Chapter Nine: A Second Meeting in the Underworld

The sound of excited barking meant Persephone was finally there. It had been an almost agonising wait, but Friday had arrived.

On the bridge beyond the gate, Hermes sat floating in the air, and Persephone reached up as she tried to hug one of Cerberus' huge heads. Cerberus was panting and wagging his tail, and he licked her from head to toe, leaving her somewhat frazzled. Hermes tried to bat Cerberus away, but Persephone only giggled.

Hades could not help but smile as Persephone started to come his way, Hermes sulking behind. It was impossible not to when she was so beautiful, in her long, fluttering skirt, and the crop top that was tied together in the middle. With every step she took, her chest bounced.

"I don't think she's wearing a bra underneath that," Hecate remarked.

"Hecate, you should not stare like that," Hades said, frowning at her.

"I'm pretty sure she wants us to stare," Hecate said.

"Hecate, it is rude."

"Hades, do you even know how girls work?"

"Hecate, please."

She rolled her eyes, then blew a black bubble in his face, and he only frowned even more. "You really are boring, aren't you? I don't know why I put up—Persephone, darling!"

Ignoring Hades, Hecate strutted straight towards Persephone, who giggled as Hecate kissed her knuckles. Hades only continued to frown. When had the pair of them gotten that close within the past two weeks?

"I didn't expect to see you here," Persephone was saying as she grinned up at Hecate.

"Oh, how could I not come and see how my favourite colourful witch is doing?"

"Witch charm, am I right?" Hermes asked as he sidled up to Hades, hands shoved into his hoodie pockets. "Looks like you got some competition."

"I do not like how you say 'competition'," Hades said, holding out his hand, though he was still watching Persephone and Hecate giggle together. "Phone."

"You want my phone? No way, dude."

"Moros' phone, thank you. It went missing yesterday."

Hermes sighed, pulled a phone out of his pocket, and slapped it into Hades' hand. "I was gonna return it, promise. I only took it because I knew he was psychopomping today too, so I could give it back easy. It's just too tempting to take things that are laying about when you're the god of thieves. It's not like you don't flaunt being the god of riches all the time."

"Go and get your assignment from Thanatos," Hades demanded.

Hermes rolled his eyes, in a much too similar way to how Hecate would, and stretched his arms up behind his head. "All right. All right. Hey, Persi. See ya later."

"See you later," she chirped, and she giggled when he planted a kiss on her forehead as he passed by. Hades, of course, continued to frown. Hecate managed to catch his eye and, from behind Persephone, mouthed 'jerk'.

"It's been so long since we last saw each other!" Persephone said as she skipped over.

"It was only a week ago we ran into each other," Hades said as he blinked back to reality. "A week is—"

"Is not long for an immortal god, I know, I know," she said, rocking back on her heels as she clasped her hands in front of her. "But, as said last week, you're an older immortal god than I am."

"Why must you continue to wound me?" he asked, and she giggled.

Hecate sidled up next, plucking the phone from Hades' hand. "Is that Moros'? Damn that little prick of an Olympian. I knew it was him!"

"Please make sure it is returned to Moros safe and sound. I did not trust Hermes to return it himself," Hades said. "I will see you later."

"Yeah, yeah, enjoy your date," Hecate said, and she waved a dismissive hand at the pair before spinning around and strutting after Hermes.

Hades and Persephone watched her leave, and, after a moment, Persephone piped up, "I wish I had a secretary like Hecate. Must be nice."

"Mostly irritating, but she can get things done," Hades said, holding his arm out to her. "Want to get breakfast first?"

"Well, if you're going to treat me to free food, I'm not going to say no," Persephone chortled as she linked her arm through his.

