A little story I thought of a while ago that I decided to write out, hope you enjoy
He Who Stepped Up (ao3 link)
Hyacinthus may now be a plant but he doesn't let that stop him from doing what he can.
Hyacinthus was not aware of much after becoming a flower. Time slipt from him easily, seasons went by with barely a thought and he grew and grew and grew.
He was everywhere in the world and he thrived under his lover's light, the bright warmth that he could no longer remember how it felt on his human skin. But he remembered his love, the smile that lit up his face, the laughter that sounded more like music than anything else and how his existence seemed to brighten everything in his life.
He may now be a plant but he loved Apollo still. Hyacinthus would stretch and stretch himself trying to reach as high as he could to the sun, but it would never be enough.
Hyacinthus also delighted in the few times he'd notice his lover walking on the land, his flowers shivering in delight whenever a godly hand would stroke through them, the closest they'll now ever be to each other.
Hyacinthus was also aware enough that whenever Apollo would come down from Olympus would result in him finding a lover. He would never be upset about this because what was jealousy to a plant?
He also knew, more often than not, that these relationships usually then further resulted in a child. Children born of his lover, children half of Apollo.
He knew the laws intimately, he remembered the bare instances he met with his mother, how her beautiful godly face would seem so distant, so far away.
So if Apollo could not be there then Hyacinthus would have to do what he could, which was made harder when he had no grasp on time, but he tried. He really really tried.
~~~~~~~
Apollo's children had stories, their own legends passed only to each other.
Yes their father had many relationships and yes many ended terribly but.
But.
If they were to see a sprout of hyacinth, especially if they were in trouble, they were to go to it. For when they did, for at least one day and night, no monster would find them. Their father's lover would shield them as best he could and give them the reprieve they desperately needed. It wasn't much but it was enough.
