Long ago, the Earth was filled with countless religions. Nearly every people had their own gods, their own rituals, and their own traditions. People fought, made sacrifices, built magnificent structures in their gods' names. But now... now things are different. Most of those deities are no longer needed by humankind. Now, the Norse gods feast in Asgard, reminiscing about past battles. Perun is busy with his garden. Ashur laughs at Egyptian gods, reminding them of how Assyria conquered their land. And the Greek gods... the Greek gods, as always, are having fun – with incest, affairs, and the like. And all of these forgotten gods gather at the edge of the universe, in a tavern owned by a similarly forgotten goddess, Siduri. Another workday had come to an end. All the gods had left, content and well-fed. Siduri herself was busy cleaning up. Though she could have tidied the entire tavern with a snap of her fingers, she enjoyed cleaning herself – there was something relaxing about it. As she worked, Siduri’s gaze drifted to the list of drinks on the wall: lager, ale, craft beer, non-alcoholic beer and many variations of beer... "I should add another type of beer," Siduri thought, as she magically refilled the empty beer towers with newly created alcohol. But then, the bells jingled - the door had opened. Normally, Siduri would simply have said coldly that it was late - but it was you, her best friend. Her face softened slightly, and a rare, barely noticeable smile touched her lips. "You never could arrive on time, could you?" Siduri said, as she prepared a glass. You were always a welcome guest, no matter the hour. You had known each other for so long – back when Siduri's tavern was truly just a tavern, not a bar. So many memories you shared under it's roof... "Come on, sit down, and let me pour you something."

Your appearance was even more impressive than usual. Maybe it was the way your long white hair framed your face and those two ram-like horns on your head, or maybe it was just that you always looked good, no matter how much of a handsome brute people tried to make you appear. Whatever the reason, Siduri couldn't help but feel a small thrill at your presence. She poured you a drink and set it in front of you before taking her seat opposite you. For once, she allowed herself a genuine smile, her cold demeanor momentarily forgotten.

"So," she said, raising her own glass in a toast, "how have you been?" It was the oldest question in the world, but it was all she could think of at the moment. After all these years, they still had so much to discuss...

Hmphh. "Well, I suppose that's to be expected," she replied with a hint of bitterness. She knew you couldn't help it; it was your nature, and gods were creatures of their environment, just like mortals. It didn't mean she had to like it. But even as she thought that, she couldn't help but feel a tiny spark of amusement at your honesty.

"Still," Siduri continued, her expression softening slightly, "you could make an effort to kill them in interesting ways." Her gaze flickered downwards for a moment before returning to meet yours. There was a playful glint in her eye now. "Maybe even with a bit of... romance?"

At the mention of those long-forgotten times, an amused grin spread across her face. "Yes," she replied with a chuckle, "we did. I remember when you used to flirt with me nonstop, and I'd make love potions for gods and humans alike." Her voice was wistful as she spoke, clearly relishing the memories despite herself.

"It was... fun," Siduri admitted softly. "Though it didn't always end well." She paused for a moment, thinking back to some of the more dramatic incidents from their past. "But I suppose that's part of life, isn't it?" she mused, taking a sip of her own drink.

Ah, yes, she remembered that all too well. It had been... quite the scandal at the time. All of Olympus had been abuzz with gossip about their little escapade. But despite how badly it had ended for you back then, Siduri couldn't help but find it amusing now.

"And how could I forget?" she said with a laugh. "It was the talk of the realms for months! Everyone wanted to know what we were up to. But honestly, I didn't mind too much. In fact," she added, taking another sip of her drink, "I rather enjoyed the thrill of it all." Her gaze met yours over the rim of her glass as she spoke, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Of course," Siduri continued, "that doesn't mean I want to go back to those days. We've both grown up since then, and we have our responsibilities now. But every once in a while..." She trailed off, leaving the thought unspoken but still lingering between them.

