Archive of Our Own

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(Prologue)

“While you are here, you shall rule all that lives and moves and shall have the greatest rights among the deathless gods: those who defraud you and do not appease your power with offerings, reverently performing rites and paying fit gifts, shall be punished for evermore…”

-Hades to Persephone

Hesiod, the Homeric Hymns and Homerica by Hesiod, Homer; Evelyn-White, Hugh G. (Hugh Gerard), D. 1924

Chapter 1: The Party

(Stag, You’re It; Who is She? Parts 1, 2, and 3)

Hades

The streets of the Underworld were slick with rain, brightened only by the blue neon lights that shone from the skyline. Hades drove, his sleek car cutting a path of bright light in the residential area he was heading towards. He stared out of his window, squinting against the pelting rain for a glimpse of red. Nothing. Hades stared anxiously at his phone. It read 9:15pm and he swallowed his panic. Where was she?  

There was no way that she forgot about tonight. They had agreed that he would pick her up at 8:45 when he saw her briefly at work that morning. He was slammed all day and didn’t see her after that so there was nothing he could have done to make her angry. Then again, Hades thought, that didn’t mean anything. With Minthe, there was no telling when or how her anger would spark.  

He grabbed his phone, fingers flying as he shot her another text:  Where are you?

He circled around the block again, tires squealing against the wet road. His eyes traveled along the entryway, but he saw no sign of his crimson red nymph. He parked in a spot where he would see her if she stepped out and glanced at his phone again.

No answer.

Pursing his lips, he stared ahead deliberating. His heart rate increased with each passing second, not helped in the least with each racing thought. Finally, he dialed her. As the phone rang, he leaned back against his seat, willing himself to stay calm. There could be a very reasonable explanation for this. She could be charging her phone, or finishing up her makeup, or—

“Hey!” came Minthe’s voice from the other line. She sounded…tired, no that wasn’t it… unbothered, quite the opposite of what Hades was feeling at the moment.

“You’re late… Where are you?” Hades tried his best to keep any impatience out of his tone. They were already late and he didn’t want to get into an argument which would only add to their tardiness.

Instead of answering, he heard the sound of sloshing water then, “did you get me that purse I wanted?”

“Um, yeah. I did,” he started, failing to see how this related to his question, “but—”

“OH, GREAT!”

Silence. His heart sank as the sound of water in the background. What was she doing? Was she still getting ready? Did she forget? Or, and his heart sank even further, was she no longer coming? He tapped his fingers against the steering wheel with each thought, getting more and more anxious. He shook himself. As his therapist told him time and time again, the only way to know what the other person was thinking was to communicate with them, “you’re coming to the Panathenaea with me, right?”

The other end of the line remained silent and he found himself holding his breath, heart thudding steadily in his ears.

“Hmm…” Hades felt his heart race. His stomach was churning at this point. She had said yes just this morning. Everything was fine. They were going to go together. He was going to ask—

“…I don’t think so.”

Hades inhaled sharply through his nose. “What do you mean?” he asked, dreading her reply.

“What I mean is that I don’t particularly feel like being seen in public with you today,” she replied, still with that insufferable relaxed tone.

His heart dropped and he felt his anger flare.

“Real classy, Minthe,” he bit out, irritation leaking into his voice. “Come on, stop messing around. I can’t go to my brother’s party by myself ,” he said, grimacing at his barely controlled desperation.

Minthe sighed, “I don’t feel like being seen with you in general.”

It wasn’t the first time she’d said this, but the words hurt all the same. She knew that he was extremely self-conscious and she also knew exactly how to play at his insecurities. He frowned, unsure what it was that sparked this well-aimed dig. Lately, things had been…good between them. They haven’t had any massive fights, they had a comfortable routine at work, and they both had drawers at one another’s’ place—they were moving right along. He racked his brain trying to think of what happened and came up empty.

His anger grew and he opened his mouth to ask what had gotten into her, but Minthe spoke first.

“Hades…” she said in a languid tone, “all the fine suits in the world won’t change the fact that you stink of death.”

His words died in his throat. That… that was new. Hades ground his teeth as he tried to think of a response. He sensed his eyes glowing and willed himself not to give in to the rage and panic that threatened to erupt. Unable to think of a response that wouldn’t take this situation from bad to worse, Hades did the most sensible thing he could do—he ended the call.

His head and heart felt heavy as he lowered his forehead onto the steering wheel. Did he smell like death? Is that why everyone drew away from him? No wonder everyone avoided him. How was he supposed to find someone when no one wanted to be near him? Was he fated to be alone forever? The weight in his jacket pocket grew heavier and heavier with each thought.

He would have laughed if he had the energy to, he had truly considered... Gaia, he was a fool.

Suddenly feeling reckless, he reached for his phone. Before his brain could stop him, he clicked call.

“Welcome to The Sirens’ Den. You’re speaking with Ligeia, how may I help you?” came a sultry voice.

“Yes, hello,” Hades answered nervously. “Do you have any girls available for tonight?” Though both his brothers spoke highly of this firm, he had never found any reason to give them a call. But now… he just didn’t want to be alone even if it wasn’t real.

“Certainly, and who am I speaking with?” the voice drawled.

A trickle of sweat fell down his temple, and he pulled his collar away from his neck suddenly finding it hard to breathe. “Um, Hades.”

“Hades?!” the woman shrieked and his stomach plummeted. “Errr…” Hades heard a crumpling sound. “Uh, sorry your Majesty! You’re breaking up.”

“Your call has been disconnected,” Iris’ voice breezed. He sighed. Of course. Not even a fucking escort was willing to be with him. Usually, paying people got them to tolerate being around him. But maybe Minthe had a point. Why would they, when he stunk of death? He sighed heavily, he was so tired of being alone.

As he approached the party, Hades could tell that he needed more coffee than the 7 cups he had that day. The music boomed, the thunderous bass reverberated through him as he locked his car and began to approach the palace. He winced against the lights, which strobed both inside and outside, reflecting through the clouds like multi-colored lightning. The music grew even louder as he entered the building and Hades readjusted his suit after narrowly avoiding a few drunken party-goers that careened past him.

He bit back a sigh, as if he didn’t have enough of a headache already. But, he had a plan and he thought through it as he carefully made his way through a corridor. 1. Say hello to a few important beings 2. Limit his conversation with his brothers to 7 minutes, ten max. And most importantly, 3. Avoid—

“Hey! Hey! HEY!” a voice cut through his thoughts and he grimaced. Hera.

He schooled his face to neutral as best he could, before turning around to see the golden Queen of the Gods striding towards him, drink in hand. She was wearing a teal colored dress which brought out her golden skin splendidly and she was dripping with jewels, seemingly unencumbered by their obvious weight. She also appeared to be drunk. From the jaunty angle of her crown to the slight sway in her walk Hades guessed that she was at least on her fourth drink of the night.

“Where is your date, Blue Boy?” She asked, waggling her eyebrows up at him mischievously.

“Gone,” he answered with a grumble. He looked away before Hera could pin him with her pitying stare. “I need a drink.”

“Well, I, for one, am grateful!” she said, dropping her jovial expression for one that was a cross between exhausted and annoyed. Just as quickly, her expression perked up, “I don’t have to spend the evening with that nymph trash.”

