Typical male

Leaning forward, Aphrodite launched Andrealphus into a fast gallop, rejoicing in the power of the strong muscles of the stallion, seeing the poppy-spangled grass turn into blur around her when the horse sped up. This was almost like flying, yet in a way different. It made her feel more connected to the earthly matters, to the nature and the mortality. The divine world could be so etheric sometimes and Aphrodite felt she needed to distance herself from it from time to time. To ground herself. She needed to experience the world as it appeared to a mortal. She needed to perceive their reality. Taking in mind her constant work with mortals, their reality had to be her reality. Or she would never understand them.

Zeus used to tell them over and over again:
"Don't become too aloof. Don't forget the mortals' world. It is them we are to help and to guide." He kept on urging the gods to go down there and sample from the mortal world, to stay for lengthier times in their societies, anonymous and preferably without using their divine powers. Just to comprehend what the mortal world was all about. He sure had a point in that. For the first 80 years of her life, Aphrodite had lived almost her entire time among the mortals, yet that was almost a century ago now. The Olympos had become 'normalcy' for her these days and she knew she didn't take enough time to go down in the mortal world anymore, save for when she was busy doing matchmaking.

So when this chance to go to Crete had come she took it. This was a lengthier venture involving the house of Knossos concerning the king Minos, sixth of his name, who was still childless in spite of having married a third time now.
"They might've sent Apollo, not me, don't you think so?" she told the horse as it slowed down at the end of the field. "Sent the god of healing, to try to figure out what's wrong with Minos' private parts, and his seed. Why he cannot procreate. Because I'm sure he's been humping all of his wives enough times for them to have been pregnant over and over again. Don't you think so too, Andrealphus?"

The stallion neighed in reply, telling Aphrodite he couldn't agree more. A stallion that couldn't impregnate a mare was no stallion worth its name in the world of horses. For Andrealphus it was no difference when it came to the two-leggers. The horse slowed down to a trot and Aphrodite stretched gently. Then she stopped her mount feeling a familiar prickle to her neck. Another immortal was regarding her. Turning around in the saddle, her eyes fell upon a low one-story building with a straw-thatched roof, surrounded by a fenced in and very neat and delightfully arranged garden. A garden with so many different flowers and greenery it would have made Demeter herself proud.

All that took her less than a heartbeat to register. It was the man standing on the door step which caught her eyes. An immortal - and a new face at that. She thought she knew of them all, at least in the realm of Hellas and in the nearby lands. But no, this man had she never seen before.
"Hello," the man grinned as he lifted a hand at Aphrodite. "Mighty Olympian, what brings you here?"
"Curiosity," she replied while swinging off the horse, took it by the rein and began walking towards the immortal man's home. She was used to being recognized these days. In spite she held out her hand towards the approaching stranger.
"I'm Aphrodite."
"I know. And I am Carmanor."

"Nice to meet you, Carmanor." Their hands met and he invited her into his garden with a welcoming gesture.
"It's not often other gods stop by here," he smiled at her. "Sometimes I miss the company of another immortal."
"Then I'm more than glad to provide you with that company for a while," Aphrodite replied while she regarded Carmanor. As immortals came he was plain looking, with sandy coloured straight hair reaching a bit below his shoulders and brown almond eyes in an elongated and chiseled face. Kind-looking, that was the word which came to Aphrodite as she followed Carmanor into his garden.

When he offered her wine, she asked what he did in this place.
"I create and grow vegetables," he said. "Experimenting a bit. Crete is a special island. Dry some years, wet others. It needs to have greenery which can survive such variations. I'm helping the mortals getting things to grow and to eat which doesn't fail them as easily when the weather gets unreliable."

While listening to Carmanor, a little sparkle fired off in the back of Aphrodite's mind. An embryo of an idea. Demeter. She was going to introduce Carmanor to Demeter. These two sure had a lot in common, not only their love for greenery but also their hospitality and low-keyed pride in their work. Perhaps this Carmanor was the man Demeter needed. On top of that both were functionally single parents to a daughter, Carmanor's daughter was called Akakallis and whilst she was not around today, she lived with her father most of the time.

