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Dynatós doesn’t remember how the conversation started. He did know, however, that they were on the levitating island again.
He, possessing a stonewalker, while she projected a form of similar size. They always did this when they wanted to be truly alone, without feeling the thousands of peering eyes on surrounding islands that stared up, gazing at the Titan King cradling the floating landmass, likely wondering what he could possibly be doing.
“We truly are different. Extremely different.” When did he start crying?
“What do we do now?”
“Let’s just… talk.”
Little to their knowledge, he was with the stars, standing with her in the island’s center in an unmoving embrace.
Why were they here to begin with, again? His memory was typically immaculate but he was becoming flustered.
He decided to break the silence.
“I barely know you.”
“I’d say there isn’t much to know.” She replied without much hesitation, and she told the truth. Ílios didn’t think there was much history to herself. She existed within space, too colossal and far away to interact with any smaller life. Then she met someone large enough to talk with her. That was it. Not a very rich history compared to the king who spent eons leading millions.
“We surely rushed into this.” Dynatós lead again.
“Everything up close seems so fast to me.”
“Do you… Ever miss being alone?”
“No, never.”
Dynatós didn’t know if he related or not. He was constantly bombarded with constant worship from essentially every being on the planet. Every step and every breath he took would be documented in history books for years to come. And yet somehow with the constant attention of the world for millennia, his feelings of loneliness were immeasurable. He wondered what it would be like for nobody to know of your existence.
They really were different.
“Have you loved other mortals before?”
They stayed in their embrace. She responded with her own question, though she already knew the answer.
“Have you?”
Dynatós had loved many times. He loved the children he had, the spouses he married, the allies he met, the cities of peaceful civilians, all of whom he watched come into this world and sink back beneath its surface in an endless cycle. As did Ílios, watching as the Titans of the world grew to immaculate size, traveling across the globe, making their families, and leading their people, before resting within the sea. Their bodies morphing and changing into an array of beautiful landscapes and life. There were countless times they had loved.
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
They both answered.
Dynatós could feel the light, tingling energy that radiated from Ílios’ hands as they rested on his stony back. Her entire body was quite literally a cluster of celestial energy. Dynatós didn’t think he’d ever forget the first time he’d felt it.
He was head over heels fallen in a way he didn’t think he could before. The lifted weight of knowing she couldn’t die, the foreign feeling of knowing he wouldn’t experience the heartbreak of saying goodbye to another spouse as they perished. At least not this time.
“Have you ever… been in love with a mortal?”
“How would I know?”
“It’s torture.”
A pause.
Ilíos slowly leaned back, her hands traveling from Dynatós' back to the sides of his arms. She never grasped too firmly. Dynatós looked up at her as she created the slight space between the two. Just the feeling of looking up at his partner made him feel his heartbeat accelerate, all those miles up. Finally making eye contact, he witnessed the apologetic look in her eyes before she spoke.
“I’m so sorry.”
Huh?
“What-” He hadn't meant to- “No! You shouldn’t be!”
“What!? Why not!? She said bewildered and loudly, "Ooh, I’m so confused!” An awkward smile crept on her face as she spoke, she was blushing.
“As am I!” Dynatós spoke with equal loudness to match her volume. Dynatós didn’t remember when, but their hands had interlocked at some point.
“Well- U-Uh- This is good!” She spoke clumsily but the tension quickly eased, “We have one thing in common!”
She abruptly stretched out her arm and the two laughed freely as she twirled Dynatós with one hand. They continued laughing rowdily as Ílios picked him up and spun around in circles, rejoining their shortly detached embrace.
Oh, that’s right.
Only now did Dynatós remember why they were here, and what they were originally doing.
They had been dancing.