I drink the water bottle slowly. I look at him and he looks like he just woken up and not even the slightest bit tired at all.
-How do you do it?
Ha-Do what?
-How can you be so, so, not tired. You look as if you just got out of bed and not out of a training.
Ha-Wonders of being a god my dear. Having the amount of power I have makes everything seem small. Fights come as natural as breathing to me and the other gods except for your mother.
-So what do you think?
Ha-Well, you're strong, very strong but you put too much power on your hits and that exhaust you faster. I have to say, when you throwed me over your head to release my hold on your foot, that was pretty clever of you.
-I wasn't sure if it would work. Being smaller than you and all.
Ha-Precisely that's what gave you the advantage. You use the difference in our weight and stature to your advantage.
-So I can win even if I'm smaller than my enemy or weaker.
Ha-There is no weak or strong, there is technique. You just need to know when and how to use it to your favor. The next is with aura. Be ready.
I stand up straight and call forth my aura a bit on the palm of my hand smiling as I show him.
-I'm ready.
He laughs and takes the water bottles away as we go back to training. We both call forth our auras respectively. I see as the reaper looms over him in a neutral position while my hawk flies above me surrounding me protectively. He smiles and just as he starts to move I pull my hands apart calling forth a second hawk and I clap strongly and loudly towards him merging the two hawks into a giant hawk that attacks him mercilessly. He stops it and he comes forward with his aura menacingly over him. I call my aura back to my side but dad's aura gets to me first pushing me backwards. I clean some blood from my mouth as I get up to my feet. He throws me a jolt of aura that passes around me and holds one arm behind my back. I struggle for a bit and I feel useless as I can't break free from it. I let out a sigh and I close my eyes as I call my aura back to me and then I focus it in my free arm. I push my arm out and let out an attack so powerful it gets me to my knees exhausted and panting. I see as dad's aura let's go of my arm to go protect him from my attack. I stand up slowly and I fall to one knee again. I groan at the effort and when I try to attack once more dad stops me where I stand with a gentle touch to my arm, holding me steady in place. I look at him a bit confused.
Ha-That's enough for today. You need no further training for today.
-But.....
Ha-No buts. You are too agitated to keep on going.
I let out a sigh as I let myself fall on his arms. I drew shaky breaths as he hugs me trying to calm me down. He picks me up on his arms and walks over inside the house. He takes me to the living room and he puts me down on one of the couch gently.
Ha-Let me get you something to eat. I'll be right back.
I nod and he goes away to the kitchen to get the food. I accommodate on the couch to wait for him and I end up falling asleep from exhaustion.
Hades POV
I get a glass of wine for me and a glass of juice for Karai and I get a couple of fruits for us and a bowl of ice cream with some yogurt and other soft foods that are also healthy. I put them all on a tray and I head back to the living room where I find that Karai is fast asleep on the couch. I smile at the sight and I put the tray on the table. I tuck a hair behind her ear carefully and give her a kiss on the forehead.
-Sweet dreams princess. I love you, you are my greatest pride.
She twists to her side and I stand and go get a blanket to cover her. I take a seat on the other couch in front of her and stretch out on it. I eat my food while watching her sleep. When I finish I get her food on the fridge and the rest cleaned up before I go back to the living room. I sit on the couch again and I slowly fall asleep on the couch.
The next morning when I wake up, when I open my eyes and I don't see Karai I quickly sit back up and that's when I notice the blanket that's covering me. I look to my side and I see that Karai has moved to sleep to my side. I shake her shoulder a bit and she groans as she covers herself entirely with the blanket.
K-Mmm, five more minutes.
-Thanks for the blanket.
K-You're welcome. You were shaking, tossing and turning.
-Really?
K-Yeah, I thought you felt alone so I slip in with you.
She acomodates turning to me as she stretches her arms over her head. She let's out a big yawn before she smiles at me.
-Today we can train with weapons.
