Hades

Chapter Twelve - The Butterflies

Chapter Twelve: The Butterflies

The days of the week flew by, and soon it was Saturday again. Ecstatic that she had a day off planned with Hades and her two new friends, Harusame floated around her apartment joyfully to the sound of the radio, packing a picnic. She swayed her hips and occasionally joined in for the chorus;

‘I wanna hold your haaand!’

Hades sat on her bed, eating a pastry she had brought home for him as a present. She had called it a ‘cinnamon bun’, and he thought it was the most delicious thing he had ever encountered on earth. Harusame had bought six for everyone to share, and as Hades finished devouring the pile, licked his fingers clean and reached for the final one she slapped his hand away.

‘You’ll get fat,’ she teased.

‘I won’t. Calories don’t have any effect on me.’

‘You’re kidding?’

‘No.’

‘So you could eat a million of those and not gain a pound?’

Hades gazed at the final cinnamon bun longingly. ‘Pretty much…yeah. It’s a god thing.’

‘You’re so lucky!’

‘I know.’

Harusame looked at her already slender figure in the mirror and wrinkled her nose. ‘All right, don’t rub it in.’

‘Gods don’t go to the bathroom either,’ he said, sneaking the last bun while Harusame wasn’t looking, and was so busy enjoying the scrumptious taste that it took him a moment to notice her gaping at him in fascinated astonishment.

‘What?’ he said, his mouth full.

*

The park was filled with the scents and sounds of mid spring: pastel pink petals strewn about the dewy green grass, dogs barking, and the happy shouts of children as they were lifted high into the air on their parent’s shoulders. Altogether, it was a very pleasant sunny day with blue skies and a breeze that was just gentle enough. As the park wasn’t too far, Harusame went on foot, her black clad companion skulking behind her and Honda in cat form trotting alongside. Uxi rode in the picnic basket at her own request. Harusame picked a nice spot near the edge of the park, spreading out her blanket in the shade of a big tree and setting out the picnic. She kept the lid of the basket open so that Uxi would have fresh air and a nice view. Hades stood looking at the tree with a funny look on his face.

‘What’s the matter?’ Harusame asked.

‘It looks just like…nothing. Never mind.’

And he sat down next to her.

‘Aren’t you hot wearing that black cape all the time?’

‘Not really.’

‘It doesn’t look comfy at all in this heat, are you sure you’re okay?’

More to please her than to cool down, Hades shrugged his cape off. Peeking out of the picnic basket, Uxi gaped. She’d never seen her master remove a piece of clothing at anyone else’s request before. Whenever his clothes got torn, damaged or dirty on the job she’d always had to wrestle them out of his possession.

Hades closed his eyes peacefully. The heat of Harusame’s bare shoulders brushed his, and he realised that she smelled even sweeter than the cherry blossoms. Somewhere nearby, Honda purred gently, a low, comforting rumble.

‘There are the butterflies again.’ Hades heard Harusame’s voice through the fuzziness of his mind.

‘Mm? Yeah, they’re everywhere.’