+++

As the goddess of the sun, poetry, music, and healing, Hani was a powerful goddess, loved and worshipped by many. Even after centuries passed, she was still loved and worshipped by mortals. She had been known to be the mother of talented artists. She had been the muse of brilliant artworks.

She was equally powerful and beautiful. She was the creator of the most devastating plague one could come up with at the same time, she could easily heal that devastating plague. She was beautiful, known for her endless list of beautiful lovers; boys and girls.

Gods and goddesses were immortal but there was only one thing that immortality could not fix; heartache. Even with her endless list of beautiful consorts, there were only two that she could never let go; Daphne and Hyacinthus.

Even after the Romans took over the world, she still could remember every single detail of her days with Daphne and Hyacinthus. The beautiful Daphne with her light green dress billowing in the wind, with her breathtaking smile and her long hair weaved with colorful flowers. She remembered their days together, swimming under the pale moon, their fingers exploring each other’s body.

Hani watched as Daphne was cursed into a laurel tree, her golden skin turned to bark and her dainty fingers elongated into branches. She screamed, kissed the tree that was Daphne in hope that she’d come back.

There is nothing you can do for her, sister, Sunggyu said.

There was nothing she could do for Daphne but creating a wreath from laurel leaves and wore it every day as a reminder of the one and only, her lovely Daphne.

Then of course, Hyacinthus. Prince Hyacinthus, with his brown curls framing his face and strong muscles under his perfectly sun-kissed skin. They wrestled on the grass, laughing whenever one of them managed to pin the other down. They had shared so many things; searing kisses in every nook and cranny of his castle and passionate embraces under his expensive sheets.

Hani was also there when Hyacinthus died. She could remember clearly how the red, red blood wetting his handsome face. He was smiling at up at her, whispering Hani, my goddess, I love you so, so, so—. He did not get to finish his sentence.

She had begged Hades to return his soul to her but Hades didn’t.

Hani, he is dead, let him go, Hades told her.

She did not let him go. She created a flower its petal smooth and as red as his blood that day, and called it Hyacinth.

+++

Present Day

Hani slid down her shades down to her nose, her pretty eyebrows arched in a judgmental manner when Mark returned with a massive cup of ice cream. The god of spring time grinned widely at her and passed her iced coffee to her.

“I can never understand how you can eat that for breakfast, lunch, and dinner,”
“You don’t have to understand,” Mark sniffed.

It was summer which means it was the time for Mark to spend his time with Jaejoong. The arrangement between Jei and Jaejoong stayed the same even after centuries. Sometimes, Jaejoong would let his son to spend a little more time with his wife.

Jaejoong never stated it explicitly but it was safe to conclude that he was warming up to the Queen of Underworld. From Mark’s stories, Jei was actually not that bad. She was gentle, wise, and smart—traits befitting of a queen. Now, if only someone could take Jei as an example..

Hani quietly slurped her iced coffee. This year’s summer was unforgiving, even when she was dressed in cropped tank top and hot pants, Hani was sweating profusely. Her orange-red hair uncomfortably stuck onto her face.

“Ugh, why is it so hot? Can’t you turn down the summer?” Hani complained.

Mark just shrugged.

“Father said I have to do it like this, to warn the mortals about global warming and climate changes,”

Hani huffed. Now that the season had changed to summer, she had to keep her sun chariot longer in the sky. More work for her, she never liked work. Keeping the chariot on a steady pace was tiring but on the brighter side, she could spend more time ogling at beautiful mortals.

She looked at Mark, the god of springtime and the Lord of Underworld was busy with his massive ice cream. She sipped her coffee, pushed up her shades and continued her people watching. The mortals had changed so much and she had to adjust herself to those changes.

Her eyes flitted from one mortal to another, whoever she found interesting or attractive. For a moment, her eyes followed the movement of a tall man with graying hair on his temples and dignified suit. The next, she was following a group of long-haired girls giggling about something.

That was when she realized the familiar presence.

She took off her glasses, her eyes darted from here to there frantically. She had sensed Hyacinthus’ soul. There were too many people around, too many souls—she could not be precise.

“Hani, you okay?” Mark asked, worry etched between his eyebrows.
“Hyacinthus—,”

Mark looked at her pityingly, she loathed it whenever Sunggyu or Mark gave her that look. Once every few years, she still had nightmares about Hyacinthus and Daphne and the next morning, Sunggyu and Mark would give her that look.

She couldn’t bring herself to care right now. She was so sure that whatever she just sensed was Hyacinthus’ soul.

“Hani, we’re going home, okay?”

My home had always been Hyacinthus and Daphne, don’t you know?

She let herself being led by Mark back to her apartment.

+++

The two of them were wrestling around in a field of grass hidden in the middle of a forest. Blades of grass were sticking on Hani’s thighs and face and the smell of damp grass was seeping into Hyacinthus’ tunic and skin. They laughed, arms and legs trying to push each other down.

