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Despite appearances, Apollo was not typically a very trusting God. Even now, after conversing more with Odysseus the last time they crossed paths on Ithaca, he wasn’t entirely sure what to make of the man. After all, it was the Ithacan King that had caused his little one such immense harm and distress.
However, he had to admit that it was also Odysseus’ very own son, Telemachus, that had become fast friends with Poseidon. He still remembered how happy his baby had been on the beach that day﹘how he’d actually fussed when told that they had to leave. It was clear that Poseidon wanted to spend more time with the prince. So, for the sake of his little, he knew he would have to push past his initial worries and contact Odysseus.
The next day he had available to go down to the mortal realm, he teleported himself to Ithaca.
He found himself on the shore of the same beach he’d found Poseidon on almost a month prior, some of the tension leaving his body at the reminder of the memory. Glancing up at the palace in the distance, he took a breath. This would turn out fine. Poseidon would get to spend some time with his new friend and as much as he would loathe to admit it, he was interested in spending some time with a fellow caregiver.
After all, it wasn’t like there were any others on Olympus with the same relationship he had with Poseidon.
Taking a moment to disguise himself, he made his way towards the town.
He passed through the market on his way, the same one he’d taken Poseidon to some months ago. He remembered how happy he’d been when he got him a plush turtle from one of the vendors. In fact, he passed the very same one as he walked. Perhaps he would go back before leaving and get his little one a surprise. He could see some wood carved toy boats and various sea creatures that the boy was sure to adore.
The man at the stall gave him a polite wave, seeming to recognize him from last time. The God gave a small wave back, a pleasant smile gracing his lips. He continued on his journey, the palace getting closer and closer.
Just before he reached the palace, he found a secluded area to change his disguise into that of a palace servant. Walking through the halls in search of Odysseus, he passed by Telemachus. The prince was clearly in his adult headspace, but he still held an air of youth about him.
“My Prince, would you happen to know where the King is?”
The young man blinked, staring at him for a moment. Apollo really should’ve expected as much. He had just shown up as a servant that had never been seen in the palace before. The prince’s eyes held a sort of suspicion, but he could see when the man realized he didn’t have any proof of what he was thinking.
Instead, Telemachus gave a nod.
“I believe he’s on the balcony.”
Keeping up the act, Apollo gave a small bow of his head.
“I see. Thank you.”
Taking his leave, he could feel Telemachus’s eyes on him as he walked away. He internally smirked. It seemed the little wolf was getting better at telling when he was in the presence of divinity. Of course, his father still had him beat when it came to that. Proof of that came the moment he stepped foot onto the balcony, the space empty save for him and Odysseus.
The other man hardly turned around before dipping his head into a brief but respectful bow.
“Lord Apollo.”
“Odysseus.”
The King raised his head, the God before him now in his regular form. He supposed it was moot to keep up a disguise in front of a mortal who already knew who he was.
“To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”
The man decided to keep his tone formal for now. They may be on better terms than they had before, but he was still aware of the less than good feelings the God continued to hold for him. Not that he could blame him, considering what he’d done. He knew it was partially the fault of Poseidon, but he had a feeling Lord Apollo did not share the sentiment.
“We discussed the possibility of our little ones getting to play together last time we spoke. I figured it was about time we actually did it.”
Odysseus nodded a bit.
“I was just thinking that as well. Telemachus has been asking when he can play with his friend again.”
In fact, the boy had done so the last time he’d slipped into his headspace some days ago. Odysseus had felt a little bad when he had to tell him that he didn’t know when Poseidon could play with him again, especially when he saw the little pout that Telemachus tried to hide.
“Poseidon has been asking as well. He doesn’t get to socialize much while he’s little, as you can imagine. I don’t want to deny him this.”
Odysseus nodded in understanding. He felt similarly for his boy.
“I understand. There are a few other littles in Ithaca, but they don’t regress as often as Telemachus tends to. So most of the time, he just plays with me. He enjoys it, but I know he would prefer to spend time with other littles as well.”
