Shattered

Persephone

The moment Nico was out of sight, the smile Persephone wore for her son disappeared, along with the joy she felt when he called her mom. Those pleasant things were replaced by their less than welcome counterparts: a frown and worry.

A pair of strong, albeit wet, arms wrapped around her waist from behind, and a series of gentle kisses were left at the base of her neck. "He takes after her, you know?" her husband breathed in her ear, exciting the former goddess ever so slightly.

Persephone spun around in Hades' arms to face him, and wrapped her own arms around his neck. "Rushing off into a danger is a great trait for a friend, but an absolutely horrific trait for your child."

"If Maria is watching, she is surely laughing at that comment," Hades said almost absently, his deep dark eyes staring into her very soul. "And cursing me for allowing such danger to become the norm of Nico's life."

"Don't be silly," she smiled, "she's clearly cursing us both."

Her love hummed in agreement.

It struck her as funny, that despite her son running off to face an unknown threat, a son of Poseidon bent on killing the foulest human alive, and numerous antiquities floating by them in knee-deep water, that she felt content in Hades' arms. That the rest of the world was but a far-off dream and reality only consisted of herself and her love.

Funnier yet, was the fact that she felt similar at the farm. Despite losing her divinity and being trapped in a semi-mortal body, she enjoyed the time spent with her husband, Nico, her mother, Jason, and even Percy (though after tonight that may change...). She liked to watch her mother showing Jason how to run a farm, how to tend to the animals, test the soil, and how to understand the subtle language of plants. Watching Hades work in his office-slash-bedroom-slash-Percy's-bedroom was also fun in its own right; her king mumbling to himself as he tried to connect the ever-increasing complexity of her father's conspiracy with Avalon (He'll find Pepe Silvia at this rate...). She loved pretending she didn't see Nico and Percy sneak off to have some alone time when they thought no one would notice; the two didn't know how many times she had sent Hades in the wrong direction. Those rare evenings when it was just her and Hades were memories that would be treasured forever; each learning how to pleasure each other in their new bodies.

Strawberries, Hershey's syrup, and handcuffs, she thought, a sly smile gracing her face. It was hard to explain to Nico where his chocolate went, but considering I caught him going down on Percy, he wasn't too keen to press the issue.

"As much as I would love for this moment to last forever, I believe we should get moving," Hades said with a sad smile. "We have to make sure Jackson doesn't inadvertently destroy the city."

"I doubt he would possess such hatred- " she stopped talking when she saw the look in Hades' eyes. Most viewed her husband as this grim, brooding, serious god that even Felicitas couldn't reach. The truth was that the other gods just didn't understand his sense of humor, never learning the little tells that he was joking. It also didn't help that he was shy in his own way, so few ever knew the real Hades. But the look he was giving her right now was just as serious as the day he informed her of the deaths of Maria and the children. "Really?" she asked in disbelief, dropping her arms to her sides and tilting her head.

Hades released her, the chill of the water returning, but he took her hand within his own and some of the warmth returned. "Honestly, the two of you should be best friends when it comes to hatred," he said, leading her out the flooding lion exhibit. "He hates his stepfather and you hate your father, another point of commonality between you two!"