#XAlcides

[shimosu]

Short Alcides/Heracles one-shot

~~~

Aphrodite was bored. She wanted to see people fall in love. Humans, her fellow gods, as long as she got a front row seat.

So one day, while looking at a ball of red yarn that a cat was playing with on her phone, she got a fun idea with that.

She got a mess of red strings, and got them cut into sections. The ends went out, and wrapped around the fingers of both gods and humans alike.

Only a few, though. She didn't want it to be permanent.

Just a fun experiment.

***

(Reader) stared down at their pinky, where a sparkly red string was wrapped around. They didn't know where it led, and they already tried to cut it. It didn't work. They couldn't untie it either, the knots were too intricate and small.

It didn't get in the way of things. No, the string went through many things. But in the last day, it had tugged them four times.

So they followed to where the other end of the string was, realizing it belonged to a human when they had to go down to earth.

. . .

A strongly-built male with spiky black hair -Alcides- was going up the hill with his friend, a skinny, small boy with blond hair in a bowl cut named Castor.

They headed up the hill with the single tree on top.

Alcides, walking faster than Castor, stopped briefly and looked back to see if he was keeping up.

"You okay?"

"You're... asking that, after running here?!" Castor was out of breath, trudging up behind Alcides, who didn't seem that tired.

"Can't get stronger if you don't push yourself!" He turned his head forward again.

A glimpse of red, like a ribbon, flew into his vision, flying boldly into the sight of green, blue, and brown. It was bright red, but not like the blood he saw when they hunted; no, the blood then was more viscous. This red was strong as well, but it wasn't a liquid. It was a material, that blew in the wind, like silk.

Instinctively, he reached out his hand to grab it, and for a moment, he thought he saw the same red, attached and wrapped around his pinky finger.

But when he blinked again, the red was gone. His hand grasped nothing.

He blinked a few more times. There was no red. He looked at the tree, his vision focusing on it.

Then a head of (h/c) poked out, followed by a face with a beauty that was definitely god-like. Their eyes gazed at him curiously.

He felt the breath in his chest freeze and stutter. His mouth, without him realizing, had fallen agape.

Staring each other in the eye, it was as if everything was moving in slow motion.

There was a tug on their pinkies.

My heart, is racing.

The only thing moving at a speed that wasn't frozen, was his throbbing heart. When they blinked, it was like time suddenly began moving again with a lurch.

"Hello?"

The voice that spoke wasn't his, or that mysterious person who seemed to have grasped his heartstrings.

In fact, the one that spoke was Castor, directing his confused greeting to the mystery person that suddenly appeared behind the tree.

"Um, hi." They stepped a bit out of the tree, their hands still on the trunk. Their voice made his heart stall another beat.

He didn't know it, but his eyes were wide and whimsical.

At the shocked gaze of Alcides, (Reader) hid behind the tree again, embarrassed with their cheeks flaring up.

They had never seen humans so up close before. They seemed to resemble some of the other gods, though not with as such perfect beauty. Zeus, Poseidon, Ares, Hermes, they all resembled humans. Though the humans weren't as tall, and Ares was really big.

The gods never really made them feel like this odd feeling. They knew Aphrodite was the one behind the red strings, and she loved romance. So this feeling may have been romantic love.

"... Sorry."

The red string was attached to both their pinkies.

Dammit Aphrodite/I think I'm in love.

#xalcides #alcides #heracles #xheracles #reader #(reader) #castor #Aphrodite #red string #one shot #short oneshot #short one shot #oneshot #ror #snv #record of Ragnarok #recordofragnarok #shuumatsu no valkyrie #shuumatsunovalkyrie

[shimosu]

Alcides/Heracles one shot

~~~

"... Alcides."

At the call of that name, strong blue eyes opened.

"... Ah." His eyes widened, remembering he was working out to become stronger. He must've dozed off and fallen asleep at some point.

Not registering his own vision, he moved to sit up quickly, but a hand touched his head and covered his eyes, accompanied with a voice.

"Don't get up."

"(Reader), what are you doing?" he asked, his eyes covered and leaving him unable to see clearly, but he knew he was on his side.

"You need to take a break, geez. Don't ask me that, it's embarrassing."

The hand moved from his face, and touched his hair. As the hand moved away, he could see more clearly now, though his vision was still blurry from opening his eyes suddenly.

It wasn't too bright, or too dark. The sky was slowly darkening, kind to his eyes that wouldn't need to be faced immediately with the Sun's glare, or the darkness he couldn't see into.

From the hill with a single tree on top, that was where he was watching from. The dark sky slowly falling on the place he was born and raised in; Thebes, which was illuminated with the yellow glow of oil lamps and candles.

He realized his head wasn't on the ground. He was resting his head on something. That person's voice was coming from above him.