“I was thinking they could have a playdate soon. Perhaps in three days' time?” Apollo suggested. The timeline lined up with when he knew Poseidon would need to regress again and he himself would be free.
Odysseus seemed to think about it for a moment. It certainly lined up well with the things they had going on, so he had no objections. He was sure Telemachus would be more than pleased with the arrangement as well.
“Alright. Where would you like to meet?”
Apollo had to think about that for a second. He was sure their playdates would eventually end up in the palace, but he imagined easing Poseidon into that would be better. It would be best to start him somewhere he was comfortable, like the ocean.
“How about we start on the beach where we were last time? I have a feeling that immediately coming here might make Poseidon anxious.”
“I understand. Then the beach sounds perfect. I’ll let Telemachus know the plan.”
“Alright. Then it’s settled. I’ll leave you to your day then. I look forward to our next meeting.”
Two days had passed by rather quickly and before anyone knew it, the morning of the third day had come.
Apollo had informed Poseidon of the playdate the same day he’d arranged it, and while the Sea God was nervous about being around Odysseus, he couldn’t help but admit that he was excited to see his newfound friend again. He’d had such a good time building sandcastles with him and searching for shells. Perhaps they could do that again this time?
By the time he arrived at Apollo’s home, he was halfway to his little headspace. He felt so light, so free. He knocked once to announce himself before just waltzing right in - part of the arrangement they had. He could come and go freely without needing to wait for Apollo.
He didn’t need to look around for too long, the Sun God rounding the corner of a hall. He’d been expecting him after all.
“Dada!” The little exclaimed, fully submerged in his headspace now. He reached up, making grabby hands to be held.
Apollo grinned brightly, gathering his little one quickly in his arms.
“Hello, my little guppy! You look especially happy today. Are you ready to go play with Telemachus?”
That got a swift nod.
“Uh huh! Wan’ play wit’ Tele!”
Apollo felt his heart practically melt. What did he do to deserve such an adorable baby to care for?
“Let’s get going then. Don’t want to keep them waiting.”
Using his magic, he teleported them down to the shores of Ithaca.
Odysseus and Telemachus had arrived at the beach just a few minutes prior. The little prince had settled himself on the sand, drawing little pictures in the soft sand with his finger. He looked up from what he was doing when a gentle light shone just a few feet away, a grin splitting his face when Apollo stepped through carrying Poseidon.
“Sei! Look daddy! Sei’s here!” He exclaimed pointing and tugging on his daddy’s chiton.
Poseidon tensed ever so slightly when his eyes landed on Odysseus, his pulse increasing just a tick. However, observant as always, Apollo was quick to notice. He carded his fingers through his baby’s hair, giving him a gentle reassuring smile.
“It’s alright, sunshine. I won’t let anything happen to you.” He whispered.
It seemed to do the trick for now, if Poseidon’s wriggling to be let down was any indication. He gave a small laugh, but set him down, watching him crawl over to Telemachus.
Assured that Poseidon would be alright, he joined Odysseus on the sidelines.
Telemachus excitedly pulled Poseidon into a clumsy hug when he got close enough, barely registering the surprised noise the other made at the sudden contact. But the God reciprocated after a moment, briefly reveling in the warmth. Being the Sea God, his own body temperature tended to be a bit cooler. Any warmth he could get was always appreciated.
The two pulled away after a moment, both excited to start playing.
“San’ Castle?” Poseidon asked, shyly playing with his fingers.
The other boy brightened, nodding.
“We can do that!” He started to gather some sand before getting an idea.
“Maybe we can ask our daddies to help make it bigge’ than last time!”
“Ok.” The little God turned to Apollo, his caregiver quickly picking up on the attention.
“Yes, guppy? Do you need something?” He asked kindly, noting how his baby seemed to be nervously fidgeting with the sand.
“Dada help bui’d?”
Seriously, Apollo was going to need to ask Hephaestus to make him a metal heart with how often his own was turning to goo.
