Chapter Fifty-Two

Running.

I was finally running again.

The sensation was invigorating. The blood pumped through my veins like a rushing stream, my breath left in smooth gasps, as my steady jog became more of a sprint. I savored the sounds of my shoes smashing down on gravel, stomping down hard after jumping over fallen tree limbs. The cool morning air was a blast against my face, nipping at my nose and cheeks, stray hairs flipping out in front of my vision before flying back.

The sunrise had turned the sky a gorgeous shade of peach that spread out into a soft blue. Golden rays broke out over the tops of the trees, filtering through branches and leaves, lighting the path ahead of me. Birds came to life with soft morning songs and critters of all kinds scampered across the forest floor, darting out in front of me before disappearing into the grass.

This had turned out to be best morning I'd had in a very long time.

It had started with me waking up to Zeus snuggled down under the covers, his blonde hair a wild mess, an arm tucked under his head, the other under his pillow, and my arm draped around his waist, my nose against his neck. I'd woken up to the smell of his skin, his hair, his everything. I'd crept out of bed and showered, then tucked him into the covers a bit more when I'd emerged to find he'd kicked off some of the blankets. I'd left a note behind indicating I'd gone for a run and hoped to come back to some breakfast.

After slapping on a blue tracksuit, I'd hit the path that led from Zeus's backyard and into the woods, one that would most likely come back around into the southern part of town and allow me to take a peek at how construction was going on. Thankfully, Zeus's room was soundproofed, so I wasn't awakened by the sound of said construction going on.

I continued running at a good sprint, rounding corners, listening to my sneakers skid through the dirt and gravel. As I ran down the path, I began to pick up on a familiar source of power, a frown turning down the corners of my mouth as I recognized Xiphrus's presence. I veered off the path, ducking into the woods. I moved slower now, stepping over fallen trees and walking around animal dens until I came to the grassy shoreline of a small lake. It glittered in the rising sun, its surface peaceful and calm. A morning dove flew over its surface, then landed on a tree branch nearby, beginning a soft croon.

My eyes flickered to where Xiphrus was sitting on the white sand, sitting with his knees drawn to his chest, his arms wrapped around them, and his sky blue eyes red rimmed, teary, staring out over the lake. He didn't appear to notice me. Was he really that deep in his own mind?

The sight of him in tears broke my heart. Curious and concerned, I walked along the shoreline, approaching him. When my foot snapped a stray twig, he twitched, then quickly rubbed at his eyes before looking up. He relaxed when he saw it was me, however.

"Joxeia," he murmured, "You're back." I smiled, coming over and sinking down to the ground beside him, taking my shoes off and setting them aside so I could feel the soft sand on my bare feet.

"I'm sorry I didn't come to you right away," I answered, "I was... I had to see Zeus." Xiphrus smiled, but it was so pained, and he quickly looked back out to the lake, clearing his throat and sniffing briefly.

"I understand. I am... happy that you chose the right path, Joxeia."

"And yet you weep," I murmured, reaching out to brush my knuckles against his cheek. Xiphrus flinched, then dropped his eyes to the ground, tightening his arms around his knees.

"I missed you," he answered instead. I cocked my head, then drew my knees up and leaned over them so I could look into Xiphrus's face, and his eyes darted away, making me frown curiously.

"Xiphrus, why do you cry?" I asked. Xiphrus shook his head, then squeezed his eyes shut.

"It is not important."

"Of course it is. You helped me when I felt like I was shattering to pieces. Let me do the same for you."

"If you knew for whom I wept, you wouldn't want to help me, Joxeia," Xiphrus whispered. I froze at that, studying Xiphrus's face. His expression was one of utter agony, like someone had taken his heart out and snapped it in two. His eyes, those beautiful sky blue eyes, red-rimmed, puffy, still tearful, even as he blinked in an attempt to keep them at bay. He'd been crying for... quite a long time.

But I wasn't foolish enough to think he was crying because of me. Because of Geara.

I'd seen those tears before, that kind of agony. I'd seen it on Lucifer's face so many times. The tears of heartbreak, the tears of love lost, love ruined. It was the heart wrenching agony of having the person you love most in the world pass away... or in Xiphrus's case, brutally murdered.

"You weep for Atlan," I said quietly at last, looking back out over the lake. Xiphrus shut his eyes and his tears returned, slipping down his cheeks. His fists twisted tight in the folds of his flannel black/white pajama pants.

