They had agreed to have regular lunch meetings, hadn't they? Or perhaps the answer had been far more vague then that, with implications that such meetings would be far more arranged in advance, but Hera saw no need to let the details deter her in this case. Stepping out of the elevator, she peered about her, looking for signs of her brother, or even if he was out of the office.
Her brother was very busy today. Wall to wall meetings and consulting research, or at least that's what his schedule said. His personal assistant knew better. After all, she was the one that wrote up the false schedule. The office was relatively quiet. The interns weren't there; they were not made to come on Fridays. It almost gave the main office the air of a place of business, if one could ignore the arcade machines and the pool table. Julie greeted the woman, “Can I help ya?”
Ah, perfect. Smiling slightly as she walked up to the desk, Hera knew this was one of the people that, if they were doing their job correctly, any guest had to pass through to see the main boss. "Yes. My name is June Marris. I was hoping that Dante would be free to join me for lunch today." There was no doubt in her voice that he would know the name, without any of the over confidence that meant the doubt was being hidden. Hopefully he hadn't already left.
“Hmm, he's been havin' confernece calls all day but...” Julie certainly heard that lack of doubt in June's voice, so she would at least check. She clicked over on one of her monitor's. Dante's main screen name was off line, but his private work one was away; away with the message: “I'm watching 90210? Seriously? I must really hate myself.” It only took a moment's consideration. “Let me just buzz you in. Seems he has some time for lunch.” Julie appreciated Dante doing his job, but she couldn't help offering him the out.
Dante looked up at the buzzing sound and blinked when he heard his assistant say who was about to walk in. June? Quickly, he turned his television off and pulled himself up to sit properly. He probably should have remembered to put away the bottle of Jack Daniels that was directly in front of him, but no one's perfect.
"Thank you," she answered as she turned toward the door to enter his office, smiling politely as she did so. When the door opened and she was given the first sight of her brother, she let the door close fully behind her before her eyebrow began to rise. A glance to the bottle that had been left out, then back to it's drinker. "Has the week truly been that bad for you, Dante?"
He blinked. The answer was obviously “yes”, but he hadn't thought he had been so transparent. Perhaps people just assumed he would fall apart... assume and be right. Only as his thoughts continued to turn in his mind to figure out the origin of the question did his black eyes fall to the bottle. “Oh. The Jack? It makes my job easier. Me and the Teley are havin' many a disagreement about what it should be showin' me.”
"I see. And what is it that it should be showing and is not?" Walking further into the room, she approached the desk to pick up the bottle, eyeing how much was left. The amount would be relative to how much had been there in the start... but there was one issue to tend to at a time.
The bottle was half empty... half full? It didn't really matter as he stood from his chair to approach her in greeting a little better. Also to prove he could walk in a straight line. See, not drunk. “It should be showin' me that people read my suggestions. What it shows me is I am bein' ignored. Disconcerting for a consultant, but...” He was still being paid, so it was really only annoying. “Was today when we were supposed to meet?”
She set the bottle back down, and watched him as he walked. Ah, good. While she may, mostly, disapprove of drinking at work, proof that one had been drinking was worse. "Yes, though I do not believe we agreed upon a location nor have made any reservations." She doubted this would be an issue of any kind between them. Straightening, she faced him directly and smiled slightly. It was good to see her brother.
He tried to offer her a smile in return. It worked well enough. It was enough to be considered a smile. Hades really wasn't much of a smiler when sober, even if every year around this time previously it had been so easy for him to do. “Can we order in? My boys are actin' weird.”
"If you wish. But only on the terms that I am allowed the opportunity to see and hold each of your boys." The request sounded odd perhaps, but she had not yet had much chance, and it seemed a waste for them not to know their aunt in even such a small regard.
“You'll probably never get to hold my daughter so...” He nodded and went back behind his desk where his sons napped, or pretended to, on a big folded quilt. They instantly awoke and reached for him when he crouched down closer to their reach and squealed as he lifted them and headed to one of the couches, motioning for his sister to follow. “[This is your Aunt Hera, precious sons.]”
