[J29] MY HEART IS YOURS (1/2)
Prompt Code: J29
Title: My Heart Is Yours
Rating: R
Side pairings (if any): n/a
Word Count: 17,082
Summary: The powerful young god Jongin finds himself falling in love with a mortal that wants nothing to do with him. Although at first he wanted to show him the world, Jongin realizes to make Kyungsoo love him back, he needs to delve deeper into the mortal world and find what makes him happy.
Warnings: You may be emotionally damaged once completing this fic, and also, Aphrodite is kind of a bitch.
AN: Please enjoy!
Apathy:
Standing by the open entry of the meeting hall, Jongin sighed, frustrated that not all of his aunts and uncles had arrived just yet. Even immortality ran with its curses, didn’t it?
He would have thought that at least the gods would have wanted these bi-annual meetings done as quickly as possible. Solstice only lasted so long and he planned on spending the majority of his time today on Earth, relishing in the feel of mortal flesh pressing against him. Letting himself get lost in the feel of a warm body beneath him tonight - ringing in a new season, and really just enjoying his immortality for all that it was worth.
“I would have thought to see you skip meetings like these.” Someone said lightly, coming up behind Jongin and eyeing him as he leaned against a pillar, trying to pass the time by staring off into the clouds above the coliseum.
Sun-young, or better known as Luna because of her uncanny resemblance to the titaness, raised a curious eyebrow at him, asking for an answer.
“And miss the fun of seeing the other gods fight with one another?” Jongin scoffed, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. Luna knew that he was being sarcastic and she let a small smirk display on her lips before it was disappearing into her serious façade. The two of them were alike in some ways, though she had taken to immortality after he had, having first been human.
There was a silence then, which descended upon the entire coliseum, stretching across the already arguing gods and their children whom had decided to show up as well, if only to see the squabbles their parents got into. It was only right that they all fought. With a family so large, a history so vast and complicated, there were bound to be fights and disagreements.
Of course, it seemed that there was a disagreement every moment they were all together.
“Shall we now?” Jongin’s half-sister Athena announced, obviously in charge of corralling everyone together for the beginning of the meeting. Jongin was slow at moving towards the center of the ring, standing just at his father’s right hand side.
He was the only son of Zeus that ever dared come to these things. Especially with Hera looking him down every second she got.
There were other, lesser gods here, sons and daughters of the 12 Olympians. But even with a good sum of his cousins, nieces and nephews standing to the sides, he was the most powerful of them all. Not only as a son of Zeus, but as one of the eldest. Some had been granted immortality from their parents for showing hero-like courage while they were mortals, while others had died first before they were given a chance at immortality.
Jongin was one of the only ones to have been born immortal. And he had already seen too much in his many centuries.
He drowned out most of the meeting, his father doing the same until one of his brothers - Poseidon or Hades - brought up a topic that sparked his interest. And it really did, literally, spark his interest. With the power of thunder and lightning, everything in the room grew electric when Zeus lost his temper. There were times when his wife and Queen, Hera, needed to rest a hand on him, to calm him even slightly, and then there were other times when Zeus’ own children tried to calm him down. Athena and Artemis were the best at such things, with their level heads and calm voices.
Jongin could have learned something from them. He took too much after his father, and not enough after his mother.
His mother - immortal just like his father, the King of the Gods - was considered a lesser goddess. Still important to humanity, however, she was labeled as one of the Horae - a group of goddesses that led balance of both the seasons and times. His mother was named Thallo, goddess of spring and a protector of youth. However much older she was than Persephone, the younger goddess still stole all the credit for being a goddess of spring. Not that she needed an extra title. She was also proclaimed as Queen of the Underworld.
When the meeting adjourned, the gods and goddesses dismissing themselves with sighs of warranted disbelief, Jongin went to leave his father’s side only to be called back.
“My son.” Zeus’ reverberating voice seemed to echo through the entirety of the hall and Jongin stilled where he was, swinging around swiftly to stare up at his father, wondering what could possibly be so important to call him back. When the two came face to face, Zeus’ striking eyes changed from startling blue to ocher. Even if he was considered a Greek god, he could change his appearance at will. Tan skin and brown eyes hid his immortality well enough that Jongin tended to keep up that specific façade, above all else.
Jongin waited for his father to say something else, to tell him to be careful while he was on Earth, or not to damage the mortals too much while he stayed with them.
