The Immortal Heart

Chapter 16

Hera had thought through her plan countless times, weighing the pros and cons, and considered what her punishment might be if someone caught her in the act. Ever since the goddess had seen Demeter prepare Hades’ herbal tea, she had been concocting a plan to sneak inside her sister’s quarters and poison the ingredients, hoping to induce miscarriage in her brother.

Hades’ stomach was getting bigger by the day, and Hera knew that if she wanted to act on her feelings, it had to be soon. If the wretched excuse for a god managed to give birth to Zeus’ heir, Hera knew that she had forever lost her chance to claim the Olympian leader for herself.

While Demeter was the goddess with the greatest knowledge of plants and their various uses, she occasionally shared her knowledge with her sisters, and a long time ago, Hera had learned that ergot fungi could be used to make a female lose her offspring prematurely.

Having spent an entire day out in the forest looking for the fungus, Hera returned home, carrying the fruit of her efforts well-concealed in her bag. Afterwards she spent almost as long meticulously grinding the small white bodies into a flour-like pulp, which she then left to dry and waited for an opportune moment to put her plans into action.

Hera knew that Demeter would become deeply suspicious if she found Hera visiting her quarters uninvited while she was away, and she knew for sure that her younger sister would figure out what was going on if she found Hera poking around in her storage of herbs.

With the ergot safely contained in a small leather pouch, Hera patiently waited for her sister to exit her quarters and hopefully be gone for a while.

A few minutes passed seemingly slower than what was usually expected, and Demeter finally left her living quarters in a hurry but wearing a big smile nonetheless. Hera nearly rolled her eyes. She supposed her sister was off to visit Hades.

I’m supposed to be the one, not him, she angrily thought. He is not meant to be mother to Zeus’ child, I AM.

Hera continued to think those words over and over again as she snuck into Demeter’s quarters, fingers tightly squeezed against the leather pouch. It was the reason Hades had to be given the ergot. His child was not meant to be. It had to end.

*

“How are we this fine day?” Demeter asked as she was welcomed into Zeus’ bedchambers.

There, the Olympian leader was sitting in bed next to Hades, who lay quite comfortably beneath his sheets, back propped up against several cushions. The older god looked as though he could have done without his brother’s hand against his stomach, but he allowed it nonetheless.

“We are doing very well,” Hades answered. “Presently Zeus is fascinated with feeling the little one move.”

“Of course I am,” Zeus replied, rubbing the curve of his brother’s midsection. “This is the first pregnancy of our generation, and I intend to embrace it. Speaking of which… it’s stopped moving.”

Demeter laughed. “Of course, just when I’ve arrived and looked forward to feeling it myself…”

“Perhaps if I talk to it,” Zeus offered, and he leaned down until his lips all but touched Hades’ belly. “This is your father speaking. We await your arrival with great anticipation.”

Hades rolled his eyes and looked as if he would have wanted to voice an objection, but rather than speaking, he tugged lightly on Zeus’ hair and finally managed to divert his younger brother’s attention from his stomach up to his face.

“This is where I am,” he scolded, cupping Zeus’ face. “My stomach is not going to answer you.”

“I want my child to know my voice already when I see him for the first time,” Zeus replied. “You should speak to him as well, Hades. I am sure that he knows you are speaking to him.”

“We don’t know yet if our child is male or female,” Hades reminded his brother. “And a daughter will be just as welcome as a son.”

“Of course,” Zeus agreed. “But something tells me that we are having a son.” Suddenly he remembered the presence of his sister and eagerly turned to look at her. “There is no way either of us can tell the child’s sex,” he said, “…but you might be able to. Will you try it?”

Demeter’s eyes widened at the request. “I am not sure if…”

“Will you try it?” the leader repeated, starting to sound impatient.

Rather than complying or outright refusing, the goddess turned to address her older brother. “Hades, do you want me to try it?” she asked.

