Greetings readers and welcome to chapter 4 SO as usual we will begin with the shout outs to all you dedicated readers:
Die hard fan
Jlover97 (again! Honestly if only more readers were like you)
redlox2 (another persistent reader)
And there we have it. I was hoping to receive more reviews for the last chapter but no matter, the story is still young and there is plenty of time for more. Remember if you ever have an idea and/or request, however small, my inbox is just itching for you to tell me. I write for the readers and what the readers want, the readers get!
That night the two of them lay in bed after numerous rounds of passionate love making. Their naked bodies were still entangled together, not wanting to be apart even while they were asleep. Athena's head rested in the hollow between Poseidon's neck and shoulder. At first she had begun to dream peacefully, in a haven of thoughts of her and Poseidon. But after a while the toils and torments of her current situation poisoned her mind and her head was soon spinning with nightmares of Oceanus.
She remembered him and the way he looked at her. He eyed her up and down as if she were a fine cut of meat and he a hungry beast. The way he grabbed her wrist and jerked her violently to remind her he was the stronger and could have his way with her. The way he forced corrupt kisses on her and touched her in that revolting and unwanted manner. Then how he would hit her, force her down and berate her with venomous words.
Before long she was physically tossing and turning in her sleep, her unrest growing. Her breath began to hammer out from her lungs and she was unable to expel those piercing ice blue eyes from her mind. With one final jolt Athena woke with a start, sitting bolt upright and covering her mouth with her hand to prevent a horrified and panicked scream. Her olive skin was covered evenly with a mist of anxious sweat, her grey eyes wide and her whole frame shivering. Poseidon stirred and woke up just as swiftly. Seeing Athena in such a state broke his heart, he cautiously moved up behind her and slithered his arms gently around her waist. Leaning his head against her back of her shoulder, he planted a kiss there, and whispered into her ear.
"Shh, do not fear, Athena. I promise you all will be well. He is never going to hurt you again. I will much rather die before I see that happen." He murmured soothingly, causing Athena to relax to the point where her breathing slowed and once again came at a normal rate. She continued to calm as Poseidon pressed his lips to her shoulders again, letting them travel up her neck and showering her skin with tender kisses. Athena sighed quietly in pleasure and allowed herself to lean back and rest on Poseidon. He was hard and steady as a rock, as if there would be no moving him from her side. But at the same time he was warm and gentle, and loving.
Those disgusting memories trickled out of her head like a slow leak and Athena lost herself in Poseidon. The way he kissed her with lips of fire. The way his fingertips caressed her waist affectionately. The way his words were always filled with passion and how he never failed to lift her spirits to the heavens out of the darkest of places. He was beautiful. So beautiful. And he was hers. Athena reached a hand back over her shoulder and weaved her delicate fingers into his soft stubborn hair. Pulling lightly on the strands she removed his face from the skin on her neck and caused him to look at her as she turned her head to look at him. Their eyes locked. His were a deep ocean blue that glistened in the moonlight and hers a pale shining shade of grey. She smiled lovingly at him. A gesture he returned.
"I love you." She whispered, her lips so close he could almost feel her words.
"I love you, too." he replied, not able to resist the temptation to kiss her. "Now rest."
She nodded and the both of them slowly lay back down, wrapping themselves in the satin sheets and each other's arms. Athena snuggled back into Poseidon's side, now with assurance that she was safe. Closing her eyes, she let sleep take her again. Now, however, her dreams were much more pleasant. She dreamt of that first moment she knew she wanted Poseidon for her own.
After Oceanus had been thrown into Tartarus, the High Council of Olympus had gathered in the temple for a meeting to discuss the events past. When they all left, Athena had stayed back a while though she was not really sure what purpose that served. She just had to inform the entire council of the torture she had been in for the past year and listen to all their shouting variations of what they thought was and wasn't true. She wished it hadn't been true. She would have loved nothing more than to have been told the whole thing never happened, but it had. Wandering aimlessly through the throne room, she came to a stop at the large golden sundial in the middle and watched it tick away with her back to the door. She didn't notice someone else come back in watching her. That someone walked up behind her so he was a few feet away, Athena still none the wiser.
"The letter 'e'." a male voice behind her said, making Athena jump out of her skin. She whipped around to see a solemn faced Poseidon looking apologetic as she calmed herself.
"Poseidon! Good Gods you frightened me half to – wait, what did you say?" she asked, only now processing what he had said.
"The letter 'e'." Poseidon repeated obediently, "That was the answer to your riddle was it not?"
"R-riddle?" she stammered, dazed and not fully capable for speech. She just stared at him, wide eyed.
"'I am the beginning of the end, and the end of time and space. I am essential to creation, and I surround every place'." He quoted perfectly, "The answer is the letter 'e', am I correct?"
Athena was absolutely astounded. She had not thought upon that riddle for over a year. She had certainly not expected anyone to get the answer, especially not old Seaweed Brain Poseidon.
"Y-Yes." She stuttered in amazement as she stared at him in awe, "Yes you are."
Despite having dumbfounded the Goddess of Wisdom, Poseidon still looked sour-faced. His eyes were sad and modest refused to look into Athena's, his brow was furrowed and his jaw tightened. Once Athena got over her amazement and surprise of his supposed intellectual prowess, she looked at him pensively, concerned.
"Are you quite alright? You look rather out of sorts." She stated in a small voice, not understanding why he was so quiet. He gave an unamused half-chuckle.
"You could say that." He replied, again giving a short answer that cut her to the quick and made her feel like she had done something to upset him.
"What's wrong?" she inquired. Poseidon's eyes darted around and he looked a little frustrated, as if he were trying to find the right words to say. He finally fixed his eyes upon Athena, who hadn't quite realised how bewitching they were until this point.
