Hades and Persephone Retold

by Queenofbears

Summary:

The god of the Underworld didn't love, or so he thought until he got a glimpse of the bright Persephone.

Notes:

Hey! Thanks for reading my retelling of the famous Greek myth of Hades and Persephone. I don't own any of these characters and there will be non-canon stuff happening. I'm just having fun!
Love, the Queen of Bears

Chapter 1

"I'm busy," Hades snarled.

He was typing away frantically on his laptop, occasionally sighing deep and pinching the bridge of his nose.

Cerberus whined and walked off, all three of his heads hanging down in sadness. One of the heads carried a ball, which he hoped Hades would throw.

"You work way too much," a voice suddenly said.

Hades hadn't noticed someone coming in and was startled by the sudden appearance of Hermes.

"It's been busy," Hades said, stroking his hand through his thick, black hair. It was getting long again. I should give Hecate a call soon to ask if she has time to cut it, he thought, almost forgetting that Hermes stood in his office.

"Hades, I'm serious. You work too much. It looks like someone stomped on your face, that's how tired you look."

"Thanks, Hermes." He shook his head, annoyed by Hermes' comment. That guy doesn't understand the piles of work you have to do when you're overseeing the entire Underworld.

"So?"

"So, what?"

"Close your laptop and take your dog for a walk, for fucks sake. You can't tell me you haven't got 15 minutes to spare."

Hades slowly got out of his chair. "You're damn annoying, you know that?" he said to Hermes, who was smiling widely.

"So I've been told."

Cerberus couldn't be happier. He jumped up at the sight of Hades and wagged his tail so hard, his whole body shook from it. "Come on, boy."

He held the door open for the dog, who sprinted outside.

Hades followed him. It was already evening. The sky of the Underworld, usually a dark greyish colour, had faded to inky black. There were no stars or moon there, only the light of the street lanterns in Hades' garden.

Hades took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Maybe Hermes was right. He had been working a lot lately, and he started to feel it in his neck and back.

Panting from running on the lawn, Cerberus returned to his trusty owner to give him the ball. Hades threw it as far as he could and the three-headed dog ran after it with the speed of a bullet.

The 15 minutes were almost over.

He planned to take Cerberus for a longer walk tomorrow. First, he had to finish some emails, check the schedule for the next couple of days if someone was sending a human and finish the talk he had to give next week during the meeting of the gods.

With a sigh, he let himself fall in his office chair again. Hermes had left, he gladly noticed, and he started working again.

He worked through the night and still wasn't finished when morning came. Hades rubbed his eyes, which felt dry after looking at the computer screen for so long, and stood up to get himself a hot, black coffee.

The coffee cabinet was empty. Startled Hades stared into the cupboard, questioning everything about himself.

This had never happened before. If an important staple was getting empty, he would immediately write it down on the shopping list. He really needed the coffee, though. More than anything.

He called Cerberus, put him on a leash (or, well, three leashes) and walked out. For a fresh coffee, he had to get out of the Underworld and enter Olympus. There were several coffee shops there.

Hades didn't like going to Olympus. The other gods were quite dramatic and there was always some nonsense going on. Usually, he would send Hermes for his groceries, but now that his idiot brain had forgotten to put coffee on the list, he had to catch one himself.

Olympus was exactly how he had left it a month ago. The streets were busy, gods were driving their fancy, expensive cars. Others were strolling down the lanes, dragging bags full of expensive clothing and other items with them.

The smell of perfume and exhaust gas almost made Hades gag. He contemplated returning to his calm Underworld, where the smell of rain and wet moss filled the air, but when a hint of fresh coffee aroma entered his nose, he felt motivated to go on. He picked a small coffee shop. It had the least chance to run into someone he really didn't want to talk to. Which was everyone.

"What can I get you today?"

The coffee lady held up a smile, but Hades saw right through her and felt her judgement of his appearance.

"A black coffee, please."

"What size?"

"The largest one you have."

She started making it right away and finished quickly. He paid for the coffee and almost stormed out, not wanting to be in Olympus a second longer than necessary.

But then.

He was almost there, almost at the gates of the Underworld. He almost made it. And he wished he had just arrived a few seconds earlier, so this never would've happened.

Hades stopped dead in his tracks, almost choking Cerberus threefold.

There she was. Auburn hair flowing in the soft breeze, holding the biggest bouquet of beautiful spring flowers anyone had ever seen. And her smile. Oh, her smile was otherworldly. It was bright, innocent, brilliant. It was a feeling he had never experienced, and he thought he never would.

He always despised the other gods and their idiotic cravings for love. Hades didn't love. Of course he was very fond of his dog, but he wasn't pathetically looking for a partner.

But this, this changed everything.

When he finally regained control over his brain, breath and heart again, she was already around the corner. Still in a strange haze, Hades got home.

Home. Where it was always dark, with the smell of earth and the wailing of souls in the distance.

His kingdom.

And most importantly: no place for a lady.

He tried to work, but it was no use. That girl kept walking before his eyes.

"Holy hell," someone suddenly said.

Hecate had come in and Hades was pulled out of his daydream. "I don't know what Hermes was talking about, but you're beaming. Are you alright?" The goddess of death gave him a worried look. "I've never seen you like this."

Hecate was a good friend of Hades. She was the one he trusted most. "I've met a girl," he started, and Hecate yelled out of excitement.

"A GIRL?! Our god of death is in LOVE?!"

"I'm not the god of death," Hades muttered. "And I am NOT in love."

"Your face says otherwise."

Hades felt all the blood rush to his cheeks. Beet-red, he looked away from his friend.

"Who is it?" Hecate insisted. "You can tell me. I won't even tell Hermes."

"I don't know her name," Hades sighed. "I saw her when I went to Olympus for some coffee."

"What did she look like?"

The tone in her voice made Hades anxious. He wasn't himself. Why did he even care so much for some woman? He didn't even have time to walk his dog.

"She had long, auburn hair and carried a bouquet of flowers."

"Hades, no..." Hecate's face drooped. "That's Demeter's daughter."

Fuck.

Demeter wasn't particularly fond of anyone in Olympus, let alone the Underworld. The little hope he had in meeting this beautiful lady again, faded away.

"Well, that's it then." He sighed. The tingly feeling in his stomach slowly started to change into ache. It was better this way, anyway. The Underworld was no place for a bright, shining girl like her.

Hecate put her hand on Hades' shoulder and softly squeezed it. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine." His voice sounded hoarse. How pathetic. The god of the Underworld, heartbroken. At least it was proof he actually owned a heart.

But he didn't need Hecate's pity. He stretched his shoulders and pressed a key on his laptop, after which the screen popped on.

"I'll get back to work," he said.

In the next few days, he arduously finished his talk for the meeting.

He couldn't get the girl out of his mind, however hard he tried. It made him more stern than ever.

There were a few incidents with souls in Tartarus trying to escape, and Hades acted mercilessly.

The day of the meeting came too soon. Hades dreaded going up to Olympus again. They expected him to talk about his work in the Underworld, hoping that the others would understand it a little bit more. He didn't have any faith in that.

A black suit would do for this occasion, he thought. It was a little too fancy for his liking, but it would make him fit in a tiny bit more with the extraordinary outfits of the others.

"Are you good?" Hermes asked Hades, who sat next to him in the car.

"Yeah," he replied shortly.

Hermes decided to leave it at that. It was extremely busy in the large hall. The loudest, most annoying gods all wanted a seat in the front. Hades paid them no attention and tried to be as invisible as he could until it was time for him to do the talk. He slowly walked up to the front.

"Good afternoon, everyone," he started, looking into the crowd.

Poseidon was unbothered and didn't look away from his phone. Hera was whispering to Athena and they both softly laughed.

Then, he saw Demeter. He frantically scanned everyone, looking for the girl.

She wasn't there.

"Ahum, um..." he resumed. "As you all know, my name is Hades..." Why was he so nervous? She wasn't even there! Still, he couldn't keep his eyes off Demeter. The woman looked at him with a grimace on her face.

