The Strawberry Boy

Unconscious

Chapter 5

Her lips, her gorgeous wet lips are on mine. Something I have waited so long for. My arms weakly wrap around her waist. Although I am healed, I am still tired but I never want this moment to end. Her hands touch my face then slither around my neck. We kiss for a few moments until she breaks the kiss. I wish I could kiss her forever. Without saying a word she grabs me the way she did before to help me walk and travel to my home.

Panayota opens the door and helps me through. She walks me up to my bedroom and carefully places my body on my bed. "One moment please," she says in a peaceful tone. I stare up at my painted ceiling, painted as if it were a church ceiling with beautiful angels, sky, clouds. I could hear the water flowing downstairs. The sounds of footsteps come my way. I see her beauty at the corner of my eye, the door shuts behind her. She is holding a metal bucket of water and a blue cloth. Placing the bucket and cloth down, she covers my body in a blanket. She wets the cloth in the bucket as I hear her ring out the water. Her cold hand places the cloth on my forehead as she begins to speak. "I am truly sorry Anteros about that kiss under the waterfall. You were naming all the reasons why we could be together but in all seriousness, I do not recommend on giving up. Even with how bad the situation was, it could have been worse my dar-" she cuts herself off and clears her throat. "... my Anteros." Was she about to say what I think it was? Either way, I smile at the fact how she never gives up and always sees the bright side of things. "Ares could have killed you but instead he left you with a scar." "Sometimes being killed is better than having a scar." I can feel her look at me with sorrow. I look at her with watering eyes. "I can only take so much Panayota, how much further do I have of this sorrow?" She's speechless. I want to know as to what she is thinking. She opens her mouth but words do not escape it. I lay there in silence, patiently waiting.

"Just because we are Gods Anteros, does not mean we receive the luxurious life. We have our own problems too like those Mortals but we are supposed to be the ones who can conquer anything that comes in our way. That is what makes us Gods." "So you are going to make me wait in this lonely despair?" She nods slowly. I rip the blanket off and pace around the room in madness. "Anteros! Lay back down!" I ignore her. My hands are to my head, clutching onto my hair and my face is burning in flames. "Anteros! Take it easy! You will hurt yourself!" I keep pacing. "Anteros!" She yells as she jumps on me from behind. We both hit the floor together, her sitting on my back. For a slight second, she gets off to roll me over but then sits on my chest, her hands on my shoulders. "You don't think this is hard for me! It is very, very difficult to see you go through such trouble but there are missions that need to be done! So don't you dare say that it is easy for be because it is not!" As she yells, she tries to catch her breath and soon after tears fall from her cheeks, land onto my chest. My face is in shock. I try to sit upwards which she scoots to sit on my lap to help me sit up. I smile at her gently to reassure her and wipe away her warm tears. "I am sorry my Goddess. I did not think how you must have felt. Forgive me," I say bowing my head down. "I- it is alright." I look back up at her as she speaks, her lips revealing a sad smile. I place a soft kiss on her forehead.

Later that night, Panayota walks 'home' with my mother into the mortal world. I wave to them goodbye at the door, wishing I could come along but Panayota insisted on resting. I lay in my bed, thinking about her.

"Anteros! Wake up!" My mother demands in the early morning. I open one eye. "Anteros! Please my son!" She shakes my body. "Alright, alright mother," I say while rubbing my eyes. "What is it mother?" "It is your father! Hephaestus captured him while we were making love! Luckily I got out with my charm but he is still in captivity! You need to save him Anteros!" I sigh and roll over to my other side so I am not facing her. "Retrieve Eros to save him. After all, he is his favourite child." Hephaestus always captures my mother and father to embarrass them in front of the other Gods and Mortals since he cannot have my mother so it is nothing new. Even though Hephaestus and I share the same hatred towards Ares, we would never take measures too drastic. The worst Hephaestus will do is keep him trapped forever. I wave my hand at my mothers face for her to leave, she slaps it away. "Anteros! This is a chance to show your father you are worthy!" I look at her with an evil eye. "I should not have to show him I am worthy anyways! He should already know that by now." "That is true but please Anteros, do it for Panayota." My eyes open widely at her name. I hate when she brings Panayota into serious situations. "Fine," I say and get out of bed. I flap my butterfly wings and fly off.

