I WANTED TO SCREAM.

Scream at her. Scream at Demeter, at Zeus, at Hecate.

Scream at myself.

Don't let her go, you idiot. Don't let her go. Convince her. Make her stay. Make her fucking stay.

"Perse."

There was such longing in her gaze. Such desperation, such want. Such need. Such temptation. Such determination to want to do the wrong thing - to want to go against what was right.

I wanted to - I wanted to stop her. I couldn't live without her. I couldn't live in a world where she was not by my side. I wouldn't take it.

What I was about to do was wrong.

Her eyes were full of wonder. Wonder, and tears. And that damned longing.

"Polydegmon."

Wordlessly, I held out the fruit in my palm.

A ripe pomegranate, picked in the early hours of the dawn from Hecate's sanctuary before the sun rose. The first fruit of the orchard - darker than a shade of blood, painted deep crimson. The aroma wafting from it would have made a mortal weep from joy, pull out his hair, tear the fruit with his bare hands and sip the juice faster than he could breathe. Such was this fruit.

"What is this?" her whisper was lighter than a feather.

A trick, I wanted to tell her. I wanted to take her by the shoulders and shake her. I wanted to cut that pomegranate into slices and stain my fingers the dark red of their juices. I wanted to feed her those pieces, one by one, licking the golden taste of the orchard off her fingers.

A fruit of the Underworld, from the Sanctuary itself.

One taste of it and you could never leave the Underworld.

And yet, that aching loss - that desire, that heartbreak, that jabbing pain in my gut, all of it made me want to lie. Made me want to keep her here, with me. Where I would never let Demeter touch her again.

"A token," I said simply.

Her fingers grasped the deadly fruit, unaware of its binding power. Persephone looked at me again, the divine shining through the pits in her eyes, green fire flickering behind her pupils.

Thank you.

That little conscience left in me wanted to make her stop. To tell her. To fucking stop her from cracking that pomegranate open in front of my eyes.

And yet that devil in my brain wanted to watch her eat it. Watch those seeds stain her lips the colour of sangria. To keep her safe with me forever.

She was now pressing a bunch of kisses on Cerberus's head, the sleek greyhound excitedly wagging his tail at the sudden onslaught of love from her. He gave her warm cheek a long, amused lick, giving her a joyful bark as she choked back on a hoarse laugh. Zeus watched them warily, nursing another glass of mead as he sank into the depths of his armchair. Hera fluttered around nervously, directing her nymphs to find men to carry the baggage. She met my eyes in a moment of distraction.

"Tell me you'll take care of her."

Hecate was now fussing with Persephone's hair, the action so strange for her - even as I helplessly watched her chide and scowl at my wife as she straightened the single black rose in her hair.

"I may be a bitch, but I do care about my niece. She'll be fine."

Around us, Thanatos was now smacking Charon as he took off his low rimmed hat, cackling eerily as he followed around Persephone like a lost puppy, narrating some joke. Her laugh was almost a sob as she turned around to fling her arms around the hairy, filthy ferryman, before pulling in an amused Thanatos into the embrace. The Reaper began to sob, hiccuping loudly, causing Hecate to click her tongue and drag him off into some dark corner.

A stunned Minos was next, as Persephone pulled the three judges into another hug. Aeacus started to sniffle as I shot him a glare. Rhadamanthys was next, who clasped her hand, eyes full of regret.

"Take care of my son, Rhadamanthys."

"I will, my Queen," he bowed low. "I will."

And then at last, the only one left was me.

Her fingers traced the edges of the divine fruit in her hand, playing over the edges and the bumps in its nearly smooth skin, feeling the hidden blemishes over the surface. She raised it to her nose, inhaling deeply, and then peeling the fruit open with deliberation, the seeds beneath gleaming like rubies - as I watched, watched with such guilty, shameful-

She opened her mouth-

"Stop!"

The entire Hall turned to look at me. Me alone, the person who knew what a poison that thing was. That deadly, deadly, fruit.

I couldn't. Couldn't let her do it. I couldn't deceive her. Not like this.

"Something wrong, Hades?"

"I - uh... it's overripe, I think. You should probably throw it away. It's not good for the baby."

Persephone knowingly looked at me, her gaze slow, painfully deliberate. As if she knew. As if she almost knew. All I knew was that I couldn't do this to her. She deserved the right to make her own choice - she had to have that right. And it was terribly unfair of me to force my will upon her.

For the last time in forever, my wife put her arms around my cold neck, drawing me in. One last time. Her breath was warm, so warm - her skin a burning flame, like fire made flesh. And when she kissed me, I could taste the desperation on her lips like starlight, feel it melt against my tongue. Because we were not good for each other. And we never would be.

We both drew back with tears in our eyes.

"I love you."

My hand was on her stomach, feeling that life growing inside of her. A part of her. A part of me. Our creation. Our baby.

"Tell my daughter that her father loves her."

She nodded, and kissed me softly one last time. Zeus and Hera rose behind her, waiting to escort her back.

"Goodbye, Hades," she whispered.

"Goodbye, my rose."

And then the love of my life turned away and walked out of my world forever.

∞

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