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Hermes has been fidgeting with the little box inside his satchel for a month. He had had it designed about a year ago and had been, in his opinion, Hephaestus' greatest work yet.
The ring was made with an iron only found on Mount Olympus. It shined more than any other and was stronger too. The centre stone was a Citrine, the colour a nod to his domain. Two wings and snakes weaved around it, keeping the stone in place.
He had brought you to a fancy restaurant upstate when he first attempted it. He had it all planned out; right after dessert he would go on one knee and propose.
But when the time came....
"Y/n," he had started. "I was hop-"
Right that moment, a commotion started a few tables away from you two. A young man went down on his knee in front of a girl.
Everyone in the restaurant was looking at them.
The girl looked uncomfortable, and very quietly, stood up and walked out of the restaurant, leaving the young man heartbroken.
"Poor lad," Hermes commented. He imagined himself in his shoes, imagining what he would do if you had just walked off.
"He kind of had it coming." This surprised the god, who gave you a questioning look. "Proposing in public when you aren't even sure they are going to say yes is kind of a dickhead move. It puts pressure on the promisee to just give in to save face."
"Right..." He silently put the ring back in satchel.
From then on, a though haunted his mind, a thought that didn't exist before this; what if you say no?
The second time, he had chosen for something more casual. Hermes had flown you two to one of his temples, where he told you about myths of his.
At the end of the day, you two were staring at the sunset. You were mesmerised by the mix of colours. Hermes had a suspicion that a certain god had made it extra beautiful this time around.
"Y/n-" you looked up at him- "I have been mea-"
He got interrupted by his phone going off. With a bit of annoyance, he fished it out of his pocket and looked at the screen.
"Shit, I'm sorry love." He quickly kissed the top of your head. "I'm needed. You can sleep here, do anything you want, just don't leave the temple. It isn't safe out there. I will be back soon."
"Alright, I'll be waiting here for you." You watched his silhouette fly off into the distance, before going back inside.
When Hermes finally got back, he found you asleep, not on the bed he had made for you in the other room, but on one of his altars.
The sight made him immediately blush and his pants strain. This was definitely more intimate than any proposal he could had come up with.
He leaned down to give you a warm kiss. The sudden feeling on your lips startled you awake. "Hi," you mumbled.
"Hi," he teased back. "Laying on my altar? Were you trying to get the attention of your god?"
You rolled your eyes, playing along. "My lord, I am simply sacrificing myself to you. Is that not what altars are for?"
He couldn't stop himself. His lips smashed against yours wildly.
You two had spend the night in each other's arms. Showered one another with passion, love and a little more.
It had been so amazing, Hermes had forgotten all about the little box still in his satchel.
The next time was during movie night. You two had already watched your favourite movie and now it was Hermes' turn.
Your boyfriend was very much a chick flick guy, always choosing the movies with the most ludicrous plot points. This time though, he had gone for something more romantic: The Me Before You.
He didn't really know what it was about, just that it was romance and a really good movie. It would be perfect for a casual proposal, right?
Wrong.
He was so wrong.
You were in tears for half the movie, needing to cuddle him the whole time. There was never a moment where he could make his situation romantic, and the ending destroyed you emotionally.
Hermes was cleaning up the plates, remnants of yet another failed proposal, when the doorbell went. Before either of you could get there, however, the door swung open on its own.
"How is my favourite future sis-in-law doing?!" Apollo came busting in.
"Apollo, I already told you; I'm not your future sister-in-law." You stood up from the couch to face the god. "Hermes and I aren't getting married."
"You aren't?" He mumbled, barely a whisper. The god looked at his brother in the kitchen, who frowned and put a finger on his mouth. "Right of course! You know silly old me!" He sat down next to you. "Can't keep up with all Olympian relationships."
"Yeah, I couldn't begin to imagine."
He looked up at his brother with a small grin. "But wouldn't you want to be? Just marry my brother already then I wouldn't be mistaken all the time."
"No!" That cut way deeper than Hermes would have liked to admit. "He hasn't even met my siblings yet, only seen my parents a few times and from his family I only really know you. It's way too early to even consider it."
"Trust me, you don't want to meet the rest of the Olympian fam. They are nothing but trouble."
"Like you are one to talk!" Hermes shouted from the kitchen.
"Anyway." Apollo glared at his brother. "That is just two more things to go; your parents and siblings!"
"You shouldn't take everything so literally."
Hermes came back to the living room again. "So, Apollo, any particular reason why you're here?"
"Can't I visit my baby brother out of the goodness of my heart?" He batted his eyelashes.
"No." You laughed at his answer.
"The guys are holding a drinking party at Dionysus'. I was sent to get you after you didn't answer the phone."
"I don't thi-"
"You should go!" You jumped up. "You told me how long it had been since you all hung out."
And that's how he ended up drunk at a party moping around while his brothers sat around him.
"Did she say no?" Pan asked.
"No," Apollo answered for him. "He didn't even propose. I gave him the perfect moment too! I haven't made such a beautiful sunset in decennia."
"I got called away by work." Hermes banged his head against the table. "Not that it matters. She said it was too early to consider marriage."
"At least you weren't outright rejected." Dionysus summoned another round of wine.
"I don't get it." Pan immediately poured his down his throat. "Why not just take her? Isn't that how we always did it?"
"I know you are a bit of a recluse in those mountains, but even you have got to know that kidnapping your wife isn't socially accepted anymore.... in most places," Dionysus pointed out.
"Key words: most places."
"I'm not kidnapping her Pan." He took another gulp from his wine. "I'll just have to speedrun courtship."