A/N: So this takes place after Zeus got hit at this night event. Paparazzis are going crazy on him and camp outside of Tartarus buildings. Irina heard about the fight and decided to come visit him to give him some support and this is how the two love interests meet for the first time. This scene takes place after they met and just show the relationship between Irina and Zeus. (some of it)
Part1: first meeting
Part2: Compromise (Zeus and Irina and a little bit of Asma) {coming next}
Part3: Maturity/let's panic together (Irina and Asma talking)
Xxxxxxxxxxxx
Irina kissed Zeus on the lips a second time as he locked the door behind them and walked further into his office. She loved to look at the minimal decoration he used to personalize the space. A few pictures peppered the room. Some were of him shaking hands with celebrities and presidents alike. Others were of his family when his mother was still alive. Despite the presence of his father on the typical family portrait -with him standing next to his wife and having a young 12 years old Zeus in between his parents-, Zeus loved this picture because it was the last of his mom. She was gorgeous, and Zeus clearly took after her good looks. They shared the same eyes, blue and intense as if they could read your soul. They got the same curly jet black hair and she was slender and athletic. Maria Olympian née Ganafinakis was a very famous singer. She toured the world and filled stadiums until she met the businessman Hercules Olympian. They fell in love almost instantly. She was rather young when they met and went through many miscarriages due to a hostile uterus until she finally had a successful child: Zeus. It made her very protective of her son and raised him to become a fair and kind man.
Unfortunately, she didn't realize that she entered the devil's den. Hercules was a manipulative, possessive and jealous man. From the moment they got together, he had to control every aspect of her life. He invaded her privacy, prevented from seeing her friends without supervision and while he never assaulted her physically, his mental abuse was strong enough to hold her hostage of this relationship. She withered like a flower deprived of sun and water. She slowly died inside and her son witnessed it. Zeus tried to help her. He did his best but his father's influence was too strong and lasted for so long that the son couldn't save his mother. She was pushed towards suicide through an endless campaign launched by Hercules when she discovered that he was a fraud. He couldn't take the risk to lose his business, his wealth and everything he built because his wife would go talk to the police. He refused to go to jail for his crime and instead drove his wife to suicide, thinking she was losing her mind.
It didn't stop here. Hercules was a despicable man, « a sociopath » as Zeus would describe him. Others would just say he was drawn to power and wanted to keep it to himself no matter the cost. Did he love Maria? He certainly did, at some point. He genuinely cared for her until he became famous and insanely rich. Growing up poor had triggered his greed and it was greed that made him lose his precious love. However, he wasn't /just/ greedy and whatever love he had felt for the woman was soon taken over by his other emotions. His strong appetite for power and the pleasures of life, his pride and some others. Ironically, he still went to jail when someone else he didn't have access to, discovered the truth and sweated it to the cops. He lost everything, even his son. Well, one could argue that he never had his son, to begin with. Zeus was a very cunning child, one with a strong will and determination. He loved his mother and blamed his father for her death. After all, what did a 12 years old, who witnessed his mother commit herself, could think if not that his father was responsible?
Zeus had been raised so he could be modeled after his father. Hercules didn't want a son, he wanted a clone. Very young Zeus had to learn how to become cunning, cruel, despicable but clever business shark. His mother always secretly encouraged his softer side to be nurtured because she didn't want her son to become his father when he's older. She wanted him to have enough heart to know what was right and what was wrong and despite Hercules best efforts, his son didn't turn like him. As soon as the scandal broke, Zeus decided that he would do his mother justice and rebuild from the ashes left by his father, a better company of the same name. He worked hard to make the public give Tartarus and his name another chance but unfortunately, Irony knocked at his door. Zeus, at his core, was still the little boy who lost his mother. He was good natured, good hearted and a real softie inside. It was a side of himself that only very few people saw, Irina and Asma being one of them. His exterior, however, was the carbon copy of his father. Cold, ruthless with high standards almost impossible to meet, he ruled with an iron gauntlet underneath a velvet glove. Tabloids sold the parallels to the public and there went his reputation. He was a very demanding boss, sure, but he rewarded his employees and they had the best advantages of most of America.
« I came to see how you were holding up with this new scandal wave. »
Irina began as she sat on his desk, her blue eyes staring at the picture of a younger Zeus. He had it framed and put it near him so he would forever remember the young idealistic teenager he was back then. He would forever remember the young good-hearted boy his mother knew he was before she killed herself. He needed to remember this side of himself so he wouldn't drown into his public persona. But how much part of it was true and how much was wrong ? Zeus was angry. Irina knew it. His pent-up rage that never got to be expressed in front of the source of his problem, his father, fell upon others like a hammer. He made them suffer the same way he did, avenged himself for years of abuse and that was a flaw he was trying to correct. He shrugged and ran his hand over his fiancé's pale leg.