"I am so sorry," he choked, "I cannot help how I feel, Joxeia. I know he was... I know he was corrupt, he was darkness and evil incarnate, yet I cannot stop this pain in my chest. It hurts so much and I know not what to do with it. I had hoped Geara would return, that she would tell me what I can do about this, if she can make it go away... I did not want you or anyone else to find out. It's incredibly foolish of me to cry over." I frowned, turning my head to look at him.

"Xiphrus, it is not foolish and it is not something that will simply go away," I told him sternly, and he blinked, looking up at me tearfully, so I gentled my tone and reached out to touch his arm, "Xiphrus, for you, the love you had for Atlan was real, very real. You gave up everything you had for him, were willing to do anything he asked. And in the end, even after you found out the truth of him, you still loved him, and yet you fought against him for the sake of the universe. I cannot imagine how painful that was, how painful it is now. You have every right to cry for him. And I admire your ability to do so, to cry for someone that no one else will. Even the darkest of souls should have someone who misses them." Xiphrus shut his eyes tight, more tears streaming down his face and I leaned over, taking him into my arms and he collapsed against me, wrapping his arms around me.

Sob wracked his body and he suddenly felt so small, so fragile in my arms. He wept like he would never stop, like his heart was broken into pieces and he would never be able to put them back together.

I found myself caught between anger and anguish. Anger that Atlan had tricked Xiphrus into loving him, anger that Atlan abused Xiphrus's love for him. Atlan may not have loved Xiphrus, but fuck, Xiphrus loved him so much. Even knowing the truth, knowing how cruel and brutal Atlan was, Xiphrus still couldn't help, but love him. Even in death, Atlan was still hurting Xiphrus.

And anguish, because Atlan didn't have to go the route he did. All creatures were capable of incredible goodness, and incredible evil. And Atlan had fallen right into his own demise. In the end, he had succumbed to that which he feared the most. His own darkness. His own destiny. He feared the chaos, the disorder, instead of embracing it. He'd wanted so desperately to make things perfect, his own version of perfect, that he was digging his own grave, and now that was where he lay.

What would have happened, I wondered, if Atlan had chosen not to follow the path of his darkness? What if Atlan had chosen to love truly? Was he capable of it? Was he capable of choosing light over darkness, or had he made his decision upon his creation?

It didn't matter now, though.

Atlan was dead. And his darkness was a scar upon the universe from which we would never heal.

But we need not dwell on what has happened, rather focus on what is here, what is now, and what will be. That we could change.

I held Xiphrus as he wept for what felt like eternity, before he finally rested his head against my shoulder as I held him in my arms in front of me, my arms around his torso, his hands resting over mine.

"What am I going to do now," Xiphrus murmured, tired blue eyes staring out over the lake, gleaming in the sunlight, "Where am I supposed to go?" I gave him a squeeze.

"Wherever you want, Xiphrus. You can do whatever it is you wish to do," I answered softly, then swallowed hard, "If you... wish for me to put you back into eternal slumber, then I will do it if you ask." Xiphrus blinked, then tilted his head back to look up at me.

"You would do that for me?" He asked. I tried not to show how much such a thing would pain me. Geara was already locked away, and it would seem, she was still not ready to emerge, and perhaps, she never would be. And maybe it was for the best. She was safe in her world, in her dreams, where the horrible things that had happened to us, never happened. She could pretend things were as they always had been. She could catch glimpses of us, of this time, of this universe, but she was more than happy where she was. Perhaps the world simply was not ready for her wisdom.

And perhaps, Xiphrus was not ready to face the pain of Atlan's death.

Even though his tears ceased, his pain hadn't.

I knew there would be mornings he would wake and not want to leave his bed. Days he would spend solely crying, and the very thought of those painful thoughts escalating to something horrible, it hurt to much to contemplate. If Xiphrus was safe in his own dreams, I would do that for him.

"Yes," I replied, trying to keep the emotion out of my voice. Xiphrus studied me, then gave me a tight smile as he reached up to touch my cheek and I looked down at him, those blue eyes intense.

"Thank you," he murmured, then let go of me and pushed himself up so he was sitting up straight, looking at me, "But I can't do that, brother mine. You have lived so long in pain, and you are stronger for it. You have suffered and you have learned. Perhaps I, too, need to suffer in order to learn, in order to become stronger." I stared at him.

"Are you sure?" I asked uneasily. Xiphrus gave me a nod, then took a deep breath.