Finally, Hani was pressed onto the grass, her red-orange hair pooled around her head, the Spartan Prince boomed with victorious laughter above her. His toned thighs were on her sides and his weight on her hips pushing her down. Hani let out a huffed grunt, her arms stretched out, wanting to pull at his brown curls.

Although Hani was a goddess with power that could easily eradicate ten armies combined, she was in her mortal form. Her godly power was compressed into something that would not destroy her mortal form.

“I did it. I have done the impossible. I have brought the sun down,” Hyacinthus smugly smirked.
“Congratulation, Hyacinthus of Sparta. Now, you shall return the sun,”
“Not before I can kiss the sun,”

Hani blushed.

“Kiss me, Hyacinthus of Sparta,” she ordered, whispering.

Hyacinthus loosened his hold on her. When she sat up, their faces were so unbearably close. Hyacinthus was the one who closed the distance between them. It was their first kiss, it was perfect, with the right amount of raw emotion and pure lust. Hani was the first to pull away, she looked at Hyacinthus and Hyacinthus regarded her with the gentlest and most genuine expression of love.

“Gods, I can kiss you forever,” Hyacinthus grinned crookedly.

+++

Present day

“Rise and shine my beautiful sister!” Sunggyu chirped, drawing the curtain in her room.

Hani let out a beastly growl and rolled away from the bright beam of sunlight. She heard shuffling around her room, a couple of ‘tsk’s, and a soft click of her door. Hani sat up, rubbing her face and let out a long sigh. Being the goddess of prophecy, most of her dreams were prophetic. She dreamed of bombing, wars, an earthquake—

Last night’s dream was peaceful and dreams like that that hurt the most. Those dreams had also found a way to manifest the pain into a real physical pain.

Sunggyu was preparing coffee and pancake in her kitchen. Since his hunt always took place in nighttime, Sunggyu never really spent the night in her apartment but most of his ‘mortal’ things were there.

Now that the world had changed, no more war or quests to be done, some immortals decided to mingle with mortals on earth. It was all the rage back in Olympus; Zeus and Hera owned a summer house somewhere in Europe, Hades owned several estates in America and China, Aphrodite owned a summer house in Paris, and there were still more.

Even some of the Titans that alleged themselves with the Olympians during the war were living in a suburban area.

“You are the best twin one could ever ask,” Hani smiled brightly before planting a smooch on Sunggyu’s cheeks.
“Brush your teeth, you smell,”

The twins ate their breakfast in comfortable silence.

“Mark told me about yesterday,”

Hani stopped shoving pancake into briefly, she stared at her twin before giving him her usual dismissive shrug.

“Something like this never happened, I understand the dreams but something like yesterday—,” Sunggyu looked at his twin sternly.

Hani put down her fork and left the table.

“I don’t need this from you, Sunggyu. You don’t understand,”
“I am trying to!” Sunggyu’s voice was slightly raised.

Hani flipped her twin brother off, grabbed her hoodie and keys before left the apartment.

Once she was outside, she knew that she was being unfair to her twin but she couldn’t bring herself to care. Every single one of her nerve-endings felt raw which was ridiculous because gods and goddesses didn’t feel something like that.

She looked down and stomped petulantly, she was not even properly dressed. Under her black hoodie was loose and worn cotton t-shirt and she was sure that the short she was currently wearing had a hole somewhere. She decided to go to Jaejoong’s plant nursery, she knew that Mark would be there.

Jaejoong would be there too and he still gave her the stink-eye whenever she hung out with Mark. Jaejoong still held grudge against her after she tried to kiss Mark once. If there was one thing immortals did best, it was holding grudges.  

Mark was waiting for her outside when Hani arrived at Demeter’s Fields—the name of Jaejoong’s plant nursery. Sunggyu must’ve told him about their breakfast. Mark smiled and circled an arm around her neck, headlocking her as he dragged her inside.

Thankfully, Jaejoong was out that morning so the two of them spent the morning streaming an episode of “Descendant of the Sun”. Hani was never one to watch television dramas unless one of her children starred the drama. It was her obligation as a mother.

“Why are we even watching them? You can find out the end with your prophetic magic,” Mark once protested.
“They’re my sons and daughters! It is my obligation, think of it as some sort of compensation for being absent from their childhood!” Hani had answered.

After they finished a “Boys Over Flowers” marathon, Mark was addicted to dramas.

When they were half-way through the episode, the door opened with a soft clink of the bell.

“Morning, Mark!”

