Preface

He knew he shouldn't have gone in. He knew better. She wasn't his type and he would be willing to lay money on the fact that he wasn't hers either. But there was something about the way the sunlight touched the strawberry strands of her hair that made it look like liquid amber and he wanted to brush the stray locks away from her face; the most beautiful face he had ever seen. And he had seen his fair share of faces. Too many to count. They all bled together now, a blur of thick makeup and smiles that never seemed to move any other part of the face.

His feet moved without his permission. Suddenly he was pushing open a glass door which mocked him with a resounding ding. The girl looked over her shoulder quickly, her long hair swinging over the gentle slope of her shoulder with the action, welcoming him as she gave a bright smile that wrinkled her eyes in a genuine way that made his cold heart clench. He felt as if the earth had split beneath him. She seemed to be restocking what he thought to be carnations but he knew little about flowers.

He watched her work. She seemed unhurried and at peace with her task. It was an unusual sight but not unwelcome. People usually rushed around in an attempt to please him. He enjoyed the serenity. The air was clean and fragrant, if not a bit moist. It had been a long time since he had been anywhere this pure. He occupied himself with looking around the shop. It was not overly generous in size but every flower had its place and one could move without fear of knocking something over. It was minimalistic and almost quaint. He did not belong.

She did.

Speaking of her; she was walking over to him. She wiped small hands on an apron that was smudged with dirt and green stains. His eyes were drawn to the motion and he noticed that her nails weren't painted. The women he was frequently faced with had talon like nails in a range of unnatural colors. What a strange creature; she continued to interest him. She stood before him now and he was grateful for the proximity. He studied her face. She had a high forehead and full eyebrows that were gently arched, her eyes were large, perhaps a bit too large, her nose was delicate and turned up at the end in a defiant manner, her upper lip had a very slight arch and was a bit fuller than the bottom. He realized those were only things that were noticeable if you were looking for them. Her face was clean and her skin looked smooth and warm, as though the sun had gently kissed the highest points of her delicate face. He wanted to feel her skin as the sun had.

He was shaken from his thoughts when she spoke to him.

"I'm sorry for the wait. Can I help you?"

Her voice was soft and clear. It reminded him of a fountain in an isolated and empty plaza; the cool sound of bubbling water resonating in the quiet air around it. She had a voice meant for stories and lullabies. He stared at her in wonder. Surely a creature so pure could not exist in the same world as a man like himself. "Sir?"

He suppressed a chuckle. Her face had the gentle beginnings of concern. She was perfection. He read the bold black lettering on her silver name tag. Persephone. It was strange like her and his tongue had yet to taste it but he knew instantly that he liked it. There was already so much to like about her. The way she dressed for example, a ridiculously shapeless white cotton dress that reached her knees. It seemed to be afraid to cling to her. He wasn't aware that pillow cases would be worn as dresses. It was endearing.

"Yes. Persephone, I need two dozen of those," he said pointing to a bundle of soft pink roses, "and throw in some of those." His finger wagged at the daisies and forget-me-nots. He liked the little blue ones. They were the exact shade of her eyes.

She looked at him strangely for a moment before smiling softly. She wrote out the order on a slip and went to gather the flowers before he stopped her. He would have them delivered. There was no way in hell he was going to carry those around. She took the address and he paid before leaving. He was grateful that Thanatos had recently complained about being under appreciated lately. He had a reason for the flowers now.

Persephone.

Oh yes, the little strawberry blonde goddess would be his.

And there you have it! A little taste of what is to come.

I have seen a lot of different fanart of Persephone and Hades and while I will admit that one of my favorites is the 100 days of night comic (CHECK THAT OUT!) I really like her as the unexpectedly sassy strawberry blonde. Hades description will be in the next chapter as well as more characters which includes an adorable gender-fluid Thanatos!