Strangers in the night
Still the same Zeus in several senses he knew that she was still the same Hera in as many. So he took her to another part of Tokyo and a traditional restaurant of the upper-notch kind. One of these locations where every single platter of food was an exquisite piece of immaculate art and the flavours and combinations were outlandish yet appealing to Hera. They received their own tiny section, a room more than an alcove, softly lit and secluded by beautifully painted rice-paper screens and sans chairs around the low, red-lacquered table but with soft pillows covering the tatami floor. As Zeus was conversing in Japanese with the headwaiter, marvels began happening in a swift and almost unnoticed way, two lovely young waitresses in traditional kimonos and hairdos started producing delicacies, lit candles and incense and poured sake and other beverages, everything selected with the cordiality of the greatest care. Hera might be unfamiliar with Japanese culture but she sensed these things in the air more than recognizing them.
The goddess had never really managed the thing with chop-sticks, so Zeus gave her a crash course – which eventually lead just to a crash – a cup of rice falling down on the floor, spilling the grains all over. The accident made Hera burst out in laughter – and while doing so she felt herself relax. A mellow warmth was spreading inside of her chest and settling tenderly in her belly, a mood which had nothing to do with intake of alcoholic beverages. It rather felt like she had finally banished a ghost lurking for so long in an unkempt corner of her mind. The dread of her inevitable re-encounter with Zeus. When actually sitting opposite of her ex-husband again, for the first time in almost two millennia, it wasn't half as dreadful as she had feared. Hera knew now that whatever happened, or would not happen between the two of them she could continue her immortal life with a much lighter heart than before.
Two millennia yes – that craved quite a bit of update from both ends. Even though they skipped large chunks of their lives, fast-forwarded so many dull parts, it took them hours to wander through it. It wasn't until the gentle headwaiter cleared his throat and overly politely informed them that the place was closing before Zeus produced his credit card and paid for the lavish dinner plus a generous amount of tip. With a gracious bow the jovial Japanese gently wished them welcome back.
Still the former couple was far from done, so they set course upon a bar approximately across the silent side street, a West-meets-East site beneath a red lantern and with cold blue neon signs in the windows creating a faux-American atmosphere. Inside they found a bald old man handling a white grand piano, so after a drink each Zeus had to ask her if she danced.
"I can dance in many ways, and you know that." Hera regretted the innuendo immediately but Zeus acted as if he hadn't caught it, no matter that she knew he did. When had he become this polite, had the centuries polished him off? The Japanese ethos?
"I mean specifically to this kind of music," he clarified. The bald man was playing Strangers in the Night, the old Sinatra standard.
"Why not?" With glittering eyes did she let him take her by the hand and lead her out on the tiny and unused dance floor beneath a sole and dusty mirror ball revolving slowly and sparkling off desultory reflections.
In an instant had they caught the mid-tempo rhythm, unexpectedly comfortable in each other's nearness. Hera recollected Zeus' unique body language, the way he moved with an almost liquid grace in spite of his hefty body, virtually floating through space. His large right hand grasped hers while he led her in the dance, the left hand gently pressed against the small of her back, the warmth of his body encompassing her as did the fragrance of his after-shave mixed with a faint trace of the food they had just ingested. Blue eyes held on to her brown, and in those sensitive orbs could she behold a strange mixture of emotions. Longing mixed with regret and a cleverly hid desire. He wanted her, it didn't take an Aphrodite to see.
It felt like they could have danced like this forever, however the music stopped after two more songs. Now Zeus let go of her, taking a small step back. Hera knew he was regarding her, memorizing her, just as she had caught him doing so many times earlier during the night. Taking in her eyes and her hair or the animations of her hands, listening to the ring of her voice rather than hearing her words. It almost appeared as if he was recording her, storing this encounter for eras to come. Simultaneously she was aware of faint applauses from the few other guests. They had been impressed by the dance!
"So where are you staying?" he asked while taking her hand, leading her back to their table.
"Are you ready to call it a night already?" she challenged him, knowing he would take the bait this time.
"No," he grinned as they sat down diagonally of each other in the corner booth again. "Just preparing to change the stage setting in a while. This place will be closing soon, I can feel it in the air. We can either find another bar – or stop postponing the inevitable."