“Of course, my little minnow.” He cooed, making his way over to kneel next to him in the sand.
Telemachus was quick to call his daddy over as well, giggling when his hair was ruffled gently. The little prince helped Poseidon gather some more sand before turning back to Odysseus with a smile.
“Can you help with the towe’s? I help Sei with the base.”
“Hmmm, I think I can do that.” He started to form the beginning of some towers out of the wet sand, discreetly watching the two Gods across from them as he did. He had to admit, the longer he did, he had to admit that Poseidon was rather adorable like this. He was so small and unsure, but was clearly being brought out of his shell by his rather talkative son.
Apollo was clearly an attentive caregiver as well. The God appeared to be incredibly attuned to Poseidon and his needs. The boy barely needed to make a sound before Apollo was helping him or fixing whatever was wrong. He was sure part of that was partially due to his Godly nature and his job as a healer, but part of it was definitely born of experience.
Actually, now that he thought about it, he had no idea how the two of them came to have this relationship. How exactly had Apollo found out? Poseidon didn’t seem the type to be very forthcoming about something like this, especially in his adult headspace. Perhaps he could ask later when the two littles were playing alone again.
Poseidon had Apollo working on a moat around the structure, comforted by his presence but still happily playing with and conversing (or at least attempting to) with Telemachus. He gently patted the sand he was using to form the base of the castle, doing his best to keep it from crumbling. He reached over to grab some more wet sand, but his fingers brushed against something smooth instead. He looked over and found that a crab had scuttled up to them, likely just curious about what they were doing.
The boy smiled, holding his palm open to let the crab climb up if it wished. It scuttled on up, pleased to be in the presence of its lord. He gently petted its shelled body with a finger, feeling each ridge and little spike.
Odysseus took notice, subconsciously smiling when he saw the God treat the small creature with such softness.
“Did you find a friend, little one?” He asked before he could stop himself.
The little looked up at him, clearly still a bit nervous. But instead of doing nothing and freezing up like Odysseus and Apollo thought he might, he actually gave a nod.
Feeling like this might be a good moment to try and connect with the small God, Odysseus continued on.
“What’s their name?” He asked gently.
Poseidon peered down at the crab in his hand expectantly, watching and listening as the crustacean made a few clicks and taps to communicate with him.
“Says her name’s Maeve…” He murmured, gently petting her shell once again in thanks.
“Is that so? Well, it’s very nice to meet her.”
Poseidon found himself smiling a little. He liked being able to share his creatures with others and he enjoyed when others took an interest in them as well. He turned back to the crab, making a few clicking noises that resounded from his throat. He liked to communicate with creatures in their native tongue when he could. It was a little harder to do while little, but he did his best. It seemed the crab could still understand him perfectly well as Maeve made a few as well before Poseidon set her back on the sand, watching her scuttle away.
He turned his attention back to the others after that.
“Had to go home.” He explained shortly like it was the most obvious thing in the world, continuing to build the base of the castle.
Before long, the form of the castle was done. The base was sturdy, the moat was deep, and the towers were nice and tall. There was just one thing missing and both littles knew exactly what it was.
“Need shells!” They exclaimed, practically at the same time. The pair of caregivers looked at each other and laughed but set off to help their little ones find shells to decorate with.
Telemachus searched on the shores, digging around where he thought some shells might be with the help of his father. Meanwhile, Poseidon started looking in the shallows where he knew some might be. He found a couple big ones and handed them off to Apollo to hold, keeping up the search for more.
As he searched for shells, a few fish came swimming up, flitting around his feet. He giggled at the ticklish feeling, turning his head to find his friend.
“Tele! Lookie! Fishies!” He called out, watching as the other little gasped in excitement and came rushing over.
The prince smiled when he saw the fish, their colorful scales glittering under the light.
“Pretty!”
He reached down, just dipping his fingers in the water to let the fish swim around them.
