Hades POV

The lord of the dead sat imperiously on his throne made of fused human bones. And internally panicked. In tomorrow, at noon, Persephone would be lead by her mother down into the Underworld to join him. And he still didn't have everything ready. Or any idea as to what he was going to do about the fact he would have to entertain the goddess of spring for six months. AND try to keep his immortal hands off her.

Hades had never, ever had another olympian down in his realm for more than a few days, and most of them were gods at that, so he had almost no idea what he was going to do with Persephone. He knew what he wanted to do with her, but that was going to happen right after his little brother Zeus let him be King of the gods. Which reminded Hades, Hephaestus was supposed to be coming with Persephone's new throne...

He was rather proud of the design, it being both a bit of both of the realms Persephone called home. The throne was to appear as though it was supported by four Narcissus blossoms in full bloom, with a smattering of other flowers around it. It was high backed, with bronze colored highlights. The throne itself would not be black, like his, but swirling shades of very, very dark hues, like reds, blues, violets, and greens.

Hopefully, she would like it. Hopefully. Hephaestus had had some help from Athena, who offered assistance, claiming it as an early birthday present to her friend. Which wasn't promising in the long term, as the less gods Hades had to deal with in the underworld, the better.

It wasn't that he didn't like Athena, or Persephone, it was just that he had no social skills to speak of whatsoever. He was good at being king, yes. He was fair, -ish, and he wasn't overly cruel. Much. But he wasn't good at not acting as though he owned the world. The underworld that is. Unlike his upstart little brother, Hades had had to work for every bit of respect he was given, and even then, it was mostly out of fear as it is. The fact that he dealt with dead people all day probably didn't help.

It was hard to watch the world go by, to watch all the other immortals waste away their lives, not understanding just how precious life truly was, going so far as to take it with a careless abandon. To them, the life of a mortal was almost as worthless as dirt, and they didn't understand how fragile it was, how breakable. And none of them were worse than that war hawk Ares. Oh, how Hades loathed him. He killed countless mortals, and acted like it was all a game. He couldn't care less than if they were ants under his boot. And he used them, as though they were no more than farm animals.

Dealing with death every day had given the melancholy god a high value of life. He put it up on a pedestal, as though it were something to preserve, even more precious than the countless gems and priceless metals he had at his disposal. Hades was a wealthy god in all ways but one. He had no life, no love. Not really.

That was why he loved Persephone so much. She was so alive. Where ever she went, she brought it with her, lighting up the brightest darkness. It was hypnotising, watching, always watching her, entranced by the way she danced through the fields of flowers, her beautiful voice ring out from the highest mountains. Aphrodite might have been gorgeous, but Persephone had a beauty the goddess of love could never reach. An effortless, natural beauty that very few possessed.

He knew, in his heart of hearts that such a beautiful, dauntless, indomitable personification of life could never love someone like him. From all the ghastly things that lived in the depths of Tartarus, Hades considered himself one of the worst monsters in the underworld. For how could Persephone, flawless, priceless Persephone, ever love him. Everything he ever touched, died in his hands.

It was wrong of him to keep her locked away in the underworld, away from the rays of the sun and the beams of the moon she so loved to dance in, but hades couldn't bring himself to let her go. It was selfish and he knew it, but the other gods already thought him greedy and cruel anyways, so they could go bath in the Styx for all he cared. Persephone was his, and his alone. No matter how guilty he felt for denying her to run through the hidden trails of the forest and go galloping off with her nymph companions.

One of the many skeletons guarding his palace came creaking in. "My lord," He said in a shaky voice, like bones being ground into dust, "Lord Hephaestus has arrived, and he has brought the throne of Lady Persephone. Shall we let him enter?"

"Of course, Cornelius, let him enter. But make sure Apollo and Dionysus don't sneak in. Or my brother, Poseidon. They are doing their level best to try and throw me a 'stag party'. And before you ask, no I don't have any idea what that is." Hades waved his had at the door way, and the skeleton bowed low to the ground.

