Dessert arrived like a weapon dressed in silk.

Chocolate mousse, shimmering faintly with a silvery glow, was placed carefully in front of each of us.

Dionysus grinned wickedly. “Eat up, children. Tell me your truths.”

I took a breath and spooned a bite in.

It melted on my tongue—sweet, rich, with a strange warmth that crawled under my skin.

“Okay,” I said, voice a little too loud, “I will never be the person who’s good at this whole dating thing.”

Hermes snorted. “You’re off to a strong start.”

Astronaros took his turn next, swallowing slowly, eyes flickering as if trying to hold a storm inside.

“I...” he began, then shook his head. “No. Not yet.”

Dionysus leaned in, lips twitching. “Oh, come on! You have secrets like I have grape juice.”

“Not all secrets are fun,” Astro said tightly.

Hephaestus nudged his mousse forward and said quietly, “Sometimes, the hardest truths are about ourselves.”

Poseidon looked unimpressed but said, “I don’t have time for sappy revelations. Pass the mousse.”

Apollo, ever the jester, took a theatrical bite, then said with a smile, “I once cried because I dropped my golden lyre in a lake.”

The table erupted in laughter—except me and Astronaros, whose eyes met briefly, a spark of something unspoken flickering between us.

Then Dionysus raised an eyebrow at me. “Your turn. No holding back.”

I cleared my throat.

“The truth is...” I started, and then, just like that, words spilled out—

“I’m terrified.”

Silence.

“I’m terrified of time,” I said. “Not just controlling it. But losing it. Losing myself in it. And... losing him.”

Astronaros’s eyes softened.

“I’m terrified of space,” he whispered. “Not just the endless stars. But the distance between us. The gaps we can’t fill. And... losing you.”

My heart thudded.

Dionysus clapped slowly, a mischievous grin curling his lips. “Well, well. The cosmic lovers reveal themselves.”

Hermes whistled. “About time.”

Hephaestus looked like he wanted to say something but held back.

Poseidon snorted. “Finally. Some entertainment.”

Apollo winked. “Drama with dessert. Always a classic.”

Astronaros reached for my hand—this time openly—and I didn’t pull away.

“Maybe the hardest truth is that we’re already bound,” he said quietly.

I swallowed, feeling like I’d just stepped through a portal to something new.

Dionysus grinned wider. “And now, that’s a story worth telling.”