He had been known to damage quiet a few - boys and girls alike - in his years. Not that his father was any different than he was. In fact, Zeus was probably worse than Jongin was at times.
Without saying anything, Zeus dismissed him and then he was gone.
~
It made no difference to him, whether the mortal was male or female. He just wanted a warm body beneath him tonight, wanted to feel something other than apathy towards his immortal existence. There was only so much he could do in so many years and it had seemed that after so long he had become sick of the same thing happening all the time. Family meetings were too close in between and so were tasks to be done for his cousins, brothers and sisters.
It was much better pretending to be mortal for a night and burying himself deep inside someone, hearing their voices and delicious moans travel through a hollow home, sometimes even a hovel in a small town. And then he would find himself smirking as he heard voices in the distance, wondering who was getting laid tonight - and by whom.
There were too many gods like him that came down to Earth that the mortals should have known who caused such reactions from their kin. Of course, it always surprised Jongin which sex was louder - especially as sometimes it was the men, while others it was the women.
It was like a guessing game every night, and he found himself lost in the pleasure as well, trying very hard to control his powers and not blow the roof off of their homes in his ecstasy.
It was this specific night, however, that someone actually walked in on him while he was nailing a woman from behind, not caring much for the way his naked body gleamed in the moonlight streaming in from the window. He was a god, he should never have been ashamed of his body.
What was more surprising was the fact that the man that had walked into the room did not appear angry, or even really embarrassed to see Jongin’s naked body shimmering before him, layered in sweat that was mostly the mortal’s beneath him. Gods did not sweat unless they wanted to.
“What do you want?” Jongin found himself asking, not caring too much as he continued to pound into the mortal woman, making her scream for the Heavens and curse under her breath. He grinned slightly at her use of language, but did not stammer in his pace, wanting to get off just as much as she did. He supposed he was doing a rather good job if she was trembling from just his touch. Jongin shook his head and grinned wide before glancing back at the man that had just stepped in, still not saying a word.
The woman beneath him didn’t even seemed phased that someone was watching her get wrecked from behind. Jongin wondered how often this happened for her to be so okay with it.
Or perhaps she was so far gone in her own pleasure that she didn’t even notice the stranger there.
“I’ll ask again…” Jongin started, “What do you want?”
But the mortal man still refused to say a word. Instead, he walked forward, ignoring the intimidating looks from the young god and instead placed a slip of paper on the nightstand for the young woman beneath Jongin. On his way out, the mortal turned back and scoffed at the scene before him.
“Happy Solstice.” He murmured, turning then to close the door soundly behind him.
Jongin ignored his words, or at least he tried to. He finished off with the woman beneath him, ravaging her body until both of them were well spent, and then he leapt off of her, clothing himself and disappearing into the night.
The only thing on his mind was the way that man’s lips had moved when he spoke.
~
It took him days to come to his senses, and even then, he wasn’t doing a very good job of doing so. He knew what happened when the gods became too enamored with a mortal. He had seen it with his own father, his cousins, his brothers and sisters. Had Jongin not seen the fate of all the mortals blessed with the loved of the gods?
Or was it more like cursed?
It didn’t matter now, though, because as he watched from afar his only thoughts were of watching the man from that night. He had seemed so completely unfazed by all that he had seen, and Jongin wasn’t sure if that was what drew him to the mortal, or if it was something else entirely. Perhaps it was the shape of his lips - which looked uncannily like a heart when he smiled - or the way his muscles jumped when he lifted the stones before him.
Jongin was watching the mortal build a brick wall around a small enclosure. He was not sure what it was for, but he found it fascinating how much effort and time the mortal spent in this project. If it were him, he would have hired someone else, or completely forgotten about it.
And he was the one with more time on his hands.
That was also the thing about mortals. Their lives were so short, and then they wasted their time on menial tasks such as this. Couldn’t he have been doing something else with his life?
But no matter what he was doing, Jongin found himself staring intently, eyes not leaving his frame for even a second.
It was about two weeks after he started watching the mortal that a few of the other gods started to notice something was vastly different about Jongin. They spoke up about it, too, and did not take too kindly to being ignored.
“Jongin, I hear that you’re rather enamored with a new mortal.” One of his nephews started. He was a son of Hermes and known as a trickster. Jongin would have rather thrown the lesser god off of a cliff than have to deal with his pestering.
“I’m not in the mood, Taeyong.” Jongin said, walking away from his younger, going as quickly as he could through the streets of Olympus. He spent so little of his time on Olympus these days, but there were things his father had asked of him this day and it was inevitible to stay away. Now he was forced to deal with the younger gods that did nothing but pester him of his own relations, especially his relations with certain mortals.
