It went on for weeks.

Chaeyoung would go to the forest to join Tzuyu, only to find Elkie already there and talking to her. They’d be laughing about something or whispering amongst themselves, it made a knife twist in Chaeyoung’s stomach and she would just turn and walk away. Mina had been glad to have her best friend back but it was obvious that Chaeyoung’s mood had changed. She no longer listening in conversations and seemed sad and distracted. Like her mind was off somewhere else.

Everyone had noticed actually, including Momo who had also begun to see less and less of Tzuyu. Something felt off about this new friend of hers and she voiced this privately to Dahyun who got their friends to do some digging. Growing up, Momo had seen many men pursue Artemis. She had wondered when these suitors would start going for Tzuyu too, she didn’t trust anyone she didn’t know being around her friend. However, everytime Momo tried to join them Elkie made sure she was edged out. Filling silences with inside jokes or references which Momo couldn’t understand.

But Tzuyu never really noticed.

On Tzuyu’s side she just put Chaeyoung’s absence down to her being back under Mina’s spell. It hurt but her new friend helped. Tzuyu had decided that if Chaeyoung wanted to follow Mina’s coattails then fine, that was her decision. But she resented that she had been the back-up. Chaeyoung had lied to her face about her not being a second choice. Tzuyu had been a fool to trust her and rather than confront her and gain false apology, Tzuyu opted to just stick with Elkie.

They had gotten very close over the weeks, Elkie just had this ability to make Tzuyu talk. To divulge information about herself that she usually kept close to her chest. For once Tzuyu wasn’t the one listening to everybody else’s problems. It was nice. Elkie listened to her and comforted her, she had this aura that just made Tzuyu trust her. Like one of those beautiful flowers that snaps it’s jaws shut when a fly landed on it. Outsiders viewed it as Tzuyu being under a spell and not being able to break free.

But in the end it was Sana that filled in the dots.

It was breakfast time when the ball dropped. Sana burst into the food hall and all but ran up to their  table. Chaeyoung had been playing with her food, occasionally looking up at the empty seat at the back of the room and ignoring the conversation around her. Nobody said anything about her behaviour, Chaeyoung was an artist and therefore got into these broody moods. She’d talk to them if she needed to, but for now they just stayed silently supportive.

“Peitho!” Sana shouted when she got to them,

“Gesundheit!” Was Dahyun’s response, earning sniggers,

Sana rolled her eyes, “No! Elkie’s mother! Her name’s Peitho!”

Chaeyoung looked up at the mention of her enemy.

“Like…mothers hand maiden Peitho?” Mina asked,

“The same!” Sana replied, taking her usual seat, “I brought up Elkie to mother and she told me who she was.”

“So?” Jihyo inquired, “If you hadn’t noticed we’re all from godly bloodlines.”

“Peitho is the Goddess of Persuasion and Seduction.” Sana told them, “There’s a rumour she approached Artemis more than once to attempt to seduce her, but Apollo ran her off.”

“But what does that have to do with Elkie and Tzuyu?” Jeongyeon asked,

Chaeyoung and Momo sat bolt upright.

“There’s been competition amongst the male Gods for aeons to take the chastity of Artemis.” Momo explained, “When Tzuyu came of age that extended to her.”

“Elkie’s trying to seduce her.” Chaeyoung muttered,

Then suddenly the girl was on her feet and running out to the forest. A disciple tried to stop her but she just shoved past him, she’d take her punishment later. Chaeyoung hadn’t really thought through what she was going to say, all she knew was that she needed to protect Tzuyu. Innocent, naive Tzuyu who probably did not realise there was a snake in her midst.

They had so many conversations in which Tzuyu confessed that she struggled trusting people due to the actions towards her mother. That she too were afraid people were only getting close to her for an immoral purpose. Tzuyu had once said she did not want to take a vow of chastity like her mother wanted, but it was not something she would give up lightly.

Suddenly Chaeyoung wanted to kick herself, she should have stuck around and made sure Elkie had no ill will. No hidden agendas. But instead she had disappeared to her wounds rather that confront the attraction she had developed for the younger girl. It had been a mistake and she needed to rectify it before someone got hurt.

