A Friend in the Sun
When she wakes up, she's alone in her bed. For a moment, the night before feels like a dream, and she feels her heart sink, dread and despair clawing at her throat. Then she remembers.
The story, a story she never could have made up or imagined. His story, and all the pain and grief it contained. She could never have dreamed it up.
She also remembers his promise. How if he left before she woke he would leave a reminder of his presence in her closet. The thought sends her stumbling out of bed in the early morning light, shoving the door to her small closet open to look inside.
At first, she can't see anything. Then she spots a bundle of dark gray fabric. She doesn't own gray clothing. She tugs it down, smiling when it unfolds to reveal a familiar sweatshirt. The one he was wearing last night.
She hugs it close, breathing in the familiar, comforting scent. It's nice, almost like having him beside her again. Although...if he left his sweatshirt here...she cuts off the thought before she can get too absorbed in the image of a shirtless Hades running around.
She holds the shirt close, then surrenders to the urge to sneak it into her bed, under the blankets. She sort of has a plan, if it gets found, to tell people that it's something she borrowed from Hecate after spilling coffee on a shirt or something (it's happened before, no one will doubt that she could be that clumsy). The truth is, she'd rather no one found it at all. The lying is starting to get tiring, and anyway…why is it any of their business? It's her room. And her shirt, for now.
She sighs and remembers the last thoughts she had before drifting off. In the light of day, trying to resist the urge to hide and snuggle back into Hades' sweatshirt, calling Eros seems like a better idea than it did before. She needs to talk to him, needs to get a handle on her feelings. And maybe get some advice about what to do with this whole tangled mess.
She picks up her phone and finds Eros' contact information, then taps out a quick text. Hey. Need to talk. Got time?
She only realizes after she's sent it that it's still pretty early, and she might be disturbing him. But from the speed and tone of his reply, he was already awake.
OMG, sure! For you, always, Persie. Meet you in front in like 5? We can do breakfast, my treat. :)
She smiles and sends back her agreement, then hurries to get ready.
Eros is as good as his word. By the time she's ready to go, he's on her front lawn, waiting with only a minimum of patience. He looks happy, practically bouncing in place. "Hey!" He sweeps her up into a platonic hug.
It's comforting. His hugs always are. She's not sure why. Maybe some aspect of his powers. Maybe because she knows he's interested in someone else. Maybe because she knows he's on her side in all of this, a form of certainty in a very uncertain world. She smiles and hugs him back, grinning as he takes her hand.
"So, I've got an idea. There's that bakery where I got the donuts, and I thought we could pick up something to go, and then I could show you that apartment I told you about. It's a great place to talk quietly."
That sounds...well, it sounds just about perfect. She wouldn't mind the chaos of Aphrodite's house, but quiet sounds even better. She nods, and Eros whisks her away.
Getting breakfast doesn't take long, and then they're sitting with a small box of pastries and two cups of extremely sweet coffee, in a comfortable looking apartment. It's not huge, but it's got an open-space feel to it, at least in the main room, and it's comfy and homey. Just the sort of space she can imagine for Eros.
Eros, who looks wide awake and far too energetic for the hour. She blinks at him. "Did something happen?"
"Uh-huh!" Eros grins and shifts in his seat. "I found out where mom hid Psyche!"
"Oh, that's great!" And it is. She's happy for him, even if she can't quite dismiss the lingering thought that wishes her own issues could be solved so easily.
"I know! I've still got to work a few things out, but at least I found her." Eros bounces, then settles and looks at her. "But you didn't message me about that."
"No." She ducks her head, feeling her cheeks heat up. She's not quite sure where to begin. "Some things happened...I guess I should start with my birthday."
"That's right. That was a few days ago!" Eros frowns. "I need to get you a gift. We'll go shopping later."
"Oh, you don't..." He stops her with a hand to her mouth.
"I want to, okay? Just a little something."
"Ummm...all right." She isn't sure how she could refuse, and in any case, what's the point? He won the last argument they had about that, and he has good taste.
Eros sits back with a pleased grin. "So...your birthday."
"Yes. I...I decided...I was working that day, in my internship in the Underworld, and I...I'd heard about the shades who couldn't get on the boat, so I...umm…I decided I would go down and hand out a few coins."
She doesn't tell him why. She's still not comfortable talking about it. Even though she thinks he might understand, given his own act of wrath.
Eros makes a sound and sits forward, wide-eyed. "Oh my gosh, you did what? You were handing out...oh my gosh Persie! That was so dangerous!"
