After putting the newly created key cabinet in a secure location deep within his realm, Tet let out a long, tired sigh. His shoulders slumped slightly, the weight of the day's events finally catching up to him. Dragging his feet a little, he made his way back to the living room, where Hestia was lounging comfortably on the couch, watching TV with a bowl of popcorn in her lap. Without saying a word, Tet plopped down beside her. Then he wrapped his arms tightly around her and pulled her close, laying his head against her shoulder.
Hestia froze for a moment, her entire face flushing a deep crimson as she felt the warmth of his embrace. Her heartbeat quickened, and after a few seconds of silence, she stammered softly, "Th-this is… unexpected… W-why the sudden cuddling, Tet?" Her voice carried a mix of nervousness and flustered surprise.
Tet, without even opening his eyes, mumbled in a low, exhausted tone, "I'm tired… and hugging you feels nice."
Hestia blinked, her blush only deepening as she took a calming breath. "…S-so I don't get a say in this at all?" she asked, pretending to sound annoyed, but her slightly shaky voice betrayed her embarrassment.
Tet cracked one eye open, giving her a lazy smirk. "Of course you do. Should I let go, then?"
Hestia immediately panicked and quickly shook her head, waving her hands. "N-no! No, we're… already here, and I'm already comfortable, so…" she muttered, looking away while trying to hide her reddened cheeks.
Tet chuckled softly at her reaction, tightening his embrace just a little as Hestia, unable to resist the warmth, summoned a soft, cozy blanket with a flick of her fingers. She draped it over them, snuggling up against him with a small, shy smile as the two settled into a quiet, peaceful moment together.
Meanwhile, at Camp Half-Blood, under the shade of a tall tree, Hermes' son Chris stood with a gleaming golden key in his hand. His expression was a mix of curiosity and excitement as his father,explained the artifact's purpose. Hermes, leaning casually against the tree with his signature mischievous grin, spoke in a confident, almost conspiratorial tone.
"You, Travis, and Connor will use this key," Hermes said, tapping the key lightly with his finger. "It'll create a game for the three of you to play. Complete it, and once you're done, you'll have skills and powers you never thought possible."
Chris's eyes widened, the sunlight catching in them as he asked, "That… sounds really cool, Dad. But why do we need to do this all of a sudden?"
Hermes crossed his arms and smirked knowingly, lowering his voice like he was sharing a secret only they could hear. "Because I need the three of you ready for a job I've got planned. I don't have all the pieces yet," he admitted, his eyes glinting sharply with determination, "but once I do, I want my boys with me."
Chris exchanged a quick glance with his brothers, Travis and Connor, who both grinned wide with excitement. The three of them straightened their posture and, almost in unison, said with enthusiastic smiles, "Awesome!"
Chris then stepped forward, gripping the key tightly in his hand. "Don't worry, Dad. We won't let you down."
Hermes' expression softened slightly as he reached out and ruffled Chris's hair with fatherly affection, a rare tenderness shining through his usual playful demeanor. "I know you won't, son," he said warmly. "Now, when you're ready, just hold out the key. It'll do the rest. Good luck, you three."
The boys nodded in unison, their excitement palpable. Chris took a deep breath, raised the golden key in front of him, and, with a firm voice, said, "Alright, let's do this."
In the next instant, the key began to glow brilliantly, flooding the clearing with radiant golden light. The three brothers exchanged exhilarated grins just before the magic engulfed them completely, and then, in a flash, they vanished—disappearing into the unknown adventure that awaited them.
Then Hermes suddenly realized something important and froze mid-step before blurting out, "Oh crap… I can't make a screen to watch the game… only Tet can do that!" Without wasting another second, he immediately teleported to Tet's realm.
Appearing in Tet's living room, Hermes opened his mouth and said, "Hey Tet, I need—" but his words came to an abrupt halt as his eyes widened at the sight before him. Tet and Hestia were curled up together on the couch under a soft blanket, sleeping soundly. Tet's arms were wrapped around her while Hestia nestled against his chest, her expression calm and peaceful.
Hermes just stood there, blinking in surprise, his jaw slightly open. "...What the—" he whispered under his breath. Before he could say anything else, he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. Startled, he turned to see Apollo standing behind him, a finger pressed to his lips as he gave a soft but firm shh.
Apollo silently motioned for Hermes to follow him, and Hermes, still confused, tiptoed behind him. The two of them moved quietly until Apollo led him into Tet's private theater room.
Once they were inside, Hermes finally chuckled and curiously asked, "Since when are they that close? Seriously, as far as I know, they've only had one date!"
Apollo chuckled softly, leaning back against the wall with his hands tucked into his pockets. "Doesn't matter," he said with a knowing smirk. "They've already decided they like each other, so they're growing closer day by day."
Hermes said. "Anyway… what are we doing here?"
Apollo gestured toward the massive enchanted screen in the theater, his smirk widening. "You came to watch your boys' game, right? Well, I saw things like this being a problem, so I asked Tet to set up the theater to stream any in-progress games."
As Apollo walked over and sat in one of the many seats he picked up, the remote found the game Hermes sons were in and started the viewing.
Hermes sat down next to Apollo and watched in excitement.