Chapter Text
Hermes clutches the phone tightly and slams his right wrist onto the table in front of him. Godly clients could be such a pain. But duties await and so he takes a deep breath to calm his nerves down before he starts taking his anger onto anything he can get his hands on.
“Listen Demeter, I already told you that the packages in the flower divisions will have to wait for now.” He pinches the bridge of his nose.
Luke, who's sitting on the plush couch watching stupid shows on the television in front of him, turns as he hears the irritation in his dad’s voice and frowns. It wasn’t like him.
Most of the time, his dad was surprisingly calm and collected for a God. It didn’t impress him or anything, but at least he didn’t end up with the most emotionally unstable of the bunch it seems. For someone who is the God of so many different things, he holds himself together well.
He had to give him that even if he would never give Hermes the satisfaction of hearing it out loud from his mouth.
Luke still hates the Gods and Olympus.
His Dad simply left the list of the Gods he personally has beef with for now. He’s on probation, to measure his worthiness as his Father sorts to speak.
Since he had been so adamant about him staying here… forever.
Luke also learnt the hard way that Hermes despises being called anything other than “Father or Dad.” The first time he did it on purpose, he admits, Hermes had gotten visibly hurt, his eyes had saddened and the wings on his helmet stopped flapping as vigorously.
Martha and George had also hissed sadly before Hermes gently corrected him. He hadn’t gotten mad at him. He didn’t yell either.
“I know, they were supposed to be delivered last week! I have other things to deal with at the moment.” Hermes clenches his fist, his knuckles turning white.
Everything has become too much for him, his head hurts, but he has so many other things to do, and he has to make sure Luke eats dinner tonight.
The deliveries, the conflicts between Hera and his Father, the mortals killing each other over the stupidest stuff. Hades makes him do overtime because Charon wants a promotion but apparently the Underworld can’t afford it right now.
So he’s in charge of both guiding the souls to the Underworld, reassuring them, comforting those who need to be comforted and then he also drives them on the Acharon. Of course he also spent some time with Hades to hear what he had to say to Zeus for the next council he surely wouldn’t attend.
He takes his duties very seriously, even when nobody else cares about it. Even if he doesn’t get any sort of recognition from anyone especially not mortals, Hermes continues diligently working himself to the bone.
Hermes holds out the caduceus phone in front of him as the Goddess screams at him saying how she needed new flowers for Persephone’s arrival and how incompetent he was as a delivery man.
He sighs and decides to cut her off and he wants to yeet his phone far far away but his dear companions hang onto it for dear life. So he keeps it in his hand, and Martha and George begin to manifest in their smaller form.
Hermes feels Martha coil around his wrist gently, moving up his muscular arm as he allows himself a tiny break. His head rests on his forearm and he closes his eyes for a minute he thinks.
While he’s still holding his cellphone in his other hand. He feels the object vibrating and the usual ping sound that comes with new emails, texts, and requests. He hasn’t slept in a while, as an Olympian he doesn’t need it per say, but even the God of speed needs some rest.
“Take a break dear, you’re exhausted.” The female snake whispers in his ear.
“But don’t forget the rats.” George adds as Martha sends him a glare. “George!”
Hermes doesn’t have the strength to respond to their daily banter. He simply lays there, enjoying some silence.
“I can’t.” He whispers. “I need to call Mom. And then make dinner, and make sure Luke is asleep by 8:30.”
He opens his eyes and his phone indicates over ten thousand missed messages and at least 2000 calls.
Luke watches with narrowed eyes, but stays quiet. It’s not his problem if Hermes can’t take care of himself. He’s a God he shouldn’t feel anything.
That’s his problem. He's grown enough to know better the demigod thought as his mind goes back to watch the same boring tv show.
Martha nuzzles his neck gently and Hermes manages a small smile and reaches to pet her head. He straightens his spine and stretches before rubbing his hands over his face to try to keep himself alert enough. He looks down at his phone one last time and sighs before changing it into his caduceus. But before he has time to change or find a better area to sleep on, his body betrays him and the overworked God falls asleep bent over the table.
“Poor thing.” Martha says sadly as she crawls back down Hermes’s arm. Once she’s laying on the table she tries to push a lonely glass of water towards him when he wakes up.
“George, what are you doing?” She asks as her husband worms his way down towards,
“I’m going to find dinner.” He says completely focused on the task at hand and not concerned about Hermes.
