“What about you?” she asked, slipping her arms around his neck. “Did you sleep well?”
Dionysus wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her close.
“About as well as you, I imagine,” he replied.
Ariadne laughed as they kissed. She was usually asleep when he got home. Choir practice for the upcoming Christmas tree lighting at Monastiraki Square consistently ran late, but last night, she’d been awake and waiting. He would never deny an invitation. They were few and far between.
He was certain he would never know the true horror of her imprisonment by Theseus, but he knew the aftermath. No part of it had been easy, and it had taken her nearly a year to decide she was ready for intimacy again. The greatest challenge for both of them was learning what she couldn’t handle, which usually happened in the moment. He did his best to carry her through every violent wave.
But last night was a turning point. He’d watched Ariadne allow herself complete pleasure for the first time in three years. It had been fucking phenomenal. It meant she felt safe enough to let go, and he’d do anything to give her that feeling again and again.
“Is that a complaint, I hear?” she asked, raising a dark brow.
“Love, you could keep me awake all night and I would thank you for it.”
“Auntie!” Acamus called from his room. “Help!”
The desire that coiled his muscles deflated immediately. Nothing spoiled a moment like a toddler.
Ariadne let out a breathless laugh.
“Well, the night is really the only time we have,” she said and slipped away into Acamus’s room, which was just as well because the pancakes were burning.
“I can take you to work,” Dionysus said as Ariadne clipped Acamus into his car seat. The Hellenic Police Department had a daycare on the second floor, a recent addition after the war. It was convenient and comforting to Ariadne, who may not have returned to work without it, too anxious to leave her nephew with strangers.
It was no secret Acamus was the son of Theseus, and some people still sought revenge against the deceased demigod, desiring a complete end to his bloodline. There had been a few threats over the last few years, but Dionysus had worked with Hades and the Olympian Council to punish those responsible.
As much as they did to protect him, it didn’t feel like enough.
“You know I like driving,” she said.
“I know. I still like to offer. Maybe one day you’ll say yes.”
He knew Ariadne could take care of herself, it was mostly about peace-of-mind. The truth was, if he took her, he had the comfort of knowing she arrived safely.
“I am grateful for the offer,” she said. “But this is easiest, especially for you. Don’t you have choir practice again tonight?”
He instantly felt grumpy at the thought. He’d done his best to corral a group of carolers for the tree lighting concert. They varied in age and talent, and instructing them was a tedious affair he wouldn’t miss when this was all over.
“I will delay anything for you,” he said.
Her eyes softened and her smile was sweet as she placed her hands on either side of his face.
“I love you,” she said.
Dionysus wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her until the ache in his chest and balls told him to stop. “I love you too.”
She took a breath, chest rising, cheeks flushed, and climbed into the car.
Dionysus watched as they made their way down his winding driveway, until they disappeared behind the tree line.
Only then did he teleport to Mount Olympus, which was no longer a mountain, but a mound of flattened rock. Around it, the gods had erected a series of columns and within that circle were a set of twelve, plain chairs. The porch was open to the sky and to the whole of New Athens. There would be no secrecy in this new era.
After the war, the remaining gods had assembled the Olympian Council. Since four of the twelve had died, the group had taken a few weeks to add to their ranks including Persephone and Hephaestus. Dionysus had hesitated to agree, but his motivation was Ariadne and Acamus. He wanted a better world for them, and the best way to ensure that was to be part of the leadership.
The fourth and final addition had come as a surprise to most, particularly Poseidon and Ares since he was mortal—the Apollonian hero, Ajax.
His nomination had come from Persephone, seconded by Hades, and Dionysus agreed with their argument. It wasn’t fair that a council deciding the wellbeing of mortals only included gods.