"I will see about... taking a place on Atlantis," he murmured, and my eyes widened at that, "Please don't talk me out of it, brother. The first step to these things is to face my fears, my pain. And Atlantis is the best place for me to do so. You have worked so hard to bring our prophecy to fruition that it is only right I should protect what you have fought so hard to keep alive. My hope is that the Savior will accept my assistance." I smiled slowly at that.

"I doubt Hannibal will deny you, brother mine. I suspect he understands a lot of your pain, and he understands forgiveness, not only for others, but for himself as well. I just hope you'll do well to stay in contact with me," I pointed out. Xiphrus smiled.

"I will endeavor to do so, precious brother mine," he answered, then rose to his feet, leaning over to take my head in his heads so he could kiss my forehead, then my cheeks, my eyelids, my nose, and my lips, "Thank you, Joxeia. You are ever a beacon of hope." He vanished a second later and I stared at the spot where he stood, feeling an odd weight lifting from my chest.

He needed this, I reminded myself. Xiphrus needed to learn to forgive himself, to let go of the past, to move forward. He needed to cope with his loss. And there was no one better, no one stronger, to help him through that pain than Hannibal.

Smiling to myself, I rose to my feet, dusted myself off, slipped my sneakers back on, and went back to the path. I continued my sprint, breaking out of the woods an hour or so later and emerging into the populated areas of Olympus. Small suburban area made of brick and white houses, most people outside doing their daily routines, others taking off to the city in order to help rebuild the chaos there.

I ran along the gravel streets there, nodding to citizens, who would wave or call good mornings. I made my way up the steeper parts of the mountain, finding a great sense of pleasure in the burn in my muscles. I made my way over to the east to check in on Satanika. The home she shared with her husband, Ares, stood out in its own little chunk of land past a line of trees that separated their property from the suburb nearby, a beautiful white plantation home surrounded by a white fenced area where dogs were running around, barking and playing, wrestling and burying toys in the ground.

I walked up the drive and rang the bell on the house. Several howls broke out from inside the house and out in the yard, the yapping of a tiny dog, and a deep gruff woof from just inside. I raised an eyebrow and waited as a second later, the door opened to reveal Satanika.

"Jo!" She exclaimed, throwing open the door the rest of the way. She ran at me, catching me in her arms and squeezing me tight. I hugged her back, smiling as she cradled me this way and that, before stepping back to look at me, reaching up to cup my face in her hands, her hazel eyes twinkling.

"Oh, thank gods, you're alright. We got the news last night and I wanted to see you, but," she paused, arching a brow and dropping her hands so they were on her hips now, "Someone told me you were with Zeus and there was a very clear aura of do not disturb on his palace." I smiled innocently.

"That was my sign," I answered, making her brows pop up in surprise, "And you can expect it to be there frequently." Her eyes widened.

"So you and him are," she made a gesture with her hands to indicate together, and I nodded, making her sigh and shake her head, "You know, I still think that is one weird relationship, but I can't judge. I'm married to a man who thinks playing Seether at our wedding was completely appropriate."

"It was a good song!" Came a shout from the other room. Satanika rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, at a rock concert, baby, not our wedding!" She called back. She gestured for me to come inside and I stepped inside as she shut the door behind me. Dogs came bursting out of nowhere, sniffing at me, whining and hopping up on my legs. I smiled, patting each of them on the head as Satanika stooped down to hoist a tiny trembling Chihuahua into her arms. At the same time, someone came out of the nearby room and I raised an eyebrow in surprise to see Demeter's son, DeShawn. The African deity thankfully wore a shirt this time, though it didn't leave much to the imagination, that skintight black leather exposed his beautiful dark arms that rippled with steel muscles, his deep chocolate eyes immediately widening when he caught me.

"Hey," he greeted, sounding mildly disturbed, and perhaps it was the unintentional reaction he had physically to my presence, and I smiled.

"Hey, DeShawn, how's your mom?" I asked. DeShawn immediately relaxed, though, he appeared peeved as he put a fist on his hip.

"A gorgon," he returned, making Satanika shake her head, "What? She is! She's been screaming at me all week. I'm not sure what's worse; my father with his hippie hoodoo or my mother with her banshee cries." I laughed at that and Satanika gave him a droll stare.

"Oh, come on, it's not that bad. She's just trying to help you come into your powers."