He stared down at her, surprised by her candor. It was no secret that Hera despised Minthe. Though, she must be further along into her drinks than he had thought for her to voice it to him in such an uncouth manner. Hades began twisting a scrap of fabric he kept in his pocket between his fingers. His gaze bounced from the grand staircase, to the nereids cajoling with one another in a far corner, to a glitzy light fixture opposite before they could catch him staring, and then down to his hands. Speaking of nymphs and Nereids, Hades looked up. “Did Poseidon bring his wife?”

Hera glanced down at his restless hands, then back up to his face, wearing that look of pity he dreaded as she begrudgingly answered, “…Yes.”

He rolled his eyes upwards, both to avoid Hera’s piercing eyes and to try to reign in his emotions. He failed at both.

“Great!” He growled, throwing an arm out. “So, I’m the only one alone?” Alone. He was always alone. Hades brought a hand to his face, pinching where his nose met his brow as he forced himself to breathe in deep, even breaths, counting as he went. He most certainly did not want to add a panic attack to this shitty night.

“Relax, no one will notice,” he dimly heard her say. Feeling slightly more in control, he dropped his hand, and saw her wearing a confident, no-room-for-argument look. This one he loathed nearly as much as her look of pity.  

 “You did,” Hades pointed out, glaring at her from the corner of his eyes which flashed red.

She was silent as she stared at him, an unreadable expression on her face when a voice boomed across the wide corridor.

“Hera!”

Hades caught another unreadable expression as Hera’s eyes flickered quickly over to her husband, before she took a step away.

Hades stared as his youngest brother, the Royal Purple Pain-in-the-Ass himself, swaggered towards them in a sharp white suit and a laurel made of diamonds and platinum carefully pinned to his hair. Completely ignoring his eldest brother, Zeus grabbed his wife around the waist and pulled her up towards him.  

“Hera, I’ve been looking for you everywhere! You look beautiful tonight!”

Her whole demeanor changed to that of a love-struck youth and Hades held back an eyeroll. “Oh stop! You’re embarrassing me!” she trilled, popping a leg up.

“How ‘bout we get outta here?” Zeus asked, leaning forward so that their noses almost touched.

For fucks sake.

“You big silly!” Hera tutted, wrapping her arms around her husband’s neck, “you can’t leave your own party!” Unphased, Zeus began nibbling on his wife’s neck. The sound of her giggles and soft exclamations filled the very public corridor.

Hades sighed, then tugged at his cuff links and cleared his throat to interrupt, “Ahem.” He did not want to see his brother in a compromised position. Not again.

Zeus looked up, finally meeting eyes with his brother. “Ooooh! Hello, Hades. I didn’t see you there.”

Sure.

But before Hades could say anything, the King of the Gods spoke up, “Hey, where’s your date?”

Hera groaned, placing a hand over her face, “Zeus, I wish you knew when to shut up.”

Hades looked away, it was going to be a long night.

PERSEPHONE

An indigo goddess sat in her bedroom, a stark contrast against all of the silver around her. The room was simple, a bed with silver silk sheets, a gray velvet ottoman, and gray blackout curtains shot with silver thread. The only adornment was the head of Actaeon, a stag the goddess had somewhat indirectly killed, mounted on the wall. Currently, she was perched on the edge of her bed, waiting.

“Hey, Artemis!” The goddess turned at the sound of her name and stared. “What do you think?”

Persephone stuck her arms out in order to fully show off the outfit she had spent the last hour fretting over. She didn’t have much to choose from, this being the only dress fancy enough to work, but she spent the time meticulously draping the fabric. She had been on Mount Olympus for less than a week and wanted to make sure that her… debut of sorts, went smoothly. Needless to say, she was a nervous wreck, worrying that those in the city would see right through her. 

Artemis stood and Persephone couldn’t help admiring her friend. The Moon Goddess wore a strapless floor-length black gown that sparkled with sequins. It perfectly accentuated her athletic figure, the bare shoulder highlighting her sculpted arms and the two thigh high slits revealed toned indigo legs. Her hair fell in a glossy black sheet down to her hips and a sharp fringe brought out her onyx eyes.

“Persephone…you can’t wear that,” Artemis said with a frown. “You look like a relic.”

Persephone felt her face flame in embarrassment and she brought a hand to her cheek. Darn. She had been afraid of that. Her peplos, tunics, and chitons, though all the rage over in the Mortal Realm, were not worn by those on Mount Olympus. The styles on Mount Olympus were so different and she didn’t own anything close to what they deemed as fashionable.

She appreciated the Goddess of the Hunt’s honesty. Artemis wasn’t the type to sugar-coat or beat around the bush and Persephone rather liked that about her.

However, there was still a problem, “but this is the only dress I have right now…” Gods, she was such a stupid village girl.

“I’ve got something you can borrow!” Artemis smiled, a trace of pity in her eyes.

As the words registered, Persephone felt a flood of relief wash away some of her anxiety. She bounced in excitement, heart overfilling with gratitude. “Thanks! You’re a real lifesaver!”

“Here.” Artemis handed her a gold dress, grinning. “Your hips are bigger than mine,” she mused, “so it may ride up a bit, but it should be fine. No one will notice.” Persephone smiled back, marveling at the way the gold shone. It looked perfect. Maybe tonight wouldn’t be as bad as she thought.  

“I don’t think I should have come to this party,” Persephone declared pulling her dress down yet again.

The dress Artemis lent her was a pale gold sequined mini-dress. Emphasis on mini. Due to her curvy figure, the dress clung to her body and kept riding up in the back. Despite Artemis’ assurances, Persephone felt that beings would indeed notice. Now, Persephone had no qualms with showing off skin. After all, she spent most of her life running through the fields with her nymphs without any clothes. However, she was on Mt. Olympus now. Around many more beings than her nymph friends. At a Royal party. She had never worn anything like this before and she felt way out of her element. She couldn’t help feeling that the dress was too much.

“Come on,” Artemis called from the other side of the stall door. “You look fantastic!”

Persephone gulped, unconvinced. Her mind whirred with thought after thought. What if she made a fool out of herself? What if people saw right through her? What if she lost control of— She shook her head and took a deep breath silencing her thoughts.

“I feel out of my depth. Everyone’s going to think I’m some stupid village girl,” she confessed, fingers knotting her skirt. This was one of the many worries that plagued her. She hadn’t voiced this thought before and felt like saying it out loud would help. She trusted Artemis.

“Nobody’s going to think that,” Artemis said, as she bent down to adjust her heel. “Come on, I don’t want to talk to a bathroom stall all night."

Persephone sighed, her heart thudded painfully in her chest. “Artemis, I’m really nervous.”

“Aw, Persephone,” Artemis called. “You’ll do fine. We’ll stay under the radar.”

She took a deep breath and with trembling fingers undid the latch. She pushed the door open just a tad. Peeking her head through, she found Artemis’ gaze.

“One drink and then we can go, right?” she asked. She could do this. Walk in. Have a drink. Chat briefly. And be home in her pajamas sipping a tall glass of soda with extra pomegranate syrup.

“Promise.”

She stepped out hesitantly, “…OK.”

HADES

“One drink and then I can go, right?” Hades asked.

