The small package arrived in a basket graced with deep green ribbons. Zelena spotted it when she opened up the door that morning and was glad it had been her because had Hades found it, he probably would have tripped over it. Ah, the advantages of having heels and consequently watching your step.
The basket was filled with a myriad of things: wine, snickerdoodle cookies, a folded drawing, and the small package, wrapped in paper. Zelena brought it in and set it on the kitchen table, moving the edible items to the fridge.
Hades came in just as she was finishing up, his normally fluffy blonde hair slicked back from his shower. She sighed. He had to dry his hair more often or he'd catch cold. The towel was resting over his shoulder and at a look from her he picked it up and began to rub his head one-handed, pulling out a chair and sitting with the other.
He gestured at the basket.
"What's this?"
Zelena shrugged and came over to join him at the table, breakfast stalled for the moment.
"Package from Regina. It's probably a thinly veiled apology for being mildly insensitive and showing Roland the Wizard of Oz for family movie night. He has been avoiding me."
She unfolded the drawing. It was an artfully rendered picture of all seven of them, Henry, Robyn's two sets of parents, Robyn, and Roland himself who had signed the drawing. The page was covered in hearts as though he was trying to communicate how much he loved them through the page.
Hades awwed at the picture.
"I think he'll be fine."
Zelena refolded the drawing and set it aside.
"No doubt."
She then pulled out the mysterious wrapped package and set it in front of her lover. He had finished drying his hair and wiped his hands on the towel before picking the package up and shaking it. It made a funny rattling noise as though it was full of straws.
"What do you think it is?"
Zelena furrowed her brow.
"I don't know. Shall we open it?"
She reached forward and together they tore the paper off. Hades held up the colorful box inside up to the light. Zelena squinted at the brand name.
"Pocky?" She commented, more of a question than anything.
Hades laughed lightly and tapped the box on the table.
"Now this brings back memories. Way back in time I used to travel a lot with my brothers and I discovered this on one of our trips."
"What is it?"
"It's food."
"Food?"
Hades snickered at Zelena's disbelieving expression. He ripped off the cardboard covering and opened the box then undid the top of the plastic bag to reveal a bunch of small cream colored sticks with brown ends.
"It's a kind of dough, pastry, pretzel, I don't really know, and the ends are dipped in chocolate."
He saw Zelena's eyes light up at the word. For reasons he would never understand, his lover was a hopeless slave to chocolate.
Back in the Underworld he had sent her a flower and when next they met he had made a joke about sending her chocolates instead.
Her reaction had been positive but he never would have imagined how positive until he had gotten her some one day, and they'd all been gone, an entire box, by the next week. Zelena adored the treat, especially dark chocolate and had confided in him that she would probably be willing to eat anything if it had been dipped in chocolate first.
Knowing how much she loved it, he did only what a good lover should and reached into the bag for a stick then dangled it in front of her.
"Want one?"
He saw her eyes scan down the chocolate end that he had purposely not touched and had to resist the urge to laugh. He swung it back and forth again and her eyes followed it, then in one snatching move she caught the chocolate end in her mouth and pulled it out of his hand.
"Gotcha!"
He laughed. She still had half of it sticking out and was rocking that bit up and down, trying to scrape the chocolate off with her teeth. He gestured to the doughy end.
"So you already know the game?"
Zelena tilted her head at him, quickly ate the stick and responded, "what game?"
Hades took a moment to restrain himself from his natural inclination to manipulate her on this point.
"The pocky game?"
"How do you play?"
He leaned across the table towards her.
"It's a kissing game."
Her eyes flashed and she leaned towards him as well. He was glad to see her eager spirit awake. Along with her competitive streak, this was promising to be great fun for both of them.
He pulled out one of the pocky.
"One partner takes the pocky and sets the end of it in their mouth. Then the other bites onto the other end, and together they take turns biting the ends of the pocky. The one to take the last bite wins."
Zelena smiled in comprehension. If the two competitors were dedicated enough, sooner or later they'd end up making out. She liked this game.
Hades ate the pocky he was holding and propped his head on his hand.
"Would you like to play?"
His voice carried the unmistakable tone of utter mischief and Zelena had never been a stranger to that.
"Absolutely."
He pulled out one without breaking eye contact with her, set it in his teeth, then moved his chair so they were facing each other. She leaned forward and took the other end. He glanced at her and she nodded.
He bit off the first piece. She followed suit and slowly they grew closer and closer. He had given her the chocolate end and on their piece the chocolate covered not just half but a little bit more on the stick. He smirked at her, knowing she'd want that last bit of chocolate all to herself. She just stared back, shameless in the heat of competition. And she called him a child.
They finally got to the last less than a centimeter, so close he could feel her breath float across his cheeks. In a traitorous move he reached extra far forward and bit off the chocolate that she'd been going for, closing the gap completely.
Scandalized, her hand came up to his jaw and she kissed him, teasing him with her lips until he couldn't take it anymore and opened his. She immediately went for the piece of chocolate he hadn't eaten yet but he pulled it back from her.
She retaliated by practically fighting him tongue to tongue, until she managed to get a handle on it and pulled back, throwing her hands in the air in victory.
He laughed, still slightly breathless. Both of their faces were bright pink but he couldn't have been happier to see how triumphant she was.
She tapped him lightly on the forehead.
"That's what you get for taking my chocolate."
He laughed. They both took a moment to breathe in the scene when to his surprise she reached over for the bag and pulled out another stick. Sticking it between her teeth, she grinned at him.
"Want to play again?"
She was too much. He leaned forward and plucked it out of her mouth before wrapping his other hand around her waist and tugging them together to continue where they'd left off.
Breakfast was a little late that morning, all the pocky was gone, and neither of them were hungry.
Author's note: Good lord this is dopey. I just thought it was cute and my anime influences were begging for it. Please R&R.
