IT'S MY BIRTHDAY WOOO
ATHENA RUSSO:
I rest my chin on my hand and watch Hades eat his dinner. Normally, he can be quite annoying, but he's ignoring me like a coward. Is getting married to me really that bad? It's not like I forced him to marry me.
But as I sit here, I can't help but notice that something seems off with him. Why has he been avoiding me like the plague? I tap my fingers on my chin as I try to piece together what could be the cause of this.
And then, like a bolt of lightning, it hits me, it's because of what I said to him before. I remember telling him that if we just kept our distance and ignored each other, things would be easier.
But I never thought he would take it so seriously.
Well, I won't take it back now. I absolutely can't let this beautiful peace go away. And then I'll take Elijah's advice and make him my servant.
I evilly chuckle as I imagine Hades doing everything I demand him to like a child.
I glance at Hades and see him looking at me with a confused look.
"What on earth are you planning?"
"Mind your business," I snap, giving him a deathly glare.
He rolls his eyes and continues eating.
Anyway, it's been a few days since I've been married to Hades. All he does is stay in that goddamn office of his.
I can't leave the manor because of the contract. I never thought I would be on house arrest for like two months but here I am. Stuck with a man who's effortlessly annoys me somehow.
I wrap my arms around myself, feeling cold. why on earth is it so cold in here? Whatever. It shouldn't bother me anyway. I try to act normally and not move so I can warm up.
Hades, speaks in a low, grumbling tone, "Eat your food."
Feeling disinterested, I respond with a grumble of my own, "I'm not hungry." Despite the delicious aroma wafting from the plate in front of me, my appetite seems to have vanished into thin air.
"Eat."
"No."
He takes a long deep breath and gives me a stern look. "You need to eat something, it's not up for debate."
With an exasperated sigh, I reluctantly pick up the fork and force myself to take a few bites of the food.
"Are you satisfied now?" I ask, hoping that my compliance will make him shut up now.
He gives me a nod and rises from his chair. He picks up his plate and mine with a gentle grip and carries them out of the dining room.
The sound of his footsteps slowly fades away as he makes his way to the kitchen, leaving me alone.
I lean back in my chair, confused. Okay, why is it so cold in here? I don't feel any cold breeze of the sort. I wrap my arms tighter around my body.
As Hades makes his way back into the room, he notices me and abruptly stops in his tracks. His expression is one of concern and confusion as he asks me, "What's the matter?"
"It's cold in here."
He blinks. "No... it's not."
I sigh, frustrated, "Don't piss me off now. It is cold."
He walks toward me and places his hand on my forehead, "Do you mean it's hot?"
I look at him in confusion, "Are you deaf? I'm cold, not hot."
He furrows his eyebrows, "Have you been feeling like this lately?"
I slowly nod, "Yeah, I get really cold or just hot. But that's normal. Right?"
"You have a fever," He mumbles.
"That's not possible. I don't get sick," I firmly tell him.
I can't be sick. I don't know how but I've never been sick. The only time something is physically wrong with me is when I'm on my period.
"Hate to break it to you but you are," he tells me, crossing his arms. "It's good we know now so it won't get worse."
I huff, "What are you? A doctor?"
"No, but Elijah is. Continue with this attitude and I'll tell him you're sick," he threatens, raising an eyebrow.
My eyes widen. "No! He will baby me. Okay. I'll be nice now. So no need to cry."
"I'm not crying," he states.
I roll my eyes, "Whatever. Can you just turn the heating up? I'll be fine within an hour."
✮ ✮ ✮
As I glance towards Hades, he meets my gaze with a disapproving expression. I feel a sudden surge of frustration as I clench my fists, realizing that he's been giving me strange looks for the past hour. His eyes have conveyed various emotions - puzzlement, curiosity, and now, disapproval.
"Stop looking at me." I snap at him, my voice filled with frustration.
He just rolls his eyes, as if he's heard it all before. "What now? Are you still mad that I was right?" he says with a grin.
As I lay there on the bed, unable to move due to this stupid fever. "If I wasn't stuck on this bed, I would slap you right now," I muttered, my frustration evident in my tone.
Hades, however, seems to find my outburst amusing, as he chuckles and replies, "I'm going to take that as a yes."
I shift my weight and turn to the side, my frustration growing. He's acting so smug like he's the only one who knows anything. As if it's some grand revelation that an illness would only worsen if you don't take care of yourself.
He pokes my back, "Turn back around."
With beads of sweat trickling down my forehead, I hastily fling the covers off the bed, feeling a sudden surge of heat. Frustrated with the scorching temperature. "Hades it's getting really hot in here, stop trying to piss me off," I warn.
Without any warning or explanation, he abruptly exits the room, leaving me feeling perplexed and annoyed. I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself down from the frustration of dealing with such a confusing and thoughtless individual.
After a few seconds, he returns with a damp cloth in hand.
"No," I immediately refuse.
"No?" he questions, puzzled.
"I don't want that thing touching me."
He squints his eyes, "You know that a fever can be deadly. And you also know what happens if one of us dies, right?"
"I'm not going to die. You're being overly dramatic," I retort.
"You're the one overreacting."
"Hades," I warn, fanning my face.
As I lay there, feeling weak and exhausted, he gently placed a cold cloth on my forehead. The sensation of the coolness on my skin was an instant relief, and I couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. "There," he said softly, as he adjusted the cloth to make sure it covered my forehead entirely.
My eyes begin to close on their own, and the sensation feels quite pleasant. I let out a soft sigh and try to relax. I notice a damp cloth resting on my forehead, and I gently place my hand on top of it, hoping it will soothe my throbbing headache.
And somehow this whole idea of pretending to be sick so I can order him around sort of worked although now I'm actually sick.
But as I contemplate what I should make him do, an evil grin spreads across my face. My mind races with countless possibilities, each one more mischievous than the last.
His voice is laced with caution as he utters my name, "Athena. Whatever your intentions are, I want no part of it."
Glancing up at him, I give him a mischievous smile. "Hate to break it to you, Hades," I reply with a hint of playfulness in my tone. "But you already are a part of it."