"As in?" she was not letting him win this easily, even if she had initiated the game.
He didn't answer her immediately. Instead he took her hand, gently rubbing his thumb across her palm, his eyes caught hers once more and didn't let go.
"Let's skip the verbal 'hide-and-seek' games. I want to see if it's still there, and I know you want it too." His touch sent sensations up her nerves, triggered memories she thought she'd banished forever. It woke up traces in her brain which she hadn't threaded for eons, narrow neglected alleys she almost feared entering, scared that she would lose herself in a labyrinth of emotions and never find her way out again.
"What are you looking for?" she swallowed against a torrent of emotions welling up inside of her, threatening to floor her altogether.
"The fire, Hera," his voice was low, almost whispering, still laden with heat. "The fire in you and me both, it's still warming my inside. I trust you can feel it too, kindling in your heart."
Letting go of her almost empty glass of wine she placed her left hand upon his right and he inhaled rapidly when she squeezed it. His eyes widened faintly and her sensitive divine nerves could tell how his body temperature rose just the tiniest bit, his cheeks turning a feeble trace redder.
"That fire you talk about, it burned us both severely, Zeus."
"Perhaps we can be a bit more careful this time," he began. More words were on their way but he stopped them, instead he laid a hand upon her shoulder and then traced it up her neck, carefully pulling her towards himself.
The kiss was hesitant first, cautiously threading on safe ground, still to Hera it felt so natural, as if no time had passed since the last time she tasted his lips. Closing her eyes she searched for his tongue while being brought centuries back in time. Back to lost Hellas, and their first time together. When she gave him a silent acceptance, Zeus became more daring, more eager, pulling her closer to himself, taking her in his arms again, exploring her mouth more thoroughly while his hands was rubbing her back, tracing circles across it making her almost astonished that the thin and silky textile of her blouse didn't catch fire. Her hands in turn found the way inside his jacket, somewhat mimicking his moves, pressing him towards her. She felt her breasts squeezed against his hard chest, her nipples hardening with desire.
"Yes," she exhaled when they finally disconnected. "It's still there, Zeus! Perhaps this is the wrong thing to do, but let's not be responsible people tonight. Let's do this! For old time's sake at least." With those words she stood and took his hand and within moments had they left the small bar and were out in the Tokyo night again, scurrying down the side street to one of the broader avenues in search of a taxi.
Later Hera couldn't recall much of their ride through the neon-drenched Shibuya, just their kissing in the backseat of the cab and their impatience with the length of the ride, where every red light stop seemed to last for eternities. That and all those frustrating clothes which were in the way, she wanted to rip them off him right away in the taxi and to heck with consequences. When the car finally pulled to a halt, she recalled faintly that she hadn't told where she was staying after all, so she comprehended that they were now at his place. There was that ceremony with the credit card again and after that were they stumbling out of the vehicle and up on a side walk, once again in a quieter surrounding, another silent side street. It had begun to rain, red, yellow and green neon gleaning in puddles in the street and small streams gurgling in the gutters. From an exhaust emitted vapors of whirling mists and a pot-puree of noises were spilling out from the pachinko-place further down the street.
"Sorry for not having an umbrella, but it isn't far," he said as he pulled a card through a reader and a silent click was heard. The next moment the heavy iron gate in front of them began to open, silent on its hinges but grating against the sidewalk concrete.
"No umbrella," she smirked. "What kind of god of rain are you really?"
"This isn't my doing," Zeus excused himself. "I leave the Tokyo weather mostly to its own devices. It does rain a lot during this season." He guided them inside the gate and across a small garden, well kept in that charming Japanese way with small resin smelling pines, stone lanterns and an assortment of boulders cordoning off a meandering, pebbled path. A granite Buddha with a raised hand was greeting them by an entrance which looked affluent enough for Hera to know that nothing changed when it came to Zeus' exclusive taste. This might be Japan in the 21th century, still so very little was really different from old Hellas.
The foyer was just as extravagant, all black marble and gilded details, large potted plants and antique art noveau brass lamps with bud-shaped frosted glass orbs emitting a soft, pinkish light. Still Hera caught very little of it because what she really had eyes for was Zeus. The double nature of familiarity mingled with novelty became a spice in itself when he caught her head in his hands and began kissing her anew.
