Let's just say in this version Apollo doesn't trap Hyacinthus' soul in the flower so he can be reincarnated
G/N - Godly parent name
Apollo was used to grief; he had felt sorrow, he had felt pain.
But when his eyes landed on you, it was like nothing he had felt before. The pull of his heartstrings like it was playing a somber melody, the tears welling in his eyes, his hands shook. He felt happy to see your face, but when he looked at it, he was remined of the cold dead one he had seen before. Your smile reminded him of the sun, it was warm, but it pained him to look at it.
You looked so much like him. His smile, your eyes, his face, your warmth. It was like he had never left. But Apollo knew better than that. You were different. You shared his features, but you didn't share his life, his thoughts, his feelings.
"Are you okay sir?"
Gods your voice. It was his voice but a weird, remixed version.
Apollo wiped away the tears that had started to fall, "Yeah, sorry."
"He just really loves flowers." Meg added.
He had forgotten she was even there. Now he was near two people that reminded him of past loves, just great.
"Oh," You said, "Okay then. If you need anything I'm not going anywhere for a while."
If only that were true. You- no he, had gone too fast. Gods he was already confusing the past and the present. He needed to leave this flower shop.
"Grab the seeds you want and let's go." He said to Meg, pushing her towards the seed section.
"Do you have a crush on that guy?" Meg asked as she judged the seeds in front of her.
Apollo froze. He wanted to laugh, a crush? Hyacinthus was no mere crush; he was one of the loves of his life. Between him and Daphne his heart had never been fuller. Crush couldn't even begin to cover how he had felt for that man. How he still felt even after all these years.
"Yeah, something like that." He answered.
Meg smiled mischievously, something Apollo had grown to know was not a good sign.
"Hey flower guy! My friend has a crush on you!" Meg yelled.
Before Apollo could strangle the girl or yell that she was joking your laugh stopped him in his tracks.
He wanted to melt in a pile of mush right then and there. Your laugh was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard, even the cracks, and its imperfections seemed lovely. He wanted to pluck it from the air and string into a song he could play on repeat.
"Thanks, I guess." You said and smiled his way.
Apollo could barely muster a smile back in his trance. "Yeah... no problem." He mumbled.
"Did you find what you were looking for?" You asked.
"Yup." Meg answered, Apollo was still broken. She placed the seed packets she'd chosen on the counter.
You rang them up and gave the total. Apollo then proceeded to dig through his pockets.
"Oh Hades, Meg you got any cash I just have drachmas." Apollo tried to whisper to his shorter friend.
"I can take drachmas." You said, causing the two to freeze and stare widely at you.
Meg snapped out of her shock faster than the god beside her, "You do?"
"Yeah, just don't tell my boss, he hates when I let demigods pay in Greek currency."
"How did you- are you?" Apollo stammered out, "How?"
You laughed at his confusion, his heart skipping a beat at the sound. "My godly parent's G/N, my boss is a daughter of Flora, roman goddess of flowers. She hates when I use drachmas instead of aurei."
The fates are cruel ladies. Very, very cruel. The irony here is that Hyacinthus died, and Apollo created a flower to remember him by, and now here you were, the spitting image of him, working in a flower shop, under the descendant of a roman goddess of flowers. Wonder how long it took those three old ladies to come up with this story line.
"How many drachmas?" Apollo asked, trying not to think of the amazing irony that was this situation, gods it'd make an amazing story.
"5 and well call it good." You held out your hand and he almost took it before realizing that you meant hand me the money not your sweaty hand.
"Yeah, of course." He handed them over.
You smiled and handed Meg back the seeds. "Good luck, don't die."
"You too." Apollo said back.
Oh, Zues all mighty end him now. First of all, it's incredibly embarrassing to tell someone "You too" when you know they are not in fact partaking in the same activity you are. Secondly, the subtext. He had just said "don't die" to the face of a dead man.
Once again, the fates are cruel.
Meg resisted the urge to smack him as she dragged him away from the counter and lover look alike. When they finally exited the flower shop Apollo couldn't bring himself to walk away. Would he ever see you again if he did? Probably not, he already forgot what city he was in.
"Give me one second." He said and rushed back into the store.
"Forget something?" You asked when you saw him walking up to the counter.
He took a deep breath in, "Indeed. Is there any chance I could get your number? If not that's totally cool- it's just you look like some guy, I used to-"
"Sure." You cut him off with a chuckle. "I don't have a phone, but I can give you the store number, it's basically my personal phone at this point."
Apollo smiled, "Yeah that works, I don't know why I asked for your number because of course you don't have a phone, that would attract monsters."
You smiled and handed him a slip of paper, "By the way, have we met before? I feel like I've seen you before."
The god once again froze. You must be the reincarnation of him if you remember his face, who could ever forget it? Even if it was dulled down to the face of Lester Papadopoulos.
Apollo opened his mouth to tell the truth, but he decided against it. What good would it bring telling you? He should just focus on the you that's in front of him not the one in the past.
"Not that I know of, I would have remembered such a handsome face."
You let out another laugh and waved him by as he made his way back out of the store. Maybe the fates weren't all bad, at least they were good writers.
No clue what this was lol