A few moments later, a shark pup swam up to them as well. Telemachus seemed a little unsure, a quiet whimper escaping him when he saw it. But Poseidon was unafraid. He smiled, reaching a hand down to gently pet its head. It had little baby teeth, but made no move to bite him.
“Look like Delphi, Dada!”
Apollo looked down at the baby shark, finding that it did indeed look rather similar to his little one’s plush.
“Yes he does, guppy. Maybe they’re friends.”
The little shark swam away after a few more moments, likely on its way back to its mama.
“Bye bye, sharkie!”
Once the group returned to the sand castle, decorating it with shells didn’t take very long at all. Sitting back, the two littles admired their work. It was definitely bigger than last time thanks to the help they had this time.
Telemachus turned to Poseidon, a grin on his face and a look in his eyes that told him he had a question.
“Wanna come back to the palace and play more? I has toys we can play with.”
Poseidon felt a little unsure, glancing back at his dada for assurance. The sun god gave him a reassuring smile and pressed a kiss to the boy’s head.
“It’s up to you, guppy. We can do that if you want.”
Slowly, the boy nodded. He turned back to Telemachus, who was looking at Poseidon pleadingly. He didn’t want his time with his friend to be over just yet.
“Ok. We can play mo’e.”
That made the prince so indescribably happy. He jumped in place happily, a sight that made even Odysseus feel warm inside. His son was so sweet.
Telemachus got to his feet, holding out a hand to help Poseidon up as well. The younger little accepted the hand, getting to his feet. Sand clung to his legs like a second skin, but he hardly noticed it.
Apollo knew the walk back to the palace would take a little bit and Poseidon’s motor skills weren’t often the best while little, so he held his arms out from habit, offering to carry him. But to his surprise, Poseidon shook his head and held Telemachus’s hand.
“You want to walk, hun? Are you sure?”
Another nod.
“Uh-huh. Wan’ walk wit’ Tele.”
A surprise, to be sure. However, it was one that Apollo wouldn’t complain about.
“Alright then.”
He settled into pace with Odysseus while the two littles walked together a few paces ahead of them.
The Ithacan King took this as the moment to actually talk to Apollo.
“I know this is none of my business, but I’ll admit I’m curious. How exactly did you find out that Lord Poseidon regresses?”
Apollo’s initial reaction was to be offended. What kind of mortal asked such an impertinent question? But he realized quickly that the man meant no ill will. This would take some getting used to, it seemed.
“I found out some years ago. Counsel meetings on Olympus don’t tend to end in civility, especially not this particular one. I don’t know the specifics since I’d already left the room, but he and Lord Zeus got into an altercation. Poseidon ended up injured and regressed on the way to my infirmary. At the time, I’d been confused. I’d never seen him in such a state before.”
Apollo recalled the day vividly, almost as though it were just yesterday.
“I had no idea what I was doing but I knew I didn’t want to upset him even more than he was, so I just did what I thought worked. He was understandably embarrassed when he came back to his adult headspace. I doubt he intended for anyone to find out about it. The way he explained it to me was that the ocean responds to his emotions and this was how his body occasionally regulates those emotions. Without it, he would be rather high strung, something I imagine would not bode well for mortal travel and trade.”
Odysseus nodded in understanding.
“I see. So, the rough seas I experienced on my journey home were…?”
Apollo nodded.
“He’d been feeling insecure about his regression around that time. There was even a span of almost a month and a half where he simply did not regress at all. He’d been especially stressed as a result. Though, I will admit that some of those rough seas were the result of his anger towards you.”
So that’s what had happened. At the time, Odysseus had found it hard to believe that *all* of those choppy waves had been because of him blinding the cyclops.
Apollo then spoke up again.
“And you? How exactly did you find out about your son?”
Odysseus remembered that day easily. In comparison to Apollo, it hadn’t been that long ago at all.
