The Immortal Heart

Chapter 10

Days passed, and the god-turned-goddess lost his sparkle. While Zeus kept his promise to let Hades heal in peace, he did not change the other back to male, and Hades’ mood gradually changed from bad to worse. He became depressed, dispirited and unresponsive to most things he had appreciated before the transformation. Always one to keep himself clean, the Olympian now did not even bother to bathe or wash his hair, which hung in greasy, limp tangles, possessing none of its usual glow or beauty. He wore the same robes day in and day out, not noticing the stains on them or the smell which saturated his clothes, or perhaps too deep in his misery to care. He kept to himself, not joining his siblings for meals, and never talked except when answering direct questions.

Demeter was beside herself with worry, but she knew that urging Zeus to revoke the transformation would most likely only have the opposite effect. Someone had to act, and Hades certainly was not volunteering anytime soon. Demeter was about to intervene in this depressed lull when Zeus came forward for her.

“Is he here?” the leader asked her one afternoon as she organized her herbs and other ingredients. Demeter shook her head.

“Hades has not been to my quarters for days. All he does is hide away in his own room. I was about to go and bring him something to eat.”

Contemplating her words, Zeus watched his sister work for a few minutes more. “I will deliver him his meal.”

“It is no trouble,” Demeter insisted. “I am not bothered.”

“I am,” Zeus argued. “It’s time I go and speak with him. For all he knows, I hate him. I must prove to him that I do not.”

Demeter accompanied her youngest brother to the door of Hades’ quarters, knocking while Zeus held a tray of enough food for both himself and his brother-sister who lay beyond the door.

“Hades, dear,” the goddess called out. “Your food is prepared.”

“Come in,” a heartless reply called back.

The lack of life in the voice made Zeus hold back a shudder. Both entering, the god and goddess saw that Hades’ back was turned as he lay motionless on the bed, half covered by sheets and looking just as lifeless as his voice had sounded. Had the transformed Olympian not just spoken, his siblings would have guessed he truly was dead.

“Brother,” Demeter addressed Hades as she entered, “you have a visitor.”

Turning over – and looking as though it took all of his strength – Hades saw who his visitor was and the look in his feminine eyes read of internal panic, not even noticing the tray of food in Zeus’ hands. Though Hades’ reaction was unfortunate, Demeter was almost happy to see an emotional response, albeit a negative one, in her morose and depressed brother.

“Everything is alright, Hades,” she quickly said in an attempt to reassure him. “Zeus is only here to bring you something to eat.”

Though still suspicious, the immediate sense of panic faded from the god’s eyes, and he nodded, dragging his body into a seated position. “Thank you…” he muttered. “But I am truly not very hungry.”

“Hades, you have to eat–” Demeter began but was interrupted by her youngest brother.

“Sister, I would like some time alone with Hades,” Zeus said. “Please leave us.”

Though she was hesitant to comply, the goddess saw no other option than to follow the commands of their leader. Before leaving, however, she grasped Zeus by the arm hard enough to get his attention, and stood on her toes to whisper in his ear. “Don’t harm him. He’s been harmed enough already.”

A silent, nearly imperceptible nod was the god’s only reply, and as soon as Demeter had left, he approached the bed where his brother-sister lay and sat down beside him.

“You heard what your sister said. You have to eat, Hades.”

“Perhaps so… But that does not change the fact that I am not very hungry,” Hades replied, his voice lifeless and dull again. He turned his head to give the younger god a quick glance. “Have you come here to bed me? If so, please do it now so that we can get it over with.” He began to remove his robe, but the younger god’s large hands soon stilled Hades’ own.

“You may not believe me,” Zeus said quietly. “But I never meant to cause you so much pain. I had no inkling of how deeply I hurt you. My desire possessed me, and I gave no thought to your responses… to you…”

Those last words were brought on after a great pause, as though Zeus had difficulty admitting his guilt. Hesitant nonetheless, Hades looked up at his younger brother, large eyes filled with doubt. Zeus’ grasp on his sibling’s hands squeezed vaguely tighter, just enough to show how much he cared.

“I was not wet when you entered me,” Hades said, looking down at the hands closed over his. “You said that taking our sisters had been easier because they did not require lamp oil. This is why I asked you to penetrate me as you had many times before.”

