Quin 

The enormous pressure one must’ve experienced during a competition was unbelievable. Never in my years at Hiraeth did I think that I’d get to witness the ancient game, crafted by the founders of the school. If all ended well, then the victor would be granted a wish, anything their heart desired. 

I didn’t know if Cue was upset over it, over watching his younger friends compete for a chance to win that prize. Because if Cue had taken part in it, then he probably would’ve used the wish to become a God again. 

In all the years I’d grown up with him, as his peer in school and as his assistant, I wished I knew if the idea of turning back into a God was one that he had made on his own. Did the people around him pressure him to return? Or was it something he wanted for himself? 

As his underclassman, I never had the chance to ask. And when I found that I had fallen in love with him, that desire to know grew more and more. 

I loved Cue, as the person he was, as whatever he wanted to identify as, and in whatever form, mortal or immortal. In the time I spent trying to help him revert back to a God, I would also use those valuable moments to get to know him, to understand why my heart beat so quickly in his presence, and to see why I saw him as someone so precious to me. 

My hands hovered over the contents of my desk. It was late at night, cloudier than it was during the day when I was with him. Judging by the state of the sky, I figured it would rain all evening. 

I’d just gotten out of the shower, hair wet and pajamas on. I promised myself that I would quit working once it hit eleven, but the urge to look over the list of ingredients for the remainder of the potions in the first task was strong. Cue was careful in his work, as was I.  

Taking up the duty of helping Professor Eva with the competition was important for the both of us. For me, it could help in my career, and for Cue, it was an opportunity to get involved in a new adventure that could unlock clues as to how he could return to his rightful place in Olympus. 

Taking a glance at the clock on my desk, I ruffled my damp hair, yawning. The day had brought a lot of tough work. Potions weren't the easiest, not with the amount of measuring and weighing of ingredients. Not to mention the step-by-step process of adding those ingredients. 

Cue had done a marvelous job at handling it. There was so much I had to learn from him. I was lucky to have been taken under his wing. For a while after graduation, I feared we’d never see each other anymore. If I had known my true feelings in school, then I would’ve told him when we were students. 

To my left, a gentle rap on my door made me stand. It was barely audible, but I’d heard it. 

No one was out and about late at night, not unless they wanted to give a scare to the other professors on our side of the manor. The farthest wing, closest to the library, was reserved for the educators at Hiraeth. It held multitudes of rooms, fewer compared to the student quarters, yet comfortable for the adults. 

A long, narrow hallway could be found once I stepped out of my door, as well as the surprising appearance of my boss, Cue, who was similarly dressed like me. While wet, his naturally pink hair was almost the color of a pomegranate, and his equally pink pajamas were a shade darker in the candlelight. 

I held open the door for him as he stepped in upon my silent permission. When he entered, he sat on the desk chair where I had previously been sitting. Legs up and keeping his knees close to his chest, he wrapped his arms around himself and stared at the ground. 

His room was right next door to mine, but it was only rarely that he came over to visit. 

He must have been troubled. 

Just as quietly, I leaned against the foot of my bed, “Cue?” 

He looked up, “Don’t you think it’s a bit odd that this competition started now?” 

That question caught me off guard. The announcement of the competition had definitely come as a surprise, but most things at Hiraeth usually did. If a dragon or a vampire or a werewolf didn’t terrorize the school, then something else would disrupt the peace. Hallow, or Williams, or other heroes would save the day, and all would go back to normal. 

This was a place that grew the best of the best, so having a few tests here and there wasn’t unusual. Cue thought of everything as an opportunity, and this competition was no exception. He’d take advantage of this, like I’d assumed. 

“This may be your chance, Cue,” I said. 

His gaze held that of hope. “Then I’ll do everything in my power to achieve it.” 

I smiled. 

Without even knowing, I found that my hands had stiffened at my sides. My words were truthful, but my heart had decided to go against my head. That wasn’t right, because I wanted whatever Cue wanted. I couldn’t be selfish. 

“I’ll help—” I began. 

He cut me off, “We must pay attention to our job.” 

The dedicated professor. It was true that we needed to do our part in order for the competitors to have a smooth journey. Without us, Williams and Hallow would struggle. Cue had a soft spot for his students, even if he didn’t recognize it himself. 

“Don’t worry about me, Fox,” He instructed. Without touching me, he could still manage to read my mind by his sheer intuition. “I can handle this on my own. It’s my destiny, after all.” 

No human could intervene in his story. I was only a mere mortal in the eyes of those Gods and Goddesses, and with time I’d disappear like many ancient myths. I thought of this countless times, but I was happy to have stayed by his side, as his friend, for at least a little while. 

My heart would continue to beat, to live on until the end of my days reached me. As long as Cue was happy, then I’d be happy, too. Knowing he was safe, back in his home, was all that mattered. I’d help him along the way, secretly. 

Loosening my nerves, I breathed out. It was late, not the perfect moment to let my emotions get the better of me. “I trust that you’ll do your utmost, Cue.” I gave him a thumbs up, putting on my best grin. He didn’t have to read my mind to know I’d be okay. “We’ll show Zeus who’s really the boss here.” 

Cue didn’t look like he believed in the happy expression I displayed, but he carried on. 

“Just don’t get into trouble. Humans shouldn’t meddle in the affairs of Olympus.” His own face changed from serious to amused in a split-second. “Which is why I should tread lightly, as I am a human, like you.” 

“Nothing will stop you,” I assured him. 

“That is human nature, isn’t it?” he said, studying me again. “It is restless, even in the face of every impossibility.” 

That statement hadn’t been said without meaning. Cue was referring to the competitors, Hallow and Williams, Professor Eva, Zeus, and he hadn’t excluded me either. 

What he meant to say, was that I was as restless as him. He would, under any circumstances, get his immortality back. While I would continue loving him, no matter how dangerous it was for me. 

I did not know if he understood it when I expressed my love. I should’ve known that he did, because he was Cupid, the God of desire and attraction. But his memories were a mystery of their own, and no one knew if he remembered his life as a deity. This transformation from God to human had completely made him start anew. 

Keeping this in mind, I savored every second with him. I was such a reckless human, to fall for someone so dangerous. “We’re full of surprises, aren’t we? But so are the Gods, Cue.” 

I was the predictable type, though. I’d help him, see him go, and become heartbroken all on my own. The most predictable person in his life. 

That was what love did. That's what I did.  

Me—one Hell of a recklessly, hopelessly in love, human.