The office had a huge mahogany desk that rested on a wall opposite the door. A huge balcony allowed light to shine in from the outside on the right side. It appeared as if there was a break in the fog in a sphere around the balcony regardless of if Hades was there or not. The office itself was dimly lit. While the rest of the palace seemed to use regular fluorescent light bulbs, Hades had opted for candlelight in his office. The floor of his office was the same smooth obsidian as the rest of the palace, however, sapphires freckled throughout the tiles. The walls were a sapphire blue as well. Hades' desk was bare besides a stack of files that sat on top. He had a luxurious leather swivel desk chair that was nestled into the desk. In front of the desk sat two more luxurious leather chairs, however did not swivel.
"Wow…" Kore stood in the doorway. Her jaw hung slightly open. The candlelight cast a soft glow around the room.

"Go on in." Hades gently nudged her forward. Kore laughed nervously and stepped into the office. She circled the room, running her hands along the smooth walls, and taking in the sheer size of the room. Her eyes kept drifting to the balcony.

The railing on the balcony was onyx and as smooth as the tiles.

"You're allowed out there." Hades took her hand and led her out onto the balcony.

A soft wind blew through the room. The air was still thick, however, Kore had started to get used to it. Hades stayed back by the doorway to allow Kore to fully take in the scenery. Kore pulled her shawl around her shoulders and stepped up to the railing. She still couldn't see far beyond the palace. Despite this, she could see down the side of the mountain now.

Torches were scattered along the sides of and around the mountain casting a dark shadow on the whole mountain, besides where the torches themselves were. A narrow stone staircase wound around the side of the mountain and appeared to end just below the balcony.

"This area is usually only for myself." Hades stood behind her. He rested his hands next to hers on the railing. "I'm the only one that is allowed to come and go as I please from here. "

"Why's that?" Kore leaned back against his chest. The fog clouding her vision dissipated once more.

"Best view in the house." Hades chuckled and gestured towards the splits in the River Styx. He placed his hand on top of hers.

A couple of thousand feet down the River Styx, there were two splits off of the right side. Following the split of the river, it appeared to be a straight drop down into a black abyss.

"What's that black area?" Kore asked, only now realizing how in the dark her mother had left her. She felt a strong surge of sadness rise up inside her but decided to push it down.

"That's Tartarus." Hades gave her a questioning glance. Most gods and goddesses knew about Tartarus. "The two rivers before it are Cocytus and Phlegethon. The River Cocytus is the river of lamentation. The Phlegethon is the river of fire. " He stroked his thumb along the side of her hand.

A few thousand feet past the first set of splits in the River Styx was another set of two splits. The rivers that were part of the second set of splits flowed into a blinding white light. The brightness has dimmed from this distance, but Kore could tell that it would be excessive up close.

"And that bright light?" Kore asked Hades. She was sure most people already had this information and was upset she honestly didn't know. She looked down at her feet.

"That light is Elysium." Hades explained in an even tone. He didn't seem upset that he had to explain it. " The rivers leading to it are the River Acheron and River Lethe, or sorrow and oblivion. All the rivers connect to the River Styx, or the river of hate. Hence why it is a center point in the Underworld."

"Oh. That makes sense." Kore nodded, though it lacked her general enthusiasm.

Hades moved from behind her to stand beside her. He maintained a hold on her hand. She turned towards him but kept her head down.

"I know it's a lot." Hades looked sadly out at the expanse of space that was his domain. "It can be overwhelming." He sighed. "Come on. Let's get you home." Hades turned to head back into his office.
"What home?" Kore mumbled half to herself, half hoping he would hear. She reached out and caught his hand to stop him from leaving. She took a deep breath. "It isn't that I'm overwhelmed with your home. It's just that I never realized how much my mother took from me. Everyone else probably knows everything you had to spend all this time explaining. I'm sick of not being able to keep up with everyone and constantly being alone." The words left her in a rush. Kore's voice wavered towards the end. Her eyes moistened as Hades pulled her to him. He held her tightly against his chest.

"Please don't make me go back." Kore gasped out, as tears drenched the front of Hades' dress shirt.