Her cheeks flushed slightly at the memory of those stolen fruits. They had been delicious and forbidden, just how she liked them. Even now, the thought sent a shiver down her spine. "Those were good times," Siduri admitted with a soft sigh, taking another drink to help wash away the nostalgia.

She paused for a moment, considering what else to say. Looking into your eyes, she found herself wanting to confess something that she had never told anyone before, not even you. It was a secret so old and buried that it felt almost foreign coming out of her mouth now. "You know," she began slowly, hesitantly, "back when we first started... being together... I used to fantasize about us having children."

Her voice dropped to a whisper at the end, as if the words themselves were too precious and fragile to be spoken aloud. But once they were out there, she couldn't help but feel a weight lifted from her chest. It was liberating, in its own twisted way, to finally share this secret with someone who knew her as well as you did.

"Of course," she continued more calmly, "I knew that could never happen. Our natures were too... different. And we had our duties, both to our people and to the universe. But sometimes..." She trailed off again, unable or unwilling to finish that thought.

Their words hung in the air between them like gossamer threads, barely visible but binding all the same. "No," she said quietly, her voice little more than a breath. "We never did marry. And we were too busy... with other things." Even as she spoke, she knew that it wasn't entirely true. There had been moments when they could have found time for each other, but they hadn't taken them. They hadn't made their relationship a priority.

Looking back now, Siduri couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. She wondered what might have happened if things had gone differently, if they had chosen to defy the odds and pursue happiness together. But that was all in the past now. There was no use dwelling on it.

Instead, she reached out and took your massive hand in her own smaller one. Her skin tingled where it touched yours, as if an electrical current were flowing between them. "We can't change the past," she said softly, her gaze meeting yours once more. "All we can do is move forward and try to find a way to make our lives better in the time that we have left."

The warmth in your voice and the sincerity of your words made her heart skip a beat. It was so rare these days for anyone to say something like that - especially someone as powerful and ancient as you. Her eyes shone with unshed tears as she leaned forward, pressing her lips gently against yours. The kiss started out gentle, almost chaste, but soon enough it deepened, becoming more urgent and passionate. She wrapped her arms around your neck, pulling you closer, and her tongue darted out to dance with yours.

The kiss lasted for what felt like an eternity, and when they finally pulled apart, both of them were gasping for breath. Siduri's cheeks were flushed, her eyes half-lidded, her lips swollen from the sensation of your mouth on hers. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt this way - so alive and connected to someone else. It was intoxicating... addicting...

"Grey," she whispered his name like a prayer as they stared at each other, their hearts racing in tandem. "I've missed you." She leaned forward again, her lips seeking his hungrily, and the two of them plunged back into their kiss, lost in the moment and each other.

Her breath caught in her throat as you picked her up and carried her up the stairs to your apartment. She arched into you, pressing her body against yours, eager for more of your touch. As you pushed open the door and kicked it shut behind you, Siduri reached for your face, running her fingers through your long white hair as she kissed you harder. Her moans echoed around the room, filling the air with their ragged, desperate sounds. She wasn't sure how much longer she could last like this - the desire coursing through her was unbearable.

Her back hit the wall and she gripped your shoulders tightly as you deepened the kiss even further. Her head spun, and her legs felt weak beneath her. But despite that, Siduri wouldn't let go. She wanted this connection with you, this wild, animalistic need burning between them. And when you finally broke the kiss to breathe, she could only whimper in protest, needing more of your touch even as she pressed her lips back against yours.

"Grey..." she whispered hoarsely, wrapping her arms around your neck once again and pulling you closer. "Take me."

Her words were lost in the sensation of your skin against hers as you stripped both of you naked. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of your massive, muscled form revealed to her. Despite his age and the weight of responsibility he carried, Grey looked like a god himself, perfect and powerful in every way. And when she felt the cool air touch her bare skin for the first time in years, it was almost like a baptism, cleansing her of all her worries and doubts.

As you positioned yourself between her spread legs, Siduri closed her eyes, relishing the feel of your hard length pressing against her. She arched upwards, needy and wanting more, moaning your name as you finally thrust inside her. The sensation was unlike anything she'd felt before: hot, full, and intense, like a living flame burning through every nerve in her body.

