Hades

Chapter Seventeen - The Summer, Part Two

Chapter Seventeen: The Summer Part Two

Lying down on her bed that evening, Harusame noticed that Hades’ clothes had suffered from his previous act of gallantry.

‘You’ve got grass-stains all over you. There’s grass in your hair too,’ she told him.

Sitting on her floor with a box of left over take-away food, attempting unsuccessfully to use chop sticks, Hades shrugged. ‘Doesn’t matter,’ he said mildly.

‘It matters to me. I can’t let it be my fault if a god is walking around looking untidy. You take a shower, and I’ll get your clothes clean for you; Kamiya-san has a washing machine and tumble dryer downstairs.’

‘No thanks.’

‘It wasn’t a suggestion,’ said Harusame, and though she looked exhausted she also looked adamant.

‘Good grief,’ said Hades, and standing up, he pulled his shirt over his head. Harusame nearly fell off the bed. 

‘What are you doing?’ she cried, her face flaming. 

His arms above his head, Hades looked at her.

‘You just told me to take a shower. I don’t think you’re meant to shower with clothes on.’

‘I know that,’ she said, trying very hard to look everywhere but at his sculpted upper body. ‘I just meant that you’re not supposed to get undressed in front of me!’

‘Oh yeah…aren’t you supposed to leave the room? Isn't that the rule?’ As he threw his top to the ground and began removing his belt Harusame, reaching her limit of embarrassment, tackled him into the bathroom and slammed the door behind him.

‘You’re so clueless sometimes!’ she panted, leaning against the door. ‘This is my room and as a gentleman you should be the one to leave.’

She heard Hades snort from the other side.

‘Whoever said I was a gentleman?’ he called back.

*

Somewhere nearby, a small orange tabby cat was running to the park as fast as he legs would carry him, a flower carried carefully in his mouth. Having so frequently skipped his duties recently, Honda had felt it necessary to do a little overtime on the river; however this had meant he could not get away for his lunchtime meeting with Treielle he had become accustomed to. As the first stars appeared in the early twilight, he came to the children’s playground and saw a familiar face waiting for him on the swings by herself. This was the first time he’d seen the girl since the threat of losing her had reared its ugly head, and as she folded one lock of auburn hair behind her ear and smoothed the folds of her dress Honda’s heart overflowed with love. The cat’s paws pounded the grass of the park and with an explosion of sparkling lights he reached her, fully human. Treielle turned suddenly to find herself wrapped in the ferryman’s arms, being embraced in a splendid and tender silence.

‘Treielle,’ he whispered softly into her hair, tears spilling from his eyes.

‘Honda,’ she sounded worried, ‘are you sad?’

‘No. This is the happiest I’ve ever been,’ he assured her, and he felt her arms around him, hugging him back. 

‘This is for you,’ he said shyly, holding up a single red rose. ‘It isn’t a real one, but I conjured it myself. It was so pretty it reminded me of you.’ He withdrew from their hug and blushed with surprise at his own boldness. As he handed her the flower, she took it carefully as if it were a Ming vase.