The Immortal Heart

A/N: Glad you were satisfied with the previous chapter, guys. After such horrifying ordeals, Hades could use some sweet lovin'.


Chapter 21

Poseidon was never asked why he had been so late that day in helping look after Hades. As far as he knew, Hera had not told anyone the reason either, and he realized he liked it that way.

The following morning after Hades’ failed attempt at suicide, Poseidon was on his way to breakfast when he bumped into his eldest sister. In her hands was a tray of food, and the god surmised that today was her turn to bring breakfast to Zeus.

“You are headed the wrong way,” he stated.

Hera cocked her head aside in slight puzzlement. “I beg your pardon?”

“Zeus is not asleep in quarters,” the god elaborated. “He is sleeping with Hades.”

Hera blinked and truly hoped that her mystified anger at the information did not show on her face, though she feared it might have, for the strength of her emotions.

“I thought they were not speaking to one another.”

“They were not,” Poseidon replied. “But now they are reconciled. Hades tried to drown himself in his bathing pool, but Demeter and I managed to put him out of danger. When Zeus learnt of our brother’s attempt, he paid him a visit.” Poseidon smiled a little, his beard hiding much of it if not for the evidence by his rounded cheeks. “And as far as I am aware, Zeus has not left our brother’s quarters, so they must have rectified their problems.”

Hera’s expression was an unreadable one, motionless as that of a statue, and she finally nodded, muttered some kind of halfhearted congratulations for their happiness, and walked down the hallway. Were she able to scream without arousing suspicion, she would have with all her might.

*

Minutes later Zeus awoke to the sound of a metallic clatter. Perplexed, he gently detached himself from Hades, who was still fast asleep, rouse from the bed, and walked to the door to investigate the source of the noise. Opening the door, he saw a tray of food set on the floor. Zeus looked around but could not see any clue as to who had left it, but he picked up the tray nonetheless and brought it inside.

Perhaps whoever brought the food did not want to wake us, he thought.

Quietly setting the tray down on a nearby table, Zeus took a seat on the bed and spent the next few minutes watching his brother sleep. Hades still looked unwell, but also appeared improved in comparison to how he had in the day passed. Smiling, the youngest Olympian leaned down and kissed Hades on the lips.

The few brief seconds before Hades was fully awake, it was almost as if he re-experienced the feeling of being underwater and allowing the fluid to fill his lungs. This time, however, he was struggling up to break the surface, and the god awoke coughing and sputtering despite his lungs being filled with nothing but air.

Zeus recoiled from his brother when the other started coughing and for a brief moment he feared that Hades had become sick. The coughing, however, immediately ceased when Hades regained full consciousness, and the two brothers spent a long moment simply looking at each other.

Zeus was the first to break the uncomfortable silence. “How are you feeling?” he asked.

Hades looked down, suddenly feeling shy and embarrassed in front of the Olympian leader.

“I have been better,” he replied, passing his hand over his stomach, which was starting to regain its previous flat shape, despite the wrinkly, stretched out skin that his unfortunate pregnancy had left behind.

Zeus did not want to look at the place where his child had been growing for so many months, but he feared that Hades in his vulnerable state might mistake his unwillingness to look for revulsion, and so Zeus chose to focus on his brother’s visage instead. Grief and depression had taken their toll on the god’s physical appearance; exhaustion and unwillingness to eat had done the rest, leaving Hades a pale shadow of his former healthy self.

Zeus intended to see to that immediately. “Eat, brother,” he commanded, lifting the food tray over onto the bed. “You must recover your strength.”

Hades averted his gaze, feeling ugly in his present appearance. He was beyond grateful that his brother had returned to him, but his grief for his child still persisted. “I fear I am not hungry,” he murmured.

Zeus held back a sigh and instead plucked a grape from the tray. “Not yet,” he said. “But I am sure we can tempt your stomach into feeding. Here.” He held up the tiny fruit to his brother’s face. “One grape. That is all.”

Hades looked at the offered food hopelessly and glanced at his youngest brother. “Are you certain it will help?”

Zeus smiled. “Humor me.”