“I’m not entirely sure when exactly he started to regress, but he told me it was sometime after the suitors arrived. They were all over the palace and they made him feel incredibly unsafe, so when he could retreat to his room, he would regress to forget about them. Penelope cared for him when she could, but given the circumstances, she couldn’t do it often. I found out soon after I got back. We’d been spending time together to get more comfortable and I noticed he seemed a bit off. He was stumbling over his words, but it wasn’t until he called me ‘daddy’ that I realized something was up.”
The man laughed nervously.
“I didn’t really know what to do. After all, I left for the war when he was just a baby. I hadn’t had much time to learn how to take care of a child. I just did what felt right until he came out of it.”
Odysseus peered up at the castle with a smile.
“Me and Penelope switch off caring for him, but he tends to prefer me these days. I have a feeling he wants to make up for lost time, not that I’m complaining. I’ll take care of him as often as he needs.”
Apollo looked at Poseidon, who was still holding hands with the young prince.
“I feel the same.”
Arriving at the palace, Telemachus eagerly led his friend to his room. Poseidon looked around once the door was pushed open, eying all the little toys and such that rested on a nearby shelf and some plushies on the bed. He stopped in awe for a moment, but was quickly led further over by his friend.
While the pair were distracted by toys, Odysseus beckoned a servant, kindly asking for some fruit the littles could share. He knew Gods might not need to eat, but he was certain they enjoyed the taste of food. He recalled Athena's pleasant expression after biting into an apple he'd given her when he was a teen.
The servant was quick to fetch the snacks, heading down the hall to the kitchen to prepare them.
Telemachus grabbed his plush dog off his bed, his favorite toy by far.
“This is Jason! He's my bestest friend!” He introduced the dog, smiling more when Poseidon gave a little wave to the plush.
“I got a f'iend like ‘im at home. He's a sha'k named Delphi.”
The prince brightened.
“You should bring him next time! They can be friends too!”
That got Poseidon to smile and nod excitedly.
“Ok!”
“You can play wit’ Serena for now. She's a tu'tle!”
He handed Poseidon the turtle plush, watching the smile on his face grow. The God gently hugged the plush, feeling so warm inside. This was what it felt like to have a friend?
He liked this feeling. It made him feel warm and happy and little.
“Sei! Jason an’ Serena need to go on a a'ventu'e to save the princess! She's trapped and needs help!”
Poseidon wasn't usually in the business of saving damsels, but this sounded important.
“Let's save her!” He exclaimed, his expression as serious as a two year old could muster.
The minutes that followed were rather chaotic. The princess was trapped in a cave guarded by Cerberus and there were countless monsters that blocked their way. But while Telemachus would usually slay the wicked beasts, Poseidon showed him there were other ways to get them to go away.
The Hydra did not need to be cut down with a sword. Rather, scratching gently along the scales will subdue it long enough to get past.
The Cyclops did not need to be harmed. He is busy tending to his flock. If you do not hurt him, he will not hurt you. Simply pass him by.
The pair of plushies continued on their journey, but the game was interrupted when the door opened and a servant entered with a platter of fruit. The woman greeted them kindly, setting the food, some cups, and a pitcher of water on a nearby table.
“Come on you two. You should eat something before you keep going. I’m sure you’re hungry.” Odysseus beckoned.
“But daddy, the princess!” Telemachus whined, but still got to his knees and crawled over to do as he was asked.
Odysseus ruffled his hair with a smile.
“I know. She’ll still be there when you get back. You need to eat something, though.”
Poseidon came over as well, eying the offered fruit. Odysseus softened, handing them each portions of the food.
The little God slowly started to eat some of the grapes and orange slices, more than happy with the sweetness. There were a few cherries as well, a bit of a rarity for the area. But then again, he was literally sitting in the heart of the palace.
He bit into a cherry, humming softly at the tart sweetness. These were definitely a favorite. He continued to eat his share of them, red juice staining his fingers and mouth. Apollo chuckled at the sight of his baby happy as a clam.
The boys finished off their food soon after, plates empty and bellies satisfied. Apollo knelt down with a damp cloth he’d summoned, gently wiping away the red stains from Poseidon’s fingers and lips. He got a bit of whining, but he’d expected as much.
