1- Leonidas

It was her eyes that Hades had noticed first.

Brown and wide with awe and admiration, she stared at him not with fear but with curiosity.

"I like your white hair," She said, her voice echoing through the dark hall of the Underworld.

Hades stared at her brown curly hair, his pale hands brushing it. "Would you like to have it as well?"

Her smile had brightened up the entire place."Yes,"

~

Leonidas woke up with a jolt, his head banging as he turned to avoid the sunlight burning his eyes before he presses his head more to his pillow.

This dream again...

They were always different dreams, but it was the same people.

The same girl with curly full hair and brown eyes that seemed to radiate power in a way that made Leonidas want to bow.

But Leonidas knew that he was not supposed to bow or even want to bow and that was where the problem really came from.

Sighing, he got out of his bed, a free hand moving to his bouncy dark brown locks over his youthful and pretty face that was a beauty for most people to behold, some even claiming that he was the reincarnation of Adonis himself.

Not something a son of Zeus should be, all things considered, but Leonidas could not change his appearance and so let the name be.

His cat, Kleopatra, was sitting at the window, her white fur ever so clean and pure that as Leonidas reached out to touch her and she purred, cradling his hand, the sounds of the birds chirping outside and the morning breeze going over them both, he could not help but close his eyes and relax.

Yet, her brown eyes flashed again as he heard the knock on his door, causing him to sigh and say to the cat. "One must never hope for a little bit of peace now can we?"

She said nothing, her blue eyes twinkling up at him.

Smiling, Leonidas raised her into his arms, cradling her as he would an infant and the little thing purred more before the knock on the door came again.

"Come in."

He was patting her head, a need to sing for the tiny thing came to his mind but he fought the urge as his Caretaker came in, head bowed. "Good morning, my Lord."

Leonidas paid no heed to him as he raised his cat, staring underneath her. "Do you think Kleo can have children?"

"Yes."

Then he turned to the male, a curious look on his face. "Then why is she still without a mate?"

The Caretaker, a man of Ares familia making him though under Leonidas, more of a teacher and head servant to the slaves of the Zeus Familia. "She is the only breed of her kind. Mating between her and another would not be suitable."

Leonidas stared at him a while before turning to his cat that was staring at him still with love in his eyes.

You as well do not have a mate Kleopatra. I wonder if we are destined to be lonely till eternity.

"My Lord, I came to tell you that your bath is ready."

Smiling, Leonidas kissed her fur before letting her down, the white petit thing jumping to his bed and curling on it before he turned to the man and said, "I shall be on my way then."

The man bowed silently and walked away.

Minutes later, Leonidas was seated in a bath, steam coming out of it with mirrors surrounding him.

As per custom, slaves were supposed to perform the cleaning rites for him but after his thirteenth birthday, he had forbidden any of them from being in the bath with him.

His Father had asked for an explanation but when Leonidas gave no forthcoming answers, let it be though he seemed to be disappointed.

Leonidas knew that the men sometimes laid with the bathers, just for the sake of pleasure and proving their manhood but asides the fact that Leonidas never did think that was healthy or wanted to participate in it, he also had a big secret.

A secret that he always tried to forget but was reminded of every single day that he woke up.

A secret he spotted everytime he bathed.

A secret that he knew would make his Father be disappointed in him then disown the male without thinking of his welfare.

Leonidas' amber green eyes shone in the mirror infront of him, his brown locks dancing over his face as he kept staring at it.

Deep inside, he prayed that one day he would wake up and see that it wasn't true.

That it was changed and that he was free from the secret of his fear.

And as usual, he checked.

Slowly, Leonidas turned to the mirror behind him, small pants coming out of his lips as he stared at the reflection, a sinking feeling in his stomach as he saw it.

Right where his Eagle tattoo was supposed to be, as it had been when he was a child, was now a donkey tattoo that had appeared instead when he clocked thirteen.

A BLUE donkey tattoo.

Then, Leonidas had locked himself up, scared, because he already knew the stories of the children who had a different colour than they were supposed to have, and asides that.

He was not even chosen by a higher goddess.

But the lowest of them all.

Hestia.

A slaves Patron.

A son of a Zeus Familia who suddenly had the emblem of Hestia on his back.

How would he explain himself?

How could he even start?

Would they even listen to his side?

Would they believe him if he said he had done nothing to anger Zeus and had just woken up to a new tattoo and a racing heart?

His fear, never let him rest.

Leonidas realized that he must have to avoid being seen shirtless and avoid being too suspicious because a man's familia can be told by his reaction.

For a Zeus Familia was ever friendly and regal, yet they could strike you down without blinking twice and so Leonidas knew he MUST be that, even though he would rather stay in his room, read and sing to Kleopatra, a very clear Hestia behavior.

But for how long can one keep hiding his true self?

Hours later when he was dressed and outside, staring at the people around his place, a faraway look on his face, he spotted a face coming out of a carriage that let him smile.