Hearing that voice and that presence, Hani looked up, her eyes widened. On the door, stood a blonde girl with big eyes and beautiful smile. She did not look like her Hyacinthus at all but this time, Hani was not mistaken. His soul was inside that girl which makes her—

“Morning, Momo. Just do the usual, okay? Dad is out and he’ll be back around one,”
“Alright, Mark,”

She skipped, her blonde ponytail bobbed on top of her head. Hani’s heart ached.

“Hani?”
“Who was that?”
“That was Dad’s part-timer, Hirai Momo,”

Hani gripped on Mark’s shoulder so tightly, Mark winced.

“Mark, she was him… She has his soul,”
“Hani, what—,”

Just like that, Hani stood up and dashed out of Jaejoong’s nursery.

+++

Hani was teaching Hyacinthus to dance. He was graceful in a masculine way but when it came to dancing he was like a duck with two right feet. In the middle of the lesson, Hyacinthus huffed and wanted the lesson to end as soon as possible. He tried to and to steal a kiss from her but she managed to keep him behaving.

“Come on, aren’t you going to dance with that princess from—,”
“Why do I have impress a princess? I have you, a goddess,” Hyacinthus tucked a strand of hair behind Hani’s ear.
“Because it is your princely duty. Come on, let me teach you something,”

Hani dipped him. Hyacinthus, who was at least two heads taller and ten stones heavier than her, was surprised.

“That was not how royals danced,” Hyacinthus playfully glowered.
“I know but, it was impressive, right?”

Hyacinthus raised a brow and Hani only laughed. It was not long before Hyacinthus had her against the wall and his lips hot on hers.

+++

Present Day

“I asked Jei,” Mark sighed, plopping himself besides Sunggyu.

Hani’s knees were pumping up and down anxiously.

“And?”

Sunggyu looked at Mark then looked at his sister.

“It was Hyacinthus’ soul. Dad’s apprentice was your Hyacinthus,”

Something inside Hani’s chest bloomed, it was warm and nice and generally pleasant sensation. The goddess realized that it was hope. She was smiling so widely, it almost felt as if the sun had moved from the sky into the middle of Hani’s apartment. The goddess was vibrating with glee.

Sunggyu had to place a hand on Hani’s shoulder to calm her down.

“She doesn’t remember you,” Sunggyu said, putting a drab all over everyone, just like usual.

Hani stared blankly at Sunggyu then at Mark then down at her hands. She knew how the principle of reincarnation, thank you very much.

“What if this is my second chance? We were meant to be together, he chose me!” Hani argued.
“You said that to every single one of your conquest,” Mark deadpanned.
“And Zeus always said that it was love at the first sight,” Hani countered.
“Hani, Hyacinthus died the first time, maybe the two of you were never meant to be,” Sunggyu shrugged.

Hani glowered at her twin.

“You know very well that West Wind killed her, not me. The sore loser, jealous . I was going to offer Hyacinthus immortality so we could be together,”

Sunggyu looked guilty and Hani quietly jubilated at the palpable guilt on his face. The two of them were twins, yes, but the two of them are completely different set of souls. Sunggyu could survive without the presence of a lover, Hani could not. She never bode well with solidarity.

And that’s why, three days after Mark told her about Momo, Hani had become a constant presence in Jaejoong’s plant nursery. Jaejoong still crinkled his nose when Hani entered the nursery but, he could sense that his succulent plants were happier in the presence of the goddess of sun.

That being said, whenever Hani visited, Jaejoong always positioned her around the succulent plants. For three days, she made her presence known to Momo. It worked, she had caught the mortal glanced to her direction once or twenty times.

“Tone it down, you’re hurting other plants,” Mark frowned as he poked the yellowing leaf of a plant Hani did not know the name of.
“How can I tone it down? The love of my life is across the room,” Hani whispered.

Mark shook his head.

“You should talk to her, it’s getting creepy. I swear she is seconds away from filing a restraining order,”
“Fine, tomorrow,”

Hani stayed true to her words. Once was Jaejoong out of the nursery, Hani left the succulent plants and approached Momo who was diligently doing her job.

“Hey, um, what’s up?” Hani lamely started.

Gods, it had been so long since the last time Hani was the one who had to make the first move. Momo looked up and flashed her a polite smile.

“Welcome to Demeter’s Fields. What can I do for you?” she asked before she lifted her head.
“You’re Mark’s friend,” she said again, when she realized that Hani was not a customer.
“Um. Yeah, I am,”

She was the goddess of poetry and there she was, being the epitome of eloquence.

“Yeah, cool,” Momo smiled again before returning to watering the plants.
“Yeah, Mark’s friend has a name,”
“Mhm. Then, what’s the name of Mark’s friend?”
“Hani. Her, eh, my name is Hani,”
“Well, Hani, pleased to meet you. I am Momo,”

Hani nodded awkwardly, she looked up at Mark, flashing him SOS signal through her eyes but Mark ducked his head, not wanting to experience the secondhand embarrassment. Hani huffed and fiddled with the hem of her shirt as Momo continued to water the plants.

