“Of course it’s yours, Mr Hunter. Isn’t it obvious?” Hera said in a duh tone. “It’s always your fault,” she stated, keeping a straight face. Hunter tickled her sides, grinning from ear to ear as Hera giggled continuously. Meanwhile, the two black and white Shepherds chewing on the sole of his shoes were demanding Hunter’s attention. 

“Hey, that’s not edible for you to chew. It’s not your food,” Hunter scolded his dogs, but it sounded more like he cooed at them. “You can eat that if you want,” he said, pointing his finger at Hera’s footwear and shot her a playful wink. Hera slapped his chest in reply. 

Hunter groaned when Shine tried to crawl between them whining for attention. Still giggling, Hera hugged the Golden Retriever, resting her back comfortably against Hunter’s chest. 

“I don’t want to know when he,” Hera paused, not wanting to complete that sentence and angled her face to her right to look at him over her shoulder.. Hunter understood what she couldn’t say. “I said he’ll be fine,” he said, kissing the back of her head and his hand around her middle tightened, his chin resting on her shoulder while his other hand stroked Shine’s neck. 

“Why can’t he be with us forever, Hunter? It’s so unfair. Dogs are so adorable, and they are loyal, loving, and trustworthy. They deserve to live forever,” she expressed in a depressed tone. Cupping Shine’s face in her palms, she let him lick her face all over. The sadness in her voice pinched Hunter’s heart. 

“We have Dazzle and Shimmer as his reminder, and Shine’s memories will stay with us forever,” Hunter said, giving his phone to her to click a selfie. 

He stretched his legs, allowing more room for Hera to sit comfortably between them and hugged her from behind. Their face next to one another, touching cheek to cheek, Hunter smiled for the camera. Hera hugged Shine, and with two dogs each by their sides, she clicked a perfect selfie. 

The dogs went back to their kennels on Hunter’s command. “It’s getting late. We should go to bed,” Hunter stated. Meanwhile, Hera closed her eyes, placed her hands on his, which rested in the middle of her front. She hummed a response but didn’t make a move to get up. 

Smiling to himself, Hunter removed his hands from hers and slowly pulled down the zipper of his jacket which Hera still had on. Startled, she opened her eyes and turned to him, asking, “What are you doing?” Her hands clutched the jacket tightly. 

He freed the jacket from her hands before taking out the ‘Sweet Messenger’ note from the inside pocket of it. 

He held it out for her to read, and Hera’s heart skipped a beat before going wild as she read the message. 

Her heart was going wild for no reason. It was doing somersaults only because Hunter wanted to kiss her. 

‘It’s just a stupid kiss, you stupid heart! There’s no need to jump out of your place. It’s so pathetic.’ 

Hera’s mind mocked her heart for its stupidity. Her eyebrows lowered as she frowned in irritation because she wanted to listen to her heart. Ignoring her annoying, logical brain, she followed her heart.

Hunter silently held the note, waiting for her to respond. Meanwhile, Hera read the message again and again. 

I never say no to you when you want to eat the desserts though I dislike sweets so much. 

You know I love tasting the dessert only from your lips because it tastes sweeter and yummier on your lips. 

For me, it’s the only way that makes any dessert worthy of tasting.

In simple English,

Goddess Hera, 

May I kiss you?

PS. I’m desperate and begging you to say yes. 

The goofy smile wouldn’t leave Hera’s face. Her brain also registered something new. He was asking for her permission, and that was a first. Hera disguised her smile into an arrogant smirk and turned in his arms to face him. 

He smiled as his purple eyes locked with her green ones before shifting down to her smirking lips. When his eyes met hers again, true to his words, the look in his eyes conveyed her, exactly how desperate he was. 

“Satan, the lord of evil, is asking my permission to kiss me? That had never happened before!” She said, sounding surprised and his eyes went back to her lips again, intensely staring at them. 

One side of his mouth went up, and the other side down, he scowled in disapproval as he answered her question. “Goddess, you made these new rules, remember? These were your exact words, and I quote,” he said air quoting his next pronouncement. 

“You can’t just come and kiss me whenever you want.” 

Hera jerked away surprised, her eyes went wide, and her mouth formed an ‘O’ shape for a second before she shut it, swallowing her saliva. 

‘Did I really say that? When?’

Hera tried to remember.

‘Is that why he didn’t kiss me yet?’ 

His lips slightly parted, and his pink tongue ran over, wetting them. His eyeballs moved back and forth, following hers as they gazed into each other’s eyes. Hera knew, he was waiting for her to say yes, but she chose to ignore his pleading eyes. She smirked again, tilting her head to one side. “Hmm, you’re learning,” she said, poking the tip of his nose playfully. 

“I’m earning,” Hunter said, staring at her lips. Hera got up, and her feet turned to walk away, but his fingers arrested her wrist, stopping her in her tracks. He looked up at her face, and Hera read the question in his eyes, loud and clear. Using her other hand, she silently unwound his fingers from her wrist, and he let go of her hand. 

He looked hurt and disappointed at her rejection but didn’t try to force her. Hera smiled at the adorable puppy face he made. 

“If you want to kiss me, then catch me first, Mr Hunter,” she said, before sprinting away from him. Hunter sat there, dumbfounded. It took time for him to register what Hera just did. 

Grinning, he leapt to his feet and took off chasing her. 

Hera ran as fast as her feet allowed and pretended to run to the right, fooling him while she ran to the left. She managed to play him a few more times, but it didn’t take much time for his long legs to beat her. As his hand caught her wrist, Hera stomped on his foot and tried to run away, but the death grip on her wrist prevented the opportunity. 

She was laughing so hard that her eyes watered. Hunter pulled her to him with such force, she collided into his chest, with an oomph. 

He captured both of her wrists in his hands and folded her hands behind the small of her back. Precisely, he locked her in his embrace. He moved forward, leaving her no choice but to walk backwards. As Hera looked up to meet his eyes, the sparkle in his eyes brightened, and Hera felt as if she’s watching the sunrise. 

‘You’re the Sun to my Sky, Hunter. So warm, bright and colourful.’

For Hera, his importance in her life was beyond description, just like the sunrise. Her heart fumbled with joy, and the butterflies fluttering in her stomach made her feel hot beneath her clothes. Their heavy breathing, the laughter in between, their heartbeats, and the desire they felt for each other, everything was in sync. 

Hera gasped audibly as her back gently touched the solid surface behind her. Hunter released her hands but still held her caged in his arms. Nervously, Hera stared into his eyes, his face slowly inching closer, and their lips just inches away from touching. Before his lips could land on hers, the two-letter word ‘no’ escaped her lips in a whisper. She turned her face to the left to evade the kiss. 

The hurt that flashed in Hunter’s eyes felt like a sharp knife piercing her heart as he stared at her with stunned silence. Hera shot him a toothy grin, and Hunter attempted a smile, but it never reached his eyes. 

“You know right your dogs just licked every inch of our exposed skin? I don’t want their spit to enter my mouth, and it’s gross tasting their saliva or mucus,” Hera said, scrunching up her nose in disgust, and Hunter chuckled dryly. “We even smell like dogs right now,” she said, giggling sweetly. “Let’s get cleaned up first? Hera asked, and this time Hunter smiled, nodding in agreement. 

His hand around her waist pulled her off the hard surface, which now Hera realised was a door. The inside of her palms rested flat against his warm chest as he held her close to his torso. He took out the keys from his pant pocket, and she heard a lock clicking open behind her. 

He held the door wide open with one hand and let her turn around as they entered in. His hand found the switch and the light spread throughout, illuminating the place.