Just do your thing and go, he said to himself.

The rest of the talk was no surprise. Not one of the gods seemed to be impressed or bothered at all. They clapped for him out of courtesy and he quickly got off the stage.

The remainder of the meeting was a blur. Of course, there was some drama that took up most of the time.

Afterwards, there was an open bar with snacks, but Hades didn't feel the need to go.

"I'm having one drink before getting you back," Hermes said to him. "Hecate insists. You know I can't tell her no." He grinned. "I'll catch you in a bit."

Hades decided to wait in the garden until Hermes was done with his social activities. He took a short stroll and sat down on a bench hidden between the bushes to watch a video on his phone.

He always felt so empty after a meeting in Olympus, and now even more. The sooner he could go back home, the better.

"Hello."

He was startled by a sweet voice coming from behind the bushes. As he looked up, his breath got stuck in his throat.

It was her.

She was even more beautiful than he remembered. Her glowing hair was half-bound into a bun and she had some tiny braids with flowers in them. Her eyes were a bright colour, the colour of the ocean on a clear, sunny day. Her skin was sun-kissed. And her smile...

"You're Hades, right?"

She knew his name. She knew his fucking name and he didn't know hers. All his intestines were spinning and his mouth was dry.

"Yeah," he finally got out.

"I'm Persephone."

She walked up to him and sat down next to him on the bench. "I listened to your talk about the Underworld. My mother didn't want me in the room. She's a bit of a freak, so I decided to listen from behind the door."

Form words, he thought. For fucks sake, say something!

"It's not a very nice place," he said. God, why did he say that?

"It sounded really interesting. I've always wanted to know more about it."

"About the Underworld?"

"Yeah! My mother raised me on Earth, far away from anything spectacular. Sometimes I get really bored of all the colourful flowers and the safe environment."

"You... You want to see it someday?"

"Wait, you can make that happen?"

"I mean, I'm its ruler."

Persephone gasped. "For real? That would be so cool!"

Hades felt his cheeks become hot. "Heh, I don't know about that." He stared at the ground, trying to get himself under control.

"Why don't I put my number in your phone, so you can text me when you have time to show me around!"

What?! She wanted to give him her phone number? Hades had completely forgotten how to breathe.

Without saying anything, he handed her his phone. "There! I should head back now, before my mom goes berserk."

Persephone handed him back his phone and smiled widely. "You're nice. I'm looking forward to hearing from you!"

And with that, she was gone.

Hades was completely dumbfounded. He sat in silence for a while, trying to comprehend everything that just had happened. Then, he stared at his phone.

P e r s e p h o n e.

The letters of her name started to dance around in his brain. Her voice lingered, sweet and sticky like honey.

"Hades!" It was Hermes' voice. "Where are you?"

"I'm here," Hades said, coming from behind the bushes.

"Dude, who are you and what did you do to Hades?" Hermes said, clearly drunk. "You're beaming!"

"Oh, am I? I don't know about that. Are you sure you can still drive..?"

"Don't worry about it! Oh, is it okay if I drop Hecate off, too?"

Hades shrugged. "Sure."

The drive home was a little awkward. Hades tried his best to not show any kind of emotion, but inside his stomach the fluttering didn't stop.

Hermes and Hecate were both drunk and flirting a little. Luckily, they dropped off Hades first.

He tried to eat something, but he wasn't hungry, so he went to his office to get some work done. But even that didn't work out. He took his phone out and stared at her contact information. How long did he have to wait to text her? What amount of time would be proper to not come off as creepy?

As he couldn't concentrate on working, he decided to go to bed. But Persephone kept him awake, just like she kept him from doing his work or eating.

He stared at the ceiling for what felt like hours and then, finally, he fell asleep.

Chapter 2

Bzzzz. Bzzzz.

God, what time was it? Half awake, Hades rubbed his eyes.

Bzzzz. Bzzzz.

Who the hell was calling him this early in the morning? With his eyes still closed, he searched for his phone and picked up. Before he could say anything, he heard the voice of Hecate.

"Hades, is Hermes at your place?"

"What? No, I was sleeping and you just woke me up. Why?"

"He brought me home last night but he's not picking up his phone and I'm a little worried." 

Hades sighed. "I'll check out his house. Call you in a bit." 

He stumbled out of bed, put on a clean black robe and held his hand through his hair. Oh, right, he should ask Hecate if she wants to cut it anytime soon.

He started the car and drove off to Hermes' house. It was right on the border of the Underworld and Olympus. Why didn't that idiot pick up his phone? 

As he arrived, he immediately saw that Hermes' car was not there. Strange. He rang Hecate. 

"He's not home," he said.

"Fuck." He heard Hecate sigh on the other side of the line.

"I'll drive to your place. In the meantime, call him again." 

Hades drove off towards Hecate's house. Halfway there he suddenly noticed Hermes' car in the verge. Did that moron crash his car yesterday? He was a little too drunk, so it wouldn't be a surprise. 

Everything indicated a crash. The front of the car was totaled and Hermes sat behind the wheel, unconscious. His phone rang from inside his jacket. Hades grabbed it and took the call.

"Hecate? I found him."

"Oh, my god, is he okay?"

"I think he crashed his car yesterday. I'll bring him over to you, I'm too busy to look after him now."

What an idiot. 

There were no hospitals in Olympus. As all the gods were immortal, there was no need for one. However, after an injury, they had to rest until they were healed again.

Hades drove to Hecate and carried Hermes to her bedroom. 

"Will you be okay?" Hades asked her, after putting Hermes into bed. 

"Yeah, I think so. Hades..." She touched his arm. "Will you?" 

"I'm more than okay. You know who I met after the meeting?" He looked at Hecate, beaming. "Persephone. Demeter's daughter." 

"She was there?"

"She came to me in the garden. Apparently, she had been listening to my talk from behind the doors." His entire body felt light. "And she gave me her number."

"She... Did what?"

"She wants to visit the Underworld."

Hecate looked as dumbfounded as Hades did yesterday. "But... Demeter would never allow that."

"Persephone isn't a child. She can do what she wants." 

Hecate shook her head. "You really have to watch out. Demeter can be absolutely... Insane. If you get near her only daughter, who knows what she'll do." 

Hades shrugged. "All the gods up above are so dramatic. It will probably not be that bad." 

"Hades." 

"What?"

"Be careful." Hecate had a worried look in her eyes. 

"I have to go. I have a lot of work to do." He stood up, trying to ignore Hecate's glance. "Call me if you need any help with that idiot." 

Hecate had been hanging out with those dramatic gods way too much, he thought while driving home. What could Demeter possibly do? She already disliked everything about the Underworld, so there really was nothing to lose.

He decided to text Persephone tomorrow. He would make time for her. 

Cerberus whined when he came home and he threw a ball into the garden. The dog happily ran into the darkness. He patted his dog on the back and got to work. There was a lot to do.

And he needed to get everything spotless before she would come down.

He had been thinking about what to write in the text the whole night. It kept him awake, but he felt light as a feather. 

Hi Persephone, this is Hades. If you're still up for a visit down under, I'm free this afternoon. Otherwise, let me know what day suits you better. Cheers, H.

Hades looked at the text for a while. It sounded a lot better in his head. He swallowed, cleared his throat and pressed send.

Nothing to lose.

He poured himself a large cup of coffee and got to work. After five minutes, he checked his phone. She hadn't replied yet.

Five minutes later, he checked again. Nothing.

And then again. And again.

He cursed himself. Idiot! Why would she even reply to that, let alone come to this dark, forsaken place? 

Bzzz.

Hades breath got stuck in his throat and he snatched his phone.

Hey Hades! I would love to! Could you pick me up at the gates around noon then? Let me know! X, Persephone

All the blood he had streamed into his cheeks. His heart began beating harder and harder. 

She's coming, he thought. This afternoon!

I'll see you at noon at the gates. Cheers, H.

He poured his coffee in his dry throat, took a deep breath and tried to work. Of course, she kept dancing before his eyes, occupying his brain. It was no use.