"What does wearing a shirt have to do with that? I can walk around naked back at my dad's place, but here? When the hell did you Greeks gain some modesty?" He demanded. Satanika appeared to consider that and I smiled, then glanced toward the staircase when I saw Teslius coming down with a fat little bulldog in his arms with a frantically wagging tail. I was briefly blown away at how different he looked in comparison to the last time I'd seen him. He was a trembling brittle leaf blowing in the wind last I'd seen him, still injured from his attack, still on pins and needles. He'd also been muscular and incredibly fit with long hair that nearly went to his waist.

Now his hair was cut shorter to his shoulders and his frame was far thinner, borderline slender, and while he wasn't shaking anymore, he still appeared paranoid as he paused to scan everything around him before he finished coming down the stairs. A strange heat reached out to me, and I glanced over at DeShawn, whose eyes were completely glued to Teslius, giving him several long once overs, like he wouldn't get enough for the Atlantean.

I looked at Satanika and she nodded sadly, making me raise an eyebrow.

"Thanks for grabbing Raisin," she said to Teslius, who nodded shyly and kept his eyes on the floor as he brought the chubby little dog over, "You can just put him in the kennel. Ares is getting him some treats before we cut his nails. It's gonna be a tough one." Teslius just nodded again, then glanced in my direction, not quite meeting my eyes.

"Hello," I said quietly. Teslius's cheeks lit up bright pink and he swallowed quickly before looking away.

"Should I grab his muzzle too?" He asked Satanika, who nodded.

"Might as well. Something tells me he is not looking forward to today," she said, then turned to smile at me, "Grooming day for our wrinkly babies, and they can be the worst about it sometimes." I nodded in understanding, then glanced over at DeShawn, who continued to stare at Teslius, who appeared to completely ignore his presence as he walked out of the room.

"Need any help today?" DeShawn asked, his eyes still lingering where Teslius had disappeared.

"Sure," Satanika said with a smile, "Mind helping Tes with Raisin? He can turn into a bit of an ass when it comes to grooming days." DeShawn nodded, then cracked his knuckles and rolled his shoulders.

"No problem. My dad's leopard is the same way. I ever tell you about the time he bit my da on the ass before? Probably shouldn't. I'm sworn to secrecy. If you need me, I'll be with," he paused, then seemed to derive a great amount of pleasure from saying, "Teslius" right after. He left the room with the confident swagger of a male on a mission. I shook my head and looked at Satanika, who smirked.

"How long has that been going on?" I asked. Satanika shrugged, stroking the Chihuahua in her arms.

"About a month or so. Teslius is the only reason DeShawn shows up here at all. I used to only see the guy on holidays, but now he's here harassing us twice a month when it's his mom's turn to have him."

"How is Teslius reacting to it?" I asked. Satanika smiled, but I could sense her frustration.

"He has no idea. He doesn't trust anyone, not even me or Ares. He just trusts the dogs. He thinks DeShawn is just here for Ares. DeShawn's made it kind of obvious, but Teslius doesn't think anything of it. In his mind, DeShawn is trying to use him and he's still trying to figure out what for, sadly. I've been trying to play matchmaker, but it's hard when Teslius is always on guard."

"He's still traumatized by the whole thing with Heracles," I responded and she nodded in agreement, "It's going to be a while before he decides he has to move on. Has he thought about returning to Atlantis? Hannibal announced he was going to formally pardon all the Atlantean gods who stood against us." Satanika shook her head, leading me over to the nearby sitting room, where dogs scattered and gave us room to sit down on the sofa.

"When we brought up the idea of him going back there, he panicked and locked himself in his room for a week. He even handcuffed himself to the bed because he thought we were going to take him out by force," she said quietly and I grimaced at that, picking up a small beagle pup and placing him in my lap, "He doesn't feel safe anywhere. And while he says he doesn't feel safe here, I think this is honestly the only place he does feel safe. Ares and I haven't given any indication of hurting him and have been as accommodating as we can be. He helps out with the dogs a lot too, and it's great. But sooner or later, he's going to have to figure out what he's going to do. I'm hoping DeShawn can help him with that." I nodded in understanding, then paused as I looked down at the beagle pup in my lap, those big brown eyes staring up at me with utter adoration and trust. I looked over at Satanika.

"Perhaps I can help," I offered, making her raise an eyebrow, "I'm going to be on Olympus for a very long time, from what I can tell. And I was thinking of maybe offering my services around here." Satanika's eyes widened.

"You finally starting a therapy business?"

"Not a business," I said with a smile, "I don't want anything in return. Just... Services." She smiled.

