The Immortal Heart

A/N: This chapter contains a het pairing. Just thought I'd mention it.


Chapter 5

Demeter assisted Hades in removing the facial hair, as Hades had worried himself into the fear that his hands would nervously slip and he would slit his own throat. When she was done, Hades found himself staring for quite some time at his reflection on the surface of water in his wash basin. Having been bearded for so long, his new face felt surreal. Demeter held back a giggle when she saw Hades feel his face, trying to physically prove this was truly his reflection staring back at him.

“This is me,” he said plainly.

“Yes, this is you. Shorn and ready for Zeus’ pleasure.”

“It looks so strange.”

Demeter stroked at the now smooth surface of Hades’ cheek, smiling. “You will become accustomed to it in time. How else could you have lived with that beard for so long?”

Hades glanced at his sister, who winked mischievously at him.

A few minutes later, Hades took a deep breath and wandered the halls, selecting a place to await Zeus’ passing by, nearby the leader’s living quarters. The elder god was anxious to know his brother’s opinion of his new look. He hated to have gone through the trouble only to have Zeus change his mind.

Hades spent the next half hour waiting for his brother to either exit his living quarters or return to them, but eventually he grew tired of waiting and decided to leave. Zeus would see his new hairless visage in due time and Hades awaited that moment with his fair share of dread.

When it was finally time for supper, the eldest god practically dragged his feet behind him to postpone the inevitable. Literally holding his breath, he entered the dining hall, expecting to be face to face with his brother within seconds. However, the seats of Zeus and Poseidon were both empty, and before Hades had even opened his mouth to ask his sisters of the whereabouts of his two brothers, Hestia had an answer ready for him.

“Zeus and Poseidon are out fishing,” she said. “They should be with us shortly.” She then looked up from her meal, and her eyes widened upon seeing her brother’s shaved face. “Hades! What have you done with your beard?”

Demeter placed a hand over her sister’s arm; a wordless admonition not to pry into a sensitive subject. Hestia said nothing more, but she was unable to keep herself from throwing curious glances at Hades. Meanwhile, a snort was the only reaction he received from Hera, who decided not to dignify her brother’s changed appearance with a comment.

The quartet ate in silence for another few minutes, until sounds from the adjoining hallway signaled the return of their two brothers. Poseidon entered first, carrying a large basket filled with fish on his back. Zeus entered moments later, the body of a large sea turtle in his arms. An awed murmur sounded from the gods seated around the table; turtles were a delicacy, and specimens this size were particularly difficult to come by.

“Ahh, what a bountiful feast our brothers have provided,” Hera said with a grin. “And who is responsible for beast in your arms, brother Zeus?”

“This time it is myself,” Zeus replied, practically beaming. “But I had a little help.”

Poseidon chuckled knowingly, as though “a little help” did not nearly describe the role he played in their outing.

Looking around the table, Zeus had to throw a second glance at Hades when he realized his brother had shaved, just as requested. He stared for a moment at the sight. Hades blushed.

“Poseidon,” the youngest Olympian muttered, “these need to be stored. Hera, would you help our brother?”

Hera gave one look at the direction of her leader’s gaze and held back a sneer. “Yes, brother, at once.” She stood up and left the room with Poseidon, resentful that she had to take Zeus’ place merely for him to indulge in the entertainment that was Hades’ new appearance.

Hades blushed even deeper when his brother approached, took him by the hand, and guided him to stand up from his seat.

“If I may…” Zeus flattened his palm against Hades’ cheek without waiting for even a word of consent. “Almost the same as your sisters,” the youngest god mused aloud. Hestia and Demeter giggled, and Hades almost hated them for it.

“Storing the food would not take very long, Zeus,” Hades managed to say, suddenly shy from the way his brother felt his face. “Hera must be furious that you sent her to do your work.”

“If it means a few minutes closer to enjoy your little gift, then so be it,” Zeus replied, absolutely grinning ear to ear as he delighted in the inspection of his eldest brother’s new face.

