MNB : Come as you are part 2 : Golden heart and iron hand (Irina and Zeus)

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)

MNB : Come as you are part 1 : (Irina and Asma first meeting)

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. Asma can't bring herself to hate the girl and decides that the best for her is to move on from Zeus but that bitch stings and she can barely hold her composure. Zeus himself feels awkward because he's responsible for the whole mess, but he set things in motion and he can't back up. It's also the very first time I do write Irina. So it's Irina centric mostly.

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 Tchekovka was a lovely woman. She was raised as a good Catholic girl with a top-notch education because her parents were two famous scientists. The mother was working on an oil rig while the father was working at a lab, for a big pharmacological company. Both wanted their daughter to follow their paths so she studied hard but before she could go to college, she became a supermodel. At first, she auditioned just for fun and because a friend of hers was auditioning but when they offered her a contract, her parents agreed to it if they were her agents. It happened and she became in a span of 2 years, one of the very few last supermodels, next to Heidi Klum and Naomi Campbell. She was a friend of Cara Delevingne, was seen attending charities and gala with famous actors and people but always seemed to be very discreet. She never drank, never was plastered on tabloids and really flew under the radar of the press until she started to date Zeus Olympian.

Zeus was infamous, for his god-made looks, for his aggressive behavior in public events, for his father who was one of the most hated criminals in the country -he ran a Ponzi scheme who left millions indebted and threw many people into the streets or extreme poverty-. Of course, the son worked very hard to erase the father's history from his company and remove the bitter taste Hercules Olympian left in so many people mouths but he was an asshole. It didn't help his reputation despite his good looks and cunning mind. Zeus was known as Asshole Extraordinaire so imagine everybody's surprise when they learned he was dating the sweet and problem-free Irina Tchekovka? It felt like an Earthquake because they were polar opposites, at least, in public and people couldn't comprehend how on Earth these two could get along. Irina discovered what being on tabloids felt like, how it felt to be harassed on the streets by journalists, how it felt to be insecure about her relationship. It drained both of them and both went through on and off phases initiated by him or her because they couldn't deal with the pressure.

Irina knew Zeus. She got six years to know the man after all and those six years were quite eventful. She knew who he really was, far from being an asshole like he had to in public, in private Zeus, was very kind and respectful and concerned. He ensured she could study incognito and safely because she wanted to have a PH.D. In biochemistry. He ensured she never lacked anything and was willing to drop important moments with business partners if he could spend them with her. She never asked him to do it (save for once but it was an emergency, she had to go to the hospital) but he always did if he felt she needed his presence. He was vulnerable in front of her, talked about the way he was raised, the physical and mental abuse his father, the traumatism of witnessing his mother's suicide and of losing an unborn child because his fiancée got sick and he didn't behave the best way he could have.. he should have. Zeus confessed a lot of things to the blonde who listened to him and comforted him. He found peace by her sides and as surprisingly as it sounded like, he genuinely loved her. She loved him too, for this version of Zeus was so much better than the public image he suffered from. She knew he had a good heart, his company was a good company, doing good to their customers, inspiring the competition to go clean and adopt better policies to benefit their employees. Zeus might have been ruthless and demanding, his employees won the lottery and they knew it.

So of course, when that fight scandal broke, a few weeks after they officially announced their engagement, Irina decided to go to Tartarus and see Zeus. It could have been a PR move (and it was, she was showing him support) but she genuinely just wanted to make sure he was doing okay. The whole company went on fire, the moment they saw her walk in. She was appreciated by the staff, admired even but this time something spicier did happen. They all knew that something happened between the boss and Asma and gossips and bets took place. They wanted to know how the two women in their boss life would react when they met each other. Nobody really knew. Some, like Madeleine, thought that Asma would run away and avoid confrontation but others like Karina and Tom thought that Asma would assault Irina and fight and be loud about it -It was Tom who pushed the idea since he was prejudiced against black women-

Asma herself didn't know how to react to Irina's presence if she ever had to meet her. She always fantasized about telling her straight that she shouldn't have accepted Zeus proposal, that he had someone who loved him and kissed her during Irina and Zeus breaks up period and that if after six years nothing came out of it, then she shouldn't bother. That was the plan, right? It should happen like that. It didn't! Asma froze when she saw Irina that morning. She literally froze and let her come close enough for Irina to recognize her as Zeus personal assistant and come and greet her. Being warm and outgoing, he blonde just gave Asma a big hug and patted her back.

« Thank you, thank you so much for dragging Zeus out of that party. I am so sorry he caused you some troubles. He tends to be very hot-blooded in public. »

« I...It was nothing. I was just doing my job Miss Tchekovka. » Asma swallowed a lump and held her boss' girlfriend back so not to seem disrespectful. Her eyes were wide open as she didn't know how to react to this behavior. It wasn't something she expected at all and it took her back. Irina broke the embrace and smiled warmly at Asma who quickly took her to Zeus office. His heart jumped at the sight of the two ladies who were side by side and he quickly glanced at Asma who was mortified and justifiably so and Irina who was just happy to see her fiancé. She didn't even wait and entered the office to give him a hug and a kiss. Zeus blue eyes stared into Asma as he watched her face lose composure at the sight of him kissing his fiancée. She cleared her throat and whispered a weak « I have to go. I have some work to do. » before she closed the door and Zeus had to look at Irina.