"That would be great, Jo. There are a lot of people who could use your help right now. Teslius included," she responded. I nodded, lifting the pup off my lap and setting him aside as I stood up.

"Give him my number. Mention him to me. I can come here to help him, or we can go somewhere he's comfortable. I'd be more than happy to help," I explained. Satanika nodded, giving me a warm smile.

"Thank you, Jo. Really. And I'm glad you're going to be hanging around for a while. It's been a long time since we've had more time to spend together," she said. I inclined my head, then leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

"I'm looking forward to more time with you as well. Remember, call me, or tell Teslius too. Actually, give DeShawn my number too. Something tells me his macho man act is just going to scare Teslius off," I added under my breath, and Satanika laughed.

"His dad is the same way. I think it's ingrained in his genetic make up. See ya later, Jo." I nodded and left the house, heading out back toward Zeus's palace. On my way, I passed more construction work going on in the middle of town, buildings going up here and there, new apartment complexes taking shape, another suburb, more metro areas. It was turning into a bustling mass, and everyone was pitching in to help. I passed by a fenced in area where refugees were being treated for their wounds, and thankfully the numbers had dwindled to only a handful of people, and I spotted Anexius sitting on a bench, digging into a salad while Apollo sat at his side, chowing down on a box of pizza.

"I really wish you'd change your diet," Anexius was saying as I approached, "If not for the sake of your health, then at least mine. I'm pretty sure pepperoni is a permanent smell coming off you." Apollo scowled, then leaned over and breathed right on him, giving him a kiss on the cheek and Anexius rolled his eyes, but smiled anyway, and it grew when he saw me approaching.

"Joxeia," he greeted, setting aside his lunch to stand up and greet me, "I heard you recovered yesterday. I'm glad. I was worried after I tried to heal you the other day." I offered him a smile. On the second day of my recovery in the hospital, Anexius had also tried to heal the damage Atlan had done and hadn't succeeded, one of the things that solidified my conclusion on never being healed.

Anexius was a protection god, a god of healing. If he couldn't cure me, no one could.

No one, except myself, it turned out.

"Thank you," I told him, "I'm doing alright. Just a hiccup. How are things coming here?" Anexius looked around at the tents set up where people were being treated by field nurses, another group of people being instructed on where to go next after treatment.

"Surprisingly, it's getting better," he said, turning to look at me, "We've healed most of the injured. We're preparing a cemetery for the dead out of respect. I'm on break after surgery. Feeling a little drained, so I stopped for some fuel." Apollo snorted and Anexius's expression soured.

"You call a salad fuel, baby? Come on. Jo, talk him into eating some real food for once. He's not a rabbit," he added. Anexius reached up to rub his temple as if he were getting a headache and I smiled.

"You still trying to go on that diet together?" I asked. Anexius grimaced.

"Frankly, I'm at my wits end. His obsession with greasy fast food is just too great. I caught him sleeping with a pizza box and a bag full of burger wrappers the other night. I'm pretty sure he loves it more than he loves me," he added, folding his arms over his chest. Apollo made a noise of denial, shoving his pizza box away and getting up to come over and wrap his arms around Anexius's waist to give him a hug, and when he tried to give him a kiss on the cheek, Anexius turned his head away.

"Your breath smells like sausage."

"Pizza sausage or your--"

"No," Anexius cut him off, covering his mouth, then cut me an apologetic stare, "I promise he's not usually this bad. He hasn't slept in two days. He's slap silly." Apollo nipped at his fingers and Anexius blushed, then looked at me again with apology, but I only laughed and shook my head.

"As long as you're both alive and well, that's all that matters to me," I paused, looking at Apollo, "And you need to get some sleep." Apollo grimaced, resting his head on Anexius's shoulder as Anexius patted him on the head.

"Yeah, probably," he muttered, "I think I'm starting to see leprechauns. We are on Olympus, right?" Anexius shook his head at him, then looked at me.

"Have a good day, Jo. See you at the ceremony tomorrow," he added with a wave. I inclined my head and went on my way as I took a deep breath.

That's right; the ceremony was tomorrow.

The ceremony that would not only induct the Atlantean pantheon back into the United Pantheons, but the ceremony that would officially crown Hannibal as the King of Atlantis, with Akin at his side as his consort and king. Akin had been so busy convincing Hannibal to take his destiny by the balls that he'd completely forgotten he, too, would be taking a crown in the entire ordeal. Now they were on pins and needles, preparing a lavish ceremony that would invite leaders from all over the universe, their consorts, and many other special guests.

