Fields of Elysium Chapter IV


Hera had been around for a long time, but she'd never met a man quite like Naruto Uzumaki.

At first, she couldn't stand him. It didn't help that meeting him came at the back of her husband's latest infidelity, but even then, there was just something about the man that irked her.

And she made it a point to let him know. Repeatedly.


Flashback


Still in her guise of Iphigenia Ioannidis, Hera sat at her desk in her law firm, doing as much as she possibly could to forget about her old annoyance. That Zeus had cheated on her again was by now old news, something she dreaded but still expected every few decades. The problem this time was that he'd made an oath, with his brothers Poseidon and Hades, and since he was a god the punishment for breaking it wouldn't fall on him, but on the innocent daughter he'd parented.

Hera knew of the affair, of course, and she was fairly certain she was the only one, other than maybe their mother Rhea. Since marriage was one of her domains, she'd felt the moment Zeus had been unfaithful, like a stab of a red-hot blade through the deepest part of her, and she'd quickly fled Olympus, hiding out in one of her favorite mortal guises. She'd leave the thundering fool to stew in his own failures for a few years.

But there was a new nuisance she'd had to contend with recently. One of her new clients, a Japanese man who'd inherited land in upper New York, had been calling her every few days with another legal question, usually something small. She had almost been flattered at the attention he was showing, but he mostly just annoyed her.

Speak of the devil, and he may appear, as the mortals were so fond of saying. Just as she'd had that thought her phone rang, a string-heavy piece she'd like when she first heard it a few years – or was it decades; it was difficult to tell sometimes – ago, and her nuisance's name flashed on her phone screen. She rolled her eyes and picked it up with a sigh.

"Mr. Uzumaki, what is it this time? Did a neighbor's dog urinate on your trees again, or did a tornado blow your crops into another yard, and now you can't get them back?" There was a chuckle at the other end definitely not belonging to her client, followed by his sheepish laugh. She could picture his expression, the wide stupid smile on his face and his hand rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Um, no, not this time. It's something more serious."

"Is someone there with you?" She asked seriously.

"They made me put the call on speaker, something about transparency." Her could just imagine his nonchalant shrug. He never seemed too bothered by any trouble he found himself in. "I think I'm being arrested." There was a pause, followed by a metallic click. "Definitely, I'm definitely being arrested. They say they're taking me to county lockup, whatever that is, so I'd be grateful if you could go there and… you know, help me out or something."

"I'm leaving momentarily, Mr. Uzumaki. Do not answer any questions until I get there."


Flashback end


He'd gotten himself involved in a scheme to steal his inheritance. One of his cousins from Japan fabricated some legal problems and sent them his way, hoping that he would manage to take over the property while Uzumaki was untangling the red tape. His hearing was set for June, on the day of her anniversary.

She'd thought it was a good time to patch things up with her husband, so she took her annual bath, regained her virginity, and made her way to Zeus's temple.

All she found was his viewing pool fixed on a semi-famous television personality, currently in the arms of a blond, bearded man, who could only have been her husband. She arrived just in time for them to conceive their second child.

Hera stood in front of the pool, frozen, as she felt her domain buckle and weaken once more.

She managed to gather herself a moment later and walked away from his temple, taking all the flowers and the little gifts that she had brought with her. She walked away and she never looked back.

She savored Uzumaki's surprised look when she came to his hearing. She'd told him that it was her anniversary, and that she would be sending a replacement. Since her pride couldn't let her fail, she'd already found the best lawyer she could to replace her, a named partner from the most famous law firm in Boston, but as she strolled up into the courtroom dressed in her best suit and with a scowl on her face, even the judge recoiled involuntarily.

The case was easily dismissed soon after, and she'd sent Uzumaki's cousin packing, with a few added legal loopholes to make sure he'd ever try something similar any time soon.

It was then that Naruto surprised her for the first time, but certainly not the last. He'd invited her to come celebrate the win with him.


Flashback


"You never told me you were making a vinery." She commented as he led her to his living room, bringing out a case of wine he'd managed to make in the last few years she had known him, as well as a charcuterie board.

"I figured I was bothering you enough with the phone calls already, no need to add more to it."

"You were calling me a lot."

"You were the only person in this country I knew." He brought out the wine glasses, filling them up. "I'm sorry if I bothered you too much."

"Hm…" She took her glass, taking a sniff of the liquid. "It's no bother, I suppose. Just doing my job."

"Right. Be careful, it's my first time making wine, so I have no idea how strong it is." They clinked their glasses together. "Cheers."

"Προπΐνω"

He'd given her a dark wine, full with flavor, sweet but not overly so.

"Is this honeyed wine?" She asked after another sip.

"Yeah. That's how they make it in Greece, right? I thought you'd like a taste of home."

"They used to make something like it, yes. 3000 years ago, when their grapes were of poor quality and they couldn't import more." His face fell and she surprised herself with a giggle. "Still, it was a lovely sentiment. Thank you." She didn't know how much research he did, but it really did evoke the taste of home.

"Sorry, I guess I missed that part." He rubbed the back of his head with that sheepish grin of his. "I'm glad you like it. Please, help yourself."

"If you really want to impress me, you should try making kykeon next." She commented as she poured herself another glass. She'd meant it as a joke, but Uzumaki wrote the name down on a piece of paper, earning a rueful shake of her head. "It is very strong, though." She commented after another sip. "I seem to have inspired you."

"Oh, very. I'm thinking of even branching out into the olive business."

"I'm glad I'm good for something at least." She raised her glass in a mock toast at her jab. Uzumaki winced in sympathy.

"Should I ask?"

"It's just trouble with my husband, I'm sure you don't want to hear it."

"Tell me." Uzumaki put a hand on her shoulder with a sympathetic look in his eyes. "I'm here if you need me."

And like a dam, one halfway torn down with the help of a copious amounts of alcohol, all the centuries of pain, anger, and resentment came pouring out of her. She'd didn't even know if she'd had the presence of mind to censure herself, didn't know if she'd let Naruto know exactly who he was talking to, but there was no stopping the flow now.

Naruto took it all in, unflinching, even when she gave into her pent-up emotions and yelled at him, he just stood and took it, his strong arm gently grasping her shoulder. Shen she'd finally stopped what felt like hours later, exhausted emotionally and physically, he just poured her another drink as he collected his thoughts.

"You know, I've never been married, but to me it seems like you're miserable. Why don't you just divorce him?"

"I… I couldn't." The thought had never crossed her mind, even after millennia of heartache.

"Why not? That's why divorce exists, right? To stop a marriage if it turns out either side is unhappy in it?" He asked simply, unknowingly sending her thoughts spiraling. "I grew up watching my parents. They were so in love it was embarrassing. My dad even took my mom's name and everything, because her family demanded it, even if she was ready to send them all to hell." Hera gave out a weak chuckle, which earned her an encouraging grin. "Yeah, she's awesome." His grin turned wistful. "Dad died when I was ten. Mom never once thought about getting remarried, and when my grandfather pushed the issue a few years ago, she sent him to the hospital. If I ever get married, that's the kind of relationship I'd want. Always together, through thick and thin. Isn't that the point?"

"And if she were unfaithful?" She had tears in her eyes now, not that either of them noticed.

"I'd probably forgive her the first time, maybe even the second. But after that… I don't know." He shrugged. She stared at Naruto for a moment, before pulling him into a drunken kiss.

That night, Hera felt a new pain. The Goddess of Marriage learned how it felt to intentionally go against her very domain.


I just realized this is a romance now. I'm feeling really out of my debt, but I chose this, so we're going with it. I just hope it's better than those books you see hours-long reviews on the Tube site about.