“Do you suppose you’ll be able to keep this one?” he asked, his question half a whisper. He then proceeded to let a little snicker follow, adding in, “All of your mortals have died on you in the past, haven’t they?”
Jongin had enough of younger god; quickly turning and letting his anger show clearly on his face, he stared him down. Taeyong took a step back and blinked a few times to compose himself, slinking down and a few inches away from a very angry son of Zeus. He knew that the son of the King of the Gods did not have a short temper, knew that he did not get angry quite as quickly or as often as his father did. But Taeyong - and all other gods - knew that there were still buttons not to be pressed when it came to Jongin.
“Leave me be and do not speak of my past.” He said, voice reverberating like thunder through an open sky. Taeyong bowed to his elder before stalking off through the streets, avoiding his uncle at all costs now.
When Jongin was finished with his father’s tasks, he went down to Earth to see the mortal man...
Kyungsoo had never left his family’s small estate, had not even left the country. It had never been much of a dream of his to travel, had never really sparked his interest to see the way others lived their lives. He was content enough living his own life. Living until he died one day, and then wondering what Elysium would look like.
If he even made it there in the first place.
Two weeks ago, when he had seen that man hovering behind his parents’ guest’s body, he had stilled. He hadn’t known what to do so he just stared.
It was obvious that the man was a god. Kyungsoo knew that much. It had been obvious in the way he looked so completely un-amused when Kyungsoo had walked into the room. It had been obvious in the way his body gleamed in the moonlight, the way he didn’t seem to sweat, and then in the way that he was able to continue pounding into that woman’s body even after Kyungsoo had walked in, not changing his pace and not seeming embarrassed at all by it.
Only a god would react so unabashed about something like that. Mortals had a little more decency, he felt.
Distracted while thinking of the god, Kyungsoo didn’t realize his mother was calling for him until she was screaming, hitting his arm and dragging him by his ear inside the house, pointing at the dishes and telling him that it was his turn to do them today.
How were there so many already when he had just done them yesterday? But he didn’t complain, just bowed his head to his mother and did as she said.
He still lived under their roof, as he was sure he would until the day he died. With an elder brother that had run off with his lover years ago, and a sickly father, there wasn’t much choice for his future other than to care for his family. And that included all of the guests that stayed in their home as well, sometimes even barring him from sleeping in his own bed.
Kyungsoo often slept on the porch, or on the small couch, rather than his own room. But if that meant someone else was comfortable and well, he would do it.
There was a knock on the open door then, a figure appearing and blinking out the sun from outside, which streamed down and told them it was midday. The figure was unfamiliar at first, but then Kyungsoo blinked and recognized him.
The god from weeks ago.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, eyes going wide as he stared, the god taking a step inside his family’s home, and getting even closer to him with each passing second.
Rather than answer his question, the powerful god cocked his head to the side.
“Why do you let her treat you like that?” he asked. And for a moment, Kyungsoo was confused as to whom he was referring. But then he remembered the way his mother had dragged him into the house, telling him to do the dishes, and wondered how long the god had been watching.
Kyungsoo shook his head, “She’s not always like that.” He replied gently, voice softening for an unknown reason. Why was he growing softhearted in front of a god? Was it perhaps because the god seemed concerned, or another reason? Kyungsoo remained silent after saying as much, wondering what the immortal would do in reply.
With a raised eyebrow, he came closer and placed one hand on Kyungsoo’s, which was fastened on a dish that needed cleaning. The water was still running, but then the god turned it off, a little aggravated with the noise it made.
“Why don’t I help you?” the god asked, brown eyes softening when they stared at him.
And he wasn’t sure why he agreed to it, but he nodded silently and stepped aside, leaving room for the taller man.
Had Kyungsoo not known previously that this man was a god, he would have been fooled.
He looked almost exactly like any other mortal in the country, perhaps just slightly darker. But that was not a bad thing. In fact, Kyungsoo found it actually attractive, the god’s darker skin tone. Not only that, but his arms were corded with slight muscles, nothing too large, but just enough to make him feel secure standing beside him.
What was going on?
The god cleared his throat and Kyungsoo looked up from what he was doing, confused and taken aback when the god’s voice sounded through the small space between them.