Hera followed her brother to the couch, and settled herself in place close by so it would be easy to pass the children. She looked at the two children, thinking of how small they had been at their birth and how now, many months later, they had grown. "[I helped to see you into this world, young ones. It is good to see you doing well.]"
Hades passed his eldest son to Hera first, allowing his youngest son a little time to fully wake up and understand this new woman was not scary. It was easier to smile with them so close. “Careful, Eddy likes to chew on pretty much anything new.”
"I have little that I would fear him damaging, and more that I would fear damaging him," she answered as she took the child, smiling like the aunt she was as she did so and peering down at him. "Hello Edward." Gently, slowly, she shifted her hand and moved it over the top of his head, tempted to make her own subtle health check, though there would be little that it would tell her.
Ooh, a strange hand. That seemed good to chew on. Edward leaned his head back to try but his father's cool touch along the back of his neck startled him out of the action. Instead he grabbed Hera's blouse and laughed a little at his own tugging.
Hades had no problem correcting his young sons like he would a puppy. What worked worked. “They're bein' all anxious if I go too far away from them. Personally, I think they're fakin' and manipulatin' me.”
Hera smiled indulgently at the tugging, the blouse replaceable if worse came to worse, though she did move her hand to the closed fist, stroking it to try and change the grip. "Most would say that is the duty of the children. They must learn such tricks and make use of them while they are able." An eyebrow arched ever so slightly. "Do they do the same with their mother?"
“This is new.” Hades supported Eric as he now reached out to see who this person was that was entertaining his brother. The Dark One continued with his conversation as if not paying attention, but not a motion was missed. “Probably just tryin' to keep me from comin' and goin'.”
"Do they have reason to fear that from you?" Ah, beautiful children. She was content to study Edward in her arms for the moment, and become familiar with him. Hopefully as they grew older they would not be complete strangers to her. It would be a waste for something as that.
“No.” But children and puppies were very much alike. Hades sighed lightly as he brushed his fingers along his youngest son's hair, “Been busy lately and in and out of the house. They ain't used to me not bein' around for puttin' them down to bed and wakin' them up anymore. Or they're messin' with me. I'm heavily siding with that one.”
"Children can be highly intuitive..." And what were they sensing now that would cause the change? The question was in her thoughts, though she did not speak them aloud. Her eyes slid to glance at her brother, then back to her nephew in her arms. "How long do you have for your lunch break?"
“I'm my own boss, so however long I want.” He shrugged and eased his youngest son on her lap as well to join his brother and meet his aunt. Free of small children, he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back into the cushions of the couch. “Done most the reports I wanted to get done this week.”
Ah, another one! She smiled at the second and shifted the first, to give them both some attention as she spoke. "Then, since I have both of the boys, it will fall to you to call for our lunch when you are ready. I have my afternoon free for the time being, but emergencies tend to crop up unexpectedly. Until then, I have as much time as you." She stroked a finger down Eric's arm, watching how the child reacted.
Eric's head turned widely toward the finger against his arm, but when he remembered that would get him no where, he reached out and grabbed at the finger. Gotcha! Motor skills were improving.
“Yeah, until some rich nut needs you to sort out his life. Gonna spend the whole afternoon with me?” Hades reached for his phone, considering what they could eat, still watching his sons enjoying themselves. “There's a pretty fast diner a block away. You can get whatever ya want and they'd bring it pretty quickly...”
"That sounds acceptable." She smiled and playfully tugged her hand away from Eric, though not enough to actually break the grip. Why not let it be a small game for now? But it was with a free thumb that she could almost taunt him by rubbing the back of the hand that held her finger. "I trust that their food is quality enough as well?"
“I like it.” Hades paused through while dialing. He also liked making Triple Macs out of three normal Big Macs, putting them together and then weighing them down with a phone book so it would fit into his mouth. However, he knew what good food tasted like. He was rich, he had been a king and he currently lived with Hestia. “It's good enough for lunch anyway.” Now he continued to dial. “I'll get whatever the specials are today...”
