Too close to the Sun

do you love her?

Hercules' eyes dimmed as he watched Heliē ride off on her stead in the distance. With a wine he had stolen from Zeus' cellar in one hand, Poseidon's favorite gauntlet in the other, he drank with a heavy heart. Feeling quite confused not only by his emotions but also his actions. He sighed lost in thought. A familiar presence slowly emerged from the shadows. Her blue dress cautiously clung to her skin, not too tight but far from loose with a slit that reached her thigh. Her ink black hair long enough to gently caress her ankles. She sighed at what she had just witnessed. She had initially wanted to visit Heliē and Aphrodite but she had long since spotted Heliē scaling through the walls and immediately understood that she was once again defying her brothers and leaving Mount Olympus and Aphrodite was no where to be seen either. At first she felt that it was best to let the guards find Hercules and escort him out but then she recalled that he didn't have what one would call a "peaceful coexisting relationship" with Heliē's brothers. She shook her head conflicted on what to do, comforting people was not something she was very good at but after much thought she stood a few steps behind him and gave him a pat on the shoulder. He flinched but slowly relaxed. Thinking it was Aphrodite, he said "there's no need be worried, I'm fine"
"You don't look fine" a voice he never expected to hear echoed through the night. He turned to see nyx, the goddess of the moon. A smile slowly formed on her lips, she really did deserve that title. "Nyx what are you doing here?" He asked a little shocked "Oh, well I was in the area" she uttered and chuckled slightly "Really..." He replied, his tone low almost like he was talking to himself rather than her. He subconsciously looked up at the sky full of stars it looked so empty without the moon. She looked up at the sky as well and sighed "I'm on a break" she mumbled, her tone equally low almost like she was trying to convince herself. "Do you mind telling me what you're doing here...with Poseidon's gauntlet and the wine Zeus had been saving in his cellar for a 'special occasion'?..." She inquired "now I understand why Heliē said you'd never get along with her brothers. You're always causing trouble" she laughed and the corner of Hercules' mouth raised slightly before he joined her with a chuckle. They rested their arms on the rail of the terrace over looking the flowers that seemed endless. The wind flowed through her hair she closed her eyes and gently took in the feeling. "You like her, don't you?" She asked bluntly. Hercules was talking aback and stared at nyx. She was still as calm as ever her eyes gently closed. He suddenly got defensive and immediately denied what she asked. "Then why are you here drinking yourself away?" She asked again, catching him off guard again. "It's just because... she's risking her life going against her brothers orders and leaving Mount Olympus all for some human" Hercules suddenly blurted laying much emphasis on the word human, disgust and disbelief in his words. nyx chuckled and suddenly turned to face him "you do like her..." she said again this time not as a question already certain of the answer and he had no choice but to nod his head and agree. This time she stared at him intently making him so nervous that he took a step back and fell back on the chair next to him. She overlooked him for what felt like eternity, "But do you love her?" She asked leaving him bewildered yet again. If it was the first question he would say yes in a heartbeat but faced with this one...he wasn't so sure anymore. "Sometimes our hearts become so clouded that we may fail to see what's right in front of our faces..." Hercules was slightly confused by her words apparently not understanding "You can take your time to think about what I asked. In the meantime please return Poseidon's gauntlet, it'll surprise you the scary things one would find in the ocean..." She said with a hint of plea, her fright engulfed her just thinking about the kind of things she had seen Poseidon pull out for the depths of the sea and they were far from friendly. "And as for the wine..." She uttered staring at it with a twinkle in her eyes and a mischievous smile "it's mine now" she uttered and yanked it out of his hand. Hercules chuckled and realized he had been played big time but before he could reacted she had disappeared without a trace. Hercules slowly Wondered if seeing her was just a hallucination caused by his drunken state but then remembered that "his" wine was no longer in his hand. His smile slowly faded when he pondered on her words. "But do you love her?" rang in his head over and over and over again like a broken record. Did he love her?