CHAPTER 170: THE MEN I LOVE

The cell tower hummed around them, a low vibration thrumming through the steel as if the whole city’s heart beat beneath their feet. Hermes sat with his elbows resting on his knees, eyes fixed on the endless sprawl of Haven City.

Raphael, as usual, looked like he belonged here. Perched with ease, one arm draped over his knee, golden eyes glinting as if the world were his private stage.

"You said it was an exchange," Hermes muttered at last. "So be it."

Raphael leaned his head, a lock of pale hair falling over his cheek. "Mm. An exchange. Yes."

His smile flickered, sharp and sly. "Your love life, my Lord. Tell me everything."

Hermes exhaled through his nose. He should have brushed it off. He should have scoffed and said it wasn’t worth Raphael’s time. But instead, he found himself speaking.

"Somner first," Hermes said.

Raphael’s eyes glimmered. "Ah. One of the McNamaras."

"At first, he was just some spoiled brat. Obnoxious. Loud. Always flaunting the fact that he was rich, powerful, and untouchable. I hated him."

"And now you adore him?" Raphael asked lightly.

Hermes shot him a glare. "Not immediately. And I wouldn’t say adore. But... he surprised me."

"How so?"

Hermes hesitated. The memory was embarrassing enough that it almost made him wince. "He kissed me."

Raphael arched a brow. "Did he now."

"In the cafeteria. He was drunk. And because of that kiss... I learned the truth about my powers. That I could take in another hero’s abilities through their DNA."

Raphael’s chuckle was soft, amused. "So a kiss awoken the god sleeping within you."

"Shut up." Hermes’s ears warmed, but he pressed on. "That was the beginning. Afterward... things shifted between us. Somner, he—"

Hermes broke off, pressing his lips into a thin line. "I became his ’’Master’."

Raphael’s interest sharpened. "Oh?"

"It became... a kind of arrangement. Dom and sub." Hermes’s voice was flat, matter-of-fact. "He wanted to be controlled. To be put under. And I... allowed it."

Raphael tilted his head, studying him like he was a book he had already half-read. "Fitting, considering his hypnosis. A boy who controls others, craving someone strong enough to control him. It’s basic psychology. We are attracted to experiences that are rare."

Hermes’s throat tightened, but he nodded. "Exactly. I thought it was vanity. Some spoiled noble’s game. But the truth is... he was coping. He used vanity to survive the weight of his family’s name. He wanted a bond with his sister, but he also wanted to live up to their legacy. But underneath, he just needed someone to let him... give in."

Raphael’s smile softened. "And you gave him that."

Hermes looked away. "He gave me more than I gave him. Somner’s loyalty, his reliability... I didn’t see it at first. But I do now."

The tower wind cut between them, carrying silence for a beat. Raphael finally broke it. "And then there is Ymir."

Hermes grimaced. "Ymir."

"Your former superior, was he not?"

"Yes." Hermes leaned back against the steel, scowling at the memory. "When I was an intern, he tormented me. Cruel, relentless. He made sure I suffered in that department."

"And yet you still speak with him. You see eye to eye." Raphael teased.

Hermes shot him a look. "Because I came to understand him. It wasn’t random cruelty. I said something to him once. Something that struck his deepest insecurity. He buried it under layers of ice, but I’d already touched the wound. That’s why he lashed out."

Raphael’s eyes narrowed in quiet curiosity. "And what did you say?"

Hermes’s gaze hardened. "That’s not for me to tell. It would put him in danger."

For once, Raphael didn’t press. He inclined his head, a flicker of respect passing through his eyes. "Fair."

"The important part is that I realized... we’re alike. Both of us struggling with the past. Both of us unable to accept where we came from. That’s what connected us. We butt heads even now, but it’s different. Less like enemies. More..." Hermes searched for the word. "...frenemies."

Raphael’s lips twitched. "A charming label."

Hermes shrugged.

"And Magni?" Raphael asked after a pause.

Hermes’s mouth tightened. "Not much to say. He’s loyal to Ymir. That’s all."

"Just that?" Raphael’s voice was mild, but Hermes could feel the weight behind it.

"Yes." Hermes looked away. "That’s all."

Raphael studied him. The silence stretched, but he didn’t pry further. He only leaned back, as if filing the omission away for later.

"And finally," Raphael said smoothly. "Aphrodite."

Hermes’s chest tensed. "...He was my childhood friend. We grew apart when puberty hit. There were... changes. Complications."

"Complications?"

Hermes ignored the question, pressing on. "When I went back to my hometown, I met him again. We reconnected. He helped me with another mission."

Raphael’s eyes glinted knowingly. "SHIFT. And Eirwyn."

Hermes gave a curt nod, saying nothing more.

"Protective, are we?" Raphael murmured.

Hermes’s jaw clenched. "He doesn’t deserve to be tangled up in this. He’s been through enough. Aphrodite was always quiet, closed off. But lately... he’s opening up. To me. To others."

Raphael tilted his head, golden hair brushing his cheek. "And you care for him."

Hermes nodded, firm. "I love him. I love all of them. Somner. Ymir. Aphrodite. Even Magni, in a different way. I didn’t plan it, I didn’t mean to... but I can’t deny it. They matter to me. All of them. And I won’t forgive myself if something happens to them because of me."

The words hung in the air like a vow.

Hermes turned to Raphael, eyes burning. "So tell me. Who are you, really? Can I trust you to protect them? To keep them safe from the Thirteen Stripes?"

The city roared faintly below them, cars moving like bumblebees on the road, the hum of life steady and unbroken. Raphael said nothing for a long moment. He only looked at Hermes, golden eyes reflecting something ancient, something far away.

Then he nodded once.

"It is time I uphold my end." Raphael said quietly.

Hermes’s heart beat faster. "So?"

Raphael’s lips curved into that half-smile. "It all started that day..."

Hermes leaned forward.

"Christmas day," Raphael said, voice low like sharing a whispered secret. "The day I came to my parents’ home... inside a comet."