Thousands upon thousands would come forth with gifts for the new King and his consort, the official designations of the remaining Atlantean gods, the representative chosen for the UP meetings, and so much more. The event would last late into the evening, finishing off with a speech by the King himself. And something told me Hannibal was about as excited for public speaking as he was to take the crown itself.

And as I thought about the ceremony tomorrow, I felt a strange sense of surrealism.

This was actually happening, all of this. I was actually walking again, running, making love. Love. I'd actually found it, not just in family, in friendship, but in someone I never thought I would find. The universe was no longer in danger of being destroyed by Atlan. Atlan, the creature who'd destroyed everything, had scarred so many people, was no longer lurking in the shadows, was no longer here to threaten anyone.

I wasn't a fool; I knew danger still sat with us. There would always be conflict. It was a requirement to maintain balance. There was always going to be darkness to complement the light, always goodness to cradle the evil. It was the Source's balance. Sooner or later, something else would rise once again to test our abilities, our love and our faith in the universe, in the Source.

But for now, right here, right now, for the first time since the creation of Time, things were at peace, things were calm. Things were... good.

Feeling invigorated by the beauty in this moment, I sprinted the rest of the way to the palace. As soon as I came inside, the hot smell of breakfast foods filled the air, and I closed my eyes to inhale the scent deeply. The scent of caramelized vegetables, frying eggs and potatoes, fresh warm bread. The faint sound of it all hissing and popping on the stove, pans clanking on burners, pots being shifted around, spoons sliding through food and knocking against the sides of potware, and the sound of rap music.

Smiling, unable to take my time with the stairs, I instead teleported upstairs to the kitchen where Zeus was standing in front of a stove, stirring food around in a pan as he murmured the lyrics of the song, amazing me that he could not only cook incredible meals, enough to feed an entire army, but he could somehow manage to keep up with the lyrics that came zooming out of the speakers. He also dared not wear a shirt even while frying bacon, giving me an eye full of his muscular back rippling as he moved, his long hard arms grabbing things up and setting them aside. He was so engrossed in his activities, he hadn't noticed me come in.

I moved across the room, inhaling the glorious rich smells around me before I came to Zeus's back and touched his back. He didn't panic, didn't whip around, didn't try to throw me down, because somehow, he knew it was me, and he smirked without turning around.

"You're making breakfast," I murmured against his skin, nuzzling his neck and placing a kiss on his shoulder. He turned the heat down on low, stirred the wooden spoon around in the pan, then reached over to move a pan around with bacon. Then he turned around in my arms and held me against him, leaning in to kiss me.

"Duh, your note said breakfast," he said, and I smiled.

"You read my note?"

"Yes?" He appeared puzzled by the significance in that. I tilted my head and kissed him, licking his lips apart and delving my tongue in to taste him, the sweet minty deliciousness of him. He moaned and reached behind him, shutting the burners off. He picked me up and walked me over to the kitchen island, dropping me down on top of it. He reached down and pulled my shirt up off over my head, letting it fall to the floor in a delicate pile. He undid the tie on my pants and pulled them down, sliding them along my legs and dropping them to the floor.

He moved between my legs, letting me wrap them around his waist, and he leaned in to kiss me deeply. I moaned, wrapping my arms around his shoulders, drawing him down further until I was laying across the counter and I pulled him up on top of me. I barely noticed the quartz counters digging into my back and shoulders as he leaned into my neck and suckled there, then rained kisses down my torso. I gasped as he dipped his head down to my groin, taking me into his mouth. I dropped my hand down into his hair, pulling at the silky blonde strands.

His mouth worked a delicious rhythm around me, sucking, licking, and his hands spread open my legs, stroking my thighs, moving up to grab under my knees. I tilted my head back and moaned, tugging at his hair. I came hard, arching my back and gasping aloud, blinking rapidly before looking down to see Zeus withdrawing his head, licking his lips.

"I think breakfast is my favorite meal now," he muttered huskily, and I laughed softly, pulling him back up on top of me, wrapping my arms around him, savoring the feel of his weight pushing me against the counter.