I have a feeling where my father might be. Hephaestus usually takes my captured parents to Dionysus' theatre where all Gods and Mortals can see. Flying closer, I can hear laughter from the Gods and Mortals. Of course I was right. Hephaestus really does need a new spot if he does not want Eros or I to find out. Everyone is sitting on the stone rings as it circles around the stone stage, the sun beating down on them. Hephaestus has Ares in a cage on the stage while he makes cruel jokes about my father. I fly full speed and ram into Hephaestus like a bull. He falls onto the stone floor as I hover over him. The audience gasps. Hephaestus shakes his head and gets up slowly. "You have had your fun now let my father free Hephaestus," he looks at me with a smirk. "But the fun has just started." He smirks then lets out a loud scream and grabs my left leg to pull me down. I fight it and try to fly up but he is too strong. I punch his face and he walks backwards blinded. I spin to kick him in the head and he falls on his bottom. I rush to where my father is and examine the cage to attempt to free him. "Anteros!" The audience yells. Hephaestus grabs me by the neck and pulls me up. "You little butterfly. You think you can free your father? Why would you anyways? He hates little butterflies like you. Let me be your father, I can be a better father than him," he smiles devilishly. That is just a dirty way of winning my mother back. I charge a ball of light in the palm of my hand and throw it at his face. He lets go of my neck and tumbles backward screaming in agony. I land on my feet and watch him be pathetic. He falls onto the floor and does not get up.

I search Hephaestus for a key or something but I could not find anything. I look at my surroundings. I see Hermes spot me and fly with his sandals. "Hermes, my boy. What brings you here?" "I have stolen a crowbar from Hephaestus' cave Anteros." I pat Hermes on the back and laugh. "Of course you stole it. Thank you my boy." Hermes and I had a great childhood together so our relationship is steady. I take the crowbar out of Hermes' hands then whisper in his ear to tell the audience to leave. We make eye contact and he nods. "Alright everybody! Show is over! Go off home now!" He shouts and waves his arms up in the air. Hermes steps off the stage and guides everyone home. Now it is just my father and I alone with a unconscious Hephaestus off to the side. I hate being alone with him but hopefully he sees what I have done for him, hopefully he sees I am worthy.

Without saying a word, I focus on getting my father out of this cage. Fitting the crowbar in the middle of two bars and try to widen them. "Anteros... why did you save me?" This could be my chance! My chance to tell him because I love him and want a relationship with him! I open my mouth to speak but Ares interrupts me, "I wanted Eros to save me." Of course, it was too good to be true. I look up at him with shock, then anger. "You know what?! Get yourself out of there!" I yell, dropping the crowbar to the floor. I turn my back on him, seeing my mother coming this way. "Anteros? What is the matter?" She asks in her delicate tone. "It is no use mother! He said he wanted Eros to save him so I will go receive his favourite son if he wants his company that dearly." My mother looked shocked. I could see anger boiling inside of her. "Can you just appreciate what your son has done for you! He saved your life!" My mother said trying to help. "... He is not my son." It was not the first time he had said that. I look back at him then down at my feet of how ashamed I am of him. My mother lets out the loudest scream I could ever hear and as if it sounded like she got stabbed. She picks up the crowbar from the floor and throws it to Ares which he catches. "Save yourself for all I care!" She suggests. I shrug off his comment and walk away in sorrow, watching every step I take without looking up. As I am about to walk off the stage I sight someone else's feet. Looking up, it was Panayota. The look she gave me read it all, read that she heard his nasty remarks. I watch her face for a second then shrug her off and kept walking. I did not look back and I had a feeling she did not either. Panayota just let me go.

With Panayota kissing me without thinking, believing Ares and I could have a relationship no matter how bad things got, Hephaestus thinking I could not save my father, Aphrodite thinking my father will realize I am worthy by saving him, and for me to believe in my mother... it all just seemed we were unconscious.