Immediately the man was out of the thing, a small smirk came on his face.

"How was your journey here brother?" Leonidas asked.

Loukas Mikos, a Dionysus familia that was dressed in a way that his brown tanned chest sparkled under the sunlight and his face shown handsomely, his rings glistening all the same. "My balls jingled too much, had an erection half the way, and my wine spilled so I doubt the journey was anything fun so you have a lot of happying to make me."

Leonidas chuckled, "I hope I can do that."

Loukas smiled, walking to his best friend and hugging him.

Though Leonidas knew that men were supposed to shake hands but he also knew that denying Loukas a hug was detrimental to his sanity, the male would go grumpy and insane.

When Loukas pulled away, his eyes sought out Leonidas face before he said, "Do you look more beautiful the more I am away or do my eyes deceive me?"

"Save your flattery for your lovers, Loukas." Leonidas replied, his smile still glowing on his face."Have you had breakfast? We are about to."

"Would there be wine?"

"The very best from the Mikos winery itself"

"Then that is a perfect breakfast good chap! Let's go eat now, shall we?"

As they walked through the castle, Leonidas noticed Loukas' eyes following the movement of every slave, both male and female, making Leonidas smile and shake his head.

His best friend was promiscuous to a fault, a behaviour Dimitris wished for his son and something Leonidas could never see himself divulge in, no matter how hard he tried.

When they got to the eating area, which was empty save a few slaves, Loukas suddenly turned Leonidas around and stared intently at his face. "Have you lost your virginity yet?"

Leonidas choked on his tongue but managed to say, "What sort of question is that?"

"Have you?" Loukas pressed on.

Though Loukas was aware that it was customary for every male to lose his virginity on their thirteenth birthday, a birthday he knew did not go well for Leonidas, he wanted to know if the male had.

For... For best friend purposes.

"No."

Loukas tensed features relaxed immediately before a smug smile came on his face as he pulled away and said, "I am still ready to help"

Leonidas rolled his eyes. "Over my dead body"

Laughing, Loukas walked to a cushion and sat, his mischievous blue eyes shining, "Happy Eighteenth birthday, my love."

Leonidas adjusted the collar of his shirt, straightening the creases as he walked to the table and sat on the cushion besides his best friend. "I forgot."

"I know, one reason I rushed here as fast as I could to come remind you and make it a most memorable day." Loukas said, pouring himself wine in a gold goblet.

Leonidas stared at the male, disbelief in his eyes before he leant backward and saw the slaves carrying big bags and boxes up the stairs to the higher level of the castle then turned to Loukas, "You seemed to have packed for more than a day."

"I shall be staying for the four seasons dear brother." Loukas added with a smirk, now resting on his hand and staring at Leonidas, his eyes positively slant. "And you, cannot get rid of me."

"I do not plan on getting rid of you." Leonidas replied. "I am grateful that you have come to stay, it is just... Well, I know that you do not fare well with being away from your lovers, or people's gazes."

Loukas waved a hand in the air, "I do not care about people's gazes anymore, I am now a grown man that has lost his vanity."

Lost his vanity?

Leonidas could still spot the gold rings, earrings, choker, and gold necklaces same as before, if not more as he said, "Why are you really here?"

"For you."

"You can stop lying. You know I do not judge"

Loukas stared at his friend, his seafoam green eyes smaller before he let out an hiss and rolled his eyes. "All right, I am running away from Hermes."

"Hermes? Why would you run away from him? A god by the way? I thought you loved him."

Loukas made a face that did not suit his high features. "Please. One knows loving a god is nothing but stupidity. Hermes is just very good in the art of fucking me and that's all, plus, he always has stories from his travels and I all but oblige."

Leonidas knew that was not true, Loukas had loved Hermes at one time in his life, very much if he was not mistaken, but Leonidas knew that Hermes must have done something to make Loukas change his mind. "Why do you hide from him then?"

Loukas twirled the wine in his goblet, his lips pursed in concentration before he said, "I stole his lyre."

"His-" Leonidas shook his head, "Hermes does not have a lyre."

"Yes, it belongs to Apollo. Hermes thought it would be nice to play a bit with his brother and left me with the care of it."

"And you ran?"

"I did not run, I came to see you."

"You came to stay under the protection of my Father's patron, Zeus, because you know Hermes shall not come in here and bring forth Zeus's anger because Apollo is his favourite child."

"And to see you as well," Loukas added then said with a glare. "The least you can do is support me really, Hermes deserves whatever is coming to him."

"You could be cursed, this is the gods- "

"Eighteen and yet you're worrying like you're fifty." Loukas cut him off, smiling again. "You know what? After breakfast, we shall do some little relaxation sport, would you like that, hmm?"

Loukas' relaxation sport always meant Leonidas playing the harp and Loukas drawing him.

It always soothed him to play for someone that cared enough to listen and not judge the fact that playing the harp was a woman's thing.

Blushing now, Leonidas stared at his food "Alright."