The night was going from bad to worse. First, the whole Minthe fiasco. Then, running into Hera. Now, his perfectly laid plan to dart in and return home as quickly as possible was ruined as soon as Zeus learned of Minthe.

He was currently sandwiched between his two brothers in a glass luxury box that overlooked the festivities which were in full swing. The music boomed and crowds of beings danced freely. Aerial silk performers twisted above and gods, demigods, and nymphs alike were drinking, laughing, and having a great time below. There was no way Zeus would let him leave. True to form, Zeus’ voice cut through the beating music which matched the throbbing in his head.

“What!?” he screeched at him. “No-no-no-no-no. The festivities have just begun.”

“What’s the problem?” Poseidon asked, raising an eyebrow at Hades. “Normally you drink us under the table.”

The King of the Sea was dressed down as usual in a gray t-shirt and jeans. His green hair was pulled into a ridiculous bun, bringing the scar that ran straight down his left eye into sharp relief against his green skin. Not for the first time, Hades found himself envying his relaxed brother. He was always at ease and never seemed bothered. Hades on the other hand was often described as uptight by his brothers and always bothered by something, or someone.

Before Hades could reply, Zeus cut in. “Oh, he’s blue balled because some nymph dumped his sorry ass.”

Nice, real nice, Hades thought, his headache growing. “Can you please not talk about my balls?” Hades retorted. “Or my ass, for that matter.” He added with a dignified sniff.

Zeus spoke with a lofty voice, standing rimrod straight and furrowing his brows in an effort to mimic his elder brother, “can you please not talk about my balls. Or my ass, for that matter.” With a smug grin, he cocked finger guns at him, “that’s what you sound like.” Hades shifted away from the God of the Skies with a look of irritation while Poseidon snickered.

Before Hades could tell his youngest brother to shut up, Poseidon stiffened and narrowed his eyes on a passing figure. A mortal. On closer inspection, Hades saw that it was Odysseus. For fuck’s sake, Zeus was the worst.

“Zeus, did you invite Odysseus!?” Poseidon growled, the faint outline of scales beginning to show through his green skin, his power emanated from him in waves. The God of the Sea was understandably still sore about Ithacan king blinding his son, Polyphemus. Secretly, Hades sided with his great-great-great-grandnephew who was only trying to escape from being eaten, but he would never tell Poseidon that. Nor would he rub salt in his wounds.

Zeus grinned wickedly, seemingly unaffected by Poseidon’s glare. But rather, Hades thought, spurred on by it.

“Yes, Poseidon! I find it really entertaining when you get mad,” he said gleefully.

Poseidon pounded on the glass that separated them from the rest of the party. “Yeah, Odysseus!” The Sea King bellowed, “MOVE ALONG!”

The poor man scrambled away and, in his haste, bumped into someone.

She whirled dropping her drink which turned into flowers as it fell and Hades felt his heart expand. She was the most beautiful being he had ever seen. She was a bright, luscious pink. Short hair also pink shone brightly, framing a stunning face. Large eyes framed by long lashes. As his gaze trailed down, he saw that she wore a short dress that hugged her body perfectly, showing off her curves and leaving nothing to the imagination. As he stared, he felt his heart thud loudly in his chest.

“W-who…” he croaked, then tried again. “Who is she?!”

His heart gave a painful lurch as he noticed that she appeared… sad. Her melancholy expression only seemed to heighten her beauty. She was on the floor, staring at the mess and looked as if she were trying to determine how to clean it up. He wanted to run to her side and tell her not to bother, that the cleaning nymphs would do the job when the night ended. But, he couldn’t move so he just continued to stare.

“She’s…” his voice failed him. She’s beautiful, he thought. Hades clutched his chest, afraid that his heart would beat right out. Get a grip, he started to tell himself, when an indigo being stepped forward towards the pink woman.

Artemis, he inwardly groaned as she walked up to the beautiful woman and lent her a hand. Of course, it was just his luck. The most beautiful person would ….

“Who?” Zeus’ voice cut into his thoughts. “Pinky?”

Hades stared as she eyed Odysseus, who was apologizing profusely, while tugging at the hem of her dress. He reluctantly turned away to look at Zeus, as the words registered. “P-Pinky?” he asked him.

“Persephone,” Zeus clarified. “She’s Demeter’s daughter. She’s the Goddess of Spring.”

First Artemis, now Demeter, this night was going to be his undoing. Hades leaned forward, pressing his forehead on the glass. No, this night was turning out better than he could ever have imagined. As he continued staring, he found himself thinking there was no way she was as beautiful as he believed. Suddenly, he stood up straight and reached into his jacket for his glasses. Cleaning them quickly, he all but rammed them on to his face, cursing his near-sightedness.

He grabbed a drink, attempted for suave, but then she turned and he got lost in the sight of her. His improved vision only cemented what he believed to be true. She was absolutely gorgeous.

“Demeter’s daughter, you say?” he asked, barely aware of what he was saying. His glass had tilted and he accidentally spilled half of his drink, forgetting he even grabbed it. He felt his brothers stare at one another over his shoulder, but he paid them no mind. Who was he kidding? Any attempt towards composure vanished at the sight of her. Besides he wasn’t about to lose sight of her.

“I didn’t even know that she had a daughter,” he murmured as he watched the goddess seemingly forgive the man and wave him goodbye.

His brain began to slowly catch up. That didn’t make any sense, how…“Hold on,” he said standing up straight. “How come I’ve never seen her before?”

For once, Zeus didn’t have much to say. “It’s complicated,” he answered finally, taking a sip of his fizzy cocktail.

Hades spared another quick glance at his youngest brother, no way he was going to hold out now of all times. Zeus ignored him for a beat, two beats, then with a sigh, “basically, Demeter doesn’t like the way I run things… so she opted to do her duties in the Mortal Realm.”

Sounds like Demeter, Hades thought eyes trained back to…Persephone. Bringer of Death, the Goddess of Spring, how quaint.

Zeus raised his hands, “Apparently, I’m morally corrupt, whatever that means”. He did air quotes at the words morally corrupt and Hades barely refrained from rolling his eyes back into his head.

“So, for the most part,” Zeus continued. “she raised Persephone in the Mortal Realm. I’m surprised Demeter let her move to the city, to be honest. She’s always been super protective of Persephone.”

Big doe eyes, shining fuchsia hair, soft rosy pink skin, and those…curves! Hades found that he could totally understand that sentiment. He folded his glasses and tucked them back into his jacket.

“Honestly,” Hades said with a shrug. “I think she puts Aphrodite to shame.” His brothers grinned up at him, and for the first time that night, Hades smiled.

Chapter Text

APHRODITE

“Honestly, I think she puts Aphrodite to shame.”

… Honestly, I think she puts Aphrodite to shame…

… Honestly, I think she puts APHRODITE to shame…

The lilac goddess sat just a few feet away from the three Kings. Three idiots more like, she thought seething. How dare that big blue prick say such blasphemous words? And in her presence? The audacity – the disrespect.