Hades’ inherent beauty was even more obvious now when his face was clean-shaven, and Zeus could hardly wait to feel the difference himself when taking his brother to bed. Perhaps he would already indulge himself to the treat tonight, when darkness had fallen over the lands and oceans and the rest of the household was blissfully asleep.

Zeus let his hand drift from his brother’s cheek to his neck, which it took in a firm yet gentle hold, and he bent down to whisper in Hades’ ear. “Visit me tonight, my beautiful, and I will reward you for your compliance.”

The Olympian leader withdrew from his meek brother, but not before passing his hand over Hades’ backside through his robes. The elder god visibly jumped from the touch, eliciting a chuckle from Zeus, who finally sat down and helped himself to a robust helping of food, most likely to compensate for the energy spent out fishing with Poseidon.

Shortly, Poseidon returned to the dining hall, but to everyone’s surprise, Hera did not accompany him. When asked why their sister did not rejoin them, Poseidon merely shrugged. “Hera complained about the smell of fish after we had stored the ones we caught in salt,” he said. “She went to take a bath.”

Zeus raised an eyebrow at this but did not remark on their oldest sister’s strange behavior, as he already knew the reason for it. Hera was jealous, plain and simple. Zeus’ recent blossoming interest in Hades did not sit well with the goddess, who had harbored a wish to become Zeus’ consort for the longest time. Hera had not openly spoken her wish, but she had made hints that were difficult to miss or ignore.

Not terribly concerned with Hera’s feelings, Zeus reached out to touch the brother sitting to his left, this time brushing Hades’ long hair behind his shoulder, and he was immensely pleased when the other leaned into the touch.

Hades had shut his eyes to savor the blissful contact. He could not believe his luck. As he opened his eyes, he caught a glimpse of the looks on Hestia and Demeter’s faces. They were desperate to hold back their smug grins. A look from Hades was all they needed to stop, and instead they smiled politely, finishing their meals.

*

The moon had completed its metamorphosis twice since that pivotal night when Zeus had found his demand fulfilled, and ever since then, Hades’ visage remained free of a beard. He had grown used to using the blade himself without assistance, but every so often he would ask Demeter to help. He truly reasoned she could master a closer shave than he, but a part of him had also found a trustworthy companion in his sister. He found her beautiful, of course, there was no question, but he was not attracted to her. Demeter was kind, and somehow Hades found himself believing he could share anything with her. She never judged his decisions or habits, not outwardly anyway, and she was always happy to listen to him.

So trusted was she to Hades that the god felt he was ready to introduce her to the place where only he and Zeus knew of: the spring. He had bathed there exclusively and in isolation for so long, and he wanted to share the serenity of that solitude with Demeter.

The autumn was slowly drifting into the colder winter season, and Hades knew that fairly soon it would be too cold to bathe in the spring for months. So far, however, the water was a comfortable temperature, and Hades was certain that his sister would appreciate the beauty of his very own bathing place.

“Shall I bring food?” the goddess asked when Hades approached her with his proposal. She was more than just a little surprised to be invited to what momentarily seemed like a romantic getaway by her shy older brother, but Demeter did not wish to embarrass Hades and thus did not ask for the reason. Could it be that after all this time, he had now begun to view her as more than his sister and friend?

“Yes, that would be nice,” the dark-haired god replied, excited, but for a completely different reason than his sister had thought.

The walk to the spring passed mostly in a companionable silence, though at one point, Demeter felt compelled to reach out and take her brother’s hand in her own. Hades was initially surprised by the gesture but welcomed it, adjusting his steps to hers so that they could comfortably maintain the interlacing of fingers.

“Where are you taking me, Hades?” Demeter asked, finally overcome by her curiosity.

“Just to a place where I often go,” Hades said with a smile, and he tugged her by the hand as they navigated the treacherous rocks and fallen tress throughout the woods. As they went on, Demeter realized she could hear the steadily louder sound of a small waterfall.

Finally the two Olympians reached a clearing, where Hades let go of his sister’s hand and walked ahead, standing at the edge of the spring and stretching his arms to the beautiful sight.

“Here it is,” he announced. “This is where I come to bathe, to be alone.”