"Tell me about it," I purred, stroking the side of his face. I ran my thumb over his bottom lip and he licked the pad of my finger, then drew it into his mouth to suckle, and I stroked his hair with my free hand, admiring the scene of him suckling at my finger with lips that had previously been around my cock. I parted my lips, leaning in to lick at his lips where they were clamped around my thumb, and his lips opened accordingly to let me inside. I slid my thumb to the side of his mouth, settling it in his cheek, holding his mouth open so I could delve inside, tasting every part of him.

I could feel him rolling his hips against me, his cock an eager steel rod against my thigh, wet and ready to drive inside me. I slid my hands down his back now, gripping at his ass as I prepared to guide him home.

Only for a fissure of power to cut through the air, and a fierce immediate spark of anger cut through me as Zeus pulled back and growled out a curse.

"Son of a whore," he seethed, then quickly slid off me and I sat up as Zeus snatched my clothes up off the floor to hand them to me, but I only slid my pants back on and scooted to the edge of the countertop as Hera appeared in the room above four feet from where we were about to fuck on the countertop.

Her platinum blonde dyed hair was done in a curly ponytail that fell over her slender shoulders, her blue eyes the same shade as Zeus's, and just as intense and searing. She wore a gorgeous black pantsuit with an off-the-shoulder sleeve and a wide collar, a pair of black ankle boots clicking on the floor as she folded her arms over her chest.

"Am I interrupting something?" She asked innocently. Zeus pinned her with a glare as he turned on another one of the burners.

"Yeah. My life. What the hell are you doing here anyway? I thought you'd grabbed everything," he said heatedly. Hera gave him a droll once over, then looked over at me. Those cold blue eyes sharpened and a muscle under her eye twitched. She looked back at Zeus.

"Yeah, I left my 1547 gold plated figurine in one of your safes. And since you didn't give me the fucking number for any of them, I'd appreciate my gift back," she said. Zeus glared at her for a while longer, then vanished on the spot to fetch her gift. Although, something told me that had nothing to do with her presence here.

I slid off the countertop as Hera came around to study me, going from my bare feet to my head, then drifting back to my eyes.

"I heard you're Zeus's new toy," she answered. I gave her a deadpan stare.

"Hera, we both know it's more than that. And before you go jealous ex-wife on me, I don't care. I'm here for Zeus. And if you plan to hurt him, you might want to grab your things and leave before I turn you into a goose," I told her. Hera wrinkled her nose for a moment, then walked closer to me, and I held my ground as she glared at me.

"I don't like you," she stated, and I shrugged in understanding, "You're too pretty. You're freakishly tall almost like Hades. You smell like licorice candy and there's no way you do your eyeliner by hand. I also don't like the way you dress. You look like a high school gym teacher in the morning and a cheap Macy's model the rest of the day. You're also a pretty cute slut thinking you can just have sex with people in the kitchen. On the countertop." I smiled at that. So she thought I was cute and pretty? Was she trying to insult me or compliment me? And I couldn't really tell from reading her mind, because she appeared to have developed a knack for confusing mind readers with images of beaches and forests in her mind's eye.

"But Zeus appears actually love you," she muttered, stepping back from me, and I raised an eyebrow, "I've never seen him act as comfortable and docile as he is with you. I noticed during the battle, and just now, when he normally would've blasted my head off or throw a pan of hot grease at me." I cocked my head.

"It's amazing how incredibly kind people are when they're with someone who isn't constantly trying to kill them," I answered. Hera narrowed her eyes.

"You would've tried to kill him too if he'd done what he did to someone you love," she responded, and I frowned as she glared at me, "You think Demeter was the only one who knew about Hades? Please. I was there the night he attacked Hades the first time. I was watching them from the gardens." I said nothing now. She was furious as her eyes wandered my face, then met my eyes.

"Do you have any idea what it's like to watch something like that happen between your brothers? One who raised you, kept you alive, and the other one who taught you to fight, taught you strength? I married Zeus later that year, thinking perhaps I could change him, perhaps I could make him into something great. But I should've known that night I saw him attack Hades that he was and would always be a monster."

"Does Hades know you know?" I asked softly. Hera glared at me.

"I'm as scared shitless of Hades as I am Zeus. My brothers are beasts, all of them. Males are monsters. They take what they want and leave the scraps for the lessers. Hades was as likely to kill me as Zeus was if they'd known what I'd seen. I told no one what I saw. Instead, that fear and that hatred festered until I couldn't take it anymore."

"You tried to kill Zeus," I stated. Hera averted her eyes to the burners, went over, shut the stove off and looked at the pan for a moment, then turned to look at me.

"Several times," she answered, "I also tried to kill Hades." I stared at her.

