Warning:

The following chapter contains scenes of a sexual nature. If you're uncomfortable reading it, you can stop when the story switches over to Persephone's perspective. The story will still continue to make sense, and you'll get the gist of whatever it is you skipped.

5. The First Lesson

He cupped her cheek, kissing her gently. She was hesitant, but then she was returning his kisses, quickly picking up confidence. What he wanted to do was roll her over and pin her to his bed, but he knew he couldn't do that. He needed to be patient with her. So he simply held her in his lap, keeping his tongue in his own mouth as he enjoyed the simple sensation of kissing. It wasn't long, however, before his hand drifted up from her back and found a gentle hold in her hair. Ah, and it was dry this time.

"Hades, I…"

He pulled away just long enough to speak, shaking his head gently. "Shh, sweetheart. Don't speak. Don't think."

"You called me sweetheart."

He couldn't help but smile at that. "Yes I did."

"Why can't I speak?"

He raised a brow before replying matter-of-factly. "It's harder to kiss that way." He moved in to kiss her again, but she stopped him by placing a finger to his lips.

"Why can't I think?" She persisted.

"Because thinking will make you nervous." Hades replied easily, eyes closing as he kissed her finger, turning his head and parting his lips so he could take it into his mouth. He didn't miss her shudder as his tongue tasted her skin, sliding over the delicate pad of her fingertip. He'd long since decided to abandon all thought himself, for fear he might find a reason to back out of this. He just needed to concentrate on her.

He pulled away from her finger, placing a heated kiss to her palm. "Don't think. Don't get nervous. Don't back out. I want you, Persephone. Let me take you."

When he finally looked back up at her, she had a rather shocked expression on her face, and when she noticed his eyes were on hers she looked away, a flush appearing over her cheeks. He faltered for a moment, not sure if she wanted to stop or continue, but then she took his hand into his. Separating one of his fingers from the rest, she licked the pad of his pointer before opening her mouth, taking it in, and sucking. A soft groan escaped his lips as his eyes closed, his mind spinning a similar situation for him, except it featured her tongue exploring a completely different and infinitely more sensitive appendage of his.

He opened his eyes again just in time to watch her slide his finger from between her lips, and with her eyes still on his hand murmur, "I want you too, Ha—"

She never finished what she wanted to say, because the next moment he had her pinned to the bed, his lips on hers as he kissed her hungrily. The way he'd pushed her back, the robe he'd lent her was gathered at her knees from how she'd been sitting before, and he quickly took advantage of that. He slid his hand up her thigh, grinning against her lips as her hand moved to cover his. He could tell she didn't know whether to be encouraging or discouraging as his hand slid up her bare skin to her hip.

She wasn't wearing anything under his robe.

He found himself grinning as he stroked her lips boldly with his tongue, trying to coax them open. She didn't seem to catch the hint, however, but he wasn't bothered. Like she'd said, she'd never been kissed before. As he distracted her there, he slid his hand further up her body. Her hand still covered his, and her stomach quivered as their hands slid over her abdomen. His other hand went to tug at the knot in her sash so their hands could slide all the way up to cover her breast. Her eyes widened, and in her surprise she gasped. Her lips finally parted, and he slid his tongue into her mouth to brush against hers.

Hades had to give her credit; she picked up new things quickly. It didn't take long until she ceased mirroring his movements and began to explore on her own. Her free hand buried in his hair, but her other hand remained covering his as he brushed his hands over her breasts. She was still new to things, however, and she still hadn't gotten the concept of breathing yet. He gave her a moment to collect herself, drawing away long enough to completely undo her sash and part her robe, baring her skin to his ravenous gaze.

Her chest was heaving as she tried to regain her breath. She reached up to cover herself at first, but after a moment with her arms lifted she seemed to change her mind, sliding them out of the sleeves of his robe and propping herself up on the pillows. She was blushing again, and he could tell she was about to cover herself up again so he took her hands, lacing their fingers together as he dipped his head to kiss her softly.

"Relax, sweetheart." He murmured in her ear. She'd seemed to like the sentiment of the pet name very much the first time, so he hoped she would respond to it again.

She nodded furiously, but she didn't look anything but scared now. Hell, now that the barrier of clothes was gone, she looked terrified; her hands were shaking in his. Sighing, he released her hands and wrapped his arms around her. She returned the gesture and he sat up with her, bringing her into his lap again. Her arms slipped under his, she buried her face into his shoulder. "It's alright. We don't have to do this." He managed to say. Where was his resolve now? She wouldn't stop him if he continued, but…

"Hades, wait." Persephone whispered against his chest. She was still breathing too hard. "Just… Just wait. Give me a moment. Please."