“Did you not hear my question?” he asked, voice thick and powerful. Kyungsoo wondered what powers this god possessed and which, if any, of the Olympians would grow angry if he were to offend their son.
He was sure that he didn’t want to find out that answer.
When he shook his head, signaling that he had not heard anything the god had previously said, the tan god chuckled. It was a low sound and distracted Kyungsoo enough that he nearly dropped the bowl within his hands. The soapy water splashed back up at him just as he caught it and his face turned slightly red, embarrassed that he was so nervous. Though really, who wouldn’t have been nervous in the face of a god?
“Are you intimidated by me?” the god asked, head quirking to the side as he waited for the answer. He took the dishes that were already washed, drying them along the towel and waiting until he was handed another dish, waiting more than patiently - more patiently than Kyungsoo would have ever thought a god could wait.
He wasn’t exactly sure how to respond to Jongin, of course. Didn’t know what was an appropriate answer and whether saying yes would change the dynamic between them - if there was one to begin with. Kyungsoo barely knew this god, knew that he had just slept with one of his mother’s guests two weeks prior, and since then he had not seen or heard from the god.
Not that he had thought he would. But something in him was drawn towards the god and Kyungsoo felt himself shivering when he answered.
“If I answered yes, what would you say?” he asked in a whisper, not wanting his mother to hear him from outside. She was probably a few yards away at least, and he was surprised that she hadn’t seen the god even come into their home. He wondered what his mother would say if she saw someone like Jongin standing in their home, helping her son clean dishes.
The god chuckled, shaking his head before he replied, “I would tell you that you needn’t be intimidated by me, but I can’t very well control that.” And then, following by another deep laugh he said, “You can call me Jongin, by the way. I realize that we haven’t been formally introduced.”
Introductions meant that he wanted to get to know him - and Kyungsoo may or may not have wanted to get to know him as well, but he kept that to himself as he bowed his head and introduced himself.
The god was quiet for a long while, waiting for each dish without a word spoken between them. That was until Jongin cleared his throat and looked back towards the open door behind them, setting the now dry dish down and taking a casual step back, closing the door - closing them in the house alone.
“W-what are you doing?” Kyungsoo asked, eyes going a little wide. He wasn’t usually very intimidated by anything. In fact, he himself was probably one of the most intimidating people in the village. With his own toned muscles from working around the house, and then the looks he constantly gave because of his poor vision, most kids had ran away from him when they were children. Another reason why Kyungsoo had decided to stay at home and help his parents while his father was ill. It wasn’t like there were many people lining up to get to know him, or spend time with him.
Which was what made the god standing before him even more interesting - and frightening. Gods never did anything unless they had a motive, and Kyungsoo wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that he had walked in on the god only a few weeks ago.
“You don’t seem like the type to get out much.” Jongin mused, cocking his head to the side, “How would you like to go traveling with me?” it was a question that took Kyungsoo by surprise - something that he certainly hadn’t been expecting. And nothing he could actually agree to, even if Jongin was a god.
“What do you mean?” and this time Kyungsoo didn’t stutter when he replied, thankfully.
Jongin’s grin was brighter than it had been before, and when he settled to standing against the wall opposite of Kyungsoo, he wasn’t sure what to do. He just stared at the god casually staring at him, lean muscles expanding ever so slightly as he crossed his arms against his chest. And suddenly Kyungsoo remembered the way that Jongin had looked in the pale moonlight, completely naked and hovering over his mother’s guest, taking her from behind. It had been an obscene picture to take in, but now he couldn’t get that image out of his head.
Kyungsoo found himself blushing, trying very hard to focus on the god’s words without getting distracted for a second, third, or even fourth time.
“Would you like to see the world?” Jongin said, repeating and rephrasing his last suggestion, “It can be very dismal in this small village. I figured that you would want to see more than a dirty stretch of land and a barely visible ocean on the horizon.”
At that, Kyungsoo was surprised once more. He had never seen his hometown like the way Jongin described it, and perhaps it was because Jongin was a god and he a mortal. But whatever the reason, Jongin’s offer was suddenly tempting him and he wasn’t sure that he could resist.
“I don’t think I understand why you’re offering this up.” He finally settled on, telling the truth. It seemed out of the blue for a god like Jongin to approach him - of all people - and though it tempted him enough for him to want to say yes, for him to step out of this house right now and follow Jongin wherever he decided to take him, Kyungsoo wasn’t sure if it was the god’s allure that was drawing him in, or if he was genuinely attracted to the immortal man.
