Page 19 of The Trickster's Heart

Hecate sighed, shaking her head slowly. “Hermes isn’t used to people sticking around. We’re the closest friends he’s got, and he even keeps us at an arm’s length. I realize this is a lot, but frankly, I have no interest in waiting to see where this goes.” Hecate poked Hercules in the chest. “If you like him, tell him, because there’s a big heart hiding behind a wall of flirtatious sarcasm. He’ll never believe you want to stick around until you beat him over the head with it.”

A conflicting surge of panic, guilt, and desire took root in Hercules’s stomach. Hecate’s dogs started barking at something in the house, and the sound made Hercules start to spiral.

Cerberus! I’m here to get Cerberus.

In the face of Hecate’s interrogation, Hercules’s plan to simultaneously win Cerberus and Hermes started to fall apart. Doubt crept in, and his perfectionist tendencies started to pick apart his worthiness. Could he tell Hermes he wanted more time with him? Would Hermes believe him? It was too much pressure on Hercules’s fragile, controlled grip on reality, and he was going to break.

“Hercules.” Hecate snapped her fingers and got his attention. Her voice dropped. “I can see from here you’re overthinking it. Don’t. If you want him, tell him. If my little warning was enough to put you off course, then you’re not worthy of him.”

Hercules heard those words coming out of Hecate’s mouth and openly growled in response. The strength of his own reaction overrode the fears that were battling it out in his head.

“That’s where you’re wrong,” Hercules grunted, stepping past Hecate to follow Hermes inside. “No one is worthy of Hermes. The best anyone can do is try.”

It took all of Hercules’s strength to keep walking as he left Hecate in the courtyard, his knees shaking at his attempt to stand up to the goddess. Hercules didn’t see Hecate start to smile as she watched him disappear inside.

Hercules found Aeëtes and Hermes in the kitchen, already sitting at Hecate’s table, drinking wine. The kitchen’s atmosphere was comforting, and the fire was warm. Against his better judgement, some of the tension leaked out of Hercules’s shoulders.

“Hercules!” Aeëtes shouted cheerfully and indicated the seat next to him. “Come and sit. I want to hear the story of the hydra from your own tongue.”

Hercules grinned and did as he was bid. A cup of wine appeared in front of him, and under the table, Hermes hooked his ankle around Hercules’s. He kept his eyes on Aeëtes and began to recount the story, knowing that if he looked at Hermes in that moment, he’d declare his love on the spot.

* * *

Hermes was always moving. It was unlike him to find any pockets of peace in moments of rest, but staring at Hercules across the table, he found it. He had spent a lot of time in front of the goddess’s infamous hearth, but it had never felt like home…until now.

Don’t you dare get attached.

A cold shudder went down Hermes’s spine as the reality of the situation simultaneously frightened and comforted him. He was falling for Hercules—hard—if he hadn’t already, and he couldn’t afford to.

There was desire and attraction between them, but there were no indicators Hercules wanted anything more than sex with Hermes. That was fine with him; he would be more than happy to have more sex with Hercules, but that meant any feelings he thought he was having had to die.

He was lost in those thoughts, watching Hercules and Aeëtes drop into animated conversation when Hecate tapped his shoulder. He turned to the goddess as she indicated towards the kitchen, slipping behind the counter. Hermes got up and followed, preparing himself for what was undoubtedly an interrogation.

Hecate helped herself to a glass of wine and refilled Hermes’s cup, before raising a finger and outlining a sigil in the air. She snapped her fingers, and Hermes’s ears popped.

“I hate when you do that,” he hissed, his free hand going up to cover his ear.

“Don’t be so dramatic.” Hecate rolled her eyes. “They can’t hear us now. Have you and Hercules hooked up yet?”

“Okay, wow,” Hermes flushed, “going straight for the jugular, I see.”

Hecate chuckled, “By the gods, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you flustered. Don’t get coy with me now. It’s unbecoming of you.”

“Ha,” Hermes laughed dryly, “you’re enjoying this way too much.”

“So you admit it. There’s something there?” Hecate scooted closer to Hermes, her eyes flicking over to where Aeëtes and Hercules were laughing loudly over something. “He’s very handsome. I’d expect nothing less.”

“Don’t ogle him!”

Hecate’s mouth dropped open in surprise before twisting up into a smirk. “I love this so much. ‘Don’t ogle him’? You ask to have a threesome with Aeëtes and I every time you come over.”

Hermes scrunched his nose before emptying his cup. “Fine, if you must know, I do enjoy his company. But he’s got an agenda, and I’m only part of it for a little while. Once I get him to his audience with Hades tomorrow, my job is done. He’ll go on to get his godhood, I’m sure, and I’ll go back to doing…whatever,” Hermes trailed off and waved his hand in the air.

There was a beat of silence as Hecate waited, not even blinking as she stared at Hermes. Hermes shifted under the intensity of her stare and let out a low whine.

“Okay, oh my god, you’re the worst.” He placed his cup down on the counter. “Yes, I like him. He’s very big and pretty, and I want to sit on his dick. What’s not to like?”

“Hermes.” Hecate deadpanned, raising one brow.

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