Time passed too slowly. Hades checked his watch every five minutes. He got up to get some more coffee and cleaned his kitchen a little, in case she wanted to come over to his place. 

At 11:00, he changed into his favourite black blouse. He combed his hair, which was now long enough to put into a little bun. 

At 11:30, he put on his black coat and got into his car, leaving behind a confused Cerberus. 

"I'll be back, buddy," Hades shushed his dog. 

He arrived way too early at the gates, parked his car and stepped out. Not even a few seconds later, she stepped into his sight.

"Hello!" 

She waved while walking up to him.

He felt his face get red and hot.

"I'm glad you're early as well! I've been waiting a few minutes, I'm just so excited!" she said, smiling widely. 

Hades noticed that she had put on a dark blue dress. It was different from the colorful clothes she had been wearing before, but he loved the dark shade on her. 

"You look wonderful," he said.

"You think?" She struck the fabric of her dress. "I always wanted to wear something dark, but it felt off doing it in between all the gold and silver in Olympus."

"I get that," Hades grinned. "Are you ready?" 

He opened the car door for her and she got in with a smile. "Thanks!"

They drove through the gate and into the dusk they called day in the Underworld. Persephone opened her window and took a deep sniff. "Mmm, it smells so fresh here." 

"Heh. Much better than Olympus, right? Where do you want to go?" 

"Everywhere! I would love to see the Elysian Fields, but also Tartarus if we can, I want to see the water of the Styx and..." She paused and glanced at Hades. "Maybe we could stop by your place as well?"

"My place is not that exciting, but if you want to see it..." 

"I would love to! Where are we going first?" 

"We're really close to the Styx, so I'll drive to a nice place to see her." 

The river was really calm that day, as if she noticed the presence of the goddess of spring. The dark grey sky reflected beautifully in the water and the sound of the small waves clashing against the pebbles on the shore was somehow relaxing. 

Hades felt a weird pride in showing this beautiful girl his domain, even though it was so dark and ominous.

"It's beautiful," Persephone said, kneeling down at the waterfront to touch the cold waves. She picked out a pitch black pebble in the shape of a heart. "Look!" She showed Hades the rock. 

"She's really calm today," he said. "And you found a nice one!" He tried to ignore the shape, but Persephone was not easily fooled. 

"It's a heart!" 

"Yeah." He had no idea what to say. "Shall we go to the Elysian Fields?" 

Persephone put the stone in her pocket and followed Hades to the car. "What do souls look like?" she asked when they were on the road again. 

"You'll see." Hades looked at her and examined her face. "Are you afraid?" 

"No," she quickly said. "I'm just wondering. I don't think I've ever seen a soul." 

Elysium was a good place to see a soul for the first time. It had also been a while for Hades to visit, as it was almost always peaceful in the Fields. It was one of the lighter places in the Underworld. 

The smell of fresh grass filled the air. Persephone waited for Hades to get out of the car and followed him. 

They looked just like people, but were very white and almost transparent. In the place of their heart, a white light shone. Some of them were resting in the grass and others were strolling. None of them were bothered by their presence. 

"It's so peaceful." 

"It is. I never come down here, I must admit. Most of my job is checking where every soul belongs and resolving messes in Tartarus. There never is drama in these fields."

Persephone looked at him. "Hades, may I grow some flowers for them?" 

He was shocked by her question. And touched. "You want to do that for them? That's very kind of you."

She kneeled once again and touched the grass. Pink, yellow and blue flowers popped up in the fields, surprising the souls residing there. Amazement and laughter arose from Elysium. 

Hades stared at his fields while he held his breath. These souls deserved this and he almost felt bad for letting them be without those beautiful flowers for so long. 

"Could you help me up?" Persephone asked as she reached out a hand. 

He took her hand and pulled her up. She didn't let go of his hand, which made his heart beat faster again. "Do you think they like the flowers?" Persephone asked as they walked back to the car, still holding his hand.

"I think they love them." 

She finally let go of his hand as she stepped into the car. "Is your place close? I'm a little thirsty," she said. 

"My place is close. Do you want to see Tartarus afterwards? It's not a nice place, though."

"I'm actually most curious about Tartarus." 

He was surprised by that, but didn't say anything. They drove towards his house. Persephone pointed at the radio. "May I..?"

"Of course," he replied. 

She turned the radio on and some old rock started playing. 

"Oh, I really like this!" 

He looked at her, she was constantly smiling and cheerful. Who did he think he was, taking such a wonderful girl into the Underworld? 

"It's The Who. They're pretty good." 

They arrived at Hades' house. It was a large house surrounded by a garden, but he only lived in the left wing of the manor. 

As he turned onto the driveway, Cerberus came running towards them, barking loudly. Oh god, he hoped she was not afraid of dogs. Cerberus could be a little... Intimidating sometimes.

Hades stepped out of the car. "Down, boy," he commanded, and the dog laid down. He was still barking and growling at the sight and smell of the stranger.

Persephone stepped out as well and immediately bowed down next to the dog to pet all of his heads. "I didn't know you had a dog! What a good boy he is!" 

Cerberus sniffed the girl's hand and jumped up, tail wagging. The barking was not territorial anymore, but playful now. He sprinted away to get his ball. Maybe this strange lady wanted to play with him!

"He'll ask you to throw his ball," Hades said. "You don't have to if you don't want to."

"Oh, but I'd love that!" Of course she did.

"Would you like a drink first? I don't have much choice though: coffee, water or beer." They walked into the kitchen.

"Mmm. I'd like a beer." 

Hades grabbed two bottles of beer from the fridge and opened them, while Persephone looked around the kitchen. He handed her a bottle and she took a sip. 

"I really like your kitchen. The dark wood is beautiful." 

"Would you like to see the rest?" 

She enthusiastically nodded and Hades walked into the hallway towards his office. The walls were lined with bookcases full of old books. In the middle stood his dark wooden desk, all his stuff lined out neatly. 

Persephone touched the black leather desk chair while she looked at the books. 

"Theory of the Soul," she read. "Ethics. Chronicles of the Rituals of the Dead." 

Hades blushed. He only now noticed how boring and morbid his collection was. 

"This is really interesting," Persephone said. 

She kept surprising him. "Do you really think so?" 

"Yeah!" She stood up and carefully slid a book out of the shelf. It was History of Sepultures. "May I read this?" 

"Of course," Hades said. "You can have it, if you want. I don't use it much." 

She clutched the book in her arms. Meanwhile, Cerberus was done waiting and he came looking for them, ball in one of his mouths. He squeaked questionably. 

"I think he's getting impatient," Hades said. 

Persephone laughed and walked after the excited dog, who looked behind him constantly to make sure she was following. 

While Persephone threw the ball and ran with Cerberus, Hades sat down on the doorstep. He drank the last bit of his beer and watched the bright girl running with his dog in the darkness. 

Everything was good. He felt at peace. 

Bzzz. Bzzz. 

He picked up his phone. It was Hecate.

"Hades? Can you please come over?" She sounded on the verge of tears.

"Is everything alright?" 

Hecate sniffled on the other side of the line. "Not really. Hermes is really not well. He has an extremely high fever and is throwing up constantly. I can't keep up with empty buckets. He hasn't eaten, I have no idea what's left inside his stomach." 

"I'm on my way." He stared at Persephone running after Cerberus. "Hecate, I have a visitor." 

The other side of the line kept silent. 

"Hecate?"

"Just bring her with you, Hades." Her voice sounded defeated. "Why do men never listen to me? I told you to stay away from her." 

"You told me to be careful." 

"And with that you heard: bring her to your house in hell?" Hecate scoffed. "Well, you've made your own bed. You better lie in it. Now get your ass over here." 

Hades stood up. "Persephone!" He motioned for her to come and she came running right away. 

Before she could say something, he said: "A friend of mine needs some help. Do you want to come?" 

Of course she wanted that. They got in the car and he drove towards Hecate's place quickly. She was already waiting in the open door and she looked bad. Her eyes had dark purple circles underneath and were watery and bloodshot. 