The Goddess of Beauty was undeniably stunning. Her skin glowed, currently complemented by her current white ensemble. She wore a cropped tank with a deep v-neckline that highlighted her ample chest and a matching asymmetrical midi-skirt which had a slit, showing off her toned lavender legs. She was deceivingly young looking, appearing to be no older than 25, with glossy lilac hair that, even tied up in a high ponytail, swung past her hips. She had wide eyes, framed with thick lashes, a perfectly pointed nose, and a beauty mark beneath her left eye. Currently, her face was scrunched up in anger, which didn’t lessen her beauty in the slightest.

She pulled out her phone and sent a text to her son of an angry cat GIF. The signal that she was supremely pissed off.

Eros’ reply came swiftly: What’s wrong, mommy-kins? Then: Party no fun?

Get over here. Was her only response.

Eros: No can do, this orgy isn’t going to coordinate itself. 5 sunglass emojis

Eros: I wore a really cure polo shirt…

Her: The salmon pink one?

Eros: YUUUUUS! I’M THE CUTEST

Her: I love that one! Heart eyes emoji

Her: Polo shirts aside, I still need you to get your butt here. Breathes smoke emoji.

She would show him. She was the most beautiful being. This was a fact. To think any different was sacrilege. And to voice it out loud, well, that was basis for revenge.

HADES

“I need to talk to her,” Hades announced, adjusting his cuffs. As he stared at the pink goddess, he saw that was not alone.  What little confidence he may have had withered away as he took in the purple goddess beside her –  she was laughing with the Goddess of the Hunt.

“…But, she’s with Artemis.”

He frowned as he watched them dancing together. A look of joy crossed Persephone’s face and his heart lurched. She was breathtakingly beautiful. He needed to talk to her, but how could he approach her now? When she was clearly close to the goddess that loathed him for a reason unbeknownst to him. 

The Goddess of the Hunt would stop him before he even had a chance to introduce himself. How was he going to manage a chat with the Goddess of Spring?

Hades stood stewing in his own misfortune when a hand on his shoulder jolted him to reality – “Who passionately hates you.” Poseidon’s cheery tone and matching grin caused Hades to glare at his younger brother.

“WOW! Really , Poseidon?” Hades gasped with exaggerated surprise, “I hadn’t noticed!” He hissed.

Before Poseidon could respond, Zeus spoke up. “Ok ok ok, I’ve got a plan.” 

For once in the centuries they had known each other, that statement did not cause a feeling of trepidation to run down Hades’ back. 

Eyes still on the rosy goddess, he responded to his youngest brother, “Hit me.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Hades saw Zeus look at the female beings with something akin to boredom. He was sure this was a result of his youngest brother finding himself in much more difficult situations regarding female beings in the past. As he waited for him to elaborate, Hades found himself, for once, glad for his brother’s… indiscretions. Not that he would ever let him know that, of course.

“I’ll distract Artemis. While I’m doing that, you talk to Persephone.” 

Simple. Easy. 

Worth a shot.

“Perfect.”

Poseidon spoke up, “what do I do?”

Zeus and Hades started. They hesitated, unsure of how to keep their brother out of this straightforward plan. 

As well-intentioned as the Sea God may be, he often forgot his tasks during delicate operations or went completely off-script. This has resulted in the three of them getting into some pretty hairy situations. Hades shuddered to think what could happen here, with such an important task, and his heart raced as his panic flared.

“Errrr, stay here and drink a beer?” Zeus asked casually. Hades couldn’t meet either brother’s eyes. There was no way Poseidon would fall for tha—

“I’m on it.”

The relief was immediate and he almost sighed out loud. For once, Hades was glad of his brother’s simple approach to life.

PERSEPHONE

Persephone still didn’t feel comfortable. That literal run-in with the mortal was mortifying. She couldn’t believe she had not only crashed into him, but then fell. She was grateful to have Artemis with her and glad she helped her out of that situation. She danced with her friend and laughed appropriately, but inside she was itching to get home.

She felt a presence and looked up to see Zeus, the King of the Gods approach them. She gulped and saw that the royal purple being had his eyes on Artemis, who was in the middle of a story. She caught the end of it. “…and so I punched him in the face, and that was that!”

“Hello Artemis.” The Goddess of the Hunt looked up at him and Zeus shot the young goddess a large smile. “You’re looking splendid as always.”

Persephone kept a smile frozen on her face despite feeling deeply uncomfortable. However, she stayed where she was, not wanting to offend the Lord of the Sky.

“Hey Zeus, great party.” Artemis enthused. Persephone flinched imperceptibly. Your Majesty, she corrected inwardly, hoping Zeus wouldn’t hurt her friend. Thankfully, he just breezed past it.

He placed his hand on his hips, and raised his brow conspiratorially.

“Word on the street is, your marksmanship is excellent, but your brother’s is still second to none.”

Persephone was confused, then looked away as the Moon Goddess’ face filled with rage. She caught Zeus fighting off a grin and frowned. What was that about? But it was gone before she could think more on it and she looked away again. Stupid village girl, imagining things as always.

“SAYS WHO?!” Artemis demanded. “I WANT TO SETTLE THIS RIGHT NOW!

Persephone sighed, this would take a while. She wanted to go home, but couldn’t very well interrupt their conversation. She wished she had just stayed home. She didn’t know anyone and as she stared around, she just felt more and more lonely.

She startled slightly as she felt a body press against her from behind. “Hey Kiddo,” a voice breathed into her hair. “Wanna have some real fun?”

She glanced behind her to see a magenta being grinning down at her. Eros. Why not? She thought, as she gave him a timid nod. Maybe this was what she needed. She wondered what he had in mind, but supposed anything was better than standing around feeling like a nobody. Eyeing Artemis, who looked ready to start shooting in the middle of the party, Persephone followed the God of Lust. It’ll be fun, she thought, and best of all she would get away from the King of the Gods.  

HADES

Once Hades saw Artemis shouting at Zeus, he strode forward, eyes on Persephone. A group of revelers intercepted his path and he swerved around them to avoid getting anything on his suit, momentarily losing sight of the Goddess of Spring.  When he looked back, she was gone.

Wait, that’s not right, he thought moving forward faster. There was Artemis, he noted, still heatedly staring up at Zeus. He avoided her cleanly, not wanting to gain her attention, especially not when she was already in a fit of anger. But, where was the pink goddess? He ran a hand through his silvery white hair and glanced around, searching for a spot of pink. He began walking through the party, searching the dance floor.

Maybe, she found someone and is dancing with them? He thought, heart thumping painfully. But, he didn’t have to worry for long, because she wasn’t anywhere on the dance floor. Or by the drinks, or over in the corner with the nereids.

He looked everywhere, growing frustrated as he came up blank with each room he scanned. It was just his luck with this night straight from Tartarus, to find the most beautiful being in the worlds, only to lose her before he even had a chance to say hello. He brushed passed a group of chattering satyrs and nymphs and strode back to the luxury suite, seething at his fate.

“Yeesh, that’s a mood,” Poseidon intoned. The Sea God sipped at his drink as Hades glowered next to him, his energy pulsing.

“Strike out already?” asked Poseidon wryly. Hades glared at his brother.

“Worse, I couldn’t even find her!” Hades huffed. “It’s as if she vanished into thin air!”

He stared moodily across the party.  I just want to go home.

PERSEPHONE

Where did Artemis go? Persephone thought fuzzily. I guess I don’t want to be clingy… She glanced around noting the dark couch she was sprawled on. How did she get here?