"She's in Knossos at the moment, watching over the city markets, helping the farmers to get reasonably paid for their goods. She's not a 'run with the nymphs' kind of girl; she prefers to make herself useful."
"That sound like a great daughter you have," Aphrodite praised.
"Yes, and she loves to get around as well, sometimes I fear Crete might get too small for the dear girl. Perhaps one day she'll feel the urge to find herself a mate and go travel. Then she'll have my blessing to do so."
"How about you, Carmanor," Aphrodite asked. "Don't you dream of travel sometimes?"
"To be true, I've been there, done that. Been as far as the end of the Great Sea, where it empties out in an even larger sea. The ocean of Oceanos. But these days I have my garden, and I feel I cannot leave it for a lengthier period."

So gentle, so alike Demeter, Aphrodite thought. After a bit more small talk she took the chance to invite Carmanor and his Akakallis to Olympos. She would make sure the Goddess of Harvest was around for that visit. Luckily, neither Demeter was the one to travel a lot, so it wouldn't be hard to assure such a thing. (Persephone was another story; she was becoming more and more restless during her stays in the upper world.)

"Olympos!" Carmanor beamed up. "That sure is an honour for someone like me; I've hardly been around even the semi-important deities. Not that much at least, however my daughter tend to meet with Lady Rhea now and then."
"Lady Rhea, the mother of Zeus?"
"The very one. I've met her once, a magnificent lady." There was a certain kind of longing in his eyes when he said that, a longing Aphrodite knew well and she hoped it wouldn't stop him from appreciating Demeter. Regardless she would pave the way for Carmanor and Demeter, she more and more believed they were going to hit off well.

***

It seemed to be working! Smiling gently, Aphrodite regarded Demeter and Carmanor who were still sitting a bit off by the now empty dinner table, engaged in an animated discussion no doubt about greenery and growth. Carmanor's daughter Akakallis though were naturally more interested in dancing and she was now swirling around with Apollo, a delightful smile playing upon her rose-coloured lips. Strands of dark brown hair had come out from Akakallis' updo and it was tickling the cheeks of the god, obviously exciting him and Aphrodite wondered if this thing with the hair was planned by Akakallis or just something of a strike of luck. It seemed efficient nevertheless and Aphrodite figured she'd have to try it herself one day.

Then Helios came up and asked her for a dance and she forgot about the two guests for a while. After him followed young Euros - the Eastern wind. He was barely 20 and still in training, and he was quite nervous when he took Aphrodite's hands. Endearingly nervous. She had to smile when he trampled her on the toe and when his fair and still rather apply cheeks blushed. Oh, he was such a dear. Perhaps one night she'd take the chance and seduce him, just to have him overcome his nerves and be a bit cockier, because cockiness was a much needed mannerism here at Olympos. Better yet, she'd have him believe that he had seduced her. Now that would be a boast for the young god's self-confidence.

Then she danced with another guest for the evening, Oceanos, the old Titan of the yonder sea, who had once joined Zeus against the other Titans to stop the suppression of Cronos. Oceanos was quite a bit different from the other sea gods she knew, Poseidon and Nereus. There were traces of the air element in him as well and he seemed both a bit more aloof and more polite, there was a restful and slightly detached kindness in his almost purple eyes.
"Aphrodite, you sparkle with joy," he said and bent down and kissed her hand when the dance was over. "You are more beautiful than the stars in the sky – yes, to me you resemble the Morning Star."

"That's such a nice thing to say," Aphrodite batted her eye-lids and allowed herself to blush a bit.
"It is also the truth," Oceanos smiled. "You must be the most beautiful of goddesses."
"Oh, flatterer," she smiled back but the Titan went solemn.
"Yes even more beautiful than the noble Queen Hera."
"Don't say that," she felt her eyes widen. This was a bit of an unmapped territory, she was used to men's cajole, but there was something with the way Oceanos said it, that went beyond mere adulation. It was not the idea of taking it further with Oceanos, perhaps for a night, which put her off. It was the way he compared her to Hera. If his words reached the Queen's ears... Well, everyone knew of the Queen's jealous trait.