"Hi," she said to Persephone, "I'm Hecate. It's really nice to meet you. I'm sorry for my state." 

"My name is Persephone. Are you alright? Is there something I can do for you?" She laid a hand on Hecate's shoulder. 

Hecate sniffled. "Thank you," she said and she softly touched Persephone's hand on her shoulder as she turned to Hades, still visibly upset with him. "He's upstairs. Can you please go and take a look?" 

Hades went upstairs and the girls stayed behind in the kitchen. He heard Persephone offer to make some tea before stepping into the bedroom where Hermes was once again retching into a bucket. Sweat pearled onto his forehead and his eyes looked empty. 

"Dear god," Hades muttered. He grabbed the washcloth from the bedstand and wiped Hermes' forehead with it. 

"Hhh... Hades..." Hermes sputtered, before throwing up again in the bucket. The smell coming from it was sour and gut-wrenching. He quickly went to the bathroom to empty it. 

Hermes had a short moment of rest before getting sick again. Hades felt his forehead with his hand: it was scorching hot. The poor guy was shivering. 

"You've got it bad, man," Hades said. 

"Ugh... C-can you do s-something?" 

"Not sure." The door of the bedroom opened softly and in the door stood Hecate with a cup of tea. Behind her stood Persephone. 

Every time he saw her again, his heart skipped a beat. 

"Persephone made fresh mint tea. It might help with the sickness," the goddess of death said. 

Carefully, Hermes sipped the tea. He didn't throw up immediately, so that was a win. He took another sip and blinked his eyes. "Mmm," he mumbled, before finally noticing Persephone. "Woah." 

He looked at Hades. "D-did you b-bring a date?" 

"You're delirious. Drink up the tea and try to sleep." 

They left Hermes to sleep a little after he drank his tea and went downstairs. 

"So, you really like this place?" Hecate asked Persephone, who was helping her do the dishes. 

"I really love it. It smells so good here, and the darkness is making everything so mysterious. I'm really hoping to see Tartarus as well, but I think we don't have enough time today anymore." 

"And what do you think of Hades?" 

Hades almost choked. Hecate was way too straightforward. But he was also really curious for the answer. 

Persephone giggled and shot him a look over her shoulder. "He's really sweet. And handsome." She winked playfully and Hades forgot how to breathe. His face got all red and warm again and he looked away. 

But then, Hecate ruined it all. "Is your mother okay with all of this?" 

Persephone looked at her puzzled. "She doesn't know. I think it's better that way. She's a little..." She turned her index finger around in the air. 

"You may be able to fool her once, but you know it will get harder if you want to come here again."

"I'll think of something."

It was time for Persephone to get back to Olympus. Hades drove her to the gates. The Underworld was already pitch black for the night and up above it was already getting darker as well. 

"Thank you for everything," she said as she stepped out of the car.

"It was a pleasure having you down under. You made the Underworld a little brighter."

"If it's not too much to ask... Can I come back to visit Tartarus?" 

Hades blushed. "Persephone, you are welcome any hour of the day in my domain. Just text me and we'll arrange something."

She walked up to him and placed a little kiss on his cheek. "I will. Thanks again." 

And with that, she was gone. 

When Hades got home, Cerberus was sleeping on the couch. She had worn him out good. Hades grinned at the sight of his usually so active dog, sleeping so peaceful after this afternoon with her. 

Then, he saw the pebble on the kitchen table. It was the heart shaped black one Persephone had found in the Styx. She had left it as a gift for him. 

Hades took it and decided to keep it close.

It was her heart, after all.

Chapter 3

Summary:

TW: mentions of hell and the burning of souls in this chapter

Oh no, I forgot the book. Can you put it aside for me so I can take it along next time? X, Persephone 

Of course. Let me know what day suits you best. I am looking forward to it. Cheers, H.

Me too! I'm taking it a little easy so my crrrazy mother doesn't go all loony on me. I'll let you know! X, Persephone 

No rush. Cheers, H.

Little by little, Hermes got better. He hadn't thrown up anymore after he drank Persephone's tea and today, he finally got out of bed. 

Of course, Hades had to be there for support. 

He took Hermes' arm and helped him get downstairs to the kitchen, where Hecate was making a healthy green smoothie.

"I'm not drinking that," Hermes muttered as the drink was placed in front of him. 

"You will, or I will make sure you'll be bed bound again for a while," Hecate hissed. 

"I'd listen to her," Hades said.

Softly grumbling, Hermes started drinking the green juice. Hecate handed Hades a towel and started washing the parts of the food processor.

"Have you talked to Persephone since she visited?" she asked, just soft enough so Hermes didn't hear.

"We've texted. She wants to come back anytime soon." 

Hecate narrowed her eyes, wanting to warn him again, but she decided against it. So she just smiled. "She's lovely, Hades."

Work in the Underworld was never done. Hades had to remind himself to be strict. Sometimes, there was a wave of people dying, and he had to figure out where in the Underworld they belonged. And the souls that had to go to Tartarus were never happy. 

But he was good at his job. He was righteous and stern. He knew exactly what to look for in a soul. 

He worked through a pile of files and sat back in his chair. It had been a while since Persephone's visit, but that didn't mean she was not on his mind. She still kept him awake at night and made his belly feel full without eating. 

And he waited patiently for her to text him.

Bzzz.

Hey Hades! I'm free tomorrow afternoon, would it be possible to meet? X, Persephone 

His schedule was completely filled and the work piled up to the ceiling. But maybe, if he worked through the night, he could get the afternoon off. 

Definitely. Noon again? Cheers, H.

I'll be there! :) X, P. (Wanted to try your cool greeting as well)

She didn't fail to make him smile. A slight blush came over his face. He felt less nervous, but a tingling sensation swirled through his body. 

And so he worked through the night, fuelled by dark coffee. It was tiring, but he gladly did it for her.

She was already waiting at the gates. Her beautiful hair was braided into two braids hanging over her shoulders. Again, she wore something dark: a black jumpsuit with thin straps and wide legs. 

Quickly, she got into the car, and greeted the god of the Underworld. "Hello!" 

"You look magnificent," he replied, making her giggle.

"Can we stop by your place first? I have something for Cerberus." 

Hades felt his heart skip a beat. She brought something for his dog? That made him melt as well. He drove onto his driveway and the three-headed dog came already running.

She jumped out of the car, revealing not one, but three large chewing bones. With a wide smile she gave one to each head before petting him. "You're such a good boy! Yes you are!" 

Cerberus gnawed contently on the bones. 

"Do you want to go right away?" Hades asked.

"Mmm. Maybe we can have a quick coffee before we go?" 

That was a great idea, as Hades was still quite tired from not sleeping all night. She sat down at the kitchen table while he started the espresso machine. 

"How is Hermes doing?" she asked, watching him work the machine.

"He's slowly getting better. I think Hecate is looking forward to having him out of her house again." 

"I'm glad to hear he's getting there!" She paused. "They're not together, are they?"

Hades grinned. "Not officially, no. But they have been crushing on each other since forever. It's about damn time one of them made a move." 

"And what about you?" 

He was startled by that question. "What do you mean?"

"Aren't you lonely sometimes?" 

"I've got Cerberus. And Hecate and Hermes come over quite a lot." He had never given much thought to the concept of loneliness before he met Persephone. But now, he often craved her.

"I mean, I'm surrounded by so many people up above. But it doesn't quite fill that hole, you know?" She took one of the cups with fresh coffee from Hades' hands. "It feels different when I'm here, in the Underworld. I felt it last time and I'm feeling it again."

"What do you feel?"

Persephone narrowed her eyes. "I feel... Whole." 

She felt whole in this dark pit they call hell? In his kingdom? 

"You're welcome to come over as much as you want," Hades said. Of course his stupid face was blushing again.

They finished their coffee and Persephone quickly washed the cups. "Thank you, Hades," she said. "For everything, I mean. For being so open to me." 

"Anytime," he got out. 

It was thundering in Tartarus. The sound of wailing souls greeted them when they drove towards the prison. "I don't want you to be afraid," Hades said. "But the souls down there are not as nice as the ones you've seen." 