She was about to return to the succulent station, a croaking noise caught her attention. Well, actually, it was not the croaking that caught her attention it was Momo. When the croaking noise started, the blonde walked past her as if the goddess was nothing.

Hani pouted and peeked over Momo’s shoulder. It was a small frog, the frog kept ribbitting until Momo watered it. The frog looked delighted when the water hit its skin. Hani watched in amusement as Momo watered the small, brown frog. Momo looked up from the frog and beamed at Hani.

“Well, Hani, meet Fred,”

Hani blinked.

“Who’s Fred?”

Momo pointed at the small frog with a slight jerk of her chin.

“That’s Fred?”
“Fred, meet Hani,” Momo cooed at the amphibian.

Hani was amused and perplexed and she was pretty sure that she just imploded because of the cuteness.

“That’s Fred..?” Hani trailed off.
“Well, if it’s actually a female, its name is Frederica,” Momo shrugged as if it was the simplest thing ever.

Hani watched her as she watered Fred/Frederica.

“Momo, wanna get a cup of coffee after your shift is over? With me?” Hani asked, trying to sound as nonchalant as ever, she even popped one hip and slipped one hand into her shorts pocket.

She felt ridiculous, so she straightened her posture again.

“No, I can’t get a cup of coffee with you,” Momo answered flatly.

Hani wanted to cry at the rejection.

“I can’t get a cup of coffee with you because I have a weak stomach but I would love to get some ice cream with you,” Momo smiled crookedly.

It was four in the afternoon when Momo’s shift ended.

The blonde bid goodbye to her bosses before she was whisked away by Hani. The two of them walked to a convenient store. Once they were inside the cooled store, Momo made a beeline towards the fridge and picked a lime flavored popsicle while Hani picked the watermelon flavored one.

After they paid for the popsicles, they sat on one of the chairs in the convenient store. It was too hot outside and the convenient store had their air con turned to full blast, the summer sun searing everything that roamed the surface of the earth. Even though she was the goddess of sun, Hani did not have control over the weather and season. Her main task was to make sure that the sun rose and set every day.

“So.. When did you begin to work for Jaejoong? Never seen you around before,”

Well, then again, Hani never really hung out around Jaejoong’s plant nursery unless Mark was there.

“Around February,” Momo shrugged. “You only start showing up when Mark’s here,”

Momo opened the wrapper of her ice-lolly and on the blunt tip of it.

“True,” Hani trailed off, somewhat distracted by the way Momo the popsicle.

She popped the wrapper as well.

“What did Jaejoong tell you about Mark?” Hani couldn’t help but wonder since Jaejoong couldn’t possibly tell any mortal that Mark spent the winter in hell.
“Mark is finishing his degree abroad,” Momo answered.

Hani snorted.

“What?” Momo raised an eyebrow
“Wanna gossip about your bosses?”
“Sure, why not,”

Hani leaned in conspiratorially.

“Mark is actually married,”
“No way!”
“Yes, way. His wife is a couple of years older and richer. Since they married young, Jaejoong never really approved his wife,”
“Whoa.. But.. If Mark is still in university right now—,”
“Yeah, they married when Mark was fresh outta high school,”

Momo shook her head in disbelief before giving the offensively green ice-lolly a . Hani watched as the juice of the treat staining the corners of her lips. She shook her head, trying to abort whatever obscene images that just flashed behind her eyelids.

“You’re dripping,” Momo said flatly.
“Excuse me?” Hani sputtered.

Momo gave Hani a mischievous smirk before taking in the first few inches of her ice-lolly into . The blonde knew what she was doing and whatever she was doing looked sinful. She closed her eyes, hollowed her cheeks before slid the ice-lolly out of .

No wonder Hyacinthus had liked to watch her whenever she was busy with…

Hani suddenly regretted for not taking male form when she introduced herself to Momo.

“You’re dripping,” Momo repeated, calmly, but her eyes were glinting filled with coltishness.

Hani could play.

“Oh, yes. For you,” Hani bantered.

She leaned in to the ice-lolly, deliberately keeping eye-contact with Momo as she a long stripe along the offensively red-green popsicle. Momo gaped at her.

Hani: 1, Momo: 1.

+++

Hani pulled on the strings that held Hyacinthus’ trousers in place. The material fell down and pooled around his feet. Undressing Hyacinthus was like unwrapping a gift. The excitement and the giddiness and, of course, the satisfaction at the end. When she looked up, Hyacinthus was smiling down at her, presenting her his beatific smile.

“Well, can I return the favor, my love?” Hyacinthus asked but his finger already tracing a line up her arm.

Hani smiled and pulled the thin belt around her waist off. Hyacinthus smiled and slowly bunched her tunic up. He carefully folded her tunic and placed it on top of a dry rock. She was completely bare before him, he looked at her with such admiration that would even make Hestia green with envy.

