Hades III

ego

Stella

I felt like I could see his face fall, but it could be my imagination. Something definitely changed in his eyes and the way his mouth curved.

"I don't know," I whispered.

Hades sighed softly. "You don't want anything to do with me?"

"I never said that." My respond was rushed.

"Then what are you saying?" he asked.

I wanted to touch him again, feel that connection with someone. It had felt as if... I don't know, as if he got me?

"I'm saying this is not supposed to happen, is it? I'm not a god, I'm not even a demi-god, I'm just a girl from Earth, and you're not supposed to mingle, right?"

He brushed another strand of hair off my face. "I can mingle with whomever I want. The only ones I'm not supposed to get too intimate with, are people who are not yet dead. When you're here, you're here." He said.

His body felt stiff and cold, almost as if he was pushing me away.

I looked away from his dark eyes.

He put a gentle finger under my chin and lifted my face. "So?" he asked.

"I just don't understand," I said. "Clearly, there's something with Persephone, and it feels personal to me, though I can't fathom why. And Macaria seems to be over the moon that we talk. I just don't know what to think. And then, you're Hades, a God, and I'm just, me. Stella. I'm not really anyone, and we're not supposed to be in a relationship, I don't think so. No one in town has ever met you, yet here I am, working here, truly enjoying spending time with you." I finished, finding it in me to meet his dark eyes.

He nodded slowly, as if taking everything I'd said in. "Persephone is protective towards me, I'm not sure why, but I think it's jealousy or something. I can't figure it out, and she's not exactly telling me. Macaria likes to see me happy, especially now that she's happy. I don't go to town, because I have a job to do, and it hasn't been enough years since people were staying in the castle when they weren't quite dead. I'm not ready to let people into my life who can vanish, if you know what I mean?"

I wasn't entirely sure.

"And I have had a relationship, though it was purely sexual, a millennium ago, with people from Earth who'd died and ended here. It's not uncommon to have relationships with humans, even the other Gods have that from time to other."

"Why me?" I asked.

"I don't know," he said. "Why me? It's the age-old question, and I'm no love god, so I won't know why we fall for someone and not others."

I bit my lip.

"Do you have other questions?"

"I'm not trying to wound your ego," I whispered with a smile. "Though, I think it takes a lot before you're truly hurt."

"I'm too humane not to get hurt, Stella," he said softly. "I like to think it's one of my strengths, compared to other Gods."

"Why?" I asked.

He shrugged. "We're all humane, to a certain extent. But down here, and in the Sea where Poseidon rules, we are closer to people, we're not surrounded by other Gods. There are far too many people."

"Do people, who die in the sea, got to stay with Poseidon?" I asked.

Hades smiled. "They have the choice. Some here also goes to Poseidon for a change of scenery, but it all depends. We meet up once in a while and discuss who's to go back and forth and such."

I nodded. "I never thought you'd open up to me like that."

He leaned in and kissed me. It felt like there were a million things he hadn't said, but I couldn't know.

I had my hand in his hair, the other on his shoulder. He rolled us over so I was pinned beneath him. His erection was starting to dig into my stomach.

"No condoms, and not getting pregnant, seem to have some advantages." I said.

Hades rolled his eyes. "Well, I'm not having sex like this every night, you know."

I put my arms loosely around his neck. "So? This place would be crowded if every sexual encounter resulted in a pregnancy."

He laughed. "Ah, yes," he said before leaning down to kiss me again.

Hades

She'd managed to wound my ego and then relax me in ten minutes. We had another round of sex.

I pulled out of her, and she flopped down on her back, her breathing labored.

"Fuck," she whispered. "This is hard."

I snickered. "Then sleep."

She looked at me. "One kiss," she held up a finger between us.

I leaned over her, pressing my lips gently to hers before pulling back. "Sweet dreams, Stella."

She nodded and rolled onto her side and closer to me.

I found the comforter and pulled it up to cover us. The lights dimmed before going out, and I moved closer to Stella. She snuggled into me.

Did she want to go? Somehow that thought stuck with me, despite the fact that she was here. With me. In my bed.