You were quick to grab a satchel and throw all your favorite possessions. A book, a few of clothes, and a couple of drachmas seemed to be enough for the travel. You wrote a short note for your parents and left it on your bedside table and headed straight to your father's office. Tying your cloak as you go, you ran straight to your father's computer. You do not know how to use a computer, but you know enough to summon Hermes.

"My lord, you wanted to see me-Y/N???"

Your heart raced when you saw the mischief god appear in front of you.

"Hey, Hermes. I love you," you said awkwardly.

"Woah, princess. Isn't it a little too early for that?" he said jokingly.

"No. It is not. In fact, we are running out of time. Soon enough, they will notice that I am gone."

His eyes widened in realization. "You-you're. . . you're not serious. . . ."

"I am."

The both of you were silent for a long time, and that gave you time to think how reckless your decisions are. Your insides crumbled as you realized. You just met him for the first time. How come he'd take you with him to what-elope? You don't even know a lot about him. Maybe he is married in Olympus. That idea made you want to slap yourself across the face.

"I-I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. . . ." you said shamefully.

Hermes chuckled and ruffled your hair. "Of course I wanna take you! I'm just surprised. . . . Are you sure?"

"Yes," you whispered.

"Hold my hand," he said.

You stepped towards him and took his hand. Before you knew it you're on a chariot.

"Y/N, this is Apollo," Hermes introduced.

The charioteer beamed and waved at you.

"You're Apollo-I cannot believe it!" you gasped.

"Holy shit." Apollo turned to Hermes. "You're not kidding when you said she's never been outside before!"

You felt shy about the sun god regarding you, but at the same time you blushed at the idea of Hermes talking about you.

"You said it was Helios who drives the sun chariot," you told Hermes.

"Well, I don't want talking about that guy, it only feeds his gigantic ego even more," Hermes replied.

"Hey!" Apollo protested.

When you look down, you are higher than you anticipated. All you see are patches of clouds, only seeing the world below when a few clouds parted. You lived your life in the underworld, a world with clouds of blue skies. It is thrilling to feel the cold mist touch your face whenever Apollo drive your chariot straight into a cloud.

You cannot help but to laugh. You reached for a puff of cloud, hoping to hold one in your hand, but your hand just went straight through. You are joyful, to say the least, and Hermes did not fail to notice it. He stares at you, beaming at your newfound freedom, and your face shined a glow that has never been that bright before.

Apollo found your excitement amusing as well. After all, he has seen this a thousand of time. The world is not as it used to be. Humans has become irresponsible, there is more pollution than birds in the sky. Soon enough, poor Y/N will take notice of that. At least let her enjoy until she can.

He steered his chariot straight into a cloud, and you laughed loudly as you collided with it. He drive straight to the other, and another, catching every cloud you came across.

"Apollo!" Hermes gasped. "If the mortals noticed the sun moving like that again, we're screwed. You know the last time that happened, the mortals thought it's Jesus's second coming!"

Apollo laughed. "Hey, man, chill! Look, Y/N's having fun!"

Your eyes widened and you paled. "What do you mean? We're riding the sun? We're in the sun chariot?!"

"Yeah." Hermes wrapped his arm around you as the chariot paced steady. "I didn't mean to spoil your fun but we gotta be careful."

"We're in the sun. . ." you echoed. You cannot believe it. You only dreamed of seeing the sun before, now you're in it. Maybe it's not as magnificent as you expected. Maybe the sun is just meant to be viewed from a distance.

"Why are we not burning?" is what you asked.

"Because we're gods. We don't burn," Hermes replied.

"Oh." It never really occured to you that you're a goddess. From what you know, goddesses are meant to be powerful, able to do what they want, not locked up in a castle.

You thought about your parents. You will miss them dearly, and you are sure you will meet again. In a few centuries, you guess. You hope there is a way to tell them that you cannot bear it any longer. You wish you can explain the restraint you felt on their wings.

"We're landing," Hermes whispered in your ear.

You turned to him and smiled as the chariot descend. You kept your eyes in the sky for so long that you didn't notice the scene below you.

You gasped. "Is that-"

"Mount Olympus, yes."

