Kei walked home quickly, wondering what he would learn this time. Whenever his parents asked him to come home, they always taught him something new.

Sometimes it was creating stuff, sometimes the access to certain realms. He suspected it’d be a language this time, because that’s what he talked about to Thanatos the last time he visited. The god of death (or rather, one of the gods of death) promised to teach him the language of his realm soon.

He wasn’t too sure though, because ‘soon’ for him was maybe a few days while soon for gods can be several centuries.

It didn’t really matter though. Thanatos wouldn’t allow him to visit his realm until he passed his tests anyway. And there was a lot more to it than just the language.

Switching realms is, depending on who you are and were you’re going, really easy or extremely difficult. If you were born in a realm, you normally can travel there rather easy.

If it’s a new one, it’s often too difficult to go there at all. You either need much power and a good understanding of the realm you want to go to or someone who already was there has to take you with them, which can be quite exhausting for both of them.

Taking two people with you is basically unheard of.

Kei, or what his parents call him, Kay, was born in the main realm of the gods. Or, in his case created is more accurate. He doesn’t have two parents, he has a lot more.

Many gods got bored over the time, many just wanted something to take care of, so they decided to create a child. At the beginning, it was only a small group discussing the project but more and more people were coming.

In the end, they lost count on who’s child he is entirely.

But hey, he had nearly a whole planet that felt responsible of him. Who else could say something like that of them?

When he arrived at home, he packed some books and his summer homework, as well as some clothing he was currently working on.

He closed his eyes and concentrated on his parent’s place, feeling himself disintegrate before manifesting in the other realm.

The process looked pretty cool, like in a video game.

As soon as he arrived, three pairs of arms wrapped around him, squeezing him between the bodies of some of his closest mothers and ‘daddy’.

“My baby!”, Hestia cried, shoving away the other three and smothering him in her embrace.

“Daddy… help…” Kei groaned, reaching out for Nergal, who only raised his eyebrows and provocatively looked away.

“Traitor..” he mumbled.

“Kei, darling, don’t be mean to your father. But really, it’s been way too long since you last visited! Why don’t you come more often? Aren’t we important enough for you?”

Hestia looked at him with a hurt look on her face.

“Hesty, darling, just look at him. His aura is all pinkish, his eyes are sparkling and now his cheeks are getting more than just a little rosy.”

Hekate smirked, watching as Kei’s face was getting darker and darker. He glared at her, mentally promising to avenge his pride later, causing more than only a little trouble for the goddess of magic.

She was one of the few gods that didn’t treat him as their child. Sadly, she immensely enjoyed playing the role of the annoying and traitorous big sister.

“Oh my!” Hestia said, looking at him more closely. “You’re right, kitten! I wonder what it means…?”

Nergal snickered, earning himself a glare from Hekate.

“He’s in lo-ove!” she sung, grabbing Hestia and twirling her around elegantly.

“In love?!” Hestia shrieked, trying to take a good look at Kei. “Does that mean we’ll get a son in law soon?”

Kei groaned, already regretting to visit at all.

He looked at Eirene, who hadn’t said anything till now. She just shrugged her shoulder and signaled him to follow her.

They sneaked away from the gods discussing animatedly the differences between human and godly relationships.

“It’s not the norm for humans to have multiple partners at once. It’s the same as here, happens every now and then but definitely not all the time. Just to be clear.”

Eirene laughed, telling him that it’s all right and that they didn’t visit earth for quite some time. Seems like the rumors took over their ability to think of their own.

“Are you really in love?” she asked him.

“Well, it certainly seems like it? I can say that I really like him for sure. And also that I would like the chance to explore what’s between us.”

“Mature”, she smirked. “You said ‘him’? What’s he like?”

“He’s really soft. And kinda annoying sometimes. He can be so fucking stubborn but most of the time he’s rather forthcoming. He’s also very intelligent, but sometimes he’s too innocent and oblivious for his own good. We have these discussions all the time, it’s really nice. Whenever I start to think ‘man, he’s really intelligent’ he says something stupid and I wonder what’s wrong with him.”

“Someone’s smitten” she laughed.

Kei groaned, burying his face in his hands. He’s like ninety-percent sure he looks like a tomato again.

“But really, he sounds great. How’d you meet him?”

“I kinda met him at school?”, he asked, a little uncomfortable.

“Oh? Was he in your year? Or some hot upper year? Oooh, or a cute little twink… for the cute little twink, never mind.”

“Hey! I could be together with a cute little twink!”

“U-huh, so what about the not-twink you’re currently dating?”

Kei groaned again, angrily glaring at her.

“We’re not dating. And he’s older than me. And actually, it really isn’t your business.”

Eirene raised her eyebrow. “I’m your mother.”

“And I’m my own person.” He grumbled.

“Oh come on, just tell me. Was he in the year above you? Or rather a senior?” She smirks. “Or maybe he wasn’t a student at all?”

Kei’s cheeks heated up. Again. Wait, shouldn’t there be a spell against that?

“Oh my god! You’re dating your teacher!”

“We’re not dating” he growled.

“You didn’t deny it! Kinky” she smirked, dancing out of the way as he tried to hit her with a pillow.

“Eirene! Kei! Why did you sneak away?”

“He’s dating his teacher!” Eirene shouted, narrowly evading a pillow flying her way.

“We’re not dating! For the nth time, we. Are. NOT. Fucking. Dating!” Kei screamed, throwing himself at her, this time not missing. She opened her arms, trapping him in a hug immediately.

“What does she mean, you’re dating your teacher? Kei!”

“Thank you sooo much” he growled quietly, kicking her shin as hard as he can.

“Ow! Hestia, he kicked me!”

“Kei! Where are your manners!”

“Oh, I’m soo sorry. She’s allowed to talk about my private life, even slander me, but I am not allowed to kick her even though she doesn’t even bruise?!”

“I didn’t slander you” Eirene grumbled.

“You’re supposed to be my mother! You’re behaving like a kid, mommy! Even more so than Hekate and she declared herself my sister over a century ago.”

“Alright, Alright. I’m sorry, okay? Now that I think about it… Hestia’s basically the motherly mom, and Hekate’s your sister. But Hestia and Hekate are an item. Isn’t that a little weird?”

“Eh. I grew up this way. If she’d have declared herself my sister much later, it would’ve been different. But now it’s normal to me. I don’t mind. And don’t tell me you realized that only now.”

“You’re weird, Kei-y boy.” Eirene declared, lifting him into her arms and strapping him in on the highchair Hekate conjured.

“What the fuck?! What is wrong with you guys?!”