Hades

work

Stella

I was determined that he wouldn't leave without me. Three days down here and I was bored.

Lucinda was bustling about, toasting some bread and making coffee to herself.

Hades emerged half an hour later. His hair in a bun, black long sleeved T-shirt and black pants, black shoes and a black cardigan or sweatshirt of some sort. "Morning," he said, and fetched coffee.

It was oddly comical that the God of the dead needed coffee in the morning. I smirked.

Hades sat down across from me, not making eye contact but staring into his coffee as if it held the answers to the universe.

"Morning," Lucinda said and placed a plate filled with toasted bread before us.

I took one and started eating. It felt more like snacking.

"Persephone is on her way to Olympus," he said and stood. He took a slice of toasted bread and looked in my direction. "We're leaving in ten minutes."

I nodded and ate more bread, not breaking eye contact.

My heart was fluttering in my chest, but I wasn't about to back down simply because he felt he was pissed or whatever.

Lucinda exited the kitchen, the silence felt deafening.

"And promise me, you'll follow my every word," Hades said, his voice low and somewhat airy.

I nodded.

"Good," he said. "Ten minutes."

His eyes were so dark. Mysterious. Okay, that was weird and cliché, but I really liked his eyes. Dominic, the guy I'd dated in college, had nothing on Hades. But maybe that also concerned Hades' maturity – he wasn't a kid who needed to test whichever limit I gave him.

Hades' hands met the table, and the distance between our faces had changed considerable since two minutes ago.

My breathing felt weird.

How was he doing this? Messing with me?

I arched a brow, as if questioning him.

He smirked at me, finally breaking his stare and left the kitchen.

I slumped in my chair. My heart was still beating as if I'd run a marathon.

Slender arms wrapped around me from behind.

I gently pushed them away. I was not the hugging type – the cuddling type with a guy I liked, yes, but not hugging from girlfriends.

Lucinda sat down next to me. "He's intense, right?"

I nodded and ate another mouthful of bread. I feared my voice would sound weird if I said something.

"And I've read my fair share of human romance novels, and I don't think he needs to be saved." She said and fetched me orange juice.

"Me neither." I agreed.

Lucinda placed the juice in front of me. I smiled up at her and met her gray eyes.

"You like him," she said. "Don't worry, my mouth is sealed. But I don't think it would be a bad thing, if you got to know him more."

"I'm going to work with him today," I said and gulped down the juice with a sigh. Lucinda had assured me too, that I needed food in order to survive. So technically I didn't have a choice, wherever that led me.