Martha heaves a sigh, she stands guard as Hermes rests while also keeping an eye on his child, who’s supposed to stay Home until further notice.
Luke still slouched into the couch, feet crossed at the end of the wooden coffee table, tears his eyes away from the tv screen when he hears the snakes talking. He frowns at the sight of his father asleep like this. Hermes's cheek is pressed against the crook of his left arm, his hand twitches as he sleeps but still holds onto the caduceus' handle.
Watching his show, but he can’t help but glance at Hermes once in a while, his glances become more frequent as Hermes’s snores increase.
To Martha’s surprise, the boy grabs a blanket that was neatly folded on the end of the couch and wraps it around Hermes’s shoulders. His time as the Counsellor of the Hermes cabin comes through.
Hermes stirs in his sleep as Luke arranges the blanket around him, but doesn’t wake up.
“That’s very kind of you.” Martha says before Luke pretends he doesn’t hear it as he goes back to his place on the couch.
…..
Hermes awakens three hours later startled.“How long have I been asleep?” He asks.
“And the deliveries? Where’s Luke?” He asks, looking around the room frantically searching for his child and to make sure the world didn’t die when he was asleep.
“I shouldn’t have slept! There’s so many things that need to be done for tomorrow.” The God rubs his hands over his temple, he needs to calm down. But then his thoughts gravitated towards his child.
Hermes glances at his watch. “It’s already 10. Luke must be hungry and it’s way past his bedtime.”
Martha quickly tries to calm him down. “Shhh Hermes, you only slept for a few hours. Everything will be okay dear.” She nods towards the couch when Hermes doesn’t calm down.
“Luke is fine, he fell asleep an hour ago.”
George finally decides to make an appearance again, his belly visibly swollen. “And he let me eat five rats.” He says happily. “I think I like him more than you, Hermes.”
“I’m definitely putting you on a diet.” He responds to which George hisses at him mournfully, and pulls his head back dramatically.
The Olympian smiles in exasperation before standing up from the chair, his back hurt a little but he felt a lot more refreshed than he had in the last week.
He frowns as he looks down at the blanket in his hands and how it got all the way here, sure Martha and George were strong in their own rights but it wasn’t possible for them to bring a physical object from such a distance.
“Did you?” He asks the snakes and they shake their heads. Martha smiles knowingly. Realization hits him and he can’t help but smile softly.
“Oh.” He cradles the blanket as if it was the most precious thing someone could have given him.
Maybe his little one didn’t hate him as much as he pretended after all, despite the hate mail he had received when Luke was younger. And now, whenever Hermes tried to hug him or when they were having dinner. Luke would not respond to his affection or simply pretend he didn’t hear him.
It did hurt his feelings, but he understood the boy’s resentment. Since he had spent Luke’s entire life watching from the sideline as he wasn’t allowed to interact with the boy. And now, he had a second chance, but his child didn’t want anything to do with him.
“I did not expect that.” He speaks to himself as he walks towards Luke’s sleeping form on the couch. Hermes smiles, Luke looks so adorable when he’s sleeping.
The God kneels in front of the couch and carefully lifts the sleeping demigod into his arms. Cradling his little one into his arms, Hermes briefly turns towards Martha.
“Martha, can you please call Angelia for me and tell her about the messages that need to be sent to Hades next week? And underline Hades only.”
His daughter had begged him to let her take on some of his duties for decades now, and he had told her no every single time because he didn’t want to burden her too much. The real reason why is because Angelia has a tendency of gossiping about the Gods she does not like… Meaning Hermes is sure to get a headache for the next year.
Martha nods dutifully. “You want to take time off? Are my ears deceiving me?” She quickly crawls to the Caduceus.
Hermes nods, looking down at Luke curled up on the couch he runs a hand on his son’s silky hair, smiling tenderly when Luke scoots closer to his hand.
“I’m not allowed to take time off completely.” He replies. “But I guess I can put some of the load onto someone else for a little while.”
At least for the time being he can focus on his little one.
With years of practice behind him, Hermes bends down and scoops the boy up in his arms, thanks to his godly strength, his baby weighs nothing as he gently guides the boy’s legs so they rest against his hips like he used to hold him as a small child.
And then he makes his way towards the boy’s room where he tucks him in snuggly. Kissing his forehead before taking his leave. Luke looks so peaceful when he sleeps he could stay and watch him to replace the years lost not being allowed to interfere.