"I'll never make you do anything you don't want to." Hades rubbed her back, as Kore tried to calm down. The sounds of her cries broke his heart. He had to resist the urge to call Demeter and give her a piece of his mind, but he knew it would only make it worse.

Kore took deep breaths as she tried to regain her composure. She wasn't usually like this. She wasn't sure if it was a few minutes or a few hours, but eventually, she got herself under control. The entire time Hades didn't rush her or seem annoyed. He simply continued to rub her back and hold her.
"Thank you." She wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry about all that," She chuckled softly. "And your shirt." Kore stepped back.

"Oh, this old thing." Hades glanced down at his now wet chest. "It's no big deal. Are you sure you're okay?" He held onto her shoulders. Kore nodded. "I mean it, here you don't have to do anything you don't want to." His deep blue eyes reflected her emerald eyes, as he stared into them. Kore blushed and nodded again.

"Good." Hades pulled back. "I know just the thing to help you" He smirked at her. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course." Kore answered without hesitation. She took his hand and smiled softly at him.

"Let's go" That mischievous twinkle returned to his eyes.

Hades took off at a dead sprint out the door, into another room, and down a hallway, dragging Kore behind him. The sound of the heel of his dress shoes hitting the tiles echoed throughout the hall, covering the sound of Kore's bare feet as they collided with the tile.

The hallway turned into a giant rectangle-shaped room. A giant archway rested over the entrance, Four tall black marble pillars cornered the room. The room was filled with a soft warm light cast from the magma that flows behind a massive waterfall. The waterfall cascaded down the rock wall. The walls closely resembled black marble with veins of molten magma flowing through them. The water that flowed over the magma filled the room with steam. In the middle of the room, there was a square that had been cut out, that the waterfall flowed into. On the left side wall, there was a small shelf that was cut into stone.

Hades stepped into the entranceway. His hand trailed down Kore's arm as he walked over to the shelf. Kore followed behind him slightly dazed by the whole experience so far.

"Wow." Kore's voice was full of wonder.

"I know, it is a bit excessive." Hades glanced around the room. "It is the perfect way to unwind though." He unbuttoned the cuffs on his sleeves then moved to unbutton his dress shirt. Kore turned to him to thank him for all the kindness he had shown her.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Kore's eyes widened in surprise.

The silk shirt slipped off Hades' shoulders.

"You don't have to worry. " Hades chuckled. "It's been a long day, I think both of us need to unwind." He folded his shirt and rested it next to the towels on the shelf. Hades knelt and untied his dress shoes. He slipped off his socks and slipped them into his shoes, before resting the shoes next to his shirt. "You are welcome to join me."

Kore eyed him carefully. She tried to discern his intent. Her mother had told her story after story of all the women Zeus and Posiden had been with, either willingly or by force. She hadn't heard much about Hades, but that didn't mean that he was different.

"Are you sure….?" Her voice trailed off. She wasn't sure how to ask without seeming rude.

"Am I sure about what?" He glanced over at her and crossed his arms over his chest.

"That.." Kore took a deep breath and looked down. "That this isn't a ploy to seduce me?"

"That depends." Hades smirked at her. His whole demeanor radiated confidence. He stepped towards Kore, cupped her chin in his hand, and gently raised her face until their eyes met.

"Depends on what?" Kore was confused. Her face flushed and she tried to tear her eyes away from his. She felt as if he could see right through her. Kore felt ridiculous for even asking him about that. He had shown her time and time again that he wasn't like that.

"Is it working?" Hades licked his lips and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Kore closed her eyes and felt a shiver rack her spine at his touch. She steeled her back. His finger trailed her jawline. Kore knew that he would do anything she asked. She wasn't sure how she knew, it was simply a fact she knew to be true. She didn't want to give in to him so easily.
"Not a chance." She laughed. Kore felt a dark urge rise in her. She wanted to push him. To see the infamous Hades lose his cool. A smirk crept onto her face.