“Uhh, I…” Hades stammered, suddenly nervous. He had not thought of his offspring as either sex yet, rather he liked to picture it as a kind of amorphous thing with no features or personality until he got to see it with his own eyes. “I think… I think I’d rather wait until it’s born,” he finally admitted.

“Do it, sister,” Zeus urged. “I want you to do it.”

“But Hades doesn’t,” Demeter said firmly. “It might be your child, Zeus, but it grows inside your brother’s body, and I have to respect his wishes.”

Zeus glanced back and forth between his brother and sister, dangerously near a point of exasperation, but he finally cleared his throat as though to pretend the situation at hand did not bother him in the slightest.

“It would be interesting to keep the gender a surprise,” he finally said. Hades exhaled silently, realizing he had been holding his breath for almost a minute as Zeus considered his and Demeter’s reasoning.

“I think that’s a wonderful idea,” Hades said, hoping he could encourage his brother out of his irritated mood. “It gives us more time look forward to the child’s true gender.”

Hades exchanged a nervous glance with his sister, hoping they had avoided their youngest brother’s temper for the time being. Then Hades felt movement, and he mentally thanked his child, whatever gender it may be, for interrupting the uncomfortable silence.

“Speaking of this little one,” he said, reaching up and grasping his sister’s hand, “it has started to move again.” He placed the hand over the burgeoning curve of his stomach where he had felt the knock against him by a still developing limb. Demeter waited anxiously for the aforementioned movement, her hand joined by Zeus’, and soon enough her face lit up in elation.

“There it is!” she exclaimed, and Zeus chuckled at her reaction. “I might just begin to talk with it myself.”

“Oh no, not you too…” Hades mumbled under his breath. Demeter gave him a kiss to let him know she heard him.

The goddess left her two brothers shortly afterwards, informing that she would return in the evening before bedtime to deliver Hades’ tea. Not looking forward to drinking the foul-tasting brew, the pregnant Olympian gave a nod of understanding, although when his sister’s back was turned, his smile quickly morphed into a look of disgust. Zeus merely patted the head resting against his shoulder and chuckled to himself.

*

Demeter had gone through the procedure of making Hades’ herbal brew so many times by now that her hands could almost perform the task without any higher consciousness to guide them, and thus the goddess noticed nothing peculiar about the plant roots she used this evening.

Carrying the jar in her hands as usual, she walked over to her youngest brother’s chambers, recalling that Hades was to spend his night in Zeus’ bed. Demeter then knocked on the door but received no answer whatsoever. She knocked again, slightly harder, and this time Zeus’ voice, somewhat muffled, demanded to know who it was and the purpose of the visit. A snicker sounded from Hades, followed by some words which she had trouble making out, even though the activities progressing on the other side of the door were not difficult to make out at all.

“It is only me,” the goddess replied. “I’ve brought our brother’s tea with me, but I can always return later…”

“No, wait!” Zeus called out, followed by a disappointed noise from Hades. “Come in, come in!”

“Now this is a first,” Demeter exclaimed bemusedly as she entered.

Hades looked very displeased with his brother, but Zeus seemed to ignore him, attention fully on the jar in Demeter’s hands.

“I have never seen you put something else before the sating of your pleasure,” Demeter continued. “There is indeed an eerie change about you, Zeus. One would think you were the one carrying yours and Hades’ child.”

“It is still my child, no matter the vessel who gives birth to it,” Zeus reasoned, trying to ignore the rubbing of his chest by his brother’s hands. “Bring the potion here at once.”

Hades nearly pouted at Zeus’ behavior. Never had his youngest brother ever denied making love. The notion of the Olympian leader stopping before he had climaxed for something so trivial was absurd.

“I do not see why she cannot wait before we finish,” Hades grumbled. “We were so close…”

“Hush…” Zeus replied, passing the small jar to his fellow god. “You only wish to delay the taste. Now drink up. You want our child to be born strong, don’t you?”

