A small crowd was gathered along the beach. Apollo’s flawless body in swimwear attracted enough people. It was his teaching for the day that prompted many to join.

Unfortunately for them, the lesson was meant for one.

“Remember to lift your head to breathe,” Apollo instructed.

Hermes continued to kick and stroke with his head submerged. Apollo held his student in place.

“Hermes,” Apollo tapped his shoulder. “I keep telling you: You have to lift your head with your arm.”

“I can’t hear anything underwater!” Hermes protested.

“With those colossal ears? Not likely.”

“Yours are bigger.”

Apollo rolled his eyes, “Just pull your head up so you don’t drown.”

He laid on his stomach and demonstrated for Hermes. As he brought his arm up out of the water, his head moved with it.

“See how I’m moving in sync with my limb?”

Hermes asked, “Do you shave your armpits? Or do Gods not get armpit hair?”

“Focus.” Apollo stood up, “Now try again.”

The lesson continued. Hermes made gradual progress once he started listening to his mentor. Keeping an eye on his bracelet and following it in and out of the water. It took the teen a few minutes to learn the freestyle technique.

“See? It’s easy.” Apollo said.

Hermes spoke between strokes, “Can…you…let…me…go…now?”

“Are you going to stay in shallow water?”

“Yes,” Hermes gasped.

Apollo released Hermes. Just as he thought, the boy shot like an arrow. This time, Apollo was prepared.

He had let Hermes go, facing the beach. Hermes swam right into the sand. Stopping when his entire body was submerged.

He poked up like a gopher. Spitting out grains and shaking the sand out of his hair. The lovely men & women above Hermes eased the pain.

“Are you ok?” A beautiful woman asked.

Another beach-clad woman spoke, “Of course he’s ok. He’s…I think he’s Apollo’s son.”

“Need some help?” A muscular woman asked.

Hermes started to blush. He could move if he wanted. But he suddenly didn’t want to.

Overacting a tad, “Oh no! I’m stuck! Won’t a beautiful maiden help a poor boy?”

Apollo plucked Hermes right out.

“I said ‘maiden’,” Hermes snipped.

“If you’ll excuse us.”

Apollo turned back. He wanted to carry his student back to the water. Keep the lesson going while they had daylight.

Unfortunately, Apollo had the same taste as Hermes.

“Lord Apollo!” One of the women called. “We were wondering if you could give us a demonstration when you’re done helping your,” she guessed, “…son?”

“Why does everyone think I’m yours?” Hermes asked before Apollo dropped him.

“He’s my assistant. His powers come from a nymph, and I am to help little Hermes hone them.”

The crowd started to surround Apollo. Curious for more insight. Desperate to get a closer look at him. Wondering if they could hear him speak more.

“How noble of you, my lord.”

“You’re so generous.”

“May I be next?”

Apollo found himself unable to get out of the circle. He could jump out. Power through the crowd of 14. Or just, command them to move.

It's just his eyes were on the various bodies and skin tones around him. ‘Unable’ to look elsewhere.

“Ok! Let’s get back to swimming!” Hermes called.

Apollo kept speaking to the mortals. Taking in the praise. Flirting with a young man that seemed shy.

Hermes tried again, “I know you hear me with those colossal ears!”

Apollo waved him off, “Go into self-study. Don’t leave the coast.”

Hermes didn’t know what else to expect. If he knew he’d survive, he’d immediately go into deeper waters. Instead, his spite took a different form.

He ran up to Apollo. Climbed atop his shoulders. Then ruined any chance of his mentor getting to bed anyone there.

“Gee FATHER! Is MOTHER going to be ok with you flirting with others? Especially since she’s EXPECTING again?!”

Not one mortal stayed put. One girl weighed her choice for a moment. But left after a short internal deliberation.

“I dislike you,” Apollo said.

“Likewise,” Hermes got down. “Back to the lesson, then?”

Dismissively, “Go ask Poseidon.”

Apollo dropped to the beach. He rested his arm on his knee. No care in how he looked to Hermes.

Hermes kicked bits of sand on his way to the water. Knee-deep, he went back to freestyle. Practicing in a circle for a few minutes.

A few minutes turned into an hour. Hermes had attempted to go out into the deep where boats would sail. Every time Hermes went that far, Apollo snapped his fingers. The bracelet would teleport Hermes back to Apollo’s side.

That cycle went on for 30 minutes. It stopped when Apollo let Hermes sink and flail for a minute. Then he rescued him from drowning a second time.

By sundown, Hermes wondered why he was scared of the water to begin with.

“Are you done sulking?” Hermes approached.

Apollo had stayed on the beach the entire time. A parchment and lead pen in his hand. He had been given plenty of time to write poetry.

“Are you done with your unfounded lack of respect?”

Hermes shook his hair dry. Droplets sizzled when they hit Apollo’s feet. No apology followed the accident.

“You could just say ‘being rude’. Who’re you showing off for?”

Apollo stood up and made his way off the beach.

“I have standards. Now come on. Let’s get back to the temple before dark.”

Hermes followed, “What’d you write about?”

“About how one could do nothing to deserve torture. But due to decisions out of a person’s control, they can suffer for another person’s actions.”

Hermes rolled his eyes, “You’re dramatic.”

“You’re insufferable and uneducated.”

“I can read just fine. Thank you.”

It dawned on Apollo. Hermes was in a cave when Apollo found him. Alone with just a wild ram.

Condescendingly, “And who exactly taught you how to read? Did the tortoise teach you how to play the lyre before you killed it? Did you receive cooking lessons from the ram?”

Hermes answered, “My mother taught me everything.”

Apollo dropped his smirk. He didn’t say anything for a while. Hermes didn’t elaborate further. They just walked in silence for a long while.

Apollo thought of his mother. How he hadn’t spoken to her in quite some time. Or his sister.

How the three of them trained with bows. How she treated their wounds. How she taught them how to swim.

And how patient she was with him.

Apollo broke the silence, “Would you like me to teach you how to play other instruments?”

Hermes took an extra second to gauge Apollo’s expression. He didn’t have some self-entitled smirk. Nor did Apollo change his straight face stare the longer Hermes looked back at him.

“Like of torture?” Hermes asked.

“Guitar, drums, flute, harp, trumpet, tambourine,”

Hermes shrugged, “Harp.”

“You prefer string instruments then?”

“A harp is just a bigger lyre. Isn’t it?”

Apollo tried to be patient, “Well…you’re not wrong.”

End