26 Chapter 26 : Helios and Hera?

Hera tapped her feet awkwardly as her eyes raked the posh loft for what felt like the hundredth time. She brought her wrist to her line of view and glanced down at the expensive watch strapped onto it, a rare gift forged in Tartarus and given to her by her husband after she caught him in bed with yet another nymph. Almost two hours had gone by, the longest two hours of Hera's life at that. It was just a matter of time till Helios walked through the door and she could finally be on her way. Sitting in silence with Apollo, who she could literally feel staring angrily at her, was proving to be more uncomfortable than she had thought.

"So how is he doing?" Apollo mumbled.

Hera turned to the young god sitting next to her, he was looking down at his phone while leaning lazily back on the sofa. Huh, maybe he hadn't been giving her the death stare after all. "How is who doing?" She asked the Apollo.

"Your husband of course. I assume he is very pleased with himself after having me home bound for the next couple of years."

Hera took some time to figure out what to say. Was Apollo trying to strike a conversation with her? If he was, what in the world for? I mean it was pretty well known that he did not particularly like Hera nor his father, especially after what happened. So why was he trying to have a chit chat with her?

"I really don't care about what goes on among the men in pantheon," Hera responded casually, "you are all just a bunch of overgrown children to me. Besides, I have more important things to worry about than the affairs of men."

Apollo glanced up at Hera briefly before looking back at his phone, "I can see that, otherwise why would you endure two excruciating hours with me if what you needed to do was not of at most importance?" Apollo put his phone down in the space on the sofa between Hera and him. "Am I allowed to ask what this is all about? Is father being promiscuous again?"

A few thousand years ago Hera would have been engulfed by rage at the utterance of such words, but now she had somewhat come to terms with the fact that her husband was a peplos chaser. Besides, it's not like she had not had her own fair share of promiscuous behavior, unbeknownst to her husband of course. Hera sometime would chuckle at the irony of her situation, wether it was from amusement or hint a madness she didn't know. The goddess of marriage failing to keep her own marriage together, what a joke.

"Like I said, I don't care about what goes on with the men in the pantheon, I am here for my own business, my divine duty if you will." Hera turned to Apollo and gave him a taunting smile, one that echoed 'you can't hurt me with your father's promiscuity you little bitch, I've been dead inside for eons'. "I am here for some important information that may be of help to my agency."

"'Hera's Divine Hearts' marriage agency? What does Helios have to do with that?"

"I Have a new very important client," Hera responded. A creak made her look up at the door Where she saw a tall chiseled tan man, with platinum blond hair and emerald green eyes walk into the room. "And I need the 'all seeing eye's' help to satisfy that client."

Helios paused at the door and very subtly tried to hide his bare chest from the woman. "Hera!" His eyes shifted between Apollo and Hera a few times before he walked in and stood awkwardly near the entrance. His face showed confusing and just a hint of possessiveness that Apollo had not failed to notice. "What brings you here?"

Hera got up and made her way to where Helios was standing, her body language so comfortable and seemingly familiarized with his. "Hello Helios, I'm in need of your assistance, may we have a chat?" Hera turned to Apollo and gave him a dismissive smile, "privately?"

Apollo half rolled his eyes, how did he not notice it before? Hera and Helios were definitely screwing, who would have thought? The god stood up, grabbed his phone and gave the two a mini salute before turning away. "Just make sure you keep it down.." he mumbled as he disappeared up the staircase.

When Apollo was out of sight and the closing of his bedroom door reached Helios' ears, the god grabbed Hera's delicate shoulders and rubbed them gently. "Cupcake? What are you doing here? You know this is risky, what if Apollo suspects something?"

"He has no proof of anything," Hera responded, "and do you honestly think Zues will listen to his banished son who almost overthrew him?" She stroked the man's chiseled chest and trailed her eyes up it to his handsome and radiant face. "We have nothing to worry about."

The goodness cupped Helios' face and pulled him in for a quick short kiss. The god's arms wrapped around Hera's waist instantly, wanting to pull her closer but the goddess resisted.

"Uh uh.. Today I'm here for work honey, we can do this on our usual dates.. at our usual spot, okay?" Hera freed herself from his grasp and walked to the sofa, "come sit with me, I have much to ask you."

*

'I'm so disappointed with you Persephone.. after all I did for you… after all I sacrificed…'

"No… mmh.. please..No" Persephone tossed and turned in the bed.

'I should have never let you out into the world! Clearly you're not able to make it on your own.. Kore really?.. parties? Boys? Motorcycles?! I should have kept you locked up in your cage!'

"No!"

Persephone jolted upright and gasped, her eyes scanned the room she was in, panicked. Where was she? Had her mother found her? Was she locked up in her room in the mortal realm. A door opened and Persephone glanced at it with her breath raged.

"Persephone?" Tekos rushed to his windows, drew the curtains and opened the windows. When he turned around to look at the goddess he paused in shock. Her beautiful blue eyes were a deep shade of red and she was surrounded by black and deep blue roses, some growing in her hair and others sprouting from vines on the bed and floor. "Persephone are you okay?"

It took a minute for the goddess to realize that it was Tekos who was speaking to her. She sighed in relief and before long her eyes turned blue again. Tekos walked slowly towards Persephone, pushed aside the dark roses and vines on the bed before sitting next to her.

"Did… did I do this?" Persephone spoke in a whisper as she looked around her bed and the room. "I'm so sorry-"

Tekos pulled Persephone into his arms, and to his surprise she latched onto him and buried her face in his chest. The satyr slowly stroked her hair while gently pulling out the flowers from it. "It's alright," he whispered comfortingly, "it was just a nightmare."

Persephone took a deep breath before pulling herself away from the blonde man. What kind of nightmare was that anyway? all she recalled was darkness and her mother's voice. It had evoked some very strange feelings within her, feelings she had never experienced before.

"I made us some breakfast," Tekos spoke with a smile, "why don't you freshen up, eat something, and then I can take you home. I was able to get the bike back from the restaurant so I can give you a ride."

"Okay- wait.. Are you feeling okay?" Persephone asked while cupping the man's forehead, "you looked really bad last night."

"I'm alright stop worrying, I can't let you go home on your own-"

"The bus is already running," Persephone insisted, "you really should be resting Tekos, I can find my way I promise. I really don't mind commuting."

Tekos really wanted to give Persephone a ride home, he wanted the chance to spend a little more time with her, but he also didn't want to look pushy or desperate, so he nodded in agreement. "Alright then, you should freshen up, I have a shirt and some of Flora's shorts that you can borrow. I'll keep breakfast warm for you in the meantime."

*

'Lord Hades, you have been parked five minutes longer than intended,' pixie's emotionless voice echoed within the black Austin Martin. 'If you wish to make it to the office after your detour, you need to leave with haste.'

Hades blinked a few times and turned on the ignition, his head still feeling a little fuzzy. Just now he had felt a strong surge of bizarre emotions, what in the world was that? And why did it feel so familiar?

'Lord Hades are you there?'

"Yes pixie.." Hades responded in a stammer, "please reroute, find the quickest way to the office."

'Make a right turn at Olympus university in the next five hundred meters..'