Whatever it was, he needed more information before he said yes to anything.
Jongin sighed, but settled against the wall once more before he was springing up and walking towards Kyungsoo, his walk entirely sensual and predatory. Kyungsoo wondered if it was just Jongin that walked like that, or if all gods did so. He didn’t exactly have the knowledge of the gods to back up his thoughts.
He found himself staring at the way Jongin walked though, completely enthralled and awestruck.
“Is it so bad that a god is interested in showing you more to this life?” and he scoffed then, “It can’t be very interesting, remaining here. Surely you would rather see or do something more entertaining. I’m offering you a way out, if only for a little while.” And though his offer had seemed tempting at first, Kyungsoo didn’t like the way Jongin was phrasing it now - the way that he seemed to look down on his life as if it were worthless, as if the things he did were not as good as what Jongin did.
Immortals would never understand why humans did what they did - and Kyungsoo didn’t think Jongin would ever understand the need and want he had to help his parents by remaining at their sides.
Gods didn’t have familial relations, not like humans did. So Kyungsoo couldn’t expect for a god like Jongin to understand him.
So Kyungsoo said no, and the look on Jongin’s face flashed of sadness for a moment before it was a tempting color of anger. His mouth opened to speak, once, twice, a third time, before he said anything at all. And Kyungsoo waited for his words to fall from his lips, waited to hear what the powerful young god had to say.
“You’re making a mistake.” He whispered, anger still evident in his tone, though he did not scream as Kyungsoo had thought he would, “I’m offering you the world on a platter and you’re saying no.”
At this he just shrugged, “Your world doesn’t appeal to me. Even if I am stuck here, I like it here. I like the people and I like the small market in town. It’s familiar, it’s safe.” Kyungsoo sighed, closing his eyes for a moment before he opened them and was staring back at the god, “I don’t want to have to change anything about my life to have you somehow fit into it. Not when I barely even know you.”
At this, Kyungsoo saw the look of shock on the god’s face. And at first glance, he thought that Jongin was going to explode, that he was going to smite Kyungsoo for saying such things.
But he didn’t, and that was a surprise.
“Okay.” The god said in a whisper, voice low and calm despite what they had been discussing, despite Kyungsoo’s rejection. Kyungsoo wasn’t sure if the god had ever been rejected by someone before, and though he was curious to ask such a question, he refrained. It wasn’t appropriate. Not right now, at least.
And then, both of their heads shot up amidst the silence because a shrill voice cried out to her son - asking him if he had gotten anything done.
Kyungsoo gave one look to the god that told him to get out of there immediately, to disappear so that his mortal mother never saw Jongin. What would she say, finding a god in her home? Kyungsoo wondered if she would blame him, or if she would fall on her knees before the god. Or if she would even care at all.
But with that one look, the god didn’t need any further explanation. Jongin didn’t say or do anything before there was a flicker in the lights.
And then he was gone.
~
Captivated:
Jongin grunted as he kicked at the side of the building, creating a dent in the foundation but not harming it more than that, even in his frustration. Behind him he could see Kyungsoo still working, his mother ordering him around like an ass that she couldn’t stand to own, yet still needed. It annoyed Jongin to see the mortal treated like that, especially when he could so easily take the mortal away, so calmly too, and change absolutely everything about the way he lived - for the better.
Or so he thought. There was likely a valid reason why the mortal had declined his offer to travel, to take him from this miserable side village in the remote corner of the world.
Jongin liked the little places. Liked them because there were so many people left unnoticed and so many men and women that would be considered beautiful in other places of the world, but were absolutely drop dead gorgeous in these small holes of cities. And they were so under developed, too. Like Kyungsoo. The mortal man that Jongin couldn’t stop thinking about - or even stop looking at, either.
Here he was, still staring at the mortal from a safe distance, cloaking himself in his godlike abilities. Just to stare at him. Just to stare at him and wonder what it would take for Kyungsoo to say yes. To allow Jongin to take him away from this miserable hovel of a village and wrap him in Jongin’s arms, never letting him go.
When had he fallen for the mortal, he wondered?
Had it been in the first night the two exchanged glances - when Jongin was nailing that mortal woman from behind, nearly lost in bliss - or had it been in the past few weeks that Jongin had snuck here to watch the mortal work, his body layered in sweat from working all day in the sun? Whatever it was, Jongin found himself completely and utterly drawn to the mortal, and without a way to satisfy his need to be close.