“Alright…” the other said irritably. “But I would hope this means you will give me the greatest pleasure I have ever felt in my entire life in exchange.”

“I will try,” Zeus said with a wink.

Hades had never become accustomed to the taste of the tea, as much as he had hoped he would. Instead the brew seemed to agitate his tongue worse than ever. Grimacing, he gulped it down as quickly as possible without choking, passing the empty jar back to his sister.

“The taste certainly is not improving with time,” he said, reaching almost desperately for some water to wash the now even bitterer taste of the tea from his mouth.

Demeter suppressed the need to roll her eyes. “Perhaps we are indeed spoiling you rotten,” she gently admonished. “But worry not, Hades. Once your child is born, we will have someone else to spoil in your stead.” The last part was intended as a jest, but Hades did not laugh.

“I am serious, sister,” he said. “It tasted even worse tonight, I can swear it.”

“I assure you that it was made out of exactly the same ingredients as always before,” Demeter replied, sniffing what was left of the potion just to be sure. The smell, pungent and sour, was no different to her. Hades did not argue the matter any further, and the goddess decided to take her leave so that her two brothers could get back to what they had been doing prior to her arrival.

“My work here is done for tonight, and I know you wish for solitude,” she said, standing up. “Goodnight, my brothers.”

As she passed the bed, however, Zeus’ hand suddenly shot out, grabbing her by the wrist hard enough to practically yank her off her feet. Demeter, familiar with Zeus’ nature but surprised nonetheless, landed on the bed with a comical “oof!” sound.

There was a lecherous grin on the youngest god’s face when he spoke. “Would you care to join us, sister?” he proposed. “We haven’t enjoyed each other’s company for quite some time, and I know how well you and Hades get on…”

Demeter quickly exchanged glances with Hades, who looked as though he had swallowed an insect.

“No, it’s quite alright,” she replied. “I can see the two of you have something you personally need to attend to, and I will not interrupt it any further. Besides…” and here she reached forward, ticking Zeus under the chin through his thick beard. “I would rather have you all to myself.”

Lifting an eyebrow, Zeus smiled, liking the sound of that.

“Some days I might be too tired to indulge you, brother,” Hades added. “You will need someone to satisfy you on those days.”

“You do make a compelling argument,” the youngest god replied. “Alright, since you insist so strongly…” And his face dove into his brother’s neck, causing Hades to giggle and kiss him in return.

Demeter quickly made her exeunt the moment her brothers were preoccupied. Though she loved Hades and he loved her in return, their last sexual encounter had not gone well, and they did not feel that certain attraction to one another as Hades did with Zeus. In addition, more than two individuals in one bed might prove chaotic, and Demeter did not want to risk that with Hades in his present condition.

As she listened through the closed door, she heard more melodic laughter, followed soon afterwards by passionate moans, so she left her brothers to their privacy.

“Oh… oh… Zeus…” Hades moaned, savoring the way Zeus’ mouth did the most heavenly things to the surface of his skin. His flesh was practically aflame in its powerful receptiveness, feeling the tickle of every hair, the gentle lick of his brother’s tongue, the squeezing of his shoulders and…

“OHWWW ZEUS STOP”

Zeus suddenly jerked away, removing his hands from his brother’s chest as Hades recoiled, crossing his arms over himself.

“I was gentle,” the younger god insisted.

“It hurt nonetheless!” Hades cried. “They have become too sensitive, you cannot do that anymore!”

“They have gotten larger, too,” Zeus remarked, leaning in to have a closer look on the small brown nubs, not quite so small anymore, on his brother’s chest. “I wonder as to the reason…”

“I have no clue…” Hades muttered, attempting to cover his chest again, but Zeus, however, did not let him.

“They have increased in size, and they are emitting fluids, as well,” the younger god said, watching a small pearly drop of liquid trickling down Hades’ chest from his left teat.