Eric squealed at the feel of a thumb against his little hand. He didn't understand where it came from. He had the finger! Edward, however, watched the game and grabbed Hera's finger on her other hand. He wanted to play, too!
Chuckling, the aunt seemed to understand this, and tried to divide her attention between the two, allowing each a finger, tugging on it, or moving it so that the thumb could touch them else where. Often one would enjoy a victory as the hand he held stilled, while the other was being moved. "As long as it is not soup nor salad. I have no desire to attempt to fill myself on greens or flavored water."
Hades nodded and made the double order, before pocketing his phone and watching his children's joy. “Chicken Cordon Bleu. As long as its cooked, which it should be, it should be good enough.” Suddenly, he had no idea how to proceed. Small talk was not his strong suit, “So...”
"Often when I have conversations with you they revolve around you and your relationship to one of two people." Still smiling at the boys, her tone was part light and teasing, and part serious with the type of job that she had as she pretended to be mortal. The lightness was to keep it sounding more of a joke, or perhaps because of the twins before her. The seriousness was simply inescapable. It was difficult to believe, no matter how bad the shows, that Hades would drink in the middle of the day, though she had little to judge it by. If there were to be issues discussed, they might as well begin there. And if there were not, that she would find another topic.
“Am in a relationship with only one person.” There was a distinctly angry and defensive tone to his voice when he said it, enough to make both his sons turn their heads to look at him. To which he sighed and stroked their blond hair each before settling back. The boys went back to playing with their aunt. “Okay, that was too strong. I admit that.”
"Mmm. And I said your relationship with. You may be only in one relationship, but you have many." She turned just enough to arch an eyebrow at him. "Or do you not consider the relationship you have with your sister to be a relationship?" Her fingers moved gently in the boy's hands, ready to distract them back to the previous game.
Hades kept his tone soft, mostly to trick his sons, but that didn't keep the defensiveness out of it, “She's the one person...”
Hera gave a small nod, deciding now would not be the time to push the topic. "And how is she?"
“Happy.” For now. Hades added the last two words in his own mind, careful not to say them. Since Persephone, he knew it was foolish to ever not think them. Ever. He shrugged, “But she's usually happy. Her house is full of mouths to feed.”
"And how is her bakery?" She had not had the chance to make a visit herself, though she often planned to. "Has she hired staff to work for her?"
Hades needed to ask more questions about the bakery. He was going to try to remember to do so. “She hasn't complained anythin' is goin' wrong. I have to take that as all is well. And the bread is very good. She brings it home.”
"A good addition to many feasts. She's gifted enough with it that I would expect her to bring a constant variety of it home as well." Getting a finger free, she began to tap each of the boys in different places, seeing if they could grab her hand once more.
The boys were more than willing to try to grab her hand again. Edward reached out wildly, while Eric decided that his hands were not going to succeed and reached out with his bare feet. Eventually, they both caught their prey, in their own clumsy baby way.
Hades managed to actually smile, “They like you.”
Hera let each enjoy their catch, moving her fingers like a wiggling toy, trying to escape to cause havoc once more. She smiled slightly herself. "I am glad."
Hera seemed good with children when she wasn't tossing them off mountains or some other horror, but the family was built on contradictions of character. Hades watched their game like a dutiful, proud father until he heard the diner delivery boy knocking on his side door; the diner knew to knock on the private door. He easily paid for the meal and placed it atop his desk before moving to get a sheet to lay down on the floor. “C'mon.” he said amused and brought the food to the sheet and sat. Time for an indoor picnic.
God children and mortal children grew up vastly differently, and as Persephone had chosen not to seek vengeance on the children, Hera saw no reason to create a rift between them. And, perhaps, part of her was considering a child of her own once more. Shifting, she freed her hands to pick up each of the boys and carry them to the sheet on the floor. First Edward, then Eric, were placed carefully into their own bit of space where they would be more likely to not cause trouble for themselves.