"I know. They rushed me, and Hades had to come to my rescue." She blushes. "He was...upset."
"I bet he was. You shouldn't have done that."
Frustration twists in her gut. "I don't understand why though. They have to wait a hundred years, and their only crime is not having money..."
Eros blinks at her. "You mean he didn't tell you?"
"He said it was tradition."
Eros blinks again. "Well, it is, but...he didn't tell you why he started that?"
Now she's distracted. "No. Why?"
Eros turns solemn, serious. He sighs. "The ferry fee...it's only a single coin, you know."
"Of course I know."
Eros sighs again. "Shades can't bring anything of their own when they die. The coin is provided by friends or family. Another mortal who cares for them. And it's not much...even the poorest mortal families can usually afford the ferryman's fee for the departed. And it used to be that if you couldn't you could make an offering at a temple to Hades, or another temple, to get the ferryman's fee. I don't know if they still do that, but..." He swipes a hand through his curly hair.
"Do you understand? If they don't have a coin, that means there was no one who provided one. Think about what kind of life they had, if no one provides a coin for them."
Oh. That does make sense. But at the same time, it doesn't quite. "What if they died far from home, where no one knew them? Or if they're the last of their family? Or...if they died suddenly...and no one knew, or could take a message..." There's a number of people who died like that, she knows. "Or in battle, or something like that?"
"That's part of the reason for the waiting period. Details like that can be hard to find. The waiting period gives Uncle Hades and his team enough time to discover the details. Who they are, how they died, where they died, anything that could affect Hades' judgment when they cross. If they didn't have a coin because of their own faults, it's a punishment of sorts, and it makes their sentence lighter. If they don't have a coin for another reason, that will get taken into account when their final judgment is rendered. But Hades has to have time to find everything out, or he might not be able to be fair."
Oh. He said she was undermining his position...she thought he just meant by breaking the rules and circumventing his command. Not that what she was doing would actively endanger the fairness of his rulings. No wonder he was so upset about her criticism.
He could have told her all that. But then, she could have done something other than assume she knew what was going on. She let her guilt blind her to the possible repercussions of her actions. He wouldn't have known why she wanted to hand out coins, which makes his frustration, and his anger, a lot more understandable.
She feels kind of terrible, especially given where the conversation went.
"Persie?" Eros' voice pulls her from her thoughts. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. It's just...I feel kind of bad now. He...he didn't tell me everything, but I...I shouldn't have criticized the way he does things without knowing all his reasons." She folds her hands in her lap. "But, the reason I wanted to talk to you..." She can feel herself blushing.
"Uh-huh?" Eros nods encouragingly.
"Hades and I were arguing about it. And I said...I asked him why my opinion would mean anything to him when he's the king of the Underworld. And he...he looked at me, and then he..." She blushes harder. "He said he wanted me and then we kissed and I turned into butterflies and wound up back on Olympus and it was so awkward..." The words come out in a rush, half tangled up in themselves, and she's afraid Eros is going to ask her to repeat it.
He doesn't, just looks at her with wide eyes. "He said he wanted you?" She nods. "And you kissed?" His voice is rising.
"Yes. And then I lost control of my powers and turned into butterflies and wound up back on Olympus."
"Whoa! That is major." Eros looks torn between glee and something else. "I had no idea all that had happened." He stops and blinks, but she's already caught the odd edge to his tone.
"All that?" His powers center around love. And...other things. "Did you know something had happened when you saw me?"
"Not when I saw you, no." He looks a little cagey, all of a sudden.
"But you knew something happened." How did he know if not from seeing her?
"Not that!" He shakes his head. "But..." He sighs. "I knew you and Uncle Hades had admitted your feelings for each other. Talked some." He sighs again. "I wasn't planning on telling you like this, but...I kind of spoke to Uncle Hades this morning."
It's barely morning now. When would he have had time?
How long before she woke up was Hades gone? And what did he talk with Eros about?
She remembers their late-night conversation, and dread coils in her gut. "You talked to Hades?"
"Yeah." Eros moves until he can take her hands. "He said you told him about...about what happened to you."
"Not details. And not who..."
"I know. He said as much. He told me you want to handle it, and he's going to respect that, but he wanted to know who hurt you."
"And you..." Dread and betrayal rise through her, threatening to choke her. She thought she could trust Eros to keep her secret. She thought she could trust Hades not to pry.