They laced their fingers together before pressing in for a kiss. They ran to the edge of the lake, shared another kiss before jumped in together.

+++

Present Day

Naturally, they hung out together even more after that, sometimes with Mark and sometimes without.

The three of them had the same slightly twisted sense of humor so all was well. Hani and Mark tried not to lie too much to Momo which was increasingly difficult. Especially when Momo asked about some things that people their age wouldn’t have known because it happened years before they were supposed to be born.

Momo finally asked Mark about his marriage; whether it was true or not and Mark, of course, blushed and showed Momo the marriage band around his ring finger.

It was a thin silver band with small stones that caught the light prettily. Hani had no doubt that it was new because not too long ago, Mark had a thicker gold band with one moderately small but undoubtedly expensive stone.

Or was that gold band was a thing that happened one hundred years ago—

When it came to timelines, the immortals could get a little confused since they simply had been forever.

(Or maybe it was just Hani that had a hard time but she liked to think that she was not the only one.)

Hani also learnt a lot of things about Momo. She was ridiculously good at sports; soccer, basketball, swimming, track team, gymnastic, yoga, tennis—even table tennis—, karate, hiking—everything. A trait from her soul’s previous life that somehow managed to survive River of Lethe.

Hani also learnt that Momo only stayed true to three sports, they were volleyball, dancing, and archery. It was a cruel joke but also a cruel joke that made Hani want to elope with Momo to Paris.

Gods, what a cliché.

Hani told her small portions of her current mortal life. She told Momo that she was a shiftless lay-about because her mother was stinking, filthy rich, that she had a twin brother who took a vow of celibacy but he was not a shiftless lay-about, and that she liked both boys and girls.

See? She hadn’t lied too much so far.

Back when humanities hadn’t evolved so much, when she told a mortal that she was Apollo, the mortal would definitely fall onto their feet to worship her. If she did that now, she would be dragged into an institution.

Momo would definitely run the other way if she told her the truth. How would she begin the conversation?

Hey, I am a goddess and you are the reincarnation of my lover. Let’s elope now!

Yeah, no.

Besides, Hani hadn’t figured out how their relationship would work. Momo had the same soul as Hyacinthus but that did not make Momo and Hyacinthus the same person. They were the same but different at the same time.

How would this work anyway?

Hani wouldn’t know. This hadn’t happened to anyone before. Out of other Olympians it seemed that Hani was the only one who was so hung up on one lover—well, two, actually if you included Daphne.

Did Hani still search for Hyacinthus in Momo? She did once, when they first met, but not anymore.

Momo and Hyacinthus were not the same person and they were not interchangeable—which was extremely confusing because they had the same soul. She was fond of Momo, deeply and painfully so. Her feelings and love life were so complicated, Siwon would be having a field day with them.

Being a goddess was so hard.

+++

The two of them laid together, limbs tangled with the silk sheet of Hyacinthus’ bed. Hyacinthus had one hand around Hani’s bare shoulders and Hani had her fingers trailing random patterns across his broad chest. They were warm and sated, all was well.

Hani had been thinking about giving Hyacinthus immortality so they could be together. Hani would take him around the world with her chariot, they would run between tall, golden wheat in summertime, and simply be together. Forever.

Immortality was never easy, she had seen many goddesses and gods granted their lover an immortality but in the end they wreaked havoc and left each other. Hani looked up, studying the sharp line of Hyacinthus’ jaw and nose, his strong eyebrows, and beautiful eyes.

Hyacinthus pulled her closer and pressed his lips on the top of her head.

“I love you, Hyacinthus,”
“And I to you. I’ll love you as long as you’ll have me,”
“As long as I’ll have you? What if I leave? Will you stop loving me?” Hani whispered.
“I won’t. I only say that because deep down I know you’ll leave me. I am, after all, just a mortal,”

Hani looked up and Hyacinthus was smiling at her. It was the saddest, most heartbreaking smile she had ever seen.

+++

Present Day

 Since Momo was a college student on a budget—as if there’s any other type of college student—, they couldn’t go on a date at fancy places. Hani tried and Momo said she’d feel guilty and wouldn’t be able to enjoy herself so, Hani never tried again. What was the point if Momo couldn’t enjoy herself?

Few days ago, Momo invited her to an archery practice. Momo was good. She looked graceful when she did it. Hani tried to wriggle away when Momo asked her if she wanted a shot. Archery was her thing and, of course, Hani was good at it, she just did not want to show off.

“I can’t.. I’ll kill myself,” Hani joked.
“You won’t. Come here,” Momo tugged her gently.

Hani was stupid because she realized that it was just an excuse so Momo could touch her. It took her few seconds too late to realize that. Momo taught her how to draw a bow, her back was barely touching with Momo’s chest and her ear grew hot at the way Momo breathed against her skin.

