3. Selfishness of the Gods
The people were rioting. Suddenly, the earth had turned cold and the skies had completely darkened. All the plants withered and died, and the people tore out their hair in agonized confusion. A hauntingly beautiful melody drifted on the harsh, biting wind that swept up the dust from the cracked and barren earth, clouding the once pure Grecian air. In desperation, the people beseeched Demeter for aid, but their cries were drowned out by those of the goddess herself. Her daughter was missing. Persephone had disappeared without a trace.
Someone was going to pay.
Bringing her to his bedroom had been a mistake, but where else was he supposed to get clothes from? He couldn't let her wander around the underworld naked. He couldn't. Other men might see her, and then he'd have to make sure those other men died a slow, painful second death, and that would take time away from Persephone's visit.
So there he was, in his room, beside his bed, standing behind her as he helped her dress. Already Hades knew he would be continually haunted by the fact that she wore nothing beneath his robe, which was too big for her in the first place. However, it was a fact that he dwelled on so that he could force himself to ignore the other fact that this was a particularly intimate situation, and the thought of her doing the same thing with any other man made him crave blood.
"Thank you." She murmured, her hand resting over his as he laid it over her shoulder. What would it be like to wake up to this every morning? He thought with a small frown. "I am sorry for the trouble, but if you had a comb too, I would very much like to borrow it for a moment."
"You needn't speak so politely, Persephone." He moved away from her, reluctantly slipping his hand from beneath hers. He moved over to the dark wood vanity across the room, picking up his ivory comb. "It is not as if anyone else is listening. You needn't worry about offending anyone."
"But I should." Hades turned around as he heard the young goddess sigh and plop herself down on his bed. Oh yes, bringing her into his bedroom had been a very big mistake. But she did seem to be loosening up, her frame more relaxed than before. Her voice was different too, void of that stiff formality.
"And why should you?" He asked as he returned to his bed, forcing his eyes to remain on her face. There, that was a sign, wasn't it? This was a lust for her body. He could fix this. It would be so simple a thing to get over her.
"I could very possibly offend the lord of the underworld, and then where would I be?" She teased. "I'd wager that way down here, no one could hear me scream."
Her words made his mouth water. She had absolutely no clue what she'd just implied, did she? What he wanted to say was that if she laid herself out on his bed he could help her test that tempting theory, but what he did say was, "Turn around, let me comb your hair."
To his traitorous delight, after a moment's hesitation she did turn around, crossing her legs. Standing behind her, he began combing out her still-damp hair. The limp waves, weighed down by the water, were so perfectly smooth beneath his fingers. She was silent as he combed out the slight tangles, and that silence made it so easy for him to enjoy the simple task. His stomach tingled every time he stroked his fingers down her hair, and he ached, oh how he ached, to dip his head forward and press his lips to the back of her head. What did she smell like? He'd been too distracted to pay any attention to her body when he'd brought her from the surface. Now he regretted the missed opportunity.
"Hades?"
He paused, jolted out of the trance he'd allowed himself to be sucked into.
"I believe it's straight now."
Hades blinked, surprised to find that her hair was straight. It had been, he realized, for a while now. He dropped the comb onto his bed, severely disappointed that the task was done. That disappointment didn't last for long, though, because suddenly she was leaning back against him ever so slightly. His eyes closed as her warmth spread through him. A foreign comfort claimed him, and he wanted to sigh and wrap his arms around her, to stroke her cheek, or even better, lean over and kiss her. But he didn't. Instead, he brought his hands to her shoulders, massaging them gently but firmly as he coaxed her to lean against him further.
Persephone indulged in a sigh, relaxing back against him. "Mmnn, that's nice."
There was the slightest hint of a moan in her voice that made him pause, but it was that same hint that made him continue in hopes of hearing it again. "Tell me, Persephone, whatever came of your situation with Ares?"
She chuckled, shaking her head as she leaned it back against his chest. "My mother took care of him. She always takes care of my suitors. Already, she has turned down Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus, and Apollo, although she never asked if I was interested in any of them."
"Were you?" Hades asked a little too quickly, jealousy tearing ravenously at his insides. He did manage to keep the bite from his voice, though, and he supposed the question sounded casual enough.
"No." She replied to his relief. "But what if I was? It is not within her right to refuse them without consulting me first. They should not even need to go through my mother at all. I am a woman grown; I should be able to make my own decisions, Hades. But my mother…"
"Is it not your decision to be with me now?" He interrupted gently, hopefully. Finally, he gave into the temptation burning within him, sliding his arms around her, crossing them over her abdomen. It hurt that she tensed up so suddenly, and he added cautiously, "Are you making the decision to be with me now?"
From Olympus, Zeus had watched the entire abduction scene play out. He'd watched as his lovely young daughter had wandered closer, and closer to the flower. He'd held his breath when she'd plucked it from its resting place. And he'd shouted in triumph as his brother appeared before her, splitting the earth itself to get to her. Of course, the bleeding heart had offered her a choice, but what did it matter? Persephone had left with Hades, and that was what counted.
When he'd first flashed himself down to the Underworld, he'd thought he'd be much harder pressed to sell the idea of Hades marrying Persephone. He'd prepared a much more provocative speech for his brother, the cold, unfeeling bastard that he was, but as it was he really hadn't needed to try very hard at all. To think that Hades wouldn't need more than just a vague idea to get him going.
