Hades

closed doors

Hades

Olympus was bright and filled with people, and nothing happened.

Zeus was at the end of the table, trying to bring order yet failing miserably. Persephone didn't care about this, me? I hated it.

Stella was where I wanted to be as of right now. But I had to leave, because of this tedious meeting about fucking nothing.

The taste of her lips was still in my head, and I couldn't get over it.

When Zeus finally gathered his courage to shout, the meeting was over in five minutes.

I was about to leave, when Persephone snuck up on me. The chariot was right there.

"So," Persephone said. "How long am I to stay, once I return for spring?" She was trying to seduce me, again. I had to admit, sometimes I gave in to her attempts, but not today. I yanked my arm away from her hands.

"Listen, when you come back, it's for a few days, just to update me. And then you can go back." I said. "I'm not in the mood for you right now."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not saying anything, but mom thinks she'll be grandmother again."

"In her dreams," I said. Don't get it wrong, Persephone was great, most of the time. But she got on my everlasting nerves, and her mother seemed to think we were absolutely perfect for one another. After a few thousand years when we were both over one another.

"Fine," Persephone said. "I'll let her know, you don't want to."

"Please do," I said. It would be a while before I was back in Olympus, and Demeter did not want to go to the Underworld. No one wanted to.

Persephone spun around and left.

I walked, fast, to my chariot and was off before a minute had passed.

While it may not have seemed like a long time I'd been gone, it was a day and a half.

It was dusk, when I returned. I had someone take care of the Chariot, I stroked the four horses and went to the castle.

Right now I wanted to see Stella again.

Lucinda was at the top of the stairs. She looked so small and timid I stopped in my haste.

"Hey, what's the matter?" I asked.

She looked up at me. Her gray eyes worried. "Stella hasn't been herself since you've been gone."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

She shrugged. "She was mad, I think. But she wouldn't talk about it, and I don't like it when people are mad."

Persephone and I were the exceptions, because it happened so often.

I sighed. "I'll go talk to her." I said. "I promise, I'll solve this, don't worry your pretty little head with it."

Lucinda smiled a small smile. It was tiny, but it was there.

"And take off the day tomorrow if you're too tired." I reassured it was okay. She was the kindest, and best girl in the kitchen. She liked to cook, and I didn't tell her what to cook, and I ate most.

"Thank you, Hades." She said. "I just, I was so worried for Stella. She hardly ate."

"Ate?" I asked. "Shit."

Lucinda nodded and moved, so I could run past her.

My first trip was my office. I had to check her physical body was in somewhat decent shape.

The girl in the bed looked as comatose as ever before. The doctors were worried for her condition. Someone came and checked up on her all the time.

A young guy walked in.

He was tall, looked somewhat nerdy, with glasses and styled, short hair. He wore a light blue shirt and pants.

"Hey Stells," he said and sat down next to her. He took her hand in his. "Please stay with us."

I shut down the globe, shut the door to the office and walked to Stella's bedroom. The door was locked.

"I have the key to all the rooms," I said to the door. "Please open, Stella."

"No!" came the reply.

"Then fine! Eat! Your boyfriend is worried about you!" I yelled.

The door was opened. Stella glared up at me, her eyes wide open and blue. "I don't have a boyfriend, you moron!" she yelled.

"Fine, then whoever it was is worried."

"So you are more concerned with my physical body than me, good to know, Hades." She was about to shut the door.

I put my foot between, preventing her from being able to shut the door.

"Why are you so fucking pissed?" I asked. "And why won't you eat?"

"You are way too focused on that fucking food," she snarled.

"No, but if you don't eat, your body will die, and you won't get back on earth." I said. "I've seen it before."

She braced herself. "You just left."

"I had to go to Olympus?!" She knew that!

"In the middle of the night?" she asked. "Because it was pitch black outside before you came."

"No, I didn't leave until dawn." I said, confused.

"For a God, you're pretty dense." She said and shut the door on my foot. In reflex I moved my food.

"You're mad because I left?" I asked the door. After so many days of being together and sending subtle hints all the time, she was pissed because I left? Had this happened two days earlier she'd probably have spent all the time in the attic. Who knew how many letters were hidden.

I knocked on the door.

"Leave!" She yelled.

"No way!" I replied.

Silence.

I sat down next to the door and stared at the floor.