K-Ugh, don't remind me, weapons are the worst. They are not natural, I can shape my aura to form a sword but I can't use a sword.
-What's the difference?
K-That the aura is a part of me but holding a sword that's handed to me or so is just, uncomfortable as if is not a part of me but a foreign tool.
-I understand. Come on, let's get breakfast.
Hera POV
I walk towards home at Olympus with two giant suitcases overloaded with paperwork and with my aura I hold another load of paperwork organized into carpets and binders. I let out a yawn as I enter my home. I close the door with a foot and I hear as it shuts harder than I intended it to close. I go forward to the office when I hear Hades's voice behind me.
Ha-That's a lot of work.
I turn to him and I give him my best smile.
-Gotta work.
Ha-Can you tell me what is it about?
-If you must know I offered to help plan a multiple wedding.
Ha-That much for two weddings? Isn't that a bit too much?
-Is not two weddings. Is six but they feel like twelve. What did I got myself into this time.
Ha-Why did you accepted then?
-For one thing I'm the goddess of family and marriage and you know I always enjoy something to work on. Also, I thought they were joking when they said six I thought it was a joke I thought it was going to be three at the most but the number doesn't really matter because I know I can do it.
Ha-Then what's the problem?
He helps me with the suitcases and some of the binders and we walk off to the office.
-What bothers me is that they each want a different thing, a different theme. One wants a wedding in a closed space while another one wants it big, another one wants it tropical or on the beach while the other wants a forest theme and so on. They can't decide on a theme either and stick with it because they also want to make their fiancee happy coming from both sides and that's where I come in.
Ha-You have to find a way to get everything together to everyone's liking.
-Yeah, is a real handful this one.
He smiles and opens the door for me. We both enter and put everything down on the desk. I start to open the folders and placing them by couple and I start to talk aloud as I organize everything. I hear Hades talk to me but I'm too focused on the work that I don't process what he says until he pulls me to him in a tight hug. He passes his hand through my hair comfortingly. He gives me a kiss and when we separate he holds me by my shoulders.
Ha-Calm down, you're tired, you're stressed, you're agitated. But trying to rush things is not good.
-But.....
He puts a finger to my mouth shushing me.
Ha-Shush now, right now you need a good night's sleep and rest and a good meal.
I look at my paperwork and then at him again.
-Perhaps I can take five minutes and take a cup of coffee. No, forget the coffee, I think I drank enough to fill an Olympic pool. Better another thing can wake me up and help me think properly.
Ha-What if Karai and I help you?
-Don't you have work too?
Ha-Is not as much and they can be done by Persephone too. I'll take two, Karai gets two and you get two as well. Are you okay with that?
-Yes, but can you handle being a wedding planner?
Ha-I organized our wedding. I think I can handle a human wedding.
We start to work and I tell him everything he has to know about the couples and he starts going through papers and arranging them over and over again. I look at Karai and she is too absorbed into her own two weddings. I laugh as I look at them one more time before I go back to my own two weddings. I hear as my phone starts ringing from wherever it is. Hades hands it to me and I answer on speaker.
-Hello. What can I do for you this time?
Man one-We have been thinking it over and we find suitable that we do a Chinese themed wedding.
Woman one-Is Japanese dear, Tokyo is in Japan.
Men one-Yeah that. We are opting for a formal, traditional Japanese wedding theme.
-So you want to change all the theme from the simple natural to an expensive Japanese style?
Couple one-Yes.
Woman one-From the finest silk you can get, the most expensive sake and the food oh the food. You think you can do that?
Men one-If is no problem for you.
-No problem at all whatsoever, is your wedding.
Couple one-Thank you, bye. Have a good day.
-You too.
I hang up and let out a frustrated groan as I pass both hand through my face and I look at the papers in front of me. I curse under my breath as I put them away.
-Useless, worthless, all for nothing, start over again from zero. This is unbelievable. Ugh, why can't they just sign a paper say I do and kiss just like that. Everything would be so easy.