Hades took the grape in his fingers and chewed on it. When he swallowed, he was offered another. Zeus was unrelenting if anything. He was stubborn and never gave up. Managing a small smile, the older god parted his lips and Zeus, realizing the intent, placed the grape in his fellow god’s mouth. His smiled increased, Hades placed a slender hand against his brother’s arm and asked for something different.

“Perhaps something heartier…” the younger god replied, and he tore a sliver of meat from the flesh of a deer. The meat felt oily in his fingers, and he playfully wiped some against his brother’s nose after Hades had begun chewing on the tender flesh. Chuckling, Hades wiped at the oil and grabbed a date from the tray, placing it into Zeus’ willing mouth.

Picking up another grape, Zeus crushed it in his hand, juice staining his fingers. Smiling mischievously, he wiped the juice in a line across Hades lips. Hades licked at the juice, but was interrupted by lips against his, tasting the fruit’s essence. Hades moaned slightly at the sensation, the kiss as arousing as the technique employed by his brother. The next line of juice ran down the center of the elder god’s torso, ending at his navel. Hades moaned again, a little louder this time as he felt a tongue run against his skin, and he arched his back, welcoming the pleasure fully and begging in his mind for more. Eyes closed, he could not wait to feel where he would be painted and tasted next.

Suddenly he was broken violently from his pleasurable trance by agony. Though Zeus’ hands were careful, he did not know of the pain which lay within his eldest brother’s chest, and as he wiped the juice against Hades’ nipples, he was rewarded with a horrible cry.

“Hades?” the younger god asked, his mouth agape from the vehement response. “Did I hurt you?”

“My chest…” Hades sobbed, now crying from both the pain of having his nipples touched and the humiliation of Zeus learning about his condition. Still, his brother deserved an explanation.

“Demeter says that the milk inside me is caked,” he haplessly told the questioning younger god. “We cannot draw it out now, and it will continue to ache until it dries up. It doesn’t matter how gentle you are, my chest hurts if it’s as much as touched. I cannot even wear clothes without it causing pain.”

“I understand,” Zeus said almost apologetically. “Is there any other place on your body that causes you pain if it’s touched?”

“Not that I’m aware of…”

The Olympian leader cupped his brother’s thin face, so pale and hollow from the ordeal Hades had been forced to go through, and leaned in to kiss him on the lips. “If you are not ready yet, I can wait,” he said. Coupling with Hades now would not give him the same kind of pleasure if he knew his brother was in too much pain to enjoy it.

The older god was surprised that Zeus still found him attractive enough to bed, but the needling agony radiating from his chest and slowly passing into a burning ache was far too distracting to allow Hades any thoughts of carnal pleasure.

“Perhaps…” He did not want to leave his brother unsatisfied, but it was obvious that the older god’s comfort was very important to Zeus. “Perhaps you could visit me again this evening…? I’d wish to look beautiful for you in any case.”

Zeus smiled, his thumbs rubbing at hollow cheeks before he took his hands away from Hades’ face.

“I will return to your quarters as the sun sets,” he stated, finding slight amusement that the two gods’ roles had been reversed, as opposed to Hades visiting his bed at evening. “By then I would hope you are well again… and I promise to mind where my hands explore. But in the meantime, we still have our breakfast to eat.”

Hades smiled, moved by his brother’s generosity. “I think I am hungry after all,” he replied.

*

While Hades awaited the return of his youngest sibling, Demeter kept him company. The sun was beginning to set and Hades found himself growing nervous in his anticipation.

“What if something happens?” he asked his sister, who was brushing his hair. She playfully clapped a hand against his back.

“Nothing will happen. You have become comfortable in lying with your brother in the past, and this will be no different. He did promise to be mindful of your breasts, did he not?”

“I wish you would not call them that,” Hades grumbled. “I am not a woman anymore.”

“Of course you aren’t,” Demeter said apologetically. Though her brother was still on his way to recovery, at least he had enough incentive to be petulant with her, rather than apathetic and unresponsive. She kissed the crown of his head. “I am sorry. There, how does this look?”

The goddess was referring to the nature of her brother’s hair, and Hades felt it experimentally, searching for any tangles and finding none.