“Oh, Hades…” Zeus sighed ruefully. “If only you had told me…”

“Would you have stopped?” Hades asked.

Zeus did not answer, glancing aside instead of into his elder sibling’s eyes. The other god shook his head, pulling his hands away and laying back down on the bed. Feeling hopeless, Zeus reached out for Hades again, this time to place his hand against dark locks of hair which had once been quite beautiful.

“You need a bath, brother.”

Hades’ brow furrowed at the statement. Zeus had actually referred to him as a god, instead of a goddess.

“I am aware of that,” he finally answered. “But alas, I am not very motivated to bathe myself.”

Zeus did not argue the matter and both siblings remained quiet for the following few minutes.

“Why are you here, Zeus?” Hades then asked, unsure of the other’s motives. “If not to bed me, then why? You could find much more stimulating company elsewhere.”

“I am here, because I…” In truth, Zeus had wanted to accompany Demeter simply to check on his brother and make sure he really ate something, but after witnessing the older god’s despondency, which cast a pall on everyone and everything around him, he was no longer sure.

If Hades truly detested his new self this much, perhaps there was only one thing left to do? Even Zeus had to admit that he missed Hades’ old self, and above all, he missed the light in his brother’s eyes which had gone out the very morning Zeus transformed him against his will.

“Hades, I came to make amends,” he said, straightening his back and shifting positions. “Do not be afraid, I will not harm you. I need you to undress.”

Hades did not object; in fact there were no emotions present in his unresponsive eyes. Hauling himself up to his knees, he pulled his robes over his head and slumped back down, hating his body but not bothering to try to hide it.

Zeus did not know if Hades expected to be used for sexual intercourse, but the reason he had asked his brother to disrobe was because he needed to see what he was doing. Were he not careful, Hades’ body could wind up getting stuck between that of a god and a goddess and leave him even worse off than he was now.

“Lie down, brother,” the leader instructed. “On your back. Then close your eyes and try to clear your head of all thoughts.”

The older god frowned. “Why, Zeus? What are you going to do?”

“No questions. Just remain still, mind clear.”

Holding back a sigh of defeat, Hades did as told. He had expected his brother to take him right there on the bed ever since Zeus had arrived, and he had been emotionally preparing himself in all the time that they had spoken. Hades knew if he did not struggle, not even in his mind, he might be able to endure.

Sad to see the look of trepidation in his brother-sister’s face, Zeus was gentle as he hovered over Hades, touching the soft flesh beneath him. He tenderly held two small, pale breasts, concentrating on an image of something firmer. As his hands slid away to focus on other attributes, he stole a glance of his sibling’s chest retaining its original, flat appearance.

Hades felt a tingling inside of him, creeping up and down his limbs and radiating out from the areas where he had been touched. He could not help wondering what was happening, but reminded himself to keep his thoughts clear as ordered. He did moan, however, as he felt hands against the place between his legs that had become so alien to him, and he could not resist imagining himself as male once more, if only for a short while…

“Brother.”

Opening his eyes, Hades saw that Zeus’ face was inches from his. The younger god’s expression was calm, gentle.

“I believe you will be wanting that bath now.”

“Bath? Why would I wa—” Hades interrupted himself in shock upon hearing his voice. It was no longer the high-pitched voice of his female self but back to his regular soft-spoken yet low-pitched male voice. Looking down at himself the following moment, he saw that the mounds on his chest were gone, replaced by flat planes, and his sex…

Hades’ phallus had grown back, and not only that; it was engorging before his eyes. So happy to be himself again, the god sat up, almost bouncing, and wrapped his arms around Zeus’ neck, hugging his brother tightly.

“Thank you, brother, thank you so much!” he said, almost ready to cry despite the intense joy he presently felt. “I had given up hope that you would… Oh, Zeus, I don’t know what to say, except thank you.”

Zeus returned the hug and then held Hades at arm’s length so that he could regard his eyes. It was the first spark of life he had seen in them for almost two weeks, and though the poor god was pale, thin and frankly quite filthy, the change in him, not only physical but also spiritual, was instantly noticeable. Hades now was animate, attentive, smiling; things Zeus had missed in his brother.

The leader of the Olympians knew he should not have been surprised at the kiss he suddenly received, followed by Hades pressing his distinctly aroused body against his, and touching him lecherously.

