Aphrodite, a god who was the perfect mix of the most beautiful things humanity could imagine. The story claims they were born from seafoam, belonging to no one. While Eternals in your team had gods named after them that suit them well, you were beyond shocked with who you were given. That all of society saw you as the peak of perfection with an unloving heart.
~~~
2023 AD
You were currently walking away from your job, after a long day of hard work. It was a shorter day than compared to those in office jobs, but being an Arborist meant quite a bit of time during your day was spent climbing trees. You would never complain about your job.
You got into your car and sat in the driver’s seat, stretching out before putting your key in the ignition and starting your car. Your work was silent, it was mainly just you alone staring down at the world from treetops. That type of isolation could also be terrifying. You thought it was beautiful. In your opinion, all humanity has strived for with the advancement of technology was only helpful for healthcare. Seeing this view from a screen would only damage the worth of the moment, not strengthen it. You enjoyed how humanity had grown, and you weren’t necessarily upset about how technology had grown, you and your friends were the ones to spark the idea of innovation in others’ heads.
It wasn’t that people bothered you, or that you particularly enjoyed being alone; you always found yourself able to sympathize with others. It’s probably one of the most sought-after traits but you couldn’t stand it.
You put your car in reverse, driving out of a forested area. You had moved away from most of your old friends, only being a few states away from one of them, Phastos. He has invited you over before, you felt his concern over the phone but were always able to reassure him nothing was wrong. You didn’t have the same powers as Ajax, but years after learning everyone’s emotions, you learnt what reaction every response in the book would get. Maybe it wasn’t something nice to admit to, but it was a side effect to your powers.
You turned the radio on, it was a sad song you couldn’t remember the name of. It felt like songs these days were getting sadder and sadder. You never were able to feel emotions through recordings, which most of the time was a blessing but other times felt empty. You’ve seen people’s home videotapes before, families smiling and laughing. You craved to have something like that.
The music was interrupted by your ringtone, it was Head Like A Hole by Nine Inch Nails. In your “new life” you would have said it’s something you heard in high school. On the dashboard of your car popped up a photo of Phastos. It was of you and him on his wedding day, you two were pushed close together in a hug.
You pressed the answer button, waiting for him to speak first.
« llo, Bonjour Y/N. » He started, he seemed apprehensive and sad. Not to mention, he rarely spoke to you in French, since the two of you had moved to America, you only spoke to each other in English. You originally went to the Mediterranean and helped care for the land in France until it was founded.
Of course, it was the city of romance when founded by the god of love themself. The French was something nice to hear but tied with his emotions you could be feeling, it only meant trouble.
« Un instant, s’il vous plait. » You pulled your car over to the side of the road, you never had fits of blacking out using your powers, but you occasionally would have what humans called meltdowns.
You placed your hands on opposite sides of the steering wheel, leaning forward as if to crack your back. The noise never came, your back stretching past the human limit. You picked up this habit in moments of stress after reading some comic book where someone with the same powers as you cried, unable to hold themselves together physically. It scared the living shit out of you.
Holding on like this, you had a way to tether yourself down, hoping to remain as close to human-like as possible. You needed to look good, according to humanity; your whole thing was beauty.
« Y/N? » The man on the other side of the phone asked, concern now being the dominant emotion he was feeling. Underneath that, you could sense anger, not from Phastos but someone else on the other side of the phone.
« Oui? » Your breath sounded wheezy, despite the fact your body was able to expand to give you as much air as needed.
« Je pense que tu devrais venir me voir. »
A deep sigh. « Non. J'ai besoin de savoir maintenant. »
Tension. It rolled down your back, you could feel your nerves send out a pulse before part of your back lost feeling. You have understood some things about anatomy, like the nerves aggravated now were the ones sending information to the rest of your body. You didn’t dare to move but did try to pull your elongated limbs back to their human proportions.
« Ajax est mort. »
You didn’t say anything. You couldn’t. Your body stayed corrupted in an unusual form. There wasn’t a singular part of your brain that was working correctly.
Ajax was always more than a leader, she was like your mother. The only words you could think of were curse words. Luckily, it didn’t seem like Phastos wanted an answer.
« Si je commence à conduire maintenant je serai là dans quelques heures » You say, after what could have been at least five minutes of complete silence.
~~~
People loved you or at least, in the start they did. You were the god of love long before you were some self-absorbed god who had better things to do than show up.
It started early on, you were able to change your features ever slightly, always fitting whatever beauty standard the people held. In your mind, it was always slightly horrific. You later would ponder if angels in the bible were inspired by you. A figure that’s supposed to be human, but something is wrong. A hand reaching out to help only to be slapped away.
Beauty was added to love by word of mouth from humanity.
~~~
Phastos’ house was beautiful. It wasn’t as grand as something you would buy for yourself, but beautiful nonetheless.
Being Aphrodite meant that the concept of you that was created so many years ago, no matter how incorrect it was, is still being worshiped. You couldn’t help but feel happy when a particularly good love song came on the radio. The genre didn’t matter, the fact that people were just so in love they needed to sing about it was enough.