"I'm not afraid," Persephone said, nonchalantly throwing her braid over her shoulder. 

Hades parked the car and opened the lock of the large, metal gate.

Persephone was not afraid, or so she said, but she stayed close to Hades as they descended into the darkness. The wailing and screaming of the souls was deafening. Hades had a serious and stern look on his face, inspecting everything closely. 

Down below, chained souls sat between smouldering fires. The air was heavy and smokey and hot, making it hard to breathe. The souls weren't white down here. They were pitch black. No lights or whatsoever shone from their chest. 

"Stay back," Hades said to Persephone, who was looking closely. He stepped forward and the small fires grew. Souls screamed and chains rattled as a burning smell arose. 

Hades walked around, checking the fires and some of the chains. He didn't notice that one of the souls, in the form of a woman, had taken interest in Persephone.

"Help me," it cried. "I can't do this anymore. I'm misplaced here. I didn't do anything wrong." 

Persephone stepped back, stuttering incomprehensible words. At that moment, Hades looked back and his eyes filled with anger. Within a second, he struck the soul back in place. It cried and wailed, and he cursed it out. 

"Wicked, wicked thing!" he spat. "Do you want to end up in a worse place than this?!" 

He turned to Persephone. "Are you okay?" Without even thinking about it, he put his arms around her. "I'm okay. They deserve to be here," she said, mostly to herself. 

"They do. They have lived rotten lives, for which they now pay." 

"How can you manage all of this on your own?"

He had no idea. He had been for years and years, and it was just... Work. A lot of work, yes, but it was something he was good at. 

"Do you want to go back?" Hades asked, not responding to her question. 

"Not yet," she said, her eyes fixed on the burning souls. "What worse place were you talking about?" 

And so they descended even deeper, to a place where the fire didn't stop burning and the air was thicker than ever. Souls were hanging from their feet, their heads sitting in the licking flames. The screaming was non-stop. Persephone took it all in. 

"These are the worst of the worst. They have to suffer for eternity," Hades said, the stern look never leaving his face. He saw the dancing flames reflecting in Persephone's eyes. She was definitely not afraid. 

"We are going back now," he said, and she only nodded. 

When they got back to the car, they noticed how cold it had gotten outside of Tartarus. Persephone was shivering, so Hades quickly took off his coat and draped it over her bare shoulders. 

"What did you think?" 

"Impressive. And hot." 

"How long do you think we were inside?"

"I don't know. Maybe a half hour?"

"Four hours. Time moves extremely slowly inside Tartarus. It's one of the tortures they have to endure. Their eternity takes way longer than ours." 

"It's all just so... Incredible, what you are doing."

"I don't know. It's just my job." 

They got into the car and drove back to Hades' manor to pick up the book before getting Persephone back up. 

"I'll be back for a coffee, if you'll have me," Persephone said, clutching the book she got against her chest. 

"I'd like to see you again," Hades said.

And so, Hades was waiting for her at the gates again only a few days later. She wore a dark green long skirt and a black top, as per her usual dress code.

"You look lovely," Hades said.

Persephone had brought a bottle of sweet summer wine, which they drank on the front porch under the lead grey sky. They talked about life, and work. About death, History of Sepultures, Elysium and Tartarus, but also about flowers and what kinds would grow in the Underworld.

Everything was good.

Hades finally felt some sort of relaxation washing over him. 

Chapter 4

It became their little ritual.

She would text him, and he would finish his work quickly and go and get her at the gates, where she would already be waiting.

She would wear some dark outfit that made him feel all sorts of things.

They would walk through the flower fields of Elysium, drink wine on Hades' front porch, listen to music, play catch with Cerberus or just talk about everything there was to talk about.

"Do you think about us sometimes?" Persephone took the last sip of her beer and glanced at Hades, waiting for him to reply.

Sometimes? He thought about her and them every second of every damn minute. "I do."

"Enlighten me." 

She had that mischievous smile on her face, the one that made his heartbeat accelerate and his face get all hot.

"You are the light in this dark hell. You make me feel things I had never even considered before." He paused to take a swig. "You make me feel alive."

Persephone didn't answer right away, causing Hades to look at her. She was staring into the distance, the smile had fallen from her face.

"Every hour spent apart makes me feel so empty. I want to be with you, Hades. But I'm worried."

"About what?" he asked, but he already knew the answer. 

Demeter.

"My mother would never allow us to be... More than friends. Hell, I doubt if she would even allow us to be friends." 

"Probably not."

They sat in silence for a while. Persephone sighed deep, did some thinking and then said: "She doesn't have to know, right?"

"Seph." Hades looked into her ocean eyes. "She's gonna find out sooner or later."

"So... So what are you saying?" 

"I don't know."

She shimmied closer to Hades and laid her head on his shoulder, to which he responded by putting his arm around her. It was a perfect fit.

"I'll think of something," Persephone whispered. 

It was getting harder to be discreet. Only Hermes and Hecate knew of them, so the other gods were very surprised if they saw Persephone in the Underworld. 

But so far, it worked out. 

She would text, he would pick her up. No one had to see them, and in the Underworld, it was dark anyway.

Hey H. My mother is out of town tonight. You want to meet up? X, Seph

It had been the fifteenth time he drove up to the gates. He counted. Of course he did, how could he not? He had never expected her to come over so many times. 

He got out of the car and casually leaned against the door for the fifteenth time.

It was the first time she was late, though.

"DEVIL!" 

Hades was startled by the sudden outburst. That was not Seph's voice. He looked up and before him stood... Demeter.

Well, fuck.

Her eyes were flaming with anger. Strangely, she was much larger than Hades remembered. 

"YOU STAY AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER," she roared.

"Demeter, wait," Hades started, but he knew it was no use. 

"Don't you take my fucking name in your mouth, bringer of death!" The volume of her voice made his ears ring. "I'll kill you if I see you near her ever again!" 

This was pretty bad. It was time to leave. 

Hades got into his car and drove away, into the darkness.

Seph, is everything alright? 

There was no immediate reply.

"Hecate," Hades panted when she finally opened her door. His body was acting all weird and his legs felt weak. "Demeter knows."

"I'm actually surprised you're still alive," she started, but when she saw Hades' face, she pulled him in for a hug. "It will be okay." 

"Will it?" 

"You will be. Time will heal you." 

He didn't want time to fucking heal him. He wanted her and to be with her for the rest of eternity. 

"What do I do now?" he softly asked.

"Oh, honey. You move on." 

Hades didn't cry. But it started raining in the Underworld.

Cerberus sat in front of the window, whining sadly while watching the downpour outside. He toddled towards Hades' office to beg for attention. 

"I'm busy." 

The dog tilted all three of his heads, giving his master the puppy eyes threefold. 

"Cerberus, not now. I said I'm busy." 

There was plenty of work to do. Hades had been working for almost three days straight, with little to no sleep at all. His eyes hurt, his back and neck hurt, but it was nothing compared to the pain in his chest.

Hermes walked in with a steaming cup of coffee and put it on his desk. "Hades... I'm worried. Hecate and me, both."

Hades didn't look up from his screen. "I don't need your pity."

"We're not pitying you, we're worried." 

Yeah, well, whatever. "I have work to do. I'll talk to you later."

"Hades..."

He finally looked up, annoyed. "Hermes, I'm busy. I'll talk to you later." The last part came out a little more harsh than he had intended, but it made the dude at least leave.

Persephone hadn't replied to his texts. At first, he wondered why. Maybe her phone had gotten confiscated by Demeter or maybe she lost it.

Now, he tried not to think about it much anymore. 

There was work to do. Lots and lots of work.

It was already getting late when the doorbell rang. Annoyed, he pulled himself out of his desk chair and walked to the front door.

"Hello, handsome." 

Before him, in the rain, stood a tall woman. She had deep purple eyes, long black hair reaching all the way to her hips and a devilish smile. 

He knew her.

Nyx. The goddess of night. One of the most frightening goddesses of them all.

"Good evening," Hades said, confused. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"A little birdie told me you were lonely."

