Title: One
Fandom: Greek Mythology
Pairing: Hades/Persephone
Rating: T
Prompt: #9, Months
Words: 681
When the long months of winter began to taper off, the imminent approach of spring wore greatly upon the king and queen of the Underworld.
To Persephone, the six months she spent with her husband felt much shorter than the six she spent with her mother in the world above. It was true that she loved her mother, and never resented the time spent in Demeter's company. But a mother was no replacement for a lover, and that was especially true of Hades.
Many years ago, when he had first taken her into his realm, Persephone had been nothing short of furious. They had hardly been on familiar terms, and suddenly he had thought that her admiration of his flower was cause for abduction. But he had not taken her simply to have his way with her and then toss her back, as her father had done with her mother. In fact, he didn't touch her at all for months, until the day that Persephone realized she was in love with him and had come of her own will to his bed.
Their love was a slow, smoldering fireball that seemed to grow infinitesimally more with each departure and return. Each half-year she spent on earth, she felt she missed him more, dreamed of him more. And each half-year she spent in the underworld, she felt they made love more, and grew only closer. It was only now, perhaps ten years after she had first become his bride, that Persephone realized that maybe they had always been the same creature, split apart for so long until Fate had brought them back together, so that they could grow back as one.
She mentioned this to her husband one night, on the eve of her next return, as they were lying in the sleepy aftermath of post-coitus. His response was a low chuckle, which sent vibrations through her as she lay on top of him. His hands slid through her golden hair.
"You are saying this because we are about to be parted again."
"No," she protested, "I am saying it because I feel like half of me is missing when I am gone from you."
"That is love, sweetheart." He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. "We are not the same. You are sunshine and all that is good; I am the darkness, the wayfarer of the dead. We could not be more opposite."
"Then tell me how it is that only you and I retain a perfect marriage," said Persephone. "Look at your brothers. Zeus has had scores of children with a number of women, goddess and mortal alike. And Poseidon cannot remain faithful to his wife, despite how he chased her. Then there is Aphrodite, who has many times over cuckolded her husband…"
Hades shrugged. "I am not like my brothers. I have never felt anything more than a passing lust for any woman other than you. I have never acted on any of these fleeting desires because I know none of them could bring me the same satisfaction."
Persephone sighed. "And yet we are the only ones who are forced to be constantly separated."
"Such was the agreement."
She shifted a little to meet his eyes. "Why can't you come up with me?"
He smiled lightly, tapping her nose. "You know the answer to that. I have work to do down here. It never stops. Unlike Zeus, I can never take a break."
Persephone suddenly laughed at the idea of him helping her to grow flowers or bless fields with her mother. She felt his hold tighten around her as her body rippled against his, and for the next hour her only thought was his name as he pleasured her.
When they were both collapsed together again, limbs tangled and damp with sweat, he broke the silence by whispering against her hair, "There is one positive thing about your leaving."
She sat up, looking at him indignantly. "Oh? What's that?" Her voice was unintentionally hostile.
He laughed, drawing her back down to him. "You always return."