Hani felt as if she was the same young and foolish goddess, heart beating faster when the object of her attraction was around. She was still foolish but not young and apparently when it came to attraction, lust, and love, older age did not make you any wiser.

“…and let go,” Momo whispered, voice as gentle as Dionysius .

Hani shivered as she let go and, of course, Hani couldn’t be bad at archery even if she tried. The arrow hit right on the center of the target.

“Whoa,” Momo sounded astonished but slightly crestfallen.
“Beginner’s luck?” Hani sheepishly offered.

Today, Momo invited her to watch her group’s dance practice. Hani said yes without thinking. Maybe watching her group danced would somehow distract her from her godly angst. Hani had donned something casual and comfortable. She reluctantly entered the studio and peeked inside.

A co-ed group was dancing to a hip hop music. There were three boys and three girls, including Momo. Hani stood awkwardly in the corner of as they get through their routine. When the music died down, Momo strode to her side, her lips stretched into a giddy grin.

Hani passed her the bottled water she picked up downstairs. Momo’s grin bloomed wider. Her friends wolf-whistled and cat-called. The group done their routine for another good three rounds before calling it a day.

The group introduced themselves to Hani but once every single one of them was out of the door, Hani already forgot who was who.

“There’s still thirty minutes before the next group practice,” Momo stated, walking towards the stereo.

Hani did not know what she was planning but if it would involve more touching, Hani did not mind. Hani bounced on the balls of her feet expectantly. Momo looked at Hani, smiling secretively before pressing a button. She turned up the dial and now the room is filled with ballroom music.

Momo rolled her shoulders back, straightened her back, and rested one hand behind her. She walked towards her with faux grandiose. Hani offered Momo a curtsy and Momo held out one hand to Hani.

“May I have this dance?” Momo wiggled her brows playfully.

Hani snorted and took Momo’s hand.

“It would be my pleasure,” Hani batted her eyelashes excessively.

Momo had one hand on Hani’s waist and her other hand was twined with Hani’s. Hani rested one hand on Momo’s shoulder, trying to bite back a laughter and a snort. The two of them danced around the room, both of them looked at each other, occasionally snorted and giggled at how silly they must have looked.

Momo smoothly pulled her closer, Momo’s ears were so, so red but her eyes were unwavering. She kept her gaze locked with Hani. Hani could feel heat and nervousness radiating from Momo’s skin. They were still dancing even after the music ended.

Hani was twirled by Momo and when she faced Momo, there was an unreadable look on the blonde’s face. Before Hani could pull away, she was dipped by the blonde. Hani let out a gasp before being pulled up again.

Momo was looking at her heatedly, their body was practically pressed together. Hani’s heart was doing some sort of acrobatic routine; it was flopping, summersaulting, and other anatomically impossible things.

“I want to kiss you right now,” Momo whispered, her eyes half lidded.
“That’s a good idea,” Hani sighed.
“But I want to take this slow,” Momo gulped.
“That’s even a better idea,”

+++

“I bet I could throw that thing further than you,” Hani smirked.

The prince looked up from his target and found her.

“I bet you could not throw that thing further than you,” Hyacinthus harrumphed.
“Watch me,”

Hani grinned, she ran to where the disk had landed. It was heavier than she expected but she still could throw it as far as the strength of her mortal form allowed it. Hyacinthus stepped aside and let her stood on his previous spot. She took in a deep breath before tossing the disk.

It landed on the same spot as Hyacinthus’ before. Hyacinthus gaped at her, probably wondering how a slender-framed girl like her threw a disk that designed for male warriors so easily. Hani gave him an unassuming smile.

“Well, at least I threw as far as you,”

+++

Present Day

Whatever happened in the practice room the other day had thrown the balance of their relationship. Before, Momo had been coy and cautious. Now, whatever the force that held Momo before were thrown out of the Jaejoong’s green house. The blonde was sly and intense.

She knew when and where to touch Hani. Sometimes Momo’s hand lingered on the small part of Hani’s lower back but not quite on the curve of her , sometimes when Momo deliberately squeezed past Hani when they were in Jaejoong’s plant nursery even though she could easily walk the other way around.

And the stares, gosh. The blonde had mastered the perfect art of stripping someone with only her eyes that would make Siwon proud.

Was this how mortals flirt nowadays?

The worst thing is that Momo would gave her that look; the innocent, al, puppy-eye expression. It was unfair.

It was another week of merciless teasing before finally Momo confronted her. Hani had imagined that Momo would corner her before putting one hand beside her face—you know that drama style confrontation where the male lead would push the female lead into a wall and trapped her with one hand before professing his undying love.

Pro tip: that kind of confrontation was only y when it happened in steamy romance novels and dramas.