Composing herself quickly she put her hand on his shoulder, making sure to touch the wisps of his side-burns.
"I believe in all perception of beauty to be different and standing well alone. So comparisons are seldom interesting for me. I'm content to know that my appearance delights you, Oceanos."
"Sure it does," the old god smiled. "I am a married man, but I can still appreciate the loveliness of another face. What kind of man would I be otherwise? Stiff and numb mayhap. And then not even my beloved Tethys would appreciate me."

Aphrodite had to smile at that.
"Precisely my sentiment!" Then the sea god let her off her hook and like a happy butterfly she fluttered ahead, stealing a glance at Demeter and Carmanor, who were now sitting with their heads close together, whilst Akakallis was nowhere to be seen. Had Apollo carried her off somewhere? That would not be unexpected, Aphrodite thought. Whatsoever, Aphrodite knew she didn't bother that much with Akakallis' frivolities. As long as Apollo and the girl were happy, it was all fine by the Goddess of Love. It was Demeter and Carmanor she wanted to match and it seemed to be going more than well. Smilingly she congratulated herself on a good day's deed, before her thoughts were cut off by a pair of eager hands encircling her waist.

"Oh," she knew those hands. Knew them very well. "Ares?" craning her neck she faced the war god in surprise. "You're back."
"Yup, darn Athena decided she wanted a few things to do with my campaign in Ethiopia."
"How come?" Aphrodite asked. "I thought she was in Hyperborea."
"Not anymore it seems," he snarled and she could smell the wine on his breath. "She's always involving herself in things which are none of her business."

"Ares, forget her now, let's dance instead."
"No!"
"Why?"
"I'm sick of dancing."
"But I thought..." she tried to wriggle out of his hardening grip. The war god was definitely in a foul mood today and Aphrodite did not want let him ruining her good – almost triumphant vein.
"I'm sick of all this tippery-tappering, flittery-fluttering. I'm no darn mating dragonfly. I want action, more action and less whimsical indecisiveness."

"Please..." she tried again to get away.
"Don't 'please' me, Aphrodite! Honestly, you and I should know each other well enough now to be able to get things done without having to fuzz half an evening first."
"But I happen to like dancing with you, Ares," she tried another approach, reaching out to touch his whiskered cheek.
"Yes, just as you happen to like dancing with Oceanos and Helios and Notus and..."
"Yeah, so what, it's not like you're jealous, are you..."
"...that new guy what's-his-name?"
"...Carmanor, haven't had the time to dance with him, Demeter stole him in front of all the others."

"Demeter?!" for a second Ares appeared surprised, then his expression hardened and he pulled her closer. "I don't give a crap about Demeter! It's you that I want and I want you now, Aphrodite. And you know it. So stop playing avoidance games," he leaned closer, still holding on to her ankle as his left hand groped her ass. Hard.
"Ares! You're hurting me!" Aphrodite almost yelled. At that he suddenly let her go and surprised she took a step back, almost colliding with Hecate, who gave her a long, curious look, where she was escorted off the dance floor by Poseidon.
"Well then go to Hephaestos, if you think the blacksmith'll be tenderer with you!"

"Ares, I didn't mean..." her good mood was ruined and she felt tears of anger and frustration burn at the back of her lids, but she refused to show them to him. But no worries about that apparently, Ares turned on his heels and stalked off, fists balled in fury. So typically male, Aphrodite thought. Stubborn and proud and always putting his own emotions in the first room. She was so over that attitude by now!    