“TZUYU!” Chaeyoung called as she skidded into the forest,

The tall girl turned to look at her, Elkie looking someone disgruntled at the interruption. Immediately the black hound ran over and, once Chaeyoung had stopped to catch her breath, began nuzzling into her leg. She noted all the hounds were far from Elkie, looking as though they did not trust her either. Poor Tzuyu just looked confused, setting down her bow and walking over to her friend.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes…” Chaeyoung was panted, “Need…to…talk…alone…I really need to work out more.”

Tzuyu smiled, good naturedly, then turned to where Elkie sat, “El, can you leave us for a moment?”

Elkie looked hesitant, Chaeyoung noting she was sat where SHE should be sitting, “Of course!”

She stood to walk past them, touching Tzuyu’s shoulder gently as she past and nearly shoulder barging Chaeyoung. The black hound growled lowly at that.

“He really liked you,” Tzuyu chuckled, watching the hound get as close to Chaeyoung as possible, “They haven’t really warmed to Elkie yet.”

“Good.”

“Huh?”

“Tzuyu, Sana did some digging and Elkie’s bad news---”

“Sana?” Tzuyu’s face lost it’s smile, “Sana’s a .”

Chaeyoung blinked, Tzuyu never swore.

“Tzuyu!”

“She is! When we first became friends she told me…” Tzuyu trailed off, “Never mind, it’s not important. Look I know Elkie.”

“Do you!?” Chaeyoung was desperate, “Tzuyu her mother is the Goddess of Seduction--”

“So?”

“---and persuasion--”

“Why is this important?”

“WILL YOU JUST LISTEN!?” Chaeyoung yelled, furious that Tzuyu was being so uncharacteristically difficult, “Her mother tried and failed to seduce yours. We think she’s trying to get to you instead.”

Tzuyu stared at her, stoic. Arms folded, shielding herself from Chaeyoung’s words. For a moment the elder of the two thought what she had said was finally getting through to her, but life likes to make things to complicated sometimes. And Elkie had her claws in deep.

“Is this about Mina?”

“I--What!?”

“Is this about Mina?” Tzuyu pinched the bridge of her nose, “Look you can’t just pick me up and drop me whenever Mina clicks her fingers, that’s not fair.”

“This has nothing to do with Mina!”

“Then why aren’t you at breakfast? And don’t pretend you care about my well being.”

Chaeyoung’s voice dropped, honestly stunned, “Of course I care about you…”

“Please.” Tzuyu actually scoffed, “I haven’t seen you in weeks, one breakfast with Mina and you left me behind.”

“That wasn’t what--”

“Chaeyoung, it’s okay.” Tzuyu sighed, “Sana was right, top tier Gods don’t mingle with anything less. I was stupid to get my hopes up.”

“Do you really think I believe that?” Chaeyoung asked, tears pricking her eyes, “That I’m that pretentious?”

Tzuyu sighed, “I don’t think it’s intentional. I just think that’s the way it is.”

It was like a slap in the face.

“You know what?” Chaeyoung was offended, “If you think so little of me then I’ll let you make your own mistakes.”

“Good.”

Chaeyoung turned round, heart breaking even more when the hound whined at the loss and began walking away, “I’ll listen when you’re ready to apologise.” She paused and looked back, “This isn’t you, Tzuyu. She ruined you.”

And she walked away.

Tzuyu watched her go, heart twisting in her chest. But she stood by what she said. How dare Chaeyoung barge in here and tell her Elkie was bad news? Chaeyoung didn’t even know her! In fact if anything had become clear recently it was the fact that Tzuyu would always be second to Mina. Chaeyoung had disappeared for weeks, randomly and suddenly. After all she had said about her valuing their friendship, her vanishing act hurt.

For Christ sake they weren’t all like their parents! Tzuyu wasn’t interested in chastity or children, Elkie wasn’t a nightmare, Mina wasn’t flirty, Jihyo didn’t fling lightening bolts everywhere and even Chaeyoung herself wanted to travel the mortal world. They couldn’t judge each other based on the actions of their parents. That wasn’t fair, they were their own people!