Eros cups her face with one hand, meets her eyes. "I didn't tell him. He already knew. All he wanted was for me to confirm it. I didn't say anything, but with Uncle Hades...I didn't have to."
"He knew?" How would he have known?
And then she remembers the night Hades took her home and Apollo was waiting. The night she stole Apollo's lyre. Hades saw how scared she was. Saw how she refused to talk to Apollo. He heard how angry she got when Apollo was speaking so dismissively of him.
That night, he wouldn't have known why she was so upset with Apollo, and so afraid of him. But once she told him she'd been assaulted, he's more than smart enough to have put the pieces together.
"Persie. Hey, Persie, it's all right." A hug and the soft voice calling her name jolt her out of her thoughts.
Right. She's with Eros, in his apartment. Safe. And...Hades knows who hurt her, and…
"Perse. Listen to me, please?" Eros sounds soft and uncertain, and she brings her attention back to him with an effort.
His eyes are sad. "There's some things you need to know. About when Uncle Hades and I talked." She nods to show she's listening. He exhales a deep breath and leans into her shoulder. "So...he knows who hurt you. He's angry, but he promised he'll leave it alone until you tell him otherwise or there's no other option. But...Uncle Hades, his wrath is...scary. Very scary. And he's good at controlling it, but he's mad, mad enough that Pop noticed, and part of the reason he wanted to know if he was right, part of the reason he asked me that...he didn't want to be angry at the wrong person. Not with that level of wrath inside him. It's too dangerous."
She's never seen Hades in the grip of wrath. But she remembers Alex Petres. And Hades said that was a mild reaction for him. And now he's angry enough that Ares noticed.
Maybe he has a point, making sure he has the right target.
Eros feels her slight nod, and speaks again. "You should also know...he wants you to be able to call for help. If you need it. Uncle Hades and I both respect that you want to try and handle the situation your own way, but...if things go wrong, he wants you to be able to call him without worrying about him not knowing who he's facing. And me too, if I can't help you."
And that...that's another good point. She remembers the confrontation that began with the crepes. She tried to be strong and stand her ground like her mother would, but Apollo...Apollo is dangerous. Things could have gotten out of hand very fast if Eros hadn't arrived when he did. And they could have gone a lot worse than they did before he arrived, or after.
Having someone else she can call on, someone powerful who's only two taps away, might be necessary. She doesn't want to think about it, but that's the truth. Someday, she might need that security.
Eros must feel how she sags when she realizes that, because he hugs her again, gentle and comforting and warm. "I know. But...it might be necessary."
Yes. It might. Because Apollo is well-liked and has Zeus for a father, and if the worst happens, she needs someone with the same kind of power in her corner. Even if a large part of her cringes and cries at the idea of pitting the brothers against each other, or being part of any situation where Hades might get hurt. Hades or Eros.
Eros speaks again. "There's...one more thing. Perse...Uncle Hades...he told me...he told me to tell you that he spoke to me. And why. He might have asked me questions without your permission, but...he wanted you to know. He specifically told me that I had to tell you he called me, and why."
That's a surprise. She rears back to look Eros in the face, and sees nothing but sadness, honesty, and kindness. "Why?"
"Because he wasn't going to hide it from you. Because he felt you had the right to be angry with him for asking questions you didn't want to answer, and he wasn't going to refuse you that." Eros cups her face with a careful hand, and his eyes are shining with what looks like tears. "He was...he'd rather you be angry at him, even hate him, if it means you're safer."
For a moment, she's reminded of her mother, and the smothering she felt in her mother's world. The trapped feeling that nearly drove her mad.
But no. It's not the same, and she realizes it a moment later. Her mother could never understand why she was angry about being wrapped in green layers of protection. Hades does understand. Eros said it, didn't he? Hades acknowledges her right to be angry for his invasion of her privacy.
He's also said he's willing let her handle the matter, as long as she can. Demeter would never have let her try to take care of things in her own way. Her mother would have stepped in at the first opportunity to take care of it, no matter what the consequences were. Hades isn't like that.
Realizing that is a relief. Hades isn't going to smother her.
Not that she isn't still upset that he went behind her back to ask Eros questions, even if it was just the identity of her attacker. She is. But...Eros made good points, points she's been too upset and ashamed and embarrassed to think about. Even if she is angry at Hades for going behind her back, she can also appreciate that he was thinking of her and thinking of ways to help her without pushing too much.
