Maria Di Angelo captured Hades' attention immediately. She coud see through the mist, a thing most mortals could not do, and she could see through Hades, a thing most immortals could not do.
She had olive tan skin, dark eyes and darker hair. She was beautiful.
It had taken months for Hades to unravel Maria, discover her darkest flaws, find out the things that made her lips tilt into a smile so warm it melted even Hades a little.
She sensed things other could not about Hades. How he cared for his brothers, despite everything, the way he'd always loved the sea, but never ventured too near. The way he found it hard to talk to people sometimes, feeling awkward and clumsy. The way he enjoyed watching the sun rise, even if in the back of his mind he could imagine Apollo, bright and irritating, riding away on his sun chariot and laughing.
Hades desired her, but it ran much deeper than the tales would tell. Hades craved the touch of her skin, the burn of lips, the arch in her back beneath his fingers, the lust in her dark wanton eyes. But he would give all that up if he had to, only to see her smile over her shoulder at him as she sliced cloves of garlic. Or watch her eyes flitter across the pages of her favourite book, chatting endlessly about the plot and characters to Hades, or to hear her hum softly to the radio, feel her squeeze his shoulder, or have her question him about the Gods and myths she reads about. Or if only to hear that stupid beat she taps on the surface whenever she is doing something, talking, reading, cooking, cleaning. He ever did find out what those four repeated taps meant. Now he never would.
Hades felt as if he was loosing his mind. Nothing mattered anymore. He didn't worry about Zeus or Poseidon's quarrels, he didn't care about his kingdom, or his wife, or Olympus. He did his duty in the underworld hastily, before rushing back to Maria.
When Maria told him she was pregnant, with a nervous, but bright, smile, Hades' first thought was panic. It would change things, children always complicated things, Zeus would find out, monsters would come in the dozens, Persephone would forbid Hades from returning, the child would take up Maria's attention, she wouldn't need Hades anymore.
Hades breathed deeply, and smiled. He felt like the mortal, looking up at a Goddess, and he felt privileged to have created something so pure with such a beautiful woman.
He pulled Maria into to his arms, who let out a thrilling laugh, and snuggled his head into her soft hair.
"Ti amo tanto." Hades whispered into her neck. (I love you so much.)
"Io so. Sarò sempre sapere. Ti amo." (I know. I will always know. I love you.)
Bianca was as beautiful as her mother. She was so small in Hades' arms. She had his eyes, but the rest was her mother's. Hades loved her immediately. He visited Maria and his daughter often. Bianca curled her chubby hands in Hades hair, gurgling out laughter as she pulled the dark locks hard, her wide eyes sparkling with glee. Hades didn't think he'd ever seen anything cuter.
No matter how long between his visits, how much Bianca grew in his absence, taking her first steps or screeching her first words, Maria always welcomed him with open, loving arms.
Hades wanted to stay with his lover and daughter forever, but he was always busy with errands in the Underworld, and the palace was being prepared for Persephone's return to the realm. Hades did not wish to see her, but winter approached, the season she was forced to spend with her Husband.
Hades came to a shaking realisation that he would give everything up, his immortality, his status, his title, his kingdom, and live as a mortal with Maria and Bianca. He would die for her. He would cast out Persephone, and marry Maria. She could rule by his side, become his queen.
But Hades knew it would not come to be. Much like Persephone, Maria belonged in green grass fields with the flowers and blooming summer fruits, not confined to the dark shadows of his underground palace.
When Persephone returned to the Underworld, she was grumpy and passive as usual. She ignored him mostly. Once, she decided to act like a wife. She kissed his neck, as she had so many times before, threading her long fingers in his hair, sliding the other hand down his shirt, her fingers dancing over his bear torso. His heart rate quickened, but he coud not bear it. He pushed her hands away.
She pouted, her long fingernails coming back to scrape against his thighs. Hades swotted her away.
"What?" She demanded, her eyes blazing with fury. Hades didn't-couldn't- answer.
Persephone huffed, and strode away.
Hades couldn't explain it, but it felt wrong. To have any hands touch him but Maria's, as if he were betraying her. Persephone was his wife, but he was loyal to his mortal lover. Hades wanted to laugh, but he was afraid it would turn to tears, because he was so afraid and confused, because the only thing that mattered was Maria- and it terrified him.
He went to her. She asked him what was wrong, she sounded so worried. Bianca slept safely. He didn't understand what was happening. He never felt so weak than when he was with Maria, he never felt so vulnerable, as if she could see everything about him, unpick his flaws and expose his weaknesses. And he never felt so happy than in the presence of her warming laugh, never felt so loved than under her tender gaze.
"Tu amo." He says. IloveyouIloveyouIloveyou He chants like a prayer, falling into her embrace, basking in her kisses, letting out needy whimpers and desperate moans.