Hades put out the food, making sure it was far enough away from little, curious hands. “One of these days they're gonna get up and grab the food from me. They already want to. Can see it in their eyes.”
"At some point they will reach the toddler stage, and there will also be the teenager stage. It is well that our sister enjoys feeding people, as I suspect they will enjoy eating." Hera herself could smell the food, and watched the boys to see what their reaction to it was. They were most likely accustomed to such things, but she was curious, just the same.
Both began to whine, Eric more than Edward, reaching out for the food, which Hades firmly responded with “No. My food.” Again, children and puppies were very much the same. The boys might not have completely understood him, but they understood tone. Daddy wasn't giving them any. Hades was confident enough that they wouldn't become thieves that he could eat with the plastic utensils provided.
She watched father and children for a bit, amused by the scene, and brought her own food to herself to investigate. "Do you have anything that they can eat to distract them?" She was not their mother to feed them herself as she tried to eat, but sometimes a form of distracting peace item could work wonders.
“Not time for them to eat.” Hades shrugged as he cut his chicken into pieces and then put aside his plastic knife. He glanced over at his sons with an amused smirk, “Besides, they came in pairs to act as distraction toward the other. They'll be playin' as soon as we pretend to ignore them.”
A good plan. Put in that manner, it was easy to see the truth. Often those left long enough to their own devices found their own forms of entertainment. Following her brother's example, she tended to her own chicken, pleased to see it cut easily enough. And that it was fully cooked. "Does having them here ever pose a problem for you?"
“Only when I'm tryin' to be scary or I'm goin' stir crazy. The former is easily fixed; the latter...” He merely shrugged. Taking the moment to eat some of his food, and being proud over the fact that his children were as predictable as he claimed they would be, he began again, “Much rather have them here than not. My children mean everything to me; I'm gonna hate when they go to school.” If only he could have Delaney with him during the day, too. He wouldn't be able to be unhappy. It would be impossible.
"You have a short bit of time before that, and can be glad that kindergarten is only for half of a day." He knew well enough the option of home schooling, if he chose to do such a thing, and she would not point it out needlessly to him. Perhaps by then, some of the newer... challenges that he was facing would settle themselves more into place. At least, such was her hope. She sampled a small bite of her chicken, considering the blend of tastes. "Unlike some, your work schedule would most likely be able to change to allow you the most time with them, once they start full time."
“And I can see them when I come home as well.” Unlike Delaney, which hurt more than words would be able to explain, but there was little he could do about it. Hades closed his eyes and took a breath. If his thoughts didn't stop betraying him he was going to have Irish up this chicken and that sounded disgusting. Time to get the conversation off of him. “How has your life been? We never talk about you.”
Most likely because, unlike him, she did not have the life of a soap opera currently being played out. Though that was slightly debatable. Taking her time to answer, she chewed another bite of food. Mentally, she stored his reactions away. "There is normally very little of interest to tell. You already know much of the news related to the family, and the rest of my time is spent with work, or my husband. Who, for the moment, has been behaving himself." She smiled at this thought, pleased. Most likely he would know if their brother was misbehaving.
Just because the soap opera wasn't currently focusing on her, didn't mean she also didn't live in one. The writers were probably waiting for a sweeps week. But Hades nodded, pleased that Hera was pleased. Zeus being good meant peace for the family and for Miami usually, “Thought there would be somethin' of interest considerin' your husband's recent medical conditions.”
"There has been little more since that event, though travel plans may be made for research into the cause." Her own focus had been slightly on that of her own powers, and while there was some possible relation, she did not see them as tightly bound. Carefully, she kept that annoyance from her face, selecting another bite. "As it is, there is little that can be done directly just now."