Tzuyu huffed and sat on a fallen log, head in her hands. Her hounds whimpered a little, not used to their master being upset, but Tzuyu ignored them. She just needed a second to regain control. But the fates never had been in her favour and she heard a twig snap nearby. Lifting her head she saw it was only Elkie, the girl joining her on the log and ignoring the soft growls from the hounds.

“You okay?”

“Yeah,” Tzuyu sighed, “Chaeyoung just gets to me.”

“I noticed.”

Silence.

“Is she why you hold back with me?”

“Huh?” Tzuyu looked at her, confused,

Elkie shrugged, “Y’know, there’s an attraction between us. But you’ve never made a move.”

Tzuyu swallowed, “That’s…That’s something different.”

Elkie faced her, “Then kiss me.”

“What?”

“Come on,” Elkie smirked, “Why hold out? You want to, I want to…if Chaeyoung’s not the problem what is?”

Tzuyu stammered, a bit taken aback. Then the familiarity of the situation hit and she felt very, very, very stupid. She stood and put some distance between them.

“Chaeyoung’s nothing to do with it.”

“Then kiss me.”

“No.”

“For the sake of the Gods Tzuyu!” Elkie was starting to crack, “Loosen up a bit, a kiss wont hurt you.”

Chaeyoung had been right.

“...come on don’t be a prude!”

Chaeyoung had been absolutely right.

“Everyone does it,” Elkie rationalised, “It’s normal.”

Elkie stood and walked towards her, Tzuyu backed up until she hit a tree.

“Don’t you like me?”

Then it was there again, this compulsion. Like Elkie was the only thing worth looking at. The panic began to subside, Tzuyu almost getting lost in the glint in the other girl’s eyes. She felt like she was floating and nearly wavered….very nearly.

But Momo to the rescue.

“HEY!”

Elkie span round.

“She said no.” Momo growled storming over to pull Elkie away,

“Sorry, who the are you?”

“You biggest nightmare if you don’t get out of here now and leave my friend alone.”

Now Momo was adorable. She was sweet and kind, the word soft had been used to describe her more than once. But in that moment she was terrifying. Her voice was monotone, her body poised to fight this if need be. Even Tzuyu, who had known Momo for a long time, was a little shaken by this new protective Momo. Momo would throw down for any of her friends, she’d destroy a for Dahyun but she would straight up murder for Tzuyu.

Elkie turned to Tzuyu for help.

“You should go.” Tzuyu said stoically, “And don’t come back.”

“I’ll show you the way.”

Momo, with a strength nobody knew she had, grabbed Elkie’s arm and yanked her towards the forest exit. She knew Tzuyu well enough to know she would want to be alone for a while, then later Momo would confront her in the privacy of their room. It was how they worked, Tzuyu needed time to process things before any comfort or attention.

Tzuyu turned and rested her head on the tree.

Then, from somewhere she didn’t know she could access, she screamed out into the trees.

It felt good but after hurt and she felt tired.

She lay on the ground, ignoring the dirt and leaves. Settling to just watch the clouds scroll across the sky as the hounds lay around her. She refused to cry, it wasn’t in her nature. But she did feel sad. No longer angry or stressed, just a deep sadness. The type that washes over you that you can either fight and struggle against or just succumb to. Sometimes it was okay to be sad.

Maybe this was all for the best?

She had been stupid, thinking that something like love was truly in her future. She was Tzuyu, Goddess of s like her mother and her mother before her. When camp ended and the others all went on with their lives she would go back to the forest and be just like her mother. Was that really so bad? She knew forests, she was always safe there. If a stranger was in the forest she knew not to trust them.

She could go back to bathing in the beautiful waterfall, tend to the little animals and plant trees. Momo could occasionally visit with Dahyun, they’d probably marry at some point and perhaps Zeus would gift them children of their own. Her mother would love to look after them while Tzuyu, Momo and Dahyun explored the forest.