Well, not that it mattered. Persephone was gone and out of his hair, or more specifically, out of his wife's line of vision. Even better Hades was probably damn grateful to him now. After all, his brother was probably down in his chambers with his little prize and finally loosening up a little. In Zeus' opinion, the only reason Hades was always such a stick in the mud was because he didn't get enough sex. Hopefully, now that his brother was finally getting some, he wouldn't be such a pain to deal with. It was the perfect plan; everyone was happy. He was a genius.
Whistling a happy tune, the king of the gods flashed himself off his throne and over to the balcony where Hera was gazing out over the mountains. His azure gaze slid hungrily over her body as he walked up to her, sliding a hand around her stomach and down between her legs. Her small gasp of surprise made his grin widen, especially as she reached back to stroke her fingers up his thigh. It was time to reward himself a little. He'd made everyone else happy today, now it was his turn.
"Are you making the decision to be with me now?"
Persephone faltered a moment, shifting to look up at him. It was dark in the underworld, and his eyes seemed black. There was nothing she could judge from them, nothing at all. But his voice, that told her wonders. He was unsure, he was hopeful, and he was… He was holding her again.
She found herself relaxing, a hand rising to cup one of his cheeks as her legs unfolded and bent so that she was leaning to the side. His eyes closed for a moment, and she took the opportunity to inhale deeply. He smelled clean, like a clear mountain lake, but there was a dark undertone to his scent, something spicy. Her stomach contracted ever so slightly. This felt wonderful, to be held in his arms. It made her feel special, wanted.
"Answer me, Persephone." He prompted, turning his head to kiss her palm in a manner so remarkably gentle it shocked her. This was the infamously cold lord of the underworld? This was the feared and hated king of the dead? It made him wonder if he was so gentle with everyone else, or if this was just for her. She hoped it was just something for her.
"You're not being fair, Hades, trying to charm an answer out of me with soft touches and kisses." She complained, though her hand did not fall from his lips.
"This is not touching." He informed her, something of a smile turning up the corners of his lips from their usual serious set. "This is not kissing."
Persephone swallowed. "It is to me."
She could feel his laughter rumbling gently in his chest. This was what she craved, to hear him laugh, to see him smile. How many others could say they'd been the cause of his happiness? The stories she'd heard painted him as cruel and unfeeling. So far, she'd felt no cruelty by his hand, and he must have felt something for her if he was treating her this way.
"You mock me." She frowned playfully. His gentle affections made her feel bold instead of shy. She was not a timid child, she was a young woman. He was treating her like one, he was the only person to ever treat her like one, like a person instead of her mother's child, so she was going to act like one. "Show me, then, what your definitions of touching and kissing are."
His smile vanished at her challenge. She watched those eyes, black in the lack of light, fall to her lips. He probably didn't realize how daring those words were to her. She was a virgin. She knew what happened between a man and a woman in bed, but she herself had never been kissed—this was the first time she'd ever been held in such a manner. And yet, she couldn't find it in her to be self-conscious, to wonder if she was being unladylike or unattractive. After all, he'd abducted her, and he'd been the one to bring them this close together. Her stomach fluttered at the thought. Her, the lord of the underworld had pursued her because he'd wanted to hold her, to kiss her, to…
He cupped her cheek, thumb brushing over her lips. Slowly, he drew his hand away, brushing her hair back from her throat. And then she felt his lips against her skin, up her neck, stopping beneath her ear. Her hand at his cheek fell away to rest on the arm crossed over her body. Instinctively, she tipped her head to the side as she suddenly found the need to concentrate on her breathing. Every time his lips neared her skin, her breathing would hitch ever so slightly, making each breath circulate on a shudder. And then his tongue slipped lightly around her ear and her entire body shuddered in his arms. She felt that low rumble of his laugh in his chest as he nibbled lightly on her ear, making her hand on his arm tense.
"Answer me, Persephone." He whispered, his warm breath tickling her ear. For some reason, as the situation aligning with her earlier fantasy made it seem so much more real. The realization made her blush, and that only made him chuckle again and repeat, "Answer me, Persephone."
"Answer… what, again? The question…"
He laughed again. It should have been infuriating, but that simple, quiet sound made her ache in a way she couldn't understand. "Yes Hades, I want to be here with you." He murmured, his lips moving to her cheek before he lifted his hand again to cup her cheek, and again his thumb brushed over her lips. He was getting close, so close!
She panicked, turning into his body and tucking her arms against her chest. "Yes Hades, I want to be here with you." She repeated against him as she hid her severely flushed cheeks his shoulder.
He laughed—really laughed this time, not just chuckled—as he held her close and cradled her head to his chest. "I know, sweetheart, I know."
Author's Note:
And there's chapter three! Thank you for reading up to this point. I'm very grateful for all the feedback I've gotten from my friends and readers. Here's another chapter for you. If I put in a reference to something you don't understand, then please let me know in your review so that I can put it under a translator's note. Otherwise, please tell me what you think, if you like what I'm doing, or how I can improve. Thanks again for reading!
xxDusty