With a sigh, Hades let her in. "You want a coffee?" 

He poured her a hot cup and they sat down at the kitchen table. 

"You look like a wreck. Is everything okay?" Nyx asked.

"Look, I really appreciate your coming here. I don't know who told you that I'm lonely, but I'm really not. I just have an extreme amount of work to do." 

Nyx seductively touched Hades' arm. "Come on, King, you can't tell me you haven't got time for a little fun?" 

"I really don't." 

"Damn, man. I was already wondering why Demeter told me you were lonely. I mean, no offence, but you don't seem like that type of guy."

Oh, come on! His chest had just stopped aching so much, and now it all came back.

Persephone...

"I already love someone," Hades said, his voice softer than before. "I'm not sure if I could ever love another."

Nyx stared at him, confused. "I didn't know that. Shit, I really don't want to create drama, or something."

"That's okay."

Demeter. She was playing a dirty game here, driving him and Persephone even further apart. If that was even possible.

He wondered if she had set up Persephone with someone else, too. The thought of it alone made him feel physically sick.

"I'll leave, then," Nyx said, finishing her cup of coffee.

Hades said nothing.

"No hard feelings, King. Good luck with your lover, whoever it may be."

Maybe he was just lonely. The chances of seeing Persephone ever again were really slim.

Was he making a mistake?

Chapter 5

Two weeks had passed since it first started raining in the Underworld. The rain hadn't stopped.

Hades was about to pull another all-nighter when the doorbell rang. It was Hecate.

"Since when do you actually use my bell instead of just barging in?" he scoffed.

"Excuse me, I think what you meant to say was: hello Hecate, my dear friend, I am so happy to see you," Hecate snapped back. "I brought wine."

"I'm not thirsty."

"I don't give a damn, Hades! You're going to get your ass to the kitchen and drink wine with me!"

He sighed. Why was she being so annoying? Reluctantly, he let her in and dragged himself to the kitchen. She grabbed two glasses from the shelf and poured them, giving one to Hades.

"Drink," she commanded. Hades obediently took a sip. 

Then she continued: "I haven't seen you in a while. How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine."

"It's been raining down here for two weeks. You've cussed out Hermes every time he tried to reconnect. I wouldn't call that fine."

Hades looked away in irritation. Hecate saw right through him, as she always did. 

"I've been working a lot."

"Is she still on your mind?"

Of course she was. Every moment. "Yeah."

"You have to let her go."

That was it. Every feeling he had been cropping up for the entire time came out. 

"I've tried! I've tried so hard, but nothing works. She keeps coming back to me. It hurts, Hecate. I keep indulging myself in work, just to forget the pain for a second." 

Hades heard himself ramble on. King of shadows, not being capable of keeping his emotions in check. Pathetic, and possibly dangerous. 

Hecate put her glass down and stared at him. "I've spoken to Demeter," she said. 

"What? What did she say?"

"I met her by accident. You know I would never betray you." Hecate sighed. "She told me she's going to give Persephone's hand in marriage to Apollo." 

"WHAT?!"

Outside, it started thundering.

"You should really just let her go." 

"I can't. I can't." He kept shaking his head. "She can't marry Apollo. He's an idiot."

"Hades."

"No, I can't let this happen."

"What are you gonna do?"

"I'm going to get her."

 Hecate stared at him with wide eyes. "Have you gone completely insane?" 

"Maybe."

"You can't just go to Olympus and steal her."

"Who are you to tell me what I can and can't do? I'm the King of the Underworld, for hell's sake!" 

Hecate raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to make me mad?"

"On whose side are you actually? You've been nothing but unsupportive about her and me." 

"Hades!" Hecate slammed her fist onto the table. "You moron! I've been looking out for you! I'd love for you and her to be happy, but you can't!"

"And why can't we?!"

"Because Demeter is going to make your life a living hell if you took her only daughter to this place!" 

"Persephone likes this place, thank you very much!" Hades was shaking from anger. "And why is it so important what her mother wants? Can't she make a decision for herself?!"

"Because Demeter is fucking powerful, Hades!" Her eyes were filled with fire.

"And you're saying I'm not?!"

"Oh, god." Hecate closed her eyes and took a deep breath in an effort to calm herself. "I don't want to fight." 

Hades finally got a hold of his emotions, too. He cleared his throat and wiped a fluff off his sleeve. "Me neither." 

But he was determined.

He was gonna get her, no matter what.

Why had he been sulking all this time? He was the King of the Underworld, ruler of the dead. If he wanted to be with Persephone, he would.

After Hecate left, he got in his car and drove up to the gates. But as soon as he was about to drive into Olympus, a shadow appeared before his headlights.

There, in the pouring rain, stood... Persephone.

Hades felt his heart skip a beat. Was he hallucinating?

He stepped out of the car, still unsure if this was really happening. 

"S-seph?"

"Hades..." Her voice was filled with tears.

They ran in each other's arms. Persephone's wet hair stuck to his face. He felt the rain drip from his hair, too. His clothes were getting soaked. 

But he didn't care. She was here.

"Let me take you home."

Persephone sniffled and nodded against his shoulder, not letting go of him just yet. 

They stood in the rain for a while, before Hades picked up Persephone and put her in the car. 

Her dripping wet dress made a mess of the interior of his vintage car, but he didn't care. 

Hades raced home. He carried her inside, both drenched from the rain and gave her one of his woolen sweaters to wear. It was way too big for her, and he blushed hard at the sight of the beautiful lady wearing his clothes. 

They sat down on the couch in the living. A place Hades never used when it was just him, but he wanted Persephone as close as possible. 

And so did she. She snuggled right up to him. 

"I ran from home." Persephone rubbed her watery eyes. "They wanted me to marry Apollo." 

"So I heard." 

"I don't want to marry that imbecile." 

"You don't have to. You're safe here." 

She looked at him, her aquamarine eyes ever so bright. "I want to stay here, with you."

"I want you t-"

Before Hades could finish his sentence, Persephone pressed her lips onto his. 

His mind went blank. She kissed him. SHE KISSED HIM. His heartbeat sped up.

She tasted like... Honey. God, her lips were so soft. Hades put his arms around her to pull her even closer. 

For that moment, it felt like nothing mattered. It was just them and no one else in the entire universe. 

It was also Persephone who pulled back first.

"Seph, I-"

But she interrupted him again. "I love you, Hades." 

"I love you, Persephone."

"And my mother can go to hell."

Hades grinned. "I hope she doesn't. It would be sad for me to get killed in my own domain."

They stayed all snuggled up on the couch until Persephone fell asleep. Hades watched her for a while, listening to her breathing. He examined the freckles on her tanned nose, every single one perfect. He brushed through her hair with his fingers, oh, how beautiful every strand was.

Then, he carried her upstairs and put her in his bed. For a moment, he wanted to crawl next to her and hold her all night long.

But he decided to finish some work and take a nap on the couch. It was more respectful.

Before reading the 78 emails that had come in since earlier that day, he texted Hecate.

Persephone ran away from Demeter. She's staying at my house. H.

Hecate was always one to reply immediately.

I'm happy for you, H. But this will be your death. x

Chapter 6

Notes:

In my AU there is no Asphodel. The good ones go to Elysium and the wicked ones go to Tartarus.

Life was worth living again.

The rain cleared up down below. The lead grey sky was brighter than it had ever been. 

Persephone came down the stairs, wearing one of Hades' blouses as a dress. She looked stunning, as usual.

"Good morning," Hades said.

"Well, hello, mister," Persephone smiled.

"Did you sleep well?"

"I slept wonderfully!" She sat down at the kitchen table, where Hades was already going over some files. "Are you working already?" 

"Yes, I'm actually quite busy." A bunch of mortals had been sent down to him, which meant he had to audit their files to classify them. "I can try to get this night off."

"That would be lovely! Maybe we could walk around a bit tonight?"

"Definitely. Will you be okay until then?"

Again with that mischievous smile of her. Oh, what she did to him... 

"I'll be okay if I can read something from your collection."