"Perse?" Eros's soft voice brings her out of her thoughts, and she looks up into his worried eyes. "Are you mad?"
She's tempted to say no, but...well, she doesn't feel like trying to hide it. "A little bit. I just...I thought he respected me more than that." And there's the spark of anger and hurt she thought was fading.
"Respected? Perse...Uncle Hades does respect you. He loves you. He'd fight Cronus himself for you."
"Then why'd he go behind my back?" She can't keep her voice from being small.
"Because he thought it would hurt you less than pushing you for answers you didn't want to give him. He was trying to be kind, and still take care of you." Eros wraps her in his warm embrace again. "I'm not saying he was right. I do understand why you'd be upset. But...even if you're mad at Uncle Hades, I want you to remember that."
One hand slips around her shoulder to cup her chin as he leans back a little. She half expects him to tip her head back, but instead he hunches to look at her. "Can I...show you something?"
"Ummm...if you want." She's not sure what he would want to show her that's relevant to this conversation.
"I want you to see what I saw when I talked with Uncle Hades this morning. I think it will help you understand him. Is that okay?"
She's not sure what he means, but if it means understanding Hades, she's willing. She nods. Eros leans forward and touches his forehead to hers.
It's a rush of colors and impressions and, most of all, feelings. Gold/red (pain, grief, fear). Blue/white (determination). Deep blue/violet/pink (love, longing), red/black/ice-white (fury, rage, wrath).
It takes her breath away, but easily the worst is the gold/red that makes her think of a bleeding heart. It swirls close to the colors of love and longing, surrounded by the other colors, like a wall of emotion around a fragile and damaged core. A bloodstained rose surrounded by stone and frost.
She comes out of it gasping, tears on her face. "That...that..."
"That was Uncle Hades' heart. He's willing to bleed for you. And so much more."
The implications strike deep. "The gold...he was..."
"His heart was bleeding for you." Eros sounds sad, and she looks up to see a tear on his face. "And he was willing to make it worse, to keep you safe, to protect you."
She swallows and buries her face in Eros's shoulder, her mind whirling. She thinks she knows why he was wounded when he saw Eros.
"I summoned him last night." The words are muffled, but she feels Eros squeeze her shoulder gently in understanding. "I was so...so tired and frustrated by everything, and I just...I wanted to feel safe, the way he makes me feel, and I summoned him. And he was so kind to me."
She hiccups, then continues. "He told me it was okay to be upset, to have bad days. He told me I would be okay. And he...I asked him about his scars, because I thought he was so strong even though he'd obviously been through something horrible, and he..."
She gulps around a lump in her throat. "He told me about the war. What he did. What happened to him before that, with Cronus. I knew it hurt him to talk about, but...I..." She's not sure what she wants to say, but it doesn't matter as the rest of her sentence dissolves into tears.
"Uncle Hades doesn't talk much about that stuff. It says a lot that he was willing to talk to you about it. To reveal so much of his past."
"I know." And she does. She remembers how hard it was to talk about what happened to her, and the sense of controlled pain she got from him while he spoke.
Something cracks in her heart as she realizes – Hades was trying to spare her from being hurt as he was hurt. He doesn't want her story to carry as much pain as his. Even if it means he will be wounded further, perhaps even at her hands.
How can she stay angry with him? Knowing what he's willing to endure for her, risk for her.
And he didn't try to hide it. He told Eros to tell her what he'd done.
How much courage did that take? Could she have done it? For him? For anyone?
Apollo, she knows without thinking for more than a second, wouldn't have. He wouldn't have cared if he hurt her. He wouldn't have seen anything wrong with going behind her back for anything, and he probably wouldn't have cared enough to help her if she'd gone to him for comfort.
He never would have gone to Eros, because he never would have cared enough about her being in pain to bother. At best, he would have been angry that someone touched his – the mere thought makes her stomach curl – girl. But he wouldn't have cared about her feelings, only his own wounded pride.
Demeter would have gone to Eros, if she'd told her mother about what happened. But she wouldn't have stopped there. She'd have gone after Apollo. And Demeter wouldn't have bothered to consider her feelings. If she'd discovered her mother had talked to Eros and confronted her, Demeter would have brushed it off, as something done for her own good.
Demeter would also have packed her back to the Garden, withdrawn her from school, and trapped her in her home. She wouldn't be able to leave until she was old as Hades, if that happened.
But Hades respects her wishes, even though she knows he doesn't want to. And yes, he went behind her back to get answers to questions she didn't want to discuss, but he hasn't done anything else. And he did make sure she knew.