Jongin did not want to be rejected again, and so he brooded on what he should do to win the mortal man over.
~
The answer came a few weeks later - when Jongin found himself strolling through Olympus yet again on orders from his father. Zeus needed him much these days, but he had a feeling it was only because his father was trying to keep him from making a mistake on Earth. Zeus knew of his son’s infatuation with the mortal man, and could remember the last time Jongin had fallen for a human.
It had not ended well.
Of course, his father would never take his own advice, to keep a safe distance from mortals and not let oneself fall for them over and over again. Zeus’ several mortal children said as much of how well he listened to himself. Jongin didn’t care though.
He knew that as soon as he finished his father’s tasks for the day, he would go back to that hovel of a town and watch Kyungsoo from a safe distance…
The god hadn’t been paying attention where he was walking until he nearly walked into one of Aphrodite’s retinue - one of the Erotes. He could have laughed at the irony of such a situation, could have laughed because they dealt most especially with homoerotic love, and all that was on his mind was Kyungsoo. All that was on his mind was securing the mortal to him in every possible way imaginable.
“You look a little lost, son of Zeus.” The god said, a quirky grin displaying on his face. He cocked his head to the side, his wings surfacing just behind his shoulders. Jongin didn’t know this god’s name - he didn’t usually bother to learn the names of the lesser gods unless they became a problem - so he was a little lost in that sense. But more so in the sense that he was lost on what to do about Kyungsoo. The mortal man that seemed to hold every thought in his immortal mind. Every second of every day for the past several weeks.
Jongin was a little bit of a mess, not completely himself.
“I suppose you could say that.” He answered in reply, wondering where the lesser god was going with this.
The god laughed and then shook his head, wrapping an arm around Jongin’s shoulder and pulling him ever closer. Jongin would have thrown him off if it weren’t for the words he uttered.
“What would you say if I told you I could help you win the mortal over? My goddess has a thing for little lost hearts such as yours. She would be willing to help you out, to win over your mortal lover.”
Jongin scoffed at that, shrugging out from under the other god’s arm and taking a step back.
“He isn’t my lover.”
“But you wish he was.” And the winged god raised an eyebrow in Jongin’s direction. He was completely unaware and unafraid of what Jongin could do to him if he grew angry - he did not care that Jongin was the son of Zeus, the King of the Gods, and that with one word Jongin could strike him down. Of course, such a thing would incur the wrath of Aphrodite. And he certainly didn’t want that.
That was probably why the winged god was being so bold. Jongin was more afraid of the goddess’ wrath than anything else. Jongin - like many other gods - was a slave to his emotions.
“And so what if I do?” Jongin asked.
He laughed and shook his head, spreading his arms wide just as he did his wings before saying, “I can help that become a reality, son of Zeus.” The god winked at him, “It will come with a price, but I am sure you’ll be willing to pay it.”
It took Jongin a little while to answer the winged god, but after a few minutes had passed of deliberating, he narrowed his eyes and cleared his throat.
“Tell me what I need to do.”
~
He didn’t like it, didn’t like it whatsoever, but when the god had taken him to Aphrodite and she had told Jongin what he needed to do to win over the mortal man, he had agreed to whatever price needed to be paid.
He was feeling a little desperate at this point, just wanting to be close to the man that he couldn’t stop thinking about.
The image running through his mind was of him trailing his fingers lazily down Kyungsoo’s spin, watching him shiver from Jongin’s touch. The image was more developed than that - much more intimate of an image than he had had in a very long time. He hadn’t imagined he would feel quite like this, not since the last time he had taken a mortal lover. And had really taken one - not these one night escapades that allowed him to feel release for a few hours each night. Those weren’t important to him and they did not end in anything, either. He was always careful never to sire children from those nights.
But if it had been a possibility, he would have liked to sire children with Kyungsoo. To see the little things running around and destroying things like little beasts.
The thought had Jongin laughing for a moment before he realized that even if it were possible to be with Kyungsoo - to win his heart - that one thing was still an ultimate impossibility. Even Aphrodite could not go against biology. She may have been the goddess of love and desire, but she did not have control over genetics.
Jongin gritted his teeth as he came closer, looking down at his clothing and wondering if this was really going to work.
Sighing, he approached the door and was grateful that it was Kyungsoo’s mother that opened it for him rather than Kyungsoo himself. He feared the mortal man would toss him away, tell him to get away from there and to never come back. He hadn’t exactly reacted well the last time the two had parted. Even if the last time Jongin had asked him to travel the world with him - to see more than this dingy little village.