"Absolutely."

She stood up and pressed her lips on his cheek, but that wasn't enough for Hades. He gently grabbed her chin and pressed his lips onto hers. 

God, her lips. Her fruity smell. The way she tasted like sugary sweet nectar. How she devoured the kiss like a hungry animal.

He wanted to keep kissing her for the rest of his life.

They only let go of each other because they were out of breath. Hades noticed that Seph's cheeks were all pink and blushy. 

"Now get to work, King of the Underworld." She walked out of the kitchen with a wink. "Maybe you'll get some more mouth-to-mouth action later."

Focus, Hades, he said to himself, trying to get his whirling consciousness in order. 

He worked hard and had gotten through almost all the files when he decided to call it a day. He stood up, stretched his back and went to look for Persephone, whom he found lying on the couch, about halfway through his copy of Theory of the Soul. She looked up.

"Oh, hi! Did you get done what you wanted to do?"

"I did. Are you reading Theory of the Soul?" Hades asked, a little surprised.

"Yeah! It's so interesting, I had no idea the souls of mortals were this complex. Some mortals have really dark souls, but then they live fair lives anyway."

"That's right. It's why I have to revise all their files before sorting them."

"And they can change their life along the way, too." 

"Yes."

"So how do you figure out who to put where?" 

"You have to be just." He sat down on the couch next to her and she immediately curled up next to him. "You have to be stern." 

"Can you show me?" 

Hades blinked. "You want me to... Show you my work?" 

Persephone nodded. "Please?"

Confused, he went to the kitchen to grab his laptop. Was she just being polite, or was she really interested in what he did?

He started his laptop again (he had just turned it off for the night) and picked out a particularly complex file he had received a few weeks ago. 

"This mortal had a rough childhood. Its soul was turned bad at a very young age," Hades explained. She was all ears. "It stole and bullied and ruined a few lives. But along the way, it started showing regret." 

"So you sent it to Elysium?"

"But shouldn't it pay for all the crimes it did in the early stages of its life?" 

Persephone thought for a while. "Mmm. Maybe. But it was already living in guilt in the second half of its life. It bettered its life."

"What if I told you it killed another mortal?" 

"That's unforgivable."

"But I am not here to forgive. My job is to be righteous. To figure out if they deserve eternal peace or eternal hell."

"So what did you decide?"

"I sent it to Elysium. It lived with so much regret and guilt and really tried to make up for its crimes in the second half. It had already been punished."

"That's kind of you."

Hades cleared his throat. "It's not about kindness, though. It's about deciding what's fair, given the circumstances."

She was quiet for a moment before she looked at him.

"Hades."

"Yes?"

"I think you're the most righteous god of them all." 

He blushed. "That's a mighty big compliment, Seph." 

Persephone shrugged. "It's the truth. Hey, do you still want to walk around for a bit?" 

He did. Persephone leashed Cerberus and they went outside, where it was surprisingly warm. It was getting darker as the night was nearing. Hades didn't live close enough to walk to anything interesting, like the Styx or Elysium, but Persephone was still happy to see the Underworld. 

The rocky ground was filled with bits of dark green moss. Pillars of dark stone reached up to the sky, like trees. It was silent, with only the sound of the wind around them. 

His dark kingdom. A somber domain. Hades still didn't know why the bright goddess was so happy to be there. 

She turned to him. 

"Hades?" Her voice sounded a little dubious.

"Yes, Seph?"

"Is it strange that I want to stay here forever?"

Chapter 7

He stared into her aquamarine eyes. "Forever?" 

"Yeah? Is that weird?"

Hades had no idea what to say. Was it weird? Of course it was weird. He had been wondering about it since the day they talked after the meeting with the gods. She was such a floral lady, so bright, she made the plants grow on earth. What was she doing in the darkest place in existence? 

"Is it?" She asked again, sounding more nervous. He realised he hadn't replied yet. 

"Honestly? Yes." He spoke slowly. "You're so vivid and bright. I don't know why you want to be in the darkness."

"God forbid I have an uncommon interest," she muttered, but she was still smiling. "I'm just so sick of the hectic life in Olympus or on earth. This place clears my head." 

"Speaking about that, Seph, you have to face your mother at some point."

She sighed. "I know. But I'm not ready just yet."

Hades hesitantly grabbed her hand and she squeezed it softly.

"Take as much time as you need."

Hand in hand, they walked home. When they arrived back, it had gotten completely dark.

Persephone made some tea and they sat for a while, talking, before she was getting sleepy. Hades walked upstairs with her. 

She kissed him goodnight. He could never get enough of that. 

"Goodnight, Seph."

"Sleep tight, Hadie."

He paused. "What did you call me?"

"Hadie." Her eyes twinkled mischievously.

He smirked. "My name is Hades, King of the Dead and Ruler of the Underworld." 

"Well then, my King, why don't you keep me safe tonight?" Her voice was sweet like honey with a hint of naught.

Wait, was she asking him to stay with her tonight? "Seph, are you sure about that?"

"Stop being shaky and get over here."

She didn't have to say that twice. He crawled next to her in his own bed, grabbing her and clenching her against his chest. He buried his face in her hair. It smelt like jasmine and it made his heart beat faster.

Her body felt so warm against his chest. Her rhythmic breathing was therapeutic. 

"Seph?" Hades whispered, but she was already asleep.

Not much later, he dozed off as well.

Bzzz. Bzzz.

Oh, for fucks sake, people had to stop calling this early in the morning! With only one eye open, Hades reached for his phone to see who was calling him. 

It was Hermes. He declined the call, hoping it didn't wake Persephone who was still peacefully sleeping next to him.

He put his phone away and closed his eyes again, not ready to wake up yet.

Bzzz. Bzzz.

Was he calling again?!

Persephone turned around, her face very close to his. She slowly opened her eyes. 

"Hello, Hadie." Her voice was all sleepy and squeaky. "I think someone is calling you." 

"Hello Seph. Yes, It's that moron Hermes. He's calling for the second time now."

"Maybe you should pick up, then?" She smiled softly, her face still a little dazed.

Hades sighed. He turned around again, grabbed his vibrating phone and answered the call. 

"Hermes, do you have any idea how early it is?"

"I'm sorry, man. It's just... There's a crazy lot of mortals coming in today. Like, absurdly much."

Hades pinched the bridge of his nose. "And that's why you're... Nevermind, how much are we talking about? 100? 150?"

The other side of the line was quiet for a second. "Eh, a little bit more. It's almost 400 today." 

That woke him up. "What? What happened?"

"We're still figuring that out. I'll email the files right away. Call me if you need anything."

He immediately got out of bed, leaving a startled Persephone. "Is everything alright?"

"There's a ridiculous amount of work coming today." 

"Let me help."

He hesitated. "Can you do it?"

"I'll pass the tough ones to you. I can do the easy ones."

"Let's do it, then."

Hades opened his email: 389 files were sent to him. He set up a laptop for Persephone and gave her 50 files to begin with. Then, he made some very strong coffee for them both and started working as well.

She worked fast. Now and then, she asked him something. "This one is only 7 years old. Where do I put it?"

"Young souls always go to Elysium."

"This one once stabbed another mortal when it was being robbed."

"Self-defence. No need for Tartarus." 

"I'm finished with the 50 you gave me. Do you want me to do some more?"

He gave her some more. They both worked hard, and they finished just before nightfall. 

"You're a natural," Hades said to her when they walked Cerberus around the block after the work was done.

"I still have a lot to learn. I was happy I could help, though."

"You were of great help. Thank you."

The rest of the night was relaxed and peaceful. They played a little card game Persephone learned on earth. Just before they wanted to go to bed, Hades' phone rang again.

Hecate.

"Hades, honey, just a heads up: I heard Zeus is looking for Persephone," she said.

"Zeus? Why?!"

"I don't know. But I've got to run. Talk to you later."

Chapter 8

Notes:

In this AU, Zeus is not Seph's father. He's just a very large name in Olympus.

Persephone looked at him with wide eyes. 

"Zeus is looking for me?!"

