The Immortal Heart

Chapter 3

Hades was not approached by Zeus on the next day, or the day after that. The pain between his legs was basically gone, and Hades was starting to look forward to another night spent with the Olympian leader. Zeus, however, seemed to have gone back to ignoring his oldest brother.

A week passed, and Hades only saw the younger god on occasion, mostly when they were both dining with their kin, but Zeus made no attempts to initiate other than casual conversation, and he showed no signs of wanting Hades back in his bed.

The elder god dared not approach his brother and ask if he had done anything to displease Zeus, even though he naturally assumed that this was the case. Zeus had not looked kindly upon his brother taking the initiative or questioning his choices, and Hades did not want to cause any more offense than he possibly already had. Fighting an ongoing battle against his own insecurities, the raven-haired god could only cling onto a small sliver of hope that he was wrong.

One evening, eight days after Zeus bedded him, Hades went to join his siblings for supper after spending an entire day in the solitude of his bedchamber. The sight which greeted him upon entering was a surprise, however. Only the three goddesses were seated around the dining table, while the seats of both Zeus and Poseidon were empty.

Taking his usual seat, Hades picked up his eating utensils, scooped some food onto them, and hesitated before putting the food into his mouth. “Where are our brothers?” he asked, hoping his tone did not sound too worried.

“They are hunting,” Hestia answered before taking a sip of wine. “The boar meat ran out surprisingly fast.”

“Well, we all did love to eat it so,” Demeter added with an amused grin.

Hades presently did not care about the reason for his brothers’ hunting endeavor. Hunting for meat was what Zeus had called a god’s duty, and yet only two male siblings of the family had departed.

“I cannot help but wonder why they did not invite me to attend,” Hades muttered. He felt childish to say it, but he knew he could speak his feelings freely when Zeus was not present to reprimand judgment concerning his decisions.

Hera did not manage to hold back a sneer, though only her sisters saw her expression, as Hades was too preoccupied with staring at his plate. “Zeus does not need to invite everyone to his activities, Hades,” she said. “He has made love to each of us and yet does not feel the need to bring us hunting.”

Hades frowned, thinking perhaps he had imagined the verbal backhanding, but Hestia’s exclamation proved him wrong.

“Hera!”

“I am only speaking the truth, sister. Zeus needs able-bodied gods to attend his hunt, and this is why Poseidon was invited.”

Hades tried to think of a suitable retort to his sister’s barb, but the air left him in a powerless sigh when he opened his mouth. Hera was right. Zeus required only able-bodied companions on his hunts, and Hades was sadly not counted as one of those. While he was as much a brother to the leader as Poseidon, he knew that Zeus did not view him as such. Poseidon was Zeus’ second-in-command, his comrade, and his loyal companion with duties of his own; in fact the closest to an equal the Olympian leader had.

Hades was none of these things. He was not even a goddess, but regarded as something ranked possibly even lower. He had thought that being able to please his brother in bed meant Zeus had found some kind of use for him, which was certainly better than being treated as though he did not even exist.

Feeling the bits of food he tried to eat growing in his mouth, Hades abruptly stood, head and eyes lowered. He could not remain here, not with Hera’s mocking gaze burning through him.

“I apologize, sisters…” he managed to say, suddenly craving solitude like never before. “I do not feel well.”

Demeter stood up as well, concern marring her features. “Hades, what is the matter?”

“I…” Hades was interrupted by a sound familiar to them all by now; Zeus’ rapidly approaching voice and steps. And from the sound of it, the leader was in high spirits.

Hera was eager to rush to the youngest Olympian’s side the very moment he appeared at the door, even though he had a rather large dead buck slung over his shoulder. He welcomed an embrace from her with a wide smile. Poseidon entered in his brother’s wake, holding the smaller yet still impressive body of another deer. Hades had a feeling he would have been unable to carry either.

“I see your hunt was more than fruitful,” Hera said, letting go of her brother.

“We were in luck,” Zeus responded, indicating his kill. “Two deer in one outing. We have our brother to thank. He was the one who spotted the herd, and the one to help take down two. I’m grateful to have invited him.”

Hearing the praise over Poseidon made Hades feel even worse, and he muttered a quick “excuse me” as he hurried out of the out of the hall. Zeus and Poseidon only stared in utter bafflement while Hestia and Demeter gave looks of sullen regret. Hera was the only sibling to find some sort of perverse satisfaction in her brother’s state of upset, and her smirk did not go unnoticed by Hestia, who frowned with disapproval at her.

“Whatever was that about?” Zeus asked, clueless.

“Nothing,” Demeter quickly replied. Hades clearly needed some isolation and would not willingly welcome an intrusion to his misery by the youngest Olympian. Instead, the goddess stepped forward and offered to help carry the smaller of deer. “We should have this meat carved and preserved before it spoils.”

Zeus left to give himself a bath and relax after the physically strenuous hunt; disemboweling the prey and putting the meat away was a task he left to his sisters, although Poseidon also stayed behind to give them a hand.

The leader of the Olympians submerged himself in his bath and took the time to properly wash his body clean of the blood, dirt and grime that clung to him from the hunt. Though returning to his family with no less than two prey, Zeus was still puzzled by Hades’ strange behavior. The older god had appeared bothered, distressed even, and did not even stay to congratulate his brothers on a successful hunt.

Zeus did not tolerate any strife within his family; in order to have a chance of defeating their father, they had to stay united. Hades was clearly upset about something, and Zeus would find out the reason for it, even if it meant pulling the answer out of his brother.

