Emerald

As many moments as you want

§Medusa§

When my eyes fluttered open the bed space beside me was empty — Kharon always wakes up before me to make breakfast, he says he enjoys cooking for someone. However, this morning was different because I could not hear the usual noise he makes whilst cooking.

"Kharon?" I called out, sitting up.

"Come here, darling!" I heard Azrael's voice instead of her brother's.

I got up on my feet immediately, and rushed to the living room. Azrael was sitting on one of the sofas with Abaddon's head resting on her lap.

"Where's Kharon?" I asked with concern.

Azrael got up "There was an incident with one of our siblings and he had to go back to the Underworld," the thought of being alone instantly sparked anxiety. "Nothing to worry about, and I will not leave your side until he comes back, if that's all right with you."

I nodded as I rubbed my hands, trying to not show my anxiety "If that's what you want; I wouldn't want you to stay just because—"

"It will be my pleasure, darling," Azrael gently took my hands. "What would you like for breakfast? Kharon tells me you love mornings."

I slowly nodded, rubbing her hands with my thumbs "It's when my head is clearer."

Azrael nodded "I understand that. Whenever I need a moment for myself I come up to the human world and bathe in sunlight for a couple of minutes."

"Do you miss it? The human world," I asked as she guided me to the kitchen.

She glanced at me over her shoulder with a smile "Not really because I can come up whenever and wherever it pleases me. But at times I do miss being a human, so unaware of all the dangers around me — ignorance is bliss."

I actually relate to her thinking "It truly is. When I was human and I prayed to the gods, a part of me was happy to know their existence depended on my faith, but when there was proof everything was real, it was quite scary."

"And it shouldn't be that way," Azrael said as she pulled out a skillet pan from the drawer under the stove. "You should've felt safe and happy, but with the olympians we have, that's nearly impossible."

"It is."

It's so odd to have a goddess talk about the subject so openly. Athena has always made clear she's on my side, and she does sometimes complain about her siblings, but not so colloquially. For a moment, she actually made me forget where I was and my situation, which is always nice.

Azrael made a lovely breakfast for us as she told me about her and Hades' love story; it was gut wrenching, and endearing and so worth it in the end. It's what every love story should be, though a bit toned down since not everyone can come back from the dead.

"Now we have two beautiful babies: Diavolo and Carmilla — hopefully the next one is a baby girl as well, because I cannot deal with another testosterone being in my household," she chuckled.

I allowed myself to smile at her words; my children came straight to my thoughts "Children are so precious and fragile..."

Azrael reached for my hand "I was thinking that maybe we could do a little shrine for your babies," she said in a gentle tone, as if she was scared I might break, and she's not wrong. "We can use some of the paintings A—"

"Yes," I accepted before she said his name. "Just please, don't say his name, I beg of you, dea."

She immediately nodded "You don't have to beg anything of me, Medusa — just ask and you shall receive."