“It is perfect,” he said. “I am washed and my hair is combed…” he trailed off, suddenly feeling the surface of his cheek. “Oh no!” he exclaimed, disappointed in his own folly. “My face is not shorn! How can I welcome Zeus when my cheeks feel like grit??”

Suddenly the door opened, and Zeus entered to find his brother looking quite anxious. “Oh dear,” he said. “Have I arrived at a bad time?”

“No, I…” Hades instinctively replied, not wanting to cause offense to Zeus. “I just… forgot to shave. I am so sorry.” Truth to be told, Hades had not felt motivated to shave his face since the loss of his child, and his cheeks were thus covered in a week’s worth of unkempt stubble. Even a full beard like the one he used to have would not have been as bad as this.

“We can take care of that in little time,” Demeter said soothingly. “Zeus, if you could wait just a little more…”

“No.”

The abrupt negative response made the goddess both surprised and annoyed. “Brother, it will only take a moment—”

“No, I meant that it won’t be necessary,” Zeus explained, smiling. “I’ll take Hades just as he is tonight.”

Touched by the sentiment, Hades gave his younger brother a wide-eyed look. “My face is not pleasant to touch… or look at,” he said carefully.

“I have come to terms with the fact that you are not a goddess, and can thus not be expected to look or feel like one.” The leader went to stand behind the chair where Hades was seated and bent down to sweep his brother’s hair aside and inhale the scent of his skin. “You are my brother, and I’ll take you as you are. If you wish to grow out your beard, you may do so.”

Hades of course wondered what in the world had gotten into his brother. He glanced at Demeter for some kind of possible explanation, but all he got from her was a self-satisfied smile. Before he could really start wondering if Demeter had delayed the shaving on purpose, he was interrupted by Zeus.

“It will make you happy, will it not?”

Hades looked up at his brother, and for the first time in many months, he felt quite shy around him. “Well… I did miss having it…”

“I suspected as much,” Zeus replied, and then he turned to Demeter. “Thank you sister, you may leave now. Hades and I have been planning this ever since breakfast.”

Demeter nodded and rose to leave, although when she gave Hades a kiss goodbye, she whispered something in his ear: “Think more about your wants instead of his sometimes.”

She smiled, gave Zeus a quick kiss on the cheek, and left, closing the door behind her. Almost immediately the youngest god was caressing his brother’s neck.

“You smell lovely,” he mused aloud.

Blushing, Hades smiled. “Thank you.”

“And you always taste equally so.” Zeus opened his mouth and Hades shut his eyes, feeling a tongue slide up the length of his neck. He sighed and leaned backward until his back rested against a stack of cushions at the head of his bed, where Zeus followed. Their kisses commenced, Zeus’ lips traveling along his brother’s jaw, on cheeks, and finally against the other’s lips. Hades moaned into his fellow god’s mouth, and again was treated to exploration by tongue.

After a few heavenly seconds Zeus broke the kiss, leaving Hades tempted to beg for more. “How shall I…” the younger god said, glancing at his brother’s chest. “What can we do to avoid hurting you?”

“Well…” Hades looked down at the puffy, swollen state of his nipples and saw outlines of the small, hard lumps which had formed around them. Touching the lumps was far too painful, but Demeter had explained that they would eventually go away on their own once the milk dried up.

“The best thing would be to avoid touching my chest altogether,” he finally said. “But that will be nigh impossible if we decide to be intimate with one another, so I’ll advise you to just keep your hands away.”

The Olympian leader smiled. “I will try to remember that.” Wrapping both arms around his brother’s slender form, Zeus drew Hades closer, but not close enough for their chests to touch. Mindful of the older god’s words, he fathomed that even skin-to-skin contact was enough to induce pain in Hades, and Zeus wished only to give him pleasure rather than discomfort.

Hades’ breath came heavy when Zeus lifted him against the wall behind his bed, and he was quick to wrap his legs around the bigger god’s waist as his exposed neck was subjected to various forms of worship and exploration by his brother. In truth, Zeus was not fond of having to push back a long, tangled beard to get access to Hades’ neck more than he fancied being orally pleasured by a god with facial hair, but if growing out his beard would make Hades’ recovery easier, he would allow it.

