Forbidden Love

Chapter 21

Aphrodite sat in stunned silence, staring at Hermes. Did she hear him right? Had he just asked for Peitho's hand? Her first instinct was to say no, but the longer she sat there, the more she thought of Peitho and her demeanor as of late. Perhaps getting married would lift her spirits. But she didn't want to make Peitho marry the way Aphrodite had been forced to.

"I'm not going to force my daughter to marry you the way I was forced to marry Hephaestus," she answered matter of factly.

Hermes folded his arms across his chest and smirked. "Is that a yes, Dite?" He asked. Part of him couldn't believe she'd agreed.

"No, but it's not a no either. As I said, I will not force her into marriage as I was. If you want her, you'll have to court her. If you win her over, you have my blessing," she answered.

The wings on Hermes' sandals began to flutter and carried him to where Aphrodite sat. He hovered so close to her that Aphrodite could feel the heat of his body. She was sure he was about to kiss her. Parting her lips slightly, Aphrodite closed her eyes and waited to feel his lips against hers. Instead, she felt him place a chaste kiss on her cheek. His kiss felt more like a blow to the face. Aphrodite and Hermes had an affair years ago. Part of her was hoping that his asking for Peitho's hand was just a way for him to get under her skin. That it was Aphrodite, he craved. Her eyes remained closed as she listened to the sound of the wings on his sandals flap, not wanting her eyes to betray her and show Hermes her true feelings about his request.

"Thank you, Dite," said Hermes as he pulled away from her. She opened her eyes just in time to see Hermes fly out of the doors to her temple.

Aphrodite would never admit that it stung her to know that Hermes no longer harbors feelings for her and that he'd rather court Peitho than she. It was a blow to her ego, and she needed to feel wanted. Only one person she knew would make her feel that way without having to do much of anything.

"Hephaestus!" She screeched.

"Yes, my goddess," he answered as he appeared before her.

She stood and held out her hand to him. She allowed him to help her descend the few stairs in front of her throne. When she reached him, Hephaestus raised her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. Aphrodite bit her lip to keep from cringing at the sight of him. As they stood there, she silently hated Zeus for saddling her with Hephaestus. But he came in handy for situations like the one she found herself in now.

"Do you still love me, Hephaestus?" She asked him sweetly as she circled her arms around his neck and pressed herself up against him slightly.

Hephaestus breathed in the heady scent of Aphrodite. She always smelled of roses kissed by the rain. He hardened slightly at the feeling of her against him, but he knew better than to act on it. He knew all too well that she found him repulsive and was surprised by her actions. She had never lovingly touched him before. Or, stood this close to him since the day of their wedding. Something must have happened before his arrival for her to seek his comfort now.

"I love you, Aphrodite. My love for you has never wavered. Not since the day I first set my eyes upon you. I love you as much now as I did then," he said softly. Aphrodite gave a slight nod. She could hear the sincerity in his words. She breathed a sigh of relief after she heard them.

******

Vulcan wiped the sweat off his brow from the blazing sun. The Apollo's have done a fantastic job at making it blisteringly hot today. It was as if they both knew he was returning to work on Vesuvius today. Vulcan could tell by the sun's placement that it was almost noon. Soon he would take his break for lunch. He sent word to Peitho that he would return to Pompeii today. He had hoped he would hear from her before today, but he hadn't. Maybe she had changed her mind about him when he was gone. All Vulcan could do was hope she would come to him. Vesuvius was almost complete, and Venus was pregnant. He wasn't sure how much more time he would have with his Dolce, but Vulcan wanted to soak up every minute he could with her.

He stood back for a moment to admire his work. Vesuvius is much bigger than Vulcan had intended, but Jupiter seemed pleased by that, and the bigger it was, the more time he spent with Peitho. He enjoyed listening to the townspeople of Pompeii talk about it. They said the mountain was a gift from the gods. Vulcan often felt that mortals weren't as bright as they ought to be, but on this, they were right. After patting himself on the back over his work today, he flashed himself from the mountainside to the inn entrance, got their usual room key, and made his way down the small hallway to the room. Once inside, he closed the door hurriedly and went to collapse on the bed. It wasn't much cooler here than it was outside.

******

Peitho opened the door to find Vulcan asleep on the bed. She smiled at the sight of him. Rather than wake him, she crawled into bed next to him, lay her head on his chest, and listened to his soft breathing.

"I love you, Vulcan. I missed you so much," she whispered before raising her head to bury her face in his neck and place light kisses there.

Vulcan came awake to the feeling of soft lips on his skin. He moaned low in his throat and reached over to feel an equally soft body next to him. Vulcan knew without having to open his eyes that his Dolce was here. He used one arm to encircle her and pulled her to him. Peitho was lying on top of him as he smashed his lips into hers and kissed her feverishly. His hungry kisses stole her breath. When Vulcan finally released her, he left Peitho panting.

"Hello, Dolce," said Vulcan, his voice still hoarse from sleep.

"Hi," replied Peitho excitedly as she began leaving a trail of kisses down his chest. She felt his shaft harden and press against her hip. Peitho smiled before nipping his skin with her teeth.

"Wait, Dolce," said Vulcan as he reached down to pull her to him once more. Peitho gave him a pouty look before her gaze turned sad. Vulcan's heart clenched at the sight of it.

"Don't look at me like that, my love. I missed you fiercely, and I want this more than you know. But there are important things I must tell you before we go any further, as they might change your mind about making love to me. I would never take advantage of you before telling you something this important," said Vulcan.

Peitho's heart began to pound. Worry creased her brow as she waited for Vulcan to tell her whatever it was Vulcan had to say.

"Venus is pregnant, Dolce". She spent our entire honeymoon trying to make it so, and she succeeded. I found out last night when I returned home, but it wasn't her who told me. Cupid did after Venus had gone to bed." Peitho's face fell once Vulcan finished speaking. She shook her head as tears began to fill her eyes.

"No, this can't be. Eros says we're fated. That we're meant to be together", Vulcan nodded.

"Cupid has said the same. While I believe him, I worry that someone is conspiring against us. Against me. The last thing I wanted was to get Venus pregnant. I wanted to stay detached from her and focus my energy on us. But with the baby coming and my work on Vesuvius ending soon, I'm not sure how we will continue, but I will do everything I can to keep us together." Peitho nodded silently.

"Vulcan, I don't want to think about this now. Please just be here with me. Make love to me." Vulcan smiled, pulled her to him, and kissed her deeply.