Momo didn’t, Hani was only slightly disappointed. It was after Momo’s shift, Momo had asked her to treat her popsicles. When they were inside the cooled convenient store, Momo did not buy popsicle, instead she settled for cold bottled green tea and Hani bought a cold bottled coke.

They picked out a chair before pretending that their respective drinks were interesting.

“I need to tell you something, Hani,” Momo began.
“Uh, yes?”
“Nothing bad, I promise,” Momo smiled but there was a tinge of sadness in her eyes.

They looked at each other for a while before Momo took a big gulp of her cold green tea.

“I want to tell you that I am not replacement of them,”

Hani blinked, thrown off. What was she talking about?

“I am not replacement… Whoever you wanted me to be, I am not them. Thing is, Hani, I like you. A lot. Mark said that he can feel, uh, and I quote, my undying rainbow-colored-feelings rolling off like waves from me,” Momo fidgeted uncomfortably.
“I am not—,”
“No, Hani, I can see it. You always look at me as if you are looking for someone and when you can’t find them in me, you got a little sad. I noticed,”

Oh, crap—

“I want you to stop, okay? If you can’t like me for who I am, tell me now. I’ll stay away. We don’t have to be friends if it’s too hard for you,”

Words.

Words were escaping Hani.

She had to say something but she couldn’t produce any words. So, she just gaped at Momo.

“Hani? I’ll just go now, hm?” Momo reached to her knee and gave her a light squeeze.

Momo stood up and walked away. Hani had to do something, she had messed up and this was her second chance. She won’t get any third chance. She couldn’t wait for another life time for this chance to come around.

What would she say?

Hani stood up from her chair, reached out and circled her fingers around Momo’s wrist.

“You are not a replacement,” Hani promised.
“Hani, you probably need some time.. You’re probably confused or something,”
“No. I can talk for myself,”

Momo wriggled her hand free.

“Alright,”
“You are not a replacement because you’re the same person,”
“What?”
“I’ll tell you everything. Wanna come to my place?”

Momo still looked mystified but she nodded slowly.

The walk to Hani’s place was quiet. Hani punched in the code and opened the door.

“Alright. Talk,”
“Gods, I haven’t even taken off my shoes,”

Momo narrowed her eyes menacingly.

“Let’s sit down, you probably want to sit down when you hear this,” Hani nudged the blonde lightly.
“Stop stalling!” Momo snapped.
“I am a goddess!” Hani blurted out.

Silence and…

“Well, this isn’t what I want to come home to,”

The three of them ended up sitting on the living room. Momo still looked irrevocably flummoxed, Sunggyu looked generally miffed, Hani looked greatly distressed.

“Alright. Let me introduce myself. I am Sunggyu, Hani’s twin. And you must be Hirai Momo,” Sunggyu began flatly.
“Yes, uh, nice to meet you, Sir,”
“No, please don’t. Call me Sunggyu,”

Momo nodded stiffly.

“So. Just like what my twin told you. She is a goddess which makes me a god. Since we’re twins and all,”
“Yes, uh, what?”

Sunggyu let out a long, afflicted sigh. He gave Hani a sharp glare before giving Momo an unamused look.

“So, where should we begin… Shall we begin on the story of Primordial Earth?”

Hani watched Momo carefully and since the blonde still looked nonplussed, she nodded. Sunggyu began the tale of Primordial Earth. The war, the cannibalism, all the gory details. By the time Sungyu reached the part of Athena’s birth, she looked like she was going to spew her breakfast and lunch all over the carpet.

“Sunggyu, stop, spare the poor girl,”
“I can talk for myself,” Momo snapped, managed to look slightly hostile.

Sunggyu raised a brow at her.

“But, please, stop,”

Sunggyu shrugged and sipped his tea calmly. Momo took a deep breath before she was ready to talk again.

“So… You’re Artemis and Hani’s Apollo,” Momo recited.
“Yeah, pretty much,”
“But the gender’s all wrong?”
“We’re gods, we can parade in any form we want,” Sunggyu shrugged.
“And… And, Mark and Jaejoong are—?”
“Yeah, they’re gods, too,” Sunggyu confirmed.
“We did not mean to lie, really,” Hani rushed in.

Momo did not say anything.

“It’s just that time has changed, if we walk around telling people we’re immortals, we’ll be institutionalized. I haven’t lied about anything I tell you.. I like both boys and girls, my mother is hella rich, I am a shiftless layabout and Sunggyu’s not because he has his hunters, and he is a celibate! Artemis is the patron of s and Mark is married to an older goddess—,” Hani rambled.

There were tears in her eyes. She couldn’t lose Momo. She had lost Hyacinthus and this was supposed to be her second chance. She would not wait for another lifetime for Hyacinthus’ reincarnation.