"... (Reader), is my head on your lap?"

"I said it was embarrassing, don't ask me that."

He turned his head to face up, and saw (Reader)'s face at an angle. With red cheeks, their hand covered his eyes again and pushed his head to lean on its side once more.

"Don't look this way."

He didn't move his head to face them anymore, his own cheeks dusting red. From their view, Alcides's ears were slowly flushing.

Letting out a breath, their hand moved to his hair. Stroking his spiky hair, Alcides's tenseness melted away.

"... Where's Castor? Wasn't he here?"

"Ah. He left us be. Not sure where he is right now, but I'm sure he's fine."

"It's getting late."

"That's why I was calling you. We should get going now. But we can stay like this for a bit."

"Ahh, alright."

They were silent, (Reader) simply touching his hair and Alcides allowing himself to take a break.

"... You're carrying me, though, my legs are numb."

He laughed. "Okay!"

. . .

Time passed.

Alcides, who had kept up his hard work, had shown results.

His back was tall and straight, and his limbs were toned and muscular. His jaw stayed strong, and his hair was longer.

But he was still the same Alcides. His face was essentially the same, other than looking a bit more grown up, and inside, he was the exact same.

Despite having a body he could boast about, he stayed to his beliefs and didn't allow himself to become conceited. He still protected the weak, jumped into stuff without much thought, worked toward his goals, and loved humanity.

At this point, no one dared to make fun of him.

But then, the year 2000 BC arrived.

In the dark night, the clouds began moving. A bright light, not belonging to the moon, shone from the sky like the gates of heaven opening up. The clouds parted for this light, and numerous figures descended from the sky.

There were winged beings, beings with large bodies, and they all donned armor and wielded weapons. Leading them, was a tall, burly man with a strong cleft chin.

Wearing an intricate helmet, a red cape, and a loincloth, he didn't even have anything on his feet, for he wore only those items. He was mounted on, and leading the army with, a flaming, armored horse.

And everyone knew, the moment they descended from the sky, that these figures were sent from the gods.

. . .

The army landed on the earth's surface, landing before the city's walls and gates. Ares led at the front.

The gates should open. Even if they weren't permitted access, they would force their way in.

No one was to oppose them.

But in the city, lived Alcides.

Alcides stood before the whole army, alone and armed with a single stick, the gates locked tightly behind him.

Castor, (Reader), and a few others watched from the top of the walls.

After surviving a kick from Ares, Alcides brought out Ambrosia -a goblet of Zeus's blood, said to grant eternal life and strength of the gods, to anyone with a righteous soul-, which he was hiding, and drank it, wagering his life.

"IDIOT!"

(Reader) couldn't help shouting out when he began burning away. Castor screamed, as mist and steam poured out from Alcides's melting body.

Ares, believing he was done for, only accepted it and moved on. His horse took a step forward, but stopped as Alcides's stick stuck itself in front of Ares's face.

And turning his head to the one wielding that stick, reflected in Ares's eyes, was Zeus.

But it was only Alcides. Having withstood Ambrosia, he granted immortal life, and godly strength. His hair was white and long all around. His strong body became similar to that of Ares's.

And then, began a fight of one man against the army of the gods.

***

Castor looked down at the sleeping Alcides.

Free of stress, deep in slumber, his face looked so innocent, reminiscent of a sleeping infant.

It was completely different from when he was awake. His face would be determined, tense, sweaty, his jaw clenched as he could be found doing pushups, standing with his arms out in front of weaker ones to protect them, and running in with no plan.

"Alcides is like a baby right now," Castor said as he looked down at him.

(Reader) flicked his forehead. "Let him sleep, Castor. You know he won't admit that he needs it."

With a dull, thin pain on his forehead, he kept quiet, knowing that Alcides could spring up the moment he heard anything related to pain.

"Alright. I'll leave you two be. Don't spend all night here, though."

"I know. Let him rest now, we both know he'll do something dumb later."

The two laughed with each other, but keeping it down, for Alcides.

***

"Woah.."

Having watched the fight from the beginning, Alcides had taken down the army. Left standing, were Alcides and Ares, who at this point, were just brawling it out, fist to fist.

The fight was stopped by an old man who looked emancipated, but he was apparently Zeus.

The fight stopped, Alcides was offered to become a god, and he accepted, on the condition that they never harm humanity, and instead lead them to justice, also declaring that he would protect the weak and just.

(Reader), having been dragging out Castor and ramming a hole in the gates from where Alcides crashed into, got outside the city to Alcides, and caught him, helping him sit up.

""Alcides!!""

Castor had tears in his eyes. "You're really crazy... Next, you're going to be a god..?"

"Castor..." With a grin, his fistbumped him. "Guess I'll be heading off for a bit."

(Reader) was actually crying.