Hades had practically given up on wearing clothes ever since the stillbirth, not only because of his apathy, but since his traditional robes caused far too much pain when put over his chest. Not wanting to completely give up on his modesty, however, the god now wore a very simple toga, basically just a rectangle of fabric, which could be wrapped around his waist and slung over his shoulder, leaving most of his chest bare.

Zeus peeled the piece of clothing from his brother’s body, almost like unwrapping a gift, and when Hades was naked in his arms, he allowed his hands to do some more exploring.

The feeling of being explored by hand without the contact of his chest felt strange at first to Hades. He was also slightly amused by how clumsy Zeus seemed to be when he was not simply diving into instinct, his mindfulness of his brother’s chest making him stop the motion of his hands at times. Zeus almost looked as though his thoughts were coming to a complete halt and wondering what could possibly be done that did not involve fondling the older god’s healing breasts. Knowing how important it was to Zeus to be infallible at all times, especially with his lovers, Hades reached up and planted a kiss against his brother’s lips, smiling. He hoped it would keep his youngest sibling from feeling discouraged.

Grinning, Zeus kissed back, and his hands, gripped around the curve of Hades’ hips, drifted beyond. Soon Hades was feeling those wonderful big fingers delving past the halves of his rump and into the cleft.

The sensation felt amazing, but Hades stiffened in response, and he knew his brother could feel his reaction. Parting his lips away from the other, Zeus looked into the elder god’s eyes.

“Have I done something wrong?”

“No…” Hades murmured, eyes glazed over in satisfaction. “I’ve… I’ve only wondered… how will it feel there, after…” He hated to mention the birth. He wanted to be taken by Zeus this night, so very badly. He did not need to be driven back into grief. “After the damage done,” he finally said.

Zeus held him close, but not close enough to press the smaller god’s chest against him.

“We can always use more oil,” the younger god said with a wink. Hades smiled a small, loving smile.

“And how must it look?” he asked.

“If I may…?” Zeus said, one of his hands carefully exploring the cleft. Still aroused, Hades sighed audibly when he felt a fingertip, quickly joined by a second, gently prodding at the puckered, tight orifice. Zeus nuzzled his brother’s cheek.

“It feels alright to me,” he whispered.

This was reassuring enough to Hades, and he was able to relax again, though frankly he was surprised that his weakened body still had the ability to heal quickly.

“I hope you can still get pleasure from me like before,” he said, caressing Zeus’ powerful shoulders while his brother’s fingers continued their exploration within his body.

“If I’m hurting you, ask me to stop, and I will,” Zeus replied, still concerned about the other’s apparent physical frailty. He almost expected Hades to break in two if he was pounded into too roughly.

“I will, brother.”

“Good. Do you have the oil?”

Nodding, Hades reached into his bedside drawer and procured a small phial of fragrant rose oil made for him by Demeter. His sister had made the oil for him to aid his skin in coping with the pressures of pregnancy, and though looking at the phial brought back painful memories, it would be a welcome change from the lamp oil they had used until now.

Zeus opened the phial and inhaled the scent of the liquid within. “My goodness, this smells absolutely delicious!” he exclaimed. “Our sister has certainly outdone herself this time.”

He dipped his fingers in the scented oil and gently guided Hades to lie on his back before spreading his graceful long legs even wider apart. Zeus would have found it incredibly arousing to rub the oil into Hades’ chest, and the fact that such was out of the question only made him want it more.

“I hope you are ready for me,” he said, inserting two fingers into his brother’s snug inner passage. Hades mewled softly in response and regretted not being able to stimulate himself by rubbing his own nipples.

*

Hera had been watching her youngest brother’s movements ever since she went to bring him breakfast and found out that Zeus had indeed gone back to be with Hades. Less than an hour ago, she had seen Zeus enter Hades’ quarters again, with Demeter leaving shortly afterwards. This could only mean that the Olympian leader intended to stay the night.

