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It isn't until the first time they kiss that Apollo notices something... odd about his girlfriend.
When he leans in to press his lips against hers, he feels a peculiar rough texture on her skin. When they pull apart, he goes in for another kiss, concealing his intent - he runs a hand along the side of her face, and... yep, she's got stubble. To boot, it's denser than his own, and a twinge of jealousy shoots through him as he breaks off the kiss, and he's sure that she can read the curiosity on his face. She knows him more than well enough by now, after all.
"...What's wrong?" Though she's still a little breathless, Athena tilts her head at Apollo in turn. Around her neck, Widget flashes indigo - she's afraid that she's done something wrong.
"I, um." Apollo struggles to find the right words; he knows that this is a rather delicate subject, and he doesn't want to offend her by accident. "Just... out of curiosity, are you...?" He trails off, trusting that she'll understand his intent in his tone - not that he would mind if she is, he just wants to know in case they decide to take things further in the future.
"Huh? Oh, no, no." Athena shakes her head, flushes bright red, and Widget's color changes to yellow. "It's just... well..." She hesitates, looking away, and Widget's color starts flickering - from yellow to red to indigo, and it's the strangest thing he's ever seen, but the conflict of emotions in her heart just makes him even more curious.
Fortunately, she manages to gather her nerves, and speaks. "...I have... a condition. It's, um, it's being treated, but..." The blush on her face deepens; Widget's color steadies at indigo. "...I still have to shave my face and my arms. And... sometimes my chest, too..."
Apollo is sure then that his face could give his favorite vest a run for its money. It isn't hard to put two and two together - Athena has some sort of hormonal imbalance that results in her growing... body hair, despite being very much female otherwise.
He privately wonders if that fact should bother him more than it does.
"...I guess I'll have to stop shaving, then," Apollo murmurs, and he struggles to face Athena again. "I wouldn't want you to feel inadequate."
A look of confusion flashes across Athena's face for a split second, and then she giggles. "Y-you don't have to do that, Apollo... or, wait." Widget turns green - the most beautiful color of all, knowing what it means. "You're not jealous, are you?"
...Well, he is, kind of. Apollo has never been the manliest man, and now he's just found out that his girlfriend is manlier than him. Not that he minds - he loves her for her, not for her body, and to him, this is just another of her unique quirks.
"A little," Apollo admits, after a long silence - he knows he can't hide anything from her. "But it's fine. You're fine." He tries not to raise his voice, so as not to damage her ears, but the look on her face suggests...
"Yeah, I'm fine!" Athena responds in kind, almost as loud as his own top volume. "We're both fine! Right, Apollo?"
Relieved, Apollo gives a confident nod. "We're fine!"
He leans in to kiss her again, that bright green glow from her neckline encouraging him, and as she threads her fingers through his hair and deepens the kiss, he feels more fine than he ever has.
The feel of her facial hair scraping against his own - it just feels natural, now. He wouldn't have her any other way.
