Under the golden rays of the afternoon sun, Apollo and Hyacinth lay side by side in the soft grass, surrounded by blooming wildflowers. The world was quiet around them, the gentle rustling of the trees and the song of distant birds their only companions. Apollo, the god of the sun, light, and music, looked down at Hyacinth, the beautiful Spartan prince, and felt his heart swell with a love that was as radiant as the sun itself.
There was something about Hyacinth that had captured Apollo’s heart from the very beginning. It wasn’t just his beauty, though Hyacinth’s looks rivaled that of any mortal or god. It was his spirit—wild, free, and full of life. With Hyacinth, Apollo felt more alive than he ever had before. For the first time in his immortal life, the god who ruled the skies had found someone who made him feel grounded, who made his heart race in a way that even the greatest of his victories could not.
"You’re thinking about something," Hyacinth said, his voice soft as he looked up at Apollo with a teasing smile. "I can always tell when you get that faraway look in your eyes."
Apollo chuckled, running his fingers gently through Hyacinth’s dark hair. "I was just thinking about how much I love you," he admitted. "It’s… overwhelming sometimes."
Hyacinth’s smile softened, and he shifted closer, resting his head on Apollo’s chest. "Is it hard for the god of the sun to express his feelings?" he teased lightly, though there was warmth in his voice.
"Only when it comes to you," Apollo murmured, his hand coming to rest on Hyacinth’s back. "Loving you is unlike anything else. It’s not something I can control, or tame, like the light or the lyre. It’s wild, fierce, and it takes over everything in me."
Hyacinth’s heart fluttered at Apollo’s words. There was something intoxicating about the way Apollo loved him. It was powerful, all-consuming, but in the best way. He could feel it in every touch, in every word, in every glance Apollo sent his way. It was a love that could burn as bright as the sun, but with a warmth that made him feel safe, cherished.
"I feel it too," Hyacinth whispered. "When I’m with you, it’s like the world fades away, and all that’s left is us. I’ve never felt anything so… intense."
Apollo leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to Hyacinth’s temple, his heart swelling with affection. "I never knew I could love like this," he admitted, his voice quieter now, almost reverent. "You’ve changed everything for me."
Hyacinth looked up at him, his eyes bright, filled with the same emotion that Apollo had never thought possible. "I never thought I could be loved like this," he whispered. "The way you love me—it’s like nothing else. It makes me feel… unstoppable."
Apollo’s grip on Hyacinth tightened just a little, as if he feared the prince might slip away from him if he didn’t hold on tightly enough. "You are unstoppable," he said fiercely. "You’re more than just a mortal prince, Hyacinth. You’re… everything."
For a moment, they simply lay there, wrapped in the warmth of each other’s presence, feeling the weight of the love that tied them together. It was as though the rest of the world had fallen away, leaving only the two of them in a cocoon of sunlight and affection.
But as much as Apollo wanted to freeze this moment forever, to hold Hyacinth close and never let him go, he knew that life was unpredictable. Fate had a way of pulling even the brightest loves apart, and the thought made his chest tighten. He had seen it before—how cruel the world could be, even to those who loved with all their heart.
"Promise me," Apollo said suddenly, his voice taking on a more serious tone as he looked down at Hyacinth, "promise me that no matter what happens, you’ll remember this—remember how much I love you."
Hyacinth frowned slightly, sensing the shift in Apollo’s mood. "What are you talking about?" he asked softly, his hand coming up to cup Apollo’s cheek. "Nothing’s going to happen."
Apollo pressed his forehead to Hyacinth’s, closing his eyes for a moment as if to block out the thought of losing him. "Just promise me," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "Promise you’ll remember."
Hyacinth’s heart ached at the raw vulnerability in Apollo’s voice, and he nodded, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. "I promise," he whispered. "I’ll always remember. The way you love me—it’s something I could never forget."
Apollo’s heart swelled with both love and fear as he kissed Hyacinth back, knowing that while their love was powerful, even the gods could not control the whims of fate.
The next morning, they rose with the sun, as they often did, and found themselves on a field, playing their favorite game of discus. It was a day like any other, filled with laughter and the playful banter that always flowed between them. But as the day wore on, the inevitable struck.
In a moment of misfortune, as Apollo threw the discus, the wind caught it, sending it veering off course. Hyacinth, always eager to impress, ran to catch it, but the force of the throw was too much. The discus struck him, and in an instant, everything changed.
Apollo rushed to his side, his heart pounding with a panic he had never known before. "Hyacinth!" he cried, cradling the prince in his arms as blood pooled around them. "Stay with me, please."
Hyacinth’s eyes fluttered open, his breathing shallow. "Apollo," he whispered, his voice weak. "I’m sorry… I couldn’t…"
"No," Apollo shook his head, tears welling in his eyes. "Don’t apologize. This is my fault—I should have protected you."
Hyacinth smiled weakly, his hand reaching up to touch Apollo’s cheek. "You did protect me," he whispered. "You loved me. That’s all I ever wanted."
Apollo’s heart shattered at his words, and he pressed his forehead to Hyacinth’s. "I’ll never stop loving you," he promised, his voice breaking. "I’ll never forget the way you loved me."
As Hyacinth’s life slipped away, Apollo held him close, his tears mixing with the blood on the grass. And though his heart was broken, he knew that their love—wild, fierce, and unstoppable—would live on.
From Hyacinth’s blood, Apollo caused flowers to bloom, ensuring that the memory of their love would remain, eternal as the sun, even in the face of fate’s cruel hand. The flowers, delicate and beautiful, would forever carry the essence of Hyacinth, a symbol of the love that had been theirs, and the promise that no matter what, they would always be together in spirit.