Demeter’s eyes were wide with awe at the place, and she removed her sandals, approaching the water with lifted robes, testing the temperature with her feet. “This is where you escape to?” she asked, still in slight disbelief. How had she or her other siblings overlooked such a stunning place?

Hades chuckled. “Surely you know I am not one for exposure. This is where I find my peace. Sadly Zeus followed me here once and now it is not such a secret anymore.”

“Then why bring anyone else here?” the goddess inquired.

“I trust you,” Hades replied. “If I had the choice, you would have been the only one to have known of this spring’s location.”

Demeter had to blush at the words, and she put a hand to her face, moved at her brother’s comfort with her. When she looked back at Hades again, he was shedding himself of his robes and walking from the shallow end of the spring into deeper waters, submerging long enough to wet his hair.

She watched him for a moment, unsure of how to react. He had brought her here and just recently said that he trusted her, but did that also mean she was free to join him in his very own spring? Demeter did not want to risk causing her brother offense, not when the two had begun to develop such a close and intimate relationship.

Hades stroked his wet hair back, savoring the clean pureness of the water here, so much clearer and fresher than the water in their indoor bathing pools at the fortress. He used them only when necessary and always preferred to bathe himself here were he able.

“Come and join me, sister!” he called out to Demeter when he noticed her hesitation. It hadn’t occurred to him that the goddess might be too modest to undress in front of him, but her behavior certainly supported the notion. “I can turn away, if you’d prefer that,” Hades added, but the laughter instantly breaking from his sister’s throat puzzled him.

“Oh, that will certainly not be necessary,” she called back, already undoing the fastenings of her gown. “I will join you in just one moment.”

Before entering the water, however, Demeter placed both her own and Hades’ clothes in the grass underneath a small fig tree to keep them from accidentally getting wet or soiled. Hades tried to keep from staring at his sister’s unclothed form out of politeness, but even though he had – albeit briefly – seen her naked before, it was interesting to compare the differences between her body and that of Zeus, the only other god Hades had spent a substantial amount of time with unclothed.

As she stepped into the water, Hades could not help but compare her body to his own. With his skinny, lithe frame, he was more similar in appearance to his sisters than to Poseidon or Zeus. Now that his beard was gone, he could have easily been mistaken for female if not for the lack of shape in his waist and hips and his flat chest.

Demeter undid the pins holding her hair together and dunked her head into the water, smiling in amusement as she resurfaced. “This certainly is different than our pools in the fortress,” she said.

“I agree.” Hades lifted his hands, gazing at the way his hair covered him like a makeshift cloak. His sister’s hair was long, but nowhere near the length of his.

“Look at you,” Demeter said, regarding his dark locks. She reached out and took a floating string of hair into her fingers. “What I would not give for hair such as yours.”

“Trust me,” the god replied, gathering up his hair in both hands behind him, showing how cumbersome the seemingly simple act was. “Your sentiment would change if you had to wash so much of it.”

Demeter laughed. “Allow me to help…?”

Hades smiled and leaned back allowing his hair to soak again. Feeling the mess of hair floating underwater was like trying to feel one’s way through the spring’s own vegetation, and Demeter took great care in helping her brother bathe.

“I will try to make certain you do not ensnare any frogs in these tresses,” she said teasingly.

Hades’ brow furrowed at the mere thought of having a frog or a toad stuck in his hair after exiting the spring, and he felt like pulling his fingers through his locks to check it, just to be on the safe side.

As Demeter carded her long, shapely fingers through her brother’s dark tresses, a thought occurred to her. Hades had kept his face clean-shaven for Zeus ever since their leader’s command to get rid of his beard, and Zeus had taken his oldest brother to bed quite frequently in the past few months. Demeter knew this, since she had encountered Hades in her youngest brother’s private bedchamber many times when bringing Zeus his breakfast. Hades did not directly discuss his relationship with Zeus with her, and the goddess thought it rude to pry.

“Do you ever come here with Zeus?” she asked conversationally while her hands kept on playing with his hair.

“Apart from the time when he followed me, no… I do not,” Hades replied.

“You don’t desire his company when you bathe?”