No complications, no drama. Just Tzuyu back in her forest.

Love was just something that would never happen for her and maybe that was okay.

Tzuyu sat up, she was putting to much pressure on crushes and love. They weren’t the be all and end all, she could live a happy life on her own. Maybe if she embraced the loneliness…no…embraced the independence she would be able to live a fulfilling life. And she did have a good life. Her mother loved her, she had a true friend in Momo who was her platonic soulmate. So she never had a great love, so what? She didn’t need it. She would be single.

And that was okay…

Except…

Chaeyoung still hung heavily in her mind.

She needed to apologise, she had been under a spell and had lashed out. At the very least she wanted to repair the friendship they had once had. You can’t turn attraction off like a light switch, as much as Tzuyu wished she could. But Tzuyu realised that while being with Chaeyoung romantically would be amazing, Tzuyu was just as amazing on her own. Instead of willing and wishing it, sometimes you had to let fate run its course and find happiness wherever it left you.

Tzuyu stood, dusting the dirt off her trousers and turned to go find Chaeyoung and apologise.

Only to find said girl awkwardly standing there.

“I umm…saw Momo dragging Elkie away muttering about drowning her in the creek.” Chaeyoung explained rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly, “Are you okay? Did she hurt you?”

“No.” Tzuyu answered, “I’m so sorry. I should’ve--”

“It’s okay,” Chaeyoung walked towards her, “I should have stuck around to make sure things were okay, not just run off.”

Tzuyu shook her head, “No, I should have listened. You wouldn’t lie to me like that, I was just desperate to have someone put me first for once y’know?”

Chaeyoung hummed before getting distracted by the hounds, who were suddenly all keen to get her attention. Tzuyu smiled at the scene, her hounds hated everyone but her and Momo. Chaeyoung must be a good person if they had all grown attached to her, maybe Tzuyu should listen to them more.

Chaeyoung looked up and smiled back, “What?”

“Nothing,” Tzuyu coughed, “Can I ask you something?”

Chaeyoung nodded and sat on the floor, Tzuyu went and sat next to her - she laid back again. If they made eye contact she didn’t know if she would be able to continue with gay panicking. The other girl lay next to her, letting the hounds lay around them.

“If you didn’t avoid me because of Mina…where’d you go?”

Chaeyoung took a deep breath, now or never, “I was jealous.”

“Jealous?”

“I spent so much time earning your trust and Elkie just swooped in. You looked at her like she was the most important thing in the world and I…”

“You?”

“I wanted you to look at me like that.”

“Wait, what!?”

“At first I thought it was a rebound crush but when Elkie came along I realised it was the real deal.” Chaeyoung blushed, “And now I want to go die in a hole.”

Tzuyu was stunned, Chaeyoung liked her? Daughter of Athena, long time crush, cute as a button Chaeyoung liked awkward, nerdy, Goddess of s Tzuyu? Nope. Where are the hidden cameras? Where’s Rick Astley - Tzuyu’s getting rickrolled. But instead Chaeyoung’s words hung in the air, prompt Tzuyu into the gay panic she had tried to avoid.

“Can you please say something, cause I’m feeling a little vulnerable here?”

Tzuyu finally breathed. Words were going to fail her, she had never been good with them. So instead of some big dramatic speech about how she had adored Chaeyoung since she met her and how she had longed for this moment. Instead of a deep confession that left both crying on the forest floor or prompted a big romantic kiss, Tzuyu chose something simpler.

She reached her hand across the gap and grabbed Chaeyoung’s, squeezing it gently.

“I like you too.”

“Good.”

And that was it, after all the panic and heartbreak there was this moment. It was anti-climatic and so not dramatic like the movies depicted but it was good enough for them. They just lay there on the floor of the forest and watched the clouds cross the sky, hands tightly clamped together. It was so simple but to them it was perfect. Sometimes the ride is bumpy but it just makes the final destination all the more worth it.

Goddess of s and the Goddess of the Friendzone - together at last.

Gay panicking together as opposed to apart.