And Hephaestos? Of course he was not around. In fact he was seldom seen these days, he had fathered a son down in the mortal lands – Erikhthonios or something tongue-hurting like that and now he was regularly visiting the boy, teaching him to use the engineering skills he had inherited from his immortal father. Aphrodite had no idea about the lad's mother; the only thing she knew was what an embarrassed Athena had told her a few years back. Apparently the goddess of wisdom had come down in Heph's workshop at a very impropriate moment, finding her half-brother jerking himself off while watching a picture of a nymph Athena didn't recognize. The goddess let know she'd never been so embarrassed in her life. At that Aphrodite hadn't been able to stop herself from laughing, because Athena's expression had been so flushed and perplexed. Then again, Aphrodite had to admit that she too would've been embarrassed if she would have come across any of her own brothers busying themselves with the same antic.

Now she watched Ares vanish down the gallery and she wondered where it all had gone wrong. Her great mood from earlier was gone, like an ice cube in the dessert sun, instead she felt lost and abandoned. Staring after the War Good she felt a want to run after him and make amends. At the same time she did have her pride. She was not going to let him turn her down, or disdain her. If he didn't want her, then it was up to him. She could find someone else. Why not that sea god who had complimented her earlier. Or...

Hermes.

He was checking her out, and when she turned to meet his sapphire eyes beneath that cute auburn fringe, he flashed off an even cuter smile and then he was making his way over to where Aphrodite was standing. It didn't take him longer to flash her yet another smile, even wider and teethier this time.
"Dance?"

He surely didn't have to ask that twice.

***

He held on to her hands, feeling the soft bodily warmth between his palms as he watched her in the light of the orb of pale yellow divine light shining from the top of the lamp pole. Her admirable dark blond hair was shining and her brown eyes glittered while a gentle smile played along her full lips.
"Demeter," his voice was soft and slow. "I never imagined... When Aphrodite invited me and my daughter up here, I didn't know what to expect. Honestly I was so nervous. If it hadn't been for my daughter Akakallis I would've passed on the invitation." He hesitated but Demeter's temperate eyes urged him to continue. "You know I had my prejudices about Olympos. I thought you people would be too haughty and conceited for a guy like me, an average Cretan immortal. I felt like a nobody and had no idea about what I was supposed to really do here. No idea why I should come here."

"You didn't appear out of place to me, Carmanor," Demeter replied softly. "Not a second."
"But I..."
"Hush," she let go of a hand to place a finger upon his lips. "Say no more, I find you refreshing and inspiring. It's not just about living here among the same faces for about 600 years. It's about you being so relaxed and so inspiring to talk to. Far from everyone enjoys my talk about plants; most get bored after a while. But you are not just interested, you are interesting as well. You have thought ahead and about things I've never given a notion. I can't wait to taste those baby cucumbers," she giggled. "So how long are you staying?"
"'Till the day after tomorrow."
"Then you must come down to my garden tomorrow. I can't wait to show you around."
"I'd love to!" He reached for her hand again, and held it tenderly. "Until tomorrow then, Demeter! Have a good night!"
"And you too, Carmanor!"

After about ten metres she had to crane her neck, looking back – and yes, he still stood there in the lamplight. Demeter tittered silently, suddenly feeling weak in her knees. He was real! She could hardly believe it. And she could hardly believe her own feelings. She hadn't felt like this in ages. Not since Iasion, the mortal who became father of Philomelos. And before that – Zeus, it was such a bitter-sweet memory, an accident really. But without that accident there would have been no Persephone. Her little sweet Kore!

She watched Carmanor turn and begin walking down towards the guest wings, while she wound up a strand of her hair on a finger. Soon he had disappeared behind the thick pines, not even his footfalls against the gravels heard anymore.
"No, I regret nothing," she told the silence of the night, where only the unrelenting crickets and some stray laughter from afar was heard. "I regret nothing and I am sure going to enjoy Carmanor. He might be a tad shy, but that's nothing some female allure cannot cure." Demeter smiled while feeling her heart behaving strangely at the thought of Carmanor and what to do with him.