A voice broke though the haze and she saw the magenta god she had been chatting and drinking with. He was nice, but…

“Another drink?” Eros asked, lifting one towards her with a smile.

I feel…I feel awful, she thought trying to stay upright.  I thought meeting all these new people would make me happy. But I just feel more lonely than ever. She closed her eyes. She had wanted it for so long, to leave Sicily and connect with the beings on Mt. Olympus. To learn and grow and become a stronger goddess. To gain more control. But, being here—it wasn't anything like she’d thought. She still felt utterly useless and alone.

I wish the room would stop spinning. Gods, how embarrassing that she was completely losing it over just a couple drinks. I want to go home.

She lay back, thinking she would just shut her eyes for a moment, that she would rest until Artemis came to fetch her.

“I’m very sorry about all of this ,” she heard dimly as the night faded around her. “But as far as I’m concerned… Aphrodite’s word is law.”

EROS

Eros huffed as he trudged through the parking lot, heading to the rendezvous spot his mother sent him via Oracle Maps. He held the pink goddess close to his chest and glanced around surreptitiously. I’m not into this. I’m not happy with myself.

When his mother had texted him less than a half hour ago with an emergency, he had arrived salmon polo sharp, wings ready, all set to go and take down the being who dared to disrespect the Goddess of Beauty herself.  

The pink goddess she pointed out to seemed beautiful to him at first glance, but he dutifully pulled her away. As he gave her glass after glass, he quickly realized she was nothing but a sweet being who was very sad and lonely, and most importantly, had done nothing to deserve his mother’s wrath. However, he bit his tongue and did as he was told. He remembered the last time he failed to listen and what happened. Still, it didn’t make this right.

“I’m so uncomfortable right now,” he said aloud to no one.

His mother suddenly appeared and flounced beside him. “Oh, stop fudding and hurry up.” Used to her appearing in this manner, Eros barely bat an eye. However, his ire increased as the reason for it was before him.

“Serves her right for being so trusting,” his mother tutted and the God of Love grit his teeth. She stopped suddenly and looked over at him, crossing her arms and lifting a finger to her chin.

“Eros, do you know how to pick locks?”

He glared at her, “Ma, what the fuck are we doing?” he demanded.  “I left a perfectly good orgy for this. I thought you had an actual emergency. It’s late. I’m cold,” Eros grumbled. “Look at this girl,” he said tilting the Goddess of Spring’s head up slightly. “She’s like the personification of a friggin’ cinnamon roll! An, adorable, pink, cinnamon roll.”

The Goddess of Beauty glared at him, arms crossed. He was unphased, “why are you jealous of a cinnamon roll?!” the God of Love pressed. “Let’s just take her back to Artemis and tell her you’re feeling a bit more deranged than usual.”

Hands on her hips, the Goddess of Love shot him a quelling look. “Check that sassy attitude, Mr. Man.” Then tears began to roll down her face and he held back an eye-roll by the ultimate sheer force of will. “You still owe me big time after that bullshit you pulled with Psyche,” she reminded him and his heart clenched at the name. “You want to see her, right?” his mother asked, pinning the God of Desire with her gaze.

He looked away. Yes, yes of course he wanted to see her. But was this the only way? Did he really need to stoop this low?

Yes, he thought defeatedly and met his mother’s gaze. She was the only one who knew where Psyche was, therefore as far as he was concerned, he had to obey her demands—regardless of how unhinged they were. 

“Yeah, I thought as much. Now help me find his car,” she said with a flick of her ponytail. She charged ahead, “STUPID HADES!” she grumbled, hands curling into fists, Eros trailed silently behind her. Hang on—

“Since when did you give a crap about the King of the Underworld?” he asked. As far as he knew, his mother, like most of the beings of Mt. Olympus, hardly spoke about the King of the Underworld. They avoided him at all costs whether out of fear or disgust.

She swiveled her head to frown at him, “It’s about respect!”

He just stared at her, what a load of shit. “I’m pretty sure that breaking into someone else’s car is a crime.”

“Listen—”

“Aaaand it’s not very respectful,” he barreled on, unsure of what come over him. He didn’t have any feelings towards the Lord of the Dead, negative or otherwise. But, this felt wrong.

“Listen,” she said again, interrupting his thoughts. “Listen. We’re gonna hide her in his car. Once he gets home, he’ll find her. She’ll be super drunk and do a buttload of embarrassing stuff. He will think she’s totally gross. ‘I’m a big-stupid-idiot and Aphrodite is the most beautiful goddess ever’“ she declared in a very crude imitation of the King of the Underworld. Eros’ eyebrows raised in disbelief as his mother continued, “and then! Since he took her home super drunk, she’ll think he’s a creepy old man. That’s the plan,” she finished with a self-satisfied grin. The God of Desire stared down at his mother, then pinched the bridge of his nose as he felt a migraine coming in.

“Fresh hell, I am so embarrassed for you right now,” he griped. “Mom, you seem to have such a distorted view of people these days. When did you stop seeing the best in people? When did you forget about kindness?” He was breathing hard, his anger and frustration rising with each word. How could she not see what she was doing was going against their very existence? No wonder he felt sick.

“When did you forget about love?” he asked her softly.

HADES

Hades finally escaped his brothers after Zeus returned. His brother looked very pleased with himself when he sauntered back to the other two Kings, until Hades told him what happened. The King of the Gods patted Hades on the back and when the Lord of the Underworld said he was leaving, miraculously Zeus didn’t press him to stay.

Hades drove to the Underworld in silence, feeling heavier as he got closer to home. He pulled up to his driveway, lights throwing his home into view. He parked and sighed. What a night.

Thank Gaia he was home. He turned off the car and sat in the silence for a moment, waiting for his hearing to adjust and enjoying the gift of darkness. He was glad to be home and away from all the noise.

After several moments, he sighed again. Hades glanced back to make sure he got everything and his eyes widened as he saw what—or rather, who was in the backseat. The beautiful pink goddess herself lay curled up on her side, flowers blooming around her. She was awash in the dark blue shadows of the underworld, but it was unmistakably her. His heart beat hard as he stared at her face. She was beautiful up close, to the point of painful. He was so focused on her face, that it took a moment for him to realize that her gold dress rode up and revealed a note which had a picture of a heart on it, taped to her thigh.

Hades swallowed at the sight of the words written in loopy hand:

bon appetit -Aphrodite Xx

He quickly got out and opened the door to her, guilt rushing through him in waves pounding against his mind. Crouching down, Hades carefully lifted Persephone into his arms. He smelled the alcohol on her, a thick cloud and he winced wondering how much she had ingested. He walked towards his house slowly, so as not to jostle her. She leaned back and a couple of pale pink, almost white butterflies trailed her neck and outstretched hand. He could smell her, past all the alcohol. She smelled sweet like flowers and petrichor. He shook his head and stared resolutely ahead, his mind whirring. Please let her be OK.

As he approached his home, Cerberus stood on top of the steps wagging his tail in greeting. He began to whine and Hades lifted a hand, “Settle down, you might scare her,” he called out in a panicked undertone.