So he waited. He shifted, leaning against the wall behind the bed. After a moment of just sitting, he began to rub her back, intermittently pressing kisses to the top of her head and stroking her hair. Eventually her breathing calmed, and he felt her lips tracing his collarbone.

"Are you ready?" He asked, though by the tone of his voice, it sounded more like he was asking her, 'Are you sure?'

She pulled back, her eyes set and determined again. Confidently, she replied, "Yes."

It wasn't fair, the effect he had on her. The warmth of his hands on her skin made her shudder, and the pressure of his gaze on her body was a tangible force. She'd all but melted under his gentle touch and dark eyes, to say nothing of his lips and tongue. And the way he tasted…

Before he could even move, she leaned forward and kissed him. She couldn't help but be a little smug at his surprise, although she knew that he was probably the smug one at the moment. He let her move at her own pace, sliding his hands into her hair and waiting for her tongue to brush across his lips before he parted them. Granted, his tongue rushed out to meet hers fairly quickly, but still, he'd waited for her, and that gesture in itself was kind of sweet.

She realized now why her mother had been so adamant about not allowing her to let any man lay a finger on her. She was completely at his mercy now. He was bigger and stronger than she was, and they were alone in his bedroom. She was naked. Her powers were pitiful compared to his. And yet, did she not have a similar power over him? He seemed to be taking as much pleasure from this as she, and she knew that if she asked it of him, he would stop.

Curious to see what he would do, she shifted in his lap so she straddled his hips, burying one of her hands in his hair. The hand around her body shifted too, sliding down her back and around to cup her bottom, then tug her close in a gesture so sudden it made her squeak. And of course, that just made him chuckle as his lips fell from hers to trace kisses along her collarbone.

"What's so funny?" She demanded breathlessly.

"You." He replied mischievously as he lowered her down onto the bed. "Take off my robe, Persephone."

She felt dizzy from all the sensations, but she still had the self-control to cock a brow at him. Her earlier embarrassment was gone. The thing was, it was hard to feel anything but confident, and beautiful, and sexy with the way he treated her. Even his question now, which by all rights should have made her blush and slap him, made her smirk. "What if I don't want to?" She challenged.

"You want to, Persephone. You want to." He kissed the center of her chest, and the gesture made her shudder.

"You're an arrogant man, Hades." She replied, even as she reached down for the tie of his robe. What was it about him that made her feel so bold? Now that she'd been given time to acclimate, there was little fear left within her, and what little was left only added to the thrill. She shouldn't be doing this. She shouldn't be with him this way, shouldn't be with him at all.

But she was.

With a sudden burst of determination, she tugged at his sash. She didn't look at more than his chest, though, until she'd helped him take the whole thing off. And then she pushed him back until he was sitting up, kneeling between her legs. Bending her knees behind her, but still sitting between her legs, she reached out the minimal distance between them and touched his chest.

She'd seen men without their shirts on before, but she'd never been so tempted to reach out and run both her hands down his chest from the sparse, springy hairs at the top and down, over the smooth panes of his stomach. But that was what she did, her eyes on him as he sat perfectly still. He was watching her explore, her fingers running over his shoulders, his arms, and then his chest, eyes following her fingers as she moved even lower, tracing the defined muscles of his abdomen before, one hand sliding down to rest on his thigh, she let a single finger run down the center of his stomach, dipping into the concave of his navel before sliding down the dusting of fine hairs beneath it. He was suddenly breathing much harder as her finger trailed even lower, but his breath caught as she quickly slipped her finger down his shaft.

His sudden gasp made her quickly retract her hand to her body again, her cheeks reddening. Ah, and there was the self-conscious hesitation from before. "S-sorry, I won't…"

His hand suddenly found her wrist, and her eyes snapped back to his. They seemed slightly clouded and unfocused, but they were very sure. "Do that again." This time, he sounded as breathless as she expected she herself did. Well, she did have the same power over him that he had over her.

He released her wrist, and, with less hesitation, reached between his legs. She paused when he gasped again, dropping his head to her shoulder. He leaned forward, his arms propping up his body on either side of her, and he kissed her neck gently. Permission granted, she explored the foreign contours of his body. It was different the second time, she realized, harder. As she continued her explorations, she listened as his gasps turned into moans.

