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“Lord Apollon?”
A soft hum rippled through the previous quiet, pulling a bright mind from the clouds of fantasies. The artist, eyes a shining gold and morning sky-hued hair dancing in an unseen breeze, set the brush down upon his worktable. His creation of masterfully blended hues was put on pause, long fingers cleansed of paint with a blink. Long waves of his purple gown flowed like water, smooth and undisturbed.
Apollon, tall and beautiful Apollon, turned to observe the servant at the door. He spoke soft and calm, voice ever airy with no need for loudness to be clear.
“Whatever is the matter?” he asked.
The servant bowed low in reply, “Your lord brother has been causing havoc about Olympus. I have been sent to inform you of such by Lady Athena.”
“Ah,” Apollon hummed. How amusing. “Young Hermes has always been a handful. I will see what I can do.”
“Thank you, Lord Apollon.”
He waved off the servant’s reply with an elegant hand. “There is no need. You may go.”
With another bow, the spirit left to whatever duties it had been attending beforehand.
Now, to see about Hermes...
There was a crowd gathered in the market, nothing out of the ordinary. Yet they were not browsing the wares available around them. Instead, the collective gazes were upon the child perched atop one of the many fountains.
Ah, the youth with wings on his head had one of Ares’ axes in hand. He was swinging it about with child-like abandon, much to the fear of the few among them who could die. Athena, still a young goddess under his sister’s tuition, stood the closest with a bewildered expression.
Apollon could not blame her. Their dear little half-brother was baffling at times.
The crowd parted easily as he made his way over to her. Grey eyes gleamed with relief as she caught sight of him.
“I am relieved you could come,” Athena greeted demurely. “He has been doing this since the sun was at its highest, giving many sellers a fright.”
“I am not surprised,” Apollon chuckled. “He excels at being a disturbance.”
Hermes, the troublemaker, laughed as he twirled the axe from hand to hand. Some of the spirits there were silent with wide eyes, either from fear or concern or both. And as amusing as this all was, Hermes needed to learn an important lesson today. Perhaps a reminder of that.
“Little Brother, it is almost time for your lessons. Do come down from there.”
The boy stopped, axe coming to a halt with the handle in his hand. He whined, “Aw, do I have to?”
Apollon delicately raised a brow at his student, a small smile on his lips.
Hermes sighed in exasperation.
“Okay, fiiine.”
He leapt down from the fountain and pouted again when Athena pulled the axe from his hand. Apollon touched a hand to his brother’s shoulder, still amused by all this.
“Thank you for your help,” Athena said with a small incline of her head.
“You’re welcome,” he replied with a nod of his own.
Hand patting the winged boy’s back, Apollon ushered his handful of a brother out of the market. And he heard the sounds of people murmuring and going about their day resume as usual.
Once far enough away, Hermes plopped himself down upon a stone bench with a huff.
“I was just playing, you know.”
“I know,” Apollon hummed as he sat beside the young god. “But what you consider fun may not be so to someone else.”
Hermes kicked his feet, frowning at the plain sandals he wore. “It’s just so boring. Everyone is always busy and almost never talk to anyone about anything.”
“You sound lonely and unfulfilled.”
“And what if I am?”
Apollon observed his brother, eyes scanning over the other’s young form and the drooping wings that really ought to belong to a nymph. He exhaled in concession.
“Alright, I suppose you are ready.”
Hermes glanced at him. He still had a frown on his face.
“Ready?”
Apollon simply smiled, eyes crinkling with gaiety.
“To fly.”
It was harder than it sounded.
Hermes tumbled head over heels through the open air, struggling to find something to steady himself with. The winged sandals on his feet fluttered and flapped with no regard for him. He yelped as they sent him rolling again.
A solid warm body blocked him from spinning off into the horizon. Slender hands held his shoulders, as warm as the melodic voice that came from above.
“Steady,” Apollon chuckled. A palm came into view, open and inviting. “Hold onto me.”
His own hands were so small compared to his big brother’s, those long fingers gently wrapping around to return the hold. He teetered and swayed as he tried to get his feet under him, Apollon being the only thing helping to keep him upright. Even so, there was nothing but patience in those eyes and that smile - typical big brother, always so perfect.
“Mimi, look at me,” Apollon murmured.
Hermes met those gentle golden eyes, shocked by how deep they were. If he looked closely enough, the hues of those far-seeing irises shifted with emotion and seemed to glow even in the light of day. Apollon pulled back and his smile had gotten wider.
“There we are.”
He blinked as he realised his hands were empty, not holding onto anything. And he wasn’t unsteady anymore. Hermes glanced down to find his sandaled feet beneath him, the wings at his heels fluttering to keep him hovering in place.
“You focused too much on replicating what it feels like to stand on solid ground,” Apollon said. “To fly is to float and be free.”
He stared at his big brother who was ever-smiling, always shining at any time and anywhere. Those golden eyes beamed.
“Go on.”
“Only if you catch me,” Hermes returned.
Apollon chuckled merrily, “Very well.”
Even if he barely lasted a minute against him, that chase through the skies with his big brother was the highlight of Hermes’ entire week.
“Big Bro?”
“Hm?”
Apollon glanced down at the little brother he carried on his hip, holding him as though he were a small child and not an immortal god. Hermes had tired himself out from all that flying and it was now approaching dusk.
“Thank you,” he mumbled with a yawn. This earned him a musical chuckle.
“You don’t need to thank me, dear brother,” Apollon murmured. “What matters is you enjoyed yourself.”
“I did,” Hermes grinned. “Never knew flying would be so fun.”
It was second nature by now for the golden god to place his wayward brother upon the sheets of the child’s bed, skillful hands pulling the covers up to a small chin. He brushed dark curls out of the way, smiling down at sky blue eyes.
“Can we do it again?” Hermes asked quietly.
Apollon nodded, “We have all the time in the world to fly, Mimi.”
The young god yawned, smile growing wide when soft lips placed a kiss upon his forehead, a small gesture that repeated every night since he was taken under his big brother’s wing.
“Love you,” he whispered.
“I love you too, Little Brother.”