“Make love to me, Zeus…” the god pleaded, hands already tugging on his younger brother’s robes.

“Well… this is pleasant surprise,” Zeus replied with a grin. He welcomed the response but removed his brother’s grip on his clothing.

“What’s the matter?” Hades asked, his eyes already glazed over in lust and hands still desperately grabbing. “Why would you ever decline such an offer? Do you not want to make love to me?”

“Nothing would make me happier.” Zeus stilled his fellow god’s hands in his own and leaned closely, receiving a kiss in return. “But first… a bath. And perhaps some food.”

“But I desire you now,” Hades argued with a smile, planting three more kisses to his younger brother’s face.

“We do not want this meal to spoil, do we?” Zeus asked knowingly. “Not when your sister went through the trouble of preparing enough for the both of us.”

Looking down apologetically, Hades’ smile did not fade. “Alright, but perhaps we can take the tray with us. We could dine as we cleanse ourselves.”

Smiling, Zeus returned a kiss and whispered, “Interesting…”

The water in Hades’ bathing pool was cold compared to the warmth he felt in his bed, as foul as it smelled now. Yet he did not complain. Instead he welcomed the chill, to feel his body, his old body remade, respond to the water. He felt his skin rise in gooseflesh and smiled. It was good to feel in his familiar form again.

Zeus quickly joined the older god in the pool, their tray of food set down at the edge so that they could easily reach for their meal as they bathed. Placing a succulent berry in between his lips, Zeus pulled Hades into a kiss, the berry’s delicious juice shared between them.

A giggle escaped the older Olympian’s mouth and some of the juice from the berry trickled down his chin, hitting the water and dissipating in seconds. He did not care. All he presently cared about was comfort of the senses, feeling himself, feeling Zeus and showing his gratitude to the other.

The two gods chose a few more things to consume from the food tray before disregarding it in favor of submerging themselves and cleaning out Hades’ hair. The long, tangled locks had not been washed in nearly two weeks, and Zeus had a feeling his brother would have to spend some time combing out the tangles once his hair dried. That, however, was not something the Olympian leader would assist him with, although Zeus suspected that Demeter would be more than willing to help.

“Perhaps we should cut your hair, brother,” Zeus mused upon handling the soaked tresses. “At a length closer to my own, it would be far more manageable.”

“My hair is my pride,” Hades argued, frowning for the first time since the transformation back. “I will never cut it!”

“Very well,” the younger god chuckled, having expected a similar response. “Perhaps you keep it just to make our sisters envious…?”

Hades fancied the thought of having something that would provoke the envy of a goddess, and he smiled, reaching around to play with his brother’s own hair. The texture was similar to Hades’ own, though slightly lighter in color and not quite as thick.

“Does anyone ever brush your hair for you?” he asked, never having done such for Zeus himself.

“No,” Zeus simply said, helping scrub his brother’s body. He was happy to give such loving gestures to Hades, but he also enjoyed feeling the elder god’s flesh beneath his fingers. He came to realize that he enjoyed the firm, lean nature of Hades’ body, and that as a goddess those curves felt strange, almost wrong. “I do it myself.”

“I could brush it for you,” Hades offered, reaching up to separate an obvious tangle in his brother’s hair. Zeus quickly grabbed the other god’s hand, not only stopping him but also surprising him.

“I do it myself,” Zeus repeated seriously. “I do not require assistance. Not from anyone.”

Eyes wide, Hades nodded in understanding. Realizing he had startled his brother, Zeus took a handful of water and poured it onto the other’s hair, resting his hand against Hades’ neck.

“Your smell has improved,” he pointed out. “A shame we cannot do the same to your bed so quickly.”

“I apologize,” Hades said regretfully. “My sadness took me and I could not move from my bed, not even to bathe.”

“Yes, I know.” Zeus’ hand sifted through long locks of hair, cradling the base of his brother’s skull. Hades closed his eyes at the comforting touch, and he was happy to not feel fear at the contact made between himself and Zeus.

“My bed is clean,” the younger Olympian said in an almost innocent tone. Hades lifted an eyebrow and smiled again.

“And since you are now clean as well, I believe we could proceed there,” Zeus added, nuzzling his brother’s cheek, which already contained a hint of stubble. He would have preferred the completely smooth face of a goddess, but as long as Hades kept himself free of a beard, he would not complain.

