Pyrus: After a week Hiatus I bring you a short chapter. Don't be mean. I'm working on getting a real life job. It's harder than it seems.

Disclaimer: I own nothing...

Chapter 10: One For Me, One For You

Gajeel sat alone in the antechamber. The fire burned a darkened blue in the ornate obsidian that cast a gloom over the room. The pillows and blankets from earlier had been picked up and were now neatly sitting in the corner as if waiting for her to arrive and mess them up once again. Several servants meandered around the room fixing and dusting little things, but kept their distance from their master.

The table was filled with food, but the silver plate before Gajeel stayed empty. A pink haired maid set a bowl of fruit before him, but Gajeel continued to stare at the vase of purple flowers that sat in the middle of the table surrounded by roasted boar, dried venison, boiled potatoes, black bread, and drinks of mead and wine.

Gajeel sat there listless. His tanned hands sat templed before him as his red eyes burned those purple flowers into his mind. He was losing her, again, but this time it hurt more. It felt like his first days in the Underworld. Lonely. Death. Decay. No Escape.

"Sir…" came the hardened voice beside Gajeel. He looked up into the face of his head servant, Marius, presented him with another silver plate with food on it.

"Sir, you need to eat something." Gajeel went back to staring at the flower.

"Sir, if you don't eat, your powers will wane." Marius removed the empty silver plate and set down the one with a slice of boar meat, some veggies, and some bread.

Gajeel looked down at the plate remembering. That second morning Persephone had almost been forced to stay...why had he stopped her. She had risen from his bed before him and had wandered around the castle with Lily. Lily had left her in the antechamber when he had been called away to take care of sorting the first shipment of souls. A first time maid had come in and had asked Persephone what she wanted to eat and his queen had requested fruit.

Wanting to please the maid quickly returned with a bowl of fruit. Gajeel could remember walking in and the sight of his queen raising a dark apple to her lips. He remembered the pride and then the panic since he hadn't offered for her to stay and didn't want her to feel trapped, or tricked into staying. He regretted his quick movements now, how he stole the apple from her lips and bit into it himself. She could have been his forever, but he had thought there would be time for that. He had thought there would be time for a lot of things.

Gajeel was forced out of his reminiscing as the antechamber doors burst open to reveal the mistress of his thoughts. Persephone, neh, Levy paused in the doorway adorned in blaring gold that reflected the blue flames of the fireplace. Gajeel rose quickly from his chair, but did not move toward her, instead slowly Levy approached him. She slunk into the room her eyes searching his for something, but he couldn't place what. Behind him none of his servants moved a muscle as the small goddess made her way to their master.

Behind her Hermes appeared, breathless, his purple toga and orange hair sticking out against the black of the castle. His breathlessness stuck out to Gajeel, he couldn't remember the herald of the gods ever being breathless in the past nine hundred years. Gajeel half noted the pile of white fabric Hermes was holding in one arm.

"Levy. Please it's time to go."

Red eyes flicked back and watched with interest as Levy made it to the end of the table and sat on its ebony surface. Gajeel lowered himself back into his chair as Levy pulled the fruit bowl closer. No one in the room moved or even took a breath, as her fingers skillfully removed the seeds out of a pomegranate and cradled them in her other hand.

"Levy don't eat that. If you do you'll be trapped here for all eternity." Hermes pleaded with her, though he did not move into the room.

"Good choice." Gajeel thought, red eyes sparing time to glare at the cocky god.

Hazel met red as Levy picked up a single seed and reached out. Gajeel's mouth opened to accept the seed. Once he had finished the small morsel, she held out the palm full of seeds causing Gajeel's eyes to glow darker as he then fed her a seed. One for one, they shared the seeds evenly they consumed the sinful fruit of the Underworld.

When Levy's palm was empty of fruit she smiled at him and Gajeel found his own mouth spreading into a large grin. He snapped his fingers and Lily appeared at his side, Hades' black cloak clutched in his jaws. Levy jumped off the table, while Gajeel took the cloak from his assistant. With the flourish of a hundred shadows the cloak descended around Levy's petite shoulders. He brushed away several stray tears, before he leaned in and kissed her forehead.

Silently, she held out the small purple flower as he back away. Gajeel's grinned, and maybe his ego blossomed just a bit, as he accepted the flower and placed it back in her mop of blue hair. Levy rushed into him, the black cloak snapping at her quick movements, planting a light, sweet kiss on his lips. She bounced away from him and smiled up at him, though her eye continued to hold the sadness of parting from him. Gajeel preened as he saw her hazel eyes harden seconds before she turned her back to him to address Hermes.

"I am ready to leave now, Hermes." Levy announced in a commanding and cool voice. Gajeel grinned devilishly as he watched her leave he felt strangely content, heartless, but content.

R&R