Hades sighed, the answer to her question causing him sadness. “I would, but Zeus does not wish to spend time with me other than when we are in bed. Our brother Poseidon is his companion in every other way.”

A shadow of sadness came over his visage as his thoughts lingered on Zeus. Demeter’s hands alighted on his shoulders as she realized his unhappiness.

“Let us dry off.” Her hands caressed his bare shoulders affectionately. “We do not want that food to spoil before we can eat it, do we?”

“Yes, I am a little hungry, myself,” Hades muttered.

As the god and goddess walked out of the spring, Demeter squeezed the excess water from her brother’s hair without him even asking. Moved by the gesture, Hades smiled and did the same for her when she was finished.

When the lunch was unpacked, both siblings took several bites of their food, but the sensation of the sunlight drying their damp, naked bodies was far too relaxing and they found themselves reclining in the grass, looking up at the blue sky and occasionally taking a nibble from their meals.

“If I were your mate,” Demeter found herself admitting, “I would spend every moment with you, without hesitation.”

Hades did not know what to say, and only continued to stare at the sky. When she received no response, Demeter sat up and looked at her brother.

“Hades…? Have I upset you?”

Eyebrows raised, Hades cleared his throat and sat up as well. He struggled to find the words to say, but his mind was blank. Was Demeter actually being bold? Did she have feelings for him more intimate that those of friends?

“Well, no…” he finally said. “No, I am not upset. Only surprised. I had no idea that you felt that way…”

Demeter was silent, though her cheeks were red. It made Hades uncomfortable and he looked at his hands, folded in his lap.

“I suppose this visit to the spring was only out of friendship,” Demeter said, trying not to sound accusatory. She only wanted to know the truth. Hades nodded.

“But do not be offended, sister, please,” he quickly mumbled. “If things were different, who knows? I confess… that I find myself curious…”

Demeter’s hand came into view and took one of his, causing him to look up into his sister’s beautiful blue eyes. “Well…?” she asked, a hopeful smile on her face.

Hades gulped. Even though Demeter already knew all of this, Hades felt compelled to explain anyway. “The only one I have ever lain with is Zeus,” he said quietly. “And he is male, like myself.”

“Yes,” Demeter replied, brushing her thumb reassuringly over the back of her brother’s hand. Their fingers remained interlaced.

“And he takes me,” the god continued, knowing that this was obvious to his sister as well. Indeed, the mere thought of himself penetrating Zeus was ludicrous enough to almost make him laugh. “I sometimes wonder what it would feel like to be inside somebody. It will never happen with Zeus, so I…”

Demeter interrupted her brother by placing her hand against his cheek and turning his face toward herself. Hades hesitated only a moment before raising his eyes to meet hers.

“If you wanted to lie with me, all you needed to do was ask me,” Demeter said, her eyes and voice serious. “It is still all you need to do.”

“I… I would never take advantage of you for such a selfish and callous reason,” Hades murmured. “And I would not have you think I wished to spend time with you simply to bed you.”

Demeter failed to hold back a smile at her older brother’s naivety, but she did not laugh, mindful that such a response might offend him. “I would never think that of you,” she assured Hades, slowly edging closer to him until their bodies were touching. A shudder went through the god, and though his breath came heavy, he made no attempts to pull away.

Demeter’s bare breasts were pressed against his side when she leaned against him, and Hades could not help but contemplate how small and soft his sister was in comparison to Zeus’ hard, massive physique, and how odd it felt to actually be the stronger one for a change.

“Hades… you are trembling,” Demeter noted and placed an arm around her fellow Olympian’s taut shoulders. His hair, though still damp, was beginning to dry in the warm autumn sun, just as her own. “Am I making you uncomfortable? Do you wish to be left alone?”

“No…” he whispered. “I am just… not used to this, I suppose.”

“Do not worry about that,” the goddess said, pleased that he had not rejected her advances so far. “Your body will tell you what to do.” Demeter proceeded to caress her brother’s slender chest, brushing against nipples which hardened instantly, and she glanced between Hades’ legs at his organ which was gradually beginning to engorge.