The madly jealous goddess would have wanted nothing more than to burst uninvited into Hades’ bedchamber to forcibly part Zeus from the miserable wretch of a god he had developed such an uncanny attachment to. She was, of course, well aware that such an act would not aid her cause, and rather than making her presence known, Hera furtively sneaked to the door and pressed her ear against it.

Surely within seconds, she heard soft moans, muffled by the distance and the separation of the heavy door.

Curse them, she thought. Staying any longer would only make her angrier but she was mysteriously compelled to stay, to hear every cry of pleasure, every pleading word asking for more. And she would have remained all but glued to the door had she not heard a noise come from down the hall.

She jolted and turned, realizing as she felt a breeze on her cheek that it was only the wind, blowing about the corners of the fortress and through windows, likely knocking something over.

How much time had she taken in lingering by the door? Looking around the hallway, Hera realized she had risked more than what was considered safe. If she was to find out what else was going on beyond that door, she had to think of somewhere better to listen, rather than be caught in the act as though she were some kind of spying sneak.

“Hestia…” she muttered, an idea forming in her brain.

Hurrying down the hall, she reached the door to Hestia’s quarters, looked around the halls a final time, and opened the door, disappearing inside. Hera knew her sister was spending time picking fruit by the moonlight with Demeter, and their fun would likely continue into other, far more stimulating activities. The goddess surmised she would have all the time she needed.

Not bothering to light any lamps, she snuck through her sister’s rooms, her vision clear in the moon’s gentle glow. Finally she found the bathing pool, which was adjacent to Hades’ bedroom, and she pressed her ear against the wall, creeping along and listening for the moans once more. Searching did not take long, and from what she could hear, Zeus and Hades were well on their way to climax.

*

The two gods were completely oblivious to the fact that their activities had attracted a listener. Hades, seated across his brother’s lap, still had his back against the wall as he was thrust into; a cunning device by Zeus to keep him from putting any weight against the smaller god’s chest.

Hades’ fears that the grueling birth had somehow caused him permanent damage were soon obliterated by the tingling pleasure that filled his entire being, accompanied by sounds which suggested that Zeus was enjoying himself just as much.

The younger god deliberately kissed his older brother’s rough, stubbly cheek just to show him that shaved or unshaved, Hades was just as attractive to him.

“Oh, brother… yes!” Hades let out a particularly keening moan as he felt his release approaching, and he blindly grasped for whatever part of Zeus he could access with his hands. Finally he settled for the other’s muscled thighs and dug his fingers deep into his brother’s flesh when his pleasure peaked, resulting in a pearly jet of semen being released from his member.

*

Hera’s features twisted into a disgusted snarl when she heard a sound from Hades that could only mean that her brother had climaxed. She was tempted to bang her fists against the wall and perhaps even make them aware of her presence, but Zeus had not found release yet and Hera knew from personal experience that not much could distract the leader of the Olympians when he was being governed by his lust.

It should be me in there, with him, Hera thought resentfully. Hades is not worthy of Zeus’ love. It should be me!

She was interrupted in her thoughts by the sound of a door opening and closing, closely followed by the sound of both her sister’s voices.

“Only you could be so creative, sister,” Hestia’s voice rang out, clearly directed at Demeter, who was laughing.

“I am afraid I did not think of the idea outright,” Demeter answered. “Hades told me he and Zeus were doing the same thing this morning with their breakfast. I only went further with the idea with you.”

Hera hardly wanted to know more about her sisters’ activity during their errand, but she wanted even less to be caught. But how could she escape? The only windows were in rooms where she would be spotted immediately, especially in the light, no matter how dimly the moon shone. She certainly was not going to wait until the two goddesses fell asleep either, which could take hours. Even hiding out where she was ran the risk of being caught, as either Hestia or Demeter might decide a bath would be appropriate. Sighing in defeat, Hera realized she had no choice.

Demeter was currently eating a sweet berry she had kept for herself in a small pouch. Hestia leaned in to share the taste of the berry, as they had done many times before they arrived home.

“Enjoying yourselves?”

Both sisters jumped in surprise at the sudden presence, but calmed down when they realized who was standing in the doorway to the pool.