Hades stepped inside and closed the glass door behind him. The King of the Underworld walked carefully through his home, heading for the closest chair. As he moved down the corridor, eyes trained forward, a small sneeze forced his gaze down. His expression warmed briefly as he watched her and he instinctively pulled her closer to him. He forced his gaze ahead again and felt his anger rise steadily. How dare Aphrodite harm this innocent being?

He reached a chair and slowly lowered her into it, “I’m just – I’m just going to put you down for a sec, ok?” he asked. She didn’t respond and he stared intently at her, noting her heartbeat, before rushing out of the room and towards the kitchen. Grabbing a glass, he whooshed over to the sink, filling it up. He hurried back to her, unaware that he sloshed half of the contents out until he offered her the glass. He knelt on the ground, raising the cup to her. She was not responsive, so he carefully placed one hand to her cheek and tipped the glass into her mouth. She drank slowly and he lowered the glass as soon as she began to turn away. Scooping her into his arms again, he headed towards his nicest guest room.

He stared down at her, noting her even breath through her slightly parted lips. He forced his gaze straight ahead, cheeks warming. As he walked, he felt his anger had reached a high level, how dare Aphrodite do this?

He stepped into the room and headed straight for the bed. His muscles strained as he tried to ease her on the bed as smoothly as possible. As soon as he had made sure she was stable, he stared at her clothes. He knelt down and reached for her heels.

“Sorry for man-handling you…” he murmured as he lightly grasped one of her ankles and carefully slid off her heeled shoe. “If you sleep with your shoes on, you’ll get sores on your feet,” he said softly, taking the other shoe off.  “Trust me, I know.”

Once the shoes were off, he stood up and began to lower her head to the pillow, but her arms stayed wrapped firmly around his neck. He pulled them lightly down and her hands clasped his face gently, refusing to let go. He felt himself leaning into her soft touch, before gingerly moving her hand down. “Come on now, stop that.”

He stood, looking down at her. She looked comfortable. “I’m going to bed, ok? Goodnight.” With one last look at the beautiful goddess, he walked away. Just as Hades reached the door, he heard a sniffle. He froze and whirled back around, oh no, she realized that he was the God of the Dead and was terrified, she hated the smell of death in the room, she thought he was abducting her—he knelt on the ground beside her, meeting her gaze. “I can take you home if you want?” he asked, panic rising as he noted the tears in her eyes. Anything, he would do anything to stop her tears. “I just don’t know where you live,” he said, hoping she would say something.

“Please don’t tell my mom how drunk I got tonight,” she sniffled and Hades practically fell over in relief. “She’ll make me move back home if she finds out.”

“Your mother?” he asked. His mind flashed to one of their arguments where they spent three years arguing over where to put the comma in a sentence. “Demeter and I aren’t exactly best buds,” he admitted with a wry grin, her large eyes stared up at him. “I may be a lot of things, but I’m no snitch,” he assured the pink goddess with a more solemn expression. She continued staring up at him, unconvinced, evidenced by the tears that were still cascading down her cheeks. Hades felt as though a knife had been plunged into his chest. He could not stand the sight of her being so distraught, especially not because of him. His hands moved of their own accord, fingers softly brushing away her tears. “Sweetness, don’t get worked up,” he begged.

His eyebrows furrowed in concern at her continued silence. “Everything will seem 1000 times better in the morning,” he promised, giving her hand a small squeeze before pulling away.

Staring into his eyes for a moment longer, Persephone nodded ever so slightly, then rolled over to her side. In rolling over, she fell off the bed, and Hades rushed over. He hesitated just before reaching her, thinking about that dress. He didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable, but when she lifted her head not even a second after he had that thought, he saw that the was alright and that the dress was miraculously still on.

“What is up with that dress?” he blurted. His face warmed at the outburst. Why would he say that? Such a creepy thing to say. What in the worlds—

She only blinked and glanced down slowly. “Oh, it’s held in place with Dedalus Tape,” she said matter-of-factly. “I guess it works.” She clambered back to the bed and he only stared until her breathing eased and he was sure she was asleep. Hades stepped forward and tugged the blanket up, tucking her in.

He walked out of the room and headed for the balcony. Grabbing a cigar on the way out, he he lit it up and took a deep drag as he stared out at the Underworld. Breathing out, he closed his eyes as the gravity of what had happened fully hit him.

This was all his fault.

Chapter Text

PERSEPHONE

“Persephone!”

The young pink goddess glanced up.

“Sweet heart, come here.” the voice of her mother rang through the fields to where she stood, growing vines for the upcoming spring. 

“I’m just finishing up, Mama!” she called back.

“You’ve been working very hard, so I got you a present.” Demeter said matter of fact.

“R-really!?” Persephone perked up. She hadn’t received a present from her mother in a while. Demeter was never one for doling out gifts for no reason, seeing it as frivolous. However, whenever Persephone had achieved something particularly noteworthy, she would receive a gift for a job well done. She looked at her mother, wondering if she was going to agree to her request to go to school in Olympus. Fierce hope bloomed in her chest as she started forward. She tamped it down as she got closer, but found herself equally curious and cautious. 

“It’s this way” Demeter said, pulling Persephone along. Persephone smiled, looking forward to seeing the surprise, whatever it was.

“OH MY!” Persephone gasped. While it wasn’t what she had hoped for, the beauty of the greenhouse before her took her breath away.

It lay sprawled in the grass before them, looming tall over the grass. Arched roofs, glass, and iron.

“Is this greenhouse really for me?”

Demeter smiled, “Absolutely, you earned it.”

The Goddess of Spring pressed a hand to her heart, giddy with excitement.

“Don’t just stare at it. Have a look inside!”

Heh. Persephone ran forward. She frolicked through the different rooms, marveling at the space, at the detail of the glass and the iron. She raised her arms, willing plants to grow and grow, filling the once-empty house with life. After watching a couple rooms bloom with life, she noticed the quiet. The emptiness. She shivered at the feeling and decided to finish for today and come back tomorrow with her friends.

“I think I’m ready to leave now…” She announced.

She looked around, and felt an uncomfortable something in her stomach. That was odd. Where was her mother? As she moved back towards where she first entered, the uncomfortable feeling in her stomach grew and she paused as she recognized what it was–unease, something felt off.

She turned around slowly and realized, But, I can’t…  

There is no… she whirled back around, eyes flaring wide as panic flooded in.

“THERE IS NO DOOR!” She gasped. 

“I took the doors away,” her mother confessed as she stared at her daughter through the glass wall.

“MAMA, NO!” Persephone wailed, hurling herself against the wall. She slammed into it with a thud which didn’t even make a crack. “You don’t have to do this,” the Goddess of Spring cried as she fell to her knees.

“Persephone, I know this may be cruel, but it’s for the best.” Her mother said almost serenely, as she grew in size.

Persephone was crying in earnest now, deep heaving sobs wracking her body as her thoughts raced. She spiraled, thinking of being trapped here, for Olympus knows how long.  

“Don’t make me stay in here,” she gasped, “I promise to be good!”

“When you’re in here… no one can hurt you,” her mother promised. “NO ONE!”

