We slowly pieced ourselves together. There were still things we needed to mourn. Our dream of living in Mykonos. The fact that I wouldn't see my friends until they joined us down here. But they would, eventually, and that made me happy. At least we'd see them again someday.

We spent a lot of time on the beach. The neighbours were nice, and I really liked it here. Arlo did too. No one looked at him weird. Everyone was used to hounds wandering about, though they had all been very curious about one moving in here. Now they thought I was very important since I had gotten my own guard.

In reality I had been important to one person who had enough leeway with his uncle to get me here. Apollo did want to help and in the end he had. How he had known about my death before it even happened, I didn't know. Another thing to ask him if he ever visited.

Arlo squeezed my hand and pointed out a group of harpies flying over the ocean. Down here they didn't terrorise people. Down here they made sure the Elysian Fields were not disturbed. Just as Arlo. Officially he was protecting the whole neighbourhood, but in reality, he was protecting me. And there was nothing to protect me from because nothing ever made it in here. It was a utopian paradise.

"Wanna go for a swim?" Arlo asked and pulled his shirt over his head.

"Sure," I said with a wide smile, revelling in getting to watch my boyfriend shirtless. I followed suit and he was staring at my chest. I looked down at the scar. It had healed but it was still there. Just like the scar on my collarbone.

"It's looking better," Arlo said.

"You just noticing this now?" I laughed. "You had your whole face smashed against it last night."

"I was focusing on other things." He laughed and grabbed my wrist, pulling me close. "Things I'd like to focus on again once we get home."

"No," I said sternly. "You've lost that privilege. Tonight you get to see the pillow, bite down on it, and basically nothing else."

"Oh no, how horrible," he murmured and bent down, kissing me.

If we kept this up, the talking, the kissing... I'd not even make it out for a swim and back to the house before I'd tear the rest of his clothes off.

Okay, no. I wasn't going to not want to be with him right now. I hauled him back to the house and he was laughing all the way. I pushed him inside the bedroom and down on the bed, straddling his thighs. I bent over and kissed him, placing his hands above his head.

"I thought I was supposed to bite the pillow," he panted and smirked up at me.

"I said, you'd see nothing else but the pillow tonight. Now you get to see me in all my glory," I said triumphantly and ran my hands down my body.

Arlo lifted his hips a little under me, getting me to sit in a better spot. I kissed him again, loving how soft his mouth was.

There was a knock on the door, and I was the one to open it. I found Apollo on our doorstep, looking a lot more godly than he used to. He was wearing a golden crown on top of his golden curls and a white toga, held together with even more gold. A small golden arrow pin was latched on his chest and his smile was a lot calmer than the more smug one he'd usually wear.

"Hi Dion," he said softly.

"Apollo," I breathed.

"You wanna take a walk with me?"

I looked back into the hall, finding Arlo there. He didn't look very impressed with our guest.

"I'll return him unharmed, Arlo," Apollo said and smiled a little smugly.

Arlo just growled back. I went to him and pulled on his shirt, getting him to bend down so I could kiss him.

"I won't be away for long."

"It's not you I don't trust," he murmured and flicked his eyes up, sending deathly glares at the sun god.

"I'll be on my very best behaviour." Apollo held his hands up in surrender. "I honestly just wanna talk."

"And then you'll disappear forever?" Arlo asked, probably before he could stop himself.

"If that's what you want." Apollo's smile slid right off, and he turned very serious.

"Fine. Don't be long. I'll make dinner." Arlo bent down again and kissed me, before he padded into the kitchen.

I closed the door behind me, and we walked in silence down the road. We came to a meadow with a hill and sat down on top of the hill, looking out over the ocean. The grass was lush and green, not very well-kept, making the whole place look a bit wild.

"I was sad to hear about your death," Apollo said then, breaking the silence.

"Something tells me it didn't come as a surprise to you though."

"It didn't. I have visions of the future after all. I saw this coming."

"Was that why you offered to buy me out?" I glanced up at him.

"Partially, yeah. But I also knew you wouldn't accept the offer. Your future is so closely intertwined with Arlo's there's nothing stopping the two of you being together. Not even death. So, I knew what part I had to play when it came to your mortal life ending."

"But why me? Why was I so important?" I couldn't help but ask. I was just one of many prostitutes he had bought at Euphoria.

"Because you remind me of Hyacinthus. And I didn't want anyone to... To turn out like me. Losing someone you love so fiercely changes you." He wasn't looking at me. Just staring at the ocean.

"You did this for Arlo?" I arched a brow at him.

"I like him. But no, I didn't do it only for him. You would've lost him too if I hadn't called in a couple of favours. In my vision, I saw him holding your body and I couldn't ignore it. Call me sentimental, but I just couldn't ignore it."

I didn't know what to say to that. It felt odd to have a god meddle so much in my life, so much he had secured mine and Arlo's after-life. He didn't have to do that. He was a god and compared to him, both Arlo and I were like drops of water in a vast ocean. But he had helped us.

"I'm not sure I get why you'd do this. Many people lose their loved ones all the time."

"Well, not many leave the same impression on me as you did. Besides, I love art. In all its forms, and you, my dear friend, is art." He smiled a very satisfied smile at me, and I couldn't help but snort.

"So that's where it is. You did this because I'm pretty."

"Well, yeah." He shrugged a shoulder. "Let's just forget all the other things I also said."

I chuckled and shook my head. "You're a very weird god, Apollo."

"So I've been told." He leaned back, so he was lying on his back, looking up at the sky.

"I'm grateful though. It's been good here. And Arlo is close to his family again. He thrives better here than he does above."

"Hounds usually do. Except his guard brother. He sure loves it topside. He has lived there for decades now, working at different clubs. He really has a knack for security at clubs like Euphoria."

"How come you know so much about Arlo's family?"

"Everyone does, Dion." He looked up at me with those ridiculously blue eyes. "The hounds are very precious to us gods. And Hades really loves them all."

I smiled a little at that. Hades had come by a couple of times already, making sure Arlo was alright. Persephone had also invited us over for tea several times. She was very sweet, and I liked her a lot.

"Contrary to popular beliefs, we do actually care about our creations. Artemis loves her nymphs. Hades loves his hounds. And I love my healers. My son is one, did you know that?" He sat up and looked entirely different. "They're not exactly my creation, but my son is one."

"No, I didn't know you had a healer son," I said softly.

"His name is Asclepius and I raised him after his mortal mother died. He's an amazing healer. I believe you have hospitals named after him now." He looked so incredibly proud. "It's said that my father killed him with a lightning bolt, but it's not entirely true. True, Zeus did hit him with lightning, but my son healed himself. I was punished for telling my father he was an asshole. One year in servitude for me." He rolled his eyes. "But my son lives on and heals people."

"How many children do you have?"

"Many. You might know of Orpheus? Brilliant musician. And then there's Eriopis. She lives here now, as she was mortal. I have many children here in the Elysian Fields."

I nodded a bit. "I... Never got the chance. To have any."

"I know," he said softly. "But there is still Arlo. He can make litters, can he not?"

"Perhaps. Yeah, he can. I don't know why we haven't talked about that."

Apollo smiled. "Anything is possible in the Elysian Fields, Dion. It might not be the family you dreamt of, but just wait until you see the little pups. They are very cute." He winked at me and I couldn't help but snort.