Sersi was the first to greet you, encasing you in a tight hug. Phastos was next, whispering support in your ear before he pulled away. Ikaris didn’t offer a hug to you, he just stood back, watching. He looked stern as if he was upset to see you. There was anger radiating off of him, but perhaps that was just how he held grief. You wouldn’t say anything, you two haven’t talked in centuries, and it wasn’t like you two left while fond of each other. You have marked allegiances with both Druig and Thena. Your alliance with Thena was well known, history had muddled and twisted it over the years but the same concept of the war and love god making a team was very prominent. You and Druig weren’t talked about, but the fact you supported him taking control of everyone’s mind was the nail in the coffin. Ikaris wouldn’t super warm, and that had to be okay.
“So…” You start, rubbing a hand over your face. “We’re getting the band back together. Who’s next?”
~~~
???? BC
You never enjoyed being cooped up, emotions coming to you left, right and centre. You longed to go out for walks but never did it alone. You liked your powers but they weren’t the best for taking out deviants alone. You would normally take Thena out, neither of you felt the need to make small talk. It was silent and nice.
This time, she was busy, so you had to find someone else to go for a walk with. Ikaris was your second hope, although you always felt like there was an emotion in him you couldn’t put a word to, but he was a happy man. A bit love-sick, but happy. Kingo would also be nice to bring along, he always managed to make you laugh, perhaps you were selfish but you didn’t like feeling negative emotions at such a strong level. You enjoyed moments where you could be selfish and not have to help others feel better.
On your way to look for Ikaris, you ran across Druig instead. You never hung out with him while not amid battle, but today could change that.
“Druig!” You called out, catching the man's (and other people in the square)’s attention.
He seemed surprised by your outburst, stopping still in his tracks, waiting for you to join him.
He was happy.
It was peaceful, the deviants weren’t at bay but the people were safe, and that’s all that truly mattered.
You jogged up to him, slight embarrassment sitting in your chest. You should have waited before catching his attention.
“I wanted to have a walk around the grounds, would you care to join me?” You had clasped your hands together, walking as if you were royalty.
“Sounds dangerous. Wouldn’t you rather go with your girlfriend?” Druig joked, causing you to roll your eyes in return.
“Thena is busy with Ajax, and I didn’t want to be the one to interrupt them.”
“Second choice.” Druig feigns emotional hurt which deep down, you can feel a twinge of. As long as you can remember it has been there, not just in him but in the rest of your team. In Thena it was like the ambers of a forest fire, you think the worst is over, and the flames are diminished until it sparks again. You, Druig, Ikaris, and the others; it was hidden, like a well you needed to drop a stone into to see how far it went. Those emotions weren’t as painful to feel with things like happiness or love were piled on top of them.
Druig stood beside you offering an arm outwards. “Lead the way.”
~~~
The Amazon rainforest was beautiful. It was the home of everything you’ve been working on for thousands of years.
You made the executive decision that you didn’t want to be there when everyone told Druig, seeing Gilgamesh’s reaction hurt you.
You had ended up getting a shared building with Kingo and Kuran. You thought that would be fine unless they were still doing the vlog as you were trying to sleep. You didn’t mind being in the video, you were a fan of Kingo’s movies and he was a close friend. Why not document moments of your friendship?
While your team was in what you were guessing was either a church or town hall, you had spent time climbing a tree. Most branches were above the average human reach, you knew there was no need to be self conscious but you didn’t want to show off your powers.
Eventually you found your way up, staring down at everyone. It was silent, watching everyone go on with their lives. It was a moment where you could forget everything that happened.
That was until the doors to the hall-church opened in a rush. Whoever it was seemed upset, and wasn’t immediately followed after.
You rolled your eyes but made no effort to go and check in on them. Of course, someone was getting upset. Not only was your team going through something terrible, but you all fought even at the best of times.
Someone you’ve never seen before was at the bottom of the tree, staring back up at you. It frightened you but when you tried to get an emotional read, you got nothing. Surprisingly, that wasn’t the first time you haven’t gotten readings from anyone.
~~~
You had tried to stay as close to Thena as possible. You held one of her hands in yours, you tried to maintain that as much as possible but there were occasions where you needed both hands or Ajak saying you needed to use your powers for things that were directed towards humanity.
Things were silent between your team for a while, and in the streets below there was non-stop fighting.
You stopped leaving your room, occasionally getting visits from Ajak. She would ask you how you were feeling, offer comfort and then leave after you wouldn’t talk.
You felt terrible, Thena was struggling yet you had people checking in on you? You eventually closed your door off. The emotions were eating through the walls of your room, infecting you. You worried you were gaining the same madness Thena had. Perhaps isolation was the last thing you needed but the farther away you were, the less you felt the war that was raging inside the city walls.
It was what you would have guessed to have been two weeks since you last saw anyone. Of course, you had no windows so your estimation of time was most likely terribly wrong.