He worked up to tell his story - however fake it may have been - and hoped that the mortal woman accepted his story and allowed him passage inside. Aphrodite had told him the only way to grow closer to the mortal was to become like him. Not necessarily mortal, but to act like one. And so he came with poor clothing and his power sealed away deep within his body, to appear like a man in need of work and shelter.
For a moment he thought the woman was going to turn him away, to tell him that there was no room for him here.
But then her face softened and she seemed to feel something for him and his story. Jongin would not have expected that from the woman that had ordered her son around all day, every day. The same woman that Kyungsoo seemed so afraid to disobey, yet also afraid to abandon at the same time. Jongin hoped he would be able to delve deeper into their relationship the longer he stayed with them.
That is, if Kyungsoo didn’t insist on him leaving. He was hoping the mortal’s mother allowed him to stay despite Kyungsoo’s feelings towards him.
“Come in, young man.” The mortal woman said, having absolutely no idea that this “young man” was several centuries older than she was. He bowed his head in thanks before following after her, letting the door fall closed behind him.
In the next moment, she was yelling for her son, telling him they had a new guest and that he must ready his room. Jongin was confused for a moment until the mortal man came walking out of his room, curiosity flashing across his face. He stepped out of the room that Jongin remembered from so those months ago.
The same room that Jongin had taken that woman, and the same room that Kyungsoo had walked into while Jongin was doing so.
The mortal man narrowed his eyes on Jongin before he was turning his back without a word, closing the door behind himself. Jongin could hear him moving things around, but the fact that he had seen him, and then Kyungsoo had refused to say anything spoke measures beyond what words could. Kyungsoo didn’t want him here - that much was clear.
The mortal woman apologized on behalf of her son, telling him that Kyungsoo was sweet and kind usually, but that it took him a while to get used to new guests in their home.
“Do you have guests over for very long then?” Jongin asked, trying to act innocently.
She shrugged, such a casual reply, before she motioned him into their small kitchen and started to make something for him to eat, commenting on how hungry he must be and commenting on how thin he looked, though he wasn’t thin in reality. It was a disguise to make her feel bad for him. He supposed it had worked, especially as she had taken him willingly into her home without Jongin having to use any sort of compulsion on her. He didn’t like tricking mortal - women or men - despite the usual reputation gods received from humans.
Setting a plate down in front of Jongin, the mortal woman sighed before taking a seat herself, nodding for him to eat what she had placed in front of him though it wasn’t much. He appreciated the hospitality and began eating slowly as he listened.
“We try to take in as many people as need help. Our village is small and many lose their jobs and homes often. We had a friend stay with us a few weeks ago that had just lost her husband and her job security in the market. She’s only just left us after she found a job as an innkeeper in another town close by.” Jongin knew which woman she was talking about and found it interesting, yet not surprisingly whatsoever that the woman he had slept with all those weeks ago had just lost her husband. Death and grief made people do and say strange things.
Jongin couldn’t and wouldn’t blame the woman for wanting some connectivity - especially with a god.
“My husband is…sick.” She said the words slowly, and Jongin could tell that they were not completely true. There was some truth to them, he could tell that much, but there was something she was hiding. And he did not hold that against her. He did not expect her to tell him her whole life story. But he was curious about her son and the way they lived. Especially as it meant getting closer to Kyungsoo.
“I am sorry to hear that.” Jongin replied, head down as he said the words. But the woman just let out a soft laugh, almost like it was funny. He would have asked why she laughed if it weren’t for the slamming of a door and then a man walking across the room toward them. Kyungsoo.
“The room is ready. I’m going out to the market for more vegetables, we’re running low.” And then the man was gone, closing the front door behind himself and not caring for the curiosity sparking in Jongin’s mind. Where was he really going? And was it just because Kyungsoo wanted to avoid Jongin, or some other reason?
Jongin didn’t give Kyungsoo’ mother that much of a chance to apologize for her son’s actions before he was excusing himself and going after him.
~
“I didn’t say that you could follow me.” Kyungsoo murmured, knowing that the god was following closely after him. He didn’t seem to let up ever, and though Kyungsoo had thought the god had given up on him weeks ago, here he was again. Asking to stay in his own home as a guest, even.
If the god really cared about him, wouldn’t he have known that Kyungsoo had to give up his own bed and own room to house his mother’s guests? If the god really cared, wouldn’t he have just apologized for his selfish words?