“Hera!” Demeter exclaimed softly. “What on earth are you doing here??”

“Hiding away, are you?” Hestia added in, sounding a little annoyed. “Whatever for? Were you anticipating our return?”

“Yes,” Hera replied, warming to the idea which now grew in her mind. “But my patience has run thin. Besides, you seem to be doing just fine without me…” She strode past them, their eyes wide in puzzlement.

“No, wait, sister,” Hestia said, stepping toward her, hands out to stop her. “If you seek our attention, I am sure we can arrange it.”

“No,” Hera said, adding just the right amount of irritation and false politeness, as though she were hiding her hurt feelings in vain. “I no longer seek the company of either of you. Good night.”

Utterly taken aback, Demeter and Hestia simply stood staring at their sister’s departing form. They glanced at one another, seeking some sort of answer but receiving none.

“What in the world was that about?” Demeter asked.

“I think she was awaiting a night with us…” Hestia said, her face still wearing a mask of perplexity. “I don’t recall her requesting one with us though, do you?”

Demeter shook her head. “Should we go apologize?”

“Probably not,” Hestia answered, picking up another berry. “She will come around on her own as always.” She smiled slyly. “Now where were we?”

*

Zeus felt euphoric the moments following his long-awaited release, but the blessed feeling faded somewhat when he realized that Hades was not able to fully share it because of the pain in his chest. Rather than curling up against his brother, the smaller god withdrew from Zeus to avoid painful pressure against the affected area, which had begun to throb with renewed vehemence.

Zeus placed a hand against Hades’ slight back, saddened by the development. “Brother…”

“I wish I could share your pleasure,” Hades said, his breath labored. “But this cursed ache distracts me from feeling anything else. Perhaps I should leave. My restlessness will only keep you awake at night.”

“Hades…”

“I am sorry, brother. I truly am.” Hades slowly sat up and made an attempt to rise from bed, which was prevented by Zeus’ hand grasping his neck.

“My darling brother, this is your bedchamber,” Zeus said, holding back a chuckle. “I came to visit your bed.”

“…oh yes, so it is,” Hades admitted, wondering if the pain or Zeus’ presence was to blame for his inability to focus his thoughts. Now blushing from embarrassment, he sank back against the pillows, looking down at his scrawny chest with the swollen, leaking nipples.

“Perhaps Demeter could help me,” he mused to himself. “She once made a poultice that took the pain away for a few hours… Maybe it will work again.”

Zeus, now frowning, leaned closer to his brother and allowed his hand to hover above the older god’s chest for a moment without touching him. “Perhaps I could help you,” he said, contemplating the issue.

Healing was his sister’s field, not his, and Zeus’ experience did not extend further than healing lesser battle wounds on himself or Poseidon. All gods possessed the ability to mold and manipulate living flesh, but without knowing what he was doing, Zeus feared causing more harm than good.

“Help me…?” Hades asked dubiously. “How would you help me, brother?”

“I could try to take the pain away…” his brother replied. “If you will allow me…?”

Hades, though moved by the offer, was uncertain as to how the pain could be taken away outright without the help of herbs or potions.

“I have never done this before,” Zeus said, hand still inches away from the tender flesh. “But I could try to change your milk… so that you can expel it.”

Eyebrows raised, Hades only stared at his youngest sibling. “Do you think you are able to do it?” he asked. “What if something goes wrong?”

“At least let me try, dear brother,” Zeus said. The more he considered the idea, the more his confidence grew. He could only hope that he was not simply acting on foolish bravado. “I cannot bear seeing you in such pain, in your mind alone. Please allow me to take away the pain of your body?”

Hades considered, weighing his options. He could either risk his brother willing the pain away, or keep waiting for the agony, which robbed him of his pleasure and reminded him of his loss, to end on its own.

“Alright.”

Zeus smiled slightly and adjusted both his and his brother’s positions on the bed. He made absolutely sure that Hades was seated comfortably before he attempted anything, and as he prepared to place his hands over the aching chest, he kissed Hades’ forehead.

“Are you ready?”

Hades took a deep breath and nodded, eyes shut.