"I never got to say how sorry I was for you. I never got to say much in the heated debate that occurred but I think you should know I thought of you every day in your absence, and I am so very grateful that you are back safe and well." He said with a sincerity that nearly floored her. His deep ocean blue eyes were now fixed on her steadfastly and the corner of his lips twitched up slightly into a warm smile. Athena was powerless to speak for a while. She found it odd how attractive he now seemed. He spoke with such good form and manner, his posture was grand and his attitude was sweet and understanding. Something she had sorely missed in the imprisonment. That was probably all it was. He was displaying some of the things she had missed and that was all. Assuring herself of that thought gave her power enough to speak.
"Thank you. That's most gracious of you to say." She nodded nervously in an attempt to yield from his annoyingly unintentionally scrutinising gaze. She then tried to move around him to the exit. "As much as I appreciate your good company, I feel I've been away from home long enough."
As she walked past him, Poseidon felt a wrenching in his gut informing him he could not afford to just let her leave. She had been captive for a year and no real kind words had been spoken to her even since returning home. That in itself was outrageous. He reached for her hand to stop her.
"Athena, wait." He pleaded. She turned and looked at her hand now linked with his before her gaze drifted upwards back to his face. After a short pause, she let go of his hand.
"With all due respect, Poseidon, I want to go home." She said, but she didn't move.
"I know. I – I'm not trying to keep you from leaving, Athena. You can go whenever you choose. I'm not like that – that animal." He sneered the last word through gritted teeth. His sudden anger startled Athena.
"Poseidon?" she whispered warily. He snapped out of his rage at the sound of her voice and looked back at her. Her brow was furrowed in concern.
"All I wanted to say was I'm glad you're back where you belong. And that despite all that has passed between us in the past, I missed you. And that if I ever offended you in any way before, during or after Athens, I apologise most sincerely. I could never hurt you. I wish only that you are happy." He spoke in a voice so sweet, pure and sincere that Athena was speechless for the second time in as many minutes. She looked at his softly smiling face containing a mixture of sorrow and bittersweet joy and looked back in confusion and determination to understand what he meant.
"Poseidon I – I…" words failed her and she turned her back to him. Upset with himself that he had been too forward and thinking she was going to leave, he stepped closer to her.
"Athena, I'm sorry." He muttered, causing her to turn back, now with something to say.
"How long have you known the answer to that riddle?" she asked, "Tell me the truth." Poseidon took a deep breath and looked down.
"Since not long after you said it." he answered, "It wasn't easy to work out but after I said it out loud a few times I realised the trick wasn't in the words but in the way they were spelt. And there he was looking for this great philosophical answer."
"You knew all that time? Why didn't you say something?" Athena questioned.
"Why? What purpose would that have served? Plus I knew he wouldn't get the answer. However if it would've prevented what happened next I would have said something." He said in a voice no louder than a whisper. Athena smiled.
"You would have done that? For me?" she asked, standing closer to Poseidon so they were only about a foot away. Poseidon looked up to meet her gaze and seemed a bit taken aback that she was standing so close.
"Of course. For you I'd do anything." He spoke again with such sincerity. Athena let out a small chuckle, which reduced to a wanting smirk.
"Kiss me." She demanded softly. Poseidon said nothing, but slowly closed the short gap between them and descended his lips lightly on hers. They held on for a moment, testing the water. His lips were soft and warm. So much so in fact that she missed the contact when he reluctantly pulled away. She stared at him for a moment. He looked adorable when he was confused. She then took his jaw in both hands and kissed him again with more fervour. This time she opened her mouth and allowed his tongue to enter. As hers engaged his she was able to taste his lips. The taste was intoxicating; salty but sweet at the same time. Was it possible that two men so alike in domain and attitude could be so different in manner and kindness? Finishing the kiss the two of them parted and gazed into each other's eyes, both grinning. They didn't know what to do next, but neither one cared.
The next morning the two lovers were woken by the light of the sun filtering through the thin silk curtains at the window. They didn't say anything; they just wrapped themselves up in one another's arms and held each other in the morning glow. They only parted when they heard that annoyingly familiar whooshing sound and leapt up, but there was no voice. In fact, Hermes didn't even stop. He just threw in a scroll and whooshed off again. Athena put on her silk robe and Poseidon slipped his tunic back on, leaving his chest exposed. Leaning down and picking up the message. Athena unravelled it and read aloud.
"'There will be gathering of the High Olympian Council at noon today. You must be in attendance blah, blah, blah… me will be discussing strategies for this oncoming threat.'" She finished, rolling the message up again and looking over at the Poseidon who was grave faced. He walked over to her and took the scroll from her hands, throwing it aside and took her into his arms in a tender embrace.
"You'll be okay." He assured.
"I know that." Athena replied. "I just don't want to have to go in there and see all their faces staring at me like I don't know they're all thinking the same thing: 'Oh poor Athena. He'll be coming to get her. Oh she's got trouble. Oh bless her heart.' I don't need or want their pity." She sneered as she buried her face in his chest.
"Then don't take it." Poseidon said as he pulled back from her and caressed her cheek with one hand, looking her in the eye, "You walk in there with your head held high in that same wonderfully strict way you have for years and I assure you they won't even want to be in your line of sight." He joked, giving her a smile of her own. Oh how she loved him, especially when he was like this. She put on a mischievous grin and ran a finger down from his collarbone, between his pecks and down his chest.
"You know we have a lot of time before noon." She whispered seductively, kissing his neck and walking them back towards the bed. When the back of his knees hit it, she pulled back gazed into his eyes which were ablaze with desire.
"I love you." She sighed.