"What?" I asked. She narrowed her eyes, folding her arms over her chest again.

"You think Persephone was just standing out in a field because she likes flowers?"

"You set her up."

"I told her something beautiful was waiting in the field for her," Hera responded calmly, lowering her arms to her sides and walking around the kitchen to examine Zeus's dishes, and she stuck her finger in the warm icing on a scone, licking it off her finger, "I knew Hades wouldn't be able to resist Persephone. No man could. She was sweet and innocent and everything Hades needed in his life. She was also one of Zeus's favorite daughters. My intention had been for Zeus to kill him for defiling Persephone." She frowned, then laughed bitterly as she turned to face me.

"And much to my surprise, Zeus let Hades get away with it. Can you believe that? It was the moment I realized Zeus did feel compassion. But not for me, not for anyone else. Just Hades. I set Hades up so many times, and every time, Zeus caved in and let him off with just their little sessions on Olympus," she explained, reaching up to cover her mouth as frustration gleamed in her eyes before she dropped it to the counter, "I gave up at some point. I wasn't going to be able to kill either one of them. That's the worst thing about males. You whiny little bitches just can't die. I've been biding my time since then. And now I can do what I want most in the world."

"And what's that?" I asked. Hera looked at me.

"Fucking live," she said, making me frown, "I can get away from my brothers. I can get away from them and their stupid miserable lives. I can become someone else. I can get away from here."

"So why are you back?" I asked, even though I had a feeling. Hera laughed, but it was so filled with anger, hatred, so bitter. She looked at me.

"I take back what I said earlier. The worst thing about males is how they can wrap you around their little finger and make you give a shit about something as worthless and horrible as they are," she replied coldly, "I came back to make sure Zeus wasn't destroying himself. I came back to make sure Hades wasn't the same bitter monstrosity. And what do you know? I come back and I find you at the root of all this."

"I didn't do anything," I answered, but Hera laughed.

"Oh, please. What did I just say? That's the thing about you males, you make people give a shit. You made Zeus care about you, and you made Hades care about Lucifer. You may not have stuck your hand in the cookie jar, but you made sure the right cookies went in." I said nothing to that. She walked around the kitchen some more, and I watched her curiously. A second later, the air rippled and Zeus returned, holding a leather box, holding it out too her.

"Take your shit and leave," he commanded. Hera rolled her eyes and took the box, cutting him a peeved glare.

"No goodbye? No kiss?" She demanded. Zeus glared at her silently and Hera tsked before turning to look at me.

"Best of luck," she said coldly, "He has a habit of poisoning everything he touches." She vanished from the room, and I turned to look at Zeus, who was seething with anger. He wanted to go after her, to find her and break her neck a hundred times over. Instead, he turned back to the stove and began to furiously continue cooking, slamming pots and pans, nearly splintering cupboards, effectively snapping his spoon and having to get a new one. I watched him simmer angrily, but the cooking appeared to calm him.

I approached him, putting my hand over his on the spoon in the pan of hot vegetables. He glared into the pan for a moment, then shut everything off and stepped back to rub at his face. He leaned back against the island counter, folding his arms over his chest and covering his mouth with a hand, glaring at the floor.

"What did she tell you?" He asked without looking up. I cocked my head.

"The usual jealous ex-wife bullshit," I answered. He glanced up at me suspiciously.

"That's it?"

"That and she told me I was pretty," I responded. Zeus stared at me for a split second, then burst out laughing. I smiled as I came over to him, putting my arms around his waist and giving him a sweet kiss.

"It's alright, Zeus," I told him gently as he sobered, looking at me with mild concern, "She won't be bothering you anymore. I think she just wanted to make sure you were alright." He frowned at that, didn't seem to believe it right away, then relaxed. He put his arms around me and held me tight, resting his head against mine. I could feel him calming down.

And decided not to relay to him what Hera had told me. What had happened in the past, happened in the past. It was the same old painful story with a few painful additives. There was no reason to dredge it up further. Nobody could change what had happened. And now was not the time for painful memories, but rather, the creation of new ones, new good memories.

Hera had moved on.

Hades had moved on.

Zeus had also moved on.

It was time everyone got on with their lives, for the better.

"I love you," I murmured against Zeus's shoulder, bowing my head down to inhale the scent of him, closing my eyes, "I love you so much, Zeus." Zeus buried his face against my neck, then kissed my ear.

"I love you too, Joxeia."