“I’ve been trying to become a god ever since,” Hercules admitted. “I pretended to be Zeus’s bastard so he’d give me a test for immortality. I have to serve Eurystheus for ten years and complete whatever task he sets out for me.”

“And this one involves the Underworld?”

Hercules chuckled dryly, running his hand through his beard. “It does.”

“Well, come on then,” a glint of Hermes’s playful personality pushed through, “tell us what it is.”

Hercules turned towards Hermes, a pained look in his eye. “I’ll tell you but don’t react, okay? I don’t need to hear someone else tell me how impossible it is.”

Hermes tilted his head, studying Hercules. The hero might seem simple to other mortal men, but there were layers to him—Hermes hated to admit those layers intrigued him. He wanted to pull them back, one by one, and discover the truth of the man in front of him. He knew he was playing with fire, with their feelings, and couldn’t find it in him to care.

“Done.”

“I have to bring Cerberus to Eurytheus.”

Oh, fuck. Hermes managed to keep the shock off his face.

Hercules sighed heavily and continued, “I know how insane it sounds.”

“It doesn’t…sound insane.” Hermes fought for the right words. “It’s just never been done before.”

“Each of the labors I’ve completed had ‘never been done before,’” Hercules growled.

“So I’ve heard.” Hermes acknowledged, and they fell back into silence.

A thought was beginning to form in Hermes’s mind, and he struggled against it. The last thing he needed was to sign up for more time with Hercules; it was already causing an emotional hemorrhage. As soon as the plan took root, however, Hermes was a victim of his own tricks.

“You know,” Hermes started awkwardly, “if it’s Cerberus you want, you might need a little more help.”

Hercules turned to look at him. Hermes could tell Hercules was holding his breath, as if he also dared not hope Hermes was about to verbalize what they both had been thinking.

“My pride isn’t so great that I would turn down aid.”

“Well,” Hermes held out his hands again, and his scepter appeared, “I was supposed to lead you to the gates of the Underworld and depart, but if you’ll ask me for my patronage…” Hermes’s lips turned up into a smirk, waggling his eyebrows.

Hercules feigned annoyance with a groan, but his smile betrayed him. “Really? You’re going to make me ask for patronage?”

Hermes got to his feet, laughing. There was a flicker of golden light, and Hermes reappeared floating above the earth.

“It’s only appropriate.” Hermes winked and spoke in an over-exaggerated, grandiose tone. “Hercules of Thebes, should you wish it, I, Hermes Trismegistus, would happily patron your final labor.”

Hercules looked up at Hermes, and Hermes got hot under his attentive gaze. Hercules’s eyes lingered on Hermes as he got down on one knee. When he spoke, his voice sounded like spiced wine and honey, deep and seductive, and greatly in contrast to Hermes’s joking manner.

“Hermes Trismegistus, thrice great,” Hercules winked, “I’d be the most honored man in all of Greece if you would do me the honor of patronizing the rest of my journey.”

Hermes went weak in the knees. The tension between them returned with a vengeance, and Hermes shuddered. His heart skipped a beat, and so did his wings, causing him to fall back to the earth. He slipped on the smooth stones and nearly fell—but Hercules was on his feet in record time, wrapping his arms around Hermes to steady him.

Hermes placed his hands on Hercules’s chest instinctively, gasping slightly.

“Sorry.” Hermes coughed awkwardly. “Weak ankles.” Hermes went to detangle himself from Hercules’s grasp, but Hercules only tightened his grip.

“I suppose so.” Hercules smirked. “The muscles must be atrophied if you’re always using those winged sandals of yours.”

“Gods,” Hermes rolled his eyes, “how much anatomy did you study to learn that?”

Hercules rocked his hips forward, making Hermes very, very aware of Hercules’s anatomy. Hercules chuckled, a dark and nearly villainous sound.

“Enough to know that I’m hoping to see more of yours if we’re going to be spending more time together.”