Ha-You know they're just trying to get the best wedding they can get right?
K-I think it doesn't really matter as long as they know they'll be together at the end.
-Yeah, oh Hades, do you speak Japanese by any chance?
Ha-You know I speak every language existing.
-Just confirming. Can you help me schedule the dates and appointments and those with them?
He nods and I hand him my phone and he puts the call on speaker. I hear him talk to him on Japanese and he speaks it so easily and in a way that it melts my heart just listening to him. I look at him as he ends the call and he writes down something on a notebook and passes it to me as he says something in Japanese, I look at him with a confused look.
-Excuse me? You're still speaking Japanese, I don't speak Japanese.
He blushes and passes a hand through his face covering his mouth.
Ha-Argh, sorry about that. I said, here you go. I pointed everything we got here. Date and time and what his opinions are on the matter.
I nod and take the pad and look at it and after a single look I close it and hand it back to him trying to suppress a laugh.
-I can't read that. You might have written it in Japanese as well.
K-Can I see how it looks?
I show it to her and she reads it aloud perfectly and we look at her surprised that she can understand it.
Ha-Wait, can you read that?
K-Sure, is like reading a normal book. Is easy when you read it line by line, you can't tell me you can't read that when it is in the simplest form readable.
I shake my head letting her know I truly don't understand it. She shrugs and goes back to her own weddings as I give Hades the notebook and he starts translating it. I go back to work on the other wedding.
We keep working nonstop for a whole week only stopping to grab a bite or go to the bathroom and we sleep right there when sleep claims us and when were not doing any of those we work from sunrise until sunset and all night. After a second week of working we manage to get everything ready only having to get the brides and the grooms their clothes measured up. I hang up my phone with a satisfactory sigh of relief flowing through me.
-Finally that's done. Thank the heavens they agreed on getting their clothes on the same day and with your help as well.
Ha-Everything will be great. You did a good job.
-We did. If you hadn't helped me I would still be making calls an arranging meetings and stuff. Thank you and thank you Karai.
I look at Karai and I see she has fallen asleep on the floor. I laugh and get closer to her. I give her a kiss on the cheek before Hades takes her on his arms and gets her to her room and onto the bed. He changes her clothes and tucks her in. He gives her a kiss on the forehead.
Ha-Thanks for your help, we love you.
We turn and leave closing the door quietly. We leave to our room as well and we change clothes. He gets to his boxers and I change to my purple pajamas. We go into bed and I rest against his arm tracing my fingers up and down his chest.
Ha-You like that?
-Hmm?
Ha-Touching my chest.
I quickly draw my hand away a bit ashamed as I realize what I did and I can feel as my cheeks grow hot with a blush. Hades laughs at my reaction and I give him a slap on the chest before retreating my hand again. He takes my hand and gives it a soft kiss that makes me blush even more. He jumps on top of me and holds me down with a hungry and passionate kiss which I return equally. He gets my hand on his abs and I let out a soft moan as he keeps kissing me traveling down my neck. He purrs on my ear and I shiver at the sound and how his breath tickles against my skin.
Ha-I can make you forget all your worries after those weddings take place. Compared to what I'll do to you then, this is nothing.
I laugh as he looks at me with a promise reflected on his eyes. I roll over so I'm on top of him and I give him the same treatment. I put a knee over his chest and a hand at the side of his head while with the other one I rub his chin softly. I look at him closely and I go down as if to kiss him but instead I blow against his lips making a promise of my own before I turn and get to my side of the bed with a smile on my face.
-I can wait a bit more.
Ha-I'm glad we can sleep together again. I missed you.
-I missed you too.
We go to sleep after all that work.
The next few weeks pass in a blur and luckily the weddings go forward without any problem at all and they all give me some gifts thanking me for my help. I take them gratefully and I give them my blessing and my best wishes before I leave to my own home back at Olympus.