“Guess not.” His judging eyes caught that there was more to it than just that, but he allowed it to drop. If Hera had wanted him to know, she would have told him. He glanced at the bag on his desk. “The meals usually come with a couple of cookies for dessert. Don't like them myself 'cause they got icing on them... want one?” Oh, Hades could hear the myth writers of Greece being godsmacked now. Hera and Hades sharing a picnic, discussing cookies while his sons looked on. It was enough to make him smile.
"Perhaps, much frosting tends to be too sweet." She took a few more bites of the chicken before her though as she considered. She had discussed her private realization with no one, and did not see this as the fit time to bring it out. "Are they sugar cookies or something of that nature?"
Getting up, he grabbed the two cookies from the bag and handed her one. “They're sugar cookies and got some vanilla icing on them. Just don't like processed sugar is all.” He sat back down at her side instead of across from her. The other cookie he was breaking into pieces and then breaking two of those pieces into smaller pieces. The children could be rewarded for being good.
Hera broke a small piece of the cookie off, tasting it before she dared to decide if she would eat the whole thing. She watched, curious, as Hades prepared the other for the boys. "I have tasted a few decent cream cheese frostings in the past, but often it is some of the simpler and more classic deserts that I prefer." An eyebrow arched in curiosity. "Tell me, what do you often prefer for a dessert?"
“Don't know when fruit stopped bein' an acceptable dessert.” He put out his hands with a few tiny pieces of cookie each for his sons, pausing his words only briefly so he could make a soft whistling sound to get Eric's attention, too. The pieces of cookie were quickly snatched away and he could return to adult conversation. “Ice cream's good sometimes though. Not that I'm a fool. Tessie puts somethin' in front of me, I will eat it.”
She smiled as she watched the boys, and in response to Hades' answer. "There is nothing wrong with fruit as a dessert, though some of us enjoy having it dressed up a bit. Some honey on apples or cream with strawberries for example." She paused, considering, an arched an eyebrow. "I know one young woman who enjoyed taking strawberries, dipping them in sour cream, then in brown sugar. She claimed that it tasted much like cheese cake, if I recall correctly.
“Was with you on the first two. Rather have a cheese cake than that last one.” The brown sugar in that combination made him visibly shudder much to his eldest's amusement; Eric only laughed out of peer pressure to do so. “We gonna do this every week?”
It was to his sister's amusement as well. She had tried the combination, and found it decent enough, if odd. She broke off another piece of the cookie, speaking before she placed it in her mouth. "If you would like to."
“Of course I would. I adore you, and you don't expect me to not be a social misfit.” And as long as she didn't bring any of those brown sugar strawberry abominations, these lunches could be quite enjoyable.
She had no intention of bringing him something he would be so... displeased with. Simple fruits were possible though. "Then let us plan them to be. Do you wish to always eat in your office? It may be easiest with the boys, but they will also need to learn proper etiquette for within a restaurant." There was, admittedly, a form of freedom within his office however, and she was not completely adverse to the idea.
“We should probably have them here until the boys get used to the idea of you bein' around. Don't need to give them the excitement of a restaurant and the excitement of an aunt at the same time.” Hades shrugged a little bit. This was working well enough. The food had been good and the boys had behaved. “But it'll be good to spend more time together.”
"Perhaps, before the restaurant, my office would work as well for an in between. It would, at minimum, be another new environment for them to explore." And she would see anything that needed to be baby proofed before their arrival. "In either case, I agree. It would be pleasant to have at least one lunch a week that I could look forward too."
It was almost a laugh out of him as he nudged her shoulder with his. “Now, now, you're gonna make me blush from embarrassment, Little Sis.”
She arched an eyebrow to him, straightening just slightly as if in haughty defense. "That would be a feat that our brother would enjoy seeing."
Hades was quick to made a dismissive gesture, “Who invited either of them to our weekly lunches?”
"I assure you, I have no intention to." The thought had crossed her mind, briefly, and been quickly dismissed.
“Good, cause I ain't invitin' either of them.” If Poseidon showed up, he and Hades had much too discuss... and Zeus... Well, he would just wreck the quiet moments he got with his little sister. He needed more quiet moments in his life, not less.
