Persephone

I could feel the tears. My heart felt like it was shattering.

"Oh gods, c'mon, you're better than this." My voice felt small. Seeing Hades in such a warm embrace with Minthe never gets easier. Her eyes made contact with mine and then she kissed him. I felt like I couldn't breathe. I can't remember what I dropped, all I remember was the sounds of something clanging and then turning on my heels and practically sprinting to my cubicle. I tried to catch my breath.

"Hey, doll." Hecate's monotone voice rang through the empty room. I jumped. "Sorry, sweetie, what's going on?" Her tone took a concerned turn.

"I … Nothing." I mumbled, quickly wiping her eyes.

"You know lying to me is futile. I can see right through it." She murmured, her eyes continuing to look concerned.

"It's Minthe and Hades, I don't think I can do this anymore." I knew that it was a bad idea to get a crush on the boss, especially one as handsome as Hades, but my heart couldn't help it. From the moment I found him in Hecate's bed at Mother's house, I couldn't stop thinking about him.

"What do you mean, Perse?" Hecate asked, her eyes searching mine.

"I can't keep working here." I murmured, Hecate's breathing caught.

"But, kid, you're set to get a promotion, I feel like Hades will lose it if he finds out you're leaving." She tried playing to my desires, but I couldn't handle it anymore. My heart was set. I couldn't keep finding myself in these feelings.

"I just can't, I feel like I'm falling apart." I whispered. Hecate usually didn't show emotion, but I felt her arms snake around me.

"Okay, sweetheart, I won't stop you. Do you mind excusing me for a moment?" She whispered in my ear, her arms tight around me. I only nodded into her shoulder before she let go.

I could hear her heels click down the hallway as I began cleaning out my desk.

Hades

Minthe was beginning to kneel in front of me when all of a sudden the door swung open.

"The fuck is wrong with you?" Hecate screamed. I felt my erection shrivel into my body and Minthe staggered up. "She's leaving. I'm so fucking pissed. You!" Hecate pointed at Minthe. "GET OUT!" She screamed, her eyes widening, her hair fraying, and it felt like the room had gotten colder. Usually Minthe was strong, confident, and would scoff at anyone who told her what to do, including me, but she slunk away, not even looking Hecate in the eye.

"Can't you knock?" I asked, trying to understand what was happening.

"Persephone just quit because of your idiot ways with that whoreish bimbo." She seethed. I felt my heart drop.

"What do you mean?" My breathing caught in my throat.

"She's leaving and you're the reason. You wouldn't man up and get rid of Minthe and now she's leaving because she can't stand to see it." Hecate continued to stare deep into my soul.

Someone cleared their throat and we both looked at the door frame to find the pink goddess.

"I wanted to submit my notice." She murmured. Her hands were trembling as she held out the envelope.

"Persephone, please sit and explain." I said, trying to regain my composure. I didn't want this to be real.

"I think the letter explains it all." She whispered. Her hand was still sticking out and I stood up, walking over and gently taking it from her.

"Where will you go?" I questioned.

"Home." She mumbled.

"No, no, no." Hecate shook her head. "I will not let you go back to the Mortal Realm. Don't you remember how depressed you were with your mother's control?!" Hecate stood, arms flailing and her frustrated tone reaching new octaves. I felt my own breathing hitch.

"Are you that unhappy here?" I asked.

"Hecate, do you mind letting me have a moment?" Persephone asked, my heart racing even more. Hecate stalked out, reaching out to rub Persephone's shoulder. Persephone gave her a meek smile before Persephone looked back at me, and Hecate glared at me from over her shoulder. "Hades, I can't stand how I feel here. My head is clouded from the moment you walk in the room, until the second you leave and sometimes I catch myself just thinking about you even when you're gone. My heart hurts to see you with Minthe, I can't stop myself from feeling this way, I've tried, but I can't." I heard her murmur. I held my breath.

"And gods, I feel so guilty. I want you to be happy, but do you understand how painful it is to see the only person you want to be with, with someone else?" She looked at me, complete longing in her eyes. "From the moment I saw you, the moment I truly saw you, I wanted nothing more than to be with you. I tried to satiate myself by being your friend, by telling myself it was enough just to be near you, but no matter what, I just … can't."

"Persephone, I -" I wanted to tell her all of my feelings, I wanted to hold her and say that I wanted nothing more than to be hers, but she held up a single finger.

"I want you, all of you, I would give anything to be yours, but I know that's selfish, you're with Minthe and you're committed. I can't ask you to leave her for someone as simple as me." She sputtered, speaking of herself with disgust and I wanted to stop her. I tried to get closer. "Therefore, I can't stay." I saw her break down. Her tears continued to fall.

Persephone

I wanted to get as far away once I finished speaking. I needed Hades to know that I cared for him, that way there were no regrets the moment I turned around and began to walk away. I could hear his footsteps behind mine.