Though he was slow and gentle, Zeus’ hands were excruciating as they landed on his brother’s chest. Hades tried to keep himself from crying out, but he whimpered nonetheless. He received another kiss for his trouble.

Please, Zeus thought as he focused. Please let this succeed.

Though his brother had told him to remain still, Hades had difficulties heeding this command because of the pain caused by Zeus’ hands against his chest. He didn’t know if the other had begun working his magic just yet, but whether it worked or not, Hades couldn’t help but wish it would all be over very soon.

After what felt like an eternity, Zeus withdrew his hands. “There,” he said, brushing back his brother’s hair from the other’s sweating forehead. “Are you feeling better?”

Hades opened his weary, emerald eyes, gazing into a pair of sympathetic blue ones that belonged to his youngest brother. He wanted to say that the treatment had worked, but truth to be told, he felt no difference at all.

“I… I’m not sure,” he said after a long pause.

Feeling slightly deflated, Zeus simply nodded and tried not to be too discouraged by the apparent failure. At least he had not made matters any worse than they already were.

Despite his brother’s warnings that he might find sleeping a difficult task, Zeus decided to spend the night in bed with Hades. It was what Demeter expected him to do, and though Zeus believed Hades to be recovered enough to refrain from harming himself, one could never be too sure.

Though in close proximity of each other, the two gods went to sleep separately without any physical contact in between themselves. Hades would have appreciated the feel of two strong arms wrapped tightly around him, but neither wanted to risk Zeus’ hands accidentally touching where they were not supposed to.

The night progressed in relative peace, at least until Zeus was awakened by a soft whimper originating from his brother. Lifting his head from the pillow, the Olympian leader peered anxiously at the back facing him.

“Hades…?”

Hades turned over onto his back, his face twisted by a wince of great discomfort.

“Brother, are you in pain?” Zeus asked.

“A little, but…” Hades trailed off, and Zeus could see his brother was pressing hands to his chest. Before the youngest god’s attempt at healing, Hades could barely move his arms without feeling some sort of pain from the sore flesh. But, now the elder god was inspecting his own chest by hand, with barely a reaction.

“It barely hurts as it once had,” Hades remarked in awe.

Zeus quickly dashed to a lamp and ignited it, bringing it back to the bed just in time to see his brother pull his hands away. They both looked on, eyes wide, at the way Hades’ hands glistened with milk in the dim lamplight.

“Upon my word,” Zeus said, dumbfounded. He had done it, he had truly done it. He had succeeded!

Hades remained silent. He had remembered his chest being tender in his pregnancy, and it still was, but compared to the pain he experienced only hours before, he felt numb. He smiled at the circumstances, grateful for his brother’s help and for the disappearing agony.

“It worked,” he simply said, and his brother’s reply was a big wet kiss against his cheek.
“
I suppose this means we may embrace,” Zeus suggested, and he was welcomed by a pair of wiry arms wrapping around him, encouraging his affections. The younger god felt a chill against his skin when the dampness of his brother’s chest touched him.

“Oh dear,” Hades said. He looked down at his nipples, watching them weep with milk. “Now what to do about these?” The god’s voice suggested that he more spoke to himself than his brother. Zeus watched as the look on his fellow Olympian’s face went very quickly from relieved wonder to sad recollection.

“I cannot simply allow them to drip all night…” Hades muttered.

“The milk is finally being expelled from you, and that is a good thing,” Zeus pointed out. “But perhaps there is something we could do to keep you from staining the entire bed…”

He looked around and soon his gaze fell on the piece of fabric Hades had used as an improvised toga when his brother arrived hours ago. Zeus took the rectangular piece of fabric, folded it into a neat square, and offered it to the older god.

“This will absorb your milk,” he said. “In the morning we can ask your sister what to do about it.”

Hades hardly wanted to awake Demeter in the middle of the night and figured that Zeus’ temporary solution would suffice. At least he was rid of the pain, if only temporarily.

The two gods lay back down to sleep, this time with Zeus’ arms around Hades and a dampening piece of fabric pressed against Hades’ leaking chest.


TBC...