Ares, at the sight of someone crying up close, felt himself freeze.

Yup. Even Ares, who could fight to the death and punish others, was weak to someone crying in front of him.

"Why did you..?" There were lots of questions they wanted to ask. They wanted to yell at him, they wanted to be mad. But they also wanted to cry, hug him, ask him questions, and know if he was alright.

"You're becoming a god!" they decided to shout, while kicking Alcides's side. That hurt them instead, it was like kicking a boulder barefoot. "We can't see each other anymore!"

With both of his big arms, he grabbed both Castor and (Reader), and hugged them tightly.

They all shared the same thought, at that moment.

―― We won't ever meet again.

The strong figure of Alcides, who could be described as strong-willed or just the embodiment of dumb innocence and determination, continuing to walk on forwards, would never be seen again.

They wouldn't see each other grow older. They wouldn't see them the day after with certainty. This would be the last time they could be together.

―― I'll, never see you again.

Castor and (Reader) came to his mind.

But standing out the most, was the latter.

Their steps following him. Their hands touching his hair. Their figure, their face, their touch, their voice, their laughter, their habits, all of that was burned into his brain.

―― I don't want to leave just like this.

"Uugh..."

"... (Reader)," he ended up letting out in a breath, sounding heavy, "I like you."

"Oohh." Ares, Zeus, and Castor immediately kept quiet.

Alcides would rather confess it now, than never again, and let them live the rest of their life without him, and without knowing what he felt.

He would remember all of it.

Their voice calling after him. Angry, sad, encouraging, exasperated, joyous, soft, he would remember how they sounded, looked, and acted, in all sorts of moods.

The careful touch of his hair, as he laid in their lap, from the top of the hill that overlooked their birthplace. The place they were born and raised.

Their weight on his back, as he carried them on his back when their legs were asleep, jolting and trusting him to be able to hold them up.

Their eyes widening, shining, whenever something cool happened. Every little thing about them, he liked. Even when they were mad, it was cute, and only felt like the scolding was from worry.

Like an unattainable treasure, he couldn't have them stay by his side.

"Sorry, to load that onto you when I'm about to leave-"

"Wait." Before he could finish his apology, he was interrupted. Looking at them, he saw their face contemplative, obviously searching for words, but not knowing what to say, their face red.

Willing themself to look at him, an ocean of tears in their eyes, in their vision, was their first love.

Memories of the time they spent together replayed in their heads.

(Reader) smiled.

Those watering eyes produced a single droplet that streamed down their cheek.

"... Maybe we might meet again. Who knows how... I like you too."

"... If I wasn't leaving, I would totally ask you to marry me right now."

Great, Alcides was crying too.

Hugging them firmly, they only nodded, their lips hovering close to his ear.

"Okay," they whispered, before kissing his cheek.

. . .

Many years passed. Thousands.

(Reader) and Castor died. Everyone from that moment, except Alcides, Ares, and Zeus, were dead.

But then, the citizens were alive again, no longer in their city.

They were in a sort of arena, where they were told of how humanity would fight the gods for the right to survive another thousand years.

They were all physically in the stage of their prime again, at the stage where they were at their best. Rarely, was anyone an elder.

"Where are you going, (Reader)?" Castor asked.

"If they say gods, doesn't that include Alcides!?" Not saying anymore, they ran off, despite not knowing where to look.

. . .

Alcides -or now named, Heracles- was found, going up a spiral of stairs.

(Reader) found them, but because they tripped on the stairs, just as Heracles came up.

"Sorry," he said, catching them and helping them straighten out.

They stood two steps higher than Heracles. Looking at each other's faces, Heracles was the first to remember, his eyes widening and shining.

"... (Reader)?"

"... Um." His face was different. But his eyes were still the same, and his hair was similar in style, and his figure was the same as the one after Ambrosia. He also still had the same thick eyebrows. "Alcides?"

They had not changed in the least.

―― What, do I say?

Heracles was at a loss for words, not knowing what to do.

So (Reader) acted instead.

On the stairwell, where there were visibly only two people -a human and a demigod- there was a small sound of the touching of lips.

Heracles blinked dumbly, as it ended after only a few seconds.

―― For now, let's just forget that we're fighting for humanity's fate.

"... Do you want to talk about what happened after you left?"

#this didn't save so this is probably a lesser version of what it was supposed to be #I have written this over again seven times and it has not saved any of those attempts #AAAAHAHAHAHAHHHHHHHH #oneshot #one shot #ror #nv #recordofragnarok #record of Ragnarok #shuumatsunovalkyrie #shuumatsu no valkyrie #alcides #castor #heracles #XAlcides #XHeracles #ares #zeus #reader #(reader) #trying to stay gender neutral #heracles one shot #hercules #Alcides one shot