Hades did not often eat breakfast at home and would instead order breakfast at the staff bar to eat in his office. He ordered his usual—yogurt with pomegranate, honey, and walnuts—which was on the menu almost exclusively for Hades. Persephone immediately ordered a stack of pancakes. Hades had been too busy watching in amusement at how she gobbled down her pancakes that he barely touched his own breakfast. Seeing as she was still hungry, he claimed that he was not, and she ate the rest of his too.

Once they were done eating, Persephone insisted on being shown the staff room that everyone forgot existed due to it being tucked away up a flight of stairs, having been curious about it since Hades had mentioned it two weeks prior.

"You need to show me that whole invisible thing again," Persephone said, and Hades raised his eyebrows in question. "You know, last week when I ran into you taking Cerberus for a walk. And you went invisible. You explained afterwards over text it was because you have a helmet of invisibility or something. Can I see?"

"Unfortunately, my helmet of invisibility resides in my bedroom, so maybe another day," Hades replied. Persephone started wheezing, and he wondered if he had said something inappropriate. "I do not need my helmet to hide my presence. The ability is engrained in me."

"So… can I see?"

They had just reached the stairs they had been looking for. Hades pulled his arm free from Persephone's. "Head to the top of the stairs. I will meet you there."

A moment later, Persephone's eyes widened, and she reached out a hand towards him. He took a step back to avoid any touch, and she spun around as she looked in every direction before sprinting up the stairs. Traipsing up after her, he found her in the hidden staffroom at the top, still spinning around to try and find him. He tapped her on the shoulder.

"For the love of Olympus!" she squealed. Pressing a hand to her chest, she took in a deep breath. "You almost gave me a heart attack."

"Gods cannot get heart attacks."

"I know, I know. That just goes to show how much you scared me," she replied as she fanned herself. "Whoa, you really can turn invisible. And Cerberus, too?"

"I can turn anyone I desire." He beckoned her over to the vending machine in the corner, still full for it was rarely emptied from the lack of use. "Would you like a drink?"

"Depends what's on offer," Persephone said, following Hades to the machine.

"I was thinking of pomegranate juice. A personal favourite of mine."

"I didn't even know I liked pomegranate until five minutes ago, so sure," Persephone said as Hades pushed coins into the machine. "Apart from the seeds. Gods, there were so many seeds. But the flavour was nice. I'm gonna have to try and ask mum somehow to get me some, in a way that doesn't look super I've-totally-been-outside suspicious."

"That could potentially be because pomegranates are considered an Underworld delicacy, and their tales are not pleasant," Hades said. "If one is to eat a pomegranate from the Underworld, they are to remain here for eternity."

Persephone froze, and her grip tightened on the bottle of juice. "If I eat a pomegranate I'll be stuck here forever? B-but at breakfast…"

"Oh, no, do not worry about that," Hades assured her as he undid the cap of his bottle. "Those were not Underworld pomegranates. I keep all the Underworld pomegranates in my own orchard, so no one can get a hold of them. The pomegranates here are imported from one of your Mother's farms to avoid any such mistakes as trapping someone here."

Persephone let out a long sigh. "Oh my gods I really thought you had tricked me into being trapped here forever for a hot minute. Not that being trapped here forever would be bad, it's a real nice place and you're a real nice guy, but mother would be furious."

"Do not worry, I have no intention on trapping anyone here against their will," Hades said, taking a sip of his juice, then handing it to Persephone. "Would you like to try?"

After a sip, she decided she would like her own, only under the promise she would recycle the bottle, and the pair took their juices as they went to sit on the sofas by the window. From the position they were in, they could see downwards and across a courtyard, straight into the soul ferrying suite beyond, where those at work were supposed to be helping Charon organise souls' payments and sending them to the right judge. Or, they were supposed to be working.

"Is she playing Galaga?" Persephone asked, getting up on her knees so it was easier for her to see out the window and pointing at one of the workers.

"Pardon me, for a moment," Hades said, pulling out his phone and searching for the soul ferrying work chat.