She needs to have words with him about asking her permission, especially if he feels as strongly about her as he's said he does. And she is certainly going to tell him exactly what she thinks about going behind her back.
But then, it's not much worse than confronting Minthe behind his back, or handing out coins on the shore, is it?
Hmmm…
Her anger and resentment is fading. It'll probably come back. In the meantime, maybe she's just too tired to think properly, or maybe she's just exhausted all her stores of anger and frustration for the moment. But she doesn't feel angry anymore. Just tired, and maybe a little awed at what he's willing to go through for her.
It's almost...sweet. A bit underhanded, and definitely sneaky, but also...kind of sweet.
He's trying.
She relaxes against Eros for a moment, then pulls back. Eros leans over to grab her now cold coffee, then a pastry, which he offers to her with a shy smile. "Are we okay?"
"Yeah." She sniffs a couple times and frees a hand to wipe away the tear tracks. Eros sets the donut down and stands, disappearing into another room. He comes back with a damp cloth, cool and wonderfully refreshing when she runs it across her face.
When her face is clean, he puts the cloth on the table and hands her the donut again before leaning back. She follows his example, leaning back on the couch. She feels tired and drained, but better, in some way.
They sit in silence for a few moments, eating pastries and sipping the cold coffee, which is still drinkable in spite of the temperature. It's only after she's finished two pastries and most of the coffee that she finds the strength to speak again. "I don't know what to do."
"About what?"
"Hades...this thing between us. The Underworld internship. The scholarship issue. Apollo. I don't know what to do about any of it. I'm not sure I can confront Apollo. I...I want Hades too, but acting on it…and there's the issue of the scholarship...and all the years of mentoring Hestia gave me. And my mother. It's all tangled up, and I just don't know...what...what am I going to do?" She curls up so she can rest her head on her knees. "There's my grades too. I've been slipping...I got a 'D' on my last quiz. I'll flunk the semester if I don't do something..."
"Wow. You've got a lot going on." Eros sounds gentle, sympathetic. A lot like Hades the night before, actually. It's comforting.
"I guess. But I..." She doesn't know where to start.
"Tell you what. Give me your schedule, and I'll go to the University and tell them you're out for personal reasons. I'll make up something. Maybe something about your first spring in Olympus affecting your powers. It's been known to happen, and you aren't that old."
She groans in frustration. "I...my powers have been a bit..."
"Good. We can work with that." Eros pats her knee gently. "So...I'll go make your excuses, get your assignments, and bring them back here. Then we'll go get some of your stuff from Artemis's place, and come back here. Tell her you're doing a special assignment and need the space or something. Then we'll do a little retail therapy, and come back here and talk. We'll work out what to do together. Okay?"
It sounds...great actually. "I don't want to get you in trouble..."
"You won't. I'll be fine. And if you're really worried, I'll tell Ma that I'm working. And I can bring someone here as a chaperon, in case someone finds out." He brightens. "I'll ask Ma if I can borrow her new nymph companion, so she can talk to you about being new to Olympus, and you can teach each other the tricks you've learned. Maybe even give her some tutoring in dealing with goddesses."
That sounds...workable. And it will mean she has something to tell Artemis when she goes back. Something plausible. Something that might be true even.
"Work..."
"If you want to go, then go. If not, I'll send a message to Uncle Hades. Or, if you prefer, I'll call him here and tell him...whatever you want to tell him."
She considers. She doesn't have work today, but she will tomorrow. She sighs. "Can I think about it?" She's not sure how she'll feel tomorrow. Happy to see him again, or awkward about the last 24 hours?
She knows he won't begrudge her the time, just as he won't begrudge her the anger she might feel again later.
Another question forms. "How long can we stay here?"
Eros shrugs with a small grin. "As long as you need. Lease is paid. We've got food, and I can get more. I was thinking a week maybe, but if that's too long, or not long enough, then we can change it."
A week. Part of her cringes at the idea of being gone a week. Of the suspicion she'll probably face, and the questions Artemis will ask.
Another part of her sighs in relief at the idea of a week, maybe even longer, to hide and sort things out in her head.
In the end, it's the second part that wins. She leans into the couch and nods.
Eros smiles. "Good." He finishes the pastry he's eating and stands. "I'll go take care of errands. It'll probably be a few hours. Feel free to relax, sleep, veg out on the couch...whatever you need." He rummages around in a drawer and comes up with a phone charger. "If you need it, this is a spare." She nods.
