May takes me to a cafe that is nearby and I tell her everything.
May-I'm still in shock I mean I don't believe it. He's taking good care of you, right?
-Is he, he barely let's me do anything anymore. No and when he's not holding me with his arms around me protecting me he doesn't stop looking at me and following me around with his gaze and when he does hold me he holds me in a warm, tight hug like is the last time he'll hold me.
She laughs at my words.
May-He loves you and cares for you, and if he wasn't protective of you before, he will be even more now that you expect a child of his.
-Is not funny, when I told him, a couple days after, we were in the car and he didn't let me do anything, he carried me to the car, he opened the door for me he sat me down on the passenger seat, he even put my seatbelt on as well. At first I let him but then I just snapped at him a bit mad and annoyed.
May-Did he got mad at you?
-No, he just laughed but let me do it on my own. We bought some things for the baby and Josh got two pairs of clothes for the baby as well.
May-What would you like? A boy or a girl?
-I think I would like a girl, there are enough boys on my life with a husband, a brother and three guardians, and I think Hades would prefer a girl as well.
May-He told you so?
-Not in those words exactly but the way he talked about the baby if it was a girl when I asked him, he was shining with happiness, his smile the way he talked and how his eyes shined every time he said something about it. About being his idol and protector.
May-You should go home and rest.
-But I want to keep enjoying the day with you, my best friend.
She shakes her head and takes my hands on hers.
May-Please, I can go home with you.
-No, I'll call Hades to pick me up.
She nods and I take my phone and dial his number. It barely finishes the first ring when I hear his voice alarmed.
Ha-*What happened? Are you okay? Do you feel okay? Is something wrong? How are you feeling?*
I burst out into laughter and as I can't speak a single word I give the phone to May and she takes it and talks.
May-She's fine, is just to pick her up. I don't know what you told her but I can assure she's perfectly fine, I'll stay with her until you arrive to pick her up. Yes, yes. That one. No, I told her to go home and rest. You got it. Sure thing.
She hangs up and hands me my phone back. I take it and save it on my purse.
May-He's on his way here.
I nod as I calm down enough to speak to her.
-Yeah, I figured as much.
Ten minutes after Hades appears at our table.
Ha-Are you okay?
I nod slowly and I avoid looking at his face completely. I stand and I give May a big hug.
-Thanks for everything. See you soon.
May-See you soon.
I take Hades hand and I keep myself from looking at him. Is uncomfortable to not look at his eyes or his smile but I'm afraid that I get another laughing attack. He doesn't seem to bother by the lack of visual contact and I don't know how to feel anymore. He takes me to the car and I scroll up and down my phone absentmindedly trying to keep my mind busy. When we get home I go to the kitchen and as in autopilot I start taking the ingredients for baking when I hear Hades speak worriedly.
Ha-Are you really okay? You haven't say a word and you didn't looked at me when I got to pick you up neither on the way here.
-I'm fine, super, don't worry.
I feel as he takes everything away from me and he kisses me in the forehead. I close my eyes as he holds my hands and our foreheads touch slightly.
Ha-You know you can tell me anything right? I'm here, I'll listen or be here for you.
I nod silently as I turn my back to him.
Ha-My love? Don't push me aside.
I take a deep breath before speaking.
-Is just, the reason seems so ridiculous now that I'm afraid to tell you and even now I don't know how to do what I know I must do. The worst thing is that is so, so, ugh, how do I even start explaining when I don't even understand it completely.
Ha-You'll find the answer. I know you can do it. Do you need me to go out or do anything?
-Just, keep hugging me and don't let go. Can I do anything from you?
Ha-Maybe. Can I look at you with you looking at me as well?
I shake and tremble on his arms as I tilt my head up as if I were really looking at him. He cups my face on his hands.
-Does a smile work as well?
Ha-Are you afraid of me?
-No.
Ha-Then why won't you look at me?
-I don't know, I'm afraid, just, afraid. But not of you, never of you. You will never be the reason or the source of any of my fears. Don't be mad at me, please don't, tell me you aren't mad at me.
Ha-I'm not, I'm confused but not mad. I just want to understand why won't you look at me. Would you open your eyes and look at me?
I bury my face on his chest and he backs away and takes my face on his hands at me. He passes his fingers by my eyes.
Ha-Look at me.
I feel as my eyes get wet by tears as he holds my face in place.
-Hades, please.
He lets out a sigh and lets go of me and I run to the bedroom as quick as I can leaving Hades behind. I throw myself on the bed and take a pillow and hug it tightly as I cry to myself. I feel the weight on the bed as Hades sits on it. I bury my face deeper on the pillow. I welcome him with a shaky voice.
Ha-Sorry for yelling at you. I didn't want to scare you.
-Is fine, you didn't scare me at all.
I sit up and I look at him lovingly. He looks worried. I stretch my hand out and he takes it and kisses it before he puts it on his forehead and then at his cheek longing for my touch.
-Come here. Let's play a game, here sit like so and put your hands like this.
I do it myself showing him how to do it and he takes off his shoes and comes sit in front of me. I win almost all of the rounds at first until he starts getting the hang of it and I start to lose. His phone starts to ring loudly and he frowns at the sound as he ignores it and keeps playing.
-Shouldn't you answer that?
Ha-They'll stop, eventually.
The phone stops ringing and he smiles at me triumphantly.
Ha-Told you they would grow tired.
I laugh when the phone rings again insistently. We keep playing until I snap.
-Hades, answer it, they're not going to give up until you answer and it's driving me crazy.