“So… I am a reincarnation of your past lover… Uh, Hyacinthus?”
“Yes, you have Hyacinthus’ soul,” Sunggyu answered.
“Are you familiar with the tale?”

Momo shook her head.

“Well, you died,” Sunggyu deadpanned.

Hani gasped, utterly scandalized by Sunggyu’s casual remark.

“I died—,” Momo repeated, voice soft and terrorized.
“Well, to be fair, it was not completely Hani’s fault,”

Hani let out a strangled noise.

“I—,”
“So, long story short, you were a prince. The Spirit of West Wind had taken liking to you but you were already with Apollo. West Wind got insanely jealous and swerved the discus that Apollo threw to hit your head,” Sunggyu explained efficiently.

This time, Momo let out a half-strangled and half-gasping noise. Hani took Momo’s hand in hers.

What should she say? Sorry about the discus? Yeah maybe not.

“Momo, please hear me out. You are not a replacement. Well, I am not sure… Because you have the same soul but I know you’re a completely different, separate person… And.. And I have intense feelings for you, Hyacinthus or Hirai Momo. Because, gods, the two of you are perfect and beautiful. You are not a replacement, I promise you that. I like you as Hirai Momo,” Hani rushed, words tumbling out of .

She could not control it anymore, the words and everything, spilling out from . Momo was not a blusher, except when she was completely tired from practice but when she was embarrassed, the tips of her ears turned so, so, red. It was amusing to watch.

“Okay, this is too touchy-feely for me. I am going to stay somewhere else tonight,” Sunggyu stood up, walked to the door and slammed it behind him.

The two girls looked at each other. Hani could almost see the intensity of Momo’s feelings for her behind those beautiful brown eyes—or maybe it was her feelings mirrored in Momo’s eyes—

“I like you, Momo. As Hirai Momo. Yes, you have the same soul as Hyacinthus but, I like you as Hirai Momo. The two of you are not interchangeable, you are your own person and I like you as you—,”
“Shut up, Hani,”

Hani choked and pulled away.

“Shut up so I can kiss you,” Momo added.

Momo leaned in and Hani met her halfway. Their lips fitting and molding perfectly with each other. Momo braced Hani’s face with her hands and Hani pulled Momo to her lap. They kissed and kissed until the two of them are breathless.

Hani looked at Momo’s face, her face was slightly flushed and her eyes were glassy as if she was hypnotized. Hani broke into a wide, dopey grin.

“That was..” Hani murmured.

Momo shut her up by pressing her lips against hers.

“God, I can kiss you forever,” Momo grinned crookedly.

-fin-

Notes:

I altered some details in the myth. From the mythology, Apollo did not let Hades took Hyacinthus’ soul, instead Apollo immortalized him by turning him into the hyacinth flower. In my version, well, Apollo let Hades took Hyacinthus’ soul and made the flower from Hyacinthus’ blood, not soul. If Apollo did not, this fic wouldn’t happen.

I have questions:

1. Who do you have in mind as Hani/Apollo’s actor/actress/musician children in K-Entertainment industry?
2. Who do you picture as ‘the original Hyacinthus’? He can be anyone in International entertainment industry~

Anyways, leave your thoughts and answers (if you have any) on the comment section below!

 

 

 

Additional Notes:

• Actually, Hani watched a lot of dramas. She had a lot of children and some of her children were actors/actresses. If her children had the main role, she’d watch the whole drama but if her children were just a recurring role, she’d watch only the episode that had her children.
• But, Mark could not have that. He had to watch everything from the beginning to the end.
• Her favorites were Innocent Man, Emergency Couple, My Sassy Girl Chun-hyang, My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, God of Study, Master’s Sun, and many others.
• Hani eventually told Momo about her children, once she mentioned a certain actor’s and an actress’ names, Momo asked if she could get their autographs.
• Some of Hani’s children were also in music industry. They usually send her free albums and, if possible, free concert tickets.
• Some were also musicals actors/actresses, they always send her tickets and backstage passes.
• Their popsicle-eating thing was a thing. Now, whenever they’re bored, they’d buy one and had some sort of weird competition who could eat the treat as inappropriate as possible. Yes, in public.
• Once, Momo, in the heat of the moment, almost slid the treat down to her neck and chest. She stopped because gods, Momo, there are children around here!
• Sunggyu worked in a ‘trendy’ coffee shop per Momo’s suggestion. Now he had some sort of fanclub, the members are both boys and girls.
• He wanted to quit but he liked getting his salary and the tip was not bad. In fact, ever since he worked in that coffee shop, the tip jar was always full.
• Fred/Frederica has a new friend, a greenish toad. Hani and Momo named Fred/Frederica’s new friend Bathsheba.
• At first, Jaejoong wanted to evict Fred/Frederica and Batsheba from his plant nursery but now their croaking soothed him.
• All is well.