Apple of Aphrodite Ch. 01

"Who are you?"

The woman shot him a playful smile before vanishing again, leaving a cloud of pink vapor where his arms had been, and when she reappeared she was standing at the side of his bed, dressed in a silver armored gown. She curtsied, bending and rising in one smooth motion.

"I am Aphrodite, daughter of Zeus, and the Goddess of Love and Beauty."

"Goddess?" Hector sat up. "You mean...you're an immortal?"

"Bingo."

Hector couldn't believe it. Wouldn't believe it. Impossible, he thought. Greek mythology is made up. Just like all religions. And yet, he couldn't deny what he had just seen, what he had just experienced. But more than that, there was a feeling about the woman, like her mere presence was enough. She was telling the truth, he knew, no matter how much he refused to believe.

"But," Hector stuttered, "that means that, the past, all the stories I read..."

"They're true Hector," she said. "All of it. Well, most of it."

"That's amazing. But, that doesn't explain why you're here. Why we...did what we did."

"It's because you ate the apple, silly."

"The apple?"

"Yes, the Apple of Aphrodite."

Hector took a moment. "Am I supposed to know what that means?"

Aphrodite vaporized once more, and suddenly she was sitting next to him, naked again. "It's quite simple. It means I'm yours." She raised a hand and cupped his cheek. "And you are mine."

"I don't understand."

She sighed. "Sorry. I suppose some explaining is in order."

"I'd appreciate it."

"Very well then." She sat up, resting her hand on Hector's knee. "So you know that little snack you had yesterday? Surely you must remember."

He thought back to the apple, and the insatiable hunger it spurred inside him.

"Yeah, it was really good," he said. "Best apple I've ever had. Made me feel sick afterwards though."

"That's because it was no ordinary apple. It was the Apple of Aphrodite, so it is called; a tool of pure magic, made by my father to bend me to his will."

Aphrodite turned away, looking solemn and serious amidst the half-moon's light. "Long ago, I was promised to my half-brother Hephaestus, son of Zeus and Hera."

"You mean the god of blacksmithing, right?"

She turned back to Hector, and smiled. "Right you are. Anyway, Hephaestus was grotesque; made a cripple by a fall from Olympus. Embarrassed, he spent all his time hiding in his forge, hammering away in shame. Zeus, feeling sorry for his lame son, wedded us, in hopes my affection would bring him happiness. But it did not."

Hector could see the pain behind the Goddess's eyes as she spoke. Despite her youthful appearance, there was a maturity to her tone of voice that hinted at a millennia of experiences he could not fathom. Driven by an instinct he couldn't explain, he laid his hand on hers, wanting nothing more than to comfort her.

"I did my duty, as instructed," she continued, "but he denied me the affection I require in return, and over time I grew to resent him, and him me. Seeing our broken marriage, Zeus commanded Artemis to grow an apple, one made of pure love. My love. His hope was that, by having Hephaestus eat of this apple, I would love him, and him me. Our destinies would become one, and finally his son would be at peace."

"I'm guessing things didn't go to plan," said Hector.

"No, they did not. Hera saw to that. While she has no great love for me, her resentment of her husband proved greater. So she stole the apple before he could gift it to Hephaestus, and hid it away within the world of mortals, hoping it would be lost to time."

"And somehow it ended up here, to me?"

Aphrodite nodded. "By sheer, dumb, stupid luck. Or not. Who knows?"

"Not to be rude, but in hindsight that seems like a bad plan," Hector said. "Why didn't Hera just destroy it?"

"The Apple was created by Zeus. Its magic cannot be destroyed, only consumed, which you so eagerly saw to."

"Uhh, yeah, sorry about that."

"Don't be. Because of you I'm free. Free from Hephaestus, and free from Zeus, and his wretched plans."

Aphrodite leaned back and gifted Hector with another kiss on the lips, long and heavy, tantilizing him with more of the sweetness he realized now he loved. Craving more, he gripped her gently by the neck and kissed her back, and as their tongues danced he felt her fingers leave a soft trail down his chest.

"Mmm, it appears you're ready for another go around," Aphrodite said, bringing their attention to his manhood. It was rising to the challenge, at a supernatural rate that left Hector in shock.

"How?" he asked.

"Being in my presence inspires men and gods alike. And women." She giggled at the implication. "I'm, what is it you mortals call? An aphrodisiac?"

"Oh, I guess that makes sense."

The Goddess giggled again, smitten by his earthly humility. "I'm bound to you forever now Hector," she said, looking him in the eyes with the purest sense of love he'd ever felt. "Until one of us ceases to exist, our destinies are entwined. The good, the bad, and everything in between. Do you understand?"

"Not at all," he admitted.

"I can't say that I do either. I guess we'll have to figure this whole thing out together, huh?"

"Yeah, I suppose we will."

"Until then, will you do me a favor?"

"Of course," said Hector.

"Love me."

The Goddess sat back and opened her legs, revealing her perfectly pink flower, its delicate petals glistening with divine desire.

Without a moment's hesitation he climbed on top of her, his cock hard as a rock, ready and eager, dripping with desire of its own.

"I do."

He knew the feelings weren't natural, compelled by some sorcery he couldn't explain. But he didn't care. All he wanted was to feel her, taste her, experience every heavenly atom of her body as many times as he could.

"Promise?" Aphrodite asked, her voiced caked in innocence.

"I promise," he said, as Goddess and man united once more. "Now. And always."

***

Hector woke from a deep sleep to the blaring sound of his phone; a brutal reminder that it was Monday. He sat up and turned off the alarm, ready to curse the day, until he remembered Aphrodite, and the night of passion he had shared with her.

Was it real? He wasn't sure. The whole night had felt like one long, vivid dream, but somehow real at the same time. He turned, hoping against reason to see the Goddess asleep in his bed. But she was gone.

"Aphrodite?" Hector whispered, hoping she would appear before him in a puff of pink vapor. But she never did.

He couldn't help but be disappointed, though he wasn't exactly surprised. It wasn't the first time he had awoken from an especially pleasant dream to the crushing let down of reality. He was a young man in his prime; he'd had plenty of wet dreams. But this one was so different; it had felt so tangible and real, like it had just happened hours ago. He could still remember her every detail, the feel of her skin, the smell of her hair, the taste of her mouth. He expected it to fade in time, as all dreams did, but even after he had showered and gotten dressed it remained, as clear as any living memory could be.

This is gonna be a long day.

Hector grabbed his back pack and gave it a quick inspection, making sure all his homework was in order before heading out into the kitchen. He could smell the eggs and bacon his mother liked to cook for him every day before school, and it made him realize just how hungry he was.

"I hope you've got enough food for two helpings mom, because I'm starv--

Hector's heart nearly exploded when he saw them together, sitting next to each other at the kitchen table. He recognized his mother immediately, but it took a moment for him to come to terms with the other. She was dressed in late spring attire, a pink spaghetti strap top and plain jean shorts, and her hair was tied up in a loose pony tail, its familiar chestnut hue glimmering a subtle shade of red under the early morning sunlight.

"It's you," he stuttered, "you're real...but how..."

"Morning sleepy head," his mother said. "You look like you've had a rough night."

"Yeah, you sleep okay?" Aphrodite asked with a cheeky grin, sending Hector's world spinning once again.

To be continued...