“You want some water, guppy?”
“P’ease?”
Pouring a cup of water, Apollo had the little get a bit closer. Ordinarily, he would have him use one of the sippy cups that Hephaestus made for him, but he’d neglected to bring one. He’d have to remember next time. But for now, he would just have to help him. As much as he knew Poseidon would love to be a ‘big boy’ and drink it himself, he knew he was just a touch too young right now.
Helping him hold the cup, Apollo let the boy drink, being careful to be slow about it.
As Poseidon pulled away from the cup once he finished, he gave a soft yawn and Apollo and Odysseus shared a knowing look. They were already past when he would’ve put him down for a nap, but he’d pushed it off since his baby was having such a good time. But he would have to put his foot down here soon. He would let him finish their game first, though. He wouldn’t deny him that.
For the next half hour, the two littles returned to their game. Telemachus led them through the journey while Poseidon gave some helpful advice, until they reached the cave guarded by Cerberus.
“How do we get past him?” Telemachus asked, cocking his head to the side curiously.
“He likes to p’ay fetch. Gotta throw a ball.”
Odysseus nearly laughed out loud when his boy gave the most adorable, ‘Ohhhhhhhh. That makes sense.’
After finding a ball to toss around for a few minutes, the princess was successfully saved.
Both caregivers knew the playdate was coming to a close, especially since both littles (Poseidon especially), had started yawning quite a bit ever since snacktime had finished. Naptime was definitely in order for both of them.
After giving them a few minutes to celebrate their victory, Apollo decided to pop the bubble.
“Alright, guppy, I think it’s about time we head home and get you settled for a nap.”
Poseidon started whining before his dada even finished his sentence.
“Nooo…Wanna stay and p’ay wit’ Tele, Dada…”
“I know, baby. But you seem really sleepy and a nap will make you feel much better.”
Overtired and unwilling to end the very pleasant time he was having, tears brimmed Poseidon’s eyes as he vehemently shook his head.
“Not s’eepy! Wanna p’ay!”
“We can come back and play another day, little minnow. But you really do need a nap.” Apollo tried, kneeling down to gently gather his little one into his arms. Unfortunately, his bargaining seemed to be entirely useless in the face of his stubborn baby. The tears that brimmed Poseidon’s eyes fell down his cheeks and he wriggled in Apollo’s arms, trying to get out so he could play some more.
“No. No. No! No s’eep! Wan’ play! P’ease dada! Jus’ wan’ p’ay!”
Frustrated sobs wracked the little god’s body, and despite his cries to be put down, he buried his face into Apollo’s shoulder and clutched his tunic. Subconsciously, Poseidon had made himself shrink as well, his body better fitting his mind now. The boy brought his fingers to his mouth, sucking on them in an attempt to self soothe. The Sun God’s heart broke hearing his baby’s cries, but he knew he’d won. He gently bounced the little, softly shushing him and rubbing a hand along his back.
“I know, guppy. Dada knows. It’s alright. We can come back and play another time, I promise. But it’s been a long day and you need some rest, alright?”
Turning to Odysseus, Apollo gave him a slightly strained smile.
“Thank you for letting us come. Perhaps we could do this again?”
The King nodded, returning the smile. He knew all too well what the God was currently experiencing. Telemachus didn’t take goodbyes very well when in a younger headspace either, but he suspected this exaggerated response more so had something to do with Poseidon’s limited socialization. Hopefully, it would get better as he spent more time with Telemachus.
“Of course. You both are welcome anytime.”
Telemachus gave a little wave.
“Bye bye, Sei. I’ll see you next time!”
Poseidon peeked a teary face up from where it had been planted in Apollo’s shoulder, lifting his free hand to give a shaky, sad little wave.
Teleporting the pair back to Olympus, Apollo sighed quietly to himself. It may not have ended perfectly, but he considered Poseidon’s first playdate to be a success!