***

Aphrodite turned in bed; the sheet had come off from the mattress and entangled itself around her calves. Whew, they must've had one hot night she and Ar... no. Not Ares. As the memories collected themselves in her brain, she turned and faced the man lying face down in the pillow, auburn hair spread out around his head in untamed curls. Hermes. The divine messenger. He sure could use his mouth for other things than those word-twists he was famous for. Smiling slightly, she shifted in bed and trailed two teasing fingers across his neck, watching him flinch awake, twist and then move, a moaning sound of newly awakedness emitting from somewhere in the pillow. Then the god rolled around, catching her hand with one swift move.

"Aphrodite!" he put the stress on every single vowel in her name. "This sure was one night to remember."
"Honestly, I don't want you to be satisfied with just memories, Hermie." Her affirmation made him chuckle before he leaned over her and placed a kiss on her lips, retracting his head slightly before diving down again and sampling more of her lips, deepening the kiss.
"Aphrodite!" he repeated himself, this time interrupting every vowel with a slight peck on her lips. "Every man who's bed you grace with your presence can consider himself lucky. I don't intend to question this luck of mine."

After another exploration of their mouths, Aphrodite poked him slightly in his dimples, using two forefingers.
"As a matter of fact, this bed is mine," she smiled.
"Which means I still may expect you to grace my bed soon." Trust Hermes to be quick with his reply.

Hermes was rewarded with her ringing laughter and he bent down to kiss her jumping throat, traced his tongue over her hard gullet before moving down to the little cavity where her collarbones met and then further on, kissing and licking the salt off her body.
"Oh Hermes," she gasped and grasped his reddish curls with her eager hands, twirling them around long fingers as his lips continued down her body, his head rising slightly as he followed the curve up her left breast, before he stopped, hovering over her nipple with a teasing mock-hesitation. Urging him on, she repeated his name and as a response he breathed hot air across the nipple, making her moan in anticipation before bending down and tasting it for real.

Hermes repeated his passages with her right nipple before continuing his exploration further down, stopping to reconnoiter her navel before he craned his neck to look up, facing her.
"Go on, Hermie!"  Aphrodite smiled at him. "I'll make sure to grace your bed in return. Perhaps even tonight!"
"You don't have to say that twice, sugarplum," the messenger said before he pushed aside the blanked covering her legs and then reaching down with his hands, pushing her legs apart, caressing her slender and silky tights, stopping only a few heartbeats to admire what he was seeing. That perfect, pale skin, finely rounded hips and the blond triangle where her long legs joined.

"Beautiful," he whispered barely audibly before he leaned down and continued kissing her body, using his hand to feel the way down to that alluring destination. With a grin like a boy finding a candy he plunged two fingers into her depth, instantly becoming rewarded with her gasping his name. Her hands ran down the hard muscles of his arms and then she felt him quickening his movement inside of her, skillfully bringing her to her first orgasm. That height made her throw back her head in ecstasy while once again calling out his name. In return Hermes removed his hand from inside of her and straddled her and a heartbeat later he entered her vehemently. As he plunged down into her cavity she arched up to meet him with a moan, using her hands to press the small of his back towards her, to make him reach even deeper inside of her as they both quickened their rhythm, going faster and faster over the edge until they peaked in unison.

By now Aphrodite had learned exactly how to time her bodily reactions, to enable herself to come together with the man she made love to. That was a skill she had honed over the decades, finding and learning those small signs of the male body which gave its advances away, so that she could align herself along the same curve and meet him right when he peaked. Hard? Perhaps. But practice makes perfect as the saying goes.

***

"You've seen Demeter?" Hera asked of her husband and Zeus turned his attention from the paperwork and faced his wife, who came through the door, looking slightly annoyed at not being able to locate the other goddess. For a change her dark hair was let down and he loved the sight of that, it made him want to churn his hand through those soft curls, pull a large handful to his face and inhale the almond fragrance of her shampoo.
"No, I guess..." he puckered his lips thoughtfully. "Isn't she down in Thessalia, delighting in the preparations for the harvest festival?"
"No, I went down there to try to find her, but I couldn't discern her anywhere. Zeus, does it have to rain like this by the way? I went disguised as a mortal, and I got all soaked."
"Dearest," the king flashed her a smile. "If you had just told you were going, I'd halted the rain." He reached out with his hand and Hera sat on the desk and took it. Zeus gave it a tender squeeze, Hera had such strong and yet soft hands, smooth like velvet and still very able.