« So how was it to see the real competition Asma? » Tom asked as she walked past his office.

« Shut the fuck up Tom. You're an idiot! » She said as she quickly walked towards Madeleine's office. She slammed the door behind her and leaned against it. Madeleine was alarmed at her friend and stood up from her chair to come and comfort Asma who let herself fall onto the ground. « I can't do this... I can't do this Maddie. »

« You can't do what? »

« I wanted to hate Irina. It was easier right? I wanted to but she's just too damn good. She's perfect! She's perfect and I'm an asshole. » She said holding her head together with both hands and sobbing.

« Don't be silly. Yes, Irina is a good person so what? You are great too. Listen, the plan here is not to get Zeus. He made his decision when he chose Irina. He chose her ! And you're too good of a babe to be wasted like that by an asshole like him. Do you hear me? » Asma nodded and looked down at her lap. « Asma, I'm serious. He's only bringing you pain and heartbreak. Irina has nothing on you. » Madeleine was impatient. She did want her friend to get better faster but it was a long game they were playing. Asma genuinely fell in love with Zeus and that type of love never really left. Madeleine herself was in this on and off relationship with Zoe, whom she knew was terrible for her mental health given how manipulative and possessive she was. So who was she to push Asma to hurry up and escape from the woes caused by love? She stood up to get Asma some handkerchief and crouched again in front of her friend. « Please Asma, please. Don't ever think that you're not good enough. »

« ….If you say so. » She said, puffing her cheeks and wiping tears off of her face with the handkerchief. « I don't know... I mean, you're right, Irina isn't perfect but she's damn close to it. » She said, as she took her phone from her bag and started to search for pictures of Irina and showed them to Madeleine. « But look at her though, look at her! In real life, she's even prettier! »

« Asma! It doesn't work like that! Stop doing this! » She said as she removed the phone from her friend's hand and put it on her desk. «  Take a deep breath. Do you have some work today or not? »

« Not really. He's busy with her and hadn't given me any assignment so I suppose I'm free for an hour? » Madeleine grinned at her.

« Then you can chill at my office for an hour. I could use your help on some stuff, sit there. »

(TBC)

MNB: Giving in.

A/N: Venting piece I guess. Zeus is acting like a fool but he's very conflicted. He is also aware of how much of an asshole he really is, but his feelings for Asma are real, raw and sometimes toxic.

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4th of July,

He got into a fight. Typical for Zeus, troubles had always been his middle name. The reasons were never the same but somehow always revolved around one thing: his pain. He was a walking bleeding wound. Of course, he would always find a reason to hurt himself. From his tender age to his adulthood, the handsome son of the wealthiest entrepreneur of New-York City always got himself into fist fights. That got him excluded ten and thousands of times from prestigious schools up until his father contributed enough to one of these so they wouldn't kick Zeus out. If it wasn't because someone insulted his mother or his father, it was because they mocked him for his pretty looks, for his well put manners, for the adoration girls had for him. They always found something to pick up and destroy him, along with his self-esteem. Zeus, when he was young, always played a role in satisfying his father and trying and fitting into this posh society he was so different from.

As an adult, it didn't change much. Even after he received that almost fatal gunshot in the chest, Zeus was still ready to throw a punch at whoever insulted him, or someone he cared about. This time it was Irina, the Russian supermodel he was engaged to. Many chose to ignore that she was more than a pretty face. She had a kind heart, a loving personality and yes, on top of it all, she also had a brain. Far away from the spotlight, the blonde model did prepare a Ph.D. in biochemistry. Yet, people reduced her to a pretty face and associated with her stereotypes attached to models. He couldn't let those A-list celebrities insult her in his presence and get away with it. So of course, he punched that male actor in the face, kicked and bit until his face was bruised and his fists were soaked with blood.

4th of July, a day he was supposed to celebrate with friends, turned into a living nightmare but he didn't care much. He already knew that tabloids would have a field day and that negative publicity would impact on his business but he trusted Madeleine and Karina to work on a PR stunt that would switch the focus to what good he did to society. Yet, that night he was miserable. He went to that charity event with Asma. She represented his company alongside with him, was stupidly gorgeous that evening in that beautiful red dress he couldn't stop staring at and her dyed pink hair tied in an elegant bun. She watched with horror the fight unfold in front of her and tried to intervene but Zeus pushed her away so she wouldn't get caught in the heat of the battle and end up injured just like he was.