"Honey, where are you going?" Minthe's voice echoed. I felt like I was going to be sick. I needed to find a private place, somewhere to fully breakdown. I had been practicing my transferring, maybe if I could just get it right, I could go home.

"Think of home." I murmured to myself. Pop. All of a sudden I was enveloped in darkness. I searched around for a light, and finally found one, as I flicked the switch.

Hades

"Fuck!" I exclaimed, I was just about to reach Persephone, when she transferred. Every hair on my body was standing on end as I turned. Minthe was leaning against her desk in the foyer of my executive office.

"What the hell was that about?" She let out a dry laugh. "The girl finally lose it? It's about time." She rolled her eyes and I felt a chill run through my body.

"I hate you." I growled. Minthe jolted at my statement and looked at me.

"What did you say?" Her eyes narrowing.

"You heard me. I. Hate. You." I emphasized each word. She was the reason that the one person I desired for had left me. "I thought you would learn to love me, but I see through it every time. I wanted to believe for a second that maybe that was a part of you that wasn't just using me for money or fame or power, but that's all this is." The floodgates had opened and I felt like the words wouldn't stop.

Persephone had confessed her true feelings and in that moment, I realized how idiotic I had been, waiting hand and foot on a nymph who wouldn't give me the time of day, had my title been anything less than king.

"I don't understand, were we not just making out in your office? Are you breaking up with me?" Her shrill voice seemed to get higher in pitch, and my ears were ringing.

"Yes, that's exactly what's happening." I said matter-of-factly.

Persephone

The light pooled in and I realized this wasn't my home. I had been staying with Eros after my falling out with Artemis over Apollo, but I wasn't in there. It wasn't my mother's home in Sicily, or my small hideout from when I was a child. The black marble, the high ceilings, the velvet couch. I was in Hades' house.

"FUCK!" I screamed, only to hear a couple of barks. Cerberus came sprinting down the hallway, looking dazed from a deep sleep. His eyes blinked and suddenly he was wagging his tail and trotting to me.

"Sweetie, I need you to show me how to get out of here." I asked the sweet canine for guidance, but instead, Cerberus shoved me with his nose further into the house, until I was standing in front of the couch. Whining, he rubbed his snout against my bare legs.

"No, sweetheart, I can't stay here." I mumbled. Maybe if I tried to transfer again, I could make it home, but so far my track record wasn't looking too promising.

Pop. A figure appeared.

Hades

Minthe had begun throwing things, paperweights, a stapler, a couple priceless vases, and some glassware from my bar cart before I finally decided to transfer home. Security would remove her from the building and I would be able to have space to think on how to convince Persephone to come back.

I could sense I was being watched from the moment I got home, but I just assumed it was the dogs. I turned around and was met by a pink figure standing before me. She looked terrified, a hand raised to her mouth, and her eyes wide.

"Persephone?" I asked and she remained still, as if standing still would prevent me from seeing her. "Are you okay?" I continued, not even questioning why she was in my home.

"I … I just wanted to transfer home." She mumbled, her eyes still wide, but her shoulders slumping ever so slightly. The dogs had come from their various sleeping areas to crowd around her. I felt my heartbeat race, she had thought of home and her senses brought her to me.

"Well, when we call on our powers to transfer, they will bring us to the place our subconscious wishes to go." I mentioned, repeating my mother's words from when I was small and honing my skills. I couldn't help but feel a small smile pull at the edges of my lips to think she truly wished to be here.

"I … I told myself to go home." She whispered, I wasn't sure if I was supposed to hear it, but it made my racing heart thump harder. She thinks of here as home, or at least her subconscious thinks of this place as home. I tried to stop my grin from widening.

Persephone

I watched Hades' face, trying to decipher his strained expression. Was he mad? Disappointed? Shit, was Minthe on her way?! I felt like I was about to panic.

"Persephone, what you said back at the office, was that true?" He looked me in the eye, his face earnest. I wanted nothing more than to swallow myself whole or hide under a rock. There went my plan of the love confession followed by running away.

"I … Well … Yes." I finally let the truth filter from my mouth. I watched his jaw clench, I was so nervous, his face seemed unreadable.

Hades

My heart was thumping and all I could do was close the space between her and I. My arms wrapping around her, snaking a hand to pull her chin up, and lay my lips on hers.

Her lips were soft, her eyes went from wide saucers, to fluttering closed, and her mouth began to reciprocate the motions.

I felt my knees buckle, as her hands laced into my hair. A small moan escaped my lips, vibrating our united mouths. She pulled away, resting her forehead on mine.

"What about Minthe?" She asked, not the words I wanted after our romantic display of affection.

"Ancient history." I rasped. My eyes searching hers, wanting to pull her back in for another kiss, pull her closer. I wanted to feel her curves against mine as my mouth went dry with anticipation.

"But just a few minutes ago …" Her eyes seemed to go out of focus, but I nudged her chin with my finger. Her eyes focused back on mine.

"I want you." I murmured, my voice steady, but my knees continued to feel weak, as if they would falter at any moment. My mouth found hers again.