"Thank you, sir." Again, it was an immediate response because it was disrespectful to let such a kind comment pass without acknowledgement, even if it weren't from his boss. Even if his boss wasn't king of the gods. But after that first reply, Kratos paused to think of all that had been said.
He wasn't stupid. If this wasn't about the recent absences, then it had to be about what he'd been going through this past year. Probably in combination with missing some of his shifts. To Zeus, it must look like the culmination of the problem, rather than the solution to the situation.
"I am alright," he said quietly. "I haven't been. This past year has been a difficult one, personally, though I tried not to let it affect my work or my relationships. Which, in retrospect, probably made it tougher on myself than it needed to be. But I've resolved that situation, and I am in a much better place than I was."
Which was probably an oversimplification, but he wasn't certain how much of his personal life he should burden his king with. Zelos probably talked girls with Zeus all the time, but that was about conquests and one night stands. Kratos wanted far more than that with Ninkasi. He already had more than that with her. And some small part of him was afraid Zeus would not approve because he wasn't the womanizer his brother was. But there were some practical things that made him confess to part of what was going on.
"I should also tell you, sir," he continued, "that I will do my best not to miss any further shifts, but I may... need to. I mean, I will obviously coordinate with my siblings to make sure that everything is covered, it's just that... well. I'd like a bit of time off here and there, now. Because, well, I'd like to spend it with..."
What was Ninkasi? She was more than just a friend now, she was also a lover. But lover didn't cover everything they were together either. The only word he could think of was one that he didn't dare say in front of her, and one he wasn't sure she really was anyway, but it was the only thing that would give Zeus an understanding of why he wanted the time off. "With my girlfriend."