He was thrown out of the gala, bloody and with his eye slightly swollen. She followed him and quickly dragged him into the car. They didn't say anything but he could see she was furious. Of course, she would be. It was supposed to keep the feds off of his back and make the public see him as sympathetic despite the shitty reputation he had. Zeus Olympus was known as being an asshole extraordinaire and maybe, if he had complied and kept himself in check he would have earned some love from the public but as usual, he fucked everything up. He fucked this PR stunt and he pissed her off. Yet, Zeus refused to let someone insult Irina. It wasn't for his ego that he tried to defend the woman, it was for her honor. She didn't need to be dragged into his shit, so of course, he defended her.

They drove to his huge flat and she forced herself into the place. As curiously as it was, he wasn't living with Irina whose parents preferred they didn't share the same room until they were married -it had less to do with her virtue and everything to do with the money they could make by selling photos to tabloids-. She went to the kitchen and made him sit on a stool while she grabbed some frozen meat she decided to apply to his wounds.

"You have been reckless Zeus! How little do you consider the empire you've built to throw yourself into a fight?' She scolded him, unable to refrain from doing so. He looked up to her face, his big blue puppy eyes gleaming apologetically at first.

"I know." He said, furrowing his brows as she pressed the cold meat against his cheek. She was close, dangerously close and he relished in the sweet scent of hers that was filling his nostrils. "You could have been injured."

"I don't care about it. I care about you ruining the efforts you've been making for months now. You brought attention to yourself and now the feds would once again be after you." She ran her hand through her forehead and then closed her eyes tight as she tried to focus. Truth be told, she cared about him more than about the feds finding him. She was worried something happened to him during the fight.

"You should care about it. It wouldn't have been fair if you were caught in between punches." He outstretched his hand to grab her wrist but she took a step away and shook her head.

"Don't touch me. I do the touching, I make sure your face can still be kissable when you'll appear with Irina." It broke her heart to say the blonde's name but the reality was that Zeus was engaged to Irina.

He proposed out of the blue and in the reaction of hearing that his ex-fiancée had a baby. He had to expect Margot moved on in her life. He had to expect that she would not dwell in the past and would try to build herself back up. He acted like a fool and an asshole when he deserted her after she miscarried. Yes, he blamed himself for what happened, but it shouldn't have blinded him completely. He should have supported his fiancée through the whole ordeal instead of running away and taking all the blame for him. Zeus knew that it had been his worst mistake and tried to make amends with her years later but it still wasn't enough. She had moved on, she still talked to him because their bond was a strong one and she still was his childhood best friend, but something broke between the two of them and an e-mail (with the occasional phone call) was the only contact she allowed him to have. Of course, he'd propose to the closest person he ever had. The sweet and clever Irina.

"Asma..."

"I'm serious. She wouldn't want to kiss you if you looked ugly. Let me fix your face." She tried to be rational but he could hear her heartbreak through her broken raspier voice. She had confessed her love for him prior to his engagement during a drunken night at this exact place. She had told him that despite him being an asshole, she saw the good in him and fell in love with the whole package. She put herself out there and he didn't say anything. Worse, the morning after he learned about Margot's pregnancy and he proposed to Irina hours later. Of course, she felt humiliated. She felt useless, she felt broken.

"Can we not talk about Irina?"

"Hard not to talk about her when you've proposed Zeus. It's... it's incredible. I have tried my very best to be enough for you I have tried to reach the level you require to be with you. I am smart, I am pretty, I dress better, I am caring and I am in love with you and you seemed to feel the same way. I don't care about your wealth or the troubles you might have with justice. I care about you. I am in love with /you/ and yet.. yet it's still not enough... How do I win? uh? How do I win Zeus? I am stuck with a job I actually love and I'm good at which forces me to stay with you 24/7...I can't quit because nobody would hire me and after several years without a job, I'm not--" She couldn't finish her sentence, he grabbed her neck and cheek with his large hand and crashed his lips into hers. Her eyes grew wide as if she'd been electrocuted and she dropped the meat on the floor while her shaky fingers grabbed her dress. Had he just kissed her? Had he...

"You are more than enough Asma. I am the one who doesn't deserve any of it."He started out. She was still looking at him with her eyes wide open as she didn't buy any of his words and he quickly saw the disgusting form on her face as he kept talking. "You're right, I chose Irina and I shouldn't have. She was.. she knows me Asma. She knows the good, the bad and the ugly and stuck by me. I have been knowing her for years now, six to be precise. You.. you're new. You're this hurricane I do not know how to handle and you're here, all flames ablaze and I don't know what to do Asma. I don't know." He tried to kiss her again but she pushed him away.

"I knew you were heartless but I never knew you were a monster. You just can't help yourself now can you Zeus?" She said as she left the building, leaving behind a distressed Zeus who realized that he indeed had made a huge mistake. He shouldn't have kissed her, despite him knowing full well that it was all she had ever wanted. He shouldn't have stolen that kiss from her, their first kiss to say the least under such disrespectful circumstances. As she slammed the door behind her, Zeus ran his hand through his hair and cussed himself out.

Why was he like this?