You took a deep breath at the kingdom you are slowly uproaching. The mountain releases a golden glow, and at the highest peak, sat the most marvelous palace you have ever seen. It is very different from what you are used to. There are no bones scattered on the ground. Instead of undead warriors and spirits, very alive nymphs ran around, laughing and chasing each other. Olympus looks better than what your mother has described it to be.

"That's my Muses!" Apollo yelled. He landed the chariot safely and immediately ran to the pavilion where the Muses held an orchestra.

Hermes chuckled at Apollo and turned to you. "So, where do you want to go?"

"I-I don't know," you said.

"How about I give you a tour?" Hermes squeezed your hand and guided you off the chariot.

* * *

Everyone looked at you the whole time you walked around. Maybe it was unusual for them to see their god walk around with soneone they had never seen before.

"Everyone is staring at us," you whispered at Hermes.

"They're staring at you," Hermes corrected.

"But why?" you asked confusedly.

"Because they had never seen a goddess as beautiful," Hermes said closely.

Your face heated. "Maybe that's not it. What if. . . ."

"No one is going to hurt you here, Y/N. I promise that."

A certain building caught your sight. A dome-shaped structure with ivy crawling on each column. Your heart jumped with delight and anxiety.

"Is that-"

"Demeter's crib," Hermes confirmed. "Do you want to come in?"

"What might she say? Maybe she'll hate me," you said nervously.

"Unlikely. Maybe she doesn't even know you exist. Of course she'll be delighted to meet her granddaughter from her only daughter."

"You think so?" you looked at Hermes's eyes for consolation.

"Uh-huh," Hermes made sure.

You don't know what to think of the building. It looks ancient and modern at the same time. It looks like your greenhouse in your palace if it wasn't depressing. The painted glass above casted different light on the room, pointing directly at the vine-covered throne sitting in the center. You had never felt something radiate such magic before. The entire place are sending vibrations onto you, like electricity flowing through your veins.

There are several statues of a woman in different poses, as if tending the garden. You recognized some as your mother, Persephone, but the other woman you have never met. Other than the statues, the temple is deserted.

"Y/N?"

You jumped in shock. "Hey, uh, what happened?"

Hermes smiled and touched your head. There, you felt something that wasn't there before. "You grew flowers on your head."

You flushed and panicked at the same time. "Why? Did I do that? How did that happen?"

"Because you're descended from me," a voice said from somewhere in the room. Suddenly, from the empty throne, now sat a beautiful woman with wavy hair as brown as tree branches. She bears a resemblance to those other statues in the temple, but so different. She is much more beautiful in flesh, and honestly her statues didn't give her any justice. She wore a flowy green dress and vines on her hair too, and immediately you know who she is.

"Demeter," you kneeled.

Demeter walked to you and helped you stand. She held both sides of your face with her delicate hands.

"Gods, what was your mother thinking, raising you in the Underworld?" she muttered as she examine you.

"You can't blame her for keeping Y/N because you had done the same to her," Hermes commented sarcastically.

Demeter disregarded him. "Well you are indeed very lovely. Gods and mortals alike would fight for your hand in marriage."

"If they do that, they will have to answer to me," Hermes said.

"Shush!" Demeter snapped at Hermes. "It's not enough you are stealing ambrosia from my pantry. You're stealing people now too."

You smiled at the embarassed Hermes. "I came here with him willingly," you told Demeter as you reach for Hermes's hand.

Demeter sighed. "I know it would be hypocritical of me to say this, but I am glad that you bring her here safely. If not, she would rot there forever." She turned to you, "What are you feeling?"

"Like there's electricity crawling through my body," you said breathlessly.

"You have supressed your power for too long," Demeter said.

Hermes grinned. "I knew there is something magical with you," he said.

"Olympus would need a goddess like you, Y/N. Hermes, as annoying as he is, needs a goddess like you to hook him to the ground. It is the Fates who attended to make you meet each other," Demeter said.

