Demeter had always been...delicate, for lack of a better word. As temperamental as the rest of them, but whose powers held the threat of the worst sort of destruction: famine and starvation. She and Hera had never been all that close, even less so when the latter had thrown herself into the war, making victory her eternal goal. She had always been aware of Zeus' affairs, it had been impossible not to when he had so loved discussing his conquests with Poseidon. Hera and Hades would always exchange a look of irritation, and she would roll her eyes. Up until Demeter, she had said nothing, only kept her nose out of his business and silently judged him, but when she had caught him looking Demeter up and down, she had had to say something. She had warned him against pursuing her, that she deserved something more committal than what he could offer. In retrospect, that had probably encouraged him, given their rivalry with each other at the time. And then there was the time Hera had just happened to run into Demeter at just the worst moment when her sister had been lying in wait for Zeus. Hera had stood there in shock as Demeter stumbled through her explanation. Ever so predictably, however, the relationship had ended tumultuously, as Hera had warned him it would. The dim-witted and ditsy Leto took her place and Hades and Hera made a bet on how long that one would last. Hades had won that little wager. It had been the only time Hera had ever seen him smug.<br/><br/>"Or anyone's for that matter. You should have heard some of the things she said about me when I decided to join the war councils." Hera's remark left her lips in a sigh. She still remembered those quite vividly. Convincing her to join them would be difficult as neither she nor Zeus held Demeter's favor. When their relationship had been made public after years of discretion and secrecy, Demeter had been furious. She had even gone so far as to barge into Hera's rooms and demand exactly how long they had been together, how long they had been sharing a bed. Hera had been honest and held down her temper, telling her she did not even consider Zeus as a potential lover until long after their relationship had ended. She still wasn't sure Demeter had believed her.<br/><br/>Hera's brows shot up when Zeus had begun to choke and sputter. She bit the inside of her cheek to prevent herself from another fit of laughter as he attempted to recover from his shock. Had he really been so naive as to think Hera had simply shut off all her desires, that her departure from Olympus had left her bereft of passion? Or had he really thought she had been taking other men and gods into her bed all these years? It did please her to surprise him, however, it always had. She had loved to see him pick up the pieces of his confidence back when they were young and she had outsmarted him, now she just enjoyed seeing the break in composure. The smirk was to be expected.<br/><br/>"Is that a challenge, my husband?" She couldn't resist the urge to be somewhat playful. "If so, I might be willing to entertain the idea. After all, I'm likely overdue for a reminder of your...prowess in such areas. It might also do to show you where I live these days, since we likely do not wish to be conducting all our business out in the open like this. A bit of added privacy would be beneficial."<br/><br/>While her words spoke of business and planning, they were laden with innuendo in her soft sensual tone. She got up from her seat only long enough to move the curtains so that the two gods were concealed from view. If she was to tease her husband, then she preferred a greater degree of privacy. She had never been the sort to be public with her affections. Flirtation was best saved for intimate settings hidden away from outside eyes. When Hera sat back down, she crossed her legs beneath the table and leaned forward. She did not touch him, only left the opportunity open to for him to take.<br/><br/>"I have missed you too, Zeus, even though there were times I would never have admitted it."