"Thanks – well sort of," Hera smiled meekly. "Seriously, you've no idea about where she is?"
"Em," Zeus hesitated. "I have my guesses."
"Like what?" Hera locked her chestnut brown eyes with his sapphire blue ones.
"Crete."
"You mean that gentleman – Carmanor?"
"I do indeed."
"Oh yeah, I should've guessed, what was it he called himself, God of Vegetables?"
"Indeed it was."
"I'm glad for her then, it sounds like a great match. You think our Aphrodite has anything to do with it?"
"I would've been surprised if she hadn't," Zeus smiled at his beloved.

***

"So typical male," Aphrodite groined inside of her in a repetition of what she'd said yesterday. Then she turned to Ares, who was standing in her garden, regarding her where she was sitting in the shadow by her little pool. The God of War who was posed between two of the pillars cordoning off her small outdoors bathing area and he looked - apologetic. Now, that was new. "You made it definitely clear that you was done with me yesterday when you turned your back and stalked away, even refusing to exchange a few words about what was bothering you. So don't come here now and act pissed because Hermes and I were having a li'l tryst!"

"Aphrodite, I was in a foul mode, I know it's a bad excuse for acting the way I did, but what I said yesterday and what I want to say now is..."
"Ares," she held up a hand. "Don't try to make excuses. They don't become you!"
"...that I know it's a lousy apology," he went on unbothered. "But Aphrodite, how long have you and I known each other?"
"A bit more than 90 years."
"93 years and 2 months and 12 days," he informed and she groined silently. To her this exercise with exact dates felt like unnecessary knowledge and she wondered why Ares bothered to keep track or had bothered with finding out."

"Okay..." she tilted her head and crossed her arms. "And where exactly are you going with this information?"
"That you and I should know each other so well by now that we should not let pesky mood swings getting in the way for enjoying what we have."
"And what exactly do we have, Ares?" she asked in an edgy voice.
"We have a relation, which has been halting a bit now and then, but most of the time it has been excellent. I think we should handle that with the respect it's worth. You and I mean so much to each other, we cannot let a few temper tantrums now and then get in the way."
"Ares..."
"Let me finish! I'm crazy about you, Aphrodite and I know you are crazy about me too. So why don't we get serious about this. Marry me, Aphrodite!"

"But I'm..." then she hid her face in her slender hands, felt the hard chill of two golden rings against her forehead. She really didn't know what to say. That god... Sure, she wanted to be with Ares, but she didn't want to become married. Just the thought of tying herself up like that made her feel like suffocating. She wasn't the kind of woman who married! She wanted to go on living the way she did now, on her own, following her own whims without someone being constantly around to demand her attention and consideration. She wanted to live and to love just as people like Demeter, Hecate and Athena. Unbound and answering only to herself.

"I know you might want to think about it, but do give it a serious consideration! You know what it means. You and I could be together and nobody would question it. Ever. We could even have kids together. Do think it over, Aphrodite! However seriously, don't take too long!"
"I don't know what to say," Aphrodite kept on facing him, peddling her legs in the pool water as she realized she DID know what to say. She wanted to tell Ares that she wanted it all to remain the way it was now. Two people loving each other unconditionally. Sure, there were conveniences to a marriage as well, but not enough for her to considering it. She didn't want Ares to start taking her for granted, like Zeus did to Hera or Nereus did to Doris.

"Say your heart's desire!" Ares straightened up if possibly ever more, it was hard to read his expressions, especially since shadows of the trees were moving across his features in the fall wind. "I can take a 'no' - even if I had hoped more from you, Aphrodite. But if you do, I intend to fight for you, dearest girl! And you know when fight I tend to win!"

Not when Athena gets involved she thought, but she didn't say it out aloud.