DIVINE - A Persephone And Hades Retelling

SEVENTEEN || I Almost Lost You

His hands on her waist were all she could feel as the music softly played in the ballroom. The party was now in fool swing, and it was safe to say they had stayed for more than one drink, but still, it seemed as if no one was there but them. Now Persephone wanted to be home, in their home, with her husband. As they swayed to the music playing on the dance floor, Persephone tucked her head underneath his.

He lowered his head to her ear and softly whispered to her, "You're mine." It was reminiscent of the night before the trial. When all she wanted was to be his. She had told him then that all she wanted when the trial was over was for him to tell her that she was his and mean it. While this was not a perfect situation, she knew it was the only way she could have him. And so she was happy.

Hearing his words, she hummed in response, whispering back the one word he was waiting for, "Yours." Claiming her lips with his, he kissed her lightly and gently, like it was almost a figment of her imagination. Then harder and more passionate, letting her know he was real.

When he tried to end the kiss, Persephone wouldn't allow it. Her lips frantically worked over his. No, she thought to herself, grabbing his face in her hands. Don't stop, she wanted to tell him. She wasn't ready for this moment to end.

"Persephone..." he let out a groan, his voice laced with desperation. He broke the kiss, taking half a step back from her. "We have to stop, or I won't be able to-," he started to say before she stopped him.

"I don't want to stop." The statement made him freeze mid-sentence. She could see his hesitation and feel his arousal. Never had she been so forward, especially in public, she usually left that to Hades. But tonight, she felt free, the nectar she had been given had made sure of it. She knew she didn't have to hide anymore, she was on the brink of a new Persephone, she could be anyone she wanted to be. But tonight, all she wanted to be was his.

She took a step closer to him, taking two fistfuls of his shirt. "Hades, I nearly lost you today. I-I want you." Her eyes were a mixture of lust, uncertainty, and nervousness, but they still never wavered from Hades. He watched her closely, a battle of control waging behind his own eyes. She couldn't understand why he suddenly wasn't acting on her suggestion until she realized she had never in their thousand-year relationship been so forward. She had tuned the God speechless. So she tried once more to make herself perfectly clear, "Take me home, Hades." He did not respond, instead, they flashed to the Underworld without a moment wasted.

He had brought them to their bedroom, where they wasted no time falling into their passion. It was there that they worshiped only each other.

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The Underworld's cool breeze lightly blew through their window, ruffling the curtains as they lay in bed together. She lightly traced patterns and followed the scars on his bare chest as he held her close to him. Both were comfortable with the silence as they both contemplated the trail.

"How did I ever survive without you?" Hades asked in a husky tone.

"I like to imagine you were miserable without me." She could not stop the small laugh from escaping her, "I'm glad you're happy." She added in a more serious tone.

"I am," he told her, pulling her closer to him. "I know the trial didn't exactly go the way we had planned it," he added sadly. She knew he was thinking of their eventual departure from each other. She knew because it was also on her mind. Yes, it was coming, but there was also a relief in knowing she would always come back after the harvest.

"All I wanted was to be with you. To be your wife and your queen." She told him, kissing his jaw, "Our situation isn't ideal, but we have a chance to be together, and I'm trying to hold onto that hope. At least this way, I can be a part of your life."

He shook his head while looking up at the ceiling instead of her, "It could have ended very differently."

"There was a moment I thought it was going to." She agreed. Suddenly, he turned to look at her.

"I almost lost you," he said softly, touching her face gently.

"But you didn't." She reminded him.

Instead of being reassured, he only sighed, "Yes, but that is a chance I never want to take again. I don't want to gamble with you, you're too precious," he told her before softly kissing her again. "Why did you have to offer to go with her?" he asked once their lips were separated.

"Are you mad about this? She may not have been the most nurturing mother, but she's still my mother, Hades, not a criminal. You speak of her as if she is evil." She knew the feelings he held for her mother were not positive ones, and for the most part, they were not without good reason. Her mother had done many things to make Hades hate her. But she would always be her mother, that would never change. "Are you so blind that you really can't see why I did it? I was protecting you," she told him.

"I do not need protecting," he answered immediately with a voice as hard as stone.

"Yes, you do." She told him, refusing to let him make little of what had happened at the trial. He almost lost everything. "I was not going to stand by and watch while everything you worked so hard to build and love so dearly gets taken away from you. I couldn't let my mother do that to you," she told him, her voice whispering to him through the night air. Her mother had done so much to her by trying to take what Persephone loved more than anything. She would never let that happen to Hades.

He shocked her when he started to chuckle, "You still do not understand, do you? It is you that I love the most in the world. Not my kingdom, my throne, or my power. I would gladly give up everything I own, then lose you for the rest of eternity." He suddenly turned them both over, flipping her onto her back, so he hovered over her. He spoke softly, but his eyes burned with meaning. "And that is exactly what almost happened today. I can not lose you, my love. You will always be my everything," he said, leaving kisses up and down her neck as he spoke.

"And you are mine," she told him a second before he connected their lips once again devouring her. When he released her lips to kiss her neck, she finished her thought, "And for that reason, I did what I did. You say you would lay down your kingdom for me because you love me. Well, I am willing to do the same; I would lay my life down for you." He shook his head at her words, but she stopped him from speaking, needing to finish her thought before he began to argue with her. He needed to hear this. "When you know who matters most to you, giving things up, even yourself, doesn't really feel like a sacrifice. If you're asking if I would do it again, I would. Without question. There will never be a time that I stand by and let you lose everything for me. Not without a fight," she told him. He watched her with serious eyes as she spoke. Most would have backed down to his intimidating gaze, but not her.

"You cannot do that again. I cannot watch such a thing, Persephone." He watched her as he stilled his assault on her neck. When she said nothing in response, he continued, "You must promise me here and now. Swear it to me on everything you hold dear that you will never put yourself in danger willingly ever again." He pleaded with her. She could tell he didn't like not being in control and was scared something would happen he could not prevent.

She knew he would not like her answer, but it was the only truth she had. She knew he would do the same, "I cannot, in this, I have no choice."

His head fell defeated, this conversation was far from over, but he finally gave up arguing with her, "I wish you would not be so stubborn."

She giggled at his demeanor. Kissing him seemed to make him smile again, "My stubbornness and I are a package deal."