“Unfortunately, that is not how these things work. And you know that very well.” Kyungsoo did know that - the god, Jongin, did whatever he so pleased. Whenever he pleased.
Maybe that was why Kyungsoo was a little attracted and drawn to him. Because he seemed to have everything figured out - and he seemed to be comfortable in his body and in his life. Whereas Kyungsoo struggled with accepting himself most days. Struggled in accepting the lot he had been given.
Even if he didn’t mind helping his mother and father out, there were some days he wished that things were different. Not very often, but it was all the same.
The two were quiet for quite some time, not uttering a word and the only sound between them each other’s breathing. Despite moving up the hill that led into the main market plaza, neither were winded at the end of it. One of them was a god and Kyungsoo was a man that had walked these roads since he was young. His lungs and body had grown used to the effort.
It was only once they had gotten into the market that Kyungsoo really felt Jongin’s eyes boring into the back of his skull. He had been casually looking at him the entire walk up there, eyes roaming the back of his body, but now it really seemed like he couldn’t take his eyes off of Kyungsoo’s back, and that made him feel uncomfortable for a moment.
Why was this god so infatuated and interested in him? He couldn’t understand it, and probably wouldn’t for a while.
“This is where you shop?” Jongin asked, eyebrow lifting strangely as he did so. Was it disgust Kyungsoo read on his face, or something else? He couldn’t truly tell. Not when it came to Jongin.
“Yes.” Silence.
Jongin cleared his throat again and then Kyungsoo was looking back at the god, wondering what was on his mind. This was probably the longest the two had spent together. Because even when they had been washing the dishes a few weeks ago, that had been a quick and painful time together. Kyungsoo still remembered - of course he did - why he was angry with the god.
He would just never understand the connection mortals had to their roots. He - an immortal god - would never understand Kyungsoo’s responsibility to his family.
“I misjudged your mother,” Jongin said, clearing the silence again as the two walked past uninteresting stalls within the market. Kyungsoo had a set goal in mind - to take Jongin to the very edge of the market and tell him to get lost. But he paused when he heard Jongin say that. He didn’t have the chance to ask how so before the god was explaining his thought process. “I had thought she was unkind at first, ordering you around like she owned you.” The god shook his head, “But she cares very deeply.”
Kyungsoo wasn’t very sure what to say about that.
“And…” the god paused, “I apologize for the things I said those weeks ago. I had not meant to hurt you in any way. I do not know how to be human, do not truly know the first thing about being human, in fact. But I hope that with time, you’ll be able to teach me.”
For a god as powerful as Jongin - because Kyungsoo knew the god was powerful - it was interesting to hear such things. He was not only admitting to being wrong, but also asking to be taught what humans were like. Kyungsoo knew most gods, if not all of them, were not likely to admit or ask such things. Gods were jealous and ravenous and selfish. Kyungsoo knew that, and yet here he was almost in the palm of this god’s hands, coming undone because of a simple apology.
Something was intrinsically wrong with him.
“I can teach you, but that doesn’t mean I forgive you. Not yet.” He answered after a short while, turning around and finally facing the god. They had come almost to the end of the long road that was home to so many stalls, selling all sorts of things from food to clothes to books. There weren’t many paying attention to the two, though Kyungsoo did recognize a few curious glances. Several people that knew who he and his parents were, and obviously wondering who this other youth was - though Jongin was far from young.
Kyungsoo knew Jongin had to be several centuries old. He was a god, and no matter how Kyungsoo felt towards him, there would always be this distance between them.
Mortal and immortal. There was no changing how Fate had destined either of them.
“I accept that.” The god answered, nodding his head very slowly. Kyungsoo knew that he had to be curious as to what would make him forgive Jongin, but he wasn’t about to disclose that information. Not yet, and probably not ever if the god continued to be selfish. Though Kyungsoo knew he was trying very hard not to at the moment. He was doing a decent job.
“Very well then.” Kyungsoo settled on, sighing loud enough for one of the stall owners nearby to turn his head in their direction. It looked like he was going to try to get them to buy something, so Kyungsoo grabbed the god’s arm, not caring for the proximity or physical aspect of the touch. He just wanted to move. “Let’s go.” And so Jongin followed after him.
Kyungsoo did not fail to notice the still-burning look he felt in the back of his head. Jongin looked at him and only him.
And for some reason, he felt a blush rising on his cheeks and neck because of it.
Part 2