"Yes, my lord. Will do, my lord." He scurried off, as fast as his old bones could carry him. The sound of turning gears and heavy footsteps announced the arrival of the smith god, and his automaton crutches.

"Hullo Hades, how are you faring?" Hephaestus said, looking up at Hades on his bone throne. "Busy, I suppose? I heard that Ares started another war on Thebes with Sparta. How goes the traffic?"

Hades snapped his fingers and a seat formed out of smoke. "Sit old friend. It must have been a trying journey. And Zeus managed to clear that particular mess up before it spiraled into catastrophe. And the roads are clogged. As always. And Cerberus go out. Again. Did you finish it?"

Hephaestus snorted. "Of course. You think I'd be here if it wasn't." He tossed what looked like a flower to the left of Hades' throne, and it quickly unfolded into a marvelous throne, that gleamed in the pale light of the Throne Room. "One of my best creations. Young Persephone will love it. Athena assured me that it was to he taste, if a bit on the dark side." The malformed god peered up at him. "Are you nervous, Hades?"

The god of the dead looked up sharply, and gazed down with narrowed eyes at the expressionless god across from him. With a sigh, Hades closed his eyes and rested his head in his hands. "Yes, very. What, in Gia's name, am I supposed to do with her? How do I manage to not scare her more than I already have? I do not wish for her to see me as simple a burden, nor a captor. I know she can never love someone like me, but for her to do more than fear, or even tolerate my presence would be much prefered." Hades sighed again. "The fact that Demeter had probably been filling that girl's head with stories of my supposed 'cruelty' will not help resolve the issue."

Hephaestus noded, then pulled his eyebrows together, pulling a puzzled expression."She'll be skittish, I'll give ye that, but Persephone is much more accepting than the other Olympians, and has been getting tired of her mother's constant heckling. That poor girl has been under Demeter's thumb for too long. As long as you don't attempt to control every aspect of her life, she will at least find you preferable to her mother, which is something. And she'll be faithful. She detested the other young gods. They come on to her far too often."

Hades heard the bitterness in his friend's voice at the end of his little pep talk. "Thank you, Hephaestus. Has Aphrodite done it again?" He often had to hear an earful about the love goddess' escapades with other gods. And mortals. And heros. he sympathised heavily, and was often used to dump on for hours, but Hephaestus was kind enough to do the same for him, so he listened with out protest.

"Yes. Ares again. By the gods, that Titan knows just how to push my buttons." He glared at the floor, eyes sparking. "I mean, what does that half-wit go that I don't? I'm telling you, Hades, you'll have to truly lay you claim to Persephone the moment she gets back, or that meathead will take that from you whether you, or she, likes it or not."

Hades whipped his head up, baulking at idea of taking Persephone to bed. Then at the thought of Ares taking her instead. Hephaestus prattled on, and as the only god with notably worse social skills than the god of death, he did not notice his friend's change of mood.

Yes, it was true Hades wanted to bed Persephone. Yes, as her husband, he had every right. No, she most likely wouldn't protest. Yes, she knew it was expected. Every goddess did. So why did it throw him for a loop, have him struggling to wrap his head around the idea? Hephaestus made a valid point, another god would probably try to take her virginity if he did not. And that would not sit well with him. At all. But if he was going to do this, he would have to do it right. Persephone would have to want it just as much as he did, have to need him like he needed her. And it would be best to start small. Hades wondered if the innocent young goddess had even had her first kiss yet.

He let his mind wander, entertaining ideas about her petal pink lips. Would they be warm and soft, like a rose that had bathed in the light of the sun? Or would they be cool and smooth, like the calm water that had sparkled in the light of the moon.

The normally focused god sat daydreaming, his closest friend complaining about his wayward wife, and the light of that day slowly fading to dusk, in the brilliant world above.

A/N: Hey guys! Hope you liked this chapter, sorry it was a bit late! Please R&R, I crave your comments and constructive criticism! Love ya!

~UC