Turning away from his brother in shame, Hades felt like crying. While being pregnant was not as big a change from his usual self as being in female form, his body still did not feel like his own anymore, and some of the changes were more unsettling than others.

“Demeter says I am producing milk to feed to the little one once it is born,” he said, fighting to hold back tears. “Which is a pain, as our child is not due for many more months.”

Zeus truthfully did not see what his brother was so upset about, but he figured that the physical changes to Hades’ body might also be the reason for his more sensitive spirit.

“Hush, my brother…” he said, wrapping his arms around the silently weeping god and holding him close. “I know something that will provide distraction.”

Hades looked up at the other with large, curious eyes, still overflowing with tears. “What?” he asked meekly.

“Focus on giving me a release,” Zeus urged, deliberately thrusting his half-hard member against his brother’s straining, round belly to remind him of what they had been doing before the sudden shift in Hades’ mood.

“Y-yes, of course…” the pregnant Olympian murmured, although he did not stop sobbing as he assumed the position for sexual intercourse, placing himself on his knees and elbows in front of Zeus. “Get t-to it, brother…”

Zeus was certain that making love would most definitely improve his brother’s mood, but all the same he did not like to see Hades cry. Carefully, he inserted his fingers into the older god’s snug entrance and massaged, all the while kissing Hades’ back. He felt the trembling of Hades’ sobs become less pronounced, and the quiet sobs grow longer, softer, until they were moans of pleasure.

“My poor brother,” Zeus cooed into the other’s ear, continuing to massage. The way Hades began to move against him suggested the older god wanted more stimulation, and those movements alone started to make Zeus’ phallus throb madly.

“My beautiful brother…” he whispered sweetly, and as gently as possible, he replaced his fingers with his pulsing, hard organ, causing a sudden moan from Hades.

Zeus remained still for quite some time, only three minutes in reality but it felt like hours to him. However, he wanted to establish a connection between himself and his fellow Olympian before they began. His fingers reached beneath long, dark locks of hair, caressing a graceful white neck.

“Please…” Hades begged, pushing himself against the penetration. “Ohhh... brother, move…”

“Gladly,” Zeus said, his voice a whisper but wonderfully low.

Though Hades still felt ashamed of his slowly transforming body, it helped in times such as these when Zeus still found him beautiful. He was grateful for his brother’s patient attempts at reigniting the stimulation so that both gods would feel the full effect of the act itself. When Zeus proceeded to move inside him, Hades gave a long keening moan, and the reason for his tears was soon, if only momentarily forgotten.

Feeling a bit lightheaded, Hades rested his forehead against his arms and closed his eyes, surrendering fully to the pleasure provided by his brother. Zeus took his time, keeping his movements slow and gentle for the sake of the baby, and also attentive to anything that might suggest he was being too harsh. Hades, though encouraged to do so, did not always make vocal objections when Zeus treated him roughly.

The pregnant god was not fully erect when Zeus reached around to fondle his member, but lately Hades had had some trouble staying hard, most likely due to his pregnancy, so Zeus did not interpret the lack of an erection as lack of interest or arousal.

Minutes later, Zeus climaxed, and when doing so, his hold on Hades’ organ tightened to the point of bordering on painful. As soon as his brother pulled out, Hades collapsed onto his side, exhausted and still dizzy, although he simply assumed it was due to his emotional turmoil and their intense lovemaking.

“Shall I try to give you release?” Zeus asked, reaching in between his brother’s legs, but Hades grasped his own flagging penis and weakly shook his head.

“I am too tired…” he murmured. “Now I only wish to sleep…”

Zeus immediately ceased his attempts at manual stimulation and instead kissed his pregnant mate on the cheek. “I’ll sleep with you,” he said, pulling the sheets over their bodies and taking Hades in his arms. The elder god was asleep within minutes, and when Zeus was entirely sure that Hades was not wakeful, he whispered three small words in his brother’s ear.

“I love you.”


TBC...