The Colour Of Pomegranates

Chapter 58

The world was left cold and barren, exactly the way it had been the previous time Persephone stayed Below so long. She had already grown accustomed to it, she didn't feel sorry for the mortals. In fact, she had seen children playing in the snow the way they played in the river. Humans were very adaptable. They could survive a couple of months without Summer.

Helios already lowered his tired body toward the horizon when Persephone and Hades erupted from the cave. The last few months Persephone had been so occupied with winning him over, getting him back, she hadn't noticed she never lost him at all. She smiled at him as their fingers laced together, an explosion of bright colours in the clouded afternoon sky. It was strange seeing him in this setting, not surrounded by everything forsaken and dead, but by the rustling of the leafless trees, the ripple of near frozen water, the chirping of birds.

Hades looked at her, seeing everything he ever wanted. He brought her hand up to his lips.

'What do you want to do?' he asked her. She smiled with a mischievous glint in her dark eyes.

'I want to go hunting.' He raised an eyebrow and studied her more closely. Her cheeks were pink from the cold, her eyes bright. He fully understood her need to come back Up every once in a while. It made her feel alive. She pulled him against her. 'I want to run,' she whispered against his throat before pressing a sweet kiss against his skin.

Before he knew it she set off, running away from him and into the woods at high velocity. Hades felt something spark inside him. This was what she had been doing with Leto's twins? Running? He gave her an advance before starting after her.

The hunt felt exhilarating. The cold winter winds blazed against his skin, leaving him prickly and hot. His heartbeat picked up, his chest heaved, his feet carried him through the woods, touching rock, sand, grass and snow. He caught a glimpse of her between the trees, her laughter coaxing him on. She quickly changed paths, zigzagging through the trees. He pushed off against an oak, speeding up, trying to gain ground, never losing sight of her.

'Come on!' she yelled, 'is that your all?' She made the mistake of looking back - never look back - and he grabbed her, lifting her up and hurling her into the air. Laughing she rolled over the forest dirt until they came to a full stop, Hades on top, straddling her. Panting he looked at her, really seeing her, and as her smile faded he leaned in to kiss her with a hot passion. It had been decades if not centuries since his last hunt. It never felt like this. Persephone moaned against his mouth as she arched her back, pushing up against him, sparking an intense interest. The Winter darkness already surrounded them. If he didn't break the kiss now, he wouldn't be able to stop. 

He didn't stop.

His right hand moved so he could capture both her hands above her head, while his other hand followed an invisible trail along her side, to her hip. He pulled her further up, against his hardened length. Her eyes widened and lit up, he smiled before pulling her up effortlessly. She sat in his lap and freed her hands, burying them in his hair. He loved it when she pulled his hair. Carefully he unbuttoned the dress and cupped her chin to gently push her face up, granting him better access to her neck. He started kissing and sucking on her skin, slowly making his way down to her uncovered breasts, circling his tongue around her nips. He loved her rosy nipples, and now that they were wet, only the winds needed to blow on them for her to shiver in anticipation.

She started to loosen his belt and ripped open his trousers, her fingertips felt cold against his abdomen, spreading goosebumps over his pale skin. When she finally got a hold of his cock, a low groan escaped his lips from deep within his throat. With ease, he lifted her tiny body and moved her closer. She was soaking wet, like she had been this Autumn. O, he knew about her earlier sexual frustration alright, but he was waiting, anticipating, for her to make the first move. It aroused him when she showed initiative.

It wouldn't take a lot of preparation for him to slip inside her and he could feel they were both desperate for that proximity. Wasting no more time, he pulled the soft fabric of her underwear aside and lowered her onto him, slowly easing herself down his length. She gasped, throwing her head back, and started to slowly roll her hips. Hades pulled her closer, burying his face in her hair, kissing her neck, thoroughly relishing the low moans as he filled her entirely. She started moving more desperately, pulling his head back by his hair and proclaiming war on his mouth, attacking him with hot and needy kisses.

'Faster', she breathed, 'come on, Hades, fuck me harder.' Soon he felt the warning tingling that he was close to climaxing and he brought his hands to her hips, pushing her farther down. He started moving against her faster, pinning her down against him. Every time they were like this, fucking with a necessity unknown to mortalkind, he knew they belonged together. As she fell apart around him, he released inside her and she jerked her body against him, falling limp against his chest, breathing heavily and contently. His fingers caressed her trembling legs before he moved his hands up to put her dress back on. She kissed his jawline.

'That was really nice. We should do something like this again,' she said flatly with humor in her eyes. He started laughing and pulled her in for a hug. 

'Yes, you are quite the hostess.' He always felt like he wanted to end the questions with my queen yet he couldn't. But why not? Why would he wait any longer? He was prepared for this moment, as he had been for many months. Persephone got up and straightened her dress, pushing her hair from her blushing face. He did the same, civilising himself and pushing his hair back. He noticed they were standing in a small clearing, surrounded by an abundance of winter flowers. He loved that she could do that, and it saddened him that she couldn't let anything bloom Below. At least, until she got pregnant.

'Let's go back,' he said, pulling her close against his side and kissing her temple. He looked over his shoulder as they made their way back into the woods, and watched the white and red flowers bloom in her wake with a smile.

As Winter Above progressed, Persephone asked Hades to make it snow Below as well. They were sitting in the parlor, a fire blazing in the massive hearth while snow piled up against the windows. She was lying on her back, her head resting on Hades' thigh. He appeared to be lost in thought. She loved the deep creases in his forehead, the way he bit his cheek or nibbled on his bottom lip. When his brow knit in earnest, she rolled over to the side and looked at him with a loving smile.

'What are you thinking about?' she asked sweetly. He smiled at her and helped her sit upright, so he could get up. He didn't want to waste any more breath or time on overthinking. He knelt before her on both knees and cupped her face to kiss her. When Hades pulled back, he smiled at her and tucked her hair behind her ears.

'I really wanted to do this before... my brother paid us an unexpected visit,' he said, pulling a shimmering seashell out of his pocket. 'I also really wanted to do this in other circumstances than the ones we find ourselves in, but I know my destiny as well as yours.' He gave her the seashell, which Persephone opened slowly, discovering a white gold ring with a roughly cut ruby. Her eyes lit up, recognizing the colour of the pomegranate seed.

'I want you to become my wife, my Queen, my master and mistress. Persephone, you bound me to you and there is no place in the universe, Below, Up or Above I'd rather be than with you. Will you accept my love and my crown before the eyes of mortals and gods alike?' She wrapped her arms around his neck and slid off the couch, kissing his face a hundred times over.

'You already know I do.'