They were undressing already in the elevator, the ride up saw them relieving themselves of a bit more than the upper layer. At one instance Hera caught sight of herself in the mirror, finding her half-closed eyes imbued with passion, her cheeks flushed and her whole self radiating eager lust. When the elevator stopped and the doors to Zeus' flat slid open, they were tumbling out in the entry hall more or less head over heels, almost colliding with a small table, and more by a reflex did he steady the vase with fresh flowers before he backed her up against the wall and started kissing her all over. She heard her purse smack the floor tiles even before she noted that she had dropped it.
"Zeus!" she gasped, ecstasy thickening her voice.
"Hera," he answered. "How could we ever let this go? How could we ever destroy THIS!"
"Hush now," she put fingers across his full lips and he flashed a quick grin before he started nibbling at them. A small interlude before he buried his head between her breast then tracing his tongue across her collar bones and up her neck in a way she had missed so much, no matter that it was something she hadn't ever wanted to admit – not even to herself.
Stopping again, he hoisted her up in the air and then he was quickly walking through what was obviously an opulent penthouse apartment, swift bare feet across parquet flooring followed by soft carpets, kissing her all the time. She lost one of her high-heeled Pradas somewhere along the way, still she couldn't care less and it wasn't like it was going anywhere by itself regardless.
The bedroom rested in dusk, lit only by the ambience of the city outside, but the headlight automatically began dimming up until it stopping at a guiding light level. Zeus placed Hera on the top of the king-sized bed before letting go long enough to rapidly deliver himself of the shirt and the pants. Notwithstanding his quick movements and the murky light did she note his shirt being torn at the collars. Had she done that? She smiled at that notion, the outfits of the 21th century had a clear disadvantage as harder to be rid of than the togas and himations of the ancient world. She didn't know how many times she had pushed togas off his body, they never used divine powers for such things, eager hands getting rid of textiles were always an important part of their foreplay.
Meanwhile Hera had eased off her bra and he took the flimsy black silk garment out of her hand and threw it somewhere before he joined her on top of the bed cover.
"You sure are more beautiful than I recall! I was an idiot letting you go! Just imagine that I thought Eleodora, Amaterasu or Bridged were good enough to take your place! None of them were even halfway there. Idiot Zeus!"
"Dearest," she placed her hands on his shoulders. "We were two idiots back then."
And perhaps we still are, came her thoughts, but she shooed them away. Not time for that now!
They began kissing again, Zeus rolled over on his back, pulling Hera with him, able hands on her shoulders, eager lips setting her body on fire while she answered in the same silent way. He murmured something as he suddenly reached with his hands across her back, finding the soft silk of her strings, and this time he was too eager to do anything but whisker them away with inhuman powers. She chuckled in her throat at that.
"Cheating, heh," she murmured.
"Hera, I've been waiting more than a thousand years for this."
"And unable to wait three seconds more?"
"Guilty as charged," he smirked, in the dusk his teeth were almost luminescent. Then he turned serious as he groped her back and she let out a small gasp, feeling her entire neither region contract forcefully. Indeed, there was no denying it, she wanted him like crazy.
As she craned back, he found one of her breasts with his tongue and charged against her hardened nipple, tasting it with tongue and lips, even gracing over it with sharp teeth, making her inhale sharply and moan his name. Zeus smiled against the warmth of her rounded breast, he could still prompt those responses in her, this was better than he had even dared to hope. Triggered by her comeback he went on, ran his lips and tongue down her torso, challenged her other nipple while she churned her hands through his hair, muttering something about it being too short. He grinned at that while sliding keen fingers down her back until he could reach down and grope her firm ass once more. He then pressed her towards himself, and she felt his eager erection against her tight. In that instance she could hardly wait anymore.
"A thousand years," Hera breathed out. "I know what you mean! I'm not sure I have three seconds now!"
It was the rejoinder Zeus so eagerly had awaited and when she split her tights he was not late to enter her, re-joining her in love for the first time in eons. It felt so right, it was here he belonged. With Hera, buried deep inside of Hera. Now he knew that he could never again fool himself into believing anything else.