Reversal [by TheSuperSass]

Chapter 11

The days after the night in the throne room, Hades was pleased to find Persephone becoming less and less hesitant to initiate affection between them. He had never refused her advances, but now he seemed unafraid to make his own. But while his comfort with her increased, his nerve around taking the throne as king seemed as low as ever. As promised, she kept no part of the role from him, but saw that any talk presuming his place as ruler made him visibly uncomfortable.

She stood alone in her room, staring into her scepter, which flickered silently with the flame of the Phlegethon. She had once begun to hand it to him and he had flinched away from it. She was staring into its light, lost in thought, when he entered the room, startling her. She smiled and put it away as he walked up to the vast bed and threw himself on it.

"Eager to sleep?" she asked.

"Not to sleep," he admitted, looking up at her with a playful grin. "Join me?"

She walked over to the bed, putting a hand to her dress to disrobe.

"Wait!" he blurted, sitting up. Before he could lose courage, he continued. "Can I?" He looked down at her dress then back up at her.

"Okay," she agreed with a smirk, taking a step away from the edge of the bed.

Persephone climbed off the side and stood to face her. She expected his hands to linger across her body to remove her clothes, but instead his took her face in his hands and kissed her. Surprised but endeared by the innocent gesture, she tilted her head to lean into it as she kissed him back, resting her hands on his shoulders. His soft lips persisted against her mouth over and over again. Most of the men Hades had been physical with were in a hurry to tear off their clothes and be joined with little to no preamble. She liked that Persephone took his time when given the chance to lead, finding his willingness to take it slowly much more intimate. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and encouraged, his hands moved to rest on her narrow waist before hugging around her to press her torso against his.

What began as sweet was becoming more and more arousing to Hades, the hard muscles of his chest pressing against her front. He pulled away to kiss the corner of her lips, down her jaw, and across her neck. Her breathy sigh told him all he needed to know, even her non verbal cues giving him confidence. He released her and started to navigate her dress, winding his hands through its wraps and ties until he finally loosened it. He tugged it from her shoulders until the soft cloth fell from her body into a pile on the ground.

Persephone took a step back and admired her. Wearing nothing but her jewelry twinkling in the soft light, she stood tall: shoulders back, her crimson eyes looking unashamed into his, waiting on his next move. She was powerful, confident, and made him feel the same. His eyes trailed across her porcelain skin from her collarbone down to the swell of her breasts, down her waist and along the wide curve of her hips. His stepped forward and traced the same path of her smooth skin with his fingers with shaky hands. Hades took slow, deep breaths, determined to stay still under his touch.

Her patience was tested when his fingers slid back up her bare body, up her neck and to her ears. He carefully removed her emerald earring from her right ear and left a kiss in his place, then repeated with her left ear. He set them both aside, this time removing one golden bracelet, then the next, holding her hand up to his mouth and pressing a kiss to the inside of her wrist. Finally he took her hand in his and one at a time, pulled each enormous, glittering ring off her finger, his fingertips tickling her palm.

Hades watched him methodically remove the fingers from her other hand -- diamond, ruby, sapphire -- feeling more vulnerable and more aroused. Although she was already wearing nothing, she felt stripped bare by his careful handling. He leaned down to kiss her knuckles and stood tall again to face her, eye to eye.