And that little sister had no intention of causing more problems in his life if it was something she could prevent. Zeus, love him as she certainly did, was more likely to disturb their quieter brother if brought to lunches as well. And Hera was aware of this. "Then we shall keep this for ourselves, and your children. If others wish to share time with us, we will set them another day of the week."
“Agreed. Children don't count anyway. They ain't even payin' attention to us now.” He gestured over to the twins, who found themselves transfixed by how they could line their feet up. “Maybe we can have Tessie make next week's. She would. You don't even know how many different contraptions she has for food transportation. I'll give you a hint: a lot.”
"Then we shall take our time in challenging her to never grant it into the same form of transport twice. Perhaps it will give her the smallest challenge to plan a meal around the carrying container, opposed to whatever else she uses for her inspiration." Following his gaze, she watched the twins as well and how the simple exploration seemed to fascinate them.
“Challenging Tessie to food challenges? I should just buy a kitchen stadium now.” Oh, that sounded fun... No, no. Must not use lover in gladiatorial culinary contests. Hades took a deep breath to rid himself of the instinct no matter how awesome it would probably be. There were too many things wrong with it. “Thanks for remembering about this...”
"It was my pleasure." And it was. Time away from the office in the pleasant company of her brother was well spent. Though the way he phrased the statement with Hestia, it caused even his sister to think of some various dramatic kitchen offs. "What is your secretary's name?"
“Is your pleasure. The afternoon isn't over yet, right?” Because Hades was notoriously bad about letting guests leave. He wouldn't keep her against her will, but... It was just nice to have company that didn't have a lot of baggage attached. “Her name is Julie. Why?”
"If I am to be making regular visits through your office, it seems prudent and polite to know the name of the woman at the desk before your door." And she was a hint nosy. It always seemed more respectable to be able to address someone by name when possible. She glanced to her brother. "I had not planned to leave unless my cell phone indicated I had reason too."
“Julie Trocaire. If yer gonna be prudent and polite, might as well know her whole nam...” Hades allowed his words to trail off as he watched his sons begin to slow down in their play. They had tired themselves out and so he got up, moved their folded up quilt he had for them now that they had outgrown their bassinet he had had and laid them on top it before returning again to Hera's side. “You wore them out, Sis.”
Hera smirked at him as she watched his actions, but stayed on the floor with her legs neatly tucked at her side. She leaned on one arm as she answered. "That is part of the duty of an aunt. To spoil them with attention, affection and anything else I deem appropriate." Twisting, she peered at the boys. "Perhaps, at some point, I will be able to give them something a bit more unique." A goddess of marriage and wives, there was little she was ready to do just yet.
Hera's domains depressed Hades on many levels, so he chose not to think that far ahead and thus ignored her last statement. He plopped down to his back at her side like it really was a picnic and there was grass beneath the sheet and a sunny sky above them and not a hard floor and boring ceiling with a fan hanging there. “Don't spoil them too much. Bad enough they are gonna be rich.”
All the more reason for a more unique gift. But seeing how her brother was laying back, it gave Hera another thought. Carefully, she stood, and went to the couch. Selecting a pillow, she came back and touched it to the back of her brother's head. He may not have needed it, but it was a small gesture. "Then I will simply have to be more creative in my spoilings."
Hades enjoyed small gestures and lifted his head to rest it upon the leather cased pillow and not on his arms. He smiled in silent thank you. “I'm sure you'll figure somethin' out. Got some time. They ain't even in the stage where the box is more interestin' than the gift yet.”
"Then we will simply have to find them some interesting boxes. Perhaps some bubble wrap to pop as they move around." Ah, now there was an interesting image. Smiling, she resumed sitting where she could easily see her brother's face without him having difficulty looking up to her.
“No bubble wrap. Tessie would freak out beyond words or example at how easy they could kill themselves with that. Boxes will be fine.” He looked up at her casually, finding her more interesting than the ceiling fan over head. It wasn't even moving after all. “Do me a big favor, and I assure you, what I'm about to say will ruin the peaceful mood for a moment.”