He takes the phone and answers it and with two quick words he hangs up and put it away.
Ha-There, that should do it.
I'm about to protest when his phone rings again and he answers in a cold yell.
Ha-What is it?
Suddenly his expression relaxes and I laugh under my breath. He turns to me and he covers the speaker.
Ha-Do you think the guardians can come here for the rest of the evening?
-Sure.
Ha-You can come over.
He hangs up and he sits back down on the bed with me. He gives me a kiss before he stretches on the bed putting his hands behind his head and crosses his legs as he smiles and closes his eyes. I lie on my side and look at him closely.
-Don't move and don't speak.
I put the tip of my finger on his forehead and start sliding it down his face to his neck and his chest where I open my whole hand and slide it down his abs until I reach his belt and I hold it tightly. I roll on top of him and he laughs before I give him a kiss on the lips. I feel as his hands touch my back and I separate from his lips and he looks at me lovingly.
-Hands off. Like you were before.
He nods and he puts his hands back behind his head and I kiss him once more but before it grows more passionate I hear a knock on the door and we both get up alarmed but relax when we hear Cerberus from the other side. I stand and go to open the door but before I stop and turn to Hades.
-You, change clothes, I got you something is on the bathroom's closet.
It has a card on it with your name.
He nods and goes to the bathroom to change. I open the door and the guardians almost crush me with their hugs. I invite them in and they all crash onto my couch gently. I sit on the floor across from them and they smile at me before Cerberus speaks.
C-Where's Hades?
-Wait for it, three, two, one. Zero.
Just at that moment Hades steps out of the bedroom wearing what I got for him.
Ha-Good evening, now I believe you wanted to say something. Cerberus?
C-What are you wearing?
Hades throws him a menacing look and Cerberus lifts his hands defensively. He reaches for a backpack he got with him and he fishes something out and gives it to him and he gives one to me as well. I open it and see a couple of twenty dollar bills and a letter written with sticky notes and pieces of newspaper words like a collage. I laugh as how cute and adorable it is and I read it aloud.
-For the soon to be mother, I know you will be the best mother ever. With love, CON.
I look at them questioningly.
-CON?
C-Yeah, that's our initials.
O-We figured it would be a fun way to say it was from all of us.
N-Did you like it?
-Yeah. How did you came up with this? Who did what?
N-The money is from all of us and the message I recite it, Cerberus wrote it and Orthrus gave it the decorations and the finishing touches to make it look cute or adorable.
C-Hades, what do you think about yours?
Ha-I like it. Thanks for that. I'm going to save it, for now.
I give mine to Hades and he puts them on the cabinet on our room.
-Do you want to eat something? Do not worry, there is enough to feed an army with triple your appetite.
C-Only because you insist.
I clasp my hands together and as I stand Hades puts me down again and I look at him confused.
-What the......
Ha-Stay there, I'll do it.
-But I can......
He lifts a finger silencing me and I sit back down as I cross my legs and my arms over my chest as I mimick him in frustration with my brow furrowed. The guardians start to speak between themselves over the phone watching some websites about how to treat kids. After a few minutes I stand and I start to pave the room and when I do stop I tap my foot against the floor or rest my hands on the back of a chair before I start pacing again. I stop when Hades brings the food for the guardians with the help of his aura. He puts them all in front of them and gives them the forks and knives respectively. We all sit down at the table and before we can start eating I see as Hades stops Cerberus from digging in too fast as he holds down his hand and he takes his other hand and helps with the food.
Ha-Cerberus, don't eat too fast, you'll get sick. Nemean, take it easy, it's hot. Orthrus, be careful with the knife, don't get hurt.
We all look at him in a shocked silence before we burst out laughing. Hades looks genuinely perplexed at our sudden outburst.
O-Was that.....did you......
N-Are you feeling fine?
C-I guess his natural paternal instincts are kicking in.
Ha-What are you talking about?
I stand and go behind him and give him a side hug laughing.
-You poor thing, you did something wonderful and you don't even realize it.
Ha-What did I do?
-You treated them like little children. The knife is sharp, the food is hot, don't eat too fast. You said that to each of them.
Ha-Oh, oh. I guess I was acting a bit fatherly.
-Just a bit? A bit more and you would've feed them on the mouth too.
Ha-I'm fatherly not crazy.
I turn to the guardians who are still laughing and I smile fondly at them.
-Our child will be far worse than they are.
Ha-Yes it will.
-And you'll be a great father.
Ha-And you a great mother.
I let out a yawn and I rub my eyes sleepily.
Ha-Go sleep I'll go later.
-Fine.
I give him a kiss and I start to go away when an idea strikes me. I put myself behind the guardians and stretch out my arms and I make a face to Hades to keep silent and I bang the heads of Nemean and Orthrus into Cerberus and I laugh as they rub their heads softly.
-There, everyone's happy.
I go to the bedroom and collapse on the bed and I don't know what caused what first, if I fall to the bed because I fell asleep or if I fell to the bed and then fall asleep but sleep took me either way and I welcomed it kindly and without fighting it.
I wake up late at night as I feel Hades curl up under the blankets with me. I try to not alarm him but is to no avail.
Ha-Sorry if I woke you up, go back to sleep.
-Are they gone already?
Ha-Yes, they said thanks for dinner now sleep, we have to go to the doctor tomorrow morning.
I turn and curl up on his chest burying my face on his chest as I hug him tightly and closer to me. He hugs me as well and kisses my head before we both fall asleep.
