels a familiar warmth, Aeolus turned his head to the familiar voice as they gasped. "Ria...? Is it really you?" Banria, grabbed their hand and held it in hers, staring into theirs as the wind blew her wavy blonde hair. "Yes, it's me, sweets!" Aeolus hugged her from behind, desiring nothing but comfort after all that happened recently. "Sit with me, I need someone to talk to."

For the next few months, the illusion of Banria and Aeolus grew. Rings of laughter echoing through the winds of the mortal realm. Laughter so euphoric and joyous it somehow reached Hermes. In the Underworld, he waited and waited for them to finish the trials, every fragment of hope he has withering away as the weeks turned into months. Fear crept into his heart as his mask broke, hiding somewhere where no soul can see him. Tears fell from his eyes as he sobbed helplessly. He desperately tried imagining Aeolus, hugging him, comforting him, interacting with him, anything, it just had to be them. "Why are you crying, Herms?" Their sweet, melodious voice rang through his head as he sobbed, imagining them reaching for his hands and taking it into theirs. "What's up?"

Hermes sobbed helplessly as the illusion of Aeolus comforted him, it had to do for now. "I wish you were with me, I wish I was with you... Why won't you finish the trials already? I love you... Why won't you love me back?" Hermes reached for their hands, hallucinating their presence. He passed through them as they donned a playful smile. "Don't doubt me, baby! You know how I am, I got this!" The Aeolus Hermes imagined hugged him, him desperately hugging them back as he cried into nothing. "Have faith in Aeolus, they know what they're doing."

The illusion faded away as Hermes slumped down against something and cried, looking up into the skies of the Underworld. He couldn't say anything but hopelessly pray that he be freed and allowed to experience their real warmth again. A single tear fell down his divine face as his eyes was empty with a sense of longing and hopelessness. "Aeolus..." He uttered his name like a mantra, a prayer devoted to his love and only his love. "Aeolus..."

"Aeolus..."

Months turned into years but never truly a decade, Banria and Aeolus happily spend their time together, doing things that Aeolus would do with Hermes. It was on day... 275 when they found the perfect time to strike. Just as when Hera thought she was going to win, that Aeolus life was thoroughly over, that they had forgotten Hermes over the months they replaced Hermes with Banria. But they weren't a mortal to be underestimated.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Truth be told, in their mind, Banria was Hermes. They didn't feel like him, they couldn't lay on top of her and cuddle like they did with Hermes. She didn't grab their waist the same way Hermes did, nothing she did enticed them like everything Hermes did. She wasn't special, she was just one of the many suitors asking for their hand. In the past, they maintained their playful persona and responded with quick-witted, funny responses maybe to lighten the load of rejection, but mostly because they were entertained by it and thought it was funny. But now, they're sick and tired of it. Even as word got around that they kept rejecting every suitor that came asking for their hand in marriage, every next one thought they were special, the one, per se. And they were sick of it, earnestly sick of it. As best as they tried to lighten the load and make the atmosphere happier and a little more jokey in their very own Aeolus way, they were getting more and more pissed at their advances, that they still managed to pierce their eye wall, even if it cost a life. They'd do anything for a chance to ask for their marriage. And Enarete coming back was their last straw. Seeing as they threw her off the island, it's clear what they plan to do to Banria, only, make it a little more fun.

As the woman laid on top of them, their head nestled atop their shoulder as their mouth gave soft kisses on their neck. "Ae..." They chuckled, internally waiting for the right moment. "Ae..." To further lead this Banria on, they muttered her name under their breath as their eyes reflected hearts. In the heat of the moment, Banria's eyes flickered to their lips and....

...soon disappeared as Aeolus took away the air from their lungs forcefully. Not even giving her the satisfaction of a kiss, they smiled a bittersweet smile as Banria became a disembodied pile of some liquid that they feared touching would mean death. Truly, they enjoyed spending time with that version of Banria because they truly did miss her, but as a friend. Nothing more, there wasn't enough room when Hermes was taking up all of the space in there. They couldn't even say he's hogging the space—even though he is—, he just stole their heart above all things. Of course, he's the god of thievery so it's expected but by the gods...

They got hot and bothered quickly thinking about him, and their intimate moments together huddled up in their room with no prying eyes. They smiled a lovestruck grin and laid their head against the wall behind their bed hug by strings of blue. Oh, how they wished Hermes was here to satiate their growing love and desire. How much longer do they have to wait for their love? How many more trials do they have to go through to meet their love once more?

The answer? One final trial.

A familiar light shined down onto the spot where Hermes was once again wallowing in grief, hopelessness and sorrow. He looked up, not expecting much but he was surprised to find a smiling Iris looking down onto him, wings flapping through the air of the Underworld as she announced what he was dying to hear for the last months and months. "Aeolus has completed the trials. All of them. Hera has requested your presence in the Colosseum for their reward." Iris nodded as a way of saying "follow me" as she took off. As they both took off from the dark Underworld, they landed on the rainbow connecting the mortal plane to Mount Olympus, walking calmly to the Colosseum where a lot of nymphs, gods and Olympians were waiting and chattering... while they waited. He had an uncharacteristic sense of nervousness lingering in his mind, what could Hera have given them to do in order for them to take so long? To leave him locked up in the Underworld like so?

As he stood before the crowd, Iris flew away somewhere, presumably to do her duties as a god, while Hermes was rightfully worried. There was a crowd of nymphs, gods plus minor gods who had enough time on their hands to come, all with shocked or amused expressions. It's either something good or something bad happened. Before him was a large cloud that obscured whatever was inside. He saw a goblet before Hera and Zeus, with Hera having an amused smile and Zeuz a rare proud and caring smile, both of which impressed by whatever Aeolus did. Meanwhile, his heart was pounding in his chest as he feared the worst. However, things were different.

Something blue floated out of the large cloud, so fast even Hermes couldn't catch them fast enough. As he turned around quickly to catch them, he felt a tap on his shoulder in that familiar tune he hears from Aeolus so much, paired with a giggle from the same whimsical, melodious voice he adores with all his heart. "Aeolus...?" Hermes turns around slowly and cautiously, unsure whether this may all be a dream he has in the underworld or if it is truly them. And there they were, his breath hitched at their eternal beauty. They weren't mortal anymore, they couldn't be. This beauty is something no mortal can capture, even in their dreams. They've never looked more beautiful in their life.

They floated closer with the sweetest and most dreamy smile they have ever smiled and kissed him passionately and softly. Hermes grabbed their waist as they were pulled down by his tight grip, pulling them closer to him and tangling his hands in their floating hair, blown by an eternal breeze. "Hermes!!!" They exclaimed happily as they hugged him. "It's you... It's you... Is it really you?" A tear fell from his cheek, a tear he didn't even know he was shedding. They giggled, sentimentality in their voice as they felt themselves tear up for the first time as they got emotional. Moving in a fluid and relaxed position, they smiled sweetly as they caressed his cheek, wiping his tears away as they laid on a cloud on their stomach. "Yes, it is me you silly!"

Hermes captured them in a hug as he flew up to them, crying tears of joy as he was finally reunited with his love. "I love you. I love you so much..." They smiled as they sank into his embrace. "I told you I could do it!" Hermes smiled up to them, with a rare wave of true emotions (that shocked the gods and nymphs watching), "So will you marry me now?"

Aeolus smile faded as their expression of giddy happiness turned into a shocked expression he's only seen a handful of times. They assessed the situation and the possible consequences, and smiled their cheeky smile and shrugged their shoulders before flying to him, tackling him to the ground with a hug. "Sure."