There was a knock at your door that you wished you were able to ignore but you wouldn’t do that to anyone. You opened the door slightly, seeing Druig standing in his formal wear.
“Y/N. How are you feeling?”
“Fine.” You said, taking a deep breath and realizing that you could only feel your and Druig’s emotions. “Better. How’s Thena?”
He gave you a look that let you know she was doing no better. “That’s why I was sent to come to get you, Ajak wants you to wear your formal wear.”
You nod and raise a finger to him before closing the door in his face.
Your formal wear was a light pink, it wasn’t as pigmented as other Eternal’s but you thought it suit you just fine.
Upon dawning your outfit you open the door again, seeing Druig waiting patiently for you.
“Are you ready to go, my liege?” He offers you an outstretched arm, which you gladly accept.
“Always.” You force a smile and begin walking with him, trying to avoid the heavy weight of feeling like you’re walking someone’s certain doom.
~~~
“My liege?” The person at the bottom of the tree asks, looking up towards you.
You stay in place but crane your neck down, confused by why they would be calling you that.
You move to climb down the tree, deciding to just stretch until your feet touch the ground and then reshape yourself once you reach the ground.
“Kuran, did you get that?” Kingo asks, turning to face the camera. “We’ve got to see powers up close but now Y/N’s showing off.”
You smiled into the camera lens. “If you’ve got it, flaunt it, right?” You joke, gaining an approving grin from the men.
Kingo flings an arm over your shoulders, one you could push away if you wanted to. Kuran moves so he’s walking backwards, facing the two of you.
“Y/N and I have known each other for a long time, this is our first time catching up in ten thousand years. They haven’t aged a bit.”
“I’m not surprised a charmer like you became an actor.” You smile. “I hope this movie means I get to go to the Oscars.”
“You can come along, maybe you can win the best supporting actor role.”
“Of course. I could never steal your spotlight.”
Your joking is cut short by Druig walking up to your group. “May I talk with Y/N?” He says, looking to you for the answer.
Kuran turns the camera down, now facing the ground.
You look to Kingo and place a hand over his, making brief eye contact. “Yeah, Druig. We can talk.”
Kingo straightens himself out and steps towards Kuran, talking about something you couldn’t hear.
“Where would you like to go?” Druig asks, waiting until the two of you were a few steps away from everyone else before asking.
You shrug lightly. “Are we anywhere near the river?” You’d love to visit it and dip your feet in, but you would rather stay as close to your team as possible.
Druig nods, pointing to the left. “How are you feeling?” He asks, looking at you before walking ahead.
You don’t answer right away, unsure how to answer. “I’m tired.” It was the easier answer for you to say. You wouldn’t spend time digging within your own brain, if Druig would prefer a different answer he would have to search for one himself. “I’ve known for a bit, a couple of hours. How are you feeling?”
He had a smile on his face, but you were picking up on his underlying emotions. He was upset, obviously but you weren’t going to bring them up unless he did.
“I just wanted to say, I’m grateful for you. I know you don’t talk about your emotions much, but you mean a lot to me.” You reach out for Druig’s hand, which he interlocks with yours.
He gently pulls you closer, looking in your eyes. He places one hand on your cheek, his hand resting on your cheekbone. “Dear, Y/N.” He says, a smile on his face. He leans in and places a small kiss on your forehead.
It was so sweet and his anger was removed from your senses. The term ‘home’ never worked for you Eternals, you always would have to pack up and move eventually. Times when you are with your team are the closest you could ever get.
It was almost like you and him were made to be together, he was the only one able to calm your powers. You occasionally found yourself thinking of Thena, you struggled being near her sometimes, not because of who she was but the anguish that rolled over her in waves. She was just in a situation like yours, chosen by the gods to carry a power bigger than those around you. That wasn’t fully true, but you two certainly had powers that would weigh on you mentally.
You pull away first after a moment, continuing to walk towards the river. “I wish this wasn’t what brought us back together.” A pause. “I was going to say maybe a wedding would bring us back together, but not many of us went to Phastos’ wedding.”
“You know,” Druig starts, lightly bumping you with his shoulder. “I started the Aphrodite thing.” If you wanted to reminisce that’s what he would do. “I don’t know if you remember, but you always had a knack for setting people up. I think that’s why Ikaris and Sersi didn’t work.”
You smiled at his joke, trying not to laugh. “That’s fuc- you can’t say that.”
That made him look proud of himself.
“If we didn’t split up, who knows how the world would have formed.” He answers, indirectly saying he doesn’t have the same wish for the team staying together like you did.
The bottom of your shoes was met with a change of texture, the dirt of the forest turning into sand. You kicked them off, walking to the edge of the water and sticking your hand and feet in. You swayed your hand back and forth, creating small ripples in the water that quickly died down.
Druig remained on the shore, leaning against a tree.
In your heart you wanted to make a joke about his behaviour, but decided to keep the calm atmosphere. “It’s peaceful here.”
“You’re more than welcome to stay, Y/N.”