Mythology One Shots

Sunshine

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy. When skies are grey. You'll never know dear how much I love you."

Loss is something that all of us will feel at some point in our lives. Some of us feel it early on in our lives and others later. I've dealt with loss multiple times over the course of my life enough times in fact that it became an almost constant weight on my shoulders and each time I lost someone new, the burden became heavier. It almost felt like I was carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders but I'm no Atlas so over time that weight crushed me. I first experienced loss when I was a child and my first pet, a hamster named Princess died. The second time it was my grandfather that I lost to a year's worth of health issues adding up until my grandfather couldn't take it anymore. But to me loss isn't just losing someone to death. It's losing contact with someone you'd been friends with for years or a plush you've had since you were a child. Loss comes in many forms, some of which that bear more weight and are harder to deal with. But I'd never felt it to extent that I did when I lost him. To most he was off putting and rough. He seemed to have this air of arrogance around him and appeared to look down on everyone. But I could tell that wasn't who he really was. I could see it in his eyes and actions. He was in pain and mourning the loss of someone or something that he loved. When we first met, it had been a year since he'd lost her and he was still grieving.

We met at a tea shop I frequently visited in an attempt to rid myself of my loneliness, it was small but cozy and had a huge selection of teas to choose from. I'd gotten of cup of Earl Grey and was sitting at a table sketching when he walked in. The bell above the door rang and a tall man wearing a black suit walked in, head held high and walking like he owned the place. After he'd ordered he sat down at that table in front of me and pulled out a book I didn't recognize as it was in a language I did not understand. I remember staring at him for a bit too long, intrigued by him. He looked up and met my gaze and I instantly began to redden quickly averting my gaze back to my sketching. Thankfully the worker called out his name and he stood to go get it. After he'd gotten his order he sat back down and began to read again. I stayed for another hour before packing up my bag and leaving.

He was there every time I came back for the next month and each time he ordered the same thing, a cup of chamomile tea. Over the course of the month I found myself drawing him every time he showed up and each time I became more mesmerized by him. He was always dressed nicely, not a single wrinkle or stain on his clothing he also never wore the same outfit twice. His long black hair was never in his face but pulled back into a ponytail that he'd occasionally undo. It was obvious that he was an attractive man but it wasn't his physical features that I found myself draw to. It was his personality because despite the air of arrogance and command that surrounded him he was always polite. He always responded with "Thank you" Or, "No, Thank you.", "Yes, Ma'am" or, "No Ma'am". Not once did he cuss or snap at the worker or anyone for that matter, even when she accidently spilled some tea on him. I was undeniably attracted to him but refused to act on it. Instead I kept it to myself and continued to draw him. We never spoke to one another during that whole month until one day instead of sitting at his usual table he plopped down in the chair in front of me. I was frozen in shock when he introduced himself saying, "Hello, I'm Hades. I hope you don't mind me sitting with you. It's just... it looks like maybe you could use some company." I was stunned and nodded saying the first thing that came to my mind, "You're gorgeous." I was instantly filled with regret and looked away embarrassed. When I peeked back over at him he appeared surprised but after a few seconds seemed to come to his senses and smiled asking for my name, "I'm Esperanza." Now while I was partially stunned by him sitting with me I was mostly shocked by how easily he read me and the reason why I believe he could is because I could see the same loneliness that I felt in his brown eyes.

From that moment on we sat together every time we visited the tea shop, occasionally we spoke but mostly we just sat in a comfortable silence as he read and I drew. I continued to draw him albeit with some difficulty since he now sat directly in front of me and not a table away which made it hard to draw him secretly. It wasn't until the third month that he finally caught me and I embarrassingly admitted that I had been drawing him for the past three months. But instead of being disturbed by it like I had expected, he was impressed by my art and asked me to show him some more of my work. From then on, we began to talk more and before I knew it he'd asked me out on a date.

Our first date was at a café downtown, he'd ordered a turkey avocado sandwich and I'd ordered a green chili chicken sandwich. We didn't do much, just talked and learned more about one another. I found out he had two younger brothers, three older sisters and a Great Dane named Spot. I laughed when he told me and he just shrugged and smiled, "I'm not that creative when it comes to names." I told him about my family and friends, even my love for Dungeons and Dragons. As time went on I found myself falling for him even more.

We had been together for around 8 months when he finally told me. He admitted that a year prior to meeting me he had lost his wife and two years before then he'd lost his brothers. I didn't say anything, not knowing how to respond I just held him as he slowly began to cry. Before this I'd never seen him express so much pain and sadness. He was usually happy and always finding a way to tease me. He was the one always comforting me when I had my breakdowns crying into his chest as he held me tightly and calmed me down. But this time it was my turn to comfort him and hold him as he cried. I told him that he didn't have to carry all that pain alone anymore, that I was here to help him. After this we became even closer than before comforting and helping each other even when the other didn't want to admit they needed it.

It was 5 years after we'd met that I lost him. I had just gotten back from the post office after dropping off some orders from my online shop when I found him. At first nothing seemed off the house was as it usually was since we moved in together. The house was cool and Spot was asleep on his dog bed in living room. I walked into the kitchen and it smelt of chamomile tea. But one thing stuck out to me, his cup of tea was still on the kitchen counter. Usually by now he'd have taken it and been reading his library. I put down my bags and walked down the hall to his library but found that he wasn't there. Confused I went into our bedroom and that's where I found him. Laying on our bed eyes closed. At first I thought he was sleeping but when I tried to wake him he didn't get up. He was a light sleeper so I was worried that he wasn't waking up. At this point I started getting a bad feeling in my stomach. I shook him saying his name, "Hades?" Yet still no response and I began to panic. I pressed my head to his chest to listen for his heart beat and even checked his pulse on his neck and wrist. I was greeted with silence. There was no pulse. I didn't want to believe it at first and frantically began shaking him. I was crying, no sobbing at this point. I vaguely remember calling 9-1-1 and explaining to them what happened. After hanging up I crawled onto our bed and hugged him praying, begging that he'd come back. I found out later that his cause of death was a heart attack. The doctor and nurses kept asking me questions that I don't remember all I could think was that he was gone. Hades was gone. My sunshine was gone.

My sunshine is gone.

"Please don't take my sunshine away."

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Unedited as usual I was feeling kind of sad and angsty so this happened. I have a couple more one shots coming out that are happy so don't worry. There shall be more than angst.