The pink goddess opened her eyes to darkness. Persephone sat up slowly, hands brushing against silken sheets of deep midnight blue. She blinked dazedly, taking in her dark surroundings. She froze as her pounding head made sense of the fact that the luxurious bed she had slept in and the fine tapestries on the walls were completely unfamiliar to her. The goddess’ heart sped as she sat up fully, pulling the sheets to cover herself as she was still wearing the minidress Artemis picked out for her from last night.

“W-where am I?!”

Her voice was scratchy and as she rubbed the bridge of her nose, she noticed. She looked down and groaned, “Not again. Stupid hair.”

The stylish bob she had perfected the other night, had grown back out in long sheets down her back and over a meter past her feet. She frowned slightly as she glanced around, noting the rose petals that were sprinkled on the pillows and blanket. She drew back the sheets and slowly pulled herself to the edge of the bed. Swinging her legs out, she saw that she was barefoot. She frowned trying to recall where her shoes were. Her hair swung into her face and with another sigh, she pulled her hair back and up away from her face so she could think. 

“What a weird dream.” she murmured, as she brushed her hair back with her fingers. “On my own for 2 seconds… I’ve managed to wake up in a stranger’s bed with no memory of getting here,” she worried her bottom lip, taking in her situation, then sucked on her teeth.

“Fantastic.”

As she looked around, she found herself spiraling.

“Maybe mom was right?” She let her hair fall and clutched her arms to herself. “Am I too naive to be on my own?” she hugged herself tightly, knuckles whitening.

With a final squeeze she shook her head, “Well, I may be naive, but I’m not stupid.” 

She stood up, her face resolute. “Time to make a swift exit!”

Persephone tip-toed out of the room, her bare feet sinking into thick carpet, but she barely noticed, anxious to see where she had ended up. 

Maybe she ended up falling asleep at the party? Maybe Artemis had a secret room in the house? She reached the doorway, and poked her head out. Before her was a cavernous corridor, also unfamiliar to her. The floor was made of a beautiful sheet of glossy obsidian. The walls were wallpapered a deep blue with a slightly deeper blue design. It appeared to be a truly elegant place. Definitely not Artemis then. 

Persephone, you’ve really outdone yourself this time…

She padded down the hall and found a set of stairs that led down, maybe this was the way out? The pink goddess looked left and right and decided it was worth a shot. She carefully made her way down, her magenta hair trailing behind her. Persephone paused and stared around, hesitating.

In front of her was a large window and she walked towards it eyes widening as she stared at what it showed. The night sky filled the window view, stars twinkling beautifully. 

“Woah,” she breathed in wonder. 

“No way,” she gasped in awe, which was mingled with confusion. “It’s 9 am… how can it still be dark out?”

She tilted her head as she took in the shooting stars that dazzled the sky. 

“I’ve never seen anything like it before…” She took in the scene for a moment longer, blinking at the beauty of the brilliant starlight, then forced herself to move away. She had to continue searching for the exit. She walked down another corridor, or was it the same one? It was impossible to tell, honestly. 

Soon, the pink goddess found herself in another large room, ceilings impossibly high, beautiful arched windows in a gothic style, and more obsidian and deep blue. 

Man, how big is this place?

She turned and walked towards what she hoped was a new area, rather than circling back. Though she didn't end up back in the room with the large windows, she also did not find the exit. Instead, she found herself in another room, this one was filled with what looked like armor. Might as well explore, she thought to herself. As she approached the pedestals, she saw that they were all helms. Shining onyx, smoky charcoal, and one appeared to be made of a single black diamond. 

She picked up a gleaming pitch black one and marveled at the detail. 

“Wow, what a great collection!”

Setting it down gently, she turned and walked through the next doorway. This one too her to the library. She stared around in amazement at the rows and rows of shelves filled with books, scrolls, and tablets. She began to read the titles, fingers brushing the spines with reverence. Her eyes widened as she noted some of the titles.

Some of these aren’t even in print anymore…

She spent a while, before she shook herself. She was trying to make a swift exit, and if she didn't leave this room soon, she would stay in it forever. With one last look around, she tore herself away with a sigh and walked on. She felt the air shift and frowned. Was it getting humid? she thought, maybe she was close to the exit. No sooner had she had that thought then she found herself coming to a stop.

Before her sat a sunken pool larger than the lake back home. It looked to be made of jade and emeralds, it even had small fountains burbling. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me! That’s just pretentious. WHO NEEDS AN INDOOR POOL LIKE THIS!?”

She walked away, shaking her head. 

She wandered down the hall, returning to the cool hallway. She found herself in a large room. As she stared around she sensed something and paused. She wasn’t alone.

She smiled in relief when she saw a black dog staring at her a few feet away.

“Oh, hello,” she called out, grinning. 

Grrrrrrrrr

Aw, poor doggo, it was probably confused. She stood still, not wanting to frighten it, and allowing it to be the first approach.

GROWL

She felt her hair raise as the dog grew in size. Persephone stared at the large dog thoughtfully, wondering at how that worked for the creature. 

The dog moved closer to her and she continued to stand still allowing it to sniff her. 

SNIFF

Its nose tickled as the dog breathed her in. She forced herself not to laugh, so that she did not make any sudden movements.

The dog continued to sniff, moving up higher, his snout pressing into her neck.

She tilted her head back, so he had enough space. 

HUFF

His hot breath warmed her neck. She froze, sensing a second presence behind her. She blinked her eyes open as a pair of blue arms came around her. Her face warmed as she noted how close the solid body was behind her. He reached for the dog as she stared up at him. 

"STOP THAT!" The being demanded in a deep tone and Persephone held back a shiver as their clothes brushed. 

The dog obeyed, moving back. She continued to stare up at him, when his head tilted down towards her, and their eyes met. 

HADES

I should tell her the truth about what I said…

Hades stood in the shower, the pressure set to max, the heat doing little to sooth his anxiety. His body was scarred with almost neon blue scars that wrapped around his body in thorny branches. 

His mind flashed back to yesterday night, laughing raucously with his brothers. He may have had too much to drink, and he might have said some truly unseemly things. Honestly, it was an evening of horrendously inappropriate behavior.

He grimaced, I mean… maybe not today.

He turned off the shower and pulled on a long, obsidian robe. Stepping into his closet he stared at his clothes, wondering what to wear. He wanted to be sure he made a good first impression. 

Hmmmm, he stared at a shirt and rubbed his foot against his opposite knee. Settling on a shirt, he pulled it on, avoiding looking at the scars on his chest. 

As he buttoned the shirt, he heard the distant sounds of barking. He recognized Cerberus’ deep bark. He knows not to make any ruckus until after Hades has had at least two cups of coffee. 

What’s Cerberus losing his shit about? He wondered, irritation furrowing his brows. Hades moved towards the mirror, shifting his shirt. He was adjusting his collar when he froze. His eyes widened and his heart sank as he realized what was different today. 

“Wait a second…”

Without another thought, Hades raced from his room to the guest room. 

Please Gaia…

He burst through the doorway and found the bed rumpled with rose petals strewn everywhere. Much to his dismay, there was no pink goddess in sight.

"SHIT!" he screeched.

He ran, racing through the corridors, searching for her. "SHHHHHHIT!" He huffed, pounding down the steps. Nothing.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" He panted, sprinting down the hallway. He narrowed his eyes, pushing himself to go even faster. 