Deciding that they were done with their bath, Zeus left the pool, carrying the smaller god in his arms. They were both dripping wet, but Zeus did not bother to stop and start looking for towels for himself and his brother. The only thing that mattered now was getting Hades to his bed as quickly as possible.

Shivering from the cold of having his soaked, naked skin exposed to the air, but nonetheless savoring the feel of being in Zeus’ arms, Hades looked around curiously when he realized he would not be given a chance to dry off before being carried outside. He rarely ever left his quarters unclothed, and though happy to have his true form back, Hades still could not help his inherent modesty.

“Brother…” he murmured, squeezing Zeus’ shoulder. “What of our clothes…?”

“Do not trouble yourself over them,” the younger god replied good-naturedly. “We will not require clothes in the near future anyway.”

“But… I’m cold,” Hades tried, not telling a lie, as the gooseflesh on his skin revealed.

“I’ll warm you,” Zeus simply said as he walked confidently down the hallway toward his own living quarters.

As Zeus carried Hades to the youngest Olympian’s living quarters, they crossed paths with Hestia, who took notice at Hades’ renewed appearance with great joy. Otherwise the hallways were empty. Empty, except for a figure hidden behind the staircase, watching the happy pair of brothers with narrowed, hateful eyes.

When Hades was carried into his brother’s bedchamber, he expected to be all but tossed onto the mattress so that Zeus could sooner ravish him like their lives depended on it. Instead, he was pleasantly surprised when he was gently laid down on the bed. Large hands stroked and caressed him and Zeus’ face nuzzled into the crook of his neck. The contact tickled, but more so it aroused Hades, whose erection had flagged in the time taken to bathe. However, he was hard again within seconds, and his brother could feel a dewdrop of fluid trail against him as the full, throbbing member poked the taller god in the belly.

Feeling Hades aroused lit the fire of Zeus’ passion as well, and he guided his older brother’s hand down to his own organ, a wordless command to be stroked. Hades complied without hesitation and Zeus moaned loudly enough that any passersby would likely hear him through the thick door.

He had missed the feeling of those hands on him, to feel them massaging and pulling on his member with great enthusiasm and skill, which none of their sisters mastered quite so well. Zeus lay back against the bedding, stretching his limbs and surrendering himself fully to the incredible sensation provided by his brother.

It had been wrong to change him; Zeus knew that now. Though Hades possessed certain qualities associated with a goddess, he was male in nature just as much Zeus himself.

Hades happily gave his brother manual pleasure for a while, using both his hands on the other’s rock-hard organ. He knew this was simply foreplay and that Zeus would eventually want to enter him, but he could not help but wonder if there was some way he could further enhance his brother’s experience until Zeus was ready to proceed to the next level.

He had never done this without having been explicitly told to by Zeus, but he badly wanted to show his gratitude and appreciation for his leader, and in order to do that, Hades needed to be assertive. Bending down, he enveloped the weeping head of Zeus’ phallus in his mouth and applied immediate suction.

Zeus was taken by surprise at the sensation, but he did not rebuke. Hades was not often assertive whatsoever, let alone when being intimate. Now that his connection with the older god was growing stronger every day, Zeus did not mind his brother’s occasional boldness, especially when it caused the leader so much pleasure.

Hades heard a sharp moan from his youngest sibling and his eyes smiled in self-satisfaction. He felt Zeus’ hand cover the back of his head, encouraging him to continue, and he complied joyously. As he continued his ministrations, he felt his hair entwined with his brother’s fingers, and on occasion Zeus’ grip would tighten just enough to display his clear arousal.

“Hades… ahh… ohh…” Loosening his grip on the other’s hair, he looked at his brother’s progress and the sight alone brought him pleasure beyond comprehension. “Ohh… Hades…” he said, “now… climb atop me…”

He watched as Hades pulled away, a bittersweet sensation because the elder god would stop using his mouth, but replace it with his backside. Hades’ large eyes regarded his leader with a curiosity that made him all the more endearing. He made Zeus smile.

“Let me take you.”

Nodding, Hades grabbed a small bowl of lamp oil from a nearby table, happy that he could use the substance once more. Playfully, he smeared the oil onto his brother’s erect organ, which stood up straight and hard like a pulsating tree trunk.