He was fighting to remain still, she realized suddenly when she wrapped her hands around him and slid her hands down and his body jerked, his breath coming faster against her neck. Curious, she slid her hand back up, smiling as he twitched again. Finding that she very much enjoyed his reactions, she wrapped both her hands around him and stroked him, up and down, up and down until he was breathing hard and fast against her neck, moaning intermittently against her skin. She smirked, as he obviously enjoyed very much what she was doing to him, and when he gasped, "Faster, harder," she complied. Just as she was wondering what exactly was supposed to happen after two similar commands, his body jerked forward, his hands fisted in the sheets, his breath hissed in between his teeth, and…

She didn't see what happened, because all of a sudden she found herself pinned to the bed again, away from the spot they'd just been in before. His lips were on hers, his tongue slipping between her lips, and his hands all over her body. This was either a thank you, or whatever she'd done to him had caused him to snap, or perhaps even a little bit of both. Whatever it was, he wasn't holding back anymore to let her explore.

"Your turn?" She asked, chest heaving as he finally pulled away to kiss his way down her body. His lips trailed down the center of her chest, his hands sliding down her body along with them. Her body felt too hot, her skin too tight as he flicked his tongue over the tip of her breast, chuckling as her back arched oh so slightly. She might have pouted if he hadn't blown a warm breath over the other side, making the skin tighten and pucker before he closed his mouth over it, pulling with his lips and tongue. Without thinking, she buried her hand in his hair. When he pulled away to move lower over her body, she found herself still breathing way too hard, but she didn't mind. She'd just put him into a certain state, and now he was returning the favor rather vengefully.

His lips continued down to her stomach, his tongue delving into the dip of her navel before sliding lower. His hands spread her thighs and he shifted his entire body lower between her legs. Suddenly void of the distraction, she realized how… warm she felt down there, and her cheeks flushed. "Wh-what are you…?" She broke off in a gasp as his tongue—Gods, what did he think he was doing?—flicked over a part of her she hadn't even known existed, or at least, a part she hadn't known could cause such pleasure to dart up through her stomach and down through her legs, bringing that heat with it.

"No, you can't do that down there. It's not…" Her breath hissed between her teeth as he repeated the gesture, harder this time, and she attempted to clamp her legs shut. His hands remained in the way, though, firmly keeping them spread. "Hades! Stop, stop, stop, stop it!"

Her cheeks were so flushed, but each stroke of his tongue made her hips twitch and the hand still in his hair tighten. And then she realized she didn't want him to stop. He seemed to realize that too, because then he started sucking, and she stopped trying to speak. So this was the kind of pleasure women raved about, the reason they locked themselves away with lovers. Did this make Hades her lover? The thought of doing this with him again…

He stopped her from thinking then, because he slid one of his fingers into her, stretching her open just enough to stroke her from the inside. And then he had her experiencing that same, breathtaking pleasure he had earlier, and soon she found herself gasping, back arched off the bed as her mind seemed to shut out everything but what was happening that very moment.

When she fell back down onto the bed, he rose up over her, grinning rather smugly. Of course, as he'd reduced her to a gasping heap, her stomach still quivering, she supposed he had a reason to be smug.

"That was…" She began, her chest still heaving, but he silenced her with a kiss.

"I'm not done with you yet."

Persephone couldn't help but smile back. Gods, but she loved that grin of his. How many people got to see it so many times in a row? "You're not?" She asked coyly. The things he'd just done to her should have made her feel at least a little embarrassed, but she couldn't. She just felt so, so…

"I'm not." He repeated, kissing her again, more deeply this time as he settled his body over hers, between her hips.

"Oh!"

Hades grinned at her surprise as he shifted his hips against hers. "You weren't expecting me to do this with you flaccid, were you?"

Persephone frowned. "But the nymphs said that men—"

"They've obviously never slept with a god before." Ah, there was that arrogance again, that male smugness. And that grin of his. "Don't worry, sweetheart, I know what I'm doing."

"I trust you." She assured him, cupping his cheek. Now this, she'd heard this part would hurt, and she already felt a little tender, but like she'd said; she trusted him. "Teach me."

And he did.

Author's Note:

Chapter five! This one was a little awkward for me to write I must admit, but I'm hoping it turned out alright for you guys. Thank you very much for reading. The comments I've received so far are very reassuring. Please continue to support me, it helps to motivate me a lot. Next chapter, Persephone will find out about Zeus' proposition for Hades. Needless to say, she won't be happy. Thanks again!

xxDusty