Demeter invited the both of you for a tea before letting you go on your way. You chatted for a while, talking of her duties and asking her of what would be your duties. For now, you do not know what is your sphere of control, but Demeter agreed to take you and train you as well. You grew up underground anyways, so maybe your father's influence would not be a bad thing for your power. Demeter immediately lost her temper when she remembers that Hades too agreed to keep you hidden. Maybe she cannot get angry at your mother, but she's ready to gut your father with a crop scythe. It took a lot of reasoning to convice Demeter to not storm at Persephone and Hades on a Zoom call. "At least let me be angry at them for keeping my granddaughter," Demeter whined.

When the afternoon came, you watched the Nine Muses perform on the square. It is as magnificent as your mother said. And when the performance is finished, Apollo accompanied the both of you to walk at the buding you haven't explored yet-the Palace of the Gods.

It was Queen Hera and King Zeus themselves who welcomed you.

"Well, it is true. My awkward brother has a daugher!" was Zeus's first words when he saw you. He opened his arms and you received a tight bear hug from your uncle.

"I thought no one knew about me," you grumbled at Hermes, embarrassed.

Hermes scratched the back of his neck. "Sorry. I'm the messenger gods, I couldn't stop myself from telling."

"You just really have a big mouth," Apollo teased.

"Oh, he won't stop talking about you," Zeus added.

Queen Hera smiled faintly. "It is very nice to meet you, Y/N," she said before pecking your cheek.

You looked at the King and Queen gods. "Did my parents know that I am here?"

"It won't be long until the gossip spread. After all, your arrival caused quite a stir here on Olympus!" Zeus sneered.

"Now, now, let's gather before the guests arrive. Hermes, Y/N, come here," Hera said, gesturing you to the aisle.

"What for?" you asked confusedly.

"Dear, I am the goddess of marriage."

"Hera!" Hermes yelled, red in the face.

"Apollo said you are planning to get married when you two arrived," Hera said, raising her eyebrow.

"What?!" you exclaimed, blushing too.

Apollo chimed in. "Weren't you blabbing about how lovely Y/N is, how much you wanted to take her away and be with her the moment you got the chance, and you would elope if she agreed," he said, mimicking Hermes.

"That's not what I meant!"

"I-I'm sorry, but we just met," you said. "I'm not really thinking of marriage yet. I said I love you and I mean that! I just think this is too fast-"

"Y/N, he's the god of athletics, he's known for his speed," Apollo interrupted.

Hermed shot him a glare. "Said someone who chased off a nymph the first second he saw her."

"Shh, let Y/N finish," Hera silenced the two.

Their attention came towards you again. "Well, I just wanted to say that maybe we should slow down. There are still things that are new to me and marriage is too much already. Besides, we've got forever! We could take our time."

Hermes smiled. "Of course. We could take all our time." He glared at Apollo. "I don't know where that asshole got the idea that we're getting married just because he's the god of proposing to someone he just met for the first time."

Apollo was about to lunge at Hermes when Hera cleared her throat.

"Well, it's nice to get that clear. How about we get a dinner so we could get to know you better Y/N? After all, you are an Olympian now," Hera offered.

Zeus stomped his feet like a child. "But how about the party? I already sent invitations. It's too late to cancel now!"

"I don't think Y/N is ready to face that many people yet," Hermes said.

You smiled at him reassuringly. "It's alright. I had never attended a party before. I think it'll be nice to meet everyone."

"Yeah," Apollo agreed. "We gotta celebrate that Y/N's here."

"Can I request something?" you said. The King and Queen looked at you, waiting. "I didn't like how I ran away from my parents without a proper goodbye. Maybe. . . maybe you can invite them?"

Hermes snaked his arm around your waist. "Don't worry. I'll help you explain to them. We'll convince them, I promise," he reassured.

Queen Hera smiled. "It is settled then. Y/N, welcome to the family."

* * *

i am soooo so sorry for going mia 😭 writer's block suckssss. anyway this has been sitting in my drafts for a long time. i thought i had already published it but surprise! i haven't. sorry for leaving you hanging on the last one. this is the finale of this hermes one-shot, lets see how many months it will take for nur to update again 🤧

so i'm currently watching hbo rome and i gotta say, octovian is 👀 (the hbo rome octavian, not the riordanverse octavian 💀) everytime i see a pullo & vorenus scene i got my fingers crossed while muttering "gay, gay, gay, by apollo please be gay"