He tried not to think back on his previous time with Zeus, when his brother had taken him – against his will – as a woman. It was in the past, and he had forgiven Zeus for what he did, even though the memory of the pain and bleeding profusely would stay with him for as long as he existed.

Once Hades was done with the preparation of both his brother and himself, he looked down at the younger god, who was comfortably positioned on his back, his face flushed and his eyes glazed from lust.

“How shall I…?” Hades inquired, waiting for his brother to take the next step and give him instructions.

The Olympian leader gave no audible reply and simply smiled, grasping Hades by the waist and guiding him back atop himself, to straddle his hips. “Ride me,” he then commanded. “Let me watch you bounce up and down on my phallus.”

The older god’s face assumed a look of wonder when he realized Zeus would let him control the angle and depth of the penetration for once, but he did not object. This was most likely his brother’s way of making it up to him for the grief he had caused, and Hades knew it would be foolish not to accept.

Squatting over Zeus’ hips, Hades grasped the base of his stiff organ and guided it against his orifice. Slowly he began to lower himself onto the erection, eyes closed as he willed his body to accept the intrusion.

The breathy moan which left Hades’ lips made Zeus grin widely as he watched him penetrate himself. He spread his hands over shapely thighs which pressed against his sides, enjoying touching them almost as much as watching Hades react to the contact.

“And now…” Zeus said, a shudder of pleasure passing through him, “you move.”

Hades’ first movement was awkward, obviously a hesitant one which showed his total absence of experience in such a position, but as he continued, spurred on by his brother’s moans and the bliss he felt within him, he kept going. He gave a sudden cry as he focused on how his youngest brother’s thick sex felt inside of him, up and down, in and out.

Beyond his own grunts of satisfaction, Zeus could hear Hades’ own sounds of arousal, and they were fiercely entertaining. Unlike the last time they had lain with one another, they were gentle, soft, the opposite of the strangled cries of what turned out to be agony. Those moans were nothing like the noises Hades had made as a goddess, and yet they were much sweeter.

Hades’ moans came quicker as he peaked, and Zeus’ reached a crescendo. Pre-ejaculate was dripping from the older god’s manhood, and as he saw it, Zeus realized unless he did something quickly, he would receive a face full of seed. Hardly wanting to destroy the mood, he grabbed his brother’s phallus and stroked it himself so that the fluids would pump out into his own hand.

Hades had not expected to be stroked while riding Zeus, so the younger god’s grip on him came as a complete surprise. Not realizing the true reason for it, he focused to show his gratitude by smiling sweetly down at Zeus and stroking his brother’s well-muscled chest and stomach with damp, sweaty hands.

“Ahh yes, keep going…” the leader instructed, guiding Hades’ hips with his free hand. He was close now, so close, and it took a great amount of his practiced self-control not to roll them around and slam hard into the other in pursuit of a quicker release. He had, however, sworn not to hurt his brother in any way, and Zeus was painfully aware that he sometimes did things that were downright harmful when too deep inside his lust.

Hades climaxed first, his seed exiting him and being caught by Zeus’ hand. The physical response to his orgasm caused the god to flex all muscles in his body at once, which in turn triggered Zeus to release himself deep within his brother’s snug, supple body.

Feeling almost lightheaded from the intensity of the shared experience, Hades slid off the younger god’s member and collapsed beside him in a boneless, hyperventilating heap. He was just about to snuggle up against the larger body of his brother and tell him how wonderful it had been when Zeus gripped his neck.

“Hades… go fetch me a washcloth,” Zeus murmured. “I have a need to wipe your seed off my hand.”

Hades was in far too much bliss to mind getting up, as spent as his energy was after their coupling. Smiling, he brought over the wash basin, sat down at the edge of the bed, and held his brother’s hand above the bowl. He washed Zeus’ hand as though it were a precious gem, gently turning it over and wiping the fluids away with the washcloth. Zeus could only smile at how he was being spoiled. He wished his other hand were dirty as well, so that it would receive the same treatment.

With his newly cleaned hand, Zeus trailed a fingertip over Hades’ lips and finally leaned in for a long, affectionate kiss. Hades felt as though he could melt right then and there.


TBC...