“See, brother?” she asked, smiling, and reached down to fondle him.

Hades felt the brush creep up in his cheeks as fingers softly closed over his phallus, becoming familiar with the feel and shape. He was physically stronger than Demeter, despite his wiry form, and he was equipped to take her as Zeus had taken him – and his sisters – in the past. However, the god still felt like the novice, with his sister as the teacher taking the lead. An embarrassing notion, if there ever was one.

Though aroused by Demeter’s actions, Hades was too distracted by his worries and he placed a hand against her chest to stop her. Her breasts were soft against his touch, not firm like Zeus’ chest whatsoever.

“What’s the matter?” Demeter asked, fearing she had done something wrong.

“Nothing, I just…” Hades hesitated, unsure of how to explain himself. “I wonder… perhaps if I could take the lead…? I think it would help me to appreciate this much more.”

Demeter’s eyebrows shot upwards as though she was silly to not realize her brother’s wishes.

“Of course, of course…” Her hand let go of Hades’ organ, though it had not flagged at all, and it was replaced at the junction of the god’s neck and shoulder. “Whatever you wish to do, I will be more than patient.”

Hades’ hand, still flat against Demeter’s breasts, spread its fingers. He looked at the way the flesh conformed against his touch, studied the way it hung separately from her torso. Out of pure curiosity, as though he were a child seeing them for the first time, he cupped one of the breasts and squeezed it.

His sister moaned softly in response to the kneading of her flesh, and Hades was encouraged to continue his ministrations. This was far different from what he was used to, but definitely intriguing. Her plump, pink nipple hardened against his palm, and Demeter arched her back, her breath now almost as labored as his.

Though Hades had expressed a wish to take control, so to speak, his actions remained incredibly careful, almost cautious, as if he was afraid of causing her harm. It was a stark contrast to how Zeus treated her in bed; there was no doubt the youngest of the gods was a great lover, but his enthusiasm sometimes made him forget his strength and thus left his mates bruised and tender.

“I won’t break, Hades,” she whispered in his ear and placed her hand atop his on her breast.

“I know,” he whispered back. “But I wish to be gentler with you than Zeus is with me.”

The goddess smiled at her brother’s thoughtfulness. “I appreciate that very much.”

She had lain with Poseidon as well, and though not as harsh as Zeus, the other god was also more invested in his own pleasure rather than hers, and the encounters sometimes left Demeter unfulfilled. She knew that Hades knew exceptionally well what it was like being on the receiving end during sexual intercourse and thus had a greater understanding for a woman’s experience.

On her brother’s request, Demeter lay down on her back in the grass, while Hades remained kneeling by her side. His eyes moved over her lithe form with intense scrutiny, and Demeter almost wanted to ask if he was searching for some hidden message on her skin. His eyes finally stopped at her sex, which was outwardly nothing more than a small crevice surrounded by locks of hair slightly darker than the hair on her head.

“How curious…” Hades mused aloud to himself.

“What is?” Demeter asked.

“Zeus argues that only one thing separates me from you and our sisters…” he replied, not taking his eyes off of the mysterious crevice covered in curly fluff. “He can still enter me like he does with you, even though we do not share the same parts, but he said a goddess has the true advantage with her sex.”

Demeter listened intently, her eyes drawn upwards to the clouds lazily passing in the blue sky. Her eyes closed when he felt a curious hand cover her, exploring the shapes and lines.

“A goddess may become wet,” Hades stated thoughtfully.

When the hand paused, Demeter opened her eyes again and saw her brother smiling at her. She smiled back, and when he continued to explore her, she shut her eyes again and left herself completely at the mercy of her fellow god’s touch.

Indeed, Demeter was becoming wet. Hades outlined the lips of her orifice with his finger tips and felt moisture at the mouth. If this was to aid the goddess in a comfortable penetration, Hades felt proud to have instigated it. Feeling bold, he dipped a finger into her and his sister shifted on the ground, moaning.