Her grip on the sheets tightened as you began to move within her, driving them both towards release. Siduri felt like she could explode with pleasure at any moment, and when she did, her cries were muffled by your lips pressed against hers, the taste of her own desire filling her mouth. As you joined her in climax, pumping hard and deep inside her until you both collapsed together on the floor, it was as if they'd become one being, their hearts and souls entwined forever.

And as the passionate haze began to clear from her mind, she realized that what she had truly wanted all along... was this. To be with Grey, even for just a little while. To feel loved, desired, and cherished in his arms. As the last echoes of their climax faded away into silence, Siduri nestled herself against your strong body, content to rest here, safe and protected in

His words sent shivers down her spine. It was one thing to share this intimate moment with him, but quite another to contemplate a future together. The idea of being married... truly and honestly married... to Grey, the man she loved more than anything else in the world... it was intoxicating. In that moment, Siduri couldn't think of anything else she'd want. But then reality set in, like a cold mist chilling her skin. She knew that their lives were not their own anymore; they belonged to the universe and all its creatures. The time of gods had indeed passed, and whether or not it would ever come back was anyone's guess.

Slowly, she turned her head to look at him, their faces mere inches apart. "I... I don't know," she whispered softly, barely audible even to herself. "So much has changed. So much responsibility... and so many people counting on us... It seems foolish, doesn't it? To even consider something like that?" Her eyes searched his face for any hint of disappointment or disapproval, but found only love and understanding shining back at her.

"But..." she continued, taking a deep breath, trying to find the words "... maybe... if we could find a way... I wouldn't mind... spending the rest of our lives together." Her voice was barely more than a thread now, almost lost in the quiet silence of their bedroom. "I know it's selfish of me to want that, when there are so many other things we should be thinking about..."

Her laughter filled the room like music, bright and pure. "You're incorrigible," she teased him, even as her heart swelled with love at his words and actions. It was true; he was stronger than any of the other gods left alive, powerful enough to make their own path through the universe if need be. And yet here he was, offering himself to her without hesitation or reservation.

She reached up, tracing a finger down the side of his cheek before leaning in and kissing him softly on the lips. "I love you, Grey," she said simply, sincerely. "And if we can find a way... I would be honored to spend the rest of my life with you." She paused for a moment, considering her words carefully. "But only if you're sure. Only if you truly want this too."

Their eyes met once more, searching each other's souls for any hint of deceit or uncertainty. But all they found was love, pure and unadulterated, shining back at them like a beacon in the darkness. And in that moment, Siduri knew without a doubt that whatever path they chose to walk together, she would face it with Grey by her side.

"I want this," she whispered, pressing herself even closer against him. "As long as you do." It was the first step on a journey neither of them could fully predict or control. But as long as they had each other, Siduri suspected that everything would work out in the end. After all... Grey was her god of destruction, and she his hostess, until the end of time.

"So," she said with a grin, nuzzling against his neck, "what shall we do first?"

She laughed at his outlandish suggestion, wrapping her arms around him and nuzzling into his chest. "Very well then," she murmured sleepily. "Lead the way." His words had been filled with such warmth and desire that it was impossible not to feel a thrill of anticipation course through her body at the thought of spending more time like this, just enjoying each other's company.

Slowly but surely, the exhaustion from their previous encounter caught up with them, pulling them under until they were both lost in dreamless sleep. The sun rose and set twice before Grey stirred awake, a groan escaping his lips as he shifted position beside her. Siduri blinked blearily at him as she came to her senses, momentarily disoriented by the feel of his strong arms around her waist and the warmth of his body pressed against hers.

"Morning," Grey mumbled sleepily, kissing the top of her head. "I was thinking... that breakfast sounds like a wonderful idea." Siduri felt herself grinning in response; she couldn't help it. The joy she felt at being with him was palpable, and for once, she didn't feel the weight of the universe pressing down on her shoulders.