Aphrodite’s POV

Stupid? Me? I didn’t expect to hear that from someone, or more to a human. I can feel every inch of my body is way angrier right now.

I’m shaking, I clench my jaw because I’m trying to stop myself from hurting him.

“What did you say, mortal?” I’m staring at him, even baring my teeth out of frustration. What’s the point of stopping myself from hurting him, when he’s like this?

“You even dare to say that to me, even though I told you I’m a goddess.” Should I transform him into something? A grass? A rock? Oh, I remember Akmon, those were the days I really can’t control my temper. By disrespecting me, I transformed him into a shear of water.

Is my divinity a joke to him too?

He backs out a little, stepping his foot like a child. He must know that I don’t joke around.

“You got it all wrong, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say you are stupid, goddess.” I can clearly see that he’s scared right now. But calling me stupid is a bit brave of him.

“I-it’s just, you might be thinking that moving on is a simple matter. We humans can’t do that easily like what you think. You are very much wrong about that, goddess.” 

I’m wrong?

But based on some of my research before, some humans are capable of moving to their next partner in about 1 week. 

Suddenly, I remembered my sister’s words before, “Humans need that. They don't have all the time in the world. Losing someone they've bent heaven and hell for is not easy to deal with."

I suddenly stop and think about it. So it’s the kind of emotion that needs you to go on. But no matter how I think about it, I still don’t understand.

“Have you ever fall in love, goddess?” he suddenly asked me.

Fall in love? Did I ever fall in love? He asked me this question and now I’m out of my own reverie. 

“What do you mean?”

“Let’s not think of someone, but it can also be something. A piece of clothes or something?” He keeps on talking while looking at me with a serious face.

“What would you do if those things were suddenly lost? Can you actually replace the clothes that you love? I know it’s very different, but the thought is there. You can just compare the feeling and think about it.”

I remember I once had a pegasus I really wanted long ago. I named her Pipi. I raised him alone and I do put a lot of effort and love. But one day, he suddenly didn’t come back. Father said he might have been caught in the great storm and died. I cried so much, and I don’t want to have a pet anymore. 

Am I getting this? Because until now I’m still not ready to have any more pets. Does that mean I'm still not moving on?

William’s POV_

Sighed.

I hope I calmed the storm. She’s been silent for a while after I said those. And her aura somehow changed a bit. From murderous into a calm ocean I must say.

What is she thinking? Are the clothes too much for example? I don’t want to be more specific, like giving myself as an example. 

I wonder what she is thinking? She might be the goddess of love, but are all her decisions correct? Like what she said, she’s the one forging our love affairs from long ago. Means 75% is her fault when it comes to a failed relationship.

In short, she’s inexperienced when it comes to love?
Goddess of love but never falls in love.

I watched her think deeply, as she shifted her foot and let her mind wander off the things I didn't know. And I got the chance to look at her more.

Her long wavy hair flows until her waist. Her hair color compliments her eyes, and I can say she has a perfect body. It has to be like that, right? She’s the goddess of love after all.

She needs to be this perfect.

“Okay, I understand now what you mean. And I have to admit, I’m actually the stupid one,” she said as she sat down on the couch.

I sighed in relief. 

“But I still need to apologize, it’s so rude of me.”

I also sat down on the opposite side of the couch. I also need to stop staring at her, because she’s using my clothes and I find her more pretty and cute. I’m disrespecting her once again. I feel so embarrassed.

“I guess it’s okay. Because I did the same. I misjudge things like this. That’s very presumptuous of me.” That’s at least the first time I heard her with a calm voice. It’s soothing.

I think we all calmed down a bit. 

“So what’s your plan now? Are you really being punished?” Now that I open this topic, I still can’t believe Hermes is another god I met.

Hmm, based on the cartoon Hercules, Hermes is a bit of a good guy and a fluffy one. But this Hermes today is a bit detached. And he seemed to be avoiding my gaze.

She sighed. I guess we both were sighing too much today.

“I have to make some arrangements if I’m not allowed to go back to Mt. Olympus. I have so much work to do, and I will probably do it here. You don’t mind me setting an office here right? Your place is bigger for a single man.” And she’s back to the business I guess. 

She’s looking around the house. I do feel a bit off about the setup. Letting a woman live together with me. But she’s not a normal woman to be exact, so maybe it’s fine?

“I’ll pay you for letting me stay here.” She said and looked like a businesswoman who will rent a place.

“You have money?”

“I got plenty,” she said with her straight face.
What should I expect, she’s a goddess of course she can get money and stuff.

I laugh out of humor, is she serious?
“You don’t have to pay me, goddess, I’ll let you stay here then. But we need to at least find you a suitable place to stay soon.” I said that because people might think it's weird if I have a woman in my house that isn’t my lover. 

I’m still a man, and she’s a woman, no matter if she’s a goddess or a human. It feels weird.

“Well, I can’t say I’m not familiar with the mortal world, but somehow I might be needing assistance for some things. Oh, like clothes for example.” She then looked at herself.

“Hmm, men's clothes here are interesting.” Is she a tomboy? She’s just wearing a white long sleeve that I just got from the cleaner a week ago. Indeed it looks good on her.

Wait! No! I have to take that back. She must be like that in my eyes because she’s Aphrodite, every man in the world desires her. 

“So will you help me? I promise I won’t get in your way. You won’t even notice I’m here.” she assured me, like a businesswoman who promises I’ll make a profit over our partnership.

“It’s not necessary to be like that, goddess-”

“-Venus, just call me Venus. Actually, I prepared to be called like that while I’m still living in the mortal world. Calling me goddess is a bit repetitive..” 

I didn’t expect that from her. I know that Venus is Aphrodite’s other name. That’s fine, coz I think calling her by her real name is weird.

“Right. Venus. Like what I’m saying, it's not necessary that I don’t have to notice you since you will be living under my roof for a while. Please follow me,” 

I stand up and go to the other vacant room that used to be my little brother’s. He’s still abroad so letting her use this room is less hassle for us.

She also looked around the room.

 “What do you think? It’s not as big as my room over there, but at least you’ll have some privacy.” 

“Why do you have a spare room?” she suddenly asked as she explored the inside.

“It’s my little brother’s. He’s still away so you can use it in the meantime.” 

Ahh, I feel hungry.

This takes a lot of energy from me. 

So it settled. Venus will stay with me for a while. I just hope that everything might go as planned.

“Hey, tell me, this cute little food you got for me.” 

She is still admiring the pudding that I bought with our dinner for tonight. From the look of her eyes, I knew she fell in love with pudding, her eyes sparkled.

“It’s called pudding, you should eat it now.” and I gave her a spoon.

She slowly opened the packaging, like a kid excited to taste their favorite dessert.

She put it in her mouth, and I waited for her reaction.

“DELICIOUS!!!” she suddenly blurted out.

“This pudding is the best! I didn’t have this kind of food in Mt. Olympus. It’s so delicious!”
Said the kid sitting next to me in the living room. She’s acting like a child right now.

“I guess the royal chef has to take a lesson to learn that.” she didn’t answer but continued to eat the dessert.

“So tell me, William,”

I suddenly looked at her when she called my name. And she’s back to her normal facial expression. The effect of the pudding fades away in seconds.

“What is it, Venus?”

“What is your type of woman?” a direct hit in my stomach.
And how to even answer her, when it drastically changed and now I don’t know what kind of woman I might like too.