“Does this feel good to you?” he asked, regarding Demeter’s flushed visage and slightly parted lips which expressed a feeling of intense wellbeing. It was more difficult to interpret her signals than those of Zeus; Hades had learned that pretty much everything that felt good for him also worked on his brother, at least when it came to touching his sex, but Demeter’s body was different, and he had no previous experience with it.

“Oh, Hades… Please continue… It feels heavenly…” All four of her limbs spread wide, Demeter tried to push back against the finger already in her, wishing that Hades would move on and enter her with his phallus. He was significantly smaller than both of their brothers, but she was very certain he would be satisfying nonetheless.

Hades watched his sister writhe in throes of ecstasy on the ground, and while it pleased him that he was able to give her pleasure, he was far from certain that he wanted to mount her. The pink folds surrounding her slit were swollen and glistening with her own moisture; two certain signs that she was ready to accept him into her body. Yet the thought of lying with Demeter felt odd or downright alien to Hades, and he could not help but picture Zeus in her place.

He withdrew his fingers from her wet passage and heard a slightly disappointed mewl from his sister at the loss of contact. He looked her over again, and gazing past her slit, he realized that there was one part of her he had not yet explored.

Inquisitively smelling the scent of Demeter’s wetness on his fingers, he smiled and put his hand back on the curly hair at the base of his sister’s groin, causing her to resume her interrupted state of pleasure. Carefully rubbing, he wet first two fingers of his free hand with his own saliva.

Demeter continued to moan and squirm, wondering what her brother could possibly be waiting for. He had done very well in pleasuring her thus far and she obviously had communicated said pleasure, so why was he not returning to the stimulation? Was he trying to decide what to do next? The goddess was about to ask what was going on, but her brother’s finger entering between the halves of her backside cast aside all thoughts completely.

“OH!” Demeter violently winced, startling Hades, and he jerked his hands away as though he had touched something hot. Eyes wide, he stared as his sister looked at him in total astonishment and sat up.

“Goodness, you surprised me,” she finally said.

“I’m sorry,” he quickly said, “please forgive me. Did I hurt you?”

“No, not at all,” Demeter replied. “It was just… unexpected.”

Hades cocked his head, looking inquisitively at his sister. “Zeus has never… touched you there?” he wondered, quite amazed that Demeter had seemed unused to having her rear entrance fondled.

“Perhaps once or twice…” the goddess admitted. “But he doesn’t penetrate me there.”

“I see…” Hades lowered his eyes. “I suppose he saves that treatment solely for me…”

Demeter sensed her brother’s embarrassment, and she could not help but feel bad for him. Hades was a sensitive character, and Demeter knew that his self image had suffered greatly in the past and contributed to making him withdrawn and insecure.

She cupped the god’s face in her hands and pulled his head toward her own until their foreheads were touching, desperate to maintain the bond between them. “If you wish to penetrate me there, you may,” she said. “It was not my intention to have you believe otherwise, I was merely surprised, that is all.”

Hades was moved by the trust Demeter put in him, but he shook his head, declining her offer. “No, I will not impose such on you,” he said. “It would not feel right.”

“But what if I’ll enjoy it? You enjoy it when Zeus does it to you, am I right?”

“Yes, but… when he takes me, we use oils, to ease the way. It would be very painful for me otherwise.”

Demeter looked aside, not knowing what to say.

“I apologize,” Hades said with a sad sigh. “Even when I was exploring you, I… I continued to think of Zeus. About what it would be like to explore him like you… I have a suspicion that goddesses may not be to my tastes.”

Looking back at him, Demeter had a sad smile on her face.

“However…” Hades said before his sister could speak. “If they had… I think I would have chosen you.”

Demeter’s look of sadness made way for a genuinely affected smile. She moved closer to him once more and took his face in her hands. Hades smiled as he felt his sister’s lips against his brow.

“You certainly know how to make a goddess feel appreciated,” she remarked lovingly.

Softly laughing, Hades nuzzled her against her chin. “Our food is still here,” he said, regarding the lunch. “We might as well spend the time to enjoy it before we return home.”

Thus, the Olympian brother and sister shared their meal and enjoyed the sun on their unclothed forms until they could eat no more, and only then did they dress and return back to the fortress.


TBC...