The youngest Olympian got up from his bath and quickly dried himself; soon he would pay a visit to Hades and have a word with him, but not before helping himself to some wine. Zeus threw his wet hair over his shoulder and walked back into his bedchamber, still unclothed, and reclining on his bed, he poured himself a well-earned chalice of wine.

Once he had drained the glass empty, he lazily grabbed a robe and wrapped it around his waist, otherwise naked. Surely this talk would not take very long, and perhaps afterwards he could reward Hera for her enthusiasm and joy when she greeted his return home.

Zeus did not bother knocking, entering Hades’ living quarters without warning nor request. Hades predictably jolted in his seat on the bed, surprised that his leader would pay him a visit.

“Do not be afraid,” Zeus said, hands out. “It is only me.”

That is what worries me, Hades thought, but he remained silent.

“I have been wondering the reason behind your exeunt earlier, brother,” Zeus stated as he sat down next to Hades on the bedside. “You looked to be in deep distress, and I would not wish my family to be upset in anyway, or to be displeased with one another.”

Then speak with Hera, Hades again thought but did not say. He could only hope Zeus was unable to read thoughts.

“Please, share your troubles with me,” the younger god insisted, though his tone did not sound incredibly interested.

Hades averted his gaze, staring at his knees instead of making eye contact with his brother. He struggled with the words for half of a minute until he could finally bring himself to speak. The elder god could not exactly proposition his brother. He remembered all too clearly the last time he had made any sort of advancement on Zeus.

“I… am sad. I miss making love.”

Zeus raised an eyebrow. “To me?”

Hades nodded, color rushing to his cheeks.

“Is Demeter not to your tastes?”

As this question Hades finally looked up at Zeus, his eyes reading of confusion.

“You spend much time with our sister, and yet it would appear you do not take her to bed. Why is this?”

“We have slept in the same bed…” Hades slowly admitted, thinking back on the night his sister had helped relieve the pain left over from Zeus’ attentions. Thoughts of doing anything with her except sleep had been completely absent from his mind, however.

Zeus again raised an eyebrow at this.

“…but we did not lie with one another,” Hades continued. “We are brother and sister only, not lovers.”

The younger Olympian curiously cocked his head as he regarded his brother. What Hades told him was difficult for him to comprehend; Demeter was beautiful and yet Hades was telling him that he harbored no thoughts of making love to her?

“Your answer baffles me, brother,” he said truthfully. “Certainly Demeter would be willing to oblige you, should you ask her.”

Hades looked into his younger brother’s sky-blue eyes. “Even if so, would you have approved? I know that you bed her, and I thought perhaps the idea of me doing the same would cause you offense.”

Zeus merely shrugged. “Not at all. Demeter is not my consort. I would not forbid her to lie with another, should she wish it.”

“I see, brother.”

“Hades…” The leader lifted his hand to his brother’s face and cupped his jaw. “Tell me more about the reason for your melancholy.”

“I…” Hades began, unsure of how to properly explain his plight without offending Zeus. “You have shown no signs of wanting me again after our… our first time, and I wonder if I did something to displease you, or… what other reason there might be… I can do better if you give me another chance, you have my word on it…”

Zeus found pity in his heart at Hades’ words. True, the older god was his favorite sibling, but he did not truly love him, not yet anyway. His night spent with Hades was lovely, but not the best he had ever had, not that it was through any deliberate fault of his brother’s own.

“Now, now…” Zeus interrupted the other’s pleas. “I have several lovers here in my family. I have to pay attention to the needs of all of them. Some days my mood suggests Hera, others it suggests your beloved Demeter.” He caressed Hades’ cheek with the back of his hand, as though to tempt a child away from shedding tears.

“I am glad to know you would look forward to another night in bed with me,” the younger god continued. “Yes, perhaps things were not ideal for us. After all, you are male and cannot produce the fluids our sisters can. It can be a little bothersome to rely on lamp oils.”

Hades looked back down at the floor, embarrassed. Zeus lifted his head to look up at him.

“Rest assured that our first night together was not the last. Perhaps I shall find it appropriate to give us a second try very soon.”

Hades was not sure what to say. This conversation was going far better than he had thought. “Thank you, Zeus.”

Lips were against his before he could say more, and the brothers’ kiss brought warmth from the pit of his stomach. He parted his lips this time so that Zeus’ tongue could enter him. Hades almost moaned from the kiss itself.

“Now…” Zeus said once their mouths were separated. “I think I might want you to pay me a little visit tomorrow evening, at sundown.”

Hades tried to keep his enthusiasm from showing too clearly, but it was difficult to contain, and he was certain that Zeus could see through him like glass in any case.

“I very much look forward to that…” the older god finally said, his breath hitching in his throat. He could feel the blush creeping over his face, and he could also feel other parts of his body responding to the kiss he had shared with his brother. Such was slightly embarrassing, as Zeus would not bed him now, and Hades squirmed, moving his legs to hide his growing arousal from the other.

Zeus bid his brother goodnight and left, most likely to indulge himself with one of their sisters. Hades remained in place in his bed, his heart beating rapidly even several minutes after Zeus’ departure. When licking his lips, he could still taste his brother on them, and despite repeated attempts to calm himself, his member remained hard and begging for attention.

Knowing it was not going to get any attention from anyone except himself this evening, Hades lay down and began to pull up his robe until his he was able to grip his rigid phallus. Breath came heavy and hard as the god pleasured himself, images of his youngest brother fluttering through his mind while his hand pumped almost ravenously. He found release shortly, his seed staining both his robes and the sheets below him. At least in his own chambers, he was not required to use a chamber pot when spilling his essence.


TBC...