« I shouldn't have started a fight with a celebrity. I tried to contain myself but they insulted you, Irina. I had to defend your honor. » She chuckled and gently rubbed his cheek.
« My knight in shiny armor. You certainly do like this title but I don't need any. I simply need you, alive and well. Last time someone shot you in the chest. A little higher and you were dead. » She reminded him as he squeezed her soft leg.
« I know. Being the CEO of this company is already akin to being a target. Being with me is not easy Irina. I'm afraid the madness would never stop. »
« Are you asking me to reconsider my answer? » He nodded. She laughed. « No way! I would not change my answer. I'm still marrying you fool. I came here to support you, in case you didn't know. » She said as she put her hand on top of his and squeeze lightly. « I love you. »
« I love you too, Iri. I really do. You've been loyal to me, over those last six years. You accepted me as I was. »
« That, I did. » She said as she grabbed the picture of his young self. « I'd do it again if I had to. You are not a monster like they want you to be. Yes, you're rough and sometimes insufferable, but you're a good man Zeus and I am marrying this man. The man your mother would be proud of. » She said smiling broadly at him. Zeus shrugged and held her hand with both of his.
« Aren't you the perfect woman? »
« There is nothing like Perfection. It doesn't exist. However, I'm quite close to it yeah ! » he teased him before a soft smile crept on her lips. « I am very happy that Asma was there with you. She seems to be very nice and she cares about you. She's an ally. You should treat her better than you do the rest of them. »
His face closed at her mention of Asma. He tried his best to ignore his feelings for her but he couldn't. He loved Irina and for him saying so wasn't a lie, but he wasn't in love with her anymore. Those years spent in an on and off relationship had run the course of their love. He suspected that the blonde supermodel wasn't in love with him either but they cared about one another and that was the reason he chose to remain with her despite his feelings for Asma. He was in love with this woman. From the moment they spent their first night working together and getting to know each other better, to the moment they kissed for the first time. He fell head over heels but it terrified him because she had yet to know the real him She knew him as this asshole who sometimes treated her right. She knew him as this man of power who was above the rest but she didn't know the broken man. He didn't know how to show her this side of himself, or to be more precise, he didn't want to show it to her. Only two women had known and these women were Margot and Irina and while he treated the former really poorly, he wanted to treat the second one better. Yet Asma was still in his mind and he couldn't shake the heartbreak in her face when she saw them kiss. He couldn't shake the shame he felt when he saw the despair in her face. She had been doing her best to hide her feelings ever since it was national news that he was engaged to Irina but working by her sides became a burden he wasn't sure he wanted to carry over. She became stiff, her smiles were fake and more importantly, she cried. Her eyes were always red from the tears she wept and there was nothing he could do to make her stop or feel better. There was nothing and it broke his heart but he maintained his engagement to Irina. The blonde was oblivious so she smiled at her.
« Yes, she's very dedicated. I am very lucky to have a PA. I never thought I'd need one but she's doing a great job so far. I'm working twice as much as before. » He said grabbing his fiancé's neck and pulling her into a nice kiss. « Do you want to have lunch with me? »
« Mmmmhh no. I am going to have lunch with a stylist friend of mine in a few. I just wanted to say hi and give you some strength, love. »
« Seems like you've just done it. » He said, grinning at her as he stood up once again and pressed his lips against hers. Irina moaned softly into the kiss and leaned back so to give him a better access to her neck. « Ahahah Zeus.. if you're not careful, we might do it here. I have always wanted some office sex... never got to try it. »
« Office sex? We could make it happen anytime you want. » He said, hitching her skirt up but Irina slapped his hand. « What? »
« I have to see a friend in a few and there's no amount of teasing that would make me miss this appointment! I promised to be there for her. »
« Rain-check then? » He suggested, his lips capturing hers and pulling towards him. She nodded and pressed her lips against his for one last kiss.
« Rain-check! I have to go. »
« Alright, love. You'd be home tonight? » She nodded and pecked his lips. « Then I shall come home early for you then. I might have a surprise. »
« If you say dinner, I promise you the dessert would be worth the wait. » She giggled and kissed his lips before she stood back up and grabbed her purse. « I hope to see Asma again. I have a feeling we might see each other more in the future. It's exciting! » She said as she left his room. Zeus didn't go after all for he didn't quite know how to react if he met Asma or if he witnessed the two of them talk again so he refrained from leaving his room.
(TBC)
No comments:
Post a Comment