She arched an eyebrow at him, wondering what the request would be. She had thought the careful avoidance of topics of disturbing natures was one of the underlying unspoken rules. Little matter. "If that is what you want..."
You had to break eggs to make omelettes. Hades was almost amused with his internal narration. He was getting better at thinking up cooking/house related metaphors, though he could still think of a dozen plant related ways of explaining it. No matter. He broke eye contact with her, absently reaching for the fan way overhead like it was a picnic cloud. “[If you ever want to do say or do anything toward Persephone that has the off chance of being objectionable, run it by me first. Then I can either tell you a less explosive way or just give you the okay. Either way, it would technically be me betraying her if it explodes and I won't need to ruin our pleasant lunches.]”
Hera's back straightened, her jaw tightened, and only a small part of it was because of Hades. More of it was for his former wife. "[I had no intention of approaching her again,]" she said shortly, not bothering to add just how clear Persephone had made her preferences with her visit to Hera's home. Turning from him, she needlessly smoothed out her skirts.
Even without complete eye contact, Hades could tell how much of a nerve he struck. She couldn't say he hadn't warned her. He reached out and placed his cool hand at the small of her back as it was easiest to reach in a brotherly fashion. “[I know you don't now... But we live a very long time and my vow is longer than I might have meant it to be. However, I personally knew Styx and I know how to get around her vows if I need to. I don't want to hurt you...]”
"[Then I suggest that you remind her about proper manners within another's home,]" she returned, turning to look at him and arching an eyebrow. He had warned her, but it was still less him and more his wife that had been the pain. Frowning for a moment more, she slowly took in a deep breath and released it, trying to force herself to relax. "[I can appreciate your efforts and wish for Persephone, and respect it as well, however, that does not give her permission to flaunt about as though some untouchable princess with you there to be her shadow knight.]" Especially when there was another within her bed, and Hades himself was in Hestia's.
“[Parents teach manners. Blame her mother for that.]” Though he moved to sitting and wrapped his arms around her in a gentle hug. Hades was not a big hugger, but he partly did it to knock Hera off center, take her mind off her words and frustration. “[I'm not overly pleased with the 'untouchable princess' act either.]” She had flaunted her new husband before him and he hadn't expected the action or the pain, “[I agree with you. That's why I'm telling you how to get around the shadow knight if in the future....]” Though he definitely had to get some business cards printed up with “Shadow Knight” on them.
It did throw her off, and for a moment, Hera sat there in surprise, before relaxing and hugging him back in return. When she straightened again, it was more with the same Hera pride, though some of the frustrations was gone, if not all. They would quickly move from the topic. "[I will let others play messenger to her should the need arise, and try to contact you to be the mediator if contact cannot be avoided. The future is long and unseeable though, Brother, and I can make no promises.]" Like if she were ambushed or circumstances were outside of her control.
His voice hushed in seriousness, “[Just try your best to come to me first when it involves her. Let me play traitor; I've already made my promises.]” He then kissed her forehead to silently add again that he did not want to hurt his little sister. There was a moment's pause and then he released her and laid back down on the floor like nothing had happened. It was over. He had done all he could do, now would put it out of his mind until forced to think about it again.
Taking her cue from her brother, Hera nodded to his words before turning toward the couch. A stretch, and she managed to flip a pillow into reach. Being a lady, proper and prim, could leap out a window with no wings right now. She set the pillow in line with her brother's and carefully laid down as well, tugging odd wrinkles from the skirt and crossing her ankles as her hands came to rest on her stomach. What a pair they made. "... I am amazed that your ceiling does not even have any texture for interest, [Brother]. I thought that you slept within this office at one time." The previous subject was, for now, closed.
“Spent a lot of time watchin' the teley...”
Summary: Hera and Hades agreed to have weekly lunches, which Hera remembered about, so she goes to his office. They eat and talk.