Hades: Apate, I know you are Deceit, but that does not give you an excuse to play games whilst the others are working. I would like you to perform the tasks Charon has given you, or there will be a strike on your record. You are already on two. I am watching.

From the soul ferrying suite, Apate lazily checked her phone, then sat up straight and whirled around to face the window, where Hades and Persephone ducked out of sight. A moment later, they peered outside again. Apate was being scolded by a man whose face was hidden by a hood. Next to Apate, another was wiping tears from his eyes as he laughed.

"That is Apate, Deceit, and her twin brother, Dolos, Deception," Hades said, pointing to each of the workers in question. "Two of Nyx's children. The man in the hood is Charon."

"I thought he was supposed to be a ferryman?" Persephone asked, sitting back down comfortably on the sofa and taking a sip of her juice.

"Yes, but times change, and it was painstakingly inefficient to ferry souls across a river," Hades said, sitting down next to her, leaning forward to place his bottle on the coffee table at their feet. From within his waistcoat, he pulled out a folded piece of paper. "I almost forgot I had something for you."

"For me?" Persephone asked, putting her bottle of juice next to Hades' so she could take the paper. As she unfolded it, he tensed. He was not one for humour, but she had said she would like to hear him joke more. He prayed to Tartarus it would not fall flat.

"You said that you required it in writing that Hecate was to run the Underworld if I am to go missing, not Hermes," he mumbled, his voice trailing away until it was almost inaudible. "Lest, of course, you name yourself as my successor."

Persephone started giggling, and Hades let out a breath. "You remembered that?"

"You remember a lot of things when you are my age."

"And here I was thinking your memory ended up being really shoddy when you got older," Persephone said. She did not need to know that she was right. He was, after all, the man that had completely forgotten his nephew's existence. "But what about my application form? In case I wanted to be the head of the Underworld?"

"Ah, yes, that was said," Hades said. "Then I suppose we will have to a job interview. Is now a good time for you?"

"Oh, interview me, please," she said, lifting up her feet so she could curl up on the sofa as she faced him. "I want to know if I'll make a good goddess of the Underworld."

"One moment," he said, turning his attention back down to his phone. There were several messages on the soul ferrying chat of others teasing Apate, mostly Eris. Hades told them to get back to work too, and he pulled up Hecate's number.

Hades: Hecate, I require something to write on. Would you please send me a clipboard and some writing utensils?

Hecate: You know it's easier and quicker to just ask for a pen, right? Three letters compared to 'writing utensils' fifteen.

Hades: Hecate, please.

Hecate: Fiiiiine. On your way. (◔_◔)

A few seconds later, a black flame erupted in Hades' hand and vanished just as quickly. Now he held a clipboard, a pen slid under the clip, and 'loser' written across the first piece of paper in Hecate's familiar, sharp handwriting. Hades turned that piece of paper over.

Persephone gasped as she crawled over to look at the clipboard. She leant forward in such a way Hades feared her shirt might slip and reveal all. It was impolite to stare, though, as he had told Hecate earlier, and he kept his gaze locked onto her eyes instead. It was not hard, for they were currently a brilliant, bright and beautiful green. "Did you do that?" she asked.

"I cannot claim that was me. That was all Hecate's doing."

"Hecate can do wild stuff, huh? Magic gum. Magic clipboards. Is there anything a witch goddess can't do?"

"Stay off my nerves," Hades said, holding his clipboard back so Persephone could not see. "You cannot look. This is an incredibly professional interview."

"Professional, huh?" Persephone asked, shuffling back over to her side of the sofa. The way she curled up, feet tucked beneath her, with her head leant back against the sofa and her hair falling over her shoulders made the words on the tip of Hades' tongue vanish, like a flame dying out. After a moment, she raised her eyebrows at him. "So…?"

He cleared his throat and lifted the clipboard higher as if it would help to hide his face. "Yes, professional. First question. Name?"

"You know my name," she said, kicking off her shoes so she could wiggle her toes.

"Professional, remember?"