"That's what Hecate said." 

"Why?"

Hades sighed. He didn't have a good feeling about this at all. "I have no idea."

They decided to go to bed. Persephone curled up against Hades' chest and held him close. Her head rested on his shoulder and he held her tight. 

It was silent for a while. Just when Hades thought she had fallen asleep, she whispered: "Hadie? Are you asleep?" 

"No."

"I can't sleep. I keep thinking about why Zeus is looking for me. Do you think my mother is behind this?" 

Of course it was Demeter. He was 99.9% sure it was her, and he was hoping not to tell Seph. But now, he couldn't lie to her.

"I think so."

He heard her sigh. She sounded defeated.

"Seph," Hades said. 

"Yeah?"

"We'll think of something."

He not only said it to comfort her, but also to calm himself. Though he had no idea how to handle this.

The next morning, another extreme number of mortals had been sent. 344, to be precise. Hades shook his head. "This can't be." 

But it was real. They got to work, just like the day before, but it didn't sit right with Hades. It couldn't possibly have something to do with...

Bzzz. Bzzz.

Hades grabbed his phone and looked at Persephone, shocked.

"It's Zeus."

She held her breath as he took the call.

"Hi," Hades said, trying to sound confident.

"Hades! How is it going, old boy?"

Okay, Zeus didn't sound upset or anything. That was a good thing.

"I'm doing good, thanks. Busy as always. How are you?"

"Ah, fine, fine! Yeah, you must be busy with all those mortals dying. Hey, talking about that, you don't by any chance know where the goddess of agriculture and spring is? Persephone is her name."

Lying to Zeus was not an option. He had to be honest. And besides, lying was not his thing at all.

"I know where she is. She's here, with me."

It was silent for a while. Persephone held his arm and looked at him panicking. Then, Zeus started laughing.

"She's down under?! Why the hell is she there?!" He didn't sound mad at all, as if it was all a funny joke.

"Well... She wants to be here. With me."

The laughing stopped. "Is she there, Hades? May I speak with her?"

"Yes." He handed the phone to a confused and stressed Persephone. She shook her head, not wanting to talk to Zeus, but Hades gave her a reassuring nod.

She hesitantly took the phone. 

"Hello? ...Yes, I'm with Hades. ...Yeah. ...No, she doesn't." Persephone blushed. "I do. What? ...What?!" Her eyes got huge and filled with panic. "Yes, thank you. ...I will. Okay... Bye."

"What is it?" Hades asked, getting nervous because of the sheer panic on her face.

"My mother is killing the earth because of me." She sat down, completely defeated.

"What?!" 

Suddenly, everything clicked. Demeter had just dropped everything, and it caused nature to die. And thus, mortals died, too. Lots of them.

Persephone started sobbing softly.

"Hey," Hades shushed her, wrapping his arms around her.

"I don't want to go back," she sniffled.

"Seph, look at me. I'm not going to leave you. We'll go to Olympus together. I'm not letting you go." 

He carefully took her face in his hands and kissed her. 

"Okay," she whispered after the kiss. "Let's do this together."

Chapter 9

Let's do it together.

They were meeting with Demeter later this afternoon, and it didn't look good. She would most likely accuse him of stealing Persephone from Olympus. 

She would probably take her back to earth for them to never meet again. 

Together, they worked through a few of the files. Hades would normally never leave many souls waiting for their final verdict, but today was different. 

Time went by fast. The last of their time together, maybe. They both felt it. Even Cerberus came whining.

"Oh, Cerbie," Persephone said, her voice frail. She threw her arms around the three heads of the dog. 

Hades watched them, his dog, his girl... And then, it hit him.

"Seph."

She turned around, a questioning look in her wet eyes.

"I might have a solution."

"What?"

"Come."

There was one orchard in the Underworld. It was hidden, no one knew of its existence. Except for Hades, of course. He kept the orchard alive, the trees bearing a red fruit.

Pomegranate.

Eating from the fruit would tie any mortal to the Underworld. It should work for gods, too.

Though he never tried.

"It's used as a curse," Hades said, plucking one of the bright red fruits. The contrast of the pomegranate with the sad looking orchard was gigantic. He handed it to Persephone. "But a curse can be a blessing."

She didn't hesitate. Quickly, she opened up the fruit and stuffed a handful of seeds into her mouth.

Dark red juice dripping from her chin, she asked: "How many should I eat?"

"I think one was enough," Hades said, a slight smile tugging at his mouth.

Without breaking eye contact, Persephone put another handful in her mouth. The tension that had been since Zeus' call finally lifted a little.

They drove to Olympus in silence. Hades had one hand on the wheel and with the other he held Persephone's hand. She was gripping his hand hard, as if she was afraid he would let go of it.

He didn't. Of course he didn't. 

He parked his car before Zeus' office.

They stepped out of the car. Not a word was said, but a thousand thoughts went through his head. 

Leaving without her was not an option. His plan had to work. It would make Demeter livid, probably, but he didn't care.

If it worked, he would have won.

He rang the large, golden doorbell on an even larger, golden doorframe holding the golden door. 

"Hades! Persephone!" It was Zeus' voice through the intercom. "Come on up!"

Still hand in hand, they walked up the massive, wood carved stairs with red carpet. Everything was extremely luxurious and expensive. Hades hated it.

Before entering Zeus' office, Hades turned to Persephone. She looked terrified. 

"It will be okay, Seph. You ate the pomegranate. You're bound to the Underworld."

Then, they stepped inside. Before anyone could say anything, Demeter jumped up. Her eyes were red and wet and she cried: "PERSEPHONE!" 

She flew her daughter around the neck, sobbing.

But then, she made eye contact with Hades and her entire energy shifted. She shoved Persephone to the side.

"YOU!" she screamed enraged.

Hades said nothing.

"Demeter," Zeus spoke up. "Sit down." 

Seething, she obeyed. Persephone chose not to sit directly next to her, but kept a few chairs free. Hades sat directly next to her, making Demeter's face get even redder with anger.

"Mom," Persephone started. "Why?" Her voice was hoarse.

"I was devastated, Persephone. You're my only daughter."

"I am more than just your daughter, mom," Persephone spat. "I'm me. And I'm choosing him."

She pointed at Hades.

"No, you won't. You're coming with me, we're going back to earth. You can make your own choices when you've learned everything."

"But-"

"No buts, young lady. Zeus, she's coming with me." Demeter's eyes pierced through Zeus. "You know you owe me."

Finally, Hades spoke up. "It's not up to Zeus. Nor is it up to you. Persephone has made her own decision by eating a pomegranate. She is physically bound to the Underworld forever." 

Everyone was deadly quiet. Persephone snaked her hand towards Hades' hand under the table and squeezed it, while maintaining a stone cold stare at her mother. Zeus' mouth stood open, but he said nothing. Demeter's face portrayed a lot of emotions: disbelief, anger, despair.

"Did you really?" Zeus asked, eventually.

"Yes."

Demeter let out a wail. "NOOOO!" She stood up, looked around the room in utter horror and then ran out. 

Persephone wanted to go after her, but Zeus said: "Sit. I have a proposal for the two of you."

"What is there to propose?" Hades asked. "It's done, right?"

"It's not," Zeus sighed. "I promised Demeter I would get her daughter back, in exchange for her to stop killing the earth."

"And now you can't."

Zeus looked Hades in the eye, and then Persephone. "I'm willing to make a deal and you will take it." He was serious. "I feel responsible for all those mortals on earth, too. And Hades, do you want to have heaps of them coming up every day until there's no one left?!" 

He had a point. "I'm listening."

"Persephone, you can stay with Hades in the Underworld if you join your mother on earth for half of the year as well."

"What?!" Persephone shook her head. "No."

"So tell me what you have already learned from your mother so I won't degrade you as goddess of harvest and spring."

She didn't respond. Zeus had them both in a choke hold.

"It's this or nothing." 

Persephone looked at Hades. She had tears in her eyes and it made his heart tear into two. He grabbed her hand and held it tight. 

Then, she whispered: "We'll do it."