"Oh?" Hades chuckled darkly. He stepped back and slipped out of his dress pants. He stood before Kore in only his black boxers. Kore trailed her eyes down his body. He was muscular as she thought he would be. Her arms crossed over her chest. She couldn't deny that he was attractive. He already knew that and knew that she thought he was. "That only means I'll have to try harder." Hades stepped towards her. He could feel a shift in her. An air of defiance radiated from her. A sort of cat and mouse game had begun, he felt the tension shift. Hades wasn't sure whether he was the cat or mouse. The air felt charged as if Zeus himself was in the room.

For every step Hades took forward, Kore took one back until she felt the stone wall on her back. Her eyes widened slightly. Hades placed a hand on either side of her head. Kore swallowed her apprehension and squared her shoulders. Hades leaned down until his lips touched her ear. His breath was hot on her ear and neck.
"Does this do it for you?" Hades chuckled softly. He closed what little distance was between them and pressed his body flush against hers. Kore bit her bottom lips. Her face burned."Seductive enough for you?" She could hear the smirk in his voice. Kore tried to answer him but couldn't. Her voice was lost in her throat. "I'll take that as a yes." Hades pecked a light kiss on her cheek and started to pull away.

"Wait." Kore caught his hip and pulled him back against her. "Don't go yet." Her hand trailed up his side to tangle in his hair. The other she placed gently on his chest, right over his heart. Both their hearts hammered in their chest, as if Hephestus himself was forging their bond. Kore tilted her head to one side. Hades gladly took the hint and dipped his head to her neck. He gently kissed and nibbled on the side of her neck. Another shiver racked her spine. "You know what I think?" Her voice was thick and heavy. Hades didn't answer. Though she thought she felt him nod. She pulled his head back roughly, pulling his teeth from her neck. A small groan escaped Hades. "I believe I asked you a question." Hades' eyes narrowed.

"So what if you did?" Hades challenged. "Maybe I was too distracted to notice." His eyes dropped back to her neck. Kore kept a firm grip on his hair. Kore smirked again. Hades decided he liked this side of her. He was surprised to discover he didn't care if he was the cat or the mouse as long as the game went on.

"Is that so?" Kore bit her bottom lip. Hades groaned again. "In that case you are forgiven." She pulled him in for a kiss. "This time," Kore said against his lips. The moment their lips connected, both let out a soft moan. Kore trailed the hand on his chest down to his hip. Hades mirrored her pose, one hand tangled in her hair, and the other on her hip. His fingers gripped her hip almost hard enough to bruise. The kisses grew rougher and more intense.

They stayed like that for a while, Hades pressed against the Spring Goddess, their hands in each other's hair, a desperate hold on the other's hip. Hades was still in only his boxers, while Kore remained fully dressed.

Kore could feel herself control waning and decided to do something about it.

"Hades?" She pulled away to meet his eyes. His eyes were glossed over, his pupils were heavily dilated. She was sure her eyes were just as bad. At the sound of his name, his eyes closed and he leaned his head back. She kissed his cheek and then down his neck. He let his hands fall to her side. "Hades." Kore's voice was breathless. Hades bit down on his lip, resisting the urge to lunge for her. She kissed back up his neck, to his ear. He could feel the smirk form on her face. "Hades." She whispered in his ear. Hades clenched his hands into fists. He needed to do something with his hands. His skin felt like it was on fire. "You are so hot right now." Kore nibbled lightly on his ear. A loud groan escaped his lips. He knew she was trying to rile him up, but by the Gods, it was working. Kore ran her hands over his body until they came to rest on his chest. Hades knew they weren't going to do anything further and that was fine with him. He also knew that she likely had a plan and he was going to beat her to it.

"As are you, my pet." Hades took care to make his voice sound heavy and needy. It didn't take much work. A slight whimper left Kore's mouth. Her eyes widened. Hades chuckled. She hadn't meant for that sound to come out.

Hades felt a slight increase in pressure on his chest and knew what she was planning. He trailed his hands to her hips and grabbed roughly. It all happened too fast for Kore to react.
"You need to cool off." Her tone was playful. Kore shoved Hades roughly. Once he started to fall backward, he tightened his grip even more. She was sure she would have a few bruises, not that she minded.

The two tumbled into the pool of water. Hades pulled Kore in with him.