"Save me Maria." He says, and they fall beneath the sheets. Hades worships her like a Goddess. She will always be the one with the power over Hades. Who can make Hades kneel, or laugh, or cry, or sweat, or scream.
Three weeks later, Maria tells Hades she is pregnant. Hades doesn't know whether or not to be happy. He knows it is dangerous, his love for Maria. Gods don't have this much contact with mortals, they don't sire two children from the same woman. Hades' thoughts are hazed, and he can't think straight, he can't think about complications or the Gods or Persephone or Zeus. All he can think of is Maria.
"Papà!" Bianca tumbles over, shrieking with laughter. Hades picks up his three year old daughter, and smiles.
Nico is, if possible, even cuter than Bianca had been. He is tiny, so small that Hades feels like a giant holding him. He has Maria's eyes, but Hades sees a worrying amount of himself in Nico.
As the months pass, Nico always smiles, chubby cheeks flushed. He giggles loudly when Hades holds him, his tiny fists grasping Hades' shirt as he snuggles into his chest.
Bianca adored her little brother. Every time Hades visited, his daughter would be colouring messily, her feline eyes darting up to Nico every few seconds, lips ghosting into a smile as she watched him bang his chubby hands against the carpet and gurgle happily.
Hades loved his children so much he could barely breathe.
Hades watched them grow up, visiting as often as he could. Nico grew thinner, his chubby cheeks shrinking. His inky black hair grew longer, soft and wavy. His eyes were wide and doe like, long eyelashes fluttering against the olive pale apples of his cheeks. His pink lips were small and permanently puckered. Bianca's features were less soft, but just as radient. She had a bright, thin lipped smile and a mane of softly curled dark brown hair, a pointed nose, tanner skin than Nico, and her eyes were slanted and narrower than Nico's.
They were perfect.
Hades was afraid he'd spoil it, because he tainted everything.
He loved Maria so fiercely that he whispered his worries to her as she clutched him in their bed, smoothing her fingers through his hair.
"Oh Hades." She sighed, "You can never ruin anything. I love you, the children love you. All will be well, my love."
Hades believes her for the next year, because it is said so purely in her thick, strong voice.
But he worries. His visits become more scarce. He cannot bear to be away from Maria, from his children, but the monsters are attracted to his children's powerful scent and Hades knows he cannot protect them forever.
His children are beautiful. And even ten years after he met her, Maria is beautiful too.
When the oracle warns Hades of the danger his lover and children are in, Hades goes to Maria.
"Please," He begs, "I cannot keep you safe here. Come to the Underworld, I can protect you, I can protect Nico and Bianca."
"I'm sorry, my love. I cannot raise them in such a place. All will be well."
Hades wants to continue arguing, but Maria places her hands over his cheeks and smiles, and Hades just melts. His whole body feels warm, and he nods.
"So be it." He says. It feels like he is dying, slowly bleeding out. He pulls away from Maria, and it hurts so much. "I pray you have made the right decision."
Hades is outside the hotel, Bianca and Nico in his arms, when the sky rumbles and a bolt of lightening cracks through the sky. Hades manages to shield his children. His ears ring. Everything seems to stop. Nico and Bianca's eyes are shut, but there chests rise and fall evenly. Hades screams.
"MARIA!" He sprints into the hotel room. The furniture is smoking, the curtains singed. "MARIA!"
She is on the floor, sprawled out like an angel. Her hair fans around her face, her eyes wide and glassy.
"Maria." Hades falls to his knees in front of her. He cries, he sobs and he cannot bear it. "Oh, Il mio dolce, dolce amore. What have I done?" He whispers. (Oh, my sweet, sweet love.)
Everything is broken. Nothing is right. Hades feels as if he has died, as if nothing will be the same.
"Maria." He cries as he buries his face in her cotton shirt. "I will kill you!" He yells to the heavens. The sky rumbles, as if it is laughing.
If this is love, I do not want it, Hades thinks and he holds his broken lover, his heart bleeding so much the pain engulfs him. I do not want it, I do not want it, I do not want it!
In decades time, Hades sits on his throne, his wife beside him. Bianca is dead. He worked so hard to keep her safe. Nico kneels before him. He is fourteen, and he is more of a hero than Hades ever imagined. The ghost king, the savoir. He has helped defeat Gaia, he is strong, he is brave. He eyes are still wide and doe like, his lips still small, pink and puckered. He is still Hades' little boy.
Hades can still see Maria in his dreams, screaming and crying and laughing and singing and then nothing but silence and pain and Maria oh gods what have I done it's all my fault Maria please don't be dead no no no.
It still hurts, even now. He can still feel the place Maria used to be, it has left him raw and empty, blemishing him like a scar. It hurts so much sometimes Hades feels like he can't breathe.
So he strokes Nico's hair and tries to forget, but it stills hurts. He's afraid it always will.
AN: Hope you enjoyed. Sorry for mistakes. Please favourite and review? Thanks!