"Very professional," she chortled. "I go by Persephone, or Persi. Not Kore."

"Bringer of wisdom," Hades recalled.

"Bringer of death," she corrected with a smile. He smiled back. "What about you? Any nicknames?"

"Absolutely not. Hermes tried once, and it did not end well. Hades is more than fine. Some mortals call me Plouton out of fear. Others call me Zeus of the Underworld."

"Eww!"

"My thoughts exactly. Any god who says that to my face will be thrown into Tartarus, I assure you," he said, tapping his pen against the clipboard. "Birthday?"

"Twentieth March. First day of spring," she said, reaching forward to get her pomegranate juice. "I just turned twenty-three."

Hades frowned. "Your birthday was just before we met."

"It was, wasn't it?" She grinned. "Sad you missed getting me a present? Not that I can really get presents from people that aren't Hermes. It would be a little suspicious, unless it was something I used when Mother was at work."

"Noted," Hades said, writing her birthday down. He may have missed it, but it would still be imperative to know for the following year. A little hopeful, perhaps, but to Hades a year was almost nothing. "Hmm… domains?"

"As in what am I the goddess of?" Persephone asked. "So far spring and flowers. It's not easy discovering your domain when you aren't allowed outside and all."

"You must get tired during winter," Hades said, and she gave a long, long sigh.

"Yeah, I can get super tired. No spring, and the only flowers are the ones I grow and that's not enough at times," she pouted. "It sucks that we have to rely on what we're gods of to keep us active. I bet you're always awake, huh?"

"Being the god of the Underworld whilst working here almost all of the time, I do not get tired often," he affirmed, then he paused for his next question. He knew her favourite colour. Favourite meal. Favourite film genre. Preferred wine. He frowned. "Favourite chocolate flavour?"

"Milk definitely. Dark is gross."

"Ah, a shame. I am fond of dark's rich taste." Knowing how fond she was of chocolate, he figured it vital to know her flavour of choice. "Favourite… ice cream flavour?"

"Weirdly, it isn't actually chocolate. I love a good strawberry. Strawberries dipped in chocolate are so good," she mused. "Mint is disgusting, though. Mint chocolate is terrible and ruins such a good thing. The only good mint thing is toothpaste."

Hades grimaced at the mention of mint. "Yes… I agree with you on mint. I have had bad experiences with it. Favourite gemstone?"

"Uh, I don't actually know," she said, stretching out her legs so she could rest her feet on the table, still wiggling her bare toes. "Probably something green? Maybe pink? Are there even any pink gemstones? I bet you know that being the god of riches and stuff."

"Rose quartz," he immediately replied. "Pink topaz, opal or sapphire. Pearls, perhaps. Or a rhodonite stone if you want something mixed with black. Pink diamonds."

"Oh, pink diamonds sound nice. They'll match your purple ones."

"They will indeed," Hades said, noting it down. "They also do green diamonds."

"Well, I like the sound of those too," Persephone chortled. "You know, I'm not sure these questions sound correct for an interview for Underworld leader."

Hades shrugged. "I need to know who I am leaving it to. If I do not like them, then they cannot have it."

"And do you like me?" Persephone asked, shuffling a little closer, her eyes twinkling.

For a moment he could not answer, his heart frozen in his chest, but then he gave her a small smile and said, "I like you."

"So, my application is successful?"

"It might be, but that is confidential information."

She giggled again, such a beautiful sound. "Then maybe one of my domains has been goddess of the Underworld the entire time."

"Yes," Hades said, pulling back the clipboard when she tried to sneak a look. "Perhaps it is."

A/N

Hop you're all still holding in there! This chapter I just wanted some fluff and to explore the characters and a little bit about the Underworld. Next fortnight's chapter we'll get to meet a new character for a little bit (hint: this guy is human, and he might have a dog)

Enjoy, and leave a comment if you do, they make my day ^_^

Blake