Outside, the sun is up, but she's never felt less like moving. She looks up as Eros prepares to leave. "Ummm...do we have to go out today after you return?"
"Not if you don't want to." Eros shakes his head. "This is your time, Perse. We'll do whatever you want to do, at whatever pace you want, okay?" He offers her a gentle smile.
Whatever she wants to do. When was the last time she could do whatever she wanted? She can't remember. Was there ever a time? She doesn't feel like it at the moment.
Except last night, when Hades held her and let her talk and ask questions. Even painful questions.
"Food in the fridge if you want it. I've got juice and water and some other stuff too, so help yourself." Eros pops back into the room for a moment. "You set?" He pauses. "You want me to stop by Artemis's before I come back?"
She can just imagine the questions Artemis will ask. And on one hand, the idea of Eros going through her stuff to pack a bag for her is kind of mortifying. On the other hand...it will spare her Artemis's interrogation, and any possible encounters. And she really doesn't want to move right now. Possibly not for the rest of the day.
Oh well. Eros has been in her closet before. He's taken her clothes shopping, for Fates sake. And if he has someone else with him, Artemis might not complain. "Take your nymph friend?" She doesn't mean for it to come out as a question, but it does.
Eros grins and nods. "Yeah. That makes sense. And it'll calm Artemis down. Anything special you want me to bring you?"
"Ummm…" She can feel herself blushing, but there is one thing she wants above all else. "I'm not worried about outfits..." Especially not if they're going shopping later. "But my brush and shampoo and stuff, and my computer. And my textbooks, I guess. And...on my bed...there's a sweatshirt..." She stutters to a stop, her face going nearly crimson.
Eros smirks. "So that's where Uncle Hades sweatshirt ended up. I was wondering why he was only in a T-shirt this morning. He never goes without long sleeves, and it was chilly earlier. I had to loan him one of Pop's."
"Errr..." She feels like her face is going to catch fire. "I didn't know till I woke up." She buries her head in her comfy sweater and tries not to embarrass herself further.
"No worries. It's sweet of him. And it's cute that you like him so much." Eros steps close enough to give her a gentle hug. "Just relax Perse. I'll be back in a while." One last squeeze, and then he's gone.
She waits until her face cools a little, and she's sure he's not coming back, then uncurls. The coffee is ice-cold dregs in the cup and unappealing, but there's still a number of pastries. Her throat feels a little rough, so she reluctantly rises and goes to the kitchen.
There's lots of juice, including her second favorite. It used to be her favorite, but then she tried that pomegranate juice Hades offered her. Too bad it's not available in Olympus yet. Still, she has a drink, and it's refreshing as it slides down her throat. She tops off the glass, then returns to the couch, grabs a pastry, and burrows in until she feels comfortable.
It's nice. The apartment is soothing, quiet, and homey. The sun coming through the windows is warm and relaxing. The couch is fluffy and absolutely perfect.
And best of all, there's no anticipation. No expectations. No worrying about questions from a nosy roommate. No fear of encountering her nemesis. She doesn't have to go to school. She trusts Eros, and if he says he'll take care of everything, then he will. He's even got a chaperon lined up so no one can raise concerns or unwanted questions whenever she decides to face the world again.
She knows she'll have to deal with everything at some point. But she has Eros, and maybe his friend the nymph will have some ideas. She remembers the nymph being pretty friendly. And if she needs to, she can call Hades. Hades is in her corner. She has friends and allies and people to help her, instead of judging her.
And now, most importantly, she has time. Time to think, time to breathe. Time to heal. And, thanks to Hades, she knows she can take time to heal, and that it's okay, however long it takes her.
It's okay. Those two words resonate through her, and they seem like the best two words in the whole world. It's okay.
She finishes the pastry and the juice, sets the glass on the table and curls deeper into the couch. The sun is making her relax the way it always has, the couch is soft, and her lack of sleep lately is catching up with her. But she's safe here, safer than she was anywhere besides Hades' arms, and she can relax.
And so she does. She scoots until she feels comfortable, and lets her eyes close.
She drifts off to sleep surrounded by sunlight, dreaming of friends and safety and Hades. And for the first time in a while, her sleep is peaceful.
She's safe. And everything will be okay.
Author's Note: So...Part III of the AU version of events. I wasn't sure I was going to continue this, but then the characters insisted, and I wasn't going to argue with them. Hopefully, you enjoyed this.