Psyche asked before we said our goodbyes. My mother's best friend, and Goddess of the Soul, was always worried about me living on Earth. But it's where I felt the happiest, I felt like...myself, whatever that was.
I stood outside of their house, more than ready to get back down to Earth. I came here for my assignments, and I hated every visit as much as the last. I was half immortal, but being among others of my kind made me despise what I am. I couldn't fall in love. And, even if I could, I would have to find another person like me; half immortal. And there weren't too many of those just walking around. I was going to live forever...and I couldn't fall in love. My fate sounded as bad as it felt. Being here, in the house of the Love Gods just reminded me of it.
"I'm staying with Hayden," I replied. Hayden was my mortal best friend, who has the privilege of knowing my secret. It's not that it's forbidden to tell mortals about us, it's just frowned upon. They tend to freak out. But, I've known Hayden for years, and I could trust her with anything.
"Well, you're always welcome here, you know that," Psyche reminded me, just like every other time, and put her hands on my shoulders. I gave her a quick hug, her long golden hair brushed my face and it felt like strands of silk caressing my skin. I then glanced over at Eros, the God of Desire, my mother's other friend and third member of the house.
"Are you going to meet him today?" he handed over the blue case file. I took the folder and stuffed it under my arm. He seemed particularly anxious for me to start this job. I could tell as much by the way he rubbed his hands through his wavy white hair. If I hadn’t known my mother’s friends were gods, I would have thought them to be angels by their ethereal appearance.
"Maybe." I shrugged. Psyche excused herself and headed back into the large Victorian house while mumbling something about food in the oven. She was always experimenting with different dishes. That was one of the only things she loved about mortals, the delicious foods.
"Come back soon, darling," she shouted behind her. I looked back at Eros expectantly but he stood awkwardly.
"Don't scare the poor boy. You've never had a case where you've had to formally meet the client," Eros said after a minute or so. All of my jobs were strictly get in and get out. No time to get to know them. I liked it that way.
"I'll be fine," I assured him as I signalled for the cab.
Eros walked over and held out his arms as if to offer a hug but then he reached into my jacket pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He waved them in front of my face before opening the pack.
"I thought you were quitting?"
I rolled my eyes. "Why should I? It's not like I can get lung cancer or anything."
"Your mother will not be very happy," he declared, but had the smallest hint of a grin on his face. Eros always liked to screw with my mom. In mythology, they were considered one another's counter parts, but really they were just old friends.
"I'll quit when that pack is empty." I reached out for the pack but Eros held it out of my reach.
He evilly took the two remaining cigarettes from the pack and broke them in half. I stared at him with my mouth gaping open as I watched him throw them on the ground and grinded them into the pavement with his shoe before handing me the empty carton.
"Looks like it's time to quit," he pointed out smartly. I took the pack and shoved it back into my pocket as a yellow cab pulled up beside the curb. It wasn't a mortal cab, of course. It was the way back to earth, to the mortal world; the place I call my home.
I pulled open the door and set one foot inside before turning back to my mother's friend, the God of Desire. "I'm not cleaning that up, by the way." I slammed the door behind me and told Frank where I wanted to go.
"Trouble in paradise?" Frank questioned as he drove off. I saw Eros wave at me from the curb.
" Paradise?"
"Come on." Frank met my eyes in the
I stood outside of their house, more than ready to get back down to Earth. I came here for my assignments, and I hated every visit as much as the last. I was half immortal, but being among others of my kind made me despise what I am. I couldn't fall in love. And, even if I could, I would have to find another person like me; half immortal. And there weren't too many of those just walking around. I was going to live forever...and I couldn't fall in love. My fate sounded as bad as it felt. Being here, in the house of the Love Gods just reminded me of it.
"I'm staying with Hayden," I replied. Hayden was my mortal best friend, who has the privilege of knowing my secret. It's not that it's forbidden to tell mortals about us, it's just frowned upon. They tend to freak out. But, I've known Hayden for years, and I could trust her with anything.
"Well, you're always welcome here, you know that," Psyche reminded me, just like every other time, and put her hands on my shoulders. I gave her a quick hug, her long golden hair brushed my face and it felt like strands of silk caressing my skin. I then glanced over at Eros, the God of Desire, my mother's other friend and third member of the house.
"Are you going to meet him today?" he handed over the blue case file. I took the folder and stuffed it under my arm. He seemed particularly anxious for me to start this job. I could tell as much by the way he rubbed his hands through his wavy white hair. If I hadn’t known my mother’s friends were gods, I would have thought them to be angels by their ethereal appearance.
"Maybe." I shrugged. Psyche excused herself and headed back into the large Victorian house while mumbling something about food in the oven. She was always experimenting with different dishes. That was one of the only things she loved about mortals, the delicious foods.
"Come back soon, darling," she shouted behind her. I looked back at Eros expectantly but he stood awkwardly.
"Don't scare the poor boy. You've never had a case where you've had to formally meet the client," Eros said after a minute or so. All of my jobs were strictly get in and get out. No time to get to know them. I liked it that way.
"I'll be fine," I assured him as I signalled for the cab.
Eros walked over and held out his arms as if to offer a hug but then he reached into my jacket pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He waved them in front of my face before opening the pack.
"I thought you were quitting?"
I rolled my eyes. "Why should I? It's not like I can get lung cancer or anything."
"Your mother will not be very happy," he declared, but had the smallest hint of a grin on his face. Eros always liked to screw with my mom. In mythology, they were considered one another's counter parts, but really they were just old friends.
"I'll quit when that pack is empty." I reached out for the pack but Eros held it out of my reach.
He evilly took the two remaining cigarettes from the pack and broke them in half. I stared at him with my mouth gaping open as I watched him throw them on the ground and grinded them into the pavement with his shoe before handing me the empty carton.
"Looks like it's time to quit," he pointed out smartly. I took the pack and shoved it back into my pocket as a yellow cab pulled up beside the curb. It wasn't a mortal cab, of course. It was the way back to earth, to the mortal world; the place I call my home.
I pulled open the door and set one foot inside before turning back to my mother's friend, the God of Desire. "I'm not cleaning that up, by the way." I slammed the door behind me and told Frank where I wanted to go.
"Trouble in paradise?" Frank questioned as he drove off. I saw Eros wave at me from the curb.
" Paradise?"
"Come on." Frank met my eyes in the
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