There! He skid to a halt as he caught sight of them. Cerberus stood before her, in his large form, tongue lolling. Truly terrifying. 

However, Hades noted with a jolt, she appeared calm. A tiny figure beside a fearsome dog appearing utterly at ease. 

He paused, transfixed by the sight. Her tiny frame was a vivid pinprick of rosy pink against the black hulking mass that was Cerberus. He loomed over her, his maw closing in on her neck as he sniffed her. Despite all of this, she stood perfectly still, not even a finger trembled.

Why isn’t she afraid? He thought to himself, mystified. 

Shaking his head, he moved towards them. He stopped once he was behind her, and reached his arms out to grasp Cerberus’ snout. 

“Stop that!” He snapped at Cerberus, who obediently - for once - sat back. 

His heart thudded as his mind, which was whirring with the panicked need to get to her only moments ago now stuttered and slowed to a slow crawl as he took in how close he stood to her. 

Hades’ shirt brushed against her bare shoulder as he inhaled. His chest ached as he breathed in her scent of roses and petrichor. He desperately wanted to know her. But, he hesitated. What if she was disgusted by him?

He could feel the warmth of the goddess in front of him and his heart sank as he wondered if she was repulsed by the cold. He began to withdraw his arms when he made the mistake of looking down. She was peering up at him. Her eyes were wide with fear? No, was that… curiosity? 

His arm froze against her shoulder as he stared into her eyes, losing himself completely by her beauty. His heart raced as he stared, unable to look away. Gods, he needed to look away, he was being creepy, he– 

His heart seized as she raised her hand up towards him.

“Don’t worry,” she said in a sweet voice that rang through him. It moved through him like the answer to a call he had long forgotten. 

“I know what I’m doing,” she said with a smile. She grasped his hand and he froze at the contact. At the warmth that rooted him to the spot, to her, and spread up his arm and right towards his heart. “You’ll see!”

She stepped away from him and towards Cerberus. It took him a beat to process what was happening, “Hey, wait!” he called out, arm reaching out to what? He wasn’t sure if he was being completely honest. He was never bothered by the cold before, but found the chill that immediately filled the space where she stood unbearable. 

She stood in front of Cerberus and breathed in, “Easy now” she said raising a hand towards him. She inhaled, then began petting him “WHO’S A GOOD BOY?!” Cerberus panted in pleasure and began to shrink. 

“YOU’RE A VERY GOOD BOY (even-though-you-tried-to-eat-me)!” she cried as he rolled beneath her on the ground. 

Hades stood transfixed and felt an irrational feeling shoot through him. I’ve never been so jealous of a damn dog , he thought, biting his lip to keep from saying something stupid. 

“It’s not just anyone who can reduce the gatekeeper of the Underworld to…” she looked up at him, eyes wide, and he stumbled over his words, forgetting what he was saying.

He cleared his throat, “Well…this.” he finished waving his hand towards Cerberus, who was positively giddy and looked very proud of himself laying at her knees. Gods, Hades would pay to be where he was... He shook his head, get it together . 

“Color me impressed!” He said, then turned towards Cerberus. “And you! What have I told you about being an asshole to guests?” He pointed towards the garden. “30 MINUTES. OUTSIDE. NOW.” Cerberus whined once, then walked away, ears down and tail tucked. With a shake of his head, Hades walked over to Persephone. 

“Sorry about that, he is just very enthusiastic,” he said, offering her a hand. She stared up at him and he stared at her. Slowly, she reached her hand towards his, and clasped it. Once again, warmth lit him up and this time, he saw that her hand glowed. He stared at her as she looked down at their hands, noting the blush that warmed her cheeks as she stared up at him. 

FLOOM, with a burst of power, a crown of blue flowers appeared on her head. Her face reddened and he raised his eyebrows.

She pulled her hand away hastily, “Oh Gods, I’m sorry!” she said. Hades held back a flinch as she crossed her arms across her chest, which he resolutely avoided looking at, and looked away from him. “I can’t seem to get it together today” she said, sadness tinged her words, spearing his heart. 

Hades frowned, “W-what’s wrong?” He asked, dreading the answer. She clearly was uncomfortable being there. She wasn’t even looking at him, and she was crossing her arms, clearly repulsed by his touch.

Just as he was going to ask her if she wanted to leave, she looked up at him, a sheepish look in her eyes. “I don’t suppose you have a blanket or a jacket I could borrow? It’s really cold here, aaaaand this dress isn’t really cutting it.” His eyes widened as he understood why she was hugging her arms to herself. It had nothing to do with him at all, Gods, he was an idiot. 

“Oh yeah, I guess the climate is a bit colder in the Underworld,” he said, face warming in embarrassment. “I always forget, since I am accustomed to it”

He wracked his brain thinking of what he had available, “Let’s see…” maybe he could call his tailor, no that would take too long, he had to have something in his closet. Oh!

“I know!” he said excitedly, and she looked up at him, curious. “Come with me,” he said and walked towards one of the hallway closets. 

PERSEPHONE

The pink goddess followed behind the blue god silently. She didn’t know what to say to fill the silence. Thankfully, they got to where he wanted to go quickly and he opened a closet, rummaging through it. “It should be in here somewhere,” he said, as he dug through the boxes on the shelf above. “I bought Hera a coat for her birthday last year, but she didn’t like it and gave it back. You’re petite like Hera, so I am sure it will fit you,” he said.

Persephone blushed at the compliment. She looked down, unable to believe that he just compared her to Hera. The actual Queen of the Gods. The ultimate goddess. 

He held a box in front of her and her eyes widened as she took in the beautiful white coat sitting in the papered box. “What do you think? He asked. She tilted the box towards her for a better look. “If you like it, you can keep it.”

“It’s beautiful,” she breathed, running her fingers through the unbelievable soft white fur. She paused, this was way too much. “I can’t take this,” she said, pushing the box back towards him. “I-I would have no way of paying you back…”

He smiled, “Look, you’d be doing me a favour by taking it.” he told her. “I’m certainly not going to wear it!”

She frowned, “Are you sure Hera doesn’t want it?” she would absolutely die if the goddess got upset at her. 

He nodded firmly, “very sure.”

Persephone carefully grasped the coat, and pulled it on, marveling at the quality and warmth. It truly was beautiful. She had never owned anything so luxurious. She spun around, fluffing it out a bit.

“What do you think?!” she asked him, with a coy smile. 

His face warmed as he stared at her, you look positively divine, he wanted to say. Instead, he said, “you look sufficient,” and glanced away before he blurted out anything ridiculous. “Let’s go to the kitchen,” he announced. Persephone nodded, and walked alongside him. 

“Do you like coffee?” he asked her. She looked up at him and found herself nodding.

“Sure!” She lied. They got to the kitchen and he led her to a bench.

She sat down and he rushed over to a huge chrome machine. She sat and looked around the glossy kitchen as he busied with whatever he needed to get a cup of coffee together. As she turned to look back at him, she noted his phone glowing with an incoming call.

She stared at the photo of a gorgeous red nymph. The name below read Minthe. Her stomach soured as she stared. She shook her head and looked up, “who’s Minthe?” she asked the blue being. 

His head whipped over to her, eyes widening in surprise. “W-What?!”